The 9–5 Exit Plan

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with business growth advisor and founder of Changing Lanes for Business, Tim Rhode. With more than 40 years of experience building, scaling, buying, selling, and leading multiple successful businesses, Tim shares lessons on leadership, business growth, change management, and overcoming resistance. We discuss why businesses get stuck, how leaders can cre...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, investor, educator, and author Andrew Ackerman. Having founded two startups, invested in more than 70 early-stage companies, and mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs, Andrew shares lessons from every side of the startup world. We discuss entrepreneurship, innovation, fundraising, startup mistakes, resilience, AI, and the realities of bu...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with speaker, executive coach, bestselling author, and former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Reichert. Ryan shares lessons from military leadership, addiction recovery, faith, personal transformation, and overcoming adversity. We discuss resilience, mindset, leadership, purpose, and how people can push through life’s toughest seasons without losing h...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with health practitioner, author, speaker, and podcast host Magic Barclay. After surviving childhood trauma, addiction, obesity, an abusive marriage, and multiple life-threatening health conditions, Magic transformed her life through a deep understanding of trauma, functional health, and root-cause healing. We discuss the connection between trauma and i...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership expert, entrepreneur, and podcast host Sandy Davis. After spending decades helping organizations navigate change, Sandy found herself facing profound personal loss, burnout, and an identity crisis that forced her to rethink everything she thought she knew about success. We discuss grief, resilience, leadership, entrepreneurship, reinvent...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, real estate investor, and bestselling author KAYR Robinson. Growing up in deep poverty and moving more than 18 times before adulthood, KAYR refused to let his circumstances define his future. Today, he owns more than 160 rental units and helps others understand the power of resilience, discipline, and long-term ownership. We discuss r...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with bestselling author and sales professional Abhinav Gokllani. After moving from India to California with just $750 and a one-way ticket, Abhinav built an extraordinary career generating millions in sales and pipeline revenue. We discuss human psychology, prospecting, sales, trust, influence, resilience, and the lessons that helped him transform his l...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with caregiver advocate Geoff Grant. After spending more than 25 years caring for loved ones, Geoff shares powerful lessons about resilience, burnout, purpose, and the realities caregivers face every day. We discuss the emotional challenges of caregiving, why caregivers are often overlooked, how to avoid losing yourself while caring for others, and what...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Baiba Wisse, host of the Live In Technicolor Podcast and creator of The Era of You™ Method. After spending years feeling disconnected in the corporate world, Baiba chose to pursue a life aligned with her purpose. We discuss burnout, courage, self-discovery, meaningful work, and how to stop living for weekends and start creating a life that energize...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with business coach, bestselling author, and creator of The Hamster Wheel Trap®, Peter Boolkah. After spending more than 20 years helping founders across the globe, Peter explains why so many entrepreneurs unknowingly build businesses that depend entirely on them—and how to escape that cycle. We discuss founder dependency, systems, leadership, burnout,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and founder of The Investor’s Guide to Joy, Paul H. Graham. After building and exiting multiple businesses, Paul realized that financial success without purpose often leaves entrepreneurs feeling unfulfilled. We explore his philosophy of “Wealth Without the Weight,” discussing entrepreneurship, investing, discipline, tax str...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with executive search expert and entrepreneur John Pezoulas to discuss what it really takes to build high-performing teams that fuel business growth. We explore hiring strategies, leadership, entrepreneurship, company culture, scaling, and the future of work. John also shares lessons from building his own executive search firm from the ground up and off...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with fintech founder and ChainMyne CEO Kimberly Rosales to explore the future of money, stablecoins, digital assets, and cross-border payments. Kimberly shares how more than two decades in traditional banking inspired her to build a regulated fintech company that’s helping businesses modernize global payments. We discuss entrepreneurship, financial inno...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with product strategist Tetiana Kobzar to discuss how behavioural science and human-centered design help entrepreneurs build products people genuinely want to use. We explore innovation, product strategy, customer psychology, AI, and practical lessons founders can apply to create businesses that solve meaningful problems and stand the test of time. Conn...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with global leadership strategist Larry Robertson to explore what separates ordinary managers from truly exceptional leaders. Drawing from more than 30 years of coaching executives across 30 countries, Larry shares practical insights on influence, trust, teamwork, authentic leadership, and building organizations that achieve lasting success. Whether you...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with life coach Max Shapiro to discuss why purpose is the foundation of both personal fulfillment and entrepreneurial success. We explore identity, confidence, personal growth, and practical ways to stop drifting through life and start living with intention. Whether you’re building a business or simply searching for greater meaning, this conversation wi...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with award-winning filmmaker, entrepreneur, and educator Dr. Thaddeus Jones Jr. to explore the powerful connection between storytelling and business success. We discuss branding, entrepreneurship, creative thinking, AI, leadership, and why every entrepreneur needs to master the art of telling stories that inspire action. Whether you’re building a busine...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur and Robowise founder Rosh Singh to explore what it really means to build an AI-native business. With more than 20 years of experience launching and scaling technology ventures, Rosh explains why simply adding AI tools isn’t enough and how entrepreneurs can rethink their business models for the future. We discuss AI, innovation, startup...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with high-performance coach, speaker, and Light Beyond Limits host Coach Willie Blake. Willie shares his journey of growing up with dyslexia, overcoming years of self-doubt, and transforming his biggest challenge into a mission to help others unlock their potential. We discuss confidence, mindset, overcoming limiting beliefs, the power of the 2% Rule, a...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, technology executive, and investor Dallas Fontaine to explore how AI is transforming entrepreneurship and creating new opportunities for business growth. We discuss how founders can leverage AI to build scalable businesses, avoid common startup mistakes, commercialize innovative ideas, and create real value in today’s rapidly changing...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with corporate executive, entrepreneur, and real estate investor Christine Valdes. Christine shares how she balanced a successful corporate career while building long-term wealth through entrepreneurship and investing. We discuss leadership, ownership, financial freedom, mindset, and practical strategies for creating opportunities beyond a traditional p...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership strategist, author, and speaker Michael Fineman. We discuss authentic leadership, resilience, identity, fatherhood, and why so many successful people lose themselves while chasing success. Michael shares lessons from surviving on his own at 15, overcoming decades of health challenges, and helping leaders reconnect with who they truly are...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with international speaker, leadership strategist, and trust expert Elliot Sawyer. We discuss leadership, trust, loyalty, people skills, and why businesses operating in low-trust environments often struggle to grow. Elliot shares insights from more than twenty years of leadership development, reveals how self-focus quietly erodes trust, and explains why...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, cybersecurity expert, and Adaptive Office Solutions founder Brett Gallant. Brett shares the incredible journey of rebuilding his health after weighing 349 pounds, losing more than 130 pounds, and applying those same principles of discipline, consistency, and resilience to grow a thriving business. We discuss leadership, delegation, cy...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Buddhist life coach and former Apple, Disney, and Foursquare software engineer Billy Seol. Billy shares the remarkable story of leaving a successful tech career to study under Buddhist monks and explains how that journey led him to create the Karmic Formula System—a practical framework for understanding procrastination, shame, overthinking, and why...