The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast

Seventeen years, six men, and one rule: no advice allowed. On this panel, three members of Dwayne Kerrigan's mastermind group, the "Honey Badgers", pull back the curtain on the framework that's carried them through startups, exits, burnout, and grief, and explain why the group that changes them most is the one that refuses to tell them what to do. In this episode: Curt Cronin breaks down "dynamic subordination," the Navy SEAL handoff principle the group uses to know who leads and who steps back in a crisis Sam Hazledine explains why "nature abhors a vacuum" is the real reason humans default to giving advice, and why it usually backfires Michael Grandjean opens up about losing everything and the one thing that got him through it: learning to forgive himself Dwayne and the group unpack the "event, meaning, emotion, behavior, result" chain and how the stories we attach to events quietly run our lives Sam introduces the idea of becoming a "mindful steward" instead of a "benevolent dictator" as a business scales…

FlyGuys CEO Joe Stough returns for Part 2 of this conversation on scaling technology companies through operational excellence, culture, and AI. Joe breaks down the four-element operational excellence management system he built plus the cultural foundation of the golden rule and iron sharpens iron and explains how the company's AI data infrastructure platform now serves seven industries through one configurable pipeline. If you're building a company that needs to scale past its current ceiling, this episode is a playbook. In this episode: Joe walks through FlyGuys' four-element Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS) — leadership, individual development, incident learning, and continuous improvement — built on a fifth "element zero": culture. He unpacks FlyGuys' five cultural principles: the golden rule, iron sharpens iron, goal zero, raving fans, and one for all and all for one. Joe details the Waitr acquisition that used almost all of the company's post-SPAC cash within two weeks of going public — a…

Joe Stough built a piece of software that ExxonMobil, Shell, and ConocoPhillips ran their worldwide safety operations on and he says none of it would have worked without a psychological framework he almost let disappear along with the mentor who created it. In this episode, he traces the throughline of intentional culture across three very different companies. In this episode: How Joe's early experience running Dynamic Systems International shaped the fundamentals he built his next company, Syntex, on — starting with hiring a lawyer on day one The Interpersonal Technology framework — eight personality styles built on Carl Jung's archetypes — that Joe credits for turning daily blowups with his first CFO into a working partnership How Joe's Impact software went from one language in one country to twenty-four languages in a hundred and eighty countries in a single year, landing ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Shell as worldwide clients within six months Selling Syntex to IHS in 2010 in an all-cash deal — and…

At 500 knots each, two F-16s point straight at each other with less than a second to react, one of them upside down. That's the moment Michelle "Mace" Curran walks Dwayne through in Part 2 of this conversation, and it's just the entry point into a masterclass on what she calls "the space between": the pause between feeling fear and deciding what to do with it. In this episode: The near head-on collision during a Thunderbirds training pass, closing at roughly 1,000 mph, missing by what she believes was inches and the split-second decision-making that got both pilots through it Why Michelle earned her call sign "Mace" (Mach at Circle Entry) by accidentally breaking the sound barrier on her second flight in Japan, and how she turned it into a badge of honor The physical disruptor, wiggling her toes, that a flight instructor taught her to break out of over-control and hypervigilance, and the neuroscience behind why it works Why the Thunderbirds' hiring process (40 applicants, 3 spots, a 12-officer interview…

She's the second woman in history to fly lead solo for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and she still describes her early years in a fighter squadron as "classic imposter syndrome." Michelle "Mace" Curran spent years running from failure before she realized what was actually driving her forward, and in this conversation with Dwayne Kerrigan, she pulls back the curtain on the debrief culture that rebuilt her confidence — and the messy, control-freak transition from single-seat cockpit to solo entrepreneur. In this episode: How a moment in the bookstore at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum led, four years later, to Michelle's children's book What's Your Call Sign? Why Michelle calls her first Air Force assignment "classic imposter syndrome" — and how she learned to tell the difference between being pulled toward a goal and running from failure Inside the Air Force flight debrief: how "root cause" and a single "lesson learned" sentence turn every flight — successful or not — into a team-wide teaching moment…

On this episode, Dwayne sits down with Keiron McCammon, host of Spark of Trust podcast, to unpack why that show exists in the first place. It starts with a wrong answer: Keiron went looking for what broke in 2022, blamed social media, and found something underneath it. Trust didn't collapse all at once, it broke in three acts over six decades: first our communities, then our institutions, then our information environment, each one stacking on the last, so no single fix, founder, or organization can repair it alone. Over the next hour and a half, Dwayne and Keiron dig into that unraveling, and why the honest response isn't a solution, it's a signal. Time Stamps: 00:00 Welcome Keiron McCammon - Spark of Trust Podcast 01:36 Why Trust Matters 02:57 Tech Optimism to Disillusion 05:06 From Misinformation to Trust 06:14 Three Acts of Trust 09:54 Spark of Trust Mission 13:47 Community Pillar Questions 17:04 Neya 24:08 Institutions and Business Trust 30:27 Why Small Business Wins 34:20 Earning Trust Locally 35:19…

