Continuing his new ‘Emerging Leaders Series’, Nick welcomes entrepreneur and true emerging leader Torrey Sims back to the podcast to offer an update on her experiences as a business president and owner. Having spent nearly two years leading WMH Media after purchasing the 30-year-old company, Torrey shares what she has learned about self-trust, resilience, and leading with purpose and class. Her reflections offer a clear look at the realities of modern leadership.

Torrey explains why she starts with trust but has learned to meet people where they are, and talks about not letting the reality of others change who you are at your core. The discussion goes on to cover the loneliness that can come with entrepreneurship, the need to be your own biggest cheerleader, and Torrey’s belief that what is wrong will eventually expose itself, saving you from needing to be the ‘justice police’. She also opens up about how personal loss has reshaped her view of time, health, and what it means to leave a proud legacy.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Introduction

02:20 - Meet People Where They Are and Stay Resilient

09:43 - Build a Strong Personal Brand Through Purpose and Class

12:41 - Let Problems Expose Themselves and Drop “Justice Police” Energy

19:13 - Build Confidence by Showing Up and Doing Hard Things

26:22 - Define Real Support and Build a High-Trust Inner Circle

31:17 - Buy and Modernize a Legacy Business the Right Way

40:26 - Protect Sleep and Health to Sustain CEO Performance

47:35 - Use Curiosity to Build Strong Relationships and Trust

55:28 - Expand Into New Markets Through Strategic Networking

01:00:01 - Scale the Company With Key Hires and Bold New Initiatives

01:08:35 - Know Yourself Before Making Big Moves in Leadership

Key Takeaways:

"I don't want everybody to like me just because I'm in charge. I want them to respect and value the product."

"Not everyone does the right thing, but don't let that reality change you."

"Lead with purpose and class, no matter what is thrown your way."

"What is wrong will eventually expose itself with or without your energy."

"I have never trusted myself more than I do today."

"If it was easy, everybody would do it. It's not easy."

"You are your brand. How you carry yourself and the circles you're in all come together."

"Meet people where they're at. You don't know what they're going through."

"Winning creates confidence, but stepping outside of your comfort zone is key too."

"Hard work is hard, but it's also the most rewarding."

Links:

Nick Warner Consulting: https://www.nickwarnerconsulting.com/

Torrey Sims: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torrey-sims/

WMH Media: https://wmhmedia.com/

Former MLB and Stanford pitcher and number two pick in the 2006 draft, Greg Reynolds, joins Nick on the podcast today. Having pitched for the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds, Greg left baseball after suffering a career ending injury, only to start a new career in public service as a firefighter in Marin County, California. In his conversation with Nick, he details this transition from professional sports to the fire service and so much more.

Together, they discuss the high pressure of the Major Leagues, and Greg describes his shift from a star athlete to a rookie firefighter. He also shares stories about playing in Japan and the injury that ended his baseball career. The two go on to compare the camaraderie of a sports locker room with life in a fire station, concluding that humility and hard work define success more than past achievements.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 – Greg Reynolds and His Major League Background

01:42 – Discovering Talent and Staying Grounded Through Family

03:48 – Stanford Development and Growing Through High Standards

05:46 – Being Humbled Early and Adapting to Higher Competition

09:40 – Transition to Professional Baseball and Business Realities

12:48 – Setbacks, Injuries, and Building Mental Resilience

17:48 – Reaching the Majors and Handling Pressure and Expectations

21:49 – Playing in Japan and Expanding Life Perspective

25:47 – Career-Altering Home Invasion and Forced Transition

32:47 – Family, Parenting, and Redefining Life Purpose

36:14 – Becoming a Firefighter and Rediscovering Camaraderie

40:58 – Leadership, Learning, and Passing Knowledge Forward

42:37 – Family Motivation and Pursuing Purpose in Midlife

Key Takeaways:

"Helping others is a duty. Whether as a firefighter or a person, impart wisdom and lessons learned."

"In professional sports, belief in yourself is key. Success comes when you truly feel you belong."

"College sports taught me time management and adaptability. Both are crucial for growth."

"In the minors, it's not about winning but developing skills. Repetition is the key to success."

"In professional sports, it's a business. Everyone's fighting for their job, and you must produce."

"Injuries taught me resilience. No time to feel sorry, just focus on recovery and moving forward."

"Family is my ultimate motivation. Being a good role model and providing for them is paramount."

"In firefighting, it's about camaraderie and helping others. It's like being on a team again."

"Financial literacy is crucial. Trustworthy mentors can guide you in managing wealth wisely."

"Humility and vulnerability go hand in hand. Learn from mistakes and keep pushing forward."

Links:

Nick Warner Consulting: https://www.nickwarnerconsulting.com/

Greg Reynolds: https://www.mlb.com/player/greg-reynolds-453353

Welcome back to a new "Nick Notes" edition of Together at the Top. Building on the previous installment, Nick again sits down with producer Riley Byrne to distill key lessons from his ongoing work with leaders. This episode moves beyond raw experience to emphasize an important principle: we don't learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on our experience. Nick shares fresh themes and powerful anecdotes, offering a detailed look into the art of sustainable leadership.

In this conversation, Nick explores the transition from individual talent to robust business systems, captured in the phrase, "You rise to your talent, but you settle to your systems." He underscores why "team chemistry" has proven to be a significant differentiator for successful organizations and breaks down the impacts of modeling good leadership behavior—from the value of timeliness to the importance of procedural justice. The discussion also ventures into personal evolution, examining how to adapt your executive presence as you climb the corporate ladder and how to re-engineer the social contracts in both your professional and personal life to support your growth.

Episode Highlights:

• Moving from talent to sustainability by building systems ("Rise to your talent, settle to your systems").
• Why team chemistry, free of drama and drag, is fundamental to success.
• The importance of modeling good leadership behavior through timeliness and procedural justice.
• The concept of "cruising altitude" and how to strategically use that time to professionalize your brand.
• Using "hustle" not just to work hard, but to intelligently bridge your experience gap.
• The necessity of re-evaluating and refreshing the "social contract" with your boss and at home.
• How to consciously evolve your executive presence—from how you dress to the company you keep—as you advance in your career.
• Understanding the difference between a "mistake of the mind" and a "mistake of the heart."
• The effect of your professional vibe and how it attracts your tribe.

Key Takeaways:

• "We don't learn from our experience. We learn from reflecting on our experience."
• "I'm not impressed by your hard work... It's about smart work, it's about efficient work. It's about saying no to the right things so you can say yes to the right things."
• "You rise to your talent and you settle to your systems."
• "If you make a mistake of the mind, I'll have your back. If you make a mistake of the heart, I will have your ass."
• "Your vibe attracts your tribe."
• "Anyone who says they don't have 30 minutes [for themselves] is full of shit."
• "Advance the professionalization of your brand by creating systems that support the business without you. Because with you, it's only a practice. If we can spread it out over other people and create systems, then it's a real business."

Links:

• Nick Warner Consulting: https://www.nickwarnerconsulting.com/
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034/
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins: https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html
• Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams...