Podcast
Confessions of an Implementer
Hosted by Talent Harbor · EN
Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. Every week, host Ryan Hogan sits down with a different EOS implementer to discuss their unique stories about the companies they have transformed. So make sure to listen to get a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action.
64episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S2E60 | Is your 10 Year Target a Vision or Just a Wish? with Harrison Jenkins
3d ago01:01:51Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Ryan sits down with Harrison Jenkins, an EOS Implementer who has carved out one of the most specific niches in the entire EOS community. Nearly all of Harrison's clients are independent insurance brokers, and the combination of his family's sales consulting firm, Blueprint Consulting Group, and EOS has become a powerful framework for helping those companies finally grow the way they always said they wanted to. Harrison shares the difference between predicting where you want to go and simply projecting where you will end up if nothing changes; why so many insurance agencies are sitting on underperforming producers for years longer than they should; and what it really looks like to sell your vision to your team instead of just announcing it. If you run an insurance agency, lead a sales team, or just want a fresh perspective on how vision and execution actually connect inside a growing business, this one delivers. Timestamps 03:41 Vision vs. Execution & Goal Setting 07:55 Selling the Vision 16:16 Cultural Impact of Growth & Accountability 24:07 Challenges in Hiring Producers 32:57 Why Non-Producing Salespeople Persist 41:12 Comp Structure for Winners 45:52 Retaining High-Producing Brokers 51:53 Philosophy on EOS Graduation Guest Links https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/harrison-jenkins/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-jenkins-0250139b/ https://www.blueprint.biz/ harrison@blueprint.biz harrison.jenkins@eosworldwide.com
Summary
Why Saying "No" Builds a Better Business with Jonathan B. Smith
1w ago00:17:30Summary readyMost entrepreneurs believe more clients solve every problem. But the wrong clients can quietly steal your time, energy, and future. In this conversation, Ryan Hogan sits down with EOS Implementer JBS to discuss why building a successful consulting business isn't about saying yes to every opportunity—it's about intentionally designing a business around the life you actually want. They explore why confidence matters more than rigid frameworks, how to recognize ideal clients, why consistency always beats chasing shiny new tactics, and how personal branding becomes your greatest competitive advantage. Topics include: Why saying "no" creates more freedom than saying "yes" Designing your business around your ideal life How to identify the right clients before it's too late Why great work naturally creates more opportunities Building confidence beyond following a framework Creating a personal brand that becomes your competitive moat Because the best businesses aren't built by chasing every opportunity. They're built by intentionally choosing the right ones.
Summary
S2E59 | What Does Alignment Actually Look Like Inside a Growing Organization? with Beth Rusert
1w ago01:00:09Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Ryan sits down with Beth Rusert, EOS Implementer, former communications executive, and someone who spent decades watching organizations fail not because of bad strategy, but because of broken internal communication. Beth shares why internal communication is one of the most undervalued functions in any organization, what genuine alignment actually looks like versus what it looks like when a team is just pretending, and why the failure to have tough conversations early always costs more than the conversation itself. She also gets into the difference between a team and a family, how to know when a culture fit issue is coachable versus when it's time to move on, and why EOS gave her the language for things she'd been doing her whole career without realizing it. If you lead a team, own a business, or have ever avoided a hard conversation longer than you should have this one is for you. Timestamps 03:00 The Value of Internal Communications 07:07 Good Internal Communication Defined 12:43 Team vs. Family Culture 16:25 The Art of Tough Conversations 20:00 Navigating Culture Shifts and Expectations 32:15 Effective Leadership and Sales 37:16 Leadership Beyond Subject Matter Expertise 46:08 Tiger Teams for Process Improvement 49:20 Signs of Organizational Misalignment Guest Links https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/beth-rusert/ beth.rusert@eosworldwide.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethrusert/
Summary
S2E58 | What's More Important: Strategy or Execution? with Eliot Wajskol
2w ago01:00:31Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Ryan reunites with Eliot Wajskol — EOS Implementer, former Global 1000 executive advisor, and one of only two guests to appear on the show twice — for a deep, debate-worthy conversation about the question every business leader eventually has to answer: what's more important, strategy or execution? Eliot breaks down what strategy actually means at the leadership team level, why a room full of people with five different pictures in their minds is essentially five different companies, and how great strategic decisions are fundamentally acts of elimination. He shares how he diagnoses whether a leadership team is truly ready to have strategic conversations, the three signals that tell him someone doesn't belong at the table, and why he thinks EOS is really an execution operating system in disguise. Ryan and Eliot also get into the power of speed, the danger of diluting focus, and Ryan's experiment of giving every team member just one rock per quarter. Whether you're running your first quarterly or rethinking your entire leadership structure, this one will make you think differently. Timestamps 03:43 Foundational Strategy Ingredients 09:52 Team Readiness for Strategy 18:39 The Chief Decider Role 26:59 Internal vs. External Talent 36:03 Translating Strategy to a Plan 40:08 EOS as an Execution System 43:26 Strategy vs. Execution: Which Matters More? 49:30 The Undervalued Role of Speed 51:49 The Power of One Rock Guest Links https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/eliot-wajskol/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliotwajskol/ https://www.eliotwajskol.com/ https://www.instagram.com/eliotwajskol/ https://fiftypages.life/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnWpXZeu9xENVfvtvoIsyfzxV9ueGyFaCqDF_oVb7sL1CCT8K6Cp2Ccmb2Rl0_aem_0k0Szq-_nZXtuiLIxprlZw
Summary
S2E57 | Kind vs. Nice: What Most Leaders Get Wrong About Caring for Their Team with Mike Yoder
3w ago00:46:53Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Ryan sits down with Mike Yoder, EOS Implementer, lifelong integrator, and self-described number 2 guy. Mike's path took him from corporate giants like Siemens to painting houses at 25 to building a $1M barcode label business, before EOS gave him the language to understand who he actually was. Mike shares a leadership framework rooted in one simple truth: care for the person you're leading. But there's a catch. He draws a sharp line between being kind and being nice, and the difference will make you rethink every tough conversation you've been avoiding. If you're an entrepreneur who's ever felt stuck, wondered if you're the right person in the right seat, or just wants to lead your team better, this one's for you. Timestamps 04:20 The Leap to Entrepreneurship 08:47 The Integrator Revelation and EOS 11:56 Lessons from Big and Small Companies 21:28 Foundational Principles of Leadership 25:32 Kindness vs. Niceness in the Workplace 33:38 Becoming Your Best Self 37:16 Developing Leaders and Attitude Guest Links https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/mike-yoder/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeyoder-e4g/ mike.yoder@eosworldwide.com Phone: (816)922-9546
Summary
S2E56 | EOS Worldwide Means Worldwide with Living Proof Wayne Smith
Jun 2500:52:49Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Wayne Smith joins us from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he is building one of the most unique EOS practices in the world. Wayne spent years as an auditor and strategist spanning 40+ countries, leading teams from 15 different nationalities across Paris, Beijing, London, Africa, the Middle East, and everywhere in between. He then walked away from a PE-backed CEO role in Honolulu in the middle of COVID to become the first EOS Implementer based in Hawaii. Wayne breaks down what it actually takes to build trust across cultures, why 8 out of 10 companies he works with see leadership team changes in the first six months, and what is uniquely challenging about bringing EOS into Southeast Asia. This is one of the most globally minded conversations we have had on this show. Timestamps 05:40 Leading Diverse Teams and Cultural Nuances 09:19 Experiential Learning and Talent Development 19:59 Counteracting the 'Fill-It-Now' Mindset 31:04 Discovering and Implementing EOS 25:34 Expanding EOS Globally and EO Membership 43:51 Cultural Nuances in EOS Implementation Guest Links Email: wayne.smith@eosworldwide.com Website: https://www.waynesmith.coach/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wlsmith76/ EOS Worldwide: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/wayne-smith/
Summary
S2E55 | The Difference Between Tired and Burnt and Why It Almost Cost Him Everything with Justin Maust
Jun 1801:01:47Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Justin Maust brings the kind of energy you feel before he even starts talking and the kind of honesty most people never share out loud. Justin is an expert EOS Implementer, a speaker, a trainer, a coach, and a guy who spent years chasing a 10-year target so hard that he nearly lost himself in the process. He sold two companies, pivoted his entire vision, and came out the other side with more clarity and more to give than ever before. In this conversation, Justin opens up about what burnout actually feels like when you are someone who never stops running, why the things you are best at can become your biggest blind spots, and what happens when you finally stop trying to do it your own way. This one is raw, personal, and packed with the kind of wisdom that only comes from living it. Timestamps 01:12 Justin’s Vision Board and Mentors 07:23 Recognizing Burnout 15:09 Lessons from a Changed 10-Year Target 19:28 Chasing Impact vs. Money 25:51 Surrendering to a Higher Purpose 31:28 The Power of Discipline 44:39 Impact of Deletion on Presence 49:06 Discovering and Honing Unique Abilities 53:59 The Mallard Duck vs. Eagle Philosophy Guest Links justin.maust@eosworldwide.com EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/justin-maust/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmaust/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.e.maust/ https://www.entrelegacygroup.com/
Summary
S2E54 | 80% of Your Biggest Business Problems Come Down to One Thing with Julie Markee
Jun 1100:56:47Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Julie Markee brings one of the most distinctive perspectives we have had on this show. With a chemical engineering degree from the University of Washington, Julie sees the session room the way an engineer sees a broken production line. She is watching body language, listening for what is not being said, tracking who is leaning in and who is rotating away, and always working her way down to the true root cause. What she's discovered: 80% of the time, when you get to the real root cause of the biggest issues holding a leadership team back, it is a people problem. Not a process. Not a strategy. A person. And that is exactly why those conversations are so hard to have in the room. In this conversation, she breaks down what a healthy leadership team actually looks like, how to know when you have truly hit the root cause of a problem, and why she once refused to write down a rock for a client that had missed it quarter after quarter until they finally understood what was really in the way. This one is full of practical tactical insights from start to finish. Timestamps 04:03 Early Entrepreneurial Spirit 06:51 Corporate and Process Engineering 11:10 Transition to Sales and Management 18:13 Engineering Mindset in EOS Sessions 29:21 Navigating People Issues in the Room 39:51 Identifying the True Root Cause 45:39 The Power of Clarity Breaks Guest Links https://www.keyprocessinnovations.com/ EOS Worldwide: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/julie-markee/ Blog: Cooped Up Thoughts: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/coop-d-up-thoughts-6994345214492504064/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemarkee/
Summary
S2E53 | What Happens When Your Business Dies and Takes Your Identity With It? with Matthew Abrams
Jun 401:02:50Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode, Matthew Abrams joins us for an honest and heartwrenching conversation about what actually happens before, during, and after a business fails. Matthew started a company in his 30s with a co-founder, two visionaries with no integrator and no framework for productive conflict, and watched it fall apart from the inside. What came after changed everything about how he leads, coaches, and shows up in his relationships. In this conversation, Matthew breaks down why conflict avoided is opportunity lost, what the four phases of business death actually look like, why most entrepreneurs skip the most important ones, and why the most powerful thing a leader can do is stop trying to manage their way out of grief and just be with it. This episode goes places most business podcasts never go. And that is exactly why you should listen. Timestamps 05:15 Navigating Business Conflict and Self-Doubt 08:10 Identity, Failure, and Personal Growth 13:11 The Four Phases of Grieving Business Death 22:56 Conflict as a Vehicle for Growth 37:54 Conflict in Business Settings 41:04 Identifying Emotions and Needs 44:50 Transforming Tension to Traction 56:42 Inviting Genius: The Book Guest Links InvitingGenius.com Preorder Now! Publish Date: August 4, 2026 EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/matthew-abrams/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-abrams-8389547/
Summary
S2E52 | Special Episode: How Your Greatest Strength Can Derail You with CAPT Jason Motes
May 2901:10:10Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! Dr. Jason Motes is not an EOS Implementer. He is not here to talk about rocks or L10s or accountability charts. He is here because he is one of the most intentional leaders Ryan has ever been around, and he also happened to be Ryan's boss in the Navy. What started as two old colleagues catching up turned into one of the most honest conversations about leadership, service, and what it actually means to pour into the people around you. Jason opens up about his philosophy on authentic leadership, why the strengths that got you to the top are the same ones that will eventually derail you, and why there is no such thing as a healthy culture in an underperforming organization. He also gets into blind spots, dark behaviors, feedback, morning routines, and the legacy he is quietly building one person at a time. Timestamps 04:36 The Hitchhiker's Story 14:46 Creating Cohesion & Trust 25:02 Delivering Difficult Decisions 31:49 Authenticity and Blind Spots 38:00 Physical & Mental Resilience 41:57 Addictive Personality & Decompression 45:07 Nonfiction Reading for Leaders 55:06 Leadership Legacy and FEPPA 01:01:54 Fixing Teams & Accountability Guest Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjasonmotes/ https://www.validitea.org/ https://academyleadership.com/motes/
Summary