In this solo episode of Connecting with Purpose, Mark Griffin opens up about a personal shift that changed the way he leads, lives, and creates impact — reframing money not as a finish line, but as essential fuel for purpose.

For years, Mark viewed money as a byproduct of meaningful work. Impact first. Everything else would follow. But the truth? Some of his most stressful seasons came from not having enough of it. This episode explores how shifting from money-agnostic to money-aligned has transformed his clarity, energy, and long-term sustainability.

Through the PurposeFused Me–We–World lens, Mark breaks down how money supports personal freedom, strengthens teams and families, and amplifies impact in the world — especially for mission-driven founders, leaders, and change makers.

You'll hear insights on:

—Why money is part of impact, not outside of it

—How scarcity vs abundance shapes leadership

—Why the six spheres of energy must include financial energy

—How money mirrors our beliefs, fears, and stories

—Moving from "success" to "significance" through stewardship

If you want to lead with purpose and create sustained impact without burnout, this episode will challenge your assumptions and expand your perspective — especially if money has always felt uncomfortable, secondary, or disconnected from mission-driven work.

Whether you're a founder, nonprofit leader, corporate executive, coach, or anyone committed to meaningful impact, this episode will help you reflect on your relationship with money and reframe it as a teammate in the journey toward freedom, fulfillment, and significance.

Listen, reflect, and reconnect with what money can make possible — for you, your work, and the world.

Learn more at: PurposeFused.com

Contact: mark@purposefused.com

#PurposeFused #LeadershipDevelopment #MoneyMindset #PurposeDrivenLeadership #FounderLife #HighPerformanceLeadership #PersonalGrowth #BusinessMindset #AbundanceMindset #ImpactDriven

In this episode, host Mark Griffin sits down with Brad Stevens, Founder/CEO of Outsource Access and Brad Stevens Training, for a powerful founder-first conversation on resilience, disciplined leadership, and scaling with offshore talent and software excellence.

A lifetime entrepreneur, Brad has built multiple companies across industries, scaled Outsource Access to 450+ employees in the Philippines, and advised businesses in more than 75 industries. He's also a global speaker, trainer, and long-time leader in EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization) and YPO, bringing deep experience in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, global teams, and culture-building.

From early side hustles to a pivotal post-college setback, to a manufacturing disaster that forced innovation, Brad shares three defining "magic moments" that shaped his entrepreneurial journey:

—Foundations: Micro-businesses (from Micro Machines to tutoring) built confidence and the habit of scaling small wins.

—Fork in the Road: A vanished investment-banking job pushed him to launch his first company-proof that setbacks can seed your future.

—Blow-Up to Scale-Up: A product failure (teeth-whitening pens) catalyzed mastery of outsourcing, leading to Outsource Access and 450+ employees.

These experiences underpin Brad's purpose: living a disciplined life of creation, connection, and learning to help himself and others realize their full potential—from empowering clients with world-class virtual teams to creating opportunity and community for employees in the Philippines.

What You'll Learn:

—How to reframe problems as actions that simply need your attention

—Why alignment is greater than achievement for sustainable success (freedom, security, peace) —How peer groups (EO/YPO) and time/energy audits prevent burnout

—The future of work for SMBs: offshore talent + software ops (ServiceTitan, Litify, Restaurant365, HubSpot) + AI as a force-multiplier

Whether you're a founder, leader, or change-maker, this episode offers practical playbooks on resilience, purpose-driven leadership, and scaling with systems, software, and people.

Subscribe to Connecting with Purpose for more conversations with leaders and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future through clarity, resilience, and purpose: @connectingwithpurpose-est2021

Connect with Brad here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradstevens44/

#ConnectingWithPurpose #BradStevens #OutsourceAccess #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Resilience #PurposeDriven #VirtualAssistants #Philippines #SoftwareOperations #ServiceTitan #Litify #Restaurant365 #HubSpot #FounderLife #Scale #PurposeFused

How do you scale your business without losing alignment?

As your company grows, clarity often drifts. More people, more meetings, more complexity—yet alignment and focus don't automatically scale with size. In this episode of Connecting with Purpose, Mark Griffin explores one of the biggest challenges facing founders and leadership teams of growth-stage businesses: how to scale without losing alignment.

Mark breaks down four core growth traps:

—Alignment Drift

—Fuzzy Vision

—Too Many Priorities

—The Founder Bottleneck

Learn how to overcome these challenges by building clarity and alignment across three levels—leader, team, and organization.

Discover how to empower your people, streamline decisions, and create systems that sustain focus and culture.

If you're a founder, CEO, or senior leader seeking to scale your business with purpose and performance, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.

Subscribe for more conversations on purpose-driven leadership, growth, and organizational alignment.

Learn more at PurposeFused.com

Contact: mark@purposefused.com

#Leadership #BusinessGrowth #FounderMindset #OrganizationalClarity #ScaleWithPurpose #PurposeFused #Entrepreneurship #LeadershipDevelopment

In this episode, host Mark Griffin sits down with Jonathan Smith, author, negotiation instructor with the Black Swan Group, and Expert EOS Implementer®, for a powerful founder-first conversation on strategy, negotiation, and leadership at the intersection of purpose and performance.

Jonathan has spent his career helping high-achieving founders and CEOs navigate the growth curve without losing themselves in the process. As one of the top EOS Implementers in the world, he's worked with over 150 companies in more than 1,500 sessions, helping leadership teams sharpen strategy, strengthen execution, and align around a shared vision. He's also a negotiation instructor with the Black Swan Group, working alongside former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss, and co-author of the upcoming book Fight Less, Win More—available January 2026.

From early lessons in resilience to defining moments of self-discovery and service, Jonathan reflects on three pivotal "magic moments"—high school football, his time at JPMorgan, and an experience in Abu Dhabi—that shaped his approach to leadership and life.

— The Catalyst: Recognizing the power of belief—helping others see what's possible when they think it's not.

— The Pivot: Learning that failure and feedback are often the same teacher.

— The Mission: Realizing that influence begins with empathy—whether in business, negotiation, or life.

These moments reflect a purpose rooted in growth, service, and empowering others to lead and communicate more effectively.

What You'll Learn:

— How to identify and navigate the "Performance Precipice" before burnout sets in

— The five levels of listening and how empathy unlocks better outcomes

— Practical takeaways from Fight Less, Win More to strengthen leadership and negotiation skills

— How purpose and self-awareness drive sustainable high performance

— Why great leaders focus on clarity, connection, and consistent improvement

Whether you're a founder, CEO, or team leader, this conversation will challenge how you think about negotiation, purpose, and the kind of leader you want to become.

👉 Learn more about Jonathan Smith and his work: https://staycuriousjbs.com/

👉 Pre-order his upcoming book, Fight Less, Win More (January 2026): https://staycuriousjbs.com/fight-less-win-more/

👉 Subscribe to Connecting with Purpose for more conversations with leaders and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future through clarity, resilience, and purpose: /@connectingwithpurpose-est2021

#ConnectingWithPurpose #JonathanSmith #BlackSwanGroup #FightLessWinMore #ChrisVoss #Negotiation #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #PurposeDriven #EOS #Strategy #HighPerformance #FounderLife #TeamDevelopment #PurposeFused #NeverSplitTheDifference

Are you performing at a high level — but feeling emptier inside? You're not alone.

In this solo episode of Connecting with Purpose, Mark Griffin breaks down 5 subtle signs that high performers, founders, and leaders often miss on the way to burnout — what he calls the Performance Precipice.

Drawing on the PurposeFused Leadership and Leadership Aperture frameworks, Mark reveals how to recognize these patterns early and re-align from the inside out.

If you're feeling constantly "on," rescuing others, juggling busyness, or carrying dysfunction — this conversation is your wake-up call to pause, re-center, and lead with clarity and purpose again.

Subscribe to Connecting with Purpose for more insights on how to align your performance with purpose and wellbeing.

💡 Learn more: www.PurposeFused.com

📲 Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgriffinpurposefused/

#CaptainYourLife #PurposeFusedLeadership #EmptyAchievers #ConnectingWithPurpose

In this episode, host Mark Griffin sits down with Naveen Khugputh, Co-Founder & COO at APiRO and Co-Founder & COO at Werqwise, for a powerful founder-first conversation on resilience, leadership, and reimagining the future of work.

From his start in private equity to launching multiple ventures across London, New York, Hong Kong, and San Francisco, Naveen shares three defining "magic moments" that shaped his entrepreneurial journey:

— Business school in the south of France expanded his worldview, unlocked ambition, and sparked belief in what's possible.

— A decade in private equity taught the toughness, intensity, and constructive conflict of elite teams—skills that built lasting discipline.

— Leading a flexible workspace company through the COVID-19 pandemic tested his grit, forced risk-taking, and validated a breakthrough technology that now powers APiRO.

These experiences underpin Naveen's purpose: building scalable, people-centered solutions that create lasting impact—from sustainable office design to digital skill programs for underserved communities.

What You'll Learn:

—How to reframe problems as opportunities that simply need attention

—Why authentic energy is the secret to avoiding burnout and leading sustainably

—How purpose (passion × impact × application) acts as a founder's compass

—The future of work: flexible, tech-enabled, sustainable spaces designed for collaboration and community

Whether you're a founder, leader, or change-maker, this episode offers practical takeaways on resilience, purpose-driven leadership, and creating meaningful impact.

👉 Subscribe to Connecting with Purpose for more conversations with leaders and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future through clarity, resilience, and purpose: https://www.youtube.com/@connectingwithpurpose-est2021

👉 Connect with Naveen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naveen-khugputh-6740292/

#ConnectingWithPurpose #NaveenKhugputh #APiRO #Werqwise #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfWork #Resilience #Leadership #PurposeDriven #StartupLife #WorkplaceDesign #RealEstateInnovation #FoundersFirst #PurposeFused

Welcome to Season 4 of Connecting with Purpose! 🎙️

This season, we're putting founders first—exploring the human stories behind the businesses, from their magic moments and entrepreneurial roller coasters to the possibilities ahead. In this solo kickoff episode, host Mark Griffin sets the stage by answering the same questions he usually asks founders:

• Magic Moments – the deeply personal story of his son's birth and how it reshaped his perspective on pressure and presence.
• Entrepreneurial Spark – how rugby, banking, and purpose combined to inspire the founding of Play Rugby USA.
• Purpose – breaking down passion + impact + application, and sharing his own purpose statement.
• Possibilities Ahead – supporting founder-led businesses and leadership teams to unlock growth and impact.
• Bridging the Gap – the challenge of making authentic human connections in a noisy world.
• Playing Advantage – a call to action: why every leader should create their own One Page Purpose. 💡

Mark also shares his own One Page Purpose and invites listeners to connect directly if they'd like to explore theirs. 👉

Tune in for a powerful kickoff to Season 4, and join us weekly for founder conversations and short, sharp solo episodes designed to help leaders live and lead with purpose.