Applied Leadership Podcast

There's a lot in the news right now (and there has been for a while. There are macro and micro trends in the markets. There are people who are very worried about certain trends and are not paying enough attention to their business, customers, competitors, and other key factors.  People want to be informed and get ahead of things, and not get left behind. We're trying to stay in the sweet spot and...

As a leader, a new leader especially, it's natural to have ideas that we want to put into motion, changes to make, and things we want to put our fingerprint on. We would do ourselves a favor by making sure we've got time in the seat/position, learning and understanding what's going on first, and offering help to what is already in motion. In this episode, we discuss making decisions as a new leade...

Being elite comes with high expectations, whatever the team may be or what you want to accomplish. There are standards that need to be adhered to if someone wants to be on the team. The standards have to be high and the support has to be high. Teams need to bring each other up together; the objective is to be successful TOGETHER. 

We've got a special guest this week! Our ALPs colleague Sarah Holzhalb joins us for the first time on the Applied Leadership Podcast. She shares a little bit of her story and we discuss our evolutions as people in our personal and professional lives, choices that have informed our job changes and what keeps others from making big leaps in their lives. We hope you enjoy this listen! 

We discuss our top leadership tools, tactics and strategies that we would gift to anyone in order for them to be an effective leader. 

We hope you enjoy this conversation about AI, with our friend and episode guest, Ben Davis. We discuss what we are seeing and how we are using AI in our personal and professional lives. There's a lot to consider about how to use it for quick learning and answers, and not using it when it comes to true human connection, conversation, and deep work and creation.  Ben served nine years as a Navy SEAL...

It's Q1, and people are already moving fast to meet their annual goals. We certainly are at ALPs. And, we're already feeling the strain and tension of our calendars. We talk all the time about managing our energy, time, effort, and business, to keep the bigger picture in mind. . We have to be able to stay in the game and do great work for the long haul, while also getting short term wins. We can't...

Whether it's our careers, our personal lives, or hobbies, things aren't going to be exciting all the time. Sometimes a job is just a job, and we need to be okay with that, especially when it puts food on the table and provides for our family. And other times, sticking with something that is ruining our health or family, doesn't make sense. There's a healthy tension between the two that we will alw...

Blayne and Brandon recently combined professional and personal travel in a 1,000+ mile, 20-state road trip together. They share reflections on the quality conversations they had, what they're grateful for, friends they dropped in on, massive CD collections and more.  We hope you enjoy this fun episode! 

Within the ALPs team, with our families, friends, and business partners, we've been hearing a lot about how we're supposed to manage and deal with all the uncertainty, strife, upheaval, and stress swirling all around us. It can be difficult not to get lost in the infinite amount of information on the news and on social media and feel a sense of despair and hopelessness. It's one thing to try and s...

We get asked often about what we have done to kick our business off, keep it going and lessons learned from building leadership development business. We talk with people who feel they have something to offer and want to build a similar opportunity.  In this episode we offer some considerations on what to think about before you get started -- Understand what you bring to the marketplace. You have t...

Join us for a conversation with special guest, George Dougherty. We discuss the proliferation of AI, the effects of it on human performance, relationships, leadership and trust.  George is a senior military leader, scientist, and business strategist. In his service as an active duty and reserve officer, he held the second-highest military position in U.S. Air Force science and technology. He is co...

Following up from our last episode, we continue our conversation on Imposter Syndrome. This week, we focus on the topic of what if we REALLY are faking it? What if we are acting like a true imposter in the role we are in? Here are some earnest questions to ask yourself: Do you understand what you're trying to be and what you're trying to do? Or are you focused on the idea of it?  Are you just doin...

Every leader deals with Imposter Syndrome at some point in their life. You are not alone and it is so normal. And it can happen and pop up when you least expect it. There's a reason you're in the position that you're in - whether it's a management position, training people in a skill or speaking in front of a group, you do have relevant experience and skills to share.  Get out of your head and int...

Continuing our conversation from our last episode about quitting, today we want to discuss staying focused and steadfast during the hard times.  Paying attention to what is happening around you and how you're feeling. The importance of bringing friends, teammates and mentors with you. Sharing responsibility for getting things done with those around you. What to do when you've been at it a while, a...

We don't like the Q-word at ALPs and it's hard to even say it. So, let's rephrase - how do we know when it's time to stop doing something - to stop a project, an initiative, a certain direction, etc.?  It depends. If it's something that's harmful to you or others, the answer is probably now.  If the answer is more ambiguous, then you should ask yourself more questions. How long have you been at it...

Throughout our careers, we've worked both in offices and remotely, growing and building businesses with totally remote teams and in a brick-and-mortar location. Connection matters no matter what your workspace is like. Sharing space with people brings with it a certain value that cannot be reached virtually alone. Genuine connection, sharing stories, and time with each other are priceless. Working...

In this special episode, Blayne and Brandon talk about what it's like coming back to West Point and, overall, being rooted in a community that matters. Blayne graduated in 2001 and Brandon had an Active Duty assignment on the Superintendants Staff.  They filmed this episode after leading a half-day workshop to an impressive group of 140 cadets, talking about how perseverance is greater than endura...

One theme that is dominating our conversations with our partners, our colleagues, friends and family lately is common feeling of uncertainty.  In this episode, we take our memory back to 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic, the last time we had a fairly high degree of uncertainty.   What did we learn from our experiences in 2020-2021? Trying not to get lost in the fray of panic.  Being discerning as...

Leadership doesn't have to be a lonely place - when you have your peers and subordinates in the right spots. In this episode we dive deep into:  Assembling the right team in the right roles How to delegate certain aspects of the business to the right people Consistent communications through all channels of the mission and strategy How unstated expectations will go unmet Giving your team opportunit...

We hope you enjoy listening to this special episode of the Applied Leadership Podcast. The Tattered Cover Bookstore in Aspen Grove, CO, hosted Brandon for a fireside chat, book reading, and signing to celebrate the launch of Perseverance > Endurance, written by Brandon and Blayne.  During this chat, Brandon discusses his and Blayne's motivation to write the book, combining their experiences on the...

When we talk about a vision, we mean an aspirational picture of a greater future. This is something that leaders need to consider with their teams. As leaders, we need our team to understand that they are a crucial part in the ultimate achievement of our team, so they can have ownership over their piece of the mission.  Casting a vision must be made intentionally and invites people to be a part of...

We've done a lot of cold calls with our time working in sales. As much as we've done it, it's still not our favorite thing to do at all. It's tough, it's uncomfortable. And it's necessary if we want to grow our business and reach new audiences that don't know what we're about.  Some highlights from the episode, why this is hard, and why it's worthwhile to be earnest: -- Empathize: Put yourself in...

We love this topic! At ALPs, we view "self-leadership" as "discipline." Here are some highlights of this episode:  -- On a day-to-day basis, discipline is having command over yourself, doing what IS good, not what FEELS good. -- We all know that oftentimes, the thing we need to do is the thing we want to do the least. Which means we need to do it even more. -- When discussing self-discipline regar...

We actually talked each other out of starting a leadership consulting business for the better part of 10 years! And then, all of our ideas came together and we couldn't deny what we need to create anymore. We're so grateful to have this opportunity everyday - and we have our family and many of our friends and colleagues to thank for supporting us.  Our goal has always been to walk alongside our pa...