The Conscious Entrepreneur

EP 76: The Science of Peak Performance and Purpose with Jamie Wheal

Entrepreneurs chase optimization, but what happens when that’s not enough?
 
Jamie Wheal joins Alex Raymond to talk about flow, resilience, and the deeper search for meaning in leadership. He challenges the idea that personal optimization is the ultimate goal, suggesting it’s only the first step. The real work is in navigating uncertainty, making an impact, and staying grounded through Hedonic Engineering—a way to keep motivation high even when the path ahead isn’t clear.
 
Jamie shares how flow states unlock creativity and why great teams embrace dynamic subordination, letting the most capable person take the lead at any moment. He also reflects on the Bhagavad Gita’s lessons on purpose, reminding entrepreneurs that leadership isn’t about control, but about clarity, adaptability, and knowing when to step forward or step back.
 
If the pressure to perform feels overwhelming, Alex and Jamie’s discussion offers a unique view on leading with purpose and keeping your footing when everything shifts around you.
 
Quotes
“I think it’s really important that we don’t end up in the kind of late stage neoliberal fetishization of infinite individual perfect ability for a price. And we actually just realized, Hey, Shaolin temple style, train your body and mind, right? Push it to its limits so that you can hone it and direct it to those things of most meaning and significance and impact. Otherwise, we’re all just trapped little monkeys in the machine.” (04:25 | Jamie Wheal)
“Business leaders are in varying degrees and intensities themselves. It requires a very strong center for you to be able to enter the melee and not lose your own footing.” (07:51 | Jamie Wheal)
“You don’t want to get stuck in a model or a mode simply because you think it’s groovier or more enlightened. And again, Silicon Valley leadership culture has kind of now permeated, has kind of become the default norms, which is, I’m a level five leader, a la Jim Collins. I’m a little Yoda behind the scenes. I want to make everyone feel empowered and heard, and our collective intelligence will win the day. Maybe, it depends.” (17:17 | Jamie Wheal) 
“Small is beautiful. It’s a timeless text, but I’d super encourage folks to just give themselves permission to do a beautiful thing in the world at a high quality or standard that is satisfying to you and the people you serve. And just have that as one other option, at least, versus just chasing the series.” (55:39 | Jamie Wheal) 
 
Links
Connect with Jamie Wheal:
https://www.flowgenomeproject.com/
https://jamiewheal.substack.com/
https://www.recapturetherapture.com/
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 75: Worry Doesn’t Serve You

Success isn’t supposed to feel like a grind. The real challenge is knowing when to let go and step into what feels effortless.
 
Alex Raymond sits down with Ret Taylor, the co-founder and former co-CEO of Ned, to talk about the moment he knew it was time to walk away. After years of building a wellness company with a mission he believed in, Ret found himself stuck in the day-to-day demands of running a business that no longer felt right. A banking crisis forced him to make a decision, but his real breakthrough came when he stopped pushing and started surrendering.
 
Inspired by Michael Singer’s teachings, Ret learned to let go of fear and lean into what felt natural. That shift led him to Foria, a company that shared Ned’s values, and gave him the space to step fully into his zone of genius. 
 
Join Alex and Ret’s discussion to be reminded that the path forward isn’t always about working harder but about knowing when to trust the pull toward something better.
 
Quotes
“What if it’s not supposed to be hard? What if it’s supposed to be easy, like it was for me the last two retreats I did? And I had this big realization that I’ve been idolizing the wrong things. I should be idolizing, and I want to idolize those who don’t work so hard, those for whom it comes easy, and those that really surrender to their paths and move with confidence in them.” (13:08 | Ret Taylor) 
“I’m meant to be with people outdoors, sharing my passion for nature, sharing my expertise that I’ve gathered over the last 25 years, and helping people heal and thrive with them. Ned, my business, has done that for hundreds of thousands of people.” (17:21 | Ret Taylor)
“My mantra has become: ‘Worry doesn’t serve me.’ It just doesn’t. It doesn’t help to worry. It’s this thing left over from prehistoric days when there actually were things to worry about.” (21:30 | Ret Taylor) 
“ I just feel much more fulfilled and very, very grateful. I’m grateful for those learnings, grateful to Josh, my best friend, for the opportunity, for Finian, and for you, for the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit. It all came together at the right time for me.” (31:22 | Ret Taylor) 
 
Links
Connect with Ret Taylor:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rettaylor/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 74: The Paradox of Success: Wil Schroter on Founders and Fulfillment

Success won’t fix what you think it will—and Wil Schroter, founder of Startups.com, explains why so many entrepreneurs hit major milestones only to feel more lost than ever.
 
Wil has built, sold, and acquired multiple companies, yet he’s seen countless entrepreneurs hit their biggest milestones only to feel more lost than ever. He sits down with Alex Raymond to talk about why financial wins don’t fix deeper struggles and how chasing an exit can leave founders grappling with purpose, identity, and unexpected disappointment.  
 
Wil shares what he’s learned from working with thousands of entrepreneurs—why they conflate success with happiness, why scaling too fast can backfire, and how to build something sustainable without losing yourself in the process. He also gets personal, talking about the non-negotiables that keep his life in balance.  
 
If you’re constantly pushing toward “someday,” this episode might change how you define real success.
 
Quotes
“Everything we thought was going to get cured, doesn’t change at all. In fact, it actually gets worse. Now, when people hear that, they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry that you made a million dollars. I’m so sorry your life is worse.’ It’s not that easy. Yes, it’s improved safety, but it hasn’t changed purpose.” (09:16 | Wil Schroter) 
“The value of anything is the fact that you don’t have it. And once you get it, once you get that success, you realize that it didn’t change any of the things you were expecting it to. And it’s really depressing, which is ironic.” (11:55 | Wil Schroter) 
“If you are unhappy on a canoe, you’re not gonna be happy on a yacht. You’re the same person just on a more expensive boat.” (14:13 | Wil Schroter) 
“It feels very lonely, and that is kind of the worst part about the founder journey. It is incredibly alienating. That’s something that we’ve tried to kind of unpack for a very long time—to tell founders we’re in the business of showing you you’re not alone.” (26:32 | Wil Schroter)
 
Links
Connect with Wil Schroter:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilschroter/
Website: https://www.startups.com/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 73: Personal Branding for Conscious Leaders

Why do the most thoughtful leaders hesitate to share their stories online? Justin Nassiri, the founder and CEO of Executive Presence, believes those voices are exactly what the world needs. In this episode, Justin joins Alex Raymond to break down how leaders can use LinkedIn to build authentic personal brands that amplify trust and authority without losing their true selves.
 
From navigating discomfort with social media to creating content that genuinely reflects your voice, Justin shares strategies for standing out in the noisy world of online platforms. He explains why personal branding should be more about creating meaningful connections and making your expertise visible to those who need it most.
 
If you're an entrepreneur who’s looking to build a genuine presence on social media, join Alex and Justin as they share tips on creating and repurposing content, and staying consistent with your message.
 
Quotes
“The people listening who are least interested in [establishing a personal brand], the world probably needs to hear from them the most.” (03:29 | Justin Nassiri)
“Authenticity sells. And I think that, when I work with a CEO, oftentimes they’re like, ‘Who do I need to be? I’m all of these things, but who do I need to be online?’ And my kind of biased reaction is, ‘We need to present you in the highest fidelity possible online.’” (08:25 | Justin Nassiri)
“When that one person has the courage to be vulnerable, almost all the heads around the room nod like, ‘Oh yeah, I know that.’ It’s almost like this person having the courage to voice something has put a name on something everyone else is feeling, but now it’s out there, so it’s almost like a sense of relief, and then that person sharing realizes they’re not alone and it creates connection.” (10:03 | Justin Nassiri) 
“You can’t, in the long term, build a personal brand or reputation or executive brand that is in conflict with who you are. I think eventually the truth will come out.” (13:15 | Justin Nassiri)
“If you reveal what’s important to you, if you talk about the things that you know and where you’re an authority, you actually have experience, or more importantly, you just share your own experience like, ‘Hey, I made a mistake in my first company with this. I really regret it but here’s what I learned, I hope you benefit as well.’ That’s just a way of giving visibility into why you do the things that you do and what you know about where your expertise is.” (13:46 | Justin Nassiri)
 
Links
Connect with Justin Nassiri:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinnassiri/
Website: https://executivepresence.io/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 72: From Dirty Laundry to Clean Leadership: Ajay Prakash on Scaling Rinse with Resilience

Entrepreneurship throws constant challenges, but Ajay Prakash has mastered staying grounded through resilience, psychological safety, and a no-excuses approach to leadership. 
 
In this episode, Ajay, the co-founder and CEO of Rinse—a company transforming the laundry and dry cleaning industry with a tech-driven approach—joins Alex Raymond to reflect on how he’s built Rinse into a national brand over 11 years while navigating setbacks like revenue losses and the pressures of scaling. As a leader, how do you keep a team motivated when the stakes are high? Ajay believes transparency, trust, and a culture of openness are key to keeping people engaged and innovative. 
 
Ajay also touches on the importance of managing energy, avoiding burnout, and staying excited about your work. Tune in to this episode if you’re looking for real-world strategies to stay resilient and lead with purpose.
 
Quotes
“My mom always used to say, it’s not about the ‘what IF?’, it’s about the ‘what NOW?’ You can’t control these things that are happening to you, but you can control how you respond and how you react.” (08:50 | Ajay Prakash)
“The number one mentality for the entrepreneur is this run-through-walls mentality—where there’s going to be a roadblock in front of you… You can sit there and say, ‘Oh, there’s a wall, I can’t do anything about it,’ or you can try to get through it, get around it, get over it.” (10:57 | Ajay Prakash) 
“As a CEO, you have to evolve for the needs of the business and for the scale and stage of the business. For me, it’s been encapsulated by shifting my focus over the years from execution to enablement and acceleration.” (12:33 | Ajay Prakash) 
“You have to be okay asking for help because a lot of times people will go on this journey and try to be alone… But there are a lot of people who have been through it who would be happy to just share the mistakes they made, because why should you make the same mistake I made if I can help you out?” (30:11 | Ajay Prakash)
 
Links
Connect with Ajay Prakash:
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprakash03/
Website:https://www.rinse.com/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 71: Rethinking Happiness

Happiness isn’t a destination. For Peter Teuscher, it’s the feedback guiding your choices, beliefs, and the way you see the world. But what does that really mean, and how can we shift our understanding of happiness from something we chase to something we cultivate every day?
 
Peter, an executive coach and the author of “Rethinking Happiness,” shares how his own journey—from outward entrepreneurial success to inner fulfillment—led him to redefine happiness as a deeply personal and practical state of being. Why do so many of us feel stuck in the cycle of “I’ll be happy when…”? And how can we break free from beliefs that no longer serve us?
 
Through his insights, Peter offers a roadmap for creating more joy in life, from building small daily habits to challenging the stories we tell ourselves. If you’d like to learn more about how happiness fits into the entrepreneurial grind, this episode will leave you inspired to rethink what truly matters and how to align your choices with the life you want.
 
Quotes
“One of my coaching mottos is: awareness allows change. Happiness is a major component, and much of it comes down to changing the way we habitually believe and think.” (03:43 | Peter Teuscher)
“Happiness is this feedback that either the way I’m thinking about the world or the actions and choices that I’m making are really not on track or not in alignment with my values or the needs that I have.” (06:33 | Peter Teuscher) 
“We have this inner emotional guidance system that will, whether you call it your intuition or your instincts, when you have certain outcomes, you’ll feel emotions, disappointment or happiness or joy or satisfaction.” (07:28 | Peter Teuscher) 
“Sometimes we’ll believe something despite the facts. But a lot of times our beliefs are those things that we can’t necessarily prove one way or another, or we don’t have enough information to, so we just develop this belief about something. And so instead of asking yourself, is this belief true? I ask people to consider if this belief is useful.” (15:50 | Peter Teuscher) 
“Happy people tend to make better decisions that tend to be better citizens, neighbors, partners in relationships, because that happiness is this feedback that they’re on the right track and that they’re making the right choices.” (36:50 | Peter Teuscher)
 
Links
Connect with Peter Teuscher:
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-teuscher-7480257/
Website: https://www.peterteuscher.com/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 70: Giving Private Equity a Human Touch

“Some would say they manage people. We like to think we lead hearts, and that if we tap into the power of the heart, then the mind and the hands and the effort comes much more powerfully thereafter,” shares Ryan Heckman, Olympic athlete turned private equity investor and co-founder of Rallyday Partners, a firm transforming private equity with a deeply human-centered approach.
 
In this episode, Ryan joins Alex Raymond to discuss how Rallyday Partners is challenging the traditional stigma of private equity as a necessary evil. Ryan explains how his experiences as both a CEO and an investor shaped the firm’s mission to prioritize purpose and people over mere financial returns. Their approach includes building meaningful connections with founders, fostering personal and professional growth for employees, and redefining leadership to focus on hearts rather than assets.
 
Ryan also shares insights into Rallyday Partner’s unique methodologies, including purpose-driven strategies, leadership development, and organizational culture tailored to the vision of each founder. As a proponent of Conscious Capitalism, Ryan introduces the Colorado chapter launch aimed at promoting stakeholder-centric business practices.
 
This episode invites you to rethink private equity and consider a model where purpose and profit work hand in hand. How can businesses grow sustainably while creating fulfilling experiences for everyone involved? Ryan’s vision provides a compelling answer.
 
Quotes
"How could we make private equity a source of goodness and not a necessary evil? That was a very fundamental question that we asked." (04:04 | Ryan Heckman)
“There's two problems with saying you manage assets for a living. First of all, management is a primitive form of leadership. It's as if to say that your role in the world is to manage something, not lead something. The difference is leadership is earned. Management is more of a compliance relationship.” (04:49 | Ryan Heckman)
“Some would say they manage people. We like to think we lead hearts, and that if we tap into the power of the heart, then the mind and the hands and the effort comes much more powerfully thereafter.” (05:46 | Ryan Heckman)
"We have an expression here that we use all the time, which is that the objective is professional, but the journey is personal." (20:18 | Ryan Heckman)
“Purpose is what catalyzes discretionary effort. It's what attracts great talent. Meaningful work and being part of meaningful work is what really drives the human heart to do extraordinary things.” (21:46 | Ryan Heckman)
"The first job in leadership development is to make sure that people feel the pride in themselves first, that they feel like they deserve to grow." (30:12 | Ryan Heckman)
 
Links
Connect with Ryan Heckman:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-heckman-906a2530/ 
Website: https://rallydaypartners.com/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 69: Billionaire Wellness for Entrepreneurs

“With an improved healthspan, cognitively, people are on their game. They’re in flow with their business. They’re able to be much more productive.” For Dr. Fred Grover Jr., the Chief Medical Officer of Phi Longevity, this is more than a vision—it is a measurable goal. By prioritizing proactive, integrative health strategies, Dr. Grover points out that optimizing physical and mental well-being goes beyond extending life; it’s about thriving in every area of work and life. Entrepreneurs, he explains, can unlock extraordinary creativity, leadership, and resilience when they prioritize their health as much as their business goals.
 
In this episode, Alex Raymond is joined by Dr. Grover and Steve Pinedo, the co-founder and CEO of Phi Longevity, to discuss why health is an important foundation for effective leadership and sustainable business success. Together, they introduce the Foundational Five—a holistic wellness framework centered on nutrition, movement, sleep, regenerative self-healing, and cutting-edge therapies.
 
By treating health like a business—tracking key metrics and focusing on impactful strategies—this episode reveals how to boost performance, extend longevity, and enhance mental clarity. It’s a call to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to wellness, offering entrepreneurs practical steps to take control of their health and future-proof their lives.
 
Quotes
“In the allopathic traditional world, you’re looking at a 10-minute visit that just doesn’t provide an ample amount of time to address prevention other than say, ‘Okay, it’s time for your mammo, time for your PSA, time for your colonoscopy.’ And that’s about all they’re able to tackle.” (05:46 | Dr. Fred Grover Jr.)
“With an improved healthspan, cognitively, people are on their game. They’re in flow with their business. They’re able to be much more productive.” (06:28 | Dr. Fred Grover Jr.)
“Wellness is just critically important because medical science has delivered a number of great innovations that have allowed us to live longer and really long, potentially fulfilling lives. But because of a lot of our unhealthy lifestyles, we’re living a lot of our end of our years in a very debilitated state. And the only way we can really counteract that is through proactive medicine and proactively taking care of ourselves.” (03:02 | Steve Pinedo)
“What are those numbers that you manage your health to? And what are those key performance indicators for your health, for cardiovascular health, for body composition? What is your percentage of muscle? What is your percentage of fat? How are they changing over time? So you have to sort of think about this more systematically about what those numbers are, and then work with a team to think about what are the modalities that you can employ and control to address those.” (11:30 | Steve Pinedo)
 
Links
Connect with Steve Pinedo and Dr. Fred Grover Jr., MD:
https://www.philongevity.com/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 68: The Future of Work is Human

“I set up Oyster as a software platform to enable any company in the world to tap into the global talent pool without setting up entities, hiring lawyers, accountants, payroll providers, benefit providers. I established it as a mission-driven company, first and foremost, because what I realized was if I align what I do with what I believe in, I feel more fulfilled. I feel happier in my life,” shares Tony Jamous, the CEO and co-founder of Oyster, a company that’s shaping the future of work by embracing borderless, flexible, and human-centered principles.  
 
In this episode, Tony joins Alex Raymond to talk about the challenges and opportunities of building culture in a distributed workforce. How does one lead with trust in a world where connection often feels distant? Tony’s journey to creating a $1.2 billion company during the pandemic highlights how belonging and empathy can transform workplace culture.  
 
With a team spanning 80 countries, Oyster proves that diversity and flexibility can fuel both fulfillment and productivity. Tony shares how his personal experiences, including overcoming PTSD, shaped his leadership approach and commitment to creating workplaces where people truly thrive.  
 
This episode will challenge how you think about leadership and belonging in a post-pandemic world. Can culture evolve to meet the needs of a global workforce? Tony’s story suggests it must.
 
Quotes
“We are a talent magnet. We have diversity that is unheard of. We achieve a level of engagement and fulfillment for our employees that leads into productivity that is unheard of, because people feel cared for. They feel that we are designing a work model for them that makes them successful no matter where they live.” (05:36 | Tony Jamous) 
“We believe that democratizing access to global job opportunities has a massive potential in creating more equal worlds. The reason why emerging economies remain emerging is because they lose their best talent to the West, and they don’t come back.” (06:58 | Tony Jamous)
“It’s really about having a clear and strong vision and strategy, and then assembling and empowering the best team to deliver on it. That’s been my formula.” (15:32 | Tony Jamous)
“Leaders at the very top of their game have to learn how to recognize themselves and not expect recognition from the outside. You can even push it to the extreme and say they can thrive on neglect. They are here to build the systems on which a business can thrive in a healthy way, including fostering a healthy culture. That’s what I believe leaders should be striving toward.” (16:57 | Tony Jamous)
“The reason we’re not moving as fast as we need to toward a better future is because leaders are caught in a cycle of meeting quotas and delivering results, such as hitting numbers. There’s immense pressure, and the ability to handle stress and pressure is diminishing as stress levels rapidly increase for leaders.” (18:21 | Tony Jamous) 
 
Links
Connect with Tony Jamous:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teljamou/
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/
 
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP 67: Bold, Fast, Creative and Free

“How do we get organizations where everyone has the opportunity and the support to contribute to their fullest?” For Michele Zanini, the co-author of “Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them” with Gary Hamel, the answer lies in rethinking the way companies operate. 
 
In this episode, Michele explains how organizations can move beyond rigid bureaucratic systems to create environments that thrive on creativity, resilience, and accountability. He points out the power of a clear, shared purpose to align teams and the importance of nurturing small, autonomous groups that stay agile and entrepreneurial as companies grow. Michele also redefines leadership as a tool to multiply individual potential rather than manage from above, and challenges outdated performance systems by advocating for peer-driven accountability. 
 
Join Alex Raymond and Michele Zanini as they explore how leaders can rethink traditional approaches to organizational design and create workplaces that genuinely empower their people.
 
Quotes
“The idea of humanocracy is really about how to create organizations that are as capable as the people inside them, that are as daring, as courageous as people can be when they’re at their best. They’re as resilient, they’re able to bounce back from a crisis as we often are in our personal lives. As creative as millions of people who are on YouTube, sharing content that sometimes gets millions of people to engage with it. And are as passionate as we can be.” (02:54 | Michele Zanini)
“People will still be part of organizations, but what if, instead of organizations viewing people as tools, we saw the organization as the instrument to better our lives and the lives of those we serve? The organization becomes the platform for impact.” (05:37 | Michele Zanini)
“The other thing that a mission really does is that it provides a lot of motivation and alignment. So in a way, the mission is your boss. If everybody’s united by a particular purpose that is shared, you don’t need a lot of supervision.” (15:43 | Michele Zanini)
“How do I give everyone in the team or the organization maximum autonomy and maximum accountability? And then how do I enable that? How do I create an organizational environment where that is encouraged and flourishes? You can specify some of that by wiring the organization in a particular way, but there are also things you need to do. For instance, how do you give everyone the competence to make the right decision for the business?” (47:39 | Michele Zanini)
 
Links
Connect with Michele Zanini:
Website: https://www.michelezanini.com/
Humanocracy: https://www.humanocracy.com/course/BMI
 
Connect with Alex Raymond:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm