Bradley Hisle grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, as an only child in a working-class family. His mother owned a salon, and his father worked as an electrician for CP Rail. He spent much of his time in sports—football, basketball, baseball, and boxing. That early structure taught him discipline and focus, which would later shape his approach to leadership.
He earned an academic scholarship to Saint Paul Preparatory School and later attended Minnesota State University, Mankato. After university, he didn’t follow a corporate path. Instead, he paid attention to the broken parts of the healthcare system that frustrated everyday people.
That led him to launch Pinnacle Health Group, a healthcare organisation now operating across Florida and California. In the beginning, Bradley did what many founders do—he tried to manage everything himself. Meetings, approvals, decisions—he was involved in all of it.
Eventually, he realised he wasn’t helping—he was slowing the team down. So, he stepped back and built systems. Clear roles. Documented processes. Decision-making rules. He built a business that didn’t depend on him being everywhere at once.
“I thought being in control was leadership,” he said. “But real leadership is getting out of the way.”
Today, Bradley leads with structure, not stress. His story is a reminder that growth starts when you stop holding on to everything—and trust others to lead, too.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
The first thing I do is some kind of movement—boxing, yoga, or even just stretching. That clears my head. After that, I write down the top three things I want to move forward that day. Not a full to-do list—just what needs momentum. Then I block my time. I try not to let meetings take over unless they serve a clear purpose. Evenings are unplugged. I need the space to reset.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I start small. I test the first 10% of the idea before building the rest. If I’m thinking about a new service or process, I pilot it with one team member or one client. I ask what’s unclear. If it works, I build the rest around that. I don’t launch full-blown projects anymore without pressure testing. That used to be my biggest mistake—overbuilding before validating.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Clear leadership structures in small teams. It used to be cool for startups to be flat and “collaborative,” but it often led to chaos. Now more founders are learning that structure creates freedom. When everyone knows what they own, they move faster. That shift excites me. It’s overdue.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I write everything down. Even stuff I’ve done 100 times. It frees up mental space. I also keep a “done” list. Not just a to-do list, but a list of things I’ve actually completed. That helps on days when it feels like I’m stuck. You can see progress—even if it’s not flashy.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Trust your instincts sooner. And stop trying to do everything yourself. I used to think asking for help meant I wasn’t trying hard enough. But doing everything alone only slowed me down. I’d tell myself: build systems early, and let good people lead.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I think most team meetings should be optional. If people know what they own and what outcomes they’re driving, they don’t need to sit in meetings just to listen. We could all work faster with fewer “alignment” calls.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Step away and let the system break. Go offline for a day. Don’t answer emails. Then see what went wrong. That’s where your next fix is hiding. It’s how you build a team that doesn’t need you in the middle of everything.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Boxing, always. There’s no multitasking in the ring. It snaps me back into focus. When I can’t train, I go for a walk with no phone and no music. That stillness brings clarity. It’s how I reset when my brain’s moving too fast.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
System-first thinking. I look at everything like it needs to run without me. Whether it’s onboarding, customer support, or sales—I write it out like I’m teaching someone else to do it. That helped me scale faster without hiring too quickly.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Early on, I tried to control every detail of the business. I thought quality depended on me being involved in everything. But I burned out and stalled the team. I fixed it by stepping back, defining roles, and building clear decision rules. The lesson: structure beats control.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our audience?
A “burnout audit” service for founders. It wouldn’t be therapy or coaching. Just a short, structured review of your schedule, processes, and stress points—then a game plan to reduce chaos. Most founders don’t need motivation. They need clarity and a reset.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Google Docs. Nothing fancy. I use it to document every repeatable process in the business. Hiring, client onboarding, internal reporting—it all lives there. Simple, searchable, and easy to share. It keeps the team aligned without needing to ask me.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Book: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. It’s the first book that made me think about systems over hustle.
Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show. I skip around, but I always find something useful—especially the way he breaks down habits and routines.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Drive to Survive on Netflix. I’m not even a huge F1 fan, but watching how teams operate under pressure is fascinating. Everyone has a clear job. No one can afford to guess. That kind of precision inspires me.
Key learnings
- Founders should step away regularly to find the weak points in their systems.
- Writing things down, even simple tasks, creates clarity and frees up mental space.
- Burnout often starts with lack of structure, not lack of motivation.