Adeptus On Air

Hosted by Adeptus Partners

Business ManagementInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

167

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

Welcome to Adeptus On-Air, the show where we pull back the curtain on the strategies industry leaders leverage for their business and personal success. Each week, we do a top-down analysis of industries Adeptus has been on the cutting edge of for the last 30 years, including sports, business, and entertainment. Join us for real conversations with industry executives, entertainers, athletes, celebrity brands, and community stakeholders. We will be navigating the challenges facing various types of businesses and how our solutions-based collaborative problem-solving approach helps individuals and businesses alike solve their most pressing issues. If you have any questions related to this podcast or have a request for what you would like to hear next, please email us at marketing@adeptuscpas.com . You can find us at adeptuscpas.com or follow us at @adeptuscpartnersllc. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of podcast hosts and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Adeptus. This podcast provides general information only and is not intended to constitute legal, tax, business, professional or personal advice.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 11, 202636 min

Building a Family Business with Stephen Shortt | Turning Conflict into Continuity

Today on Adeptus On-Air host Mike Hoffman chats with Stephen Shortt, a business consultant, advisor, and author who specializes in family business succession and leadership development. Stephen shares how growing up in two family businesses nearly led him to walk away after conflict and exhaustion reached a breaking point at his own kitchen table. He reflects on the moment he realized he did not want his children growing up unable to sit in the same room as their grandparents, and how that decision launched a 16-year journey to repair and rebuild both the business and the family dynamic. He explains why succession is rarely about competence and more often about identity, control, and fear of irrelevance for the current generation. He walks through his framework for successful succession, including clarifying purpose, choosing the right leader, preparing them properly, publicly promoting their authority, and practicing patience during the transition. He discusses how generational differences around risk, technology, and remote work can either fracture a company or force it to evolve intentionally. Tune in to hear more about navigating identity in leadership transitions, preventing sibling rivalry from derailing a company, and helping the next generation build confidence without losing the family.

June 4, 202624 min

Building a Life Around Adventure with Toby Richardson | Choosing Risk Over Routine

Today on Adeptus On-Air, host Mike Hoffman chats with Toby Richardson, an Australia based tour operator, pilot, writer, stand-up comedian, and filmmaker whose work centers on adventure, travel, and deliberate living. Toby shares how earning his commercial pilot license just before the world shut down forced him to rethink his path and led him toward building an off-road tour business in some of the most remote regions of Western Australia. He explains what it takes to guide self-drive expeditions deep into the Outback, where distance, isolation, and risk demand preparation, restraint, and respect for the environment. He talks about expanding the business internationally while trying not to sacrifice the lifestyle freedom that drew him to entrepreneurship in the first place. He reflects on motorcycle travel across Australia and South America, creating adventure films with his father, and why fully immersive experiences without distraction feel restorative rather than exhausting. Tune in to hear more about life in the Australian Outback, balancing business growth with personal freedom, and why choosing adventure has shaped every chapter of Toby’s life.

May 28, 202627 min

Designing with Intention with Kim Depole | Creating Spaces That Reflect Who You Are

Today on Adeptus On-Air host Mike Hoffman chats with Kim Depole, a New York City based interior designer known for integrating mindfulness into her design practice. Kim shares how her career began as a creative director before burnout led her to move to Japan, recalibrate her life, and eventually fall in love with interior design. She reflects on learning through trial by fire when she was unexpectedly put in charge of a major show house project, an experience that shaped her confidence and direction. She explains why deep listening is central to her process and how designing a home often means navigating life transitions such as divorce, loss, or reinvention. She talks about blending meditation with design, helping clients create spaces that support emotional well being rather than simply follow trends. She discusses her experience appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show and how that moment expanded her reach while reinforcing the importance of authenticity. Tune in to hear more about intentional living, designing through life changes, and why your home should evolve as you do.

May 21, 202636 min

Competing Beyond the Scorecard with Dave Schultz | Turning Discipline into Leadership

Today on Adeptus On-Air host Mike Hoffman chats with Dave Schultz, a former Korn Ferry Tour professional golfer and current General Manager of the Fargo Country Club. Dave shares what it took to spend a decade chasing the PGA Tour, committing fully to the grind of qualifying school, international travel, and learning how one round can determine an entire season. He reflects on coming close to earning his PGA Tour card and how falling short forced him to rethink success beyond a leaderboard. He explains how discipline, patience, and falling in love with the process carried him from professional golf into business leadership. He talks about stepping away from the game for a year, rediscovering joy through his family, and now watching his daughters experience golf with fresh eyes. He discusses launching The Hole in One Show, a golf game show that blends competition with charity and has raised significant funds for local causes. Tune in to hear more about life on the Korn Ferry Tour, building culture at a private club, and why competition never really leaves you.

May 14, 202636 min

Tackling Bullying with Bullseye the Clown | Turning Pain into Purpose

Today on Adeptus On-Air host James Walker chats with Bullseye the Clown, an award winning humanitarian performer and anti-bullying advocate who transformed his own painful childhood into a mission of healing. He explains how years later a spontaneous decision to join a humanitarian clown trip to Russia after his father’s death changed the trajectory of his life and revealed the emotional power of laughter in places filled with pain. He reflects on how Bullseye was born not from a lifelong dream to perform in makeup, but from the realization that when you own the insults thrown at you, you take away their power. He shares the lessons he learned about personal authority, body language, and why bullies often operate from their own insecurity and fear. He discusses writing Bullseye on Bullying as a way to reach adults who never dealt with childhood wounds and still allow others to define their worth. Tune in to hear more about reclaiming personal authority, navigating cyberbullying in a digital world, and how Clowns on a Mission is expanding his humanitarian work across borders.

