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I had the opportunity to sit down with Sam Maddula, a founder whose career does not fit a clean headline. What stood out immediately wasn’t the size of the business he built, but the decisions he made along the way, and the ones he chose not to make.

This conversation isn’t about hacks or hypergrowth. It’s about judgment, timing, and the quiet moments when leaders realize the path forward isn’t obvious.

A Business Built in the Margins

Sam started his company in a highly specialized corner of healthcare, serving patients and physicians in situations where the stakes were high and the system rarely worked smoothly. Growth came, but not in the way business books describe it.

Instead of rapid expansion, Sam talks about constraints. About capacity. About learning when “yes” would eventually cost more than it was worth.

Those trade-offs shaped everything that followed.

When Success Starts Asking Questions

As the business matured, so did the weight of leadership. Responsibilities multiplied. Expectations rose. And life, as it does, introduced moments that forced Sam to reconsider what success actually required of him.

We talk about what happens when the role you created begins to demand more than you’re willing to give, and how hard it is to admit that out loud.

The Hardest Transition

One of the most compelling parts of our conversation centers on transition. Not just the professional mechanics of stepping away, but the emotional and identity shift that follows.

Sam shares what surprised him most about that period, what he underestimated, and what ultimately helped him move forward with clarity rather than regret.

The Core Question

Throughout the episode, one question keeps resurfacing: how do you build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process?

Sam doesn’t offer formulas. He offers perspective shaped by experience, and the humility that comes from learning in real time.

“You don’t really know what matters until you’re forced to choose.”

This episode is a thoughtful look at leadership, transition, and the decisions that define a career long after the titles change.

Click HERE to watch to the episode.

Until next time, friends,

Chris

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I had the honor of hosting a long-time mentor and friend, Robert Larson, CPC. Bob’s journey is one I’ve followed since the start of my first business, and he even inspired my own early yoga practice by bringing his personal interests into the workplace.

The episode is less about business growth and more about personal resilience and the powerful difference between working on your business versus in it; and ultimately, working on yourself.

From Bicycle Messengers to Boutique Practice
Bob's career spans decades, starting when résumés were shuttled by bicycle messengers and a portable fax machine cost $4,500. He built a large, successful staffing firm. However, as the conversation reveals, he deliberately chose to downsize a few years ago.

He found that running a large operation meant working on the business. Downsizing allowed him to return to the craft, the hands-on work of interviewing and placement, and find fulfillment, proving that the work is more fulfilling.

The Catastrophic Gift of Life
Bob's most compelling story is about the massive health crisis he faced over 20 years ago that put him on life support, reshaping his outlook on life, work, and gratitude.

He discusses how his decades-long practices in silent meditation and Bikram (hot) yoga became his lifeline. When he woke up on a respirator, he used the machine's rhythm to perform Ujjayi breathing meditation. As his sister-in-law wisely noted, he "trained his entire life for these illnesses." Now, at 75, he embodies reinvention and acceptance, trading marathons for chair yoga, and viewing every physical challenge as a teaching moment.

The Core Takeaway: Find Your DNA
Life comes with no warranties or guarantees. Bob's advice on career and contentment is simple yet revolutionary: find what is in your DNA and what you love to do, and the money will follow. His perspective on career fulfillment, the necessity of personal practice, and the struggle to stay in the present moment is a powerful reminder that awareness is the practice, and coming back to stillness is the key to clarity.

"If a person does what they love, the money follows because they rise to the top of what they're doing." — Robert Larson, CPC

Listen to the Full Conversation

Don't miss Bob's incredible story of resilience and his profound advice on living an aware and grateful life.

Books, Websites, and Resources Mentioned

We always highlight the resources mentioned by our guests so you can follow their lead.

• Substack: You can follow Bob Larson's active daily blog and get a peek into his daily practice of gratitude and awareness
• A Book for Letting Go: Let Them by Mel Robbins
• The Business Essential: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
• Career Assessments: The Kuder Career Assessment and Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

Until next time, friends,

Chris

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Welcome back Marnie Stockman, Ed.D. and Nick Coniglio, authors of the phenomenal new book, The Business of You.

This episode provides a complete methodology for anyone doing the “right things” (good grades, internships, etc.) but still struggling to stand out or land the job they actually want. It's time to stop letting the world define your value and start defining it yourself.

The traditional career ladder is obsolete. We discuss why you must Run Your Life Like a Business, serving as your own CEO, Head of HR (identifying your core values), and Head of Marketing (crafting your personal brand).

We explore the essential difference between the old Credential Ladder (stacking titles) and the Value Ladder (generating value for others). Learn why you need a Personal Board of Advisors—specifically a Challenger—to push you.

Your competitive advantage is your Story. In a world of AI-scanned resumes, learn how to move from selling your story to genuinely sharing it. Finally, we cover the Power of Adaptability and why you must practice resilience using a pre-mortem to stress-test your plans before they fail.

“If you’re not intentionally taking care of what your persona is in the public, it will be done for you. People will make assumptions.”

Listen to Episode 67 for the full discussion.

Until next time, friends,

Chris