What do warm cookies, billion-dollar brands, and heated arguments have in common? More than you think.

This week Shawn sits down with Seth Berkowitz, founder of Insomnia Cookies, to talk about why the best leaders don’t surround themselves with people who agree with them, they surround themselves with people willing to, “fight it out.”

From launching a late-night cookie delivery business as a college student to building one of the most recognizable dessert brands in America, Seth shares why debate leads to better decisions, why founders must protect the heartbeat of the business, and why there’s rarely one “right” answer.

The two also dive into the power of asking better questions, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and why hearing customers say “that’s dumb” might actually be a good sign. Plus, Seth reveals one of the biggest internal debates in Insomnia Cookies history, and what it taught him about leadership.

Because sometimes the path to the best answer starts with a good argument.

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What if the people who seem the most put together are struggling just as much as everyone else?

This week Shawn sits down with Ashli Blumenfeld, Co-President of Standard Meat Company, for a raw, funny, and surprisingly powerful conversation about the truth nobody talks about enough: everybody’s a mess.

From leadership and business to parenting and public speaking, Shawn and Ashli how letting your “mess” show can actually bring people closer to you, why it’s crucial to give yourself grace during the “messy” times, and the importance of going “off script” in life instead of trying to control every outcome. Ashli also shares why “rupture will happen, but repair is what matters,” and how improv, adaptability, and honesty are some of the most underrated leadership skills in the world.

Because underneath the titles, success, and polished appearances… we’re all just human.

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What happens when you take an industry everyone accepts… and ask, “Why are we doing it this way?”

This week Shawn sits down with Scott Morris, President and Co-Founder of Freshpet, to unpack how a “crazy idea” turned into a category-defining brand that completely changed the pet food industry.

The two dive into the Shawnism, “First solve the problem…THEN solve it better,” why perfection is often the fastest way to kill momentum, and how the best founders launch before they feel fully ready. They also discuss how Freshpet began by simply trying to fix a broken problem, why simultaneous invention happens more than people think, and how some of the best innovation comes from observation, constraints, and constant improvement.

So if you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to start, build, launch, or pivot, this episode this episode might be the exact push you need.

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