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Season 4, Episode 258 Be the Force Multiplier: Dave Knox on Scaling Rockfish, Building Spark House, and Leading Through Crisis (feat. Dave Knox & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Dave Knox built brands inside P&G, scaled Rockfish from $6 million to $70-80 million in revenue before its acquisition by WPP, bought and rebuilt Nature's Willow starting with zero employees, and now leads Blue North's $16.5 million Spark House -- all while navigating a public cancer diagnosis in the middle of construction. This episode is about what it takes to build infrastructure for other people instead of chasing your own credit. In this episode: - Why P&G's emphasis on "leadership on paper" taught Dave that writing well mattered more than face time with senior leaders - The contrarian bet on digital marketing that separated Dave from his Ivy League-credentialed peers - What actually breaks when a company scales from $6 million to eight figures -- not systems, but people who loved an earlier phase of the company - Why Rockfish co-founder Kenny Tomlin's decision to hire outside leadership, instead of promoting only from within, was one of the hardest and best calls Dave saw a founder make - The negotiation logic behind betting on the longest earn-out instead of the biggest number, and what it meant to keep running the company as if it were still independent - Buying Nature's Willow with zero employees and rebuilding a broken supply chain, manufacturer, and stability testing from scratch -- then relaunching the same month retail shut down in 2020 - Getting a cancer diagnosis mid-construction on Spark House, going from diagnosis to cancer-free in five weeks, and why he decided to make it public - Dave's definition of unconventional leadership: don't be the force, be the force multiplier Timecodes: 00:02:16 - What P&G's brand discipline taught Dave about leading through writing 00:10:34 - Scaling Rockfish from $6 million to $70-80 million, and what breaks along the way 00:16:12 - Why bringing in outside leadership was the hardest right call 00:40:55 - Buying Nature's Willow with zero employees and fixing a broken supply chain 00:52:43 - The cancer diagnosis that hit mid-construction on Spark House 01:10:19 - Dave's definition of unconventional leadership: "be the force multiplier" Links and Resources: - Connect with Dave Knox: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveknox/ - Predicting the Turn (book) by Dave Knox: https://a.co/d/0jcwqOz7 - Blue North: https://bluenorthky.com - Spark House (Blue North's Northern Kentucky entrepreneurial hub): https://sparkhaus.co - Imerman Angels (peer-to-peer cancer support nonprofit): https://imermanangels.org ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: - Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast - YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! - LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Season 4, Episode 257 The Myth of Burnout (feat. Joey Haselmayer & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Joey Haselmayer, CEO of The Living Room and a consumer researcher who studies behavior for some of the biggest brands on earth, joins Mike Sipple Jr. to ask a harder question than "how do you avoid burnout": what if burnout usually means you've lost sight of why you're doing the work at all. In this episode: - Why Joey believes true physical burnout is rare -- and what's actually driving most of what people call burnout - How a "B race" or "C race" keeps a long training block from turning into exhaustion - What 76 miles on his feet in a last-man-standing ultra taught him about the difference between mental and physical limits - Why family businesses never get a clean "changing of the guard" moment, and what that costs successors - The daily coffee ritual he and his wife have never automated -- and why that's the point - Why "extreme ownership" breaks down the moment you try to apply it inside a marriage - How imposter syndrome kept him playing it safe until ultrarunning proved he could handle more than he thought - Why an annual retreat away from cell service does more for his leadership than any boardroom conversation Timecodes: 03:27 - What years of consumer research have taught Joey about himself 06:17 - Why family business transitions never get a "changing of the guard" moment 24:15 - Redefining burnout: it's not exhaustion, it's losing sight of the vision 42:07 - Inside the 76-mile last-man-standing ultra that pushed him past his limit 56:07 - Running an event-space business through a pandemic that made gathering illegal 59:46 - What happens around a dinner table in Wyoming that never happens in a boardroom Resources mentioned: - The Living Room, Cincinnati (Norwood event space) https://talentmagnet.com/thelivingroom/ - Haselmayer Goods https://shoptheh.com/ - Refuge Foundation https://refugefoundation.org/ - Dappled Light https://www.dappledlightadventures.com - Extreme Ownership https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs - Good to Great by Jim Collins (the "hedgehog concept") https://a.co/d/02LltNDX Links and Resources: - Connect with Joey Haselmayer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeyhaselmayer/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

