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

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

Padel has officially overtaken pickleball as America's fastest growing sport. So what is it, why are people so hooked on it, and can it actually break through in the U.S.? On this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, host Joe Pardavila sits down with Ben Nichols, founder and CEO of Padel 22. Ben has spent 20 years in global sports, including Formula 1, anti-doping, and professional tennis. He now helps brands, investors, and clubs grow the business, media, and identity of padel in emerging markets around the world. Ben explains how a sport born in Mexico in 1969 became the second most popular sport in Spain, why the UK doubled its courts in a single year, and where padel is booming in the U.S. right now: Miami, Texas, the tri-state area, and Southern California. He also gets candid about the sport's biggest hurdles. Courts cost far more than pickleball courts to build, padel is still looking for its American face, it may never be a great TV product, and it risks becoming a sport only the 1% can play. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for the next big opportunity, a racket sports fan, or just curious what everyone's talking about, this conversation covers where padel is headed and what it will take to get there. 🔗 Connect with Ben Nichols: Website: thetwentytwo.co Instagram: @thepadelpr LinkedIn: Ben Nichols WHAT YOU'LL LEARN What padel is and how it differs from pickleball, tennis, squash, and racquetballWhy padel has a retention rate of over 90% and why players get hooked so fastWhy padel courts cost $50K–$150K to build and how that slows growth compared to pickleballHow warehouses, tennis clubs, and country clubs are being turned into padel venuesWhy some U.S. clubs use pickleball as a "gateway" to bring players into padelWhich U.S. regions are leading the growth and why Miami is the epicenterWhere entrepreneurs and investors are finding opportunities, from facilities and apparel to court manufacturing and pro leaguesWhy padel works as a "social operating system" and a modern "third place"Why the sport needs American celebrity faces to go mainstreamWhy padel thrives on social media but may struggle as a TV productHow to keep padel from becoming an elite, niche sport like squashTIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro: Meet Ben Nichols, founder of Padel 22 01:00 – Why padel, and how it passed pickleball as the fastest growing sport in America 02:00 – What padel is: court size, format, and why it's so addictive 03:00 – The infrastructure problem: why padel courts are expensive to build 05:00 – How padel is growing in Europe, and its roots in Mexico, Spain, and Latin America 07:00 – The UK boom: from 1,000 to 2,000 courts in one year 07:45 – Tennis clubs, warehouses, and the "third place" padel club model 09:00 – Using pickleball as a gateway to padel in the U.S. 10:00 – What happened to racquetball and squash? 12:00 – Is padel actually easy to learn? Tennis vs. squash players on court 14:00 – Where padel is booming in the U.S.: Miami, Texas, the tri-state area, and LA 16:30 – Padel comes to Charleston and the college pipeline 17:45 – The entrepreneurial side: facilities, brands, apparel, and pro leagues 21:00 – College padel, the Olympics, and non-endemic brands 21:30 – Padel as a "social operating system" 22:30 – Why padel is different from other upstart sports that failed 24:00 – The numbers: 30 million players and a new club every 90 minutes 25:30 – Why padel needs an American face 28:30 – Padel on social media vs. TV 30:30 – The "hockey problem": better in person than on screen? 32:30 – What has to go right for padel to take off in the next five years 35:30 – How to keep padel from becoming a sport for the 1% 38:00 – Where to find Ben Nichols and Padel 22

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Bruce Bailey — meteorologist, 50-year renewable energy veteran, and former head of AWS Truepower — joins Joe Pardavila to break down the real forces shaping America's energy future. They cover why deep-red Texas leads the nation in clean energy, why your power bill is mostly delivery cost (not fuel), the aging grid's $trillions modernization problem, the data center vs. nuclear power fight coming to your town, and Bailey's outlook for the next 50 years. Bruce Bailey's new book, Power Shift: The Hidden Forces That Determine Whether the Clean Energy Transition Succeeds, is available now. What You'll Learn Why roughly 85% of U.S. renewable energy is built in red states and red districts — and how rural land-lease income drives itWhy public opinion has shifted from climate fear to plain frustration over energy costsWhat actually makes up your electric bill (it's mostly delivery, not supply)How wind, solar, hydro, and battery storage complement each other to manage variabilityEverything that has to align for a single renewable project to get built: developers, landowners, utilities, banks, zoning boards, and permitsWhy local communities push back on data centers and battery storage — and how that differs from renewable energy pushbackThe "rich vs. poor" divide fueling data center oppositionHow data centers are straining the grid and pushing utilities back toward gas powerWhy the U.S. power grid is 40–70 years old and what modernizing it will actually costWhy nuclear power may be poised for a comeback — and why data centers will still win public approval over nuclear in the near termBailey's 50-year outlook for the clean energy transitionChapters 00:00 Intro: Meet Dr. Bruce Bailey 00:40 Has the climate debate become less polarized? 02:33 Why deep-red Texas leads in clean energy 03:15 85% of U.S. renewables are built in red districts — here's why 04:25 It's not climate fear anymore — it's the energy bill 05:03 What's actually driving your electric bill (hint: not supply) 06:38 How battery storage has changed the game 08:17 The charger-standardization analogy 10:00 50 years in the industry — why write the book now 11:52 Biggest myths about the clean energy transition 14:06 The approval maze: developers, banks, utilities, zoning boards 18:35 Local zoning boards vs. scientific complexity 21:47 Misinformation: windmills, birds, and data center water fears 22:15 The real pushback: rich vs. poor divide on data centers 24:09 How data centers are "hijacking" the energy transition 25:36 State of the grid: how close are we to another 2003 or 2021 Texas blackout? 26:28 Why the grid is dangerously old and needs modernization 28:46 Climate-driven extreme weather is straining an aging system 30:00 Who's actually fighting to fix this? 32:02 Who pays? The affordability dilemma 33:20 Optimistic close: what energy looks like in 50 years 33:46 The case for a nuclear power resurgence 35:27 Pop quiz: nuclear plant vs. data center — which gets approved first? 37:02 Outro & where to find the book

Twin brothers. Army veterans. Business partners. Dr. Sterling Carter and Stephen Carter, MBA built a healthcare empire spanning staffing, hospice, and outpatient physical therapy — now scaled to 800+ clinicians across Texas and Oklahoma. In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, host Joe Pardavila sits down with the Carter brothers to talk about their new book, "The Business of Healing", the moment they decided to build together, why most healthcare practices never scale, the "Sterling Treatment Method," private equity's growing role in healthcare, and what they think 2030 looks like with AI in the mix. What You'll Learn Why a healthcare practice that depends on one practitioner isn't a business — it's a hobby — and what it actually takes to make it scalableHow the Carters divide roles (mission/compliance vs. contracts/financials) so neither brother is a bottleneckThe military-derived system (standard operating procedures + repeatable training) behind managing 800+ clinicians across two statesWhat the "Sterling Treatment Method" is, why they patented it, and how it keeps quality consistent across every location — the "Chick-fil-A" standardHow to make your practice "bankable" — separating personal and business finances and thinking through exit strategy from day oneThe risks and upside of private equity getting involved in healthcare practicesHow to draft a 20-year legacy statement, using the Carters' own umbrella company (Cartera Health) as the exampleWhere they think AI is headed in healthcare by 2030 — and why the human/patient connection won't disappearTimestamps 00:00 Intro: Meet the Carter Brothers 00:42 Being Twins & Business Partners 02:02 The Origin Story: "Let's Build This Together" 04:11 Stephen's Side of the Founding Call 05:52 Where the Business Instinct Came From (Mom's Snow Cone Stand) 07:41 Launching Carter Brothers Consulting & The Business of Healing 09:14 The Scalability Problem in Healthcare 10:56 Scalability as a Deliberate Operational Choice 11:26 The War Story: Why Non-Scalable Practices Collapse 12:30 Dividing Roles: Contracts, Compliance & Legal 14:36 Scaling to 800+ Clinicians Across Texas & Oklahoma 15:27 The Military Playbook Behind Their Systems 15:55 "Built Like Chick-fil-A": Consistency at Scale 16:19 The Sterling Treatment Method (and the Patent) 18:03 What Actually Makes the Method Different 19:21 The Money Gap & Becoming "Bankable" 19:38 The Private Equity Problem in Healthcare 22:14 Writing a 20-Year Legacy Statement 22:29 Cartera Health: The Umbrella Company & the BHAG 23:31 Impact Beyond Patients: Employees & Community 25:01 2030 Predictions: AI in Healthcare 27:07 Stephen's Take: The "Educated Consumer" Era 28:41 The Dedication: Honoring Their Father 31:51 Closing & Where to Find the Book

David J. Moore co-founded 24/7 Media, took it public with $2.5M in revenue, watched it soar to a $1.8 billion valuation — and then rode it all the way down to nine cents a share and a "going concern" opinion before clawing it back and selling to WPP. In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, David sits down with host Joe Pardavila to unpack the eerie and not-so-eerie parallels between the dot-com bust and today's AI boom, why he believes AI could be more dangerous than a nuclear bomb, and what he'd do differently if he could relive the crash. He also opens up about compartmentalizing grief while running a company as his wife battled cancer, and the foundation and marathon tradition he keeps up in her memory.David's new book, The 24/7 CEO: The Battle for Survival That Helped Build Digital Advertising, tells the full inside story. What You'll LearnHow 24/7 Media grew from 40 employees to 1,200 people in 29 countries — then crashed to 200 employees and a $15M market capThe real mechanical difference between the dot-com bust and today's AI bubble (hint: it's about who can afford to fail)Why David believes unchecked AI could be more dangerous than nuclear weaponsThe one strategic decision he'd reverse if he could redo the crash yearsHow Wall Street's "growth over profit" mindset echoes the Netflix/streaming correction — and why AI may be nextWhich jobs he thinks are more AI-resistant, and where he pushes back on his own optimismHow he led all-hands meetings and kept morale up during two years of declineHow he compartmentalized his wife's cancer diagnosis while running a public company through crisisThe foundation and marathon tradition he's kept alive for 16 years in her honorChapters 00:00 – Introduction: 24/7 Media and The 24/7 CEO 01:00 – Setting the scene: 26 years since the dot-com boom 01:18 – Founding 24/7 Media and the explosive early growth 02:29 – IPO days, stock mania, and 1,200 employees across 29 countries 03:38 – The crash: from $69/share to nine cents 04:51 – Big difference from today: Big Tech can't go out of business 06:48 – "AI is more dangerous than the nuclear bomb" 08:47 – Looking back: what he'd change about the decline 10:37 – Scaling back acquisitions vs. chasing market share 11:03 – The Netflix correction and Wall Street's growth-to-profit pivot 12:06 – What actually caused the dot-com bust (the IPO window closing) 14:00 – Data centers, capital spending, and consumer backlash 15:33 – Rich vs. poor: will the market reject AI overinvestment? 16:00 – The horse-shoer analogy: progress always has winners and losers 17:07 – Which jobs AI can't easily replace (plumbers, masseuses, doctors) 18:38 – Pushback: what happens to white-collar, middle-class jobs? 19:14 – The cyclical trap: cutting jobs while needing customers 20:20 – Workforce "carnage," trade schools, and the road to 2030 21:03 – Leading through crisis: all-hands meetings and rallying speeches 22:33 – Optimism as a choice (and a skill you can build) 23:39 – Triathlons as therapy: running through business problems 24:51 – His wife's cancer diagnosis while running the company 26:20 – The WPP sale, Martin Sorrell's support, and stepping back as CEO 28:33 – Returning as CEO after losing his wife 29:04 – Starting the foundation in her memory 30:06 – Running a marathon every year to fundraise 32:21 – How to support the foundation 33:18 – Closing and book plug

Bridget Way spent nearly two decades in the trenches of tax season before asking one question that reshaped her entire business: what if doing great work didn't have to mean burning out?A CPA based in the mountains of Colorado, Bridget rebuilt her firm around AI after a disconnected family trip to Utah during COVID convinced her there had to be a better way to work — one where technology creates more capacity while preserving the relationships that make the job meaningful. In this conversation, Bridget and Joe cover: • The funeral story about her grandfather (also an accountant) that reshaped how she saw the profession • Why she calls herself a "QuickBooks desktop warrior" and how cloud accounting changed everything • The panic-call moment in Utah that triggered her shift to boundaries and automation • How she quantified saving 500 hours in year one of using AI • Why she believes AI won't replace small accounting firms — and how she uses it as a "personal assistant" instead • The generational shift in accounting culture (Gen X grind vs. Gen Z boundaries) • How "firing" the wrong-fit clients gave her freedom • What her grandfather — an old-school Enrolled Agent who refused computers — might think of her AI-powered practice today Bridget is the author of Upskill or Out: AI, Small Business, and the New American Dream — part personal story, part practical guide to using AI to build a stronger, more sustainable business. Learn more about Bridget at https://www.upskillorout.com. Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Bridget's journey from tax-season burnout to AI-powered firm 00:23 – Meet Bridget Way, CPA and author of *Upskill or Out* 01:01 – The story of her grandfather's funeral and its impact 02:23 – Seeing her grandfather, the accountant, in a new light 03:17 – Young Bridget: marketing major turned numbers person 04:10 – What is an Enrolled Agent vs. a CPA? 05:01 – Confessions of a "QuickBooks desktop warrior" 06:12 – The rise of cloud accounting and alternatives to QuickBooks 07:01 – Transferable skills and the post-COVID hiring shift 07:59 – The Utah trip: the moment everything changed 09:36 – Realizing "I don't have to work 16-hour days" 09:55 – Changing the business model — and the client fallout 11:37 – The AICPA Vegas conference "tech awakening" 13:15 – First AI experiment: cleaning up a messy client file 14:40 – The automation hack that saves the most time and money 16:44 – How she quantified saving 500 hours in year one 17:45 – Why AI won't replace small accounting firms 18:31 – Using AI as a "personal assistant" to punch above her weight 19:30 – Bundling in HR and other adjacent services for clients 20:12 – The post-COVID accountant shortage and AI stepping in 21:09 – Are Gen Z accountants embracing AI and boundaries? 22:34 – AI absorbing the "mundane" work so people don't have to 22:54 – Gen X banter: adapting through the pre/post-internet era 23:22 – How Millennials and Gen Z reshaped work-life boundaries 24:52 – Does tax season still get "crazy" in her practice? 25:43 – The ski trip during tax season story 26:15 – Handling clients who think "a computer is doing my taxes" 27:47 – "You know you've made it when you can fire clients" 29:09 – Redefining success: time and presence over the corner office 30:27 – "You're less edgy during tax time now" — her kids notice the change 32:04 – What would her grandfather think of her AI-powered practice today? 33:42 – Where to find Bridget's book and close

Brendan P. Keegan joins Joe Pardavila on The Authority Company Podcast to challenge one of the most common ideas in modern leadership: work-life balance. Brendan is an award-winning president and CEO, investor, board member, and author of Unbalanced on Purpose: Move Beyond the Myth of Perfect Balance and Live With Intention. After raising more than $10 billion in capital, leading over 250,000 people, and helping drive major growth at companies like Merchants Fleet, Brendan brings a clear and practical framework for living and leading with more intention. In this conversation, Brendan explains why balance looks different for every person, every role, and every season of life. He breaks down the “delusion of busyness,” why your goals should drive your schedule, how leaders can protect family time without losing their edge, and why discipline creates more freedom. This episode is a practical conversation for entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders, and high performers who want to build a meaningful life without pretending every area deserves equal time all the time. Learn more about Brendan P. Keegan and other Authority Company authors at: theauthoritycompany.com Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Brendan P. Keegan 00:43 - Why “Unbalanced on Purpose” challenges work-life balance 01:17 - Why everyone’s balance looks different 02:47 - What unconscious imbalance looks like 03:34 - Choosing family moments without walking away from ambition 06:08 - Why goals determine your work schedule 07:45 - Brendan’s vacation communication system 08:52 - Should leaders expect others to work like they do? 10:15 - The investment banker and teacher example 11:29 - The delusion of busyness 15:04 - Why busyness is really a prioritization issue 16:20 - The six circles of connection 19:00 - How Brendan prepared his family during a company sale 20:38 - The mistake that hurt his health early in his career 22:13 - Will pulling back from work make you lose your edge? 23:54 - Why discipline creates more time 26:37 - What leaders get wrong about working harder 28:38 - Grind shaming and judging other people’s goals 31:14 - Brendan’s life after running companies 33:11 - Building one million fearless leaders 34:09 - Closing thoughts