The Action Catalyst

Monica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea, reveals hard‑earned lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, and building a successful consumer brand from the ground up. Nassif emphasizes the importance of simplicity, resilience, and belief—highlighted through her “plant, water, weed, believe” philosophy—as well as the mindset that failure is simply learning. She explains how successful entrepreneurs must commit fully, embrace risk, and develop bravery over time while pairing self-awareness with a big, disruptive business idea. The conversation explores key startup principles including preparation, market research, financial discipline, and having “skin in the game,” along with practical advice...

New York Times bestselling author Darren Hardy explains how, in truth, EVERYONE is an entrepreneur, but how being a TRUE entrepreneur means leaving the “herd,” which often generates criticism, isolation, and resistance from peers.Hear Darren's full interview in Episode 93 of The Action Catalyst.

Dr. Barb Rembiesa, founder and CEO of the International Association of IT Asset Management, shares how small, intentional acts of kindness can create outsized impact in leadership, business, and everyday life. Drawing on her experience building IAITAM into the world’s leading authority on IT asset management and guiding organizations through technology compliance, AI governance, and digital transformation, Dr. Rembiesa explains how “nothings” — simple actions that cost little time or money — can strengthen workplace culture, build trust, and deliver real ROI by restoring humanity to business. This episode offers practical insights for leaders seeking to integrate compassion, intentional listening, and purpos...

Meg Tuohey, licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and host of the Wisdom Stripes podcast, introduces the concept of "heartprint"—the unique inner blueprint that guides fulfillment, purpose, and growth, and explains how high‑achieving women can feel successful yet emotionally numb, and a bit of the neuroscience behind elite performance.Hear Meg's full interview in her special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.

New York Times bestselling author Darren Hardy delivers a candid and practical look at why most entrepreneurs fail—and how to beat the odds. Hardy explains that the 66% small‑business failure rate is driven less by external factors like capital or competition and more by internal, emotional unpreparedness, lack of focus, and unrealistic expectations about the entrepreneurial journey. He explores the psychological cost of leaving the “herd,” including criticism, isolation, and resistance from peers, and reframes these challenges as evidence of progress, as well as covers effective sales as a discipline rooted in questioning and listening rather than pitching, the dang...

Hal Elrod, bestselling author of "The Miracle Morning", shares the experience that set him down the path to self-improvement, and the snooze‑proof wake‑up strategy that KEEPS him on that path each day.Hear Hal's full interview in Episode 53 of The Action Catalyst.

Meg Tuohey, licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and host of the Wisdom Stripes podcast, explores why modern self‑help culture often fails women by encouraging self‑override instead of self‑trust, and introduces the concept of "heartprint"—the unique inner blueprint that guides fulfillment, purpose, and growth. Learn how high‑achieving women can feel successful yet emotionally numb, why intuition is a critical emotional survival skill, utilizing emotional literacy and relational intelligence in leadership, the neuroscience of burnout and elite performance, and how self‑attunement enables clearer decision‑making in both personal and professional environments. With insights grounded in psychology and lived expe...

Dr. Tony Alessandra, founder of Assessments 24x7, addresses the lessons he learned from failure, and how learning when to say "no" is the REAL test of your goals and objectives.Hear Dr. Alessandra's full interview in Episode 504 of The Action Catalyst.

Hal Elrod, bestselling author of "The Miracle Morning", shares the life‑changing philosophy behind his globally influential morning routine, recounts his extraordinary journey from being clinically dead after a head‑on collision with a drunk driver and weathering financial collapse, to overcoming the odds. Learn about the six core practices that help individuals improve health, income, mindset, and relationships, the snooze‑proof wake‑up strategy, a powerful morning routine speed-run for busy schedules, and why success is driven by who you become daily.Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Jeremy S. Owoh: Leading Today, Transforming Tomorrow. Click he...

In this cut-for-time clip from Episode 504 of The Action Catalyst, Dr. Tony Alessandra, founder of Assessments 24x7 shares how when it was time to leave the speaking circuit, he looked to a few MLB greats for guidance...Hear the rest of Dr. Alessandra's interview in Episode 504 of The Action Catalyst.

John Livesay, funding strategist and author, reveals how to structure a winning pitch, grab attention in the first 90 seconds, and position the founder as the “jockey” investors want to back. Hear John's full interview in Episode 145 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests.In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 504 with Dr. Tony Alessandra, founder of Assessments 24x7.

Dr. Tony Alessandra, founder of Assessments 24x7 and a pioneering authority in personality assessments, sales psychology, and leadership development, shares insights from more than five decades in the assessment and training industry. In this conversation, Alessandra recounts his journey from door‑to‑door sales and academic leadership to creating widely used assessments that help individuals and organizations improve communication, adaptability, and performance. He explains how modern assessments drive personal growth, better hiring decisions, stronger leadership, and more effective teamwork, and also explores his creation of the "Platinum Rule", lessons learned from failure, the importance of listening and adaptability, and why...

Entrepreneur Julie Wainwright, founder and former CEO of unicorn company TheRealReal, shares the importance of relying on data and balancing passion with objectivity as you both start, and scale, your business.Hear Julie's full interview in Episode 503 of The Action Catalyst.

John Livesay, funding strategist and author, reveals expert insights into how entrepreneurs and startup founders can craft compelling investor pitches that win funding, including a shift from feature‑based presentations to emotionally driven storytelling, how to structure a winning pitch, grab attention in the first 90 seconds, demonstrate traction, show empathy for both customers and investors, and position the founder as the “jockey” investors want to back. Livesay also covers practical startup fundraising strategies, including angel investing, venture capital, valuations, and family offices, making this episode a must‑listen for entrepreneurs looking to raise capital and communicate their vision with clarity...

John Ruhlin, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of "Giftology", offers guidance on when to give, how much to spend, and how to calculate ROI on gifting to clients or prospects.Hear John's full interview in Episode 173 of The Action Catalyst.

Entrepreneur Julie Wainwright, founder and former CEO of unicorn company TheRealReal, shares the candid story behind building a billion-dollar luxury resale company after being told at age 52 that she was “unemployable", discusses overcoming public failure, fear, ageism, and gender bias in tech, how her experience at Pets.com shaped her resilience, and the disciplined, data-driven mindset she used to create and scale a disruptive e‑commerce business. Other topics include identifying unmet consumer pain points, balancing passion with objectivity, and practical advice for founders navigating fundraising.Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Jeremy S. Owoh: Leading Toda...

Lifang He, brand strategist, and former leader at Apple, Amazon, Ring, and Bloomberg, explains how branding is a truly wholistic experience, and one that doesn't stop after you've come up with a name and logo...every interaction matters.Hear Lifang's full interview in her special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst.

John Ruhlin, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of "Giftology", shares his proven philosophy of strategic generosity in business relationships, and how thoughtful, personalized, and unexpected gifting can dramatically strengthen client loyalty, drive referrals, and differentiate brands in crowded markets. He breaks down the psychology behind giving, the importance of investing in top‑tier relationships, and why experiences and personal details matter more than price, but also offers practical guidance on when to give, how much to spend, and how to calculate ROI on gifting.

Best-selling author and counselor Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, explains what the 5 love languages ARE, and how to translate the languages into the workplace. Hear Dr. Chapman's full interview in Episode 206 of The Action Catalyst.