If you've ever led a business that looked impressive on paper but felt like it was quietly eroding your well-being behind the scenes, this episode will meet you exactly where you are. Many trades entrepreneurs begin with a craft, not a company blueprint. They hustle hard, fueled by grit, only to find themselves imprisoned by the very business they built—exhausted, reactive, and disconnected from the purpose that sparked it all.

That’s the real story behind Richard Walsh’s success... and collapse. After two decades running a nationally recognized, award-winning water feature company, Richard watched it all vanish in the 2008 housing crash. No systems. No contingency. No margin for error. But in the ruins, he discovered a deeper truth: the business wasn’t what defined him. And his rebuild would look radically different, grounded in systems, sustainability, and human-first leadership.

In this episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin sits down with Richard Walsh, CEO of Sharpen the Spear Coaching, to explore how he redefined what “success” means and how he now equips trades leaders to design businesses that serve their lives, not consume them. From his book Escape the Owner Prison to real-world frameworks that prioritize freedom and purpose, this is a candid conversation for leaders ready to reclaim control.