Inspire People, Impact Lives with Josh Kosnick

Josh Kosnick

Our mission is to inspire people and impact lives. This podcast was created to deliver lifelong lessons from Wisconsin business and community leaders, to our listeners. Our guests provide insights from years of experience in business and leadership, delivering powerful messages to help you live a more inspired and impactful life.

  • 19 minutes 31 seconds
    4 Sports Stories That Redefine Discipline & Courage

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    In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh breaks down what the Bears’ new direction reveals about culture, conviction, discipline, and making the hard call when it matters most.

    This isn’t about football.
    It’s about leadership.

    If you’re building a team, developing talent, or trying to turn something around, this conversation will challenge how you think about hiring, culture, and conviction under pressure.

    Ready to lead at a higher level?

    Apply for the Bridge Builder Mastermind here:
    👉 https://www.joshkosnick.com/mastermind

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    17 February 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 49 minutes 11 seconds
    Why High Performers Burn Out Even When They Win | Stephen Scoggins

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    In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh sits down with Stephen Scoggins to unpack what actually causes burnout, why success without integration costs leaders their families and peace, and how to become the kind of leader who can scale without losing meaning.

    Stephen shares his journey from homelessness to building and exiting a multi-decade company, why most exits lead to depression, and the framework he uses to help leaders move from emotional reactivity to grounded presence.

    This conversation goes deep into:

    – Why your external business reflects your internal world
    – The five hidden constraints that sabotage leaders
    – The difference between being “successful” and being whole
    – What it really means to lead as one part lion, one part lamb
    – Why presence matters more than performance
    – How faith, identity, and leadership intersect

    If you’re a founder, executive, high performer, or leader who feels like something is still missing — this episode will put language to what you’ve been feeling.

    👉 Free leadership assessment from Stephen:
    https://stephenscoggins.com/leader

    Chapters / Timestamps

    00:00 – Why burnout isn’t about workload
    02:10 – Stephen’s story: from homelessness to leadership
    04:45 – You can’t scale dysfunction
    07:12 – Leadership is a lifelong maturation process
    10:38 – The five constraints that sabotage leaders
    13:01 – Why impatience isn’t the problem — presence is
    17:19 – The “warrior in the garden” framework
    20:00 – One part lion, one part lamb
    23:17 – Loving the parts of yourself you resist
    25:16 – The daily mantra that rewires identity
    29:06 – Why most leaders seek validation in the wrong places
    31:17 – The real cost of fragmented leadership
    32:54 – Why success without meaning leads to depression
    35:30 – What children actually want from their parents
    39:15 – Why exits are emotionally dangerous
    41:20 – How to prepare for life after selling a business
    45:40 – An unpopular truth about victimhood and identity
    47:23 – Stephen’s leadership assessment and next steps

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    10 February 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 1 hour 9 minutes
    ICE, Protests, Free Speech & Media Manipulation Explained

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    Leadership in Review is a long-form leadership podcast focused on culture, power, and truth.

    In this episode, Josh Kosnick, Emanuel Whitfield, and Jason Smith break down the Don Lemon church arrest, ICE protests, free speech, and how media-driven outrage is being used to divide Americans while real issues go untouched.

    This conversation explores why modern protests rarely lead to meaningful change, how “peaceful protest” has been redefined, and why emotional politics benefit those in power. The discussion expands into immigration enforcement, college campus speech, corruption, foreign policy distractions, education failures, and the growing inability to hold nuanced conversations in America.

    This is not a left vs. right debate.
    This is a leadership conversation about responsibility, truth, and civility.

    If you’re tired of headlines and want real dialogue—this episode is for you.

    00:00 – Don Lemon arrested at a church: law, outrage, and hypocrisy
    03:00 – What “peaceful protest” actually means legally
    06:20 – Why protesting churches makes no sense
    09:45 – How media manufactures emotional division
    13:10 – Why modern protests don’t create change
    16:30 – ICE enforcement and why states matter
    20:45 – College campuses, free speech, and intimidation
    25:30 – Immigration, distraction politics, and power
    30:00 – Corruption, money, and who really controls policy
    35:45 – Why a tax strike scares the government
    40:30 – Foreign policy distractions vs American neglect
    45:15 – Education failure and the removal of civics
    52:00 – Leadership requires nuance, not tribalism
    58:30 – Disagree without disowning
    1:03:00 – Final leadership reflections

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    3 February 2026, 2:00 pm
  • 52 minutes 3 seconds
    Scale Without Losing Your Sanity (Simple Systems That Actually Work) | Trace Miller

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    How do you scale a business without losing your values, culture, sanity—or your life outside of work?

    In this episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick sits down with Trace Miller, military veteran and founder of Konala, a fast-growing healthy fast-food franchise built on simplicity, discipline, and execution.

    Trace breaks down what most leaders get wrong about scaling—and why chasing complexity, top-line revenue, or “passive income” often destroys the very thing you’re trying to grow.

    This conversation goes deep on:

     • Scaling without burnout
     • Why simplicity beats sophistication
     • How to remove people, processes, and products that no longer fit
     • Profit vs. vanity metrics
     • Leadership lessons from military service
     • Building systems that scale without losing culture
     • Why work-life integration matters more than balance

    If you’re a founder, operator, or leader trying to grow without losing yourself, this episode will challenge how you think about scale.

    🎧 Listen. Reflect. Simplify.



    Timestamps (Chapters)

    00:00 – How to scale without losing what matters
    02:00 – From bar owner to franchisor: why Trace walked away
    05:30 – Solving the real problem: healthy food at scale
    09:00 – Studying In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, and simple systems
    13:00 – “Simple scales, fancy fails”
    15:00 – Revenue vs. profit: the scaling trap
    19:00 – Why most franchise models break
    24:30 – Military leadership lessons that stuck
    28:30 – Marriage, family, and work-life integration
    33:45 – Becoming a leader of leaders
    36:00 – What Trace is still figuring out
    38:00 – AI, automation, and why humans still matter
    42:30 – What to cut first when you feel stretched thin
    47:00 – Why founders shouldn’t disappear after scale
    50:30 – Final leadership takeaway



    Connect & Learn More

    Konala (franchise + locations): https://konala.com
    Franchise info: https://konalafranchise.com


    Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring top business minds, elite performers, and leadership experts.

    Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://linktr.ee/joshkosnick

    #SpartanLeadership #Leadership #BusinessSuccess #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #SelfImprovement #Podcast #JoshKosnick #SpartanMindset

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
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    27 January 2026, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
    Leadership In Review: Foreign Influence, Minnesota Daycare Fraud & Rugged Individualism

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    In this high-energy Leadership In Review episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick is joined by Jason Smith and Emmanuel Whitfield for an unscripted, fast-moving conversation on leadership, power, and accountability in real time.

    We dig into:

    • The chaos of modern politics and why trust is collapsing
    • Foreign influence vs. America-first leadership (and why people disagree on who’s really pulling strings)
    • The Minnesota daycare scandal allegations, media coverage, and why accountability matters
    • Reparations debates, incentives, and what actually builds generational strength
    • Big Pharma, institutions, and the difference between words vs. actions
    • Rugged individualism vs. collectivism — and what leaders should model when culture gets noisy

    Share this episode far and wide.

    And Remember: Good and great are the enemies of possible. Lead like a Spartan today.

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
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    6 January 2026, 11:00 am
  • 54 minutes 28 seconds
    Why High Performers Keep Becoming Bad Leaders | Lyndsay Dowd

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    What does modern leadership actually require—and why do toxic leaders continue to rise, even in companies that claim to value culture?

    In this episode of the Spartan Leadership Podcast, Josh Kosnick sits down with Lyndsay Dowd—former IBM executive, Harvard guest lecturer, bestselling author, and founder of Heartbeat for Hire—for a raw, honest conversation about leadership, power, burnout, and reinvention at any age.

    Lyndsay shares her personal leadership journey, the moment she was fired after 23 years in corporate leadership, and why that experience became the catalyst for building heart-led, high-performance cultures. Together, Josh and Lyndsay explore why top performers don’t always make great leaders, how burnout is often a signal—not a weakness—and why leading with heart isn’t soft, it’s strategic.

    This episode is for leaders who are tired of performative culture talk and want leadership that actually works.

    Topics covered:
     • Why toxic leadership keeps getting rewarded
     • Power vs. responsibility in leadership
     • Reinventing yourself at any stage of life
     • Separating identity from title and performance
     • Burnout, trust, and psychological safety
     • What heart-led leadership really looks like in practice

    🎧 Listen to the full episode and share it with a leader who needs to hear it.

    00:00 – Why heart is missing in modern business
    01:30 – Lyndsay’s leadership backstory and IBM upbringing
    06:20 – Being fired after 23 years and losing identity
    08:50 – Why toxic leaders keep getting promoted
    15:15 – Does power change people—or reveal them?
    22:55 – Leadership lessons from parenting twins
    29:05 – Reinvention at any age and starting over at 50
    38:40 – Separating identity from title and performance
    46:25 – What burnout is really trying to tell leaders
    51:40 – An unpopular belief about leadership (the hill she’ll die on)

    Support the show

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    30 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 12 minutes 38 seconds
    What Does Christmas Teach Us About Leadership?

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    Christmas is one of the most meaningful seasons of the year.

    It’s full of joy, generosity, family, and tradition — and yes, sometimes a little pressure too. Between gifts, meals, schedules, and expectations, it can feel like a lot to carry.

    But what if Christmas isn’t just something to get through?

    In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick explores why Christmas is actually one of the greatest leadership stories ever told. Long before Jesus ever preached or led publicly, leadership was already being shaped through humility, restraint, and power under control.

    This conversation looks at:
     • Why Christmas can feel demanding and meaningful at the same time
     • How expectations can overshadow what really matters
     • Why Jesus modeled leadership through humility and presence
     • What “power under control” looks like in real life
     • How leadership always shows up first in relationships
     • Why self-care is stewardship, not indulgence

    This episode is thoughtful, encouraging, and practical — designed to help you slow down, reflect, and lead well during this season.

    Support the show

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    23 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 54 minutes 5 seconds
    Work–Life Balance Is a Lie: JM Ryerson on What Actually Works

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    Work-life balance is a myth. Burnout is everywhere. And most leaders are lying to themselves about what it takes to win.

    In today’s Spartan Leadership episode, Josh Kosnick sits down with JM Ryerson — Leadership & Performance Coach, bestselling author, and founder of Let’s Go Win — for a candid conversation on authenticity, mindset, culture, and the realities of high-performance living.

    With over 20 years building elite sales teams and coaching top CEOs, JM breaks down:

    🔥 Why “work-life balance” destroys more leaders than it helps
    🔥 The simple ACT framework that doubles revenue and strengthens team culture
    🔥 How journaling can outperform therapy for burnout
    🔥 Why authenticity is misunderstood — and how to actually live it
    🔥 Biohacks that transform your energy, focus, and emotional resilience
    🔥 How to raise strong kids without enabling entitlement
    🔥 What leadership looks like in divided times
    🔥 The real cost of suppressing emotions as a man

    This is one of the most aligned conversations we’ve had on Spartan Leadership — raw, tactical, and deeply human.

    If you lead teams, run a business, or want to stop living in survival mode… this episode will hit home.



    📌 FOLLOW JM RYerson

    Website: https://www.letsgowin.com/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgowin365



    📌 FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE

    Help us grow the impact: https://www.youtube.com/@SpartanLeadership

    Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring top business minds, elite performers, and leadership experts.

    Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://linktr.ee/joshkosnick

    #SpartanLeadership #Leadership #BusinessSuccess #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #SelfImprovement #Podcast #JoshKosnick #SpartanMindset

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
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    9 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    What Doctors Don’t Tell You About Regenerative Medicine | Dr. InJun Chong

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    Most people are stuck in a healthcare system designed to manage symptoms, not create real healing. Today, Dr. InJun Chong joins Josh Kosnick to expose why so many patients end up on painkillers, unnecessary surgeries, and endless treatment plans that never address the root cause.

    Dr. Chong is the founder of Reveal Wellness and a leading practitioner in regenerative medicine, specializing in human cellular tissue products, shockwave therapy, and non-invasive recovery methods. His approach challenges the traditional medical model by prioritizing the body’s natural ability to heal.

    In this episode, Josh and Dr. Chong break down:

    • Why the medical system prioritizes pharmaceuticals over long-term healing

    • The truth about regenerative therapies and who they actually help

    • The misconceptions around chiropractic care

    • What people can do at home to reduce pain and improve mobility

    • The leadership crisis inside the healthcare industry

    • Why most people wait too long to address pain

    • How Dr. Chong is integrating high-performance leadership through the Bridge Builder Mastermind

    If you’ve been frustrated with the medical system, are looking for alternatives to surgery or NSAIDs, or want to understand how to take ownership of your long-term health, this conversation will give you the clarity and direction you need.

    Learn more about Dr. InJun Chong and Reveal Wellness:

    https://www.revealwellness.life/

    For coaching, events, and leadership development:

    https://www.joshkosnick.com/

    00:00 – Introduction and Personal Responsibility

    02:00 – Dr. Chong’s Backstory and Path to Regenerative Medicine

    07:00 – Chiropractic vs. Medical Industry

    11:00 – Stem Cell Therapy: Misconceptions and Real Results

    15:00 – How the Body Heals: Cells, Pain, and Dysfunction

    19:00 – Insurance, Incentives, and Healthcare System Failures

    23:00 – Lifestyle, Habits, and Personal Accountability

    30:00 – Media Influence and Health Confusion

    32:00 – Regenerative Medicine, Shockwave, and Peptides

    40:00 – Personalized Treatment and Ozone UV

    46:00 – Mindfulness, Thought Work, and Emotional Health

    53:00 – Risks of Surgery, NSAIDs, and Inflammation

    58:00 – Gut-Brain Connection

    01:06:00 – Building a Sustainable Healthy Lifestyle



    Support the show

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    2 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 25 minutes 12 seconds
    10-Year Vision, 90-Day Sprints: How High Performers Actually Win

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    Most leaders plan their business year in detail—and wing their personal life.

    In this solo episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick shares his annual planning playbook: how to set a 10-year “lighthouse” vision, reverse-engineer it into a 3-year picture, and then execute through focused 90-day sprints. He walks through the same process for your family life so you can stop drifting and start living on purpose.

    You’ll learn why most New Year’s resolutions fail, how to choose the one goal you’d be furious not to hit in 2026, and how mission and core values actually become filters for decisions—not just words on a wall. Then Josh turns the lens to your marriage, your kids, and your home life so you’re not just building a bigger business, but a stronger family.

    In this episode, Josh covers:

    - Why most people never do real annual planning
    - How to set a 10-year “lighthouse” vision for your business
    - Turning that into a 3-year picture and 1-year targets
    - The one goal you’d be mad at yourself for missing in 2026
    - Why your brain needs 90-day sprints, not vague yearly resolutions
    - How mission and core values filter decisions and protect culture
    - The danger of aspirational values (hello, Enron)
    - Using the same framework for your family and marriage
    - Creating family core values and raising kids with a clear standard
    -How to prevent “we just grew apart” from ever being your story

    If you’re ready to stop reacting to your calendar and start leading it—for your company and your family—this episode is your sign to sit down, plan, and commit.

    00:00:04 - Introduction
    00:00:47 - Importance of Annual Planning
    00:02:20 - Business Planning: Long-Term Vision
    00:06:43 - Business Planning: One-Year Goals
    00:10:02 - Business Planning: Core Purpose and Values
    00:15:28 - Personal Life Planning
    00:16:52 - The Role of Communication in Planning
    00:18:04 - Creating a Vision for the Family
    00:18:34 - The Importance of Family Core Values
    00:20:24 - The Role of Individual Growth in Family Planning
    00:21:01 - Planning for Children's Activities and Experiences
    00:22:28 - The Importance of Prioritizing Family Over Business
    00:23:51 - Final Thoughts and Conclusion

    Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring top business minds, elite performers, and leadership experts.

    Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://linktr.ee/joshkosnick

    #SpartanLeadership #Leadership #BusinessSuccess #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #SelfImprovement #Podcast #JoshKosnick #SpartanMindset

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
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    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
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    26 November 2025, 1:00 am
  • 1 hour 15 minutes
    The Truth Hurts: Cancel Culture, Hypocrisy & the War for America’s Soul

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    In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick, Jason Smith, and Emanuel Whitfield dive deep into the chaos of modern politics, culture, and leadership. From hypocrisy in both parties to the dangers of censorship, this conversation pulls no punches.

    They cover:

    - The erosion of truth in American media and politics

    - Cancel culture and the new “untouchables”

    - Race, accountability, and uncomfortable conversations

    - The infiltration of Sharia ideology and its implications for American values

    - The importance of real leadership rooted in truth, faith, and courage

    This is one of the most raw and unfiltered conversations we’ve ever had on the show.

    Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring top business minds, elite performers, and leadership experts.

    Connect with Josh Kosnick: https://linktr.ee/joshkosnick

    #SpartanLeadership #Leadership #BusinessSuccess #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #SelfImprovement #Podcast #JoshKosnick #SpartanMindset

    00:00 – Freedom, accountability, and the wood chipper
    01:08 – Welcome to Spartan Leadership
    03:40 – New York’s election aftermath: is America burning itself down?
    08:00 – Race, accountability, and double standards in America
    17:00 – Why outrage is replacing truth
    23:00 – Hypocrisy in politics: the rise of black conservatism
    30:00 – Obama, the establishment, and political puppets
    38:00 – Sharia law, Islam, and cultural infiltration
    50:00 – The media machine and America’s political confusion
    1:03:00 – The problem with politicians and the loss of truth
    1:13:00 – Outrage vs. Wisdom: building culture from the ground up
    1:14:00 – Heart & Hustle: the true formula for leadership

    Support the show

    CONNECT WITH ME HERE:
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    SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE:
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    11 November 2025, 11:00 am
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