The Leader's Edge

HR Huntsman
  • 4.2 (5)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

Are you a trailblazer in your industry? At The Leader's Edge: Authentic Conversations with Champions of Industry, we celebrate the extraordinary journeys of leaders like you. Created and hosted by HR Huntsman, we are looking for inspiring CEOs, founders, COOs, and general managers who have driven their businesses to new heights and are eager to share their stories with the world. The Leader's Edge was created to honor and amplify the voices of leaders who make a significant impact in their industries. We believe that by sharing authentic conversations with champions of industry, we can inspire a new generation of leaders to strive for excellence. If you are passionate about leadership, innovation, and making a difference, we would love to have you as a guest on The Leader's Edge. Share your story, inspire others, and contribute to a community of exceptional leaders on our website at https://podcast.yourleadersedge.com/podcast-guest.

  1. 3d ago

    54 - When Life Changes: Rebuilding Identity Beyond Pain with Amberly Lago

    Who are you when the body, career, and identity you built are taken away in a single moment? For Amberly Lago, a fitness model and Nike-sponsored trainer, a motorcycle crash in 2010 forced that question. She spent the next six years finding the answer, and at one point it pulled her into addiction. In this episode, HR Huntsman talks with Amberly, author of True Grit and Grace and Joy Through the Journey, about rebuilding her identity from the ground up. She woke from a coma to learn she had a 1% chance of keeping her leg. She went through 34 surgeries, $2.9 million in medical bills, and a chronic nerve disease. She describes the glass of wine that turned into full-blown alcoholism, and the night she got on her knees and asked for help. She has been sober since 2016. Amberly also explains why grit alone isn’t enough, how joy and pain can exist at the same time, and why she chose not to be angry, even when her editor insisted she must have been. She closes with what she has learned about refusing to play the victim, including the moment she and her daughter walked out of the hospital “like rock stars” after being hit by a car together. As Amberly puts it: “Pain pushed me until purpose pulled me.” Check out Amberly's work HERE. Check out Amberly's book, True Grit and Grace and Joy Through the Journey, HERE. Connect with Amberly on LinkedIn HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

  2. Oct 22

    53 - From Founder to Delegator: Learning to Let Your Team Make the Call with Phil Crowley

    That "free" weekend of coding help from your college roommate could end up costing you part of your company. Phil Crowley left Harvard's physics PhD program to become a lawyer for startups, and he's seen how simple, avoidable mistakes sink founders before they get started. In this episode, HR Huntsman talks with Phil, founder of Crowley Law and author of Avoid Startup Failure. Phil shares how one founder nearly lost a $50,000 investment by relying on an operating agreement copied from the internet. He also explains why a nondisclosure agreement isn't enough to protect your ideas, and the one question every founder should answer before raising money. Phil also talks about his own move from founder to delegator. He describes letting go of work only he used to do, how the Johnson & Johnson Credo shaped his firm's core values, and why he praises team members who own their mistakes. He closes with how his father's interrupted education inspired a scholarship fund for New Jersey families, and his five principles for a successful career and a successful life. About Phil Crowley Phil Crowley is the founder and managing partner of Crowley Law, a firm of experienced corporate attorneys who help life sciences and technology entrepreneurs avoid being taken advantage of as they take great ideas from the lab bench to the patient's bedside, or from the garage to the marketplace. He began his career as a research physicist working in quantum mechanics and superconductivity before turning to law. He worked as a Wall Street lawyer and then as Assistant General Counsel at Johnson & Johnson before founding his firm in 2015. Phil serves on the Board of Trustees of Stevens Institute of Technology and the Board of Directors of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania. He has also held leadership roles with the Association of Corporate Counsel and the New Jersey State Bar Association. In 2018, he helped found Hope Through Education, a charity that provides scholarships to families in Central New Jersey seeking academically rigorous, values-based schools. Check out Phil's work at Crowley Law HERE. Connect with Phil on LinkedIn HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

  3. Oct 15

    52 - Facing Fear: An Olympian’s Journey Beyond Fear of Flying with Patrick Sweeney

    What would you change if a doctor told you that you had two weeks to live? At 35, Patrick Sweeney heard exactly that, with his wife six months pregnant and a one-year-old daughter at home. What hit him hardest wasn't fear. It was regret over a life spent avoiding everything that scared him. In this episode, HR Huntsman talks with Patrick, a former Olympic-level rower and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Fear Is Fuel, about the leukemia diagnosis that changed his life. Patrick was so afraid of flying that he once needed 10 beers to get on a plane. After surviving, he went straight to flying lessons, and he now flies aerobatics. He explains what neuroscientists taught him about how fear works in the brain, and why some top performers, like David Ortiz, turn fear into excitement while others tense up and fall apart. Then the conversation turns to business. Drawing on his new book, The Founder's Creed, Patrick explains the "belief gap" every founder has to close and why he added "Believe" to fighter pilot John Boyd's OODA loop. He also shares how leaders can replace chaos with cadence using a simple weekly stand-up. Learn more about Patrick's work and new book, The Founder's Creed, HERE. Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

  4. Oct 8

    51 - Flags and Flagpoles: The People Who Stay Steady When Business Gets Hard with Michael Filosi

