Originators: An Entrepreneurial Podcast Zak Leedom

In this episode of the Originators Podcast, host Zak Leedom sits down with Britt Lefkoe, a leading business and personal development coach. Britt shares her story of how, from a young age, she grew up with her father's work of helping people shift their mindset and limiting beliefs. Britt honors her late father's legacy by evolving the work he started and becoming an expert in her own right. Together, Britt and Zach explore how powerful our minds and beliefs are and how with proper guidance, we can remove the roadblocks holding us back from being our best selves. Britt shares that life is both extremely short and long enough at the same time and that we must take action to maximize our time on earth.
 
Britt Lefkoe is one of the top business and personal development coaches in her field. She works with high-achieving entrepreneurs, executives, and organizations that understand mindset is key to their success. For over 20 years, she has helped clients achieve unprecedented growth and deep fulfillment. She is also a keynote speaker and leadership development expert who has worked with Fortune 20 companies, including Facebook, and taken hyper-growth tech companies through IPO.
 
“There's no such thing as a logical decision-maker. It doesn't exist. A logical
person is a person who rationalizes their emotional decisions well. So logic comes when we can explain our emotions. There is no such thing as a logical decision. It's a different part of the brain.” - Britt Lefkoe
 



This week on Originators:
 
The importance of sharing your own experience. How to be a really good friend without wanting to help them in the places they don’t ask. The importance of being able to relate to the listener. The neuroscience of our minds and how to use it to our advantage. How has business owner and empath Britt worked to create their ideal life. The truth about “motivation issues”. Time abundance vs. time scarcity. Why it’s important to distinguish between our parents relationship to money and our own relationship with money.



Our Favorite Quotes:
 
“With the archetype of an entrepreneur, there is, on average, a large sense of needing to control our outcomes. And that in a lot of ways can be such a blessing, but that sense of control can at times lead to you as the leader being the roadblock, in your business and in your life.” - Zak Leedom “I just really encourage everyone to think of your mind as an engine. Do you want a rusty engine? Or do you want to spend the time lubricating and fine-tuning your engine?” - Britt Lefkoe “We see ourselves in money. The way that you look at yourself, I think is in a lot of ways the way that you look at money. And so I think that having a good relationship with money is incredibly important.” - Britt Lefkoe  
Connect with Britt Lefkoe:
 
Website Britt Lefkoe on LinkedIn Britt Lefkoe on Instagram Britt Lefkoe on Facebook Email: britt@brittlefkoe.com


About WealthSource and The Originators Podcast
 
Originators is a show for and about entrepreneurs. In each episode, host Zak Leedom sits down with business builders and the professionals who serve them to talk about the challenges and the opportunities that come with starting something new. Our guests explore what it means to be a successful founder, a good leader, and an effective executive — and whether it’s possible to do all three. Join us to hear their stories and lessons learned — and to get inspired by their tenacity and creativity.
 
Zak Leedom works for WealthSource, an independent financial advisory firm with offices across the US. All opinions expressed by Zak are his own opinions and do not reflect the opinions of WealthSource. This podcast should not be relied upon for financial decisions. 
 
Email Zak Leedom at zleedom@wealthsource.com with questions, comments, and to schedule a one-on-one conversation. 
 
Follow Zak on LinkedIn.
 
Subscribe here:
 
Apple P

Lisa Cloutier and Brian Anderson are the husband-and-wife founders and owners of The Whistling Andy Distillery, Montana’s oldest operating distillery that prides itself on producing award-winning spirits and giving back to the community of Montana.
 
Lisa Cloutier has been in the hospitality industry for over 25 years and has founded several businesses, including a small boutique hotel and The Raven, a Caribbean-style restaurant located on the waterfront of Flathead Lake at Bigfork, Montana. In addition to her functions as Co-founder, Lisa serves as the Marketing Manager of The Whistling Andy. She graduated from The George Washington University, where she majored in Political Science and International Relations.
 
Brian Anderson serves as a distiller and the Director of Operations at The Whistling Andy. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geohydrology from Montana State University-Bozeman. After working in the environmental and geotech industries, Brian decided to transition to the world of entrepreneurship and join Lisa in expanding their businesses and founding new ones.
 
Lisa and Brian join me today to describe their journey as a married couple and business partners. They discuss their backgrounds, their beginnings as entrepreneurs, and how they decided to work together as business partners. They provide insight into running a business as a couple and how The Whistling Andy and their other businesses have evolved over the years. They also highlight the importance of balance in relationships, explain why taking trips together is important to them as a couple, and underscore what continues to inspire them to expand their businesses.
 
“Our businesses are entwined with our daily lives—even when we’re entertaining, it tends to be involved with employees or customers. We mix and match between our personal and business lives, and it all ties in together.” - Lisa Cloutier
 
This week on Originators:
 
How Brian and Lisa met, and their journey as entrepreneurs Lisa’s background and ventures into hospitality and entrepreneurship Brian’s background and how he started having the entrepreneurial itch How they pushed their personal and professional relationship and build more businesses together The similarities between marriage and business partnerships Managing business-related burnout as a couple The characteristics of successful leaders The day-to-day of running businesses as a couple The importance of balance in relationships, whether it’s in business or marriage The evolution of Whistling Andy and what continues to drive them to expand their businesses  
Our Favorite Quotes:
 
“You have to lead in a certain way, and there will be times where you have to sacrifice for your business.” - Zak Leedom “Others’ perceptions can creep into your mind, but what matters is how the two of you operate internally and with each other and how you communicate—both from a leadership and marriage perspective.” - Zak Leedom “The hardest parts are right before you open a business. The key is to get through those moments as a couple and ensure that you’re kind to each other.” - Brian Anderson  
Connect with Lisa Cloutier:
 
Lisa Cloutier on LinkedIn Lisa Cloutier on Instagram Lisa Cloutier on Facebook Email: lisa@sleepeatdrink.com  
Connect with Brian Anderson:
 
Brian Anderson on LinkedIn  
Connect with The Whistling Andy:
 
Whistling Andy Whistling Andy on LinkedIn Whistling Andy on Instagram Whistling Andy on Facebook Whistling Andy on Twitter  
About WealthSource and The Originators Podcast
 
Originators is a show for and about entrepreneurs. In each episode, host Zak Leedom sits down with business builders and the professionals who serve them to talk about the challenges and the opportunities that come with starting something new. Our guests explore what it means to be a successful founder, a good leader, and an effective executive — and wheth

Mike Brown is an entrepreneur, investor, and coach. Prior to founding and exiting an 8-figure oil and gas company, Mike flew F/A-18 Super Hornets for the Navy and brings the fighter pilot spirit to entrepreneurship. After his exit, he created the Unbreakable Wealth framework to give fellow entrepreneurs the investing playbook he wished he had 10 years ago. He lives with his fiancé, Claire, and two children in the foothills of Morrison, CO.
Mike joins us today to discuss building unbreakable wealth. He describes his background and explains what inspired him to become an entrepreneur and a pilot for the US Navy. He shares his ideas on navigating relationships as entrepreneurs and describes the relationship between risk, time, and control. He outlines the three kinds of investment deals and identifies the ideal one to focus on. Mike also explains what it means to increase your ‘luck surface’ and underscores why understanding your relationship with money is paramount to creating success.
 
“Understanding our relationship with money is an important factor in determining how we’re going to set ourselves up for success.” - Mike Brown
 
This week on Originators:
 
The lessons Mike learned from serving in the Navy and how those lessons helped him in his entrepreneurial journey His transition from the Navy into the entrepreneurial world The fighter pilot mentality and the importance of knowing your capacity for risk The entrepreneurial mindset and navigating relationships as entrepreneurs Why being a good student of history is valuable to being an investor The role of time in an investment strategy Exiting a business and Mike’s “liquidity crisis” The three types of investment deals and the kind of deal you need to focus on The three steps of the unbreakable wealth process  
Resources Mentioned:
 
Book: Patriot Games by Tom Clancy Book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand  
Our Favorite Quotes:
 
“A lot of entrepreneurs break away from the normal system to create their own outcomes.” - Zak Leedom “Find out what you need to have to create stability in your life so all the things that are important to you become unbreakable.” - Zak Leedom “Time is a non-renewable resource and is an important factor most people don’t think about when making an investment strategy.” - Mike Brown  
Connect with Mike Brown:
Unbreakable Wealth Mike Brown on LinkedIn  
About WealthSource and The Originators Podcast
 
Originators is a show for and about entrepreneurs. In each episode, host Zak Leedom sits down with business builders and the professionals who serve them to talk about the challenges and the opportunities that come with starting something new. Our guests explore what it means to be a successful founder, a good leader, and an effective executive — and whether it’s possible to do all three. Join us to hear their stories and lessons learned — and to get inspired by their tenacity and creativity.
 
Zak Leedom works for WealthSource, an independent financial advisory firm with offices across the US. All opinions expressed by Zak are his own opinions and do not reflect the opinions of WealthSource. This podcast should not be relied upon for financial decisions. 
 
Email Zak Leedom at zleedom@wealthsource.com with questions, comments, and to schedule a one-on-one conversation. 
 
Follow Zak on LinkedIn.
 
Subscribe here:
 
Apple Podcasts 
Google Podcasts  
Stitcher
Amazon 
TuneIn 
 
And, if you enjoy the show, please leave a review on iTunes to help others discover the podcast.

Reed Strathdee Lewis is the Founder of Lys CBD Chocolate. Lys’ line of products include smooth organic dark chocolate tempered with full spectrum Colorado hemp extract, as well as recovery creams, balms, and suspensions. He is also the owner of a variety of stores based in Snowmass, Colorado, including the Daly Bottle Shop, Grain Fine Food, and 81615 Inc. Reed graduated from Colgate University.
 
Reed joins me today to share his journey to becoming a business owner and entrepreneur. He shares what his childhood was like and explains why he decided to leave the “traditional” life and career path to live and work in Snowmass, Colorado. He discusses how he became a business owner and how fear helped him diligently work on his business. He also shares his thoughts on moving to an abundance mindset and underscores the importance of learning from our mistakes.
 
“Remember to look at where you were and you’ve gotten to, and give yourself a little credit for that.” - Reed Strathdee Lewis
 
This week on Originators:
 
Reed’s journey from committing to society’s “traditional” ways to following his passion The power of trust and what encouraged Reed to take risks What inspired Reed to settle in Snowmass How Reed became the owner of the Daly Bottle Shop liquor store What it’s like to transition from being an employee to working for yourself How fear encouraged Reed’s work ethic and diligence The day Reed received a $50,000 check in the mail How Reed’s relationship with money has changed over the years Going from a financial scarcity mindset to abundance Launching the Lys CBD Chocolate brand  
Our Favorite Quotes:
 
“The story of entrepreneurs is about having a vision, being driven towards something, and trusting that what you’re doing is going to work out.” - Zak Leedom “Abundance doesn’t necessarily come in more money, but could come in the form of less responsibility, more time, more freedom.” - Zak Leedom “It’s okay to take care of yourself, and it’s okay to have help.” - Reed Strathdee Lewis  
Connect with Reed Strathdee Lewis:
 
Lys CBD Chocolate on Instagram Lys CBD Chocolate on Facebook Reed Strathdee Lewis on LinkedIn  
About WealthSource and The Originators Podcast
 
Originators is a show for and about entrepreneurs. In each episode, host Zak Leedom sits down with business builders and the professionals who serve them to talk about the challenges and the opportunities that come with starting something new. Our guests explore what it means to be a successful founder, a good leader, and an effective executive — and whether it’s possible to do all three. Join us to hear their stories and lessons learned — and to get inspired by their tenacity and creativity.
 
Zak Leedom works for WealthSource, an independent financial advisory firm with offices across the US. All opinions expressed by Zak are his own opinions and do not reflect the opinions of WealthSource. This podcast should not be relied upon for financial decisions. 
 
Email Zak Leedom at zleedom@wealthsource.com with questions, comments, and to schedule a one-on-one conversation. 
 
Follow Zak on LinkedIn.
 
Subscribe here:
 
Apple Podcasts 
Google Podcasts  
Stitcher
Amazon 
TuneIn 
 
And, if you enjoy the show, please leave a review on iTunes to help others discover the podcast.

Justin Sharpe is the Co-founder of GrowthInc, an organization that helps businesses and brands conquer digital marketing through training, services, and “done-with-you” strategies. Justin is also a partner at 8Loop, a community platform for marketers and digital agencies with over 150,000 users. Before co-founding GrowthInc and working with 8Loop, Justin served as the Director of Business Development for Focus LLC and the Senior Global Account Manager for WORK[etc]. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Literature and a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University Bloomington.
Justin joins us today to discuss how finding your ultimate strength and focusing on it can impact your business’s growth. He shares his entrepreneurial journey and describes how his life shaped his ability to analyze issues and concepts from different angles. He defines the “gating knowledge” concept and explains how 8Loop helps companies optimize their digital marketing. Justin also outlines how he balances his work as a business owner with his family life and underscores why entrepreneurs should devote themselves to improving the customer experience.
“Understanding what you’re good at changes everything; it allows you to create a more cohesive vision and roadmap of where you’re trying to go.” - Justin Sharpe
 
This week on Originators:
The beginning of Justin’s entrepreneurial journey What starting a business at 19 taught Justin about market trends and optimizing business processes Finding your ultimate strength Letting go of control and delegating tasks in your organization How growing up as an orphan helped Justin see things from different perspectives Why entrepreneurs need to devote themselves to customer experience How 8Loop helps companies reduce inefficiencies and marketing “waste” How Justin balances his growth as an entrepreneur and the growth of his personal relationships  
Our Favorite Quotes:
“Understanding and accepting what your strength is and releasing control is going to optimize the time and the value you drive.” - Zak Leedom “Find out what you’re really good at and apply them to profitable businesses and, in return, you create a profitable business for yourself.” - Zak Leedom “If you devote yourself to the customer experience, you’ll find success in business.” - Justin Sharpe  
Connect with Justin Sharpe:
GrowthInc GrowthInc on LinkedIn GrowthInc on Facebook Justin Sharpe on LinkedIn Justin Sharpe on Facebook Justin Sharpe on Twitter Email: justin@8Loop.co  
About WealthSource and The Originators Podcast
Originators is a show for and about entrepreneurs. In each episode, host Zak Leedom sits down with business builders and the professionals who serve them to talk about the challenges and the opportunities that come with starting something new. Our guests explore what it means to be a successful founder, a good leader, and an effective executive — and whether it’s possible to do all three. Join us to hear their stories and lessons learned — and to get inspired by their tenacity and creativity.
Email Zak Leedom at zleedom@wealthsource.com with questions, comments, and to schedule a one-on-one conversation. 
Follow Zak on LinkedIn.
 
Subscribe here:
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
Amazon
TuneIn
 
And, if you enjoy the show, please leave a review on iTunes to help others discover the podcast.
This podcast is distributed for informational purposes only.  Statements made in the podcast are not to be construed as personalized investment or financial planning advice, may not be suitable for everyone and should not be considered a solicitation to engage in any particular investment or planning strategy.  Listeners should conduct their own review and exercise judgment or consult with their own professional financial advisor to see how the information contained in this podcast may apply to their own individual circumsta

David DeCelle is the President of Model FA, a family of companies dedicated to helping financial advisors find success in their business. Passionate about helping advisors create a memorable client experience, David leads a team of 18 at Model FA to serve thousands of advisors worldwide. He is the Founder and former CEO of The Financial Advisors’ Alliance, a consultancy firm that later merged with the Model FA family. Before becoming a consultant and entrepreneur, David served as Financial Advisor and Director at Northwestern Mutual.
 
David joins me today to discuss how Model FA helps financial advisors build businesses around the right kind of clients. He shares his background and journey to building and growing a business. He describes how financial advisors and entrepreneurs can fall in love with their business again and discusses the importance of putting your entrepreneurial ego aside. He also highlights the impact of building relationships with clients and underscores the value of learning outside of your industry.
 
“Setting aside time to strategically think about how you can do more of the things that you love will benefit your business, employees, and the people you serve with the product and services you deliver.” - David DeCelle
 
This week on Originators:
 
About Model FA and its service offerings for financial advisors Model FA’s Energy Audit and how to use it to reignite your passion for your business The struggles and challenges David met in his business-building journey What led David to branch out and launch his business What motivated David to continue working towards his business goal Where David found direction and advice on starting a business How David collaborated and merged with another consultancy to form Model FA David’s advice on shifting from entrepreneur to intrapreneur The art of relationship building David’s relationship with money and how it has changed over the years  
Resources Mentioned:
 
Book: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday Book: Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence–and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk Book: Three Feet from Gold: Turn Your Obstacles Into Opportunities by Dan John Miller Book: Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan Podcast: The MFCEO Project Podcast with Andy Frisella  
Our Favorite Quotes:
 
“When you start something new, there’ll be risk and failure. Hang in there and keep fighting, you might just be three feet away from gold.” - Zak Leedom “If you’re going to take advice, take advice from people where you want to be or have gone through what you want to go through.” - Zak Leedom “Ensure that you’re spending your time doing activities in the business that give you energy.” - David DeCelle  
Connect with David DeCelle:
 
David DeCelle Website Model FA Model FA on LinkedIn David DeCelle on LinkedIn David DeCelle on Instagram David DeCelle on Facebook David DeCelle on Twitter  
About WealthSource and The Originators Podcast
Originators is a show for and about entrepreneurs. In each episode, host Zak Leedom sits down with business builders and the professionals who serve them to talk about the challenges and the opportunities that come with starting something new. Our guests explore what it means to be a successful founder, a good leader, and an effective executive — and whether it’s possible to do all three. Join us to hear their stories and lessons learned — and to get inspired by their tenacity and creativity.
Zak Leedom works for WealthSource, an independent financial advisory firm with offices across the US. All opinions expressed by Zak are his own opinions and do not reflect the opinions of WealthSource. This podcast should not be relied upon for financial decisions. 
Email Zak Leedom at zleedom@wealthsource.com with questions, comments, and to schedule a one-on-one conversation. 
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