Decidedly I Decision Tips for Business Owners

What happens when a self-proclaimed couch potato decides to plunge into some of the coldest waters on earth? You get Ryan Stramrood, world record ice swimmer, Antarctic adventurer, and performance coach who’s redefined what it means to push past impossible.

In this episode of Decidedly, we dive deep (literally and figuratively) into Ryan’s journey from ordinary beginnings in Cape Town to becoming one of the world’s most acclaimed extreme swimmers. Along the way, Ryan shares how the freezing waters of Antarctica, the English Channel, and countless Robben Island crossings taught him the truth about fear, resilience, and decision making under pressure.

If you’ve ever wanted to know where real growth happens – in business, leadership, and life – this conversation will change the way you think about your limits.

KEY TOPICS

• Why cold water exposes the real limits of the human mind and body

• The difference between your “mind’s endpoint” and your true endpoint, and where the magic happens

• How to train your brain to stay calm under extreme stress and discomfort

• What endurance swimming teaches us about leadership, decision making, and business growth

• The importance of finishing the process, and why the hardest part comes after the swim

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Introduction

• 06:30 The Mental and Physical Impact of Cold Water

• 13:00 Pushing Past the Mind’s Endpoint

• 17:30 Lessons from the Robben Island Swim

• 21:00 English Channel vs. Everest

• 25:40 Training the Body & Mind for Extreme Cold

• 30:00 Finding Flow and Spiritual Connection

• 37:00 Lessons in Decision Making from Extreme Swimming

• 40:00 Near-Death Experiences and Respecting Limits

• 45:00 Swimming Antarctica: The Coldest Challenge

• 52:00 The After Drop and Recovery

• 57:00 Business Takeaways: Growth Happens in Discomfort

If you’ve ever wondered how to face fear, embrace discomfort, and discover what’s possible beyond your limits, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

#Mindset #Leadership #ExtremeSports #DecidedlyPodcast #RyanStramrood

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What do Michael Jordan, Dean Smith, and high-performing CEOs all have in common? The answer: culture beats talent every time.

In this episode of Decidedly, we sit down with Coach Matt Doherty, 1982 UNC National Champion, former head coach of the Tar Heels, and now an executive coach for business leaders. From cutting down nets with Jordan to coaching at Notre Dame and UNC, Doherty has lived through the highs of championships and the lows of leadership challenges.

Coach Doherty shares stories from the locker room, the boardroom, and beyond, showing exactly how to apply championship-level leadership to your business, team, or career.

KEY TOPICS

• The untold lessons from Dean Smith’s legendary “Play Hard, Play Smart, Play Together” culture

• Why culture, not just systems or talent, is the deciding factor for winning teams and thriving companies

• The three things only a CEO (or head coach) can do — and why you can’t outsource them

• How to rebound from setbacks and turn failure into fuel for future success

• Why every leader needs a personal board of directors to make better decisions

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Introduction

• 02:38 The Esteemed Title of 'Coach'

• 04:23 Impact of Coaches on Young Lives

• 11:11 Journey to North Carolina

• 12:32 Winning the 1982 Championship

• 13:28 Core Values and Team Culture

• 18:18 Challenges of Following a Legendary Coach

• 23:18 Lessons in Leadership and Executive Coaching

• 24:46 Navigating Relationships with Mentors

• 25:48 Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

• 29:50 Managing Up and Organizational Dynamics

• 33:15 Building and Motivating Teams

• 36:30 Vision, Culture, and Systems in Leadership

• 45:13 Decision Making and Peer Advisory

• 48:44 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

If you’ve ever wondered how champions are built –  in sports or in business – this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

#Leadership #Basketball #ExecutiveCoaching #DecidedlyPodcast

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Are you as good at making decisions as you think you are? 🤔

In this replay of the Decidedly Podcast, we sit down with repeat guest Don Moore, UC Berkeley professor and author of Perfectly Confident and Decision Leadership, to unpack the hidden dangers of overconfidence and overprecision in business, investing, parenting, and everyday life.

You’ll learn:
✅ What the Dunning–Kruger effect really means (and how to spot it in yourself)
✅ Why most people are too sure about their decisions — and what that costs them
✅ How probabilistic thinking can sharpen your choices in business and beyond
✅ The difference between confidence that fuels success vs. confidence that blinds you
✅ Real-world examples: from parenting choices to market predictions to AI hallucinations

If you’ve ever wondered why smart people still make bad decisions — and how to avoid being one of them — this conversation is packed with actionable wisdom.

What if the biggest threat to your business growth wasn’t a lack of ideas—but chasing the wrong ones?

In this episode of Decidedly, we sit down with Tim Hines – fractional CMO, business coach, and author – to unpack how entrepreneurs can stop wasting time on “shiny objects” and start building marketing strategies that actually drive revenue. With years of experience helping companies go from zero to one, Tim shares what it takes to align marketing with business goals, avoid costly mistakes, and harness authenticity in a noisy marketplace.

From breaking free of vanity metrics to learning why most founders set their teams up to fail, Tim reveals the blueprint for creating marketing systems that scale. We explore why small businesses often misunderstand marketing, how to think like a starter without burning out, and why authenticity is the only real filter left in today’s AI-saturated world.

This conversation isn’t about flashy campaigns – it’s about clarity, focus, and making decisions that move the needle. If you’ve ever wondered how to build marketing that works for your stage of business, this episode will help you decide what really matters.

KEY TOPICS

• Fractional CMO insights: when to hire one and why

• The #1 mistake startups make when starting marketing

• Why chasing “shiny objects” kills growth

• Marketing as investment vs. cost center

• Funnels, metrics, and why most companies don’t track them

• B2B vs. B2C marketing: what really changes

• Content marketing myths (and the dangers of AI copy-paste)

• How to know if your in-house marketing is holding you back

• Why authenticity is the strongest filter for modern brands

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Introduction

• 03:00 Why Marketing Starts with Business Goals

• 07:45 Shiny Object Syndrome: Common Startup Mistakes

• 12:00 Funnels, Metrics, and Why Most Companies Don’t Track Them

• 17:15 B2B vs. B2C Marketing – What Really Changes

• 22:00 Content Marketing Myths and AI Pitfalls

• 26:00 Authenticity as the Last Real Filter in Business

• 30:00 Starters vs. Finishers: Knowing Your Strengths

• 36:00 The “In-House Marketing” Trap for Small Businesses

• 41:00 Marketing as Investment, Not Expense

• 47:00 Tim’s Top Decision-Making Tip for Entrepreneurs

#StartupMarketing #MarketingStrategy #BusinessGrowth #FractionalCMO #Entrepreneurship #AuthenticMarketing #MarketingMistakes #SmallBusinessMarketing #ContentMarketingMyths #RevenueGrowth #MarketingTips #DecidedlyPodcast

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What if the key to resilience wasn’t about avoiding suffering—but learning to embrace it with grit, faith, and silence?

In this episode of Decidedly, we sit down with Father Stephen J. Gadberry – Catholic priest, Air Force veteran, and ultra-endurance athlete – to uncover how tragedy, discipline, and devotion shaped his approach to decision-making and leadership. From losing his father and sister in a car accident at age eight, to serving in the military, to leading thousands in his parish, Father Stephen reveals how resilience is forged in silence and tested in service.

We dive deep into the role of suffering in spiritual growth, the power of identity before mission, and why leaders must learn to “know where their mess is.” This conversation isn’t about perfection – it’s about the freedom that comes from honesty, faith, and radical perseverance. If you’ve ever wrestled with pain, purpose, or what it means to lead with integrity, this episode will shift how you see your own journey.

KEY TOPICS

• How childhood tragedy forged resilience and grit

• Why silence is essential for strong decision-making

• The dangers of radical independence, and how to ask for help

• Vulnerability in leadership: why showing your mess frees others

• Faith, perseverance, and the gift of suffering

• Identity before mission: why who you are comes before what you do

• How to discern between God’s will and personal preference

• Why men are hungry for authentic guidance, and what leaders must do about it

• Lessons from endurance racing, the military, and the priesthood

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Introduction

• 03:15 Father Stephen’s Childhood Tragedy and Early Faith

• 07:45 How Grit Became the Theme of His Life

• 10:30 Resilience, Independence, and Asking for Help

• 14:20 Discernment: God’s Will vs. Personal Preference

• 18:00 Vulnerability and Leadership in the Church

• 21:15 Why Men Are Craving Authentic Guidance

• 25:00 Identity Before Mission: The Foundation of Leadership

• 28:15 Making Hard Decisions and Setting Boundaries

• 32:00 The Role of Coachability in Growth and Faith

• 35:40 Training for the Leadville 100 and Lessons from Endurance Sports

• 40:00 Competing on American Ninja Warrior to Preach the Gospel

• 43:15 Wrestling with Psychedelics, Spirituality, and Discernment

• 47:00 Father Stephen’s Top Tip for Decision-Making: Silence

#FaithAndResilience #DecisionMaking #CatholicPodcast #FatherStephen #GritAndGrace #LeadershipThroughFaith #ResilientLiving #SpiritualGrowth #IdentityBeforeMission #VulnerabilityInLeadership #DecidedlyPodcast #TrueFaith #PowerOfSilence #HealingThroughFaith #CatholicLeadership

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