Episodios

  • Deep Dive: Beyond the Balance Sheet: Why Small Business Mental Health is a Strategic Leadership Priority

    Deep Dive: Beyond the Balance Sheet: Why Small Business Mental Health is a Strategic Leadership Priority
    Feb 20 2026

    Small business ownership is widely celebrated for fueling innovation and community prosperity. Yet beneath the ambition and daily execution lies a critical and under-recognized leadership challenge: the mental health strain on owners themselves. This episode unpacks research showing how stress, isolation, and burnout are not “personal issues” but systemic factors that impact decision-making, resilience, performance, and organizational culture. Mental health must move from a private burden to a strategic leadership priority.

    Key Research & Findings 1. The Hidden Health Burden of Ownership

    • Based on Nav’s report surveying more than 1,000 U.S. small business owners.

    • Nearly half (48%) report their business consumes so much attention it detracts from life outside work.

    • Stress, fatigue, and anxiety are widespread:

      • 53% identify stress as a common health impact.

      • Over 40% report fatigue and anxiety.

      • 36% experience headaches tied to work demands.

    • A full third say they’ve experienced mental health challenges significant enough to warrant professional support — yet nearly half have not accessed it.

    2. Why This Matters for Leadership

    • Mental health strain affects more than the individual owner:

      • It reduces decision clarity and confidence in high-stakes moments.

      • It undermines resilience in volatile cash flow, competitive shifts, or market unpredictability.

      • It bleeds into culture, performance, and long-term viability when leaders are mentally depleted.

    3. Systemic Stressors in Small Business

    • Owners must act as generalists — juggling finance, operations, sales, HR, and leadership simultaneously — with financial stress clearly leading as the top pressure point.

    • Unlike traditional jobs, ownership often lacks daily psychological detachment, making recovery moments (rest, time off) rare and difficult.

    What Owners Are Already Doing

    Despite the strain:

    • Many apply individual coping strategies:

      • Exercise, mindfulness practices.

      • Connecting with family/friends.

    • Yet these efforts are undermined by structural barriers:

      • Many owners haven’t taken a full week off in more than three years.

      • Cost concerns and self-reliance discourage professional support.

    Leadership & HR Imperatives 1. Mental Health Literacy is Leadership Literacy

    • Leaders must build fluency in recognizing stress, burnout, and psychological fatigue — not as deficits of character, but as systemic outcomes of ownership.

    2. Culture Design with Mental Health as Strategy

    • Mental health needs to be explicitly integrated into leadership conversations, not limited to “well-being perks.”

    • This means shaping organizational norms that:

      • Normalize help-seeking.

      • Intentionally embed recovery rhythms (time off, boundary setting).

      • Build structural supports consistent with sustainable leadership.

    3. Shift from Personal Burden to Organizational Priority

    • Treating mental health as an individual issue misses the systemic impact on performance, resilience, and long-term success.

    Takeaways for Executives & Founders

    • Reframe mental health as a strategic performance factor — not a personal aside.

    • Design leadership practices that institutionalize psychological recovery.

    • Expand support systems beyond fitness or mindfulness programs to include coaching, peer networks, and professional access.

    • Measure and reflect on how mental strain affects decisions, productivity, and culture.

    Discussion Questions (for Leadership Roundtables or Workshops)

    1. In what ways is owner mental health currently visible or invisible in your organization’s leadership ecosystem?

    2. What structural barriers (e.g., time off, cultural norms, resource allocation) are preventing small business owners from accessing support?

    3. How can leaders create deliberate practices that embed psychological recovery into the rhythm of work?

    Source article: https://www.breakfastleadership.com/blog/mapping-the-hidden-strain-why-mental-health-must-be-part-of-the-small-business-ownership-conversation
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    15 m
  • Bob Nienaber on Executive Benefits Strategy for Leaders: How Smart Financial Planning Drives Talent Retention and Long-Term Growth

    Bob Nienaber on Executive Benefits Strategy for Leaders: How Smart Financial Planning Drives Talent Retention and Long-Term Growth
    Feb 18 2026
    Episode Overview In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael sits down with Bob to explore how executive benefits, financial strategy, and intentional planning can become powerful levers for retention, profitability, and long-term organizational stability. The conversation moves beyond surface-level benefits discussions and into how leaders can treat benefits as strategic assets rather than routine expenses. Executive Benefits and Client-Centered Strategy Bob shared how his firm specializes in executive benefits across a wide range of business types, emphasizing a strong track record of successful audits and high client satisfaction. A core differentiator is their commitment to treating each organization and executive as unique, rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions. Michael reinforced the importance of personalization, noting that meaningful client experiences and tailored benefits strategies are essential in today’s challenging business environment. Both acknowledged that retention pressures and rising benefits costs require leaders to think more strategically about how benefits are designed and communicated. Optimizing Executive Benefits Through Technology and Design Bob explained how his company supports small and mid-sized organizations in optimizing executive benefit plans through a proprietary technology platform. This system simplifies complex benefits structures, uncovers missed opportunities, and helps organizations make smarter, data-driven decisions. He outlined their comprehensive nine-step service model, covering plan design, participant education, and full administrative support. The result is a 95 percent participation rate, significantly higher than the industry average of approximately 40 percent. Education plays a central role, ensuring participants understand both the value and tax efficiency of their plans. When structured properly, executive benefits can evolve from cost centers into strategic profit centers. Benefits Planning, Tax Strategy, and Organizational DNA Michael emphasized that benefits planning must align with an organization’s core identity and values. Too often, tax considerations, particularly for high-income earners, are overlooked or addressed too late in the process. He stressed the importance of conducting a detailed employee census to account for demographics, compensation structures, and changes resulting from growth or acquisitions. Without this depth of analysis, organizations risk leaving significant savings on the table for both the business and its people. Superficial benefits planning, he noted, often creates long-term inefficiencies and dissatisfaction. Financial Strategy, Asset Management, and Long-Term Value The conversation expanded into broader financial management practices. Bob and Michael discussed common mistakes organizations make, including failing to leverage tax deductions, net operating losses, and proper income treatment. Bob shared real-world examples of how disciplined asset management and strategic planning can unlock liquidity, generate cash flow, and improve financial resilience. They also touched on the role of charitable giving and how intentional structuring can benefit both the organization and its mission. Education, once again, emerged as a critical theme. Leaders who understand their financial statements and benefits structures are better positioned to make confident, sustainable decisions. Financial Stewardship and Organizational Survival Michael highlighted the sobering reality that many once-successful organizations no longer exist, often due to poor financial stewardship and short-term thinking. He pointed out that financial and benefits assets are frequently treated as administrative afterthoughts rather than strategic resources. Both agreed that organizations that actively manage these areas, especially during uncertain economic conditions, dramatically improve their odds of long-term survival and cultural stability. Executive Benefits as a Retention and Protection Tool Bob closed by emphasizing the strategic role of executive benefits such as deferred compensation and restricted stock units. Beyond retention, these tools help protect institutional knowledge and corporate intellectual property. He noted that high-performing organizations often implement these programs at a lower relative cost than struggling companies, largely because they plan proactively rather than reactively. Bob encouraged leaders to take advantage of executive benefits audits, which are offered at no cost, to identify inefficiencies, reduce expenses, and strengthen retention strategies. Key Takeaway Executive benefits and financial strategy are not administrative checkboxes. When aligned with organizational values, supported by education, and managed intentionally, they become powerful tools for retention, resilience, and long-term leadership success. https://BenefitRFP.com Bob Nienaber (916) 838-0866
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    28 m
  • Shawn Minard on Leadership, Employee Engagement, and Building a Winning Workplace Culture

    Shawn Minard on Leadership, Employee Engagement, and Building a Winning Workplace Culture
    Feb 16 2026

    Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Shawn Minard, Chief People Officer at Frazier and Deeter, to unpack what real HR leadership looks like in today’s workplace. We dive into everything from learning and development to recruitment, employee experience, and why investing in culture isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a strategic advantage.

    Shawn shares how his background in HR and technology shapes his leadership approach, and we tackle the tough question: how do you actually measure the ROI of culture? We also explore hybrid work, employee engagement strategies, mental health trends in the workplace, and what it truly means to lead with trust.

    Shawn opens up about building vulnerability-based trust, hiring for emotional intelligence, and empowering teams through autonomy and accountability.

    If you’re a leader who wants to reduce turnover, strengthen culture, and create a workplace people genuinely want to be part of — this one’s for you.

    Links & Resources

    Motivosity (Employee Engagement Platform) https://www.motivosity.com/

    Shawn's firm: https://www.frazierdeeter.com/

    If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow, rate, and leave a review. Share it with a fellow leader or HR professional who’s passionate about building a thriving workplace culture. Your support helps us keep bringing these conversations to life!
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    32 m
  • Deep Dive: Leadership as Leverage: Designing Systems That Perform, Not Personalities That Impress

    Deep Dive: Leadership as Leverage: Designing Systems That Perform, Not Personalities That Impress
    Feb 13 2026
    Episode Overview This episode reframes common leadership myths. Instead of framing leadership outcomes as products of personality (“confidence” or “presence” in the room), we explore how consistent organizational performance is tied to designed leadership operating systems—not ephemeral personal performance. What separates inconsistent execution from repeatable results isn’t charisma or emotional mastery alone, but clarity of structure, decision rules, and infrastructure that protects quality under pressure. Key Themes & Takeaways 1. The Fallacy of Performance-Centric Leadership Leaders often assume that meetings succeed because of their presence, intensity, or confidence. Real-world inconsistency comes not from personality gaps but from whether clarity and decision frameworks were in place beforehand. When structured systems are missing, leaders compensate with personal energy—but this doesn’t scale as complexity grows. 2. When Linear Growth Models Fail Traditional assumptions about leadership presume: Inputs → Strategy → Execution → Results In simple contexts, this holds. But as organizational complexity increases, effort and talent no longer produce proportional outcomes. The stall isn’t lack of ambition—it’s limits of leadership systems. 3. Leadership as Leverage—Only When Designed Early growth often depends on leaders filling structural gaps with personal skill. Over time, if outcomes hinge on how leaders feel or show up, performance becomes unpredictable. The leverage of leadership becomes reliable only when embedded in repeatable systems. 4. Systems That Protect Decision Quality Consistent performance under pressure comes from infrastructure, including: Clear decision rules Pre-commitments before stress escalates Weekly operating rhythms that reduce ambiguity Filters that stop emotional reactions from driving strategic action This shifts leadership from performance to infrastructure. 5. Calm Outperforms Charisma Charisma may win moments; calm, structured leadership wins quarters and years. Research indicates decision quality deteriorates under cognitive and emotional load when structure is absent. High-performing organizations rely more on clarity, repeatable processes, and defined roles than on heroic leadership behaviors. 6. From Emotional Mastery to Decision Mastery Emotional regulation matters but alone is insufficient for repeatable outcomes. Leaders perform best not by suppressing emotion, but by designing systems so emotion doesn’t hijack execution. Effective systems ensure setbacks trigger review—not panic; uncertainty triggers structure—not avoidance. Practical Implications for Leaders • Prioritize System Design Over Personal Performance Leadership development should emphasize creating frameworks that make alignment, decision-making, and execution consistent—regardless of personality variables. • Build Operating Rhythms That Reduce Ambiguity Create weekly and quarterly rhythms that clarify role expectations, key decisions, and escalation pathways. • Embrace Structural Calm Temper leadership advice that leans heavily on mindset or presence. Invest equally in the infrastructure that keeps decisions stable under pressure. • Shift the Leadership Narrative Encourage teams to see leadership not as a moment-driven performance, but as a designed, repeatable infrastructure that creates leverage at scale. Quote for the Episode “Leadership remains the leverage—but it becomes repeatable only when it is designed, not performed.” Recommended Further Listening & Reading Related Breakfast Leadership Show episodes on organizational systems and decision quality Articles on decision-making under pressure (Harvard Business Review) and organizational health and execution excellence (McKinsey) linked in the original article. Actionable Steps You Can Take This Week Audit one recurring decision process: identify where ambiguity arises. Define or refine the decision rule governing that process. Map the operating rhythm (who, when, how) for that decision cycle. Adjust meetings or check-ins to reduce reliance on individual presence and increase systemic clarity. Source article: https://www.breakfastleadership.com/blog/leadership-is-the-leverage-but-only-if-its-designed-not-performed
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    16 m
  • Ryan Berman on Cracking Negative Self-Talk in Leadership: How Self-Doubt, Fear, and Overthinking Shape Team Culture

    Ryan Berman on Cracking Negative Self-Talk in Leadership: How Self-Doubt, Fear, and Overthinking Shape Team Culture
    Feb 11 2026
    Episode Overview In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael sits down with Ryan to explore one of the most persistent and underestimated leadership challenges: negative self-talk. The conversation centers on Ryan’s newly released book on self-talk and team leadership, a seven-year project co-authored with Rhett Power and Susie Burke. What began as a belief that leaders could “defeat” negative self-talk evolved into a far more practical and honest conclusion: negative self-talk cannot be eliminated, but it can be managed. This realization shaped both the content of the book and its symbolism, including a cover that reflects the fragile, ever-present nature of our internal dialogue. For leaders navigating pressure, responsibility, and visibility, this episode reframes self-doubt not as a personal failure, but as a leadership skill gap that can be addressed with awareness and structure. Cracking Negative Self-Talk in Leadership Michael and Ryan unpack how internal dialogue directly influences leadership behavior and team culture. Leaders often assume they must project certainty at all times, but unresolved self-doubt frequently leaks into decision-making, communication, and trust. Ryan explains that the “monsters” of self-doubt live in every leader’s head. The difference between effective and ineffective leadership is not the absence of these thoughts, but the ability to recognize and manage them before they shape actions and culture. For corporate leaders, founders, and people managers, the book’s insights offer a language for understanding what is happening internally and why it matters externally. The Hidden Cost of Negative Self-Talk The discussion highlights how common negative self-talk truly is. Ryan references research suggesting the average person has roughly 6,200 thoughts per day, with the majority skewing negative. Left unchecked, these thoughts create a constant undercurrent of exhaustion, hesitation, and overthinking. Michael connects this to what he sees in burnout-driven leadership environments, where overthinking becomes normalized and decision fatigue spreads across teams. Leaders who struggle internally often unintentionally create cultures of second-guessing and fear. Recognizing negative self-talk is positioned not as self-indulgence, but as a leadership responsibility. Fear, Cognition, and Leadership Performance Fear emerges as a central theme in the conversation. Michael and Ryan explore how fear directly impairs cognitive performance, narrowing thinking, reducing creativity, and slowing decision-making. Ryan introduces the concept of “Edimentals,” a practical framework for addressing fear and negative self-talk. The process focuses on identifying the issue, understanding the internal “worry war,” and applying a three-step method: Catch the fear as it arises Confront it with clarity and logic Change the narrative before it drives behavior Rather than treating fear as weakness, both emphasize the importance of normalizing it. Leaders who acknowledge fear openly create safer, more resilient teams. Authentic Leadership in Times of Crisis Michael shares a personal story from the early days of the pandemic, when he abandoned a traditional reporting-style team meeting in favor of a human-centered conversation. Instead of metrics and updates, the focus shifted to personal challenges, uncertainty, and shared experience. That spontaneous decision became a turning point in building psychological safety and trust. The lesson was clear: authenticity in leadership is not a soft skill. It is a stabilizing force, especially during uncertainty. Leadership, Courage, and Human Connection The episode closes with a broader reflection on leadership and courage. Drawing from insights from Ryan’s podcast, The Courageous, the conversation reframes courage as honesty rather than bravado. Both agree that sustainable leadership requires balancing strategy with humanity. Taking care of people is not separate from performance; it is the foundation of it. When leaders feel safe to be real, teams perform better, communicate more clearly, and navigate pressure with greater resilience. Listeners are encouraged to explore Ryan’s work and resources for deeper guidance on courage, self-talk, and leadership under pressure. Key Takeaways Negative self-talk cannot be eliminated, but it can be managed Leaders’ internal dialogue directly shapes team culture Fear reduces cognitive performance and spreads quickly through teams Normalizing fear builds trust and psychological safety Authentic leadership strengthens performance, especially in crisis Ryan shared his work through Courageous and inviting listeners to learn more at hedamentals.com and RyanBerman.com.
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    26 m
  • How AI Is Disrupting Healthcare RCM and Exposing Insurance Claim Denials, With Reid Zeising, CEO of GAIN

    How AI Is Disrupting Healthcare RCM and Exposing Insurance Claim Denials, With Reid Zeising, CEO of GAIN
    Feb 9 2026

    In this episode, Michael sits down with Reid Zeising, CEO of GAIN, the largest revenue cycle management organization specializing in litigated and complex healthcare claims. The conversation pulls back the curtain on how healthcare providers struggle to get paid for services already delivered, and how technology and AI are being used to push back against decades of insurance-driven denial strategies.

    Reid explains how the insurance industry fundamentally changed in 1994, when Allstate introduced Colossus, a system designed to standardize and often suppress claim payouts in favor of shareholder value. That shift, he argues, still shapes today’s reimbursement environment, leaving providers underpaid and patients caught in the middle.

    Drawing on Michael’s background in primary care administration, the discussion highlights a stark reality: many healthcare organizations collect only a fraction of what they bill, even when care is medically necessary and properly delivered. Reid compares this to asking professionals to do full work for partial pay and explains why this model is unsustainable, especially for providers serving uninsured and underinsured populations.

    The conversation then turns to how GAIN is using AI, predictive analytics, and technology-enabled workflows to reverse that imbalance. By focusing on litigated and complex claims, GAIN helps providers recover fair compensation, improve cash flow, and continue offering care to communities that need it most. Reid also shares why his company intentionally shifted away from higher-margin claim financing toward a service-driven model built around access, transparency, and long-term system impact.

    Michael and Reid also explore the broader healthcare landscape, including the financial strain on providers, the coming “silver tsunami” of aging patients, and the consequences of tort reform on patient access to care. Reid challenges common insurance-industry narratives around “frivolous lawsuits,” explaining how language and lobbying efforts have been used to restrict legitimate claims and reduce accountability.

    The episode closes with Reid’s advocacy work through Americans for Patient Access and Americans for Responsible Consumer Funding, organizations focused on protecting access to healthcare and helping individuals navigate overwhelming medical and financial challenges.

    This is a candid, systems-level conversation about healthcare economics, AI-driven disruption, and what it will take to ensure providers get paid and patients get care.

    https://gainservicing.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidzeising/
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    30 m
  • Deep Dive: Employee Onboarding That Works: How Structured Onboarding Packets Boost Confidence, Retention, and Culture

    Deep Dive: Employee Onboarding That Works: How Structured Onboarding Packets Boost Confidence, Retention, and Culture
    Feb 6 2026

    A strong first day does not happen by accident. In this episode, we explore why structured onboarding packets are one of the most overlooked drivers of employee confidence, engagement, and long-term retention.

    We unpack how relying on informal “tribal knowledge” creates confusion, increases burnout risk, and leaves new hires guessing about expectations. In contrast, a single, centralized onboarding resource sets clarity from day one by showing people how work actually happens, not just what the policies say.

    You will hear why effective onboarding packets go beyond paperwork. We discuss the value of clear navigation guides, explicit cultural norms, and role-specific milestones that help both remote and in-office employees integrate faster and with less friction. We also examine a phased delivery approach, where information is shared in intentional stages instead of overwhelming new hires with everything at once.

    The episode closes with a clear takeaway: onboarding is not an administrative task. When designed well and kept current, it becomes a strategic advantage that turns early uncertainty into confidence, focus, and forward momentum.

    Source: https://www.breakfastleadership.com/blog/create-onboarding-packets-that-boost-confidence-clarity-and-retention
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    19 m
  • Trevor McGregor – From Rock Bottom to Quantum Leaps in Business and Life

    Trevor McGregor – From Rock Bottom to Quantum Leaps in Business and Life
    Feb 2 2026

    Podcast Show Notes: Trevor McGregor – From Rock Bottom to Quantum Leaps in Business and Life

    Episode Overview In this transformative episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael D. Levitt welcomes Trevor McGregor, a globally recognized High Performance Master Coach, real estate investor, and former top Tony Robbins coach. With over 45,000 individual coaching sessions and two decades of empowering entrepreneurs and executives, Trevor shares how he turned personal devastation into a multi-million-dollar mission of helping others achieve freedom and fulfillment.

    From Failure to Freedom Trevor’s journey began with losing everything—his savings, a six-figure family loan, and nearly his marriage—after a failed real estate investment. From that rock bottom, he rebuilt his life and business, developing the resilience that would become the foundation of his coaching philosophy. Personally selected by Tony Robbins as one of his top business coaches, Trevor spent five years mastering the art of transformation, earning what he calls his “Black Belt in Coaching.”

    The Psychology of Quantum Leaps Now leading Trevor McGregor International, he helps already-successful entrepreneurs, investors, and Fortune 500 executives break through their current ceilings by aligning mindset, identity, and strategy. Trevor explains how identity transformation drives exponential results (10X or even 100X) and how combining psychology with strategy can create the “freedom lifestyle” he enjoys between Canada and Australia—his personal “endless summer.”

    Key Insights & Takeaways

    • Why losing everything became the catalyst for Trevor’s greatest growth

    • How identity work creates quantum breakthroughs faster than strategy alone

    • The psychology behind building wealth and generational freedom

    • How to design a business that supports your ideal lifestyle

    • Lessons learned from coaching clients managing over $2.7 billion in assets

    Topics of Expertise Discussed

    • From Rock Bottom to Empire: Rebuilding after loss

    • The Joe Fairless Masterclass: Coaching one of the top real estate minds

    • Psychology Meets Strategy: Avoiding burnout through alignment

    • The Freedom Code: Building legacy wealth and time freedom

    • The Quantum Leap Framework: Transforming identity for faster results

    About Trevor McGregor Trevor McGregor is a high-performance master coach and international speaker who has helped clients generate billions in revenue and assets under management. His work has empowered thousands of leaders to transcend limitations and achieve extraordinary results across business, investing, and life.

    Key Achievements

    • 45,000+ coaching sessions across 20+ years

    • Former top business coach for Tony Robbins

    • Clients have generated billions in revenue and AUM

    Connect with Trevor McGregor Website: trevormcgregor.com/BreakfastLeadership Instagram: @trevormcgregor LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/trevormcgregor

    Learn More from Michael D. Levitt Explore more leadership and burnout-prevention insights at BreakfastLeadership.com/blog Read Michael’s books Burnout Proof and Workplace Culture
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    37 m