Curiosity is the leadership skill that helps you regulate your nervous system, interrupt fear loops, and make conscious choices in real time.

This episode is part 2 of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, where Sarah Lockwood is joined again by Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, and Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, to discuss how curiosity plays an important role in nervous system regulation and managing emotions. They break down how fear contracts our experience and narrows our view, while curiosity invites expansion and presence. When leaders learn to pause and ask questions like “What else is true?” or “What story am I telling myself right now?”, they create access to agency, opening up space to shift out of reactivity and into conscious, grounded response.

Marina and Beck offer tools that don’t require time away from work or structured rituals. These moments of emotional awareness can happen mid-meeting, mid-sentence, or mid-meltdown. Whether it’s noticing your peripheral vision, softening your tone, or naming what’s happening in the room, curiosity becomes a live practice that leaders can use to stay connected to themselves and others. The discussion also explores how modeling this curiosity builds team trust and strengthens leadership presence. For founders who want to lead with more ease and intention, this episode is an invitation and a toolkit.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Curiosity as a Tool for Emotional Mastery

01:24 Using Curiosity to Shift from Fear to Possibility

02:55 How Curiosity Regulates the Nervous System

04:32 Interrupting Autopilot Responses with Better Questions

06:12 Building Agency Through Conscious Choice

09:59 Real-Time Techniques for Managing Emotions

12:34 Somatic Practices for Curiosity and Expansion

15:23 Leading with Curiosity in High-Stakes Moments

16:48 Asking Open-Ended Questions That Invite Collaboration

19:31 Why Curiosity Reflects True Leadership Confidence

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Fear isn’t the enemy of great leadership. Ignoring it is.

How often do you walk into a meeting already bracing for impact? Or catch yourself shrinking back in a moment where you meant to lead with clarity? Sarah Lockwood sits down with Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, and Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, for a conversation on emotional self-regulation, fear in business, and the kind of inner work that makes better leadership possible.

They explore how fear lives in the body, how it shows up in the boardroom, and why most founders are still operating from old survival patterns without realizing it. You’ll hear why simply pushing through isn’t a strategy and how learning to notice your internal state (tight shoulders, shallow breath, reactive thinking) can open the door to more aligned decisions. Beck and Marina walk through tools for getting out of autopilot, including body scans, self-inquiry, and what they call “active choice,” the skill of pausing just long enough to shift out of fear and back into presence.

This doesn’t just explain why inner work matters. It shows you how to begin. Whether you’re leading a team, building a company, or trying to show up more fully for your own vision, this is the kind of episode that gets under the surface and invites you to lead from a deeper, steadier place.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Emotional Self-Regulation in Leadership

02:19 Why Fear and Suffering Matter for Founders

05:03 How the Amygdala Shapes Fear in Business

06:08 Welcoming Fear as a Tool, Not a Threat

10:08 Tools for Recognizing and Naming Fear

14:06 The Leadership Power of Softening and Owning Fear

18:13 Making Active Choices to Lead with Awareness

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

Humankind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Where does your money sleep at night, and is it working for the kind of world you want to live in?

Jennifer Kenning was managing the wealth of high-net-worth families by day and volunteering with unhoused communities in Los Angeles by night. That contrast raised a question that’s stuck with her ever since: What if capital could be a force for good, without giving up returns? Now the CEO and co-founder of Align Impact, Jennifer leads a registered investment advisory firm managing over $750 million.

Jennifer joins Sarah Lockwood to talk about values-based investing, conscious capitalism, and how we can all, regardless of portfolio size, be more intentional about where and how our money is working. Jennifer explains why impact investing isn’t charity, how ESG works (and where it falls short), and the practical steps anyone can take to align their investments with their values. She shares examples of funding solutions in climate change, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, and why investing in women and underrepresented founders creates ripple effects that go far beyond profit. She also reflects on her leadership as the outgoing president of EO Colorado, the power of servant leadership, and how Align’s commitment to being a B Corp shapes the way they do business.

If you’re an entrepreneur rethinking how your capital is allocated, or simply curious about whether your investments align with your intentions, Sarah and Jennifer’s conversation will help you take a more conscious, empowered role in shaping your financial impact.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Jennifer Kenning’s Path to Impact Investing 03:15 Breaking the Myth: Do Values-Based Investments Sacrifice Returns? 07:34 How Align Measures Real-World Impact 10:29 Aligning Your 401(k) and Business Capital With Your Values 18:07 Why Align Impact Became a Certified B Corp 22:11 Bringing an Impact Lens to EO Colorado 25:15 Leading Peers and Evolving as a Servant Leader 30:05 Defining the Hopeful Pioneer and Investing for 2030 35:45 Staying Grounded: Purpose, Practice, and Long-Term Vision 38:06 Advice for Founders Committed to Conscious Capitalism

39:39 Empowerment Through Financial Awareness

Links

Connect with Jennifer Kenning:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennkenning/ Website: https://www.alignimpact.com/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/ Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

A carefully planned CEO exit unraveled and what came next reshaped how one founder leads for good.

When Chris Schwalbach stepped away from the CEO seat at AVL Growth Partners, he had a clear plan, a strong successor, and years of preparation behind him. But even with all that in place, something didn’t sit right. The business started to wobble, and Chris found himself wondering if he’d made a mistake. What do you do when the leadership transition you spent years building starts to crack? How do you know when it’s time to step back in?

Joining Sarah Lockwood, Chris shares the real story behind his succession planning journey, from the slow handoff to the unexpected return, and what he learned about himself in the process. He talks openly about the shame he felt stepping back in, the inner work that helped him move through it, and the version of leadership he brings to the table now. If you’re thinking about founder exit planning or wrestling with what it means to let go, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what happens when plans shift and perspective deepens.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Chris Schwalbach’s CEO Exit and Return

02:06 Founding AVL Growth Partners and the Original Vision

04:07 Hitting Growth Ceilings and Planning a Leadership Transition

10:05 The Inner Journey: Failure, Trust, and Self-Doubt

17:12 Becoming CEO 2.0: Leading with Clarity and Confidence

22:00 Managing Team Expectations During a Leadership Transition

28:10 Reflecting on Progress: Using the Gap and the Gain

30:07 Personal Habits That Support Founder Mental Health

37:47 Lessons in Succession Planning and Self-Trust

Links

Conscious Entrepreneur Previous Episode with Chris Schwalbach:

https://consciousentrepreneur.us/chris-schwalbach-the-conscious-handover-embracing-change-at-the-top

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Chris Schwalbach:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cschwalbach/

Website: https://avlgrowth.com/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jesse Pujji reveals how he builds wildly successful companies from scratch by doubling down on talent, distribution, and the power of bootstrapping.

In this episode, Sarah Lockwood sits down with the serial founder and investor behind Gateway X, a venture studio that launches and scales high-performing companies without venture capital. Jesse shares how he went from Goldman Sachs and McKinsey to building Ampush, one of Facebook’s earliest and most effective performance marketing agencies, which grew to manage over $1 billion in ad spend for top brands like Uber, Peloton, and Dollar Shave Club. That experience became the foundation for how he now builds high-performance teams and scalable businesses through bootstrapping.

Jesse breaks down the core principles that drive his companies: hiring exceptional talent, obsessing over sales and distribution, and staying rooted in profitability from day one. He shares the origin stories of ventures like GrowthAssistant, which connects startups with offshore marketing talent, and explains how each business at Gateway X is shaped by a unique unfair advantage and the right operating partner, not a VC-funded roadmap. From his two-farm model for sourcing ideas and people to his frameworks for knowing when to walk away from a failing project, Jesse offers a rare look into what it really takes to scale without VC.

