The 30 Minute Hour™

Hosted by Eric Twiggs and Ted Fells

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450

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The 30 Minute Hour is a top-ranked leadership podcast for CEOs and senior executives operating at the highest level. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders across business, technology, and government—revealing how they think, lead, and execute in high-stakes environments. Listeners gain practical insights on driving results and scaling impact, while guests expand their influence and connect with other decision-makers. If you’re responsible for outcomes—not just activity—this podcast gives you the edge.

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60 recent

November 6, 202653 min

#452-- How Wing Zone’s Founder Turned $500 Into 140 Restaurants

Starting took $500. Scaling to 140 restaurants took something else. Wing Zone founder Matt Friedman joins The 30 Minute Hour to share his journey from a fraternity house kitchen to a global restaurant brand—and the setbacks and leadership decisions along the way. If you’re ready to grow beyond doing everything yourself, this conversation is for you. 🎧 Press play for lessons on building, scaling, and selling a business—before you make your next big move.

November 2, 20264 min

Your Employees Aren't Using AI. Is It Your Fault?

🎙️ Episode #451 🎬 Episode 15 of 3 Minute Monday🤖 🤖 Your company invested in AI. So why aren't your employees using it? The problem might not be the technology. It might be your leadership. 👀 Stanford research highlights a striking difference in AI adoption, with one group using AI 58% more frequently than another. What's driving the difference? In this week's 3 Minute Monday , executive coach Eric Twiggs reveals why successful AI adoption requires more than providing access to technology. 🎯 Discover three leadership questions that could change everything: ✅ Purpose: Do employees understand WHY AI matters? ✅ Preparation: Are you giving them the training and support to succeed? ✅ Progress: Are you measuring results—or just AI usage? 💡 Twiggable Quote: "When leaders change the conversation, employees change their participation." 🚨 Here's the leadership question: Is your AI strategy failing because of the technology—or how you're leading the change? 🎧 Listen now and discover how to turn AI resistance into real results. #AI #Leadership #AIAdoption #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessGrowth #3MinuteMonday

October 22, 202646 min

#450 --How Leaders Turn AI Into Real Business Results

Is AI saving your team time—or just adding more tools to manage? Bob Berbeco, Chief Information Officer at Mahaska Health, joins The 30 Minute Hour to explore how leaders can turn AI and technology into smarter decisions, greater productivity, and real business results. 🎧 Listen for a leadership perspective on making your next technology investment count.

October 19, 20264 min

The Cybersecurity Mistake That Could Cost You Everything | 3 Minute Monday

🎙️ Episode #449 🎬 Episode 14 of 3 Minute Monday🤖 🚨 You hired cybersecurity experts. You're paying them to protect your business. But who's responsible when hackers strike? The answer might surprise you. New Grant Thornton research reveals a troubling disconnect: While 96% of surveyed business leaders use outside cybersecurity providers, only 25% say those providers are fully integrated with their internal processes. ⚠️ The biggest cybersecurity mistake? Assuming someone else has everything covered. In this week's 3 Minute Monday , Eric Twiggs reveals why outsourcing cybersecurity doesn't eliminate your responsibility—and one simple exercise every CEO and business owner should conduct BEFORE a cyberattack. 💡 Twiggable Quote: "You can outsource cybersecurity. You can't outsource accountability." 🎯 Here's the question: If hackers attacked your business tomorrow, would your team know exactly what to do? 🎧 Listen now and discover how to strengthen your cybersecurity readiness before it's too late. PS. Is Your Organization Really Ready for AI? Take the Executive AI Readiness Scorecard: https://bit.ly/ExecutiveAIReady #Cybersecurity #CyberRisk #BusinessLeadership #CEO #3MinuteMonday

October 12, 20264 min

Should AI Make Decisions Without You? | 3 Minute Monday

🎙️ Episode #448 🎬 Episode 13 of 3 Minute Monday🤖 What if AI made a $50,000 decision for your company—and nobody approved it? AI isn't just answering questions anymore. It's taking ACTION! New VentureBeat Intelligence research reveals growing questions about how much authority businesses should give AI agents. But here's the real leadership challenge: ⚠️ Who takes responsibility when AI makes a costly mistake? In this week's 3 Minute Monday , Eric reveals why human oversight matters and one critical question every CEO and business owner should ask before giving AI decision-making authority. 💡 Twiggable Quote: "AI can execute the decision. Leadership must own the consequences." 🎧 Listen now and discover how to protect your business while embracing AI. #AI #Leadership #Cybersecurity #ArtificialIntelligence #3MinuteMonday PS. Is Your Organization Really Ready for AI? Take the Executive AI Readiness Scorecard: https://bit.ly/ExecutiveAIReady

October 5, 20265 min

AI Is Saving You Time. Are You Wasting It? | 3 Minute Monday

🎙️ Episode #447 🎬 Episode 12 of 3 Minute Monda 🤖 AI is saving companies time—but where’s the money? New EY research found that half of CEOs surveyed say AI was their biggest contributor to productivity gains. But here’s the catch: only 16% have clear, real-time visibility into AI ROI. That creates what Eric calls the Capacity Conversion Gap: AI saves time → Time creates capacity → Leadership determines what happens next. If AI gives your team 10 hours back, are you turning those hours into revenue, better customer experiences, faster execution—or just more meetings and emails? 💡 Twiggable Quote: “Productivity creates capacity. Leadership decides what happens next.” 🎧 In this 3 Minute Monday, discover the question every leader should ask to turn AI productivity into measurable business results. AI gave you time back. What did you DO with it? ▶️ Listen now. PS. Is Your Organization Really Ready for AI? Take the Executive AI Readiness Scorecard: https://bit.ly/ExecutiveAIReady #AI #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #AIROI #Productivity #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #3MinuteMonday

October 1, 202648 min

#446-- Former Phoenix Suns Executive Reveals What Stalls Company Growth

🏀 What if the leadership decisions that helped your company grow are now holding it back? DeeAnn Palin, former Phoenix Suns executive and founder of ONPOINT Business Solutions, joins The 30 Minute Hour to explore what happens when a company outgrows the way it operates. Known as “the CEO Whisperer,” DeeAnn helps CEOs navigate growth, organizational change, and the people challenges that can stall progress. 🎙️ In this conversation, we explore leadership, team accountability, and the decisions that can help a business move beyond a growth plateau. ▶️ Press play—and consider what you may need to change to reach your company’s next stage of growth. PS.Is Your Organization Really Ready for AI? Take the Executive AI Readiness Scorecard: https://bit.ly/ExecutiveAIReady

September 28, 20265 min

🚨 Is AI Making You a Worse Leader? | 3 Minute Monday

🎙️ Episode #445 🎬 Episode 11 of 3 Minute Monday🤖 What if AI is making you faster—but weakening your ability to THINK?New IBM research reveals a troubling disconnect: as AI becomes more powerful, critical thinking and human judgment are becoming even more important.In this episode of 3 Minute Monday, Eric reveals why the leaders who thrive with AI won't be the ones who stop thinking—they'll be the ones who learn to think BETTER. 🧠You'll discover:✅ The surprising AI skill gap leaders need to address✅ Why you should question AI—even when it sounds confident✅ One prompt that can strengthen your decision-making✅ Why human judgment may become MORE valuable in the AI era💡 Twiggable Quote:“AI can accelerate the answer...It can't replace your responsibility for the decision.”🎯 The question isn't just: “Are your employees using AI?”It's: “Are they still THINKING while they use it?”🎧 Listen now and discover how to use AI without outsourcing your judgment. PS. Is Your Organization Really Ready for AI? Take the Executive AI Readiness Scorecard: https://bit.ly/ExecutiveAIReady

September 24, 202646 min

🎙️#444-- The Hidden AI Decision That Could Limit Your Company

What if your biggest AI risk isn’t falling behind—but unknowingly placing a ceiling on your company’s future? 🤖📉 CIO and enterprise AI strategist Erich Gazaui reveals how today’s technology decisions can lock organizations into tomorrow’s limitations—and what leaders must do to build AI systems that scale, adapt, and create lasting business value. 🚀 If you’re ready to move beyond AI experimentation and lead with greater clarity, this episode is for you. 🎧🔥

September 21, 20265 min

🎙️ AI Could Help You Hire More—Not Less | 3 Minute Monday

🎙️ Episode #443 🎬 Episode 10 of 3 Minute MondayNew research reveals that small businesses adopting AI increased hiring by up to 10%. 🤖📈 Discover how you can use AI to create capacity, accelerate growth, and strengthen your teams—not simply cut costs. 💡 Don’t use AI just to reduce the work. Use it to increase what works. PS. Is Your Organization Really Ready for AI? Take the Executive AI Readiness Scorecard to find out: https://bit.ly/ExecutiveAIReady