Episodes

  • Aaron Coe: Turning Nonprofit Fundraising into Powerful Storytelling

    Aaron Coe: Turning Nonprofit Fundraising into Powerful Storytelling
    May 13 2026
    Your nonprofit can raise more money without chasing more donors—simply by changing your story. In this episode, you’ll learn how radically clear messaging, strategic partnerships, and collective impact can transform the way you fund your mission.In this episode, Gary and Aaron Coe discuss:Journey from music business to nonprofit leadershipStorytelling is the core of effective fundraisingCompeting for donor attention and breaking through noiseCollective Impact Alliances and donor-driven collaborationDonor relationships, due diligence, and political/human dimensions of givingKey Takeaways:Most organizations don’t suffer from a pure fundraising problem; they struggle to tell a clear, compelling story that quickly communicates who they help and how.In a marketplace flooded with messages, clarity is a competitive advantage. Vague nuance loses, while “painfully clear” communication wins attention and dollars.Donors increasingly care more about the cause than the institution, which is fueling the rise of collaborative alliances where multiple organizations align around a shared objective.Sustainable fundraising is rooted in genuine relationships, where donors feel like essential partners in solving a problem, not mere transactions, writing checks.Even as government funding shifts, human beings consistently step up in times of real need, creating opportunities for innovation, diversified funding, and new partnerships across sectors."A philanthropic cause wins when they're able to develop a community of people around the cause who are dedicated to helping eradicate whatever problem they're trying to solve." — Aaron CoeAbout Aaron Coe: Aaron B. Coe, Ph.D., is a visionary leader, strategist, and CEO of Future City Now, a consultancy dedicated to empowering mission-driven organizations with strategies that transform potential into significant impact. Aaron specializes in clarifying vision, crafting compelling campaigns, and cultivating immersive experiences that inspire meaningful action.With a proven track record of guiding nonprofit organizations, faith-based ministries, and educational institutions toward breakthrough results, Aaron’s leadership centers around one core belief: organizations don't face fundraising challenges; they face storytelling challenges. Leveraging his expertise in narrative-driven fundraising, Aaron has helped clients collectively raise millions in revenue, amplify their missions, and achieve sustainable growth.His innovative approach is rooted in decades of experience in leadership roles across nonprofit, educational, and faith sectors. Aaron’s background includes significant involvement with major campaigns and strategic projects, such as the Museum of the Bible’s Generations Membership Campaign, Passion Conferences’ global initiatives, and illumiNations' Twelve Verse Challenge, among others.A sought-after speaker, author, and consultant, Aaron holds a Ph.D. In Applied Theology and regularly lectures on strategic leadership, fundraising, and organizational sustainability. His thoughtful insights and practical methodologies have positioned him as a trusted advisor for CEOs, Chief Development Officers, and Chief Marketing Officers seeking transformative results.Aaron's passion extends beyond professional excellence; he is deeply committed to nurturing next-generation leaders, advocating for thoughtful stewardship of resources, and championing ambitious dreams that shape communities worldwide.Connect with Aaron Coe: Website: https://www.futurecitynow.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-coe-51b64010b/ To get in touch with Gary:Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
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    33 mins
  • Chris Volk: Why Great Business Models Matter More Than Money

    Chris Volk: Why Great Business Models Matter More Than Money
    May 6 2026

    What if everything you think you know about risk, real estate, and raising capital is backwards? In this episode, a three-time REIT founder who went from $15,000 to $10 billion in assets breaks down business models, AI, private markets, and how to think about risk like a real operator, not a textbook.


    In this episode, Gary and Chris Volk discuss:

    • Evolution of REITs and “shadow banking” business models
    • How to raise large-scale capital from a standing start
    • AI, tech, and the challenge of monetizing powerful tools
    • What risk really is vs. what business school teaches
    • Public vs. private markets, leverage, and investor alignment


    Key Takeaways:

    • The hardest part of building big companies today isn’t finding money; it’s assembling a strong leadership team, a real problem to solve, and a robust business model that can be optimized.
    • Breakthrough technologies like search or AI only become enduring businesses when someone figures out how to monetize them with a clear, durable model.
    • Many operating companies are better off renting real estate than owning it, using specialized landlords as a form of smarter, more flexible financing.
    • Risk is fundamentally about downside and margin for error, not short‑term price volatility—high leverage isn’t automatically dangerous if it’s structured with a real cushion.
    • Private vehicles and alternatives often hide more leverage, higher fees, and lower disclosure than their public counterparts, which can quietly raise risk even as they appear “less volatile.”


    "My whole thing in my career has been to convince people that they're better off having a landlord than a banker." — Chris Volk


    About Chris Volk: Christopher (Chris) Volk is a veteran real estate finance entrepreneur, investor, and three‑time public company CEO who has helped reshape how operating companies use real estate capital. Over several decades in the REIT world, he has taken three companies public, including one he helped grow from just $15,000 of his own money into a platform with more than $10 billion in assets, ultimately attracting Berkshire Hathaway as its largest shareholder. Known as a “business model junkie,” Chris pioneered using net lease REITs as a form of “shadow banking,” financing mission‑critical real estate for operating companies so they can deploy their own capital into higher‑return opportunities.

    Today, as Chairman of Ten (Tenant) Corporation and a member of multiple boards, he writes and speaks extensively on valuation, capital formation, risk as “margin for error,” and why many businesses are better off with a landlord than a banker.


    Connect with Chris Volk:

    Website: www.christopherhvolk.com

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisvolk2278



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

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    53 mins
  • David Henzel: Building Businesses and Lives From Love, Not Fear

    David Henzel: Building Businesses and Lives From Love, Not Fear
    Apr 29 2026
    A shy, introverted engineer who couldn’t stand public speaking now leads a global “Love, Not Fear” alliance and a portfolio of impact-driven companies. In this episode, you’ll hear how re-framing every decision through love instead of fear transformed his life, leadership, and the way he builds businesses and relationships.In this episode, Gary and David Henzel discuss:Unconventional path from struggling student to serial entrepreneurLife-altering impact of his wife’s breast cancer diagnosisApplying business principles (roles, values, mission) to family life“Love, Not Fear” as a framework for decisions, sales, and cultureBuilding conscious, self-managed, stakeholder-focused companiesKey Takeaways:Major life shocks can become powerful catalysts to reassess your path, redefine success, and shift from chasing money to pursuing meaningful impact.Borrowing tools from business, like roles and responsibilities, vision, mission, and core values, can dramatically reduce friction and increase harmony at home.Reframing decisions from fear (“What will they think of me?”) to love (“How can this help them?”) can completely change your relationship with public speaking, sales, and leadership.Hiring and developing people for culture, values, and mission alignment—not just skills—creates environments where employees think and act like intrapreneurs.Conscious, stakeholder-focused business models and shared ownership structures may be a key part of the future of work, narrowing the wealth gap while increasing performance and engagement."Every decision in life, you either make it from a place of love or a place of fear." — David HenzelAbout David Henzel: David Henzel is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Love Not Fear, an alliance devoted to helping people and organizations make decisions from a place of love instead of fear. Starting his career as a shy, introverted engineer who bounced through 14 schools and struggled with authority, he stumbled into entrepreneurship and went on to build and exit multiple successful companies in e‑commerce, SaaS, and services.A life‑changing chapter began when his wife was diagnosed—twice—with breast cancer. That wake‑up call pushed him to rethink what success meant, sell his existing business, and focus on work that creates real impact. Along the way, he discovered that applying business tools—clear roles, responsibilities, vision, mission, and core values—to family life dramatically reduced conflict and increased alignment at home.Today, David runs a portfolio of conscious companies, including a BPO firm (LTVplus), a marketing agency (Shortlist), a recruiting company (LNF People), a coaching and cohort platform (UpCoach), and a retreat center in Bodrum, Turkey—where he now lives. Across all of them, his mission is consistent: build self‑managed, values‑driven organizations where people act like intrapreneurs, grow personally and professionally, and where money is the side effect of truly providing value.Connect with David Henzel: Website: https://lovenotfear.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhenzel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidhenzel/ Register new Love Not Fear account: https://app.lovenotfear.com/register?vi=70435a1d-453a-45cd-b022-4aa800dbc47d To get in touch with Gary:Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
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    40 mins
  • Kevin Mays: Lead Yourself First Before You Lead Anyone Else

    Kevin Mays: Lead Yourself First Before You Lead Anyone Else
    Apr 22 2026

    Most founders think the problem is their team or the market, Kevin Mays says it’s their own thinking. In this episode, he reveals how “founder syndrome,” outdated mental software, and comfort zones quietly cap your business and your life.


    In this episode, Gary and Kevin Mays discuss:

    • Leaving the traditional engineering/corporate path
    • Motorcycle journey, breakdown, and transformative “nothing to lose” moment
    • Consciousness, cognition, and leading yourself first
    • Founder syndrome and the limits of control in leadership
    • Balancing wealth, vision, and a truly fulfilling life


    Key Takeaways:

    • Life-changing clarity often comes when you realize you have nothing to lose and full responsibility for what happens next.
    • Much of adult behavior is driven by unconscious patterns and “software” installed in childhood, not genuine free will.
    • Successful founders frequently sabotage their own companies by clinging to control instead of empowering the high-caliber leaders they hire.
    • True leadership mastery rests on presence, self-awareness, clear intention, and a compelling vision that guides decisions.
    • Money alone cannot fill inner emptiness; aligning clients, work, and relationships with your values creates far deeper satisfaction.


    “Most of us think we're operating out of a place of free will, and the reality is, there are deeply ingrained patterns that are driving us more than we know.” — Kevin Mays


    About Kevin Mays: Dr. Kevin Mays is a leadership coach, speaker, author, and strategist dedicated to helping leaders grow with cohesion, clarity, and purpose. With years of experience guiding executives and teams, Dr. Mays blends research-based insight with practical application to create meaningful, lasting change.


    Grab a copy of The Vision Mastery Playbook for FREE: https://vision.maysleadership.com/


    Pre-Order the book Lead Yourself First: https://leadyourselffirst.maysleadership.com/


    Connect with Kevin Mays:

    Website: https://maysleadership.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kevin-mays/


    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

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    40 mins
  • Tony Loyd: Life Is Short, Play Big, Love Hard

    Tony Loyd: Life Is Short, Play Big, Love Hard
    Apr 15 2026
    Is your leadership built for a sprint or for a rock-tumbler world that never slows down? In this episode, Tony Loyd breaks down how to endure as a leader when your health, marriage, and career all get stress-tested at once.In this episode, Gary and Tony Loyd discuss:Early career in nuclear health physics and radiation protectionPivot from technical expertise to learning, development, and human performanceIntrapreneurship at John Deere and building John Deere UniversityMajor life pivots: retirement, social entrepreneurship, divorce, and lung cancerCreation of the Endurance Leadership framework and legacy-focused IPKey Takeaways:A career path rarely follows a straight line; seemingly unrelated experiences can compound into a unique and powerful leadership perspective.Technical expertise can be a gateway into deeper work on human behavior, systems thinking, and organizational performance.Intrapreneurial initiatives, like building a university inside a 150-year-old company, can turn cost centers into value-generating engines when they’re aligned with sustainable, profitable growth.Life shocks such as divorce and a cancer diagnosis can act as clarifying moments, pushing you to focus urgently on what you’re truly here to do.Enduring as a leader in a “rock tumbler” world of constant churn requires a mindset more like an endurance athlete than a short-distance sprinter, supported by intentional practices, frameworks, and community.“If you take the mindset of an endurance athlete and you put together that with your leadership experience, you end up with endurance leadership.” — Tony LoydAbout Tony Loyd: Tony Loyd is a former Fortune 500 executive, endurance athlete, and lung cancer survivor who helps executive teams build what he calls Endurance Leadership—resilience that’s backed by science and forged through real-world experience. His unconventional career began in nuclear health physics and evolved into learning and development, human performance improvement, and senior leadership roles at companies like John Deere, Medtronic, and Buffalo Wild Wings. At John Deere, he helped launch John Deere University, an intrapreneurial venture that transformed a traditional cost center into a value-generating learning platform.After taking early retirement, Tony turned his focus to social entrepreneurship, launching the Social Entrepreneur podcast and authoring the Amazon #1 bestselling book Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs. A divorce and a lung cancer diagnosis—followed by surgery that removed 25% of his lungs—became a defining pivot point. He adopted the personal motto, “Life is short, play big, love hard,” and set out to pour his remaining time and energy into helping leaders endure and thrive in what he describes as a “rock tumbler” world.Today, through Culture Shift Advisors and the emerging Culture Shift Institute, Tony delivers keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching grounded in his Endurance Leadership framework, which integrates neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and habit formation. He’s training leaders to get “100% out of 75%” by staying calm under pressure, clarifying purpose, navigating change, and sustaining performance over the long haul—without relying on hype or quick fixes.Connect with Tony Loyd: Website: https://tonyloyd.com | https://cultureshift.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyloyd Facebook: https://facebook.com/tony.loyd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyloyd Threads: https://www.threads.net/@anthonyloyd Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/37585002 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tonyloyd TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealtonyloyd To get in touch with Gary:Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
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    32 mins
  • David Homan: Orchestrating Connection in a Transactional World

    David Homan: Orchestrating Connection in a Transactional World
    Apr 8 2026

    What if your real superpower isn’t your resume, but the way you connect people? Composer‑turned‑super‑connector David Homan reveals how he turned a life in music into a global network that runs on trust, empathy, and radical intentionality.


    In this episode, Gary and David Homan discuss:

    • Early musical influences and creative process
    • Visualizing music, emotion, and narrative in composition
    • From composer to “connector of connectors”
    • Designing intentional, trust-based networking communities
    • Technology, AI, and the future of relationship-building (SOAR)


    Key Takeaways:

    • A creative path can evolve from one medium to another; skills developed in music, like sensing emotion and narrative, can later translate into building human networks and communities.
    • The real magic in music and in relationships is intentionality: when every choice is made to create a specific emotional experience, people feel as if they were “meant” to encounter it in that moment.
    • Many so-called networking events fail because they reward surface-level status games; designing spaces around generosity, asking for what you need, and mutual trust creates far more powerful outcomes.
    • Relationship value quietly underpins almost everything important in business—deals, fundraising, political support—yet the people who specialize in making those connections are often undervalued and under-recognized.
    • Technology and AI can’t automate trust, but they can augment thoughtful humans by organizing relationship data, amplifying authentic connectors, and helping purposeful communities scale without losing their core values.


    “Everyone was in an ecosystem. By dominating it, they were limiting themselves.” — David Homan


    About David Homan: David Homan is the founder and CEO of Orchestrated Connecting, a global community built on the power of authentic relationships. He also leads Orchestrated Opportunities, hosts the Orchestrated podcast, composes classical music, and somehow still finds time to be a dad from middle-class roots to some of the most private circles in the world.


    Connect with David Homan:

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrhoman/

    Website: https://www.instagram.com/the_connection_orchestrator/



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

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    51 mins
  • Doug Brown: Leveraged Selling and the Power of the Ideal Right-Fit Client

    Doug Brown: Leveraged Selling and the Power of the Ideal Right-Fit Client
    Apr 1 2026
    In this episode, Gary and Doug Brown discuss:Early entrepreneurial lessons and leverage in sellingMilitary discipline, resilience, and leadership applied to businessIdentifying and pursuing the “ideal right-fit buyer.”Fixing broken sales models in financial services and advisory practicesRelationship-based selling, follow-up systems, and mindset “thermostat.”Key Takeaways:Long-term success in sales comes from focusing on the “ideal right-fit buyer,” not trying to sell to everyone who can fog a mirror.Time is as important a currency as money; every client you accept consumes emotional, operational, and relational bandwidth.The depth and quality of a client relationship are often determined by how you run the first real meeting and whether you focus on understanding their “why,” not just selling a product.Systematic follow-up and genuine personal care can turn individual clients into multi-six-figure (or more) relationship assets over time.Income and performance are capped by an internal “thermostat” of identity and beliefs; unless that mind flow is raised, people will unconsciously self-sabotage back to their comfort level.“Our presentation of value has no value to the other person unless they perceive it as value to them.” — Doug BrownAbout Doug Brown: Doug C. Brown is a revenue growth strategist and founder of CEO Sales Strategies, where he helps companies and entrepreneurs systematically win their ideal right-fit clients. A lifelong entrepreneur, he began selling in his father’s industrial machinery business as a child, learning early the power of leverage and margins.After 12 years in the U.S. Army, Doug built and scaled multiple businesses and has been involved in 37 ventures over his career. His success in sales led him to work with marketing legend Jay Conrad Levinson and business strategist Chet Holmes, eventually becoming President of Sales and Training for the Chet Holmes organization.When Tony Robbins partnered with Chet Holmes, Doug led training and sales for their joint venture, helping thousands of entrepreneurs and significantly boosting company revenues. Today, he focuses on helping CEOs, founders, and advisors grow high-revenue, relationship-driven businesses through better client selection, systems, and mindset.Connect with Doug Brown: Website: https://ceosalesstrategies.com/ | https://vibitno.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dougcbrown123/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougcbrown_/ To get in touch with Gary:Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Morag Barrett: Why Relationships, Not Strategy, Make or Break Leaders

    Morag Barrett: Why Relationships, Not Strategy, Make or Break Leaders
    Mar 25 2026
    In this episode, Gary and Morag Barrett discuss:Nonlinear career path from banking to executive coachingThe missing “who” in business successBuilding intentional leadership habits that stickFounder-to-CEO transition and letting go of controlThe power of allies and friendships at workKey Takeaways:Technical brilliance and a great business idea are never enough; the real differentiator is who you are as a leader and how you relate to people.Sustainable leadership change comes from small, repeatable habits that can survive chaos, not from one-off “aha” moments in a workshop or keynote.Founders often struggle when they try to carry everything alone; the shift to treating leadership as a team sport is essential for scale and sanity.Many leaders underestimate how their everyday behavior shapes culture, especially under stress, and fail to see the ripple effects they create across their teams.Professional success is tightly linked to the depth and health of your work relationships; without trusted allies at work, leaders become isolated, vulnerable, and less effective.“If you're not willing to do something different yourself, then nothing will change.” — Morag BarrettAbout Morag Barrett: Morag Barrett is the CEO of SkyeTeam, a global leadership development and executive coaching firm dedicated to helping leaders and teams thrive through stronger relationships and meaningful connections. With a career that began in banking and evolved through senior roles in executive development for global telecoms, she brings a rare blend of commercial savvy and human-centered insight to her work.She has coached more than 20,000 leaders worldwide, from high-growth founders to Fortune 500 executives, and specializes in working with highly technical, engineering, and technology leaders who need to elevate their people and leadership skills. Morag is a sought-after keynote speaker on human connection and workplace relationships, known for her practical, no-nonsense approach to “taking the junior high out of the workplace.”Morag is the author of You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work and How to Show Up as One and the newly updated second edition of Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships. Through her books, keynotes, and coaching, she equips leaders to build trust, break down silos, create allyship at work, and navigate change with clarity and confidence—proving that business success is powered by relationships, and success in life is fueled by connection.Connect with Morag Barrett: Website: https://skyeteam.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moragbarrett/ Blog: https://skyeteam.com/blog/ Listeners are invited to complete their complimentary Ally Mindset Profile: https://www.skyeteam.cloud/youmewe To get in touch with Gary:Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsinderbrand/Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
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    38 mins