THE PODCAST
Champions of RISK Podcast
Nearly 100 conversations with business owners about the risks that built their businesses, and the ones that almost didn't.
Hosted by Michael Kithcart
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Every business starts with a risk.
Somebody has to decide to go before they're sure. For nearly 100 episodes, I talked with the people who did: founders, CEOs, and a few who took risks most of us never will. They shared what they bet, what it cost, and what they'd do again.
Start anywhere. These conversations haven't aged.
New listener
Start Here
New here? These four episodes are the best place to begin.
Charlene DeCesare
Sales trainer & author, The Email Cemetery
Charlene DeCesare on the Art of Sales
You're in sales whether you admit it or not. How to stop sounding salesy and start getting a yes.
Listen ▶Michael Kithcart
Solo episode
Goal Setting is Not the Key to Success
Goals don't grow revenue. What does, and why it changes how you plan your sales year.
Listen ▶Michael Kithcart
Solo episode
Taking A Risk - Part 1
The time I declared a big goal out loud before I knew how I'd reach it, and what happened next.
Listen ▶Michael Kithcart
Solo episode
Taking a Risk - Part 2
How one risk turned into a habit: living abroad, big career moves, and no regrets.
Listen ▶SECTION 1
The Leap
Leaving the safe path: corporate jobs, sure things, and the way it's always been done.
Chris Olsen & Julie Burton
Founders, My Founder Story & ModernWell
Chris Olsen and Julie Burton on Amplifying Women's Voices
Two founders who joined forces to launch a publishing company for women's stories.
Listen ▶Angelina Lawton
Founder & CEO, Sportsdigita
Angelina Lawton on Sports and Technology
From Wall Street to the hockey rink to building a software company for pro sports teams and big brands.
Listen ▶Laura Caroon
Co-founder, Ladyboss Midwest
Laura Caroon on Being a Lady Boss
Building a community for women leaders, then taking the leap into running for city council.
Listen ▶Chaz Sandifer
Founder & CEO, theNEWmpls
Chaz Sandifer on Empowerment
After a hard season of life, she took her power back, became a bodybuilder, and built a business.
Listen ▶SECTION 2
The Ask
Selling, pitching, and the conversations that actually bring in business.
Tammy Lee
CEO, Xena Therapies
Tammy Lee - Small Ask, Big Impact
When COVID cut off her sales channel overnight, she rebuilt it one small ask at a time.
Listen ▶Michael Kithcart
Solo episode
Improve Any Conversation
Four steps and three minutes of prep for better outcomes in every conversation you walk into.
Listen ▶Dr. Amelia Reigstad
Communication expert
Dr. Amelia Reigstad on Communication
What most often goes wrong in conversations, and how to fix it.
Listen ▶Jen Mueller
Founder, Talk Sporty To Me
Jen Mueller on Sports and Communication
What a sports broadcaster knows about asking better questions and getting real answers.
Listen ▶SECTION 3
The People
Hiring, culture, and the risk of trusting other people with what you built.
Susan Rylance
VP of Growth & Partner, Fahren
Susan Rylance on Growing Leadership Talent
People are your biggest asset. What next-level leadership actually requires.
Listen ▶Leslie Holman
CEO, Pinnacle Performance Group
Leslie Holman on Humanity in the Workplace
Building a company where people can be fully human and still do great work.
Listen ▶Jaime Taets
CEO, Keystone Group International
Jaime Taets on You Are Here
Nobody avoids having to evolve. A CEO on navigating change in yourself and your company.
Listen ▶Nancy Lyons
Serial entrepreneur, speaker & author
Nancy Lyons on Mindset in the Workplace
Making work better, leading through hard moments, and why kindness belongs at work.
Listen ▶SECTION 4
The Inner Game
The biggest risk is often getting out of your own way.
Jen Coken
Imposter syndrome expert & comedian
Jennifer Coken on Imposter Syndrome as a Superpower
The higher you climb, the louder the "they'll find me out" voice gets. How to make it work for you.
Listen ▶Michael Kithcart
Solo episode
When Sanity Overrides Integrity
When keeping your word and keeping your sanity collide, and how to choose.
Listen ▶Elizabeth Onyeabor
Founder, InnerGenuity
Elizabeth Onyeabor on Perfectionism
Perfectionism looks like high standards. It's actually procrastination. How to let it go.
Listen ▶Michael Kithcart
Solo episode
High Performer vs. High Achiever
You get a lot done. You're also exhausted. The difference between achieving and performing, and three ways to shift.
Listen ▶SECTION 5
When It Got Hard
Crisis, burnout, and what it takes to keep going.
Marc Wallert
Speaker & author, Strong Through Crises
Marc Wallert on Handling Crisis
Held hostage for 140 days, then burned out back home. What both taught him about resilience.
Listen ▶Erik Therwanger
Founder, Think GREAT
Erik Therwanger on Chaos
Cancer, combat, and COVID: what the military knows about chaos that most businesses don't.
Listen ▶Tiffany Mattick
Coach & founder, There She Grows
Burnout with Tiffany Mattick
Fatigue and burnout aren't the same thing. How to tell the difference and stop it early.
Listen ▶Tara Haelle
Science & health journalist
Tara Haelle on Surge Capacity
Why high achievers hit a wall under long-term stress, and the coping tools that actually help.
Listen ▶Every guest on this show had to sell something.
An idea. A company. Themselves. If selling is the part you'd rather skip, there's usually a specific reason, and it has a name. This free assessment names it in a few minutes and shows you what it's costing you.
Take the Free AssessmentNEWSLETTER
Win Your Way: Revenue on Purpose
One no-fluff revenue idea every Wednesday, for founders who are tired of being the only rainmaker.