From $50M Recruiting Firm to Purpose-Driven Search: Max Hansen's Story

From $50M Recruiting Firm to Purpose-Driven Search: Max Hansen's Story

https://www.madetomatter.coach/ Take the entrepreneurial diagnostic tool: https://diagnostic.madetomatter.coach/ What if the secret to finding great leaders isn't posting job ads—but never posting them at all? Max Hansen, founder of Y Scouts, reveals the leadership hiring framework that's transforming how purpose-driven companies find exceptional leaders. What You'll Learn: ✅ The 3 elevated behaviors every true leader must have (relentless learner, developer of people, results-driven) ✅ Why "sooner and clearer" conversations are the most critical leadership skill right now ✅ How AI is transforming recruiting (and what it will never replace) ✅ The dangerous trap of traditional job boards and why they create turnover ✅ How to use AI for personal development without losing critical thinking skills ✅ Why doing things "the long way" is becoming competitive advantage again ✅ The entrepreneurship advice that prioritizes freedom and health over hustle About Max Hansen: Max Hansen is the founder of Y Scouts, a leadership search firm that helps purpose-driven companies find purpose-driven leaders. After building a $50M+ recruiting company that placed over 50,000 people, Max pivoted to focus on leadership-level search with a unique approach: never posting jobs, focusing on soft skills and values alignment, and using a proven 3-part leadership model. Resources Mentioned: 🔗 Y Scouts - https://yscouts.com  🔗 Roll Visioning Tool - https://rolevisioning.com  🔗 Zenith OS (Rich Chevron) - Personal AI coaching framework  Ready to build what matters in your business and life? Subscribe to Made to Matter for weekly conversations with entrepreneurs who are building purpose-driven businesses. 📌 Leave a review and let us know your biggest takeaway! Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: The lost art of accountability in leadership 02:15 - Max Hansen's background and journey into recruiting 04:05 - Starting a recruiting firm right after 9/11 06:06 - The $50M company that led to dissonance 09:08 - Why Max started questioning contract-to-hire recruiting 13:18 - The birth of Y Scouts and leadership search 15:18 - How leadership search differs from traditional recruiting 18:08 - The 3 elevated behaviors of true leaders 20:04 - Why Y Scouts never posts job ads 23:00 - Max's purpose: Helping others better succeed in life 26:00 - The future of recruiting and AI in 5 years 34:22 - The #1 leadership trait: Holding people accountable 36:11 - Clear agreements: "Who's doing what and when?" 38:07 - Using AI for personal development (Zenith OS) 42:06 - The danger of efficiency shortcuts and losing critical thinking 44:02 - Why Apple's AI commercials miss the point 46:40 - The importance of boredom and disconnecting from technology 48:26 - Advice for entrepreneurs: Prioritize freedom and physical health

He Quit His Job With No Plan and Built a Profitable Business in 20 Hours/Week

Book a 30m call with Adam: https://www.madetomatter.coach/re-purpose-call https://www.madetomatter.coach/ Ben Robertson quit his newspaper job with no backup plan, taught himself to code, and built a profitable AI software business—all while working just 20 hours a week. No $3 billion exit. No venture capital. No hustle culture. Just enough money to bake bread, mow his lawn, and spend time with his four kids. In this episode, Ben shares: ✅ How he validated his business idea BEFORE building it (using free SEO research) ✅ Why 70-80% of his customers chose subscriptions over one-time purchases (he was shocked) ✅ The "stress pancake" problem with middle management—and why he walked away ✅ His first $15 sale from a complete stranger (and why that moment changed everything) ✅ The "Rich Life" framework that helped him define success on his own terms ✅ Why AI coloring pages became a profitable niche (5,000+ monthly searches for "mushroom coloring pages"!) This isn't your typical startup story. Ben didn't chase unicorn status—he chased freedom. If you're tired of working 50-hour weeks to afford a life you don't have time to enjoy, this episode is for you. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 02:15 - Quitting the newspaper with no backup plan 08:30 - The Merge Apprenticeship: Getting PAID to learn 15:42 - From Gatsby to building his own business 23:18 - The "stress pancake" of middle management 28:45 - Validating the coloring page idea with SEO 35:20 - First $15 sale from a stranger 40:12 - 70% chose subscriptions (not what he expected) 45:30 - Working 20 hours a week: How he does it 52:18 - The "Rich Life" question that changed everything 🔗 CONNECT WITH BEN: • Color Bliss (his AI coloring page business): https://colorbliss.com/ • Ben's personal blog: https://ben.robertson.is/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH ADAM: • Made to Matter: https://madetomatter.coach • Free 30-Minute Coaching Call: https://madetomatter.coach/services • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/adamlandrum • Take the Made to Matter Diagnostic: https://diagnostic.madetomatter.coach 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED: • "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau • "I Will Teach You to Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi • "The Pathless Path" by Paul Millerd 💡 KEY QUOTE: "I don't need a $3 billion idea. I just need enough money. And then the time—that's what makes me happy." --- If you're an entrepreneur who wants to build what actually matters (not just what looks impressive), subscribe for more real conversations about business, freedom, and living your rich life. #Entrepreneurship #WorkLifeBalance #SoftwareBusiness #AIBusiness #SideHustle #PassiveIncome #DigitalNomad #EntrepreneurMindset #StartupStory #SolopreneurLife

Life After the Exit: How Heath Rebuilt Identity, Purpose & Work

https://www.madetomatter.coach/ Take the free entrepreneurial diagnostic: https://made-to-matter-entre-1tky.bolt.host/?ls=YT In today’s episode of Made to Matter, Adam sits down with Heath Wilson — a successful entrepreneur who built and sold a company to a NASDAQ-listed acquirer and then woke up the next day realizing something he never expected: Success doesn’t prepare you for the identity crisis that comes after. Heath’s story is a masterclass in what it means to be a second-half man — someone who’s already climbed the mountain, cashed the check, earned the title… and then suddenly finds himself asking: “Who am I when I’m no longer the one everyone needs?” This episode pulls back the curtain on the emotional, spiritual, and practical challenges that ambitious men face after the exit. And more importantly, the path back to purpose. 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode 1. How Heath accidentally became an entrepreneur Heath didn’t set out to build a company — he stumbled into it by spotting a problem with coworkers and saying, “We can make this better.” 2. The identity crash that happens post-exit Heath goes from being the needed leader… …to sitting at a desk with literally nothing to do. 3. The humbling moment that changed everything One day in New York, he tries to walk into the acquiring company’s office… only to discover his employee badge spells his name wrong: “Health Wilson.” He can’t even get past the front desk. This is the moment he realizes: “I am no longer important on any level whatsoever.” 4. The emotional fallout of retirement at 43 After the sale, Heath tries to “retire,” spending his mornings reading Scripture, journaling, and working out… but by 10 AM he’s done. Day after day. For 45 straight days. His wife finally sits him down: “Heath, this is not going to work.” 5. Why men in the second half struggle when work disappears Heath’s friends are all still working. His rhythm disappears. His built-in identity evaporates. This is the danger Adam warns entrepreneurs about: You prepare your business for exit — but you rarely prepare yourself. 6. How Heath rebuilt purpose by building something that matters Heath begins building a new company centered around wellness, presence, and digital health, serving churches and organizational leaders. He describes helping teams create rhythms that make them “better at work, at home, and in their relationship with God.” He also shares insights into their intentional-living technology that helps people break phone dependency and reengage with real life. So many men believe the exit is the finish line. But for the men Adam serves — successful, capable, second-half professionals — the exit is often the beginning of the real work: rediscovering who you are without the title finding fulfillment beyond achievement learning to create instead of react rebuilding identity around purpose, not productivity Heath’s story is a case study in what happens when the ladder you’ve been climbing disappears overnight — and how you can rebuild a life that matters. life after selling a business entrepreneur identity crisis second half of life coaching post-exit depression finding purpose after retirement founder mental health accidental entrepreneur story digital wellness entrepreneurship Made to Matter podcast Heath Wilson interview If Heath’s story hits close to home — if you’ve built success but lost yourself somewhere along the way — Adam’s programs are designed for men exactly like you.

How to Know When It’s Time for Your Next Mission — with Former Secret Service Agent Darin Kinder

https://www.madetomatter.coach/ At some point in a man’s life, the mission he’s been on—career, identity, achievements—stops fitting. Something deeper begins stirring. A holy dissatisfaction. A call toward the next mission God has been preparing him for all along. Today’s episode is with a man who has lived multiple missions with courage: Darin Kinder. Teacher. Military. Secret Service agent. And now, author and faith-driven speaker helping men rediscover meaning in their work and their lives. Darin shares: How to recognize when you’re no longer in your “sweet spot” — that unmistakable internal sense that you’re doing good work, but not the work you were made for. Why your purpose never changes — but your missions do — and why men in midlife often stay stuck because they believe they can’t make a change. How God uses decades of preparation before calling you into the next season — including how Darin spent 10–15 years “writing a book in his head.” The danger of settling into the status quo in your 40s and 50s — straight from The Life That Matters Manifesto: the status quo steals your potential. Why “If you’re not dead, you’re not done” is the anthem for every second-half man How Darin launched Fierce Faith, his speaking and ministry organization helping men find mission and meaning in both corporate and faith-driven environments. This conversation is for the man who feels restless. The man who’s successful—but not fulfilled. The man who knows there’s more inside him than the life he’s currently living. If you’re in your second half and you're ready to step boldly into the life God made you for, this episode will speak directly to you. 📚 Guest Links Book: Bury Me in a Dirty Suit (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) Faith-Based Website: https://fierce-faith.com Corporate Speaking Website: https://darinkinder.com Instagram: @darinkinder LinkedIn: Darin Kinder Chapters 00:00 — Purpose vs. Missions 01:09 — Meet Darin Kinder 02:00 — From Teacher → Military → Secret Service 08:20 — Midlife crises & course corrections 09:53 — What the “Sweet Spot” Really Means 13:00 — When God Prepares You for Decades 14:10 — Leaving the Secret Service for Your Next Mission 19:00 — Why Purpose Never Stops Calling 33:20 — Launching Fierce Faith 35:24 — “If You’re Not Dead, You’re Not Done” 39:55 — Where to Find Darin’s Book 41:00 — Closing Thoughts midlife purpose, purpose after 40, second half of life, Christian men’s purpose, career transition for men, leaving corporate job for calling, Darin Kinder interview, Secret Service testimony, faith-driven leadership, Made to Matter podcast, Adam Landrum, reinventing your life at 50, how to find your calling, mission work for men, Fierce Faith #MadeToMatter #MidlifePurpose #SecondHalfMission

From Hardship to Purpose: How Jason Burbage Built a Life and Business That Matter

https://www.madetomatter.coach/ Born without fingers, Jason Burbage could’ve let life’s circumstances define him. Instead, he let purpose do it. In this powerful conversation, Jason shares his story of growing up different, wrestling with why God made him the way He did, and how that question became the foundation for his life’s mission. Today, he’s the president and equity partner of a purpose-driven franchise company—proof that fulfillment and impact can be built from the inside out. We talk about the difference between joy and happiness, why culture matters more than cash flow, and what it really looks like to live a life of faith and purpose in the second half. If you’ve ever faced limitation, loss, or uncertainty, this episode will remind you: your challenges aren’t the end of your story—they’re the beginning of your calling. In this episode: * Jason’s story of faith and resilience after being born without fingers * How purpose transforms the way you lead and live * The difference between joy and happiness * Why brotherhood and accountability create real growth * How to build a business culture rooted in values, not just results Connect with Adam Landrum: 🌐 MadeToMatter.coach [https://madetomatter.coach] 📘 Grab The Life That Matters Manifesto 🎧 Listen & subscribe to Made to Matter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube  #MadeToMatter #PurposeDrivenLife #FaithAtWork #Leadership #Brotherhood #JoyOverHappiness #SecondHalfOfLife #MidlifeReinvention