CEOs Unscripted

The Inner Journey Every CEO Hides From the World

Everyone talks about the strategy of being a CEO. Almost no one talks about the inner toll it takes.
Charbel Zreik went from collecting cans on the street as a refugee from civil war to running companies, then spent years as a full time yoga and meditation teacher after his first CEO seat nearly broke him. Today he teaches at Wharton and works with CEOs on something most leadership conversations completely ignore, the inner journey behind the title.
In this raw, deeply personal episode of CEOs Unscripted, Charbel sits down with Jane Gentry to unpack the five internal shifts every CEO needs to make to thrive under pressure, without sacrificing who they are to get there.
In this episode, you'll learn:
✅ The five shifts every CEO must make to thrive instead of just survive
✅ Why risk is not just intellectual, it lives in your body, and how to manage it
✅ The nervous system tools Charbel uses including cold plunging, breath work and meditation
✅ How to recognize when your ego has been triggered before it takes control
✅ The difference between being nice and being kind as a leader
✅ Why dropping your attachment to outcomes makes you more effective, not less
✅ How to lead with low ego and a clear mission without losing yourself
✅ Why nearly 90 percent of founders are unhappy a year after exiting, and how to avoid becoming one of them
💡 Key Insight: "There is anxiety, but I am not anxiety. There is fear, but I have a choice in how I respond to it."
🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who have been in the trenches.
📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode.
#Leadership #CEOsUnscripted #MentalHealth #ExecutiveCoaching #Mindfulness #SelfAwareness #CEOMindset #PersonalGrowth #MidMarket #InnerWork
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Cold open: The hidden weight every CEO carries on their shoulders
01:05 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted
02:40 Meet Charbel Zreik, CEO and founder of DHA Laboratory
02:58 The story behind his name and his namesake saint
03:53 From civil war refugee to food stamps to Cornell, Charbel's backstory
05:33 The people who believed in him before he believed in himself
07:14 Becoming an observer of CEOs and the inner journey nobody talks about
08:44 The breaking point that started it all, his first CEO seat in 2014
10:33 The five shifts to inner mastery as a CEO
12:34 Why all five shifts happen concurrently, not in order
12:51 Shift one, leading from a safe body
14:55 Becoming a master of your own nervous system
15:32 The practices Charbel uses daily, meditation, breath work, cold plunging
17:04 The special forces technique of naming what you feel
18:49 Why young leaders catastrophize and how to break it down step by step
20:20 What to do when you feel completely frozen
21:13 Shift two, leading with an open courageous heart
22:29 Why high performers become critical of others without realising it
23:57 How your nervous system silently affects everyone in the room
25:37 Shame, change and why being the change agent makes you a target
26:59 The difference between being nice and being kind as a leader
27:26 Shift three, a present and centered mind
28:30 Why the mind never stops solving problems, even at 4am
28:55 Dropping attachment to outcomes and committing to the process instead
30:43 How heavy planning actually creates more presence, not less
31:45 Jane's calendar confession and the cost of moving too fast
33:29 Jane's nighttime notebook trick for quieting a racing mind
34:24 Shiny object syndrome and constant mental movement
36:35 Charbel's nightly checkout ritual to tell his mind it is done for the day
37:57 Why you have to experiment to find what actually works for you
38:35 Shift four, leading with low ego and mission orientation
39:23 The 90 percent statistic on founders who regret how they exited
39:58 Knowing your personal ego triggers and catching them in real time
41:32 Jane's story of one-upping a network president and catching herself
42:28 Why naming the trigger disempowers it instantly
43:10 Why fewer people tell the truth the higher you climb
44:39 The CEO who insisted ego never gets in the way, and what happened next
45:55 Succeeding without sacrificing who you are
46:01 Shift five, leading a highly disciplined lifestyle
47:32 Why none of these shifts happen without daily and weekly rituals
48:30 Charbel's simple parting advice, ten minutes of quiet to start every day
49:13 Jane's closing thoughts

