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.
52episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S2E49: Why Small Businesses Are Losing the AI Race and What to Do About It with Brian Sulka
5d ago00:51:46Summary 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, Brian Sulka breaks down why small and mid-sized businesses are getting squeezed out of the AI conversation, what it means to be a "big ideas coach" inside an EOS session, and how custom software gave his frozen fruit company a competitive advantage that nobody else in the industry could touch. He also gets into Kolbe scores, team alignment, and why the best leadership teams are built on opposites. This is one of the most unique conversations I've had on this show. Don't miss it. Timestamps 06:29 AI Similarities to Dot-Com Era 11:42 AI Implementation for SMBs 20:06 Overcoming Fear and Achieving Alignment 32:46 Ideal Integrator Profile 41:54 AI's Impact on Custom Software Guest Links brian.sulka@eosworldwide.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsulka/ EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/brian-sulka/
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S2E48 | The Golf Mindset That Changed the Way I Run My Business with Chris McCarty
2w ago00:59:26Summary 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, Chris McCarty breaks down why playing your C game consistently beats chasing your A game, how he uses counting routines to manage pressure on the golf course and in business, and why overperforming your revenue target isn't always the win it feels like. He also gets honest about self-implementing EOS at his own marketing agency, what he got wrong, and what changed the moment he saw a real implementation in action. This has a lot of range. Don't miss it! Timestamps 03:19 Mastering the Mental Game 06:28 Playing Your C-Game in Golf 14:47 The Counting Routine 20:36 Scorecarding in Golf and Business 29:04 Objective Goal Setting 32:27 The End of a Golf Career 41:49 Starting a Marketing Agency 49:03 Self-Implementing EOS vs. Implementer Value Guest Links Email: chris.mccary@eosworldwide.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislmccarty/ EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/chris-mccarty/ Einstein Marketing Concepts: https://einsteinmarketingconcepts.com/
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S2E47 | The Courage to Keep It Simple with Josh Holtzman
3w ago01:11:23Summary 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, Josh Holtzman breaks down what a fifth-generation LA entrepreneur learns watching $80 million burn, why leaders secretly run two L10s instead of having one hard conversation, and how to think about your scorecard like a ship's bridge versus an engine room. He also gets honest about why leadership isn't that complicated… most of us just lack the courage to do the simple things. This one hit different. Don't miss it. Timestamps 02:00 Dot-Com Era Learnings 08:39 The Pursuit of Too Much 12:49 Learning on Someone Else’s Dime 19:09 Scaling and Selling His First Business 29:35 EOS Integration and Team Alignment 33:00 Becoming an EOS Implementer 41:07 Session Guru: Building and Exiting 44:54 Simple Leadership Newsletter 47:45 Josh’s 10-Year Target 01:01:59 Quarterly State of the Company Meetings 01:04:47 Finding Josh: Newsletter and EOS Coaching 01:10:41 Concluding Thoughts and Appreciation Guest Links Vistage Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/josh-holtzman/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-holtzman1
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S2E46 | Two Visionaries, No Integrator, and a Brewery That Almost Didn't Open with Lee Handley
4w ago00:58:15Summary 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, Lee Handley gets brutally honest about co-founding a brewery with a close friend, realizing they were both visionaries with no integrator, and watching the partnership fall apart before they ever cut the ribbon. Lee and Ryan also tackle the topic of why niching down isn't a strategy problem but a confidence problem, why hourly billing is killing professional services, and what it actually means to build value for a client rather than just managing your own costs. Timestamps 03:47 The Power of Niching Down 10:39 Niche Challenges and Opportunities 16:27 Value is Subjective 21:12 Brewery Business Plan to Reality 29:59 Navigating Legalities and Risks 39:12 Compromise vs. Community Feedback 45:04 Brewery Business: Lessons Learned 52:23 Learning from Business Failure Guest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehandleyeosi/ EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/lee-handley/ TrimTab Brewing: https://www.trimtabbrewing.com/ Phone: (205)516-1102
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S2E45 | From Zero Traction to Double the Clients in 4 Months with Justin Mink
Apr 1600:54:50Summary 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 system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In a world drowning in automation, DMs, and cold email sequences, Justin Mink has built his EOS practice on picking up the phone. Justin treats proactive phone outreach as a secret weapon. And the results speak for themselves. In this episode, Justin opens up about his entrepreneurial journey, from co-founding a company connecting regional musicians with major brands, to a health crisis that forced him to step away from everything, to discovering EOS, and finally finding a framework that matched the way his brain works. He also breaks down the "did you know" sales approach, why you should always measure effort over outcome, and how implementing a single outreach methodology doubled his client count in 4 months. If you're an EOS Implementer trying to grow your practice, or a business owner who knows their pipeline could be stronger, this one's for you! Timestamps 07:58 - The Power of Proactive Calls 15:27 - Versatility of Proactive Communication 26:04 - Finding Product-Market Fit 32:39 - Health Crisis and EOS Influence 41:00 - Outgrow's Impact on Practice 43:52 - EOS Implementation Challenges Guest Links EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/justin-mink/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmink/ Outgrow: https://runoutgrow.com/
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S2E44 | My Employees Weren’t the Problem: I Was, with Hurricane Ken Dewitt
Apr 901:19:41Summary readyWelcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they’ve transformed, giving you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan. Let's dive in! In this episode of Confessions of an Implementer, I sit down with Ken DeWitt, also known as “Hurricane Ken.” Early in his career, Ken was an intense, driven business owner whose leadership style was creating fear, turnover, and dysfunction inside his company. It took brutally honest feedback from a workplace psychologist for him to realize something that changed his life: He was the problem. We talk about Ken’s 35-year journey of self-awareness, learning to control his reactions, and becoming the kind of leader who builds trust instead of fear. We dive into powerful leadership lessons, including: the mindset shift of “everything is my fault”, how self-awareness changes leadership forever and why Failure is required for growth If you’re a CEO, founder, EOS leader, or business owner, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the hardest leadership challenge isn’t managing your team, it’s managing yourself. Timestamps 03:10 - Meeting Hurricane Ken 08:06 - The Flag System 20:53 - The Big Pill & Bravery 29:26 - Can People Fundamentally Change? 35:50 - Apologies & Triggers 47:04 - Manage Others, Manage Self 1:00:00 - The "One Thing" Exercise 1:13:13 - Finding the Right Client Chemistry Guest Links Email: kdewitt@eosworldwide.com EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/ken-dewitt/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethdewitt/
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S2E43 | The Art of Honest Leadership with Randall Taussig
Apr 201:01:36Summary 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 Episode 43 of Confessions of an Implementer, Randall Taussig, an Expert EOS Implementer, breaks down why leaders who actively seek out honest input from their teams build stronger cultures and drive better results. Randall shares why the best managers are driven by a genuine desire to help others succeed, and why removing obstacles for your team matters more than your own individual output. He also reveals the one question every business owner should ask before promoting someone into a leadership role: do they actually want to coach and mentor others? 1:12 Passion for Mid-Management Coaching 5:46 Qualities of a Great Manager 8:52 Promoting the Right People 11:15 Setting Expectations and Accountability 18:41 Optimizing Time with LMD Framework 24:26 Examples of Leadership and Management Activities 27:27 Coaching Up and Coaching Out 31:04 Tips for Tough Conversations 41:36 Commitment to the Company 46:44 Aviation: Lessons in Process Episode Resources * EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/randy-taussig/ * Blue Core Website: https://www.bluecoreleadership.com/about/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randytaussig/
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S2E42 | The Hard Truth About Entrepreneurship with Jake Wells
Mar 2600:53:57Summary 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, I sit down with Jake Wells, an EOS Implementer, who shares why real entrepreneurship requires resilience, humility, and a willingness to have uncomfortable conversations. He explains how structure, external facilitation, and honest dialogue help leaders avoid burnout and build businesses that can truly scale. Hear how embracing change, welcoming outside perspectives, and choosing a humble, committed leadership team create the foundation for lasting success. 00:00 The Reality of Entrepreneurship 02:07 Learning from Failure: State Angels 06:50 Scaling Challenges and the Role of Luck 12:26 Entrepreneurial Ego and EOS Client Profile 17:48 The Entrepreneur’s Journey: Adversity and Age 22:50 The Vision of an EOS Implementer 28:22 Overcoming Obstacles with EOS 33:51 The Power of an Unbiased Third Party 41:17 Identifying Ideal Clients and Moderation Skills Episode Resources Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/jake-wells/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobcwells/ Email: jake.wells@eosworldwide.com
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S2E41 | Work-Life Balance: How To Rest Without Feeling Guilty with Katie Koester
Mar 1900:56:18Summary 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, I sit down with Katie Koester, an EOS Implementer, who shares how embracing the natural seasons of work and rest helped her build a healthier rhythm for growth. From redefining work life balance to weaving hobbies and clarity breaks into her routine, she explains how resilience, self awareness, and intentional planning create space for both high performance and genuine well being. Hear how managing expectations, tracking personal goals, and aligning energy with purpose can transform the way you work and live. 04:56 Athletics, Farm Life, and Mindset 16:02 Overcoming Workaholism and Embracing Flexibility 19:10 A Woman in IT and Construction 25:04 The Importance of Hobbies and Clarity 32:30 Defining Balance and Managing Time 44:03 Seasons of Entrepreneurship and Rest 49:52 Performance vs. Perception 51:19 Client Success & In-Person Facilitation Episode Resources Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/katie-koester/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiekoestereos/ Email: katie.koester@eosworldwide.com
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S2E40 | Entrepreneurship through Acquisition with Alex Hodgkin
Mar 1200:54:22Summary 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 Episode 40, Alex Hodgkin, an expert EOS Implementer, breaks down the growing world of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). Together they explore buying and operating an existing small to medium-sized business instead of starting from scratch. Alex shares practical insight into what makes an acquisition successful and why many deals struggle due to leadership misalignment and lack of operational clarity. 1:45 Alex's Background 8:46 Defining ETA 14:50 Addressing Business Ceilings 21:26 Challenges and Dynamics in ETA 39:51 Implementing EOS in ETA 47:45 Alex's Current Role and Client Focus Episode Resources *Email: alex.hodgkin@eosworldwide.com *Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/alex-hodgkin/
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