The 9–5 Exit Plan

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with coach, speaker, entrepreneur, and executive leader Crystal Bell. Crystal shares lessons from her journey across education, nonprofit leadership, government, technology, entrepreneurship, and wellness, and explains why clarity is often the missing ingredient behind success. We discuss decision-making, overcoming overthinking, building confidence, cr...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Marla Ballard, CEO of YU2SHINE and Director of Unconquerable mE®. With more than three decades of leadership experience, Marla shares powerful lessons on resilience, purpose, identity, leadership under pressure, and building sustainable success. We discuss burnout, personal reinvention, clarity, veteran leadership, and how entrepreneurs and profess...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, author, and AI strategist Nathan Graham. Nathan shares practical insights into how artificial intelligence is transforming entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, productivity, and business growth. We discuss automation, AI workflows, human behavior, technology’s impact on relationships, and how entrepreneurs can use AI to compete more ef...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with inventor, entrepreneur, author, and health researcher Norbert Heuser. After surviving a life-threatening health crisis that changed the course of his life, Norbert dedicated decades to studying addiction, nutrition, human behavior, frequencies, and alternative approaches to health and wellbeing. We discuss hidden addictions, caffeine dependency, fo...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, founder, and business builder Brett Vinsant. Drawing on nearly 50 years of experience, Brett shares lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, AI, trust, and what it takes to build solutions that solve real-world problems. We discuss legal innovation, business systems, technology adoption, problem-solving, and why understanding people a...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of Precision Consulting, Ammarah Ahmed. After spending more than a decade leading growth, operations, and commercial teams across some of the world’s largest platforms, Ammarah made the decision to leave corporate leadership and build a business aligned with her own values and vision. We discuss entrepreneurshi...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership consultant, executive coach, and conflict resolution expert Dan Messinger. Having worked with organizations like Google, Facebook, CAT, IMAX, and HP, Dan has spent decades helping leaders improve communication, strengthen trust, and transform workplace culture. We discuss conflict resolution, executive presence, authentic leadership, com...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, startup founder, and Mozilla VP of Product, Raj Singh. Raj has spent decades building and scaling technology companies, leading multiple successful startup exits, and helping shape products used by millions of people. From Tempo AI and AllTheCooks to his AI startup Pulse, which was acquired by Mozilla, his journey offers valuable less...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with customer experience expert, author, speaker, and CEO of Intelligentics, Tom Vander Well. After spending more than three decades analyzing over 100,000 business conversations, Tom discovered that the most important lessons weren’t about sales, service, or business at all—they were about people. We discuss communication, trust, leadership, entreprene...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur and AI search visibility expert Tyee Lilly. At just 21 years old, Tyee is helping businesses prepare for a major shift in how customers discover products and services online. As AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity become increasingly popular, traditional search strategies are rapidly evolving. We disc...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Rowan Vale, author of ENOUGH, a recovery memoir written from lived experience. Rowan shares his deeply personal journey through addiction, identity loss, faith, fatherhood, and the difficult work of rebuilding a life after hitting rock bottom. We discuss the emotional roots of addiction, the lies that keep people trapped, the reality of recovery, a...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur and business coach Michael Carbonneau. Starting with nothing at 19, Michael built his experience through entrepreneurship, contracting, and financial advising, learning firsthand what separates successful business owners from those who stay stuck. We discuss entrepreneurship, financial foundations, CEO thinking, accountability, busines...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, business coach, and AI Transformation Partner Mark Pearson. We discuss the rise of AI agents, agentic commerce, entrepreneurship, business transformation, and why the next major business revolution may be closer than most people realize. Mark explains how AI agents will influence buying decisions, why many businesses are currently inv...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with coach, therapist, and energy healer Jihane Laraichi. We explore the invisible blocks that keep people stuck in life, business, relationships, and personal growth. Jihane shares insights into recurring patterns, emotional healing, energy work, and how people can reconnect with their authentic selves. We also discuss how unresolved emotional and ener...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Cat How, Founder and Executive Creative Director of How&How, a global branding agency helping ambitious businesses create brands that shape culture. We discuss branding, entrepreneurship, leadership, creativity, storytelling, and the future of branding in an AI-driven world. Cat shares lessons from building a global agency, explains what truly sepa...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership strategist, executive coach, and transformation expert Dr. Sharalyn Payne. Dr. Payne shares insights from helping Fortune 500 companies, global organizations, and leadership teams solve complex challenges related to culture, credibility, execution, and performance. We discuss leadership blind spots, organizational culture, influence, cha...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with payments consultant and revenue operations advisor Joe Zahaitis. With more than 30 years of experience in the payments industry, Joe shares insights into how businesses can better understand the systems moving money through their organizations. We discuss payment processing, hidden costs, pricing models, revenue operations, AI, automation, and why...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, brand strategist, marketing expert, and podcast host Audrey M. Wiggins, also known as the Tech Diva. With more than 30 years of experience helping businesses grow, Audrey shares lessons on branding, visibility, marketing, entrepreneurship, and staying relevant in a rapidly changing digital world. We discuss trust, personal branding, t...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with business growth advisor and founder of Changing Lanes for Business, Tim Rhode. With more than 40 years of experience building, scaling, buying, selling, and leading multiple successful businesses, Tim shares lessons on leadership, business growth, change management, and overcoming resistance. We discuss why businesses get stuck, how leaders can cre...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, investor, educator, and author Andrew Ackerman. Having founded two startups, invested in more than 70 early-stage companies, and mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs, Andrew shares lessons from every side of the startup world. We discuss entrepreneurship, innovation, fundraising, startup mistakes, resilience, AI, and the realities of bu...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with speaker, executive coach, bestselling author, and former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Reichert. Ryan shares lessons from military leadership, addiction recovery, faith, personal transformation, and overcoming adversity. We discuss resilience, mindset, leadership, purpose, and how people can push through life’s toughest seasons without losing h...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with health practitioner, author, speaker, and podcast host Magic Barclay. After surviving childhood trauma, addiction, obesity, an abusive marriage, and multiple life-threatening health conditions, Magic transformed her life through a deep understanding of trauma, functional health, and root-cause healing. We discuss the connection between trauma and i...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership expert, entrepreneur, and podcast host Sandy Davis. After spending decades helping organizations navigate change, Sandy found herself facing profound personal loss, burnout, and an identity crisis that forced her to rethink everything she thought she knew about success. We discuss grief, resilience, leadership, entrepreneurship, reinvent...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, real estate investor, and bestselling author KAYR Robinson. Growing up in deep poverty and moving more than 18 times before adulthood, KAYR refused to let his circumstances define his future. Today, he owns more than 160 rental units and helps others understand the power of resilience, discipline, and long-term ownership. We discuss r...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with bestselling author and sales professional Abhinav Gokllani. After moving from India to California with just $750 and a one-way ticket, Abhinav built an extraordinary career generating millions in sales and pipeline revenue. We discuss human psychology, prospecting, sales, trust, influence, resilience, and the lessons that helped him transform his l...