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I founded, sold, and exited an 8-figure business. Now I help founders & executives generating more than $10M in revenue find their Easy Mode. Start here: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Listen to the audio version of the podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley The "Golden Goose" Trap: Why Investors Destroy Your Business (And How to Stop Them) | Eric Ries You build a business. It works. It makes money. Then, you bring in investors or sell to Private Equity. And they immediately start tearing out the exact things that made you successful in the first place. They call it "professionalizing." You call it watching your baby die a death by a thousand cuts. Eric Ries, the legendary founder of the Lean Startup movement, calls it corruption. And in this episode, he explains exactly why it happens—and how to build an "incorruptible" company that they can't steal from you. We cover: Why standard Silicon Valley "best practices" are actively destroying value.The "Golden Goose" trap that catches 99% of successful founders.Why keeping your options open is the worst thing you can do for your company's future.How to spot the "Torchbearers" in your organization (and why you need them in a crisis).The truth about AI, Claude Code, and why this is the greatest time in history to start a business.If you've ever worried about losing control of the thing you built, you cannot afford to miss this. Links: • Get Eric's new book, Incorruptible: https://incorruptible.co • Follow Eric on X: https://x.com/ericries This is the way. Hanley This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I help founders & executives generating more than $10M in revenue find their Easy Mode. Start here: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Listen to the audio version of the podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley Most people think the only way to start a new chapter is to quit, leap, and hope. That is stupid. In this episode, Mitch Matthews explains how smart leaders build an authority bridge from the life they have now to the life they actually want next. We talk about monetizing your expertise, why you should teach from the journey instead of the destination, how AI can help without replacing human energy, and why some of the best speakers in the world are actually introverts. If you know you are capable of more, but do not want to torch what is already working, this conversation will help. In this episode: 👉 How to find the brilliance you cannot see in yourself 👉 Why your next chapter should be a both/and, not an either/or 👉 How AI helps great communicators get better instead of making them obsolete 👉 Why live speaking, coaching, and real human energy still matter 👉 How to build something meaningful without sacrificing your life to get it Guest: Mitch MatthewsSite: https://MitchMatthews.com Free training mentioned in the episode: https://MitchMatthews.com/time and use the code "peak" This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I help founders & executives generating more than $1M in revenue find their Easy Mode. Start here: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lKaYO5Hy5LI If you are using AI to optimize for conversion rate, return on ad spend, or time-to-hire, you are pointing a self-driving car at the wrong address. And it’s going to take you there really, really fast. In this episode of Finding Peak, I sit down with Nicolas Darveau-Garneau, former Chief Evangelist at Google and author of "Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai." Nicolas has advised over 1,000 CEOs on digital transformation, and his conclusion is staggering: 90% of companies are optimizing the wrong KPIs. We break down the $15 Billion mistake companies make with AI, why Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is the only metric that actually matters, and how a simple mindset shift helped a local gym owner turn a $200K business into a $1.2M powerhouse without adding more members. Whether you run a Fortune 500 company or a Main Street bakery, this conversation will completely change how you deploy AI in your business. In this episode, we cover: 👉 The $15 Billion AI mistake most companies are making right now 👉 Why optimizing for conversion rate is killing your long-term profit 👉 How to use AI to predict the future (and why you must get comfortable with forecasts) 👉 The exact strategy a gym owner used to 6x his business by targeting 55-year-olds 👉 How to build a limitless testing organization that your competitors can't catch 👉 Why brand building is no longer just for massive corporations ** Connect with Nicolas Darveau-Garneau **LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdg/ Book: Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai: https://amzn.to/4tdw84D This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I help founders & executives generating more than $1M in revenue find their Easy Mode. Start here: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/ryanmhanley Paul Hutchinson led 70+ undercover child rescue missions in 15 countries and was the primary investor and executive producer of the Sound of Freedom movie. His most dangerous weapon wasn't combat training — it was learning to listen with his heart. Connect with Paul Hutchinson✅ Liberating Humanity: https://liberatinghumanity.com ✅ Child Liberation Foundation: https://childliberation.org ✅ Sound of Freedom Book: https://amzn.to/4cgMIKI ✅ Paul on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/paulhutchinson More about this episodeThis one hits different. Paul Hutchinson has lived a life most people can't imagine — building a billion-dollar investment fund, producing the most talked-about movie of 2023, and leading black-ops rescue missions that saved more than 7,000 children from trafficking networks across the globe. But the conversation that unfolded wasn't what I expected. We got into the real stuff — the cell phone debate every parent is having right now, what sextortion actually looks like (and why 12-year-old boys are the primary target), and why over-sheltering your kids might be making them a softer target. Paul lays out exactly what parents can do today to protect their children without becoming helicopter parents. Then the episode takes a turn. Paul shares how meditation and divine intuition became his primary operating tool in the field — from taking down the largest child trafficking ring in the Caribbean to a cold-read operation in Ecuador that shouldn't have worked but did. We go deep on the pineal gland, the science of awareness, and why learning to listen with your heart might be the most important skill you never develop. Whether you're a parent, a leader, or someone who feels like their awareness has been shrinking — this episode is the unlock. Powerful Quotes"95% of the situations where somebody has to use hard skills to fight their way out could have been avoided if they were just paying attention." "We're not going to fix trafficking by pulling children out of hell forever. We fix it by pulling the hell out of the adults." "Faith isn't going to church and asking God to fix things you don't believe will be fixed. Faith is the unwavering conviction that what you want to have happen will happen." I help founders & executives generating more than $1M in revenue find their Easy Mode. Start here: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/ryanmhanley This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join 15,000+ leaders and become undeniable: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nMAx8-9DswY Alberto Crane was the first American to earn a BJJ black belt from Gracie Barra. He fought in the UFC. Won world championships. Built Legacy Jiu-Jitsu into a 25-year institution. Then came the MS diagnosis. Most people would have stopped. Alberto went on a world tour. In this episode, we talk about what getting punched in the face teaches you about leadership, why 3 years of losing made Alberto unstoppable, the power of the mantra "I believe in my technique," and why your rough edges are features, not bugs. His new book "All In: Lessons On and Off the Mat" is out now. 📖 Get the book: https://amzn.to/3PBPMID 🥋 Legacy BJJ: https://legacybjj.com 🏋️ TACFIT: https://tacfit.com 📸 Alberto's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albertocrane/ 🌐 Alberto's website: https://www.albertocrane.com/ ✅ Subscribe to Finding Peak: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe 🎙️ More episodes: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to Finding Peak for frameworks that actually work: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Watch the show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9gToRCbu1TU Your retention problem isn't product. It's not customer success. It's sales. Mark Roberge was the 4th employee at HubSpot and took them from $0 to IPO as their founding CRO. Now he's a Harvard Business School professor, co-founder of Stage 2 Capital, and author of The Science of Scaling. In this conversation, Mark and I break down why most founders get the scaling question wrong, how to build compensation plans that kill coasting, the one interview technique that reveals a salesperson's ceiling, and the brutal math behind knowing when you're actually ready to scale. I also share the story of selling my own company to the wrong buyer and the single question I wish I'd asked before signing. 📕 Get Mark's book — The Science of Scaling: https://amzn.to/4uS6Z0s 🔗 Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markroberge/ 🔗 Stage 2 Capital: https://www.stage2.capital Subscribe to Finding Peak for frameworks that actually work: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe --- This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Contrarian takes on power, leverage, and influence in the age of AI: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe -- You've been told your whole life that passion and drive are the keys to success. What if they're actually the biggest risks to your mental health? In this episode of Finding Peak, I sit down with Dr. Guy Winch — internationally renowned psychologist, 3x TED Talk speaker (35M+ views), and bestselling author of Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life. We go deep on the uncomfortable truth about overworking, the hidden dangers of being "driven," and why your passion might be slowly amputating parts of your personality — one by one. If you've ever felt like work is hijacking your life, or if you've experienced that crushing emptiness after achieving a massive goal (like selling a company), this conversation is your wake-up call. We cover: → Why passion and drive are actually psychological risk factors → The "scurvy" of the modern entrepreneur (and how to avoid it) → Why you feel depressed after a big win — and how to prepare for it → How to stop work from invading your personal time → The difference between automatic coping and intentional problem-solving → Why action creates passion — not the other way around → How Gen Z's short-term thinking is creating a mental health crisis Stop grinding yourself into the ground. It's time to build a life that actually sustains you. This is the way. — Connect with Guy Winch📘 Get Dr. Guy Winch's book, Mind Over Grind: https://amzn.to/4dfXCBJ 🌐 Learn more about Dr. Winch: https://www.guywinch.com/ -- Contrarian takes on power, leverage, and influence in the age of AI: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join 15,000+ leaders getting the frameworks, tools, and contrarian thinking they need to thrive in the age of AI: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe You've been using AI wrong. It's not just for writing emails. It's for building your own software. In this episode, Austin Armstrong (Founder of Syllaby.io, author of Virality) breaks down the "vibe coding" revolution — how anyone, even if you don't know a single line of code, can build custom apps, automate their business, and create new revenue streams using AI agents. Austin also reveals why he intentionally cannibalized his own successful marketing agency to go all-in on AI, and he breaks down his exact START framework for going viral on purpose. If you want to stop paying for bloated SaaS tools and start building your own solutions, you need to watch this. In this episode: How to "vibe code" your own software for under $200The START framework for strategic virality (and why most people blow it on the first two steps)Why doing a "time audit" is the best AI strategy you can implement todayHow Austin built a $60K internal tool that now generates 95% profit marginsThe build vs. buy decision — and why the math has completely changed Connect with Austin:Syllaby: https://syllaby.io/Book (Virality ): https://amzn.to/4cSHSUR This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley You're making money, but you're missing your life. George Rivera scaled his e-commerce business to $20 million, but he was working 80-hour weeks and missing his son's childhood. He was "cash rich and time poor." Then, he made a radical shift. Two years later, his business hit $50 million, and he never worked more than 30 hours a week. In this episode of Finding Peak, George breaks down his "Buyback Time Formula." We discuss the exact steps to stop being the bottleneck in your business, why "delegating" is actually ruining your company, and the harsh reality of how we train our families to ignore us. If you're tired of the grind and want your life back without sacrificing growth, this is the blueprint. In this episode, we cover: The wake-up call that changed George's life (and Ryan's vulnerable moment)Why you are "cash rich but time poor"The difference between delegating and transferring ownershipHow to audit your calendar and eliminate $50/hr tasksThe "Absence Rehearsal Test" to prep your business for your vacationWhy your kids don't care about your money Connect with George Rivera: Website: https://buybacktimeformula.com-- Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley You're building a world-changing product. You've obsessed over every feature, every line of code, every pixel. Your sailboat is perfect. So why isn't anyone buying it? Because you're selling the wrong thing. Chris Van Dusen is a venture investor who has built and sold multiple 8-figure companies. He's seen thousands of pitches. He knows why most founders fail. And he's about to give you the one piece of advice that changes the entire game. It's a secret the best founders know and the rest of the world misses. Stop selling the sailboat. Start selling the wind. This isn't just a podcast. It's a strategy session that will change how you think about your business forever. This is the way. - Hanley 🎙️ Listen to audio version of the podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley GUEST: Chris Van Dusen Chris is the Managing Partner at Solyco Capital, an "accidental entrepreneur," and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who applies the principles of the mat to the boardroom. ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismvandusen/ ► Solyco Capital: https://www.solycocapital.com/ This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley At 27 years old, Raheel Siddiqui weighed 405 pounds. His doctor looked him dead in the eye and said he wouldn't make it to 40. Most people would have folded. Raheel went to war. What followed wasn't a diet plan. It was a complete identity overhaul. He lost 200 pounds. His father died in his arms during the journey. He blew out two discs in his spine. He fought through years of IVF to have a son. And through every single wall that came at him, he kept going. This conversation goes deep into the mindset that separates people who talk about change from people who actually change. Raheel breaks down his Wallbreaker Method, explains why your family deserves the best version of you (not the comfortable version), and delivers one of the most raw, honest conversations we've ever had on this show. If you're carrying extra weight, extra excuses, or extra BS in your life, this is the episode that ends that. CONNECT WITH RAHEEL:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raheelthespeaker/Website: https://www.raheelthespeaker.com/ Connect with Ryan Hanley: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://www.findingpeak.com Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley Sean Swarner is the only person in history to be diagnosed with two different terminal cancers, lose a lung, and go on to climb Mount Everest and complete the Explorer's Grand Slam. His story is not just inspiration—it's a tactical guide to dismantling your own perceived limits. At 13, doctors gave him 3 months to live. At 16, they gave him 14 days. He was read his last rites. He survived. Then he started living. In this conversation, Sean deconstructs the mindset that allowed him to redefine what is humanly possible. You will learn the difference between success and fulfillment, how to build resilience that lasts, and why your greatest competitive advantage is everything you've already survived. This is not a story about surviving. It's a story about how to truly live. Connect with Sean Swarner:Website: https://seanswarner.com/ Connect with Ryan Hanley:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhanley Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryan_hanley This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://www.findingpeak.com Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley The American Dream is dead. It’s been replaced by a rigged, K-shaped economy where the rich get richer, and you get screwed. Your grocery bill is skyrocketing. A simple dinner out costs a fortune. And young people are forced to gamble on meme coins just to feel like they have a shot. This isn’t an accident. It’s by design. In this episode, I sit down with NYT bestselling author Carol Roth, who exposes the truth about the Federal Reserve, the coming financial reset, and what you can do to protect yourself. We reveal: Why the Fed is a “legalized fraud” and how they’re devaluing your money.The “YOLO Economy” and why young people have lost all faith in the system.The broken social contract: why cheaters are winning and rule-followers are losing.How to survive the affordability crisis and the coming debt spiral.Practical steps to hedge against inflation with gold and smart investments. If you’re tired of being played and want to learn how to win in a rigged system, this episode is a must-watch. This is the way. Follow Carol Roth:Website: https://www.carolroth.com/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/caroljsrothBook, "You Will Own Nothing": https://amzn.to/4s6YSuZ This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://www.findingpeak.com Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley Have you ever looked around and felt like the world is going insane? Why do smart, successful people fall for ideas that have no receipts? Why do we stand and applaud things we don't actually believe? The answer is a mix of fear, laziness, and a deep-seated need to belong. And breaking free requires a level of courage most people never develop. In this episode, I sit down with courage expert and author Margie Warrell to dissect the psychology of groupthink and the cowardice that allows bad ideas to fester. We explore why your brain is wired to play it safe and how to build the mental fortitude to think for yourself. I also share a raw, personal story about a major business failure that brought my own worst behaviors roaring back, and the humbling lesson I learned about the difference between being "fixed" and being managed. In this episode, you will learn: The biological reason you choose comfort over growth (and how to override it).How to use "grace" as a strategy to stay in the fight after a setback.Why the fear of being cast out of the tribe is as powerful as the fear of death.A simple framework for judging ideas: "Show me the receipts."How to lead with consistent values when the world demands you follow trends. If you're ready to stop borrowing opinions and start building your own, this conversation is your blueprint. Watch now. Find more from Margie Warrell:Website: https://margiewarrell.com/Book, The Courage Gap: https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Gap-Five-Steps-Action/dp/1119422253 This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://www.findingpeak.com Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson — who has sculpted the bodies of A-list celebrities and professional athletes for over 30 years — joins me to unpack the raw, unfiltered truth about what it takes to win at life. The secret? It's sexy to try. Connect with Gunnar:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gunnarfitness/ This isn't your typical fitness podcast. We go deep on the mindset of refusing to go quietly into the night, the brutal realities of ego and power that derail careers, and the non-negotiable responsibility of being physically prepared to protect your family. We cover everything from the "Tenth of a Second" rule for achieving elite performance to the two paths men face after divorce — and how to ensure you're on the one that leads up. If you're ready to stop limping toward the finish line and start fighting for every inch, this episode is for you. This is the way. This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy