Founder Unfiltered - What Founders Think But Never Say

Mylance
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Formerly Six Figure Secrets of Fractional Experts, Founder Unfiltered is the show about the stuff founders don't talk about: the identity crisis when you go from operator to leader, the weird shame of self-promotion, the gap between who you are and who your business needs you to be. Hosted by Bradley Jacobs, founder of Mylance — a LinkedIn thought leadership platform for B2B founders — this show gets into the psychology, the patterns, and the honest conversations that actually move the needle. No hacks. No hype. Just the raw truth about what's really holding you back.

  1. The Advantages of Self-Doubt with Jamie Sylvian

    19H AGO

    The Advantages of Self-Doubt with Jamie Sylvian

    Bradley Jacobs sits down with Jamie Sylvian — a 30-year international communications consultant, author of the Executive Nomad Operating System, and founder of Executive Nomad. Jamie has worked with clients ranging from British Gas and global publishing houses to the British Royal Family, all while calling 13 countries home. He's built a business that sold for $200 million and survived a complete collapse in 2008. The conversation digs into the emotional reality of the founder journey — how to get back up after a deal falls apart, why stepping away from the business (rather than over-analyzing) is often the fastest path to clarity, and how Jamie's "Remarkable Wednesday" routine has grounded him for over two decades. Jamie reframes self-doubt not as a weakness, but as a productive tool. He shares how questioning whether Executive Nomad would resonate with anyone actually pushed him to validate the market, invest in learning AI, and sharpen his positioning. He also unpacks the moment Executive Nomad was born — a spontaneous conversation in a Greek harbor town with a recently made-redundant 54-year-old — and how it revealed that his decades of lived experience were far more valuable than he'd realized. For any fractional executive or independent consultant navigating identity, confidence, and the leap from corporate life, this conversation delivers honest, hard-won perspective. Referenced: Executive Nomad Operating System by Jamie Sylvian Learn More: Elevate your voice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Introduction & Jamie's background00:51 Biggest lesson from 30 years in business01:51 Staying true to your word — with others and yourself03:04 How Jamie recovers from major setbacks04:28 The power of stepping away: city walks & coffee07:06 Remarkable Wednesday: his 20-year weekly ritual09:00 What "Remarkable Wednesday" actually looks like09:39 How Executive Nomad was born in Greece12:15 Author of your life vs. victim mindset13:08 Using self-doubt productively14:22 Why saying no builds credibility16:48 Imposter syndrome & the confidence gap17:28 Learning from personality clashes21:02 Self-doubt as a research and validation tool21:51 Helping corporate execs find their second act23:34 "The Advantages of Self-Doubt"24:48 Separating your identity from your business26:36 Closing million-dollar deals on your own terms

    34 min

  2. APR 9

    The Mistake I Made at Uber That Taught Me Everything About Sales

    Most founders and fractional executives struggle with sales — not because they lack skills, but because they're leading with the wrong message. Bradley Jacobs breaks down how he learned this the hard way, sharing stories from his time at Uber that fundamentally shaped his approach to selling. It started with a rejection. After a successful Uber Eats launch in Miami, Bradley was turned down for a GM role and kept hitting walls when pitching for other positions internally. The problem? He was making it all about himself. The shift came when he reframed his pitch around what the company actually needed — launch expertise for a global Uber Eats rollout — and suddenly got a one-way ticket to Amsterdam. That mindset carried into his first consulting engagement, where he landed a $25K/month fractional role with a Series A startup by focusing entirely on their problem, not his credentials. No hard sell. Just a clear solution to a high-stakes challenge they were already facing. Bradley connects these lessons to content strategy and LinkedIn, arguing that value-first content works the same way: give generously, ask strategically, and when you do ask, make the ask itself a value exchange. The formula is simple — solve real problems, ask good questions, and share everything you know. Learn More: Elevate your voice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Introduction and Mylance overview00:34 Learning to sell through mistakes00:56 The Uber Eats Miami launch story01:45 Hitting walls with internal pitches02:46 Lesson 1: Make it about them, not you03:41 Reframing the pitch around Uber's goals04:35 Getting the yes — a ticket to Amsterdam05:24 Fast forward: going fractional after Uber06:02 Reaching out to 12 companies cold06:44 Finding the problem worth solving07:19 Building the $25K/month proposal07:56 Landing the first consulting client08:50 Three core lessons from that win09:41 How content works like a proposal10:28 Sharing mistakes as value-add content11:01 One takeaway: always add value12:15 The give/give/give, then ask model12:37 How good questions create value13:41 Value-first content strategy explained14:17 The 90/10 rule: give vs. ask15:07 Summary and closing thoughts15:36 Check out Mylance

    16 min
  3. She Drove Her Company Into the Red — Then Sold It Five Years Later with Mindy Gibbins-Klein

    APR 2

    She Drove Her Company Into the Red — Then Sold It Five Years Later with Mindy Gibbins-Klein

    After three corporate layoffs, Mindy Gibbins-Klein decided she was done playing by someone else's rules. She went out on her own — no business plan, just determination — and built a career that now spans 15 books, two TEDx talks, and coaching over 50,000 leaders across 18 countries. Bradley Jacobs sits down with Mindy to dig into the real stuff: what it actually took to buy out her co-founder, run a publishing company into the red, and then — through radical ownership and a few honest conversations — turn it back around. She talks about selling the company five years later and freeing up 35 hours a week to focus on what she was built for. The conversation gets into the identity challenges founders face when they move from employee to visible leader — and why so many talented people hold back. Mindy makes a compelling case for just getting out there: speaking badly, writing imperfectly, being a beginner in public. She references her flagship book The Thoughtful Leader and the concept of choosing your influences intentionally — what she calls "the power of the UN": unfollow, unsubscribe, unplug. She also shares her personal mantra, shaped by years of Tony Robbins' Date with Destiny, and why saying it to yourself repeatedly actually works. If you've been sitting on your expertise instead of putting it into the world, this one's for you. Guest: Mindy Gibbins-Klein Website: mindygk.com LinkedIn: Mindy Gibbins-Klein Books Mentioned: The Thoughtful Leader — Mindy Gibbins-Klein Think and Grow Rich — Napoleon Hill Become a LinkedIn thought leader: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Introduction00:57 Mindy's background & accidental entrepreneurship02:36 Buying out a co-founder & turning the company around04:39 Navigating four years of losses emotionally06:30 Where self-belief comes from08:18 Advice for founders in a tough spot09:51 Habits, influences & the power of the UN10:40 Radical ownership & taking responsibility14:13 Separating identity from business outcomes16:59 Self-esteem and not being the business18:45 Owning the good stuff too20:08 What "leadership" actually means21:33 Winning in a tough market22:23 Visibility, credibility & quality over quantity25:10 LinkedIn strategy & reaching the right people26:00 What holds people back from being visible28:40 Be willing to be bad in public29:28 Handling haters & criticism online31:53 Overcoming fear of speaking on stage33:55 Going from employee to visible founder34:31 Personal mantras & choosing empowering beliefs36:49 How to find and work with Mindy38:10 Wrap-up

    39 min

  4. MAR 26

    The Most Selfish Thing You Can Do Is Keep Your Expertise to Yourself

    Sharing your expertise on LinkedIn might feel uncomfortable — even disingenuous. But what if that discomfort is just fear wearing a disguise? Bradley Jacobs tackles two of the most common mental blocks that hold fractional executives and consultants back from showing up consistently on LinkedIn. The first: the feeling that posting is hollow because "everyone knows" you're just trying to get clients. The second: the fear of looking desperate, especially when you're newly independent and visible to former colleagues, managers, and peers. Bradley reframes both head-on. Marketing your service is only disingenuous if you're not delivering real value — and if you're genuinely helping people, sharing content is actually one of the most generous things you can do. He also breaks down how the LinkedIn algorithm actually works, explaining why posting frequently doesn't come across as spammy to your audience the way you might fear. The deeper theme here is judgment. We can never control how others perceive us, and trying to manage those perceptions comes at a real cost — to our consistency, our confidence, and our business. Bradley shares a personal story about accidentally posting an unfinished draft to his 25,000 followers and walking away just fine. The takeaway? Being a business owner means accepting some level of vulnerability. The upside — connecting with clients, growing a practice, and genuinely helping people — is absolutely worth it. Start Posting on LinkedIn: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Welcome & episode intro 00:15 About Mylance & free positioning 01:03 Real customer email: "it feels disingenuous" 02:25 Why this mindset won't get you anywhere 03:06 Value-first approach to content 04:18 The fear of looking desperate on LinkedIn 05:17 Why managing perception holds you back 05:29 How the LinkedIn algorithm actually works 06:41 Consistency vs. perfection 07:20 Letting go of the fear of judgment 07:56 The accidental unfinished post story 09:08 Leaving your job is a good thing 09:42 Reframe: sharing expertise is generous 10:54 What 1 in 100 critics actually means 11:33 Real results from showing up consistently 12:22 Authenticity over perception management 13:34 Being a business owner means being polarizing 14:22 Wrap-up & call to action

    15 min
  5. People Don’t Buy Your Product. They Buy You. With Jake Stahl

    MAR 19

    People Don’t Buy Your Product. They Buy You. With Jake Stahl

    What if the biggest thing holding you back in sales isn't your pitch — it's your presence? I sat down with Jake Stahl, communication strategist, CEO of Orchestrate, and author of Own the Room: How to Communicate to Be Seen, Heard and Respected, to dig into the psychology behind how founders show up, build trust, and close deals. Jake created NeuroStrategy — a practical framework for reading people in real time — and he pulls zero punches here. We get into why founders who say "I'm not a salesperson" are actually selling themselves better than they think, the power of transferring passion instead of running a script, and why letting your humanness show is a bigger competitive advantage than any polished brand presence. We also cover the art of using silence and tension to hold your price, how "intentional networking" can generate 360 solid connections in a year, and why authenticity is now the sharpest differentiator in an AI-saturated world. Jake shares the story behind his book — including a personal chapter on overcoming opioid dependency — and why vulnerability is a feature, not a flaw. If you're a founder trying to communicate with confidence, influence at scale, or simply close more deals by being more yourself, this conversation is for you. Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ Guest Info Jake Stahl Podcast: Own the Room with Jake Stahl Book: Own the Room: How to Communicate to Be Seen, Heard and Respected — available on Amazon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakestahl/ TikTok / YouTube / Social: @OwntheRoomwithJakeStahl 00:00 Introduction01:04 Jake explains what he does02:12 Live presence feedback for Bradley03:51 What founders get wrong about selling05:48 Reveling in failure to fuel growth07:47 The power of reframing mistakes09:24 How to handle being emotionally knocked down10:50 Early-stage presence on a tight budget13:09 Being human vs. being credible15:47 Why talking like a friend outperforms any sales script18:21 Product-led trust: building presence through content20:17 Human presence in an AI-driven world22:35 AI and standing out from more competitors27:34 How tension creates trust in negotiations29:18 Why discounting signals low confidence31:41 The psychology of silence in sales33:43 Building influence and becoming a speaker34:49 Intentional networking: the 2x2 strategy37:49 Keys to building influence at scale40:49 Authenticity as a content strategy41:37 Jake's story: vulnerability and the book41:49 Jake's shameless plug and how to connect

    43 min

  6. MAR 12

    Honestly? I Thought This Would Be Easy

    Six years into building Mylance, I'm sharing the messy, unfiltered emotional journey of what it actually takes to go from corporate high-performer to founder — and why the gap between expectation and reality nearly broke me. When I left Uber in 2018, I had launched billion-dollar business lines and convinced myself that building my own company would be a natural next step. I was wrong. What followed were years of scattered product decisions, self-doubt, comparison, and a crushing sense of being "behind." I tied my entire identity to the business — and when results didn't match the vision, it hit hard. Three emotional shifts changed everything for me. First, I had to decouple my self-worth from my company's performance. Second, I had to stop comparing myself — not just to other founders, but to the version of myself I'd imagined I'd be by now. Third, I had to release the illusion of control and learn to trust the process instead of the spreadsheet model. The businesses that scale don't do everything — they solve one narrow problem extraordinarily well. I wasn't doing that. But every "wrong" turn taught me something I couldn't have learned any other way. Wherever you are in your founder journey, you're not behind. You're exactly where you need to be. Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Introduction 00:09 Bradley's founder journey begins 00:56 Coming off a billion-dollar run at Uber 1:17 When reality didn't match expectations 2:16 Spotting the fractional market opportunity 3:04 The $100M fantasy — and why it fell apart 3:57 Building an advisor team with no founders 4:33 Scaling products vs. finding product-market fit 5:27 The Salesforce focus lesson 5:51 Chasing too many products at once 6:38 Three emotional shifts that changed everything 6:59 Shift 1: Decoupling identity from the business 7:14 A coach's question that stopped Bradley cold 8:22 Shift 2: Letting go of "I should be further along" 9:03 Shift 3: Releasing the illusion of control 9:30 Process over spreadsheet models 10:38 Reframing failure as foundation 11:13 The Uber rejection that became a gift 12:16 Trusting the timeline you're actually on 13:16 Why the "perfect" fantasy has no lessons 14:19 Spiritual trust and the founder mindset 14:52 What Bradley would tell his year-three self 15:20 A message for every founder feeling behind 15:44 What Mylance is building right now 16:24 Wrap-up and call to action

    17 min
  7. Why Confidence Matters More Than Strategy with Julee Gracey

    MAR 5

    Why Confidence Matters More Than Strategy with Julee Gracey

    Most founders have the skills — but not the confidence to sell them. Business coach and author Julee Gracey joins Bradley Jacobs to break down why confidence is the real driver behind sales, visibility, and sustainable business growth. Julee shares her journey from international modeling and TV to selling millions in real estate to coaching founders and executives — and the frameworks she uses to help entrepreneurs stop second-guessing themselves and start showing up. From her time audit method (which uncovered 97 wasted hours in one month for a single client) to her approach to emotional intelligence in sales, this conversation is packed with actionable tools. Bradley and Julee also discuss Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and why making people feel heard is the single most powerful thing you can do in a sales conversation. If you're a founder who knows you need to put yourself out there more, struggles with self-promotion, or just wants to sell with less friction and more confidence — this one's for you. Connect with Julee Gracey: Book: Highly Confident — available on Amazon (audiobook now available)Website & Coaching: juleegracey.comInstagram: @juleegraceyLearn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Introduction & Julee's background 01:10 The driving force behind her career pivots 02:34 Why she walked away from real estate 04:58 Discovering her mentorship superpower 07:07 Modeling, identity, and building thick skin 10:10 How to not take rejection personally 13:37 It's usually not about you 15:40 The two-minute pity party strategy 18:34 Communication, listening & marriage lessons 21:50 Defining emotional intelligence in leadership 24:36 Why EQ matters for business growth 26:37 Never Split the Difference & feeling heard 27:46 Controlling the sale while listening 28:03 The #1 principle from Highly Confident 30:26 The 15-minute time audit explained 34:03 Why every founder needs a coach 36:05 The 80% prospecting rule for founders 36:34 Overcoming fear of self-promotion 40:15 Building resilience from within 43:43 How to work with Julee Gracey

    46 min

  8. FEB 26

    "Ship the Damn Thing" with Bradley Jacobs

    What does it actually take to build something that lasts — and what's quietly holding you back? This week Bradley Jacobs sits down with Ty Hammond on the True Leadership Podcast to get real about the mindset and inner work behind Mylance's journey. Bradley opens up about his early days at Uber — including a $20,000 mistake he made in his third week on the job — and what his first boss there taught him about leadership that actually works: care for your people, invest in their growth, and watch everything else follow. It's a model he's carried into how he leads his own team at Mylance today. The conversation goes deep on what true leadership looks like in practice — why the best leaders aim to not be needed, how to understand what actually motivates your team (hint: it's not always money), and why asking direct, consistent questions in 1-on-1s is one of the most underrated tools a founder has. Bradley also reflects on his own growing edge: the fear that quietly runs the show, the ownership mindset that drives him, and why he believes the inner work is the real reason Mylance is still going. If you've ever felt like fear might be holding you back, this one's for you. Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Introduction & episode overview 01:20 About Bradley Jacobs & Mylance 02:51 Early leadership influences 03:05 The $20K Uber mistake & what followed 04:52 How genuine care shows up in leadership 05:19 What made his first boss different 06:44 How caring leadership benefited Uber 07:14 Ownership mindset & the "be an owner" culture 08:35 What true leadership means to Bradley 09:00 Hiring smarter people & getting ego out of the way 10:30 Understanding what truly motivates people 11:00 The CTO bonus story — money vs. recognition 12:00 How to uncover what motivates your team 12:22 Asking direct questions & consistent check-ins 13:43 Ownership as a core motivator for entrepreneurs 14:14 Inner work, impact, and why Bradley keeps building

    16 min
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About

Formerly Six Figure Secrets of Fractional Experts, Founder Unfiltered is the show about the stuff founders don't talk about: the identity crisis when you go from operator to leader, the weird shame of self-promotion, the gap between who you are and who your business needs you to be. Hosted by Bradley Jacobs, founder of Mylance — a LinkedIn thought leadership platform for B2B founders — this show gets into the psychology, the patterns, and the honest conversations that actually move the needle. No hacks. No hype. Just the raw truth about what's really holding you back.

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