It happens to many of us. Especially if we are high performers. The job is going well. Promotions have come quickly. Responsibility keeps stacking up. And yet something feels off. Energy fades. Health starts sending signals. The work that once felt meaningful begins to feel heavy. That’s where you need to make decisions, and that’s where purpose and pressure collide.

We’re talking about careers, recruiting, and the business of both in this episode of Purpose Under Pressure. Host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, welcomes Izka González, founder of The Hiring Revolution and an international talent acquisition consultant. Izka shares how she moved from Mexico City to Cleveland, built a successful corporate recruiting career, became a Mom, and then an Entrepreneur.

She left her job when she had to leave her job. Plain and simple. She began sharing what she knew about hiring on LinkedIn, helping people understand how recruiting really works and why. And she built a business that bridges the gap between how hiring is perceived, and how it actually functions.

Her message in this episode is that most careers aren’t broken, but they do require adaptation, clarity, and a willingness to challenge limiting beliefs. And they require Purpose, Under Pressure.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

-Burnout often shows up physically before we acknowledge it mentally

-Fast career growth without boundaries can quietly become unsustainable

-Financial awareness creates options during moments of transition

-Many job-search struggles stem from mindset before strategy

-Understanding how recruiting works changes how you show up

-Personal branding is about clarity, not self-promotion

-You can’t control hiring outcomes, but you can control preparation

-AI and automation are changing work, not eliminating people

-Saying “no” can be a necessary leadership decision

-Reinvention often begins by using what you already know

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Helpful Links:

Izka Gonzalez, The Hiring Revolution: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-hiring-revolution-6934521483931127808/

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

Most people carry ideas they never act on. They picture different futures, better careers, bigger impact. But fear, comfort, and uncertainty quietly keep them stuck. Then every so often, someone decides to move anyway. No guarantees. No safety net. Just purpose. They are no different than others. They just weren’t afraid to try. And the won't give up.

Janice Jokkel, business owner, coach, keynote speaker, and founder of The Biz Hive joins host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, in this episode of the Purpose Under Pressure Podcast. Janice talks about early sales leadership at a young age, building a successful family entertainment business, and then firing herself to save it. It's a story about success, burnout, humility, and bold reinvention.

The conversation also dives into Janice’s upcoming book Built to Thrive, her mission to help business owners lead smarter and work less, and the mindset shift required to stop surviving and start building something sustainable.

Foks, if you’ve ever thought about throwing up your hands and giving up, this episode will give you something else to think about. Thrive!

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

-Pivoting is required to adapt and to succeed under pressure

-Founder syndrome can quietly become the biggest limitation in a business

-Burnout often shows up before we’re willing to admit it

-Sometimes the best move a leader can make is to fire themselves

-Trusting your team is essential for real growth

-Working harder does not always mean working smarter

-Vulnerability is a leadership skill.

-Surviving and thriving are two very different business outcomes

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Helpful Links:

Janice Jokkel, The Biz Hive: https://thebiz-hive.com/

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/

Many people carry ideas they never act on. They picture different futures, better careers, bigger impact. But fear, comfort, and uncertainty quietly keep them stuck. Then every so often, someone decides to move anyway. No guarantees. No safety net. Just purpose. They are no different than others. They just weren’t afraid to try.

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, has a conversation with Steven Walbolt, President of MDG Flooring America and Kiba Studios.

Steve shares how he left corporate America to bet on himself, his family, and a struggling family business with nothing but faith, determination, and a refusal to quit.

Let this episode serve as a reminder that nothing good comes easy for an entrepreneur. And that pressure doesn’t disappear when success shows up. But more so as an encouragement that acting on your purpose is what the purpose was meant for in the first place.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

Key Takeaways:

-The leap into entrepreneurship is simple. That same leap is not easy. There is a difference

Fear evolves into something different after success is achieved;

-Comfort is is never the goal of being an Entrepreneur. Success is measured in Growth

-Delegation is a leadership skill that must be learned

-Systems create freedom.

-Culture outperforms charisma

-True success is measured by people developed.

-Legacy is built through leadership.

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Helpful Links:

Steve Walbolt, President MDG Flooring America/Kiba Studios: https://www.mdgflooringamerica.com/

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/