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.

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💬 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.

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👉 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.

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.

🎙️ 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.

🎙️ 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.

What does it take to truly see the future — and help others act on it?

In this lively episode, hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin sit down with Mike Bechtel, Chief Futurist at Deloitte. Mike shares his fascinating journey from ska bands to anthropology, consulting, venture capital, and teaching at Notre Dame.

They discuss the power of curiosity, why expertise can sometimes be a liability, how to stay relevant, and what it means to be a "dot connector" in a world dominated by AI.

Mike also gives us a bold (and fun!) prediction about where brain-computer interfaces could take us next.

Packed with laughs, sharp insights, and inspiring stories, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to understand what’s coming — and how to lead in times of rapid change.

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 — Intro and welcome to Mike Bechtel

02:00 — Growing up between a landfill and a steel mill

05:30 — From ska bands to anthropology to consulting

12:00 — Dot connectors vs. dot perfectors

18:00 — Is expertise a liability?

24:30 — Advice to the next generation

32:00 — The importance of curiosity and humility

39:00 — Staying young and relevant

47:00 — Bridging the gap between future ideas and practical action

54:00 — Teaching at Notre Dame and empowering liberal arts students

1:02:00 — Humbling career lessons and learning to care

1:12:00 — Mike’s bold prediction for the future

1:17:00 — What is Mike’s seat at the table?

1:23:00 — Final reflections and thanks

Follow for more authentic leadership stories and strategies!

#Leadership #Authenticity #Vulnerability #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.

🎙️ 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.