# Leadership Journeys [261] - Jeff Perkins - "Family and fitness keep me grounded - without them, leadership gets heavy fast."

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/choosing-leadership-with-sumit-gupta-4623737/leadership-journeys-261-jeff-perkins-family-and-fitness-keep-me-grounded-without-them-leadership-gets-heavy-fast
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/choosing-leadership-with-sumit-gupta-4623737/leadership-journeys-261-jeff-perkins-family-and-fitness-keep-me-grounded-without-them-leadership-gets-heavy-fast.md
Podcast: [Choosing Leadership with Sumit Gupta](https://stenobird.com/podcast/choosing-leadership-with-sumit-gupta-4623737)
Published: 2025-12-18T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.deployyourself.com/podcast/
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/2592d9a9/4e20b804.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2193

## Resource

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast. I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. This conversation with Jeff Perkins goes straight into the real tension every modern leader faces: how do you scale a company without losing your sanity, your team, or yourself? Jeff opens up about shifting from hands-on operator to big-picture CEO, and the messy, very human challenges that come with that leap. We dig into the people side of growth—tough role changes, honest conversations, and why some folks thrive in scale while others don’t. Jeff also shares how fitness, family, and small daily practices keep him grounded while leading a fast-moving startup. If you’re wrestling with growth, communication, or the weight of leadership, this episode will give you clarity, companionship, and a few hard-won lessons you’ll want to steal immediately. You can find Jeff Perkins at the links below https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffperkins1/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundstripe/ In the interview, Jeff shares “Great leaders evolve from doing the work to empowering others to do it even better.” “Scaling a company isn’t just about growth—it’s about whether your people can grow with you.” “If you can’t trust your team, you’ll never free yourself to lead at the level your company needs.” “Storytelling isn’t a one-time event; it’s the drumbeat that keeps a company aligned.” “The hard…

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## Transcript

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