Chuck Wachendorfer, founder of Decision Reflex, internationally recognized speaker, and co-author of Don’t Wait for Someone Else to Fix It, joins the show to unpack the question many high achievers eventually asks: is this it? Chuck has spent over 20 years as an executive coach after walking away from a million dollar per year job at American Express at age 41, and his most recent TED Talk was one of the five most viewed in the world in 2025.

We dive into the question that reframed his career, the difference between a human doer and a human being, his new definition of success, why living in fifth gear leaves you nowhere to go when things fall apart, and the “do you want your boss’s job” test for knowing whether you’re in the right place.

Chuck also breaks down his leadership logic chain, why decision-making impacts performance twice as much as talent and skill combined, the Freeze Exercise for catching yourself before you react, mapping your possible future instead of your probable future, making reversible decisions quickly and irreversible decisions slowly, and the acid test that separates a goal from a dream.

We finish with a conversation on parenting an elite athlete. Chuck’s son Ryan is a pro halfpipe snowboarder on the US team, and the advice Chuck got after Ryan won a national title at 13 changed how he approached parenting.

🔗Check out more from Chuck 👇

Instagram: @chuckwachendorfer

Website: decisionreflex.com

Chuck’s Book — Don’t Wait for Someone Else to Fix It: https://a.co/d/0h7Ka8A3

Chuck’s TED Talk: https://youtu.be/TKVAGxoU2AM

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Intro

05:31 “Is This It?” The Emptiness After Achievement

06:33 Walking Away From a Million Dollar Job

07:51 Human Doer vs. Human Being

09:59 A New Definition of Success

12:51 Can You Have It All?

14:55 Living Your Life in Fifth Gear

16:44 Why Our Patterns Hold Us Back

20:58 The Leadership Logic Chain

23:42 Talent, Skills, and Decision Making

28:28 The Freeze Exercise

32:54 Probable Future vs. Possible Future

36:20 Do You Want Your Boss’s Job?

39:55 Reversible and Irreversible Decisions

42:58 Key Activities and the Acid Test

48:35 Skills That Transfer to Any Career

53:21 Parenting an Elite Athlete

1:04:38 The Goal Achievement Triangle

EP 78: Chuck Wachendorfer: Do You Want Your Boss’s Job?

The Strength In Numbers Podcast

EP 78: Chuck Wachendorfer: Do You Want Your Boss’s Job?