In every industry, there are strategies that quietly outperform the conventional wisdom. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Andy Weiner, Founder and President of RockStep Capital, one of the most innovative retail real estate investment firms in the United States.

Andy’s career spans more than 40 years across retail operations, commercial real estate, and shopping center redevelopment. Before launching RockStep Capital, he served as Vice President of Operations for Weiner’s Stores, a regional chain that grew to 159 locations across Texas and Louisiana. Today, RockStep Capital owns and operates nearly 10 million square feet of shopping centers across 11 states, specializing in the revitalization of enclosed malls and open air retail in secondary and tertiary markets.

In this conversation, Andy explains why RockStep invests in “hometowns” under a million people, how local partnerships reduce risk and unlock value, and why big institutional players routinely overlook the most resilient markets. He shares the strategic pillars behind RockStep’s long term success, including his 25 RockSteps culture system, a set of behavioral principles used by all 100 employees to build trust, accountability, and high performance. Andy also outlines how retail has evolved in the age of Amazon, why strong operators continue to grow, and why the best opportunities exist where most investors never think to look.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

► Learn more about our courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why local partnerships give investors and leaders a strategic advantage

☑️ How secondary and tertiary markets outperform expectations

☑️ Why retail is far from dead, despite the Amazon narrative

☑️ How the 25 RockSteps culture system builds high performing teams

☑️ Why most deals fail and what separates elite operators

☑️ How community based strategy reduces risk and increases long term value

This episode is for:

▶️ CEOs and executives leading growth and transformation

▶️ Investors and operators seeking overlooked opportunities

▶️ Leaders building culture, accountability, and alignment

▶️ Teams navigating disruption in retail, real estate, and local markets

About the Guest

Andy Weiner is the Founder and President of RockStep Capital, a national retail real estate investment company specializing in acquiring and revitalizing shopping centers in high potential secondary and tertiary markets. With more than four decades of experience across retail operations and real estate, he is recognized for pioneering a community based investment model driven by strong local partnerships. Andy is the creator of the 25 RockSteps, a behavioral culture framework used across RockStep’s 100 employee team to build trust, resolve conflict, and create a high performance environment.

Learn more: rockstep.com

Connect with Andy: linkedin.com/in/andy-weiner

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

Most leaders can handle the easy 92 percent of their day. It is the remaining 8 percent that defines them. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry, one of the world’s leading authorities on pressure, performance, and the neuroscience of leadership.

JP is the New York Times bestselling author of Performing Under Pressure and co-founder of the Institute for Health and Human Potential. For more than 25 years, he has coached and trained elite performers and teams across NASA, the CIA, the US Army and Navy, the Olympics, the NBA, the NFL, and global Fortune 100 companies, including Google, Goldman Sachs, Coca-Cola, BMW, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson. His research on leadership behavior and culture has appeared in Harvard Business Review and media outlets worldwide.

In this conversation, JP explains the Last 8 Percent, the small but critical set of difficult moments that disproportionately shape organizational culture, execution, and long-term success. He shares insights from neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and his upcoming book, The Last 8 Percent, outlining why leaders know what they should do but often avoid doing it. JP describes how his Last 8 Percent Culture System has helped organizations transform performance, including an example where Blue Cross Idaho saved tens of millions of dollars in the first six months of implementation.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:

https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator► Learn more about our courses:

⁠ https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why the toughest conversations have the biggest impact on results

☑️ The neuroscience behind pressure and avoidance

☑️ How leaders use the Last 8 Percent to close the gap between intent and action

☑️ Why high-performing cultures require both courage and connection

☑️ Tools to improve accountability and decision-making under stress

☑️ What elite athletes, special forces, and executives all have in common

This episode is for:

▶️ CEOs and executives navigating complex decisions

▶️ Leaders working to build healthier, more courageous cultures

▶️ Teams striving for better performance under pressure

▶️ Anyone looking to strengthen resilience, clarity, and emotional intelligence

About the Guest

Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry is a thought leader, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author known for helping organizations turn pressure into a competitive advantage. He is the co-founder and President of the Institute for Health and Human Potential, one of Profit Magazine’s fastest growing companies, and a highly rated lecturer for Kellogg School of Management’s Executive Education Program. His Last 8 Percent framework is used by elite performers and major organizations worldwide to create measurable performance and financial gains. His upcoming book, The Last 8 Percent, explores how leaders can build cultures of courage, accountability, and connection.

Learn more: jppawliw-fry.com

Connect with JP: linkedin.com/in/jppawliwfry

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

Growth is exciting until it starts costing you more than it is making you. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Ben Hansen, five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and founder of Profit Doctor, about why scaling too fast without fixing your profit problems is a recipe for burnout.

After building an eight figure company with more than 100 employees, Ben learned firsthand that more revenue does not always mean more success. Through his Profit Doctor programs, he now helps CEOs and business owners cure what he calls “Profititis,” when your top line keeps growing but your bottom line stays flat.

In this conversation, Ben shares practical ways to increase margins, cash, and distributions in just 90 days, often without adding more workload or pressure. He also explains why most companies are following the wrong playbook, chasing growth like tech startups instead of optimizing for profitability like sustainable businesses.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why growing faster is not always growing smarter

☑️ How to diagnose and fix Profititis before it burns you out

☑️ The 50 20 Rule, a simple shortcut to higher profits

☑️ Why cutting the worst 20 percent of your work can unlock growth

☑️ How to think like private equity and make more by doing less

This episode is for:

▶️ Business owners scaling between 2 million and 50 million in revenue

▶️ Leaders who feel stuck despite record sales

▶️ Founders chasing growth but losing energy or focus

▶️ Anyone ready to run a healthier and more profitable business

About the Guest

Ben Hansen is a five time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and the founder of Profit Doctor, where he helps companies boost profitability without working harder. A former CEO of a fast growing marketing analytics firm, Ben now coaches leaders across North America to fix hidden leaks in their business models and achieve measurable profit gains within 12 weeks.

Learn more: profitdoctor.com

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benhansen

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can organizations embrace AI to transform marketing without losing the human connection that drives trust and brand loyalty? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Matt Seitz, Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Prosperity Capital Advisors, as well as CMO of C2P Enterprises and JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management.

Under Matt’s marketing leadership, JL Smith achieved 40% average annual growth from 2020 to 2024, C2P launched one of the industry’s first in-house marketing agencies for advisors, and Prosperity Capital Advisors now supports over 130 independent financial advisors nationwide. Recognized as a ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES 2025 CMO of the Year finalist, Matt has led standout campaigns like the OBBB initiative and The Rainmaker Multiplier, which earned national attention for creativity and results.

In this conversation, Matt shares how AI is reshaping marketing strategy, why the traditional funnel is being replaced by continuous loops of engagement, and how leaders can use AI as a thought partner to challenge ideas, build culture, and enhance storytelling.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses:https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ How AI is transforming modern marketing and sales integration

☑️ Ways to humanize digital strategy without losing efficiency

☑️ Why culture and storytelling are the strongest brand differentiators

☑️ How to use AI as a creative and strategic thought partner

☑️ What marketing leaders can do to stay ahead of disruption

This episode is for:

▶️ CMOs and marketing leaders navigating AI-driven transformation

▶️ Executives aligning sales, marketing, and culture under one strategy

▶️ Business owners seeking to build trust in the digital era

▶️ Advisors and professionals using marketing to scale their impact

About the Guest

Matt Seitz is the Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Prosperity Capital Advisors, and also serves as CMO of C2P Enterprises and JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management. With more than 15 years of experience in financial services marketing, Matt is known for his strategic leadership, data-driven storytelling, and ability to build scalable marketing systems that drive growth. He is a finalist for both the WealthManagement.com CMO of the Year and ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES Executive Leadership awards.

Learn more: https://prosperitycapitaladvisors.comConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattseitz

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can leaders inspire innovation, engagement, and performance without relying on having all the answers? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Dr. Debra Clary, author of The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Questions, and former executive at Frito Lay, Coca Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana.

Across more than three decades in Fortune 50 organizations, Dr. Clary has helped leaders shift from transactional to transformational cultures by building curiosity into the core of how teams think and perform. Her research reveals a direct correlation between curiosity and leadership effectiveness and shows how leaders who ask bold questions create more engaged, innovative, and high performing teams.

In this conversation, Dr. Clary shares how leaders can turn curiosity into a strategic advantage, foster cultures of openness, and drive long term growth by asking better questions.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan:https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses:https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ Why curiosity is a leadership advantage and not a luxury

☑️ How asking better questions creates more engaged teams

☑️ Ways to balance direction with curiosity as a leader

☑️ The four factors of the Curiosity Curve framework

☑️ How to build a culture where innovation thrives

This episode is for:

▶️ Executives and managers seeking to unlock team potential

▶️ Leaders driving organizational change or transformation

▶️ HR and L&D professionals focused on engagement and performance

▶️ Anyone ready to lead with questions instead of just answers

About the Guest

Dr. Debra Clary is an author, researcher, and leadership expert who spent over 30 years in Fortune 50 organizations including Frito Lay, Coca Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana. As the founder of Clary Consulting, she helps leaders and organizations build cultures of curiosity that drive growth and transformation. Her book, The Curiosity Curve, was published by Fast Company Press.

Learn more: https://debraclary.com/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdebraclary/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can leaders create truly inclusive workplaces without blame, shame, or political polarization? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Mike Lynch, executive coach, author of From Ally to All In, and former HR leader at Capital One.

After more than two decades guiding global teams, Mike has developed the Ally to All In Framework, a practical roadmap that helps leaders move beyond performative allyship toward authentic and sustained inclusion. His five building blocks, Awareness, Acknowledgement, Atonement, Accountability, and Amplification, offer a clear structure for leaders ready to do the real work of inclusion.

For today’s executives, inclusion is not a side initiative, it is a business imperative. When leaders understand how to use their privilege and influence for good, they build stronger cultures, foster innovation, and unlock engagement across their organizations.

In this episode, Mike shares how inclusive leadership starts with awareness and evolves through action, empowering leaders to show up meaningfully without fear, guilt, or division.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ Why allyship is just the beginning of inclusive leadership☑️ The five stages leaders must progress through to go all in☑️ How inclusion drives performance, retention, and innovation☑️ Ways to build awareness and accountability in your team☑️ How leaders can foster inclusion without blame or politics

This episode is for:

▶️ Executives and HR leaders driving culture and DEI initiatives▶️ Managers looking to build belonging and engagement in teams▶️ Leaders navigating organizational change or transformation▶️ Anyone ready to move from intention to impact in inclusion

About the Guest

Mike Lynch is a seasoned executive coach, facilitator, and author of From Ally to All In: The Guide to Moving Beyond Privilege and Becoming a More Inclusive Leader. With over 30 years of leadership experience including 24 years at Capital One, Mike helps organizations create workplaces that thrive on authenticity, collaboration, and equity. Through his firm, MJL Consulting Group, he guides leaders to use their privilege as a force for good.

Learn more: mjlconsultinggroup.comConnect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljlynchms/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How can leaders turn tension into teamwork, and disagreement into innovation? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Bob Bordone, USA Today Bestselling Author, Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School, and nationally recognized expert in negotiation and conflict resolution.

Bob has spent his career helping people navigate the most challenging conversations—in politics, education, corporate life, and everyday relationships. His new book, Conflict Resilience, explores a research-backed approach to talking across divides without losing our values, our relationships, or the integrity of our organizations.

For executives and organizational leaders, conflict resilience is fast becoming a 21st-century leadership imperative. Unresolved tension can stall decision-making, erode trust, and weaken culture. Building conflict resilience means learning to reframe disagreement, manage emotion, and transform friction into creativity and connection.

In this episode, Bob shares how leaders can develop conflict resilience as a leadership superpower—and how it’s reshaping the way organizations communicate, collaborate, and grow.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

In this episode, you’ll learn:

☑️ Why C-suite leaders need conflict resilience as a core leadership skill

☑️ How to reframe conflict as opportunity instead of threat

☑️ Real-world strategies for handling tough conversations at work

☑️ The five neurological “F’s” that shape how we respond to conflict

☑️ How to build a culture of psychological safety and productive disagreement

This episode is for:

▶️ CEOs and executives navigating organizational change▶️ Managers seeking to improve team communication and trust▶️ Leaders building diverse, high-performing teams▶️ Anyone looking to turn conflict into a catalyst for growth

About the Guest

Bob Bordone is a USA Today Bestselling Author, Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School, and a nationally recognized conflict resolution expert. He founded Harvard’s Negotiation and Mediation Clinic and has taught negotiation and conflict management for over two decades. His book, Conflict Resilience, co-authored with a neuroscientist, offers a groundbreaking framework for strengthening relationships and leading through difference.

Learn more: www.conflictresiliencebook.com Connect with Bob on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robert-bordone-3a3256

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

How do the world’s biggest companies navigate transformation, stay innovative, and lead through uncertainty? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Louisa Loran, transformation architect, global executive advisor, and author of Leadership Anatomy in Motion.

Louisa has shaped industries across tech, logistics, and luxury—leading transformation at Google, Maersk, and Diageo. At Google, she launched a billion-dollar supply chain solutions business and led strategic business transformation for the company’s largest clients in EMEA. At Maersk, she co-authored the strategy that redefined the brand globally, helping pivot the company from traditional shipping to integrated logistics. Earlier in her career at Moët Hennessy and Diageo, she helped iconic brands innovate at the intersection of heritage and digital transformation.

With over two decades of experience across continents and industries, Louisa brings a rare blend of commercial clarity and human-centered leadership. In this episode, she shares how leaders can stay relevant in fast-changing environments, how to balance strategy and execution, and why transformation always starts with people.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

► Learn more about our courses: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

☑️ Why strategy fails without clarity, conviction, and contribution☑️ How to build alignment across 100,000+ employees during transformation☑️ What traditional companies can learn from tech—and vice versa☑️ How curiosity, courage, and unlearning fuel leadership growth☑️ Why the true enemy of change isn’t disruption—it’s disconnection

▶️ CEOs and executives leading large-scale transformation▶️ Managers aligning cross-functional teams around strategy▶️ Leaders navigating AI, global complexity, and organizational change▶️ Anyone interested in building adaptive, people-first organizations

Louisa Loran is a Transformation Architect, Global Executive Advisor, and Author of Leadership Anatomy in Motion (Fast Company Press / Greenleaf, 2025). She has led transformative growth at Google, Maersk, and Diageo, served on multiple international boards—including Copenhagen Business School and CataCap Private Equity—and is recognized for bringing clarity, courage, and alignment to the world’s most complex organizations.

Learn more: www.louisaloran.com

Connect with Louisa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/louisa-loran

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve results worldwide.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: Rednyne Productions

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