In this episode, Alex explores the dynamic between reactive creativity and proactive strategy. While emphasizing the need for both, Alex explores the need for a more proactive and strategic focus in his life. You'll hear a few relevant stories and examples to show how this applies in Alex's life roles as a founder, father, and friend, which might align with your personal roles. Either way, this episode may give you insights into how you can assess where you personally might be lacking in being reactive or proactive.

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Appreciation is more than just a nice feeling...it’s a force that can fundamentally change outcomes, relationships, and even culture. Building on Season 2 Episode 1, Alex addresses one master question: What does it take to live and lead in a way where appreciation becomes a superpower in your everyday life?.

Alex explores how he makes appreciation an active force across his three core roles:

• As a Founder: Discover practical ways to integrate gratitude into your professional life, from starting nearly every meeting with a discussion on what people are grateful for , to cultivating empathy for customers by refusing to make fun of them behind their backs. He shares how this approach creates a positive tone and fundamentally changes how they treat partners.
• As a Father: Learn why matching your words with your actions is the toughest part of being an appreciative parent. Alex discusses the daily struggle of letting go of ego and fear , and how setting a tone of appreciation for others in the community helps kids see the good in the world.
• As a Friend (and Community Member): Alex challenges listeners to make appreciation a "game". Find a "foothold" or "toehold"—something, anything—you can appreciate about someone you disagree with, from politics to personal preferences, to gain traction and growth.

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Season 2 is here and we're starting with a theme of gratitude, which ties perfectly with this Thanksgiving holiday week.

Alex shares a story from when he was serving in the Iraq War and how the simple phrase "thank you very much" likely saved many lives in a near deadly encounter.

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After some questions from last week's episode, Alex decided to come back and dive deeper into catching a reset and what it means. From parenting guilt and perfectionism to inbox overwhelm and mid-life regret, this episode explores how to catch a reset even when life feels out of control. If you’re carrying too much or wondering if it’s too late to change, this is your reminder: it’s never too late to catch a reset...and start again with intention.

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In a world that glorifies grinding, Alex challenges the myth of "catching up" and shares a liberating alternative: catch a reset. Drawing from neuroscience, leadership, and real life, this episode explores how stress + ownership can lead to resilience, and why your mindset about your workload may matter more than the workload itself. If you're overwhelmed by unfinished tasks, this episode is your permission to start fresh with purpose.

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“There’s a melody of flourishment in the world… and I try to make sure I’m playing that melody so others can harmonize with it.”

Your presence and tone can have a profound impact on the flourishment of those around you. In this episode, Alex dives into the unseen but powerful force of resonance, which is the energy and tone you carry into every room, meeting, or moment. Whether you’re leading a team, parenting a teenager, or showing up for your community, your personal frequency either harmonizes or dissonates with those around you. This episode is a powerful call to tune yourself right...so others can flourish with you.

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This is a throwback episode that was already previously released on the podcast. Alex did this interview for our fifth episode and we thought it would be great to bring it back to our new listeners. Let us know what you think of this format!

In this episode, Alex dives into a discussion with Jim Matuga, President of Inner Action Media & Host of Positively West Virginia. Jim and Alex dig into their lives as entrepreneurs and various stories about the lessons they've learned along their paths. We hear from Jim on how he ended up being mentored by John Chambers, the fortuitous launch of his marketing agency, and how he took a SaaS product from ideation to launch. Jim also discusses how his faith has guided him & some practical examples of how he lives out his personal life for fulfillment and flourishment.

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Jim's Links:

LinkedIn

Inner Action Media

STORYMaker

Humble Influence

Alex reflects on four critical areas where he's fallen short as a CEO and how he’s resetting for the next season. This is an episode of self-assessment and recommitment to what is most important.

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