Heartbeat For Hire with Lyndsay Dowd

Lyndsay Dowd

Details

The Heartbeat for Hire Podcast was created to inspire leaders on how to get through the most difficult of circumstances. I feature CEOs, Olympians, Professional Athletes, Authors, Disruptors, Emmy Winning Journalists and more as they share their stories of resilience with my lens on leadership and culture. My guests share their vulnerability and lessons learned so those of you who have never had a good leader can see the possible in the way they lead. My goal is to transform leadership as we know it and this podcast features the best of the best in showing you the way.

Recent Episodes

OCT 21, 2026
226: The Man Who Sold X.com to Elon Musk with Andrew Rosener
Andrew Rosener is a globally recognized authority in domain name investment and brokerage, widely regarded as the foremost dealmaker in digital real estate. As the Founder and CEO of MediaOptions, the world's leading domain brokerage firm, Andrew has facilitated over $800 million in domain sales, including high-profile transactions such as X.com to Elon Musk, Zoom.com to Zoom, Prime.com and Podcast.com to Amazon, Galaxy.com to Galaxy Digital as well as thousands of others. His expertise and assistance in domain name and digital asset acquisition has enabled Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors to establish powerful online brands, optimize digital marketing strategies, and capture significant market share. As a true innovator in the domain industry, Andrew developed the Rosener Equation, a widely adopted methodology for objectively valuing domain names based on data and key market factors, helping businesses and investors make informed digital asset decisions. His strategic foresight and deep understanding of domain valuation, acquisition, and negotiation have reshaped the domain investment landscape, positioning him as one of the preeminent thought leaders in the digital economy, from domain names to crypto and well beyond. Connect with Andrew Rosener X: x.com/andrewrosner LinkedIn: Andrew Rosener Company: mediaoptions.com Episode Summary: In this conversation with Lyndsay, Andrew shares how he left a mid-six-figure job in his mid-20s, moved abroad, and bet everything on a pile of domains most people thought were worthless. He explains why a domain name is really digital real estate, how he built an objective way to price something nobody knew how to value, and what it felt like to broker x.com. He closes with what inspires him, the one line he wants on his tombstone, and why he believes leaning into change always pays off. Key Takeaways: Know your natural strength. Small goals beat big leaps. A domain is the shortest path to someone's intent. Exact-match .coms build instant trust. Fix what's broken in a market. Episode Chapters: 00:00 – Preview and What You'll Learn 00:46 – Welcome to Heartbeat for Hire 01:02 – Meet Andrew Rosener 01:53 – From College Software Startup to Seafood Sales 04:49 – Collecting Domains and Leaving a Six-Figure Job 08:29 – Sink or Swim: Moving to Panama 09:32 – The First Big Break: Selling Pizza.net 10:55 – Why Domains Are Digital Real Estate 14:44 – Becoming a Broker and Creating the Valuation Formula 19:00 – How He Brokered x.com 21:59 – Short Domains and Two-Letter .coms 22:53 – Thank You and Listener Perk 23:36 – What Inspires Andrew 25:11 – His Legacy: "He Always Did What He Said He Was Gonna Do" 25:49 – Where to Find Andrew 26:18 – What's Next 26:58 – Final Takeaway: Don't Be Afraid of Change
28 MIN
OCT 14, 2026
225: Boundaries Built Her a Billion with Lacey Newman
Lacey Newman is a founder, coach, and keynote speaker who has helped thousands of high-performing women build businesses and lives that are truly their own. Over two decades she scaled a real estate team to nearly $1B in volume, was the former host of the Emmy-nominated The American Dream, and grew her income from under $50K to seven figures — all while raising two kids on her own. After failing out of real estate once (she was one of the 85% who do), Lacey came back with a different playbook — one built on boundaries, systems, and self-trust instead of hustle. Today she teaches women to stop over-functioning, untangle their identity from productivity, and reinvent their work from a place of clarity instead of burnout. Connect with Lacey Newman: website: laceynewman.com Instagram: @heylaceynewman Episode Summary: Lacey Newman spent 20+ years in real estate, helped build a team that crossed $1 billion in sales volume, and hosted the Emmy-nominated show The American Dream. She also quit the industry for about two years, felt like a failure as a young mom, and went through a divorce in 2014 with two kids ages three and five. When she came back to real estate, she threw out the rule book. She stopped being available 24/7, took control of her schedule, and was surprised to find that clients respected her more and her business grew. She went from earning under $70K a year to a multi-seven-figure business. Key Takeaways: Boundaries help your business. Failure is only failure if you stop. A pivot is not quitting. Fire the bad client. Take care of your body, mind, and spirit first. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: three things you'll learn 00:47 Welcome and meet Lacey Newman 01:44 Lacey's story: from new agent to quitting during the recession 03:07 Divorce and the comeback to real estate 04:20 From a billion-dollar team to coaching women 05:23 Turning failure around: throwing out the rule book 08:37 Boundaries for clients and why Lacey celebrates firing a client 10:25 Failure, playing big, and pivoting vs. quitting 11:47 Looking fine on the outside, struggling on the inside 15:53 Listener thank-you and Cozy Earth discount 16:58 What inspires Lacey: her kids, a favorite quote, and mom guilt 19:53 Lacey's legacy 20:58 What's next: a new podcast, a book, and going all in on AI 22:33 Where to find Lacey 23:01 Final message for listeners 23:49 Wrap-up and outro
24 MIN
OCT 7, 2026
224: The Woman Who Jumps Toward Fear with Jenny Cova
Jenny Cova is a professional skydiver, BASE jumper, adventure athlete, author, speaker, and entrepreneur who has spent much of her life learning what fear can teach us when we stop running from it. With thousands of jumps and more than a decade spent in high pressure environments—from the sky to the mountains—Jenny has learned that courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the relationship we build with it, and who we become when we stop letting fear choose our lives. She is the author of Why Am I Here and the founder of The She Who Rises, a growing movement rooted in the belief that when women rise, humanity rises. Through her writing, speaking, and work, Jenny explores self-leadership, our relationship with fear, and what it means to live with greater courage, presence, purpose, and joy. Swiss-Italian and based in the Swiss Alps, Jenny is most at home somewhere between earth and sky—whether she's skydancing, BASE jumping, climbing mountains, skiing, or asking the Connect With Jenny: Website: www.jenny-cova.com LinkedIn: Jenny Cova Instagram: @jenjen.cova Episode Summary: Thousands of skydives and BASE jumps taught Jenny Cova something most people never learn: courage isn't about running through fear, it's about understanding it. In this conversation with Lindsay, Jenny shares how a childhood spent staring at clouds led her to wingsuit BASE jumping, why skydiving was the first sport she wasn't naturally good at, and how her perfectionism nearly pushed her out of the sport she loved. Key Takeaways: Courage isn't the absence of fear. Fear has a reason. Mistakes are how you learn. Swap pressure for love. Some fear is healthy. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: put love on yourself instead of pressure 00:25 What you'll learn + welcome to the show 00:58 Meet Jenny Cova 01:52 Jenny's story: Switzerland, adventure sports, and her relationship with fear 02:39 Childhood dreams of the sky and discovering wingsuit BASE jumping 03:59 From first skydive to serious jumper 06:28 Learning to dance in the sky and taking five years off 07:43 Why mistakes matter and how Jenny coaches others through them 08:17 Self-love, self-worth, and patience 09:16 Leadership lessons: it's okay not to know everything 10:35 Courage, fear, and the "adrenaline junkie" myth 11:21 Fear of imperfection and healing the younger self 12:17 BASE jumping, healthy fear, and Jenny's pre-jump routine 13:22 Coping tools, breathwork, and the next generation 14:24 Who Jenny works with and her "midlife awakening" 15:42 Listener thank-you and show perks 16:32 What inspires Jenny 17:44 Jenny's legacy 18:46 Where to find Jenny and her book Why Am I Here? 20:04 Final message: act in spite of fear, then understand it 21:04 Jenny's Sneaks skydive campaign 21:32 Wrap-up and goodbye
22 MIN
SEP 30, 2026
223: Bravery, Billions, and the Business of Protection with Bruce Cardenas
Bruce E. Cardenas journey spans from the United States Marine Corps (disabled veteran) to the LAPD, where he was awarded the highest award, the Police Medal for bravery. He still serves as a level one reserve for the LA County Sheriff's Department serving the citizens of the county. Bruce then embarked on his entrepreneurial path by founding a high-level personal protection business. Protecting some of the biggest names in entertainment & business over the past 30 years. All while serving as a police officer. A serendipitous meeting with the founders of Quest Nutrition led Bruce to become an intrapreneur within the startup, ultimately rising to Chief Communications Officer. He played an instrumental role in the billion-dollar sale of Quest Nutrition. Bruce's journey now continues with Legendary Foods, where he leverages his expertise and passion. Legendary is on track to be another billion dollar brand! And at Legendary, we spend millions of dollars a year, looking for answers in cancer, heart, disease, neuropathy, and other metabolic diseases, We started our own Bio Shift research foundation, 501(c)(3), nonprofit as we continue this battle Connect with Bruce Cardenas Website: brucecardenas.com (his book is available here) Social media: Bruce E. Cardenas Episode Summary: Bruce Cardenas grew up in a small New Jersey town of about 1,000 people, was held back in school, and dreamed of joining the local five-man police department. That path led him through the Marine Corps, the LAPD, and a 30-year career as a personal bodyguard for some of the biggest names in entertainment. Key Takeaways: Bring value with no strings attached. Relationships and professionalism build a business. Think like an intrapreneur. Be obsessed with customers, not competitors. Keep it simple and consistent. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Cold Open: Three Things You'll Learn Today 00:45 Welcome and Introducing Bruce Cardenas 01:54 Growing Up in High Bridge, NJ, and Joining the Marine Corps 05:01 From Camp Pendleton to the LAPD 06:08 Starting a Bodyguard Business While Working as a Cop 09:26 Meeting the Founders of Quest Nutrition 12:22 Becoming an Intrapreneur and Chief Communications Officer 13:44 The Billion-Dollar Cash Sale and Being Obsessed with Customers 14:45 What Is Legendary Foods? 16:10 Costly Mistakes at Quest and Why Consistency Wins 17:15 Leadership Lessons from Founder Ron Pena 18:16 The 85% Blockage That Changed Everything 19:41 $20 Million into Cancer and Heart Disease Research 21:32 Ron's Vision and Showing Up with Value 22:58 What Inspires Bruce: Money as a Facilitator 24:09 Legacy and Why He Wrote His Book 24:56 What's Next for Bruce and Legendary 26:05 Where to Find Bruce 26:19 Final Advice: Start Today 27:53 Closing Thoughts
28 MIN
SEP 23, 2026
222: How Sports Deals Actually Get Done with Roger Duthie
Roger Duthie brings over 19 years of experience in senior management at one of the world's most recognizable brands, Emirates Airline. During his tenure, he successfully negotiated and managed high-profile contracts with some of the biggest sporting teams and organizations globally, overseeing a budget exceeding $300 million. His extensive international network spans across brands, teams, leagues, and athletes, making his connections in the world of sports unparalleled. With a deep passion for sports and a vast business acumen, Roger's expertise spans football, golf, tennis, and baseball. His close ties to the DP World Tour (formerly the PGA European Tour), The Ryder Cup, the PGA Tour, the Asian Tour, and numerous high-profile players have strengthened his reputation as a leader in sports sponsorship. Connect with Roger Duthie: Website: bearfishsportsmarketing.com Dubai Little League: dubailittleleague.com LinkedIn: Roger Duthie Episode Summary: Lyndsay Dowd sits down with Roger Duthie, who spent 19 years building Emirates Airline's global sponsorship program — negotiating deals with Real Madrid, Arsenal, PSG, the NFL, F1, and FIFA on a $300 million budget — before launching his own sports marketing firm, Barefish Marketing. Roger shares how he broke into elite global sponsorships as an outsider representing Dubai, why never burning a bridge became the backbone of his career, and how "old school in values, modern in tools" shapes his leadership style today. The conversation also dives into his 20+ years volunteering with Dubai Little League, where he's helped grow baseball from a small expat pastime into a thriving multinational youth program that's sent players to college scholarships and national teams. Roger closes with a candid take on AI in the workplace — encouraging young professionals to build real, human relationships instead of leaning on ChatGPT for everything. Key Takeaways: - Never burn a bridge. - Sponsorship money is spent to make money. - Face-to-face still wins. - Big deals open doors for bigger deals. - Behind the glamour is grinding. - Passion projects can leave a real legacy. - Use AI as a tool, not a replacement. Episode Chapters: 00:00 — Cold open: "Don't go to ChatGPT to write your email" 00:56 — Intro to Heartbeat for Hire and today's guest 01:23 — Meet Roger Duthie 01:39 — Roger's path: Bahamas to Dubai, 28 years in the UAE 02:56 — Landing at Emirates Airline and building the sponsorship department 03:56 — Leaving a 19-year career at Emirates to start his own company 04:12 — Leadership philosophy: never burn a bridge 05:49 — Has relationship-building changed for the next generation? 06:56 — Breaking into FIFA, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and PSG 08:39 — Managing a $300 million sponsorship budget and staying accountable 13:08 — The biggest misconception about sponsorship work 14:09 — Leadership lessons: ROI, ROO, and building real business value 14:35 — Barefish Marketing: what Roger does today 14:49 — Explaining baseball's value to non-American markets 17:52 — What inspires Roger to keep going 19:36 — Roger's hoped-for legacy: his kids, and Dubai Little League 20:43 — Where to find Roger and Barefish Marketing 21:12 — What's next for Roger 21:38 — Closing thoughts: AI, human relationships, and advice for young people 24:47 — Wrap-up
25 MIN