Action Lab Leadership Podcast

"Any strength taken to the extreme can be a detriment." In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny is joined by Michelle Gruening, a coach at Action Lab Leadership (and his wife!). Together, they dive into the messy, human side of leadership. They pull back the curtain on how well-meaning habits can secretly sabotage your team's growth and your own progress. Michelle shares her pe...

If you wait for motivation to show up, you might be waiting forever. In this solo episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny breaks down a common trap that keeps high achievers, managers, and business owners stuck: waiting around for inspiration to strike before tackling a major project. He introduces a powerful framework called the Cycle of Motivation, a five-part flywheel that shifts th...

If you want your team to share in your vision, you have to be the first one to set the standard. In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with Ed Golebiowski, owner of Zero Gravity Adventure Park. Ed discusses the unique dynamics of running a family business where his sons are also his employees and explains why he left a high-level corporate career for the fulfillment...

If you are waiting for a guarantee of success before you try something new, you’ve already stopped leading. In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with Chris Epstein, Business Development Officer at Laserforce. Drawing from his background as a football coach and teacher, Chris shares why the most effective leaders focus on driving progress through camaraderie rather...

If you view leadership as a 9-to-5 job description, you are missing the true power of your influence. In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with Sven Rösch, the Head of Sales at Valo Motion. Sven shares a vulnerable look at a pivotal moment early in his career when he was nearly fired for a lack of results. His turnaround didn't come from following a stricter proces...

If you aren’t creating a space where it is safe to fail, you are accidentally capping your team’s potential. If your team is afraid to mess up, they are likely afraid to grow. In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny talks with Jeff Willy, owner of Loveland Laser Tag and co-owner of Time Emporium Escape Rooms, about why he actively celebrates mistakes in his business. Jeff share...

Leadership isn’t a task to be completed. It’s a garden to be nurtured. Leadership is easy when you’re just handing out tasks, but it’s a different game when you’re trying to help people grow. In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with Megan Burtch of Redemption Plus to discuss why leading a team is a lot like being a "plant lady". Megan shares how her love for garde...

If you aren't failing, you might be playing it too safe. In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny talks with Sara Paz, Chief Marketing Officer at Embed, about why the most successful leaders prioritize professional adventure over perfection. Sara shares her philosophy on leading high-performing teams by removing political obstacles and providing a safety net that gives people th...

What do you do when a guest (or an employee) is at their absolute worst? In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with industry veteran and leadership coach Jeremy Hoyum to discuss the shift from being a "robot manager" to a leader with a servant’s heart. Jeremy recounts a "punch to the gut" moment with a guest facing a terminal illness that forever changed how he view...

Is your need to be "the expert" holding your team back? In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with Jason Wistreich, a principal at JKRP Architects. Jason shares his journey from a young, "malleable" architect right out of school to leading a firm that has grown from 20 to 70 people. He provides a transparent look at the evolution of a leader, moving away from the te...

What happens to your leadership when you hit the "limit of your skill" and everything crashes?  In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with Jim Lewis, the president of 12 companies and owner of Area 254. Jim shares a candid look at the high-stakes world of multi-business ownership, from the weight of being the "final call" to the humility required to lead through fai...

Does your leadership hold up when no one is watching? In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, we sit down with Brian Hahn, owner of Metropolis Resort, to strip away the "fluff" of modern leadership. Brian shares a grounded, high-stakes perspective on leadership accountability and why true culture isn’t built on keynote speeches—it’s built on the boring, daily discipline of maintainin...

Stephanie Moxley, Owner of Pins & Wheels, shares what it really looks like to make decisions before you feel ready, especially during seasons of growth and change. In this episode, we talk about uncertainty, hesitation, and the pressure leaders feel to get everything right. Stephanie explains why waiting for clarity can stall progress and how action creates learning, confidence, and momentum....

Albert Waitt, President of Operations at Smitty's Entertainment, shares a grounded perspective on why fear quietly limits growth inside teams and organizations. In this episode, we talk about how leaders unintentionally create pressure, how mistakes too often get punished, and what it looks like to build environments where people feel safe to try. Albert explains why calm leadership, perspective,...

Laura Zorn, owner of Bravoz in Jacksonville, opens up about what it really takes to rebuild a culture, lead through discouraging seasons, and keep optimism alive when business gets hard. She shares honest lessons from navigating COVID, redefining team roles, improving communication, and learning to trust her managers more deeply. If you want a grounded, real-world look at leadership in small busin...

Mario Valadez shares how early career discouragement shaped the way he leads today—with humility, service, and heart. In this episode, he opens up about the moments that defined his leadership style, the mentors who believed in him, and the culture he builds for others. If you want a grounded look at what real leadership requires, this conversation will stay with you.

Kevin Loughery, founder of Prospr Communications, shares how an unexpected failure became the launchpad for a business and life he never saw coming. We dig into trusting people, saying “yes” to new opportunities, and leading as a solopreneur without a traditional team. Kevin also opens up about presence, improv, and the small moments that ultimately shape a career.

Craig Buster, COO at Pinz, shares how authenticity, mentorship, and investing in your team can transform culture and drive long-term growth. Learn how he navigated big career transitions and built a leadership approach grounded in trust, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Welcome to the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, where I have honest, unfiltered conversations with business leaders. I’m Danny, founder of Action Lab Leadership. After years of working with business owners, I wanted to go deeper than the highlights — I wanted to explore the real stories of leadership and growth. That’s why I created this podcast. People love hearing about success, but I want to talk...