Ready Set Exec: Leadership Podcast

di Ready Set Exec Inc.

Stagione 1

Build your Executive Presence with Don Weber | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

Bill Gates wasn't naturally charismatic. He was dry, not very funny, and didn't come across well on camera. So he hired a comedian not for a week, but regularly, over a long period of time, to teach him how to be more personable and likable. Don Weber knows this because he knows the person who worked with Gates directly. And it's the clearest example he has of something he's believed for decades: executive presence is not a gift. It's a skill. Don is an executive corporate trainer, communication expert, and leadership consultant who has spent decades working with Fortune 500 executives, high-level public officials, and elite teams across continents, starting from being a shy introvert himself. In this episode, he breaks down the psychology of authenticity, the real science of masking and stress, what emotional regulation actually looks like under boardroom pressure, and how Leaders can communicate with genuine presence even when they're feeling anything but present. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 00:36 Intro: Who is Don Weber? 06:38 Making Everyone Feel Their Contribution Matters 15:18 Return to Office vs. Employer's Market Realities 19:30 Physical Executive Presence: Posture, Pace, Pause, and Purpose 34:39 The Masking Problem: The Gap Between Real and Projected Self 42:06 Emotional Regulation: The Leadership Skill Nobody Trains For 45:30 Fight-or-Flight: How Adrenaline Reduces Intelligence by 30% 49:35 How to Disarm a Boardroom Challenge 51:04 The Repeat-Back Technique to Buy Thinking Time Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Don Weber: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-weber/

S1 · E44

28 ago 2026

54:14

Ingrid Hobbs: 70% of Workers Feel No Joy or Meaning at Their Job and What Leaders Can Actually Do | Ready Set Exec

70% of the workforce finds no meaning or joy in their work. That stat comes from Amy Lucan, Chief Joyologist at Tito's Handmade Vodka and culture strategist Ingrid Hobbs has spent 16+ years in global CPG and spirits brands trying to change it. In this episode, Ingrid breaks down why companies keep destroying the cultures they've spent years building through performative DEI rollbacks, tone-deaf layoff communication, rigid nine-box sessions, and leaders who confuse a title with leadership. She also shares practical frameworks for building real employee trust, what remote culture actually requires, and why kindness is the most underrated business strategy of 2026. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Who is Ingrid Hobbs? 08:16 Consistency is the Brand: Why Spineless Values Erode Culture 22:59 Off-Boarding as Culture: How Layoffs Define Who You Are 24:59 "Culture is not just part of the strategy. It IS the strategy." 26:53 Remote Work Reality: Culture is How You Treat People, Not Where You Sit 37:28 Storytelling as a Leadership Tool in 2026 42:30 Ageism and the 50+ Professional Being Pushed Out 52:38 AI as a Collaboration Partner, Not a Ghostwriter Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Ingrid Hobbs : LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/inghobbs

S1 · E43

21 ago 2026

51:39

Kurt Uhlir: We cut $200k in Ads and Lost Zero Leads. Are You Wasting Your Budget? | Ready Set Exec

What if your $200,000 a month Google ad budget was doing almost nothing, and the leads would have shown up anyway? Kurt Uhlir turned off exactly that amount in B2B paid media and watched close rates stay flat. That's just one of the things he's learned across 60+ corporate transactions, 20+ patents, and a dozen industries. As CMO of Easy Home Search a Zillow competitor built on consumer data privacy, and a board member of CEO Netweavers, Kurt breaks down the real difference between growth mode and scale mode, what demand generation actually looks like in 2026, why 99% of marketers are not capable of doing it, and where you should actually be putting your marketing dollars right now. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kurt Ehrler and His Expertise 01:22 Scaling Challenges for Startups 03:37 The Shift from Lagging to Leading Indicators 07:20 Content Strategy for Modern Demand Generation 10:08 The Importance of Customer Insights 13:00 Collaboration Across Teams 15:08 Case Study: Easy Home Search's Growth Journey 20:35 Building Effective Marketing Teams 26:26 The Role of CMOs and CROs in Business Strategy 32:35 Preparing for Growth and Successful Exits 41:41 Shifting Marketing Strategies for 2026 50:04 The Importance of Peer Networks and Mentorship Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Kurt Uhlir: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kurtuhlir

S1 · E42

14 ago 2026

53:03

Joshua Cutler: Stop Measuring Training by Attendance: The Real Formula for L&D Success | Ready Set Exec

Most companies measure L&D ROI with two things: course completion rates and "how did you feel about the course" surveys. Josh Cutler says both are nearly worthless With 20+ years in learning design, starting in the chaos of the New York City school system, Josh became known as the person companies call when all their traditional L&D approaches have failed. In this episode, he explains exactly why most corporate training is broken, why AI avatars are penny-wise and pound-foolish, why you should hire teachers instead of HR people for your L&D function, and how he accidentally became the world's leading HR Super Connector — making hundreds of strategic introductions every single day through a system built entirely on quality, quantity, and speed. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Who is Josh Cutler? 03:29 Continuous Learning vs. Episodic One-Off Training 07:48 Why Off-the-Shelf LMS Modules Are a Waste of Money 11:48 Learning Strategy First, Platform Selection Second 18:40 The Reality of AI in L&D: Where It Actually Helps 23:03 The Measurement Gap: Completion Rates vs. Behavioural Change 38:04 Executive Networking: Your Net Worth is Your Network 43:21 The True Cost of Toxic Workplaces on the Bottom Line Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Joshua Cutler : LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaafcutler/

S1 · E41

7 ago 2026

41:59

Raj Sinha: What Executive Compensation Actually Looks Like Behind Closed Doors | Ready Set Exec

In the 1970s, CEO pay was roughly 100 times the average worker's salary. Today it's over 1,000 times. And most companies still can't clearly explain to their own employees what their total rewards program even means. Raj Sinha has spent 20+ years advising CEOs, CHROs, and boards across life sciences, financial services, and technology on exactly how to fix this and what happens when organizations don't. In this episode, Raj breaks down the full landscape of executive compensation, global pay strategy, the new SEC administration's impact on ESG and DEI disclosures, why performance management is riddled with normative bias, and what it actually takes to build a pay structure that survives shareholder scrutiny and wins the war for talent. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Who is Raj Sinha 14:19 Compensation Strategy: What Percentile Should You Target? 19:00 CEO Pay Ratios and the New Era of Excess Pay Risk 28:00 2026 SEC Shifts: Changes to DEI, ESG, and Disclosures 31:23 Career Path: From Mid-Level to Global Rewards Executive 34:00 The Goal-Setting Framework: Threshold, Target, and Maximum 40:03 The Reality of AI in Total Rewards 43:11 Global Comp Strategy and Cross-Cultural Awareness Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Raj Sinha: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rajcsinha

S1 · E40

31 lug 2026

47:37

Philip Kushmaro: How to Compete When Your Product Can Be Copied in 24 Hours | Ready Set Exec

Marketing leaders are being laid off at record rates in 2026. Philip Kushmaro has watched it happen for 15 years across hundreds of companies - and he knows exactly why. The problem isn't the marketers. It's a fundamental misalignment between what marketing actually does and what CEOs think they're paying for. In this episode, Philip breaks down the real state of the marketing job market, why brand is now the only moat that can't be copied overnight, what to do when you lose your job, and why he and his wife are building Maguire, a lifestyle tech brand and AI-driven motherhood operating system, to solve one of the most underserved crises in the world. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Why marketing leaders are getting fired right now 07:56 Brand as the only moat left in a world where tools get copied overnight 29:31 Going from operator to founder: what Philip learned doing it the hard way 40:31 Advice for new marketing grads in 2026 41:39 Generalist vs. specialist: the right path 45:21 Why does AI still need a minimum of three people on a marketing team 48:36 The gig economy reckoning: losing benefits, security, and the social contract Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Philip Kushmaro: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipkushmaro

S1 · E39

24 lug 2026

54:31

Mark L Vincent: Why Most of 1999’s Industry Giants Died And How Your Business Can Avoid Their Fate | Ready Set Exec

In 1999, the Fortune 25 was the most powerful list of companies on earth. By 2024, 21 of those 25 companies were gone shrunk, acquired, or irrelevant. Only four survived. Mark L. Vincent has spent 25 years studying what separates the leaders who build something that lasts from those who don't. As executive advisor, founding member of the Sage Group Collective, and author of the newly released book The Maestro Effect, he breaks down the four elements every founder must orchestrate to hand their business off with full value intact - and what happens to the ones who don't. In this episode, we go deep on succession planning, the three turns of a leader, why C-suite isolation is a growing crisis, what boards get dangerously wrong about their own role, and why short-termism is quietly destroying the institutions we're trying to build. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro: Who is Mark L. Vincent? 01:48 It's Not About Retirement It's About Orchestration 07:55 The Four Key Elements of the Maestro Effect Framework 14:15 The Three Turns of a Leader 20:44 Continuity Planning vs. Succession Planning 25:00 The Relationship Equity Problem When Top Performers Leave 37:38 C-Suite Isolation: "Every Promotion Means Fewer Friends" 58:06 Advisory vs. Fiduciary Boards: The Distinction That Changes Everything Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Mark L. Vincent: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklvincent #SuccessionPlanning #LeadershipLegacy #TheMaestroEffect #CEOAdvice #BoardGovernance #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #LeadershipDevelopment

S1 · E38

17 lug 2026

59:02

1 di 5

Ready Set Exec: Leadership Podcast

Build your Executive Presence with Don Weber | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

Ingrid Hobbs: 70% of Workers Feel No Joy or Meaning at Their Job and What Leaders Can Actually Do | Ready Set Exec

Kurt Uhlir: We cut $200k in Ads and Lost Zero Leads. Are You Wasting Your Budget? | Ready Set Exec

Joshua Cutler: Stop Measuring Training by Attendance: The Real Formula for L&D Success | Ready Set Exec

Raj Sinha: What Executive Compensation Actually Looks Like Behind Closed Doors | Ready Set Exec

Philip Kushmaro: How to Compete When Your Product Can Be Copied in 24 Hours | Ready Set Exec

Mark L Vincent: Why Most of 1999’s Industry Giants Died And How Your Business Can Avoid Their Fate | Ready Set Exec

Adam Reidel: A Mindset which can Destroy Your Company | Ready Set Exec

Corey Quinn: How to Build a Business Everyone Wants to Buy | Ready Set Exec

Ryan Ross: Why B2B Founders Must Build a Media Empire in 2026 | Ready Set Exec