Ready Set Exec: Leadership Podcast

Ready Set Exec Inc.
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Overview: Welcome to the Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast where executive search meets real leadership stories. Ready Set Exec explores how today’s top executives think, lead, hire, and scale through real conversations with accomplished leaders across sales, marketing, HR, operations, finance, technology, and digital transformation. Each episode features candid discussions with executives, founders, and industry experts who share practical insights on leadership, organizational growth, executive hiring, innovation, and navigating today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. From scaling companies and driving transformation to advancing executive careers and building high-performing teams, Ready Set Exec delivers real-world strategies, lessons learned, and forward-thinking perspectives for leaders shaping the future of business. What to Expect Each Episode: Conversations with Executives: Hear candid stories from accomplished leaders across Ready Set Exec’s network as they share lessons learned, pivotal career moves, and their outlook on the future of leadership. Industry Insights: Explore the trends shaping leadership in the fields Ready Set Exec knows best, how Sales leaders drive growth, how Marketing executives build brand momentum, how HR shapes culture, and how Operations keeps organizations moving. Talent Strategy Deep Dives: John reveals what he's learned about hiring executives who don’t just fit the role but elevate the business, by using a relationship-driven approach. Actionable Takeaways: Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or an executive shaping your next move, you’ll walk away with practical insights on attracting, retaining, and thriving as top talent. Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Are you a C-level Exec and want to be a guest on the podcast ? email sales@readysetexec.com Check out our firm at Readysetexec.com or call us at 737-249-9572

  1. 2d ago

    How to Survive the AI Marketing Revolution | Melih Oztalay | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

    Here's an exercise Melih Oztalay wants every business owner to do right now. Go to ChatGPT. Ask it to list the top 10 companies it would recommend in your industry. Your company will not be on that list. Then ask it why. It will give you a to-do list. That to-do list is your entire GEO strategy for 2026. Melih has been in marketing since 1987, from the first IBM PCs to the internet, from SEO to AI bots, and his agency has survived every disruption by following one simple principle: the concepts don't change, the tools do. In this episode, he shares his Four A's of Change framework, explains why Google Ads and PPC are now "traditional marketing," and offers three immediately actionable tactics any business can start this week to cut through the noise in the AI era. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro: Melih Oztalay 1:49 - Humans haven't changed. The tools have. 5:14 - The Four A's of Change framework 15:00 - The Porsche dealership story 16:30 - Predictive vs. reactive: the 2026 marketing shift 17:00 - SEO → AEO → GEO explained 23:06 - Google Ads is now "traditional marketing." 24:25 - Why cold email is dead — and what replaces it 30:42 - Actionable tip #1: Press release marketing 33:30 - Actionable tip #2: ChatGPT JSON/schema for GEO 39:05 - Actionable tip #3: Ask GPT why you're not on the list 40:48 - The marketing skill every new hire needs in 2026 44:05 - How to build a team that learns itself Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Melih Oztalay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melihoztalay/

    How to Survive the AI Marketing Revolution | Melih Oztalay | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

  2. Sep 11

    Why Treating Your Team Like "Family" is a Terrible Idea | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

    I treated my team like family. That is a terrible idea. Despite what every leadership book tells you, that is the worst advice ever. Goals first. Team second. Alan Lazaros said that in the first 10 seconds of this conversation. He meant every word of it. Alan is the CEO and co-host of Next Level University, a daily self-improvement podcast with 2,271+ episodes, a 20-person remote team, and coaching clients he's worked with for up to seven years. He came from a tough childhood, no father, went broke starting his business, and built it back on one foundation: old-school fundamentals that most people are too entitled, too distracted, or too afraid to follow. In this episode, he talks about community building, remote leadership, personal branding, and why in a world full of AI bots and fake Instagram jets, the only thing that actually compounds is authenticity. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: Alan Lazaros & Next Level University 2:35 - Why human connection beats AI as a competitive advantage 3:59 - The AI bot DM story 8:00 - Origin story: no father, going broke, building NLU 13:00 - The 3 buckets: unfulfilled success, broken passion, or both 24:00 - Goals first, team second and why "family" destroys performance 29:12 - Remote leadership: the 4-part framework 36:32 - Metrics, dashboards & the peak performance system 46:32 - Why every business leader needs a personal brand now 51:00 - Real world first, social world second 53:07 - The fake jet industry & why old-school fundamentals still win Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Alan Lazaros: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

    Why Treating Your Team Like "Family" is a Terrible Idea | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

  3. Sep 4

    The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

    The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, behavioral scientist, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of eight books including The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work, joins John Pezoulas to unpack why AI rollouts fail even when the technology itself is easy to use. The conversation focuses on the human side of adoption, from fear and identity threat to shame and leadership modeling, plus how those same dynamics shape remote work, bias reduction, and the skills workers will need in the 2030s. Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_g Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413 Connect with Dr Gleb Tsipursky https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gleb-tsipursky/ Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Dr. Gleb Tsipursky and the psychology of AI adoption01:18 - The biggest mistake leaders make when rolling out AI03:17 - The three emotional blockers behind AI resistance04:17 - Fear, anxiety, and the AI alarmist mindset05:10 - Identity threat and the pragmatic resistor profile06:08 - Shame, social stigma, and shadow AI usage08:33 - Why AI projects fail to produce ROI despite individual productivity gains10:40 - How to spot resistance, malicious compliance, and bad AI outputs12:10 - Building trust with job protection and growth messaging15:31 - Start by automating the tasks people hate most17:51 - Using “squeaky wheel” automation to win adoption22:24 - Leadership modeling and why executives must use AI visibly24:17 - Setting a baseline with training and shared usage norms25:15 - Building asynchronous channels to share AI wins27:56 - How AI can help reduce bias in evaluation and promotion31:52 - Red teaming hiring and workforce data with AI33:44 - Why AI certifications may give way to portfolio-based proof34:39 - The future skill set: creating and managing AI agents39:34 - Why AI adoption pushes companies toward more remote work44:06 - Control-heavy management styles versus AI-enabled productivity46:25 - How leaders can prepare their culture for the next wave of AI49:30 - Which industries and roles will be disrupted first51:53 - How workers can stay competitive by learning AI effectively53:17 - Why regulated and blue-collar roles may stay safer longer#futureofwork #aiadoption #ai #aiatwork #fearofunknown

    The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

  4. Aug 28

    Build your Executive Presence with Don Weber | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

    Bill Gates wasn't naturally charismatic. He was dry, not very funny, and didn't come across well on camera. So he hired a comedian not for a week, but regularly, over a long period of time, to teach him how to be more personable and likable. Don Weber knows this because he knows the person who worked with Gates directly. And it's the clearest example he has of something he's believed for decades: executive presence is not a gift. It's a skill. Don is an executive corporate trainer, communication expert, and leadership consultant who has spent decades working with Fortune 500 executives, high-level public officials, and elite teams across continents, starting from being a shy introvert himself. In this episode, he breaks down the psychology of authenticity, the real science of masking and stress, what emotional regulation actually looks like under boardroom pressure, and how Leaders can communicate with genuine presence even when they're feeling anything but present. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 00:36 Intro: Who is Don Weber? 06:38 Making Everyone Feel Their Contribution Matters 15:18 Return to Office vs. Employer's Market Realities 19:30 Physical Executive Presence: Posture, Pace, Pause, and Purpose 34:39 The Masking Problem: The Gap Between Real and Projected Self 42:06 Emotional Regulation: The Leadership Skill Nobody Trains For 45:30 Fight-or-Flight: How Adrenaline Reduces Intelligence by 30% 49:35 How to Disarm a Boardroom Challenge 51:04 The Repeat-Back Technique to Buy Thinking Time Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Don Weber: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-weber/

    Build your Executive Presence with Don Weber | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

  5. Aug 21

    70% of Workers Feel No Joy or Meaning at Their Job and What Leaders Can Actually Do | Ready Set Exec

    70% of the workforce finds no meaning or joy in their work. That stat comes from Amy Lucan, Chief Joyologist at Tito's Handmade Vodka and culture strategist Ingrid Hobbs has spent 16+ years in global CPG and spirits brands trying to change it. In this episode, Ingrid breaks down why companies keep destroying the cultures they've spent years building through performative DEI rollbacks, tone-deaf layoff communication, rigid nine-box sessions, and leaders who confuse a title with leadership. She also shares practical frameworks for building real employee trust, what remote culture actually requires, and why kindness is the most underrated business strategy of 2026. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Who is Ingrid Hobbs? 08:16 Consistency is the Brand: Why Spineless Values Erode Culture 22:59 Off-Boarding as Culture: How Layoffs Define Who You Are 24:59 "Culture is not just part of the strategy. It IS the strategy." 26:53 Remote Work Reality: Culture is How You Treat People, Not Where You Sit 37:28 Storytelling as a Leadership Tool in 2026 42:30 Ageism and the 50+ Professional Being Pushed Out 52:38 AI as a Collaboration Partner, Not a Ghostwriter Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Ingrid Hobbs : LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/inghobbs

    70% of Workers Feel No Joy or Meaning at Their Job and What Leaders Can Actually Do | Ready Set Exec

  6. Aug 14

    We cut $200k in Ads and Lost Zero Leads. Are You Wasting Your Budget? | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

    What if your $200,000 a month Google ad budget was doing almost nothing, and the leads would have shown up anyway? Kurt Uhlir turned off exactly that amount in B2B paid media and watched close rates stay flat. That's just one of the things he's learned across 60+ corporate transactions, 20+ patents, and a dozen industries. As CMO of Easy Home Search a Zillow competitor built on consumer data privacy, and a board member of CEO Netweavers, Kurt breaks down the real difference between growth mode and scale mode, what demand generation actually looks like in 2026, why 99% of marketers are not capable of doing it, and where you should actually be putting your marketing dollars right now. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kurt Ehrler and His Expertise 01:22 Scaling Challenges for Startups 03:37 The Shift from Lagging to Leading Indicators 07:20 Content Strategy for Modern Demand Generation 10:08 The Importance of Customer Insights 13:00 Collaboration Across Teams 15:08 Case Study: Easy Home Search's Growth Journey 20:35 Building Effective Marketing Teams 26:26 The Role of CMOs and CROs in Business Strategy 32:35 Preparing for Growth and Successful Exits 41:41 Shifting Marketing Strategies for 2026 50:04 The Importance of Peer Networks and Mentorship Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Kurt Uhlir: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kurtuhlir

    We cut $200k in Ads and Lost Zero Leads. Are You Wasting Your Budget? | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

  7. Aug 7

    Stop Measuring Training by Attendance: The Real Formula for L&D Success | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

    Most companies measure L&D ROI with two things: course completion rates and "how did you feel about the course" surveys. Josh Cutler says both are nearly worthless With 20+ years in learning design, starting in the chaos of the New York City school system, Josh became known as the person companies call when all their traditional L&D approaches have failed. In this episode, he explains exactly why most corporate training is broken, why AI avatars are penny-wise and pound-foolish, why you should hire teachers instead of HR people for your L&D function, and how he accidentally became the world's leading HR Super Connector — making hundreds of strategic introductions every single day through a system built entirely on quality, quantity, and speed. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Who is Josh Cutler? 03:29 Continuous Learning vs. Episodic One-Off Training 07:48 Why Off-the-Shelf LMS Modules Are a Waste of Money 11:48 Learning Strategy First, Platform Selection Second 18:40 The Reality of AI in L&D: Where It Actually Helps 23:03 The Measurement Gap: Completion Rates vs. Behavioural Change 38:04 Executive Networking: Your Net Worth is Your Network 43:21 The True Cost of Toxic Workplaces on the Bottom Line Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Joshua Cutler : LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaafcutler/

    Stop Measuring Training by Attendance: The Real Formula for L&D Success | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

  8. Jul 31

    What Executive Compensation Actually Looks Like Behind Closed Doors | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast

    In the 1970s, CEO pay was roughly 100 times the average worker's salary. Today it's over 1,000 times. And most companies still can't clearly explain to their own employees what their total rewards program even means. Raj Sinha has spent 20+ years advising CEOs, CHROs, and boards across life sciences, financial services, and technology on exactly how to fix this and what happens when organizations don't. In this episode, Raj breaks down the full landscape of executive compensation, global pay strategy, the new SEC administration's impact on ESG and DEI disclosures, why performance management is riddled with normative bias, and what it actually takes to build a pay structure that survives shareholder scrutiny and wins the war for talent. About Ready Set Exec: Founded by Managing Partners Patrick Shea and John Pezoulas, Ready Set Exec is a premier North American executive leadership recruitment firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, and Operations. We replace hiring chaos with a repeatable process, boasting an average time-to-hire of 39 days and a 100% placement success rate. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Who is Raj Sinha 14:19 Compensation Strategy: What Percentile Should You Target? 19:00 CEO Pay Ratios and the New Era of Excess Pay Risk 28:00 2026 SEC Shifts: Changes to DEI, ESG, and Disclosures 31:23 Career Path: From Mid-Level to Global Rewards Executive 34:00 The Goal-Setting Framework: Threshold, Target, and Maximum 40:03 The Reality of AI in Total Rewards 43:11 Global Comp Strategy and Cross-Cultural Awareness Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/Patrick Shea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExecListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6clqPWbF2yFRlsFUOXY0CO?si=UuOAbZeiQMKpgSjV5Od5_gListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-set-exec-the-podcast/id1837951413Connect with Raj Sinha: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rajcsinha

    What Executive Compensation Actually Looks Like Behind Closed Doors | Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast
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About

Overview: Welcome to the Ready Set Exec Leadership Podcast where executive search meets real leadership stories. Ready Set Exec explores how today’s top executives think, lead, hire, and scale through real conversations with accomplished leaders across sales, marketing, HR, operations, finance, technology, and digital transformation. Each episode features candid discussions with executives, founders, and industry experts who share practical insights on leadership, organizational growth, executive hiring, innovation, and navigating today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. From scaling companies and driving transformation to advancing executive careers and building high-performing teams, Ready Set Exec delivers real-world strategies, lessons learned, and forward-thinking perspectives for leaders shaping the future of business. What to Expect Each Episode: Conversations with Executives: Hear candid stories from accomplished leaders across Ready Set Exec’s network as they share lessons learned, pivotal career moves, and their outlook on the future of leadership. Industry Insights: Explore the trends shaping leadership in the fields Ready Set Exec knows best, how Sales leaders drive growth, how Marketing executives build brand momentum, how HR shapes culture, and how Operations keeps organizations moving. Talent Strategy Deep Dives: John reveals what he's learned about hiring executives who don’t just fit the role but elevate the business, by using a relationship-driven approach. Actionable Takeaways: Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or an executive shaping your next move, you’ll walk away with practical insights on attracting, retaining, and thriving as top talent. Connect with Ready Set Exec: John Pezoulas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpezoulas/ Patrick Shea LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-jm-shea/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadySetExec Are you a C-level Exec and want to be a guest on the podcast ? email sales@readysetexec.com Check out our firm at Readysetexec.com or call us at 737-249-9572

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