Ready Set Exec: The Podcast

Ready Set Exec Inc.
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Overview: Welcome to Ready Set Exec, the podcast where executive search meets real leadership stories. Ready Set Exec explores how today’s top executives think, lead, hire, and scale through real conversations with accomplished leaders across sales, marketing, HR, operations, finance, technology, and digital transformation. Each episode features candid discussions with executives, founders, and industry experts who share practical insights on leadership, organizational growth, executive hiring, innovation, and navigating today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. From scaling companies and driving transformation to advancing executive careers and building high-performing teams, Ready Set Exec delivers real-world strategies, lessons learned, and forward-thinking perspectives for leaders shaping the future of business. What to Expect Each Episode: Conversations with Executives: Hear candid stories from accomplished leaders across Ready Set Exec’s network as they share lessons learned, pivotal career moves, and their outlook on the future of leadership. Industry Insights: Explore the trends shaping leadership in the fields Ready Set Exec knows best—how Sales leaders drive growth, how Marketing executives build brand momentum, how HR shapes culture, and how Operations keeps organizations moving. Talent Strategy Deep Dives: John reveals what he's learned about hiring executives who don’t just fit the role but elevate the business, by using a relationship-driven approach. Actionable Takeaways: Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or an executive shaping your next move, you’ll walk away with practical insights on attracting, retaining, and thriving as top talent. Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Are you a C-level Exec and want to be a guest on the podcast ? email sales@readysetexec.com Check out our firm at Readysetexec.com or call us at 737-249-9572

  1. 8h ago

    Philip Kushmaro: How to Compete When Your Product Can Be Copied in 24 Hours | Ready Set Exec

    Marketing leaders are being laid off at record rates in 2026. Philip Kushmaro has watched it happen for 15 years across hundreds of companies - and he knows exactly why. The problem isn't the marketers. It's a fundamental misalignment between what marketing actually does and what CEOs think they're paying for. In this episode, Philip breaks down the real state of the marketing job market, why brand is now the only moat that can't be copied overnight, what to do when you lose your job, and why he and his wife are building Maguire, a lifestyle tech brand and AI-driven motherhood operating system, to solve one of the most underserved crises in the world. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Why marketing leaders are getting fired right now 07:56 Brand as the only moat left in a world where tools get copied overnight 29:31 Going from operator to founder: what Philip learned doing it the hard way 40:31 Advice for new marketing grads in 2026 41:39 Generalist vs. specialist: the right path 45:21 Why does AI still need a minimum of three people on a marketing team 48:36 The gig economy reckoning: losing benefits, security, and the social contract Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Philip Kushmaro: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipkushmaro

    Philip Kushmaro: How to Compete When Your Product Can Be Copied in 24 Hours | Ready Set Exec

  2. Jul 17

    Mark L Vincent: Why Most of 1999’s Industry Giants Died And How Your Business Can Avoid Their Fate | Ready Set Exec

    In 1999, the Fortune 25 was the most powerful list of companies on earth. By 2024, 21 of those 25 companies were gone shrunk, acquired, or irrelevant. Only four survived. Mark L. Vincent has spent 25 years studying what separates the leaders who build something that lasts from those who don't. As executive advisor, founding member of the Sage Group Collective, and author of the newly released book The Maestro Effect, he breaks down the four elements every founder must orchestrate to hand their business off with full value intact - and what happens to the ones who don't. In this episode, we go deep on succession planning, the three turns of a leader, why C-suite isolation is a growing crisis, what boards get dangerously wrong about their own role, and why short-termism is quietly destroying the institutions we're trying to build. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro: Who is Mark L. Vincent? 01:48 It's Not About Retirement It's About Orchestration 07:55 The Four Key Elements of the Maestro Effect Framework 14:15 The Three Turns of a Leader 20:44 Continuity Planning vs. Succession Planning 25:00 The Relationship Equity Problem When Top Performers Leave 37:38 C-Suite Isolation: "Every Promotion Means Fewer Friends" 58:06 Advisory vs. Fiduciary Boards: The Distinction That Changes Everything Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Mark L. Vincent: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklvincent #SuccessionPlanning #LeadershipLegacy #TheMaestroEffect #CEOAdvice #BoardGovernance #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #LeadershipDevelopment

    Mark L Vincent: Why Most of 1999’s Industry Giants Died And How Your Business Can Avoid Their Fate | Ready Set Exec

  3. Jul 10

    Adam Reidel: A Mindset which can Destroy Your Company | Ready Set Exec

    Most founders think HR is just hiring and firing. Adam Reidel has spent 25 years proving that belief is one of the most expensive mistakes a growing company can make. As a senior People & HR executive who has built HR organizations inside fast-growing, complex companies from startup to scale, Adam breaks down exactly what happens when founders treat HR as an afterthought and what it takes to fix it before it breaks the business. In this episode, we cover the first 90-day playbook for a broken HR function, why salary compression quietly destroys morale, how to scale globally without creating compliance disasters, the real state of DEIB in 2026, and why ageism is now the most common hiring discrimination nobody talks about. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 - "HR is just hiring and firing" 07:50 Where High-Growth Companies Get HR Infrastructure Wrong 15:38 The Seat at the Table: Why Reporting to Finance Kills HR Impact 22:16 Global Expansion: Compliance Risks Across Borders 27:20 How to Corporatize a Founder-Led or Family-Owned Business 41:03 Ageism: The Most Common Hiring Discrimination Right Now 53:28 How AI is Changing the HR Job Search Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Adam Reidel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamreidel #HRStrategy #PeopleOps #HumanResources #StartupHR #HRLeadership #CompensationStrategy #DEIB #AgencyGrowth #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #ScalingCulture #GlobalHR #HRCompliance #MentalHealthAtWork #FutureOfWork

    Adam Reidel: A Mindset which can Destroy Your Company | Ready Set Exec

  4. Jul 3

    Corey Quinn: How to Build a Business Everyone Wants to Buy | Ready Set Exec

    What if your best sales tactic wasn't a CRM sequence or a LinkedIn ad but a tin of gourmet cookies? Corey Quinn was CMO at Scorpion when the company grew from $20M to $200M in annual recurring revenue. He spent $3 million a year sending gifts to cold prospects and generated a 10% send-to-appointment rate when cold calling gets sub-1%. In this episode, he breaks down everything he learned about building a category-dominating brand, escaping founder-led sales, preparing for an acquisition, and why the marketing rules most founders follow are killing their business value. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 02:10 Category kings: why one brand wins 70-80% of any market 08:59 What percentage of revenue should go to marketing? 13:12 Cost per acquisition: the right way to measure marketing 24:56 Gift-based outbound: $3M/year on cookies and what happened 37:37 What multipliers PE firms will pay (and why) 48:44 The two forks: commodity vs. premium consultative path 51:13 Will AI eliminate the entry-level sales grinder? Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Corey Quinn: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyquinn/ #B2BMarketing #AgencyGrowth #ContentMarketing #MarketingStrategy #GiftBasedOutbound #CategoryKing #Specialization #AgencyMandA #FounderLedSales #ExitStrategy #BusinessPodcast #Podcast2026 #MarketingKPIs #EnterpriseValue #AnyoneNotEveryone

    Corey Quinn: How to Build a Business Everyone Wants to Buy | Ready Set Exec

  5. Jun 26

    Linda Carlisle: Your Turnover Rate is Secretly Killing Your Margins | Ready Set Exec S01E35

    Only 31% of US employees are engaged at work, an 11-year low. The other 70%? Checked out, actively disengaged, or job-hugging while waiting for something better. It's costing the global economy $8.9 trillion a year. And the root cause almost always traces back to leadership and communication. Linda Carlisle is a seasoned communications strategist and founder of Comm.Ext, where she helps organizations navigate their most critical moments from shaping culture and employer brand to guiding teams through M&A integrations, reorgs, and high-impact change. With decades of experience leading internal and external comms, Linda specializes in turning strategy into clear, human-centred messaging that keeps employees informed, aligned, and engaged. In this episode, Linda breaks down why most companies are getting communication completely wrong, why the trend back to command-and-control leadership is going to cost companies dearly, and what the real difference is between a culture problem and a communication problem. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 01:32 The Full Employee Lifecycle 05:22 Why Command-and-Control Leadership Fails 08:50 AI's Impact on the Talent War 13:29 Intentionally Designing Company Culture 21:53 Empathy During Crisis and Layoffs 39:48 Fixing the 70% Disengagement Epidemic Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Linda Carlisle: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindakcarlisle/ #employeeengagement #companyculture #internalcomms #HRleadership #leader

    Linda Carlisle: Your Turnover Rate is Secretly Killing Your Margins | Ready Set Exec S01E35

  6. Jun 19

    Ryan Ross: Why B2B Founders Must Build a Media Empire in 2026 | Ready Set Exec

    Most people think webinars are boring. Ryan Ross thinks they're the most underrated growth engine in business, and he's got Mark Cuban and the founder of Netflix on his webinar roster to prove it. As Head of Marketing at BrokersBlock and author of Benefits with Friends, Ryan has spent over a decade helping professionals in highly regulated industries build authority, trust, and a real pipeline from content that most people ignore. In this episode, we break down how to turn one webinar into 30 pieces of content, why CE-approved events triple your registrations, how to get celebrity guests to say yes, why you should stop calling yourself an influencer, and how the Dream 100 framework could change the way you think about your entire market. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Who is Ryan Ross? 1:42 Webinars as a growth engine: The Tree of Life framework 6:21 The celebrity guest framework: how Ryan got Mark Cuban 8:51 CE-approved webinars: why they triple your registrations 13:43 Post-webinar nurture: turning attendees into pipeline 18:00 Best practices: length, polling, Zoom settings, and landing pages 31:38 Focus, delegation, and saying no as a founder 38:33 The Dream 100: why niching down beats going broad 44:06 Why known brands win in a down market 44:54 Benefits with Friends: writing a business novel to learn an industry 50:32 How Ryan used AI to write the book (and where it helped most) Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Ryan Ross: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrossnow/

    Ryan Ross: Why B2B Founders Must Build a Media Empire in 2026 | Ready Set Exec

  7. Jun 12

    Alan McLaren: The Silent Leadership Signal Destroying Your Team | Ready Set Exec S01E33

    CEO posts generate 7x more impressions than company pages. Most CEOs aren't posting. That gap is costing them trust, talent, and revenue. Alan McLaren is the co-founder of Strata Originals, the leadership branding firm that has coached more than 600 CEOs to clarify their leadership signal - the way their voice, presence, and perspective land with authority in every room and on every platform. With 30 years in executive roles across public companies, partnerships, and entrepreneurial ventures, Alan helps leaders understand why being felt is more important than just being seen. In this episode, Alan breaks down everything: why your leadership brand matters more than ever in the age of AI, why 90% of sales reps are doing social selling completely wrong, what the Coldplay CEO scandal teaches us about visibility and values, and how to frame your communication so it builds trust instead of triggering partisan walls. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 00:00 Who is Alan McLaren? 600 CEOs coached, 30 years in exec roles, Strata Originals 01:24 Leadership branding vs. personal branding 06:37 What to do if you're a CEO who hates being in front of cameras 08:00 The basic assets every executive should build to start their leadership brand 15:03 The loneliness of leadership: why even CEOs need mentors and community 22:58 What "leadership signal" actually means in the Mensa CEO story 26:00 How to frame content so it starts conversations instead of creating partisan divides 28:14 Why CEOs should never talk politics online Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Alan McLaren: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmclaren #CEO #leadershipbranding #personalbranding #LinkedInmarketing #socialselling #executiveleadership #thoughtleadership #podcast #ReadySetExec #trustbuilding

    Alan McLaren: The Silent Leadership Signal Destroying Your Team | Ready Set Exec S01E33

  8. Jun 5

    Dr. Steven Wright: The 3 AI Threats Your Company Isn't Protecting Against | Ready Set Exec

    AI isn't what most people think it is. And the threats it's creating are ones most companies have no plan for. Dr. Steven Wright is a globally experienced technology strategist, educator, and lawyer with over three decades of leadership across telecommunications, IT, and emerging digital ecosystems. He has contributed more than 50 patents, negotiated international technology agreements, and serves as faculty at multiple universities, driving innovation in AI, network architecture, and technology law. In this episode, we unpack the full landscape of what's actually happening at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, law, and ethics - including why politicians can't regulate what they don't understand, the three AI-enabled threats most companies aren't protecting against, and when quantum computing will actually break the internet's current security infrastructure. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 00:00 Who is Dr. Steven Wright? 01:04n The different ethical frameworks and why they matter for AI 05:30 Why calling it "AI" is the problem 07:36 Autonomous vehicles and the trolley problem 11:51 Who pays when an AI makes a mistake? 15:13 Why politicians can't regulate what they don't understand 20:30 Data suppression: how information is censored, hidden, and manipulated at scale 23:36 Deepfakes - CEO impersonation, blackmail, and why your company is the target 31:56 Quantum computing, when is it actually coming, and what will it break? 36:23 Post-quantum cryptography - the Y2K-scale challenge already underway 38:25 Blockchain, the GENIUS Act, and stable coins where crypto law actually stands in 2026 48:23 NFTs, practical blockchain use cases, and what actually worked Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Dr. Steven Wright: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drstevenawright/ #AI #cybersecurity #deepfakes #datapoisoning #quantumcomputing #blockchain #techlaw #AIethics #podcast #ReadySetExec

    Dr. Steven Wright: The 3 AI Threats Your Company Isn't Protecting Against | Ready Set Exec
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About

Overview: Welcome to Ready Set Exec, the podcast where executive search meets real leadership stories. Ready Set Exec explores how today’s top executives think, lead, hire, and scale through real conversations with accomplished leaders across sales, marketing, HR, operations, finance, technology, and digital transformation. Each episode features candid discussions with executives, founders, and industry experts who share practical insights on leadership, organizational growth, executive hiring, innovation, and navigating today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. From scaling companies and driving transformation to advancing executive careers and building high-performing teams, Ready Set Exec delivers real-world strategies, lessons learned, and forward-thinking perspectives for leaders shaping the future of business. What to Expect Each Episode: Conversations with Executives: Hear candid stories from accomplished leaders across Ready Set Exec’s network as they share lessons learned, pivotal career moves, and their outlook on the future of leadership. Industry Insights: Explore the trends shaping leadership in the fields Ready Set Exec knows best—how Sales leaders drive growth, how Marketing executives build brand momentum, how HR shapes culture, and how Operations keeps organizations moving. Talent Strategy Deep Dives: John reveals what he's learned about hiring executives who don’t just fit the role but elevate the business, by using a relationship-driven approach. Actionable Takeaways: Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or an executive shaping your next move, you’ll walk away with practical insights on attracting, retaining, and thriving as top talent. Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Are you a C-level Exec and want to be a guest on the podcast ? email sales@readysetexec.com Check out our firm at Readysetexec.com or call us at 737-249-9572

Information

  • Creator
    Ready Set Exec Inc.
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ready Set Exec Inc. Copyright 2026
  • Show Website
    Ready Set Exec: The Podcast