The partnership looked strong on paper. High volume. Big dollar figure. A sales leader confident enough to move it forward. But the product team knew the call would pull the company away from its roadmap. They talked about it with each other.
They just didn't have enough political capital to make the concern reach the person making the decision. Six months later, the contract was canceled and the roadmap was delayed by at least two years.
Petar Kralev has spent his career inside organizations where the signal exists but doesn't always reach the room where the real call gets made. This episode is about what that looks like before anything visibly breaks — and what it costs when people know something is wrong but don't say it loudly enough to matter.
Petar Kralev: ⁠mirror360.org⁠ | LinkedIn | Substack
Joe Steele: ⁠joesteele.com⁠
If you recognized something in this episode — ⁠joesteele.com⁠. Follow Decision State on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
00:00 — When the dashboard looks right
00:18 — The partnership that cost two years
02:44 — Building Mirror 360 03:17 — How information gets filtered
04:56 — Leaders who may not want visibility
06:00 — Clean signals vs people signals
07:11 — Screaming into the void 09:53 — Why no company is exempt
10:33 — When alignment is only surface-level
13:26 — Smart people, incomplete information
14:57 — Trying to raise the concern
16:12 — When politics shapes the call
18:11 — Reading between the lines
19:31 — Early mistakes building the company
21:03 — How he tries to avoid the same pattern
24:01 — Where to find Petar

Most hiring decisions don't fail immediately. The candidate checks out. The process is clean. The client signs off. And then something small goes sideways — sometimes eight months later.

Darren Tompkins runs a multi-division recruiting firm with no debt, no office, and no outside capital, placing people into engineering, construction, and data-center projects where a wrong read has consequences on both sides. This conversation is about what it actually costs to make judgment calls about people for a living — and what happens when the placement that looked clean turned out it wasn't.

Darren Tompkins — Vader-Rey

Companies vaderrey.com

LinkedIn: Darren Tompkins

If you recognized something in this episode — joesteele.com.

Chapters
00:00 — When decisions start to stack
00:30 — What the day actually looks like

00:45 — Why you can't turn it off

01:16 — When a placement goes wrong

02:11 — High-stakes hiring decisions

03:20 — Army vs business pressure

05:26 — What looks easier than it is

06:32 — When hiring decisions fail

09:02 — A different kind of hard

10:39 — Building without debt

12:59 — Slow seasons and pressure cycles

14:54 — When the work doesn't stop

16:46 — AI and hiring decisions

21:06 — Losing a client

23:18 — Where to connect

Most leadership mistakes don’t look like mistakes in the moment.
They feel necessary.
In this conversation, Laurent Cohen reflects on what happens when hiring decisions speed up under pressure — and how intuition gets quietly overridden as momentum builds.

Drawing from 30+ years of building companies across Europe, the U.S., and Israel, he describes how judgment narrows, why teams stop pushing back, and how leaders end up fixing decisions that once felt completely right.

This episode isn’t about hiring frameworks.
It’s about what changes internally — before anything breaks.

Learn more about GetOblic
https://getoblic.com
If you’ve had to fix decisions that felt right at the time → https://joesteele.com

Chapters
00:00 — The decision that didn’t feel wrong (cold open)
00:11 — Where expensive decisions actually hide
00:40 — When hiring starts to speed up
02:01 — Why trust, not technology, becomes the constraint
03:00 — The shift toward problem solvers
04:11 — Confusing speed with clarity
05:18 — When the cost hasn’t shown up yet
05:57 — Measuring performance vs reading people
06:35 — How AI is changing the workforce
07:35 — The mistake of treating employees like family
08:48 — Why everything is one-on-one
09:34 — Daily signals and control
10:08 — Open access and no barriers
10:29 — Why intuition still drives hiring
12:26 — Reading body language over listening
13:23 — Knowing in the first 15 minutes
14:06 — When a hire looks right but isn’t
15:44 — What’s missing matters more than what’s said
16:08 — Getting locked into decisions
17:30 — Protecting time for your team
18:29 — Expanding across cultures
20:01 — Why in-office matters
20:33 — When to stop second guessing
22:00 — Building something that actually becomes a business
24:28 — The decisions that feel finished

Decision State explores how leadership judgment changes under sustained responsibility — often before results reflect it.

Most senior leaders don’t burn out dramatically.
Performance continues. Teams deliver. Outcomes hold.

But decision quality can quietly shift.

This show looks at how pressure influences clarity, timing, interpretation, and risk assessment over time — especially in demanding seasons where responsibility doesn’t reset.

Through conversations with founders, operators, and experienced leaders, Decision State examines patterns most people recognize but rarely name.

This isn’t a wellness podcast.
It’s not productivity advice.
And it isn’t performance coaching.

It’s a lens on decision-making under pressure — and why recognizing subtle shifts early protects long-term leadership quality.

If this resonates, Decision State is also delivered as a private executive briefing:

How Pressure Changes Judgment — Before It Shows in Results.

In this dynamic episode, host Joe Steele chats with Mark Wonderlin, the CEO and Founder of Austin-based Mosaic Media Films, to explore the art of video for brands and businesses. The episode dives into Mark's expertise in video marketing and how he helps businesses convert passive audiences into engaged customers. Mark shares his journey of building Mosaic Media Films, the strategies behind crafting compelling video content, and the key elements that drive viewers to take action. Whether you're a business owner, marketer, or content creator, this episode offers valuable insights into the power of video marketing and practical tips for boosting conversions through engaging visual storytelling.

00:00 - Introduction

01:35 - Mark’s Path to Entrepreneurship

03:15 - Video is the Trend

05:50 - Why Austin

08:00 - Tapping the Local Market

09:45 - Gathering the Gear to Start

12:00 - Turning Viewers Into Buyers

14:20 - Growing the Client Base

15:30 - Building a Video Success System

21:00 - Hands on Clients

23:10 - Building Your Own Brand

24:50 - The Right People in the Right Seat

28:30 - A Week in the Life for Mark

30:40 - Avoiding Burnout

34:00 - Clarity & Focus

36:40 - Advice for Longevity in Business

39:05 - Connect with Mark & Mosaic

Show Resources:

mosaicmediafilms.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/markwonderlin/

Get Joe’s Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Investing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YrkcRDMxHZgJl5WUfJ4HEUZBWHM4twWx/view?usp=drive_link⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, host Joe Steele interviews Lindy Nowak, the founder and CEO of UpinaDay.co, to uncover the secret to standing out in a crowded marketplace: exceptional service. This episode explores how Lindy built her business on the foundation of providing unparalleled customer service and delivering rapid, high-quality results. Lindy shares her journey from launching UpinaDay.co, a company that specializes in building websites in just one day, to becoming a leader in her industry. She discusses the importance of understanding client needs, exceeding expectations, and how a service-first approach has driven her company's success. Whether you're an entrepreneur or a service professional, this episode offers valuable lessons on the power of service in creating a lasting business impact. 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - The Inspiration Behind Up in a Day 06:30 - Service is the Distinction 09:35 - Evaluating the Risk 13:15 - Bootstrap Funding 14:25 - Building a Client Base 17:20 - Biggest Challenges 20:15 - Overcoming Seasonality 22:00 - Hiring the Right People 23:45 - What Lindy Would Have Done Differently 25:20 - Time Management 26:45 - Up in a Day’s Corporate Growth 29:15 - Marketing Strategies 32:45 - Building a Community 36:05 - Pivotal Moments 37:00 - Change One Thing? 37:55 - What’s Next for Up In a Day 40:15 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 42:35 - Connecting with Lindy Show Resources: https://upinaday.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindy-nowak/ Get Joe’s Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Investing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YrkcRDMxHZgJl5WUfJ4HEUZBWHM4twWx/view?usp=drive_link⁠⁠⁠

In this engaging episode of Experience Curve, host Joe Steele sits down with Manu Venditti, a seasoned linguist and founder of Italy Made Easy, to explore the fascinating world of language learning. The episode delves into Manu's belief that everyone has the potential to become a skilled linguist. Manu shares his journey of mastering multiple languages, the techniques he uses to help others do the same, and how understanding language can enhance communication and cultural connections. Whether you're a language enthusiast or just curious about the art of communication, this episode offers valuable insights into the power of language and how we can all tap into our innate linguistic abilities. 00:00 - Introduction 02:00 - Growing Up in Italy 03:50 - Choosing Languages 08:00 - Italian Dialects 10:30 - Moving Down Under 11:35 - Building up Italy Made Easy 13:25 - In Front of the Camera 17:00 - Comparative Linguistics 18:30 - Course Presale 21:30 - Building a Team 24:45 - Injecting Personality into the Lessons 25:45 - Manu’s Approach to Language Learning 32:00 - A Safe Place to Try 33:15 - Italy Inspired 35:15 - A Day in Manu’s Life 37:10 - Manu’s Favorite Spot in Italy 39:00 - No Regrets 42:45 - Connect with Manu Show Resources: Italymadeeasy.com/ www.youtube.com/@italymadeeasy Get Joe’s Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Investing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YrkcRDMxHZgJl5WUfJ4HEUZBWHM4twWx/view?usp=drive_link⁠⁠⁠

In this insightful episode of Experience Curve, host Joe Steele interviews Sean Tepper, the savvy entrepreneur and Founder of Tykr, to discuss the critical process of finding product-market fit. We delve into Sean’s experiences and strategies for aligning products with market needs. Sean shares his journey of trial and error, the lessons learned in honing his offerings, and how staying focused on the right niche can lead to long-term success. Whether you're launching a startup or refining an existing product, this episode provides actionable insights into achieving product-market fit and navigating the challenges along the way.

00:00 - Introduction

00:40 - Origin Story

05:05 - Finding a Unique Value

06:10 - Staying in the Swim Lane

09:20 - Bootstrap Funding

10:30 - How the Pandemic Affected Launch

12:25 - Product Market Fit

14:30 - An Ethical Spy

16:05 - What I Would Have Done

18:35 - Charting the Growth

21:55 - Where are Your Customers Hanging Out

25:30 - Building a Team

30:15 - The Defining Moment

34:45 - Do That Which Generates Revenue First

36:50 - Essential Tools

39:50 - Rethinking Patnerships

41:15 - What’s Next for Tykr

43:50 - Advice for Starting Your Own Business

45:50 - Connect with Sean

Show Resources:

tykr.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/seantepper/

Get Joe’s Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Investing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YrkcRDMxHZgJl5WUfJ4HEUZBWHM4twWx/view?usp=drive_link⁠⁠⁠