Send us Fan Mail

AI Is the Stress Test for Leadership with Sarah Olin and Elena Arecco Bridgmon of Lumo

AI is the ultimate stress test for leadership, and it's exposing every crack leaders have been trying to hide. Executive coaches Sarah Olin and Elena Arecco Bridgmon, co-founders of Lumo Leadership, have coached leaders everywhere from the UN to the NBA, and right now they're watching AI separate the strong leaders from the ones who've been white-knuckling it.

They compare it to the treadmill test a cardiologist puts you through. Under...

Send us Fan Mail

Season four of Friends with Benefits opens with a live recording from the final session of ALX 2026, the Arcadia Leadership Experience, in the mountains outside Bozeman, Montana.

In this episode

- Why the people in the room are the real playbook behind ALX
- Alignment, and why it starts with honestly naming what needs work
- Jason on asking friends for help during a hard season of life
- The mountain run that shows what it means to have someone beside you
- How a...

Send us Fan Mail

Making friends as an adult is awkward, but it gets a lot easier when you stop waiting for it to just happen.

This week, we’re joined by Sarah Grieco for a conversation we’ve been having a lot lately, but this time with actual research, frameworks, and tactical advice behind it. Sarah has spent years moving cities, starting over, building community from scratch, and studying what it really takes to make and keep friends as an adult.

We get into why friendship feels so much harder in this stag...

Send us Fan Mail

The callings we answer in life often begin long before we ever find the courage to step out of the boat.

This week, we're joined by corporate comedy pioneer and improv expert Tim Washer, Keynote Speaker, Event Emcee, PowerPoint Comedian at Ridiculous Media, for an honest conversation about humor, fear, and what it really takes to build a life true to who you are. After two decades at IBM and Cisco, an unexpected improv class taught by Amy Poehler set Tim on a path toward writing for SNL and Conan, acting...

Send us Fan Mail

The stories we carry about money often begin long before we earn, spend, save, or invest a dollar.

This week, we're joined by Jeff Greenberg, somatic coach, mental health counselor, and former Wall Street macroeconomist, for a deeply honest conversation about money, meaning, and what it really takes to build a life that feels true to who you are. Jeff spent over a decade at JPMorgan and UBS analyzing global financial systems before a personal reckoning in his early 30s led him somewhere no spreadsheet could take him. He shares how...

Send us Fan Mail

The people who build the strongest networks know that real connection starts with showing up fully, and giving others permission to do the same.

This week, we're joined by Melissa Moody, founder and CMO at Wednesday Women and self-proclaimed "accidental super connector," for a rich conversation about networking, women in leadership, and the art of building community with intention. Melissa has spent years amplifying incredible leaders and creating spaces where executive women can show up authentically, and she shares how it all started with a simple LinkedIn post, once a week...

Send us Fan Mail

The best leaders aren't just built in boardrooms, they're built in the moments nobody sees.

This week, we're joined by Heather Cooper, former CEO of Cloud Coach, and Blakely Graham, former CEO of TaskRay, now co-hosts of the podcast Not All Business, for a rare, unfiltered conversation about competition, connection, and what it really costs to lead. Heather and Blakely spent over a decade as rival CEOs in the Salesforce ecosystem, building competing companies, never once meeting. Until, a mutual friend changed everything. In this conversation, we explore how their unlikely...

Send us Fan Mail

Better communication starts with understanding how people think, listen, and receive what you say.

This week, we’re joined by Brittany Hart, Founder and CEO of Communiscape, for a conversation about what effective communication actually requires. Brittany shares how her work in large scale Salesforce implementations led her to a bigger realization: technology was rarely the issue. Teams were often missing the communication architecture needed to help people understand change, trust leadership, and move forward together.

We talk with Brittany about why communication can feel easy with some people an...

Send us Fan Mail

We talk a lot about performance, but not nearly enough about what pressure does to the way we think, lead, and show up.

This week, we’re joined by Angus Nelson, executive coach and author of Neuro Resilient Leader, for a conversation about what sits underneath pressure and performance. Angus shares why leaders who seem successful on the outside can still be operating from stress, scarcity, and survival mode, and why what looks like a strategy issue is often something deeper.

We talk through his C3 framework and what it...

Send us Fan Mail

Sleep is essential for high performance and well-being, yet it’s often overlooked.

This week, we’re joined by Kristen Rainey, sleep expert and consultant, to discuss how quality rest can transform your health, productivity, and life. Kristen shares her journey from battling burnout to becoming an advocate for the power of sleep, explaining how it’s the foundation for optimal performance in both work and life.

In this conversation, we go into the importance of sleep routines, the impact of habits like screen time and alcohol, and how to cre...

Send us Fan Mail

Great storytelling is at the heart of building authentic connections and trust with your audience.

This week, we’re joined by Ademola Adelakun, CEO & Founder of content agency A2 Media, LinkedIn video creator, and magician, to discuss the powerful role storytelling plays in video marketing and brand trust. Ademola shares his journey from creating magic tricks to mastering the art of video content, showing how brands can transform their marketing by telling stories that resonate with viewers on a deeper level.

In this conversation, we explore the key principles of...

Send us Fan Mail

The most successful high performers know that success isn’t just about results, it’s about understanding the mind and body connection. 

This week, we’re joined by Jenn James, Founder and Chief Growth Expert at Fresh Demand, and an expert in the neuroscience of change, to discuss how to break free from burnout, rewire your brain, and achieve lasting success without sacrificing your health. Jenn shares her journey from corporate burnout to teaching others how to overcome stress and anxiety while maintaining high performance.

In this conversation, we dive de...

Send us Fan Mail

The strongest leaders don’t separate performance from people, they know the two rise and fall together.

This week, we’re sitting down with our friend Kyle Lacy, CMO at Docebo, to talk about leadership, identity, ambition, and what it takes to build a big career without losing yourself in the process. Kyle has always been someone we admire for how openly he talks about work, family, writing, health, and the tension of trying to hold it all at once. In this conversation, we get into the cost of making work your...

Send us Fan Mail

Adult friendship isn’t hard because we don’t want it, it’s hard because we don’t know where to start.

This week, it’s just us, and we’re talking about the thing we’ve both had to admit out loud lately: making friends as an adult can feel weirdly hard. Sam shares why she set an actual goal to create more spaces for connection and why it feels like we’ve lost the “third place” where friendships used to happen naturally. 

We get into what’s really getting in the w...

Send us Fan Mail

Everybody wants more friends, but nobody knows how to make them.

This week, we’re joined by D’Art Strickland, Senior Solutions Marketing Manager at BigID, to talk about something most of us feel but rarely admit: it’s hard to make friends as a grown-up.

After a major life shift left him sitting on the couch wondering what changed, D’Art decided to get uncomfortable. From “Dinner with Strangers” to driving Uber for human conversation, he began intentionally pursuing connection, not because it was easy, but because it mattered. Hi...

Send us Fan Mail

Sometimes the wake-up call isn’t a missed quarter, it’s your body telling you the pace you’ve been running at is no longer sustainable.

This week, we’re sitting down with Casey Calkins, Facilitator & Coach, and founder of C2it Partners, where she helps sales leaders build healthier, higher performing teams. Casey shares what it looked like to live in a constant high-demand stress loop, the health spiral it created, and the moment she realized she couldn’t keep letting work be the thing that mattered most.

We get int...

Send us Fan Mail

Creating impactful leadership starts with understanding and evolving your own way of being.

This week, we’re joined by Kelly Ramirez, an executive coach and founder of Elemental Leadership, a coaching practice focused on helping leaders unlock their full potential. Kelly’s career has been shaped by her passion for helping individuals and organizations overcome personal and professional barriers, and today she’s sharing insights on how leaders can reframe their mindset to drive more meaningful outcomes.

In this conversation, we explore the power of ontological coaching, why emotional awaren...

Send us Fan Mail

Strong communities start with intention and vision before results.

This week, we discuss our journey with Arcadia, a space we’ve built for leaders to connect, learn, and grow. After two successful events, we’ve expanded into an ongoing community that nurtures relationships beyond the conference room, blending work, life, and personal growth.

In this conversation, we share how we navigated the balance between business and family, why alignment is key in both work and life, and how we’ve been able to build something that’s not just an event...

Send us Fan Mail

Building strong relationships is about creating the foundation long before you need it.

This week, we’re joined by Josh Katz, founder of Knostra, a platform designed to help people build and maintain relationships more effectively using AI. Josh’s career has been centered around partnerships, and today, he’s focusing on how we can expand our circles authentically, without losing the human touch in a tech-driven world.

In this conversation, we dive into why personalization doesn’t equal being personal, the importance of context and timing in business relation...

Send us Fan Mail

Deep self-awareness combined with intentional leadership creates a powerful foundation for personal and professional growth.

In this episode, we speak with Barrett Brooks, an Executive Coach and host of his podcast, Good Work, whose approach to personal growth and leadership has transformed how he works and how he impacts others. Barrett’s journey has taken him from the fast-paced world of corporate leadership to embracing the calling of coaching, where he helps individuals align their inner gifts with their leadership purpose. He’s passionate about helping leaders break free from the armo...

Send us Fan Mail

The strongest relationships aren’t built when you need them. They’re built long before that.

This week, we’re sitting down with our longtime friend Erika Flowers, Chief Client Officer at Profitable Ideas Exchange, professional trail runner for The North Face, author of “The Growth Engine”, and one of the most thoughtful relationship builders we know. We’ve had versions of this conversation with Erika over the years at Arcadia, but this is the first time we’ve captured it on the mic, and it might be one of the most tactical...

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when you combine the art of building relationships with the science of scaling businesses?

In this episode, we speak with Will Taylor, a leader whose approach to partnerships and content creation has made waves in the industry. Will’s journey has taken him from building his personal brand through insightful content to shaping successful partnership programs that scale businesses. He’s passionate about using trust as a cornerstone of business growth and is now leading the charge at AudienceLed, where he helps companies tap into the power of third-party rela...

Send us Fan Mail

There’s a certain clarity that comes from looking back and realizing every winding path was preparing you for who you are now. 

This week, we sit down with our friend Jeff Gangemi, someone we met by chance at B2BMX and somehow ended up adventuring through Montana, swapping stories in the woods, and weaving into our inner circle. Jeff’s lived a lot of lives: religion major, nonprofit guy, journalist, marketer, consultant, coach, dad, husband, traveler. His story is proof that reinvention isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes it’s messy and risky...

Send us Fan Mail

There’s something powerful that happens when you meet a leader who thinks in systems but leads with soul.

This week, we’re talking with our friend Rob Moyer, someone we’ve looked up to for years for how he builds partner programs, but even more for how he builds the people behind them. Rob has scaled partnerships at every stage, from early-stage chaos to billion-dollar organizations, and he brings a perspective that blends discipline, clarity, and heart in a way you rarely see in tech. He’s also the founder of BlueT...

Send us Fan Mail

Growth often comes when we step outside our comfort zone and face the unknown head-on.

This week, we’re chatting with Scott Britton, founder of Conscious Talent and author of Conscious Accomplishment. You’ve probably seen his thought-provoking posts on LinkedIn, but in this conversation, Scott takes us behind the scenes of his journey. From selling his company to Salesforce to exploring the depths of consciousness, Scott shares how he went from chasing external success to discovering true fulfillment from within.

We dive into how letting go of attachments and...

Send us Fan Mail

Growth is about stopping long enough to ask what you really want.

This week, we’re talking with Branca Ballot, former head of marketing turned founder, writer, and community voice redefining what success looks like. You’ve probably seen her on LinkedIn talking about ambition, motherhood, and the messy middle, but this conversation goes deeper into the in-between moments that changed everything.

Branca opens up about what it took to walk away from a thriving career without a plan, how she learned to choose herself after years of putting work...

Send us Fan Mail

Sometimes the biggest growth comes from saying yes to the things that scare you, even when you don’t feel ready.

This week, we’re talking with our friend Brianna Doe, founder of Verbatim, co-creator of Let Her Cook, and author of The Unapologetic Professional. You’ve seen her all over LinkedIn, but this conversation goes deeper into the story behind the posts. Brianna opens up about how burnout, fear, and self-doubt pushed her to redefine success on her own terms, and why showing up fully as yourself can change everything, person...

Send us Fan Mail

Growth starts when you’re brave enough to ask yourself the hard questions.

This week, we’re sitting down with our friend and returning guest, Morgan J Ingram, but not to talk about sales. Morgan opens up about the deeper work he’s been doing over the past few years: redefining success, finding fulfillment beyond professional goals, and creating harmony across every area of life.

We dig into the story behind his “healing circle,” a self-reflection framework that challenged him to take an honest look at his health, relationships, spirituali...

Send us Fan Mail

Be Great. Be Arcadia.

Season three kicks off with something special: the only recorded session from our 2025 Arcadia Leadership Experience. Recorded live in front of 65 attendees, this episode blends honest reflection, leadership lessons, and the heart of what’s next for our constellation (aka community). We share the story behind Arcadia, how it began as a consulting business and grew into a movement, and what it means to “Be Arcadia.” 

Throughout the conversation, we open up about choosing to invest in yourself, redefining success, and why greatness isn’t about per...

Send us Fan Mail

Jen Waltz doesn’t just build partner programs, she rewires them for impact.

In this episode, Jen joins Jason and Sam to drop an absolute gem on authentic networking, channel evolution, and the art of partner-led scale. She dives into everything from being “voluntold” into channel, to the difference between real partnership and just pushing portals. We talk trust, seller psychology, the 7-partner strategy from Jay McBain, and why emotional intelligence is your most valuable asset in GTM.

Jen also shares her personal journey, growing up at the intersection of fou...

Send us Fan Mail

Joe Henderson, a seasoned expert in global partnerships, shares his journey from an accidental entry into the field to becoming a specialist in building partnerships from scratch. Joe discusses the nuances of establishing global partnerships, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural differences and the necessity of face-to-face interactions. He highlights the significance of curiosity and open-mindedness in navigating diverse business cultures.  We delve into the concept of "unreasonable hospitality," inspired by Will Guidera's book, and how it can transform partner relationships by focusing on proactive engagement and creating exceptional experiences. The episode explores t...

Send us Fan Mail

Join Jason and Sam on the Friends with Benefits podcast as they chat with Robin Dreeke, a former FBI counterintelligence expert. Robin shares his unique insights on building trust and relationships, drawing from his 21 years of experience in the FBI. He talks about the importance of understanding others' challenges and priorities, and how genuine curiosity and transparency can foster trust. Robin also discusses how his experiences in espionage translate to business leadership, emphasizing the power of authentic connections. Whether you're in the world of spycraft or business, Robin's advice on human behavior and...

Send us Fan Mail

-Porizkova

 You can’t automate authenticity. You have to earn it.

In this episode, we sit down with MK Getler-Porizkova, CMO at Loop & Tie, host of The Connected Brand podcast, and someone who talks about human connection like it’s their life’s calling (because it is).

We dive deep into the idea that real leadership starts with self-awareness, and that brand trust, team culture, and customer relationships are all just echoes of the energy you bring into the room. We talk biomimicry, neuroplasticity, and how mar...

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jason and Sam dive into a playful game of quote recall from past episodes, sparking discussions on key partnership strategies. They explore the challenges of gaining board-level support, the importance of speaking the business language, and the pitfalls of spreading resources too thin across multiple partnerships. The duo emphasizes the need for partner leaders to influence go-to-market strategies and the value of partner ops in bridging organizational gaps. With personal anecdotes and professional insights, hopefully, you'll laugh a bit and find a few valuable lessons on building successful partnerships.

Send us Fan Mail

Ned Arick, a successful leader with multiple exits, shares his journey of personal transformation and redefining success. He discusses the challenges of climbing the corporate ladder while losing sight of what truly matters. In this conversation, we explore the importance of self-discovery, setting boundaries, and finding joy in both personal and professional life. He offers insights on effective goal-setting, time management, and bringing one's authentic self to work. The conversation delves into Ned's approach to leadership, his journaling practice, and the creation of his newsletter "Meaningful Momentum." Throughout the episode, Ned emphasizes the...

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jason and Sam welcome marketing legend Dave Gerhardt. Known for his industry-shifting marketing approach at Drift and now leading Exit 5, Dave shares his journey from CMO to community builder. He emphasizes the power of human connection in marketing, especially in an era dominated by AI. Dave discusses the importance of building a founder brand, where storytelling and personal narratives become key differentiators in a crowded market. He recounts how Drift's success was rooted in creating genuine content that resonated with audiences, rather than focusing solely on product promotion. The conversation...

Send us Fan Mail

Mara Gleason Olson shares her journey from witnessing a profound change in her father to becoming a leader in understanding human consciousness. She reveals how our thoughts shape our reality and how we can harness this to improve our lives. Through her work with Rebels for Peace, Mara empowers youth in Chicago to break free from limiting mindsets and become leaders in their communities. This episode is a deep dive into the mind's potential, offering insights into how changing our thoughts can change our world. Whether you're a leader, a parent, or someone...

Send us Fan Mail

What does it take to build a partner program from scratch and make it a competitive differentiator?

In this episode, we sit down with Sean Kester, an early employee at SalesLoft who played a pivotal role in building their partner ecosystem from the ground up. Sean shares how he transitioned from sales development to product leadership, his playbook for integrating partnerships into a company's DNA, and the lessons learned from scaling a partner program that set the industry standard.

And, of course, we get into Sean’s pe...

Send us Fan Mail

Join us this July for the Arcadia Leadership Experience. Early Bird pricing through 2/28. Arcadialeadershipexperience.com

Welcome back to Friends with Benefits! In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of GTM (Go-to-Market) strategy, partnerships, and networking with our special guest, Stephen Oommen. Stephen is a powerhouse in the GTM and go-to-network space, bringing a wealth of experience in sales, partnerships, and leadership. We chat about:
•The real etiquette of relationship-building in business
•Unspoken rules of networking that can make or break your connections
•Why metacogn...

Send us Fan Mail

How do you break into new markets, shorten sales cycles, and build trust with buyers before your first conversation? Partnerships.

In this special episode, we're replaying Jason’s B2BMX talk, "The Partner Effect", where he breaks down how partnerships can drive warmer leads, faster sales cycles, bigger deals, and deeper customer trust.

Jason shares:
✅ Why the best companies go through partners—not solo
✅ The staggering revenue impact of integrating partners into GTM motions
✅ Tactical steps to embed partnerships into marketing...