The Business Development Podcast

Episode 312 of The Business Development Podcast features a practical and candid conversation with Gordon Sheppard, CEO of Executive Wins, about what really holds teams and organizations back from growth. Drawing on more than 25 years of executive coaching experience, Gordon shares what happens behind the scenes when businesses stall, leaders feel overwhelmed, and execution breaks down. Instead of chasing strategy or quick fixes, he explains why structure, accountability, and difficult conversations are often the true levers that create lasting change.
Together, Kelly and Gordon dig into the habits of high-performing leaders, how to build teams that actually execute without constant supervision, and the simple but powerful questions every CEO should be asking themselves. This episode is a grounded, no-nonsense look at leadership in the real world, offering clear insights for founders and operators who want fewer fires, stronger teams, and consistent, scalable wins.
Check out Executive Wins: https://executivewins.com/
Check out The Executive Wins Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P1NEQVF744tV6xEjm5vRC
Key Takeaways:
Strategy rarely breaks businesses. Poor execution does. Most growth problems are alignment and accountability issues, not planning issues.
Leaders often hold onto too much. If everything funnels through you, your team isn’t built to scale without you.
Hard conversations are not optional. Avoiding them quietly compounds dysfunction inside teams.
Behavior change beats theory. Real leadership impact happens when people change what they do, not just what they know.
Status quo is usually the hidden decision. If nothing changes after the meeting, you’ve already chosen comfort over growth.
Great coaches and leaders ask better questions, not give better answers. The right question creates clarity faster than advice.
Psychological safety unlocks performance. Teams move faster when people feel safe enough to be honest.
Small, consistent improvements outperform big, dramatic initiatives. Daily execution beats occasional breakthroughs.
Structure creates freedom. Clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations remove friction and speed up decision-making.
Leaders must stay coachable. The moment you stop listening is the moment your growth plateaus.

This episode of The Business Development Podcast is proudly brought to you by our 2026 Title Sponsor Hypervac Technologies, North America’s leading vac truck manufacturer, and their new division Hyperfab, delivering custom industrial fabrication solutions built for performance and reliability.
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Episode 311 of The Business Development Podcast features a deep and thought-provoking conversation with Wayne Lee Diduck, a world-class hypnotist and peak performance expert who reframes hypnosis as something far more practical and present in daily life than most people realize. Wayne explains that hypnosis is not about mind control or stage theatrics, but about influence, belief, and the subconscious programs that quietly shape our behavior, decisions, and results. Drawing from his background as a five-time national wrestling champion, he connects visualization, mental rehearsal, and identity to real performance outcomes in business, leadership, and life, showing how most people are already operating in a “trance” whether they’ve chosen it or not .
Throughout the episode, Kelly and Wayne explore how beliefs formed early in life create invisible limits, why authority and language are so powerful, and how intentional subconscious programming can unlock clarity, confidence, and sustained momentum. Wayne shares practical frameworks for reshaping mindset, explains why fear and burnout can take even high performers off track, and highlights how hypnosis and mental conditioning can rapidly break negative loops when traditional approaches fail. The conversation ultimately challenges listeners to take ownership of the stories they tell themselves and consciously choose the mental programs that drive their future performance, fulfillment, and success.
Key Takeaways:
1. You are already in a trance most of the day, the question is whether it’s serving you or sabotaging you.
2. Hypnosis is not mind control, it’s focused attention combined with belief and intention.
3. Visualization works because the brain responds to imagined experiences almost the same as real ones.
4. Your subconscious identity will always override your conscious goals if they are not aligned.
5. Fear is not the problem, the meaning you assign to situations is what creates paralysis or progress.
6. Authority and confidence are inherently hypnotic, people follow belief before logic.
7. Small, repeated mental habits shape outcomes far more than one big breakthrough moment.
8. Language matters, words like try, but, and can quietly program failure or limitation.
9. Burnout and anxiety are often the result of subconscious programs running unchecked, not weakness.
10. Change can happen far faster than people expect once beliefs and emotional associations shift.

If you want to take the ideas from Episode 311 even further, Wayne Lee Diduck offers a range of transformational services for individuals, leaders, teams, and organizations. From mindset coaching and hypnotic performance training to keynote speaking, workshops, and corporate programs, Wayne helps people shift limiting beliefs, boost confidence, and unlock peak performance. Whether you want deeper personal work, team development, or a memorable live event, he’s a go-to expert in practical influence and subconscious change.
Explore Wayne’s services and connect with him here:
🌐 Website: https://waynelee.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayneleegps/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypnotistwaynelee/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wayne.lee.75470
If you’re ready to change how you think, perform, and lead, Wayne’s work can be the catalyst.

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In Episode 310 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Anders Liu Lindberg, a global thought leader in business partnering and one of the strongest voices shaping the future of finance today. Anders has built a reputation for turning finance teams into strategic powerhouses, helping CFOs and finance leaders move beyond reporting and compliance into real influence, better decision making, and measurable business impact. This conversation is a masterclass in why finance must evolve, and why the professionals who learn to partner with the business will become indispensable.
Anders breaks down what business partnering actually is, why most finance teams struggle to earn a seat at the table, and how influence and communication are now just as critical as technical skill, especially as automation and AI accelerate. You will also hear Anders’ philosophy on purpose, fulfillment, and building authority through consistency, the same mindset that helped him grow into one of the most trusted educators in the space. If you want to understand where finance is headed and why Anders is leading that change, this episode delivers.
Key Takeaways:
1. Finance earns a seat at the table when it shows up to help leaders win, not to police budgets.
2. Business partnering is when functional experts translate their expertise into insights leaders can understand and use for better decisions.
3. Insights alone are not enough, because if you cannot influence decisions, your impact becomes zero.
4. The fastest way to build trust is to lead with empathy and partnership: “How can I help you meet and beat the budget” changes everything.
5. If finance shows up as the cold messenger of bad news, leaders will avoid them, but if finance shares ownership of outcomes, leaders will pull them closer.
6. AI and automation are shrinking the value of pure number crunching, so finance must get better at people skills like communication, relationship building, and influence.
7. You can teach “numbers people” to become stronger with people by giving them structure, tools, and repeatable frameworks they can practice.
8. Leaders should not just tell finance to “be strategic” and figure it out, they need to invest in training and create a clear path for that transformation.
9. Personal branding is not a hack, it is consistency plus authenticity over time, and your voice cannot be “wrong” when you are sharing real experience and perspective.
10. Passion comes and goes, but purpose creates staying power, and purpose plus passion is where fulfillment and long-term momentum come from.
About Anders Liu-Lindberg:
Anders Liu-Lindberg is a global thought leader in business partnering and finance transformation, helping finance teams evolve from reporting and control into strategic partners who drive real business outcomes. He runs the Business Partnering Institute, a worldwide hub for training, tools, and community built to raise the influence and impact of finance leaders (https://www.bpidk.org/), and he’s also the author of Communicating Financials to Executives, a practical guide for turning numbers into clear, decision driving communication at the executive level (https://www.amazon.ca/Communicating-Financials-Executives-Anders-Liu-Lindberg/dp/1394292600). Connect with Anders directly on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersliulindberg/.
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In Episode 309 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with fellow Rockstar Raphael Cervan, a longtime listener from France whose journey is anything but ordinary. Born in Brazil and now based in France, Raphael spent nearly two decades as an aeronautical engineer at Airbus, working on landmark programs like the A380 and A320 while leading global teams at the highest level of technical excellence. But as his career advanced and he became a father, Raphael began asking deeper questions about responsibility, values, and the kind of world he was helping to build. That reflection ultimately led him to walk away from a prestigious leadership role in aerospace to pursue something more meaningful.
This conversation goes far beyond career moves. Raphael shares how discovering The Business Development Podcast helped him transition from engineer to entrepreneur, reframing business development as a human, values-driven discipline rather than a transactional one. He opens up about founding Sunbiose, a company focused on decentralized, community-owned renewable energy systems designed to strengthen local economies, democracy, and social connection. This episode is a powerful exploration of legacy, courage, and what it really means to use your skills in service of something bigger than yourself, and it’s a reminder that business development done right can genuinely change lives.
Key Takeaways:
1. Career success means very little if it conflicts with your values, and clarity often comes when you ask what your children or future self will think of the choices you made.
2. Becoming a parent has a way of sharpening perspective and forcing honest questions about responsibility, impact, and legacy.
3. Technical excellence is powerful, but it becomes transformative when it’s applied to solving human and societal problems, not just optimizing systems.
4. Walking away from a prestigious role is not failure when it’s done intentionally in pursuit of deeper purpose and alignment.
5. Business development is not manipulation or pressure, it is a human process of understanding problems and offering real solutions.
6. Engineers and technical leaders can succeed in business when they reframe selling as service rather than persuasion.
7. Entrepreneurship is less about the destination and more about the growth, self-knowledge, and responsibility developed along the way.
8. Systems matter, whether in aviation, energy, or business, and poorly designed systems create risks that values-based leadership must address.
9. Decentralization and community ownership can create not only economic value but stronger social bonds and shared accountability.
10. Legacy is built through action, not intention, and doing nothing is often the most dangerous decision of all.
Get in touch with Raphael
If this episode resonated and you’re exploring opportunities in decentralized energy, sustainability, or impact-driven entrepreneurship, Raphael is actively open to conversations. He is currently seeking strategic partners and aligned investors who share a long-term vision for community-owned, decentralized energy systems.
If you’re interested in collaborating, partnering, or learning more about the Sunbiose model, Raphael welcomes thoughtful outreach.
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelcervan/
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The Business Development Podcast is proudly sponsored by Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab 🚛
Together, Hypervac and Hyperfab represent North America’s leaders in vac truck manufacturing and industrial fabrication. Their continued support helps make this show possible week after week....

Episode 308 of The Business Development Podcast features John Pelley, a former banker with 35 years of experience spanning small business lending, corporate banking, and global treasury management. John pulls back the curtain on how business banking actually works and explains why banks are not fixed-cost utilities but competitive, for-profit organizations. Drawing from real-world experience, including high-level international deals, he shows how informed businesses can negotiate fees, rates, and structures by understanding how banks assess risk and profitability. The core message is clear: loyalty without review can quietly cost businesses significant money over time.
Throughout the conversation, John walks listeners through why most business owners overpay their banks, where those costs really add up, and how even small changes in banking structure can meaningfully impact the bottom line. He outlines what business owners should be reviewing, how often they should be shopping their bank, and why treating banking costs like a controllable expense—not a fixed one—can unlock real financial leverage. This episode is not anti-bank; it’s pro-awareness, giving business owners the confidence and knowledge to ask better questions, make smarter decisions, and keep more of the money they already earn.
Key Takeaways:
1. Banks are competitive for profit businesses, not service charities, so you should treat every fee and rate like something that can be questioned and improved.
2. Most business owners default to the bank they already use, but brand loyalty can quietly cost you real money year after year.
3. Business banking is not one size fits all, even the big banks have many account options, and choosing the wrong one can bake in unnecessary costs.
4. Every dollar that flows in and out of your business attracts fees somewhere, so higher revenue can actually increase bank costs unless you optimize the setup.
5. It is hard to negotiate what you do not understand, so your first win is gathering your statements, understanding your transaction patterns, and getting clarity on what you are truly paying.
6. The biggest leverage often comes from reviewing loan structures and interest rates, especially when your financial position improves and you have more negotiating power than you think.
7. The rule is if you do not ask you do not get, but asking the right way with the right information is what actually gets banks to move.
8. The people you meet at the branch usually cannot approve major concessions, so your job is to make it easy for them to take a clean package up the chain to decision makers.
9. You do not always need to switch banks to win, sometimes the best play is using competitive offers to get your current bank to match or improve.
10. Banking should be reviewed like any major supplier relationship every few years, because markets change, your business changes, and compound savings can become a serious advantage over time.
Check out Colibri Financial Services: http://www.colibri-fsa.com/

2026 Title Sponsor 🔥
The Business Development Podcast is proudly sponsored by Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab 🚛
Together, Hypervac and Hyperfab represent North America’s leaders in vac truck manufacturing and industrial fabrication. Their continued support helps make this show possible week after week. Learn more at www.hypervac.com

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