Donnie Boivin is the CEO and founder of Success Champion Networking, five-time bestselling author, and founder of the Badass Business Summit.

Donnie argues that traditional networking fails anyone selling high-value services. Too many people spend their time collecting business cards from people who will never buy from them instead of building relationships with people who can open the right doors.

In this conversation, Donnie explains why the best networkers focus on helping others grow before asking for anything in return, why collaborating with competitors can create opportunities neither side could win alone, and how consistently investing time in relationships leads to bigger deals than chasing referrals ever will.

If you're looking to build a stronger network, close larger opportunities, and create lasting business relationships, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for doing it differently.

Find episode 521 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Watch this Episode on YouTube | Donnie Boivin on Why Traditional Networking Is Broken

https://bit.ly/TLP-521

Key Moments

[04:01] How Donnie fell into networking almost by accident

[05:32] The Home Depot story that changed his whole approach

[09:17] The biggest mindset shift networking actually requires

[12:52] Why salespeople stay behind their laptops instead of networking

[15:46] How Success Champion curates chapters for real fit

[22:02] Leading well when everyone around you is in transition

[24:52] Why influence matters as much as relationships

[27:06] The case for showing up completely as yourself

[29:53] What AI means for the future of relationships

"I define networking as building other people's businesses."

"Your clients are not networking. The people who are in the rooms you have access to can't buy your stuff."

"If you can't measure it, it's very hard to find success with anything."

"The more you try and be your authentic self, the more you're going to enjoy life."

"It's the five people you surround yourself with, but it's also the five prospects you're going after, the five clients you currently have, the five people you're networking with."

"Be a hell of a lot more mindful about the people you are surrounding yourself with."

"Effective networking isn't a result of luck. It requires hard work and persistence."

Explore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

Resources Mentioned

• The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com

• Sponsored by | www.darley.com

• Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com

• Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com

• Donnie Boivin Website | https://donnieboivin.com

• Donnie Boivin YouTube | www.youtube.com/@donnieboivin

• Donnie Boivin Twitter | @donnieboivin

• Donnie Boivin Facebook | www.facebook.com/donnie.boivin

• Donnie Boivin LinkedIn |www.linkedin.com/in/donnieboivin

• Donnie Boivin Instagram | www.instagram.com/donnie.boivin

David Gray is the CEO of FedUp Foods, a values-driven beverage company serving major retailers. His purpose-driven leadership has earned national recognition, including being named one of the MO 100 Top Impact CEOs, an annual ranking of purpose-driven business leaders, and receiving the Pros to Know Award.

David believes the best leaders never force a choice between empathy and accountability. In times of uncertainty, people need both. Connection creates the trust that makes accountability possible.

In this conversation, David explains how leading through Hurricane Helene reinforced the importance of putting people first while communicating clearly through uncertainty.

He shares the practical crisis leadership framework that guided his team through Hurricane Helene, explains why values become even more important as organizations scale, and reflects on what changed his mind about leadership: people really can grow when leaders take the time to understand and develop them.

Whether you're leading through change or simply trying to build a stronger culture, this conversation offers a practical framework for balancing compassion with accountability while staying true to your values.

Find episode 520 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Watch this Episode on YouTube | David Gray on Empathy Without Lowering the Bar

https://bit.ly/TLP-520

Key Moments

[03:17] How profit sharing and gardens shaped your culture

[05:31] Do values activate, or do people?

[06:16] Leading through Hurricane Helene and what it taught and what leaders need to think differently in disruption

[10:22] The four-point crisis playbook

[13:38] We've had 20 years of stability—is this the new normal or the regular normal?

[15:47] How to lead through slow-drip crises, not just hurricanes

[21:19] Protecting your mission as a for-profit company

[23:49] The push and pull between profit and purpose

[27:09] Dividend model vs market cap model—which works better for values-driven companies?

[31:58] What leadership belief did you finally unlearn?

[33:56] Your one main thought for leaders listening

"If you don't have the right values, then you can't nurture a culture."

"We need to create a culture that's ground up, not top down."

"You need to understand where your people are at. You need to know if they're safe and you need to understand what their needs are."

"You don't have to have all the answers, but you're keeping people abreast of the work that you're going."

"We are doing more with less. That's just the reality and that the strategies that we put in place can be disrupted at any time."

"We have never had to compromise in a way that takes away from our mission."

"If you don't connect, I guess that accountability piece could probably feel like harassment."

"We have the privilege and the responsibility to develop our people both personally and professionally because they spend probably more time with us than they do with their friends and their loved ones."

Explore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

Resources Mentioned

• The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com

• Sponsored by | www.darley.com

• Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com

• Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com

• FedUp Foods Website | www.fedupfoods.co

• David Gray LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/david-gray-ab33b02a

• FedUp Foods Instagram | www.instagram.com/fedupfoods.co

Patrick Ryan is the author of "The Moral Market: Adam Smith and the Promise of Virtuous Capitalism."

Patrick argues that capitalism was never intended to be separated from morality. Modern business leaders often treat ethics as a compliance issue or a reputational concern. Adam Smith saw it differently. He believed markets only function when they are built on justice, reciprocity, and trust.

In this conversation, Patrick explains how shareholder primacy reshaped leadership thinking, why leaders should measure success beyond short-term financial performance, and how Smith's concept of the impartial spectator can help leaders make better decisions when competing interests collide.

For leaders trying to balance performance, responsibility, and long-term value creation, this conversation offers a practical framework for making decisions that are both effective and principled.

Find episode 519 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Watch this Episode on YouTube | Patrick Ryan on The Leadership Idea We Missed for 250 Years

https://bit.ly/TLP-519

Key Moments

[04:20] What have leaders fundamentally misunderstood about capitalism as a moral system?

[08:44] How does the duty of care in law connect to Smith's impartial spectator concept?

[12:40] What practices should leaders adopt to institutionalize the impartial spectator?

[15:53] Performative leadership versus legitimate storytelling.

[21:14] Where does the rules and system play versus personal responsibility in leadership?

[25:25] Where have you personally struggled between what's profitable and what's just?

[28:53] For busy leaders without time to reflect—what's your closing advice?

"Morality is not a friction. It's actually the lubricant that makes markets work."

"Prosperity without justice is mere plunder."

"He believed that economic exchange was a way of creating trust, which is quite interesting really, using capital, an early form of capitalism, using competition, using economic exchange as a way of creating a commonality as opposed to splitting people apart."

"Morality and respect, and that level of reciprocity is the oil that generates everything. It's not extractive, it's value additive."

"If a leader that performs integrity creates a culture that performs integrity, rather than a leader that is and has integrity. The tone from the top. It's vitally important."

"Legitimate storytelling is the honest description of something that's actually happening. It's not a dishonest description of something you would like to happen."

"The majority of us want to live a happy, healthy life where we have created value for our companies, we've created happiness in our families, we've done good works for our communities, and we're able to point to that and be proud that we've made that difference."

"You should neither be rewarded nor penalized for moral luck. You should be rewarded or penalized for the actions that you took yourself and the effect that you had in creating value."

Explore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

These are the books mentioned in this episode

Resources Mentioned

• The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com

• Sponsored by | www.darley.com

• Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com

• Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com

• Patrick Ryan LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/patrickryan

Jill Schulman is a keynote speaker, Marine Corps veteran, and bestselling author of "The Bravery Effect: A Parable Teaching the Science of Conquering Fear, Achieving More, and Living Life to the Fullest.".

Jill argues that bravery is not a personality trait. It's a skill. Most people assume brave people are simply wired differently. The research suggests something else: bravery is built through repeated action in the presence of fear.

In this conversation, Jill explains why comfort is often the biggest obstacle to growth, what people get wrong about bravery, and how leaders can create environments where individuals are willing to take risks, speak up, and stretch beyond what feels safe.

She also shares the three-stage framework behind her work and why bravery is a prerequisite for learning, innovation, and leadership.

For anyone trying to grow, lead change, or help others reach their potential, this conversation offers a practical look at how bravery is developed and why it matters.

Find episode 518 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Watch this Episode on YouTube | The Bravery Effect: Jill Schulman on Why Courage Is a Skill, Not a Trait

https://bit.ly/TLP-518

Key Moments

[05:20] Why a Minnesota girl traded civilian life for the Marine Corps

[11:02] The science behind the comfort trap and why avoidance kills growth

[13:32] Bravery redefined: you cannot be brave without fear present

[17:27] Two myths that get bravery wrong—and why most people believe them

[24:16] The connection between discipline, bravery, and stoicism

[27:58] The first rule of building bravery: ask for help

[32:19] The exact three-stage framework to train bravery in your people

[39:40] Her biggest regret: letting good keep her from pursuing great

[42:18] Final challenge: what are you waiting for to go after what matters

"Bravery is defined as voluntary action in the presence of fear toward a noble, worthwhile goal. If you're not a little scared, you're not being brave."

"Bravery is a skill that anyone can and everyone should build in order to be the most successful and live their best life."

"Each time you take a step forward in the presence of fear, you take a little bit of the power away from the fear and then your self confidence goes up a little bit more."

"Fear is a signpost that is pointing us toward the thing that we should do versus something we should run away from."

"We are born to strive. So it's the struggle that makes us stronger."

"When we challenge ourselves by doing the hard things, psychologically, our brain changes."

"Taking a step, not feeling ready is how you feel more ready in the future."

"Good gets in the way of great. I had a good career, but I was scared to go out on my own and to write the book and to put myself out there."

"Everyone can and everyone should learn to be braver."

"The world is not limited by IQ. We are all limited by bravery and creativity." — Eric "Astro" Teller

Explore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

These are the books mentioned in this episode

Resources Mentioned

• The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com

• Sponsored by | www.darley.com

• Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com

• Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com

• Jill Schulman Website | jillschulman.com

• Jill Schulman Recent TEDx: https://youtu.be/G2x63Wk07fE?si=Add6OGYs17Xx0vr8

• Jill Schulman LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jillaschulman

• Jill Schulman Facebook | www.facebook.com/jill.schulman.5

Jim Brown is the author of "The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health" and founder of Org Health. For over 30 years he has worked with CEOs, boards, and executive teams to build healthy organizational cultures and lead with clarity, courage, and shared responsibility.

Jim argues that leadership accountability is the most underestimated pillar of organizational health. Not because leaders think it is unimportant, but because most assume they are already doing it well.

In this conversation, Jim explains why leaders often judge themselves by their intentions while everyone else experiences their impact. He shares how that gap erodes trust, weakens accountability, and limits collaboration. He also discusses the small leadership behaviors that create outsized cultural change, how to distinguish productive tension from destructive conflict, and the early warning signs that organizational health is beginning to deteriorate.

If you're trying to build a stronger culture, improve accountability, or create greater ownership across your team, this conversation offers practical insights you can put to work immediately.

Find episode 517 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Watch this Episode on YouTube | Jim Brown on The Accountability Gap: Why Leaders Misjudge Their Own Impact

https://bit.ly/TLP-517

Key Moments

[01:01] Which pillar do CEOs underestimate most

[05:23] How do people go too far with imperfection

[09:58] Small behavior change with outsized impact

[12:36] The mind shift to stop being the bottleneck

[14:30] Productive tension versus destructive conflict

[16:38] When teams don't define the problem the same way

[19:20] Leading indicator of deteriorating organizational health

[21:37] Why we're lousy at collaborating in meetings

[25:21] Why we collaborate well as humans but fail in business

[28:54] Success on paper but something was off

[30:16] Closing thoughts for listeners

"The impact is the question, not the intention. It doesn't matter that we had the right intention. If the whole group in the room was just deflated because of what you said, it's useless to say, 'I didn't mean it that way.'"

"Leadership is not about doing. Leadership is about leading. We have to get a mind shift to stop giving the answers, stop doing the work. All of our effort needs to be equipping the leaders around us."

"Productive tension is anchored in clarity around a shared goal. When we all know what we're aiming for, we can be jostling with each other energetically."

"The more you have someone looking to you for the answer, the less everyone else will think about what the answer should be, offer suggestions, or own the decisions."

"What's happening in meeting rooms is a huge indicator of what's really going on in the culture."

"As leaders, you will always have to help people manage tensions. It's not either or. Somehow we've got to figure out the balance of that tension."

"The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent. The day he forgives them, he becomes an adult. The day he forgives himself, he becomes wise." – Alden Nolan

Explore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

These are the books mentioned in this episode

Resources Mentioned

• The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com

• Sponsored by | www.darley.com

• Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com

• Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com

• Jim Brown Website | www.orghealthteam.com

• Jim Brown LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/authorjimbrown