Behind The Numbers

What can business leaders learn from a hospital clown? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave talks with Eddy Smits — TEDx speaker, coach, author, and former professional hospital clown — about the surprising leadership lessons he discovered while performing for sick and palliative children. Eddy explains how clowning taught him timeless principles that translate directly...

How can leaders create workplaces where people actually want to stay? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, I talk with Dr. Alise Cortez—Chief Ignition Officer at Gusto Now, author, and host of the Working on Purpose podcast—about building purpose-driven cultures that attract and retain top talent. We discuss why leadership feels harder today, the damage caused by outdated pr...

In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, entrepreneur Colin Hirdman (co-founder of Monkey Island Ventures, Rainmaker, and Wrappt) shares practical strategies for using LinkedIn to drive revenue growth. Colin breaks down his three-level LinkedIn philosophy—be authentic, educate your audience, and understand prospect pain points—and explains how he builds and activates audiences t...

In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re exploring why strong managers are the backbone of every successful organization. Dave is joined by Brian Walch, owner of Shift Focus Coaching and Consulting, who draws on his diverse career—from software development to executive coaching—to reveal what it really takes to turn managers into influential leaders. Dave and Brian unpack...

Public speaking is one of the most common fears in business—but it doesn’t have to hold you back. In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re exploring the business value of public speaking with Juanita Wheeler, a TEDx speaking coach, strategist, and expert in persuasive communication. Juanita shares her journey from introvert to speaker and coach, revealing how mastering com...

What if HR could be measured with the same rigor as finance? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re diving into how human capital can—and should—be treated as a value-creating investment. Dave is joined by Dr. Solange Charas, founder of HC Moneyball, co-author of Humanizing Human Capital, and professor at Columbia University. Dr. Charas shares how HC Moneyball is equippi...

What’s stopping your business from scaling? It might be a revenue bottleneck—and Andrea Beach knows how to fix it. In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Andrea Beach, CEO of Growth Concierge and founder of 22 companies, shares how her membership-based model gives businesses access to a team of seasoned entrepreneurs—without the overhead of full-time hires. Andrea explains how...

Can mindfulness actually make you a better business leader? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re exploring a transformative approach to entrepreneurship with Sid Mohasseb—author, TEDx speaker, angel investor, and self-described Entrepreneur Philosopher. As the founder of Anabasis Academy, Sid offers a powerful framework that blends mindfulness and business strategy to...

What separates businesses that scale from those that stall? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re joined by Stewart Ervin, founder of Bracket Management and creator of Built to Run: The $100 Million System. Stewart specializes in business turnarounds and operational systems designed to align finance and operations—so businesses can scale efficiently and maximize value....

What does it really take to succeed as a first-time CEO? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we're cutting through the theory and getting real about leadership at the highest level. Dave Bookbinder talks with David Roche—former CEO, startup chair, and author of Become a Successful First-Time CEO—about the lessons no one teaches you before stepping into the top role. David s...

What does it take to bring financial clarity to a growing business? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re cutting through the noise with Jim Emerich, founder and CEO of Backbone CFO, to talk about how businesses can move from financial chaos to control—and why a fractional CFO might be the key to making it happen. Jim shares hard-earned insights on when a company is rea...

What separates effective leaders from those who stall out? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we explore the answer with leadership strategist Liz Weber—author, speaker, and founder of Weber Business Services. Liz unpacks the core ideas from her latest book, Something Needs to Change Around Here: The Five Stages to Leveraging Your Leadership. She breaks down the leadership...

Is “executive presence” still about polished suits and boardroom bravado—or has the definition evolved? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re unpacking the future of leadership with Katherine Lazaruk, founder of Lazaruk Consulting and author of Executive Being: Humanizing Business One Leader at a Time. Katherine is on a mission to redefine what it means to lead in today...

What separates good leaders from great ones? Mental strength. In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we're unpacking the psychology of leadership with Scott Mautz—CEO of Profound Performance and author of The Mentally Strong Leader. Scott brings deep insight from his executive tenure at Procter & Gamble and shares how the same mindset tools he used to lead at the highest level...

Is your performance management system helping your team thrive—or holding them back? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we're joined by JJ Ghatak, founder and CEO of Onloop, who shares how he's rethinking team assessment and development for the modern workplace. Drawing from his leadership experience at Uber and his journey as an angel investor, JJ offers a deep dive into...

Employee turnover is expensive—and preventable. In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re tackling the hidden costs of turnover and the ROI of investing in your people. Dave is joined by Francie Jain, founder of Terawatt, a B2B marketplace for group coaching that Francie describes as “Airbnb for executive coaching.” Francie unpacks how scalable group coaching can help organ...

What if the key to a thriving workplace isn't strategy or technology—but genuine human connection? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave is joined by Morag Barrett, founder of SkyeTeam and author of You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work and How to Show Up as One. Morag shares compelling insights from her research and experience about the power of relationships at...