We welcome Garrett Blood—a three-time entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Kajae, and a leader whose mission-driven approach left our whole team feeling deeply moved. This conversation is anything but typical. Garrett’s origin story begins in Orange County, where he went from limos and luxury to losing everything and starting over as a 12-year-old entrepreneur. His journey moves through business triumphs and setbacks, a breakthrough ice cream venture, and finally to Kajae, a staffing company built on the belief that opportunity – not talent – is unequally distributed across the globe.What unfolds is much more than business talk – it’s an…

In this episode, hosts Brent and Shari sit down with Tim Hardin, a CEO whose journey takes us from social work in rural Arkansas to the heights of corporate leadership.Tim shares how his roots in social services taught him about empathy, authenticity, and the power of overlooked moments - lessons he’s carried through every phase of his career. You'll hear stories about strategic pivots, the humble art of “thinking smaller,” and why connecting with people - not just building business - matters most. The episode tackles what it means to operationalize mission-driven values within teams, why focusing on the “emotional…

Brent and Shari sit down with the renowned performance coach Dr. Fergus Connolly. Together, they explore what it really means to achieve and sustain greatness - not just in sports, but in business and everyday life.Far from the typical “tips and tricks” podcast, this conversation goes deep into universal truths about success, human connection, and why copying superstar tactics isn’t the path to lasting results. Fergus draws on his unique experiences coaching elite athletes, special forces, and world-class executives, revealing how principles, not just processes or hustle, hold the keys to performance that doesn’t burn you out.Expect stories about building…

Shari and Brent sit down with Dr. Rod Berger, an organizational psychologist, bestselling author, and master storyteller. But this isn’t your typical sales podcast - forget the tips and tricks. Instead, you'll hear deep reflections on the stories we tell ourselves, and how those narratives shape both our relationships and our own self-perception.From anecdotes about his childhood and the fuel behind his curiosity to pinch-me moments like interviewing everyone from Pope Francis to Magic Johnson, Rod shares how authentic storytelling can open doors and strengthen human connection. Brent and Shari challenge the notion that selling is only about hitting targets,…

We sit down with the remarkable J'Lein Liese, a PhD in psychology whose life journey bridges everything from training police in South Africa and advising on post-crisis conflict at Sandy Hook, to her early days as a 13-year-old horse trainer searching for belonging on the Mexican border.This conversation is a masterclass in the art of genuine human connection. J'Lein Liese shares deeply personal stories and lessons from her work in some of the world’s most intense conflict zones, revealing practical frameworks for dissolving division and leading with empathy - whether you’re in a boardroom, a crisis, or just trying to…

If you're building a business or leading a team and still think vulnerability is a weakness, this conversation with Deputy CRO Jaimie Buss will change everything.Jaimie isn't your typical sales leader. Yes, she runs global teams and closes massive deals - but what makes her extraordinary is how she sees people. From a pivotal bathtub moment with her son to navigating partnership negotiations worth millions, Jamie reveals the why behind motivation, the power of controlling what you can, and how to distinguish fear from intuition (hint: you feel it in your body).This episode is for sales leaders, enablement pros, and…

If you're drowning in sameness - where every competitor sounds identical, every pitch blurs together, and you're not sure why customers actually pick you - this conversation will snap everything into focus.April Dunford is the world's leading positioning expert, and she's spent her career helping B2B companies figure out what makes them different when they swear nothing does. In this episode, she unpacks her famous toilet story (trust us, it's brilliant), reveals why most companies have no clue what their real competitive advantage is, and shares the startling truth about what happened when she stopped marketing her business entirely.But here's…

If you're leading a team, closing deals, or just trying to connect in a world that feels more transactional every day - this one's for you.Maria Boulden spent 40+ years building world-class sales organizations at DuPont and Gartner. But her real superpower? Leading with ruthless clarity *and* deep humanity - at the same time.She's the sales leader who thinks in spreadsheets but leads with her heart. The engineer who became a storyteller. The woman who walked away from a C-suite track to care for her premature son - only to come back stronger, sharper, and more human than ever.In this…

If you're tired of chasing tactics and wondering why your deals still fall apart - this conversation will stop you in your tracks.Shari Levitin and Brent Adamson don't do surface-level sales talk. In this raw, unfiltered debut episode, they dig into the life lessons that actually move the needle - both in the boardroom and at home. You'll hear why a decorated soldier found sales rejection *harder than combat*, how changing a single pronoun can shift your entire mindset, and why the best way to close more deals is to stop trying to impress people and start making them believe…

If you're tired of surface-level connections that lead nowhere - with clients, with leaders, with the people who actually matter - this conversation will change how you show up.Don Yaeger has spent decades extracting stories from icons like Michael Jordan, Condoleezza Rice, and Deion Sanders. But here's what makes him different: he doesn't just tell great stories - he earns the right to hear them. In 30 minutes with Michael Jordan, he asked a question no reporter had ever asked. The answer? A 40-year-old scar that still stung.In this episode, Don walks us through his "concentric circles" framework for building…