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Unlocked with Kristyn Drennen
You didn’t build your business just to burn out in it. And you didn’t become a leader to feel stuck in the day-to-day.
Welcome to Unlocked with Kristyn Drennen — where high-achieving founders, operators, and executives stop tolerating complexity and start building the businesses (and lives) they actually want.
Kristyn Drennen is a powerhouse Fractional COO, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, and MetaPerformance™ Executive Coach for elite leaders who are scaling with purpose and preparing for high-value exits. She’s known for rolling up her sleeves inside multi-million-dollar companies to align leadership, drive operational clarity, and help owners regain their freedom — all while unlocking extraordinary growth.
Each episode goes beyond theory. Expect straight talk, smart strategy, and transformational questions that cut through the noise. Whether you're leading a growing business or leading from the C-Suite, you’ll leave with real tools, new perspective, and the reminder that it's possible to love your business again.
Unlocked with Kristyn Drennen
Beyond High Performance: The Hidden Stuckness of High Achievers with David Shrum
What if your biggest obstacle isn’t lack of drive, but the very habits that made you successful? In this candid and practical episode, host Kristyn Drennen talks with executive coach David Shrum about what happens when high achievers plateau and how Meta Performance™ Coaching helps leaders break through the invisible ceilings that keep them stuck.
David shares insights from his own leadership journey and explains how the shift from high performance to meta performance changes everything — from how you set goals to how you lead your team. Together, Kristyn and David unpack:
- The subtle “stuckness” that hides behind success.
- How curiosity, not advice, is the engine of great coaching.
- The athlete’s mindset — why growth requires getting back in the gym.
- The difference between performance at work and transformation through work.
- What to look for when hiring a truly great executive coach.
Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or lifelong learner, this conversation will challenge your assumptions about growth and inspire you to pursue the version of yourself you haven’t yet met.
Key Highlights
- The “high performer problem” — and why doing more isn’t always the answer.
- How Meta Performance Coaching shifts focus from being the best to becoming limitless.
- Lessons from Amazon and Jeff Bezos on vision beyond success.
- The power of curiosity over advice in true coaching relationships.
- The connection between personal and professional transformation.
Links & Resources
- Learn more about TransformCXO Executive Coaching: https://transformcxo.com/coaching
- Connect with David Shrum on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-shrum
- Book Recommendation: Beyond High Performance by Jason Jaggard
Explore more episodes at TransformCXO.com/Unlocked