Are you navigating division in your business or community? Dan Sullivan and Jeffrey Madoff explore how entrepreneurial thinking helps bridge the gap between opposing sides, keeps innovation moving, and fosters practical empathy. Learn how to find common ground, how to stay curious during challenging times, and why focusing on what you can control leads to real progress.

Show Notes:

American identity is complex, shaped more by shared beliefs than by politics.​

Deep divisions often go back generations, but most people want similar things: safety, health, and prosperity.​

Entrepreneurial thinking is about agency—owning your choices, not chasing quick money.​

Entrepreneurship is a patriotic act, showing belief in the country you’re in and its future.

The entrepreneurial journey is a lifetime commitment; few ever return to “normal” jobs.​

Genuine curiosity and empathy help bridge gaps between differing viewpoints.​

In many ways, being American feels almost like having a shared faith—it’s deep, personal, and instinctive.​

Americans define themselves by their nationality, while Canadians mostly just know they aren’t American; there’s less focus on a single national identity up north.

Informed, vigorous debate is healthier than shutting out people who disagree with you.​

Find common ground with others; sometimes, a practical approach gets the bills paid and the team moving forward.​

Agency and passion, not money, are what keep entrepreneurs motivated over the long haul.​

Challenging experiences build empathy, resilience, and a shared humanity among entrepreneurs.​

Resources:

Learn about Strategic Coach®

Learn about Jeffrey Madoff

Casting Not Hiring by Dan Sullivan and Jeffrey Madoff

Curious questions change everything, especially when hiring and building teams. Dan Sullivan and Jeffrey Madoff swap stories about how great conversations reveal true fit and why creating space for engagement and originality beats chasing predictability every time. Discover why the best teams are cast for creativity and growth, not just to fill a role.

Show Notes:

What makes a good conversationalist is what makes a good salesperson—curiosity that invites a real exchange.

The best salespeople don’t pitch; they ask questions that spark new thinking.

If candidates show up knowing the company and armed with questions, they instantly set themselves apart.

When people engage with you and the moment, they tend to show up fully in everything they do.

Seeing an owner enjoying their work is the best advertisement for joining a team.

If you’re hiring for predictability, you’re going to structure things in such a way that unpredictability can’t happen.

The best test for any team member: Would you hire them again, knowing everything you know now?

Context matters—people shine brightest when the environment is right for their talents.

Leadership happens where new capabilities are created, not from job titles or louder voices.

Resources:

Learn about Strategic Coach®

Learn about Jeffrey Madoff

Casting Not Hiring by Dan Sullivan and Jeffrey Madoff

Always Be The Buyer by Dan Sullivan

The Talent Delusion by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Growing Great Leadership by Dan Sullivan

The Impact Filter™

How much does your reputation influence your business outcomes? Jeffrey Madoff and Dan Sullivan explore why your reputation shapes every opportunity, why context matters most, and why the right feedback can uncover hidden talent. Discover essential strategies for building trust, setting your team up for success, and making every interaction count.

Show Notes:

Your reputation outlasts any project and shapes new opportunities across your entrepreneurial journey.

Being easy to deal with and having high standards are not mutually exclusive.

Your brand is not your logo or website; your brand is the reputation people share after working with you.

Context lets you know exactly how to perform in specific circumstances.

There's nothing more dangerous than winning with the wrong approach.

Positive word of mouth is the greatest conversion to scale.

We often confuse confidence with competence.

Talent is the right person placed in the right context where their unique skills can shine.

When people feel secure and informed, their best talents emerge and they perform at their highest level.

Transparent communication and clear plans make talented people feel valued and reduce the chance of problems down the line. People like to know what’s expected of them.

Life is a continuous negotiation, and progress is made by aligning your reasons with others.

Resources:

Casting Not Hiring by Dan Sullivan and Jeffrey Madoff

Learn about Dan Sullivan and Strategic Coach®

Learn about Jeffrey Madoff