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Send us Fan Mail At 18, Blake Erickson led 200 missionaries in Peru. He came home, went commission-only door-to-door, and finished in the top 0.01% of first-year reps. Then he built and led an organization of 300 to 400 salespeople. He was a millionaire at 24. Then in 2024 he sold his companies and his real estate portfolio, and stepped away from his own podcast, to go all-in on one thing. That one thing is Scaling.com, co-founded with Dr. Benjamin Hardy. It went from zero to $10 million in its first eight months. Blake and Ben also co-wrote the New York Times bestseller The Science of Scaling, and their firm now advises more than 500 companies doing anywhere from $500,000 to $10 billion a year. In this conversation, Josh and Blake get into: • The Science of Scaling and why most growth advice misses the point • Frame, Floor, Focus: the three principles behind the framework • Why a 10X goal is a psychological tool, not a fantasy • The three laws of scaling: a complex system cannot scale, a divided team cannot scale, and you cannot serve two masters • Why so many owners mistake activity for growth, and how to tell if you’re the ceiling in your own business • What the mission field and door-to-door sales taught Blake about leading people • The 2024 decision to sell everything and go all-in • Building world-class teams, and the hard talent decisions that unlock growth • Faith, family, and why no one has ever been inspired by somebody playing small If you’re a founder who has grown the business as far as your own effort can take it, this one is for you. 📘 The Science of Scaling and Scaling.com: https://scaling.com 🔗 Blake Erickson: https://blakeerickson.com — Spartan Leadership is hosted by Josh Kosnick, founder of Kairos Coaching & Consulting, author of The Kairos Code, and creator of the Bridge Builder Mastermind. 🏛️ Bridge Builder Mastermind: https://www.joshkosnick.com/mastermind 📖 The Kairos Code: https://www.joshkosnick.com/thekairoscode 📊 Take the free Life Quotient Assessment: https://www.joshkosnick.com/assessment 📺 Subscribe for more Spartan Leadership episodes. Good and great are the enemies of possible. Lead like a Spartan today. #SpartanLeadership #BlakeErickson #ScienceOfScaling #ScalingCom #Entrepreneurship #BridgeBuilderMastermind #JoshKosnick CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Cam Tolman spent seven years running a home services company in Houston before he ever touched tech. Then he got his MBA, joined Podium, and became the number two rep out of 120 — with a 22-month streak of 100%+ attainment. He climbed to VP of Business Development, Director of Sales at Scorpion, and CRO at Mia Share, where he drove 120% revenue growth and pushed SaaS ACV up 800%.  Four-time Presidents Club. Million-dollar closer. And he refused to call himself a salesperson the entire time. In June of 2025, Cam walked away from the CRO chair to build PitchDown — a framework for founders, engineers, product teams, and everyone else whose title doesn’t say sales but whose job absolutely is.  His tagline: “The best decisions aren’t sold. They’re discovered.” In this conversation, Josh sits down with Cam to dig into: • The one-word question from his first sales manager that changed his career (asked five times in a row) • Why the word “salesperson” costs the person who wears it — and why he refused it even at the top of the leaderboard • The PitchDown Method: ignorance, awareness, acknowledgment, acceptance, action — and where most conversations actually get stuck • Why customers agree with you… then do nothing • “Pitch down, not up” — the difference between educating a buyer to reality and pushing product features • The doctor / Ferrari analogy for how expert questions move people from ignorance to action • The 2024 decision to walk away from the CRO chair and go all-in on PitchDown • How founders sell the vision — and why “I can’t find good people” is almost always a mirror problem • Why he’s been fired from multiple CRO chairs for putting customers first — and why he’ll fight that one to the death If you’re a founder, an engineer, an operator, or anyone whose job is really sales even though your title doesn’t say so, this one is for you. 📘 Cam’s book PitchDown and free Tuesdays @ Two coaching call: https://www.pitchdown.com 🔗 Connect with Cam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camtolman — Spartan Leadership is hosted by Josh Kosnick — founder of Kairos Coaching & Consulting, author of The Kairos Code, and creator of the Bridge Builder Mastermind. 🏛️ Bridge Builder Mastermind: https://www.joshkosnick.com/mastermind 📖 The Kairos Code: https://www.joshkosnick.com/thekairoscode 📊 Take the free Life Quotient Assessment: https://www.joshkosnick.com/assessment 📺 Subscribe for more Spartan Leadership episodes and never miss a conversation. Everyone is in sales, whether they have the title or not. Lead like a Spartan today. #SpartanLeadership #CamTolman #PitchDown #SalesCoaching #FounderLedSales #BridgeBuilderMastermind #JoshKosnick CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Steven Pressfield is the reason a generation of leaders finally put a name on the enemy inside them. He called it Resistance — capital R. The force that stops the founder from starting, the writer from writing, the leader from leading. He gave the language for it in The War of Art, and he’s been at the desk fighting it every Wednesday for over 50 years. He’s the author of Gates of Fire — required reading at West Point, Annapolis, and on the Marine Commandant’s list — The Legend of Bagger Vance, Tides of War, The Virtues of War, A Man at Arms, and his newest work released this past May, The Arcadian, a novel following Telamon the immortal mercenary through fifteenth-century Spain and the central question: does justice exist in this world? At 82 years old, Pressfield still shows up. Every Wednesday. That is the discipline this episode is about. In this conversation, Josh Kosnick and Steven go into: • Resistance, capital R — what it is, how it shows up on a Tuesday morning, and how to recognize it before it wins • Steven’s daily ritual after five decades of fighting Resistance — and how he shuts it off at the end of the day • The Legend of Bagger Vance — what it’s like to have your work adopted by Hollywood • Gates of Fire and why military academies keep coming back to it — what civilian leaders miss • The Spartan covenant between mother and son — “come back with this or on it” — and what it teaches a modern leader about standards • The professional vs. the amateur — the single most important difference, and how a founder knows which side of the line they’re standing on • Telamon and The Arcadian — what a hero carrying a centuries-old curse teaches a leader who is tired of dragging his own • Does justice exist in this world — where Steven has landed after 40 years of writing about war and virtue • AI and the writing world — what a legendary author sees coming for creativity • Writing Wednesdays — the discipline that keeps an 82-year-old at the desk • The one Spartan virtue Steven would install in every American boardroom tomorrow • Steven’s unpopular belief — the answer to Josh’s signature closing question Josh’s on-mic acknowledgment: The Kairos Code was directly shaped by The War of Art. Steven’s language of Resistance, the unlived life, and the professional/amateur distinction runs through Josh’s work — and this episode is Josh giving public credit to the man who gave him the language. CHAPTERS ________________ 00:00 Intro 01:04 Spartan mythology and the War of Art — the bridge for an operator 02:27 Resistance, capital R — naming the enemy inside 05:42 Steven’s daily ritual after 50 years of fighting Resistance 07:36 How Steven shuts it off at the end of the day 10:17 The Legend of Bagger Vance and Hollywood 13:33 Gates of Fire — why military academies require it 16:52 What civilian leaders miss about the Spartans 19:23 What drew Steven to Spartan culture in the first place 22:34 The Shield — “come back with this or on it” 27:16 The professional and the amateur — the line 30:37 The Arcadian — Telamon and the curse a leader carries 34:45 Does justice exist in this world 36:06 This life or the next 37:20 A word for the Christian operator 39:42 AI and the future of writing 45:55 Writing Wednesdays — the 82-year-old discipline 51:02 The one Spartan virtue for every American boardroom 54:35 Steven’s unpopular belief 55:13 Where to find Steven’s work FOLLOW STEVEN PRESSFIELD Website & Writing Wednesdays: https://stevenpressfield.com The Arcadian (2026, Norton): available wherever books are sold The War of Art — the book every operator needs on their desk Gates of Fire — the Spartan novel required at West Point, Annapolis, and by the Marine Commandant SUBSCRIBE TO SPARTAN LEADERSHIP https://www.youtube.com/@spartanleadershippodcast?sub_confirmation=1 FOLLOW JOSH KOSNICK Website: https://joshkosnick.com The Kairos Code (book + audiobook): https://joshkosnick.com/thekairoscode Bridge Builder Mastermind: https://www.joshkosnick.com/mastermind Rate and review the Spartan Leadership Podcast wherever you listen. It’s how the next operator finds the show. Remember, the good and great are the enemies of possible. Lead like a Spartan today. #SpartanLeadership #StevenPressfield #TheWarOfArt #GatesOfFire #TheArcadian #Leadership #KairosCode CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Trey Roth spent ten years being called a failure before the world called him a success. He founded YayStack in September 2014. Raised money. Failed. Raised again. Failed again. Facebook killed his API access and forced a full rebuild. He watched other founders zoom past him with cleaner product-market fit and shorter timelines. Two weeks before the ten-year anniversary of the company — the deadline he and his wife Ashley had actually set as the “throw in the towel” date — everything clicked. Today YayStack is a geocaching gift card and giveaway platform. Think Pokémon Go, but instead of chasing creatures, you’re chasing real gift cards from real local businesses. The tagline is “we made advertising fun,” and Trey relaunched the whole entity around that promise in January of this year. In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Trey and Josh Kosnick go deep on the twelve-year grind, the McDonald’s nuggets moment with his last twenty dollars, the plane crash at nineteen that changed how he views every breath, the pirated software prayer that led directly to the idea for YayStack, and the Dwight Howard six-figure investment story that started with a 51%-decided choice to get in the car when he was too tired to drive. You’ll hear: • Why Trey was preparing the “I quit” email to his shareholders and what changed his mind • The identity stack — “I am undefeated, and this is how I know” • Why “51% decided” is Trey’s action threshold and how it literally saved his twin brother’s life • The Dwight Howard story — how a $200 Apple Pencil turned into a six-figure investment check • The transition from platinum-selling music producer to tech founder — and the integrity moment that made the bridge • How faith actually shows up on a Tuesday morning when payroll is due on Friday • The 1-in-400-trillion odds that every one of us already beat Josh’s takeaway from Trey — “I am undefeated, and this is how I know” — is added to his own identity stack on-mic. If you take one thing from this episode, take that. FOLLOW TREY & YAYSTACK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaystack Trey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treyroth Website: https://yaystack.co Download the YayStack app in the App Store or Google Play — national gift card drops every Saturday through the end of 2026. SUBSCRIBE TO SPARTAN LEADERSHIP https://www.youtube.com/@spartanleadershippodcast?sub_confirmation=1 FOLLOW JOSH KOSNICK Website: https://joshkosnick.com The Kairos Code (book + audiobook): https://joshkosnick.com/thekairoscode Bridge Builder Mastermind: https://www.joshkosnick.com/mastermind Rate and review the Spartan Leadership Podcast wherever you listen. It’s how the next operator finds the show. Remember, the good and great are the enemies of possible. Lead like a Spartan today. #SpartanLeadership #TreyRoth #YayStack #Entrepreneurship #Faith #Leadership #KairosCode CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Nick Hutchison walked into his senior year of college with a 0% homework average and zero interest in reading. Ten years later, he's read over 1,000 personal development books and built BookThinkers into a seven-figure book marketing agency serving hundreds of authors a year. In this conversation, Josh and Nick break down: • The reading system Nick uses to actually implement books instead of just consuming them • Why 4% of the books you read create 95% of the change in your life • The SMART goal framework you should set BEFORE opening page one • How Nick built BookThinkers as a side hustle while working a full-time B2B sales job • The failed Argentina app build that almost ended it before it started • The anonymous team survey that exposed his biggest leadership blind spot • The five-year "deposit strategy" that got Jim Kwik to invite him on stage • Why 84% of American adults read nothing — and how to reverse it If you've ever finished a book and thought, "That was great — now what?" this episode is your operator's manual. —————————————— CONNECT WITH NICK Instagram: @bookthinkers Website: bookthinkers.com Get his book: Rise Of The Reader (new edition launching November 1st) CONNECT WITH JOSH Website: joshkosnick.com Instagram: @joshkosnick Get The Kairos Code: joshkosnick.com/thekairoscode Remember: the good and the great are the enemies of the possible. Lead like a Spartan today. CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Ken Rusk was 15 years old when he walked through a hole in the fence behind his high school, into an industrial park, and asked a construction company what they did. Their answer: we dig ditches and fix wet, smelly basements. Ken said, “I thought I was qualified for that,” and took the job. He never went to college. In 1986, he founded Rusk Industries in Toledo, OH with six ditch diggers.  Today it’s a portfolio of construction companies with over 200 employees and nine figures in revenue. Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Blue-Collar Cash. Fox News contributor. Publicly endorsed by Tony Robbins.  In this conversation, Ken and Josh dismantle the college lie (only 1 in 3 degrees ever get used), walk through Ken’s 5-step Path, and unpack why Ken funds Trump Accounts for his employees’ kids, launched a bourbon company for Gold Star families, and taught his framework to female inmates. Plus a first look at Ken’s new book, Rockstars and Rainmakers. CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In-N-Out took 80 years to become a legend. Raising Cane's did it in 36 — with worse chicken and a better marketing team. Two founders sat down with Josh at the Book & Bourbon Club fly-in to debate what actually wins in 2026: the slow, silent build or the personal-brand turbocharge. Guests: Dennis Leis (investor, MetPro, LRT, Whole Body Fitness) and Trace Miller (founder/CEO of Konala — high-protein drive-thru restaurants, konalafranchise.com). Three debates, no filler: The personal branding debate — can you still grow a massive business silently? The In-N-Out vs. Raising Cane's case study, the "sellout" question every founder wrestles with, and why your best customer is literally dying every day. The AI debate — Dennis is all-in, Trace is skeptical, and Josh is in the middle. China just passed a law that you can't lay someone off and replace them with AI. Salesforce is cutting tens of thousands. Only 2% of the world is actually using it. What "ethical capitalism" looks like when the tokens cost more than the labor. The hiring debate — Dennis hires for his weaknesses and openly admits he has zero desire to be a CEO. Trace wants to grow into his weaknesses, Gymshark-style. Two founders, two very different answers to the oldest question in business. Plus Dennis unveils the AI-powered talent-matching platform he's building in beta — outbound recruiting for cultural fit instead of skills-first hiring. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Follow Dennis Leis: Instagram @dennis.leis Follow Trace Miller & Konala: konalafranchise.com Book & Bourbon Club: joshkosnick.com ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Books mentioned: • Raving Fans — Ken Blanchard • Unreasonable Hospitality — Will Guidara • Good to Great — Jim Collins • Blue-Collar Cash — Ken Rusk ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Follow Josh Kosnick: Website — joshkosnick.com Instagram — @joshkosnick LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/joshkosnick Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, faith, and building a life worth living. #SpartanLeadership #JoshKosnick #DennisLeis #TraceMiller #Konala #PersonalBranding #AIinBusiness #EthicalCapitalism #FounderPodcast #HiringStrategy CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Chris Welton was born with one hand. He's a performance coach, TEDx speaker, and international bestselling author of One Jordan — and he built his entire professional network by mailing strangers a single Jordan sneaker with a note: want the other one? Give me a call. It worked on Damon West. It worked on Ben Newman. It worked well enough that John Maxwell built a keynote around the strategy and started naming Chris from the stage — Chris found out because strangers began messaging him on LinkedIn mid-talk. In this conversation, Chris and Josh get into what separates lived adversity from performative resilience: the four ways people show up when adversity hits, why Chris intentionally puts himself in brutal physical situations before life does it for him, and what happened at HYROX in Dallas when he went face-first into the turf twenty meters from the finish and his wife told the paramedics to back up. He also opens up about mental health, PTSD, and why men his size don't have those conversations. In this episode: - The One Jordan strategy and why most people aren't bold enough to try it Why the gap between top producers and mediocre performers is smaller than you think - Victim, Survivor, Warrior, Architect — the four adversity paradigms - The Adversity Accelerator: training for hardship before it arrives - Why Chris moves foster-care kids to the top of the resume pile - Accountability versus ownership, and what it costs teams when leaders get it wrong - The sentence his grandmother said to him 47 years ago that shaped everything Connect with Chris Welton: Website: https://chriswelton.live Instagram: @onehandatatime Podcast: One Hand At A Time Book: https://onejordanbook.com Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://joshkosnick.com Life Quotient Assessment: https://www.joshkosnick.com/assessment Spartans — share this episode far and wide. CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Most people think legacy is something you build at the end — a monument, an inheritance, a name on a building "someday." That's the first lie. The second one is even more common: legacy is what you leave behind. In this solo episode, I break down the two lies about legacy almost everyone believes — and why both of them are keeping you from building one right now. Inside this episode: • The moving-truck moment that made me question everything I'd chased • The three questions I asked myself in the field — and the sad answer to all three • Why your legacy is a Kairos problem, not a Kronos problem • What Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Deuteronomy actually say about inheritance (hint: it's not the greeting-card version) • Marcus Aurelius vs. the Spartans — and the tension that reframes how you should live today • The one question to ask yourself before you go to bed tonight If this hit you, share it with one person who needs to hear it today. 📖 The Kairos Code audiobook launches August 1. Join the launch team → kairoscode.com/250 Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://joshkosnick.com/connect Chapters: 0:00 What did you leave in someone today? 1:17 Welcome + audiobook launch team (Aug 1) 2:18 Two lies people believe about legacy 2:51 The boxes in the basement 4:56 If you died tonight, what would they say? 6:09 Lie #1 — Legacy is a future event 7:14 The to-be list and the to-feel list 8:38 The DM that arrived 8 years later 10:46 Lie #2 — Legacy is what you leave behind 12:57 My father-in-law's boots 14:01 What scripture actually says 16:25 Why I started this podcast 17:25 Marcus Aurelius pushes back 19:08 The Spartan view — timē and kleos 21:08 Kronos vs. Kairos 22:03 What did I leave in someone today? #SpartanLeadership #Leadership #Legacy #Kairos #FaithInBusiness #JoshKosnick #TheKairosCode #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #SelfImprovement CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail People don’t change. It sounds wise… until it quietly wrecks your life. In this episode, Josh makes the case against one of the most common lies in our culture: that you’re stuck with who you’ve always been. He breaks down why that belief feels safe, how it kills growth in real time, and what the science and lived stories say about actual transformation. You’ll hear: • Why “people don’t change” is self-protection, not truth • How your brain and nervous system can actually rewire over time • Why the “21 days to change your life” idea is wrong (and what really happens) • Real examples of addiction broken, bodies rebuilt, and generational patterns ending • A practical framework for what change requires: decision, plan, repetition, community, faith This isn’t motivational fluff. It’s the uncomfortable reality that change is hard, slow, and still completely available—if you’re willing to pay the price in repetition. If you’ve ever looked at your own story and thought,  “Maybe this is just who I am…” ,watch this before you decide that your past gets the final say. Connect with Josh Kosnick: joshkosnick.com #SpartanLeadership #Leadership #BusinessSuccess #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #SelfImprovement #Podcast #JoshKosnick #SpartanMindset CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail What does it really look like to go from a $2,500 bet to a 9‑figure beverage brand? In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick sits down with Adam Kroener, co‑founder and president of Carbliss, to break down how he went from putting a drink “in a can” and “selling the shit out of it” to building a massive ready‑to‑drink cocktail company.  Adam shares how a backyard idea turned into a real business, why his wife’s 25 “better questions” became their first business plan, and how they ended up doing the exact opposite of what was on that plan once they got into the real world. Adam pulls back the curtain on formulation, distribution, culture, and the realities of scaling, including flying to California to dial in flavor because he didn’t know how to describe what he was tasting, honoring his late best friend through the parent company name, and learning to ask experts better questions instead of pretending to know it all. You’ll hear the unpolished story behind Carbliss, from early fears and $2,500 on the line to navigating explosive growth, hiring, and building a team that can sell “the shit out of it” without losing who they are. In this episode: • The $2,500 down-payment story and the “put it in a can” moment with his wife • How a non-beverage guy learned to talk to beverage experts and dial in flavor • Turning 25 questions into a business plan they eventually did the opposite of • Honoring a best friend through the parent company behind Carbliss • What it really takes to scale from an idea to a 9-figure brand Connect with Adam Kroener | adamkroener.com Drink Carbliss | https://drinkcarbliss.com Follow Josh Kosnick | joshkosnick.com Timestamps: 00:00 Cold open – “Put it in a can and sell the shit out of it”   00:57 Welcome back + who Adam is and why his story matters   02:23 Army deployment to Iraq and how it shaped his leadership   04:11 From factory floor to leading 1,000+ people in manufacturing   07:41 Early failed business, delusional confidence, and what he learned   10:22 The $2,500 bet and the origin story of Carbliss   12:32 Visionary vs. integrator – building the business with his wife   13:54 Why Carbliss tastes like the name on the can (product and flavor philosophy) 39:57 Family, staying grounded, and building a life around the business   01:08:01 Legacy, the real American Dream, and Adam’s final leadership lesson #SpartanLeadership #AdamKroener #Carbliss #Entrepreneurship #StartupStory #BusinessPodcast #Founders #Leadership #BeverageIndustry #CPG #DrinkBusiness #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #VeteranOwned #HusbandAndWifeTeam CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail AI isn’t here to replace you. It’s here to multiply you. In this Spartan Leadership episode, Josh sits down with entrepreneur and operator Matt Schmitt to break down why his core thesis is simple: AI + humans = superpowers. Matt shares how he went from an IT grad in the Great Recession, to buying cans for Anheuser-Busch, to building and exiting e‑commerce brands, and now to building AI tools that help small operators move like an army without losing the handshake, the character, or the relationship. They talk about how to use AI without handing over your thinking, why the “big guys” will cut people while the real competitive advantage for small businesses is keeping your people and equipping them, and how faith, marriage, and fatherhood have shaped the way Matt builds. Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://joshkosnick.com Connect with Matt Schmitt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realmattschmitt CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when the business, career, or life plan you built your identity on suddenly disappears? In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick sits down with Dr. Christine Whelan, the “purpose professor,” to talk about why purpose is a verb—something you do every day with your gifts and values—rather than a job title or a single life calling. They unpack what happens when everything falls apart: Josh’s story of losing his business five years ago, empty nest transitions, career changes, and the quiet identity crises that come when a chapter ends. Dr. Whelan explains how to separate your purpose from your role, why transitions make purpose feel more urgent, and how to design a life where you spend more time on the things you’re gifted at and actually enjoy. You’ll hear a research‑backed definition of purpose, a fresh take on happiness as a byproduct (not the goal), and a practical framework for living with pro‑social purpose—using your gifts, in keeping with your values, to positively impact other people in the community. If you’ve ever asked “What now?” after a loss, layoff, or big life change, this conversation is for you. In this episode: • Why “purpose is a verb,” not a one‑time discovery or slogan • How to think about purpose when your business, role, or season ends • Designing work you love using a simple “T‑chart” exercise • Purpose in parenting and raising kids who live their values • Pro‑social purpose, “eco‑you” vs “ego‑you,” and why community matters Connect with Dr. Christine Whelan: - Website: https://christinewhelan.com - Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbwhelan/ Connect with Josh Kosnick: - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/joshkosnick - Instagram: https://instagram.com/joshkosnick - Website: https://joshkosnick.com #PurposeIsAVerb #ChristineWhelan #SpartanLeadership #PurposeAfterLoss #LifeTransitions #FindYourPurpose #ChristianLeadership #BusinessLeadership #PersonalGrowth #Podcast  CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick tackles a problem that’s quietly wrecking our society, our homes, and our boardrooms: the inability to hold two truths at the same time. From Memorial Day to the boardroom to your marriage, he breaks down how binary thinking masquerades as conviction while quietly destroying wisdom, trust, and culture. You’ll hear why being “for” or “against” everything isn’t strength, it’s rigidity — and how real leaders learn to sit in tension, honor complexity, and still make clear decisions. Josh then walks through six practical disciplines you can start using this week to build the muscle of holding two truths without folding under pressure. If you’re a leader at work, at home, or in your community, this episode will challenge how you think, how you decide, and how you show up when things get complex. 🔗 Learn more and go deeper with The Kairos Code at thekairoscode.com ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – What happens when you can’t hold two truths and why it limits everything downstream   00:22 – Six practical disciplines to build the “two truths” leadership muscle   00:49 – Stop reacting: creating a gap between stimulus and response so wisdom can get in   01:28 – Welcome back to Spartan Leadership with Josh Kosnick; introducing “Two Truths”   02:01 – From BLM and “defund the police” to everyday conversations: how we’re trained to pick a side   02:26 – “Not every cop is bad, : both/and thinking in practice   02:48 – Why having to pick a side on everything has frustrated Josh for years   03:10 – How this conditioning is showing up in your home and your boardroom   03:35 – Memorial Day: honoring the men and women who gave their lives in service to this country   03:54 – Anti‑war and pro‑soldier: holding two truths that culture treats as incompatible   04:18 – Against war, honoring every fallen soldier, and why that’s now seen as controversial   05:11 – What we’ve lost in society, in homes, and in business: the ability to hold two truths   05:36 – Binary thinking feels like conviction but is actually rigidity and limitation   06:07 – How algorithms reward hot takes over wisdom and train us for performance, not discernment   07:03 – From newspapers to modern media: why the hot take wins and corrections disappear   07:28 – When two truths can’t coexist, all that’s left is power — the loudest voice wins   08:03 – Inside the boardroom: growth versus sustainability and why both are true at the same time   08:32 – Dysfunctional leadership teams: ego with a title versus searching for truth   08:59 – Visionary and Integrator: the EOS structure built on two necessary truths CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Thomas Massie is facing a $35 million AIPAC-funded primary challenge—the most expensive congressional race in history. Why? Because he stood on principle instead of party loyalty. In this Leadership In Review episode, we break down what’s really happening in American politics, Trump’s broken promises on gas prices and America First, and the business lessons you need to hear. Jason Smith (constitutional law expert) and Emanuel Whitfield (entrepreneur) join Josh Kosnick for an unfiltered breakdown of principle vs. politics, foreign policy reality, and why execution beats ideas every single time—featuring the legendary Michael Jackson 3AM story. If you care about political integrity, business success, or understanding how money controls Congress, this conversation will open your eyes. ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Why We Do Leadership In Review: Real Conversations, Real Friends 3:03 - Thomas Massie Primary: AIPAC’s $35M Campaign Explained 5:20 - Massie’s Controversial Votes: Border Wall & Big Beautiful Bill 7:20 - Principle vs Party Loyalty: Where Do You Draw the Line? 9:00 - Can You Be Too Conservative? Legislative Teamwork Debate 10:25 - Trump’s Broken Promises: Gas Prices & Neglecting America 11:18 - Israel vs Iran Foreign Policy: The Real Debate No One’s Having 13:15 - JD Vance on Team Politics: “If We Can’t Count On You…” 19:00 - Big Beautiful Bill Analysis: Helping Workers or Adding Debt? 20:45 - Trump’s Empathy Problem: “Patriots Will Suck It Up” 22:00 - Business Success Reality: Right Place, Right People, Right Time 24:00 - Kushner’s $200 Billion Saudi Deal: How Connections Work 25:00 - The Tasting Room Effect: Networking That Actually Pays 27:00 - Midterm Preview: What Massie’s Race Means for 2026 29:00 - Information Age Paradox: Why Knowledge Isn’t Power 30:00 - Execution Over Ideas: Why Most People Fail 30:45 - Michael Jackson’s 3AM Call: Act Before Prince Gets Your Idea 🔥 KEY TOPICS COVERED: Thomas Massie Kentucky primary election, AIPAC political spending, JD Vance team politics statement, Trump second term performance, gas prices rising under Trump, America First foreign policy debate, Israel Iran policy controversy, principle versus party loyalty, congressional voting records, business networking strategies, execution versus ideas in business, Michael Jackson creative process, deal making in cigar lounges, political influence money, 2026 midterm election predictions 👥 GUESTS: Jason Smith - Constitutional law background, owns The Tasting Room Madison, believes in coalition building for transformative legislation Emanuel Whitfield - Serial entrepreneur, business owner, political independent who calls out hypocrisy on both sides of the aisle --- 📺 MORE SPARTAN LEADERSHIP: Subscribe for monthly Leadership In Review episodes where we discuss politics, business, and life over cigars—and still walk out as friends. 🔗 JOSH KOSNICK: Website: https://www.joshkosnick.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshkosnick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshkosnick #ThomasMassie #AIPAC #Trump2026 #LeadershipInReview #PoliticalDebate #AmericaFirst #GasPrices #CongressionalPolitics #BusinessNetworking #ExecutionOverIdeas #MichaelJackson #EntrepreneurMindset #2026Elections #PoliticalPrinciples #spartanleadership CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube