I Have Some Questions...
Most people know the headline of a leader’s story. Few know the path it took to get there. This podcast goes beyond titles, book launches and business wins, to explore the lived journey behind the thought leader.
Through deep, unhurried conversations, we uncover the moments that shaped them—the doubts, pivots, convictions, and quiet breakthroughs that built their body of work.
Each episode features authors, coaches, executives, and bold thinkers who have forged their own path. Instead of rehearsed talking points, they’re invited into a space where thoughtful questions unlock something more human. The result is a layered conversation that reveals not just what they preach, but how they became the kind of person who can teach it.
Because we believe the best stories aren’t always told—they’re revealed. And when brilliant people are given the right questions and the room to answer them fully, what emerges is insight you can feel, frameworks you can apply, and a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to lead, create, and contribute at a meaningful level.
Episodes
130 episodes
132: Clarifying Your Intentions Before Asking Will Change Everything" (reflections on Steve Toomey)
🧠 Erik’s TakeAfter sitting down with Steve Toomey, Erik found himself less interested in the mechanics of questions—and more interested in the conditions that make them meaningful. The original goal was simple: reverse engineer what ...
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10:54
131: Steve Toomey: "Are You Asking to Understand, or to Respond?"
In this long-awaited conversation, Erik sits down with longtime friend and mentor Steve Toomey to unpack the art of curiosity, the discipline of presence, and the quiet power of asking better questions.They explore why interest fuels in...
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1:25:09
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130: "Can You Tell The Difference Between Growth Stress and Burnout Stress?" ft. Alli Murphy
In this conversation, Erik and Alli explore a powerful new concept spreading through the workplace: “quiet cracking.”Together they unpack the subtle signals leaders should watch for, the fine line between healthy stress and destructive b...
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17:05
129: "Are You Riding Your Career Train Intentionally?" (lessons from Pattie Dale Tye)
🧠 Erik’s TakeThis conversation with Pattie Dale Tye hit on something deeply practical—and deeply uncomfortable. Most of us didn’t intentionally choose our careers based on our aptitudes. We drifted. We followed prestige. We followed ...
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11:35
128: "What Is It to Go from Ordinary to Extra-Ordinary?" ft. Pattie Dale Tye
Pattie Dale Tye doesn’t just talk about extraordinary careers—she’s lived one.From a small Southern town to leading multi-billion-dollar divisions at companies like AT&T and Humana, Pattie Dale built a 30+ year C-suite career withou...
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56:43
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127: "Psychological Safety is Making Disagreement Safe" ft. Alli Murphy
In this conversation with co-host Alli Murphy, Erik unpacks one of the most misunderstood (and most powerful) leadership dynamics in modern workplaces: psychological safety.From Google’s Project Aristotle to real-life stories of $50,000 ...
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19:41
126: "Do Catalytic Moments Really Exist?" (lessons from Jake Stahl)
🧠 Erik's TakeThis conversation with Jake Stahl wasn’t just about communication. It was about redemption.Jake shared the origin story behind Own the Room, and it didn’t begin in a boardroom—it began in addiction. Af...
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14:24
125: "Can You Win a Deal Before the Close?" ft. Jake Stahl
Jake Stahl returns to the show with a powerful message: winning deals isn’t about talking more—it’s about reading the room better.This conversation goes beyond sales tactics. It’s about emotional intelligence, pattern recognition, and le...
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1:10:11
124: "Are You Climbing a Ladder You Don’t Even Want to Be On?" ft. Alli Murphy
When Alli Murphy’s “not-an-SVP” LinkedIn post sparked hundreds of comments and DMs, it revealed something deeper: a quiet crisis around success.In this episode, Erik and returning co-host Alli unpack the generational tension around achie...
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16:52
123: "Should Your Frontline Contribution Eventually Drop to Zero?" (lessons from Staci Lynn)
🧠 Erik’s TakeLeadership isn’t an upgrade—it’s a tradeoff. In this reflection on his conversation with Staci Lynn, Erik unpacks the uncomfortable truth most new leaders eventually face: the better you get at leadership, the less im...
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11:20
122: "What If Leadership Isn’t About Being the Expert?" ft. Staci Lynn
What actually makes someone a good leader once the title changes? In this wide-ranging conversation, Erik sits down with Staci Lynn—COO, fractional executive, and senior living operator—to unpack leadership lessons learned the hard way. From ma...
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1:22:15
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121: "What If What Got You here is now Burning You Out?" (ft. Alli Murphy)
Even high-performing leaders hit walls.In this candid, unscripted conversation, Erik and recurring co-host Alli Murphy unpack something most leaders experience—but rarely admit: the funk.Whether it’s imposter syndrome before a key...
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12:01
120: "Can Trust Be Digitized—and How?" (lessons from Tony Camero)
🧠 Erik’s TakeTrust isn’t abstract—it’s already being calculated all around us. The problem is that most of the systems we rely on are crude proxies: resumes, credit scores, follower counts, and credentials that signal legitimacy w...
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13:56
119: "Do We Exchange Trust Before We Exchange Money?" ft. Tony Camero
In this conversation, Erik sits down with Tony Camero, founder of Scend Technologies and creator of TrustMesh, to explore one of the most foundational (and misunderstood) forces in human systems: trust. Together, they unpack how trust actually ...
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1:23:12
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118: "Is There Actually a Playbook for Building Trust as a New Leader?" ft. Alli Murphy
Trust isn’t built by proving you’re right—it’s built by proving you’re safe to work with. In this co-hosted conversation, Erik and Alli unpack what it actually takes to earn trust when you’re new, misunderstood, or quietly doubted. The...
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23:52
117: "AI Doesn't Remove the Human Layer—It Amplifies It" (lessons from Parth Vaghasiya)
🧠 Erik’s TakeIn this Reaction Episode, Erik reflects on his powerful interview with Parth Vaghasiya—a tech leader from India rethinking how AI is actually deployed at scale. What stood out most wasn’t just Parth’s technical acumen...
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9:08
116: "Is India Quietly Redefining Scalable AI Leadership?" ft. Parth Vaghasiya
In this thought-provoking conversation, Erik sits down with Parth Vaghasiya, a technology and business leader from Gujarat, India, who’s quietly pioneering what it means to lead at scale with AI in emerging markets. Together, they unpack...
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1:07:56
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115: "Is Your Once-Greatest Strength Now Holding You Back?" ft. Alli Murphy
In this co-hosted conversation, Erik Berglund and Alli Murphy explore a deceptively simple leadership trap: when your greatest strength becomes the very thing holding you back. From overthinking and realism to empathy and self-awareness, they u...
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14:47
114: "Are You Managing Your Strengths Like a Portfolio?" (lessons from David Nickelson)
🧠 Erik’s TakeErik reflects on his interview with Dr. David Nickelson, a true polymath with a rare blend of psychology, law, and business. What stuck with Erik wasn’t just David’s accomplishments—but how he thinks. This ep...
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10:57
113: "Knowing Your Limitations Is a Great Leadership Asset" ft. David Nickelson
Dr. David Nickelson is a clinical psychologist, attorney and business strategist whose career spans Capitol Hill to corporate boardrooms. In this episode, Erik explores how David’s rare combination of expertise makes him a true polymath—and wha...
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1:21:59
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112: "How Should Leaders Manage in Moments of Uncertainty?" ft. Alli Murphy
Uncertainty isn’t new — but leaders still keep making the same mistakes when it shows up. In this candid collab, Erik Berglund and co-host Alli Murphy unpack what not to do when things feel unstable, why our instincts often betray us, ...
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12:44
111: "Are You Taking Your Infrastructure For Granted?" (lessons from Victor Almeida)
🧠 Erik’s TakeIn this follow-up to his interview with Victor Almeida, Erik zooms out to reflect on what building a digital business really looks like in Latin America—and what North American entrepreneurs often take for gr...
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11:41
110: "Is Survival Mode Your Greatest Startup Asset?" ft. Victor Almeida
Victor Almeida joins Erik from Ecuador to talk about what it really takes to build and scale a digital company in Latin America. From leading operations at Promotick Mexico to bootstrapping a startup from scratch, Victor offers raw ins...
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49:49
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109: "How Playing the 'Chief Everything Officer' Role Leads to Burnout" ft. Alli Murphy
It’s only mid-January, and Erik and Alli are already fielding DMs from high-achievers who are feeling… fried. Instead of the usual New Year buzz, there’s burnout, exhaustion, and the quiet voice saying, “I’m already over it.”In ...
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18:52
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108: Are You Solving the Wrong Problem Really Well?" (lessons from Bruce Vojak)
🧠 Erik’s TakeErik reflects on his wide-ranging conversation with innovation expert Bruce Vojak and explores how innovation really works inside mature companies. While Erik lives and works in the world of startups and early-stage c...
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12:02