🎧 Russell Justice on the science of leadership that actually works

In this episode of Fixers and Founders, engineer and performance coach Russell Justice breaks down five decades of leadership insight into unforgettable principles—and even better stories. From supervising engineers to advising Fortune 500 CEOs, Russell shares why most leaders fail (hint: it’s not for lack of goals), how to spark change without force, and why calm is contagious.

He unpacks the science of behavior, the magic of momentum, and the one principle that transformed his life, work, marriage—and might just change yours too.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fixers & Founders

02:14 What Russell Actually Fixes

03:50 Behavior, Not Just Strategy

06:06 Why Goals Alone Don't Work

08:33 What Real Feedback Looks Like

12:00 From Compliance to Commitment

14:39 Accountability Without Micromanaging

16:06 Feedback That Drives Performance

18:55 From Chaos to Calm

21:21 Linking the Org to One Goal

23:10 Who Shaped Russell as a Leader

25:14 Why He Still Loves This Work26:54 Where to Find Russell & His Book

27:34 Outro

🔗 Connect with Russell Justice

📖 Book: This Is What Leaders Do → https://www.amazon.com/This-What-Leaders-Do-Essentials/dp/B0F6WBW7YR

📧 Email: russelljustice@earthlink.net

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

Bandcamp: ⁠https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com⁠

Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin

Back Third Founders on Scaling Creativity Without Killing the Spark

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, we sit down with Benjie Hughes and Anna Hammond — the visionary/fixer duo behind Back Third Entertainment, a creative company that blended live music, wedding events, and recording into one unforgettable ride.

Benjie shares how he knew it was time to pivot from passion to process, transforming a traditional studio into a 24/7 coworking space. Anna reflects on finding her voice and value not as a sidekick, but as a builder — shaping the systems that allowed the chaos of creativity to scale.

Together, they unpack what it takes to run a business rooted in art and anchored in execution — and why autonomy, trust, and good spreadsheets are everything. This is one for the founders building in real time.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Fixers and Founders

01:30 – Meet Benjie & Anna of Back Third

03:05 – Defining Roles Through Personality Gears

06:27 – What It Takes to Run a Music & Events Company

10:18 – When Derek's Baby Came Early

11:17 – Systems vs Spark: Finding the Balance

13:12 – Big Pivots: From Studio to Coworking Space

15:58 – What They Took Into Their Current Work

21:23 – Soundtrack of the Era

22:36 – Small Moments, Big Impact

28:59 – Outro

Connect with Benjie & Anna

🔗 Benjie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjiehughes/

🔗 Anna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annahammond/

Mentioned in this episode:

📘 Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky

📘 The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

Bandcamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin

Fixer & Fractional COO Lizzy Blasko on why great teams aren’t built on process—they’re built on people.

In this episode of Fixers & Founders, Lizzy Blasko shares how she evolved from a natural problem-solver to a trusted integrator helping founders escape the grind. She opens up about missteps in leadership, the power of right people/right seats, and how EOS tools bring structure to chaos. Lizzy also explores the emotional intelligence behind visionary-integrator trust—and why your career might be your greatest adventure yet.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fixers & Founders
02:40 Becoming a Fixer
04:14 Aligning Vision and Operations
07:07 Why Long-Term Issues Matter
08:23 Failing Forward as an Integrator
09:24 Trust, Communication, and Leadership
10:56 Knowing When to Let Go
12:46 Right People, Right Seats
15:19 Advice to My Younger Self
17:19 Small Joys That Refuel

Connect with Lizzy Blasko:
🌐 https://lizzyblasko.com/
📧 lizzy@lizzyblasko.com
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzyblasko/

Mentioned in this episode:
📘 Traction by Gino Wickman (EOS)
📘 Good to Great by Jim Collins (Right People, Right Seats)

Intro & Outro Music: “Which One Is the Jellyfish?” by Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin

Used with permission under a non-exclusive license.

Bandcamp: ⁠https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/66kb7d5jDmTkMSs1XcOXTQ⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin