What happens when a founder stops trying to do it all?

Chris sits down with DJ Kim, a serial entrepreneur who’s built and sold three companies in just two years, to unpack what it really takes to delegate well, build lean systems, and avoid the burnout loop so many founders get stuck in.

DJ shares the behind-the-scenes of his speed-run journey:

- Growing RevGenius from 0 to 30,000 members in under a year

- Scaling and selling Dataghost in 6 months

- Building and exiting multiple businesses across tech, e-commerce, and local services

- And why offshore talent became his unfair advantage

This episode is for founders who are tired of being the bottleneck.

It’s a real talk on how to get your time back without letting the business fall apart.

Expect honesty, frameworks, and the hard truths about control, speed, and trust.

Topics we will cover:

⁠→⁠ ⁠Delegate Without Losing Your Damn Mind

⁠→⁠ ⁠Building Systems That Don’t Suck the Life Out of You

⁠→⁠ When to Use AI vs Human In the Loop

If you’ve ever said, “It’ll be faster if I just do it myself,” this one’s for you.

What if the CEO archetype we've been sold, dominant, cold, relentless, is the very thing killing innovation, empathy, and longevity in business?

In this powerful episode of Warm-Blooded Founders, host Chris Sherrick welcomes Eric Gardner and Tom Gegax, co-creators of the gripping documentary Confessions of a CEO (available on Amazon Prime). Together, they unpack decades of personal and professional experience to explore what happens when leadership breaks you before it builds you, and how to come back stronger, softer, and more sustainable.

Tom shares his journey from toxic executive at Tires Plus to spiritual and emotional transformation after a crash that nearly cost him everything: his health, his marriage, his company. Through therapy, self-work, and a complete rethinking of leadership, he rebuilt not just a more successful company, but a more meaningful life. Eric, a seasoned television producer and former Bravo showrunner, brings his own lens on burnout, ethics, and choosing storytelling with purpose over prestige.

The episode dives into:

→ What it means to lead with a “warm-blooded” mindset: emotionally intelligent, human-centered, and values-aligned

→ How Tom integrated wellness, coaching, and profit-sharing to transform his team culture, and drive better business results

→ The personal reckonings that shaped both Eric’s and Tom’s careers, including tough calls, toxic workplaces, and creative rebirths

→ A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Confessions of a CEO, a film that blends documentary and thriller to reveal the raw truth behind success stories

→ A call to action for modern founders: build with heart, play the long game, and stop chasing short-term ego boosts in exchange for lasting impact

Through humor, honesty, and hard-won insights, Eric and Tom make a compelling case for why today’s leaders need to evolve or get left behind. They challenge the outdated “my way or the highway” model and offer a new blueprint rooted in humility, community, and strategic emotional intelligence.

Whether you’re a founder burned out by hustle culture, a corporate leader questioning your legacy, or someone simply craving more humanity in business, this episode offers both inspiration and actionable wisdom.

Watch the film → Just type “CEO” into Amazon Prime search.

Learn more → confessionsofaceomovie.com

What happens when your business success collides with life’s biggest transitions and you choose to lead with heart instead of hustle?

In this episode of Warm-Blooded Founders, host Chris Sherrick sits down with Ellen Hockley, a three-time entrepreneur whose journey spans sustainable event planning, postpartum activewear, and now business consulting. Ellen shares what it means to lead as a warm-blooded founder someone who values authenticity, connection, and emotional intelligence just as much as execution and growth.

From the outside, Ellen’s story looks like a classic entrepreneurial arc: successful business, pivot during crisis, build again. But the real story is richer and more human. She opens up about selling her first company after the pandemic upended her event planning business, navigating the highs and lows of running Evergreen Activewear as both a founder and a mother, and now helping other solopreneurs find their way through the noise.

This conversation isn’t about pretending it’s all smooth sailing. It’s about the real stuff—how to stay grounded when everything changes, how to build a business that works with your life instead of against it, and how to make decisions that protect your energy and your values.

Chris and Ellen explore: → What warm-blooded leadership looks like in practice

→ The emotional and logistical complexity of selling or closing a small business

→ Why traditional startup narratives leave out the realities of parenting while building

→ How community support can transform the solopreneur experience

→ Why therapy, coaching, and founder self-care aren’t optional—they’re foundational

Ellen also talks about the invisible load founders often carry especially women and why giving yourself permission to rest, re-evaluate, and reimagine your path is a sign of strength, not failure. She shares how taking a real maternity leave reshaped her approach to leadership, and how local community building became one of her most powerful tools for growth and resilience.

This episode is a must-listen if you’re: → A founder balancing business and family

→ A solopreneur seeking more meaningful support

→ Wondering what to do next with a business that’s no longer aligned

→ Tired of “crush-it” culture and craving something more sustainable

It’s not about winning at all costs. It’s about redefining what winning even means and building something you can be proud of, in work and in life