Impact with Eddie Wilson

What if the biggest problem in your business isn’t strategy, competition, or market conditions; but you? In Episode 50 of the Impact Podcast, Eddie Wilson explores one of the most uncomfortable truths in leadership: your business is a mirror. As you grow, scale, and experience pressure, your company doesn’t just generate revenue, it exposes emotional maturity, integrity, ego, and blind spots. Through historical examples, hard leadership questions, and direct reflection, Eddie challenges entrepreneurs to stop smashing the mirror and start refining the person staring back at them. If you’ve ever wondered why growth feels harder at the top, why pressure changes people, or why scaling exposes weaknesses you didn’t know you had, this episode will shift how you see leadership forever. Because the real question isn’t “How do I fix the business?” It’s “What is the business asking me to fix in myself?”TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Start00:21 — The mirror you never asked for01:07 — Money as a revealer of character02:19 — Your business is the greatest mirror03:03 — Pressure reveals emotional maturity03:52 — Calm under pressure isn’t personality, it’s preparation04:18 — Scale reveals integrity05:41 — Growth reveals ego06:28 — Ego doesn’t disappear with success07:10 — Napoleon: systems, scale, and unchecked ego10:12 — Power doesn’t ruin you, it reveals you11:14 — Four leadership mirror questions12:19 — Avoidance is leadership debt13:49 — Who are you becoming under pressure?15:27 — Who do you want to be instead?16:23 — Your business is not your enemy, it’s your greatest teacher18:10 — The business grows to the level of the exposed leader

What do you do when your business feels like it’s slipping through your hands? In this episode, Eddie Wilson tackles one of the most stressful moments any entrepreneur can face; when success stalls, profits shrink, or failure feels closer than momentum. Instead of offering surface level motivation, Eddie breaks down a practical, leadership driven approach to diagnosing what’s actually going wrong inside a business. This conversation dives into why most companies don’t collapse because of market conditions or competition, but because leaders avoid the uncomfortable truths hiding inside their own operations. Eddie challenges entrepreneurs to replace panic with clarity, and emotion with data; revealing a framework that has helped countless businesses rebuild stronger foundations during their most uncertain seasons. If you’ve ever questioned whether your business can recover, or wondered how to respond when growth stops, this episode offers a powerful shift in perspective that could change how you lead through pressure.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — When your business feels like it’s failing00:43 — The 3 moves every empire builder must make02:22 — Step 1: Run a brutally honest cash check03:15 — Understanding runway, burn rate, and survival clarity05:02 — Why clarity must come before strategy05:19 — Step 2: Identify and reinforce your “Brick” KPI06:21 — The Foot Locker lesson: Measuring feet vs selling shoes07:40 — Simplifying your business to bring life back08:00 — Step 3: Confront what’s actually broken08:45 — Learning from your best customers09:28 — Why mentorship reveals blind spots10:15 — The power of internal honesty with your team11:08 — Don’t try to out-market a leadership problem11:59 — Turning panic into power13:10 — Facing truth vs faking stability13:34 — Final recap: The 3 empire-saving moves

In Episode 48, Eddie Wilson opens up about one of his greatest leadership weaknesses: the lack of stillness, and why many entrepreneurs confuse stillness with laziness. Eddie explains how stillness is the pathway to clarity, the place where ego gets reframed, fear stops running the show, and leaders regain alignment in business, relationships, and life. He breaks down insights from Ryan Holiday’s “Stillness Is the Key,” and connects it to the biblical principle “be still and know that I am God,” framing stillness not as quitting, but as surrender, trust, and a decision making advantage. Finally, Eddie gives practical ways to build stillness into leadership, plus the internal questions to ask yourself when you finally slow down.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Eddie’s vulnerability: his leadership weakness00:38 — Why entrepreneurs struggle with stillness01:42 — “Everything I want is on the other side of ego”… and stillness is the way through02:53 — High achievers equate stillness with laziness03:50 — Stillness creates clarity; without it you build ego, fear, assumptions04:38 — “Your next breakthrough won’t come from speed… it’ll come from stillness”06:10 — Ryan Holiday: stillness across mind, soul, body, plus leadership examples09:17 — “Without stillness, you mistake noise for direction” 10:35 — Bible lens: “Be still and know” 16:02 — What is practical stillness17:15 — Daily “nothingness” 19:14 — Rhythm of rest: “You don’t lose momentum by resting…”20:39 — The inner questions to ask in stillness22:45 — Stillness doesn’t slow you down; it recenters you and gives direction 

Most leaders chase strength, dominance, and control but Eddie Wilson argues the leaders who build what lasts develop something rarer: strength under control. In Episode 47, Eddie breaks down the difference between leading yourself, leading followers, and becoming a leader of leaders. He challenges you to measure your leadership against the traits found at the highest level. Eddie uses examples like Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan to show how ego can drive success but also make an empire fragile, then introduces the three surprising traits with practical habits to cultivate them that set elite leaders apart.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Strength under control and measuring yourself against elite leadership traits00:42 — Why the strongest leaders trade dominance for awareness and inner freedom02:23 — The core questions: strong enough to bend? build without ego?02:50 — Ego can create conquest, but not lasting empires (Alexander + Genghis)04:46 — The 3 levels: lead yourself → lead followers → lead leaders06:08 — Trait #1: Wonder 09:06 — Wonder draws people in; “I’m discovering, not just directing”09:30 — Trait #2: Humility10:04 — The Sherpa lesson: confident enough to help others win12:29 — How to spot ego: can you say “I was wrong”? can you apologize?14:12 — Trait #3: Openness to be wrong 16:08 — Practices: keep wonder alive, ask for feedback, “what am I missing?”20:15 — Weekly challenge: lead without proving anything

This episode is a powerful year in review and a behind the scenes look at Impact Others and Project Dakota. Eddie shares the story of launching a new “house of refuge” and feeding center in Colombia, why he’s been drawn to protecting children who can’t protect themselves, and the personal origin behind Project Dakota, named in honor of his brother. Eddie then takes you to India, where he helped deliver Christmas gifts to hundreds of children who had never received a gift in their entire life, and describes the moment that wrecked him in the best way; orphans singing “Silent Night.” To close, Eddie gives three end of year principles to carry into your planning that will help build a life that creates real fulfillment through impact.TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Year in review and why this episode matters: Impact Others00:31 – Colombia: launching a new feeding center & house of refuge02:16 – “Why orphans?” and the personal reason Eddie didn’t fully name before03:46 – Eddie’s childhood loss and his brother Dakota’s story06:55 – The question that sparked it: honoring Dakota + why Christmas08:22 – Project Dakota is born: giving Christmas morning to orphans09:29 – 17,000+ orphans touched plus toy drives across the U.S.10:52 – India trip: what Eddie saw in Madurai14:16 – Giving gifts to children who’d never received one15:38 – The “Silent Night” moment 17:57 – Eddie’s challenge: what are you doing that actually matters?18:19 – The 3 principles21:52 – The 3 impact targets23:02 – Closing

What if real leadership isn’t about holding power tighter but knowing when to give it back? In this episode Eddie Wilson unpacks the story of Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer who was pulled from his field, given absolute power as dictator, saved Rome in just 15 days and then walked away to go back to his plow. Eddie uses this ancient story to challenge modern leaders, founders, and parents who never “asked” to lead but now have people watching them, along with breaking three core leadership truths. From business owners stuck at the $5M ceiling because they won’t relinquish control, to parents learning when to let their kids fail and grow, to politicians who “die in the spotlight” because they hold power too long, this episode will force you to ask: Am I building something that shines without me, or something that only works as long as I’m in the room?TIME STAMPS:00:00 – Leadership isn’t ego, it’s letting go00:37 – Who is Cincinnatus? The farmer turned Roman dictator01:32 – When leadership finds you 02:44 – For leaders who never asked to lead but answered the call04:21 – Accepting the role: abandoning what was, embracing what is05:37 – In one day: from farmer’s clothes to dictator’s robe07:41 – Overnight march, citizen soldiers, and outmaneuvering the enemy09:39 – Victory in 15 days and Cincinnatus walks away from power11:34 – Lesson #1: Power is a tool, not a throne14:00 – Lesson #2: True leaders know when to step up and step away15:42 – Why most small businesses never get past $5M16:16 – Letting go as a parent: leading sons at different stages17:51 – Lesson #3: Discipline over dominance restraint is greatness19:56 – Give your followers the credit, not yourself21:09 – Are you building a business that can thrive without you?22:03 – Don’t just build for power; build for peace22:47 – When leaders hold power too long: politics, ego, and dying in the spotlight25:09 – Final challenge: use power as a tool, then let it go

Most founders don’t have a business problem, they have a decision problem. In this hard-hitting episode, Eddie Wilson reframes “violence” not as physical aggression, but as surgical intensity: the courage to cut people, systems, and revenue that are quietly killing your empire. Using a story from the Continental Congress, memories of his father’s quiet strength, and real world examples from his own companies, while breaking down three “violent” decisions every empire builder must make. You’ll learn why delay is often just fear in disguise, why your gut as a solid operator is rarely wrong, how to think in terms of protecting your future instead of punishing the past, and why “profit that costs purpose is way too expensive.” Eddie closes with three piercing questions to audit your life, business, and relationships so you can finally make the cuts you already know you need to make.TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Franklin vs. Adams & the danger of endless diplomacy02:03 – Empires require clear, courageous, sometimes ruthless decisions03:01 – Eddie’s dad’s quiet strength06:27 – Defining “violence” in business: not fists, but focus and surgical intensity08:09 – Why most founders avoid “violent” decisions: indecision, loyalty, and “not burning bridges”10:03 – Trusting your gut vs. over-rationalizing what people have already shown you10:45 – Violent Decision #1: The courage to cut16:15 – You’re not punishing the past; you’re protecting your future17:19 – Who in your organization is no longer qualified to carry what’s next?17:48 – Violent Decision #2: Burn what’s comfortable but broken19:28 – Violent Decision #3: Kill the wrong revenue21:40 – “Profit that costs purpose is way too expensive”22:02 – What “violence” actually looks like25:11 – Empire builders don’t swing wildly; they strike strategically and on time26:06 – Three questions: What are you tolerating out of fear, what are you delaying, and what “violence” does your empire need today? 

Most founders aren’t failing, they’re just sitting in the wrong seat. In this episode, Eddie breaks down the three seats in every business Owner, Operator, CEO, and shows you how blurred lines create bottlenecks, burnout, and stalled growth. You’ll learn what each seat actually owns, how to transition from Operator to CEO without the business collapsing, why systems are better than sweat, and the exact one week challenge to audit your calendar, color code your tasks, and offload what keeps you stuck. If you want scale, rest, and real freedom, this is your roadmap.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Why most founders are stuck: wrong seat, blurred lines.02:36 – Clarity brings freedom: define Owner, Operator, CEO.03:47 – The Owner seat: equity, decision rights, profit participation.07:03 – The Operator seat: in the weeds, approvals, bottlenecks.11:17 – The CEO seat: strategy, culture, leading leaders systems, not sweat.13:11 – Think in quarters and years, not hours and days.14:21 – Review data over drama; build rhythm and plan the exit.16:26 – Step 1: identify all seats you’re sitting in now.17:05 – Phase 1 Operator season: necessary, but temporary.18:49 – Transition to CEO: delegate, lead by metrics, replace yourself.22:14 – Why visionaries must reach CEO: scale, sell, rest.24:33 – The one week challenge: audit calendar, color code, offload.27:13 – Decide to shift now; empires aren’t built by do it alls.27:58 – Final line: “Design everything to get done without you.”