Leading Ain't Easy
Leadership looks shiny on social media. But the reality is it’s messy, isolating, and full of self-doubt. Leading Ain’t Easy pulls back the curtain on the side of leadership nobody puts on their résumé.
Hosted by Ryan Calkins (Marine Corps veteran, career/leadership coach, and founder of Reframe & Rise) and Erny Epley (public-sector leader and founder of Bus Pro Network), this show dives into the raw, unfiltered truths of leading others; whether it’s in the military, the public sector, or the private world of business.
We’re not here with corporate buzzwords or textbook definitions. Instead, you’ll hear:
- Honest stories about the challenges and failures that shaped us.
- Real conversations about the doubts and decisions leaders wrestle with every day.
- Lessons, frameworks, and laughs that remind you you’re not alone in the struggle.
Episodes run 45-60 minutes (long enough to go deep, short enough for a commute) and drop weekly. Some weeks it’s just us, other weeks we’ll bring in guests (current and aspiring leaders) to share their own unfiltered journeys.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re cut out for this role, questioned yourself after making a hard call, or felt like a fraud even with the title… this podcast is for you.
Because leading ain’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Episodes
25 episodes
When Your Best Employee Keeps Asking for a Promotion
When a high performer keeps pushing for a promotion, the easy instinct is to either reward the performance or buy time. But Ryan Calkins and John Moore get into why both of those can backfire, and what's actually underneath a promotion decision...
"Soft Skills" Aren't Soft — They're the Hardest Part of Leading
Most leadership development focuses on the technical side: how to run a meeting, how to build a plan, how to hit a number. Emotional intelligence doesn't fit neatly on a training checklist. And that gap, Ryan Calkins and John Moore argue, is co...
Why "We're Like a Family" Can Backfire
The "we're like a family here" pitch is everywhere... and for a lot of people, it sounds like exactly what they want. Belonging. Loyalty. People who have your back.But Ryan Calkins and John Moore have both lived the other side of that st...
The Generation Gap: Managing Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z on the Same Team
Ryan Calkins and John Moore get into one of the most frustrating realities of modern management: you're not leading one kind of person, you're leading four generations at once, each shaped by different economics, different work cultures, and wi...
When Management Won't Do Anything About a Problem Employee (feat. John Moore)
Every team has had one; the person everyone's complained about, more than once, and nothing visibly changes. Before you write off your leadership, Ryan Calkins, John Moore, and ErnyEpley get into what you might not be seeing, and what it actual...
Respect vs Likability (feat. Rene Guerrero)
Do you need to be liked to be an effective leader?In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, Ryan and Erny sit down with Rene Guerrero, Assistant Public Works Director for the City of Ontario, to talk through one of the most ...
PIPs Aren't the End of the World
A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) can feel like a career death sentence.For a lot of people, getting put on a PIP feels deeply personal. It can hit your confidence, make you question your future, and leave you wondering whether you ar...
Leading When You Don’t Like Someone
You’re a leader. You’re not supposed to say it out loud. But let’s be real: you’re not going to like everyone you lead.In this episode, Ryan and Erny talk about what to do when someone on your team gets under your skin, without letting i...
Executive Presence (feat. Frank Hopkins)
A lot of people think “executive presence” means being polished, charismatic, or loud.It doesn’t.In this episode, we’re joined by executive coach Frank Hopkins, who works with CEOs and executive teams (primarily community b...
Leadership Mistakes That Can Negatively Impact Culture
If we're being real, workplace culture doesn’t live in mission statements or speeches, it lives in what happens every day.In Episode 15, Ryan and Erny break down the leadership mistakes that can erode culture over time: preaching standar...
Leading When You're the Youngest on the Team
What do you do when you’re the newest leader… and everyone you’re leading is older than you?In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, we get real about what it feels like to lead without seniority, including the anxiety, the impost...
Being the FNG (F’ing New Guy): Earning Trust From the Start (feat. Matt Quinn)
Being the "new guy" is hard. Being the new leader is harder.In this episode, Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley sit down with special guest, Matt Quinn, to talk about what it really takes to earn trust when you walk into a new job with zero ...
Setting Boundaries w/ Your Boss
Setting boundaries with your boss is about doing what matters without burning yourself out. Ryan and Erny break down how to set boundaries respectfully, stay consistent, and protect your time without damaging trust or credibility.In this...
Managing Up: How to Lead Without Authority
Managing up is one of the most important leadership skills and one of the least taught.In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley talk about what it really looks like to lead when you don’t have authority o...
Coaching in Leadership (feat. Alicia Sanders)
Most leaders are coaching whether they realize it or not. The question is whether they’re doing it intentionally… or accidentally.In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, Ryan and Erny are joined by Alicia Sanders, a Direct...
Leadership 101: What We Wish We Knew Before Leading Others
If you’re stepping into leadership for the first time (or thinking about it) this episode is your warning label and your playbook.Ryan and Erny break down what they wish they knew before they ever had direct reports: why leaders...
Invisible Pressures of Middle Management
Middle management is a grind: high responsibility, limited authority, and pressure from every direction.In this episode, we break down the invisible weight middle managers carry, like being the translator, mediator, protector, and proble...
Know Your Worth
Knowing your worth is easy to say but can be hard to live.In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, Ryan and Erny unpack what it really means to understand your value as a leader; beyond titles, money, or years of service. From imp...
Fix Your Face: How Your "Tell" Can Make or Break Your Leadership
You don’t have to say a word for people to know exactly what you’re thinking.Sometimes your face gets there first.In Episode 6 of Leading Ain’t Easy, Ryan and Erny dig into the idea of “Fix Your Face” and how your no...
The Cost of Being the Good Guy
Being the “good guy” at work sounds great on paper.You’re empathetic. You listen. You try to do right by people. You avoid unnecessary conflict. You take the high road, even when it stings a little.But over time, that version of l...
Leading As Yourself (w/ John Moore)
In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, we’re joined by special guest, John Moore (a longtime training leader turned coach) who has spent over 20 years leading teams in corporate environments that didn’t always make it easy to show...
Loneliness at the Top
No one really tells you how lonely leadership can get, especially the higher you climb.In this episode, Ryan and Erny talk candidly about the isolation that comes with being the one everyone turns to. The pressure, the silence, the respo...
Leadership Beyond Titles
Leadership isn’t something you unlock the day you get a promotion. It starts long before you ever have authority, a team, or an impressive title.In this episode, Ryan and Erny break down the real difference between managing and ...
Imposter Syndrome
In this Episode:The hosts focus on Imposter Syndrome, the feeling that you don't deserve your position and are waiting for someone to call you out.Defining the Doubt: Erny shares his first managerial experience ...
Episode 0 - Welcome to Leading Ain’t Easy
Leadership isn’t all highlight reels, motivational quotes, or textbook frameworks. It’s messy, isolating, full of self-doubt, and it rarely looks the way it does on social media. That’s why we created Leading Ain’t Easy.In this ...
