21 October 2026
Your Team Sees the Problem. Why Aren't They Telling You? | Susan Schramm
Liberty Spenders™
About
What if avoiding conversations about risk is actually creating more risk for your business, team, or mission?
Kristen Luidhardt sits down with strategic advisor, speaker, and author Susan Schram to explore why faith and risk are not opposites, and why courageous leaders need to make space for honest conversations about uncertainty.
Susan brings decades of experience leading global initiatives at companies including IBM and Nokia, and now works through Go to Market Impact with CEOs, boards, investors, nonprofits, and faith-based leaders to pressure-test important ideas before they stall or fail.
She explains why faith does not eliminate risk, but instead reframes how leaders approach it. She shares how underestimating the “people side” of risk can derail even strong strategies, why teams often avoid difficult conversations, and how leaders can build greater trust by openly discussing what might go wrong before problems surface.
They also unpack Susan’s six principles for pressure-testing a big idea, including clarifying why and why now, validating why you, identifying who must act, challenging assumptions, planning for multiple scenarios, and developing leaders who can adapt when circumstances change.
Susan also shares a practical “pre-mortem” exercise leaders can use to uncover hidden risks before launching an initiative.
Key Takeaways
00:00 Why Not Talking About Risk Is Risky
00:36 Meet Susan Schram
02:05 Faith and Risk Belong Together
03:32 Why God Calls Us to Plan
05:46 Why Big Ideas Stall
07:09 The People Side of Risk
08:33 Why Teams Avoid Risk Conversations
11:03 Learning From a Failed Product Launch
14:14 Courageous Leaders Talk About Risk
16:14 Pressure-Testing High-Stakes Initiatives
17:59 Susan’s Six Risk Principles
20:56 Challenge Your Assumptions
22:22 Ask “What If?” Before Launching
25:17 When Success Creates New Risk
28:17 Building Resilience Through Scenario Planning
30:03 How to Start the Risk Conversation
32:43 Fast Track Your Big Idea
33:43 The Pre-Mortem Exercise
35:35 What a Life Well Lived Looks Like
36:37 Using AI to Process Difficult Moments
39:04 Who Susan Helps
40:34 Protecting Your Next Big Idea
Resources
Fast Track Your Big Idea
https://gotomarketimpact.com/book/
Go to Market Impact
https://gotomarketimpact.com/
U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce
https://uschristianchamber.com/
Liberty Builders Exchange
https://business.uschristianchamber.com/events/Details/liberty-builders-exchange-dinner-at-swc-2026-1700626?sourceTypeId=Hub
Susan Schramm's Risk System for Impact
https://gotomarketimpact.com/about-us/
🔗 Connect with Liberty Spenders™:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libertyspenders
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertyspenders
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/libertyspenders
• Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-6192506
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXn-vzlA03r59neWZD0ofJA
• X: https://x.com/LibertySpenders
🔗 Connect with Kurt and Kristen Luidhardt:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luidhardts
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luidhardts
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luidhardts
• Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@luidhardts
• X: https://x.com/luidhardts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kristen Luidhardt sits down with strategic advisor, speaker, and author Susan Schram to explore why faith and risk are not opposites, and why courageous leaders need to make space for honest conversations about uncertainty.
Susan brings decades of experience leading global initiatives at companies including IBM and Nokia, and now works through Go to Market Impact with CEOs, boards, investors, nonprofits, and faith-based leaders to pressure-test important ideas before they stall or fail.
She explains why faith does not eliminate risk, but instead reframes how leaders approach it. She shares how underestimating the “people side” of risk can derail even strong strategies, why teams often avoid difficult conversations, and how leaders can build greater trust by openly discussing what might go wrong before problems surface.
They also unpack Susan’s six principles for pressure-testing a big idea, including clarifying why and why now, validating why you, identifying who must act, challenging assumptions, planning for multiple scenarios, and developing leaders who can adapt when circumstances change.
Susan also shares a practical “pre-mortem” exercise leaders can use to uncover hidden risks before launching an initiative.
Key Takeaways
00:00 Why Not Talking About Risk Is Risky
00:36 Meet Susan Schram
02:05 Faith and Risk Belong Together
03:32 Why God Calls Us to Plan
05:46 Why Big Ideas Stall
07:09 The People Side of Risk
08:33 Why Teams Avoid Risk Conversations
11:03 Learning From a Failed Product Launch
14:14 Courageous Leaders Talk About Risk
16:14 Pressure-Testing High-Stakes Initiatives
17:59 Susan’s Six Risk Principles
20:56 Challenge Your Assumptions
22:22 Ask “What If?” Before Launching
25:17 When Success Creates New Risk
28:17 Building Resilience Through Scenario Planning
30:03 How to Start the Risk Conversation
32:43 Fast Track Your Big Idea
33:43 The Pre-Mortem Exercise
35:35 What a Life Well Lived Looks Like
36:37 Using AI to Process Difficult Moments
39:04 Who Susan Helps
40:34 Protecting Your Next Big Idea
Resources
Fast Track Your Big Idea
https://gotomarketimpact.com/book/
Go to Market Impact
https://gotomarketimpact.com/
U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce
https://uschristianchamber.com/
Liberty Builders Exchange
https://business.uschristianchamber.com/events/Details/liberty-builders-exchange-dinner-at-swc-2026-1700626?sourceTypeId=Hub
Susan Schramm's Risk System for Impact
https://gotomarketimpact.com/about-us/
🔗 Connect with Liberty Spenders™:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libertyspenders
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertyspenders
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/libertyspenders
• Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-6192506
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXn-vzlA03r59neWZD0ofJA
• X: https://x.com/LibertySpenders
🔗 Connect with Kurt and Kristen Luidhardt:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luidhardts
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luidhardts
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luidhardts
• Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@luidhardts
• X: https://x.com/luidhardts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices