Free To Lead

Will Steel
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Free to Lead is dedicated to showcasing not just the journeys of business owners and executives from various industries who are making significant impacts in their fields, but also some of what each of them dealt with along the way, and what they are dealing with now. Hosted by Will Steel, one of the world’s most highly regarded transformational leaders, the podcast delves into the stories of visionary business owners and leaders who are not only driven by their passion but also inspired by their purpose.

  1. 2d ago

    Why $500M Valuations Fail: Lessons in Investor Battles and Business Loss With Gregory Vetter

    What kind of man steals another man's salad dressing—and how does that lead to starting a clean food revolution? In this episode of Free to Lead, host Palm sits down with Greg Vetter, innovator, clean food pioneer, and author of Undressed: The Unfiltered Story of My Failed American Dream and How It Led to Success. Greg details his journey from selling insurance over a bodega to building Tessemae's into the nation's top organic salad dressing brand. He candidly shares how a missing two-litre bottle of his mom's homemade dressing sparked a multi-million dollar company, how he pitched grocery buyers using wet lettuce out of Tupperware, and how clean manufacturing was born. Greg reveals the harsh realities on the way down: board infighting, failed $500M acquisition attempts, three legal battles, and eventually handing the company over to private equity for $4.5 million. This episode offers a masterclass on trusting your gut, maintaining voting control, and leading through crisis. KEY TAKEAWAYS Recognising True Demand: Extraordinary products create extreme reactions; a stolen bottle of homemade dressing was the spark that launched a national brand. Conviction Beats Perfection: Pitching buyers with passion and wet lettuce out of Tupperware proved that real conviction outweighs fancy packaging. Trust Your Intuition: Ignoring gut instincts when selecting advisors or investment bankers can lead to misaligned priorities and lost value. Protect Corporate Governance: Entrepreneurs must maintain voting control and proper board structures to avoid becoming employees of their own ideas. Lead by Example in Defeat: True leadership is leaving things better than you found them and turning painful business failures into lessons for future founders. QUOTES "What kind of man steals another man's salad dressing? The real question was, what salad dressing is good enough to be stolen?" "I lived the actual pursuit of the American dream on the way up, and then I experienced everything that could go wrong on the way down." "Fast forward, we're handing it over to a private equity group for $4.5 million." "You don't own it anymore, you're an employee of your own idea." "Fight as hard as you can for what your gut tells you, but also be prepared for the consequences of those actions." Gregory Vetter LINKS https://www.gregoryvetter.com/ https://www.instagram.com/glvetter/?hl=en https://open.spotify.com/show/4U4qVX5PeFUYHZ7RR0sWHT https://www.youtube.com/@gregoryvetter WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

  2. Sep 28

    How to Turn College Dropout Rejection into a 12-Country Empire

    Ever feel like the traditional path to success just wasn't built for you? Liana Zavo dropped out of college, faced rejection from five PR agencies, and was told soft skills didn't matter. Today, she runs a globally recognised agency spanning 12 countries, writes for Forbes, and empowers leaders to step into their authority. In this conversation, we dive into how Liana turned pure ambition and storytelling into an international media empire. You'll discover how to leverage proprietary frameworks to launch your book, why third-party validation makes or breaks your personal brand, and how to recruit top-tier talent using energy and charm. Plus, Liana breaks down the staggering statistics on video content and why nearly 80% of clients Google you before ever signing a contract. KEY TAKEAWAYS Soft skills like storytelling and personal branding often outweigh formal degrees in real-world business growth. Launching a book requires a repeatable, branded framework to position you as an in-demand keynote speaker. Over 80% of prospective clients research you online, making third-party media validation essential for trust. Scaling a global agency relies on hiring talent with high emotional intelligence, charm, and magnetic energy. Building category-exclusive referral networks drives consistent, high-value business opportunities. QUOTES "Your first presence, right? Your first impression is your last impression." "Nobody cares about soft skills, right? Nobody cares if you are a great storyteller... those are soft skills that are not taught in school." "89% of founders are aligned with video content. So if they don't see video content, you basically don't exist." "PR comes in where the third party helps you have that third party validate your story." "You need to also have the persona, the energy, the charm to work with people." Liana Zavo Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianazavoprpro/ https://zavomediapr.com/ https://www.instagram.com/officiallianazavo WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

  3. Sep 21

    How Non-Tech Founders Can Leverage Generative AI Today

    Ever feel like AI is leaving you behind because you can't write code? Forget the technical jargon—the most powerful skill in modern AI isn’t computer science; it’s deep domain expertise. Serial entrepreneur Chris Daigle breaks down how non-technical founders and leaders can stop fearing AI tools and start using them as strategic thought partners. From safe ways to anonymise confidential business data to slashing proposal prep time from days to minutes, this conversation redefines what it means to build, adapt, and lead in an automated world. Plus, dive into the raw realities of start up life, overcoming operational chaos, and building bulletproof mental resilience when scaling through the storm KEY TAKEAWAYS Your existing industry experience matters more than technical prowess when prompting generative AI. Treat AI as an interactive thought partner rather than an absolute thought leader. Protect sensitive operational data by anonymising specific company details before processing. Professionals using AI will consistently outpace those who resist adopting it. Reframing major entrepreneurial roadblocks as essential learning moments strips away unnecessary anxiety. QUOTES "On the learning curve of AI, you've done the hard work already." "Use the tool as a thought partner, not as a thought leader. You're the leader." "Which employee do you hire? The one who can get more done in a day, or the one who can get less done in a day?" "Take the power away from that experience so that it's not negative... It's just a thing." "We tell people, look on the learning curve of AI. You've done the hard work already." Chris Daigle Links https://chrisdaigle.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thedoctordaigle/ https://chiefaiofficer.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctordaigle/ WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

  4. Sep 14

    Overcoming Personal Adversity, Resilient Leadership & BNI Growth

    Navigating life when everything feels like a do-or-die situation takes a special kind of grit. Claudia Thompson, Director of Field Operations for BNI, sits down to share her raw journey through surviving personal trauma, navigating single motherhood, and carving out a massive career in sales and leadership. She breaks down the messy reality of unlearning deep-seated people-pleasing habits, establishing actual boundaries, and adopting the liberating "Let Them" mindset to stop worrying about what others think. From managing operations across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast to creating space for genuine human connection, this conversation dives deep into what happens when you stand firmly in your self-worth, trust your gut, and refuse to let life's hardest moments dictate your future. KEY TAKEAWAYS True resilience comes from getting up and focusing on goals no matter what life throws your way. Forgiveness is a tool for personal peace, not a favour for the person who harmed you. Releasing the need to control what others think frees up energy for things that actually matter. An inner circle should consist of people who love you enough to tell you the unfiltered truth. Real business growth stems from building authentic, long-lasting human relationships. QUOTES "We're just stronger than we think we are." "Forgiveness, I believe, is for you and not for the other person." "Standing on self-respect and self-worth and not letting people step on you." "Once I give up that there's nothing I can control... it just goes away." "My purpose is I want everyone to feel like they can just be—we're all connected." Claudia Thompson Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiathompson/ https://www.instagram.com/claudiayankee/ https://www.bnipodcast.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@BNITEAMUSA WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

  5. Sep 7

    How Gut Health Controls Your Cravings, Brain, and Longevity

    Most of us treat our bodies like we're stuck with whatever health hand we were dealt, settling for low energy, bad sleep, and slow weight gain. True health transformation isn't about grinding through another fad diet or forcing yourself to live on sheer willpower. Real, lasting vitality starts when you fix metabolic dysfunction, reset your gut microbiome, and unlock your brain’s neuroplasticity. When you shift what goes into your system, your cravings change, your focus sharpens, and your body learns to heal itself. From reversing chronic conditions to exploring cutting-edge regenerative cell therapies, this conversation breaks down how to stop settling for unworkable health and take back control of your biology. KEY TAKEAWAYS Address Root Causes First: Chronic symptoms like joint pain, brain fog, and weight gain stem from metabolic and gut imbalances, not just aging. Cravings Are Environmental: The gut microbiome directly influences brain signals, meaning sugar or alcohol cravings can be systematically reset. Fat Loss Is Dietary: Exercise isn't mandatory for initial weight loss; structured, complete nutrition drives metabolic realignment. Fuel Drives Focus: Improving metabolic health boosts neuroplasticity and new brain cell growth, sharpening decision-making. Regenerative Options Exist: Emerging treatments like targeted cell therapy and non-surgical stem cell work offer new alternatives for severe illnesses and joint repair. QUOTES "You have a body, you are not your body." "It'll be a way more interesting way to go than heart disease or type two diabetes. That's so beige." "Every time you put something in your mouth, who you're feeding first are those microbes in your gut." "Losing the weight is the easy part. You just do what we say." "When someone [is] in that nutritional approach... their brain becomes very malleable." Dean Kilby Links https://www.instagram.com/kilbydean/https://www.simplrhealth.com.au/https://www.linkedin.com/in/deankilby/ WILL STEEL LINKS 🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

  6. Aug 28

    Scaling a Multi-Million Dollar Portfolio in Under 5 Year

    When a sudden tech layoff threatened her family's security, Emma Powell turned a terrifying moment into a multi-million dollar real estate empire. Going from a part-time photographer homeschooling six kids to retiring her husband in just five years, Emma reveals how she built a massive portfolio through strategic leverage and capital raising. We dive deep into the real math of passive income, shifting from equity to cash flow, and overcoming a scarcity mindset. If you've ever felt trapped by a single income or wondered how to break out of the middle-class paycheck cycle, this candid breakdown of private debt, mindset shifts, and full-time family travel will change how you look at building wealth. KEY TAKEAWAYS Strategic leverage can scale a portfolio drastically faster than waiting to pay 100% cash. High net worth and equity mean nothing for daily living without consistent cash flow. Specialising in capital raising allows you to partner with expert operators rather than manage properties yourself. Financial freedom doesn't eliminate problems; it upgrades them to challenges money can solve. Internal mindset work is mandatory, as external wealth alone will not cure financial anxiety QUOTES "I am never going to let this happen to us again." "These strangers do not deserve cheap photography like my children deserve me to not be editing photos..." "I've got a multi-million dollar net worth and we can't quit our jobs..." "It's like upgrading your problems." " Until you fix what's going on inside, what you have on the outside will never fix what's going on inside." Emma Powell Links https://www.youtube.com/@emmapowell28 investwithemma.com linkedin.com/in/emmapowell28 facebook.com/emmapowell28instagram.com/passiveincomeadventureshighrise.group youtube.com/@passiveincomeadventures?sub_confirmation=1 WILL STEEL LINKS  🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

