If you're listening to this in mid-January, you may recognize this moment. You set goals. You clarified priorities. You stepped into the year with intention. And now… you're back in meetings. Back in execution. Back in the reality that can quietly pull you away from what mattered most just weeks ago.

In this solo episode, Mark explores why January is not a motivation problem — it's an alignment moment. As the noise increases and familiar patterns re-emerge, leaders often begin to drift. Not because they lack discipline or drive, but because something deeper has gone quiet. That "something" is Belief and Identity — two fundamentals at the core of Ultimate Performance.

In this episode, Mark breaks down:

—Why early January is about possibility, but mid-January tests what truly holds

—How belief shapes where you're going — and why it often fades under pressure

—Why identity determines behavior when things get hard

—How leaders unintentionally operate from outdated identities

—A practical re-anchoring reset you can use right now

Mark also shares a personal example from his own training journey, illustrating how identity — not goals alone — sustains performance when motivation dips.

If January feels heavier than expected, this episode offers a grounded reminder: you may not be off track — you may just need to re-anchor who you're being.

If this resonated, share it with a leader who might be quietly drifting and could benefit from a moment of clarity.

Thanks for listening to Connecting with Purpose.

Learn more - PurposeFused: https://www.purposefused.com/

Mark Griffin: / markgriffinpurposefused

In this episode of Connecting with Purpose, Mark Griffin sits down with Keith Bearden, CEO of Alter Eco Foods—the company behind some of the cleanest, greenest (and frankly, most addictive) chocolate bars, truffles, granola, and quinoa on the planet.

Keith shares how a childhood shaped by a small Tennessee farm and a grandfather who quietly practiced servant leadership set the foundation for a career defined by courage, empathy, and impact. From becoming Dow Chemical's youngest expat in Antwerp, to walking away from executive roles that no longer aligned with his integrity, to eventually leading Alter Eco and championing regenerative agriculture, Keith has consistently chosen purpose over comfort.

You'll hear Keith and Mark explore:

—The three "magic moments" that shaped Keith's leadership philosophy

—How courage, empathy, and adventure have guided his biggest career decisions —What it feels like to hit the performance precipice and how to navigate out of empty achievement

—How consulting and entrepreneurship helped him clarify his true purpose

—Why regenerative agriculture, dynamic agroforestry, and fair trade are non-negotiable for Alter Eco

—The real-world headwinds of building an impact-led CPG brand in today's economic and political climate

—How consumers can "vote with their dollars" and move entire industries toward sustainability

If you're a founder, executive, or purpose-driven leader wrestling with big decisions and how to grow your impact without losing yourself in the process—this conversation offers both a reality check and a roadmap.

📌 If this episode resonates, help more leaders find it:

—Like the video

—Subscribe to our channel: @connectingwithpurpose-est2021

—Share it with a leader who's questioning what success really means

Connect with Keith Bearden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bearden-736821/

And if you're ready to go deeper into aligning performance with humanity, explore more conversations, tools, and resources from PurposeFused:https://www.purposefused.com/

@PurposeDrivenLeadership, @LeadershipWithPurpose, @IdentityAndImpact, @LeadershipTransformation, @HighPerformanceLeadership, @PurposeAtWork, @LeadingWithClarity, @ImpactDrivenLeaders, @LeadershipJourney

As we step into a new year, most leaders are refining goals, strategies, and growth plans. But beneath all of that sits something far more fundamental — and far less discussed.

Belief. and Identity.

In this solo episode, Mark Griffin explores the quiet foundations of Ultimate Performance and why so many founders and senior leaders feel growing pressure even when the business is succeeding.

Drawing from his work with growth-stage founders, CEOs, and leadership teams, Mark unpacks:

—Why belief is not optimism or motivation, but a decision grounded in purpose

—How outdated leadership identities quietly become constraints as complexity grows

—The difference between confidence and clarity — and why clarity is what actually drives performance

—How conviction and commitment show up behaviorally, not aspirationally

This conversation is for leaders who sense they're approaching an inflection point — where effort alone is no longer the answer, and alignment inside the leader must precede alignment across the organization. Ultimate Performance isn't about doing more. It's about coherence — belief, identity, and action working together under pressure.

In this episode, we explore how leaders can move from pressure to clarity to sustainable, scalable impact. Many founders hit what I call the Performance Precipice—when pressure outpaces clarity, effort drains energy, and success no longer feels fulfilling.

I break down the Ultimate Performance System, a human operating framework that helps leaders shift from Empty Achiever to Purpose-Anchored Performer, and build teams capable of scaling without breaking.

If you're preparing for a big 2026, navigating growth strain, or ready to shift from effort → impact, this episode is for you. Listen on your favorite podcast platform or via the link in the comments.

#UltimatePerformance #Leadership #ScalingWithPurpose #FounderLife #ExecutiveCoaching #PurposeFused #HighPerformanceLeadership #EmptyAchiever #PerformancePrecipice

In this solo episode, Mark explores one of the most important — and misunderstood — challenges facing founders, CEOs, and high-performance leaders today:
How do you sustain elite performance without burning out… and build teams and cultures that do the same?

Drawing from PurposeFused's Ultimate Performance methodology, elite sport principles, and real patterns from growth-stage companies, Mark breaks down the three layers of sustainable performance:

1. The Leader's Performance Engine — why you can't outperform an empty tank

2. Anti-Fragile Teams — moving beyond resilience to teams that grow through pressure

3. System-Level Rhythm — how organizations protect and renew energy at scale

Whether you're leading a fast-growing company, managing a team through rapid change, or simply feeling the strain of high-expectation leadership, this episode gives you a clear, practical path forward.

🔵 Leaders:

• Recovery is a leadership skill, not a reward

• Load management beats workload management

• Energy → capacity → clarity → impact

🟣 Teams:

• Anti-fragility = the next level beyond resilience

• Teams grow stronger when pressure is processed, not ignored

• GC Index alignment helps direct energy to its highest-impact source

🔶 Organization:

• Burnout is a system issue, not a personal failing

• Rhythms create stability: weekly → monthly → quarterly → annual cycles

• Sustainable cultures protect energy to preserve performance

1. Where is your performance engine leaking energy?

2. Where is your team experiencing strain instead of growth?

3. Where does your organization need rhythm to prevent burnout?

Learn more about the Ultimate Performance approach: PurposeFused.com
Follow Mark on LinkedIn for weekly leadership, team, and performance insights.