Four Fs Podcast: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, & Reinvention | Stories From Founders|Veterans|Execs

"How hard could it be?" This simple question, rooted in a "free-range" 1970s upbringing, became the foundation for Russ Fletcher’s philosophy on leadership, self-worth, and problem-solving. In this episode, we sit down with Russ Fletcher, a seasoned executive and the former CEO of Xyngular. Russ shares his journey from an "MIT orientation mistake" to becoming a bankin...

In this episode, host Jeff Cluff sits down with Chris Hadnagy, a world-renowned social engineer, author, and founder of the Innocent Lives Foundation. Chris shares jaw-dropping stories from his career in ethical hacking, explains the psychology behind why we fall for scams, and breaks down how to defend against the rising threats of vishing, smishing, and malicious QR codes. More importantly, Chri...

How do you recover when your life's biggest gamble completely falls apart? In this interview, former Microsoft Sales Leader and current 3Cloud Chief Sales Officer Scott Wilson shares his incredible story of overcoming failure and climbing the corporate ladder. Discover the executive leadership strategy, career growth mindsets, and business networking tips that Scott used to navigate a 14-year...

In this episode of The Four Fs Podcast, Jeff sits down with fractional Chief Revenue Officer and Revenue Rascals host Michelle Terpstra to unpack the five reasons X—and the exact revenue systems she uses to take companies to their first $50M ARR.From Costco playbook days and cold-calling in a headset to building BDR teams that manage AI agents, Michelle shares the candid stories, negotiations, and...

Female founders still get a tiny slice of venture capital—and Liana Zavo says the real problem is visibility, not talent. In this episode, refugee kid turned “Mother of PR” and investor Liana Zavo breaks down the 5 things women must do to get funded in the age of AI. From fleeing civil war in Tajikistan and being bullied as an immigrant in Austria and Queens, to selling cars, styling hair on Fifth...

Superintelligence isn’t science fiction anymore. In this conversation, world‑leading safe AI expert Dr. Craig A. Kaplan explains why AI is already behaving less like a tool and more like a worker – and why the next jump to true superintelligence could change everything about how humans live, work, and make decisions. We talk about how AI went from clunky 1980s experiments to today’s large language...

"If the answer you're given doesn't resonate, keep pushing." Tiffanie Janowitz spent a year pushing back on doctors who told her she was fine — until they finally ordered the test that confirmed she had breast cancer. That moment didn't come out of nowhere. She'd spent years building the discipline, voice, and self-trust to recognize when something wasn't right. And w...

Most people don't hate their job. They just feel invisible in it. In this episode, David Mead — leadership expert, co-author of  Find Your Why  with Simon Sinek, and author of  Lead With Uncommon Sense  — breaks down why so many workplaces have lost their humanity, and what leaders can do right now to get it back. David spent a decade traveling the world on Simon Sinek's team, speaking to thousand...

How a Federal Reserve red‑teamer uses psychology, deception, and education to fight scams, stop predators, and keep kids and families safe. Plus: The psychology behind hacking — and how to protect yourself & Why humans — not firewalls — are the real frontline of security. Note : This episode includes brief discussion of online child protection and the work of the Innocent Lives Foundation. The...

Most founders think growth is a sales problem — Bryan Baker proves it’s an operations problem. He’s scaled companies 5x and 10x by fixing the machine, not adding more people to it. In this episode Baker, the COO with 20 years experience and now fractional operator breaks down how he helped 5x a niche contact center and 10x a window cleaning company from ~$1M to ~$10M in just two years—without ever...

From $2/Day Factory Worker To AI PioneerManuj Aggarwal went from making two dollars a day in a small Indian factory to building AI systems praised by President Obama and backed by the Gates Foundation. Today, he’s warning that a coming wave of AI will either be the greatest opportunity of our lives—or a tsunami that buries us. In this conversation, Manuj shares how he dropped out of college, got i...

His mom arrived in America with $4. His dad came with $10 and two shirts. Together they built a life — and passed down a philosophy that would eventually help their son lead a $1.3 billion exit. Sujey Edward grew up first-gen in PG County, Maryland watching his father run gas stations, tobacco farms, video stores, and a Peruvian chicken restaurant — all with one belief: "The math is the math....

Venture capitalist, founder, and author Jeff Burningham believes AI is a “judgment day for humanity” — and that the real differentiator now is wisdom, not intelligence. In this episode we talk success that feels empty, losing a governor’s race, meditation, psychedelics, and how to live “the new rules for a human life” in an age of smart machines. Jeff Burningham has built billion‑dollar companies,...

What if fear isn't the problem — it's the answer? In this profound and wide-ranging conversation, therapist, combat vet advocate, and former river guide Richie Landward joins the show to explore one of the most misunderstood forces in human psychology: fear. Richie brings over two decades of experience working with homeless veterans, PTSD survivors, and wounded warriors, and what he shares...

The ground you stand on is moving right now. A volcanologist reveals the invisible forces shaping earthquakes, eruptions, and our planet's future. The ground beneath you is alive — shifting, cracking, and rebuilding itself every second. Most people have no idea how violent and dynamic the Earth really is beneath the surface. In this conversation, Jeff Cluff sits down with a world-renowned geop...

He watched his mother nearly die in New South Wales' roughest streets. Then he became a Special Forces operator and Microsoft executive. He watched his mother get stabbed 32 times. He grew up in the streets of New South Wales (NSW) with every reason to fail. Instead, he became a U.S. Special Forces operator and eventually a Microsoft executive. This is one of the rawest, most intense conversat...

Jason Ellis started selling phones from a mall kiosk. He built Spring Mobile into a billion-dollar company and sold it to GameStop. A mall kiosk. That's where Jason Ellis started. From there, he built Spring Mobile and Simply Mac into a technology empire worth over a billion dollars — then sold both companies to GameStop. In this episode, Jeff Cluff sits down with Jason Ellis to unpack the ent...

What if robots don't replace humans — they wear them? A wearable robotics pioneer explains how invisible exoskeletons are transforming labor. What if the future of labor isn't about replacing humans with robots — but fusing them together? Invisible exoskeletons are already changing how people work, reducing injuries, and amplifying human strength in ways most people haven't heard about...

Military intelligence officer. Journalist for 48 Hours and Dateline. Don Winner has stared death in the face more than once. Don Winner has lived more lives than most people can imagine. Military intelligence officer. Investigative journalist for 48 Hours and Dateline NBC. Survival school graduate. He's faced death multiple times — and it changed everything about how he lives. In this gripping...

Stop chasing the next big thing. Laudon Williams built an AI education company by mastering the systems that actually run the world. Here's his framework. Everyone is chasing the next shiny AI trend. Laudon Williams is building something deeper — an education technology company designed to scale human knowledge itself. As the CEO of Alverita AI, Laudon Williams has spent decades in technology...

Bev McCoy left a legacy career at Mammoth Mountain to become a Montana rancher. This is the real story of what reinvention costs What does it take to walk away from everything — your career, your identity, your comfort — and start completely over? Bev McCoy has done it more than once. From a legacy career at Mammoth Mountain to life as a Montana rancher, Bev McCoy's story is about courage, los...

Aparna Natarajan grew up in a monastery in India, moved to Silicon Valley, and became a technology leader at Microsoft. Her journey redefines what's possible She grew up in a monastery in India. Today, she's a technology leader at Microsoft. Aparna Natarajan's journey is one of the most remarkable personal reinvention stories you'll ever hear. In this conversation with Jeff Cluff,...

The legal industry is about to be disrupted by AI — and most lawyers aren't ready. Eric Vogeler breaks down what's at stake. The legal industry is one of the oldest professions in the world — and AI is about to turn it upside down. Most attorneys are not prepared for what's coming. In this in-depth conversation, Jeff Cluff sits down with Eric Vogeler, an attorney who lives at the inter...

Mike Canty played D1 basketball, graduated West Point, served as an Army officer, and now runs a defense company. Pressure is his element. D1 basketball player. West Point graduate. Army officer. Now the CEO of an armaments research company. Mike Canty's entire life has been defined by leadership under extreme pressure. In this conversation with Jeff Cluff, Mike Canty breaks down what West Poi...

When Lorin Jeppsen left the cockpit of a fighter jet, he lost his identity. Rebuilding it made him a top leadership coach. When you've been a fighter pilot, your identity is the mission. So what happens when the mission ends? Lorin Jeppsen found out the hard way — and the answer changed his life. In this raw, 2.5-hour conversation with Jeff Cluff, Lorin Jeppsen opens up about the identity cris...