Episodes

  • Episode 39: Rick Ferrari
    Jun 26 2025

    In this episode of Making Business Personal, I sit down with Hollywood talent agent Rick Ferrari for a conversation that starts with the most epic lie you've ever heard and evolves into something much deeper. Rick opens up about growing up with a name that screams "destined for fame or infamy," his wild journey from New York's Studio 54 scene to becoming one of LA's most respected agents, and the life-changing friendships he built along the way.

    But here's the thing – this isn't just about Hollywood glamour. It's about the stories we tell ourselves, the beliefs we outgrow, and what it really means to forgive the person you used to be. Rick's brutal honesty about his past, combined with his insights on kindness, authenticity, and seeing people for who they really are, makes this a conversation that'll stick with you long after it's over. Trust me, you've never heard an origin story quite like this one.

    Also, check out Texas Toast Guitars (TTG) if you're interested in a great custom guitar or if you want to build one with them: https://www.texastoastguitars.com

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Episode 38: The Corporate Bucket List Trap: Why Your Strategic Initiatives Are Just Procrastination in Disguise
    Jun 24 2025

    What if your "innovative leadership" is actually corporate ADHD? Research reveals that 61% of executives fail within 18 months because they're drowning in shiny object syndrome—constantly chasing new initiatives while never completing transformational work. This episode exposes the hidden cost of strategic promiscuity and why completion beats initiation every time. You'll master three game-changing tools: identifying and killing zombie projects that consume resources without delivering results, implementing the 90-day focus rule that forces choices between competing priorities, and building a completion culture that celebrates execution over ideation. Learn why companies like IBM lost market dominance not from lack of innovation, but from innovating everywhere at once. Transform from a leader who starts everything to one who finishes what matters.

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    8 mins
  • Episode 37: Judy Joo
    Jun 19 2025

    What happens when you reconnect with a childhood friend who’s gone from Wall Street’s chaos to culinary stardom? In the premiere of the Making Business personal Thursday interview series, Jason Weiss and Celebrity Chef, Judy Joo trade quick-witted banter and decades-old inside jokes as they dive into the wild turns of life, ambition, and reinvention—reminding us that behind every impressive résumé is a story of grit, laughter, and the courage to chase something more personal.

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Episode 36: The Leadership Multiverse: You're Not Who You Think You Are
    Jun 17 2025

    You don't exist. Not the way you think you do.

    What if the version of yourself you're confident about isn't the one your team experiences every day? In this episode, Jason explores the Leadership Multiverse - the uncomfortable truth that you exist as dozens of different versions in other people's minds.

    This episode reveals:

    • Why your intentions don't matter as much as your impact
    • How effective leaders develop "multiverse sensitivity"
    • Three practical tools to navigate your leadership multiverse

    You'll discover: The Mirror Exercise that reveals hidden versions of yourself, why reactions matter more than results, and how to name the feeling tones that make you powerful in any room.

    Fair warning: This will challenge your self-perception and might just transform how you show up as a leader.

    Ready to meet all the versions of yourself you didn't know existed?

    #Leadership #ExecutivePresence #SelfAwareness #LeadershipDevelopment

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    14 mins
  • Episode 35: It's The End Of The World (As We Know It): Why Smart Leaders Embrace Constant Change
    Jun 10 2025

    What if I told you the world ended yesterday, is ending right now, and will end again tomorrow? Jason reveals why our resistance to change isn't about the change itself—it's about our fear of uncertainty. And that fear is killing our ability to grow.

    From weekly tariff chaos to leadership teams measuring new behaviors with old metrics, discover why successful leaders realize there is no "normal." Featuring a tech giant's sales director who discovered his "proven methods" hadn't worked for three quarters straight.

    Learn how to make good decisions with incomplete information, why organizational change fails when you keep old systems, and Jason's personal story about contract templates that cost him deals until he adapted.

    Warning: This episode challenges everything you think you know about stability and control. The world as you know it is always ending—what are you going to help begin?

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    11 mins
  • Episode 34: The Truth About Small Talk (That Nobody Wants to Admit)
    Jun 3 2025

    What if I told you that "small talk" doesn't actually exist? In this episode, Jason reveals the uncomfortable truth about why we avoid certain conversations and how it's costing us career opportunities, meaningful relationships, and business success.

    Discover the neuroscience behind human connection, learn the ICG method for transforming every interaction, and find out why the most successful leaders never believe in small talk. Plus, hear Jason's personal story about a networking disaster that changed everything. Warning: This episode will challenge how you see every person you meet.

    #MakingBusinessPersonal #NoSmallTalk

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    14 mins
  • Epidode 33: The Secret to Making People Believe You Care (and Why It Matters)
    May 27 2025

    The secret to making people believe you care? Actually care. Sounds simple, but if it were that easy, why do only 21% of employees feel engaged at work? In this powerful episode, Jason reveals the crucial difference between "performing care" and "practicing care" – and why most leaders get it completely wrong. Through compelling stories and research-backed insights, discover how genuine caring creates a 50% increase in team loyalty, drives 21% higher profitability, and transforms workplace culture. Learn five practical strategies to cultivate authentic care without burning out, plus the one weekly challenge that will revolutionize your relationships at work. Essential listening for anyone who wants to lead with humanity while driving real business results.

    #MakingBusinessPersonal #AuthenticLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement

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    13 mins
  • Episode 32: Make It Public: Why Leaders Need to Share Their Mistakes
    May 20 2025

    In this raw and unfiltered episode of Making Business Personal, Jason Weiss does something few successful leaders ever do – he exposes one of his biggest professional failures. As one of the youngest college presidents in the country, Jason made a leadership decision that cost him trust, credibility, and forced him to confront his own ego. But that mistake transformed his entire approach to leadership.

    This isn't your typical "fail forward" pep talk. Jason backs up his personal story with surprising research showing that while 94% of executives claim vulnerability matters, only 12% actually practice it publicly. The data is clear: leaders who admit mistakes score in the 91st percentile for effectiveness.

    Jason challenges listeners to join the #OwnTheMistake movement by sharing their own transformative failures – not as performance, but as practice in authentic leadership. In just 8 minutes, this episode might change how you view professional vulnerability forever.

    #OwnTheMistake: Why Real Leaders Share Their Failures

    Listen, reflect, and ask yourself: What mistake shaped you into the leader you are today?

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    12 mins