Everything They Don't Tell You

Hosted by Josh Zolin

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293

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Aug 2026

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About the show

A candid business podcast for growth-minded leaders and entrepreneurs focused on the truth about business, leadership, and becoming who you're meant to be. Hosted by Josh Zolin, Everything They Don't Tell You goes beyond surface tips to the mental, emotional, and human challenges behind scaling and leading well. Featuring conversations with John Lee Dumas, Amy Morin, David Meltzer, Dr. Gay Hendricks, Blake Erickson, Dr. Robert Glover, Ken Rusk, and more. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Formerly Blue Is The New White Podcast.

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60 recent

August 18, 20261 hr 17 min

How to Command Any Room Without Faking Confidence | Myles Usher Doyle

What if the way you speak is not fixed? Speech and communication coach Myles Usher Doyle has worked with some of the most recognizable voices in podcasting, health, and digital media, including Chris Williamson of Modern Wisdom, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and Heidi Somers. In this episode, Myles joins the show for a conversation about voice, presence, fear, and the hidden reason so many capable people struggle to be heard. Myles explains why improving your voice does not mean becoming fake, why nervous people often talk too much, and how learning to pause can completely change the way an audience experiences you. He also shares the childhood moments that shaped his work, including being so quiet that a teacher admitted they sometimes forgot he was in the room. This conversation explores filler words, public-speaking anxiety, storytelling, listening, persuasion, confidence, and what it really takes to command a room. Because finding your voice is not about becoming someone else. It is about finally allowing people to experience who you already are. Learn more about Myles at https://www.speak-well.co.uk/ __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook

August 11, 20261 hr 38 min

Anthony Trucks: The Identity That Built Him Nearly Broke Him

When the thing you built becomes your identity, losing it can feel like losing yourself. Anthony Trucks spent 13 years turning himself into an NFL player. Then football disappeared, and the identity underneath it nearly collapsed too. His business struggled. His marriage fell apart. He lost his health, his status, and nearly himself. In this conversation, Anthony and I unpack the invisible machinery of identity: why we confuse ourselves with our titles, why responsibility restores agency, and why information alone does not create change. Anthony explains dark work, the unseen and often uncelebrated work that rewires who you are when nobody is watching. We also explore: The identity gap that appears when a career or chapter ends Why you were never the fruit, you were always the tree How helplessness can become the darkest lie you believe Why acting out of character can create a new identity The connection between self-respect and self-love Why action creates clarity and motion changes emotion How to stop identifying with outcomes The difference between shadow work and dark work How to intentionally build the person you need to become This is not a clean reinvention story. It is the truth about what can happen when the identity that built you starts breaking you. Learn more about Anthony: darkwork.com anthonytrucks.com Content warning: This episode includes a candid discussion of suicidal ideation and suicide. Some listeners may find this material distressing. Please listen with care. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. In the United States, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency services or crisis support line. This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care.

August 4, 20261 hr 31 min

Cameron Herold: How to Build a Business That Doesn't Own You

Most founders start a business to create freedom. Then they build one that cannot function without them. I started this conversation with a question I have had to ask myself: Why do so many founders say they want to scale, then build a company that cannot function without them? Cameron Herold knows the cost of that contradiction. At 34, his health, marriage, family life, and business were all under extraordinary pressure. He thought he was handling it. Then a stress assessment came back at 435. Cameron says a score of 250 represented a 90% chance of a heart attack. His entire identity had become the business. In this conversation, we explore what Cameron changed after that moment and how founders can build companies that support their lives instead of consuming them. We discuss delegation, executive assistants, second-in-command leadership, personal Vivid Visions, unique ability, coaching, failure, gratitude, and why Cameron's own team told him they liked it when he went away. Cameron Herold is an entrepreneur, author, former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, and founder of the COO Alliance. Learn more: www.cooalliance.com __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook

July 28, 20261 hr 36 min

The Hard Decisions You Avoid Are Keeping You Stuck | Nick Anderson

Most people aren't stuck because they don't know what to do. They're stuck because doing it requires them to confront the truth. Nick Anderson knows what it means to move through the thing you never thought you could survive. At 10 years old, Nick lost his father to suicide. Years later, his wife was struck by a car while they were taking a walk and did not survive. Nick was left to raise two young boys while battling grief, depression, and a body that had reached 305 pounds. He eventually looked in the mirror and made a decision: "I can't live this life." "I've got to stay alive for my kids." That decision began a transformation that changed his health, identity, relationships, leadership, and career. Today, Nick is the CEO and co-owner of OneAccord, where he helps companies develop stronger leaders, build executable strategies, navigate difficult personnel decisions, and create businesses that can thrive without being completely dependent on their owners. In this conversation, we get into: The stories we tell ourselves about other people and our own lives Why the only way out is through What actually makes someone a leader The difference between strategy and a collection of tactics Why your strategy must evolve as your company evolves Outgrowing people who helped build the business How to approach conversations most leaders avoid The biggest threat to the value of an owner-led company Building something meaningful for the people you love You probably already know the conversation, decision, or change you've been avoiding. The question is how much longer you're willing to let it keep you stuck. Connect with Nick Anderson and OneAccord: https://oneaccord.co https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdanderson/

July 21, 20261 hr 27 min

The Fears You Don't Know Are Controlling You: Hortense le Gentile

The fears you recognize may not be the ones controlling you. Executive leadership coach and author Hortense le Gentil joins Josh Zolin to uncover the hidden beliefs, inherited expectations, and "mind traps" quietly shaping how we lead and live. Hortense explains why perfectionism can become a trap, how fear of failure disguises itself as ambition, and why having more success, money, or power rarely silences the internal battle. She also shares the process leaders can use to trace these beliefs back to their source, challenge the voices behind them, and begin writing their own story. In this episode: Why great leaders make space for others The hidden anxiety that comes with leadership How perfectionism becomes a mind trap Why success can disconnect leaders from themselves How to identify fears you did not know you had The difference between introspection and self-awareness Why honest feedback is essential for growth How to face fear without allowing it to take control What it means to move from a "hero leader" to a human leader Hortense le Gentil is an executive leadership coach, speaker, and author of The Unlocked Leader: Dare to Free Your Own Voice, Lead with Empathy, and Shine Your Light in the World. Learn more about Hortense: https://www.hortenselegentil.com/ __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook

July 14, 20261 hr 5 min

Brad Leavitt: The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything

At 42, Brad Leavitt had a stroke that changed the way he thinks about time, pressure, family, and leadership. In this episode, he and Josh talk about the wake-up call that forced him to rebuild his life with more intention. Brad Leavitt is the founder of AFT Construction and host of The Brad Leavitt Podcast. In this episode of Everything They Don't Tell You, Brad joins Josh Zolin for a raw conversation about leadership, pressure, health, family, burnout, and what it really means to rebuild your life after a wake-up call. At 42, Brad had a severe stroke. He recovered, but the experience changed how he thinks about time, presence, health, and the way he shows up as a father, husband, business owner, and leader. Brad and Josh also talk about the realities of leading in a high-pressure business, why communication matters so much, how leaders can protect their teams from burnout, what happens when you keep the wrong people too long, and why building a business should not cost you the life you were building it for. This conversation is for founders, entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders who are carrying more than people see. __ Guest Brad Leavitt https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleavitt/ www.aftconstruction.com __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook

July 7, 20261 hr 35 min

Rachel Medina: What Grief Taught Me About Success, Money, and Building Again

Rachel Medina built a seven-figure business after 40, after divorce, and after unimaginable loss. This conversation is about grief, faith, hustle, stewardship, and what success can never replace. Rachel Medina is an entrepreneur, podcast host, TEDx speaker, and mentor to women everywhere. In this episode, Rachel joins Josh Zolin for a raw conversation about rebuilding life and business after loss. She shares how she built a seven-figure business from less than $500, why sales mattered more than perfection, how hustle became both a tool and a trap, and how losing her son reshaped her definition of success. They also talk about faith, grief, men's mental health, stewardship, women in business, and the hard truth that the business you build has to support the life you actually want. __ Guest: Rachel Medina Rachel Unpacked Podcast rachelmedina.com __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook

June 30, 20261 hr 6 min

Dr. Eben Alexander: A Neurosurgeon's Near-Death Experience Changed Everything

Dr. Eben Alexander was a neurosurgeon who believed the brain created consciousness. Then a seven-day coma changed everything he thought he knew about death, identity, and why we are here. In this episode of Everything They Don't Tell You, Josh Zolin sits down with Dr. Eben Alexander, neurosurgeon and author of Proof of Heaven, to explore one of the most profound questions we can ask: what happens when this life ends? Dr. Alexander shares the story of the sudden bacterial illness that put him into a seven-day coma, the medical uncertainty surrounding his survival, and the near-death experience that challenged his understanding of the brain, consciousness, memory, and spirituality. Josh also brings the conversation back to leadership, ambition, ego, and control. For high performers and business leaders, this episode asks a deeper question: what are you really building, and what are you allowing fear to drive? __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook

June 23, 20261 hr 18 min

Blake Erickson: He Made $1M/Year at 26. Then Sold Everything.

Blake Erickson made serious money young. He experienced retirement at 26. Then he realized something most entrepreneurs never want to admit: Success can feel empty when you're playing the wrong game. In this episode of Everything They Don't Tell You, Josh Zolin sits down with Blake Erickson, New York Times bestselling author and founder of scaling.com, for a raw conversation about focus, ego, purpose, leadership, and what it actually takes to scale a business without losing yourself in the process. Blake breaks down the core ideas behind The Science of Scaling, including frame, floor, and focus, why impossible goals force better thinking, why most founders become the bottleneck, and why scaling is often more about subtraction than addition. This episode gets into the tactics of building a better business, but it also goes deeper into the identity work behind leadership. Because growth is not just about revenue. It's about becoming the person capable of carrying what you say you want. In this episode: Why Blake sold everything and went all in on one mission How diluted focus creates diluted results Why ego is often the real founder bottleneck The difference between tactics and principles Why impossible goals can create better strategy How your floor becomes your culture Why success without purpose can feel like failure How to attract better people, even in a labor shortage Why scaling requires subtraction, not more complexity Guest: Blake Erickson Connect: blakeerickson.com __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook

June 16, 20261 hr 35 min

Charles Gaudet: How to Scale Without Becoming the Bottleneck

What if the biggest thing holding your business back is you? In this episode of Everything They Don't Tell You, Josh Zolin sits down with Charles Gaudet to talk about the founder trap, predictable growth, leverage, systems, and what it really takes to build a business that can run without you. Charles breaks down why hard work alone is not enough, why word of mouth and referrals eventually hit a ceiling, and how founders can start moving from chaos to consistency. They also get into recurring revenue, team ownership, leadership identity, and the uncomfortable truth that many founders are not always the best long-term CEO for the company they created. This is a conversation for business owners who want growth, but do not want to lose themselves in the process. Guest: Charles Gaudet Connect with Charles: https://charlesgaudet.com/ __ ► Download Your 90 Day ROI Playbook — A value packed free guide created by Josh Zolin that teaches you how to Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook