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Your Seat at the Table - Real Conversations on Leadership and Growth

Your Seat at the Table - Real Conversations on Leadership and Growth

By: Mike Maddock & John Tobin
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Join hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin as they delve into authentic stories of leadership, decision-making under pressure, and the invaluable lessons learned along the way. Each episode offers candid conversations with seasoned leaders, exploring the challenges faced, the triumphs celebrated, and the insights gained from real-world experiences. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or a seasoned executive, pull up a chair and find your seat at the table.


© 2025 Your Seat at the Table - Real Conversations on Leadership and Growth
Episodes
  • From Lemonade Stand to Fortune 150: Marty Renkes' Journey

    From Lemonade Stand to Fortune 150: Marty Renkes' Journey
    Jul 11 2025

    What happens when a natural-born entrepreneur with a "Pied Piper" gift for leading others transitions into corporate America? In this episode of Your Seat at the Table, hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin talk with serial entrepreneur and technology visionary Marty Renkis.

    Marty shares his incredible journey from lemonade stands and selling scrap paper as a kid to founding multiple successful tech companies — including TrainerSoft (sold to Outstart) and Smartvue (acquired by Johnson Controls). He opens up about the exhilarating highs and gut-wrenching lows of startup life, the difficult decisions that shaped his path, and the lessons learned about trust, humility, and teamwork.

    Now an executive at a Fortune 150 company, Marty reflects on what it really means to lead at scale: shifting from lone visionary to empowering teams, embracing patience, and learning to whisper ideas instead of shouting them.

    About the guest:
    Marty Renkis is a serial entrepreneur, innovator, and executive at Johnson Controls. He has led groundbreaking work in e-learning, cloud video surveillance, and smart building technologies — holding a robust patent portfolio and scaling businesses to global impact.

    About the hosts:
    Mike Maddock is the founder of Flourish Advisory Boards, a public speaker, and a serial entrepreneur known for helping leaders turn big ideas into reality.

    John Tobin is the co-founder and Executive President of Slalom Consulting, a global consulting firm helping organizations tackle their most ambitious projects and build cultures of trust and innovation.

    Follow for more honest leadership stories and guest insights!#Leadership #Leadership #Culture #FlourishadvisoryBoards #MartyRenkis #MartinRenkis #YourSeatAtTheTable #MikeMaddock #JohnTobin

    🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
    Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

    💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

    👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
    👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
    https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

    👉 Connect with us:
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
    https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
    https://www.mike-maddock.com/

    Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • Balancing Ambition and Fulfillment as a Leader with Darius Mirshahzadeh

    Balancing Ambition and Fulfillment as a Leader with Darius Mirshahzadeh
    Jul 4 2025

    In this episode of Your Seat at the Table, hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin sit down with entrepreneur, culture expert, and author Darius Mirshahzadeh to explore a deep leadership question: how do you stay ambitious and driven without losing joy and fulfillment along the way?

    Darius shares his journey as a high-achieving CEO who learned that chasing "more" doesn’t always lead to happiness — and that truly understanding what is "enough" can change your entire leadership approach.

    They discuss the power of core values, learning to appreciate the present, and why so many driven leaders struggle to feel satisfied even when they "make it."

    About the guest:
    Darius Mirshahzadeh is a serial entrepreneur, former CEO, and author of The Core Value Equation. Named a top-rated CEO by Glassdoor, he helps leaders build core-value-driven cultures and find deeper meaning in their work and lives.

    About the hosts:
    Mike Maddock is the founder of Flourish Advisory Boards, a public speaker, and a serial entrepreneur known for helping leaders transform big ideas into reality.

    John Tobin is the co-founder and president of Slalom Consulting, a global consulting firm helping organizations tackle their most ambitious projects and build cultures of trust and innovation.

    Timestamps:
    0:00 — Introduction and meeting Darius
    2:15 — Why high achievers always want more
    7:30 — Darius’s personal story: redefining "success" and "enough"
    13:40 — How core values guide fulfillment (and business decisions)
    19:20 — Balancing ambition with joy and presence
    24:30 — Advice for leaders feeling restless or stuck
    28:00 — Closing reflections: living a more fulfilled life

    Follow for more real leadership conversations and strategies!

    #Leadership #TeamCulture #Ambition #dariusMirshahzadeh #FlourishAdvisoryBoards #Slalom #YourSeatAtTheTable #MikeMaddock #JohnTobin

    🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
    Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

    💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

    👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
    👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
    https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

    👉 Connect with us:
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
    https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
    https://www.mike-maddock.com/

    Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • Decision-Making Secrets: Trusting Yourself While Listening to Others with Ken Sim

    Decision-Making Secrets: Trusting Yourself While Listening to Others with Ken Sim
    Jun 27 2025
    In this inspiring episode, hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin talk with Ken Sim — entrepreneur, founder of Nurse Next Door, and Mayor of Vancouver. Ken shares how his entrepreneurial mindset shaped his approach to public service and why core values like kindness, compassion, and optimism guide every big decision.

    From growing a healthcare company with 16,000 employees to running one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Ken explains how to build a team you deserve, the importance of firing clients (and even half your staff) to protect values, and the lessons he’s learned navigating politics and human nature.
    We explore servant leadership, sustaining optimism in difficult roles, fostering the next generation, and what it really means to leave a legacy beyond your term.

    A must-listen for anyone curious about entrepreneurship, civic leadership, or leading with heart.


    About the hosts:
    Mike Maddock is the founder of Flourish Advisory Boards, a public speaker, and a serial entrepreneur known for helping leaders transform big ideas into reality.
    John Tobin is the co-founder and president of Slalom Consulting, a global consulting firm helping organizations tackle their most ambitious projects and build a culture of innovation and trust.


    Timestamps:
    00:00 — Introduction to Ken Sim
    02:00 — Growing up in Vancouver and early challenges
    05:00 — From chartered accountant to entrepreneur
    09:00 — Founding Nurse Next Door and defining core values
    13:00 — Firing clients and protecting culture
    17:00 — Transitioning into politics: why Ken ran for mayor
    22:00 — Leading Vancouver and tackling big challenges
    27:00 — Balancing quick start energy with building consensus
    32:00 — Bringing core business values into government
    38:00 — Addressing homelessness, Chinatown’s future, and city unity
    45:00 — Sustaining optimism and self-care as a leader
    52:00 — Ken’s five big goals for his time as mayor
    58:00 — Advice for entrepreneurs entering politics
    1:02:00 — Raising kids and showing them purpose in service
    1:06:00 — Closing reflections and final gratitude


    Subscribe for more leadership stories and strategies!


    #Leadership #DecisionMaking #QuietQuitting #ExecutiveCoaching #YourSeatAtTheTable #MikeMaddock #JohnTobin


    🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
    Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

    💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

    👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
    👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
    https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

    👉 Connect with us:
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
    https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
    https://www.mike-maddock.com/

    Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins

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