In this episode of Leadership Matters, Ben Lampron, CEO of Gassen Company, Inc. and author of Jump Start Your Future, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to share the lessons, mentors, and turning points that shaped his leadership journey. Ben reflects on leaving Honeywell after 23 years, learning to lead through failure, building confidence through sports officiating, and creating a culture that develops the whole person. He also explores the importance of mentorship, personal goals, faith, family, and taking ownership of the direction of your career and life. If you believe strong leadership starts with self-awareness, courage, and helping others grow, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Michelle Fields, CEO and co-founder of AI Mentors, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to explore what it means to keep evolving throughout your career. Michelle shares how growing up on a farm in rural Minnesota shaped her work ethic, the lessons she learned about perfectionism and developing others, and what led her to leave corporate America and build a business in AI. She also reflects on the importance of community, trust, and embracing change as technology reshapes the way we work. If you believe growth requires curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to keep learning, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Julius Ordonez, founder and president of Benchmark Consulting, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to explore what actually creates lasting change in people. Julius shares how a difficult childhood in the Philippines shaped his drive and resilience, the wake-up call that forced him to rethink his relentless pursuit of excellence, and why he sees coaching as fundamentally different from training. He also unpacks what it means to lead with curiosity instead of answers, and why asking the right question can unlock insight that instruction never will. If you believe people grow best when they find their own answers, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Anne Mezzenga, Founder and CEO of Retail Field Report, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to explore what separates thriving retailers from struggling ones. Anne shares what surprised her most after working shifts in stores, the two disconnected career paths she sees across retail, and the hard lesson of trusting her instincts before the data caught up. She also reflects on the culture at the Bailey Group that taught her there is no single right answer, and why relationships, not titles, have shaped her career more than anything else. If you believe connection drives everything, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Bill Crouch, founder and CEO of BrightDot, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to explore the power of "mattership," the intentional practice of helping people know they matter. Bill shares childhood stories that shaped his lifelong belief that everyone carries a story, a late-in-life PTSD diagnosis that led him to open up to his five adult children, and the retreat exercise that revealed happiness as the common trait behind his most valued employees. He also reflects on the difference between transactional and relational leadership, and why small gestures create lasting impact. If you believe people are hungry to know they matter, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Heather Boschke, marketer, entrepreneur, and children's author, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to explore what happens when you redefine success on your own terms. Heather shares the corporate burnout that pushed her toward change, why the voice inside her told her "draw or die," and how rediscovering childhood joys like drawing birds led to a fractional marketing business and a growing children's book series. She also opens up about resilience, letting go of expectations, and learning that her worth was never tied to her output. If you believe reconnecting with what lit you up as a kid can redirect your whole life, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Marisa Mann, founder and CEO of Uplift All, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to explore what it really means to lead without losing yourself. Marisa shares how her parents' hard-won journey to build a better life in the U.S. shaped her drive for perfection, why she once quit her C-suite job with nothing lined up to rediscover who she was, and how learning to value her own impact, not just deliver it, changed how she leads. She also reflects on why underrecognized leaders carry invisible weight that deserves to be seen. If you believe leadership starts with knowing yourself first, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Leadership Matters, Julian Scadden, president and CEO of Nexstar Network, joins host Kaylee Thomsen to explore what it takes to lead with confidence while staying grounded. Julian shares how starting as a plumber's apprentice and high school dropout shaped his belief that he could build something real, why growing a business and scaling one demands entirely different skills, and how learning to run toward hard conversations, rather than avoid them, changed how his team trusts him. He also reflects on why coaching only works when presence comes before methodology. If you believe leadership is truly built through discomfort, this episode is for you.