Escape the CEO Doom Loop

Glen Dall & John Ninkovich
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Escape the CEO Doom Loop is built for CEOs and leadership teams ready to grow. Each episode delivers practical insights, real-world stories, and tools you can use today to lead with clarity and scale with confidence. We spotlight what’s working—and what’s not—for leaders navigating growth, building culture, and driving accountability.  It’s more than a podcast—it’s a gateway to The CEO Playbook and the next step in becoming the leader your business needs next.

  1. -2 ДН.

    Episode #21: Why Your Team Isn't Telling You the Truth | Michael Reddington

    Most CEOs think they have a culture problem. Michael Reddington says it's a conversation problem. Michael is a certified forensic interviewer, president of Quaive, and author of The Disciplined Listening Method. He spent a decade with Wicklander-Zulawski and Associates training law enforcement, HR professionals, and investigators in rapport-based interviewing around the world. Today, he works directly with CEOs, sales teams, and HR leaders on something most leadership frameworks ignore — the quality of truth that moves through a business. His core argument is uncomfortable: your title is a barrier. The people around you are editing what they say before they say it. The updates you're getting are polished. The real information lives somewhere below that. This episode is about what it takes to lower that barrier — not by building a better culture deck, but by changing how you lead the conversation. In this episode: Why leaders miss the truth in plain sightFrom teacher to forensic interviewer — and what that taught about pressureThe internal voice that keeps CEOs stuckThe outside voices that reinforce fear and doubtReframing without starting overWhy progress is easier to see from the outsideWhy listening is persuasionWhat people protect when they speak to the CEOThe fraud interview that exposed a bigger problemWhy the best hard conversations feel ordinaryIf you say you don't have time for rapport, you already have a problemWhy an open door policy doesn't remove fearControl, defensiveness, and honesty in leadership conversationsThe simple question that gets people talkingShame as the real blocker to truthWhy leaders should assume people are holding backReframing accusation into loyalty to unlock honestyWhy these principles matter far beyond investigationsConnect with Michael Reddington 00:02:37 Why leaders miss the truth in plain sight 00:04:27 From teacher to forensic interviewer, and what that taught about pressure 00:07:42 The internal voice that keeps CEOs stuck 00:11:29 The outside voices that reinforce fear and doubt 00:14:47 Reframing without starting over 00:17:36 Why progress is easier to see from the outside 00:19:18 Why listening is persuasion 00:21:55 What people protect when they speak to the CEO 00:25:20 The fraud interview that exposed a bigger problem 00:35:48 Why the best hard conversations feel ordinary 00:39:30 If you say you do not have time for rapport, you already have a problem 00:41:00 Why an open door policy does not remove fear 00:43:13 Control, defensiveness, and honesty in leadership conversations 00:49:24 The simple question that gets people talking 00:52:24 Shame as the real blocker to truth 00:59:05 Why leaders should assume people are holding back 01:01:08 Reframing accusation into loyalty to unlock honesty 01:03:54 Why these principles matter far beyond investigations Escape the CEO Doom Loop is for CEOs running companies in the $10–100M range who are tired of feeling like the business runs on them.  Send us Fan Mail

    1 ч. 1 мин.

  2. 7 АПР.

    Episode 20: What Your Accountant Sees That You Don’t — with Pat Fuelling, CPA

    Most CEOs think their CPA only sees the numbers. Pat Fuelling sees the patterns — the warning signs, the blind spots, and the decisions that separate leaders who scale from those who stall. Pat is a partner and executive committee member at Doran Mayhew, one of the top 30 CPA firms in the U.S., and has spent 32 years advising privately held businesses through growth, crisis, and everything in between. In this conversation with Glen Dall and John Ninkovich, he shares what he actually observes from inside the companies he serves. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE: Imposter syndrome in the CEO seat — why it doesn’t go away and how it shows upThe physical and behavioral warning signs Pat sees before companies hit a wallReacting vs. responding: the distinction that matters most under pressureGrowth for growth’s sake — a real example of doubling revenue while cutting profitWhat high-performing leadership teams actually look like (and how rare they are)Why the right time to invest in your team is when things are hardestCash flow: the blind spots most CEOs carry longer than they shouldFinancial transparency — what to share, who to share it with, and howPat’s three unconventional CEO Playbook additions: empower your people, learn from the next generation, and teach people how to think TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Introduction and how Pat and John met 2:46 — About Doran Mayhew and Pat’s role 8:07 — The CEO Doom Loop explained 10:46 — Imposter syndrome: does every CEO feel it? 12:46 — Recognizing imposter syndrome and finding your way out 14:03 — Growing leaders: from sink-or-swim to intentional development 19:30 — Clients vs. people: which comes first? 22:35 — 360 feedback and giving leaders room to grow 23:35 — Financial warning signs and the early signals of a Doom Loop 26:14 — Reacting vs. responding under pressure 26:37 — Leadership team quality: what Pat actually sees 33:29 — Outside advisors and why objectivity matters 35:32 — Reinvesting in the business when it’s hard 39:00 — Financial acumen for founder-CEOs 43:23 — Cash flow: defining terms and building a foundation 45:00 — Receivables and the false sense of security 48:24 — Financial transparency with the leadership team 51:46 — CEO Playbook: Pat’s three pieces of advice 57:15 — Why Pat went into accounting (and how he discovered it was actually about people) ABOUT THE GUEST: Pat Fuelling is a partner and executive committee member at Doeren Mayhew, a top-30 CPA firm serving privately held businesses. He’s been in the profession for over 32 years and was one of the early connectors behind the research project that became the CEO Playbook — the foundation of this podcast. ABOUT THE SHOW: Escape the CEO Doom Loop is hosted by Glen Dall and John Ninkovich of Apex North Business Coaching. Every episode is built for CEOs of growing companies who are tired of carrying everything — and ready to lead differently. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Wild at Heart by John EldredgeThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen CoveyThe CEO Playbook — NinkCoach/ Apex North Business CoachingDoeren Mayhew — doranmayhew.com #CEOLeadership #ImpostorSyndrome #BusinessGrowth #CashFlow #CEODoomLoop #ApexNorth #Podcast #TrustedAdvisor #LeadershipDevelopment #PrivatelyHeldBusiness Send us Fan Mail

    51 мин.

  3. 24 МАР.

    Episode 19: When Ego Becomes Strategy: A Founder’s Wake Up Call on Leadership and Growth with Casey Profita

    There is a moment many CEOs remember clearly. Not the first sale. Not the first hire. The moment they realize they are exhausted, isolated, and carrying more than the business should require. In this episode of Escape the CEO Doom Loop, Glen Dall and John Ninkovich sit down with Casey Profita, founder and CEO of Gopher Mods, to unpack a fifteen year journey that started in a college dorm room and grew into a national technology services company supporting schools and businesses across the country. Casey shares the unfiltered reality of building fast without structure. Hiring friends. Avoiding conflict. Confusing effort with leadership. And how ego quietly turned into strategy. This conversation goes beyond success stories. It explores what happens when founders outgrow instinct, when intelligence becomes a bottleneck, and when doing everything yourself starts to cost more than money. If you are a CEO who feels responsible for everything, trusted by no one, and unsure how to step out of the center without losing control, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar. In this episode, we explore: How the CEO Doom Loop quietly forms over years, not momentsWhy doing the job you already hired someone to do destroys trustThe difference between blind trust and smart trust in leadership teamsWhy clarity and scorecards feel restrictive until they become reliefHow letting go of multiple hats is a leadership decision, not a personality changeThis is not about hustle. It is about evolution. Casey Profita is the Founder and CEO of Gopher Mods, a technology services company that began in a University of Minnesota dorm room and now supports hundreds of school districts and businesses nationwide. Gopher Mods specializes in large scale device repair, lifecycle management, and technology services, completing tens of thousands of repairs each year. Casey’s leadership journey reflects the reality many founders face as their companies outgrow instinct driven leadership. His work today focuses on building strong leadership teams, creating clarity through structure, and evolving from operator to CEO. Chapter Timestamps 00:00 – Why the Doom Loop Is Not a Motivation Problem 03:45 – From Dorm Room Business to National Scale 07:00 – The Cost of Serving Everyone 11:40 – When Ego Turns Into Strategy 15:30 – The Most Expensive Business Card Ever Printed 18:50 – Rock Bottom Moments CEOs Don’t Talk About 23:40 – Blind Trust vs Smart Trust 28:00 – Why Hiring Friends Breaks Companies 33:20 – The Shift from Solopreneur to CEO 38:45 – Vulnerability, Trust, and Leadership Teams 44:30 – Why Scorecards Create Freedom, Not Control 51:00 – Saying No Gets Easier When Vision Is Clear 58:40 – Three Principles Every CEO Must Master If this conversation resonates, you are not behind. You are at a transition point. If you want to explore what stepping out of the Doom Loop looks like in your business, start with clarity. Learn more about the CEO Playbook or begin a diagnostic conversation at: Send us Fan Mail

    1 ч. 17 мин.

  4. 10 МАР.

    Episode 18: Why Capable Leaders Get Stuck Working Harder Instead of Leading Better with Peter Oxley

    Most CEOs don’t fail because they lack effort, intelligence, or ambition. They get stuck because the business outgrows the way they’re leading. In this episode of Escape the CEO Doom Loop, Glen Dall and John Ninkovich sit down with Peter Oxley, a three-time founder, former global CRO, and executive coach, to unpack what really keeps capable CEOs trapped in cycles of overwork, isolation, and stalled leadership. Peter shares his own experience inside the doom loop. Long hours. Hero syndrome. The belief that the CEO must have all the answers. Over time, those patterns don’t just slow growth. They quietly drain energy, trust, and clarity from the entire organization. This conversation isn’t about hustle or motivation. It’s about recognizing the structural patterns that show up at a certain stage of growth and understanding why working harder often makes things worse. You’ll hear how clarity, systems, and outside perspective changed Peter’s leadership, why self-implementing frameworks often fails, and why the most dangerous leadership problems tend to normalize slowly instead of exploding all at once. 00:02:35 – Welcome to Escape the CEO Doom Loop 00:08:13 – Why the doom loop starts as a “slow boil” 00:09:10 – The trap of 80-hour weeks and hero leadership 00:10:16 – The loneliness CEOs don’t talk about 00:19:38 – When the body forces a leadership reckoning 00:22:15 – Why self-implementing systems often fails 00:27:37 – Identity, persistence, and staying too long 00:35:04 – “Clarity is kindness” and what that really means 00:37:48 – When problem-solving replaces leadership 00:39:18 – Why leading the second time felt different 00:48:24 – Stop being the hero If you’re a CEO or founder who feels the weight of responsibility but can’t quite name what’s off, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar in the best way. Send us Fan Mail

    44 мин.

  5. 24 ФЕВР.

    Episode 17: When Bigger Becomes the Problem with Brad Giles

    Most CEOs are not stuck because they are bad operators. They are stuck because they are chasing bigger instead of better. This conversation is about the moment when growth stops working, and what replaces it. If you are scaling fast but losing people, clarity, or energy, this episode is for you. 00:00:00 — When growth starts as excitement and turns into strain 00:03:07 — From operator to advisor and why entrepreneurship cuts both ways 00:07:02 — Recognizing the doom loop only after you have lived it 00:09:05 — Fast growth, ego, and the quiet damage it creates 00:11:00 — Why bigger is often a proxy for unresolved leadership decisions 00:14:20 — Compounding versus chasing numbers 00:16:34 — The 15 15 15 lens for controlled growth 00:18:00 — How impatience and lack of discipline fuel the doom loop 00:25:00 — Life by design and the real reason CEOs start companies 00:28:10 — The four flywheels that replace chaos with momentum 00:29:12 — The team doom loop versus building a soulful organization 00:41:15 — Customers, offerings, and why focus beats expansion 00:49:00 — Financial discipline and avoiding shiny object decisions 00:54:12 — Three practices to stay out of the CEO doom loop 00:58:12 — Why entrepreneurship does not have to cost you everything Brad Giles is a serial entrepreneur, leadership coach, and founder of Evolution Partners. He has built and exited fast growth companies and spent more than a decade advising CEOs across Australia and internationally. Brad is the author of Made to Thrive, Onboarded, and Bigger Isn’t Better, Better Is Better. His work focuses on strategy discipline, leadership maturity, and building businesses that compound without destroying quality of life. If this conversation surfaced patterns you recognize in your own role, the CEO Playbook is a practical companion. It outlines how CEOs step out of the doom loop and lead with clarity, structure, and intention, without chasing scale for its own sake. Send us Fan Mail

    51 мин.

  6. 24 ФЕВР.

    Episode 16: Why Growth Slows After Success (And What CEOs Miss) with Shannon Susko

    Growth doesn’t slow because CEOs lose ambition or discipline. It slows because success creates complexity faster than structure can keep up. In this episode of Escape the CEO Doom Loop, hosts Glen Dall and John Ninkovich sit down with Shannon Susko to explore why growth often becomes harder after a company is working. Shannon shares why: Success is often the hidden bottleneck to growth Capable CEOs stay stuck longer than they should Founder instinct eventually works against scale Motivation is rarely the real problem Structure is relief, not restriction This episode is not about tactics, hacks, or hustle. It’s about recognizing the moment when leadership must shift, or the CEO Doom Loop tightens. If growth feels slower, decisions feel heavier, and the business depends on you more than it should, this conversation will sound familiar. And that’s the point. 00:00 – When Growth Slows After Success 03:12 – The Hidden Cost of Founder Instinct 07:45 – Why Effort Stops Working for CEOs 12:30 – Success as the Real Bottleneck 17:10 – The CEO Doom Loop Explained 22:40 – Why Capable CEOs Delay Structural Change 28:15 – Structure as Relief, Not Restriction 33:50 – The Leadership Shift That Unlocks Growth 39:20 – Recognizing the Moment You’re In 44:10 – Breaking the Growth Ceiling 48:30 – Final Reflections with Shannon Susko About the Guest Shannon Susko is the founder of Metronomics and a leading authority on scaling growth stage companies. Her work focuses on helping CEOs move beyond founder instinct and install the structure required for sustained, scalable growth. About the Show Escape the CEO Doom Loop is a podcast for CEOs, owners, founders, and presidents who are already successful but stuck in recurring leadership and growth patterns. The show exists to: Name patterns CEOs recognize immediately Reduce shame around leadership strain Normalize structure, coaching, and guidance Shorten the path from insight to action This is not a podcast for beginners. It’s for leaders carrying real responsibility, who know something has to change. Send us Fan Mail

    1 ч. 1 мин.

  7. 27 ЯНВ.

    Episode 15: When Hitting Your Goals Leaves You Asking "Now What?" with Dan Hanson

    Most CEOs do not burn out from lack of effort. They burn out from reacting too fast. Dan Hanson is the CEO of Hanson Remodeling, serving homeowners across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the first ring of suburbs. With a background in business management and philosophy, Dan built the company through hands-on work before shifting his focus to leadership development and long term purpose. Today, his work centers on building a durable culture, developing leaders, and creating a business that lasts beyond the founder. Dan Hanson built a strong company, hit his goals, and still found himself awake at 3 a.m. That was the signal. This conversation is about the shift from gumption to leadership. From solving everything yourself to building people who can. 00:00:00 Pain triggers reactivity or curiosity 00:01:18 Building a company without a clear end goal 00:02:44 Hitting every target and still feeling stuck 00:03:29 Realizing the business could not grow past the CEO 00:04:45 How the Doom Loop shows up at 3 a.m. 00:05:11 When effort becomes the problem 00:06:29 Why calm leadership changes everything 00:07:25 What got you here will not get you there 00:09:16 Develop leaders or replace them 00:11:07 Why swooping in kills leadership growth 00:12:27 Self care as a leadership discipline 00:13:45 Knowing when to put the tools down 00:14:18 How to get out of your head at night 00:15:19 Living in the gap versus the gain 00:17:10 When personal growth creates team chaos 00:19:09 Why CEOs need community 00:20:00 How philosophy shaped decision making 00:21:04 The evolution from money to meaning 00:23:00 Why leadership never feels finished 00:24:22 When success stops being fulfilling 00:27:00 What defines a level five leader 00:29:06 Building something that is not hollow 00:30:07 Imposter syndrome as a growth signal 00:33:20 Doom Loop as regression 00:34:10 Why CEO experience matters in coaching 00:38:17 Accountability as care 00:42:06 Empathy without rescuing 00:45:36 Letting pain teach instead of trigger 00:48:00 Servant leadership is and not or 00:51:16 Letting people go with empathy 00:53:04 Developing thick skin as a CEO 00:56:53 What belongs in the CEO playbook 01:00:07 Pause before you pounce Send us Fan Mail

    1 ч. 2 мин.

  8. 12 ЯНВ.

    Episode 14: Accountability Without Emotion: Building a Values-Driven Business with Philip Chabot

    What happens when a CEO realizes he’s the bottleneck in his own business? In this episode of Escape the CEO Doom Loop, hosts Glen Dall and John Ninkovich sit down with Philip Chabot, CEO of RSC Mechanical, to talk about the uncomfortable truth every leader faces — when old habits hold back new growth. Phil shares his candid story of stepping into a 500-person family business, struggling with the “Doom Loop,” and rebuilding through accountability, structure, and consistency. He explains how RSC turned its Compass — a simple framework of mission, vision, and values — into a living system that drives culture and clarity across 19 states. If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or executive looking to break free from burnout and lead with focus, this episode delivers the real-world playbook: lean in, write it down, make a plan, and stay consistent. Watch now to learn: How to recognize and escape the CEO Doom Loop Creating accountability systems without emotion Balancing family, business, and leadership growth Why consistency beats intensity every time 00:00 – Intro: Welcome to Escape the CEO Doom Loop  02:24 – Meet Philip Chabot, CEO of RSC Mechanical  03:40 – The Family Legacy and Early Lessons in Leadership  06:25 – The Planned CEO Transition  08:05 – “Want vs Will”: The Real Test of Leadership  11:09 – Balancing Family and CEO Responsibilities  15:10 – Recognizing the Doom Loop  17:08 – Escaping It: A Good Plan Beats No Plan  20:47 – Building Accountability Through “The Compass”  23:57 – Culture Over Convenience in a Family Business  26:40 – Maintaining Standards and Communication  32:37 – What Got Us Here Won’t Get Us There  35:45 – Scaling with Structure and Data  38:30 – Building Culture That Attracts A-Players  40:30 – Using Data as a Leadership Tool  43:33 – Consistency Drives Profitability  45:36 – Phil’s Advice: Write. Plan. Measure.   51:00 – Closing Thoughts: Consistency Wins Every Time Send us Fan Mail

    47 мин.
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Escape the CEO Doom Loop is built for CEOs and leadership teams ready to grow. Each episode delivers practical insights, real-world stories, and tools you can use today to lead with clarity and scale with confidence. We spotlight what’s working—and what’s not—for leaders navigating growth, building culture, and driving accountability.  It’s more than a podcast—it’s a gateway to The CEO Playbook and the next step in becoming the leader your business needs next.

Информация

  • Автор
    Glen Dall & John Ninkovich
  • Годы выхода
    2025 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    21
  • Ограничения
    С ненормативной лексикой
  • Авторские права
    © 2026 Escape the CEO Doom Loop
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