With Purpose

Playing small might feel safe, but what if it was preventing the world from benefiting from the things only you have to offer? When we hide our gifts, ideas and unique perspective, everyone loses. In this episode, Ben reflects on a two-part mural inspired by a quote from Marianne Williamson and the idea that our greatest fear may not be inadequacy, but the courage required to fully step into who w...

Great leaders don’t just accomplish important work, they create space for others to lead after them. In this episode, Ben reflects on a mural inspired by George Washington and one of the most remarkable leadership decisions in history: stepping aside when he could have seized more power. Washington’s legacy wasn’t built solely on what he achieved, but on the people he empowered and the example he...

Great ideas rarely begin with credentials, consensus, or approval - they begin with someone willing to take the first step. In this episode, Ben reflects on the story of the Wright brothers and the lesson behind the Wright Flyer mural on Hutton’s Wichita campus. The Wright brothers changed the world not because they had permission, but because they pursued an idea with persistence and conviction....

What kind of future are you building with the plans you have today? In this episode, we kick off a new five-week series on the Art of Leadership with a mural inspired by Daniel Burnham and his challenge to “make no little plans.” Big plans have a way of pulling us forward, inspiring others, and creating impact that outlives us. Thinking too small may be limiting what’s possible and some ideas are...

Bloat: the thing slowing your organization down due to the cumulative effect of too many helpful additions. Most bloat doesn’t appear all at once, it builds gradually until the system becomes heavier, slower, and more complicated than it needs to be. In this episode, we talk about how the extra meetings, approval layers, stakeholders, and processes slowly pile up – eventually creating friction eve...

What if work isn’t something to avoid but instead something woven into the fabric that gives life purpose? Somewhere along the way, we started treating work like a burden instead of recognizing the dignity and joy that can come from doing meaningful things well. In this episode, we close our series on work with a poem from Edgar Albert Guest and a challenge to rethink the way we talk about “hard w...

What if being constantly busy isn’t a sign of success but a distraction from it? In this episode, we talk about the danger of hustle culture and why celebrating the grind itself might be causing us to measure work the wrong way. The goal isn’t to glorify the work, it’s to pursue meaningful outcomes with purpose. What are you actually measuring: the impact of your work or just the amount of it? Ref...

Not all hard work is the same: some work gives us purpose, but some slowly drains it away. Hard work isn’t a problem, but it becomes toilsome when we can’t see why it matters anymore. In this episode, we explore the difference between hard work and toil and a few strategies to manage toil when we encounter it. What’s one thing in your life that keeps exhausting you because it feels like it has no...

What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of talent but a lack of willingness to keep flapping your wings? In this week’s episode, we kick off a four-week series on hard work by examining the work ethic of hummingbirds. These little birds teach us that sometimes success doesn’t come from natural gifting or perfect conditions, it comes from good old fashioned hard work. Where in your life is...

Are you making life harder by waiting when you don’t have to? In this episode, Ben examines a simple idea from a recent travel experience to rethink how we approach decisions, timing, and risk. Waiting might feel like it gives you more control, but often it creates more friction, fewer options, and bigger problems when things go wrong. Where in your life or work are you choosing the “late flight”...

When was the last time you gave yourself space to really think? We’re busy, and it’s crowding out the very clarity we’re looking for when we make decisions. In this episode, Ben discusses “thinking about your thinking” and why the best ideas often show up when we finally slow down. Stop leaving those moments to chance and start creating them on purpose. What might surface if you gave your mind the...

When you lead an organization, firing clients is an unfortunate inevitability. How do you know when it’s time to walk away from a client and how do you do it well? In this episode, Ben talks through ending client relationships in a way that reflects who you are as a leader and the integrity of the culture you are building. It’s never enjoyable, but with some thoughtful work there is a way for you...

The average adult in America makes roughly 35,000 decisions a day. Some decisions need time and weight, others you can simply test, adjust, and move forward. In this episode, Ben breaks down two simple tools for better decision making. Where might you be rushing your decisions or where are you overthinking? Take some time to reflect and plan your week using this week’s With Purpose planner – ⁠link...

If your current metric for success is based on fried chicken, consider yourself on the right track. In this week’s episode, Ben reflects on a line from Zac Brown Band’s Chicken Fried and the deeper questions it raises: Are the most meaningful things in life the things we can easily measure? Where have you let others define success for you and what would it look like to measure it differently? List...

How often do we commit to something good, only to realize that it pulls us away from what matters most? In this episode Ben explores William Ury’s Power of a Positive No, a simple way to say no with clarity, confidence, and respect by grounding your “no” in the things you’ve already said yes to. What could the Power of a Positive No unlock for you and your decision making?   Set some time aside to...

When you lead, people will let you down. Knowing how to respond is important but knowing who you're dealing with makes all the difference. The Wise, the Foolish, and the Evil is a framework from executive coach Henry Cloud that sorts people into these three categories based on how they respond to feedback. Knowing which type you're dealing with changes everything about how you lead them. Let us kn...

We are trained to think of overhead as a bad thing, but what if overhead isn’t an anchor that holds you? What if we viewed overhead as an enabler for seeing your purpose and values actualized in your work? Investing in training, benefits, and technology isn't waste. That kind of overhead is the engine that makes everything else possible. Download this week's With Purpose planner and reflect on whe...

We've gotten good at protecting our attention, but are we good at protecting our energy? If you’re showing up to your most important moments worn out, it means you're probably not performing at your best. Think of it like an electric car: You can't start a journey without charging the battery first. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about how to manage your energy. Let us know what you think o...

What signals does your organization send, and how can you be more intentional about sending them? In this week’s episode, Ben explores a decision he recently made: using pricier solid core doors on a project vs. installing cheaper, hollow ones. Every decision you make communicates more than you think. Are you aware of the messages your decisions are sending?    This week, Ben challenges leaders to...

How can we make future plans when sometimes, even the experts don’t know what’s next? In this week’s episode, Ben draws a connection between meteorologists, economists, and the way we set goals. When we let outside predictions dictate our actions, are we handing over our agency? Don’t let the forecast determine your future. You make your own weather. Plan your week and take control of it using thi...

Who are your real friends, and who are your deal friends? In this week’s episode, Ben explores a concept from Arthur Brooks about the difference between relationships rooted in commitment and those built around transaction. Deal friends aren’t bad, but confusion happens when we expect them to show up like real friends when they were never meant to.  Watch this episode to reflect on how to recogniz...

Do you know how gold is refined? It’s a messy but necessary process of heating, washing, and reheating the raw gold ore again and again. This process allows gold to become more of itself, despite the harshness of the journey. In this week’s episode, Ben reflects on that process and how it mirrors the way adversity shapes leaders. It’s often in the most uncomfortable moments that real growth begins...

Conflict is inevitable, but carrying it with us isn’t doing us any favors. In this episode, Ben talks about the idea of “keeping short accounts” in our relationships by addressing misunderstandings quickly instead of letting them compound.  Watch this episode to unpack why we avoid hard conversations, how discomfort tricks us into delay, and what actually builds trust when things go wrong. Is ther...

How do you measure progress when you’re chasing something big? Too often, we measure progress by how far we still have to go – and then move the goalposts when we finally get there. Isn’t there a better way?  This week on With Purpose, we challenge listeners to stop measuring the gap and start measuring the gain. How far have you already come? What obstacles have you already overcome? And how migh...

Have you ever played Bandu? It’s a stacking game from the 90s with oddly shaped pieces and a handful of beans. In this episode, Ben explains how the strategy of this game can be seen as a metaphor for life – because it’s difficult to build a stable tower if you say yes to everything. Stability, both in the game and in life is about choosing the right pieces to accept and the right ones to let go....