Leaders Intent Mon, 18 May 2026 00:15:34 -0400 https://leadersintent.buzzsprout.com en-us © 2026 Leaders Intent yes cc743d9c-531c-5024-8186-344886ac36f7 ronniedstephens.ok@gmail.com Ronnie Stephens and special guests episodic false Are you struggling to adapt and manage work in today's dynamic and 24/7 world where everyone is on information overload? This podcast is intended to talk about relevant business issues and topics that leaders and employees are facing in today's ever changing world. The goal is to educate the audience on a topic, and give practical, real world examples on how the listeners can apply different tools, techniques and resources to assist them. We do this through conversation and stories, and even conclude each episode with some fun questions. 

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Leadership, Mentoring, Coaching, Business, Tulsa, Persimmon, Ronnie Stephens and special guests ronniedstephens.ok@gmail.com https://storage.buzzsprout.com/33c2yh36pw632s7cg8dn4adz6ly8?.jpg Leaders Intent Ronnie Stephens Leaders Intent Episode 7 - How a First-Time Exec Grappled with the Pandemic Leaders Intent Episode 7 - How a First-Time Exec Grappled with the Pandemic In Episode 7 of the Leaders Intent podcast, host Ronnie Stephens interviews Sara Gallagher, President of the Persimmon Group. Sara shares her journey from becoming an "accidental" project manager, to the leader of a consulting firm known for its mission to eliminate unproductive hard work. She details the cultural and operational shifts necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting her company's early and sustained transition to virtual work.

Sara reflects on her initial journey into project management, which began with an unanticipated opportunity from a boss who recognized her potential. She describes the challenges and growth experiences she faced, from managing large-scale projects without prior experience to ultimately becoming president of the Persimmon Group. Sara discusses her leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of listening, stress management, empowerment, and maintaining psychological safety within the team. She candidly shares her struggles with mental health and the steps she took to seek help and improve her leadership capabilities.

Throughout the podcast, Sara provides insights into effective delegation, setting priorities, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and agility. She offers advice for new leaders, focusing on self-awareness, managing fear, and the importance of feedback. The episode is a deep dive into the real-world application of leadership principles, delivered through Sara's personal and professional experiences.

Here is Sara's contact information:

linkedin.com/in/saraegallagher

saragallagher@thepersimmongroup.com

Business Consulting Services | The Persimmon Group | Tulsa, OK

https://thepersimmongroup.com/

 

www.linkedin.com/in/ronniestephens

ronniedstephens.ok@gmail.com

]]> In Episode 7 of the Leaders Intent podcast, host Ronnie Stephens interviews Sara Gallagher, President of the Persimmon Group. Sara shares her journey from becoming an "accidental" project manager, to the leader of a consulting firm known for its mission to eliminate unproductive hard work. She details the cultural and operational shifts necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting her company's early and sustained transition to virtual work.

Sara reflects on her initial journey into project management, which began with an unanticipated opportunity from a boss who recognized her potential. She describes the challenges and growth experiences she faced, from managing large-scale projects without prior experience to ultimately becoming president of the Persimmon Group. Sara discusses her leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of listening, stress management, empowerment, and maintaining psychological safety within the team. She candidly shares her struggles with mental health and the steps she took to seek help and improve her leadership capabilities.

Throughout the podcast, Sara provides insights into effective delegation, setting priorities, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and agility. She offers advice for new leaders, focusing on self-awareness, managing fear, and the importance of feedback. The episode is a deep dive into the real-world application of leadership principles, delivered through Sara's personal and professional experiences.

Here is Sara's contact information:

linkedin.com/in/saraegallagher

saragallagher@thepersimmongroup.com

Business Consulting Services | The Persimmon Group | Tulsa, OK

https://thepersimmongroup.com/

 

www.linkedin.com/in/ronniestephens

ronniedstephens.ok@gmail.com

]]> Ronnie Stephens and special guests Buzzsprout-15643159 Mon, 26 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -0500 3754 full false Leaders Intent Episode 6 - Big Elks Beginning: Geoff Hager's Entrepreneurial Story Leaders Intent Episode 6 - Big Elks Beginning: Geoff Hager's Entrepreneurial Story Summary:

This episode features Jeff Hager, owner and CEO of Big Elk Energy Systems, who shares his life story and entrepreneurial journey.  Jeff discusses growing up in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, his family background, education, career transitions, and the challenges he faced in starting his business. He talks about the struggles, setbacks, and moments of triumph that led to the success of Big Elk Energy Systems.

Key Insights

• Jeff’s upbringing in a small town and his family background greatly influenced his
   values and work ethic.

• His journey from engineering to sales and eventually starting his own business 
   showcases the importance of following one’s calling.

• The challenges and setbacks he faced in starting Big Elk Energy Systems
   highlight the resilience and determination required in entrepreneurship.

• Jeff’s emphasis on relationships, transparency, and authenticity in leadership  
   underscores the significance of trust and communication in business.

• His commitment to continuous learning, mentorship, and storytelling as a
   leadership philosophy showcases the importance of personal growth and
   development.

• The story behind the Companies name!

 We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out to Geoff with any questions or comments you have.

 Thanks for listening!

 Here is Geoff’s contact information: 

linkedin.com/in/geoffhager

Geoff.hager@bigelk.com

www.bigelk.com

 

 Ronnie Stephens, MBA, TEDx Speaker | LinkedIn

]]> Summary:

This episode features Jeff Hager, owner and CEO of Big Elk Energy Systems, who shares his life story and entrepreneurial journey.  Jeff discusses growing up in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, his family background, education, career transitions, and the challenges he faced in starting his business. He talks about the struggles, setbacks, and moments of triumph that led to the success of Big Elk Energy Systems.

Key Insights

• Jeff’s upbringing in a small town and his family background greatly influenced his
   values and work ethic.

• His journey from engineering to sales and eventually starting his own business 
   showcases the importance of following one’s calling.

• The challenges and setbacks he faced in starting Big Elk Energy Systems
   highlight the resilience and determination required in entrepreneurship.

• Jeff’s emphasis on relationships, transparency, and authenticity in leadership  
   underscores the significance of trust and communication in business.

• His commitment to continuous learning, mentorship, and storytelling as a
   leadership philosophy showcases the importance of personal growth and
   development.

• The story behind the Companies name!

 We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out to Geoff with any questions or comments you have.

 Thanks for listening!

 Here is Geoff’s contact information: 

linkedin.com/in/geoffhager

Geoff.hager@bigelk.com

www.bigelk.com

 

 Ronnie Stephens, MBA, TEDx Speaker | LinkedIn

]]> Ronnie Stephens and special guests Buzzsprout-15419300 Mon, 15 Jul 2024 17:00:00 -0500 4504 full false Leaders Intent Episode 5 - Starting my small business: Lessons from Hayley Rose Leaders Intent Episode 5 - Starting my small business: Lessons from Hayley Rose In this episode, we'll talk about Hayley’s journey from an energy executive, to starting her own small business in her hometown of Rogers City, Michigan.

 We will also touch on the following aspects of opening a small business:

·       What are some of the biggest learning curves you’ve experienced as you started
          your business?

·       What opening a small business has taught her about social media and marketing

·       What’s one piece of advice you would give someone who is thinking about
         starting their own business?

·       “When you feel overwhelmed or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you
         do?

 We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out to Hayley with any questions or comments you have.

 Thanks for listening!

Here is our contact information:

www.Harborsidebathandbody.com

facebook.com/@HarborsideBathandBody

instagram.com/HarborsideBathandBody

tiktok.com/@harborsidebathandbody

twitter.com/@HayleyR6821433

 

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens

]]> In this episode, we'll talk about Hayley’s journey from an energy executive, to starting her own small business in her hometown of Rogers City, Michigan.

 We will also touch on the following aspects of opening a small business:

·       What are some of the biggest learning curves you’ve experienced as you started
          your business?

·       What opening a small business has taught her about social media and marketing

·       What’s one piece of advice you would give someone who is thinking about
         starting their own business?

·       “When you feel overwhelmed or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you
         do?

 We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out to Hayley with any questions or comments you have.

 Thanks for listening!

Here is our contact information:

www.Harborsidebathandbody.com

facebook.com/@HarborsideBathandBody

instagram.com/HarborsideBathandBody

tiktok.com/@harborsidebathandbody

twitter.com/@HayleyR6821433

 

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens

]]> Ronnie Stephens and Bill Fournet Buzzsprout-13782413 Sun, 15 Oct 2023 19:00:00 -0500 2731 1 5 full false Leaders Intent Episode 4 - Time Management Leaders Intent Episode 4 - Time Management In our last episode, Bill and I talked about burnout,.  Today we are going to dive into its relationship with time management - because as we all know, how we manage our time is often how we manage our lives, and certainly our stress levels.

We jump in and discuss how time management skills can affect burnout rates, and what are some effective time management strategies for employees to combat burnout? 

We then spend most of the Podcast working through examples and time management techniques such as:

The 80/20 reflection

Time Blocking

The weekly time audits.

Understanding the urgent versus the import 

We then close with some meeting management techniques.

 

We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or resources you have found to be useful on these topics.

Thanks for listening!

 

Here is our contact information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfournet/

https://www.facebook.com/BillFournetLeadForTomorrow

www.Billfournet.com

www.thepersimmongroup.com

 

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens-5b632215

]]> In our last episode, Bill and I talked about burnout,.  Today we are going to dive into its relationship with time management - because as we all know, how we manage our time is often how we manage our lives, and certainly our stress levels.

We jump in and discuss how time management skills can affect burnout rates, and what are some effective time management strategies for employees to combat burnout? 

We then spend most of the Podcast working through examples and time management techniques such as:

The 80/20 reflection

Time Blocking

The weekly time audits.

Understanding the urgent versus the import 

We then close with some meeting management techniques.

 

We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or resources you have found to be useful on these topics.

Thanks for listening!

 

Here is our contact information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfournet/

https://www.facebook.com/BillFournetLeadForTomorrow

www.Billfournet.com

www.thepersimmongroup.com

 

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens-5b632215

]]> Ronnie Stephens and Bill Fournet Buzzsprout-13514195 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 16:00:00 -0500 2879 full false Leaders Intent Episode 3 - Burnout Leaders Intent Episode 3 - Burnout In this episode, Bill Fournet and I will be discussing the signs and effects of burnout, the role of leadership in creating an environment where employees can better manage burnout, and we'll touch on strategies to combat burnout.

77% of Deloitte survey respondents say they have experienced employee burnout at their current job, with more than half citing more than one occurrence. Women are more likely to suffer from burnout than men, at a rate of 32% to 28% (Feb 2023)

We will also touch on the following aspects of burnout:

What is burnout?

What roles or job groups seem to be most affected?

How is this effected by remote work?

What are some common themes around burnout, and what are some practical ways to deal with it?

We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or resources you have found to be useful on these topics.

Thanks for listening!

 

Here is our contact information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfournet/

www.Billfournet.com

www.thepersimmongroup.com

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens-5b632215

 

]]> In this episode, Bill Fournet and I will be discussing the signs and effects of burnout, the role of leadership in creating an environment where employees can better manage burnout, and we'll touch on strategies to combat burnout.

77% of Deloitte survey respondents say they have experienced employee burnout at their current job, with more than half citing more than one occurrence. Women are more likely to suffer from burnout than men, at a rate of 32% to 28% (Feb 2023)

We will also touch on the following aspects of burnout:

What is burnout?

What roles or job groups seem to be most affected?

How is this effected by remote work?

What are some common themes around burnout, and what are some practical ways to deal with it?

We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or resources you have found to be useful on these topics.

Thanks for listening!

 

Here is our contact information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfournet/

www.Billfournet.com

www.thepersimmongroup.com

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens-5b632215

 

]]> Ronnie Stephens and Bill Fournet Buzzsprout-13514181 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 16:00:00 -0500 3025 full false Leaders Intent Episode 2 - Mentoring Versus Coaching Leaders Intent Episode 2 - Mentoring Versus Coaching Many people use the terms coaching and mentoring interchangeably.   Here is a couple of definitions I liked:

Mentoring is focused on a mutual relationship where the mentor is sharing experience, wisdom, organizational knowledge and best practices with a mentee and is development driven.

Coaching is focused on developing a specific skill set or expertise and is typically performance driven (think sports teams and position coaching).

In this episode Bill Fournet and I talk about the differences between a coach and a mentor.  We also touch on some common mentoring philosophies and questions:

- What are one or two critical skills you think most people could use a mentor to help develop?

- I would love to find a mentor – where do I start?
- I’ve had a mentor but think I’m ready for a coach- how do I know, or maybe more importantly when to use a mentor versus a coach?

 We also talk about different types of coaching and what things Bill sees as areas where people are getting more involved with coaches.

 We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or resources you have found to be useful on these topics

Thanks for listening!

Here is our contact information:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfournet/

https://billfournet.com/

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens-5b632215

]]> Many people use the terms coaching and mentoring interchangeably.   Here is a couple of definitions I liked:

Mentoring is focused on a mutual relationship where the mentor is sharing experience, wisdom, organizational knowledge and best practices with a mentee and is development driven.

Coaching is focused on developing a specific skill set or expertise and is typically performance driven (think sports teams and position coaching).

In this episode Bill Fournet and I talk about the differences between a coach and a mentor.  We also touch on some common mentoring philosophies and questions:

- What are one or two critical skills you think most people could use a mentor to help develop?

- I would love to find a mentor – where do I start?
- I’ve had a mentor but think I’m ready for a coach- how do I know, or maybe more importantly when to use a mentor versus a coach?

 We also talk about different types of coaching and what things Bill sees as areas where people are getting more involved with coaches.

 We hope you enjoy our discussion and please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or resources you have found to be useful on these topics

Thanks for listening!

Here is our contact information:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfournet/

https://billfournet.com/

linkedin.com/in/ronnie-stephens-5b632215

]]> Ronnie Stephens and Bill Fournet Buzzsprout-12097076 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 18:00:00 -0600 2404 full false Leaders Intent Episode 1 - Natural Born Leaders Leaders Intent Episode 1 - Natural Born Leaders Our topic for Episode 1 is “Natural Born Leaders?” – Is leadership learned or are you born with it.   Some would call this Nature versus Nurture.   This is probably one of the most asked leadership questions of all time.  In fact, William Shakespeare said “Some leaders are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”.   
 
What are the key characteristics, personality traits, and other intangibles of a great leader?

On the opposite side of the spectrum – Vince Lombardi said “ Leaders aren’t born, they’re made just like anything else, through hard work.”

So how does someone become a leader?  Listen in to Episode one as host Ronnie Stephens talks with Bill Fournet, CEO and founder of the Persimmon Group to discuss these topics and more.

We would love to hear your feedback or any questions you might have.

Thanks for listening!

]]> Our topic for Episode 1 is “Natural Born Leaders?” – Is leadership learned or are you born with it.   Some would call this Nature versus Nurture.   This is probably one of the most asked leadership questions of all time.  In fact, William Shakespeare said “Some leaders are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”.   
 
What are the key characteristics, personality traits, and other intangibles of a great leader?

On the opposite side of the spectrum – Vince Lombardi said “ Leaders aren’t born, they’re made just like anything else, through hard work.”

So how does someone become a leader?  Listen in to Episode one as host Ronnie Stephens talks with Bill Fournet, CEO and founder of the Persimmon Group to discuss these topics and more.

We would love to hear your feedback or any questions you might have.

Thanks for listening!

]]> ronnie Buzzsprout-12002635 Sun, 08 Jan 2023 13:00:00 -0600 3446 1 1 full false