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Unmasked: The CEO Files

Unmasked: The CEO Files

Written by: Leanne Bucaro Alan McLaren
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 The mic is on. The masks are off. UNMASKED: The CEO Files explores the leadership journeys you don’t see on LinkedIn. The turning points, the real pivots, the moments that shaped who these leaders became beneath the title. We sit with executives as they talk candidly about building trust at scale, shaping culture, and staying visible without selling out who they are. Why it matters In a world of curated content and algorithm-chasing brands, UNMASKED offers something rare: a human signal that resonates. These are the stories behind the success. The decisions made in uncertainty. The moments that rewired how a leader shows up. Careers Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Success Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • From Fear to Flight: Overcoming Deep Seeded Fears to Achieve Amazing Success with Patrick Sweeney

    From Fear to Flight: Overcoming Deep Seeded Fears to Achieve Amazing Success with Patrick Sweeney
    Jan 15 2026
    What if the fear holding you back was actually the fuel for your biggest breakthroughs? In this episode of Unmasked: The CEO Files, Alan McLaren sits down with Patrick Sweeney - Wall Street Journal bestselling author, investor, entrepreneur, world-record athlete and globally recognized fear expert known as “The Fear Guru”. Patrick shares his incredible journey from battling rare leukemia and crippling fear, to building and exiting multiple companies, investing in dozens more and helping hundreds of leaders transform fear into peak performance. He also breaks down the foundational ideas behind his upcoming book, The Founder’s Creed, including the belief-based BOODA Doctrine™ which is a framework designed to help founders, CEOs and executive teams scale with clarity, conviction, and shared leadership signal. Whether you’re leading a startup, navigating hyper-growth or asking how to turn fear into action, this episode delivers insight and tools you can use today. In this episode, we explore: ➡️ Why fear isn’t your enemy and how courageous leaders use it as fuel ➡️ Patrick’s life-altering experience with leukemia and how it reshaped his approach to leadership and risk ➡️ The BOODA Doctrine™ as the core driver of company culture and operational success ➡️ How shared belief maps and leadership alignment can turn chaos into cadence ➡️ Advice for CEOs facing fear, uncertainty and imposter syndrome in personal or professional life 🔗 Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefearguru/ 🔗 To learn more about Patrick's book visit: https://www.thefounderscreed.com/ ____
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    42 mins
  • From Success to Significance with Pioneer Jeff Cullen | Unmasked: The CEO Files

    From Success to Significance with Pioneer Jeff Cullen | Unmasked: The CEO Files
    Jan 8 2026
    In this episode of Unmasked: The CEO Files, host Alan McLaren sits down with entrepreneur and YPO leader Jeff Cullen for a deeply honest conversation about leadership, neurodiversity, trust and building a values-based business that lasts. Jeff shares his journey from founding a Canadian logistics company at 27 to scaling it into a multinational organization across 17 countries and navigating both a painful fire-sale exit and a later, highly successful acquisition. Along the way, he opens up about living with ADHD, managing impostor syndrome, surviving financial crisis, and why leadership is less about control and more about accountability, alignment, and trust. This episode goes beyond growth metrics and exits to explore what it really means to move from success to significance, including how transparency, advisory boards, cultural accountability and a “prosperity for all” mindset can transform both people and performance. If you’re a CEO, founder, or senior leader navigating scale, pressure, or personal doubt, this conversation offers hard-earned lessons in leadership signal, resilience, and building trust at scale. In this episode, we explore: ➡️ How ADHD can become a leadership superpower - not a limitation ➡️ The shift from responsibility to accountability that transformed company culture ➡️ Lessons from a financial crisis, failed exit, and rebuilding stronger than before ➡️ Why advisory boards, trust, and listening are critical at the CEO level ➡️ How “prosperity for all” creates alignment, loyalty, and long-term performance Connect with Jeff Cullen: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-cullen-b2566a3/
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    50 mins
  • Meet Captain Compliance: The Risk That Quietly Costs CEOs Millions with Guest Richart Ruddie

    Meet Captain Compliance: The Risk That Quietly Costs CEOs Millions with Guest Richart Ruddie
    Dec 18 2025
    In this episode of Unmasked: The CEO Files, host Alan McLaren chats with Richart Ruddie, Founder of Captain Compliance, to unpack the real journey behind building exiting and scaling businesses in fast-changing digital environments. From starting his career during the financial crisis to becoming an entrepreneur by accident, Richart shares how relentless learning shaped his leadership journey while discussing the emotional reality of exits, the pressure founders face to move fast without perfection and why privacy compliance has become one of the most critical (and overlooked!) risks for modern businesses. This conversation is a candid look at leadership under pressure, building trust at scale and leading with clarity in an era defined by data, AI and constant change. In this episode, we explore: ➡️ How curiosity and learning fuel long-term leadership growth ➡️ The real lessons behind failed ventures and successful exits ➡️ Why privacy compliance is now a competitive advantage ➡️ The emotional shift founders experience after an exit ➡️ How leaders balance speed, imperfection and trust while scaling Whether you’re a CEO, founder, or operator navigating growth, exits, or regulation, this episode offers hard-earned insight into leading with clarity, resilience, and intention. Connect with Richart Ruddie: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richartruddie/ 👉 Website: https://captaincompliance.com/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@captain-compliance
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    39 mins
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