#525: Nicole Greene is a Business and Lifestyle Strategist for badass women founders and executives who are committed to high performance in multiple non-negotiable roles (think executive, founder, mom, caretaker). Her actionable strategies and systems help these women step out of survival mode and achieve success, in life and business.

Nicole's passion for this work comes from her own experience making herself small (and eventually burning out) across a highly successful career, from defense intelligence to artisan chocolates, CPG and Health Tech, during which she founded three companies and built several others from Seed to Series B.

Nicole describes herself as a recovering workaholic and forever high performer. She's a classically-trained pastry chef, perpetual learner and dedicated mentor, as well as a mom of two boys (and an Australian Cattle Dog), living in Miami, FL. Nicole has a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University and is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Miami.

#524: Brian Ondrako is, first and foremost, a dedicated Dad to an amazing young boy who keeps him energized and young at heart. As the host of the Just Get Started Podcast for over six years, Brian has built a platform for meaningful conversations and personal growth. Alongside his podcasting journey, he writes blogs three times a week, has published two children's books with a third on the way, and serves as a Sales Mentor to B2B Founders and their teams.

The past several years have been transformative for Brian, looking very different from the life he once knew. His current pursuits are rooted in a pivotal decision to take control of his life. Overcoming childhood challenges of poor confidence, low self-esteem, and a fear of judgment, Brian reshaped his path by embracing bravery, delayed gratification, and connecting with influential people.

Through these steps, he discovered a sense of purpose that realigned his life's direction. Brian identifies as a NAVIGATOR, with his "North Star" guiding him to help others take control of their own lives. He believes that true fulfillment begins from within, by understanding that happiness is only achievable when we fully discover ourselves.

As we explore who we are, Brian emphasizes, we uncover a COMPASS within us, one that guides us toward a more appreciative and purposeful life. This inner compass, according to Brian, forms the foundation for a happier and more fulfilling existence.

#515: 

Heyooo,

So The World Economic Forum recently released their top 10 "skills for the future of work."

Guess what made the list: flexibility, adaptability and resilience.

Why are those so important to the WEF?

Because the WEF knows that the future is changing rapidly, and companies need employees who can thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

The job market and the world at large are changing quickly, and what served you yesterday likely won't serve you in the future - especially if you're already thinking about how you can make a change NOW.

I talk about being unbreakable as a state where you are ready, or at least ready to handle, anything that comes your way.

So I created a free 5 day mini crash course on how to become unbreakable. Right now all new subscribers are getting it, so I wanted to kick it out to everyone here for a chance to check it out as well.

#427: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Barry Shore. Known as the "Ambassador of JOY," Barry Shore is a mental wellness activist, philanthropist, multi-patent holding entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcaster, and former quadriplegic who is now swimming around the world!

After a rare disease paralyzed Barry from the neck down, he created the JOY of LIVING Community™, The Keep Smiling movement that has reached multiple celebrities and distributed millions of "Keep Smiling" cards worldwide, and a philanthropic platform featured in Oprah's Magazine.

#426: Success is a tricky subject. Life, health wealth, family. I'm not going to define it here, other than to say, for me, all of it matters. That's why I've rejected the corporate ladder and 9-5 rat race. But no matter how you define success, there's really only a handful of things that ever make up the lions share of progress. I've found there's only 3 levers that determine your ability to succeed in any way you define success. If we focus on these three levers, understand how they work and how they work together, we can succeed at anything we want.

Tune in to learn the 3 levers that determine success! 

#425: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Manoj Jonna. Manoj Jonna is the Co-Founder & CEO of Ramped, a skills-based hiring platform that is revolutionizing the job search. Prior to Ramped, Manoj served as Chief Strategy Officer of Reservations.com and as Vice President and Founding Team member at YayPay. Before YayPay, he worked as an investment banker at Deloitte Corporate Finance where he focused on mergers & acquisitions. Manoj holds a JD from Georgetown Law School.

#424: I'm in constant re-evaluation mode. Stuck floating between seeing the field and playing on the field.

At least every 6 months I hit a "reset" moment where I question everything I'm doing.

Here are the 5 questions that you need to ask to take ownership of the changes that you want to make.

#423: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Susan Hamilton Meier. Susan is a personal branding expert who helps women untangle the zigzags of their careers to find a clear, shiny thread of their story and design the next steps for the professional journey.

For more than 20 years, Susan has helped Fortune 500 companies define brand strategy and create distinctive messaging. She uses these tools, along with what she's learned on her own zig-zag career path across business, art, and parenting, to empower women to craft their personal brand and discover a roadmap toward a life of purpose.

An alum of Harvard Business School and the Boston Consulting Group, Susan is on a mission to empower professional women to own their stories and unlock their promise.

#422: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Grant Baldwin. Grant made a career change when his wife was 5 months pregnant with their first child. It was scary, but he set himself on an unmistakable path toward a meaningful and rewarding career.

As founder and CEO of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin has helped thousands of people build successful and sustainable speaking businesses.  Over the last 15 years, Grant has become a sought-after speaker, podcaster, author, and accomplished entrepreneur. Featured on the Inc. 5000 list, Forbes, Inc. Entrepreneur, and The Huffington Post, he has committed his expertise and insight to equip others to share their meaningful message with the masses. His leadership and dedication to creating a one-of-a-kind organizational culture are evidenced by the impact of the team he leads. Grant lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Sheila, and their three daughters.

#421: Investment in loss simply means that we often need to take a step back in order to make a giant leap forward, and that step backward is an investment. 

Keep listening to learn more!

#420: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Tom Brunskill. Tom Brunskill is the co-founder and CEO of Forage, a job simulation platform that helps students bridge the gap between education and work opportunities. On a mission to make education-to-workforce pathway more equitable, Tom co-founded Forage in 2017 to provide the ability to preskill through virtual job simulations produced by the world's top companies, including J.P. Morgan, Lyft and Walmart, to name a few. By breaking down barriers to gaining workplace-specific skills, Tom hopes to level the opportunity playing field and empower anyone to pursue their dream career. Tom started his career as a corporate lawyer at a multinational law firm in Australia before moving to San Francisco and has been featured in Business Insider, Financial Times and TechCrunch, among others.

#419: Right now we're experiencing the highest inflation in 40 years which is impacting our wallets, our companies' profit margins and our jobs.

Technology changes fast rendering entire industries obsolete. The stock market is in the tank.

But we can still succeed - and that's not coming from a natural optimist.

How?

By adapting and methodically setting up our lives to weather the storm. Keep listening to learn more!

#418: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Mike Podesto. Mike Podesto is the CEO & Founder of Find My Profession, Inc. After years in sales and recruiting roles, Mike knew that it was time to begin his journey with Find My Profession. On October 3rd, 2015 Find My Profession was born. The inspiration came from a lack of satisfaction in the recruiting industry and the huge need for help on the job seeker side. Having job candidates come second and hiring managers come first always seemed backward. With more "recruiting rules" than ever, Find My Profession evens the playing field by using their recruiting knowledge to benefit job seekers. With the job seeker in mind, Mike quit his job as a recruiting manager to devote his full attention to providing a solution exclusively for job seekers.

#514: 

You can do anything, but you can't do everything. You must choose your path with the best odds.

Look there's 2 places people start when creating options:

1. "I have no options. I can't imagine what else I could do."
2. "I can do anything! How do I choose?"

It's work to realize that neither starting point is reality, but once you do you begin to see that the path to creating options starts with thinking about our odds.

#417: Learn how to network with the people you admire! Your network determines your level of success - your ability to find a better job, pivot careers or find clients. Tune in to learn how to network with anyone on the internet! 

#416: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with David Kline. Dave is a former Chief Operating Officer of several different divisions at Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund with over $200M of assets under management headed by Ray Dalio, whose book Principles is a must read.

I met Dave on Twitter (@dklineii) and was fascinated by his career pivot. He successfully transitioned out of the high stress world of high finance, and is currently the owner of Skillscouter, a website that helps people find the best courses for upskilling their abilities. Dave also teaches cohort classes for growing managers. Having hired, trained and managed hundreds of high performers in the high stakes jobs of finance, Dave has seen it all, and he's codified his management principles in what he calls the Management Accelerator.

#415: Your runway is basically the amount of time you have to complete whatever pivot you are trying to execute.

Learn the best ways to extend your runway in this episode! 

I want more people to choose to change rather than be forced.

Whether you want to change jobs, change companies or blow it all up and work for yourself, change takes some thought and planning.

How you go about breaking your career depends on your risk profile, just like with investing. The more risk tolerant you are, the bigger, faster change you can make. If you have more obligations, children, expenses, the slower and more planned out this should be.

Listen to learn more about the anatomy of a career pivot. 

#413:

In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Dave Fano. David Fano is a serial entrepreneur, former WeWork executive, and ex-architect who has made it his mission to help people navigate their careers with confidence. His latest venture, Teal, helps people optimize their job search by providing the level of tooling and infrastructure that companies have but for the individual professional. In just over a year, Teal has grown to a community of over 40,000 users committed to advancing their careers.

In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Mark Herschberg. Mark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT's "career success accelerator," where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. #412: At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, currently serving on the board of Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.

Jeff's story starts with his own thirst for knowledge on how to manage money. He became a certified financial planner, got into blogging in order to differentiate himself in his practice and wound up building an online media site (GoodFinanciaCents.com) that made him way more than his practice, which he had been grinding at for over five years. None of it happened on purpose yet. None of it happened by chance either. Jeff's story proves the point that you don't have to have it all figured out as long as you stay curious and make decisions to continuously invest in yourself.

#410: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Ty Reed. Many individuals escaping the adverse circumstances of addiction, homelessness, and past criminal justice involvement have difficulty finding employment, a key component of rebuilding lives. Ty Reed offers no-cost career coaching to individuals working to overcome these challenging backgrounds through his nonprofit, Recovery Career Services. He also educates employers and the public about the importance of providing second-chance employment opportunities.

In addition to walking his own journey in recovery, Ty has an MBA from the University of Washington and holds credentials in human resources and workforce development. He has been a featured speaker for Amazon, Comcast, The University of Washington, and many more.

#409: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Ross Dzikovsky. Ross is a native of Kyiv, Ukraine and is the co-founder of Bilberrry, a software development firm with its development team based in the Ukraine. Mike and Ross briefly worked together back in 2013-14, and have kept in touch ever since. Mike wanted to catch up with Ross to chat about the software development path, how he evaluates talent, the team's approach to remote work and of course, his perspective on how things are going in Ukraine. Ross has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry with a strong background in Software Engineering, Product Management and Business Analytics. As a co-founder of Bilberrry Ross oversees the team of 40 engineers and has led several large scale development engagements for brands such as Deloitte, Impinj and David's Bridal.

#408: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Will Smith. Will founded Acquiring Minds in 2021 shortly after discovering acquisition entrepreneurship, a love-at-first-sight moment. Prior to Acquiring Minds, Will ran partnerships & business development at two SaaS companies in the Bay Area. Earlier in his career he founded multiple online businesses, some of which were acquired, some of which continue to thrive.

#513: Welcome back to another episode of The Break podcast, the space where we unpack the remarkable stories of individuals who've faced life's challenges head-on. I'm your host, Mike, and today's conversation is one that you don't want to miss.

Our guest today is Danielle Cobo, a powerhouse in resilience, courage, and unwavering determination. Before we dive into the heart of her story, a little sneak peek caught my attention recently – Danielle's truck. It's not just a vehicle; it's a symbol. We'll unravel the story behind it in just a moment.

Now, for our audience, if you're seeking inspiration and insights into overcoming life's hurdles, you're in the right place. Connect with us on our social media platforms for more exclusive content, and don't forget to check out Danielle's podcast, the Unstoppable Grit Podcast.

But back to Danielle's journey. The heart of today's conversation delves into her mission – helping people discover the power of resilience, courage, and determination. We'll explore her experiences, her mission, and the unexpected twists that make her story truly compelling.

So, buckle up!! We're about to embark on a conversation that goes beyond the surface, exploring the depths of grit and resilience with Danielle Cobo.

#407: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Sonja Price. Sonja "Dynamo" Price has 15+ years of experience in Career and Leadership consulting. She has worked with a wide range of clients including Amazon, AT&T, Facebook, Google, HBO, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks, T-Mobile, and numerous other organizations.

#406: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Matthew Kennedy Stewart.

Matthew is co-founder and CEO of National Service Group (NSG), which operates College Works Painting, Empire Community Construction, Home Genius Exteriors, and SMJJ Investments. NSG has grown from a small Southern California-based business into an international company located throughout the United States and Canada.

#405: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Lisa Gevelber. Lisa founded and leads Grow with Google (grow.google.com), which is Google's $1 billion commitment to economic opportunity for all. Since 2017, Grow with Google has helped over 6 million Americans and tens of millions globally grow their skills, careers, and businesses. One of her most significant contributions is the creation of Google Career Certificates, which provide access to in-demand, high paying jobs for people without college degrees. These certificates have provided significant upward mobility to tens of thousands and counting. Lisa also leads Google for Startups, which levels the playing field for underrepresented founders and helps startups thrive across every corner of the world. 

#404: In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Patrick Tannous. Patrick is the co-founder and President of Tiesta Tea Company. Tiesta Tea is a tea company inspired by a passion for great-tasting loose leaf tea beverages. Tiesta Tea was started in 2010 while Patrick and Dan Klein (CEO & Co-Founder) were seniors in college. Since starting the business, Tiesta Tea has become the fastest-growing company in the specialty tea industry with over 8000+ points of distribution (according to Nielsen). In 2018, Patrick and Dan were featured by Inc. Magazine as 30 Under 30 Rising Stars. In 11 years at Tiesta Tea, Patrick has worked with or currently works with companies like Costco, Safeway, Target, Meijer, Amazon, Office Depot, Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods and many other Fortune 500 companies. Patrick has secured four rounds of equity financing totaling $5.2mm. Patrick is a people-focused business person and believes in doing business with high respect, morals, and values. He has a strong passion for entrepreneurship and loves helping other people chase their dreams. Patrick believes anyone can do anything if they truly care and put the effort into it.

#403: Teresa Sande Author of Find Your Fierce: Interrupt Imposter Syndrome and Own Your Success has some insightful research from studies and hundreds of interviews that transform this topic into a book. Host Justin Dux reveals his biggest fear as a podcast host and Teresa shares her story as well feeling like the biggest imposter to set out to write a book about imposter syndrome. 

#402: In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Dr. Amy Beacom and Sue Campbell.

Dr. Amy Beacom is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, the first consultancy in the US to focus exclusively on parental leave. Drawing on over 25 years in executive leadership development and coaching, Amy consults with Fortune 100 companies, international organizations, and working parents, transforming the way our companies and our country engage with the parental leave transition.

Amy created the first evidence-based parental leave transition coaching model and distilled it into this book, the first of its kind to provide step-by-step guidance for navigating this complex life transition. She has trained and supervised parental leave coaches both in the US and Australia and the manager-focused training program she created can be found in over 80 countries around the world. She regularly appears on expert panels, conferences, and podcasts and has been quoted in such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Working Mother. Amy holds a BA in Sociology/Anthropology with a minor in Gender Studies from Lewis and Clark College, an MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and a doctorate, also from Columbia University, combining Organizational Psychology, Women's Leadership, Work/Family, and Applied Anthropology. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their son and daughter.

Sue Campbell is a writer, author, and coach who has worked with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership since its early days, helping to communicate the transformative impact of their core mission. Her professional background includes twelve years in public service, seven of those as a business systems analyst leading projects and teams to deliver process improvements through technology. Her writing, often focused on issues important to parents, has been published in many outlets, including Prevention, Good Housekeeping, Scary Mommy, and Mamalode. She is also the author of, The Cat, the Cash, the Leap, and the List, a novel for middle grade readers. Sue lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children.

#401:

In this episode, Justin Dux chats with Noa Shaw. Noa Shaw is a certified life coach who guides his clients to become better versions of themselves by helping them identify and understand their purpose and achieve what they want in life. Whether you're searching for more meaning or fulfillment in your personal life and relationships, or seeking to establish the confidence and accountability to realize your business, career and leadership goals, Noa can help you chart your path and develop the tools you'll need to grow. With over 20 years of experience working in addiction treatment and helping clients rebuild their lives in the aftermath of trauma, Noa specializes in helping guide his clients from the depths of darkness into a life filled with beauty and light.

#400: In this episode, Justin Dux chats with Kelly McClellan. Kelly is a Career and Leadership expert with over 20 years of experience in training and developing people, leaders, and teams. With more than 3000 coaching hours, she is on a mission to help people create a life and career they love.  

Equal parts coach, consultant, and cheerleader, Kelly works with clients in financial services, healthcare, CPG, and technology who are looking to take themselves and their teams to the next level.  

#399: In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with S. Chris Edmonds. S. Chris Edmondshelps leaders create and sustain purposeful, positive, productive work cultures. He is a speaker, author, and executive consultant who is the founder of The Purposeful Culture Group. He's one of Inc. Magazine's 100 Top Leadership Speakers and was a featured presenter at South by Southwest.

Chris is the author of the Amazon bestseller The Culture Engine and is co-author of the new title, Good Comes First. Chris' blog, podcasts, and videos are at DrivingResultsThroughCulture.com.

Chris' short, rich Good Comes First and Culture Leadership Charge video episodes can be found on YouTube.

#398: In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Mark Babbitt. Mark S. Babbitt is President of WorqIQ, a community and change management consultancy that helps organizations understand leadership's impact on culture and the company's collective level of Workplace Intelligence (WQ).

Mark is also CEO and Founder of YouTern, a career-focused community enables college students, recent graduates, and young professionals to find their first or next internship or job with the right organizational culture for them. In addition to writing the upcoming Good Comes First (September 28, 2021 | Matt Holt and BenBella Books), Mark co-authored the bestseller A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive. Followers also find Mark's advice in Entrepreneur, Inc., Forbes, and many other publications. An in-demand speaker, Mark was named one of Inc. Magazines' Top 100 Leadership Speakers.

#512: 

I got fired in the middle of a meeting. Well, I was told the next day, but it happened in that meeting.

I knew it.

What a terrible feeling. I was up all night, walking the streets of Seattle in the dark by myself.

My mind racing between panic and planner modes.

I need a job

Can I even get a job?

Why did this happen?

Who do I reach out to?

How much runway do I have?

What do I tell my wife and kids?

Fortunately, my terror was short lived and I pivoted into a FT, highly paid consulting role within 30 days.

Because I was ready and flexible.

Here's how to pick up on the signs you're about to be laid off and how to pivot with precision.

#397: Jeffrey Moss solved a problem, the answer to the question for recent grads from college; how do I get experience?

His company Parker Dewey has a program for employers to leverage the excitement of a recent grad without all the hassle of hiring a full-time intern. Instead, they have a shorter-term small internship which he calls a "Micro-internship". 

We talk about the problem from both perspectives; the employers hiring these candidates and the candidates looking for experiences while also getting paid to learn. 

https://www.parkerdewey.com/ 

#396: Peter Economy has written over 100 books and his latest is a field guide to toxic coworkers. He offers some great advice on how to deal with this toxicity and move into a new job quickly to out-maneuver these bad actors in your career. 

Peter has written over 11 books in the for dummies series, but he's no dummy when it comes to identifying a toxic coworker, handling the situation or person, and consequences these people have on a company and your career. 

#395:

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Ray King. Ray is the Global Head of Sales at Devbridge, a digital product and technology consultancy. A first-generation immigrant from The Gambia, Ray migrated to the US as a teen and has gained experience building and leading high-performing teams since. He has successfully led digital product delivery for Global 2000 clients in the US, Europe, and the UK. So when the opportunity to build out Devbridge's UK practice came up, Ray accepted the challenge and grew the practice into a thriving $8M operation in just over three years. He recently transitioned from his post as the Managing Director of the London office back to the US to build a global sales team responsible for generating $20M+ a year in new business revenue for Devbridge. Soon to be a first-time dad, Ray lives in Chicago with his fiancé Megan and their dog, Crede.

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Joel Bein. Joel Bein is passionate about self-driven learning, creativity, personal growth, and human consciousness. He is a content marketer and job hunt coach at Crash.co, a startup on a mission to help people discover and do what makes them come alive. He is a writer for The Daily Job Hunt newsletter, host of the Career Crashers Podcast, host of the Exponentially Empowered podcast, and, as a classically trained musician and conductor, he is Founder and Artistic Director of the New Orleans Chamber Players.

#393: Valerie Patrick is a PhD chemical engineer who worked in multi-national organizations for 25 years where she gained over 10,000 hours of experience leading teams to achieve a wide range of objectives. Valerie founded Fulcrum Connection LLC in 2013 to provide instructional design, training, consulting, and facilitation for a broad range of topics related to teamwork, innovation, and sustainability. Valerie also has over 10,000 hours of experience as a Certified Professional Facilitator and is certified with distinction in the foundations of neuroleadership by the NeuroLeadership Institute.

#392:

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Raman Chadha. Raman is a Founder and Managing Partner of The Junto Institute, which has been in business since 2012. Junto is the only place for bootstrapped companies to get flexible, affordable, and high-impact training and development for their remote workforce. Membership includes live weekly roundtables, women-only discussions, leadership mentoring, and emotional intelligence coaching.

Prior to Junto, Raman was founding director of a university entrepreneurship center where he was also on faculty. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a BA from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. A native Chicagoan, Raman is now a digital nomad, exploring wide open spaces like rural towns and the mountains. He is a highly devoted father of two adult daughters, and passionate about longevity, solitude, personal growth, and emotional intelligence.

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Ken Rusk. Ken Rusk is a blue-collar construction entrepreneur and founder of Rusk Industries, Inc. who has launched multiple successful endeavors over the last 30 plus years. He has made it his mission to hire, train, and coach first-time job seekers, particularly those like himself who don't have college degrees. His training programs help young people to set achievable goals through visualization and sound financial planning. He believes that anyone can realize their dreams and live a comfortable life regardless of their educational background or past. Rusk lives in Sylvania, Ohio with his wife and daughter.

This coach works with job seekers at a high level in one of the most competitive markets in the world. Silicon Valley has earned him a reputation that keeps in demand through word of mouth and an excellent reputation. You might not be able to afford an appointment with him but Kyle gave us some great insight on today's episode. However, if you are seeking multiple six-figure salaries anywhere your probably need to figure out what your fabulous is, and Kyle is the best coach to find it. 

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Danny Leonard. Danny is currently a Co-Founder at Ramped. He's also a sales advisor, consultant, and investor with over a decade of success at various VC-backed startups. He's built sales teams from scratch, bringing them through initial traction and onto scale/profitability. He's closed deals upwards of $2M on his own and managed all sales functions. Currently, he's a Co-Founder of Ramped, a career discovery platform for early-career sales talent.

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Dane Jensen. Dane Jensen is the CEO of Third Factor, an instructor at the Smith School of Business at Queen's University, and is affiliate faculty with the UNC Executive Development at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At Third Factor, he works to help leaders be more effective, creative, and resilient under pressure. His work has spanned twenty-three countries on six continents. In addition to his corporate work, Dane works extensively with athletes, coaches, leaders, and boards across Canada's Olympic and Paralympic sport system to enhance national competitiveness.

#511: 

FUD = Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt.

The triad that keeps us from betting on ourselves.

And keeps us on the incremental path to nowhere.

I used to be a FUD.

I grew up in a very fiscally conservative household.

My parents are well off, but massive penny pinchers.

This isn't bad, in fact it's noble.

However, saying no to even the slightest risk of losing isn't great for personal growth.

So naturally I was extremely risk averse for the first 20 years of my life.

Until I learned about the BARBELL strategy.

Here it is, and how it can help you take more bold action (that seems risky) to go after what you want in life.

In this episode, Michael Gardon chats with Rachel Neill. Rachel is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Carex Consulting Group, Shenanigan Kids (The Figgy), and Talent Bandit. She is passionate about the startup space, scaling companies, raising capital, and women in tech.

Stephan Aarstol, founder and CEO of Tower Paddle Boards built a company with over 30M in sales. But we're not here to paddle around the topic. He implemented a 5-hour workday for all of his employees and we get to ask him how it went.  Ditch your 9-5 for a 10-3 the 8-hour workday might be a thing of the past in 20 years. Or will it? Listen now to find out how his experiment turned out when it came to employee retention and employee engagement. Host Justin Dux

In this episode, Mike Gardon chats with Kara Kaplan. Kara is currently the CEO of Moonrise. Prior to Moonrise, Kara spent her early career working in finance at Mesirow Financial and at Angel Street Capital (a boutique private equity and Investment Banking Firm). She then helped to spearhead the Business Development efforts at ShopTalk, a $30M venture-backed start-up delivering a direct marketing voice portal with 500,000 users. She also co-founded Giftbar, the largest high-end, semi-closed loop digital gift card marketplace representing thousands of SMB's in 27 markets across the country until it was acquired in 2016. Kara resides in Chicago with her husband and three children.