The Conscious Entrepreneur is a top-ranked business and entrepreneurship podcast where business founders come to sharpen their edge from the inside out - building businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and actually work for their life. It’s about becoming the kind of leader your business needs you to be, and doing it with clarity, connection, and purpose. We don’t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It’s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.
Popular Episode Topics Include:
Entrepreneur Burnout - How to recognize burnout early, break overworking patterns, and build a business that doesn’t depend on your exhaustion.
Sustainable Entrepreneurship - Growing your company at a pace you can actually sustain—without sacrificing your health, values, or sanity.
Calm Leadership - Leading with steadiness instead of stress, staying grounded during pressure, and building emotional resilience as a founder.
Values-Based Leadership - Creating a culture rooted in integrity, trust, and ownership while leading in a way that aligns with who you are.
Delegation & Letting Go - Learning to stop doing everything yourself, trust your team, and step out of the bottleneck role so your business can grow.
Founder Mental Health - Real conversations about loneliness, stress, purpose, and the emotional side of entrepreneurship that most people hide.
Anti-Hustle Entrepreneurship - Healthy productivity, aligned ambition, and redefining success without grind culture or burnout.
Growth Mindset - Adapting, learning, and evolving as a leader so you can navigate setbacks, fear, and uncertainty with more clarity.
Emotional Intelligence - Using self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation to communicate better, lead stronger, and build a healthier team.
Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.
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EP 108: The Simplest (and Cheapest) Way to Keep Your Best People
Episode 110
Monday, September 29, 2025 • Duration 23:54
Employee recognition might sound obvious, but why do so many leaders miss it in practice? Dr. Bob Nelson joins Sarah Lockwood to explains why low-cost recognition ideas often matter more than paychecks or perks when it comes to real employee motivation.
How do you create loyalty from day one with a new hire? What’s the difference between a generic end-of-year award and genuine recognition that lands in the moment? And how can asking employees for their ideas spark both engagement and business growth?
Dr. Nelson brings decades of research and real-world examples to these questions, offering workplace culture tips that work whether you’re leading a small team or a global workforce. He shows that recognition doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to feel thoughtful and consistent if you want it to change company culture.
This episode reminds us that company culture is built in the small choices leaders make each day to notice, acknowledge, and value the people doing the work.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why Employee Recognition Matters
01:52 Common Misconceptions About Recognition
04:07 Onboarding Tips That Build Loyalty
05:52 How Employees Want to Be Recognized
07:45 Low-Cost Recognition Ideas That Work
09:07 Involving Employees in Decision-Making
10:02 Real Examples of Employee Ideas Driving Growth
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EP 107: 10X Accountability Updates From Alex Raymond
Episode 109
Monday, September 22, 2025 • Duration 24:15
Alex Raymond, founder of Amplify and creator of the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, returns to share what’s happened since he set a bold goal on stage: turning Amplify into a $3M business in two years. Inspired by Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s “10x Is Easier Than 2x” and “The Science of Scaling,” Alex explains how “pathways thinking” has shifted his focus from incremental tasks to operating as if the goal is already achieved.
One of the biggest shifts? Writing his first book, “The Growth Department.” Alex opens up about the discipline, support, and courage it takes to codify his ideas into something meaningful, rather than just another business book. He also shares how building a mastermind after the summit has created accountability, momentum, and a community committed to thinking bigger together.
This conversation raises questions every founder faces: Are you running your business from a place of scarcity or scale? What would change if you truly operated from your goal, not just toward it?
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction and Big Goals
01:25 Pathways Thinking and 10X Growth
02:40 Writing The Growth Department
04:27 Book Timeline and Value Creation
09:58 Delegation and Building Scalable Structures
12:56 Mastermind Group and Accountability
14:53 Using AI as a Thinking Partner
16:28 Community, Momentum, and Entrepreneur Wellbeing
20:50 Lessons from Podcasting and Entrepreneurship
EP 98: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 1: Fear and Suffering
Episode 100
Monday, July 21, 2025 • Duration 22:06
Fear isn’t the enemy of great leadership. Ignoring it is.
How often do you walk into a meeting already bracing for impact? Or catch yourself shrinking back in a moment where you meant to lead with clarity? Sarah Lockwood sits down with Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, and Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, for a conversation on emotional self-regulation, fear in business, and the kind of inner work that makes better leadership possible.
They explore how fear lives in the body, how it shows up in the boardroom, and why most founders are still operating from old survival patterns without realizing it. You’ll hear why simply pushing through isn’t a strategy and how learning to notice your internal state (tight shoulders, shallow breath, reactive thinking) can open the door to more aligned decisions. Beck and Marina walk through tools for getting out of autopilot, including body scans, self-inquiry, and what they call “active choice,” the skill of pausing just long enough to shift out of fear and back into presence.
This doesn’t just explain why inner work matters. It shows you how to begin. Whether you’re leading a team, building a company, or trying to show up more fully for your own vision, this is the kind of episode that gets under the surface and invites you to lead from a deeper, steadier place.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Emotional Self-Regulation in Leadership
02:19 Why Fear and Suffering Matter for Founders
05:03 How the Amygdala Shapes Fear in Business
06:08 Welcoming Fear as a Tool, Not a Threat
10:08 Tools for Recognizing and Naming Fear
14:06 The Leadership Power of Softening and Owning Fear
18:13 Making Active Choices to Lead with Awareness
EP09: Ingredients for Entrepreneurial Success: Grit, Persistence, Perseverance and Passion
Season 1 · Episode 10
Monday, November 6, 2023 • Duration 58:03
Imagine building a successful tech company, selling it to GoDaddy, and still feeling like an imposter. That's exactly what Brian Nolan, founder and CEO of Book Outdoors, experienced. In this episode of The Conscious Entrepreneur podcast, Brian opens up about his journey as an entrepreneur, the challenges he faced, and how he manages imposter syndrome. He shares valuable insights on the importance of being gritty and resilient, combatting entrepreneurial loneliness by surrounding yourself with like-minded entrepreneurs, and taking care of your mental health. Brian's story is a reminder that success doesn't always eliminate self-doubt, but with the right mindset and support, you can thrive as an entrepreneur.
Key Takeaways:
The willingness to push harder, venture further, and take bold risks distinguishes successful entrepreneurs from the rest. Tenacity sets entrepreneurs apart.
Knowing when to harness your energy for maximum productivity and when to step back for rejuvenation to prevent burnout is part of mastering your energy management.
Brian's concept of a 'conscious entrepreneur' highlights the advantage of those who can tap into their emotional landscape, using self-awareness of strengths, weaknesses, and feelings to inform pivotal decisions.
Entrepreneurs require more than business networks; they need authentic emotional backing. There is profound importance of such support in facing obstacles, confiding fears, and counteracting feelings of isolation and burnout.
Quotes
I've always thought this in my life and my career - I've always felt like if it doesn't work out, I know what my skill set is and my strengths, and I could just go back to getting a job. If I really need to, I could go back to getting a job. And so that's always given me the safety net and the comfort of taking these risks. (10:51 | Brian Nolan)
"Imposter syndrome is a real thing, even now. Even now that I've built and sold and had some success at building a company. It creeps in all the time." (18:39 | Brian Nolan)
“I actually gave a little talk on this back in the day about grit and about persistence and perseverance and passion. Those are sort of the things that go into grit. That's one of the things as an entrepreneur, you just have to have, you have to be able to go a step or more further than most people would. And so you have to find that energy and figure out how to push forward through burnout.” (26:19 | Brian Nolan)
EP08: The Soul of Startups
Season 1 · Episode 9
Monday, October 30, 2023 • Duration 01:03:10
Modern entrepreneurship demands conscious leadership. In the latest episode of "The Conscious Entrepreneur," host Alex Raymond sits down with Julie Penner, a seasoned startup coach and investor who has worked with over a hundred early-stage companies. Together, they discuss the evolving role of founders and the new expectations they face. Julie shares her insights on a range of “startup killer” dysfunctions, from focusing on culture too late, failure to delegate responsibilities, to co-founder conflicts and more. She emphasizes the value of self-awareness for founders, noting its role in attracting and retaining top talent and building successful companies. Creating positive company culture is crucial for early-state companies, and it brings major benefits in the long run. Julie provides actionable advice based on real-world situations. She also provides great advice for start-up founders around accelerator programs - what to look out for and how they can accelerate your company.
Key Takeaways:
The role of the entrepreneur is evolving, and conscious leadership is becoming increasingly important for attracting top talent and building a successful company.
It is crucial for entrepreneurs to do their own personal work and be aware of their impact on others in order to create a positive company culture.
Many VCs are not actively evolving their behaviors and expectations, and often only recommend founders to get a coach without addressing deeper issues.
Ineffective management of co-founder conflict can be a major obstacle for startups, and it is important to practice disagreement and have tools for effective communication and resolution.
Building a strong co-founder relationship requires trust, open communication, and the ability to repair and learn from mistakes.
Quotes:
"I think our tolerance for leaders that aren't aware of how they're coming across and aren't aware of their impact on others is decreasing." (04:13| Julie Penner )
"If you want to build a great company, you have to attract great people. And if you want to have great people, you have to treat them well. And to treat them well, you have to understand how you're impacting them. And that starts with your own work." (04:54 | Julie Penner)
EP07: Overcoming Stress with Coherence Healing
Season 1 · Episode 8
Monday, October 23, 2023 • Duration 01:13:04
Do you feel you are on a tightrope walk between ambition and anxiety? Jeff Benton and Brett Weinroth, the dynamic duo behind Paragon Performance Evolution, share the message we all need to hear: stress isn't dictated by what's happening around us but by our body's internal reactions. For entrepreneurs who may feel overwhelmed and dysregulated, it’s a welcome message. By mastering the art of shifting our body's chemicals and engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, we can foster clarity, enhance communication, and deepen empathy. The pair also spotlight the transformative power of self-awareness. By disrupting detrimental thought cycles and embracing techniques like deep breathing and heart-focused meditation, we can ignite positive emotions and foster internal harmony. Sharing wisdom taken from ancient texts, meditation, breath work and tools and insight from HeartMath Institute, Jeff & Brett explain the concept of Coherence and even lead Alex and our listeners on a quick coherence exercise!
Key Takeaways:
Stress is not caused by external circumstances, but rather by our body's physiological reaction to those circumstances.
Being in a constant state of stress impairs key brain functions, such as problem-solving, communication, and empathy.
We have the ability to shift our body's response to stress through tools and techniques that promote coherence and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
By slowing down our breath and focusing on the area of the heart, we can send signals to the brain that everything is okay and reduce the stress response.
Developing awareness of our thoughts and emotions is crucial for making positive changes and breaking free from negative thought patterns.
Quotes:
"When we feel stressed, we limit key parts of the brain. In particular, our frontal cortex, which is the smart thinking part of the brain. So we're limited in our problem solving, in our communication, a number of other things, and also our ability to have empathy and see somebody else's point of view." (7:49 | Jeff Benton)
"If we don't teach people how to get out of a stress response, they're going to be limited in how they can show up. And this is just science. And the beautiful thing is we've seen it with thousands and thousands and thousands of executives. As we teach them these tools and techniques, and they go from a stressed response to a more optimal state, which we call coherence, it literally enables them to think more clearly, communicate more effectively, and have deeper empathy." (8:27 | Jeff Benton)
EP06: Creating the Life You Want
Season 1 · Episode 7
Monday, October 16, 2023 • Duration 44:31
"Hustle culture is bullshit," says Dave Mayer. And he knows a thing or two about suffering through hustle culture.
Alex Raymond sits down with Dave, the CEO and founder of Technical Integrity, to discuss his journey from burnout and exhaustion to building a successful business with a focus on cultural fit. Dave shares his personal struggle with burnout and how he overcame it by embracing a service-led, give-first approach. He emphasizes the power of slowing down, practicing breathwork, and giving yourself space to breathe and reflect so you can create the life and business you want.
Key Takeaways:
Prioritize self-care and well-being as an entrepreneur. Taking care of your mental and physical health is crucial for long-term success.
Giving without expecting anything in return can lead to meaningful connections and opportunities.
Take time to breathe, reflect, and avoid the pressure to solve all problems immediately.
Foster a culture of curiosity and safe spaces for asking questions. Embrace co-elevation, where everyone holds each other accountable towards a common goal.
Ensure you are well-rested to do your best work.
Quotes:
“Give everything space. Nothing needs to be solved right now. The immediacy of all of these problems in your head actually can afford space and can afford breath. And the more time you give them, the better. Slow replies to emails are actually a good thing. You don't need to solve all these problems on your own, right? You're a member of a team, you're a member of a community.” (08:11 | Dave Mayer)
"The older you get, you know, the more you just, you slow down, you sort of appreciate and savor more." (08:50 | Dave Mayer)
"Asking questions in a safe space means growth for you and growth for us." (32:30 | Dave Mayer)
"Rest is a core component of becoming and really accessing your creativity, accessing your productivity, accessing your profitability." - Dave Mayer (35:19)
EP05: Uncovering Your Zone of Genius
Season 1 · Episode 6
Monday, October 9, 2023 • Duration 52:35
Super fans of “The Big Leap” will love this week’s episode - it’s the conversation with Gay Hendricks you’ve dreamed of having. We are a lucky fly on the wall as our host, Alex Raymond, asks Gay Hendricks, the brilliant author behind "The Big Leap", the questions you’ve probably had after reading the book.
