THE PROGRAM: Building Great Teammates, Leaders, and Culture with Eric Kapitulik (Ep. 104)
Tue Feb 03 2026
In this episode of Tools, Talents & Techniques, I sit down with Eric Kapitulik, founder of The Program, to unpack what it truly takes to build elite teams and durable leaders.
Eric shares his journey from military service to working with professional sports teams and corporations across North America. At the core of the conversation is a simple but demanding idea. Success comes from consistent hard work, personal accountability, and a commitment to becoming the best version of yourself.
We talk about lessons from high-performance environments, the difference between happiness and satisfaction, and how parenthood reshaped Eric’s leadership philosophy. This episode is a practical look at emotional resiliency, lifelong learning, and why taking 100% responsibility is the foundation of trust, culture, and long-term success.
Key Takeaways
-Success starts with defining who you want to become
-Hard work, sacrifice, and discipline never go out of style
-Listening to understand is more powerful than listening to respond
-Emotional resiliency protects relationships and performance
-Taking 100% responsibility accelerates personal growth
-Lifelong learning is a leadership requirement, not a bonus
-Parenthood changes how you view leadership and legacy
-Time management reflects your real priorities
Chapters
01:36 Introduction to Eric Kapitulik
03:16 The journey behind The Program
08:02 Defining success and personal growth
10:56 Lessons from high-performance environments
14:52 Happiness vs satisfaction
17:17 Parenthood and leadership evolution
21:15 Lifelong learning and curiosity
24:58 Emotional resiliency and accountability
29:03 Lessons from Coach Snyder
34:52 Regret, reflection, and moving forward
41:48 Subscribe and outro
More from Eric
🌐 https://theprogram.org/
📘 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119574307
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-program-llc/
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-kapitulik-6996a048/
Follow Tools, Talents & Techniques
🌍 https://toolstalentstechniques.com
📺 https://youtube.com/@DustinCSutton
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the3tpod/
X: https://twitter.com/the3tpod
🎵 Music by C€$
https://open.spotify.com/artist/21zXwxV9nWaiE6iAleU6ww
📖 Balanced by Design
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GBZGTW27
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In this episode of Tools, Talents & Techniques, I sit down with Eric Kapitulik, founder of The Program, to unpack what it truly takes to build elite teams and durable leaders. Eric shares his journey from military service to working with professional sports teams and corporations across North America. At the core of the conversation is a simple but demanding idea. Success comes from consistent hard work, personal accountability, and a commitment to becoming the best version of yourself. We talk about lessons from high-performance environments, the difference between happiness and satisfaction, and how parenthood reshaped Eric’s leadership philosophy. This episode is a practical look at emotional resiliency, lifelong learning, and why taking 100% responsibility is the foundation of trust, culture, and long-term success. Key Takeaways -Success starts with defining who you want to become -Hard work, sacrifice, and discipline never go out of style -Listening to understand is more powerful than listening to respond -Emotional resiliency protects relationships and performance -Taking 100% responsibility accelerates personal growth -Lifelong learning is a leadership requirement, not a bonus -Parenthood changes how you view leadership and legacy -Time management reflects your real priorities Chapters 01:36 Introduction to Eric Kapitulik 03:16 The journey behind The Program 08:02 Defining success and personal growth 10:56 Lessons from high-performance environments 14:52 Happiness vs satisfaction 17:17 Parenthood and leadership evolution 21:15 Lifelong learning and curiosity 24:58 Emotional resiliency and accountability 29:03 Lessons from Coach Snyder 34:52 Regret, reflection, and moving forward 41:48 Subscribe and outro More from Eric 🌐 https://theprogram.org/ 📘 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119574307 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-program-llc/ 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-kapitulik-6996a048/ Follow Tools, Talents & Techniques 🌍 https://toolstalentstechniques.com 📺 https://youtube.com/@DustinCSutton 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the3tpod/ X: https://twitter.com/the3tpod 🎵 Music by C€$ https://open.spotify.com/artist/21zXwxV9nWaiE6iAleU6ww 📖 Balanced by Design https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GBZGTW27