
ADAPT or die
When disruption hits, average leaders freeze—great ones adapt.
Former tech-CEO–turned-leadership-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with C-suite executives, founders, and change-makers to dissect the exact moment they faced a make-or-break challenge, the mindset pivot that unlocked progress, and the measurable success that followed.
Every episode delivers:
- Challenge → Adaptation → Success — a tight, three-act story you can steal.
- A 60-second “Hot-Seat” mini-coaching segment that turns insight into action.
- Concrete metrics, battle-tested tactics, and candid reflections you won’t hear on the PR circuit.
If you’re scaling a team, steering a turnaround, or future-proofing your career, this show equips you to adapt and thrive—because in leadership, the alternative is extinction.
Episodes
19 episodes
Nicolas Pokorny: Leading the People Who Do the Business
On this episode of Adapt or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson sits down with Nicolas Pokorny, neuroscientist, global executive, and Founder & CEO of Mammoth Leadership Sciences. With over 30 years of ...
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Episode 18
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32:31

Graeme Watt: Creating Hope in a Crisis — and a New Creative Future
When COVID shut down every client contract and wiped out his production pipeline, Graeme Watt—Principal and Lead Strategist of the award-winning agency Anthem Creative—faced an unthinkable leadership moment. On this episode of Adapt or Die:...
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Episode 17
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37:10

Tom Galido: Heart Transplants, Company Turnarounds, and the Fight to Lead Again
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, Andreas Pettersson speaks with Tom Galido—5x founder, 3x CEO, and heart transplant survivor—about what it really takes to scale businesses and survive l...
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Episode 16
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35:44

Bill Weathersby: From Bankrupt to $500M+ in M&A—Hard Truths on Scaling Fast, Firing Faster
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Bill Weathersby, 8-time founder and Chairman of Next Stage Trajectory. Bill shares raw, ...
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Episode 15
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28:53

Rick Williams: From Physics Labs to Boardrooms with a Bestseller Blueprint
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Rick Williams—physicist-turned-CEO, board advisor, and author of the Amazon #1 best-sell...
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Episode 14
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33:16

Alex Kuhn & Born to Lead: Coaching Giants, Burning the Playbook, and Leaving by 5PM
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Alex Kuhn, founder of Born to Lead®—one of the fastest-growing coaching companies in the...
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Episode 13
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34:28

Ryan Schonfeld & HiveWatch: From Policing Terror to Securing Tech with Scalable Smarts
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Ryan Schonfeld, a former police officer and the founder & CEO of HiveWatch—a SaaS se...
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Episode 12
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33:41

Marius Vygantas & the Global Bet: Building Across Borders with Integrity
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, executive coach and former tech CEO Andreas Pettersson speaks with Marius Vygantas, founder of Soling Partners and former Project Manager in the Executive Office...
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Episode 11
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35:59

Annette Franz & the Culture Reset: Why Fixing CX Starts at the Top
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, executive coach and former tech CEO Andreas Pettersson sits down with Annette Franz, globally recognized thought leader, author of three books, and CEO of CX Journey Inc....
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Episode 10
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30:02

Marina St. Cyr & the 35-Day Deal: Adapting Through Acquisitions, Motherhood, and Mindset
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, executive coach and former tech CEO Andreas Pettersson sits down with Marina St. Cyr, Partner & SVP of Operations at Access Partners, commercial real estate ...
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Episode 9
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31:04

Carolina Hernandez & the Luxury Paint Empire: From Bookkeeper to Boss in a Man’s World
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech CEO turned executive coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Carolina Hernandez—CEO, real estate investor, and proud Latina lead...
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Episode 8
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36:03

Tim McVay & Marco Transport: Hauling Heavy Iron — and Stage-4 Cancer — with Unbreakable Grit
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Tim McVay, second-generation president of Marco Transport—a 31-truck heavy-haul fleet mo...
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Episode 7
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35:48

Stella Han & Fractional: From DIY Chaos to a $400 Million Community-Capital Engine
On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, former tech-CEO-turned-executive-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Stella Han, software-engineer-turned-founder of Fractional, the platform letting everyda...
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Episode 6
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33:39

Ryanna Hammond on Writing Your Way Back: From Darkness to "All With Heart"
In her teens, poet and entrepreneur Ryanna Hammond felt life slipping out of reach. By 28, she’d published seven books, launched the lifestyle brand All With Heart, healed generational wounds—and is now preparing for motherhood. In this episode...
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Episode 5
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37:46

Alex Wendling & the Flavor Factory: From ERP Chaos to Triple-Year Hyper-Growth
Supply-chain whiplash, 40 % ingredient hikes, and an ERP rollout that face-planted—2022 nearly soured Alex Wendling, 28-year-old president of Custom Flavors. In this episode of ADAPT or Die, Alex reveals how scrapping a six-figure syst...
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Episode 4
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30:37

Leila Entezam on Emotional Mastery: The Neuroscience Behind Peak Performance
Most elite leaders swear by data—but ignore the data their own bodies generate. Neuro-emotional performance coach Leila Entezam joins host Andreas Pettersson to prove that feelings are the missing metric at the top.Challeng...
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Episode 3
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28:15

AI at Bat: Jeff Kunzelman on 10× Disruption
Serial entrepreneur and technologist Jeff Kunzelman (3 exits out of 6 startups) joins Andreas to unpack why today’s AI wave is “10 × bigger—and faster—than the original internet boom.”They cover:Challenge - Spotting market-sh...
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Episode 2
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36:02

Bethany LaFlam & Other People’s Everything: Turning Failure into Your Fast-Track
When securities attorney & serial entrepreneur Bethany LaFlam watched her first investment fund implode, she lost more than cash—she lost confidence. In this premiere of ADAPT or Die, host Andreas Pettersson unpacks the exact momen...
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Episode 1
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36:01

Introducing ADAPT or die: Transformative Leadership Conversations
ADAPT or die: Transformative Leadership Conversations is a weekly podcast where former tech CEO and leadership coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with top executives, founders, and change-makers to dissect the pivotal moments that forc...
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1:39
