Headsmack: Conversations with Misfits

The Five Languages Most Leaders Never Learned Dr. William Attaway didn't set out to become one of the country's most sought-after leadership coaches. He started as a stock guy at a drugstore, dropped out of college twice, watched a telecom giant disappear inside five years, and learned the hard way that leading people is nothing like running a process. In this episode, William sits down with Paul Povolni to share the moments that shaped his philosophy, the productivity system he's...

Dr. Charles M. Russo has spent decades inside the U.S. Intelligence Community learning how to think clearly when the stakes are high—and certainty is impossible. From Desert Storm to post-9/11 intelligence work, Russo has lived inside environments where bad thinking costs lives. In this conversation, he breaks down what critical thinking actually means, why truth is often confused with perspective, how bias distorts decision-making, and why AI makes disciplined reasoning more important—not le...

Mark MacDonald brings 40 years of ministry, marketing, and communication experience to this powerful conversation about church branding and effective communication. Most churches today aren't known for anything meaningful in their communities. They're speaking a language their audience doesn't understand, building websites that confuse rather than clarify, and creating content that sounds like everyone else. Mark MacDonald, founder of BeKnownForSomething.com and bestselling author, has spent ...

Bob Hamp is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, author, and founder of Think Differently Academy, and in this episode he delivers one of the most paradigm-shifting conversations ever featured on Headsmack. Blending neuroscience, change theory, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and kingdom theology, Bob explains why most personal growth fails, why religion often produces shallow solutions, and how true life change happens at the level of thought process, paradigms, and the heart—not willpow...

Marty Neumeier is the internationally recognized author who literally wrote the book on brand strategy. His work The Brand Gap has been read by 25 million people, and Zag was named one of the top 100 business books of all time. After decades helping giants like Apple, Google, and Adobe build legendary brands, he's now disrupting the publishing industry itself with a bold new approach to bringing stories to market. In this episode, Marty dismantles the myth that companies own their brands. The...

In a world where everyone’s shouting, silence equals irrelevance. Bill Harper knows this better than anyone. With over 36 years in the brand and marketing trenches — and more than $2.5B in client revenue to prove it — Bill has cracked the code for challenger brands to dominate markets already flooded with competition. In this episode, Bill shares the power of positioning, why no one buys the best product, and how to win by saying what no one else dares to. From Geico’s edutainment to Liquid D...

Entrepreneurs struggle to scale because they rely on tactics, funnels, and closers instead of systems and human connection. Many feel like sales just “isn’t them.” Imagine having a sales machine that works whether you’re online or not. Imagine building a team that sells with heart. Imagine finally getting back your time—and your confidence. This episode delivers the blueprint. Jim Padilla unpacks how to stop selling and start solving—and how doing so can change your business and legacy. Stick...

“They told me to go home and die. Instead, I built a business and beat cancer—twice.” Globally recognized YouTube strategist and high-performance coach Owen Hemsath joins The Headsmack Podcast to share how stage 4 cancer, twice diagnosed, didn’t stop his mission—it reshaped it. From building 6- and 7-figure YouTube channels to abandoning chemotherapy for a holistic path, Owen reveals the real ROI of purpose, presence, and priorities. If you’re navigating hustle, health, or the hun...