What happens when you hit every benchmark of success… but still feel like something’s missing?

In this raw and powerful episode, Daniel Ferguson joins Eric to unpack what it means to stop living on autopilot and start showing up with intention. From fatherhood guilt and broken priorities to setting rock-solid boundaries, Daniel shares how writing Life Recalibrated helped him shift from being “the guy crushing it at work” to a man fully present for his family—and himself.

The conversation hits deep on building real connection with your kids, saying no without guilt, and the hard truth that your ego won’t tuck your kids in at night. Eric and Daniel open up about the lessons they’ve learned, the ones they’re still working on, and why legacy has nothing to do with your bank account.

This isn’t a fluffy self-help convo. It’s two dudes being brutally honest about how easy it is to drift—and how damn important it is to recalibrate before it’s too late.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between doing what’s expected and doing what matters… this one’s going to hit hard.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro: Golf, Books, and Real Talk
02:00 – The Fear of Reading a Friend’s Book (and Loving It Anyway)
04:00 – Imposter Syndrome & Vulnerability in Writing
06:30 – The Parenting Chapter That Hit Hard
09:00 – Conversation Cards & Shutting Off the Radio
13:00 – The Portal Story: Last Day of Vacation Mindset Shift
18:00 – Being Present Is a Skill Most People Lost
21:00 – Boundaries at Work, at Home, and Even on the Golf Course
26:00 – Solo Golf, Yoga, and Finding Your Personal Reset
30:00 – When to Say No… and When You Need to Start Saying Yes
37:00 – After the Round: Why That Extra 30 Minutes Matters
44:00 – Why Daniel Really Wrote the Book
49:00 – Legacy Isn’t Money—It’s What They Remember
52:00 – Sharing the Message While You’re Still Here

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Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
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Jim Johnson built the kind of success most contractors chase… until it nearly broke him.

From uncovering fraud in his own company to watching his identity crumble under the weight of growth without purpose, Jim opens up about the brutal lessons that forced him to rebuild — not just his business, but his life. We dive into intentional leadership, the danger of skipping foundational work, and the personal cost of chasing scale without soul.

This episode doesn’t just talk shop — it gets real about legacy, relationships, recovery, and what it actually means to lead a life that matters.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to keep up while quietly falling apart, this conversation will hit different.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro & Jim’s Unfiltered Coaching Philosophy
02:00 - Why In-Person Conversations Still Matter
05:00 - From Scaling Big to Asking “What Actually Matters?”
09:00 - The Contractors Blueprint & Living with Intention
13:00 - Eric’s Coaching Journey & Ego Check Moments
17:00 - When Growth Without Foundation Backfires
21:30 - Creating a Business You Actually Want to Run
27:00 - How Fraud Rocked Jim’s Business & Team
32:00 - The TEAM Method: Trust, Empowerment, Accountability, Metrics
39:00 - Missed First Steps & Moments That Matter
42:00 - Tradeoffs: What Are You Not Willing to Sacrifice?
47:30 - Personal Growth, Recovery, and Realignment
51:00 - Peeling Back the Layers of Leadership
55:00 - The 7 Elements of a Prosperous Life
01:00:00 - Mental Strength, Time, Body & Community
01:07:00 - Faith, Finances & Intimacy with Self and Others
01:14:00 - Living in the Sweet Spot: Avoiding the Extremes
01:19:00 - Mentorship vs Coaching & Why Language Matters
01:22:00 - Substack, Content Without Noise, and Deep Work
01:25:00 - The pH Scale Analogy & Living in Balance
01:28:00 - Final Thoughts: Be Intentional With Your Life
01:29:00 - Outro & Links to Cult Culture and More

Listen to this episode on other podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticApplePodcast
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticAmazonMusic

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From slinging shingles to shaping industry standards, Greg Bloom has seen it all—and stayed loyal through it. In this raw and energized episode, Eric sits down with the man who helped shape one of the biggest names in distribution, and who still writes 5,000 birthday cards a year to stay human in a corporate world.

Greg opens up about his 43-year journey in roofing, the Beacon/Allied merger, and how authenticity, relationships, and courage have fueled his success. We dive deep into what it means to lead with heart, how to build trust that withstands hard seasons, and why educating—rather than selling—is the real secret to growth.

You’ll leave this one fired up, challenged, and maybe even questioning how you treat your partnerships.

Listen to this episode on other podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticApplePodcast
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticAmazonMusic

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Website: https://beauthenticorgtfo.com

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From hustling out of survival to leading with purpose—David Rosenwasser’s story is raw, real, and a masterclass in growth through adversity.

We get into what happens when the trades force you to grow the hell up. From early mistakes that almost cost him everything to learning how to lead teams the right way—David doesn’t sugarcoat a damn thing. We talk about breaking cycles, earning respect, and how vulnerability became his superpower in a business world full of fake bravado.

If you’ve ever struggled to lead while still figuring out who the hell you are, this episode’s gonna hit deep.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro: From Hustler to Leader

01:20 - Why Roofing? David’s First Step into the Trades

04:45 - Mentorship, Mistakes & Moving Forward

08:10 - The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong in Business

11:35 - How the Industry is Changing (and Why That Matters)

16:50 - Transparency, Trust, and Telling the Truth

20:05 - Hard Conversations That Shape Real Leaders

23:40 - David’s Turning Point: From Survivor to CEO

28:00 - Building a Brand That Actually Means Something

33:20 - The Power of Vulnerability in Business

37:15 - Final Thoughts & David’s Call to Action

Listen to this episode on other podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticApplePodcast
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticAmazonMusic

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From hustling valet shifts outside a strip club to building and selling a multi-location roofing powerhouse—Martin Pettigrew has lived it all. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Eric sits down with the founder of Monarch Roofing to unpack the real behind the rise.

Martin shares how golf got him to the U.S., what it took to build a culture-first company from scratch, and why he chose to sell to private equity. He dives deep into what it means to transition from operator to leader, the dark side of expansion, and the overlooked impact of living with intention—at home and in business.

If you’re building something bigger than yourself and wondering if you’re doing it right, this episode is a must. Packed with lessons on hustle, legacy, and learning to let go without losing your purpose.

🔥 No fluff. Just truth.

Listen to this episode on other podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticApplePodcast
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticAmazonMusic

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When your name carries weight in the trades, it's not because someone handed you a title — it's because you earned it. Jim Ziminski brings that kind of legacy to the table. In this raw and honest episode, we unpack how to command respect without ever raising your voice, how to lead without the ego, and what it really takes to build something worth a damn.

From grinding it out in the field to leading global teams, Jim drops hard-earned wisdom on dealing with entitlement, raising the bar, and keeping your soul intact in a world full of shortcuts. If you're ready to shut up, listen, and actually learn something — this one’s for you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Intro: Who Is Jim Ziminski?

02:00 - Working With Family & Holding Your Own

06:50 - Earning It vs. Entitlement in Today’s Workforce

11:30 - Leadership Without Ego

16:15 - Bringing People Together Through Service

19:00 - The Shift from Roofing to Private Equity

22:40 - Building a Strong Culture on the Jobsite

27:00 - Authenticity as a Leadership Currency

31:15 - Creating Value That Outlasts Your Role

34:20 - Getting Real About Mistakes and Growth

38:00 - Jim’s Core Leadership Philosophy

42:30 - Wrap Up: Don’t Just Lead — Build Something That Lasts

Listen to this episode on other podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticApplePodcast
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticAmazonMusic

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From corporate cancel culture to billion-dollar government waste, this episode rips the mask off the bullshit we’re all being force-fed—and Becca Switzer holds nothing back.

We dive deep into what it really means to be uncancelable in a world where free speech is dying, government overreach is the norm, and speaking your truth can cost you everything. Becca opens up about why she started calling out the system, how she built a business that made her untouchable, and what happens when you stop watering down your message to make people comfortable.

Then we go even harder—blowing the lid off insane taxpayer-funded experiments (spoiler: transgender monkeys and alcoholic rats), the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the broken public education system, and the modern-day witch hunt against people who question the narrative.

It’s raw, it’s unapologetic, and it might be the most important conversation we’ve had on this show.

If you’ve ever felt like you were the only one seeing through the noise—this episode is your confirmation. Welcome to the other side.

#BeAuthenticOrGTFO #SpeakTruth #GovernmentWaste #CancelCulture #ElonMusk #FreedomOfSpeech #RealTalkPodcast

Listen to this episode on other podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticApplePodcast
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticAmazonMusic

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From the grind of the NFL to life’s most brutal curveballs, Buck Rasmussen has been through it all. A former New England Patriot, Buck opens up about his football career, devastating injuries, and the battle off the field that truly tested him—his wife’s cancer diagnosis while pregnant, his daughter’s type 1 diabetes, and his own spiral into a dark place.

We go deep into resilience, rebuilding, and finding purpose beyond the game. From selling real estate to dominating the roofing industry and stepping into motivational speaking, Buck shares his hard-earned wisdom on overcoming adversity, setting personal standards, and creating a vision for life—one that actually means something.

This episode is raw, real, and packed with lessons that’ll hit you hard. If you’ve ever felt stuck, lost, or like you’re up against impossible odds—this one’s for you.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro & Welcome

00:40 - The Real Reason Behind This Podcast

01:36 - Buck’s Time in the NFL & The Reality of the Practice Squad

04:20 - Playing for the Patriots & Learning from Bill Belichick

07:30 - The Brutal End to His NFL Career – Injuries & Setbacks

10:40 - Life After Football – From Real Estate to Roofing

14:15 - The Personal Battle That Changed Everything – Wife’s Cancer & Daughter’s Diagnosis

19:55 - Survival Mode & The Breaking Point

25:30 - From Darkness to Purpose – How Therapy Changed His Life

30:15 - Building A Speaking Career – The Epic Journey Begins

35:40 - Self-Limiting Beliefs & Why Most People Stay Stuck

40:50 - How To Set a Personal Standard & Live By It

44:30 - The Power of Writing & Why It’s a Game-Changer

48:15 - The Role of Coaching & Mastermind Groups in Growth

52:00 - Why People Need to Unshackle Their Identities & Think For Themselves

55:45 - The “Get to Do” Mindset Shift & Overcoming Victim Mentality

1:01:00 - Final Thoughts – The Path to Success is Built on Overcoming

Listen to this episode on other podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticSpotify
Google Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticGooglePodcast
Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticApplePodcast
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/BeAuthenticAmazonMusic

Connect with "Be Authentic or GTFO" on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beauthenticorGTFO
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Website: https://beauthenticorgtfo.com

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oberembt