What role should HR truly play inside organizations? Compliance police? Culture architects? Or trusted business partners? In this episode, Celeste Warren — Global HR and DEI leader, consultant, and author of The Truth About Equity — joins Sean to answer that question with 40 years of hard-won experience.

Celeste shares her journey from leading HR and DEI at Merck to launching her own consultancy, and explains why equity is not a “nice-to-have” but a core business strategy. We dig into how HR can become a force multiplier, what inclusive leadership looks like in practice, and why today’s leaders must learn to facilitate hard conversations in an increasingly polarized world.

If you’re leading people and shaping culture, this conversation gives you actionable strategies and a long-term playbook for equity that drives business results.

Main Topics & Timestamps

• [00:39] Celeste’s career journey — from Merck to launching her own practice
• [04:50] Why HR isn’t compliance police — it’s a strategic partner
• [09:29] The CEO–CHRO partnership and how culture flows from the top
• [14:23] Building influence as an HR leader — business acumen and persuasion
• [23:35] Why Celeste wrote The Truth About Equity — and why DEI is under attack
• [27:36] The pendulum swings: social activism, backlash, and the speed of change
• [35:58] HR’s role in building inclusive policies and guiding hard conversations
• [43:24] Why facilitating productive dialogue is now a core leadership skill
• [44:49] Where to find Celeste’s book, consulting, and YouTube channel

Links

• Celeste's website: crwdiversity.com
• Book: The Truth About Equity — Amazon link
• Celeste’s YouTube: Celeste Warren Equity
• Connect on LinkedIn: Celeste Warren
• Subscribe to Sean’s newsletter: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

What if you could actually predict whether a business will succeed or fail? After analyzing over 150 companies, today’s guest uncovered the single practice that separates thriving businesses from those that stall out.

In this episode of the No Limit Leadership Podcast, Sean Patton sits down with Eli Portnoy — serial entrepreneur, 8-figure founder, CEO of BackEngine.ai
, and Harvard Business School instructor. Eli has built and sold multiple companies, and now he’s sharing his hard-earned lessons on leadership, iteration, and feedback.

You’ll hear how fatherhood shaped his leadership style, why feedback loops are the ultimate predictor of business success, and how speed always beats perfection when scaling a company. Whether you’re leading a startup or a growing team, this episode will help you rethink how to build environments where people thrive and growth accelerates.

⏱ Episode Topics & Timestamps

• 00:00 — The #1 predictor of business success
• 01:20 — Eli’s journey: 8-figure exits & Harvard teaching
• 02:00 — Leadership lessons from fatherhood
• 05:14 — Evolving leadership style from rookie manager to adaptive leader
• 08:48 — Tools & tactics for uncovering employee strengths
• 13:08 — Building internal feedback loops that drive growth
• 19:31 — Research findings: 150 SaaS companies & external feedback
• 22:36 — Tactical playbook: CEO calls, feedback owners, and weekly insights
• 29:16 — Frameworks for speed, iteration, and innovation
• 35:40 — Inside BackEngine.ai: AI-powered customer feedback
• 41:14 — The future of AI in leadership over the next 5 years
• 43:37 — Eli’s weekly leadership practice for clarity & accountability

🔗 Connect with Eli Portnoy

• Website: BackEngine.ai
  
  
• LinkedIn: Eli Portnoy
  
  

📩 Subscribe to Sean’s Leadership Newsletter: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

What if your leadership didn’t stop when your career ended—or even when your life did?
In this powerful episode of No Limit Leadership, Sean Patton sits down with Justin Maxwell, a values-driven entrepreneur, advisor, and father of four who helps leaders create generational wealth and legacy. Together, they explore how leadership extends far beyond boardrooms and balance sheets into the most important places—your home, your family, and your future.

Justin reveals why most successful business owners unintentionally abdicate leadership to financial advisors, and how to flip the script by leading every domain of your life with clarity and intention. From building a family mission statement to redefining wealth as impact rather than consumption, this conversation is a roadmap for anyone who wants to create a legacy that endures.

If you want more than success—if you want significance—this episode will show you how to start leading beyond your lifetime.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• [00:54] Fatherhood and leadership – How raising four kids reshaped Justin’s rigid leadership style into one rooted in connection and growth.
• [07:25] Thinking generationally – Why most families fall into a boom-and-bust cycle, and how to create momentum that compounds across generations.
• [13:30] Leading your family like a business – Using values, mission statements, and culture to intentionally shape your family legacy.
• [19:39] Business success vs. personal wealth – Why many entrepreneurs thrive in business but fail to translate it into generational wealth.
• [23:05] Stop abdicating responsibility – How to lead your advisors instead of being led by them.
• [24:55] The 5 Keys framework – Justin’s system for defining your vision, setting priorities, and holding advisors accountable.
• [39:38] Aligning spouses and families – Practical ways to create shared vision and values that unite your household.
• [42:05] Applying leadership in all areas of life – Why holistic leadership is the only way to achieve fulfillment and impact.
• [43:21] Avoiding the “what’s next?” trap – A cautionary story of a nine-figure exit gone wrong and how to prevent it.

Connect with Justin Maxwell

• LinkedIn: Justin D Maxwell
• Speaking: https://justindmaxwell.com/
• https://x.com/justindmaxwell
  Instagram= @maxweatlh_preserve

Stay Connected with Sean Patton

• Subscribe to the No Limit Leadership Newsletter for weekly leadership insights: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.