    What if being the best at your job is the reason your business can't grow without you? Michael Filosi bought a rundown dental practice with a possum living in its walls. By cutting his own share of the work from 40% of production to under 1%, he turned it into Adelaide's biggest dental practice, with four private equity firms lining up to buy it. In this episode, HR Huntsman talks with Michael (post-exit founder, dentist, and former principal dentist at Fullarton Park Dental) about how he stepped back from treating patients without losing them. He told patients the truth, handed them to colleagues gradually, and set up daily checklists so the team held itself accountable instead of waiting for him to check on them. He also explains his "flags and flagpoles" test for spotting teammates who stay steady when things get hard. Michael talks openly about a fear of failure so strong it once made him afraid to hang a picture frame. He explains why he came to see failure as the fastest way to learn, what he had to unlearn from his mechanic father, and what life after selling a business is really like. Learn more about Michael's work HERE. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

  5. Oct 1

    50 - Reading Is Easy, Doing Is Hard: The Truth About Personal Growth and Action with Nick Hutchison

    You've read the books, highlighted the best lines, and pictured yourself doing all of it. So why hasn't anything changed? Nick Hutchison, founder of BookThinkers and author of The Rise of the Reader, says reading feels like progress, and that feeling is exactly what stops most people from taking action. In this episode, HR Huntsman and Nick dig into the gap between knowing and doing, summed up in Nick's favorite line: "No one can do your push-ups for you." Nick shares how he went from a college senior who didn't read to someone reading a book a week and trying every idea on his next sales call. That habit grew into BookThinkers, now a team of nearly 20 helping authors market their books. Nick is also open about where he's still growing. An anonymous team survey showed he wasn't living one of his own core values. He went from a kid sitting in his car for hours, too anxious to knock on doors, to someone on stage. He worries his new book club has reach but not resonance. And he's still working out how to chase big goals while being present for his young son. Learn more about Nick's work at BookThinkers HERE. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn HERE. Check out Nick's book, The Rise of the Reader, HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

  6. Sep 24

    49 - From Broken Childhood to Bold Leadership: Mining for Greatness in Chaos with Allison Hare

    In this reverse podcast interview, Allison Hare, Pod Strategist, speaks with leadership expert, entrepreneur, and former Air Force member HR Huntsman, who shares his remarkable journey from a turbulent childhood marked by loss and instability to becoming a passionate advocate for meaningful leadership. He discusses how mentorship, military service, and entrepreneurship shaped his philosophy, emphasizing meritocracy, accountability, and human motivation through mastery, autonomy, and purpose. He highlights the importance of overcoming fear, embracing voluntary challenges, fostering creative conflict within teams, and continuously pursuing personal growth, encouraging listeners to recognize their untapped potential. Learn more about Allison's work HERE. Connect with Allison on LinkedIn HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

  7. Sep 17

    48 - Conquering the Bravery Recession: Why Leaders Must Embrace Fear to Thrive in Uncertain Times with Jill Schulman

    In this episode of The Leader's Edge, your host HR Huntsman interviews Jill Schulman, a former Marine Corps officer candidate, author, and speaker, about her journey through fear and bravery. Jill shares how a pivotal moment with her commanding officer prevented her from quitting ROTC during a personal crisis involving her father. She discusses her concept of a "bravery recession," explaining how avoiding discomfort fuels anxiety and depression. The conversation explores how fear impacts leadership, the science behind building courage, and why taking action, rather than waiting to feel ready, is essential to success. Learn more about Jill's work HERE. Check out Jill's book, The Bravery Effect, HERE. Connect with Jill on LinkedIn HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

  8. Sep 10

    47 - From Quarterback to Dad Coach: The Unexpected Playbook for Life and Leadership with Brock Huard

    In this episode, HR Huntsman sits down with Brock Huard, a former NFL quarterback turned high school football coach. Brock shares the pivotal moment when his son Titus said, "I just wish you were here," prompting him to leave a successful broadcasting career at Fox Sports, without a coaching job lined up, to coach Titus's high school team. The conversation explores identity beyond job titles, authentic leadership, and the parallels between football and business. Brock outlines four key leadership qualities: Care, Consistency, Competence, and Curiosity, while emphasizing the importance of genuinely knowing the people you lead. Learn more about Brock's work HERE. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

See All (54)

Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Are you a trailblazer in your industry? At The Leader's Edge: Authentic Conversations with Champions of Industry, we celebrate the extraordinary journeys of leaders like you. Created and hosted by HR Huntsman, we are looking for inspiring CEOs, founders, COOs, and general managers who have driven their businesses to new heights and are eager to share their stories with the world. The Leader's Edge was created to honor and amplify the voices of leaders who make a significant impact in their industries. We believe that by sharing authentic conversations with champions of industry, we can inspire a new generation of leaders to strive for excellence. If you are passionate about leadership, innovation, and making a difference, we would love to have you as a guest on The Leader's Edge. Share your story, inspire others, and contribute to a community of exceptional leaders on our website at https://podcast.yourleadersedge.com/podcast-guest.

Information

  • Creator
    HR Huntsman
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 HR Huntsman
  • Show Website
    The Leader's Edge