#218: Sanjay Singh (Mace®) — Get Good at Hard Things

Sanjay Singh is a thoughtful strategist, seasoned executive, and business philosopher whose journey to leading the iconic Cleveland brand Mace Security—and his reflections on it—are remarkable. Sanjay’s story weaves together a deep appreciation for manufacturing and a career shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a knack for doing hard things—ultimately culminating in a personal philosophy grounded in introspection and presence. From navigating activist shareholders during a turnaround at Mace to developing frameworks around fear, ego, inquiry, and deep intuition, Sanjay offers a unique lens into what it means to lead with vulnerability and intention. This conversation leans more philosophical than most Lay of The Land episodes—a reflection of Sanjay’s clarity of thought, deep presence, and his insights into consciousness and awareness. His perspective on leadership elevates the discussion far beyond the business realm, offering thoughtful takeaways for both work and life. Sanjay also serves on the boards of MAGNET—whose story was shared by Ethan Karp in Episode 139—and The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. He’s married to Erin Singh, CEO of Options Naturopathic, who joined us on Episode 147 to share her own journey. Sanjay is a true student of the world, of people, and of business. It was a real joy for me to try to distill the many conversations we’ve had about his perspective into this one here today. 00:00:00 - Sanjay's Unlikely Journey   00:11:40 - Frameworks for Success   00:19:18 - The Story of Mace   00:32:58 - Vulnerability as an Equalizer   00:39:10 - Turning Companies Around: Key Ingredients   00:47:16 - Balancing Intuition and Intellect   00:54:50 - Defining Success and Impact   01:01:30 - Hidden Gem ----- LINKS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaysinghdrivingexcellence/ https://www.mace.com/ ----- SPONSOR: Roundstone Insurance Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership. Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings. Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland. ----- Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here. Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs. Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/ Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland https://www.jeffreys.page/