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Great storytelling is at the heart of building authentic connections and trust with your audience.

This week, we’re joined by Ademola Adelakun, CEO & Founder of content agency A2 Media, LinkedIn video creator, and magician, to discuss the powerful role storytelling plays in video marketing and brand trust. Ademola shares his journey from creating magic tricks to mastering the art of video content, showing how brands can transform their marketing by telling stories that resonate with viewers on a deeper level.

In this conversation, we explore the key principles of compelling video content, the emotional engagement needed to capture attention, and why so much of today’s content feels flat. Ademola explains how brands can move away from generic messaging, how to build trust with your audience, and why making videos that speak directly to people’s experiences is the key to success. Whether you're looking to create more impactful content, foster customer loyalty, or elevate your brand’s storytelling, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you connect with your audience like never before.

What you’ll learn:

• How storytelling in video can transform brand trust and customer loyalty
• How to create videos that speak directly to your audience and build deeper connections
• Why emotional engagement is crucial for standing out in today’s crowded market

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:57) Meet Ademola Adelakun

(03:39) How Snapchat fame led to content careers

(06:04) Why magic tricks and brand trust work the same way

(09:31) Storytelling is a learned skill and transformation is the key

(15:57) Why video is the bridge to trust

(17:51) What most brands fundamentally misunderstand about trust

(22:03) The tension between enterprise and having fun

(25:49) AI-generated content and how it can erode trust

(30:42) How a Nigerian upbringing shaped his "ask why" approach

(37:22) The real version of success Ademola is chasing

(43:31) Advice to his younger self

Connect with Ademola Adelakun: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ademola-adelakun/

Check out A2 Media: https://a2media.ca/

Check out The Connections Course: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/course/the-connection-course

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com

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The most successful high performers know that success isn’t just about results, it’s about understanding the mind and body connection.

This week, we’re joined by Jenn James, Founder and Chief Growth Expert at Fresh Demand, and an expert in the neuroscience of change, to discuss how to break free from burnout, rewire your brain, and achieve lasting success without sacrificing your health. Jenn shares her journey from corporate burnout to teaching others how to overcome stress and anxiety while maintaining high performance.

In this conversation, we dive deep into the neuroscience behind stress, the role of emotional intelligence, and how your thoughts and behaviors create your personal reality. Jenn explains how to recognize the patterns that hold you back, why change is more about rewiring the mind than changing your environment, and how to make conscious choices that support your well-being. Whether you're looking to improve your leadership, break through mental barriers, or simply thrive in high-pressure environments, this episode offers practical tools to help you transform your mindset and live a more balanced life.

What you’ll learn:

• Why high performers often struggle with stress and burnout despite success
• Why emotional intelligence and self-awareness are key to lasting personal change
• How to rewire your brain to break free from negative patterns and stress loops

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:51) Meet Jenn James

(05:30) The burnout that changed everything

(05:58) Discovering the neuroscience of change

(10:06) Why stress feels like the price of admission

(12:17) Your personality creates your personal reality

(14:09) How stress hijacks your brain and body

(20:06) We’re addicted to our own stress chemicals

(22:24) How to begin to change and define a future self

(31:34) Breath, meditation, and rewiring the brain

(35:36) How unprocessed stress shapes team culture

Connect with Jenn James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennjjames/

Check out Jenn James’ website: https://jennjames.io/

Check out Fresh Demand: https://freshdemandco.com/

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com

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The strongest leaders don’t separate performance from people, they know the two rise and fall together.

This week, we’re sitting down with our friend Kyle Lacy, CMO at Docebo, to talk about leadership, identity, ambition, and what it takes to build a big career without losing yourself in the process. Kyle has always been someone we admire for how openly he talks about work, family, writing, health, and the tension of trying to hold it all at once. In this conversation, we get into the cost of making work your whole identity, what burnout really looked like for him after a major career high, and how he’s built better rhythms without pretending he doesn’t love to work.

We also dig into Kyle’s approach to leadership and why so much of the real work has nothing to do with dashboards or tactics. He shares how he sets expectations with new hires, what it means to build a team culture people can actually feel, and why listening might be the most underrated leadership skill there is. We talk about brand building too, from the golden llamas to creating experiences people remember because they’re thoughtful, creative, and human.

What you’ll learn:

• Why burnout often looks like a slow drift, not one dramatic breaking point
• How clear expectations, real listening, and visible values help teams trust their leaders
• Why memorable brands come from creativity, taste, and experiences people actually care about

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:43) Meet Kyle Lacy

(05:25) Showing up fully online and in life

(09:11) Why telling your story builds your career

(12:20) How Kyle leads a new team

(14:55) The expectations that define his culture

(18:32) The burnout that changed everything

(24:07) Why leaders have to model balance

(26:11) The habits helping Kyle avoid burnout

(30:16) Making peace with ambition

(32:30) Why creativity still wins in B2B

(37:43) The Golden Llama story

(39:42) The kind of leader he wants to be

Connect with Kyle Lacy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylelacy/

Check out Docebo: https://www.docebo.com/

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com

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Adult friendship isn’t hard because we don’t want it, it’s hard because we don’t know where to start.

This week, it’s just us, and we’re talking about the thing we’ve both had to admit out loud lately: making friends as an adult can feel weirdly hard. Sam shares why she set an actual goal to create more spaces for connection and why it feels like we’ve lost the “third place” where friendships used to happen naturally.

We get into what’s really getting in the way, including the connection crisis we’re living in, how social media can mess with your head, and why putting your phone down is sometimes the first brave move. Then we talk tactics: find one person, lead with curiosity, use simple “how” and “what” questions, and actually follow up when you meet someone you like.

What you’ll learn:

• Why adult friendships often stall out after the first conversation and how to break the awkward cycle
• How to start better conversations using “how” and “what” questions that invite real connection
• How to turn a good chat into an actual friendship through intentional follow up and shared experiences

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:41) Why making friends as a grown up feels so hard

(06:07) What Bozeman Nights taught us about community

(07:51) Getting past the awkward and making the first move

(09:08) Social media, loneliness, and the connection crisis

(15:28) Digital detox, boundaries, and getting your time back

(24:48) Better questions that lead to real connection

(28:37) How to turn a good chat into a real friend

(31:40) Bond through experiences, not just conversation

(32:57) Create rituals that make connection automatic

(35:03) Hosting with intention so community doesn’t fall flat

(41:05) Loneliness, courage, and putting yourself out there

(43:20) Real community over followers every time

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com

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Everybody wants more friends, but nobody knows how to make them.

This week, we’re joined by D’Art Strickland, Senior Solutions Marketing Manager at BigID, to talk about something most of us feel but rarely admit: it’s hard to make friends as a grown-up.

After a major life shift left him sitting on the couch wondering what changed, D’Art decided to get uncomfortable. From “Dinner with Strangers” to driving Uber for human conversation, he began intentionally pursuing connection, not because it was easy, but because it mattered. His work in enablement mirrors the same philosophy: move from transactional to relational, lead with curiosity, and remember that we’re human first.

In this conversation, we explore why everyone wants more friends but no one knows how to make them, how bravery and vulnerability go hand in hand, and what it means to reclaim your “sparkle.” D’Art shares how small, intentional acts of courage, even just walking into the bar instead of driving past it can shift isolation into belonging.

What you’ll learn:

• Why making friends as an adult feels so hard and what to do about it
• The difference between transactional and relational living at work and in life
• How curiosity fuels confidence, storytelling, and deeper human connection

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(04:16) Bingo night energy: inside jokes and setting the tone

(05:07) Sales enablement explained: from black hole to confidence builder

(09:53) ‘D’Art and the Deal’: building confidence through community

(16:22) Making friends as a remote adult: dinners with strangers & Uber

(25:13) Connected yet disconnected: the cultural tension (+ ALX break)

(28:12) Why adult friendships feel hard and the need for third places

(28:28) Building community on purpose: the Bozeman Knights experiment

(29:06) Bravery by default: choosing discomfort over comfort

(29:45) Acquaintance vs. friend: the phone number barrier

(32:15) Why asking feels awkward (for men and women)

(35:18) The dive bar story: you can’t fail by trying

(40:17) Health, fun, and finding the sparkle again

(43:39) Facilitating connection at work and the call to be human

Connect with D’Art Strickland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dartstrickland/

Check out BigID: https://bigid.com/

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com

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Sometimes the wake-up call isn’t a missed quarter, it’s your body telling you the pace you’ve been running at is no longer sustainable.

This week, we’re sitting down with Casey Calkins, Facilitator & Coach, and founder of C2it Partners, where she helps sales leaders build healthier, higher performing teams. Casey shares what it looked like to live in a constant high-demand stress loop, the health spiral it created, and the moment she realized she couldn’t keep letting work be the thing that mattered most.

We get into how leadership and wellbeing are tied together more than most people want to admit, why your team learns more from your behavior than your calendar talk, and how to start releasing the control that quietly fuels burnout. Casey also walks through simple practices that helped her reset, plus a decision filter that makes the day-to-day feel lighter fast: knowing which “balls” are glass and which ones are rubber.

What you’ll learn:

• How chronic stress can feel productive until it starts costing you your health
• Why your example as a leader sets the standard for boundaries on your team
• A simple framework to protect what’s fragile while letting the rest bounce

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:56) Meet Casey Calkins and the big tech wake-up call 

(03:30) The LinkedIn post that sparked the chronic stress loop conversation 

(06:35) Always on culture and why recovery gets ignored 

(09:17) Boundaries are leadership and your team mirrors your tone 

(14:34) Why managers get promoted with zero enablement 

(23:42) The real work of leading people and why burnout is still taboo 

(29:37) Self regulation and how your energy sets the room 

(31:04) The self awareness traps overconfidence vs imposter syndrome 

(34:18) Simple resets that work walks sunlight and real breaks 

(35:52) True rest for Type A leaders and how to schedule it 

(39:43) Phone and sleep hygiene and breaking the doomscroll cycle 

(41:55) When it feels impossible and how to downshift with purpose

(47:59) You are not indispensable and why that is freedom

Connect with Casey Calkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseycalkins/

Check out C2it Partners: https://www.c2itpartners.com/

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com

Send us Fan Mail

Creating impactful leadership starts with understanding and evolving your own way of being.

This week, we’re joined by Kelly Ramirez, an executive coach and founder of Elemental Leadership, a coaching practice focused on helping leaders unlock their full potential. Kelly’s career has been shaped by her passion for helping individuals and organizations overcome personal and professional barriers, and today she’s sharing insights on how leaders can reframe their mindset to drive more meaningful outcomes.

In this conversation, we explore the power of ontological coaching, why emotional awareness is essential for effective leadership, and how embracing discomfort can lead to transformational growth. Kelly shares how leaders can move beyond tactical decisions and build a deeper connection with their teams by shifting their way of being.

What you’ll learn:

• Why embracing discomfort can be a powerful tool for growth and overcoming limitations
• How ontological coaching can transform leadership by focusing on your way of being
• The role emotional awareness plays in effective decision-making and leadership presence

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:28) Celebrating podcast milestones and successes

(04:50) Epic adventures: personal growth beyond business

(10:42) What is ontological coaching and how does it transform leadership

(14:17) Client stories: real-life impact of coaching

(31:45) The power of self-observation in leadership

(32:11) Understanding your default mood and its influence

(34:44) Neuroplasticity: rewiring your brain for growth

(36:22) Challenging yourself for greater impact and leadership

(36:47) Easy vs. ease: finding flow in leadership

(39:25) Identifying challenges and finding solutions

(44:49) Making difficult decisions as a leader

Connect with Kelly Ramirez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyramirezelemental/

Check out Elemental Leadership: https://welcometoelemental.com/

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com

Send us Fan Mail

Strong communities start with intention and vision before results.

This week, we discuss our journey with Arcadia, a space we’ve built for leaders to connect, learn, and grow. After two successful events, we’ve expanded into an ongoing community that nurtures relationships beyond the conference room, blending work, life, and personal growth.

In this conversation, we share how we navigated the balance between business and family, why alignment is key in both work and life, and how we’ve been able to build something that’s not just an event but a movement. We dive into what it truly means to create a space of belonging, how to prioritize self-care while building big dreams, and the lessons we’ve learned about leadership and trust.

Whether it’s at home or in the office, we think you’ll walk away from this one with a fresh perspective on how to show up for the people who matter.

What you’ll learn:

• How to balance business, family, and personal growth effectively
• Why alignment and communication are essential for leadership and trust
• The key to building community beyond just an event

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:01) The Arcadia journey and building community

(05:31) Overcoming challenges and key learnings

(08:19) Balancing life, family, and business

(10:55) The importance of self-care and personal growth

(12:33) Building meaningful local friendships

(13:31) Understanding partnerships and ecosystem growth

(15:19) Overrated and underrated business trends

(17:03) Lessons learned from failures and missteps

(19:41) Practicing core values and managing finances

(25:28) Redefining success and finding fulfillment

(27:08) Humbling and hilarious parenting moments

(29:27) Gratitude and future plans for Arcadia

Check out Arcadia: https://www.BeArcadia.com

Connect with Sam Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-yarborough/

Connect with Jason Yarborough: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarby/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

https://www.shareyourgenius.com