The 9–5 Exit Plan

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, author, and business strategist Brad Aman to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the American Dream. Brad has spent decades building businesses and creating wealth, and now he’s focused on helping everyday Americans understand the opportunities emerging from the AI revolution. We discuss the future of work, entrepreneurshi...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with retired attorney, Vietnam veteran, author, and recovering alcoholic Rand Timmerman. At 72 years old, Rand and his younger brother Ron, 71, took on an extraordinary challenge: hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. But this wasn’t simply a physical adventure. Behind the 2,000-plus miles were stories of grief, addiction, recovery, aging,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with CPA and Early Retirement Access founder Rob Townend to explore one of the lesser-known strategies for funding an early retirement. Rob explains how Section 72(t) and substantially equal periodic payments can, when properly structured and when IRS requirements are met, provide an exception to the 10% additional tax that generally applies to certain...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Swedish data and AI entrepreneur Haseeb Asif. Haseeb helps companies transform scattered data into practical systems that deliver clear insights and better decisions. We discuss entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, cloud migration, IoT, data platforms, leadership, hiring, mentoring, public speaking, and the risks involved in building a techno...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Jake Tlapek, better known as The Wizard of Marketing. Jake spent 13 years in the trenches of marketing, building a Chicago agency from an audience he grew from zero on TikTok, eventually reaching more than 110,000 followers. He went on to sell the agency and generate more than $100 million for his clients. But Jake discovered that many businesses d...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with author, poet, and speaker Jeff Dalton for a deeply honest conversation about faith, healing, mental health, church hurt, and what it means to have a genuine relationship with Jesus. Jeff shares his journey from depression and low self-esteem to finding Jesus as a teenager, followed by years of ministry, rejection, personal struggles, mental health...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur Jordan Robinson, founder of Anxin, a technology platform designed to help families stay ahead of food-safety risks. We discuss the frustrating gap between when a food recall is issued and when consumers actually find out about it. Jordan explains how Anxin brings together grocery receipt scanning, household inventory, FDA recall inform...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with LinkedIn strategist and author Daniel Alfon, who has been using LinkedIn since February 2004. Daniel has trained thousands of people on LinkedIn and believes the platform is one of the most powerful business tools available—yet one of the most misunderstood. We discuss how entrepreneurs can use LinkedIn to generate leads, referrals, relationships,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with former Army officer, combat veteran, West Point graduate, diplomat, corporate strategist, and author Christopher Rivers. Chris’s extraordinary journey has taken him from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to West Point, Georgetown, U.S. diplomacy, corporate strategy, and eventually into politics, where he knocked on more than 9,000 doors listening dir...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with therapist, trauma recovery expert, transformational coach, and Heal Thrive Dream founder Karen Robinson, LCSW. With more than two decades of clinical experience, Karen has dedicated her career to helping trauma survivors heal, rebuild their confidence, and create lives filled with greater hope, purpose, and possibility. We discuss the difference be...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with health and lifestyle coach Brian Parana, who has spent more than two decades helping busy, high-performing men over 40 improve their fitness, nutrition, energy, and overall health. Brian has coached thousands of clients, owned two CrossFit gyms, and worked with elite athletes, but today his focus is helping successful men build sustainable health s...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with business coach and Marine Corps veteran Brad Koch (Cook). With more than 32 years of business experience, Brad has learned through successes, setbacks, education, training, and personal mentorship what it takes to build a business that actually works for its owner. We discuss business growth, profitability, leadership, compounding incremental chang...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with writer, father, EHS professional, and author Eli Brackenbury. After years marked by divorce, grief, striving, and spiritual dryness, Eli experienced an unexpected spiritual awakening at fifty that changed how he understood faith, identity, purpose, and his own life. We discuss his journey through healing and renewed faith, the challenges many men f...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Georges Hanna, founder of Smart Income Lifestyle and creator of the Certainty Install™ framework. After losing everything in 2013, Georges rebuilt his life from zero and discovered that lasting transformation required more than business tactics—it required confronting the thinking, identity, discipline, and decision-making patterns underneath them....

The second part: In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Dr. G. Rex Kruhly, founder of Depth Healing, author, former chiropractic physician, martial arts specialist, and spiritual guide. With more than five decades of experience studying martial arts, meditation, spirituality, body-based practices, and personal development, Dr. G. brings a unique perspective to the deeper patterns that c...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Dr. G. Rex Kruhly, founder of Depth Healing, author, former chiropractic physician, martial arts specialist, and spiritual guide. With more than five decades of experience studying martial arts, meditation, spirituality, body-based practices, and personal development, Dr. G. brings a unique perspective to the deeper patterns that can influence how...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with executive coach, Enneagram teacher, and author Theresa Gale. Drawing from more than 30 years of leadership consulting, contemplative practice, and personal transformation, Theresa explores why so many people quietly lose touch with themselves while pursuing success—and how they can find their way back. We discuss self-forgetting, embodied growth, t...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur and Ballot Beacon founder Keith Harris. Frustrated by confusing ballot language and legal jargon, Keith created Ballot Beacon—a nonpartisan platform that translates complex ballot measures into clear, unbiased explanations so voters understand exactly what they’re voting on. We discuss why ballot wording is often confusing, the importa...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with holistic wellness coach and author Kerisma Vere. Drawing from her own journey through trauma, addiction, anxiety, PTSD, and recovery, Kerisma explains why lasting healing isn’t built through pressure or perfection but through compassion, self-awareness, and rebuilding trust with ourselves. We discuss trauma-informed healing, self-worth, resilience,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with author, philosopher, and AIDOP creator Mohamed Nabil. Rather than using artificial intelligence to reinforce his ideas, Mohamed invites AI to challenge them through transparent public debates that encourage critical thinking and intellectual honesty. We discuss AI, education, philosophy, governance, Enlightened Populism, citizen assemblies, democra...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with physician, neuroscientist, inventor, and Neuro-Luminance founder Dr. Theodore Henderson. With more than 70 scientific publications and decades of research into depression, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Long COVID, and innovative neurological treatments, Dr. Henderson explains how modern neuroscience is transforming our understanding...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Alykhan “AJ” Jetha, CEO of Marketcircle and creator of the Daylite business productivity platform. After arriving in Canada as a refugee, AJ built a multimillion-dollar software company from the ground up—without outside funding—serving thousands of customers around the world. We discuss entrepreneurship, resilience, leadership, personal growth, ma...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with messaging strategist, creative director, and The Messaging Lab founder Racheal Blackmore. Drawing on more than 14 years of client work—and an extraordinary background in investigative interviewing—Racheal explains why the most effective marketing begins with human psychology, not persuasion. We discuss storytelling, authentic messaging, AI, brandin...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with business valuation expert, author, and podcast host Dave Bookbinder. With more than 30 years of experience valuing businesses and advising entrepreneurs, Dave explains what truly determines enterprise value—and why so many business owners misunderstand what their companies are worth. We discuss business valuation, human capital, intellectual proper...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with transformational leader, speaker, and Blueprints To Success™ founder Paul Padgett. Drawing from decades of leadership, business development, and personal transformation, Paul explains why so many people remain trapped in survival mode—and how intentional living can unlock lasting growth, resilience, and fulfillment. We discuss leadership, mindset,...