Most entrepreneurs want exponential growth. Few pause long enough to ask what’s quietly getting in the way.

In this episode, Alex Raymond shares what’s ahead for the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, happening May 28th and 29th in Boulder, Colorado. This is the one event built entirely around the well-being of entrepreneurs, and it’s designed for those who are serious about scaling both their business and their inner capacity to lead.

Sarah Lockwood, the founder of HiveCast and longtime member of the community, joins Alex to ask the questions many potential attendees are already thinking. Is it worth stepping away from the day-to-day? What’s different about this event? And how does a theme like “10x Growth” apply to someone who isn’t chasing vanity metrics?

They walk through what to expect, from the small, curated outdoor workshop with Dr. Benjamin Hardy to the larger summit day packed with speakers like Michael Freeman, Brad Feld, and Rachel Romer. The lineup covers both the internal and external work of growth, with plenty of space for connection, reflection, and actual momentum.

If you’re ready for clarity, challenge, and community, all in one place, this is why the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit belongs on your calendar: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/#tickets

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Conscious Entrepreneur Summit Overview

02:32 How the Agenda Is Personalized

04:04 Theme of the Year: 10x Growth

06:16 Dr. Benjamin Hardy Workshop and Keynote

12:06 Regulating the Nervous System for Growth

14:23 Michael Freeman on 10x Personal Growth

16:06 Fireside Chat with Brad Feld

18:13 Rachel Romer’s Story of Resilience

20:26 Jim Dieters on Building Boldly

22:58 Expressive Movement with Shine Living Community

26:31 Tickets, Community Dinners, and Integration

Links

The Conscious Entrepreneur Summit: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Building a business is one thing; holding your vision steady through growth, pressure, and uncertainty is something else entirely.

Alex Raymond sits down with John Sampogna, the co-founder and CEO of Wondersauce, to talk about what the entrepreneurial journey really demands once the excitement wears off. John shares how he built a 100-person agency, why he created a “mental balance sheet” to manage the emotional costs of leadership, and what he learned from selling his company while staying true to its original vision. How do you scale without losing yourself in the process? How do you know when a business opportunity is truly right for you, not just financially but personally?

John also digs into the realities of leadership that rarely get talked about: why bottlenecks are your best feedback loop, why approachability matters more than you think, and why a thriving business culture starts with making space for mistakes. He challenges entrepreneurs to rethink what scale really means in the age of AI and shares why lasting success depends on more than just growth metrics.

If you are building a business and want to do it with intention, resilience, and clarity, this conversation will give you a much-needed shift in perspective.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Holding a Long-Term Vision Through Growth and Uncertainty

03:49 Selling Wondersauce and Choosing the Right Partner

09:01 How the Founder Role Changes After Acquisition

10:02 Navigating Earn-Outs, COVID, and the Rise of AI

12:10 Building a Mental Balance Sheet for Emotional Resilience

15:00 Scaling a Business Without Burning Out

19:25 Bottlenecks as a Signal for Operational Change

22:05 Creating Psychological Safety and Strong Leadership

25:59 Smart Marketing and True Differentiation for Entrepreneurs

32:44 How AI Is Redefining the Idea of Scale

Links

Connect with John Sampogna:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsampogna/

Website: https://www.wondersauce.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Real leadership isn’t being the smartest person in the room. It’s creating the kind of culture where people feel safe enough to say, “I don’t know.”

In this episode, Alex Raymond talks with Garry Ridge, the former CEO of WD-40 and the author of “Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It.” Garry shares how a moment of “jumping in to fix it” early in his career completely reshaped his approach to leadership. That shift, from problem-solver to coach, set the foundation for one of the most admired cultures in business, with 93% employee engagement and a company-wide commitment to learning and accountability.

Garry explains why admitting what you don’t know isn’t weakness but the beginning of trust. He unpacks the idea of “dumbassery” as a leadership superpower, and why removing fear in the workplace creates room for growth, innovation, and genuine connection. What can happen when you stop calling things failures and start treating them as learning moments? What will change when your company values are more than just words on a wall?

This episode offers ideas for leaders who want to build purpose-driven companies without losing their people, or themselves, in the process. From the power of clearly ranked values to the surprisingly effective “Maniac Pledge,” Garry provides a framework for creating a workplace where people feel safe, supported, and proud to contribute.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:13 Learning Moments and Redefining Failure

05:25 “I Don’t Know” as a Leadership Superpower

07:28 Psychological Safety and People-First Cultures

14:16 Purpose, Values, and the Will of the People

21:44 Purpose Beyond Product and Real Accountability

33:19 Leading with Love

Links

Connect with Garry Ridge:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/

Website: https://thelearningmoment.net/

Website Quiz: https://thelearningmoment.net/quiz/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm