Episode 57. There are lessons to be learned from everywhere in life, and they’re really fun when coming from a former fighter pilot.

This episode’s guest is retired fighter pilot and business consultant Jim Murphy. After his dream of being in professional baseball disappeared Jim went into sales, but didn’t love it. Inspired by the movie Top Gun he joined the Air Force, where he retired after 12 years. Afterwards Jim turned to business and today is the founder of Afterburner Inc, a business consulting firm. While in the military, Jim went through training that resonated with him in a very powerful way. Now, he brings those same principles to the consulting world through his signature framework Flawless Execution. You can apply this framework to your business, career or anything in between.

Jim truly believes in the power of planning. When done well, you can align all levels of an in both culture and mission. While he’s stepped away from working inside Afterburner Inc’s day-to-day operations to focus on Afterburner Capital, he’s proud of building a business that has stood the test of time.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• How he got into management training and consulting.
• What inspired Jim to become a fighter pilot.
• The signature framework he came up with and what it teaches.
• Qualities and personality traits that make for a good fighter pilot.
• The importance of culture inside businesses of any industry.
• Why Jim decided to move on from the US Air Force and what he did next.
• How his parents helped instill a strong work ethic in him.
• How his “dream team” encouraged his journey into entrepreneurship.
• The role that helped Jim learn to sell, and how it helped him prove his model.
• Why you need simple and standardized planning for a successful execution.
• How to inspire and compel people in your organization to take action.
• The book that helped Jim scale his business (and why he reads it every year).
• Why he decided to pivot his focus from Afterburner Inc to Afterburner Capital.
• How to apply the Flawless Execution framework to grow your career.

Episode 56. There is the typical way to advance in a law career, and then there’s the approach Niki Avraam took.

Niki is a legal entrepreneur, speaker, and the co-founder of Howat Avraam Solicitors. When she saw room for societal growth and change, she decided to pivot from focusing on commercial law towards employment and discrimination. Her approach to her legal career is different than most. Instead of the traditional, she has focused on the future.

Niki is working on answering some important questions: How do we shape the workforce of the future, how do we ensure people feel significant within their organization, and how can leaders support that? She’ll share why she’s so passionate about the work she does, plus where her desire to encourage agency in the workforce comes from.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Niki’s career background and the many hats she wears now.
• How Niki came to build employment and discrimination departments.
• The power of autonomy and how having a personal stake changed her career trajectory.
• The difference that serving clients with empathy can make.
• Why becoming an entrepreneur in the legal space felt natural for Niki.
• The importance of operating outside of traditional perceptions in your work.
• Niki’s desire to make an impact and how that’s informed her professional growth.
• The evolution of the workplace and why it’s important to remember to be of service.
• What the research shows about what actually brings us joy.
• What we can do to prepare for the integration of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
• Niki’s struggle with the work-life balance and how she manages to make it work.
• Why it’s important to bring your individuality to your industry.
• The interesting way you can go about building your leadership mindset.

Episode 55. Have you ever thought about the concept of a 4 day work week? Would it work with your job and the way you work? The question might force us to explore the idea of work, what we’re trying to accomplish, productivity and our daily motivation.

In this episode, guest Joe Sanok talks about his book Thursday is the New Friday, which is all about helping you transition to the four-day work week—whether the power to make that transition is in your hands or if you need guidance convincing the powers that be. Joe is also a trained therapist who brings a wealth of knowledge and thorough thinking to our jobs, careers and life around them.

Joe identifies as “95% dad” and doesn’t jive with the hustle culture. There is so much information—science, research, and stories—explaining why working less days of the week is a no-brainer. This book brings all these ideas together in a coherent way to spread the message of the four-day work week.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• The educational path Joe took and the side hustle that grew into something more.
• How he entered the world of podcasting and the work he does in that area now.
• Why Joe decided to start his podcast and how he used it to his benefit.
• The natural phases of business and why it’s important to move away from the hustle.
• Why Joe was inspired to write Thursday is the New Friday and what it’s about.
• Why you should consider exploring the four-day work week.
• How you can find your productivity sweet spot.
• What neuroscience says about slowing down, and how to best get things done.
• The value we give money and when we tend to hit diminishing returns with it.
• The difference between the book The 4-Hour Workweek and Joe’s book.
• How a four-day work week might look different across industries.
• How a team can approach experimenting with a four-day work week.
• The benefits early adopters of this type of work schedule will reap.
• Why you should question what you really want instead of letting your default take over.