Built on Solid Rock Podcast

John Chisham and Shaun Boen
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  • Entrepreneurship

Built on Solid Rock Podcast is where business, leadership, recruiting, and entrepreneurship come together. Hosted by Shaun Boen and John Chisham, each episode delivers honest conversations, practical insights, and hard-earned lessons on building better businesses, stronger teams, and lasting success. From hiring and leadership to culture, resilience, customer service, and growth, we equip business owners, entrepreneurs, recruiters, and leaders with ideas they can put to work immediately. No corporate fluff. Just real conversations about building businesses and people the right way.

  1. Sep 14

    Nobody Is Coming to Save You

    Everybody wants something to change. A better job. More money. Better clients. A stronger team. A better boss. More freedom. More opportunity. A better economy. A business that finally takes off. We are pretty good at identifying what needs to change around us. We are not always as good at asking the harder question: What if the biggest thing that needs to change is me? In Episode 13 of the Built on Solid Rock Podcast, we tackle a principle that applies whether you own a company, lead a team, work in sales, recruit for a living, or are simply trying to build a better career. Nobody is coming to save you. That might sound harsh, but it shouldn't. In fact, it may be one of the most freeing things you can realize. Once you stop waiting for someone else to change your circumstances, you can start taking ownership of the things you actually control. You Don't Have to Own the Company to Own Your Career One of the biggest mistakes people make is believing ownership is reserved for entrepreneurs. It isn't. You may not own the company, but you own your career. Your employer may determine your title. Your manager may establish expectations. The economy may affect opportunities. Customers may say no. Candidates may stop returning your calls. Companies restructure. Markets change. Leadership changes. There are countless things you cannot control. But you still control what you do next. You control your effort. You control whether you learn. You control whether you make the call. You control whether you develop new skills. You control your attitude. You control whether you take feedback personally or use it to improve. You control whether you sit around complaining about an opportunity or start creating another one. That is ownership. Some of the most entrepreneurial people we know have never owned a business. They simply refuse to hand responsibility for their future to somebody else. You don't have to own the company to own your career. The Excuse Usually Contains Some Truth This is where the conversation gets uncomfortable. Most excuses are effective because there is some truth buried inside them. The economy really can be difficult. Your manager really might not be very good. Your company really may have problems. Your territory might actually be harder than someone else's. Candidates really do ghost recruiters. Customers really do make unreasonable demands. Good employees really are difficult to find. Business owners really do face regulations, competition, rising costs, and circumstances completely outside their control. Acknowledging those realities isn't the problem. The problem begins when we use something we cannot control as justification for doing nothing about what we can control. There is a significant difference between identifying an obstacle and surrendering to it. When something goes wrong, ask yourself a simple question: Now what? The market is difficult. Now what? My boss isn't helping me. Now what? I didn't get the promotion. Now what? The customer went somewhere else. Now what? The candidate rejected the offer. Now what? Business is down. Now what? Ownership does not deny reality. Ownership decides what to do about reality. Sometimes the Mirror Is the Answer We hear variations of the same statements throughout business. Nobody wants to work anymore. There aren't any good candidates. Nobody answers the phone. Customers only care about price. My employees don't care. My company doesn't give me enough. My territory is terrible. Sometimes those statements are true. But before accepting them as the final answer, there is another question worth asking: What part of this belongs to me? If nobody wants to work for your company, perhaps the labor market isn't the only thing worth examining. If great employees keep leaving, perhaps compensation isn't the only problem. If customers only compare you on price, perhaps you haven't communicated your value. If nobody returns your calls, perhaps your message needs to improve. If your people aren't engaged, perhaps leadership needs to look at what they are being asked to engage with. Sometimes the market isn't the problem. Sometimes the mirror is. That applies to owners just as much as employees. Leadership does not exempt us from accountability. It increases it. Stop Waiting for the Bigger Opportunity People frequently say they want a bigger opportunity. They want more responsibility, more money, a leadership position, a better company, or more freedom. There is nothing wrong with wanting those things, but there is another question we should be asking. Are you becoming the person capable of handling the opportunity you're asking for? Instead of constantly asking, "What am I getting?" start asking, "What value am I creating?" Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    Nobody Is Coming to Save You

  2. Aug 10

    Culture > Pizza Parties

    People don't stay because of free lunches. They stay because of culture. Great company cultures aren't built by accident. They're built through trust, leadership, accountability, purpose, and genuinely caring about people. In Episode 12 of the Built On Solid Rock Podcast, Shaun Boen and John Chisham discuss what it really takes to create a workplace where people want to stay, grow, and do their best work. Culture isn't what's written on the wall. It's what people experience every day. Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    Culture > Pizza Parties

  3. Jul 29

    Leadership is Lonely- but Stay in the Fight

    Leadership Is LonelyThe Weight Nobody Sees Everyone wants to be the leader. Few people want the weight that comes with it. From the outside, leadership often looks glamorous. People see the title, the office, the freedom, the paycheck, or the success. What they don't see are the sleepless nights, the difficult conversations, the financial pressure, or the constant responsibility. Leadership isn't lonely because people don't surround you. It's lonely because there are very few people who truly understand what you're carrying. That's what Shaun Boen and I unpack in Episode 11 of the Built on Solid Rock Podcast. The Higher You Climb, the Smaller the Circle Every promotion changes your relationships. As a leader, there are conversations you simply can't have anymore. You can't vent to your employees about another employee. You can't share every financial concern. You can't always explain every decision. You can't allow your uncertainty to become everyone else's fear. The higher you climb, the fewer people understand what you're carrying. Leadership often means smiling through burdens that no one else even knows exist. The Decisions Nobody Applauds The hardest leadership decisions rarely receive applause. Hiring someone. Letting someone go. Saying no to an opportunity. Choosing long-term health over short-term comfort. Protecting the company instead of protecting your popularity. Employees often see the outcome. Leaders live through the process. Sometimes you'll make the right decision and still lose friendships. Sometimes you'll do everything you can for someone, only to become the villain in their story. Leadership requires making peace with being misunderstood. The Paycheck Is Public. The Pressure Is Private. People often assume successful business owners have it easy. They see revenue. They don't see payroll. They see growth. They don't see the personal guarantees signed with the bank. They see confidence. They don't see the nights wondering how everyone will get paid if business slows down. Every entrepreneur knows this feeling. When business is thriving, everyone celebrates. When business struggles, the leader carries the burden first. No one worries about your paycheck quite like you do. Because you're worried about everyone else's first. There Is No One to Talk To One of the hardest realities of leadership is discovering there are very few people you can truly unload on. Your employees need confidence. Your customers need stability. Your family deserves your presence. Your partners may be carrying the same burdens you are. Many leaders quietly carry enormous pressure because they don't want to become someone else's burden. That's why intentional relationships with other leaders matter so much. Not people who envy leadership. People who live it. Because only another leader understands what leadership costs. Leadership Is Choosing Responsibility Over Comfort Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about accepting responsibility when no one else can. When projects fail... When markets change... When people leave... When mistakes happen... The leader owns it. That's not weakness. That's leadership. Real leaders don't look for someone to blame. They look for solutions. Why It's Still Worth It If leadership is so lonely, why do it? Because leadership gives you the opportunity to build something that outlives you. You create jobs. You develop people. You solve problems. You create opportunities for families you'll never fully know. You help someone discover gifts they didn't know they possessed. The sacrifices are real. But so is the impact. Final Thoughts Leadership isn't easy. It was never supposed to be. The weight is heavy. The responsibility is constant. The loneliness is real. But every thriving company, every great culture, every meaningful organization exists because someone chose responsibility over comfort. If you're carrying that weight today, you're not alone. Other leaders understand. Keep building. Keep serving. Keep leading. Because the world needs more people willing to carry responsibility instead of running from it. Listen to Episode 11, "Leadership Is Lonely," on the Built on Solid Rock Podcast at https://builtonsolidrock.buzzsprout.com or follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    Leadership is Lonely- but Stay in the Fight

  4. Jul 20

    America 250: The Entrepreneur's Choice

    Is the American Dream still alive? As America approaches its 250th birthday, that question matters more than ever. Manufacturing is growing. Investment is returning. The World Cup was bigger and better than ever. Opportunity is everywhere for those willing to build. In Episode 10 of the Built on Solid Rock Podcast, Shaun and John tackle a bigger conversation than recruiting. We discuss entrepreneurship, relationships, opportunity, and why America still rewards people who solve problems. America wasn't built by people looking for guarantees. It was built by builders. If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, or someone who believes the next great opportunity is still ahead, this episode is for you. Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    America 250: The Entrepreneur's Choice

  5. Jul 14

    Stop Thinking Like an Employee

    Stop Thinking Like an Employee Built on Solid Rock Podcast – Episode 9 What separates people who build great businesses from those who simply work in them? It is not talent. It is not intelligence. It is not even experience. More often than not, it comes down to mindset. In Episode 9 of the Built on Solid Rock Podcast, Shaun and John discuss one of the biggest transitions every entrepreneur, leader, and business owner must make: the shift from thinking like an employee to thinking like a builder. Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    Stop Thinking Like an Employee

  6. Jul 14

    One Bad Shot Won't Kill Your Career

    One Bad Shot Won't Kill Your CareerBuilt on Solid Rock Podcast – Episode 8 Golf is a brutal teacher. It exposes your mindset faster than almost anything else. One bad swing can ruin a hole- but it does not have to. One bad hole can ruin a round. In golf, if you let frustration take over, one bad moment can snowball into a complete collapse. Business works the same way. In Episode 8 of the Built on Solid Rock Podcast, Shaun and John break down the connection between golf, business, recruiting, and leadership through one simple principle: Play the shot in front of you. Too many people let one mistake define the next decision. A bad meeting. A lost deal. A failed hire. A rough quarter. Instead of resetting, they carry the frustration into the next opportunity and compound the damage. That is where careers stall. Not because of failure. Because of the inability to recover from it. The reality is this: one bad shot does not kill your career. But letting that shot control the next ten absolutely can. That is why resilience matters. Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    One Bad Shot Won't Kill Your Career

  7. Jul 14

    The Hustle Mindset Without Burnout

    The Hustle Mindset Without BurnoutEveryone says hustle harder. Almost no one tells you what that actually means. And that is why most people burn out instead of breaking through. In the latest episode of the Built on Solid Rock Podcast, Shaun and John break down what hustle really is, what it is not, and why the people who succeed long term understand the difference between disciplined consistency and chaotic activity. Because hustle is not hype. It is not pretending to be busy. It is not posting about grinding while accomplishing nothing. And it is not running yourself into the ground trying to prove something. Real hustle is disciplined execution over time. It is doing the little things consistently when nobody is watching. It is making the extra call. Following up one more time. Showing up early. Staying prepared. Doing the unattractive work day after day until momentum finally shows up. That mindset is foundational to recruiting success. Solid Rock Recruiting training material describes hustle as “doing all the little, unattractive things on a consistent basis day in and day out.” That is the difference. Most people rely on motivation. Hustlers rely on process. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline does not. Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    The Hustle Mindset Without Burnout

  8. Jul 14

    Don’t Hire This Person - Real Red Flags We've Seen

    Don’t Hire This Person Built on Solid Rock Podcast – Episode 6 Bad hires are not a surprise. They are predictable. The signs are there. Most companies just miss them. Or worse, ignore them. In Episode 6, “Don’t Hire This Person,” Shaun and John get direct about what actually leads to bad hires and how to spot the red flags before they cost you. Because they will cost you. Time. Money. Momentum. Culture. And we have all seen it play out in real time. In business. In leadership. Even in the media. When the wrong person is in the wrong seat, the results are obvious. This is a people business. And hiring is not an exact science. But that does not mean it is a guessing game. Good recruiters do not guess. They guide. Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to Built on Solid Rock Podcast so you never miss a conversation on business, leadership, hiring, recruiting, and entrepreneurship.  Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights, clips, and updates:  Podcast Page Company Page John Chisham Shaun Boen Visit HERE for all episodes, blogs, and resources to help you build better businesses and better teams. Visit HERE for information about current job openings on our team. Visit HERE for information on how we help companies find the best talent in their industries. Visit HERE for information on how we help the best candidates find the perfect match for their future. Visit HERE for all of our current jobs we are recruiting for across the USA

    Don’t Hire This Person - Real Red Flags We've Seen
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About

Built on Solid Rock Podcast is where business, leadership, recruiting, and entrepreneurship come together. Hosted by Shaun Boen and John Chisham, each episode delivers honest conversations, practical insights, and hard-earned lessons on building better businesses, stronger teams, and lasting success. From hiring and leadership to culture, resilience, customer service, and growth, we equip business owners, entrepreneurs, recruiters, and leaders with ideas they can put to work immediately. No corporate fluff. Just real conversations about building businesses and people the right way.

Information

  • Creator
    John Chisham and Shaun Boen
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Built on Solid Rock Podcast
  • Show Website
    Built on Solid Rock Podcast