Overcoming adversity changes everything.

In this episode of Tools, Talents & Techniques, I sit down with marathon runner, author, and podcast host Bishoy Tadros to explore resilience, endurance sports, parenting, empathy, and personal growth.

Bishoy shares his powerful story of battling leukemia as a child and how that experience shaped his mindset, values, and lifelong commitment to pushing past limits. From hosting the Mile 40 podcasts, to writing his books (Break Barriers, Mile 40, Audacious) , to running marathons and raising children with intention, Bishoy explains what it really takes to do hard things without losing yourself.

We talk about endurance sports as a metaphor for life, how empathy is forged through struggle, and why stubbornness can actually be a strength when it is rooted in values. This conversation is about persistence, grace, and finding motivation from within.

Key Takeaways

• Childhood adversity can shape lifelong resilience
• “Break Barriers” is built through lived experience
• Endurance sports teach patience and discipline
• Writing helps unlock authenticity and self-discovery
• Empathy deepens through hardship
• Parenting is about modeling values, not just advice
• Stubbornness can become long-term commitment
• Motivation often comes from both pain and purpose
• Community plays a critical role in growth
• Personal evolution never really stops

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Bishoy Tadros 00:52 Writing Break Barriers 09:12 Overcoming Adversity Through Endurance Sports 14:30 The Power of Sharing Personal Stories 19:09 Writing, Authenticity, and Self-Discovery 24:13 Relationships and Personal Transformation 26:39 Empathy Built Through Experience 31:26 Endurance Events and Mental Strength 32:34 Parenting With Purpose and Example 36:12 Stubbornness as Commitment to Values 39:35 Finding Motivation From Within 46:08 Outlasting Doubts and Hard Seasons

Follow Bishoy

https://www.bishoytadros.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/btadros/ https://www.youtube.com/@UCHvuxTTbSiOPkggBR5A2AFg https://www.instagram.com/bishoy_tadros/

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Building a company is hard. Building one with the right culture while scaling fast is even harder.

In this episode of Tools, Talents & Techniques, I sit down with David Walker, Co-founder and CEO of Spara, to talk entrepreneurship, AI, sales, and what it really takes to build a company that lasts.

David shares how his early influences shaped his entrepreneurial mindset, why his first startup experience was a turning point, and how intention matters when transitioning from school into building companies. We dig into the realities of scaling, hiring for culture, and the mistakes founders often make when growth starts to accelerate.

We also unpack Spara’s mission and how they are using AI to enhance sales conversations without replacing the human element. David makes a strong case for why humans will continue to play an outsized role in sales, even as AI agents become more capable.

Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship is shaped early, often before the first startup
• College can be valuable for networks, not just credentials
• First startup experiences change how founders think long-term
• Company culture must be intentional, especially during growth
• Hiring decisions define culture more than policies ever will
• AI should enhance sales, not eliminate human interaction
• Real-time conversations create better sales outcomes
• Founders must adapt quickly as technology evolves

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to David Walker and Spara

02:35 Entrepreneurial Roots and Early Influences

05:18 College, Networking, and Early Decisions

07:51 First Startup Lessons

10:29 Transitioning from School to Entrepreneurship

13:01 Lessons from Building a Real Estate Company

15:31 Scaling Challenges for Founders

18:28 Building and Maintaining Company Culture

20:41 Hiring for Culture

21:48 Mentorship and Learning Through Experience

24:11 Launching a New Venture

25:39 The Role of AI in Sales

30:00 Innovative Sales Strategies with AI

34:26 Transforming Customer Conversations

37:46 Future-Proofing Sales Teams

40:56 What’s Next for Spara

Sound Bites

• “Culture is driven by people, not just policies.”
• “You have to decide what you want your culture to be.”
• “Humans will play an outsized role in sales.”

Connect with David Walker

🔗 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwalker4/

🌐 Spara https://www.spara.co/

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New book available now https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GBZGTW27

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In this episode of Tools, Talents & Techniques, I sit down with Mitch McDermott, founder of Talent Ascension, to unpack what is really happening in today’s job market and why so many candidates and companies feel stuck.

Mitch shares his unconventional journey from the car business to building a successful executive search firm, including a bold move to Australia that reshaped his career and worldview. Along the way, we dig into how recruiting has evolved, how AI is changing hiring, and why automation has stripped too much humanity out of the process.

We talk about:

• Why hiring has started to feel like dating apps
• How generational shifts are changing expectations at work
• The dangers of over-automating recruiting with AI
• Why companies should hire for potential, not just resumes
• How job seekers can stand out in a crowded, impersonal market
• What it really means to connect with candidates on a human level

This conversation is especially relevant if you are a job seeker, founder, executive, recruiter, or leader trying to hire better people in a rapidly changing market.

Key Takeaways

• Recruiting is about alignment, not just filling roles
• Different industries require different hiring strategies
• Hiring for potential matters more than checking boxes
• Generational shifts accelerated after COVID
• AI is powerful, but it can create unintended barriers
• Mindset, resilience, and accountability drive long-term success
• Relationships still beat algorithms in hiring

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Mitch McDermott

02:17 From the Car Business to Australia

05:33 Breaking Into Executive Search

11:06 Recruitment Styles by Industry

13:48 Consulting Companies on Hiring Strategy

17:27 The Reverse Interview Process

20:34 Generational Shifts in the Job Market

22:29 In-Demand Skills Today

23:27 Changes in Sales Organizations

24:19 AI’s Role in Recruiting

27:51 Personal Growth and Inspiration

30:08 Mindset and Resiliency in Business

33:11 Accountability and Leadership

35:03 Books That Shape High Performers

38:41 Why the Job Search System Is Broken

41:16 Bringing Humanity Back to Hiring

Sound Bites

• “The job search system is broken.”
• “We lost the humanity in hiring.”
• “Hiring feels like dating apps now.”

Connect with Mitch McDermott

🌐 Website https://www.talentascension.com/

🔗 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-mcdermott-ba409387/

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