The Executive Appeal with Alex D. Tremble

Hosted by Alex D. Tremble

Business Education

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Episodes

200

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

The Executive Appeal is the show for CEOs of early eight‑figure, operations‑heavy companies who feel like the business only really moves when they push. If you’re running a $10M–$25M company and every big decision still rolls up to you… your leaders are smart but misaligned… and you’re tired of being the hero that keeps everything moving… this is your room. Host Alex D. Tremble – Industrial‑Organizational Psychologist, bestselling author, and CEO of GPS Leadership Solutions – sits down with CEOs and senior leaders (especially from multi‑location and logistics / industrial services businesses) to talk about what it actually takes to: Stop being the bottleneck in every major decision Build leaders who own problems and bring solutions Install a simple leadership operating system so the company runs fast without you in every fire You’ll hear unfiltered stories about wins, misses, and the behavior changes that made the biggest difference – not canned talking points. Alongside CEO interviews, Alex releases occasional short solo episodes breaking down specific leadership behaviors, operating rhythms, and 90‑day plays you can apply directly in your company. New episodes available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube. If you want a company that can run without you carrying it on your back, hit play.

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60 recent

June 10, 202643 min

EP 226: From Intern to President | How to Build an Operations Team That Leads Without You

If your team is talented on paper but problems still roll up to you before they get handled, this episode is for you.Andrea Piering is the co-owner and president of Sun State Builders, one of Arizona's longest-running design-build general contractors. She started as a college intern, spent 25+ years working nearly every role in the company, and took the helm as president in 2024. She knows what it actually takes to build a team that executes without the CEO embedded in every decision.In this conversation, Andrea and host Alex dig into the leadership behaviors that determine whether your team owns problems proactively or waits for you to find them. You'll learn:- Why relationship investment with your leadership bench isn't soft, it's the foundation that makes honest feedback and hard conversations possible- How Andrea's field teams catch and fix quality issues before she ever sees them, and the cultural standard that makes that repeatable- What it actually looks like to model accountability as a president, including covering a midnight concrete pour when the team needed it- How to start stepping out of day-to-day operations without losing touch with the business fundamentals that matter- Why proactivity is a leadership standard you set, not a personality trait you hire forIf you're still the person who finds the problems first, still the one who has to push for ownership, or still watching decisions stall until they hit your desk, this episode gives you a clear picture of what a proactive, execution-focused culture actually looks like from the inside.Listen now, and take the free Scorecard Diagnostic to find your specific leadership bottleneck: https://gpsleadership.org/scorecard/

June 3, 202642 min

EP 225: How CEOs Get Their Teams Focused on What Actually Moves the Business

If your leadership team is always busy but never quite focused on the right things and you're still the one who has to sort out which initiatives actually matter, this episode is for you.Teresa Duran, Chief Information Officer at Tree Top Inc., is an award-winning technology executive with over two decades of experience leading large-scale transformations across multiple industries, including biotech, pharma, and nonprofit. She was recognized with the 2023 SeattleCIO ORBIE Award for leading the largest transformation in Make-A-Wish America's 43-year history.In this conversation, Teresa unpacks why organizations, even well-resourced ones, keep chasing the wrong priorities, and how the CEOs and CIOs who actually move fast build simple, repeatable filters so their leaders can make better calls without waiting for direction from the top.You'll learn:- Why "too many initiatives" is a leadership structure problem, not a workload problem and the top-five filter that cuts the noise fast- How to tell the difference between what's important and what actually has impact at the company level- What effective decision-making looked like when Teresa's team delivered a three-year technology roadmap in one year, during COVID- Why bringing your technology leader into M&A and divestiture planning early reduces risk and increases your company's attractiveness to buyers- How to prepare your leadership bench to stay ahead of AI disruption without chasing every tool that hits the marketIf your regional managers or functional leaders are still running to you every time something feels uncertain, or your company is spending money on tools and projects that aren't moving the needle, this episode gives you a practical framework to change that.Listen now. Then share this with another CEO or operator who's tired of sorting through the noise so their team doesn't have to.📊 Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic and find out exactly where your leadership bottlenecks are hiding:https://gpsleadership.org/diagnostic/

May 27, 202651 min

EP 224: The Real Reason Operators Can't Step Away And How One CEO Fixed It

If you're running a multi-location, operations-heavy company and you're still the person every major decision runs through, this episode is a direct conversation about why that's happening and what it actually takes to change it.Anthony Apa, President of Mark-It Express LLC and a third-generation operator in transportation and logistics, built a portfolio spanning asset-based trucking, freight brokerage, warehousing, and supply chain services. He's done the hard thing: scaled past the point where the business runs on his daily presence alone. In this episode, he breaks down exactly how and how long it took.You'll learn:- Why most CEOs at this level hit a trust ceiling around the 80% mark, and why waiting for 100% certainty is what keeps you stuck- How Tony vets outside advisors and coaches (the non-negotiable credential that disqualifies most of them immediately)- Why venting down the org chart quietly destroys your team's confidence, and what to do instead- How tolerating the wrong high performer costs you your best people and your culture- What finally signaled to Tony, in a single moment after a dinner with his wife, that he had built the right leadership benchIf every high-stakes decision still lands on your desk first, if you haven't taken real time away without your phone running hot, or if you're not fully confident your regional and senior leaders will own the right calls without you, this episode gives you a framework, not a pep talk.Listen now, and take the free Scorecard Diagnostic to find your specific leadership bottleneck:👉 https://gpsleadership.org/scorecard/Share this episode with another operator who needs to hear it.

May 20, 202644 min

EP 223: How CEOs Can Stop Every Decision Rolling Back Up

What happens when the CEO becomes the operational bottleneck, even with a strong team in place?In this episode of The Executive Appeal, Scott Lovell shares how he transitioned from HR manager to President/CEO of SmithCo Side Dump Trailers and learned one of the hardest lessons for growing operations-heavy companies: if every major decision still depends on the CEO, growth eventually slows down.With more than 25 years helping scale SmithCo, Scott breaks down how he moved from working in the business to building a leadership team capable of owning decisions, driving execution, and leading without constant oversight.In this conversation, CEOs and operators will learn:- How to reduce “everything comes back to me” leadership patterns- Why high-performing leaders need space to lead instead of constant approval- How trust and visibility impact ownership across the organization- The operational risks of micromanaging multi-location teams- How servant leadership increases accountability, buy-in, and execution speedScott also shares practical lessons on introducing automation without destroying trust, building leadership infrastructure before scaling, and creating succession readiness inside operations-heavy organizations.This episode is for you if:- Your managers still escalate too many problems to you- Your company has strong people but inconsistent ownership- You struggle to find time to work on the business instead of constantly firefighting inside it- You want faster execution without personally carrying every major decisionListen now and share this episode with another CEO or operator working to build a stronger, more proactive leadership team.Take the CEO Scorecard here:gpsleadership.org/scorecard

May 13, 202640 min

EP 222: How Leaders Build Ownership and Adapt Through Constant Change

In this episode of The Executive Appeal, Siri and Alex D. Tremble unpack what leadership really looks like when teams are moving fast, change is constant, and the pressure to adapt never stops.Sirisha “Siri” Swahari is Vice President and PMSO Sector Leader for US Global Technology Operations at CGI, where she leads global infrastructure operations, oversees multi-million-dollar portfolios, and helps drive responsible AI innovation at scale.They explore why leaders struggle with letting go, how proactive leadership creates ownership, and why resistance to change remains one of the biggest barriers to growth, even in high-performing organizations.You’ll learn:- How to shift teams from reactive execution to proactive ownership- Why adaptability is becoming one of the most important leadership skills- How leaders can make difficult “right vs. right” decisions with clarity- What causes burnout in high-performing leaders and how to prevent it- How AI is forcing organizations to rethink processes, governance, and leadershipThis episode is for you if:- You feel stuck solving the same problems repeatedly- Your team works hard, but ownership still falls back on you- You’re leading through rapid change and uncertainty- You want to build a healthier, more sustainable leadership approachListen now and learn how stronger leadership habits create stronger teams, better decisions, and more resilient organizations.Take the scorecard here:gpsleadership.org/scorecard

May 6, 202642 min

EP 221: How Leaders of Operations Businesses Build Ownership That Reduces Daily Firefighting

Michael Wright, Vice President of Strategic Growth at JANUS Research Group, has spent 25+ years helping organizations evolve from activity-driven execution to outcome-based performance in high-stakes environments.In this episode, he and Alex D. Tremble break down a challenge most leaders of a multi-location, operations-heavy business doing roughly eight figures in revenue face: your team is busy—but you’re still the one driving results.They explore how leaders get stuck in constant firefighting, why ownership breaks down, and how emerging tools like AI are forcing leaders to rethink how work—and leadership—actually happens.You’ll learn:How to shift your team from activity to outcome-driven executionWhat it really takes to build ownership across your leadership benchWhy leaders struggle to “let go” and how to fix it without losing controlHow to balance daily operations with long-term strategic thinkingWhere AI helps—and where it quietly increases leadership riskThis is for you if:You’re still the default problem-solver for your teamYour leaders stay busy, but progress feels slowYou struggle to step out of the day-to-day without things slippingListen now and start building a team that owns results—not just tasks.If this hits home, share it with another operator who’s feeling the same pressure.

April 29, 202644 min

EP 220: How CEOs of Operations Businesses Build Trust That Drives Action

If you’re a CEO of a multi-location, operations-heavy business doing roughly eight figures in revenue, you’ve likely felt this: you have solid managers but they still hesitate, filter information, or wait for you before making a move.In this episode of Executive Appeal podcast, Alex sits down with Janis Middleton, Chief Inclusion Officer at 22Squared and founder of First, Not Only Network. With years of experience influencing senior leaders and building trust inside complex organizations, Janis breaks down why teams hold back and what leaders do that either builds or quietly erodes trust.This isn’t theory. It’s what actually happens inside teams when people don’t feel safe to speak up or act.You’ll learn:How to communicate in a way that keeps people engaged instead of defensiveWhy your managers hesitate to act and how to unlock real ownershipHow to create an environment where truth shows up early, not lateWhat to do so decisions stop bouncing back to your deskThis episode is for you if:You’re still the one everyone waits on before actingProblems show up late instead of earlyYou feel like you’re carrying too much of the decision loadIf you want your team to move faster, take initiative, and stop relying on you for every call—this episode will show you where to start.Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here:https://gpsleadership.org/diagnostic/Listen now and share this with another operator who’s tired of being the bottleneck.

April 22, 202647 min

EP 219: How Multi-Location CEOs Build Trust Through Hard Decisions

If you’re a CEO of a multi-location, operations-heavy business doing roughly eight figures in revenue, you already know this: growth doesn’t break your business, misalignment and low trust do.In this episode, Alex sits down with Ryan Changcoco, Principal at CCG and The Marketing Ronin, GP at Anchorage Pointe Ventures, and CEO of a fast-growing pediatric behavioral health organization expanding across multiple states.Ryan shares what it actually looks like to lead through pressure, government shutdowns, layoffs, rapid expansion, and high-stakes decisions that impact both people and performance.This is a conversation about trust under pressure and how CEOs either build it or break it when it matters most.You’ll learn:- How to use transparency to build trust even when delivering hard news- A practical decision framework to handle “right vs. right” leadership calls- How to get buy-in from your leadership team during uncertainty- Why most teams hesitate and how to create real ownership instead- How to move from emotional noise to clear, fast executionThis episode is for you if:- You’re still the one carrying every hard decision- Your team is capable but hesitates or waits for your call- Growth is exposing cracks in alignment, trust, or executionThis isn’t theory. It’s what real CEOs do when the stakes are high and the business can’t slow down.Listen now and learn how to build the kind of trust that drives execution not dependency.Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here:https://gpsleadership.org/diagnostic/

April 15, 202640 min

EP 218: For CEOs Tired of Slow Execution | Build Teams That Act Without You

If you’re leading a $10M–$25M, multi-location, operations-heavy business, you’ve likely felt it: revenue slows down unless you step in and push.In this episode, Alex D. Tremble sits down with Lara Shackelford, CEO of Hawksmoor.ai, where she architects AI-driven go-to-market systems for enterprise and mid-market companies. With deep experience across Oracle, Microsoft, and high-growth environments, Lara breaks down why most teams fail to act on the signals right in front of them and how that creates hidden bottlenecks at the top.This conversation focuses on a core issue many operators face: a lack of proactive ownership across teams, leading to slow execution, misalignment, and too many decisions rolling back to the CEO.You’ll learn:How to get your leaders to own revenue, not just their functionWhy sales, marketing, and operations must act as one coordinated systemHow to use real-time signals to trigger action without waiting for directionWhat it takes to build teams that move faster without constant oversightHow better alignment reduces decision fatigue and execution delaysThis episode is for you if:You’re still the one pushing revenue forward every weekYour teams are smart, but not acting fast enough without youExecution across locations or departments feels unevenTake the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here: https://gpsleadership.org/diagnostic/Listen now to learn how to build a business that moves without everything running through you.

April 8, 202643 min

EP 217: How Leaders Eliminate Backchannel Decisions and Build Real Trust

If you’re leading a $10M–$25M, multi-location, operations-heavy business, you’ve likely seen it: your team aligns in the meeting… then decisions get questioned, reshaped, or quietly undermined afterward.In this episode, Alex Tremble sits down with Laurie J. Fitzmaurice, Independent Board Member and Consultant, who brings 30+ years of experience building and leading $7.5B+ in energy infrastructure projects across the U.S. and Latin America. She’s led companies, sat on 8 boards, and currently serves on the board of Saavi Energía, the largest private power generator in Mexico.This conversation gets real about trust breakdowns at the leadership level—and how CEOs unintentionally create them.You’ll learn:Why executive teams say “yes” in the room but disagree in the hallwayHow side conversations and small-group alignment quietly erode trustHow to force productive disagreement in the room, not after the factPractical ways to build transparency so decisions actually stickHow to structure communication so your team owns decisions without you re-stepping inThis is for you if:You feel like decisions don’t hold once the meeting endsYour leadership team is strong—but not fully alignedYou’re still the one reconciling conflicts and re-making decisionsThere’s more politics or hesitation than you’d like at the topThis episode will help you build the kind of trust that speeds up execution—and gets decisions to stick the first time.Listen now and share this with another operator who’s tired of carrying every decision.Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here: www.gpsleadership.org/diagnostic