Fearful Giants

For a lot of high achievers, the hardest part isn’t success. It’s figuring out who you are without it.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay Stelzer sits down with Janell Pittman, a marketing and transformation leader who spent decades driving growth at some of the most recognized organizations in the country. After serving as Chief Marketing and Digital Strategy Officer at MercyOne - a 230-location, 18,000-colleague health system, and VP and General Manager at Meredith Corporation, supporting brands like AllRecipes, Martha Stewart, and Better Homes & Gardens, Janell made a deliberate pivot to fractional executive work with Chief Outsiders, where she now partners with mid-size company CEOs to build data-backed growth strategies.In this episode we explore:Why excellence that starts as fun can become a fear-based trap, and how to tell the differenceWhat it really takes to lead culture change across 18,000 people without imposing it from the topThe terrifying decision to take a career break and intentionally not be busyHow Janell shed a decades-old identity tied to titles, achievement, and busyness,  and what she found on the other sideWhy "the process is more important than the outcome" changed how she thinks about every major initiativeIf this conversation resonates, share it with a leader who's running hard and hasn't stopped to ask what they're actually running toward. And follow or subscribe wherever you listen for more honest conversations about the human side of leadership.Connect with Janell Pittman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janellpittman/Website: https://www.chiefoutsiders.comConnect with Clay: Website: https://15sixty.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzer  Resources Mentioned: Excellence Through Leadership Conference (University of Missouri) Chief Outsiders (chiefoutsiders.com)🎵 Music License: CMUVN6N0WHFMBOOL

Building something that lasts is supposed to feel like winning. Nobody warns you about the fear that comes with it.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with Ashley Murphy, co-founder and CEO of Neat Method - the company that pioneered professional home organization as a scalable franchise business. Ashley started Neat Method in 2010 after discovering, while working as an in-home personal trainer, that a well-organized living space could transform the overall wellbeing of her clients. What started as a vision for the "Neat Life" grew into the largest organizing network in North America - nearly 100 locations, a full product line launched in 2020, and a brand that serves everyone from busy families to celebrities to politicians to at least one confirmed CIA operative.She did the thing. She built a business, and she built it big, but somewhere along the way it got scary.Not the building part - the leading part. The enforcing-the-rules part. The what-if-I'm-the-ceiling part. The who-am-I-if-this-isn't-mine-to-run part.Ashley says out loud what most founders only think: maybe the person steering the ship is holding it back, and she says it not from defeat but from the kind of honest, clear-eyed courage that makes great leaders worth listening to.What You'll Hear:When love for a business can start to get in the way of its growthThe fear underneath being "bad cop" with her franchise ownersWhat it actually feels like to ask yourself if you're the ceiling of your own companyHow Ashley is learning to separate her identity from the brand she's spent her whole adult life buildingHer craziest home organization stories (hint: it involves guns, passports, and the CIA. Yes, really.) When leaders get this honest, it changes something - for them and for everyone watching.Connect with Ashley Murphy:Website: https://www.neatmethod.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/neatmethod Connect with Clay Stelzer: Website: https://15sixty.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzer Resources Mentioned:Neat Method: www.neatmethod.com 🎵 Music License: CMUVN6N0WHFMBOOL

It takes a particular kind of bravery to walk away from something wildly successful. Not because it failed, but because you realized you were no longer the right person to lead it.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay Stelzer sits down with J Schwan - founder of Solstice, former CEO of Kin + Carta (the first publicly traded B Corp on the London Stock Exchange), and current CEO of Gladiator Tennis. J scaled a socially responsible digital engineering firm from a solo venture to over 2,000 employees across four continents. Then he walked away. What he found on the other side, and what drove him there, is what this conversation is really about.This week, instead of a traditional interview, we did something different. We played three games, all centered around fear. We explored questions like:What’s scarier - failing publicly, or succeeding and feeling empty?What part of your success actually hurt you?What are you afraid to admit out loud?We ended up talking about what it actually looks like to walk away from a wildly successful machine, name the thing that drove you there, and choose a second mountain that means something to you personally.In this episode we explore:The "ghost" - the relentless internal force that drove J's success and nearly cost him his happinessWhat the "second mountain" really means and how J chose which one to climb nextWhy J spent the first 25 years of his career putting people on screens and now wants to spend the next 25 getting them offHow tennis literally saved his life in London, and why he's now building a national league around that experienceThe shift from ego-driven success to something far more meaningful: 100,000 people finding their gameThe best second acts aren't really about starting over. They're about going back to what made you come alive in the first place, and doing it with everything you've finally learned about yourself along the way.Connect with J Schwan: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/schwan Website: www.gladiatortennis.comConnect with Clay: Website: https://15sixty.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzer Resources Mentioned:Rockefeller Habits (Verne Harnish)Gladiator Tennis: www.gladiatortennis.com🎵 Music License: CMUVN6N0WHFMBOOL

Andrew Warden has spent 30 years inside organizations studying what actually makes teams perform, cultures stick, and leaders grow, and he keeps arriving at the same answer: love.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with Andrew Warden, President of Branch Ventures and former Chief People Officer and Partner at Credera, a consulting firm he helped grow from 32 employees to nearly 4,000.What You'll Hear:The conflict resolution process Andrew has used for 19+ years (and why it works)Why "love is a full contact verb" and how it shows up in hard feedbackThe "brick up, brick down" principle for keeping relationships wholeWhat it really means when a company's values actually cost them somethingIf this conversation challenged the way you think about leadership, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And follow Fearful Giants wherever you listen — new conversations drop every week.Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awarden/Connect with Clay: Website: https://15sixty.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzer Resources Mentioned:Think Again by Adam GrantBull Durham (film) — "Hold it like an egg" / Crash DavisBlue Zones research by Dan Buettner (National Geographic)Patty McCord on Netflix culture and valuesSt. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the gospel. Use words if absolutely necessary."🎵 Music License: CMUVN6N0WHFMBOOL

About a month ago, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and I shared it here on the podcast. I'm good. It's out, and I'm moving forward. But what I wasn't prepared for was the response.People I hadn't spoken to in 20 years reached out, strangers sent prayers… and not a single person asked who I voted for, or brought up anything dividing us right now. Everyone just showed up.In this solo episode of Fearful Giants, I'm reflecting on what that outpouring revealed to me about connection, about the armor we wear as leaders, and about why going it alone is a choice, not a requirement.What You'll Hear:The real reason I shared my diagnosis publicly, and what I wasn't expectingThe one reminder that cut through all the noise: underneath all of it, we all want the same thingsWhy business leaders are conditioned to hide when they're strugglingThe truth about "lonely at the top" and why I believe it's optionalA question to sit with: how are you limiting yourself from feeling more connected?If this one resonates, share it with someone in your world who's been going it alone. They probably need this more than they'll say.Connect with me, Clay Stelzer:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected] Mentioned:YPO (Young Presidents' Organization)EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)VistageProvisors🎵 Music License: CMUVN6N0WHFMBOOL

Most leaders spend their entire career building toward one moment: the exit. The sale of the successful business. The win that's supposed to make everything feel worth it.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay Stelzer sits down with Peter Kennedy—serial entrepreneur, author of The Remembering, and CEO and co-founder of Evolvewell. Peter built Tagger Media, a leading influencer marketing and social intelligence company, scaled it, and sold it to Sprout Social. By every external measure, it was everything he'd worked for.Then he fell into the darkest depression of his life.What followed was one of the most honest accounts of identity, fear, and spiritual awakening we've had on this show.What You'll Hear:How tying self-worth to achievement slowly hollows you out, and what the exit actually exposesThe sweat lodge vision in Brazil that cracked Peter's world open: "Fear is worse than death. And that is why I fear no death."Why trying to destroy your inner critic doesn't work and what integration actually looks likeHow Peter leads Evolvewell with a "personal growth before profits" philosophy including breath work sessions before team brainstormsThe backpack of rocks metaphor that changed how Peter says no and what it means for leaders everywhereWhat vulnerability really means in leadership, and why the ego is the enemy of real cultureIf this one lands for you, share it with a founder or leader who's chasing the win and might need to hear this.Connect with Peter Kennedy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkennedy182/ Website: https://www.evolveweird.com/Connect with Clay: Website: https://15sixty.com/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/claystelzer  Resources Mentioned: The Remembering by Peter KennedyEvolvewell journeys on YouTube (Alex's breath work sessions)Michael Singer Joe DispenzaIboga plant medicine🎵 Music License: CMUVN6N0WHFMBOOL

In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with Christopher Shutts, co-founder of BigMachines (acquired by Oracle) and Logik.ai (acquired by ServiceNow). Chris has spent his career building companies that shaped the way complex products are sold.Chris shares what it was like starting BigMachines before most companies understood cloud software, nearly running out of money, rebuilding culture after painful layoffs, and later starting again as CEO of Logik to see if he could take a company from zero to exit, with him at the helm.What You'll Hear:Why fear has been both a driver and a challenge throughout Chris’s careerThe culture mistake that nearly broke BigMachinesWhat it really feels like to wake up at midnight worrying about your companyWhy prioritizing as a CEO is harder than most founders expectThe lesson that changed how Chris built culture the second timeWhy he believes culture beats strategy every timeIf you're curious how a two-time successful founder relates to fear - this one's for you.Follow or subscribe wherever you listen. And if this hits, send it to a founder who needs to hear it.Connect with Christopher Shutts:Website: https://www.logik.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-shutts-0622237/Email: [email protected] with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected]: Z0FBHRQGTPX9OMDB

In this solo episode of Fearful Giants, Clay Stelzer shares about a deeply personal experience that unfolded just days before recording - a cancer diagnosis.Instead of treating the moment as something to gloss over or spin into instant positivity, Clay explores how we can consciously respond when life throws unexpected circumstances our way. He talks about the emotional reality of navigating difficult life events - and the fear, the frustration, the grief, and the uncomfortable adjustments that come with them.Clay shares a powerful idea that has guided him for years: pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.Pain is part of life. Leaders experience it in many forms - layoffs, unexpected market changes, personal health challenges, or the loss of someone close to them. But suffering often comes from resisting reality or wishing things were different than they are.In this episode, Clay walks through the process he’s navigating in real time:Allowing himself to actually feel the emotions instead of bypassing themLetting go of the life he thought he was going to haveBecoming curious about what new possibilities might emergeIt’s a raw, honest reflection on how leaders can meet life as it shows up - even when the news is difficult. Because leadership isn’t about avoiding fear or pain. It’s about how we respond when life inevitably delivers both.Connect with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/claystelzer Email: [email protected] Music: Z0FBHRQGTPX9OMDB

What happens when success stops feeling like success? When the thing you built, the life you created, the title on the door no longer feels like you?Jodi Sweetbaum spent 26 years as Partner and President of Lloyd & Co., shaping some of the world's most recognizable brands - Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Madewell, Adidas - and then she walked away. Not because she failed. Because she couldn't be herself anymore.In this conversation, Jodi and Clay dig into what it actually takes to leave something you love, what keeps most people stuck, and what it means to choose yourself when everything on the outside looks perfect.What You'll Hear:How Jodi fell into a 26-year career at one of fashion's most influential agencies - and why she finally leftWhat integrity actually looks like when your values, words, and actions stop lining upThe most underrated leadership skill - and how Jodi built it the hard wayThe difference between walking away and running away - and why it mattersWhy she didn't have a plan when she left - and why that turned out to be okayWhat it takes to finally say, out loud: I am proud of myselfIf you've ever known you needed to go but couldn't quite let yourself - this one's for you.Connect with Jodi:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lojosweConnect with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected]

In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with Sarah Laird, founder and CEO of Laird and Good Company, an artist management agency and full-service production company that's been a creative force for over three decades. Sarah reps top photographers, directors, and stylists for clients like Apple, Netflix, and Lancôme.But this conversation isn't about her client list. It's about the messy, honest truth of building something from nothing while navigating fear, people-pleasing, and the constant pull between control and trust.What You'll Hear:• Why Sarah almost didn't do this interview (and what changed her mind)• The moment she realized she couldn't please everyone anymore• How "follow the energy" became her business philosophy• What it's like representing artists when you can't control their success• The shift from building a business to trusting it can run without her• Why she's never had a five-year plan (and doesn't want one)• Her mantra when fear tries to take over: "It's happening for me, not to me"If you've ever felt responsible for other people's happiness, struggled with letting go of control, or wondered if there's a better way than planning every move, this conversation is for you.Connect with Sarah Laird:Website: https://lairdandgoodcompany.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/lairdandgoodcompanyEmail:[email protected] with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected]

What does it take to thrive in an industry where your mistakes happen in real time, in front of everyone who matters?In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with Noelle McInerney, founder and CEO of Ladidadi, a boutique corporate event planning agency that's brought over a thousand experiences to life over the past 20 years. From high-end celebrity events to intimate employee functions around the world, Noelle creates the kind of moments people never forget.But this conversation isn't about logistics or timelines. It's about what it takes to lead when the stakes are high, the room is watching, and there are a zillion things that could go wrong in any moment.What You'll Hear:Why event planning attracts a specific kind of person (and repels everyone else)What Noelle does when she feels shaky about a partner on siteHow she shifted from perfection to 'excellence as an energy'The sales strategy she learned from Todd Capone: call out your imperfections earlyWhy 'if you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong' became a company mantraWhat it took to let go of control and trust her team of composersHer truth she anchors in when fear tries to drag her downIf you've ever struggled with perfectionism, worried about public failure, or wondered how to build a team you can actually trust, this conversation is for you.Connect with Noelle McInerney:Website: http://www.ladidadixm.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelle-mcinerney-57b30b11/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladidadixm/Connect with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected]: Z0FBHRQGTPX9OMDB

Most leaders know they should be having difficult conversations. Few actually know how to do it - without starting a war.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with @Dan Wallace, a veteran business leader, Harvard MBA, and one of the earliest EOS implementers, who has spent decades helping founders and executive teams break through the barriers that hold them back.Dan and Clay have known each other for over 14 years, and this conversation goes deeper than tactics. It's about the fear that keeps us from telling the truth, the biology that makes us want to fight back, and the simple tools that can change everything.What You'll Hear:• Why most people are terrified to say anything that might hurt someone's feelings• The seven words that can defuse almost any conflict: "Assume good intent, then ask a question"• How to speak from the "unarguable position" so people can actually hear you• Why changing your words changes the biology of conflict• The truth that helps Dan rise when fear drags him downIf you've ever rehearsed a difficult conversation in your head for days and never actually had it, this episode is for you.Connect with Dan Wallace:Email: [email protected]: 630-803-6625Connect with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected]

Most people would rather do almost anything than get on stage and improvise in front of strangers. But what if that fear is exactly where the growth lives?In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with @Jeff Ash, owner and artistic director of Westside Improv in Wheaton, Illinois, alumnus of Second City Hollywood, and a professional sales and leadership coach who combines improv principles with real business strategy.Jeff has spent his career helping people embrace the very thing most of us run from: not knowing what comes next. And along the way, he's discovered that the principles of improv - yes and, active listening, being present, letting go of judgment - are exactly what great leaders need.What You'll Hear:• Why most people are terrified of improv (and why that's the whole point!)• How "yes, and" is a mindset, not just a collaboration technique• The difference between performing and connecting• What Jeff learned from bombing on stage (and why he's grateful for it!)• The mindset shift that makes fear disappear: "It's hard to be nervous when your heart is on service"If you've ever wanted permission to stop performing and start connecting, this conversation is for you.Connect with Jeff Ash:Website: https://westsideimprov.comEmail: [email protected] or [email protected] with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected]: Z0FBHRQGTPX9OMDB

Most venture capitalists talk solely about exits and valuations. Mark Phillips talks about founder mental health.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with Mark Phillips, Managing Partner of 11 Tribes Ventures, a VC firm that's actively reshaping the venture capital model to prioritize founder resilience alongside business outcomes.Mark's journey began with failure. A failed diabetes device startup, an identity crisis, and the realization that his marriage, health, and faith were all in shambles. That rock-bottom moment became the foundation for something radically different: a venture firm where "capital and care" aren't competing values.What You'll Hear:• How Mark's startup failure led to an identity crisis that changed everything• Why 70% of the market laughs at the idea of founder wellbeing• The hidden cost of tying your worth to your company's success• How meditation changed the way Mark's brain processes the world• What happens when a founder has the courage to kill a major partnership• The truth Mark whispers to himself when fear shows upIf you're a founder grinding yourself into the ground, or a leader who's forgotten why you started, this conversation is for you.Connect with Mark Phillips:Website: https://www.11tribes.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markphillips11t/Email: [email protected] with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzerEmail: [email protected]

Most leaders don't talk about the fear underneath their success. And in philanthropy, that silence shows up in questions no one wants to ask out loud: Am I giving enough? What if I'm doing this for the wrong reasons? What will my wealth do to my kids?In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay sits down with Julie Hoffmann, founder and CEO of JH Philanthropy, a firm that helps high-capacity families navigate the complexities of charitable giving and create meaningful impact through philanthropy.With over two decades in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, Julie has become a trusted advisor to families wrestling with questions most people never have to face and the fears that come with them.What You'll Hear:How fear shows up for high-wealth families navigating philanthropyThe difference between healthy and unhealthy legacyWhy "clarity is kind" when working through family dynamicsJulie's own inner critic: "She has no idea what she's doing"What it means to learn out loud instead of staying smallThe responsibility that comes with wealth and leadershipIf this conversation resonates, share it with a leader who needs to hear it. And don't forget to subscribe to Fearful Giants for more honest conversations about the human side of leadership.Connect with Julie Hoffmann:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoffmannjulie/ Website: https://www.jhphilanthropy.com/juliehoffmann Email: [email protected] with Clay:Website: https://15sixty.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzer Email: [email protected]

Most leaders muscle through pressure without ever asking what their body is trying to tell them. In this episode, Brad Lande-Shannon, Chief People Officer at Madison Reed and founder of Awake Ranch, sits down with Clay for a raw, grounded conversation about conscious leadership, fear, presence, and why the pace we carry shapes the organizations we build.From leading 1,200 people to learning leadership lessons from horses, Brad brings an honesty most leaders avoid.What You'll Hear:- How conscious leadership actually works inside a fast-growing company- Why "above the line / below the line" matters, and how to recognize your own reactivity- The hidden fear underneath HR emergencies and high-pressure leadership moments- How horses reveal the truth about presence, pace, and leadership dynamics- What Brad needed to let go of to create an easeful next chapter for Awake Ranch- The mantra Brad returns to when fear drags him downIf this conversation challenged you or helped you see your own leadership a little more clearly, share it with someone who needs it.Connect with Brad:Email: [email protected]: https://www.awakeranch.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradlande/Connect with Clay:Email: [email protected]: https://15sixty.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzerZ0FBHRQGTPX9OMDB

Navigating fear as the founder of a tech startup is something few leaders talk about openly, yet almost every founder experiences it.In this episode of Fearful Giants, Clay Stelzer sits down with Liza Gurtin, an early employee at Robinhood, a product leader at Slack during its run to IPO, a former venture capitalist, and now a venture-backed tech startup founder. In this episode we explore: How fear shaped Liza’s early career and how it shows up for her as a tech startup founderThe power of naming your inner “judge” and learning to work with it instead of fighting itHow founders and leaders can create cultures where authenticity is safe and expectedIf this episode resonates, share it with a founder or leader who could benefit from this conversation. And don’t forget to hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening for more empowering conversations about the human side of leadership. Connect with Liza Gurtin:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizagurtin/⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠. Website: ⁠https://www.adverb.vc/team/liza-gurtin⁠ X: ⁠https://x.com/LizaGurtin⁠ Connect with Clay:Website: ⁠https://15sixty.com/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/claystelzer⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠Resources Mentioned:– The Artist’s Way (Julia Cameron)– Morning Pages practiceZ0FBHRQGTPX9OMDB

Fear is the hidden driver of most leadership decisions. In this inaugural episode of Fearful Giants, I share why this podcast exists - and why silence, fear, and unspoken truth quietly erode leaders, teams, and cultures. This isn’t a show about tactics or performance hacks to become a better leader. It’s about the internal pressure leaders carry, the fear that drives bad behavior, and the courage required to tell the truth.What you’ll hear in this episode:Why fear- not incompetence - is behind most leadership breakdownsThe three fears that quietly control leadersHow silence creates “Groundhog Day” cultures and burned-out teamsWhy “pushing through fear” doesn’t work, and what to do insteadThe role leaders must play in modeling vulnerability and honestyI spent years achieving what looked like success while struggling internally. Anxiety, panic, and exhaustion were signals I ignored - until I couldn’t ignore them any longer. In my own coaching journey I learned something simple and confronting: I wasn’t telling the truth. This show exists to tell those truths, and create the conversations most leadership spaces miss.If this resonates, subscribe to Fearful Giants, and share it with a leader who needs to hear this!Connect with Clay:Clay Stelzer is the founder and CEO of 15sixty, an executive coaching firm working with senior leaders and teams worldwide.Website: ⁠https://15sixty.com/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/claystelzer⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]

Fearful Giants is a raw, honest exploration of how fear silently limits even the most successful leaders. Hosted by executive coach and 15sixty founder Clay Stelzer, each episode explores the quiet, internal struggles behind big titles and bold decisions. Clay invites founders, CEOs, and executive leaders into real, unfiltered conversations about the fears they rarely name: fear of failure, vulnerability, irrelevance, not being good enough.With a mix of humor, depth, and coaching insight, each episode reveals what becomes possible in leadership – and in life – when we stop performing, start telling the truth, and remember who we really are: giants.Connect with Clay:Clay Stelzer is the founder and CEO of 15sixty, an executive coaching firm working with senior leaders and teams worldwide.Website: ⁠https://15sixty.com/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/claystelzer⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