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by Julie Williamson, Ph.D.
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- Today46 min
A Conversation With Richard Kopelman, CEO of Aprio
Richard Kopelman, CEO of Aprio Advisory Group, has spent more than three decades with the firm, evolving from a generalist learning the craft to leading a rapidly scaling, global organization. Along the way, he built and grew practices, leaned into specialization, and then expanded back out into enterprise leadership. He describes becoming CEO as “starting over as a freshman,” a mindset that seems to have served him well through 50+ mergers and significant growth. His leadership journey reflects a pattern of exploration, reinvention, and a willingness to take calculated swings… even if not every one is a home run.Episode TakeawaysA growth mindset is a deliberate leadership choice. Aprio’s shift away from “why not” thinking toward abundance unlocked expansion, including bold moves like acquiring a law firmIf everything is working, you are probably not taking enough risks. Richard’s “bat .500” philosophy reinforces that smart experimentation beats perfectionLeaders must let go of technical identity to lead the business, but still dive deep when needed. It is less about abandoning expertise and more about using it strategicallyAlignment requires repetition. If you are tired of talking about the strategy, your team is just starting to hear itTrust is the backbone of execution. Healthy debate in the room is critical, but once a decision is made, alignment means no back-channeling and full commitmentRichard’s perspective reinforces a familiar but often ignored truth. Agreement is easy, especially in rooms full of smart people. Alignment is harder and requires trust, repetition, and the discipline to move forward together even when opinions differ. His emphasis on blameless problem solving and “locked arms” execution is a practical reminder that leaders do not need perfect consensus; they need shared commitment. The real opportunity for any leadership team is to ask where they are still debating after the meeting instead of delivering after it.Connect with Richard Kopelman outside of this episode on LinkedIn here or through Aprio here.-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
- 1 weeks ago32 min
A Conversation With Kristi Cappelletti-Matthews, Chief Human Resources Officer, VSP Vision
Kristi Cappelletti-Matthews is the Chief Human Resources Officer at VSP Vision, bringing more than three decades of HR leadership across healthcare and high tech. Her journey to CHRO started with a chance gym conversation that turned into a career-defining opportunity. Beginning as a compensation specialist, she expanded her scope by consistently connecting her expertise to broader business outcomes, eventually stepping into enterprise leadership where alignment across functions became essential.Episode Takeaways:Alignment requires more than agreement. Leaders must actively connect decisions to enterprise impact and involve stakeholders early to avoid siloed thinkingCulture doesn’t scale by accident. VSP intentionally evolved its culture during COVID to ensure connection and inclusion across a distributed workforceIntegration starts with culture. Bringing acquired companies into the “family” works best when values are clear but flexibility is preserved. Enterprise mindset is a learned shift. Leaders moving from smaller organizations must adapt from owning decisions to sharing them, which takes clarity and ongoing dialogueGood meetings drive alignment. Clear outcomes, purposeful conversation, and real dialogue beat calendar overload every timeKristi’s perspective reinforces a core truth: alignment is less about grand declarations and more about consistent, sometimes uncomfortable conversations that connect people to the bigger picture. Whether integrating systems, evolving culture, or simply trying to stick to a workout plan, success comes down to commitment, realistic expectations, and a willingness to adjust along the way. Or, as she subtly reminds us, “good enough” often beats endlessly perfect and never delivered.Connect with Kristi outside of this episode on LinkedIn here or through VSP Vision here.-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
- Apr 14, 202654 min
A Conversation With Kendall Colman, Founder/CEO, Colman Coaching
Kendall Colman’s leadership journey starts with a coach who saw her potential before she did. Early struggles with self-doubt and feeling out of place shifted when a field hockey coach challenged her to get out of her own way. That moment sparked a lifelong focus on unlocking potential in others. Over the past 25 years, she’s built Colman Coaching, helping senior leaders elevate their presence, communication, and impact, especially when the stakes are high and the spotlight is unavoidable. Episode Takeaways: Pride is a quiet blocker. Leaders often agree they need to improve but hesitate to seek coaching, slowing growth right at the starting line Courage is a daily practice, not a grand gesture. Small moments like speaking up, asking for help, or trying something new build real leadership muscle Limiting beliefs quietly fuel the failure gap. Until leaders surface and rewrite them, progress stalls despite good intentions. Great leadership shifts from correction mode to teaching mode. Alignment improves when leaders focus on purpose, process, and people, not just fixing outputs Servant leadership without strong communication falls flat. Intent matters, but impact depends on how clearly and confidently leaders show upKendall’s perspective brings a sharp reminder that many leadership gaps aren’t about capability, they’re about alignment. Leaders know they should communicate better, lead with intention, and invest in growth. The breakdown happens in the follow-through. What stands out is how closely courage, coaching, and communication tie to alignment. Without courage, leaders avoid hard conversations. Without coaching, blind spots stay hidden. Without strong communication, even the best intentions get lost in translation. It’s a perfect recipe for staying stuck in agreement instead of moving to action.There’s also a subtle but important shift from “how do I perform?” to “how do I serve?” When leaders make that move, presence becomes less about ego and more about impact, which tends to be where the real results live anyway.If there’s one thing to align on from this conversation, it’s this: growth requires visible effort. You can’t outsource it, and you can’t think your way into it. At some point, you have to step forward, take the swing, and yes, probably realize it wasn’t a half swing after all.Connect with Kendall Colman outside of this episode on LinkedIn here or through Colman Coaching here.-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
- Mar 10, 202651 min
A Conversation With Josh Miramant, Founder/CEO, Blue Orange Digital
Josh Miramant, founder and CEO of Blue Orange Digital, brings a leadership story that proves careers are rarely built in straight lines. He started on a path toward politics and law, then took a sharp turn into startups, scaling, and eventually data and AI consulting. Along the way, he learned what many leaders eventually discover: growth usually looks less like a master plan and more like a series of thoughtful leaps with just enough ignorance to keep moving. Apparently, that is not recklessness, it is entrepreneurship with better branding.Episode Takeaways:Leadership rarely follows a clean path. Curiosity, calculated risk, and a willingness to say yes can create the experiences that shape real leadership growth.Founders and executives are constantly navigating paradoxes. Delegate, but stay close. Take the leap, but be strategic. Both sides can be true, which is why alignment matters more than easy answers.AI adoption starts with individual ownership. Leaders do not need to code, but they do need enough hands-on experience to make grounded decisions instead of approving budgets for things that still feel like science fiction.Low-stakes experimentation is the best way to build confidence. Play with AI on language-based work like reports, posts, and storytelling before the high-stakes decisions arrive wearing a suit and carrying a budget.Josh’s CARD framework offers a practical lens for organizational AI adoption: clarity, ambition, relationships, and distribution. In other words, the tech matters, but the human system around it matters just as much.What stands out most in Josh’s ideas is the reminder that progress comes through iteration, not perfection. Whether you are building a company, adopting AI, or trying to make better decisions with a team, alignment grows when people make the invisible visible and practice their way forward. The real opportunity is not just agreeing that change is important. It is learning how to move together when the path is still emerging. That is where better stories, better decisions, and better results start to stack up.Connect with Josh Miramant outside of this episode on LinkedIn here.-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
- Feb 17, 202652 min
A Conversation With Justin Salisbury, President/COO, Breeze Thru Car Wash
Justin Salisbury “stumbled” into the car wash world with a mix of business education and trade school skills, then discovered it was the perfect place to put both to work. Fourteen years ago, he joined Breeze Thru Car Wash when it had just two locations, earned his way into ownership after three years, and leaned hard into what he loves most: building operational systems that help people grow. Today, he’s President and COO, leading a succession plan with a new ownership group, and scaling what he calls a “people development machine” across 16 locations in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming.Justin’s story is a reminder that most leadership journeys are less “master plan” and more “well, that escalated.” He and Julie dig into why fear of failure keeps leaders stuck, and how Breeze Thru intentionally trains people to handle tough conversations, build trust, and create real alignment that survives growth spurts.Episode TakeawaysPeople are the business. Systems and structure matter, but they exist to help humans succeed, not to look pretty in a binder.Failure is required, not tolerated. At Breeze Thru Car Wash, empowerment means “you get the opportunity to fail,” then learn fast and respond well.Alignment takes time, then takes more time. Defining mission, vision, and values took months, deploying them took years, and scaling requires revisiting them.Get curious, not furious. Curiosity changes the chemistry of leadership and turns emotional reactions into productive questions.Hard conversations are a skill gap, not a character flaw. Confidence grows when leaders practice crucial conversations, survive, and realize they can do it again.Justin’s big alignment call is simple and surprisingly rare: help people understand how they matter. When leaders commit to that, trust deepens, growth accelerates, and even a car wash becomes a place where people leave stronger than they arrived (and yes, with a cleaner car).Connect with Justin Salisbury on LinkedIn here or check out a Breeze Thru Car Wash location near you today.-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
- Feb 3, 202647 min
A Conversation With Justin Nassiri, CEO, Executive Presence
Justin Nassiri, founder and CEO of Executive Presence, joined Julie Williamson to explore what it really takes to move from agreement to alignment, especially when leaders know they should be more visible but struggle to act. Justin traced his leadership journey from drum major to the Naval Academy, nuclear submarines, Stanford, and multiple startups, landing on a key insight Julie reinforced throughout the conversation: leadership is never finished; it keeps evolving as you do. A powerful moment came when Justin shared, realizing, at 45, that he was experiencing true partnership with his leadership team for the first time. Julie named it clearly: that moment shows what leadership can feel like when alignment is real.Together, they unpacked why leaders often agree they should work on self-awareness, emotional regulation, or presence, yet don’t align to do the work. Justin explained that personal growth doesn’t come with clean metrics or fast wins, unlike most business skills. Julie connected this directly to the Failure Gap, where good intentions stall without commitment, patience, and the willingness to sit with discomfort.Episode TakeawaysLeadership is not a destination. It’s more like a subscription you have to renew with humilityPersonal growth fuels leadership growth: emotional regulation and self-awareness create space for more honest, productive team dialogueFor entrepreneurs: don’t confuse “co-creating everything” with alignment. Sometimes the visionary’s job is to sketch the destination so the team can build the route“Simple is better” plus repetition wins: if you can’t rattle off your values, your team definitely can’t. Turn the volume up 10xLinkedIn success comes down to three things: a compelling why (usually service to the business), clear measurement (what does “good” look like?), and a system (motivation is a flimsy employee)Justin’s closing “align on this” is deceptively hard: listen better. Reflect back on what you heard, slow down the hot takes, and watch the temperature drop. In a noisy world, the most executive thing you can do might be to stop talking for a second.Connect with Justin on LinkedIn here or learn more about Executive Presence here.-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
- Jan 20, 202641 min
A Conversation With Chris Baird, President & CEO OptConnect
Chris Baird is the President and CEO of OptConnect, and his leadership story starts far from the corner office. He joined the company in 2009 as an ATM repair specialist, kept volunteering for the “extra mile” work (where, as he put it, there’s no traffic), and stepped into a bigger responsibility when ownership transitioned and a leadership gap opened. Along the way, he learned his path is hard to copy, but the behaviors behind it are simple: say yes, stay curious, and be humble enough to take feedback without treating it like a personal attack.Julie and Chris dig into the Failure Gap, that familiar space where everyone agrees something is a good idea, but nothing changes. Chris shares a real example from his leadership team: “false alignment,” when people nod in the meeting and then operate their own plan afterward. Naming it helped them stop “going along to get along” and start getting honest about how they would actually execute together. They also explore how misalignment shows up with customers, like teams optimizing for the lowest price instead of the true cost, then being surprised when “cheap” comes with a side of missing features.Chris also connects leadership to endurance events, sharing lessons from training for (and surviving) a 70.3 race: grit matters, but systems matter more. Preparation, structure, and team support beat willpower alone, especially when conditions get hot, and your assumptions start melting.Episode TakeawaysCuriosity and saying yes create leadership momentum, even when the path is unplanned“False alignment” is agreement with unchanged behavior, and it quietly wrecks executionIf teams optimize for the wrong problem (price vs. total cost), misalignment multipliesGrit helps, but disciplined systems, feedback, and preparation carry you fartherHumility and vulnerability make alignment easier because teams solve problems togetherAlignment to big goals often starts with a small moment: raising a hand and asking, “Are we actually aligned, or just being polite?” Bonus: it’s cheaper than another reorg.Episode ResourcesKen Thompson, AlignOrg: “Death by a Thousand Good Ideas: The Power of Strategic Clarity”-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
- Dec 3, 202547 min
A Conversation With Jeremy Sharpe, President, Sharpe Development Group
Jeremy Sharpe grew up riding around the desert with his dad, thinking he was on grand childhood adventures while secretly getting groomed as a real estate developer. Now president of Sharpe Development Group and managing partner of Rancho Sahuarita, he carries forward a multigenerational commitment to “creating a better life for people” through the built environment. His path was not linear, with early dreams of being a vet and launching his own company before returning to the family business in Tucson, stepping fully into leadership after his father’s illness and passing. That experience, and the vulnerability it required, continues to shape how he leads his team, his partners, and his community.Episode TakeawaysValues before vision: People may disagree with a decision, yet still trust it if they believe in the leader’s values and integrity. That trust becomes the real foundation of long-term alignment. Alignment includes time, not just ideas: Large-scale communities play out over decades, not quarters, so Jeremy works to get partners, employees, and residents aligned to both the vision and the timeline.Know when to walk away: Deals and hires can drift from alignment over time. Letting go, even late in the process, can be an act of integrity rather than failure.Leaders are humans, not certainty machines: Jeremy normalizes imposter syndrome, makes hard calls through a values lens, and is willing to say “I got that wrong,” whether with executives or six-year-olds who are very committed to their own positions.Translate the speedboat and the wake: His development team moves fast on vision and innovation while community management and utilities keep life calm and reliable for residents, with key leaders playing translator between urgency and stability.Jeremy leaves us with a clear challenge: look within, reflect honestly on how you are really showing up, and align your daily decisions with your why. Agreement sounds nice in the meeting, but alignment is what shows up in the neighborhood, on the balance sheet, and around your own kitchen table. Connect with him on LinkedIn here.-------------------------Is misalignment holding your organization back?Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations. Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:Connect with Julie on LinkedInFollow Karrikins Group on LinkedIn Check out Julie's book, 'Make HOW Matter: Key Conversations for Leaders to Build Alignment and Accelerate Growth'Learn more about how Karrikins Group helps enterprise teams drive better results
About The Failure Gap
The Failure Gap podcast is hosted by Julie Williamson, Ph.D., the CEO and a Managing Partner at Karrikins Group, a Denver-based, global-serving business consultancy. Julie delves into the critical space between agreement and alignment - where even the best ideas falter without decisive action. Through candid conversations with a diverse mix of leaders, this podcast explores both the successes and failures that shape the journey of leadership. Featuring visionary leaders from companies of all sizes, from billion-dollar giants to mid-market innovators, to scrappy start-ups, The Failure Gap uncovers the real-life challenges of transforming ideas into impactful outcomes. Tune in to learn how top leaders bridge the gap and drive meaningful progress in their organizations.
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