Leading Ain't Easy
Leadership looks shiny on social media. But the reality is it’s messy, isolating, and full of self-doubt. Leading Ain’t Easy pulls back the curtain on the side of leadership nobody puts on their résumé.
Hosted by Ryan Calkins (Marine Corps veteran, career/leadership coach, and founder of Reframe & Rise) and Erny Epley (public-sector leader and founder of Bus Pro Network), this show dives into the raw, unfiltered truths of leading others; whether it’s in the military, the public sector, or the private world of business.
We’re not here with corporate buzzwords or textbook definitions. Instead, you’ll hear:
- Honest stories about the challenges and failures that shaped us.
- Real conversations about the doubts and decisions leaders wrestle with every day.
- Lessons, frameworks, and laughs that remind you you’re not alone in the struggle.
Episodes run 45-60 minutes (long enough to go deep, short enough for a commute) and drop weekly. Some weeks it’s just us, other weeks we’ll bring in guests (current and aspiring leaders) to share their own unfiltered journeys.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re cut out for this role, questioned yourself after making a hard call, or felt like a fraud even with the title… this podcast is for you.
Because leading ain’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Leading Ain't Easy
Being the FNG (F’ing New Guy): Earning Trust From the Start (feat. Matt Quinn)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Being the "new guy" is hard. Being the new leader is harder.
In this episode, Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley sit down with special guest, Matt Quinn, to talk about what it really takes to earn trust when you walk into a new job with zero social capital; especially when the people around you have been doing the work longer than you’ve been alive.
They cover what to do (and more importantly, what NOT to do) in your first stretch, how to listen without getting played, why “past practice” can be a trap, and the surprisingly powerful leadership habit Matt tells every new manager: clean the bathroom.
In this episode:
- Why leaders should listen first before changing anything
- How to avoid walking into a job and “moving pieces” you don’t understand
- The difference between proving yourself and performing for approval
- Why the best trust-builder is often: “I don’t know, can you teach me?”
- “Past practice” vs best practice (and why that distinction matters)
- The leadership lesson that sticks: clean the bathroom (AKA: do the job nobody wants)
"Leading ain’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone."
This episode does contain some explicit language
Leading Ain't Easy was created by Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley, and is hosted by Ryan and John Moore.
- Ryan is the founder of Reframe & Rise, where he works with veterans who transitioned successfully but still feel something's off; helping them find alignment, not just a better job title.
- John is a certified life and career coach with 20+ years of experience helping people navigate transitions, find purpose, and lead with intention — drawing on backgrounds in corporate leadership, counseling, and entrepreneurship.
- Erny runs Bus Pro Network, supporting school transportation leaders across California with training and development, and joins the show as an occasional guest.
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