Get Unstuck & On Target

Mike O'Neill
  • 4.7 (13)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

We're interviewing inspiring business leaders to uncover tips - and tools - to help you break down the barriers that are keeping... you.... stuck.

  1. Ep240 Mark Mixer - Take Back Control of Your Health Benefits and Lead Like a Fiduciary

    3d ago

    Ep240 Mark Mixer - Take Back Control of Your Health Benefits and Lead Like a Fiduciary

    Ever feel like your annual benefits renewal is a negotiation you're not allowed to walk away from? In this episode of Get Unstuck & On Target, host Mike O'Neill sits down with Mark Mixer, CEO of Health One Alliance and Alliant Health Plans, who has spent 40 years helping employers stop handing off their benefits strategy and start owning it. Mark works with companies to move away from the passive, broker-dependent renewal cycle toward a model that actually fits the way employees live and work. Mark walks Mike through how ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements) works as a defined-contribution alternative to traditional group health plans. The comparison to the 401k is direct: instead of picking a plan for everyone, employers give employees a dollar amount and let them choose coverage that fits their family, their doctors, and their budget. In seven years of running this model, Mark says he has never had a client go back to traditional coverage. Three key topics to look out for: - How ICHRA shifts the benefits decision from employer-picks to employee-chooses, and why companies that make the move stay with it - The compliance exposure hiding inside level-funded plans and why most small employers have no idea they're carrying it - Mark's own getting unstuck moment: the culture shift from "we can't do it for everyone" to "if we can do it for one, we do it" Find all the show notes and links here:  https://www.unstuck.show/240

    35 min
  2. Ep239 Nick Bennett—Bridge the Recognition Gap and Turn Your Expertise Into Predictable Growth

    May 28

    Ep239 Nick Bennett—Bridge the Recognition Gap and Turn Your Expertise Into Predictable Growth

    Do you know the exact problem you solve? And can you say it in a way that makes the right people stop and take notice? In this episode of Get Unstuck & On Target, host Mike O'Neill sits down with Nick Bennett, co-founder of Duo Consulting, who works with solopreneurs and independent consultants stuck below their growth ceiling because their value isn't clearly recognized, packaged, or claimed. Nick, with experience working alongside more than 100 solopreneurs and micro-agency owners, introduces a concept he calls the recognition gap: the distance between the value an expert actually creates and the value the market clearly sees. In a grounded, practical conversation, Nick and Mike dig into why capable professionals stay trapped in referral dependency loops, why expertise alone doesn't create market recognition, and what it actually takes to build a business where the right clients find you. Three key topics to look out for: - The CP3 framework: why clarifying the problem you solve, the person you solve it for, and the process you use is the foundation of everything else - How mindset and limiting beliefs quietly determine who breaks through the revenue wall, regardless of their follower count or bank balance - What "marketing the problem" actually means, and how it creates a categorical difference that removes comparison shopping entirely Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/239

    33 min
  3. Ep238 Sara Branch—Network With Intention and Build Relationships That Compound

    May 14

    Ep238 Sara Branch—Network With Intention and Build Relationships That Compound

    Ever walked out of a networking event with a stack of business cards and nothing to show for it? In this episode of Get Unstuck & On Target, host Mike O'Neill sits down with Sara Branch, founder of Branch Consulting Group, who has spent nearly a decade helping entrepreneurs and sales professionals rethink how they build relationships for lasting business growth. Sara, with her background spanning corporate sales, community building, and her own consulting practice, draws a clear and practical line between socializing and networking. In a direct, grounded conversation, Sara and Mike dig into why most professionals walk into events without a plan, why elevator pitches fall flat every time, and what separates relationships that deepen over years from the ones that stall after the first coffee meeting. Three key topics to look out for: - Why going in with a simple goal changes your entire posture at a networking event, and how Sara's 5-person plan puts you on track immediately - The shift from collecting business cards to collecting dates, and why only one of them produces real business relationships - How a mindset of genuine connection, focused on who you can introduce rather than what you can get, is what makes professional relationships compound over time Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/238

    33 min
  4. Ep237 Stuart Wachs - Uncover the Hidden Alignment Gaps and Build a Team That Executes

    Apr 30

    Ep237 Stuart Wachs - Uncover the Hidden Alignment Gaps and Build a Team That Executes

    Are you surrounded by talented people but still struggling to turn strategy into results? In this episode of Get Unstuck & On Target, host Mike O'Neill sits down with Stuart Wachs, founder of Impact Group, who spent more than two decades in the CEO seat leading turnarounds and scaling organizations across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Stuart doesn't separate strategy from culture — he's seen firsthand how they rise or fall together, and he brings the practitioner's perspective that most leadership conversations are missing. Stuart and Mike get practical fast, covering what a truly aligned leadership team actually looks like, where ownership breaks down even with talented people around the table, and what leaders can do this week to start closing the gap between where they are and where they intend to go. Three key topics to look out for: The function chart exercise that exposes exactly who owns what — and what it means when nobody doesWhy people-centric leadership falls apart when leaders don't visibly live it themselvesThe one conversation your leadership team should have this week to move from activity to real alignment Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/237

    27 min
  5. Ep236 Steve Ramona - Lead with Service and Build the Relationships That Change Everything

    Apr 15

    Ep236 Steve Ramona - Lead with Service and Build the Relationships That Change Everything

    What does it actually take to build a network that works — one that creates real opportunity, real impact, and real growth? In this episode of Get Unstuck & On Target, host Mike O'Neill sits down with Steve Ramona, a super connector and servant leader who has helped generate over a billion dollars in project impact by doing one thing exceptionally well: bringing the right people together. Steve is the host of the top-ranked podcast Doing Business with a Servant's Heart, where he's had nearly 900 guests, and he's built his entire approach around a philosophy that most business owners overlook — that service is strategic, not soft. Steve, with his decades of experience building relationships across industries, shares his proven framework for moving from transactional networking to transformational connection, explaining why your people asset is the most undervalued resource in your business. In a conversation packed with practical insight, Steve and Mike explore how intentional introductions create compound returns, why your income reflects the quality of your inner circle, and what one specific action you can take this week to immediately expand your network and your impact. Three key topics to look out for: The difference between transactional and transformational connection — and how to make the shiftWhy video introductions are a powerful differentiator most people never useHow building the right inner circle directly drives income growth Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/236

    36 min
  6. Ep235 Peter Srodoski—From W2 Trap to Authority: How Your Book Becomes Your Freedom Plan

    Apr 1

    Ep235 Peter Srodoski—From W2 Trap to Authority: How Your Book Becomes Your Freedom Plan

    In this episode of Get Unstuck & On Target, host Mike O'Neill sits down with Pete Srodoski—former CEO, COO, and founder of Pathways Book Press—to explore how leaders trapped in the W2 world can leverage a book to scale their influence and income without trading more hours for dollars. Pete reveals the exact framework successful executives use to turn decades of expertise into tangible credibility... the kind that opens doors to consulting gigs, speaking opportunities, and training programs that run while you sleep. Mike and Pete break down why 95% of aspiring authors get stuck one-third through writing (and the strategic partnerships that fix it)... how to assess whether your idea has "legs" as a sellable book... and the ecosystem approach that transforms a single manuscript into audio courses, podcasts, and revenue streams. You'll learn how to use AI as a brainstorming partner without compromising authenticity... the difference between cheap self-publishing and professional authority-building... and Pete's "story arc" method for organizing complex business experience into digestible frameworks readers will actually apply. Whether you've been sitting on a book idea for years or you're ready to duplicate yourself beyond billable hours, this conversation will show you the next small step to take this week—and why "someday" needs a date on it. Watch or listen to discover how to turn your hard-won expertise into a legacy asset that works long after you've logged off. Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/235

    31 min
  7. Ep234 Machen MacDonald—When Success Feels Hollow: How to Move from Achievement to True Fulfillment

    Mar 18

    Ep234 Machen MacDonald—When Success Feels Hollow: How to Move from Achievement to True Fulfillment

    In this transformative conversation, executive coach Machen MacDonald reveals why so many successful leaders feel stuck at their peak—and what actually moves the needle when winning isn't enough anymore. Host Mike O'Neill guides Machen through a vulnerable exploration of the gap between achievement and fulfillment, uncovering why leaders calibrate instead of celebrate their wins. Listeners will learn how to recognize the three journeys every leader takes (the one they plan, the one they're on, and the one they wish they went on)... how to stop operating from doubt, fear, and anxiety and start leading from wisdom and love... and why "letting go" is actually the most powerful move a control-oriented leader can make. Machen shares raw insights from nearly 25 years of coaching, including how his marriage nearly ended when his business was thriving, what it means to "provoke brilliance" in yourself and others, and why joy won't enter a home where all emotions aren't welcome. Mike expertly draws out practical frameworks like the "Guide Your Mind" principle and helps Machen illustrate how celebrating success actually impacts physical health, relationships, and leadership capacity. Whether you're a CEO feeling the weight of decisions, a Vistage chair facilitating breakthrough conversations, or an executive who's checked every box but still feels empty, this episode offers a roadmap from success to significance—and permission to finally take in the view from your summit. Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/234

    34 min
  8. Ep233 Judi Harrington—From Stuck to Published: How Leaders Turn Expertise Into Books That Actually Matter

    Mar 4

    Ep233 Judi Harrington—From Stuck to Published: How Leaders Turn Expertise Into Books That Actually Matter

    Mike O'Neill sits down with certified book coach Judi Harrington to tackle the question more executives are asking than ever: "Should I write a book?" In this episode, you'll learn how to close the "recognition gap"—that space between being brilliant at what you do and being known for it. Judi breaks down the three mental blocks that keep leaders from starting, reveals why AI is a tool (not a replacement for your voice), and shares the simple "Think-Know-Do" framework to clarify your book's purpose before you write a single word. Mike and Judi explore how writing a book strengthens leadership by forcing clarity, builds credibility that opens doors to speaking engagements and high-value clients, and creates a lead generation tool that works 24/7. You'll discover the top 10 list exercise that turns everyday client conversations into book chapters, why books don't need to be 300 pages to make an impact, and what to do when you hit the inevitable wall of "stuckness" in the writing process. Whether you're author-curious or ready to commit, this episode gives you the practical next steps to move your idea from "someday" to "published." Find all the show notes and links here: https://www.unstuck.show/233

    30 min
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4.7
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

We're interviewing inspiring business leaders to uncover tips - and tools - to help you break down the barriers that are keeping... you.... stuck.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike O'Neill
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    239
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Get Unstuck & On Target
  • Show Website
    Get Unstuck & On Target