You didn’t build your business just to burn out in it. And you didn’t become a leader to feel stuck in the day-to-day.
Welcome to Unlocked with Kristyn Drennen — where high-achieving founders, operators, and executives stop tolerating complexity and start building the businesses (and lives) they actually want.
Kristyn Drennen is a powerhouse Fractional COO, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, and MetaPerformance™ Executive Coach for elite leaders who are scaling with purpose and preparing for high-value exits. She’s known for rolling up her sleeves inside multi-million-dollar companies to align leadership, drive operational clarity, and help owners regain their freedom — all while unlocking extraordinary growth.
Each episode goes beyond theory. Expect straight talk, smart strategy, and transformational questions that cut through the noise. Whether you're leading a growing business or leading from the C-Suite, you’ll leave with real tools, new perspective, and the reminder that it's possible to love your business again.
Emotion, Exit, and the Real Work of Letting Go of Your Business with Denise Logan
Fewer than one in three companies that go to market actually close. It is rarely about the deal terms. It is about what is happening inside the owner between signing the letter of intent and walking away for good. In this candid conversation, host Kristyn Drennen talks with Denise Logan, therapist-turned-attorney-turned-exit expert and author of The Seller's Journey, about the emotional side of selling a business that almost no one prepares owners for. Denise shares her own story: build...
1 Jun 2026
Team Health: Is This a Culture Problem or a Leadership Problem?
Culture is easy to talk about and much harder to live. In this episode of Unlocked, Kristyn Drennen is joined by Sara Myers and Kelli Oberndorf, co-founders of Ekatā Group, for a grounded conversation about team health, leadership, accountability, and what it really takes to build a connected, high-performing company. Sara and Kelli explain the meaning behind Ekatā, a Sanskrit word connected to unity, and how that idea shapes their work with leadership teams. Through their VIBE framework, whi...
26 May 2026
IG vs. IRL: Why Does Success Look So Easy for Everyone Else?
From the outside, success can look polished, beautiful, and almost effortless. The thriving business. The strong family. The bold life decisions. The meaningful work. The opportunities people dream about. For business owners and visionary leaders, it can start to feel like everyone else has somehow figured out how to scale, lead, parent, travel, serve, and build a beautiful life without carrying the same weight. But that is never the full story. In this episode of Unlocked, Kristyn launches a...
26 Mar 2026
Do You Have Financial Data… or Financial Clarity?
At some point in every business, the question isn’t “can you manage the finances?” It’s “should you still be the one doing it?” In this conversation, Kristyn sits down with Ryan Baer of CFO Selections to unpack a pattern they both see every day: high-performing business owners who have successfully delegated nearly every function… except finance. Not because they love it. Not because they’re the best at it. But because it feels too important to let go. The problem? What once worked becomes th...
5 Feb 2026
Are You Leading the Business - or Carrying It? with Charlie Rhea
Many founders start their businesses because they love building, creating, and solving big problems — but somewhere along the way, they become the bottleneck. In this episode of Unlocked, Kristyn Drennen is joined by EOS Implementer Charlie Rhea to break down the leadership structure that helps founders scale without burning out: the visionary–integrator partnership. Charlie explains the critical distinction between an EOS Implementer and an Integrator, why those roles are often confused, and...
28 Jan 2026
Operating Systems, AI, and the Future of Leadership with John Kitchens
What actually makes a business operating system work — and why do so many fail to deliver the clarity leaders expect? In this episode of Unlocked, Kristyn Drennen is joined by John Kitchens, a seasoned business coach with deep experience in EOS, Scaling Up, and operational leadership. Together, they unpack what operating systems really are, when a business is ready for one, and why the “install and forget” mindset leads to disappointment. The conversation goes far beyond frameworks. John and ...
7 Jan 2026
Business as a Ministry: Building Sound Businesses, Steady Leaders, and Strong Families with Paulina Walters
In this deeply personal and practical conversation, Kristyn Drennen sits down with TransformCXO co-founder Paulina Walters to unpack what it truly means to operate a business as a ministry—without sacrificing performance, profitability, or accountability. Drawing from Paulina’s journey through C12 and her evolution as a leader, the conversation explores how faith, stewardship, and intentional leadership practices shape healthier organizations. Together, they discuss how leaders often operate ...
17 Dec 2025
Designing a People-First Organization: What Makes a Merger Actually Work with Sara Hoffman
Mergers test everything: leadership, communication, trust, and culture. Many organizations focus on systems, contracts, and integration plans, but overlook the human experience inside the transition. In this episode of Unlocked, Kristyn is joined by Sara Hoffman, Managing Partner at Conexus Insurance Partners, for a candid conversation about designing a people-first organization in the midst of growth and change. Sara shares how Conexus approached their merger with intention, using clear lead...
19 Nov 2025
Managing Change: Are You Creating Clarity or Adding Chaos?
In this episode of Unlocked, Kristyn sits down with organizational transformation expert Noel Andrews-Sotta to explore why change management is far more relevant and human than leaders realize. Noel introduces her Change Compass, a simple framework that helps teams navigate uncertainty with clarity, confidence, and stability. Most leaders think change management is only necessary in the “big” moments: acquisitions, restructures, major system rollouts. But the truth is, the micro-changes happe...
18 Nov 2025
Beyond High Performance: The Hidden Stuckness of High Achievers with David Shrum
What if your biggest obstacle isn’t lack of drive, but the very habits that made you successful? In this candid and practical episode, host Kristyn Drennen talks with executive coach David Shrum about what happens when high achievers plateau and how Meta Performance™ Coaching helps leaders break through the invisible ceilings that keep them stuck. David shares insights from his own leadership journey and explains how the shift from high performance to meta performance changes everything — fro...
27 Oct 2025
Who Deserves a Seat at Your Table? with Brandon Kinsey
The Data and Humanity Behind Great People Decisions with Brandon Kinsey, Co-Founder of Kinsey Management When financial pressure rises, even the best leaders can fall into the “layoff trap”—cutting too quickly, hiring too emotionally, or keeping the wrong person in the right seat. In this powerful conversation, Kristyn Drennen and Brandon Kinsey challenge how founders make people decisions when it matters most. They explore how behavioral strategy and data-driven insight can help leaders mov...
15 Oct 2025
Is Your Business a Wealth Engine for Retirement? with Tiffany Charles
Entrepreneurs pour everything into their business — but when it comes to their personal wealth, even the most successful leaders often find themselves disorganized or exposed. In this episode of Unlocked, host Kristyn Drennen sits down with Tiffany Charles, Chief Growth Officer at Destiny Capital, to explore why every entrepreneur needs a Personal Wealth Operating System™ — and how aligning your personal and business goals creates true financial freedom. Together they unpack: Why your busines...
8 Oct 2025
Unlocking Your Zone of Genius with Delegate & Elevate
Are you spending your best energy on the right things—or are you buried in tasks that drain you? In this solo episode, Kristyn Drennen breaks down the Delegate & Elevate strategy, a simple yet transformative exercise that helps leaders reclaim their time, focus on their zone of genius, and unlock capacity for what truly matters. Kristyn walks through the five steps of the framework: Find your 100% — define the hours you’re willing to work and still feel balancedList everything you do — ge...
1 Oct 2025
What If Better Rest Is the Key to Greater Results? with David Shrum
High performers love to push, grind, and go — but what if the missing link to greater results isn’t more effort, but better rest? In this episode of Unlocked, host Kristyn Drennen sits down with David Shrum, a Meta Performance™ Executive Coach and former EMS Director, to unpack why rest is not a luxury, but a critical discipline for leaders. Together they explore: The difference between passive breaks and active restHow to uncover and rewrite the limiting stories leaders carry about restWhat ...
24 Sept 2025
“I Can’t Fire Them” – Evolving Leadership Teams with Tina Caul
Summary: What happens when loyalty clashes with leadership? In this episode of Unlocked, host Kristyn Drennen sits down with powerhouse real estate leader Tina Caul to explore the messy middle of growing a business: wrong seats, tough calls, team misalignment, and the freedom that comes from making the hard decisions faster. Listeners will hear: ● How to navigate wrong person/right seat dilemmas ● The politics of titles, silos, and fragile egos ● ...
12 Sept 2025
Introducing Unlocked: Finding Joy, Growth, and Clarity in Business with Kristyn Drennen
Welcome to the debut of Unlocked with Kristyn Drennen—a podcast for visionary leaders ready to discover what’s next. In this opening conversation, producer Jon Ekstrom interviews Kristyn to set the stage for the episodes ahead. Kristyn shares her story of building TransformCXO, where she and her team of fractional executives help business owners prepare for scale and high-value exits. She reflects on her philosophy of combining horsepower and joy in business—a fresh alternative to hustle cult...
12 Sept 2025
“I don’t have time for that!” Finding Your Highest Sustainable Pace with Andrew Hartman of Time Boss
High performers often pride themselves on their ability to grind—but at what cost? Andrew Hartman knows this story firsthand. As a scaling COO, he pushed himself to the breaking point, sacrificing his health, relationships, and sense of presence until burnout forced a change. That journey led Andrew and his wife, Kelly, to create Time Boss, a system designed to help leaders and teams run at their highest sustainable pace. In this conversation with host Kristyn Drennen, Andrew shares: His pers...
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
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