Second Life Leader

From Setback to Sovereignty.This platform is for founders, executives, and rebuilders who’ve been knocked down by layoffs, burnout, betrayal, or failure—and refuse to stay down.I’m Doug Utberg.I rebuilt my career, my finances, and my identity from zero, and now I have raw conversations with leaders who’ve walked through fire and rebuilt stronger.Every episode cuts directly into the moments that forge a leader:Career reinvention and self-leadershipBurnout recovery and nervous system restorationEthical entrepreneurship in a post-growth worldSystems thinking, AI, and automation for sovereign executionNo hype.No guru scripts.Just clarity, truth, and the architecture required to rebuild a life—and a company—that cannot be taken from you.🔧 CFO Operator ClinicIf you lead a finance function, this is where we dismantle the chaos and build real structure:KPI treesUniversal journalsTransformation architectureDecision systemsSemantic-layer designThis is the tactical advantage mo

Second Life Leader is a business podcast hosted by Doug Utberg, with 418 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Doug Utberg hosts Second Life Leader, a business show with 418 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Second Life Leader

  Unlocking Growth Inside Family Businesses

  May 22, 202633 minS0

  <p>David Hanner joins me to unpack one of the most difficult transitions any company faces:</p><p>How do family businesses grow without losing the character that made them successful in the first place?</p><p></p><p>We started with a simple reality.</p><p>Growth creates complexity.</p><p>And in manufacturing businesses—especially family-owned companies—that complexity compounds fast. Inventory, cash flow, dealer networks, financing, operations, succession planning, modernization. Every decision affects five others downstream.</p><p>David brings perspective from inside a multi-generational manufacturing company producing heavy crushing equipment, where growth over the last several year...

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  Second Life Leader

  From Investment Banker to Mission-Driven CFO

  May 19, 202644 minS0

  <p>Scott Bowman joins me for a conversation that starts in finance—but quickly turns into something much bigger.</p><p>We unpack the transition from high-pressure investment banking to leading mission-driven companies focused on sustainability, second chances, and long-term impact.</p><p></p><p>Scott spent years inside the world of constant travel, deal-making, capital raises, and relentless growth. The work was financially rewarding—but eventually the deeper question showed up:</p><p>“What is all of this actually for?”</p><p>That question ultimately led him away from the traditional “mercenary” side of finance and toward organizations trying to build som...

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  Second Life Leader

  The Art of Saying No!

  May 11, 202637 minS0

  <p>Lisa Leveille joins me to unpack a different kind of leadership challenge—one that quietly burns people out long before they realize it: the inability to create boundaries.</p><p>We started with a simple observation.</p><p>The more capable you are, the more responsibility people hand you.</p><p>And in leadership roles—especially in finance—that responsibility expands fast. HR, operations, procurement, reporting, strategy, hiring, vendor management. Eventually, everything starts flowing toward the same person.</p><p></p><p>That’s where the real problem begins.</p><p>Lisa brings perspective from years as a CFO in the c...

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  Second Life Leader

  The Great Midwest Comeback (And Why People Always Come Back)

  May 4, 202626 minS0

  <p>Cody Kopas joins me to unpack a different kind of pattern—one that doesn’t show up in headlines, but quietly shapes careers, families, and entire regions: why people leave the Midwest to grow… and then come back to build.</p><p></p><p>We started with a simple observation.</p><p>For decades, talent has flowed out of the Great Lakes region—into coastal cities, into capital-heavy ecosystems, into faster-moving opportunities. But many of those same people return years later, often at a completely different stage of life.</p><p>That gap—between where opportunity exists and where people ult...

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  Second Life Leader

  The Life Advice Nobody Gives You (Until It’s Too Late)

  Apr 26, 202641 minS0

  <p>Robin Goad joins me to unpack a different kind of failure—one that doesn’t show up on balance sheets, but shapes entire lives: the gap between what we’re told about success and how life actually works.</p><p>We started with a simple observation. There are entire industries built around preparing you for short phases of life—college, careers, even pregnancy. But almost nothing prepares you for the next 50–80 years of decisions, trade-offs, and consequences.</p><p></p><p>That gap is where most of the hard lessons live.</p><p>Robin brings perspective from over 30 years in corpora...

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