In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Mike Barefoot, a longtime entrepreneur and former staffing firm owner who has spent more than two decades placing professionals, leading teams, and navigating the realities of business growth.

Mike shares how his career evolved from corporate recruiting into building his own IT staffing firm and why he’s now shifting into keynote speaking to pass along the lessons he learned the hard way. We talk about invisible career ceilings, why “just work hard” is incomplete advice, and how fear can be used as fuel instead of a roadblock.

We also explore:

- Why networking matters as much as effort

- How comfort can quietly limit your growth

- The danger of analysis paralysis

- Why “trust and verify” is better leadership than blind trust

- How imposter syndrome shows up even after success

- Why balance, not burnout, leads to sustainable performance

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about doing everything yourself it’s about knowing when to change direction, when to ask better questions, and when to choose growth over fear.

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Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com
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In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Jodie Hill, founder of Thrive Law in the UK, a law firm built around employment law, culture, mental health, and neurodiversity. Jodie is reimagining what legal leadership can look like by working on the front end of workplace problems helping organizations prevent discrimination and burnout instead of only reacting once things have gone wrong.

Jodie and I talk about why saying yes to everything can quietly pull you away from your purpose, how scaling too fast can be just as dangerous as not growing at all, and why the optics of success don’t always reflect what’s actually healthy or sustainable inside a business.

We explore what it really means to build boundaries as a founder, how burnout reshapes leadership, and why creating space away from work can unlock better ideas than constant hustle ever will.

We also dive into:
- Why growth without intention can become a trap
- How leaders can model psychological safety instead of just talking about it
- What delegation really means when done well
- Why vulnerability isn’t weakness it’s leadership
- How imposter syndrome shows up even after success
- What it takes to build a culture where people can truly thrive

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Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com
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In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Mike Konrad, founder and CEO of Aqueous Technologies, who has spent more than three decades building a company in the electronics manufacturing industry. From starting in his garage to stepping away from day-to-day operations, Mike reflects on what long-term leadership has really taught him about growth, fear, and decision-making.

Mike and I talk about why conventional marketing never worked for him, how education became his most powerful sales tool, and why pursuing growth without discipline nearly cost him profitability. He challenges the idea that success comes from doing more, moving faster, and getting bigger — and instead makes the case for better judgment, stronger values, and trust built over time.

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about proving yourself — it’s about staying grounded, choosing wisely, and building something that can outlast your ego.

connect with me here:
Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com
Connect with me on Linkedin: / kmillerhershon
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In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Mike Chaput, founder of nSight, an IT managed services company serving California and Hawaii. Mike shares the lessons learned from building a business from scratch, recovering from early setbacks, and leading hundreds of employees while staying grounded in his values.

We dive into how leaders can:
* Use vision and values as the operating system for execution
* Make company culture explicit and actionable
* Recognize and appreciate people in meaningful ways to increase purpose and engagement
* Balance self-awareness, humility, and confidence while steering a growing organization
* Leverage unconventional practices, like affirmation exercises, to sharpen focus and influence outcomes

Mike also reflects on the personal side of leadership how philosophy, meditation, and thinking beyond self-interest can improve decision-making and inspire followership.

He challenges the idea that leaders must have all the answers, instead suggesting that staying curious, reflective, and intentional is what drives sustainable growth.

This conversation is a reminder that great leadership isn’t about perfection it’s about creating alignment, empowering people, and thinking bigger than yourself.

connect with me here:
Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com
Connect with me on Linkedin: / kmillerhershon
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In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Aaron Trahan, a former corporate executive turned leadership coach who found himself running billion-dollar organizations long before he ever expected to. Along the way, he made just about every leadership mistake possible and discovered the power of coaching, reflection, and feedback in the process.

Aaron and I talk about why failure isn’t the opposite of success, how the right culture fit can unlock real potential, and why growth at all costs is often a dangerous illusion. We explore what it really means to scale yourself as a leader, how to build meaningful feedback loops, and why imposter syndrome might actually be a sign you’re doing something right.

We also dive into:

-Why comfort can be more dangerous than failure

-The difference between optics and real leadership

-How to grow without burning out your people

-Why the best leaders never stop learning

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about protecting your image — it’s about staying curious, staying human, and choosing growth over ego.

connect with me here:
Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com
Connect with me on Linkedin: / kmillerhershon
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In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with John Lees co-founder of Copay Technologies, a PhD physicist, five-time Ironman, volunteer firefighter, husband, and father whose leadership lessons come from far beyond the boardroom.

John and I talk about why pretending to have all the answers is overrated, how saying “we’ll figure it out” can actually build more trust, and why situational awareness matters more than rigid strategy. We explore how firefighting, endurance sports, and entrepreneurship all demand the same core skill: staying grounded while everything around you is changing.

We also dive into:

Why healthcare is intentionally complicated — and how transparency can change lives

The myth that great leaders must sacrifice everything else

What imposter syndrome really feels like behind the scenes

How knowing your North Star helps you pivot without losing yourself

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence, curiosity, and choosing impact over ego.

connect with me here:
Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com
Connect with me on Linkedin: / kmillerhershon
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In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom about Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Vivic, a former medical doctor turned business leader, for a fascinating conversation about leadership, decision-making, and what it really takes to scale a business responsibly.

Vivic shares his unconventional journey from practicing medicine including cosmetic surgery to building, scaling, and exiting multiple businesses. Today, he leads a growing network of cosmetic clinics across Australia, and he brings a rare perspective shaped by both clinical discipline and entrepreneurial risk-taking.

We talk about the critical mindset shift required when moving from medicine where risk must be minimized to business where calculated risk can drive growth. Vivic explains how the grit developed through years in healthcare prepared him for the unpredictability of leadership, and why being comfortable with uncertainty is essential for long-term success.

Throughout our conversation, we explore key topics such as:

-Why “new and shiny” isn’t always better in business or healthcare

-Making data-driven decisions instead of relying on gut instinct alone

-Hiring fast, firing faster, and what most leaders get wrong about interviews

-How to define success clearly so teams can actually meet expectations

-Leading through mission, not ego or hierarchy

Vivic also shares a simple but powerful framework for decision-making asking whether something is legal, has upside, and is reversible offering practical guidance for leaders facing constant uncertainty.

This episode is a thoughtful, grounded look at modern leadership, blending discipline with adaptability and wisdom with action. If you’re a founder, executive, or professional navigating complex decisions and rapid change, this conversation will challenge how you think and how you lead.

connect with me here:
Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com
Connect with me on Linkedin: / kmillerhershon
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In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom about Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Ashley Bundis for an honest and reflective conversation about leadership, growth, and the realities of navigating change over the course of a career.

Ashley and I talk openly about what it means to evolve professionally when the path forward isn’t always clear or linear. She shares insights from her own journey, and together we explore how experience, perspective, and self-awareness shape the way we lead, make decisions, and define success for ourselves.

We dig into important topics including:

Trusting your instincts when facing career transitions

Letting go of outdated or inherited definitions of success

How confidence shifts over time—and how doubt still shows up

The role of self-awareness in effective leadership

Navigating change without forcing yourself into conventional expectations

This conversation is thoughtful, grounded, and deeply relatable for anyone questioning their next step or reassessing what growth really looks like at this stage of life.

If you’re looking for reassurance that you don’t need all the answers to move forward—just honesty, reflection, and the willingness to listen to yourself this episode is for you.

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