Canada's top female entrepreneur two years running, flying between magazine covers and global stages and privately rocking on the floor with the door locked. Kelsey Kitsch, former CEO of Mind Cure and author of Success Hangover, sits down with Dwayne to unpack the ego that built her empire, the psychedelic experience that dismantled it, and what she found once the striving finally stopped. Content Warning: This episode discusses psychedelics from personal experience. Dwayne and Kelsey explicitly state they are not promoting psychedelics. If you choose to explore this topic, please do thorough research, consult a medical professional, and ensure proper facilitation and integration support.This content is for informational purposes only. This episode also touches on mental health and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — available 24/7 in both the US and Canada. In this episode: The three conditions Kelsey uses to unlock curiosity and…

Kelsey Kitsch was Canada's number one female entrepreneur two years in a row. She was on the cover of magazines, speaking at global economic forums, and building multimillion-dollar companies. She was also sitting on the floor of her locked office, in the darkest period of her life, wondering why none of it felt like anything. In Part 1 of this conversation, she and Dwayne explore what happens when the life you built no longer fits — and what it takes to build a new one from the inside out. In this episode: The three-factor brain state that produces your best ideas — novelty, motion, and high emotion — drawn from Mary Helen Imordino-Yang's research, and why Kelsey's most creative moments happen driving fast with the windows down in a place she doesn't know Why most people set goals wrong: Kelsey's case for short-term weekly goals anchored to a long-term direction, and why the deeper question isn't "what do I want to achieve?" but "who do I want to be when I get there?" Kelsey's experience with guided…

Kate Bradley Chernis spent over a decade figuring out how to use sound to make strangers feel like friends. At Sirius/XM, she was building 200-layer audio files for 30-second commercials. Next, she was infusing radio theory into a generative AI platform before most people knew what generative AI was. Now at Backline EQ, she's using the same instinct, that sound tells you things a transcript never could, to engineer human connection at scale. This conversation covers all of it: the neuroscience, the pivots, and the parts of the journey she rarely shares out loud. In this episode: The theater of the mind and why it's the foundation of trust: when your brain constructs the story rather than receiving it passively, it taps into nostalgia, memory, and emotion — the three keystones of why we buy, connect, and believe Why your eyes lie but your ears don't — Kate's case that sound is the most honest and hardest-to-trick human sense, and what that means for AI tools that rely entirely on transcripts The "rules of…

What happens when the business you built becomes too dependent on you to keep growing? Mark Bradley, Founder and Chairman of LeanScaper and author of the newly released The Landscaper’s Operating System: Build a Landscape Company That Runs Without You, joins Dwayne Kerrigan for Part Two of a conversation about one of the most important transitions an entrepreneur can make: moving from being the person who runs everything to becoming the leader who builds a company capable of running without them. Mark draws on decades of experience building, scaling, and evolving businesses to break down the disciplines that separate growth from sustainable scale. He shares why strong systems and processes matter, how a CEO’s role must change as the company grows, and why the ability to prioritize, protect your time, and develop capable people becomes increasingly critical at every stage. The conversation also gets into Mark’s relentless approach to learning — seeking out experts, asking better questions, openly measuring…

What does it take to build a business that is profitable, principled, and strong enough to scale? Mark Bradley, Founder and Chairman of LeanScaper and author of the newly released The Landscaper’s Operating System: Build a Landscape Company That Runs Without You, joins Dwayne Kerrigan for Part One of a wide-ranging conversation on the decisions, disciplines, and operating principles that helped shape his career. Mark’s path was anything but conventional. After leaving the nuclear industry, he entered landscaping and began building what would eventually become TBG Landscape, growing it from a backyard operation into one of North America’s Top 100 landscape contractors. Along the way, he developed a distinctly operator-driven approach to business — one built around understanding the numbers, choosing the right customers, investing in great people, and refusing to compromise on the standards required to build something sustainable. In this conversation, Mark explains why not every customer is a good customer,…

This episode is a re-release and features Phil M. Jones, a successful entrepreneur and speaker, who brings to light the significance of mastering pivotal conversational moments in sales and customer service for business success. Join us as we delve into strategies for overcoming and preventing customer objections, understanding decision-making processes, and enhancing customer journeys in diverse industries. We explore the necessity of identifying critical moments in a customer's journey, tailoring compensation to motivate sales teams, and the impact of mindset on professional growth. Phil provides practical advice on setting targets, using direct rewards, and resources for further learning in sales and business strategy. An entrepreneurial success story and founder of 5 multimillion dollar companies, Phil M Jones is a strategic Advisor to pioneering leaders of the world’s biggest brands. The author of 7 best-selling books including the “Exactly” Book Series with over 2 million copies sold, he is the…

Andrew Pancholi doesn't hedge his calls. In Part 2 of his conversation with Dwayne Kerrigan, the cycles analyst behind Market Timing Report lays out exactly where he thinks gold and oil are headed next — the kind of specific, put-your-name-on-it targets most analysts avoid — plus the one year already circled on his calendar for the next real market correction, and why the pullbacks along the way are buying opportunities, not warning signs. Using research that traces back nearly a century, Andy breaks down which years tend to run hot, which tend to break, and the one he's watching most closely right now. Dwayne and Andy also dig into digital currency, BRICS, and whether replacing the US dollar would really just be a way to wipe out national debt — and Andy shares how a historical pattern tied to the Dust Bowl era points toward a coming boom in grain and commodity markets. Episode Time Stamps: 00:00 Cycles Love Or Hate 00:22 Welcome Back Andrew Pancholi 01:23 Digital Currency Questions 03:40 Crypto Value And…

In January 1981, American hostages were released from Iran within hours of Reagan's inauguration. Forty-five years later — to within 30 hours — Andrew Pancholi told his subscribers an Iran conflict was about to begin. He was right. This is not luck. It’s mathematics — and in this conversation with Dwayne Kerrigan, Andrew breaks down exactly how cycle analysis works, what it's telling us about real estate, geopolitics, and the global economy right now, and what business owners and investors should be doing with that information. In Part 1 of this episode: The 18.6-year real estate cycle: why we are currently at the same position in the cycle as 2007 — just before the Global Financial Crisis — and what the smart money did last time, and what to do now The 100-year pandemic cycle — how Spanish flu, cholera, and COVID all followed the same pattern, and why Andrew saw COVID coming The 90-year geopolitical cycle: how the polarization, rise of nationalism, anti-immigration sentiment, and challenges to global order…

Most business owners think getting a call from private equity is the finish line. Brian Will says that's exactly when you're most at risk. In Part 2, Brian delivers the frameworks that took him three exits and decades of hard lessons to build — from the five keys to success (which are also the five keys to failure) to what private equity firms will do to your earn-out if you're not paying attention. In this episode: The five keys to success — and why every single one is also a key to failure Why your business is not your product — it's the business inside the business: marketing, data, systems, and the ability to put any product through a machine that finds customers and converts them The private equity playbook most sellers never see coming: how an $80 million deal became $60 million, why earn-out structures based on EBITDA are almost always a trap, and why you must never let a PE firm take over your accounting Brian's AI workflow — three screens, three AI models (Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude, which he calls…

Brian Will has owned 10 companies across five industries, made three exits worth over $500 million, and written four books — including two Wall Street Journal bestsellers. None of it was handed to him and the odds were very much against him. In this conversation with Dwayne Kerrigan, Brian unpacks the frameworks behind his success: the personal filter, the success ladder, and the $80 million decision he almost said no to. In this episode: The "I'm in" moment: Brian's business partner Steve asked him to borrow $66,000 more after nine months of zero revenue and $500,000 in losses — Brian's accountant, CMO, and COO all quit before he finally said yes, and the company sold for $80 million just 18 months later Why "failure leads to success" is a myth Brian calls out directly — it's learning from failure that leads to success, and most people skip that step entirely The success ladder framework: Brian started at step zero with no education, no backing, and no mentors — and why the only two ways to climb are to…

Sean Barry's team used to spend six months building a feature. Now they build it in two to three weeks. In Part 2, Sean and Dwayne move from the AI transformation inside LeanScaper to the bigger picture: what the software industry looks like in twelve months, why autonomous cars and AI adoption are fundamentally different problems, and what it actually means to participate in this change rather than spectate. In this episode: Why the software industry is facing a potential 50-80% company turnover in the next 12-18 months — and why it's simultaneously the best time to be a consumer of technology and the most terrifying time to be building it The voice and ambient AI future that Sean sees arriving in the next 12 months: screens shrinking from 98% of the interface to 60%, then 20%, as conversational AI replaces the need to navigate software at all Why AI adoption is fundamentally different from autonomous car adoption — when the choice is 150 hours of your time versus 5 hours with AI, it's not a choice your…

In January, 95% of the code Sean Barry's team wrote was written by hand. Six months later, that number is 2%. Sean isn't predicting what AI will do to your industry — he's living it, building it, and losing sleep over it. In this conversation with Dwayne Kerrigan, Sean Barry - the Chief Product Officer of LeanScaper - shares what the AI transformation actually looks like from the inside: the grief, the identity crisis, the compounding flywheel effect, and the window that's closing faster than most people realize. In this episode: Why most small to mid-sized businesses can't implement AI on their own — and what LeanScaper is doing about it for the landscape industry The compounding flywheel effect: why companies that embrace AI now may be uncatchable by competitors who wait six months The emotional journey Sean's team went through when AI fundamentally changed their jobs overnight — and what's on the other side Why the most powerful AI asset in your business might already be sitting in a drawer somewhere The…

Most people treat sleep like something that happens to them. Dr. Michael Breus, aka The Sleep Doctor, treats it like a system — one that can be built, optimized, and recovered no matter how badly you've abused it. In Part 2, Dwayne and Dr. Breus move from theory into full practice: the single morning habit that regulates your entire sleep schedule, the truth about supplements and peptides, and why a 78-year-old entrepreneur taking four different drugs to get through the day became drug-free in two weeks and now more productive than his staff can handle. In this episode: The one rule that regulates your entire sleep schedule The three-15s morning routine: 15 deep breaths, 15 ounces of water, and 15 minutes of direct sunlight within 20 minutes of waking — and why vitamin D is a circadian pacemaker The supplement framework most people get completely wrong Dr. Breus's unambiguous position on peptides: lab-use-only compounds are being injected by people who have no idea what the 10 or 20-year consequences are,…

You've been told to get eight hours of sleep your whole life. Dr. Michael Breus — The Sleep Doctor — says that's not only wrong, it may be making things worse. In this conversation with Dwayne Kerrigan, one of the world's foremost sleep specialists breaks down the science of when to sleep, when to drink caffeine, when to workout, and why most people's sleep problems aren't about how much they sleep — they're about when. In this episode: The four chronotypes — Lion, Bear, Wolf, and Dolphin — and why knowing yours could reduce your total sleep while dramatically improving quality; plus why 55% of the population are Bears, and what that means for your nine-to-five schedule The 90-minute caffeine rule: how adrenaline and cortisol make caffeine useless for the first 90 minutes after waking, and when to stop caffeine entirely to protect your sleep The biology of the 1:00–3:00 AM wake-up: every human on Earth wakes up in this window due to a cortisol spike — and Dr. Breus's four-step protocol for getting back to…

Nobody jumps out of bed wanting to do a bad job. So why does the day fall apart by lunch? In this episode, Dwayne Kerrigan breaks down the actual mechanics of high-performance productivity — not the philosophy, not the mindset pep talk, but the specific rituals, systems, and daily habits that determine whether your week produces results or just burns time. In this episode: The Time Management Matrix — originally developed by Franklin Covey, which Dwayne taught for 35 years — and why the only quadrant that actually moves your life forward is Q2: things that are important but not urgent, including planning, training, creative thinking, and relationship building Why weekly planning and solitude is the single most important hour of the week — what Dwayne looks at during that block, how he structures it, and why if you miss it consistently, everything else breaks down How Dwayne uses a color-coded identity calendar — each role in his life assigned a color, from Chairman to Love Slave — so that every time block is…

Kyle Scheele went from 17 TikTok followers to a million in 25 hours — not because he had a strategy, but because he finally stopped waiting for the right time and posted the video. In Part 2, he and Dwayne walk through the five things every idea needs to make it into the world, why AI is a sycophancy machine that will confidently tell you exactly what you want to hear, and why creativity is a team sport — and always has been. In Part 2 of this episode: The five things every idea needs — a chance, a home, a time and place, a bodyguard, and a crew — and the specific, practical way each one applies inside a business or organization Why Kyle went from 17 followers to a million on TikTok in 25 hours: a one-minute video about photoshopping his dad's tilted head in a family portrait, and the James Joyce principle that explains why the most particular stories become the most universal The chemical company story: a PhD chemist had known for years that her company's product would work perfectly in another industry —…

Most people think creativity is something you either have or you don't — a gift, a gene, a mysterious lightning bolt that strikes a chosen few. Kyle Scheele has spent his career dismantling that belief, and in this conversation he makes the case that creativity isn't magic at all. It's problem-solving. And everyone already does it, every single day. In Part 1 of this episode: Why your brain is not a truth-seeking machine — it's a belief justification machine: give it the belief "I'm not creative" and it will spend the rest of your life finding evidence to prove you right Kyle's spontaneous ideation theory — the creativity myth he compares to the 17th century scientific belief that dirty rags and wheat kernels spontaneously generated mice, and why most people's understanding of where ideas come from is just as wrong The coffee shop moment that defined Kyle's career: his friend Isaac told him, "most people come in here, talk about an idea, and the next time you hear about it, it's just an idea again — you come…

In Part 2, Kyle and Brent Pease go beyond the race course and into the harder terrain — the screaming match in a New York City taxi after a broken wheelchair nearly ended their marathon, the board member who called every morning during school drop-off, and what it actually takes to build an organization that can run without you. This is where the mission meets the mechanics, and where two brothers figure out how to grow up together in public. In this episode: How Kyle and Brent built the Kyle Pease Foundation from scratch — including the nine months it took to help their very first family, the decision to race at least once a month to create visibility, and how they've grown from six events in 2013 to 64 events across 14 states last year The New York City Marathon story: the wheelchair broke mid-race, Brent spent an hour trying to fix it with help from the NYPD, and eventually told Kyle he was done — and what Kyle said back that got them across the finish line Brent's framework for hiring in a nonprofit:…

Kyle and Brent Pease have completed more than 100 races together — including two IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii — and in 2024 they broke the push-assist course record with a finish time of 14 hours, 8 minutes, and 3 seconds. Kyle, born with cerebral palsy, is the coach, the motivator, and the athlete who has to be the most positive force in the world for 15 hours straight while his brother, Brent, pushes him across 140.6 miles. What looks like a sports story from the outside is something much harder to categorize: a 15-year study in resilience, gratitude, and what it actually means to show up when both of you want to quit. In Part 1 of their conversation: How Brent and Kyle broke the push-assist course record at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii — and what 15 years of racing together has taught them Why Brent says true balance is an illusion — and how he and Kyle define "all in" as the real unit of energy management, shifting fully between Ironman training, family, and the…

What separates average teams from truly high-performing ones? In this episode, Dwayne Kerrigan breaks down the real mechanics of building high performance teams — from hiring A-players to creating a culture of accountability, coaching, and continuous improvement. Backed by real-world experience across decades in business, Dwayne walks through the systems, frameworks, and leadership mindset shifts required to build teams that don’t just function but thrive. You’ll learn why most hiring processes fail, how to identify true A-players, and why the behavior you tolerate ultimately becomes your company’s standard. Dwayne also dives deep into onboarding, coaching, culture, and the hidden psychological patterns that impact performance — including ego, storytelling, and leadership blind spots. This is not theory, this is a practical blueprint for leaders who want better results through better people. Episode Highlights: 00:00 - Ego And Needs 00:39 - Podcast Introduction 01:11 - Why Teams Matter 03:03 - AI And Future…

Most business owners think AI and new technology will fix what's broken in their company. Paul Akers disagrees — and he's been inside factories with 10,000 employees on every continent to back it up. In Part 2 of this conversation, Paul and Dwayne go deeper into the mechanics of Lean culture, and why the secret to happiness and business success might be the same thing. In this episode: Paul's three-word formula for rolling out Lean in any organization without blowing up the culture: slow, consistent, and self-selection The 30-minute challenge: instead of solving an employee's problem on the spot, Paul gives them 30 minutes to come up with three solutions on their own — and why that single shift changes everything about how a team operates Why Lean is not a burden — it's pure joy: when every tool is where it belongs, every process flows, and people aren't waiting on you to fix things, the business stops grinding and starts moving Paul's take on AI and technology: they are accelerants to a well-run company,…

Paul Akers started FastCap in his garage with no MBA, no funding, and one simple conviction: fix what bugs you. Today FastCap ships over 2,000 products to more than 40 countries, and runs on a philosophy so simple it fits in two words — eliminate waste. In Part 1 of this conversation, Dwayne Kerrigan sits down with Paul to unpack the Lean methodology that made it all possible, and why it has nothing to do with manufacturing. In this episode: Paul breaks down the eight wastes of Lean thinking — overproduction, transportation, inventory, defects, over-processing, wasted motion, customer waiting, and wasting human potential — using a Costco toilet paper run as the most memorable example you'll ever hear Why Paul calls himself a "Lean maniac", not a lean practitioner: "How do I improve this? And how do I make it easier for everyone around me?" — the two questions that drive every decision at FastCap The communication standard Paul holds his entire organization to: no one should ever have to ask you a question…

Most entrepreneurs think the next stage of their business requires a better strategy. Dwayne Kerrigan disagrees. In Part 2 of his live keynote at the LeanScaper Operations Intensive in Cape Coral, Florida, he makes the case that what's actually required is a different identity — and that without that shift, no system, tool, or team will get you where you're trying to go. In this episode: Dwayne walks through his personal identity chart — from the "warrior" and "general" identities that ran his life for years, to the consciously designed identities he operates from today, including the Chairman, the Profit Seeker, and the Peak Performance Coach Why the Serenity Prayer became one of the most powerful business tools Dwayne ever learned — and how distinguishing what you can and can't control transformed his leadership at 32 years old, running an $18M business with 300 employees A live identity creation exercise: how to write your own eulogy for a specific business role, and why that process is the starting point…

Most entrepreneurs don't burn out because the business gets too hard — they burn out because they never stopped being the operator. In this keynote, recorded live at the LeanScaper Operations Intensive in Cape Coral, Florida, Dwayne Kerrigan makes the case that the real battle isn't strategic, it's psychological. Until you understand the most powerful force in the human condition, no framework, system, or tool will save you. In this episode: Dwayne breaks down the operator's mindset vs. the owner's mindset — and why operators get tired while owners get rich Why your purpose has to be large enough to keep you out of "the tyranny of how" — the trap that pulls owners back into the weeds The identity principle Dwayne calls the single most important lesson from 10+ years at Tony Robbins' side: the most powerful force in the human condition is to remain congruent with how we identify ourselves The event–meaning–emotion–behavior chain, and how changing the meaning you attach to an event changes your results How…

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation on The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast, Adel Sayegh shares the deeper chapters of his entrepreneurial journey — including betrayal in business, a life-threatening health crisis, and the resilience required to rebuild both physically and professionally. After helping grow a company from the ground up to more than 1,200 employees, Adel watched it eventually go public for billions of dollars without receiving anything himself. For many people, an experience like that could lead to lasting bitterness. Instead, Adel chose a different path — one rooted in forgiveness and perspective. But the challenges didn’t stop there. Adel also opens up about facing a serious illness that forced him to confront his own mortality and rethink what success truly means. Through that experience, he rebuilt his health, refocused his priorities, and ultimately emerged stronger than before. Today, Adel reflects on how adversity — whether in business, health, or life — can become the foundation for…

In this deeply personal conversation, Adel Sayegh joins Dwayne Kerrigan to share Part 1 of his story of losing everything — financially, professionally, and emotionally — and the lessons that followed. Adel opens up about the moment when the life he had built suddenly collapsed. The house, the car, the career, and the identity that came with success were all gone. What followed was one of the most defining moments of his life: facing fear, uncertainty, and the realization that everything he once believed about stability and success could disappear overnight. But this story is not about loss — it’s about resilience. Adel reflects on how faith, humility, and the support of his wife helped him rebuild from the ground up. He explains how identity often becomes tied to status and material success, and why losing those things forced him to rediscover who he really was. This episode is a powerful reminder that adversity is not the end of the story. Often, it’s the beginning of the one that matters most. Episode…

In this powerful episode, Brad May returns for Part 2 of a raw and honest conversation about leadership, resilience, identity, and what it truly takes to win at the highest level. Brad reflects on being traded multiple times during his NHL career, adapting to new teams, and learning how to integrate into different locker rooms without disrupting culture. He shares the emotional journey of winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks — and why celebrating that moment with his family meant more than the trophy itself. The conversation expands beyond hockey into business leadership. Brad breaks down why coaches are “salesmen,” why clarity of vision is essential, and why delegation without interference builds trust. He unpacks the difference between playing not to lose versus playing to win — and why excuses quietly erode culture. At its core, this episode is about ownership. Ownership of performance. Ownership of mistakes. Ownership of mindset. As Brad says, there is no “try.” You either do or you don’t.…

In this episode of The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast, former NHL veteran Brad May joins Dwayne for candid conversation about leadership, grit, and longevity — on and off the ice. Brad reflects on his 19-year NHL career, what separated players who made it from those who didn’t, and why mental fortitude mattered more than raw talent. From locker room lessons and team dynamics to integrity in business and life, Brad shares the foundational principles that shaped his journey: set achievable goals, outwork the competition, do the right thing — even when no one is watching. He speaks openly about fear, discipline, evolving training methods, investing in himself, and the power of speaking goals into existence. Whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or chasing a dream, this conversation is a masterclass in character, culture, and consistency. Episode Highlights: 0:00 - Opening: The power of achievable goals and how success begets success 2:10 - Amazing Race experience: A month of uninterrupted father-daughter…

In Part 2 of this conversation, Emma Murray and Dwayne Kerrigan move from awareness into practical performance tools. Emma introduces one of the most powerful distinctions in high performance: critique versus criticism. She explains why self-criticism is a survival response that quietly destroys confidence, slows learning, and locks people into repeated mistakes. Through examples from elite sport, sales, leadership, parenting, and everyday life, Emma breaks down how to review performance by examining the entire process — thoughts, feelings, actions, and results — rather than attacking outcomes or identity. The conversation also dives into fear-based leadership, tunnel vision, stress responses, and why people perform worse when they feel watched, pressured, or unsafe. Emma shares actionable techniques to regain presence under pressure, including breath, body awareness, and “small focus” anchors that keep the mind out of fight-or-flight. This episode equips leaders, entrepreneurs, and performers with a…

Performance mindset coach Emma Murray returns to The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast to break down why even highly capable people struggle under pressure - and how to fix it. Emma explains that humans are not wired to perform at their best in business, sport, or life - we’re wired for survival. When pressure hits, our attention naturally drifts to fear, loss, and outcomes we can’t control, pulling us out of the present moment. Through powerful examples from golf, sales, leadership, parenting, and elite sport, Emma shows how performance collapses the moment attention leaves the task. Together, Dwayne and Emma unpack the difference between skillset and mindset, why elite performers win through attention regulation, and how “chunking down” - narrowing focus to something small, controllable, and strength-based - restores clarity, confidence, and execution. Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Emma opens by explaining why humans are wired for survival, not greatness. 01:00 – Dwayne introduces Emma and frames the conversation…

In this special bonus episode recorded ahead of their full mindset conversation, Dwayne Kerrigan and Emma Murray reflect on a deeply personal topic: relationships. As Valentine’s Day approaches, they explore how intimate relationships often absorb the stress, pressure, and emotional buildup from the outside world. Dwayne shares candidly about his own growth — recognizing how habitual reactions, unmet needs, and old internal stories can surface at home if they’re not processed throughout the day. Emma adds insight into how unconscious patterns, primary questions, and survival wiring shape the way we show up with those we love most. Together, they discuss raising standards inside the relationship, practicing conscious awareness, meeting your partner’s needs without expectation, and replacing self-judgment with grace. This short but powerful conversation reframes love not as grand gestures, but as attention, awareness, and intentional daily behavior. Episode Highlights: 0:00 - Introduction: Valentine's Day as a…

In Part 2 of this in-depth conversation, Sarah Jeanneault and Dwayne Kerrigan tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in modern business: AI implementation without foundational process. Drawing from Sarah’s background in education, finance, trading psychology, and her current role at ProcedureFlow, the discussion reframes AI not as a silver bullet—but as an amplifier of whatever already exists inside an organization. Together, they explore why many companies are failing to see ROI from AI investments, how skipping SOPs and governance creates chaos, and why leaders must slow down before they scale up. Using powerful metaphors—from sourdough baking to mountain biking—Sarah explains why meaningful AI adoption requires patience, critical thinking, and uncomfortable conversations. The episode also expands into leadership, parenting, culture-building, and the human elements AI will never replace: empathy, judgment, and connection. This is a grounded, honest conversation for leaders who want to use AI…

In this wide-ranging conversation, Sarah Jeanneault shares her unconventional journey from struggling with math in school to becoming a respected leader in fintech, trading education, and enterprise knowledge management. She and Dwayne Kerrigan explore the deep gaps in financial literacy, why traditional education often fails to prepare people for real-world decision-making, and how learning truly begins after formal schooling ends. Sarah explains how she applied adult learning theory to teach herself trading, why psychology matters more than numbers in the markets, and how curiosity, pattern recognition, and humility shaped her success. The discussion expands into the future of education, AI’s role in learning, entrepreneurship, identity shifts after business exits, and the emotional reality of leadership transitions. This episode is a thoughtful examination of growth, risk, and why continuous learning is the most valuable skill anyone can develop. Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Sarah opens by naming the gap…

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Robyn Benincasa returns to go deeper on one of the most misunderstood elements of leadership: commitment when motivation fades. Drawing from decades of adventure racing, firefighting, and nonprofit leadership, Robyn explains why elite teams don’t wait to feel ready — they move forward anyway. Together with Dwayne Kerrigan, Robyn unpacks the difference between confidence and ego, why standing still is often more dangerous than moving imperfectly, and how innovation only emerges when teams focus on how to win, not how to avoid losing. Through unforgettable stories involving Steve Gurney, creative rule-bending, and suffering with grace, she illustrates how forward momentum unlocks answers that planning alone never will. The conversation culminates with a deep dive into Project Athena, the nonprofit Robyn founded to help survivors of medical and traumatic setbacks reclaim identity, confidence, and purpose through team-based endurance adventures. This episode is a…

Dwayne Kerrigan sits down with world-class endurance athlete, firefighter, nonprofit founder, and keynote speaker Robyn Benincasa to unpack what truly separates great teams from the rest. Drawing from decades of extreme adventure racing, Robyn shares how elite teams win not by being the most talented, but by being the most committed to each other. She introduces her powerful TEAMWORK framework, revealing why total commitment, empathy, adversity management, mutual respect, and relinquishing ego are the real competitive advantages—whether you’re racing through jungles or leading a modern organization. Through unforgettable stories—including hallucinations after days without sleep, tying boats together to beat world champions, and redefining leadership mid-race—Robyn shows how purpose, preparation, creativity, and shared ownership create cultures that don’t just survive pressure… they win because of it. This episode is a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and building teams that operate as one heart, one…

In Part 2 of this conversation, Michael Grandjean shares the emotional and psychological turning point that allowed him to rebuild his life and career after profound loss. From a raw moment of self-forgiveness in the mountains of Morocco to the daily discipline of “kicking the can,” Michael walks through the mindset shifts, rituals, and relentless patience required to climb out of depression, debt, and despair. Together with Dwayne Kerrigan, this episode explores the role of brotherhood, leverage, honest self-reflection, and creating a compelling new story when the old one no longer serves you. This is a masterclass in resilience, identity rebuilding, and what it truly takes to come back stronger — with wisdom, humility, and purpose. Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Michael opens with the realization that self-forgiveness was required to move forward. 01:00 – Episode introduction and framing this as Part 2 of Michael’s comeback story. 02:00 – The Morocco mastermind trip and being forced to confront the truth.…

In this candid and powerful conversation, Michael Grandjean joins Dwayne Kerrigan to share the real story behind his rise, collapse, and rebuilding as an entrepreneur who led with heart—and paid a steep price for it. From early service as a volunteer firefighter and Navy corpsman to building a $25M remediation company, Michael reflects on the leadership blind spots that quietly dismantled his business: avoiding confrontation, ignoring early warning signs, and letting emotion override structure and accountability. He opens up about losing everything, the humility required to face hard truths, and the moment that changed his trajectory—the realization that even at checkmate, the king still has one more move. This episode is a raw masterclass in leadership self-awareness, responsibility, and what it truly takes to rebuild when everything falls apart. Episode Highlights: 01:15 — Dwayne introduces Michael and some of his background 03:00 — Framing the conversation: collapse, comeback, and leadership through…

Part Two of the Best Of 2025 series brings together some of the most impactful leadership, mindset, and business insights shared on The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast this year. This curated collection highlights defining moments from seasoned executives, founders, and operators who have navigated growth, failure, succession, identity shifts, and reinvention at every stage of their careers. Across these clips, listeners hear honest reflections on making unpopular but necessary decisions, balancing intensity with elegance in leadership, evolving career horizons, and knowing when to step forward—or step aside. The episode explores entrepreneurial thinking inside both startups and large organizations, the power of conviction over persuasion, and why great leadership is rooted in process, accountability, and self-awareness rather than blame. This Best Of episode also dives into legacy thinking: building multi-generational companies, transitioning leadership roles, redefining success beyond ego, and discovering…

This Best Of episode of The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast brings together some of the most powerful, human, and perspective-shifting moments from recent conversations—highlighting the inner work that fuels resilience, fulfillment, and sustainable success. Across these standout clips, Dwayne and his guests explore the quiet transformations that happen beneath the surface: reframing everyday frustrations into gratitude, redefining identity after loss or transition, and understanding how meaning—not circumstances—shapes our experience of life and leadership. Listeners will hear deeply personal reflections on illness, sobriety, scarcity and abundance, self-belief, and the courage required to evolve beyond old identities. From learning to “get from” experiences instead of merely getting through them, to recognizing that progress creates happiness and balance—not extremes—creates longevity, this episode weaves together the wisdom that resonates long after the moment passes. This Best Of collection serves as both a…

In this special Q&A leadership session, Dwayne Kerrigan brings forward one of his most personal and powerful teachings yet—an unfiltered look at problem-solving, decision-making, emotional mastery, strategic planning, and the rituals that shape high-performance leaders. Responding to 51 listener questions, Dwayne breaks down the “three pillars of progress,” the psychological layers of every problem, why decision-making is a muscle, and how fear, uncertainty, and overwhelm quietly sabotage performance. He shares the exact rituals he has used for decades—from weekly solitude planning to identity-based scheduling—and the transformative practice he credits with changing his life: think time. This episode is a masterclass in intentional living and high-performance leadership, blending mindset, structure, neuroscience, and real-world business wisdom. If you’re navigating fast-moving environments, leading teams, or trying to build a more purposeful life, this conversation gives you a proven roadmap forward. Key…

In Part Two of this high-impact conversation, Dwayne continues his deep dive with global business strategist and Success Story Podcast host Scott Clary, who breaks down exactly why attention is the foundational currency of modern business — and why companies that fail to adapt will be overtaken by those who move quickly with media, content, and AI. Scott unpacks the psychology of why leaders resist content, the identity fear behind “not wanting to suck,” and how legacy businesses risk losing everything because they’re still marketing for 2005 while technology is sprinting into 2025. Dwayne and Scott explore real-world examples—from lawn-care companies to B2B manufacturers to billion-dollar firms—and show how even the most “unsexy” industries can dominate simply by capturing attention and building trust at scale. The conversation expands into AI disruption, the collapse of traditional SEO, the rise of generative search, modern buyer behavior, shortening sales cycles through content, and the undeniable…

In this conversation, Dwayne sits down with entrepreneur and creator Scott Clary, host of the Success Story Podcast with 30M+ downloads. Scott opens up about his unlikely path from a government-family upbringing to becoming a media-first entrepreneur, the early exposure that ignited his drive, and why curiosity and tenacity can outperform almost anything. Scott walks through how small companies create the best “entrepreneurial classrooms,” why every creator should think like a founder, and how success hinges on defining your personal North Star before you start sprinting. The episode dives deep into AI disruption, content strategy, internal vs. external locus of control, personal branding, and how businesses of every size can prepare for the next wave of transformation. Scott offers tactical clarity on building a media-first business, testing content efficiently, disrupting yourself before the market does, and why attention—sustained over time—is the most valuable commercial asset any entrepreneur can build.…

In Part 2 of this conversation, Dwayne Kerrigan and France Margaret Bélanger, President of Sports & Entertainment for the Montreal Canadiens, go deep into the personal side of leadership, discussing courage, conviction, and composure. France Margaret shares how calm strength and self-awareness guide her through high-stakes decisions, what she’s learned about emotional control in negotiation, and why courage means making the right choice even when it’s unpopular. Together, she and Dwayne explore what it truly means to lead with heart, to face criticism with elegance, and to never let labels define who you are. Whether you’re leading a team, a business, or your own personal evolution, authenticity, self-mastery, and grace under pressure are key. Episode Highlights 00:00 – Making the right decision even when it’s unpopular. 03:00 – Balancing intensity with standards. 05:00 – Lessons from France’s father. 07:00 – The power of calm, and why letting anger take over gives control to others. 09:00 – France on…

In this episode of The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast, France Margaret Bélanger, President of Sports and Entertainment for the Montreal Canadiens, shares her extraordinary journey from corporate law to leading one of Canada’s most iconic sports and entertainment organizations. France shares how she transitioned from a partner at Stikeman Elliott to the front office of the Canadiens, what she’s learned about negotiation, culture, and leadership, and how she balances motherhood, resilience, and professional excellence in a high-pressure industry. France’s stories of her family, her team, and her leadership philosophy will resonate deeply with anyone striving to lead with both courage and compassion. Key Takeaways 1. Preparation Creates Confidence. Knowing your material and your mission lets you show up calm, credible, and composed. 2. Listening Wins Negotiations. Speak less, observe more. Real insight comes from awareness, not control. 3. Surround Yourself with Excellence. Great leaders aren’t afraid to hire people…