Building a business is one thing; holding your vision steady through growth, pressure, and uncertainty is something else entirely.

Alex Raymond sits down with John Sampogna, the co-founder and CEO of Wondersauce, to talk about what the entrepreneurial journey really demands once the excitement wears off. John shares how he built a 100-person agency, why he created a “mental balance sheet” to manage the emotional costs of leadership, and what he learned from selling his company while staying true to its original vision. How do you scale without losing yourself in the process? How do you know when a business opportunity is truly right for you, not just financially but personally?

John also digs into the realities of leadership that rarely get talked about: why bottlenecks are your best feedback loop, why approachability matters more than you think, and why a thriving business culture starts with making space for mistakes. He challenges entrepreneurs to rethink what scale really means in the age of AI and shares why lasting success depends on more than just growth metrics.

If you are building a business and want to do it with intention, resilience, and clarity, this conversation will give you a much-needed shift in perspective.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Holding a Long-Term Vision Through Growth and Uncertainty

03:49 Selling Wondersauce and Choosing the Right Partner

09:01 How the Founder Role Changes After Acquisition

10:02 Navigating Earn-Outs, COVID, and the Rise of AI

12:10 Building a Mental Balance Sheet for Emotional Resilience

15:00 Scaling a Business Without Burning Out

19:25 Bottlenecks as a Signal for Operational Change

22:05 Creating Psychological Safety and Strong Leadership

25:59 Smart Marketing and True Differentiation for Entrepreneurs

32:44 How AI Is Redefining the Idea of Scale

Links

Connect with John Sampogna:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsampogna/

Website: https://www.wondersauce.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Real leadership isn’t being the smartest person in the room. It’s creating the kind of culture where people feel safe enough to say, “I don’t know.”

In this episode, Alex Raymond talks with Garry Ridge, the former CEO of WD-40 and the author of “Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It.” Garry shares how a moment of “jumping in to fix it” early in his career completely reshaped his approach to leadership. That shift, from problem-solver to coach, set the foundation for one of the most admired cultures in business, with 93% employee engagement and a company-wide commitment to learning and accountability.

Garry explains why admitting what you don’t know isn’t weakness but the beginning of trust. He unpacks the idea of “dumbassery” as a leadership superpower, and why removing fear in the workplace creates room for growth, innovation, and genuine connection. What can happen when you stop calling things failures and start treating them as learning moments? What will change when your company values are more than just words on a wall?

This episode offers ideas for leaders who want to build purpose-driven companies without losing their people, or themselves, in the process. From the power of clearly ranked values to the surprisingly effective “Maniac Pledge,” Garry provides a framework for creating a workplace where people feel safe, supported, and proud to contribute.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:13 Learning Moments and Redefining Failure

05:25 “I Don’t Know” as a Leadership Superpower

07:28 Psychological Safety and People-First Cultures

14:16 Purpose, Values, and the Will of the People

21:44 Purpose Beyond Product and Real Accountability

33:19 Leading with Love

Links

Connect with Garry Ridge:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/

Website: https://thelearningmoment.net/

Website Quiz: https://thelearningmoment.net/quiz/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Building a business with purpose will push you to grow in ways you probably didn’t expect. What happens when your ambition outpaces your timing? Or when your team starts breaking down and you realize the real issue starts with you?

In this episode, Alex Raymond talks with Brian Dally, the co-founder and CEO of Groundfloor, a fintech company that gives everyday investors access to real estate debt. Brian shares what he learned from starting too early, betting on the wrong timelines, and eventually paving the way for a market that wasn’t quite ready for him.

Brian also opens up about a turning point in his leadership when a blowout between two teams during a family ski trip forced him to confront the culture he had helped create. That moment led to a reset, not just in how the company operated, but in how he saw himself as a leader.

What do you do when your company hits a wall? How do you stay committed when the cost of building starts to feel personal? Brian reflects on his spiritual life, his leadership missteps, and the values that guide him today. He also shares the habits that keep him steady like hiking Colorado trails, practicing mindfulness, and checking in with the people who matter most.

If you’re building something ambitious, this conversation will make you think more deeply about the kind of person you’re becoming in the process.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:07 Early Challenges of Launching Groundfloor

05:55 The Cost of Being Early

08:10 Lessons from Republic Wireless

12:09 Personal Growth Through Leadership

14:45 Faith, Vulnerability, and Inner Work

16:48 How Company Culture Broke and Got Rebuilt

23:05 Big Goals, Ambition, and Opportunity Cost

30:59 Real-World Impact on Customers

34:02 Habits That Keep Brian Grounded

Links

Connect with Brian Dally:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/

Website: https://groundfloor.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm