Measure Success Podcast

Hosted by Carl J. Cox

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295

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Oct 2026

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About the show

This is the Measure Success Podcast, which features top leaders on how they measure success in their business and life. We talk with CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors, and extraordinary high achievers. The host, Carl J. Cox, is the CEO of 40 Strategy. 40 Strategy guides leaders to take their organization to the next level by designing world-class strategic plans and keeping them accountable to get it done. Go to 40strategy.com to learn more. As an entrepreneur and executive, Carl has been with 7 different companies that have grown from 2x to 7x. Carl is the author of Lost at CEO, An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy. This book reached #1 Amazon bestseller in 12 separate categories at launch, and a must-read for entrepreneurs and leaders.

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60 recent

November 3, 202641 min

Stop Leaking Company Data Into ChatGPT

Is your team accidentally leaking company data into ChatGPT right now? In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Chris Carter, Chairman and CEO of Approyo, to discuss the hidden risks of AI data privacy, the difference between open and closed AI systems, and how one employee's mistake led him to build a tool used across seven retail organizations. Episode highlights: • The 22-tab Excel file that almost exposed an entire company's 401k and PII data to ChatGPT • Why Chris built a browser extension to stop unsafe AI uploads in 72 hours • Open vs. closed AI systems, and why most people never check their settings • The "three-part human, one-part AI" framework for validating AI output • How Chris measures success in business and in his personal life Watch the full episode and ask yourself: what is my team uploading into AI tools that they shouldn't be? Connect with Chris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-carter-885159/ Website: www.Approyo.com Book: Mastering SAP, Learn AI like a 5 year old, The ethical intelligence of AI, etc

October 27, 202641 min

The Brutal Truth: Most Books Sell Less Than 50 Copies

Think your book is going to sell itself? The average self-published title sells fewer than 50 copies. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Stephanie Chandler, founder of the Nonfiction Authors Association and author of The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan, to discuss the brutal realities of book marketing, why AI should never write your book, and how authors actually turn their books into business growth. In this conversation: • Why Stephanie passed out in a Las Vegas casino and what it taught her about walking away from a career she hated • The hard truth about book sales: less than 1% of authors ever see real bookstore distribution, and 70% of all book sales now happen through Amazon • Why audiobooks are the fastest-growing format in publishing and what that means if yours isn't in one • The "community of influence" exercise every author should run before their book launches • Why Stephanie won't touch AI-written books and where AI actually earns its place in the writing process Watch the full episode and ask yourself: who in your community of influence would buy your book today if you just asked them? Connect with Stephanie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniechandler Website: https://nonfictionauthorsassociation.com/ Book: The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Nonfiction-Book-Marketing-Launch-Plan/dp/1949642860/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonfictionauthorsassociation/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonfictionassociation/

October 20, 202638 min

85% of Employees Don't Know Your Strategy — Here's the Fix

Why do 85% of employees have no idea what their company's strategy actually is? In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Evan Campbell, a former Green Beret and seasoned technology executive who founded Chinook Ranch Consulting, to discuss why most strategies fail, the real difference between OKRs and old-school MBOs, and what it actually takes to get a strategy executed instead of just written down. Episode highlights: • Why only about 20% of big consulting firms' strategies actually get implemented • The three phases of strategy: formulation, deployment, and execution • What separates an effective OKR from an old-school MBO • Why quarterly check-ins let strategy quietly decay • How Evan went from freezing on a cell tower to two IPOs to founding his own consulting firm Watch the full episode and ask yourself: could your team repeat your company's strategic objectives back to you right now? Connect with Evan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evcampbell/ Website: https://www.adapttowin.co/ Book: Adapt to Win: A Framework to Overcome Strategy Decay Using OKRs and Lean Portfolio Management Book Link: https://www.adapttowin.co/

October 13, 202635 min

10 AI Agents, One Sales Team: Scaling Without New Hires

Are you still selling the way you did in 2022? Frank Sondors says that's why you're falling behind. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Frank Sondors, co-founder and CEO of Salesforge, to talk about how his company went from $3M in year one to running 10 AI agents across its go-to-market team, why the best salespeople are the ones adopting AI fastest, and what's actually breaking sales outreach today. Episode highlights: • How Frank and two co-founders took Salesforge to $3M in their first year • Running 10 AI agents — including "Agent Frank," an AI SDR modeled after himself • Why 60% of any sales team is what Frank calls "dead wood," and what separates the rest • The software compound model: scaling revenue without scaling headcount • Solving email deliverability problems that quietly kill outbound campaigns Watch the full episode and ask yourself: Are you still using the same sales playbook you had in 2022? Connect with Frank: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franksondors/ Website: https://www.salesforge.ai Twitter / X: https://x.com/franksondors

October 6, 202643 min

Goals, Plan, Tactics: Most People Do It Backward

Most people build their financial plan backward. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Mando Sallavanti, CFP, certified exit planning advisor and founder of Freedom Path Wealth, to discuss why goals have to come before tactics, how to give yourself permission to actually spend the money you worked for, and what really changes a client's behavior. We cover: • Why the order is goals, then plan, then tactic — and what breaks when you flip it • Level one goals versus level two goals, and why most people stop at level one • The 4% rule, and why people with millions still feel scared to spend • Never letting the tax tail wag the dog — Section 179, cost segregation, and deferrals • How Mando built 50,000+ LinkedIn followers one relationship at a time Watch the full episode and ask yourself: are you choosing tactics, or working toward a goal? Connect with Mando: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallavanti/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mando.sallavanti Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneywithmando/reels/ Website: https://freedompathwealth.com/

September 29, 202637 min

De-Risk Your Business Before You Sell It

Private equity wants to buy you before you know what you're worth. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Tom Bradbury, founder and CEO of Broad-Gauge, an execution risk intelligence platform, to discuss how to prepare your business for a sale, why execution risk is the earliest warning sign leaders miss, and how to de-risk before you ever hire an investment banker. We cover: • Why you should get sale-ready before you hire an investment banker • What a SIM and a quality of earnings report actually do to your price • Why roughly 70% of business owners are unhappy after they sell • Execution risk as the earliest signal — before KPIs sag or engagement drops • How a 15-year-old's honest question reshaped an entire business If you plan to sell your business someday, watch this before you take a single meeting. Watch now and start building a business that's ready. Connect with Tom: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspbradbury/ Website: https://broad-gauge.ai Book: The Culture Project: 30 Days to Reboot Your Organization Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Project-Days-Reboot-Organization/dp/0578330067

September 22, 202639 min

Leadership Is an Attitude, Not a Position

What if leadership was never about the title? In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Seger Morris, DO, MBA — osteopathic physician, healthcare executive, and author of the new book Let Me Lead — to talk about why impact doesn't wait for a title, how to escape the "experience bias," and what AI means for the next generation of leaders. We cover: • Why leadership is an attitude, not a position • How to take calculated risks early in your career • Fluid vs. crystallized intelligence — and why youth drives innovation • Physician 3.0: what changes when information becomes free • The "go big or go home" decision that doubled a residency program Watch the full episode and ask yourself: who on your team is ready to lead, and just waiting for permission? Connect with Seger: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/segermorris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/segermorris/ Website: https://www.segermorris.com/ Book: Let Me Lead: Escaping the Experience Bias and Excelling as an Early-Career Professional Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Let-Lead-Seger-Morris-MBA/dp/B0G69GRYPD/

September 15, 202639 min

AI Is Writing Your Reputation, Take Control Now

AI is writing your reputation right now, whether it's accurate or not. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Dave Fulk, entrepreneur, investor, and CEO of Reputation Rhino, to discuss why your online reputation now decides more sales than your pitch does, how AI is rewriting the story people find about you, and what leaders can do to take control of it. Episode highlights: • The real difference between marketing, branding, and reputation — and why most leaders only work on one • Why 74% of buyers decide whether to do business with you before you ever talk • How AI and LLMs build your narrative from scattered sources — and get it dangerously wrong • The "own the entire city block" strategy for dominating page one of Google • How to earn authentic reviews without gaming the system Watch the full episode and ask yourself: if a stranger looked you up today, would they find the story you'd actually tell? Connect with Dave: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefulk/ Website: https://davefulk.com

September 8, 202640 min

Real Estate Wealth: Performance Beats Location

Most people are told real estate is all about location. What if that's the wrong rule? In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Axel Meierhoefer, former German Air Force fighter pilot and founder of Ideal Wealth Grower, to discuss how to build real estate wealth that replaces earned income and buys back your time. Episode highlights: • Why performance beats location when you invest for cash flow • The IDEAL framework: income, depreciation, equity, appreciation, and leverage • How turnkey providers and property clusters make investing scalable • Why professionalizing with an LLC changes how banks and sellers treat you • Building reserves that let you buy a new property every 12–18 months Watch the full episode and ask yourself: Are you building assets that will pay you when you stop working? Connect with Axel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameierhoefer/ Twitter / X: https://x.com/IdealGrower Website: https://idealwealthgrower.com/ Book: Ideal Wealth Grower Book Link: https://idealwealthgrower.substack.com/about

September 1, 202639 min

Humans Buy From Humans in the Age of AI

In a world drowning in AI content, why do humans still only buy from humans? In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, I sit down with Robb Fahrion, Co-Founder and CEO of Flying V Group, to discuss how trust and authenticity win in the AI age, why he signed a high-rent office lease when everyone else went remote, and what small businesses must do to get found as search shifts from Google to AI. We cover: • Why he bet on an office and community when everyone said go remote • How AI broke traditional SEO — and what actually wins now • Why video is the #1 way to get cited in AI-powered search • Using AI agents to catch red flags in your data before they become wildfires • How coaching high school football shaped his approach to accountability Watch the full episode and ask yourself: In a world full of AI content, what makes your business unmistakably real? Connect with Robb: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbfahrion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flyingvgroup Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbfahrion Twitter / X: https://x.com/robbfahrion Website: https://www.flyingvgroup.com/