Builders & Doers

Horizon Search
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Builders & Doers is where founders, operators, and investors get practical about building. Each episode unpacks one decision that mattered, the options on the table, and the evidence behind the choice. Clear lessons you can use to launch stronger, lead smarter, and stay ahead. A Horizon Search production. Get The Searchlight newsletter: https://www.thesearchlight.com/subscribe

  1. 43M AGO

    When You're Absolutely Positive, That's Your Warning Sign - Mitch Weisburgh | 68

    Mitch Weisburgh is an educator, author, and founder of MindShifting, a framework built on three capacities he believes the world urgently needs more of: resourcefulness, resilience, and collaboration. After nearly four decades at the intersection of education and technology, a 2017 email from a university in Niger sent him on a new path: pulling together insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, military strategy, systems theory, and psychology into a single practical framework. He's the author of MindShifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success, and the follow-up Conflict and Collaboration. In this conversation, Mitch walks us through why the human brain is wired against us in modern life, the five limbic responses that hijack our decisions, OODA loops and the Cynefin framework for handling different kinds of problems, why you should never put experts in charge of complex situations, and the one warning sign that tells you your survival brain is running the show. Find Mitch: https://www.mindshiftingwithmitch.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mweisburgh/ Book: MindShifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success Builders & Doers is produced by Horizon Search. 0:00 Intro 0:50 The mission: 5 million more resourceful, resilient, collaborative people 2:24 The 2017 email from a university in Niger that changed everything 5:30 Reading 11 books across disciplines to build the framework 8:30 Teaching in Niger and the standing ovation 9:47 Optionality, ghosting, and why we've stopped growing 11:04 How the human brain actually works 12:34 Survival brain vs prefrontal cortex — 2 hundredths of a second vs 2 seconds 13:56 The 5 limbic responses: fight, flight, freeze, habits, mimicking 16:20 Why your prefrontal cortex just justifies what you've already decided 17:50 Confirmation bias is universal, not partisan 19:58 Can the brain actually change? Four techniques 25:04 Staying resourceful when the odds are stacked against us 26:59 OODA loops — the slow loop and the fast loop 30:58 Resourcefulness vs resilience — why they're not the same thing 31:44 The Cynefin framework: clear, complicated, complex, and urgent problems 39:00 Why you shouldn't put experts in charge of complex situations (the COVID example) 40:35 Making change feel possible when it seems impossible 45:44 The warning sign: when you're absolutely positive, you're probably limbic 48:21 Why your brain treats a bear and public speaking the same 49:00 Instant vs delayed gratification — evolution working against us 50:02 Discomfort as the fuel for growth 51:47 Mitch's mission and where to find him

    53 min

  2. 1H AGO

    Why Your AI Strategy Is Backwards — and What to Do Instead - Peter Swimm | 67

    Most companies are letting AI make decisions it shouldn't and missing the simple moves that would actually save them time and money. Peter Swimm has spent 30 years in tech, from Chicago libraries to Microsoft, and he's built a smarter way to think about conversational AI, autonomous agents, and what it really means to own your company's brain. Find Peter: peterswimm.com Builders & Doers is produced by Horizon Search. 00:00 Weather and Location: A Warm Welcome 00:51 Career Path: From Tech Origins to Product Management 06:39 COVID-19: A Catalyst for Change in Work Culture 12:43 Communication Tools: Shaping Company Culture 19:32 Navigating Remote Work Challenges 24:58 Balancing AI Innovation with Practical Needs 30:50 Cultivating Curiosity in Teams 39:56 Recalibrating Business Aspirations 45:54 Surprising Uses of Conversational AI

    51 min

  3. 1H AGO

    From a Target Aisle to $1.2M Pre-Seed - Zarina Bahadur | 66

    Zarina Bahadur is the founder and CEO of 123 Baby Box, a subscription box company she launched as a student at UC Irvine after spotting an exhausted mom struggling in a Target baby aisle. She's since grown the business 245% in a single year, closed an oversubscribed $1.2M pre-seed, and been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, BuzzFeed, and NASDAQ. She's also a Harvard Startup Partners, MasterCard, XRC, and Draper alum. In this conversation, Zarina walks us through the grocery-store moment that sparked the company, how she found product-market fit by surveying moms in Target aisles, why her mentor pushed her to raise twice what she planned, what it was like fundraising as a young woman who wasn't yet a mom, and how the business is now pivoting into early language and literacy with 123 Book Box. Find Zarina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarinabahadur Shop the box: https://123babybox.com Builders & Doers is produced by Horizon Search. 0:00 Intro 0:36 The Target aisle moment that started 123 Baby Box 1:25 Why subscription was the obvious model 2:09 Heart-led, not business-led — finding the market 4:40 245% growth and the truth about product-market fit 6:03 Harvard, MasterCard, XRC, and Draper accelerators 7:41 Closing a $1.2M oversubscribed pre-seed (planned for $500K) 9:32 Fundraising as a woman — and not yet a mom 12:16 Persistence, the common thread in investor no's 15:40 "Winners are just losers who never gave up" 17:09 Pivoting from diapers & wipes to developmental toys 18:23 Retention, the 0–5 age window, and launching 123 Book Box 21:39 The Forbes feature that changed everything 22:52 The hardest founder decision — letting people go 23:34 Equity vs salary and having the real conversation upfront 25:44 Supply chain lessons (including tariffs) 27:06 The 5-year vision for the company 28:18 Will AI personalization reshape subscription? 29:39 Why the unboxing experience still wins 31:52 What she'd do differently if starting today 33:26 Where to find Zarina

    34 min

  4. 1H AGO

    The Hardest Person You'll Ever Lead Is You - Jen Ostrich | 65

    Jen Ostrich is an executive coach, Enneagram expert, and founder of Grow Collective. After a career in advertising and brand leadership, she trained at the Hudson Institute and has spent the last decade and a half helping leaders understand the "why" behind how they think, feel, and act. She's certified in Integrative Nine (IEQ9), co-created the Shift Positive 360 feedback process, and hosts The Work of You podcast. In this conversation, Jen walks us through why 95% of the time we're the ones in our own way, how the Enneagram opens the door to your belief system (not just your behavior), and why real leadership change happens at the belief level — not the behavioral one. We also cover transactional vs transformational coaching, the Grow Effect model, and one small practice for leaders who keep repeating the same pattern. Find Jen: https://growcollective.us The Work of You podcast: https://theworkofyou.com Builders & Doers is produced by Horizon Search. 0:00 Intro 0:40 From advertising leadership to executive coaching 2:35 Hudson Institute: leading from behind and self-as-coach 5:38 The hardest person you'll ever lead is you 7:14 The leadership gap no one's talking about (EQ vs IQ) 8:19 Introducing the Enneagram to skeptical executives 9:30 The iceberg: behavior, personality, and the core fear underneath 13:16 Removing the "teapot lid" — when personal meets professional 18:03 What makes Integrative Nine (IEQ9) different 20:54 The Enneagram as a map for growth, not just a typing tool 22:31 The biggest misunderstanding: behavior vs motivation 24:38 How the Enneagram shapes Jen's coaching style 26:17 Sequencing the Enneagram with Shift Positive 360 27:39 Spiraling up — are we ever done growing? 32:25 Gabor Maté and the courage of public vulnerability 33:14 Why traditional 360 feedback often does more harm than good 34:39 Evaluate vs evolve: the case for strengths-based coaching 39:17 The Grow Effect model — strengths, Enneagram, then 360 43:03 What's changed in executive coaching post-COVID 45:52 Transactional vs transformational coaching (and where AI fits) 49:22 One small practice for leaders stuck in a pattern 51:24 The Hoffman Process 51:57 Where to find Jen

    53 min

  5. 1D AGO

    From Sleeping on Couches to Building a Seven Figure Insurance Agency - David Price | 64

    Fifteen years ago David Price was battling addiction, sleeping on couches, and had no car. Today he runs a thriving insurance agency and mentors hundreds of agents across the country. His path from rock bottom to building a business that grows without him is a masterclass in grit, long-term thinking, and knowing when to stop believing the lies. Find David: youtube.com/@DavidPriceOfficial Builders & Doers is produced by Horizon Search. 0:00 Intro 0:57 What drew David to insurance in his mid-30s 3:10 The three prerequisites 5:33 Resilience, grit, and a rough childhood as a business advantage 8:18 Sports as the first turning point — wrestling and building confidence 12:10 Being always the new kid and how it built social skills 15:38 Why sales was always survival for David 17:23 Introvert who leads hundreds of agents 19:57 The teacher that changed everything — Miss Krats 22:01 Ethical insurance — principles before production 24:47 Why David sells final expense life insurance 26:40 Long term decisions over short term cash grabs — lessons from recovery 31:43 Three traits that separate six figure agents from those who never break through 35:28 Scaling from solo producer to running an organization 38:14 Leads drove everything — the math equation behind agency growth 45:47 Lead flow strategy — quality over quantity and the custom lead portal 52:08 From owning a job to owning a business 55:39 Time is the real currency 57:19 What is next for the Price Group — AI powered CRM and lead innovation 59:52 Final message — find the right mentor, have the right attitude, take the right action 1:00:41 Where to find David Price

    1h 1m

  6. 4D AGO

    Why Hiring Family Could Be Killing Your Business - Liz Weber | 63

    Liz Weber is a certified management consultant, executive advisor, and author ranked among the top 30 global gurus on leadership. After building a career helping founder-led and family-owned businesses navigate succession, strategy, and leadership development, she's become the person owners call when the hard decisions can't wait. In this conversation, Liz walks us through the number one mistake family businesses make with succession planning, how to hold even family members accountable to company values, and what it actually takes to transition from best producer to best leader. Find Liz: https://youtu.be/EzDkMUmbP58 Builders & Doers is produced by Horizon Search. 0:00 Intro 0:49 Putting family before the role 1:10 Family business working hard for thin margins 3:18 The 7am emergency call 4:16 When company values get tested by your own son 5:53 Why accountability needs an outside voice 7:22 Top 30 global leadership guru 8:53 Imposter syndrome vs self belief 11:26 The mindset shift new leaders miss 13:00 Becoming the calm in the storm 15:15 Balancing mindset skill and strategy 17:47 The number one mistake when promoting from within 19:18 From best producer to best leverager of talent 20:18 Why cousin Rich should not get the sales role 23:59 The first lever Liz pulls when entering a company 26:51 Strategic plan as the anchor for leadership 27:44 Don't Let Them Treat You Like a Girl 32:11 Leadership outlook for 2025 37:27 One practice to lead more strategically today 38:53 Where to find Liz Weber

    39 min

  7. APR 13

    She Paid Off Six Figures of Debt in 3 Years on a Starter Salary - Veronica Deraleau | 61

    Veronica Deraleau is an opera singer, Army Reserve veteran, financial coach, and author of Making Money is Simple. After graduating with an MBA and staring down six figures of student debt, she applied commercial real estate underwriting techniques to her personal finances and paid it all off in three years on a starter salary. In this conversation, Veronica walks us through her ARIA money model, the psychology of debt and shame, why outcomes-based budgeting beats cashflow management, and what opera performance training teaches about high performance under pressure. Find Veronica: makingmoneyissimple.com Builders & Doers is produced by Horizon Search. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:48 Graduating with six figures of debt 4:12 The guilt and shame cycle with money 5:12 Why personal finance feels harder than it should 7:45 Learning from high net worth real estate clients 8:49 Outcomes-based budgeting vs. cashflow management 9:40 The Money Simple method (SIMPLE framework) 11:29 Setting a 5-year target and beating it in 3 11:37 Military meets opera: singing in the Army Reserve 14:07 Stage fright, breath compression, and performance psychology 16:50 Why your average matters more than your best day 19:01 Losing and finding ourselves: unlearning bad patterns 21:05 Going down the wrong road is part of the process 25:00 Talent plus reps plus strategic application 27:57 The ARIA money model: Awaken, Reframe, Intention, Action 29:16 How coaching created clarity 32:01 The mental block of dual identities in business and art 34:15 Pattern recognition and AI disruption 38:55 Advice for entrepreneurs with low financial structure 40:45 Why data points keep you sane as a founder 42:48 Best purchase under $50 43:12 The most expensive mistake that doesn't look expensive 43:39 Renting vs. buying 44:46 Best scary financial decision 46:04 Favorite opera 46:08 Where to find Veronica

    47 min

  8. APR 9

    The Future of XR Is Closer Than You Think - Karen Alexander | 61

    Karen Alexander, founder of XR Women and co-founder of the Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences, joins David and Becky to explore why extended reality is approaching a tipping point in adoption. From her unconventional journey out of academia and literature into immersive technology, Karen shares where XR is being quietly adopted across enterprise, education, and healthcare, the real risks companies face, and why the limits of XR are not technological but imaginative. She also discusses the gender gap in XR entrepreneurship, the power of body swapping for empathy training, and her vision for social, creative virtual worlds. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karenfalexander Website: xrconnected.com XR Women: xrwomen.com Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences: academyimmersive.org 0:00 - Highlights 1:03 - Karen's journey from literature to XR 3:07 - What is reality? 5:19 - Where XR is headed and the tipping point 8:55 - Risks of XR adoption 11:40 - Benefits of immersive training 15:02 - Haptics, smell, and the senses in VR 16:55 - What kids understand about XR that adults miss 18:10 - Body swapping and diversity training 21:22 - Public speaking training in VR 23:40 - Will we live in virtual worlds? 30:18 - XR Women and the gender gap 33:48 - XR in healthcare 42:24 - Dream XR experience with unlimited budget 44:10 - Where to find Karen

    46 min
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About

Builders & Doers is where founders, operators, and investors get practical about building. Each episode unpacks one decision that mattered, the options on the table, and the evidence behind the choice. Clear lessons you can use to launch stronger, lead smarter, and stay ahead. A Horizon Search production. Get The Searchlight newsletter: https://www.thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Information

  • Creator
    Horizon Search
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Horizon Search
  • Show Website
    Builders & Doers