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Welcome to Your Business Wingmen! Today, we're unlocking one of the most powerful, yet least-discussed executive skills in professional development: Managing Up. If you're a manager, executive, business owner, or entrepreneur who reports to a board or a superior, you know that career growth requires more than just managing your team—it means proactively shaping the relationship with your boss. Stop being blindsided by mandates from above and start driving your own success.

Are your best employees turning down management roles? You're not alone. An emerging trend is showing that up to 70% of high-potential individual contributors are actively avoiding the climb to a leadership position. This isn't just a challenge; it's a Management CRISIS that threatens your company's growth, profitability, and sustainability. In this critical episode, your hosts Steve and Travis Smith dive deep into the first principles behind this reluctance. We unpack the psychological barriers, the generational shifts, and the critical management training gaps that are causing your top talent to say, "No thanks," to the next big promotion.

Are your most valuable assets walking out the door? Every business faces the risk of a "Brain Drain" – the catastrophic loss of institutional knowledge (or legacy/tribal knowledge) when key employees retire or move on. The cost of this loss can run into the millions through lost productivity, constant rework, and a breakdown in business continuity. In this essential episode, Steve and Travis Smith of The Business Wingman dive deep into a problem that affects every single industry—and give you the actionable strategies you need to solve it proactively.

Why do so many promising new hires—the ones who looked great on paper—end up being a disappointment? It often comes down to a gap in professionalism, accountability, and the "soft skills" that no one seems to be teaching. As a manager, executive, or business owner, you've felt the frustration. You have to chase people for follow-ups, you see them on their phones in meetings, and they lack the initiative to think one step ahead. It costs you time, money, and energy. In this episode of The Business Wingman Show, Steve and Travis Smith break down the critical behaviors that separate the "A-Players" from the "bad hires." This is the perfect resource to share with your new and young professionals. It’s a masterclass in the unspoken rules of a successful career. Use this episode to start a conversation with your team about: * Taking true ownership and initiative (not just waiting to be told) * The power of "active listening" and being present * Why you MUST participate in meetings (even if you don't have the title) * The correct way to follow up (and why "one email" isn't enough) * How to "manage up" to help your boss * Why taking constructive criticism is a non-negotiable skill

Are you on the path to being in the 35% of businesses that survive 10 years, or the 65% that fail? This episode of The Business Wingman Show is a real-world blueprint from an entrepreneur who beat the odds.We go behind the scenes with Travis Smith, who just hit his 10-year milestone as a business owner. Travis shares the brutal truths and actionable strategies that allowed him to build a multi-million dollar consulting firm from scratch—starting with his wife 3 months pregnant and zero income for 11 months. If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, or leader looking for real-world lessons on how to scale, how to navigate setbacks, and the one mental model that can make or break your success, this is for you. Travis shares his biggest failures (like the "mile wide, inch deep" mistake) and the single decision that allowed his business to quadruple.

Every successful business starts with a visionary founder, but not every founder is the right person to lead the company once it begins to scale. Knowing when to step aside — or when to level up your leadership — can make or break your startup’s future. In this episode, Steve Smith and Travis Smith unpack:The critical shift from startup founder to commercial CEOHow to recognize if your leadership style fits your company’s next stageThe dangers of ego and why self-awareness is key to scalingWhat investors look for when deciding to back your businessOptions for founders: CTO, CMO, Chairman, or staying CEO — which role is best?Real-world examples (from Zuckerberg to startups that imploded)How to avoid chaos, retain your best people, and build sustainable growthWhether you’re an entrepreneur, executive, or leader navigating change, this discussion will give you a practical framework to evaluate your role — and your company’s future.

In this episode of The Business Wingman Show, Steve and Travis Smith unpack what happens when growth spirals out of control, drawing lessons from major brands you already know: Peloton, Krispy Kreme, Blockbuster, and Redbox. ➡️ What went wrong? ➡️ How can you avoid the same fate? ➡️ And what does scaling for longevity really look like? If you’re a business owner, executive, or entrepreneur with big growth ambitions, this conversation will give you clarity on how to scale smarter, not faster. Don’t just grow your business — build it to last. #Scaling #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership

Leaders face many challenges, but one of the toughest is dealing with passive aggressive behavior in the workplace. From sarcasm and missed deadlines to victim-playing and quiet resistance, passive aggressive employees can quietly drain your team’s performance and culture. If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I deal with a passive aggressive employee, teammate, or even boss?” — this conversation is for you.  Just tune into this episode of the Business Wingmen and let your hosts, Steve Smith & Travis Smith, guide the way!

Quiet firing is an emerging workplace trend — but what does it really mean, and why is it a dangerous trap for managers and executives? In this episode of The Business Wingmen Podcast, Steve and Travis Smith unpack the reality behind quiet firing: the subtle ways leaders push employees out without saying a word. Whether intentional or not, quiet firing damages trust, kills culture, and hurts your top performers.

Ever feel like you're the most knowledgeable person in the room, but your ideas get dismissed? If your communication doesn't reflect your true value, you create a "credibility gap" that can stall your career. This isn't about being the loudest person; it's about communicating with intention and influence. In this episode, we dissect the three pillars of communication that will ensure you are never overlooked again. You'll learn the practical mindset shifts and tactics to manage conflict, leverage emotional intelligence, and demonstrate accountability in a way that commands respect and establishes you as a true leader in your organization.

A 60% failure rate is unacceptable in any other part of your business. So why do we accept it for new managers?  Companies lose their best technical experts every day by promoting them into leadership roles they aren't equipped for. We call it the "Accidental Manager" trap. You give them a new title and more pay, but no training on the single most complex part of the job: leading people. The result? → Your star performer burns out. → Their team disengages. → Your best people leave. It’s a silent killer of productivity and morale.  But it's entirely preventable.  In this episode, we break down the proven, step-by-step strategy to turn your high-achievers into high-performing leaders. We cover how to assess for potential, the immediate steps to take post-promotion, and how to find training that actually works.

The episode discusses the challenges of transitioning individual contributors into management roles, highlighting a significant 60% failure rate within the first 24 months. The hosts, Steve and Travis Smith of "The Business Wingman Show," share personal anecdotes and expert insights, emphasizing that successful managers must shift from a "me" to a "we" mindset, prioritize the success of others, and embrace delegation despite initial inefficiencies. Key areas for development are outlined, including moving beyond day-to-day tactical work, adopting essential behaviors like setting boundaries and embracing accountability, and cultivating a proactive, collaborative leadership mindset focused on anticipation and problem-solving. Ultimately, the discussion aims to equip both aspiring managers and those responsible for promoting them with the knowledge to foster long-term success.

The "Business Wingman Show" podcast episode focuses on the challenges new graduates face when entering the workforce and offers practical advice for success. Hosted by Steve and Travis Smith, a father-son duo, the discussion centers on a LinkedIn article Travis wrote outlining ten common struggles experienced by young professionals. Key areas explored include the importance of strong communication skills, emphasizing the need for professional diction, proactive initiation of conversations, and conciseness over jargon or overly lengthy explanations. The hosts also stress the significance of time management, respecting deadlines, and developing professional acumen, advocating for early arrivals to meetings and proactive communication regarding potential delays. Finally, the conversation highlights the importance of gaining real-world experience, navigating office politics, and setting realistic career expectations, underscoring the value of internships and mentorship over immediate high compensation, and suggesting strategic career planning even before choosing a college major.

Are you unknowingly exposing your business to crippling lawsuits and financial disaster? Many business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs are walking into hidden legal traps that can have devastating consequences. In this essential interview, corporate attorney John Newell of Shell New LLP joins The Business Wingman Show to shed light on the most common and costly legal mistakes businesses make – and, more importantly, how YOU can proactively avoid them.

This discussion emphasizes that expanding a business by adding new products or services should be approached cautiously. The hosts advise considering factors like timing, potential impact on the core business, necessary resources (like labor and insurance), and whether the new offering logically fits within the existing brand. They stress the importance of due diligence, including researching market demand and the competitive landscape, and suggest that emotional reactions or "shiny object syndrome" should be tempered with practical evaluation and sufficient time for reflection before committing to an expansion.