What does it take to run 500 events across 16 weeks and still make it home for bedtime stories? In this powerhouse episode, Dwayne Kerrigan sits down with Vaneli Martinov, Executive Vice President of Operations for the world-renowned Wellington International.

Vaneli opens up about the reality behind high-performance leadership—juggling relentless operations, motherhood, and building a career from the ground up. From her early days as an intern at the most expensive golf club in the world to project-managing $200M developments, her story is a masterclass in grit, grace, and grounded leadership.

You’ll learn how she balances chaos with calm, leads massive teams with empathy, and why being the "swan on the surface, but paddling like hell underneath" is one of her greatest strengths.

Timestamps:

00:00 – The Swan Mentality: Grace above, chaos below

01:10 – Meet Vaneli Martinov

03:00 – Managing 500 events in 16 weeks

05:45 – Operational teardown + seasonal rebuilds

07:00 – Balancing career, marriage & motherhood

08:45 – Living in fight-or-flight: Thriving in chaos

10:00 – Hustling her way from intern to executive

14:45 – Saying yes before you’re ready

17:00 – Early career lessons in elite service & proactivity

21:00 – Building trust through “nothing is beneath me” leadership

23:00 – Predictive thinking vs reactive firefighting

26:00 – Scaling up from operations grunt to strategic executive

29:00 – 80–100 hour weeks: Was it worth it?

31:00 – Redefining hustle with purpose and family in mind

35:00 – The truth about toxic relationships and healthy ambition

38:00 – The hidden challenges of being a woman in male-dominated leadership

44:30 – How Vaneli leads with feminine strength and authenticity

48:00 – Modeling the right leadership style through lived experience

52:00 – Networking with purpose vs performative connection

Key Takeaways & Resources:

1. Say Yes Before You’re Ready

Vaneli’s career is built on courageous action—even when she didn’t feel ready. She leaned into the unknown and learned through doing.

2. Leadership Is Earned Through Action

She models respect by showing up in the trenches. From hauling trash to handling investors, no job is beneath her—and that credibility compounds.

3. Early Career: Hustle + Humility Wins

What set her apart wasn’t grades—it was drive. Her advice to young professionals? Show up curious, proactive, and willing to do anything.

4. Learn to Anticipate, Not Just React

Whether managing elite clientele or massive operations, success lies in predicting needs and solving problems before they arise.

5. Redefining Feminine Leadership

Vaneli rejected the “bulldog boss” stereotype and leaned into emotional intelligence, empathy, and warmth—without sacrificing strength.

6. Balance Isn’t Static—It’s Intentional

As a wife, mother, and exec, she’s constantly pivoting. Her north star? Show up with positivity, and choose grace over perfection.

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedwaynekerriganpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwaynekerriganpodcast/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwayne-kerrigan-998113281/

Website: http://www.dwaynekerrigan.com

Disclaimer...

In Part 2 of this masterclass conversation, former Navy SEAL and leadership architect Rich Diviney returns to go deeper into the strategies behind his new book The Masters of Uncertainty—and delivers real, actionable frameworks for leaders who want to scale, perform, and lead better under pressure.

Dwayne and Rich explore how to literally reduce fear using a neuroscience-backed process called Moving Horizons, how to train your brain to handle chaos like a SEAL, and how to architect team trust with the 4 C’s of Trust framework. From building high-performance cultures to instilling behavior-based identity in teams, this episode is packed with takeaways for any business owner, leader, or parent navigating complexity.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro to Moving Horizons: Why the brain craves certainty

02:00 – The DPO framework: Duration, Pathway, Outcome

05:30 – Real-world example: SEAL training and horizon-setting

07:00 – Using cold plunges to practice focus under stress

09:00 – Coaching children using horizon-picking

11:30 – The neuroscience of dopamine, motivation, and why we quit

13:00 – How to shift your horizon in real time

15:30 – Eliminating fear by narrowing focus

18:00 – Learning to appreciate the moment without losing performance

21:00 – Can Moving Horizons help with mental health?

24:00 – Fear as a risk assessment tool (not something to eliminate)

26:00 – Why Part 3 of the book is a surprise gift for entrepreneurs

27:30 – Dynamic Subordination: The new leadership model

29:30 – Creating trust: The 4 Cs (Competence, Consistency, Character, Compassion)

34:00 – How most companies fall short on trust

37:30 – Building character and compassion in your culture

40:00 – Behavior = the bridge to trust

42:30 – Culture values vs. culture behaviors

44:30 – How to rewrite company values using “I Am” statements

48:00 – Mapping core attributes to job behaviors

50:00 – Redefining success as the exploration of human potential

53:00 – Final thoughts: You're not too busy, you’re stuck in certainty

Notable Quotes:

“Fear is not the enemy. It’s a risk assessment tool. The goal is not to eliminate fear—but to work with it.” – Rich Diviney

“If you’re too busy, it’s probably because you’re hiding in certainty. That’s the enemy of scale.” – Dwayne Kerrigan

“Our goal in life is to use life to explore our potential. That’s the real definition of success.” – Rich Diviney

“You can’t make anyone trust you. All you can do is behave in a way that earns it.” – Rich Diviney

Tools & Resources:

• Rich Diviney’s assessment & attributes work: www.theattributes.com
• Assessment tool use promo code KERRIGAN15: https://hub.theattributes.com/
• The Masters of Uncertainty – https://learn.theattributes.com/mastering-uncertainty
• The Attributes Book (2021) – foundational read on human performance
• “Moving Horizons” method – how to reduce fear through micro-goals
• The 4 Cs of Trust Framework: Competence, Consistency, Character, Compassion
• Culture Architecture with “I Am” Statements
• Dopamine and Motivation: How to manage goal-setting energy

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Use “Moving Horizons” to reduce overwhelm → Set micro-goals with a defined Duration, Pathway, and Outcome (DPO).
2. Teach your team how to lead themselves → Empower...

In this powerful first installment of a two-part conversation, former Navy SEAL commander and performance expert Rich Diviney returns to The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast to discuss his groundbreaking new book, The Masters of Uncertainty.

With decades of leadership inside one of the world’s most elite military units, Rich unpacks how we can all perform better under pressure, lead with clarity in chaos, and transform anxiety into purposeful action.

Dwayne and Rich dive into the neuroscience behind fear, the underestimated power of identity, and the simple yet potent tools you can use to build teams that scale with integrity. Whether you're a business owner, leader, or high performer—this episode is a masterclass in navigating the unknown with confidence and precision.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome back Rich Diviney

02:00 – Why The Masters of Uncertainty had to be written

05:40 – The book format that turns ideas into tools

07:00 – Life after SEALs: Business, family, and building with purpose

11:30 – Humans first: Common ground in conflict zones

13:30 – The irony of great leadership: Make yourself obsolete

16:00 – From Navy SEALs to CEO: The universal language of leadership

18:10 – The language of performance and the power of attributes

20:00 – Scaling wisely: Patience vs. pressure in entrepreneurship

26:00 – The psychology of transition & identity

33:00 – “I AM” statements and their impact on behavior

37:00 – Why we freeze, panic, or procrastinate

40:00 – The science of fear: Uncertainty + Anxiety

48:00 – The “Physiological Sigh” and open-gaze breathing

53:00 – Cold plunges, breathwork, and nervous system mastery

57:00 – Teaser: What to expect in Part 2

Notable Quotes:

“Leadership is about creating the environment where your team can outrun you.” – Rich Diviney

“When the shit hits the fan, personality goes out the window. That’s when attributes take over.” – Rich Diviney

“True confidence is knowing that when uncertainty hits, I’ll figure it out—and I’m okay.” – Rich Diviney

“Most people are not aware of how driven they are by the need for certainty. That’s what holds them back.” – Dwayne Kerrigan

Resources & Tools Mentioned:

• Rich Diviney’s assessment & attributes work: www.theattributes.com
• Assessment tool use promo code KERRIGAN15: https://hub.theattributes.com/
• The Masters of Uncertainty – https://learn.theattributes.com/mastering-uncertainty
• The Attributes Book (2021) – foundational read on human performance
• Physiological Sigh (breathwork tool) – Explained in Andrew Huberman’s work
• Open-gaze technique – A tool for reducing autonomic arousal instantly

Top Takeaways for Business Leaders:

1. Uncertainty + Anxiety = Fear
2. → Break the cycle by managing one or both.
3. The Identity Shift Matters
4. → Retire old “I AM” statements that no longer serve you. Choose new ones consciously.
5. Breath and Vision Are Performance Tools
6. → Use the “physiological sigh” and panoramic vision to reset your nervous system.
7. Attributes > Personality in Stress
8. → Know how your team shows up under pressure, not just how they act when it’s easy.
9. Great Leadership is Scalable
10. → Teach a language of performance so others can lead with the same clarity and...