The Authority Company

Hosted by Joe Pardavila

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Oct 2026

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The Authority Company Podcast Network is your ultimate source for inspiration, insights, and strategies from the world's most accomplished business leaders. This channel features a collection of dynamic shows, each offering in-depth, one-on-one conversations with top entrepreneurs, CEOs, and innovators across diverse industries. From overcoming challenges to crafting winning strategies, every episode is packed with practical advice, leadership tips, and stories that will inspire you to unlock your full potential—whether you're a seasoned leader or an aspiring entrepreneur. Watch new episodes on YouTube and listen on all major podcast platforms. Join us as we explore the journeys that define success and help you take your own to the next level.

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October 14, 202631 min

Claire Feagley: The Hidden Cost of a Toxic Workplace Nobody Talks About

Dr. Claire Feagley — business psychologist, executive coach, and M&A expert — joins the show to break down her new book, The Toxicity Tax: Why Dysfunction Costs More Than You Think and How to Break Free. We dig into why 70–90% of mergers fail to hit their financial targets, how "ordinary" toxicity (not the explosive kind) quietly drains teams, why childhood shapes how we handle conflict at work, and the practical three-step framework leaders can use to name and break toxic patterns before they cost the business. What You'll Learn What the "toxicity tax" actually is — a repeated pattern of behavior that leaves people feeling unsafe, undervalued, or emotionally drained — and why it's the cumulative cost, not a one-off bad day, that matters. Why real workplace toxicity usually looks ordinary rather than explosive, and how that "silencing" effect quietly kills innovation and idea-sharing. Why 70–90% of mergers fail to hit their projected financial returns, and why the timelines PE firms set (6 months to a year) are often unrealistic. Why the human element — not just legal and financial due diligence — is the biggest blind spot in most M&A deals, and what companies can do differently. How childhood and family environment shape the way we handle conflict, communication, and boundaries at work. The difference between being "kind" and being "nice" — and why kindness can (and should) coexist with being direct and mission-focused. Claire's practical 3-step framework for breaking toxic patterns: recognize the behavior, name it tactfully, and set a clear boundary. Why "no one sends an invoice for the cost of dysfunction" — and how leaders can start thinking about culture in financial terms. Chapters 00:00 Intro: Meet Dr. Claire Feagley 00:40 How psychology and business intersect — then vs. now 03:26 Left brain / right brain: clinical psych meets deal-making 05:22 The M&A story behind her PhD dissertation 08:23 Why the "human element" gets ignored in M&A 10:33 Secrecy vs. asking the right questions during a deal 12:09 Defining "the toxicity tax" 15:01 Why toxicity is usually ordinary, not explosive 16:54 How childhood shapes conflict style at work 20:24 Self-awareness and back-channel feedback for leaders 21:08 Kindness vs. niceness at work 22:47 From nonprofit to military contracting — lessons on scarcity 24:00 Why we normalize toxic behavior 24:39 The 3-step framework: recognize, name, set boundaries 27:14 Why 70–90% of mergers fail their financial projections 29:57 The one idea Claire wants readers to remember 31:08 Closing / where to find the book

