• Discipline Is a Decision | The Mindset of a High-Performance Leader
    Feb 24 2026

    Send a text

    In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick sits down with Mando Sallavanti, founder of Freedom Path Wealth, to break down what really creates long-term success.

    This conversation goes beyond money and business. We dive into discipline vs. motivation, how marriage reshapes ambition, why confidence is earned through kept promises, and the responsibility that comes with leading at a high level.

    If you care about growth, leadership, faith, or building something that lasts, this episode will challenge you.

    Connect with Mando:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallavanti
    Freedom Path Wealth: https://www.freedompathwealth.com

    Apply for the Bridge Builder Mastermind:
    https://www.joshkosnick.com/mastermind

    Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, discipline, and building a life of eternal impact.

    Timestamps
    00:00 Welcome to Spartan Leadership
    10:29 Financial pressure & responsibility
    23:16 Discipline and long-term consistency
    38:07 Leadership maturity & accountability
    46:45 Faith, purpose, and thinking bigger
    49:19 The secret to success

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • 4 Sports Stories That Redefine Discipline & Courage
    Feb 17 2026

    Send a text

    In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh breaks down what the Bears’ new direction reveals about culture, conviction, discipline, and making the hard call when it matters most.

    This isn’t about football.
    It’s about leadership.

    If you’re building a team, developing talent, or trying to turn something around, this conversation will challenge how you think about hiring, culture, and conviction under pressure.

    Ready to lead at a higher level?

    Apply for the Bridge Builder Mastermind here:
    👉 https://www.joshkosnick.com/mastermind

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • Why High Performers Burn Out Even When They Win | Stephen Scoggins
    Feb 10 2026

    Send a text

    In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh sits down with Stephen Scoggins to unpack what actually causes burnout, why success without integration costs leaders their families and peace, and how to become the kind of leader who can scale without losing meaning.

    Stephen shares his journey from homelessness to building and exiting a multi-decade company, why most exits lead to depression, and the framework he uses to help leaders move from emotional reactivity to grounded presence.

    This conversation goes deep into:

    – Why your external business reflects your internal world
    – The five hidden constraints that sabotage leaders
    – The difference between being “successful” and being whole
    – What it really means to lead as one part lion, one part lamb
    – Why presence matters more than performance
    – How faith, identity, and leadership intersect

    If you’re a founder, executive, high performer, or leader who feels like something is still missing — this episode will put language to what you’ve been feeling.

    👉 Free leadership assessment from Stephen:
    https://stephenscoggins.com/leader

    Chapters / Timestamps

    00:00 – Why burnout isn’t about workload
    02:10 – Stephen’s story: from homelessness to leadership
    04:45 – You can’t scale dysfunction
    07:12 – Leadership is a lifelong maturation process
    10:38 – The five constraints that sabotage leaders
    13:01 – Why impatience isn’t the problem — presence is
    17:19 – The “warrior in the garden” framework
    20:00 – One part lion, one part lamb
    23:17 – Loving the parts of yourself you resist
    25:16 – The daily mantra that rewires identity
    29:06 – Why most leaders seek validation in the wrong places
    31:17 – The real cost of fragmented leadership
    32:54 – Why success without meaning leads to depression
    35:30 – What children actually want from their parents
    39:15 – Why exits are emotionally dangerous
    41:20 – How to prepare for life after selling a business
    45:40 – An unpopular truth about victimhood and identity
    47:23 – Stephen’s leadership assessment and next steps

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • ICE, Protests, Free Speech & Media Manipulation Explained
    Feb 3 2026

    Send us a text

    Leadership in Review is a long-form leadership podcast focused on culture, power, and truth.

    In this episode, Josh Kosnick, Emanuel Whitfield, and Jason Smith break down the Don Lemon church arrest, ICE protests, free speech, and how media-driven outrage is being used to divide Americans while real issues go untouched.

    This conversation explores why modern protests rarely lead to meaningful change, how “peaceful protest” has been redefined, and why emotional politics benefit those in power. The discussion expands into immigration enforcement, college campus speech, corruption, foreign policy distractions, education failures, and the growing inability to hold nuanced conversations in America.

    This is not a left vs. right debate.
    This is a leadership conversation about responsibility, truth, and civility.

    If you’re tired of headlines and want real dialogue—this episode is for you.

    00:00 – Don Lemon arrested at a church: law, outrage, and hypocrisy
    03:00 – What “peaceful protest” actually means legally
    06:20 – Why protesting churches makes no sense
    09:45 – How media manufactures emotional division
    13:10 – Why modern protests don’t create change
    16:30 – ICE enforcement and why states matter
    20:45 – College campuses, free speech, and intimidation
    25:30 – Immigration, distraction politics, and power
    30:00 – Corruption, money, and who really controls policy
    35:45 – Why a tax strike scares the government
    40:30 – Foreign policy distractions vs American neglect
    45:15 – Education failure and the removal of civics
    52:00 – Leadership requires nuance, not tribalism
    58:30 – Disagree without disowning
    1:03:00 – Final leadership reflections

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Scale Without Losing Your Sanity (Simple Systems That Actually Work) | Trace Miller
    Jan 27 2026

    Send us a text

    How do you scale a business without losing your values, culture, sanity—or your life outside of work?

    In this episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick sits down with Trace Miller, military veteran and founder of Konala, a fast-growing healthy fast-food franchise built on simplicity, discipline, and execution.

    Trace breaks down what most leaders get wrong about scaling—and why chasing complexity, top-line revenue, or “passive income” often destroys the very thing you’re trying to grow.

    This conversation goes deep on:

    • Scaling without burnout
    • Why simplicity beats sophistication
    • How to remove people, processes, and products that no longer fit
    • Profit vs. vanity metrics
    • Leadership lessons from military service
    • Building systems that scale without losing culture
    • Why work-life integration matters more than balance

    If you’re a founder, operator, or leader trying to grow without losing yourself, this episode will challenge how you think about scale.

    🎧 Listen. Reflect. Simplify.



    Timestamps (Chapters)

    00:00 – How to scale without losing what matters
    02:00 – From bar owner to franchisor: why Trace walked away
    05:30 – Solving the real problem: healthy food at scale
    09:00 – Studying In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, and simple systems
    13:00 – “Simple scales, fancy fails”
    15:00 – Revenue vs. profit: the scaling trap
    19:00 – Why most franchise models break
    24:30 – Military leadership lessons that stuck
    28:30 – Marriage, family, and work-life integration
    33:45 – Becoming a leader of leaders
    36:00 – What Trace is still figuring out
    38:00 – AI, automation, and why humans still matter
    42:30 – What to cut first when you feel stretched thin
    47:00 – Why founders shouldn’t disappear after scale
    50:30 – Final leadership takeaway



    Connect & Learn More

    Konala (franchise + locations): https://konala.com
    Franchise info: https://konalafranchise.com


    Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring top business minds, elite performers, and leadership experts.

    Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://linktr.ee/joshkosnick

    #SpartanLeadership #Leadership #BusinessSuccess #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #SelfImprovement #Podcast #JoshKosnick #SpartanMindset

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Leadership In Review: Foreign Influence, Minnesota Daycare Fraud & Rugged Individualism
    Jan 6 2026

    Send us a text

    In this high-energy Leadership In Review episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick is joined by Jason Smith and Emmanuel Whitfield for an unscripted, fast-moving conversation on leadership, power, and accountability in real time.

    We dig into:

    • The chaos of modern politics and why trust is collapsing
    • Foreign influence vs. America-first leadership (and why people disagree on who’s really pulling strings)
    • The Minnesota daycare scandal allegations, media coverage, and why accountability matters
    • Reparations debates, incentives, and what actually builds generational strength
    • Big Pharma, institutions, and the difference between words vs. actions
    • Rugged individualism vs. collectivism — and what leaders should model when culture gets noisy

    Share this episode far and wide.

    And Remember: Good and great are the enemies of possible. Lead like a Spartan today.

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Why High Performers Keep Becoming Bad Leaders | Lyndsay Dowd
    Dec 30 2025

    Send us a text

    What does modern leadership actually require—and why do toxic leaders continue to rise, even in companies that claim to value culture?

    In this episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick sits down with Lyndsay Dowd—former IBM executive, Harvard guest lecturer, bestselling author, and founder of Heartbeat for Hire—for a raw, honest conversation about leadership, power, burnout, and reinvention at any age.

    Lyndsay shares her personal leadership journey, the moment she was fired after 23 years in corporate leadership, and why that experience became the catalyst for building heart-led, high-performance cultures. Together, Josh and Lyndsay explore why top performers don’t always make great leaders, how burnout is often a signal—not a weakness—and why leading with heart isn’t soft, it’s strategic.

    This episode is for leaders who are tired of performative culture talk and want leadership that actually works.

    Topics covered:
    • Why toxic leadership keeps getting rewarded
    • Power vs. responsibility in leadership
    • Reinventing yourself at any stage of life
    • Separating identity from title and performance
    • Burnout, trust, and psychological safety
    • What heart-led leadership really looks like in practice

    🎧 Listen to the full episode and share it with a leader who needs to hear it.

    00:00 – Why heart is missing in modern business
    01:30 – Lyndsay’s leadership backstory and IBM upbringing
    06:20 – Being fired after 23 years and losing identity
    08:50 – Why toxic leaders keep getting promoted
    15:15 – Does power change people—or reveal them?
    22:55 – Leadership lessons from parenting twins
    29:05 – Reinvention at any age and starting over at 50
    38:40 – Separating identity from title and performance
    46:25 – What burnout is really trying to tell leaders
    51:40 – An unpopular belief about leadership (the hill she’ll die on)

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • What Does Christmas Teach Us About Leadership?
    Dec 23 2025

    Send us a text

    Christmas is one of the most meaningful seasons of the year.

    It’s full of joy, generosity, family, and tradition — and yes, sometimes a little pressure too. Between gifts, meals, schedules, and expectations, it can feel like a lot to carry.

    But what if Christmas isn’t just something to get through?

    In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick explores why Christmas is actually one of the greatest leadership stories ever told. Long before Jesus ever preached or led publicly, leadership was already being shaped through humility, restraint, and power under control.

    This conversation looks at:
    • Why Christmas can feel demanding and meaningful at the same time
    • How expectations can overshadow what really matters
    • Why Jesus modeled leadership through humility and presence
    • What “power under control” looks like in real life
    • How leadership always shows up first in relationships
    • Why self-care is stewardship, not indulgence

    This episode is thoughtful, encouraging, and practical — designed to help you slow down, reflect, and lead well during this season.

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    Twitter
    TikTok
    YouTube

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    YouTube

    Show More Show Less
    13 mins