Rethink Change
New episode availableIntroduction
When growth is stagnant, culture’s a mess, the brand’s adrift, and the board wants miracles by Monday, Pennebaker’s podcast, Rethink Change, is where innovators and disruptors go for clarity.
Hosted by Founder Ward Pennebaker and President Matt Pennebaker, this podcast delivers sharp insights from battle-tested leaders who’ve navigated chaos and turned challenge into momentum. You’ll hear from executives from startups to global behemoths, from a wide range of industries. No fluff. All results. These conversations uncover what actually works – so you can think differently and act smarter.
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New Episode
What does it take to lead a company through a legal crisis, cultural chaos, and strategic drift—and come out stronger on the other side? And what really happens behind the scenes when you’re brought in to clean up the mess you didn’t create? If you’ve ever stepped into a leadership role mid-firestorm or wondered how to get an entire organization aligned around a single vision, this episode is for you.
Episodes
What does it take to turn seven separate acquisitions into one unified, AI-powered brand? And what's the real ROI of a rebrand when the stakes are this high? If you've ever wondered whether your brand is holding your company back or what it truly takes to lead a transformation that sticks, this episode is for you.
How does a B-17 bomber shot down over Belgium become the catalyst for one of the world's highest-caliber personality assessment tools? Meet Amy Shepley, third-generation president of Birkman International. From hand-scored Scantrons to AI-powered insights, she's turning her grandfather's war-zone revelation into a modern science of fixing people problems before they explode.
Ever wonder how the kid who swore he’d never sell a thing became the CEO who fires up 3,400 people to out-hustle the market and draft a blueprint to be the next Westinghouse? Meet Brett Cope—ex-ABB deal-maker turned Powell Industries power-broker who bet big on innovation, ditched customers from hell, and made culture his secret weapon. Hold on — change is his comfort zone.
What happens when a geoscientist-turned-executive carves $1 billion from a super-major’s budget in six months, turns helicopter chaos on four continents into record margins, and converts the loudest antisponsors into frontline evangelists? Meet Maggie Montaigne - the strategist who treats resistance like rocket fuel. Strap in; this episode is your masterclass in profitable disruption.
Ever wonder what it takes to yank a bleeding Baker Hughes division out of the mothership —in the middle of Covid—flip it to profit in four months, and then aim the same playbook at nuclear energy? Meet Sam Veselka: corporate insider-turned-private equity sharpshooter who runs toward chaos, scales founder-run firms, and proves culture beats capital – every time. Buckle up — change just got weaponized.
Imagine a Canadian expat who moved to Texas and started a new business by faxing a five-page proposal to Chesapeake Energy. He got a yes in 15 minutes — then leveraged that success to scale his employee benefits startup into one of the nation’s fastest-growing firms. Meet Jim Watt—turnaround addict, “ass-bailing” specialist, and killer of the long sales cycle. Watch out—benefits just went full beast mode.
"Clarity isn't just a buzzword. It's a business driver."