Total Disruption Podcast

A perfect schedule may sound productive, but entrepreneurship rarely unfolds in neat blocks. Clients need answers, systems fail, people require leadership, and priorities change—often before the workday has fully begun.

In this episode of Total Disruption, Michael Libercci and guest co-host Phil Masiello discuss how experienced leaders build structure without becoming trapped by it. They cover protected buffer time, short team check-ins, Slack communication, AI-assisted note-taking, quarterly goals, delegation, and the value of removing recurring sources of stress.

Phil explains why he focuses on two or three quarterly priorities and why flexibility is essential to good management. Michael shares how years in a service business shaped his routines, how an every-other-day review helps him reset priorities, and why outsourcing a small task can protect time for higher-value work.

In this episode:
• Why perfect schedules break in the real world
• How to reserve time for the unexpected
• AI tools for notes, reminders, and action items
• The value of a one-page quarterly business plan
• Why two or three priorities can outperform a long goal list
• How leaders stay flexible without losing focus
• When to delegate, outsource, eliminate, or end a stressful commitment

Follow Total Disruption for honest conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, and practical execution. Share this episode with someone trying to make an overloaded schedule work.

Educational discussion only; not medical, legal, financial, or professional advice.

You just heard it. Now it's time to do something with it.
If this episode hit home, here's how to take action:
🔥 Join The Conversation:
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us which insight you're implementing first. Your feedback doesn't just help us—it helps other entrepreneurs find the show when they need it most.
💡 Ready to Go Deeper?
This is just the beginning. If you're serious about transforming from best-kept secret to industry authority, check out:
→ The Total Disruption Guild – Your network of entrepreneurs who actually do the work
→ The KLT Formula – The framework that turns influence into revenue
→ Business Battleground: Boardroom Edition – Transform your company on a national stage
Visit Total-Disruption.com to explore how we can help you dominate your market.
📲 Connect With Us:
Follow Dr. Jake Clendenning and Michael Libercci on LinkedIn and Instagram [@TotalDisruption1] for daily insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and the unfiltered truth about entrepreneurship.
🎙️ Never Miss an Episode:
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. Set it to auto-download so you're first in line when we drop the next one.
💬 Got a Question? Challenge? Breakthrough?
DM us your wins, struggles, or topics you want us to tackle. We read every message, and the best ones might just become a future episode.
Remember: Your competitors are either listening—or falling behind.
Don't be the latter.
This is Total Disruption. We'll see you next week.
Hosted by Dr. Jake Clendenning & Michael Libercci
Produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Tribune Podcast Network
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company
For advertising opportunities and sponsorship inquiries, visit Total-Disruption.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Selling a business can create financial freedom, but it can also leave a founder without the work, structure, and purpose that defined everyday life.

In this episode of Total Disruption, Michael Libercci and guest co-host Phil Masiello examine what happens after a business exit. Phil shares how different sales affected him, why one successful exit left him feeling unexpectedly lost, and how helping Energizer with direct-to-consumer work eventually became a new agency and a new direction.

The conversation also covers the risks of reinvesting, the cash demands created by growth, and the true cost of outside capital. Michael and Phil discuss preferred shares, dilution, investor expectations, and why founders must understand the complete deal—not simply celebrate the headline amount raised. They close with practical guidance for pitching investors: choose the right audience, know the opportunity, answer honestly, and remember that investors are evaluating the founder as much as the product.

In this episode:
• The emotional aftermath of selling a business
• Why money does not automatically replace purpose
• How growth can consume cash
• Reinvesting after an exit
• Turning a project into the next company
• Why capital terms can change a founder’s final outcome
• Choosing investors who understand your business
• Presenting with confidence without pretending to know everything
• Why investors evaluate the entrepreneur behind the pitch

Follow Total Disruption for honest conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, capital, and the work behind business growth. Share this episode with a founder preparing for an exit or considering outside investment.

Educational discussion only; not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.

You just heard it. Now it's time to do something with it.
If this episode hit home, here's how to take action:
🔥 Join The Conversation:
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us which insight you're implementing first. Your feedback doesn't just help us—it helps other entrepreneurs find the show when they need it most.
💡 Ready to Go Deeper?
This is just the beginning. If you're serious about transforming from best-kept secret to industry authority, check out:
→ The Total Disruption Guild – Your network of entrepreneurs who actually do the work
→ The KLT Formula – The framework that turns influence into revenue
→ Business Battleground: Boardroom Edition – Transform your company on a national stage
Visit Total-Disruption.com to explore how we can help you dominate your market.
📲 Connect With Us:
Follow Dr. Jake Clendenning and Michael Libercci on LinkedIn and Instagram [@TotalDisruption1] for daily insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and the unfiltered truth about entrepreneurship.
🎙️ Never Miss an Episode:
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. Set it to auto-download so you're first in line when we drop the next one.
💬 Got a Question? Challenge? Breakthrough?
DM us your wins, struggles, or topics you want us to tackle. We read every message, and the best ones might just become a future episode.
Remember: Your competitors are either listening—or falling behind.
Don't be the latter.
This is Total Disruption. We'll see you next week.
Hosted by Dr. Jake Clendenning & Michael Libercci
Produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Tribune Podcast Network
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company
For advertising opportunities and sponsorship inquiries, visit Total-Disruption.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More revenue is not the same as scale. A business truly scales when its systems, people, and processes make growth more efficient—and when the founder no longer has to perform every tactical task.

In this episode of Total Disruption, Michael Libercci and guest co-host Phil Masiello discuss the relationship between personal routines and operational performance. Phil explains why he protects the first part of his morning, how he manages a decentralized team through outcomes, and how repeatable systems allow him to focus on leadership, clients, and growth instead of controlling every hour of the workday.

Michael and Phil also examine how leaders diagnose operational leaks, when a founder needs to study a process firsthand, and why a short-term investment in systems can prevent a much larger long-term cost. The conversation closes with a practical definition of scale: improved efficiency, validated product-market fit, a clearly defined customer, and a plan for reaching measurable inflection points.

In this episode:
• The morning routine Phil refuses to interrupt
• Moving from tactical work to strategic leadership
• Managing flexible and remote teams through output
• Studying operational problems before building systems
• The danger of growth without a strong foundation
• The difference between growth and scale
• Minimum viable product and product-market fit
• Building a precise customer persona
• Creating a practical plan for efficient growth

Follow Total Disruption for candid conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, and sustainable business growth. If this episode helped you identify a weak point in your operation, share it with a founder who needs a stronger system.

You just heard it. Now it's time to do something with it.
If this episode hit home, here's how to take action:
🔥 Join The Conversation:
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us which insight you're implementing first. Your feedback doesn't just help us—it helps other entrepreneurs find the show when they need it most.
💡 Ready to Go Deeper?
This is just the beginning. If you're serious about transforming from best-kept secret to industry authority, check out:
→ The Total Disruption Guild – Your network of entrepreneurs who actually do the work
→ The KLT Formula – The framework that turns influence into revenue
→ Business Battleground: Boardroom Edition – Transform your company on a national stage
Visit Total-Disruption.com to explore how we can help you dominate your market.
📲 Connect With Us:
Follow Dr. Jake Clendenning and Michael Libercci on LinkedIn and Instagram [@TotalDisruption1] for daily insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and the unfiltered truth about entrepreneurship.
🎙️ Never Miss an Episode:
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. Set it to auto-download so you're first in line when we drop the next one.
💬 Got a Question? Challenge? Breakthrough?
DM us your wins, struggles, or topics you want us to tackle. We read every message, and the best ones might just become a future episode.
Remember: Your competitors are either listening—or falling behind.
Don't be the latter.
This is Total Disruption. We'll see you next week.
Hosted by Dr. Jake Clendenning & Michael Libercci
Produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Tribune Podcast Network
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company
For advertising opportunities and sponsorship inquiries, visit Total-Disruption.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Suggested Episode Title: Entrepreneurship Isn’t Glamorous: Systems, Stamina, and Scale |S4E6

Real entrepreneurship is rarely as polished as the story told afterward.

Michael Libercci and guest co-host Phil Masiello explore the connection between personal development and professional growth—while challenging the idea that mindset, hustle, or deprivation automatically produces business success. Phil shares how an early failure revealed gaps in his leadership, processes, and people development, and how honest self-reflection helped him become a stronger entrepreneur.

The conversation covers the limits of scaling alone, the importance of systems and support, the mythology of overnight success, and the stamina required to keep moving through demanding decisions. Michael and Phil also explain how breaking an overwhelming objective into smaller checkpoints can help a founder stay focused when the finish line feels far away.

In this episode:
• Turning business failure into leadership development
• Why mindset must be followed by execution
• Systems, processes, and the unglamorous work of growth
• The capacity limits of the solopreneur model
• Founder mythology versus operational reality
• Building stamina during adversity
• Breaking large problems into manageable priorities
• Why some entrepreneurs quit just before a breakthrough

Listen to this episode of Total Disruption and ask yourself: Does your business need more motivation—or better leadership, systems, and support?

You just heard it. Now it's time to do something with it.
If this episode hit home, here's how to take action:
🔥 Join The Conversation:
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us which insight you're implementing first. Your feedback doesn't just help us—it helps other entrepreneurs find the show when they need it most.
💡 Ready to Go Deeper?
This is just the beginning. If you're serious about transforming from best-kept secret to industry authority, check out:
→ The Total Disruption Guild – Your network of entrepreneurs who actually do the work
→ The KLT Formula – The framework that turns influence into revenue
→ Business Battleground: Boardroom Edition – Transform your company on a national stage
Visit Total-Disruption.com to explore how we can help you dominate your market.
📲 Connect With Us:
Follow Dr. Jake Clendenning and Michael Libercci on LinkedIn and Instagram [@TotalDisruption1] for daily insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and the unfiltered truth about entrepreneurship.
🎙️ Never Miss an Episode:
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. Set it to auto-download so you're first in line when we drop the next one.
💬 Got a Question? Challenge? Breakthrough?
DM us your wins, struggles, or topics you want us to tackle. We read every message, and the best ones might just become a future episode.
Remember: Your competitors are either listening—or falling behind.
Don't be the latter.
This is Total Disruption. We'll see you next week.
Hosted by Dr. Jake Clendenning & Michael Libercci
Produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Tribune Podcast Network
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company
For advertising opportunities and sponsorship inquiries, visit Total-Disruption.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Consistency can look restrictive, but it may be the very thing that creates freedom.
Michael Libercci and guest co-host Julie Ann Meyer discuss why entrepreneurs often spread themselves across too many tactics, platforms, and obligations—and why a smaller number of repeated, intentional actions can produce better results. They explore the difference between staying busy and moving something meaningful forward, building a business around the life you actually want, and choosing media strategies that fit your strengths.
The conversation also turns to authentic marketing, the importance of giving audiences a clear next step, live-video consistency, human oversight of AI-generated copy, and the need to gather the full picture before judging a person or situation from a partial clip.
In this episode:
• Why reps and fundamentals matter
• How consistency can support freedom
• Busy work versus purposeful work
• Choosing fewer tactics and going deeper
• Authentic messaging and calls to action
• Practical lessons from live media
• Why context matters before judgment
Listen to this episode of Total Disruption, then ask yourself: What deserves more consistent repetition—and what is only keeping you busy?

You just heard it. Now it's time to do something with it.
If this episode hit home, here's how to take action:
🔥 Join The Conversation:
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us which insight you're implementing first. Your feedback doesn't just help us—it helps other entrepreneurs find the show when they need it most.
💡 Ready to Go Deeper?
This is just the beginning. If you're serious about transforming from best-kept secret to industry authority, check out:
→ The Total Disruption Guild – Your network of entrepreneurs who actually do the work
→ The KLT Formula – The framework that turns influence into revenue
→ Business Battleground: Boardroom Edition – Transform your company on a national stage
Visit Total-Disruption.com to explore how we can help you dominate your market.
📲 Connect With Us:
Follow Dr. Jake Clendenning and Michael Libercci on LinkedIn and Instagram [@TotalDisruption1] for daily insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and the unfiltered truth about entrepreneurship.
🎙️ Never Miss an Episode:
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. Set it to auto-download so you're first in line when we drop the next one.
💬 Got a Question? Challenge? Breakthrough?
DM us your wins, struggles, or topics you want us to tackle. We read every message, and the best ones might just become a future episode.
Remember: Your competitors are either listening—or falling behind.
Don't be the latter.
This is Total Disruption. We'll see you next week.
Hosted by Dr. Jake Clendenning & Michael Libercci
Produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Tribune Podcast Network
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company
For advertising opportunities and sponsorship inquiries, visit Total-Disruption.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.