Above The Business

"When you have trust, sky's the limit. When you have trust, that's when you're gonna build resiliency." In this episode, Bradley Hamner sits down with Claude Silver, the world's first Chief Heart Officer and the number two executive at VaynerX to Gary Vaynerchuk. Claude shares her unconventional journey from New York to Santa Fe to San Francisco, London, and back to New York, and how these experie...

In this episode, Bradley Hamner shares a powerful lesson about building simplicity into your business, inspired by an unexpected teacher—his son Cooper. When Cooper and his friends launched their sports YouTube channel, his approach to growing their community one subscriber at a time reminded Bradley of a fundamental truth that every small business owner needs to hear: sustainable growth happens o...

"We will never, ever outperform our self-image." Today on the podcast, Ron Alford joins Bradley to discuss leadership, vision, and mindset of an owner. Ron is a Senior Partner, Vice President of Recruiting, and Executive Coach for Southwestern Consulting. What if the secret to business success isn't just about strategy, but about getting your head AND heart right before you even open your laptop?...

"Let's silence having to feel like we have to play whack-a-mole all the time." In this episode, Bradley tackles the chaotic reality many small business owners face - constantly putting out fires and responding to urgent matters without making meaningful progress. He uses the metaphor of the arcade game "whack-a-mole" to describe how business owners jump from one issue to another, with problems pop...

What happens when your hands-on hustle stops working? In this episode, growth strategist Chad Cannon reveals why the skills that got you to $3 million won't get you to $10 million—and what needs to change. Chad breaks down the critical mindset shifts founder-led businesses must make to scale sustainably: accepting 70-80% quality from your team, transitioning from seller to sales leader, and learni...

In this episode, Bradley Hamner explores a critical distinction that many entrepreneurs miss: being excellent at your craft doesn't automatically make you a great business owner. He argues that the reverse is true—becoming a great business owner will naturally lead to excellence in your specific industry. Thinking Time: What business owner skills do you currently possess? Where are you deficient a...

Welcome back to another episode of The Above the Business Podcast with Bradley Hamner. Today, we're revisiting a conversation that continues to resonate with entrepreneurs and business leaders everywhere—the impact of neurodiversity, specifically ADHD, on business owners. Bradley sits down with Dr. Ned Hallowell, a New York Times bestselling author who has written over 20 books on psychological to...

Most business owners quit on strategies right before they start working. Success isn't about trying more things—it's about giving the right things enough time. Take this podcast for example: When we started in 2019, hitting 500 episodes seemed impossible. But consistency over time creates compound results that feel sudden but aren't. The Solution: Give strategies minimum 90 days, often 6-12 months...

In this episode of Above the Business, Bradley Hamner interviews Bruce Temkin, often referred to as the "Godfather of Customer Experience" and host of the Humanity At Scale: Redefining Leadership podcast. They dive deep into navigating complexity and uncertainty at scale, the power of reflection cycles, and how leaders can provide clarity to their teams—even when they don't feel clear themselves....

In this episode, we explore the concept of wearing multiple "hats" as a business owner and discover how adopting the architect mindset can replace all the other roles you juggle daily. Three Practical Steps to Become the Business Architect 1. Get Above the Business Establish a cadence of reflection. Weekly Planning: Sunday night sessions (30 minutes to 1 hour) Reflect on the previous week. Plan fo...

Wondering what the #1 reason is for salespeople to fail? You'll discover the answer in this episode! This week on the podcast, we are recasting a great interview with Jeffrey Gitomer, co-host of the Sell or Die podcast. He to joined Bradley for an essential conversation about sales mastery. Jeffrey, widely recognized as "the King of Sales," has authored numerous #1 best-selling books on sales, del...

In this episode, Bradley Hamner breaks down one of the most crucial frameworks for business growth: the three-step process of simplifying, systematizing, and then scaling your business operations. This isn't just another catchy business phrase—it's a proven methodology that prevents the common pitfalls of premature scaling. The Core Framework: Make It Simple → Make It a System → Scale This sequent...

