Season 88, Episode 1056: 2025 NYE Lollapalooza Episode 9: Fathers, Founders, and Focus

Episode 9 of the New Year’s Eve Lollapalooza is one of those conversations that doesn’t stay in “business talk.” It goes straight into what leadership actually costs—and what it gives back—when you’re building companies while trying to build a life you’re proud of.

Jay Doran and co-host Mike Calhoun are joined by Steve Wilmer, Carl Eppolito, Pete Fournier, and Chris Tighe for a roundtable that blends family, faith, discipline, and execution—without the highlight reel.

Carl Eppolito opens with a story that hits hard: the moment you realize you’ve already spent two-thirds of your lifetime time with your child before they even turn 13. As a single dad, he shares why stepping away from a high-travel corporate path wasn’t a sacrifice—it was a decision to stop missing his life. His word for 2026: Accountability, and it’s as much about health and habits as it is about being present for his daughters.

Pete Fournier, founder of All Things Insurance Group, brings the operator perspective: growth is great, but growth without systems creates a business that owns you. Coming off a year of expansion and trimming dead weight, his focus is simple: Efficiency—stop stepping over dollars to pick up dimes, and start building leverage like a real CEO.

Steve Wilmer delivers a lesson most founders learn the hard way: putting your head down and “accelerating” doesn’t matter if you’re not paying attention to where you’re actually going. After a year that looked busy but paid less, his word for 2026 is Focus—moving from the red ocean to the blue ocean with higher-value accountability and fewer, better clients.

And Chris Tighe ties it all together with a builder’s mindset—military background, hard-earned business growth, and the humility to admit the real battlefield is internal. After a year of persistence through adversity, his word for 2026 is Growth—in fatherhood, relationships, leadership, generosity, and the systems that will carry his company forward.

This episode is a reminder: your next level isn’t only about revenue. It’s about the standards you keep, the people you choose, and the discipline to build what matters—on purpose.

Share this episode with someone who’s trying to grow without burning out—and leave a review so these conversations reach more leaders who need them.