In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Ben Lytle, serial entrepreneur, futurist, former CEO of Anthem, and author of The Potentialist, to explore how business leaders can thrive in the fastest period of change in human history.

Ben explains why fear-based leadership leads to bad decisions, why resilience alone is no longer enough, and why the future belongs to those who focus on preparedness, constant learning, and wisdom. Drawing from decades of experience building companies and studying human potential, Ben shares how AI and intelligent automation will reshape work, and why human creativity, judgment, and moral reasoning matter more than ever.

This conversation covers:

• Leadership in times of massive technological and economic change

• How entrepreneurs can integrate AI without losing their humanity

• Why belief in yourself is the ultimate competitive advantage

• How to identify unmet needs and build meaningful businesses

• Redefining success beyond money, status, and titles

If you're an entrepreneur, executive, or business leader navigating uncertainty, this episode delivers long-term perspective, clarity, and practical insight for the future ahead.

🎙️ The Necessary Entrepreneur, hosted by Mark Perkins, features real conversations with founders and leaders who've built businesses worth studying.

📌 Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenecessaryentrepreneur.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenecessaryentrepreneur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenecessaryentrepreneur/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNecessaryEntrepreneurPod
X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/MPerkinsTNE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tnepod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tneclips
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6xhGUE1yzy2N0AemUOlJPx?si=d1c5c316af404f15
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/the-necessary-entrepreneur/id1547181167

📌 Find Out More About Ben Lytle:
https://potentialistfuture.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-lytle-a6a0b914/
https://www.facebook.com/PotentialistFuture
https://www.youtube.com/@ben.lytle.potentialist

📘 Order The Potentialist Series Books HERE
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ben-Lytle/author/B09YKFDDZD?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=5ac758c7-1e67-4622-8859-2ddee6818980

On this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with James Orsini, President of Startup Operations at VaynerX, longtime partner to Gary Vaynerchuk, former public company CEO, and one of the most respected operators in modern marketing, leadership, and business growth.

With over 40 years in corporate America and more than a decade inside the high-speed entrepreneurial engine of Vayner, James shares hard-earned insights most founders never hear. From helping scale VaynerX from 400 to 2,000+ employees to launching vYve, a transformational program for Fortune 500 executives and entrepreneurs, James breaks down what it truly takes to build profitable, enduring companies today.

In this deep, wide-ranging conversation, Mark and James unpack:

• Why "perfection is the death of creativity" and how it cripples entrepreneurs

• The difference between an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur

• How Vayner scales rapidly while staying grounded in fundamentals

• The real state of AI in business and why growth planning is being ignored

• Why so many companies stall at $5M–$10M and how to break through

• What leaders misunderstand about brand, marketing, and company culture

• The unexpected power of humor, animation, and mascots in modern advertising

• How to attract top-tier executive talent, even as a small business

• The mindset shift founders need to avoid burnout and lead sustainably

• Why AI-driven workforce disruption will create more entrepreneurs

• What James means when he says: "Right is right. Doing the right thing is always the right thing."

James also offers rare behind-the-scenes insight into the Vayner ecosystem, today's fast-changing business landscape, and how leaders can innovate without abandoning core fundamentals.

Whether you're a solo founder, a growing CEO, or navigating the crossroads between corporate and entrepreneurial life, this episode is packed with real-world wisdom you can use immediately.

🎙️ The Necessary Entrepreneur, hosted by Mark Perkins, features real conversations with founders and leaders who've built businesses worth studying.

📌 Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenecessaryentrepreneur.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenecessaryentrepreneur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenecessaryentrepreneur/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNecessaryEntrepreneurPod
X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/MPerkinsTNE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tnepod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tneclips
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6xhGUE1yzy2N0AemUOlJPx?si=d1c5c316af404f15
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/the-necessary-entrepreneur/id1547181167

📌 More About James Orsini, VaynerX & vYve:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-orsini-4b1aaa7/
https://www.instagram.com/jamesorsini/
https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmythepencil
https://x.com/JimmyThePencil
https://www.threads.com/@jamesorsini
https://vaynerx.com/
https://vyve.vaynerx.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/vyvebyvayner/