The Path Less Traveled Podcast

AI, Change, and Not Overreacting | Leadership Roundtable Series | S2:E1

How do you lead through something nobody has a playbook for yet?
In the Series II opener of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly sits down with Kreg Gruber - CEO, Beacon Health System, Nate Staley - President, PolyJohn Enterprises, and Kelly Ball - CEO, Pathfinders Advertising for an honest, unscripted conversation about AI, change, and how to engage with it without overreacting — across healthcare, advertising, and manufacturing.
Key frameworks from this session:
Start With the Problem, Not the Tool — the leaders winning with AI get clear on what they're solving before chasing the technology 
Permission to Experiment — give your team room to try things without fear of getting it wrong 
Don't Overreact in Either Direction — the real risk isn't AI, it's panic or hype 
Keep the Human Part Human — technology moves fast, but people don't 
This session is sponsored by Gibson, Rippling & The Ascent Collective.

Failure, Decisions & The Weight of Leadership | Leadership Roundtable Series | S1:E4

What does it actually feel like to carry the weight of leadership?
In the series finale of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly sits down with Dr. Dee McDonald (President, Bethel University), Jeremy Lugbill (CEO, Career Academy Network), and Jon Morningstar (CEO, MapleTronics) for the most personal conversation of the series — failure, hard decisions, and the emotional weight that comes with leading others.
Key frameworks from this session:
Know Your Warning Lights — recognize your signals before the weight shows up in your work (Dee)
Leadership Is Chosen, Not Assigned — trust is the currency; earned through consistency over time (Dee)
Protect Your Physical Health Like a Strategy — clarity breaks aren't optional, they're maintenance (Jeremy)
Fail Fast — Then Move — recovery speed defines leadership more than the failure itself (Jeremy)
Build a Council of Truth-Tellers — people who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want (Jon)
Anchor to Your North Star — when decisions are rooted in mission, they become less personal (Jon)
Books mentioned: Atomic Habits (James Clear), The Go-Giver (Bob Burg), Crucial Conversations, Gentle and Lowly (Dane Ortlund)
This session is sponsored by Gibson and United Beverage.

Developing the Next Generation of Leaders | Leadership Roundtable Series | S1:E3

How do you develop the next generation of talent on purpose — not just by accident?
In Session 3 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly is joined by Jason Lippert (President & CEO, Lippert/LCI), Shaun Phy (President, C&S Machine), and Dr. Marco Clark (President, Holy Cross College) for a practical, honest conversation about identifying, developing, and accelerating talent in your organization.
Key frameworks from this session:
Stop Doing. Start Teaching. — your job is to develop people, not do things (Jason)
The Leadership Action Plan (LAP) — a 3x5 card. Personal goals first. Always. (Jason)
Hungry, Humble, Smart — Lencioni's filter for identifying who actually has it (Shaun)
You Can't Afford Not To — the real cost of not investing in development (Shaun)
Lead Yourself First — authenticity and self-awareness aren't soft skills (Dr. Clark)
Invite Them to the Balcony — help people see the bigger picture so they can lead from it (Dr. Clark)
This session is sponsored by Gibson and Performance Plus.

Navigating Difficult Conversations | Leadership Roundtable Series | S1:E2

The hard conversation you keep putting off? It's costing you more than you think.
In Session 2 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable, Craig Heatherly is joined by Laurie Nafziger (President & CEO, Oaklawn), Todd Yeoman (President, American Technology Components), and Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus (President, Goshen College) for an honest, unscripted conversation about navigating difficult conversations in leadership.
Key frameworks from this session:
Clear is Kind — why directness is an act of respect, not aggression (Brené Brown, via Laurie)
What You Permit, You Promote — silence is never neutral
Anchor to Purpose, Not Feelings — how to stay steady when the room gets emotional
Push Pause — slowing down isn't weakness, it's strategy
Get Curious When They Get Furious — intense emotion signals deep caring
Relationship Health = Response Time — the shorter the lag, the stronger the relationship
This session is sponsored by C12 West Michigan & Northern Indiana and Gibson.

The Daily Discipline of Leaders | Leadership Roundtable Series | S1:E1

What separates good leaders from great ones? Discipline. The daily choices nobody sees.
In Session 1 of The Path Less Traveled Leadership Roundtable Series, Craig Heatherly brings Craig Brummell (COO of ABRO Industries), Dustin Holland (President & CEO of Better World Books) and Steve Brenneman (Founder of ATC Trailers & Aluminum Insights) together for one unscripted conversation about the daily disciplines that actually move the needle in leadership.
Highlights from this session:
Why letting go of control is one of the hardest — and most important — things a leader can do
The discipline of slowing down to fully understand a problem before acting on it
Why your personal life and your leadership are more connected than most people admit
What separates leaders who grow from those who plateau
This session is sponsored by Chrome Group and Gibson.

Ben Duke | President, Polaris Marine | S3:E22

Ben Duke, President of Polaris Marine, leads a $1B division responsible for iconic brands like Bennington, Godfrey, and Hurricane ... operating at scale, under constant pressure.
In this episode, Ben shares what it takes to lead through real disruption, from COVID demand shocks to supply‑chain volatility and market correction without breaking trust or losing strategic focus.
He walks through how disciplined leaders stay out of the weeds, why relationships matter more than dashboards when stakes are high, and how simplicity, accountability, and long‑term thinking create durable organizations.
A conversation for leaders who make consequential decisions—and want to make them better.
 

Kelly Ball | CEO, Pathfinders Advertising | S3:E21

Kelly Ball, CEO of Pathfinders Advertising, leads a 47-year-old agency built on one core idea: help companies tell their story in a way that connects.
In this episode, Kelly shares lessons on stepping into the CEO role, aligning teams, and leading through rapid change—especially with the rise of AI.
He breaks down why most companies get marketing wrong, how AI is reshaping workflows, and why the best leaders focus on clarity, simplicity, and execution.
A conversation on leadership, adaptability, and thinking differently in a noisy world.

Dustin Holland | President & CEO, Better World Books | S3:E20

Dustin Holland, President and CEO of Better World Books, leads one of the world’s largest online booksellers with a mission to keep books in circulation and out of landfills.
What began as college book drives at University of Notre Dame has grown into a global operation processing hundreds of thousands of books each week and partnering with thousands of libraries around the world.
In this episode, Dustin shares the leadership lessons behind building a mission-driven company—making hard decisions in real time, investing in relationships, and staying focused on long-term sustainability.
This conversation highlights how purpose, perseverance, and hands-on leadership can turn a simple idea into global impact.