MindShift Podcast

In this very special episode of MindShift, Lee Iben welcomes back Jennie Wunderlich, business owner, military veteran, and candidate for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. In an open and candid conversation, they explore the responsibilities of local government, fiscal accountability, public safety, leadership, and the importance of keeping government focused on its core mission. Drawing parallels between business leadership and public service, Lee and Jennie discuss how decisions made locally affect our everyday lives—and why informed, engaged citizens matter more than ever.

What happens when you realize that being great at what you do and building a great business are two very different things?
In Episode 4 of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Laura Christensen, founder of Acupuncture of Iowa, to talk about the evolution of a business she has built over more than three decades.
Laura’s journey didn’t begin with a grand plan to become an entrepreneur. Her practice grew organically—from seeing a few patients in her home to operating a thriving clinic in a building she now owns. Along the way, she had to learn the parts of business that don’t come with professional expertise: understanding the numbers, hiring the right people, creating systems, delegating responsibilities, managing her time, and building a culture that reflects what makes her practice unique.
Now, Laura is entering another important transition. She’s preparing to bring another acupuncturist into the practice—not simply to add capacity, but to begin transferring decades of knowledge, experience, values, and patient care to someone else.
That leads to a bigger question for every business owner: Have you built a business that can continue without you, or have you simply built a job that depends on you?
Lee and Laura discuss the mistakes, lessons, and mindset shifts that happen when you stop thinking only like the technician and begin thinking like the owner—and why building something that can eventually carry on without you may be one of the most important responsibilities of ownership.
In this episode:
Making the shift from practitioner to business owner
Why understanding your numbers reduces stress
Learning to delegate before you’re forced to
Hiring lessons that often come through failure
Creating systems without losing the personality of the business
Protecting culture as you bring new people aboard
Moving from owner dependency toward succession
Why lifelong learning remains essential at every stage of business
Laura’s story is a reminder that building a business is itself a skill—and you don’t have to know how to do all of it when you begin. You have to be willing to keep learning.

From IT to Entrepreneurship: When Change Forces a MindShift
After 25 years in IT, Mark Shields suddenly found himself unemployed and facing a decision: find another job or create something of his own.
In this episode of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Mark, co-founder of ProFresh in Coralville, Iowa, to talk about his unexpected transition from corporate life to business ownership.
Mark shares what it has been like to go from a steady paycheck to opening the doors of a new business, where the decisions, risks, customer relationships and responsibility now belong to him. They discuss knowing when to take the plunge, finding a real need in the marketplace, building a business around exceptional customer service, and learning that an owner's mind rarely shuts off at 5:00 on Friday.
They also look ahead to one of Mark's next challenges: hiring people, protecting the culture he's creating, learning to trust others and eventually building a business that doesn't require him to be everywhere at once.
Mark's story is a reminder that sometimes the change you didn't ask for becomes the opportunity you needed.
MindShift — for business owners ready to think, lead, and grow differently.

What happens when the business you built becomes completely dependent on you?
In this episode of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Tim Egli, owner of Egli Landscapes, to talk about the shift from being the person doing everything to becoming the leader of a business that can operate without him.
Tim shares his journey from growing up on a dairy farm and starting a landscaping business to working 17-hour days, becoming seriously ill, and realizing something had to change. That experience forced him to rethink leadership, delegation, systems, coaching, and what it really means to build a sustainable company.
They discuss letting go of the technician role, surrounding yourself with talented people, allowing employees to make mistakes, creating systems and processes, asking better questions, and building genuine team buy-in.
One of Tim's biggest lessons? The business doesn't need the owner to have every answer—and the best ideas don't always have to come from the owner.
If you're a business owner who feels like everything still depends on you, this conversation is for you.
MindShift — for business owners ready to think, lead, and grow differently.

From Army Officer to Business Owner: The Mindset Shift No One Warns You About
What happens when a West Point graduate, Army officer, and combat veteran suddenly finds herself responsible for leading a multi-generation family business?
In this episode of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Jennie Wunderlich, co-owner of Studio H2O in Iowa City, for an honest conversation about the emotional and mental transition from employee to owner.
Jennie shares how serving in Afghanistan and Iraq prepared her for leadership, but not for the unique weight of business ownership. Together, they discuss the realities few people talk about:
• Why owning a business feels completely different than working in one• The responsibility of leading employees whose livelihoods depend on your decisions• Learning to balance humility with accountability• Managing culture, expectations, and difficult conversations• Why KPIs and accountability aren't micromanagement• Adapting to AI, technology, and constant change• The loneliness many business owners experience—and how to overcome it• The grit required to build something that lasts for generations
Whether you're launching your first business, leading a family company, or preparing for succession, this conversation offers practical wisdom and reassurance that every owner needs to hear.
You are not alone. And the mindset required to own a business is different from the mindset required to work in one.
Subscribe to MindShift for candid conversations with business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders about the decisions, challenges, and mindset shifts that build enduring businesses.

From Army Officer to Business Owner: The Mindset Shift No One Warns You About
What happens when a West Point graduate, Army officer, and combat veteran suddenly finds herself responsible for leading a multi-generation family business?
In this episode of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Jennie Wunderlich, co-owner of Studio H2O in Iowa City, for an honest conversation about the emotional and mental transition from employee to owner.
Jennie shares how serving in Afghanistan and Iraq prepared her for leadership, but not for the unique weight of business ownership. Together, they discuss the realities few people talk about:
• Why owning a business feels completely different than working in one• The responsibility of leading employees whose livelihoods depend on your decisions• Learning to balance humility with accountability• Managing culture, expectations, and difficult conversations• Why KPIs and accountability aren't micromanagement• Adapting to AI, technology, and constant change• The loneliness many business owners experience—and how to overcome it• The grit required to build something that lasts for generations
Whether you're launching your first business, leading a family company, or preparing for succession, this conversation offers practical wisdom and reassurance that every owner needs to hear.
You are not alone. And the mindset required to own a business is different from the mindset required to work in one.
Subscribe to MindShift for candid conversations with business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders about the decisions, challenges, and mindset shifts that build enduring businesses.