<![CDATA[Ready Set Exec: Leadership Podcast]]> https://readysetexec.com/the-rse-podcast/ Overview: Welcome to the Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast where executive search meets real leadership stories. Ready Set Exec explores how today’s top executives think, lead, hire, and scale through real conversations with accomplished leaders across sales, marketing, HR, operations, finance, technology, and digital transformation. Each episode features candid discussions with executives, founders, and industry experts who share practical insights on leadership, organizational growth, executive hiring, innovation, and navigating today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. From scaling companies and driving transformation to advancing executive careers and building high-performing teams, Ready Set Exec delivers real-world strategies, lessons learned, and forward-thinking perspectives for leaders shaping the future of business.

What to Expect Each Episode:

Conversations with Executives: Hear candid stories from accomplished leaders across Ready Set Exec’s network as they share lessons learned, pivotal career moves, and their outlook on the future of leadership.

Industry Insights: Explore the trends shaping leadership in the fields Ready Set Exec knows best, how Sales leaders drive growth, how Marketing executives build brand momentum, how HR shapes culture, and how Operations keeps organizations moving.

Talent Strategy Deep Dives: John reveals what he's learned about hiring executives who don’t just fit the role but elevate the business, by using a relationship-driven approach.

Actionable Takeaways: Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or an executive shaping your next move, you’ll walk away with practical insights on attracting, retaining, and thriving as top talent.

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/

Patrick Shea LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec

Are you a C-level Exec and want to be a guest on the podcast ? email sales@readysetexec.com

Check out our firm at Readysetexec.com or call us at 737-249-9572

]]> RSS.com 2026.1008.170403 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:03:42 GMT en c6668472-f395-5300-83c0-a650636b5d26 https://media.rss.com/readysetexec/podcast_cover_20260809_233612_4dc4f478d7df40bbd6a463f2aef9f1fc.png Ready Set Exec: Leadership Podcast https://readysetexec.com/the-rse-podcast/ yes Support our podcast! Ready Set Exec Inc. Copyright 2026 Ready Set Exec Inc. Ready Set Exec Inc. true episodic podcast United States, USA <![CDATA[The Future of HR: How the CHRO Role is Evolving in 2026 | Shari Chernack | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this insightful interview, Shari Chernack discusses the evolving role of the CHRO, the impact of COVID-19 on HR strategies, and how organizations can navigate transformation, workforce planning, and leadership resilience in a rapidly changing environment.

  • The transformation of the CHRO role post-COVID
  • Impact of AI and offshoring on workforce planning
  • Leadership resilience and managing burnout
  • Strategies for organizational change and employee buy-in
  • Building effective startup teams with equity and culture

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/

Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec

Visit our company page: https://www.readysetexec.com

Visit our podcast page: https://readysetexec.com/the-rse-podcast/

Connect with Shari Chernack Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharichernack/

Chapters

00:00 The Evolving Role of CHROs

10:34 Lessons from Transformations

18:41 Building Resilience in Leadership

26:38 Generational Perspectives in the Workplace

30:24 Workforce Planning and Future-Ready Organizations

39:37 Recruitment Strategies in PE and VC-Backed Companies

46:42 Job Design and Role Clarity in Startups

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3220288 f8e10278-e87d-418e-bfe8-3fafd440c29c 2890 full 1 1 50 50 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:03:40 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Treating People Well is Your Ultimate Competitive Advantage | Bruno Signacco| Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> One coffee shop kept Bruno waiting 20 minutes, brought a cold cappuccino, and didn't apologize. The next day, he went to the competitor. They brought it in one minute, hot, with a smile and left a free plate of biscuits he didn't order. He never went back to the first place. That's the whole lesson of this episode in one story.

Dr. Bruno Roque Cignacco has spent 30 years researching, consulting, and writing about what he calls compassionate business a framework that proves treating employees, customers, and stakeholders well isn't charity. It's a strategy. It drives retention, innovation, brand reputation, and profit.

In this episode, he breaks down why fear destroys performance, why well-paid employees still quit, and why the most important asset in any business isn't technology or capital. It's the human being.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:42 Can You Be Compassionate AND Profit-Driven? The Core Question

13:00 Attracting Talent and Investors Through Brand Reputation

21:37 Psychological Safety: Why It Directly Improves Customer Satisfaction

26:17 Fear as a Management Tool: Why It Backfires Completely

34:30 Compassionate Feedback and the Pygmalion Effect

43:14 Why Delighting Customers Eliminates the Need for "Retention."

Connect with Ready Set Exec: www.readysetexec.com

Connect with Bruno Signacco:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruno-roque-cignacco-sfhea-0609317/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3198730 5afa989d-f721-4b27-8516-49778d939c42 2950 full 1 1 49 49 Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[How COVID Changed Organizational Culture and HR's Response | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this insightful interview, Dr. Lauran Starr discusses the strategic role of HR, the impact of COVID on organizational culture, and the importance of long-term planning, diversity, and AI integration in the workplace. The perception of HR as a cost center has hampered its ability to influence key business decisions. Traditionally, HR has been relegated to compliance and administrative tasks, but this mindset is outdated. Dr. Lauran Starr emphasizes that HR professionals must advocate for their strategic importance by demonstrating how HR can lead to tangible business results. HR has a unique opportunity to step up, especially in the post-COVID landscape where organizations are re-evaluating their workforce strategies. Leaders must understand that effective HR practices can enhance productivity, reduce turnover, and ultimately increase profitability. HR should not just report to the C-suite; it should be an integral part of the leadership team. Dr. Starr points out that HR must partner with the CEO, COO, and CFO to drive business strategies that include people initiatives. This partnership is essential for fostering a healthy organizational culture that attracts and retains talent.

Chapters

00:00 The Role of HR in Business Strategy

03:12 COVID-19: A Missed Opportunity for HR

05:58 Transforming HR from Cost Center to Strategic Partner

09:05 Measuring HR's Impact on Business Outcomes

11:46 Long-Term Planning vs. Short-Term Results

14:47 Navigating the DEI Landscape

17:54 The Future of Inclusion in the Workplace

30:25 Navigating Organizational Dynamics and Diversity

34:53 The Impact of Polarization on Workplace Culture

39:12 AI's Role in Human Resources and Workforce Management

46:05 Reskilling and Upskilling in the Age of AI

51:46 The Importance of Culture in Employee Retention

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Dr Lauran Starr Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauranstar/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3177096 b6c90963-e384-485e-a3ae-9927cf904cc9 3330 full 1 1 48 48 Fri, 25 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[How to Survive the AI Marketing Revolution | Melih Oztalay | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> Here's an exercise Melih Oztalay wants every business owner to do right now. Go to ChatGPT. Ask it to list the top 10 companies it would recommend in your industry. Your company will not be on that list. Then ask it why. It will give you a to-do list. That to-do list is your entire GEO strategy for 2026.

Melih has been in marketing since 1987, from the first IBM PCs to the internet, from SEO to AI bots, and his agency has survived every disruption by following one simple principle: the concepts don't change, the tools do. In this episode, he shares his Four A's of Change framework, explains why Google Ads and PPC are now "traditional marketing," and offers three immediately actionable tactics any business can start this week to cut through the noise in the AI era.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro: Melih Oztalay

1:49 - Humans haven't changed. The tools have.

5:14 - The Four A's of Change framework

15:00 - The Porsche dealership story

16:30 - Predictive vs. reactive: the 2026 marketing shift

17:00 - SEO → AEO → GEO explained

23:06 - Google Ads is now "traditional marketing."

24:25 - Why cold email is dead — and what replaces it

30:42 - Actionable tip #1: Press release marketing

33:30 - Actionable tip #2: ChatGPT JSON/schema for GEO

39:05 - Actionable tip #3: Ask GPT why you're not on the list

40:48 - The marketing skill every new hire needs in 2026

44:05 - How to build a team that learns itself

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Melih Oztalay:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melihoztalay/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3159655 9d3542fe-0806-4f5c-ae68-3b4978ce243b 2838 full 1 1 47 47 Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Why Treating Your Team Like "Family" is a Terrible Idea | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> I treated my team like family. That is a terrible idea. Despite what every leadership book tells you, that is the worst advice ever. Goals first. Team second.

Alan Lazaros said that in the first 10 seconds of this conversation. He meant every word of it. Alan is the CEO and co-host of Next Level University, a daily self-improvement podcast with 2,271+ episodes, a 20-person remote team, and coaching clients he's worked with for up to seven years. He came from a tough childhood, no father, went broke starting his business, and built it back on one foundation: old-school fundamentals that most people are too entitled, too

distracted, or too afraid to follow.

In this episode, he talks about community building, remote leadership, personal branding, and why in a world full of AI bots and fake Instagram jets, the only thing that actually compounds is authenticity.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro: Alan Lazaros & Next Level University

2:35 - Why human connection beats AI as a competitive advantage

3:59 - The AI bot DM story

8:00 - Origin story: no father, going broke, building NLU

13:00 - The 3 buckets: unfulfilled success, broken passion, or both

24:00 - Goals first, team second and why "family" destroys performance

29:12 - Remote leadership: the 4-part framework

36:32 - Metrics, dashboards & the peak performance system

46:32 - Why every business leader needs a personal brand now

51:00 - Real world first, social world second

53:07 - The fake jet industry & why old-school fundamentals still win

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Alan Lazaros:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3143997 90ed2d83-778e-4849-b355-eeb51f7badd3 3404 full 1 1 46 46 Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:52:13 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, behavioral scientist, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of eight books including The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work, joins John Pezoulas to unpack why AI rollouts fail even when the technology itself is easy to use. The conversation focuses on the human side of adoption, from fear and identity threat to shame and leadership modeling, plus how those same dynamics shape remote work, bias reduction, and the skills workers will need in the 2030s.

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/

Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413

Connect with Dr Gleb Tsipursky

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gleb-tsipursky/

Chapters

  • 00:00 - Introduction to Dr. Gleb Tsipursky and the psychology of AI adoption
  • 01:18 - The biggest mistake leaders make when rolling out AI
  • 03:17 - The three emotional blockers behind AI resistance
  • 04:17 - Fear, anxiety, and the AI alarmist mindset
  • 05:10 - Identity threat and the pragmatic resistor profile
  • 06:08 - Shame, social stigma, and shadow AI usage
  • 08:33 - Why AI projects fail to produce ROI despite individual productivity gains
  • 10:40 - How to spot resistance, malicious compliance, and bad AI outputs
  • 12:10 - Building trust with job protection and growth messaging
  • 15:31 - Start by automating the tasks people hate most
  • 17:51 - Using “squeaky wheel” automation to win adoption
  • 22:24 - Leadership modeling and why executives must use AI visibly
  • 24:17 - Setting a baseline with training and shared usage norms
  • 25:15 - Building asynchronous channels to share AI wins
  • 27:56 - How AI can help reduce bias in evaluation and promotion
  • 31:52 - Red teaming hiring and workforce data with AI
  • 33:44 - Why AI certifications may give way to portfolio-based proof
  • 34:39 - The future skill set: creating and managing AI agents
  • 39:34 - Why AI adoption pushes companies toward more remote work
  • 44:06 - Control-heavy management styles versus AI-enabled productivity
  • 46:25 - How leaders can prepare their culture for the next wave of AI
  • 49:30 - Which industries and roles will be disrupted first
  • 51:53 - How workers can stay competitive by learning AI effectively
  • 53:17 - Why regulated and blue-collar roles may stay safer longer

#futureofwork #aiadoption #ai #aiatwork #fearofunknown

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3116935 a282c482-1812-42da-821f-20cda3f590e1 3371 full 1 1 45 45 Fri, 04 Sep 2026 16:10:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Build your Executive Presence with Don Weber | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> Bill Gates wasn't naturally charismatic. He was dry, not very funny, and didn't come across well on camera. So he hired a comedian not for a week, but regularly, over a long period of time, to teach him how to be more personable and likable.

Don Weber knows this because he knows the person who worked with Gates directly. And it's the clearest example he has of something he's believed for decades: executive presence is not a gift. It's a skill. Don is an executive corporate trainer, communication expert, and leadership consultant who has spent decades working with Fortune 500 executives, high-level public officials, and elite teams across continents, starting from being a shy introvert himself.

In this episode, he breaks down the psychology of authenticity, the real science of masking and stress, what emotional regulation actually looks like under boardroom pressure, and how

Leaders can communicate with genuine presence even when they're feeling anything but present.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:36 Intro: Who is Don Weber?

06:38 Making Everyone Feel Their Contribution Matters

15:18 Return to Office vs. Employer's Market Realities

19:30 Physical Executive Presence: Posture, Pace, Pause, and Purpose

34:39 The Masking Problem: The Gap Between Real and Projected Self

42:06 Emotional Regulation: The Leadership Skill Nobody Trains For

45:30 Fight-or-Flight: How Adrenaline Reduces Intelligence by 30%

49:35 How to Disarm a Boardroom Challenge

51:04 The Repeat-Back Technique to Buy Thinking Time

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Don Weber:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-weber/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3103494 7944f79e-53db-4060-a5dc-57aed15e5f7b 3254 full 1 1 44 44 Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:24:23 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[70% of Workers Feel No Joy or Meaning at Their Job and What Leaders Can Actually Do | Ready Set Exec]]> 70% of the workforce finds no meaning or joy in their work. That stat comes from Amy Lucan, Chief Joyologist at Tito's Handmade Vodka and culture strategist Ingrid Hobbs has spent 16+ years in global CPG and spirits brands trying to change it.

In this episode, Ingrid breaks down why companies keep destroying the cultures they've spent years building through performative DEI rollbacks, tone-deaf layoff communication, rigid nine-box sessions, and leaders who confuse a title with leadership. She also shares practical frameworks for building real employee trust, what remote culture actually requires, and why kindness is the most underrated business strategy of 2026.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Who is Ingrid Hobbs?

08:16 Consistency is the Brand: Why Spineless Values Erode Culture

22:59 Off-Boarding as Culture: How Layoffs Define Who You Are

24:59 "Culture is not just part of the strategy. It IS the strategy."

26:53 Remote Work Reality: Culture is How You Treat People, Not Where You Sit

37:28 Storytelling as a Leadership Tool in 2026

42:30 Ageism and the 50+ Professional Being Pushed Out

52:38 AI as a Collaboration Partner, Not a Ghostwriter

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Ingrid Hobbs :

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/inghobbs

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3084238 857c3713-4b98-4a7e-8e57-ab4876569a60 3099 full 1 1 43 43 Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:45:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[We cut $200k in Ads and Lost Zero Leads. Are You Wasting Your Budget? | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> What if your $200,000 a month Google ad budget was doing almost nothing, and the leads would have shown up anyway? Kurt Uhlir turned off exactly that amount in B2B paid media and watched close rates stay flat. That's just one of the things he's learned across 60+ corporate transactions, 20+ patents,

and a dozen industries. As CMO of Easy Home Search a Zillow competitor built on consumer data privacy, and a board member of CEO Netweavers, Kurt breaks down the real difference between growth mode and scale mode, what demand generation actually looks like in 2026, why 99% of marketers are not capable of doing it, and where you should actually be putting your marketing dollars right now.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Kurt Ehrler and His Expertise

01:22 Scaling Challenges for Startups

03:37 The Shift from Lagging to Leading Indicators

07:20 Content Strategy for Modern Demand Generation

10:08 The Importance of Customer Insights

13:00 Collaboration Across Teams

15:08 Case Study: Easy Home Search's Growth Journey

20:35 Building Effective Marketing Teams

26:26 The Role of CMOs and CROs in Business Strategy

32:35 Preparing for Growth and Successful Exits

41:41 Shifting Marketing Strategies for 2026

50:04 The Importance of Peer Networks and Mentorship

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Kurt Uhlir:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kurtuhlir

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3063637 67075cf6-d619-4cca-83b7-5f6a7da552e3 3183 full 1 1 42 42 Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:50:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Stop Measuring Training by Attendance: The Real Formula for L&D Success | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> Most companies measure L&D ROI with two things: course completion rates and "how did you feel about the course" surveys. Josh Cutler says both are nearly worthless

With 20+ years in learning design, starting in the chaos of the New York City school system, Josh became known as the person companies call when all their traditional L&D approaches have failed.

In this episode, he explains exactly why most corporate training is broken, why AI avatars are penny-wise and pound-foolish, why you should hire teachers instead of HR people for your L&D function, and how he accidentally became the world's leading HR Super Connector — making hundreds of strategic introductions every single day through a system built entirely on quality, quantity, and speed.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Who is Josh Cutler?

03:29 Continuous Learning vs. Episodic One-Off Training

07:48 Why Off-the-Shelf LMS Modules Are a Waste of Money

11:48 Learning Strategy First, Platform Selection Second

18:40 The Reality of AI in L&D: Where It Actually Helps

23:03 The Measurement Gap: Completion Rates vs. Behavioural Change

38:04 Executive Networking: Your Net Worth is Your Network

43:21 The True Cost of Toxic Workplaces on the Bottom Line

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Joshua Cutler :

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaafcutler/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3052173 8871206d-1803-497f-947d-59e927b1d480 2519 full 1 1 41 41 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[What Executive Compensation Actually Looks Like Behind Closed Doors | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In the 1970s, CEO pay was roughly 100 times the average worker's salary. Today it's over 1,000 times. And most companies still can't clearly explain to their own employees what their total rewards program even means.

Raj Sinha has spent 20+ years advising CEOs, CHROs, and boards across life sciences, financial services, and technology on exactly how to fix this and what happens when organizations don't.

In this episode, Raj breaks down the full landscape of executive compensation, global pay strategy, the new SEC administration's impact on ESG and DEI disclosures, why performance management is riddled with normative bias, and what it actually takes to build a pay structure that survives shareholder scrutiny and wins the war for talent.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Who is Raj Sinha

14:19 Compensation Strategy: What Percentile Should You Target?

19:00 CEO Pay Ratios and the New Era of Excess Pay Risk

28:00 2026 SEC Shifts: Changes to DEI, ESG, and Disclosures

31:23 Career Path: From Mid-Level to Global Rewards Executive

34:00 The Goal-Setting Framework: Threshold, Target, and Maximum

40:03 The Reality of AI in Total Rewards

43:11 Global Comp Strategy and Cross-Cultural Awareness

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Raj Sinha:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rajcsinha

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3033550 0a917a77-812c-4cf4-bed8-bac912e78912 2857 full 1 1 40 40 Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[How to Compete When Your Product Can Be Copied in 24 Hours | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> Marketing leaders are being laid off at record rates in 2026. Philip Kushmaro has watched it happen for 15 years across hundreds of companies - and he knows exactly why.

The problem isn't the marketers. It's a fundamental misalignment between what marketing actually does and what CEOs think they're paying for.

In this episode, Philip breaks down the real state of the marketing job market, why brand is now the only moat that can't be copied overnight, what to do when you lose your job, and why he and his wife are building Maguire, a lifestyle tech brand and AI-driven motherhood operating system, to solve one of the most underserved crises in the world.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters: 0:00 Why marketing leaders are getting fired right now 07:56 Brand as the only moat left in a world where tools get copied overnight 29:31 Going from operator to founder: what Philip learned doing it the hard way 40:31 Advice for new marketing grads in 2026 41:39 Generalist vs. specialist: the right path 45:21 Why does AI still need a minimum of three people on a marketing team 48:36 The gig economy reckoning: losing benefits, security, and the social contract

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Philip Kushmaro:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipkushmaro

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/3016610 d338c4e8-91ba-40b3-b137-03adcca1a27a 3271 full 1 1 39 39 Fri, 24 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Why Most of 1999’s Industry Giants Died And How Your Business Can Avoid Their Fate | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In 1999, the Fortune 25 was the most powerful list of companies on earth.

By 2024, 21 of those 25 companies were gone shrunk, acquired, or irrelevant. Only four survived. Mark L. Vincent has spent 25 years studying what separates the leaders who build something that lasts from those who don't. As executive advisor, founding member of the Sage Group Collective, and author of the newly released book The Maestro Effect, he breaks down the four elements every founder must orchestrate to hand their business off with full value intact - and what happens to the ones who don't.

In this episode, we go deep on succession planning, the three turns of a leader, why C-suite isolation is a growing crisis, what boards get dangerously wrong about their own role, and why short-termism is quietly destroying the institutions we're trying to build.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro: Who is Mark L. Vincent?

01:48 It's Not About Retirement It's About Orchestration

07:55 The Four Key Elements of the Maestro Effect Framework

14:15 The Three Turns of a Leader

20:44 Continuity Planning vs. Succession Planning

25:00 The Relationship Equity Problem When Top Performers Leave

37:38 C-Suite Isolation: "Every Promotion Means Fewer Friends"

58:06 Advisory vs. Fiduciary Boards: The Distinction That Changes Everything

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Mark L. Vincent:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklvincent

#SuccessionPlanning #LeadershipLegacy #TheMaestroEffect #CEOAdvice #BoardGovernance #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #LeadershipDevelopment

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2999698 7dd9a22c-f3eb-4aa2-bd45-12936035301f 3542 full 1 1 38 38 Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:07:26 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[A Cultural Mindset which can Destroy Your Company | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> Most founders think HR is just hiring and firing. Adam Reidel has spent 25 years proving that belief is one of the most expensive mistakes a growing company can make.

As a senior People & HR executive who has built HR organizations inside fast-growing, complex companies from startup to scale, Adam breaks down exactly what happens when founders treat HR as an afterthought and what it takes to fix it before it breaks the business.

In this episode, we cover the first 90-day playbook for a broken HR function, why salary compression quietly destroys morale, how to scale globally without creating compliance disasters, the real state of DEIB in 2026, and why ageism is now the most common hiring discrimination nobody talks about.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 - "HR is just hiring and firing" 07:50 Where High-Growth Companies Get HR Infrastructure Wrong 15:38 The Seat at the Table: Why Reporting to Finance Kills HR Impact 22:16 Global Expansion: Compliance Risks Across Borders 27:20 How to Corporatize a Founder-Led or Family-Owned Business 41:03 Ageism: The Most Common Hiring Discrimination Right Now 53:28 How AI is Changing the HR Job Search

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Adam Reidel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamreidel

#HRStrategy #PeopleOps #HumanResources #StartupHR #HRLeadership #CompensationStrategy #DEIB #AgencyGrowth #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #ScalingCulture #GlobalHR #HRCompliance #MentalHealthAtWork #FutureOfWork

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2977393 dfd2091b-1db4-4d59-a537-9bc3adfd7961 3317 full 1 1 37 37 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:46:48 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Corey Quinn: How to Build a Business Everyone Wants to Buy | Ready Set Exec]]> What if your best sales tactic wasn't a CRM sequence or a LinkedIn ad but a tin of gourmet cookies?

