Relationships & Revenue Podcast

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Life is all about relationships and great leaders heavily invest in those relationships. On the Relationships and Revenue Podcast, we talk about how to improve our most significant relationships at home so we can be better in our business relationships. We talk with experts from all over the world representing many disciplines about the best tips and strategies to become amazing people and amazing leaders. Welcome to the show!

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October 16, 2026Episode 33950 min

Episode 339 Leading Through Uncertainty with Trenton Miguez (Part 2)

John continues his conversation with Trenton Miguez about how intelligence skills can help people make better decisions in everyday life and business. Trenton explains the difference between real danger and perceived danger, and why we need to question our assumptions before reacting to a situation. They also discuss the importance of information literacy in a world full of social media, news, and propaganda, and how to become information literate. About Trenton Miguez Former Military Intelligence Officer | Intelligence Educator | Corporate & Government Advisor Trenton Miguez is a former Military Intelligence Officer who provides organizations and leaders with practical intelligence education to solve real-world challenges across business, security, leadership, and decision-making . Drawing on more than a decade of operational and instructional experience, he equips public and private sector clients with intelligence-based frameworks that improve performance in complex, high-stakes environments. During his Army career, Trenton operated in contested regions throughout the Middle East, supporting counterterrorism, threat reduction, de-escalation, and protection missions. His work combined intelligence collection, analysis, and operational decision-making under uncertainty, an experience that now forms the foundation of his approach to solving problems where information is incomplete and risk is constant. As the lead developer for the Army's Military Intelligence Officer Leader Course and the Information Collection Planner Course , Trenton built the core training programs used to prepare the Army's newest intelligence officers. His curriculum design emphasized operational realism, human behavior, and measurable performance outcomes, producing mission-ready intelligence professionals capable of sound judgment in ambiguous conditions. Trenton brings intelligence tradecraft into the business world, helping corporate leaders, sales teams, security organizations, and government partners sharpen decision-making, reduce risk, and lead through uncertainty. His work focuses on the intersection of sales, trust, security, leadership, and human behavior in competitive environments , enabling organizations to protect reputation, drive revenue, uncover vulnerabilities early, and make confident strategic choices when the stakes are high. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Real danger vs. perceived danger [05:27] - Preparing for risks in your area [07:38] - Becoming information literate [09:14] - How to consume news/information [14:35] - Exegesis vs. Isogesis [18:26] - How to identify your ideal client [28:20] - Trenton's definition of success [30:44] - Will books disappear in the future? [33:25] - #1 daily habit [35:10] - Traits of a great leader [37:47] - Legacy Trenton wants to leave behind [42:06] - How Trenton invests in his growth [43:13] - Love as an action [45:26] - Best way to connect with Trenton [48:54] - Wrap-up NOTABLE QUOTES: "A lot of times, people have a foundational understanding of things that's going to hurt me, but they don't even evaluate their own thoughts on how they're thinking about the danger itself." "The fact that you're already agreeing or disagreeing with what you see on Instagram or Facebook, or what they claim to be news media with no journalistic standards. As soon as you feel an emotion, a red light and a red flag should go off inside your head. Pause and reflect on your own internal belief. Don't come to a conclusion. Operate in the world of assessment, meaning an open-ended way of thinking." "People think data, information, and knowledge are all the same thing because they don't have information literacy. They're all separate things. Information is data plus context." "A lot of people don't understand the world that they're currently living in, in the world of information, because the average person isn't trained. They don't have an understanding, a conceptual understanding of how information truly works." "Become information literate." "If you repeat something often enough, people will start believing, regardless of whether it's true or false. Just through repetition, and that's just one component that ties into the larger spectrum of information." "You can't get rid of personal biases. You can only account for them." "If you do the hard work up front, very rarely do you have to fire a client." "You can't truly love another person until you love you." "In order to understand someone else deeply, you must understand yourself just as deeply." "Take a lot of data compared to pattern recognition, your experiences, and then quickly make a determination on what you need to do." "When I choose to love someone, I do that regardless of how I feel." USEFUL LINKS: Explore Spy School: https://everydayspy.com/ Find your Spy Superpower: https://yt.everydayspy.com/45cuYfY Listen to the podcast: https://youtube.com/@EverydaySpyPodcast Learn from a CIA Spy: https://youtube.com/@Andrew-Bustamante Email: trenton@everydayspy.com CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

October 9, 2026Episode 33848 min

Episode 338 Leading Through Uncertainty with Trenton Miguez (Part 1)

John talks with Trenton Miguez, a former Military Intelligence Officer and Intelligence Educator with EverydaySpy. Trenton explains how military training taught him to think and make decisions under pressure, the decision-making cycles and how becoming aware of the way you naturally make decisions can help you change the parts of that process that are not serving you, and much more! About Trenton Miguez Former Military Intelligence Officer | Intelligence Educator | Corporate & Government Advisor Trenton Miguez is a former Military Intelligence Officer who provides organizations and leaders with practical intelligence education to solve real-world challenges across business, security, leadership, and decision-making . Drawing on more than a decade of operational and instructional experience, he equips public and private sector clients with intelligence-based frameworks that improve performance in complex, high-stakes environments. During his Army career, Trenton operated in contested regions throughout the Middle East, supporting counterterrorism, threat reduction, de-escalation, and protection missions. His work combined intelligence collection, analysis, and operational decision-making under uncertainty, an experience that now forms the foundation of his approach to solving problems where information is incomplete and risk is constant. As the lead developer for the Army's Military Intelligence Officer Leader Course and the Information Collection Planner Course , Trenton built the core training programs used to prepare the Army's newest intelligence officers. His curriculum design emphasized operational realism, human behavior, and measurable performance outcomes, producing mission-ready intelligence professionals capable of sound judgment in ambiguous conditions. Trenton brings intelligence tradecraft into the business world, helping corporate leaders, sales teams, security organizations, and government partners sharpen decision-making, reduce risk, and lead through uncertainty. His work focuses on the intersection of sales, trust, security, leadership, and human behavior in competitive environments , enabling organizations to protect reputation, drive revenue, uncover vulnerabilities early, and make confident strategic choices when the stakes are high. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:40] - Trenton's bio & backstory [02:04] - Joining the military and how he found his way into intelligence [07:47] - How military training teaches people to make decisions under pressure [10:08] - Scenarios that test leadership, communication, and decision-making [13:14] - The solicitation of feedback [14:40] - How military skills can be useful in everyday civilian life [17:00] - How long he served in the military [18:00] - Process of leaving the military [19:14] - Possibility of ex-military personnel being called back into service [22:03] - #1 lesson he learned in military intelligence [27:16] - Importance of understanding your own decision-making cycle [28:55] - How Trenton uses these intelligence skills as an entrepreneur [30:33] - Having long-term clients instead of constantly finding new customers [35:00] - Business is about relationships [39:03] - Leadership that puts people first [41:41] - How caring for employees and customers can help your business [43:44] - Designing the Intelligence Training Program NOTABLE QUOTES: "When you understand someone else's perspective, you have so much tangible leverage that you can use to determine a variety of different outcomes that work for you and work for them." "When you realize your own decisions are, in fact, a cycle, you can change that cycle. You can add things to it, or you can subtract things that actually aren't serving you." "When there's a message that is communicated in one direction, there's a heard acknowledgement and confirmation from the other person before any action is taken." "If you only see someone as a potential dollar sign, they see right through that. You become the stereotypical used car salesman, even though you don't sell cars. That's what you become to the other person." "If you think you're for everybody, you're actually for nobody." "If you'll be quiet, people'll tell you exactly what they want and, most of the time, what they need. You just need to shut up and listen, and they'll tell you." "Whenever you take care of your people, your people start taking care of you." "What's normal, what's average to you, is magic to other people." USEFUL LINKS: Explore Spy School: https://everydayspy.com/ Find your Spy Superpower: https://yt.everydayspy.com/45cuYfY Listen to the podcast: https://youtube.com/@EverydaySpyPodcast Learn from a CIA Spy: https://youtube.com/@Andrew-Bustamante CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

October 2, 2026Episode 33735 min

Episode 337 The Assessment Advantage with Maeve Ferguson (Part 2)

John continues his conversation with Maeve Ferguson about using intellectual property to create assessments and gather data about potential clients. Maeve explains what a data funnel is, how it differs from a traditional lead magnet, and how businesses can use it to connect people with the right offers. They also discuss adding assessments to books, the cost and process of building one, and how Maeve balances her business with family life. About Maeve Ferguson: Northern Ireland-based strategist working with bestselling authors, 7-10 figure thought leaders, and the world's most established experts. Former EY consultant. Former private equity director. Now the architect behind a new category of business asset that most experts do not yet know exists. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - People who might benefit from Maeve's work [02:00] - What is a data funnel? [05:45] - Why Maeve recommends making assessments part of the book [08:04] - Adding an assessment to books that are already published [10:52] - Cost of assessment implementation [12:26] - Maeve's connections with authors and publishing professionals [13:01] - Maeve's plans to write her own book about data [16:18] - John's plans for his book launch [17:28] - How entrepreneurship has affected Maeve's family life [19:45] - Maeve's definition of success [20:45] - #1 daily habit [20:52] - Traits of a great leader [22:14] - Legacy Maeve wants to leave behind [22:42] - How Maeve invests in her own marriage [28:23] - Creating memories with family [29:22] - Best way to connect with Maeve [33:10] - Books recommendation [33:37] - Wrap-up NOTABLE QUOTES: "Execution is an underrated skill." "The greatest thing that you can give your kid is to demonstrate for them on a daily basis what it looks like to have a loving, healthy marriage where Mom and Dad love each other and express that in front of them." "One of my favorite things about the assessment is that it leads with value. It gives so much insight, so much value before anything is ever sold. People have huge breakthroughs, huge realizations about self, or their situation, or where they are, or where they are in the process." "Date night or date day, whatever works for you guys. That needs to be in there in ink, and you plan everything else around that. That's how important it is for your marriage." "There's another way to do life." "Purpose is on the other side of pain. You can't deny it, you can't numb it, you can't pretend it's not there, and you can't avoid it. You have to work through it." BOOKS MENTIONED: You Are The Brand: The 8-Step Blueprint to Showcase Your Unique Expertise and Build a Highly Profitable, Personally Fulfilling Business by Mike Kim ( https://amzn.to/4y1qvYJ ) The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip and Dan Heath ( https://amzn.to/3VL1Xpv ) Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own by AJ Harper ( https://amzn.to/4iZsLfx ) 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan ( https://amzn.to/4AO2lnu ) Rich Relationships: Create a Million-Dollar Network for Your Business by Selena Soo ( https://amzn.to/4dLOaVS ) PODCAST MENTIONED: Don't Write That Book Podcast with Mike Michalowicz and AJ Harper ( https://tinyurl.com/DontWriteThatBookPodcast ) USEFUL LINKS: https://www.maevefergusonconsulting.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/maeveferguson/ https://www.instagram.com/iammaeveferguson/ https://substack.com/@maeveferguson https://www.youtube.com/@maeveferguson CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

September 25, 2026Episode 33637 min

Episode 336 The Assessment Advantage with Maeve Ferguson (Part 1)

John's guest on the show is Maeve Ferguson, a thought leadership advisor and executive coach who helps thought leaders turn their intellectual property (IP) into powerful assessments that generate leads, attract clients, and build proprietary data that creates a real moat around their businesses. Maeve shares how a serious illness that left her bedridden for about four years completely changed the way she looked at work, success, and life. They also talk about the realities of entrepreneurship, why relationships matter in business, the importance of making things easy for your audience to understand, and why Maeve focuses on working with people who have real, well-developed intellectual property. About Maeve Ferguson: Northern Ireland-based strategist working with bestselling authors, 7-10 figure thought leaders, and the world's most established experts. Former EY consultant. Former private equity director. Now the architect behind a new category of business asset that most experts do not yet know exists. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [01:40] - Maeve's bio [03:06] - Maeve's journey from steeplechase to Ernst & Young (EY) [06:37] - The realities of entrepreneurship [10:50] - Why Maeve moved from Ernst & Young to private equity [12:35] - How a virus left her bedridden for about four years [14:24] - How the illness affected her family and loved ones [16:42] - How she protects her health and avoids repeating old patterns [17:48] - Learning about lead generation, sales, and business world [22:14] - What EY, PE, and IP mean [23:16] - John's coaching note on clear communication [25:16] - Why Maeve chose to work with thought leaders [27:52] - How Maeve finds and attracts high-level clients [28:50] - Why relationships and people matter more than status or image [32:42] - What is Agentic AI? [35:21] - Ontology and how to find real bottlenecks in your business NOTABLE QUOTES: "I pay a huge amount of importance on the relationships that I build and how I connect with people, and making sure that I always give before I get. So, yeah, about 50% of our business is from clients referring other people into us after working with us." "If you can be a champion at anything, I don't care how old you are … If you're a champ, you're a champ. Period." "Entrepreneurship is not for everybody … There are a lot of people who are running companies as hobby businesses and they would be better in a job." "If I were approached by a company that wanted to sponsor the show, if they didn't have a product or service that I used, I would not accept the money. Because if I don't believe in that, how could I possibly promote that?" "You gotta slow down to speed up." "The numbers never lie." USEFUL LINKS: https://www.maevefergusonconsulting.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/maeveferguson/ https://www.instagram.com/iammaeveferguson/ https://substack.com/@maeveferguson https://www.youtube.com/@maeveferguson CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

September 18, 2026Episode 33550 min

Episode 335 From Runway to Resilience with Christine Handy

John sits down with Christine Handy to talk about her upcoming film, "Hello Beautiful." Christine wrote the book Walk Beside Me after being diagnosed with cancer. The book is based on her own experience and the people who showed up for her during some of the hardest moments of her life. The book became the film, "Hello Beautiful," which releases in theaters on September 25, 2026. Christine talks about how cancer changed the way she saw herself, the importance of faith, true friendships and community, and the nearly 10-year journey of bringing her book to the big screen. About Christine Handy: Christine Handy is not just a name — she is a voice of hope, courage, and transformation. As a model, breast cancer survivor, mother, international speaker, influencer, and author, Christine uses her platform to uplift, inspire, and empower others to overcome adversity with faith, grace, and grit. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:44] - "Hello Beautiful" movie releases on September 25, 2026 [01:30] - Christine's bio [02:13] - Story behind writing Walk Beside Me [05:29] - Rebuilding her identity during chemo [08:42] - The friends who showed up [09:57] - What her sons went through during her illness [12:42] - How the book started becoming a movie [15:43] - Finding the right people for "Hello Beautiful" [18:41] - Casting Tricia Helfer as the lead [23:00] - Some of the wins and disappointments of the film journey [25:26] - The personal cost of making the film [26:04] - Filming schedule and locations [28:11] - Music by Marco Werba and London Symphony Orchestra [28:41] - What comes next for "Hello Beautiful" [29:35] - Initial theatrical release markets [30:17] - Attending red carpet events now as a writer and producer [31:35] - The incredible response "Hello Beautiful" has received [35:23] - Is there a second book for Christine? [36:14] - When John's mom was diagnosed with cancer [39:23] - Christine's unsustainable schedule over the past years [41:44] - The unexpected impact of the film on hospitals [42:39] - The physical and emotional toll of constant working [47:46] - Best way to connect with Christine [48:33] - Closing remarks NOTABLE QUOTES: "I was determined to become a light instead of a victim in this world." "Your beauty is an internal job. It has nothing to do with whether I have breasts or not. My beauty was not dissected because I lost my chest. I am whole. I am made in God's image, and that's why my value has not changed one bit." "I kind of skipped that season of my life. And so, when I was faced with a rebuild, I made a conscious decision that I was going to rebuild and do the work to know who I was and to find the reasons that people were showing up for me." "I am a very courageous young woman and somebody that had great grit and determination, which is why I was able to rebuild and to use that pain that I had gone through to help other people. Because I also rebuilt myself with a lot of self-confidence." "I talk very freely about the things that I wasn't doing well in life and aren't very flattering. But I think that's more important than just showing the highlight reels in social media or in life, because how does that really help anybody?" "There really isn't any ceiling to what any of us can accomplish. It's all in our head what we can accomplish. And if we take no from other people and we listen to that, then it's going to stop us. But if you say to yourself, when people say no, it just means I have to go to a different door." "The people that quit in the middle, that don't get to the finish line. You can't quit in the middle. The hard part is the middle. You can't quit." USEFUL LINKS: Listen to Christine's 2021 episode with John: https://relationshipsandrevenue.libsyn.com/episode-047-christine-handy https://christinehandy.com/ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hello_beautiful https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9018874/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-handy-3056ba125/ https://www.instagram.com/christinehandy1/ https://www.facebook.com/christine.handy.2025 https://x.com/handychristine1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVw3xG426-c https://www.youtube.com/@christinehandy132 "Walk Beside Me" ( https://amzn.to/4xTvOdH ) CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

September 11, 2026Episode 33448 min

Episode 334 The Upper Hand with Dr. Abbie Maroño (Part 2)

John continues his conversation with Dr. Abbie Maroño. Dr. Abbie opens up about her difficult past and how she learned to keep moving forward even when things felt impossible. They also talk about the pressure to be perfect, why we should stop waiting until we feel completely ready, and how taking action can help us grow. Dr. Abbie also discusses her books, Work in Progress: The Road to Empowerment, The Journey Through Shame and The Upper Hand: Mastering Persuasion and Getting What You Want with the Science of Social Engineering. About Dr. Abbie Maroño: Dr. Abbie Maroño is a keynote speaker, behavioral scientist, and author specializing in trust, influence, and nonverbal communication. She is known for challenging conventional thinking and translating complex behavioral science into practical insights that audiences can immediately understand and apply. Her interest in human behavior did not begin in a classroom. Growing up in an unstable and traumatic home, she learned early that no one was coming to save her. At 16, she faced a choice no child should have to make: continue down a path of addiction or fight for a different future. She chose the latter. That decision sparked a lifelong fascination with why people make the choices they do and how understanding human behavior can change the course of a life. Earning her PhD in Psychology, Dr Abbie became a Professor of Psychology at just 23 years old. She was later recognized by the U.S. Department of State for extraordinary ability in behavioral science and named one of Central Florida's 40 Under 40 by the Orlando Business Journal. She is the creator of The Upper Hand, a proprietary framework focused on trust, influence, communication, and decision-making. Dr Abbie has trained representatives from 29 U.S. federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, as well as senior leadership at INTERPOL. The U.S. Secret Service also recognized her contributions with an award for outstanding contribution to their forensic services. As a bestselling author, TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, Court TV contributor, and media commentator, her work has been featured on BBC News, Fox News, WIRED, Reuters, Forbes Breaking News, Apple News, and many more outlets. She also provides expert witness services in matters involving behavioral analysis, nonverbal communication, and human behavior, including high-profile civil and criminal cases. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Dr. Abbie's early life and trauma [02:28] - Learning to deal with trauma gives you powerful life skills [04:08] - The importance of struggle [07:43] - Letting go of perfectionism [10:25] - Ready vs prepared [12:13] - The Dr. Abbie Show and why she delayed it for so long [15:21] - Why Dr. Abbie chose behavioral psychology [20:29] - Leaving academia for the private sector [23:48] - Differences between British and American culture [26:51] - How Dr. Abbie's TEDx talk happened [28:11] - The story behind her book Work in Progress [33:12] - The time gap between Work in Progress and The Upper Hand [36:49] - How AI affected her love for writing [38:34] - The F6 Secrets of Relationships is coming out soon [41:24] - The five principles behind The Upper Hand [43:41] - What is nonverbal communication? [45:34] - The best way to connect with Dr. Abbie [46:25] - Wrap-up NOTABLE QUOTES: "Struggle is a gift because it helps create things in you that weren't there before." "We don't see the work people have done to be where they are. We just see how they front." "The skills needed to deal with trauma and deal with pain are incredible life skills, and they will serve you very, very well." "I'd never wish struggle on people, but I do think it is an important character-building thing to go through the struggle." "Done is good enough. People get it done, then you can adjust. Don't adjust before you do it." "The longer we delay, the longer we don't get what we want." "Time will pass anyway. We don't do things because of the time it will take. The time will pass anyway. And then when that time has passed, you look back and you think, 'If I had done that, then I would be in a much different place right now.' So you just have to start." "Be prepared as you can, but just start." "When you admit to, 'I don't know,' 'I'm not perfect,' or 'I made a mistake,' it makes you better, and it makes you more of an expert, and it makes people actually look up to you and relate to you more." USEFUL LINKS: https://www.abbiemarono.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/drabbiemarono/ https://www.instagram.com/doctorabbieofficial/ https://www.facebook.com/DrAbbieofficial TEDx Talk "How to Turn Your Personal Shame Into a Source of Strength" - https://youtu.be/ptvCTuct4GE?si=A8vpm6D5n9UfG0Td The Upper Hand: Mastering Persuasion and Getting What You Want with the Science of Social Engineering - https://a.co/d/0ctZMkgv Work in Progress: The Road to Empowerment, The Journey Through Shame - https://a.co/d/04nYbXkh The Doctor Abbie Show - https://www.youtube.com/@TheDoctorAbbieShow CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

September 4, 2026Episode 33349 min

Episode 333 The Upper Hand with Dr. Abbie Maroño (Part 1)

John sits down with Dr. Abbie Maroño to discuss imposter syndrome, social media pressure, and finding your personal True North. Dr. Abbie shares her journey from becoming a professor at just 23 to working with organizations including the FBI and U.S. Secret Service. She also talks about her books, Work in Progress: The Road to Empowerment, The Journey Through Shame and The Upper Hand: Mastering Persuasion and Getting What You Want with the Science of Social Engineering , and explains why being open about our mistakes can actually make us more relatable and trustworthy. About Dr. Abbie Maroño: Dr. Abbie Maroño is a keynote speaker, behavioral scientist, and author, specializing in trust, influence, and nonverbal communication. She is known for challenging conventional thinking and translating complex behavioral science into practical insights that audiences can immediately understand and apply. Her interest in human behavior did not begin in a classroom. Growing up in an unstable and traumatic home, she learned early that no one was coming to save her. At 16, she faced a choice no child should have to make: continue down a path of addiction or fight for a different future. She chose the latter. That decision sparked a lifelong fascination with why people make the choices they do and how understanding human behavior can change the course of a life. Earning her PhD in Psychology, Dr Abbie became a Professor of Psychology at just 23 years old. She was later recognized by the U.S. Department of State for extraordinary ability in behavioral science and named one of Central Florida's 40 Under 40 by the Orlando Business Journal. She is the creator of The Upper Hand, a proprietary framework focused on trust, influence, communication, and decision-making. Dr Abbie has trained representatives from 29 U.S. federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, as well as senior leadership at INTERPOL. The U.S. Secret Service also recognized her contributions with an award for outstanding contribution to their forensic services. As a bestselling author, TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, Court TV contributor, and media commentator, her work has been featured on BBC News, Fox News, WIRED, Reuters, Forbes Breaking News, Apple News, and many more outlets. She also provides expert witness services in matters involving behavioral analysis, nonverbal communication, and human behavior, including high-profile civil and criminal cases. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [02:17] - Dr. Abbie's bio [03:23] - Two very different books [06:08] - The myth of having it all together [09:25] - We're trained to wear masks [10:11] - Social media's impossible standards [11:50] - Finding your True North [13:08] - Dr. Abbie's personal principles that keep her grounded [16:04] - Don't let praise or criticism define you [19:26] - Pain is a prerequisite for purpose [22:09] - When John realized that he needed to work on himself [26:04] - Growth isn't new year, new me [30:13] - High life is a lie [33:27] - Happiness vs Joy [35:27] - Finding purpose and joy takes discipline [38:43] - How difficult retirement can be for professional athletes [42:37] - Adversity is a gift only when it's healed [45:51] - Dr. Abbie's childhood and addiction NOTABLE QUOTES: "If people can't relate to you, they will stop listening." "There's just some things that nobody should know. People don't need to know every little detail about our lives." "We don't need to hide ourselves, but we don't need to overshare everything." "Each of us has to have a true north, something that we can hold on to, no matter what. So that when those voices get loud, it's like that we can find a way to at least quiet them down a little bit, and then refocus that true north, so that we can continue to head in the direction we need to be heading." "Let people show you who they are and decide if that's enough for you. Stop trying to convince people that you're worth enough and that you deserve to be in their life, and they deserve to be in yours. Just let people be who they are." "We need principles to ground us when the money is coming in, when the work is going well, when everybody's looking at you like you're the best. It's so easy to lose sight of yourself. Money comes and goes so fast, and fame and success come and go so fast. If you don't have something to ground you, you're gonna falter." "Always remember, you're never as good as they say you are, and you're never as sad as they say you are. You're somewhere in the middle." "You can have very little and be so much happier than someone with everything. It's how you live in your head that determines how peaceful your life is." "When you find your bubble of happiness, you build an impenetrable bubble. You don't let outside words come in. You don't let outside perspectives come in. You protect that little bubble of happiness." "Pain is a prerequisite for purpose. You have to go through it. You don't bypass it. You don't ignore it. You don't pretend it doesn't exist, and you don't numb it. You have to work through it. That's how you get to purpose." "If you don't understand how someone can treat another person like that, it's a blessing." "If you can find something that brings you joy, don't let the world tell you you need all this other stuff. You don't need all this other stuff. It's great to have, but you don't need it to feel complete, and you don't need it to feel at peace." USEFUL LINKS: https://www.abbiemarono.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/drabbiemarono/ https://www.instagram.com/doctorabbieofficial/ https://www.facebook.com/DrAbbieofficial TEDx Talk "How to Turn Your Personal Shame Into a Source of Strength" - https://youtu.be/ptvCTuct4GE?si=A8vpm6D5n9UfG0Td The Upper Hand: Mastering Persuasion and Getting What You Want with the Science of Social Engineering - https://a.co/d/0ctZMkgv Work in Progress: The Road to Empowerment, The Journey Through Shame - https://a.co/d/04nYbXkh The Doctor Abbie Show - https://www.youtube.com/@TheDoctorAbbieShow CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

August 28, 2026Episode 33235 min

Episode 332 The Trust Algorithm with Alice Sesay Pope (Part 2)

John continues his conversation with Alice Sesay Pope about how AI is changing business, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Alice explains how Generative and Agentic AI can help entrepreneurs and small businesses work faster, save money, and grow without huge teams. They also talk about trust, guardrails, and how to wisely use AI. About Alice Sesay Pope: Alice Pope is a Fortune 100 Customer Experience and Operations executive who helps enterprise organizations transform CX into a measurable driver of revenue, retention, and loyalty — while modernizing cost-to-serve through digital enablement, automation, and Generative AI. She leads at the intersection of customer trust, operational excellence, and innovation — because the organizations that win at scale don't choose between efficiency and empathy. They build intelligent systems that deliver both. With more than 30 years of executive leadership in complex, global environments, Alice has led large-scale transformations that connect the full CX ecosystem — product, engineering, analytics, care, and field operations — turning customer insight into sustained business performance. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - How The Trust Algorithm can help entrepreneurs [04:17] - Being a conduit [06:03] - What leaders should think about before implementing Agentic AI [08:00] - Every business starts with people [09:15] - What does it take to be a great leader in the AI age? [12:22] - Utilizing AI from day one when starting a new business [17:10] - How Alice's faith impacts her business [19:33] - Alice's definition of success [20:07] - The most valuable skill sets in the AI era [22:35] - Traits of a great leader [23:23] - #1 daily habit [24:23] - The legacy Alice wants to leave behind [26:11] - Book recommendations [28:17] - How Alice invests in her marriage [29:34] - Circle 10 and why this program is important to her [32:31] - Best way to connect with Alice [35:18] - Wrap-up NOTABLE QUOTES: "Don't take everything that a Generative AI gives you as gospel. Still inspect, still conduct your audit." "Life and business are all about relationships. There's nothing before that. There's nothing after that." "Every business is a problem solver of some kind." "Success is utilizing your God-given talents to make the world a better place. So, when you go to bed at night, you feel good about what you do." "You can have an advisor, or a coach, Generative AI. But there's nothing more powerful than a real person who could be a coach, who can exchange an idea with you, who can feel your pain when you've had a failure, and help you say, 'Get back up again,' and encourage you." "There will be people who embrace the tools that will build wealth in ways that we've never seen before … but, at the same time, there are people that will be too scared of it … and it will widen the wealth gap." "Don't just launch a generative AI solution just to be launching it … Start with your customer. What can you solve for your customer faster? Will it reduce customer effort? Will it increase loyalty?" "There's something that's still powerful about a human connection and I hope our world doesn't lose that." BOOK MENTIONED: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't by James C. Collins ( https://a.co/d/0aXgmwDX ) USEFUL LINKS: https://alicesesaypope.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicesesaypope/ https://www.instagram.com/alicesesaypope/ https://x.com/Alicesesaypope https://www.youtube.com/@alicesesaypope The Trust Algorithm: How Leaders Build Trust with Generative AI - https://a.co/d/0aKOKLBw Transformation From The Inside Out - https://a.co/d/0esUYdS0 CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

August 21, 2026Episode 33135 min

Episode 331 The Trust Algorithm with Alice Sesay Pope (Part 1)

John talks with Alice Sesay Pope about building trust with customers and employees, Agentic AI and Generative AI, and why we shouldn't be afraid of AI. Alice also talks about her newly released book The Trust Algorithm: How Leaders Build Trust with Generative AI . About Alice Sesay Pope: Alice Pope is a Fortune 100 Customer Experience and Operations executive who helps enterprise organizations transform CX into a measurable driver of revenue, retention, and loyalty — while modernizing cost-to-serve through digital enablement, automation, and GenAI. She leads at the intersection of customer trust, operational excellence, and innovation — because the organizations that win at scale don't choose between efficiency and empathy. They build intelligent systems that deliver both. With more than 30 years of executive leadership in complex, global environments, Alice has led large-scale transformations that connect the full CX ecosystem — product, engineering, analytics, care, and field operations — turning customer insight into sustained business performance. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:52] - Alice's bio & backstory [04:00] - Why companies must care for employees first to truly serve customers [05:56] - How feeling excluded earlier in life shaped her leadership style [07:15] - Ritz-Carlton example of empowerment and kindness [09:30] - Agentic AI and Generative AI [10:56] - Should we be afraid of AI? [12:44] - How to use AI tools to grow your career [16:47] - Why our education system needs to evolve with AI [20:44] - Normalize failing as a learning tool [22:55] - What are the best ways to build trust? [25:56] - How dynamic pricing and algorithms affect trust [28:57] - Why is building trust so difficult? [30:34] - Why trust is the currency in the AI era [32:44] - The Trust Algorithm book NOTABLE QUOTES: "Experience is the best teacher." "If you're not taking care of your people first, you're not going to have a company in order to help customers." "Agentic AI tools can make decisions for customers, but sometimes they don't understand those moments that matter, and they don't rarely understand the human touch. And that's why I believe humans are still important to delivering a great experience." "There's a human component to trust that just can't be made." "Customers won't leave a brand that they trust. Instead, they will increase their overall loyalty." "When you do the right thing for your employees, they will go to heights you can't even imagine to do the right thing for customers and to represent a company." "There are various companies that may or may not invest in the time or the money that it takes to reskill associates. So we all have to take control of our careers. We have to be more deliberate about how we think about how we want our careers to be." "Our educational system has to change. It must change, especially in the world of AI. Our education system has to evolve to teach students to be critical thinkers, and also to be more creative to generate new ideas, processes that perhaps don't exist today." "There are some schools that say they ban AI tools. I believe that's wrong, because in the real world, people are using them. There's so much value to utilizing these tools to accomplish so much more, faster." "Generative AI can be a very good thing if it is implemented in a fair and ethical way." "We can't resist the change. The change is here. Can't resist it, but we can implement it in a way that's value-driven." USEFUL LINKS: https://alicesesaypope.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicesesaypope/ https://www.instagram.com/alicesesaypope/ https://x.com/Alicesesaypope https://www.youtube.com/@alicesesaypope The Trust Algorithm: How Leaders Build Trust with Generative AI - https://a.co/d/0aKOKLBw Transformation From The Inside Out - https://a.co/d/0esUYdS0 CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/

August 14, 2026Episode 33042 min

Episode 330 Raise Your Confidence, Value, and Prices with John Ray (Part 2)

In this episode, John continues his conversation with John Ray, diving into how genuine relationship-building — through remembering the small details, sending handwritten notes, and giving without expecting anything back — sets you apart in business. They also discuss the role faith plays in leadership and business, the real definition of success, and how joy differs from happiness. About John Ray: After a successful career in investment banking, investment management, and strategic advisory, John Ray left the corporate world in 2013 to build his own business. It didn't take long to find the gap nobody had prepared him for: he routinely undervalued his own expertise, struggled to set prices that matched the outcomes he delivered, and watched his clients do the exact same thing. He spent the next several years figuring out how to fix it, for himself first, then for the consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, fractional executives, and other expert practitioners who hire him today to gain clarity, confidence, and profitability through positioning, pricing, and value-based business development. That work became his first book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices (2023). His second book is set for release in the first quarter of 2027. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Why knowing your client (and the "Rendezvous barbecue" story) matters [01:42] - Building real relationships through meaningful, family-focused check-ins [06:32] - The power of handwritten notes and tracking your gratitude [09:41] - How John Ray's faith shapes his business and leadership [17:01] - The Generosity Mindset: giving people dignity, not just money [19:37] - What success really looks like to John Ray [22:10] - Inside John Ray's podcast, The Price and Value Journey [24:18] - The traits of a great leader (and lessons from bad ones) [28:01] - How John Ray invests in his own growth [31:38] - What the people who annoy us can teach us about ourselves [34:05] - How John Ray invests in his marriage [37:05] - Happiness vs joy [39:18] - How to connect with John Ray [39:52] - Final Four quick-fire questions [40:38] - Books recommended [43:24] - Wrap-up NOTABLE QUOTES: "You gotta know your client." "It's little things like that mean the world to people." "When you gamify it, it makes it important." "Business is not just about the profit. It's about the impact you make." "Actions do speak louder than words ... it ought to show up in your actions first." "It's not mine to begin with. I'm just a steward of it." "You're giving them the dignity. You're giving them their sense that they're a child of God." "We all die without anything ... so the question is, what do you leave?" "It's a journey, folks. Give yourself grace." "It could be that you recognize those shortcomings because you share them." "We see ourselves in all our complexity, and we see others as something of a flattened cartoon character." "I'm interested in joy, because joy is an active choice to stay positive ... regardless of what's happening." "We will all suffer. The only question is how." BOOKS MENTIONED: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks ( https://a.co/d/07EkM1WP ) The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann ( https://a.co/d/0iXKbOny ) USEFUL LINKS: https://www.johnray.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnray1/ www.amazon.com/author/johnray The Generosity Mindset (book site) - https://thegenerositymindset.com The Price and Value Journey - https://tinyurl.com/PriceAndValueJourneyPodcast North Fulton Business Radio - https://tinyurl.com/NorthFultonBusinessRadio The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success By Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices - https://a.co/d/09DYp6Gs CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnhulen EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/