7-Figure Leap with Dustin Riechmann

What do you do when the work that looks great on paper no longer feels right? Career coach Ben Fox joins Dustin Riechmann to talk about burnout, identity, and the difficult decision to leave a job or change direction in your business. Ben shares how he helps clients calculate their financial runway and choose a Goldilocks quit date that gives them enough time to prepare without staying stuck indefinitely. Dustin opens up about leaving his engineering career and, years later, rethinking his role as a business owner after reaching a seven figure run rate. Together, they explore boundaries, family conversations, faith, and the freedom to treat your next move as an experiment rather than a permanent verdict. If you are building a business while working a full time job or wondering what needs to change in the business you already have, this conversation will help you take a practical first step. Chapters: (00:00:00) When a Successful Job Feels Soul Crushing (00:06:00) Burnout and Career Misalignment for Entrepreneurs (00:12:00) Leaving a Secure Job for a Family Business (00:18:00) Dustin’s Plan to Leave Engineering (00:24:00) Why Ben Quit His Startup Job (00:30:00) Calculate Your Financial Runway Before Quitting (00:36:00) From Career Change to a Fractional CTO Business (00:42:00) Set Boundaries and Commit to a Quit Date (00:48:00) Entrepreneur Burnout and the Shift to Leadership (00:54:00) Plan Your Next Move With the Goldilocks Quit Date Links and Resources Website Ben Fox on LinkedIn Dustin on LinkedIn 7 Figure Leap Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Leap? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Your next client may never visit your website. They're asking ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity who can solve their problem, and if AI can't clearly tell who you are and who you serve, you simply don't show up. In this episode, Dustin sits down with AI visibility strategist Cassie Egli of Straight4Ward Consulting & Marketing, who learned this lesson the hard way. When she split her agency into two brands, her online presence turned into a mixed message, her referrals slowed to a trickle, and AI stopped recommending her. By reverse engineering what was already working for her clients, she went from a dry spell to fully booked in eight weeks. Cassie walks through her Visibility Stack framework (Positioning, Proof, Path, and Pulse), explains what has and hasn't changed from old school SEO to answer engine optimization, and shares why podcast guesting, LinkedIn, and fresh third party proof now carry more weight than backlinks ever did. If you're a coach, consultant, or service business owner who has grown mostly through referrals, this conversation shows you how AI is quietly vetting those referrals and the simple changes you can make this week to become the recommendation. Chapters: (00:00:00) Will AI recommend you? What decides if you show up or stay invisible (00:04:16) Cassie's pivot: how splitting into two brands dried up her referrals (00:09:52) SEO vs AEO: what still matters and what changed (00:15:31) Why podcast guesting and third party proof win "position zero" (00:21:41) AI is the new referral filter vetting your warm introductions (00:25:40) The Visibility Stack framework: Positioning, Proof, Path, Pulse (00:29:27) Why narrowing your niche and sharing pricing helps AI recommend you (00:34:43) Quick wins: clear positioning up top and FAQs on every page (00:38:47) The AI Visibility Prompt Checklist and the Position Zero Challenge (00:43:52) How to test your AI visibility without false positives Links and Resources Position Zero Challenge: Listeners can use code PZCDUSTIN for 25% off the Position Zero Challenge: https://s4.marketing/position-zero-challenge/ AI Visibility / Visibility Stack Download: I also created a link specifically for your listeners so they can download the resource we discussed: https://sqr.co/dustinriechmann/ Link.tr.ee Cassie Egli on LinkedIn Dustin on LinkedIn 7 Figure Leap Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Leap? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

How much can one well matched podcast interview change a business? Corey Ganim joins Dustin Riechmann to share how he moved from Amazon wholesale into AI services, then built a community teaching others to find their first or next AI services client. Corey explains his $1,000 AI assessment, which helps a business owner identify three to seven practical AI opportunities with the potential to save at least five hours a week, and how that can lead to collaborative implementation support. He also talks candidly about a community launch that missed its target, the podcast appearance and assessment template that brought in thousands of leads and helped reveal what the audience really wanted, and the decision to reposition around making money with AI. Along the way, Corey shares how to test a business partnership before formalizing it, why the right podcast audience matters more than audience size, how interviews can grow into deeper partnerships, and how a smaller niche show became his biggest consulting opportunity to date. For consultants, agency owners, and entrepreneurs looking to grow with more focus, this is a practical reminder to take action, listen for market signals, and build on the relationships that create momentum. Chapters: (00:00:00) - From Amazon wholesale to AI services (00:07:00) - The $1,000 AI assessment and AI concierge model (00:14:00) - Testing a business partnership before making it official (00:21:00) - Paid discovery, free mini assessments, and community growth (00:28:00) - What a disappointing launch taught Corey about his audience (00:35:00) - The podcast appearance that brought thousands of leads (00:42:00) - Turning guest appearances into partnerships (00:49:00) - How a smaller niche podcast led to a major proposal (00:56:00) - Podcast guesting, backlinks, and AI search visibility (01:03:00) - Future plans and where to find Corey Links and Resources Corey Ganim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyganim/ Website: https://returnmytime.com/ Dustin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinriechmann/ 7 Figure Leap: https://7figureleap.com/ Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Leap? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

What does success look like when growth, impact, and personal fulfillment all matter? In this conversation, Dustin Riechmann sits down with Alex Judd, founder of Path for Growth, to explore a more durable answer: success is faithfulness. Alex shares how leaders can make clearer decisions without trying to control every outcome, why wisdom requires humility and community, and how mission driven founders can build companies that create impact beyond the founder. If you are scaling a business while trying to stay grounded in your purpose, this episode offers practical perspective for leading with conviction, freedom, and responsibility. Chapters: (00:00:00) Why success is faithfulness (00:01:00) Alex Judd’s path from leadership work to Path for Growth (00:07:00) How a longer time horizon changes what matters (00:13:00) Success, fulfillment, and obedience (00:20:00) How to discern your next business decision (00:23:00) God’s will, moral clarity, wisdom, and freedom (00:30:00) Grace, mistakes, and the real job of a leader (00:34:00) Finding wisdom through humility and community (00:40:00) The Path for Growth business model (00:47:00) Building a business that creates impact without depending on the owner Links and Resources Website: https://www.pathforgrowth.com/ Alex Judd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-judd-00103643/ Dustin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinriechmann/ 7 Figure Leap: https://7figureleap.com/ Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Leap? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

What if the next level of success is not bigger, faster, or more automated? In this replay, Dustin Riechmann sits down with entrepreneur and author Ryan Levesque to explore the tension ambitious business owners feel after growth starts working. Ryan shares his journey from building and selling businesses to choosing a more grounded life in Vermont, where his family raises much of their own food and spends more time connected to what matters. For coaches, consultants, and expert entrepreneurs, this conversation is a reminder that scale is not the only goal. Ryan explains how getting clear on what you are optimizing for can change the way you build your company, spend your time, and show up for the people you love, while offering practical ways to bring more real life into a business that still depends on screens. Chapters: (00:00:00) Why this replay matters and the idea behind Return to Real (00:03:00) Meeting Ryan and the values that matter beyond business credentials (00:04:30) Ryan's path from a small online business to the Ask Method (00:13:00) The slow road to meaningful revenue and entrepreneurial freedom (00:15:00) A failed sale, burnout, and a new question about life (00:18:00) Discovering permaculture and moving the family to Vermont (00:23:00) Building a farm that feeds the family (00:27:00) Simple practices for spending less time on screens (00:32:00) Creating memorable experiences with your family (00:34:00) What are you optimizing for in this season of business (00:39:00) Ryan's Digital Contrarian and writing with a human voice Links and Resources ASK Method: https://askmethod.com/ The Digital Contrarian Newsletter: https://ryanlevesque.net/newsletter Website: ryanlevesque.net ASK Method®: askmethod.com Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlevesque/ Dustin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinriechmann/ 7 Figure Leap: https://7figureleap.com/ Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Leap? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!