The Purpose Matrix

Success is a dangerous word. This week, Mark Travis, Executive Director of the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics and a high school swim coach at Versailles, joins me to talk about what for-profit businesses can learn from a mission-driven organization, and what he’s still learning from us. Mark starts with three questions before he looks at any metric: who are we, where are we going, and how a...

Nobody has it figured out. Not even the guy who looks like he does. Adam Rammel grew up in Coldwater, Ohio, and was laid off from his first corporate job in 2008. Today he co-owns BrewFountaine and The Syndicate in Bellefontaine, leads a team of about 65, and helps small-town businesses build their brands. His first downtown buildings cost a dollar each. Adam got vulnerable on this one. After five...

Father Nathan Cromly, founder of St. John Institute and author of Coached by the Apostle Paul , joins me to talk about what real greatness looks like in business and in life. Your work isn't who you are. It's how you express who you are. We dig into why your workplace culture becomes your city's culture, why self-awareness is a leadership issue and not a soft skill, and why humility ha...

Dr. Jeff Otte is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with the Orthopedic Institute of Ohio, serving patients from Sidney to Tiffin. He's also my neighbor. Fourteen years of school. Quitting never felt like an option. And he still isn't sure how he got here. We talk about being present and calm when someone is hurt, why he trains while everyone else is asleep, and how Exodus 90 reshaped hi...

Andy Lynch spent 13 years as a Lima sports reporter, on TV every Friday night covering the MAC. Then he walked away from a career he loved to become a pastor. We talk about why kids need adversity, and why he's rooting for it as a goalie dad. We get into what makes MAC families raise athletes who handle pressure. We also cover guilt versus shame and what it means to "clear the pipe"...

In October 2023, Neil Smith walked into a hospital — and didn't walk back out. What began as unexplained pain on a family vacation turned into a rare neurological diagnosis, months of chemo, and a total rebuild of everything he thought defined him. On this episode, Neil and his wife Angie share the real, unfiltered story of walking through suffering: the fear, the identity crisis, the marriage...

Originally recorded two years ago, the late Tim Kight, founder of Focus 3 and longtime leadership coach for Ohio State football, was and still is a major influence on Phil's leadership journey, and this conversation is a fitting reminder of that impact. In it, Tim breaks down the R Factor,  a simple equation (Event + Response = Outcome) that shaped leaders across sports, business, and his own...

26 years in law enforcement, thousands of lives touched.  From the DARE program to CASA, Make-A-Wish, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Nick Schulze has spent his life showing up for people nobody else would. In this episode, Phil sits down with the Mercer County law enforcement veteran, probation officer, and community advocate to talk about faith, fellowship, and the power of surrounding...

Phil and Mark dig into the tax strategies most business owners miss, R&D credits, cost segregation, and cash-basis accounting, before shifting into what actually separates financially successful business owners from everyone else: knowing your numbers. The conversation moves into real leadership territory as Mark opens up about his own transition from technician to managing shareholder, compar...

Alex Brau built the career most people chase — CFO, mergers and acquisitions, a run helping build Inter Miami from the ground up. He had it all, or thought he did. Then his 15-year-old son started watching him a little differently, and Alex realized something that had nothing to do with finance: his kids didn't need a wealthy father; they needed a courageous one. This episode digs into what ac...

Nate Bruns had the identity every small-town Midwest kid dreams of — state champion in football and basketball, all-conference at Findlay, top-five in program scoring history. Then two things stripped it all away: losing his best friend and teammate Ty Mescher his junior year, and getting shot twice in a random Columbus shooting two years later — one bullet two inches from costing him his leg. Thi...

Phil talks with Gary Lipske about entrepreneurship, leadership, and how to build real momentum by staying focused on one priority at a time. Gary shares how his early hustle, business experiments, and work across real estate, youth leadership, and creative projects all come back to the same core skill set: solving problems, creating value, and leading people well. They also dig into courage, mento...

Phil Moeller talks with Chuck Huggins, Chief Growth Officer at Aileron, about the hidden burden many business owners carry: overwhelm, loneliness, and the tendency to hold onto too much. Chuck shares how Aileron helps owners shift from telling to asking, build stronger leadership teams, and create businesses that can function without the founder being present every day. The conversation also explo...

In this conversation, Phil Moeller interviews Ben Miller and Matt Hibner, principals at Garmann and Miller, discussing the company's growth, core values, and the importance of culture in leadership. They explore the challenges of expanding into new locations, the significance of partnerships, and the need for mental health support for employees. The discussion emphasizes the importance of adap...

Beyond Wealth: Faith, Family, and Purpose with Ben Hartings In this episode, Phil Moeller interviews Ben Hartings, a certified financial planner and faith-driven entrepreneur, about integrating faith and purpose into wealth management and life. They explore the impact of adversity, the importance of clarity in priorities, and how giving back and faith shape true success. This episode emphasizes th...

In this conversation, Phil Moeller explores the challenging yet rewarding journey of entrepreneurship. He discusses the cycle of growth that includes suffering, endurance, character building, and hope. Moeller emphasizes the importance of facing adversity, finding a supportive community, and shifting focus from material goals to personal growth. He encourages listeners to embrace challenges and se...

In this conversation, Tim Kelly shares his transformative journey from a U.S. Navy chief petty officer to a successful entrepreneur and high-performance coach. He discusses the concept of financial freedom versus true freedom, emphasizing the importance of responsibility and personal growth. Tim opens up about his struggles with identity, adversity, and mental health, highlighting the significance...

We've been taught that success means becoming independent. Father Mark Hoying believes that's exactly backwards. After surviving a near fatal childhood accident that doctors believed he wouldn't survive, Father Mark's life gradually taught him that fulfillment comes through dependence on God, genuine community, and serving others. In this conversation with Phil, they explore the po...

The best leaders didn't all share the same story, but a lot of them share the same principles. In this special midyear highlights episode, Phil revisits some of the most impactful conversations from the first half of the year, featuring business owners, athletes, military leaders, and men committed to building stronger families and communities. Together, they explore what it means to lead with cha...

Isaac Klopfenstein spent more than a decade as a teacher and coach before realizing something was out of alignment. The life he said mattered most (faith, family, and work) was no longer reflected in how he was spending his time. So he walked away from the security of a stable career without knowing exactly what came next. In this episode, Isaac and Phil discuss career transitions, identity, mento...

Drew Wiard thought he was making the smartest move of his career. After years of success in real estate, he expanded into manufacturing acquisitions to accelerate growth and cash flow. Instead, he found himself in one of the hardest seasons of his life. What looked like a great opportunity became a source of anxiety, sleepless nights, financial pressure, and leadership challenges he couldn't c...

Mike Guarino has built successful businesses, led thousands of physicians, testified before Congress, and met presidents, popes, and CEOs. But the moment that changed his life happened in a church during his nonverbal daughter’s First Communion. What he witnessed in that moment reshaped the way he thinks about success, money, leadership, and responsibility. Since then, Mike has spent decades mento...

Six men started with a simple goal: Stay consistent with fitness after Exodus 90 ended. Two years later, that small accountability group has become something much bigger. They meet at 5:15 every other Friday morning, track habits together, read books and scripture together, challenge each other’s blind spots, and refuse to let one another drift into complacency. The discussion follows how the grou...

Dr. Jeremy Mathis watched two highly successful physicians die while the system around them barely slowed down… Their careers had consumed their lives, their families were struggling, and when they were gone, their schedules were simply filled by someone else.  That experience forced him to confront a difficult question: What if the default definition of success leads somewhere you never intended...

Most people are living from a mindset they never intentionally built. A spilled glass of milk. A road rage moment. A bad test score. Phil Moeller walks through how the way we see situations shapes how we think, feel, and act. Over time, those reactions become identity. Drawing from As a Man Thinketh, Focus 3 principles, and personal experience, Phil breaks down the mindset cycle that quietly drive...