Most leaders are rushing into AI—but few are leading it well. In this episode, Joel Salinas breaks down why AI adoption is failing inside organizations and how leaders can implement it without losing trust, clarity, or performance. If you’re a Director, VP, or executive trying to figure out how AI fits into your strategy, this conversation gives you a clear path forward. It’s not about tools—it’s about leadership, decision-making, and execution. Key insights: • AI should execute ideas—not replace leadership thinking • Without guardrails, AI creates confusion and inconsistent outcomes • Most failures come from poor strategy, not poor technology • Your differentiation comes from your thinking—not AI output Q: Why do most AI initiatives fail? A: Leaders skip strategy and treat AI like a shortcut instead of a system. Q: How should leaders use AI effectively? A: Start with clear thinking, then use AI to accelerate execution. Q: What’s the risk of overusing AI? A: You lose your voice, your edge, and your leadership identity. Timestamps: 00:00 Joel’s journey 06:00 AI adoption mistakes 14:00 Why AI fails 22:00 Human vs machine thinking Follow, subscribe, and share to stay sharp as a leader. Guest: Joel Salinas Strategic AI Leadership Coach Substack: https://substack.com/@leadershipinchange10 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-in-change-with-ai-podcast/id1884921599 Website: https://jsalinas.org/ The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy. Each episode delivers practical insights, powerful stories, and bold conversations designed to help leaders empower their teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence.

Most leaders think they need more tactics. Maeve Ferguson makes the case that what they really need is infrastructure. In this conversation, she breaks down how founders turn expertise into systems that build trust, improve communication, and drive team success. This episode is for leaders who feel stuck in the middle of everything—decision-making, delivery, messaging, and growth. If you want more autonomy inside your company without losing control, this conversation will sharpen your strategy. • Build clear KPI visibility before you try to scale. • Codify your intellectual property so your expertise works without you. • Use diagnostic tools to qualify leads and reveal real business gaps. • Let AI support smarter execution, not just more noise. Q: How do leaders stop being the bottleneck? A: By building systems and structure that remove constant founder dependency. Q: What is codified IP? A: It is your expertise turned into a clear framework, method, or asset. Q: Why do diagnostics matter? A: They turn insight into positioning, lead quality, and better decisions. Timestamps: 00:00 background and infrastructure; 06:30 founder bottlenecks; 15:00 codifying IP; 24:00 diagnostics and data. Follow, subscribe, and comment for more leadership insights. Guest: Maeve Ferguson, business strategist focused on turning IP into diagnostic lead-generation assets. Website: maeveferguson.com | LinkedIn: Maeve Ferguson. The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy. Each episode delivers practical insights, powerful stories, and bold conversations designed to help leaders empower their teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence.

Leadership often focuses on strategy, execution, and performance. But what if the real breakthrough starts with the leader themselves? In this episode of The Next Interview, Doland White sits down with Curtis McCullom, human potential coach and founder of Bespoke Human Potential Coaching. Curtis shares how his L.G.E.T. Mindset — Learn, Grow, Expand, Transform — helps leaders address the internal barriers that limit trust, communication, and team performance. This conversation is especially relevant for executives who feel pressure to appear strong while quietly carrying the weight of leadership. Curtis explains why pretending everything is fine can slow growth—and why authentic self-leadership builds stronger organizations. Key insights leaders will take away: • Why leadership transformation starts with fixing internal belief systems • How subconscious habits drive 95% of leadership behavior • The power of asking one more question to deepen trust and communication Leadership FAQ Q: Why do leaders struggle with vulnerability? A: Many leaders fear appearing weak, but authenticity actually strengthens trust. Q: What is the L.G.E.T. mindset? A: A framework that helps leaders learn, grow, expand awareness, and transform their leadership. Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 11:30 Leadership authenticity 26:10 The L.G.E.T. mindset 40:00 Building trust through communication Follow, subscribe, and share this episode with a leader who is committed to real growth. Guest Curtis McCullom Founder – Bespoke Human Potential Coaching; https://www.bespokehumanpotentialcoaching.com/ Podcast: The L.G.E.T. Mindset Host The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy.

Reed Nyffeler, Founder & CEO of Signal, joins me for a bold conversation about what leadership really looks like when you’re scaling trust across 650+ franchise locations. At the heart of this episode is one tension every executive faces: how do you empower people without losing control? This episode is for Directors, VPs, and CEOs who want stronger execution without micromanagement. If you’re building teams, expanding strategy, or navigating growth, this conversation will sharpen your leadership lens. You’ll hear: • Why authenticity builds trust faster than authority • How consistency becomes a leader’s competitive advantage • The boundary model for expanding autonomy without chaos • Why perspective—not skill—is often the real barrier to growth Q: How do leaders scale trust across large organizations? A: Through authenticity and disciplined consistency. Q: When should autonomy expand? A: When performance proves readiness within existing boundaries. Q: What breaks trust fastest? A: Inconsistency between what you say and what you do. Key Moments: 03:15 Entrepreneurial beginnings 22:10 Leading franchise owners vs employees 40:25 Authenticity and trust 46:10 Expanding autonomy Download this week’s leadership asset: THE EMPOWERMENT BLUEPRINT https://dolandwhite.com/#ebt Follow, subscribe, and share this episode with a leader ready to grow. Guest: Reed Nyffeler Founder & CEO, Signal Website: https://www.teamsignal.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reednyffeler/ The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy. Each episode delivers practical insights, powerful stories, and bold conversations designed to help leaders empower their teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence.

David Howe brings a rare combination of leadership experience to this conversation—thirty years in the U.S. Army, including Special Forces, and three decades in senior roles within Fortune 100 organizations. But the real focus of this episode isn’t resume—it’s infrastructure. Specifically, why life planning is the missing foundation in executive leadership. If you’re leading at the Director, VP, or C-suite level, this conversation challenges you to examine whether your professional strategy is anchored to personal clarity—or simply reacting to momentum. David shares how disciplined planning, vision alignment, and purpose-driven leadership strengthen trust, autonomy, and long-term team success. Key Insights & Strategies: • Strategic leaders plan their lives with the same rigor as their businesses. • Personal clarity reduces reactive leadership. • Alignment between life goals and corporate goals increases engagement and performance. Mini Q&A Why do leaders burn out despite success? Because achievement without alignment eventually erodes purpose. How can executives create long-term clarity? Through structured life planning tied to vision and values. What drives sustainable leadership performance? Discipline, vision, and accountability anchored in purpose. Timestamps 00:00 Military discipline 15:10 Life planning foundation 23:30 Corporate integration 41:20 Planning principle Follow, subscribe, and comment for more leadership and executive strategy insights. This Week’s Sponsor Design the Life of Your Dreams and Your Teams https://courses.kenrusk.com/offers/o2s4kYm8?coupon_code=TNI Guest Contact David Howe Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.kenrusk.com/ Phone: 847-323-4199 Foundation: https://www.veteransuccess.org/ gcsrnggv

Customer experience isn’t a department—it’s a leadership system. In this episode, Doland White sits down with Wes Dudley, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Broad River Retail, to unpack how trust, transparency, and accountability drive real performance. If you lead teams in high-pressure environments, this conversation will challenge how you think about culture and execution. This episode is for Directors, VPs, SVPs, and CEOs who want stronger team success without micromanagement. Wes shares how identity, communication, and disciplined strategy elevate customer outcomes and internal engagement at the same time. • Build trust through consistent listening forums and direct leadership access • Use team identity (CX All-Stars) to create ownership and autonomy • Pair accountability with coaching to grow next-level leaders • Keep AI human-centered to enhance—not replace—customer connection Q: How do you build trust in large CX teams? A: Create structured access points where employees feel heard and supported. Q: How do leaders prevent burnout in customer-facing roles? A: Balance standards with coaching and development. Q: What makes customer experience strategic? A: It reflects leadership clarity and cultural discipline. Timestamps: 03:00 Journey & Retail Leadership Roots 09:00 Trust Through Roundtables 17:00 CX All-Stars Culture Model 24:00 AI, Accountability & Human-Centered Leadership Follow, subscribe, and comment for more leadership insights. Guest: Wes Dudley, SVP Customer Experience, Broad River Retail The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy. Each episode delivers practical insights, powerful stories, and bold conversations designed to help leaders empower their teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence.

How do leaders build trust under pressure? Jenn Greenhut shares leadership lessons on trust, accountability, and self-leadership when it matters most. Jenn Greenhut joins The Next Interview for a powerful conversation on leadership, trust, and accountability forged under extreme pressure. A stage IV cancer survivor, author, and founder of Love, Zero Negative, Jenn shares how life’s hardest moments reveal the kind of leader you truly are — at work, at home, and within yourself. This episode is for leaders navigating uncertainty, burnout, or transition who want to lead with clarity instead of control. Jenn and host Doland White explore how trust deepens when fear is present, why accountability doesn’t require blame, and how self-leadership becomes the foundation for team success. Key insights include: • How trust is built through behavior, not reassurance • Why accountability starts with ownership, not perfection • The cost of self-protection versus connection in leadership • Turning adversity into alignment, purpose, and momentum Mini Q&A • How do leaders stay connected under pressure? By choosing presence over protection. • What creates trust when outcomes are uncertain? Transparency, consistency, and compassion. Timestamps • Cancer, mindset, and trust under pressure • Self-leadership and accountability lessons • Building Love, Zero Negative and purpose-driven work Follow, subscribe, and comment for more leadership insights. Guest: Jenn Greenhut – Founder, Love Zero Negative Website: https://lovezeronegative.com Host: The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy. Download the EMPOWERMENT BLUEPRINT here: https://dolandwhite.com/#ebt

Claudio Reilsono, longtime Carnegie Mellon baseball coach and leadership author, joins The Next Interview to unpack a truth most leaders learn the hard way: talent doesn’t build winning teams—trust does. This conversation explores what happens when leaders prioritize the right people over resumes, and why culture always beats credentials. This episode is for Directors, VPs, and executives navigating stalled execution, misalignment, or underperformance despite strong talent. Claudio shares real stories from elite sports and leadership environments that reveal how trust, communication, and accountability shape results. Key Insights & Strategies • Why the “right people” outperform high performers who resist coaching • How leaders build trust by owning mistakes instead of hiding them • When accountability strengthens teams—and when it fractures them • How vulnerability accelerates execution instead of weakening authority Mini Q&A • How do leaders build trust fast? By being consistent, honest, and accountable first. • What kills team performance most often? Tolerating misalignment too long. Timestamps 00:02 Journey to leadership 09:40 Right people vs. talent 22:15 Accountability moments 38:50 Leading from the heart Follow, subscribe, and comment to help more leaders turn insight into action. Guest: Claudio Reilsono Website: https://www.claudioreilsono.com/ The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy…

This isn’t a show about titles, hype, or surface-level success. It’s a conversation for leaders who know there’s another level—of clarity, confidence, and impact—and are ready to step into it. Each episode, I sit down with executives, founders, and thinkers who’ve been in the seat. People who’ve made hard decisions, built trust when it mattered most, and learned what actually moves teams forward. No fluff. No theory for theory’s sake. Just real stories, hard-earned lessons, and practical insights you can use immediately. We’ll talk about trust, ownership, communication, growth, accountability—and the inner work required to lead well when the pressure is real. Whether you’re a Director, VP, or CEO, this show is designed to help you lead with confidence and build empowered teams that perform without burning out. If you’re here to grow, to think differently, and to lead better— you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it.

Leadership doesn’t stop when the workday ends — and neither does its impact. In this episode of The Next Interview, Doland White sits down with Kelly Clements, relationship strategist and founder of The Entreprenewer®, to explore how trust, accountability, and alignment at home quietly shape leadership performance at work. This conversation tackles the tension leaders feel when success on paper doesn’t translate to clarity, energy, or connection. This episode is for Directors, VPs, SVPs, and CEOs who feel the weight of responsibility and want leadership growth that actually improves decision-making, communication, and execution. If you’re serious about building trust, protecting autonomy, and driving team success without burning out, this discussion brings grounded, usable insight. Key Insights & Strategies • Why stress follows leaders home — and how to stop transferring it into relationships • How accountability breaks when it turns into scorekeeping instead of shared ownership • A simple “reentry” practice that helps leaders reset and show up with intention Mini Q&A • How does trust at home affect leadership? Trust at home stabilizes confidence and decision-making at work. • Why do leaders struggle with accountability? Because ownership gets replaced by blame when expectations aren’t clear. • What’s the fastest way to reduce friction? Intentional transitions between work and home. Timestamps • 0:00–6:00 — Leadership, life, and the hidden third presence • 12:00–22:00 — Trust, vulnerability, and stoic leadership • 28:00–38:00 — Accountability, scorecards, and communication • 38:00–45:00 — Practical tools leaders can use immediately Follow, subscribe, and comment for more conversations that turn leadership insight into action. Guest Contact Kelly Clements — Relationship Strategist Website: https://www.kellyclements.com Book: Grow Your Business Without Growing Apart The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence, and known as The Empowerment Guy. Each episode delivers practical insights, powerful stories, and bold conversations designed to help leaders empower their teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence. Keywords: empowered leadership, business growth, team empowerment, trust and autonomy, innovation, accountability, confidence