Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom

Kim Miller - Hershon
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship

Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom: Where clichés come to retire and fresh thinking we inspire. Smart minds don’t think alike—and that’s the point. Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom takes you inside the messy, brilliant, and bold thought processes of high-achieving leaders, entrepreneurs, and out-of-the-box thinkers. We skip the clichés and spotlight the real talk: the strange decisions that worked, the brilliant ideas that bombed, and the thought patterns that defy the rulebook—but still lead to growth, impact, and the occasional mic drop. If you’re tired of surface-level advice and crave the kind of wisdom that makes you pause, laugh, and level up—this is your new favorite listen. Because let’s face it: playing it safe never built anything worth bragging about.

  1. The Success "Formula" Nobody Warns You About: Why One-Size-Fits-All Advice Fails | John Cousins

    3d ago

    The Success "Formula" Nobody Warns You About: Why One-Size-Fits-All Advice Fails | John Cousins

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with John Cousins investor, tech founder, and best-selling author of Corporate Finance ASAP and, remarkably, over 60 other books. John is the founder of MBA ASAP, which has trained more than 30,000 students across 165 countries, along with corporations like Adidas, Apple, General Mills, Kaiser Permanente, Lyft, PayPal, Pinterest, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen. He's also taught MBA students at universities around the world. Outside of business, he's a lifelong jazz pianist — and the conversation opens with a rich detour into how jazz, for all its improvisation, is built on tight, shared structure.  In this conversation, John challenges one of the deepest lessons school drills into us: that success means never failing. As an engineer turned entrepreneur, he had to unlearn the test-taking mindset entirely.  A turning point in John's story is his slow, deliberate walk away from corporate life. He started as an electrical engineer, studied at MIT, and spent the 1980s at ABC producing Wide World of Sports, World News Tonight, Olympics, and space shuttle launches — a dream job for a guy in his 20s. But he chafed under being told what to do, so he left, got his MBA, and hasn't had a boss since 1988. Over the following decades he shed the parts of business that constrained him — investors, partners, employees, big customers — until he built something he could run solo. Digital downloads and the internet let him reach a global "long tail" of students with no working capital and no accounts receivable. As he puts it, it's a wonderful time to be alive. John and Kim also dig into the gap between what we know and what we actually do — Kim's real fascination as a coach. They explore DISC as a tool for communication and negotiation,And when the talk turns to imposter syndrome, John flips it on its head. Rather than talking himself out of it with credentials, he treats it as a signal of the Dunning-Kruger effect in reverse — proof you know enough to know you don't know everything. His grounded answer to any gap: "I don't know, and I'll find out." Strong convictions, loosely held. This episode explores:  * Why school's "never fail" lesson is the wrong mindset for building anything   * Failing fast and forward as the real engine of entrepreneurship  * How jazz's structure mirrors the constraints inside creative work  * John's decades-long move away from bosses, partners, and investors  * Building a global, solo business on digital downloads and no working capital  * DISC as a tool for better communication and negotiation  * Why revenue growth can be a vanity metric — and simplicity scales   * Reframing imposter syndrome through Dunning-Kruger and Socratic humility John's perspective is a powerful reminder that there's no single recipe for success — only the willingness to fail, adapt, and stay honest about what you don't know. His arc from MIT engineer to boss-free global educator shows that you can build a business shaped entirely around who you actually are, if you're patient enough to let the path reveal itself.  If you're an entrepreneur, creative, lifelong learner, or anyone tired of the "shoulds" that pass for business advice, this conversation offers practical insight, candid honesty about imposter syndrome, and a refreshing case that the smartest thing you can say is often "I don't know — let me find out." Connect with me here:  * Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon  * Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8  * Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast  Guest Details:  * Guest: John Cousins  * Company: MBA ASAP  * Books: Corporate Finance ASAP and 60+ others (including titles on Miles Davis, the Great American Songbook, and focus Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    44 min
  2. Building and Handing Off a Law Practice: Succession, Books as Business Cards, and Imposter Syndrome | Garrett & Ted Sutton

    6d ago

    Building and Handing Off a Law Practice: Succession, Books as Business Cards, and Imposter Syndrome | Garrett & Ted Sutton

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon does something a little different — instead of one guest, she sits down with two: Garrett Sutton and his son, Ted Sutton. Garrett is the founder of Corporate Direct and Sutton Law, an award-winning author of 11 books whose titles have sold over a million copies (including Start Your Own Corporation and Loopholes of Real Estate), an asset protection attorney, and for 25 years the legal architect of business protection in Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad world. For 35+ years, his firm Corporate Direct has helped entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and digital asset investors protect their personal assets in all 50 states — and more recently he founded Tenero.TV and Tenero Productions to make meaningful film. Ted is a partner and asset protection attorney at Corporate Direct, specializing in business formation and the maintenance of corporations and LLCs, and he even helped spearhead work around the new Corporate Transparency Act. The father-son pair share a passion for skiing — Garrett raised Ted on the slopes near their home in Reno, Nevada, at age two, and Ted went on to ski competitively, winning a Nevada state championship in high school. In this conversation, the Suttons challenge a piece of conventional wisdom baked into the legal profession itself: the billable hour. Early in his career, Garrett bristled at the pressure to bill for every minute. When he built his own practice and connected with Robert Kiyosaki, he moved to a flat-fee model — clients know exactly what they'll pay up front, with no anxious guessing about whether a call costs them five minutes or twenty. It's a model that removes friction for the client and, as Kim notes, still rewards Garrett for being efficient with his time. A turning point in the family story is Ted's path to the firm. Garrett and Ted's mother — a doctor — deliberately put no pressure on their kids to follow a professional track. Ted studied mining engineering at the University of Utah, even spending three months at a mine in Chile's Atacama Desert before realizing the remote life wasn't for him. He came to law on his own, drawn not by courtroom glory but by the chance to take over the family business and help the people his father had spent decades serving. It's the quiet engine of the whole episode: a peaceful succession, where Garrett phases out as Ted phases in, mentor and successor side by side. The two also explore the abundance mindset Ted absorbed from his father's world, the constant challenge of finding people with real work ethic, and Garrett's refusal to sell to private equity firms that would squeeze the clients he's served for 20 years. And both have books to show for it — Garrett's eight titles in Kiyosaki's series, plus his newest project, the Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN audiobook and documentary about ESPN's founder, available to rent exclusively on Tenero.TV. Ted's debut, Greenback's Book of Law, teaches law basics to parents, kids, and young adults through the eyes of Greenback — a friendly goldendoodle whose owner is Ernie the Attorney — filling the same gap that financial literacy education leaves in schools, with a companion card game on the way. This episode explores: Why the billable hour didn't fit — and how a flat-fee model serves clients better Letting kids find their own path instead of pushing them toward a profession Ted's pivot from mining engineering in the Atacama Desert to law What a peaceful family-business succession actually looks like Why you'll never do just "one thing" as a lawyer — and how you learn on the job The freedom of saying "I'm not your person" and referring work out The Toxic Client lesson: 80% of problems come from 20% of clients Avoiding some mistakes through a mentor — and why some you have to learn by fire The Suttons' perspective is a powerful reminder that success can be built on your own terms — flat fees instead of billable hours, your own path instead of an inherited one, and clients you actually want to serve instead of a quick payday. Their story of a father and son building something durable together shows that the most valuable thing you can pass down isn't a business, but the wisdom of how to run it well. If you're an entrepreneur, professional, family-business owner, or anyone navigating succession, this conversation offers practical insight, candid talk about imposter syndrome, and a refreshing case that doing right by your clients and your people is its own kind of strategy. Connect with me here: Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8 Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast Guest Details: Guests: Garrett Sutton (Founder/CEO, Corporate Direct; TENERO Host/Founder; Rich Dad Advisor) & Ted Sutton (Partner & Asset Protection Attorney, Corporate Direct) Company: Corporate Direct — https://www.corporatedirect.com Garrett's books: 11 titles including Toxic Client, Start Your Own Corporation, and Loopholes of Real Estate (eight in Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad series) Garrett's latest: Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN audiobook and documentary — film available to rent exclusively on Tenero.TV; financial education videos on Tenero's YouTube Ted's book: Greenback's Book of Law (releasing in sync with America's 250th anniversary) — greenbacksbookoflaw.com, with a companion card game coming Find Garrett & Ted online: Facebook — Corporate Direct: https://www.facebook.com/corporatedirect Instagram — Corporate Direct: https://www.instagram.com/corporatedirect/ Instagram — Greenback's Book of Law: https://www.instagram.com/greenbacksbol/ YouTube — TENERO: https://www.youtube.com/@teneroofficial LinkedIn — Garrett Sutton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettsutton/ LinkedIn — Ted Sutton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-sutton-esq-703493116/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    30 min
  3. Career Pivots, Lifelong Learning, and Building a Business After an AI Layoff with Ryan Drumheller

    Jun 26

    Career Pivots, Lifelong Learning, and Building a Business After an AI Layoff with Ryan Drumheller

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Ryan Drumheller a self-described extroverted IT leader, fractional CIO, and founder of StellarHorn Group, where he helps businesses cut through the noise of technology and AI to drive real, measurable results. With over 20 years of experience in IT and leadership, Ryan is a relentless lifelong learner: two master's degrees, a bachelor's, more than 170 certifications, and doctoral ambitions still on the table. Outside of work, he's into music, sports, and video games and lately, golf. Ryan's path to all those credentials was anything but linear. He flamed out of community college after a year, landed an IT job quickly, and spent his twenties working hard without much of a plan. His parents young, with his dad a corrections officer steered him toward trade school, but Ryan was already taking apart PCs at night and quietly betting that IT was the future. The career epiphany didn't hit until his late twenties, when he looked at the hours he was putting in and thought, it can be different. That's when he went back for his bachelor's, then his master's, and never really stopped. In this conversation, Ryan challenges one of the most rigid beliefs in our culture: that there's one right path high school, straight to college, straight to career and that falling outside it means you won't amount to much. He's living proof otherwise. He and Kim get into how traditional education rewards a single narrow kind of intelligence, and how much talent gets boxed out because it doesn't fit. Ryan aced the technical classes he cared about even student-taught a programming course in high school while checking out of everything else. His bachelor's forced him through courses he found irrelevant; his master's, at a school built around relevant coursework, was night and day. Proof, as Kim puts it, that it can be done differently if we're open to it. Ryan and Kim also dig into the hard, honest math of going out on your own. Faced with a likely steady paycheck versus chasing the dream, Ryan landed on doing both taking the guarantee while building the product in the shadows. Along the way he learned something important about himself: he sells a product he believes in with total confidence, but selling himself as a service always felt like a stumble. The deeper realization is that he works better with people than as a solopreneur and instead of fighting his own nature, he's building something that fits it. Underneath it all, he's candid that imposter syndrome shows up in every phase, and that his answer is the same each time: look at the evidence, and remember that he's always figured it out before. This episode explores: Why the linear path — high school, college, career — isn't the only route to success How a community-college flameout became a 170-certification career Why traditional education rewards one narrow kind of intelligence Using what you're good at to help you learn what's hard The career epiphany: realizing "it can be different" Turning a job loss in the AI wave into a deliberate pivot How a hobby meant to escape technology became the work itself The honest math of a steady paycheck vs. chasing the dream — and doing both Why if you can't sell, you don't have a business Building around your nature instead of fighting it (team player vs. solopreneur) Using AI as a creative thought partner, not a human replacement Why imposter syndrome shows up at every stage — and how evidence pulls you out "You're not a victim, you're a survivor": owning your experience and doing the work Ryan's perspective is a powerful reminder that there's no single timeline for figuring it out — and that the disruptions we don't choose can point us toward the work we're actually built for. His journey from a checked-out high schooler to a credential-stacking CIO building a company around the game he loves shows that you can take the unconventional route and still arrive somewhere that feels like home. If you're a leader, technologist, career-changer, or anyone who took the long way around, this conversation offers practical perspective, hard-won honesty, and a refreshing case that you can pick yourself up, pivot, and keep moving — no cheat codes required. Connect with me here: Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8 Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast Guest Details: Guest: Ryan Drumheller Company: StellarHorn Group Focus: Fractional CIO services; building golf technology software Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    44 min
  4. From Abandoned at 11 to Trusted Advisor to Millionaires: Victoria Woods' Story

    Jun 23

    From Abandoned at 11 to Trusted Advisor to Millionaires: Victoria Woods' Story

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Victoria Woods wealth advisor, trusted advisor to millionaires, and founder and CEO of Chapelwood Financial Services, where she specializes in high-net-worth investment advisory. Victoria has been featured in Newsweek, named one of 100 Women to Know in America in 2023, and is the author of It's All About the Money, Honey. Victoria's story doesn't begin with wealth. It begins with a father who abandoned the family when she was eleven, a stay-at-home mom suddenly raising four kids on $96-a-month rent, and a childhood spent cooking for her siblings on a hot plate. She started babysitting at twelve and quickly went from minding one child to running six at a time. She built a celebrated retail career, walked away from the corporate world at twenty-three, and eventually built three companies over three decades. In this conversation, Victoria challenges one of the most paralyzing beliefs in business: the idea that you have to have all the answers before you're allowed to lead. Early on, she pretended she had it all figured out confident on the outside, "sweat running down my back" on the inside. What she learned was that nobody expects you to know everything, and admitting you don't isn't weakness. The real skill is being clear about who you are and where you're going, then having the nerve to ask for help getting there. A turning point came the night she asked her store manager for a raise she had earned top sales, most departments and was told the money was going to "Lazy Bill" in furniture instead, because Bill was married with children and she was single. By the next morning she was clear: she would never again let someone else decide her worth. It's the moment that crystallized the phrase she still lives by in the absence of courage, do it scared. Much of the episode is a masterclass in asking for what you want. Victoria describes the goal card she created in her fifties her photo, a QR code, and a handful of specific annual goals which she hands to powerful people across the table, then sits back in silence and lets them volunteer how they can help. She writes their names down, names the commitment out loud, and follows up. Even her own business coach was left speechless watching it work. Victoria and Kim also dig into generosity as a discipline rather than a reward "give while you're living" and the lesson that what you give out rarely returns from the direction you sent it, but always returns. They talk about the loneliness of building something that eventually doesn't need you, which is exactly the point: if the company depends on the founder, Victoria says flatly, you don't have a business, you have a hobby. And underneath it all, she's candid that imposter syndrome never fully leaves her answer is the same as always: keep serving, keep moving, and don't take advice from broke people. This episode explores: Why you don't need all the answers to start — and why pretending you do holds you back How a childhood of scarcity became an entrepreneurial education The raise that wasn't, and the "fork in the road" moment that changed everything "In the absence of courage, do it scared" as a working philosophy The goal-card method for asking powerful people for help — and why silence is the secret Why asking for advice is a strength, not a weakness Giving while you're living, and treating generosity as a responsibility That you don't have to be rich to help: a dollar's a dollar Why a business that depends on its founder isn't really a business The bittersweet goal of training your team so well that clients stop needing you Why imposter syndrome can persist at every level of success Speaking to clients in plain English instead of jargon "Don't take advice from broke people" — and how to vet credibility before you listen Victoria's perspective is a powerful reminder that success isn't about arriving with all the answers it's about clarity, courage, and a willingness to keep serving even when you're scared. Her journey from a broken stove and floated checks to one of the most respected women-owned advisory firms in the country shows that you can build real wealth without losing your warmth. If you're an entrepreneur, advisor, leader, or anyone who's ever felt like they don't quite belong in the room, this conversation offers practical tools, hard-won wisdom, and a refreshing case that the bravest thing you can do is ask for what you want and then do the work. Connect with me here: Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8 Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast Guest Details: Guest: Victoria Woods Company: Chapelwood Financial Services Book: It's All About the Money, Honey (also available as an audiobook) Website: FinancialDiva.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    48 min
  5. From Special Ops to $70M in Real Estate: Leadership, Letting Go, and Profits With Purpose with Jesse Sells

    Jun 19

    From Special Ops to $70M in Real Estate: Leadership, Letting Go, and Profits With Purpose with Jesse Sells

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Jesse Sells co-founder and chief operating officer of Impact Growth Capital, where he runs the daily operations of a diverse portfolio of properties and companies. With a strong passion for creating meaningful change, Jesse connects strategic vision with concrete results, making sure each project not only hits its goals but lifts up the community and the wider market along the way. Jesse's path was anything but conventional. He grew up poor in rural Oklahoma at times without running water before moving to Texas and joining the military, where he spent his twenties in military intelligence and was picked up by Special Operations. His work in foreign internal defense took him across the Middle East, where he learned Arabic and learned, over countless glasses of tea, how trust actually gets built. After leaving the service, he and his brother pooled roughly $20,000 in life savings and, within a few years, built a portfolio of nearly 1,500 units focused on affordable and workforce housing partnering with nonprofits to bring mental health and community services to the people living in them. In this conversation, Jesse challenges one of the most stubborn beliefs in business: the idea that you have to choose between making money and doing good. Raised to resent wealth — he admits that as a kid he saw a new truck and thought "showoffs" he carried the common stigma that profit and purpose can't share a room. Over time, he came to see that as flat-out wrong. The more he earned, the more he could change: pay for nieces and nephews, fund services, and get a seat at the tables where real decisions get made. As he and Kim put it, you can't shift policy from the outside; you have to be in the room. Jesse and Kim also dig into the limits of conventional success advice — especially the "millionaire in 60 days" promise and the social-media fantasy that one viral moment equals a career. Both push back hard. Real success, Jesse argues, is more available than ever but never overnight, and a candle that burns that bright tends to burn out fast. Much of the episode turns on leadership and the hardest lesson of scaling: letting go. Drawing on the military's clarity about "left and right limits," Jesse explains how he set clear boundaries and then trusted his people to make decisions inside them supporting each one the way they needed, not the way he preferred. Kim adds the piece she sees leaders miss most: it's not just about deciding which decisions belong to whom, it's about the *feelings and identity* wrapped up in handing them over. When a founder's whole sense of self is "I'm the decision-maker," they'll claw the work back no matter how good the system is. Throughout the conversation, Jesse is candid about imposter syndrome, the messiness of "building the plane while flying it," and the quiet discipline behind his growth daily study, daily meditation, and a relentless focus on the 80/20 of what actually moves the needle. His trick for staying grounded in any room, even across from a billionaire: find the human first. This episode explores:  * Why the "money vs. meaning" trade-off is a false choice  * How profits and purpose can reinforce each other rather than compete  * Why real impact requires a seat at the table, not just good intentions  * The Fort Worth bus-stop story and what creativity-plus-legwork really looks like  * Why "overnight success" and viral fame are traps, not strategies  * What the military teaches about leadership that the civilian world often doesn't  * Why your calendar, not your intentions, reveals your real priorities  * How to beat imposter syndrome by finding the human in the room  * Why cultural awareness changes how you lead, sell, and connect If you're an entrepreneur, investor, leader, or business owner trying to grow something that matters without losing yourself in the process, this conversation offers practical insight, hard-won leadership lessons, and a refreshing case that doing well and doing good were never meant to be separate. Connect with me here:  * Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon  * Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8  * Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast Guest Details:  * Guest: Jesse Sells  * Company: Impact Growth Capital  * Focus: Affordable housing, infrastructure, and AI  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-sells/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    35 min
  6. The Dangerous Belief That's Limiting Your Company's Growth with Ted Fogliani

    Jun 16

    The Dangerous Belief That's Limiting Your Company's Growth with Ted Fogliani

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Ted Fogliani seasoned entrepreneur, executive, and former CEO with more than 25 years of experience founding, scaling, and leading companies across e-commerce, SaaS, manufacturing, logistics, and technology-enabled services. After spending decades building businesses as a bootstrapped entrepreneur, Ted made an unconventional career move: stepping away from the CEO role and joining Whittier Trust, one of the largest privately held multifamily offices on the West Coast. Today, he leverages his entrepreneurial experience to support founders, business owners, and families navigating growth, transition, and long-term wealth planning. In this conversation, Ted challenges one of the most common assumptions in entrepreneurship: that great leaders should hire people who think, work, and solve problems exactly the way they do. Early in his career, Ted believed surrounding himself with people who shared his approach would create consistency and reliability. What he eventually discovered was that hiring replicas of yourself can limit innovation, reduce scalability, and prevent businesses from reaching their full potential. Ted shares how learning to hire complementary talent rather than familiar talent became one of the most important leadership lessons of his career. He explains why successful companies require diverse perspectives, healthy disagreement, and people who bring strengths that leaders themselves may not possess. The conversation also explores succession planning, delegation, and the difficult process of letting go. Ted reflects on how many entrepreneurs unintentionally become bottlenecks in their own businesses by believing they are indispensable. Over time, he learned that one of the greatest responsibilities of leadership is preparing others to eventually replace you — including preparing someone to take over your own role. Drawing from decades of experience building companies, Ted candidly discusses mistakes he made around hiring, over-titling employees, underinvesting in top talent, and holding onto responsibilities longer than he should have. He explains why many of the lessons that created the most value in his career came not from success, but from failure. One of the most unconventional aspects of Ted's story is his decision to step away from the CEO title after years of leading organizations. While many leaders view career progression as a constant climb upward, Ted found fulfillment in choosing a role that allowed him to contribute without carrying the full weight and responsibility of running an entire company. He shares why leadership is not always about status, titles, or control — and how letting go of ego can create new opportunities for growth. Throughout the episode, Ted and Kim discuss resilience, adaptability, and the reality that no leader truly has everything figured out. Whether managing growing businesses, navigating career transitions, raising four children — including triplets — or recovering from major business setbacks, Ted emphasizes the importance of focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on problems. The conversation also dives into mentorship, networking, and the value of transparency. Ted explains why some of the most meaningful advice he can offer today comes from the mistakes he made rather than the successes he achieved. By openly sharing failures, challenges, and hard-earned lessons, leaders create opportunities for others to learn without repeating the same costly mistakes.   This episode explores: - How diverse perspectives drive innovation and scalability - The dangers of believing you're indispensable to your business - How delegation creates stronger organizations and stronger leaders - Why leaders should actively develop people who can replace them - The hidden costs of hiring only who you can afford instead of who you need - How over-titling employees can create long-term organizational challenges - The leadership lessons Ted learned from decades of entrepreneurship - Why many of the most valuable business lessons come from failure - The realities of transitioning out of a CEO role - How to separate personal identity from professional titles - Why ego often becomes a barrier to leadership growth - The role of mentorship and peer networks during difficult transitions Ted's perspective is a powerful reminder that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about creating environments where others can succeed, learning from mistakes, remaining adaptable, and having the courage to evolve as circumstances change. His journey demonstrates that true leadership often requires letting go of control, embracing humility, and recognizing that growth comes from both success and failure. If you're an entrepreneur, founder, executive, business owner, or leader navigating growth, succession planning, team development, career transitions, or personal reinvention, this conversation is packed with practical insights, leadership lessons, and hard-earned wisdom from decades in the trenches. Connect with me here: Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8 Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast  Guest Details: Guest: Ted Fogliani Company: Whittier Trust LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedfogliani/?isSelfProfile=false Website: https://www.whittiertrust.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    41 min
  7. How Rest Outperformed Hustle | Kristine Kilty on Leadership, Recovery & Success

    Jun 12

    How Rest Outperformed Hustle | Kristine Kilty on Leadership, Recovery & Success

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Kristine Kilty — Creative Fashion Director & Luxury Brand Consultant, author, and founder of The Fierce Group. With more than 15 years of international experience across luxury fashion, haute couture, and high jewelry, Kristine has worked with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including Chanel, Dior, and Chaumet. Her career has spanned editorial and campaign direction for leading publications, including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, while styling high-profile talent such as Lewis Hamilton, Greta Gerwig, Nick Jonas, and Boy George. Today, she helps luxury brands refine their visual identity while also mentoring the next generation of fashion stylists through her consulting work and writing. In this conversation, Kristine challenges one of the most widely accepted beliefs in business and entrepreneurship: the idea that success requires endless hustle, grinding, and constant busyness. Early in her career, she embraced the traditional mindset that working harder and longer would naturally lead to greater results. Over time, however, she discovered that clarity, focus, and intentional action often create far greater outcomes than relentless effort. A life-changing turning point came when Kristine suffered a serious concussion during the pandemic, forcing her to spend months recovering with limited ability to work. Unable to maintain her usual pace, she focused only on the highest-impact activities while prioritizing rest, visualization, and nervous system regulation. Surprisingly, that period became one of the most financially successful seasons of her career, completely reshaping how she viewed productivity and achievement. Kristine explains why many entrepreneurs unknowingly operate from a dysregulated nervous system, confusing busyness with effectiveness. She shares how slowing down, creating space for reflection, and focusing on a few meaningful priorities each day transformed both her business results and her quality of life. Throughout the episode, Kim and Kristine explore the relationship between self-care and performance, discussing why activities often viewed as "non-productive" can actually become the foundation for sustainable success. Kristine argues that entrepreneurs frequently underestimate the importance of recovery, restoration, and personal well-being, even though these factors directly influence decision-making, creativity, and leadership. The conversation also explores visibility, authenticity, and the pressure business owners face in the age of social media. Kristine candidly discusses her ongoing struggle to balance meaningful content creation with the constant demands of online platforms, while remaining true to her values and strengths. This episode explores: Why hustle culture is often mistaken for productivity How clarity and focus can outperform hard work alone The connection between nervous system regulation and business success What a serious concussion taught Kristine about leadership and performance Why doing less can sometimes create better results The power of identifying the few actions that truly move a business forward How entrepreneurs can avoid confusing busyness with effectiveness The importance of rest, recovery, and self-care for high performers Why great leaders create space for different perspectives and voices How flexibility and adaptability help creative professionals thrive The lessons fashion and luxury branding can teach about leadership Why entrepreneurs should focus on progress rather than perfection How scheduling priorities intentionally can create greater freedom and results   Kristine's perspective is a powerful reminder that success does not always come from doing more. Sometimes it comes from slowing down, focusing on what truly matters, trusting your intuition, and creating space to think clearly. Her journey demonstrates that productivity is not measured by how busy you are, but by how intentionally you use your time, energy, and attention. If you're an entrepreneur, creative professional, leader, or business owner looking to build sustainable success without sacrificing your well-being, this conversation offers practical insights, powerful mindset shifts, and a refreshing alternative to conventional ideas about achievement.Connect With Me Here: Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8 Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=PodcastKristine Notes & Links I’ve just released my new book Fashion Stylist - Seven Proven Steps to Build a Banging Portfolio, a Powerful Network, and Make Shit Happen*. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart and online retailers worldwide. Press kit (bio + press release): https://subscribepage.io/Og7NPb Amazon purchase link: https://mybook.to/FashionStylist Website: https://www.kristinekilty.co.uk/ Consulting agency: https://www.fierce-group.com/ Jewellery brand: https://frequencyparisibiza.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinekilty/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-kilty-b6b35a54/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    42 min
  8. How Authenticity Builds Real Entrepreneurial Power with Melina Mattos

    Jun 9

    How Authenticity Builds Real Entrepreneurial Power with Melina Mattos

    In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, Kim Miller-Hershon sits down with Melina Mattos entrepreneur, founder of BRABO, and CEO of Alchemy Imports, a company dedicated to bringing the rich heritage of Brazilian spirits to the global market. Through BRABO, Melina is helping introduce audiences to cachaça, Brazil’s iconic sugarcane spirit, while educating consumers on its cultural history, craftsmanship, and role in modern cocktail culture. As a founder operating in a highly competitive, male-dominated beverage industry, she has built her brand at the intersection of storytelling, authenticity, and global product education. In this conversation, Melina shares her unconventional journey as both a business leader and a deeply intuitive thinker. She opens up about how she moved from trying to fit into traditional expectations to fully embracing her individuality as an entrepreneur even when it didn’t align with conventional norms of professionalism or leadership. One of the most defining threads in Melina story is her shift away from the idea of “fake it till you make it.” Instead, she argues that authenticity and humility build far more trust than curated personas ever could. Early in her career, she realized that pretending to know things she didn’t only created distance while honesty, even in moments of vulnerability, helped her build stronger relationships and credibility in high-level business environments. Throughout the episode, she and Kim explore the balance between intuition and knowledge in modern leadership. Melina challenges the traditional belief that success is purely driven by accumulated information, arguing instead that intuition especially in fast-moving entrepreneurial environments is becoming one of the most important leadership tools. Melina further opens up about building her brand in the beverage industry, from discovering cachaça through personal experience to recognizing its growing potential in the U.S. market. She shares how BRABO was born from both intuition and market opportunity, and how she is working to position cachaça as the next globally recognized spirit alongside tequila, bourbon, and vodka. Beyond business strategy, the conversation also explores identity, relationships, and personal growth. Melina discusses the importance of surrounding yourself with people who match your growth trajectory, even if that means letting go of long-standing friendships or spending significant time alone to evolve. For her, solitude is not isolation it is a tool for recalibration, self-improvement, and alignment. This episode explores: * Why authenticity outperforms “fake it till you make it” in modern entrepreneurship * How Milena built confidence by embracing vulnerability in high-level business settings * The role of intuition versus knowledge in leadership decision-making * The origins of BRABO and the cultural story behind cachaça * How Milena identified opportunity in a fast-growing spirits category * Why cachaça may become the next globally dominant spirit category * The importance of delegation and trusting teams in scaling a business * How spending time alone can elevate personal growth and energy * How focusing on what you want to expand shapes your reality and outcomes Melina's perspective is a reminder that entrepreneurship is not just about strategy or execution it is also about self-awareness, intuition, and the courage to lead in a way that feels aligned rather than performative. Her journey illustrates how success can be built by trusting yourself, embracing uncertainty, and staying grounded in who you are while building something bigger than yourself. If you're an entrepreneur, founder, or leader navigating identity, growth, or industry disruption, this conversation offers a powerful blend of mindset shifts, leadership insight, and real-world business building. Connect with me here: * Website: https://www.kimmillerhershon.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmillerhershon * Newsletter: https://link.kimmillerhershon.com/widget/form/aEdmdA1W5MhoMCMfy5O8 * Webinar: https://webinar.kimmillerhershon.com/?utm_source=Podcast   Guest Details: * Guest: Milena Matos* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinamattosusa?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios*  instagram: @melina_mattos / @drinkbrabo * Company: Alchemy Imports* Brand: BRABO Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    41 min
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4 Ratings

About

Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom: Where clichés come to retire and fresh thinking we inspire. Smart minds don’t think alike—and that’s the point. Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom takes you inside the messy, brilliant, and bold thought processes of high-achieving leaders, entrepreneurs, and out-of-the-box thinkers. We skip the clichés and spotlight the real talk: the strange decisions that worked, the brilliant ideas that bombed, and the thought patterns that defy the rulebook—but still lead to growth, impact, and the occasional mic drop. If you’re tired of surface-level advice and crave the kind of wisdom that makes you pause, laugh, and level up—this is your new favorite listen. Because let’s face it: playing it safe never built anything worth bragging about.

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