In this episode, host Brendan Rogers sits down with Damon Lembi, CEO of LearnIt, to discuss imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and leadership growth. Damon shares his journey from aspiring professional baseball player to leading a successful learning company. He reveals the four-step framework he developed to conquer imposter syndrome and offers practical strategies for building confidence, embracing failure, and leading with authenticity.

They also explore the importance of personal growth, resilience, and fostering a culture of learning. If you’ve ever questioned your abilities, this conversation will provide valuable insights on overcoming doubt and stepping into leadership.

View the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BZ13waQxZ9Q

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:22 - Damon’s Background & Baseball Journey
02:54 - From Sports to Business: Starting at LearnIt
05:40 - Growing LearnIt into a Leading Learning Platform
10:17 - The Difference Between Self-Doubt & Imposter Syndrome
13:47 - Damon’s First Experience with Imposter Syndrome
17:32 - Overcoming Challenges & Lessons in Leadership
20:47 - The Four-Step Framework to Conquer Imposter Syndrome
28:18 - The Role of Hard Work & Deliberate Practice
34:52 - Learning, Letting Go, & Taking Action
39:52 - The Impact of Transparency & Authentic Leadership
42:00 - Building a Culture of Leadership & Learning
43:49 - Closing Thoughts & Final Advice

Do you want to be a more confident leader? Get your FREE workbook at https://thecultureofleadership.com/confident-leader-workbook/

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What is the key to unlocking potential?

Mark Bragg is a Performance and Leadership Coach who has been coaching in one form or another for 40 years. In his early career, Mark played and coached basketball professionally, in Australia’s National Basketball League.

Over the past two decades, Mark has worked as an Executive Coach in multiple business disciplines and industries in 23 countries.

In recent years, he has been working in San Francisco, Hong Kong, Dublin and Sydney with Emerging Australian entrepreneurs.

Mark works with Martin West as co-founders of X-Gap, which focuses on helping create healthy and successful Leaders and Teams. They work together extensively and also co-authored Hard Road: A Leader’s Journey Begins, which we spoke about way back on Episode 4.

Mark has a specific emphasis on providing personalised coaching for Leaders and their Teams. With the focus being on personal growth and improved work performance. His programs are specifically designed for each client, based on 3 fundamental principles:

• It’s about you
• Live Coaching
• Connected to Results

The focus of our conversation today is Coaching, and how Coaching is the key to unlock potential.

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We're fans of Amazon, and many of our links to products are links to those products on Amazon. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites.

In this episode, host Brendan Rogers sits down with Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, to discuss his journey from podcaster to SaaS entrepreneur. Craig shares the challenges of building a podcast hosting platform, the struggles of leading a growing business, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

They dive into podcasting trends, personal branding, and the realities of entrepreneurship. Craig also opens up about fundraising, layoffs, and what it takes to scale a company while staying true to its vision. Tune in for an honest conversation about leadership, growth, and the evolving podcasting landscape.

View the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SjBoUaSSkt4

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:48 - Craig’s Background & the Birth of Castos
02:31 - The Evolution of Podcasting & Media
05:23 - Starting a Business in a Known Industry
08:48 - The Biggest Struggle: Communicating with Developers
12:34 - Who is Castos’ Ideal Customer?
15:35 - The Challenges of Being a Solo Founder
20:46 - Hard Leadership Decisions & Business Growth
27:39 - Learning from Failure & Business Strategy
38:53 - Personal Branding & Marketing in 2024
47:54 - Building a Strong Leadership Culture
50:26 - Craig’s Podcast & Closing Thoughts

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Resources
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DISCLOSURE: We often link to products & services we regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible we use referral links. This means, if you click one of the links and make a purchase we may receive a small commission or other compensation.

We're fans of Amazon, and many of our links to products are links to those products on Amazon. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites.

What you need to know about meetings.

Andrew Moore is the Principal Consultant in Australia for The Table Group, where he works with CEOs and Executive Teams to help them apply the concepts of organisational health.

His clients span a broad spectrum of organisations in fields including emergency services, construction, market research, travel, telecommunications, education and insurance.

Prior to partnering with The Table Group in 2012, Andrew worked as CEO of Harcourts Real Estate in Western Australia. Before that, he worked in various executive roles in the Brisbane real estate industry. Andrew holds a Doctorate in Cultural Change Management and post graduate degrees in Economics and Strategic Organisational Development, and lives with his wife and family in Brisbane.

Andrew and I connected on LinkedIn in 2018 and I was lucky enough to meet with him that same year when I was visiting my home town of Brisbane.

The focus of our conversation today is Meetings. And I know you will also be fascinated by his insight into why meetings are so important and why as leaders, it is vital to have great meetings.

Listen in to learn what you need to know about meetings…

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Are you drowning in tasks but never making progress? In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of time debt—why most entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed and how to break free. Our guest shares his powerful journey from personal tragedy to mastering productivity and leadership.

Discover why saying no is more important than saying yes, how to pre-spend your time for maximum impact, and why courage is the key to success. If you're ready to take control of your time and business, this episode is a must-listen!

View the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y9g-qXGY8Ac

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:17 - A Life-Altering Tragedy
02:48 - Discovering a Passion for Teaching
04:45 - The Entrepreneurial Seizure & Time Debt
06:52 - A Defining Moment at Lincoln Center
10:41 - The Meaning Behind Founders Fire
12:17 - Breaking Free from Wage Slavery
20:34 - What is Time Debt?
24:11 - Why Entrepreneurs Struggle with Focus
29:45 - The Simple System to Eliminate Time Debt
34:47 - The Power of Saying No
39:11 - Why Knowledge Isn’t Enough—Leverage is Key
42:06 - The Role of Group Accountability
46:35 - The Hidden Costs of Overworking
52:46 - The Courage to Make a Change
57:45 - Finding Freedom Through Structure
01:07:15 - The Most Important Leadership Trait
01:10:01 - Final Takeaways & Closing

Do you want to be a more confident leader? Get your FREE workbook at https://thecultureofleadership.com/confident-leader-workbook/

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#TimeDebt ⏳
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#TimeManagement ⏰
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Resources
Culture of Leadership Website (https://thecultureofleadership.com/​)
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DISCLOSURE: We often link to products & services we regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible we use referral links. This means, if you click one of the links and make a purchase we may receive a small commission or other compensation.

We're fans of Amazon, and many of our links to products are links to those products on Amazon. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites.

Most people live a life filled with regrets. Boldness is the solution, and fortunately, boldness can be learned.

Today’s guest is Fred Joyal, CEO of TruBlu Social Smiles, a video testimonial platform. Fred is a bestselling author, international speaker, and entrepreneur. He co-founded the most successful dentist referral service in the country, 1-800-DENTIST. His latest book, Superbold: from Under-confident to Charismatic in 90 days, is a Wall Street Journal bestseller. He once beat Sir Richard Branson in chess and was also a question on Jeopardy. He is an avid cyclist, a below-average tennis player, and an even worse golfer.

You’ll hear how Fred knew he had to become bold after missing too many incredible opportunities, including in love and relationships. He’ll give us the PRIDE steps to improving your boldness muscles, how to do ‘drive-by compliments’, and many examples of how managers and bosses can become better leaders using boldness to give feedback (good and bad!) “in the moment.” Amazing things happen when you’re bold, so give it a try!

Tune in and subscribe to future episodes of The Culture of Leadership.

Discussion Points

• Confidence is a feeling, boldness is an action
• How Fred taught himself to be bold after too many missed opportunities
• Starting 1-800-DENTIST
• Fred’s missed opportunities
• Being bold shifts focus - from self to others, and lifts others up
• Leaders should utilize boldness - by responding “in the moment”
• Boldness is a mindset problem, it’s not genetics
• Feedback and boldness
• The PRIDE Steps to Boldness: Preparation, Relaxing, Insight, Dosage, Everyday action
• Drive-by compliments
• Firing employees - do it sooner than later, be bold!
• Tips on approaching celebrities
• Nothing ‘bad’ happens - unless you label it as such
• Learn young to stop worrying about what strangers think
• Fred’s hopes for leaders - lead by example, and uplift your employees
• Have an impact on people in your world by being bold - amazing, unplanned things will happen!
• Boldness leads to confidence, not the other way around
• 3 Key Takeaways:
  • Leaders practice being bold
  • Leaders make others feel good
  • Leaders take action with bad employees

Resources:

Email Fred

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In this episode, I dive into the art of collaborative leadership with expert facilitator Marsha Acker. We discuss why leaders often struggle to create meaningful team conversations, how to balance collaboration with decision-making, and the dangers of "Collaboration Theater."

Marsha shares actionable insights on inviting opposition, improving team dynamics, and mastering the power of listening. Whether you're a business owner or team leader, this episode will help you build trust, foster real dialogue, and lead with confidence.

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6z1pPiLzHU

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Introduction
01:20 - Marsha’s journey from software engineering to leadership facilitation
05:27 - Signs that a leadership team is stuck
10:49 - When to tell vs. when to collaborate
15:40 - Collaboration Theater: A leadership mistake to avoid
22:04 - The power of asking, “Where might I be wrong?”
31:33 - Why leaders feel the need to have all the answers
38:33 - How to hold effective listening sessions
48:05 - Why inviting opposition strengthens team decisions
56:10 - The importance of carving out time for real conversations
01:08:01 - Marsha’s key to building a culture of leadership

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Resources
Culture of Leadership Website (https://thecultureofleadership.com/​)
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DISCLOSURE: We often link to products & services we regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible we use referral links. This means, if you click one of the links and make a purchase we may receive a small commission or other compensation.

We're fans of Amazon, and many of our links to products are links to those products on Amazon. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites.

Ex Google employee, Taras Kobernyk shares his perspective on the Google culture. Taras was a Google software engineer who ended up getting fired from job. Watch the episode to learn more.

Check out the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhP3bbcuWAg

Key Discussion Points:
0:00 Trailer & Guest Introduction
2:15 Taras’ introduction/background
3:09 Getting hired by Google and finding out the internal downsides to his position
6:40 What did you see that made you write the document?
10:15 How did things go after writing it?
11:53 Can you detail the timeline from the writing of the initial document, through your firing?
17:52 Were you ever told your performance was subpar?
21:00 How would you respond to people who think you’re simply a disgruntled former employee?
23:49 What can you tell us about the Anti-Racist Allyship Starter Pack?
27:48 What was the response from the top management?
33:00 Is any of this helping the environment at Google?
35:38 Are you the ONLY Google employee to complain about these policies?
38:12 What were the “Citizenship Contributions” you were expected to perform as part of your job?
57:06 Are you concerned at all that these policies may affect the public, as Google has such a wide reach?
1:06:11 After you were fired, did Google make it difficult for you to find other work?
1:12:48 Why did you speak up?
1:17:55 If you were still at Google, what do you wish would have happened after sharing this document with leadership?
1:25:36 What part of this experience had the greatest impact on your ideas about leadership?
1:28:40 My main takeaways from this discussion with Taras Kobernyk

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Resources
Culture of Leadership Website (https://thecultureofleadership.com/​)
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Culture of Leadership Podcast Website (https://thecultureofleadership.com/podcast/​)
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Culture of Leadership Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tcolpodcast​)
Culture of Leadership Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thecultureofleadership/)

DISCLOSURE: We often link to products & services we regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible we use referral links. This means, if you click one of the links and make a purchase we may receive a small commission or other compensation.

We're fans of Amazon, and many of our links to products are links to those products on Amazon. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites.