How do you know whether you've found a strong franchise or one that could quietly drain your time, money, and energy? If you're looking for a way to diversify your income, leave the corporate world, or build a business worth, franchising can be an attractive option. But not all opportunities are created equal. In this episode, you'll learn how experienced franchise operators evaluate opportunities, identify red flags, and determine whether a franchise is truly positioned for long-term success. I...
Jun 22, 2026•35 min
Could choosing the wrong franchise cost you years of time, money, and opportunity before you even realize you've made the mistake? If you're considering franchise ownership, it's easy to get distracted by big brand names, flashy marketing, or promises of financial freedom. But as you'll hear in this first episode of a three-part franchising series, the wrong franchise isn't always a bad franchise—it's often a franchise that doesn't fit your goals, skills, lifestyle, or vision for the future. Und...
Jun 15, 2026•32 min
In a marketplace where AI is making information and expertise more accessible than ever, standing out has become harder—and more important. If your customers see you as just another option, you're likely leaving growth, loyalty, and valuation on the table. In this episode, Jim Schleckser sits down with branding strategist and futurist Kelly O'Neill to explore what branding really means, why it's much more than logos and marketing campaigns, and how CEOs can build a meaningful brand connection th...
Jun 08, 2026•28 min
Have you ever wondered why some companies dominate a market while everyone else competes in a crowded space, and what it takes to create a category of your own? If you're leading a business and looking for a way to stand out, this episode will challenge how you think about growth. Rather than competing in an existing market, you'll learn how category creation can help you define a new space, solve a bigger problem, and position your company as the leader others follow. Whether you're launching a...
Jun 01, 2026•30 min
Why do smart CEOs prioritize alignment over conflict when the stakes are highest? Every major negotiation — with investors, employees, customers, partners, or acquisition targets — shapes the long-term health of your business. But too many leaders still approach negotiations as a battle to win rather than an opportunity to build trust, expand the pie, and create better outcomes for everyone involved. In this episode, Jim Schleckser sits down with negotiation expert Stan Christensen to unpack why...
May 25, 2026•34 min
Are you losing customers because AI marketing is changing faster than your business can keep up? If you're trying to grow your company in a world where ChatGPT, LinkedIn algorithms, YouTube, and AI-powered search are reshaping how buyers discover brands, this episode gives you a practical roadmap to stay visible and competitive. You'll hear how modern companies are using AI marketing to win attention, dominate search results, improve customer acquisition, and build trust across multiple platform...
May 18, 2026•32 min
What if the biggest barrier to your leadership effectiveness isn't your strategy or team but the emotional patterns you developed long before you ever became a leader? If you've ever struggled with delegation, micromanagement, conflict avoidance, or the pressure to constantly prove yourself as a leader, this episode will hit close to home. You'll discover how your attachment style quietly shapes the way you lead, communicate, build trust, and respond under pressure, and why improving your leader...
May 11, 2026•31 min
How is your current approach to AEO tracking impacting your growth, and do you actually know which marketing efforts are driving real revenue? You're likely investing across multiple channels, Google, LinkedIn, CTV, maybe even experimenting with AI-driven search, but the data doesn't quite add up. Sound familiar? That's because today's marketing landscape is fragmented, privacy-restricted, and increasingly driven by non-click channels. In this episode, you'll see why traditional tracking (and ev...
May 04, 2026•33 min
Are you still running your company like you're in a product business, when your customers are actually buying like it's fashion? If you're leading a brand today, you've probably felt the pressure: customers constantly asking "what's new," markets shifting faster than your product cycles, and differentiation getting harder by the quarter. In this episode, you'll hear how one CEO realized that success in the beverage industry had less to do with the product itself—and everything to do with thinkin...
Apr 27, 2026•29 min
What if getting things done wasn't about more strategy—but about the same high-stakes instincts used by prison bosses to survive and lead? You're busy, pulled in a hundred directions, and still expected to deliver results that matter. This episode flips the script on productivity by showing you how real execution happens under pressure—where decisions aren't theoretical, and hesitation has consequences. If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or as if your team isn't truly executing, this conver...
Apr 20, 2026•34 min
Are you managing your money in a way that actually increases your business worth and helps you start building wealth—or just riding the market rollercoaster and hoping for the best? You already know money impacts everything—from your stress levels to your long-term freedom—but most advice out there still pushes outdated strategies that leave you exposed when markets shift. In this episode, you'll hear how the "smart money" thinks differently, so you can protect what you've built while still grow...
Apr 13, 2026•33 min
Are you fully tapping your company's growth potential, or are hidden gaps in talent, culture, and client strategy quietly holding you back? If you're leading a services-based business, or any company where people are the product, you know how hard it is to scale without burning out your team or losing your edge. This episode hits right at that tension: how to grow sustainably when hiring is tough, AI is reshaping roles, and your culture has to do more than just sound good; it has to work . You'l...
Apr 06, 2026•27 min
Are you building an AI workforce that actually increases your business worth—or just adding more complexity to your team? You're probably feeling the pressure to adopt AI, but the real challenge isn't the technology—it's figuring out how to use it effectively without exposing your data, slowing your team down, or making costly hiring mistakes. This episode flips the script by showing you how AI isn't just a tool—it's something you need to manage like a team. If you've ever wondered why AI initia...
Mar 30, 2026•34 min
Are you overcomplicating your path to growing your business worth —when the real advantage might come from a simple focus on people, not processes? If you've ever struggled to align your team, improve sales conversations, or make better leadership decisions, this episode hits close to home. You're constantly balancing performance, personalities, and priorities—and it's easy to get lost in complexity. What you'll hear here is how simplifying your approach—especially through understanding people—c...
Mar 23, 2026•35 min
What if the biggest risk in workforce transformation isn't AI replacing people—but leaders failing to adapt fast enough? If you're leading a company today, you're navigating one of the fastest workplace shifts in decades. AI is putting data, insights, and answers at everyone's fingertips, which means the traditional leadership playbook is quickly becoming outdated. In this episode of The CEO Project, you'll hear why workforce transformation isn't just about adopting new technology—it's about cha...
Mar 16, 2026•27 min
What if AI engines could drive 10–15x more traffic to your online store—and most businesses don't even realize it's happening yet? If you run an online store or sell products through e-commerce channels, AI engines are quickly becoming the new gateway to customer discovery. Instead of relying solely on traditional search or marketplaces, companies are now seeing massive traffic surges simply by optimizing their sites for how AI answers questions and recommends products. In this episode, you'll h...
Mar 09, 2026•27 min
Are you building a profitable company — or a business that actually proves capitalism can be a force for good through conscious capital? As a CEO, you feel the tension every day: grow the business, deliver profit, develop your people — and do it in a way that's socially responsible and sustainable. Meanwhile, capitalism itself faces a perception problem. Your employees want meaning. Your customers expect integrity. And the market punishes anything that smells short-term or exploitative. In this ...
Mar 02, 2026•34 min
Are you leaving deals on the table because your LinkedIn presence isn't backed by proven strategies that actually build credibility and authority? If you're leading a company, driving growth, or building your personal brand, LinkedIn isn't optional anymore—it's where buyers, partners, recruits, and even AI engines go to decide if you're legit. And here's the problem: what used to work on LinkedIn (post and hope, chase likes, blast press releases) doesn't work now. The platform has shifted. Reach...
Feb 23, 2026•33 min
If mastering negotiation could instantly increase your business worth, how differently would you handle your next deal? You negotiate every day—whether you call it that or not. From acquisition offers and partnership terms to real estate, compensation, and vendor contracts, you're constantly shaping outcomes that affect your company's growth and long-term business worth. The problem? Most leaders treat negotiation like a tug-of-war over price. In this episode, you'll learn why mastering negotiat...
Feb 16, 2026•30 min
What if improving front line performance—not more marketing or new leads—was the fastest way to grow your business worth? If you're feeling pressure to grow revenue while controlling costs, this episode speaks straight to that tension. You'll hear how leaders in hospitality use front line performance, personalization, and smart systems to capture revenue that's already there—while creating better customer experiences and stronger loyalty. The same thinking applies to any business with customer-f...
Feb 09, 2026•34 min
Is your business worth more than your physical inventory… because of the digital assets you don't even realize you own? If you're like most CEOs, you've delegated websites, domains, ad accounts, logins, and even AI tools to other people—and assumed everything was automatically "yours." But this episode is a wake-up call: your digital assets are some of the most valuable (and vulnerable) parts of your business, and losing control of them can create chaos during growth, vendor changes, or a future...
Feb 02, 2026•30 min
