The Executive Podcast

Her father called her into his office and asked one question: “What would happen if you were CEO tomorrow?”Sabrina Parsons had an answer. “Great,” he told her. “You’re going to be CEO tomorrow.”The title changed overnight. Earning the company’s trust did not. Sabrina took over Palo Alto Software, the company her father founded, and gave it a direction that was visibly hers: moving the business from boxed software to software as a service.That meant changing the product, the economics, the talent, and eventually parts of the team. It also gave people something new to follow.In this episode of The Executive, Sabrina and I talk about:Asking for the future you want without turning it into an ultimatumReplacing an inherited operating vision with one you genuinely ownMaking the people decisions a transformation requiresRespecting the person without lowering the standard for the workNever asking someone to do something you would refuse to do yourselfThis is not a conversation about getting the title.It is about what happens the morning after.rsation offers a practical and honest look at leadership beyond theory—focused on execution, ownership, and building something that lasts.🔗 Resources mentionedPalo Alto Software: https://www.paloalto.comLivePlan (business planning tool): https://www.liveplan.comBplans (free business resources): https://www.bplans.com🔗 Work with Dr. Benjamin Ritter https://liveforyourselfconsulting.com

Money was never the problem. Joan DiFuria has spent 25 years inside some of the wealthiest families in the world, and the pattern repeats: the wealth arrives, and the harder questions begin. During the tech boom, she watched 25-year-olds walk into her office with more money than they ever imagined and no idea what their purpose was. She coined the term for it: Sudden Wealth Syndrome.In this episode of The Executive Podcast, Dr. Benjamin Ritter sits down with the co-founder of the Money, Meaning & Choices Institute to explore why wealth so often produces shame, guilt, and confusion before it produces freedom. Joan shares the difference between personalized power and socialized power in leadership, why emotional intelligence is becoming job security in the age of AI, and how meaning shifts across the stages of a life. She also explains why advisors kill the process the moment they jump to strategy, and offers the deceptively simple question she uses to cut through decades of noise: what is most important to you today, and why.This conversation is for executives, family business leaders, and anyone who has achieved what they set out to achieve and still feels like something is missing. The answer is not more. The answer is knowing what actually matters to you, and having the courage to keep asking why until you hit it.

What separates a service business that survives AI from one that gets replaced by it? Brian Weiner has spent nearly 30 years advising entrepreneurs and family enterprises through the kind of decisions most people will never face, and he's clear about the answer: heart. The problem is, most firms don't know how to hire for it, train for it, or protect it.In this conversation, Brian and Dr. Benjamin Ritter dig into what leadership actually looks like when your clients are some of the most demanding people on the planet. They cover why large institutions are losing high-net-worth clients to community banks, what "slow to hire, quick to fire" really means in practice, why Brian has walked away from meaningful-revenue clients to protect his team, and how leadership presence has nothing to do with the title on your door. Brian also shares why he believes philanthropy is one of the most underused tools for keeping families together across generations.If you lead a demanding business, manage a high-performing team, or care about building a culture that doesn't get eroded by the people you serve, this episode is worth your time. Brian doesn't speak in abstractions. He's lived it.Connect with Brian at familyofficegp.com

What if the inner work you've been avoiding is the exact thing standing between you and the leader you're capable of becoming? Scott Britton built and sold a startup to Salesforce, wrote a book called Conscious Accomplishment, and still found himself asking why he'd done it all and what he was really chasing. That question changed everything.In this conversation, Scott and Dr. Benjamin Ritter explore the false tension between self-discovery and professional achievement. Scott makes a compelling case that introspection doesn't detract from performance, it expands it.They get into what happens when a leader's external circumstances shift and their old strategies stop working, why high-performers often suppress the very awareness that could elevate them, and how embracing fear and anxiety (rather than managing them away) leads to the kind of clarity that no productivity system can produce. Scott also shares how his own path through meditation and plant medicine unfolded over eight years, not as a shortcut, but as a response to real life.If you're someone who has hit the milestones and still feels like something's missing, or if you've written off inner work as soft or beside the point, this episode will meet you where you are. Scott's perspective is practical, grounded, and earned and this conversation is a direct challenge to the idea that self-leadership is separate from real-world results.Connect with Scott Britton @ https://blog.scottbritton.me/book - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTDKPT14?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jscottbritton/conscious talent - https://www.conscioustalent.com/podcast - https://podcast.scottbritton.me/ X - https://x.com/britton

Cory Geffre is a healthcare executive, author, and speaker on a mission to help highly engaged leaders become their best, so they can help their organizations achieve operational excellence as well helping them improve quality, experience, and sustainability.Drawing from his three decades of healthcare experience, Cory has developed three frameworks he uses and teaches. They are: The Framework for Leadership Success, The Framework for Operational Excellence and The Framework for Clinical Distinction. Geffre has used these frameworks to guide numerous organizations (both inside and outside of healthcare) grow leaders, improve operations, and deliver high quality.Cory currently works as an Executive Vice President of Hospital Operations & Chief Nursing Officer as well as recently authored the book “Lead Your People – A Framework for Leadership Success”. Find out more about Cory at: www.corygeffre.comand connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corygeffre/

In this episode, I sit down with Steve McGarry, CEO of Rosaluna Mezcal, to explore what it really takes to build a brand people believe in, from its roots in the agave fields of Oaxaca to its rapidly growing presence across the U.S. and beyond.Steve shares his leadership philosophy shaped through decades in hospitality, distribution, and brand building. We talk about the power of curiosity, the importance of the apprenticeship mindset, and how to make the right leadership decisions when you're responsible for growing both people and a brand.We also dive into Rosaluna’s incredible heritage:A sixth-generation mezcaleroA family lineage dating back to 1750A single-estate, vertically integrated production modelThe sustainable practices that earned Rosaluna the “Distintivo Verde" CertificationWhy their lightly smoked, citrus-forward mezcal is redefining the categoryIf you're a leader, founder, or someone navigating your own growth journey, this conversation is packed with insights on culture, hiring, belief, and building something that lasts.What We CoverThe mindset shift from “I want it now” to meaningful career masteryHow to hire people who actually believe what your organization believesThe real cost of keeping the wrong people in the wrong seatsWhy culture gets threatened — and how to protect itRosaluna’s unique process, history, and sustainability commitmentsWhat leaders can learn from a brand built on heritage and craftAbout RosalunaRosaluna is a single-estate, handcrafted mezcal rooted in six generations of tradition. Their proprietary roasting process, Capón agave, and deep sustainability practices create a stunning, citrus-forward mezcal loved by bartenders and fans around the world.👉 Try Rosaluna Mezcal or find it near you: https://mezcalrosaluna.com/

High performers are taught to keep score: more tasks, more wins, more doing. But what if better leadership, and a better life, starts with being? In this conversation, Ben is joined by Tom Feegel (CEO & co-founder of BEOND) to unpack the shift from “human doing” to “human being” and how that mindset transforms executives, teams, and clinical care.They explore practical ways leaders can model presence and vulnerability without sacrificing excellence; why “science, but not more than compassion” guides BEOND’s care model; and how simple daily rituals (like a 10-minute gratitude meditation) create trust, connection, and durable performance. Tom also shares how psychedelic-assisted therapy with ibogaine is used in a clinically rigorous setting to support healing and growth—and what leaders can learn from that approach even outside healthcare.In this episode:Human Doing → Human Being: redefining success beyond scorekeepingConfidence, fear, and the permission to be vulnerable as an executiveRituals that anchor culture: meditation, gratitude, and shared storytelling“Science—but not more than compassion”: data, protocols, and humanity working togetherBen’s “tree-hugging break,” flow states, and finding meaning in the workA simple relationship challenge: swap phones at dinner to be fully presentNote: This episode discusses psychedelic-assisted therapy in a professional, medically supervised context. It is not medical advice.Find out more at: https://beondibogaine.com/

Henrik Johansson is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Gembah, a product development platform and marketplace. He previously co-founded and built Boundless, which became a $100 million leader in the promotional products space.As CEO of Gembah, he aims to help entrepreneurs and small businesses navigate the product creation process, offering services from research and design to manufacturing. Gembah focuses on democratizing product creation, providing a comprehensive platform for e-commerce sellers and small businesses to develop and market their products effectively.Check on Gembah | Connect with Henrik on LinkedIn and listen to the episode for his direct email!

Bryan Myers is the President & Chief Executive Officer for [solidcore] and is an active [solidcore] Coach. In his role as CEO, Bryan is responsible for all aspects of delivering business performance, including [solidcore]’s national footprint growth and building a strong, inclusive community of clients and employees.Prior to joining the [solidcore] team in 2018, Bryan was a member of the leadership team of sweetgreen, the national leader in the healthy fast casual category. He joined sweetgreen in 2014 and, over the course of 4 years, wore many hats as he helped the company grow from a regional chain of 20 restaurants to almost 100 locations nationally. Bryan began his career as a consultant for The Boston Consulting Group, providing strategic advice on topics of growth, organizational design, and operational transformation.When Bryan isn’t sweating it out under the blue lights, you can find him immersed in the performing arts and attending shows at the many, amazing performance venues in the DC area. Bryan is also passionate about finding ways to give back to the community and serves in several advisory and mentorship capacities – with a particular focus on traditionally marginalized communities.In 2023, Bryan was recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Mid-Atlantic Award Winner. He has also been nominated for and won several awards from the Washington Business Journal, including the Growth Award as a part of its CEO of the Year celebration in 2023. Bryan has also been featured as a speaker at national events, on podcasts, on television, and was featured in the March 2023 issue of Essence Magazine. Follow Bryan on -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bmysoflyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmysofly/And find the closest [solidcore] studio near you: https://solidcore.co/

Thom Singer is a keynote speaker, business relationship strategist, and the creator of The H.I. (Human Interaction) Blueprint™; a five-step framework for building intentional connections in a world transformed by artificial intelligence. As CEO of the Austin Technology Council, Thom sits at the intersection of innovation and human interaction, helping leaders and teams rediscover the power of trust, collaboration, and community.For over 18 years, Thom has spoken to audiences at over 1,000 events, from corporate meetings and legal industry summits to major association conferences. His mission is simple: to remind professionals that all opportunities come from people, and that even in a digitally dominated world, real success still hinges on meaningful relationships.His work focuses on creating Uncommon Connections that drive business outcomes, deepen team engagement, and elevate the attendee experience. Thom doesn’t just deliver speeches, he sets the tone for events. His engaging style, humor, and actionable insights have made him a favorite opening keynote for meeting planners who care about energizing their audiences and fostering connection.Thom’s belief in relationship-building started early. His first job as a busboy at the Big Yellow House Restaurant in Southern California taught him the value of adapting to people’s needs and showing up in service of others. That lesson stuck and continues to inform how he shows up for clients, colleagues, and communities today.He is the author of 12 books on networking, sales, presentation skills, and business relationships. His podcast, “Making Waves at C-Level,” features conversations with entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders on how human connection shapes leadership and innovation.Thom is also a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a designation earned by fewer than 10% of professional speakers worldwide. He’s the creator of the Conference Catalyst™, a unique program that transforms passive audiences into active participants, turning events into connection-rich experiences.A believer in lifelong growth, Thom lives by the motto “Try New Things.” After decades of being a self-described couch potato, he became a distance runner, discovered a love of nature, and now regularly performs at stand-up comedy open mics… proving it’s never too late to stretch outside your comfort zone.Whether he’s keynoting a conference, hosting a podcast, or helping a company connect better from the inside out, Thom Singer delivers more than a message – he sparks a movement around Human Interaction (H.I.) in an AI World.Find out more at: https://thomsinger.com/