The EntreLeadership Podcast Episode: “The Best 65 Minutes You Could Spend for Your Business in 2026”
Host: Dave Ramsey, Ramsey Network
Release Date: December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This special holiday episode features Dave Ramsey sharing a masterclass on intentional planning, goal setting, and strategic execution—insights rooted in his decades of entrepreneurial leadership at Ramsey Solutions. Drawing on stories from his personal business journey, pivotal lessons from legendary motivators, and practical frameworks from business experts, Dave dives deep into the fundamentals that drive long-term business growth and leadership excellence. Whether you’re a business owner, manager, or someone aiming for transformative results in 2026, this episode serves as a comprehensive playbook for turning vision into measurable victories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Intentional Planning and Goal Setting

(Timestamps: 00:10 — 12:55; 14:14 — 30:00)

• Early Business Roots:
  Dave recalls his entrepreneurial spirit as a kid, from selling leather goods in middle school to running a lawn-mowing business, all tracked with homemade P&Ls. (01:04—04:00)
  • “We always been a business nerd...Dad had me cutting grass when I turned 12 years old...he made me keep a profit and loss statement on that…” — Dave Ramsey (04:00)
• Influence of Motivational Greats:
  Introduces Earl Nightingale’s “The Strangest Secret,” highlighting the core principle: you become what you think about.
  • “You become what you think about. So control your thoughts and be intentional about your aim, because you're going to hit something when you pull the trigger.” — Dave Ramsey (11:00)
• Origins of Positive Thinking in Business:
  Traces the lineage from Napoleon Hill to Zig Ziglar, showing how mindset and intentional goals underpin entrepreneurial success.
  • “What you can conceive and believe you can achieve.” — Earl Nightingale (quoted by Dave) (14:14)

2. Five Essential Elements of Effective Goal Setting

(Timestamps: 14:14 — 30:00)

• Specificity
  • “I want to lose weight. That’s not a goal—that’s a wish. I want to lose 30 pounds...Now we’ve got the two basic things covered.” (16:30)
• Measurability
  • “Put a number on it. Tell me what you're gonna do, because that's gonna lead us into the rest of a natural exercise that comes out of goal setting.” (17:00)
• Time Limit
  • “As soon as you have something that's specific and it's measurable and you put a time limit on it...you can't keep yourself from breaking that apart.” (18:00)
  • [Dave recounts a lunch with a sales rep whose goal didn’t match his real activity, breaking goals down to weekly actions to reinforce accountability.] (19:30)
• Personal Ownership
  • “Goals have to be yours...You have to set your goals. You have to train other people to set goals and motivate them.” (23:50)
• Written Down
  • “There is a spiritual element to it...it has to be in writing. I’ve sort of, kind of got my budget in my head—you don’t have a budget. A budget is a detailed plan.” (25:00)
• Process Example:
  • Dave shares pages from his own prayer journal and goal sheets dating back to the 1990s as evidence of writing things down as the catalyst for major enterprise growth. (27:00)

3. Lessons from Missed Targets (Why Big Goals Still Win)

(Timestamps: 30:00 — 36:00)

• Dave reflects on setting three-year goals for radio syndication, book sales, and course expansion—missing every milestone in his timeline, but massively exceeding results in the long term.
  • “I missed every one of those goals. But when you write it down...you start taking the actions automatically to cause it to become true.” (32:30)
• The key: Progress toward written, specific, time-bound goals led to an enterprise of 680 radio stations, millions of books sold, and programs taught at scale.

4. The “Desired Future” Approach & Strategic Planning

(Timestamps: 43:48 — 56:00)

• Offsite Breakthroughs:

  • Describes a business unit “with the flu”—stagnant, with untapped potential. To diagnose, Dave brings in Dr. Henry Cloud, who instantly points out the lack of a defined “desired future.”
    • “He says, okay, what is your desired future for this? And I went, sell more of it, Henry. Sell more of it. And he goes, that's not what you teach—detail!” (46:44)
    • Core realization: You cannot align resources, people, or processes until you define, specifically and measurably, what the desired future looks like.

• Hybrid Framework Adoption:

  • Examines the influence of Cloud (desired future) and Patrick Lencioni (thematic goals and defining objectives), leading to a hybrid goal-setting/strategic framework for the Ramsey team.
    • “A desired future is simply where you want your company to be in the next 12 to 18 months...For your business to be effective, you have to have clearly defined vision and goals.” (53:00)
  • Every goal must be broken into:
    • A clear “desired future” statement (“By December 2023… resulting in $1.5 million increase…”)
    • 3-7 “defining objectives”—action drivers, each with a clear owner (the “single ringable neck”)

• Accountability System:

  • Red/Yellow/Green dashboards allow any leader to quickly gauge progress:
    • Green: On or above target
    • Yellow: Up to 15% off
    • Red: More than 15% off; urgent problem or external headwind (example: slow real estate markets)

5. The Ongoing Value of Strategic Review and Coaching

(Timestamps: 56:00 — 64:32)

• Process, Grit, and Humility:
  • Dave credits years of failing, learning, and collaborating (even with friends who “shamed” him!) as keys to continuous improvement.
    • “None of these things we’re doing are something we teach and don’t do. These are things—this is our playbook. That took it from a card table in my living room to a $300 million company…” (63:20)
• Importance of Rhythm:
  • Repetition is vital; Dave echoes Zig Ziglar:
    • “People often say that motivation doesn’t last—neither does bathing. That’s why we do both often.” (63:00)

6. Closing Challenge

(Timestamp: 64:32)

• Dave closes with a call for courage, action, and the responsibility of leadership:
  • “Ready, aim, fire. And remember. Better a weary warrior than a quivering critic. This world needs more high quality leaders. Take courage and lead.” (64:35)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Goal Setting:
  • “You become what you think about.” — Earl Nightingale
  • “Goals that work are five things: must be specific, measurable, have a time limit, be yours, and be in writing.” — Dave Ramsey (14:30–25:00)
• On Ownership:
  • “Goals have to be yours… If you can’t conceive it, someone else believing it for me doesn’t work.” — Dave Ramsey (23:50)
• On Strategic Reflection:
  • “You can’t decide if you have the right staff to execute the desired future until you know what the freaking desired future is, Dave.” — Dr. Henry Cloud (as quoted by Dave) (46:44)
• On Progress:
  • “When you write it down and you can conceive it and believe it, you start taking the actions automatically to cause it to become true. And even though I didn’t hit the exact number… the end of the story is 680 radio stations, second largest talk radio show in America…” — Dave Ramsey (32:30–35:00)
• On Coaching:
  • “The best gift you can give a small business owner is a proven plan to grow a business that doesn’t consume their whole life.” (43:13)

Key Timestamps for Reference

• 00:10 — Episode introduction, Christmas message, and theme overview
• 01:04 — Dave’s early entrepreneurial stories; introduction to Earl Nightingale
• 11:00 — “You become what you think about”
• 14:14–25:00 — The Five Elements of Goal Setting
• 27:00–36:00 — Real-life impact: Dave’s goal-tracking sheets and long-term outcomes
• 43:48–53:00 — Offsite/consulting stories: Dr. Henry Cloud, the power of “desired future”
• 53:00–64:00 — The hybrid framework for strategic planning, dashboard implementation, and culture of accountability
• 64:32 — Final call to action and year-end leadership reflection

Structure for Immediate Application

How to Execute Dave Ramsey’s Strategic Goal Process:

1. Write down your desired future (12–18 months out): Be specific and measurable.
2. Break goals into 3–7 defining objectives: What must be true that isn’t true today?
3. Assign a single accountable owner for each objective.
4. Establish frequent (e.g. weekly) reports: Use a Red/Yellow/Green system to track progress.
5. Share goals throughout the team for accountability and mutual coaching.
6. Review, recalibrate yearly—and repeat!

Tone: Warm, direct, energetic, and seasoned with Dave’s signature humor and tactical analogies. The language is practical, story-driven, and rooted in real business grit.

Summary:
This episode is a powerful, no-fluff lesson in how intentional, written, and shared goal setting—combined with clear accountability and strategic review—transforms not just your numbers, but your leadership and business legacy.