Episodes

You spent 24 years building an identity—what happens the day the mission completely disappears? Most veterans crash when entering the civilian workforce; Seth Smith discovered the subtle operational shift that prevents it..Seth Smith is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) with 24 years of active-duty service, specializing in tactical communications, satellite networks (SATCOM), and complex technical integration across global deployments. Growing up roaming 550 acres at a retreat c...

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't your circumstances, but the emotional pain and limiting beliefs you've carried for years?In this episode, Jeff sits down with David Prosper — clarity coach, speaker, and entrepreneur known as The Clarity Guy — to explore emotional intelligence, childhood trauma, forgiveness, self-awareness, and personal growth.David shares his journey from a difficult childhood to finding his purpose in leadership, coaching, and entrepreneurship. He opens up about...

What if the qualities you hide could actually make you a better leader?In this episode Four Fs podcast Jeffrey Cluff sits down with Michael Dowling ,author and leadership advisor to explore leadership, introversion, confidence vs. competence, authenticity, emotional intelligence, self-perception, and redefining success.Michael shares lessons from Hollywood, business, entrepreneurship, burnout, and becoming a CEO, while explaining why introverts, reflective thinkers, and unconventional leaders ar...

What happens when you give yourself six months to make your business work—or walk away from entrepreneurship? In this episode, Jeff sits down with Morley Baker, Founder & CEO of SHED, to explore how years of failed businesses, risk-taking and persistence eventually led to building a fast-growing telehealth and wellness company. Morley discusses the six-month ultimatum that started SHED, overcoming failure, recognizing the right business opportunity, bootstrapping the company, managing rapid gr...

What happens when the career you built your identity around is no longer the life you want? In this episode, Caitlin Hansen shares her career transformation from broadcast journalism and TV news to executive communication, venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship. After spending 15 years building a career in journalism, she opens up about leaving television, navigating a major career change, overcoming self-doubt, redefining success, and discovering how communication skills can transfer ...

Why are 84% of employees using AI feeling more isolated than ever at work? Discover the hidden leadership trap that is destroying workplace trust and how top executives are fixing it. Plus: Your highest-performing leader might actually be destroying your company culture. Here is the counterintuitive truth about ethical leadership, the "Law of the Lid," and leading through AI. In this episode of the Four Fs Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Bryan Hughes—people scientist, executive consultant, TEDx ...

Most meetings are a total waste of your life. Here is how the world’s leading meeting scientist fixes them forever.Stop "meeting about meetings" and start getting results. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Joe Allen, the world’s leading authority on meeting science and organizational psychology. From his early days analyzing group dynamics to becoming the go-to expert for Fortune 500 companies, Dr. Allen shares the "Origin Story" of meeting science. We dive deep into the core theme of this c...

Why would an Army Ranger risk his entire career for a jar of dumpster peanut butter? Discover the psychological breaking point where physical strength ends and true leadership begins. In this deep-dive episode of the Four Fs Podcast, we sit down with David Porter, a former Army Ranger turned tech executive. David’s origin story moves from a "Lord of the Flies" childhood to the elite Ranger Regiment, where he learned that the most grueling battles aren't always physical—they're mental. Now a lea...

Your inner circle is either your safety net or your downfall. Choose like your life depends on it.In this episode of the Four Fs Podcast, we sit down with Christine Handy—a former high-fashion model with brands such as Victoria's Secret, Cupshe, and Miami Swim Week, whose life took a dramatic turn from the runways of New York to a grueling battle with breast cancer. Her "Origin Story" isn't just about survival; it’s a masterclass in identity and the profound impact of intentional community. This...

Your earning potential is your greatest wealth, but are you actually protecting it? Learn why the most successful leaders prioritize risk management long before they reach the top.In this episode of the Four Fs Podcast, we sit down with Jeff Gelder Lewis, CEO of Gelder Generational Wealth. Jeff’s journey is a masterclass in professional grit, moving from a 1997 internship to building a top-tier fiduciary practice. Inspired by his father’s "origin story" as a fighter pilot and entrepreneur, Jeff ...

An alligator at the reception was the easy part. How one events executive survived Microsoft’s chaos.In this episode of the Four Fs Podcast, we sit down with Angel Hanson, the founder of Angel Events, who turned a "small-town girl" upbringing on a 100-acre farm into a legendary career in global event management. Angel shares her "Origin Story" starting from a music store junior to navigating the high-stakes world of Microsoft's massive sales conferences. This conversation explores the core theme...

What if your greatest success was actually fueling your darkest habit? Could a "Familiar Hell" Be Holding You Back?Two weeks to upend a life—or one year to lose it all.In this deep-dive episode of the Four Fs Podcast, we sit down with Will Armstrong, founder of The Teetotal Trail. Will’s "Origin Story" isn't just about business; it’s about a meteoric rise from the English countryside to becoming a General Manager of London’s most elite private member bars by age 27. But behind the A-list celebri...

Jeff Mann reveals how his "weaponized" past became a blueprint for $3M impact. In this episode of the Four Fs Podcast, we sit down with Jeff Mann, founder of Cedar Stone and a master of human equity. Jeff’s life has spanned three continents and some of the most extreme environments imaginable—from wilderness survival camps to global PR. He shares a masterclass on shifting from transactional networking to authentic connection and how to turn your greatest differences into a professional superpow...

Can You Color Outside the Lines Without Falling Off the Page? Discover how non-traditional thinking, radical empathy, and proactive "scrumming" can completely transform your approach to business, negotiation, and leadership. About This Episode In this episode, host Jeff Cluff sits down with Sheryl Barecki, a highly successful, non-traditional corporate executive who has carved out a unique career spanning intellectual property law, aviation contracts, and major leadership roles at Boeing and M...

"How hard could it be?" This simple question, rooted in a "free-range" 1970s upbringing, became the foundation for Russ Fletcher’s philosophy on leadership, self-worth, and problem-solving. In this episode, we sit down with Russ Fletcher, a seasoned executive and the former CEO of Xyngular. Russ shares his journey from an "MIT orientation mistake" to becoming a banking systems expert in South America (without being an expert first). He dives deep into "Fletcher’s Laws"—a set of principles devel...

In this episode, host Jeff Cluff sits down with Chris Hadnagy, a world-renowned social engineer, author, and founder of the Innocent Lives Foundation. Chris shares jaw-dropping stories from his career in ethical hacking, explains the psychology behind why we fall for scams, and breaks down how to defend against the rising threats of vishing, smishing, and malicious QR codes. More importantly, Chris shares actionable, life-saving advice for parents navigating the digital age. If you want to unde...

How do you recover when your life's biggest gamble completely falls apart?In this interview, former Microsoft Sales Leader and current 3Cloud Chief Sales Officer Scott Wilson shares his incredible story of overcoming failure and climbing the corporate ladder. Discover the executive leadership strategy, career growth mindsets, and business networking tips that Scott used to navigate a 14-year career at Microsoft and build high-performing sales teams. If you want to know how to fix a broken sales ...

In this episode of The Four Fs Podcast, Jeff sits down with fractional Chief Revenue Officer and Revenue Rascals host Michelle Terpstra to unpack the five reasons X—and the exact revenue systems she uses to take companies to their first $50M ARR.From Costco playbook days and cold-calling in a headset to building BDR teams that manage AI agents, Michelle shares the candid stories, negotiations, and “radical candor” moments that shaped her as a seller and leader.They dive into why “nice to have” o...

Female founders still get a tiny slice of venture capital—and Liana Zavo says the real problem is visibility, not talent.In this episode, refugee kid turned “Mother of PR” and investor Liana Zavo breaks down the 5 things women must do to get funded in the age of AI. From fleeing civil war in Tajikistan and being bullied as an immigrant in Austria and Queens, to selling cars, styling hair on Fifth Avenue, and finally building a global PR firm and a fund that writes checks to female-led tech start...

Superintelligence isn’t science fiction anymore. In this conversation, world‑leading safe AI expert Dr. Craig A. Kaplan explains why AI is already behaving less like a tool and more like a worker – and why the next jump to true superintelligence could change everything about how humans live, work, and make decisions.We talk about how AI went from clunky 1980s experiments to today’s large language models, why “machine learning” is only one part of a much bigger AI story, and what it really means ...

"If the answer you're given doesn't resonate, keep pushing." Tiffanie Janowitz spent a year pushing back on doctors who told her she was fine — until they finally ordered the test that confirmed she had breast cancer. That moment didn't come out of nowhere. She'd spent years building the discipline, voice, and self-trust to recognize when something wasn't right. And when life came at her, she was prepared. In this conversation, Tiffanie — CEO of Limitless Society, former investment professiona...

Most people don't hate their job. They just feel invisible in it. In this episode, David Mead — leadership expert, co-author of Find Your Why with Simon Sinek, and author of Lead With Uncommon Sense — breaks down why so many workplaces have lost their humanity, and what leaders can do right now to get it back. David spent a decade traveling the world on Simon Sinek's team, speaking to thousands of leaders across every industry. What he found was always the same: we already know what great lead...

How a Federal Reserve red‑teamer uses psychology, deception, and education to fight scams, stop predators, and keep kids and families safe. Plus: The psychology behind hacking — and how to protect yourself & Why humans — not firewalls — are the real frontline of security. Note: This episode includes brief discussion of online child protection and the work of the Innocent Lives Foundation. There are no graphic details. What actually goes on inside the mind of a hacker? In this episode, cyberse...

COO and fractional operations leader Bryan Baker joins the show to break down how founders can escape being the bottleneck, scale from low-7 figures to 8+ figures, and build operations that actually support growth instead of killing margins. We walk through his experiences 5x-ing a niche contact center, 10x-ing a window cleaning company from $1M to $10M in two years, and why most sub-$10M founders should not hire a full-time COO. Bryan shares the lessons he learned moving from biology major and...