In this special recast episode, host Bradley Hamney revisits one of his most memorable interviews from the Above The Business podcast archives. Originally recorded several years ago, this conversation with retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal remains as relevant and impactful as ever. This recast episode offers timeless wisdom from a legendary leader that's just as valuable today as when i...

In this thought-provoking episode, Bradley Hemner tackles Alex Hormozi's controversial characterization of the $1-3 million revenue range as "the swamp" - a challenging middle ground for business owners. Rather than simply critiquing Hormozi's perspective, Bradley offers a compelling counter-narrative that reframes this stage as potentially the dream outcome for many entrepreneurs seeking a lifest...

In this episode, host Bradley Hamner sits down with Margaret C. Andrews, Harvard instructor and author of "Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding." Andrews shares her personal journey from being told she was "not self-aware" by a boss to becoming one of Harvard's most sought-after leadership instructors. Self-Understanding Framework Margaret's six key q...

This episode explores the concept of a lifestyle business versus a performance business, introducing the "Four F's" framework for building a business that serves your life rather than consuming it. Lifestyle Business vs. Performance Business Performance Business : Revenue-focused ($10M-$100M+), built to sell, often requires outside investment, 30+ team members. Lifestyle Business : Built around th...

Fresh from a transformative three-week safari in Africa, Michael Weaver joins us to discuss his philosophy of building businesses that prioritize lifestyle alongside profit. From his award-winning days as a State Farm Agent to launching groundbreaking AI training software, Michael shares how he's created systems that allow true freedom while revolutionizing how insurance professionals train and gr...

This episode explores the critical transition from organizational charts to accountability charts as your business grows, particularly when approaching $1 million in revenue. Learn why this shift is essential and how to implement Critical Accountability Bullets (CABs) to create clarity and structure in your growing organization. Thanks to our sponsors... BlueprintOS equips business owners to desig...

"The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon." - From The Alchemist For entrepreneurs: The secret of success is to see all the marvels of your vivid vision while never forgetting the practical realities of running your business. In this special episode, Bradley shares his powerful presentation from the 2025 Two-Day MBA event on "The...

We love to think of ourselves as chief problem solvers. And yes, problems do pop up constantly - team turnover, underperforming employees, operational hiccups. It's part of the gig. But here's what takes real humility to admit: Sometimes we're the ones inadvertently creating the fires we're so heroically putting out. You'd never intentionally start fires in your business just to be the hero. But w...

In this special solo episode, Bradley explores the core concept behind the "Above The Business" podcast name and shares why stepping back from day-to-day operations is crucial for entrepreneurial success. He discusses the evolution from working "in" the business to working "on" the business, and ultimately to getting "above" the business for true strategic perspective. Bradley uses the powerful an...

Bradley candidly shares some frustrations he has been experiencing in business, and how he is leading himself first through the challenges. The Bottom Line: When you make changes or set new goals in business, it will ultimately start off rocky. But if you persevere through the frustration and challenges, you will win. Ready to master this entrepreneurial mindset and outlast business challenges? Jo...

Today on the podcast, Kathy Oneto - Author of "Sustainable Ambition" joins Bradley for today's episode. Kathy Oneto is an executive and life-work coach, speaker, and facilitator whose mission is to help ambitious organizations, teams, and individuals explore how to live and work differently for more success, satisfaction, and sustainability. She bridges two worlds as both a strategy executive and...

In this episode, Bradley Hamner tackles a fundamental question that every small business owner faces: Can a business truly grow beyond its owner? While exploring this topic, Bradley shares insights from his work with Blueprint OS and discusses the critical relationship between owner development and business growth. The Bottom Line: A small business cannot grow beyond the mindset, skillset, and too...

Ever wonder why some businesses seem to run themselves while others fall apart the moment the owner steps away? David Jenyns is back, but this time he's not talking to business owners - he's talking to the unsung heroes who actually make systems work: the "systems champions." His new book, "Systems Champion," isn't another guide for overwhelmed entrepreneurs. Instead, it's for that special person...