Decidedly I Decision Tips for Business Owners Podcast By Sanger Smith and Shawn Smith cover art

Decidedly I Decision Tips for Business Owners

Decidedly I Decision Tips for Business Owners

By: Sanger Smith and Shawn Smith
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 Defeating bad decision-making for family business owners, so you can improve their health, wealth, and relationships.Sanger Smith and Shawn Smith Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Ep. 186: Deciding to Hike Your Own Hike: Lessons from the Trail About Business, Belonging, and Becoming

    Ep. 186: Deciding to Hike Your Own Hike: Lessons from the Trail About Business, Belonging, and Becoming
    Jun 23 2025

    What does a 500-mile trek through Spain, a rain-soaked trail in Scotland, and a solo summit in Colorado have to do with building a meaningful life or business?

    In this episode, we share the unexpected lessons learned from long-distance hikes, Ironman races, and conversations on the trail — and how they mirror the journey of entrepreneurship, leadership, and self-discovery.

    From the spiritual silence of the Camino de Santiago to the muddy mess of the West Highland Way, this isn’t just a story about hiking — it’s about purpose, progress, and the people who walk beside us (or don’t).

    If you’ve ever felt like the finish line didn’t fulfill you… this one’s for you.

    KEY TOPICS

    • “Hike your own hike”: What this means for life, business, and ignoring the noise

    • Why the journey is the reward — not the goal or the finish line

    • What hiking in the rain teaches us about embracing discomfort

    • The real reason entrepreneurs hesitate to sell their businesses

    • How solitude reveals what you’re actually chasing

    • The power of walking with the right people, not just anyone

    • The Camino de Santiago’s secret economy, sacred history, and soul-deep meaning

    • How to follow the right signs — and know when someone else’s path isn’t yours

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00 Introduction

    • 00:51 Hiking in Scotland: The West Highland Way

    • 02:18 Hiking Etiquette and Annoyances

    • 03:28 Conquering Colorado's Fourteeners

    • 07:51 The Spiritual Journey of the Camino de Santiago

    • 14:44 The History and Experience of the West Highland Way

    • 16:54 Group Hiking Dynamics

    • 20:35 The Pressure to Grow in Business

    • 21:07 Redefining Success: Progress Over Growth

    • 21:50 A Lesson from the Parish Priest

    • 22:56 Zappos' Unique Hiring Practice

    • 23:59 The Importance of Human Connection

    • 27:17 The Journey is the Reward

    • 33:53 Lessons from Hiking

    • 38:31 Embracing Hardship

    • 41:21 Final Thoughts on Hiking and Life

    CONNECT WITH US

    • www.decidedlypodcast.com

    • Join us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/decidedlypodcast

    • Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decidedlypodcast

    • Shawn’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/shawn_d_smith

    • Sanger’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/sangersmith

    MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?

    At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy.

    LEARN MORE

    www.decidedlywealth.com
    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAIL

    Join us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time!
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    42 mins
  • Deciding to Make Tough Calls: Leading Well When Stakes are High with Matthew Confer | REPLAY Ep.170

    Deciding to Make Tough Calls: Leading Well When Stakes are High with Matthew Confer | REPLAY Ep.170
    Jun 18 2025
    Are your business decisions driven by instinct, or by strategy? How often do you actually stop to tell the difference?Matthew Confer, the mind behind decision-making simulations used by leading companies, reveals why your gut might betray you, what most leaders get wrong under pressure, and how to sharpen your instincts for critical decisions. KEY TOPICSThe bold move leaders can make to avoid catastrophic mistakes before they happen.Why seeking consensus isn’t the best leadership strategy—and what to do instead.The real reason confident leaders fail under pressure.How keeping receipts on decisions can save your team from chaos. CHAPTERS00:00 Intro: Defeating Bad Decision-Making in Life and Business 00:49 Changing Wedding Language: Patriarchy or Progress?03:06 Can Simulations Make You a Better Leader?05:32 The Dangerous Default in Team Decisions06:50 Why Consensus Isn’t Always King08:01 How Leaders Sabotage Innovation Without Realizing It10:21 What Really Drives Your Team?12:40 Adapting Management Styles: The Secret to Better Teams15:05 Leadership Practice Without the Real-World Risk17:26 Breaking Through Superficial Motivations19:30 The Challenge of Scaling a Small Company Culture21:54 Why Diverse Motivations Strengthen Teams24:14 Spotting Failure Before It Happens26:36 The Viral Social Media Campaign Dilemma29:00 The Cobra Problem: When Solutions Make Things Worse31:16 The $5 Challenge That Changed Business Strategy33:33 The Power of Writing Down Decisions35:53 How Poor Note-Taking Derails Teams38:32 How Stress Wrecks Decision-Making—And How to Stop It40:51 Why Your Most Disagreeable Employee Makes the Hard Calls43:07 Why Failure Is the Best Leadership Teacher45:32 Building Leadership Confidence in Safe Environments47:51 When Bravado Backfires in Decision-Making50:08 Are You Missing Critical Team Feedback?52:32 What MBA Simulations Reveal About Leadership Gaps54:51 The Secret Ingredient to Engaging Training Programs56:53 Matthew Confer’s Decision-Making Tip for Business Owners 58:20 Key Takeaways 59:45 Message from the Producer CONNECT WITH US⁠⁠www.decidedlypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE⁠Subscribe on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠Join us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠: @decidedlypodcastJoin us on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠Shawn’s ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠: @shawn_d_smithSanger’s ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠: @sangersmith Thank you to Shelby Peterson of Transcend Media for editingand post-production of the Decidedly podcast. SANGER’S BOOK: ⁠⁠A Life Rich with Significance: Transforming Your Wealth to Meaningful Impact⁠⁠ SHAWN’S BOOK: ⁠⁠Plateau Jumping: What to Change When Change Is What You Want⁠⁠ MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At ⁠⁠Decidedly Wealth Management⁠⁠, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MORE: ⁠⁠www.decidedlywealth.com⁠⁠ ⁠SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER⁠ CONNECT WITH MATT CONFERWebsite: ⁠https://www.abilitie.com/matthew-confer/⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/⁠TEDx Talk: ⁠https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making?subtitle=en⁠Learn To Lead Podcast: ⁠https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/⁠Matt Confer is the VP of Strategy at Abilitie, a Leadership Development company based in Austin, Texas that provides immersive business simulations to a global client base that includes over 50 members of the Fortune 500. Abilitie’s leadership programs have been delivered to over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries around the world. Matthew has spoken on the topic of decision making at the TEDx Conference with a talk entitled "Before You Decide" that has been viewed over 500,000 times on the TED website.
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    1 hr
  • Deciding to be Surrounded by Idiots: Thomas Erikson on Personality Types, Self-Awareness, and Better Team Building // Ep. 151 REPLAY

    Deciding to be Surrounded by Idiots: Thomas Erikson on Personality Types, Self-Awareness, and Better Team Building // Ep. 151 REPLAY
    Jun 11 2025
    What if the real reason your team can’t get along... is you?In this mind-shifting episode, international best-selling author and human behavior expert Thomas Erikson (yes, the guy behind Surrounded by Idiots) joins Decidedly to decode how understanding personality types can transform your business, relationships, and leadership style.Using the DISC model—Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue—Thomas explains why some people drive you crazy, how to stop sabotaging your own leadership, and what it really takes to build a thriving, cohesive team.Whether you're scaling a company, leading a team, or navigating family dynamics, this conversation will help you understand yourself and others with clarity, compassion, and maybe a little humor.KEY TOPICSWhat the DISC personality model really means—and how to identify your typeWhy you might be the one creating conflict on your team (yep, even with good intentions)How impatience, perfectionism, or avoidance can sabotage decision-makingThe difference between personality traits and internal motivators—and why both matter in hiringHow to build a diverse team without sacrificing unity or performanceWhy “winning” isn’t always the goal—and what actually keeps people motivatedWhat happens when family and business collide (and how Thomas makes it work)How self-awareness becomes your secret weapon in leadership and lifeCHAPTERS00:00 Intro00:53 Understanding Different Motivations03:55 Guest Introduction: Thomas Erickson04:36 The DISC Assessment Explained11:38 Self-Awareness and Leadership17:56 Building Effective Teams21:14 Recruitment and Internal Drivers26:43 Personal Stories and Reflections31:04 Balancing Competing Ideas34:50 The Importance of Motivation in Business36:35 Constructive Competition43:21 Defining Success and Legacy49:10 Aligning Family Business Goals59:51 Decision Making Tips for Business Owners01:02:23 Final Thoughts and TakeawaysCONNECT WITH US⁠⁠www.decidedlypodcast.com⁠⁠Watch this episode on ⁠YouTube⁠!Subscribe on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠Join us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠: @decidedlypodcastJoin us on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠Shawn’s ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠: @shawn_d_smithSanger’s ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠: @sangersmithSANGER’S BOOK: ⁠⁠A Life Rich with Significance: Transforming Your Wealth to Meaningful Impact⁠⁠SHAWN’S BOOK: ⁠⁠Plateau Jumping: What to Change When Change Is What You Want⁠⁠ MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At ⁠⁠Decidedly Wealth Management⁠⁠, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MORE: ⁠⁠www.decidedlywealth.com⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:⁠⁠ https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001aeU_pPBHJPNJWJBdVbaci6bjGIuEJurH12xHBWDEVT_NxyCadMd7wLSZjcEZglkSjDjehuIbTHD8nABOIdV69ctfYpSzg24RCIytetBUrlIPPKgaGzjGZ8DkM0Wp1LMjbErcYUur7PbZGjeVo4gyXlz821AoJGZR⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH THOMAS ERIKSONWebsite: ⁠https://www.surroundedbyidiots.com/en/⁠Books: ⁠https://www.surroundedbyidiots.com/en/books/⁠Instagram: @thomaseriksonwriter Thomas Erikson is a behaviorist and the bestselling author of the Surrounded By series about human behaviors. The series has been translated into close to 60 languages and has sold over 8 million copies. His mission is to make people’s lives easier by making them more aware of themselves and helping them better understand what it takes to achieve the best possible communication. He is a highly sought-after public speaker, giving 120 keynote speeches annually on topics such as human behaviors, self-awareness, narcissism, and leadership. Thomas is a mentor to top-level executives and entrepreneurs all over Europe. He lives by the simple quote: You can’t change somebody else, but you can change yourself.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
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