Breakfast Leadership Show

In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael sits down with Yancy to explore a powerful journey from career burnout to purpose-driven leadership. What began as a successful career in green building ultimately led to a health crisis that forced Yancy to confront the cost of overperformance, unconscious habits, and chronic self-neglect. That reckoning became the catalyst for creating Ca...

Alex Grant   🚀 Build, Scale & Lead High-Performance Sales Teams with North In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with Alex to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a high-performing sales team — without cutting corners. We dive into recruiting strategies, retention systems, and why so many leaders want the results of a disciplined process… without actually comm...

When everything is on the line, leadership is no longer theoretical. It is neurological, emotional, and operational. In this Deep Dive episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, we break down what truly happens to the brain under pressure and why even experienced leaders make poor decisions during crises. Drawing from real-world leadership scenarios, neuroscience, and proven decision-making framewo...

Episode Summary In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Patrick Porter, a psychologist, neuroscientist, and pioneer in brain fitness technology, to explore how we can train the brain to perform better, heal faster, and handle stress more effectively. Patrick shared his personal journey — from being labeled a poor learner to earning two PhDs — and how that experience led him to invent portable brain-e...

Susan's career journey in sustainable construction @ 0:00 Susan Heinking has a background in architecture and has been working in the construction industry for the past 10 years, with a focus on sustainable building practices. She discusses how her career has evolved from architecture to construction, with a consistent emphasis on designing and building environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient s...

Small business ownership is widely celebrated for fueling innovation and community prosperity. Yet beneath the ambition and daily execution lies a critical and under-recognized leadership challenge: the mental health strain on owners themselves. This episode unpacks research showing how stress, isolation, and burnout are not “personal issues” but systemic factors that impact decision-making, resil...

Episode Overview In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael sits down with Bob to explore how executive benefits, financial strategy, and intentional planning can become powerful levers for retention, profitability, and long-term organizational stability. The conversation moves beyond surface-level benefits discussions and into how leaders can treat benefits as strategic assets rath...

Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Shawn Minard, Chief People Officer at Frazier and Deeter, to unpack what real HR leadership looks like in today’s workplace. We dive into everything from learning and development to recruitment, employee experience, and why investing in culture isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a strategic advantage. Shawn shares how his background in HR and techno...

Episode Overview This episode reframes common leadership myths. Instead of framing leadership outcomes as products of personality (“confidence” or “presence” in the room), we explore how consistent organizational performance is tied to designed leadership operating systems—not ephemeral personal performance. What separates inconsistent execution from repeatable results isn’t charisma or emotional...

Episode Overview In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael sits down with Ryan to explore one of the most persistent and underestimated leadership challenges: negative self-talk. The conversation centers on Ryan’s newly released book on self-talk and team leadership, a seven-year project co-authored with Rhett Power and Susie Burke. What began as a belief that leaders could “defeat...

In this episode, Michael sits down with Reid Zeising, CEO of GAIN, the largest revenue cycle management organization specializing in litigated and complex healthcare claims. The conversation pulls back the curtain on how healthcare providers struggle to get paid for services already delivered, and how technology and AI are being used to push back against decades of insurance-driven denial strategi...

A strong first day does not happen by accident. In this episode, we explore why structured onboarding packets are one of the most overlooked drivers of employee confidence, engagement, and long-term retention. We unpack how relying on informal “tribal knowledge” creates confusion, increases burnout risk, and leaves new hires guessing about expectations. In contrast, a single, centralized onboardin...

Podcast Show Notes: Trevor McGregor – From Rock Bottom to Quantum Leaps in Business and Life Episode Overview In this transformative episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael D. Levitt welcomes Trevor McGregor, a globally recognized High Performance Master Coach, real estate investor, and former top Tony Robbins coach. With over 45,000 individual coaching sessions and two decades of empowe...

Adapting Leadership in Turbulent Times In this episode, Michael and Pete explore what leadership really requires in an era defined by fatigue, disruption, and constant change. They examine how pressures at home, the aftershocks of COVID, and the acceleration of AI are compounding exhaustion for leaders at every level. Pete describes today’s environment as a relentless “hailstorm” of forces outside...

In this episode, we take a leadership journey through the four essential pillars of successful organizational change: Vision, Emotional Intelligence, Decisiveness and Openness. Drawing from the recent article How to Successfully Lead Organizational Change, we explore how every leader – whether founder, C-suite executive or emerging internal change champion – can step into their role with clarity,...

In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael sits down with Chris Kline, Co-Founder and CRO of BitcoinIRA, to unpack what it really takes to build long-term wealth in an economy where traditional retirement systems are no longer guaranteed. Chris shares the unfiltered origin story of BitcoinIRA, from leaving Colorado for Los Angeles, living in a motel, and grinding through long days,...

Episode Overview In this episode, Michael sits down with Steven Puri, a former Hollywood studio executive turned founder of Sukha, to explore career reinvention, sustainable creativity, and the science behind focus and flow. Drawing from Steven’s journey through the film industry and his transition into building tools for deep work, the conversation uncovers practical strategies for productivity,...

Urban residents are increasingly adopting dopamine fasting as a structured way to disconnect from the constant noise of modern life. In cities like Austin, New York, and Cleveland, residents utilize this practice to seek relief from digital distraction and overstimulation. According to the sources, here is how urban residents use these techniques to address overstimulation and burnout: Intentional...

Breakfast Leadership Show Celebrates 1000 Episodes Michael hosted the 1000th episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, expressing gratitude to listeners, guests, and the team for their contributions over the past 9 years. He emphasized the importance of being authentic and sharing one's unique perspective, noting that the show provides a safe space for guests to share their expertise and personal...

In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with Karen Cheong, founder of Spherical Luminosity, to unpack the Frequency Resonance Transformation Process and what it means for leaders striving to operate at their highest potential. Karen’s work centers on helping individuals shift their frequency resonance so they can access more empowered versions of themselves, reorganize their r...

In this episode, Michael is joined by Joel Hilchey, an engineer turned training and development expert, to explore the realities of leadership for accidental managers. Hilchey discusses his book The Six and a Half Habits of Highly Defective Bosses, a guide that uncovers the challenges leaders face when transitioning from high performing individual contributors to effective team managers. Joel high...

Overview In this episode, Michael D. Levitt sits down with Dr. Abraham George, founder of the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project in South India. For more than 30 years, Abraham has dedicated his life to transforming the futures of children from families earning less than $5 per day. His school provides a 14-year residential education that begins in preschool and continues through college, ensuring s...

In this episode, Anders Hansen shares his incredible evolution from performing magic to becoming a respected leader in personal development. He describes how reading The Power of Your Subconscious Mind shifted his understanding of human potential and set him on a path that eventually led to collaborating with Bob Proctor. Anders explains how these insights inspired him to create The Secret to Real...

Introduction In this Deep Dive episode, we dive into PwC’s latest AI Business Predictions — a roadmap offering insight into how companies can harness artificial intelligence not just for efficiency, but as a strategic lever to reshape operations, workforce, and long-term growth. We explore why “AI adoption” is now about more than technology: it’s about vision, leadership, and rethinking what work...

In this episode, we dive into a game-changing Ivy Exec article exposing the gap between flashy workplace perks and what employees truly value for retention and satisfaction—think flexibility, mental health support, and financial security over office ping-pong tables. Core Shift in Benefits: Leaders waste budgets on trendy amenities while employees crave practical supports that ease daily stress, l...