This is a must-listen for founders ready to trade the unicorn myth for real traction, culture-driven leadership, and sustainable growth on their own terms.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Jesse Pujji’s Entrepreneurial Journey from Ampush to Gateway X

05:01 Core Principles for Bootstrapping and Scaling Without VC

08:48 How GrowthAssistant Scaled to $20M in Revenue

13:32 The Two-Farm Model: Matching Ideas with the Right People

15:00 Knowing When to Kill an Idea and Move On

16:02 Inside Aux: Translating Marketing for Private Equity

21:09 Why Sales and Distribution Matter More Than Product

22:14 The Power of High Performance Teams

27:02 Building Profitable Companies with Operational Rigor

34:30 Managing Attention, Energy, and Leadership Across Startups

38:48 Conscious Leadership and the Value of Coaching

Links

Dave Kashen - Startup CEO Coach

Book - The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: https://a.co/d/j4uKz9A

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

Connect with Jesse Pujji:

Website Gateway X: https://www.gateway.xyz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessepujji/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Most entrepreneurs aren’t drowning in work because they lack ambition. They’re stuck doing too much of the wrong kind of work.

Sarah Lockwood talks with Julie Johnston, the founder of Rhino Squad, about what it looks like to operate from your zone of genius. They unpack the mindset traps that keep founders stuck in the weeds and walk through how small shifts in delegation can lead to major changes in time management and business growth.

Julie shares what she’s learned helping leaders hire and work with virtual assistants, especially from the Philippines, and how a global workforce can unlock more freedom, better output, and stronger team culture. Are your top people doing high-value work? What could your business look like if they were?

Julie encourages founders to think big and recognize where VAs can support every part of your organization from revenue driving activities to business operations - VAs can do much more than confirm appointments, reschedule meetings or manage your inbox (although that ‘s a great place to start if you haven’t yet)! If you’ve been hesitant to delegate or unsure where to start, Sarah and Julie’s conversation will help you rethink how you’re spending your time and what it’s really costing you.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Julie Johnston and Rhino Squad

02:03 Mindset Shifts for Effective Delegation

06:53 Maximizing Time with Virtual Assistants

10:50 Building a Supportive Team Culture

14:01 10X Thinking and Global Workforce Strategy

24:17 Julie’s Conscious Entrepreneurial Journey

29:49 Core Values Behind Rhino Squad

Links

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Julie Johnston:

Website: www.rhinosquad.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhinosquad_virtualassistants/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhinojulie/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Most teams aren’t drowning in work. They’re drowning in distractions.

Sarah Lockwood is joined by Jenna Piché, the founder of First Light Time Management Coaching, for a timely conversation about team productivity, deep work, and sharpening your leadership focus. With the year halfway over, it’s a good moment to stop and ask: Are you making real progress on the goals you set in January or just staying busy?

Jenna shares why so many leaders unintentionally build cultures where busyness is rewarded, and why that’s such a dangerous trap. When everything feels urgent, it’s easy to lose sight of the work that actually moves the needle. What signals are you sending to your team about what matters? Are people clear on what to focus on or are they stuck reacting all day?

They also discuss the psychology of productivity and procrastination, including what’s actually going on in your brain when you put off the hard stuff. And they talk through what it looks like to shift into a culture that values deep work and gives people the space to do their best thinking.

If your team’s attention feels fractured (or maybe your own), Jenna offers a smart reset. The kind that helps you see where time is leaking out of your day, and how to fix it before the second half of the year slips by.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Reflecting on Goals and Productivity

02:53 Misaligned Priorities and the Myth of Busyness

06:14 Creating a Culture of Focus

09:00 Identifying Misalignment in Teams

14:55 Overcoming Procrastination and Fear

18:05 Shifting Mindsets for Deep Work

21:00 Building a Supportive Team Culture

23:56 Setting Seemingly Impossible Goals

Links

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Jenna Piche:

Fractured or Focused Attention Assessment: https://eencclvnukx.typeform.com/to/dMYQ67rp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennapiche/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstlightcoach/

Website: https://firstlighthealth.co/womens-health-and-focus-coaching

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hivecast.fm/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Conscious Entrepreneur is the podcast where founders come to sharpen their edge from the inside out - building businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and actually work for their life. It’s about becoming the kind of leader your business needs you to be, and doing it with clarity, connection, and purpose.

We don’t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It’s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.

Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.