Better Humans Ep. 28 - Kristy Barber

Better Humans Ep. 28 - Kristy Barber

We're back on the Better Humans Podcast, and today I'm joined by Kristy Barber — founder of Kristy Barber Consulting, accounting expert, and one of those rare people who can do both spreadsheets AND black-and-white portrait photography (and refuses to apologize for it). Kristy and I get into what it actually looks like to walk away from a corporate accounting job that was crushing her soul, bet on herself in 2015, and build a consulting practice that helps small businesses grow without their books falling apart underneath them. Kristy shares her full story — growing up in an entrepreneurial family, going to school for accounting because her grandpa told her "you learn numbers, you are worth gold," getting rejected from every firm during the era when nobody under a 3.9 GPA could get hired, and ending up working for the family business. She talks about her time as CFO of a manufacturing company in Colorado, the short and miserable detour into corporate America that she only took because she wanted to buy a house, and the two-week vacation where she prayed and heard God say "you're done here" — and then waited until July 1st to actually do it. We get into the part of accounting nobody talks about — that most clients don't know what's actually wrong, they just feel that something is. The pain isn't usually where they think it is. We talk about the Toyota Way and Kanban systems, why you fall to the level of your systems and not your last revenue benchmark, and the painful moment when she has to tell a client their financials look great but they forgot to account for inventory and they're actually not doing well at all. (She plays good cop when she can. Some days she just has to wear the red shirt.) We also go deep on AI — why Kristy thinks the doom-and-gloom in the accounting industry is overblown, how PE firms are gobbling up mom-and-pop accounting practices, and why she believes the human element of experience is something AI just can't replicate. Plus we get into the creative side of who she is — her years shooting black and white photography in the LA music industry working with artists on promo and headshot work, why her accounting teacher told her she couldn't like both art and math (spoiler: she does both), and how God speaks to her in pictures and dreams the same way he speaks to me. On the business side, Kristy breaks down what she actually does — deep dive assessments, building accounting departments that scale with the business, and creating an experience around something most people associate with anxiety and dread. Her retention rate is basically 100% and once you hear how she works with clients you'll understand why. If you're a business owner who's been letting your sister or your CPA "handle the books" while you focus on the fun stuff — or if you're someone stuck in a corporate role wondering if it's time to bet on yourself but talking yourself out of it for the fifth year in a row — this one's for you. Connect with Kristy at christybarber.com [http://christybarber.com] or christy@christybarber.com [christy@christybarber.com] — same handle across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. We're also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=38d5711d17704412 [https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=38d5711d17704412] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136] ----------------------------------------

Better Humans Ep. 27 - Brandon Dorton

We're back on the Better Humans Podcast, and today I'm joined by Brandon Dorton — paintless dent repair technician, former hail chaser, and one of the most intentionally quiet guys in every room we share. This is actually Brandon's very first podcast ever (I'm honored), and it ended up being one of the most honest conversations I've had on the show. We get into what it looks like to build something successful, realize you feel trapped inside of it, and have the guts to sit in the discomfort of not knowing what comes next instead of just grabbing the closest shiny thing. Brandon shares his full story — growing up on Grosse Ile, a little island in the Detroit River right on the Michigan-Canada border, hating school from day one and not being able to articulate why, opting into an auto body vocational program his junior year just to get out of the classroom, and ignoring the dent repair guy who came in to do a demo (which he'd later apprentice under after his little brother put a foot-long crease in the bed of his first big-boy truck). From there it was a one-way ticket into paintless dent removal, chasing hailstorms six to eight months a year since 2018, becoming a weather nerd, and eventually building the kind of business where most guys would just put their head down and keep running. We go deep on what it actually means to "set people free" — the education system that punishes you for thinking outside the box (I share my ninth grade Federal Reserve essay story where the teacher accused me of cheating), the monetary system nobody teaches you about in twelve years of required schooling, why attention is our greatest resource and why the phone used to be attached to the wall and people were free, and the difference between success and fulfillment. Brandon drops one of the best lines of any episode: "Success without fulfillment, you're the ultimate failure." Met billionaires in that exact spot. We also get into solitude — Brandon's got a cabin in the middle of the woods on his grandpa's old hunting property, off-grid, generator, Starlink, hand-dug well, the whole thing. We talk about the right and wrong ways to use isolation, how it can tip into self-sabotage if you're not careful, and why the people you surround yourself with matter more than almost anything else. I confess I've never seen a movie in a theater by myself in my life and it genuinely broke my brain when someone first suggested it. We talk about fatherhood too — I walk him through the six months of 7am-to-midnight grind I put myself through in 2025 while my wife was pregnant with our second, building the exit ramp out of my job, and why 2026 is actually the best time in history for dads to be present with their kids if they'll fight for it. If you're someone who's built a business you feel trapped in, or you grew up knowing something was off about the system but couldn't put your finger on it, or you're chasing success without ever asking whether it's going to bring you fulfillment — this one's for you. Connect with Brandon on Facebook Messenger — just search Brandon Dorton (D-O-R-T-O-N) and he'll be there. ---------------------------------------- We're also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=38d5711d17704412 [https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=38d5711d17704412] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136]

Better Humans Ep. 26 - Cori Kurtz

We're back on the Better Humans Podcast, and today I'm joined by Cori Kurtz — entrepreneur, intrapreneur, peptide pioneer, and one of the most refreshingly honest humans you'll ever hear from. Cori and I talk about what happens when you walk away from everything you've ever known — and how that single decision sets off a chain reaction that changes everything. Cori grew up as a devout Jehovah's Witness, spending 70 hours a month in ministry as a pioneer and doing it all with a full heart. But as her kids got older and the mandate to parent from a place of fear grew louder, she and her husband Bronson made one of the hardest calls of their lives — they left, together, as a family unit. What followed was a season of rebuilding from scratch: a new community, a new identity, a new sense of purpose, and a whole lot of beautiful, messy experimentation. We get into how that journey led her from memorial slideshow videos to chiropractic sales (with a 77% close rate, by the way) to diving headfirst into the world of peptides and holistic longevity — and why she won't sell anything she hasn't first put in her own body. We talk about the difference between research-grade and pharma-grade peptides, why the medical model in America is built to manage decline rather than optimize life, and how Cori is working to make people educated consumers in an industry that's still the wild, wild west. We also go deep on purpose — what fills the void when a lifelong identity falls away, the ripple effect of just showing up and caring for yourself, and why Cori is convinced she belongs on big stages someday (you heard it here first). If you've ever felt like you had skills and value but no idea where to aim them — or like your best self is still becoming — this conversation is going to feel like a deep breath. Connect with Cori on Instagram: @cutecori We're also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=3c58ec8fa2644443 [https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=3c58ec8fa2644443] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136]

Better Humans Ep. 25 - Logan Lewis

We're back on the Better Humans Podcast, and today I'm joined by Logan Lewis — local entrepreneur, podcast host, and founder of Hammerhead Creations, a digital marketing and web design agency built entirely from the ground up. Logan and I talk about what it really looks like to quietly build something on the side for eight years while working odd jobs in construction, IT, banking, and customer success — and then bet on yourself when the opportunity finally forces your hand. After his entire department got laid off last October, Logan's wife Catherine gave him four months and one challenge: go all in. Spoiler — he didn't need four months. Logan shares the origin story of his podcast, Your Morning Drive, which is approaching 500 episodes and has become an unexpected lead engine for Hammerhead Creations — not because he designed it that way, but because two hours of genuine conversation builds more trust than any sales pitch ever could. We talk about the moment he realized he could interview local people doing cool things, and how that simple reframe changed everything. We also get into the health journey Logan started at the top of this year — inspired by Jelly Roll's appearance on Joe Rogan — beginning with just one mile a day. From 280 pounds, down 30+ lbs, walking in ice, walking in Aruba, posting his Apple Watch screenshots every single day on Instagram. That consistency has quietly inspired people around him to start moving too — which was never the goal, but somehow made it all mean more. We go deep on obsession as a feature, not a bug — how the people who build things that last are usually the ones who simply can't stop — and we talk about Russell Brunson's Expert Secrets and the idea that you only need to be one chapter ahead of someone to change their life. And if you want to know what it really means to have a spouse in your corner — listen to what Logan says about Catherine, and what Jimmy says about his wife too. You can only be as successful as your spouse will allow you to be. If you're building something on the side, stuck in a job that isn't it, or just looking for the nudge to start the one small habit that changes everything — this conversation is for you. Connect with Logan directly — seriously, he gave out his cell: 📱 770-990-2816 🌐 hammerheadcreations.com [http://hammerheadcreations.com] 📧 logan@hammerheadcreations.com [logan@hammerheadcreations.com] 📸 Instagram: @LoganALewis | Facebook: Logan Lewis We're also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Spotify: h [https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RX]ttps://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RX... [https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=ec0fab3fdec94c7d] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136]...

Better Humans Ep. 24 - Yesung Cho

Here are the rewritten show notes for the Yesung and Jimmy episode, styled after the Gary Lamb episode: ---------------------------------------- We're back on the Better Humans Podcast, and today I'm joined by Yesung Cho — a former high school teacher turned entrepreneur, content strategist, and all-around guy who leads with his heart. Yesung and I talk about what it really looks like to walk away from a decade-long career, a pension, and the expectations of an immigrant family — and bet on yourself instead. Yesung shares his full story — growing up in Toronto as a Korean-Canadian immigrant, teaching computer science, math, and music for nearly ten years, and then making a hard pivot during COVID when he realized the system he was operating inside of just wasn't going to get him where he needed to go. We get into the late nights covered in drywall dust, flipping houses while his wife Iris was home with their newborn, and the moment she said "I never asked you for that — I just want you to be here." That conversation changed everything. We also go deep on faith and identity — why Yesung doesn't frame himself simply as "a helper," but traces everything back to a church retreat encounter with Jesus that flipped the script on his high-achieving, rule-following mindset. And I got to share a bit of my own story too — hitting absolute rock bottom, not wanting to be here anymore, and the moment God showed up so undeniably that everything since has been different. On the business side, Yesung breaks down what he's building now — a content service model for six, seven, and eight-figure business owners who need to get their story out into the world. We talk about personal branding as a digital asset, why founders are their own best marketing, and how AI isn't something to fear — it just amplifies who you already are. We also geek out on music (turns out we both played drums), compare notes on parenting toddlers who are basically the hardest clients you'll ever have, and get into some surprisingly deep territory around how our brains actually experience thought. If you're a business owner who's been hiding behind your product instead of showing up as the face of your brand — or if you're someone who's been living inside someone else's dream of success and wondering when you get to build your own — this one's for you. Connect with Yesung on Instagram and YouTube — search yesungc or yesungcho and you'll find him. ---------------------------------------- We're also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=8b2fa13da4e64599 [https://open.spotify.com/show/5oou7RXcQ177Fgd2UmCtqO?si=19356ebbcad74d9a&nd=1&dlsi=8b2fa13da4e64599] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-humans/id1795206136]