Guest: Jeff Koziatek

Host: Randy Chaffee

Producer / Director / Co-Host: Wes Wyatt

Episode Summary:

Jeff shares his journey from a 25-year entertainment career, performing over 5,000 shows across the country, to becoming an author and coach focused on intrinsic worth and mindset transformation. He and Randy explore the core concepts from Jeff's two-book series—Blueprint for Value (helping leaders lead themselves) and the new sequel (helping leaders lead their teams). Jeff reveals how his workaholic past, which involved performing in 350 shows annually, stemmed from seeking worth through performance rather than recognizing his intrinsic value. The conversation highlights practical "pebble stacking"—celebrating small daily wins to build momentum and shift self-perception—and how mindset changes create tangible results, from his son's cross-country breakthrough to manifesting Blues hockey tickets through focused intention and action.

Key Takeaways:

Intrinsic vs. external worth: your value doesn't come from performance, appearance, circumstances, relationships, or possessions—it's inherent and unchanging.

Pebble stacking builds mountains: tracking small daily wins creates factual evidence of progress that shifts beliefs about yourself and your future possibilities.

The challenger mindset kicks in below 10: when you feel "less than enough," comparison, competition, control, or a victim mentality emerges to fill the gap.

Mindset drives results: nothing changed for Jeff's son except belief—same body, same training, but shifting from doubt to "I can do this" dropped his time by over a minute.

Quick wins over long reads: 52 one-page habits (120 words each) with actionable takeaways make mindset shifts accessible in the moment when you need them most.

Guest: Ben Hackley

Host: Randy Chaffee

Producer / Director / Co-Host: Wes Wyatt

Episode Summary:

Ben shares his transition from Fortune 500 CFO roles to fractional CFO work, explaining how he helps small businesses (particularly in manufacturing and distribution) navigate financial decisions without the guessing games. He and Randy explore the critical differences between bookkeepers, accountants, and CFOs, emphasizing that a CFO forecasts the future and provides objective guidance, rather than just recording transactions. Ben discusses why business owners often overcomplicate things with too many bank accounts and premature software investments, emphasizing that simplicity and understanding your cash flow fundamentals are more important than corporate-style processes. He advocates for strategic planning over rigid budgets and warns about the "ugly baby syndrome" where optimistic owners need an honest outside perspective.

Key Takeaways:

• Know the difference: bookkeepers record transactions, accountants analyze them, and CFOs forecast and guide strategic decisions about cash, inventory, debt, and growth.
• Fractional = affordable expertise: small businesses get Fortune 500-level financial guidance at a fraction of the cost and time commitment (1-10 hours/week).
• Simplicity wins: you can run most businesses with two checking accounts if you understand your weekly cash flow—avoid over-complicating with multiple accounts and premature software.

• An outside perspective is essential: overly optimistic owners need objective advisors who'll tell them the hard truths about decisions, customer profitability, and when to cut their losses.

• Incremental changes compound: small improvements in pricing (3-5%), inventory management (from 60 to 50 days), and collections (from 45 to 35 days) generate significant cash without magic.

Resources and Links:

LinkedIn: Ben Hackley

Guest: Case Kunick (Cutting-Edge Case)

Host: Randy Chaffee

Producer / Director / Co-Host: Wes Wyatt

Episode Summary:

Case shares his unique journey from hauling milk cans in rural Pennsylvania to becoming a Cutco representative specializing in high-end business gifting. He and Randy explore how engraved, forever-warranty kitchen knives create lasting impressions that far outlast traditional appreciation gifts, such as wine baskets or cash bonuses. Case explains his strategic approach to corporate gifting—from taking care of employees first so they become brand ambassadors, to using quality products that generate 200-300 kitchen impressions per year. The conversation reveals how physical, personalized gifts create compound returns on investment through referrals, reviews, and long-term client relationships, all while fitting any budget from $50 to $ 500 or more.

Key Takeaways:

Forever gifts beat disposable ones: engraved Cutco knives last 30-40+ years with free lifetime sharpening and replacement, keeping your brand visible.

Take care of employees first: giving your team quality gifts turns them into authentic ambassadors who can share genuine testimonials with clients.

Strategic timing matters: surprise gifts on unexpected occasions (Mother's Day, company milestones, project completions) create bigger "wow" moments than predictable holiday gifts.

ROI through repetition: a kitchen knife gets used 200-300 times yearly, generating consistent brand impressions without ongoing ad spend.

Think beyond the expected: allocate marketing dollars to tangible, lasting items that generate referrals and reviews rather than consumable gifts that disappear.

Resources and Links:

cuttingedgecase@gmail.com

Phone: 814-439-0173

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cuttingedge.case/

https://mycutcorep.com/casekunick

https://www.buildingwins.live/