What happens when a natural-born entrepreneur with a "Pied Piper" gift for leading others transitions into corporate America? In this episode of Your Seat at the Table, hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin talk with serial entrepreneur and technology visionary Marty Renkis.

Marty shares his incredible journey from lemonade stands and selling scrap paper as a kid to founding multiple successful tech companies — including TrainerSoft (sold to Outstart) and Smartvue (acquired by Johnson Controls). He opens up about the exhilarating highs and gut-wrenching lows of startup life, the difficult decisions that shaped his path, and the lessons learned about trust, humility, and teamwork.

Now an executive at a Fortune 150 company, Marty reflects on what it really means to lead at scale: shifting from lone visionary to empowering teams, embracing patience, and learning to whisper ideas instead of shouting them.

About the guest:
Marty Renkis is a serial entrepreneur, innovator, and executive at Johnson Controls. He has led groundbreaking work in e-learning, cloud video surveillance, and smart building technologies — holding a robust patent portfolio and scaling businesses to global impact.

About the hosts:
Mike Maddock is the founder of Flourish Advisory Boards, a public speaker, and a serial entrepreneur known for helping leaders turn big ideas into reality.

John Tobin is the co-founder and Executive President of Slalom Consulting, a global consulting firm helping organizations tackle their most ambitious projects and build cultures of trust and innovation.

🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

👉 Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
https://www.mike-maddock.com/

Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.

In this episode of Your Seat at the Table, hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin sit down with entrepreneur, culture expert, and author Darius Mirshahzadeh to explore a deep leadership question: how do you stay ambitious and driven without losing joy and fulfillment along the way?

Darius shares his journey as a high-achieving CEO who learned that chasing "more" doesn’t always lead to happiness — and that truly understanding what is "enough" can change your entire leadership approach.

They discuss the power of core values, learning to appreciate the present, and why so many driven leaders struggle to feel satisfied even when they "make it."

About the guest:
Darius Mirshahzadeh is a serial entrepreneur, former CEO, and author of The Core Value Equation. Named a top-rated CEO by Glassdoor, he helps leaders build core-value-driven cultures and find deeper meaning in their work and lives.

About the hosts:
Mike Maddock is the founder of Flourish Advisory Boards, a public speaker, and a serial entrepreneur known for helping leaders transform big ideas into reality.

John Tobin is the co-founder and president of Slalom Consulting, a global consulting firm helping organizations tackle their most ambitious projects and build cultures of trust and innovation.

Timestamps:
0:00 — Introduction and meeting Darius
2:15 — Why high achievers always want more
7:30 — Darius’s personal story: redefining "success" and "enough"
13:40 — How core values guide fulfillment (and business decisions)
19:20 — Balancing ambition with joy and presence
24:30 — Advice for leaders feeling restless or stuck
28:00 — Closing reflections: living a more fulfilled life

Follow for more real leadership conversations and strategies!

#Leadership #TeamCulture #Ambition #dariusMirshahzadeh #FlourishAdvisoryBoards #Slalom #YourSeatAtTheTable #MikeMaddock #JohnTobin

🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

👉 Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
https://www.mike-maddock.com/

Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.

🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

👉 Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
https://www.mike-maddock.com/

Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.

🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

👉 Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
https://www.mike-maddock.com/

Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.

In this episode of Your Seat at the Table, hosts Mike Maddock and John Tobin explore the surprising truth behind what makes leaders truly inspiring: vulnerability and authenticity.

Discover why striving for perfection holds leaders back, how sharing your real story builds trust, and why the most admired CEOs are those who aren’t afraid to show their human side.

You’ll learn actionable strategies for leading with openness, creating a safe culture for your team, and why being "real" is the new must-have skill for modern leadership.

Whether you're an executive, entrepreneur, or rising leader, this conversation will challenge you to drop the mask and lead with courage.

About the hosts:
Mike Maddock is the founder of Flourish Advisory Boards, a public speaker, and a serial entrepreneur known for helping leaders transform big ideas into reality.
John Tobin is the co-founder and president of Slalom Consulting, a global consulting firm helping organizations tackle their most ambitious projects and build a culture of innovation and trust.

Timestamps:
0:00 — Intro: Why vulnerability matters more than perfection
3:45 — Perfectionism vs. authenticity in leadership
9:20 — Creating safe spaces for your team
14:30 — Real-life stories of "real" leadership
20:00 — Final thoughts: Embrace your humanity

Follow for more authentic leadership stories and strategies!

#Leadership #Authenticity #Vulnerability #ExecutiveCoaching #YourSeatAtTheTable #MikeMaddock #JohnTobin

🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

👉 Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
https://www.mike-maddock.com/

Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.

🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation?
Subscribe to Your Seat at the Table for more candid discussions on leadership, growth, and the real stories behind the decisions that shape great organizations.

💬 We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments — or let us know what topics you'd like us to explore next.

👉 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@YourSeatatTheTablePodcast
👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1826002539
https://open.spotify.com/show/0fDDb1gvrvsttm4nInRL8Y

👉 Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmichaelmaddock/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tobin-a54225/
https://flourishadvisoryboards.com/
https://www.mike-maddock.com/

Pull up a chair. There’s always room for your seat at the table.