{"podcast":{"title":"Unlocked Podcast","slug":"unlocked-podcast-7056483","podcast_index_feed_id":7056483,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/fc2278e0/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://unlockedpodcast.com","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/42201176/42201176-1729125396698-84843b73e42db.jpg","author":"Chad Lingafelt, Tony Hokanson, Lars Johnston","episode_count":80,"summary":"Three business owners, spanning North Carolina, Minnesota, and Alberta, Canada, have joined forces to create Unlocked Podcast. Their mission? To share their insights on building enduring businesses that thrive for generations to come.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unlocked-podcast-7056483"},"episode":{"title":"Navigating the Messy Middle (Episode 71)","slug":"navigating-the-messy-middle-episode-71","published_at":"2026-03-26T13:30:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unlocked-podcast-7056483/navigating-the-messy-middle-episode-71","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unlocked-podcast-7056483","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/podcastunlocked/episodes/Navigating-the-Messy-Middle-Episode-71-e3gv5bu","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/fc2278e0/podcast/play/117461822/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-25%2F36104f8d-9357-f5ee-4bd5-700e41ecbfdb.mp3","summary":"In Episode 71 , Chad ( Loc-Doc Security ), Tony ( Assured Security ), and Lars ( Calgary Lock & Safe ) dive into the psychological and operational warfare of "The Messy Middle." Inspired by Scott Belsky’s framework, the trio explores the volatile space between the dopamine-heavy start of a project and the satisfaction of the finish line. The conversation gets tactical as they discuss how to distinguish a "false positive"—like a lucky $1.2 million contract—from a truly scalable system. They also tackle the "Burden of Excellence," discussing how to protect your A-players from being punished with more work while C-players coast. From moving toward flat-rate "per door" pricing to reconcile the ego of no longer being the "fixer" in your own company, this episode is a guide for any leader currently in the thick of scaling.","meta_description":"In Episode 71 , Chad ( Loc-Doc Security ), Tony ( Assured Security ), and Lars ( Calgary Lock & Safe ) dive into the psychological and operational war…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4339,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unlocked-podcast-7056483/episodes/navigating-the-messy-middle-episode-71/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unlocked-podcast-7056483/navigating-the-messy-middle-episode-71.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}