#90: From Startup to Grown-Up: Jeff Byers, Co-founder and CEO of Momentous — Transitioning from NFL player to CEO, managing cultural clashes during a merger, and navigating the high-pressure world of growth-stage leadership

Jeff Byers is the co-founder and CEO of Momentous, a high-performance wellness company delivering science-backed products used by elite athletes, military operators, and high-performers worldwide. A former NFL player and two-time USC football captain, Jeff brings both personal and professional insight to optimizing performance and building values-driven companies. What you’ll learn:Why Jeff says effort and attitude are the only things you can control—and how they ground him in tough momentsThe cultural clash behind merging two wellness companiesHow “speed over consensus” became a core value at MomentousWhy returning to in-person work cost talent but aligned cultureHow EOS helped reset their operating rhythmBuilding high-integrity partnerships with leaders like Huberman and StarrettLessons from Pete Carroll on consistency and energyWhy growth-stage CEOs must “reset the scoreboard” and stay curious Takeaways:Control what you can: Effort and attitude define how you show upMerge carefully: “Equals” often clash without clear directionCulture lives in person: Jeff prioritized cohesion over convenienceDecide fast on people: Delays around misfits create dragEarn trust: Authenticity attracted elite advisorsBalance roles: EOS clarified vision vs. executionYou define you: Not your title—your choices Find Jeff:LinkedInMomentous In this episode:  (00:00:00) Expectations in growth-backed companies  (00:00:23) Intro to Jeff  (00:02:00) NFL to CEO journey  (00:03:52) Life as a pro athlete  (00:05:28) Teamwork, rhythm, winning  (00:09:10) Athletic mindset in startups  (00:11:06) Stress rituals, effort & attitude  (00:14:02) Purpose-driven leadership  (00:19:15) Founding Momentous  (00:30:51) Merger lessons  (00:35:25) Cultural alignment  (00:42:27) In-person work benefits  (00:48:38) Standing out in supplements  (00:54:20) Partnering with leaders  (00:57:59) Co-founder dynamics  (01:02:23) Imposter syndrome  (01:10:22) Curiosity = leadership growth Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on Instagram: @alisacohn Twitter: @alisacohn Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/ Website: http://www.alisacohn.com Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon