The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

What happens when your podcast guest hands you a 15-page dossier about himself before the interview starts? You know you’re in for a different kind of conversation. Jeff recorded this episode in person at Kendall Schoenrock’s (see bio below) podcast studio in Lenexa, Kansas, where they talked about entrepreneurship, AI, family, fear, legacy, and what it means to build things that last. Kendall als...

In this Special Edition episode, Jeff reconnects with Ed LeBeau, founder of Heartland Golf Schools ( Website ) and one of the most influential teachers in Jeff’s own golf journey. Jeff first met Ed in 2003 while attending Heartland Golf School, and over the years Ed has become a bit like Jeff’s own Bagger Vance: part golf instructor, part philosopher, part calm voice on the lesson tee reminding yo...

Maki Moussavi is back, and she officially becomes the first guest to return for a full-length episode. No pressure, Maki. Just podcast history :-) In her first conversation, Maki talked about career journeys, leadership, and the idea of success conditioning, the way high-achieving professionals are trained to chase goals, promotions, validation, and the next “big thing,” often without stopping to...

What happens when three guys with almost no retail experience decide to open a local goods store?   In Keith Bradley’s case, you get Made in KC. Keith, co-founder of Made in KC, shares the story of how a 300-square-foot pop-up featuring 15 local artists grew into one of Kansas City’s most recognizable local brands, with more than 15 locations, including a store in the Kansas City airport. And yes,...

What do 11 kids, Jesuit college night, Charlie Hooper’s, plumbing supplies, private equity, faith, family, and a guy named “Billy the Turd” have in common? Billy Hodes (see bio below). Billy grew up in Kansas City as the youngest of 11 children in a big, faith-filled family where business lessons were often served at the dinner table. His father built a national plumbing supply distribution compan...

What does a former choker setter in the Washington woods have to do with leading one of the country’s largest healthcare technology companies? More than you might think. Bill Miller (see bio below), Chairman and CEO of WellSky, shares a career journey that started far from the executive suite: growing up in a big Midwest family, running a paper route at seven years old, chasing football dreams, ge...

What do baby chicks, broken feet, youth sports, elementary school classrooms, and precision manufacturing have in common? Katherine O’Toole (bio below). Katherine’s career journey starts in the classroom, where she spent 11 years as an elementary educator, and eventually leads to her current role as Executive Director of the Kansas City Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Association....

In this May edition of *It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere*, Marc Shaffer and I are back with another happy hour-style conversation about what’s working, what we’re learning, and why the best connections often happen when you least expect them.  We start with the aftermath of Searcy Financial’s 50th anniversary celebration, including a harmless little parking lot prank involving Marc’s car. From there, we t...

What does it take to turn a company losing millions into a high-performing organization with hundreds of millions in revenue? Ron Cox (see bio below) has lived that story. But his leadership journey started long before the turnaround. In this episode of *The Corporate Couch*, Ron shares a powerful story of resilience, reinvention, and purpose. He opens up about overcoming deep personal hardship, i...

What if the best leadership lesson of your life didn’t happen in a boardroom…but in a preschool? That’s exactly what happened for Kori Bloom​ (bio below). In this episode, Kori shares how her journey from high school art teacher to corporate trainer, pharmaceutical sales professional, parent, author, speaker, and leadership coach helped her discover one powerful truth: We don’t lead in pieces. We...

What’s the one question a former Federal Reserve President gets asked at every happy hour? “What’s the Fed going to do with interest rates?” According to my guest, Esther George (see bio below)… the honest answer is: “Yes.” In this episode of The Corporate Couch, Esther, former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee, pu...

What do rock climbing in Thailand, stand-up comedy, Walmart leadership, and an apartment complex full of strippers have in common? Frank Niles (bio below). In one of the most entertaining and unexpectedly insightful conversations on The Corporate Couch, Frank shares a career journey that refuses to fit inside a neat corporate box. He was kicked out of private school. Barely graduated high school....

In this April edition of It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Marc Shaffer and I have another happy hour-style conversation about what’s working, what we’re learning, and why playing the long game matters. Marc shares the shocking secret behind his zero calcium heart score: Mountain Dew and Skinny Pop. Medical professionals may disagree. We also talk about: • The incredible success of Run for the Roses and G...

What happens when you combine a relentless work ethic, blunt honesty, and a passion for helping people? You get Ericka Beeler (see her bio below). In this episode of The Corporate Couch, Jeff sits down with Ericka, founder of Beeler Consulting and Succession Health, to talk about building a career by outworking, outlearning, and outlasting just about every obstacle in her path. Her story starts wi...

What do Ironman races, bourbon barrels, and billion-dollar investment funds have in common? Brian Rosen. In this episode of The Corporate Couch, Brian (see his bio below) shares a wildly entertaining and insightful journey through three generations of the adult beverage industry from his grandfather’s Chicago saloon days (with some “alleged” connections you’ll want to hear about) to building one o...

What if everything you’ve been taught about selling…is backward? My guest, Mo Bunnell (see his bio below), believes the best way to win business isn’t by pushing harder, closing faster, or perfecting your pitch. It’s by giving first. Mo is the founder of Bunnell Idea Group and the author of Give to Grow, a system used by some of the world’s most respected professional services firms to build deepe...

What if the way you’ve been leading…is exactly what’s holding your team back? My guest, Robin Ferguson (see her bio below), has spent more than two decades helping high-achieving leaders make a powerful shift, from pressure-filled management to a more intentional, empowering coaching style. As a Master Certified Coach (the highest credential in the field), Robin doesn’t deal in surface-level advic...

What do the McDonald’s Happy Meal, Blockbuster Video, and some of the most recognizable brands in America have in common? Steve Bernstein (bio below). In this episode, Steve shares a career that started with a childhood idea that turned into one of the most iconic promotions in history and evolved into leading Bernstein-Rein Advertising, helping build powerhouse brands like Walmart, McDonald’s, Ho...

In this March edition of It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Marc Shaffer and I are back with another happy hour-style conversation where business, life, and Kansas City culture all collide. We kick things off with Marc rescheduling our recording…for a TV appearance. I’ve officially been bumped. But it leads to a bigger conversation about visibility, promoting causes that matter, and the growing momentum be...

What does it look like to build a global supply chain…before there was a playbook? That’s exactly what Dan Krouse (see his bio below) did. In this episode, Dan shares his journey from small-town Indiana to becoming a corporate officer at Hallmark, leading global procurement, logistics, and supply chain operations across a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Early in his career, a single conversation...

What does it take to turn a passion for homebrewing into one of Kansas City’s most recognizable hospitality brands? In this episode of The Corporate Couch, Jeff sits down with Matt Moore (see his bio below), founder of Martin City Brewing Company, to talk about entrepreneurship, community, and the journey from a single brewpub to a growing family of restaurants and hospitality concepts across the...

What does it take to walk into a struggling company, make the tough calls, and turn it into a high-performing business? That’s the world Charlie Cole (see bio below) lives in. Charlie is a private-equity-backed CEO who has built a reputation for stepping into complex situations and creating momentum fast. From transforming global consumer brands to scaling AI and SaaS platforms, his career has bee...

What if the real competitive advantage in business isn’t strategy, hustle, or technology… but simply caring? In this Special Edition episode, Justin Ricklefs returns to the Corporate Couch to discuss his first book, Give A Damn: The Catalyst for Caring Companies. Justin shares how the book began as scribbles on napkins during a conversation with his wife in a Colorado saloon and turned into a powe...

What happens when a pastor, a public servant, and a nonprofit leader decides to buy a coffee shop? You get Keith Davenport (see bio below), founder of 030 Holding Company, on a mission to bring more and better jobs to Gardner, Kansas, zip code 66030. Keith’s journey is anything but linear, from a small-town Illinois upbringing with a graduating class of 49… to pastoral ministry… to higher educatio...

In this February edition of It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Marc Shaffer and I pull up a couple of barstools and let you eavesdrop on a conversation that ranges from Kansas City networking rooms to Florida marinas, from Super Bowl parties to superhero costumes. We kick things off with our new Kansas City business community, “The Table,” a curated group of leaders focused not just on swapping business ca...