From a 250-square-foot office with one desk and a shared bathroom to becoming one of the top watermelon shippers in the U.S., this is the story of FreshPro and its founders, Mike and Jose.

In this C-Suite Series episode, Chris sits down with two lifelong friends who built a thriving produce business from scratch, without investors, blueprints, or corporate playbooks. What started as a hustle turned into a legacy.

This conversation explores:

The wild early days of selling watermelons by sheer tenacity

How friendship, trust, and conflict shaped their partnership

Why rediscovering purpose mattered more than profit

How they’re now building a culture that lasts

Whether you’re leading a startup or a legacy company, this is a story about grit, growth, and learning to lead for impact, not just validation.

In this special 10-year anniversary series celebrating Figure That Shift Out, we’re sharing ten stories of transformation, moments when leaders figured it out not by pushing harder, but by seeing more clearly.

In this episode, Reagan shares how the ideas of proving and hiding became a daily barometer for his leadership — those moments when he felt the urge to get big and prove his worth or shrink back and hide. Learning to notice those patterns helped him flip the lie beneath them and lead from a secure identity.

On his last day in the office, John Carter, President & COO of Nationwide Financial, shares the lessons of a 40-year career in financial services. Under his leadership, Nationwide grew by 50%, delivered record results, and set the tone for admired leadership across the industry.

This conversation explores:

1. Building a performance culture that lasts

2. How empathy, clarity, and focus shaped his leadership

3. Why leaving well is as important as leading well

Named President & COO Emeritus, John leaves behind a legacy that will shape Nationwide and the financial industry for decades to come.

👉 Get the new book: makecultureyouredge.com

👉 More from Chris & SightShift: sightshift.com