Anything But Typical

150: Lessons From KGB Spy Jack Barsky

“I became an American & said goodbye to them [the KGB].” – Jack Barsky

Sounds like the opening line of a spy thriller.

Except this one’s real.

For a decade, Jack lived undercover in the U.S. as a KGB agent.

His mission wasn’t excitement. No tuxedos. No martinis. Just the discipline to disappear — and never get caught.

And he did it so well that he not only avoided capture — he built a whole new life. A college valedictorian. A corporate exec. A family man no one suspected.

Until one day, the story broke on 60 Minutes.

That’s when Jack faced the choice every entrepreneur knows too well:
– Start over.
– Reinvent yourself.
– Risk failing again & again.

He wrote a book that flopped until he rewrote it from scratch.

He gave speeches so bad he wanted to “jump in a lake”… and kept at it until Microsoft put him on stage.

He built a business that went nowhere — and had the guts to kill it when no one showed up.

Every failure became fuel. Every dead end, a redirection.

This isn’t just a peek into espionage. It’s a raw look at resilience, reinvention, & the grit it takes to survive when the plan collapses.

Winston Churchill said it best: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Connect with him on LinkedIn

149: Changing Course to Find Your True Calling with Ryan Monk

"I thought my calling was to be a Catholic priest." – Ryan Monk

It wasn’t a whim. Ryan devoted years — undergrad, master’s, a year of theology in seminary — to answering what he believed was his life’s purpose.

But somewhere along the way, a quiet unease began to grow. His head said priesthood but his heart whispered his gifts might belong in a different kind of service — one with a family at the center & a new way of walking alongside people in their most important moments.

So, he traded vestments for brick dust, late-night restaurant shifts, & finally, law school — chasing a career that could both provide for his young family & serve others.

Then 2008 hit.

The economy tanked. A Big Law offer disappeared. And that mortgage, those babies… they were staring him down.

Ryan took one last leap of faith — starting from a borrowed desk in a warehouse. Little by little, he built his own law firm on three values you can’t fake: humility, gratitude, & joy — the kind that shows up in grief, uncertainty, recessions, pandemics, & all the moments in between.

If you’ve ever wondered whether changing course can bring you closer to your true calling…

Connect at monklegal.com

Joseph Campbell said it best of journeys like Ryan’s: “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

148: Using Data and AI In Business with Andrew James

“That’d be impossible… unless?” – Andrew James

How do you respond when life throws a punch?

If you’re like most people, when you hit a wall, you just push harder—longer hours, more stress, hoping brute force will somehow get you through.

If you’re like Andrew, you stop. Take a breath. And then ask the simple question that’s carried him through every tough season: “What would have to be true for this to work?”

That single question has shaped everything he’s built—taking him from a scrappy kid flipping diet plans on eBay (& later hustling affiliate offers & imported products) to the founder of Eyeball Division & Cerebro Analytics, two companies helping brands grow smarter and faster.

And it’s the same mindset that’s pulled him through the messy middle: the clients ready to walk, the pivots that felt terrifying, the nights where the easy answer would’ve been to quit.

If you’re ready for an episode that part wake-up call, part permission slip to do things differently:

Download Andrew’s episode of the Anything But Typical Podcast (link in 1st comment) Connect at cerebroanalytics.com Andrew has built a life out of tackling challenges most people walk away from—and actually enjoys the climb. Which is why Walt Disney’s words feel spot on: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

147: Growing, Running, And Selling On Your Terms with Ron Weatherly

“It’s me just wanting freedom… freedom to make my own choices & live life on my terms.” - Ron Weatherly

Ron didn’t start his waterproofing company, Dry Pro Foundation and Crawlspace Specialists, with a business plan, angel investors, or even a clue how to fix a foundation. He started with a crawlspace, raw knees, whatever tools he could scrounge, & a spark of rebellion.

Because he knew what he didn’t want…

Another layoff. Another week waiting on a paycheck. Another life ruled by someone else’s calendar.

So, he built something of his own.

He gave up his salary to hire his first manager. Went back into sales when the numbers didn’t add up. Grew the business past $29 million—and walked away when the values lined up, not just the dollars.

That’s not luck. That’s freedom built on purpose.

Today, he’s not stuck in meetings. He’s mentoring founders, investing in people he believes in, & home by 3:30—because that’s the life his business was built to protect.

If you’re growing fast but feel trapped, maybe it’s time to ask: what am I really building?

Connect with him at ronweatherly.com

Chris Brogan said it best: “The goal isn’t more money. The goal is living life on your terms.”

146: Serving Your Way To Success with David Amigo

"I’m not in charge… & it’s a really nice feeling.” – David Amigo

Most entrepreneurs chase control.

David finds peace in letting go.

Because when you’ve been a factory scab at 11, a product manager slinging cookies in your 20s, & a minority owner pushed out of your own family’s business — you learn fast: control is an illusion.

What isn’t?

Character. Integrity. Showing up. Doing the next right thing, even when the plan falls apart.

That’s where purpose is forged — not in the wins, but in the wreckage.

When you dust off, serve others, & keep building anyway.

That mindset built his landscaping business, G & G Landscaping, one of the most respected in the Carolinas, where ego gets weeded out & excellence takes root.

There, he’s not CEO. He’s CEB: Chief Errand Boy. Clearing the path. Serving first. Doing what needs doing.

Because for David, leadership isn’t about being out front — it’s about being all in.

For the builders, the rebuilders, & the ones who never quite fit the mold, this episode’s your mirror.

Connect at GANDGlandscape.net

David took Albert Einstein’s charge to heart: “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”

That’s some great wisdom!

145: How Curiosity Can Lead to Fulfillment with Behdad Jamshidi

"Business… is the best way for me to reach my full potential & see who I can become." – Behdad Jamshidi (Bee)

Growing up doing math drills at the kitchen table, Bee didn’t dream.

Structure, discipline, grit—that was his operating system.

When he became an engineer, it wasn’t out of passion. It was logic. A clear, safe path.

But underneath it all?

A relentless curiosity & yearning for connection were quietly simmering.

So, while climbing the corporate ladder, he quietly built something else.

Not because he was desperate, but because something inside him wanted more.

More agency. More alignment. More room to grow into the next version of himself.

What started with one website grew into a successful business built on vetting & matching top marketing talent.

He built patiently, not for growth’s sake, but for his own: a business that could support him, his wife, & the life he wanted to live.

This isn’t a story about going all-in.

It’s a story about knowing when the time is right--& trusting you’ll be ready when it is.

Learn more at cjammarketing.com

Wayner Dyer urged: "Don’t die with your music still in you."

That’s no danger for Bee.

144: The Accidental Entrepreneur Journey with Austin Palmer

"Vanilla is a great flavor." – Austin Palmer

Austin may have raised some eyebrows as a kid at 31 Flavors, but he’s always known one thing: flashy doesn’t equal better.

So, whether he’s picking ice cream or building financial portfolios, his approach is the same:

Simple. Steady. No sprinkles required.

His path started predictably—son of a CPA, became a CPA, climbed the ladder at Morgan Stanley & Merrill Lynch.

He never chased “fastest-growing advisor” titles. He just kept showing up, doing the right thing, & putting clients first.

Then one day, he walked away from corporate comfort to become a partner at Destination Wealth—and suddenly, vanilla had a twist.

Consistency? That came naturally.

Entrepreneurship? That was rocky road.

If you’ve ever done everything “right” & then found yourself wondering, “What else am I capable of?”—this one’s for you.

It’s a story of rewiring. Of risk. Of letting go of the familiar to build something that’s yours.

Because leadership doesn’t have to be loud.

It just has to be real.

To learn more, find him at destinationwealthadvisors.com, or reach out to him at austin.palmer@dw-advisors.com

George Eliot told us, "It’s never too late to be what you might have been."

Austin proves it.

143: Peak Performance Strategies From Professional Sports with Carlos Salum

“I take people as a story… I can see their higher self before they can.” – Carlos Salum

Carlos grew up under Argentina’s military dictatorship—surrounded by uncertainty, but also by entrepreneurs, poets, and principled people who knew how to thrive despite it.

That tension didn’t crush him. It sharpened his vision—so much so that, by adulthood, traditional paths like law & medicine felt like cages, not callings.

So he did what most people won’t: He bet on himself.

On a handshake, he pitched a partnership to the world’s top tennis coach. No credentials. No fancy title. Just conviction.

Then he flew to Germany, crashed on a friend’s couch, & hustled up a seven-city speaking tour with no internet, no safety net, & no backup plan.

Eight months later, the world’s biggest sports agency called him “Houdini” as he coached legends like Agassi, Seles, & Sampras.

But it was never just about tennis. It was always about helping people live with alignment, intention, and impact.

Today, he brings that same fire to business owners.

Ready to align with something deeper?

Find him at SalumInternational.com.

Joseph Campbell said, “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.”

Carlos helps people remember that.

142: Building Canada's Largest Snowboarding Brand at 24 with Perry Gladstone

“I want to know what I'm capable of… but I'm not an adrenaline junkie. I just want to know how far I can take it—because I want to know what my greatest potential is.” – Perry Gladstone

At 8, Perry was selling comic books at flea markets. At 15, he opened a skateboard shop that pulled in $100K that summer. By 24, he launched a snowboard company in his kitchen that became Canada’s biggest—& sold it before he turned 30.

But it was never about the money.

For Perry, business has always been about access—to adventure, freedom, & experiences no one else would hand him. If he wanted to do something, he built a way to do it.

That’s how he became a record-setting free diver, a coach to high-powered CEOs, a musician, & a master at intentional reinvention.

The common thread?

Radical self-awareness. He knows exactly what drives him—& he helps others find the emotional through-line that connects everything they’ve ever done.

What Perry builds isn’t just business. It’s identity. It’s legacy.

To learn more, find him at PerryGladstone.com.

Poet Rainer Maria Rilke said, “The only journey is the one within.”

Perry’s been on that journey all along.

141: Retiring at 27 To Pursue Entrepreneurship

"If I can be good about business, & I can do my business well—but then also care about my people & have that noticed in the marketplace—that’s way more important to me." – Greg Lafferty

At 27, Greg seemingly had it all: the pedigree, the projects, the prestige of a big job at NASA.

But what he really wanted was a life of impact. So, he retired (yes, at 27!) from the confines of government & began a decades-long journey of entrepreneurship rooted in faith, grit, & people-first leadership.

Years later, that same spirit would draw Christina Wright to him.

A few referrals & persistent follow-ups later, she landed a meeting with Greg—who was launching a company with no name, no business plan… & no investor relations lead.

She jumped in anyway.

Today, this mission-minded duo is building Branch Wealth Partners—an education-driven real estate firm helping people build real wealth with wisdom, heart, & long-term vision.

They’re not chasing “get rich quick.” They’re building something that lasts.

To learn more, learn more at branchwealthpartners.com.

It’s like Tony Hsieh said: “Chase the vision, not the money. The money will end up following you.”