What separates a good leader from a great one? My guest today says it comes down to how well you communicate—and how deeply you understand the people you're leading.

Dr. Dana Ñkaña is a business strategist, trainer, and columnist for Aftermarket Business World who has spent decades helping aftermarket suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors build stronger leaders and healthier organizations.

Dr. Ñkaña breaks down what emotionally intelligent leadership actually looks like in practice, and why the ability to communicate with clarity and empathy isn't a soft skill—it's the skill that determines whether a leader succeeds or fails.

He built 14 stores. Then he sold 10 of them—one by one—during one of the toughest economic downturns in modern history.

In Fearless to Courageous, James Baxter reveals the sleepless nights, payroll fears, and hard leadership decisions that reshaped his company—and why focusing on four strong stores made him more profitable than ever before.

If you’re an entrepreneur navigating growth, succession, or tough calls about the future of your business, this episode delivers real-world insight on vision, culture, and the courage it takes to right the ship.

Imagine collecting 828 used batteries in four hours — from a drive-thru. My guest today helped make that happen. Joel Brady is vice president of marketing and communications at East Penn Manufacturing, one of the most recognized names in lead battery production and recycling.

On April 25, East Penn held its first-ever Power2Recycle drive-thru battery return event in Lyon Station, Pennsylvania — and the response blew away every expectation. Joel talks about what it took to pull off a community event of that scale, why lead battery recycling matters more than most people realize, and what East Penn is doing to make responsible disposal easier for everyday consumers.