Your Future Realized

Find the full transcript at: yourfuturerealized.com/98.

Operations execs often tell me they’re running full tilt but are unable to make meaningful progress. Days packed with back-to-back meetings and emails leave little room for breakthroughs.

It’s so easy to get trapped on this hamster wheel of reactive busyness. And I know you already get that being busy doesn’t always mean making progress.

Breaking out of this pattern is tough, esp...

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At a successful, growing company, the sales ops team was split into two, to form dedicated sales and ops teams. It looked like the perfect solution. More focus, right? 

But soon, these teammates who’d worked together side by side for years, even gone to each other’s weddings, were squabbling. The split, instead of bringing clarity, caused confusion and a tug-of-war over prioritie...

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You know what it’s like when you’re juggling a dozen urgent things, and suddenly a project just… stalls? Out of the blue. Later, you find out that your counterpart in another department “thought you were on it,” but you haven’t actually talked to them in weeks. 

Now you’re both annoyed, and the work is grinding to a halt.

Let’s talk about something that can quietly make or break y...

Find the full transcript for this episode at yourfuturerealized.com/95.

I’m looking at a little photo of a bluebird on my bulletin board, with a saying that’s stuck with me. It goes, “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not in the branch but in her own wings.”

I printed this out years ago during a messy company reorg. Folks kept coming to me, looking for some breathing space, a should...

Find the full transcript for this episode at yourfuturerealized.com/94.

How often do you find yourself in a meeting, the conversation swirling, and suddenly everyone’s looking to you for the answer? You know that moment when you are expected to cut through the noise and make a call fast. And past all the data, there’s an inner voice nudging you.

What do you do? Do you go with the numbers, or do you trust that gut feeling you can’t qu...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/93.

You know that feeling when you log on in the morning, and before you’ve even had your first sip of coffee, the Slack pings start rolling in? Then the emails, the DMs… It’s like a digital avalanche. 

I recently spoke with someone with over 2800 unread emails in her inbox. Two thousand, eight hundred! It’s almost funny, except it’s not. And that’s what so many leaders are up agains...

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"I don't have the answers... I'm the guy that asks more questions." 

That's Josh Renicker, COO of Energy Access. It's a refreshing take from someone at the top, isn't it?

Josh climbed the ladder from midnight shifts to the executive boardroom, working full time while earning multiple degrees, and keeping his boots-on-the-ground perspective all al...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/91.

Ever been the only lifeguard at a packed pool? You’re perched up high, scanning every corner, whistle ready, always on alert. 

At first, it’s fun. But after a while, you realize you’re just stuck. You can’t be everywhere and jump in every time something happens. And if you try, you just wear yourself out. And honestly, something still going to slip through the cracks.

Leading oper...

Find the full transcript at: yourfuturerealized.com/90.

Have you heard this old joke?: “What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians? A drummer.” 

It always gets a chuckle, but anyone who’s ever been in a band knows the truth: The drummer is the backbone. Without them, the whole thing falls apart. They keep everyone in sync, set the pace, and hold it all together, even though they’re not out front with the mic. 

Just stop and...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/89.

“Ugh, I know I need to have this conversation. But I don’t want to sound harsh or make them defensive.”

If your ops team is dropping the ball, that probably hits close to home. Accountability talks can be tough. They’re easy to put off because they’re just plain uncomfortable.

But here’s the thing: when you handle them the right way, these conversations don’t just solve problems, ...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/88.

Some days it feels like you’re spinning plates on a windy day, and everyone’s counting on you to keep things from crashing.

Whether your job title says “operations” or you’re just the person who quietly keeps the ship running, you know what it’s like to juggle all the moving parts, shifting priorities, and constant surprises. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to stay steady when everyt...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/87.

Most ops leaders I know have a hard time saying no. They don’t want to let people down and just know what needs to be done. It can feel easier, even automatic, to just step in to handle it. But that’s how you end up carrying everyone else’s load.

It may sound counterintuitive, but your ability to say “no” is directly tied to your success as a leader. Research shows that leaders w...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/86.

If you’ve ever gone sailing, you know you can’t focus on every wave. You have to pick your course and stick with it, or risk spinning in circles, using up energy but not getting anywhere.

Leading operations often means juggling too many things at once, with new priorities flying at you from every side. It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos, trying to keep everything afloat. But...

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Your reputation as an operations leader isn’t built in a single moment. It’s shaped by every decision you make, day in and day out.

Over time, those choices add up, not just to results, but to the story people tell about you as a leader.

Think about the leaders you most admire. Their expertise matters, but it’s how they show up in critical moments that really defines them.

Research...

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You know that feeling when you’re stuck in a decision? The more you think about it, the harder it gets to move. 

I’ve been an Orioles fan since I was a kid. If baseball’s taught me anything, it’s that you can’t wait forever for the perfect pitch. Sometimes you just have to swing. 

In operations, you almost never have perfect information. Research shows that executives spend a huge...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/83.

This spring, a pair of eastern bluebirds nested on my back deck for the fourth year in a row. I have no idea why they keep coming back, but I like to think it’s because they feel safe here. Safe enough to show up, even when the weather is unpredictable and the world is changing.

If you’re leading an ops team, you know trust is just as important, and just as fragile. When everythi...

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Speaking as an introvert who spent years working in operations, I wish I’d met today’s guest sooner. Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler has been a champion for introverts at work for over 15 years, and I recently got to sit down with her for a great conversation.

I know firsthand how easy it is for quieter voices to be overlooked at work! 

What’s cool about Jennifer is she’s actually an extr...

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Melanie*’s job as an operations leader means she often has to say things people don’t want to hear. She got the role because she’s passionate, driven, and trusted to guide her company through some pretty big changes.

But change always brings uncertainty, and how you show up and communicate can make all the difference.

When we first met, Melanie’s passion was actually holding her b...

Find the full episode at yourfuturerealized.com/80.

Yesterday someone kicked off our conversation by saying: "

Why do I feel like I’m the one always picking up the slack? If I don’t step in, things fall apart. But if I do, I’m working every evening, drowning in work that isn’t mine!"

If you’re an ops executive, and may sound pretty familiar, and it’s likely you’ve felt this way more than once. Accountability is crucial every...