Disruption Lab

What if the life you want isn't built through hustle, but through intentional design?In this episode of Disrupt Everything, Patrick sits down with entrepreneur, bestselling author, and performance coach Craig Ballantyne to explore why discipline isn't about restriction. It's about freedom. Known by many as "The World's Most Disciplined Man," Craig has helped hundreds of business leaders and entrepreneurs grow successful businesses while reclaiming their time, protecting their priorities, and building lives they actually want to live.Together, they unpack the principles behind Craig's Perfect Day and Perfect Week frameworks, the surprising power of subtraction, and why so many high achievers become trapped by the very success they worked so hard to create.If you've ever felt overwhelmed, overcommitted, or stuck reacting to everyone else's agenda, this conversation offers a different path forward. Because the goal isn't simply to be more productive. The goal is to build a life of meaning, impact, and freedom—on purpose.It's time to disrupt the default and start living by design.

What would happen if you stopped waiting for permission and simply started tackling big problems?Patrick talks with Tommy Pennington, a Vanderbilt graduate and rising innovator, about what it means to think boldly at any age. Tommy has explored everything from fusion-powered technology to traffic flow systems to helping nonprofits gain access to large-scale donated goods through his work at SIMPLI.What makes Tommy stand out is not just the size of the problems he takes on. It’s his willingness to move toward complexity instead of away from it.This conversation explores curiosity, initiative, innovation, and the mindset required to pursue ideas that most people would never even attempt.

What happens when you step away from the spotlight and choose to lead in an entirely new way?Patrick sits down with internationally acclaimed opera performer Keri Alkema to discuss reinvention, leadership, creativity, and the future of the arts. After a celebrated career performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, Keri is stepping into a new role as the future director of the Nashville Opera.Together, they explore the transition from performer to leader, what it means to carry forward an art form while challenging the status quo, and how disruption often requires the courage to leave behind an identity that once defined you.Keri brings energy, honesty, and vision to a conversation about purpose, leadership, and building something bigger than yourself.

How do you find your voice and stay steady when the world feels chaotic?Patrick sits down with Lydia Hu, attorney turned journalist and familiar face on Fox Business, for a conversation about career pivots, high-pressure moments, and navigating disruption in real time. The two first connected while appearing together on Varney & Company during the height of Patrick and James Patterson’s media tour.Lydia shares her journey from practicing law to becoming a nationally recognized business reporter covering some of the most disruptive moments in recent history, including COVID, financial uncertainty, and rapidly changing economic conditions.This episode explores communication, reinvention, and the importance of stepping into uncomfortable opportunities before you feel fully ready.

Most people see waste, excess, or leftover materials as a problem. David Mendelson sees opportunity.Patrick talks with David Mendelson, leader of multi-generation family-owned company DONCO, about creativity, problem solving, and operating in a world where every phone call brings a new challenge. David and his team help organizations rethink industrial byproducts, excess inventory, and unused materials by finding innovative ways to put them back into use.Featured in Disrupt Everything and Win, David exemplifies what positive disruptors do best: seeing what others miss and thinking differently when faced with uncertainty.This conversation is about mindset, ingenuity, adaptability, and why some people are able to find possibilities where others only see obstacles.

What does it take to reinvent yourself in a world shaped by layoffs, AI, uncertainty, and constant change?In this episode, Patrick sits down with career and leadership expert Kathy Caprino, Forbes columnist, executive coach, educator, and host of the Finding Brave podcast. The two first met at the World Business Forum in New York City, where Kathy’s thoughtful questions and genuine care for people immediately stood out.Together, they explore career reinvention, leadership visibility, personal growth, and what it really means to navigate disruption well. Kathy shares insights from years of helping professionals find clarity, courage, and direction in moments when the future feels uncertain.Whether you’re considering a career pivot, trying to lead through change, or simply wondering what’s next, this conversation will help you think differently about your path forward.