CEOs Unscripted

Jane Gentry
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

Real Talk. Real Growth. Real Results in the Mid-Market Jane Gentry consulted in enterprise for 20 years. And, after being a CEO in a mid-sized company, she realized why they say it is loneliest at the top. Mid-market CEOs learn their craft through trial and error or by reaching outside their organization for help. She launched CEOs Unscripted as a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs for mid-market CEOs. Our purpose is to provide insight into the unscripted, unfiltered journeys of CEOs and Founders as they talk about their wins, losses, lessons and playbooks for growing and scaling their organizations. There is no better forum than learning from your peers.

  1. 16h ago

    The Inner Journey Every CEO Hides From the World

    Everyone talks about the strategy of being a CEO. Almost no one talks about the inner toll it takes. Charbel Zreik went from collecting cans on the street as a refugee from civil war to running companies, then spent years as a full time yoga and meditation teacher after his first CEO seat nearly broke him. Today he teaches at Wharton and works with CEOs on something most leadership conversations completely ignore, the inner journey behind the title. In this raw, deeply personal episode of CEOs Unscripted, Charbel sits down with Jane Gentry to unpack the five internal shifts every CEO needs to make to thrive under pressure, without sacrificing who they are to get there. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ The five shifts every CEO must make to thrive instead of just survive ✅ Why risk is not just intellectual, it lives in your body, and how to manage it ✅ The nervous system tools Charbel uses including cold plunging, breath work and meditation ✅ How to recognize when your ego has been triggered before it takes control ✅ The difference between being nice and being kind as a leader ✅ Why dropping your attachment to outcomes makes you more effective, not less ✅ How to lead with low ego and a clear mission without losing yourself ✅ Why nearly 90 percent of founders are unhappy a year after exiting, and how to avoid becoming one of them 💡 Key Insight: "There is anxiety, but I am not anxiety. There is fear, but I have a choice in how I respond to it." 🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who have been in the trenches. 📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. #Leadership #CEOsUnscripted #MentalHealth #ExecutiveCoaching #Mindfulness #SelfAwareness #CEOMindset #PersonalGrowth #MidMarket #InnerWork ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Cold open: The hidden weight every CEO carries on their shoulders 01:05 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:40 Meet Charbel Zreik, CEO and founder of DHA Laboratory 02:58 The story behind his name and his namesake saint 03:53 From civil war refugee to food stamps to Cornell, Charbel's backstory 05:33 The people who believed in him before he believed in himself 07:14 Becoming an observer of CEOs and the inner journey nobody talks about 08:44 The breaking point that started it all, his first CEO seat in 2014 10:33 The five shifts to inner mastery as a CEO 12:34 Why all five shifts happen concurrently, not in order 12:51 Shift one, leading from a safe body 14:55 Becoming a master of your own nervous system 15:32 The practices Charbel uses daily, meditation, breath work, cold plunging 17:04 The special forces technique of naming what you feel 18:49 Why young leaders catastrophize and how to break it down step by step 20:20 What to do when you feel completely frozen 21:13 Shift two, leading with an open courageous heart 22:29 Why high performers become critical of others without realising it 23:57 How your nervous system silently affects everyone in the room 25:37 Shame, change and why being the change agent makes you a target 26:59 The difference between being nice and being kind as a leader 27:26 Shift three, a present and centered mind 28:30 Why the mind never stops solving problems, even at 4am 28:55 Dropping attachment to outcomes and committing to the process instead 30:43 How heavy planning actually creates more presence, not less 31:45 Jane's calendar confession and the cost of moving too fast 33:29 Jane's nighttime notebook trick for quieting a racing mind 34:24 Shiny object syndrome and constant mental movement 36:35 Charbel's nightly checkout ritual to tell his mind it is done for the day 37:57 Why you have to experiment to find what actually works for you 38:35 Shift four, leading with low ego and mission orientation 39:23 The 90 percent statistic on founders who regret how they exited 39:58 Knowing your personal ego triggers and catching them in real time 41:32 Jane's story of one-upping a network president and catching herself 42:28 Why naming the trigger disempowers it instantly 43:10 Why fewer people tell the truth the higher you climb 44:39 The CEO who insisted ego never gets in the way, and what happened next 45:55 Succeeding without sacrificing who you are 46:01 Shift five, leading a highly disciplined lifestyle 47:32 Why none of these shifts happen without daily and weekly rituals 48:30 Charbel's simple parting advice, ten minutes of quiet to start every day 49:13 Jane's closing thoughts

    50 min

  2. Jun 16

    He Sold His Company for Twice What He Expected. Here's Exactly How He Did It

    Most founders spend twenty years building their business and about twenty minutes preparing to sell it. The result? Millions left on the table. Bad deals. Regret. And in too many cases, starting all over again when they should be retired. Jonathan Sherrill has been on every side of a business exit. He helped his father sell. He ran a company for private equity. He built his own company from scratch and sold it for twice what he expected. And then he wrote a book about all of it called The Extraordinary Exit. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jonathan sits down with Jane Gentry to share the unfiltered truth about what it really takes to get an extraordinary exit, and why most founders are completely unprepared for what comes after. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ The critical difference between building a company for income and building one for wealth ✅ The full advisory team you need before going to market and why most founders skip half of them ✅ Why the emotional preparation for selling is just as important as the financial preparation ✅ What happens when an unsolicited buyer approaches you and why it almost never ends well ✅ The seven levels of why exercise that reveals the real reason founders want to sell ✅ Why ego and pride destroy more deals than bad financials ever will ✅ What to do if your deal falls apart and why it is not the end of the story ✅ How to know if you are emotionally ready to sell before you ever go to market 💡 Key Insight: "If you think growing a business means you can sell one, you are in for a rude awakening. It is a whole different world." ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Cold open: I had no idea you could sell a company for a multiple until I lived through it 00:55 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:35 Meet Jonathan Sherrill, author of The Extraordinary Exit and founder of Waypoint Founders 03:15 Jonathan's backstory: small town Florida, metal roofing, private equity and his own exit 04:38 What was different about the second exit vs the first 05:06 Learning the exit world from the inside out while working for private equity 06:33 Building a company from day one with the intention to sell it 08:16 Building for income vs building for wealth, the trap most founders fall into 09:22 Why being too important to your own business will kill your deal 09:55 The full advisory team you need before going to market 13:18 Who is the quarterback of the deal and why it matters 14:52 What Jonathan did differently the second time around 16:19 Why bad advisors cost founders millions and how to avoid them 18:50 Do not wait until you are exhausted to start preparing to sell 19:11 The stat that should scare every founder: most are unhappy within 18 months of selling 21:09 The exit why exercise and why your first answer is probably not the real reason 23:32 The emotional void that hits after a great exit and why founders are not prepared for it 25:07 How the book The Extraordinary Exit came to be 27:26 What Waypoint Founders actually does and who it is for 30:56 The seven levels of why exercise explained 33:49 Why learning from other founders is the whole point 35:09 Do not let a friend who sold one company be your only advisor 36:43 What makes deals fall apart and what you can do about it 38:24 If you are not coachable do not waste money on great advisors 39:56 How ego and pride destroy deals worth tens of millions of dollars 41:19 It takes ego to build a company, just do not let it be your downfall at exit 42:18 The exit readiness assessment on the Waypoint Founders website 44:10 How to connect with Jonathan Sherrill and get the book 44:44 The unsolicited buyer trap and why it almost never ends in your favour 46:26 What Jane has seen happen to founders who got bad advice 47:52 Jonathan's closing thoughts on what he genuinely cares about 48:09 Jane's closing thoughts   🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who have been in the trenches. 📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. 📖 Book Mentioned: The Extraordinary Exit by Jonathan Sherrill #ExitStrategy #BusinessSale #CEOsUnscripted #FounderLife #MergersAndAcquisitions #PrivateEquity #BusinessGrowth #WealthBuilding #MidMarket #Entrepreneurship

    49 min

  3. Jun 2

    The First 90 Days Mistakes That Quietly Destroy CEO Careers

    Most incoming CEOs walk through the door ready to prove themselves. Ready to make big moves. Ready to show results fast. And that urgency is exactly what gets them in trouble. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry sits down with Neill Marshall, Chairman of Health Search Partners in Texas, who has spent years studying and recruiting top healthcare executives. Neill has quietly compiled one of the most valuable playbooks in leadership, a deep body of research on what separates CEOs who gain immediate traction from the ones who quietly lose the room before they ever had it. This is not a theoretical conversation. It is drawn from real patterns, real executives and real consequences. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ The biggest misconception incoming CEOs have about their first 90 days ✅ Why symbolic actions in week one matter more than any strategy document ✅ How micromanagement in early days creates a culture of fear that outlasts your tenure ✅ What boards should actually be asking CEO candidates before making the hire ✅ Why focusing too much internally in the first 90 days can be just as dangerous as ignoring it ✅ The questions every new CEO should ask key stakeholders before making any assumptions ✅ Whether you can go back and course-correct if you already blew your first 90 days 💡 Key Insight: "90 days passes at the speed of light when you are new in that role. Letting that feeling cause you to move fast can cause you to make foolish choices." ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Cold open: Are CEOs as self-aware as they think they are? 01:04 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:40 Meet Neill Marshall, Chairman of Health Search Partners 03:58 Neill's research on what makes CEOs succeed in their first 90 days 07:10 Why the first 90 days can launch you or break you 09:31 What CEOs think the first 90 days is about vs. what it actually is 10:16 What boards expect from a new CEO in the first three months 12:20 What are symbolic actions and why they matter more than you think 13:53 Do employees actually buy in or just go through the motions? 14:39 Authenticity is not a 30 day act, it has to be consistent 16:27 How new CEOs drive culture from day one without realising it 17:20 A story from Neill's research that sticks with him 19:50 What happens when decision rights are stripped from leadership teams 21:22 The hidden cost of micromanagement on your leadership team 22:49 Why self-awareness shrinks the higher you climb 23:38 Neill's research finding: not a single micromanager made it past 90 days successfully 25:00 Jane's story about her father's retirement party and what great leaders leave behind 27:12 Jane's experience being told to fire an executive and why she didn't 29:29 When boards are listening to the wrong people in the organisation 30:41 Why the pressure to move fast causes the most costly first 90 day mistakes 32:01 What does "doing good" actually look like and why boards rarely define it clearly 33:28 What boards should be asking CEO candidates about their first 90 day plan 35:19 Can a CEO focus too much internally in their first 90 days? 36:40 The financial CEO who could not speak any language other than numbers 39:12 Bringing the outside world in to your organisation and why it builds massive goodwill 41:56 How much pushback do CEOs actually give when coached on this? 42:55 The EVP who told Jane "their paycheck is their inspiration" 44:44 Decisions every incoming CEO should make before they even start 46:12 The questions new CEOs should be asking key stakeholders on day one 47:52 Treat your biggest account like a prospect, never assume the relationship is healthy 48:34 Does a strong first 90 days actually shape a great six year tenure? 49:29 What Neill wishes more people asked him about this topic 49:58 Can you go back and fix a bad start if you are already in the role? 50:29 Where to find Neill's articles and research on LinkedIn 51:14 Jane's closing thoughts 🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who have been in the trenches. 📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. #Leadership #CEOsUnscripted #NewCEO #First90Days #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessGrowth #MidMarket #CEOMindset #CompanyCulture #BoardGovernance

    52 min

  4. May 19

    The Brutal Truth About Why Most CEOs Fail (From Someone Who's Watched It Happen) | CEOs Unscripted

    Rami Cassis has hired four CEOs. He replaced three of them. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, the Monaco-based investor and founder of Parabellum Investments sits down with Jane Gentry to share the unfiltered truth about what separates great CEOs from expensive mistakes and why emotional intelligence matters more than any MBA or sector experience ever will. If you hire CEOs, aspire to be one, or are already in the seat, this conversation will make you rethink everything. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Why CEOs who come from sales are dangerously optimistic with forecasts ✅ The subtle client signals most CEOs completely miss until it's too late ✅ The difference between managing UP vs. managing DOWN and why it destroys cultures ✅ Why "wartime CEOs" and "prosperity CEOs" are completely different animals ✅ What the first 60-90 days in a new CEO role should actually look like ✅ The single number every CEO must have an iron grip on ✅ Why being NICE is not the same as being KIND and why it matters enormously ✅ How a culture of fear silently kills your best performers 💡 Key Insight: "The way you deliver something is just as important, if not more important, than what you actually say." ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Cold open: Why hiring a great CEO is as hard as hiring a great salesperson 01:00 Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:35 Meet Rami Cassis, Parabellum Investments, Monaco 03:06 Rami's backstory: Egypt, France, Australia, oil & gas, and beyond 05:41 What Parabellum Investments actually does 07:07 What Rami looks for when hiring a CEO 08:08 The three painful reasons his CEOs failed 08:44 Mistake #1: Consistently missing forecasts and why sales CEOs are the worst offenders 10:44 Mistake #2: Failing to read the room with clients 12:47 Why EQ is rarely in the top 3 things we interview CEOs for 13:41 Wartime CEOs vs. prosperity CEOs, which one are you? 17:18 Why emotional intelligence is hard to measure but impossible to ignore 19:38 The self-awareness paradox, the higher you climb the blinder you get 21:26 Is EQ innate or learned? Jane and Rami debate 22:46 Delivery matters as much as content, maybe more 23:54 The difference between being NICE and being KIND as a CEO 25:31 Mistake #3: Managing up but not down and the culture of fear it creates 27:41 Signs you have a culture of fear (Jane's tell-tale meeting test) 29:13 Autonomy vs. accountability, where CEOs get the balance wrong 31:17 When you trust too much, the costly CTO technology mistake 33:39 Why major decisions need an outside voice with no dog in the fight 35:26 What counsel would you give a brand new CEO? 36:35 First 60-90 days, listen, observe, resist the urge to act fast 38:34 It's okay not to know and why admitting it builds more trust than hiding it 39:42 The unprepared sales leader who won his team over with one apology 40:47 Play to your strengths and outsource your weaknesses 41:40 The numbers every CEO must know cold 42:33 Why a 13-week cash flow forecast is non-negotiable 44:25 How do founders know they're in a turnaround situation? 44:33 The financial warning signs of a business in trouble 46:41 Cut marketing or double down? Jane and Rami respectfully disagree 47:22 Why a strong CFO is every CEO's most important co-pilot 48:42 What Jane did differently during COVID and why it worked 49:24 Asking for opinions doesn't mean you have to take them 50:33 Rami's final thoughts and what he hopes others take from his mistakes 51:08 Jane's closing thoughts 🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs, no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who've been in the trenches. 📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. 🔗 Connect with Jane Gentry: [LinkedIn] 🔗 Connect with Rami Cassis: [LinkedIn] #Leadership #CEOsUnscripted #EmotionalIntelligence #PrivateEquity #CEOMindset #BusinessGrowth #MidMarket #Turnaround #ExecutiveLeadership #ScalingUp

    52 min

  5. May 5

    This CEO's Entire Strategy Fits on One Slide, And It's Pure Genius

    What if your entire company strategy fit on one slide? Jamie Church, CEO of Best Buy Medical, did exactly that and delivered growth in the process. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry sits down with Canada's top medical supply distributor CEO to unpack how radical simplicity, obsessive customer focus, and authentic leadership culture can outperform any complex strategy. If you're a mid-market CEO drowning in complexity, this episode will change how you think about strategy, people, and growth. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ The 3-priority strategy that drove growth, and why less is more ✅ How to actually operationalize "customer centricity" (not just say it) ✅ Why Jamie puts himself in every single new hire's onboarding — from warehouse to exec ✅ The "legends and heroes" culture framework that keeps long-tenured talent committed ✅ How to roll out strategy like a change management initiative (most CEOs miss this) ✅ Why your network is the most valuable career asset you'll ever build ✅ What it's really like working with private equity and what to ask before you say yes ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Cold open: Growth with zero breakdowns, here's how 00:54 — Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:29 — Meet Jamie Church, CEO of Best Buy Medical 03:07 — Jamie's 20-year career path & how network got him here 04:06 — Why Jamie left McKesson to run a mid-sized company 05:41 — What drew him to Best Buy Medical's culture & mission 07:08 — Culture as competitive advantage in healthcare distribution 07:54 — Why Jamie keeps strategy to just 3 priorities 08:19 — The 3 priorities: Customer Centricity, Innovation & Sustainability 08:39 — The growth story, how long & what drove it 09:58 — Investing in people, sustainability & domestic partners 11:12 — Involving the leadership team in strategy for the first time 12:11 — What "customer centricity" actually looks like in practice 13:40 — Legends & heroes: recognizing the people who go above and beyond 14:03 — How Jamie onboards every single new hire personally 15:46 — Why a strong culture self-selects out bad hires quickly 16:01 — Town halls, micro-meetings & keeping the whole org aligned 17:14 — Jane's "sneak test": walking the floor to check strategy alignment 18:59 — Milestone recognition programs & why personal notes matter 21:28 — The power of peer recognition over top-down praise 24:26 — What Jamie means by "network" and why it's everything 27:08 — Your network is your most valuable career asset 28:33 — The right way to build a network: give before you ask 30:45 — Building strategy with a leadership team of 8, all promoted from within 32:25 — The one-slide strategy: Jane's reaction says it all 33:12 — How often the leadership team checks in on progress 34:44 — Remote workforce, bi-weekly rhythms & full-team alignment days 36:15 — Change management in action: the Calgary DC move story 37:31 — Why every strategy rollout is a change management initiative 38:17 — What ACTUALLY broke during growth (the answer may surprise you) 40:54 — The "slingshot effect" pulling back to leap forward 42:30 — Keeping it simple is harder than it sounds 43:37 — What to know before taking a CEO role in a PE-backed company 45:21 — Rapid fire: best book, 5X CEO by Tabo Godstream 46:34 — Worst advice Jamie ever received 47:53 — Smartest person in his phone & why 48:33 — What to do when you feel stuck 49:08 — Jane's closing thoughts 🎙️ CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs — no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who've been in the trenches. 📌 SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #CEOsUnscripted #CompanyCulture #ScalingUp #MidMarket #CustomerCentricity #EmployeeEngagement #PrivateEquity #SimplifyToScale

    50 min

  6. Apr 14

    What Private Equity Is Really Thinking When They Look At Your Business

    Think PE buyers care most about your EBITDA? Think again. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Paul Idziak: PE advisor, former CEO of GV Windpower North America, and field service industry veteran to pull back the curtain on exactly what private equity firms evaluate before writing a check. Whether you're thinking about selling in 3–5 years or simply want to build a more valuable business, this episode is packed with the unfiltered truth most business brokers won't tell you. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Why management team quality beats financials as the #1 due diligence factor ✅ The real reason client concentration can tank your valuation overnight ✅ What PE firms mean by "selling the future, not the past" ✅ How free cash flow matters as much as EBITDA, and why founders miss this ✅ The M&A muscle, greenfielding capability, and other factors buyers quietly score you on ✅ Why you should conduct a Quality of Earnings (QoE) study on yourself before going to market ✅ How to vet a PE firm the same way they're vetting you TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Cold open: What PE looks at first (it's not financials) 01:02 — Welcome to CEOs Unscripted 02:38 — Paul's background: energy services, PE exits & advising 05:22 — Demystifying private equity for CEOs 06:39 — #1 due diligence factor: management team 08:30 — Does it have to be the founder? No — here's why 09:20 — Leadership succession & its impact on valuation 10:44 — How PE evaluates cultural fit with management 12:54 — "You're selling the future, not the past" 14:32 — Evaluating growth potential: markets & talent 16:02 — Recruiting, retention & training as valuation factors 18:49 — Culture KPIs buyers actually look at 20:22 — Client concentration: the deal-killer no one talks about 23:10 — Contracts, blue-chip clients & recurring revenue 25:33 — Why profitability per client matters more than revenue 28:14 — The hidden cost of difficult customers 29:10 — M&A muscle & greenfielding: what excites buyers 30:41 — Technology stack & ERP maturity 33:21 — Is AI on PE's radar yet? 34:10 — Job costing: the discipline most companies lack 36:23 — Free cash flow vs. EBITDA, what founders miss 38:32 — Pricing strategy & protecting your margins 41:49 — Accounts receivable: why founders avoid collecting 43:45 — Full due diligence checklist recap 45:35 — What to clean up before going to market 46:54 — Why you should run a QoE on yourself first 48:11 — What PE actually needs to see in your processes 50:55 — Not all PE firms are equal, how to vet your buyer 53:47 — Book rec: The Private Equity Playbook by Adam Coffee 55:35 — Teaser: Paul returns to talk life as a PE-backed CEO operator 56:47 — Jane's closing thoughts CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs — no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations with founders and executives who've been in the trenches. 📌 Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode. #PrivateEquity #CEOsUnscripted #BusinessValuation #MergersAndAcquisitions #ScalingUp #MidMarket #BusinessGrowth #ExitStrategy #EBITDA #Leadership

    58 min

  7. Mar 31

    Why Most CEOs Get Stuck Between $10M and $50M | And What Actually Gets You Out

    What does it take to buy and scale a company in a foreign country, with your spouse, right before a global pandemic? In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Corbin Butcher, Managing Director of Beire Exhibitions in the Czech Republic, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about entrepreneurship through acquisition, cross-cultural leadership, and what it really means to evolve from a 1.0 to a 3.0 company. Corbin shares how a military career, a "mediocre" stint in investment banking, and a Kellogg MBA led him and his wife Evona to buy a Czech exhibition company, armed with a shoebox full of business cards as their CRM, and turn it into a thriving, scaling business with 80 employees and 2.5x revenue growth. Whether you're leading a $10M or $100M business, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons on scaling systems, building partnerships, managing culture across borders, and knowing when to evolve as a leader before your company outgrows you. Episode Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open: No backup plan, just make it work 01:07 — Welcome to CEOs Unscripted: Jane's intro & what the show is about 02:46 — Meet Corbin Butcher: From Chicago to the Czech Republic 04:18 — Corbin's background: Army officer, Iraq tours, Kellogg MBA 06:06 — Why investment banking wasn't the fit — and what was 07:07 — The search fund model: Buying a business with your spouse 08:18 — The challenge of being a European company trying to break into the US market 10:51 — How to vet a strategic partner (and why face-to-face is non-negotiable) 13:44 — The qualities that make or break a partnership under pressure 15:08 — American work ethic vs. European work culture: The real clash 17:08 — How Corbin built a high-performance culture within European labor laws 20:31 — The pros and cons of being an American CEO leading a European company 21:50 — Running a business with your spouse: The investor who called it "marital risk" 24:38 — How Corbin and Evona divide roles and break ties 25:36 — First-time CEO with no safety net: How do you learn on the fly? 28:59 — The shock of COVID hitting an 85% leveraged company in year two 31:40 — Biere 1.0 vs. 2.0 vs. 3.0: The lifecycle framework every CEO needs to understand 33:13 — Sales in 1.0: A shoebox of business cards as a "CRM" 36:53 — Operations in 1.0: When everything depends on one person 38:18 — Why promoting your best operator to supervisor is often a mistake 41:30 — What changed in 2.0: Systems, structure, and elevating internal talent 43:05 — The power of vision: Can every employee in your company articulate where you're going? 46:01 — How Corbin had to change as a leader from 1.0 to 2.0 49:46 — How strategic planning evolves at each stage of company growth 52:54 — Honest reflection: Some parts of Bira are still in 1.0 — and that's okay 54:01 — Rapid fire: Who's the smartest person in your phone? 55:36 — Best book of the last 12 months: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough 57:09 — What Corbin does when he feels stuck 58:27 — Closing thoughts and where to find more Key Topics Covered Entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) and the search fund model Scaling a mid-market company from 1.0 to 3.0 Cross-cultural leadership and managing European vs. American work culture Building and vetting strategic partnerships in international markets Why founder-dependent businesses are fragile — and how to fix it Running a business with your spouse without losing your marriage Leading through COVID with zero revenue and high leverage The danger of promoting your best individual contributors into management Why communicating vision is the #1 job of a scaling CEO About CEOs Unscripted Hosted by Jane Gentry, CEO advisor, Harvard Business School Entrepreneurial MBA mentor, and consultant to mid-market leaders for over 20 years, CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast featuring unfiltered conversations with founders and executives who've been where you are. No fluff. No jargon. Just real talk that drives real growth. CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry, Corbin Butcher, Bira Exhibitions, entrepreneurship through acquisition, search fund, mid-market CEO, scaling a business, business growth podcast, CEO podcast, leadership podcast, military to entrepreneur, Kellogg MBA, Czech Republic business, cross-cultural leadership, international business, how to scale a company, company lifecycle, business systems, founder-dependent business, how to buy a business, ETA entrepreneur, CEO advice, business strategy, scaling up, small business growth, mid-market growth, CEO leadership tips, business podcast 2026, entrepreneurship podcast

    59 min

  8. Mar 17

    Military Discipline Meets Luxury Travel: How Craig Beal Built America's #1 Safari Company

    What does submarine warfare have to do with luxury safari travel? More than you'd think. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Craig Beal - Naval Academy graduate, nuclear engineer, and CEO of Travel Beyond, the oldest US-founded safari company, to unpack the unconventional leadership principles behind one of the most remarkable family business turnovers you'll ever hear. Craig shares how military discipline, checklist-driven operations, and a radical employee-first philosophy helped him scale a four-person company into a 39-person specialist safari firm with jaw-dropping retention rates. In this episode, you'll learn: Why niching down — fast — is the smartest growth decision a CEO can make How a military-style checklist culture creates five-star client experiences at scale The geographic hiring strategy that virtually eliminates employee turnover Why Craig covers 100% of employee healthcare — and how it removes anxiety that kills productivity How Safari Pros, a competitor collaboration network, actually grows the whole industry Why the best CEOs act on decisions they know are right — before the window closes Keywords: CEO podcast, business growth, leadership, employee retention, family business, niche business strategy, mid-market CEO, scaling a business, company culture, safari industry, military leadership, entrepreneurship  TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Introduction & Craig's backstory 5:30 — From the Navy to the family business 12:00 — The power of niching down 18:00 — Employee retention secrets (and the geographic advantage) 26:00 — In-office vs. remote: what actually works 33:00 — Checklist culture & the Checklist Manifesto 41:00 — AI and the future of travel operations 47:00 — Managing client fear & crisis transparency 52:00 — Rapid fire: lessons for every CEO KEY TAKEAWAYS: ✅ Specialize faster than feels comfortable ✅ Processes aren't bureaucracy they're freedom ✅ Take care of employees first; they'll take care of your clients ✅ The best CEOs act on the decision they know is right before it's too late DROP YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY IN THE COMMENTS CEOs Unscripted is the bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs, for mid-market CEOs. No fluff. No jargon. Just the unfiltered truth about what it takes to lead, scale, and grow. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode 🎙️ Hosted by Jane Gentry — CEO Advisor & Executive Coach #CEOPodcast #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #SafariCompany #CompanyCulture #EmployeeRetention #MilitaryLeadership #ScalingUp #MidMarketCEO

    54 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Real Talk. Real Growth. Real Results in the Mid-Market Jane Gentry consulted in enterprise for 20 years. And, after being a CEO in a mid-sized company, she realized why they say it is loneliest at the top. Mid-market CEOs learn their craft through trial and error or by reaching outside their organization for help. She launched CEOs Unscripted as a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs for mid-market CEOs. Our purpose is to provide insight into the unscripted, unfiltered journeys of CEOs and Founders as they talk about their wins, losses, lessons and playbooks for growing and scaling their organizations. There is no better forum than learning from your peers.

Information

  • Creator
    Jane Gentry
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    CEOs Unscripted