Most leaders aren’t short on talent — they’re short on consistent performance.

In this episode of Authentic Achievements, I’m joined by Jane Allen — serial entrepreneur, talent selection strategist, and the leader behind Smart Work Assessments. With 30+ years helping founders, CEOs and senior leaders solve one of the most expensive workplace problems (“capable people who don’t consistently perform”), Jane breaks down what’s really going on — and what to do about it.

We explore the premise behind her upcoming book, Turning Natural Potential into Performance: Restoring Responsibility and Accountability in the Workplace (co-authored with Dr. John Marshall) and why so many leaders feel the “people don’t want to work” gap — even when individuals genuinely do want to do good work.

You’ll hear why most feel-good assessments miss the mark, what makes predictive assessments different, and the three mindset shifts that help leaders build teams who take ownership — without fear, blame, or constant chasing.

If you’re hiring, leading, or carrying the weight of underperformance — this one’s for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why “people don’t want to work” is often a misdiagnosis

• What responsibility and accountability actually look like in day-to-day behaviour

• Why hiring for “experience” can be a trap (and how to hire for potential)

• The difference between descriptive personality tools vs predictive assessments

• The role of culture — and why in small businesses, culture is often the CEO

• The three mindset shifts from Jane’s book:

  • You can measure hardwired traits (and use the data to coach)
  • Stop carrying responsibility that belongs to others.
  • Coach for effort and learning, not just outcomes

• Connect with Jane Allen

  
  

  • Free resource (mentioned in the episodeWebsite: www.smartworkassessments.com

• • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smartworknetwork/

  • Email: jane@smartworkassessments.com (Subject line: “Authentic Achievements”)

  If you’re experiencing what Jane calls “responsibility and accountability challenges” in your company, her book includes access to a free management predictive assessment for readers — a fast way to understand your leadership potential, strengths, and development edges (“know thyself”).

  
  

In this episode of Authentic Achievements, I’m joined by the brilliant Glenn Poulos — entrepreneur, sales strategist, award-winning author of Never Sit in the Lobby, and the mind behind three successful companies across three different industries and two countries.

Glenn’s story is one of courage, curiosity, and the willingness to “change lanes when everyone else stays put.” After two major exits in tech and wireless distribution, he moved from Toronto to Orlando to lead ProgUSA — a company supplying tools and equipment that strengthen the modern power grid. His work now supports utilities, contractors, and the rising power demands driven by data centres and AI.

But the heart of Glenn’s story isn’t just about business growth. It’s about people.
It’s about staying front-of-mind, being a pleasure to do business with, and remembering that behind every deal, every email, every RFP, is a human being who wants to feel seen.

We explore:

💡 1. Reinvention & The Courage to Switch Industries

What drives someone to start again — new market, new technology, new customers, even a new country? Glenn shares the mindset that helped him build three thriving companies and why stepping into the unknown may just be your biggest competitive advantage.

💡 2. The Core Lesson Behind Never Sit in the Lobby

Glenn brings his bestselling book to life with practical, memorable stories — from why you should never sit in the lobby before a meeting, to how mini-tours, presence, and preparation can transform your sales relationships.

💡 3. Being “A Pleasure To Do Business With”

In a world full of noise, complexity, and automation, Glenn explains why humanity still wins. And why your reputation — how you show up, how people feel around you — is your most powerful asset.

💡 4. Using AI as a Sales & Productivity Advantage

Glenn lifts the curtain on how he uses AI to analyse documentation, spot new opportunities, accelerate proposals, and make better decisions faster — without losing the human connection that builds trust.

💡 5. The Simple Tools Leaders Can Use Today

From smarter RFP responses to building genuine rapport, Glenn shares practical tips that leaders and sales teams can apply instantly.

🎧 Why This Episode Matters

If you’re a founder, leader, or sales professional navigating change, this conversation is a refreshing reminder that success isn’t just about strategy or product.
It’s about curiosity, connection, and the courage to keep evolving.

Glenn’s wisdom is timeless, practical, and delivered with warmth and humour — the kind that comes from decades of real experience with real customers.

📍 Connect with Glenn Poulos

Website: https://glennpoulos.com/
Buy Never Sit in the Lobby: https://amzn.to/3whwPh3
Connect with him on LinkedIn — he’s there daily and always happy to share ideas.

🎙 Tune in & Enjoy

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I loved recording it.
It’s a story of reinvention, resilience, and what it truly means to be a leader people want to work with — again and again.

In this episode of Authentic Achievements, I’m joined by the extraordinary Aimée Buchler — a woman whose story will stay with you long after you finish listening.