He Sold His Company for Twice What He Expected. Here's Exactly How He Did It

Most founders spend twenty years building their business and about twenty minutes preparing to sell it.
The result? Millions left on the table. Bad deals. Regret. And in too many cases, starting all over again when they should be retired.
Jonathan Sherrill has been on every side of a business exit. He helped his father sell. He ran a company for private equity. He built his own company from scratch and sold it for twice what he expected. And then he wrote a book about all of it called The Extraordinary Exit.
In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jonathan sits down with Jane Gentry to share the unfiltered truth about what it really takes to get an extraordinary exit, and why most founders are completely unprepared for what comes after.
In this episode, you'll learn:
✅ The critical difference between building a company for income and building one for wealth
✅ The full advisory team you need before going to market and why most founders skip half of them
✅ Why the emotional preparation for selling is just as important as the financial preparation
✅ What happens when an unsolicited buyer approaches you and why it almost never ends well
✅ The seven levels of why exercise that reveals the real reason founders want to sell
✅ Why ego and pride destroy more deals than bad financials ever will
✅ What to do if your deal falls apart and why it is not the end of the story
✅ How to know if you are emotionally ready to sell before you ever go to market
💡 Key Insight: "If you think growing a business means you can sell one, you are in for a rude awakening. It is a whole different world."
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Cold open: I had no idea you could sell a company for a multiple until I lived through it
00:55 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted
02:35 Meet Jonathan Sherrill, author of The Extraordinary Exit and founder of Waypoint Founders
03:15 Jonathan's backstory: small town Florida, metal roofing, private equity and his own exit
04:38 What was different about the second exit vs the first
05:06 Learning the exit world from the inside out while working for private equity
06:33 Building a company from day one with the intention to sell it
08:16 Building for income vs building for wealth, the trap most founders fall into
09:22 Why being too important to your own business will kill your deal
09:55 The full advisory team you need before going to market
13:18 Who is the quarterback of the deal and why it matters
14:52 What Jonathan did differently the second time around
16:19 Why bad advisors cost founders millions and how to avoid them
18:50 Do not wait until you are exhausted to start preparing to sell
19:11 The stat that should scare every founder: most are unhappy within 18 months of selling
21:09 The exit why exercise and why your first answer is probably not the real reason
23:32 The emotional void that hits after a great exit and why founders are not prepared for it
25:07 How the book The Extraordinary Exit came to be
27:26 What Waypoint Founders actually does and who it is for
30:56 The seven levels of why exercise explained
33:49 Why learning from other founders is the whole point
35:09 Do not let a friend who sold one company be your only advisor
36:43 What makes deals fall apart and what you can do about it
38:24 If you are not coachable do not waste money on great advisors
39:56 How ego and pride destroy deals worth tens of millions of dollars
41:19 It takes ego to build a company, just do not let it be your downfall at exit
42:18 The exit readiness assessment on the Waypoint Founders website
44:10 How to connect with Jonathan Sherrill and get the book
44:44 The unsolicited buyer trap and why it almost never ends in your favour
46:26 What Jane has seen happen to founders who got bad advice
47:52 Jonathan's closing thoughts on what he genuinely cares about
48:09 Jane's closing thoughts
 
🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who have been in the trenches.
📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode.
📖 Book Mentioned: The Extraordinary Exit by Jonathan Sherrill
#ExitStrategy #BusinessSale #CEOsUnscripted #FounderLife #MergersAndAcquisitions #PrivateEquity #BusinessGrowth #WealthBuilding #MidMarket #Entrepreneurship

