Billy Samoa Saleebey

Founder of Podify | Launching Video Podcasts for Speakers, Authors & Founders | Amplifying Purpose-Driven Voices, Building Unstoppable Brands | Ex-Tesla

𝗠𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬:
In 2019, I left Tesla as the Head of Global Sales & Product Training and went ALL IN on podcasting

I left my career but I found my calling. Here's what happened 👇

Spent a decade making movies - My feature film, Rolling, won awards, went to festivals all over the world, and got picked up for distribution in 2009

In 2010, I decided to make a pivot

I wanted to make a difference so I got into the renewables space

Helped scale a small solar company scale to become one of the biggest in the country

Got recruited by SolarCity

When Tesla acquired SolarCity, I got the opportunity to create the Onboarding Program for Tesla

Every new hire who starts at Tesla, goes through this program

I became the Global Head of Sales and Product Training, one level removed from Elon

Then I got the call...

Elon didn't want a global head of sales training

I could have stayed in corporate, but it was time to do my own thing

I started my podcast, Insight Out

Quickly realized how much work it is, so built a team

It became clear that others could also use help, so I started Podify

Today we help 40+ podcasters produce, promote, and monetize their shows

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𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 🚀
🎙️Insight Out - Top 1% Globally
▶️ Co-Founder & CEO of Podify
🎞️ Audience Award Best Feature - Rolling
🎥 Million+ views on YouTube
🤝 30K+ on LinkedIn - Millions of content views 
🏆 Top 100 LinkedIn Sales Star
🚗 Global Leader at Tesla
🥇All-Time Sales Record Holder
📺 Creator of SCTV 

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𝗠𝗬 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 🌎
To help visionaries and change-makers amplify their VOICE to make their mark on the world!

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𝗠𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗬 🎙
We help podcasters and brands produce, edit, promote, and monetize their shows - Podify.com

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𝗠𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 🎙
Insight Out dissects how the world’s most impactful people have made their mark - insightoutshow.com

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𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 🤝
People who are changing the world

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𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗜 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 👊🏻
Brands, influencers, celebrities, podcasters, athletes, speakers, radio/TV personalities, entrepreneurs, and executives

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𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 🤙🏻
🌎 World Traveller (42 countries 6 continents)
🍜 Ramen Addict
👨‍👦Dad to Kid Epic (YouTube)
⚾️ Little League Coach

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𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗠𝗘 📲
📆 Book a FREE podcast strategy call:
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📫 Media requests: saleebey@gmail.com

I post here daily: Hit 🛎 to be notified

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Co-Founder & CEO

Podify, LLC is a podcasting services and technology company that specializes in the production and promotion of digital media and podcasts. We work with podcasters and companies to provide audio editing, video editing, search engine optimization, web development, writing, analytics, transcription, publishing, media management, advertising, marketing, and social media support. Our clients subscribe to our monthly membership to receive these services and our mission is to help their podcasts achieve high production quality while reaching their target audience. We also create applications, technology, and automated tools to help create a more efficient workflow to produce a podcast.

This is 49.

One year away from 50…
 
And I feel like I’m just getting started.

Recently, someone my age told me they’re “slowing down.”

I feel the exact opposite.

The next half century?
I believe it will be the best chapter of my life.

This year has brought something even more powerful than progress.

Clarity.

I’ve crystallized who I serve and why.

I work with purpose-driven, mission-driven leaders and entrepreneurs.
 
People building companies that do well AND do good.
Businesses that exist for impact, not just income.

That clarity is shaping everything:
• I’m rebranding my podcast to Built For Impact (this is the first time I'm publicly sharing this)
• I’m interviewing leaders whose missions are bigger than themselves.
• I’m telling stories of companies that prove business can be a force for good.

And something interesting is happening…
I’m attracting the right people.

Founders.
Operators.
Builders.
Leaders who care deeply about the dent they leave in the universe.

On the personal side:

I’ve been walking more. A lot more.

So far this year I've lost 16 pounds.

16 more to go to be a high school weight!

But beyond the weight, walking has also given me mental clarity.
 
Time to think.
Time to listen. (to books, podcasts, friends)
Time to reflect.

My wife created a "birthday table" for me with photos from every season of my life.

It stopped me in my tracks.

The seasons.
The growth.
The setbacks.
The wins.

Life isn’t about the destination.
It’s about the journey.

And the journey is measured less by net worth…
and more by the value of your relationships.

My wife.
My son.
My parents.
My extended family.
Cousins who texted today.
Friends who reached out with a birthday call.

It’s the people.
That’s the real wealth.

I think about life as a wheel:
Love
Family
Friendship
Health
Wealth
Purpose
Work

If one part is missing, the ride gets bumpy.

My goal now is simple:

Build a life where the wheel is full and balanced enough to roll smoothly.

More ups than downs.
More depth than noise.
More purpose than pressure.

And if you get a random text from me in the coming weeks, just saying hello…

It’s intentional.
Relationships matter.

49 feels like alignment.

And I’m excited for what 50 and beyond will bring.

If you’re building something that makes the world better I’d love to connect.

Built For Impact.

I'm excited to share that my feature film Rolling is now on Amazon streaming! Last year, we landed a new distribution deal, which means a new generation can watch it!

Before Podify, before Tesla, before solar...I spent a decade in the film industry. 

And you may not know, I directed, produced, and co-wrote a feature film. 

Yes...

Over 20 years ago, a group of friends came together to make a movie about ecstasy.

We took it to film festivals around the world, it won multiple audience awards for best picture, got picked up for distribution, had a small theatrical run, and was on Netflix, and all the major platforms. 

The DVD was even on the shelves at Blockbuster (remember those days?!?!)

But more than valuable than these milestone achievements, was how working on the movie impacted my life, and the lives of so many who were involved. 

We were young. We were ambitious. We had no idea how meaningful that journey would become.

What started as a creative project turned into lifelong friendships resulting in deep bonds and relationships I still treasure to this day. 

Many of the cast, crew, and producers from that film are still very close. Even marriages happened because of Rolling!

That experience shaped more than a movie…it shaped my life.

Now, 17 years after its original 2009 release, Rolling is streaming on Amazon as part of a new distribution chapter that will bring it to multiple streaming platforms.

I’m incredibly grateful.

Many have asked for a link to watch it, so here it is!

If you have a chance to watch, share, or help us introduce it to someone new, it would mean the world.

Here’s to stories that keep rolling.

Here is the link to Rolling on Amazon:

Those extra holes on Converse sneakers aren’t decorative.
They’re optional capacity.

Yes, they help with ventilation.
That’s the obvious part.

They’re performance features designed to:
 
Lock the heel in place during lateral movement
Reduce foot slip under load
Increase stability during training

Most people never use them.

Not because they’re useless.
But because no one told them they existed.

That same pattern shows up everywhere in business.

Not in obvious ways.
In expensive, quiet ones.

Examples I see all the time:
• Calendars used for meetings: not energy design, focus blocks, or recovery
 • CRMs used as databases: not automation engines or follow-up systems
 • Cameras used on auto: while manual settings could double output quality
 • Teams hired for execution: while their strategic leverage goes untapped
 • PM tools used for tasks: not dependency mapping, risk surfacing, or clarity
 • Podcasts used for distribution: not relationship-building, deal flow, trust
 • Social media used for awareness: not audience research, message testing
 • SOPs written for compliance: not speed, delegation, or creative freedom
 • Analytics viewed as reporting: not behavioral insight or decision guidance

Here’s the truth:

Most people don’t need better tools.
They need deeper fluency.

Tool switching feels like progress because it’s visible.
Mastery feels slow because it’s internal.

But leverage lives in depth.

The people who compound fastest don’t add more.
They extract more.

They ask better questions:
- What am I only using at a surface level?
- What feature did I skip because it felt “advanced”?
- What capability would change outcomes if I actually learned it?

That’s how pros separate themselves from hobbyists.

Not by owning more gear.
 
By understanding what they already have.

Before you buy the next tool, platform, or system:

Learn the extra lace holes.

What’s one tool you already use every day that you suspect you’re under-utilizing?

Most people think this tiny pocket inside your jeans is just a design quirk.
It’s not.

It was originally made for pocket watches.
 
Later, people used it for coins.
 
Today, it mostly does… nothing.

And that’s the point.

The pocket didn’t fail.
 
It did exactly what it was designed to do.
We’re the ones who forgot why it exists.

That’s how systems quietly turn into drag.
Not because they’re broken.
 
But because their original purpose disappears and no one questions them anymore.

This happens in business all the time.
 • A weekly meeting no one can explain
 • A report everyone produces but no one uses
 • A tool the team inherited, not chose
 • A process defended with “we’ve always done it this way”

At some point, the context changed.

The system stayed.

High-performing founders don’t just optimize execution.

They re-audit intent.

They regularly ask:
 • Why was this built?
 • What problem did it originally solve?
 • Would we still design it this way today?

Because scale doesn’t collapse from bad ideas.

It collapses from forgotten ones.

If you can’t explain why something exists in one sentence, it’s already costing you.

🐸 Are we the frog in the AI pot...warming slowly, smiling calmly, and not realizing what’s coming?

Most big shifts don’t feel like emergencies at first.

They feel like conveniences. Efficiency. Progress.

Until one day the temperature isn’t “warm” anymore.
 
It’s… different.

And with AI... the water is heating fast.

Where the “temperature rise” really is

The credible risks aren’t killer robots.
 
They look more like this:
• Quiet job replacement, not overnight, but drip-by-drip
• Enormous power concentrated into very few companies
• Truth becoming harder to verify
• Increasing dependency → decreasing human capability
• Economic & social pressure on people who can’t adapt fast enough
• AI influencing decision-making at scale without transparency

Most people don’t notice risk as long as life seems easier
 
That’s the “warming water.”

The uncomfortable truth

AI isn’t inherently an existential threat

But misaligned incentives + rapid capability growth + global scale = real risk if we don’t take governance and alignment seriously

And hoping it turns out fine has never been a great strategy

So what do we do, practically, right now?

Here’s a simple framework I use when thinking about “future-proofing” in an AI world:

1. Awareness over denial

Don’t panic. Don’t dismiss.
Stay informed through credible sources, not headlines or hype.

2. Augment, don’t compete

Assume AI becomes a baseline tool, like calculators or the internet.
 
Ask daily:
“How does AI make my work 10–100x more effective?”

People who partner with AI will outpace those who avoid it.

3. Invest in deeply human skills

These compound in value:
• judgment
• ethics
• leadership
• creativity
• storytelling
• relationships
• taste
• emotional intelligence

AI amplifies these, it doesn’t replace them easily.

4. Own something AI can’t take

Ideally more than one of these:
• your audience
• your reputation
• your network
• your perspective
• your domain expertise

These are moats.

5. Push for responsible guardrails

Support:
• transparency
• safety research
• alignment work
• policies that protect humans
• accountability in powerful AI systems

We want progress, but with brakes, seatbelts, and airbags.

6. Build resilience

Assume change will accelerate.

Design your life & business for adaptability:
• recurring learning
• multiple income paths
• flexible identity (you are not your job title)

Antifragile beats comfortable.

The big mindset shift
The danger isn’t that AI becomes smarter than us tomorrow
The danger is we slowly hand over agency without noticing

We outsource:

thinking → decision-making → meaning.

The “frog” doesn’t die because the water gets hot.
 
It dies because it stops paying attention.

My takeaway

AI isn’t doom, it’s leverage.

But leverage amplifies everything, including our blind spots

The goal isn’t fear

It’s clear-eyed responsibility, proactive adaptation, and building the kind of society that remains human-centered even with non-human intelligence

Most people spend their entire careers operating inside systems they never bother to understand.

They use them.
Rely on them.
Complain about them.

But they don’t question them.

That tiny hole on the top of a pen cap is a perfect example.

Not because it’s clever.
But because almost no one ever asks why it exists.

And that same blindness shows up everywhere in business.

Founders who:
 • Post content without understanding distribution
 • Hire people without understanding incentives
 • Build offers without understanding friction
 • Scale teams without understanding failure points

They’re using systems they’ve never studied.

The best operators do the opposite.

They zoom in on details most people ignore.
They ask questions that feel “too small” to matter.
They assume nothing is accidental.

That’s where leverage hides.

Here’s the part most people don’t know:

That hole isn’t decorative.
It’s there because pen caps are a choking hazard.

If someone inhales or swallows the cap, the hole allows air to pass through the trachea and reduce the risk of suffocation.

It’s not a branding choice.
It’s not a design flourish.
It’s a safety requirement in many countries.

Which is the real lesson.

Great systems don’t optimize for best-case behavior.

They design for worst-case reality.
The founders who win long-term aren’t the most creative.
They’re the most curious.

They understand why things exist before trying to change them.

Because once you understand the system, you stop fighting it,
 and start using it.

This is what great marketing looks like...and most founders will completely miss why. 👇

Not because they’re bad marketers.

But because they’re addicted to explaining instead of revealing.

Here’s the truth:

People don’t believe claims.
 
They believe behavior.

This ad works because it doesn’t say anything.

It forces your brain to conclude the message on its own.

And when your brain completes the story…

You trust it more.

That’s persuasion at a neurological level.

Here are 7 reasons this ad outperforms 99% of marketing:

1. It externalizes the benefit

Bad marketing says:
“We’re delicious.”

Great marketing shows:
“Look what happens when this exists.”

Show the impact, not the features.

2. It creates behavioral proof

No testimonials.
No guarantees.

Just implied truth:
“If cats are climbing walls for this… it must be irresistible.”

Implied truth > stated truth.

3. It uses object-centered storytelling

You don’t see the brand talking.

You see the world reacting to the brand.

That shifts the story from:

“We are great”
to
“This changes behavior”

That’s much more powerful.

4. It builds desire through pursuit

Movement = attention.
But pursuit = desire.

When something is being chased, our brain automatically assigns it value.

Most brands talk.

Great brands make you lean toward them.

5. It collapses logic and emotion into one frame

Logic says:
 “This product must be good.”

Emotion says:
 “I want the thing everyone wants.”

When those stack, you win.

6. It removes the need for copy

If you need paragraphs to explain your value…

You don’t have clarity.

This ad is a masterclass in strategic subtraction.

The fewer words required, the stronger the idea.

7. It makes the audience do the thinking

And when people participate in the meaning…

They remember it longer.
And defend it harder.

Because now it’s their conclusion, not yours.

This isn’t just ad creativity.

It’s a lesson for anyone building a brand, podcast, or company:

Stop telling people what you do.
Start showing the world that changes when you exist.

When your work genuinely creates transformation…

You don’t need to scream.

You just need to design moments where the truth is undeniable.

Thoughts?

What cold plunging taught me about running a business
I’ve been experimenting with cold and hot therapy.

And the evidence is overwhelming:
 
Stress your body in the right way… and it gets stronger.

It turns out the same principle applies to business.

Here’s how.

1. The hardest part is getting in

Staring at cold water is worse than being in it.

Same with:
 • Shipping the first product
 • Posting the first video
 • Making the first sales call

The anxiety before action is always louder than reality.

Action quiets fear.

2. Discomfort builds capacity

Cold exposure trains your nervous system.

You learn to stay calm while it’s uncomfortable.

Business is constant discomfort:
 • Firing
 • Hiring
 • Saying no
 • Raising prices
 • Making decisions with imperfect data

Your success depends on how well you self-regulate when things get hard.

3. Adaptation happens slowly, then suddenly

The first plunge shocks your system.

By the tenth?
 
You breathe. You focus. You handle it.

Business works the same way.

At first, every problem feels like a crisis.
 
Over time, your tolerance grows.

Leaders aren’t born calm.

They train for calm.

4. Consistency beats intensity

One ice bath doesn’t change anything.
Neither does one great post.
 
Or one amazing quarter.

Small repetitions build big identities.

Do the right thing.
Do it again tomorrow.

