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. 5D AGO

    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
  2. 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

  3. 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
  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. FEB 19

    The Real Reason Your Marketing Is Not Working with Sara Nay

    Sara Nay didn't walk into Duct Tape Marketing as CEO — she started as an intern. Sixteen years later, she leads the company and has co-authored Unchained: Breaking Free from Broken Marketing Models, a book that challenges the traditional agency model and makes the case for why small businesses should own their marketing rather than outsource it entirely. Bradley Jacobs sits down with Sara to unpack what it actually takes to build a scalable marketing strategy — starting with the foundational work most businesses skip. Sara walks through Duct Tape Marketing's "Strategy First" process: brand audits, competitive research, ideal client profiling, and the Marketing Hourglass framework — a model designed to guide customers from awareness all the way through referral. She also shares her perspective on AI's role in marketing today, how to use it as a thought partner rather than a content-generation shortcut, and why generically AI-written content is one of the biggest threats to brand differentiation right now. The conversation also covers LinkedIn best practices for B2B founders, the importance of tracking beyond vanity metrics, and why packaging your services into a defined offer — rather than doing everything for everyone — is what allows you to scale without burning out. Sara's journey from introvert who dreaded public speaking to CEO running a 15-person team is a masterclass in growth mindset, intentional discomfort, and showing up consistently. Connect with Sara Nay: LinkedIn | ducttapemarketing.com 📖 Book mentioned: Unchained: Breaking Free from Broken Marketing Models by Sara Nay Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

    35 min

  7. FEB 12

    This Podcast Has a New Direction. Here’s Why.

    I'm making a major shift in this podcast's direction, and I want to bring you along for the journey. After six years of supporting fractional executives and independent consultants, I'm broadening the focus to serve all founders—because the challenges we face are universal. Whether you're selling expertise, building a product, or launching an agency, the emotional journey is remarkably similar: self-doubt, distractions, procrastination, and the constant question of sustainability. This pivot stems from a simple realization—I'm most passionate about supporting people who are truly committed to the founder journey. The tactical advice will continue, but I'm placing heavier emphasis on emotional regulation, navigating self-doubt, and building structures that work for your life. Because here's the truth: incredibly smart, hardworking people still struggle to bring products to market and build sustainable businesses. The only real failure is giving up. Founders are the backbone of innovation, solving the next generation of problems. But this journey forces you to face your fears, habits, and identity. I'll be sharing my own struggles with distraction and avoidance, and we'll navigate this together. Founders supporting founders—that's what this is about. Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Welcome and podcast direction shift 01:15 Why independent consulting became my passion 03:20 The key distinction between consultants and founders 05:45 Moving toward the emotional founder journey 07:30 What holds founders back from success 09:10 My personal struggle with distraction 11:40 Business as self-development journey 13:25 Why founders supporting founders matters 15:50 My advisor mistake early at Mylance 18:05 The rebrand and what's coming next 19:30 Mylance Stratus updates and LinkedIn power 20:45 Final thoughts and signing off

    15 min

  8. FEB 6

    The Uncomfortable Truth About Building a Sustainable Fractional Business with Scott Abbott

    Most entrepreneurs fail because they separate systems from soul, treating purpose and profit as opposing forces instead of complementary partners. Scott Abbott, founder, CEO, best-selling author, and coach with 35 years of experience building and scaling companies worldwide, joins Bradley Jacobs to dismantle this myth. Scott shares hard-earned lessons from raising $15 million in venture capital during the dot-com era, admitting he once didn't know the difference between a P&L and a BLT. Through conducting over 10,000 coaching sessions, he's developed practical frameworks that transform leadership theory into actionable utilities. His books "Boss Up" and "Boss Up Moments" focus on the nine core competencies that create sustainable business operating systems. The conversation explores why fractional work offers superior flexibility over traditional employment, with Scott advocating for a 65-70% contractor to 30-25% W2 employee split for optimal business health. Bradley and Scott discuss embracing hard things, doing work you don't want to do, and building measurables into every role—even for solopreneurs. They tackle AI integration, avoiding premature hiring, and revenue diversification strategies, including Scott's example of a semi-retired coaching friend earning $150K annually while maintaining additional income streams. The core message: success isn't permanent and failure isn't fatal, but good systems, structure, alignment, and smart goal-setting dramatically improve your odds of building a business that serves both your purpose and profit margin. Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 - Introduction to Scott Abbott 00:46 - What makes Scott different as coach 02:40 - Biggest entrepreneurial roadblocks 04:15 - Marrying purpose with profit 06:57 - Accountability for solopreneurs 08:53 - Installing systems as discipline 11:30 - Core competencies framework 14:45 - AI integration for businesses 18:20 - Avoiding premature hiring decisions 21:35 - Fractional vs full-time employees 24:50 - Multiple income stream strategies 28:10 - Progress over perfection mindset 31:45 - 65/70 contractor to W2 ratio 33:13 - Fractional work flexibility benefits 36:16 - How to work with Scott Abbott 37:44 - Final words on systemization 39:50 - Closing remarks

    40 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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