I Have Some Questions...

Erik Berglund
  • 5.0 (40)
  • MANAGEMENT

Most people know the headline of a leader’s story. Few know the path it took to get there. This podcast goes beyond titles, book launches and business wins, to explore the lived journey behind the thought leader. Through deep, unhurried conversations, we uncover the moments that shaped them—the doubts, pivots, convictions, and quiet breakthroughs that built their body of work. Each episode features authors, coaches, executives, and bold thinkers who have forged their own path. Instead of rehearsed talking points, they’re invited into a space where thoughtful questions unlock something more human. The result is a layered conversation that reveals not just what they preach, but how they became the kind of person who can teach it.Because we believe the best stories aren’t always told—they’re revealed. And when brilliant people are given the right questions and the room to answer them fully, what emerges is insight you can feel, frameworks you can apply, and a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to lead, create, and contribute at a meaningful level. 

  1. 1D AGO

    141: "True Buy-In Comes From Involvement" (reflections on Ashley Falsafi)

    🧠 Erik’s Take In this reflection episode, Erik revisits his conversation with Ashley Falsafi and pulls out the leadership principles that stuck with him most — especially around trust, mentorship, and buy-in. What stood out wasn’t flashy strategy or bold executive vision. It was something simpler and harder: earning credibility the right way. Erik unpacks how Ashley built trust without being the technical expert, why most people misunderstand mentorship, and how real buy-in isn’t forced — it’s co-created. 🎯 Top Insights from the Interview Trust is earned through contribution. Ashley built early credibility by fixing broken systems, improving efficiency, and making his team’s lives easier.Fight for your people — but hold them accountable first. You can’t advocate upward if your team isn’t delivering downward.Mentorship isn’t luck — it’s initiative. Veterans will give back if you show up prepared and don’t waste their time.Buy-in comes from involvement. The best ideas aren’t implemented top-down — they’re refined with the people who live them every day.Psychological safety fuels better solutions. If people feel safe telling you what’s “good, bad, and ugly,” your ideas actually improve.🧩 The Personal Layer Erik openly shares that he “botched” earning trust early in his leadership career. That tension — between wanting authority and actually earning credibility — is one most leaders feel but rarely admit. What resonated deeply was Ashley’s approach: Put wins on the board that matter to your team.Represent them well in rooms they don’t sit in.Hold them accountable so you can fight for them with integrity.Erik also highlights something subtle but powerful: many leaders accidentally believe their ideas should be the ones implemented. But mature leadership means recognizing that your role isn’t to be the smartest voice in the room — it’s to facilitate the best solution. 🧰 From Insight to Action If you’re leading people right now, here’s where Erik challenges you: Audit your trust equity. Have you actually helped your team win lately?Reframe mentorship. Who could you ask for help this month — and what specific agenda would you bring?Test your buy-in strategy. The next time you have an idea, present it as Version 1.0 and invite critique.Create safety deliberately. Are your people comfortable telling you what’s broken?Leadership isn’t about having the answers. It’s about building the environment where better answers emerge. 🗣️ Notable Quotes “Will you fight for me?” — That’s the question every team member is silently asking. “Spending time with you isn’t a waste. Showing up unprepared is.” “If they don’t like it, it doesn’t matter what I say.” “A lot of your ideas shouldn’t be the ones implemented.” 🔗Links & Resources Listen to Ashley Falsafi's Episode

    9 min
  2. 140: Ashley Falsafi: "Leadership Skills Are Mostly Portable"

    3D AGO

    140: Ashley Falsafi: "Leadership Skills Are Mostly Portable"

    Ashley Falsafi didn’t take the traditional path into sales—or leadership. From operations to high-ticket sales to COO of an oil brokerage education company, Ashley’s journey challenges the myth that you have to “come up through the ranks” to lead effectively. In this conversation, Erik and Ashley unpack what leadership really requires: clarity, empathy, accountability, and the courage to have hard conversations. They explore how leadership skills transfer across industries, why mentorship accelerates growth, and what it takes to scale both teams and yourself in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. 👤 About the Guest Ashley Falsafi is the COO of Build-A-Farm, a high-ticket oil brokerage educational platform that helps everyday individuals learn how to broker oil and gas deals.  With a background spanning operations, sales leadership, supply chain, and organizational design, Ashley specializes in building scalable systems and mentoring emerging leaders. He’s passionate about operational excellence, team structure, and developing leadership skills that transcend industry.  🧭 Conversation Highlights From Ops to Sales to COO: Why Ashley intentionally moved into sales—and why he chose leadership over closing.Leadership Is Portable: What translates across industries—and what absolutely doesn’t.Small Wins, Big Momentum: How Ashley earned credibility with sales teams without being a closer.Mentorship as a Force Multiplier: Why proactively seeking mentors accelerated his career trajectory.Empathy + Accountability: The tension most leaders get wrong—and how to balance both.💡 Key Takeaways Leadership skills are transferable. If you can set expectations, build trust, and hold people accountable, you can lead almost any team.Credibility is earned through contribution. Early operational wins created buy-in from skeptical sales managers.Empathy builds influence—but without accountability, it backfires. Great leaders care deeply and still expect performance.Mentorship requires initiative. The best mentors don’t chase you—you come prepared with specific questions.Structure enables scale. As companies grow, clearly defined roles and processes become mission-critical. ❓ Questions That Mattered What draws someone intentionally into sales—and what keeps them there?Can you effectively lead salespeople without being a salesperson?How do you earn buy-in from a team that doubts your experience?What separates empathy from enabling?How should leaders prepare their teams for AI-driven change?🗣️ Notable Quotes “There are often things that aren’t our fault—but they’re still our responsibility.” “I can teach you spreadsheets. I can’t easily teach you how to lead.” “Once they knew I cared about them, buy-in became easy.” “The further up you go, the more people your decisions affect.” “If I would have learned earlier that empathy creates influence, I would’ve gone faster.” 🔗 Links & Resources Check out Ashley Falsafi's LinkedIn ProfileHappy Brain Science's Website

    1h 27m
  3. 139: "What Happens When Efforts Don't Translate to Outcomes?" ft. Alli Murphy

    5D AGO

    139: "What Happens When Efforts Don't Translate to Outcomes?" ft. Alli Murphy

    In this episode, Erik and Alli unpack one of the most frustrating leadership scenarios: when growth outpaces execution—and your team’s hard-earned wins start slipping away. Instead of diving into operational fixes, they go deeper into the leadership challenge: how to keep people motivated, aligned, and trusting the mission when their effort feels wasted. From naming hard truths to redefining what leadership looks like in messy moments, this conversation is a masterclass in leading through tension, uncertainty, and imperfect systems. 🧭 Conversation Highlights The real problem isn’t operational—it’s emotional  When effort doesn’t translate to outcomes, motivation and trust are what’s actually at risk. “Name what’s happening” as a leadership starting point  Avoiding reality or spinning the situation erodes trust faster than the problem itself. The Anchor & Edge Framework  Clarify what isn’t changing (mission, values, standards) while acknowledging what is uncertain. The “What’s True?” exercise  Leaders must get brutally honest about reality before they can guide others through it. Turning setbacks into shared experiences  Hard situations can fracture teams—or become the exact thing that bonds them. 💡 Key Takeaways Truth builds trust—spin destroys it  Leaders who sugarcoat reality lose credibility quickly. Effort without results still needs meaning  People don’t just want success—they want their work to matter. Constraints create leadership opportunities  When you can’t fix the system, you can still shape how your team responds. Motivation isn’t always about pushing harder  Sometimes it’s about redirecting energy—rest, creativity, or long-delayed improvements. Leadership is revealed in imperfect conditions  Anyone can lead when things work. Real leadership shows up when they don’t. ❓ Questions That Mattered  What do you say to a team when their effort isn’t translating into results?  How do you maintain trust when outcomes are out of your control?  What’s actually “true” about the situation—and what story are we telling ourselves?  How do you balance empathy with accountability in frustrating moments?  Who are you going to be as a leader when things don’t go as planned? 🗣️ Notable Quotes  “Don’t put lipstick on a pig. Call it what it is.”  “We long for meaning—we want the stuff we do to matter.”  “A lot of things can suck and still be worth making the most of.”  “Who are you in this situation?”  “Make the most of it.” 🔗 Links & Resources  Listen to other episodes co-hosted with Alli

    12 min

  4. APR 10

    138: "The Key to Knowing How to Develop Mutually Beneficial Relationships" (reflections on Charles Byrd)

    🧠 Erik’s Take In this reflective follow-up, Erik unpacks the brilliance behind Charles Byrd’s joint venture framework—and why it hit deeper than just “networking advice.” What stood out wasn’t hype. It was structure. Charles doesn’t just believe in relationships. He has a repeatable system for developing them at scale—without becoming transactional, manipulative, or inauthentic. And that tension between systemization and humanity is where Erik found the gold. From contact capture hacks to redefining what a “winning outcome” actually means, this episode explores how intentionality transforms casual connections into meaningful opportunity. 🎯 Top Insights from the Interview Handing out your contact info is useless. If you don’t capture theirs—and do it well—the relationship dies before it starts.Follow-up isn’t optional. It’s owned. Taking 100% responsibility for moving conversations forward eliminates the “we should connect sometime” black hole.If someone comes to mind, ping them. Genuine touchpoints don’t require strategy—just attention.You don’t need to be an extrovert. Systems and technology can offset social energy limitations.Predefined mutual winning outcomes change the game. Going into conversations with multiple potential paths to value expands what’s possible beyond just money.🧩 The Personal Layer This conversation stretched Erik’s thinking in three key ways: 1. Structure Creates Freedom Growing a network intentionally at scale without a system is chaotic. Charles’ playbook made it clear: relationship-building doesn’t have to be random. 2. Winning Outcomes Are Bigger Than Revenue A win could be: A trusted advisorA stageA podcastAn introductionA long-term strategic ally3. The Reciprocity Trap Is Real There’s a difference between mutuality and scorekeeping. Erik reflects on a personal story where generosity turned into expectation—and why authentic orbit-building feels completely different than transactional follow-up. 🧰 From Insight to Action Erik challenges listeners to experiment with three moves: Upgrade Your Contact Capture. Screenshot the contact exchange. Take the selfie. Eliminate next-day friction.Take Ownership of Follow-Up. Don't wait. Book the call immediately—or send the link on the spot.Predefine Multiple Wins Before your next meeting, ask: “What are three mutually beneficial outcomes that could exist here?”🗣️ Notable Quotes “Handing out your contact information is useless.” “If someone comes to mind, ping them.” “Predefined mutual winning outcomes expand the game.” “You want to water the tree that’s bearing fruit—without keeping score.” 🔗 Links & Resources Listen to Charles Byrd's Episode

    14 min
  5. 137: Charles Byrd: "Mastering Follow-Ups Is a Necessity"

    APR 8

    137: Charles Byrd: "Mastering Follow-Ups Is a Necessity"

    In this conversation, Erik sits down with Charles Byrd—joint venture strategist and founder of PureJV—to unpack the systems, psychology, and subtle habits that turn conversations into million-dollar opportunities. From mastering follow-up at scale to avoiding the “reciprocation trap,” Charles reveals how warm traffic, intentional relationship building, and structured deal flow can outperform paid ads and cold outreach every time. If you’ve ever left an event thinking, “That had potential…”—this episode shows you how to turn potential into partnership. 👤 About the Guest Charles Byrd is the CEO of CharlesByrd.com and founder of PureJV. A former Silicon Valley director at a billion-dollar software company, Charles left corporate life to build a relationship-first business model rooted in joint ventures and partnerships. He has helped clients generate seven-figure deals, land major speaking opportunities, and scale through warm traffic strategies—adding up to tens of millions in revenue through partnerships alone. His work has been featured in Forbes, ABC News, SiriusXM, Funnel Magazine, and more. He’s also the author of Internet Marketing Secrets, a bestselling book on Amazon. 🧭 Conversation Highlights The “Half-Life of the Warm & Fuzzy” – Why relationships decay quickly after events—and how to prevent it.The Bird Bump System – Charles’ surprisingly tactical framework for capturing contacts, booking calls on the spot, and eliminating follow-up friction.The Triple Win Conversation Flow – A structure that aligns predefined outcomes without becoming transactional.Warm Traffic vs. Paid Ads – Why referrals and partnerships convert 2–20x better than cold traffic.Abundance vs. Reciprocation Trap – How to give freely without keeping score—or getting taken advantage of.From Value to Deal in One Call – Guiding conversations toward outcomes without pressure or awkwardness.AI as a Force Multiplier – How Charles equips his team to use AI not as a replacement, but as a creative accelerator.💡 Key Takeaways Relationships are learnable. You don’t have to be an extrovert—you need a framework.If someone comes to mind, ping them. Top-of-mind presence creates unexpected opportunity.Responsibility > Fault. Even when something isn’t your fault, it may still be your responsibility.Warm introductions transfer trust. A referral collapses skepticism instantly.Mutual value beats transactional deals. True partnerships serve the end user first.❓ Questions That Mattered How do you scale personal connection without losing authenticity?What makes someone a high-quality partnership fit beyond revenue?How do you give generously without falling into the reciprocation trap?What psychological barriers stop entrepreneurs from pursuing joint ventures?How do you lead a team in an AI-powered world without creating fear?🗣️ Notable Quotes “There’s a half-life to the warm and fuzzy.” “A lot of things happen that aren’t our fault—but they’re still our responsibility.” “If someone comes to mind, that’s enough of a reason to reach out.” “Warm traffic converts two to three times better—sometimes twenty times better.” “Money follows alignment. It shouldn’t be the driver.” 🔗 Links & Resources Check out Charles' website: charlesbyrd.comCharle's Flow Mastermind: flow.charlesbyrd.comInternet Marketing Secrets, Bestselling book by Charles Byrd - Find it on Amazon

    1h 1m
  6. 136: "Should You Avoid or Plan For Conversational Landmines?" ft. Alli Murphy

    APR 6

    136: "Should You Avoid or Plan For Conversational Landmines?" ft. Alli Murphy

    A real-world leadership scenario sparks a deep, practical conversation between Erik and Alli: how to deliver difficult organizational news that may feel like a step backward for someone—even when it’s the right move. This episode unpacks how leaders can navigate emotional complexity, maintain trust, and turn potentially damaging moments into opportunities for growth, clarity, and connection. It’s not about saying the perfect thing—it’s about showing up the right way. 🧭 Conversation Highlights Reframing “demotion” into support  Reporting closer to the CEO may feel prestigious—but it often comes with chaos. A strong middle layer can actually create more clarity, guidance, and success.The power of knowing your people  Positioning a change as a “win” only works if you deeply understand what that person values, wants, and struggles with.Process over outcome in hard conversations  Great leaders define success by how they show up—not by how the other person reacts.Unexpected moments = trust-building opportunities  Surprising, emotional conversations are rare—and powerful chances to demonstrate genuine care and humanity.Preparing for “landmines”  Anticipating tough reactions (like “Was I considered for that role?”) allows leaders to respond with clarity instead of defensiveness.💡 Key Takeaways Leadership isn’t about avoiding discomfort—it’s about navigating it well.You can’t control reactions, but you can control your presence.Empathy without direction leads nowhere; empathy + clarity builds trust.Organizational growth often creates more opportunity—not less.The hardest conversations are often the most defining leadership moments.❓ Questions That Mattered What does this person actually want—and how well do you know it?What’s the shared win in this situation?What would success look like for you in this conversation?What’s the “landmine” you’re most afraid of stepping on?If you had six months of runway, how would you have prepared them differently?🗣️ Notable Quotes “A lot of leadership is helping people see a change as a win—because it actually can be.” “You can’t control how they react—but you can control how you show up.” “Decouple doing a good job from whether the other person feels happy.” “You don’t get many moments like this—so how you show up really matters.” “You can plan for landmines, but you can’t control them.” 🔗 Links & Resources Listen to other episodes co-hosted with Alli

    14 min

  7. APR 3

    135: "Sometimes You Don't Need The Final Roadmap; a Destination Will Do" (reflections on Andrea Brown)

    🧠 Erik’s Take In this reflection, Erik unpacks his conversation with Andrea Brown — and admits something uncomfortable: he wasn’t fully sold on her exit-strategy-first mindset at first. The big idea that stuck? You don’t have to know exactly how your business will end… but if you’re not clear on what you want the end to look like, you can’t be strategic on the way there. This episode is a real-time processing of that shift in thinking — especially as Erik contrasts his two businesses: one with a clear exit path, one without. The difference in clarity? It’s shaping how decisions get made. He also digs into the dangerous temptation to treat AI as strategy — instead of what it really is: a tool that amplifies whatever foundation already exists. 🎯 Top Insights from the Interview Exit clarity creates strategic clarity. You don’t need the exact roadmap — but you need a destination.Mythology distorts reality. It’s easy to look back at Apple or Amazon and assume they had total clarity from day one. They likely didn’t — but they did move toward a direction.Capital deployment reveals strategy gaps. Most strategic mistakes show up when money, time, and talent are invested in the wrong direction.AI is not a strategy. It accelerates whatever already exists — clarity or chaos.Efficiency without direction is dangerous. Getting somewhere faster doesn’t help if you’re headed the wrong way. 🧩 The Personal Layer Erik reflects candidly on the tension between theory and lived experience. For his service-based business, Language of Leadership, the exit isn’t obvious. It’s harder to conceptualize what selling or transitioning that business would look like. But for Luminary? The exit path is much clearer — and it’s already influencing how they hire, invest, and move. That contrast made Andrea’s argument land. It’s not about knowing every step. It’s about choosing a direction — so forks in the road don’t feel random. 🧰 From Insight to Action If this episode hit close to home, here are a few practical next steps:Write down your desired exit — even if it feels speculative.Audit your last 3 major investments. Did they clearly align with that direction?Before adopting new AI tools, ask: What objective is this accelerating?Define how you’ll measure whether an AI experiment worked.Identify one area where you might be scaling chaos instead of clarity. 🗣️ Notable Quotes “If you don’t know where you’re going, getting there faster doesn’t help.” “You don’t have to know exactly how the exit happens — but you do need a direction.” “There’s no efficient way to do something that doesn’t need to be done.” “AI amplifies whatever foundation already exists.” 🔗 Links and Resources Listen to Andrea Brown's Episode

    9 min
  8. 134: Andrea Brown: "If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Path Will Get You There"

    APR 1

    134: Andrea Brown: "If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Path Will Get You There"

    In this episode, Erik sits down with business strategist and author Andrea Brown to unpack one of the most misused words in business: strategy. Together, they explore why most companies start with momentum instead of direction, why exit strategy should shape decisions from day one, and how the AI gold rush is exposing companies that never built a strategic foundation in the first place. 👤 About the Guest Andrea Brown is a business strategist and author of A Business That Works For You. She helps companies clarify direction, eliminate operational chaos, and build scalable strategy across finance, operations, people, and marketing. Her work focuses on aligning every department to a core guiding strategy — so growth doesn’t become accidental, fragile, or self-sabotaging. 🧭 Conversation Highlights Why strategy must begin with the end: exit clarity shapes everythingThe difference between reacting to trends and building intentional directionWhy “growth strategy” isn’t actually a strategyHow siloed departments quietly sabotage scaleThe real story behind companies like Sears, Blockbuster, and NetflixWhy AI is a tool — not a replacement for leadershipThe dangers of “random acts of AI” implementationHow AI can radically improve training and productivityWhy creativity remains the irreplaceable human advantageThe concept of agentic AI supercharging employees instead of replacing them💡 Key Takeaways If you don’t know where you want to go, you can’t build real strategy.Strategy is a guide, not a rigid rule — it must be adaptable and dynamic.Every department needs its own strategy — but all must align to the core direction.AI amplifies what already exists. Organized companies scale. Chaotic companies break.The future belongs to companies that use AI to elevate people, not eliminate them.❓ Questions That Mattered What is strategy actually — and what do most businesses get wrong about it?Why should exit strategy be considered from day one?What causes mature companies like Sears or Blockbuster to miss pivotal shifts?How do you scale without scaling chaos?What’s the right way to integrate AI without destabilizing culture?How can AI become a productivity multiplier instead of a fear trigger?🗣️ Notable Quotes “Strategy is guidance. It’s not a rigid rule.” “If you don’t know where you want to take the business, you can’t build the strategy to get there.” “AI is only as good as the human using it.” “You don’t need to know the future. You need to know the direction.” “Creativity is where humans win.” 🔗 Links & Resources Frequency110's Website: www.frequency110.comCheck out Andrea's LinkedIn

    1h 12m
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5
out of 5
40 Ratings

About

Most people know the headline of a leader’s story. Few know the path it took to get there. This podcast goes beyond titles, book launches and business wins, to explore the lived journey behind the thought leader. Through deep, unhurried conversations, we uncover the moments that shaped them—the doubts, pivots, convictions, and quiet breakthroughs that built their body of work. Each episode features authors, coaches, executives, and bold thinkers who have forged their own path. Instead of rehearsed talking points, they’re invited into a space where thoughtful questions unlock something more human. The result is a layered conversation that reveals not just what they preach, but how they became the kind of person who can teach it.Because we believe the best stories aren’t always told—they’re revealed. And when brilliant people are given the right questions and the room to answer them fully, what emerges is insight you can feel, frameworks you can apply, and a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to lead, create, and contribute at a meaningful level. 

Information

  • Creator
    Erik Berglund
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    139
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 I Have Some Questions...
  • Show Website
    I Have Some Questions...