Spartan Leadership with Josh Kosnick

Send us Fan Mail People don’t change. It sounds wise… until it quietly wrecks your life. In this episode, Josh makes the case against one of the most common lies in our culture: that you’re stuck with who you’ve always been. He breaks down why that belief feels safe, how it kills growth in real time, and what the science and lived stories say about actual transformation. You’ll hear: • Why “people...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really look like to go from a $2,500 bet to a 9‑figure beverage brand? In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick sits down with Adam Kroener, co‑founder and president of Carbliss, to break down how he went from putting a drink “in a can” and “selling the shit out of it” to building a massive ready‑to‑drink cocktail company.  Adam shares how a backyard idea t...

Send us Fan Mail AI isn’t here to replace you. It’s here to multiply you. In this Spartan Leadership episode, Josh sits down with entrepreneur and operator Matt Schmitt to break down why his core thesis is simple: AI + humans = superpowers. Matt shares how he went from an IT grad in the Great Recession, to buying cans for Anheuser-Busch, to building and exiting e‑commerce brands, and now to buildi...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when the business, career, or life plan you built your identity on suddenly disappears? In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick sits down with Dr. Christine Whelan, the “purpose professor,” to talk about why purpose is a verb—something you do every day with your gifts and values—rather than a job title or a single life calling. They unpack what happens w...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick tackles a problem that’s quietly wrecking our society, our homes, and our boardrooms: the inability to hold two truths at the same time. From Memorial Day to the boardroom to your marriage, he breaks down how binary thinking masquerades as conviction while quietly destroying wisdom, trust, and culture. You’ll hear why being...

Send us Fan Mail Thomas Massie is facing a $35 million AIPAC-funded primary challenge—the most expensive congressional race in history. Why? Because he stood on principle instead of party loyalty. In this Leadership In Review episode, we break down what’s really happening in American politics, Trump’s broken promises on gas prices and America First, and the business lessons you need to hear. Jason...

Send us Fan Mail Most conversations about Vortex Optics focus on the products. This one is about the people and the principles behind the glass. In this Spartan Leadership episode, Joe Hamilton, CEO of Vortex Optics, gives an inside look at what truly drives the brand — from his father’s original vision to the employee‑owners in Barneveld who show up like it’s their company, and the front‑line tea...

Send us Fan Mail World Series rings don’t come from hype—they come from how you think when everything is on the line. In this conversation, Josh Kosnick sits down with Joshua Lifrak, Director of Performance and Coaching at Limitless Minds and former Chicago Cubs Mental Skills Coach, to unpack the mindset systems behind the 2016 World Series run and how those same tools translate directly into the...

Send us Fan Mail No one sets out for a mediocre life. We drift there—one delayed decision, one small compromise at a time. In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick shares the real story behind buying 80 acres, walking away from comfort, and deciding his best days would not be behind him, but built in front of him. You’ll hear the raw driveway moment, the tension between “good enoug...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh sits down with Andy Clark — bestselling author, business strategist, and creator of The Whole PIE System™, a framework that helps small-business owners build companies that are more profitable, more impactful, and actually enjoyable to run. Josh and Andy go beyond the “business framework” and dig into the man behind it: the tradeoffs, br...

Send us Fan Mail What’s really happening with Iran, political corruption, and the growing collapse of leadership? In this episode of Leadership in Review, we break down the real issues behind global conflict, media narratives, and the erosion of trust in leadership. This isn’t surface-level commentary. This is a direct conversation about:  • The Iran situation and rising global tension  • Politica...

Send us Fan Mail Most people rely on motivation. High performers rely on structure. In this episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick sits down with Alan Stein Jr., former elite basketball performance coach to NBA athletes, to break down what it really takes to perform at a high level—especially when you don’t feel like it. They dive into discipline, the “next play mentality,” and wh...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, leadership coach and entrepreneur Josh Kosnick explains why founders and CEOs often become the bottleneck in their own business growth and what it takes to break through that ceiling. Many entrepreneurs build their companies through hustle, control, and relentless execution. Those traits create early success. But as organizat...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh sits down with Kevin Hohe — leader, altruist, and self-described “brilliant failure” — to talk about what actually builds resilient leaders: public failure, ego management, risk tolerance, and the lost art of bringing people together. If you’re a business owner or executive who feels the weight of responsibility and wants to grow without...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick sits down with Mando Sallavanti, founder of Freedom Path Wealth, to break down what really creates long-term success. This conversation goes beyond money and business. We dive into discipline vs. motivation, how marriage reshapes ambition, why confidence is earned through kept promises, and the responsibility that comes with lead...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh breaks down what the Bears’ new direction reveals about culture, conviction, discipline, and making the hard call when it matters most. This isn’t about football. It’s about leadership. If you’re building a team, developing talent, or trying to turn something around, this conversation will challenge how you think about hiring, cultu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh sits down with Stephen Scoggins to unpack what actually causes burnout, why success without integration costs leaders their families and peace, and how to become the kind of leader who can scale without losing meaning. Stephen shares his journey from homelessness to building and exiting a multi-decade company, why most exits lead to depr...

Send us Fan Mail Leadership in Review is a long-form leadership podcast focused on culture, power, and truth. In this episode, Josh Kosnick, Emanuel Whitfield, and Jason Smith break down the Don Lemon church arrest, ICE protests, free speech, and how media-driven outrage is being used to divide Americans while real issues go untouched. This conversation explores why modern protests rarely lead to...

Send us Fan Mail How do you scale a business without losing your values, culture, sanity—or your life outside of work? In this episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick sits down with Trace Miller, military veteran and founder of Konala, a fast-growing healthy fast-food franchise built on simplicity, discipline, and execution. Trace breaks down what most leaders get wrong about scali...

Send us Fan Mail In this high-energy Leadership In Review episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast , Josh Kosnick is joined by Jason Smith and Emmanuel Whitfield for an unscripted, fast-moving conversation on leadership, power, and accountability in real time. We dig into: The chaos of modern politics and why trust is collapsing Foreign influence vs. America-first leadership (and why people disag...

Send us Fan Mail What does modern leadership actually require—and why do toxic leaders continue to rise, even in companies that claim to value culture? In this episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick sits down with Lyndsay Dowd—former IBM executive, Harvard guest lecturer, bestselling author, and founder of Heartbeat for Hire—for a raw, honest conversation about leadership, power,...

Send us Fan Mail Christmas is one of the most meaningful seasons of the year. It’s full of joy, generosity, family, and tradition — and yes, sometimes a little pressure too. Between gifts, meals, schedules, and expectations, it can feel like a lot to carry. But what if Christmas isn’t just something to get through? In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick explores why Christmas is...

Send us Fan Mail Work-life balance is a myth. Burnout is everywhere. And most leaders are lying to themselves about what it takes to win. In today’s Spartan Leadership episode, Josh Kosnick sits down with JM Ryerson — Leadership & Performance Coach, bestselling author, and founder of Let’s Go Win — for a candid conversation on authenticity, mindset, culture, and the realities of high-performan...

Send us Fan Mail Most people are stuck in a healthcare system designed to manage symptoms, not create real healing. Today, Dr. InJun Chong joins Josh Kosnick to expose why so many patients end up on painkillers, unnecessary surgeries, and endless treatment plans that never address the root cause. Dr. Chong is the founder of Reveal Wellness and a leading practitioner in regenerative medicine, speci...

Send us Fan Mail Most leaders plan their business year in detail—and wing their personal life. In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick shares his annual planning playbook: how to set a 10-year “lighthouse” vision, reverse-engineer it into a 3-year picture, and then execute through focused 90-day sprints. He walks through the same process for your family life so you can stop drifti...