Host Joshua McNary welcomes Joel Bennett, owner of Veel Hoeden Consulting, who develops frontline leadership in blue-collar organizations by focusing on measurable impact rather than box-checking training.

Joel explains why the transition from top performer to supervisor is difficult, highlighting mindset shifts, fear of failure, and the challenge of holding effective coaching conversations. He describes his approach of “structured discomfort,” emphasizing real-world application between sessions and measuring success through behavior change and metrics like turnover and engagement.

The conversation also connects leadership development to technology adoption, noting that tools only work when processes and culture support them. Joel discusses using AI to prepare for coaching conversations while keeping people accountable for solving people problems, and advises businesses to start small with new technology, fail fast, and build value incrementally.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:44 Joel’s Leadership Mission

02:49 From Doer to Supervisor

05:10 Mindset Shift and Coaching

09:18 Who Invests in Training

13:42 Training vs Tech Parallels

18:18 AI for Tough Conversations

22:43 Keep Humans in Charge

27:02 Start Small with Tech

30:02 Connect and Wrap Up

Host Joshua McNary interviews Geoff Wood, founder of Gravitate Coworking headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, about building coworking spaces as intentional communities for entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, and remote employees. Wood shares how Gravitate began after grant-funded space ended and a need emerged for affordable high-density offices, an entrepreneurship “front door,” and community programming, then explains how remote-work tech and the pandemic fueled major growth.

They discuss the importance of “sense of place,” shifting work environments for focus, and the infrastructure changes required for modern work, including higher bandwidth for concurrent Zoom calls. Wood outlines Gravitate’s tech stack, centered on Optix for billing, booking, and door access, plus lessons from changing software vendors, consolidation in the market, documentation challenges, and cautious but practical uses of AI. He closes with advice to evaluate technology through the customer’s experience.

Host Joshua McNary welcomes Jen Speers, founder of Moonwake Collaborative in Des Moines, Iowa, a virtual assistant and digital marketing agency supporting small businesses with admin help, branding, websites, and social media through a team of 17 specialists.

They discuss the value of supporting local businesses, how Moonwake coordinates work across time zones using Asana for task management and Slack for culture and communication, and how client assets and meetings are managed through Google Workspace, Google Meet, and Gemini for transcripts and action items.

Jen explains using AI for efficiency, SOP creation, and idea springboards without replacing human creativity, noting limitations like AI-generated logos requiring recreation for printing and trademarking. Her actionable tip: define where AI fits while staying authentic, citing consumer trust and purchase behavior tied to authenticity.