Ready Set Exec: The Podcast

Most companies think they're saving time with AI. They're actually losing $200,000–$400,000 a year - and it doesn't show up on any report. Allen Martinez is the brand strategist behind Shark Tank's largest exit in history: turning Plated from near-bankruptcy into a $300M acquisition in just 18 months. Quentin Tarantino handpicked him to direct for his commercial division, deployed $25B in media fo...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with Albert Butler, CPA, MBA (Partner at Banks, Finley, White & Co.). With 25+ years of merging technical excellence and purpose-driven leadership, Albert breaks down the full cycle of money for entrepreneurs: from idea to funding, scaling, and building generational wealth. Key Takeaways: The precise difference between earned and...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, hosts John and Patrick sit down with Laura Patterson (President of VisionEdge Marketing and creator of Accelance®) to break down the exact frameworks required to measure true marketing ROI. Drawing from over two decades of experience, Laura exposes the reality of the modern "data deluge," why million-dollar PowerBI dashboards fail, and the critical difference bet...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with elite executive search consultant and career strategist Gina Riley (author of Qualified Isn't Enough ). Gina dismantles the dangerous myth that a polished resume is enough to secure top-tier executive roles in today's market. Discover how to bypass transactional online applications, access the highly lucrative hidden job market,...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with Hernán Rein (CHRO at Fortifi Food Processing Solutions and former global CHRO of PerkinElmer). Drawing from 30+ years of experience and 15+ global acquisitions, Hernán breaks down the exact frameworks required to scale a multinational workforce and execute flawless post-merger integrations. Discover the stark differences between...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, host John Pezoulas sits down with 6x sales leader and 4x founder Scott Leese to break down the exact operational frameworks required to scale a startup's Go-to-Market strategy from $0 to $25M ARR. Discover why traditional cold outbound is failing, how current AI SDRs are actively destroying buyer trust, and the urgent need to adopt a Go-to-Network sales motion. F...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Hosts John and Patrick sit down with Praveen Kamsetti (VP of Digital Transformation at Jupiter Capital Management). Drawing on 20+ years of IT and M&A experience, Praveen reveals his "4L Leadership Framework" for guiding organizations through constant disruption. Discover why 80% of M&A integrations fail, how to balance empathy with ruthless accountabilit...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with Fractional CHRO Lauren Lefkowitz to tackle the realities of systemic corporate burnout. Drawing from two decades of 100-hour workweeks, Lauren reveals how to build unbreakable boundaries, navigate toxic HR politics, and solve the compliance blind spots that destroy small businesses. If you're a founder scaling up or an executive...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with award-winning author and global keynote speaker Al Kushner (creator of LinkedVantage). Al breaks down the rapidly changing digital landscape, exposing exactly why organic reach on LinkedIn has plummeted and how executives must aggressively pivot to short-form video. Discover the dangers of "AI Slop," the multi-model AI synthesis...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned Fractional COO and business advisor Mark Coscarello to break down the exact frameworks required to turn operational chaos into scalable success. Drawing from deep expertise in M&A integrations and global talent acquisition, Mark exposes the broken reality of the executive labor market, the hidden cybersecurity danger...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with award-winning creative executive Erin Smith to dismantle the modern corporate obsession with pure demand generation. With over 20 years of experience, Erin explains why relying solely on sales enablement metrics is destroying long-term brand equity. Featuring breakdowns of Liquid Death's $1.4B marketing strategy and the disastrou...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned Director of Revenue Operations Rachel Minshall Horne. With an extensive career spanning corporate real estate and innovative tech platforms, Rachel breaks down the exact frameworks required to align your organization behind a scalable go-to-market strategy. Discover the mathematical flaws of modern capacity planning, why...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Hosts John Pezoulas sits down with Lanny Tuchmayer, General Manager at X-Copper Professional Corporation. Drawing on 15 years of experience bridging legal practice and business management, Lanny reveals the exact operational playbook used to scale a professional services firm across 19 offices. Discover how to navigate the death of the traditional "80-hour work w...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned HR executive Nadine Shehaiber (Chief People Officer, BLG Capital Advisors). Drawing from 20+ years of experience spanning mega-corporations like Deloitte to highly agile family offices, Nadine breaks down the exact frameworks required to build high-performing teams. Discover the stark reality of the 2026 employee engagem...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, we sit down with globally recognized HR executive Jennifer D'Agostino (the Queen of GSD) to break down the exact operational frameworks required to navigate the chaotic 2026 talent landscape. Jennifer exposes the hidden risks of Fractional HR consulting, the devastating impact of generative AI on recruitment funnels, and the psychological shift driving the new Jo...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with fractional COO Lisa Glenn Nobles (CEO, LGN Collaborations) to reveal the exact blueprints required to reclaim up to four hours of a founder's day. Lisa breaks down her proprietary FREE Method, the psychological barriers of executive delegation, and why 95% of organizational friction is a process failure rather than a personnel is...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with 8x Global CISO and cybersecurity thought leader Michael S. Oberlaender. With over 25 years of executive experience, Michael dissects the dangerous corporate tendency to prioritize speed-to-market over robust security infrastructure. Discover the non-negotiable necessity of Security by Design, how to prepare for the rapid weaponiz...

Overview: Welcome to Ready Set Exec, the podcast where executive search meets real leadership stories. Enjoy weekly conversations with Executives sharing insights, best practices and knowledge as well as a biweekly founders meeting where you will join hosts John and Patrick—founders of Ready Set Exec Inc.—as they share insider perspectives from their work recruiting top executives in Sales, Market...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Hosts John and Patrick sit down with former CHRO Dr. August Mebane to dissect the macro-disruptions devastating the modern workforce. Dr. Mebane navigates the intense politicization of the American workplace, the harsh realities of at-will employment, and post-COVID burnout. For executives building resilient cultures and women mastering executive salary negotiati...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with William Grenawitzke (Bellows Capital Partners, Erez Capital) to break down the brutal reality of scaling life science enterprises. Backed by two decades of experience and $10B+ in global M&A, William reveals how AI is disrupting MedTech, why biotech startups fail to raise capital, and the hidden mechanics of corporate develop...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, We sit down with Drew Hilles, CEO of Pure Nodal and former senior executive at Google and Veritone. Drew breaks down the macroeconomic crisis facing global data centers, explaining exactly why legacy hyperscalers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure cannot physically sustain the massive power, water, and thermal demands of modern AI workloads. Discover the revolutio...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec, John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned clinical leader Nicholaus Bond, LMFT. Drawing from his background directing trauma-based residential treatments, Nicholaus breaks down the operational frameworks required to scale mental health infrastructure in a complex post-pandemic world. We dive into the controversial realities of virtual therapy, the quality-control iss...

In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Fractional CRO, Neil Weitzman (founder of weitzmanGTM) breaks down the rapidly evolving B2B sales landscape. Discover why traditional outreach like cold email and Google Ads are failing in 2025, how AI is disrupting revenue operations, and the exact strategies founders need to survive and scale. Whether you’re a startup founder or a seasoned executive, this maste...