Zac Palmer’s Perpetual Growth Podcast

Business growth, leadership, resilience, and entrepreneurship often begin where comfort ends. 
What if the friction you're trying to avoid is actually what could make you better?
In this episode of the Perpetual Growth Podcast, Zac Palmer sits down with Brian Duncanson, entrepreneur, financial coach, MBA, and co-founder behind Spartan Race, to explore how adversity, customer feedback, and calculated action helped turn a bold idea into a global endurance brand.
Spartan's story is a powerful reminder: you don't build something that lasts by avoiding every obstacle. You build it by learning how to use them.
-Brian Duncanson is an entrepreneur, financial coach, MBA, and co-founder behind Spartan Race. His latest book, *Becoming Spartan: Leveraging Friction to Forge, Scale, and Outlast*, explores the lessons behind building and scaling through adversity.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-duncanson-6825971a/Book: Becoming Spartan: Leveraging Friction to Forge, Scale, and OutlastLinktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/brian_duncanson
Subscribe to the Perpetual Growth Podcast for conversations on leadership, business growth, entrepreneurship, resilience, and personal development.
AUDIOCHAPTERS
00:00 – Why Comfort Can Limit Your Growth02:00 – The Mindset Behind Spartan05:00 – From Corporate Life to Adventure Racing08:00 – Building Spartan From Scratch12:00 – Why Speed Beats the Perfect Plan16:00 – Turning Friction Into a Competitive Advantage20:00 – How Challenges Create Customer Loyalty24:00 – Positive Friction and Better Leadership28:00 – Learning to Ask for Help32:00 – Turning Crisis Into Innovation36:00 – Building a Business That Outlasts Trends40:00 – The Power of Customer Feedback and Adaptation44:00 – Leading Through Uncertainty48:00 – Why the Obstacle Can Become the Opportunity
 
#BusinessGrowth #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #Innovation #SpartanRace

Stress, high achievement, mindfulness, leadership, and self-awareness are more connected than we often realize.
As high performers, we're usually taught to handle more, push harder, and build more resilience.
But what if that's not always the answer?
Today's episode, I sit down with Vahid Coskun, a mindfulness coach, leadership facilitator, yoga therapist, and founder of Wellness Assembly, to unpack a question I think a lot of successful people eventually face:
What if the life you're working so hard to manage isn't actually the life you want?
We talk about why high achievers can carry so much stress, how identity shapes our decisions, where self-sabotage comes from, and why mindfulness isn't simply about becoming calmer.
Vahid brings a different perspective: sometimes stress isn't something we need to eliminate. Sometimes it's information.
One idea that really stood out to me: when you're on the right path, hard work can feel more like ambition than anxiety.
That's worth thinking about.
-----Vahid Coskun is a mindfulness coach, leadership facilitator, yoga therapist, and founder of Wellness Assembly. He works with individuals, teams, and organizations to develop resilience, reduce stress, improve focus, and perform at a higher level through greater awareness.
The conversation also references Vahid's books on yoga and mindfulness, including a mindfulness book that uses short stories to explore the subject. The transcript doesn't provide the specific book titles or links, so I haven't guessed at them.
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/acoskun/Website: https://www.wellnessassemblyservices.com/Books: https://bit.ly/4cEswSR------
Audio Chapters
00:00 Why Stress Really Happens01:15 Understanding Stress03:00 From Yoga to Mindfulness05:15 What Mindfulness Really Means08:00 The Problem With “Good Vibes Only”10:20 Identity & Anxiety13:00 Self-Sabotage Explained15:30 Why High Achievers Struggle18:30 Finding Your Own Path21:00 Staying in Control24:00 The Power of Curiosity27:00 When Success Feels Empty29:00 The Power of Breath31:00 When Success Doesn't Feel Right
#Leadership #HighPerformance #Mindfulness #StressManagement #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness
 

What does 90 years of life teach you about success, leadership, purpose, relationships, marriage, and legacy? 
Jim Paulk Jr. shares the lessons that took him decades to understand and why the people around you may matter more than what you accomplish.
After serving as a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Naval officer and spending 26 years in manufacturing management with Procter & Gamble, Jim Paulk Jr. took on another unexpected chapter: becoming an author in his eighties.
His perspective is remarkably simple: You rarely accomplish anything significant alone.
Jim reflects on growing up during the Great Depression, his years at Annapolis, the relationships that shaped his life, and the 60-year marriage that taught him some of his deepest lessons about trust, loyalty, mutual respect, partnership, and love.
But this conversation goes far beyond marriage.
It explores what it means to find your purpose, surround yourself with the right people, keep reinventing yourself, preserve meaningful stories, and build a life that still matters long after professional success fades.
His books include:
📖 Shaking Up the World: Stories of the Naval Academy Class of 1957 — a collection of stories from his classmates, including extraordinary accounts of military service, innovation, leadership, and achievement. https://www.amazon.com/Shaking-Up-World-Stories-Academy-ebook/dp/B0D3VS3GJG 
📖 How I Found Love: Stories of Romance and Relationships — a collection exploring the many unexpected ways people find love and connection. https://www.amazon.com/How-Found-Love-Stories-Relationships-ebook/dp/B0H3QT1RBN?ref_=ast_author_mpb 
Connect with Jim Paulk Jr.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/James-D-Paulk-Jr-Author-61565536059908/ Personal Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/jim.paulk.405886/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-paulk-14569151/ 
Audio Chapters
00:00 — What 90 Years Can Teach Us About Life01:30 — Purpose, Direction & Personal Growth04:00 — Why Relationships Matter More Than Achievement07:00 — Growing Up During the Great Depression10:00 — Lessons From the U.S. Naval Academy13:00 — The Stories Behind *Shaking Up the World*16:00 — Why Jim Started Writing in His Eighties18:00 — Finding Love in Unexpected Places21:00 — The Story of Jim and Pat24:00 — The Foundation of a 60-Year Marriage27:00 — Trust, Loyalty & Mutual Respect29:00 — Building a Legacy Through Stories
If this conversation gave you a different perspective on success, relationships, leadership, or legacy, share the lesson that stayed with you most.
Subscribe to the Perpetual Growth Podcast for more conversations on business growth, leadership, personal development, relationships, and building a meaningful life.
#Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Relationships #Success #LifeLessons

Why do so many ambitious, intelligent, and successful people still struggle with stress, unhealthy relationships, burnout, or the feeling that they're constantly proving themselves?
In this conversation, Dr. Nima Rahmany unpacks one of the biggest hidden drivers of human behavior: the nervous system.
Together they explore why childhood wounds often fuel high achievement, how unresolved trauma silently shapes leadership, business, relationships, and health, and what it actually takes to break destructive patterns.
If you're building a business, leading a team, raising a family, or simply trying to become the healthiest version of yourself, this conversation will change how you think about success.
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Dr. Nima Rahmany is a former chiropractor, educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and creator of The Overview Method. His work focuses on nervous system regulation, attachment healing, trauma integration, emotional resilience, and helping people break intergenerational patterns to build healthier relationships and lives.
Connect with Dr. Nima Rahmany:• Website: https://becometriggerproof.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnimarahmany/• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chironimz
Programs:• The Overview Method• Cycle Breakers Community
Books:Dr. Nima is widely known for his educational programs and workshops. At the time of writing, no major published book is listed through his official channels.
Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, business growth, mindset, entrepreneurship, and becoming the kind of leader people trust.
#Leadership #TraumaHealing #NervousSystem #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalIntelligence #HighPerformance #Entrepreneurship #AttachmentStyles #BusinessLeadership
Audio Chapters
00:00 Why Success Doesn't Guarantee Fulfillment01:15 Meet Dr. Nima Rahmany03:40 Why High Performers Are Often Driven by Childhood Wounds08:20 When Achievement Becomes Unsustainable13:10 From Chiropractor to Emotional Healing Expert20:15 Trauma Bonds & Toxic Relationship Patterns29:30 Becoming Trigger-Proof36:45 What Trauma Really Is44:30 Understanding Attachment Styles55:10 Anxious vs Avoidant Relationships1:08:30 Can One Person Save the Relationship?1:18:00 Healing Yourself First1:24:00 Leadership, Family & Breaking Generational Cycles
 

Leadership under pressure, elite teams, trust, accountability, and high-performance culture are built long before the crisis arrives.
What happens when failure isn't measured in quarterly earnings—but in lives?
Today with retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Trey Morriss, a veteran of more than three decades of military service, B-52 operations, and combat missions.
Trey was part of the top-secret 35-hour mission that helped launch Operation Desert Storm—an experience that shaped his understanding of leadership, preparation, trust, accountability, and team performance under extreme pressure.
But this conversation goes far beyond military aviation.
It explores a question every business leader eventually has to answer:
Will your team trust you when the pressure is highest?
Because, as Trey explains, you cannot surge trust.
Trust isn't created in the middle of a crisis. It's built through years of preparation, credibility, shared experiences, intentional relationships, and the daily decisions leaders make when nobody is watching.
Trey also shares insights from his book, DOOM 34, his firsthand account of the top-secret B-52 mission that launched Operation Desert Storm.
Connect with Trey Morriss:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treymorriss/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treymorriss/Website: https://treymorriss.com/Book: DOOM 34 - https://www.amazon.com/DOOM-34-Firsthand-Top-Secret-Operation/dp/1493093614
This is a conversation about leadership, high-performance teams, organizational culture, trust, accountability, personal growth, and becoming ready before your defining moment arrives.
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Audio Chapters
00:00 Leadership Is Built Before the Crisis01:34 Meet Retired Colonel Trey Morriss03:22 From Northwest Arkansas to Military Aviation06:10 The Difference Between a Dream and a Calling09:05 Why Action Turns a Calling Into Readiness12:15 Scarcity Mindset vs. Pursuing Your Higher Path15:40 How to Recognize the Moments That Change Your Life19:10 What Discomfort Is Trying to Teach You22:45 When Failure Is Measured in Lives26:30 Why You Cannot Surge Trust30:05 How Elite Teams Build Trust and Credibility34:20 The Power of Shared Experience38:10 Why Leaders Must Explain the “Why”41:30 How Listening Creates Better Leadership44:00 The Leadership Lesson High-Performing Teams Can't Ignore**
 

Emergency preparedness, CPR training, crisis leadership, and the psychology of taking action can determine what happens in the moments that matter most. When an emergency happens, will you freeze, wait for someone else to act, or step forward?
Courage rarely appears out of nowhere.
It is built long before the crisis.
In this conversation with Brad Newbury and Keira Newbury, we explore what it really means to be prepared for the moments that matter most and why education, training, experience, and empathy can determine whether someone watches from the sidelines or becomes the person who acts.
➤ Brad Newbury has spent more than four decades in fire and emergency medical services. He is a fire captain, paramedic, educator, CEO, Harvard-trained disaster medicine leader, and founder of a leading emergency medical training organization.
➤ Keira Newbury grew up immersed in emergency medicine, became CPR certified as a child, later became a nationally registered EMT, worked in a leading trauma center, and studied psychology and writing. Together, Brad and Keira co-authored a book built around powerful real-life stories of survival, service, and the ripple effect of a life saved.
Their conversation goes far beyond CPR and emergency medicine.
It explores the mindset behind taking action when other people freeze.
In this episode, you'll discover:
💡Why people freeze during emergencies—and how to overcome the bystander effect💡Why CPR training and emergency preparedness matter even if you are not a medical professional💡How education, practice, and experience prepare you to act under pressure💡The connection between empathy, service, leadership, and crisis response💡Why preparation creates courage before the crisis ever arrives💡How one decision in a moment of crisis can create a ripple effect across generations💡Why experience changes the way you recognize an emergency💡How to develop the mindset to become the person who steps forward
📌The most important lesson may be this:You do not become ready when the emergency begins.
You become ready long before it happens.
Together, Brad and Keira bring decades of experience in emergency response, medical education, psychology, storytelling, and service to a conversation about what it means to be ready when someone needs you most.
Watch the full conversation to explore emergency preparedness, CPR training, crisis leadership, the bystander effect, and the psychology of taking action under pressure.
If this conversation makes you think differently about leadership, preparedness, emergency response, and the responsibility to act, share it with someone who should watch it.
Subscribe to the Perpetual Growth Podcast for conversations about leadership, business, health, relationships, personal growth, and the decisions that shape the way we live.
#EmergencyPreparedness #CPRTraining #Leadership #CrisisManagement #BystanderEffect #PersonalGrowth-----------------------AUDIO CHAPTERS
00:00 — Courage Is Built Before the Crisis01:35 — Brad and Keira’s Journey Into Emergency Medicine05:00 — Why Service Became a Life’s Work08:00 — The Role of Empathy in Emergency Response11:30 — What Does It Really Mean to Save a Life?16:00 — The Ripple Effect of One Life Saved20:00 — Why Bystanders Freeze in Emergencies24:30 — The Psychology of the Bystander Effect28:00 — Training Yourself to Step Forward32:00 — Preparedness, Experience, and Crisis Leadership36:00 — When an Emergency Doesn't Look Like an Emergency40:00 — The Question: Will You Be the One?

Leadership. Artificial Intelligence. Purpose. Business Growth. Human-Centered Innovation.
What if we've been measuring success the wrong way all along?
Most people are taught to chase bigger businesses, higher incomes, and more recognition. But what if the greatest measure of success is the number of lives you're able to impact?
In this episode of the Perpetual Growth Podcast, I sit down with Art Serna to explore a conversation that challenged even my own perspective on leadership, business, technology, and legacy.
Art has spent his career leading organizations across education, healthcare, technology, and philanthropy, helping raise more than $19 million to fuel meaningful initiatives. Today, as Executive Director of Spine Hope, he's helping expand access to life-changing pediatric spinal care for children around the world while exploring how AI can accelerate humanitarian impact without losing the human element.
What stood out most to me wasn't just the work he's doing. It was the way he thinks.
We dive into why the best leaders stay close to the problems they're trying to solve, why most organizations treat symptoms instead of root causes, and how purpose becomes the foundation for building organizations that create lasting change.
If you're building a business, leading a team, or simply trying to become a better leader, I think you'll walk away with a completely different perspective on success.
Art Serna is the Executive Director of Spine Hope, a global pediatric spine outreach organization dedicated to providing life-changing spinal surgery and sustainable healthcare infrastructure for children in underserved communities throughout the Western Hemisphere.
He is also the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Cosmo Renewed, where he advises leaders and organizations on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, systems thinking, philanthropy, and strategic growth. Throughout his career, Art has helped raise more than $19 million in strategic capital while leading transformational initiatives across healthcare, education, technology, and nonprofit leadership.
If this conversation challenged your thinking, subscribe for more episodes exploring leadership, business, health, wealth, relationships, and the mindset behind perpetual growth.
-----Audio Chapters
00:00 Introduction02:19 What Success Really Means06:58 Finding Purpose Through Solving Meaningful Problems12:16 Entrepreneurship, Family, and Resilience17:08 How Environment Shapes Leadership21:41 Why Leaders Focus on Symptoms Instead of Root Causes27:18 The Power of Staying Close to the Problem32:45 Inside Spine Hope's Global Mission39:20 Humanitarian AI and the Future of Healthcare45:03 Can Technology Help Scale Global Impact?50:12 Building a Legacy That Outlives You

LinkedIn strategy, personal branding, thought leadership, executive visibility, and B2B growth are becoming the biggest competitive advantages for modern business leaders.
In this conversation with LinkedIn expert and growth strategist Eli Igra Serfaty to uncover why LinkedIn has evolved far beyond recruiting and become one of the most powerful business growth engines available today.
If you're still treating LinkedIn as an online resume or job board, you're leaving opportunities, partnerships, talent, and revenue on the table.
We explore why founders, executives, consultants, and business owners are using LinkedIn to create trust at scale, build authority in their industry, and stay top of mind long before buyers are ready to make decisions.
If you're a founder, executive, consultant, entrepreneur, sales professional, or business leader looking to grow your influence and opportunities, this conversation will change the way you think about LinkedIn forever.
Eli Igra Serfaty is the Founder and CEO of MAIA Digital, a LinkedIn-focused growth agency helping founders, executives, Fortune 500 leaders, and high-growth companies build authority, attract opportunities, generate revenue, and create meaningful business relationships through LinkedIn.
Since 2019, Eli and his team have worked with organizations across the world to transform LinkedIn into a strategic growth channel for visibility, trust, thought leadership, recruitment, and business development.
Eli is also a LinkedIn Certified Marketing Insider, executive ghostwriter, public speaker, podcast host, educator, and former officer in the Israeli Air Force.
Connect with Eli Igra Serfaty
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-igra-serfaty/Website: https://team-maia.com/
If you're committed to becoming a better leader, building a stronger business, and creating a life of continuous growth, subscribe and turn notifications on so you never miss an episode.
Subscribe to the Perpetual Growth Podcast
#LinkedIn #PersonalBranding #ThoughtLeadership #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #B2BMarketing #ExecutiveBranding #Entrepreneurship--------
AUDIO CHAPTERS
00:00 Why LinkedIn Might Be Your Biggest Business Opportunity02:05 The Biggest Misconception About LinkedIn06:24 How LinkedIn Became the World's Largest Professional Network11:03 Leadership Lessons From Military Service15:11 The Moment LinkedIn Proved Its Power22:46 Why LinkedIn Is Becoming a Centralized Growth Engine30:20 Understanding the 95% Rule in B2B Marketing36:57 The First Thing Every Founder Must Fix on LinkedIn43:44 The Daily LinkedIn System for Busy Executives50:42 Managing Multiple Businesses on One Profile56:40 What Personal Branding Actually Means01:02:12 Why Distribution Is Becoming More Valuable Than Technology01:07:31 How AI Is Increasing the Value of Personal Brands
 

Health optimization, longevity, energy, and human performance are not just wellness conversations. They are the foundation of how we lead, build, love, create, and ultimately experience our lives. In this episode, we explore why modern life is quietly stealing our vitality and how reclaiming movement can transform everything.
For nearly two decades, I spent my life immersed in the health and wellness industry. One truth became undeniable:
The quality of our health determines the quality of our life.
It impacts our relationships, our business performance, our leadership, our mindset, and our ability to fully show up for the people who matter most.
That’s why I was excited to sit down with Kyle Gonzalez, Vice President of Performance & Coaching at COIA, best-selling author of The Vitality System and Move, Thrive, and Come Alive, former Division I basketball player, and one of the leading voices in health, movement, and human performance.
Kyle brings a powerful perspective that challenges the way many of us think about health.
Most people believe movement takes energy.
The reality is:
Movement creates energy.
We are living in one of the most technologically advanced periods in human history, yet we are also among the most sedentary. We have optimized convenience but, in many ways, have moved further away from how the human body was designed to function.
In this conversation, Kyle and I discuss the modern movement crisis, why exercise is only one piece of the equation, and why the small choices we make every single day have a profound impact on our energy, longevity, and overall performance.
We also explore the lessons Kyle learned as a former Division I athlete, how discipline and adaptability shape success, and why the best health strategy isn’t the most extreme one.
It’s the one you can sustain.
The greatest transformations rarely come from chasing perfection.
They come from building daily practices that align with the person you’re becoming.
Whether you are an entrepreneur growing a company, a leader responsible for a team, a parent trying to be more present, or someone committed to becoming the strongest version of yourself, this episode will challenge the way you think about movement, health, and what it truly means to thrive.
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Audio Chapters
00:00 Introduction: The Truth About Movement & Energy02:05 What Vitality Really Means06:10 Why Modern Life Is Making Us Sick12:30 The Discipline & Lessons From Division I Basketball19:20 Kyle’s Journey Into Human Performance26:45 Why We Know More About Health But Are Less Healthy33:50 Exercise vs. Daily Movement: What Most People Get Wrong40:30 The Psychology of Movement & Behavior Change48:00 Building Sustainable Fitness Habits54:30 Why Walking Is a High-Performance Habit59:00 Creating a Life of Energy, Strength & Vitality

Financial freedom, wealth building, money mindset, and true happiness are not just about earning more money. Discover how to build lasting wealth, improve your relationship with money, and create a life filled with purpose and fulfillment.
Many ambitious professionals spend years chasing success, income, and achievements, only to realize they still feel financially stressed or unfulfilled. True wealth is not just about what you earn. It is about how your money supports the life you truly want.
In this episode with Dr. Nicholas E. Michels, CFP®, a former professional basketball player in Germany, best-selling author of Rich by Choice, Certified Financial Planner, entrepreneur, husband, father, and founder of Michaels Family Financial. For over 15 years, Dr. Michels has helped individuals and families create financial confidence, long-term security, and a meaningful life through intentional wealth planning.
Together, they explore the psychology of money, financial freedom, money habits, wealth-building principles, relationships and finances, and how to define success beyond your bank account.
In This Episode:
• The true meaning of wealth and financial freedom• Why successful people still struggle with money• How money psychology shapes your decisions• Creating a vision-driven financial plan• Building stronger money habits and relationships• Turning financial stress into confidence and purpose
Dr. Nicholas E. Michels shares lessons from professional sports, entrepreneurship, and years of financial advising to reveal why clarity, intentionality, and personal values are the foundation of a rich life.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner, professional, or someone looking to improve your financial future, this conversation will give you practical strategies to take control of your money and build a life by design.
🎙️ Subscribe to the Perpetual Growth Podcast for more conversations on entrepreneurship, leadership, personal growth, mindset, relationships, and continual growth.
-----Audio Chapters
00:00 The Truth About Money & Happiness02:08 Defining Real Wealth06:50 Lessons From Professional Basketball12:15 Finding Purpose in Financial Planning17:30 Building Wealth After 4024:45 Creating a Life by Design32:20 Why Successful People Feel Financially Stressed39:00 Common Money Mistakes46:15 Money Mindset & Relationships53:40 The Vision Exercise for Wealth59:45 Breaking Financial Limitations1:05:00 Becoming Rich in Money & Life