What does it really mean to pursue excellence over success?

In this fired-up episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Ryan Hawk—host of The Learning Leader Show, best-selling author, and leadership coach to top performers worldwide.

With over 600 episodes under his belt and years of experience working with leaders across all walks of life, Ryan has refined a simple but profound truth: your internal clarity shapes your external impact. He unpacks his personal purpose statement, explains how to define your own values, and offers a practical roadmap to living them out every single day.

Ryan opens up about how fear and curiosity fuel his growth, how to battle mediocrity with high standards, and why consistency is the ultimate trust builder. You’ll hear how he built an 11-year streak without missing a single podcast release and what that says about his commitment to excellence.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to define your purpose and values—and actually live them

• Why excellence beats success every time

• A framework for linking daily behaviors to core values

• How to use curiosity to push your limits

• Why fear can be productive (if used wisely)

• The mindset that drives consistent, meaningful impact

Whether you're leading a company, a family, or just trying to lead yourself better, this conversation will equip you with the tools to align your purpose, values, and daily behaviors to leave a meaningful dent in the world.

0:00 Intro

1:28 Learning from 600+ Top Performers

4:22 Clarity Through Purpose and Values

6:45 Ryan's Personal Purpose Statement

10:18 From Concept to Daily Action

14:00 Excellence vs. Success

18:02 Fear, Curiosity, and Courage

23:40 Using Prompts to Live in Alignment

28:29 High Standards in a Mediocre World

34:12 Why Most People Quit

37:07 Process Goals > Outcome Goals

41:30 The Power of Consistency

44:20 Living a Life That Leaves a Dent

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Ryan's Site: https://www.learningleader.com

📚 The Score That Matters by Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps

📚 Welcome to Management by Ryan Hawk

📚 The Pursuit of Excellence by Ryan Hawk

📘 Great by Choice by Jim Collins

📘 The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

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Can culture itself be a business strategy?

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Matt Hoying, President of Choice One Engineering—a company consistently ranked as a Best Place to Work and known for its people-first culture, operational clarity, and unapologetic transparency.

Matt shares how he rose from intern to president, why engineering is just a vehicle for impact, and how they’ve built a coaching culture where everyone—from leadership to new hires—owns the mission. He also breaks down Choice One’s “Decision Filter” and explains why they’ve walked away from profitable deals that didn’t align with their values.

Whether you're a founder, team leader, or aspiring leader within an organization, this episode offers a blueprint for creating a culture that scales with clarity, intentionality, and heart.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to build culture intentionally—even inside a larger company

• Why values-based hiring is the ultimate filter

• How financial transparency transformed their organization

• What leadership looks like when it's not about you

• Why “best practices” are often anything but

• How to lead like an engineer

This is a masterclass in sustainable, purpose-driven leadership. If you're serious about culture, this one’s for you.

0:00 Intro

1:01 Matt’s Path from Intern to President

4:18 The Real Reason He Chose Engineering

6:37 Applying His Purpose at Work and Home

10:28 Faith and Leadership

13:17 When Leadership Feels Like Psychology

16:39 How to Build a Coaching Culture

19:06 Mission Without the Job Titles21:03 Culture as a Decision Filter

24:21 Saying No to Money

26:44 Growth Without Compromise

29:42 Starting Culture from Scratch

32:33 Why Best Practices Don’t Always Work

35:00 The Great Game of Business & Transparency

38:56 Matt’s Role as “Engineer” of the Train

43:15 Why He Feels Unfulfilled—and Why That’s Good

45:32 Final Reflections and How to Connect

Resources Mentioned

📚 Drive by Daniel H. Pink

📚 The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack

📚 Good to Great by Jim Collins

🌐 Choice One Engineering: https://choiceoneengineering.com/

🔗 Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthoying

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Joe Fairless is one of the most respected names in real estate investing—but this episode is about much more than business.

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Joe Fairless, co-founder of Ashcroft Capital (with $2.5B+ AUM) and creator of the longest-running daily real estate podcast, Best Ever Real Estate, to talk about the deeper side of success.

Joe shares how consistency has shaped every part of his life—from doing 1,500+ straight days of podcasting to how he leads his team and builds trust with investors. They dive into long-term thinking, vision boards, leadership through systems like EOS, and how to build a business that gives people their time back.

This conversation will challenge how you define success, encourage you to reframe your goals, and inspire you to take small actions with massive integrity.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why Joe’s leadership style centers around developing other leaders
  
• How EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) changed his company culture
  
• The mindset behind his 12-year streak of creating vision boards
  
• What 50/50 goals are—and why they matter more than outcomes
  
• How real estate became a vehicle for giving others freedom
  
• Why doing the right thing when no one’s looking is Joe’s true definition of success

This is an inside look at what it really takes to scale with integrity, lead with humility, and live with purpose.

0:00 Intro1:03 Who is Joe Fairless?3:25 The Power of Doing What You Say You’ll Do6:21 Separating Identity from Outcomes9:42 The 50/50 Goal Framework13:08 Vision Boards & Long-Term Thinking16:58 EOS and Leadership Style Evolution20:52 Managing by Exception and Trusting Your Team23:15 Creating Leaders, Not Just Managing People25:44 Nature and The New Definition of Growth29:50 Family, Freedom, and the Role of Business34:04 Courage, Character, and the Early Hustle40:24 The True Meaning of Significance42:18 Final Reflections: Integrity When No One’s Watching

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Traction by Gino Wickman📚 The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
🌐 Ashcroft Capital https://www.ashcroftcapital.com🌐 https://joefairless.co/

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