Paul Upton

LeaderUP

👉 Message me on LinkedIn

I am one of the few career coaches who has Fortune 50 leadership & hiring manager experience. This gives me the perspective to know exactly what hiring managers (not just recruiters) are looking for in a Manager, Director, VP+, how to stand out, and what it really takes to be a top 1% Leader & Candidate!

I have partnered with recruiters, HR leaders, hiring managers, and leaders to understand and distill the most important qualities and traits of successful leaders and how to find these in candidates and develop them in leaders. 

Through all this and hundreds of interviews, I have learned what the Top 1% of candidates do and built a system that works to help leaders, aspiring leaders, and high performers learn these skills and get the jobs & opportunities they really deserve!

► I help YOU master YOUR resume + LinkedIn so you STAND OUT and get NOTICED

► I help YOU learn how to ROCK your interviews and build real, memorable connections with hiring managers & GET OFFERS!

► I help YOU learn the skills to negotiate like a PRO to get the best total compensation package possible

► I really care. My sole reason for LeaderUP is to help YOU find success and fulfillment in your career. Success YOU DESERVE and have earned by working harder, learning more, and putting in the effort to SUCCEED!

I have created the LevelUP Leadership Top 1% Candidate Coaching Program to help leaders get promoted and land their dream jobs using Top 1% Applicant Strategies, leveraging the top SECRETS learned from Expert Resume Writers, Recruiters, Hiring Managers, Leaders, and Top Candidates, as well as many failures, successes, and continuous improvement!

► LevelUP Leadership Top 1% Candidate Coaching Program

MESSAGE me on LinkedIn to learn more and how I can help you!
Email me at Leaderup.Program@gmail.com

Founder, CEO & Chief Career Officer - Career Expert | Career Success Coach | Leadership Coach

MTFH Solutions

Making the Future Happen Solutions was created to help move forward innovative ideas, services, minds and leaders. More info coming soon!

Feel free to reach out directly for more details, we look forward to potentially working with you!

Current Focus Areas Includes:
- Consulting Services
- Leadership/Executive Coaching
- Pre Sales, Sales Strategy & Execution
- Start-up Coaching & Mentoring

Founder & CEO - Lead Consultant & Managing Principal

CenturyLink

Was recruited and brought in to lead the transformation organization of over 150+, consisting of 3 main groups the Data Science & AI/ML team, Business Transformation & Portfolio Management team and lastly the System, Tools and Integrations team. Tasked with using data, automation, cutting-edge innovative technologies to transform the way Lumen North American operations operate.

Scope included all Copper and Fiber networks, national and international, consumer as well as enterprise products and solutions.

Our task was simple, to plan, execute and deliver large-scale transformation efforts, removing over $200M of cost savings and revenue acceleration per year. The complexity came in how to actually do this, having a laser-sharp focus on execution and delivering results, while fostering & maintaining the culture and spirit of innovation.

This included partnering, pushing the limits and innovating with the best minds, companies and consultants in the industry!

Executive Director Transformation & North America Operations

Comcast

Tapped to do what I did in the Xfinity Mobile organization but across all of Comcast's Products and Operations, including TV, Internet, Voice, Xfinity Mobile, Xfinity Home and more.

This new role expanded responsibilities and direct leadership of two additional teams, managing all digital data operations and Adobe Website Tagging and Analytics for all of Comcast Cable.

Consumer Experience Transformation - Director Strategic Enablement and Data Operations

SCOPE:  All of XM Operations | Strategy and Innovation for Data, Product, Design, UX, Customer Support, Retail and Marketing to take the business to the next level |  Delivery of Operational & Data Solutions | Customer Experience Insights and Customer Journey Deep-dives

◾️ Tasked with transforming XM to be customer focused and data driven in all our operational and strategic decisions

◾️ Built out the strategy, plan, change management and delivery of this vision:
      ◽️  Created processes, capabilities and building out a team to enable our data first goals
      ◽️  Defined Requirements, Building ETL and Aggregating OMNI Channel Customer Experience Data
      ◽️  Made data relevant, error free, available, understandable and giving access to everyone in XM
      ◽️  Identified, built and launched tools to enable self-serve analytics & insights
      ◽️  Established structured listening mechanisms to understand what’s most important to our customers 

◾️ Identified and quantified our top business-wide opportunities in our customer experiences and operations

◾️ Delivering cross functional programs and strategic solutions to the top issues across XM saving over $5M annually

Xfinity Mobile - Director Customer Experience Delivery, Operations and Analytics

SCOPE: National Responsibility | +5 major annual programs | $150M Budget | 18 matrixed reports | Leadership of Strategy & Operations of 5,000 Security Technicians | Quality & Performance of Over +600,000 Installations/year

◾️	Lead capital and opex programs to drive key operational and quality metrics including: Tech Availability, DOJ Tech & Order Support, Repeat Rates M1 Churn, Time in Home and NPS, Customer Experience & Install Quality

◾️	Develop requirements for new products and product enhancements based on field, customer insights & NPS data

◾️	Manage field launch of new products, development of install processes and quality controls for professionally installed XH products to drive improved customer experience, NPS and truck roll & call reduction 

Key Achievements:
◾️	DROVE QUALITY & REDUCED CHURN: Designed new metrics, led and nationally launched updates to the installation verification score (IVS 2.0) run on every install, utilizing a structured change management approach.
◽️	Reduced M1 Churn by 50 bps and drove 65% increase in mobile app downloads on day of job
◽️	68% improvement in sensor signal strength quality on new installs, reducing M1 Calls & Truck Rolls
◽️	Developed a dashboard in Tableau for field leads to improve management and performance of KPIs

◾️	REDESIGNED INSTALL PROCESS & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: Led strategy, planning and execution of the initial Perfect Install Program to review the end-to-end sales through installation experience.
◽️	Program delivered 20+ recommendations and 11 core projects to improve the Tech & Customer Experience

◾️	IMPROVED AVAILABILITY & PRODUCTIVITY: Drove the best 0-5 day tech availability and average time to install results in XH history EOY 2017 through strategic project planning & execution 

◾️	REDUCED DEFECTS: Reduced 37% of calls through root cause analysis of DOJ Tech call data, development of solutions and support of the program management of 3 functional work streams.

Xfinity Home - Sr. Manager Tech Operations and Strategy

Verizon

SCOPE: 8 Core Verizon Telecom Functions | 11 major programs | $400M Reduction Goal | 5 Matrixed Leads & 9 indirect reports | Business Transformation Project & Program Lead | Large Scale Change Management & Execution

▪	Internal business consultant working with executive leaders to drive large scale growth & opex reduction programs

▪	Led matrixed & cross-functional teams focused on strategic process, functional and organizational changes and transformational improvements contributing to deliver over $21.5M in hard savings in 2016 and projected $120M.

▪	Led, co-facilitated and participated in over 12 Kaizen and Lean Six Sigma workshops

Key Achievements:
◾️	TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: Transformation program lead to reduce $1B of WIP to over $400M and intervals from 229 days to 69 days, involving over 8 functional organizations.
◽️	Lead one program pillar and 5 key solution teams to re-engineer project creation, engineering milestones, automation, triggers and KPI’s to reduce +60 days in process time and $16.1M in hard savings.
◽️	Completed complex financial and operational analyses used to develop the strategy, scope and benefits of this large scale executive sponsored initiative.

◾️	DEVICE QUALITY MANAGEMENT: Successfully led a DMAIC program to create and implement a new vendor centric method of testing and validating products, platforms and services reducing overall testing durations and defects by over 75% and an estimated yearly savings of $4.4M.
◽️	All previous attempts had been unsuccessful due to system, reporting and organizational complexities.

◾️	DEVELOPED LEADERS: Coached 3 Green Belts on LSS methodology, tools and project management practices to successfully complete DMAIC and DMADV (Design) projects, leading to two of these green belts becoming fully certified and promoted to full-time black belt roles.

Business Transformation - Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

3rd Rotation - Verizon Leadership Program

SCOPE: Led Prepaid, Tablet Internet Channels, Chat Strategy & Execution and Advanced Analytics & Customer Insights

◾️	OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE: Designed and led a prepaid chat project to utilize specialized sales chat reps on prepaid pages resulting in a 27% gross add lift and improved customer satisfaction ratings. 

◾️	VENDOR & PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: Led vendor management, project design, compensation model, training, implementation strategy and execution for the Verizon Wireless Sales Chat Program 

◾️	BIG DATA: Led BlueKai and Big Data adoption at VZW and developed strategic A/B testing for personalization and landing page optimization utilizing MECLABS, resulting in 20% lift in high-value customer segments.

Internet Sales, Marketing, Chat Strategy and Operations

2nd Rotation - Verizon Leadership Program

SCOPE: Led cell site planning & capacity for over 1200 sites, $400M in assets and $50M in mass calling event initiatives

◾️	BUDGET & FORECASTING: Led mass calling events planning for all of Houston-Gulf Coast region including network capacity planning, budgeting and equipment dimensioning of 85 events / event areas and over $50M in resources and assets.

◾️	CREATIVE INNOVATION: Saved over $9M by leveraging current assets in the maintenance of ALL HGC cell site’s CE, 1X, EvDO and backhaul capacity.
◽️	Co-led 2012-2015 LTE Interface capacity planning of over 1200 NB sites, sector-splits, and small cells.

Traffic, Capacity and Data Performance Engineering

1st Rotation - Verizon Development Program

◾️	ROLE 1 - Led new features, products, quality, reliability and customer experience of the FiOS product
◾️	ROLE 2 - Led the launch, operations, expansion, automation and performance of FiOS Self Install initiative

◾️	OPERATIONS LEAD: Created and led operational activities for the FiOS self-install project which directly led to reaching stretch goals of 11,000 self-installs acceptances by EOY 2011 and an expense savings of over $1.6M. 
◽️	Developed processes, call scripts, M&P’s, trained & led two out-bound call centers for self-install options
◽️	Led transitional & automation efforts of the self-install initiative to improve and scale this project nationally to a projected 70,000 self-installs by EOY 2012 and yearly savings of over $25M.

◾️	QUALITY, RELIABILITY & NEW PRODUCTS: Supported the launch of new FiOS products and improved quality & reliability of existing products and services reducing calls, truck rolls and customer affecting issues by over 40%; including X-box streaming, MRDVR, Flexview enhancements, widgets, Samsung Streaming, MoCA 2.0, MPEG4 and IPTV.

In Home Network Engineer & National Operations Special Assignment

McCreary Roofing Company Inc

•	OPERATIONS EXCELLENCE: Increased speed and accuracy of all new jobs and bid requests by 40% by standardizing the work flow process & increased productivity by implementing a Microsoft Access Database

•	MARKETING INNOVATION: Created a new value added marketing plan & bid presentation pamphlet resulting in 35% lift on accepted jobs.

Engineering, Marketing and Sales Lead

GE Transportation

◾️	BUSINESS PROPOSALS: Managed engineering technical proposals for new and existing markets including the Freightliner Guinea ES44ACi Locomotive worth over $40M; Co-managed all Superskids for ASIA & Russia

◾️	VENDOR & SUPPLIER OPTIMIZATION: Led a cost-benefit proposal to re-engineer GE equivalents to 14 Union Pacific cables, projected to reduce replacement cable costs and lost productivity time by 45%.

Locomotive Proposals Engineer

◾️	LEADERSHIP ROTATIONS: Completed 5 functional rotations in Material, Process, Lean, Quality and Engineering

◾️	PROCESS INNOVATION: Developed and successfully implemented a comprehensive material management and inventory tracking system utilizing Lean Kanban and JIT strategies to systematically automate inventory management resulting in a yearly savings of over $15M. 
◽️	Consolidated over 800 parts and eliminated an average of +5 hours and ~3.5 takt stopping shortages per/wk.

◾️	PROCESS AUTOMATION: Created a material-tracking and process tool that identified and prioritized backlogged high profile items in a continuously moving lean line resulting in Maincab ending 2nd Qrt 2008 on schedule for the first time in over 3 years.

◾️	SAFETY & ERGONOMICS: Led safety and ergonomic projects including installation of pneumatic vices to eliminate 90% of repetitive motion and increasing productivity by nearly 50%.

Manufacturing and Operations Lead

Want to get to your next Career Level? Or into a role you'll Love? ◆ We help you get there! | Sr. Leads ► Managers ► Directors ► Exec Directors | $150K/$250K/$500K+ Jobs

"With no exaggeration- Paul and the LeaderUP program changed my life!" – James
(See more in recommendations)

👉 Message me on LinkedIn

Why Senior Leads, Managers, Directors & VPs choose to work with me:
▶️ You want to break into your next leadership role, get promoted, or move to a promotional opportunity. Maybe you are seeking to break into your next level or senior leadership.

▶️ You're stuck in your current role, not much company growth, or growth opportunities. Or you do not like your current company/role and want to find a better one and level up your career to the one you deserve!

▶️ You're in a job search, you know you are good, but something is missing, you are not getting interviews, or are not getting offers!

▶️ You're tired of being frustrated & wasting time!

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞: I've spent the last 14+ years working at top Fortune 100 companies.
◾️ 10+ jobs over this time and 2 highly competitive leadership programs
◾️ 7 times promoted/found promotional opportunities (often they found me)
◾️ Most recently an executive director at a telecom leading an organization of 150+ people.

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝:
◾️ What it really takes to stand out in the Top 1% of leaders
◾️ How to be a great leader and more importantly how to develop this in others
◾️ How to hire the best, I've done over 500+ interviews and hired multiple high performing 10X teams

I am one of the few career coaches who has leadership/hiring manager experience and knows what they are looking for!

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒!

I have put these learnings together and have created the 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐔𝐏 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐨𝐩 1% 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 to help leaders and aspiring leaders reach the next level and land their dream jobs/promotions. 

Are you someone who wants...
✅Wants more MONEY, TIME, FLEXIBILITY, and GROWTH?
✅Gets multiple offers and CHOOSES the best one for them?

And would rather...
✅Follow a proven step-by-step process that works!
✅With the 1:1 support, you need along the way!
✅That takes 70% less time & effort and 99% less frustration!
✅And finally, get that dream job that they deserve and are excited to jump out of bed for?

► LeaderUP Job Offer System & Coaching Program -  Reach out to learn more!

👉 Learn more: message me!

Three years, 60-hour weeks, and all I got was anxiety meds and a pizza party.

That’s not a joke. That’s my review of their “employee experience.”

Here’s the dirty secret about “professional” notice periods-companies can cut your job with zero warning. But when you decide to leave, they expect you to train your replacement. Two weeks. Smiling. No complaints.

How much notice do they deserve when they’ve been burning you out for years?

I watched someone start a new role Monday. First day, her boss listened to her idea and said, “Let’s go with that.” She got a 40% raise. She got real work-life balance. She got respect on day one.

She didn’t apologize for leaving dysfunction. She didn’t feel guilty for protecting her mental health. She didn’t give courtesy to a company that never would have done the same for her.

Stop believing you owe loyalty to companies that don’t value you.

Stop thinking you have to “tough it out” for the sake of professionalism.

The truth is: companies protect their bottom line. You have to protect your well-being.

If a company can let you go with no warning, you owe them the same. No more. No less.

Has a company ever asked you to give more than they’d ever return? How did you handle it?

Share if it’s time to normalize protecting ourselves the way companies protect themselves.

#leadership #mentalhealth #workplace

The hardest part of my career was admitting I needed help.
That night, surrounded by tissues and doubt,

I decided to ask for help. That changed everything.

I didn’t see it coming.

Years ago—after months of late nights and hitting impossible goals—I walked through my front door, hugged my wife, and cried.

Not a little.

The kind of crying where your whole body shakes.

I felt like I'd failed.

Despite pouring myself into every project, there was no promotion. No recognition. No “thank you.”

Instead:
➝ I was told to “improve.”
➝ I was told I wasn’t ready.
➝ I was told I wasn’t enough.

I started asking myself the hard questions.

What am I missing?
Am I a bad leader?
Why does this keep happening?

Fast forward six months—everything flipped.

→ 4 job offers
→ 2 internal promotions
→ $34K pay raise
→ A dream role leading a team

How?

It wasn’t luck. It wasn’t working harder.
It was a single turning point.

That night, surrounded by tissues and doubt,
I decided to ask for help.

Not easier said than done. HARDER than done.

(And for me, big-time ego. What if people thought I was weak?)

But I followed through.

Here’s what admitting I needed help looked like:

1/ I dropped my ego.
What got me here won't get me there. Sometimes career success requires admitting you can't figure it all out alone.

2/ I faced the truth.
I was fixating on the next role while neglecting my current job and actual capabilities. Time to work on ME!

3/ I sought guidance.
I committed to change and got a coach. They identified growth areas I'd missed or avoided—truths I needed to hear.

4/ I took action.
Despite initial fear, I trusted the process. Took massive action and IT WORKED!!!

The results?

→ Promotions.
→ A fulfilling career.
→ Clarity like I’ve never felt before.

The truth is, success isn’t about staying strong.
It’s about knowing when to lean on someone else.

If you’re stuck… don’t wait for a breaking point like mine.

Take the step.

(You might just surprise yourself.)

Since then, I've earned multiple promotions and built an amazing career!

This journey inspired me to become a career coach myself—now I help others achieve the same transformation!

Comment "Transform" below ↓
If you'd like to learn more about how we could help you!

♻️ Repost to help someone who’s ready for their breakthrough.

Upskilling isn’t optional anymore.
If you’re not growing, you’re falling behind—fast.

And here’s the harsh reality:

Many people don’t.

They stay in their comfort zone.
They avoid challenges.
They hope their current knowledge will be enough.

But it won’t be.

Growth isn’t just “nice to have.”
It’s your survival strategy.

The professionals crushing it right now?

→ They’re learning new skills every week.
→ They’re adapting faster than ever.
→ They’re building momentum—not excuses.

The ones struggling?

→ They think their past success will carry them.
→ They hesitate to admit what they don’t know.
→ They wait too long to pivot, then the opportunity is gone.

Here’s the truth:

The leaders who thrive in this fast-changing world are the ones who say, “I don’t know this yet—but I will.”

They act BEFORE it’s urgent.

They lean into being a beginner again.

They go ALL IN on leveling up their mindset, their skills, their careers.

It’s not magic. It’s discipline.

Want to know how to start?

1/ Admit you're stuck.
↳ Example: “I don’t understand AI, and I’m behind on it.”

2/ Pick one skill that will make you more valuable.
↳ Example: “I’ll learn AI to streamline processes in my work.”

3/ Break it into bite-sized steps.
↳ Example: “I’ll spend 10 minutes daily watching tutorials before work.”

4/ Find resources that match your style.
↳ Example: Visual learner? Watch videos. Prefer hands-on? Try free tools.

5/ Track your progress.
↳ Example: “After one week, I’ll summarize the basics in my own words.”

6/ Stay consistent.
↳ Example: “Every weekday at 8 AM, no excuses.”

This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about showing up every day and refusing to settle for “good enough.”

Because the skills you sharpen today will set you apart tomorrow.
What skill will YOU commit to learning this week?

♻️ Repost to inspire someone to start growing today.

If you want to learn the skills to level up your career and income?
Comment "LevelUP" below! ⬇️

3 years stuck. 12 rejections. Zack kept asking, what am I doing wrong?

He followed every rule.

Worked harder than anyone.
Delivered 30% over target.
Took every high-profile project.
Built skills nobody else had.

His reviews? Stellar.
His bonuses? Impressive.
His promotions? Nonexistent.

Managers kept saying, “Be patient.”
Feedback was always vague.
“Not quite executive material.”
“Need more seasoning.”
“Keep doing what you’re doing.”

Zack felt trapped.
He did everything right.
Still, doors stayed closed.

The truth is:
Performance was not his problem.
Positioning was.

LeaderUP’s assessment showed what was hiding in plain sight.

He spoke as a specialist, not a leader.
His resume listed effort but not impact.
He solved problems but didn’t move strategy.
He was seen as reliable, not visionary.

The better he got at his job, the more they kept him in it.

LeaderUP helped him break the pattern.

We identified the leadership stories he never told.
We reframed his wins to spotlight business results.
We changed how he spoke to executives.
We built his authentic leadership voice.

Twelve weeks later:

He interviewed for Senior Director.
They made a new role just for him.
His pay jumped 45%.
His team size tripled.

The lesson?

Excellence alone won’t get you promoted.
You must be seen as a leader before you get the title.

The system is built to keep high performers in place.

If you don’t position yourself differently, you hit the same ceiling again and again.

What invisible ceiling is holding you back?

Comment “CEILING” if you want to learn how to position yourself for your next level.

I watched others get promoted while I waited.  
Then I changed my approach-and my career exploded.

Here’s what no one told me:

• Hard work alone does not get you noticed  
• Loyalty does not guarantee progress  
• Job boards rarely deliver real results

Most people do what they know:  
• Polish the resume  
• Send more applications  
• Wait for luck to show up

But waiting is not a strategy.

When I wanted to break out, I did what top leaders do:

1) Get clear on your VALUE  
→ Write down three true strengths (no buzzwords)  
→ Ask trusted peers how you drive impact  
→ Figure out what sets you apart

2) Stop job-hunting. Start NETWORKING  
→ Reach out to decision-makers directly  
→ Share wins, ideas, and vision-not just your CV  
→ Connect with peers at the next level up

3) Build your personal BRAND  
→ Show how you solve problems others cannot  
→ Share stories of leading teams or driving results  
→ Let the right people know your goals

I used these steps myself:
• Seven promotions  
• Multiple leadership programs  
• Doors opened that I never saw before

Hundreds of clients have done the same.

The uncomfortable truth:  
Results speak louder than hours worked.

You deserve a job where you feel valued-and where you grow.

Ready to stop waiting and start leading?  
I built a free training on what hiring managers *really* look for.

Want a copy?  
Message me with “TRAINING” and I’ll send it over.

What would shift in your career if you focused less on resumes and more on relationships?

I stopped trying to be perfect in interviews. I started listening instead. That’s when the offers came.

Picture this-70 interviews, zero offers. Each one felt like an exam. I studied, rehearsed, tried to give flawless answers. I left every room feeling defeated.

The truth is: interviews are not tests. They are conversations.

What changed everything for me?

I heard: “People don’t hire skills. They hire humans they trust.”

That hit hard. I realized my mistake. I was trying to impress, not connect.

I shifted my approach:

• I asked what THEY needed
• I listened to their biggest challenges
• I made it about THEM, not me

Instead of performing, I connected. Instead of reciting, I listened.

Next 5 interviews?

4 offers. No change to resume. No fancy script. Just a new mindset.

Here’s what matters:

→ If you’re in the interview chair, you are already qualified
→ Rapport wins over rehearsed answers
→ Solve THEIR problem-not your anxiety about being perfect

Hiring managers want someone who understands, not just someone who answers.

I built the LeaderUP Interview System around this truth. It’s helped me-and hundreds of clients-stand out and get offers, fast.

Your resume gets you in the room. The way you connect gets you the job.

How do you approach tough interviews? Has connection helped you stand out?

Stuck in a toxic job? You’re following old rules that keep you trapped.

You know you’re a talented leader in tech.
But you’re still using the same playbook that got you here.
Now-those rules hold you back.

Here’s what I see every week:

• You polish your resume for the 100th time.
• You wait for your boss to notice your value.
• You hope HR will offer you something better.
• You keep working harder, hoping for a break.

Truth is: Companies changed. Hiring changed. Leadership changed.
But the job search strategies most people use? Still stuck in 2010.

The fix is simple, but powerful.

The LeaderUP 3 Keys Proven Framework:

1. Decision Maker Marketing - Position yourself as the solution to their biggest problems. Your resume and LinkedIn must scream impact at the level you want, not just the job you have.

2. Interview Pipeline Process - Build a personalized outbound plan. Reach out directly to decision makers. Use tools and automation. Stop waiting, start driving interviews.

3. Interview Process Certification - Learn how to become the answer hiring managers need. Consistently get offers by showing you solve real pain.

But that’s not all.

We dig deep to uncover your key unlocks:
→ What makes you unique?
→ Where do you deliver value no one else can?
→ Which growth areas will move the needle?

Then, we use the MASE Approach:
• Mindset: Growth over fear.
• Attitude: Show up with energy.
• Skills: Level up-hard and soft.
• Effort: Daily, focused action.

Imagine the shift:
You land the role you want.
You triple your impact, income, and satisfaction.
You wake up excited-recognized for your true worth.

The uncomfortable truth:
Success starts when you break old patterns and choose a new strategy.

What would change in your career if you stopped following outdated rules and started using a proven framework?

I see growth where others see only trouble. That’s my secret.

Most people scan the headlines, scroll through complaints, and get stuck on what’s wrong.

They say:
• The world is a mess
• My job is draining me
• Nothing ever changes

But here’s what they miss-what you focus on becomes your reality.

When you zoom in on pain, you get more pain.
When you point your lens at growth, you see new ways forward.

I’ve been there. Years ago, I hit a wall in my career. Stuck, frustrated, looking for someone to blame.

The truth is: I was feeding the problem with my attention. I was growing more stuck, not less.

Everything shifted when I started asking:
• What can I learn here?
• How can I grow from this?
• What part of me needs to change?

That’s when the doors opened. New roles. Promotions. More energy. Better teams. Not overnight-but every day, a little more.

The uncomfortable truth: The world will always have trouble. Pain. Problems.

But you choose what grows in your life. Your focus is the fertilizer.

If you want to be in the top 1%, start with your mindset-focus on growth, not trouble.

What would shift in your career if you focused less on pain and more on possibility?

Millennial Prime

Empowering dads, parents, and leaders to show up the way they want in all areas of life & work.

Millennial Prime is a coaching and community platform helping growth-minded people go from reactive to intentional, stressed to connected, and overwhelmed to joyful.
 
The combination of community + live coaching helps you become: 
- Self-aware and emotionally resilient
- Calm, confident, and present with anyone
- The Trusted Leader people WANT to be around, not just because they have to

The result? Deeper relationships with your kids. Deeper relationships with your spouse. Deeper relationships with your manager and teammates. And peace of mind for you.

Join the tribe → www.millennialprime.com

Founder, Communications & Leadership Coach

Evryday Legends

We use your personal authenticity to drive tangible results for your business in 30 days.

Evryday Legends is a modern personal branding and ghostwriting studio.

We build brands from scratch to create warm inbound while always being authentic. We make personal brands...personal.

Founder & CEO

www.greggarunov.com

Bootstrapping what will become the #1 destination for Parenting and Leadership lifestyle content in the world.

Solopreneur

Sightly

I went wherever I could make the most impact in the org.

EVP Strategic Development

I closed partnerships and new revenue deals that became the foundation of Brand Mentality - Sightly's proprietary B2B SaaS intelligence product.

SVP Business Development & Marketing Strategy

Brand Safety Institute

Board Member

Horizon Media

I led a team spending lots of marketing dollars for Capital One.

VP Digital Strategy & Investment

I modernized Capital One's marketing spend strategy.

Digital Director

NYU School of Professional Studies

I taught Marketing graduate students the ins and outs of paid media.

Guest Lecturer

Starcom

I created custom brand comms platforms for Novartis.

Oh and I also spent lots of marketing dollars for MARS Chocolate.

Associate Director

Mindshare

I onboarded TGI Friday's to the agency and created frameworks on how to spend lots of marketing dollars.

Associate Media Director

The Media Kitchen

I created custom brand comms platforms and spent lots of marketing dollars for William Grant & Sons spirits.

I help unlock Lifestyle Freedom for the millennial parent | Storyteller | 9-5 Rebel

Being a great Leader starts with being your best self. At home AND at work.
  
But most of us were never shown *how* to thrive at both. Most likely, you're showing up half as good as you want in most areas of your demanding life.
 
I’m Greg—a coach, community builder, workshop facilitator, and the founder of Millennial Prime: a space for growth-minded parents & executive leaders to become who they want to be and learn how to deeply connect with anyone. It all starts with Communication & Leadership of OURSELVES - before anyone else.
 
After years of overwhelm, anxiety, and Dad guilt, and searching for support to no avail, I built the thing we’ve been missing.

In the Millennial Prime community, you’ll learn how to:
- Stop self-sabotage and Lead with confidence
- Understand how missed communication cues lead to less trust
- Become the Trusted Leader your family and teams deserve, and WANT to be around, not just because they have to.

This is done through:
✅ Live group coaching
✅ Actionable playbooks
✅ Deeper insight into how your mind works
✅ Tools to ditch the guilt and be fully present
 
And most importantly—you'll remember how to enjoy life—everyday. This is what I do for growth-minded individuals, parents, corporate leaders, and people looking to show up the way they want and their people need.

I'll help you show up in the way you want and your people need in all the right times.

🎯 Start with my free weekly newsletter → [www.greggarunov.com]
🧠 Explore my brain through longer-form articles 2x/week → [greggarunov.substack.com]
📺 Check out weekly videos on YouTube → [www.youtube.com/@millennial_prime) 
📱 Follow daily insights on LinkedIn, IG, and X

Greg Garunov

You can have a full schedule and still feel empty inside

Because being busy isn’t the same as being bonded.

For years, I thought full calendars meant full hearts.

Morning calls. Kids’ drop-off. Gym. Slack. Groceries. Repeat.

Every hour accounted for yet something inside still echoed.

Like the room knew my name, not my story.

That’s the part no one tells you.

Loneliness doesn’t always look like isolation.
Sometimes it wears a productive smile.
It hides behind “I’ve just been slammed.”
It sounds like competence with a quiet ache underneath.

When I finally slowed down, I realized I hadn’t been missing people.
I’d been missing presence.
Not surface-level updates but real connection.

The kind that sits with you in silence and says, “I see you.”

I started rebuilding small:

- Coffee with two old friends.
- Dinner where we put phones away.
 
Asking my team one real question: “How are you, really?”

Connection isn’t found, it’s built.
Brick by brick, rep by rep.

Try this today:
🔹 Text one person: “Miss our real talks. Coffee this week?”
🔹 Tonight, ask someone at home: “What felt heavy today?”
🔹 Then listen: not to fix, but to feel.

You’ll be surprised how quickly the hollow softens.

⏩ For Leaders Who Parent. For Parents Who Lead ⏩ I coach working parents to read cues, regulate faster, and earn real trust ⏩ The Anti-Andrew Tate

You can lead a room of 40… and still lose the room that matters most.

You know that moment:
You say one sentence.
Their body shifts.
The energy drops.

It’s not what you said.
It’s what they felt when you said it.

At work, your directives get executed.
At home, your tone gets interpreted.

Your kid walks away mid-story.
Your partner goes quiet.
 You replay the conversation later and think:
 “Why did it land like that?”

Here’s the truth you already know:

When your nervous system is tight,
your words don’t travel clean.

They get filtered through fear, tension, history.

Try this tonight:

→ Pause at the door
 → Drop your shoulders once
 → Say what you’re feeling before what you’re fixing

Something simple like:
 “I had a full day, and I’m still shifting gears. I want to hear you.”

You’ll feel the room soften.
 Not because your words changed
 but because you did.

💬 Which hits harder at home: the words you say or the energy you bring? Comment your pick and let’s talk about it.

⏩ For Leaders Who Parent. For Parents Who Lead ⏩ The Path to Better Kids Starts With Better Men ⏩ The Anti-Andrew Tate

You don’t want to be the man they admire. 

You want to be the man they approach.

You know what high-achievers fear most?

❌ Not failure.
❌ Not burnout.
❌ Not conflict.

They fear becoming
the parent they swore they’d never become.

Present but not connected.
Home but not reachable.
Successful but not felt.

But here’s the truth:

Your kids don’t need a perfect dad.
Your partner doesn’t need a flawless communicator.
Your team doesn’t need a superhuman leader.

They need a man who can sit with himself
long enough to sit with them.

A man whose 
✅ Presence is predictable.
✅ Tone is safe.
✅ Breaks patterns, not people.

You can become that man.
Not overnight.
But in the next conversation.
And the one after that.

Connection compounds faster than income ever did.

P.S- If you want to know how to reconnect without long talks, join the December workshop (more details soon)

- 
If “presence over perfection” is your new standard, repost this. Follow Greg Garunov + tap 🔔 to stay in the practice.

If your growth depends on feeling motivated, it’s already in danger.

The most consistent people I know aren’t more disciplined, they’re better designed.

 They build systems that remove friction and protect energy.

 One founder I coach has a rule: no decisions before breakfast.
 Every morning block is pre-scheduled for high-clarity work.
 No “what should I do first?” spiral.

Another uses “friction audits.”
He lists the top three tasks he avoids and redesigns the environment, shorter meetings, clearer prompts, visual cues.

Because self-sabotage thrives in ambiguity.
Systems kill ambiguity.

Ask yourself:
 → Where do I rely on motivation instead of structure?
 → What habit could I automate or outsource?
 → How can I make the right choice?

You don’t need stronger willpower.
You need smarter defaults.

Design beats discipline.
Every. Single. Time.

📌  Comment SYSTEMS if you’re building new ones this month.

P.S- Children understand systems better than us, without even knowing about it!

The split second before you speak decides the next three hours of your stress level.

We’ve all ignored that moment.
Powered through it, convinced we could “handle it” with logic, tone, or willpower.

But the body doesn’t negotiate.
It broadcasts.

- Your shoulders rise.
- Your breath shallows.
- Your mind sharpens into defense mode.

And whatever came out of the mouth isn’t leadership.
It is survival dressed up as certainty.

Here’s the shift: stop trying to manage conversations and start managing the second before the conversation.

Two breaths.
One label for what’s rising.
One intention for how you want to land.

It sounds small but rewires everything.

And these are just a few examples. 
Many will work for you but you have to discover them.

Hard moments get softer edges.
People hear you instead of bracing.
The room stays intact instead of cracking.

Master the second before the moment, and you’ll never walk away wishing you’d handled it better.

Try it once today and see how fast things loosen.

Most sabotage doesn’t happen in big explosions. 

It happens in quiet micro-defiance.

“I deserve a break.”
“I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“That call can wait.”

Tiny rebellions that feel empowering until they pile up.

They’re not about laziness, they’re about autonomy.

When your nervous system feels controlled by pressure, by expectations, by your own perfectionism, it fights back.

That’s why willpower fails.

You can’t bully your biology.
You have to befriend it.

Here’s a better way:

 → Notice the moment before defiance hits.
 → Instead of forcing action, name the feeling. (“I feel trapped,” “I feel pressured.”)
 → Then choose a smaller, self-directed step that restores agency.

Example: Instead of “I must finish this deck,” try “I’ll outline just the first slide.”

Momentum returns when choice does.

Self-discipline isn’t domination, it’s dialogue.

And micro-defiance loses power when you make room for micro-permission.

📌  Save this if you’ve ever wondered why “just push through” stops working.

You don’t need more options, you need alignment.

Clarity comes when your decisions start honoring your values, not just your deadlines.

Here are 7 no-nonsense tips for making decisions that actually feel right because they’re built on your values:

Start with a Values Check: Before clicking “send” or saying “yes,” ask yourself: “Which values am I honoring here?” Instant compass.

Mix It Up: Get diverse voices in the room. Different perspectives = fewer blind spots (and better decisions).

Short-Term vs. Long-Term: Quick wins are tempting but don’t ghost your future self. Choose what sticks.

Play “What If?”: Imagine tricky scenarios ahead. Better to prep now than panic later.

Write It Down: Keep a decision log — not for drama, but for clarity and trust.

Empower the Squad: Let your team own values-led decisions. Faster moves, stronger culture.

Check Yourself Regularly: Schedule a values audit. Yes, it’s a thing, and it works wonders.

Bonus tip: When values clash (because they do), don’t dodge the tough talks—get in the ring and figure it out.

Want more? I’m diving deep into this at our next workshop. Curious? Check the captions!

P.S- What’s one value you never compromise on? Drop it below, let’s chat!

Every leader has a contract they sign in their minds: 

“Protect the room, even when you’re falling apart inside.”

I lived by that contract for years.
Smile steady.
Voice even.
Body quiet.

Meanwhile, tension leaked through the seams.
People feel what you don’t say.
They respond to your nervous system before your words.

When I finally stopped pretending and started regulating, something unexpected happened:
People trusted me more, not less.

Clarity replaced performative calm.
Real presence replaced the mask.
Even my kids loved sitting around and sharing.

The room doesn’t need you to be invincible.
It needs you to be regulated.

And regulation isn’t emotional exposure.
It’s leadership.

Rewrite your contract. Make calm the standard, not the performance.

♻️ If this hit you, repost it. Follow Greg Garunov + tap the 🔔 to catch the next one.

You don’t need another morning routine.
You don’t need a new planner.
You need better questions.

Most people try to out-hustle self-sabotage.

But you can’t fix fear with force.

Here’s the switch that changes everything 👇

When you catch yourself procrastinating, overworking, or spiraling, don’t ask, “What’s wrong with me?”

Ask this instead:

- “What is this protecting me from?”

- “What emotion am I avoiding right now?”

- “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”

That’s how awareness starts.
That’s how safety returns.

You don’t overcome self-sabotage with discipline.
You outgrow it through curiosity.

Try this today:
Next time you delay something important, pause and ask
“What fear would doing this expose?”

You’ll be shocked how fast clarity comes when you stop judging yourself.

(Repost this for the friend who keeps saying “I’m just not motivated” ♻️)

P.S. What’s one question you ask yourself when you feel stuck?

PPS - It is a daily ritual at our dinner table to sit down and ask these important questions :)

Self-sabotage wears the voice of reason and calls it balance.

For one client, it looked like perfectionism, reworking slides until 1 a.m.
For another, it was people-pleasing, saying yes to every request, then resenting the overload.
For me, it used to sound like “I’ll start fresh Monday.”

Different disguises, same driver: fear of failure meeting fear of change.

If you want to catch it, don’t look for chaos.

Look for loops.

 → Repeating the same frustration with different people.
 → Procrastinating only on the projects that matter.
 → Feeling relief when things fall apart because at least it’s familiar.

Write one down this week.
Trace the emotion under it.
It’s rarely weakness,  it’s protection strategy on autopilot.

Once you see the pattern, you gain choice.
You can pause the script instead of performing it.

Noticing your sabotage isn’t self-criticism.
It’s self-study,  the kind that leads to freedom.

📌  Comment PATTERN if you’ve spotted yours recently.

P.S- If you deal with the same pattern, check comments for the link to the latest workshop (trust me you don't wanna miss)!

Most people don’t need another productivity hack. 

They need permission.

Permission to rest without guilt.
To want more without shame.
To fail without labeling themselves broken.

When you remove permission, self-sabotage rushes in to claim control.

Because your psyche will find some way to feel free even if that freedom looks like procrastination or chaos.

So give it what it’s craving: autonomy and grace.

Here’s the weekend challenge:

- Write down one rule you secretly resent about success, parenting, or leadership.
- Then rewrite it.
- Turn “I must always be strong” into “I can be human and still lead.”

That’s how patterns end not with pressure, but with permission.
When you stop fighting yourself, energy returns.
When you feel safe, discipline stops being a battle.

P.S- If this resonates, share it with someone who needs a little permission today.

Sometimes the smallest shift in mindset is enough to stop self-sabotage in its tracks.

Success freaks people out more than failure ever could. 
You’re not failing, you’re just learning to feel safe succeeding.

Because success isn’t just the win.
It’s visibility, pressure and expectations.

And when your brain isn’t ready for that?
It quietly slams the brakes. 🧠

If it feels scary, that’s okay.
You’re not broken, you’re rebuilding.

Try this instead:
➡️ If it feels heavy, go smaller = micro action
➡️ If it feels scary, slow down = deep breath
➡️ If it feels impossible, start anyway = one rep
➡️ If it feels good, repeat = trust the loop

Stop calling it self-sabotage.
Start calling it nervous system training.

Growth doesn’t start with hustle, it starts with safety.

P.S. What’s one fear that surprised you when things started going well? Comment below!

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The Battle

Paul Upton

Greg Garunov

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taplio

The Battle

Paul Upton

Greg Garunov

Followers

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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);}Paul Upton's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreGreg Garunov's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScorePaul Upton's LinkedIn Performance