Podcast · Business

Hitting The Ceiling

by EOS Worldwide · English · Business

Most entrepreneurs will tell you about the pivot, Hitting The Ceiling™ will tell you what happened the night before. Hitting The Ceiling, brought to you by EOS Worldwide is the perfect podcast for businesses, entrepreneurs, and key leaders and managers to talk about the moments they’ve never said ou

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 49 min
Latest: 13 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026 · 25 minNew

Nobody Is Coming to Save You

How do you stop carrying everything when being the reliable one has become part of your identity? Clay Harris learned early not to wait for someone else to fix things. His father was mostly absent, his mother was raising him on her own, and one of the adults who believed in him most was a high school teacher who would simply point to a banner at the front of the classroom that read, “Look inside yourself.” That lesson followed Clay into adulthood, through entrepreneurship, leadership, and every moment when people were looking to him for answers, but over time the instinct to rely on himself…

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Earlier episodes 28 most recent

S1 · E27 · 6 Oct 2026 · 49 min
You Can't Save Your Team From Themselves
How do you keep leading when every new stage of growth exposes skills you don’t have yet Shannon Badger helped grow Badger CPA from nothing into a 60-person firm, but behind the inspiring growth story was a founder learning in real time how much a business can take from your confidence, marriage, health, parenting, and sense of control. As the firm scaled, Shannon and her husband Jonathan remortgaged their house, gave up vacations, fought through the chaos of seeing the outcome of spending too much time away from their young kids. Eventually, she realized that she could not simply “work…
S1 · E26 · 29 Sep 2026 · 57 min
When Your Dream Starts Depending on Your Name | Ryan Hawk of The Learning Leader Show
When does your personal brand become the ceiling on your company? Ryan Hawk built his life around hard work, competition, and consistency, but losing the quarterback job to Ben Roethlisberger forced him to confront an uncomfortable truth: sometimes effort alone cannot change the outcome. Years later, he walked away from a successful corporate career to turn The Learning Leader Show into a business, only to discover a new ceiling as the podcast, coaching work, and livelihoods of his team became increasingly dependent on him. You’ll hear how Ryan learned to change the situation instead of…
S1 · E25 · 22 Sep 2026 · 22 min
When Your Business Starts Owning You
How long should you tolerate “growing pains” before admitting the way you are operating is not working? Brock Beiersdoerfer and his wife Kimberly opened The Heavenly Donut Company hoping to build something meaningful, but the business soon had Brock working brutal hours, worrying about payroll, covering overnight shifts, and watching the freedom they wanted disappear. The pressure peaked in moments like a 35-hour shift, canceled direct deposits, unreliable employees, and the realization that the business was consuming time he could never recover with his family. You’ll hear how Brock learned…
S1 · E24 · 15 Sep 2026 · 36 min
How to Rewire Your Working-Class Mindset
How much of your business is actually being run by the eight-year-old version of you? Kieran James built Stryde from the ground up, but the real story starts earlier than that: a working-class childhood where food got stretched with oats and money was never quite enough. That scarcity mindset didn't stay in his childhood home — it followed him into every pricing conversation, every hiring decision, and eventually into a franchise opportunity that looked like the growth of a lifetime. In this episode, Kerian opens up about the moment he realized his business decisions weren't logic, they were…
S1 · E23 · 8 Sep 2026 · 30 min
This is What It Takes to be the "Hardest Worker"
What happens when the drive to succeed becomes the very thing holding you and your business back? Glen Smith built GDS Wealth Management from relentless cold calls and early financial uncertainty into a firm managing roughly $1.8 billion. But behind that business growth was a fear of failure that shaped nearly every decision he made, pushing him to work harder, hold on tighter, and believe that every important problem ultimately belonged to him. As the company scaled, Glen faced a different kind of challenge: building a leadership team he could trust, delegating effectively, confronting…
S1 · E22 · 1 Sep 2026 · 56 min
The Private Jet Company That Nearly Crashed Before Takeoff
What happens when the systems that helped you grow start becoming the very thing holding you back? Cory Bengtzen and Tommy Aoki have helped turn SkyShare from a small aviation brokerage into a fast-growing private jet company competing against some of the biggest names in the industry, but beneath the polished world of aircraft, owners, and luxury travel is a business entering a much harder stage of growth. As SkyShare pushes toward becoming a top 10 operator, Cory and Tommy face the pressure of limited systems, expensive talent, pilot retention, acquisition goals, AI disruption, capital…
S1 · E21 · 25 Aug 2026 · 52 min
He Sold His Company, Only to Buy it Right Back
Are you building your company with a purpose, or because you need to prove someone wrong? Eric V. Holtzclaw built his career turning ideas into businesses: launching Liger Marketing (yes, that’s a Napoleon Dynamite reference), building a research company, and learning firsthand what happens when a founder’s ambition collides with a revenue ceiling. Having to figure out how to get out of a difficult partnership, while under serious pressure to keep growing, forced him to look inward and explore what it was he really wanted out of his business. So, Eric sold Liger. But then, he watched the…
S1 · E20 · 18 Aug 2026 · 54 min
What the World Cup Taught Us About Workplace Culture
When does the drive to grow become a cover for ego, fear, or the need for recognition? Jonathan Reynolds built Titus Talent Strategies around a simple belief: the right people in the right seats can change everything, but as the company grew, the cracks started showing inside the leader himself. The pressure to know everyone, stay central, get credit, protect the culture, and keep growing exposed a deeper fear: what if Titus became healthier when it needed him less? In this episode of Hitting the Ceiling, you’ll hear how Jonathan and Mark unpack founder ego, purpose, AI, automation,…
S1 · E19 · 11 Aug 2026 · 46 min
The Family Business Nobody Wanted to Inherit
What happens when the family business you spent your life building has no family member ready to take it over? Derek Volk spent decades turning his family's Maine packaging company into a $50 million operation. He worked hard to build it just the way his father and grandfather had before him. Then, three weeks from closing a sale that would have let him walk away clean, the deal fell apart. No buyer. No exit. Just Derek, still holding the debt, still on the hook for the personal guarantees, still responsible for 110 people who counted on him for a paycheck. And underneath all of it, he…
S1 · E18 · 4 Aug 2026 · 31 min
The Nonprofit Built to Say Yes Fast
How do you protect the people doing the work without taking resources away from the people you serve? Rachel Kuhn stepped into A Special Wish Foundation of Central Ohio carrying a promise her grandmother made in 1982: give children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a moment of joy when they need it most. But behind every Disney trip, private character meet-and-greet, airport sendoff, and carefully planned wish is a pediatric nonprofit racing against treatment schedules, poor prognoses, donor uncertainty, and the pressure to never let a qualifying child sit on a waitlist.…
S1 · E17 · 28 Jul 2026 · 38 min
How to Build an ESOP Company That Can Scale
What happens when the company you helped build starts outgrowing the structure holding it together? Mike Mortensen started at ARG Industrial as a delivery driver in Anchorage, Alaska, and spent more than three decades working his way through nearly every part of the business. What began as a small, single-location distribution company eventually became an employee-owned organization with a much bigger future ahead of it. As the company grew, Mike could see what ARG Industrial was capable of. But the leadership structure, internal support, and shared vision were not keeping pace. After more…
S1 · E16 · 21 Jul 2026 · 45 min
The Family Legacy They Had To Rebuild | Denise Hutchinson & Michael Fleck of Occasions Fine Jewelry
What happens when the business you inherited starts falling apart before you have even found your footing? When Michael Fleck bought his family's Texas jewelry business in 2014, he thought he knew what came next. Instead, oil prices crashed, his right-hand leader died from cancer, and the future of the company was suddenly in question. Faced with shrinking revenue and impossible decisions, Michael and his sister, Denise Hutchinson, sat in a hotel room preparing a plan to downsize the business they loved. They cried over the people they might have to let go and wondered if simply surviving…
S1 · E15 · 14 Jul 2026 · 36 min
The Reckless Bet That Became A Legacy | Brenton Cloud, President of Greenhouse
What parts of your business are you calling success simply because they look impressive from the outside? Brenton Cloud came from a pest control family that dated back to 1934, but building his own future meant selling a nearly paid-off house, leaving the family business, and betting everything on Greenhouse. The company exploded to about $10 million in roughly three years, but the growth created chaos: too many accounts, too many hires, too many trucks, and a painful realization that success was costing him time with his children. A fourth-generation pest control entrepreneur, Brenton Cloud…
S1 · E14 · 7 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
The Ceiling Inside EOS Worldwide | Kelly Knight, President, EOS Worldwide
What happens when someone else’s prediction for your future becomes the thing you spend your life refusing to accept? As Kelly Knight stepped into EOS Worldwide, she wasn’t just joining a company; she was inheriting a movement built on trust, community, and a system that people expected the business itself to live perfectly. Within 18 months, the founder was selling the company, private equity entered the picture, the culture felt exposed, and Kelly had to grow from new Integrator into steward of something much bigger than herself. You’ll hear how a childhood moment of defiance shaped her…
S1 · E13 · 30 Jun 2026 · 59 min
When Helping People Starts Hurting the Business | Chadwick & Michela Taylor of The Service Center
What does it cost when generosity turns into enabling? Chadwick and Michela Taylor built Service Center Pro from a simple phone-answering problem into a growing virtual team, but beneath the success was a business stuck at the same employee count, the same revenue range, and the same exhausting cycle of turnover and client pressure. Every time they got close to scaling, people left, expectations broke down, and the couple had to confront whether their own leadership, generosity, and communication patterns were keeping the ceiling in place. You’ll hear how they turned painful feedback, kind…
S1 · E12 · 23 Jun 2026 · 53 min
The Moment Hustle Stops Being Enough | Chase Calhoun, CEO of Apex Real Estate Investments
How do you build a company that can keep growing without constantly pulling you back in? As Chase Calhoun grew from buying a foreclosure sight unseen to running a real estate and construction operation with more than 130 units under management, the pressure didn’t stem from a lack of opportunity; it came from becoming the bottleneck in the business. Capital constraints, scattered responsibilities, market cycles, and the need to hire before he felt ready forced him to confront the limits of doing too much himself. You’ll hear how Chase is learning to simplify the work, delegate real…
S1 · E11 · 16 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
The Dark Side of Public Leadership | Paul TenHaken, Mayor of Sioux Falls, SD
What does a crisis reveal about the way you make decisions under pressure? As Paul TenHaken built a thriving digital agency and later became mayor of Sioux Falls, the outside story looked like momentum, influence, and achievement, but underneath it were cash flow panic, purpose stagnation, and the cost of stepping into public leadership. A diner conversation with his wife, a political smear days before an election, and the chaos of leading through COVID forced him to confront what leadership costs when the money, reputation, and answers are no longer guaranteed. You’ll hear how Paul moved…
S1 · E10 · 9 Jun 2026 · 48 min
The Twenty Days That Changed Everything | Lindsay Joss Iudicello, Owner & President of Botanie Soap
What happens when the person holding the business together is suddenly gone? Botanie had grown from a tiny kitchen-based soap operation into Montana’s largest natural soap manufacturer, but behind that growth was a founder carrying too many seats and a wife who never expected to lead the company without him. Then Tim was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and gone within weeks, leaving Lindsay Joss Iudicello to face grief, motherhood, ownership, and a 25-person company she had only touched part-time. You’ll hear how Lindsay chose to grow instead of freeze, leaned on the structure already…
S1 · E9 · 2 Jun 2026 · 51 min
The Problem AI Can Never Solve | Patrick Lencioni, founder of The Table Group
Are you building success while quietly losing peace? Pat built one of the most influential leadership movements in modern business, but beneath the bestselling books and global influence was a growing realization that success had become tangled with anxiety, people-pleasing, and the fear of never being enough. As companies chase growth, AI acceleration, and performance at all costs, Pat explains how avoidance, artificial harmony, and unhealthy ambition quietly erode trust, relationships, and even the leaders themselves. You’ll hear how he learned to confront discomfort instead of outrun it,…
S1 · E8 · 26 May 2026 · 48 min
When Growth Breaks Everything You Built | Rob Hughes, MBA, IMC CEO of Hughes Integrated
What happens when your business grows faster than your ability to lead it? As Robert Hughes scaled his business through explosive growth, the success didn’t bring stability; it exposed cracks in leadership, systems, and control that had been building beneath the surface. Revenue surged, but chaos followed: overhiring, financial strain, toxic culture, and the gut-wrenching discovery that someone on his team was stealing from him while everything else was already unraveling. You’ll hear how he faced the moment he broke his own business, rebuilt from the ground up, and redefined what real…
S1 · E7 · 19 May 2026 · 58 min
When Success Turns Into an Identity Crisis | Mary Nisi, Owner of Toast & Jam, Inc
Are you prepared for the identity shift that comes after success? As Mary Nisi built Toast & Jam, Inc into a thriving company, the success created distance from the day-to-day, until the pandemic wiped out 564 weddings and exposed how little control she actually had. The pressure escalated as she was forced back into a business she no longer understood, managing chaos, team tension, and financial strain, and realizing that her leadership style was breaking under stress. You’ll hear how she rebuilt the company from the ground up, let go of control piece by piece, and ultimately faced the…
S1 · E6 · 12 May 2026 · 36 min
The Hidden Cost of Avoiding Hard Conversations | Kara Roberts Founder, Pepper’s Personal Assistants
What signals are you ignoring because you hope things will “work out”? As Kara Roberts built a thriving 30-person company, the systems worked for everyone, except her own leadership, where misalignment and avoided conversations quietly stacked beneath the surface. In a single week, one firing triggered a chain reaction: her business manager was gone, her HR leader quit, and another key operator walked out, all while her personal life was unraveling and a three-month trip loomed. You’ll hear how she navigated the chaos, rebuilt her team from scratch, and discovered that the collapse wasn’t…
S1 · E5 · 5 May 2026 · 56 min
When Growth Starts Stealing From Your Family | Ben Glass, Founder, CEO, BenGlassLaw
How do you know when your business is stealing from your life? As Ben Glass built a thriving law firm through relentless marketing and reputation, the success didn’t just grow the business; it trapped him inside it, consuming his time and pulling him away from his family. The pressure escalated as more clients poured in, chaos multiplied, and every decision bottlenecked at his desk, forcing him to confront the reality that he had built something that couldn’t scale without breaking him. You’ll hear how he rebuilt the firm from the inside out, handing off control, restructuring leadership,…
S1 · E4 · 28 Apr 2026 · 48 min
When You’re Forced to Lead Before You’re Ready | Avery Ward, CEO of Little Italy Ristorante
How do you step into leadership when you’re completely unprepared? As Avery Ward stepped back into his family’s restaurant, what looked like a beloved community staple was quietly unraveling beneath the surface. With his father incapacitated, no systems in place, and the business spiraling toward collapse, Avery found himself working 80-hour weeks just to keep the doors open while questioning if any of it was sustainable. You’ll hear how that breaking point forced him to rebuild everything from leadership to systems to trust and transform a fragile operation into a scalable business. What…
S1 · E3 · 21 Apr 2026 · 58 min
How Success Nearly Destroyed Their Friendship | Al Alexander & Ryan Loos of ConEquip
How do you handle resentment when your partners aren’t carrying the same weight? As ConEquip scaled into a nine-figure company, the pressure didn’t just grow the business; it exposed cracks in control, communication, and trust. One founder was ready to walk away, the partnership was strained, and the weight of leadership started bleeding into their personal lives. You’ll hear how they faced those moments head-on, brought in outside help, and rebuilt not just the business, but their relationship with each other. Al Alexander is a co-founder of ConEquip, a leading supplier of heavy equipment…
S1 · E2 · 21 Apr 2026 · 55 min
The Power of Simplifying When Everything Collapses | Sue Hawkes, CEO of YESS!
How do you keep showing up when you feel like a complete fraud? As Sue Hawkes, CEO of YESS!, built a career helping leaders find clarity, her own life was quietly unraveling behind the scenes. Her businesses were struggling, her family was facing devastating loss, and a single unopened letter revealed she was about to lose her home. You’ll hear how she navigated that breaking point in real time, simplified everything down to what truly mattered, and rebuilt her life and leadership from the ground up. What you’ll learn in this episode: (00:02:30) How everything can collapse at once, and what…
S1 · E1 · 21 Apr 2026 · 1 hr
What Happens When You Are the System | Jill Young, Creator of Coaching Magic
What signs are you ignoring before everything breaks? As Jill Young’s accounting firm grew and won awards, the success masked a deeper issue: everything depended on her. When she lost her top employee and biggest client on the same day, the pressure didn’t just shake the business; it exposed a system that had never been built to run without her. You’ll hear how she faced that breaking point, challenged everything she thought she knew about leadership, and rebuilt the business around systems instead of herself. Jill Young is a business coach, EOS Implementer®, and creator of Coaching Magic.…
17 Apr 2026 · 2 min
Welcome to Hitting The Ceiling, a Business Podcast from EOS Worldwide
Most entrepreneurs will tell you about the pivot, Hitting The Ceiling will tell you what happened the night before. Hitting The Ceiling, brought to you by EOS Worldwide, is the perfect podcast for businesses, entrepreneurs, and key leaders and managers to talk about the moments they’ve never said out loud. Hitting the Ceiling is where business leaders and entrepreneurs talk about the moments they’ve never said out loud that often keep them from growing their businesses in healthy ways. These stories often happen behind closed doors, in the quiet, when the business was surviving, but the…

About Hitting The Ceiling

Hitting The Ceiling is a English business podcast from EOS Worldwide. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: EOS Worldwide
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 49 min
Latest episode: 13 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1894334661
Rights: 2026 EOS Worldwide

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