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Cut The Tie Podcast with Rebecca Shaddix

What happens when your life, career, and identity have all been shaped by productivity, performance, and the constant pressure to “do more”? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Rebecca Shaddix, a tech marketing leader, Forbes contributor, improv comedian, and new mother who is redefining how we think about time, fulfillment, and personal priorities.

Rebecca spent years excelling in the tech world, structuring her life around deadlines, stakeholder expectations, and the validations that come with traditional career success. But motherhood, writing her book, and launching her podcast Time Billionaires forced her to confront something deeper: we waste time in ways we would never waste money — and it’s costing us the life we want.

In this episode, Rebecca shares her journey from corporate leader to creator, her battle with workaholism, the principles that guide her decisions, and why the smallest “hidden minutes” of your day may be the key to reclaiming your life.

About Rebecca Shaddix

Rebecca Shaddix is a Forbes contributor, tech marketing leader, and host of the podcast Time Billionaires, a show focused on how to reclaim the hidden gaps in your day and use them for a more meaningful, aligned life.

She writes about AI, data, business strategy, and the philosophy of time — blending analytics with human behavior to help people build better habits and better lives. Her work sits at the intersection of productivity, personal growth, and intentional living.

Rebecca is also an improv comedian, a mother, and a passionate advocate for using time thoughtfully instead of letting it slip away through busyness, distraction, and noise.

In This Episode, Thomas and Rebecca Discuss:

• Cutting ties with workaholism
  Rebecca shares how her identity became intertwined with being “busy” — and how stepping away from corporate revealed how much she was losing.
• Why we waste time but obsess over money
  The concept behind her podcast Time Billionaires and why the small, fragmented minutes of your day matter more than the big blocks.
• Letting go of perfection and embracing “scruffy hospitality”
  The mindset shift that helped her break free from unrealistic standards at home and work.
• The danger of holding on to identity safety nets
  Why many professionals cling to what’s familiar — and how Rebecca learned to trust her own vision instead.

Key Takeaways:

• Your time has more value than your productivity
  Reclaiming the hidden minutes of your day leads to clarity, energy, and better decisions.
• Letting go of workaholism makes space for real insight
  When she stopped signaling productivity, she finally gained perspective on what mattered.
• Perfection is not a requirement for living well
  The concept of “scruffy hospitality” helped her rethink what is truly non-negotiable.

Connect with Rebecca Shaddix

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccashaddix
📚 Forbes Contributor: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccashaddix

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
🚀 Instant

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Rande Vick

What happens when your dream job becomes the thing that drains the joy out of you? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with branding strategist, author, and musician Rande Vick. After spending more than two decades in the musical instruments industry with iconic brands like Yamaha and Fender, Rande learned the hard way what happens when your identity gets tied too tightly to your job.

When the pandemic hit, and his corporate role disappeared overnight, Rande was forced to confront a deeper truth. He had spent years building someone else's brand while quietly sidelining his own ideas, creativity, and entrepreneurial drive. That moment became the catalyst for launching The Vick Agency and developing his science-based Neuro Brand Method, helping companies create brands that live rent-free in the minds of their customers.

About Rande Vick

Rande Vick is the founder of The Vick Agency, a branding and strategy firm known for its Neuro Brand Method, a brain science driven approach to building memorable, emotionally resonant brands. Before becoming an agency owner, Rande spent more than twenty years in the musical instruments industry, holding roles at major brands including M Audio, Avid, Yamaha, and Fender.

A lifelong musician, songwriter, and storyteller, Rande blends creative instinct with neuroscience, helping brands create immersive experiences, activate subconscious triggers, and connect with customers at a deeper level. He is also the author of the book Neuro Branding and works closely with founders, solopreneurs, startups, and local retailers who want to stand out in a crowded digital world.

In this episode, Thomas and Rande discuss:

Why memories beat marketing

Rande breaks down his Neuro Brand Method, explaining how immersive experiences, storytelling, and subconscious triggers help brands live rent-free inside customers' minds.

Choosing meaning over metrics

Rande discusses why success now means working with the right clients, spending time with family, and doing creative work that lights him up rather than chasing titles or corporate prestige.

Key Takeaways

• A setback can become the turning point
  Losing his dream job forced Rande to finally pursue entrepreneurship with intention instead of hesitation.
• Great brands create memories, not just attention
  Storytelling, sensory cues, and emotional resonance determine whether customers remember you.
• If your brand is not being recommended, it is not working
  Referrals and reputation reveal whether your message is living rent free in people’s minds.
• Security can become the excuse that holds you back
  Rande spent years choosing stability over potential. The moment he stopped doing that, everything changed.

Connect with Rande Vick

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randevick
🌐 Website: https://vickagency.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 InstantlyRelevant.com: https://instantlyrelevant.com

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What if success isn’t about the grind, the title, or the next promotion — but about waking up each morning and owning your time, energy, and relationships? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Carlos Ponce, a veteran sales and communications leader turned entrepreneur who now runs a family-owned podcast production company called People Bound.

Carlos spent years inside a fast-growing tech company, where he built a global live-video series long before it became mainstream. But after more than a decade inside corporate, he realized he had neglected the entrepreneurial itch he inherited from his father. At fifty, he made the leap — and hasn’t looked back.

About Carlos Ponce

Carlos Ponce is the co-founder and Managing Partner of People Bound, a boutique, family-run podcast production company serving tech and B2B organizations. Based between Tucson, Arizona, and Mexico, Carlos leads a creative team that focuses on the power of real conversations — not mass automation — to help companies build meaningful content.

With more than twenty years in sales, marketing, internal communications, and teaching, Carlos brings a rare combination of strategic thinking, storytelling, and cultural fluency. He is also a lifelong cartoonist and illustrator, adding a creative edge to the work he does for clients around the world.

In This Episode, Thomas and Carlos Discuss:

• Leaving corporate after twelve years — and why timing matters
  He shares the emotional and practical considerations behind walking away from a stable job at fifty.
• The painful mistake of relying on one major client
  Carlos tells the story of losing twenty thousand dollars a month overnight after a client’s leadership change — and the drastic impact it had on his business and mindset.
• Why you should never hire based on emotion
  A candid look at hiring people close to him, why it backfired, and how he rebuilt his approach.
• Running a business that stays small by design
  Why People Bound intentionally avoids scaling into a large agency and focuses instead on meaningful, relationship-driven work.

Key Takeaways:

• Curiosity beats fear when learning something new
  Approaching unfamiliar skills with curiosity made the technical challenges manageable and even enjoyable.
• Diversifying clients protects your business
  Losing a major client overnight taught Carlos the importance of spreading revenue across multiple sources.
• Hire only when there is a real business need
  Bringing in people based on emotion instead of necessity created avoidable strain and setbacks.
• Your business should serve your life, not replace it
  Carlos remains intentional about staying small, family-driven, and focused on meaningful conversations.

Connect with Carlos Ponce

🌐 Website:http://www.peoplebound.co
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosponcerobles/

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://insta

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Pablo Gonzalez

For many veterans and corporate professionals, the transition into a new chapter of life comes with a difficult realization: the “safe path” isn’t always the one that leads to real freedom. In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Pablo Gonzalez, a United States Air Force veteran turned entrepreneur, who now helps business owners unlock global talent and reclaim their most valuable resource — time.

Pablo shares how he went from explosive detection dog handler to co-owner of Global Talent Direct, a veteran-led company that helps small and mid-sized businesses hire pre-vetted international professionals without the overhead. His story is rooted in discipline, service, and a deep desire to build a life where freedom and time matter more than job titles or traditional definitions of success.

About Pablo Gonzalez

Pablo Gonzalez is the co-owner and Head of Broker Relations at Global Talent Direct, a veteran-owned and operated company that helps small and mid-sized businesses scale through pre-vetted remote talent. Based in Atlanta, Pablo works with U.S. businesses to access highly skilled global professionals through a transparent, flat-fee model that prioritizes fairness, impact, and long-term support.

A former Air Force explosive detection dog handler, Pablo brings military discipline, service-driven leadership, and a global mindset into entrepreneurship. Today, he empowers business owners to reduce overhead, increase profitability, and reclaim their time by hiring right — without sacrificing quality or ethics.

In this Episode, Thomas and Pablo Discuss:

• Why stability is an illusion
  Pablo explains why the illusion of a “safe job” keeps many people stuck, and how betting on himself became the turning point.
• How military discipline transfers directly to entrepreneurship
  From leadership to resilience to mission-first focus, Pablo reveals how his service shaped his approach to business.
• The danger of taking on too much
  Pablo opens up about the entrepreneurial trap of overworking, and the importance of systems, prioritization, and work-life boundaries.
• Why hiring global talent is about empowerment, not job displacement
  Pablo addresses the common misconceptions about global hiring and explains how small businesses can use talent sourcing to fuel local impact.

Key Takeaways

• Veterans are uniquely equipped for entrepreneurship because discipline and purpose transfer across any industry.
• You can’t be the bottleneck and the builder at the same time.
• The only real security is your ability to create value, not your W-2.
• Scaling starts with freeing up the founder’s headspace, not just their hours.

Connect with Pablo Gonzalez

🌐 Website: https://www.globaltalentdirect.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablo-gonzalez-4687a322b/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.c

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Nate Woodbury

What happens when you stop chasing vanity metrics and start answering the exact questions your future clients type into Google, YouTube, and ChatGPT? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich talks with Nate Woodbury, a YouTube strategist and longtime entrepreneur who helps experts turn niche answers into qualified inbound demand. Nate explains his Leaf Strategy, why most B2B creators need a focused channel with clear intent, and how generosity builds trust that converts.

About Nate Woodbury:
Nate is a YouTube lead-generation strategist and creator who has spent 16 years building systems that help coaches, speakers, consultants, and course creators turn videos into referral-quality leads. After early years in web design and SEO, he pivoted fully to YouTube and now teaches the Leaf Strategy through weekly webinars, his “Nate Woodbury” channel, and his new “Nate the Producer” channel.

In this episode, Thomas and Nate discuss:
• Cutting ties with tactics that don’t move revenue
Why Nate left beautiful-but-barren websites and even classic SEO to pursue YouTube content that converts.
• The Leaf Strategy for precise demand
How “leaves and branches” map real questions to videos that rank on Google, YouTube, and now show in ChatGPT results.
• Two paths on YouTube and why B2B must choose
Lead-gen focus versus ad-revenue entertainment, and how mixing them can stall both.
• Give away the playbook, win the client
Why teaching everything builds trust and surfaces paid help where execution gets hard.
• Founder discipline and scheduling
How blocking time, tracking inputs, and measuring the right metrics sustain output and health in the long game.

Key Takeaways:
• Strategy beats hustle
Pick a lane, define the audience’s questions, then publish with intention.
• Your best leads arrive warm
Helpful videos create trust, so sales calls feel like referrals.
• One channel, one promise
B2B creators grow faster when a channel has a single clear purpose and offer.
• Education filters and qualifies
A webinar or book preps buyers, saves time, and improves close rates.
• Consistency is a system
Calendar blocks, repeatable workflows, and clear metrics keep you shipping.

Connect with Nate Woodbury:
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-woodbury/
🌐 The Leaf Strategy Webinar: https://theleafstrategy.com/
▶️ YouTube – Nate Woodbury: https://www.youtube.com/@NateWoodbury

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 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 Nathan Strum

What if artificial intelligence didn’t replace people—but helped them grow? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Nathan Strum, CEO of Abby Connect, to talk about how a twenty-year-old live receptionist company is redefining success by blending human connection with AI innovation.

From cutting the tie to “doing everything for everyone” to leading his team through one of the biggest technological shifts in business, Nathan shares how focus, courage, and empathy drive sustainable growth. His approach proves that AI doesn’t have to eliminate jobs—it can elevate people into new, higher-value roles.

About Nathan Strum

Nathan Strum is the CEO of Abby Connect, a Las Vegas–based company helping small businesses capture every opportunity through a hybrid of live and AI receptionists. Under Nathan’s leadership, Abby Connect has become one of the most trusted names in client communication, known for balancing technology with a people-first philosophy. He’s passionate about building cultures where employees rise, clients feel heard, and innovation serves humans—not the other way around.

In this episode, Thomas and Nathan discuss:

• Why AI isn’t taking jobs—it’s transforming them
  Nathan explains how new technology is upskilling employees and opening career paths that didn’t exist before.
• Cutting the tie to “doing everything for everyone”
  How Abby Connect learned to focus on its best customers and say no to distractions that dilute value.
• Listening to clients the right way
  The difference between gathering feedback and asking the questions that actually drive business growth.
• Turning a service company into a product company
  The challenge of shifting from live services to software while staying true to the company’s human DNA.
• The tie he’s still cutting: building less to build better
  Why focus and simplicity matter most when developing new AI tools and customer solutions.

Key Takeaways

• AI creates more jobs than it replaces
  The future belongs to businesses that use technology to empower people, not eliminate them.
• Success is when your people feel successful
  Leadership is measured by how much you elevate others.
• You can’t please everyone
  Focus on the customers who align with your strengths and values.
• Fail fast, fail forward
  Every mistake is a data point for growth.
• Stop listening to influencers—start trusting yourself
  Your best business instincts come from experience, not noise.

Connect with Nathan Strum

🌐 Website: https://www.abby.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanstrum

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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What if kids could launch their first business before high school? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Krystal Popov, entrepreneur, real estate investor, and founder of FuturePreneur, a company that helps kids and teens ages six to sixteen build and launch their first business.

From corporate engineer to network marketing to commercial real estate and now youth entrepreneurship, Krystal’s story is about breaking cycles of fear, redefining success, and teaching freedom through ownership. She shares the ties she had to cut—control, fear of judgment, and the illusion of “safety” in corporate life—to build a business and a family that thrive on choice and impact.

About Krystal Popov
Krystal Popov is the founder and CEO of FuturePreneur, a hands-on program that teaches kids how to start real businesses from home. Based in Tucson, Arizona, Krystal is also a commercial real estate entrepreneur who operates over 20,000 square feet of coworking and retail office space. A former engineer turned business owner, she’s passionate about empowering the next generation to build confidence, creativity, and financial independence through entrepreneurship.

In this episode, Thomas and Krystal discuss:

• Teaching kids how to own their future
  How FuturePreneur helps kids and teens launch real businesses with guided video modules, business plans, and peer-led lessons.
• Why corporate “success” left her unfulfilled
  Krystal recalls sitting in a quarterly review meeting and realizing, “I’m climbing this ladder and I don’t even like the top.”
• How network marketing built her confidence
  Despite early failures and judgment, it taught her the most valuable lesson: You can’t sell if you don’t talk—and you can’t care what people think.
• Building real estate that buys her time
  Krystal explains how her coworking business gives her the freedom to start new ventures, travel, and raise her family without losing control of her time.

Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship breeds happiness
  Studies and real life both show it: business owners report more fulfillment and autonomy than employees.
• Failure is feedback, not final
  Every failed venture, from MLM to downtown coworking, became the data behind her success.
• Debt can be a tool, not a trap
  Smart, asset-backed debt fuels growth—don’t fear leverage, understand it.
• If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no
  The advice that reshaped how Krystal manages time, business decisions, and priorities.

Connect with Krystal Popov

🌐 Website: https://www.futurepreneur.com
🎁 Free Resource: Teach Your Kids to Dream (Check the website)
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalpopov
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystalpopov

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Jason Vana

Most business owners think branding is about colors, fonts, and logos—but that’s only the surface. In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Jason Vana, founder and CEO of Shft Agency, to uncover what brand strategy really means—and why most companies get it wrong.

Jason shares how a side hustle turned into a thriving agency, what it means to truly understand your ideal customer, and how cutting the wrong assumptions can unlock business growth. With over 20 years of experience helping B2B service firms build brands that drive revenue, Jason breaks down how to create a brand that not only looks good—but sells better.

About Jason Vana

Jason Vana is the founder and CEO of Shft Agency, a B2B brand positioning firm that helps service companies uncover their unique market value and turn it into strategy that drives sales, marketing, and growth. Based in the Chicago suburbs, Jason brings two decades of hands-on experience in branding, marketing, and leadership. He’s known for helping businesses simplify complexity, focus on differentiation, and build brands that make selling easier.

In this episode, Thomas and Jason discuss:

• Cutting ties with the myth of “branding equals design”
  Why your logo, color palette, and fonts are just the tip of the iceberg—and what really defines your brand.
• From accidental agency to intentional success
  How Jason built Shift Agency from LinkedIn DMs while working full-time—and turned it into a leading B2B brand strategy firm.
• The partner that almost broke the business
  Why the belief that “I need a co-founder to succeed” nearly stalled his growth—and how buying out his partner unlocked real momentum.
• The freedom formula
  Jason shares how defining success as time freedom changed his decisions, leadership style, and agency model.
• How to find your true differentiator
  The practical framework for discovering what makes your company truly unique—and how to use it to build an entire strategy.

Key Takeaways

• Your brand is the customer-facing side of your business strategy
  If it doesn’t connect to real business goals, it’s just decoration.
• Challenge your assumptions early
  The wrong belief can hold your company back for years.
• Know who you serve—and who you don’t
  Focus on the ideal customers who stay longer, pay more, and trust you deeper.
• Don’t fix weaknesses—amplify strengths
  Hire or outsource for what you can’t do, and double down on what you do best.
• You can’t scale a brand that depends on you
  Build systems and IP that outlive the founder.

Connect with Jason Vana

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvana
🌐 Website: https://www.shift.agency

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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