Podcast
I Have Some Questions...
Hosted by Erik Berglund · EN
Most people know the headline of a leader’s story. Few know the path it took to get there. This podcast goes beyond titles, book launches and business wins, to explore the lived journey behind the thought leader.
Through deep, unhurried conversations, we uncover the moments that shaped them—the doubts, pivots, convictions, and quiet breakthroughs that built their body of work.
Each episode features authors, coaches, executives, and bold thinkers who have forged their own path. Instead of rehearsed talking points, they’re invited into a space where thoughtful questions unlock something more human. The result is a layered conversation that reveals not just what they preach, but how they became the kind of person who can teach it.
Because we believe the best stories aren’t always told—they’re revealed. And when brilliant people are given the right questions and the room to answer them fully, what emerges is insight you can feel, frameworks you can apply, and a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to lead, create, and contribute at a meaningful level.
104episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
198: Lauren Cappell: "Time Kills Deals: How Faster Legal Work Creates Real Revenue"
Jul 1601:18:24Tap to summarizeLauren Cappell and Erik unpack why realizing ROI from AI adoption in law is harder than it sounds, especially under legacy business models. Lauren argues the real shift is not just efficiency, but value creation: new kinds of work, faster cycles, better workflows, and better pricing that aligns incentives. They also dig into the training and QA demands required to ensure AI outputs are trusted.👤 About the GuestLauren Cappell is a strategist at the intersection of enterprise, law, and artificial intelligence. With leadership experience at Amazon, Thomson Reuters, and BlackBerry, plus startup roles, she helps organizations translate AI capability into measurable business value. Her mission is to eliminate busy work and replace it with systems that elevate human potential.🧭 Conversation HighlightsBillable hours create tension because AI can reduce the time needed to complete a task, but it also enables work that was previously uneconomic or impossible.In law, ROI shows up differently across in-house teams, large firms, and smaller firms, because incentives and constraints vary.AI services that offer usage based billing to legal teams are the right move right now: they can assist in driving adoption and ensure aligned incentives between the AI service and the buyer/user.Adoption depends on training, human in the loop QA, learning how to work with AI outputs, and rethinking the way we work, not just training on how to use individual AI tools.💡 Key TakeawaysAI ROI has to be tied to reduced delivery cost and/or increased value, and it often requires work redesign rather than speed alone.Billable hours are not the whole story, because much of legal work happens outside large firms and without the same pricing constraints.Usage based billing can align incentives , but it increases the importance of effective training and successful “usage” definitions.The primary limiting factor to seeing value from AI investments is people and process: automation requires you to know the workflow well enough to de-risk it and to QA output quality.❓ Questions That MatteredHow does a billable hours model persist when AI reduces the time needed for certain tasks?Where does ROI show up first across in-house teams, large firms, and smaller firms?Why is adoption often slower than expected, even for sophisticated AI users?What does it mean in practice to deploy agents or automation while staying accountable for quality and decision making?🗣️ Notable Quotes“Time kills all deals.”“If you’re waiting for your clients to ask you about AI usage or to challenge you on it, I don’t think that’s a great position to be in.”🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow Lauren Cappell's LinkedInCheck out Lauren’s personal website: deathofbusywork.com
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197: Jason Robinovitz: "What Happens When Students Outsource Their Thinking To LLMs?"
Jul 1501:24:29Tap to summarizeJason Robinovitz explores what education needs to become in an AI-saturated world. He argues that AI will increase opportunities, but only if schools keep teaching students to think for themselves. He shares practical classroom tactics to reduce cheating, why incentives in education often fail learning, and which human skills, like critical thinking and soft skills, will matter most as hiring shifts.👤 About the GuestJason Robinovitz is CEO, COO, and General Counsel at Score at the Top Learning Centers, Score Academy, and JRA Educational Consulting. The family-owned organization was founded in 1980 and operates across South Florida. A former medical malpractice attorney, he joined the business in 2008 and brings a legal, systems-minded approach to education. 🧭 Conversation HighlightsAI will not remove the need for education, but it will force schools to verify thinking through process integrity and human judgment.AI detectors are unreliable, so educators need better proof methods like Google Docs version history and proctored, handwritten exams.Education incentives can drift toward standardized-test outcomes rather than learning, which drives both cheating and hollow credentials.Jason emphasizes the essential skills employers want: soft skills and critical thinking, supported by reading, mental math, and discomfort-building practice.💡 Key TakeawaysThe most valuable student skill in an AI world is thinking for yourself, not outsourcing decisions to LLMs.Cheating controls should prioritize process visibility and classroom verification, not detector trust.Employers will increasingly hire for soft skills and critical thinking demonstrated under real conditions, not just grades.Tech in education should augment teachers, especially for feedback, and focus on building “understanding” rather than automating judgment.❓ Questions That MatteredWhat does education need to teach when students can outsource work to AI in minutes?How can educators ensure evidence of thinking without relying on weak AI-detection tools?Will prestige-based hiring proxies break down, and what would replace them?How do we help critical thinking grow under stress, not just in ideal conditions?🗣️ Notable Quotes“In my opinion, the most important thing that students can learn today is the ability to think for themselves.”“Most AI detectors suck. They are full of false positives. They can’t be relied upon.”“Education is going to become incredibly important, but probably not in the ways that most people are thinking about it.”🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow Jason Robinovitz's LinkedIn Follow Jason Robinovitz’s Substack: News From The TopCheck out Score Academy’s website: Score-Academy.com Check out JRA Educational Consulting: jraEducationalConsulting.com Check out Score At the Top’s Website: ScoreAtTheTop.com
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196: "Agent Collaboration Should Look Like Co-Working, Not Hand-Offs" ft. Justin Coats
Jul 1400:54:48Tap to summarizeErik and Justin talk through why AI agents get stuck when teams cannot articulate how work is done, and why the answer is iterative agent deployment with guardrails, sandbox testing, and ongoing process refinement.🧭 Conversation HighlightsMost professionals struggle to explain the steps of their work, which blocks automation and agent adoption.Agents feel hard to hand off to because people fear losing control, making mistakes, or looking foolish.A practical path forward is iterative process creation: give an agent the goal, tools, and guardrails, then tighten the workflow based on outcomes.To make iteration safe, teams need preview or sandbox testing plus limits on real-world actions and token budgets to avoid runaway usage.💡 Key TakeawaysAI adoption is shifting from “AI literacy” to “how to build and govern agents,” so companies need shared understanding beyond IT.Iterative deployment works better than trying to hard-code every step upfront, but it requires verification checkpoints and process feedback loops.Sandbox or preview environments are critical for low-risk learning before enabling agents to take real actions.Token spend should be treated as governance: set budgets and limits per user/team, and track usage in a way leaders can understand.❓ Questions That MatteredHow do we automate work we cannot clearly describe step-by-step without stalling adoption?What guardrails let humans feel safe handing tasks to agents, including security, safeguards, and action approvals?Is there a practical way to test agent workflows in “failure-free” conditions before going live?When iteration causes back-and-forth, how should companies think about token efficiency and budget controls?🗣️ Notable Quotes“It’s hard to automate what you don’t already know how to do.”“The majority of people have a really hard time articulating precisely how they perform a task.”“Understanding the tool and technology, and knowing what it can and cannot do, really creates a safer environment.”“It’s taking our typical structure. You watch how they work and adapt to that.”🔗 Links & ResourcesListen To Other Episodes Co-Hosted With Justin
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195: Rocky Batzel: "What It Means To Be Ready For Manufacturing At One Million Units Per Month"
Jul 901:21:01Tap to summarizeRocky Batzel, inventor and CEO of Snapslide, shares how a decade of tinkering became a child-resistant pill bottle closure designed for one hand and for people with arthritis or other limitations. From the original “aha” at a liquor store to prototyping, patents, and certification testing, Rocky explains the path to commercial viability and what scaling manufacturing for over a million units per month means next.👤 About the GuestRocky Batzel is the inventor and CEO of Snapslide. He left medical school and built a career around product invention, focusing on tangible solutions. Snapslide creates a new approach to child-resistant openings for medication containers, aiming for accessibility without sacrificing safety requirements.🧭 Conversation HighlightsSnapslide’s core idea: replacing torque-dependent bottle caps with a linear, two-stage opening that can be done with limited dexterityHow Rocky shifted from identifying everyday “pain in the butt” problems to searching for prior art, patents, and manufacturabilityThe business and regulatory gauntlet: child-resistant testing, USP permeation testing, iterative tooling, and certification timelinesHow the team is preparing to scale manufacturing and capacity for large pharmacy distribution while continuing to develop OTC variants💡 Key TakeawaysAccessibility is not a “nice to have.” It is a design constraint that must be baked into safety products from the start.Great invention is less about finding a new problem and more about observing a familiar problem from a different angle.Commercial success requires solving for manufacturability, cost, certification, and distribution incentives, not just the mechanism.Scaling is a timing problem: tooling lead times, capital planning, and facility growth capacity have to align with demand.❓ Questions That MatteredWhat is Snapslide, and what design change makes it usable for one hand or limited dexterity while staying child-resistant?How do you validate an idea when it is hard to know if you are truly first, or if prior art exists?What does the child-resistant certification process actually require, including pass thresholds and sample counts?What keeps you from taking profitable but misaligned deals, and how do you decide what is “worth it”?🗣️ Notable Quotes“Simple, which is one of the big barriers to the market.”“You know it in your gut.”🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow Rocky Batzel's LinkedInCheck out Rocky Batzel’s Company, SnapSlide: www.snapslide.com
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194: Quinn Rose: "What Really Makes Journalism Worth Trusting In The Triple-Check Era?"
Jul 801:15:00Tap to summarizeQuinn Rose challenges the idea of objective journalism and reframes “good writing” as from-the-heart and based in story. She shares how ten years in the news industry destroyed her hope, and how she now uses those storytelling instincts to support brands she believes in. The conversation turns to AI’s flattening effect on voice, whether or not true “facts” exist, and how poker applies to life. 👤 About the GuestQuinn Rose is a journalist-turned-creative strategist and storyteller for mission-driven brands. Her reporting has influenced federal policy, reached over a billion TV viewers, and landed her courtside at the Olympics. Recently, Quinn ghostwrote a 5-star-rated book, traveled with The Discovery Channel, and was the producer for a series of statewide mental health trainings. She works with clients both remotely and in-person, usually in and out of her home state of Oregon and whichever country pulls hardest at her heartstrings (after a decade love affair with Brazil, Italy’s up next). 🧭 Conversation HighlightsThe new need to “triple check” How funding, clicks, and incentives warped newsrooms, pushing her outTransferring journalism tools into branding through curiosity and character-based storytellingAI flattening: when good writing formulas create sameness across everything💡 Key TakeawaysTruth and trust are built through verification and perspective awareness, not the myth of neutralityThe strongest marketing and journalism start with “why do they care?” since the content is being made FOR that target audience, not you or the company itself AI can increase efficiency, but it sands down personality, specificity, and originalityShe believes events and person-to-person connection will only become more valuable in this Age of AI ❓ Questions That MatteredDo the fundamentals of journalism still matter when the incentives around journalism change?What can we trust when headlines and conclusions can be made to support opposite sides?As AI makes language more “perfect,” what happens to voice, personality, and profundity?Where is the line between influence and manipulation when the goal does not serve the other person?🗣️ Notable QuotesOn whether or not objectivity exists: ”If I were writing it, I would choose what we do and what we don't say. We would clip this interview and make it say that.”On AI’s most overused terms and metaphors: “The DNA woven into the fabric of everything, it’s exhausting”🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow Quinn Rose's LinkedInCheck out Quinn’s Website: storybasedbrands.com
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193: "How Permission Culture Keeps Us Small Without Us Noticing" ft. Alli Murphy
Jul 600:09:17Tap to summarizeAlli and Erik unpack how so many of us wait for external permission to want things, and how that shows up in both big goals and everyday boundaries. They explore why permission-seeking feels safer, why it can be conditioned into us, and how “permission slips” can be a practical way to reclaim ownership over wants and even needs.🧭 Conversation HighlightsErik describes noticing in himself and clients that “external permission” often becomes a gate to pursuing what people actually want.Alli shares how permission-seeking can be especially reinforced for women, including being taught to not be loud, not be “too much,” or not want visibility and importance.They discuss how early schooling and structured environments train people to request approval, which then carries into work and personal life.Alli offers concrete tools: writing literal permission slips, using small systems that create distance from guilt (like off-duty boundaries), and prompting teams to write their own permission slips.💡 Key TakeawaysWanting something is not automatically selfish. The challenge is aligning wants with ethics and impact, not suppressing them.Permission-seeking can feel easier than self-trust, even when it blocks growth and clarity.You can build internal permission through tangible rituals (writing, visible reminders, and boundary systems) rather than relying on motivation.Teams can benefit from a shared exercise that makes “what I need or want permission for” explicit and normalized.❓ Questions That MatteredDo I actually want something, or am I asking for permission because it feels safer than taking up space?Where in my life have I confused “need” and “want,” or used guilt as the substitute for clarity?What boundary or opportunity am I avoiding because I think someone else would not approve?If I had to write a permission slip right now, what would I grant myself?🗣️ Notable Quotes“I want what I want because I want it.”“We don’t need anybody else’s permission for a lot of this.”“Literally written myself permission slips before.”“In your next team meeting write down one thing they need permission for.”🔗 Links & ResourcesListen To Other Episodes Co-Hosted With Alli
Transcribe →192: "Psychological Safety As The Real Happiness Strategy: Seek, Speak, Listen" (reflections on Scott Crabtree)
Jul 300:13:07Tap to summarize🧠 Erik’s TakeErik opens with gratitude and a clear reason for doing the review: the Scott Crabtree conversation hit something deeper than the headline topic. He reflects that as a listener he felt the urge to re-extract the core mechanisms, not just the ideas. His throughline is strategic and vulnerable at the same time. He admits he does not want “happiness” to become a performative corporate slogan or a simplistic workplace requirement, and yet he still believes happiness matters. He keeps returning to a balance he thinks leaders often miss: you need the tension between happiness and hard things, and you🎯 Top Insights from the InterviewOver-focusing on happiness can backfire, turning a worthy aim into an emotional trap and a workplace obsession.Happiness is not one thing: the difference between hedonic happiness and eudaimonic happiness changes what leaders should try to build.Psychological safety is a practical lever for creating the right kind of happiness more often, and it is built through a repeatable behavior pattern.🧩 The Personal LayerErik contrasts what he has seen in corporate cultures with what Scott’s framing makes possible. He notes how companies leaned hard into hedonic-style “treats” and perks, sometimes drifting into entitlement, then later pulling back. On the personal level, Erik recognizes his own misgivings as a leader about corporate promises. He surfaces the internal question underneath the episode: what is his obligation, and what is not his obligation, if the stated goal is a happier workplace. He also confesses that he learned new conceptual language (hedonic and eudaimonic), and he values that learning not🧰 From Insight to ActionReframe happiness as one critical emotion in a larger emotional portfolio, and explicitly hold it in tension with grit, perseverance, and hard outcomes.Audit workplace “happiness” tactics: keep the treats occasionally, but redesign for more frequent eudaimonic alignment through meaning, growth, values, and contribution.Practice the psychological safety loop as a leadership routine: seek participation, speak with two seconds of courage, and listen in a way that proves understanding, not agreement.If you are worried about “corporate responsibility for happiness,” use the episode’s stance as a guardrail: you cannot make people happy, but you can structure conditions that make it more likely.🗣️ Notable Quotes“if you over-focus on happiness, it actually is a pretty good recipe to make yourself unhappy.”“Happiness isn't everything. But it is really important.”“teams where people feel comfortable contributing even if they disagree, in fact, especially if they disagree, consistently outperform other teams.”“you're simply listening and demonstrating that you understand and that they feel understood is the goal.”🔗 Links & ResourcesListen to Scott Crabtree's Episode
Transcribe →191: "What If Retention Has Less to Do with Product and More to Do with Belonging?" (reflections on Anthony Badalian)
Jul 300:10:38Tap to summarize🧠 Erik’s TakeIn this reaction episode, Erik reflects on his conversation with Anthony Badalian, COO and President of Stride Fitness, and unpacks the deeper business principles hiding beneath the fitness industry surface.What stood out most wasn’t simply Stride’s operational success—it was Anthony’s ability to clearly articulate ideas many leaders intuitively believe but struggle to operationalize. Specifically: community, human connection, and long-term trust-building as measurable business strategies.Erik explores why so many businesses claim to value community while simultaneously cutting the very systems that create it. He also highlights Anthony’s refreshing perspective on hiring, retention, and customer experience—especially the idea that great businesses don’t just focus on onboarding people well… they focus on helping people leave well too.🎯 Top Insights from the InterviewFitness Gets People In. Community Keeps Them There.One of the strongest ideas Erik pulled from the interview was that businesses often misunderstand where loyalty actually comes from. People may initially join for the service... but they stay because they feel connected.And that connection extends beyond the business itself. Stride intentionally encourages integration into the surrounding local community—not just the one inside the gym walls.Great Coaches Aren’t Just Experts—They’re Connectors. What separates elite coaches is their ability to: Ask great questions Build trust quickly Listen deeply Prescribe solutions instead of “selling” 🧩 The Personal LayerThis conversation clearly resonated with Erik because it reinforced something he deeply believes:The businesses that endure are rarely built solely on expertise—they’re built on relationships.Throughout the episode, Erik reflects on how difficult it is for leaders to consistently prioritize community because the ROI often feels intangible. Yet Anthony demonstrated that with the right systems, human connection becomes observable, measurable, and strategically defensible.There’s also an underlying leadership theme woven throughout Erik’s reflections:The best leaders aren’t just building transactions. They’re building trust ecosystems.🧰 From Insight to ActionAudit What You Actually RewardIf your business says community matters, ask: What metrics prove that? What systems reinforce it? What budget supports it? If it disappears under pressure, it was never truly prioritized.Hire for Human Skills First. Technical expertise can often be taught. Curiosity, empathy, listening, and relational intelligence are much harder to train.Look outside your industry for talent that already knows how to create meaningful experiences. Build Exit Experiences IntentionallyMost businesses obsess over onboarding and neglect offboarding.🗣️ Notable Quotes“Fitness brings people in. Community keeps them there.”“If you can quantify community, you can continue to invest in it.”“Technical competency is table stakes. Human connection is the differentiator.”“The human-to-human connection is pretty tough to train.”“If you continue helping people solve problems—even when they’re leaving—you build trust for life.”“The businesses that win long-term are the ones that understand relationships compound.”🔗 Links & ResourcesListen to Anthony Badalian's Episode
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190: Scott Crabtree: "What Google Found In Project Aristotle That Changes How You Lead Teams"
Jul 201:29:30Tap to summarizeErik and Scott Crabtree unpack why happiness feels hard to define, what science can actually say, and why “chasing” happiness can backfire. They connect happiness to productivity through brain states, then zoom in on psychological safety, leadership communication, and concrete tools like seek, speak, listen.👤 About the GuestScott Crabtree is founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Happy Brain Science. He’s a nationally recognized keynote speaker on leadership in the age of AI, blending neuroscience, technology, and practical strategies to help teams build well-being, resilience, and engagement. He’s worked with organizations including Google, Nike, Intel, and the National Park Service.🧭 Conversation HighlightsHappiness can’t be directly pursued like a product, but subjective well-being is teachable through practical habits and supportive leadership.Aiming for constant bliss is counterproductive; negative emotions can be normal, useful, and part of thriving.Psychological safety, defined as feeling safe to speak up, is described as a team-level engine for candor, learning, and performance.Leadership effectiveness comes through autonomy and communication, using targeted questions and “seek, speak, listen” to build buy-in without forcing outcomes.💡 Key TakeawaysHappiness is best framed as subjective well-being, combining positive emotion with meaning and satisfaction.Pursuing happiness too aggressively can make people less happy; aim for a sustainable sweet spot rather than constant bliss.Psychological safety is not coddling or agreement; it’s permission for candor, trust-based risk-taking, and listening to understand.Leaders can’t make people happy, but they can design conditions that support well-being, flow, mastery, and voluntary engagement.❓ Questions That MatteredWhy does happiness feel so elusive, and why do so many people struggle to define it before they can pursue it?How do leaders balance happiness with grit, perseverance, and the intentionally uncomfortable work those require?What does psychological safety actually require, and what does it not require?How should leaders communicate feedback and expectations to build mastery and growth, especially across generations like Gen Z?🗣️ Notable Quotes“You can not buy happiness directly, but there are things you can do to be happier.”“The most important factor in team success is psychological safety.”“Psychological safety means even if you're my boss, Eric, even if you're my boss's boss, I can raise my hand and say, can I ask you a question here?”“People are flexible… and this may or may not work, and some people are only listening here.”🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow Scott Crabtree on LinkedInCheck out Happy Brain Science’s Website
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189: Anthony Badalian: "Why Is Fitness So Hard to Sell When Everyone Needs It?"
Jul 101:17:54Tap to summarizeAnthony Badalian, President and COO of STRIDE Fitness, joins Erik for a deep conversation about the hidden complexity of the fitness franchising business. What starts as a discussion about gyms and boutique fitness studios quickly evolves into a masterclass in leadership, hospitality, community-building, emotional intelligence, customer retention, and human behavior.Anthony shares why fitness is far more than workouts and why the brands that survive aren’t simply selling exercise — they’re creating belonging. Together, Erik and Anthony unpack the psychology of coaching, the economics of boutique fitness, the parallels between hospitality and leadership, and the surprising role empathy and follow-up play in long-term success.👤 About the GuestAnthony Badalian is the President and COO at STRIDE Fitness, where he leads strategy, operations, and franchise growth for one of the hottest emerging boutique fitness brands in the countryWith leadership experience across 24 Hour Fitness, Club Pilates, and Rumble Boxing, Anthony brings over two decades building high-performing teams, scalable franchise systems, and customer-centered fitness experiences. His approach blends operational discipline with hospitality, emotional intelligence, and community-first leadership.🧭 Conversation HighlightsWhy Fitness Is One of the Hardest Businesses in the World. Anthony explains the paradox at the heart of fitness: almost everyone needs it, yet very few people stay consistent long enough to transform. The real challenge isn’t convincing people fitness works — it’s helping them sustain behavior change.Community Is the Product. The conversation explores how boutique fitness brands retain customers by creating a sense of identity, belonging, and human connection — not just workouts. Members often stay because of the people and the experience, not just the programmingRetention Is the Ultimate KPI. The pair unpacks how long-term member retention, utilization, and intentional follow-up is truly working inside a business. Metrics matter, but relationships drive the metrics.💡 Key TakeawaysConsistency — not intensity — is what changes lives in fitness. Community dramatically increases retention because people struggle to leave places where they feel connected. Great coaches are often defined more by personality and emotional intelligence than credentials. Hospitality skills transfer incredibly well into leadership and coaching. Follow-up is one of the most undervalued growth tools in business. ❓Questions That MatteredWhy is fitness so difficult to sustain even when people know it works? What actually makes someone feel like they belong somewhere? How do you measure the impact of community inside a business? What separates a coach people tolerate from one they’ll drive across town to see? Why do some businesses create loyalty while others create transactions? 🗣️ Notable Quotes“Fitness is hard. It’s the consistency that changes people’s lives.”"People don’t just want results anymore. They want to feel connected to a community."“The best coaches on earth aren’t always the most certified — they’re the ones who create real connection and inspire people to keep showing up"“The fortune is in the follow-up.”“Community is everything in boutique fitness because it keeps the experience personal."“There are a lot of things that aren’t our fault but are still our responsibility.”🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow Anthony Badalian on LinkedInCheck out STRIDE Fitness' website: stridefitness.com
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