In this episode, Ashley and Dave sit down with serial entrepreneur and investor Frank Capan, whose business journey includes everything from selling donuts in middle school to building (and selling) a highly successful ATM company that grew from 2 employees to 170 in just a few years.

Frank opens up about:

• How growing up around family businesses shaped his entrepreneurial drive
• Early lessons from failing (and eating unsold inventory 🍩)
• The role of mentorship, partnership, and learning through failure
• How he simplified complex decisions by focusing on “the one thing”
• Why hiring great people matters more than building perfect systems
• What separates businesses that succeed from those that stall out

Whether you’re a founder, a leader, or just someone who loves a good business story, Frank’s insights will leave you inspired, encouraged, and equipped with practical lessons you can apply to your own leadership and growth journey.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Ken Coleman’s Proximity Principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kvp-xviiP8
• Buy the Book: https://www.amazon.com/Proximity-Principle-Proven-Strategy-Career/dp/0978562038
• Identity Sports | Using Sports to Share the Gospel: https://www.identitysports.com/
• Gary Keller’s The One Thing: https://www.amazon.com/ONE-Thing-Surprisingly-Extraordinary-Results/dp/1885167776
• The HopeKids Experience: https://hopekids.org/

What happens when a golf course designer becomes the president of a national nonprofit? You get Josh Taylor—engineer by trade, heart-led leader by calling. In this episode, Dave and Ashley sit down with Josh to explore how HopeKids serves thousands of families facing childhood illness through small, frequent moments of joy—and a strategy rooted in decision-making, discipline, and scalability.

Josh shares:

• His unexpected career pivot from engineering to nonprofit leadership
• The early days of launching HopeKids chapters without a roadmap
• How strategic planning, logic models, and custom-built tech power national growth
• The hardest decision he’s ever had to make—and what made it bearable
• Why good decisions aren’t always about being “right”—they’re about being ready

It’s a conversation about heart and hustle, spreadsheets and spirit, and how to build something that lasts without losing sight of the mission.

Mentioned in this Episode:

· Donate to HopeKids and learn more about the HopeKids experience: https://hopekids.org/

· Download our decision-making spreadsheet: https://focustools.podia.com/decision-analysis

· Purchase our e-book 5 Things You Need to Know About Making Decisions: https://www.focustools.com/5things

· Connect with Josh on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-taylor-b92b16127/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Color Palette Exploration

02:08 Meet Josh Taylor: From Australia to Nonprofit Leadership

04:46 Understanding Hope Kids: Mission and Impact

10:06 Josh's Journey: From Golf Course Design to Nonprofit

15:42 Leadership and Decision-Making in Nonprofits

20:52 Challenges of Nonprofit Growth and Sustainability

21:59 Setting Expectations in Nonprofit Leadership

22:56 Strategic Planning and Goal Alignment

25:13 Understanding Logic Models in Nonprofits

26:36 The Importance of Tying Activities to Goals

28:33 Evaluating New Opportunities Against Mission

29:12 Serving Families: Scale and Efficiency in Operations

31:18 Leveraging Technology for Nonprofit Success

34:09 Centralizing Operations for Greater Impact

35:43 The Role of a Nimble Board in Decision Making

37:46 Learning from Experience: Wisdom for the Future

39:33 The Decision-Making Process in Nonprofits

44:04 Looking Ahead: Future Plans for Hope Kids

What makes a decision a great one? It often comes down to this: knowing your musts from your wants. In this episode of All We Know About the Stuff We Know, Dave and Ashley walk through the fifth and final “thing you need to know” about making better decisions—how to use decision criteria to cut through the noise and get clarity.

You’ll learn:

• Why a pros and cons list often leaves you more confused
• The difference between musts (non-negotiables) and wants (priorities, not requirements)
• How to apply this concept to everyday decisions (buying a home) and billion-dollar ones (relocating a production plant)
• What it looks like when teams use this process—and what happens when they don’t

From Ashley’s story about potentially living in a pool house to Dave’s consulting tale about a multimillion-dollar Boeing-related decision, we explore how identifying your musts early can save you time, money, stress, and possibly your marriage (or at least your Sunday afternoons spent arguing about acreage).

Mentioned in this episode:

• Our Decision Focus courses and workshops: https://www.focustools.com/decision-focus
• Check out our book! https://www.focustools.com/5things
• Watch us (and subscribe!) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@focustoolsforlife

05:41 Decision-Making Framework Overview

08:03 Understanding Decision-Making Fears

10:10 The Importance of Decision Criteria

12:35 Cascading Decisions in Life

14:43 Defining Musts vs. Wants in Decision-Making

17:10 Applying Musts to Real Estate Decisions

19:33 Team Decision-Making Dynamics

22:25 Navigating Manufacturing Decisions

24:25 Establishing Musts and Wants in Decision Making

29:04 The Importance of Clarity in Decision Criteria

32:54 Applying Musts and Wants to Personal Decisions

37:14 Complex Decision-Making in High-Stakes Situations

44:10 The Impact of Clarity on Decision Outcomes