Create the Future
The Create the Future Podcast™ is hosted by Rick Williams, keynote speaker and author of Create the Future – your essential leadership guidebook for making difficult decisions. The Create the Future Podcast is a community forum for leaders to share their stories about making difficult choices in an engaging and entertaining way so others will learn from their experiences. When you listen to the Create the Future Podcast, you will learn how to be a more successful leader who makes the difficult decisions. You will hear how inspiring leaders have faced similar challenges. You will hear about courage, fear, determination, and hope. Executives, entrepreneurs, aspiring leaders, board members, nonprofit leaders, public-sector leaders, and mission-driven professionals share their stories about leadership challenges and making tough choices that shaped the future of their organization and their own careers. If you have a compelling story to tell about making a tough call for your company, or any organization – what went right, what went wrong, and lessons learned – share your story with the Create the Future Podcast audience. Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.rickwilliamsleadership.com/podcast-guest.
Episodes
In this episode of Create the Future, your host Rick Williams speaks with Tom Doorley, CEO of Sage Partners, about leadership and decision-making.
Tom shares his journey from chemical engineer to management consultant at Arthur D. Little, and eventually entrepreneur. He recounts two key decisions: leaving Arthur D. Little to found his own consulting firm despite personal financial pressures, and helping a current client reassess mis...
In this episode of Create the Future, host Rick Williams speaks with John Walsh, Founder and CEO of Endera.
John shares his entrepreneurial journey, from launching businesses at just 25 years old to building and scaling an electric bus company in a rapidly evolving market. Drawing on lessons from private equity, automotive restructuring, startup failures, and customer development, John explains why the most successful founders valid...
In this episode of Create the Future, your host Rick Williams speaks with Bobby Humes, CEO of BH Consultancy and former HR Director for the City of Seattle.
Bobby shares his leadership journey, including receiving anonymous critical letters while modernizing Seattle's HR department, battling imposter syndrome, and navigating resistance to change. He discusses how executive coaching transformed his perspective, leading him to launch ...
In this episode of Create the Future, your host Rick Williams speaks with Dr. Eugene Manley, Jr., Founder and CEO of STEMM & Cancer Health Equity.
Dr. Manley shares his journey from inner-city Detroit to becoming a mechanical engineer, molecular biologist, and patient advocate. He recounts a pivotal leadership moment when an uninvited speaker demanded keynote status at his lung cancer health equity summit. Dr. Manley stood firm,...
In this episode of the Create the Future podcast, your host Rick Williams speaks with Rhonda Petit, Founder of 3X5 Coaching LLC. Rhonda shares her journey from a 34-year sales career to becoming a leadership coach. She discusses the pivotal decisions she made at 40, including leaving a demanding job and ending her marriage, driven by her struggle with codependency and approval addiction. Rhonda emphasizes the importance of authenti...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, your host Rick Williams speaks with Adam Povlitz, CEO & President of Anago Cleaning, about his journey from finance and IBM to leading his father's three-tier commercial cleaning franchise.
Adam shares how he started at the bottom, learned every role, and eventually scaled the company from $67M to $100M in just 19 months by delegating strategically and hiring senior leaders. He a...
In this episode of the Create the Future podcast, host Rick Williams interviews Dr. Zafra Lerman, President of the Malta Conferences Foundation.
Dr. Lerman shares her journey as a scientist and leader, highlighting her courageous efforts to unite scientists from conflicting Middle Eastern countries to promote peace through science. She discusses overcoming personal and political challenges, the power of science diplomacy, and the im...
In this episode of Create the Future, your host Rick Williams interviews Desiree Martinez, Founder of The Kast Agency.
Desiree shares her journey from early social media marketing to making a pivotal decision: shifting her business from chasing rapid growth to focusing on sustainable, values-driven strategies. She discusses adapting to industry changes, especially the rise of AI and the renewed need for human connection. Desiree emp...
In this episode, host Rick Williams and guest Dusty Holcomb, Founder and CEO of Arcqus Group, engage in a thoughtful discussion on effective leadership, focusing on decision-making, vulnerability, and self-leadership.
They share personal stories and practical strategies, highlighting the importance of seeking diverse perspectives, managing fear, and separating self-worth from outcomes. The conversation emphasizes authentic vulnerabi...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, host Rick Williams interviews leadership coach and author Paul Thornton. Paul shares his journey from corporate HR leader to college professor and prolific writer.
He recounts a pivotal lesson from coaching hockey: enforcing accountability by leaving late players behind, despite their importance to the team. The discussion explores the challenges of leadership, the importance of livi...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, your host Rick Williams interviews Nick Jain, Co-Founder of Eagle Rock CFO. Nick shares his experience leading a mid-sized, founder-led software company through a pivotal transition to professional management. He discusses implementing data-driven decision-making, shifting company culture, and the importance of financial clarity. Nick also reflects on learning from failure, balancin...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, your host Rick Williams interviews executive coach Kim Sawyer, Founder & Principal of The Wealth Source, about pivotal decisions throughout his life and career.
Kim recounts his journey from adventurous travels and military service to entrepreneurship and executive coaching. He shares how his decision-making evolved from impulsive choices to a structured process involving mentors...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, host Rick Williams interviews Terence Chatmon, President & CEO of Victorious Family.
Terence shares his journey from corporate leadership at Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola to leading a nonprofit that empowers parents. He discusses making values-driven decisions, the importance of conviction and purpose, and how his experiences shaped his leadership. Terence emphasizes the la...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, host Rick Williams interviews John Walsh, Founder & CEO of Endera, a specialty automaker producing electric buses for government use.
John shares his entrepreneurial journey, from his start in private equity to founding Endera at 25, and discusses building his team, validating product-market fit, and scaling operations. He emphasizes the importance of honest company culture, stra...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, your host Rick Williams interviews George Dubec, Business Consultant at Ultimate Networking.
George, an author and entrepreneur known as "the ultimate networker," shares his journey from a corporate career at General Motors to entrepreneurship, highlighting pivotal decisions, the value of networking, and lessons learned from risk-taking. The conversation covers George’s venture...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, your host Rick Williams interviews Frances West, a veteran technology executive and founder of FrancesWest & Co.
Frances shares her journey, focusing on her challenging decision to lead IBM’s expansion in China during the 1990s. She discusses navigating cultural differences, adapting her leadership style, and the importance of authentic inclusion. The conversation highlight...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, your host Rick Williams interviews Jim Carlough, a leadership identity architect.
Jim recounts a difficult experience from 2002 when he had to lead a major staff reduction at a tech company. He shares how he maintained trust by promising advance notice, training, and job search support for affected employees. Jim emphasizes the importance of empathy, transparency, and integrity in le...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, host Rick Williams interviews brand strategist Larry Gulko.
Larry shares his unconventional journey from engineering to branding, emphasizing the importance of building a unique brand identity and making tough leadership decisions. He recounts starting his agency, Brand New Day, from scratch, the value of persistence, and the courage to leave unfulfilling clients, even prestigious on...
In this episode of the Create the Future Podcast, your host Rick Williams interviews Bob Howard, Founder of Magic Talent Solutions.
Bob shares his journey from Marine Corps leadership to navigating the cutthroat world of recruiting agencies, ultimately founding his own company to foster teamwork and fair practices. The conversation explores leadership styles, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the importance of accountability, ...
In this episode of the Create the Future podcast, host Rick Williams interviews Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder and CEO of Mavens and Moguls.
Paige shares her journey from investment banking to leading successful marketing teams at Fortune 500 companies and startups. She discusses tough leadership decisions, including letting go of valued employees who couldn’t adapt to growth and firing a high-paying but toxic client. Paige emphasi...
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