What an Air Disaster Taught Me About Extreme Leadership | Jay Jacobson

From Mute for Two Years to Winning on Stage | Matthew Malan

(This video was originally posted on the "Speak Arizona" YouTube channel. Go check them out at speakarizona.com [https://speakarizona.com]) What changes when public speaking stops being about applause, trophies, or proving yourself? In this episode of Speak Arizona, host Rupesh Parbhoo talks with Don Ratliff and Matthew Malan about mentorship, belief, and learning to speak from the heart. Matthew shares how bullying, stuttering, and years of speech therapy shaped his relationship with his voice, while Don reflects on what it means to see potential in someone before they can see it in themselves. Together, they explore how coaching, encouragement, and service can transform a speaker from performer to messenger. Perfect for speakers, mentors, coaches, and leaders who want to communicate with more courage, connection, and purpose. Key Takeaways Mentorship can help someone rebuild belief when their own confidence feels fragile. A speaker grows faster when coaching includes both honest feedback and heart-centered encouragement. Public speaking becomes more powerful when the goal shifts from performing to serving. Speaking from the heart helps create real connection with an audience. The best mentors do more than improve speeches. They help people see what is already inside them. Chapters 00:00 - Cold open: The neck brace story and the power of eye contact 00:19 - Speak Arizona intro 00:56 - Host intro and episode setup 01:14 - Matthew's voice, bullying, stuttering, and rebuilding trust 02:02 - Why this story is also about mentorship 02:49 - Don and Matthew join the conversation 05:47 - Why mentorship and service matter in this story 09:01 - What Don saw in Matthew 10:14 - Don shares why he wanted to pass mentorship forward 11:21 - Generational service and mentorship 23:08 - Moving from performance to service 23:15 - Speaking from the heart, not just the head 43:53 - Advice for new public speakers Connect LinkedIn: Don Ratliff About the Guest Matthew Malan is a data-driven marketer and Marketing Manager at Vemo Smart Energy. He focuses on growth, experimentation, and performance, with experience leading digital acquisition across paid social, email, and content. His work combines analytics, campaign execution, and marketing systems to generate measurable business results. Connect Website: https://matthewmalan.com [https://matthewmalan.com]

How I Built a 7-Figure Empire | Abi Asija

Most entrepreneurs think growth means more ads, more debt, and more hustle. Abi Asija proved the opposite. After nearly a decade of corporate burnout in NYC, he and his wife built a 7-figure land flipping business — closing over 700 deals without taking on a single dollar of debt. In this episode, Matthew sits down with Abi to break down exactly how he did it: the Friday night lead he lost that changed everything, the speed-to-lead principle that beats raw sales skill, the BANT framework he uses to disqualify bad prospects fast, and the formula behind every profitable business (Goodwill × Offers). Abi also walks through the 4 types of offers every company needs, how to construct stacked offers around your customer's biggest problems, and why focusing on LTV over CAC will quietly outperform any ad budget. If you sell anything — land, services, products — this conversation will change how you think about every customer interaction. Key Takeaways * Speed beats skill in sales. Responding in 60 seconds vs. 48 hours decides who closes. * Treat your business like a business, not a side hustle. Off-hours coverage is non-negotiable. * Use BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing) to qualify and disqualify leads fast. * Your job as a salesperson is to help the prospect decide — yes or no. Both are wins. * Revenue = Goodwill × Number of Offers. Most businesses leave money on the table by making just one. * Talk to your customers. Their problems and complaints are the blueprint for your next offer. * Focus on LTV, not just CAC. The same customer buying repeatedly will outperform endless cold acquisition. About the Guest Abi Asija is the founder of a 7-figure land investment company that has closed over 700 land deals without taking on debt. After spending nearly a decade in corporate tech in New York City, he and his wife pivoted into real estate, scaling their business through speed-driven sales, customer-led offer creation, and long-term relationship building. He is the author of The Land Business, a principles-based guide to building a profitable land company from zero to seven figures. Connect * LinkedIn: Abi Asija * Book: The Land Business — https://amzn.to/4nPz85f As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

80% of AI Projects Are Failing. Here's Why | Ryan Drumheller

Most companies are racing to adopt AI without fixing the basics first. In this episode, Matthew sits down with Ryan Drumheller, founder of Stellar Horn Group and Fractional CIO, to break down why less than 20% of AI projects are actually succeeding and what businesses are getting catastrophically wrong. Ryan shares 20+ years of IT experience including a $764 million acquisition where he uncovered hundreds of thousands of security vulnerabilities, a real horror story of an AI bot retraining itself and deleting an entire company's data, and the leadership philosophy that made his teams stick with him through the hardest projects. They cover AI governance, why "set it and forget it" automation backfires, the rise of fractional executive leadership, and the real reason corporate giants are falling from #1 to #6 after cutting their teams for AI. If you're a founder, business leader, or anyone trying to make sense of the AI hype, this conversation will reset how you think about it. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Less than 20% of AI projects succeed because companies skip the human planning phase and treat AI like set-and-forget automation. * Bad data in means bad results out. Ryan calls it the "mud water" problem and it's why most AI rollouts fail. * Every business adopting AI needs a governance committee, a clear human owner per initiative, and contracts that protect trade secrets from being used to train competitors' models. * The fractional executive model gives small and mid-size companies access to C-level expertise without the C-level price tag. * Real IT leadership means putting people first, quietly building a Plan B when you know the official plan will fail, and remembering that "a little good every day adds up to a lot of good in time." ABOUT THE GUEST Ryan Drumheller is the founder of Stellar Horn Group and a Fractional CIO with over 20 years of IT leadership experience. He has led mergers and acquisitions, technology transformations, and team-building initiatives at companies across industries, with a focus on helping businesses adopt AI the right way. He hosts the Decline Invite Podcast and is finishing his first book on leadership and the IT industry, set to release later this year. CONNECT * LinkedIn: Ryan Drumheller * Website: https://stellarhorn.com * Podcast: The Decline Invite Podcast

Why Hiding Your Secrets is Blocking Your True Potential | Wesley Farnsworth

Most people think freedom from a 20-year addiction comes from sheer willpower. Wesley Farnsworth says it comes from the moment you stop trying to do it alone. In this episode, Matthew sits down with author, speaker, and Unmasked podcast host Wesley Farnsworth to talk about growing up a pastor's kid, the secret he carried for two decades, and the single meeting that broke the chains overnight. They get into community and accountability as the missing piece most people skip, why "I'm done" is the most dangerous thought in recovery, how to hold onto hope when you find yourself back at ground zero, and three practical habits that grew his faith. Wesley also breaks down the North Star framework from his book The Blueprint of Becoming and shares what Christ-like leadership actually looks like in the workplace — open doors, real trust, and treating people like humans, not headcount. Key takeaways * Community and accountability aren't optional — they're scriptural, and they're how chains actually break. * You're never "done" in recovery. The moment you think you've got it is the moment you're closest to a relapse. * When you fall back to ground zero, don't quit — examine what went wrong and reroute the path next time. * Three habits that build faith: change the music you listen to, get into the Word, and treat prayer like a real two-way conversation. * God has to be your North Star. When jobs, relationships, or interests take that spot, your life veers off course. * Lead with an open door. Trust your team, ask for their input before making changes, and you'll get 110% back. * You are not defined by what you've done, what's been done to you, or what others say about you — only by who God says you are. Connect * wesleyfarnsworth.com/start [https://wesleyfarnsworth.com/start] * Unmasked Podcast * Book: The Blueprint of Becoming — https://amzn.to/4nBJMwk [https://amzn.to/4nBJMwk] As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

What If Everything You Know About Lead Generation Is Wrong? | Wes Towers

Most trades and construction brands are leaving money on the table with a sloppy online presence. In this episode, Matthew sits down with Wes Towers, founder of Uplift360 and a 20+ year marketing veteran who specializes in helping trades, builders, and construction brands grow through smarter digital strategy. They break down why the old sales funnel is dead and what to build instead, when to use SEO vs paid ads vs referrals, how to qualify leads before they hit your inbox, and why the safest "shortcut" in SEO is the one that gets you blacklisted by Google. Wes also shares why he runs all the sales himself, how to position against bigger competitors through niching, and what marketing looks like in the AI era when trust and human connection matter more than ever. If you run a trades business, lead a marketing team, or are trying to build something from your garage, this one is packed with practical moves you can use today. ---------------------------------------- KEY TAKEAWAYS * Income follows value — find where the need is greatest and bring more value than anyone else can. * The sales funnel is dead. Think in cycles: clients become referral partners, not endpoints. * Want more leads? Remove form fields. Want better leads? Add them. Move the dials based on what you need. * Overpromising in SEO leads to black hat shortcuts, which leads to Google penalties that can take a year to recover from. * Get yourself in rooms where you don't qualify. That's where the growth happens. ---------------------------------------- CHAPTERS * 00:00 - Introduction * 00:54 - Starting out in graphic design before websites were a thing * 02:36 - Why niching into construction was accidental but powerful * 03:49 - The risk-reward of starting your own company * 05:29 - Building the business around the lifestyle you want * 07:33 - Why construction brands mess up their online presence * 10:47 - SEO vs paid ads vs tenders: choosing the right channel * 13:33 - Why the sales funnel is dead and the cycle model wins * 17:11 - The form field trick to control lead quality and volume * 20:47 - Why Wes runs all the sales himself (and the black hat SEO trap) * 23:59 - Stacking your value offer for quick wins * 25:29 - How often Google crawls your site (and why size matters) * 26:04 - Niching to beat bigger competitors * 28:38 - Top SEO tips: content, information gain, and avoiding AI slop * 32:34 - How Uplift360 works with founders vs marketing teams * 35:04 - Patterns Wes sees across construction and industrial brands * 38:13 - The future of marketing: tech is devaluing, human insight is rising * 40:29 - If he started over today, would he go to university? * 41:45 - The power of getting into rooms where you don't qualify * 45:41 - Final takeaway: now is the time for the creative entrepreneur * 47:29 - Where to connect with Wes ---------------------------------------- ABOUT THE GUEST Wes Towers is the founder of Uplift360, a marketing agency specializing in trades, builders, and construction brands. With over 20 years of experience starting back in the early days of websites in the year 2000, Wes has built his agency around helping practical, hands-on founders translate their craft into compelling online presence. Uplift360 works with clients around the world, from founder-led businesses to in-house marketing teams at larger firms. ---------------------------------------- CONNECT https://uplift360.com.au [https://uplift360.com.au]