  7. Aug 24

    From Soccer Pitch to Real Estate Success: Dr Jacopo Iasiello

    When a devastating injury crushed a childhood dream of playing professional soccer at 17, for Dr Jacopo Iasiello giving up wasn't an option. Instead, it sparked a complete reinvention leading from the streets of Naples to building a global real estate empire across Miami, Italy, and Dubai. Packed with raw lessons on losing €1 million, mastering over 350 property flips, and turning market crashes into massive opportunities, this conversation breaks down the practical blueprint for creating true wealth and freedom. It’s not just about money—it's about aligning health, happiness, and financial abundance to build a business that serves your life. KEY TAKEAWAYS Control Is Everything: Never invest money into opportunities where you lack direct control over the outcome. The 4 Pillars: Scale any venture using research, growth, action, and contribution. Avoid Real Estate Pitfalls: Profit is made at the buy, but project success relies on matching renovation quality directly to the target client. Three Paths to Wealth: Segment property investments across quick-turn flips, cash-flowing multifamily units, and high-upside land variations. Inner Power First: True external abundance only lasts when backed by a focused mind and health-first lifestyle. QUOTES "Never, never, never, never, never invest in something where you don't have control." "When you play soccer you are focused on soccer... I need to completely reinvent myself, understand where I need to go." "Real estate give you the freedom to create your team based in the most important part." "One book possible change lives and one book changed my vision, my life, everything." "First of all we need to create our inner power and after go through the external abundance." Dr Jacopo Iasiello Links https://www.jacopoiasiello.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jacopoiasiello/?hl=en-gb https://healthyrichandhappy.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacopo-iasiello-50936244/ WILL STEEL LINKS  🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

  8. Aug 17

    Billy Schwer World Champion Mindset: From Boxing Glory to Total Breakdown

    Ever wonder what happens when the applause stops and the fight of your life begins outside the ring? Former World Boxing Champion Billy Schwer opens up about the brutal reality of elite performance, the high cost of overtraining, and the devastating crash that followed his retirement from sport. Winning titles took extreme aggression and relentless drive—traits that built a champion but ultimately shattered a marriage and led to bankruptcy. Rebuilding from rock bottom meant unlearning those very traits, mastering self-leadership, and discovering how to truly thrive. Today, those hard-earned lessons power a unique approach to coaching entrepreneurs and leaders, helping them transform their energy from a survival-mode 3/10 to a fulfilled 10/10. Packed with raw honesty and practical wisdom on energy management, health values, and the power of saying no, this conversation will challenge how you define real success. KEY TAKEAWAYS Self-Leadership Comes First: True performance starts with prioritising personal well-being, health, and mental alignment before leading others. The Power of "No": Pushing through when burnt out or overtrained isn't grit; real integrity means knowing when to pull back. Unlearning Destructive Habits: Traits required to win in hyper-competitive arenas can prove destructive in personal relationships and daily life if left unchecked. Separating Action from Identity: Who you are is distinct from how you operate; stepping away from a career requires redefining self-worth beyond past titles. Lifting the Performance Ceiling: Transforming the personal state of a business owner directly lifts the ceiling on what the entire business can achieve. QUOTES "You don't play boxing. The intention is very different. It is kill or be killed." "To succeed in life you got to take care of yourself first and foremost." "I had the tools that made me a champion in the ring, but those traits didn't work in my marriage." "I know what it feels like to be on top of the world and then on the canvas with nothing." "Transform the business owner, you transform the business. They are the lid on what's possible." Billy Schwer Links https://www.instagram.com/billy.schwer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-schwer/ https://billyschwer.com/ WILL STEEL LINKS  🔥 Connect with Will Steel – Business Coach & High Performance Transformation Expert If you're ready to level up your mindset, scale your business, and unlock peak performance, check out Will Steel’s coaching and content below: 🌐 Official Website https://willsteel.com/ 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transform

See All (28)

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Free to Lead is dedicated to showcasing not just the journeys of business owners and executives from various industries who are making significant impacts in their fields, but also some of what each of them dealt with along the way, and what they are dealing with now. Hosted by Will Steel, one of the world’s most highly regarded transformational leaders, the podcast delves into the stories of visionary business owners and leaders who are not only driven by their passion but also inspired by their purpose.

Information

  • Creator
    Will Steel
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Will Steel