Intentional Performers with Brian Levenson: Recent Episodes
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I created this podcast because I believe that much can be learned from digging deep with intentional performers. You can learn more about Brian Levenson and his company at www.strongskills.co.
Tanya Vogel has had quite a career in athletics and she’s kind of just getting started with her impact and influence in not just athletics, but beyond it as well. She’s been a distinguished leader in collegiate athletics for nearly 3 decades. Recently, she concluded her tenure as the Director of Athletics at George Washington University; she served in that position for 7 years. Her journey at GW began in 1992 as a student and All-American soccer player. She’s in GW’s hall of fame and she earned multiple degrees at GW including a BS, and MS, and an MBA. So, Tanya is a learner, which is going to be the core of today’s conversation; she loves to learn, she loves to grow. Additionally, she was recognized for her playing career becoming the first women’s soccer player to be inducted into the GW athletic hall of fame in 2002. She became their head coach at the age of 25. So, Tanya at GW is certainly an icon and somebody that the Athletic Department for a long time has looked to for leadership as a player, as a coach, and as an athletic director. In that athletic director capacity, she cultivated a culture of excellence resulting in 19 conference championships and a cumulative GPA of 3.62 among student athletes. One of the things that’s going to be abundantly clear in today’s conversation is that Tanya is a competitor; she loves to win, and she cares deeply about human beings and developing them and cultivating them and pouring into student athletes. She’s a recognized national figure; she’s served on key NCAA committees and chaired the Atlantic 10 Athletic Director’s Council. She’s also a graduate of the Georgetown Transformational Leadership Coaching Program and she’s an ICF certified coach. We’ll talk a little bit about her journey to becoming an executive coach, and I may have actually played a small part in that journey and maybe a spark to have her explore that journey. In addition to her coaching practice, she serves as a consultant for the Pictor Group, which helps her continue her commitment to leadership and organizational development, specifically within the athletic world. So, Tanya is a competitor, she’s a leader, she’s a coach, she’s been essentially the CEO of an athletic department (that’s what the role of an athletic director is), and she has seen just about everything when it comes to collegiate athletics. So, this is a conversation about culture, this is a conversation about leadership, this is a conversation about mindset, and most of all it’s a conversation of two friends chopping it up and chatting about what they’re passionate about, which is people.
Tanya had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I don’t make too many decisions without processing, without thinking through things” (8:05).
“I felt like I took [George Washington athletics] about as far as I could take it” (10:00).
“I feel like comfort and discomfort overlap” (12:35).
“I’m comfortable in discomfort, and I can be uncomfortable in comfort” (13:35).
“Our competitive advantage is going to be seen in how we treat one another” (14:55).
“Culture is people” (22:30).
“It can’t just be high fives and I love you” (25:30).
“Confidence and motivation come from within” (27:30).
“Just be insanely curious” (28:05).
“I work really hard to gather the data and do the research” (32:10).
“When you’re a head coach, you’re not going to be liked” (34:20).
“Leadership is not about being liked” (34:40).
“Every job I’ve gotten is by somebody that’s known me” (40:30).
“Be great where you’re at” (42:05).
“Mentors play a huge role in our growth and development, but advocates are key [too]” (47:15).
“Genuinely, most people want to feel useful” (55:55).
“I have this burning desire to go into the grave still learning; I just want to do that forever” (1:01:45).
“94% of women in the C-Suite have competed in athletics” (1:08:55).
Additionally, you can find the Ripple Impact website here and connect with Tanya on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Tanya for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Joe Quitoni is the Founder and CEO of Unify Align. Unify Align collaborates with clients to reimagine the people and customer experience, delivering real-world solutions that supercharge business growth. Joe knows a thing or two about collaborating with clients, specifically around people and customer experience. Throughout his career, he has used his skills in organizational transformation to create game-changing advantages for some of the world’s biggest brands. Before starting Unify Align, he put in over 20 years at the Ritz Carlton hotel company, where he served as the Director of Human Resources before jumping over to the brand’s consulting firm, The Ritz Carlton Leadership Center, where he led the team as Global Head of Delivery. For those unfamiliar with what they do at The Ritz Carlton when it comes to the leadership center, think of it similarly to what Disney does; both of these organizations are known for customer service, so they actually train other businesses and other organizations on how they can serve. So, certainly if you’ve ever been to a Ritz Carlton, you have a sense of what the vibe is there. We’re going to talk about vibe quite a bit in today’s conversation. When he was working at Ritz Carlton, he transformed and evolved their approach and methodology, which created dramatic positive impact to the clients and businesses that they served. But Joe isn’t your typical corporate suit; he is someone who is unique in the way he thinks and how he delivers information. He brings a modern twist to the world of consulting; he’s armed with a Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and applies an innovative methodology to his work, where he delivers successful outcomes for a diverse portfolio of companies and clients. We’ve talked offline about some of those; they are truly remarkable. He works with startups, he works with Fortune 500 giants, he’s even worked with sports organizations, and he is someone who cares deeply about leadership, connection, inspiration, motivation, and really thinks about how an environment, how a vibe, how a culture, can drive not just customer experience, but employee experience as well. He’s known for his keynote speeches, which is actually how I found him, and also working alongside all kinds of different leaders inside organizations to ultimately help them develop what he calls “a very intentional vibe.”
Joe had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“This word culture has been around for decades, but we have evolved tremendously as a society” (6:55).
“The simplest way you can define culture is it’s everything in the environment” (7:20).
“This word ‘vibe’ is… the energy, the attitudes, the beliefs that influence shared motivation, productivity, and engagement in an environment” (8:15).
“This feeling of empowerment certainly allows for that authenticity to come through” (12:20).
“A purpose statement creates a sense of pride, it’s inspirational, it’s motivational, and it shifts the headspace of an employee” (13:55).
“You can’t just have the words; you as an organization need to clearly define what your perspective is of that belief and then you have to take it one step further; you have to attach specific behaviors” (15:15).
“I like to center the vibe around the employee” (17:10).
“When we’re talking about the word experience, consistency is the most important word in that” (18:25).
“Far too often, people mistake customer service and customer experience as the same thing” (18:50).
“Every single interaction… should have a beginning, should have a middle, and should have an end” (19:25).
“I don’t want people to fit the mold; I’m a huge fan of diversity of thought and challenging the status quo” (26:05).
“Accountability is one of the biggest reasons as to why something sticks or why it doesn’t” (28:15).
“When you’re practicing accountability, I think it’s a coaching moment” (31:45).
“Any time we engage in work, it’s always a co-created process” (38:00).
“No consulting job should have a one-size-fits-all” (38:30).
“Reach far and then go one step further” (42:10).
“I equate loyalty and being a brand ambassador as being very similar” (50:20).
“Brand ambassador is what we should all be shooting for” (50:55).
“Every day is a new challenge” (54:30).
“I continue to learn every single day and I think that’s the thing I love most about what I’m doing today” (54:35).
“Success is at the heart of everything that we do” (56:20).
“I want to transform the headspace and the mindset of your employees” (56:30).
Additionally, you can connect with Joe on LinkedIn and check out the Unify Align website here.
Thank you so much to Joe for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Harris Fanaroff is the Founder of Linked Revenue. Linked Revenue is a company that helps Executives and sales and marketing teams utilize LinkedIn to generate new business.
They focus on 3 areas:
- Helping executives generate thought leadership content
- Growing and nurturing their network
- Creating a business development strategy and executing on it
Harris has over 28,000 followers on LinkedIn and has spent the last 4 years understanding how to best use the platform. He lives right outside Washington DC with his 1-year-old son and wife. He was a former MLB draft pick and Division 1 college baseball player.
Harris had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur” (7:35).
“I didn’t know how to deal with those failures as an athlete” (15:45).
“If one person will find value from what you’re going to share, it’s success” (18:50).
“Getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to me” (21:40).
“Find out what they care about, and then do it for them” (23:15).
“If AI can write it, then don’t put it on LinkedIn because nobody cares what AI says a leader should do” (25:10).
“Give me the raw version, let me understand that person, because at the end of the day, people buy from people” (27:35).
“I want your personality to come through in your content” (27:45).
“I’m terrible at delegation, like most founders are” (29:00).
“I have to be relatively relentless with what I spend my time on” (29:50).
“When I leave this planet, I want to help give other people jobs” (33:35).
“The more I can do to build relationships, for myself and for my clients, the higher probability for success when it comes to the game of business” (36:05).
“You shouldn’t sell on LinkedIn” (40:15).
“If you wouldn’t do it in person, don’t do it on LinkedIn” (40:45).
“Sharing thoughtful content consistently increases your ability to get lucky from a business development perspective” (1:03:25).
“If you have better, stronger relationships with more people, your business is going to be easier” (1:03:45).
Additionally, you can connect with Harris on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also subscribe to Harris’s newsletter here.
Thank you so much to Harris for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Diane Hamilton is one of those people that came on my radar and just didn’t stay off of it. She is one of the leading experts when it comes to studying curiosity in the world. She’s written multiple books about curiosity, she’s the creator of the curiosity code index which tries to help us understand what actually gets in the way of our ability to stay curious, and for that I am extremely grateful. I took the curiosity code index, and actually the focus of a lot of our conversation today is us unpacking my scores and her explaining the different factors that cause us to perhaps retreat from curiosity. She’s a thought leader in other fields, including leadership, sales, marketing, management, engagement, personality, and, as I mentioned, curiosity. She has spent time with some of the best leaders in the world. So, today’s conversation certainly focuses on what she’s learned, what she’s studied, what she’s researched, and how we can apply it to our lives. She’s a keynote speaker that’s also been featured in a multitude of publications that you’ve heard of, such as Ink and Harvard Business Review. If you are someone who’s interested in curiosity, perhaps you’ve seen her speak at a company or at a conference or on other podcasts.
Diane had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I spent years researching and studying what happens to curiosity [over the lifespan].”
“Both curiosity and creativity tend to peak at age 5 and then diminish.”
“This fixed mindset is something that will shut you down completely.”
“It’s challenging to meet everyone in the way they want to be met.”
“You can’t teach all kids the same way.”
“You rely on the foundational aspects of what you know, but you need to continue to grow.”
“A lot of people are afraid of the ramifications of stepping outside of what’s comfortable.”
“We don’t want to be the one not doing what everybody else is doing.”
“There’s no better way to learn something than to teach it.”
“For a culture to be curious, it has to come from the top down.”
“[Personality assessments] bring up all of these ideas to think about.”
“Each year, you meet people that open up new ideas for you.”
“You just don’t know who you’re going to meet that might change your whole trajectory.”
“You don’t know what you don’t know until you try something.”
“Nobody wants to look like they didn’t prepare.”
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, it’s a pretty boring room.”
“With technology, information overload is a real thing for people.”
“It’s easier to get along with the group.”
Additionally, you can follow Diane across social media @drdianehamilton and purchase her books, Cracking the Curiosity Code and Curiosity Unleashed, anywhere books are sold. You can also find everything you need to know about Diane on her website.
Thank you so much to Diane for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jason LaRose has built quite a reputation for himself throughout his career in his desire to help companies scale and grow. He worked for companies like Under Armour, where he became their President of the North America Region. He then went onto Equinox Media, where he served as the CEO, helping them build out their technologies and their content. From there, he co-founded and became President of a company called The Post, which is actually how we got connected; The Post has created a community for former athletes, and some current athletes, to come together to learn together and support each other. It is an amazing networking group that continues to grow. Most recently, he became the President of Bombas. If you’re unfamiliar with Bombas, it is an incredible, mission-driven apparel company (and as I said to Jason, I am currently wearing their socks, their socks are really what put them on the map). They created a company that not just created comfortable and quality socks, but also with a mission behind it where they give away apparel for every apparel that’s bought, and they support homeless shelters all throughout the country. So, Jason is somebody who’s been at the ground level of companies, he’s helped companies scale and grow from $1 billion to $5 billion, and at his core he’s someone who considers himself to be an operator, he considers himself to be someone who can create strategy and execute by using amazing systems, and I think that’s going to come across in today’s conversation. And he’s someone who clearly values culture; he values mission, he values doing good while also doing well. I think he has great clarity and it’s going to come across in our conversation as far as what he sees a successful business is and his own growth as he’s developed himself through the years.
Jason had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The mission at Bombas is just too hard to pass up” (5:55).
“The mission [at Bombas] is who we are; it’s why the company was founded in the first place” (7:25).
“At Bombas, we give [the consumer] a way to be a part of the solution” (8:10).
“Brand is a promise” (12:00).
“At Bombas, we talk about three words all the time: comfort, quality, and mission” (12:25).
“Everything contributes to mission” (13:35),
“Mission only matters [at Bombas] if you sell” (14:00).
“I probably hate to lose more than I love to win” (19:05).
“I love to look out and see the potential conditions for success being there” (19:15).
“More than anything, what I love is growth” (19:30).
“I’m not very good at [being] content” (23:20).
“Over time, I’ve learned to be more appreciative and take those moments to reflect” (26:55).
“Founders are special people” (28:50).
“I’m enamored with people who know things that I don’t know” (29:25).
“Really great founders are maniacal about their brands” (32:15).
“Scale doesn’t come just because you have a great idea” (33:40).
“What athletes are most amazing at is watching the film” (39:35).
“Great athletes and great coaches don’t only have one solution” (43:20).
“Once you get people aligned around the mission, you can do almost anything” (44:15).
Additionally, you can follow Bombas on all social media platforms and connect with Jason on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Jason for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Mitch Warner is a managing partner of the Arbinger Institute, which is a global leadership development firm. He directs the development of Arbinger’s leadership development programs and highly customized large-scale organizational culture change initiatives. Mitch has been instrumental in Arbinger’s rapid growth, including its expanding international presence in over 20 countries. He’s also a heck of a writer; he’s the co-author of Arbinger’s bestselling books Leadership and Self Deception (which we get into at length in today’s conversation), The Anatomy of Peace (which we actually don’t really dive into in today’s conversation), and The Outward Mindset (which is really the precursor for a lot of our conversation today). Mitch is obsessed with mindset and how mindset can impact how we show up not just for ourselves, but for the people around us. Mitch has delivered training and consulting internationally to leaders and organizations across a broad range of industries. He’s a sought-after teacher, speaker, and advisor to leaders of corporations, governments, and organizations of all kinds around the world on the topics of leadership, collaboration, mindset, and culture change. He also is at the forefront of conflict resolution, alignment, and strategy. This conversation gets deeply into mindset, really into leadership, and we’re going to talk about how mindset impacts leadership at great length. Lastly, I bring myself into today’s conversation and I hope you appreciate it; I try to make these conversations as real as possible and bring in current challenges that I am dealing with, so I hope you find your own place and space in today’s conversation and think about how you can increase your own self-awareness and maybe some of the things you’re struggling with on a day-to-day basis, whether it’s personally or professionally.
Mitch had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Art is a communication between the artist and the viewer” (6:05).
“The most interesting thing about art to me is that it’s not just self-expression” (7:05).
“Everybody has the capacity for creativity” (10:45).
“The purpose of art is not photography” (12:20).
“The point is not to see the reality in the same way, the point is to realize we’re going to see that thing differently based on our experiences, based on what we’re bringing to it” (14:10).
“When I approach a person with a lens of judgment, I fail to recognize that I’m seeing myself as already different than they are” (16:25).
“No matter what form it takes, whatever I’m trying to project keeps me cut off from the people in my life” (25:10).
“The challenge with a word like ‘authenticity’ is it’s so easily misunderstood” (28:45).
“At the end of the day, all of us are the same in a key, fundamental way: we all know what’s underneath behavior, and what’s underneath behavior is how we see” (31:05).
“It’s not like our experiences are neutral; they’re all charged, and we live in an environment that has all sorts of social expectations” (46:10).
“The work is to become free of self-deception, of the lies that we tell ourselves that get in the way of us just being with other people” (52:30).
“There’s different ways to go toward a problem” (54:45).
“People have a broad spectrum of possibility” (55:40).
“If I’m self-deceived, I can’t lead” (57:10).
“People don’t respond to our behaviors… What people respond to is how they’re being seen” (58:05).
“The problem with self-deception is the fact that not only can I not see that I’m the problem, but I resist the very possibility that I’m the problem” (1:05:50).
Additionally, you can find the Arbinger Institute website here. I’d also highly encourage you to purchase Mitch’s books wherever books are sold. You can also connect with Mitch on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Thank you so much to Mitch for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Doug Stitt most recently served as the Chief People Officer for the United States Army where he was the lead HR officer for the Army's 1 million uniform and civilian personnel. He graduated from Norwich University and served around the globe in a variety of formations. He is married to Beth and has two daughters, Laura and Anna.
Doug had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“[Soldiers] all have a story and it’s unique to them” (7:40).
“Connect with the people that are making the connections” (8:30).
“[When I hear the word soldier] I think of service, I think of selflessness, I think of being a servant, I think of physical and emotional courage” (10:35).
“I wish more people knew a soldier” (16:55).
“Just because it’s a tradition doesn’t mean it’s good” (19:00).
“Innovation for tomorrow is better than the tradition of today” (19:25).
“Friction isn’t always bad” (22:00).
“People want to be wanted” (24:10).
“Culture is a long-term ebb and flow in an organization” (26:50).
“What brought somebody into the army might not be why they’re sticking around” (40:20).
“I see opportunities to go try and do something different” (41:45).
“I became a better listener than when I first joined [the Army]” (42:35).
“People don’t care about what you know until they know how much you care” (47:40).
“Coaching trees are very evident within the military as well” (54:10).
“Every soldier is a leader… that’s what it means to be in this organization” (1:01:35).
“Leader development is hard, it takes time” (1:03:20).
“I cared about [my soldiers] first and foremost as people” (1:10:30).
Additionally, you can connect with Doug on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Doug for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Ashley Zaslav is the founder of Integrative Complexity, which is a high-performance coaching firm that works with made career high achievers ready to bet on themselves and test their potential. She’s also on our coaching bench at Strong Skills, and I’ve been fortunate to refer some amazing people to Ashley and hear firsthand about the work that she does with them. Some of her clients include founders of investment firms, newly promoted partners, high potential investment professionals, search fund CEOs, first time CEOs, C-suite leaders, and executive directors. Ashley is an athlete, and she was a two-time captain of the Duke Women’s Soccer Team that was a national finalist in 2011. She was the number five recruit in the nation coming out of high school. So, Ashley is absolutely a competitor, but we talk about her mindset and how it’s shifted over the years from just competing and maximizing and being the best that she can be to blending that mindset with one of wisdom, one of slowing down, one of thinking and being a little more intentional with how she shows up, while still being her competitive self. She competed globally with the US Youth National Team until she finished her career due to injuries. Injuries are a big part of Ashley’s journey; she tore her ACL three times when she was in college, and she’ll talk about her resilient mind and how she thought about injuries, and I think it’s something for all of us to take away from today’s conversation. Her approach to coaching is informed by her experience and expertise in high performance that she developed competing as an elite athlete at the highest levels, as well as working within the finance world. She worked at places like Bridgewater (if you’re unfamiliar with Bridgewater, perhaps you’re familiar with their founder, Ray Dalio, who’s got a TedTalk and has written a bestselling book and is really at the forefront of people and culture as it relates to the finance world), TPG, Brooklyn’s Capital Strategies, and at Spencer Stewart where she worked with all kinds of different elements of people practices within organizations. She received her MBA from NYU Stern and she got her bachelor’s from Duke University. She’s also very proud of being the mother to 3 kids under 5.
Ashley had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“On the outside someone can look one way and then have so many challenges on the inside” (8:45).
“Everybody has a story” (9:00).
“I do think that knowing I had faced these really hard things and gotten through them gave me this inner confidence when things would come my way” (14:20).
“I have to learn how to be when things are good” (18:20).
“I love making patterns of information” (22:45).
“It’s harder to speak up when you don’t have conviction about what you’re saying” (25:35).
“I’m very open and flexible about who I need to be to get better” (28:30).
“For me, what’s felt more organic is to be fluid” (37:45).
“There’s nothing more honest than sitting in a film room watching yourself blow a play that leads to the other team scoring. There’s no hiding from that” (41:40).
“The best companies are always balancing short term and long term” (48:15).
“One of my favorite things about succession planning is to do it well it requires almost going against all of the strong, natural impulses” (50:50).
“That ability to integrate those two realities changed my world so much” (53:55).
“[For me], success [looks] like doing work really well, doing work that I love, being present for the kids, having marriage and partnership, really enjoying life” (1:05:45).
“I do think success 3 to 5 years from now is looking back on these last 3 years and feeling like I wasn’t just striving” (1:12:15).
Additionally, you can connect with Ashley on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Ashley for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. We discuss happiness at length in today’s conversation, but we also discuss frameworks, and I think you’re going to find right off the bat that Gretchen sees things in terms of frameworks, in terms of theory. But she’s also known for her ability to convey complex ideas from science, to literature, to stories from her own life, with levity and clarity. So, we bring her into this conversation and we actually bring myself in to today’s conversation, and I think that will make it really come to life. She’s a writer, and she’s going to articulate how much she loves writing and how big of an impact writing has made on her life and how she sees the world. She’s the author of many bestselling books, such as The Happiness Project, Better than Before, and The Four Tendencies, which has sold millions of copies in more than 30 languages. Her most recent book, which we reference in today’s conversation, is Life in 5 Senses. She’s also the host of the popular podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin and the founder of the award-winning “Happier” app, which helps people track their happiness-boosting habits. She’s been interviewed by Oprah, she’s spent time with Daniel Kahneman, she’s walked arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama, and her work has been reported on in a medical journal (which eventually got written up in The New Yorker). So, she’s been in all kinds of interesting spaces; she’s also been an answer on Jeopardy, which is a claim to fame for her. I think this conversation will give you a sense of yourself, which is what I really appreciate about it; it’ll make you think about yourself and hopefully make you a little more aware of how you show up for you and for others.
Gretchen had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If we want to make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, more creative, one of the things we need to figure out is how to make habits” (6:00).
“Depending on whether we meet or resist outer and inner expectations, that’s what makes us an upholder, a questioner, an obliger, or a rebel” (7:50).
“Upholders are people who readily meet both outer and inner expectations” (8:00).
“Questioners question all expectations; they’ll do something if they think it makes sense” (10:25).
“Obliger is the biggest tendency, for both men and women” (16:00).
“Obligers are people who readily meet outer accountability, but they struggle to meet inner accountability” (16:10).
“If you want to meet an inner expectation as an obliger, you need to create a system of outer accountability” (16:25).
“The way to keep a promise to yourself is to make a promise to someone else” (16:55).
“Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike” (17:35).
“From the practical comes the transcendent” (19:55).
“My behavior follows from my identity” (22:10).
“Allow rebel children to face the consequences of their actions; that is how a rebel learns” (23:20).
“Sometimes these little adjustments in communication can have massive consequences in behavior” (25:05).
“Once you understand the mechanism of what’s going on, it’s a lot easier to address it” (28:10).
“For many people, there’s a sense that they kind of neglect” (30:50).
“Whatever you want to achieve in your life, even if they’re contradictory, the five senses can help you” (35:50).
“I really get tremendous satisfaction out of just being able to explore ideas in all these different ways and exercise my creativity in a lot of different ways” (40:40).
“We want to accept ourselves and also expect more from ourselves” (44:25).
“I think the word motivation is very complicated” (46:25).
“You can’t expect to be motivated by motivation” (47:30).
“I never define happiness” (1:04:45).
“We all can decide for ourselves what it means to be happy” (1:05:00).
“Negative emotions have a very important part to play” (1:06:05).
“If you get interested in something, really try to become a minor expert” (1:15:30).
“The more you know, the more questions you have” (1:16:05).
Additionally, you can find everything you need to know about Gretchen and connect with her on her website, as well as following her on all social media platforms @GretchenRubin. I’d also highly encourage you to check out Gretchen’s podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, wherever you consume your podcasts.
Thank you so much to Gretchen for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Tiffany Thompson is a unique human being. She’s driven by curiosity, and that’s going to come shining through in our conversation today. Tiffany weaves the analytic rigor of her early career as a CIA analyst with the explorative creativity of her recording artist career. So, to say she wears multiples hats or weaves multiple identities is probably an understatement. She is the founder and CEO of Artistic Leadership, which is a creative consultancy that uses the power of art to unlock creativity and connection. Creativity and connection are really what today’s conversation is all about. How can you use a spark of curiosity to improve your ability to innovate, to create, to build something? That is really at the core of Tiffany’s positioning, of her communication, of everything that she stands for.
Tiffany had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I would consider the CIA to be a very creative and artistic place” (6:50).
“People choose to work [at the CIA] because they’re driven by mission” (7:10).
“As an artist [at the CIA], I felt encouraged to explore the things I was curious about” (7:20).
“I have always been somebody who loved creating with my friends” (13:40).
“To have a lifelong friendship, you have to let it change” (20:10).
“I’m never afraid of being the friend who leads the friendship. I actually find that to be an honor” (22:50).
“Let’s not hide the broken fractures, let’s actually accentuate them” (28:40).
“When we’re in fix it mode, it’s about speed and getting something done” (30:55).
“When you shift into mending, curiosity really becomes that tool for understanding what it is you’re trying to create” (31:10).
“Binaries are rarely helpful, or perhaps real” (35:10).
“At its core, [art] is a process” (36:25).
“Novelty is such a powerful stimulant for our brain” (50:15).
“We’re not going to succeed alone. We’re going to have to work together” (53:25).
“Part of being an artist is being a steward of your art form” (57:55).
“Discipline, to me, has two parts: it has commitment, and it has craft” (1:00:40).
“Craft is a word heavy with intention” (1:01:40).
Additionally, click here to learn more about Tiffany’s various offerings. For more information specifically about Tiffany’s music, you can find that website here.
Thank you so much to Tiffany for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
James Lawrence is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for cultivating great workplaces and empowering people. You will be able to tell right off the jump that James is extremely passionate about developing people in the workforce and doing so with intentional leadership. With more than 25 years of being a CEO and founder, James loves to share his insights, not just on leadership, but also on organizational culture and the intersection of technology and the workplace. His mission is to help people love their work and get connected with their teams, because in his words, when people work better, we all win together. He’s the founder of a company called “Happy,” which is dedicated to empowering people and improving how every team works together. He is someone who is passionate about the power of technology to change how we operate, how we develop people, and ultimately, how we perform. So, this conversation dives into what currently he’s doing at “Happy,” but also backs up to some of his journey and what he’s intentionally done to better himself so that he ultimately can serve others as well.
James had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“When you have a really high performing organization, that starts with intentionality” (4:55).
“If you’re trying to lead people, that’s an entire skill that you have to develop” (5:40).
“I’ve made every mistake in the book as a leader” (7:15).
“It takes time to become a leader” (7:15).
“You can be very skilled at knowing how to do things and not be very good at teaching them” (7:50).
“People that actually tell you the current state and are willing to be honest even when it hurts, those are people you want in your corner” (10:35).
“Being a good listener is a really important part of being a leader” (11:20).
“Listening and discarding something is totally different from not listening” (11:40).
“Today, I think true leadership is about making sure that I fully heard someone, that I fully processed everything, and then for me at least it’s now just making sure I build enough time in there to when I do talk to them, I’ve gotten the chance to really think through with some intention what my response is” (16:00).
“Entrepreneurship comes in a lot of flavors” (17:45).
“The manager-employee relationship is the number one driving force in an organization” (24:05).
“We believe in full transparency” (28:00).
“We’re just at the beginning of being able to maximize humans’ happiness” (32:40).
“I love the word happy” (36:50).
“[Happy’s mission] is to make the world at work better” (37:20).
“Happiness is a complex thing… but I like it as a north star” (39:00).
“Your hiring process is incredibly important” (40:00).
“You better be really discerning with who you let in the building” (41:50).
“You’re effective when you combine motivation, capability, and experience” (42:45).
“You have to develop a lot of patience to be a good parent” (46:00).
“I like challenges and I don’t think about risk in the way that some others might” (57:40).
“I have always liked challenges; I like pushing myself” (59:10).
“All we have is time, so where do we want to spend our time?” (59:50).
“I love building things. I’ve always been a builder and that’s where I thrive” (1:02:30).
Additionally, you can find everything about “Happy” here and connect with James on LinkedIn as well.
Thank you so much to James for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Before I get to Micah Hendler’s bio, I want to acknowledge there are things in this conversation, there are themes in this conversation, there are ideas in this conversation, that I don’t agree with. And if you look back to our podcast guests in the past, we have tried to bring a variety of people to the podcast for dialogue and to learn other people’s perspectives. And just because you’re learning it doesn’t mean you have to agree with it. So, as you’re listening to today’s conversation, I would hope that there are elements that you disagree with me on or disagree with Micah on. And that’s okay. We need to continue to have dialogue with people that we may disagree with and we need to find where we do agree. Human beings are meant to find a sense of belonging and often we seek out people that are just like us and we create tribes that then may cause us to be ignorant toward another group. And so, if there are things that are said in this conversation that make you think, great. If there are things in this conversation that you disagree with, great. Listen. And I did my best to do the same. There are times where maybe I’ll push back or maybe I’ll ask questions, but I’ll tell you after this conversation that Micah and I agreed to go get a cup of coffee together and I think that’s the point. And that is really what Micah is all about.
Micah Hendler is someone that believes in the power of using our voices, and specifically around music, to change how we see other people. He’s a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient for his work in the music industry. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Jerusalem Youth Chorus, which is and Israeli-Palestinian music and dialogue project that he started years ago. Obviously, October 7th of this past year of 2023 impacted their chorus in a variety of ways and he’s going to talk about that in today’s conversation. The chorus has been featured on programs such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and PBS, and they’ve also been featured in media outlets like The New York Times. Through the co-creation of music and the sharing of stories, the chorus empowers young singers from East and West Jerusalem to speak and sing their truths. And that is a big piece of what Micah is trying to create. He wants to create a space where people can authentically show up as themselves and share their perspective. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re always going to agree, but he wants to create spaces where people can share their perspective and create dialogue that hopefully will lead to peace, justice, inclusion, and ultimately equality. In addition to his ongoing bridge building work in Jerusalem, Micah has brought some of his Jerusalem Youth Chorus experience back home and serves as a co-director of music for Braver Angels, which is America’s largest grassroots movement working on political depolarization. And that’s a big piece of today’s conversation. Certainly Israel gets headlines for divides and war and fighting and hate that does exist in that region, but if we look inward and we hold a mirror up to our country, we certainly have our own challenges that we are dealing with on a daily basis. Micah’s work using music to help people see each other as people is essential for the entire world and not just for Israel. During the pandemic, Micah co-founded Raise Your Voice Labs which is a creative culture change company that helps organizations, companies, and communities realign and reengage around a shared vision and builds cultures of resilience, adaptability, inclusive leadership, and supportive accountability. In this time of profound change, Raise Your Voice Labs has helped dozens of groups rediscover themselves, reconnect to one another, and find their musical north star. Micah writes for Forbes, he talks about music, society, and social change, and he actually currently lives in my neck of the woods in Washington, DC, and I’m excited to get to know him better as we continue to learn from each other
.
Micah had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“[It’s vital to make] sure that whatever we’re doing, people feel seen and heard and represented properly in the music that we sing” (14:55).
“Maybe there’s something beyond just fighting about who’s justified or who’s right or who’s suffered more… there’s this other plane of existence where actually all can be” (18:30).
“Maybe my music can do some good” (19:40).
“Balancing [curiosity and conviction] is the key challenge in all of the work that I do” (29:15).
“We do the movement a disservice by basically alienating anyone who hasn’t already arrived at our conclusions” (30:40).
“We’re trying to thread the needle on moving the needle” (32:00).
“One of the things we’ve done to try and navigate this paradigm is to really focus on values” (35:25).
“Everybody is looking for belonging and they find it in different ways” (36:20).
“What the chorus is trying to do, and is doing, is ultimately just creating a space where people can come and be fully themselves and come to really own the space” (37:15).
“Music naturally creates more trust” (38:55).
“Peace, justice, inclusion, and equality: when we sing, we sing for those values” (44:25).
“For me, extremism is not defined by a set of positions but by a way of approaching the world” (49:40).
“People have experienced so much trauma, or reactivated trauma… that it’s so easy for people to become weaponized against each other by these extremist leaders” (57:00).
“We are trying to show that there is an alternative [to extremism]” (1:05:35).
Additionally, you can find the website for the Jerusalem Youth Chorus here and Micah’s personal website here. You can also follow the Jerusalem Youth Chorus across social media platforms @JerusalemYouthChorus.
Thank you so much to Micah for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Melissa Urban is a badass. And we talk about that term badass and why she likes and why she appreciates the label and explains why we may attach that label to women who are doing big things, but we don’t necessarily attach it to men. So, who is Melissa beyond being a badass and what has that baddass-ery led to? It led to her co-founding and becoming the CEO of the Whole 30 brand. She’s also a recovered addict, a New York Times Bestselling Author, a mother, a podcast host, a nature churchgoer (those are her terms), and she also talks about boundaries quite a bit and wrote a book all about boundaries, which is called The Book of Boundaries. If you are in the health space, you’ve probably heard of Melissa and her Whole 30 brand and blog and books. She’s really created quite an empire around that concept. But today’s conversation is not just about all of Melissa’s successes; it’s also about some of the challenges and failures she’s had when it comes to partnership and relationship and her own journey and experience and learning to be vulnerable and learning to share that sometimes she’s not okay and sometimes she struggles just like the rest of us and how she’s thought deeply about what she presents to the world and her willingness to share some of the more vulnerable pieces of herself. So, this conversation hopefully will light you up, will hopefully make you realize that there often are no real gurus out there and we’re all just trying to do the best we can, and even if we’re having some success, we still may be having challenges that we’re dealing with on a moment-to-moment basis that may not be presented on social media. Speaking of social media, she has certainly built quite a following on Instagram, and so we talk about some of the downsides that come with social media and how she’s learned to create some boundaries for herself.
Melissa had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I am always thinking of boundaries… as protecting future me, setting future me up for success” (7:30).
“People don’t like confrontation. People don’t like saying no” (8:50).
“We have this habit of automatically saying yes… because we want to meet other people’s expectations” (9:20).
“We have to create that pause” (12:50).
“In the absence of a plan, the brain is going to do what is easy and what is rewarding” (15:45).
“I love the idea of a 30-day commitment” (18:55).
“Black and white rules are actually easier for the brain to follow” (19:20).
“I like structure. I like routine. They’re very comforting to me” (24:10).
“Over the years, I’ve lost that dogmatism; I’ve lost that [idea that] there is only one right way” (27:45).
“There is no one size fits all. There is no one best way. And my job is to figure out the path that works best for you” (28:25).
“I discovered I loved hanging out with myself” (34:25).
“[Women] are often told that our needs and feelings and comforts don’t matter as much as men’s” (38:50).
“I think I know myself really well and I’m really confident in who I am and what I’m not” (42:00).
“I think there’s an element of badass-ery in any woman who claws her way up to the C-suite, because it’s harder for us than it is for a guy, especially a white guy” (43:10).
“I’m really good at empowering people and helping them make changes that stick” (47:35).
“I think often we extend others a grace and an understanding and a compassion that we are not willing to extend ourselves” (50:50).
“I don’t say things just to be nice” (53:30).
“We are not a weight loss diet” (56:15).
“Social media is such a blessing and a curse” (59:35).
“Social media is a pull, not a push. You always control what comes into your feed” (59:40).
“I have really strong boundaries and I hold them, and that’s how I make social media a place that works for me” (1:01:05).
Additionally, you can find everything Whole 30 related on their website and follow Whole 30 on all social media platforms @Whole30. You can also follow and connect directly with Melissa on Instagram.
Thank you so much to Melissa for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Lauren Sisler is an Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster, a former collegiate gymnast, an ESPN sideline reporter, an author, and a keynote speaker. While those accolades are super impressive and certainly her resume is impressive, this conversation gets into some of the challenges Lauren has faced personally. She lost both of her parents with their hidden battle with prescription drug addiction within hours of each other. I’m going to let her share what that was like for her. This conversation is as much about that watershed moment and tragedy as it is about her talent and her success. She’s vulnerable in this conversation; she’s willing to share her full self with all of us, and that’s what really makes this a really unique conversation. I think you’re going to find Lauren to be joyful, she is upbeat, but she is also not going to sugarcoat some of the things that she has struggled with and some of the challenges she’s faced in her life. And so, this is a conversation about joy, about adversity, about emotion and how we handle emotion and our relationship with our emotions, so it covers the full range of the life experience.
Lauren had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“That was one of the hardest things for me: the milestones that had been missed over the years” (10:00).
“I had this indescribable love for my parents. And that love has continued to grow since they passed” (10:40).
“I feel very fortunate for 18 years of my life to have parents that loved so deeply, unconditional love” (15:00).
“I want to be so transparent with my son because I do believe that transparency and vulnerability is huge” (16:25).
“Lessons can be learned in the way that we navigate life, navigate our experiences” (17:35).
“While I can take some things from my parents, it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing” (18:10).
“Time is fleeting. Time is non-refundable” (21:50).
“I’ve been given this gift of perspective and realizing that, literally, we have this moment in time, and we have to lean into it and grab it and embrace it” (23:10).
“Now those milestones aren’t so much of [my parents] not being here, it’s celebrating all the memories of them and also the new memories that have been created since they’ve left us” (24:35).
“No matter how hard you work to make someone happy, it’s not your responsibility to determine what the end result will be and their response to it” (27:35).
“The healing process and everything we go through is not linear” (31:45).
“I will make it my job to make sure [my son] understands what addiction is and how it can literally get its claws inside of you and never let go” (36:05).
“The shackles of shame were so tight around my wrist” (40:00).
“My parents aren’t defined by how they died, but by how they lived their lives” (40:20).
“I could not face the truth of what was inside those toxicology reports. I was so fearful of what I would see and what I would learn” (41:40).
“We are going to continue to experience loss, we are going to continue to experience those struggles” (43:15).
“Shame is 1000% going to be woven throughout your life” (44:40).
“Fall in love with your story” (45:20).
“Instead of running from adversity, you attack it” (46:55).
“When I started leaning in, I found purpose in what I do” (47:50).
“A lot of times, I was so afraid to speak about how I really felt” (54:50).
“We sometimes have to be more of advocates for ourselves” (57:20).
Additionally, you can find Lauren’s website here where you can find out everything you need to know about her, her new book, and sign up for her newsletter. You can also connect with her on all social media platforms @laurensisler.
Thank you so much to Lauren for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Ruben Gonzalez is going to inspire you with our conversation today. He is 61 years old and he is still attempting to make it to the next Olympics in the sport of luge. If you know anything about luge, you’ll know that it is a difficult sport that’s hard on the body that comes with danger. And Ruben knows a lot about the sport of luge. He’s competed in 4 different Olympics in the 3 different decades. He’s currently attempting to become the oldest Olympian to ever compete. He has experienced a lot in the sport of luge, but he’s also run with the bulls in Spain, he’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa), he was a torch bearer at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games, he has written books, he’s a keynote speaker, he is really a unique soul who is passionate. He really reminded me a lot of the people that I studied and wrote about in my book, Shift your Mind. A lot of today’s conversation is going to focus on Ruben’s mindset; what he’s done to create a mindset to help him in preparation and in performance. I think even more so than those two places and spaces, you’re going to learn about how Ruben sees life, then lens through which he sees it, and how much he always wants to continue learning and growing and reading and studying and researching. He is someone who is not going to stop developing himself in order to be the best version of him.
Ruben had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I was always looking for my adventure” (6:00).
“What drew me to the Olympians, it wasn’t their athleticism, it was their spirit, their heart” (7:00).
“If you study the lives of great people, you’ll figure out what works and doesn’t work in life” (7:40).
“Belief gets you started… [and] desire keeps you going” (10:05).
“The harder it is, the easier it is for me. Because I’m not a quitter; I’m a bulldog” (14:25).
“The luge is my vehicle, and it’s probably the only vehicle that’s going to get me to that destination: [the Olympics]” (20:00).
“I had a different motivation for each [Olympics]” (25:05).
“I can live with not making it, but I can’t live with not trying” (25:10).
“If I make it [to the Winter Olympics and set the record as the oldest athlete to compete ever], I actually hope someone will break it at the next Olympics because that means I got old guys out of the woodwork and got them working out (27:00).
“I’m 61 years old. I’m sliding better and more consistently than ever before” (32:45).
“You’ve got to have perseverance, but you’ve got to be coachable. You’ve got to be humble” (33:15).
“[Legacy] means a lot [to me]” (49:20).
“On the sled, you’ve got to be calm, cool, and collected” (52:55).
“If you change your focus, the fear will disappear” (56:10).
“I don’t want the fame. I want to be under the radar” (1:11:35).
“Keep on keeping on and hopefully things will work out” (1:14:25).
Additionally, you can find Ruben’s website here and connect with him on Facebook as well.
Thank you so much to Ruben for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
If you live in the Washington DC area, Lindsay Czarniak is a name that you’re probably familiar with. She’s an Emmy Award winning broadcaster who spent several years as the sports anchor and reporter for NBC Washington. Also, if you’re familiar with NBC Washington, you’ll know that they have become somewhat of a factory for talent in the sports broadcasting world. That really traces back to the days of legendary broadcaster and sportscaster George Michael, who started the George Michael Sports Machine, and it really was one of the first pioneer sports shows. George Michael called Lindsay the best hire he ever made, which is pretty high praise coming from a legend. After NBC, she decided to move to Connecticut, where she worked at ESPN from 2011-2017. She anchored SportsCenter, Sports Nation, and NASCAR Now. We’ll talk about NASCAR in today’s conversation and how it impacted her journey and how she really loves the sport and all that comes with travelling and also being a mom and having a career. So, this conversation gets into Lindsay’s background, her personal life, she’s married to Craig Melvin who hosts The Today Show so we’re going to talk about his perspective and Lindsay’s perspective and how they’re a bit different, and how Lindsay has had what she calls a zigzag career. She said it’s zigzag, but from my perspective, Lindsay is someone who has range. She loves to look at new things and new ideas and new concepts and create. She’s very creative and very curious as to how she can continue learning and growing and developing. She’s also worked for the NFL on FOX and as a NASCAR reporter. A lot of her roots and her history involve NASCAR. She talks in today’s conversation about working at the Belmont. Currently, she’s a freelancer, so she bounces around from different sporting events. You may be familiar with Lindsay, but if you’re not, this is just a real genuine conversation that gets into interviewing, that gets into growth, that gets into mindset, and I think you’re going to love learning with Lindsay on the podcast today.
Lindsay had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’ve become obsessed with interviewing two people at the same time because I find it such a challenge and there’s such an art to trying to do it well” (7:55).
“I do think I have a certain amount of shyness. I know I do. And I worry about what people think” (13:25).
“[When you’re interviewing someone], you are setting [them] up to have this internal video of what they’re talking about” (15:45).
“It’s a special thing if you can give someone the opportunity to do something and talk about something that they don’t normally get the opportunity to do” (19:55).
“More often than not I never even look down at my paper [during an interview] because you’re just in it” (23:15).
“If I’m holding it lightly, it’s usually because it is something I really want to ask” (26:25).
“[I try to think a lot about] who is my audience, who is really listening to this?” (29:40).
“It’s a complicated place to be all of a sudden freelancing” (42:30).
“I really think there’s other stuff within this sports broadcasting thing that I would love trying” (43:25).
“At some point, freelance is scary” (44:20).
“You have to give stuff up if you want to be there with your kids” (46:15).
“You can’t do it all, but you also have to say yes to some stuff you might not want to do if you want to follow that trajectory” (46:20).
“Loyalty is valued” (46:40).
“The work I’m doing now is some of the most fulfilling stuff I’ve ever done” (50:40).
“I love live TV. I love interactions with co-hosts” (56:45).
“It’s so important in those jobs (like sideline reporting and broadcasting) that you’re taking your time to get to know the players, to get to know the coaches” (1:03:25).
“Sometimes it’s okay to just love what it is that you’re doing” (1:05:05).
“You can’t fake the amount of work you put into it” (1:10:55).
“Things change for no reason” (1:11:45).
“If you see it, go be it” (1:12:20).
“One word to define success: camaraderie” (1:13:25).
“Camaraderie and human connection to me are so big” (1:17:10).
Additionally, you can connect with Lindsay on Instagram and Facebook. Also, when you tune into the Olympics, make sure to watch Lindsay’s broadcast on USA Network.
Thank you so much to Lindsay for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. James Doty, or as he wanted me to call him, Jim, is a Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He’s also the Founder and Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, which is an affiliate of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute. So, you’re going to learn pretty quickly in today’s conversation that Dr. Doty has been on the neurosurgery side and on the neuroscience side of studying the brain. He is obsessed with research and science, and he also blends in this sort of artistic way of thinking about how we can show up in the world. He’s the author of a self-help book called Into the Magic Shop, which is a neurosurgeon’s quest to discover the mysteries of the brain and the secrets of the heart. I think that best describes how Jim shows up. He very much values the brain, but he also values the heart. His most recent book, which is a big part of our conversation today, is called Mind Magic, which is all about the neuroscience of manifestation and how it changes us and helps us evolve and impacts how we show up in the world. He has been very philanthropic with Stanford University’s School of Medicine. He’s one of the largest donators of any graduate or faculty member at the school. He endowed the Chair of the Dean of the School of Medicine at Tulane University as well following Hurricane Katrina and helped refurbish its library, in addition to setting up a scholarship for socioeconomically disadvantaged students to commit to a career of service. He cares deeply about giving back, helping people, and being part of something bigger than himself. The other word that is really important to remember when you listen to Dr. Jim Doty talk is disadvantaged. He came from a disadvantaged upbringing; he’s going to reference that in today’s conversation. And so, you’re going to hear him talk a little bit about capitalism and some of the downsides that may come with that structure and that system, and how he struggled in his early days as well. He’s also a CEO; he’s the founder of Happi AI, which is a new mental health app which uses emotion detection with AI to really help people on their journey and be able to regulate their emotions. He’s served as a CEO for many different bio companies through his career, including Accuray, which ended up IPOing for $1.3 billion in 2007. He served in the 90’s as their CEO. So, he’s got this leadership background, but he’s also been in surgery centers and has been operating on people, and on the research side. So, he has these intersections that make him a really fascinating human being and I loved my conversation with him. It’s about much more about simply his successes, it’s also about the challenges and the failures Dr. Doty has had along the way. So, I think you’re going to find him to be vulnerable, open, and he also knows who he is. He’s very comfortable in his own skin and doesn’t mince words and is convicted on a lot of his beliefs based on the curiosity that he’s had previously.
Dr. Doty had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“So many people are so afraid of being judged, or accepting themselves, or being authentic” (7:25).
“[We have] programs that are training people to be more compassionate towards themselves” (7:55).
“In the modern world, many people feel uncomfortable talking to another human” (9:20).
“Nowadays we’ve created a narrative of a minimum wage, not a living wage” (15:40).
“Massive economic inequalities is a fundamental aspect of [the growing need for mental health treatment]” (19:35).
“That’s what many of us need in this world: an empathic listener” (23:15).
“When children grow up in an environment [where they face many adverse childhood experiences], it’s like a warzone; it’s traumatizing” (23:50).
“Post-traumatic stress disorder doesn’t have to be from war” (24:05).
“I no longer had anger and hostility towards my parents, because they did not have the toolset to take care of themselves” (25:40).
“When I changed how I interacted with the world, it changed how the world interacted with me” (26:05).
“Manifestation is the ability to embed an intention into your subconscious so that, by doing so, it increases the likelihood of whatever it is you wish to happen to occur” (27:45).
“I was seeking to get external affirmation to tell me I was worthy, to deal with my shame. And of course, it did none of those things” (31:50).
“As a species, we are not wired to have complete self-focus” (32:30).
“We have a genetic imperative to care” (32:45).
“What people don’t realize is that many of the thoughts they have don’t actually have to do with them” (44:50).
“All of us are manifesting all the time. It’s just what are we manifesting?” (46:00).
“We create the limiting beliefs that stop us from believing in the unlimited possibilities that each of us have” (48:35).
“The greatest way for you to imbed an intention is through defining your goals or your intent” (51:35).
“Our purpose in life is to care for others” (52:10).
“Let go of outcomes” (53:05).
“You need to choose a path that is respectful towards yourself” (54:50).
“Your subconscious is always listening” (1:01:15).
“Medical school beats your empathy and compassion out of you” (1:04:15).
“Many people get so attuned to helping others that they don’t do self-care, nor are they compassionate to themselves to create boundaries, that allow them to be their best selves and then they burn out” (1:08:10).
“Every one of us, every day, has the ability to improve the life of at least one person” (1:15:30).
Additionally, you can find Dr. Doty’s website here, where you can learn more about him and also purchase both of his books. You can also find the website for Happi AI here. You can also reach out to Dr. Doty via email at jrdoty@stanford.edu.
Thank you so much to Dr. Doty for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Allison Shapira, MPA, CSP, is a former opera singer turned entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and international expert in leadership communication. She is the Founder/CEO of Global Public Speaking LLC, a certified woman-owned small business that teaches speaking skills to leaders so that they can build better client relationships, inspire their teams, and confidently lead their organizations into the future.
She teaches a graduate-level course at the Harvard Kennedy School and has spent 20 years developing leadership communication programs for Fortune 50 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. She has worked with prime ministers and their cabinets and CEOs and their leadership teams, teaching them authentic leadership as a way to inspire their constituents and teams.
She also travels around the world with the nonprofit Vital Voices Global Partnership, teaching leadership communication to help women leaders grow their business, run for office, or launch a nonprofit.
Allison is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and a Certified Virtual Presenter. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and is an internationally-renowned singer/songwriter who uses music as a way to help others find their voice and their courage to speak.
As an avid tech enthusiast, Allison has incorporated artificial intelligence into her keynotes, workshops and coaching to help people improve their speaking skills. More broadly, she is researching the intersection of AI and authenticity and what that means for the future of human connection.
Allison is the author of Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others (HarperCollins Leadership), which was a Washington Post best-seller, and the new companion e-guide Speak with Impact VIRTUALLY. She has spoken at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit, the Most Powerful Women in Banking LEAD Conference, and was a finalist for 2017 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, San Diego Chapter.
A lifelong learner and world traveler who has taught public speaking on nearly every continent, Allison can ask for directions in ten languages but can only understand the responses in four. One of the proudest moments of her life was singing the National Anthem for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Allison had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“[There is so much value in public speaking in] not reading every single person’s body language” (8:05).
“[Our perceptions of] body language expressions can be accurate, but they’re not necessarily related to us or what we’re saying” (9:05).
“What I’m doing is co-creating a reality between me and each member of the audience” (10:30).
“I’m always very intentional about the energy I’m creating with myself so that I can perform at my best” (12:20).
“’It depends’ is one of my favorite answers because very few issues are binary” (15:45).
“I’m always someone who’s loved to learn new things. I love going from not knowing to knowing” (16:10).
“Why you?” (24:35).
“You’re not the center of attention. Your message is the center of attention” (26:00).
“I do [need validation]” (29:05).
“I don’t just do this work as a job. The work that I do is an extension of who I am and what I believe and how I want to show up in this world” (29:35).
“It’s hard to balance the strategy of running the company with the creativity of making new content” (31:30).
“AI is going to affect every part of our lives in ways we can control and ways we can’t control” (34:20).
“When you’re speaking, you’re actually engaging the audience in conversation” (41:10).
“[Executive presence is] a way of speaking and acting that makes others take notice and listen” (41:30).
“Confidence comes from a belief in our ability to affect a positive outcome” (43:05).
“The amount of time you spend preparing for a presentation is based on two key factors: how well you know the material and how important the occasion is” (45:50).
“Opera music is so rigid and folk music is so make it up as you go” (52:05).
“Public speaking is closer to folk music than to opera” (52:45).
“We are sometimes too close to who we are to really tap into what drives us the most” (57:05).
“I am a super empowered, growth-oriented citizen of the world” (57:55).
“When we tap into our own emotions, we actually tap into the emotions of our audience” (1:01:25).
“The more personal I am in my songwriting, the more the audience relates to my journey” (1:02:25).
“Clarity is a muscle, and we learn how to build that muscle” (1:05:15).
“Your energy affects the energy of all the other people in the room” (1:05:25).
Additionally, you can connect with Allison on LinkedIn. I’d also encourage you to purchase Allison’s book, Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others, anywhere books are sold. You can also subscribe to her newsletter here, find her personal website here, and find the Global Public Speaking website here.
Thank you so much to Allison for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Bill Kraus is on a mission. And I use that word intentionally. He is the co-founder and owner of Mission Barbeque, which opened its doors for business on September 11th, 2011. And of course, that date is not a coincidence. Bill and his co-founder Steve “Newt” Newton, who came from Outback Steakhouse, were very intentional from the beginning to make sure that they built a business that was purpose-based. They cared deeply about serving their employees, their customers, their community, and they’re unapologetically patriotic. They believe in serving our first responders and our military, and that’s going to come across tried and true in today’s conversation. Before starting Mission Barbeque, Bill had spent a lot of his career working in the sports industry. He worked for the NFL, he worked for the brand Champion, and he also was one of the first employees for Under Armour. He helped Under Armour grow and expand at an amazingly rapid pace. He helped that company grow its revenues from $20 million to an excess of $800 million. He oversaw the following functional areas: he helped them with brand marketing, sports marketing, product merchandising, business development, licensing, and team sales. And yet, it wasn’t until he got with Mission Barbeque that he really became this purpose driven leader and wanted to create something bigger than himself. He really cares deeply about service and that’s what today’s conversation is about. What I love about Bill, regardless of what you think of him or Mission Barbeque, he is clear on who they serve. He constantly is trying to challenge us to think intentionally about how we can serve people, and he is obsessed with serving the constituents that exist at Mission Barbeque. They show and share their love for soldiers, firefighters, police officers, first responders, and they don’t hold back in calling those people heroes. So, you know as soon as you enter Mission Barbeque that they are purpose driven, that they are clear on what they value, and also, their barbeque is really really good. If you’re in the Mid-Atlantic region like me, you’ve probably been to one of their restaurants. And if you’re outside of this area, you’re probably going to start to see their restaurants pop up. They’ve already gone as far west as Colorado and they have big plans to continue to grow and make an impact. So, today’s conversation is certainly about Mission, it’s certainly about impact, and I think at its core it is about service.
Bill had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I just don’t think we’d feel right about doing business on [Memorial Day]” (7:05).
“[Calling our employees teammates] creates more of a bond and a unity” (8:15).
“I was going to find my own way to serve and give back and make a difference in a more meaningful way” (10:10).
“The gifts we have we are given to share” (11:40).
“There’s that fine line between confidence and cockiness that you have to have a certain level of commitment, especially when you take that risk to start your own business” (12:10).
“This is a lot more than just a pulled pork sandwich as much as the experience we’re trying to create for our consumer” (19:10).
“The consumer feels like they are appreciated at Mission Barbeque” (20:20).
“If for some reason we do make too much [food], there’s probably a firehouse or a police station that would gladly take some of that food at the end of the day” (26:55).
“You have to embrace the data, but that can’t be your full factor in making decisions” (28:20).
“Every day is Veteran’s Day at Mission Barbeque” (33:10).
“Your life doesn’t need to fit into your job” (37:25).
“We welcome and encourage leaning into [gratitude over entitlement]” (44:50).
“If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together” (46:55).
“At the end of the day, if [Newt and I] aren’t in agreement, we’re probably not going to do it” (47:15).
“[A hero is] somebody that is much more than just themselves and realizes the role that they played on a team” (53:00).
“As hard as the walk was, thank god that it led to this” (55:50).
“The numbers are what the numbers are, but how are people feeling?” (1:00:00).
“If you do it right, no matter what business, and you align yourself and find the right people, and there is a purpose to it, success can be found” (1:03:25).
Thank you so much to Bill for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Charles Camarda has a resume that scares the heck out of me because there are so many technical elements of his background in research engineering that I know that I can butcher a lot of these words because it’s basically like speaking Chinese to me. I love this conversation because it’s actually not about a lot of the technical background that Dr. Camarda brings to it. You have Dr. Camarda, and you have Charlie. And I think this conversation was really with Charlie. He will seem down to earth the entire time, but just know the background is pretty wild. He has over 45 years of experience at NASA as a researcher, he worked at the Langley Research Center, and worked on numerous teams to develop and analyze and test advanced thermal structure systems for hypersonic vehicles such as the space shuttle. This is someone who is highly technical. He holds 9 patents over 20 national and international awards for his research. He is someone who is a scientist and cares deeply about creating culture and people around research. A lot of today is his challenging of NASA and their inability to bring a research culture forward and his concerns about that. A lot of those concerns stem from him witnessing the Columbia disaster, which happened in the early 2000s, that killed 7 people on board. The space shuttle disintegrated on its way back to Earth. At the time, Charlie was planning, prepping, and training to be an astronaut, which he ended up doing. He was part of the first mission to leave earth and go into space after the Columbia disaster. He has such a unique perspective having been in the lab and researching and spending time as a research engineer to try to understand how space shuttles need to work and how they need to properly prepare and test and make sure that things are the way that they should be, and then he’s also had the view of being in space. He’s going to talk about some of the mistrust that the astronauts had with their mission control and what that led to from a team functioning dynamic. He calls out some of the lack of strong culture that existed at NASA while he was there, and it is a good reminder for all of us to think deeply about our culture, with whatever organization we are in, and what are we doing to try to allow people to have the psychological safety to raise their hand and voice concerns. You are going to love Charlie, he cares deeply about culture, we talk a lot about organizational culture in today’s conversation, so much so that you’re going to hear me try to bring him back to his astronaut experience because I just think it’s so unique and it’s an experience that so few of us have. But, I do think the culture element that he discusses is so critical for all of us to think about and think about how we can intentionally positively impact the environments that we are in.
Dr. Camarda had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The same people that made these bad decisions were extremely arrogant” (9:00).
“As a crew, we came together and said we can handle this” (12:25).
“We’re ready to fly. We will accept the risk” (15:00).
“There’s a big difference between researchers, research engineers, and engineers” (17:20).
“If something didn’t look right, they would ask probing questions” (24:05).
“The primary cause of [the Columbia disaster] was NASA’s culture” (26:25).
“I could sit at a meeting and I could tell the people in the room that were afraid to raise their hand. I could see the fear on their faces” (27:50).
“If we don’t correct these problems and go back to our past culture, our research-type culture, we are going to lose the race to the moon” (31:20).
“The entire senior management at NASA is we are going to do the bare minimum to meet the requirements” (36:50).
“NASA had no intention of fixing its culture” (37:40).
“Culture is very difficult to change” (49:40).
“More than 80% of companies that try to transform their culture fail” (49:45)
“I always wanted to be an astronaut” (53:05).
“If you have a fear, the way Charlie Camarda gets over that fear… [is to] face it head on” (1:03:20).
“I was not nervous at all [on launch day] because we were totally prepared” (1:04:50).
“The thing that I got the most joy from was working together with our team on the ground and our team on orbit” (1:07:15).
“The most rewarding aspect of flying into space is the amazing people you get to share the experience with” (1:10:10).
“If we don’t fix this culture, NASA and the United States will not be the number one country in space” (1:12:15).
“Let’s bring the data to the table and let’s learn together” (1:17:55).
“If it can happen to NASA, it can happen to any place” (1:21:35).
Additionally, you can check out Charlie’s podcast, Leading Edge Discovery, on any podcast platform. You can also find his website here and connect with him on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Dr. Camarda for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Mickey Bergman is one of the most fascinating, interesting people that I’ve met (and certainly that we’ve had on this podcast). He’s currently the Vice President and Senior Advisor at the Governor Richardson Center for Global Engagement. We are going to talk about Governor Richardson, who’s also known as “The Gov” to Mickey, and the impact that he’s had on Mickey’s life. The Center for Global Engagement really was at the forefront of what Mickey calls “fringe diplomacy,” which is a field that he is forming, which is an innovative discipline exploring the space in international relations that are actually beyond the boundaries of states’ and governments’ capacity and authority. So, Mickey and his team, they try to negotiate and help represent families of hostages, people whose loved ones are imprisoned and in awful situations and places like North Korea, Cuba, Lebanon, and the Middle East. We talk a lot about Mickey’s work in Gaza and trying to help a lot of Israelis who are currently hostages of Hamas. So, he has been in some of our most challenging areas of the world. We talk about Russia in today’s conversation. Mickey and his people go in and they try to help families get their loved ones back; that is really what they do, that is his job, and he represents families, not governments. He was the Executive Director of the Global Alliances Program at The Aspen Institute, and he’s a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where he teaches about emotional intelligence and international relations. Emotional Intelligence is something that Mickey references often in today’s conversation and the importance of being able to manage emotions and find ways to understand people they are talking to and try to create what he calls symmetry and common ground and try to really get to know people even if they represent some of the atrocities that exist in our world. Mickey talks a lot about evil and good and bad and how that bad people can do good things and good people can do bad things and how he tries to keep that the forefront of his brain when he is representing hostages and personally trying to get them back to their families. He’s published numerous articles, he’s been interviewed, and he’s done opinion pieces in The New York Times, Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, and The Boston Globe just to name a few. He’s appeared on TV on places like CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX News, etc. So, Mickey is an expert when it comes to trying to understand what it takes to bring people home. And just to give people an idea of the scale and the scope of Mickey and his colleagues’ work, in 2019 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work at the Richardson Center, where he led a team to facilitate the release of more political prisoners than any other organization. And Mickey is from Israel and he talks a lot about his work in today’s conversation to try to bring hostages home from Gaza. And remember, Mickey represents the families that have members that are still in hostage situations in Gaza. And so, this conversation goes deep and gets vulnerable pretty quickly. Mickey still has family in Israel, he cares about the country, we both talk about how we are proud to call ourselves Zionists in today’s conversation, and still there are challenges that exist with governments at play and his ability to get people home, and that is what Mickey is most focused on is trying to help families reunite with prisoners that are held hostage, oftentimes in an unjust way. And so, I found this conversation to be extremely inspiring, I find Mickey to be someone to be thoughtful, to be caring, to make you think, and I know and I hope that he does that with all of you today. He has a wonderful book which we talk about quite a bit which is called In the Shadows and I highly recommend you check that out, it is a wonderful read as I share in today’s conversation. And so, as you listen, I hope you listen with an open mind, I hope you learn from Mickey today, I know I did.
Mickey had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I don’t go into panic modes” (12:00).
“Governor Richardson was a father figure for me because not only was he a mentor, he was in my life day and night” (16:25).
“[During that highly stressful time] I was missing my grounding power, which was Governor Richardson” (19:35).
“We knew that we had to make it an American issue” (28:50).
“It’s about the sheer level of devastation here and trying to explain why people do what they do” (32:05).
“The heart of my work is around emotional intelligence” (34:30).
“In reality, when you first hear those shots, you have no idea where they’re coming from” (36:25).
“If you can’t take care of yourself, you’re not going to be able to take care of anybody else” (38:20).
“My blinders were removed from the side and I could actually digest what I was hearing” (41:30).
“You try to cling to any straws of humanity in order to do this [work]” (45:20).
“Even people who are responsible for absolutely terrible things, they are not born evil, they are not all evil” (45:30).
“The dichotomy of good and evil is not as absolute as we like to think” (45:55).
“I try not to compare” (50:05).
“Our brains, especially under trauma, look for shortcuts” (52:50).
“You need to scratch really deep beneath the surface of a human in order to find the humanity sometimes. But you have to do it, because otherwise we’re in an all-out war: (54:45).
“We actually need to process this as a society. We need to figure out who we are as a society” (1:01:30).
“95% of the time when you actually pay the ransom the victim comes back alive and well” (1:19:40).
“Until it’s a loved one or a friend of yours who is in that situation [of being kidnapped], you really can’t judge those who do everything in their power to bring them home” (1::20:35).
“Empathy is a must within our society” (1:24:15).
“Empathy is not sympathy” (1:24:40).
“In my line of work, empathy is a must, sympathy is a trap” (1:24:55).
“When you remove resistance movements but don’t remove the source of the resistance, the next resistance movement is not going to be more moderate, they’re going to be more radical” (1:29:30).
Additionally, you can purchase Mickey’s book, In the Shadows, here. You can also find the Global Reach website here. Additionally, you can connect with Mickey on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Mickey for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Andy Lopata is all about building quality, strategic, and intentional relationships, and trying to teach others how they can do so as well. He’s written 6 books on networking and professional relationships, with his latest being all about aentoring; it’s called The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring, and it was co-written by Ruth Gotian who is a past podcast guest. He also writes a regular blog for Psychology Today and has been quoted in the media multiple times, including The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and Ink. He is someone who not just thinks about networking from a transactional standpoint, but really from an intentional place, which is why he made for such a quality guest on the podcast today. He started working in networking in 1999 with his father, and he’s going to talk about his relationship with his father and what he learned from him as a mentor along the way as well. He spent 8 years as a Managing Director of a UK networking organization that had over 2000 member companies. His approach to building professional relationships is all about being authentic, being genuine, and being thoughtful about the political nature that we might find ourselves in. At the end of the day, it’s just as important that people know who you are as it is to know who you know. At his core, I think Andy is someone who cares a lot about people, cares a lot about being intentional and thoughtful with how we’re connecting with each other, and, as I said, I think he is someone who will come off as being genuine and authentic, but also extremely thoughtful in his own expertise, in his own knowledge, around how we connect. The last point I’ll make is a lot of today’s conversation revolves around vulnerability and the power of asking for help. So, I am grateful to all of you who continue to support this podcast and I hope that you can continue to support us in sharing this conversation with the world.
Andy had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“You don’t want to wait for someone’s life [to end] before you tell them what they mean [to you]” (6:25).
“I came from an aspirational family, so I always wanted to impress and make them proud” (10:40).
“I got to that point where I needed to hear [feedback]” (11:35).
“It is good to like your mentor, but I always think it is more important to respect them” (12:05).
“I need a combination of someone I respect that I’m working with that I allow to challenge me… but also the sense they are listening to me” (16:20).
“It’s not what you know or who you know, it’s who knows you” (19:50).
“Opportunity knocks when you don’t even know there’s a conversation taking place” (20:00).
“We can see how dangerous it gets when people start believing their own publicity and they think that every idea they have is brilliant” (21:55).
“There are a number of reasons why it’s important for a mentor to be vulnerable” (26:50).
“Ego needs to be left at the door before you go into the room to mentor” (27:25).
“Your message is going to resonate more with the other person if you’re not perfect” (27:45).
“We learn from people who say I succeeded but I had challenges along the way and I made mistakes along the way” (32:30).
“Performance only accounts for 10% of any promotion, image is 30%, and exposure is 60%” (36:40).
“What I do is I take things that should be natural and authentic and then I break them down into their component parts” (41:20).
“You need to be able to separate the strategic thinking from the way you engage with people” (41:35).
“You need the strategy, you need to understand what you’re trying to achieve, and recognize when people can help you so you can ask the question but then focus on the relationship” (44:40).
“Most people will get a lot more joy from helping other people than from receiving help” (49:05).
“We assume people know what’s going on in our lives” (54:10).
“Vulnerability is not a weakness; vulnerability is a strength” (55:30)
“It takes strength to say I could do with some help” (55:35).
“I have countless informal mentors” (1:00:55).
“I’m teaching myself to not take it personally when I’m [not getting exactly what I want from my mentee” (1:08:30).
Additionally, you can find the website for Andy’s new book here, you can check out The Connected Leadership Podcast on any podcast platform, and you can find Andy’s monthly Psychology Today blog here. Lastly, you can find Andy’s linktree here.
Thank you so much to Andy for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
I’ve been really fortunate to spend time with some of the best athletes in the world, whether it’s through my podcast or whether it’s through other relationships I’ve had in my life, I’ve gotten to be inside certain circles that put me in spaces with professional athletes. I also had a sport psychology practice where I worked with a number of professional athletes. One of my favorite athletes that I’ve ever interacted with is today’s guest. Zaza Pachulia is just an amazing human. He’s likeable, he’s thoughtful, he’s curious, he’s caring; he is the type of person that you just want to be around. He was an amazing teammate; I think if you asked players that played with Zaza, that’s how they would describe him: a great teammate who would do whatever it took to help the team win, including some of the not so glamorous aspects like playing defense and setting screens and helping out on the boards; he was an amazing offensive rebounder. As I think about today’s conversation, it actually has less to do with Zaza’s 16 years and over 1000 games that he played in the NBA, and more to do with his mindset and his curiosity and his desire to learn, grow, develop, be vulnerable, be willing to change, be willing to evolve, be willing to grow. At the core, that’s as much who Zaza is as winning 2 championship rings with the Golden State Warriors. And make no mistake, he’s also a competitor. He cares deeply about winning and being the best version of him that he can be when it comes to parenting, when it comes to mentoring, and when it comes to playing a game.
Zaza had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Every human being has a turning point in their lives” (6:15).
“Every day is a battle” (9:20).
“[Your kids] have to have goals, have to have dreams, and how can we, as parents, make sure that every day they wake up they’re inspired” (11:15).
“Give your best, give 100% every single day” (13:35).
“We all have different journeys. Every successful person has different paths to success” (15:35).
“When I retired from basketball, I had to work on myself because I was preparing to live a different kind of life” (21:45).
“It’s not only about what I tell [my kids]. It’s not authentic if I tell them to be happy but I’m miserable” (22:55).
“Kids observe everything” (25:55).
“Lead [your kids] by example” (26:35).
“I was lucky to have coaches who cared a lot” (27:40).
“It’s not about what outsiders think. It’s about what we think as a group, as a family” (31:30).
“Control whatever is in your hands” (36:25).
“I believe in consistency and I believe in authenticity. You have to be who you are” (38:50).
“I am who I am, but I am the same person every day” (39:05).
“In everybody’s journey, decisions are such an important part” (46:45).
“Basketball helped me bring [my curiosity] into my real life” (53:15).
“You’re never going to get time back” (1:00:45).
“Curiosity led me to reading and hearing the stories of amazing people” (1:01:00).
“Basketball has always been priority number one” (1:02:40).
“I gave everything to basketball and basketball gave lots of things back to me” (1:02:55).
Additionally, you can find out more about the Zaza Pachulia Basketball Academy here.
Thank you so much to Zaza for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
When I was first introduced to Chris Waddell for this podcast, I was super excited. His bio is absolutely inspiring. He was Dalai Lama’s Unsung Hero for Compassion. He’s won 13 Paralympic medals. He’s in the Paralympic Hall of Fame. He’s in the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. NPR credited him with one of the best graduation speeches ever for his keynote at Middlebury College in 2011. He has won more medals than any male monoskier in Paralympic history. He is somebody who has been recognized for being one of the 50 most beautiful people by People Magazine, which we talk about in today’s conversation. The accolades are endless, they’re inspiring, they’re impressive, they’re almost outer worldly. In our conversation, we talk about the downside that comes with people who view Chris as a hero. I watched a documentary that he was featured in, and the documentary was beautiful, it was all about his ascent to Mount Kilimanjaro as an unassisted paraplegic. That documentary was a fascinating watch and it is the focal point of a lot of our conversation today, as Chris challenges the notion that others sometimes think that he’s outer worldly and that he’s some sort of hero because of some of the challenges he’s faced as far as with his ability to walk. That is what makes this conversation so real, so unique, so vulnerable: even though Chris is paralyzed and doing things that most able-bodied people would think is beyond the realm of possibility for them, Chris is a human and you’re going to love him in today’s conversation because he’s open, honest, and vulnerable.
Chris had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If you don’t tell the story, it didn’t happen” (6:25).
“In climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, I wanted to confirm I was a superhero” (7:50).
“I wanted to free myself of this burden of being the superhero” (8:00).
“If you’re a human being, you’re part of the team” (8:30).
“The victim thing is the thing that I want to avoid at all costs” (12:20).
“If I continued to be a victim of circumstance, then my life ended at 20 years old effectively” (12:40).
“We often see our greatest strength in crisis” (16:25).
“The vulnerability is where we ultimately connect as human beings” (18:05).
“The only way that we really connect with other people is through being honest” (18:50).
“I wanted to stretch people’s imaginations and do things that were never possible” (24:25).
“I want to create and be able to convey whatever is in me” (26:05).
“I find heroes everywhere I go” (28:00).
“We’re always capable of more than we think we’re capable of” (28:25).
“Simplicity is the ultimate goal, but it takes a lot of work to actually get to the point where we achieve simplicity” (32:35).
“Ease can be the real root of our genius, too” (33:40).
“[Busyness] draws us away from efficiency” (38:25).
“If we’re occupied, then we have no time for thought” (38:50).
“I don’t get there on my own” (45:55).
“If we’re not aware of what other people are doing, we’re doing ourselves a huge disservice” (46:10).
“The key to communication… is ultimately about being direct” (47:05).
“The biggest struggle for me is conflict” (51:15).
“There’s the way I see myself, the way that people see me, and then there’s the way I think that people see me” (54:10).
“You don’t want to be seen for that surface level stuff” (57:45).
“The struggle is where we connect as human beings” (58:00).
“If we’re perfecting our craft, we’re never growing old” (58:20).
“It’s the getting better part that’s the most addictive part of being a human being” (58:55).
“Fear is my greatest motivator” (1:01:50).
Additionally, you can find the website for the One Revolution Foundation here and Chris’s personal website here, where you can find his books and much more. I’d also highly encourage you to check out the One Revolution documentary on Amazon Prime.
Thank you so much to Chris for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Devon Harris is an original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team and captain of the 1992 and 1998 teams. He’s a 3-time Olympian, and he achieved something that he could only have dreamed of having been brought up in Kingston, Jamaica. And yes, Devon and his teammates were the inspiration for the movie Cool Runnings, which if you’re like me, you probably grew up watching on loop over and over and over again. We talk about that a little bit in today’s conversation. Most of today’s conversation is about Devon’s perspective on the culture in Jamaica and how that leads to great performers and great athletes. We talk about Devon’s own perspective and how he had naivete, and his teammates probably had naivete, to achieve something that they could have only dreamt of where they were going to compete in the Olympics. He is someone who is philosophical, he is thoughtful, and he has a military background which he’s going to share greatly served him and helped him when it came time for the Olympics. And so, this is conversation that gets deep into themes like confidence and themes like greatness. Devon is a motivational speaker, he thinks deeply and thinks in ways that might be new to you and I think will be helpful to you.
Devon had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“There is nothing glamorous about a bobsled” (5:35).
“Other people have done it before so I should be able to figure out how to do it” (6:00).
“If I die, I die. But I’m going” (7:25).
“Every time we set out to do something amazing, great, different, there is a certain amount of fear with it” (7:40).
“Courage is being scared to death but doing the thing anyway” (8:15).
“I could not allow that fear to stop me, so I went for it” (9:05).
“Anyone who has achieved something great and out of the box experiences some level of delusion” (13:15).
“There’s a certain level of delusion, but it’s founded on the experience and the knowledge and the work that you did before” (14:55).
“You can always learn new skills” (16:10).
“You have to be willing to acknowledge that you don’t know so you can learn” (17:50).
“We [Jamaicans] feed off the success of our compatriots” (23:20).
“There’s a kind of defiance that’s embedded in us as Jamaicans” (26:25).
“No task is too difficult; no obstacle is too great” (29:35).
“It was the army experience that I relied on to get through those early days” (31:50).
“Adversity allows you to grow. Adversity allows you to be inventive and be creative” (35:05).
“Once you learn to deal with adversity in one area of your life, it translates into another area” (35:50).
“I never could have imagined, coming from where I’m coming from, that you could have a movie made about a part of my life” (42:35).
“I don’t know if they really captured the hardships we experienced trying to get to the Olympic games” (44:05).
Additionally, you can find everything you need to know about Devon on his website. You can also find the link to his foundation, Keep on Pushing, here.
Thank you so much to Devon for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dhani Jones is someone who I did not grow up with, I think he’s about 6 years older than me, but we went to the same high school and his name was a name that we heard over and over again growing up. He helped our high school get to the state championship, he went on to play football at the University of Michigan where he earned All-Big Ten Honors. You’re going to hear him mention the University of Michigan experience quite a bit in today’s conversation; he is quite proud of his time at the University of Michigan and being an alum is something that he likes to talk quite a bit about. He was selected in the 6th round of the NFL draft and he ended up playing 11 seasons, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, and finally for the Cincinnati Bengals where he really had a transformative experience in his own career and he really took off in some of his later years and performed some of his best ball at the end of his career, which is not necessarily typically the case in professional football. But I think what makes Dhani so unique and why I was so excited to have him on the podcast is that he has range. He’s not just a football player, he’s actually more of an artist; he’s an explorer, he has been a tv host with VH1 and with The Travel Channel and with CNBC, he is a venture capitalist and loves to make investments, he’s an entrepreneur, he loves to tinker and try new things. He is a unique guy, he is an N of 1, and I hope that comes across in today’s conversation. So certainly we talk about mindset, we talk about his experience playing football, leadership, we talk about strategy and exploration, and really this conversation is about philosophy and about life as much as it is about performance.
Dhani had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“You’re taught that if you’re a jack of all trades you’re a master of none” (6:00).
“It’s okay to have a range of beliefs, it’s okay to have a range of curiosity, as a matter of fact it’s even been proven that it’s better; it creates a better level of elasticity and it creates a better level of understanding where you are in this world” (7:30).
“It’s always important to ask more people more questions, to ask them what they see in you” (8:55).
“In the end, I loved the game (football) that gave me the tools necessary to move into the real world” (10:20).
“I see how things align through the chaos” (11:40).
“A lot of times what might look like confusion is just a misunderstanding” (12:20).
“Conviction is sometimes more of an easy route [than curiosity]” (16:45).
“On Sunday I would turn it all off because I had reached my conviction, and I would go play” (21:35).
“What I needed to survive was actually how to better control some of the curiosity and the questions that I had” (26:30).
“My real passion is art. I always wanted to be an artist… The waves of creativity have always struck me in so many different ways” (28:45).
“The last 4 years of my career, I came to love and appreciate the game because those that were around me appreciated me” (38:20).
“[Golf] is the ultimate lesson” (42:00).
“You want to learn about yourself, you want to learn about other people, you want to learn about life, you go to the golf course” (42:25).
“I go into a different frame of mind when I’m cycling” (45:30).
“No one should be given permission to learn. Everybody should be given an opportunity to learn as much as possible” (51:35).
“The world of curiosity gets narrower and narrower as you get older” (52:25).
“How do you arrive at your greatest gift if you didn’t even know that it existed?” (52:50).
“I’m curious about what people really care about” (54:00).
“I would go to outer space tomorrow” (56:20).
“We should never limit our curiosity. We should never limit our brain’s opportunity to see and to experience more light” (57:50).
“The game of football has provided me the opportunity to be creative and to learn this world of discipline” (58:50).
Thank you so much to Dhani for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Bob Lefkowitz is currently the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at the Duke University Medical Center. He’s been an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1976, and he began his research career in the late 1960s and early 1970s when there was not a clear consensus that specific receptors for drugs and hormones even existed. He’s a trailblazer. He’s a ground breaker. He’s a Nobel Prize winner. He’s an author; his memoir, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm, recounts his early career as a cardiologist and his transition to biochemistry. He is a researcher, he’s a teacher, and he’s just very very wise. And sometimes you meet knowledgeable people, smart people, who lack wisdom and emotional intelligence; that’s not what you’re going to find in this conversation. We talk as much about philosophy as we do about his groundbreaking research. This conversation was inspiring, it made me think, and it made me question how I think, which is the sign of a great conversation. He has won numerous awards as well; he’s been acknowledged by his field in a multitude of ways and at Duke University. The work that he’s done finding these receptors and working on proteins has led to a discovery that impacts 30-50% of all medications that we take. He is someone who cares deeply about making an impact and influencing our society for the better.
Bob had several amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Tell me your strongest asset and it will also be your biggest deficiency” (6:30).
“The most important characteristic necessary for success at anything is focus” (7:05).
“A totally fulfilling life needs to be one that embraces not just whatever your passion and obsession is, but a host of other things” (7:30).
“I’ll continue to be a work in progress” (9:00).
“I have found as I’m aging that friendships have become more and more important to me” (13:10).
“Life is so filled with surprises and twists and turns” (16:20).
“Nobody’s smart enough to make truly amazing discoveries because they’re so far outside the frame of how we currently understand things that nobody’s that smart” (19:50).
“What I loved the most when I was younger and was at the peak of my power was making discoveries” (25:50).
“The more you know, the less able you are to make discoveries” (29:30).
“Each of us has a unique personality which is shaped in varying extents by the nature and the nurture” (30:50).
“Education is a double-edged sword. On one hand we need education to get certain facts and ways of thinking, but also it constrains us” (31:25).
“This inherent skepticism I’ve always had led to burning curiosity” (34:10).
“What drives me the most and gives me the most satisfaction is mentoring young people” (34:50).
“It is an interesting and a life-changing experience to win the Nobel Prize” (40:55).
“Winning awards was not a factor. I was just driven because I was driven [to discover]” (41:15).
“The whole nature of science is that whatever it is, you have to do it first. You don’t get any credit for doing something second” (46:45).
“Questions are a reflection of curiosity” (56:35).
“Every experiment is a question. The better framed the experiment, the more likely you are to get an informative answer” (56:45).
“The best outcomes in medicine are when the patient and doctor form an alliance” (57:40).
“I thought [when I was younger] the most heroic thing you could do was become a physician because you could alleviate human suffering” (1:04:40).
“I’m so focused in what I’m doing or who I’m interacting with that the time just disappears” (1:16:45).
Additionally, you can learn more about Bob and his work here.
Thank you so much to Bob for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Emma Seppala is a bestselling author, she’s a Yale lecturer, and international keynote speaker. She teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is Faculty Director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. She’s a psychologist, she’s a researcher, she is somebody who is constantly thinking and wondering about the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. She is also an author, as I mentioned earlier, and her books are what we focus on in today’s conversation. The two we focus on are The Happiness Track, which has been translated into dozens of languages and was published in 2016, and her new book which we really dive into in today’s conversation which is called Sovereign. Dr. Seppala is also the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. Emma has been featured in just about every publication you can imagine, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR, and she also has done TED Talks all over the country. Her contributions and writings have been featured in places like The Harvard Business Review, The Washington Post, Psychology Today, and Time. She’s been fortunate to also consult and speak to organizations like Google and Facebook/Meta. Her research on breathing is also something that we talk about today. She has done amazing work with our military and their experience with trauma, so we bring that into today’s conversation.
Emma had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It really doesn’t make any sense to sweat the small stuff” (7:10).
“There is an inner wealth that is more precious than any external wealth you can have and any material good you can have” (8:00).
“This idea of the ability that we have to have sovereignty over our mind; it is there, it is something we can have, but we forget about it” (10:20).
“Through the breath you can actually shift which emotions you’re experiencing” (11:25).
“Suppression [of our emotions] actually makes them stronger” (12:25).
“Emotion is energy in motion. You need to learn how to move it” (14:35).
“Vulnerability and authority can coexist. Vulnerability and strength can coexist” (21:50).
“When you suppress the negative, you’re also suppressing the positive” (26:15).
“We’ve bought into this idea of high stress all the time, and all it’s doing is burning us out” (31:00).
“It’s good to question how we always do things, even if everyone’s doing it, because it may not always be the best thing we can be doing with ourselves” (33:25).
“Self-criticism is different from self-awareness” (37:00).
“It doesn’t make sense to have an antagonistic relationship with yourself” (38:10).
“Our mind is like a mirror; it’s going to reflect whatever we put in it” (40:15).
“For sovereignty, the key is discernment” (42:35).
“Having the attitude of kindness is one of the greatest secrets to happiness and fulfillment over the length of your life” (46:20).
“The happiest people, who also live the longest most fulfilled lives, are the ones who live lives characterized by compassion, balanced with compassion for themselves” (47:40).
“The most successful leaders out there are leaders that are compassionate” (50:35).
“Happiness is a very individual experience” (52:20).
“Everybody, to some extent, has an addiction” (56:50).
“We can get stronger and better at everything if we just force ourselves to do it over and over” (1:07:25).
Additionally, you can purchase Emma’s new book Sovereign anywhere you buy books. You can also check out her website and connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
Thank you so much to Emma for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Simon Mundie is on a mission to have discussions that reveal something important about life and how best to live it. He’s the host of the Life Lessons Podcast, and that’s where he uses that vehicle to learn from some of the best performers in the world about how they are not just successful at their craft, but what they’ve learned along the way, and even some of the dark sides that come with high achievement. And he really is someone who has used sport as a metaphor for life. His podcast doesn’t just interview some of the best athletes in the world, but it also is a platform where he gets to sit with some of the best thinkers, philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists to try to unpack and discover what living a truly meaningful, successful life is all about. He has spent time in the sports world as a journalist. He worked for BBC Radio, where he covered sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics. So, he’s been around some of the highest achievers in the world, and he often found that our obsession and focus on results was actually quite shallow. His interest in sport as he became older was actually around the metaphors that exist within the games. So, this conversation gets into a lot of wisdom, a lot of ideas around enlightenment, a lot of ideas around meaning and purpose and what will cause us to truly feel like we’re living our best lives. So, it’s a deep conversation, it’s a rich conversation.
Simon had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I am actually not a big fan of the word [champion]” (4:55).
“I think it becomes problematic when we look at people who are described as champions and consider them to be special or different, and therefore consider ourselves or others to be less than” (6:10).
“We are all unique with our own skills and value” (6:45).
“We are not better or no worse than anyone else” (7:00).
“So often people are incredibly identified with their thoughts, the voice in their head, they think that’s who they are” (9:30).
“Thoughts and thinking are coming and going, but this ‘aware’ mind is always there and is aware of any thoughts that come and go” (10:10).
“A thought… has a beginning and an end” (10:35).
“I’ve always been interested in the deeper questions” (18:10).
“There’s nothing that anyone needs to fix. It’s just the belief that there is” (19:15).
“Sport is a metaphor for life” (21:00).
“Sport is just a way to illustrate these deeper truths and deeper implications” (21:40).
“We are not separate. We are connected” (22:45).
“On the human level we are individual, unique, and discrete, but on the being level we are one and the same” (24:50).
“We are different expressions of one life” (25:40).
“Spirituality is the recognition that at the deepest level we are not actually separate” (25:45).
“Anytime [“problematic”] feelings come up, it’s an opportunity to allow them to be there and then they lose their strength” (31:30).
“A lot of trauma can stay in the body” (41:20).
“That capacity to be able to cry is a really important way of actually releasing stress and tension from the body” (42:55).
“Attention is like the stretching of awareness towards an object” (45:55).
“What we all really want is peace of mind, is contentment, is fulfillment” (49:25).
“Peace and fulfillment and contentment are not things that come from outside ourselves; they are already at our source and then they can be revealed by, for example, being in flow when your sense of self disappears” (49:40).
“Culturally, we tend to think of success as achievement” (50:15).
“Don’t be too quick to judge other people” (1:02:45).
“We have to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions” (1:07:40).
“I’m going to take risks. I’m going to put myself in situations that are uncomfortable. I’m going to ask people for stuff until they say no” (1:12:20).
“I’m going to put myself out there and really try and create opportunities, and then see what life throws my way” (1:13:30).
Additionally, I’d encourage you to check out Simon’s podcast, The Life Lessons Podcast, on any platform. I’d also highly encourage you to purchase Simon’s book, Champion Thinking. Lastly, you can find Simon’s website here and connect with him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Simon for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Gloria Mark is Chancellor’s Professor Emerita at the University of California, Irvine, and has spent ten years as a visiting senior researcher at Microsoft Research. She received her PhD from Columbia University in psychology. For over two decades, she has researched the impact of digital media on people's lives, studying how using our devices affects our multitasking, distractions, mood, and behavior.
She has published over 200 papers in the top journals and conferences in the field of human-computer interaction, has received numerous paper awards, and was inducted into the ACM SIGCHI Academy in 2017 in recognition of her contribution to the field. She has also been a Fulbright scholar and has received the prestigious NSF Career Grant.
Her work has been widely recognized outside of academia: she has appeared on The Ezra Klein show, NPR’s Hidden Brain, Sanjay Gupta’s CNN Chasing Life, CBS Sunday Morning, Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert, among many others. Her work has been featured in the popular media, e.g. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Atlantic, BBC, and others. She has been invited to present her work at SXSW and the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Her recent book Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity, was named by The Globe and Mail as the #1 Best Business and Management book of 2023, and chosen as the Season 20 selection of the Next Big Idea Book Club.
Gloria had several amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“You have to be agile to put your attention to where it’s important” (6:50).
“Multitasking is not possible for us humans unless one of those tasks is automatic” (7:50).
“It’s not humanly possible to do 2 challenging, difficult things in parallel” (8:25).
“It takes longer to do 2 or more tasks when we multitask compared to if we do the tasks sequentially one after the other” (11:20).
“[Multitasking] creates stress” (12:35).
“There’s a myth that when people multitask, they’ll be more productive” (14:15).
“There’s a blurriness between our work and personal lives” (18:20).
“Our motivation changes when we work from home” (19:30).
“So often we might be with other people, but we have this lure of the internet still there” (25:30).
“When something becomes a habit, it really prevents us from using our conscious attention” (28:30).
“It’s really about becoming more intentional and conscious about what we’re doing when we’re on our devices” (32:15).
“Distractions are natural. It’s part of our human experience” (33:30).
“People mind-wander about 47% of the time” (33:40).
“Attention spans have declined [over the last 20 years]” (39:05).
“[New technology] has created a lot of pressure to think about performance at the expense of our wellbeing” (43:00).
“60% of global respondents reported some symptoms of burnout” (44:15).
“When people have positive wellbeing, they actually perform better” (44:55).
“Being an artist taught me that I could think out of the box” (46:30).
“The way I talk with scientists is very different from the way I talk with artists” (48:05).
“Boredom is associated with negative affect. When people are bored, they tend to be in a bad mood” (56:45).
“20 minutes in nature can help people destress” (58:40).
“We can practice forethought” (1:04:00).
“Goals are very powerful but they’re very slippery” (1:05:00).
Additionally, you can connect with Gloria on Twitter and LinkedIn, check out her website (where you can purchase her book, Attention Span, and find much more), and also subscribe to her Substack.
Thank you so much to Gloria for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Steve Clagett is the Director of Learning and Development with the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to arriving with the Ravens, he’s had quite a journey and quite an experience and a pretty incredible resume, which includes serving as a White House Fellow, where he got to interact with the President of the United States and a lot of other dignitaries and people that are making decisions that influence our daily lives. He also worked within the US Navy, rising to becoming a Lieutenant Commander where he also worked with the Navy SEAL Teams. We talk about mission, we talk about values in today’s conversation, and we talk about what is applicable and what may not be when it comes from the military to the sports world. We also talk about politics in today’s conversation. He also was a Pat Tillman Scholar. He is someone who cares about the work that he’s doing and is looking to make an impact certainly within the NFL, but beyond the NFL and in the community that he helps serve in Baltimore as well. So, this is a rich conversation where we really zoom in and think about character and how you assess for character and how you think about putting together the best possible team to compete, to contend, and ultimately to win.
Steve had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The power of the year [2020] means more now than it did then” (8:00).
“We don’t say he’s a [Navy} SEAL. We say he’s a team guy” (11:50).
“Part of the competition is who you are as a teammate” (12:20).
“I believe in having a hypercompetitive organization” (12:30).
“You have to make sure that competition reinforces selflessness” (12:40).
“For me, accountability comes in phases” (14:15).
“Both [the military and the NFL] exist in some ways to inspire others” (16:40).
“When I look back at my career, I think of times I could have been more of a glue guy” (19:15).
“As a leader, there’s that constant balance between the mission and the man” (19:25).
“You need people [on the team] who get people out of their comfort zones and push the team in different directions” (21:05).
“I really enjoyed leading teams and solving complex problems” (22:10).
“I would define effective leadership as working with the team on establishing a vision, giving them clear roles and responsibilities, the resources they need to get the job done, and then getting out of the way” (27:50).
“Ideally you want a culture of disagree and commit” (30:50).
“What I’ve learned over the years is the value of diverse perspectives” (36:20).
“When you can improve the morale, when you can improve the culture of an organization, it just makes coming to work every day better” (39:05).
“The toughest decision I ever made was leaving the SEAL teams” (41:35).
“Sometimes loyalty is just [to] your teammates” (44:35).
“I think intrinsic motivation isn’t as important as external motivation” (52:50).
“I wonder sometimes if we’re too hard on people for their honesty” (53:20).
“One of our biggest reasons for success is we know who we are” (58:50).
Additionally, I’d encourage you to check out Farming 4 Hunger and The Taylor Anne Foundation. You can also connect with Steve on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Steve for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Ruth Gotian has studied extensively what it takes to be successful. That is, at the end of the day, what she’s obsessed with, interested in, and curious about. She also has spent a lot of time thinking about mentorship and mentoring. She is currently the Chief Learning Officer, Associate Professor of Education in Anesthesiology, and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of The Mentoring Academy at Cornell Medicine. And so, today we focus more on her focus on success and less on mentoring. She has a book coming up in the future about mentoring, but today this conversation is really about her research and dedication and, to be honest, an obsession with success. In 2021, she was one of 30 people worldwide to be named to the Thinkers50 Radar List, which is dubbed the Oscars of Management Thinking, and is a semi-finalist for the Forbes 50 over 50 list. During her extensive career, she’s personally coached and mentored thousands of people, ranging from faculty members to undergraduates, and as an Assistant Dean for mentoring, she oversaw the success of nearly 1800 faculty members at Cornell.
Currently, she researches the most successful people of our generation, including Nobel Laureates, astronauts, CEOs, Olympic champions, and more. We get into that in today’s conversation. Dr. Gotian received her BS and an MS in Business Management from The University at Stony Brook in New York, and certificates in Executive Leadership and Managing for Execution from Cornell. She earned her doctorate at teacher’s college at Columbia University. So, she’s well educated, she plays in the lab, but she also plays in the field. She works with athletes, she works as an executive coach, and she regularly publishes in journals such as Nature, Scientific American, Academic Medicines, Psychology Today, Forbes, and The Harvard Business Review. So, this conversation really focuses on her book, The Success Factor, which is all about developing the mindset and skillset for peak performance, and if you know anything about me you know that is a topic I am quite interested in.
Ruth had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If I want to be better, I need to know what the best of the best are doing and then I reverse engineer their path” (7:50).
“I knew if I leverage my peak performance hours I will write better and I will be more effective” (12:40).
“I need to be able to rest” (15:25).
“I work really hard to be around people who jazz me up and don’t drain me” (15:30).
“Very often people get overlooked, misunderstood, because they’re different” (20:00).
“Sometimes it’s the people who carve out a different path that have the greatest learning journey” (20:15).
“[Success] is very personal” (21:55).
“I have interviewed hundreds of people who are at the top of their game. Not one has gotten there alone” (25:15).
“Any person who has achieved anything has done it with the support of other people” (25:50).
“The extrinsic motivation is fleeting” (28:55).
“If you really want to maximize everything that’s going forward, take a break” (34:00).
“Having a positive impact and leaving this world better than I found it, to me, that’s my way of doing something important and not just interesting” (39:15).
“Do something important and not just interesting” (42:05).
“When our situations change, our passions can change” (43:25).
“Mindsets trump habits because we can take the idea of the habit but customize it to our life” (46:10).
“Just because you’re moving up doesn’t mean you know more. You actually know less” (53:25).
“A leader is someone who can inspire other people to be the best versions of themselves” (55:00).
Additionally, you can find all of Ruth’s information and connect with her via her website.
Thank you so much to Ruth for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Stephen Panus is somebody that my path may have crossed with, and at some point led him to coming on this podcast professionally. He’s worked in the sports world, he’s worked as a marketer, as a lawyer, and as an agent. So, it would make sense that at some point he would be someone that I would interview. But the real reason and the impetus for today’s conversation is based, in part, off of adversity, tragedy, and trauma. Stephen’s son, Jake, was killed in a drunk driving accident when Jake was 16 years old. Jake’s girlfriend at the time was actually the one driving the car. We don’t get into the specifics as far as how Stephen feels about Jake’s girlfriend, and we really don’t get into all of the details around the accident per se. But this conversation gives us a window into the grief, the trauma, and also some of the inspiring work that Stephen has done since then. Make no mistake, this is an experience that Stephen went through that was a watershed moment for him in the worst of ways. He doesn’t mince words about how much he misses his son and how much he dreads the day that he was taken from their family. And this is also a story about what Stephen has done since, his perspective on life since the accident, his thoughts on his son and around what it means to be a father, what it means to be a husband, what it means to be a professional, and Stephen also wrote a wonderful book called Walk On which we feature in today’s conversation. I think you’re going to find Stephen to be a philosopher, a spiritual animal, somebody who thinks deeply about psychology and how we can show up as our best. So, this is a difficult conversation, this is a tough conversation, but it’s also an inspiring one.
Stephen had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It sometimes is hard to remember what I was like before August 9th. My life was split into a two-act play” (6:25).
“[I define success as] happiness” (9:00).
“Happiness comes from within. If you can be happy with who you are and what you’re doing, then I think you’ll be a success at whatever that is that you’re doing” (9:10).
“When you become a parent, it’s so similar to being on a [sports] team; you take on a responsibility much greater than yourself and your own interests” (11:40).
“Being spiritual is just being open. Being open to things you feel, things you see… and I think in being open you experience a lot more” (14:00).
“Everyone’s quest is their own” (17:10).
“I think it’s super important to have faith in something” (17:15).
“We’re all carrying invisible backpacks with some form of suffering or hardship or grief” (21:20).
“Our vulnerability is our strength” (21:50).
“All of the answers reside right within ourselves, we just have to source them. They’re all there” (22:10).
“Practice vigilant mercy... Be easy on yourself, be easy on others, set healthy boundaries, know what you’re capable of and what you’re not capable of” (22:45).
“There’s something about nature that brings some peace” (23:40).
“You need to lean into the sharp point if you want to be able to get through it” (25:10).
“Grief is your shadow now. It is always there. You have to deal with it” (25:35).
“The closer you stand to death the more it makes you want to feel alive” (33:00).
“Grief is love with nowhere to go” (37:10).
“There’s so few things we control on this planet, but what we do control… is what we feel and what we do about what happens to us” (44:50).
“We discipline our children to teach them” (47:10).
“I don’t make a big deal about so many little things now” (50:00).
“I connect with people’s pain. That’s a good thing because it connects us as human beings” (52:10).
“Grace is really just the inner light within all of us” (57:30).
“The most important relationship you’ll have on this planet is with yourself. And if you can learn to love yourself, accept yourself, agree to work on yourself, then the world opens up to you” (58:00).
“Grief isn’t linear” (1:05:40).
Additionally, you can check out Stephen’s website here, where you can pre-order his book, read about his scholarships, make a donation, book him as a speaker, and more.
Thank you so much to Stephen for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Mosheh Oinounou is an Emmy, Murrow, and Webby Award-winning Executive Producer. He worked in traditional news for quite some time. He was actually the youngest ever executive producer of the CBS Evening News in 2018 and 2019, where he led more than 150 people and covered everything from the war on Isis to natural disasters to mass shootings to presidential interviews. It seemed as though Mosheh was heading in the traditional media place where he was becoming a rock star and working on his craft and earning a title, something he had dreamt about when he was a little kid. And then some things changed. He went in a completely different direction. And so, this conversation is going to be about identity, it’s going to be about entrepreneurship, and it’s going to be about the future of our media and the way we consume information. He currently is the President of both Mo Digital and Mo News, where they provide a variety of outlets for us to digest content. One of the places where he plays a lot is on Instagram, where they share stories in the stories side of Instagram. They constantly are sharing interesting information and trying to give a true experience, a trustworthy experience, in a landscape where many of us have lost our faith in the news. Mo also has a wonderful newsletter, he’s a great follow on social media, and I think anywhere that our media is going and trending towards in the future generations, Mo is going to be there delivering us the news. One thing to bring up before we get into today’s conversation: we do talk about politics in today’s conversation, I share some of my questions and hesitancies, and I do want to make it clear that I will be voting in the election and I think it’s something that all of us should take seriously and we talk about that in today’s conversation. And whoever you decide to vote for, hopefully you take advantage of that democratic right.
Mosheh had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It’s an incredible challenge to try to fit the world into 20 minutes each night at 6:00 pm” (6:45).
“I wanted some semblance of control over what I did” (8:05).
“It was my identity [at the time]. Who am I if I’m not the CBS Executive Producer?” (8:55).
“Running the evening news was the most stressful, least happy, I’d ever been” (9:15).
“My career was my relationship for most of my 20s and my 30s” (14:45).
“I had imposter syndrome very quickly as I tried to do my own thing” (18:20).
“It took me a while post-CBS to navigate the wilderness and figure out what value I bring, what I learned, and why I, as Mosheh, even independent of an organization, brought value to various companies and clients” (19:05).
“I’m in a unique situation because I’m the owner, the General Manager, the coach, and the player” (20:00).
“I like being the player because I’m the owner” (20:30).
“One of my frustrations was our lack of transparency with the consumer” (28:10).
“Projecting that you’re human is so incredibly important” (30:40).
“The only profession mentioned in the Bill of Rights here in this country is the press” (32:30).
“Some people in the media have sort of gotten high on their own power” (33:15).
“We try to be transparent about our biases” (37:50).
“I want to present the news to you like a friend talking to you at lunch” (40:45).
“[I’m] using the data to inform what I’m doing, not necessarily as a bible so to speak, but more of like a modern bible; let’s interpret it as opposed to using it in a declarative way” (46:50).
“As humans, we struggle dealing with crises that aren’t acute” (50:40).
“If we take for granted what we have, when we lose it it’s hard to get back” (54:50).
“You want to feel more engaged in the process? Get more engaged in the process” (56:40).
“You’re only able to digest a certain amount of information” (1:01:20).
Additionally, you can find the Mo News website here where you can also find access to them on all platforms (YouTube, Newsletter, Podcast, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram).
Thank you so much to Mosheh for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
I was first introduced to Craig Wiley a number of years ago when I was starting my journey in executive coaching. The people that told me about Craig spoke about his integrity, his ability to think strategically, and help them as their executive coach. When we connected years ago, he was awesome, he was authentic, he was genuine, he had a clear vision for where he wanted to take his company, and it’s really cool to reconnect with him today and check in with him on where he’s at and where the company has gone.
So, a bit about Craig: He is the CEO and Founder of Transcend, a company that helps to transform C-Suite leaders and their businesses. He’s been doing this for over 2 decades as an executive coaching expert and business strategy thought leader, two spaces in which he really does live. He lives in almost this consultant, strategy, thought leader space, which we get into in today’s conversation along with this executive coaching space. Ultimately, he’s really passionate about driving continual innovation through what they have determined to be the best practice and the best solutions necessary to advance leadership within organizations. One of the key themes of today, and one of the things that we talk about quite a bit and Craig really brings to today’s conversation, is this ability for an organization to focus on their enterprise first rather than last (and a lot of organizations focus on their enterprise last). When he works with organizations, he helps them align their values, their purpose, their mission, to whatever it is they’re doing at the enterprise level. Then, they go from there to the team and then it filters down to the individual.
Craig had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Every single day when we’re working with executives, they are being pushed and pulled in unbelievably dynamic ways” (6:05).
“If you’re a CEO, you really don’t have a community in your business” (6:25).
“The notion of resilience looks different to different people” (6:55).
“We think about individual performance, we think about team performance, but then we also think about how [an enterprise performs]” (8:50).
“We think about resilience through the lens of a community that is resilient in unison” (9:05).
“People love in engaging in things that are difficult when it’s meeting a bigger purpose” (11:15).
“The highest functioning organizations are enterprise first, team second, individual third” (11:50).
“We know that people are driven by impact and connection” (14:05).
“We invest a ton of time and energy in being an enterprise-first company” (18:10).
“As a coach or a leader, we have to be talking about the bigger meaning and the bigger purpose than this week’s game or this quarter’s deliverables” (23:05).
“It’s the CEO’s sole job to ensure that they have a dynamic, innovative enterprise” (29:05).
“Progressive business engages robust dialogue across all levels of the organization to build the future of the organization” (32:30).
“People want to have a meaningful existence and they want to have impact and they want to feel good about what they do every single day” (35:10).
“If [a private equity firm has] operating partners that understand how to take a company and make it enterprise first, team second, individual third, and understand how to create the highest performing ecosystems for people to flourish, the private equity firm wins” (46:45).
“Business dynamics are the most dynamic they’ve ever been” (51:05).
“You have to agility and resilience and innovation in organization” (51:20).
“When people are operating from one playbook, they perform better” (59:10).
“People came to America because they saw opportunity through equality” (1:08:50).
“Success is not purpose” (1:09:00).
Additionally, you can find the Transcend website here and connect with Transcend on LinkedIn. You can also connect directly with Craig on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Craig for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Topaz Adizes is an Emmy Award winning writer, director, and experience design architect. Topaz is currently the founder and executive director of an experience design studio called “The Skin Deep,” which produces incredible, heartwarming, thoughtful, emotional videos that you can find on YouTube. They have over 1200 videos online, some of which are referenced in today’s conversation. I mention that experience design architect piece because at the beginning of this conversation, we talk about this concept that he created called “The And.” “The And” is a series of cards that you can purchase, and there are 199 questions in these boxes. These cards contain powerful questions that are meant to help build connections amongst human beings. In the beginning of this conversation, we reference the cards and how I might use them people with people in my life. He has also played in this writer/director space. His works have been selected to Cannes, Sundance, IDFA, South by Southwest, and featured in New Yorker Magazine, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times. So, he is certainly an artist at heart. He is someone who loves to document life, and he has gone towards this space of bringing people together for connection. So, at his core, Topaz is a deep thinker, a thoughtful guy, who wants to make this world a little bit better than he found it.
Topaz had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Giving people the freedom to walk away, to not answer, to not respond, is really imperative so that you create this space for people to explore” (7:55).
“There’s a lot said in the space between. We don’t have to articulate everything to feel everything” (8:15).
“Two things are required to have a cathartic conversation: creating the space and well-constructed questions” (10:45).
“Don’t ask a binary question” (17:20).
“Ask a question as a gift” (17:50).
“It’s much easier to shake a hand than a finger that’s pointing at you” (17:55).
“Be aware of the questions you’re asking” (22:05).
“The answer is shaped by the question you ask” (24:10).
“Good relationships lead to a more vital life” (29:25).
“Try to connect two things that are not usually connected” (29:35).
“I traverse this journey (of life), I learn from it, and then hopefully I can convert these sources of pain that have created hunger in me to then offer a gift” (38:10).
“The energy I put out did not come back to me in excess” (43:30).
“Why not just change one person’s life profoundly?” (29:50).
“What could I do today that would make my grandkid’s life better?” (51:50).
“I don’t think about my legacy, I just think about the future” (53:55).
“Big changes come from micro changes consistently” (54:30).
“What we do now does echo into the future to people that you will never meet” (56:30).
“I’m going to do my best to put the effort out. And then whatever happens, happens” (1:06:40).
Additionally, you can find “The Skin Deep” website here and follow them on all social media platforms at @TheSkinDeep. Lastly, you can find Topaz’s personal website here.
Thank you so much to Topaz for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jared Freid is a comedian, he’s a podcaster, he’s a writer, he’s a TV host, and perhaps he may be best known at this point for his Netflix comedy special “Jared Freid: 37 and Single.” I watched it over the holidays and loved it, I watched it with my family. I’ve been watching Jared really since he got started in comedy; we have a mutual friend who we reference quite a bit in today’s show, and he brought me to see Jared and he just has the humor that I love. We talk about Jared’s journey and how he developed his style and really learned the mechanics of stand-up comedy. So, he’s going to give you the behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a comedian and his approach and what he’s done to build his brand. We do talk about branding, marketing, media, and the future of media and what he’s done to try to build his platform; I think there’s a lot to learn there. He’s also performed on TV; he’s been on The Today Show and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, so certainly he’s been on some big stages and arenas around the country. Jared is authentic and he’s genuine (so there are going to be a lot of f-bombs in today’s conversation; if you have kids, this is your warning: maybe this isn’t the episode for them to listen to). Whatever you are as you listen to today’s conversation, I think you’re going to love Jared’s approach, I think his mindset is really interesting when he talks about how he sets his mind for preparation and for performance, so hopefully there is something to learn for all of us.
Jared had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I spent most of my days [back then] writing funny emails to friends” (10:30).
“I made my own performing arts school” (13:25).
“Really, what matters is the work” (14:40).
“Becoming a stand-up comedian, which is what I want, which is what really makes everything I do funnier than most, takes a lot of footwork” (15:25).
“My goal was to be funny for money” (17:35).
“You can literally do any show you want with podcasting” (18:25).
“Success [in stand-up comedy] is always did you kill or not kill?” (23:50).
“I like that I like what I’m talking about [in my set]” (27:05).
“You have to make fun of yourself… you have to be present” (36:45).
“I’ve had shows for 50 people that are the best of my life” (40:25).
“A comedy club is like a small boat that’s easier to steer, a big theater is like a cruise ship” (41:20).
“If I did a new minute a week, and 22 of the 52 are really good… I would’ve never gotten to 22 if I didn’t try for 52” (42:50).
“In comedy, you [now] have to do these extreme things to get people to pay attention to you” (56:15).
“My power is in how normal and relatable I am” (56:35).
“I need to be better at being more discerning on what I’m doing” (1:01:10).
“It’s easier for me to look at sports from a macro level living in Manhattan” (1:08:15).
“Stand-up is the most athletic art form” (1:15:05).
“[Stand-up comedy] is tennis. It’s you vs. the audience” (1:15:25).
“It’s hard to be able to move forward without credibility” (1:19:10).
Additionally, you can check out Jared’s website, where you can find all his tour dates, and podcast. You can also find all of Jared’s information on his Instagram, as well as following him on Twitter.
Thank you so much to Jared for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Kyle Stark spent several seasons in Major League Baseball. He started his career with the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians). Then he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates for an amazing run, and he’s going to talk about that run and that experience working with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He started in 2007 and ended his run with the Pirates in 2019. And what’s pretty cool about Kyle is he’s vulnerable, open, honest, real, and genuine in today’s conversation about being fired.
If you work in sports, you know that most teams, organizations, and people have a shelf life regarding the amount of time they work at an organization. So, we talk about that in today’s conversation. But he had an amazing run with the Pirates. In his 12 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he became the Assistant General Manager, worked as the Vice President, and started off in player development as a director. Today’s conversation is really about both player development and organizational development.
I think Kyle is uniquely positioned and has had a front-row seat to what a baseball team does to try to create an environment that can help its people thrive, and he was integral in trying to help the Pittsburgh Pirates find ways to thrive, while also thinking about the individual. And so, this is a conversation about mindset, it’s about leadership, and I think mostly it’s about culture and how we can create an intentional culture to help our people be the very best that they can be.
Kyle had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“[One] key to being a great communicator is recognizing that communication is as much about heart as opposed to your head” (5:50).
“It’s ultimately not about the message that I’m trying to deliver; it’s about the message that’s received” (6:10).
“Unless your God, it isn’t truth; it’s your perspective” (7:55).
“Know yourself, like yourself, be yourself, and grow yourself” (10:50).
“As a leader, it doesn’t matter what I do; it matters what my people do. The people who are performing and producing is how you’re measured” (11:00).
“At the end of the day… people want the truth” (11:25).
“The best leaders think beyond the task” (19:25).
“Vision leads to systems; process leads to systems” (20:05).
“I think [baseball] replicates life better than any sport” (21:40).
“At the end of the day, I’m someone who’s obsessed with excellence” (22:35).
“That’s why sports exist: for teams to accomplish something together” (28:50).
“I identify more as a change agent than a sustainer or a maintainer” (38:15).
“The principles of being a great leader can show up in any situation if I understand those principles and stay true to those principles” (41:55).
“Sometimes I think our expertise can actually be a trap for us as a leader” (42:35).
“I believe every problem is a leadership problem” (44:10).
“When I talk about culture, I see it as who you are and how you do things” (44:40).
“Everybody has a culture, it’s just a matter of how intentional you are with it and whether it works for you to bring the best out in people or not” (44:50).
“We have to build alignment” (52:10).
“We’ve got to continue to refine” (55:10).
“Success is a matter of consistency” (56:00).
“The interplay between selection and development is absolutely critical” (1:02:45).
Additionally, you can connect with Kyle on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Kyle for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Doug Lemov is the author of the International Bestseller Teach Like a Champion. That title really does speak to Doug and his background in the education system, but also that idea of a champion. “Play like a champion” is a line that Notre Dame Football uses in their locker room (and perhaps you know of the sign they hit before they enter the field), so “teach like a champion” is a nice play on that concept. Doug really does live at the intersection of sport and education, teaching and coaching, and that book, Teach Like a Champion, is now in its 3rd version and has had wild success, especially in the world of education and teaching and coaching. He also has written The Coach’s Guide to Teaching and is the co-author of many books. He’s a writer, he’s someone who likes to be with his computer and create theories, ideas, competencies, and concepts that can serve other people. In addition to his work studying teachers, he also is somebody who is obsessed with coaching in the sports world. He writes his books by studying what high performing teachers do, which then can help us better understand how we learn and how we educate in and outside of the classroom. So, he definitely has his roots in education, but has expanded his range to include the sports world. This is a conversation about sport, about education, and more importantly, about learning (and Doug is an elite thinker when it comes to learning and teaching).
Doug had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“My goal was to find high performing schools in underprivileged communities. And it turns out they’re there” (6:50).
“Coaching is a form of teaching” (8:05).
“I think schools are the most important institutions in society. And when they don’t work, it’s morally untenable” (9:40).
“You can really only think of one thing at a time. If you try to think about too many things at a time, things leave you’re working memory; you can’t remember them” (13:45).
“When you plan a session, don’t just plan what you want to have happen. Write out notes on what A+ execution looks like… and what are the mistakes that students are likely to make so that I’m more likely to see them” (16:10).
“They don’t care what you say until they know that you care” (17:00).
“Really the way to show people that you value them and care, especially in an endeavor where people want to get better, is to make them better and to be an effective teacher” (17:35).
“Teaching well is one of the primary ways that teachers show that they care” (17:45).
“One of the most overlooked moments in coaching is a player gets it right and doesn’t know they got it right because no one’s watching carefully and no one says that’s exactly it, do it again” (20:50).
“The most motivating thing is your own success” (21:50).
“I’m not saying I don’t believe in transformational leadership, but I think it starts with the transaction in most cases” (22:35).
“There’s a danger in skipping the transaction and going right for the transformation” (22:45).
“There’s a risk of wanting to be loved as a teacher” (23:10).
“One of the biggest challenges of the teaching profession is it’s an incredibly lonely, isolating job” (29:45).
“If everybody’s looking for everything, then nobody is looking for anything” (31:05).
“Watching is so underrated as a teaching and coaching skill” (32:05).
“Experts and novices learn differently” (33:40).
“I think the world of schools has to be a lot more serious about understanding what the cognitive science tells us (and doesn’t) and how it shapes learning” (37:25).
“It’s so easy to underestimate the amount of discipline it takes [to change a habit]” (44:30).
“One of the reasons that people don’t build off of other people’s ideas in meetings is because they don’t remember who said what” (53:35).
“The purpose of discussion is to change your ideas based on what people in the room said” (54:25).
“Social science researchers find that gratitude is one of the most beneficial emotions that you can feel” (59:50).
“For me, equity is about helping every young person, or every learner, have the option, have the ability, to be the person that they aspire to be” (1:04:50).
“The way to honor people is to invest in them and to teach them well and to hold them to high expectations and to say, ‘That’s not your best work’” (1:05:40).
“I think people mistake authority for authoritarianism” (1:06:55).
“Your job [as parents] is not to make [your kids] happy in every interaction” (1:11:20).
Additionally, you can follow Doug on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also find the Teach Like a Champion website here, where you can check out Doug’s blog along with much more.
Thank you so much to Doug for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Morag Barrett is a sought-out executive coach and leadership expert who helps leaders achieve outstanding results through the power of their professional relationships. At last count Morag and her company SkyeTeam have supported the development of more than 10,000 leaders from 20 countries and on 6 continents. She’s the award-winning author of three books: Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships; The Future-Proof Workplace; and her latest book You, Me, We: Why we all need a friend at work (and how to show up as one!) which has received NINE book awards! She’s recognized by Thinkers360 and PeopleHum as an HR Thought Leader to Watch and a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches organization.
Morag had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“When it comes to SkyeTeam, our values and why we do it is to have fun, to do great work, to have fun, to work with great clients, and to have fun” (8:00).
“The game of work is a team sport” (9:15).
“Our ability to be better together, that’s our mantra at SkyeTeam, comes through the courage and vulnerability to do this with others” (9:40).
“It’s all about the relationships that we have at work and in life that determine our health, happiness, and success” (10:25).
“The world of work is the biggest team sport you can participate in” (13:10).
“Nobody gets to the pinnacle of fame and success on their own” (15:05).
“The work we do is all about how do we help others make their life and work lighter and easier” (17:15).
“Life is short, and if it’s like a millstone we’re doing it wrong” (19:20).
“Everything that people remember is heart-led, the way they made me feel” (29:55).
“I am a master at asking questions and turning the focus from me to you” (36:40).
“What did I learn from that moment of burnout? That I can only run so fast for so long and I need to be prioritizing myself and self-care so that I can be stronger and better positioned to help others” (39:40).
“Can I be a friend and ally for you even if I don’t like you?” (57:00).
“How do we work respectfully together in spite of our differences to enable us to be better together because of our differences?” (57:15).
“What I am learning at the moment is how to better articulate my boundaries” (1:00:35).
“10 years from now I want to be inspiring others… firing up the individual and collective mindset in a way that just leaves a legacy and ripple effects across the world” (1:03:15).
Additionally, you can find the SkyeTeam website here and connect with Morag on LinkedIn. You can all purchase all of Morag’s books wherever books are sold.
Thank you so much to Morag for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jack Green is a Double Olympian, a formal global wellbeing lead, and a performance coach. He has this unique perspective on what it takes to achieve high performance, and he also knows about the dark side of sport, elite sport, and high performance. He knows how some of the mindsets that he cultivated for himself professionally to get to some of the highest levels in his sport were also some of the mindsets that really led to him living an unhealthy life and getting into some mental health challenges that really did derail not only his career, but his life in general. His philosophy has become simple: if you are thriving personally, you will no doubt thrive professionally. He’s on a mission to help as many people as possible to be the best version of themselves. He retired from elite sport at the age of 28 after winning World and European medals. We talk about medals in today’s conversation, and also why finishing 4th were some of the proudest races and competitions that Jack had. He has a passion for high performance and he has continued to step into that world as a coach, as a speaker, as a mentor, and he really does believe in the power of the mind to drive performance and to drive wellness. You’re going to love my conversation with Jack; he’s thoughtful with his words, he’s wise beyond his years, and it’s a conversation that we all need to hear.
Jack had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Luck doesn’t have any ownership over it, and so I don’t think it’s repeatable” (6:35).
“I’m very big on let’s get repeatable success” (6:40).
“I could outwork anyone” (8:05).
“Athletics became my kind of escape and the thing that was going to give me opportunities in life” (8:20).
“I was fueled by insecurity. I was fueled by a fear of failure” (9:10).
“No one ever took the time to find out who I was” (10:45).
“Let me learn about you as a human being” (11:25).
“I believe I’m a very good coach” (17:30).
“I really enjoy doing it. It doesn’t feel like a chore coaching. Sometimes running did” (17:40).
“I like seeing people develop and grow” (18:10).
“I’m really passionate about trying to win the right way” (19:10).
“Sport is not healthy. Let’s stop trying to make it healthy; let’s try to make it healthier” (24:00).
“Anyone can get to high performance, but elite performance is different” (24:30).
“Be aware, don’t compare” (27:00).
“When I retired, the only thing I dropped was running” (33:00).
“I’m going to expect that bad things might happen, but I’m going to help you in getting through that” (40:35).
“If an athlete leaves me and isn’t a better person, what am I doing with my time?” (41:20).
“To understand what it takes to keep winning is absolutely incredible” (42:40).
“I retired at 28 because I wasn’t willing to pay what was required” (46:20).
“We like shiny, we like new, we like easier” (55:35).
“Be efficient” (56:05).
“Wellbeing is very basic and not very exciting” (59:15).
“I’m trying to give something practical, I’m trying to help people” (1:02:40).
“I think people should share because they want to help other people” (1:02:50).
Additionally, you can connect with Jack on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Jack for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Pablo Torre is thoughtful. He’s smart, he’s intelligent, and he’s funny. Today’s conversation we get into all of that; we get into his personality, how he approaches media, how he approaches storytelling. At his core, he is someone who deeply wants to tell stories that range in emotions, that make you laugh, that may make you cry, that may make you cringe, but mostly will make you think a little bit differently than you thought before digesting the story that Pablo is sharing. His background involves deep journalism at Sports Illustrated as a staff writer and a fact checker. His work there won awards. He then went on to work at ESPN as a senior writer for both its website and its magazine. He will say in today’s conversation that he got his start really in the magazine space and that shapes a lot of how he thinks about storytelling. But you will probably recognize Pablo if you’re interested in sports because he has appeared on air quite a bit, whether it’s on the show Around the Horn as a regular contributor, or The Sports Reporters (which is what I grew up watching), or Pardon the Interruption with Tony Kornheiser, or even Outside the Lines or The Dan LeBatard Show. So, he’s made his bones on air in a lot of ways, and in audio. He’s going to talk about his current podcast and how they use video and audio to storytell with Meadowlark Media. It is a company that was founded by his former colleague Dan LeBatard, where they try to blend humor with wisdom and thoughtfulness, try to go deep but also live on the surface, and really at their core they’re trying to entertain you but also make you smarter when you listen to them and when you digest their information and their content. Pablo is great, I really loved this conversation because it’s about polarity, it’s about range, it’s about things that I really care a lot about, and Pablo embodies all of that and more.
Pablo had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If I find something authentically interesting, maybe you do too” (7:15).
“Sports Illustrated taught me that the world of magazines is, in retrospect, at its best, an un-algorithmic world” (8:40).
“Sports is the biggest tent in American life” (9:20).
“You can do smart and funny. Those two things are key” (12:50).
“I’m going to melt some cheese on your broccoli. You’ll learn something, you’ll get nourishment, but you’ll enjoy it” (13:15).
“I want to make sure the stories I do have some element of humor” (15:20).
“I believe fundamentally that we all contain multitudes” (19:15).
“I love complicated things” (19:55).
“I want someone who doesn’t find this topic interesting to keep listening to the end” (20:55).
“If I find the right angle on a story, that can be a skeleton key into something that no one presumed they wanted to get into” (22:40).
“I value my curiosity even more than my conviction” (28:45).
“The product that I’m making is many different products in one” (39:35).
“I’m here to tell you a story” (43:35).
“We have forgotten how good it feels to be around people who make you better in person” (53:45).
“So much of my show is about human nature” (56:20).
“So often, nostalgia is a lie” (1:10:25).
“The NFL is selling you gladiators” (1:14:30).
Additionally, you can check out Pablo’s podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, on any podcast platform. You can also subscribe to Pablo’s newsletter here.
Thank you so much to Pablo for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Steve Shenbaum is the Founder and President of Game On Nation. For over 27 years, we’ve been helping sports teams, high performance organizations, government, and military personnel improve overall communication and relationship building by combining game-based exercises with practical techniques. Our end goal is to simplify the process and put words into action - moving from good to know to good to do - to enhance workplace behaviors, develop authentic connection, and improve overall team success.
Steve had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Are we practicing what we’re sharing out into the world?” (9:25).
“We always say know your audience, but we rarely put our most important audience first: [our family]” (14:20).
“Tone is key” (16:50).
“Laugh with, not at” (17:10).
“Tone is the most important thing that I’m aware of when I’m talking with my children” (17:55).
“I know my children’s learning styles” (19:30).
“Everyone is a presenter” (23:40).
“All speeds are very valuable, it’s just a matter of knowing and having discernment as to which speed you want to bring into the situation” (25:30).
“Change speeds” (26:40).
“We have to make sure we don’t go to extremes” (28:00).
“Every interaction we have is an opportunity to naturally develop these muscles” (28:30).
“We try our best to always have a sense of common sense, critical thinking, and emotional control… when you’re teaching improv” (33:00).
“No one in their right mind is like ‘I cannot wait to get negative feedback.” We’re not wired that way” (40:10).
“You cannot take someone’s feedback as a personal attack” (40:25).
“Say what you saw and say it with grace” (42:25).
“We have to make sure we don’t chase what I call the statistical anomaly” (44:25).
“We always go to the negative” (45:00).
“Surround yourself with a good advisory team” (48:40).
“The most important feedback is from the people that have earned the right, that know you well, that actually speak true life into you” (49:15).
“We have to be aware that when you’re on stage there is that high, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but we have to protect ourselves and make sure there’s a nice combination of empathy and authority on stage” (54:05).
“You’re presenting with the audience” (56:35).
“We need to humble ourselves as presenters and make sure we’re not just going in and high-kicking” (58:45).
“When we present, what’s one positive word that we’re trying to make the audience feel?” (1:02:55).
“If we only stay in the feelings, we’re going to be in a really difficult place” (1:11:35).
“We very rarely argue good behaviors” (1:14:05).
“Relationships are key. You have to build that trust. And there’s no quick fix” (1:16:50).
“Do not rush relationships” (1:17:15).
Additionally, you can find the Game On Nation website here, as well as their program guide here. You can also follow Game On Nation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook @gameonnation, and you can follow Steve directly on those same platforms (plus Twitter) @steveshenbaum.
Thank you so much to Steve for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Founder & CEO of Triple P Consulting LLC also a member of the Strong Skills team! Jon Tuteur is an Executive Coach, Facilitator, Speaker, Author, and Management Consultant with over 20 years of experience working across numerous industries including the U.S. Federal Government, State & Local Government, Nonprofit, Higher Education, Financial Services, Hospitality, Retail, Healthcare, Real Estate, High Tech, and Consulting.
Jon had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“We’re not connecting in the ways that we used to” (9:40).
“It’s so important for me in the work that I do to create that safe space for people to open up about whatever it is that’s going on” (11:55).
“A lot of what drives disconnection is assumptions” (12:55).
“When we’re just judging people based on behavior, there’s a lot of assumptions that go along with that” (13:20).
“There’s a way to go deep and be vulnerable at work that isn’t inappropriate” (16:50).
“Vulnerability is power. There is strength in vulnerability. It is not a weakness at all” (21:00).
“It’s been an incredible journey, but writing a book is not for the faint of heart” (26:00).
“For me, so much of [decision making] centers around emotion” (31:30).
“What is my heart saying? What is my head saying? What is my gut saying?” (32:00).
“Our body tells us so much that we aren’t even aware of” (32:20).
“Having gone through this has given me a new sense of being able to put myself in other people’s shoes that are struggling” (39:20).
“Having 3 brain surgeries was the hard option, it was the hard road, and it was starting over” (44:20).
“My focus this year is leaning into the spotlight because I’ve spent so much of my life shying away from it, trying to let other people take that spotlight. But no one wins who’s afraid of losing” (45:20).
“I don’t allow myself to go down rabbit holes very often” (50:15).
“One of the reasons I’m drawn to emotional intelligence is it comes naturally to me” (50:25).
“Adversity is much more comfortable than it was when I was 29” (52:35).
“[My book, Starting Over: From Seizures to Seizing Life] is a firsthand vulnerable account of how a completely unexpected life change impacts someone” (1:00:25)
Additionally, I’d encourage you to check out the website for Triple P Consulting here, a replay of Jon’s ABC 7 Good Morning Washington interview here, and to pre-order Jon’s upcoming book, Starting Over: From Seizures to Seizing Life, here. You can also follow Jon on Facebook and LinkedIn. Lastly, you can find the website for the Federal Executive Institute here, where Jon teaches a class about EQ.
Thank you so much to Jon for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, which is a Chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. And in today’s conversation we certainly talk about Harvard, what it’s like to work on a college campus, and what it’s like to be specifically at that college campus during this time in 2023 as we record today’s conversation. Amy has been recognized by the Biannual Thinkers50 Global Ranking of Management Thinkers since 2011, and recently was ranked #1 in 2021. She’s received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019 and Talent Award in 2017. She studies teaming, psychological safety (which is going to be a core concept and competency that you’ve probably heard about at some point if you study environments and teams and groups), and we’re going to talk about the famous Aristotle study that Google did that found that psychological safety was the #1 factor in determining team success, so this is definitely a deep dive into that concept and something that hopefully you can take with your teams and organizations. She also studies organizational learning and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, and California Management Review. She’s written many books, so we’re going to talk about The Fearless Organization, which she wrote in 2019, we’re going to talk about her latest book, The Right Kind of Wrong, so a lot of this conversation is about mistakes and failures, and I highly recommend you check out that book. She’s also written books around this concept of teaming, including Teaming to Innovate and Extreme Teaming. At her core, you’re going to find Amy to be humble but brilliant, you’re going to find her to be nuanced and thoughtful when it comes to psychology and the science of humans, and she is someone that I feel as though, even though she’s got all these accolades, I feel like I could’ve talked to forever.
Amy had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“A mindset is something that happens inside your head. It’s an approach. It’s an orientation” (6:35).
“A psychologically safe environment in the classroom is mission-critical for learning and learners” (9:30).
“Safe spaces and psychological safety are almost at odds, almost two opposing ideas rather than compatible ideas [in an educational space]” (12:20).
“Classrooms can be environments where people can take risks and occasionally failures will happen… and through those we will learn and grow and get to be better versions of ourselves” (14:40).
“Psychological safety for me has always been about helping people take their foot off the brakes” (15:05).
“The day you decide you don’t need to learn anymore, and your mind is made up and your opinions about various people and groups is made up, is the day you cease to grow (16:35).
“It starts with a recognition that other human beings are just as important as you are” (21:10).
“We all want to feel that we matter” (23:15).
“The meaningful memories [on our death beds] have to do with other humans” (29:10).
“There’s an asymmetry [to psychological safety]” (30:35).
“Vulnerability is a fact” (33:00).
“If I’m unwilling to confront my vulnerability, then I’m at risk for unhappy surprises” (33:30).
“Neuroscience research suggests that some of the same neurons are firing when we get a psychological assault or harm, like being rejected by a group of friends…, as for a physical harm” (36:20).
“Emotions are incredibly important, incredibly powerful in shaping our human experiences (45:20).
“Probably the most important capacity people can learn, in sports and in life, is how to tame their emotions” (45:55).
“Your emotions can simply be data” (46:40).
“The more expert we get in any given field or domain, the more we can effortlessly process context and take it into consideration” (56:25).
“The best students, the unusually good students, are curious” (59:40).
“To cultivate curiosity and collaboration, you have to truly believe that it’s in your interest to do so” (1:00:35).
“A mistake is an unintended deviation from a known process… A failure is an undesired outcome” (1:03:15).
“There’s no such thing as a mistake in new territory” (1:03:55).
“It’s about creating the safe conditions in which [your kids] can fail” (1:14:30).
Additionally, you can find all of Amy’s information on her website, and also follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Amy for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Today’s episode is going to be a little bit different than our past episodes: I’m actually going to interview two friends of mine, two colleagues, that are going to share their perspective on collaboration.
