Don't Climb the Corporate Ladder. Build Your Own.

Heather Eason on Entrepreneurial Courage, Reinvention and Finding Opportunity in a Changing Industry

What would you do if you were fired because your employer believed you were starting a competing business—even though you weren't?

For Heather Eason, that experience planted a seed that eventually grew into Select Power Systems.

In this episode of Simply Business, John Jennings sits down with Heather, CEO of Select Power Systems, a woman-owned engineering and project management firm serving electrical utilities and infrastructure clients nationwide.

Heather shares her journey from engineering leadership at Siemens Energy to starting her own business in 2017. Along the way, she discovered that building a successful company requires more than technical expertise. It takes courage, adaptability, financial discipline and a willingness to recognize when it's time to change direction.

John and Heather explore:

• Entrepreneurial courage: How an unexpected career setback inspired Heather to consider building her own business.
• Adapting to opportunity: How Select Power Systems evolved its services as customer needs and market conditions changed.
• Cash flow and profitability: The financial realities of serving large corporate customers while running a small business.
• Finding your niche: Heather's plans to expand into battery energy storage and explore distributed computing infrastructure.
• Leadership and resilience: What it takes to navigate uncertainty and pursue new opportunities in a competitive industry.
• Creating opportunities for women: Heather's commitment to supporting women in engineering and mentoring the next generation.

One of the most powerful moments comes when Heather challenges the traditional approach to career development. Instead of thinking of your career as a ladder that only goes up, she encourages professionals to view it as a lattice, where moving sideways or diagonally can open new possibilities.

Heather's story is a reminder that the career you imagined isn't necessarily the career you have to pursue.

Whether you're a business owner navigating change, an engineer exploring entrepreneurship or a leader searching for your next opportunity, this conversation offers practical lessons and inspiration.

Listen to this episode of Simply Business, subscribe for more conversations with business owners and leaders, and share it with someone who's ready to create their own path.

Darren Tompkins on Smart Growth, AI, Hiring and Knowing When Enough Is Enough

Are you building a business that supports the life you want, or creating another job that consumes it?

In this episode of Simply Business, John Jennings sits down with Darren Tompkins, founder and CEO of Vader Ray Companies, to discuss what it really takes to build a business that grows without sacrificing your freedom.

After serving in the U.S. Army and spending years in the oil and gas industry, Darren made the leap into entrepreneurship. Today, his company provides recruiting, engineering and virtual professional services to businesses across multiple industries.

But Darren isn't interested in growing simply for the sake of getting bigger.

He's focused on building a company that operates efficiently, embraces new technology, develops strong teams and allows him to enjoy life outside the office.

In this conversation, John and Darren explore:

• Smart growth: Why bigger isn't always better and how to avoid unnecessary overhead.
• AI and efficiency: How Darren uses artificial intelligence to streamline recruiting, identify opportunities and improve productivity.
• Hiring and leadership: Why putting the right people in the right roles is essential to building a sustainable business.
• Entrepreneurial challenges: What happens when you leave the corporate world and suddenly find yourself without its support systems.
• Work-life balance: How to design a business around your personal priorities instead of sacrificing everything for growth.
• Taking the leap: Why waiting for the perfect moment to start your business might mean never starting at all.

Darren also shares lessons from his military experience, the challenges of bootstrapping a company and his approach to building a team that can grow without creating unnecessary complexity.

Whether you're considering entrepreneurship, building your first company or leading an established business, this conversation offers practical insights into growing smarter while maintaining control over what matters most.

Because building a successful business should help you create a better life.

Listen to this episode of Simply Business, subscribe for more conversations with business owners and leaders, and share your biggest takeaway.

How Kris Dehnert Built a $60 Million Business Without Losing Sight of What Matters

What good is building a multimillion-dollar business if it costs you your health, happiness and time with the people who matter most?

In this episode of Simply Business, John Jennings sits down with Kris Dehnert, CEO and co-founder of Dugout Mugs, to explore what it really means to build a successful business.

Kris helped transform a simple idea—turning baseball bats into drinking mugs—into a company that has generated more than $60 million in sales. But his journey hasn't been without challenges, and his definition of success has changed dramatically along the way.

After surviving a life-threatening medical emergency, Kris made a decision: his business would support the life he wanted to live, not the other way around.

In this candid conversation, Kris shares the lessons behind his entrepreneurial journey, including:

• Why building for future growth is essential to maintaining momentum.
• How rapid expansion can undermine profitability and personal freedom.
• The importance of protecting equity and choosing the right business partners.
• Why fewer, deeper relationships often create greater opportunities.
• How clarity about your values makes difficult business decisions easier.

Above all, Kris challenges entrepreneurs to reconsider the true cost of success.

Whether you're launching your first company, scaling an established business or questioning whether your current path is worth the sacrifice, this conversation offers practical business lessons and a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship.

Because the goal isn't simply to build a bigger business. It's to build a better life.

Listen to this episode of Simply Business, subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders, and share your biggest takeaway.