Leading in the Dark is a podcast dedicated to exploring how no two leadership journeys are alike—shedding light on the lessons, setbacks, and unexpected opportunities that guide leaders to build their unique blueprint for success
What does a quality of earnings report actually catch? Patrick Dichter's team has run them on more than 100 deals.
Nick Akers sits down with Patrick, owner of Appletree Business Services, a New Hampshire accounting and tax firm he bought without being an accountant.
They cover:
How a non-CPA can own an accounting firm
The marketing that worked, and the $8,000 billboard that didn't
Why gross profit is the first KPI a service business should watch
The QoE findings that most often kill deals
Working capital disputes, and when they aren't worth losing a deal over
Email payment fraud hitting small businesses
Practical lessons for buyers and owners.
16 Jun 2026
Nick Akers & Mike Hess
Mike Hess, founder and executive director of the Blind Institute of Technology, joins Leading In The Dark for a powerful conversation about leadership, disability inclusion, workforce development, and challenging assumptions inside modern organizations.
Born blind and shaped by a decades-long career in enterprise technology, Mike shares how his lived experience influenced his leadership philosophy, why companies continue to overlook an incredibly capable talent pool, and how BIT is helping people with disabilities build meaningful careers in tech across the globe.
This episode explores servant leadership, imposter syndrome, innovation through adversity, organizational culture, and the difference between hiring someone out of charity versus recognizing the real business value they bring.
It’s a conversation about leadership, perspective, and building organizations that truly put people first.
2 Jun 2026
Nick Akers & Michael Hofer
Michael Hofer, CFO of Navajo Transitional Energy Company, joins Nick Akers on Leading In The Dark for a conversation about leadership, mergers & acquisitions, artificial intelligence, and navigating transformation inside large organizations.
Michael shares lessons from leading through private equity-backed growth, global integration projects, operational restructuring, and large-scale organizational change. The discussion explores how leaders communicate vision during uncertainty, align teams around value creation, and balance short-term performance with long-term strategy.
The episode also dives into the real-world impact of AI inside businesses today—from contract analysis and predictive maintenance to improving operational efficiency and supporting employee performance.
Additional topics include:
Private equity leadership dynamics
Change management and communication
AI adoption in business operations
Energy infrastructure and increasing demand
The future energy mix and sustainability
Leadership lessons from global executive roles
Michael also discusses the unique perspective of working within a Native American-owned enterprise and the long-term thinking that comes with generational stewardship.
🎧 Listen to this episode of Leading In The Dark for practical insight on leadership, innovation, and transformation in modern business.
Who has been a guest on Leading In The Dark
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Josh Allen
Crystal Allen Dallas
Michael Gross
Dr Rik Nemanick
Josh Phillips
Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
84
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Leading In The Dark
Who hosts Leading In The Dark?
Nick Akers host the show. Published by Nick Akers.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Leading In The Dark take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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