Gay elaborates on key concepts, discussing how to navigate limiting beliefs, address the upper limit problem, and transition from working in your Zone of Excellence to your Zone of Genius. For enthusiasts seeking more, Gay also provides a glimpse into his exclusive, in-person half-day workshop that is coming up in November in Boulder. It’s a hands-on experience to further tap into one's unique potential, and tickets are available here.
Listeners can anticipate a blend of actionable tools and perspectives from Gay, crafted to foster both personal and business growth. He shares insights on mastering time, urging listeners to harness it proactively. Additionally, Gay sheds light on recognizing personal barriers, integrating spirituality into entrepreneurship, and shares his own grounding practices, like meditation, which anchor him in his genius.
Key Takeaways:
The Zone of Genius is about spending more time on the things you love and are uniquely talented at, rather than getting stuck in the zones of competence or excellence.
Upper limit problems, such as limiting beliefs and fears, can hold entrepreneurs back from reaching their full potential.
It's important to cultivate emotional intelligence and be aware of how our emotions can impact our success and relationships.
The fear of outshining others or feeling burdened by success can hinder entrepreneurs from fully embracing their genius.
Time management is crucial for entrepreneurs, and adopting an Einstein time mindset can help shift from feeling like a victim of time to being the source of time.
EP04: What Most People Get Wrong About Burnout
Season 1 · Episode 5
Monday, October 9, 2023 • Duration 57:21
"Shame is this place that gets us into burnout and keeps us in burnout because we don't want to let people in on what's actually going on," says Jim Young.
If you’ve ever felt burned out, embarrassed, and alone, this episode of The Conscious Entrepreneur podcast is a must-listen. Host Alex Raymond interviews Jim Young, a men's burnout coach and author of the book "Expansive Intimacy." In this powerful conversation, Jim shares his personal journey of burnout and the moment he realized he wasn't okay. He delves into the one-two punch of burnout and shame, discussing the societal expectations placed on men and the impact it has on their well-being. Jim offers a fresh perspective on burnout recovery, debunking common fallacies and emphasizing the importance of social support and intimacy. Through his concept of "expansive intimacy," Jim encourages entrepreneurs to cultivate deep connections, both personally and professionally, to combat burnout. This episode will provide you with valuable tools and resources to navigate burnout, redefine success, and create a more fulfilling entrepreneurial journey.
Key Takeaways:
Burnout is a chronic condition that requires a comprehensive approach to recovery, including addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects.
Shame plays a significant role in burnout, as men often feel the need to hide their struggles and weaknesses, leading to increased stress and exhaustion.
Expansive intimacy, which involves building deep and authentic connections with others, is a powerful tool for combating burnout and creating a support system.
Burnout recovery fallacies, such as taking a vacation or implementing productivity hacks, are not effective solutions and do not address the underlying causes of burnout.
Seeking support from trusted individuals, whether they are friends, colleagues, or professionals, is crucial in navigating burnout and finding the necessary resources for recovery.
Quotes:
“I think that the socialization that we get as men in Western culture has a set of rules, and they're pretty clear to any guy who's grown up in this culture, and that's we need to be strong, we need to be successful, we can't show our emotions, we can't ask for help. And when you put all that together, it's kind of an impossible puzzle. that it's going to lead to, well, I just got to be alone. I have to suffer in silence if anything is up for me because I can't share emotions. I can't ask for help. Well, that's not human. That's not a reasonable expectation.” (14:47 | Jim Young)
EP03: Consume Less, Create More
Season 1 · Episode 4
Monday, October 9, 2023 • Duration 01:00:45
"How does mindfulness impact business?" In this episode, Beck Sydow delves into the heart of conscious entrepreneurship, discussing burnout, the role of emotions in business, shadow work's transformative potential and the inverse relationship between consumption and creativity. Sharing personal experiences with burnout, Alex and Beck highlight the critical need for self-awareness and timely self-care. They advocate for more than just resilience, emphasizing the importance of overall well-being.
Beck presents a refreshing take on emotions in business, making a case for their vital role in successful leadership. They speak about the significance of creating environments that encourage genuine interactions and mutual respect, fostering a culture of psychological safety.
Shadow work emerges as a crucial topic, with Beck illuminating the growth stemming from understanding our deeper selves. They point out the valuable lessons our inner complexities offer, suggesting that embracing them leads to a holistic sense of authenticity.
Addressing self-care, Beck aspires to achieve more of a flow state mindset rather than adopting a rigid, disciplined routine. Time outdoors, walking & journaling are part of a regular morning. Reading and learning are daily priorities; however, Beck warns that overconsumption of content kills creativity and masks a lack of confidence to create and be seen.
Key Takeaways:
Burnout can affect anyone, regardless of privilege or access to resources.
It's important to recognize the signs of burnout and take action before it becomes overwhelming.
Building a conscious business requires integrating business acumen with leadership skills and a focus on understanding and serving customers.
Creating intimate spaces for leaders to be vulnerable and authentic is crucial for personal and organizational growth.
Taking radical care of ourselves involves not only physical self-care but also caring for our minds by cultivating awareness, embracing our shadows, and practicing self-acceptance.
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“This is what I think a conscious entrepreneur is actually, it’s that awareness of what your strengths and weaknesses are, and awareness of how you're feeling and your emotions so that you can use them to your advantage.” (49:22 | Brian Nolan)
“Part of our employee perks are that we reimburse for any kind of mindfulness app that somebody wants to subscribe to, or gym membership, or Peloton or whatever it is, those are the perks that we offer since we don't have the office.” (53:39 | Brian Nolan)
"The worst thing that can happen is building a company that you end up hating that's successful." (07:23 | Julie Penner)
"So you as a founder, who you are, your shadows - you are the limiting factor on the success of this business." (17:04 | Julie Penner)
“My working definition of a conscious entrepreneur is someone who's aware of their own patterns of thought, actions, and behaviors, as well as at a minimum being curious, if not aware of how their impact is on others. And, this path of building companies, if you think about it for a while, can be a spiritual path.” (52:42 | Julie Penner)
"I think a conscious entrepreneur is heart centered. They operate from a high level of emotional intelligence and awareness. And I would say a conscious entrepreneur is less concerned with maybe what others are thinking of them. And they're more focused on prioritizing how they're showing up in the moment. So their own state of being is important to them. I also think a conscious entrepreneur thinks of others in a more empathetic or compassionate way. And as a leader, they're seeking to empower others rather than dictate. (59:40 | Brett Weinroth)
"An upper limit problem is caused by limiting beliefs in ourselves, and one of the most common ones is that I have an old unconscious belief that I'm not worthwhile, that because of things that happened to me in my life, I don't deserve the good things of life." (03:20 | Gay Hendricks)
"In Einstein time, you don't find time, you make time. You're where time comes from. I'm where time comes from, so I can make up exactly enough time, plenty of time to do everything I love to do." (23:47 | Gay Hendricks)
"From working with a whole bunch of executives over the years, we found that the happiest ones are the ones that make that transition out of the excellence zone and spend some time every day in their genius zone." (26:47 | Gay Hendricks)
"A conscious entrepreneur is one who goes about the execution of his or her vision also with a complete openness to learning." (45:16 | Gay Hendricks)
"Your body is where your mind lives. It's not the other way around." (50:42 | Gay Hendricks)
"We need to get ourselves in harmony with our spirit, our body, and our minds in order to make best use of ourselves." (51:03 | Gay Hendricks)
"If you're having problems sleeping, if you're having more bouts of whether you want to call it moodiness, or depression, if you're feeling anxious, oftentimes anxiety and lack of sleep are going together." (21:19 | Jim Young)
"Anything that you might find under an article that talks about life or productivity hacks is not going to be an effective strategy for burnout recovery." (29:12 | Jim Young)
"I knew I was burning out and I did what most of us do. I kept trying to convince myself that there would be, you know, just ‘in one more month’ or ‘in a couple weeks’ or ‘when we get this part of the business to a completion’ or just all of those ways that there's some someplace out in the future." (08:16 | Beck Sydow)
“The reality is when we think we're going to be okay out there somewhere sometime in the future, we're missing the ways that we can be okay in the moment.” (10:09 | Beck Sydow)
“I wish I could remember where I heard this, I heard someone say that consumption is the enemy of creativity. so and and it is the um expression of a lack of confidence so as you continue to consume you're consuming because you don't think that you could put something out and boy is that a big part of my story i mean you you follow me a little bit i'm starting to be more active on LinkedIn, I'm writing more. The journey to get to that was huge.” (49:20 | Beck Sydow)
