Breakfast Leadership Show

In this episode, Michael sits down with Shamir Duversau to unpack what most organizations are getting wrong about AI adoption and digital transformation. Shamir brings over 16 years of experience leading a technical marketing agency and shares insights from her career journey through major brands like Southwest Airlines, The Walt Disney Company, and Marriott International. The conversation cuts th...

  Episode Overview In this episode, Michael D. Levitt sits down with Bobby Mascia, wealth advisor, author of Unchained, and founder of the Exit Ready Institute. The conversation explores what most business owners avoid: planning for the end of their business journey. This is not about selling your company. It is about building a business that is transferable, scalable, and not dependent on you.  ...

Episode Overview In this episode, we explore the alarming surge in cardiac care demand and its direct link to systemic leadership stress. Featuring insights from Michael D. Levitt, Founder and Chief Burnout Officer of Breakfast Leadership, we move beyond the idea of "bad luck" to examine how broken organizational systems are literally breaking the hearts of executives. Key Highlights & Statist...

Episode Summary In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with Tony Falco to explore the real story behind AI adoption in organizations—and it’s probably not what you think. We dig into how companies are rushing into AI without fully understanding their own workflows, and why that approach can create more problems than it solves. Tony brings decades of experience in internet tec...

Today's Deep Dive is from the Breakfast Leadership Newsbrief from June 2026 that highlights a critical execution gap currently paralyzing corporate leadership. Data suggests a massive decline in CEO confidence, as many organizations find themselves fundamentally unable to fulfill their own digital transformation agendas. While artificial intelligence adoption has become nearly universal, a signifi...

Vadim Voss, founder of Next Level DeFi, joins the Breakfast Leadership Show to share how everyday people can put their money to work through decentralized finance without trading, without chart-watching, and without being a tech expert. His mission is to help one million people break free from a banking system that was never built to serve them. What You Will Learn Why a savings account earning 2...

Most organizations do not fail at strategy because the strategy is wrong. They fail because the organization never learns to behave as if the strategy is real. That is the central argument Dr. Kyle Harkema makes in his book Strategic Clarity. He is the creator of the Strategic Orientation Index (SOI™), a diagnostic tool that functions like an organizational MRI, revealing the hidden misalignment b...

What happens when a chemist accidentally becomes an entrepreneur — and then has to figure out who he is after he sells the company he built? Scott Bening, author of "Formulating Solutions" and the newly released "The Back Nine," joins the podcast to share a career story that is equal parts unexpected and instructive. Scott grew up in Buffalo, New York, earned his degrees from St. Lawrence Universi...

Current economic growth is being driven by a highly concentrated group of AI-focused companies, yet a significant governance gap threatens the sustainability of this expansion. Organizations are deploying autonomous AI agents at a pace that far exceeds their internal oversight and decision-making frameworks, leading to a high projected failure rate for these initiatives. This friction is most visi...

Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Yasemin to pull back the curtain on what it’s really like to work in the restaurant industry. From the fast-paced chaos of a dinner rush to the emotional labor that comes with serving guests day in and day out, we talk honestly about the realities servers face—and why respect and kindness from customers truly matter. Yasemin shares her personal expe...

Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Celia to explore something we don’t often stop to think about: how much of our identity is actually shaped by choice. From design in our everyday lives to the deeper layers of heritage and archaeology, we unpack how identity isn’t fixed — it’s constructed through our environment, our experiences, and the decisions we make along the way. Celia shares...

Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Wain Yu to unpack a powerful and deeply personal conversation around leadership and neurodiversity. We explore how understanding neurodivergent traits—both in ourselves and others—can completely transform the way we lead, manage, and connect. Wain shares his journey as a technology leader, researcher, and father, and how those experiences shaped his...

In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Jonathan Sherrill about the connection between mindset, leadership effectiveness, stress management, and burnout prevention. Jonathan shares insights on how fear, unresolved stress, and limiting beliefs quietly influence decision-making, workplace culture, and personal performance. The discussion explores practical way...

Episode Overview Michael Levitt sits down with executive advisor Chris March to discuss one of the most common yet underaddressed challenges facing founder-led businesses: the founder themselves becoming the primary obstacle to growth. Chris works with organizations generating between $5 million and $20 million in revenue, helping founders identify structural dysfunction, reclaim their time, and b...

Episode Overview In this episode, Michael sits down with Brian Fielkow to discuss his new book, Making Safety Happen, and why safety leadership belongs in the boardroom rather than the basement. Brian brings a compelling perspective shaped by his transition from corporate law to executive leadership, and he makes a powerful case for why safety is not a compliance checkbox but a core business princ...

This source argues that excessive organizational layers have transitioned from a sign of growth into a significant competitive disadvantage in the age of artificial intelligence. While many firms view AI solely as a tool for automation, its true value lies in its ability to streamline coordination and eliminate the need for dense managerial oversight. Organizations that fail to simplify their inte...

Eric Coonrod   In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with investment banker Eric Coonrod, who brings more than 22 years of experience helping businesses grow, scale, and successfully exit. From his early days in St. Louis to his work in New York and Los Angeles—including time at Deutsche Bank and launching multiple firms—Eric shares what he’s learned about building companies...

Breakfast Leadership Show – AI, Cybersecurity & Why Your Board Should Care In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with cybersecurity veteran Scott Alldridge to unpack the real risks organizations face as they rush into AI adoption without governance, guardrails, or leadership oversight. With 30 years in IT and cybersecurity—and over 300,000 copies sold of the Visible Ops...

Episode Overview In this episode, Michael D. Levitt sits down with John Fairclough to explore why high-performing leaders often reach a point where success no longer feels aligned. The conversation focuses on decision-making patterns, identity drift, and how leaders can regain clarity through a personal operating system built on accountability, alignment, and self-leadership. The Hidden Challenge:...

Episode Overview Burnout is pushing executives to rethink their careers. But most make one critical mistake: they try to escape too fast. In this episode, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Matt Raad, digital investor and co-founder of eBusiness Institute, about how corporate professionals can transition into digital assets and online businesses without risking their income. This is not about quitting...

Breakfast Leadership Executive Briefing May 17, 2026 Macro Environment Sustained volatility combined with accelerating AI integration pressure defines the current operating landscape. Organizations are shifting their structural priorities toward resilience, adaptability, and execution consistency rather than efficiency gains or aggressive growth. Operating Model Risk Firms with rigid governance st...

Michael gives his insights on why organizations that are complex are causing more harm than competition.   Want to deploy AI the RIGHT way in your company?   https://www.breakfastleadership.com/leadershipos      

Episode Show Notes: Real Estate Investment Expert Insights with Jay Patel In this episode, I sit down with real estate veteran Jay Patel, who brings over 30 years of hands-on experience across nearly every corner of the industry—from developing a 200-home gated community in Central Florida to investing in multi-family units, short-term rentals, mobile home parks, storage centers, and more. We unpa...

Episode Overview AI is not just changing how work gets done. It is forcing a structural redesign of leadership itself. In this episode, we break down why strategy is no longer the primary differentiator and how execution consistency has taken its place. We explore the emergence of the exception-based organization, the misalignment of current management roles, and why burnout is now being driven by...

Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Steve Brown, AI futurist and former Google DeepMind executive, to unpack what AI really means for leaders and businesses right now. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, frozen, or stuck in “analysis paralysis” about AI—this conversation is for you. We explore why so many executives are struggling to act, and what it actually takes to move from uncertain...