By the age of twenty, Aimée had achieved what many only dream of: bodybuilding champion, six-figure entrepreneur, and a life that looked unstoppable from the outside. But behind the achievements sat a reality she could no longer outrun — the grief of losing her mother, deep emotional burnout, and a body that eventually collapsed under the pressure.

Doctors told her recovery was impossible.
Aimée refused to accept that story.

What happened next became the foundation of The Rise Room and the powerful Endless Energy Method she now teaches to ambitious entrepreneurs and leaders worldwide.

Together we explore:

💬 In This Episode

1. How the death of her mother quietly shaped Aimée’s health, ambition, and eventual collapse
She opens up about the trauma she carried, the emotions she didn’t know how to process, and the moment her body forced her to stop.

2. Why health MUST be part of an entrepreneur’s strategy (and why ignoring it is so costly)
Aimée shares the science behind burnout, the common myths entrepreneurs fall for, and why energy — not effort — is the real growth strategy.

3. The most common health issues entrepreneurs face today
From sleep disruption and gut issues to subconscious beliefs formed in childhood, Aimée breaks down why so many high achievers hit a wall.

4. How she rebuilt her health, business, and life from the ground up
Including the breathwork experience that changed everything and why healing the nervous system is at the heart of high performance.

5. Practical steps you can take right now to avoid burnout and build sustainable success
Expect wisdom, compassion and genuinely actionable insights.

✨ Why This Episode Matters

Let’s get real: entrepreneurs often push themselves to breaking point. Many of us learn to perform, achieve and “keep going” long before we ever learn to feel or rest. Aimée’s story is a reminder that your body keeps the score — and it will whisper until it has to shout.

This conversation is an invitation to pause, breathe, and remember that success was never meant to cost you your wellbeing.

✨ Connect With Aimée

Website: www.theriseroom.com
Endless Energy Masterclass: endlessenergymasterclass.com
Instagram: @aimeebuchler
YouTube: @aimeebuchler
LinkedIn: Aimee Buchler

✨ If You Enjoyed This Episode…

Please take a moment to rate, review, or share it with someone who might need a gentle reminder that they are allowed to rest, heal, and thrive — without burning out.

If you’ve ever felt the slow creep of burnout or found yourself chasing achievement after achievement without ever feeling truly satisfied, you’re not alone. In this episode of Authentic Achievements, I’m joined by the wonderful Laura Cardwell — an Intuitive Business Coach, author, speaker, and co-founder of Embodied Leadership by Design.

Laura blends neuroscience, energy medicine, quantum concepts and Human Design to help purpose-driven leaders and creatives break out of burnout and into joyful, sustainable success. Her work is grounded in science, guided by intuition, and infused with a real understanding of how the human nervous system shapes our identity, our decisions, and our wellbeing.

Together, we explore:

✨ 1. Why burnout is more than exhaustion — it’s a signpost of misalignment

Laura shares how the nervous system, subconscious stories, and Human Design offer a roadmap back to purpose. We talk about why so many leaders stay stuck in the dopamine-driven “hustle loop” and how curiosity, presence, and self-inquiry help us return to ourselves.

✨ 2. Laura’s own burnout story — and the wisdom she gained on the way back to herself

She opens up about her journey through misalignment, high performance, frustration, and the moment she realised the answers weren’t “out there” — they were within.
Her story is a powerful reminder that we grow through what we go through, and that purpose often emerges from the parts of us we’ve avoided.

✨ 3. Redefining prosperity as a state of alignment, not accumulation

Laura offers a refreshing take on prosperity — one rooted in satisfaction, regulation, nourishment, and soul-level fulfilment. We explore how curiosity and self-observation help us rewrite old stories and step into a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside.

We also dig into how the brain’s seeking system shapes motivation, why midlife is often an inner awakening rather than a crisis, and how women can navigate perimenopause and menopause as a “second spring” — a profound season of reclamation and becoming.

💫 Laura’s Book: Unstuck Yourself: Thrive Beyond Burnout and Find Your True Purpose

Laura’s new book — co-authored with Meghan O’Malley — releases 20 October 2025.
It’s a grounded, compassionate, and deeply honest guide to breaking the burnout cycle and rediscovering who you were always meant to be.

Learn more:
🌐 www.lauracardwell.com
📖 unstuckyourselfbook.net

🔗 Connect With Laura
📸 IG & FB: @lauracardwellqiw

If you’re navigating burnout, midlife transition, or the call to live more intentionally, Laura supports women through:
• 1:1 coaching
• Integrative transformational work
• Retreats and upcoming 2026 cruise experiences
• Embodied Leadership by Design

👉 Follow, rate and review the show — it truly makes a difference.

In this inspiring episode of Authentic Achievements, I’m joined by the remarkable Nicole Zapoli — professional fitness and wellness coach, natural bodybuilding Pro athlete, top-ranked CrossFit Games Open competitor, and author of Live FIT From the Inside Out: The 6 SHIFTS to Living Your Strongest, Healthiest, and Happiest Life.

Nicole’s journey began at just eight years old with a dream to coach others. But everything changed at fourteen when she trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and witnessed the hidden struggles behind athletic achievement — including eating disorders among young athletes. That moment reshaped her mission entirely.

Today, Nicole is a global leader in holistic wellness, helping athletes, busy parents, and professionals break free from fad diets, rebuild their self-worth, and create sustainable fitness from the inside out.

• How Nicole overcame anxiety and imposter syndrome as a single mother and gym owner

• Why so many people fail at sustainable fitness — and what actually works

• The SHIFTS Framework she created to help thousands transform their health, mindset, and identity

• The moment she realised fitness had nothing to do with punishment and everything to do with living a happier, more grounded life

• How self-worth shapes every part of our wellbeing, resilience, and performance

• What children’s competitive sport taught her about compassion, identity, and leading with heart

This conversation is a gentle reminder that we don’t have to chase perfection — we just need the courage to take the next shift, the next breath, the next kind step forward.

Website: nicolezapoli.com
Book: nicolezapoli.com/book
Instagram: instagram.com/nicolezapoli

In this episode, we explore:Connect with Nicole

In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by Robert Heath Sr, award-winning leadership strategist, executive coach, keynote speaker and former US Marine Corps officer. Robert helps high-capacity leaders who are externally successful but internally exhausted to realign with their purpose and lead from a place of harmony instead of hustle.

We explore his journey through education, law, the Marine Corps and leadership – and the pivotal moments that forced him to question what “success” really meant. From a confronting conversation with his wife about being an “absent” husband and father, to watching brilliant leaders fail because they couldn’t galvanise others, Robert shares the stories and strategies that shaped his Legacy Leadership philosophy.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re ticking all the boxes yet still feeling unfulfilled, this episode will help you see you’re not broken – you’re just misaligned.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why work–life balance sets leaders up to fail – and how to create work–life harmony instead

• The danger of living by other people’s definition of success

• How high achievers slip into the “resentful martyr” pattern at work

• Why trying to “leave yourself at the door” never works – wherever you go, you go

• The power of presence, emotional intelligence and being fully here, not just “on”

• The car alignment and champagne fountain analogies that change how you think about energy and leadership

• Why real leadership is about leading from overflow, not emptying yourself for others

• How Robert helps leaders define success on their own terms and reconnect with their purpose

Who this episode is for:

• C-suite leaders and founders carrying huge responsibility

• High performers who feel stuck, misaligned or quietly burned out

• Leaders who want to build not just businesses, but legacies

Resources mentioned:

• Robert’s website: robertheathsr.com

• Defining Success Clarity Tool: [link]

• Book a Clarity Call with Robert

If you enjoyed this conversation, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear that success doesn’t have to cost them their soul.

Serial entrepreneur Kelvin Abrams joins me to share the raw truth about building businesses that last. From resilience and reinvention to the loneliness no one talks about, Kelvin opens up about what entrepreneurship really demands — and why it’s worth it.

In this episode:
• The mindset that separates dreamers from doers
• How failure shapes success
• Why community matters more than revenue
• The rituals that keep Kelvin grounded
• What aspiring entrepreneurs must know before they begin

If you’re navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, this episode will help you breathe, reflect, and keep going.

👉 Follow, rate and review the show — it truly makes a difference.

In this heartfelt solo episode of Authentic Achievements, I share the story behind my new children’s book Always With You and the powerful lessons it taught me about helping children navigate big emotions.

We explore:

• Why children feel so deeply

• How to support big emotions with kindness, honesty, and curiosity

• Simple rituals that help children feel safe and seen

• How storytelling helps children process grief, change, and uncertainty

This episode is for anyone supporting a child through loss, worry, or life’s inevitable plot twists — and for those who want to build deeper emotional connection with the children they love.

Pre Order Always With You: ⁠https://amzn.to/3WGHsI0⁠
Short promo video: https://youtu.be/TIjj-Kt3oQ0.
Media pack: Always With You - Media Kit.pdf

Pre Order Always With You: https://amzn.to/3WGHsI0

Calls to action👍 Like • 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway • 🔔 Subscribe for more✍️ Leave a review to help others find the show

Keywords:
children’s emotions, emotional resilience, grief support for kids, children’s mental health, parenting support, emotional literacy, Always With You, Kim-Adele, Authentic Achievements, helping children thrive