Ready Set Exec: Leadership Podcast

Ready Set Exec Inc.
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management

Overview: Welcome to Ready Set Exec, the leadership 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. 5d ago

    Kurt Uhlir: We cut $200k in Ads and Lost Zero Leads. Are You Wasting Your Budget? | Ready Set Exec

    What if your $200,000 a month Google ad budget was doing almost nothing, and the leads would have shown up anyway? Kurt Uhlir turned off exactly that amount in B2B paid media and watched close rates stay flat. That's just one of the things he's learned across 60+ corporate transactions, 20+ patents, and a dozen industries. As CMO of Easy Home Search a Zillow competitor built on consumer data privacy, and a board member of CEO Netweavers, Kurt breaks down the real difference between growth mode and scale mode, what demand generation actually looks like in 2026, why 99% of marketers are not capable of doing it, and where you should actually be putting your marketing dollars right now. 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 Introduction to Kurt Ehrler and His Expertise 01:22 Scaling Challenges for Startups 03:37 The Shift from Lagging to Leading Indicators 07:20 Content Strategy for Modern Demand Generation 10:08 The Importance of Customer Insights 13:00 Collaboration Across Teams 15:08 Case Study: Easy Home Search's Growth Journey 20:35 Building Effective Marketing Teams 26:26 The Role of CMOs and CROs in Business Strategy 32:35 Preparing for Growth and Successful Exits 41:41 Shifting Marketing Strategies for 2026 50:04 The Importance of Peer Networks and Mentorship 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 Kurt Uhlir: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kurtuhlir

    Kurt Uhlir: We cut $200k in Ads and Lost Zero Leads. Are You Wasting Your Budget? | Ready Set Exec

  2. Aug 7

    Joshua Cutler: Stop Measuring Training by Attendance: The Real Formula for L&D Success | Ready Set Exec

    Most companies measure L&D ROI with two things: course completion rates and "how did you feel about the course" surveys. Josh Cutler says both are nearly worthless With 20+ years in learning design, starting in the chaos of the New York City school system, Josh became known as the person companies call when all their traditional L&D approaches have failed. In this episode, he explains exactly why most corporate training is broken, why AI avatars are penny-wise and pound-foolish, why you should hire teachers instead of HR people for your L&D function, and how he accidentally became the world's leading HR Super Connector — making hundreds of strategic introductions every single day through a system built entirely on quality, quantity, and speed. 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 Josh Cutler? 03:29 Continuous Learning vs. Episodic One-Off Training 07:48 Why Off-the-Shelf LMS Modules Are a Waste of Money 11:48 Learning Strategy First, Platform Selection Second 18:40 The Reality of AI in L&D: Where It Actually Helps 23:03 The Measurement Gap: Completion Rates vs. Behavioural Change 38:04 Executive Networking: Your Net Worth is Your Network 43:21 The True Cost of Toxic Workplaces on the Bottom Line 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 Joshua Cutler : LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaafcutler/

    Joshua Cutler: Stop Measuring Training by Attendance: The Real Formula for L&D Success | Ready Set Exec

  3. Jul 31

    Raj Sinha: What Executive Compensation Actually Looks Like Behind Closed Doors | Ready Set Exec

    In the 1970s, CEO pay was roughly 100 times the average worker's salary. Today it's over 1,000 times. And most companies still can't clearly explain to their own employees what their total rewards program even means. Raj Sinha has spent 20+ years advising CEOs, CHROs, and boards across life sciences, financial services, and technology on exactly how to fix this and what happens when organizations don't. In this episode, Raj breaks down the full landscape of executive compensation, global pay strategy, the new SEC administration's impact on ESG and DEI disclosures, why performance management is riddled with normative bias, and what it actually takes to build a pay structure that survives shareholder scrutiny and wins the war for talent. 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 Raj Sinha 14:19 Compensation Strategy: What Percentile Should You Target? 19:00 CEO Pay Ratios and the New Era of Excess Pay Risk 28:00 2026 SEC Shifts: Changes to DEI, ESG, and Disclosures 31:23 Career Path: From Mid-Level to Global Rewards Executive 34:00 The Goal-Setting Framework: Threshold, Target, and Maximum 40:03 The Reality of AI in Total Rewards 43:11 Global Comp Strategy and Cross-Cultural Awareness 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 Raj Sinha: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rajcsinha

    Raj Sinha: What Executive Compensation Actually Looks Like Behind Closed Doors | Ready Set Exec

  4. Jul 24

    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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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About

Overview: Welcome to Ready Set Exec, the leadership 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

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