The First 90 Days Mistakes That Quietly Destroy CEO Careers

Most incoming CEOs walk through the door ready to prove themselves. Ready to make big moves. Ready to show results fast.
And that urgency is exactly what gets them in trouble.
In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry sits down with Neill Marshall, Chairman of Health Search Partners in Texas, who has spent years studying and recruiting top healthcare executives. Neill has quietly compiled one of the most valuable playbooks in leadership, a deep body of research on what separates CEOs who gain immediate traction from the ones who quietly lose the room before they ever had it.
This is not a theoretical conversation. It is drawn from real patterns, real executives and real consequences.
In this episode, you'll learn:
✅ The biggest misconception incoming CEOs have about their first 90 days
✅ Why symbolic actions in week one matter more than any strategy document
✅ How micromanagement in early days creates a culture of fear that outlasts your tenure
✅ What boards should actually be asking CEO candidates before making the hire
✅ Why focusing too much internally in the first 90 days can be just as dangerous as ignoring it
✅ The questions every new CEO should ask key stakeholders before making any assumptions
✅ Whether you can go back and course-correct if you already blew your first 90 days
💡 Key Insight: "90 days passes at the speed of light when you are new in that role. Letting that feeling cause you to move fast can cause you to make foolish choices."
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Cold open: Are CEOs as self-aware as they think they are?
01:04 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted
02:40 Meet Neill Marshall, Chairman of Health Search Partners
03:58 Neill's research on what makes CEOs succeed in their first 90 days
07:10 Why the first 90 days can launch you or break you
09:31 What CEOs think the first 90 days is about vs. what it actually is
10:16 What boards expect from a new CEO in the first three months
12:20 What are symbolic actions and why they matter more than you think
13:53 Do employees actually buy in or just go through the motions?
14:39 Authenticity is not a 30 day act, it has to be consistent
16:27 How new CEOs drive culture from day one without realising it
17:20 A story from Neill's research that sticks with him
19:50 What happens when decision rights are stripped from leadership teams
21:22 The hidden cost of micromanagement on your leadership team
22:49 Why self-awareness shrinks the higher you climb
23:38 Neill's research finding: not a single micromanager made it past 90 days successfully
25:00 Jane's story about her father's retirement party and what great leaders leave behind
27:12 Jane's experience being told to fire an executive and why she didn't
29:29 When boards are listening to the wrong people in the organisation
30:41 Why the pressure to move fast causes the most costly first 90 day mistakes
32:01 What does "doing good" actually look like and why boards rarely define it clearly
33:28 What boards should be asking CEO candidates about their first 90 day plan
35:19 Can a CEO focus too much internally in their first 90 days?
36:40 The financial CEO who could not speak any language other than numbers
39:12 Bringing the outside world in to your organisation and why it builds massive goodwill
41:56 How much pushback do CEOs actually give when coached on this?
42:55 The EVP who told Jane "their paycheck is their inspiration"
44:44 Decisions every incoming CEO should make before they even start
46:12 The questions new CEOs should be asking key stakeholders on day one
47:52 Treat your biggest account like a prospect, never assume the relationship is healthy
48:34 Does a strong first 90 days actually shape a great six year tenure?
49:29 What Neill wishes more people asked him about this topic
49:58 Can you go back and fix a bad start if you are already in the role?
50:29 Where to find Neill's articles and research on LinkedIn
51:14 Jane's closing thoughts
🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who have been in the trenches.
📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode.
#Leadership #CEOsUnscripted #NewCEO #First90Days #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessGrowth #MidMarket #CEOMindset #CompanyCulture #BoardGovernance

The Brutal Truth About Why Most CEOs Fail (From Someone Who's Watched It Happen) | CEOs Unscripted

