Jack Cohen, CEO of Dark Knight Ventures, joins Craig Andrews to explore the leadership tools that shaped his 40+ year career in commercial real estate and finance. In this episode, Jack breaks down the principles from his book, The Freedom Frameworks, revealing how practical tools—not empty platitudes—help leaders accelerate growth and stay grounded.

Jack shares his philosophy: great leaders acquire skills, accumulate experiences, and develop strong relationships. He unpacks how curiosity fuels those pillars and discusses how “red shirt moments”—unique personal insights—help leaders stand out and build trust.

Jack also speaks candidly about burnout, recovery strategies, and why high-impact leadership demands more than just hustle—it requires deliberate self-renewal. He explains how his aviation hobby and martial arts discipline help him stay sharp and energized. The conversation wraps with actionable frameworks that listeners can immediately use to lead better, think clearer, and create more value.

Want to learn more about Jack Cohen's work? Check out their website at https://darkknightventures.net/.

Connect with Jack Cohen on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-m-cohen-9543269/.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/.

Want to learn more about Craig Andrew's work at allies4me? Check out his website at https://allies4me.com/.

Ken Cox doesn’t just talk about leadership—he builds systems that enable it. In this episode, Ken shares how a turbulent upbringing and early tech exposure shaped his leadership style. From hanging around small-town entrepreneurs to diving into the early days of the internet, Ken turned challenges into fuel. He opens up about his dyslexia and how technology gave him a voice, eventually becoming a champion for small businesses and digital empowerment.

Ken explains why he treats AI like employees—and why leadership in the AI era means creating systems that manage, train, and direct those “digital hires.” He urges leaders to stop fearing AI and start leading it. The result? Businesses that run smarter, faster, and leaner.

Whether it’s streamlining customer service or qualifying leads, Ken breaks down how focused AI tools can give business owners time to lead—not just manage chaos.

Want to learn more about Ken Cox's work? Check out his website at https://inlink.com/

Connect with Ken Cox on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kencox/

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/

Want to learn more about Craig Andrew's work at allies4me? Check out his website at https://allies4me.com/

Steve Duddy doesn’t just lead companies—he shapes cultures, mentors future leaders, and makes bold moves under pressure. In this episode, he shares hard-earned leadership lessons from the operating room to the boardroom. From his early days in medical device sales to running multimillion-dollar divisions, Steve reveals how leadership is less about credentials and more about people.

He discusses how real leadership happens in uncertainty—when the path forward is unclear and the stakes are high. He explains how he guided teams through SEC audits, product shortages, and pandemic disruptions without losing trust or momentum. Steve also breaks down how to turn adversity into creativity, and why asking the right questions matters more than having all the answers.

Steve believes strong leadership builds environments where people want to give their best—because they feel seen, supported, and challenged. His leadership style balances structure with adaptability and ambition with empathy. Whether mentoring a first-time CEO or rallying a startup team, Steve shows what it really means to lead with purpose.

Want to learn more about Steve Duddy's work? Check out their website at https://www.DuddyExecutiveServicesInc.com.

Connect with Steve Duddy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveduddy/.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/.

Want to learn more about Craig Andrew's work at allies4me? Check out his website at https://allies4me.com/.

Devan Gonzalez didn’t stumble into leadership—he forged it in the fire of martial arts mats and business mistakes. In this episode, Devan unpacks how discipline, mindset, and purposeful mentorship shaped his journey from teen instructor to fitness franchise founder. He shares what most leaders miss: showing up beats motivation every time. Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about building systems so others don’t need you to. Devan dives into the bumps he hit, from marketing misfires to realizing common sense isn’t universal—it’s learned. He reveals how empowering his business partner by treating him like a franchisee, not a co-founder, unlocked scalability and clarity. You’ll also hear his unfiltered take on decision-making, delegation, and how Covid didn’t break his business—it boosted it. This is a masterclass in turning grind into growth and chaos into clarity.

Want to learn more about Devan Gonzalez's work? Check out their website at https://www.strive11fitness.com/franchise.

Connect with Devan Gonzalez on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/devangonzalez/.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/.

Want to learn more about Craig Andrew's work at allies4me? Check out his website at https://allies4me.com/.

Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about impact. In this episode of Leaders and Legacies, Craig Andrews sits down with Ritavan, founder of Bavarian Tiger Ventures and author of Data Impact, to break down the principles of high-performance leadership.

Ritavan shares why blindly following best practices leads to failure and how first principles thinking drives real success. Drawing lessons from Napoleon’s military strategy, he explains why leaders must ensure absolute alignment across teams. The key? Clear, actionable communication—if a rank-and-file soldier could understand Napoleon’s commands, so could an entire army.

Shifting to business, Ritavan reveals his six-step framework for leveraging data to make smarter decisions: Save, Leverage, Align, Simplify, Optimize, and Grow. He argues that digital transformation is useless without clear objectives and that precision thinking—once crucial in manufacturing—can be a liability in the digital age.

Craig and Ritavan also explore cultural differences in leadership, the balance between perfection and speed, and how businesses can outmaneuver competitors by focusing on the right data.

Want to learn more about Ritavan's work? Check out his website at https://www.ritavan.com.

Connect with Ritavan on LinkedIn at https://de.linkedin.com/in/rritavan.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/.

Want to learn more about Craig Andrews’ work at allies4me? Check out his website at https://allies4me.com/.

Leadership isn’t about maintaining the status quo—it’s about seeing problems, rallying people, and creating solutions. In this episode, Lester Morales, founder and CEO of Next Impact, exposes the broken incentives in healthcare and how business leaders can take control.

Lester shares how his family’s devastating financial struggle with medical bills ignited his passion for fixing the system. He explains why healthcare isn’t "broken"—it’s working exactly as designed, just not in the public’s favor. With costs skyrocketing, employers feel trapped, believing they have no choice but to accept double-digit increases.

Lester debunks that myth, showing how businesses can cut costs, improve employee benefits, and demand better care. He details a proven strategy: putting employees in charge of their care, eliminating deductibles, and leveraging cost transparency. Companies that adopt these models not only save millions but also become better employers.

If you’re a leader ready to break free from the healthcare trap, this episode delivers real solutions.

Want to learn more about Lester Morales' work? Check out his website at https://www.nextimpactllc.com/.

Connect with Lester Morales on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lester-j-morales-5064b91/.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/.

Want to learn more about Craig Andrews' work at allies4me? Check out his website at https://allies4me.com/.

Leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing the right things. In this episode, James Robbins, leadership expert and author of Nine Minutes on Monday, breaks down the simple yet powerful leadership strategies that deliver the biggest impact. He explains why most leaders waste time on low-value tasks and how focusing on key engagement drivers—autonomy, recognition, challenge, and purpose—can transform teams.

James shares insights from his time as a minister, where he had to motivate volunteers without traditional incentives like pay or promotions. He reveals how great leaders create buy-in, build trust, and drive performance by giving employees a mountain to climb, a reason to climb it, and enough rope to own the journey.

Craig and James also dive into motivation, how autonomy fuels ownership, and why mastering communication is the secret weapon of successful leaders. If you want a practical, no-nonsense approach to leading with impact, this episode is a must-listen.

Want to learn more about James Robbins' work? Check out his website at https://www.jamesrobbins.com/.

Connect with James on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobbins97/.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/.

Want to learn more about Craig Andrews' work at allies4me? Check out his website at https://allies4me.com/.

Leadership isn’t about making noise—it’s about making an impact. In this episode of Leaders and Legacies, host Craig Andrews talks with Dennis Meador, founder of the Legal Podcast Network. Meador’s leadership journey started early, from hustling in sales as a teenager to scaling businesses to multi-million-dollar success.

Meador shares why authenticity is the ultimate leadership tool—especially in marketing. His approach? Cut the fluff, get to the point, and let expertise speak for itself. He highlights how attorneys, often seen as difficult clients, actually appreciate directness and value-driven conversations. His marketing strategy focuses on thought leadership, using content to position professionals as trusted experts.

Throughout the conversation, Meador drops gold nuggets on building remote teams, firing bad clients, and using content to attract high-value leads. He also reveals why vanity metrics like views and likes are meaningless unless they convert into revenue.

Want to learn more about Dennis Meador’s work? Check out https://www.thelegalpodcastnetwork.com/.

Connect with Dennis Meador on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismeador/.

Think you’d be a great guest on the show? Apply at Podcast Guest Application.

Want to learn more about Craig Andrews’ work at allies4me? Visit allies4me.