Episodes

  • Your old role has expired

    Your old role has expired
    Jun 30 2026

    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders realizing reinvention means becoming the version of themselves their business needs next.

    A few episodes ago, I talked about the long middle of entrepreneurship and how staying in that phase is about more than endurance. It’s about figuring out how to keep growing inside the company you already created. This episode is the other half of that conversation. Because as your business grows, your role has to change with it.

    I talk about the difference between proactively reinventing your role and being forced into it because the company has already outgrown how you operate. I also get into what reinvention is and what it isn’t, including why stepping back too fast can create just as many problems as holding on too long. Reinvention doesn’t mean checking out of the business. It means becoming more intentional about where you’re involved, where your team is ready to own more and where your involvement creates the most leverage.

    The biggest shift is learning to tell the difference between being needed and being comfortable. If you’re still in every problem, every decision and every client conversation because that’s what feels familiar, your role may already be expired. The goal isn’t to become uninvolved. It’s to become correctly involved.

    Tune in if you’re ready to redesign your role so you and your company can keep growing.

    If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.
    • Episode 318. The long middle of entrepreneurship — Growing inside the company you built: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/the-long-middle-of-entrepreneurship
    • Episode 308. Who you need to be at each stage of building a business — Leadership evolves as your company grows: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/who-you-need-to-be-at-each-stage-of-building-a-business
    • Episode 320. Behind on everything (but not panicking) — Leading through seasons of change: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/behind-on-everything-but-not-panicking

    ✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies.

    If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.

    → accelitymarketing.com

    🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn more

    jackiehermes.com/podcast

    ⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.

    📲 Let’s connect!

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/

    Instagram: @thejackiehermes

    TikTok: @jackie.hermes

    Website: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • The CEO your kids are watching w/ Timothy Rexius, Founder and CEO of Omaha Protein Popcorn

    The CEO your kids are watching w/ Timothy Rexius, Founder and CEO of Omaha Protein Popcorn
    Jun 23 2026
    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders who are building ambitious companies while thinking about what their kids are learning from the way they work.My guest is Timothy Rexius, entrepreneur, speaker and business owner who is building multiple companies while raising six kids.Timothy and I talk about the overlap between entrepreneurship and parenting, and why those identities are not as separate as we sometimes pretend they are. He shares how his kids and family have become part of the businesses over time, what it looks like to build with legacy in mind and why he and his wife keep their kids involved in conversations about the companies, money and the bigger picture behind the work.We also get into the difference between leading at work and leading at home. Timothy talks about the sense of urgency that can work in business, why that same approach does not always translate to family and how he thinks about giving his kids context around ambition, success, pressure and the grind they see modeled every day.One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation: your kids do not just inherit what you build, they inherit how they watched you build it. Timothy’s perspective is a reminder that if your family sees the work, they also need to understand the purpose, the tradeoffs and the values behind it.Tune in if you’re building something ambitious and want to be more intentional about the example your kids are watching.About Timothy RexiusTim Rexius is a personality that checks all of the above: entrepreneur, speaker, business owner, husband and dad in a family of eight. Alongside his beautiful, determined wife, Tim is the CEO and President of Rexius Nutrition, Co-Owner of Iron Heaven Gyms Inc., and President and Founder of VHI Nutraceuticals and the OPP Omaha Protein Popcorn Company. His work spans fitness, nutrition, consumer products, business coaching and keynote speaking, with family deeply woven into the way he builds. And if you think it stops there, it doesn’t. There is still so much more in the works.Website – Iron Heaven Gyms Inc.: https://ironheavenomaha.com/Website – Rexius Nutrition: https://www.rexiusnutrition.com/Website – Omaha Protein Popcorn: https://www.omahaproteinpopcorn.com/LinkedIn – Timothy Rexius: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-rexius-2968422b/LinkedIn – Omaha Protein Popcorn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/omaha-protein-popcorn/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/marcman55If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.Episode 187. Q&A: questions we get as a two-entrepreneur household starring my husband, Ryan Calton — Building a business when work and family overlap: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/two-entrepreneur-householdEpisode 31. Some mother you are — Parenting while chasing your own dreams: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/some-mother-you-areEpisode 210. Create the professional and personal life you want now w/ Nat Berman, Co-Founder of Brand Built — Build the life you actually want: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/nat-berman✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies. If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.→ accelitymarketing.com 🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn morejackiehermes.com/podcast⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.📲 Let’s connect!LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/ Instagram: @thejackiehermesTikTok: @jackie.hermesWebsite: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Setting the table for hard conversations

    Setting the table for hard conversations
    Jun 16 2026
    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders and leaders who want to stop waiting for hard conversations to become unavoidable—and start building a culture where they never have to be.Most leadership advice focuses on how to have the hard conversation. This episode is about everything that comes before it. Inspired by a LinkedIn comment that I couldn't stop thinking about, I walk through four practices we've institutionalized at Accelity that make hard conversations easier long before they ever happen: accountability loops, our Growth Hero upskilling program, intent versus perception, and MRI (Most Respectful Interpretation). Each one builds something different: direct communication habits, shared skills, a framework for when things go sideways, and a default assumption of good intent. None of these are scripts or meeting formats, they're cultural expectations that every business needs in place; standards you adopt, repeat and reinforce until they're just how your company operates.Jenny and I didn’t always get this right. A lot of what I'm sharing here, we learned by doing it badly first. And if your team doesn't have any of this in place yet, don’t worry about it—you're not behind. You just haven't started yet.Tune in if you're ready to stop treating hard conversations like emergencies and start building an environment where clarity is just part of how you operate.If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.Episode 322. Can you actually build a great company by prioritizing people w/ Andy Gallion, Co-founder of InCheck — Hard conversations and people-first leadership: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/andy-gallionEpisode 203. Giving the benefit of the doubt: Most Respectful Interpretation — The full episode on MRI: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/giving-the-benefit-of-the-doubtEpisode 293. On being a manager, not a therapist — Leading with empathy without absorbing everyone's problems: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/on-being-a-manager-not-a-therapist✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies. If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.→ accelitymarketing.com 🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn morejackiehermes.com/podcast⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.📲 Let’s connect!LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/ Instagram: @thejackiehermesTikTok: @jackie.hermesWebsite: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Headcount is not a status symbol w/ Amos Bar-Joseph, Co-founder and CEO of Swan AI

    Headcount is not a status symbol w/ Amos Bar-Joseph, Co-founder and CEO of Swan AI
    Jun 9 2026
    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders who are realizing growth in the age of AI might have less to do with hiring more people and more to do with creating more leverage.My guest is Amos Bar-Joseph, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Swan AI, a company building around the idea that businesses can scale through intelligence instead of headcount.Amos and I talk about why the old growth playbook of raising money, hiring quickly and treating headcount like a status symbol is breaking down. He shares how previous startup experience led him to question the assumption that bigger teams automatically create better companies, and why Swan is building toward $10 million ARR per employee as a measure of leverage instead of valuation inflation.We also get into what Amos calls “cog culture,” where companies add people to scale the business instead of using systems, processes and AI to scale their people. He explains how AI-native companies can push employees closer to their zone of genius, why managers still need to understand processes and best practices, and how managing AI agents requires context, coaching and clear direction.One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation: becoming an AI-native company doesn’t require deep technical expertise. Amos explains that the starting point is looking inward, identifying one repetitive process, finding the bottleneck and using AI to improve it one step at a time.Tune in if you’re ready to stop treating headcount like the proof of growth and start building a company designed for leverage.About Amos Bar-JosephAmos Bar-Joseph is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Swan AI, a technology company exploring new ways for modern businesses to go to market in the era of AI. Swan’s flagship product, the AI GTM Engineer, helps companies design and deploy go-to-market workflows in real time, using AI agents to assist with qualification, routing, pipeline orchestration and other GTM tasks. Amos is building Swan around the idea of collaborative autonomy, where AI amplifies human capability and helps lean teams create more leverage without relying on traditional headcount-heavy growth.Website: https://www.getswan.com/LinkedIn – Amos Bar-Joseph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amos-bar-joseph/LinkedIn – Swan AI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swan-ai-gtm/If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.Episode 309. The post-2025 entrepreneur: speed, ideas and AI w/ Dr. Alex Mehr — AI changes how founders build: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/alex-mehrEpisode 319. Building with instinct while scaling with best practices w/ Yoni Tserruya, Co-founder and CEO of Lusha — Scaling beyond default playbooks: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/yoni-tserruyaEpisode 301. Selling your product from day one w/ Safeer Qureshi, angel investor and CEO at SPG Media — Simpler growth, smarter execution: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/safeer-qureshi✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies. If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.→ accelitymarketing.com 🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn morejackiehermes.com/podcast⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.📲 Let’s connect!LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/ Instagram: @thejackiehermesTikTok: @jackie.hermesWebsite: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • You probably don’t have a marketing problem. Here’s why.

    You probably don’t have a marketing problem. Here’s why.
    Jun 2 2026

    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders who think their marketing isn't working, when the real issue may be the message underneath it.

    Most companies default to “we need more marketing” when leads slow down, campaigns underperform or the message isn’t landing. Sometimes that’s true, but a lot of the time, marketing is just exposing a deeper issue.

    I talk about why what looks like a marketing problem is often a clarity, positioning or value problem instead. Because marketing doesn’t create demand out of nothing, it amplifies what’s already there. If the problem you solve feels vague, the solution feels optional.

    This episode breaks down the four places I’d look before changing your campaigns or channels: the problem you solve, your value story, trust and focus. The goal isn’t to do less marketing, it’s to make sure the foundation underneath it is strong enough for marketing to actually work.

    Tune in if you’re ready to stop throwing money at activity and start building clarity that grows.

    If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.
    • Episode 256. Marketing is not a cure for bad business strategy — Marketing can’t fix the foundation: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/marketing-is-not-a-cure-for-bad-business-strategy
    • Episode 244. Dear companies everywhere, sales and marketing are not about you — Stop making sales about yourself: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/companies-sales-and-marketing-are-not-about-you
    • Episode 295. Disarming stakeholders to get to the truth — Better insights create better messaging: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/disarming-stakeholders

    ✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies.

    If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.

    → accelitymarketing.com

    🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn more

    jackiehermes.com/podcast

    ⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.

    📲 Let’s connect!

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/

    Instagram: @thejackiehermes

    TikTok: @jackie.hermes

    Website: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • Can you actually build a great company by prioritizing people w/ Andy Gallion, Co-founder of InCheck

    Can you actually build a great company by prioritizing people w/ Andy Gallion, Co-founder of InCheck
    May 26 2026
    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders who want to build great companies without putting people, culture or trust second.My guest is Andy Gallion, Co-founder of InCheck, a background screening company built around service, relationships and a personal approach to client support.Andy and I talk about what it really looks like to build a company around people for the long game. He shares how InCheck started with lifelong friends on a Little League field, why going into business with friends has worked for them and how they’ve stayed committed to service, trust and doing things the right way over 24 years in business.We also get into the leadership lessons Andy has learned through both entrepreneurship and 35 years as a referee. He shares why consistency matters when not everyone agrees with your decisions, how InCheck’s people-first culture impacts the client experience and why honest feedback, servant leadership and reinvention are essential when you’re building something meant to last.One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation: knowing who you are as a company also means knowing who you are not for. Andy talks about why InCheck is clear about being a human-first company, and how that clarity helps them attract clients who value partnership over a transaction.Tune in if you’re building for the long game and want to lead with more trust, consistency and humanity.About Andy GallionAndy Gallion is the co-founder and Chief Development Officer of InCheck, Inc.. He has spent more than two decades building a business rooted in trust and long-term relationships. A former athlete, coach, and longtime high school basketball referee, he brings a team-first mindset and a strong sense of accountability to his leadership. He is passionate about building great people and culture, helping InCheck earn recognition as one of the industry’s top providers and best places to work.Website: https://www.inchecksolutions.com/LinkedIn – InCheck: https://www.linkedin.com/company/incheck-inc-/LinkedIn – Andy Gallion:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygallion/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incheckinc.1627If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.Episode 312. Building trust instead of chasing attention — Trust as a long-term strategy: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/build-trust-not-attentionEpisode 267. Driven or drained? Scaling a company without burnout — Growth without burning people out: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/driven-or-drainedEpisode 308. Who you need to be at each stage of building a business — Leadership changes as you grow: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/who-you-need-to-be-at-each-stage-of-building-a-business✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies. If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.→ accelitymarketing.com 🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn morejackiehermes.com/podcast⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.📲 Let’s connect!LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/ Instagram: @thejackiehermesTikTok: @jackie.hermesWebsite: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • How to scale without losing yourself w/ Stephen Scoggins, Founder of Unstoppable Solutions

    How to scale without losing yourself w/ Stephen Scoggins, Founder of Unstoppable Solutions
    May 12 2026
    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders who are realizing hustle can build success, but it can’t create alignment, fulfillment or peace.My guest is Stephen Scoggins, entrepreneur, speaker and coach who helps leaders move from performance-driven success to alignment, authenticity and purpose.Stephen and I talk about what happens when you achieve the things you thought would make you happy and realize you still feel disconnected from yourself. He shares how hustle helped him overcome difficult circumstances, but eventually became a form of performance rooted in validation and self-worth. We get into the difference between being needed and actually feeling worthy, and why so many founders unknowingly build businesses around proving themselves.Stephen also explains his “one part lion, one part lamb” framework and why real leadership requires both strength and surrender. One of the most impactful parts of the conversation is Stephen’s perspective on ego—not as something evil, but as something trying to protect you. He explains how awareness, presence and emotional regulation help leaders move from reaction into alignment, integration and ultimately expansion.Tune in if you’re ready to stop scaling dysfunction and start building from a place of alignment and authenticity.About Stephen ScogginsStephen Scoggins is a life and business strategist, bestselling author and founder of Unstoppable Solutions by Scoggins International Inc. After going from homelessness to building and exiting multiple nine-figure companies, Stephen now helps entrepreneurs create success rooted in alignment, purpose and authenticity. Named by USA Today and The Wall Street Times as one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurs in 2023, he has mentored thousands of leaders through his I.A.M. Integrated Method focused on sustainable success. Stephen is also the host of Build, a podcast with more than 48 million views focused on helping purpose-driven leaders scale without losing themselves in the process.Website: https://stephenscoggins.com/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenscoggins/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephen_scogginsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenscoggins/If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.Episode 300. 300 episodes: What I’ve learned about building, growing and showing up — Success without constant validation: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/300-episodesEpisode 298. Credibility isn’t about age, it’s about how you show up — Authenticity creates trust and confidence: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/credibility-isnt-about-ageEpisode 32. How to be a better leader — Internal growth shapes leadership: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/episode-32-how-to-be-a-better-leader✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies. If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.→ accelitymarketing.com 🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn morejackiehermes.com/podcast⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.📲 Let’s connect!LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/ Instagram: @thejackiehermesTikTok: @jackie.hermesWebsite: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Why feeling behind usually means you're about to level up

    Why feeling behind usually means you're about to level up
    May 5 2026
    This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders and leaders who feel behind, stretched and deep in the middle of a storm, but aren't panicking (or trying not to!).Most people talk about lessons after things settle down. I'm recording this from inside a time where everything feels heavy—client work is intense, life is moving fast and things are slipping in places they normally wouldn't.After 13 years of building, I've learned something important: it almost always feels like this right before you level up. That pressure, that chaos, that feeling of being stretched too thin isn't a coincidence. It's the price of admission for growth. If everything feels easy and predictable, you're probably not growing.I also talk about the myth of the founder who has it all together and why performing calm instead of actually leading through the mess costs you more than you think. Honesty, not perfection, is what builds trust with your team and within yourself.This episode is also a reflection on leadership in real time. I share why I'm so proud of my team right now—not because things are easy, but because they're showing up when they're not. They're communicating, supporting each other and staying grounded. That's culture. And culture only works when leaders live inside the same expectations they set.Finally, I walk through the reframes that are keeping me steady: behind isn't failing, stretched isn't broken and stormy doesn't mean you're off course. The hardest part is that the feeling right before things fall apart looks almost identical to the feeling right before things expand. The difference is direction, and you often can't see that in the moment.Tune in if you're in your own version of a heavy time and need a reminder that you're probably not falling behind—you're probably on the edge of something bigger.If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.Episode 170. Breaking through your upper limits—the discomfort of growth — Why the squeeze usually comes right before the breakthrough: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/breaking-through-your-upper-limitsEpisode 279. On being a straightforward and kind leader — Why honesty beats performing calm when things get hard: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/on-being-a-straightforward-and-kind-leaderEpisode 155. Turning your worst moments into opportunities — How heavy seasons can become the thing that moves you forward: https://www.jackiehermes.com/podcast/turning-your-worst-moments-into-opportunities✨ This podcast is produced in partnership with Accelity, a full-service marketing agency for bold people growing bold companies. If you're ready to level up your B2B marketing, check us out.→ accelitymarketing.com 🎧 Catch up on past episodes, submit topic ideas, and learn morejackiehermes.com/podcast⭐ Love what you hear? Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts to help more entrepreneurs find the show.📲 Let’s connect!LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/ Instagram: @thejackiehermesTikTok: @jackie.hermesWebsite: jackiehermes.com
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins