The 9–5 Exit Plan

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with financial coach, bestselling author, and Give A Heck Podcast host Dwight Heck. Dwight shares his powerful journey from financial hardship and emotional burnout as a single father to helping thousands of families and entrepreneurs build financial confidence and lasting wealth. We discuss financial literacy, money mindset, entrepreneurship, breaking...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Organizational Psychologist, executive coach, and author Shante Alexander to explore the hidden emotional cost of success. We discuss identity, burnout, ambition, leadership, emotional wellbeing, and why so many high achievers feel disconnected despite accomplishing everything they once dreamed of. Shante shares practical insights on breaking free...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Eric Klos, Founder and CEO of DailyBreath, an environmental health intelligence platform helping people understand how the air they breathe affects their health. We discuss environmental health, air quality, personalized health tracking, wearable technology, the Human Exposome Project, and how data-driven insights can help prevent illness before it...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with neurological wellness specialist, NASM Master Trainer, and NeuroMotor Training founder Karl Sterling. Karl shares practical, science-backed insights on brain health, movement, longevity, and healthy aging. We discuss why aging isn’t something to fear, how movement protects both the body and the brain, and simple habits anyone can adopt to improve l...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, podcast host, and Human Dad founder Tony Berardo. After decades working with Fortune 500 companies, Tony made the courageous decision to leave corporate life behind following serious health scares. Today, he shares his journey of becoming a stay-at-home dad, building a personal brand, creating meaningful content, and redefining succes...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with counsellor, researcher, and entrepreneur Stephanie McAlister, founder of Virtual Connect Counselling Clinic. Stephanie shares her journey of launching a virtual counselling practice during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses mental health, trauma, anxiety, addiction recovery, relationships, and the importance of making therapy more accessible. We a...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with four-time award-winning author, keynote speaker, and Together We Seek podcast host JJ DiGeronimo. After more than twenty years in Silicon Valley, JJ followed a deeper calling that led her to study intuition, spiritual awakening, and personal transformation. We discuss the Six Phases of Spiritual Awakening, learning to trust your inner voice, naviga...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur and wealth strategist Shakti Sharma. After leaving a successful corporate career in investment banking and consulting, Shakti built her own six-figure business and has since helped more than 1,200 entrepreneurs transform their mindset, increase their income, and build lasting wealth. We discuss money mindset, entrepreneurship, high-tic...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with marketing strategist Mark Newsome, better known as Mr. Marketing. Mark explains how entrepreneurs can uncover hidden profits, retain more customers, and compete successfully against businesses with much larger marketing budgets. We discuss customer retention, overlooked business assets, low-cost marketing strategies, entrepreneurship, and practical...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with international model, author, speaker, and breast cancer advocate Christine Handy. Christine shares her remarkable journey from building a successful modeling career to facing a life-changing cancer diagnosis that transformed her perspective on beauty, purpose, and faith. We discuss resilience, healing, self-worth, meaningful relationships, storytel...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with fractional Chief Marketing Officer and revenue growth strategist Heather Heydet. Drawing from more than 30 years of executive leadership, Heather shares how founder-led businesses can escape the pricing race, build stronger brands, align their teams, and create scalable systems that drive sustainable growth. We discuss branding, entrepreneurship, A...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with executive coach, organizational consultant, and neuroscience expert Dr. Marcia Ruben. Drawing from more than three decades of coaching leaders and studying social cognitive neuroscience, Dr. Ruben explains why even highly capable leaders get stuck—and how understanding the brain can unlock better leadership, stronger decision-making, and greater re...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Applied Developmental Psychologist, TEDx speaker, and author Dr. Deborah Heiser. Drawing from decades of research in psychology, aging, and human development, Deborah explains why mentorship, purpose, and contribution are some of the strongest predictors of a fulfilling life. We discuss leadership, legacy, mental health, entrepreneurship, personal...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, speaker, and author Matthew Estrin. After serving as a pastor for 15 years, Matthew took a bold leap into entrepreneurship and has since built seven businesses while staying grounded in his faith and commitment to family. We discuss entrepreneurship, leadership, taking calculated risks, overcoming failure, building company culture, an...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Craig Wahl, author of The Walk: Leadership When There Is No Finish Line. Craig shares lessons from leading through hypergrowth, navigating business crises, surviving a near-fatal accident, and helping organizations grow under extraordinary pressure. We discuss resilience, leadership, decision-making, endurance, organizational culture, AI, and how e...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur and Heights Platform founder Bryan McAnulty. Bryan shares his journey from freelancing as a teenager to building businesses used by creators in over 100 countries. We discuss entrepreneurship, digital products, online education, AI, remote work, financial freedom, and the mindset required to build a business on your own terms. If you’v...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Audley Stephenson, host of The Audacious Living Podcast and author of the upcoming book Living Your Best Audacious Life. Drawing from nearly 700 conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, Audley shares powerful lessons about courage, purpose, resilience, and living intentionally. We discuss overcoming fear, choosing yourself, buil...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with marketing strategist, entrepreneur, author, and CEO Emanuel Rose. We discuss authentic marketing, artificial intelligence, branding, lead generation, and what businesses must do to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Emanuel shares lessons from more than thirty years in marketing, explains why authenticity is becoming a competitive advantage i...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, educator, and spiritual guide Julie Grimm. Julie shares her journey from studying biology and pursuing a traditional path to building businesses centered around personal transformation, intuition, and purpose. We discuss faith, self-belief, entrepreneurship, spiritual growth, and how to recognize the inner calling many people ignore....

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership author, AI coach, and speaker Patrick Platt. Patrick shares lessons from more than two decades in corporate leadership, financial services, and technology, including his journey from survival-driven achievement to creating the Peace as Power leadership framework. We discuss fear-based leadership, personal growth, AI, authorship, entrepre...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with former Fortune 500 executive, leadership expert, and Intent Consulting founder Omar L. Harris. After spending more than two decades leading businesses across four continents, Omar discovered that the greatest predictor of long-term success isn’t talent, intelligence, or even strategy—it’s character. We discuss leadership, culture, team performance,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with executive advisor and Chief People Officer Carolyn Moore. With nearly 30 years of experience helping organizations navigate growth, acquisitions, executive transitions, and cultural transformation, Carolyn has worked with leaders at companies ranging from startups to multi-billion-dollar enterprises. We discuss leadership, organizational culture, A...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with internationally recognized transformational speaker, bestselling author, and YU2SHINE founder Dr. Victoria Rader. As a pioneer of Quantum Personal Development, Victoria has helped thousands of people overcome limiting beliefs, transform their mindset, and create lives filled with greater purpose, prosperity, and fulfillment. We discuss faith, subco...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with transformational coach, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author Christian de la Huerta. For more than three decades, Christian has helped individuals and couples break free from limiting beliefs, reclaim personal power, and build healthier, more conscious relationships. We discuss love, intimacy, authenticity, vulnerability, self-worth, personal trans...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership consultant, researcher, and bestselling author Bryan Hughes. Bryan shares insights from more than 30 years of leadership experience and his doctoral research on toxic leadership, employee retention, and organizational recovery. We discuss why employees really leave, the warning signs of toxic leadership, the importance of trust, and how...