Corey Spitzer (flyhighventures.com [https://flyhighventures.com/]), a fractional CTO and startup advisor with over 20 years of experience in software engineering, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/home]). Corey and Dan explore the dynamic environment of startups, emphasizing the variety and high-impact nature of the work. Corey discusses the advantages of being based in Omaha, Nebraska, highlighting the supportive and tight-knit tech community. He shares insights on the challenges faced by non-technical founders and the importance of fostering empathy between business and technical teams. Corey also explains the concept of fractional executive roles, offering advice on building a consulting practice and the benefits of working with multiple businesses. The conversation touches on the significance of team culture, the value of improv classes for personal growth, and the importance of self-confidence in leadership. Recommended reading: "How to Help Underperformers" by Luca Rossi. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com].

Corey Spitzer on Becoming a Fractional Executive, Authentic Confidence, and the 20-Minute Disagreement Rule

Rob Grazioli (robertgrazioli.com [https://robertgrazioli.com/]), a Managing Partner at Bread, an agency of founders for hire and a pre-seed venture fund, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/home]). Rob and Dan discuss Rob’s path from college to founding Density, a company that reached a billion-dollar valuation, and how that led to Bread. Rob shares insights on maintaining co-founder relationships, the importance of staying small and nimble, and the challenges of achieving product-market fit. The conversation also touches on organizational culture, the role of curiosity, kindness, and a "say yes" mentality. Rob discusses the strategic advantages of Bread's approach to venture capital and shares advice for founders and leaders on building successful and sustainable businesses. Recommended reading: “Design Is a Job” by Mike Monteiro and “The River of Consciousness” by Oliver Sacks. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com/].

Rob Grazioli on Co-Founder Chemistry, Billion-Dollar Valuations, and the Power of Staying Small

Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO and Co-Founder of AOA Dx (aoadx.com [https://aoadx.com/]), a biotech startup focused on innovative early cancer diagnostics for women, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [http://contempusleadership.com/]) to discuss her journey to becoming a biotech leader, strategies in raising over $20 million in funding, the power of networking, and the critical need for more research in women's health. Oriana and Dan also cover hiring and firing and creating a culture of team empowerment and results.  This episode provides valuable insights for visionary leaders and entrepreneurs in the healthcare sector and beyond. Recommended reading: “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com].

Oriana Papin-Zoghbi on Bringing Groundbreaking Cancer Diagnostics to Market, the Power of Networking for Founders, and the New Wave of Women's Leadership

Dr. Fadi Boulos, Founder and CEO of Supportful (supportful.world [https://supportful.world/]), joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/]) to discuss Supportful's mission to combat brain drain in Lebanon by connecting international tech companies with remote Lebanese talent. Fadi discusses the historical context of Lebanon's brain drain, the importance of building a remote work culture, and the innovative strategies Supportful employs to foster team cohesion and growth. The conversation also explores the future of remote work, the impact of AI on work, and the need for an educational system that develops citizens. Fadi emphasizes the importance of empathy, transparency, and continuous learning in leadership, drawing from his diverse international experiences and personal values. Recommended reading: The Bible, “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com].

Fadi Boulos on Fighting Lebanon's Brain Drain, Building Cultures vs. Offices, and the Future of Technology

Kerry Ann King (eluminatelabs.com [https://eluminatelabs.com/]), Founder and CEO of Eluminate Labs, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/]). Kerry Ann explains the background behind her company's debut offering, Fin, an app designed to help users understand their productivity style and break the cycle of productivity-related anxiety. She also shares her insights from her time with Google on corporate culture change. Kerry Ann emphasizes decolonizing tech and the need for a shift in corporate culture and government policy to protect workers and promote wellbeing. Kerry Ann and Dan also discuss building a global remote team based on mutual respect and collaboration, leadership lessons from the arts, the value of incorporating diverse perspectives and methodologies in technology development, and more. Recommended reading: The “Poldark” series by Winston Graham, “Decolonizing Philosophy of Technology: Learning from Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches to Decolonial Technical Design” by Cristiano Codeiro Cruz, “Kaandossiwin” by Kathleen E. Absolon (Minogiizhigokwe). Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com].

Kerry Ann King on Rethinking Productivity, Culture Lessons from Google, and Decolonizing Tech

Sam Simmons, CEO and Co-Founder of MintPass (mintpass.com [https://mintpass.com/]), joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://contempusleadership.com/]). Sam and Dan discuss MintPass, a web3 travel app that rewards users for sharing and discovering trusted travel recommendations. Sam explains the use case of web3 and NFTs in creating incentive alignment in various industries, using travel as a prime example. Sam also shares insights from his experience as President of PokerGo, the world’s leading poker content network, where he led the company’s pivot from 24-7 linear TV network to a subscription video on-demand service. Sam and Dan also explore leadership lessons from poker and World of Warcraft, the importance of embracing chaos, and the potential for gamification in business. Recommended Reading: “Musashi” by Eiji Yoshikawa, “Actionable Gamification” by Yu-Kai Chou, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com/].

Sam Simmons on Disrupting Travel Planning, Leading Under Pressure, and Business Lessons from Professional Poker

Spencer Campbell (linkedin.com/in/spencer-campbell-impact [https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-campbell-impact/], spencercampbelltalent.com [https://spencercampbelltalent.com/]), Founder and Principal Talent Agent of the Spencer Campbell Talent Agency, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/]) to discuss the modern job search. Spencer’s innovative business model involves acting as a talent agent for job seekers, providing advice, support, and representation to help them succeed in interviews and negotiations. Dan and Spencer discuss a program they're piloting called Heightened Impact [https://heightenedimpact.com], which combines high-quality coaching with expert talent representation to enhance value for job seekers. Spencer emphasizes the importance of networking and understanding one's value in the job search process, rather than focusing solely on polishing resumes. He criticizes conventional advice about job searching and highlights common mistakes job seekers make. Spencer and Dan also improvements to the hiring process, trends in the social sector career space and the potential impact of AI on the job market. Recommended Reading: “Hidden Potential” by Adam Grant, “Never Search Alone” by Phil Terry, “What Color is Your Parachute” by Richard Nelson Bolles, “How to Do Nothing” by Jenny Odell, and “The Good Enough Job” by Simone Stolzoff. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com].

Spencer Campbell on Bad Job Search Advice, What to Do Instead, and How to Improve the Hiring Process

Matt Ley (linkedin.com/in/mattley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattley/]), a senior consultant with the consulting firm Gapingvoid [https://www.gapingvoid.com/] and author of the book "Manage Your Gaps: Reclaiming the Awesomeness of Management," joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/]) to discuss the importance of community in organizational culture, the role of managers as culture champions, the distinction between managing rock stars and rising stars, and the Fulfillment ROI concept. They unpack the value of one-on-one meetings and the impact of individual contributors on organizational success. Matt shares his insights on effective management practices from his management, coaching, and consulting experience. Recommended Reading: “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott, “The Career Design Map” by Dan Freehling, “The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety” by Timothy R. Clark, “The Fearless Organization” by Amy Edmondson, and “The 6 Types of Working Genius” by Patrick Lencioni. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com/].

Matt Ley on Reclaiming the Awesomeness of Management, Organizations vs. Communities, and Maximizing Fulfillment ROI

John Whitfield (linkedin.com/in/john-whitfield-73b47515 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-whitfield-73b47515/]), Head of Sustainable Business Europe at Acre, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/]) to discuss his views on impactful leadership, both in the sustainability space and for all leaders. John and Dan discuss the lessons John has learned about leadership as an American living and working in the oldest still-functioning capitalist society in the world, the Netherlands. John reveals the three key competencies that drive success as a Chief Sustainability Officer, including effective organizational change management skills. John describes the central task of leader development as know thyself and explains that the principles of coaching and Conscious Leadership most resonate with him. John and Dan then discuss the underexplored concept of followership and conclude with John’s top recommendations from the 42 books he has read in the past year. Recommended Reading: “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership” by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp, “Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps” by Jennifer Garvey Berger, “How to Be an Adult in Relationships” by David Richo, and “The Myth of Normal” by Gabor Mate. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com].

John Whitfield on the Future of Sustainability, Success Drivers for Impactful Executives, and Leadership Lessons from the Netherlands

Lakeshia Ekeigwe (leaderthinking.com [https://www.leaderthinking.com/], linkedin.com/in/lakeshiaekeigwe [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakeshiaekeigwe/]), CEO and Founder of LeaderThinking Global LLC, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/]) to discuss modern leadership and the qualities and characteristics required for it. Lakeshia emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the responsibility of leaders to create a healthy workplace culture. She also highlights the need for leaders to share the vision with their teams and help them understand their value and contribution. Lakeshia also discusses the unique challenges that lawyers face in leadership, such as the focus on legal excellence rather than leadership excellence and the impact of malpractice fears on decision-making. Lakeisha shares insights into her own success as a coach and consultant, attributing it to her belief in her abilities, her understanding of her zone of genius, and her clarity on why people hire her. She also discusses the life-changing concepts of emotional intelligence and finding one's own zone of genius. Recommended Reading: "Coach Yourself to Success" by Talane Miedaner, “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks, and “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Jean Greaves and Travis Bradberry. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://www.forwardlookingleadership.com].

Lakeshia Ekeigwe on Leadership as a Solemn Charge, Knowing Why People Hire You, and Not Tolerating Struggle Energy

This is a podcast for visionary executives building future-ready organizations. You’ll come away from each episode with new insights you can use to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your firm thrives not just today, but for years to come.

Dan Freehling

Shows