On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson speaks with Tom Galido—5x founder, 3x CEO, and heart transplant survivor—about what it really takes to scale businesses and survive life-altering adversity. From collapsing in the CEO seat to rebooting his life during COVID lockdown, Tom shares raw truths about operational risk, startup culture traps, and why resilience is the most undervalued trait in business.

Challenge → A life-threatening heart condition hit just as Tom was leading a turnaround—forcing him to balance hospital stays with board meetings, succession planning, and shielding his kids from fear.

Adaptation → Tom handed off leadership with grace, rebuilt his strength through disciplined recovery, and returned to the trenches—taking another company through rapid growth while uncovering hidden risks others had missed.

Success → A thriving second act as an advisor, novelist, and operator—helping founders scale smarter, raise capital cleaner, and avoid the landmines buried in HR, culture, and leadership.

🔥 60-Second Hot Seat: Tom shares why most startup cultures self-destruct without early intentionality, how founder health and isolation kill more companies than competition, and why MBA programs don’t teach you how to survive 100+ heartbeats per minute while running a board meeting. His top advice? Build networks before you need them—and write your story while you still can.

Think you're under pressure? Tom's comeback will make you rethink resilience, leadership—and what it truly means to live.

Visit ADAPTorDIEpod.com for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs.

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https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson/

On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Bill Weathersby, 8-time founder and Chairman of Next Stage Trajectory. Bill shares raw, battle-tested lessons from 40+ years of building, scaling, and selling founder-led businesses—offering sharp insight into when to fire a salesperson, how to accelerate go-to-market without a perfect product, and why “success starts with knowing your walk-off number.”

Challenge → Hiring top sales talent with <50% success rate, balancing speed vs. perfection, and recovering from betting his family’s net worth—and losing.

Adaptation → Instituted a 2-quarter sales cut-off policy, prioritized market share over product polish, and reframed failure as fuel with the support of his wife after personal bankruptcy.

Success → Led six companies to $20M+ in revenue, helped generate $500M+ in M&A value, and now coaches founders scaling from $1.5M to $15M with 14 partners across the US and UK.

🔥 60-Second Hot Seat:
Red flag? Founders too slow to market. Best leaders? Humble team builders. Biggest myth? “Capital is easy.” Most needed question? “What’s your walk-off number?” Best advice he never wanted? “Don’t let failure define you.”

If you're stuck between grit and growth—or ready to scale but unsure how—Bill’s blueprint is your wake-up call. Listen now, take notes, and trim the dead weight.

Connect with Bill:
🌐 nextstagetrajectory.com
🔗 LinkedIn

Visit ADAPTorDIEpod.com for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs.

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
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On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Rick Williams—physicist-turned-CEO, board advisor, and author of the Amazon #1 best-seller Create the Future. With decades of cross-industry leadership experience, Rick distills a lifetime of insight into one radical premise: Success is a choice. From boardrooms that fear dissent to entrepreneurs climbing toward irrational dreams, this conversation delivers a masterclass in intentional decision-making.

Challenge → Leaders often make decisions in a vacuum—disconnected from long-term impact and driven by conformity, not clarity. Too many let business plans collect dust and call luck a strategy.

Adaptation → Rick developed a five-step method from his book Create the Future, prompting leaders to define what success actually looks like—before they chase it. With the mindset that “you can change the outcome with the choices you make today,” he urges executives to lead with conviction, clarity, and courage.

Success → From startup pivots to seasoned boards, Rick’s philosophy now shapes thousands through speaking engagements, a 50,000-subscriber newsletter, and a bestselling playbook for high-stakes decision-making. His message: choose boldness, define success, and climb your mountain—no matter how irrational it may seem.

🔥 60-Second Hot Seat

Rick flags conformity as the biggest boardroom trap and stands by one rule: lead with your values. He recommends The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and says writing Create the Future was his most defining decision. Favorite leadership quote? Don’t give up the ship.

Ready to create the future, not just drift into it? Rick’s framework and mindset will help you lead with purpose—and make decisions that count.

Visit ADAPTorDIEpod.com for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs.

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson/