The Failure Gap

A Conversation With Richard Kopelman, CEO of Aprio

Richard Kopelman, CEO of Aprio Advisory Group, has spent more than three decades with the firm, evolving from a generalist learning the craft to leading a rapidly scaling, global organization. Along the way, he built and grew practices, leaned into specialization, and then expanded back out into enterprise leadership. He describes becoming CEO as “starting over as a freshman,” a mindset that seems to have served him well through 50+ mergers and significant growth. His leadership journey reflects a pattern of exploration, reinvention, and a willingness to take calculated swings… even if not every one is a home run. Episode Takeaways * A growth mindset is a deliberate leadership choice. Aprio’s shift away from “why not” thinking toward abundance unlocked expansion, including bold moves like acquiring a law firm * If everything is working, you are probably not taking enough risks. Richard’s “bat .500” philosophy reinforces that smart experimentation beats perfection * Leaders must let go of technical identity to lead the business, but still dive deep when needed. It is less about abandoning expertise and more about using it strategically * Alignment requires repetition. If you are tired of talking about the strategy, your team is just starting to hear it * Trust is the backbone of execution. Healthy debate in the room is critical, but once a decision is made, alignment means no back-channeling and full commitment Richard’s perspective reinforces a familiar but often ignored truth. Agreement is easy, especially in rooms full of smart people. Alignment is harder and requires trust, repetition, and the discipline to move forward together even when opinions differ. His emphasis on blameless problem solving and “locked arms” execution is a practical reminder that leaders do not need perfect consensus; they need shared commitment. The real opportunity for any leadership team is to ask where they are still debating after the meeting instead of delivering after it. Connect with Richard Kopelman outside of this episode on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-kopelman/] or through Aprio here. [https://www.aprio.com/] ------------------------- Is misalignment holding your organization back? Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.  Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool [https://karrikinsgroup.com/leadership-alignment-evaluation-tool/]and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together. Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group: * Connect with Julie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewilliamson/] * Follow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/karrikins/]  * Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth' [https://karrikinsgroup.com/make-how-matter-book/] * Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results [https://karrikinsgroup.com/]

A Conversation With Kristi Cappelletti-Matthews, Chief Human Resources Officer, VSP Vision

Kristi Cappelletti-Matthews is the Chief Human Resources Officer at VSP Vision, bringing more than three decades of HR leadership across healthcare and high tech. Her journey to CHRO started with a chance gym conversation that turned into a career-defining opportunity. Beginning as a compensation specialist, she expanded her scope by consistently connecting her expertise to broader business outcomes, eventually stepping into enterprise leadership where alignment across functions became essential. Episode Takeaways: * Alignment requires more than agreement. Leaders must actively connect decisions to enterprise impact and involve stakeholders early to avoid siloed thinking * Culture doesn’t scale by accident. VSP intentionally evolved its culture during COVID to ensure connection and inclusion across a distributed workforce * Integration starts with culture. Bringing acquired companies into the “family” works best when values are clear but flexibility is preserved.  * Enterprise mindset is a learned shift. Leaders moving from smaller organizations must adapt from owning decisions to sharing them, which takes clarity and ongoing dialogue * Good meetings drive alignment. Clear outcomes, purposeful conversation, and real dialogue beat calendar overload every time Kristi’s perspective reinforces a core truth: alignment is less about grand declarations and more about consistent, sometimes uncomfortable conversations that connect people to the bigger picture. Whether integrating systems, evolving culture, or simply trying to stick to a workout plan, success comes down to commitment, realistic expectations, and a willingness to adjust along the way. Or, as she subtly reminds us, “good enough” often beats endlessly perfect and never delivered. Connect with Kristi outside of this episode on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristicappelletti-matthews/] or through VSP Vision here. [https://www.vspvision.com/] ------------------------- Is misalignment holding your organization back? Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.  Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool [https://karrikinsgroup.com/leadership-alignment-evaluation-tool/]and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together. Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group: * Connect with Julie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewilliamson/] * Follow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/karrikins/]  * Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth' [https://karrikinsgroup.com/make-how-matter-book/] * Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results [https://karrikinsgroup.com/]

A Conversation With Kendall Colman, Founder/CEO, Colman Coaching

Kendall Colman’s leadership journey starts with a coach who saw her potential before she did. Early struggles with self-doubt and feeling out of place shifted when a field hockey coach challenged her to get out of her own way. That moment sparked a lifelong focus on unlocking potential in others. Over the past 25 years, she’s built Colman Coaching, helping senior leaders elevate their presence, communication, and impact, especially when the stakes are high and the spotlight is unavoidable.  Episode Takeaways: *  Pride is a quiet blocker. Leaders often agree they need to improve but hesitate to seek coaching, slowing growth right at the starting line *  Courage is a daily practice, not a grand gesture. Small moments like speaking up, asking for help, or trying something new build real leadership muscle *  Limiting beliefs quietly fuel the failure gap. Until leaders surface and rewrite them, progress stalls despite good intentions.  *  Great leadership shifts from correction mode to teaching mode. Alignment improves when leaders focus on purpose, process, and people, not just fixing outputs *  Servant leadership without strong communication falls flat. Intent matters, but impact depends on how clearly and confidently leaders show up Kendall’s perspective brings a sharp reminder that many leadership gaps aren’t about capability, they’re about alignment. Leaders know they should communicate better, lead with intention, and invest in growth. The breakdown happens in the follow-through. What stands out is how closely courage, coaching, and communication tie to alignment. Without courage, leaders avoid hard conversations. Without coaching, blind spots stay hidden. Without strong communication, even the best intentions get lost in translation. It’s a perfect recipe for staying stuck in agreement instead of moving to action. There’s also a subtle but important shift from “how do I perform?” to “how do I serve?” When leaders make that move, presence becomes less about ego and more about impact, which tends to be where the real results live anyway. If there’s one thing to align on from this conversation, it’s this: growth requires visible effort. You can’t outsource it, and you can’t think your way into it. At some point, you have to step forward, take the swing, and yes, probably realize it wasn’t a half swing after all. Connect with Kendall Colman outside of this episode on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendallcolmanexecutivecoach/] or through Colman Coaching here. [https://colmancoaching.com/] ------------------------- Is misalignment holding your organization back? Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.  Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool [https://karrikinsgroup.com/leadership-alignment-evaluation-tool/]and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together. Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group: * Connect with Julie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewilliamson/] * Follow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/karrikins/]  * Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth' [https://karrikinsgroup.com/make-how-matter-book/] * Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results [https://karrikinsgroup.com/]

A Conversation With Josh Miramant, Founder/CEO, Blue Orange Digital

Josh Miramant, founder and CEO of Blue Orange Digital, brings a leadership story that proves careers are rarely built in straight lines. He started on a path toward politics and law, then took a sharp turn into startups, scaling, and eventually data and AI consulting. Along the way, he learned what many leaders eventually discover: growth usually looks less like a master plan and more like a series of thoughtful leaps with just enough ignorance to keep moving. Apparently, that is not recklessness, it is entrepreneurship with better branding. Episode Takeaways: * Leadership rarely follows a clean path. Curiosity, calculated risk, and a willingness to say yes can create the experiences that shape real leadership growth. * Founders and executives are constantly navigating paradoxes. Delegate, but stay close. Take the leap, but be strategic. Both sides can be true, which is why alignment matters more than easy answers. * AI adoption starts with individual ownership. Leaders do not need to code, but they do need enough hands-on experience to make grounded decisions instead of approving budgets for things that still feel like science fiction. * Low-stakes experimentation is the best way to build confidence. Play with AI on language-based work like reports, posts, and storytelling before the high-stakes decisions arrive wearing a suit and carrying a budget. * Josh’s CARD framework offers a practical lens for organizational AI adoption: clarity, ambition, relationships, and distribution. In other words, the tech matters, but the human system around it matters just as much. What stands out most in Josh’s ideas is the reminder that progress comes through iteration, not perfection. Whether you are building a company, adopting AI, or trying to make better decisions with a team, alignment grows when people make the invisible visible and practice their way forward. The real opportunity is not just agreeing that change is important. It is learning how to move together when the path is still emerging. That is where better stories, better decisions, and better results start to stack up. Connect with Josh Miramant outside of this episode on LinkedIn here. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmiramant/] ------------------------- Is misalignment holding your organization back? Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.  Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool [https://karrikinsgroup.com/leadership-alignment-evaluation-tool/]and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together. Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group: * Connect with Julie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewilliamson/] * Follow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/karrikins/]  * Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth' [https://karrikinsgroup.com/make-how-matter-book/] * Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results [https://karrikinsgroup.com/]

A Conversation With Justin Salisbury, President/COO, Breeze Thru Car Wash

Justin Salisbury “stumbled” into the car wash world with a mix of business education and trade school skills, then discovered it was the perfect place to put both to work. Fourteen years ago, he joined Breeze Thru Car Wash when it had just two locations, earned his way into ownership after three years, and leaned hard into what he loves most: building operational systems that help people grow. Today, he’s President and COO, leading a succession plan with a new ownership group, and scaling what he calls a “people development machine” across 16 locations in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming. Justin’s story is a reminder that most leadership journeys are less “master plan” and more “well, that escalated.” He and Julie dig into why fear of failure keeps leaders stuck, and how Breeze Thru intentionally trains people to handle tough conversations, build trust, and create real alignment that survives growth spurts. Episode Takeaways * People are the business. Systems and structure matter, but they exist to help humans succeed, not to look pretty in a binder. * Failure is required, not tolerated. At Breeze Thru Car Wash, empowerment means “you get the opportunity to fail,” then learn fast and respond well. * Alignment takes time, then takes more time. Defining mission, vision, and values took months, deploying them took years, and scaling requires revisiting them. * Get curious, not furious. Curiosity changes the chemistry of leadership and turns emotional reactions into productive questions. * Hard conversations are a skill gap, not a character flaw. Confidence grows when leaders practice crucial conversations, survive, and realize they can do it again. Justin’s big alignment call is simple and surprisingly rare: help people understand how they matter. When leaders commit to that, trust deepens, growth accelerates, and even a car wash becomes a place where people leave stronger than they arrived (and yes, with a cleaner car). Connect with Justin Salisbury on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsalisburylwf/] or check out a Breeze Thru Car Wash location near you today [https://breezethrucarwash.com/]. ------------------------- Is misalignment holding your organization back? Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.  Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool [https://karrikinsgroup.com/leadership-alignment-evaluation-tool/]and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together. Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group: * Connect with Julie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewilliamson/] * Follow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/karrikins/]  * Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth' [https://karrikinsgroup.com/make-how-matter-book/] * Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results [https://karrikinsgroup.com/]