Corey Quinn was CMO at Scorpion when the company grew from $20M to $200M in annual recurring revenue. He spent $3 million a year sending gifts to cold prospects and generated a 10% send-to-appointment rate when cold calling gets sub-1%.

In this episode, he breaks down everything he learned about building a category-dominating brand, escaping founder-led sales, preparing for an acquisition, and why the marketing rules most founders follow are killing their business value.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

02:10 Category kings: why one brand wins 70-80% of any market 08:59 What percentage of revenue should go to marketing? 13:12 Cost per acquisition: the right way to measure marketing 24:56 Gift-based outbound: $3M/year on cookies and what happened 37:37 What multipliers PE firms will pay (and why) 48:44 The two forks: commodity vs. premium consultative path 51:13 Will AI eliminate the entry-level sales grinder?

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Corey Quinn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyquinn/

#B2BMarketing #AgencyGrowth #ContentMarketing #MarketingStrategy #GiftBasedOutbound #CategoryKing #Specialization #AgencyMandA #FounderLedSales #ExitStrategy #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #MarketingKPIs #EnterpriseValue #AnyoneNotEveryone

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2960246 22f4d60f-9280-4d63-ab62-7283de2e9baf 3197 full 1 1 36 36 Fri, 03 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Ryan Ross: Why B2B Founders Must Build a Media Empire in 2026 | Ready Set Exec]]> Most people think webinars are boring. Ryan Ross thinks they're the most underrated growth engine in business, and he's got Mark Cuban and the founder of Netflix on his webinar roster to prove it.

As Head of Marketing at BrokersBlock and author of Benefits with Friends, Ryan has spent over a decade helping professionals in highly regulated industries build authority, trust, and a real pipeline from content that most people ignore.

In this episode, we break down how to turn one webinar into 30 pieces of content, why CE-approved events triple your registrations, how to get celebrity guests to say yes, why you should stop calling yourself an influencer, and how the Dream 100 framework could change the way you think about your entire market.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Who is Ryan Ross?

1:42 Webinars as a growth engine: The Tree of Life framework

6:21 The celebrity guest framework: how Ryan got Mark Cuban

8:51 CE-approved webinars: why they triple your registrations

13:43 Post-webinar nurture: turning attendees into pipeline

18:00 Best practices: length, polling, Zoom settings, and landing pages

31:38 Focus, delegation, and saying no as a founder

38:33 The Dream 100: why niching down beats going broad

44:06 Why known brands win in a down market

44:54 Benefits with Friends: writing a business novel to learn an industry

50:32 How Ryan used AI to write the book (and where it helped most)

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Ryan Ross:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrossnow/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2910487 fbe10138-d3bf-4e9a-85f8-e17723b2e8f8 3346 full 1 1 34 34 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Alan McLaren: The Silent Leadership Signal Destroying Your Team | Ready Set Exec S01E33]]> CEO posts generate 7x more impressions than company pages. Most CEOs aren't posting. That gap is costing them trust, talent, and revenue.

Alan McLaren is the co-founder of Strata Originals, the leadership branding firm that has coached more than 600 CEOs to clarify their leadership signal - the way their voice, presence, and perspective land with authority in every room and on every platform. With 30 years in executive roles across public companies, partnerships, and entrepreneurial ventures, Alan helps leaders understand why being felt is more important than just being seen.

In this episode, Alan breaks down everything: why your leadership brand matters more than ever in the age of AI, why 90% of sales reps are doing social selling completely wrong, what the Coldplay CEO scandal teaches us about visibility and values, and how to frame your communication so it builds trust instead of triggering partisan walls.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 Who is Alan McLaren? 600 CEOs coached, 30 years in exec roles, Strata Originals

01:24 Leadership branding vs. personal branding

06:37 What to do if you're a CEO who hates being in front of cameras

08:00 The basic assets every executive should build to start their leadership brand

15:03 The loneliness of leadership: why even CEOs need mentors and community

22:58 What "leadership signal" actually means in the Mensa CEO story

26:00 How to frame content so it starts conversations instead of creating partisan divides

28:14 Why CEOs should never talk politics online

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Alan McLaren:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmclaren

#CEO #leadershipbranding #personalbranding #LinkedInmarketing #socialselling #executiveleadership #thoughtleadership #podcast #ReadySetExec #trustbuilding

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2910465 a20d3617-d17d-4f9f-a27e-2815223c7af5 2697 full 1 1 33 33 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:17:39 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Dr. Steven Wright: The 3 AI Threats Your Company Isn't Protecting Against | Ready Set Exec]]> AI isn't what most people think it is. And the threats it's creating are ones most companies have no plan for.

Dr. Steven Wright is a globally experienced technology strategist, educator, and lawyer with over three decades of leadership across telecommunications, IT, and emerging digital ecosystems. He has contributed more than 50 patents, negotiated international technology agreements, and serves as faculty at multiple universities, driving innovation in AI, network architecture, and technology law.

In this episode, we unpack the full landscape of what's actually happening at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, law, and ethics - including why politicians can't regulate what they don't understand, the three AI-enabled threats most companies aren't protecting against, and when quantum computing will actually break the internet's current security infrastructure.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 Who is Dr. Steven Wright?

01:04n The different ethical frameworks and why they matter for AI

05:30 Why calling it "AI" is the problem 07:36 Autonomous vehicles and the trolley problem

11:51 Who pays when an AI makes a mistake?

15:13 Why politicians can't regulate what they don't understand

20:30 Data suppression: how information is censored, hidden, and manipulated at scale

23:36 Deepfakes - CEO impersonation, blackmail, and why your company is the target

31:56 Quantum computing, when is it actually coming, and what will it break?

36:23 Post-quantum cryptography - the Y2K-scale challenge already underway

38:25 Blockchain, the GENIUS Act, and stable coins where crypto law actually stands in 2026

48:23 NFTs, practical blockchain use cases, and what actually worked

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Dr. Steven Wright:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drstevenawright/

#AI #cybersecurity #deepfakes #datapoisoning #quantumcomputing #blockchain #techlaw #AIethics #podcast #ReadySetExec

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2887333 d1b70747-efa8-4360-b9fd-c723a3542840 3587 full 1 1 32 32 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:45:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Joshua Ramsey: Why Your AdWords Isn't Working (And It's Not the Agency's Fault) | Ready Set Exec]]> Most businesses are handing thousands of dollars a month to marketing agencies that start from scratch every time, run ads at 2 am to nobody, and load 1,200 keywords when 50 would do the job.

Joshua Ramsey has spent over 20 years as a fractional CMO running campaigns across 15 industries, and he's seen every way a marketing budget gets quietly wasted.

In this episode, we break down how to hold agencies accountable, what your AdWords account should actually look like, and why following AI for your marketing strategy may be the most expensive mistake you make in the next two years.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapter:

0:00 - Intro: Who is Joshua Ramsey?

1:25 - Managing agency transitions without killing your pipeline

6:36 - How to hold agencies accountable with KPIs

9:33 - Law of diminishing returns in AdWords

12:27 - What healthy AdWords numbers actually look like

14:51 - Search impression share: the sweet spot

20:58 - What a real fractional CMO actually does

30:42 - AI search optimization: real or hype?

33:07 - How to show up in ChatGPT and Gemini

37:00 - Why AI marketing advice will sink your business

42:58 - Building a brand narrative that differentiates you

44:03 - The trauma egg: your founder story as your edge

51:18 - Nike, McDonald's, Rolls-Royce operational truth in branding

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Joshua Ramesy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaramsey

#FractionalCMO #MarketingStrategy #AdWords #GoogleAds #BusinessGrowth

#DigitalMarketing #BrandNarrative #AIMarketing #ContentMarketing #Podcast2026

#SMBMarketing #LeadGeneration #MarketingAgency #FounderMindset #Entrepreneur

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2867775 6397d27d-07bb-4c0c-868e-e6f526fc3663 3252 full 1 1 31 31 Fri, 29 May 2026 01:08:15 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Justin Freishtat: How to launch a hedge fund]]> Navigate the complex world of private equity with insider secrets from Justin Freishtat. Discover how to structure, fundraise, and protect your fund amidst market volatility. Learn the importance of legal structures like 506(c) vs. 506(b), third-party administration, and audits to safeguard against fraud. Justin shares strategies for raising capital, building a personal brand, and identifying qualified investors. Stand out in a crowded market with integrity and transparency. Hear stories of fraud, lessons learned, and the critical role of due diligence. Whether you're a high-net-worth individual or an aspiring fund manager, this episode is your guide to turning risk into reward. Justin's expertise in private equity and hedge funds offers essential insights for elevating your investment strategy. Tune in to master capital formation and personal branding, and start building smarter, safer, more profitable funds today.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Justin Freishtat and His Ventures

01:06 Understanding Modern Private Equity and Fund Structures

02:45 Launching a New Fund: Insights and Preparations

04:10 Market Changes and Investor Sentiment

06:18 Fundraising Strategies in a Constrained Environment

09:10 The Importance of Personal Branding in VC

11:41 Retail Investment Trends and Social Media Influence

14:45 Navigating the Risks of Investment in a Volatile Market

18:41 Education and Discipline in Investment Strategies

21:29 Lessons Learned: The Importance of Third-Party Reporting

24:52 Navigating Legal Challenges in Business

27:01 The Journey of Heartland: A Family Business Success

29:05 Transitioning from Family Business to Hedge Funds

32:17 Reinventing Yourself in New Ventures

36:37 Finding Fulfillment Beyond Financial Success

38:40 The Importance of Enjoying the Journey

40:39 Building a Personal Brand in a Digital World

42:07 The Future of Advertising and Social Media

43:28 Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Goals

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Justin Freishtat:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-freishtat-68063579/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2844024 c5dd4d4b-9907-4705-a731-18daaf468e7c 2656 full 1 1 30 30 Fri, 22 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Jim Carlough: How I Took a Sales Team's Close Ratio from 15% to 70% in 3 Years]]> Most sales teams track their close ratio and quota attainment. Jim Carlough's team went from 15% to 70% by measuring everything else first.

Jim Carlough is a transformational executive and leadership identity architect with 30 years of driving growth across healthcare and technology. As Chief Sales Officer at Impulse, he leads AI-powered engagement strategies delivering over one billion healthcare conversations annually while accelerating double-digit ARR growth. As former President of Health Trio (acquired by Impulse), he tripled revenue in three years, going from 1 deal a year to 10, selling a new deal every month for nine consecutive months in his best stretch.

In this episode, Jim breaks down exactly how he did it: the pipeline cleansing, the drip campaigns, the KPI structure, and the hiring philosophy he learned from Ross Perot. He also shares the research behind his new book on "accidental leaders," the 82% of managers promoted without any leadership training, and why AI will never replace the human judgment, empathy, and integrity that real leadership requires.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapter:

00:00 Who is Jim Carlough? 30 years, $100M healthcare SaaS, CSO at Impulse

01:25 How Jim took close ratios from 15% to 70%, the first thing he did

03:20 The pipeline cleansing operation is removing years of garbage from Salesforce

08:15 KPIs that actually matter: drip campaigns, early-stage pipeline, and qualified pipeline

12:45 9 deals in 9 months, and the chairman's call in October

15:03 Building a metrics-driven culture without destroying your team's morale

16:19 Hire winners or people who hate to lose, the Ross Perot hiring philosophy

23:56 The two things all salespeople struggle with and how to coach around them

43:20 Why AI will never replace leadership empathy, integrity, and judgment

47:23 Jim's book: The Six Essential Pillars for fixing "Accidental Leaders."

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Jim Carlough:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcarlough

#salesleadership #B2Bsales #salesKPI #SaaS #healthtech #AI #leadership #CRO #podcast #ReadySetExec

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2818000 7b90ef42-40e6-4bdf-ae7d-3ddb3f1938ed 3143 full 1 1 29 29 Fri, 15 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Aurora Winter: How to Write a Business Book That Makes You 7 Figures | Ready Set Exec]]> In 2026, there are two types of people: those who work for AI, and those who have AI work for them. A book is one of the fastest ways to end up in the right category.

Aurora Winter is a thought leader, launch expert, media coach, and bestselling author of 10 books. A former film and TV executive, she helps entrepreneurs and executives turn their expertise into books, powerful messages, and lasting authority. Dr. Wayne Dyer has endorsed her work and helped clients get featured in major media outlets, raise capital, and become recognized voices in their fields.

In this episode, we break down exactly how to write, publish, and launch a business book that actually grows your revenue - not just your shelf. Aurora covers the Hormozi playbook that generated $81M in one day, the neuroscience behind why stories sell 27x more, and why a bad book can hurt your brand more than having no book at all.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 Who is Aurora Winter? Film/TV exec turned 10-time bestselling author

01:53 Why 2026 is a watershed year for personal brands - and AI's scary split

03:56 Why strong brands grow in recessions - the Chanel 2008 case study

07:13 Step-by-step: how to plan your business book from scratch

09:41 Self-publishing vs. traditional - which one is right for you?

11:26 Why AI-written books will destroy your brand (not build it)

13:25 The full book launch system - from manuscript to thought leader

17:18 How Alex Hormozi made $81M in one day - the self-publishing blueprint

21:00 Realistic expectations: the dentist who built a $120M company from one book

29:39 Neuroscience of trust: why stories produce 27x more revenue

31:50 Social proof and status - how a book shifts every client conversation

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Aurora Winter:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/aurorawinter

#personalbranding #writingabook #businessbook #selfpublishing #thoughtleadership #AlexHormozi #authorpreneur #podcast #ReadySetExec #brandbuilding

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2802565 4c6142f7-76b6-4839-9421-55db6e22b690 2483 full 1 1 28 28 Fri, 08 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Joe Zahaitis: How to choose your payment processor for your business | Ready Set Exec]]> Most businesses hand over 90–95% of their revenue stream to a payment processor they've never properly vetted, and that processor is counting on you never looking too closely at the bill.

Joe Zahaitis has spent 32 years in payments working for Bank of America Merchant Services, SPS Payment Systems, and now Bank Card International Group and Manirpay. He's seen every trick in the book.

In this episode, we get into the one formula that exposes if your processor is overcharging you, how predatory pricing creeps in when you're not watching, why crypto could eliminate chargebacks, and how to finally build a relationship with your vendor instead of just chasing the lowest price.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro: Who is Joe Zahaitis?

0:52 - How Joe got into payments, the Sears interview story

5:17 - Why payments are taken for granted (and why that costs you money)

5:47 - What to look for beyond just price in a payment processor

8:13 - How to vet your merchant services provider properly

11:23 - Predatory pricing: how to spot if your processor is ripping you off

13:57 - High-risk industries and what that means for your business

17:37 - Crypto, stablecoins, and why there's no chargeback on digital assets

19:37 - Friendly fraud, consumer abuse, and the chargeback war

23:21 - Subscription scams, auto-renewals, and the trap that survives card changes

29:04 - Best practices for any merchant, regardless of budget

32:07 - How to minimize chargebacks (the right way)

38:11 - Rate creep, contract rolls, and the cash discount debate

47:25 - Customer segmentation: your A, B, C, and D clients

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Joe Zahaitis:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joezahaitis/

#MerchantServices #PaymentProcessing #Ecommerce #Chargebacks #BusinessGrowth

#SmallBusiness #CryptoPayments #SubscriptionTrap #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026

#HighRiskPayments #PaymentFraud #EcommerceStrategy #FounderMindset #Entrepreneur

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2782611 cc5465fb-0a31-4e3d-979c-de0f77f01802 2892 full 1 1 27 27 Fri, 01 May 2026 15:30:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[James Lang: 90% of Businesses Are Using AI Wrong (Here's What Actually Works) | Ready Set Exec]]> Most businesses are burning cash on AI tools that will disappear overnight - and they don't even know it.

James Lang (Managing Partner, Overlang Venture Partners) reveals the exact AI growth funnel used by multi-million dollar brands, and why owning your own AI infrastructure is the #1 competitive edge in 2026.

In this episode, we get into the AI-powered quiz funnel used by top brands, why your off-the-shelf AI is a liability, and how to build enterprise infrastructure on an SMB budget and what it actually takes to scale a team without destroying the culture that got you there.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapter:

0:00 - Intro: Who is James Lang?

1:09 - The AI-powered quiz funnel strategy

4:29 - What does a healthy sales funnel actually look like?

11:06 - Where to deploy AI across your marketing stack

13:22 - How to use AI prompts properly (stop copy-pasting AI slop)

19:19 - Enterprise AI strategies now available to SMBs

22:48 - Building your own AI infrastructure: the walled garden approach

26:44 - The AI startup bubble - whose data is really at risk?

34:43 - Scaling from 5 to 60 employees - what breaks first

40:31 - The "Camp Counsellor COO" and the kazoo method

52:33 - Recruiting: Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn & Upwork compared

57:46 - The gig economy retirement crisis no one is talking about

1:01:13 - Final advice: learn AI and over-deliver for people who matter

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with James Lang:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lang-94329271

#AIMarketing #GrowthFunnel #SmallBusiness #AITools #BusinessGrowth #StartupStrategy

#SalesStrategy #MarketingStrategy #COOLeadership #AIInfrastructure #Entrepreneurship

#BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #FounderMindset #ScalingUp

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2761584 ae4c972a-6c44-4b85-8cad-94c492829008 3644 full 1 1 26 26 Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:30:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Liz Weber: Why HR Executives Fail at the C-Suite Table, and What to Do Instead | Ready Set Exec]]> Your company values mean nothing if you're not willing to enforce them when it's hard.

Liz Weber is a Leadership Advisor to Boards, Owners, and C-suite teams with 33 years in business. She's a strategic and succession planning consultant, keynote speaker, author, and former chair of the IMC USA Ethics Committee. She works with organizations to build cultures that actually reflect what leadership says they believe — not just what's framed on the wall.

In this episode, we get into what real business ethics looks like in practice, how to hold people accountable without destroying relationships, why ESG is in limbo and what boards should do about it, and how HR executives can finally earn a seat and a voice at the C-suite table.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapter:

00:00 Who is Liz Weber? Board advisor, keynote speaker, IMC USA ethics chair

01:13 What does "doing the right thing" actually look like in business?

04:45 Values as "house rules" - what that means for your company

05:52 Ethics when nobody is watching - the real test of character

07:22 How to make values more than a plaque on the wall

15:22 ESG - from must-do to in limbo: what boards should do now

21:27 Religion, politics, and business - where's the line?

31:42 HR is burned out - what's the future of the profession?

38:48 How HR executives can finally have an impact at the C-suite table

45:54 The family business son story - what happens when you test your own values

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Liz Weber:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizwebercmc/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2742450 163cacf0-f375-4fb0-83f1-5fc46b597f3d 2945 full 1 1 25 25 Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Brandon Diehm: Why Your Hiring Process Is Broken and How to Fix It | Ready Set Exec]]> Most companies think their hiring process is fine. It's not. And a 20-year veteran of one of the world's top executive search firms will tell you exactly why.

Brandon Diehm is a senior talent acquisition leader who built and led end-to-end TA functions at PwC, RSM, and, most recently, as Director of Talent Acquisition at Heidrick & Struggles, one of the world's most prestigious executive search firms. He's hired everyone from campus interns to C-suite executives, and he's seen every mistake companies make along the way.

In this episode, Brandon breaks down what separates great recruiting from the average, how to build a success profile that actually predicts performance, and why the most important call you'll ever make as a recruiter is to the person who didn't get the job.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 Who is Brandon Diehm? PWC → RSM → Heidrick & Struggles

01:25 Why professional services recruiting requires a higher standard

04:33 Competency-based interviews: how to build a success profile that actually predicts performance

07:31 The most important call a recruiter makes, and it's not the job offer

09:37 Employer brand starts with your job description - not your logo

14:29 Campus recruiting: the lollipop-to-legacy pipeline explained

20:37 Healthy attrition: why 70% staying 3 years means you've won

23:56 The 3 biggest leaks killing your recruiting engine

35:15 AI in recruiting - where it will fall short and why human recruiters still win

43:07 How to work with an executive search firm and get the best outcomes

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Brandon:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/brandondiehmrecruiting

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2710163 93c54eae-30b3-452e-abe6-057395c65aca 3249 full 1 1 24 24 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:36:10 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Allen Martinez: The Man Behind Shark Tank's Largest Exit on why 70% of AI Projects Fail | Ready Set Exec]]> Most companies think they're saving time with AI. They're actually losing $200,000–$400,000 a year - and it doesn't show up on any report.

Allen Martinez is the brand strategist behind Shark Tank's largest exit in history: turning Plated from near-bankruptcy into a $300M acquisition in just 18 months. Quentin Tarantino handpicked him to direct for his commercial division, deployed $25B in media for global brands, and has work in MoMA's permanent collection. Today, he's the founder of Noble Digital and creator of the Brand Experience AI Operating System (BX AI OS) - the constitutional governance framework for corporate AI.

We cover the hidden cost of bad AI deployment, why 70% of AI projects fail, the 3 critical gaps destroying companies, and exactly what to do about it in the next 30 days.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters: 00:00 Who is Allen Martinez? The $300M Shark Tank exit

01:52 The Reconciliation Tax - the hidden $400K AI cost no one tracks

03:47 Onboard AI like a new employee - or it goes rogue

05:54 The 3 gaps killing every AI deployment

08:07 How to protect your company legally from AI mistakes

13:40 The Chevy Tahoe AI disaster - sold for $1 with zero guardrails

17:12 Why brand voice and performance are now the same code

23:36 Doers vs. architects - who survives the AI era

28:08 10-person companies will compete with Fortune 500s

34:02 30-day action plan for HR and business leaders

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Allen Martinez:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2681035 5d0f0c0f-1cc2-479c-997c-eded26081a0a 3072 full 1 1 23 23 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT false false United States, USA <![CDATA[Albert Butler: Mastering the CFO Mindset: How Effective CEOs Think About Money | Ready Set Exec ]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with Albert Butler, CPA, MBA (Partner at Banks, Finley, White & Co.). With 25+ years of merging technical excellence and purpose-driven leadership, Albert breaks down the full cycle of money for entrepreneurs: from idea to funding, scaling, and building generational wealth.

Key Takeaways:

  • The precise difference between earned and passive income for tax optimization.
  • The 5 Muscles every CEO must develop to survive and scale.
  • Why accounting is the undeniable heartbeat of every business.
  • The destructive danger of executive ego and buying depreciating liabilities.
  • Personal financial habits are the ultimate predictor of corporate success.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction: Meet Top CPA & Risk Expert Albert Butler 00:01:08 - The Cycle of Money: How Capital Actually Works 00:04:36 - How to Read Financial Statements Like a Private Equity Investor 00:06:16 - The 5 Muscles Every CEO Must Build to Survive 00:12:08 - The "Wearing Too Many Hats" Trap & Why Micromanaging Fails 00:31:33 - Earned vs. Passive Income: The Secret to Tax Optimization 00:35:29 - The "Costco Effect" and the Psychology of Impulse Buying 00:45:38 - The Mega-Lease Disaster: Why Ego Destroys Profit Margins 00:48:20 - Final Thoughts on Checking Your Pride at the Door

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Connect with Albert Butler:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2664868 fc4d61f6-c899-4084-9dae-0229138ed711 2943 full 1 1 22 22 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:02:41 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Laura Patterson: Data that Drives Growth | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, hosts John and Patrick sit down with Laura Patterson (President of VisionEdge Marketing and creator of Accelance®) to break down the exact frameworks required to measure true marketing ROI. Drawing from over two decades of experience, Laura exposes the reality of the modern "data deluge," why million-dollar PowerBI dashboards fail, and the critical difference between a vanity metric and a true KPI. For executives struggling to prove marketing's value to the board or navigating the risks of AI customer service, this data-driven masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  1. How to measure true marketing ROI and build a genuinely customer-centric organization.
  2. The modern "data deluge" and why million-dollar PowerBI dashboards are abandoned in 30 days.
  3. The critical difference between a vanity measure, a metric, and a true KPI.
  4. How to build a B2B marketing attribution model using the "golf scorecard" metaphor.
  5. The AI commoditization risk: why relying heavily on chatbots can destroy brand loyalty.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Laura Patterson and VisionEdge Marketing 00:20 - The Data Firehose: Why More Information Doesn't Equal Better Decisions 03:37 - Why Million-Dollar PowerBI Dashboards Are Abandoned in 30 Days 04:50 - The Exact Difference Between a Vanity Measure, a Metric, and a KPI 07:44 - How to Build a B2B Marketing Attribution Model 15:10 - Product-Centric vs. Sales-Centric vs. Customer-Centric Organizations 19:04 - The "Circle of Traction" Framework for Unstoppable Business Growth 21:59 - The AI Commoditization Risk: Why Chatbots Are Destroying Brand Loyalty 28:44 - The Cracker Barrel Disaster: Why You Must Talk to Your Customers 33:37 - How to Build a Culture of Accountability Without Being Punitive 40:41 - The Change Management Secret to Making Frameworks Actually Work

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Connect with Laura Patterson:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2643569 0b079f16-e07b-43dc-a813-2a149a542cc2 2691 full 1 1 21 21 Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Gina Riley: The C-Suite Secret to Building a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with elite executive search consultant and career strategist Gina Riley (author of Qualified Isn't Enough). Gina dismantles the dangerous myth that a polished resume is enough to secure top-tier executive roles in today's market. Discover how to bypass transactional online applications, access the highly lucrative hidden job market, and build an undeniable Unique Value Proposition (UVP). For professionals at any level aiming to scale their career momentum and project unshakeable executive presence, this masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • Why being merely qualified isn't enough and how to access the hidden C-Suite job market.
  • The exact frameworks of the Career Velocity™ system and the RARE Candidate™ matrix.
  • How to build an undeniable Unique Value Proposition (UVP) using CliftonStrengths.
  • The strategic imperative of building a high-leverage professional network before you need one.
  • Mastering high-stakes storytelling and the dreaded "Tell Me About Yourself" interview question.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Gina Riley and Executive Career Strategy 00:02:15 - The Resume Trap: Why Being Qualified Isn't Enough Anymore 00:06:40 - How the "Hidden Job Market" Actually Works for C-Suite Roles 00:11:22 - Deconstructing the Career Velocity System for Senior Leaders 00:21:30 - How to Build Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) Scorecard 00:27:45 - Leveraging CliftonStrengths and UMAP to Define Your Brand 00:32:10 - The RARE Candidate Matrix: Becoming the Undeniable Choice 00:36:55 - Strategic Networking: How to Connect Without Asking for a Job 00:41:20 - Mastering the "Tell Me About Yourself" Interview Question 00:46:50 - Cultivating Executive Presence and High-Stakes Storytelling

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Connect with Gina Riley:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2623821 ec18c74c-4f8c-478c-a906-251d774f6a0a 2778 full 1 1 20 20 Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:50:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Hernan Rein: The Hidden Cost of M&A and How to Build Global Corporate Cultures | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with Hernán Rein (CHRO at Fortifi Food Processing Solutions and former global CHRO of PerkinElmer). Drawing from 30+ years of experience and 15+ global acquisitions, Hernán breaks down the exact frameworks required to scale a multinational workforce and execute flawless post-merger integrations. Discover the stark differences between US and European HR models, the critical 6-to-18-month timeline for M&A cultural integration, and why traditional Time to Hire metrics are dangerously flawed. For leaders navigating international expansion or complex legacy integrations, this human capital masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • Frameworks for scaling a multinational workforce and executing post-merger integrations.
  • The stark differences between US compliance-driven HR models and European union relations.
  • The critical 6-to-18-month timeline is required to stabilize M&A cultural integrations.
  • Why traditional Time to Hire is a flawed metric and the shift to measuring Time to Performance.
  • How advanced organizations utilize HRIS platforms like Workday to map Talent Density.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Hernan Rein and Global HR Leadership 00:04:01 - US Labour Compliance vs. European Union Relations 00:08:46 - How to Build Trust Instantly in Foreign Corporate Cultures 00:14:23 - Why First-Generation Professionals Make the Best Global Executives 00:18:01 - The Decline of the Expensive Expat and Modern Global Mobility 00:22:12 - Mergers & Acquisitions: Why Cultural Integrations Fail 00:24:58 - The 6 to 18-Month Rule for M&A Stabilization 00:28:34 - The Truth About HRIS and Workday Implementations 00:32:28 - Stop Measuring Time to Hire - Focus on Time to Performance 00:35:08 - How to Build a Talent Density Map for Your Organization 00:39:09 - The True ROI of Corporate Learning & Development (L&D) Programs

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Connect with Hernán Rein:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2606241 cfb88680-7c49-4c21-b93a-daa1c5f9feb7 2600 full 1 1 19 19 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:10:24 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Scott Leese: The Brutal Truth About AI, Startups, & The Future of Sales | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, host John Pezoulas sits down with 6x sales leader and 4x founder Scott Leese to break down the exact operational frameworks required to scale a startup's Go-to-Market strategy from $0 to $25M ARR. Discover why traditional cold outbound is failing, how current AI SDRs are actively destroying buyer trust, and the urgent need to adopt a Go-to-Network sales motion. For founders scaling their startups and sales professionals navigating the B2B Purge, this revenue operations masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The exact operational frameworks to scale from $0 to $25M ARR.
  • Why traditional cold outbound and current AI SDRs are failing to convert.
  • The urgent necessity of adopting a Go-to-Network sales motion.
  • Why doing unscalable human things is the ultimate competitive advantage.
  • The Enterprise Hire Fallacy: why high-pedigree big tech executives often fail at early-stage startups.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Scott Leese and Global B2B Sales Scaling 00:07:33 - Omnichannel Strategy: Surviving the LinkedIn Algorithm Collapse 00:14:42 - Advice for New SDRs: Mastering the Basics in a Chaotic Market 00:16:34 - Why Cold Calling is Dying and the Pivot to a Go-to-Network Strategy 00:20:50 - The Paradox of Automation: Why You Must Do Unscalable Human Things 00:24:22 - The Uncanny Valley: Why AI SDRs Are Currently Failing to Convert 00:27:13 - The Most Common Go-to-Market Dysfunctions in Early-Stage Startups 00:38:15 - The Fundamental Pipeline Math Every Startup Must Know to Survive 00:40:57 - The Enterprise Hire Fallacy: Why Big Tech Executives Fail at Startups 00:44:05 - The Hunter vs. Farmer DNA in Sales Execution 00:44:56 - The Psychology of Self-Awareness in Career Trajectories

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Connect with Scott Leese:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2563856 36b584fb-be48-47f5-9ed6-9d6b6d14b198 2943 full 1 1 18 18 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 17:00:00 GMT true United States, USA <![CDATA[Praveen Kamsetti: The 4 Habits That Will Make or Break Your Leadership in 2026 | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Hosts John and Patrick sit down with Praveen Kamsetti (VP of Digital Transformation at Jupiter Capital Management). Drawing on 20+ years of IT and M&A experience, Praveen reveals his "4L Leadership Framework" for guiding organizations through constant disruption. Discover why 80% of M&A integrations fail, how to balance empathy with ruthless accountability during layoffs, and why the generic "productivity" argument for AI is dead. For leaders navigating digital transformation and complex acquisitions, this masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "4L Leadership Framework" for balancing empathy and business performance.
  • Why up to 80% of M&A integrations fail and the hidden costs of legacy tech debt.
  • The critical need for early cybersecurity and ISO 27001 assessments in acquisitions.
  • Why the 2026 AI "productivity" argument is dead and how CIOs must pivot to true innovation.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Praveen Kamsetti and the Era of Disruption 00:01:56 - The Shift from Corporate Stability to Constant Technological Disruption 00:03:54 - The 4L Leadership Framework: Balancing Humanity and Performance 00:06:58 - The Empathy Paradox: How to Handle Massive Corporate Layoffs 00:10:18 - Why Most Post-Merger Cultural Integrations Fail 00:16:26 - The Hidden Cost of M&A: Why CIOs Must Assess Legacy Systems Early 00:21:14 - Navigating Cybersecurity Risks and ISO 27001 During an Acquisition 00:25:31 - How to Build a Culture of Continuous IT Improvement 00:35:54 - The Truth About AI ROI: Why the Push for Pure Productivity is Dead 00:43:03 - The 2026 AI Transformation and Legacy System Bottlenecks 00:44:20 - The Year-Long Journey of Writing the 4L Framework Book

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Connect with Praveen Kamsetti:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2563755 6ee826d2-b94b-475c-88bf-a2f690bc57e6 2797 full 1 1 17 17 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:50:05 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Lauren Lefkowitz: The Hidden Cost of Burnout & Why Small Business HR is Broken | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with Fractional CHRO Lauren Lefkowitz to tackle the realities of systemic corporate burnout. Drawing from two decades of 100-hour workweeks, Lauren reveals how to build unbreakable boundaries, navigate toxic HR politics, and solve the compliance blind spots that destroy small businesses. If you're a founder scaling up or an executive desperate to escape the grind, this HR masterclass is for you.

Key Takeaways:

  • Surviving burnout and escaping the "fine is a trap" mentality.
  • The critical HR and compliance blind spots that destroy scaling businesses.
  • Building unbreakable boundaries to protect your time and energy.
  • Applying Agile and Six Sigma methodologies to modernize HR workflows.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Lauren Lefkowitz and Fractional HR Leadership 00:02:15 - The 100-Hour Workweek: Surviving Corporate Burnout 00:05:40 - Why "Fine is a Trap" for High-Achieving Executives 00:10:22 - The Small Business Compliance Chasm: What You Don't Know 00:19:30 - How to Implement Boundary Setting to Prevent Executive Burnout 00:24:15 - The True Cost of a Toxic Candidate and Employee Experience 00:29:05 - The Rise of the Fractional CHRO in Modern Business 00:34:20 - Navigating Toxic HR Politics and the SHRM vs HRCI Controversy 00:40:10 - Applying Agile and Six Sigma Methodologies to HR Workflows 00:51:15 - Final Thoughts: Breaking the Work, Sleep, Repeat Cycle

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Connect with Lauren Lefkowitz:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenlefkowitz/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2546195 e483f2c4-ce1e-423b-9a0f-baf816dae871 2787 full 1 1 16 16 Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:00:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The LinkedIn Algorithm is Changing (Do This Now) | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with award-winning author and global keynote speaker Al Kushner (creator of LinkedVantage). Al breaks down the rapidly changing digital landscape, exposing exactly why organic reach on LinkedIn has plummeted and how executives must aggressively pivot to short-form video. Discover the dangers of "AI Slop," the multi-model AI synthesis required to maintain corporate authenticity, and the highly lucrative economics of executive thought leadership. For leaders scaling a startup or navigating complex B2B sales, this masterclass in digital syndication and personal branding is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

1. Why organic reach on LinkedIn has plummeted and the necessary pivot to 30-to-90-second video content.

2. The dangerous rise of AI Slop and how to maintain corporate authenticity using multi-model AI.

3. How publishing a 100-page book via Print-on-Demand unlocks $10,000 to $20,000 keynote speaking gigs.

4. Why LinkedIn Newsletters are the ultimate tool for bypassing corporate spam filters.

5. How elite executives are building synthetic AI advisory boards for high-level decision-making.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction: Al Kushner and The AI LinkedIn Advantage

00:01:48 - The Rise of "AI Slop" and Why Corporate Authenticity is Disappearing

00:03:34 - The First Step to Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile for SEO

00:08:12 - Why LinkedIn Newsletters Bypass Corporate Spam Filters

00:12:45 - The Massive LinkedIn Algorithm Shift: Why Text is Dead

00:16:57 - How a Published Book Secures $10,000 Keynote Speeches

00:20:34 - The Economics of Print-on-Demand Publishing and Audiobooks

00:29:10 - How Elite Executives are Using AI Agents for Decision Making

00:32:15 - AI Regulation, Copyright Infringement, and the Napster Analogy

00:36:26 - Overcoming Procrastination and the Danger of Executive Obsolescence

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/

Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413

Connect with Al Kushner:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-kushner

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2525905 893cb232-6c60-4096-8efe-199bc1d80a02 2388 full 1 1 15 15 Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:00:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The Real Reason 70% of Employees Are Disenfranchised | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned Fractional COO and business advisor Mark Coscarello to break down the exact frameworks required to turn operational chaos into scalable success. Drawing from deep expertise in M&A integrations and global talent acquisition, Mark exposes the broken reality of the executive labor market, the hidden cybersecurity dangers of "Shadow AI," and how to lead remote teams without micromanaging. For founders scaling their startups and executives navigating complex corporate transitions, this masterclass in operations and human capital is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The broken executive labor market: why job searches now take 6 to 12 months and the 7-round interview trap.
  • How to effectively lead remote teams using KPI dashboards instead of micromanagement.
  • The hidden cybersecurity dangers of Shadow AI and employees accidentally leaking corporate data.
  • Avoiding shiny object syndrome and auditing your tech stack for massive cost savings.
  • The change management psychology required to successfully integrate cultures during M&A.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Mark Coscarello: Fractional COO and Business Advisor 01:18 - The Executive Labor Market: Why Job Searches Now Take 6 to 12 Months 05:25 - The CEO Trust Deficit: Why Founders Struggle to Delegate Authority 07:03 - The Remote Work Paradox: Why 70% of the Workforce is Disenfranchised 09:59 - How to Manage Remote Teams with KPI Dashboards 11:40 - The $8 Million Savings: Auditing and Consolidating Your HR Tech Stack 15:41 - Overcoming AI Overload and Shiny Object Analysis Paralysis 23:34 - Shadow AI: How Employees Are Accidentally Leaking Corporate Data 25:57 - The Rise of Ransomware and Why Mid-Market Companies Need a Fractional CISO 31:10 - M&A Change Management: Lessons from a $750M Corporate Acquisition 41:25 - Stop Measuring Time-to-Hire: Why Time-to-Performance is the Ultimate ROI

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Connect with Mark Coscarello:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2501239 b21d61da-6d00-49b1-84da-69aacee1fae6 2730 full 1 1 14 14 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:24:03 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Why 90% of Startups Fail at Branding | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with award-winning creative executive Erin Smith to dismantle the modern corporate obsession with pure demand generation. With over 20 years of experience, Erin explains why relying solely on sales enablement metrics is destroying long-term brand equity. Featuring breakdowns of Liquid Death's $1.4B marketing strategy and the disastrous 2025 Cracker Barrel rebrand, this conversation reveals how true creative strategy is the ultimate business differentiator. For founders avoiding the "blandification" of design and CMOs navigating generative AI, this masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • Why the modern marketing obsession with pure demand generation is a "sales enablement" trap.
  • The fatal mistake startups make by "duct taping" their brand later.
  • How emotional branding beats logic (featuring the Liquid Death and Tide case studies).
  • The 2025 Cracker Barrel rebrand disaster and the "blandification" of modern design.
  • How to properly split a marketing budget between brand building and demand gen.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction: The Transition from Theater to Executive Creative Director 00:01:02 - Why Modern Marketing Has Become a "Sales Enablement" Trap 00:03:42 - The Fatal Mistake Startups Make by "Duct Taping" Brand Later 00:05:47 - The Yogurt Aisle Paradox: How Emotional Branding Beats Logic 00:09:02 - The Liquid Death Marketing Strategy: Entertainment First Branding 00:10:54 - How Creative Executives Survive the AI Automation Boom 00:13:30 - The Real Reason Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) Only Last 18 Months 00:18:46 - How to Split a $100M Marketing Budget Between Brand and Demand Gen 00:21:26 - The 2025 Cracker Barrel Rebrand Disaster: Swapping Meaning for Minimalism 00:29:25 - Private Equity, Real Estate, and the Death of Restaurant Aesthetics 00:36:01 - Taking Principled Risks: The Old Spice Advertising Masterclass 00:44:26 - Why Startups Need Fractional Creative Executives to Scale

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Connect with Erin Smith:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-smith-6811499/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2478715 1d7a7237-573f-4e63-bbe4-dd7bbee8d89d 2811 full 1 1 13 13 Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Why 80% of Sales Reps Fail (And How to Fix It) | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Host John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned Director of Revenue Operations Rachel Minshall Horne. With an extensive career spanning corporate real estate and innovative tech platforms, Rachel breaks down the exact frameworks required to align your organization behind a scalable go-to-market strategy. Discover the mathematical flaws of modern capacity planning, why the "divide by 10" methodology is destroying startup cultures, and the critical predictive metrics you are likely ignoring. For executives scaling SaaS platforms or aiming to hire elite talent, this RevOps masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The mathematical flaws of capacity planning and why 80% of sales reps miss their quotas.
  • The dangerous "divide by 10" methodology and how it destroys startup cultures.
  • Critical metrics you are ignoring, including advanced customer health scoring and churn prediction.
  • How the integration of AI is eradicating administrative friction to build the ultimate revenue engine.
  • Why unconventional backgrounds (like bartenders) often produce the best sales professionals.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Rachel Horne and Revenue Operations 00:01:23 - The Dangerous Misalignment Between BizOps and RevOps 00:03:00 - Why Top-Line Revenue is a Vanity Metric 00:03:54 - How to Build a Predictive Customer Health Score 00:05:39 - Why 80% of Sales Reps Miss Their Quotas 00:07:29 - The "Divide by 10" Fallacy in Capacity Planning 00:08:41 - How Sales Volume Destroys Customer Service 00:10:53 - The Necessity of Weekly Executive Meetings 00:16:11 - Consolidating Your Tech Stack (Salesforce, Gong) 00:18:49 - The "RevOps Call" vs. The "Sales Commit" 00:23:12 - The Role of AI in Revenue Operations 00:27:22 - The Secret to Building an Elite Ops Team 00:29:33 - Why Bartenders Make the Best Sales Reps 00:32:16 - How to Ascend to the C-Suite in Operations 00:40:05 - The Most Important Soft Skill in Business

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Rachel Horne:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelminshallhorne/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2460874 65061f6c-bc4a-4d5c-84c2-ffaaf3757433 2688 full 1 1 12 12 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:45:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Will AI Replace Lawyers? | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Hosts John Pezoulas sits down with Lanny Tuchmayer, General Manager at X-Copper Professional Corporation. Drawing on 15 years of experience bridging legal practice and business management, Lanny reveals the exact operational playbook used to scale a professional services firm across 19 offices. Discover how to navigate the death of the traditional "80-hour work week," manage Gen-Z expectations using hybrid work as currency, and safely integrate AI into complex legal workflows. Whether you are a founder scaling a startup or a professional pivoting into executive operations, this masterclass in modern corporate strategy is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The exact operational playbook for scaling a professional services firm across 19 regional offices.
  • How to manage Gen-Z talent expectations using hybrid work as cultural currency.
  • The terrifying realities and administrative efficiencies of integrating AI into complex legal workflows.
  • Why the legal industry is historically terrible at marketing and how to secure budgets from risk-averse partners.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Lanny Tuchmayer and the Evolution of Legal Operations 00:01:34 - The Secret to Scaling a Professional Firm to 19 Offices Across Canada 00:02:18 - Why Post-COVID Commercial Real Estate is Still a Nightmare for Retail 00:03:55 - Location vs. Talent: The Exact Formula for Entering New Markets 00:05:19 - Recruiting Top Lawyers: Why the "Bay Street Grind" is Officially Dead 00:06:14 - Career Advice for New Grads: Why You Shouldn't Chase the CEO Title Immediately 00:09:10 - The Terrifying Reality of AI "Hallucinating" Legal Precedents in Court 00:10:31 - How Smart Firms are Actually Using Agentic AI for Operational Efficiency 00:13:30 - Managing Gen-Z Talent and the New Rules of Work-Life Balance 00:16:07 - The Truth About Hybrid Work in the Criminal Defense Industry 00:16:54 - How to Successfully Pivot Your Career from Law to Executive Operations 00:18:17 - Why Traditional Law Firms Are Failing at Digital Marketing in 2026 00:21:00 - The Business of Traffic Tickets: Why Repeat Customers Are a Bad Thing 00:22:22 - How to Build a Recession-Proof Professional Services Firm 00:24:28 - The Top 5 Operational Dysfunctions Inside Modern Law Firms 00:26:32 - How to Fight Partners for a Bigger Marketing Budget (And Win) 00:28:56 - Developing Executive Presence and Mastering Managing Upwards 00:31:05 - Final Advice: How to Maintain Your Legal Credentials While Dabbling in Operations

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Lanny Tuchmayer:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanny-tuchmayer-45692822/

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2450301 8479df2a-726b-4414-a44a-0484f611a0c9 2043 full 1 1 11 11 Fri, 09 Jan 2026 16:46:39 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Nadine Shehaiber: Why HR Surveys Are Destroying Trust & How to Fix Culture | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned HR executive Nadine Shehaiber (Chief People Officer, BLG Capital Advisors). Drawing from 20+ years of experience spanning mega-corporations like Deloitte to highly agile family offices, Nadine breaks down the exact frameworks required to build high-performing teams. Discover the stark reality of the 2026 employee engagement crisis, the toxic consequences of poorly managed layoffs, and why ROI-driven HR leaders are outperforming legacy administrative roles. For leaders looking to cure organizational burnout and scale a resilient culture, this human capital masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 2026 employee engagement crisis and the disconnect caused by rigid Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates.
  • Why traditional quarterly engagement surveys are actively destroying institutional trust.
  • The toxic consequences of poorly managed corporate layoffs and going dark.
  • How to corporatize a family office without killing its core culture.
  • Why changing entrenched corporate behavior takes a minimum of three to five years.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Nadine Shehaiber and Global HR Leadership 00:49 - Transitioning from Mega-Corporations to Family Office Ecosystems 01:44 - Eliminating Bureaucracy: Why Small Teams Execute Faster 05:09 - The Danger of "Familial" Hiring and Loss of Diversity of Thought 06:50 - How to "Corporatize" a Family Office Without Killing the Culture 08:27 - Why HR Must Connect Everything to Financial ROI 09:49 - The First 3 Things an HR Leader Must Do in a Small Business 12:28 - Building Scalable Performance Management Systems 14:04 - Transitioning from Punitive Management to Continuous Coaching 15:36 - The Reality of Cultural Transformation: Why it Takes 3 to 5 Years 17:36 - The 2026 Crisis of Employee Engagement & The RTO Disconnect 20:45 - The Mid-Management Quality Gap and Broken Feedback Loops 24:23 - Why Quarterly Engagement Surveys Are Actively Destroying Trust 28:19 - The Psychological Trauma of Corporate Layoffs and Going Dark. 31:35 - Public Share Price vs. Long-Term Business Health 33:40 - The Non-Traditional Path to CHRO: From IT Business Analysis to HR 38:18 - Why CEOs Complain That HR Doesn't Understand the Business

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Connect with Nadine Shehaiber:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2379506 1d5eafe8-e66d-4ef3-86dc-aed916123350 2516 full 1 1 10 10 Fri, 19 Dec 2025 17:00:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[How AI is Breaking Recruitment | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, we sit down with globally recognized HR executive Jennifer D'Agostino (the Queen of GSD) to break down the exact operational frameworks required to navigate the chaotic 2026 talent landscape. Jennifer exposes the hidden risks of Fractional HR consulting, the devastating impact of generative AI on recruitment funnels, and the psychological shift driving the new Job Hugging phenomenon. For executives pivoting to consulting and founders trying to scale a resilient culture, this human capital masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The explosion of the Fractional HR market and the hidden business development risks of consulting.
  • How generative AI and mass applicant volume are destroying modern recruitment funnels.
  • The psychological shift driving the new Job Hugging phenomenon.
  • Why legacy DEI programs are failing and the dangers of monolithic pickleball cultures. How forward-thinking leaders are replacing political buzzwords with true, skills-based belonging.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Jennifer D'Agostino: The Queen of GSD 00:03:45 - How to Break into the C-Suite: The Lateral Move Strategy 00:06:20 - Fractional HR vs. Interim Management: What is the Difference? 00:10:14 - The Dark Side of Consulting: Why You Never Stop Selling 00:21:44 - Why the Traditional Job Path is Dead 00:24:30 - How AI is Destroying the Recruitment Funnel 00:26:51 - The Danger of Referral Bias and Pickleball Culture 00:30:59 - The Death of DEI and the Strategic Pivot to True Belonging 00:36:07 - Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 00:47:53 - Surviving the Economy: The Rise of Job Hugging

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Connect with Jennifer D'Agostino:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2379492 f0e58ce2-c5b5-49e8-a41c-3397cbb55b42 2955 full 1 1 9 9 Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:00:00 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The ADHD Brain is a Superpower in a Business | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with fractional COO Lisa Glenn Nobles (CEO, LGN Collaborations) to reveal the exact blueprints required to reclaim up to four hours of a founder's day. Lisa breaks down her proprietary FREE Method, the psychological barriers of executive delegation, and why 95% of organizational friction is a process failure rather than a personnel issue. For founders drowning in tool overwhelm and HR executives combating talent attrition, this masterclass in operational architecture is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "FREE Method" framework to reclaim a founder's time and overcome the psychological barriers of delegation.
  • How late-diagnosed ADHD serves as an elite superpower in startup operations.
  • Why 95% of organizational friction is a process failure, not a people problem.
  • The hidden $5,000+ financial penalty of Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates and their devastating effect on working mothers.
  • Navigating tool overwhelm, AI scope creep, and the devastating $8,000 cost of a bad hire.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Lisa Glenn Nobles and LGN Collaborations 00:01:07 - The FREE Method: A 5-Step Framework to Reclaim the Founder's Time 00:05:06 - The Founder's Dilemma: Why CEOs Refuse to Let Go of Control 00:08:05 - The ADHD Superpower: Why Neurodivergence Thrives in Startup Operations 00:09:37 - Tool Overwhelm: Why Your Team Rejects Complex Project Management Software 00:13:23 - The Danger of AI Scope Creep and Useless Software Features 00:17:39 - The Top 5 Reasons Remote Teams Fail at Collaboration 00:24:30 - Symptom vs. Disease: Why 95% of Corporate Problems are Process, Not People 00:28:33 - The Mom Penalty: How the Pandemic Shifted the Reality for Working Mothers 00:34:48 - The Hidden Economics of Remote Work vs. Forced Office Commutes 00:41:44 - The True Cost of Return-To-Office (RTO) Mandates on Employee Salaries 00:44:19 - The Generational Shift in the Psychological Contract of Work 00:50:10 - The Devastating $8,000 Financial Impact of a Bad Hire

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Connect with Lisa Glenn Nobles:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2370460 0d8035f3-24eb-4f0c-bc1c-fde758de2e8a 3193 full 1 1 8 8 Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:00:44 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The AI Race is a Security Nightmare | Michael Oberlaender | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with 8x Global CISO and cybersecurity thought leader Michael S. Oberlaender. With over 25 years of executive experience, Michael dissects the dangerous corporate tendency to prioritize speed-to-market over robust security infrastructure. Discover the non-negotiable necessity of Security by Design, how to prepare for the rapid weaponization of AI, and the looming threats of the post-quantum era. For CEOs assessing true risk profiles and IT leaders managing global vulnerabilities, this cybersecurity masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The fatal flaw of prioritizing corporate speed and profit over security.
  • Actionable frameworks for implementing "Security by Design" and zero-trust architectures.
  • How threat actors are weaponizing AI for rapid zero-day attacks.
  • Preparing your organization for the existential threats of the post-quantum era.
  • How CISOs can effectively communicate cyber risk to the Board of Directors.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - The Evolution of the 8x Global CISO and Executive Security Leadership 00:03:45 - The Fatal Flaw of Prioritizing Corporate Speed and Profit Over Security 00:08:20 - Implementing "Security by Design" in Modern Enterprise Architectures 00:14:15 - Navigating the Generational Divide in Data Privacy and Consumer Expectations 00:20:50 - The AI Security Trap: Separating GenAI Corporate Hype from Actual Threats 00:27:30 - How Threat Actors are Weaponizing AI for Rapid Zero-Day Attacks 00:33:15 - Preparing Your Organization for the Threats of the Post-Quantum Era 00:39:40 - The Critical Shift from Reactive Perimeter Defence to Data-Centric Security 00:46:10 - How CISOs Can Effectively Communicate Cyber Risk to the Board of Directors 00:52:30 - The Top Cybersecurity Predictions, Trends, and Mandates for 2026

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Connect with Michael S. Oberlaender:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2350850 21cb7bd6-5263-4c94-9442-50a965dbd539 2162 full 1 1 7 7 Fri, 28 Nov 2025 17:00:34 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The Dark side of AI in HR | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> John Pezoulas and Jamy Conrad discuss the integration of AI in HR, emphasizing the balance between technology and human interaction. Jamy, an HR executive, highlights the importance of using AI to enhance efficiency while maintaining empathy and human connection in the workplace. They explore the challenges and opportunities AI presents, such as improving employee engagement and addressing biases. The conversation also touches on the evolving landscape of remote work, recruitment, and the impact of economic and political factors on HR practices. Both speakers agree on the need for thoughtful implementation of AI to ensure positive employee experiences and organizational success.

Overview: Welcome to Ready Set Exec, the podcast where executive search meets real leadership stories. Enjoy weekly conversations with Executives sharing insights, best practices and knowledge as well as a biweekly founders meeting where you will join hosts John and Patrick—founders of Ready Set Exec Inc.—as they share insider perspectives from their work recruiting top executives in Sales, Marketing, HR, and Operations.

What to Expect Each Episode: Conversations with Executives: Hear candid stories from accomplished leaders across Ready Set Exec’s network as they share lessons learned, pivotal career moves, and their outlook on the future of leadership.

Industry Insights: Explore the trends shaping leadership in the fields Ready Set Exec knows best—how Sales leaders drive growth, how Marketing executives build brand momentum, how HR shapes culture, and how Operations keeps organizations moving.

Talent Strategy Deep Dives: John and Patrick reveal what they’ve learned about hiring executives who don’t just fit the role but elevate the business, by using a relationship-driven approach.

Actionable Takeaways: Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or an executive shaping your next move, you’ll walk away with practical insights on attracting, retaining, and thriving as top talent.

Subscribe to our Podcast on our your favorite platform Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or Spotify!

Looking to make an executive hire or looking for your next executive role? Check us out at readysetexec.com

Are you a C-level executive in the USA? message us about being a guest on our podcast!

