95. How to create pull energy to accelerate your team's growth - with Jack Cohen

In this episode of Leadership That Sells, I’m joined by the ever-curious and charismatic Jack Cohen — mentor capitalist, strategic consultant, pilot, black belt, and author of Freedom Frameworks. Jack's story is one of relentless skill acquisition, diverse experience, and a deep commitment to serving others. We dig into what it really takes to grow a team, a career and a company — and it all comes down to tools, frameworks and a very particular mindset.

We talk about how the most interesting people do the most interesting business, why leadership is about creating pull energy not pushing tasks, and how to lead your life (and your people) with intention. If you’ve ever found yourself managing without a clear north star or repeating the same year of experience over and over — this one’s for you.

We get into how to use frameworks to manage yourself before managing others, the reason context is king, and how to turn success into wisdom by sharing it. Jack shares why he wrote Freedom Frameworks, what Batman taught him about business, and how you can use “pull energy” to get your people to move faster and more effectively — and most importantly, in the right direction.

How to create pull energy to accelerate your team's growth

• Define a compelling vision of the future — not just goals, but a vivid story of success.
• Begin with the end in mind to activate intrinsic motivation.
• Create “pull energy” by connecting people emotionally to outcomes they care about.
• Build context around your content — people act faster when they understand why.
• Apply simple frameworks to manage yourself, then use those to support your team.
• Reframe challenges as opportunities — your language shapes their reality.

Timeline summary

[03:07] – Jack’s Thunderball moment: how James Bond inspired a life of skills, speed and service [05:35] – The three ingredients of career success: skills, experiences, relationships [07:10] – Why success without sharing is selfish: the wisdom loop from Jack’s 10-year-old son [10:12] – Batman as the ultimate mentor capitalist: no powers, just tools and leverage [12:37] – How Freedom Frameworks was born from mentoring young professionals [14:58] – “Context gives meaning to content” — and why pull energy beats push every time [16:02] – Picture your future: how storytelling unlocks momentum in life and leadership [16:42] – Source activities vs outcomes: how clarity drives effective strategy

Links & resources

• Freedom Frameworks book by Jack Cohen
• Learn more at Dark Knight Ventures