Reaching For Remarkable Podcast

Success might be the biggest threat to your team's next bold move. Brian Taylor, Tim Foot, and Toni McEwan close the series with Signature #7: Risk — the difference between a reckless gamble and a strategic bet, and how to tell which one you're about to make.

If your team has zero tension, you might not be as healthy as you think. In this episode of the Reaching for Remarkable Podcast, Tim Foot and Matt Wright join host Brooke Hodnefield to explore Signature #6: Friction — engaging healthy conflict for remarkable growth. They unpack two traps that quietly derail teams, introduce a simple green-yellow-red framework for keeping friction healthy, and share the exact questions leaders can ask to invite pushback without letting it turn personal. Whether you're leading a church staff, a nonprofit team, or your own family, this conversation will help you stop fearing tension and start using it to move your mission forward.

Leadership is full of people problems — or so it seems. But what if the real issue is something hiding right underneath the surface?

In this episode of the Reaching for Remarkable Podcast, host Brooke Hodnefield is joined by Tim Foot (CEO of Slingshot Group and author of Reaching for Remarkable), Phil Bowdle, and Sarah Riebe (COO of Slingshot Group) to unpack the fifth key signature: Systems.

They share the story of Slingshot's own "Bonkers Year" — 54% growth in a single year — and what happened when the systems couldn't keep up. From the complacency trap to the hero-dependency cycle, this conversation is a wake-up call for any leader whose team is working harder and harder but somehow falling further behind.

Whether you love systems or quietly avoid them, this episode will change the way you think about what's really holding your mission back.

Grab a copy of Reaching for Remarkable at reachingforremarkable.com.

You don't build a mission—you build people, and then people build the mission. But that only works when everyone knows their lane.

In this episode of the Reaching for Remarkable Podcast, Brian Taylor sits down with Slingshot CEO and author Tim Foot, along with Matt Wright and Toni McEwan, to explore the fourth key signature of a remarkable team: Roles.

They unpack why job descriptions aren't enough, how to give every seat a clear "win," and the three traps that quietly erode healthy teams—the echo chamber, the comfort hire, and the shiny object. You'll also hear why chasing the "purple unicorn" candidate backfires, and how a one-line job description can bring clarity to your whole staff.

Whether you lead a church or a nonprofit, this conversation will help you align your people, strengthen your culture, and keep your mission moving forward.

http://slingshotgroup.org

http://reachingforremarkable.com

Every team has a culture — whether you've shaped it on purpose or not. In this episode of the Reaching For Remarkable Podcast, host Brooke Hodnefield is joined by Slingshot CEO and author Tim Foot, alongside VP of Nonprofit Executive Search Toni McEwan, for a candid conversation on the third key signature of remarkable teams: Culture. Together they unpack what really defines culture (hint: it's not what's on the wall), the early warning signs that culture is drifting, and how relational equity quietly builds — or breaks — trust over time. Tim names the cultural traps every leader needs to spot, Toni shares what candidates can feel the moment they walk into your organization, and both offer practical wisdom for moving from self-awareness to team awareness. If you sense something is off but can't quite name it, this conversation will help you lead with greater clarity, courage, and care.

http://reachingforremarkable.com

http://slingshotgroup.org

Your team is always communicating—whether they realize it or not. Every email, every meeting, every silence is sending a message. So what happens when those messages don’t line up? In this episode of the Reaching For Remarkable Podcast, Brian Taylor sits down with Slingshot Group CEO and author Tim Foot, alongside communications expert Phil Bowdle, to unpack the second signature of a remarkable team: Message. They explore why the best teams treat communication like musicians treat sound, how assumption traps silently erode alignment, and what it looks like to build a culture where listening drives clarity. Whether you’re leading a growing staff or navigating a season of change, this conversation will challenge you to close the gap between what you’re saying and what your team is actually hearing.

http://slingshotgroup.org

http://reachingforremarkable.com

Every organization has a mission statement. But is your team actually convicted by it? In this episode of Reaching For Remarkable, Brooke Hodnefield is joined by Tim Foot, CEO of Slingshot Group and author of Reaching for Remarkable, and Matt Wright, VP of Church Executive Search, to dig into the first key signature: Conviction.

They explore the critical difference between belief and conviction, unpack the traps that cause even well-meaning teams to lose focus, and talk about what happens when the leader's conviction doesn't make it past the corner office. If your team knows the mission but can't seem to gain real momentum, this episode will help you find out why—and what to do about it.

http://reachingforremarkable.com

http://slingshotgroup.org

In the debut episode of Reaching For Remarkable, Brian Taylor sits down with Tim Foot, CEO of Slingshot Group and author of Reaching For Remarkable, to unpack why so many teams get stuck at functional and never break through. Tim shares the story behind the book, introduces the 7 Key Signatures that set remarkable teams apart, and offers a fresh framework called "team awareness" that every leader needs. Whether you're building a team from scratch or trying to move your current team to the next level, this conversation will challenge you to stop settling and start reaching for remarkable.

Every leader knows the feeling—your day disappears, but your mission hasn’t moved forward.

In this episode of the Slingshot Group Podcast, Tim Foot sits down with Toni McEwan and Phil Bowdle to unpack five time suckers every leader faces.

From inbox overload and people pleasing to lack of focus, control, and reactive leadership, they’ll help you spot what’s draining your time and energy—and how to take it back.

If you’ve been leading at full speed but feeling stuck, this conversation will help you slow down, refocus, and lead with clarity—because your remarkable mission deserves remarkable focus.

In this episode of the Slingshot Group Podcast, Tim Foot sits down with psychologist, former pastor, and author Dr. Wes Beavis to unpack the six stages of burnout that every leader should know. Drawing from both research and personal experience, Wes shares why leaders often miss the warning signs, how burnout impacts teams and organizations, and practical rhythms to prevent and recover from exhaustion. Whether you’re leading in a church, nonprofit, or the marketplace, this conversation will help you slow down, pay attention to the “dashboard,” and take steps toward health and sustainability in your leadership.

What does it take to build something that lasts beyond your leadership? In this powerful conversation, Tim Foot sits down with Dave Ferguson to explore how intentional succession, apprenticeship, and multiplication shape the future of the church. Drawing from his own transition at Community Christian Church and his leadership of Exponential, Dave shares the do’s and don’ts of raising up new leaders, the barriers holding churches back from multiplying, and the hopeful signs of a movement led by risk-taking, permission-giving cultures. If you want to grow leaders, not just fill roles—this is the episode for you.

Leadership is all about relationships—and how we manage them can make or break our impact. In this episode of the Slingshot Group Podcast, Tim Foot is joined by pastor, author, and leadership consultant Steve Cuss to explore the five core relationships that shape every leader's journey.

From the often-overlooked relationship with yourself to the people who stretch you the most, Steve offers practical wisdom for navigating relational dynamics, reducing leadership anxiety, and building emotionally healthy teams. No matter your role or experience, this conversation will help you lead with greater self-awareness, clarity, and care.

In this episode, we sit down with worship leaders and songwriters Shane Barnard and Shane Everett — known collectively as Shane & Shane — for an honest, funny, and deeply insightful conversation about life in ministry, the dangers of ego, and why community matters more than ever.

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For more information about Shane & Shane and The Worship Initiative, visit https://www.theworshipinitiative.com/

The workplace is shifting—and leaders are feeling the weight.

From rising expectations to navigating team transitions, it’s a challenging season to lead and to job hunt. In this episode, leadership coach and founder of Recruit the Employer, Jena Dunay, joins us to talk about what it looks like to lead well when everything feels uncertain.

We cover:
✨ The unrealistic pressure for leaders to meet every employee need
🧭 How to approach layoffs with clarity and compassion
💼 Why job seekers should reflect before rushing to update their resume
🌱 How to develop your team with transitions in mind

This conversation is full of practical insight and encouragement—whether you're leading a team or stepping into what's next.

What does it take to build a thriving leadership culture? Slingshot Group CEO Tim Foot sits down with Mac Lake, Founder of Multiply Group, to explore why leading yourself is the key to developing others.

Mac shares his journey as a young leader and his passion for equipping churches and nonprofits with strong leadership pipelines. With practical insights on personal growth, mentoring, and leadership challenges, this episode will inspire you to lead with greater impact.

In this episode, Jim Burgen and Jesse DeYoung from Flatirons Church pull back the curtain on leadership transitions, developing leaders from within, and the power of trust in executive roles. They reveal what’s working—and what they’ve learned the hard way in navigating conflict, prioritizing staff health, and the role of sabbaticals in sustaining long-term leadership. If you're leading in a church or nonprofit, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways for building a thriving, mission-driven team.

In this episode, Tim Foot is joined by Mindy Caliguire, co-founder and president of Soul Care, to tackle the often-overlooked need for soul care among leaders. Together, they discuss the six key practices outlined in Mindy’s book, Ignite Your Soul, and how these practices can restore leaders facing burnout and deepen their relationship with God.

In this episode, Megan Fate Marshman discusses the power of small acts of obedience, stewarding our stories to point to the Gospel, and allowing the message to transform us first. She also shares insights from her new book, Relaxed: Walking with the One Who's Not Worried About a Thing.

In this conversation, Tim Foot and Joey Odom explore the profound impact of digital distractions on personal relationships and leadership. Joey shares a pivotal moment from his life that sparked a passion for addressing the issue of phone dependency, leading to the creation of Aro, a digital wellness tool. They discuss the reality of our relationship with technology, the intimacy crisis it creates, and practical strategies for leaders to foster healthier habits and connections.

In this episode, we chat with Jenni Catron, leadership expert and CEO of The 4Sight Group. Jenni shares her insights on building healthy team culture, shaped by her experiences in the music industry and executive leadership roles. She offers practical advice on diagnosing team culture health, distinguishing toxic cultures from toxic leaders, and aligning values during the hiring process. Whether you're leading a team or looking to improve culture, this episode offers actionable insights to help you lead well.