Underneath The Title: Conversations with leaders navigating leadership identity, growth, and the transition after exit

Kevin Simcock
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Underneath The Title is for leaders who are navigating pivotal moments of uncertainty in leadership identity, transitions, growth and building what's next after a career or business exit. The founders, executives, and senior leaders who show up here aren't talking about what worked. They're talking about what it actually costs to stay clear, trust your own judgment, and hold your internal ground when everything around you is shifting. After nearly three decades as a global leader, building Fortune 500 brands and mentoring senior leaders, I realized most leaders struggle quietly inside with the weight of high-stakes decisions and the identity loss after exiting a career or business. I know this first hand because I was one of those leaders. What you'll find here is what I call self-authority in motion. The internal struggles leaders face when options are endless, the pressure is real, and no one else can make the call for them.  If you feel like the hardest part of where you are right now isn't the strategy, it's managing the inner uncertainty while moving through it, you're in the right place. Visit kevinsimcock.com for more information

  1. 1D AGO

    The Hidden Cost of Exit: What No One Tells You About Exiting A Business & Executive Leadership

    Everyone talks about the exit. Nobody talks about what comes after it. If you've recently stepped away from a business you built, a company you led, or an executive role that defined you for decades and something feels off, you're not broken. You're navigating one of the most underestimated transitions a leader can face. In this episode of Underneath The Title, Kevin Simcock breaks down the three invisible costs of exit that high-performing leaders almost never see coming: identity shock, status withdrawal, and routine collapse. These aren't soft concepts. They are real, measurable forces that distort your decision-making, strain your relationships, and quietly erode the legacy you spent years building,  if you don't address them directly. Kevin draws on 25+ years of working with Fortune 500 leaders and founder-CEOs to explain why even the most accomplished executives are blindsided by exit, and what to actually do about it.   IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: Why identity fuses with your role over decades and what happens when that role disappears The three danger responses to status withdrawal that lead smart leaders into bad decisions How to design a new operating rhythm when the institutional structure that organized your life is gone The 90-day rule Kevin uses with every client post-exit Three conversations every leader needs to have before making any major next move   WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR: This episode is for founders and executives who have exited, or are preparing to exit, a business or senior leadership position and are navigating the identity, purpose, and direction questions that follow. If you've ever thought "I should be happy, why am I not?" after a successful exit, this one is for you.   CONNECT WITH KEVIN: Website: kevinsimcock.com Purchase Kevin Simcock's Book: Whose Ladder Is This? Available on Amazon Kindle, paperback and hardcover HERE Barnes & Noble here Indigo Books here Interested in working with Kevin visit kevinsimcock.com for more information. Check out more episodes of Underneath The Title on YouTube  https://youtube.com/@kevinsimcock Host: Kevin Simcock  LinkedIn Profile https://linkedin.com/kevin-simcock

    30 min

  2. FEB 6

    Finding Your Direction After Exiting a Corporate Career or Business Ownership

    Podcast Description: Finding Your Direction After the Exit Are you navigating the space between what was and what’s next? Whether you’ve recently sold a business, transitioned out of a long-term corporate executive role, or are simply hearing an inner voice suggesting you’re meant for something more, the path forward isn't always found by moving faster. It’s found by slowing down.   In this episode of Pivotal, host Kevin Simcock shares a foundational roadmap for professionals who are ready to decouple their identity from their titles and reclaim their self-authority. We dive into why the most productive thing you can do for your future career is to initially do nothing at all, and how to systematically "wipe the slate clean" to make room for a legacy with genuine meaning.  Key Points of Interest The 60-Day Decompression Rule: Why your body and mind require a minimum of two months to release the stress of "busy-ness" and break old corporate programming. The "Rearview" Evaluation: A step-by-step guide to documenting what you loved, what you tolerated, and what you refuse to carry into your next chapter. Identifying Your Non-Negotiables: How to filter your past experiences to find the five core values that will serve as your new compass. Designing the "Ideal Day" Blueprint: Moving beyond abstract goals to define the practical logistics of your life, from meeting times and travel to your revenue targets. Alignment Criteria: How to build a profile of your ideal clients and business partners based on character traits and shared conviction.   What You’ll Walk Away With After listening to this episode, you will have a clear, actionable framework to stop reacting to outside offers and start authoring your next chapter with intention. You’ll learn how to listen to your "inner calling" and apply it to practical avenues like fractional work, advisory roles, or passion ventures. Most importantly, you will have the permission to sit in stillness, knowing that clarity comes only when you stop forcing the results.    Ready to build what's next? * Visit: kevinsimcock.com to learn about mentorship and "The Inner Agency."    Purchase Kevin Simcock’s Book: Whose ladder Is This? Available on:  Amazon - Kindle, paperback and hardcover HERE Barnes & Noble – paperback and hardcover HERE Check out more episodes of Pivotal: http://www.youtube.com/@KevinSimcock-Pivotal Host: Kevin Simcock  LinkedIn Profile https://linkedin.com/kevin-simcock

    33 min
  3. New Beginnings: Building What's Next After Pivotal Transitions in Life

    JAN 27

    New Beginnings: Building What's Next After Pivotal Transitions in Life

    In this episode of Pivotal with Kevin Simcock, we are talking about new beginnings, and why they rarely feel like a fresh start at first. More often, they feel like an ending that left you standing in a quiet room with an empty calendar and a loud question: Who am I without the role? If you are a former executive, exited founder, or senior leader in transition, you might know the “dog off the leash moment.” The structure is gone. The title is gone. The pace that used to define you is gone. What is left is you, and the opportunity to build what’s next from truth instead of pressure. In this conversation, I share personal stories and the inner shift that changed everything for me: identity decoupling, reclaiming self-authority, and choosing a legacy after exit that actually feels like yours. Not the version that looks good on paper, but the one you can live with. You will leave with a grounded reflection you can use today:  Six months from now, what do you want to be true about you? What is one behaviour you will start today to build it, and one behaviour you will stop because it belongs to the old version of you? If this episode strikes a chord, share it with someone who might need it. And if you are navigating a career transition, executive exit, or founder reinvention and want support building what’s next, you can find me at kevinsimcock.com. ----- Purchase Kevin Simcock’s Book: Whose ladder Is This? Available on Amazon Kindle, paperback and hardcover HERE Interested in working with Kevin visit kevinsimcock.com for more information.  Check out more episodes of Pivotal: http://www.youtube.com/@KevinSimcock-Pivotal Host: Kevin Simcock  LinkedIn Profile https://linkedin.com/kevin-simcock

    26 min

  4. 12/11/2025

    Scaling You: The Inner Work Founders Must Consider to Grow Their Business

    Your business isn’t stalled because of your systems, team, market conditions, or even strategy. It’s stalled because of something far more uncomfortable. Something most leadership advice completely misses. You. In this episode of Pivotal, I break down the hidden force driving every decision, every bottleneck, every high-stakes moment in your business: your identity as a founder. Not the role. Not the title. The real you behind it. The version of you that shows up under pressure, risk and uncertainty. Most founders follow leadership advice built for corporations with layers of protection. But you don’t have that luxury. You are the business, which means your beliefs, fears, patterns and blind spots are either accelerating growth or quietly killing it. This episode digs into:  • The biggest leadership mistake founders make without knowing it  • Why your identity shapes revenue more than your strategy  • How control, fear and avoidance sabotage growth from the inside  • Real-world examples of leadership patterns that cost companies millions  • What actually changes when a founder evolves into the leader their next stage demands If you’re staring at a growth plateau, wondering what’s really going on, this conversation will give you a clear answer. And it might not be the answer you expected. This is the work that separates founders who scale from those who stall. Tune in, get honest, and see what version of you your business has been waiting for. Purchase Kevin Simcock’s Book: Whose ladder Is This? Available on Amazon Kindle, paperback and hardcover HERE Sign up to work with Kevin to see how he can help you and your business - https://www.kevinsimcock.com/partnershiprequest    Check out more episodes of Pivotal: http://www.youtube.com/@KevinSimcock-Pivotal Host: Kevin Simcock    LinkedIn Profile https://linkedin.com/kevin-simcock

    20 min

  5. 11/19/2025

    The Most Expensive Leadership Mistake: Leading From Misalignment

    When your business looks successful but feels off, something deeper is happening.  In this episode, Kevin breaks down one of the most expensive leadership mistakes: leading from misalignment. He shares how even high-performing founders lose clarity, why it stalls growth, and the simple steps that help you get unstuck and rebuild momentum.  If you have felt off but cannot explain why, this episode will hit home. Purchase Kevin Simcock’s New Book: Whose Ladder Is This? Available on Amazon Kindle, paperback and hardcover HERE In Whose Ladder Is This?, former global executive and creative strategist Kevin Simcock shares a raw, honest account of what happens when achievement no longer aligns with identity. After building billion-dollar brands and leading teams across continents, Kevin found himself furloughed at fifty, disconnected from his former self and unsure of what was next. That loss cracked open something deeper, the need to redefine success and realign with what truly matters. Part memoir, part guidebook, this is not a story of burnout or breakdown. It’s a story of awakening. Through vulnerable storytelling, insight-rich reflection, and hard-won clarity, Kevin walks you through the messy but necessary process of letting go of who you thought you had to be, so you can step into the version of yourself that was waiting all along. If you’re a successful business owner or career professional at a turning point, wondering what comes after the climb, this book will help you reconnect with your inner truth, trust your next chapter, and build a life that actually feels like yours. Schedule a FREE 15 min consultation call with Kevin to see how he can help you and your business - https://www.kevinsimcock.com Check out more episodes of Pivotal: http://www.youtube.com/@KevinSimcock-Pivotal Host: Kevin Simcock  LinkedIn Profile https://linkedin.com/kevin-simcock

    21 min

  6. 08/14/2025

    From Exit to Alignment: The Real Work of Finding What’s Next

    You’ve stepped away from the corporate career or business you built over decades. The title, the structure, the recognition—they’re behind you. Now you’re facing the question that matters most: What’s next? In this episode of Pivotal, Kevin Simcock shares how to navigate this transition with clarity, purpose, and direction. You’ll learn how to shed the old identity that no longer fits, uncover your core values, and use them as a filter for every decision in your next chapter. Discover why fulfillment—not just outward success—is the key to building a business and life you actually want to live. Whether you’re a former executive, business owner, or senior leader in transition, you’ll take away practical reflection prompts and real-world insights to help you move forward with confidence. Start from the right place—who you are now—and build a rewarding business and a fulfilling life. Schedule a FREE 15 min consultation call with Kevin to see how he can help you find what's next - https://www.kevinsimcock.com/service-page/intro-discovery Check out more episodes of Pivotal: http://www.youtube.com/@KevinSimcock-Pivotal Host: Kevin Simcock  LinkedIn Profile https://linkedin.com/kevin-simcock

    14 min

  7. 06/19/2025

    What Fulfillment Really Looks Like (Beyond Success & Burnout)”

    Spoiler: it’s not a French villa, a gold watch, or a bigger business. If you’ve built success that looks great on the outside but secretly feels exhausting, disconnected, or empty this final episode of The Clarity Series is for you. Whether you’re leading a fast-scaling business or navigating the weight of past success, you’ll learn: ·      The illusion of “more” that leads to burnout ·      What true fulfillment feels like (and how to recognize the signs) ·      The silent costs of staying misaligned ·      Why your business is a vehicle not your identity ·      Simple steps to reconnect with what really matters without blowing everything up If you’re ready to build a business and life that actually feels good again, clarity starts here. Subscribe for more leadership clarity, purpose-driven growth, and fulfillment at the top: http://www.youtube.com/@KevinSimcock-Pivotal Schedule a FREE 15 min consultation call with Kevin: https://www.kevinsimcock.com/service-page/intro-discovery Sign up for THE FIX newsletter: kevinsimcock.com

    35 min

  8. 06/17/2025

    The Hidden Cost of Leading Without Clarity | Why Misaligned Leadership Fails

    Your team mirrors your leadership. So if you’re misaligned they feel it. In this episode of The Clarity Series, I break down what really happens when leaders operate without clarity and why it’s the #1 reason culture collapses, progress stalls, and your best people check out. You’ll learn: The invisible ways unclear leadership sabotages team performanceHow misalignment at the top quietly spreads across your businessA simple “Leadership Mirror” exercise to identify where you might be the bottleneck5 actionable steps to regain clarity, focus, and momentumThis isn’t about adding another strategy deck. It’s about looking inward because your next level of leadership starts with you. If you’ve built real success but it’s costing you more than it should, this episode is for you. –––  ABOUT ME I’m Kevin Simcock, a strategic growth advisor and former global ad exec helping high-performing founders realign with what matters—so they can scale with clarity, energy, and purpose. –––  Ready to get clear and lead better? Reach out at https://www.kevinsimcock.com/or DM me on LinkedIn. ––––  Subscribe for more leadership clarity, brand strategy, and mindset alignment content.

    16 min
See All (38)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

About

Underneath The Title is for leaders who are navigating pivotal moments of uncertainty in leadership identity, transitions, growth and building what's next after a career or business exit. The founders, executives, and senior leaders who show up here aren't talking about what worked. They're talking about what it actually costs to stay clear, trust your own judgment, and hold your internal ground when everything around you is shifting. After nearly three decades as a global leader, building Fortune 500 brands and mentoring senior leaders, I realized most leaders struggle quietly inside with the weight of high-stakes decisions and the identity loss after exiting a career or business. I know this first hand because I was one of those leaders. What you'll find here is what I call self-authority in motion. The internal struggles leaders face when options are endless, the pressure is real, and no one else can make the call for them.  If you feel like the hardest part of where you are right now isn't the strategy, it's managing the inner uncertainty while moving through it, you're in the right place. Visit kevinsimcock.com for more information

Information