5. Exposure reveals weak points

Cold shows you:
 • Where your breath breaks
 • Where your body tenses
 • Where you lose control

Business does too.

Pressure exposes:
 • Weak systems
 • Bad assumptions
 • Fragile culture
 • Missing processes

Pressure isn’t the problem.
Hidden fragility is.

6. Recovery matters as much as stress

Cold. Heat. Rest.
Stress + recovery = growth.

If you only run your business in “stress mode,” you burn out.

Leaders who last schedule:
 • Thinking time
 • Delegation
 • Boundaries
 • Real rest

Not because they’re soft.
Because they’re serious.

7. You never stop feeling the cold

It doesn’t get easier.
You get stronger.

Business doesn’t calm down.
 
You grow into the version of yourself who can handle it.

And that’s the game.

If you’re a founder or leader, ask yourself:

Where do I need more controlled discomfort?
 
And where do I need more intentional recovery?

Because growth doesn’t come from comfort.

It comes from learning how to stay steady in the cold.

I hop out of bed every morning...fired up and excited to get to work.

Why?

God has a plan.  I finally realized I'm along for the ride, but I need to be an active participant.

His plan put me in situations where I succeeded, failed, and learn some tough lessons.
Likely true for most of us.

After selling my startup I "fell" into the world of executive search.  And I loved it.  Still do (strange to say).

Then it happened.

God sent me down a path I didn't see coming.  An opportunity to join a startup as employee #4...at at time where I had found comfort running a small consultancy - and success.  

I didn't think I could learn, grow and frankly, find ways to be better at this point in my career.
Instrumentum is a special place, with an amazing team.  We are reinventing the surgical landscape.

Change is hard.  We are a dedicated bunch, committed to seeing this through.

As Chairman and Founder of Cruxible Partners, I get to watch an amazing group of talented "talent finders" grow that business as well.

Unfortunately, that's not how many people feel about their job, or their state in life.
Doesn't need to be that way.

Trust God, but don't be a passive participant in the journey.

Try a hobby.
Start a side hustle.
Meet new people (on LinkedIn, I've met some wonderful people who inspire and teach here).

If I can be this energized at this stage, so can you...

Pete Durand

"I'm so sorry, how can I help?" 

This response seems natural, but ACTUALLY helping tends to put us in a place of discomfort, and so we say it, but don't really mean it.

This hit me during my morning meditation.  The topic:  The Corporal Works of Mercy (Matthew 25:35-46): 

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead

If I'm being honest, my batting average is low here.

Jesus wasn't pulling any punches.  How will we be judged by these works?

Time to reassess my priorities, which typically focus on "things of this world" and prayer, when action should the call of the day.

Visit the imprisoned?  

Pick any of the above; probably not at the top of most of our to-do lists.

Perhaps they should be?

President, Instrumentum | Host of the Eating Crow Podcast | Chairman, Cruxible Partners

Most companies have a plan.  

We do. 

2025 was about laying a foundation after several acquisitions and heavy integration. 

A few lessons, a few scars, and a few wins.  

Looking back it’s about the people who joined the team more than anything.   Amazing people.  

We laid the foundation together. 
We built this plan together. 

2026 is off to a great start - we are firing on all cylinders, well ahead of plan.

It’s rare air.  

Grateful for our team who work tirelessly to care for our customers, travel nonstop and support each other. 

Many of us go through entire work life without experiencing this feeling. 

I freaking love my job and am blessed to know how lucky I am.  Heard the same energy from our team today 💪👍👏

Hope everyone finds an opportunity to be part of a fast growing company who isn’t afraid to dare, think big, stumble now and the but get back up and go. 

It’s a blast. 

Jeff Eardley Dean E. Darby Hubbell Rachel Meador (Knorr) Austin Wratchford, FACHE Bradley Schoening, CFO, MBA, CPA Ken Maready Jennifer Del Real, MSHRM Candy Schlicklin

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The Battle

Billy Samoa Saleebey

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The Battle

Billy Samoa Saleebey

Pete Durand

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Billy Samoa Saleebey's LinkedIn Performance

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