Conversations for Founders, Operators, and Growth-Focused Leaders
Unlocked explores the realities of scaling businesses, strengthening leadership, improving execution, and building long-term enterprise value.
You didn’t build your business just to burn out in it. And you didn’t become a leader to feel stuck in the day-to-day.
Welcome to Unlocked with Kristyn Drennen — where high-achieving founders, operators, and executives stop tolerating complexity and start building the businesses (and lives) they actually want.
Kristyn Drennen is a powerhouse Fractional COO, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, and MetaPerformance™ Executive Coach for elite leaders who are scaling with purpose and preparing for high-value exits. She’s known for rolling up her sleeves inside multi-million-dollar companies to align leadership, drive operational clarity, and help owners regain their freedom — all while unlocking extraordinary growth.
Each episode goes beyond theory. Expect straight talk, smart strategy, and transformational questions that cut through the noise. Whether you're leading a growing business or leading from the C-Suite, you’ll leave with real tools, new perspective, and the reminder that it's possible to love your business again.
Real Conversations About Leadership and Growth
Most business content focuses on surface-level tactics.
Unlocked focuses on the deeper operational and leadership realities behind sustainable growth.
Episodes cover topics including:
Founder dependency
Operational scaling
Leadership alignment
EOS® execution
Accountability systems
Enterprise value creation
Executive decision-making
Designed for founders, CEOs, operators, and leadership teams navigating real business complexity.
FEATURED EPISODE
She’s got the keys. You get to ride shotgun.
Welcome to the debut of Unlocked with Kristyn Drennen—a podcast for visionary leaders ready to discover what’s next.
In this opening conversation, producer Jon Ekstrom interviews Kristyn to set the stage for the episodes ahead. Kristyn shares her story of building TransformCXO, where she and her team of fractional executives help business owners prepare for scale and high-value exits. She reflects on her philosophy of combining horsepower and joy in business—a fresh alternative to hustle culture—and why aligning values with execution is the key to lasting success.
Episode 2: “I don’t have time for that!”
Find Your Highest Sustainable Pace with Andrew Hartman
Are you sprinting through your workweek only to crash later? In this episode of Unlocked, Kristyn sits down with Andrew Hartman—COO turned co-founder of Time Boss—to explore how leaders can unlock a healthier, more effective relationship with time. Andrew shares his powerful story of burnout, recovery, and building a simple system that helps leaders achieve more while living fully at work and home.
Episode 3: “I can’t fire them!”
Evolving Leadership Teams with Tina Caul
What happens when loyalty clashes with leadership? In this episode of Unlocked, host Kristyn Drennen sits down with powerhouse real estate leader Tina Caul to explore the messy middle of growing a business: wrong seats, tough calls, team misalignment, and the freedom that comes from making the hard decisions faster.
Episode 4: What If Better Rest Is the Key to Greater Results?
With David Shrum
Kristyn sits down with Meta Performance™ Coach David Shrum to unpack what it means to unlock human potential and lead from a place of clarity and purpose. With a focus on self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and courageous growth, David shares practical wisdom for anyone seeking to expand what’s possible in their leadership and life. This episode invites listeners to explore transformation not as a destination—but as a daily practice of becoming who they’re meant to be.
BONUS: Unlocking Your Zone of Genius with Delegate & Elevate
Download free tools in the show notes!
Most leaders know they should delegate—but few do it well. In this episode, Kristyn unpacks what it really means to “Delegate and Elevate,” exploring how to release control without losing excellence. Drawing from her work with entrepreneurial leadership teams, she shares how leaders can identify their highest-value activities, build trust through clear accountability, and create the space to think, lead, and grow.
Growth Becomes Stronger When Leadership and Operations Evolve Together
TransformCXO partners with founder-led businesses seeking:
Operational clarity
Stronger leadership alignment
Healthier execution rhythm
Scalable organizational structure
Long-term sustainability.
Whether you are:
Looking for a Fractional COO
Implementing EOS®
Strengthening leadership
Evaluating long-term enterprise value
Our role is to help your organization become:
Easier to scale
Healthier operationally
More resilient
And less dependent on constant founder involvement over time.