This episode is required listening for high performers.

During seasons of stress, travel, and constant social pressure—especially around alcohol—many leaders begin to experience a quiet erosion of energy, clarity, consistency, and relationships. What feels normal or even expected can slowly undermine leadership from the inside out.

Sean Patton sits down with Amber Hollingsworth, Licensed Professional Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, and creator of the YouTube channel Put the Shovel Down, to unpack how high-performing leaders often drift into unhealthy coping patterns without realizing it. Amber explains why addiction often hides behind success, how ambition and addiction come from the same drive, and why the issue isn’t how much you drink—but how much space it takes up in your mind and life.

This conversation challenges black-and-white thinking around addiction and reframes recovery, presence, and rest as essential components of elite performance and self-leadership.

If you’re committed to showing up as your best self—in your work, your relationships, and your life—this episode will change how you think about performance.

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 – Why this episode is required listening
02:00 – Meet Amber Hollingsworth
04:15 – Why high performers are vulnerable to addiction
06:00 – The inability to “turn it off”
08:05 – Why addiction isn’t about the number
10:45 – Superpowers, kryptonite, and ambition
14:05 – Performance vs presence at home
18:40 – Alcohol culture in leadership and business
21:20 – Inconsistency as a hidden warning sign
24:10 – Anxiety, dopamine, and rebound effects
27:45 – Navigating conferences and social pressure
30:00 – THC, marijuana, and the slow drift
33:45 – Leading a team through performance decline
38:50 – Ownership, accountability, and real change
39:55 – Where to find Amber’s work

🔗 Links

• Amber Hollingsworth’s Website:
  https://hopeforfamiliesrecoverycenter.com
  
  
• YouTube Channel – Put the Shovel Down:
  https://www.youtube.com/@PutTheShovelDown

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

If you’ve ever struggled to understand why different generations communicate, work, and clash so differently, this episode will give you a new lens on leadership.

In this conversation, Sean Patton sits down with Gabby Rosely, keynote speaker, leadership trainer, and host of The Gabby Rosely Podcast. Gabby stepped into leadership at just 21 years old, managing boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z simultaneously—an experience that shaped her expertise in multi-generational communication and leadership.

Together, Sean and Gabby unpack what it really takes to build trust, accountability, and strong culture across age groups. They explore the challenges of moving from individual performance to leadership, the difference between being nice and being kind as a leader, and how generational blind spots can quietly derail teams.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs who want to communicate better, retain top talent, and create workplaces where every generation can thrive.

Chapters

• 00:00 – Why Generations Clash at Work
• 02:00 – Stepping Into Leadership at 21
• 04:30 – From Individual Performer to Team Leader
• 07:30 – Leading by Example vs. Taking Charge
• 10:30 – Kind vs. Nice Leadership
• 14:00 – Blind Spots and Why Leaders Need Coaches
• 18:30 – Developing Leaders, Not Just Performers
• 22:30 – Understanding Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z
• 27:00 – Keeping Gen Z Engaged at Work
• 32:00 – Vision, Alignment, and Team Buy-In
• 35:30 – Leveraging Multi-Generational Strengths
• 40:00 – Culture Shifts and the Search for Structure
• 45:00 – Where to Connect with Gabby Rosely

Guest Links

• Gabby Rosely – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabbyrosely
  
  
• Gabby Rosely Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gabby-rosely-podcast/id1681507089
• https://open.spotify.com/show/26HaB2hjLj0R1YrWLoHW5F?si=KKnhURrXSKi4tKkYEyYSxg&nd=1&dlsi=93bed0d235794479
• YouTube (Speaking Videos): https://www.youtube.com/@GabbyRosely
  
  

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

In this episode, Sean sits down with Dean Wegner — West Point graduate, former Army Aviation officer, corporate leader (Procter & Gamble, Mars), and founder/CEO of Authentically American, one of the fastest-growing veteran-owned apparel brands in the country. Dean shares how values, service, and purpose shaped his leadership journey from the military to corporate America to entrepreneurship.

Together, they explore what it takes to build a mission-driven business, the challenges of scaling an American-made brand, how veterans can thrive in entrepreneurship, and why leadership always comes back to people.

00:00 – Purpose-Driven Business & Dean’s Story
00:39 – West Point, Army Aviation & Corporate Beginnings
01:22 – Leadership Lessons: Duty, Honor, Country
04:06 – Finding Meaning After the Military
05:12 – Entering Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
06:52 – The 3% Wake-Up Call: U.S. Apparel Manufacturing
08:38 – Leadership in Corporate vs. Military
11:22 – Why Veterans Need Support in Entrepreneurship
13:24 – The Two-Part Formula for Career Transitions
17:19 – Burnout, Overwork & Veteran Mindsets
20:07 – Birth of Authentically American & Job Creation Mission
21:33 – Ranger School Lesson: You Can’t Lead Alone
24:47 – Delegation & CEO Time Allocation
26:37 – The Future of U.S. Manufacturing
31:36 – Scaling Through Earned Media & Storytelling
33:53 – What’s Next: Sustainability & Carbon Impact
35:26 – Final Wisdom: Find Your Ranger Buddy

🔗 Authentically American Website

https://www.authenticallyamerican.us

🔗 Dean Wegner (LinkedIn)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanwegner93/

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

In this episode, Sean sits down with Michael King — an executive coach, keynote speaker, and founder of Teams.Coach, where he helps CEOs and senior leadership teams transform strategy into execution. Before coaching, Michael spent years as a recording artist, worship pastor, and executive pastor within some of the fastest-growing churches in the country. His background blends organizational leadership, systems design, emotional intelligence, and real-world business execution.

Michael opens up about building large-scale church systems, leading massive volunteer and staff teams, and eventually burning out inside the very machine he helped create. He shares how he walked away from full-time ministry to save his family and rebuild his life, what leadership clarity really means, how AI is impacting organizational culture, why saying “NOPE” is essential for purpose, and how shame—not failure—robs leaders of their ability to dream.

This is one of the most honest leadership conversations you’ll hear this year.

00:00 — When the System You Built Starts Consuming You

00:46 — Who Is Michael King?

01:22 — From Recording Artist to Leadership Strategist

02:05 — Building One of the Fastest-Growing Churches in the U.S.

04:48 — “The Machine Ate Me Alive”

08:26 — Leadership Is Love & Emotional Proximity

11:05 — AI, Mass Layoffs & the Myth of Optimization

14:03 — Authentic Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence

18:26 — Scarcity vs. Abundance in Leadership

22:12 — The Power of NOPE

25:22 — Arby’s and the Deep-Fried Hamburger: A Lesson in Clarity

29:51 — Leadership, Discipline, and the Right Constructs

35:38 — Failure Doesn’t Steal Your Dream — Shame Does

38:26 — Losing Everything and Starting Again

41:12 — Living With the Residue of the Past While Building the Future

43:23 — Where to Find Michael King

📌 Resources & Links

• Michael King: https://michaelkingjr.com
• Teams.Coach — Leadership & Organizational Consulting

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

In this powerful episode of the No Limit Leadership Podcast, Sean sits down with global leadership expert Dr. Damian Goldvarg — former President of the International Coaching Federation, master certified coach, and author of Lead With a Coaching Mindset. With 30+ years of coaching experience across 50+ countries, Damian breaks down the real reason coaching transforms leaders, organizations, and entire cultures.

You’ll learn why today’s workforce values growth over compensation, how coaching creates an engagement-driven culture, and the crucial difference between mentoring, managing, and true coaching. Damian also shares tactical strategies leaders can use today — including how to ask better questions, how to create psychological safety, and why silence is one of the most underrated coaching tools.

And yes… we even go there: AI, coaching, connection, and whether tech can replace human-to-human development.

This episode is your blueprint for building a coaching culture that people trust, believe in, and want to be part of.

🔖 CHAPTER MARKERS

00:44 — Introducing Dr. Damian Goldvarg and his global leadership impact
02:33 — What coaching looked like 30 years ago
04:27 — What a “coaching mindset” actually means
07:01 — Coaching vs. mentoring vs. managing
10:05 — The power of silence & letting people think
14:07 — How to ask deeper, more effective coaching questions
17:52 — Bringing coaching into organizations
22:10 — Making coaching part of daily leadership
23:58 — HR + Operations: Creating alignment for cultural change
26:37 — Why leaders need their own coach
31:59 — How leaders know whether trust actually exists
33:41 — Just Culture, mistakes & psychological safety
34:43 — Coaching, AI, and the future of leadership
40:30 — Where to find Dr. Goldvarg’s work

📚 RESOURCES

• Dr. Damian Goldvarg’s Book: Lead with a Coaching Mindset
• Website: goldvargconsulting.com
• LinkedIn: Damian Goldvarg https://www.linkedin.com/in/damiangoldvarg/

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

This is a massive milestone — 100 episodes. And in this raw, honest, high-energy solo episode, Sean pulls back the curtain on what he’s learned from every guest, every conversation, and every uncomfortable stretch that shaped him into a No Limit Leader.

If you’ve ever wondered what truly separates leaders who rise from leaders who stall out, this episode is your roadmap. Sean breaks down the five truths that show up again and again in top performers — truths that will challenge you, push you, and remind you that your growth is not optional if you want your influence to expand.

This is your wake-up call. Your next level requires a different version of you — and this episode shows you exactly where to start.

00:00 — Welcome to Episode 100
Sean reflects on the journey, the early days, and why reps matter more than polish.

04:02 — Why You Must Lead Yourself First
Identity drives behavior — and your leadership ceiling is set by your personal standards.

16:14 — Service Builds Trust (Not Titles)
How true influence is earned by elevating others and aligning actions with values.

28:21 — Lead With Questions, Not Answers
The communication shift that transforms teams, relationships, and problem-solving.

41:45 — Resilience & Adaptability: The Real Performance Edge
Why calm, intentional leaders thrive — and why comparison kills momentum.

55:12 — Purpose: The North Star of No Limit Leadership
Crafting a mission big enough to stretch you — and clear enough to guide your decisions.

01:09:40 — The Vision for the Next 100 Episodes
What’s coming: movement-building, community growth, the biggest guests yet, and a request for listeners.

In this special 100th-episode celebration, Sean distills the five universal leadership patterns that have surfaced across CEOs, founders, creatives, military leaders, entrepreneurs, and world-class coaches. These are the truths that define No Limit Leaders — and the ones keeping most people stuck.

Get ready to challenge your identity, your habits, your resilience, and your mission. Because the next version of you requires a higher level of self-leadership.

If this podcast has impacted you, Sean asks just one thing: share this episode with one person who’s ready to grow.

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

Leaders often talk about “soft skills,” but as Sean Patton and leadership expert Andrea Wanerstrand reveal in this episode, those are no longer soft — they’re power skills. Andrea shares insights from nearly two decades at T-Mobile, Microsoft, and Meta, where she helped leaders shift from transactional management to truly human-centric leadership. Together, she and Sean unpack Andrea’s A³ Framework — Authenticity, Autonomy, and Accountability — and explore how emotional intelligence and self-awareness have become the ultimate competitive advantage in the age of AI.

Listeners will learn how to:

• Reframe soft skills as power skills that drive real business performance
• Apply the A³ Framework to create resilient, high-trust teams
• Build coaching cultures that empower growth and innovation
• Navigate the evolving intersection of AI and human leadership

👤 Guest: Andrea Wanerstrand

Andrea Wanerstrand is a leadership and culture transformation expert, former leader at T-Mobile, Microsoft, and Meta, and the founder of A³ Culture Lab
.
She helps organizations build human-centric workplaces grounded in authenticity, autonomy, and accountability. Andrea is also an ICF-certified coach, yoga and meditation instructor, and the creator of the upcoming Mindset Maven Method (M³ Lab) — an eight-week program launching in early 2026 that helps leaders strengthen self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Follow her on LinkedIn
for daily insights on leadership and culture.


🕒 Timestamps

00:00 Why “soft skills” are now power skills
02:50 Reframing leadership for a social and AI-driven world
07:40 The A³ Framework: Authenticity, Autonomy, Accountability
13:49 Authenticity done well vs poorly
14:01 Building autonomy and accountability through trust
19:50 Leading from love vs fear
26:15 Creating a coaching culture inside organizations
31:38 Training leaders before they lead people
41:12 How AI is changing the future of leadership
45:17 Where to find Andrea and learn more about A³ Culture Lab


#NoLimitLeadership #SeanPatton #LeadershipDevelopment #AndreaWanerstrand #A3Leadership #HumanCentricLeadership #PowerSkills #EmotionalIntelligence #AuthenticLeadership #CoachingCulture #FutureOfWork #A3CultureLab #MindsetMavenMethod

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

Most entrepreneurs don’t start out wanting to be leaders — they start because they’re great at something. Then one day, they wake up managing chaos and wondering why things keep breaking down.

In this episode, Sean sits down with Atiba De Souza, CEO Strategist, Author of The Delegation Trap, and long-time agency owner. Atiba shares his hard-earned lessons on leadership, accountability, and what it really takes to build a team that thrives without you.

They dive into:

• The leadership failure that changed Atiba’s life — and how his 5-year-old son called it out.
• Why most leaders mistake “doing more” for “leading better.”
• The CASE Method — a four-question framework that transforms delegation and team development.
• How to shift from judging questions to learner questions to unlock growth and trust.
• The illusion of the “one more thing” mindset that traps so many entrepreneurs.
• Why small business owners, not politicians, hold the real power to change the world.

This episode is packed with frameworks, humility, and wisdom for any business owner or leader ready to grow beyond the grind.

🎧 Listen now on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2166090

📘 Connect with Atiba De Souza:

• Website: https://www.atibadesouza.com
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atibadesouza
  
  
• Book: The Delegation Trap
  
  

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why entrepreneurs struggle with leadership
• 03:50 – The leadership wake-up call from Atiba’s son
• 07:30 – Would your team follow you if you didn’t pay them?
• 13:00 – A CEO only does three things: people, numbers, and culture
• 18:00 – The power of asking learner questions
• 22:00 – The CASE Method for better delegation
• 32:20 – Escaping the “one more thing” trap
• 40:25 – How small business owners truly change the world

Guest Bio

Atiba De Souza is a CEO Strategist and Author of The Delegation Trap. With over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, he’s helped countless business owners build systems and teams that perform without constant oversight. Known for transforming chaos into clarity, Atiba teaches leaders how to delegate effectively, build culture, and empower people to perform at their best.

👉 Follow Atiba’s work at https://www.atibadesouza.com

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.