The Bosshole® Chronicles

Hosted by Real Good Ventures

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Episodes

288

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Never waste a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss. Our guests and Subject Matter Experts share their stories about challenging, difficult, and even mean bosses that they have had through their careers. Hosts Sara Best and John Broer explore what happened, what made the relationship difficult, and even the role WE play in our Bosshole experiences. More importantly, we apply some of our insight and analysis around behavioral science and emotional intelligence so that we (and managers listening in) can learn from the experiences and avoid common Bosshole® Blunders. If you have questions or stories you want to share, contact us at info@realgoodventures.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 16, 202631 min

Mark Ostach - The Gift of Connection

Your attention isn’t just getting interrupted, it’s getting retrained. We sit down with digital wellness guide and speaker Mark Ostach to unpack why so many of us feel rushed, reactive, and oddly disconnected even when we’re “caught up.” Mark joins us to share the heart behind his new book, The Gift of Connection: Reclaiming Presence in the Age of Distraction, and to make a clear case that presence is no longer a nice-to-have skill. It’s a survival skill for leaders, parents, and anyone living on screens.Click HERE for Mark's websiteClick HERE for "The Day 100 Packages Showed Up"Click HERE for Mark's LinkedIn profileHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

June 9, 202618 min

Letters from Fred - Bosshole® Zero

A dusty box in the basement turns into a full-on leadership time machine. I stumble onto a stack of handwritten memos from my old manager “Fred,” the same boss from our early “Don’t Bring Him Back” story, and reading them instantly brings back the stress of being managed by metrics instead of being led by insight.Don't Bring Him BackHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

June 2, 202630 min

When Promoting from Within Doesn't Work

“We only promote from within” sounds like a values-driven promise, but what happens when that promise puts the wrong person in a critical seat? John Broer and Karen Shulman dig into the uncomfortable reality: internal promotions can fail, sometimes spectacularly, when organizations rely on seniority, loyalty, or gut feel instead of clear evidence of job fit.Head, Heart, and BriefcaseThe Individual Contributor PathwayHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

May 26, 202616 min

How America Spoke About Sacrifice And Freedom

Memorial Day asks for more than a moment of silence, so we take a different path this week and sit with the words Americans once used when the stakes were life and death. I’m recording on Memorial Day weekend, thinking about the more than 1.3 million Americans who have died in service, and the debt that number represents: families, futures, and everyday people who never got to come home. If we want to understand freedom, we have to be willing to look straight at what it costs.Send us Fan Mail

May 19, 202639 min

TBC Flashback - Dr. Tasha Eurich - Insight Into Self-Awareness

Introspection feels like the responsible thing to do, but what if it’s quietly making you less self-aware and more stressed? We sit down with organizational psychologist and author Dr. Tasha Eurich to unpack what the science actually says about self-awareness, why so many high-achieving leaders get stuck in rumination, and how a few small shifts can change the way you lead.Click HERE to purchase Tasha's book InsightClick HERE to take the 5-minute Insight QuizClick HERE to visit the Insight book websiteClick HERE to connect with Tasha on LinkedInClick HERE to watch Tasha's groundbreaking TEDx TalkClick HERE to purchase Tasha's book Bankable LeadershipHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

May 12, 202643 min

Eric Harris - The Campfire Method

PowerPoint may be the most common management tool on Earth, but it might also be the fastest way to lose the room. We sit down with Eric Harris, creator of The Campfire Method, to rethink how leaders communicate when the stakes are high and change is constant. Instead of treating presentations as a deck you “run,” Eric argues for a more human approach where we earn belief, reduce anxiety, and help people move from point A to point B as an act of compassion.Click HERE to order a copy of The Campfire MethodClick HERE for Eric Harris' LinkedIn profileHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

May 5, 202637 min

Dr. Martin Dubin - Blindspotting

Your leadership strength can be the very thing that’s quietly costing you trust, clarity, and results. We’re joined by Dr. Martin “Marty” Dubin, clinical psychologist, serial entrepreneur, and author of Blindspotting: How To See What’s Holding You Back As A Leader, to put language and structure around the blind spots even high performers can’t see in themselves.Click HERE for the Blindspotting websiteClick HERE for Dr. Dubin's LinkedIn pageHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

April 28, 202641 min

TBC Flashback - Dr. Kevin Sansberry II: Toxic Leadership

A “toxic leader” can sound like a fixed identity, but Dr. Kevin Sansberry II pushes us to look at something more actionable: toxic leadership behaviors and the systems that reward them. We talk about why Kevin centers on relationships, why he intentionally uses informality to reduce in-group language, and how his work blends behavioral science, applied innovation, and systems thinking to serve people who feel voiceless at work.Click HERE for Dr. Sansberry's LinkedIn profileClick HERE to go to the Toxic Leadership podcastHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

April 21, 202629 min

Kristen Schmitt - Thrive to Lead

Bad leaders don’t always look like villains. Sometimes they look like someone who means well, loves competition, and tracks a number on a dashboard that quietly trains the team to waste time. That’s where this conversation begins: Kristen Schmitt, founder of Thrive to Lead, shares how a “Bosshole” manager pushed metrics that rewarded optics over outcomes and how those choices created predictable, costly unintended consequences.Click HERE to visit the Thrive to Lead websiteClick HERE to connect with Kristen on LinkedInHERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail

April 14, 202629 min

Sara and John - The Heart of a Leader

Pressure doesn’t turn you into a different leader. It turns the lights on. John Broer sits down with Sara Best to unpack what they call “the heart of a leader,” the most elusive part of their whole person model (Head, Heart, and Briefcase, plus Baggage). The goal is practical: give managers and supervisors a way to check what’s driving their behavior before stress pulls them into control, avoidance, or classic Bosshole® mode.HERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES:Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss...Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile. We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable. Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA. It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself. It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.Follow us on Instagram HERE and make sure to share with your network!Follow us on X HERE and make sure to share with your network!Provide your feedback HERE, please! We love to hear from our listeners and welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to improve the podcast and even suggest topics and ideas for future episodes.Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com. We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics. Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience. Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0. RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform. RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational rebuild where we bring all our tools together to diagnose an organization's present state and how to grow toward a stronger future state. Send us Fan Mail