I Have Some Questions...

Mass layoffs, uncertainty, and pressure to perform—this conversation tackles one of the hardest realities leaders face: guiding a team through chaos when you don’t have answers yourself.  Erik and Alli unpack what leadership actually looks like in these moments—less about strategy, more about humanity. From one-on-one conversations to sitting in discomfort, this episode challenges the instinct to...

After his conversation with Patrick Guerette, Erik reflects on a simple but uncomfortable idea: we may be measuring success completely wrong. In sports, success is usually measured by medals, championships, and rankings. But those metrics only capture the athletes who survived the system—not the many who may have had potential but never made it through. The same thing happens in leadership. Organi...

In this conversation, Erik sits down with Patrick Guerette to explore what sports systems can teach us about leadership, development, and long-term performance. Patrick shares insights from his experience in sport and athlete development, unpacking how different countries design systems that either nurture or destroy potential. The conversation moves beyond medal counts and highlights a deeper que...

The rise of the “mega manager” is real—and it’s breaking traditional leadership models. In this conversation, Erik and Alli unpack what happens when managers go from leading 6–8 people to 12–16 (or more), why it’s happening, and how leaders can adapt. From rethinking one-on-ones to abandoning the “subject matter expert” trap, this episode explores the tension between what leadership should look li...

🧠 Erik’s Take In this reflection episode, Erik revisits his conversation with Ashley Falsafi and pulls out the leadership principles that stuck with him most — especially around trust, mentorship, and buy-in. What stood out wasn’t flashy strategy or bold executive vision. It was something simpler and harder: earning credibility the right way. Erik unpacks how Ashley built trust without being the...

Ashley Falsafi didn’t take the traditional path into sales—or leadership. From operations to high-ticket sales to COO of an oil brokerage education company, Ashley’s journey challenges the myth that you have to “come up through the ranks” to lead effectively. In this conversation, Erik and Ashley unpack what leadership really requires: clarity, empathy, accountability, and the courage to have hard...

In this episode, Erik and Alli unpack one of the most frustrating leadership scenarios: when growth outpaces execution—and your team’s hard-earned wins start slipping away. Instead of diving into operational fixes, they go deeper into the leadership challenge: how to keep people motivated, aligned, and trusting the mission when their effort feels wasted. From naming hard truths to redefining what...

🧠 Erik’s Take In this reflective follow-up, Erik unpacks the brilliance behind Charles Byrd’s joint venture framework—and why it hit deeper than just “networking advice.” What stood out wasn’t hype. It was structure. Charles doesn’t just believe in relationships. He has a repeatable system for developing them at scale—without becoming transactional, manipulative, or inauthentic. And that tension...

In this conversation, Erik sits down with Charles Byrd—joint venture strategist and founder of PureJV—to unpack the systems, psychology, and subtle habits that turn conversations into million-dollar opportunities. From mastering follow-up at scale to avoiding the “reciprocation trap,” Charles reveals how warm traffic, intentional relationship building, and structured deal flow can outperform paid...

A real-world leadership scenario sparks a deep, practical conversation between Erik and Alli: how to deliver difficult organizational news that may feel like a step backward for someone—even when it’s the right move. This episode unpacks how leaders can navigate emotional complexity, maintain trust, and turn potentially damaging moments into opportunities for growth, clarity, and connection. It’s...

🧠 Erik’s Take In this reflection, Erik unpacks his conversation with Andrea Brown — and admits something uncomfortable: he wasn’t fully sold on her exit-strategy-first mindset at first. The big idea that stuck? You don’t have to know exactly how your business will end… but if you’re not clear on what you want the end to look like, you can’t be strategic on the way there. This episode is a real-ti...

In this episode, Erik sits down with business strategist and author Andrea Brown to unpack one of the most misused words in business: strategy. Together, they explore why most companies start with momentum instead of direction, why exit strategy should shape decisions from day one, and how the AI gold rush is exposing companies that never built a strategic foundation in the first place. 👤 About t...

In this conversation, Erik and returning co-host Alli Murphy unpack a subtle but dangerous pattern in modern leadership: we often reward visibility, speed, and activity instead of real impact. What starts as a question about “performing busy” quickly expands into a deeper systems-level conversation—how incentive structures, feedback loops, and cultural norms quietly shape behavior (often in the wr...

🧠 Erik’s Take After sitting down with Steve Toomey, Erik found himself less interested in the mechanics of questions—and more interested in the conditions that make them meaningful. The original goal was simple: reverse engineer what makes a good question. The result? A much bigger conversation. Steve didn’t offer a tidy framework. Instead, he pointed toward context: Who are you asking? Why are y...

In this long-awaited conversation, Erik sits down with longtime friend and mentor Steve Toomey to unpack the art of curiosity, the discipline of presence, and the quiet power of asking better questions. They explore why interest fuels insight, how empathy can both strengthen and sabotage leadership, and what it really means to be “faithfully present” in a divided world. From boardrooms to Teen Cha...

In this conversation, Erik and Alli explore a powerful new concept spreading through the workplace: “quiet cracking.” Together they unpack the subtle signals leaders should watch for, the fine line between healthy stress and destructive burnout, and why rest isn’t the opposite of work—it’s actually part of the cycle that makes growth possible. They also explore how misaligned goals, overwhelming w...

🧠 Erik’s Take This conversation with Pattie Dale Tye hit on something deeply practical—and deeply uncomfortable. Most of us didn’t intentionally choose our careers based on our aptitudes. We drifted. We followed prestige. We followed money. We followed validation. Or we simply followed the path that opened first. And then one day we wake up and realize: “I’m successful… but I’m not fulfilled.” Pa...

Pattie Dale Tye doesn’t just talk about extraordinary careers—she’s lived one. From a small Southern town to leading multi-billion-dollar divisions at companies like AT&T and Humana, Pattie Dale built a 30+ year C-suite career without an Ivy League pedigree or MBA. In this conversation, she unpacks what it really takes to move from ordinary to extraordinary—and why most people misunderstand th...

In this conversation with co-host Alli Murphy, Erik unpacks one of the most misunderstood (and most powerful) leadership dynamics in modern workplaces: psychological safety. From Google’s Project Aristotle to real-life stories of $50,000 mistakes, psilocybin revelations, and the subtle power of tone and body language, this episode explores what it actually looks like to create an environment where...

🧠 Erik's Take This conversation with Jake Stahl wasn’t just about communication. It was about redemption. Jake shared the origin story behind Own the Room , and it didn’t begin in a boardroom—it began in addiction. After knee surgery led to opioid dependency, his life unraveled: divorce, financial fallout, a damaged reputation. And in the middle of that collapse came a catalytic moment—stari...

Jake Stahl returns to the show with a powerful message: winning deals isn’t about talking more—it’s about reading the room better. This conversation goes beyond sales tactics. It’s about emotional intelligence, pattern recognition, and learning to adapt in real time. Erik and Jake explore how subtle cues—tone, hesitation, posture, language—signal opportunity or resistance long before a deal is won...

When Alli Murphy’s “not-an-SVP” LinkedIn post sparked hundreds of comments and DMs, it revealed something deeper: a quiet crisis around success. In this episode, Erik and returning co-host Alli unpack the generational tension around achievement, the invisible scripts we inherit about status and ambition, and why more leaders are choosing flexibility over prestige. From corporate ladders to ski day...

🧠 Erik’s Take Leadership isn’t an upgrade—it’s a tradeoff. In this reflection on his conversation with Staci Lynn, Erik unpacks the uncomfortable truth most new leaders eventually face: the better you get at leadership, the less important your direct contribution becomes. What once made you valuable—doing the work—slowly fades as your real job becomes unlocking the capacity, judgment, and courage...

What actually makes someone a good leader once the title changes? In this wide-ranging conversation, Erik sits down with Staci Lynn—COO, fractional executive, and senior living operator—to unpack leadership lessons learned the hard way. From managing without authority to leading former peers, from burnout to humility, and from system design to human development, this episode is a masterclass in wh...

Even high-performing leaders hit walls. In this candid, unscripted conversation, Erik and recurring co-host Alli Murphy unpack something most leaders experience—but rarely admit: the funk. Whether it’s imposter syndrome before a keynote, burnout from pushing too hard, or the quiet spiral of overthinking, this episode dives into the real mechanics of getting stuck… and getting unstuck. From Peanut...