Rami Cassis has hired four CEOs. He replaced three of them. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, the Monaco-based investor and founder of Parabellum Investments sits down with Jane Gentry to share the unfiltered truth about what separates great CEOs from expensive mistakes and why emotional intelligence matters more than any MBA or sector experience ever will.
If you hire CEOs, aspire to be one, or are already in the seat, this conversation will make you rethink everything.
In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Why CEOs who come from sales are dangerously optimistic with forecasts ✅ The subtle client signals most CEOs completely miss until it's too late ✅ The difference between managing UP vs. managing DOWN and why it destroys cultures ✅ Why "wartime CEOs" and "prosperity CEOs" are completely different animals ✅ What the first 60-90 days in a new CEO role should actually look like ✅ The single number every CEO must have an iron grip on ✅ Why being NICE is not the same as being KIND and why it matters enormously ✅ How a culture of fear silently kills your best performers
💡 Key Insight: "The way you deliver something is just as important, if not more important, than what you actually say."
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Cold open: Why hiring a great CEO is as hard as hiring a great salesperson 01:00 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:35 Meet Rami Cassis, Parabellum Investments, Monaco 03:06 Rami's backstory: Egypt, France, Australia, oil & gas, and beyond 05:41 What Parabellum Investments actually does 07:07 What Rami looks for when hiring a CEO 08:08 The three painful reasons his CEOs failed 08:44 Mistake #1: Consistently missing forecasts and why sales CEOs are the worst offenders 10:44 Mistake #2: Failing to read the room with clients 12:47 Why EQ is rarely in the top 3 things we interview CEOs for 13:41 Wartime CEOs vs. prosperity CEOs, which one are you? 17:18 Why emotional intelligence is hard to measure but impossible to ignore 19:38 The self-awareness paradox, the higher you climb the blinder you get 21:26 Is EQ innate or learned? Jane and Rami debate 22:46 Delivery matters as much as content, maybe more 23:54 The difference between being NICE and being KIND as a CEO 25:31 Mistake #3: Managing up but not down and the culture of fear it creates 27:41 Signs you have a culture of fear (Jane's tell-tale meeting test) 29:13 Autonomy vs. accountability, where CEOs get the balance wrong 31:17 When you trust too much, the costly CTO technology mistake 33:39 Why major decisions need an outside voice with no dog in the fight 35:26 What counsel would you give a brand new CEO? 36:35 First 60-90 days, listen, observe, resist the urge to act fast 38:34 It's okay not to know and why admitting it builds more trust than hiding it 39:42 The unprepared sales leader who won his team over with one apology 40:47 Play to your strengths and outsource your weaknesses 41:40 The numbers every CEO must know cold 42:33 Why a 13-week cash flow forecast is non-negotiable 44:25 How do founders know they're in a turnaround situation? 44:33 The financial warning signs of a business in trouble 46:41 Cut marketing or double down? Jane and Rami respectfully disagree 47:22 Why a strong CFO is every CEO's most important co-pilot 48:42 What Jane did differently during COVID and why it worked 49:24 Asking for opinions doesn't mean you have to take them 50:33 Rami's final thoughts and what he hopes others take from his mistakes 51:08 Jane's closing thoughts🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who've been in the trenches.
📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode.
🔗 Connect with Jane Gentry: [LinkedIn] 🔗 Connect with Rami Cassis: [LinkedIn]
#Leadership #CEOsUnscripted #EmotionalIntelligence #PrivateEquity #CEOMindset #BusinessGrowth #MidMarket #Turnaround #ExecutiveLeadership #ScalingUp

This CEO's Entire Strategy Fits on One Slide, And It's Pure Genius

What if your entire company strategy fit on one slide? Jamie Church, CEO of Best Buy Medical, did exactly that and delivered growth in the process. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry sits down with Canada's top medical supply distributor CEO to unpack how radical simplicity, obsessive customer focus, and authentic leadership culture can outperform any complex strategy. If you're a mid-market CEO drowning in complexity, this episode will change how you think about strategy, people, and growth. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ The 3-priority strategy that drove growth, and why less is more ✅ How to actually operationalize "customer centricity" (not just say it) ✅ Why Jamie puts himself in every single new hire's onboarding — from warehouse to exec ✅ The "legends and heroes" culture framework that keeps long-tenured talent committed ✅ How to roll out strategy like a change management initiative (most CEOs miss this) ✅ Why your network is the most valuable career asset you'll ever build ✅ What it's really like working with private equity and what to ask before you say yes ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Cold open: Growth with zero breakdowns, here's how 00:54 — Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:29 — Meet Jamie Church, CEO of Best Buy Medical 03:07 — Jamie's 20-year career path & how network got him here 04:06 — Why Jamie left McKesson to run a mid-sized company 05:41 — What drew him to Best Buy Medical's culture & mission 07:08 — Culture as competitive advantage in healthcare distribution 07:54 — Why Jamie keeps strategy to just 3 priorities 08:19 — The 3 priorities: Customer Centricity, Innovation & Sustainability 08:39 — The growth story, how long & what drove it 09:58 — Investing in people, sustainability & domestic partners 11:12 — Involving the leadership team in strategy for the first time 12:11 — What "customer centricity" actually looks like in practice 13:40 — Legends & heroes: recognizing the people who go above and beyond 14:03 — How Jamie onboards every single new hire personally 15:46 — Why a strong culture self-selects out bad hires quickly 16:01 — Town halls, micro-meetings & keeping the whole org aligned 17:14 — Jane's "sneak test": walking the floor to check strategy alignment 18:59 — Milestone recognition programs & why personal notes matter 21:28 — The power of peer recognition over top-down praise 24:26 — What Jamie means by "network" and why it's everything 27:08 — Your network is your most valuable career asset 28:33 — The right way to build a network: give before you ask 30:45 — Building strategy with a leadership team of 8, all promoted from within 32:25 — The one-slide strategy: Jane's reaction says it all 33:12 — How often the leadership team checks in on progress 34:44 — Remote workforce, bi-weekly rhythms & full-team alignment days 36:15 — Change management in action: the Calgary DC move story 37:31 — Why every strategy rollout is a change management initiative 38:17 — What ACTUALLY broke during growth (the answer may surprise you) 40:54 — The "slingshot effect" pulling back to leap forward 42:30 — Keeping it simple is harder than it sounds 43:37 — What to know before taking a CEO role in a PE-backed company 45:21 — Rapid fire: best book, 5X CEO by Tabo Godstream 46:34 — Worst advice Jamie ever received 47:53 — Smartest person in his phone & why 48:33 — What to do when you feel stuck 49:08 — Jane's closing thoughts 🎙️CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs — no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who've been in the trenches. 📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #CEOsUnscripted #CompanyCulture #ScalingUp #MidMarket #CustomerCentricity #EmployeeEngagement #PrivateEquity #SimplifyToScale

What Private Equity Is Really Thinking When They Look At Your Business

Think PE buyers care most about your EBITDA? Think again. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Paul Idziak: PE advisor, former CEO of GV Windpower North America, and field service industry veteran to pull back the curtain on exactly what private equity firms evaluate before writing a check.
Whether you're thinking about selling in 3–5 years or simply want to build a more valuable business, this episode is packed with the unfiltered truth most business brokers won't tell you.
In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Why management team quality beats financials as the #1 due diligence factor ✅ The real reason client concentration can tank your valuation overnight ✅ What PE firms mean by "selling the future, not the past" ✅ How free cash flow matters as much as EBITDA, and why founders miss this ✅ The M&A muscle, greenfielding capability, and other factors buyers quietly score you on ✅ Why you should conduct a Quality of Earnings (QoE) study on yourself before going to market ✅ How to vet a PE firm the same way they're vetting you
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 — Cold open: What PE looks at first (it's not financials) 01:02 — Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:38 — Paul's background: energy services, PE exits & advising 05:22 — Demystifying private equity for CEOs 06:39 — #1 due diligence factor: management team 08:30 — Does it have to be the founder? No — here's why 09:20 — Leadership succession & its impact on valuation 10:44 — How PE evaluates cultural fit with management 12:54 — "You're selling the future, not the past" 14:32 — Evaluating growth potential: markets & talent 16:02 — Recruiting, retention & training as valuation factors 18:49 — Culture KPIs buyers actually look at 20:22 — Client concentration: the deal-killer no one talks about 23:10 — Contracts, blue-chip clients & recurring revenue 25:33 — Why profitability per client matters more than revenue 28:14 — The hidden cost of difficult customers 29:10 — M&A muscle & greenfielding: what excites buyers 30:41 — Technology stack & ERP maturity 33:21 — Is AI on PE's radar yet? 34:10 — Job costing: the discipline most companies lack 36:23 — Free cash flow vs. EBITDA, what founders miss 38:32 — Pricing strategy & protecting your margins 41:49 — Accounts receivable: why founders avoid collecting 43:45 — Full due diligence checklist recap 45:35 — What to clean up before going to market 46:54 — Why you should run a QoE on yourself first 48:11 — What PE actually needs to see in your processes 50:55 — Not all PE firms are equal, how to vet your buyer 53:47 — Book rec: The Private Equity Playbook by Adam Coffee 55:35 — Teaser: Paul returns to talk life as a PE-backed CEO operator 56:47 — Jane's closing thoughts
CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs — no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations with founders and executives who've been in the trenches.
📌 Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode.
#PrivateEquity #CEOsUnscripted #BusinessValuation #MergersAndAcquisitions #ScalingUp #MidMarket #BusinessGrowth #ExitStrategy #EBITDA #Leadership

Why Most CEOs Get Stuck Between $10M and $50M | And What Actually Gets You Out

What does it take to buy and scale a company in a foreign country, with your spouse, right before a global pandemic? In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Corbin Butcher, Managing Director of Beire Exhibitions in the Czech Republic, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about entrepreneurship through acquisition, cross-cultural leadership, and what it really means to evolve from a 1.0 to a 3.0 company. Corbin shares how a military career, a "mediocre" stint in investment banking, and a Kellogg MBA led him and his wife Evona to buy a Czech exhibition company, armed with a shoebox full of business cards as their CRM, and turn it into a thriving, scaling business with 80 employees and 2.5x revenue growth. Whether you're leading a $10M or $100M business, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons on scaling systems, building partnerships, managing culture across borders, and knowing when to evolve as a leader before your company outgrows you.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 — Cold open: No backup plan, just make it work
01:07 — Welcome to CEOs Unscripted: Jane's intro & what the show is about
02:46 — Meet Corbin Butcher: From Chicago to the Czech Republic
04:18 — Corbin's background: Army officer, Iraq tours, Kellogg MBA
06:06 — Why investment banking wasn't the fit — and what was
07:07 — The search fund model: Buying a business with your spouse
08:18 — The challenge of being a European company trying to break into the US market
10:51 — How to vet a strategic partner (and why face-to-face is non-negotiable)
13:44 — The qualities that make or break a partnership under pressure
15:08 — American work ethic vs. European work culture: The real clash
17:08 — How Corbin built a high-performance culture within European labor laws
20:31 — The pros and cons of being an American CEO leading a European company
21:50 — Running a business with your spouse: The investor who called it "marital risk"
24:38 — How Corbin and Evona divide roles and break ties
25:36 — First-time CEO with no safety net: How do you learn on the fly?
28:59 — The shock of COVID hitting an 85% leveraged company in year two
31:40 — Biere 1.0 vs. 2.0 vs. 3.0: The lifecycle framework every CEO needs to understand
33:13 — Sales in 1.0: A shoebox of business cards as a "CRM"
36:53 — Operations in 1.0: When everything depends on one person
38:18 — Why promoting your best operator to supervisor is often a mistake
41:30 — What changed in 2.0: Systems, structure, and elevating internal talent
43:05 — The power of vision: Can every employee in your company articulate where you're going?
46:01 — How Corbin had to change as a leader from 1.0 to 2.0
49:46 — How strategic planning evolves at each stage of company growth
52:54 — Honest reflection: Some parts of Bira are still in 1.0 — and that's okay
54:01 — Rapid fire: Who's the smartest person in your phone?
55:36 — Best book of the last 12 months: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
57:09 — What Corbin does when he feels stuck
58:27 — Closing thoughts and where to find more
Key Topics Covered
Entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) and the search fund model
Scaling a mid-market company from 1.0 to 3.0
Cross-cultural leadership and managing European vs. American work culture
Building and vetting strategic partnerships in international markets
Why founder-dependent businesses are fragile — and how to fix it
Running a business with your spouse without losing your marriage
Leading through COVID with zero revenue and high leverage
The danger of promoting your best individual contributors into management
Why communicating vision is the #1 job of a scaling CEO
About CEOs Unscripted
Hosted by Jane Gentry, CEO advisor, Harvard Business School Entrepreneurial MBA mentor, and consultant to mid-market leaders for over 20 years, CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast featuring unfiltered conversations with founders and executives who've been where you are. No fluff. No jargon. Just real talk that drives real growth.
CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry, Corbin Butcher, Bira Exhibitions, entrepreneurship through acquisition, search fund, mid-market CEO, scaling a business, business growth podcast, CEO podcast, leadership podcast, military to entrepreneur, Kellogg MBA, Czech Republic business, cross-cultural leadership, international business, how to scale a company, company lifecycle, business systems, founder-dependent business, how to buy a business, ETA entrepreneur, CEO advice, business strategy, scaling up, small business growth, mid-market growth, CEO leadership tips, business podcast 2026, entrepreneurship podcast

Military Discipline Meets Luxury Travel: How Craig Beal Built America's #1 Safari Company

What does submarine warfare have to do with luxury safari travel? More than you'd think.
In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Craig Beal - Naval Academy graduate, nuclear engineer, and CEO of Travel Beyond, the oldest US-founded safari company, to unpack the unconventional leadership principles behind one of the most remarkable family business turnovers you'll ever hear.
Craig shares how military discipline, checklist-driven operations, and a radical employee-first philosophy helped him scale a four-person company into a 39-person specialist safari firm with jaw-dropping retention rates.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why niching down — fast — is the smartest growth decision a CEO can make
How a military-style checklist culture creates five-star client experiences at scale
The geographic hiring strategy that virtually eliminates employee turnover
Why Craig covers 100% of employee healthcare — and how it removes anxiety that kills productivity
How Safari Pros, a competitor collaboration network, actually grows the whole industry
Why the best CEOs act on decisions they know are right — before the window closes
Keywords: CEO podcast, business growth, leadership, employee retention, family business, niche business strategy, mid-market CEO, scaling a business, company culture, safari industry, military leadership, entrepreneurship TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Introduction & Craig's backstory
5:30 — From the Navy to the family business
12:00 — The power of niching down
18:00 — Employee retention secrets (and the geographic advantage)
26:00 — In-office vs. remote: what actually works
33:00 — Checklist culture & the Checklist Manifesto
41:00 — AI and the future of travel operations
47:00 — Managing client fear & crisis transparency
52:00 — Rapid fire: lessons for every CEO
KEY TAKEAWAYS: ✅ Specialize faster than feels comfortable ✅ Processes aren't bureaucracy they're freedom ✅ Take care of employees first; they'll take care of your clients ✅ The best CEOs act on the decision they know is right before it's too late
DROP YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY IN THE COMMENTS
CEOs Unscripted is the bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs, for mid-market CEOs. No fluff. No jargon. Just the unfiltered truth about what it takes to lead, scale, and grow.
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode 🎙️ Hosted by Jane Gentry — CEO Advisor & Executive Coach
#CEOPodcast #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #SafariCompany #CompanyCulture #EmployeeRetention #MilitaryLeadership #ScalingUp #MidMarketCEO
 

The CEO Who Doubles Every Company He Touches

What does it take to walk into a business that's hit a ceiling and double its revenue — not once, but three times? In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Buzz Bradley, a seasoned interim CEO and business growth strategist, to unpack the exact frameworks he uses to transform stalled mid-market companies into high-performance organizations.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why most founders unknowingly become the biggest bottleneck in their own business
The first thing Buzz does in any new company (it's not what you think)
How to manage organizational change without losing your culture or your best people
Why promoting your top performer could be the most expensive mistake you make
The "teach to fish vs. do the fishing" debate — and when each approach wins
How cross-generational teams can become a competitive advantage
The simple mindset shift that makes faster, better decisions possible
Buzz's golden rule: "If it's going to take six months, it takes six months whether you start today or six months from now — so why not start today?"
Whether you're a founder navigating growing pains, a CEO preparing to scale past $20M, or a leader trying to build a business that doesn't depend entirely on you — this episode is packed with real talk and actionable insights.
Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Buzz's background 04:30 – How Buzz gets into companies and doubles revenue 10:40 – The first thing to do when you take over a business 12:20 – Protecting culture during change 15:40 – Growing pains: when founders hit the ceiling 20:30 – Moving people into the right roles 26:00 – Managing change without creating chaos 33:00 – Developing talent on a budget 38:00 – Cross-generational teams 43:00 – Rapid fire: books, habits & decisiveness 47:00 – Why starting today beats waiting for perfectKeywords: interim CEO, scaling a business, mid-market growth, business leadership, CEO coaching, organizational design, growing pains, founder-led business, business strategy, executive leadership, how to scale a company, CEO podcast, entrepreneurship, talent retention, decision making for CEOs
Subscribe to CEOs Unscripted — the bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs who want unfiltered, real-world leadership conversations. No fluff. No jargon. Just the playbooks that actually work.
#CEOPodcast #BusinessGrowth #ScalingUp #MidMarket #InterimCEO #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #CEOsUnscripted

He Lost Everything, Borrowed $200K From Friends, and Built a $50M Company: Here's How

What does it take to buy a business with zero money, learn it from the ground up, and scale it for 38 years into a successful exit?
In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Robert Brown, former CEO of American Asphalt Company, a man who lost everything, borrowed $200K from 20 friends and family members, and turned a struggling asphalt company into a thriving mid-market business through grit, trust, and relentless relationship-building.
This episode is packed with raw, unfiltered lessons every mid-market CEO, entrepreneur, and business owner needs to hear.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:✅ How to buy a business with no money (and make it work)✅ Why your best salesperson should NEVER become your sales manager✅ The #1 reason M&A deals fall apart after the ink dries✅ How Robert hired a tile salesperson to run asphalt sales and it was his best hire ever✅ Why preparing for your exit should start on Day 1 of owning the business✅ The time management strategy that freed Bob from working IN the business✅ Why trust is your most powerful business tool and how to build it fast✅ The J-Curve of leadership growth every scaling CEO must understand
KEY QUOTE FROM THIS EPISODE:"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."— Robert Brown
📌 TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Introduction & Episode Preview01:45 — Robert's Origin Story: Growing Up in a Family Business04:10 — Growing Too Fast, Losing It All & Starting Over07:00 — How Robert Bought an Asphalt Company With No Money10:30 — Learning the Business from the Ground Up (From Employees)13:15 — The Sales Strategy That Built the Company: Relationships Over Transactions16:20 — Building & Retaining a Team in a New Acquisition19:45 — The Trust Formula: What Actually Keeps Employees for 38 Years22:30 — How Robert Scaled: Buying Bigger Plants & Strategic M&A27:00 — The M&A Lessons Nobody Warns You About30:15 — Codifying Process: CEO Peer Groups, Vistage & C1233:40 — Why You Should Hire a Great Salesperson (Not an Industry Expert)36:50 — Sales Managers vs. Sales Coaches: The Mistake Most CEOs Make39:30 — Delegation, Time Studies & Getting Out of Your Own Way42:45 — Preparing Your Business for Exit from Day One44:30 — Rapid Fire Round: Leadership Wisdom from 38 Years in Business46:10 — Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Robert
🎙️ ABOUT CEOs UNSCRIPTED:CEOs Unscripted is the bi-weekly podcast for mid-market leaders hosted by Jane Gentry — CEO advisor, Harvard Business School entrepreneurial MBA mentor, and 20-year consulting veteran. No fluff, no jargon — just honest conversations about what it really takes to lead, grow, and scale.
🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every two weeks.
#CEO #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #ScalingUp #MidMarket #Podcast #CEOsUnscripted #JaneGentry #BusinessStrategy #MergersAndAcquisitions #SalesLeadership #ExitStrategy #SmallBusiness #DelegationCEO podcast, business growth podcast, mid-market CEO, scaling a business, entrepreneurship podcast, leadership podcast, mergers and acquisitions, sales strategy, how to buy a business with no money, exit strategy, delegation for CEOs, CEO advice, Jane Gentry, CEOs unscripted, business scaling tips, asphalt company, family business, hiring salespeople, sales manager vs salesperson, CEO peer groups, business valuation, employee retention, trust in business, small business growth