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Cut The Tie Podcast with Elizabeth Wu

What happens when the people ultimately responsible for a company’s survival are the least informed about its biggest risk?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Elizabeth Wu, a lifelong entrepreneur, IT auditor, and inventor who has spent four decades building businesses without ever working for someone else. Elizabeth breaks down why data breaches keep happening, why executives are being fired for failures they never had visibility into, and how the disconnect between IT and leadership has quietly become one of the most dangerous problems in modern organizations.

Elizabeth shares how a forced pivot during COVID led her to invent a new category of cybersecurity visibility designed specifically for executives. What started as solving her own problem has now turned into global conversations with governments, regulators, and enterprises looking to prevent breaches before they happen. This is a conversation about cutting the tie to blind trust, technical intimidation, and boxed-in thinking.

About Elizabeth Wu:
Elizabeth Wu is a serial entrepreneur with over forty years of experience building and scaling businesses. She is the founder of EDD-i, a cybersecurity platform designed to give executives real visibility into the security status of their organizations. With a background in IT auditing and infrastructure, Elizabeth focuses on preventing data breaches by addressing vulnerabilities from the inside out. Her work spans private enterprise, government policy, and international cybersecurity initiatives.

In this episode, Thomas and Elizabeth discuss:

• “The executives never had visibility”
  Why CEOs are being held accountable for IT failures they were never equipped to understand.
• The real reason data breaches keep rising
  How companies focus on perimeter security while leaving internal vulnerabilities exposed.
• Why compliance does not equal security
  The dangerous assumption that certifications automatically mean protection.
• The IT power imbalance inside organizations
  How technical opacity creates fear, dependency, and poor decision making at the executive level.
• Safe Harbor and executive liability
  Why legislation is shifting responsibility and how leaders can protect themselves.

Key Takeaways:

• Visibility is not optional
  Leaders cannot manage or protect what they cannot see.
• Executives are paying the price for ignorance
  One in three CEOs are fired after a breach, even when the root cause sits elsewhere.
• Security must be practical, not theoretical
  Checklists do not stop breaches. Understanding does.
• True innovation solves communication problems
  The biggest gap is not technology, it is language.

Connect with Elizabeth Wu:
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-wu11/
🌐 Company Website: https://www.edd-i.com/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://instantly

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Michelle Griffin

What happens when founders try to save money by handling HR themselves and end up risking everything they built?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Michelle Griffin, founder of Griffin Resources, to unpack one of the most dangerous blind spots in small and midsize businesses. HR mistakes rarely show up as problems at first. They show up later as lawsuits, failed exits, lost talent, and leadership chaos.

Michelle shares how she built a seven figure fractional HR and back office services company by solving the exact problems founders ignore until it is too late. From payroll and compliance to recruiting and SOPs, this conversation is about cutting the tie to doing everything yourself and building a business that can scale, travel, and eventually sell without blowing up.

About Michelle Griffin:
Michelle Griffin is the founder of Griffin Resources, a fractional HR, payroll, and business operations firm serving small to midsize companies across the United States. With a background in industrial organizational psychology and executive HR leadership, Michelle helps founders protect enterprise value, reduce risk, and build scalable people operations. She has built multiple businesses with her husband, all without outside investment, while working remotely and traveling internationally.

In this episode, Thomas and Michelle discuss:

• “You can’t investigate yourself”
  Why founders handling their own HR issues creates legal exposure and credibility problems.
• The hidden cost of DIY HR
  How small mistakes around payroll, classification, and documentation quietly compound.
• The 10 to 15 employee breaking point
  Why trust based hiring stops working once you grow past friends and referrals.
• HR as an investment, not a cost
  How strong people operations protect valuation and make exits cleaner.
• Fractional leadership done right
  Why most companies do not need full time HR but do need real expertise.
• Building a business that runs without you
  Cutting the tie to being the bottleneck so the company can scale.
• Why exits fail during diligence
  How missing handbooks, I-9s, and SOPs can derail acquisitions.

Key Takeaways:

• HR touches everything and the law touches HR
  Ignorance does not protect founders from consequences.
• Doing it yourself is not the same as doing it right
  Especially when emotions and power dynamics are involved.
• The earlier you build structure, the cheaper it is
  Fixing HR after problems surface costs far more.
• Scalable companies are transferable companies
  Clean processes increase value and reduce risk.
• You do not need more control, you need better systems
  Let experts handle what founders should not.

Connect with Michelle Griffin:
🌐 Website: https://griffin-resources.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-griffin-phd/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.co

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Dan Rosenblatt

What happens when performance stops working and success still feels hollow?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Dan Rosenblatt, founder of Seventy Two Ministries, commercial insurance business owner, and coach to business leaders who feel deeply out of alignment. Dan’s story cuts straight to the heart of what many high performing men experience but rarely say out loud. You can win in business and still lose peace, family, and purpose.

Dan shares how faith became the foundation that reordered every other area of his life. Not as an escape from responsibility, but as the framework that allowed him to lead with clarity, conviction, and rest. This is a conversation about cutting the tie to performance driven identity and redefining success through alignment, legacy, and eternity.

About Dan Rosenblatt:
Dan Rosenblatt is the founder of Seventy Two Ministries, a faith based coaching and discipleship platform focused on leadership, alignment, and purpose. He is also the owner of a commercial insurance franchise and has over eighteen years of experience in sales, business ownership, and leadership development. Dan has coached hundreds of sales professionals and business owners and serves leaders who want to build thriving businesses without sacrificing faith, family, or integrity.

In this episode, Thomas and Dan discuss:

• Why faith is usually the last tie people cut
  Dan explains how most leaders only turn to faith after finances, health, or relationships collapse.
• Redefining success beyond performance
  Why success rooted only in output eventually leads to burnout and emptiness.
• What alignment actually means
  How misalignment shows up in marriage, leadership, and business long before people admit it.
• Building business without abandoning faith
  Why faith does not replace responsibility, discipline, or hard work.
• Leading from rest instead of exhaustion
  How leaders can stop running on empty and start leading with clarity.
• Purpose measured in eternity
  Dan challenges the idea that success should only be measured in revenue or status.
• Why most high performers feel stuck
  The hidden cost of being successful in one area while neglecting others.

Key Takeaways:

• Performance is a poor foundation
  It delivers results but not peace.
• Alignment precedes scale
  Growth without alignment magnifies problems.
• Faith brings clarity, not passivity
  It strengthens leadership rather than softening it.
• Legacy outlives metrics
  What you build matters less than who you become.
• You do not need to fix everything at once
  Progress starts by cutting one tie at a time.

Connect with Dan Rosenblatt:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-rosenblatt1/

🌐 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeventyTwoMinistries

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://instantlyrelevant.com

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Cut The Tie Podcast with John Brink

What does success really look like when you are eighty five years old, still building companies, competing in bodybuilding, writing books, and hosting hundreds of podcasts?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with John Brink, an entrepreneur, author, and podcaster whose life story spans war time Europe, immigration to Canada with almost nothing, decades of business building, and a late in life discovery that finally explained everything. At sixty two, John learned he had ADHD and dyslexia. Instead of seeing it as a limitation, he reframed it as the key that unlocked his true identity.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that it is never too late to understand yourself, redefine success, and cut ties to the labels that never fit you in the first place.

About John Brink:
John Brink is an entrepreneur, author, competitive bodybuilder, and prolific podcaster based in British Columbia, Canada. Born during World War II in the Netherlands, John immigrated to Canada with a suitcase, three books, two sets of clothes, and $25.47 to his name. He went on to build multiple successful companies, author five books with a sixth in progress, and host hundreds of podcast episodes. John openly shares his journey with ADHD and dyslexia, advocating for mindset, discipline, health, and lifelong growth.

In this episode, Thomas and John discuss:

• Discovering ADHD at sixty two
  John shares how finding the book Driven to Distraction finally answered the question he had been asking himself for fifty years.
• Growing up labeled as not too bright
  How failing grades and early school rejection shaped his determination to prove himself.
• Starting with nothing by design
  Why John chose to immigrate to Canada alone and build his life from the ground up.
• Attitude, passion, and work ethic
  The three principles John believes always precede success.
• Why ADHD is not a liability
  How John reframed ADHD as an asset and a competitive advantage.
• Staying physically strong into your eighties
  John explains his disciplined approach to diet, training, sleep, and longevity.
• Building a life without regret
  Why John would not change his path even with all the challenges he faced.
• Giving back as the real definition of success
  Success as contribution, mentorship, and service rather than titles or money.

Key Takeaways:

• ADHD is different, not broken
  Understanding yourself changes everything.
• Success will try to find you
  Your job is to be ready when it does.
• Health is non negotiable
  Longevity and quality of life are built through discipline.
• Labels lose power when you define yourself
  The story you accept shapes the life you live.
• It is never too late to grow
  Self discovery can happen at any age.

Connect with John Brink:
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnabrink/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 Instantly Relevant:

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Rob Rene

What happens when the life you planned disappears in an instant, and the system you trusted starts to look broken? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Rob Rene to talk about faith, health, and purpose, and how anger can either consume you or become fuel for meaningful action.

Rob shares a deeply personal journey that includes surviving a near fatal accident, walking away from decades in corporate America, confronting hard truths about health and modern systems, and ultimately choosing to serve others through faith based health solutions. This episode speaks directly to men who feel frustrated, disillusioned, or stuck, and are ready to channel that energy into something that actually matters.

About Rob Rene:
Rob Rene is an entrepreneur, health advocate, and self described faith and health warrior. He is the founder of Exodus Strong, a faith centered health solutions company focused on supporting the mind, body, and spirit. Rob’s work is rooted in biblical principles, holistic health research, and a mission to help people reclaim their health so they can live with purpose and impact.

In this episode, Thomas and Rob discuss:

• Losing everything in a moment
  Rob shares how a near death accident ended his dream of becoming a professional runner and forced him to rethink his entire future.
• The second collision that changed everything
  How the pandemic became the wake up call that pushed Rob to question systems he once trusted.
• Turning anger into action
  Why staying angry leads nowhere and how Rob redirected frustration into building something that helps others.
• Health as the foundation for purpose
  Rob explains why physical health determines what you are capable of doing in every other area of life.
• Faith as a daily practice, not a label
  Moving from believing in name only to living with intention, discipline, and alignment.
• The mind body spirit connection
  Why true health requires addressing all three, not just symptoms.
• Small daily actions that create massive change
  Simple, practical habits that anyone can start using to improve their health without expensive tools.

Key Takeaways:

• Anger is a signal, not a solution
  When redirected, it can become fuel for meaningful work.
• You can only control yourself
  Focus energy where it creates impact, not resentment.
• Health unlocks everything else
  Without it, ambition and purpose stall.
• Faith grows through action
  Consistency matters more than intention alone.
• Purpose often comes from pain
  The experiences you would never choose often shape the mission you are meant to live.

Connect with Rob Rene:
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robrene/
🌐 Free Resource: https://exodus.com/free

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

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What if the biggest thing holding you back financially is not your income, your discipline, or your business, but the system you were handed without ever questioning it?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Mark Willis, a Certified Financial Planner who challenges the default American money playbook. Mark explains why banks quietly control most people’s financial lives, how debt and cash both keep you trapped, and what it actually means to fire your banker and become your own source of financing.

This conversation is especially relevant for entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners who are making good money but feel like they are still swimming upstream financially.

About Mark Willis:
Mark Willis is a Certified Financial Planner and the founder of Lake Growth Financial. He specializes in helping individuals and business owners grow wealth in ways that are safe, predictable, and efficient. Mark is known for teaching clients how to take control of cash flow, reduce reliance on banks, and implement strategies traditionally used by ultra high net worth individuals. He is the co host of Not Your Average Financial Podcast and co author of The Business Fortress.

In this episode, Thomas and Mark discuss:

• Why banks quietly hold people back
  Mark explains how debt, cash, and traditional financial products keep most people stuck on the wrong side of the banker’s desk.
• What it really means to fire your banker
  How becoming your own source of financing gives you control, certainty, and flexibility.
• The hidden cost of paying cash
  Why paying cash can be just as damaging as paying interest and how both steal from your future self.
• Thinking like a billionaire without being one
  Mark breaks down how the wealthy use asset based strategies like buy, borrow, die to legally minimize taxes and maximize control.
• Cash value life insurance explained clearly
  The role of properly designed whole life insurance in creating contractual wealth and predictable growth.
• Why some financial products quietly fail
  Mark explains why many indexed universal life policies lapse and why design and structure matter more than marketing.

Key Takeaways:

• There are two types of people
  Those who pay interest and those who get paid interest.
• Control matters more than returns
  Certainty and access to capital often beat chasing higher performance.
• Cash is not risk free
  Every dollar spent today has an opportunity cost tomorrow.
• Design beats products
  How something is engineered matters more than what it is called.
• Financial freedom starts with awareness
  You cannot win a game you do not know you are playing.

Connect with Mark Willis:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklakegrowth/

🌐 Website: https://newbankingsolution.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://instantlyrelevant.com

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What happens when leadership advice sounds good on paper but fails the moment real pressure shows up? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Dr Rosie Ward to unpack why quick fixes, check-the-box training, and surface-level leadership development continue to fail modern organizations.

Rosie explains why disruption is not slowing down, why human behavior is the real bottleneck in scaling leadership and culture, and what executives must confront if they want organizations that actually work. This conversation is especially relevant for leaders who feel stuck managing people problems that no strategy deck seems to solve.

About Dr Rosie Ward:
Dr Rosie Ward is the CEO of Salveo Partners, a leadership and culture consulting firm based in Minneapolis. She specializes in future proofing organizations by strengthening culture, leveling up leaders, and helping teams navigate change without getting hijacked by their own human instincts. Rosie holds a PhD in organization and management and has spent her career studying the intersection of leadership, culture, and human behavior. She is the author of Rehumanizing the Workplace and an upcoming book, Future Proofing Leadership.

In this episode, Thomas and Rosie discuss:

• Why shortcuts and soundbites fail leaders
  Rosie explains why leadership development fails when organizations skip the inner work and jump straight to tools, tips, and training modules.
• The “stuckness zone” that derails change
  How disruption triggers self-protective behavior, resistance, blame, and division inside teams and why this gap keeps widening.
• Toxic workplaces and the cost of bad leadership
  Rosie shares her own experiences in unhealthy environments and why culture directly erodes or strengthens human performance.
• The inner operating system behind leadership behavior
  Why most leaders are unknowingly operating from outdated internal programs that quietly sabotage decision making.
• Self limiting mindsets that block growth
  Rosie breaks down common faulty programs like the overachiever, martyr, perfectionist, and counterfeit and how they show up at work.

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership problems are rarely skill problems
  Until the inner operating system is addressed, tools and training will not stick.
• Human behavior drives culture, not policy
  If leaders do not understand how people react under pressure, culture will always break down.
• Growth requires ongoing internal upgrades
  This is not a one-time fix. Leadership development is an ongoing practice.
• Letting go is necessary to scale
  Leaders must release control to grow beyond themselves.
• Future proofing starts with courage
  The ability to face uncertainty and lead with authenticity separates effective leaders from struggling ones.

Connect with Dr Rosie Ward:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rward/

🌐 Website: https://salveopartners.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 Instantly Relevant:

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Kelly Dowd

What happens when success stops being about metrics and starts being about meaning?

In this thoughtful and deeply human episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Kelly Dowd, Nigerian-American designer, author, and founder of Design Inc., to explore identity, creativity, and the courage it takes to silence noise.

Kelly shares his journey from fashion, pageantry, and corporate life into a more intentional path rooted in collaboration, humanity, and sustainability. At the center of the conversation is Kelly’s forthcoming book, The Power of Hands, which reframes human creativity as the most advanced technology we will ever possess.

About Kelly Dowd:

Kelly Dowd is a Nigerian-American designer, author, and founder of Design Inc. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Power of Hands: Designing a Sustainable Future to Integrate Collaboration. Kelly’s work focuses on human-centered design, sustainability, and the role of creativity as a collaborative force that technology can never replace. Through design, writing, and leadership, he challenges people to reconnect with their humanity and redefine success on their own terms.

In this episode, Thomas and Kelly discuss:

• Redefining success beyond money
  Kelly explains why being alive, present, and creative matters more than external metrics or validation.
• Why cutting noise is the hardest tie to break
  From corporate pressure to social media expectations, Kelly shares how noise nearly drowned his voice and how he learned to silence it.
• The power of hands as human technology
  Kelly unpacks why hands represent collaboration, creativity, and the one capability AI can never replace.
• Walking away from identity-defining careers
  Fashion, pageantry, and corporate life shaped Kelly, but no longer served his purpose.
• Confidence, self-belief, and unlearning old stories
  A powerful reflection on how childhood narratives shape adult self-worth and how silence helped Kelly reclaim his confidence.
• Creating without competing
  Why meaningful creation comes from competing with yourself, not chasing attention or algorithms.

Key Takeaways:

• Noise is the real enemy
  Corporate pressure, toxic relationships, and constant content demands drown out creativity and clarity.
• Your humanity is your advantage
  Hands symbolize collaboration, adaptability, and creativity no technology can replace.
• Success starts with being alive and present
  Breath, awareness, and purpose matter more than money or status.
• You don’t owe loyalty to what no longer serves you
  Growth sometimes requires walking away from careers that once defined you.
• Create for meaning, not metrics
  Thoughtful work outlives attention-driven content.

Connect with Kelly Dowd:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thekellydowd/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:

🐦 Twitter: @thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: Thomas Helfrich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
✉️ Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 InstantlyRelevant.com

Support the show

Serious about LinkedIn Lead Generation? Stop Guessing what to do on LinkedIn and ignite revenue from relevance with Instantly Relevant Lead System