Will Carr on Purpose Over Performance: Why Success Still Feels Empty | Episode 147

What happens when success stops feeling fulfilling?

In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership Podcast, Kristin Sokoloff and Ron Ward sit down with Will Carr — founder of Genesee Nutrition, entrepreneur, former college and professional basketball player, engineer, and full-time parent — for a raw, grounded conversation about leadership, purpose, and becoming who you’re meant to be.

Kristin first met Will at AMFEST in Arizona, where the conversation quite literally started at a height disadvantage — Will is nearly 7 feet tall, and Kristin is 5’1, craning her neck mid-conversation. But height aside, it quickly became clear that Will carries something far more important than physical presence: clarity, integrity, and purpose.

Together, they unpack the dirty side of leadership — why chasing wins doesn’t always lead to fulfillment, why integrity costs something, and why leaders burn out trying to prove instead of improve.

This episode isn’t about hype.
It’s about substance.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Why purpose matters more than performance in leadership
How athletics shape leadership under pressure
The hidden leadership lessons from industrial and systems engineering
Building Genesee Nutrition without chasing trends or approval
Faith, integrity, and making hard decisions when it costs you
Parenting, homeschooling, and leadership at home
Why success is attracted — not chased
The difference between improving yourself and proving yourself
How daily standards quietly shape long-term fulfillment

About Our Guest — Will Carr:
Will Carr is the founder of Genesee Nutrition, a purpose-driven nutrition company focused on high-quality functional foods designed to support an active, healthy lifestyle.

With a background in industrial and systems engineering, Will brings a systems-based approach to leadership and business. Before entrepreneurship, he played college basketball and professionally overseas, experiences that deeply shaped his understanding of discipline, teamwork, humility, and resilience.

Today, Will is also a full-time parent who homeschools his daughter, prioritizing faith, family, integrity, and intentional living. He believes that God created each of us with a divine purpose — and that true fulfillment comes not from what you get, but through who you become.

Connect with Will Carr:

Genesee Nutrition (Official Website): https://geneseenutrition.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willcarrspeaks
X (Twitter): https://x.com/WillCarrSpeaks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willcarrspeaks
Podcast: Will Carr Speaks — available on Spotify and major platforms
Listen If You’re:

A leader questioning what “success” really means
Burned out from chasing achievements that don’t satisfy
Building a business or life rooted in integrity
Navigating leadership, faith, family, and purpose
Ready to stop proving — and start becoming
Don’t Forget:
If this episode challenged you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Follow The Dirty Side of Leadership Podcast for conversations that go beyond surface-level success — because leadership isn’t just about what you achieve, it’s about who you become.

Where leadership meets entertainment! This weekly podcast takes both a humorous and intense look at leadership through impactful stories, answers to listener questions, and breakdowns of dirty lessons from Ron's best selling book, "The Dirty Side of Leadership".

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