This episode is a powerful year in review and a behind the scenes look at Impact Others and Project Dakota. Eddie shares the story of launching a new “house of refuge” and feeding center in Colombia, why he’s been drawn to protecting children who can’t protect themselves, and the personal origin behind Project Dakota, named in honor of his brother. Eddie then takes you to India, where he helped deliver Christmas gifts to hundreds of children who had never received a gift in their entire life, and describes the moment that wrecked him in the best way; orphans singing “Silent Night.” To close, Eddie gives three end of year principles to carry into your planning that will help build a life that creates real fulfillment through impact.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 – Year in review and why this episode matters: Impact Others
• 00:31 – Colombia: launching a new feeding center & house of refuge
• 02:16 – “Why orphans?” and the personal reason Eddie didn’t fully name before
• 03:46 – Eddie’s childhood loss and his brother Dakota’s story
• 06:55 – The question that sparked it: honoring Dakota + why Christmas
• 08:22 – Project Dakota is born: giving Christmas morning to orphans
• 09:29 – 17,000+ orphans touched plus toy drives across the U.S.
• 10:52 – India trip: what Eddie saw in Madurai
• 14:16 – Giving gifts to children who’d never received one
• 15:38 – The “Silent Night” moment
• 17:57 – Eddie’s challenge: what are you doing that actually matters?
• 18:19 – The 3 principles
• 21:52 – The 3 impact targets
• 23:02 – Closing

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What if real leadership isn’t about holding power tighter but knowing when to give it back? In this episode Eddie Wilson unpacks the story of Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer who was pulled from his field, given absolute power as dictator, saved Rome in just 15 days and then walked away to go back to his plow. Eddie uses this ancient story to challenge modern leaders, founders, and parents who never “asked” to lead but now have people watching them, along with breaking three core leadership truths. From business owners stuck at the $5M ceiling because they won’t relinquish control, to parents learning when to let their kids fail and grow, to politicians who “die in the spotlight” because they hold power too long, this episode will force you to ask: Am I building something that shines without me, or something that only works as long as I’m in the room?

TIME STAMPS:

• 00:00 – Leadership isn’t ego, it’s letting go
• 00:37 – Who is Cincinnatus? The farmer turned Roman dictator
• 01:32 – When leadership finds you
• 02:44 – For leaders who never asked to lead but answered the call
• 04:21 – Accepting the role: abandoning what was, embracing what is
• 05:37 – In one day: from farmer’s clothes to dictator’s robe
• 07:41 – Overnight march, citizen soldiers, and outmaneuvering the enemy
• 09:39 – Victory in 15 days and Cincinnatus walks away from power
• 11:34 – Lesson #1: Power is a tool, not a throne
• 14:00 – Lesson #2: True leaders know when to step up and step away
• 15:42 – Why most small businesses never get past $5M
• 16:16 – Letting go as a parent: leading sons at different stages
• 17:51 – Lesson #3: Discipline over dominance restraint is greatness
• 19:56 – Give your followers the credit, not yourself
• 21:09 – Are you building a business that can thrive without you?
• 22:03 – Don’t just build for power; build for peace
• 22:47 – When leaders hold power too long: politics, ego, and dying in the spotlight
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• 25:09 – Final challenge: use power as a tool, then let it go

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Most founders don’t have a business problem, they have a decision problem. In this hard-hitting episode, Eddie Wilson reframes “violence” not as physical aggression, but as surgical intensity: the courage to cut people, systems, and revenue that are quietly killing your empire. Using a story from the Continental Congress, memories of his father’s quiet strength, and real world examples from his own companies, while breaking down three “violent” decisions every empire builder must make. You’ll learn why delay is often just fear in disguise, why your gut as a solid operator is rarely wrong, how to think in terms of protecting your future instead of punishing the past, and why “profit that costs purpose is way too expensive.” Eddie closes with three piercing questions to audit your life, business, and relationships so you can finally make the cuts you already know you need to make.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 – Franklin vs. Adams & the danger of endless diplomacy
• 02:03 – Empires require clear, courageous, sometimes ruthless decisions
• 03:01 – Eddie’s dad’s quiet strength
• 06:27 – Defining “violence” in business: not fists, but focus and surgical intensity
• 08:09 – Why most founders avoid “violent” decisions: indecision, loyalty, and “not burning bridges”
• 10:03 – Trusting your gut vs. over-rationalizing what people have already shown you
• 10:45 – Violent Decision #1: The courage to cut
• 16:15 – You’re not punishing the past; you’re protecting your future
• 17:19 – Who in your organization is no longer qualified to carry what’s next?
• 17:48 – Violent Decision #2: Burn what’s comfortable but broken
• 19:28 – Violent Decision #3: Kill the wrong revenue
• 21:40 – “Profit that costs purpose is way too expensive”
• 22:02 – What “violence” actually looks like
• 25:11 – Empire builders don’t swing wildly; they strike strategically and on time
• 26:06 – Three questions: What are you tolerating out of fear, what are you delaying, and what “violence” does your empire need today?

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