We live in a world of noise. Marketers tell you to build a 5-step funnel, hustle harder, and cancel your Netflix. But what if the secret to success isn't doing more, but finding the specific path that works for you?

In this episode, Jim sits down with Jamie Samples, owner of Yellow Barn Media. Jamie has spent 15 years running a successful marketing agency in a super-specific niche (the horse industry) while managing a hobby farm, a family, and high-functioning ADHD.

They have a raw, "clear as mud" conversation about the messy middle of entrepreneurship. Jamie opens up about the moment she realized her identity was too wrapped up in her business, the "red flag" of losing her peace, and the practical hacks she uses to manage a busy brain.

1. The Power of the Niche: You don't need to serve everyone. Jamie built a thriving agency by focusing on what she knew and loved: Horses.
2. ADHD & Productivity: Standard advice like "wake up at 5 AM" doesn't work for everyone. Jamie shares her "finger trick" for remembering tasks and why she watches YouTube Shorts in the carpool line.
3. Identity vs. Work: Two years ago, Jamie faced a hard truth: "If I died tomorrow, my business wouldn't care. My husband and son would." She shares how she disentangled her worth from her work.
4. The "Peace" Barometer: How do you know when you are drifting back into toxic hustle? For Jamie, the red flag is "Losing Peace."
5. Filtering the Noise: You don't need to listen to every guru. Find the people who align with your values and ignore the rest.

1. "I had to teach myself to slow down. I realized I could not do it all."
2. "If I would've died the next day, my business, my clients aren't gonna care. My husband and my son are gonna care."
3. "Losing peace... that's my red flag."
4. "Discipline is rarely a personality trait. It is usually a calendar decision." (Jim)
5. "Find the path that works for you... and work that plan over and over."

1. Join the Newsletter: www.leadwithjim.com/nl
2. Full Episode Show Notes & Transcript: www.leadwithjim.com/podcast
3. Connect with Jamie: YellowBarnMedia.com
4. Jamie’s Resources: Check out the courses and resources mentioned in the episode....

Did you know that most resolutions die by January 17th? The reason is simple: Resolutions are just wishes attached to a calendar date. We treat January 1st like a magic portal that will change our personality, but by week three, the motivation fades and the old habits return.

In this first episode of 2026, Jim Burgoon breaks down why "hype" fails and gives you a boring, tactical plan that actually works. We are ditching the year-long promises and building a 90-Day System based on clarity, tiny actions, and real accountability.

If you want this year to look different than the last one, stop relying on willpower and start relying on a plan.

1. Fewer Goals, More Clarity: Your brain cannot handle 12 priorities at once. Pick 3–4 specific goals for the next 90 days. "Get fit" is a wish; "Walk 30 minutes Mon/Wed/Fri" is a plan.
2. The Weekly Review: A goal you don't review is just a daydream. Schedule 15 minutes a week to ask: What moved forward? What stalled? What is the one action that matters next week?
3. Tiny Actions Beat Big Hype: Big goals fail because the next step is vague. Break your goals down into tiny, repeatable actions (e.g., "Two minutes of quiet prayer before I touch my phone").
4. Define the Win: You need two types of wins: Outcome Wins (the result) and Process Wins (the behavior). If you only measure the outcome, you will feel behind. If you measure the process, you will realize you are winning every day you show up.
5. Real Accountability has Teeth: Real accountability isn't a cheerleader saying "Good job." It's a friend asking "Did you do it?" and a consequence if you didn't.

1. "Resolutions are about a mood. A plan is about a method."
2. "If everything matters, nothing moves."
3. "What isn't written is a daydream."
4. "Discipline is rarely a personality trait. It is usually a calendar decision."
5. "The amateur misses a day and quits for the year. The pro misses a day and returns the next morning."

1. Join the Newsletter: www.leadwithjim.com/nl
2. Full Episode Show Notes & Transcript: www.leadwithjim.com/podcast

1. 🌐 Website: www.leadwithjim.com
2. 🎙️ Ask a Question:

We usually end the year with a victory lap. We talk about the wins, the revenue, and the growth. But if we’re being honest, the most important lessons usually come from a face-plant.

In this final episode of 2025, Jim Burgoon shares the "Ugly Truths" of the past year. From realizing that his "discipline" was actually fear dressed up as productivity, to a major health crash that came from ignoring his body's limits, Jim holds nothing back.

If you want to walk into 2026 with a new foundation instead of just a new calendar, this episode is for you. We are leaving the hustle, the people-pleasing, and the burnout in 2025.

1. Hustle is a Wound: If you can't rest without guilt, you aren't a high performer—you're a high-functioning captive. Jim admits how his "work ethic" was often just a way to avoid processing the grief of losing his mother and sister.
2. Calling ≠ Invincibility: Your nervous system is not impressed by your calling. A holy mission with an unhealthy pace still ends in a crash (and sometimes an autoimmune diagnosis).
3. Performance Kills Leadership: You cannot lead people you are secretly trying to impress. If you are addicted to approval, you will manage reactions instead of building trust.
4. Belonging vs. Proving: Your best work happens when you stop trying to earn a seat at the table. You don't find your voice by forcing it; you find it by standing in it.
5. Trust Your Intuition: Trauma can make you second-guess your gut. Jim shares why you must stop "logicking" your way out of red flags—if it feels off, it usually is off.

1. "You can't build a new future on old foundations."
2. "When worth is the paycheck, you never clock out."
3. "My nervous system is not impressed by my calling."
4. "A holy mission with an unhealthy pace ends in a crash."
5. "If I need you to like me, I cannot lead you."

1. Join the Newsletter: www.leadwithjim.com/nl
2. Full Episode Show Notes & Transcript: www.leadwithjim.com/podcast

1. 🌐 Website: www.leadwithjim.com
2. 🎙️ Ask a Question: leadwithjim.com/ask
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