In this episode of the Throttle Up Leadership Podcast, Dr. John Dentico interviews Dave Chauhan.

Dave Chauhan didn't just study leadership, he lived it through two value systems. Born in Libya to Punjabi parents working in embassy health roles, young Dave was raised by his grandmother in India, creating an early identity crisis that became his secret weapon. Two sets of parents meant two conflicting value frameworks: disciplined professionalism from one, sage wisdom seeking deeper meaning from the other. This Australian leadership coach and co-founder of Purple Spark Advisory spent 17 years discovering that outdated control-based playbooks fail spectacularly in today's chaos.

As author of "Captain Set Sail" and creator of the Nautical Leadership Framework, Dave champions courage, clarity, and compassion over quarterly obsessions. His devastating metaphor cuts deep: leaders forget why they got in the car, becoming infatuated with traffic lights, fuel levels, and maintenance schedules, the rules of the game, while losing sight of the destination itself. When boardroom decisions chase 5% profit at the expense of stated values, actions reveal truth marketing can't hide. Dave argues leadership transcends KPIs; it's about unleashing talent that exceeds every metric leaders fixate upon.

Born in Libya, Raised by Grandmother - 02:30

Two Sets of Parents, Two Value Systems - 03:04

The Identity Crisis That Shaped Leadership - 03:16

Captain Set Sail and Nautical Leadership - 05:12

Purple Spark Advisory in Australia - 08:45

Courage, Clarity, and Compassion - 11:30

The Car Metaphor: Forgetting the Destination - 34:48

When Actions Don't Align with Purpose - 33:31

Falling in Love with KPIs - 35:14

5% Profit Versus Core Values - 34:18

Leadership Beyond Quarterly Results - 36:25

Unleashing Talent Beyond KPIs - 36:33

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In this episode of the Throttle Up Leadership Podcast, Dr. John Dentico interviews Andrew Ackerman.

Andrew Ackerman isn't just another VC with opinions; he's the startup whisperer who's lived every role in the ecosystem. This serial entrepreneur turned angel investor turned venture capitalist has invested in 70+ startups, mentored hundreds of founders, and built innovation programs that deliver. As strategic advisor and head of Reach Labs for Second Century Ventures, he brings battle-tested perspective to property tech and construction tech, though his hard-earned lesson surprises: being a successful founder doesn't automatically make you good at recognizing success in others at scale.

Born in Israel to American parents, raised around New York City, Andrew credits his entrepreneurial grandfather, who died when Andrew was twelve, as his biggest influence. The conversation cuts through startup mythology with surgical precision, tackling founder archetypes, pattern recognition failures, and AI hype versus reality. Andrew's hope? That we find the right balance between proven methods and shiny new tools, building wisdom while maintaining optionality. For his three daughters facing 40-year career horizons in radically uncertain times, he champions transferable talents over rigid job titles; advice that resonates across generations.

Born in Israel, Raised in New York - 02:13

Grandfather's Entrepreneurial Influence - 02:46

Every Hat in the Startup World - 03:27

Founder to Investor Transition - 03:42

Pattern Recognition Pitfalls - 04:03

The Entrepreneur's Odyssey Book - 08:15

Founder Archetypes and Success - 14:30

Property Tech and Construction Tech - 19:45

AI Hype Versus Reality - 35:20

Shiny Objects Versus Accumulated Wisdom - 46:47

Career Optionality for Next Generation - 47:14

Finding Balance in Uncertainty - 48:02

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In this episode of the Throttle Up Leadership Podcast, Dr. John Dentico interviews Sean Kling. Sean Kling doesn't apologize for being Gen X—he weaponizes it. As author of "Outwork Them All: A Gen X Guide to Business and Leadership," this former Marine and Pennsylvania native makes the provocative case that in a world drowning in viral trends and AI hype, old-school fundamentals like consistency, loyalty, and face-to-face relationship building have become rare competitive advantages. Raised on stories of his grandfather's World War II service and father's Vietnam tours, Sean absorbed community values that now power his nine-step business rebuilding blueprint and lean operation philosophy: run tight, stay human, outwork everyone.

The conversation tackles generational differences with nuance—Sean doesn't dismiss younger entrepreneurs but argues they're missing the power of boring consistency over exciting pivots. He champions building trusted advisor circles, maintaining in-person networks, and running businesses without overpriced software dependencies. His mantra "the work works if you work it" cuts through motivation culture noise. Dr. Dentico reinforces this by noting that as AI handles 75-80% of routine tasks, the remaining 20%—the human connection part—becomes exponentially more valuable. For leaders exhausted by productivity hacks and viral formulas, this episode delivers street-tested strategy wrapped in Marine Corps discipline.

Small Town Pennsylvania Roots - 02:15

Marine Corps Family Legacy - 02:50

Community Service Values - 03:23

Gen X Fundamentals That Still Win - 04:09

What Younger Entrepreneurs Miss - 04:26

Outwork Them All Philosophy - 06:45

Building Your Trusted Advisor Circle - 11:30

Nine-Step Business Rebuilding Blueprint - 15:20

Running Lean Without Software Bloat - 18:45

Two Podcasts: Travel and Life Stories - 28:12

Hope for Daughters' Success - 27:24

The 20% That Matters Most - 30:02

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