This episode is sponsored by Xavier University's Executive MBA Program. To learn more, visit: https://unconventionalpodcast.com/emba Season 4, Episode 256 The Hardest Thing to Scale Is Talent (feat. Rubi Ho & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Rubi Ho escaped Saigon as a child, built and sold a successful corporate career, then walked away from it to become what he calls a "company coach" -- and in this episode he and Mike Sipple Jr. dig into why the hardest thing any leader will ever try to scale isn't systems or processes, it's talent. In this episode: - Rubi's origin story -- fleeing Vietnam the day before the fall of Saigon, and the judge who refused to split up his eight siblings -- is the root of everything he teaches about confronting fear instead of managing it - An "elephant" is any limiting belief that keeps you smaller than who you actually are -- and you can't solve it by treating the symptom, only by going after the source - The hardest thing to scale in any organization is talent -- you can scale widgets, processes, and systems, but talent doesn't scale the same way - How to lead through VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity): before deciding whether to change, disrupt, transform, or stay the same, test the decision against all four - AI is a powerful tool, but it will always need a human "orchestrator" -- it's the conductor, not the other way around - Family-business CEOs, corporate successor CEOs, and founder CEOs each hit a different version of the same wall -- and each needs a different first question answered - You can't leave your "whole self" at home before work -- the job of leadership is managing that reality, not pretending it doesn't exist - Rubi's definition of unconventional leadership: speaking the truth without ego, regardless of what it costs you professionally Timecodes: 2:14 Rubi's origin story -- fleeing Vietnam the day before the fall of Saigon 7:53 Why he wrote "Confronting My Elephants" 11:06 What an "elephant" really is, and how confronting one differs from managing it 32:05 Why he went back for an executive MBA at Xavier after already earning two master's degrees 42:15 Leading through VUCA -- treating volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity as the new normal 49:56 Three CEO personas -- family, corporate successor, and founder -- and where each gets stuck 1:04:18 Why AI will always need a human "orchestrator" 1:10:45 His definition of unconventional leadership: speaking truth without ego Resources mentioned: - "Confronting My Elephants" by Rubi Ho - Connect with Rubi Ho: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubiho/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: - Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast - YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Season 4, Episode 255 Show Up and Be Credible (feat. DJ Hodge & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz DJ Hodge spent over 20 years running some of the biggest radio markets in the country before walking away from a safe, known role to help build the Cincinnati Crown Network from scratch. He tells Mike what changed the moment a mentor told him he was working too hard to establish credibility when he could just show up and be credible. In this episode: - Why "you're working so hard to establish credibility when you could just show up and be credible" changed how DJ leads - The pivot point of being a terrible leader at 27, managing a team older than himself, before he'd ever heard the term imposter syndrome - Why DJ tracks mentors, not mentees -- and the specific people (Joe Calabrese, Mike Wieder, Louis Kirkham) who altered his career path - The daily non-negotiables that keep his battery full: protecting sleep, being in the office by 6:30 a.m., and rehearsing hard conversations on a six-mile Saturday walk - How the Cincinnati Crown Network launched with 2.2 million social impressions in 4 hours against a goal of 500,000 - Why DJ said no to two safer job offers within eight days of a reorg to build something new with Anthony Breen instead - His framework for leading through setbacks: separate what's real from what's fear, then lean into what you can control - What "unconventional leadership" means to him: leading with your heart, not a textbook, and finding what motivates each individual person Timecodes: 00:00 It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude 01:05 Introducing DJ Hodge and his 20+ year media career 04:00 The pivot point: a terrible first year as a leader at 27 06:29 Accountability is not a punishment 08:02 Launching the Cincinnati Crown Network 12:30 The John Woodhouse quote that changed his mindset in 1995 18:41 Daily habits and non-negotiables that keep him grounded 29:15 Leading a team through setbacks and hard seasons 53:17 Inside the Crown Network launch: 2.2 million impressions in 4 hours 1:00:03 What unconventional leadership means to DJ Resources mentioned: Cincinnati Crown Network Centennial Talent Magnet Institute Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman Links and Resources: - Connect with DJ Hodge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dj-hodge-9666643/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Season 4, Episode 254 Choosing Your Heart Through Retirement, Succession, and Loss (feat. Mary Miller & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Mary Miller built JANCOA into the company behind the bestselling business parable The Dream Manager, then handed the CEO seat to her daughter and stepped fully into caregiving for her husband Tony through his dementia diagnosis -- this episode is about what it actually takes to let go, stay present, and choose your heart when the plan changes. In this episode: - How a consultant who quit on day one pushed Mary and Tony to stop asking "where do we find people" and start asking "what can we do to attract people" - The real story behind The Dream Manager -- how a chance conversation at a retreat turned JANCOA's turnover fix into a worldwide business parable - Why Mary became CEO because Tony told her "I hate being the CEO," and what that kind of honesty does for a leadership team - What actually made succession work: staying open about the plan early, using trusted advisors, and giving family members real ownership before handing over the title - How Strategic Coach's entrepreneurial time system -- 24 hours a day fully off from business -- protected their marriage and their business for three decades - Why Mary stepped away from public speaking and coaching in December 2024 to prioritize her time with Tony - The life lesson Mary repeats most since Tony's dementia diagnosis: don't wait for "later," because later isn't guaranteed - Her definition of an unconventional leader: someone who focuses on where they want to be, not where they are, and helps others do the same Timecodes: 03:45 - The shift from Dream Manager to Dream Engineering 05:16 - The retirement conversation Mary never saw coming 14:04 - How a bestselling author turned their turnover fix into The Dream Manager 25:30 - What it took to prepare the business, and the family, for succession 39:59 - Why "I'll enjoy it later" is the riskiest plan there is 56:22 - The lesson Mary shares most since Tony's dementia diagnosis 1:03:09 - Mary's definition of an unconventional leader Resources mentioned: - The Dream Manager (book, inspired by JANCOA) - Changing Direction: Ten Choices That Impact Your Dreams (book by Mary Miller) - Strategic Coach - Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud - The Goering Center for Family and Private Businesses, University of Cincinnati - Doing Business Differently podcast with Jesse Cole (Savannah Bananas) Links and Resources: - Connect with Mary Miller: https://dreamengineer.com/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C

This episode is sponsored by Xavier University's Executive MBA Program. To learn more, visit: https://unconventionalpodcast.com/emba Season 4, Episode 253 How This Woman Broke Into the C-Suite — And Refused to Stay Silent (feat. Teresa Tanner & Mike Sipple Jr.) Teresa Tanner spent 30 years making the toughest calls in rooms most leaders never enter — from a heroic boss who carried her through her daughter's cancer diagnosis, to leaving the C-suite at the top of her game to build something no one had built before. In this conversation, she and Mike Sipple Jr. unpack how to find your voice at work, why a culture of integrity is impossible without healthy conflict, and how leading from your values (not your fear of loss) changes everything. They dig into the people-first strategy that cut new-parent attrition by 25%, why every applicant is a potential customer, the rhythms of reflection that keep leaders healthy, and the trail Teresa blazed with Reserve Squad to keep great talent connected instead of walking out the door. Timecodes: 00:00 - "Don't silence your voice" 01:05 - Meet Teresa Tanner: 30 years in rooms few people enter 02:44 - When her daughter Kayla was diagnosed with leukemia 05:00 - The boss who said "now it's our turn" 07:10 - Leading from your values when fear takes over 09:10 - The entrepreneur bug and falling into HR 10:01 - Why she pursued an Executive MBA at Xavier 13:38 - The "People P&L": invest in people, make more money 18:04 - Why chase the C-suite as a woman in business 19:40 - "You won't run me off in 19 months" 23:36 - Courageous leadership: never be afraid to be fired 26:00 - Why there's no culture of integrity without conflict 29:05 - How to find your voice (and not be a jerk) 31:13 - The maternity concierge program born in a town hall 35:49 - Every applicant is a possible customer 38:21 - Walking away from the C-suite at the top 42:08 - Retreats, rhythms, and reflection 43:18 - A cancer diagnosis 90 days after leaving 46:06 - "You're not too busy for a mammogram" 48:18 - Launching Reserve Squad: a terrifying leap 51:10 - Watching great talent walk out the door 54:05 - Building a new lane on the employment highway 59:27 - Starting a nonprofit: Web & Activated 1:01:33 - Working alongside her daughter Kayla 1:03:07 - What drives her to blaze new trails 1:04:34 - What unconventional leadership means to her 🔗 Links and Resources: - Connect with Teresa Tanner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-tanner - *Episode Sponsor* Xavier University Executive MBA Program: https://unconventionalpodcast.com/emba ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Season 4, Episode 252 It's Not Talent, It's Daily Habits (feat. Leighann Rechtin & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Dr. Leighann Rechtin, Learning and and Engagement Officer at Talent Magnet Institute, joins Mike Sipple Jr. to unpack why the gap between great managers and average ones has nothing to do with talent -- and everything to do with daily habits -- previewing eight Leadership Labs topics TMI is rolling out. In this episode: - Why mid-level managers absorb the most tension in an organization -- they're relaying decisions they didn't make to people who don't trust the message - The one daily habit -- genuine check-ins, not micromanaging -- that separates great managers from average ones - Why most people are terrible at receiving positive feedback, and what that reveals about a leader's culture - How to build critical thinking in people who were only ever rewarded for executing without question - Why using AI to lead better means learning to verify its output, not fear or blindly trust it - The data behind the crisis: 21% global engagement, 73% of companies say they need to reinvent the manager role, and only 7% are actually doing it - Why belonging -- not fitting in -- is the real driver of employee engagement - The listening exercise (with a Bible trivia twist) that exposes how much information your brain skips when someone else is talking Timecodes: 06:15 Where Leighann's passion for learning and development started 11:14 The psychology of micro-expressions and why teams communicate more than they realize 22:12 Topic 1 -- feedback that changes behavior, and why leaders struggle to give and receive it 27:27 Topic 2 -- using AI to lead better without losing human judgment 34:21 Topic 5 -- the daily habits that separate great managers from everyone else 53:02 The engagement data: 21% disengaged, 73% know they need to change, only 7% are doing it 58:31 Why 93% of employees say they'd stay if they felt actively invested in Resources mentioned: - Talent Magnet Institute's Leadership Labs (8-part learning series) - Gallup employee engagement research - Talent Magnet's HR Mastermind program Links and Resources: - Connect with Leighann Rechtin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighann-rechtin-edd-09b80945/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus John Yockey has spent decades leading teams and now coaches C-suite executives as faculty at the Talent Magnet Institute -- and in this episode he and Mike Sipple Jr. tackle the question every accomplished leader eventually faces: when does being the most capable person in the room stop helping your team and start holding them back? In this episode: - Trust is the foundation before strategy -- without it, challenge feels like a personal attack, and even talented teams underperform - New leaders who skip relationships and jump straight to the technical work lose a window they never get back - The Airport Story: when people are in uncertainty, they will fill the silence with their own story -- communicate what you can, when you can, even without perfect information - During acquisitions and high-growth phases, the most powerful move is communicating proactively before communications go quiet - Trust is built through vulnerability, not efficiency -- treating relationships like a transaction is the fastest way to lose your team - The hardest leadership transition is becoming a multiplier -- if everything still flows through you, you're a bottleneck, not a leader - Resolve decisions at the lowest possible level; overriding every uncomfortable call destroys the empowerment you claim to want - Approachability is not a soft skill -- it's what gets people two levels down comfortable enough to tell you what's actually going on Timecodes: 1:10 Introduction -- who is John Yockey and what he brings to leadership teams 2:47 Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team as the foundation for trust 4:03 Why curiosity is the starting point for building a leadership network 5:17 The hidden cost of losing your network when you enter a new organization 8:50 The Airport Story -- how to lead communication with incomplete information 12:37 Communicating through acquisitions when you can't share everything 16:25 Proactive communication -- say what you can before the blackout period hits 20:29 Trust through vulnerability -- why being efficient with relationships doesn't work 22:16 When high performers become bottlenecks -- the smartest person in the room problem 23:09 Multiplier vs. individual contributor -- what it actually means to lead Resources mentioned: - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni - Connect with John Yockey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-yockey-cpc/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: - Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast - YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Season 4, Episode 250 250 Episodes: What Leading Through the Mess Actually Teaches You (feat. Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus After 8 years and 250 episodes, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down alone to tell the truth: not about what went right, but about what it actually cost to keep going. This milestone isn't a highlight reel. It's an honest accounting of loss, painful pauses, and what the unconventional leadership journey has demanded of him personally, relationally, and professionally. The leaders who build something lasting, something generational, something that outlives the title on the card, are the ones who stopped trying to carry it alone. Episode 250 is Mike's reflection on what it took to get here, what it cost, and why he's more convicted than ever about what's coming next. In this episode: - Why Mike paused the podcast twice, once from business pressure and team burnout, once from the loss of his sister, and what brought him back both times - The specific loneliness of leadership: not "I don't have friends" lonely, but the particular isolation of holding a vision no one else can fully see - What 250 conversations taught him about leaders who build something lasting and the ones who let others carry it with them - The personal health and burnout reckoning he had mid-journey, and why he couldn't authentically podcast about leadership while running on empty - How going from audio to video took the show from tens of thousands to millions of impressions, and what that visibility has meant for the movement - Why there is no version of you at work that's disconnected from who you are at home and what it really means to lead holistically - What's ahead in Season 4: sponsors, a more independent brand, and a deepened commitment to walking alongside leaders for the long term Timecodes: 00:02:18 -- Mike introduces episode 250 and why he chose to speak from the heart with no script 00:10:44 -- The conviction he had starting the podcast and what 8 years proved right 00:25:32 -- What building the podcast actually required: the time, relational, and personal cost he didn't anticipate 00:29:07 -- The loss of his sister and the break that followed and how Josh Lewis and Brian Erickson helped him ramp back 00:42:15 -- On asking for help: why leaders carrying everything alone is the wrong answer 00:50:46 -- The loneliness of leadership -- holding the culture and vision when you can't fully unload on anyone around you 01:00:13 -- What 250 episodes have taught him about leaders who build something that outlives the title on the card Partners and Sponsors Mentioned: - The Living Room Cincinnati https://hellolivingroom.com/unconventional - Xavier University Executive MBA Program - https://talentmagnet.com/emba/ - The Colorado Symphony - https://youtu.be/2MCLLIty6kQ?si=A9PYUzDaAKIDmLS3 - Centennial Executive Search: https://www.centennialinc.com - Talent Magnet Institute: https://www.talentmagnet.com - Connect with Mike Sipple Jr.: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: :https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Season 3, Episode 249 The Father, The Founder, and 50 Years of Unconventional Leadership (feat. Mike Sipple, Sr. & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Mike Sipple, Sr. walked into a Cincinnati recruiting firm in 1975 with no suit and no plan -- and spent the next 50 years building one of the region's most trusted executive search firms into a multigenerational legacy. This episode answers the question every leader avoids: what does it actually mean to build something that outlasts you? In this episode: - Mike Sr. answers the call to lead Centennial after founder Jim Morris's unexpected death in 1980 -- chosen not for experience, but for character and trust - Why leadership, in his words, has always started with two things: character and trust -- and why that hasn't changed in five decades - The "4C Recruiting Process®" framework (Character, Culture, Chemistry, Competence) that was born out of a post-9/11 strategic planning session and still defines how Centennial's client's hire today - How Mike Sr. spent years advising other business owners on succession planning before realizing he had never thought about his own - The role faith played at every inflection point -- from Jim Morris's death to the support of founding Talent Magnet Institute® to transitioning the keys to his son - What it looked like to bring Mike Jr. from computer-building intern to company CEO -- and the advisor who first asked, "Have you ever considered Michael as a recruiter?" - Why legacy isn't a building, a balance sheet, or a brand -- it's the leaders who say yes before the proof shows up Timecodes: 00:01 -- Mike Sr. walks into Centennial in 1975 and why he stayed 00:27 -- Jim Morris passes away; Mike Sr. is named president at 30 with no warning 00:30 -- Defining leadership before he had the title: character and trust 00:55 -- The compounding power of 50 years of client relationships 01:04 -- Watching Mike Jr. grow up in the business and the question that changed everything 01:10 -- The Goering Center succession process and why Mike Sr. insisted Mike Jr. choose freely 01:30 -- What "unconventional leadership" actually means to someone who has practiced it for five decades 01:37 -- What legacy means personally to Mike Sipple, Sr. The Living Room Cincinnati (episode sponsor): https://hellolivingroom.com/unconventional ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C_ __ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Season 3, Episode 248 Stop Trying to Retain Your People (feat. Travis Dommert & Mike Sipple Jr.) Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Travis Dommert, Senior Client Executive, People & Performance, of One Digital has spent years sitting across from CEOs navigating the most personal transition in business: stepping into the top job. What he sees isn't a strategy problem -- it's an identity problem. The leaders who get it right stop trying to be who the role was and start figuring out who the role needs to become. Mike and Travis unpack the CEO's one non-delegatable job -- making meaning -- and trace how trust, clarity, accountability, and the way you handle someone's first and last day all compound into the culture that either activates your people or quietly burns them out. In this episode: - Why stepping into the CEO role is an identity crisis before it's a strategy question -- and what family business succession makes even more complicated - The one thing no CEO can delegate: making meaning out of every experience your people have at work - How the "marble jar" model explains why trust is built in moments, not gestures -- and why some people need a thousand of them - Why accountability without trust creates fear -- and what "positive accountability" looks like when it's actually working - Survey response rates as the loudest signal of organizational health: below 50% means half your people don't think their voice matters - Why Day One and Last Day are the two highest-leverage moments in any employee's tenure -- and what most leaders get completely wrong on the last one - The infinite talent strategy: grow people so well some of them leave -- and why most of them won't, and the ones who do build your alumni network Timecodes: 0:01:11 - Episode framing: CEO identity, role, and succession 0:02:10 - Introducing Travis Dommert, One Digital 0:03:29 - The CEO identity crisis: when role and person collide 0:16:05 - The one non-delegatable CEO job: making meaning 0:20:07 - Curiosity and listening strategies -- how to know if you're losing the room 0:34:42 - Journey to Mastery: trust, clarity, accountability, and what goes first 0:47:33 - Positive accountability: why it goes last, and how to build toward it 0:58:05 - Day One as a top-ten life moment -- and why Last Day echoes forever 1:01:29 - Travis defines unconventional leadership Resources mentioned: - One Digital (Travis's company: https://www.onedigital.com - Centennial Inc. (Mike's family business): https://centennialinc.com - "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann - Brené Brown -- marble jar metaphor for trust - Simon Sinek -- The Infinite Game - Andy Stanley -- "Later is Longer" - Jim Lehrer (sports psychologist) -- research on self-deception Links and Resources: - Connect with Travis Dommert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdommert/ ___ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ___ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ___ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ___ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 247 How Great Leaders Challenge the Status Quo (feat. Mark Fisher & Mike Sipple Jr.) What does it really take to create meaningful change inside an organization? In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down with Mark Fisher, Chief Operating Officer of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, for a conversation about vision, courage, operational excellence, and what it means to lead with a willingness to challenge the status quo. Mark shares why inspiring teams takes more than a strategic plan, how leaders can create momentum through quick wins, and why some of the best ideas often come from the front lines. Together, Mike and Mark unpack what it looks like to break rules in the right way, build a culture that allows calculated failure, and stay relentless in pursuit of progress that benefits both the organization and the broader community. They also explore succession planning, sustainability, innovation, team development, and the kind of leadership energy required to move people from ideas into action. If you are a CEO, founder, HR leader, executive, or people manager trying to lead change, improve culture, and build a team that is willing to think differently, this conversation will challenge and encourage you. 