The Unity Rock Podcast

Clayton Stenson
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The Unity Rock Podcast is where visionaries and integrators come together to share real stories, practical strategies, and hard-earned insights. Hosted by Clayton Stenson, The Unity Guide, the show dives into meaningful conversations with builders and innovators in the EOS community. Each episode explores how vision turns into action, how people bring ideas to life, and what it truly takes to create lasting impact in business and leadership. If you’re interested in authentic conversations with people who are making things happen, follow, subscribe, and join us as we get into the conversation.

Episodes

  1. S2 E1 - The Trust Factor with Kirsten Smith

    3d ago

    S2 E1 - The Trust Factor with Kirsten Smith

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Kirsten Smith, Certified EOS Implementer, Business Coach, and co-founder of Beacon & Blade, who has logged over 400 full-day EOS sessions helping companies build strong Visionary/Integrator partnerships. Kirsten gets real about her own surprising identity shift — spending years dead sure she was purely an integrator, only for a group of trusted women to hold up a mirror and show her the visionary she'd been holding back out of fear. Kirsten gets honest about what it really takes for a VI duo to work. She pushes visionaries to drop the "never let 'em see you sweat" act and open up to their integrators about fear, because keeping it bottled up only leaves the integrator in the dark. She breaks down why trust is the single biggest factor in VI success, how healthy conflict actually brings two people closer when both are committed to working through it together, and why a good integrator needs to go beyond "how are you?" and ask "where's your fear at these days?" Join our Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14549556/ Connect with Kirsten Smith: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-smith-b8b141a/ Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/kirsten-smith/ Beacon & Blade: https://www.beaconandblade.com/

    21 min
  2. S1 E10 - Partners, Not Minions with John Ward

    Mar 26

    S1 E10 - Partners, Not Minions with John Ward

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with John Ward, Expert EOS Implementer from Orlando who has helped over 70 business owners and their leadership teams achieve results. John shares his journey as an integrator in his previous business, including the "passionate emotional debates" he had with his visionary partner before they learned to work together—and why that relationship could have been "deadly" without understanding each other's wiring. John gets brutally honest about the biggest issue he sees: visionaries treating integrators like minions or COOs instead of true partners in execution. He explains why same page meeting frequency should depend on how far apart you are, why integrators must be both "the accelerator and the brake" (saying no to 19 crazy ideas and hell yes to the one that matters), and the critical importance of mutual respect. He emphasizes why understanding Kolby scores matters (he's an 8-6-2-4 working with a 4-3-9-5 visionary) and why the VI relationship is "very much like a marriage" requiring deep check-ins about what's happening at work and at home. Join our Community on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14549556/⁠ Connect with John Ward: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-ward-5b8a8b1/ Website: https://www.eosworldwide.com/john-ward

    17 min
  3. S1 E9 - The Visionary Mind in the Integrator Seat with Aaron Purkeypile

    Mar 19

    S1 E9 - The Visionary Mind in the Integrator Seat with Aaron Purkeypile

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Aaron Purkeypile, an EOS Implementer from South Dakota who coaches, facilitates, and teaches people to operate at their highest potential. Aaron shares his unique story of being a visionary sitting in an integrator seat, working with a visionary who had more of an integrator mind and why it worked beautifully to grow revenue 30% year over year for two years straight. Aaron gets real about the misconception that integrators are glorified assistants or chiefs of staff, why visionaries think they have "gems of ideas" when most are "dumpster fires waiting to happen," and the powerful 1-3-1 framework (one sentence problem, three solutions, one recommendation) for building trust over the first six months. He explains why the first six months need weekly same page meetings to learn the visionary's mental frameworks, why integrators need to resist getting railroaded  even when they don't feel confident yet, and his game-changing advice: don't skip the trust-building phase just because you promoted someone from inside the company. Aaron also discusses why the best integrators won't let visionaries get away with BS while caring deeply about each other, and why his answer to VI duo success is "shared selflessness" and why both parties need to bring it, or one gets taken advantage of. Join our Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14549556/ Connect with Aaron Purkeypile: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronpurkeypile/ Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/aaron-purkeypile/

    19 min
  4. S1 E8 - When Leadership Feels Too Easy with Bob Shenefelt

    Mar 12

    S1 E8 - When Leadership Feels Too Easy with Bob Shenefelt

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Bob Shenefelt (Coach Bob), author of "Unscatter the Chatter," leader of The Visionary Forum and Summit, and longtime friend of Gino Wickman. Bob shares the raw story of his transformation from chaos-creating hero to freed-up visionary, including the moment his team said "we don't want you doing all the stuff you were doing before" when he returned from dealing with his divorce. Bob gets real about creating problems just to solve them (the hero complex), why he felt guilty when leadership became "too easy," and the powerful moment his team said "we got you dude" when he needed to step away for therapy. He discusses the invoice approval system that went from taking an hour every night to looking at just one or two a day, why visionaries need to add a fifth quadrant to Delegate & Elevate (hobbies!), and his philosophy of "living life beyond the vine." Bob explains why he'd go hiking for a week and his team would say "we're better off without you," the importance of being a "leader of leaders" instead of everyone depending on you, and why fit matters more than credentials when finding an integrator. He also reveals what made his 30-year friendship with Gino so transformative and why trust takes a year or two to fully build. Join our Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14549556/ Connect with Bob Shenefelt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-shenefelt/ Website: https://www.imatter.com/ Book: "Unscatter the Chatter"

    34 min
  5. S1 E7 - Structure Is Not Your Enemy with Forrest Derr

    Mar 5

    S1 E7 - Structure Is Not Your Enemy with Forrest Derr

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Forrest Derr, Fractional Integrator and COO from Fairhope, Alabama. Forrest shares his journey from having Traction thrown on his desk by his boss to becoming a high-scoring integrator (94!) who now helps companies between $2 million and $50 million get their operations in order. After five years as a full-time integrator and another 15 months at a landscaping company, Forrest took the leap to go fractional and now works with eight different visionaries. Forrest explains why integrators need a backbone to stand up to visionaries, the challenge of getting visionaries to stop "dropping hand grenades around the office" with their constant stream of ideas, and why he spent his first month at the landscaping company just riding along and asking questions instead of coming in with a sledgehammer. He discusses the difference between full-time and fractional integrator work (it's about relationship depth and detachment), why visionaries who claim nobody thinks or makes decisions aren't actually delegating, and his powerful insight that "alignment over ego" is the single most important factor in VI duo success. Forrest also reveals what leadership teams said when he left: "We know how much you filtered the chaos." Join our Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14549556/

    19 min
  6. S1 E6 - Finding the Flow in the VI Duo with Jill Young

    Feb 26

    S1 E6 - Finding the Flow in the VI Duo with Jill Young

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Jill Young, EOS Implementer, author of The Advantage Series, and creator of Coaching Magic. Jill shares the story of how her leadership team staged a three-minute intervention during an IDS meeting, telling her "No, no, no—you're not the integrator, you're the visionary," a shift that became a "10x move" for both her and the firm. Jill discusses the two extreme pitfalls she sees in VI duos: rushing to hire "the guy from church" without proper calibration, and visionaries with competing priorities who want freedom but also cling to the details because it makes them feel valued and in control. She explains why her first question when duos call with problems is always "When was your last same page meeting?", the beautiful nine-month gestation period for integrator transitions when done with intention, and why no amount of tools can overcome the wrong fit. Jill also shares her coaching approach on finding the right fit and the KOLBY caution about being too different (unnecessary friction) versus well-rounded (rocket fuel). Join our Community on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14549556/ Connect with Jill Young: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-young-eos/ Website: https://www.jillyoung.com/ Coaching Magic: https://www.jillyoung.com/coaching-magic Book: The Advantage Series

    25 min
  7. S1 E5 - Breaking Through the Revenue Ceiling with Darin Williamson

    Feb 17

    S1 E5 - Breaking Through the Revenue Ceiling with Darin Williamson

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Darin Williamson, Certified EOS Implementer and Exit Plan Quarterback from South Dakota. Darin shares his journey from being a 21-year-old walking into a bank asking for a quarter million dollars (with zero projections) to building multiple companies that employed half his small town—all while living in complete chaos until his key employee gave him an ultimatum: hear out this EOS implementer, or I'm out. Darin gets real about the emotional side of letting go. He discusses the false belief that "nobody can do this as good as I can," why delegation feels like mourning a loss even while celebrating growth, and the identity crisis that hits when you're suddenly not needed for every decision. He explains why visionaries get bored when they finally delegate (and why that's actually the goal), the fear that's "a mile wide and an inch deep," and why integrators are "God's gift to visionaries." Darin also shares his powerful anchor analogy for finding the right integrator and why trust is the single most important factor in VI duo success. Connect with Darin Williamson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darin-williamsoneosi/ Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/darin-williamson/ Learn more about EOS in the book "Traction" https://amzn.to/4ay5rzw

    25 min
  8. S1 E4 - Making Visionaries Feel Seen with Benj Miller

    Feb 17

    S1 E4 - Making Visionaries Feel Seen with Benj Miller

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Benj Miller, founder of System & Soul and author of "Renegades." Benj shares the dramatic moment that changed everything: sitting in a beautiful atrium, spilling his guts about everything going wrong, when his coach asked, "Do you think you were created to run this business?" That question led him to walk back to his office, put his keys on Jason's desk, and say "You're in charge"—then leave. Benj discusses why he calls himself a "visionary therapist" (the biggest challenge is identity, not competence), the brilliant "rent me" and "10-80-10" framework, and why visionaries carry weight like "wearing a tuxedo in the front and a hospital gown in the back." He explains why operators need compassion for that burden, how to find "the third option" where both people win at 100%, and why his book "Renegades" makes visionaries feel seen while helping operators understand the person on the other side of the relationship. Connect with Benj Miller LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benj-miller-business-growth-impact-framework-coach/ System & Soul: https://www.systemandsoul.com/ Book: "Renegades" https://www.amazon.ca/Renegades

    23 min
  9. S1 E3 - From Bakery Owner to EOS Expert with Beth Fahey

    Feb 17

    S1 E3 - From Bakery Owner to EOS Expert with Beth Fahey

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Beth Fahey, Expert EOS Implementer, co-author of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision, and co-creator of the Great Boss Workshop. Beth shares her unique perspective as someone who scored a rare 92 in visionary and 89 in integrator on the Crystallizer assessment, giving her insight into both sides of the relationship. Beth shares her journey from sitting in four leadership seats simultaneously at her bakery to finally landing in just the visionary seat. She discusses why the integrator is the "hype man" for the visionary, the most common V/I duo challenge (steamrolling visionary meets placating integrator), and why communication is the single most important success factor. She explains what the same page meeting is really for and how integrators need to coach visionaries on their "word salad" communication style before it creates leadership team churn. Connect with Beth Fahey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey/ Books: "ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision" https://amzn.to/4rTxoc8 How to be a Great Boss Book https://amzn.to/4qIkJYu

    20 min
  10. S1 E2 - Soul-Crushing Feedback and 30 Years of Growth with Ken DeWitt

    Feb 17

    S1 E2 - Soul-Crushing Feedback and 30 Years of Growth with Ken DeWitt

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Ken DeWitt, Expert EOS Implementer and founder of DeWitt LLC from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Ken shares the humbling story of how he discovered he was a visionary through the nickname "Hurricane Ken", complete with a flag system his terrified employees used to gauge his intensity. Ken opens up about the soul-crushing moment a workplace psychologist told him "your intensity scares the crap out of people," and the 30-year journey of self-awareness that followed. From horseback riding retreats to help him stay calm, to learning that visionaries drop "pebbles" that employees hear as "rocks," Ken's honesty about his blind spots is refreshing. He discusses why visionaries and integrators need to stop trying to fix each other and start trusting each other, the critical importance of same-page meetings (even when things feel fine), and why the visionary-integrator relationship requires the same commitment as a good marriage. Connect with Ken DeWitt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethdewitt/ DeWitt LLC: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/ken-dewitt/ Book mentioned: "Traction" by Gino Wickman https://amzn.to/4qAJhCF

    20 min
  11. S1 E1 - The Power of Humility in Visionary Leadership with Jonathan Reynolds

    Feb 17

    S1 E1 - The Power of Humility in Visionary Leadership with Jonathan Reynolds

    In this episode, Clayton sits down with Jonathan Reynolds, founder of Titus Talent and bestselling author of "Right Seats, Right People". Jonathan shares the remarkable story of how he discovered his role as a visionary through an unexpected partnership with his now-integrator, Scott—a relationship that started with a complete role reversal. Jonathan opens up about the challenge of keeping ego in check, the importance of viewing leadership as servanthood rather than identity, and why humility is the single most important factor in visionary-integrator success. From testing your ego when someone does your job better to thinking of yourself as a supporting actor in everyone else's story, this conversation goes deep into what it really takes to lead well. Jonathan also hosts the Talent Talks Podcast, where he shares practical strategies and innovative ideas rooted in his people-first philosophy, definitely worth checking out if you want more of his wisdom on building high-performing teams. Connect with Jonathan Reynolds Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanreynolds/ Titus Talent: https://www.titustalent.com/ Talent Talks Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/talent-talks/id1708214738 Book: "Right Seats, Right People" https://amzn.to/4bSuHmp

    21 min

  12. Trailer

    The Unity Rock Trailer

    The Unity Rock Podcast brings you real conversations with visionaries and integrators in the EOS community. Hosted by Clayton Stenson, The Unity Guide, each episode explores vision, people, and the strategies that turn ideas into impact. Subscribe and let’s get into the conversation.

    1 min

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About

The Unity Rock Podcast is where visionaries and integrators come together to share real stories, practical strategies, and hard-earned insights. Hosted by Clayton Stenson, The Unity Guide, the show dives into meaningful conversations with builders and innovators in the EOS community. Each episode explores how vision turns into action, how people bring ideas to life, and what it truly takes to create lasting impact in business and leadership. If you’re interested in authentic conversations with people who are making things happen, follow, subscribe, and join us as we get into the conversation.

Information

  • Creator
    Clayton Stenson
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Clayton Stenson
  • Show Website
    The Unity Rock Podcast