Making More: The Podcast

Billy Fischer

5.0 (5)
Business
Updated Biweekly

Making More is hosted by engineering leader turned business and executive coach Billy Fischer and features innovative business leaders and visionary corporate executives in conversation about what's made them successful, how they've overcome challenges to be where they are today, and what "Making More" means to them.

Jul 3

18. Abigail Church - GrowthLab

Episode 18: Abigail Church | HR That Builds Trust, Clarity, and Cohesiveness In this episode of Making More, Billy Fischer sits down with Abigail Church, PHR, an HR business partner with GrowthLab, to talk about the people systems growing companies need before the cracks start showing. Abigail works with startups and growing organizations to build the HR foundation that keeps teams compliant, aligned, and scalable. From handbooks and payroll setup to employee classification, compensation benchmarking, feedback systems, and performance improvement plans, her work sits at the intersection of compliance and culture. This conversation reframes HR as leadership infrastructure, not paperwork. Abigail explains why “we’ll fix it later” often becomes expensive, why clarity builds trust, and why difficult feedback can be an act of care when it is handled with honesty, structure, and support. In this episode, we discuss: Why early-stage companies need HR foundations before problems appearThe hidden cost of misclassification, unclear pay bands, and incomplete documentationHow GrowthLab helps companies build compliant, scalable people systemsWhy clarity is one of the most important trust-building tools in leadershipHow performance improvement plans can be collaborative, not punitiveWhat healthy conflict and workplace cohesiveness actually look likeWhy leaders should stop pushing HR problems to “next quarter”Abigail’s answer to the title question was clear: making more clarity and cohesiveness. In her view, clarity helps build cohesiveness, and cohesiveness helps individuals, teams, and businesses achieve their goals. Learn more about GrowthLab: www.growthlabfinancial.com Connect with Abigail on LinkedIn: Abigail Church, PHR: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-church-phr Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.
Jun 5

17. Kishan Patel, Prit Patel, & Nidhi Patel – Roots2Results

In this special episode of Making More, Billy Fischer is joined by three high school entrepreneurs — Prit Patel, Kishan Patel, and Nidhi Patel — the founding team behind Roots2Results. While most students are focused on getting through the week, these three are building a real business and solving important problems. Their story starts with something personal: helping their families navigate complicated business paperwork, financial decisions, and legal language that can be difficult to interpret. That lived experience turned into a mission — create tools and services that make it easier for small business owners to understand what they’re signing, what they’re paying for, and what their next best step should be. Along the way, we also talk about what they’ve learned through the student-run retail operation Highlander Outfitters, where they’ve managed inventory, marketing, sales, and operations — getting a crash course in real-world execution before graduation. In this conversation, we cover: How Roots2Results started and what problem they’re solvingWhy legal and financial jargon creates real barriers for business ownersTheir subscription-based concept and how they’re thinking about pricing and valueWhat they’ve learned from running Highlander Outfitters behind the scenesWhat it means to lead and build while still balancing school, friends, and extracurricularsMaking More (their answers): Kishan: making more timePrit: making more connectionsNidhi: making more impactLearn more: Roots2Results feature: https://vace.uky.edu/news/roots2results LinkedIn (company): https://www.linkedin.com/sales/company/109166927 Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.
May 8

16. Brage Garofalo

In this episode of Making More, Billy Fischer sits down with Brage Garofalo for a powerful conversation about transition, identity, service, and the deep human need for belonging. Brage has spent years supporting veterans, first responders, elite operators, and high performers as they navigate the difficult space between who they were, who they served with, and who they are becoming next. Drawing from her background in clinical research, her work in mental health, and her commitment to those moving through major life transitions, Brage brings a deeply compassionate perspective to what happens when structure fades and the uniform comes off. Billy and Brage explore the loss of tribe many veterans experience after service, the emotional and intellectual side of transition, and why rebuilding community is just as important as building a resume or LinkedIn profile. They also discuss leadership lessons from military teams, the importance of psychological safety, and what business leaders can learn from people who have been trained to operate with trust, humility, loyalty, and mission focus. The conversation also takes a memorable turn into open-water swimming, including Brage’s story of participating in the Frogman Swim under the Golden Gate Bridge, where a mysterious bump in the water became a vivid metaphor for fear, focus, and the instinct to keep moving forward. At the heart of this episode is Brage’s answer to the title question: she wants to make more of a difference. Whether through supporting someone in transition, helping a veteran feel less alone, or simply leaving the world better than she found it, Brage reminds us that meaningful impact often begins with showing up for people when they need a tribe the most. Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.
Apr 7

15. JD Miller - Rothschild & Co

In this episode of Making More, Billy Fischer sits down with JD Miller, PhD— a seasoned executive leader, board advisor, and author who has helped organizations navigate growth, complexity, and renewal across decades in the technology industry. JD’s story starts in an unlikely place: an internship connected to the Clinton White House. From there, his path moved into tech sales and leadership, where he learned how trust is built (and lost) when relationships increasingly happen through screens, meetings, and digital noise. We also dig into JD’s work as an author — including The CRO’s Guide to Winning in Private Equity — and how his perspective on leadership has evolved into something both simple and difficult: building a life that makes room for the people in it. In this conversation, we cover: Why trust is harder (and more important) in modern professional environmentsWhat executive presence actually means beyond titles and credentialsLessons from writing for CROs and leaders navigating private equityHow to think about AI and sales without losing the human elementThe leadership discipline of “making more time for quality interactions”Connect with JD Miller: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdmillerphd New Book: The AI Handbook for Sales Professionals: A Practical, Tactical Guide for Sellers, Managers, and Executives to Reclaim Their Time and Expand Their Humanity. (https://a.co/d/09BWuO6s) JD's Foundation: https://www.jdmja.org/ Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.
Mar 23

14. Luís Dias - Legau

In this episode of Making More, I’m joined by Luís Dias, founder of Legau, to talk about what it really takes to build a product, build a team, and build conviction when the road is not predictable. Luís and I get into the daily realities of startup leadership, what it looks like to earn clarity through action, and why “better tools” only matter when they’re paired with better thinking and stronger habits. We also talk about the difference between being busy and being effective, the importance of shaping your workflow before you automate it, and how leaders can stay grounded when the stakes feel high and the pace is constant. Toward the end, Luís answers the signature question of the show with a response I’ll be thinking about for a while: “making more fun.” Not comfort. Not ease. Fun, as in learning to enjoy the long game so you can sustain the work and keep building with energy. In this episode, we cover: What Luís is building with Legau and the problem it’s designed to solveWhy good process matters more than flashy toolingHow to think about sustainable execution when the work is never “done”The mindset shift from chasing outcomes to enjoying the buildLuís’s “Making More” answer: making more time for fun in the processConnect with Luís / Legau: Luís Dias on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-alves-diasLegau: https://legau.com/Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.
Mar 6

13. Jonathan Bench - Kirton McConkie

Global business is not just bigger business. It’s different business. In this conversation, I’m joined by Jonathan Bench of Kirton McConkie, host of the Lawbalization podcast, to talk about what leaders often underestimate when their work crosses borders: how trust is built, how influence works across cultures, and why clarity and relationships become even more important when the stakes and the complexity rise. We talk about the real-world friction points that show up when legal, business, and human dynamics collide, and how Jonathan thinks about leadership when the “right answer” is rarely simple. We also get into the hidden cost of shallow networking, and why he’s focused right now on making more time for quality interactions, both online and in person. In this episode, we cover: How global work changes the leadership playbookThe difference between activity, connection, and real influenceWhy clarity and trust beat speed when complexity shows upWhat “quality interactions” actually look like in a busy professional lifeThe question every leader should ask before they scale anythingConnect and learn more Jonathan Bench: Lawbalization podcast; Kirton McConkieFind Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.
Feb 16

12. Gordon L. Sansaver III

In this episode of Making More, Billy sits down with Gordon Sansaver, Associate Executive Director at the Virginia Mason Institute, to explore what happens when the principles behind the Toyota Production System collide—beautifully—with the realities of modern healthcare. Gordon shares the Virginia Mason origin story: a health system at a crossroads, facing rising costs, patient safety risk, and workforce strain… and deciding to bet on a different path—continuous improvement and respect for people. From there, we unpack why “process” in healthcare isn’t just a set of tools—it’s a full management system, how executive alignment shapes culture (for better or worse), and why you can’t delegate improvement work and expect it to stick. We also talk about Gordon’s early frontline path in healthcare, his experience leading a study tour to Japan, and how Virginia Mason’s approach expanded into the UK’s National Health Service—with independent evaluation from Warwick Business School. In this conversation: Why improvement and culture change can’t be “handed off”Executive + board alignment as a force multiplier“VMPS” (Virginia Mason Production System): making TPS your own“Better never stops” as a leadership posture, not a sloganWhat healthcare leaders can borrow from manufacturing without losing the human sideGuest: Gordon Sansaver — Associate Executive Director, Virginia Mason Institute Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.
Jan 30

11. Robert Reed - Reed Advancements

What does leadership look like when systems fail? And when the consequences are human, not theoretical? In this episode of Making More, Billy Fischer sits down with Robert Reed, a seasoned financial services leader whose career spans the Chicago Stock Exchange, the 2008 financial crisis, and today’s fight against human trafficking through financial intelligence. Robert’s professional journey begins on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange and carries through the collapse of Bear Stearns and crisis operations at JPMorgan. These formative experiences shaped his understanding of leadership under pressure—where clarity, calm, and responsibility matter more than titles or technical expertise. Now serving as COO of the International Bank of Chicago (and previously the Director of Operations at Dark Watch), Robert operates at the intersection of financial systems, compliance, and anti–human trafficking intelligence. The conversation explores how modern financial leadership increasingly carries a moral dimension: protecting institutions means protecting people. Throughout the episode, Robert emphasizes: Leadership revealed in crisisEthical stewardship of power and capitalMultiplying others through systems that outlast the leaderRather than romanticizing resilience or heroics, Robert frames leadership as disciplined presence—staying grounded, asking better questions, and making decisions with long-term human consequences in view. The episode closes with a shared reflection on what it truly means to make more: more capable people, more ethical systems, and more leaders worthy of the trust they’ve been given. Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.

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Making More is hosted by engineering leader turned business and executive coach Billy Fischer and features innovative business leaders and visionary corporate executives in conversation about what's made them successful, how they've overcome challenges to be where they are today, and what "Making More" means to them.

Creator

Billy Fischer
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

18
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Making More: The Podcast
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Making More: The Podcast