In this episode, Rick and Edy explore a simple but demanding truth: “Finding is reserved for the searchers.” What happens when a leader chooses to go one mile deep instead of one mile wide? The conversation moves beyond surface-level leadership into the tension between pushing people to perform and truly caring for who they are becoming. Rick opens up about the hard edges of growth, including the emotional weight leaders carry — moments that break you, reshape you, and force a transition from control to liberation.

The episode revisits Rick’s journey, his partnership with Sonya and their horse sanctuary, and how responsibility, empathy, and stewardship shaped his philosophy of leadership. Together, Rick and Edy unpack the Enneagram, the paradoxes inside great leaders, and the struggle many face when strength and compassion collide — including the difficult truth that sometimes the voices that shaped us become the resistance we must overcome.

This conversation continues the foundation from Episode 1 and builds into a deeper exploration of the Liberating Leader — one who lives the Golden Rule, understands people at their core, and chooses depth over noise.

In the opening episode of The Leader’s Furnace, Rick sits down with co-host Edy Herrera to unpack the moments that forged his leadership, the philosophy behind his decisions, and why this podcast had to exist. Not as content—but as contribution.

Together, Rick and Edy define the language of leadership before the series ever moves forward.

This conversation explores:

• What it means to be a creative pioneer in an industry built on repetition
• Why “finding is reserved for the searchers” — and how curiosity becomes a leadership advantage
• The difference between being one mile wide and one inch deep versus one inch wide and one mile deep
• Why mastery, focus, and patience matter more than visibility and volume

Rick shares how pressure shaped his thinking long before success was visible—and Edy challenges the assumptions leaders often carry without questioning.

This episode reveals the purpose behind The Leader’s Furnace:
a place for leaders willing to stay present when things get heavy, focused when others scatter, and steady when the pressure rises.

Because pressure doesn’t just test leaders.
It reveals them.

If you’re willing to step into the heat, this is where it begins.