May 7, 202639 min

Thinking Three Moves Ahead with Ashley Priore | Chess as a Blueprint for Leadership

Today on Adeptus On-Air host Mike Hoffman chats with Ashley Priore, a leadership strategist, CEO, and lifelong chess champion who began competing in tournaments at just four years old. Ashley shares how growing up as the youngest of four in Pittsburgh led her to learn the game by watching her siblings, quickly turning curiosity into competition. She reflects on being one of the only girls in many tournaments and how those early experiences shaped her decision to found the Queen’s Gambit Chess Institute at just fourteen. She explains how chess became more than a board game and evolved into a framework for teaching decision making, adaptability, and confidence in classrooms, companies, and professional sports teams. She discusses working with NFL organizations and why athletes often credit chess with sharpening their ability to read pressure and respond under stress. She breaks down the balance between thinking ahead and overthinking, and why strong leaders learn when to move quickly and when to pause. Tune in to hear more about empowering young women through chess, training executives to make better decisions, and why every move carries consequences beyond the board.

April 30, 202644 min

From South Jersey to Hollywood with Dean Simone | Staying Grounded Through the Highs and Lows

Today on Adeptus On-Air host Mike Hoffman chats with Dean Simone, an American actor, screenwriter, filmmaker, and musician whose career spans television, film, and live performance. Dean shares how a single high school play in South Jersey led him to move west within a year and pursue acting professionally, turning beginner’s confidence into real opportunity. He reflects on earning his SAG card, landing early network roles, and realizing quickly that success in Hollywood often comes with as many near misses as wins. He explains how rejection never fully disappears, but how faith, experience, and perspective have shortened the sting over time. He talks about writing and producing his own projects, including Game Day, and why creating his own work gives him a sense of ownership in an unpredictable industry. He shares why music with The Smokin Cobras remains a steady creative outlet alongside acting. Tune in to hear more about handling rejection in Hollywood, balancing multiple creative passions, and staying grounded through decades in entertainment.

April 23, 202624 min

Telling Stories That Matter with Maggie Mills | Turning Ideas into Published Books

Today on Adeptus On-Air host James Walker chats with Maggie Mills, an author, ghostwriter, and writing coach who helps aspiring writers turn intimidating ideas into finished books. Maggie shares how many people carry the dream of writing a book for years but feel overwhelmed by the size of the task, and how breaking the process into manageable pieces helps build confidence and momentum. She explains why nonfiction can feel more vulnerable than fiction, as authors wrestle with how much of their personal truth to share and how others may interpret their stories. She reflects on her own unconventional career path, saying yes to opportunities, and slowly building a life centered around writing, editing, and collaboration. She discusses the role of a ghostwriter as both investigator and partner, studying an author’s voice, mannerisms, and experiences to ensure the final manuscript truly sounds like them. She talks about the emotional depth of the work, from trauma survivors sharing life altering experiences to fiction writers discovering how their stories unexpectedly impact readers. Tune in to hear more about overcoming the fear of starting, what makes a powerful first chapter, and why every story deserves to be told.

March 26, 202632 min

Preserving a Musical Legacy with Jason Brown | Honoring the Past While Remixing the Future

Today on Adeptus On-Air host Mike Hoffman chats with Jason Brown, an American born international DJ, producer, entrepreneur, and the grandson of James Brown. Jason shares how his path into music was not direct, beginning with a degree in film production and work on the James Brown biopic before feeling called to pick up DJ decks instead of a camera. He reflects on the surreal experience of watching his grandfather’s life recreated on screen and learning firsthand how entertainment is both art and business. He explains why he views James Brown not just as the Godfather of Soul, but as the most sampled artist in music history, and why keeping that influence alive for new generations matters deeply to him. He discusses remixing classic tracks into electronic formats, building desert music festivals during the pandemic, and expanding the brand through education and family led initiatives. He shares how lessons about ownership, respect, and hard work shaped his outlook and continue to guide how he manages the legacy. Tune in to hear more about blending funk with the future, navigating family legacy in the music business, and what it means to carry a historic name with intention.

March 19, 20261 hr 6 min

Navigating Life at a Crossroads with Emily Beecher | Choosing Yourself Without a Script

Today on Adeptus On-Air, host Ashley Greene chats with Emily Beecher, a life coach who works with women navigating periods of uncertainty, burnout, and major life transitions. Emily shares how many women arrive at a point where their lives look right on paper but feel disconnected internally, often after years of meeting expectations that no longer fit. She explains how changing values, neurodivergence, motherhood, and career pressure can quietly pull people away from themselves. She talks about the importance of sitting with discomfort rather than rushing to fix it, and how clarity comes from slowing down instead of doubling down. She reflects on identity loss after divorce, health challenges, and career shifts, and how rebuilding requires self compassion rather than self judgment. She discusses why financial literacy, boundaries, and understanding personal motivations are key to making decisions that support long term well being rather than short term security. Tune in to hear more about recognizing burnout signals, redefining success on your own terms, and learning how to show up for yourself with the same care you give others.