October 12, 202629 min

Dr. Je Woo Kim on How South Korea Rewrote Its Future

Dr. Jae Woo Kim grew up on a farm in rural South Korea in the 1960s and '70s without electricity — and went on to become a Samsung engineer, a Qualcomm veteran, and a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. In this episode, host Joe Pardavila sits down with Dr. Kim to unpack his book, The Rise of Seoul: South Korea's Journey from Rags to Riches, and the extraordinary six-decade transformation he lived through firsthand. They dig into why Korea split into North and South after World War II, what it was actually like growing up by kerosene lamp, and how a "local brand" called Samsung went from making home appliances to going toe-to-toe with Apple. Dr. Kim also shares his "Brownian motion" theory of leadership — why any country or organization can replicate Korea's rise if it has focus, framework, and visionary leadership — and explains why Korea's real power isn't K-pop or K-dramas, but manufacturing. Learn more about Dr. Jae Woo Kim and his book at theauthoritycompany.com. What You'll Learn Why Korea (unlike Germany) was split into North and South after WWII, and why reunification never happened What daily life was like in rural South Korea in the 1960s-70s without electricity or running water How Samsung recruited and funded a farm kid's PhD — and turned him into a lifelong "Samsung man" The evolution of mobile technology from car phones and pagers to the smartphone wars with Apple Why Samsung's hardware-first vertical integration strategy succeeded where Microsoft's software partnership didn't Dr. Kim's "magnifying glass" theory of leadership: how focused vision turns scattered effort into concentrated power The real story behind Korea's "Let's live well" movement and how a clear national goal united a divided population Why Korea's manufacturing value chain — not soft power like K-pop — is the true engine of its economic strength What's changed in Korea's economic story since Dr. Kim finished writing his book in 2024 Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Dr. Jae Woo Kim and The Rise of Seoul 00:30 – Why was Korea split into North and South? 03:00 – Growing up in South Korea vs. life across the DMZ 04:00 – Meritocracy, capitalism, and why the North fell behind 05:00 – Farm life with no electricity — and the kerosene lamp story 07:00 – What Samsung meant to Korea in the early days 08:00 – Getting recruited by Samsung with a PhD scholarship 09:00 – The pre-mobile era: car phones, pagers, and payphones 11:00 – How Samsung became #1 in DRAM/memory 13:00 – The rise of digital cellular and the Qualcomm CDMA era 14:00 – 2007: The iPhone changes everything 14:30 – Apple's software integration vs. Samsung's hardware integration 16:00 – From Windows Mobile to Android 17:30 – Samsung's manufacturing advantage and the rise of Exynos 17:45 – Could any country replicate what South Korea did? 18:00 – The "Brownian motion" and magnifying glass theory of leadership 20:00 – Aligning an entire country: focus + strategy 21:30 – "Let's live well": the 1960s catchphrase that changed a nation 23:30 – Was everyone on board? The Gyeongbu Expressway controversy 25:00 – Seoul today vs. Dr. Kim's childhood 25:30 – Soft power myth: K-pop, K-dramas, and Korea's real strength 26:00 – Korea's manufacturing and defense export power 28:00 – What's changed since the book was finished in 2024 29:00 – Closing thoughts and where to find the book

October 9, 202638 min

Ben Nichols, Padel 22: Why Padel Is About to Take Over America

Padel has officially overtaken pickleball as America's fastest growing sport. So what is it, why are people so hooked on it, and can it actually break through in the U.S.? On this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, host Joe Pardavila sits down with Ben Nichols, founder and CEO of Padel 22. Ben has spent 20 years in global sports, including Formula 1, anti-doping, and professional tennis. He now helps brands, investors, and clubs grow the business, media, and identity of padel in emerging markets around the world. Ben explains how a sport born in Mexico in 1969 became the second most popular sport in Spain, why the UK doubled its courts in a single year, and where padel is booming in the U.S. right now: Miami, Texas, the tri-state area, and Southern California. He also gets candid about the sport's biggest hurdles. Courts cost far more than pickleball courts to build, padel is still looking for its American face, it may never be a great TV product, and it risks becoming a sport only the 1% can play. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for the next big opportunity, a racket sports fan, or just curious what everyone's talking about, this conversation covers where padel is headed and what it will take to get there. 🔗 Connect with Ben Nichols: Website: thetwentytwo.co Instagram: @thepadelpr LinkedIn: Ben Nichols WHAT YOU'LL LEARN What padel is and how it differs from pickleball, tennis, squash, and racquetball Why padel has a retention rate of over 90% and why players get hooked so fast Why padel courts cost $50K–$150K to build and how that slows growth compared to pickleball How warehouses, tennis clubs, and country clubs are being turned into padel venues Why some U.S. clubs use pickleball as a "gateway" to bring players into padel Which U.S. regions are leading the growth and why Miami is the epicenter Where entrepreneurs and investors are finding opportunities, from facilities and apparel to court manufacturing and pro leagues Why padel works as a "social operating system" and a modern "third place" Why the sport needs American celebrity faces to go mainstream Why padel thrives on social media but may struggle as a TV product How to keep padel from becoming an elite, niche sport like squash TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro: Meet Ben Nichols, founder of Padel 22 01:00 – Why padel, and how it passed pickleball as the fastest growing sport in America 02:00 – What padel is: court size, format, and why it's so addictive 03:00 – The infrastructure problem: why padel courts are expensive to build 05:00 – How padel is growing in Europe, and its roots in Mexico, Spain, and Latin America 07:00 – The UK boom: from 1,000 to 2,000 courts in one year 07:45 – Tennis clubs, warehouses, and the "third place" padel club model 09:00 – Using pickleball as a gateway to padel in the U.S. 10:00 – What happened to racquetball and squash? 12:00 – Is padel actually easy to learn? Tennis vs. squash players on court 14:00 – Where padel is booming in the U.S.: Miami, Texas, the tri-state area, and LA 16:30 – Padel comes to Charleston and the college pipeline 17:45 – The entrepreneurial side: facilities, brands, apparel, and pro leagues 21:00 – College padel, the Olympics, and non-endemic brands 21:30 – Padel as a "social operating system" 22:30 – Why padel is different from other upstart sports that failed 24:00 – The numbers: 30 million players and a new club every 90 minutes 25:30 – Why padel needs an American face 28:30 – Padel on social media vs. TV 30:30 – The "hockey problem": better in person than on screen? 32:30 – What has to go right for padel to take off in the next five years 35:30 – How to keep padel from becoming a sport for the 1% 38:00 – Where to find Ben Nichols and Padel 22

October 7, 202636 min

Peter Lewis on Scaling SXSW Without Losing Its Soul

Peter Lewis joined SXSW in 2009 as an administrative assistant. Today, he's the Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing partnerships, sponsorships, and the brand experiences that connect thousands of companies and attendees every year. In this episode of The Authority Company podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Peter to unpack what actually makes SXSW's audience and culture so different from every other festival, how brand activations get vetted and built, why the team leans into controversy instead of avoiding it (AI, data centers, and even hosting Julian Assange and Edward Snowden via video), and how the festival adapted after the Austin Convention Center was demolished.Peter also shares his advice for anyone attending SXSW for the first time — and previews what's ahead for the 2027 festival, happening March 15–21. 🔗 Learn more: sxsw.com Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders building the future. What You'll Learn Why SXSW's audience behaves differently than any other festival crowd — and why that matters for brands Peter's journey from admin assistant to Chief Commercial Officer over 17 years What a Chief Commercial Officer actually does at an event the size of SXSW How SXSW decides which brand partners and activations make the cut ("more art than science") How the team navigates polarizing topics like AI without picking a side Why SXSW has never been afraid of controversy (the Assange/Snowden "Outlaw" series) How to build a strong internal team culture in a high-pressure, high-prestige organization What changed — and what stayed the same — as SXSW scaled from a small event to 4,500+ sessions How SXSW adapted its entire footprint after losing the Austin Convention Center SXSW's economic impact on Austin (~$350M in 2025) and its relationship with local residents First-timer's guide: how to actually plan and get the most out of SXSW 2027 Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Joe welcomes Peter Lewis 01:00 – The unique energy of SXSW: why attendees take notes and debrief each other nightly 04:00 – Peter's career journey: from admin assistant to Chief Commercial Officer 06:00 – What a Chief Commercial Officer at SXSW actually does 08:00 – Matching brands with community: how partnerships and activations come together 11:00 – How SXSW judges quality — "the HBO of festivals" 14:00 – Navigating AI backlash while staying on the bleeding edge 17:00 – Why SXSW isn't afraid of controversy (the Assange/Snowden "Outlaw" series) 18:00 – Building and hiring a strong internal team 22:00 – 17 years of growth: keeping the experience simple at scale 25:00 – Logistics after the Austin Convention Center demolition 28:00 – SXSW's relationship with Austin and its $350M economic impact 31:00 – Advice for first-time SXSW attendees 35:00 – Closing thoughts and SXSW 2027 preview

October 5, 202623 min

Dr. Joseph Webb: Is the US Healthcare System Too Big to Fix?

Dr. Joseph Webb spent four decades leading hospitals across the country, including a nationally recognized turnaround at Nashville General Hospital. In this conversation, he breaks down why the American healthcare system isn't a "right," why only 20% of health outcomes actually come from healthcare itself, and the fatal policy decision the US made after World War II that we're still living with today. He also shares the personal story behind his book, The Remedy: Advancing Evidence-Based Healthcare Delivery in a Fragmented System — including growing up as one of 10 children in the Mississippi Delta. 📖 Get the book: The Remedy: Advancing Evidence-Based Healthcare Delivery in a Fragmented System 🔗 More info: theauthoritycompany.com What You'll Learn - Why only 20% of health outcomes are actually attributable to the healthcare system — and what makes up the other 80% - The difference between a "remedy" and a "cure" for a broken system, and why Dr. Webb chose to write about the former - Why the US is the only industrialized nation that doesn't treat healthcare as a right - What EMTALA actually guarantees you in an emergency — and what it doesn't (your bill) - The "fatal error" the US made after WWII that still shapes healthcare access today - How the Web Health Equity and Sustainability Model combines the chronic care model, the triple aim, and community health needs assessments into one framework - Why Dr. Webb believes real healthcare change will come from communities and individuals, not Washington - How growing up as one of 10 children in the Mississippi Delta shaped his 40-year career in healthcare leadership Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Joseph Webb 00:53 – Is the US healthcare system too big to fix? 02:04 – Healthcare as a commodity: "too many cooks in the kitchen" 03:07 – The 20/80 Health Paradox explained 04:10 – Why he wrote about a "remedy," not a "cure" 08:14 – Is healthcare a right? The EMTALA emergency-room loophole 09:31 – The fatal error the US made after WWII 10:57 – Why the book features a senator, a pastor, and an academic 14:12 – The Web Health Equity and Sustainability Model 16:18 – "The next chapter won't be written by Washington" 18:39 – 40 years, one hospital turnaround, and the moment he decided to write the book 20:16 – Raised as 1 of 10 kids in the Mississippi Delta 23:15 – Closing thoughts & where to find the book

September 30, 202642 min

Alfonso Cahero on Surviving Death, Fear, and Becoming The Source Architect

Alfonso Cahero survived a fall from 5,000 meters. But the story doesn’t end with survival. In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Alfonso Cahero, author of The Source Architect: Meditations on Form, Death, and the Geometry of Being, to explore how a near-death experience reshaped his understanding of fear, identity, business, legacy, and stillness. Alfonso shares the story behind his paragliding accident, the nine hours he spent waiting to be rescued, and the three encounters with death that changed the way he sees life. He also explains why fear is often tied to identity, why successful people can still feel deeply anxious, and how stillness can help leaders reconnect with what matters.The conversation also explores Alfonso’s work with sovereign institutions, royal families, global leaders, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, along with the deeper meaning behind The Source Architect and why the book was written in such an unconventional form. If you’re interested in leadership, personal transformation, near-death experiences, spirituality, fear, legacy, or the deeper questions behind success, this conversation will stay with you. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:47 Alfonso Cahero joins the show 00:49 The 5,000-meter fall 01:31 Why Alfonso was paragliding 02:51 What flying at that altitude feels like 04:40 When the wing collapsed 05:36 The free fall begins 06:35 What protocols exist when falling from the sky 08:22 Waiting nine hours to be found 08:40 How death changed Alfonso’s view of business failure 09:16 Fear, routine, and comfort zones 10:30 Fear as a measure of belief in yourself 12:02 Why wealthy people still feel anxiety 13:39 Learning to understand anxiety at the source 14:49 What “The Source Architect” means 15:40 Why the book is meant to find its reader 16:32 Writing the book as a download 18:00 Why the book creates a different state of awareness 19:09 Why Alfonso’s message is unusual in Latino culture 20:06 How travel shaped Alfonso’s identity 21:25 What Alfonso learned from knowing people across 100 countries 23:33 Why changing your environment can change your life 24:39 Joe reflects on home, identity, and Charleston 26:00 The danger of attachment 26:47 Alfonso’s memory after the crash 27:43 Rebuilding life without attachment 28:45 Why the book avoids conventional editing 30:27 How the book creates resonance 32:29 Ego, distortion, and self-blockage 33:18 Stillness versus meditation 34:39 Why stillness is so difficult 35:37 Connecting with your true self 36:33 Technology, social media, and doomscrolling 37:00 Alfonso’s strange historical AI videos 37:38 Why Alfonso says he doesn’t care about social media 38:50 Using AI, history, and finance creatively 40:17 Alfonso’s next project with global leaders 41:40 Where to find the book 41:56 Closing

September 28, 202631 min

The Story IS the Strategy: 13-Time Bestselling Author Don Yaeger on Winning With Story

Don Yaeger has spent 30 years studying what makes stories stick — and he's put it all into his new book, The Business of Storytelling: Inspire Action, Build Trust, and Drive Results Through Story. In this conversation, Don breaks down why "the story is the strategy," the neuroscience behind why we fall for a good story (looking at you, Steve Jobs), why PowerPoint slides kill more presentations than they save, and the exact "x-ray" method he uses to reverse-engineer his own talks. Don is a 13-time New York Times bestselling author, longtime journalist, and one of the most sought-after storytelling coaches in the world — he's worked with Simon Sinek, Forbes, and NVIDIA's senior leadership, among others. 📖 Get the book: The Business of Storytelling: Inspire Action, Build Trust, and Drive Results Through Story 🔗 More from Don and our other authors: theauthoritycompany.com What You'll Learn Why the story you tell about your childhood shapes how you tell every story after it The difference between being a good writer and a good speaker — and how to bridge that gap How to build a personal "story bank" from the greats (MLK, Oprah, Shakespeare) Why the best stories are always human — and how to humanize even boring business numbers Why slide-heavy presentations are a crutch, and what to do instead The single biggest storytelling mistake: telling "I" stories instead of "you" stories The neuroscience behind why Steve Jobs' product launches worked (hint: it's not the specs) Whether great storytellers are born or made How to figure out the right length for any story Don's "game film" method for breaking down (and fixing) a story that didn't land Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Meet Don Yaeger & The Business of Storytelling 00:30 – The Thanksgiving story that sparked his obsession with storytelling 03:30 – The moment he learned to watch the room, not just the storyteller 05:00 – Bridging the gap from writer to public speaker 07:00 – Building a "story bank": studying MLK, Oprah, Shakespeare, Simon Sinek 09:00 – Universal truth #1: the best stories are always human 10:00 – Making business stories connect without drowning in spreadsheets and ROI 11:30 – Why PowerPoint slideshows are a story killer 15:00 – The "I" story trap — and how switching to "you" pulls the audience in 17:00 – The neuroscience of storytelling: dopamine, endorphins, and Steve Jobs 21:00 – Are great storytellers born or made? 23:00 – How to find the right length for a story 25:00 – Breaking down his iconic Michael Jordan talk like game film 27:00 – Teaching intentional storytelling to NVIDIA's sales leadership 28:30 – "The story is the strategy" — making the case to skeptical leaders 29:30 – Behind the book's dedication to his wife, Jeanette 30:30 – Closing thoughts & where to find the book

September 23, 202636 min

Chris Day on AI, Ownership & Unbreakable Client Partnerships

Chris Day has spent over two decades building and selling companies in the managed services industry — including Fully Managed and IT Glue. In this episode, he joins Joe Pardavila to break down his new book, MSP to MVP: Building Unbreakable Partnerships in the Customer Success Era, and why the MSP (Managed Services Provider) industry is at its most exciting — and most vulnerable — inflection point yet: AI. Chris explains why customers don't leave MSPs because of bad tech support — they leave because no one is helping them plan for what's next. He unpacks the rise and fall of the "break/fix" billing model, why the old vCIO (virtual CIO) role is the real key to client retention, and why AI has finally given IT providers a reason to get invited into the boardroom again. Plus: what it's really like starting and scaling a company with your own brother, the mentors who shaped his leadership style, and how to tell a legitimate AI startup from "snake oil" in an inbox full of pitches. In this episode: The 3 types of leaders — founder, manager, and turnaround — and which one Chris is Starting and running a company with his brother (and why sibling co-founders can actually work) What MSP actually stands for, and how the industry has changed since 2002 The shift from "break/fix" billing to subscription-based managed services Why the vCIO (virtual CIO) role is the key to "unbreakable" client partnerships The real reason clients churn from their IT provider (it's not what you think) Why ownership and accountability separate great service providers from average ones How to avoid selling AI "for the sake of AI" — and spot real ROI use cases Chris's #1 piece of advice from the book, in one sentence 📖 Get the book: MSP to MVP: Building Unbreakable Partnerships in the Customer Success Era by Chris Day🔗 More info on Chris and our other authors: https://theauthoritycompany.com ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro: Meet Chris Day 00:41 – The 3 types of leaders (founder, manager, turnaround) 01:44 – Chris's leadership style & hiring for his weaknesses 03:33 – Building a company with his brother 07:01 – What does "MSP" actually mean? 09:19 – MVP = Most Valuable Partner, explained 09:54 – How the MSP industry has changed since 2002 10:37 – The shift from "break/fix" to subscription billing 13:12 – Starting a business in his early 20s & lessons from F5 17:12 – Mentors: learning what to do (and what not to do) 19:04 – The vCIO and building "unbreakable" partnerships 22:30 – Ownership, accountability & the landscaping analogy 26:23 – The simplest advice: just work a little harder 28:48 – The one takeaway from the book: "get in the boardroom" 31:03 – The problem with doing AI just for the sake of AI 33:58 – Spotting real AI value vs. "snake oil" pitches 35:20 – Where to find the book & final thoughts

September 22, 202634 min

Robinson Aquino's 4-Step Framework for When Your Business Model Stops Working (Pause, Shrink, Plan, Grow)

Is your business in a rough patch — or is something structurally broken? Robinson Aquino, author of The Small Business Money Game, returns to Entrepreneur | Authorities to break down how owners can spot the early warning signs of a business in trouble, why taking on more debt can make things worse, and his PSPG framework — Pause, Shrink, Plan, Grow — for navigating a turnaround. In this episode: • How to tell a temporary rough patch from a structural business problem • The KPIs every owner should track monthly (and why most don't) • The real story of "Gina," whose growing business was losing money the whole time • Debt vs. equity: when borrowing helps, and when it delays the inevitable • The Pause, Shrink, Plan, Grow framework for turning a business around • Rob's contrarian take on AI, commoditization, and the next 5–10 years of work 📘 Learn more about Robinson Aquino and The Small Business Money Game 🎙️ Entrepreneur Authorities — conversations with leaders, builders, and thinkers helping entrepreneurs make smarter decisions. #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessTurnaround #Finance #Leadership Timestamps00:00 Intro — Rob Aquino returns to talk business turnarounds 01:00 Rough patch vs. structural problem — how to tell the difference 02:00 Why it's usually a third party (banker, advisor, accountant) who breaks the news 04:00 How often should you actually meet with your accountant? 05:00 Early warning signs: KPIs, thin margins, unclear financials 07:00 The "belt size" analogy — how businesses quietly expand the danger zone 10:00 Case study: Gina's events business — successful on paper, losing money underneath 13:00 Debt vs. equity — "borrowing from your future self" 15:00 How Gina used short-term financing to bridge an equity raise 18:00 Why most small business owners don't actually have access to equity 19:00 "It's essentially every small business" — the Ponzi-scheme cash flow problem 22:00 Why recessions repeat every 5–6 years like clockwork 23:00 The PSPG Framework: Pause 25:00 "Would we fund this again today?" — the power of re-evaluating old bets 26:00 AI, commoditization, and the "1998 website gold rush" analogy 32:00 What to do tomorrow morning if you know something's wrong 33:00 Closing — credit delinquencies, functional unemployment, and where the economy really stands

September 21, 202634 min

Christopher W. Brown: Why Working Less Made This Entrepreneur More Successful

Christopher W. Brown spent three decades building businesses that depended entirely on him — until a heart attack in 2016 forced a decade-long rebuild of how he works, rests, and leads. In this conversation with Joe Pardavila, Christopher breaks down the neuroscience of unplugging, why "aloofness" is a leadership skill, and how he trained his team (and himself) to stop needing him in the room. It's a practical, personal look at turning a business into something that outlives your involvement in it — drawn from his book Permission to Unplug. You'll Learn: - The heart attack and the decade of rebuilding that followed - The neuroscience of unplugging and why "vacation with a laptop" doesn't count - How to build an unplugging habit through micro-experiences - Killing notifications, hustle culture, and the "American inheritance" - Why the best leaders are a little "aloof" — and why that's a compliment - Delegation, AI agents, and turning a job back into a business - Health, diet, and the private-physician approach to staying alive Chapters 00:00 — Intro: the heart attack that started it all 00:34 — Life before June 1st, 2016: peak fitness, zero warning 03:06 — A decade of failing forward: replacing yourself as founder 03:34 — The science of "accidentally rewiring your brain" 05:57 — Micro-experiences: how to build the unplugging muscle 07:01 — Killing phone notifications (and why watches are worse) 08:26 — The "American inheritance" of hustle culture 10:12 — The out-of-office joke that says everything about US work culture 11:09 — The Google employee who checked her calendar before heart surgery 12:00 — Bending space and time: back-to-back meeting culture 16:05 — A month off in the Maldives, out of office, filtered emails 18:13 — "You don't have a business, you have a job" 20:27 — Delegation, AI agents, and figuring out what only you can do 22:00 — The case for a "healthy aloofness" as a leader 24:28 — Catching yourself: self-awareness and the creep back to old habits 28:41 — Health update: private physician, diet, inflammation, sourdough 32:10 — The book's dedication and 27 years with his wife Julie