Conscious Curiosity

Hosted by Jeff Blanton, Jailbreak Leadership

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Episodes

111

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Conscious Curiosity SD provides insight and inspiration from San Diego’s CEOs and Founders who bring purpose to their work and are proving business can positively change the communities we work and live in. Hosted by Jeff Blanton and produced in community with BBB Serving the Pacific Southwest SD Campus, Conscious Capitalism SD, B Local SD, Business For Good SD, and Cause SD. Jeff is a master facilitator, recognized leadership consultant, author, speaker and creator of Jailbreak Leadership, a process that unlocks team performance. Jeff works with teams to facilitate the connection, alignment, and commitment required to identify and implement sustainable change. Jeff lives in San Diego with his wife and is having the time of his life, driven by his personal purpose to help others mobilize their biggest possibilities and make work meaningful.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 7, 202634 min

Marketing That Matters With Sarah Yasukochi

Most businesses don’t have a marketing problem. They have a strategy problem. Too often we jump to tactics—social media, advertising, AI, websites, videos—before answering the most important question: What are we really trying to accomplish? In this episode of Conscious Curiosity SD, I sit down with Sarah Yasukochi, Founder & CEO of House Collective and one of San Diego’s most respected purpose-driven marketing strategists. Sarah shares why great marketing isn’t about chasing clicks—it’s about building trust, amplifying meaningful work, and creating a strategy that serves people first. We explore: If you’re a business owner, CEO, marketer, or leader trying to grow your […]

June 24, 202640 min

THE B-CORP THAT BUILT A $1 BILLION BUSINESS - Jack Mardack

Can You Build a Billion-Dollar Business and Still Make the World Better? Most people believe there is a tradeoff between profit and purpose. My latest podcast guest, Jack Mardack, believes that is a false choice. As Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of Oyster, Jack helped build one of the world’s few B Corp unicorns—a company valued at over $1 billion while creating meaningful impact across the globe. In this conversation, we explore: • Why purpose and profit can strengthen each other• How leaders can build impact into the DNA of their organizations• The future of work in an AI-driven world• […]

June 10, 202637 min

AI - The leadership Challenge

In this episode of Conscious Curiosity SD, I sit down with Sanjiv Prabhakaran and Louis Cruz to discuss what leaders are getting wrong—and right—about AI. Everyone is talking about AI. Most are talking about the technology. Very few are talking about leadership. After spending time with AI experts, business leaders, and organizations navigating adoption, I’ve become convinced of one thing: The companies that win with AI won’t necessarily have the best technology. They’ll have leaders who can: AI is not another software implementation. It’s a business transformation. And leadership will determine who thrives and who falls behind. Time Stamps 2:15 […]

May 27, 202641 min

Re-Thinking Homelessness with Drew Moser

Homelessness is not just a government issue. It’s a leadership issue.And some of San Diego’s business leaders are refusing to sit on the sidelines. SENIORS are the fastest growing group experiencing homelessness in San Diego — not because they failed, but because they simply can’t keep up economically anymore. On this episode of Conscious Curiosity SD, I sit down with Drew Moser, CEO of Lucky Duck Foundation, to explore a radically different approach to one of San Diego’s biggest challenges using business principles and business-minded execution to make a difference. A few powerful takeaways from this conversation: This conversation challenged assumptions, inspired […]

May 13, 202641 min

Building Something Special with Traci Cole

Today on Conscious Curiosity SD, we sit down with Traci Cole—a mission-driven entrepreneur building a business that truly matters. Traci is the CEO and founder of Dignity Bath and Spa and Director of Southern California Veterans Business Outreach Center where she leads the effort to support veteran and military-connected entrepreneurs in starting or growing a business. Tracy shows us it’s not just about ideas—it’s about digging deep to find the real problem and having the courage to solve it. Her journey began with caring for her father during Alzheimer’s, where she uncovered a powerful, often unspoken challenge: preserving dignity in caregiving. That insight […]

April 29, 202640 min

Thriving Communities Lead to Thriving Businesses with Chris Thorne

Today on Conscious Curiosity SD, we sit down with Chris Thorne, CEO of the North San Diego Business Chamber—a true community builder dedicated to helping small and mid-sized business leaders thrive. Running a business can feel isolating. The pressure, the decisions, the constant need to adapt—it’s a lot. And too often, leaders try to carry it alone. This conversation is a powerful reminder: you don’t have to. Chris shares how the Chamber is creating something bigger than networking—a connected ecosystem where leaders support leaders. From meaningful relationships to real advocacy and shared resources, this is about building a community that shows up for each other. […]

April 8, 202638 min

Not Just Partners—Friends Building Something That Lasts with Lauren Gallagher & Lori Bolander

On this episode of Conscious Curiosity SD, Jeff sat down with Lauren Gallagher and Lori Bolander of Gallagher, Bolander, Smedley, LLP, a firm that has been serving San Diego families for over 70 years and current clients of Jeff’s at Jailbreak Leadership. This conversation goes beyond the practice of law and into what it really looks like to lead, partner, and build something that lasts. Lauren and Lori speak candidly about the reality of partnership—it’s not always easy, and it’s constantly evolving—and what it takes to build and sustain culture as an organization grows. They share what it means to […]

March 18, 202642 min

Conscious Consulting with Michele Moninger & Brian Ford

Conscious Curiosity SD welcomes a special conversation featuring friends and colleagues of Jeff who are deeply involved in the Conscious Capitalism movement. In this episode, Jeff is joined by Michele Moninger of The Rooted Brand and Brian Ford of Self Improvement Daily and For Purpose Foundation. Each helping businesses, teams, and individuals lead and operate with greater purpose through their work. In this episode, they explore the four tenets of Conscious Capitalism: Higher Purpose | Stakeholder Orientation | Conscious Leadership | Conscious Culture Drawing on decades of collective experience, they share real stories of what it looks like when these […]

March 4, 202637 min

From Job to Calling with Sara Wilczynska

On this episode of Conscious Curiosity SD, Jeff and Sara explore the journey of finding meaning in work, transitioning from a corporate tech career to becoming a watercolor artist and founder of Swil Arts. They discuss the importance of slowing down to appreciate life’s small moments, the challenges of building a sustainable business, and the principles of conscious capitalism in action. Rooted in San Diego, Sara has built Swil Arts as a purpose driven, place-based business that creates art designed to foster connection, reflection, and belonging. Drawing from local landscapes and community narratives, her work reflects an intentional shift from […]

February 4, 202639 min

Building Trust From The Ground Up with Scott Lawn

On this episode of Conscious Curiosity SD, Scott Lawn, owner of Greenway Landscape Design & Build, joins Jeff for a conversation about ethics, innovation, and building a purpose driven business. After 33 years in business and more than 20,000 residential clients across San Diego, Greenway was recently named the 2025 BBB Torch Award for Ethics winner. For Scott, the award is validation of a culture built around one core value: we do the right thing. Everything else flows from that. Empowering people to do great work. At the heart of Greenway’s work is making memories. They design outdoor spaces to […]