Sean Kelly

Founder & Investor. Building companies at the intersection of health, media & founder performance.

Hey there, I’m Sean. I play at the intersection of investing, media and human performance.

I’m a three-time INC 500 founder & entrepreneur with businesses in eCommerce, SaaS, media and B2B services that have collectively generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Right now, I serve as a General Partner at The Family Fund and am the CEO of Significant Publications, a B2B digital media holding company.

I'm particularly passionate about our brand FounderIV in support of today's founder-athletes. We help today's top entrepreneurs achieve breakout performance in their personal and professional lives.

I co-founded and led multiple other companies, including SnackNation, a health-centric foodservice and brand discovery platform that served 20,000 businesses across the US. 

Under my leadership, SnackNation was honored as one of the country’s Best Workplaces by Inc. Magazine, recognized for Top Company Culture by Entrepreneur Magazine, and certified as a Great Workplace by Great Place to Work®.

Forbes listed me as one of the top 30 leaders under 30 and one of America’s most promising CEOs under 35. Comparably also ranked me among the country’s top 50 small-to-medium sized business CEOs multiple years in a row. 

Outside of the business world, I’m a two-time national medalist in freestyle snowboarding, hold an advisory role at the growth capital firm, Meaningful Partners, have a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University and am an avid sports fan of all Michigan sports teams (especially the Wolverines).

I currently live in Venice, CA with my wife and college sweetheart, Shannon, and our goldendoodle, Jameson.

Chairman

One of the oldest laws in markets that everyone forgets:

More capital → more competition → higher entry prices → lower returns.

Abundant capital is great for momentum, but it rarely produces the best long-term outcomes.

The most durable venture returns tend to come from non-obvious places—where fewer checks are being written, expectations are lower, and pricing resets ahead of fundamentals.

You can make money following the herd...

But differentiated returns usually accrue to investors willing to underwrite conviction when capital is scarce.

That’s why we at The Family Fund & Founder Community are bullish on Consumer NOW.

Not despite the pullback in capital—but because of it.

Josh Wand Christine Wang Colleen Kang

🔥IF YOU HAVE WILDLY AMBITIOUS GOALS, I'm the Game Changing, Results Driven Force to be Reckoned With that You've Been Looking For, Dynamic High Performance Coach, Energized Trainer, Forbes Contributor, Lover of Life🔥

UNDER PRESSURE, YOU DON'T RISE. YOU REVERT TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TRAINING.
MAKE SURE YOUR TRAINING IS EXCEPTIONAL.

Hi, I'm Julie Hruska. I'm a high performance executive coach and RTT® Therapist. I work with founders, family offices, and C suite executives to develop their executive edge, create high performance cultures, through mergers and acquisitions, IPO preparation, leadership transitions, and rapid scale. 

Combining personal trainings from Brendon Burchard, Marisa Peer, Baron Baptiste, and other world class mentors, I developed a style that merges mindset mastery with elite skillset execution, so clients excel under pressure with clarity, control, and consistency.

When pressure rises, most leaders don't lose skill. They lose signal. Clarity fractures. Execution turns into motion without alignment. Culture starts bleeding time, trust, and momentum.

This is the reset. I raise standards, create alignment, and install an execution rhythm that stops the chaos, restores control, and makes results consistent, measurable, and repeatable.

WHAT WE BUILD TOGETHER
• Emotional regulation and improved decision quality under pressure
• Strategic clarity that reduces second guessing 
• Executive presence and effective communication that steadies the room
• Influence, persuasion, and high stakes negotiation skills
• Conflict resolution that protects relationships and leads to results
• High performance culture built on standards, rhythm, and accountability
• Legacy alignment for long term impact

CLIENT IMPACT
Results look different by industry, but the pattern is consistent: clarity rises, accountability strengthens, execution accelerates, and business gains follow in profitability, retention, and revenue. Some examples include a 32% rise in EPS year over year, revenue scaling from 1.68B to 3.2B while sustaining margins near 41%, construction growth from about 22M to nearly 100M, and asset growth from 500M to 1B.

NOTABLE CLIENTS
JLL, Kimberly Clark, Edward Jones, MLB, Steve Madden, NCAA, Pregis, BNI, Van Andel Institute, Attivo Capital, Lorval Capital, Landry French Construction, MH Williams Construction, Las Brisas Property Management, Vitrum Glass, Apex Aluminum, and more plus additional confidential family offices 

RECOGNITION
High Performance Coach of the Year 2024. LinkedIn Top Voice. Forbes Contributor and Forbes Coaches Council. 50 Most Impactful People on LinkedIn.

Email me at Julie@powerfulleaders.com for more information
.
Based in Asheville, North Carolina. Available in person globally.

Julie Hruska

LEADERS WHO NEVER PROTECT TIME TO THINK LEAD COMPANIES AND LIVES THAT EVENTUALLY IMPLODE.

I just returned from Southern France where I did something most executives rarely give themselves permission to do…

I stepped into a new environment, disconnected from the usual noise, and created space to reflect, refine, and reset.

And in that space, I cultivated heightened levels of clarity.

Every time I strategically step away, I am reminded that clarity is leadership oxygen. 

Without it, decision quality deteriorates, innovation erodes, and even the strongest organizations unravel from within.

Most executives believe they are leading strategically, but in reality many are consumed by noise.
→ 72% of an executive’s week is devoured by meetings and email.
→Fewer than 10% of leaders dedicate even one hour a week to reflection.
→Yet leaders who protect strategic thinking time improve the quality of their long-term decisions by 23%.

I see this pattern revealed every day with my high performance clients…

Brilliant leaders with incredible drive, but without space to think, their vision shrinks. 
Their impact weakens. 
Their energy drains.

And here’s where many get it wrong: they assume a family vacation or a golf trip with buddies counts as true restoration. But these trips, while valuable, are not the same as strategic time alone. 

High-performance leaders create intentional solitude, the space where big decisions crystalize, vision expands, and the next level of leadership emerges.

Here are the strategies I teach the world’s top executives:
→ Strategy Blocks: Guard 60 to 90 minutes every week for reflection with the same force you protect a board meeting.

→ Cognitive Rhythms: Structure work in 50 minute focus increments followed by 10 minutes of rest and renewal. This mirrors how the brain operates and accelerates retention and creativity.

→ Environmental Shifts: Step outside your usual space. Harvard research shows creativity rises by up to 60% when you change your environment.

→Journaling: Capture insights weekly to reduce cognitive overload and raise goal achievement by 25% 

→Mindfulness Training: Just ten minutes a day lowers cortisol, regulates emotions, and restores clarity under pressure.

Stepping away is NOT an indulgence, it IS a strategy. 

It is where the breakthroughs happen, where vision expands, and where leaders return sharper, stronger, and more effective.

I returned from France sharper, more focused, and more energized to conquer what lies ahead.

 Imagine what would shift if you gave yourself that same permission.

I’m curious…

~Where in your week will you create the time to think at the level your leadership and life demands?


#leadership #business #success

♦️Founders, Family Offices, & C-Suite Executives Hire Me to Elevate Executive Performance & Develop High Performance Cultures. 2024 HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH OF THE YEAR, RTT® Therapist, Speaker, Executive Advisor♦️

Elite high performance coach, Julie Hruska, helps you thrive in business and beyond. Follow her for more actionable insights and reach out to her when you're ready to be in the top 1%

WINNING DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED.

Not minimized.
Not rushed past.
Not quietly folded into the next objective.

Winning is proof.
It’s earned authority.
It’s the receipt for the standards you live by.

High performers celebrate their wins.
They let success define how they operate going forward.
They allow it to raise the bar for what comes next.

Momentum is built when achievement is acknowledged and repeated. 

These are a few of the wins I’m celebrating this year, and I encourage you to take a moment to acknowledge your own.

• Partnering with founders, CEOs, and executive teams through IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, and enterprise growth representing more than $25 billion in enterprise value, revenue, and financial impact

• Supporting leaders as they sharpen execution, increase decision velocity, scale with vision, and lead effectively under pressure

• Delivering my strongest year yet as a high performance coach by prioritizing depth, precision, and measurable results

• Being honored with recognition for my leadership impact and influence on LinkedIn

• Celebrating my daughter’s graduation from NYU and the beginning of an exciting new chapter ahead

• Creating higher levels of equanimity in my life

• Traveling to many incredible new places like St.Lucia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Monaco, and Côte d’Azur 

I’m so grateful for this journey and it’s humbling to reflect on my wins. 

I invite you to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate your wins as well. 

Give yourself permission to feel proud and
Let that positive momentum carry you forward into the new year.

I’m curious…

~What’s one win from 2025 that you’re the most proud of?


#future #motivation #inspiration

Elite high performance coach, Julie Hruska, helps you thrive in business and beyond. Follow her for more actionable insights and reach out to her when you're ready to be in the top 1% of your industry!

IF YOU NEVER AUDIT YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOU’RE LEADING ON ASSUMPTIONS, NOT EVIDENCE.

Most leaders audit their teams.
 Very few audit themselves.

That’s exactly where performance starts to break down.

If you’re not evaluating your leadership regularly, you’re not leading with clarity…
 You’re leading with assumption.
 And assumption quietly erodes trust, alignment, and execution.

Let’s be honest:
→ You assume your communication is clear. 
→ You assume your team feels supported. 
→ You assume your standards are understood.

But assumptions are not strategies. 
 They’re shortcuts that weaken your influence and cost you results.

The world’s most successful leaders operate differently.
 They evaluate before there’s a breakdown.
 They ask better questions.
 They lead with intention, not ego.

Here’s how to lead with evidence instead of assumption:

✔️ Run a quarterly leadership audit focused on four pillars: Clarity. Communication. Consistency. Culture.

✔️ Send an anonymous pulse survey. Ask how your leadership is experienced, not just how your team is performing. And make it truly anonymous, if your people don’t feel safe, you won’t get honesty.

✔️ Choose one insight to act on. Build a simple, focused strategic plan. Track progress weekly and share wins with your team.

You cannot grow what you’re unwilling to evaluate.
And what you ignore in leadership always shows up somewhere, in retention, in morale, in your bottom line.

So don’t wait, evaluate.

I’m curious…
 ~If your team evaluated your leadership today, would it reflect the standard you expect from them?


#business #leadership #success

♦️Founders, Family Offices, & C-Suite Executives Hire Me to Elevate Their Impact & Dominate Their Industries. Creator of High Performance Cultures. HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH OF THE YEAR, RTT® Therapist, Speaker, Advisor♦️

Elite high performance coach, Julie Hruska, helps you thrive in business and beyond, to lead successfully with your legacy in mind. 

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, YOU ALWAYS CONTROL YOUR ATTITUDE.

Last weekend, I went racing across the country to a hospital in Alabama, where my dad had been admitted with severe health issues while he was traveling to Florida for the winter.

After his immediate emergency passed, I was grateful to God for pulling him through and for my ability to stay calm amidst chaos. 

And as I drove home, I started thinking about what separates people who steady the room from people who fuel the storm.

In times of distress, your attitude becomes the difference between calm and chaos.
It affects every action you take and impacts every person you’re around.
The calmer you stay, the clearer you think.
When you focus on what’s required now, fear stops steering.

Having the right attitude is not only important for emergencies,
It’s important in everything you do.
Whether you’re stuck in traffic, having a difficult conversation, or making high-stakes decisions, your attitude is the difference between escalating the situation or elevating the outcome.

With all that’s happening in the world right now, you can feel the tension everywhere.
People are short fused.
Emotions are escalating faster.
And patience is thinner than it used to be.

All of this has a price.

Judgment gets cloudy at work and small mistakes become expensive.
Your tone gets sharper with people and anger erupts.
Stress becomes the default and your body pays the bill.
Impulse replaces strategy and all decisions suffer.

Your attitude is the choice that decides what happens next.

When someone cuts you off on the interstate,
Your attitude decides whether you arrive angry or steady.

When an injustice occurs,
Your attitude determines whether you carry poison or purpose.

When difficulties show up uninvited.
Your attitude decides whether you collapse into it or climb above it. 

The key is learning 
HOW TO CONTROL YOUR ATTITUDE NO MATTER WHAT YOU’RE FACING.

Here are some of the effective strategies I teach my high performance clients:

→ PRACTICE THE POWER OF THE PAUSE
Take one long, slow, deep breath before you speak, send, or decide.

→ ASK THE BETTER QUESTION
Instead of asking, “Why is this happening?” 
Ask: “What does this situation require of me now?”

→ SEPARATE FACTS FROM FEELINGS
Name what is true and label what you feel, then make a grounded decision. 

→ PROTECT YOUR FOCUS
Focus on solving the most urgent problem first. 

→ CHOOSE THE ATTITUDE THAT PROTECTS THE OUTCOME YOU DESIRE
Calm. Focused. Respectful. Direct.
Pick it, then maintain it throughout the situation.

→ TAKE THE NEXT ACTION OF INTEGRITY
Make the call.
Tell the truth.
Set the boundary.
Then take intentional action. 

And remember that: 
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, YOU ALWAYS CONTROL YOUR ATTITUDE.

~Do you agree?


#leadership #inspiration #motivation

SUCCESS IS NEVER OWNED, IT’S RENTED, AND YOUR RENT IS DUE EVERY DAY.

Most people miss the payment, then act surprised when life sends collections.

Your missed deadline drops your name off the short list.
A dodged conversation turns closeness into distance.
Skipped workouts leaves a gap pressure will punish.
Avoided finances put stress on your chest at 2 am.

SUCCESS IS NEVER OWNED, IT’S RENTED, AND YOUR RENT IS DUE EVERY DAY.

SO… Put in the work to pay your "rent" today or let life collect the debt.


#business #leadership #success

2026 CAN BE YOUR MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR IF…

YOU’RE WILLING TO DO THE WORK.

Have you ever felt like you’re a hamster on a wheel, going through the motions,
checking the boxes, doing everything you think you’re supposed to do
yet never achieving the level of success you know you’re capable of?

It’s not that you lack talent or ambition,
There’s simply a gap between your potential and your execution.

Unfortunately most people never close that gap. 

In fact, less than 8% of people actually achieve their goals
And over 80% of people abandon their annual goals by February. 

Isn’t that tragic?

It doesn’t happen because people suddenly lose desire,
It happens because nothing fundamental changes in how they operate.

Most people keep the same habits, standards, and excuses
Or try to change so many things at once, that nothing sticks. 
That’s how capable people spend years being busy, but ultimately unsuccessful. 

Fortunately, there’s a better way.

Here’s how I teach my high performance clients to achieve their highest levels of success: 

→ EXCAVATE LIMITING BELIEFS
Identify one belief that holds you back.
Determine where it’s creating a bottleneck through pressure, hesitation, or control.
Replace your limiting belief with an affirming belief that supports scale and enforce it through your behavior.

→ CREATE UNCOMPROMISING CLARITY
Define your annual goals, then reverse engineer them into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily targets.
Decide what no longer deserves your time, attention, or emotional energy.

→ DESIGN STRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS EXECUTION
Time block your highest-leverage work first.
Build weekly review rhythms to assess progress and to course correct as needed.
Your calendar should reflect your priorities, not other people’s urgency.

→ BUILD UNCOMPROMISING CONSISTENCY
Choose 3 priorities to execute on daily, regardless of mood or momentum.
Track your progress and adapt as needed to achieve success.
Consistency is how progress compounds.

→ SET HIGH STANDARDS AND NEVER LOWER THEM
Decide the standards you will operate from no matter what.
Standards create outcomes. Keep them high, live up to them, and ensure those around you do as well. 

Most people repeat the same year because their goals change, but their behavior doesn’t.

2026 will be defined by how you operate.
Will it be by random motion or by consistent momentum? 
By unrealized potential or by the highest level of execution you’re capable of?
That distinction determines your outcome.

I invite you to consider…

~What do you need to do differently now to make 2026 a victorious year?


#leadership #motivation #success

I’m a high performance coach who works with C suite executives, founders and family offices to help them create a vision and execute the plan to completion. I combine the latest neuroscience techniques with high performance tools to help my clients master their mindset and skillset to become unstoppable. Ready to be in the top 1%? Let's Talk. DM Me today for more. 

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