The Execution Gap Podcast
A podcast cast that explores why business strategy fails, and how the top 10% of leaders close the gap.
The Execution Gap explores this question by sitting down with top CEOs, founders, and thought leaders who have closed the gap between big ideas and real outcomes. Hosted by Jim Apodaca, award-winning coach, consultant, and founder of Apodaca Consulting, the show uncovers the frameworks, stories, and lessons that separate the top 10% of leaders from the rest.
Each episode offers candid conversations on strategy, OKRs, agile, AI, and the leadership practices that turn vision into execution. Whether you’re scaling a startup, leading a transformation, or driving change inside an enterprise, you’ll walk away with practical insights you can put into action.
🎙️ Tune in to learn how great leaders bridge the gap between strategy and execution and how you can too.
Episode #1:
Charlie Cole - President of XGEN.AI
In this episode I had the privilege of sitting down with
Charlie Cole, President of XGEN AI - and a 2x turnaround CEO with past leadership roles at Samsonite, FTD, and Tribute Technology.
In this episode, Charlie drops some powerful insights on:
🔹 Why most of today’s e-commerce SaaS stack will be obsolete in 3–5 years.
🔹 How XGen.AI is re-defining personalization with a “Pepsi Challenge” approach (spoiler alert: they haven’t lost yet).
🔹 The leadership evolution every founder faces - learning to replace yourself with people more experienced than you.
🔹 Why structure isn’t the enemy of startups - it’s the enabler of real autonomy and innovation.
If you’re a founder, operator, or anyone wrestling with how to scale using AI, you won’t want to miss this one.
A huge thank you to Charlie for coming on the show - it was an honor and a privilege. 🙏
📺 Watch the full episode: https://bit.ly/charlie-cole-podcast
Episode #2:
Chris Munz - SVP Of Business Development Of DLIVRD Technologies
In this episode I had the privilege of sitting down with Chris Munz - SVP Of Business Development Of DLIVRD Technologies.
In this episode, Chris drops some powerful insights on:
🔹 The seismic shift from “butts in seats” to building digital-first hospitality experiences.
🔹 Why restaurants today are as much tech companies as they are food businesses.
🔹 The critical role of people and culture in scaling delivery networks.
🔹 Where the next big opportunities lie in restaurant tech over the next 3 - 5 years.
🔹 Why execution, not just ideas separate the top 10% of leaders from the rest.
Chris brings not only deep industry insight, but also practical stories about what it takes to innovate, adapt, and win in today’s fast-changing landscape.
If you’re a leader in hospitality, tech, or simply curious about where digital consumer trends are taking us - this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
A huge thank you to Chris for coming on the show - it was an honor and a privilege. 🙏
📺 Watch the full episode: https://bit.ly/chris-munz-podcast