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2338903 7a9df34e-baa0-436c-8a9b-8734200fa60c 2833 full 1 1 6 6 Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:00:34 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[Uncover DEI's burnout | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Hosts John and Patrick sit down with former CHRO Dr. August Mebane to dissect the macro-disruptions devastating the modern workforce. Dr. Mebane navigates the intense politicization of the American workplace, the harsh realities of at-will employment, and post-COVID burnout. For executives building resilient cultures and women mastering executive salary negotiations, this HR masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The destructive impact of political gridlock and government shutdowns on workforce morale.
  • How to navigate post-COVID burnout, "change fatigue," and institutional memory loss.
  • The harsh legal realities of free speech, at-will employment, and corporate political bias.
  • Executive coaching for women: overcoming the systemic "Catch-22" of salary negotiations.
  • Actionable frameworks for impact-tethered negotiation and spotting toxic corporate cultures.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Dr. August Mebane & Strategic HR Leadership 00:01:06 - The Government Shutdown: How Political Gridlock Destroys Federal Morale 00:03:29 - Public vs. Private Sector: Why Government Jobs Are No Longer Safe 00:06:50 - The Healthcare Crisis: Post-COVID Burnout and Transformation Failures 00:10:48 - Navigating Change Fatigue and Institutional Memory Loss in Business 00:13:30 - The Truth About Corporate DEI: Vanity Metrics vs. Actual Performance 00:16:18 - Why Constant Policy Changes Are Ruining Employee Mental Health 00:20:00 - The Harvard Decision and the Corporate Backpedalling on Inclusion 00:23:28 - The Charlie Kirk Controversy: Free Speech vs. At-Will Employment 00:29:30 - Jimmy Kimmel, Disney, and the Massive Financial Cost of Political Bias 00:32:57 - Executive Coaching: The Struggle for Authenticity for Women in the C-Suite 00:38:36 - The Negotiation Catch-22: Why Women Are Punished for Asking for Money 00:42:51 - How to Negotiate Executive Compensation & Spot Toxic Corporate Cultures

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Connect with Dr. August Mebane:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2326860 e8c95d78-2416-430e-8945-b853118110b0 2663 full 1 1 5 5 Fri, 14 Nov 2025 17:00:32 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The $10 Billion VC: Why Most Biotech Startups Fail & How To Scale Them | Ready Set Exec]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, Host John Pezoulas sits down with William Grenawitzke (Bellows Capital Partners, Erez Capital) to break down the brutal reality of scaling life science enterprises. Backed by two decades of experience and $10B+ in global M&A, William reveals how AI is disrupting MedTech, why biotech startups fail to raise capital, and the hidden mechanics of corporate development. For founders seeking funding and executives navigating acquisitions, this VC masterclass is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • The reality of managing $10 Billion in global M&A transactions.
  • Why most biopharma and MedTech startups fail to secure capital and how to survive the Valley of Death.
  • How Artificial Intelligence is aggressively disrupting healthcare and Proptech.
  • The operational mechanics of scaling mid-market corporate development.
  • William's leadership journey from Yale academia to Wall Street and his philanthropic work with underserved youth.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction: Bridging Deep Science, AI, and High Finance 00:03:15 - The Reality of Managing $10 Billion in Corporate M&A Transactions 00:08:42 - Why Most Biopharma and MedTech Startups Fail to Raise Capital 00:14:20 - Surviving the "Valley of Death" in Life Sciences Innovation 00:19:05 - How Erez Capital is Using AI to Disrupt Healthcare and Proptech 00:24:30 - The Transition from Yale Academia to Wall Street Investment Banking 00:31:15 - Bellows Capital Partners: Scaling Mid-Market Corporate Development 00:37:45 - The Importance of Rigorous Due Diligence in Medical Technology Investments 00:44:10 - Leadership Lessons from Two Decades in the Global Boardroom 00:49:50 - Personal Resilience, Adoption, and Giving Back with the HATW Board 00:55:20 - The Future of Venture Capital, AI, and Executive Leadership in 2026

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Connect with William Grenawitzke:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2300435 f305cb29-4bf6-48fb-896e-a58c70009dc9 2549 full 1 1 4 4 Fri, 07 Nov 2025 17:00:34 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The End of Traditional Data Centers & The AI Compute Crisis | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, We sit down with Drew Hilles, CEO of Pure Nodal and former senior executive at Google and Veritone. Drew breaks down the macroeconomic crisis facing global data centers, explaining exactly why legacy hyperscalers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure cannot physically sustain the massive power, water, and thermal demands of modern AI workloads. Discover the revolutionary thermodynamics of liquid immersion cooling, how decentralized edge-native data centers are changing the game, and Drew's multi-decade playbook for startup survival. Whether you are an engineer scaling complex AI models or a founder building a relentless go-to-market strategy, this conversation provides the ultimate operational blueprint.

Key Takeaways:

  • Why legacy hyperscalers weren't built for modern Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Compute (HPC) demands.
  • The revolutionary thermodynamics of liquid immersion cooling (50% less power and absolute zero water waste).
  • How decentralized, edge-native micro-data centers eliminate innovation-destroying latency.
  • A masterclass in startup survival: navigating VC freezes, structuring high-risk sales compensation, and leveraging channel partnerships.
  • The future of the workforce and why AI will ultimately create more jobs than it destroys.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: The Greatest Technological Revolution of Our Lifetime 02:56 - The Flaws in Legacy Cloud: Why AWS and Azure Weren't Built for AI 04:30 - The Pure Nodal Solution: Decentralized Edge-Native Cloud Infrastructure 05:35 - How Latency Destroys Innovation (Gaming, Autonomous Vehicles, AI Bots) 07:33 - Liquid Immersion Cooling Explained: 50% Less Power & Zero Water Usage 09:45 - The Global GPU Shortage Myth & Navigating Supply Chain Bottlenecks 13:00 - The VC Landscape: Raising Capital During a Startup Funding Freeze 14:27 - Disrupting Hyperscalers: Deploying AI Factory Pods in Just 45 Days 16:01 - Go-To-Market Strategy: How to Compete with Cloud Monopolies 19:03 - Building a Startup Sales Team: Channel Partnerships vs. Enterprise Field Sales 20:26 - Compensation Psychology: Base Salary vs. Equity in High-Risk Startups 25:07 - The Future of the Workforce: Why AI Will Create More Jobs Than It Destroys 27:08 - The Evolution of Synthetic Voice and AI-Driven HR Interviews 32:46 - Final Thoughts: Disrupting the Global Infrastructure Industry

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Connect with Drew Hilles:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2300425 5b6b0227-dfa2-45c1-adfe-50c2e8ba17fb 1996 full 1 1 3 3 Fri, 31 Oct 2025 16:00:51 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The Smartphone Epidemic and Mental health | Nicholas Bond | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec, John Pezoulas sits down with seasoned clinical leader Nicholaus Bond, LMFT. Drawing from his background directing trauma-based residential treatments, Nicholaus breaks down the operational frameworks required to scale mental health infrastructure in a complex post-pandemic world. We dive into the controversial realities of virtual therapy, the quality-control issues plaguing digital mega-platforms, and the psychological devastation caused by social media algorithms. Whether you are scaling a behavioral health organization, managing a remote workforce, or protecting your family from digital toxicity, this masterclass in clinical leadership is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Why digital interventions and virtual therapy fail for specific demographics.
  2. How to rigorously vet top-tier clinical talent using the executive "deep water" interview technique.
  3. The stark warning regarding the intrusion of Artificial Intelligence into psychotherapy.
  4. The psychological devastation caused by social media algorithms and remote work.
  5. Why modern executives must rely on philosophical organizing principles to survive the digital age.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction: John Pezoulas and Clinical Director Nicholaus Bond

00:01:12 - The Shocking Transition from Detox Clinics to Virtual Therapy

00:02:20 - The Psychological Toll of Remote Work on Corporate Executives

00:04:17 - Why Virtual Therapy Fails for Children (The Modality Efficacy Gradient)

00:06:56 - The Dark Side of Teaching and Managing Teams Through a Screen

00:08:36 - How Social Media is Destroying Adolescent Mental Health

00:10:45 - The Parental Dilemma: Screen Addiction vs. Social Isolation

00:12:52 - The Truth About Digital Mental Health Platforms and Quality Control

00:15:02 - How to Spot a Fake Expert: The "Deep Water" Interview Technique

00:17:59 - Why AI Therapists Are Dangerous, Existential Threats

00:20:36 - How AI Can Actually Fix Clinical Documentation and QA

00:22:18 - The Matrix is Real: Technochronic Anxiety and Cultural Isolation

00:25:27 - Why You Need a Spiritual or Philosophical Organizing Principle

00:30:30 - The Opportunity Cost of Addiction: How to Redirect Obsessive Energy

00:33:17 - The Next 5 Years: Predictions for Behavioural Healthcare Scaling

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Connect with Nicholaus Bond:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2289065 05ee24dc-8c5f-4d50-9cf4-88c4430c4fec 2278 full 1 1 2 2 Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:26:36 GMT false United States, USA <![CDATA[The Hidden Cost of Bad Hires | Neil Weitzman | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast]]> In this episode of Ready Set Exec: Fractional CRO, Neil Weitzman (founder of weitzmanGTM) breaks down the rapidly evolving B2B sales landscape. Discover why traditional outreach like cold email and Google Ads are failing in 2025, how AI is disrupting revenue operations, and the exact strategies founders need to survive and scale. Whether you’re a startup founder or a seasoned executive, this masterclass in Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy is mandatory listening.

Key Takeaways:

  • Why brand building is your ultimate sales moat.
  • The psychological friction of transitioning from founder-led sales.
  • The rise of AI SDRs and digital coaching avatars (like Avarra).
  • Why old-school tactics like direct mail and $100 bobbleheads are cutting through the digital noise.
  • How to avoid the devastating 230% financial cost of a bad executive hire.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, with an average 39-day time-to-hire and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Neil Weitzman and the Fractional CRO Model 00:01:34 - The Complete Collapse of Cold Email and Google Ads in 2025 00:04:12 - Why Brand Building is the Ultimate Sales Moat 00:06:16 - The Destructive Push-Pull Between Marketers and Founders 00:08:31 - The Danger of Hiring Big Tech Executives for Early-Stage Startups 00:10:07 - AI in Sales: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace SDRs? 00:13:04 - How AI Avatars (Like Avarra) Are Revolutionizing Sales Coaching 00:18:07 - Transitioning from Founder-Led Sales to a Revenue Team 00:20:57 - Why B2B Companies Must Embrace TikTok and Omnichannel Marketing 00:27:46 - The Tactical Power of Direct Mail and Handwritten Letters 00:29:29 - The $100 Bobblehead Strategy: Standing Out and Building Relationships 00:32:12 - The 230% Financial Cost of a Bad Hire and the Importance of Transparency 00:35:52 - Why Founders Must Stop Lying About Quota Attainment 00:38:05 - The "Midnight to Millions" 24-Hour Global GTM Event

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Connect with Neil Weitzman:

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2276960 c3ced5c3-7a30-4455-a85a-af86de92e43c 2389 full 1 1 1 1 Fri, 17 Oct 2025 22:57:01 GMT true United States, USA <![CDATA[Linda Carlisle: Your Turnover Rate is Secretly Killing Your Margins | Ready Set Exec]]> Only 31% of US employees are engaged at work, an 11-year low. The other 70%? Checked out, actively disengaged, or job-hugging while waiting for something better. It's costing the global economy $8.9 trillion a year. And the root cause almost always traces back to leadership and communication.

Linda Carlisle is a seasoned communications strategist and founder of Comm.Ext, where she helps organizations navigate their most critical moments from shaping culture and employer brand to guiding teams through M&A integrations, reorgs, and high-impact change. With decades of experience leading internal and external comms, Linda specializes in turning strategy into clear, human-centred messaging that keeps employees informed, aligned, and engaged.

In this episode, Linda breaks down why most companies are getting communication completely wrong, why the trend back to command-and-control leadership is going to cost companies dearly, and what the real difference is between a culture problem and a communication problem.

About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate.

Chapters:

01:32 The Full Employee Lifecycle

05:22 Why Command-and-Control Leadership Fails

08:50 AI's Impact on the Talent War

13:29 Intentionally Designing Company Culture

21:53 Empathy During Crisis and Layoffs

39:48 Fixing the 70% Disengagement Epidemic

Connect with Ready Set Exec:

Connect with Linda Carlisle:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindakcarlisle/

#employeeengagement #companyculture #internalcomms #HRleadership #leader

]]> https://rss.com/podcasts/readysetexec/2939053 2cff9dd1-5572-407c-a2b2-fca49bb674b5 2962 full Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT United States, USA