🔗 Links and Resources: • Learn more about the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: https://cincinnatizoo.org • Connect with Mark Fisher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoodude • Learn more about the Cincinnati Zoo leadership team: https://cincinnatizoo.org/about-us/zoo-leadership/ TIMECODES: 00:00 - Why meaningful progress requires challenging the rules 01:24 - Why strategy alone does not inspire people 03:37 - Breaking the rules and challenging the status quo 06:25 - The Cincinnati Zoo’s transformation over the last 20 years 08:35 - How long-term vision became reality 11:37 - Leadership stamina and casting vision over time 14:32 - Sustainability, purpose, and operational excellence 16:13 - The water bill that changed everything 20:14 - Why frontline teams often see the real problems first 22:47 - Leading sustainability through practicality and ROI 28:01 - Relentless leadership and the stamina to keep going 29:17 - Why great leaders invest in what is working 33:02 - Creating a culture where people can fail forward 37:05 - Succession planning and building the bench 39:14 - Challenging everything without losing your values 41:37 - Using feedback loops and quick wins to build momentum 44:40 - Inspiring by doing, not just talking 48:14 - Community impact, partnerships, and leading beyond your walls ⸻ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ⸻ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ⸻ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ⸻ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 246 Why Do Leaders Need to Think More Like Conductors? (feat. Daniel Wachter & Mike Sipple Jr.) What can business leaders learn from a conductor leading an orchestra? In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down with Daniel Wachter, President & CEO of the Colorado Symphony, to explore one of the most compelling leadership analogies you will hear: why leading a team is often less about doing the work yourself and more about creating alignment, context, trust, and performance across talented people. Daniel shares how watching a conductor changed the way he thought about leadership, communication, and team performance. Together, Mike and Daniel unpack what leaders often get wrong about vision, why teams need more than a strategy on paper, how freedom of action is built through alignment, and what executives can learn from musicians who must perform at the highest level together. They also explore leadership development, workplace culture, employee engagement, accountability, and how the arts can influence business, healthcare, and community impact in unexpected ways. If you are a CEO, founder, HR leader, executive, or people manager trying to build a healthier culture and stronger team performance, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to lead with more clarity, intention, and humanity. 🔗 Links and Resources: • Learn more about the Colorado Symphony: https://coloradosymphony.org • Connect with Daniel Wachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielwachter Previous Episodes: • 6/14/2018 – Daniel Wachter and Mike Sipple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000413752855 • 7/16/2020 – Daniel Wachter and Mike Sipple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000485158234 • 2/25/2021 – Daniel Wachter and Mike Sipple – we started the series here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000510578657 • 3/25/2021 – Daniel Wachter w/ Francois Lopez-Ferrer: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000514312297 • 10/14/2021 – Daniel Wachter w/ Julia Adolphe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047?i=1000538531942 TIMECODES: 00:00 - Why leaders need to think like conductors 01:13 - Daniel Wachter’s return and journey to the Colorado Symphony 08:23 - What a conductor teaches leaders about vision and alignment 12:06 - Inside the immersive leadership workshop with the orchestra 21:43 - Why vision on paper is not enough 25:36 - How music, leadership, and healthcare connect 30:01 - Freedom of action, trust, and alignment 34:07 - Right people, right seats, right performance 36:11 - Shared accountability and why engagement cannot hide 50:47 - Creating a customer experience, not just a performance 01:00:54 - What unconventional leadership means to Daniel Wachter 01:02:56 - Why leaders are responsible for creating space and joy ⸻ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ⸻ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ⸻ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ⸻ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 245 Succession Planning for Business Owners: How to Prepare Years Before a Transition (feat. Brent Rippe & Mike Sipple Jr.) What happens when a founder, owner, or key executive is no longer in the seat? In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down with investment banker, business executive, business owner, and long-time strategist Brent Rippe to unpack a leadership challenge too many organizations delay for too long: succession planning. This conversation goes far beyond selling a company. Mike and Brent explore how leaders can think about long-term business strategy, stakeholder alignment, leadership bench strength, and value optimization years before a transition ever happens. They discuss why many founders keep succession too close to the vest, how uncertainty creates risk for employees and buyers, and why pre-planning can dramatically change the future of a business. You’ll hear practical insight on family business transitions, leadership development, key-person risk, organizational structure, and how to prepare the next generation of leaders with more intention. If you’re a CEO, founder, family business owner, or executive thinking about long-term continuity, this episode will challenge you to stop pushing succession planning to “someday” and start building a stronger future now. 🔗 Links and Resources: * Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus * Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz * Connect with Brent Rippe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-rippe-095a116 TIMECODES: 00:00 - Why business owners need to think about transition earlier 01:23 - Why long-term strategy matters 3 to 5 years in advance 06:13 - Stakeholder alignment and defining the ideal outcome 08:35 - Family business risk, key roles, and buyer perception 18:09 - Why owners delay succession planning until it’s too late 21:03 - Succession planning as total value optimization 25:16 - Why leaders need to focus on only a few priority KPIs 26:12 - The cost of keeping transition plans too private 30:19 - Stop kicking succession planning to tomorrow 31:07 - Ownership succession, leadership succession, and team succession 34:09 - Why pre-planning matters when your bench is thin 38:38 - The “hit by a bus” test and key-person risk 41:02 - Building leadership depth across the whole organization 42:08 - How great leaders build a culture bigger than themselves 44:21 - From entrepreneur-led business to enduring organization --- Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C --- Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc

Connect & ask your leadership question here: https://www.talentmagnet.com/contactus Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 244 Why Is Leadership So Hard Right Now? How Great Leaders Build Healthy Teams (feat. Nancy Spivey, David Noe, & Mike Sipple Jr.) Leadership is more complex than ever. Between burnout, employee experience, AI, mental health, and the pressure to build a strong culture, leaders are navigating challenges that do not come with simple answers. In this episode, Nancy Spivey, David Noe, and Mike Sipple Jr. unpack what business leaders, HR professionals, and people managers are seeing right now when it comes to leadership, team culture, talent, and the future of work. They explore why great leadership still comes back to people, how empathy and trust shape healthier teams, and what organizations need to think about as technology continues to change the workplace. If you care about leadership development, employee retention, workplace culture, human resources, and building teams that can thrive without burning out, this conversation is full of practical insight. 🔗 Links and Resources: • Connect with Nancy Spivey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spiveynancy DisruptHR Northern Kentucky - https://business.nkychamber.com/events/Details/disrupthr-northern-kentucky-1411322?sourceTypeId=Website Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce: https://www.nkychamber.com/tmi/ Northern Kentucky Spotlight Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/northern-kentucky-spotlight/id1459036597 • Connect with David Noe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnoe SpeakEasy HR Hosted by David Noe - https://speakeasyhr.com/ SpeakEasy HR Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speakeasy-hr/id1767590212 Payroll Partners - https://payrollpartners.net/about-us/ Sponsor of the SpeakEasy HR Podcast, an Investors Circle of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and a Presenting Sponsor of the DisruptHR NKY Timecodes: 00:00 How AI is changing leadership and work 00:33 Unconventional Leadership Podcast intro 01:02 Nancy Spivey and David Noe join the show 01:25 Disrupt HR Cincinnati and leadership trends 05:51 Top people and talent challenges in business today 07:53 Employee experience, burnout, and HR leadership 10:05 AI in the workplace and human connection 17:20 How AI helps podcasting, marketing, and productivity 19:41 Leadership accountability, trust, and delegation 21:47 Why leadership is so complex right now 25:36 Empathy, mental health, and people leadership 27:17 Hiring, retention, and workplace safety concerns 31:26 Payroll systems, HR tech, and employee experience 34:21 Tech stack overload and business efficiency 39:19 Payroll compliance, trust, and human support 41:34 Customer service, automation, and human connection 43:32 Unreasonable hospitality in business 48:07 Disrupt HR topics that make an impact 50:38 Gratitude, employee benefits, and behavior change 56:10 Talent strategy symposium and HR collaboration 58:04 What unconventional leadership really means 59:50 Final thoughts and Disrupt HR Northern Kentucky ⸻ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGtiiP79wCZ2ALPztpr-7XWMl7uQUFRvB ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ⸻ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ⸻ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ⸻ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc