What actually drives long-term growth, in business, leadership, and life?

In this replay episode, Alisa Cohn sits down with Sal Di Stefano, co-founder of Mind Pump Media, to explore what it really takes to build something that lasts. From turning a podcast into a multi-revenue media company to navigating cofounder relationships, conflict, and personal growth, Sal shares hard-earned lessons from nearly a decade of building Mind Pump without venture capital or shortcuts.

This conversation goes beyond tactics. Sal breaks down why authenticity creates trust at scale, how to know you’ve chosen the right cofounders, and why being “right” is far less important than staying aligned. He also shares how prioritizing physical health and personal boundaries made him a stronger leader, not a weaker one.

If you’re a founder, creator, or leader who wants sustainable growth without burnout, this episode offers a grounded, honest look at what actually works.

You’ll learn:

• Why authenticity is a growth strategy, not a branding tactic
• How to recognize cofounder alignment before problems surface
• Why being right can hurt teams and trust
• How physical health supports better leadership decisions
• What Mind Pump did differently to build loyalty and longevity

We talk about:

• 00:00 Leadership responsibility, health, and personal accountability
• 01:00 Introducing Sal Di Stefano and Mind Pump Media
• 03:00 Why long-form podcasting enabled real connection and trust
• 05:10 Turning Mind Pump into a multi-revenue media business
• 09:10 Building trust before monetizing and letting the audience lead
• 13:45 Early revenue growth and turning down misaligned sponsors
• 18:30 Finding the right cofounders and values alignment
• 22:15 Conflict, disagreement, and committing as a team
• 30:45 Navigating growth, the pandemic, and unexpected momentum
• 36:10 Authenticity, vulnerability, and being recognized in public
• 40:20 Boundaries, family, and redefining success as a leader
• 45:00 Focus, leverage, and choosing what actually moves growth
• 49:20 Serving existing customers before chasing new ones
• 53:40 Why great leaders and coaches must be great communicators
• 57:40 Final reflections on leadership, health, and the long game

Follow Sal on

• X: https://x.com/mindpumpsal
• Podcast: https://mindpumppodcast.com/
• Website: www.mindpumpmedia.com

Connect with Alisa!

Follow Alisa Cohn on

• Instagram: @alisacohn
• Twitter: @alisacohn
• Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
• Website: http://www.alisacohn.com

Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)

Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon

What does it actually mean to lead with authority and empathy, without burning out, people-pleasing, or losing yourself in the process?

In this episode, Alisa Cohn sits down with clinical psychologist, parenting expert, and bestselling author Dr. Becky Kennedy to explore why the skills that make great parents also create the strongest leaders.

Dr. Becky introduces the concept of sturdy leadership, a grounded approach that rejects both authoritarian control and emotional over-accommodation. Instead, it teaches leaders how to hold boundaries, stay regulated during conflict, and repair relationships when things go sideways.

This conversation unpacks why leadership is not about managing everyone’s feelings, how guilt often disguises emotional over-responsibility, and why repair after rupture is more powerful than perfection. You’ll learn how to handle defensiveness, set boundaries without shame, navigate imposter syndrome, and build trust through consistency and self-leadership.

You’ll learn:

• What “sturdy leadership” really means and why authority without aggression builds trust
• Why setting boundaries often triggers guilt and how to tell guilt apart from emotional over-responsibility
• How repair strengthens relationships more than getting it right the first time
• How to handle defensiveness, emotional reactions, and resistance at work
• Why scripts and practice reps are essential leadership skills, not crutches
• How predictable conflict shows up at work and how to lead through it calmly
• Why imposter syndrome never fully disappears and how to lead anyway

We talk about:

• 00:00 Why parenting is leadership training and why leadership is human work
• 03:45 What sturdy leadership is and why extremes fail
• 06:20 The “sturdy pilot” metaphor and how leaders create safety in turbulence
• 10:30 Authority vs empathy, and why feelings should not dictate decisions
• 14:40 Boundaries, guilt, and emotional over-responsibility at work
• 18:50 Why empathy doesn’t mean absorbing other people’s emotions
• 22:30 Handling defensiveness and emotional reactions in professional settings
• 31:45 Predictable conflict, patterns, and solving the real issue
• 36:10 Repair after rupture and why it builds trust faster than perfection
• 42:30 How unrepaired moments erode connection and performance
• 45:20 Imposter syndrome, self-leadership, and staying in the driver’s seat
• 49:00 What Dr. Becky wishes she had known earlier about growth and leadership

Follow Dr. Becky on

• Instagram
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Website

Connect with Alisa!

Follow Alisa Cohn on

• Instagram: @alisacohn
• Twitter: @alisacohn
• Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
• Website: http://www.alisacohn.com

Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)

Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon

What does it actually take to build something that has never existed before?

In this episode, Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square (now Block), breaks down the real story behind building Square from scratch, not with a perfect plan, but through necessity, invention, and relentless problem-solving.

Jim introduces the concept of the Innovation Stack, why innovation is rarely chosen willingly, and why copying “what worked before” fails when you’re solving a problem no one else has solved. He shares the moment Square felt real, the panic of Amazon launching a competing product, and the counterintuitive strategy that helped Square survive.

You’ll learn:

• What the Innovation Stack is and why it protects companies from copycats
• How Square started from a single lost sale and grew into a global company
• What happens emotionally when you’re building something no one understands yet
• Why copying best practices can fail when you’re solving a brand-new problem
• Why mission-driven teams outperform money-driven ones over time

We talk about:

• 00:00 Why timing is everything, and why being “too early” still hurts
• 05:30 The moment Square was born, one lost sale that changed everything
• 10:00 Why the payments industry was designed to exclude small businesses
• 16:30 Mission vs money, and why people joined even when they could leave
• 20:00 Amazon launches a competing product, and Square’s unexpected response
• 26:00 The Innovation Stack explained, and why it’s almost impossible to copy
• 31:00 Panic attacks, pressure, and the nervous system cost of building
• 35:30 Copying vs innovating, and where founders get trapped
• 47:00 Imposter syndrome, even after success

Follow Alisa Cohn on

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisacohn/
• Twitter: https://x.com/AlisaCohn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisa.cohn
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
• Website: http://www.alisacohn.com

Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better): AlisaCohn.com/scripts

Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon

Connect with Alisa!

Follow Alisa Cohn on

• Instagram: @alisacohn
• Twitter: @alisacohn
• Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
• Website: http://www.alisacohn.com

Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)

Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon