In this episode of Nuts and Bolts of Leadership, Billy Duren sits down with Matthew Collins, CEO of Heritage Aviation, to explore an inspiring path from frontline service technician to the top of the company. They talk through the real challenges and lessons that come with rising through the ranks, why developing other leaders matters so much, and how authentic leadership plus accountability shape the culture of a business.

Matthew Collins explains what an FBO (Fixed Base Operator) is and how Heritage Aviation delivers critical services for private, commercial, and military aircraft. He stresses the nonnegotiable need for high safety standards and describes how the company invites employees to speak up about mistakes without fear. The conversation draws a clear line between honest mistakes and reckless behavior.

The episode also covers Heritage Aviation's shift to employee ownership, how that change affects culture over time, and why growing the next generation of leaders is essential for lasting success. Matthew Collins offers practical advice for leaders at every stage: the value of executive coaching, how to build a culture where people feel empowered, and a few books that have shaped his thinking.

Key Takeaways


Career Growth: Matthew Collins started at Heritage Aviation as a line tech with no plan to become CEO. A strong work ethic and a willingness to learn opened the doors. 07:10

Learning Leadership: Time in different roles gave him a wider view. It taught him to listen, understand other viewpoints, and keep personal relationships separate from work decisions. 09:06

Developing Future Leaders: Let people peek behind the curtain of leadership roles and give them room to grow before they get the title. 13:58

Safety and Accountability: In aviation, safety comes first. The company asks people to report concerns honestly and draws a distinction between mistakes and dangerous behavior. 25:25

Employee Ownership: Moving from "I work here" to "we own this place" takes time and education. Open communication and shared values help everyone feel responsible for the company's success. 29:13

Empowerment with Boundaries: New leaders need freedom to decide and sometimes fail, as long as the choices stay safe, ethical, and the consequences stay acceptable. That is how they gain real experience. 35:05

The Role of Executive Coaching: Honest feedback and self-awareness drive leadership growth. Matthew Collins recommends a coach who will challenge you and push for genuine improvement. 40:33

Recommended Books: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin and The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe for lessons in leadership and perspective. 43:53

Quotable Moments

"People have been watching you for a lot longer than you realize."

"Accountability isn't how I respond if something happens and I get caught. Accountability happens when you make the decision to do whatever you're going to do."

Show Overview

00:00 Explaining Heritage Aviation Services

03:41 Meeting celebrities in aviation

09:06 Journey to Becoming CEO

11:28 Perception vs. Reality in Leadership

14:53 Leadership training and development insights

19:47 Nurturing unique leadership qualities

20:54 Authentic leadership and teaching

25:25 Promoting a Culture of Safety

30:04 Open-book management and employee ownership

31:52 Balancing empowerment and decision-making

36:06 Coaching and developing young leaders

40:33 Starting Executive Coaching Journey

42:47 Discussing executive coaching styles

46:19 Podcast outro and contact info

In this episode, Billy Duren sits down with Ben Holder, CEO of Plastic Products Company. This is a 100% employee-owned business that employs over 900 people across ten plants nationwide. Ben shares the company's remarkable journey, which began in a garage in 1962 and grew into a major contract manufacturer serving industry giants like 3M and GE Appliances.

Ben dives deep into how employee ownership through their ESOP empowers team members, boosts engagement, and builds real retirement security for everyone, not just the executives. He also highlights the "Find a Better Way" program, which invites every employee to suggest improvements. This initiative has fostered a strong culture of continuous progress, shared pride, and collective ownership of results. The conversation explores what it takes to celebrate that ownership mindset, thoughtfully manage risk, and successfully integrate new acquisitions while preserving the company's core culture.

Billy and Ben also discuss the power of hands-on leadership, clear communication, and intentional mentoring to prepare the next generation of leaders. Ben makes it clear that true leadership isn't about issuing orders from the top. It's about serving others, showing up on the floor, staying present, and committing to lifelong learning. The episode wraps up with practical advice for anyone looking to grow as a leader: stay curious, develop a thick skin, and never underestimate the value of bringing humor and heart to the job.

3 Key Listener Takeaways

Here are three key takeaways for leaders in any industry:


1. Empowerment Drives Engagement and Improvement

Ben Holder showed how educating employees about ESOP, celebrating ownership, and running programs like "Find a Better Way" creates pride, accountability, and nonstop innovation. When people feel like true owners, they step up with ideas and energy that benefit the entire organization.

2. Intentional Succession Planning Sustains Organizational Health

At Plastic Products Company, building the leadership pipeline is a deliberate, multi-layered effort. By identifying talent early, mentoring consistently, and developing future leaders, including Ben's own successor, the company protects its culture and ensures long-term success even as it grows and evolves.


3. Leadership Means Serving Others, Not Commanding

Ben challenges the common misconception that leadership is reserved for the CEO or about telling people what to do. Instead, he emphasizes that anyone can lead by serving, supporting, and helping their colleagues, regardless of title. This servant leadership approach builds trust and brings out the best in teams.

In this episode of Nuts and Bolts of Leadership, host Billy Duren sits down with Lindsay Funkhouser, co-founder of Strategic Mixtape, to explore the true value of executive coaching.

Lindsay explains that coaching is not just for fixing problems. It is a powerful growth tool for high performers. Drawing on her sports psychology background, she shows how leaders, like elite athletes, must continuously upgrade their power skills: self-awareness, listening, trust-building, and adaptive communication.

The conversation highlights a common leadership trap: assuming what got you to this level will keep you there. As responsibilities grow, new skills become essential, especially the ability to truly connect, read your audience, and stay visible across all levels of the organization.

Packed with practical insights on transparency, resilience under pressure, and creating high-trust cultures, this episode underscores that great leadership is a lifelong pursuit of learning, honest feedback, and bringing out the best in every team member.

3 Key Listener Takeaways

Here are three key takeaways for leaders in any industry:

1. Executive Coaching Is Not Remedial - It's for High Performers

Lindsay Funkhouser explains that executive coaching is often misunderstood as something for "fixing" weaknesses. In reality, it is designed to help high-performing leaders gain deeper self-awareness and develop human-oriented skills to reach their next level of effectivenes.

2. Clear Communication Differs from Effective Communication

Communicating clearly is not the same as communicating effectively. Lindsay Funkhouser highlights that true leadership effectiveness comes from ensuring your message creates understanding, trust, and actionable alignment in your audience - not just making sense to yourself.

3. Leadership Self-Awareness Drives Organizational Health

The emotional maturity and self-awareness of leaders directly shape company culture and can either multiply functional or dysfunctional behaviors. Lindsay Funkhouser emphasizes that leaders must know their own strengths, blind spots, and the gap between their intent and their real impact on people to avoid stagnation and foster healthy, resilient organizations.

Show Overview

00:00 Discussing Lindsey's qualifications

06:03 Understanding Executive Coaching Benefits

08:24 Marriage coaching versus counseling myths

13:48 Encouraging open communication for leaders

15:50 Creating a safe work environment

20:37 Leadership lessons from CEO training

22:00 Evolving company culture with growth

26:20 Athletes training for high-pressure situations

31:32 Leadership communication skills

32:24 Challenges in effective communication

37:36 Being thoughtful about your audience

40:26 Impact of leadership self-awareness

44:14 Learning to manage ambitious ideas

46:04 Encouraging creativity in children

50:54 Building self-awareness with feedback

54:00 Lindsay's leadership and sports psychology