➡️ Access ALL FREE business resources, episode blueprints, and exclusive content from past episodes: https://stan.store/leopareja
Jon Cheplak, performance coach to some of the most productive team leaders and executives across industries, reveals the brutal truth behind why 80-90% of teams fail and leaders become "hostages to their agents." From working 110 hours a week as a bouncer and janitor to selling 100+ homes annually, Jon exposes the daily fundamentals that separate empire builders from social clubs masquerading as teams. With decades of experience coaching high-performers, he breaks down why treating people "fairly but not equal" is the key to retention and how personal trauma manifests in business dysfunction until you confront it head-on. This isn't motivational fluff—it's operational psychology for leaders who refuse to be held hostage by their own organizations.
➡️ Show Links
Website: https://cheplaklive.com
Coaching: https://cheplaklivecoaching.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/joncheplak
Instagram: https://instagram.com/cheplaklive
*TIMESTAMPS*
00:00 The Leadership Lie: Why Teams Become Social Clubs
02:16 From 110-Hour Weeks to 100+ Home Sales: Jon's Origin Story
06:26 The Biggest Lie Leaders Tell Themselves During Growth Stalls
08:11 Why Most Teams Are Social Clubs (Not Businesses)
09:38 Fair vs Equal: The Retention Framework That Actually Works
10:07 Market Shifts and the Coming Team Apocalypse
12:45 When Leaders Must Return to Sales (And Why Most Resist)
15:04 The Weakness Leaders Mistake for Strength
16:27 Keep Freaking Recruiting: The Most Underrated Operational Move
18:02 Why 80-90% of Leaders Are Hostages to Their Agents
19:42 The Predictable Emotion Before Agent Plateau
20:32 Vacation Schedules: The Leadership Red Flag You're Missing
21:45 Defining True Mastery: The 80% Rule
23:14 The Shadow Effect: How Past Trauma Shows Up in Leadership
26:04 Abundance vs Consequences: The Philosophy That Scales
28:53 The Invisible Culture System: Random Text Messages
31:06 Being the Insurance: Why Leaders Don't Get to Disappear
➡️ Connect With Leo Pareja
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/leopareja/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/leopareja/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leo.pareja
What is Leo Pareja Unfiltered?
Welcome to Pareja Unfiltered, where host Leo Pareja explores what it takes to lead, grow, and win.
Leo built companies and led tens of thousands of agents as CEO of eXp Realty (NASDAQ: EXPI). He's learned the difference between good and great isn't what you know—it's how you think, adapt, and inspire others.
Real strategies for real leaders, featuring CEOs, founders, and game-changers who've been in the trenches. This is podcast for leaders ready to stop playing small and start playing to win.