Measure Success Podcast

What happens after you achieve financial success? In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl sits down with Mark Podolsky, known as "The Land Geek," to discuss passive income, AI, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose beyond financial success. Mark shares how he transitioned from investment banking to building a successful land investing business and explains why creating systems is the...

Are you building, coasting, or struggling? In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox welcomes confidence coach Scott Ballard for a conversation about the mindset of today's entrepreneur. Scott explains his "Day 1, Day 2, Day 3" framework and why many business owners become stuck between growth and decline. The discussion covers courage versus confidence, the importance of telling...

Networking is not about collecting business cards. It is about building relationships that create measurable business growth. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Donnie Boivin, founder of Success Champion Networking, shares how business owners can stop wasting time networking and start building systems that generate real ROI. In this conversation we discuss: • Why most networking group...

AI is moving faster than most businesses realize. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Trent Gillespie, former Amazon executive and CEO of Stellis AI, breaks down what business leaders need to understand about AI agents, automation, and organizational readiness. We discuss: • Why prompts are no longer the main conversation • How AI agents are changing work • What leaders should do to pr...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J Cox talks with Ryan Hogan , founder and CEO of Talent Harbor , about entrepreneurship, leadership, recruiting, and recovering from failure. Ryan shares the story of building a zombie-themed event company that scaled quickly before collapsing into bankruptcy. He explains the stress, lessons, and rebuilding process that followed. He also discuss...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J Cox talks with Rich Kahn, CEO and co-founder of Anura.io, about entrepreneurship, leadership, company culture, and digital ad fraud. Rich shares lessons from building multiple successful technology companies over the past three decades while staying committed to family and long-term relationships. The conversation covers leadership, work-life...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl talks with Trey Taylor about the real impact of AI on business today. AI is not coming, it is already reshaping how companies operate, compete, and grow. Trey shares how AI tools can replace entire workflows, reduce costs, and unlock new value in minutes. One example: AI identified over $146K in financial adjustments, adding more than $1.5M in v...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl sits down with Jason Sherwood, founder of Phase 23, to discuss how businesses can stand out in a crowded market. As AI reshapes search and marketing, many companies struggle to stay visible. Jason explains why strong positioning and clear messaging still matter most. They explore a simple exercise: ask your best customers to describe your compan...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J Cox welcomes back Adi Klevit from Business Success Consulting Group. They discuss how strong systems, clear processes, and smart use of AI help businesses grow faster and operate better.  Adi explains why documented procedures matter, how leaders can improve hiring and workflows, and why AI still needs human oversight. She also shares trends s...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J Cox talks with Alex Smith, founder of Basic Arts and author of No Bullsht Strategy*. They discuss why many companies chase being better when they should focus on being different.  Alex explains how businesses can cut through noise, build clear positioning, and create real competitive advantage. He also shares why simple strategy often works be...

In this episode, Carl sits down with George Sandmann of Growth Drive to discuss how business owners can increase the value of their company by building strategic capacity. They explore the gap between what owners think their business is worth and what it could be worth. The conversation highlights how improving leadership, systems, and execution can increase valuation multiples and create predicta...

In this episode, Carl speaks with Will Spengler about what it takes to build success that lasts. They discuss the role of discipline, clarity, and execution in business and leadership. Many people focus on ideas, but this conversation highlights the importance of systems and consistent action. Key takeaways include: • Why clarity drives better decisions • The role of discipline in long-term succes...

In this episode, Carl speaks with Mike Garrison about referral-based sales and how service businesses grow. Mike shares why most sales approaches fail and how business owners must shift their thinking from price to lifetime value. He explains how referrals should be treated as a system, not a hope. Key takeaways include: • Why predictable referrals matter • How buyers think about long-term value •...

In this episode, Carl speaks with Jon Ostenson about franchising, business ownership, and the shift happening in today's workforce. As AI reshapes jobs, many professionals are exploring ways to build their own income streams. Jon shares what he sees across the market and what separates successful business owners from those who struggle. Key takeaways include: • Why following a proven system matter...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox speaks with Dr. Tracy Gapin, founder of the Gapin Institute and a leading expert in executive health and performance. After years of success in traditional medicine, Dr. Gapin realized that many high-performing professionals were neglecting their own health while pursuing business success.  The conversation explores how stress, poor sleep...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox sits down with business strategist and performance coach Ashley Shaw. Ashley shares how she transitioned from the fitness industry into entrepreneurship and built a thriving business focused on helping entrepreneurs scale smarter through systems, recurring revenue, and AI-driven processes.  Key insights from this episode include: • Why en...

Economic headlines move fast. Strategy requires context. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox speaks with economist Dr. Bill Connerly about the trends shaping business decisions today. The conversation covers tariffs, supply chain strategy, artificial intelligence, workforce shifts, and energy markets. Dr. Connerly explains why tariffs rarely trigger immediate recession but...

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox speaks with Steve Griggs, founder of Steve Griggs Design, one of New York City's premier luxury landscape design-build firms.  Steve shares how he built a successful company after starting in the lawn care business at age 16. With more than 30 years of experience, he explains what it takes to manage high expectations, lead construction te...

AI is accelerating innovation—but it is not a substitute for strategy. In this episode, Carl J. Cox speaks with Josh Carter, co-founder of Upstart Collective, about what founders must understand to build sustainable companies. Josh shares insights from working with early-stage startups, including why chasing trends weakens businesses and how defensible value is created. The conversation covers AI...

Selling a business is not a simple transaction. It is a strategic event that often defines an owner's financial future. In this episode, Carl J. Cox speaks with Gregory Kovsky, President and CEO of International Business Associates, about what it really takes to sell a privately held business. Gregory shares insights from more than three decades of deal experience, including why only a fraction of...

In this episode, Carl sits down with Ashish Gupta, founder of ScaleUp Exec, to discuss business turnarounds, leadership decisions, and culture resets. Ashish shares how he acquired a struggling company, realized innovation had stopped, and eventually rebuilt the team to change the company's trajectory. Key takeaways: Why the business must come first How to identify thinking leaders during intervie...

High-stakes initiatives fail more than 80% of the time, yet leaders still have to pursue them to grow. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox talks with John Rossman, former Amazon executive and author of Big Bet Leadership, about how leaders should approach bold, risky transformation efforts in the age of AI. John shares why leaders must stop chasing predictability, treat str...

AI is everywhere, but most businesses are using it the wrong way. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox sits down with Eli Portnoy, co-founder and CEO of BackEngine.ai, to talk about the real gap between AI hype and real-world results. Eli explains why generic AI outputs fail, why context matters more than tools, and how sales and go-to-market strategies must evolve in a crow...

This episode is sponsored by Altezza Solutions , liberating entrepreneurs through fractional sales execution. Today, Steve helps growth-stage companies break through revenue barriers while giving founders the freedom to focus on building extraordinary businesses.   Founder-led businesses often grow fast, then stall. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl Cox sits down with Steve Cato...

Selling to private equity is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of a new phase of growth. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox, CEO of 40 Strategy and 40 Accounting sits down with Neel Bhargava, founding partner at NB Group, to unpack how private equity partnerships really work for founder- and family-owned businesses. Neel shares how his firm approaches growth-...