Miranda Holder is an Executive Coach (and my own personal coach) that has a background in sport. She was a three-sport athlete in High School and then she found Rowing in College where she competed at an elite, high level. She then became a Rowing Coach and ended up becoming the Head Rowing Coach at Georgetown University. That journey of becoming a Rowing Coach ended up leading her to become an Executive Coach. Today, she spends a lot of time working with people in all walks of life in the corporate space, and she considers herself to be an insight wizard. She helps people see themselves in their situation more clearly, and for the people brave enough to do the work, there’s an incredible leader, person, and idea ready to surface. She loves to work with people on being the best leader or CEO that they can be while also taking risk to start a company or refusing to settle into a career path that doesn’t elicit joy and excitement. She loves helping people unlock their potential and at her core, she loves coaching.
Grace Aduroja Kolker is a friend of mine, someone I look up to, and someone who I consider to be a mentor. Grace is a coach and someone who is extremely wise when it comes to things like communication, emotional intelligence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and decision making. She is someone who I personally have sent many friends to to get coached. She is someone who facilitates dialogue with me on a regular basis and helps me be the best version of myself. Grace is a lawyer by trade, but she also has a journalism background. She is somebody who has had to ask questions for legal purposes, had to ask questions as a journalist, and as somebody who is just ridiculously curious. Grace is amazingly inquisitive and is a leadership coach. She is someone who holds space for people, develops people, and also facilitates conversations in group experiences. Grace is someone who I look up to, someone who makes me wiser and better at my job, and we often co-facilitate together. Additionally, she has a high-potential accelerator where she will work with individuals one-on-one.
Here's a quick summary and some key takeaways from this conversation: In today’s episode, Brian, Grace, and Miranda discussed the paradox of autonomy and collaboration, the importance of collaboration, and its challenges and benefits. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of vulnerability, fulfillment, and clear communication in collaboration. Brian acknowledged his struggle with receiving help and understanding others' strengths. The group also discussed the need to work on aspects of collaboration to enhance teamwork and productivity.
More specifically, Grace and Miranda had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” (12:00) – Grace
“The question of ‘Why?’ is less important to me than ‘Where do we go from here?’” (17:20) – Miranda
“I work on my own because I don’t like working for other people” (18:10) – Miranda
“Being in that energy of receiving can be really difficult” (22:45) – Miranda
“One of my weaknesses is I don’t allow people to contribute to me” (25:15) – Grace
“There is a vulnerability [to collaboration]” (26:40) – Grace
“I love being accountable and there’s a lot I’m accountable for. But I don’t want to be responsible for it all” (29:10) – Grace
“People who deliver excellence deliver excellence across the board” (32:50) – Grace
“The body [has] the ability to sense and be with the complexity of multiple experiences and multiple feelings and sensations” (48:215) – Miranda
“I want to be tested and see if I’m good enough more than I want to avoid the discomfort of the challenge” (49:40) – Miranda
“As you mature, you start from a place of dependence” (1:02:55) – Grace
“That ability to sink into interdependence is so powerful” (1:05:35) – Miranda
“The relationship matters to me more than anything else” (1:17:40) – Grace
“You’ve got to do you own work first” (1:18:10) – Grace
Thank you so much to Grace and Miranda for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Coach Anson Dorrance is the Head Coach of the University of North Carolina’s Women’s Soccer Team. He’s the only Head Coach in program history, having coached 45 seasons as the Women’s Head Coach. He graduated from North Carolina, he spent his time there, he actually coached the Men’s team and the Women’s team when he first got there. He’s won over 1000 games and he’s won 22 National Championships. He has coached some of the best soccer players of all time and won a World Cup with the Women’s Soccer Team. So, in women’s soccer coaching history from a legacy standpoint, Coach Dorrance is the cream of the crop. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of coaching in general, but especially in women’s soccer. He’s in the Soccer Hall of Fame, he’s been named Coach of the Year seven times, the resume just goes on and on and on. He is someone who obviously knows a lot about what it takes to build a team, to build a roster, to develop character, and to develop a competitive spirit. We’re going to talk a lot about collaboration and competitive spirit in this conversation, we’re going to discuss leadership ad nauseam and at length, and you’re going to find really quickly that Coach Dorrance has intentional values that he uses and leverages with his team that are constantly evolving. So, this is someone who has built a program and he will continue to lead that program for the next 5 years, as we get into in today’s conversation. At the end of the day, this is someone who loves to develop humans and he cares deeply about developing humans and he thinks about developing humans all the time. He is truly a lifelong learner. It was a pleasure, it was an honor to learn from him; I hope you pull out a pad of paper and a pen and start taking notes because there are just a ton of gems throughout today’s conversation.
Coach Dorrance had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It’s not really a sports season unless there’s some sort of crisis you’re dealing with” (7:20).
“I just like to play sports and read books” (16:50).
“The truly extraordinary business leaders construct a business that can basically last forever” (18:40).
“My main job is human development” (23:10).
“The key is to be falling forward” (34:40).
“What’s critical is the way you construct your own narrative” (35:25).
“We still want to be responsible for our failures” (35:50).
“There’s nothing wrong with failing” (36:25).
“What’s critical for the leaders is to embrace their role” (37:10).
“The ideal form of leadership is someone who will lead verbally” (39:25).
“[The most critical element for success in all of the team’s I’ve had] is good leadership” (40:15).
“If you don’t have the capacity to lead yourself, you’re not going to be in position to lead anyone else” (40:40).
“I treasure the leaders I’m given, but I don’t take any credit for them” (46:15).
“We all live on a leadership continuum” (50:15).
“The kids I’m recruiting know where they’re coming” (57:20).
“The truly elite players want to know where they stand” (57:45).
“I love the accountability of data for your performance” (1:05:05).
“The truly great competitors have to understand that if you truly want to win it’s not about you winning in a team sport, it’s about the team winning” (1:06:25).
“Self-belief is something I’m not going to touch” (1:20:50).
“Energizing is a form of collaboration” (1:21:20).
“I believe in leading a principle-centered life” (1:25:05).
“I believe in governing without rules” (1:27:25).
“I believe in trying to get everyone’s personal narrative to the truth as fast as possible. And how do we do that? With data” (1:27:30).
Additionally, you can purchase Coach Dorrance’s books, Training Soccer Champions and The Vision of a Champion, anywhere books are sold. You can also find Coach Dorrance’s website here.
Thank you so much to Coach Dorrance for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jack Easterby is a respected figure in sports management and leadership. Currently, he is a consultant based out of Charlotte, NC.
Throughout his career, Easterby has contributed to various organizations, including the National Football League, the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans, the Southeastern Conference, the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and the United States Olympic Teams. He has also been involved in head coaching searches for different sports at universities. Most recently he held the title of Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Texans.
Easterby is known as a trusted advisor to players and coaches and has experience as a speaker at universities, graduations, and charity events.
Apart from his professional life, Jack Easterby is a family man, married to Holly, and has two daughters, Houston and Harriet. He is also passionate about his community and has established The Greatest Champion Foundation, focusing on curriculums, team-building strategies, and sports ministries nationwide. His approach to leadership emphasizes "Kingdom Ethics," incorporating faith into different aspects of life, leaving an impact on sports and leadership ethics.
Jack had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Sports franchises have evolutions” (8:10).
“Every franchise is not going to evolve at the same rate” (8:35).
“No organization is one thing away” (9:10).
“We’ve got to be able to create a culture where everything is examined; everything matters” (9:30).
“Any good system, any good program, has evaluated all of the downsides. Evaluate the risk” (12:45).
“There’s a lot of fake deadlines out there now where people feel the need to answer things or do things in an expedient fashion where maybe they could delay a little bit and make time for themselves to get all of the facts on the table” (15:40).
“People feel a need for speed, and that’s not always a good thing” (16:50).
“If you want the empathy of those around you, if you want the empathy to be pervading emotion if you will, I think you need to be able to admit you mess up” (19:45).
“Sometimes a leader has to fall on a sword even though it may not be directly their fault” (21:50).
“One of the things that is absolutely cornerstone to good leadership is creating emotional stability in your group” (24:55).
“I have always looked at organizations as a team of teams” (31:45).
“It all matters” (32:50).
“Anyone in leadership can fall prey to mantras and phrases that have emptiness in them” (36:35).
“When I’ve looked back on the really good decisions I’ve made, they’ve been the ones I’ve vetted on every level” (39:10).
“The best decisions are made with multi-factorial inputs” (44:55).
“Sometimes a step forward is a step back” (49:00).
“Most organizations right now are realizing the need for a comprehensive database” (57:15).
“There is no greater action in the current climate, with sports or with business, than creating a unified database” (58:05).
“Our country in general is in the greatest need in the history of our country of high character people to be in leadership” (1:02:55).
“The most sustainable, long-term attribute of great leaders is they have consistent character” (1:04:05).
“We have to think about what we think about” (1:15:30).
Additionally, you can follow Jack on Twitter and find The Greatest Champion Website here.
Thank you so much to Jack for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dusty May is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Florida Atlantic University. You may have heard of Dusty and his program based on last season’s success in college basketball. They won 35 games and they became a darling during the NCAA tournament when they made it to the Final Four in an incredible run. What’s interesting about that run is Dusty took over the program 5 years ago, and since taking over they have not had a losing season. But Florida Atlantic has had plenty of losing in their past; they actually have only been around since the 90’s as a program. So, Dusty is really in the process of building something and there are high expectations for this upcoming season as well. So, we’ll talk about expectations in this conversation. We’ll also talk about why he decided to stay at Florida Atlantic. He obviously had other opportunities to go elsewhere, to go to bigger programs with bigger budgets and more opportunities to recruit, and Dusty decided to stay at Florida Atlantic, he loves it there and he really is in the process of trying to build something special at that campus, and I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to do so. In this conversation, we talk about the culture that he builds, the staff that he wants to surround his players with, we talk about things like loyalty and teamwork, and what it takes to build a consistent winner. Dusty is an enthusiastic guy. He’s going to talk about likability in this conversation, and he’s one of the most likable people I’ve had the good fortune of having on this podcast.
Dusty had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“At different times of our life and stages of our career, we all want something different” (7:50).
“Growing up in this business, loyalty becomes something that’s almost ingrained in you” (10:50).
“We didn’t expect our guys to come back out of loyalty, we expected them to make the best decisions for them, their families, and their futures” (11:10).
“Imposter syndrome is much more common than people realize” (13:25).
“I’m very comfortable in my own skin” (15:30).
“Sometimes doing too much can actually backfire and take you in reverse” (17:40).
“I love being a coach, it’s a big part of my identity because I have so much respect not only for the profession, but for the impact my coaches had on me” (18:50).
“Any time you see your parents do something that they absolutely love to do, you’re probably inclined to at least give it a shot” (22:45).
“As long as we’re surrounded with a great staff who’s committed to helping our players, and as long as our players are committed to being the best they can be… then it’d be very difficult for me to be unhappy” (25:45).
“We spend a lot of time trying to read the room and tailoring our messaging to what the team needs” (34:45).
“I got most of my satisfaction, personally, during the [Final Four] run from seeing our players and their families and the joy it brought so many people together” (36:10).
“I’m process-oriented; the outcome is not what drives me” (36:15).
“I would be very disappointed if our players didn’t think practice was enjoyable most of the time” (41:30).
“There is joy in the work” (41:50).
“I know how difficult it is to be the coach’s son” (48:50).
“What I love to do doesn’t have to be what [my kids] love to do” (50:20).
“It’s not basketball. You’re coaching life; you’re coaching people” (52:20).
“A big part of my job is teaching” (59:50).
“It’s the joy of competing, it’s the joy of the work, it’s the joy of doing it together; those are the things I love much more than being the only one standing at the end of the season” (1:02:55).
Additionally, you can follow Dusty on Twitter.
Thank you so much to Dusty for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Matthew Dicks is a bestselling author of fiction and non-fiction books. His fiction books are Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend; Something Missing; Unexpectedly Milo; The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs; 21 Truths About Love; and The Other Mother. And he also has non-fiction books which is how I came to really find out about him through his work around storytelling. His book Storyworthy, which is about engaging, teaching, and persuading to change your life through the power of storytelling, and Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel your Creative Life. So, at his core, Matthew is a storyteller and he’s going to tell great stories in today’s conversation. He uses storytelling to really create and leverage philosophical beliefs and wisdom and ideas to help us live a better life. He’s also a teacher. He’s won awards as a teacher, he has won awards as a storyteller, he is the author of a rock opera called The Clowns and the musicals Caught in the Middle, Sticks and Stones, and Summertime. He’s also a wedding DJ. His content has been featured and published in Reader’s Digest, The Huffington Post, Parent’s Magazine, and more places. He is someone who is multi-faceted, as you’re going to find out in today’s conversation. But once again, he is a storyteller and a storytelling champion. He’s won a record 56 times from The Moth Story Slam Championship. We’re going to talk about competing in this conversation, we’ll talk about parenting and teaching. He teaches fifth grade and it’s interesting to get his perspective on his mindset when he’s teaching, when he’s doing TED Talks, when he’s writing, as he’s podcasting in today’s conversation. You can tell that Matthew, I think, shows up very similarly in all of those spaces because he believes in storytelling as a thing and a tool and a skill that we can use in our daily lives. He’s also the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Speak Up, which is a Hartford-based storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England. Matthew’s also a Yankee fan, so we’ll talk about sports in today’s conversation. And, once again, I think you’re just going to love Matthew’s approach to life, his desire to continue to make conversations and interactions more intentional, more thoughtful, and with storytelling in mind.
Matthew had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I want to have the story” (6:25).
“Storytelling, for me, is a way of making sense of my life” (6:50).
“The most important audience for any story you tell in your entire life is yourself” (6:55).
“When I tell stories about my life, my life gets better both in the moment and in reflection” (7:10).
“I’m so deeply curious about why I am who I am” (8:00).
“Everything that’s happened in the past is essentially who we are now” (10:05).
“I try to bring in every possible element of life to my classroom that I can” (10:55).
“What you have now does not define your future” (11:45).
“When I’m writing fiction, it’s a little scarier because I don’t know what the end is, and I don’t know if there is an end” (16:20).
“One of the things I love to do is talk to kids about unsung heroes” (19:50).
“I seek to ensure that kids know how much I care about them as quickly as possible” (22:35).
“As a teacher, I give positive feedback relentlessly” (28:35).
“Everyone wants some validation, everyone wants some appreciation, everyone wants to know that some of the stuff I did was good” (29:35).
“Every time you’re going to say something critical to someone, there should be 6 positive things that are accompanying it” (29:50).
“Statistics collapse when fear arrives” (39:25).
“Every single day, the third slide I show my kids is a message that says, ‘mistakes are valuable.’ We celebrate mistakes” (42:00).
“I want to see [my students’] mistakes. I love their mistakes. We’ll learn from them” (43:00).
“Schools should be fun. The number one thing should be that schools are fun” (45:25).
“Choice is a way to entertain kids” (46:15).
“Every single day, every lesson I teach, there has to be a reason why kids are excited to do it. And that is the only reason I have been successful as a teacher” (46:30).
“I make kids love coming to school and it solves all my problems” (46:50).
“In my mind, there is always a competition” (52:00).
“My competition in the classroom, and there is a lot of it, is almost always centered around effort and kindness” (53:55).
“Constantly look to expand rather than contract” (58:10).
“Whenever someone invites me to do something new, I always say yes even if it sounds terrible because it’s an opportunity to expand my life, and if I don’t like it, I’ll just close that door and move on to something else” (58:15).
“I’m shameless” (1:02:55).
Additionally, you can find all of Matthew’s info, including links to purchase all of his books, on his website. You can also go to storyworthymd.com to find courses and other free materials to learn how to become a better storyteller.
Thank you so much to Matthew for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
J.P. Nerbun is a bestselling author, leadership coach, and founder of TOC Culture Consulting, a leading global sports consulting and leadership coaching business. His mission is to help leaders and their teams achieve their full potential through 1:1 coaching, consulting, and community.
Nerbun has an impressive track record of guiding leaders at esteemed institutions such as Stanford University, Harvard University, the University of Texas, the USGA, PWC, and Chick-fil-A. His work spans across sports, education, healthcare, and business.
Nerbun is also the author of two acclaimed books: Calling Up: Discovering Your Journey to Transformational Leadership (2019) and The Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team Culture (2022). In 2023, he launched The Culture System Online Training Platform, which has been praised for being the most comprehensive online coach education available. His podcast, Coaching Culture, is one of the top sports leadership podcasts globally.
Nerbun lives in Ireland with his wife and their three children.
J.P. had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“In every step of my training [for running ultra-marathons] I kept failing massively, but I kept learning from those failures” (10:30).
“When you’re doing hard things, looking for help [and] asking for help is actually strength, it’s not weakness” (12:05).
“Our brain works against us often times as leaders” (17:10).
“Sometimes pain, reaching those rock bottoms, becomes the foundation upon which you can build” (25:30).
“Those painful moments teach us a lot, but they also make us desperate to try new things, to experiment with new things” (25:40).
“You don’t have really strong relationships with people, there’s not high levels of trust, if you don’t actually treat each other well, work hard, hold each other to a high standard” (30:50).
“[Good culture is] the connected group that works hard” (31:25).
“People want to show up to a place where they feel seen, heard, and loved” (39:15).
“[Trauma research shows that potentially] more healing than therapy itself is just being part of a connected group” (47:10).
“Can you continue to invest in your people knowing that in the long term, but maybe not the short term, the results are going to have a better chance of being what you want them to be?” (47:30).
“Character is really hard to assess, probably even harder to assess than talent” (52:15).
“I think the real quality of a coach or leader is their ability to reach the unreachables” (53:45).
“Without awareness, we can’t take ownership. We can’t make change” (58:00).
“I’m so okay with failure” (1:01:10).
“[My ability to let go of fear] came from experiencing it enough and knowing that those were the greatest moments for growth in my life” (1:02:50).
“I’m looking for where’s the next way to stretch myself, where’s the next way to enter into some of that discomfort?” (1:09:20).
Additionally, you can connect directly with J.P. via email (jpnerbun@tocculture.com) and on Twitter. You can also purchase J.P.’s most recent book, The Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team Culture, anywhere books are sold, and you can find The Culture System website here.
Thank you so much to J.P. for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Nita Farahany is one of those people that I get the pleasure of interviewing that when I read her bio or hear her speak or read her stuff, I’m thinking to myself how the heck am I going to interview this person who is ten times smarter and more accomplished than I am. And that is the truth, I’m not just lowering my intelligence for the sake of this conversation or this introduction; it is how I feel. I get nervous and anxious talking to people like Nita. And so, I’m going to give you Nita’s bio, and then I want you to listen to this conversation. And more than the bio and more than the information and knowledge and wisdom that she shares, what I appreciate about Nita is how down to earth she was. And I’ve seen her in person on stage, I’ve watched TED Talks, I’ve read her book, and I think if you’re sitting back and receiving that content when she’s in performance mode, it is awe inspiring. She’s someone who’s brilliant and shares her brilliance in an efficient, profound way, which I really struggle with. And once again, this conversation is about as authentic, genuine, real, vulnerable, as any that I’ve had. And so, her capacity to share her knowledge and wisdom in a setting where she’s expected to do so, at a level that is just extremely high, as a world-class thinker, is incredible. And then her ability to bring it down to earth and share it with people like myself is really what I’m truly grateful for.
So, here’s her bio: she’s a pioneering futurist and authority on laws, ethics, and technology. She’s a distinguished professor of law and philosophy and founding director of Duke University’s Science and Society Initiative. In her book, The Battle for Your Brain, which we discuss quite frequently in this conversation, she champions cognitive liberty, which is really at the core of today’s conversation. And a lot of Nita’s work is around this framework, this ideology, this thought, this concept, of cognitive liberty and how that shakes up and shows itself in a digital era, a digital environment, that we are all living in. Her insights shared from TED stages to global policy forums, guide responsible advancements in science and technology. Her background educationally: she received an AB in Genetics, Cell, and Development Biology from Dartmouth, an ALM in Biology from Harvard, a JD and MA from Duke University, as well as a PhD in Philosophy.
You’re going to love this conversation. We go into parenting, we go into philosophy, we go into ethics, we really run a broad range of subjects, and I love people with range, so I know you’re going to love Nina too.
Nita had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Everything gets filtered through a lens for me of kids” (8:30).
“I have girls, and I [want them to see] it’s okay to have a career and it’s okay to have times that are about developing that career” (10:40).
“I say no a lot to external opportunities, especially when my kids are young” (11:20).
“For any working parent with children, we feel that struggle all the time of how do you show up for your kids in ways that are meaningful and impactful and how do you have the impact you want to have on the world, which also could change the world you’re creating for them, not just at the micro level but at the macro level as well?” (12:10).
“When I say that I arm myself with knowledge, that doesn’t come just from books” (14:05).
“A parent who thinks they know everything is quickly schooled by their children that they know nothing at all” (15:25).
“The biggest thing I’ve had to grapple with as a parent is being less of a control freak” (16:05).
“I hope my kids feel like they have the freedom to figure out who they are and what they’re passionate about and know that no matter what I’m there behind them” (24:05).
“Sometimes we become so comfortable in our lesson plans that we forget what we’re trying to teach” (26:15).
“Ultimately what we’re trying to teach is people thinking freely so they can navigate the world” (27:05).
“Cognitive liberty is the right to self-determination over our brain’s mental experiences” (29:45).
“The ability to have an inner monologue, a space of mental reprieve, a place where you can figure out who you are or what you like or don’t like or choose what you share with people or don’t share with people, I think matters so much more to people than they really realize” (35:40).
“Your right to cognitive liberty should be what governs your choices, not somebody else making the choices about what your brain and mental experiences will look like and feel like and be shaped by without any input that you might have otherwise” (38:20).
“Choosing to erase a memory has consequences, and those consequences include developing the resilience to overcome a breakup and to learn from it, to incorporate and understand and refine what it is that you’re looking for and to learn from your mistakes and to learn from your hurt and to learn that you can survive heartache and that you’re strong enough to get through each of those things” (42:10).
“To enable advances in mental health more generally, we need to give people the tools and techniques to be able to see into themselves much better” (49:50).
“If we want humans to emerge from the digital age both having any capacity for freedom of thought and also any capacity to flourish, we have to realign technology with human values” (55:55).
“What we’re doing all day every day is developing a theory of mind of other people and trying to persuade them” (1:00:40).
“Modern technology is being designed to have you check out” (1:01:45).
“Every person when you peel back the layers, I think has an interesting set of complexities” (1:08:30).
“My legacy I hope for people is to be able to think freely in an era in which if we don’t it could go disastrously badly for us, for our children, for the human species, for the planet” (1:10:00).
Additionally, you can purchase Nita’s book, The Battle for Your Brain, anywhere books are sold. You can also check out Nita’s website and follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn. Lastly, I’d encourage you to watch Nita’s most recent TED Talk.
Thank you so much to Nita for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Joe Alberici is currently the Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Army – West Point. We could just have a conversation on lacrosse and that would be fascinating and how he leads, but being at Army and experiencing West Point, he’s going to bring a lot of the leadership principles that exist on that campus, and it is a unique special place and he’s going to take us behind the curtain as far as what makes Army – West Point so special. He’s going to talk specifically around captainship and leadership in this conversation. If Joe sounds familiar to you, he gave a speech that went viral recently about this notion of being a tough guy at life and how important it is to be inclusive and rethink about how we often think about toughness. And when I think about our military and I think about cadets that might go through West Point, we certainly think of them as physically tough, but Joe’s going to talk about in this conversation how much he values mental toughness and emotional toughness. I think you’re going to find Joe to be pretty holistically sound. We talk about culture, we talk about leadership, and how proud and how fortunate he feels to have the opportunity to coach at Army. And look, Army Lacrosse has become a contender. They beat the University of Maryland lacrosse team last year in the NCAA tournament; Maryland had won the National Championship the year before. So, he is coaching high level lacrosse players who also have a pride and a determination and a desire to serve our country. So, if I think about the type of people I would want my children to be coached by, I think about Coach Joe and I think about how he leverages his own faith, how he leverages his own philosophy, his upbringing, and his experience to pour into the student athletes that he surrounds himself with. So, this is a masterclass in humility, in confidence, in belief, and in having values and principles and being led by those.
Joe had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’ve got a couple of built-in things to keep me humble” (6:15).
“I need to serve [my student athletes]. They deserve the best” (7:25).
“I look at [greatness] as something to aspire towards” (9:25).
“The way we honor the tradition is by building upon it” (11:30).
“We embrace [tradition], but we are always looking for better ways to do it” (12:50).
“There’s so many important things you do at the United States Military Academy… but what I’m of firm belief of… is there’s nothing more impactful than their time in our lacrosse family” (18:00).
“So much is made of the challenges here at West Point. The untold story is… there’s no place that supports you more than West Point” (20:45).
“When they accept you at West Point, they’re not telling you you’re good enough to get in, they’re telling you you’re good enough to graduate” (22:15).
“There’s a vulnerability that myself and my staff, we’re the first to model, and it permeates through our organization” (23:30).
“We tend to gravitate towards what we love the most; often what we love the most is what we do the best” (30:35).
“Our mission is to become a West Point man” (31:10).
“One of our pillars is being unrelenting towards excellence [in all that we do]” (31:40).
“You get to show up in this locker room with some of the greatest people you’ll ever know” (40:25).
“We’re above moral victories in this program. That’s not what we’re showing up to do against anybody” (47:00).
“It doesn’t really matter if we’re the better team than them. It only matters that we’re better for those 60 minutes” (47:15).
“Any time I have young people to speak to, I deliver the exact same message, and it is about being a tough guy or a tough girl” (54:00).
“It’s really important to give 100% 100% of the time” (56:20).
“One of the ways you demonstrate toughness is by being inclusive” (58:10).
“That decision to [bring others in] will make you better” (59:00).
“Don’t wait for the thank you, the appreciation. Just do it because it’s right” (1:03:35).
“If the leadership model is to bring everyone in, you’ve got to be humble enough to not have your stamp on it” (1:16:10).
“Be the model” (1:17:15).
“We want a team full of leaders. But part of being a great leader is you have to be humble” (1:17:55).
Additionally, you can follow Joe on Twitter and you can follow the Army Lacrosse Team on Twitter and Instagram.
Thank you so much to Joe for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Tim Chi is the Chief Executive Officer of The Knot Worldwide. After getting married in 2005, Tim set out to make wedding planning less stressful and frustrating. Together with his co-founders Jeff, Lee and Sonny, they threw four desks into his empty living room in Chevy Chase, Maryland and created WeddingWire, which became a leading global vendor marketplace serving the wedding industry, helping millions of engaged couples plan, execute and celebrate the most important day of their lives. WeddingWire grew to 1,000 employees worldwide and owned leading wedding brands in North America, Europe, South America and India. In 2019, Tim became CEO of The Knot Worldwide following the merger of XO Group Inc. (parent company of The Knot) and WeddingWire Inc. Previously, Tim co-founded Blackboard Inc. in 1998. While at Blackboard, Tim pioneered many of Blackboard’s flagship products and strategic initiatives, bringing technology into the classrooms of colleges, universities and school districts across the world. During his tenure, the company raised over $100 million in capital and was taken public on the Nasdaq in 2004.
Tim holds a B.S. in operations research and industrial engineering from Cornell University and an M.S. in engineering management from Tufts University. He resides in Maryland with his family and is based out of The Knot Worldwide’s Chevy Chase headquarters.
Tim had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I actually do try to separate the idea of video game time from screen time” (7:20).
“Video gaming time [for my kids] is generally done with me” (7:30).
“We’re trying to create an intentional balance around exposing [our kids] to different things” (10:35).
“A lot of dedicated athletes do really well in any occupation I think because of that discipline and because of the team winning mentality” (12:10).
“I just know I’m not good at a lot of things” (13:25).
“In order to really excel, you need to have complementary skillsets at the table” (13:35).
“My chance of success is much improved if I’m working with partners” (14:05).
“Everything starts with relationships because that’s where trust gets built” (14:35).
“I tend not to take up as much headspace thinking about things that I’m not an expert in or I can’t connect with” (21:20).
“Disruption is natural” (22:15).
“Everybody has really good ideas, the difference is entrepreneurs do something about it; they’re willing to take a risk” (22:25).
“I like to think of myself as a realist with slightly rose-colored glasses on everything” (35:20).
“Video gaming is one of my escapes” (36:05)
“Everybody is entitled to make mistakes. It really is what did you learn from it?” (37:30).
“We know people are going to move on [from our company] and that life circumstances change. But what would be great is if people that left here said ‘I learned something, I took something away that helped me move to that next thing…’ That to me is success” (42:30).
“The how and when you implement it, those tend to have to get pessimized a lot” (47:30).
“I’m sort of just generally bullish on the idea that access to information and knowledge is a good thing for the world” (52:30).
“Start with a problem statement. What are we trying to solve here?” (56:00).
“Culture sits there as a broad-based thing, norms are how it shows up daily” (59:10).
“I do try to be very self-reflective about things and just in my own mental model always learning” (1:01:05).
“My personal development has really come from other people who I trust who I’ve built relationships with pushing me forward” (1:02:30).
Additionally, you can connect with Tim himself on LinkedIn here, and also follow The Knot Worldwide on LinkedIn here.
Thank you so much to Tim for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Stefanie Johnson is an author, a professor, a keynote speaker, and she studies the intersection of leadership and diversity. And you’re going to hear intersections and polarities in today’s conversation. And I think what is really fascinating about Stef is that, in a world where we talk about things in leadership and things in diversity as soundbites, and we try to put them into labels and think in very black and white ways, Stef in her research and her findings and her theories really does speak in nuance. She focuses on how unconscious bias affects the evaluation of leaders, and also on strategies that leaders can use to mitigate bias. Stef has a great book called Inclusify, which is all about harnessing the power of uniqueness and belonging to build innovative teams. She thinks that inclusify, this idea of inclusion, is really about both uniqueness and belonging; so how do you let people have the autonomy to express themselves, while also understanding that they’re part of something bigger than themselves. She is a well-established researcher and scholar. She works with some of the best companies in the world to help them create more inclusive leaders; we’ll talk about her work with NASA and with the NFL. She also brings up her work in healthcare, she has extensive consulting experience, and she’s created and delivered leadership development trainings with an emphasis on evidence-based practices. She’s a fellow in the Society of Industrial Organizational Psychologists and the American Psychological Society. She’s also passionate about disseminating her work more broadly and has taught two LinkedIn learning courses on how to increase diversity and inclusion in corporations. She’s written for the Harvard Business Review and she’s an in-demand keynote speaker; she’s presented her work at over 170 meetings around the world, including at the White House for a 2016 summit on diversity in corporate America on National Equal Pay Day. She’s been feature in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, CNN, ABC, NBC, and more. At her core, I think you’re going to find her to be extremely approachable, extremely curious, and someone who’s not necessarily judgmental, and open to finding ways to collaborate with others to make our world a little bit better.
Stef had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“We use stereotypes as quick methods of making sense of the world” (11:00).
“You hear a lot ‘We want someone who’s going to fit our culture.’ I like to take a spin on that and say, ‘Who’s going to add to our culture?” (14:20).
“Having people who are all the same means we’re probably missing out on a huge percentage of our customer base because we’re only going to appeal to a certain type of customer” (15:05).
“In conversation, when everyone sees things the same way, we make much less innovative, and even accurate, decisions. You’re way better off having people who are really different from each other, even if they know less, than having a really similar group of experts” (15:20).
“When you try to make people the same, the reality is people are just hiding their differences” (17:40),
“The way that I describe inclusion… is this idea that you can be your unique self and at the same time you can belong” (23:00).
“If [your employees are] going in [to work], provide opportunities to really benefit from that” (25:40).
“Those little decisions about who’s likely to get what opportunity are likely to be influenced by stereotypes” (32:00).
“If you’re only interviewing a small demographic… I can guarantee you you’re never going to have any diversity. It’s not possible. So, I love the idea of diverse slates because that means you might spot someone who could really be a game changer” (40:10).
“You need white men to create diversity. You need all people” (42:30).
“We need everyone working together, collaborating, to create an inclusive environment where everyone can be successful” (42:55).
“If you really want a diverse background, you’ve got to think broadly about what that means” (48:05).
“There are way more differences within generations than there are across generations” (49:00).
“I seek to understand where people are coming from and how did they get there” (52:45).
“Everyone got to where they are based on their life experiences” (53:15).
“We can always be learning and growing, and we should always maintain that curiosity. And really, the best leaders are those who maintain humility, at least intellectual humility, to think they still have things to learn from others” (1:00:05).
“Before you tell anyone the answer, ask questions” (1:00:35).
“We all have headwinds and tailwinds, we all have privilege and things that slowed us down, and recognizing those in yourself, acknowledging them, I think allows you to be more curious about other peoples’ experiences” (1:06:25).
“We know curiosity is at its least when we feel attacked or threatened” (1:07:15).
Additionally, you can learn more about Stef on her website, learn more about Inclusify on the Inclusify website, and also learn more about the Center for Leadership at Colorado Boulder here. Lastly, you can connect with Stef on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Stef for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Trevor Ragan is the founder of The Learner Lab - an educational website designed to unpack and share the science of learning and development.
He spends his time with thought leaders and researchers from the worlds of psychology and developmental science, consumes their research, connects the dots, and shares it with anyone that will listen.
He's worked with professional, college, and Olympic sports teams, Fortune 50 companies, prisons, and in hundreds of schools across the country. These workshops are designed to help people understand and apply important principles of development, in order to become better, more resilient learners.
Trevor had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Learning is underrated” (6:20).
“Learning is a skill. You can’t argue with that. It is something that you can get better at” (6:30).
“If I’m good at learning, that’s going to benefit me in any scenario” (6:50).
“You don’t have to love a loss. You don’t have to love getting rejected. You don’t have to love getting cut. But we can appreciate that within those setbacks, there are opportunities” (18:10).
“I look at learning as a treasure hunt. If I get to learn a new a topic, I get really excited” (22:35).
“We live in the best time ever for learning right now” (23:15).
“Curiosity is super underrated” (26:10).
“Listening is a skill. Can you get better at listening? Yes” (31:15).
“The machinery in our brains that controls learning is plastic. Every time we choose to be intentional about a new skill and practice it, try to build it, yes we’re going to get better at that skill, but we’re also becoming a better learner in the process” (32:55).
“At its core, growth mindset is the belief that I can change and grow and get better at stuff… That idea should be taught to anybody anywhere” (36:25).
“The mindset of the leader is more important than we realized” (38:00).
“A growth mindset is a belief in our capacity to change, it has nothing to do with how we feel” (39:05).
“We can all change. We can all get better at stuff. That’s the magic of being human. That’s the magic of our brain” (43:10).
“There are differences on the surface we see between people. We think it’s generational, but more times than not it’s something else” (49:40).
“I’m going to [create content in the way] I would like to consume it, and I’m going to talk about the topics that are interesting to me. And if I do it in a way that I would like it and I would be interested, I think that’s good enough” (58:50).
“Play with the right scoreboard. What’s the game you’re trying to win here?” (1:04:15)
“Make stuff that you think is cool” (1:04:25).
“[I’m most curious about] storytelling [right now]” (1:08:30).
“[Cold calling] is going to work more times than you think” (1:14:45).
“You’re never going to completely turn [fear] off” (1:17:15).
“When you care about something that involves uncertainty, you’re probably going to feel something” (1:18:10).
“People can perform well and not feel great. You can perform well and feel nervous. You can feel well and perform crappy” (1:19:00).
Additionally, you can follow Trevor on Twitter and Instagram, and you can also find the website for The Learner Lab here.
Thank you so much to Trevor for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
David Linn is the co-founder of Cycle for Survival, the movement to beat rare cancers. Cycle for Survival has raised more than $340 million to support pioneering research and lifesaving clinical trials at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), bringing new and better treatment options to people around the world.
In addition to David’s active involvement with Cycle for Survival, he is an EVP and Board Member at Oak Point Partners. Prior to starting Oak Point in 2004, David worked at both McKinsey & Company and CenterPost Communications. During his years at McKinsey, David had a unique arrangement whereby he took a 5-month leave of absence every year to play soccer professionally with the Chicago Stingers Professional Soccer Club.
David holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He has a BA, with highest distinction, from Northwestern University. At Northwestern, David was elected Team Captain of the varsity soccer team, and he received the Director's Award for Best Academic Performance by a Northwestern Student-Athlete.
David had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“One of the most special things in life is being part of a team” (7:35).
“When are [those] fears holding me back? How can I put them aside?” (12:00).
“Fearless for her wasn’t the absence of fear, it was recognizing we all have these fears, but don’t let them hold us back” (15:10).
“[Adversity] makes us stronger” (16:50).
“Whatever life throws at me, I can handle” (17:20).
“We all have adversity… but we have a choice in how we react to those challenges” (17:30).
“We make our own luck” (21:10).
“Leadership is about helping any type of group achieve their maximum potential” (24:35).
“Positive energy can be contagious” (25:20).
“I’ll never expect from any teammate or colleague more than I’m willing to put in” (29:30).
“Everybody grieves differently” (31:45).
“We felt like we had to start [Cycle for Survival] because there was such a clear need” (46:15).
“Spend your time on stuff that you want to do” (49:40).
“One of the most special things in life is creating something from nothing” (54:05).
“Get involved in something that’s bigger than yourself” (1:01:30).
“There’s so much joy that you get from actually helping other people” (1:01:35).
Additionally, you can find more info about Cycle for Survival on their website. You can also follow Cycle for Survival on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Additionally, you can personally follow David himself on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to David for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Susan Chapman-Hughes has quite an impressive resume. Currently, she consults with several Fortune 1000 C-Suite leaders as they embark upon transformation and try to change their organization. She’s the co-host of “Navigating the Work Compass” every Wednesday at Noon EST on LinkedIn Live, and is the author of the upcoming book Why Should I Follow You, which is a primer on connected leadership. And today’s conversation really dives into what Susan thinks are best practices when it comes to leadership, specifically around empathetic leadership and the power that comes with empathy. She’s an Independent Director of the JM Smucker Company, where she serves on the Compensation Committee. She’s also an Independent Director of Toast and chair of the Compensation Committee over there. Previously, she served as an Independent Director at Potbelly Corporation, where she led both the Compensation and Audit Committees. She most recently was the Executive VP and GM of Global Digital Capabilities, Transformation, and Operations in the Global Commercial Services Division at American Express, where she led the digital transformation of customer experience and drove the use of big data, predictive analytics, and machine learning to power business strategy.
Susan had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Writing a book is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life” (5:55).
“The power of growing great leaders was really the key to success for me in business” (6:45).
“I always had to lean on the talents skills of the people around me” (7:05).
“Being an empathetic leader gave me this leg up” (7:15).
“Everybody’s role is important, and I think sometimes we forget that” (9:05).
“The bigger your organizations get, the more you realize the key to leadership is really around how you connect with people, how can you galvanize them around the strategy and the ideas that you want to work towards, how can you empower them to go and execute, can you have shared goals and shared interests, and can you create a situation where conflict can be resolved constructively for the good of the organization? And that all starts with trust” (9:15).
“Well-meaning doesn’t always translate into empathetic” (10:00).
“The pandemic showed us the difference between leaders who connect with their folks and leaders who don’t” (10:55).
“[Going towards hard things] is a part of who I am” (12:35).
“Being a black CEO of a company was not a thing when I was young” (13:40).
“[I do hard things] because I have a passion for learning” (15:00).
“When you push yourself out of your comfort zone and you try to work on things that you’re not good at, in situations where the stakes are really low, it actually creates a tremendous opportunity for growth in a way that’s not hurtful to you” (17:45).
“What can I give to be impactful with the things I’ve been gifted with?” (20:45).
“I have to role model what integration looks like for [my daughter] so that as she gets older and wants to pursue her passions and her dreams, she feels like her choices don’t have to be binary” (30:20).
“My role as a parent is not to inform or impose my will on [my daughter], it is actually to help figure out what it is she wants and help her to guide that in a way that will impact the world” (31:40).
“Motherhood is the hardest job I’ve ever had, and it changes every day” (34:20).
“Being a parent forces you to have to be flexible” (36:25).
“The tenets of leadership aren’t hard, but the commitment to doing it takes effort and engagement” (42:30).
“Come as coachable” (46:50).
“I’d much rather have someone who’s pretty good who’s willing to learn and grow, who’s open and coachable, who’s always going to be thinking about the team, than somebody who’s just brilliant and can’t get along with anybody” (47:15).
“The leaders who I respect the most are the ones who saw me, who understood who I was, what I was trying to accomplish, were not intimidated by that, could appreciate who I was as a person, and really worked hard to help me” (48:00).
“The reason why I’m self-aware is because I seek [feedback], I’m always looking for [it]” (48:50).
“The more you can prepare an organization to be a change absorber and to integrate, the more likely you’re going to be to have people who connect and want to be there” (51:45).
“Staying humble but being decisive is very important [as a CEO]” (52:30).
“You can be [compassionate to people] and yet not know what they actually need” (1:00:50).
Additionally, you can find Susan’s website here and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn as well.
Thank you so much to Susan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Les Snead is the General Manager of the Los Angeles Rams, a position he’s held for 11 years. He was hired in 2012, and we’re actually going to talk about how to create sustainability and longevity in that position and handling the ups and downs and the stresses that come from losing, and also the accolades and the adulation that come from winning and the rollercoaster that is sports. In his role as General Manager, he partners with Head Coach Sean McVay to direct all personnel decisions for the football team. He hired Sean McVay when he was a 30-year-old, and we’re going to talk about that decision and what went into hiring a Head Coach at such a young age. Snead coordinates all aspects of the club’s football operations with Coach McVay and joins forces with COO, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Demoff, and Vice President, Football and Business Administration Tony Pastoors to direct the team’s business ventures. Les is going to talk about in this conversation how he works with Kevin to also impact and to have communication lines open with ownership. We talk a lot about in this conversation the power of alignment and how important it is for Les to work hand in hand with his Head Coach and also the ownership group. His tenure has been marked by strategic, aggressive moves that have created a strong core nucleus of talent and depth throughout the roster. We use those words like talent, strategy, and aggression throughout the conversation today, and we talk about when to be aggressive and when not to and how strategy impacts decision making. We also talk about the importance of creating a team and not just assembling talent. If you follow the NFL, you know that the LA Rams have had a lot of success lately; Under Les’s leadership, they went to the Super Bowl in 2019 and they won the Super Bowl in 2022. It’s interesting to talk to Les about those experiences and the duality that comes with finishing second, which he’ll call almost like winning a Silver Medal, compared to what it’s like to win a Gold Medal and win a Super Bowl. This conversation is deep; you’re going to love the nuance in which Les speaks with. He loves to read, he loves to learn, he’s a super curious guy. During our entire conversation he was taking notes, and I could see him taking things from our conversation that he was going to bring back with him. We didn’t talk about it, but he also likes to journal, and he loves to read; those are big parts of who he is and what his identity is and how he leads an organization that’s had some success lately for sure, but that he’s trying to build into a contender year after year.
Les had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It’s probably the hardest thing in sports; there’s always going to be change, and when do you maybe move on from a veteran player who provides a lot of those leadership type skills, a lot of the wisdom that age actually provides?” (11:45).
“Every year the team is going to change. The art form is trying to figure out what pieces of the puzzle do you keep, what pieces do you let go?” (12:45).
“The General Manager and the Head Coach have to be aligned. It doesn’t necessarily mean we have to agree on every decision, agree on every philosophy, every paradigm, but the important thing is for us to be aligned on who we hire, who we bring in, the systems that are in place to allow the people that we do bring in to work together and do their part to make the Rams better” (17:00).
“If it comes down to one thing [to get done during the day], it would be working on that relationship with [Head Coach] Sean [McVay]” (17:45).
“In sports, especially football, it’s such a sophisticated collaboration of a lot of human talent, from players to coaches to staff” (27:10).
“If you can not worry about the offseason headlines, and just focus on whatever you do in the offseason… there’s a good probability that what you did in the offseason is going to lead to some semblance of progress during the season” (30:00).
“Our self-esteems are probably unhealthily associated with the Rams record. That’s our scarlet letter: our record” (42:10).
“The teammate who supports, pats on the back, you’d rather have that than the other” (47:35).
“Usually when you have alignment and continuity, even though there’s going to be ebbs and flows in the cycle of life of a sports ecosystem… usually they’re going to be a very competitive team” (50:35).
“Let’s keep the main thing the main thing” (54:20).
“We’re blessed, we’re fortunate, or we’ve earned, whatever you want to call it, this variable of continuity” (1:00:05).
“Could we be intentional about using continuity as an edge, but also being very aware that there is stress and drudgery involved” (1:01:35).
“To prevent burnout, you can’t be result oriented” (1:02:55).
“I often tell our younger leaders the best thing you can do is onboard people that can execute really well-too-do engineered systems that you’re no longer needed” (1:08:10).
“What is your not to do list?” (1:08:50).
“[When you win a Super Bowl], you’re more happy for other people than yourself” (1:14:55).
“I was fathered by football” (1:20:25).
Thank you so much to Les for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Tiffani Bova is the Global Growth Evangelist at Salesforce, and the Wall Street Journal Bestsellers Growth IQ and The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth. Over the past two decades, she has led large revenue-producing divisions at businesses ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500. As a Research Fellow at Gartner, her cutting-edge insights helped Microsoft, Cisco, Salesforce, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, SAP, AT&T, Dell, Amazon-AWS, and other prominent companies expand their market share and grow their revenues. She has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50 twice. She is also the host of the podcast What’s Next! with Tiffani Bova.
Tiffani had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I am a teacher in some way” (6:50).
“Through all the noise, we have to find a way to stay and be happy” (7:50).
“Even though people may think [sales] is an individual sport, it is a team sport” (13:15).
“As a salesperson, you never do it solo” (13:25).
“Rarely does a company do 100% of the things it needs to do on its own” (17:15).
“The one thing about growth is it’s not one thing” (24:50).
“Great culture drives great innovation” (25:25).
“Everything is an ‘and’ play” (27:40).
“When you don’t have that understanding, you start making decisions that have unintended consequences to your people, that then impact your customers” (33:20).
“Whatever you’re trying to do in the business, the first place to go is to your employees because they usually know the answers to the questions you’re trying to find out” (34:15).
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few” (35:55).
“We’ve thrown so much at our people, that it’s not that they don’t want to change, it’s just that they’re burnt through change” (40:50).
“I’ve become a master asker” (45:45).
“People can copy your products, your services, your marketing campaigns. They can copy all that. It’s impossible for them to copy your culture. It’s impossible for them to copy the way you lead, or the way you run team meetings, or the way you train” (46:50).
“When you make a change for the customer… do not forget about your employee” (48:15).
“Your employees are the ones who show up every day to deliver on the promise you made as an executive” (50:10).
“Self-awareness is really challenging” (58:15).
“You really want to make sure that you’re always looking to hone your craft so that you are helping people be as successful as they can be” (1:01:35).
“95% of people believe they are self-aware, but only 10-15% really are” (1:03:40).
“If you are willing to be self-aware, it’s going to be a very reflective journey for you” (1:08:00).
Additionally, you can connect with Tiffani via email (info@tiffanibova.com) or on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Lastly, you can find Tiffani’s website here, and also purchase her book here.
Thank you so much to Tiffani for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Erica Keswin is a workplace strategist who has worked for the past 20 years with some of the most iconic brands in the world as a consultant, speaker, author, and professional dot-connector. You’re going to hear her reference some of the conversations she’s had with some brands that you are definitely going to recognize. Her best-selling book, Bring Your Human to Work: 10 Surefire Ways to Design a Workplace That’s Good for People, Great for Business, and Just Might Change the World, was published in the Fall of 2018, and we certainly bring that book into today’s conversation. Her second book, Rituals Roadmap: The Human Way to Transform Everyday Routines into Workplace Magic, was published in January of 2021, and that book is also referenced in today’s conversation. Erica will make clear the distinction between routine and ritual, which I think you’re going to appreciate. She’s also going to talk about some of the things that happened during the pandemic while she was getting ready to publish that book. That book made the Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller lists. Erica’s work and insights can be seen in various media outlets, including The Harvard Business Review, The New York Post, Forbes, Huffington Post, O Magazine, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and many other outlets that you would recognize. She’s a keynote speaker; she does webinars, workshops, she’s worked with American Red Cross, she’s spoken at South by Southwest, she’s worked at TIAA, IBM, The New York Times, I could go on and on. She has quite an impressive resume. And inn this conversation, she’s going to get quite vulnerable and share some of her personal background and some of the things that she’s seen and gone through as well.
Erica had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“When I think about me and what’s important in my life, it’s building relationships” (6:20).
“Honoring relationships is about being present in that moment” (7:15).
“The fundamentals of building relationships are constant and haven’t really changed in terms of being present and investing time and making a time and a place for them” (9:30).
“You don’t know what’s always going on behind the curtain” (22:10).
“Tell people what you need” (22:30).
“My definition of a ritual has 3 component parts: A ritual is something to which we assign a certain amount of meaning and intention, there’s a cadence, and a ritual is something that goes beyond its practical purpose” (30:45).
“Rituals give us a sense of psychological safety” (31:50).
“Rituals give you an opportunity to connect to purpose and to meaning” (32:15).
“When you have connection to other people, there is a physiological change in your body. Your oxytocin goes up, that feel good hormone, and your stress goes down” (32:30).
“We have to figure out ways to curate connection, and rituals are a tool that all of us can use” (33:00).
“We need to be even more intentional to curate those connections” (37:20).
“Let’s define who we are and what we stand for and what is most important” (49:35).
“Covid accelerated many things in the workplace that were changing already” (57:10).
“Start as you mean to belong” (1:00:25).
“Being a leader, being a manager today, is really hard” (1:13:00).
Additionally, you can find Erica’s website here and connect with her on LinkedIn as well.
Thank you so much to Erica for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Tobin Anderson is the Men’s Basketball Head Coach at Iona University. He’s in his first year there, and you may recognize Tobin and his name from last season when he was the Head Coach at Fairleigh Dickinson University in their Men’s Basketball program. They shocked the world; they beat #1 Purdue in the NCAA Tournament, they actually won a game before that to enter the NCAA Tournament, and Tobin and his team became a Cinderella story, sort of the sweetheart of college basketball last year, having only been the second team to win as a 16 seed over a 1 seed. Tobin is a basketball lifer; his dad was a high school basketball coach, he’s coached at every level (Division III, Division II, and now Division I). And we’ll talk about the different levels of basketball in this conversation, and you’re going to find him pretty transparent, genuine, authentic, while we also get into the politics and the political nature of basketball. We talk about pressing and his defensive philosophy and his style. If you’re not into basketball, this conversation may be a little over your head, but if you’re a hoops head like me, you’re going to love Tobin’s energy, his curiosity, his creativity, his willingness to try new things, his willingness to grow, to change, to evolve. He’s highly competitive, he’s highly enthusiastic and energetic. This conversation flowed for me, and I hope it will flow for you as well.
Tobin had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The backbone of our program has always been competition and competing” (5:35).
“The most important thing is we compete on a daily basis” (5:50).
“Let’s not get caught up into so much teaching and X’s and O’s and that stuff, when at the end of the day if we’re competitive, we have a chance to be very successful” (6:10).
“Our worst practices are on the days when I overthink things as a coach and I try to do too much, try to teach too much” (6:40).
“We improve every day” (7:20).
“To have a chance to be very successful, you have to get better every day” (8:10).
“When you’re on a good team, you have to sacrifice for your teammates” (12:05).
“The two things that really help you are shared success and shared suffering” (15:00).
“Winning begets winning” (15:30).
“The hard days, the tough days, the uneven days, those are the days you build a team” (16:35).
“Sometimes the best you is the best us” (24:45).
“Can you blend in to help us all be successful?” (27:55).
“If you screw it up, then figure it out” (29:20).
“The best practices to me are the sloppy ones, the crazy ones” (30:15).
“I try to step back more now and let them screw up, let them make mistakes” (31:50).
“Scared goes home” (33:40).
“Even when you’re the top dog, you’re trying to create that underdog mentality” (38:00).
“Belief is a moment-by-moment situation” (40:55).
“I love what I do, so there’s not a job component to it” (46:35).
“You don’t know what you don’t know” (53:00).
“It’s about after the good things, after the bad things, not letting yourself react either way” (58:40).
“We’re not a big adjustments team. We want teams to adjust to us” (1:04:45).
“The game in December is just as important as the game in February” (1:12:34).
“I share everything. I’m not trying to hold anything back” (1:17:25).
“It’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it” (1:17:30).
Additionally, you can follow Tobin on Twitter.
Thank you so much to Tobin for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Today’s episode is going to be a little bit different than a lot of our past episodes because it’s just going to be me on here. I’m going to share a lot of my observations, a lot of my notes, from a festival I recently attended called The Aspen Ideas Festival. It’s really a conference, but it’s much more than a conference. It’s where some of the best thought leaders gather to share what’s on their mind, to discuss, they have all kinds of experiences, they have debates, they have panels, they have interactive experiences. I figured I would capture the four days that I spent at the conference with all of you and share it in today’s episode.
Here are some insights I’d like to share form today’s episode:
“[The festival] was a reminder of the power of education” (2:40).
“We don’t need to be formally in school to continue to grow and become educated, but we do need to seek out opportunities to learn” (2:45).
“We either evolve, or we die” (4:15).
“’And’ is more powerful than ‘or’” (5:15).
“If we aren’t healthy, nothing else really matters” (6:40).
“If you want to be a great manager, you need to understand that part of your job as a manager is to connect with human beings, and we connect with human beings on an emotional level” (9:30).
“We need to manage our emotions; we don’t need to eradicate them” (9:55).
“The people who are happiest actually dig rather than climb” (12:35).
“Fulfillment is what’s most key to happiness” (13:50).
“Sometimes we have to take a step back if we want to take a step forward” (16:30).
“Wealth is essentially your capacity to control your time” (18:20).
“The thing that makes you weird as a kid can make you great as an adult” (19:05).
“Following your passion is very limiting” (20:30).
“Maybe the passion will come from the doing rather than the doing coming from the passion” (21:00).
“Change does involve pain” (21:50).
“Emotions are radar, they give us information, they give us data” (22:30).
“Are we working hard, or are we overworking?” (23:40).
“Let’s look inward for the solution” (25:25).
“Parenting doesn’t stop once our children become adults” (25:50).
“Not knowing is the most intimate” (28:30).
“Our happiness is about looking out the window rather than at the mirror” (29:20).
“Where you believe you’re going matters” (34:00).
“Vision can inspire” (35:25).
“If you have clarity on the vision, then you can actually pass that down to the people in your organization who are actually connected to the customer” (36:20).
“You want to get as close to that customer experience as possible if you want to build a strong organization” (37:50).
“People don’t need to be punished; they need to be helped” (39:20).
“We assume that other people are thinking exactly like us” (41:20).
“We need to be aware of our biases” (42:20).
“Let’s not speculate; let’s explore” (44:05).
“Whether you’re a show or a business or a sports team, you’re trying to do something together” (47:00).
“Insecurities are what often drive us to feel threatened” (49:15).
“Each successive generation is staying at their jobs for less time” (55:10).
“When does capitalism go too far?” (57:40).
“As we become more and more segregated behind computer screens, we need to intentionally create space for us to be in person” (1:00:35).
“If you don’t change, you either aren’t paying attention or you don’t care” (1:04:15).
“We need to think about our education as a rising tide that can lift all boats” (1:07:15).
“Our world needs to come together to think about how they’re going to manage artificial intelligence” (1:10:50).
“America is America because we collaborate” (1:12:00).
“How can you be bold while still being responsible?” (1:13:55).
“AI really reveals our own biases and toxic behaviors and holds a mirror up to us” (1:16:50).
If you’d like to connect with me further directly about this episode or anything else, you can reach out to me via email (brian@strongskills.co).
Thanks for listening.
Ryan Poles is currently the General Manager of the Chicago Bears. Prior to that, he spent 13 years working with the Kansas City Chiefs and helping to build the Super Bowl Champion that they are today. He was heavily involved in scouting and bringing on the players that you see dominating the NFL today. Ryan also played football at a very high level; he played offensive line for Boston College, and his quarterback at the time was Matt Ryan. He then went on to get cut from the Chicago Bears, the team he is the General Manager for today. That led him on his journey and his path to working in the front office. Today’s conversation is really about leadership, it’s about how do you build the culture which the Bears are currently doing, and Ryan gives you a behind the curtain look at what he’s doing to build this one time historic, legacy franchise that is the Chicago Bears.
Ryan had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It’s part of my makeup. I never feel like I’m there yet” (6:00).
“Staying curious, listening to other people’s journeys, the lessons they’ve learned, that’s a ton of wisdom. It’s the same reason why I read books” (6:10).
“I want to peel back the curtain on different experiences so that I can apply them when those situations pop up for me” (6:20).
“Growth mindset is really contagious” (6:40).
“You’ve got to lean on people, and you’ve got to let people lean on you” (7:20).
“There’s times you’ve got to sleep on it” (14:40).
“I really value people” (15:20).
“Sometimes the worst thing you can do, and it’s so toxic, is just to keep [everything] inside of you” (19:05).
“It’s important to get things off your chest and express your thoughts and emotions” (21:00).
“We attack mind, body, and spirit” (23:25).
“[Spirit] is internal peace” (25:20).
“If you can have part of your foundation be being a resilient football team, to me that is progress” (29:15).
“That old school, tough, gritty football team; we want that back. That’s part of this city” (33:30).
“We’re not going to panic and do things that are going to harm us just because of pressure” (35:20).
“For me, to my core, sustaining success is the challenge” (39:50).
“You can feel the passion jump out of the [players] that really care and love [football]” (51:30).
“For building a football team, you want as many guys where when they go out to practice or a game, it’s like recess” (52:05).
“The hardest part of professional sports with collaboration is the team changes every single year” (59:40).
“It comes down to people” (1:03:45).
“You can call it a General Manager if you want, but at the end of the day you’re a problem solver for the organization” (1:04:10).
“The more balanced I am, the more clear I am about decision making” (1:05:50).
“I need to block off time for me” (1:07:05).
Thank you so much to Ryan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Brian Murphy is a founder, CEO, entrepreneur and investor -- constantly learning and chasing possible. He founded and leads ReliaQuest, the force multiplier of security operations and one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the global cybersecurity market. Murphy has grown ReliaQuest from a boot-strapped startup to high-growth unicorn with a valuation of over $1 billion, over 1,000 team members and over $350 million in growth equity with firms such as FTV Capital and KKR Growth. The company is headquartered in Tampa, FL, with operations centers in Tampa, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Dublin, London, Amsterdam and Pune, India.
Brian had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I was trying to drive clarity, which would allow for consistency, which ultimately opens the door for consistent performance” (8:20).
“We talk about momentum in sport all the time, but momentum in business is critical” (8:30).
“If [performance psychology] can help an athletic team, why can’t it help a fast-growing tech company?” (9:05).
“Largely, I believe everybody wants to get a little bit better” (10:50).
“People get to where they are differently” (13:10).
“Leave no doubt. Don’t get off the phone until there’s a massive amount of clarity around the intent of why you called” (15:35).
“I’ve got to be a good coach; I’ve got to be a good listener as a CEO” (16:20).
“The most important thing that I’ve learned as we’ve gotten larger is it’s not about what I should do, it’s about what I should not be doing” (16:25).
“I want people to understand the weight and the responsibility that comes along with a title” (17:30).
“They need to see that vulnerability. They need to see that I’ve got real things going on also” (21:30).
“Be where your feet are” (22:55).
“I don’t need to be every place at once. What’s most important right now?” (23:45).
“You have to sprint the marathon” (26:20).
“It’s not that the customer is always right, it’s about making that moment right for the customer” (30:35).
“People want to know you’re a real person. I do it through storytelling” (33:35).
“Mistakes and momentary losses are not failures” (34:15).
“The beauty of business is if you don’t quit, you can’t fail” (34:20).
“Sometimes big mistakes yield great results” (34:35).
“We’re a values-based decision-making organization” (40:10).
“We’re going to be accountable, helpful, adaptable, and focused” (40:25).
“Do what you say you’re going to do” (43:35).
“I have a maniacal focus on the problem that we solve and enjoy the creativity it takes to get there” (46:30).
Additionally, you can find ReliaQuest’s website here. You can also connect with Brian on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can also check out the “No Show Dogs” podcast, powered by ReliaQuest, here.
Thank you so much to Brian for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Kara Goldin has quite an impressive and extensive resume and bio. But rather than give you all of her bio and information, I think she covers a lot of her journey in this conversation, I’m just going to introduce her to you. Kara is the founder and CEO of Hint. You’re probably familiar with Hint, they’re best known for their award-winning water, which is really a leading unsweetened flavor water category. She’s been featured in magazines, won awards, she’s an active speaker, a podcaster, and she’s got a fantastic book which we cover in today’s conversation as well.
Kara had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I learned to admire people who were better than I was at certain things, knowing that I was good at other things” (7:40).
“I could change the visual and I could eventually do it if I just set my mind to it and focused” (9:30).
“My parents were constantly saying to me ‘You need to figure it out.’” (11:05).
“My parents gave me the nudge to go and figure things out and go and be creative” (11:35).
“I was very social, I was very outgoing, because I realized that was a way to actually meet people but also learn new things” (13:35).
“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes” (15:10).
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions” (15:25).
“Ask people a lot of questions because that’s going to satisfy your curiosity. You’re going to learn a lot from people, and it makes days much more interesting” (15:45).
“When you’re a kid, you don’t really know what you’re learning” (22:40).
“I love being an underdog” (26:45).
“I don’t mind being at zero and creating as long as I’m passionate about it” (27:00).
“What I tend to gravitate towards is people who own their story” (28:30).
“I am more likely to hire people who have made mistakes that they can own” (28:40).
“I think the people that can actually own their mistakes and tell you why they did what they did and ultimately not try and blame others for it are the ones that you actually want on your team” (32:15).
“If I have one fault, it’s that I don’t always trust my gut on people” (37:00).
“When somebody shows you their true colors, I’m now a very big believer to recognize that” (37:20).
“Sometimes it’s easier said than done to pay attention to your gut” (41:05).
“For me, stories have always been so powerful” (46:35).
“The beauty of starting your own company is that you get to cherry pick the good and the bad” (49:05).
“I don’t think any founder starts something thinking that this is their legacy” (54:20).
Additionally, you can purchase Kara’s book Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters anywhere books are sold. You can also follow and connect with Kara on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Thank you so much to Kara for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Paige Thomas has more than 25 years experience in the retail industry with an extensive off-price background and her passion for ecommerce. Paige most recently served as President & CEO of Saks OFF 5TH, leading the business from February 2020 through February 2023. Under Paige’s leadership, Saks OFF 5TH has evolved the business operating model and strategy to focus on the digital experience. In 2021, Saks OFF 5TH’s ecommerce business was established as a separate entity with a $200 million equity investment led by Insight Partners. Paige was named President and CEO of SaksOFF5TH.com to continue to build on its momentum and growth trajectory.
Prior to Saks OFF 5TH, Paige spent eight years at Nordstrom where she launched NordstromRack.com and led the integration of HauteLook. Earlier in her career, Ms. Thomas held merchandising leadership positions at Kohl’s and Fred Meyer.
Paige had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“One of the things I’ve really been working on is my pitch of who I am and what I can contribute” (6:40).
“Who I am is this really diverse retailer that loves to drive growth and has an incredible proven track record” (7:35).
“What I love is the idea of impact, and growth, and agility” (8:00).
“The global pandemic gave the opportunity to actually really think about the customer and how you were going to drive change that was sustainable” (10:50).
“[The pandemic] gave the opportunity to test and react, to maybe make bolder decisions than you normally would” (11:10).
“What tends to happen in life is people fear the downside and therefore minimize the risk or opportunities that they’re going to chase” (11:25).
“The way I think about retail today, is it absolutely critical that you have a unique differentiation” (15:10).
“I’ve been really looking at leaders and what their career path was and what has defined them, in particular female leaders” (22:40).
“Confidence in yourself and validation for my agility and experiences is actually really valuable” (23:45).
“What I think is a continued opportunity, particularly for female leaders, is to lift one another up” (24:00).
“I think of my career as the art of winning” (24:50).
“Five years ago, I don’t know that I recognized some of my capabilities and impact that I brought to organizations. I undervalued my experience” (35:20).
“The way that I think of myself from a core value perspective is I am a really authentic, loyal, leader” (40:40).
“I’m an authentic coach every single day” (43:45).
“Loyalty doesn’t translate to ‘you’re nice.’ Loyalty, to me, is the opportunity to be the leader, be transparent, give people the opportunity for success, but it’s theirs to own” (44:00).
“In every organization I’ve worked for, I’m the first to raise my hand and say I want to be on [the DEI] committee” (48:00).
“How do you support and represent the communities that you serve?” (49:05).
“I believe that if you chase your passion, you will inherently be successful at it” (49:50).
“The customer is my passion” (55:50).
“I have so much more reward today out of leading than I ever thought was possible” (56:45).
“That’s how I think about the art of winning: it’s not just a playbook, it’s not just X’s and O’s, it takes a team, it’s a marathon. And when those things come together, that builds a winning formula” (1:05:25).
“For me, the art of winning is where I’m at” (1:09:10).
“The future for me is how do I bring my core values, my proven track record, my leadership skills, to have impact” (1:09:25).
Additionally, you can connect with Paige on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Paige for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Coach Sam Puryear is the Head Coach and the Director of Golf at Howard University. When coach took over, the program was actually a Division II golf program. But they got a donation, a six-year commitment from Stephen Curry, the NBA superstar, to help fund the golf program at Howard. Since that time, since Sam has taken over, they’ve really turned into quite a program. Coach came from Michigan State University, where he helped lead them to a Big Ten Championship. Coach was actually the first African American head coach in golf at a power-5 conference. Coach has a ton of accolades: he’s produced one National Championship, he’s won the Big Ten Championship when he was at Michigan State, he coached at Stanford where he was an assistant coach, he’s gotten two coach of the year honors, he’s won a ton of awards, and coach is also an author. He shared an inspiring story in his book, Diamonds in the Rough, which talks about his journey and his love affair with golf, not just from a golf standpoint but also a life standpoint and the life skills that he instilled in a lot of young people who otherwise may not have gotten access to the wonderful sport of golf. He’s been recognized by several media outlets, including ESPN, the Big Ten Network, and Inside the PGA Tour. He has served as a consultant for the movie From the Rough.
He really is someone who focuses on his mission and cares deeply about pouring into young people and giving back to people that look like him. Golf hasn’t always been open to people that look like Sam. Even though his dad played golf at a high level and Sam played at golf at a high level, what you’re going to find from coach is he really wants to inspire not just the student athletes at Howard, but to people who look like him continue to get access to golf and to other parts of our country that maybe they haven’t always gotten access to in the past.
Sam had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“At the end of the day, a coach is a mentor, parental figure, sometimes a psychiatrist or psychologist, sometimes a buffer, sometimes just a great pillow to listen” (7:00).
“The keep it simple make it fun perspective is the way the best professionals even look at it” (8:45).
“If you’re not enjoying something, it becomes tedious and monotonous; it just becomes overbearing at a certain point” (9:35).
“People don’t realistically know what they’re going to be great at” (12:00).
“There should be a slight exposure and acclimation to a lot of things before we engage in those one or two that they’re specifically good at” (12:40).
“There’s so much more involved in sports than just development” (13:00).
“Teamwork is how we survive” (13:50).
“When you listen, you actually hear what you need to hear” (24:50).
“We have to give kids opportunities to be great” (25:25).
“My success at this point is when I see young people that tell me they have a dream, and at the end of their tenure they have a chance to live it” (27:10).
“Going to college does not make you successful. But having the chance to be a productive person means learning how to live amongst others and doing those things necessary to be productive” (29:10).
“The riches that you leave on this earth won’t come in the form of bills, they’ll come in the form of the spirits and the hearts that you’ve touched” (30:00).
“Our number one goal here is to win. Our number two goal here is to maximize whatever ounce of potential we have in us, in the classroom and on the golf course, so that we can be the best version of ourselves” (33:10).
“I never want to be the starving baker” (34:50).
“At the end of the day your input and output seem different, but yet they’re the same” (38:20).
“If you pour bad gas in a really good gas tank, you’re going to get a bad result” (38:30).
“Much is given, and much is expected” (42:35).
“You have to learn how to lose” (43:25).
“We can always be better” (47:35).
“In life, we all have uniforms to wear” (51:50).
“We all are players in a much larger game” (53:35).
“Too many people get caught up in telling their story first. You wouldn’t have a story if it were not for other people” (56:35).
“I want to give people their roses while they can still hear it and see it” (58:20).
Additionally, you can purchase Sam’s book, Diamonds in the Rough, on Amazon.
Thank you so much to Sam for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Wendy K. Smith is the Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management, faculty director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware and fellow at The Academy of Management. She earned her PhD in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, where she began her intensive research on strategic paradoxes—how leaders and senior teams effectively respond to contradictory, yet interdependent demands. Working with executives and scholars globally, she received the Web of Science Highly Cited Research Award (4 years in a row) for being among the 1 percent most-cited researchers in her field and received the Decade Award from the Academy of Management Review for the most cited paper in the past 10 years as well as a fellow at the Academy of Management. Her work has been published in such journals as Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Harvard Business Review, Organization Science, and Management Science. She has taught at the University of Delaware, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania–Wharton while helping senior leaders and middle managers all over the world address issues of interpersonal dynamics, team performance, organizational change, and innovation. Her book, Both/And Thinking is published by Harvard Business Review and was #1 new release on Amazon. Wendy lives in Philadelphia with her husband, three children, and the family dog.
Wendy had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“There’s other pathways to things that we don’t often see” (9:25).
“Where I could really feel impact was at this very local level” (12:25).
“The big idea of [my book] Both/And Thinking is that we live in a world where we tend to pull things apart and make a choice between them and see the either/or, see the black and white, and we argue that’s limited and it’s detrimental at worst. There’s a better way of seeing these things intertwine with one another” (15:40).
“The people that are least confident about knowing who they are, what they’re going to do in the world, and whether they’re going to succeed, are college students” (16:20).
“This sense of having to prove [oneself] constrains actually experimenting and being [oneself] along the way” (17:05).
“A dilemma is a moment in time defined in a very specific time and space where you’re choosing between two different options and it’s begging you to make a choice” (26:45).
“Paradoxes are these persistent, ever-present tensions that underlie our dilemmas and keep popping up” (27:00).
“There’s this constant tension that we all feel around performing well, doing well, being in the moment, and learning and growing and feeling that discomfort of learning and growth” (27:10).
“The dilemma of passion vs. performance shows up all over the place and we tend to pit those against each other” (36:10).
“The more that we feel passionate, the more that we feel joyful, the more engaged and the better performing we are. These opposing pressures actually reinforce each other” (36:30).
“I think an invitation is a chance to allow people to have their own point of view rather than telling them what they think and providing the respect to others that I’m curious about that point of view” (38:10).
“One of the ways that we tend to ‘either/or’ a lot is in relationship with other people” (38:30).
“We grow from taking a pause from our regular routines and lives” (42:45).
“Part of ‘both/and’ is pulling out or decisions into a broader perspective where we are making these micro shifts, oscillating, experimenting, balancing, trying along the way, that not every decision is the ultimate moment of truth” (47:15).
“How do you navigate in a space that’s not ideal for who you are?” (50:20).
“Activism has a very black and white perspective; I am going to assert what I believe and be loud and proud about it. There’s a place for that and it’s an important piece, and it doesn’t always get stuff done. What we really need in order to move forward is more nuanced diplomacy and collaboration across opposing ideas” (52:50).
“Leaders need to have a varied toolkit in how they lead” (55:15).
“Frankly, there’s a lot more common ground on many of these [political] issues than there is difference” (57:20).
“It’s not just your own individual performance, but your performance and your success is dependent on how you raise up and create the conditions for other people’s success as well” (1:04:50).
Additionally, you can find everything you need to know about Wendy’s book, Both/And Thinking, here. You can also connect with Wendy on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and by email (hello@bothandthinking.net).
Thank you so much to Wendy for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Michael Bungay Stanier helps people know they’re awesome and they’re doing great. He’s best known for The Coaching Habit, the best-selling coaching book of the century and already recognized as a classic. His new book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, does what it says on the label. Michael was a Rhodes Scholar and dabbles in the ukulele. He’s Australian, and lives in Toronto, Canada.
Michael had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“There is one part of me that suffers from S.O.S: Shiny Object Syndrome” (9:45).
“I’m good at generating ideas” (10:05).
“I don’t want to be fenced in” (10:20).
“Inspiration is when your past suddenly makes sense” (10:40).
“We unlock our greatness by working on the hard stuff” (11:10).
“I am good creating, and specifically making complicated stuff feel more accessible and practical for people” (18:25).
“I’m good at turning complicated concepts into something people can grasp” (19:05).
“I think it is a choice and a deliberate act to try and stay creative” (23:50).
“I know I have a lot of bad ideas” (28:40).
“You should work under the assumption that most of your ideas aren’t great” (30:10).
“Just putting ideas out into the world is part of the process of getting closer to a good idea” (30:20).
“If you have bad ideas, it means you’re good at ideas because good ideas emerge from conversations of bad ideas” (32:10).
“If you’re getting 60% of the hard decisions right, you are rocking it” (34:00).
“Keep noticing the stuff you should be grateful for” (38:55).
“Part of being a writer is being a great reader” (41:45).
“Writing is the most distinctive expression of me as a teacher” (44:20).
“I have come to know a fair number of people, but I don’t really know many people at all” (56:35).
“For me, the best possible relationship is when it is safe, when it is vital, and also repairable” (1:04:55).
“Talk about how you’ll work together before you talk about what you’ll work on” (1:05:20).
Additionally, you can find Michael’s website here, and also connect with him on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also purchase Michael’s books, The Coaching Habit; The Advice Trap; How to Begin; and How to Work with (Almost) Anyone anywhere books are sold. Lastly, if you’d like to personally reach out to Michael, you can send him an email (teammbs@mbs.works).
Thank you so much to Michael for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Laura Gassner Otting - Speaker. Author. Entrepreneur. Motivator. Instigator.
Laura’s secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results
A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura’s 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives.
Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can’t seem to shake. She’s an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she’s never met a revolution she didn’t like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.
Laura had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It is amazing and exciting and humbling and wonderful when we achieve something we didn’t know we could achieve” (6:30).
“There are seasons of our lives” (10:40).
“We define success as bigger, better, faster, more, but if we’re doing that we’re always getting trapped in the ‘it’s not enough’” (11:30).
“There is an endpoint to each of our periods of hustle” (12:10).
“We need to give ourselves a little bit of expansiveness on the definition of our potential (17:35).
“I won’t take a meeting with my assistant unless she has an agenda for the meeting” (27:05).
“If the meeting doesn’t end with a “what do we do now” then everybody forgets about it and it’s a waste of time” (27:35).
“I have decided that in parenting you basically get to make one decision… you either get on their bus, or you get run over by their bus” (30:25).
“I’m a punch in the face wrapped in a warm hug” (39:50).
“I am that person, I’m just not always that person” (41:30).
“It’s really important to figure out who we are when we’re at our best” (41:35).
“I think we have to figure out who our alter egos are and all the different forms of our lives” (43:20).
“I might be center stage, but the audience is the star” (45:00).
“If all of these people are intimidated by me, I can shock them when I show some vulnerability” (49:15).
“As a leader, I think there is a real intentionality with how we set the culture, how we show up, what we look like, how we put ourselves together, the respect we show our colleagues” (52:10).
“We should just be us” (55:55).
“I’m 100% public with 40% of my life” (56:30).
“I am at my core a mother, a daughter, and a sister. But I’m also an athlete and a writer” (1:02:10).
Additionally, you can check out Laura’s website here and find out more about her book, Wonderhell, here. You can also follow Laura on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. Lastly, you can find a link to the Limitless Life Assessment here.
Thank you so much to Laura for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Cate Luzio spent two decades in financial services leading global multibillion-dollar businesses. During this time, she also led many of the institutions’ women’s networks and saw the disproportionate number of men to women and women of color in the senior ranks. She recognized the problem was a lack of investment and development of talent in the female pipeline, rather than a lack of talent itself.
This observation sparked a new direction for Luzio’s own trajectory. In a sharp career pivot, she launched Luminary, a gender inclusive, global professional education and networking platform created to address the systemic challenges impacting women across all industries and sectors. Luminary's mission - and Cate's - is to help women and our allies see a path forward by arming them with the tools, resources, and community to navigate their paths -- regardless of their professional journey.
Cate had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I wanted men to be part of the conversation, learn from the conversation, be educated” (7:20).
“If I can help empower all [not just women], then that’s the best-case scenario” (7:40).
“Our mission is to advance women in the workforce regardless of professional journey” (8:05).
“We are a join now community. There’s no application… I don’t want to be exclusionary; I want to be inclusionary” (10:00).
“For a male, there’s a lot of opportunities to get involved [with Luminary]” (11:30).
“I wanted all voices around the table” (13:25).
“We’ve got to make sure more and more men are attending our workshops and conversations” (15:50).
“If you feel like this is a community for you, be a part of it” (16:50).
“I didn’t learn in my career by being part of one group. I learned by being parts of lots of groups and big organizations” (22:30).
“There’s a program out there for everyone. You’ve got to individualize it” (22:40).
“As a businessperson, you have to be open to all ideas” (25:45).
“I have always taken risks in my career” (27:00).
“You can’t control everything” (29:10).
“You have to be okay with [the fact that] you don’t know everything” (29:25).
“When I’m backed against the wall, I’m going to continue to come out swinging” (31:00).
“If somebody tells me no, I look at that as a maybe. I’m a relentless person that will never give up if I believe in something (31:10).
“Our careers are not static” (33:55).
“I look at everything through a return-on-investment lens” (41:45).
“You’ve got to have boundaries” (43:10).
“I want my experiences, the experience I’ve taken from others, what I’ve learned, to impact someone else” (48:40).
“Whether 500 people walk away with impact or 1, it doesn’t matter to me. Because someone is walking away with impact and actionable advice they can apply to their life” (48:45).
“There’s never a full replacement for being in real life” (52:05).
“People just want to connect” (52:45).
“It’s the customer’s choice, and as long as we’re adding value and impact they will stay” (54:50).
“Everything we do is taking feedback and listening, and then making those decisions, because if it’s our way or the highway it will not work” (58:10).
“I look at everybody as a potential mentor and coach” (1:05:30).
Additionally, you can find the Luminary website here. You can also follow Cate on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Lastly, you can check out articles written by and about Cate in Fortune, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider, as well as a podcast with her via Bloomberg and a video featuring her in Cheddar.
Thank you so much to Cate for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Chris Voss has an extremely impressive resume and bio. He’s used many years of experience in international crisis and high-stakes negotiations to develop a unique program that applies globally proven techniques to the business world through his company, which is called The Black Swan Group. Prior to 2008, Chris was the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI, as well as the FBI’s hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council’s hostage working group. During his career, he’s also represented the US Government as an expert in kidnapping at two international conferences sponsored by the G8. Before becoming the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator, Chris served as the lead crisis negotiator for the New York City division of the FBI, and he really was in some precarious negotiations and he talks a lot about those experiences in his wonderful book, which is called Never Split the Difference, which has sold over two million copies. Chris was a member of the New York City joint terrorist task force for fourteen years; Chris has been in the weeds, in the trenches, fighting against some of the toughest, most difficult stuff that our country has faced. During his 24-year tenure, Chris has really experienced so many different situations. He’s trained not just on the field and in the trenches, but he’s also gone to Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School so he could learn more about negotiation. He’s also been a teacher; he’s taught business negotiation in MBA programs as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, and at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. In addition to that, he’s gone all over the world to teach as a guest lecturer from places like Harvard University to the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and even to places like Germany to teach what he’s learned along his journey and his experience.
In today’s conversation, Chris will talk about experiences as a negotiator, whether it’s kidnapping or whether it’s something in your business, and I even get into negotiation with my children. I think you’ll find that he’s definitely someone who’s had applied experience, there’s no question about that, but he also loves to read, he loves to listen to podcasts, he loves to learn from science and research; Chris is this amazing blend of authentic, real, street smart, coupled by a humility and a strong, strong desire to learn that I think you will connect with. I know you’re going to learn from Chris, I certainly did.
Chris had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Nobody is going to be great at negotiation first thing in the morning” (8:30).
“Mirroring works great with kids of all ages when you’re trying to get them to talk” (8:50).
“’No’ makes people feel safe and secure” (9:20).
“People are smarter when they’re laughing and they’re having a good time” (9:45).
“Trying to get people to say ‘yes’ is a bad idea” (11:10).
“’Yes’ is nothing without ‘how’” (14:15).
“Open-ended questions are designed to create thinking, not to get an answer” (16:00).
“Helping people get better. Helping people solve their problems. Helping people accelerate their lives. [That’s what excites me].” (18:40).
“What people don’t say is as important as what they do say” (19:10).
“Sniff out the people that are trying to cut your throat, trying to exploit your interests, and walk away” (21:10).
“Best chance of success means you’re not always going to be successful” (22:30).
“When things go bad, you have two choices: you can grow, or you can quit” (22:35).
“I don’t think you really learn anything when you win” (24:20).
“You can’t read enough. You can’t learn enough. You can’t listen enough” (27:15).
“High IQ people have trouble being good negotiators” (28:40).
“Curiosity is a superpower” (29:45).
“You’re 31% smarter in a positive frame-of-mind” (29:55).
“It’s impossible to be curious and in a negative frame-of-mind at the same time” (30:05).
“Empathy is really about demonstrating understanding” (35:45).
“Empathy is not about liking or agreeing with the other side” (36:35).
“Data improves design. We execute and learn constantly” (43:10).
“Someone once asked me ‘Describe yourself in three words.” And my respond was “deeply flawed human” (45:05).
“[Listening skills] are perishable” (45:45).
“Compromise is lazy. Compromise is not collaborative” (46:55).
“Don’t let your ego get in the way of a better idea” (47:30).
“Never be mean to somebody who can hurt you by doing nothing” (58:25).
Additionally, you can purchase Chris’s book, Never Split the Difference, anywhere books are sold. You can also find the website for the Black Swan Group here, where you can find a ton of information and also sign up for a free newsletter. Lastly, you can follow Chris on Instagram as well.
Thank you so much to Chris for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jackie Insinger is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and a sought-after leadership and team dynamics consultant. Jackie combines the science of positive psychology, which we talk a lot about in today’s conversation, with revolutionary tools and programs to help leaders increase authentic connection, performance, and fulfillment. Jackie works with teams to build a culture of trust, while guiding them to become more aligned, communicate more effectively, collaborate with ease, and support each other more efficiently. Her trainings lead to measurable increases in productivity, performance, and engagement within an overall enhanced culture. In turn, she hopes they see a positive ROI for the company’s bottom line. Jackie cares about the individual, but she also cares about teams and cultures, and at the end of the day how can we improve performance of our organizations. She has a psychology degree from Duke University and a master’s from Harvard. She has worked with individuals and teams that have positively impacted thousands of people and businesses throughout the world. She’s been featured in Forbes, Inked Magazine, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, California Business Journals, CEO Worlds Magazine, HR.com, and many other outlets. Her book Spark Brilliance, which we talk a lot about in today’s conversation, has hit best-seller in five different business categories.
I think you’re going to find this conversation to be refreshing. Jackie is authentic; she shares some of her own personal story, some of her own personal challenges, and how that adversity has shaped how she’s helped see the world. You’re going to find Jackie to be upbeat and positive, but she also combines that with depth and an authenticity that makes her extremely relatable.
Jackie had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Emotional contagion is the spontaneous spread of emotions from person to person or through a group, which could be good or bad depending on what we’re spreading” (5:15).
“As a leader, you can inspire an outlook on the layer below you and the layer below them with just how you chose to show up in a meeting, in a moment” (5:50).
“How we show up to our lives in any relationship will spread to the people around us” (6:00).
“When you’re in a remote working environment, how the leader shows up in the meeting will determine that emotional state and that outlook that people take on the rest of the day until that next meeting” (7:50).
“You can avoid something. It doesn’t mean it’s not there” (11:20).
“Emotions are there for a reason. They’re there to indicate something to you” (11:45).
“No emotion is a bad emotion” (12:05).
“The more I honor and pay attention to [negative emotions], the less scary they are” (13:50).
“When you look at the emotion before it becomes a big deal, sometimes you can have the thing not become a problem” (14:45).
“Avoiding conflict as a coping mechanism became ingrained in me” (20:35).
“That fear state, even though it wasn’t the ideal state, gave me the drive and the fuel to move my life forward in really positive directions in a very accelerated way” (22:55).
“I was driven from a fear state. And I’m so grateful for that because that’s not often what happens from a fear state” (25:45).
“How do you give [your kids] a scaffold, but not start them too far ahead where they don’t have to learn?” (32:30).
“Gratitude is the quickest way to change your brain. And it’s proven [through MRI studies] to change your brain” (39:00).
“Every night before bed, [everyone in our family] says three things we’re grateful for” (40:00).
“If you’re not curious, you can’t create those authentic connections, you can’t have the same level of effective communication” (46:20).
“As a leader, the number one skill we need to tap into is curiosity” (46:40).
“There’s a huge value in sitting down and having a conversation” (52:20).
“The goal isn’t to get back to normal, because the absence of sadness is not happiness. The absence of sickness is not health. The absence of burnout is not thriving. Normal is a baseline where all of the good stuff starts” (59:45).
“I think of the science of happiness as a limited term that diminishes the power of positive psychology” (1:01:35).
Additionally, you can follow Jackie on LinkedIn and Instagram and check out her website here. You can also connect with Jackie via email (Jackie@SparkBrilliance.com).
Thank you so much to Jackie for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Annie Murphy Paul is an acclaimed science writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Scientific Americans, Slate, Time Magazine, and The Best American Science Writing, among many other publications. She’s the author of three books, including Origins, which was reviewed on the cover of The New York Times Book Review and selected by The New York Times as a notable book. She’s also the author of The Cult of Personality, which was hailed by Malcolm Gladwell in The New Yorker as a fascinating new book. Her latest book is The Extended Mind, which we get into quite a bit in today’s conversation. Annie has spoken to audiences all over the world about learning and cognition. Her TED Talk has been viewed by about three million people.
Today we do a deep dive certainly into all of Annie’s work up until now, but we really do a deep dive into the science of creativity, which is what Annie is most curious about at the time of this recording. We get into a variety of topics in today’s conversation. Annie is someone who deeply cares about research and science, and she is an amazing writer.
Annie had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“You always want to move on to the exciting next thing” (5:40).
“Learning and creativity are related” (5:50).
“We’re all creators” (6:15).
“Creativity, for kids and for adults, is how we learn. We’re experimenting, we’re trying out new things and seeing what happens” (6:30).
“Creativity is an expression of aliveness” (6:45).
“Researchers are repeatedly demonstrating that creativity is a skill that can be taught” (9:20).
“Creativity and curiosity are messy” (12:10).
“There’s an organic order in the material I’ve collected. I just need to find it” (17:00).
“We’re exploiting ourselves to death” (20:20).
“I just want to feel. I want to have new experiences. I want to put myself in new situations where I can see myself in a new light” (21:40).
“Happiness comes and goes, it’s not under our control. But seeking out new experiences that make us feel alive, that feels so important to me following this enforced confinement put upon us by the pandemic” (19:55).
“The mind is almost like what the brain is able to do with itself. The extended mind is saying there’s a lot more we can do with our brain than just cogitate inside our skulls. We can actually, with our minds, reach outside the brain” (29:00).
“’How should we live?’ is the most interesting question these days” (30:55).
“Creativity is one of the highest expressions of being human” (31:30).
“So often, what we assume and what we expect and what we think we know is wrong” (32:20).
“The way we interpret or understand reality is often mistaken. We need science to show us that” (32:35).
“We humans have elaborated on those basic instincts we share with animals” (35:00).
“The movement of our hands is thinking. It’s part of the thinking process” (37:05).
“Tuning into the body can be a primary source of information without tuning into words alone” (42:40).
“I came to understand the extended mind as a way we transcend the limits of our biological brain” (44:45).
“Bringing the world into your thinking is such an essential aspect of creativity” (46:00).
“The world is affecting us even before we’ve been born” (48:35).
“Once you’re a parent, you see the world in a different way” (51:40).
“The point of writing a book is to stimulate change” (59:15).
“We think in terms of metaphors” (1:00:25).
Additionally, you can purchase any of Annie’s books anywhere books are sold. You can also find her TED Talk here, her website here, and follow her on Twitter here.
Thank you so much to Annie for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
I’ve been a fan of Kelly McGonigal for quite some time now. Her work has been shared with my clients over the years. Her TED Talk, which came out in 2014, titled How to Make Stress Your Friend, has over 30 million views, making it one of the most viewed TED Talks of all time. Not only is she a great speaker, she’s also an incredible writer. Her books, The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress are fantastic. Her latest book, which is called The Joy of Movement explores why physical exercise is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Kelly works as a health psychologist, and she talks a lot about today the power of impacting people, not just with her books and her TED Talk, but also on a one-on-one level as a mentor. She’s also an exercise instructor, and as a health psychologist she specializes in understanding the mind-body connection.
Kelly is somebody who loves to work with people, she cares about connecting with humans, she also is a lover of animals; she carries multiple identities, and we talk about those identities in today’s conversation. Additionally, she has been successful in her career, and yet the conversation starts with her talking about her definition of success and of achievement; it may be different than what you might guess or how you might define success and achievement.
Kelly had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Because I said something that someone needed to hear or I created an experience that gave someone hope, that’s number one [in terms of how I define success]” (5:45).
“I also define success by being able to do things and spend my time on things I love” (6:05).
“I’m highly motivated to live a life where I get to engage with activities and ideas that make me happy or make me passionate” (6:15).
“I just love teaching movement, and especially dance. And I wanted to make that a core part of my identity broadly” (7:55).
“That’s my orientation to life: to try to show people that if you are in a place that feels hopeless and difficult and you are struggling, there are things you can do that will help you also experience meaning and purpose and growth and love and contribution” (9:10).
“Being an identical twin, it’s like there is a you in a different body. But it’s still you in this really deeply connected way” (11:55).
“Part of my identity is this abstract sense of connection to the people around me” (12:10).
“I love the idea that there’s something in us that we’re born with and we get to spend our lives exploring what that is and expressing that” (16:05).
“I love the idea that we aren’t totally blank slates and impacted by our experiences in life, because a lot of the experiences that impact us are negative” (16:15).
“The point of view that I carry that has helped me through difficult experiences is feeling like who I am at my core, whether it’s temperament, biology, whatever that is, just me as a human being, that I actually am equipped to deal with stuff in life that happens that may be random” (16:30).
“I love finding out what other people love and being somebody who can mirror that and affirm that and encourage that” (17:45).
“I’m interested in talking to a human being about their life experience. That’s my sweet spot” (18:55).
“My favorite form of stress is the stress that I feel right before I get to do something really exciting” (20:20).
“If I’m doing something that matters, I want to feel some of that anxiety, some of that normal self-doubt, that is a reflection of the fact that I care” (23:20).
“Stress is in you. It’s a coping resource. It’s a coping response” (24:10).
“I define willpower as the ability to make choices that are consistent with your highest goals, your values, your priorities, even when some part of you wants to make a different choice” (31:15).
“We have competing selves” (31:40).
“If you exercise, you’re probably going to be happier, more connected to others, have more meaning and purpose in life, and better protected against depression and anxiety” (33:30).
“Pay attention to the direct experience” (34:40).
“It’s very easy to be influenced by our environment, by other people, and by process and structure” (36:55).
“Human beings survive through connection and interdependence” (43:30).
“Everything that is interesting and good about humans has to do with our relationships with other people” (43:45).
“We get a lot of our value and meaning through our relationships and through our communities and our contributions” (52:10).
“You either are going to spend [your time] being of service or spend [your time] being in fear” (57:00).
“Your life is over when it’s over” (57:10).
Additionally, you can find Kelly’s TED Talk, How to Make Stress Your Friend, here, and you can follow her on Instagram here.
Thank you so much to Kelly for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dolly Chugh (she/her, hear my name) is an award-winning professor at the New York University Stern School of Business where she teaches MBA courses in leadership and management. Her research focuses on “bounded ethicality,” which she describes as the “psychology of good people.” She is the author of The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias (HarperCollins, 2018), A More Just Future (Simon & Schuster, 2022), and the popular Dear Good People newsletter. Dolly’s TED Talk was named one of the 25 Most Popular TED Talks of 2018 and currently has almost 5 million views.
Dolly had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I love writing. It’s a space that’s really rejuvenating and clarifying for me” (6:35).
“I think through writing” (6:45).
“I’m a big fan of dumping thoughts out as unformed as possible” (7:40).
“I teach on the page” (8:55).
“I am learning alongside my students” (9:10).
“Thinking is dynamic” (10:40).
“A lot of us are looking for a way to engage that feels ongoing with the conversation” (14:30).
“We would never have seen any change for the better if we were waiting for [everyone to get engaged]” (18:00).
“The mantra I heard growing up was to not worry about the outcome or reward” (26:15).
“Strategically, I’m interested in how to deal with people who degrade the humanity of others” (35:25).
“I’m very deadline driven” (37:15).
“I put forcing mechanisms on myself” (38:00).
“People who had very rigid goals and people who had no goals went to the gym less than people who had a flex goal where there was a range in performance” (41:10).
“Any identity I individually care about I’m going to try to defend. That’s human nature” (42:10).
“One of the identities that many of us care about is being a good person” (42:25).
“We don’t all have the same definition of what a good person is” (42:30).
“We care about validating our identity” (43:35).
“That’s what I call being goodish. Essentially having a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset” (44:45).
“From a learning standpoint, the challenge mindset is a good place to be (45:05).
“Sports offer such a good metaphor for life” (48:40).
“Our brains are not perfect machines. They’ve evolved to do a lot on autopilot and take shortcuts” (53:30).
“There’s a lot more things that benefit all of us than we realize” (57:10).
“Shame refers to a bad feeling that encompasses all of who I am… Guilt refers to a bad feeling about something that I did or didn’t do. It’s not about all of me, it’s about that thing” (1:03:15).
“Shame tends to lead to us being less active, less proactive, less owning of the issue, less likely to apologize, whereas guilt tends to lead to us to try to remedy the thing, be more active, be more likely to apologize” (1:03:45).
“Guilt is not a bad thing. It feels bad. It feels awful. But guilt helps us in a lot of ways” (1:04:15).
“Lean into the guilt and try to lean away from the shame” (1:05:00).
“You can only sprint for so long” (1:05:35).
“Embrace the joy. That’s going to be your superpower” (1:07:15).
“I’m excited about the power of the arts to help us all move in directions that are uncomfortable” (1:09:00).
Additionally, you can check out Dolly’s website here, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I’d also encourage you to purchase Dolly’s books, The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias, and A More Just Future anywhere books are sold. You can also watch Dolly’s TED Talk here.
Thank you so much to Dolly for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Charles Duhigg is a best-selling author. I first found out about him from his first book The Power of Habit which is all about the science of habit formation in our lives, companies, and societies. It is a must-read if you’re interested in productivity or effectiveness or maximizing your potential. His next book, Smarter, Faster, Better is all about productivity; I highly recommend you check both of those out.
In today’s conversation, we weave a lot of what Charles has learned with those books into our conversation, and we talk about his future book, his next book, which is all about connection. We talk about how Charles has come to see the world from a habit lens, from a productivity lens, and from a connection lens as well.
He currently writes for the New Yorker Magazine; previously, he wrote for The New York Times. He is someone who thinks things deeply about how humans can thrive and how we can flourish and how we can be our best. He really dives deep into the science and the research whenever he is writing and sharing what he’s learned. He is someone that should be on your radar if he’s not already.
Charles had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Your relationship with this person [who has passed away] continues for the rest of your life” (7:05).
“When we think about death, we think about it as the worst thing that could possibly happen to us. And I think that that’s wrong. Everyone we know and love at some point is going to die. We might die before them. But this is, literally, just part of life. Embracing that, and saying there’s good and there’s bad, I don’t think it demeans it, I think it actually elevates it” (9:15).
“In some respects, the more successful you are… the less enjoyment you get from life” (11:55).
“You have to genuinely decide how you define success, and then commit to that. Embrace it and celebrate it” (12:20).
“Throughout time, the people who are happiest and most successful and who live the longest are the people who have the strongest relationships” (13:45).
“I’ve very deliberately started defining success as connections” (15:40).
“There’s a form of contentedness that comes from intensity” (22:40).
“I like to have a certain amount of intensity in my life” (23:00).
“We make a choice. And then when we stop making that choice, that’s when we get in trouble. We continue acting on this decision we made a month ago, a year ago, ten years ago, without reconsidering the question” (26:30).
“I spend a lot of time second guessing the choices I’m making. I commit to them when I make them [though]” (26:45).
“I need to keep in touch with that part of my brain that allows me to know that it’s time to change” (28:55).
“There was a time when busy and successful were synonymous” (30:35).
“There are periods when you love something, and you become too busy at that thing” (32:30).
“If you feel busy and you don’t know why, it’s a warning sign that you’re not thinking deeply enough” (32:45).
“Saying no is very important” (39:10).
“I can’t buy into the stakes around sports” (44:35).
“Democracy is made up. Justice is made up. All of these things that I think are really important, they’re made-up ideas that we make true simply by believing in them” (48:00).
“When it comes to conversation, one of the things that’s really important is to be less goal-oriented” (51:40).
“The other people around us have huge influences on our habits and on our productivity” (52:15).
“We become more productive, we become better shaped in our habits when we do it in a community, when we enlist other people” (52:25).
“Most of our lives are just a series of unrelated moments. But we tell ourselves a story about our lives and we endow that story into the things we care about” (53:00).
“A story only exists when there’s other people to hear it” (53:35).
“Surprise is what makes reading things interesting” (57:50).
“Everything about life is just about how do we take more control?” (1:06:00)
Additionally, you can find Charles’s website here. You can also reach out to Charles via email at Charles@CharlesDuhigg.com.
Thank you so much to Charles for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Today’s episode is going to be a little bit different than the ones we’ve done in the past. I just had an inspiring experience that I thought would hopefully make all of us think a little bit more about our own identity, our own values, our ancestors, and how those experiences and the experiences of our family members impact us and how we see the world today. I wrote a little bit and I’m going to share what I wrote, and this is the best medium I know to share important, interesting, unique information. I really hope that today is something that will make you think and inspire you to look inward and reflect on yourself. At its core, this podcast episode is about identity and how we use that identity to make a difference and make an impact in this world.
Here are some insights I’d like to share form today’s episode:
“What would you do if you were able to spend time with Adolf Hitler (without any consequences) if he was around today?” (7:15).
“It’s one of the best gifts I think my parents gave me and my brothers: the capacity and the ability to think critically and to have convictions in some of our thoughts, and to stay curious about those convictions” (8:15).
“When [my grandmother] did talk about her experience [surviving the Holocaust], it was mainly about how grateful she was to be in America and to have the family she had” (9:10).
“My grandma and her parents were the lucky ones in Hungary” (11:20).
“One of the stories that always stuck with me about grandma was, upon arriving to New York and seeing the Statue of Liberty, a soldier turned to her and said, ‘You have no idea how happy I am to see that lady again.’ To which my grandma replied, ‘No, sir. You have no idea how happy I am to see her’” (12:35).
“All of us have the opportunity to stand up against hate. We’re complicit when we don’t” (13:10).
“What I wasn’t expecting was for my trip to Hungary to be accompanied by so much emotion” (16:25).
“I’ve cried my way through Hungary. Some tears were tears of pride, and some tears were tears of sorrow. Some tears were tears of joy, and some tears were tears of anger” (16:45).
“They say that trauma lives in the body. While I have lived a ridiculously privileged life with very little trauma, perhaps my grandma’s trauma was pouring out of me as I walked the streets of Hungary” (17:00).
“Life can be sad, hard, and emotional. Perhaps we all need to lean into those emotions to ensure we are doing everything we can to leave this world better than how we found it” (19:20).
“[My grandma] would be blown away by the young people who are teaching and helping the older generation re-connect with their Judaism without fear” (20:00).
“We must never forget what happened and we must never forget that we are a team. We must support each other; have perspective on what can happen if we don’t” (20:30).
“I believe life should be enjoyed and lived with gratitude in the present…. But I know I can hold more space than just joy” (21:35).
“I need to carry some of my grandma’s trauma with me. It will help me step up and step out against inhumanity. I don’t want to leave my tears in Hungary” (21:50).
“If you are thriving, you have a responsibility to go pour into somebody else” (22:40).
“If you’re just thriving for yourself, I would argue that’s not a meaningful life” (22:50).
“We all have to understand the darkness of humans. We cannot be blind to it” (24:15).
“We all have to co-own our stories of the past” (25:00).
“We’re all an amalgamation of our DNA and our experiences, but our stories and our ancestors are inside of us. We carry them with us” (26:05).
“I’d like to challenge you to reflect on who you are, your history, your identity, and how that impacts your decisions today” (26:30).
“Do you have your story, or does your story have you?” (26:50).
“We must create new memories, new stories, new generations, new values, new ways of seeing the world, so that we can make this place better” (27:15).
If you’d like to connect with me further directly about this episode or anything else, you can reach out to me via email (brian@strongskills.co).
Thanks for listening.
Stephen Ludwig has amassed over 4 million followers across all platforms. As a young inspirational speaker, he delivered his life story to various audiences through high school. After noticing the extreme growth of social media, he aimed to build a brand that would spread the message of positivity in ways that public speaking simply could not.
Stevo had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Growing up, I needed some sort of person to idolize” (7:10).
“When you go through the motions of going in and out of the hospital, you lose a sense of who you are, and you need to find that person to look after. And Kobe was that guy” (7:35).
“It was all about competition for me, and Kobe was competition” (9:45).
“I’m starting to realize that maybe I went too hard on occasion growing up” (12:55).
“Getting through college and seeing the world as a bigger place, I started to slow down and really start showing love and compassion instead of just competitiveness” (13:35).
“Every single day I would try to find strength” (14:45).
“My superpower is my self-confidence, my ability to just completely and 100% wholeheartedly understand myself and believe in myself” (16:50).
“If you spend enough time lying in a hospital bed and starting at the clock, you start to learn who you are inside and out” (17:05).
“People can feel a confidence aura from you” (18:15).
“We all experience life in a different vision” (20:40).
“I always wanted to be the person that could make everyone else laugh in the room” (28:20).
“I love my relationships with pain” (29:00).
“I always wanted to be a creative; and artist, of sorts” (34:00).
“I wanted to embody my own brand” (34:30).
“My goal is to be an inspiration to as many people as I can” (35:45).
“It’s absolutely incredible that I have the opportunity to reach 4 million people” (37:10).
“Every conversation I have, I feel Iike I can learn something” (42:15).
“I’ve had to learn how to accept [anxiety days]” (43:05).
“Your day-to-day life is completely in your control” (43:40).
“I enjoy moments more than planning for the future” (53:30).
“I’m basking in comfortability” (57:45).
“I enjoy being uncomfortable. That’s why I’m confident in myself (57:55).
“Being famous is not cool” (1:02:55).
Additionally, you can check follow Stevo across all social media platforms @stevoluddy. If you’d like to personally connect with Stevo, you can email him (stevoluddy@gmail.com).
Thank you so much to Stevo for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University, and author of the book You Have More Influence Than You Think. She is an expert on help-seeking, social influence, compliance, consent, and why it’s so hard to say no.
Vanessa had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Influence is any kind of change in another person’s way of thinking, their emotions, their way of seeing things” (6:40).
“You don’t have to be a leader in a leadership position to have influence” (7:00).
“Even as a follower, you have a lot of influence” (7:10).
“My idea of influence is broader than just leadership” (7:30).
“Influence is also these more intimate moments between just you and one other person” (9:20).
“Influence comes with responsibility” (11:40).
“We’re not very good at telling when someone’s authentic or not, and if we’re hearing what we want to hear we’ll just kind of go with it” (16:30).
“When we think about how someone else is going to react to something we say… we really focus on how competently we can express ourselves… to the point where we hold back and wind up saying nothing because we can’t find the right words” (19:05).
“People respond much more to the emotion and the act of just saying something than they do to the precise words” (19:55).
“Our fears of these negative reactions are so often overblown (22:55).
“A lot of influence does happen emotionally and unconsciously” (25:50).
“If we a trust a source, it doesn’t really matter what they’re saying on many occasions, we just kind of trust [what they’re saying] because we trust that person” (25:55).
“Behavioral contagion is the idea that when we see somebody else doing something, we’re more likely to do it ourselves” (27:20).
“Whether it’s a ‘no’ or a ‘yes,’ be mindful about what you agree to” (38:05).
“Each time I say yes to one thing, I am saying no to something else” (38:45).
“We often think that interactions are going much worse in our head, that we’re having much less of an impact than we’d like, than we actually are” (42:30).
“A simple ask is the simplest form of influence. And it’s insanely powerful” (44:10).
“It’s so hard to say no” (44:20).
“We often hammer things that we are trying to get someone to do so much more than we need to” (47:30).
“You don’t need to be so assertive when you’re trying to influence people. You can say something and trust that that message is in there and it will percolate for a while” (48:20).
“We tend to underestimate the power of expressing gratitude, both for ourselves and for the other person” (56:00).
Additionally, you can check out Vanessa’s website here and follow her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. I’d also encourage you to check out Vanessa’s book, You Have More Influence Than You Think: How we underestimate our power of persuasion, and why it matters.
Thank you so much to Vanessa for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Ryan Lavarnway was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round in 2008 out of Yale University. Since making his Major League debut in 2011, Ryan has played in parts of 10 Major League Baseball seasons for eight different teams. He has also represented Israel in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic. More recently Ryan has been building a brand off the field, starting with his podcast and website with more to come!
Ryan had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It always felt like something there was a little something missing [from baseball] until I started to get onto these teams that really came together as a unit” (5:30).
“Religion is something that, unless you have a Star of David on your chest and are being persecuted for it, people can’t necessarily tell just by looking” (10:35).
“I want the meaning. I crave something deeper” (13:15).
“We’re all always finding ourselves” (14:40).
“The second that you think you know who you are, don’t close the book. We’re always growing” (14:55).
“More important than ‘Who am I?’ is “What do you value and what are you doing about it?’” (15:00).
“As I self-identify, I do it from a place of experience” (18:40).
“There’s a part of you that needs to be obsessed to be great at anything” (19:20).
“Different people need different things to be successful” (20:20).
“I thought leadership was about the leader. I thought it was about being the boss. That’s very much not it. Leadership is about the people you lead” (25:55).
“The platinum rule says treat other people the way they want to be treated” (27:00).
“I loved the service aspect of [being a catcher]” (29:40).
“You can’t measure leadership yet” (31:00).
“Baseball’s a game of failure” (36:00).
“You have to accept that you’re not going to be successful all of the time” (36:25).
“You have to make practice difficult” (36:35).
“I’m trying to find a way to be aggressively selective, not selectively aggressive” (37:25).
“Whatever the genius for you is and however it’s going to come out requires time and space for creativity” (45:00).
“It’s really tough to be a good self-evaluator in [the game of baseball]” (49:50).
“I think it’s important for people to have an example of someone else that didn’t understand right away and learned later” (56:05).
“There’s more than one way to make a decision” (56:30).
Additionally, you can check out Ryan’s website here and follow him on Twitter and Instagram. I’d also encourage you to check out Ryan’s podcast Finding the Way with Ryan Lavarnway, which is available on all major podcast platforms. Ryan also has a children’s book which will be coming out, titled Baseball and Belonging. Lastly, you can find the website for the Spark Brilliance Leadership Accelerator here, with whom Ryan is partnering with as a facilitator.
Thank you so much to Ryan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Lauren Fleshman is best known for running fast. But she’s also an entrepreneur, coach, teacher, facilitator, and a heck of a writer. She has an amazing blog which has gained a lot of traction and popularity over the years, and she’s just finished her book, Good for a Girl. That book is really at the core and the center of today’s conversation. In the middle of our conversation today, I actually introduce her bio to her because I was curious to get her perspective on it.
If you’re in the running community, you’re probably familiar with Lauren’s work. She’s one of the most decorated American distance runners of all time. She also is a brand strategy advisory for Oiselle, which is a fitness apparel company for women. She was sponsored by Nike for many years, which she talks about at length in the book. She’s also the co-founder (with her husband) of Picky Bars, which is a natural food company. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Runner’s World, and many other places. She currently lives in Bend, Oregon and is a mother. She is someone who has multiple identities, like many of us. And yet, a lot of her life has been focused on her identity as a runner.
This is a wide-ranging conversation that gets into mental health, depression, suicidal thoughts, and more. It’s a heavy conversation, but you’ll find Lauren to be engaging, open, vulnerable, and someone that I am grateful that I got to learn with.
Lauren had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The price that you have to pay to make it work for you can sometimes be a very high cost” (7:00).
“Even though I was winning in that system, it made me uncomfortable that so many people in that system were losing and experiencing harm” (7:15).
“I don’t assume that things are the way they are for any good reason” (7:30).
“Brilliant perspectives can come from outside the scientific community” (7:50).
“A lot of the contributions of women in society [are invisible]” (9:00).
“There are ways to be successful that minimize harm” (15:25).
“It’s okay to want to succeed. It’s not okay to put the blinders on and not look at the harm caused” (15:35).
“Being on the same team is how you survive” (19:10).
“I want to make something useful out of things I’ve learned that could be picked up by other people and create shifts inside them” (21:10).
“I never underestimate the power of a subtle shift in someone” (21:20).
“You write for the reader and you write for yourself” (22:20).
“Move your body no matter what, and lower the bar of what that means, when you’re having a bad time” (34:30).
“Make sure you have people who are available to you who you can be vulnerable with” (34:50).
“It’s a hard time to start being vulnerable with someone when you’re feeling super blue. Let people in” (35:10).
“Accept that {anxiety} is part of hard things” (37:10).
“Lower the stakes. It’s a game” (38:45).
“Our ignorance is so collectively great on the female athlete experience, the female body experience, that we are making young people make conclusions about their future in sport or what they’re capable of based on a very short window of their life when their body is changing, and we’re making them afraid of those changes” (43:30).
“I’m a very present-focused person” (54:15).
“I think [loyalty] is overrated” (55:55).
“Agitation is the opposite of calmness” (1:00:00).
“Mantras were a way to ground myself in running with predetermined sayings and sentences” (1:00:20).
“People call it a mid-life crisis. I call it a mid-life opportunity” (1:07:30).
“We’ve got to show our mistakes and our vulnerability in order to encourage other people to look at their own” (1:10:50).
Additionally, you can check out Lauren’s website here. You can also follow Lauren on Instagram.
Thank you so much to Lauren for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Michelle Curran has led an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. From 2019-2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Before joining the Thunderbirds, Michelle was a combat-proven fighter pilot completing missions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She has a passion for pushing her limits, inspiring others, and changing lives.
As the Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds, Michelle realized the flying was cool, but the best part was inspiring others to overcome their fears and pursue their dreams. Since transitioning out of the military, she has founded her company, Upside Down Dreams, and is committed to empowering men and women of all ages to overcome obstacles and the fear of failure. She has inspired thousands through her passion for breaking barriers and setting the example of what can be accomplished through handwork.
Michelle had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“A big part of what I got to do in that job was inspire people” (6:55).
“Most of my career I didn’t think I was a good enough pilot to fly in that position” (9:30).
“The pandemic acted as a catalyst for me to really reflect on what I wanted” (12:25).
“I miss the really unique perspective you get on the world from a cockpit” (15:15).
“It’s accepted that mistakes are going to happen. You learn from them. You grow from them. It creates the psychological safety where you build that trust” (25:00).
“What you though was a big mistake, to the visual naked eye… you couldn’t tell” (25:40).
“Chair flying is our version of visualization… It’s the only way to get to the level of proficiency that you need” (26:30).
“You want to put in all the preparation you can so you get as close to perfect as possible. You’re striving for perfect. That’s your target. But we would always say we never have a perfect flight” (30:35).
“The whole mission is to recruit, retain, and inspire” (38:20).
“I always enjoyed being creative, and there’s not always a ton of space in the military for creativity” (40:30).
“Having gender diversity on the team 100% was making the Thunderbirds better able to do their overall mission” (42:05).
“There’s some risk that comes to sticking out” (43:20).
“My identity as a young pilot was totally wrapped up in my achievements” (48:20).
“There’s a lot more to a person than just what they accomplish” (49:05).
“My biggest fear was failure for the longest time” (49:15).
“Society really condemns quitters” (58:00).
“Something you thought would be the ultimate outcome might not take shape like you imagined” (58:30).
“Quitting that opened up space for all of these other amazing things that ended up being much more fulfilling and much more of a better fit that would have never been options had I not quit” (59:50).
Additionally, you can check out Michelle’s website here. I’d also encourage you to connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn. Lastly, you can pre-order Michelle’s children’s book, Upside Down Dreams, here.
Thank you so much to Michelle for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Clint Hurdle has been involved with professional baseball for a long time. He played in the league for 10 years, where he played for the Kansas City Royals, the Cincinnati Reds, the New York Mets, and the St. Louis Cardinals. And yet, in this conversation, we don’t even discuss his playing career. Instead, we focus more on what life was like for him as a manager. Clint was the manager of the Colorado Rockies from 2002-2009, where he helped them go to the World Series, and then he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he helped them go to 3 straight playoff appearances from 2013-2015. He was with the Pirates from 2011-2019.
In this conversation, we talk about transitions, and what it was like for him to go from the Rockies to the Pirates. We talk about what it’s like to be fired. We talk about divorce and his personal life. We talk about trials and tribulations. All along the way, it will become apparent to you that Clint loves to love. He loves to lead, and he loves to lead with love in mind. He considers himself to be a transformational leader. He builds his managerial process and philosophy around leading with relationships in mind, and it’s really at the core of his essence and his being. Clint also is humble enough to talk about some of his imperfections and some of the mistakes that he’s made along the way. You’re going to find Clint to be authentic, and genuine, to be someone you want to sit down next to and just have a conversation with. At the end of this conversation, I hope you have a better sense of who you are and how you might be able to lead with love going forward.
Clint had a number of incredible insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“There’s a time to learn and there’s a time to manage” (5:55).
“When I got to the park, that’s when it was time to learn” (6:50).
“Once the game started, I would implore my players to go play. That’s why they call it a game” (7:50).
“You prioritize before, you prepare before, and once you get to the game, it’s time for me to play. It’s time for me to step back. Watch. Observe.” (8:15).
“I was always infatuated with learning” (10:35).
“To hold onto anything purely for the sake of tradition probably isn’t the smartest move you can make” (12:10).
“Tradition can be a vision killer” (12:20).
“Once we’ve made a tactical error, more often than not we overcorrect” (14:30).
“The definition of a coach is to get the player better” (16:00).
“When you can let people know that you love them unconditionally, you don’t want anything from it, it’s not transactional, it’s transformational, there’s no telling where that relationship can go” (21:05).
“How do you earn trust? You show people that you’re there for them” (21:30).
“There’s winning, and there’s learning. You only lose when you don’t learn” (28:45).
“Play with emotion, don’t play emotionally” (30:00).
“We can’t always dictate the circumstances. We always have the opportunity to have ownership of our reactions to the circumstances” (30:20).
“There’s times when you need to be a thermometer and just report the temperature, and there’s times when you need to be a thermostat and set the climate” (32:30).
“I establish priorities and I set boundaries” (40:45).
“Perception is important” (42:50).
“How boring would it be to have ten of me on a staff?” (44:00).
“When it all becomes about the ring, it doesn’t work well for me” (45:50).
“I’m a man of addictions. I have to set boundaries” (50:00).
“Other than a dugout, an AA meeting is the most comfortable place I go” (53:05).
“Be where your feet are” (55:10).
“When you’re home, be home” (55:25).
“You’re never as good as you think you are, you’re never as bad as you think you are” (1:00:40).
Additionally, you can check out Clint’s website and sign up for his devotionals here. You can also learn more about Bat Around here. Lastly, you can search Prader-Willi syndrome if that is something you’d be interested in learning more about.
Thank you so much to Clint for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Safi Bahcall is going to come across pretty quickly as someone who is bright. Sharp. Smart. Intelligent. He went to Harvard for undergrad and then went on to get a PhD in Physics from Stanford. He’s an academic, a researcher; someone who loves studying science. After he finished up his education, he went on to work for 3 years as a consultant for McKinsey. He then co-founded a bio-technology company where they develop new drugs for cancer treatment. He led their IPO and served as their CEO for many years. In 2008 he was named Ernst & Young New England Bio-Technology Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2011, he worked with President Obama’s Council of Science Advisors on the Future of National Research. In other words, it’s not just you or me that’s going to notice Safi’s intelligence. His book, Loonshots, which is his first book, has been translated into 21 languages and was selected as a Best Business Book of the Year by Amazon, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, and more. Today, Safi advises CEO’s and leadership teams on strategy and innovation, and has delivered keynote presentations at industry conferences, investor events, leadership retreats, medical meetings, and leading academic institutions around the world.
Today’s conversation we dive into his work, but we also get into his mindset and how he thinks about leadership and how he thinks about invention and innovation. And certainly, he admires people that have come before him, but Safi himself is often thinking about new ways of innovating, new ways of thinking. He loves to try to think about not just how he sees the world, but how people around him see the world and how we can make teams and organizations and groups better instead of just thinking about what’s convenient for ourselves. This is an idea that is at the core of his book Loonshots. The book is a lot about learning empathy, learning how to listen, learning how to read a room and read an organization, and then figure out how you can collaborate and work together to make really big things happen.
Safi had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“You need to be trying a lot of things and failing” (8:30).
“Artists are the people who we want to take risks and explore the unknown” (10:55).
“The confusion is when you assume artists and innovators are the same” (12:30).
“If you’re in the managing or leadership position, the number one thing you have to remember is that you’re always signaling. Everybody is watching your face constantly” (21:05).
“If you favor one side over the other, you’re going to sink the ship” (21:30).
“You’ve got to respect both your creative artist scientist-types, your innovators, and your soldiers. And you’ve got to manage them differently” (26:50).
“When you’re in artist mode, if you’re not failing, if you’re not trying and things don’t work, you’re not pushing yourself enough” (28:10).
“Art and science are connected by purpose. The purpose of art is the pursuit of beauty, the purpose of science is the pursuit of truth, and they’re very close. There’s beauty in truth and there’s truth in beauty” (30:15).
“[To cultivate curiosity in people], just keep asking why” (32:30).
“I don’t focus on what did you learn. I focus on what did you ask” (33:20).
“What you want to cultivate in yourself and in your kids, if you’re raising kids, is asking good questions” (33:30).
“The guy with the initial idea is the guy getting the ball from his own goal line to his own five-yard line” (43:00).
“What separates the real innovators is how they go about it. Do they keep asking why?” (45:30).
“They have courage, curiosity, and commitment. Those are the 3 C’s that I’ve seen across people who are really good at innovating” (46:15).
“I had very little idea what I was going to be writing about when I started writing Loonshots” (52:30).
“Commit to running an experiment a day” (54:30).
“Just using the word ‘experiment’ gives you permission to fail” (54:45).
“Write FBR early on. Fast, bad, and wrong” (55:45).
“That’s the key: if and when you’re stuck, it’s to develop a personal cookie jar… your cookie jar is where you reach into when you’re struggling” (1:03:05).
Additionally, you can find Safi’s website here and connect with him on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Safi for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Alex Auerbach is a Licensed Counseling and Sport Psychologist, he’s a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and Board-Certified Coach working in professional sports. He’s worked with elite teams and performers from a range of domains, including the NBA and the NFL, Olympians, Army Special Forces, Fortune 5 companies, and venture-backed start-ups. Currently, he is the Senior Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors.
In this conversation, we do a deep dive into the world of Sport Psychology, we talk a lot about leadership and culture, and how individuals in teams need to work from the inside out and develop the mindset they need to be at their best, and how environments can impact us from the outside in. Alex is my kind of thinker. He loves to think about and research and study science and best practices that exist in psychology. We both are extremely curious and passionate about what makes teams great and how do we create environments for individuals to unlock their potential.
Alex had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“We need to position the people around athletes and peak performers to facilitate the performance, to be enhancing of performance” (5:45).
“Athletes report the single biggest thing stopping them from peak performance is the organizational stuff” (6:30).
“The environment is responsible for developing talent” (6:55).
“I wish I could say there was one right way to do it, but this is just the way that it works for me” (11:00).
“My role is to make sure everyone has what they need from a mental health standpoint and a mental performance standpoint. That also means that I’m not all things to all people; I can’t be all things to all people” (13:15).
“To be an elite athlete requires a really really high degree of self-regulation” (17:30).
“Mental health is the foundation of peak performance” (20:30).
“Taking care of your mental health is about leaving more room for you to be a peak performer” (21:40).
“We’re all feeling something all the time” (24:15).
“[Emotion] is a part of the human experience. We’re not going to get rid of it, we’re not going to fight it” (24:25).
“Acceptance is if in fact there is nothing you can do to change the situation, then it is being willing to sit with the discomfort as long as you’re moving towards something that you care about” (27:10).
“Making the main thing the main thing is really important” (31:20).
“The people who are happiest are the people whose experience matches their expectations” (33:50).
“Norms are what you accept” (38:45).
“A leader is a person who’s willing to use themselves to help others get better” (52:05).
“The best teammates are the ones who are [leading] behind the scenes, under the radar, who know what buttons to push and levers to pull to get the most out of their teammates” (53:30).
“You can win a championship one year without leadership. I’m not sure you can build a dynasty without leadership” (53:45).
“My [unfair advantage] is being able to see a system and break it down in parts and see how things fit together and identify what levers to pull and things to move that can make a big change and do it in a behind the scenes way” (59:50).
“Adversity does tend to bring out people’s real strengths” (1:03:10).
“The people who have the best time at work are the people who get to use a strength every day and people who generally feel energized by what they’re getting to do, and the two go hand-in-hand” (1:05:30).
Additionally, you can follow Alex on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also find the Unfair Advantage website here
Thank you so much to Alex for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Admiral John Richardson served 37 years in the US Navy, completing his service as the Chief of Naval Operations where he was the top officer in the Navy and responsible for 600,000 people under his watch. Before that, he served as the Director of Naval Reactors from 2012-2015. He was at the forefront of our military and our naval fleet and our submarines, both from a nuclear standpoint and from a people standpoint. Since his retirement, he’s continued to serve. He’s on the board of directors of the Boeing Company, Constellation Energy Corporation, and BMX Technologies. He’s also served on the boards of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Center for New American Security, and the Navy League of the United States. While in the Navy, he served in the submarine force and he commanded the attack submarine USS Honolulu in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for which he was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Inspirational Leadership Award. While he was in the Navy, he commanded at every level.
Admiral Richardson had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“There are those times when the leader has to lead the people, sometimes very subtly, and draw them into the right answer, draw them into a shared answer across the organization” (9:15).
“If you’re authentic with your team and you trust them and you have high expectations for them, they’re going to feel that and they’re going to rise to them and almost every time exceed those expectations” (9:45).
“It’s very tempting to try and become that leader who everybody loves” (10:20).
“It’s very hard to develop trust overnight, but you can lose it in the blink of an eye” (10:55).
“A climate of a really healthy organization in my mind is one that is founded on trust, but is also eager and willing to have that trust verified” (12:25).
“Your gut is a finely calibrated instrument that has been formed and shaped by your experience” (14:10).
“Not [making a] decision is a decision” (17:00).
“There are a lot of right paths to get to the objective” (18:25).
“The leader that is ready to become invisible is a very humble leader, mindful of their limitations” (20:25).
“I didn’t want to be the leader who was feared by my own team” (27:00).
“You have to learn to lead from a little bit of a distance” (35:30).
“The Navy is a leadership factory” (38:00).
“Sometimes you don’t know a person’s true stripes until you put them in charge” (39:20).
“Your example, your behavior is the thing that communicates most powerfully to everybody around you” (49:15).
“Teamwork at that level is something really magical” (58:40).
“Make it a deliberate effort every day to connect personally with somebody” (1:12:45).
“The best ideas can come from anywhere in the team, you’ve just got to be open to it” (1:17:05).
Additionally, if you want to connect to Admiral Richardson, you can reach out to Brain via email (Brian@StrongSkills.co).
Thank you so much to Admiral John Richardson for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Sherri Coale is a native Oklahoman. She grew up about thirty miles to the right side of the Red River in a small rural town where she fell in love with reading, writing, and basketball, not necessarily in that order. In 1987 after a highly successful collegiate career at Oklahoma Christian, she hung up her high tops, moving from the court to the sideline as she began what would become a Hall of Fame career as a Women’s Basketball Coach.
For 25 years, Sherri Coale served as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma where she is the winningest women’s basketball coach in OU history. She built a powerhouse program in Norman that appeared in 19 straight NCAA tournaments and competed in three Final Fours.
Sherri Coale is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Christian Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma FCA Hall of Fame, the Norman High School Wall of Fame, and has “Home of” signs that flank both entrances to the small town of Healdton where she was born and raised and will be eternally indebted.
During her illustrious career at the University of Oklahoma, in addition to coaching the Sooners, Coale participated in USA Basketball as an assistant coach in 2001 where the squad won a bronze medal, and a head coach in the World University Games in 2013 where her USA squad defeated Russia on their home court to bring home the gold. In addition to competitive excellence inside the lines both nationally and internationally, Sherri Coale has received numerous accolades and recognitions for her players’ performance academically as well as their team community service through the years. Maximizing her players’ skills both on and off the court has always been her goal.
Sherri Coale is an author, a master motivator, an engaging speaker, a gifted writer, and a keen observer of everyday life. She and her husband, Dane, have been married for 35 years. They have two children, one daughter-in-law, and one adorable granddaughter around which their universe currently spins. You can find her weekly blog, “A Weigh of Life” at sherricoale.com. Rooted to Rise, an Amazon bestseller, is her first book.
Coach had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“’Coach’ is a term of an endearment. It’s one of the most kind and respectful things someone can say about you” (5:00).
“My job [as a coach and a parent] is to help you think and grow, and that means we’re not always going to be friends” (8:50).
“I would be most comfortable being a little bit different than the athletes that I coach” (12:00).
“Regardless of whether you have a faith or not, if you can stop for 15 minutes and sing some hymns and spend some time together, your day would be better” (15:10).
“We have to take care of each other” (21:20).
“Who are you really bound to, what are you really tied to, that gives you sturdiness, that anchors you, if everything you do is on a whim or is based on how you feel or what you want?” (21:55).
“I want to do things that matter. I want to do things that move me. I want to do things that impact other people” (24:35).
“There is more to life than the outcome of games” (29:15).
“Coaches are choosing to do other things before they find themselves in a place where they resent what they love” (29:55).
“It’s so easy for high level coaches to get caught up in this world that is make believe” (32:10).
“[Coaching] is just something that I did. What I [am is my kids’] mom and Sherri” (35:20).
“None of us have only one side. We have to have a lot of different sides to accomplish all the different things we want to accomplish” (37:25).
“[Coaching and writing] are very similar as professions. You can’t do either one of them by putting your heart on the shelf. You have to just go at it. Full throttle.” (40:20).
“You don’t want to put everything in the spice cabinet into your recipe” (49:20).
“We have so many opportunities every single day to set people up for something great” (55:25).
“I don’t know if a piece of writing ever really gets to completion” (57:40).
“When the coaching world was getting a little bit heavy and I needed to escape, I would get lost in a bookstore” (58:20).
“What you learn as you get older and more experienced in the business of coaching is that you have to detach enough to be able to see everything as information” (1:02:30).
“I wrote it because it was true to me and I thought it might help people” (1:04:15).
Additionally, you can follow coach on Twitter and purchase her book, Rooted to Rise: The Redwood Legacies of Life Anchoring People, at either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Thank you so much to Sherri for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Patty McCord is the author of the best-selling book "Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility," which was published in 2018 and translated into 12 languages.
She served as chief talent officer of Netflix for fourteen years and helped create the Netflix Culture Deck. Since it was first posted on the web, the Culture Deck has been viewed more than 15 million times, and Sheryl Sandberg has said that it "may be the most important document ever to come out of Silicon Valley.”
Currently, Patty coaches and advises a small group of companies and entrepreneurs on culture and leadership. She also speaks to groups and teams around the world.
Patty had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’ve got something important to say and you have to hear me” (7:50).
“I had to be able to start to learn which audiences could hear me and which audiences I was entertainment for” (8:20).
“You just have to stop doing stupid stuff that doesn’t matter anymore” (9:30).
“I’m a shameless copier” (10:35).
“One of these days the right people are going to be in the room, and this is going to happen. Why not me?” (12:50).
“Your job as a manager is to create an amazing team that does fabulous work on behalf of the customer on time and with quality” (14:30).
“We get so left-brained that we forget about creativity” (18:40).
“I’m curious about creating space for people to think differently” (16:50).
“We especially get stuck when we get scared” (17:00).
“I hate the phrase ‘best practices.’ It just means what everybody else does” (20:55).
“You can draw ideas and inspiration from everybody, and everybody should” (24:55).
“Leaders are people who other people want to follow. A manager is somebody who builds the work and organizes the team to build great stuff” (26:20).
“If you want them to follow, then god dammit lead” (28:55).
“You want to know why I make so much money? Because my decisions are consistently right” (33:00).
“Beginning with the end in mind [is key to making good decisions]” (34:00).
“I think that the word loyalty is old fashioned, and I think that it’s not critical, but I think it’s important when times are tough” (41:50).
“The mark I want to make in my life is about creating environments where people can do their best work” (48:30).
“The relationship between work and family is a never-ending one” (53:10).
“My life work is a really different thing than it used to be, and that’s perfectly fine with me” (58:50).
Additionally, you can find Patty’s website here, and can also follow her on social media @pattymccord1. I’d also encourage you to purchase Patty’s book, Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, anywhere books are sold. Lastly, you can find the Black Sheep website that Patty mentioned here.
Thank you so much to Patty for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Today’s episode of the podcast is a little bit different. Today, I’m going to be interviewed by Joe Ferraro. If you’re unfamiliar with Joe, he has an incredible podcast called One Percent Better, he is someone who practices what he preaches, and he has had over 200 episodes where he’s interviewed best-selling authors, CEO’s, and all kinds of different people and leaders, to try and figure out how they’re getting one percent better every single day. Joe is way more than simply a host, though. He’s a high school teacher, he has a history coaching baseball, and he coaches people today on how they can communicate better. He is someone who thinks deeply about how to have, what he calls, damn good conversations. Currently, he’s working one-on-one with a variety of people to help them with different projects that they’re doing, whether it’s their podcast, or a TED Talk, or helping them become a better public speaker, Joe is my go-to person for whenever I’m looking for advice, expertise, and coaching when it comes to my ability to communicate. He thinks about conversations all the time, he thinks about how we can improve them, and how there’s great value in the power of conversations.
In Joe’s interview of me today, we talk about things like boundaries, business, how I see and think about things, and we even talk about art and creativity.
Here are some insights of mine from Joe’s interview of me:
“We sometimes forget how appreciative people are for receiving gifts” (8:55).
“Gratitude, appreciation, and acknowledging when someone did a good job is just so underrated” (9:45).
“The more grateful I am for something, the more ambitious I tend to be” (10:45).
“Satisfaction and complacency are opposites” (11:00)
“Satisfaction fuels success” (11:20).
“Just because a conversation doesn’t land with me doesn’t mean it won’t land with someone else” (13:10).
“I have personal values and professional values” (14:40).
“I don’t believe in true altruism” (15:15).
“Humans need to fill our cup if we’re going to pour into other’s” (15:30).
“You should never give out of notoriety” (16:05).
“There’s a time to be public and a time to be private” (16:20).
“Thoughts come in; thinking is what we do with them” (18:10).
“Most of us believe in polarity, we just stifle it with our own convictions” (19:00).
“I want to love people and I want to love them deeply” (21:00).
“Boundaries are so underrated” (21:55).
“If I’m going to love the stuff that I do, I need boundaries” (22:05).
“I love bringing people together. It’s one of my favorite things to do” (23:10).
“I’m a connector” (24:40).
“If you can find a place that has no cell service and WIFI, that in itself is magical” (29:10).
“Things are way easier if you do it with a partner” (33:20).
“It’s scary [to ask somebody for something]” (34:55).
“Coaching is less about expertise and more about asking damn good questions and being highly curious” (36:00).
“You have to have an offering. How do you have an ask without an offering?” (36:40).
“Give me the person that is good and wants to be great” (38:50).
“I don’t need to shortcut and I don’t need to hack. It’s not going to be as fulfilling for me” (43:30).
“I’ve gotten better at listening to my thoughts and understanding they might not be true” (46:00).
“When I’m curious, I can get anything out of someone” (46:40).
“Podcasting is one of the few things that you can overprepare for” (50:30).
“I’ve perfected my preparation and then I try to be highly adaptable” (50:45).
“I think sometimes we underestimate what we’re actually doing” (58:00).
“A lot of people are afraid to just turn on the mic” (58:10).
“Things aren’t as scary as we make them out to be in our head” (58:40).
“We limit what art is or what creativity is to what we can see with our eyes” (1:00:15).
“We are all artists; it’s just how we choose to use the brush” (1:01:05).
“When we label young people, we limit their possibilities” (1:02:00).
“My clients have become my friends” (1:05:00).
If you’re interested in learning more about what Joe does, I highly recommend you reach out to him via email (joe@onepercentbetterproject.com). You can check out the website for the One Percent Better Podcast here. Also, I strongly encourage following Joe on Twitter.
Thank you so much to Joe for interviewing me!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Steve Gladis is an executive coach, author, speaker, and professor at George Mason University. He’s published 26 books on leadership and thinks a lot about culture and the elements of a great leader. He’s also a former faculty member at the University of Virginia, served as an FBI special agent, and was a decorated officer in the US Marine Corps. He has a company, Steve Gladis Leadership Partners, that donates a significant portion of corporate profits back to the community. Steve is a giver, somebody who really cares about society and humanity.
Steve had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The best partner I’ve ever had, and I’ve had her for over 50 years, is my wife” (6:15).
“We all need our yin to our yang” (6:50).
“I never send anything out unless someone else has looked at it” (7:00).
“You should be looking for people not like you because they bring the other piece of the puzzle together” (9:10).
“The key is to have a mechanism in place before you get in trouble, not when you get in trouble” (12:15).
“The best gift that anybody could give anybody else would be get yourself an executive coach in the beginning who can help you work together in this partnership” (13:15).
“I write every day” (22:00).
“In a way, {dyslexia] is the best thing that ever happened to me… It’s given me this creative workaround mentality… it’s taught me how to be resilient” (26:10).
“If you’re always the smartest guy in the room, you’re in the wrong room” (27:50).
“Anything can be an opportunity” (31:30).
“[The biggest mistakes leaders make] is not telling or showing people how much they care” (33:40).
“Trust is at the center of all relationships” (34:00).
“Head, heart, and hands is compassion… it’s an active thing” (40:20).
“You can tell when somebody really cares about you” (40:50).
“If you like what you’re doing, you’re making a decent living at it, and you’re having fun at it, why wouldn’t you want to keep doing it?” (47:50).
“Some of the most miserable people I know are some of the richest people I know” (48:00).
“You can’t hit a target you can’t see” (51:15).
“Until people know what they want, it’s really hard to get them to where they want to go” (52:10).
“Teams head towards entropy all the time” (54:40).
“Nothing stays level, especially in the relationship world” (55:00).
“Stuff happens. You have to be ready for that” (1:02:45).
“Experiments fail. That’s why they call them experiments” (1:03:45).
“I’m a teacher at heart, so when people want to know I’m happy to talk” (1:05:15).
Additionally, you can find Steve’s website here, and I also encourage you to connect with him on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Steve for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Tim Urban is a writer and the creative force behind the extremely popular Wait But Why blog and newsletter, which has over 600,000 subscribers. He has a book coming out in February of 2023 and has authored dozens of viral articles on subjects such as why we procrastinate, which is what we talk a lot about in today’s conversation. He writes about things in psychology and politics, and he even writes about why we haven’t encountered alien life forms. To say Tim has range is an understatement. He doesn’t consider himself to be an expert or a guru at one thing, but he lets his curiosity wander and it takes him to all kinds of different places where he researches and writes, really in long form, articles. His email list has people like Elon Musk as subscribers, and TED Curator Chris Anderson and Twitter co-founder Evan Williams. Tim also is a speaker; he’s got an incredible TED Talk that I highly recommend you check out. And, he’s also known for drawing quirky graphics and stick figures, and we talk about what it’s like for him to be an artist as well. So, this conversation focuses mainly on procrastination, and if you’re someone who struggles with that, I know many of us do, then you’re going to enjoy it.
Tim had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I like to frame things we all experience in a way that can help clarify what’s going on” (6:20).
“Without being able to see the big picture, you don’t realize that the best way to achieve maximum happiness this week is to do this stuff now and be miserable temporarily and then much better later” (8:40).
“We get older, our bodies get older, but it’s an uneven distribution of growth” (12:00).
“The inner child in us is one of the best parts of grown-ups. It’s what a lot of times allows us to be creative and to have fun and to be open-minded” (13:00).
“The goal is to grow up in all the right ways and stay young in all the wrong ways” (13:10).
“Carving out high-quality, guilt-free leisure time is very important. It recharges your willpower. It creates this healthy balance in your head” (16:15).
“What I’ve done when I’ve succeeded more is often, I will do something in that moment to force future Tim’s hand” (21:45).
“Procrastinators get in the biggest trouble when they don’t take their problem seriously” (24:00).
“I had macro motivation with micro help” (27:10).
“I thought I hated writing because I was doing mostly papers, and then I started blogging in 2005 as a complete procrastination side activity, just me having fun. And that’s when I realized that me having fun in the form of writing was catching on” (31:40).
“You need to overpower your emotions with rationality when you’re looking at comments” (34:30).
“If you let all of the negative comments get to you, you’re going to be too scared to write anything. If you ignore all of the negative comments and say that all negative comments are just haters, now you’re not going to grow or learn anything” (37:35).
“I don’t think the things that I produce require beautiful writing; they require good communication and authenticity” (42:15).
“Keep messing around with different mediums and different things until you find areas that you’re strong in, because everyone is strong in some areas” (48:15).
“The best things I’ve written have been when I was in a mood where I felt like I was playing as I wrote it” (50:30).
“If I’m having fun, it’s going to produce something good” (50:45).
Additionally, you can access the Wait But Why website here, where you can find all of Tim’s writing. You can also subscribe to Tim’s email list on the site and follow him on Twitter.
Thank you so much to Tim for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic and the former editor-in-chief of WIRED. Under his leadership, WIRED won numerous awards for design and reporting and launched a highly successful paywall. Thompson also wrote many features for the publication, including two cover stories on Facebook that have been cited multiple times in Congress.
Thompson is a former contributor to CBS News, where he regularly appeared on CBS This Morning and CBS Sunday Morning. He is a cofounder of The Atavist, a National Magazine Award–winning digital publication and multimedia content management system that was sold to WordPress in 2018.
Thompson previously served as editor of NewYorker.com. Before The New Yorker, Thompson was a senior editor at WIRED, where he assigned and edited the story that was the basis for the Oscar-winning film Argo. In 2009, his book “The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War” was published to critical acclaim. Thompson has long been a competitive runner; in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race and is currently ranked as one of the top 10 masters marathoners in the world.
Nick had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I try to do my best within all the limitations of how darn hard it is to be a good parent” (10:30).
“In some ways, [being a CEO and being a parent] are the opposite” (10:50).
“My job as a CEO is to try to drive the organization in the best direction based on our most important values” (10:50).
“I’m driving things more as a CEO, and as a father I’m supporting more and trying to help them find their way” (11:30).
“My job is to make the business as successful as possible, as innovative as possible, as future-proofed as possible, so that we can sustain that mission of the magazine that’s existed since 1857” (13:35).
“We are open to a much broader range of opinions than our peer publications” (15:40).
“I’m trying to develop a new platform for conversations that will allow people… to increase empathy” (18:20).
“You start with the assumption you’re going to do the absolute best content. You’re going to do the best content you’re capable of, and then you build the business model around that. You don’t do that the other way around” (31:35).
“Journalism is not a profession for people who are economically motivated” (32:15).
“I got into journalism kind of by accident… I fell into it” (33:40).
“You can come to something thinking about the right things, and then propose a solution that doesn’t actually make things better” (37:55).
“I look at every piece of data on every story” (43:15).
“There’s a period in the process of the creation of a story that is sacred and should not be touched by the people who care about the analytics, and that is the process from when the story is assigned to when the words in the story are finished” (43:40).
“Being a good editor requires being able to juggle a whole bunch of things at the same time” (45:30).
“The adrenaline flow of being a CEO is very different than the adrenaline flow of being a writer or being an editor” (47:00).
“I’ve always been hyper-curious, which is something that’s good for a writer. I meet someone new and I’m curious about who they are and what they do” (48:40).
“[As a CEO], you have to be curious about how everything in your business works because you have to master it” (49:20).
“I’m learning a lot, but am I getting smarter?” (50:15).
“Running gives me a connection to the outside world, to the natural world” (54:20).
“The discipline it takes to be a good runner rubs off on the discipline it takes to do well at work” (55:00).
“You learn lessons while you’re running” (55:05).
“[Running and playing the guitar] are the two things I do in my life that are the most meditative” (57:00).
“Making sure you’re balancing the needs of the moment with the needs of the future is one of the great challenges of being a CEO” (1:01:10).
Additionally, you can find Nick’s website here, and you can also follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I’d also encourage you to check out Nick’s book, The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War, which you can purchase anywhere books are sold.
Thank you so much to Nick for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Nate Boyer is a bit of a renaissance man; he has worn many different hats. He’s a former active-duty Green Beret, he’s a world traveler, he’s involved with philanthropy and started his own non-profit, he’s a community leader, and he played in the NFL as a professional athlete with the Seattle Seahawks. Nate joined the US Army in 2005, where he earned the coveted Green Beret in December of 2006. What he did in the military is certainly enough for a podcast on its own, but what he did afterwards is also just as interesting. He finished up his tours in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, and then decided that he wanted to become a long snapper. He had a five-year career with the Texas Longhorns, learning and teaching himself how to become a long snapper by watching YouTube clips; he didn’t even play football in high school. At his core, Nate is a dreamer. He is someone who puts his eyes on a vision and gets after it. It’s this facet of him that led him to have an incredibly successful college career, winning numerous accolades and becoming an Academic All-American. He was also named the Big 12 Sportsman of the Year in 2012. This all led to him getting a shot to play in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. With all of this amazing stuff in mind, what Nate is doing today is probably just as inspiring as his past. He has a new movie out called MVP that I highly recommend you check out, he has a non-profit that brings together vets and athletes as well, and he really loves to play at the intersection of different identities and different people. He is an adventurer as well, being someone who has accomplished such feats as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and going fly-fishing in Russia. He’s also worked as a big brother mentor for children diagnosed with Autism.
Nate had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Time is the most valuable asset” (7:25).
“Imposter syndrome is actually very common in people who are quite accomplished [and] very hard working” (9:50).
“I was always going upstream against the grain” (19:05).
“I still feel lost sometimes today. We all do” (20:35).
“Life is that constant battle of feeling like we belong and feeling like we matter” (22:10).
“Forget all this noise and people telling you this is not the way; this is not the normal path. It doesn’t matter. Carve your own path. Just go” (24:10).
“If you just try and put yourself out there, that’s more than most people will ever do” (24:30).
“People want to help those who are willing to help” (25:00).
“Having some structure in my life was a thing I didn’t know I needed until it was happening, until it was instilled in me” (27:45).
“I still resist conformity at all costs” (30:10).
“The best leaders were [often] the ones that didn’t want to be leaders”
“As a leader, something I struggle with, and struggled with on this film, is trusting people to do their job and letting go of not only the result, but letting go of this constant fear that you’re screwing it up, you’re not doing the story justice…” (34:15).
“If you’re a creative person and you’re not being allowed to create anything on your own [because you’re being micromanaged], that’s frustrating” (37:20).
“I love intersections. And what I love even more than intersections are juxtapositions” (45:20).
“That’s the biggest takeaway I want for people walking away from the movie: at the end of the day, we are all human beings” (57:30).
“We wear certain uniforms that often group us and label us in certain ways, and sometimes we adopt that label ourselves and we feel that that is our identity and who we are, but we’re human beings just like you. All we want to do is feel like we belong back here at home” (57:45).
“My identity is I’m a human being” (1:01:45).
“I’m full of fault and I’ve failed way more than I’ve succeeded, and I’m going to keep failing forward” (1:03:00).
“I want to be remembered as someone who just tried” (1:03:30).
“We all dream at night, but I dream during the day more than most” (1:05:35).
Additionally, you can find the MVP (Merging Vets and Players) Organization website here. You can also find Nate on social media @NateBoyer37. Lastly, you can check out Nate’s movie, MVP, on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Video on Demand.
Thank you so much to Nate for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Annie Duke is the bestselling author of Thinking in Bets and How to Decide. Her new book, Quit, is going to be the subject of a lot of our conversation today. Annie is a corporate speaker and consultant in the decision-making space. She’s also a former professional poker player, where she won more than $4 million in tournament poker before retiring from the game in 2012. We’ll talk about all of the quitting that Annie has done in her life, and a lot of the origins of this book come from learning poker and learning how important it is to know “when to fold ‘em.” She’s also the co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, a non-profit whose mission it is to improve lives by empowering students through decision skill education. At her core, Annie really loves research, education, and not just learning, but also teaching.
Annie had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I think sabbaticals are actually really helpful” (13:35).
“It’s very hard to make decisions when you’re in it, when you’re actually facing down the decision” (13:45).
“We equate quitting with giving up or failing” (14:45).
“That’s the hardest thing to quit. ‘If I quit this, then who am I?’” (16:15).
“When we’re actually engaged in something, when we’re pursuing a particular goal, it’s very hard for us to see very clearly what the other opportunities are that might be available to us” (16:55).
“We tend not to do a lot of reevaluation of why we’re doing what we’re doing or whether we really enjoy it or whether it aligns with our values when we’re in it once we’ve already started it” (17:15).
“The pandemic involuntarily created sabbaticals for people” (18:40).
“Pivoting is quitting” (19:10).
“The word ‘quit’ is so odious to us that we really like to bubble wrap it” (19:35).
“The definition of quit is ‘stopping something that you have started’” (20:00).
“It’s a good thing to quit things when you discover that they’re not working for you anymore” (20:40).
“Just like any decision you make, [quitting] is not permanent” (21:20).
“If you discover something that you do isn’t working, why are you afraid to say that you’re quitting?” (23:00).
“The fear of regret… stops us from quitting” (26:00).
“I’ve quit a lot of stuff, but I’m also very gritty” (31:45).
“I stopped tying my identity so closely to what I did” (33:00).
“I’ve spent my whole life thinking about decision making under uncertainty. It’s the thing I’m most curious about” (34:00).
“Famous women are treated different than famous men” (41:45).
“I’m very good at quitting things that I’ve written in a lot better way than I was when I wrote [my first book]” (1:00:25).
“I’ve really embraced the power of narrative to bring to life academic concepts” (1:00:40).
“Talks are just teaching. Consulting is teaching” (1:03:45).
“I come to life when I’m teaching people” (1:04:00).
“I often discover through teaching that I’m totally full of sh*t, which is the best thing ever” (1:04:30).
“I wish that idea of don’t have a plan B would go away” (1:20:45).
Additionally, for all of the information you need on Annie, including links to her books and newsletter, you can check out her website here.
Thank you so much to Annie for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Tom Rath is an author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and well-being. Tom has 10 books, which have sold more than 10 million copies. He has made hundreds of appearances on global best-selling lists. What you’re going to find out form this conversation is that even though Tom’s resume is loaded and quite remarkable, he really thinks about contribution quite a bit. His first book, How Full is your Bucket, speaks to meaning and purpose mean to us. That book was an instant New York Times Bestseller and led to a series of books that are used in classrooms around the world. His book StrengthsFinder 2.0 is how I learned about Tom. It’s Amazon’s top-selling non-fiction book of all-time. Tom’s other bestsellers include Strengths-Based Leadership; Wellbeing; Eat Move Sleep, and Are You Fully Charged? He’s also co-authored two illustrated books for children, How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids, and The Rechargeables. His most recent books are Life’s Great Question: Discover how you Contribute to the World, and It’s Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life, published in partnership with Amazon Original Series. Tom also spent 13 years at Gallup, where he led the organization’s strengths, employee engagement, well-being and leadership consulting worldwide. He has served for the past 5 years as an external advisor in Gallup Senior Scientist. At his core, Tom really is a researcher. He’s somebody who loves to get in the weeds and find out what the science says about wellbeing and how we can be our best selves. He’s also served as the vice-chair of the VHL Cancer Research Organization and has been a regular lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. Most recently, Tom co-founded a publishing company, and he’s also an advisor, investor, and partner in several startups. This conversation is wide-ranging. It’s not just about Tom’s accomplishments, it’s also about how he sees the world, what it’s like for him to be a father and a husband, and just a great overall citizen.
Tom had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I am most comfortable when I am alone, thinking to myself or reading about new research each morning, which I still do meticulously” (7:00).
“It’s a huge waste that we wait to eulogize people until after they’re gone” (8:50).
“When I either learn something new in a day or when something I’ve believed in especially strongly is proven wrong, nothing makes me happier than to be that wrong, because it means I’ve learned something new and I’m being open-minded” (12:50).
“Learning is a great way to fill your own bucket” (13:15).
“I don’t think anything is more important from a leadership standpoint than to really think about a good question you could ask to someone who looks to you for guidance and keep all your devices stowed away and genuinely close your mouth for a while and listen and process that” (14:20).
“Ask a question and then don’t follow-up or push or prod for at least 30-60 seconds” (15:45).
“It’s in the free time and the play time that we act like our true selves a little bit more” (16:20).
“Sleep is the most underestimated need” (16:50).
“I see everything through the eulogy values of what I’m doing that’s meaningful for people versus some of the accomplishment stuff that might have been more relevant to me ten or twenty years ago” (25:00).
“Most of us are dealing with some real challenge and most people we interact with never know that, so I always have to remind myself to presume that someone else is dealing with the same stuff” (27:45).
“The way that we’ve built the expectation of what work is and what it should be just needs to be blown up” (34:40).
“We’ve got to question how we can make work a better experience” (35:50).
“On average, work is harming people” (36:20).
“We’ve got to find ways to infuse more movement into our work routine” (44:05).
“Observing kids has been a gift during the pandemic” (45:25).
“I have more fun working on other author’s projects than writing my own books” (46:30).
“The biggest contribution for me is having a family that I’m really proud of” (51:40).
“We need to start talking about our lives from more of a contribution standpoint than a resume and accomplishment standpoint” (58:05).
Additionally, you can find more about all of the books Tom has been involved with publishing here! I’d also encourage you to check out the Contribify website here. You can also connect with Tom on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Tom for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Bronco Mendenhall is one of the more interesting sports coaches I’ve interviewed on this podcast. What makes Bronco interesting is not that he was the Head Coach of Brigham Young University’s football program from 2005-2015, and not that he was the Head Coach of the University of Virginia’s football program form 2016-2021. It’s not that he went 135-81 and appeared in multiple bowl games with those programs. It’s not even that he turned those programs around from losing seasons to winning seasons and has helped multiple players play in the National Football League. What makes Bronco so interesting is that he intentionally walked away from the University of Virginia football program to take a year off. He essentially has gone on sabbatical this past year. And he did it in the prime of his career. He was 55 years-old when he stepped away and things were really going well at the University of Virginia from certainly the outside looking in. But Bronco’s going to share why he walked away in our conversation today and what he’s learned from taking a year off from football. A lot of people walk away from football and then they retire. But Bronco’s not done yet. He still has a masterpiece that he’s working on and hoping to craft as early as next football season. Bronco is someone who cares deeply about developing young people, and he’s leveraging football as the best vehicle that he’s found to be able to do that. At his core, Bronco is a learner. He’s someone that is constantly growing and is super curious to learn from others. And so, he’s taken this time off to really dive deep into what he wants to create when it comes to a college football culture and how he can impact young people.
Bronco had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“There was success from an outcome perspective, but there wasn’t impact of lasting value… that was resonating with me” (7:50).
“I started thinking that the game can’t be played without the people. And then the people became everything” (8:20).
“Having a fierce passion for performance and intentionally becoming is amazing, and it’s facilitated by outcome” (10:25).
“If all of identity is measured only by outcome, that becomes a dangerous space to live” (10:35).
“I love programs that value something in addition to football” (11:30).
“It was my intent from the moment I woke up to the time I went to bed every single day to try to provide a model that demonstrated ‘and’” (14:30).
“I’m not only an optimist but I’m a realist at the same time” (20:20).
“When I go back [to coaching], I wanted it to be with the perspective and the learning and the renewal and a relaunch that might even be more intentional” (26:15)
“Driving the individual relationship one-on-one is really what these kids have remembered. It wasn’t the outcomes, it was the relations” (29:00).
“You only get to do your job if you’re successful at it” (29:45).
“After 17 years of being a head coach, the feedback from the guys that I’ve coached, the players, are all about the relational moments” (30:00).
“I never feel as good as when I’m serving, when I’m actually helping others” (31:00).
“You manage energy, not time” (32:20).
“The singular, most powerful piece [of coaching college football for me] is the daily interaction, development, and inclusion in the lives of young people to help make a difference” (37:00).
“I’m not sure there’s a more powerful platform to develop motivative learners and young people than the world of college athletics” (38:00).
“I love, and will let them, fail” (41:00).
“What I promise my team is I won’t save you, unless necessary” (46:15).
“I worry that we might be prolonging adolescence” (47:30).
“I worry that with the structure we’re providing, we could be limiting growth” (49:50).
“I’m a research driven individual. I don’t like presenting anything to my team that I don’t have at least 3 sources of” (50:20).
“Work expands the boundaries you set” (51:15).
“Organizations are perfectly designed for the results they get” (52:50).
“I love trust” (53:45).
“The more homogeneous the staff was, the more average performing the group was” (56:35).
“Those are the kind of people I want to be around, that are open-minded to listening and seeing value in a different way” (1:00:20).
“I do believe there’s a shelf-life at each place” (1:12:15).
“I don’t believe that I’m the only one who can make a difference” (1:15:55).
“I’m craving to impact lives of young people” (1:16:30).
“So many times we get defined by what we do” (1:17:20).
Additionally, you can check out the podcast Head Coach University, which Bronco is a co-host of.
Thank you so much to Bronco for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Tara VanDerveer is an absolute legend in the world of basketball. She’s a hall-of-famer, she’s a 5X National Coach of the Year in College Basketball, she’s won 3 NCAA Division I titles, she’s been to 13 Final Fours, and she’s won a gold medal with USA Basketball. Her awards and accolades are up there with just about any college coach, and she’s the all-time leader in wins in women’s basketball. However, you’re going to find out pretty quickly that Tara does not really enjoy talking about herself and her accolades. She loves talking about her teams. She loves talking about the athletes that she’s had the privilege of coaching. She loves talking about Stanford University, where she is currently the Head Women’s Basketball Coach. But Tara is the real deal when it comes to humility. She’s authentic. She’s somebody who cares deeply about the world and basketball. She genuinely cares about the people she serves, and she really makes it about them.
Tara had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It really helps my energy during the year, that I can be all-in during the season, when I’ve had that great time on the lake in the summer” (7:55).
“When you die, no one’s going to say, ‘Do you wish you worked more?’ I want to wish I’d played more” (10:05).
“Work will always be there. You can always come back to it” (12:00).
“Sometimes I think less is better” (13:00).
“I have to pace myself. You only have so much tread on the tire” (13:30).
“I want to really pick my spots of what I’m going to do, how I’m going to do it, and how well I want to do it” (14:30).
“I just like being in the gym with our team” (16:30).
“The things that keep me grounded are what’s really fun” (16:40).
“If I were in junior high right now, with all the basketball on TV, I’d probably flunk out. I just love basketball” (17:40).
“I work hard at taking care of myself” (17:55).
“I try to do things that are nurturing to me so that I can be effective with our team” (18:15).
“I don’t really think about [legacy] at all” (18:45).
“The energy at Stanford and the people I meet there, that gives me a lot of juice” (20:25).
“A college degree is a very valuable thing for women” (21:45).
“I love coaching the quintessential Stanford student” (22:10).
“I love the challenge of working at Stanford” (25:00).
“The court is our classroom” (29:00).
“I want to enjoy today” (31:10).
“I’m not going to stare in the rearview mirror as I’m going forwards” (31:45).
“Parenting and coaching are very similar, and they’re both very similar to gardening. You don’t just sit there and look at the garden. You water the garden, you weed the garden, you fertilize the garden” (38:00).
“The world is bigger than just you” (39:20).
“The thing that can really destroy us is greed” (42:00).
“I like it when our team is happy for other people’s success” (42:05).
“I want our players to love playing at Stanford and love playing for me” (55:00).
“I can look in the mirror and be happy with being myself… I can’t try to be someone else” (56:35).
“I’m a copier by nature, which I’m proud of” (56:55).
“Being a person takes work” (1:00:10).
“My job is to help them be the best they can be” (1:02:30).
Thank you so much to Tara for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Olajuwon Ajanaku, the Founder of Eastside Golf grew up in East Atlanta. He gained a golf scholarship to Morehouse College and won a National Championship alongside his co-founder, Earl Cooper. After graduating with a degree in accounting, he worked in Commercial Finance for many years. Olajuwon left the corporate world to fully embark on entrepreneurship that would support his own dream of turning pro in golf. As a result, Eastside Golf was formed.
Earl Cooper is a PGA Professional and is currently ranked as one of the best young teachers in America by Golf Digest. He has worked as the first African American golf professional at Detroit Golf Club and Wilmington Country Club. He graduated from Morehouse College where him and Olajuwon played on the golf team and won a National Championship.
Olajuwon and Earl had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’m the type of person where I don’t step into something until I really know what’s going on” – Earl (17:10).
“Tunnel vision hasn’t worked for us very well” – Earl (17:50)
“If you’re going to make a logo of a black man, you have to explain, market, design, everything that comes with that” – Olajuwon (20:30).
“It starts the conversation at country clubs” – Olajuwon (22:40).
“With us, with our logo, I talk about everything that comes with it” – Olajuwon (23:20)
“Open the door for some more people, open the door for the youth, open the door for the people that look just like the [Eastside Golf] logo” – Olajuwon (24:10)
“We get to tell those stories that no other golf company can tell” – Olajuwon (24:20).
“[Authenticity is] truly being yourself in all spaces” – Earl (24:50).
“For me there’s always been this love of the game and wanting to share it with people, that’s why I love to teach” – Earl (26:00).
“In the world of golf, in my experience particularly, they have all these rules and boxes that you have to check where it stifles creativity, and everyone looks the same” – Earl (27:00).
“At the end of the day, it’s still just grass” – Earl (28:15)
“A lot of the morals and values you get from the golf course help you in life” – Olajuwon (29:05).
“There’s a solution for everything. It’s all about how you go about planning, how you go about getting prepared for that actual problem” – Olajuwon (30:00).
“Golf raised me” – Olajuwon (30:35).
“You can be yourself when you come here” – Olajuwon (31:30).
“Just because you don’t look like everybody, walk like everybody, talk like everybody, doesn’t mean you can’t be a great golfer” – Olajuwon (32:30).
“I’m hungry. I have a point to prove” – Olajuwon (38:15).
“We’re literally explaining to the world that there’s always a solution for anything that you want to achieve, whether it’s personal goals or changing anything in the world that needs improvement” – Olajuwon (39:40).
“It’s still going to be about how you’re treating people… it’s never going to be about ‘us’ anymore. It’s about how can we bring people in to buy in and work their asses off” - Earl (41:40).
“You have to communicate because things are going to change every day” – Earl (42:30).
“It’s never just going to be one person or one role. It’s truly a unit” – Earl (44:25).
“We have an opportunity to change the game. We want to be measured on the impact that we have” – Earl (45:55).
“How do we continue to remove barriers so people feel like this game is for them” – Earl (46:45).
“The issue isn’t golf… it is the way the game is being taught” – Earl (47:10).
“Eastside Golf will make huge impact across the globe if we just continue to believe in ourselves, stay authentic, and play this game the way we know how “ – Olajuwon (55:10)
“We’re not an anomaly. There are so many other kids that think similar to us that go to HBCU’s that don’t get the opportunity. They’re just overlooked” – Olajuwon (55:40).
“Where a lot of other companies are more worried about the politics and the bottom line, our focus is elsewhere” – Olajuwon (56:20).
“Work hard and go for everything you know you deserve” – Olajuwon (1:02:30).
“There’s always an analogy or there’s always a certain way you can think about something, but you just have to take it and make it yours” – Olajuwon (1:03:05).
Additionally, you can follow Olajuwon and Earl on Instagram, and also check out the Eastside Golf website here and the Eastside Golf Twitter page here!
Thank you so much to Olajuwon and Earl for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Marc Riccio is the CEO of USA Lacrosse, a nearly 400,000-member organization that serves as the governing body of the sport in the United States. A former collegiate lacrosse player at Hofstra, Riccio’s professional experience has led to specialties in media, fan engagement, sport and entertainment business operations, building new companies, revenue generation, executive leadership, and employee development.
Prior to joining USA Lacrosse, Marc was the Chief Commercial Officer for KlarisIP, a boutique intellectual property and media consultancy. He was charged with advising major sport and esports properties on strategy, growth, revenue generation, and organizational transformation.
Marc’s experiences include leading his own consultant business, MR21 Advisory where he advised global esports and gaming companies. Prior, Marc was the EVP of Commercial for Lagardère Sports (now Sportfive), a full-service global sports agency. Marc spent 17 seasons leading business operation and development for the New York Jets (NFL) and he worked for Hofstra University, leading marketing and development for intercollegiate athletics.
Marc has also taught as an Associate Adjunct Professor at Hofstra University and continues to advise and mentor in the technology and esports Venture capital accelerator community.
Marc has a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law, and an MBA and BA from Hofstra University.
Marc had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The thing that really resonated with me was how Bill Parcells could lead and how he could connect with people” (6:20).
“Distraction is the number one enemy of high performance” (7:15).
“The first thing we’ve focused on [at USA Lacrosse] is simplifying our mission” (8:30).
“Each of our business heads has to submit three things they’re not going to do this year” (10:35).
“How do we look at our fans and our players like customer acquisition planning in the private sector model? What does it cost to acquire a player? What does it cost to retain a player? And not just players from a community with resources, also players from a community without resources” (15:30).
“Lacrosse was an access point that changed my life” (20:30).
“Lacrosse changes people’s lives… you hear that more from lacrosse players than I’ve heard it from any other sport” (21:20).
“I’m very comfortable being uncomfortable” (21:45).
“You need coaches of color to work with the kids of color” (23:00).
“The more we talk about this lax-bro culture, the more we perpetuate it” (24:30).
“One of the things we want to do is teach cultural competency to our players and coaches” (25:10).
“The MBA was a competitive necessity, not a competitive advantage” (29:05).
“I’m very competitive. I’m driven more by my hatred of losing than my joy of winning” (37:20).
“What I’ve learned is to take the foot off the gas sometimes” (37:30).
“It was about how do I put myself in a position to be competitively different than everybody else” (41:00).
“Don’t let the job change you” (46:30).
“There are no throwaway comments as a leader” (47:30).
“What you do sometimes matters more than what you say” (47:35).
“Disagreement leads to better decision making” (48:30).
“Think in years, not in months” (49:20).
“If I don’t know something, I’m not going to fake it” (49:55).
“People remember stories more than they remember numbers and stats” (53:45).
“We need to tell stories and we need to tell them often” (57:10).
“For all of us, our greatest strength is our greatest weakness” (58:40).
“Most people have a lot of value sitting on a shelf that they don’t use” (1:11:00).
Additionally, you can follow Marc on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I’d also encourage you to check out the USA Lacrosse and World Lacrosse websites.
Thank you so much to Marc for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Derek Thompson is an author, writer, speaker, and podcaster. He wears a lot of hats and his interests vary from economics, to the media, to politics, to sports, to business. He is someone who definitely has range when it comes to his ability to write, cover, research, and think about today’s most pressing and interesting topics. “Interesting” is the word I would use to described Derek. He’s interested in a multitude of things, he has a background in theatre, has a passion for wine, and so much more. Derek does not call himself an expert; he’s a jack-of-all-trades. But, in my opinion, Derek is an expert. He dives deep into whatever he’s focused on and whatever topic he’s writing about. He’s a regular contributor for NPR’s Here and Now, he has his own podcast with The Ringer called Plain English, and he has an amazing book called Hit Maker, which I highly recommend you check out if you’re interested at all in how to succeed in an age of distraction.
Derek had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I range widely not just because I think it’s good for my writing, but because I can’t help it” (5:50).
“I’m an every section of the newspaper kind of guy” (6:30).
“Specialize at the intersection of specialties” (7:40).
“If you explore a bunch of domains, and then hybridize two of those domains and realize that you’re really good inside of that fit, and then dig deep into that, then you can really exploit that and be one of one” (12:15).
“Boredom is an interesting signal from your mind that what you’re doing right now, what you’re surrounded by, what you’re thinking about, isn’t fully grabbing you. And when that happens, that’s a really good excuse to explore” (15:55).
“I love to explore new ideas” (16:15).
“There’s a myth that we live with in capitalist culture that people want new things” (19:15).
“Subtle familiarity drives popularity” (19:35).
“Hits lie at the intersection of familiarity and novelty” (20:40).
“In order to understand what the book’s about, you have to write it” (23:15).
“I try to be a surrogate between this world of expertise and the world of lay people understanding” (30:30).
“I don’t want to be driven by popularity because I don’t want to be driven by extrinsic factors that I don’t control” (31:10).
“The negative stuff, dose for dose, weighs much more heavily than the positive stuff” (34:00).
“The judgment of crowds can really pull us down” (34:30).
“How do I maintain an openness to negative feedback so that I can learn from it?” (38:40).
“I feel most alive giving talks” (47:05).
“I feel calmer speaking in front of crowds than I do interviewing one individual” (47:50).
“I love the novelty of writing” (52:20).
“I try to stay within a narrow temperature band” (48:35).
“You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know how long you’ll be around. You have a greater appreciation for the here and now and the specialness of every moment and every year and day” (1:01:00).
“No moment will be as alive as the one you’re in right now, so savor it” (1:01:15).
“I try to be across so many different ideas that it’s important for me to make some parts of my life really easy so that I have a lot of energy to approach the hard stuff” (1:07:45).
Additionally, I’d encourage you to purchase Derek’s book, Hit Maker, which you can buy anywhere books are sold. You can also follow Derek on Twitter and check out his podcast, Plain English with Derek Thompson on the Ringer Podcast Network.
Thank you so much to Derek for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Owen Eastwood helps teams and organizations thrive. He really focuses on the systems and the process and how you can build an elite culture. He is someone who mixes ancient philosophies and wisdoms and is spiritual in a lot of different ways. Ultimately, he tries to help coaches and leaders and sports organizations get clear on their vision and help them create processes to make their vision a reality. Over the past decade, Owen has worked with some of the most elite teams and groups in the world, including The England National Soccer Team, The British Olympic Team, NATO, and The South African Cricket Team. All along the way, he’s coached their leaders on how to build world class culture and take performance to the highest level. Owen takes a systems approach, looking at the whole, and tries to help organizations figure out how they can function better.
Owen had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“You are one person in a line of people that goes back to our origin story. All of the people that came before you have their arms interlocked with each other” (8:40).
“You’ve always been part of this community, and you always will be part of this community” (9:00).
“There’s an immortality that goes with belonging” (9:15).
“The best leaders are ones who build out from having relationships with the people they’re responsible for” (16:35).
“I didn’t find it particularly fulfilling just helping one individual become the best version of themselves” (24:20).
“What has always motivated me is what a team or a community are trying to achieve” (24:30).
“We have a need to belong” (29:30).
“Our universal need to belong is under threat” (31:30).
“If we have everybody dispersed and not together, we actually diminish our energy” (35:55).
“Autonomy is really powerful, but it has to be in balance with connection to the team” (41:40).
“If you don’t have those visions and those pictures of exactly what it is you’re trying to achieve, then you can easily get a bit lost and disconnected from each other” (46:30).
“The sun shined on people before us and it will shine on people after us, but right now it’s shining on us” (47:35).
“In order for you to anchor yourself and to have a meaningful life, you need to understand what it is you belong to, what the story is so far… and what impact you want to have and ultimately the legacy that we will leave” (48:00).
“The past, the present, and the future are only one thing. What are you doing when the sun is shining on you?” (48:25).
“You should be a guardian for the things that you are part of” (48:40).
“What you do when the sun is shining on you is your legacy” (49:40).
“We can choose what kind of legacy we want to leave” (50:30).
“Psychological safety is an absolutely essential element of a high performing environment” (54:45).
“Belonging is not directly correlated to how many hours you spend around other people” (1:05:30).
“My sense of belonging comes from the way I’m treated in that environment and my sense when I’m outside of it” (1:06:20).
“I’ve always been a coach, even as a kid” (1:11:25).
“It’s a sacred responsibility to manage and lead other people” (1:13:20).
“High performers have an overwhelming focus on what they can control” (1:15:45).
Additionally, you can follow Owen on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Owen for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Amanda Ripley is a New York Times Bestselling Author, an investigative journalist, the host of The Slate Podcast “How To!,” and the co-founder of Good Conflict, a company that creates workshops and original content to help people get smarter about how they fight and deal with conflict. Amanda has spent her career trying to make sense of complicated human mysteries, helping people get out of dysfunctional conflicts, and helping countries to educate virtually all of their kids to think for themselves. Her most recent book is High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out. Her previous books include The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why and The Smartest Kids in the World. Throughout her work she follows people who have been through some type of transformation, including the survivors of hurricanes and plane crashes, American teenagers who have experienced high school in other countries, and politicians and gang members who were bewitched by toxic conflicts and managed to break free. Amanda also has written about how journalists can do a better job of covering controversy in an age of outrage.
Amanda had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“4 out of 10 Americans are sometimes or often actively avoiding contact with the news” (8:50).
“We’re stuck in and old way of deciding what is the news and how to deliver it” (9:30).
“I do not ever watch TV news… it doesn’t tend to leave you more informed” (10:50).
“Part of my identity is wanting to be informed” (13:40).
“I do want to be informed, but the news is not giving me what I want” (14:15).
“There are three things we know humans need, almost biologically, that are missing from most reporting: hope, agency, and dignity” (15:00).
“Hope is like water. We need to have something to believe in” (15:40).
“Any story I’ve ever done, whether it’s in India, Colombia, or Washington DC, no matter how grim, there are glimmers of hope, agency, and dignity. And they just didn’t make it into the story” (19:05).
“There’s a healthy level of needing to matter that we all have. I think a lot of the struggles that people are having in the modern age have to do with not feeling like they matter, not feeling like they belong” (28:30).
“The best journalism is low-ego, high-curiosity journalism that treats people like they matter” (29:40).
“My main job at this point, if I’m doing journalism, is to try to revive curiosity” (48:40).
“Conflict is not the problem. We need conflict… to be heard, to get stronger, to push” (48:50).
“Corruption is a condition for high conflict” (51:10).
“Anyone who has taken a negotiation class in American business schools knows that what partisans are doing on social media and in congress is totally opposite of everything we know you should do if you want to get, over the long term, a sustainable deal” (55:40).
“Remove the audience [when you’re having an argument]” (1:02:35).
“Half of what people want in conflict is to be heard” (1:03:40).
“As difficult as it is, we always learn something we didn’t know [through conflict]” (1:13:20).
“Once you experience people having honest, hard conversations across a big divide, but with some dignity and decency, you actually want more of it” (1:16:15).
“100 million Americans are actively avoiding contact with the news” (1:19:30).
Additionally, you can check out Amanda’s website here, and I strongly encourage you to purchase Amanda’s new book, High Conflict, which you can buy anywhere books are sold. Also, Amanda has a great podcast through Slate called “How To!” which I also recommend you give a listen to. Lastly, you can follow Amanda on Twitter as well!
Thank you so much to Amanda for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an educational psychologist, former classroom teacher and Mom who has spoken to over one million parents and educators in 19 countries. She is recognized for her solution-based strategies on raising resilient kids, and recipient of the Sanford N. McDonnell Lifetime Achievement Award in Character Education. Dr. Borba has appeared over 150 times on the TODAY show and featured in outlets including New York Times, Dr. Phil, Washington Post, Time, and Dateline. She has written 24 books, translated in 20 languages, with her latest being Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine.
Michele had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It’s a different world that we’re raising our children in than in what we grew up in” (8:00).
“Our kids will be faced with adversity. We can’t sugarcoat it. We can’t rescue them. We have to prepare them for life” (9:00).
“The highest correlation with [adverse mental health outcomes] is how we deal with negative experiences” (11:05).
“The first thing we need to do is help our kids learn to handle adversity, because everybody is going to have a negative experience” (11:15).
“Let’s start being preventative” (12:00).
“It’s not one challenge that bothers us, it’s the build-up” (13:20).
“Thrivers are made, not born” (13:40).
“Resilience is teachable” (16:15).
“The thing that’s going to keep [kids’] passion alive, their grit alive, is knowing who they are” (19:25).
“Figure out who your kid is, not who you want them to become” (19:40).
“That’s when your grit is the strongest, when you’re doing something you love” (20:55).
“You have to feel compassionate for yourself. If you feel okay about who you are and take care of you and your own needs, you’re actually going to be more likely to reach out and feel for another person” (25:45).
“Are you managing your stress and taking care of yourself? Because if you don’t, your stress feeds over to your kids” (31:10).
“Breathe so your kids can breathe” (31:40).
“You need to recognize your own stress level” (33:00).
“Find what works for you and stick to it as a routine and a ritual” (34:00).
“A sense of hope is core to resilience” (36:00).
“Ordinary things can be extraordinary and make extraordinary magic in overcoming adversity” (46:15).
“We’ve got to give our kids a repertoire of coaching strategies and buffers. They’re all teachable” (46:40).
“Empathy and curiosity are powerful together” (55:30).
“When stress builds, curiosity goes down” (59:30).
“We’re more curious when we’re with other people” (1:01:15).
“You’ve got to make failure an option. You’re never going to get better if you can’t make a mistake” (1:02:15).
Additionally, if you’d like to do so you can connect with Michele here! You can follow Michele on social media on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I’d also encourage you to read all of Michele’s books, including her most recent ones: Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine, UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World, and Building Moral Intelligence. You can find all of Michele’s information on her website.
Thank you so much to Michele for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Michael Lombardi is a former NFL General Manager, a 3X Super Bowl Champion, and somebody who thinks deeply about leadership. He has a daily newsletter with George Raveling called The Daily Coach which aims to be inspiration for people around leadership. Michael is also the author of Gridiron Genius. Michael has been in the trenches with some of the best coaches of all time, specifically Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick. He also spent a lot of his career with Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders. This conversation really gets into culture and leadership, which is really what his book is about as well. More than anything, Michael cares about making people better.
Michael had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“When you have to tell people to call you something and you don’t earn it, then there’s something wrong with the way you’re working” (7:00).
“Actions speak louder than titles” (7:10).
“The respect you get is the respect you earn based on your level of commitment” (7:20).
“In every great organization, alignment starts and ends with everybody knowing their jobs, everybody knowing their roles” (7:45).
“I love the idea of building a team” (9:35).
“At 13, I knew I wanted to be a general manager” (10:25).
“The problem with most organizations is they don’t know who they are” (12:45).
“We are never able to accelerate what we want until we eliminate what we don’t want” (18:10).
“When you have structures in place and protocols, now you can diagnostically test what you need” (18:55).
“I only wanted to be with people who saw the game the way I saw it” (23:15).
“The number one trait that truly great leaders have is they understand what their job is and what it isn’t” (27:20).
“Great CEOs truly understand what the job is… every decision comes back to ‘Does this benefit the job?’” (29:05).
“If I give you something good to do and you do it well, I’ll give you something else” (33:15).
“Whatever job someone gives you, do it the best you can” (33:40).
“Falling in love with the process not falling in love with the results, that’s competitive stamina” (43:40).
“Most of the time the player is just interested in making themselves better. The leader is interested in making everybody better” (45:45).
“This is what all great leaders do: they figure out what they need to do to win the game” (56:00).
“Learn from everything that you touch and apply it back to what you love” (59:00).
“If you don’t look outside your area of expertise to other areas, you become stagnant and you lack curiosity” (59:30).
“The one thing I’ve learned in my 63 years of life is curiosity is the greatest tool to have. If you have curiosity in your tool belt, you’ll be successful” (1:00:00).
“I love being a writer… I love being able to mentor people” (1:06:15).
“The jungle’s not dangerous if you know the trails” (1:09:10).
“I think we can learn a lot more when people destroy something than when they build it” (1:13:00).
“If Steve Jobs needs a coach, everybody needs a coach” (1:15:00).
Additionally, please check out The Daily Coach and follow Michael @MLombardiNFL on Instagram and Twitter.
Thank you so much to Michael for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Will Gadd is a professional mountain sports athlete, speaker, guide, writer and TV guy. He shares the lessons he’s learned leading teams into high-risk environments through presentations on risk, resiliency, chaos and leadership.
Will had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’ve made an effort throughout my career to do dangerous things, rewarding things, and important things as best I can, while recognizing the goal is always to come back [alive]” (7:15).
“How do you move forward and how do you thrive with that damage?” (8:30).
“I’ve always set out to do cool things… what could I do today that would be cool?” (8:45)
“That is the coolest thing in life: becoming the best version of yourself, whatever it is” (12:10).
“That’s who I admire in life: people who are trying to be who they are” (14:45).
“One of the most important things I’ve learned in my life is that everybody has something that blows their hair back… that fires them up” (16:50).
“The people that make the world go around are the ‘normal people’” (18:00).
“It’s almost like we’re programmed not to be happy or satisfied as human beings” (22:50).
“I don’t really want to be happy; I want to do things that make me feel alive” (23:15).
“If I can do the things that have massive amounts of meaning to me, then I function better in normal life” (29:05).
“I’ve never walked into a competition with the idea that I’m going to beat anybody, but I do walk in there with the idea that I’m going to do my best and I’m going to throw down and I’m going to get everything as well integrated as I can to perform well” (37:30).
“How do the best do it? If I really want to get better at this, how can I pull from that?” (41:30).
“Can you be better today? Can you be better next week? Can you improve? Can you go to your training even though you don’t really feel like it? Can you make life decisions that get you to where you want to go?” (43:00).
“Being better leads to happiness” (43:20).
“We all need optimism to do things… [but] you need some pessimism, some realism in your life to keep things working” (52:20)
“To tell stories you’ve got to have your heart, mind, and action involved” (58:40).
“The future is way more interesting than the past” (1:09:15).
Additionally, make sure to follow Will on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and also to check out his website!
Thank you so much to Lesley for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Lesley Poole serves as the chief executive officer for The SEED Foundation (www.seedfoundation.com). She is responsible for the overall health and vitality of SEED’s network of public, college-preparatory boarding schools and SEED’s mission-critical college success programming.
Lesley has been serving the students and families of the SEED community since 1998. She was one of the founding faculty at The SEED School of Washington, D.C., and held several positions during her tenure. At The SEED Foundation, Lesley’s expertise in government relations and philanthropy has been instrumental in securing the public-private partnerships necessary in Annapolis, MD; Tallahassee, FL; and Los Angeles, CA, to make The SEED School of Maryland, The SEED School of Miami, and The SEED School of Los Angeles possible.
Lesley began her career in education as a mathematics instructor and later served as the service area director for the school division of San Francisco Educational Services (SFED). She holds a bachelor's degree from Patten College in organizational management.
Lesley is a member of the spring 2017 cohort of Pahara-Aspen Fellows, which seeks to strengthen and sustain diverse, high-potential leaders who are reimagining public education. She is also a fellow with Seeding Disruption, a fellowship that brings together a diverse group of Washington, D.C.’s, senior leaders to generate, seed, and catalyze disruptive practices for the purpose of dismantling systems of racial inequity. Lesley serves on the board of Educare, an early childhood education school and community center in Washington, D.C.’s, Ward 7, as well as Excellence Christian School, located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Lesley had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“My optimism fuels my leadership and how I see the world” (6:50).
“What started in 1998 is I grew a family which has also created a network for young people” (8:35).
“Don’t get on every bandwagon, but the ones you get on ride them to the end” (10:50).
“[Optimism] can be modeled… [and] if someone is motivated, it can be learned” (11:30).
“If I had to list my core values, optimism, over the course of 25 years, has increasingly become in the top 5” (12:20).
“I am fiercely loyal. If you are my friend, you are my friend” (13:05).
“I don’t know if my loyalty gets in the way, but it certainly comes with a cost” (14:30).
“I’ve built in myself a sense of comfort with not knowing how to accomplish something” (15:30).
“We need to double down on opportunity to learn” (18:30).
“If we create a space for being comfortable with not knowing, then we also create this intentional opportunity to innovate” (18:45).
“Part of how we foster a spark [at SEED] is we find opportunities” (21:55).
“We believe in community” (26:25).
“The boarding experience is an opportunity of discovering” (30:15).
“We all have to live in various worlds” (31:00).
“We all have an innate need to be proud and to belong” (42:30).
“A community not being resource rich doesn’t say anything about the people [who belong to it]” (43:10).
“We all experience some burnout” (52:50).
“Every day, at some point in the day, I sit with at least 15-30 minutes of quiet” (53:00).
“I spend a lot of time asking myself how I’m doing” (54:00).
“What I’m trying to do is create an environment of transformational leaders who really own the vision of SEED and we are all intentionally moving in the same direction” (57:00).
Additionally, please visit SEED at www.seedfoundation.com!
Thank you so much to Lesley for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Fran Fraschilla has been an ESPN college basketball analyst, the director of USA Basketball’s 3-on-3 National Team, and the head coach at St. John’s, along with other schools. Fran had lots of success in his coaching career, which he started from a very young age. Even though he’s often heard from listeners on TV, at his core he is a coach. Fran is somebody who’s become an expert when it comes to basketball, but he’s really someone who loves to learn. He thinks deeply about leadership, culture, and mindset.
Fran had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I made a lifestyle decision to be a father full-time” (6:15).
“I’m around basketball every single day of the year” (6:30).
“There hasn’t been a day in my life since I was 13 that basketball hasn’t consumed some part of the day” (6:40).
“If you play 5-on-5 basketball, you’re going to be a better player by playing 3-on-3 in the summer” (10:55).
“Self-awareness if one of the keys to life; knowing who you are, knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are, knowing what your values are” (12:10).
“As I look back at my life and career, I don’t think I would’ve changed very much” (13:50).
“I was a really good coach” (14:45).
“One of the things I’ve learned even as I’ve transitioned to broadcasting was to have that growth mindset of continually learning the game” (15:00).
“I’m in the playground of life” (15:20).
“I’ve used basketball as a way to build relationships and to mentor” (15:40).
“Coaching at a high level is like being a CEO of a company” (15:50).
“5 of the 10 best coaches I’ve been around in my life are people no one’s ever heard of” (29:15).
“I made the decision that my family and my kids were more important than my career” (29:35).
“We have learned a lot from the international game” (41:10).
“A teacher learns best when they teach” (41:35).
“Anything you do has to continue to evolve, and you can never have the mindset that you know it all” (45:30).
“I don’t care what team you coach, what company you run, if your employees don’t feel they have ownership, they’re not going to be great employees” (46:40).
“This is what life is all about: reaching your potential” (52:40).
“You’ve got to be able to manage up as well as manage down” (1:00:05).
“I’m learning things today about basketball that I wish I knew 20, 30 years ago” (1:06:45).
“I have a joy for life, I have a joy for basketball” (1:12:50).
“Have a joy for what you do” (1:13:00).
“Basketball has been my way of connecting with people” (1:13:15).
Additionally, make sure to follow Fran on Twitter @franfraschilla!
Thank you so much to Fran for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Val Ackerman was named the fifth Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference on June 26, 2013. She previously served as an attorney and executive at the National Basketball Association, was the founding President of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and is a past President of USA Basketball, which oversees the U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic basketball program. She also served for two terms as the U.S. representative to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). She has been inducted as a contributor into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2021) and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2011) and has received the Billie Jean King Leadership Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation (2016).
Val is a 1981 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she graduated with high honors with a B.A. in political and social thought and was a three-time captain and Academic All-American on the women’s basketball team. She received her law degree from UCLA in 1985.
Val had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Sports aren’t like a monolithic block” (6:40).
“When we started the WNBA there was always a sense of cause. It was like rolling a rock up a hill” (13:15).
“What made my transition to the NBA such a great match for me was because I was a ‘basketball person’” (18:35).
“I worked very hard with my personal relationships in the league” (18:10).
“In any line of work, [the quality of your personal relationships] makes or breaks you” (18:15).
“Preparation and attention to details were hallmarks [for working with David Stern]” (21:10).
“David Stern had this adage that ‘micromanagement is underrated’” (21:15).
“I took the best of both of them” (23:30).
“I try to be practical but visionary” (23:40).
“I’m a much more mature, developed leader than I was when I took the job at the NBA” (24:40).
“I did all these other things that, in their way, fortified my leadership skills” (26:20).
“My pregnancy and maternity in the early years was one of the most challenging periods of my life” (27:40).
“When I got pregnant, I was a unicorn in the office… I was working for people whose wives didn’t work… They didn’t expect me to come back” (28:00).
“When I came back from maternity leave, I really had something to prove at the league” (28:30).
“It takes a village if you want to be a working parent” (29:10).
“It was part-time, but I made it part-time-plus. I threw myself into USA Basketball” (33:35).
“I could have an interlude in my life where I could be more present with my daughters” (34:45).
“My career has been totally unplanned… I don’t know what my next chapter is” (44:00).
“I’m serious, I’m competitive, I want to do well… but at the same time I’m a compassionate person, I care deeply about the relationships that I have with the many people in my life” (49:30).
“If you’re going to be successful in your field and fulfill the demands that are made on you as a leader, you have to have that expectation that you’re going to make sacrifices” (51:20).
“I think it’s important to clear your head regularly. There’s so much going on and you can’t be on all the time” (52:50).
“Sports is one of the great ways of bringing people together in our world… The power of sports is very real” (56:30).
Additionally, make sure to follow the Big East Conference on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Thank you so much to Val for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jess Lahey is the author of the NYT bestselling The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. Her writing can be found at The Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. She co-hosts the award-winning #AmWriting podcast and works as a prevention coach at Sana at Stowe, a medical detox and recovery in Stowe, VT.
Jess had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“One of the best things my parents ever did for me was [let me read whatever book I wanted]” (6:00).
“My idea of heaven is a story well told that teaches me some things” (6:25).
“I went for jobs I wasn’t qualified for and then learned how to do them on the go” (7:25).
“The best part about being a writer is I can write about anything I want and I have to become an expert in that thing before I have any standing, any sort of authority, to write about it” (7:35).
“I was a teacher for 20 years, and from my perspective my job was to not only teach the material to other people, but to anticipate their possible questions” (8:20).
“The way we encourage curiosity without making our kids so curious to try things that may be dangerous for them is to also provide lots of information about it” (11:30).
“Many of the ways we gather information changed during the pandemic” (20:20).
“You can opt to just not have [drinking alcohol] be a part of your life, not because you have a problem with it, but because it doesn’t make you feel great. I love that” (22:15).
“Getting to the place where you know you need help is like a 100-piece puzzle; you can’t have that 100th piece drop into place unless pieces 1-99 were there” (25:15).
“I’m happy to be a resource for whoever wants to use me as a resource” (30:00).
“Being there when someone is ready to talk is the best thing that I can do for anyone” (30:45).
“I love learning on the fly, I love learning under pressure, I like a deadline, I like putting myself in the position of impressing people by how fast I can pick things up” (35:05).
“[Through my book] now I get to give other people the benefit of what I learned from [my experiences with alcohol and addiction] and what I learned with years of research” (36:45).
“I was born to teach and I was born to write, but they’re the same thing to me” (37:35).
“Here’s this complicated thing that’s really interesting, let me do all the research for you and translate it for you. That’s my dream job, that’s heaven to me” (39:35).
“We tend to teach the way we were taught” (42:35).
“Teaching for me is partially about being on a stage and crafting thoughts and information in a way that helps people to arrive at conclusions themselves” (42:50).
“I am a difficult person to have on your staff because… I have no problem saying ‘No, that doesn’t work, why are we doing it that way’” (45:45).
“For me, the more public I am, the easier it is for me to stay sober” (50:00).
“You have to name it to tame it when it comes to emotions” (51:10).
“Gaining competence through doing things that are new/sometimes a little risky, that’s one of the biggest adrenaline hits and dopamine hits that kids can access. That’s one of the best ways to get that dopamine hit when a lot of kids turn to drugs and alcohol” (58:55).
“[I] love to live in the gray area” (1:00:30).
“One of the things I’m most proud of in my life is a big failure” (1:04:40).
“It was this moment of facing that fear of not being good at something, to allow myself the freedom to learn how to do it and learn how to do it right so well that the next time I attempted to do something similar I was able to learn from my mistakes” (1:07:55).
“Go for the moment [your kids] will let you have with them” (1:13:50).
Additionally, make sure to follow Jess on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! You can also use this link to find and purchase Jessica’s books!
Thank you so much to Jess for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Dr. Michelle Segar is an award-winning lifestyle coach and sustainable behavioral change researcher at the University of Michigan. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable healthy behavior change that are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership retention. She’s an advisor to leading global organizations and frequently interviewed in major media outlets like The New York Times, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal.
Michelle had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“When you’re in a culture where food is valued and you’re allowed to eat it, there isn’t a need to rebel and overeat because it’s part of the culture and how you take care of yourself and how you enjoy life” (9:00).
“When you tell people they can’t eat something, all they want to do is eat it” (9:20).
“The art of living is knowing how to appreciate living in the moment, but also having a respect that your choices are going to have long term implications too (10:30).
“The more we help people notice how they feel from their food choices and when they can escape those rebellion-like ‘should’s’ that are embedded in their belief system, more people will find a more natural way to eat things that are better for them” (16:45).
“If you’re [eating unhealthily] every once in a while, it’s not a big deal. But we’ve been trained, we’ve been brainwashed, to think that it’s a big deal” (19:05).
“When you help people feel their cravings, they actually are more successful quitting long term” (22:00).
“Our unconscious belief system impedes us from really embracing a mindfulness approach” (25:00).
“Our motivations and decisions are greatly impacted by the people around us, the choices around us” (25:45).
“Weight loss poisons people’s motivation” (28:50).
“We want to be thinking in terms of what are the tradeoffs we need to make with regards to eating, exercise, and sleep” (37:30).
“We need to give ourselves grace” (41:00).
“We have to figure out what we want to do and what we like. Following an eating or exercise plan is no different” (42:10).
“We can’t follow someone else’s formula. We have to know what our own formula is” (44:25).
“I don’t keep potato chips in the house because I know I would never stop eating them” (49:15).
“We’ve been indoctrinated with dogmas and ‘should’s’ that human nature and research shows that we want to rebel against” (1:01:15).
“When you rebel, you’re still being controlled” (1:01:45).
“The joy choice, the perfect imperfect option that lets us do something instead of nothing” (1:05:10).
“We feel joy when the moment in time reflects who we are at our core” (1:06:00).
“When we take better care of ourselves… we have the energy and the wherewithal to be kind” (1:11:15).
Additionally, make sure to find everything you need to know about Michelle at michellesegar.com and to follow her on Twitter @MichelleSegar and on LinkedIn!
Thank you so much to Michelle for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Mike Neighbors is the Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Arkansas. He is a father of four (Abby 26, Alec 20, Bowen 2, Barrett 9 months), a husband to Jayci, and a coach to 277 former players. For the last 29 years he has been paid as a Coach, but if you ask his lifelong friends and family, they will tell you he has been doing it since he was 9. So, he has really been a Coach for the last 43 years.
Whether it was a neighborhood backyard game of tennis ball or the Final Four in 2016, he has approached every game as an opportunity to compete, learn, and grow. He has remained a learn-it-all/share-it-all ever since a life changing heart attack at 29. Before then, he was a know-it-all/hoard-it-all.
He hopes those in our orbit learn for the experiences we share.
Mike had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Had [I not had that heart attack at 29], I was probably heading down the wrong path… I think I was lucky” (6:45).
“Those processes that I learned to survive [when I was younger] have helped me to survive in this very competitive world of college athletics” (16:15).
“Get out of their way when they don’t need you” (18:00).
“That’s one of my favorite parts about coaching. They don’t need you for the celebration, they need you when we lose” (18:40).
“Only when they need me are you going to notice me” (23:50).
“Without the heart attack, without those experiences, I probably would’ve been using ‘I’ a lot more than ‘we’” (24:05).
“You don’t have to be relatable with somebody to be inspired by them” (41:10).
“I wanted to believe as many true things as I possibly could” (48:30).
“’It depends’… I say that all the time” (50:20).
“You need to be compelled to be great at what you’re doing” (1:00:50).
“We create better basketball players when they find that there are other things that basketball is going to create for them” (1:02:10).
“I worry about being wrong” (1:06:40).
“Until you’ve done 40 hours of research on something, I don’t want to have a conversation with you about it” (1:09:00).
“[I envision myself coaching] forever” (1:16:45).
“I probably wouldn’t take a job where all it was was win at all costs” (1:21:35).
Additionally, make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @coachneighbors and to check out his website coachneighbors.com!
Thank you so much to Mike for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Vernon Davis is a ridiculously accomplished player on the football field. He’s a 2-time pro-bowler who played 14 seasons in the National Football League. He was also a 2nd Team All-Pro in 2013, led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2009, he was an All-American in college, and he won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. However, this conversation is about everything else that Vernon is involved with. He’s an entrepreneur, he’s an artist, he was on Dancing with the Stars, he’s a real estate investor, and he’s a dad. Whatever he does, he wants to be great at that thing. At his core, he believes he’s an artist. Interestingly enough, he blends artistry and creativity with discipline, helping him to be successful both on and off the football field.
Vernon had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Without your health, you have nothing” (5:00).
“Life is all about how we react to certain things” (6:40).
“I started seeing a therapist from the moment I got drafted” (7:35).
“Whatever it is that’s on your heart, your mind, you need to be able to talk about it and get it off your chest. It’ll take you much further than you think” (8:20).
“We’re all human beings and we all have something we need to get better at each and every day” (9:00).
“There’s nothing like having a vision board. If you’re waking up and seeing this vision board every single day, you’re going to go after those things you want” (9:50).
“I’ll take at least 5 minutes every day to focus on the things I really want in my life” (10:10).
“I’m an artist” (12:50).
“I did the same thing every day for 14 years… I painted this picture in my mind because I’m an artist” (16:25).
“I know exactly what I’m going to do before I do it” (16:45).
“I was never a football player. I was an artist, a creative individual, who happened to be good at football” (17:40).
“The only person that believes in you is you” (21:10).
“If you’re putting in the work, it’s going to pay off, it’s going to show up” (25:05).
“When preparation meets opportunity, it’s going to show up” (25:35).
“I wanted to change the dynamic of the world I was born into” (27:15).
“Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, but always hope and live for the moment” (27:35).
“The same thing that draws me to acting is what drew me to football” (27:50).
“I’m not going to stop working for anything. I know what it is that I’m after and I know exactly how it’s going to play out because I’ve dreamed about it and visualized it” (28:15).
“You control the narrative. It’s all on you” (29:05).
“Everyone has been through moments where they fail, and they’ve gotten back up and succeeded” (29:45).
“There’s a risk in everything that we do” (42:00).
“I’m never going to say to my son you can’t do that” (42:10).
“You can take the things that other people look at as a [challenge]… and instead feel grateful for them because it made me an extraordinary man” (44:15)
“Give your kids what they need, not what they want” (46:15).
“I knew for a fact I would get things done because I’ve always been the type of person who gets things done” (50:45).
“I knew I had to change the direction of my path” (53:10).
Additionally, make sure to check out JaxJox, a great, interactive workout platform, as well as to follow Vernon on social media @VernonDavis85!
Thank you so much to Vernon for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jay Van Bavel is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at New York University. Prior to joining NYU, Jay completed his PhD at the University of Toronto and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Ohio State University. From neurons to social networks, Jay’s research examines how collective concerns of identities, moral values, and political beliefs shape the mind, brain, and behavior. His work addresses issues of group identity, social motivation, cooperation, moral judgment, decision making, and social media. He’s a researcher at his core who’s highly curious, looking up the newest and best ways to gather great science and great data and great information. He’s published over 100 academic publications and co-authors a mentoring column. His work has appeared in academic papers in the US Supreme Court and the Senate. His research has been featured in a TedTalk, a TedEd, and a TedX. He’s consulted with the White House, United Nations, European Union, and the World Health Organization on issues related to his research.
Jay had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“We have an enormous amount of resilience, more than we would have expected” (11:20).
“90% of success is just showing up. You show up and you do your best even if it’s not your best day” (12:45).
“We’re highly attuned to the social norms of any group we’re in” (15:00).
“People want to feel like the identities they have are positive and distinct from other groups” (16:45).
“We want to signal to ourselves and others that we’re part of valued identities” (18:15).
“If people reduce their social media use by 1 hour a day, they’re much happier” (20:35).
“Most every human has a need for affiliation” (24:15).
“We can identify with groups of people we’ve never even met” (25:00).
“People misrepresent themselves on social media” (28:40).
“People are tuned to whatever type of value generates engagement on different [social media] platforms” (29:15).
“The more you identify with a group, the more you want to start to embody the norms of the group” (31:55).
“If you’re in a group, you should be carefully thinking about what the norms are” (33:30).
“You can nudge and influence other people by changing your own behavior” (33:35).
“The most powerful form of identity that makes people feel fulfilled but also inclusive is what’s called the dual-identity model: When you feel part of something bigger than yourself, but you are still able to sustain and feel that your other identities are valued” (36:50).
“We’re wired to be group-ish” (39:40).
“The groups we belong to don’t necessarily need to discriminate” (40:35).
“One of the key predictors of cooperation is that you both benefit if it’s good” (45:45).
“I frame my criticisms as questions” (47:30).
“Organizations who add talent but don’t think about how groups will gel often times aren’t any more successful” (50:45).
“Even though polarization has gotten really bad, people still vastly overestimate it” (56:30).
“40-50% of our political ideologies is biological” (1:04:30).
“We all contain multitudes of identities” (1:10:00).
“Whatever situation we’re in activates an identity, and with it comes a way of seeing the world” (1:10:25).
Additionally, make sure to check out powerofus.online for more information on Jay’s book, and you can also find more info on Jay at JayVanBevel.com! Also, you can follow Jay on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and if you’d like to reach out to Jay his email is jay.vanbevel@nyu.edu.
Thank you so much to Jay for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jay had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“We have an enormous amount of resilience, more than we would have expected” (11:20).
“90% of success is just showing up. You show up and you do your best even if it’s not your best day” (12:45).
“We’re highly attuned to the social norms of any group we’re in” (15:00).
“People want to feel like the identities they have are positive and distinct from other groups” (16:45).
“We want to signal to ourselves and others that we’re part of valued identities” (18:15).
“If people reduce their social media use by 1 hour a day, they’re much happier” (20:35).
“Most every human has a need for affiliation” (24:15).
“We can identify with groups of people we’ve never even met” (25:00).
“People misrepresent themselves on social media” (28:40).
“People are tuned to whatever type of value generates engagement on different [social media] platforms” (29:15).
“The more you identify with a group, the more you want to start to embody the norms of the group” (31:55).
“If you’re in a group, you should be carefully thinking about what the norms are” (33:30).
“You can nudge and influence other people by changing your own behavior” (33:35).
“The most powerful form of identity that makes people feel fulfilled but also inclusive is what’s called the dual-identity model: When you feel part of something bigger than yourself, but you are still able to sustain and feel that your other identities are valued” (36:50).
“We’re wired to be group-ish” (39:40).
“The groups we belong to don’t necessarily need to discriminate” (40:35).
“One of the key predictors of cooperation is that you both benefit if it’s good” (45:45).
“I frame my criticisms as questions” (47:30).
“Organizations who add talent but don’t think about how groups will gel often times aren’t any more successful” (50:45).
“Even though polarization has gotten really bad, people still vastly overestimate it” (56:30).
“40-50% of our political ideologies is biological” (1:04:30).
“We all contain multitudes of identities” (1:10:00).
“Whatever situation we’re in activates an identity, and with it comes a way of seeing the world” (1:10:25).
Additionally, make sure to check out powerofus.online for more information on Jay’s book, and you can also find more info on Jay at JayVanBevel.com!
Thank you so much to Jay for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Sam Walker is the author of The Captain Class, a profile of the captains of the 17 greatest dynasties in sports history. He is a columnist, keynote speaker and teambuilding consultant for corporations, military units, nonprofits and professional and Olympic sports teams. Over two decades at The Wall Street Journal, Walker served as sports columnist, sports editor, deputy page-one editor and leadership columnist. He attended the University of Michigan. He lives in New York with his wife and two children.
Sam had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’ve been blessed and cursed at the same time by being easily bored” (4:55).
“When you walk in a door that you’ve never been through before, you see that people are dealing with a lot of the same things, the same issues, the same stresses” (8:35).
“The book is really about what are the real qualities of effective leadership” (15:30).
“The big threat to great leadership and sustained excellence is rarely a lack of ability, it’s burnout” (16:20).
“I need to be effective as a leader, but I also need to be efficient” (17:45).
“You need to understand your superpower and your kryptonite” (18:45).
“[Great leadership] is behavior. It’s what you do. It’s not anything you’re born with. It’s making the right choices in the right contexts” (20:40).
“These captains don’t over celebrate. They’re almost more relieved when they win because they feel like that’s how things are supposed to go” (24:05).
“Everyone talks about Michael Jordan being a leader except Michael Jordan” (25:30).
“I don’t think the instincts of being a great captain and the instincts of being a great coach are really the same” (28:20).
“No one has studied more dynasties than me. That’s what I do. I seek out these dynasties because I want to understand long term successes” (29:40).
“There are three things which I have always called the contagious behaviors of the boss or leader: relentless effort, toughness, and emotional control” (32:35).
“The things that I notice about these great leaders is that they’re not obvious leaders” (34:10).
“Leadership is about what you do not who you are” (34:25).
“These captains had very good relationships with people” (37:15).
“There’s no two dynasties that have had exactly the same culture” (43:45).
“Be the best version of who you are, not of who you want to be” (45:25).
“What is your unique culture?” (48:30).
“Leadership is about this intense one-on-one communication where you talk as much as you listen” (54:15).
“The act of being heard makes people feel safer” (55:25).
“All of these great dynasties had a superstar who was rarely the captain” (59:15).
“There’s three phases of a dynasty: the building phase, the committing phase, and the maintaining phase. These three phases are completely different” (1:09:00).
Additionally, make sure to check out Sam’s website and to follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn!
Thank you so much to Sam for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
D’Qwell Jackson was a superstar at the University of Maryland. He had an amazing and illustrious career, winning all kinds of awards. He really out-kicked expectations that were placed on him when he arrived in College Park, Maryland. He did such a good job there that he ended up being a second-round pick in the NFL Draft. He went on to have a 10+ year career in the NFL starting at linebacker. This conversation is going to be about a lot more than just executing as a football player. D’Qwell is open and honest about some of the challenges he faced over his NFL career around his identity, his mindset, his belief in himself, and overcoming adversity and injuries.
D’Qwell had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Trevor [Moawad] was a godsend for me” (5:45).
“I’m a planner. When I wake up in the morning, I need to know exactly what I’m doing every moment, every hour, of the day” (9:00).
“We mapped out everything. Monday through Sunday everything was planned” (10:40).
“If you want to be great, there are no choices. Period.” (12:45).
“Those two decisions I made in my life of meeting Trevor and going to Sierra Leone really changed the way I looked at and evaluated my life. I started making better choices after those moments” (15:00).
“I was very self-motivated. It didn’t take much. It was just a matter of mapping out a plan of how to do it” (17:30).
“If there was an opportunity to be my best self or to be the best at something, internally I couldn’t let that opportunity pass me by” (19:05).
“I didn’t want to miss an opportunity” (19:45).
“I knew I had the skills to get a full scholarship and to go to college. That was my only thought” (20:00).
“At one point in life, I needed football for my identity” (24:25).
“I’m more than just football. I can use my talents to really branch out” (24:40).
“As a professional athlete, the sooner you can realize you’re living in 2 different worlds, 2 different realities, the better off you’ll be” (28:45).
“People deal with trauma differently” (33:05).
“Every day needs to be better than the previous day” (36:25).
“It took some things not going exactly as planned in order for me to come out on the better end of things” (37:15).
“Never get too high, never get too low” (38:35).
“You go right to the solution. You don’t dwell on what’s happened” (40:00).
“Everyone deals with mental stress whether they realize it or not” (40:55).
“I wanted to be the best linebacker I could possibly be” (42:05).
“If you don’t have people you trust at every level, it’s not going to work” (44:15).
“If you make people believe like they’re a part of the system, then we’re going to get so much more in return” (51:40).
“I’m comfortable in my own skin” (54:45).
“Football helped me come out of my shell” (59:55).
Additionally, I would encourage you to check out the Athletes Unplugged podcast hosted by D’Qwell. Each episode unearths great behind-the-scene stories while showcasing each guest as their authentic selves, not just their profession. You can find @AthletesUnplugged on platforms such as YouTube, Google podcast, Podbay, Spotify & Apple. You can also find D’Qwell on Instagram @dqwelljackson and you can find Athletes Unplugged on Instagram @Athletesunplugged.
Thank you so much to D’Qwell for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
All along the way Buzz has had tremendous success on the basketball coBuzz Williams is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Texas A&M University. Buzz has had quite an experience in his coaching journey. He was a head coach from a very young age. I first learned about him as the head coach at Marquette, then he went over to Virginia Tech, where I first met him in person, and now he’s at Texas A&M. What’s caught my attention and what really blew me away when I met him is his presence. He is somebody who really cares about culture, leadership, character building, life skills, you name it. And, he’s a competitor. Make no mistake, he’s an emotional guy that cares deeply about winning, but he also cares about learning and growing. He’s one of the most curious people I’ve been around, and we actually connected after he read my book and he reached out and gave me some amazing compliments, which really blew me away. Buzz is someone who is constantly learning, constantly looking to grow, and then trying to pour all of himself into his student athletes, his family, his community, and the people he has great relationships with. He’s a heart-centric guy who wears his emotions on his sleeves. He’s thoughtful, he’s intelligent, he’s creative, and he likes to do things a little bit differently. This conversation is unique, it’s different, and I think that’s a testament to Buzz and what he brings to not just the basketball community, but to our society as a whole.
Buzz had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I want to be famous in my home” (5:45).
“The lives in your home are the ones you have to be held accountable to in a higher regard” (6:20).
“I want our players to see what being a good husband and father is” (9:10).
“I want all of the children to learn all of the facets that come with being a spouse” (9:55).
“I want there to be a route and a rhythm to everything that we do” (15:30).
“I’ve tried to become more purposeful in controlling the offseason” (16:25).
“Leaders become stale and non-existent when they don’t know how to feed themselves” (18:15).
“What do I need to know? What do I not know? Who can help me figure it out?” (19:00).
“We all talk about time management. I don’t think you manage time, I think you manage energy, which is where you are giving your time to” (21:10).
“The best way to figure out where you’re going is to, as best as possible, think of yourself in that next version. What is it that you’re wanting to do and how is it you’re wanting to do it?” (25:10).
“I’m always cautious to never step on anyone’s dream” (26:30).
“You can’t be anything that you want to be. You can be what you earn the right to be” (28:55).
“They print money, but they don’t print time and they don’t print opportunity” (29:30).
“I spend a lot of time at work and I spend a lot of time at home” (31:25).
“You don’t get to your full potential when you’re worrying about the wrong things” (33:25).
“I don’t know if I was ever able to exhaust the best I could be because I was giving energy and emotion to things that, in truth, are just part of the job” (35:10).
“I don’t want what I do to solely be my identity” (36:00).
“I would rather begin to view myself as the steward, [not the coach]” (37:45).
“This is not my program; I’ve just been appointed as the steward of this program for now” (38:10).
“Wisdom is more precious than rubies” (40:00).
“We have become connoisseurs of information” (40:10).
“There is a never-ending supply of knowledge and I want to have a learner’s spirit in everything that I do” (40:30).
“There’s knowledge around us in every possible way. Our job as leaders is how can I take knowledge from a different world and translate it to the world I live in and make the world I live in better” (41:10).
“Wisdom is a completely different category than knowledge. I’m constantly trying to accrue knowledge, but I want to get to the lowest common denominator of that knowledge and see if there’s wisdom that can be applied” (41:30).
“Wisdom is a separator” (41:45).
“Wisdom can be accrued through experience, but wisdom can also be accrued through someone else’s experience” (42:45).
“The smartest people in the world ask the best questions” (48:35).
“What’s running through your mind will always come out in your walk” (49:05).
“I want to be curious about everything” (49:30).
“Always be aware of patterns. Patterns can be good, and patterns can be bad” (52:00).
“I never say no to an opportunity to learn as long as it doesn’t put me in a negative position to neglect my priorities” (53:00).
“The perception of who I am and the reality of who I am, they’re as far as the east is from the west” (53:20).
“I’m super sensitive to the patterns of those around me because I am curious” (54:40).
“You can control your thoughts, your actions, your attitude, your reactions. Most of the rest of it is out of your control” (55:10).
“The best way to acknowledge someone’s curiosity is their willingness to listen and their willingness to ask good questions” (58:15).
“I want to listen more than I want to talk” (58:40).
“True love has no agenda” (1:00:55).
“What our world needs is more truth telling” (1:03:35).
“I’m cautious to give advice until I have such a relationship with that person that the transparency in the conversation goes both ways” (1:04:00).
“I’m not very good at being. But I think some of your best, most creative ideas come when you are bored. I need to continue to find ways to allow myself to be bored without feeling guilty” (1:09:25).
“If I’m not stronger [in the weight room] than every player on my team, I’m going to retire” (1:11:40).
“Just because I don’t know what I’m going to do, that doesn’t mean I should continue doing what I’m doing” (1:13:45).
“Build trustful relationships for 10 years from now, but learn to connect the dots between now and then. Trustful means you never ask them for anything” (1:17:10).
“I never ask our players for anything other than their best” (1:18:50).
“Is the relationship transactional or is the relationship transformative?” (1:19:15).
“I would never even consider hiring you if I didn’t trust you” (1:22:30).
“The best way to learn is when you have ownership” (1:27:10).
“We want our staff to be an example to our team of what it means to be a team” (1:27:45).
“I write two handwritten thank you notes every day to make sure my heart stays in the right place relative to the spirit I want to carry in my life” (1:29:40).
“I write my kids every day that they go to school” (1:31:15).
“For every mile of road, there’s two miles of ditch. Stay out of the ditch” (1:35:15).
Additionally, make sure to check out Buzz’s website!
Thank you so much to Buzz for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Johanna Faries is currently the General Manager of Call of Duty. She is highly involved, especially with their Esport league, where she is head of the league. She was also the commissioner of Call of Duty Esports before transitioning to this role. Prior to that, she worked at the National Football League where she was Vice President, she was involved in business development and marketing strategy and fan development, and she was on a pathway to continue to rise up that corporate “ladder.” She’s also a musician. When she graduated from Harvard, she moved to California and started writing songs and making music. I think what makes Johanna really unique is that she’s got multiple sides to her. She is a complex person. She’s highly driven, she’s highly ambitious, but she also has a lightness to her that is really likable and is really refreshing. She’s clearly very smart and very bright, but she’s also someone who seems to be trying to be grounded.
Johanna had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’ve always been thinking about spirituality, thinking about relationships with larger forces than ourselves… why are we here type questions” (7:15).
“I often have felt burdened by my obsession with theology and the spiritual path” (9:10).
“I balance those questions, that are often never-ending and open-ended questions, with very tactical work day-to-day as a business executive” (10:00).
“I’m fascinated by all of us because I think we’re all wrestling with the same question” (10:45).
“It is a very scary part of the process to actually stop and reflect and really think about how fulfilled your soul might be” (13:15).
“If I could spend 30 minutes a day interviewing people like you’re interviewing me and ask them ‘Where are you in the faith journey?’, no matter what the response is, I find it fascinating” (13:30).
“It’s where I’m at now, I don’t know where I’m going to be at 3 years from now” (15:10).
“It’s not just this time of great resignation or the great pandemic, it’s also this moment of great permission to pause collectively and reflect” (18:00).
“What does great leadership look like going forward? What level of empathy needs to come through each and every day to enable people to do their best work?” (19:05).
“I am so goal-oriented as a leader, I’m so big-picture, so vision-setter, I sometimes lose sight of the intricacies of the people doing the detailed work actually enabling you to summit in the first place” (22:00).
“I have really learned how important it is to stop and check in with all of those parts of somebody on my team. It matters. It matters to building trust, it matters to seeing them as more than just getting to the top of Mount Everest” (23:40).
“I’ve learned how to not under-express my tendencies around introversion because my version of being an introvert means that solitude is my happy space” (26:30).
“I exert high extroverted energy in my roles as a business leader, but I also need these moments of solitude to really recharge” (26:50).
“I have to really think about how I’m going to spend my time for maximum impact” (29:15).
“Every day cannot be so rote that the predictability undermines creativity” (30:00).
“Every great leader thinks about time, energy, focus, and the triangulation of those things” (31:05).
“I feel very blessed in this moment in time because these passions have all intersected and interwoven in ways that feel very balanced” (31:45).
“Creativity and art have this power that goes beyond language, nationality, our indoctrinations, and our individual choices” (35:45).
“I’m a both/and kind of a gal” (41:40).
“There’s nothing more powerful than great storytelling to move people” (50:40).
“Everything is timing. What isn’t timing?” (52:30).
“What an amazing time because of the convergence that’s happening” (57:30).
“We’re connecting dots all the time” (1:06:40).
“We’ve created a societal normality around perfectionism” (1:10:35).
“We are inundated with the self-talk and the external factors that are pouring into us to feel insecure, to feel imperfect, to feel not enough” (1:11:00).
“I’m not secure because life isn’t secure and it’s always changing” (1:12:45).
“It changed my life in so many ways for the better to get curious about industries that I knew very little about” (1:14:25).
Additionally, make sure to check out Johanna on LinkedIn!
Thank you so much to Johanna for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Scott Drew is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Baylor University. Coach Drew began his career at Baylor in 2003 when he took over a program that was decimated by tragedy, player departures, a depleted roster, and NCAA restrictions. He was slow and methodical in the process in which he went about to turn the program around. He really tried to recruit a solid foundation of talent in high school players, and also really focused on who would align and fit with what they were trying to do at Baylor. Fast-forward to almost 20 years later, and Baylor has become a contender almost annually. They won a national championship, they are constantly at the top of the rankings, and in their conference, the Big 12, they are a perennial contender. He has built a program at Baylor that was on the verge of not even existing because of some of the hardships, the challenges, and the messiness that encapsulated the program he inherited.
This conversation is wide-ranging. We talk a lot about faith; Coach Drew talks about faith in almost every conversation he has with people, and you’re going to hear that spew out of him. He also talks a lot about leadership. He talks a lot about character and what he’s looking for in his program. He also talks a ton about culture during our conversation. We’re going to talk a little bit about his upbringing and his family in this conversation, we’re also going to really focus in on why he’s so positive and how he sees the world. At his core, he is an optimist, he doesn’t hold back or mince words to describe himself as a Christian, and he’s also a coach. This is someone who really does care about developing people and creating a culture that is championship-level on multiple fronts.
Coach Drew had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“It’s not a “got to” job it’s a ‘get to’ job” (6:30).
“Appreciate when people give us opportunities to serve, [be] grateful for those opportunities, and [be] thankful when people treat you right” (6:50).
“How you view life sometimes determines how long you live. There’s no reason to put stress on the things that are negative when it’s really just how you look at them, how you perceive them” (7:15).
“If you’re not striving to get better, then you’re probably getting worse” (8:20).
“One way’s not the only way” (9:00).
“If you’ve only got a short time here, let’s make it enjoyable and make it pleasing for as many other people as possible” (9:55).
“We never just get the most talented players, we get who fits our culture, fits us the best” (12:55).
“I spend more time with our assistant coaches and staff than I do my own family” (13:05).
“I want to surround myself with the iron-sharpens-iron people who make me better” (13:30).
“I love brining excitement and joy and hype into the game” (17:30).
“We’re all human, which means we’d rather be praised than criticized” (20:05).
“You’d always rather see a lesson than hear it” (22:25).
“I pride myself on trying to be a servant leader” (22:45).
“Like everybody, you want to feel like you made a difference” (23:15).
“It takes a team to win, and at the end of the game they don’t say one person won” (28:00).
“If they’re being a great teammate, they’re being coachable. If they’re being a great teammate, they’re acknowledging their teammates, they’re lifting them up, they’re building them up… they’re giving love” (28:20).
“We use ‘we’ a lot, we don’t use ‘I’ very much” (29:15).
“Our job as coaches is to have a pulse of the chemistry and who would fit in” (29:35).
“We’ve always tried to take character over talent, but over time you’re able to get both” (34:15).
“Nobody can measure the heart” (39:00).
“Head coaches are only as good as their staff, so I always try to hire people that are smarter than me” (42:45).
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my dad” (44:00).
“To win a championship you have to have great chemistry” (49:10).
“Coaches can be great leaders, but if no one’s following it doesn’t matter” (50:05).
“Life is short. We’re going to be positive, we’re going to be cheerleaders, and we’re going to give everything we have, and if it’s not good enough we should go to bed knowing we tried our best” (52:30).
Additionally, make sure to check out Coach Drew on Twitter @BUDREW and to purchase the book The Road to Joy anywhere you prefer to buy books!
Thank you so much to Coach Drew for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Today’s episode, episode #277, is a little bit different. I have interviewed 276 different people, and over that span I’ve often contemplated and though, “You know who I would love to have on here? My dad.” He’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever been around, and I’ve had a front row seat to witness, to him questions, to observe, to notice. I was hesitant to have my dad on as a guest because I like to ask questions that other people don’t necessarily ask. And certainly, I’ve had friends on the podcast, people I care deeply about, but I knew with my dad it would be extremely personal. I wanted to ask him questions that I don’t always get to ask him. Even though there’s space for us in our relationship to ask questions, we don’t always sit for an hour and a half and learn with each other. We don’t always sit and ask what’s really on our mind and share in a vulnerable way, and we have a very healthy relationship. There was some fear for me in bringing my dad into this community, bringing my dad into my world, even though I’ve always been part of his. I’ve referenced my dad a ton in conversations with others. My dad is now 72 years old. I didn’t want to wait any longer to ask him some questions I was really curious about and to share him. He’s one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever been around. He’s one of the most intentional performers I’ve ever been around. And so, I felt inspired, obligated, and excited to go deeper with him and to be willing to share a side to him that others don’t know. We uncovered and talked about some things that we hadn’t ever talked about. Most of us don’t ask the questions that we want to ask to the people that are closest to us. For me, that was pretty jaw-dropping that there were parts of this conversation that we hadn’t discussed in detail previously. For you, as you’re listening to this conversation, I hope you take that away more than anything else. I hope this conversation inspires you. I hope it challenges you to sit down with the people that you love and just be really curious and listen without judgment.
My dad, Bruce Levenson, became more well-known when he bought into the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers. Before that, he was extremely successful in the business world. He co-founded a company called United Communications Group. They acquired a lot of companies along the way, including a company called Tech Target which ended up going public and is still a publicly traded company. There was a company called Gas Buddy they acquired at one point as well. My dad and his co-founder Ed are journalists. That’s their trade, that’s what they came into the business world doing. So, they really believed in creating exceptional content. They were a business-too-business newsletter, and they would sell their content to other companies. My dad also went to law school at night as he was working extremely hard. My dad does not mind working hard, he actually enjoys it. Philanthropically, he has been extremely active for as long as I can remember. He and my mom formed the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, which aims to educate and train the next generation of non-profit leaders and people in the social sector who are changing our world in really amazing ways.
Hope you enjoy this unique episode.
Here are some impactful quotes from my dad from the episode:
“When you stop growing, you start dying. I have no interest in dying” (16:15).
“I’d rather bet for myself than against myself” (16:45).“I’ll keep walking fast for as long as I can” (16:50).
“Always finding time for family, time to do things other than working, was always a priority” (18:10).
“I don’t ever remember coming home tired from work. I loved work” (22:15).
“I love to build in so many different ways… and part of the love of that is being part of a team” (23:15).
“I still take on too much” (25:15).
“I added an element of intelligent impatience” (31:50).
“I would hope they would describe me as someone who is stimulating to be at the table with” (33:30).
“The partnerships that did work all had one thing in common: there was this courtship where mutual respect and trust was built, we didn’t jump into it” (36:00).
“When you’re walking fast, sometimes you walk right past that communication” (38:50).
“For me, it was always about being my own boss” (44:00).
“Anybody who says money doesn’t buy you happiness isn’t spending their money wisely” (44:30).
“Don’t do it alone. I really believe in the power of partnerships” (45:15).
“I want to set an example for my community” (46:05).
“There’s room for error if you’re overcommunicating and being overly assertive” (50:00).
“I care that if someone meets me in passing and googles me, they may read something about me that makes them think less of me” (55:00).
“There were a lot of similarities between the sports business and my business” (1:06:30).
“The glass is always 80% full for me” (1:11:45).
“I’m not superman. I don’t have answers for everything. Depression is something very real and very debilitating, you have to work really hard to work your way out of it” (1:15:55).
“It’s hard for me to call it a failure because I tried my hardest and controlled what I could control” (1:24:05).
“I’m the luckiest guy in the world” (1:28:10).
Thank you so much to my dad for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Julien Smith is the Co-Founder and CEO at Practice. Previously, he was also the Co-Founder of a company called Breather. Additionally, he was a New York Times Bestselling Author of 3 books. He is somebody who’s been a speaker and a writer. Creative would be the word I use to best sum up Julien.
Julien had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“One of the ways to have the biggest impact on the world is to work with a team of people that will care about a common purpose” (7:15).
“How much of a mercenary are you vs a missionary?” (8:15).
“I was a hard employee… I wanted a level of autonomy that I never earned” (11:35).
“I felt that I had a value in myself that I saw that was very difficult for me to show other people. I had to step completely out of the system” (13:00).
“People make everything happen. When it’s not people, it’s culture” (23:00).
“I’m more deliberate about people now than I ever was” (23:15).
“To be deliberate with the people that you work with has got to be the most valuable thing that you can possibly do at a startup, especially at the early stage” (24:15).
“The number one thing that I care about today is making sure the team is amazing and making sure the team is all aligned together” (26:00).
“I’ve been working to empower solo people for as long as I can think” (30:15).
“The challenge is to scale beyond your own thing” (41:15).
“There’s hundreds of coaches out there, but no one knows how to find them other than by referral” (43:10).
“I like the intimacy of the relationship in coaching” (44:00).
“CEOs have almost no opportunity to be their honest self, they’re always on. To be able to give them an opportunity to not be on… and to allow them to authentically be themselves is incredibly rewarding” (44:30).
“Coaching lets me step out of my own company, which is really rewarding” (44:50).
“No matter who you are or how you get it, you do need a connection to something greater than yourself” (50:45).
“As much as possible, I try to connect to things that are bigger than myself to remember that there’s a lot of stuff out there in the world” (51:10).
“I feel that you’ve got to know what you’re getting into” (54:25).
“To me, what venture really means is access to money and access to a really strong density of talent” (55:20).
“Venture brings together incredibly smart and talented people” (55:50).
“My identity was absolutely attached to being the CEO and Co-Founder of Breather, and to a degree it’s attached to Practice, but less so than the people who have done nothing before that at all” (58:00).
“Let’s build a business that will support the next 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000 people like this” (59:15).
“I really believe that in 5-10 years we can be one of the most successful companies in the world. To do that right, from the very beginning, you have to have that intent” (1:00:45).
“One of the things that you’ve got to do when you get into venture-backed businesses, you have to know that you can build something for a customer that you love, and you have to know that you can do it for 10 years” (1:01:15).
Additionally, make sure to check out Julien on Twitter. You can also purchase any of Julien’s books (The Flinch, Trust Agents, the Impact Equation; Companies: Practice, Breather) anywhere where you normally buy books! If you want to learn more about Practice, feel free to give the website a look. I would also encourage you to check out the website for Peter Shallard, known as the Shrink for Entrepreneurs.
Thank you so much to Julien for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Joanne McCallie is a legendary basketball coach. She was named the ACC Coach of the Year twice (2010, 2012), and the Big Ten Coach of the Year once (2005). Additionally, she was a 3x America East Coach of the Year (1995, 1996, 1999). She has a basketball resume that is incredible, including in 2005 winning the AP Coach of the Year. She won 646 games and only lost 255 games in her coaching career. Joanne decided to retire from basketball, and she has been an advocate, and really been courageous in sharing her story around mental health and being bipolar. We get into a deep, enriching conversation, and it’s a conversation I truly feel we have to have. The reality is that mental health, suicide, depression, anxiety, they don’t discriminate. It can hit any of us; it can hit all of us. I love how open Joanne is about sharing her story, and also how could she have so much success while dealing with some of these challenges.
Joanne had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If you take the pain and the hurt and think of it as this blanket around a person, they can’t see through that blanket” (8:35).
“If you hear the question ‘How could they [attempt to commit suicide],’ the answer is ‘With enough pain and enough suffering and the inability to see through the blanket, it happens’” (8:50).
“In our society today, almost 1 out of every 2 people are struggling with some element on the [mental health] continuum” (11:05).
“[My disorder] is just a part of me. There are many parts of me” (11:20).
“Whatever you’re going through, whether it’s a diagnosis or not, this too shall pass, and it is not all of you” (12:00).
“There’s lots of places where we can lose our identities relative to sport, or anything else for that matter” (13:50).
“Productivity makes for happiness” (22:00).
“If anyone is feeling nonproductive and non-loved, then that can really affect your feelings about life” (22:20).
“I’ve made the transfer into my new life, but more importantly, the grief that I’d been holding and the anxiety of those losses, I’m getting over it. It’s finally turning” (24:05).
“Never go alone with pain” (25:30).
“Grieving is a process, and you can’t get around it” (25:45).
“Grief is personal, but the smallest things can connote progress” (26:30).
“I complement everybody for carving their path” (27:50).
“I think the transfer portal is a nightmare, I think it’s going to ruin the game if it’s not handled more properly” (29:10).
“[Mental health professionals] need to be elevated in our society” (35:45).
“What I wish I had was a radio show where people could call in anonymously and I could answer questions [about mental health]. Those are kinds of things I think we need” (40:35).
“Mental health awareness is so incredibly difficult, that I’m in a tough spot. Because I don’t want to self-promote” (44:30).
“I feel I should be at every campus” (49:40).
“How could I ever go back to coaching?” (50:10).
“Mental health should be celebrated. Mental health impairment should be respected. It does not discriminate” (52:45).
“This whole mental health thing is going to go on for a long time” (56:15).
“I swim 5-6 times a week, the pool is a great escape for me” (59:50).
“There’s so much we don’t know about people, and that’s why we can’t make judgments on them” (1:03:40).
“Faith is in your own journey. There’s no judgment on anything that you believe as you work through it” (1:06:05).
“Aspiring, dreaming, being courageous, and peace [are the opposite of fear]” (1:07:25).
Additionally, make sure to check out Joanne’s book Secret Warrior and her website!
Thank you so much to Coach P for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Typically, I don’t like to have guests back on the podcast for a 2nd time. But today is a little different. Joe and I decided to create a podcast that is interesting, unique, and something that I got a ton of excitement out of. We get into the weeds of if being a guest on a podcast is different than being a host on a podcast, which led to further conversations about being a host vs. being a guest in life, since there are so many facets of society in which we play host and in which we play guest.
As a little bit about Joe if you don’t remember from our past conversation, Joe Ferraro is currently entering his 23rd year as an educator, teaching 12th grade English. Joe also teaches public speaking and creative writing. In addition to his work in the classroom, he is the founder of damngoodconversations.com. Damn Good Conversations is a company whose mission it is to teach you repeatable ways to have the best conversations in your life and work. His flagship service is a weekly personal growth podcast, which is called “One Percent Better.”
If this episode resonates with you, let me know. And if it doesn’t, I would love to hear your thoughts on why you felt that way as well.
Joe and I had a number of insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I usually use the word workshop. Because if you feel like you’re listening to a keynote, regardless of if you’re 1 person or 1 of 30, the idea is that you’re going to sit there and you’re going to listen the entire time. That’s not how I do [talks]. I do experiences” (8:20).
“I don’t want to talk at people, I want to talk with people” (8:40).
“Whenever you’re having a planned meaningful conversation or a meeting, agendas are so valuable” (10:35).
“I don’t want host and guest to bleed over into status roles” (14:10).
“Everything in this podcast arena, with a microphone, is all the same to me because this is where I want to be” (16:50).
“My preparation as a host far exceeds my preparation as a guest” (20:30).
“I very rarely go into a conversation without, baseline, 5-10 questions” (22:20).
“I could be more intentional as a guest” (22:30).
“Anytime someone is paying me to help them figure some stuff out, I need to honor that. That is a big deal. When you put stuff out on a microphone into the real world, that is a big deal” (23:00).
“If you are only going to be the one asking questions and you’re never going to share yourself and be vulnerable in any conversation, I’m not so sure that that is leading, I’m not so sure that that is how you build a great relationship. It’s a one-way street and I think great conversations are two ways” (25:20).
“Great leaders listen. Great leaders ask great questions. That is true. And, great leaders offer great insight and need to be able to share with conviction what they believe” (27:00).
“A couple episodes ago, I threw out this idea of a reverse mentor. Which is someone who’s less experienced, usually younger, but certainly and vitally less experienced than me, who I intentionally sought out to learn from” (29:00).
“I’m against shooting the breeze and seeing where things go. Once the relationship has been established where there’s mutual respect and expertise on at least one side, if not both, now I’m diving in with two feet” (30:10).
“Reverse mentor: someone with less experience who can give me fresh eyes” (30:15).
“We both believe there are different forms of preparation, but it has to exist” (32:00).
“Your attention and your focus are incredible commodities” (33:15).
“Being a good host does not guarantee you will be a good guest, and being a good guest does not guarantee you will be a good host” (36:30).
“When I watch a panel and someone knows how to do it, I sit back in awe, because it’s so hard to ask questions that are interesting and unique and can unlock someone’s potential and how they think” (41:45).
“Would you rather be interviewed by Tim Ferris, or would you rather interview Tim Ferris?” (42:40)
“Saying nothing is different than saying something and bringing a different shine to it” (48:00).
“Those who are interesting are interested” (49:05).
“We are constantly playing host and guest with people we’re talking with, there just may not be a blinking light or a microphone” (49:40).
“I think it’s okay to treat different opportunities differently” (50:50).
“’Not everybody thinks that way’ is a really powerful framing mechanism” (51:50).
You can check out the website for Damn Good Conversations here. Also, I highly recommend following Joe on Twitter @FerraroOnAir.
Thank you so much to Joe for coming back on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Carole Robin, Ph.D. who taught the legendary Interpersonal Dynamics course (affectionately known by students as “Touchy Feely”) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business was the Dorothy J. King Lecturer in Leadership, Director of the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program, and Director of the Stanford Interpersonal Dynamics Programs for High Performing Executives (Executive Program) before co-founding Leaders in Tech, which brings the principles and process of “Touchy Feely” to executives in Silicon Valley. Prior to coming to Stanford, she had careers in sales and marketing management and was a partner in two consulting firms. She is the co-author of the highly acclaimed and award-winning book, Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues which contains the lessons of "Touchy Feely" that thousands of students have consistently described for decades as life changing and worth the price of their MBA. She lives in San Francisco, California, with her husband of 36 years.
Carole had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“We’re all works in progress” (14:00)
“Every opportunity with another human being is an opportunity to learn” (14:15).
“I don’t think I can be a good teacher if I’m not constantly a good student” (15:15).
“The more I learn as a student, the more motivated I am to teach” (15:30).
“Too much education is loaded with baggage around teachers being the ones who know and students being the ones who don’t” (15:55).
“Asking someone to give you feedback has the potential to make them feel vulnerable” (20:55).
“I was, and am, unafraid to lean into the discomfort” (25:00).
“A fundamental premise of learning and growth is that you don’t learn anything unless you step outside your comfort zone” (25:20).
“I’m going to show the world that it doesn’t matter that I’m a girl” (32:30).
“Our tendency when we feel pinched is to say nothing” (43:00).
“Substitute the pronoun ‘it’ for ‘I,’ ‘you,’ or ‘we’” (43:40).
“There’s so much trouble in business when it comes to using emotions effectively” (47:25).
“There’s an important place in business for feelings, as long as we learn to express them in ways that are productive, and we learn to use them in the same way that we use thoughts” (47:45).
“Thoughts and feelings are like treble and bass in music” (48:00).
“What is needed for two people to relate and to connect with one another?” (54:15).
“We’re all works in progress. Sometimes learning something once isn’t enough… that’s where we often need someone else” (1:01:00).
Additionally, make sure to check out Carole on LinkedIn! Moreover, if you want more information about Leaders in Tech, click here, and if you want more information about Carol’s book, click here.
Thank you so much to Carole for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
As Seer Interactive’s Founder and Vice President of Innovation, Wil Reynolds develops strategies and innovations to help clients build traffic and make money. His methods have shaped the search industry worldwide, and he regularly speaks for marketing conferences worldwide.
Wil had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I’m sick of hanging out with people who want to tell me how successful I am” (7:35).
“Nobody that’s good got better when other people said, ‘you’re good’” (7:40).
“Nobody [inspires me]. Everybody’s got some stuff going on with them” (11:45).
“Mostly I just look for people who walk the walk. That’s it” (12:05).
“I tend to value humility” (14:20).
“I like to keep things simple, so I just want to raise a kind kid” (20:30).
“My number one goal is to raise a kid who sees things in the world, sees things that are wrong, and says ‘I can be a part of solving them’” (20:35).
“When I see a kid being really kind to another kid, I instantly go too ‘What are their parents modeling? Am I modeling those kinds of behaviors’” (25:00).
“We’re now hiring a Community Impact manager specifically to make sure we improve [our number of volunteer hours]” (29:30).
“I got all this by not wanting it, by just trying to be better than I was yesterday” (30:00).
“Be unafraid to suck at something new” (30:30).
“The ROI on culture is at an all-time low because people don’t want to admit to themselves that it’s about the money” (41:55).
“If you take no feedback, you don’t learn, you don’t grow. But then you also have to learn to put that feedback in context at the time and the person and ask should I really listen to all this stuff equally?” (42:40).
“Everything is about how you feel when you put your head on the pillow at night and the decisions that you’ve made that day” (44:50).
“If I don’t have boundaries, I may try to be too available to too many people and not be available to the people who support me” (46:45).
“Watching somebody grow, watching somebody get an opportunity, watching your company be a platform for somebody to get that next best job, it’s like teaching” (51:15).
“I love losing because it’s humbling” (52:50).
“I like minimizing excuses for myself” (54:50).
“I don’t care what anybody does as long as they’re true to themselves” (59:10).
“Be true to you and be brave enough to say, ‘This is what I value.’” (59:20).
Additionally, make sure to check out the Seer Interactive website and Wil’s blog, and to follow Wil on Twitter!
Thank you so much to Wil for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Jesse Cole is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and is the owner of the Savannah Bananas. Jesse really enjoys talking about leadership, culture, and what it takes to build something special. And what he’s built with the Savannah Bananas is just that. It’s very unique, and what he’s building is fascinating. His teams have welcomed more than 1 million fans to their ballparks, and have been featured on MSNBC, CNN, ESPN, and Entrepreneur Magazine. ESPN did a feature on what Jesse is creating in Savannah. The Bananas have been awarded with Organization of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Business of the Year, and won the CPL Championship in their first year. While they emphasize fun and entertainment at their baseball games, they also win. The Savannah Bananas currently have sold out every game since their first season, and have a waiting list in the thousands of tickets. In addition to that, Jesse discusses the wait list they have for players who want to come play for them, and for employees at a time when people are leaving companies in droves, Jesse points out that they are willing and able and wanting to come work for his organization. He released his first book, Find Your Yellow Tux: How to be Successful by Standing Out, in January of 2018 with a world book tour at Epcot. Jesse has been featured on over 500 podcasts and is an in-demand keynote speaker all over the country, sharing his fans-first experience on how to stand out, be different, and create raving fans, both customers and employees.
Jesse had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“Swing hard in case you hit it” (8:45).
“Every day I see things from my kids that blows me away” (10:15).
“I make sure I do things all day that give me energy” (11:50).
“No matter what, we are hungry for entertainment. We’re hungry for fun.” (14:30).
“The best creators are often just creating something for themselves” (15:00).
“I am hungry to use this platform too entertain millions with something they’ve never seen before” (15:30).
“Success is happiness and freedom and fulfillment. The ability to do what you want, when you want, to give you purpose (16:20).
“I’m mostly just doing something I love, and it gives me energy” (16:30)
“Every decision we make, we ask ourselves is it fans first?” (18:05).
“How do we create things people have never seen before on a baseball field” (18:30).
“We’re not focused on winning, we’re focused on having fun. And what happens when you focus on having fun? The wins take care of themselves” (21:20).
“I’ve really pushed the envelope on hiring my weaknesses and growing that way” (28:15).
“Our hiring process is over 3 months long” (30:00).
“Our mission is fans first, entertain always” (31:00).
“We call every person that buys merchandise from us and thank them. We call every person that buys a ticket from us and thank them” (34:10).
“Every single morning I do 10 ideas” (37:00).
“My biggest fear is irrelevance” (37:15).
“My idea book is always on me” (38:30).
“We don’t believe people want to be managed. They want to be led” (45:00).
“Everyone plays a role in our show” (46:15).
“We’ve done lots of things that didn’t work, but it’s led us to all the things that do work” (51:00).
“I’m not focused on the next quarter, I’m focused on the next quarter century” (51:15).
“You do what gives you energy, and my energy list is sharing, creating, and growing” (53:40).
“If you want to be lifted up, lift others up” (55:00).
Additionally, make sure to search “Yellow Tux” anywhere to learn more about Jesse and the Bananas!
Thank you so much to Jesse for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Rand Fishkin is cofounder and CEO of audience research software startup, SparkToro. He’s dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing through his writing, videos, speaking, and his book, Lost and Founder.
Rand had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If you are in a happy and healthy headspace and you’ve gotten lots of sleep, you can outperform even in a few minutes what you could do in hours of work” (10:15).
“Chill Work tries to prioritize that high quality, high impact time over hustle culture, total work time” (10:30).
“Even if you perfectly design your company and your business and do near-perfect hiring, you will still encounter those people-challenges as you ramp up to 100, 200+ employees” (12:20).
“This is part of the challenge for entrepreneurs in general, and all human beings, is that sometimes what feels good and right to you internally isn’t what you get externally recognized and rewarded for” (14:45).
“I would not take a company public on the NASDAQ or the New York Stock Exchange” (25:25).
“Tomorrow, if all of our data sources for SparkToro disappeared… we could quickly pivot and probably in 6 months have a business that provides similar value from other data sources” (33:10).
“How do we stay small, nimble, profitable, and happy for a long period of time?” (33:45).
“I wish there was more media, more awards, more recognition, more people doing interviews more celebrating, the culture of small entrepreneurship, slow entrepreneurship” (33:55).
“2/3 of venture funds will not meet their minimum bar for investment” (40:00).
“We have a very asynchronous communication style” (47:15).
“If there’s nothing on my calendar and my inbox is 0, I have no work to do. I’m going to go inside and play video games” (48:45).
“We empty our cups professionally and we have nothing left to give personally and emotionally to our partners or kids or families or friends” (50:15).
“Don’t do what I did and start a business out of college. Go work for a few startups, go work for a few companies and figure out what you like and hate” (52:25).
“Sometimes you have too mistakes for yourself before you can learn” (55:10).
“I feel like I have enough. I want to keep doing it, I love doing it, but I don’t have that hole in my chest that can only be filled with people [praising] me” (59:00).
“I have enough, but I don’t think I am enough. I would be very scared to stop a journey of self-discovery and improvement… I don’t want to ever stop that” (1:00:55).
“There’s no perfect human being. Learning and growing is core to that” (1:02:55).
“You can do anything, but you can’t do nothing and you can’t do everything” (1:03:05).
“I am deeply optimistic about a lot of the things that are going on in my general orbit” (1:13:00).
“Social media is a technological innovation similar to the printing press, or radio, or television, and societies in the past found ways to mitigate the risks of those inventions and to optimize for their good mostly” (1:24:30).
“The fact that social media is so new means that we’re that generation who’s experiencing the printing press, or the rise of radio, or the rise of television” (1:25:15).
“Not participating is not failing, it’s not giving up, it’s not weakness” (1:41:10).
Additionally, make sure to connect with Rand on Twitter and LinkedIn! You can also reach out to Rand via email at rand@sparktoro.com and check out his blog!
Thank you so much to Rand for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Zoe Chance is an award-winning teacher and researcher at Yale School of Management. Her research has been published in top academic journals like Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and Psychological Science, and covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC, Time, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and The New York Times. Thinkers50 named Zoe one of the world's top up-and-coming management thinkers. Her framework for behavior change is the foundation for Google’s global food policy, and her TEDx talk, How to Make a Behavior Addictive, has more than half a million views. Before coming to Yale, she earned a doctorate in marketing at Harvard and managed a $200 million segment of the Barbie brand at Mattel. She lives with her family in New Haven, CT.
Zoe had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“So much of our ability to influence and persuade other human beings is a direct result of the level of connection that they feel with us. And that level of connection comes from how authentic we are with them in that moment” (6:50).
“Curiosity is something that can only happen in the immediate, present moment” (7:05).
“Being imperfect and human makes other people like us” (12:10).
“Charisma is a combination of confidence and connection. The way to do both of those at once is by focusing your attention on the other person” (13:10).
“How can you have that ability to make the other person feel special?” (16:00).
“Ask more questions” (17:55).
“I love shifting away from anytime we’re saying, ‘you should.’ This is a phrase that sparks immediate resistance from the other person’s unconscious” (20:40).
“It’s not that we shouldn’t talk about ourselves, but that we could all do a lot less of it and be better liked. People like us more when we ask them questions. And they like us even more when we ask them follow-up questions” (24:30).
“If we end up going to some place highly personal and vulnerable, then we really need you, as the question asker, to share some personal, vulnerable stuff (26:50).
“Every person should have to have a sales job at some point in their life… You learn to face rejection, live through it, and build resilience” (36:35).
“All you need to know about life is that every person you meet, find something that you like about them” (43:50).
“It’s about them, [the students], it’s not about me” (47:50).
“My standards for myself have gone down so much, that I’ve lost this desire for perfectionism from any of us” (48:30).
“We’re just human beings. Try to serve and enjoy each other” (46:45).
“In a meeting, we should definitely have an agenda, but not a script” (52:35).
“Anyone who doesn’t have a real boss needs to have a coach” (59:20).
Additionally, make sure to connect with Zoe on Twitter and LinkedIn. I would also greatly encourage you to check out Zoe’s website and to purchase her new book, Influence is your Superpower.
Thank you so much to Zoe for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Nick Hill is the Head Football Coach at Southern Illinois University, where he also played football earlier in his life. Nick also played professional football. The crux and meat of our conversation today is about what he’s building at Southern Illinois. He’s had 3 winning seasons after plenty of losing seasons at Southern Illinois, and he’s going to talk about the culture that he is embedding into the program and why he loves coaching football.
Nick had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“You can still be young and not entitled and work your way up” (10:45).
“It’s a people business, and that’s [true] in any business” (15:00).
“If you want to make your way up in this profession, you have to be able to communicate verbally” (16:50).
“Number 1, what are your values and what do you want this thing to look like?” (19:45).
“How you’re hiring your staff, the people you put in place, your player/personnel people, it’s really the difference I think between elite teams and good teams” (21:45).
“We have to be invested deeply in relationships” (22:50).
“When you build a true team, it’s about development, it’s about overcoming” (26:20).
“Humility is such a huge thing, but we mistake humility a lot. It’s not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less” (25:50).
“Even as a coach, you have to have a confidence, your team has to feel that as well” (30:40).
“There’s nothing like walking into a winning locker room” (49:00).
“There’s that pursuit of that feeling, knowing that that is out there if you put in the work and you become that” (49:30).
“It’s not what we know, it’s what the players know out there, on the field” (56:30).
“There’s a core belief system here about how we’re going to go about things” (1:03:15).
“This is my dream job… I love being here” (1:07:30).
Additionally, make sure to follow Nick on Twitter @17NickHill and to follow the team @SIUFootball.
Thank you so much to Nick for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dave Phillips believes in living life with passion, curiosity, and purpose.
Described as "a visionary thinker with a passion for high-performance coaching," Phillips co-founded the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI). A member of the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America since 1993. Dave has been a Golf Magazine Top 100 teacher since 2000 and is a Golf Digest Top 50 teacher in America. He currently coaches world number one golfer Jon Rahm and is part of hall of fame golfer Phil Mickelson's team.
In 2004, Dave Phillips and Dr. Greg Rose developed TPI, the world's first golf performance facility that looked at every aspect of a player's game, from equipment fitting to biomechanics and the human body. As TPI developed, it became evident that we should pass on the information obtained from working with the game's best through education, and the TPI Certified Brand was born. The TPI-certified brand is the largest of its kind globally, and those accredited experts have helped hundreds of thousands of recreational golfers enjoy the game. Since the start of the educational seminars in 2006, over 27,000 TPI-certified experts are now in 65 countries worldwide.
Dave appeared on the Golf Channel as co-host of the Golf Fitness Academy and Titleist Performance Institute Television shows, broadcast in 77 countries over an eight-year time frame. Dave has also written articles for Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, Sports Illustrated, Men's Health, and The Wall Street Journal; he is a sought-after public speaker who has lectured worldwide on sports performance and business.
David had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“We dive a little deeper. We heavily look at the physical attributes of athletes first, because that kind of unlocks how they work” (8:00).
“There’s a lot of people trying to be the best golfer in the world, but they’re trying to be somebody else because that’s their idol. And that’s not necessarily who they are” (8:15).
“My expertise is taking what I get, and then figuring out that puzzle… You’re trying to put the pieces back together so they can perform at their best” (8:30).
“I see a lot of younger players struggle because they’re trying to be someone that they’re not” (8:35).
“How can I do better with what I already have?” (11:30)
“It doesn’t matter what you look like. It matters can you perform” (13:20).
“I like to see unusual golf swings, I like to see unusual looking athletes, because if they’re competing at the same level as what people consider the model, then I’m way more interested in them than the normal” (13:35).
“Great athletes are willing to do the things that others aren’t willing to do” (14:30).
“Curiosity is that natural instinct we have to want to learn and to want to get better at something that we’re passionate about” (16:20).
“What great athletes have in common is they have a love for the game that they’re playing” (16:30).
“That’s the danger of being curious, you don’t know how to assemble the pieces. And that’s where great coaching comes in” (17:00).
“I think there’s a lot of us that are curious, but it does affect our ability to perform in competition” (17:15).
“If we can learn how we are, how can we then take that into a coaching model” (18:15).
“People think they’re going to get worse before they get better if they take a golf lesson. That’s a problem that the PGA of America should be addressing and needs to address” (28:15).
“If the door swings half open, I’m going through it” (33:20).
“One of the beautiful things about understanding the body is it’s just common sense” (36:30).
“It all starts [with movement]” (37:15).
“Movement, to me, is everything” (37:30).
“We’ve impacted hundreds of thousands of golfers, and I think we’re just scratching the surface” (40:25).
“We need to develop a well-care instead of a health-care society. People need ways to take better care of themselves and not rely so much on the system to take care of them” (41:45).
“I love what I do every day. I love trying to find out how to make players that are working with me better” (44:15).
“If you’ve got all this knowledge but you can’t get it out there, that to me is dangerous” (45:30).
“Having partners that have a like-minded mentality allow you to get to where you want to go much faster than you have before” (48:50).
“I very rarely say no because of my curiosity” (56:30).
“It’s really easy today to be judgmental… but be curious. Try and ask yourself the question ‘Why do they think that way’” (1:00:45).
“You need to end your day watching or listening to something funny. Don’t go to bed mad or upset” (1:03:00).
Additionally, make sure to follow TPI on all forms of social media @mytpi, and to check out the TPI website here!
Thank you so much to David for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Mike Deegan is the head baseball coach at Dennison University, where he is entering his 10th season. Coach Deegan has had tremendous success at the Division III level, winning 3 National Championships. He has also played in 2 National Championships as a player.
Mike had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“For a while I would make fun of people for being arrogant, but secretly I would surround myself with arrogant people because that’s what I was missing” (6:15).
“I’ve been beat over my head in my life to be humble so much so that I think it affects my performances” (6:30).
“You have to look at yourself as a coach ask how my behavior is affecting our team’s performance” (7:30).
“Being humble has served me very well. It makes me relatable and people enjoy me for the most part. But now I have found myself in rooms where I’m humble and I’m listening and I’m curious, but there is this small moment where I would probably be the expert and I don’t throw myself in the arena. And to me, that’s when humility can be hedging” (10:30).
“When those moments arise, I want to take it from a place of confidence to a place of arrogance” (11:20).
“You do everything you can within the rules to win the game” (14:30).
“We’re competing, but afterwards they shake your hands” (14:45).
“You can see culture” (15:20).
“What fills me up, where I think I can make the most impact, is by trying to be a transformational coach and preparing them for things outside of sport” (18:45).
“Why I love sports is because when the ball goes in the air, or the umpire says play ball, color of skin, religion, socioeconomic status, none of that matters. I feel that as a steward of sport, I have to hold onto that” (20:45).
“I have to be curious in order to keep up” (25:30).
“I want to be able to achieve, I want to be one of the best. The only way to do that is to keep learning and to keep growing” (25:50).
“I started not attaching my identity as much to performance as I used to” (28:00).
“At the center of everything for us is the relationships and joy” (31:00).
“If you were to see us play, I hope you see us with big smiles on our faces” (31:15).
“If you play in a great program, the star revolves” (33:35).
“You need to reflect and understand what do I want out of this experience” (43:50).
“The success that we’ve had, the growth that we’ve had, has been a long time of maximizing those training opportunities” (58:30).
“I used our budget this year not to buy bats to buy books” (59:45).
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter and to check out his website as well. Additionally, you can buy Mike’s book, Let it Rip: Life Lessons Learned Through Sports, anywhere they sell books. I would also encourage you to check out The Coach’s Clinic Podcast. Lastly, please feel free to reach out to Mike if you would like via email: mike@coachmikedeegan.com.
Thank you so much to Mike for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Gavin McClurg is no stranger to adventure and exploration. He is a 2015 National Geographic “Adventurer of the Year” for his unpowered paragliding expedition across the Canadian Rockies (documented in the Red Bull Media House feature film “The Rockies Traverse”). He became the first person to traverse the full length of the Alaska Range by foot and paraglider (unsupported) in 2016 (documented in the Red Bull Media House feature film “North of Known”). He is the owner, founder and Captain of “Offshore Odysseys”, a global kitesurfing/surfing/sailing expedition. He has twice circumnavigated the world by sail, living at sea for 13 straight years, including short-handed roundings of both notorious capes (Horn and Good Hope). Gavin holds the former North American record for foot launched cross-country paragliding, a flight of 240 miles deep into Montana from his hometown of Sun Valley, Idaho. Gavin is the first American (and only 3rd non-European) to complete the “toughest adventure race on Earth”, the Red Bull X-Alps a paragliding / foot race across the Alps from Salzburg to Monaco. In ten days, Gavin flew 1560 kilometers, walked 498 (12+ marathons) and scaled 52,000 meters of vertical ascent on foot (Everest 5 times). Gavin competed again in 2017, 2019, and 2021.
Some more of Gavin’s career highlights include: 2015 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year; 8th place Red Bull X-Alps and the first American to reach goal in Monaco in the race’s history; Former World Mountain Distance record holder in paragliding (387 kilometers, 240 miles); 2 X circumnavigations by sail, including short-handed rounding of both Capes (Horn and Good hope). 160,000 total miles; Created, founded, captained and current CEO of Offshore Odysseys, an ocean-based expedition company based around kitesurfing, surfing and paragliding; Former US Alpine Ski Team member; Several first descents (kayaking) in Central America (class VI); Published author, countless magazine features
Gavin had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“He was an explorer in terms of his entrepreneurial spirit. He was always trying stuff that was 10 years too far in the future” (21:30).
“Most people go to security when they have that kind of background, and for me it was the opposite” (22:25).
“For whatever reason, I’ve always been drawn to speed and risk” (23:40).
“When you’re letting your subconscious do the work and you’re so embedded in the moment, then all of this frivolous stuff that drives life, that’s distracting and stressful and sometimes painful, goes away” (24:50).
“It’s a battle against your own mind” (27:35).
“The risks are enormous, and I think eventually for everybody the luck’s going to run out” (30:25).
“Until that day, I hadn’t understood death” (33:00).
“Death is a fascinating animal” (36:15).
“I feel celebratory, in a sense, towards the concept of death. To me, it’s a driver. It’s kind of like fear. Fear is a really good thing; it keeps you alive” (36:30).
“The inevitability of death is a really good thing because it reminds me every day of how important and how precious every day is” (36:50).
“We’ve all got to figure out how to replace that rush with something else” (40:30).
“That’s what I want to do. I want to have the most fun” (41:55).
“The more we separate ourselves from attainment, and the more we can be present, then we’re winning” (42:20).
“Just being who you are is good enough” (42:35).
“Sometimes, you have to be dumb enough to launch. Otherwise, life is pretty gray” (44:00).
“If you’re not falling, you’re not pushing hard enough” (44:25).
“That’s my New Year’s resolution every year: to be more present, to be here, and to be grateful and thankful for that” (46:00).
“That’s what my daughter has taught me: to be more curious” (49:15).
“Wow we are lucky. Wow we are fortunate” (52:45).
Make sure to follow Gavin on Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, you can purchase Gavin’s book, "Advanced Paragliding,” wherever books are sold. Gavin has also written hundreds of magazine articles and been part of many films. Lastly, you can find Gavin’s recent TedXTalk here!
Thank you so much to Gavin for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Grace Aduroja Kolker is a friend of mine, someone I look up to, and someone who I consider to be a mentor. Grace is a coach who is extremely wise when it comes to things like communication, emotional intelligence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and decision making. I personally have sent many friends to to get coached by her. Grace and I work together often as facilitators and she is my go-to when I need help with a tricky situation. Grace is also a lawyer by trade, so she’s going to talk about her background in law and why she didn’t continue down that path of being a practicing lawyer. She also has a journalism background. She is somebody who has had to ask questions for legal purposes, had to ask questions as a journalist, and is somebody who is just ridiculously curious. Grace is amazingly inquisitive and is a leadership coach. She is someone who holds space for people, develops people, and also facilitates conversations in group experiences. Grace is someone who I look up to, someone who makes me wiser and better at my job, and we often co-facilitate together. Additionally, she has a high-potential accelerator where she will work with individuals one-on-one.
Grace had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“People always want breakthroughs, but what I found is that breakthroughs don’t usually come without breakdowns” (5:50).
“I loved being in the thick of things” (10:20).
“I’m just a performer” (12:45).
“I just perform. Your racism is not my problem, it’s not my business” (12:50).
“Whatever it is, I’m going to perform” (13:15).
“If I have the ability to turn out and produce a result, I’m absolutely going to do it” (21:20).
“I wanted to go to law school to think like a lawyer” (21:45).
“I didn’t have a sense of identity outside of achievement” (22:15).
“Our thoughts are that automatic, they’re like our nails growing or our heart beating… You don’t have to give into those nasty thoughts” (32:30).
“I have a fulfilling life now, but it’s because I’m not trying to counteract some negative programming that I wound up with because I’m a human being” (41:25).
“What I want is to make a difference. What I want is for people around me to be empowered. What I want is for women to discover their leadership and get that it doesn’t have to be the old conversation of what leadership is” (41:40).
“When you have achievement for achievement’s sake, it will feel good and you’ll keep chasing the carrot. There will come a point where there’s some silence and stillness and you realize that it’s not fulfilling” (46:20).
“Their impression of you is not your business” (57:30).
“When I read an article, my favorite part is always the comments. How are people actually reading it and responding to it?” (1:06:05).
“We sit down, and we just envision: if this was the best year of our life, what would we have?” (1:10:05).
Thank you so much to Grace for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, professional speaker and author of We Need to Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter, and Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving. An expert in conversation, human nature, reclaiming common humanity and finding well-being, Celeste frequently provides insight on what is good for all humans and what is bad for us, focusing the best research in neuro and social science to increase understanding of how we relate with one another and can work together in beneficial ways in our workplaces, neighborhoods, communities and homes. She is a regular guest host on NPR and American Public Media and a highly sought consultant, advising companies around the world on conversations about race, diversity and inclusion. Her TEDx Talk sharing 10 ways to have a better conversation has over 26 million total views, and she serves as an advisory board member for ProCon.org and The Listen First Project. Celeste is recipient of the 2019 Media Changemaker Award. Her new book, Speaking of Race is available now. She is the proud granddaughter of composer William Grant Still, the Dean of African American Composers.
Celeste had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“I try to constantly remind myself while I’m doing whatever I’m doing that I need to just take a pause, take a moment, at any point” (11:05).
“Stop and think first” (11:15).
“I try to judge the action and not the person” (13:00).
“What worked for you may not work for me” (14:00).
“I try to be as honest as possible because I don’t want people to, when they stumble, or when something doesn’t work for them, I don’t want them to give up. I want them to figure out what does work for them” (14:50).
“What works for you? What makes you a good person? (17:35).
“Buddhism doesn’t have a holy book; it has a library” (18:00).
“You’re going to feel this, and whatever it is that you’re feeling, that’s okay” (19:00).
“We need white guys to be leading these conversations [on race]” (29:30).
“This is the dichotomy of America. We can be both full of high ideals and admirable values, and yet vote with our feet and make the wrong decision over and over and over again” (32:50).
“Fame can also mean there’s lots of people who feel like it’s their right to comment on your choices and interfere” (35:40).
“Fame doesn’t seem to me like it’s something I would ever strive for” (36:50).
“It always confuses me when people say they want to be famous. Why? For what reason?” (37:00).
“To be a singer, you have to learn how to let your body respond at every moment to the emotion you’re feeling” (38:30).
“I always wanted to stand on my own two feet. I was either going to make it or I wasn’t” (39:45).
“Music has the power to transcend our thoughts. It has the power to touch us on a visceral level” (40:00).
“I don’t believe in doing stuff if you’re going to half-ass it” (41:00).
“If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it 100%” (41:15).
“I’m not going to do anything that causes harm” (44:45).
“There’s nothing better in the world than to feel like you’ve been useful” (46:10).
“Any conversation about race and identity is emotional” (52:00).
“If you’re having a conversation about race, it’s entirely emotional” (52:10).
“Race is real because racism is real” (52:35).
“One of the ways I have patience for strangers is by imagining they were one of my relatives” (55:00).
“All of us have too many unconscious biases lurking underneath that leak out of us, that are ready to make our decisions for us, and so we need a posse, we need a group of people, and that needs to be the people around you, so you need to understand each other, you need to talk about it, you need to find the limits of your bias and your compassion, and just make it an absolutely open discussion” (59:15).
“You have to create a culture of correction. Meaning you’re creating an environment in which it’s expected that people are going to screw up, and therefore you train in how to respond when someone says the wrong thing or does the wrong thing” (1:01:35).
“In a culture of correction, mistakes are not exceptional, they’re expected” (1:02:10).
“That’s a lesson that can serve you in every aspect of your life is learning how to let go” (1:12:45).
Additionally, make sure to follow Celeste on both Instagram and Twitter.
Thank you so much to Celeste for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Todd B. Kashdan, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, a leading authority on well-being, psychological flexibility, curiosity, courage, and resilience. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and his work has been cited over 35,000 times. He received the Faculty Member of the Year Award from George Mason University and Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions from the American Psychological Association. He is the author of Curious? and The Upside of Your Dark Side, and his latest book is The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively. His writing has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, National Geographic, Fast Company, among other publications, and his research is featured regularly in media outlets such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, NPR, and Time Magazine. He's a twin with twin daughters (plus one more), with plans to rapidly populate the world with great conversationalists.
Todd had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“If the goal is to keep someone on task for your teachings and your precepts of a religion, a doctrine, whether it’s an anti-racism unit, whether it’s a well-being unit in an organization, as soon as you make something taboo, you’ve just raised the stakes in terms of people exploring, discovering, and finding out that there are lots of holes in the argument” (8:45).
“How can we use all of these tools for positive, healthy causes to move society forwards, to move our personal development forward” (12:20).
“The stronger ideological convictions are, the less space there is to be curious” (12:30).
“Curiosity makes you find flaws in people’s arguments” (14:30).
“The reason we have a 3-pound brain in our head is that we are trying to make a more predictable, less uncertain environment as we walk through the world” (17:20).
“There’s something really valuable about having precise language to describe ourselves to other people” (19:30)
“The best way to effectively communicate if you are in the minority position is to be incredibly consistent with your message” (23:00).
“I really like the term consistency over conviction. The message is the same, but I’m listening to what you have to say” (28:30).
“Fail quick. Fail often. Let’s innovate” (41:40).
“The best way to move away from being called the pejorative term of being called a flip-flopper and to move towards the virtuous act of constantly growing and evolving is to be as objective as possible in doing a problem audit of where you made mistakes before” (48:15).
“That’s what people want. They want predictability. They want to reduce uncertainty” (50:15).
“One of the emotions that I use in my own life that I harness extremely well is envy” (54:05).
“I’m harnessing the negative, uncomfortable experience of envy to actually improve my own strengths and my own skills as a public speaker” (55:25).
“That is psychological flexibility. Harnessing your negative emotions in pursuit of a valued aim” (55:45).
“That’s psychological flexibility as well. Transitions between our different life roles as opposed to letting those life roles merge so tightly together that we feel as if we’re not on top of being a parent, a worker, a lover, a son, or a daughter” (57:30).
“You have to think less about the job and more about what about you made you want to do that job in the first place” (1:03:15).
“Assume that everyone is incredibly intelligent, and that includes young kids” (1:18:15).
“Mental simulations of alternative possibilities are an incredible way to increase curiosity” (1:21:00).
“Just by posing these mental simulations of alternative realities allows us to think with a level of curiosity of there’s not one way to do something. There’s not one answer” (1:22:00).
“Try to create groups where people are able to speak because you are open-minded and curious. They’re willing to speak what they actually think because you’re willing to work with the material” (1:23:30).
Make sure to follow Todd on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @toddkashdan. Additionally, I would encourage you to follow Todd on Facebook and LinkedIn. Also, feel free to email Todd if you’d like to reach out: todd@toddkashdan.com. You can order Todd’s latest book, The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively, here as well! Lastly, you can find Todd’s publications of over 200 articles here!
Thank you so much to Todd for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Sian Beilock studies how performance anxiety can be exasperated or alleviated in the simple strategies we use to ensure success under pressure. In addition to that, Sian is the president at Barnard College at Columbia University. Barnard is one of the most selective academic institutions in the US. Barnard is devoted to empowering exceptional women to change the world and the way we think about it. Prior to her appointment as President, she served as the University of Chicago Executive Vice Provost. She also worked in the Psychology department. Sian is a cognitive scientist by training and is one of the world’s leading experts on the brain science behind choking under pressure.
Sian had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“One of the hardest parts of learning how to become a successful leader is learning how to delegate and that you can’t do everything” (5:45).
“We’re limited capacity people. We can only focus on so many things at once” (6:00).
“My favorite part of being in a leadership position is when other people have really good ideas and I get to help propel them forward” (8:40).
“When you have different perspectives at the table and people can speak openly and honestly without fear of retribution, you get the best ideas” (9:00).
“We are teaching students at Barnard how to think. Not what to think, but how to think” (14:10).
“The greatest performers sometimes aren’t the best coaches. It can be hard for them to understand the mistakes of someone who is a novice or someone who’s not as skilled as them” (19:20).
“I’m a big proponent of having multiple selves. All of the research is pretty clear on that having multiple aspects of your own identity that you can enjoy and focus on is really a good mental health buffer” (23:50).
“It’s hard not to be able to do everything” (25:20).
“For me it’s about having the best people at the table” (28:05).
“There’s something special about having women leading and teaching you, and about debunking the stereotype that women can’t do it” (29:00).
“Our students come out being willing to speak their minds and being willing to be uncomfortable” (31:15).
“The classroom is a brave space, not a safe space. It’s totally okay to feel uncomfortable in the classroom” (31:20).
“We want you women who have failed, who feel okay taking risks and knowing it’s not going to be perfect” (32:00).
“Everyone can feel like an imposter, it’s not just women” (34:45).
“Where I get the most satisfaction is when something is stressful, and I don’t know if I can do it all, and I figure out what route we need to take to get there” (35:30).
“Figuring out what you don’t know is so important for success” (36:50).
“Pressure can be both internal and external” (44:00).
“If you’re going to lead an institution, you have to understand what values that institution holds (46:00).
“You can’t come in from the outside and just impose your values on a place. You’ve got to understand what they ethos is and where you can have an impact” (47:00).
“I don’t think you can do well academically if you don’t feel well outside of the classroom” (50:40).
“No one can do anything alone anymore. We all need that support” (51:50).
“It’s got to be fun to work hard in whatever you’re doing” (56:00).
Make sure to check out Sian’s website, in addition to watching her TedTalk and buying her book “Choke” anywhere you can buy books! You can also follow her on Instagram @PresBeilock and on Twitter @SianBeilock!
Thank you so much to Sian for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Nick Tasler is an internationally acclaimed thought leader on the science of decisions and their impact on the growth of leaders, teams and organizations. He is also a leadership columnist for the Harvard Business Review and the #1 best-selling author of The Impulse Factor: An Innovative Approach to Better Decision Making and Domino: The Simplest Way to Inspire Change. Nick’s work has been featured by The New York Times, Fast Company, Bloomberg, Fox Business, NPR, BBC, NBC, CBS and other leading media outlets all around the world.
As an organizational psychologist and keynote speaker, Nick has helped tens of thousands of leaders apply a simple decision framework for transforming seasons of change into periods of unprecedented personal and professional growth at the world’s most respected organizations ranging from Microsoft, JP Morgan Chase, and Target to 3M, Accenture, the Wharton School, Yale University and more.
Nomadic by nature, Nick and his wife and their four kids live in…lots of places, ranging from Minnesota to Puerto Rico.
Nick had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The right decision in the moment is not nearly as valuable if isn’t tied to some overarching purpose and direction” (7:00).
“Every good business needs to have an overarching, strategic direction. A statement of where we are trying to go that is deeper than a mission statement” (7:30).
“We all want health, wealth, and happiness. We all want to make a difference... But quite often these things will come in conflict with each other. What do you do then?” (8:30).
“As human beings, we have somewhere between 8-10 universal values” (11:45).
“Your decision pulse is something that you choose, and at different times we’re going to put different things higher” (13:30).
“The core of my definition of freedom is I want to be free to think about what I want to think about when I want to think about it” (21:15).
“This is what I’m wanting to do and I’m willing to take any risk to make it happen” (27:45).
“We need to start stepping out of our comfort zone and just playing for the next week” (33:30).
“It’s all about testing your gut, rather than blindly trusting your gut” (37:25).
“We can take risks, but we don’t have to bet the farm every time” (37:30).
“Of course, we want to keep our customers happy and make money… but for our business, given our unique strengths in this particular marketplace, what is going to be OUR focal point?” (43:30).
“It’s ok to take a risk as long as it’s directionally correct” (44:10).
“Cognitive ability is important, up to a certain level, in leadership” (47:00).
“What is the flow state? It’s a situation where the rest of the world just melts away and you can focus on the task at hand” (52:05).
“There’s value in presenting an idea to somebody that gets them to think different about the way that they’re thinking, behaving, and relating to other people. That’s what inspiration is” (55:30).
“I firmly believe that you can accomplish anything you want this year. But you can’t accomplish everything you want this year” (1:02:00).
“You have to make a decision on what you’re going to shoot for and what you’re going to quit” (1:02:15).
“You haven’t made a decision until you’ve decided NOT to do something else, to quit something else” (1:03:30).
Make sure to check out Nick on Twitter, as well as on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Thank you so much to Nick for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
April Dunford is the world’s leading expert on product positioning. She works with fast-growing tech companies helping them clearly articulate the value they alone can deliver to customers. She is the author of the bestselling positioning book Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy it, Love it.
April had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“My calling is more as a teacher than anything else” (8:00).
“In the work I’m doing right now as a consultant, really my job is to be a teacher” (8:18).
“As a teacher and a facilitator, I’m teaching the team and I’m facilitating the team to come up with the answers themselves” (14:25).
“When we’re doing positioning work, we’re very focused on customers, problems, solutions… how do we actually tell the story of this product in a way that really helps customers make a good purchase decision?” (15:24).
“When you’re inside a big company, you have to fight really hard to get a promotion, to move your way up” (17:00).
“You need to influence people that don’t work for you and don’t have to do what you say” (22:40).
“In the work I do with positioning, we always have sales executives in the room because if they don’t understand the positioning, it won’t be reflected in the way they talk to customers” (34:14).
“How do we take positioning and translate it into a sales pitch that really works for the sales team?” (35:55)
“We need to be ruthless about asking if this is a good fit for us or not? And if it’s not, we shouldn’t try to sell to those people” (37:55).
“We need to arm sales reps so they have the confidence to be able to say this one wasn’t a good fit. They didn’t care about these 3 things, which are the 3 things we focus on and care about”. (41:20).
“The goal of positioning is to make it really clear what I do and what I’m awesome at in a way that attracts a pipeline full of these best-fit people” (45:19).
“Just because you’re doing something doesn’t mean you’re doing it with any sort of repeatability” (51:50).
“We’re positioning whether we’re doing it consciously or not” (53:30).
“The first thing we have to answer in the minds of customers is what is this thing? The second question is is it important to me?” (55:00).
Make sure to check out April on Twitter, as well as her website here!
Thank you so much to April for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dan Grunfeld is a former professional basketball player, an accomplished writer, and a proud graduate of Stanford University. An Academic All-American and All-Conference basketball selection at Stanford, Dan played professionally for eight seasons in top leagues around the world, including in Germany, Spain, and Israel. Dan’s writing has been published more than 40 times in media outlets such as Sports Illustrated, The Jerusalem Post, and NBC News. Dan earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2017 and lives with his wife and son in the Bay Area, where he works in venture capital.
In this episode, we discuss Julie Elion and how she has impacted Dan’s career (9:10), if his dad was an analytical player (10:38), why his dad could transition to this other side of his career (12:39), if his analytical mind helps him in the venture world in the way that it hindered him on the basketball court (13:45), how he thought about expectations (15:49), why he went down the venture route (17:42), more on why he didn’t ultimately pursue a career in sports today (21:04), what tearing his ACL was like as a player and the mental challenges that came along with it (24:30), his mom (27:02), what it was like improving so drastically as a player (27:53), if he plays the “what if” game (29:15), if his game would have translated to today’s style of basketball (30:34), playing in Israel (33:10), Jerusalem (34:37), if he is spiritual (37:18), his family’s story (43:57), what his grandma was like (48:14), his grandfather (50:40), being a victim, a survivor, or a thriver (56:30), his father’s experiences with anti-Semitism (58:30), being Jewish and the challenges that come along with it (1:03:48), Peace Players (1:06:38), and some more on basketball (1:09:17).
Make sure to check out Dan’s website here, as well as his Twitter and Facebook pages! Lastly, I would encourage you to purchase his book By the Grace of the Game anywhere where books are sold!
Thank you so much to Dan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Ethan Kross is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory.
Ethan has participated in policy discussion at the White House and has been interviewed about his research on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper Full Circle, and NPR’s Morning Edition. His research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The New England Journal of Medicine, and Science.
In this episode, we discuss controlling thoughts (5:44), the difference between thoughts and thinking (8:10), how feelings and emotions can drive behavior (9:13), how we know when thoughts are serving us vs. getting in our way (12:46), quick decisions and thinking in sports performance (18:44), thinking about fear and anxiety as an expert (23:35), self-leadership (26:21), what Ethan tries to impart in his kids (29:52), what he enjoys doing most in life professionally (34:32), context, and when something serves us vs when it hinders us, as well as introversion and extraversion (39:15), the pandemic and its effects on chatter (46:07), echo chambers and social media (50:15), the power of belief (52:55), how schools should be teaching tools and techniques around chatter (56:09), third person self-talk (57:41), routines and rituals that help him show up and do well (59:44), and chatter at home (1:01:56).
Make sure to check out Ethan’s website here, as well as the website for the Emotion and Self Control Lab at the University of Michigan here! Lastly, I would encourage you to purchase Ethan’s book Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It anywhere where books are sold.
Thank you so much to Ethan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Kevin DeShazo is an author, podcaster, and founder of “Fieldhouse Media,” which helps college athletes, coaches, and administrators be better on social media. Kevin also helps leaders and teams to create a championship culture with his company “Culture Wins.”
In this episode, we discuss what comes to mind when Kevin thinks of the word “culture” (5:36), what qualities positively impact culture (7:01), why Kevin is drawn to sports (8:28), how he got interested in organizational development (11:21), his persistence (12:45), the values passed down to him by his parents (14:45), working in health care (15:49), why he changed course in his career (18:26), working for others compared to working for yourself (21:05), investing in others (22:34), getting bored and Keep Chopping Wood and how they play together (25:54), how to know when to stop chopping wood (27:24), what sparked his desire to form Fieldhouse Media (29:54), what we should know about social media (32:15), Twitter (34:47), his process in using social media (35:54), how he instructs people on social media use (39:03), how to prevent social media addiction (40:49), kids (44:53), discipline (49:16), mindsets during the pandemic (51:20), how he sets his mind when performing (52:43), when he feels most alive (56:41), where he sees his work evolving in 5-10 years (59:45), and scaling (1:06:34).
Make sure to check out Kevin on all social media platforms @KevinDeShazo, and you can find the Culture Wins website here and Kevin’s personal website here. Lastly, I would encourage you to purchase Kevin’s book, Keep Chopping Wood, anywhere where you can buy books.
Thank you so much to Kevin for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Damon West is someone who believes in inside-out transformation. Today, Damon is a college professor who is nationally known keynote speaker and best-selling author. He travels the country sharing his message. But, it wasn’t always as bright for Damon as it is today. At 20 years old, he was a division one starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he then suffered a career ending injury, turning to hardcore drugs to cope with the disappointments of his life. After graduation, he worked in the US Congress where he was a national fundraiser on a US presidential campaign. He eventually trained to be a stockbroker for UBS, one of the premier financial institutions in the world.
It was at UBS where he was introduced to meth, becoming instantly hooked. While you hear these highs and these bright spots and what society often deems a success, Damon looked the part. And yet, he actually battled demons and battled severe substance abuse. As a result, he impacted lives of many innocent people from choices that he made in order to feed his meth habit. He robbed a lot of people, he became a burglar, and he ran an organized crime ring, ultimately leading to his incarceration. Damon went to jail for 7+ years, but he was actually convicted for 65 years, basically a life-sentence considering the time of his conviction. Damon’s story, in the end, is one of redemption, grit, and determination.
In this episode, we discuss Call me MISTER and how it’s changing the world (7:14), what he learned about race while in prison (12:55), race outside of prison (16:33), cancel culture (24:19), being labeled as gifted and talented as a young man and how it both helped and hurt him (28:32), substance abuse (31:19), what allowed him to persevere in prison (35:01), what he does today to make sure he stays clean (37:35), good and evil (42:33), and why he has decided to pour his heart and soul into speaking (49:02).
Make sure to check out Damon on both Twitter and Instagram @DamonWest7. Additionally, I would encourage you to check out Damon’s website here. Lastly, Damon’s foundation website can be found here as well.
Thank you so much to Damon for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Ed Offterdinger is Co-founder and Chairman of AO People Partners, a leadership development and people strategies firm. Ed is a strategic advisor and leadership coach with more than thirty years of leadership and client service experience as managing partner and CEO of large advisory companies. Prior to co-founding AO, Ed was Executive Managing Partner of the national advisory firm, Baker Tilly. Ed helps CEOs and other leaders improve their performance and do what’s best for their team, their business, and society. As cofounder and chair of the Washington, DC, chapter of Conscious Capitalism, Ed has been helping spread the message about the power of business to do good.
Catherine Allen is Co-founder and CEO of AO People Partners. Catherine is passionately dedicated to helping leaders and organizations lean into the power of developing people to drive business success and meaningful social contribution. Catherine brings over 25 years of experience working collaboratively with industry leaders helping them and their organizations to thrive in both the human behavioral and process aspects of performance and organizational effectiveness. Catherine has a successful track record of helping leaders develop the awareness and "people" skills they need to define and communicate clear vision and direction, make difficult decisions, successfully lead their organizations through change, motivate and engage an intergenerational workforce, and cultivate their own authenticity and presence. As AO’s CEO, her focus is on guiding her team to build the full suite of capabilities to help leaders reimagine and create the culture that make investing in conscious people development more integrated and holistic.
We are proud to welcome Ed and Catherine as Conscious Capitalism Press authors. Their new book is Conscious, Capable and Ready to Contribute: A Fable: How Employee Development Can Become the Highest Form of Social Contribution.
AO People Partner’s mission is to inspire and support the conscious practice of people development in the workplace. AO’s team of experienced coaches and consultants bring business, leadership, and adult development expertise to help leaders and their organizations create the cultural conditions and sustainable practices that enable their people and their businesses to grow and flourish
In this episode, we discuss Ed and Catherine writing a book together (7:06), the appeal to forming their partnership in 2017 (10:22), when Ed realized he wanted to become a coach (11:00), what it was like vacationing together before they formed a business partnership together (13:09), separating mind skills and people skills (15:15), if curiosity can be cultivated (18:52), what it looks like to reward curiosity and growth mindset in the workplace (21:12), how to embed these skills into levels where people are living paycheck to paycheck (29:46), how to help people in the organization figure out their direction (33:28), why so many people have decided to shift gears when it comes to their career of late (40:25), entitlement (44:49), employers helping employees grow in all walks of life (49:16), how organizations think about production and growth (54:36), transactions and transformations (58:42), where to start when developing people (1:04:31), what they do to make sure they’re at their best (1:10:14), and what allows partnerships to thrive and what can get in the way of that (1:13:39).
Make sure to check out the AO People Partners website here! Additionally, you can follow Ed on Twitter and LinkedIn. I would also encourage you to follow Catherine on both Twitter and LinkedIn as well! Lastly, make sure to buy Ed and Catherine’s book Conscious, Capable, and Ready to Contribute anywhere you can buy books.
Thank you so much to Ed and Catherine for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Managing Partner McChrystal Academy. David Livingston leads a team of subject matter experts, learning designers, and dynamic facilitators who develop and deliver custom learning courses and programs that leverage a variety of experiential learning methods to drive individual growth and higher performance for teams and organizations.
In this episode, we discuss what David notices with regards to polarity when working with organizations (5:45), cultures of confrontation (7:23), leaders (10:04), how he balances wanting to be liked with having to make difficult decisions (12:32), balancing holding people accountable with knowing one’s roster is not very deep (15:56), why people struggle with paradox and instead like things to be neat (21:13), resilience (26:15), values (30:50), what led David to explore this field (33:43), where he starts when working with teams (35:39), how many teams have clarity on their purpose (36:32), what the military doesn’t do well that certain businesses do well (40:02), the relationship between the military and creativity (41:45), the importance of roles for high functioning teams in the corporate world (43:13), academia and application (45:03), religion and science (48:06), how he thinks about balancing tradition with his children and giving them space to make their own experiences (51:29), autonomy in organizations (54:45), what he does to make sure his own business is operating as its best self (58:23), flow state (1:04:30), organizational development in the future (1:09:08), and Jon Gruden (1:12:05).
Make sure to check out The McChrystal Group website here and to see what David is up to on LinkedIn as well!
Thank you so much to David for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Sean Magennis is the CEO of Capital 54, where he contributes 30 years of experience to entrepreneurs and growing professional service businesses, domestically and all throughout the world. He helps them with growth strategies, turnarounds, acquisitions, and financing. Sean supports the Capital 54 portfolio company CEOs, the investment resourcing, screening, and due diligence. He also is involved with all of their growth and exit processes. Prior to Capital 54, Sean led a global and diverse team, serving over 30,000 CEOs in 138 countries with combined annual revenues of 9 trillion US dollars. He was the president and COO of Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Prior to that, Sean began his business career in management at Dow Chemicals. He ran a professional services firm for 14 years focused on organizational development, consulting, people assessment, and executive search which grew to encompass operations in Canada, the US, and Mexico, where he and his team served several thousand clients. He has experience with real estate platforms, electricity infrastructure development, and financial services. Sean is also the past global president of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO). Today, he is still an active YPO member.
In this episode, we discuss Sean’s roots in South Africa (6:16), the role of religion in his upbringing (8:49), his evolution in thinking about spirituality and religion over time, as well as his thoughts on racism and Apartheid (9:45), the intersection of being a team player and also an individual (17:17), how he thinks about challenging and supporting people as a mentor (21:01), why he values entrepreneurship (24:30), the skills that make a good entrepreneur (25:09), his mentoring process (26:19), how he uses his experiences to ask great questions (28:53), the keys to a great partnership (31:21), EO and YPO (33:40), where his curiosity came from (38:20), more on curiosity (42:53), the importance of gatherings (47:39), why he has always been part of the service industry (50:51), how he makes sure he’s doing well (54:58), what has driven the first chapters of his business career (59:22), Capital 54 (1:02:24), the difference between a chief of staff and an executive assistant (1:07:36), attention to detail (1:12:17),
Make sure to check out Sean on LinkedIn as well!
Thank you so much to Sean for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Marques Colston is in the record books with the New Orleans Saints for being on their all-time best wise receivers. He was recently inducted into their hall of fame, finishing his ten-year career atop the Saints reception list, their receiving yards list, their scrimmage yards list, and their receiving touchdowns list. During those ten years, he also helped lead them to a Super Bowl Championship. Marques was a 7th round pick when he entered the NFL. Prior to that, he only had 2 offers coming out of high school to play collegiate football, eventually going to Hofstra University. Today, Marques uses the skills and mindset he has developed over the years to serve as an executive coach.
In this episode, we discuss Marques getting drafted by the Saints (5:16), what life was like for him as a kid (6:37), how his father’s passing impacted him as a high schooler (7:52), his siblings (10:24), raising his kids (11:48), his shared vision with his father (13:03), why he went to Hofstra instead of Missouri (15:03), balancing the ability to see into the future and also staying grounded and taking advantage of opportunities right in front of him (18:52), how his mindsets in preparation and performance differed (22:03), how he would let his body naturally perform on gameday (25:11), habits and routines that would help him get laser focused (27:41), being in New Orleans as they became a premier franchise (30:25), culture (35:05), the role of talent vs. the role of mindset (41:51), if there was a specific coach or player that helped develop him (44:53), being “The Quiet Storm” (47:30), what the Super Bowl was like for him (50:40), qualities associated with greatness on a regular basis (54:40), his decision to hang up the cleats after being released (57:38), his advice for athletes and the importance of getting educated in other things outside of football even while playing (59:56), what his vision for himself in 2026 was when he retired in 2016 vs. what it is now (1:05:54),
You can check out Marques’s website here, and you can also check him out on all social media platforms @MarquesColston.
Thank you so much to Marques for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
This episode of the podcast is a little bit different. This is the 250th podcast episode! We’re going to celebrate that milestone by talking about curiosity. Curiosity is what got me here, got me in front of this microphone, and forced me to hit the record button.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Brad Stulberg is the bestselling author of The Practice of Groundedness and Peak Performance. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, TIME Magazine, and many other outlets. In his coaching practice, he works with executives, entrepreneurs, and physicians on their mental skills and well-being.
In this episode, we discuss handling cancellations (5:31), when Brad first became interested in coaching (6:50), the distinction between consulting and coaching (8:47), the mistakes he made when he first started coaching (9:44), how he thinks about age for himself (11:06), what makes him feel alive (13:29), scheduling (17:17), priorities (20:54), how he thinks about speaking (22:22), when he realized how much he valued autonomy (24:31), more on speaking gigs (27:37), what he’s learned going through mental health challenges (29:22), his wife’s reaction when he said he wanted to seek the help of a mental health professional (36:08), the line between healthy and harmful (39:10), cultivating tools (44:21), groundedness, religion, and spirituality (46:30), the most helpful thing he discovered when working on his book (49:50), how he would describe and define his own roots (51:46), life and love (53:23), wisdom and maximizing (54:34), how he helps to make sure the people he coaches are grounded (56:27), what his clients’ rationale is for working with him (1:00:01), stress + rest = growth and its connection to groundedness (1:01:52), and why he decided to write this book on his own and not with Steve (1:03:50).
I encourage you to check out Brad on Twitter, as well as purchase his book The Practice of Groundedness and Peak Performance here!
Thank you so much to Brad for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Tom Ripley is a Partner and Co-Founder at Ames Watson, a private equity firm that acquired more than a dozen companies in the defense, retail, light manufacturing and service sectors. Over the past 22 years, Tom has developed extensive operating experience across more than two dozen different companies. Today, Tom serves as the Chairman & CEO of Lids Sports Group, South Moon Under, and several smaller holdings. Tom started his career as an infantry and special operations officer in the United States Marine Corps. Tom graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a BA and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
In this episode, we discuss why Tom is nervous for this conversation (6:25), viewing threats (7:42), what he’s learned from raising autistic twins (9:02), how similar and different their twins are (10:59), how he thinks about nature and nurture (11:58), what he’s learned from his daughters about communication (13:42), the pros and cons of his experience in the marine corps (15:47), a mistake he made early in his career (20:22), change management (23:03), the downsides of having a young leader (24:53), self-determination theory (28:32), what he would change about the marine corps (32:04), 9/11 (35:37), what he feels reliving his 9/11 experience (37:39), when he was in the marine corps (38:39), comparing being in New York for 9/11 and being overseas with the marine corps (39:05), lacrosse (40:50), how he pushes back on the stereotypes of lacrosse (46:13), what it’s been like to coach his son (49:10), the values different and similar to those of the marines that he has tried to pass down to his kids (50:52), competition and selflessness (54:09), how he and his business partner Lawrence met (57:06), what was attractive about Lids (1:01:01), negotiations (1:06:48), leading during the pandemic (1:07:59), what it’s been like for him in 2021 (1:10:46), business partnerships (1:14:31), how many employees he manages (1:16:20), how he trains store managers (1:17:27), and intermittent fasting (1:19:34).
Thank you so much to Tom for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Bernard Muir is entering his 10th season as the Director of Athletics at Stanford University. Stanford has one of the best programs and departments in the country. During Bernard’s tenure, he has seen 25 NCAA Championships and 34 national titles. He also has been involved with the Learfield IMG College Director’s Cup, which recognizes the best athletic department in the country. Stanford has won it 7 times.
In this episode, we discuss what’s different about being an Athletic Director today than what Bernard imagined it would be like as a kid (6:53), why he was drawn to being an AD from a young age (8:35), what drew him to basketball (10:36), if people thought he was too serious when he was younger (13:12), where his belief in himself to dream big and be proactive came from (14:52), what he’s learned from loss (17:02), Jamaican culture (20:35), how he thinks about his kids as a father when it comes to academics, athletics, and striving for excellence (23:21), if it’s a blessing or a curse to know what you want to do with your life at a young age (25:01), what he’s most curious about as the Stanford AD (27:33), how he leverages the university so that his student athletes at Stanford can thrive (29:27), how he thinks about greatness (32:06), what qualities he looks for when hiring people (33:16), if he notices anything in particular when he makes a mistake in hiring someone (34:55), advice for when you have to fire someone (36:01), who he serves and how he serves so many people (38:19), how he says yes and no to things (41:19), what he’s most passionate about in the role he’s in (43:09), Katie Ledecky (45:21), how he helps athletes think about their identities as athletes and beyond the sport (51:15), what he does to make sure he’s healthy, good, and well so that he’s best able to serve others (53:22), the business side of collegiate sports (55:41), how he’s gotten through a strenuous and eventful last 18 months (1:00:23), and how he thinks about leadership and developing leaders (1:04:12).
You can check out Bernard on Twitter @Stanford_AD.
Thank you so much to Bernard for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Scott Mordell most recently served as the CEO of YPO from 2011 through December 2020. His extensive background in varying industries, geographies, types of organizations and business disciplines has helped him develop important leadership lessons and collaboration skills for success. Prior to YPO, Scott’s experience includes Chamberlain Group, Arlington International Racecourse, HeathCo, Duchossois Industries, Deloitte and KPMG. Scott is currently leveraging his experience providing strategic counsel for leaders through Forrader Group LLC.
In this episode, we discuss connecting in real life (6:19), why a lot of people don’t follow through with in-person meetings (7:54), following through and doing what you say you will (10:21), why Scott seeks out connections intentionally (12:31), what he does to manage energy throughout the day (16:22), what he’s noticing with regards to the impact of the pandemic on humans (19:31), happiness (22:39), legacy (25:02), spirituality (26:23), being and becoming (28:37), where his spirituality came from (30:24), Catholicism (32:30), more on religion (36:42), podcasts (37:49), when leadership became a passion of his (38:46), what leadership aspects he didn’t have when he became a CEO at the age of 33 that he does have now (40:57), more on leadership (42:34), what he learned about being young as a CEO (45:18), his introduction to Young President’s Organization (47:32), YPO (50:22), what’s changed at YPO in the last 10 years (51:52), what led him from just being a member to wanting to be a leader of the organization (53:58), where to start out if you’re trying to change the world (56:27), what he did on his sabbatical (58:12), interacting with others (59:21), his principles (1:00:36), why he decided to leave YPO and what he’s up to now (1:02:38), how 9/11 impacted him (1:05:05), and massive changes (1:08:58).
You can check out the Forrader Group website here, as well as follow Scott on LinkedIn and Twitter. Lastly, Scott recommends you check out the websites for Women Leaders in Data and AI and The Knowledge Pledge.
Thank you so much to Scott for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Quin Snyder was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school, eventually going on to play basketball at Duke, where he went to 3 Final Fours as a player. Upon graduation, he thought about pursuing a professional career playing basketball, but instead decided to pursue a law degree. While doing that, he fell back in love with the game of basketball. This conversation is going to be about his journey to falling back in love with and enjoying basketball. At the age of 32, Quin became the head coach of the University of Missouri Men’s Basketball Team. It looked as if he was the next bright star in coaching, and then that came crumbling down when he got fired. He then found himself coaching in the D-League with the Austin Toros, who were part of the San Antonio Spurs organization. Quin bounced around quite a bit and learned a ton along the way, and that is where he really fell back in love with the game and with coaching. Today, he’s the head coach of the Utah Jazz, a perennial playoff team in the NBA. Quin has been integral in creating an incredible culture and an incredible core of young players in Utah.
In this episode, we discuss Dr. Jerry’s impact on Quin as a coach (6:31), if Quin’s father coached with joy (10:15), if his mom was someone who cared deeply about joy or if joy was something Quin fell upon later in life (13:42), his perspective as a coach when he was younger (17:28), how he thinks about success and failure (22:28), what he gets from coaching that he wouldn’t get in another profession (25:06), being part of both Duke and the Spurs (27:43), how he thinks about balance between coaching and home life (35:05), values and culture in Utah (41:26), what he’s built and is building in Utah (47:56), and if he has a mission statement or coaching philosophy that guides him as a coach (52:05).
Thank you so much to Quin for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Lars Tiffany is the Head Coach of the University of Virginia Men’s Lacrosse Program. They have won back-to-back National Championships. Lars has also spent time coaching at his alma mater, Brown University, which is where he played and had a great career. He coached at Brown from 2007-2016 and then took the leap to the University of Virginia, which is a storied lacrosse program, in 2017. He led Brown to 3 Ivy League Championships.
In this episode, we discuss life for Lars as a kid (6:54), where his dad’s desire to be in the restaurant industry came from (7:51), if he was involved in the restaurant himself (11:41), why he became a vegetarian when he was the son of a steak house owner (13:37), his dad’s reaction to saying he would become a vegetarian (14:24), if his family ever served bison (18:01), vegetarians in sports (19:00), protein (21:51), losing his father (25:22), if he’s religious (29:19), his dad’s funeral (30:18), misconceptions about lacrosse (34:21), when lacrosse became a private school thing (39:19), winning his first National Championship (43:34), the differences in leading and creating a strong culture in a pandemic and in normal times (47:11), if his experience in 2019 or 2021 is more reflective of his life and journey (52:28), his pregame routine and if it’s the same as when he was a player (53:53), what book he has his whole team reading for next season (1:00:02), leadership and captainship (1:04:27), if he was a leader as a player (1:05:02), what it means to be a man (1:11:10), how fatherhood has impacted him as a coach (1:13:50), his mission statement (1:17:14), what he does to continue to grow (1:21:14), where he sees himself in the next 10 years (1:24:29).
Thank you so much to Lars for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, Head Coach - BC Women's Basketball, became the eighth women’s basketball coach in Boston College program history on April 11, 2018.
In 2019-20, her second season at BC, Bernabei-McNamee was named the Coach of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference. She led BC to an impressive 20-12 overall record and a fourth place finish in the conference with an 11-7 record.
The 20 victories were the most in program history since the 2010-11 season. The team also set a new program record for the most ACC victories with 11.
With Bernabei-McNamee at the helm, senior forward Emma Guy flourished as she led the ACC in field goal percentage throughout the season and finished 10th in the country (.594%). Guy also earned an All-ACC First Team selection, the first for a BC player since 2011.
Sophomore Taylor Soule was not only named to the All-ACC team but earned the Most Improved Player in the conference. Both Guy and Soule were named to the Blue Ribbon Panel All-ACC Second Team.
In her first season at the Heights, Bernabei-McNamee led the Eagles to a 14-16 record. The 14 wins were the most for the program since the 2015-16 season.
The 2018-19 team opened the season with eight consecutive victories and won the St. Joseph’s Thanksgiving Classic Championship.
BC went 11-3 in non-conference play before taking on the toughest conference in the country – the ACC. After two losses at home BC defeated Wake Forest and Pitt on the road. It was the first time since the 2012 season in which BC had two consecutive ACC road wins. The Eagles third ACC win came in a double-overtime victory against Duke on Jan. 31.
Bernabei-McNamee’s impact was immediate as the Eagles averaged 73.5 points per game, 14.3 more points than the 2018-19 season. BC also averaged 16.1 assists a game and shot 42.6 percent from the floor.
Junior Emma Guy thrived in the new system as she averaged a career-high 14.1 points and 6.7 rebounds a game. She shot 59 percent from the floor for the season, a new career-high.
Guard Makayla Dickens emerged as a scoring threat as a freshman and was named to the All-ACC Freshman team. Dickens averaged 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game. Fellow freshman Marnelle Garraud was fourth in scoring for BC with an 8.1 average. Garraud was named the St. Joe’s Thanksgiving Tournament MVP after she scored 28 points in the championship game. She was named the ACC Rookie of the Week for her performance.
Sophomore Sydney Lowery improved her numbers as she played in 30 games and averaged 22.9 minutes and 6.7 points a game. Junior Taylor Ortlepp averaged a team-high 30.3 minutes and averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 assists a game.
Bernabei-McNamee arrived at the Heights after two seasons as the head coach at Albany. She led Albany to a 45-20 record over the two seasons. In 2016-17, she guided the Great Danes to the American East Tournament Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. In 2017-18, Bernabei-McNamee led Albany finished 24-8 overall and a WNIT berth.
In addition to leading Albany to consecutive 20-plus win seasons, Bernabei-McNamee was named the 2017 Women’s Division I Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York.
Bernabei-McNamee, a native of Weirton, West Virginia, was named head coach at Albany in April of 2016 after three seasons as the head coach of the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, Ky. There, Bernabei-McNamee racked up 63 wins and led the program to back-to-back national tournament berths, including a program-record 26 victories and an NAIA Final Four appearance in 2016.
She was named the 2016 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NAIA Regional Coach of the Year, and also earned Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2015.
Prior to Pikeville, Bernabei-McNamee coached in both the ACC and BIG EAST. She served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Maryland for four years from 2003-07, and was an integral part of the Terrapins’ 2006 National Championship season. Maryland beat Duke 78-75 in overtime for the title at TD Garden in Boston and finished with a record of 34-4. During her tenure, she brought in four straight nationally ranked recruiting classes, including three in the Top 10.
Bernabei-McNamee spent two years at West Virginia as an assistant coach where she was a scout, position coach and recruiting coordinator. Before her time in Morgantown, McNamee had a two-year stint at Eastern Kentucky where she was responsible for scouting and individual player development, as well as serving as the recruiting coordinator.
The West Virginia native began her head coaching career in 1998 at West Virginia Wesleyan where she compiled an 18-9 record and a third-place finish in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC), while also acting as the school's Senior Women's Administrator.
She attended West Liberty State and was named a Division II All-American and a four-time, first-team All-WVIAC selection as a point guard.
The 1997 WVIAC Player of the Year, Bernabei-McNamee still holds the NCAA Division II career assists record of 1,107 and the record for assists in a game with 24. She is one of only four players in NCAA history to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 assists, finishing her stellar career with 1,317 total points.
Bernabei-McNamee holds the NCAA record for average assists per game (9.5), and the school and conference marks for assists in a game, season (294) and career. She led her team to an 80-36 record over four years and is listed on West Liberty's Top 20 all-time Best Athletes list. She was the first woman to be named first-team All-West Virginia Athletic Conference for four years and was inducted into the West Liberty State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2011.
Bernabei-McNamee earned her bachelor's degree in exercise physiology in 1997 from West Liberty and a master's degree in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky in 1999. Bernabei-McNamee and her husband Joe McNamee have two sons, Luke and Caden. McNamee took a nearly four-year hiatus from coaching (2009-13) to focus on raising her children.
In this episode, we discuss Joanna’s connection with Brenda Frese (6:39), what Brenda does to stay connected to people (7:26), being a stay-at-home mom (9:41), having kids (12:02), working with kids (14:25), her upbringing and her relationship with her mother (16:03), the upsides and downsides of independence as a young child (17:26), being a Tom Boy (19:03), if she got her aggressiveness and intensity more from her mom or her dad (20:14), what she does to put herself first, her marriage second, and her kids third (24:17), how to make sure she’s healthy as she still aspires to do great things in her profession (28:32), if there is anything she doesn’t want to be great at (30:24), what it’s been like for her as a leader during the pandemic (34:06), family (39:42), flipping the switch (43:08), feeling alive in different roles (44:27), if love is a two-way street (47:13), if there was a coach she played for that she modeled her focus on love after (50:07), how she intentionally communicates with her team (51:26), respect, trust, and communication (57:15), handling losses without anger (57:51), if she looks for people that are more even-keeled or more intense like her (1:02:08), who helps her make sure she is developing and growing (1:04:57), if she felt like she was missing a part of herself while she was on sabbatical (1:08:04), what she missed most about basketball when she was being a stay at home mom (1:11:16), what changed for her (1:12:31), and her vision for the BC program (1:15:39).
You can check out the BC website here, as well as follow BC Women’s Basketball on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Thank you so much to Joanna for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Annelie Schmittel serves as Vice President of Player Development for the Philadelphia 76ers. Schmittel is responsible for creating, managing and overseeing the holistic development and implementation of programs that support the professional and personal growth of 76ers players, staff and families.
Prior to joining the 76ers, Schmittel was a member of the Oakland Raiders player engagement staff. While responsible for strategy, planning, oversight and execution of player development, Schmittel successfully implemented and managed various programs such as the Raiders Family Boot Camp and the team’s Rookie Academy. Among her many responsibilities with the Raiders, Schmittel also specialized in innovative programming and the creation of various initiatives for the continued development of both current and former players on the roster, significant others and family members. Prior to joining the Raiders, Schmittel worked as an instructor and researcher at the University of Florida while completing her doctorate degree, earning a PhD in sports communication.
In this episode, we discuss celebrating other people (6:13), if Annelie would rather be in the spotlight or in the shadow (7:47), if she finds that women are more comfortable in the shadows (9:18), how she thinks about shining and sharing herself (11:01), what caused her to say yes to coming on the podcast (11:55), her German upbringing and if that culture comes out in her as she navigates the US (12:51), how being raised in Germany affected how she sees the world from a social justice standpoint (16:52), humanity (24:48), her decision to stay in the US (32:14), if girls were encouraged to play sports in Germany (33:05), soccer and talented athletes (35:20), her mom’s reaction when she said she wanted to come to college in the US (37:10), injuries (38:51), what is key to a good transition (43:31), how mission shows itself in the work she does (48:34), her core values and mission (51:29), how to build great relationships in a transactional environment (53:16), how she makes sure she’s at her best so that she can serve others (58:25), what she’s learned about herself in therapy (1:01:12), blending different aspects of life (1:05:40), being “enough” (1:11:02), happiness (1:17:16), comparisons (1:20:29), her journey (1:22:02), and what her day-to-day looks like (1:28:05).
You can check out Annelie on Twitter and LinkedIn!
Thank you so much to Annelie for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Chris Singleton is a former professional athlete drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017. Following the loss of his mother in a racially motivated mass shooting, Chris has now become an inspirational speaker and best-selling author who has shared his message of unity and racial reconciliation with clients such as: Microsoft, Biogen, Houston Texans, Washington Wizards, etc. He shares with over 50 organizations and over 30,000 students annually and resides with his spouse Mariana, his son CJ and his younger brother who he cares for Caleb in Charleston, SC.
In this episode, we discuss the Nats Park shooting (6:55), PTSD (7:44), what got Chris from being neurotic and anxious at an unhealthy level to a more comfortable place (8:44), faith and being a believer (10:12), what allowed him to go towards faith rather than run away from it after experiencing tragedy (11:40), more on believing (14:49), how he thinks about his purpose (17:35), unity (19:54), peace and sports (22:!7), what he thinks his mom’s murderers punishment should be (23:21), Rais Bhuyan’s story (28:44), if he considers himself a motivational speaker (30:23), experience and perspective (32:49), his mission (34:26), how he thinks about guns (38:03), his mom’s impact on him (39:03), his dad (41:25), what he learned when he transitioned from big brother to parental figure (43:06), who has his back and makes sure he’s good (44:09), the state of our country (46:25), the future of religion in America (55:25), Obama singing (57:55), his mindset when he’s speaking (1:00:14), what his coaching commitment looks like (1:03:20), what he does now (1:04:55), and what he intentionally does to make sure he’s at his best (1:06:29).
You can check out Chris’s website here, as well as follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Thank you so much to Chris for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Joe Ferraro is currently entering his 23rd year as an educator, teaching 12th grade English. Joe also teaches public speaking and creative writing. In addition to his work in the classroom, he is the founder of damngoodconversations.com. Damn Good Conversations is a company whose mission it is to teach you repeatable ways to have the best conversations in your life and work. His flagship service is a weekly personal growth podcast, which is called “One Percent Better.”
In this episode, we discuss being and becoming (8:01), the word “enough” (9:00), if damn good conversations and interviews are separate or the same thing (12:00), if there is a time Joe has to turn off the curious, interviewer mind inside of him (15:59), high velocity questions (18:05), bringing curiosity and questions into the classroom (19:56), fitting in in high school (24:14), why he decided to share his podcast with his students (27:58), if middle schoolers are more curious than high schoolers (30:28), cultivating curiosity in his children (32:24), the distinction between teaching and podcasting (34:50), growth (37:00), if anything in the educational system holds teachers back (40:26), why he teaches (43:52), questions he receives from alumni (45:07), why he podcasts (47:22), communication advice (50:42), why we like to put people into either/or boxes (55:25), what makes a great teacher (59:21), how he makes his classroom different from other classrooms (1:00:21), curious environments (1:01:56), what 17-year-old Joe would say to Joe today (1:05:36), and what his classroom will look like in 5 years (1:06:28).
You can check out the website for Damn Good Conversations here. Also, I highly recommend following Joe on Twitter @FerraroOnAir.
Thank you so much to Joe for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Lindsay Kaplan is the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Chief, a private network designed specifically for women leaders — rising VP level through CEO — to strengthen their experience in the C-suite, cross-pollinate power across industries, and effect change from the top-down. She is an award-winning marketer and communications strategist who previously served as VP of Communications and Brand at Casper. Lindsay was named a New York Times DealBook Groundbreaker, Brand Innovators 40 Under 40, and Business Insider's Most Innovative CMOs in the World.
In this episode, we discuss landing on the word “chief” (6:59), clients’ and customers’ reactions to hearing the word “chief” (9:24), the word “badass” (10:41), why she is desirous of challenging the status quo (11:43), how her parents nurtured her to make sure her uniqueness wasn’t stifled (15:00), parenting advice for defiant children (17:15), belonging (19:22), why she doesn’t think imposter syndrome is a real thing (22:04), being the “only” (25:13), the journey of “chief” (26:48), entrepreneurship (30:05), how she’s evolving her concept (31:57), balancing keeping true to what her company does while also expanding to reach others in need of her mission (35:58), global domination (38:20), what she does to make sure she’s saying yes and no to the right things (40:30), giving (44:06), the people that support Lindsay (45:06), what men don’t know about being a woman in the workforce (48:18), what Chief does to support parents (51:01), the core values at Chief (52:57), the workweek (54:14), executive coaching at Chief (57:34), and core groups (1:00:50).
You can check out the Chief website here! You can also follow Lindsay on Twitter here. Lastly, if you’d like to reach out to Lindsay, feel free to do so by emailing her at chief@moxiegrouppr.com.
Thank you so much to Lindsay for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dan Simons is the Co-Owner of the innovative Farmers Restaurant Group — majority owned by American family farmers — with a mission to earn farmers a larger share of the food dollar while delivering thoughtfully-sourced, scratch-made food, and exceptional hospitality. Farmers Restaurant Group operates 7 restaurants and 1 distillery throughout the DC, MD, VA, and PA area, and most recently pivoted their business model to include a Founding Farmers Market + Grocery- selling everything from prepared dinners and hand sanitizer made in their DC distillery, Founding Spirits to homemade chocolates and bottled cocktails. Passionate about the health of the planet, Simons founded the non-profit Our Last Straw, a business-led coalition working to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics, and is on the Advisory Board of Conscious Capitalism DC.
In this episode, we discuss past failures and successes (7:18), more on success (8:53), conscious capitalism (10:54), if he loved wrestling (13:40), what it was like competing in an individual sport that also had a team component, and how that impacted the way he sees the world (15:15), what he thought his future would be while in college (16:68), his family history’s impact on his life (19:56), parallels between wrestling and business (22:25), where he gets peace of mind in his life (24:50), 168 hours in a week (28:12), discipline (31:20), how to say no (32:59), saying yes (41:50), the restaurant industry as a business (45:13), what he loves about the restaurant business (47:17), how the pandemic has affected his business (50:49), company constitutions (54:15), if the pandemic changed the company constitution (56:20), partnership (57:35), if others have replicated his model (1:00:34), mental health in the workplace (1:01:56), getting people back to work from the pandemic (1:06:27), and dining in at restaurants (1:09:18).
You can check out Dan’s website here! You can also follow him on Twitter @DanSimonsSays.
Thank you so much to Dan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Kensa Gunter is a licensed psychologist & a Certified Mental Performance Consultant based in Atlanta, GA. She provides services to individuals, teams, & organizations and describes her work as being at the intersection of mental health, mental performance, culture and sport. Dr. Gunter also currently serves as the President of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
In this episode, we discuss the symbolism in Dr. Gunter’s “tree of life” (6:37), how she uses that metaphor with her clients (9:26), gratitude (10:49), if she makes a distinction between spirituality and religion (12:14), if her connection to Christianity has changed over time (13:11), her favorite quote (15:53), perfectionism (18:57), if there is a dark side to striving for excellence that can bleed over to a client’s overall wellbeing (21:58), what she would tell her 12-year-old self (26:05), how to preach patience in a sports world that is so transactional (32:52), how she’s worked to be patient and present over the past year (35:23), what can get in the way of performers (38:48), growth mindset (42:18), what she’s struggled with over the past year and a half (45:10), psychological safety and security (52:02), navigating her career in the world of sport psychology (58:59), what advice she would give to people looking to break into the field of sport psychology (1:03:59), the gifts that exist alongside being unique (1:08:19), being an entrepreneur (1:12:10), the transition to private practice (1:18:00), the future of sport psychology (1:21:56), where she sees herself in 10 years (1:24:59), what she intentionally does to make sure she’s at her best (1:26:54), and being dauntless (1:29:38).
You can check out Dr Gunter’s website here! You can also follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn by searching for Dr. Kensa Gunter.
Thank you so much to Dr. Gunter for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Steve Mesler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Classroom Champions, a non-profit that brings together children and the world’s best athletes to mentor and teach kids the skills they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. After winning an Olympic Gold Medal in the 4-man bobsled at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, Steve was inspired to bring the values, lessons, and experiences he and his fellow Olympic and Paralympic athletes had gained through sport into classrooms. Since creating Classroom Champions in 2009, over 200 athletes have taught more than 1 million students about goal setting, perseverance, and teamwork to support their mental health, wellness, and academic achievement.
Steve has written for or been featured in the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, Inc, NBC’s Today Show, and dozens of other news, sports, and education outlets.
Steve is a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), was a finalist for the International Champion for Peace award, and was named one of Sports Illustrated “Athletes Who Care.” He is a sought-after presenter at education and other conferences around the world, including Dubai, Sochi, Tel Aviv, Guatemala, and across the U.S. and Canada, and has collaborated with the likes of TED, Big Think, and others to increase awareness of the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in young students
In this episode, we discuss dual citizenship (6:52), Americans training in Canada (8:26), what it was like flying on an F-16 plane (11:08), a champion or hero Steve looked up to as a kid and why (18:44), the impact his parents had on he and his sister (22:16), how he thinks about education differently than his parents did (26:30), his parents’ reaction to him pursuing bobsledding (31:35), the thinking as he transitioned to bobsled (36:06), the first time he got into a bobsled (37:05), his relationship with fear while bobsledding (41:58), if he loved bobsledding (44:35), if he loved track and field (46:47), loving sports (49:56), the various psychological tolls sports can take on an athlete (53:50), mental health (1:03:47), your profession being a part of who you are (1:08:08), if he still competes (1:11:08), learning how to become a leader in his new role (1:13:10), and Classroom Champions (1:17:21).
Make sure to check out Steve’s website and also to check out his content on Medium, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Additionally, you can check out Steve’s blog here, as well as the Classroom Champions website and the Willie documentary website.
Thanks so much to Steve for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Brant Menswar is a best-selling author, performance coach, named one of the country’s “Top 10" speakers in motivation and CEO/Founder of bookstarPR. His books and Top 200 podcast (Thoughts That Rock) expand on his ground-breaking work around values-based leadership described as “disarmingly simple and incredibly powerful.”
He has helped to change what’s possible for industry-leading organizations like Netflix, Verizon, Anthem, SunTrust, Microsoft, ESPN, Hilton, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and dozens more.
In this episode, we discuss when Brant first picked up a guitar (6:08), if difficulty can stunt creativity (10:30), his past job and what led to him pursuing his dream of becoming a Rockstar (11:58), when faith came into his life (14:23), baseball (16:11), what he was like academically (20:06), what he struggled with when he was younger (21:18), polarity within himself (25:39), unique contributions (30:25), why he didn’t continue to just play music (31:22), what it was like to first hear his son had cancer and what it’s been like the past few months since his son passed away (33:08), what he learned from his son (35:35), what he’s been doing creativity-wise the last couple months (39:30), his relationship with faith today (42:25), what sparked the importance of values in his life (46:59), living your values (50:27), professional vs. personal values (55:27), black sheep values (1:03:52), security (1:16:00), what he intentionally does every day to ensure his values are actionable (1:24:10),
You can check out Brant on social media platforms @brantmenswar. Also, feel free to visit Brant’s website here!
Thank you so much to Brant for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
WRITER. SPEAKER. HUMAN.
Julie Lythcott-Haims believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a TED Talk that has more than 5 million views. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, is out now.
Julie is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean, and she holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She serves on the board of Common Sense Media, and on the advisory board of LeanIn.Org, and she is a former board member at Foundation for a College Education, Global Citizen Year, The Writers Grotto, and Challenge Success. She volunteers with the hospital program No One Dies Alone.
She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, their itinerant young adults, and her mother.
In this episode, we discuss why she got into each of her three careers (7:12), the values her parents taught her as a kid as she felt “otherized” in society (11:35), naming blackness but not whiteness (17:00), the idea of the “other” (24:19), how she figures out when to be curious and when to be convicted (28:10), what changed between her two Ted Talks (31:58), if she’s experienced any imposter syndrome and how she’s handled it (35:27), what she misses about being Dean (39:16), inspiration (42:15), her identity (43:38), writing (47:03), if she prefers writing poetry or not (51:46), where the line is as a parent between commitment and over commitment (54:35), fostering independence in your children (1:01:16), adulting (1:03:44), and what she intentionally does to make sure she feels alive (1:07:00).
You can check out Julie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additionally, when posting about her new book, make sure to use the hashtag #YourTurnToAdult. You can visit Julie’s website here and can purchase her new book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, here!
Thank you so much to Julie for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jay Wright has become a mainstay in the world of College Basketball. He was recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he’s won 2 National Championships (one in 2016 and one in 2018), and he took a team to the Final Four in 2009, becoming one of the all-time greats when it comes to college basketball. He’s led Villanova, the team he coaches, to 6 Big East Conference Championships and 14 NCAA Tournaments.
In this episode, we discuss what it has been like for Jay to coach Brandon Slater (7:31), what he looks for in leadership (11:00), dealing with, managing, and developing defiant players (15:31), his experience with PeacePlayers in Israel (19:33), attitude’s impact on Villanova’s culture (23:57), how he thinks about his own identity (27:06), Father Rob and Jim Brennan’s impact (29:18), how he makes sure his emption is helpful and not harmful (33:47), what he does pregame and how he makes sure he’s where he needs to be (37:19), the difference between players and actors (40:53), and how he thinks about legacy and what’s next for him (46:22).
Thank you so much to Jay for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
In 2003, Rebecca Powers lost her brother and, as a result, founded Impact Austin, a collective giving organization that brings women and their financial resources together to make a profound impact in Central Texas. To date, the organization has put $7.4M to work helping the underserved. Rebecca has received multiple awards recognizing her leadership and speaks nationally inspiring women to connect their capacity to give with their confidence to do it well. She also mentors women in cities across the US as they form their own collectives.
In this episode, we discuss when philanthropy came to be something Rebecca wanted to leverage and focus on (6:16), if she was bitter her brother didn’t go to the doctor sooner to prevent his demise (8:21), the polarity between her anger and inspiration (9:58), the role of faith in her life (11:41), the relationship between faith and philanthropy (13:45), the communal aspect of Impact Austin (16:00), how she went about building Impact Austin (17:24), what she had created and done before Impact Austin (20:02), why she distinguishes between giving to church and philanthropy (22:11), contributions (23:28), how to attract young members (26:05), doing well so you can do good (33:09), why Impact Austin is just for women (34:27), if there are ever people who would prefer to give and donate on their own (38:07), what she’s learned about herself and about leadership while leading this organization (39:17), the challenges she faced when taking on a leadership role (42:35), newsletters (45:44), when she decided she may not be the best person to run things from a systems and organizations standpoint (46:55), what gives her joy now (48:21), writing her book (49:56), her book “Trust Your Cape” (51:57), the city of Austin (55:45), and how she influences people across the country (57:24).
I strongly encourage you to check out Rebecca’s content on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as visiting the Impact Austin website here! Additionally, feel free to send her an email: info@impactaustin.org.
Thank you so much to Rebecca for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Becky Burleigh is the soon-to-retire head coach of the University of Florida Women’s Soccer Team. She has been at the University of Florida for 27 years, where she started the program. Before that, Becky was the head coach at Berry College in Rome, Georgia at the age of 21. She was the captain of her soccer team, playing defense and goalie, before going on to coach at the age of 21. By age 26, she was in Florida, heading and starting up the program. In four years, at the age of 30, she helped to lead the University of Florida to a National Championship. Becky is an amazing leader who thinks deeply about character and “what drives winning,” which is a question and a statement. Becky is also obsessed with the idea of how do coaches develop and get better beyond the X’s and O’s?
In this episode, we discuss why Becky is interested in DJing (6:47), her go to song (9:43), why she transitioned from playing defense her first 3 years at college to playing goalie for her senior year (11:51), where her discipline and desire to go toward the grind came from (14:53), her parents and the impact they had on her (15:41), selflessness and service in partnerships (18:16), perspective taking as a coach (20:28), how to mix the desire to win and challenging players with the idea that her players are ultimately still just playing a sport (23:38), what it was like coaching Abby Wambach as a freshman (26:46), if she treated Abby differently (28:50), where Abby’s alpha mentality came from and what it was like coaching an alpha (31:05), influence (33:26), if she considers herself to be an alpha (35:29), curiosity and conviction (39:27), judgment (42:16), paranoia in sports (45:36), lack of boundaries in sports (47:52), what triggered her transition into retirement (51:52), if there are ways to lessen the sacrifices made in sports (54:36), what drives winning (55:54), how to be a great questioner but also provide guidance and answers (57:15), more about what drives winning and where it’s going (58:58), teaching at Florida and what she’s excited about going forward (1:00:47),
You can check out Becky on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @BeckyBurleigh! Additionally, make sure to check out WhatDrivesWinning.com!
Thank you so much to Becky for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Muffet McGraw, previously the head coach of Notre Dame Women’s Basketball, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2017. She became just the 32nd women ever to do so, and the 13th female coach. Bringing women out into the spotlight and helping women progress in and beyond sports is a massive mission that Muffet has taken on. As a coach, she’s a 2x National Champion. The first came in 2001, when Notre Dame defeated Purdue. The 2nd came 17 years later in 2018. Coach McGraw was the 6th different Division I coach to win multiple NCAA titles, joining legends like Geno Auriemma, Pat Summit, Linda Sharp, Tara VanDerveer, and Kim Mulkey. She is one of 5 coaches, men’s or women’s, in NCAA Division I history with over 930 wins, 9 final fours, and multiple NCAA Championships. Three times in her career, she was the consensus National Coach of the Year. Seven times she was the Conference Coach of the Year. She’s won 11 Conference Tournament Championships and she’s made 373 appearances in the AP top-25 poll. Muffet is the all-time wins leader among single sport coaches in the history of Notre Dame athletics.
In this episode we discuss what life was like for Muffet as a kid (6:57), how she defines competitiveness (7:56), her family dynamic and where her competitive drive came from (8:56), parenting advice for raising competitive women (11:03), why getting gifts for kids is more based in gender than getting toys for pets (13:26), what allowed her to run with her competitive spirit and embrace sports (15:25), any memories of her dad saying anything to her that let her embrace this side of herself as a woman (16:20), how to teach sportsmanship while also saying winning and losing is part of life (17:57), where she gets her competitive fix from now that she’s not coaching (19:27), if she competes on the golf course (19:57), what golf does for her while she’s playing and why it’s something she enjoys (21:20), how losing a brother impacted her life and helped to shape how she sees the world (22:36), the values she learned from her mother (23:31), managing keeping others safe while also empowering them (25:39), polarity and paradoxes within her identity (28:19), her relationship with Catholicism (30:23), how to blend the best in our traditions with the most progressive ways to make our society better (33:15), when she began championing feminism (36:20), male advocates for feminism (40:17), if women are often more hesitant to share (41:36), what she’ll talk about with regards to unshakeable belief in oneself when she’s coaching (43:33), arrogance (46:34), if she is healthier mentally now that she isn’t coaching and worrying about a bunch of different things (48:11), why so many college coaches are transitioning right now (49:39), what changed for her so that retirement made sense for her at the time that she did it (51:19), the factors she noticed amongst her best teams (53:23), respect (55:45), the quote “what you will allow is what will continue” (58:08), timeouts speaking to a coach’s values (59:37), why she catastrophized on gameday (1:01:12), what advice she would give to coaches about catastrophizing on gameday (1:02:44), satisfaction vs. complacency (1:05:27), the side of her that only appeared off the court (1:06:53), the differences between teaching and coaching (1:07:15), and how important legacy is to her (1:08:44).
You can check out Muffet on social media @muffetmcgraw. Additionally, I strongly encourage you to check out Muffet’s book, Expect More: A Guide for Women on Reaching their Potential.
Thank you so much to Muffet for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Brenda Frese has become an absolute legend, as she has built a juggernaut of a program with Women’s Basketball at the University of Maryland. On the court, she is a 2x National Coach of the Year, including this past season. In 2006, Brenda led the team to the National Championship. With Brenda at the helm, Maryland has made 3 NCAA Final Fours, 6 NCAA Elite Eights, 8 Sweet 16 appearances, and has 13 conference titles. Over the last 20+ years, she has helped lead amazing programs. But really, at the University of Maryland she has left her mark and created a legacy that will live on far beyond her time there.
In this episode we discuss Brenda’s upbringing and childhood with her 5 siblings, if faith played a big role in her house growing up (9:18), 6-on-6 basketball (11:39), the benefits of 6-on-6, as well as what that experience was like (13:10), when and why she decided to focus in on basketball (14:16), the values her parents passed down to her (15:30), how she thinks about retirement in her future (17:08), some of the hobbies she’s enjoyed doing over the last year that she doesn’t typically have time for during a “normal” season (19:17), parenting advice, as well as the experience of having her son diagnosed with cancer and what she learned from it (21:59), if there were any actions of friends that really stood out during this difficult time in her life (26:22), what it was like for her playing college basketball at Arizona (29:22), kids (35:18), if her twins are more similar or different (36:41), what it was like coaching while pregnant and after having kids (37:36), when she decided she wanted to pursue coaching (39:25), the core values of her high school coach, her parents, and the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball Team (42:10), what she does to make sure she’s at her best while also carrying the weight of worrying about her players and staff (45:22), how often she thinks a call will be “good” when she receives one from a parent (45:54), how it makes her feel when she hears about all of her accomplishments (48:30), how she thinks about putting her staff together (51:16), what has led to misalignment between Brenda and some of her staff members who haven’t worked out (53:03), how she decouples team success and performance from her own value (58:41), how to not let results dictate who she is (1:01:51), Stu Singer (1:06:10), character (1:09:36), and what she does to make sure she’s in a good place mentally (1:12:44).
You can check out Brenda on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram @BrendaFrese. Additionally, I strongly encourage you to check out Brenda’s book, Overtime is our Time. Lastly, you can check out the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball Team website here.
Thank you so much to Brenda for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Part strategist, part storyteller, part English-to-English translator, Tamsen Webster helps experts drive action with their ideas. Tamsen honed her trademark Red Thread approach in and for major organizations like Johnson & Johnson, Harvard Medical School, and Intel, as well as with hundreds of individual founders, academics, and thought leaders. She's a former TEDx Executive Producer and current Idea Strategist. She's also author of the upcoming book, Find Your Read Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible.
In this episode, we discuss Tamsen’s childhood and upbringing (9:20), why she and her sister are so obsessed with stories and storytelling (10:48), if her partnership is different than that of her parents, as well as more on her life and her sister (14:51), what it was like being her high-achieving sister’s younger sister (22:16), imposter syndrome and her working at Harvard (26:08), hustle (31:04), how she defines success (36:16), being an English-to-English translator (37:28), curiosity, range, innovation, and creativity (42:52), building ideas, as opposed to finding ideas (49:34), why she wrote a book (57:40), the routines and habits she leverages to make sure she’s living the way she wants to live (1:00:56), how others respond to new ideas (1:06:56), and spending valuable time on valuable ideas (1:12:57).
I encourage you to follow Tamsen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, you can learn more about Tamsen’s new book "Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible" here! Lastly, feel free to send Tamsen an email if you’d like at hello@tamsenwebster.com.
Thanks so much to Tamsen for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Steve Magness has written three books, which have sold more than 200,000 copies and been translated into 15 languages. Also, Steve is a performance coach. He works with athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives, as well as serving as a consultant on mental skills development for professional sports teams. Additionally, he is a running coach, working with professional runners, including Olympians, national champions, and top finishers at major marathons. He’s also the co-creator of The Growth Equation, an online platform dedicated to the understanding and practice of performance and well-being.
In this episode, we discuss Steve’s running journey and how he became interested in running (5:43), his family dynamic at home and their reaction to him seriously pursuing running (9:59), if he fell in love with the cross-country community and was able to make connections with his teammates along the way (13:45), his success in cross-country (15:11), why he feels his cross-country peak was in high school despite training harder afterwards (16:25), how he treated rest (18:38), if he truly loved running (21:25), passion + persistence = excellency (24:52), commencement speakers (26:50), how to create routines and habits without overdosing into addiction (28:29), how he gets people to push through while still being aware (32:56), if he still runs competitively (36:03), if he misses running competitively (36:24), if he’s more like his mom or his dad (39:24), if he ever felt any pressure from his dad to go into orthodontia (40:29), the link between passion and process, as well as the link between passion and suffering (43:36), what he’s most passionate about right now (45:13), balancing talking about what he’s already done with what he’s currently working on (49:05), writing multiple books at the same time (51:23), what he’s working on now (53:36), being and becoming (56:07), the process of writing both solo and with a second author (1:00:39), and nurturing nature, stress + rest = growth, and how those concepts play out in his daily life (1:09:17) and The Growth Equation (1:12:48).
You can check out The Growth Equation website here. Additionally, you can follow Steve on Twitter and Instagram @SteveMagness.
Thanks so much to Steve for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Kevin Eastman is a corporate speaker and an internationally known basketball clinician who brings knowledge and experience from sports to the business world. He speaks on various topics, including championship culture, teamwork, leadership, motivation, and individual success. Kevin has over 40 years of experience in the game of basketball, and he coached basketball at all levels, including 13 years in the NBA. While he was in the NBA, he was the top assistant for Doc Rivers when they won the NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Most recently, Kevin served as an assistant coach and Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Los Angeles Clippers. Kevin has worked with and coached an impressive number of current and future NBA All-Stars, both as a coach and as a Nike Basketball Director of Player Development for the nation’s elite college and high-school players. He continues his work with young, elite players through USA basketball and speaking to Nike audiences.
In this episode, we discuss what Kevin’s upbringing was like and how he became himself (6:20), his relationship with his stepmom (11:30), parenting (12:56), if he’s gone back later in life to become more educated on his mom and what she was going through before committing suicide (14:50), how he thinks about mental health (17:06), shootarounds and how they’ve shifted in the NBA (24:18), how you get a team to be selfless and buy into something bigger than themselves while still giving individuals the freedom, autonomy, and joy to operate independently (27:48), motivation (29:51), what qualities make an elite leader (35:08), what sports coaches can be doing better to make sure they are healthy, both mentally and physically (40:27), his W.I.L.T journal (45:14), if he’d rather be a head coach or an assistant coach starting tomorrow (51:00), his mindset both as he prepares for and during a speaking gig (52:25), gems he shares with his audiences about leadership and culture (56:37), and what he misses about being in the locker room and on the bench (1:04:46).
You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevineastman and on Instagram @kevineastmanspeaking. Additionally, if you’d like to reach out to Kevin feel free to send him an email at kevin@kevineastman.net. Lastly, I’d encourage you to check out Kevin’s website kevineastman.net.
Thanks so much to Kevin for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Josh Linkner is somebody with lots of range who wears a lot of different hats and is not afraid to step into these different parts of himself. He calls himself a “creative troublemaker.” He passionately believes that all human beings have incredible creative capacity. He’s on a mission to unlock inventive thinking and creative problem solving to help leaders, individuals, and communities soar. At his core, Josh cares deeply about helping, impacting, and influencing people in a positive way, and he does so through speaking and writing. He’s written 4 books, he’s a keynote speaker, and he’s been the founder and CEO of 5 tech companies (which have sold for a combined value of over $200 million). He’s invested in and/or mentored over 100 startups and is the founding partner of Detroit Venture Partners. Josh is passionate about his hometown and it’s influenced him in a variety of ways, including how much he’s obsessed with, and interested in, and loves jazz. Today, Josh serves as Chairman and co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research training and consulting firm. He’s twice been named Earns and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.
In this episode, we discuss Josh’s upbringing and the role of music in his life (5:45), what it was like being exposed to so many cultures through jazz in Detroit (7:44), what it was like for him having his parents get divorced when he was very young (9:00), his siblings (9:53), when business became something he was interested in (10:31), if he’s more like his mom, his dad, or someone else in his life who nurtured him and helped to shape him (11:50), if there is a downside to saying “I’ll show you” when someone says they don’t believe in you (15:51), what motivates him today (16:44), how to unlock creativity in people (18:41), his favorite techniques to unlock creativity (20:15), how constraints can drive creativity (23:51), nurturing creativity in children (26:56), if he had 24 hours to live, what he would do to fill that day (34:11), why he continues to be involved in the business world and what his relationship is with business (35:31), what he looks for when he’s hiring people (36:45), what he looks for when investing in people and companies (40:28), arrogance (43:22), what he’s learned about writing and what his process is like (48:43), what he does to set his mind before going on stage for a speaking event (51:43), what makes a good mentor (53:06), why he’s so passionate about Detroit (54:49), and how he makes sure he’s setting his mind to be the best version of himself every day (57:28).
You can check out Josh’s new book, “Big Little Breakthroughs,” as well as his full website here. Additionally, feel free to send him an email at josh@joshlinkner.com.
Thanks so much to Josh for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Andy Friend is the Head Coach of Connacht Rugby based in Ireland. We will talk about his experience and his journey, as well as what it’s like to set the culture at that club and how he thinks about leadership. This conversation is also about Andy’s journey, which has spanned over 26 years and 21 homes, and what he’s learned along the way. He has travelled all over the world to places like England, Japan, Australia, and now Ireland. Andy is someone who thinks deeply about leadership and how he cannot just have the best leadership for himself, but also how he can develop leaders within his club and within his organization. Andy is very intentional about how he can use transformational leadership to help his club be the best that they can be.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for Andy as a kid (6:46), what the relationship was like with his brothers growing up (9:33), what he learned from moving between 3 different cultures and countries (11:34), if moving around so much helped him gain skills in emotional intelligence that still help him today (14:58), what character traits he possesses in a large group setting (16:42), how he balances teaching people the basics while also letting them go out and discover for their own (19:04), how he thinks about parenting and consequences (22:34), why he fell in love with rugby (28:28), his wife (31:42), what has led to he and his wife having a strong partnership (35:55), if it’s harder to make new memories and excitement during Covid (41:14), his coaching journey (43:58), sport science in Australia (46:49), what it was (and is) like to be an Australian coaching in Japan and Ireland (50:43), if he had to adjust his coaching style to each of the cultures he was in (56:26), what he does to develop relationships with and develop the athletes he works with (57:48), staying connected on a one-on-one level to his athletes (1:00:50), how he maintains a transformational leadership style in a transactional world (1:03:41), how he develops leaders on his team (1:06:03), leadership (1:07:37), how he empowers his staff to do the work that he’s not able to do or that they are better than him at doing (1:13:52), and how he thinks about culture with his team (1:16:15).
You can follow Andy on Twitter @andyfriend2011.
Thanks so much to Andy for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Cara Brookins built her own 3500 square foot house by using YouTube tutorials. The impetus for her decision to build that house with her four kids came after surviving domestic violence. When that occurred, she was faced with the stark challenge of providing for her children but with no means and no one to turn to but herself. In desperate need of a home, but without the means to buy one, she did something incredible: she built one from scratch. And when I say built from scratch, she built it using her hands, using her kids, they built it together. She was the electrician, she was the plumber, she was the contractor. And she in turn helped to rebuild her family and help them develop confidence and ultimately thrive.
Cara’s story went viral in more than 75 countries and has been viewed more than 2 billion times. She’s appeared on many networks and done amazing interviews all over the world, but this conversation is going to be about more than just building a house. Cara is extremely vulnerable and real in telling her story and some of the challenges and hardships that she’s gone through in her life, and yet how she still remains optimistic, a creator, an innovator, and a mom.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for her as a kid (6:14), her relationship with her brother (7:55), how old she was when she started caring for him (8:38), what it was like losing her mom (9:29), what her relationship was like with her parents (14:04), which parent she is more similar to (15:49), what led to her parents getting divorced (16:53), if she is religious (18:41), how she thinks about the relationship between conviction and curiosity (19:56), her experiences with marriage and domestic violence (27:08), how she trusts others, especially men, when factoring in what happened in her three marriages (36:21), her advice regarding safety (42:35), what was underneath her desire to undertake the project of building a house (50:28), “getting out” of an unsafe community (54:07), what the reaction from others in her community was when she said she was going to build a house (58:14), what the last year has been like for her in the pandemic (1:02:27), what “being” looks like for her (1:06:10), why the story of building her house with her kids was so popular (1:08:22), if she has a philosophy that guides herself around creativity (1:16:55), and what she learned about herself going through the process of building the house (1:19:48).
You can find everything you need to know about Cara on her website, carabrookins.com.
Thanks so much to Cara for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Gregg Berhalter is the Head Coach for the United States Men’s National Soccer Team. Before that, Gregg was the Head Coach for the Columbus Crew in the MLS. He also worked in Europe, where he was the first American to be a Head Coach of a European soccer team. Gregg also played for the US National Team from 1994-2006, also playing with the under-20 National Team in 1993. He played professionally in the MLS and all over the world, spending a lot of his time overseas.
In this episode, we discuss why Gregg likes cooking (5:50), if he finds it to be an escape from constantly coaching (6:55), if his cooking style is analogous to his coaching style (8:28), what it was like to grow up with Carl Yastrzemski in the family (9:23), why he didn’t pursue baseball (10:11), if he thinks growing up around Yaz gave him an advantage over his peers in thinking about what’s possible (10:40), the values passed down to him through his family (11:21), how he would set his mind for gameday as a player (13:07), if he ever was an overthinker as a player (14:42), how he helps bring his players more clarity as a coach when they are stuck or cluttered (16:02), if there was a coach that really impacted him and influenced how he coaches and how he played (17:25), why he took notes as a player and how that has helped him as he’s progressed (18:46), what he loves most about soccer (19:41), how being a coach is different than being a player, as well as what it was like to have to “pause” during the pandemic (21:48), how he organizes what he wants to accomplish (23:49), how he develops people and makes sure they’re heading in the right direction without using “young” as a crutch or an excuse to not compete right now (25:47), what sort of environment and culture Gregg is creating (27:06), his scoring system in training and how he’s trying to create a competitive culture (28:43), how he stays process-oriented in a results-oriented business (32:04), going towards challenge and skepticism (34:02), what it was like to be the first American head coach in Europe (34:58), how he maintains relationships with players no longer on his team (37:08), what his offer to players to come play for the US is (38:17), some things he focuses on from a player development perspective (39:25), how club teams are developing their players (41:26), what’s changed in the develop of soccer players in the last 20 years that’s led to the birth of so much young talent on the US team (43:43), how he thinks about home-field advantage versus playing on the road in a hostile environment (46:30), how he addresses playing at home versus on the road with his players (48:31), how he balances the data and the measurement tools with his instincts and gut feelings (51:46), talent selection (53:55), clarity in goals (56:19), what he intentionally does to make sure he’s healthy and well in the midst of his stressful job (58:44), if there’s a book that’s changed how he sees the world (1:00:00), Ted Lasso (1:00:47), and leading with authenticity (1:02:24).
Thanks so much to Gregg for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
This week Brian shares his reflections on the past year. He shares his struggles, how he's experimenting, and what he's been grateful for during the pandemic.
As we move forward, in a post-pandemic world, how can we better support ourselves and each other?
If you want to connect and chat more and share your experience feel free to reach out via Twitter or Linkedin @Brianlevenson or email Brian at Brian@strongskills.co.
Suneel Gupta teaches at Harvard University and is the author of BACKABLE – exploring how to get people to believe in your ideas. The book is rooted in Suneel’s journey from first-time entrepreneur to being named “The New Face of Innovation” by the New York Stock Exchange. Suneel’s ideas have been backed by firms like Greylock and Google Ventures, and he served as an Entrepreneur in Residence inside Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. He has personally backed startups including Impossible Foods, AirBnB, 23&Me, Calm, and SpaceX. In 2019, Suneel established the Gross National Happiness Center of America in partnership with the Kingdom of Bhutan.
In this episode, we discuss Suneel’s mom and his family story (5:59), what the communication was like between Suneel and his parents when he was a kid as it related to dreams (8:33), where he and his brother got their performance skills from (10:48), what his relationship was like with his brother growing up when factoring in the age gap they have (12:28), how he has evolved in thinking about fame and being recognizable (15:17), why every great speech should include “I,” “you,” and “we” (20:19), what he would do if his ideas were getting shut down and what makes a backable circle of people (27:21), when he feels most alive and when he has needed to shift from a place of boredom to a place of being alive (34:20), how he balances being in a niche while also focusing on trying to be alive (39:48), who he wrote “BACKABLE” for (43:36), what inspired him to run for office (45:48), his future political aspirations (50:09), curiosity and conviction (52:59), and what’s inevitable for Suneel right now (1:03:38).
You can follow him on Twitter @suneel, on Facebook and Instagram @suneelgupta, and on LinkedIn @suneelkgupta.
Additionally, make sure to order and check out the website for Suneel’s new book “BACKABLE” at backable.com.
Thanks so much to Suneel for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Kyle Korver is one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the history of the NBA. He’s 4th most all-time in 3-point field goals made and 3rd highest on the all-time list for 3-point field goal percentage. But Kyle is so much more than a shooter. He was an all-star in 2015 and he played in the NBA for 17 seasons. Kyle also won the sportsmanship award in 2015.
In this episode, we discuss misogi and its role in Kyle’s life and career (6:34), if he’s always embraced challenge and adventure (11:13), how misogi helps him navigate COVID (16:09), how he thinks about perfectionism and adaptability in relation to his gameday mindset (18:25), how he expanded his game to be more than a shooter as he got older (22:40), what he would do mentally to prepare on game day, before practice, and in the offseason (26:28), what he would do during the game to bring himself back if he got off kilter (29:27), if he would talk to himself (30:55), his upbringing, what it was like to be around his father who was a pastor, and the role of religion in his life (32:30), the values his parents instilled in him and his brothers (34:33), what it was like going from LA to Iowa (36:17), how he got his love for basketball (39:25), how much of shooting is nature and how much is nurture (42:26), where his eyes tend to go when he’s watching a basketball game on TV (43:46), how the tragedy with his younger brother has impacted how he thinks about life (44:39), his experience with therapy (46:53), race relations in the US and being a part of walking off the court with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA bubble (51:46), what he did that intentionally led to his success both on and off the court during the 2015 season (56:51), if he considers himself to be a leader and what makes a good leader (59:20), what he has learned from his wife and how she has influenced him (1:02:34), and raising kids intentionally (1:07:20).
Thanks so much to Kyle for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Nik Wallenda has 11 Guinness World Records and has completed a list of never-before-seen death defying feats. He has written his name in history as the king of the highwire. Additionally, Nik has performed live in every state in the US and all over the world. He has garnered the support from tens of millions of viewers on network television specials on ABC, The Discovery Channel, and others. Nik has completed such accomplishments as walking a highwire over both the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls with no safety net, as well as walking blindfolded across skyscrapers in Chicago.
In this episode, we discuss Nik’s traumatic experience and his vulnerability (6:45), what he does to help people overcome their fear of high-wire walking (8:30), how he makes sure that both he and others are where they need to be before a performance (10:23), how he treats pressure (11:53), if there is ever a part of him that will relinquish his hands-on nature (13:43), the similarities and differences between what he does and selling a product (16:27), how his mindset differs and is similar when he’s doing a team vs. a solo act on the wire (19:39), if he prefers walking with a team or walking by himself (21:31), how his traumatic experience has impacted him (22:16), if he still believes it was the right thing to do to go out and perform the day after the accident (28:48), sweeping trauma under the rug (32:00), what he did to improve as a leader and to handle the shame (34:23), Brene Brown and vulnerability (37:21), the vast breadth of trauma in so many people (39:00), who he is an awe of/who inspires him (44:18), his messages to his kids about their future inspiring and entertaining people (51:01), how kids decide on their futures (55:32), and if there is a downside to always thinking about what’s next, as well as revitalizing the circus (58:02).
Please check out Nik’s book “Facing Fear” as well!
Thanks so much to Nik for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Nicole Lynn Lewis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Generation Hope, a nonprofit organization that surrounds motivated teen parents and their children with the mentors, emotional support, and financial resources that they need to thrive in college and kindergarten, thereby driving a two-generation solution to poverty. A former teen mother herself who put herself through the College of William & Mary with her three-month old daughter in tow, Nicole now works every day to change the statistic that less than 2% of teen mothers will earn their degrees before age 30. Generation Hope rallies around teen parents to help them earn college degrees and forge a path to economic opportunity and is now expanding its work with young parents beyond the D.C. region by sharing its best practices to help colleges and universities across the country better meet the needs of the nearly 4 million parenting students who are working toward their degrees.
Nicole is a member of the board of trustees of Trinity Washington University and a National Advisory Board member of The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. She has received various awards, including being honored as a CNN Hero and the national grand prize winner of the Roslyn S. Jaffe Award, and has been featured on major news outlets including “Good Morning America,” CNN, “NBC Nightly News,” and The Washington Post. Most recently, she was honored with the inaugural Black Voices for Black Justice Award, which “recognizes incredible leaders who have been on the frontlines working to dismantle the deep-rooted, racist systems that have plagued our country for centuries.” She is also a nationally known author and speaker with her next, highly-anticipated book, Pregnant Girl, to be released by Beacon Press in the spring of 2021.
Nicole holds a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Communication from George Mason University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William & Mary. Nicole and her husband, Donté Lewis, live in Maryland with their four children.
In this episode, we discuss the day Nicole found out she got into college and what that was like for her (5:26), why she was interested in journalism (6:38), where her drive to write came from (7:35), what her parents did for a living (8:05), getting her envelope from the University of Maryland (9:43), what it was like when she found out she was pregnant (10:31), how becoming pregnant impacted her identity as a high schooler, as well as some of the stigmas that came along with it (12:48), what emotions she would use to label what that experience was like for her (14:45), what her boyfriend’s reaction was (15:55), what her parents’ reaction was (17:12), who else influenced and impacted her decision, if anyone, to still go to college (18:52), why she decided to go to William & Mary (20:02), what the William & Mary experience was like for her (21:41), how she wound up homeless (24:00), who was supportive of her during this time (25:42), her tumultuous senior year of high school (26:40), receiving her William & Mary acceptance letter (27:38), what it was like on campus with a 3-month-old (28:49), what was driving her to get her college degree (31:27), if writing was something she did (i.e., journaling) at this time (32:38), what she thought she was going to do with her life after college (34:07), what her situation was like with regard to taking on debt and paying bills, and if that ever played a role in deciding whether or not to stay in college (36:00), how she was able to graduate as an Honor’s student (37:22), her first jobs after college and how she got started with Generation Hope (40:33), why she decided to pivot to non-profit work when she was doing very well for herself and her daughter in the for-profit world (44:06), what she has learned as she began running her own non-profit (47:40), how race plays a role in the work she does (53:29), why she is so passionate about fighting for pregnant teens to get a degree (57:14), what makes a great mentor, what makes a great mentee, and what she has learned about mentoring over the years (1:01:12), how she sees herself today (1:05:06), being a black CEO of a non-profit organization (1:09:55), and how she continues to lean into her gifts and her calling without intimidating people and instead fitting in and connecting with others (1:13:17).
You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @NicoleLynnLewis, and you can also follow Generation Hope on those same platforms @SupportGenHope. Additionally, you can check out Generation hope on Facebook at facebook.com/SupportGenerationHope.
Thanks so much to Nicole for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Brendan Suhr is one of the most respected figures in basketball, as he has nearly 30 years of coach and executive experience in the NBA, as well as 13 seasons as a coach at the collegiate level. He has been part of some of the most historical basketball teams of all time, while winning back-to-back championships with the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons, also working as an assistant coach on the 1992 Dream Team. Brendan has also worked for hall of fame coaches such as Chuck Daly, Hubie Brown, and Lenny Wilkins. Today, Brendan works with people in the corporate world. Brendan is someone who cares deeply about relationships and pouring all of the wisdom he has learned over the years into coaches and, in turn, into the basketball community.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for Brendan growing up (5:55), the values he got from his parents (11:04), the value of education (14:13), range/specialization in education (19:07), why not to go too narrow in studying specialties (22:07), what it was like to have Hubie Brown as his high school head coach (24:50), how Brendan’s “presence” developed over time (28:28), what Hubie saw in Brendan that made it so Hubie wanted Brendan to help him just 10 years after coaching him (31:17), taking advantage of every opportunity that came his way (35:45), the commonalities Brendan found amongst the great coaches he’s played for and worked with (39:27), the differences between those coaches (41:05), how he stayed true to who he was while still “stealing” attributes from the other great coaches he was around (44:53), why he went in his own direction and considers himself a “softer” coach (48:57), serving others and serving oneself (53:21), how he and Chuck navigated working with the Pistons and the Dream Team differently (55:50), how Rick Mahorn navigated and changed who he was on and off the court (58:25), anger (59:50), what made the Pistons great (1:02:35), the expectations for the Dream Team and how that played into the coaches’ messaging to the players (1:07:08), what makes a great assistant coach (1:14:44), what it means to be coachable (1:16:56), Coaching U and MindVue (1:24:21), and what drives Brendan today.
You can follow Brendan on Twitter @BrendanSuhr. Additionally, you check out Coaching U’s website here, as well as follow Coaching U on Twitter @Coaching_U. Lastly, you can visit MindVue’s website here.
Thanks so much to Brendan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Lauren Johnson works as a mental performance coach. Additionally, she’s a keynote speaker, a writer, an entrepreneur, and she’s curious, obsessed, and interested with how the lessons in sports translate to the corporate world. She’s given keynotes to such notable organizations as the FBI, Johnson and Johnson, and Mass Mutual. Additionally, she’s worked for the New York Yankees as their mental conditioning coordinator.
In this episode, we discuss her taking the leap to putting out video content despite being somewhat insecure and hesitant about it (6:07), if she received negative feedback on the videos early on (8:05), why she didn’t give up on it (9:15), the importance of learning how to fail (12:34), if there was a particular moment in one of her videos that made her proud and what she learned from that (13:57), how she is choosing to see the good during these tough times (18:52), empathy, anger, thoughts, and feelings (28:06), when she leans into empathy and when she chooses to focus on something else (30:52), handling difficult and uncomfortable situations (33:30), soccer and the influence it had on her, as well as why she decided to become a mental performance coach (36:51), what it felt like when people would laugh at her degree in performance psychology (42:59), how she thinks about motivation and inspiration as it relates to performance (46:07), aspiration (49:52), what inside Lauren allowed her to be confident in her work with the Yankees (54:31), what she does intentionally to show up as her best self (56:58), what she likes to read (59:45), how to best synthesize information to help it stick with you (1:01:19), what she has learned from working in baseball (1:03:42), and how she defines mental toughness (1:07:51).
You can follow her on Instagram @laurennicolejohnson.
Thanks so much to Lauren for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Rachel Tipograph considered herself amongst the digerati since the moment she became an eBay power user at 13. Forbes listed Rachel as one of its “30 under 30 Who Are Changing The World,” Marie Claire named her one of “The 50 Most Influential Women in America,” Fast Company named her one of “The Most Creative People in Business,” AdAge named her one of “The Most Creative People of The Year,” Adweek named her one of “The Young Influentials Shaping Business and Culture,” Entrepreneur named her one of the “50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs,” Goldman Sachs named her one of “The 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs,” Business Insider named her one of “New York Tech’s Coolest People”, Refinery29 named her one of its “Rising Female Tech Stars,” The Wrap named her one of “The 11 Change Agents Disrupting Hollywood,” and LinkedIn named her one of its “Next Wave: Top Professionals 35 & Under.”
After being the Global Director of Digital and Social Media at Gap where she oversaw strategy, implementation and measurement, Rachel traveled the world solo and then founded MikMak, the enterprise marketing eCommerce platform that helps brands better understand consumers by connecting digital investments to online retailer insights.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like For Rachel as a kid (5:16), her family’s relationship with Modell’s (6:12), her parents’ lessons on entrepreneurship (7:23), if there was a downside to having her parents work so hard and be so passionate about what they did (10:16), what she did as a kid and what she was like (12:45), why she was initially against IPO-ing (14:24), what it was like for her to come out of the closet to her friends and family (15:17), how she classifies her identity (17:17), if she was always a leader (18:27), how she thinks about leadership from a hiring and development standpoint (19:13), how she maintains a company where people are healthy with themselves, healthy with their organization, healthy with their team, and healthy with their customers (24:45), the values she looks for in people that will align with her organization (30:14), when it is appropriate to say “I” and focus on yourself as opposed to the team (34:14), if there are ever moments where she needs to step into and embrace ego (40:06), the biggest takeaways she’s gotten from therapy and executive coaching (41:20), what it was like for her to be innovative at a big company (GAP) when she was 24 years ole (45:03), if she’s able to take what she learned at GAP and apply it to MikMak or if she has to use new muscles now (50:43), what she says to people who are “young” for their job (52:46), why she enjoys public speaking (55:22), her advice to people who are forced into working remotely for the first time (58:43), what she does intentionally to make sure she’s taking care of herself (1:00:06), and what MikMak does (1:02:21).
You can follow MikMak on Instagram @mikmaktv. Additionally, you can follow her on any social media platform @racheltipograph. You can also check out the company on LinkedIn here as well as Rachel’s personal LinkedIn here.
Thanks so much to Rachel for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Ryan Hawk is a keynote speaker, author, advisor, and the host of The Learning Leader Show, a podcast with millions of listeners in more than 150 countries. He is the author of Welcome to Management: How to Grow from Top Performer to Excellent Leader (McGraw-Hill, January 2020). A lifelong student of leadership, he rose to roles as a professional quarterback and VP of Sales at a multibillion-dollar company. Currently, as head of Brixey & Meyer’s leadership advisory practice, Ryan speaks regularly at Fortune 500 companies, works with teams and players in the NFL, NBA, and NCAA, and facilitates “Leadership Circles” that offers structured guidance and collaborative feedback to new and experienced leaders.
In this episode, we discuss the transition from high performer to excellent leader and coach (5:33), what makes someone a great manager, what makes someone great at sales, and why are those considered “bad” words (8:14), where people struggle with helping people get to where they want to go (13:14), what helps people transition from focusing solely on their own success to focusing on the success of the team (18:57), his upbringing, what it was like in the Hawk household growing up, and the values that were instilled in him and his brothers (23:13), what it was like to be on campus with Ben Roethlisberger at Miami (OH) and to compete against him every day (30:15), how he defines competition (32:58), focusing on the process instead of the results (38:20), why some people prefer to stay in a sales role as opposed to a manager/leadership role (42:48), how he thinks about the process of getting some people to manage others (47:29), what people should do if they have a bad boss who doesn’t empower them (50:24), what it means to say “compliance can be commanded but commitment cannot” (52:24), what he thinks of the phrases “servant leadership” and “buy-in,” and if they suggest compliance as opposed to commitment (56:13), what makes a good boss (57:47), what his days look like and what he does intentionally to make sure he’s at his best (1:00:05), and if there is a downside to his desire to be a learning machine that never stops (1:05:37).
You can follow Ryan on Instagram and Twitter @RyanHawk12. Additionally, make sure to check out his podcast, the Learning Leader Show, and his website here.
Thanks so much to Ryan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Haley Skarupa is a member of the 2018 United States Women’s Olympic ice hockey Team who took home a gold medal from the Winter Olympics this past February in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She is a three-time World Champion and also a Four Nations Cup Gold Medalist for Team USA as well. Haley graduated from Boston College in 2016, majoring in psychology. While at Boston College, she was named an All-American Collegiate Athlete and is currently the second highest points leader in Boston College hockey history, men or women, with 115 goals and 244 total points in her four years. Out of college, she was drafted 5th overall into the National Women’s Hockey League and was a unanimous All-Star Selection her rookie season for the Connecticut Whale. She is originally from Rockville, Maryland and graduated from Wootton High School in 2012. Most recently, she has joined the Washington Capitals organization as their Hockey Ambassador. She has brought her background and experience to help promote the growth of the game in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She also works in Business Development for Klaviyo, a marketing automation software company in Boston, MA.
In this episode, we discuss what Haley’s life was like as a kid (6:40), her experience as the only girl on a boy’s hockey team (8:35), where her courage and willingness to be brave came from (9:44), if there was ever a time her parents dissuaded her from playing hockey (13:07), the differences between playing on an all-boys vs all-girls team (16:57), would she have preferred to stand out or fit in when she was younger (23:07), if there are times in different hockey contexts where it was required for her to stand out or required for her to fit in (24:55), her experience at Nationals (28:57), what her experience was like at the Olympics and how she shifted her mind to be able to perform on the biggest stage (34:17), the mindsets of figure skaters (37:50), what it was like for her to get cut and how she handled it (42:04), role clarity (51:54), seizing opportunities (54:38), being able to change your role if necessary (57:01), what it was like winning a gold medal in 2018 (58:27), the response the community gave to winning the gold medal (1:00:30), the state of professional hockey for women and its goals (1:02:43), and promoting women’ sports in the US (1:05:11).
You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @Skrooops28.
Thanks so much to Haley for coming on the Podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Rahul Vohra is the CEO and Co-Founder of Superhuman, the fastest email experience ever made. He previously founded Rapportive, a popular Gmail plug-in that was acquired by LinkedIn.
In this episode, we discuss what Rahul was like as a kid (7:15), how he began coding at the age of 8 (8:26), how his parents instilled a love of learning in Rahul and his brother (12:11), how he showed up emotionally and mentally during his educational journey (17:05), if there was ever a time his parents, who were doctors, pressured him to become a doctor (23:28), why he was built to be an entrepreneur (25:42), what he wishes he knew when he was younger that he knows now (27:49), where his love for psychology came from and when it came in (30:30), his experience with executive coaching (33:36), how he thinks about partnership and bringing on other people to help him (36:05), why his personal values are the same as his business’s core values (37:27), how he operates Superhuman and lives his life intentionally (39:59), adapting, or not adapting, to a set schedule (44:09), when he got into bodybuilding and how he thinks about it (47:44), why Superhuman is a referral-only and waitlist product (50:22), why Superhuman has an onboarding process to show customers how to use the product (53:48), how Rahul continues to lead as his company grows in size (57:00), what he does intentionally throughout every day to make sure he’s the best version of himself (1:02:58), how he thinks about empathy as a leader (1:05:27), and where he goes for inspiration and motivation (1:07:31).
You can Learn more about Rahul and Superhuman at superhuman.com.
Additionally, feel free to follow Superhuman on Twitter @superhuman, on Facebook, and on Instagram @SuperhumanCo.
Thanks so much to Rahul for coming on the Podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Rae Ringel is a certified executive coach and founding President of The Ringel Group. She is a faculty member at the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership and founding director of their certificate program in the Art of Facilitation and Design. She is also adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Rae is in high demand as an innovator in the areas of coaching, facilitation and training across sectors. She enables a growing list of executives in some of the most successful Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and government agencies to become more effective managers and stronger communicators with a formidable leadership presence.
In this episode, we discuss how Rae helped Brian to get involved with executive coaching (7:51), how she thinks about competing and competition (8:59), what her childhood was like (11:41), her thoughts on stopping things as opposed to staying with them (15:18), the first thing she fully committed to (17:29), why she values relationships and friendships so much (19:17), what she intentionally does to make sure the relationships in her life are strong (22:11), how she thinks about sabbatical and what that experience was like for her (24:05), how she maintained her relationships with people in the US while she was in Israel (26:33), fostering independence and agility in children (29:42), when she got started with facilitation and her professional journey (32:42), how she thinks about the differences between training, coaching, and facilitation (37:46), what she loves about facilitating (41:07), how she sets her mind for a performance (44:16), gratitude and vulnerability (48:18), what makes a successful virtual meeting or conversation (52:18), how she translates what she’s learned in virtual meetings to in-person keynotes (59:30), what possibilities lie ahead for Rae in 2021 that would make it a successful year for her (1:03:20),
You can check out Rae’s website here!
Thank you so much to Rae for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Sue Enquist is a legendary softball coach who coached the UCLA softball team for 27 years. She has won 11 National Championships, 1 as a player and 10 as a coach.
However, this conversation is not about anything related to her impressive resume. Sue is much more interested in talking about her failures, what she would have done differently, coaching today, and how coaching has evolved through the years.
In this episode, we discuss why Sue doesn’t like talking about winning (5:00), how she thinks about her legacy (5:45), if she thinks winning can get in the way of growth or if there’s a downside to winning (8:32), how she has adapted in her ways of thinking (10:30), why she does what she does today and how that’s evolved over the years (14:02), how she saw polarity show up in other legendary coaches she was around at UCLA (17:52), how she thinks about expectations (24:52), how vulnerability plays a role in coaching (32:25), focusing more on the process than the results (38:06), coaching coaches (43:36), watershed moments in her life (47:07), what chasing excellence means to her (50:12), rest, recovery, and mental health (58:19), why she hates the word confidence (1:00:12), how she remains both curious and convicted (1:04:32), how she feels about being called a legend (1:10:20), and onesoftball (1:14:30).
Thank you so much to Sue for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dee Ann Turner is a 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Prior to retirement in 2018, she was Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability for Chick-fil-A, Inc. Selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001, she was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems. During her long career, she worked closely with Chick-fil-A’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, and other key leaders as an architect of their organizational culture. Turner was responsible for thousands of selections of Chick-fil-A Franchisees and corporate staff members. Additionally, she led Talent Management, Staff Learning and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Culture and Engagement. Most recently, Dee Ann launched and led the Sustainability function focusing on Chick-fil-A’s strategy to implement sustainable practices at the then $10.5 billion company.
Today, she leads her own organization, Dee Ann Turner & Associates, LLC, writing books, speaking to over 50 audiences per year and consulting and coaching leaders globally. She is the author of Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture and Win the Hearts of Customers was released in September 2019 and her new book, Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Career will release in March 2021.
In this episode, we discuss her book (6:42), why saying “It’s my pleasure” landed at Chick-fil-A (12:50), the innovation of S. Truett Cathy and what Dee Ann learned from him (19:08), how he figured out who to give opportunities to and what qualities he would look for in those entrepreneurs (21:38), Dee Ann’s leadership journey (26:52), her role in human resources at the start of her Chick-fil-A career (33:28), the alignment of faith with Chick-fil-A (37:29), how she thinks about people selection and betting on talent (42:15), how she evaluates talent (43:57), what can get in the way of someone working well at Chick-fil-A (46:05), what percentage of corporate had come up through the restaurant industry (49:47), the importance (or lack thereof) of a resume and a good education when looking for talent at Chick-fil-A (51:08), her perspective on the Chick-fil-A retreats and how they play a role in culture (53:39), what is underneath great customer service (1:00:59), what it means to her to have been the first female VP at Chick-fil-A (1:04:17), what men can do to make sure they are allies in helping women thrive in business (1:06:16), her advice for raising kids while still crushing your career (1:08:48), what it’s been like for her as an entrepreneur after being a part of a big corporate organization (1:11:37), and her next book “Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Career” (1:14:11).
Make sure to follow her on Facebook here, on Instagram @deeannturner, on Twitter @DeeAnnTurner, and on LinkedIn.
Additionally, check out her book “Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture that Wins the Hearts of Customers,” and also make sure to visit her website here. Additionally, get ready for her new book “Crush Your Career: Ace the Interview, Land the Job and Launch Your Future,” coming out in March 2021!
Thank you so much to Dee Ann for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Eric Musselman is a basketball coach through and through. Today he is the University of Arkansas Head Men’s Basketball Coach, but he’s also coached in the NBA. Previously he served as the Head Coach of the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors. He also coached previously at the collegiate level for the University of Nevada, helping their program to thrive.
In this conversation we dive into the the art of coaching, leadership, and what it takes to build a successful team. Eric is a hard-working guy whose attention to detail is through-the-roof.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing with relation to basketball (5:03), if he knew he wanted to coach when he was the ball boy for the Cavaliers in 10th grade (8:34), what his dad was like as a coach (11:12), what Eric is like as a coach (12:58), how he “shows up” for preparation and performance (17:54), how he defines “competitive” (21:08), if competitiveness is nature or nurture (23:30), team buy-in (25:28), if there’s a dark side to high levels of competitiveness and the will to win (28:50), the world of Coronavirus (34:00), how he’s managing coaching during COVID (36:22), how he approaches communication with his staff and players during Coronavirus (40:34), how he thinks about coaching against legendary coaches (44:05), if he watches a lot of the NBA (46:30), if he watches games of specific teams as if he were the coach making the decisions for them (49:56), what his mindset was like as a player and if it was different from his mindset as a coach (51:41), what he loved in a coach as a player (54:20), things he intentionally does to make sure he’s where he needs to be when he needs to be there (55:50), how he’s able to shut down and separate from basketball when with his family (1:00:18), and what it’s like to be at Arkansas (1:04:18).
Make sure to follow him on Twitter @EricPMusselman.
Thank you so much to Eric for coming on the podcast!
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Listen: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify.
Ashley Merryman is the author of two New York Times bestsellers: NurtureShock: New Thinking about Children and Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.
In this episode we discuss why she’s a Nationals fan (5:20), the power of sports and the community it builds (7:20), why she cares so deeply about excellence and competing (10:37), “flow” (14:15), emotional agility and grit (18:53), Angela Duckworth (25:40), differences among children and self-fulfilling prophecies (28:04), being perfectionistic in preparation and adaptable in performance (33:55), the importance of technical skill vs mentality (40:35), Ashley’s introduction to growth mindset (43:02), if her thoughts regarding growth mindset have changed at all over time, and the idea of fixed mindset vs growth mindset (48:12), if she believes people have innate “gifts” (56:15), epigenetics (1:01:25), if a fixed mindset could be helpful in performance (1:08:26), knowing your audience (1:17:43), strengths, weaknesses, faith, humility, and modesty (1:22:30), the humble leader vs the arrogant leader (1:30:25), why she became a lawyer and not a psychologist (1:36:38), the “challenge vs threat” concept (1:42:49), the value and process of competition (1:53:20), the relationship between growth and competition (1:54:40), and participation trophies (1:59:03).
Thank you so much to Ashley for coming on the podcast!
You can check out Ashley’s website here. Also make sure to follow her on twitter @AshleyMerryman.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dan Abrahams is a Sport Psychologist who works alongside individuals, teams, coaches, and organizations all over the world. He is known for his passion to demystify sport psychology and for creating simple to use performance techniques. Dan is a former professional golfer and holds a first-class Honors Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Sport Psychology.
Dan is extremely articulate, thoughtful, and intentional about the word choices that he uses, but he still does it with an energy and tenacity that is second-to-none. In this episode, Dan will talk about his mindset and how he approaches things. He will also talk about nuance and the value of nuance, personality’s role, and how working inside of a team is different from playing golf or another individual sport.
In this episode we discuss Dan’s ability to be skeptical and contrarian, and where his mindset of “and” instead of “or” came from (6:00), how science and art relate to his work (12:28), how he works with clients (18:59), consistency (25:21), language surrounding outcome, performance, and mindset and how they differ (34:09), Bryson DeChambeau (40:15), the similarities and common threads between working with individual-sport athletes and team-sport athletes (46:01), mental health in sports, more specifically how we can help athletes not only live with their anxiety or mental health challenges, but how we can help them reach a point of thriving (57:40), how Dan thinks about thoughts, feelings, and “thinking” (1:11:27), what he does to make sure he’s at his best when working with clients (1:17:25), and how personality affects responses to situations (1:21:22).
Thank you so much to Dan for coming on the podcast!
You can check out Dan’s podcast here and his website here. Also make sure to follow him on twitter @sportpsychshow, @DanAbrahams77, and @AbrahamsGolf.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Servant Leadership through the heart! Claude Silver is the premier resource for heart-based leadership because she has created it, executed it, taught it and lived it. She knows how to develop others with these skills so they can pull out their inner heart leadership and soar! Claude Silver is VaynerMedia's inaugural Chief Heart Officer, and she really does bring the heart to the agency by way of emotional optimism and emotional intelligence. She has shifted the agency’s way of working to ensure she is unlocking greatness in people. Letting go of traditional HR methods and leaning into human-to-human connection has allowed Claude to disrupt the traditional approach to building culture, and at VaynerMedia, she has done just that.
In this episode, we discuss her perspective on emotional agility (6:05), how she stays present and remains agile in serving people (8:34), what she does to make sure she’s at her best (10:48), what her childhood was like and how she came to be who she is today (12:52), the role of spirituality, faith, and religion in her life (21:32), her parents’ response to her “rebellion” (26:58), if she enjoyed playing tennis at Rollins (27:28), her “watershed” experience (28:30), her thoughts on formal education and the role it plays in society (33:45), where she sees human resources going (38:53), how VaynerMedia’s HR culture operates (42:25), why she thinks HR has led more to compliance than development (45:18), changing the narrative about when you have to “face” a person of authority (48:23), privacy as it relates to her family and personal life (51:55), how she thinks about “strong” skills as opposed to “soft” skills (57:19), and helping people find their voices (1:00:00).
Thank you so much to Claude for coming on the podcast!
You can check out Claude's website here and her LinkedIn here.
Additionally, make sure to follow her on Twitter and Instagram @claudesilver!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Matt Birk played in the NFL for 15 years. He came into the NFL as a 6th round pick after going to Harvard as an undergraduate. Matt played for the Baltimore Ravens, winning a Super Bowl with them, and he also played for the Minnesota Vikings for a number of years, which was his hometown football team. Matt was a 2-time All-Pro, a 6-time Pro Bowl selection, a Super Bowl winner as well.
During the episode, Matt will share how he wound up at Harvard, what that experience was like for him, and how it helped shape him for the pros. In the NFL, Matt thrived. He changed positions in the NFL, moving from tackle to center on the offensive line. We discuss what that transition was like and all that he had to keep track of being at the forefront of the offense. Matt will also discuss humble preparation in our conversation and how valuable that was during his career. Lastly, speaking from the perspective of someone who played a position where you only get recognized for making mistakes, Matt also discusses the importance of not getting caught up on failures.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for Matt as a kid and his overall journey (5:07), the other sports he played as a kid and why he didn’t excel at them (11:05), if being overweight as a kid influenced how he was treated (11:57), his relationships with his siblings and how that impacted his sports career (12:47), if he played other sports in high school (16:42), his views on academics growing up and if it came easily to him (18:08), what it was like for him and what his comfort level was at Harvard (19:56), if he felt like he belonged academically and athletically while in school there (21:27), if he loved football (26:30), what his mindset on gameday was like (30:06), if he prepared during the week with a fear of failure on Sundays (30:45), his mindset as a center on a running play as opposed to his mindset on a passing play (35:30), if he was fully reliant on muscle memory as a center or if he had to shift between focusing fully on snapping the ball to the quarterback and focusing fully on blocking (36:55), how Matt would shift his mind between preparation and performance (43:31), Matt’s journey as an underdog and how that impacted his mindset on gameday to not only compete, but to excel at the highest level (47:28), if he felt like he had an “unfair advantage” in his levels of intelligence and his ability to remember plays, the role faith plays in his life, and if he would leverage those two attributes on gameday (50:05), what he noticed in his 15 years were the commonalities among high-performing, elite teams (55:52), and what he has hanging on his walls at home today (59:35).
You can check out Matt’s company “Matt Birk and Company” here, and you can follow Matt on Instagram @mattbirk77!
Thank you so much to Matt for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dan Helfrich is the Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Consulting. As CEO, he leads a $10 billion business comprised of more than 50,000 professionals who help clients solve their most complex business issues and shape their futures with confidence. Prior to this role, Dan led the Government of Public Services and advised government leaders in transforming into their most efficient and effective organizations, across areas of technology, modernization and innovation, human capital, strategy and analytics, customer experience, and enterprise operations, In addition to that, Dan serves as the play-by-play for Georgetown Men’s Soccer, which is where he went to college and played soccer.
In this conversation, Dan will talk about leadership, why he takes time to pursue things he’s passionate about, and what he believes the tenets of leadership and good human development are.
In this episode, we discuss what it was like for Dan growing up in a household as the oldest of 7 kids (5:35), why his family decided to adopt 3 kids after already having 4 (7:25), what his parents did for work and how that influenced him (8:30), how going to a Montessori school impacted him (10:20), how he views nature and nurture as it relates to his household growing up (11:00), what he was like as a teenager and how he’s changed since then (13:12), the role of sports in his life growing up (13:35), some benefits and drawbacks to being “a 30 year-old in a 15-year-old body” as he was growing up (15:10), if he had a life vision at the age of 15 (15:50), why he decided to play college soccer at Georgetown (16:40) and what the experience was like (18:25), if sitting on the bench at Georgetown was the biggest piece of adversity he had faced in his life at the time (19:46), what he learned about “leading from the bench” (20:38), where his confidence comes from (23:33), how he thinks about curiosity and conviction (25:22), what it’s like being the play-by-play commentator for Georgetown Men’s Soccer and how that aspect of his career came about (27:10), if he’s inspired others by taking on that role in addition to being a CEO (37:30), his career and journey to where he is now professionally (39:00), how important loyalty is to him (41:38) and the benefits and drawbacks of being loyal (42:40), how much time he spends on business/consulting strategy vs how much time he spends on creating a strong culture and developing people (44:25), everyday equations that he and his team have created (46:37), how he makes time and connects with the 55,000 other people in his organization (51:20), his relationship with sleep (53:20), some things he believes he still has room to grow on (54:55), if exercise and health are important to him (56:45), and his advice to today’s leaders (58:15).
Thank you so much to Dan for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jen Baker is just the fifth Director of Athletics and Recreation at Johns Hopkins since 1950 and succeeded Alanna W. Shanahan, who served in the position since July 2016.
Baker has been an integral member of the department’s senior-leadership team since her arrival at Homewood. She has overseen the day-to-day operation of the Department of Athletics with oversight in the planning, development and management of all fiscal and administrative operations. As such, she has directed all revenue-generating initiatives and short and long-term budget planning for Johns Hopkins’ highly successful 24-sport varsity athletic program.
In addition, Baker has served as the sport administrator for the Blue Jay women’s lacrosse, football, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s soccer programs while also providing administrative support for men’s lacrosse. She led the search to fill Johns Hopkins’ head football coaching position in early 2019 and has been actively involved in the hiring of two other head coaches, several assistant coaches and a number of staff members in athletics and recreation.
Among her many key initiatives at Johns Hopkins has been the launching of a unique leadership development program for Johns Hopkins student athletes (Blue Jays LEAD). The Blue Jays LEAD program made its debut in 2017-18 with a mission of empowering student-athletes to actualize the leader within and inspire action in their communities at Johns Hopkins and beyond.
Baker inherits a program that recently completed perhaps the greatest athletic year in school history. Johns Hopkins placed second in the 2018-19 Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup Standings, claimed 11 conference championships, produced 10 CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-Americans and had 45 student-athletes earn All-America honors. The runner-up finish in the Directors’ Cup standings matched the best finish in school history and 20 of Johns Hopkins’ 24 teams competed in the NCAA Tournament or Championship.
Baker came to Johns Hopkins from Under Armour, where she served as a Senior Manager of Corporate Real Estate, Facilities and Operations. She was responsible for the daily operation of all UA facilities at its nearby Port Covington headquarters and provided support to all UA offices outside of Baltimore. That support included new facility activation, vendor relationships and energy management. One of Baker’s key initiatives at UA was the activation of the company’s newest offices in San Francisco and Portland.
Prior to her time at Under Armour, Baker spent three years at Cornell University, where she ascended to the position of Associate Director of Athletics for Facilities and played an integral role in the oversight of all internal department operations as a member of the senior leadership team. She was responsible for all athletic facilities, and integral in the budgeting, planning and programming of all related projects.
During her time at Cornell, Baker also designed and developed the Big Red Leadership Institute (BRLI), a program for more than 500 student-athletes across all 37 varsity athletic teams at the school. The BRLI delivered key leadership concepts set in the athletics context with a mission of building confident leaders and followers who provided immediate impact to their teams and communities.
With the BRLI, Baker implemented five separate, but complementary, proprietary developmental curricula for five distinct student cohorts (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, non-captain seniors and captains). Each group moved through a unique curriculum designed specifically for their class year and corresponding level of influence and responsibility.
Baker is a co-founder of Athletics Leadership Consulting (ALC), whose mission is to make leadership development accessible to all athletes, coaches and organizational support staff. ALC leverages athletics as a tool for leadership education as it designs and delivers original content that allows athletes to develop leadership and teamwork skills as an integrated component of their competitive experience.
Baker graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in aerospace engineering and was a member of the Academy’s women’s lacrosse club team. After the Naval Academy, Baker spent seven years in the Navy, including three years as a pilot and four as a construction manager and facilities engineer. She later earned an MBA and a master’s in mechanical engineering from Cornell.
A Baltimore area native, Baker attended nearby Hereford High School, where she was a member of the girl’s lacrosse program. She later helped lead the club lacrosse team to a national championship at the Naval Academy. Baker’s father (David Dowell ’66), uncle (Brice Dowell ’70) and grandfather (Robert Dowell ’38) are all Johns Hopkins graduates.
In this episode, we discuss Jen’s upbringing and what life was like for her as a kid (6:35), if lacrosse was popular for girls in Baltimore when she was growing up (8:49), if lacrosse came to her naturally (9:40), if she played other sports growing up (10:25), what it was like being in dance from a young age (12:40), her relationship with her brother and how they were similar and different (15:05), her relationship with her mother and what her parents’ divorce and relationship was like for her (15:45), if the values she learned from her mom were the same as the values she learned from her dad (19:37), which parent she’s more similar too (22:00), how she fell in love with lacrosse (23:25), how she decided she wanted to go to the naval academy (24:35), if she continues to feel motivated to prove people wrong (28:33), if she was fully committed to Navy when looking at schools, or if she also considered schools like West Point and Air Force (32:24), the role of women in the military (33:35), what was underneath her reasoning for wanting to become a fighter pilot (34:35), how she defines and thinks about competition (35:15), her lacrosse experience at the Naval Academy (38:25), she and her brother’s differences in competitive nature growing up (40:51), her first failure and her experience as a woman in flight school (42:10), if she had any thoughts at the time about what she would do after serving in the military (54:15), what it was like having the rug ripped out from under her when she discovered she had migraines and would no longer be able to fly (56:45), what she learned from that experience (58:38), what she did at Cornell and what the rest of her journey looked like (1:02:51), why she bypassed the “safe” choice of working at Deloitte and took the risk of going into sports (1:07:57), what she has found to be different about actually being an AD vs what she thought being an AD would be like (1:10:33), what she has learned about leadership along the way, as well as some things that are misunderstood about leadership (1:14:30),
You can check out Hopkins Sports at hopkinssports.com and @hopkinssports on Instagram, and also make sure to give her a follow on Twitter @_JenBaker.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Chris Wirth is somebody who cares deeply about positivity, resilience, and persistence. He thinks often about the question of “What does it take to be successful?” Chris has a podcast (No Quit Living), has written a book (The Positivity Tribe), and has many speaking engagements. Chris is also somebody who is all about refusing to lose and refusing to quit. Chris and I discuss what quitting is, and also what it’s not and what that distinction really looks like.
In this episode, we discuss Chris’s upbringing (5:00), how his younger sister’s passing away affected him (7:05), what his parents’ messages were to him at this time of loss and grief (8:09), some of the values his parents passed down to him (9:36), how he defines and thinks about love (10:28), how his thoughts on love have changed over time (11:15), what the opposite of love is (13:05), the conversations had in is household growing up about helping others, and also the conversations had about money (18:23), what he wanted to do with his life when he was younger (19:36), what he would do to set his mind before stepping foot on the basketball court, tennis court, or the acting stage in college, and how his mindset would differ depending on what he was performing in (21:10), how those experiences as a performer shaped what he does today (26:20), his parents’ involvements with Broadway productions and how that influenced him (28:18), what allows for the success of performers like the Jersey Boys (32:28), what acting and improv has taught him (39:04), his journey after college and where he’s at now (41:32), what his experience as a High School Varsity Basketball Coach was like (50:23), the transitions away from various things that he loved that have occurred later on in his life (52:20), the balance between taking care of your marriage and taking care of your kids (56:15), the idea that “quitting” is short-term and “changing” is long-term, and what pulled him into the world of self-help/personal development (1:01:52), what his vision is for 3-5 years from now (1:05:43), his new book “The Positivity Tribe” (1:07:07), and what he does to intentionally set his mind (1:08:50).
You can check out the No Quit Living website here and feel free to send him an email at chris@noquitliving.com as well!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Carmelina Moscato is a Canadian soccer player and Olympic bronze-medalist. Today, she’s a coach. She played as a Center Back in professional soccer in the US and all over the world. She is someone who thinks deeply about leadership, soccer and how you can leverage leadership in soccer. She’s incredibly thoughtful and will share her mindset on what it was like playing for the Canadian National Team and how she thinks about coaching and the future of women’s soccer.
In this episode, we discuss the origins of her name (5:07), how she’s similar to her dad (5:50), where she grew up (6:37), what life was like for her growing up (6:55), some of the lessons she took away from her childhood, specifically what she learned from her brother and parents (8:05), what pride has meant to her throughout her life, specifically with her parents being immigrants (11:21), if soccer was something that her parents were passionate about (13:05), what drove her internally as a soccer player growing up (14:28), what her path would’ve been without soccer (16:42), why she decided to go to school in the US (Penn State) (18:12), what her soccer journey was like and what her ultimate dream with soccer was (20:00), what her response was to being told that she couldn’t play at a certain level (22:00), how hard of a decision it was to leave her job with the Louisville Athletic Department to go back to pursuing a career as a player (28:25), the differences between her mindset in preparation as a player and as a coach (29:50) and the differences between her mindset in performance as a player and as a coach (31:50), her relationship with John Herdman (33:00), some things that she noticed with the Canadian National Team with regards to good leadership and communication (37:20), “grow” culture (40:15), what her gameday routine looked like and her relationship with spirituality (43:50), how nervous she was for the 3 World Cups she participated in and what she noticed with regards to how she evolved and approached those games over the years (48:00), sportsmanship (50:00), her experiences as a coach and if her coaching style has evolved over time (53:35), “four corners” and what she learned as a coach in Australia (56:24), her vision for herself going forward and women’s soccer (58:45), if she would rather be the commissioner of a Professional Canadian Soccer League or the head coach of the Canadian National Team (1:00:30), if she misses playing (1:02:15), and what it will take to get a Professional Canadian Soccer League up and running and what that league would look like (1:03:15).
You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @CMoscato4.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
This episode is a little different. For the first time, Brian has someone interviewing him about his new book, Shift Your Mind, which was released today!
Chick Hernandez, a DC sports media professional, asked Brian all about the writing process, the different shifts, and what he learned along the way.
You can follow Chick on Twitter: @MrChickSports
Brian's new book is available everywhere books are sold including the following places:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2I6YFaB
Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/2SwYk2J
IndieBound: https://bit.ly/3noBFnp
You can also follow Brian on Twitter: @brianlevenson
If you enjoy today's conversation please write us a review on iTunes and if you like the book please write us a review on Amazon.
With Gratitude,
The Intentional Performers Team
Jay Triano is a Canadian basketball coach and former professional player, who is currently the lead assistant coach of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the head coach of the NBA's Toronto Raptors and the interim head coach of the Phoenix Suns. A former Canadian national team player who competed in two Olympics, he has also had two stints as head coach of the national team.
In this episode, we discuss the mental part of the game (6:45), things that helped Jay perform as a player from a sport psychology standpoint (8:45), what his childhood was like growing up with his dad as a basketball coach (10:55), the relationship between coaching and sport psychology (13:45), what made Steve Nash special (17:13), where Steve’s belief that he belonged in the NBA came from (22:55), why Jay didn’t wind up being a hockey player (24:00), why he thinks Canada has fallen in love with basketball (25:06), his own basketball journey (26:54), how he went from being a towel-waver to the Canadian National Team’s leading scorer in one year (32:20), if there’s anything he would do on gameday to make sure he had a fearless mind (38:20), the difference between preparation and performance (41:50), what he and his brother had in common playing sports at the professional level (43:34), when he knew he wanted to become a coach (44:55), his transition from college basketball to the pros (46:20), the differences between being an assistant with the US national team and the head coach of the Canadian national team (48:35), what attributes make up a hall-of-fame head coach (50:48) and if those differ from the attributes that make up a hall-of-fame player (51:45), what it was like going from an assistant coach to a head coach in the NBA (52:45), what it was like playing football for a year (54:43), what his basketball coach’s reaction to him going to play football was (56:30), what his tattoos represent and mean to him (59:36), favorite songs (1:04:28), why he wrote his book “Open Look” (1:07:00), and why he thinks Canadians are so proud to be Canadian (1:08:17).
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Tori Huster is a professional soccer player for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, where she served as a captain last season. She is also currently the Players Association president. Tori has been a pro athlete since 2012 after graduating from Florida State University. Tori is extremely competitive and has also leveraged mindfulness to develop herself on and off the field. She is honored to be the St. Jude Champion (ambassador) in the DC area as well.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for her growing up (5:50), if it ever felt like she was an only child since she has a 7-year age gap with her sister (9:40), what other sports she played in the past (12:07), if faith was a big part of her upbringing (14:18), what some of the values she has taken from Catholicism are (15:45), her relationship with her mother (17:00), what she has communicated to her father about his relationship with her as a kid (18:50), how she would approach being a mom to a 12-year-old knowing what she now does (24:30), when it became apparent she would play soccer at the Division I level (29:42), what she loved, and continues to love, about soccer (33:05), how she created an internal drive (36:38), if she ever has had thoughts of quitting soccer or burning out (39:30), why she plays soccer (41:55), how close she’s been to the national-team level (45:21), what she does to prepare on gameday to make sure she’s at her best (52:35), what her mindset is before and during a training and how it compares to her gameday mindset (55:45), mental health (57:29), and if soccer coaching is in her future (1:06:43).
You can follow her on Twitter @ToriHuster
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
After guiding Memphis to five post-season berths in seven seasons as the Tigers’ head coach, Josh Pastner became Georgia Tech’s 14th head basketball coach on April 8, 2016.
Implementing a high-energy style of play and creative offensive and defensive schemes, and building the Jackets’ talent base for the future, Pastner has established the Yellow Jackets as one of the top defensive teams in the nation, while he and his staff have steadily improved the team’s offense to be ranked in the top half of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Pastner has tirelessly promoted the program on campus and throughout the city of Atlanta in an effort to re-create the major homecourt atmosphere that surrounded the Yellow Jackets throughout the 1980s, 1990s and into the middle of the 2000s. The result has been numerous wins, high excitement and 13 sellouts in four seasons at McCamish Pavilion.
Five of his players – guards Josh Okogie, Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe, as well as centers Ben Lammers and James Banks III – have earned Atlantic Conference honors during his tenure. Okogie, in particular, developed from an under-the-radar high school prospect into a highly regarded NBA prospect, having been selected 20th in the 2018 NBA Draft, while Lammers has had a successful first two years as a pro in Europe.
In this episode, we discuss how he got into basketball (6:43), his relationship with his dad (8:30), whether or not he was pushed to pursue a career in playing basketball as opposed to coaching (14:30), the difference between inspiration and motivation (19:10), what his drive was, and is, to be a coach (20:30), how to be present (25:56), how he leverages discipline in his life (28:50), if he’s perfectionistic (31:30), why he’s never tried alcohol, soda, or coffee (37:15), if he struggled to connect with his teammates in college because of that (40:46), the relationship between eating and discipline (45:30), when he developed his 3 principles (47:50), what he would’ve done differently at Memphis (50:40), what he learned from John Calipari (53:00), and why he doesn’t allow his players to curse and if he’s experimented with meditation (58:38).
You can follow Josh on Twitter @GTJoshPastner and feel free to send him an email at jpastner@athletics.gatech.edu
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Matt Long has been a competitive athlete his entire life. As a member of his high school basketball team, he was required to run in the Brooklyn/Queens X-country Championships. With no prior running experience, he finished fifth for his school, completing the race in uncomfortable high top sneakers. At Iona College, he competed in their Division I basketball program for which a high level of fitness was mandatory.
Strength and endurance became especially paramount in his life after college when he became a New York City Firefighter. It was around this time he took up distance running and began competing in Ironman triathlons, finishing his first Ironman race in 2005. He then set his sights on qualifying for the Boston marathon by running the ING NYC marathon later that year. With hard work, dedication and persistence, he trimmed 30 minutes off his personal best to run a 3:13, qualifying for the 2006 Boston event.
On the morning of December 22, 2005, Matt Long’s life changed in an instant. He was cycling to work in the early morning when he was struck and run over by a 20-ton bus making an illegal turn. The injuries he sustained pushed him to the brink of death. He received 68 units of blood in the first 40 hours after the accident and spent 5 months in the hospital. More than 40 operations later, he finally began a grueling rehabilitation regime. Matt found the psychological consequences of the accident nearly as hard to process as the physical severities. His doctor had told him he’d be lucky to ever walk again without a cane.
Matt fought through months of fear, despair, loneliness, and intense physical and psychological pain to regain the life he once had. His recovery was a miraculous one which included everything from learning to walk again and, a mere three years later, running in the 2008 New York City Marathon. “Running saved my life,” Matt says, and his determination and perseverance has turned him into a symbol of hope and recovery for countless others.
Matt’s story was covered in a wildly popular article in the March 2009 edition of Runner’s World magazine. Matt has since chronicled his life and journey both before and after the accident in his book The Long Run, released in October 2010. Matt has also started the I WILL Foundation which provides coaching, training and financial support to help people overcome adversity and challenges caused by illness or traumatic injury.
In this episode, we discuss what his life was like as a kid (7:22), how he thinks having 8 other siblings has impacted him throughout his life (10:15), what values were passed on to him from his parents (11:05), what his mom was like when he was growing up (12:20), how going to Catholic school shaped him (13:05), why he gravitated towards basketball as a kid (14:30), what it was like getting cut from his college team three straight years before making the team his senior year (16:00), why he thinks he got an opportunity to be on the team his senior year (18:41), what if felt like when he heard he’d made the team (20:15), what he gained from playing basketball in comparison to playing rugby (21:49), what his vision for his career was in college (24:30), whether or not he felt a draw to go into the military (26:05), why he decided to become a firefighter (26:50), why he was originally drawn to Wall Street (28:59), what it was like being a bar owner at 25 (30:00), if he had any fear in being a firefighter (33:10), how his preparation and performance mindsets differed as a firefighter (34:45), if there was a debrief process after fighting a fire (36:40), what it was like for him on 9/11 (39:15) and how it’s shaped his life (41:00), what his dreams were prior to 9/11 (42:22), if there was a watershed moment that led him to seeking help (45:20), what training and competing in triathlons is like (47:15), what he was doing when he got hit (49:20), what it was like living with adversity in his recovery (51:15), what’s different about his mindset today than 20 years ago (53:15), if his mindset changed on his relationship with life and death after his accident (55:30), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best on a daily basis (1:00:20).
You can learn more about Matt at www.mattlongspeaker.com, and give him a follow on Twitter and Instagram @443Long_Matt.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Danny Manning is known for his passion, honesty, character, positivity and work ethic in helping young people succeed on the court in the game of basketball and off the court in the game of life. He is one of the premier names in the world of basketball.
Danny is an American college/professional basketball coach in transition and retired National Basketball Association (NBA) player who spent 15 years in the league. Most recently, Danny served as the men's head coach at Wake Forest University. After being born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and attending high school at Page High School (Greensboro, NC), and later Lawrence High School (Lawrence, KS), Danny went on to play basketball at the University of Kansas, where has was a part of four final four teams.
At Kansas, he won an NCAA national championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and again as an assistant in 2008. Additionally, Danny is the all-time leading scorer in Kansas basketball history with 2,951 points. He was inducted to the college basketball hall of fame in 2008. As a college head basketball coach, Danny took two different programs to the NCAA Tournament in four years (2014 - Tulsa, 2017 - Wake Forest). He was the 2014 Conference USA Coach of the Year and 2017 Skip Prosser Man of the Year. He has coached 15 NBA draft picks, including 10 first-round selections and nine current NBA players. NBA draft picks who played for Danny include big men Wayne Simien, Julian Wright, Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, Cole Aldrich, twins Marcus and Markieff Morris, Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson at Kansas, in addition to John Collins at Wake Forest.
In this episode, we discuss Danny’s life and upbringing as a kid in a basketball town with a basketball family (4:59), whether or not moving around a lot in his childhood helped him to better navigate the world (6:15), the values his parents passed down to him and his sister (7:40), what he loved about basketball growing up (9:27), his other hobbies outside of basketball (10:30), where he considers “home” to be (11:10), if he knew he wanted to play college basketball at Kansas (12:10), what it was like playing in an intense and pressure-filled environment at Kansas (17:19), the similarities between the championship teams he was a part of in 1988 and 2008 (20:07), his thoughts and feelings during both of those championship runs (21:33), how he was able to interpret the pressure he faced during his career in a positive light (24:30), his mindset as a coach before, during, and after the 2008 championship (26:50), coaching with joy (30:40), how coaching is like parenting (33:25), why he chose to coach in college as opposed to the NBA (36:13), what it’s like navigating Lawrence, Kansas as such a recognizable figure (38:58), the mindset of sticking out as an all-star vs. being a role-player off the bench (41:00), whether he faced pressure to become more “selfish” as a player in the NBA (44:00), how he navigated recovering from 3 torn ACLs (45:57), what he learned from being coached by legends (49:56), what his coaching philosophy is and the importance of education (52:30), his thoughts on the one-and-done era (55:39), how he would get his mind set on game day as a player (58:00) vs. as a coach (59:50), what it was like for him emotionally to have his jersey retired at Kansas (1:02:20), and the importance of being kind, understanding, and empathetic during these times (1:05:50).
Thank you to Danny for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to follow him on twitter @CoachDManning
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Meeta Singh joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Meeta Singh is a board-certified physician focused on the applied science of sleep. Her approach concentrates on improving sleep health with the aim of enhancing physical and mental performance, health, and quality of life. She has a clinical practice where she is a service chief of sleep medicine and section head and medical director at the Henry Ford Sleep Center in Michigan. She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She also serves as a Consultant for multiple NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB teams. She has worked with college sports teams, large organizations and CEO’s aiming for success in this world.
In this episode, we discuss setting yourself up for success from a sleep perspective (6:00), how she thinks about sleep (9:00), how everything relates to sleep (12:30), sleep and the medical field (17:00), circadian rhythms (21:20), NBA schedule and sleep (23:50), her life as a kid (25:10), why psychiatry (28:50), what the art of what she does looks like (33:30), how to be an effective sleeper on the road (37:40), setting your schedule (43:00), what she does when working with a sports team (47:20), exposing yourself to light (50:00), darkness at night and brightness in the morning (51:30), what to do if you’re having difficulty sleeping (54:30), working smarter and not harder (58:40), working with sports coaches (1:01:10), why we sometimes feel better when waking up earlier (1:08:30), and what she does to be her best (1:09:30).
Thank you to Meeta for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out her website https://meetasinghmd.com/, and find her on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
John Sipher joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. John is the Co-Founder of Spy Craft Entertainment which is a production firm providing content and talent to the entertainment industry. John is also a foreign policy and intelligence expert and social media influencer. His articles have been published in the NY Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Politico, and pretty much everywhere you get your news. He retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the CIA, and served many overseas tours. He also served as a lead instructor in the CIA’s Training School and was a regular lecturer in the CIA’s Leadership Development Program. He also has a sports background as he was a Captain of the Lacrosse Team at Hobart College.
In this episode, we discuss how he thinks about pressure (6:10), shifting against your country vs. government (11:30), his upbringing (13:15), education and his parents (19:15), why they were so successful at Hobart Lacrosse (21:30), what he learned as a captain (23:10), the different ways of leadership (27:00), advice he’d give to himself as a captain his senior year (33:40), how you build trust (36:10), what a good mentor does (41:30), level 5 leadership (46:30), what led him to his career (50:30), why the CIA (52:50), what surprised him about being in the CIA (55:30), what it’s like to be undercover (1:01:40), being undercover vs being out front (1:08:00), what he misses about being in the action (1:14:20), what he doesn’t miss about the CIA (1:18:40), what he does to make sure he’s at his best (1:20:00), and what he’s up to now (1:25:10)
Thank you to John for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter @john_sipher and go to his company’s website https://spycraftentertainment.com/.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Andrew Hawkins joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Andrew, who goes by Hawk, is a former NFL Wide Receiver, sports executive, Emmy award winner, Oscar award winner, and he’s somebody who is a life long learner. He’s a former NFL team captain, he got his master’s degree from Columbia University, and he has become synonymous with creating cultural content and digital media that goes well beyond the playing field. After his playing career, he began his media career with ESPN and is incredibly thoughtful and bright when it comes technology. He is currently an on-air talent for NFL Network and Uninterrupted. He has written and produced award winning comedy sketches and was the Executive Producer of Hair Love which won the 2020 Academy Award for best animated short. For the past three years, he has simultaneously served as the Director of Business Development for the media marketing companies of LeBron James and Maverick Carter.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (5:40), where he’d be without his brother and grandpa (10:15), his athleticism and self-talk growing up (14:30), his experience at Toledo playing both ways (18:20), how he thinks about adding value (20:10), his mindset in preparation vs. performance (24:30), specialization vs. generalist (30:00), if he’s mentally quick (32:40), his story after graduation (34:10), if he loves football (38:00), his rookie minicamp in Cleveland (45:50), getting on Michael Irvin’s show (48:20), what it was like to not be the underdog (54:30), his desire to go back to school for his masters (56:50), and why he likes entertainment (1:01:40).
Thank you to Andrew for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on all social media @Hawk.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
David Epstein joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. He is the author of 2 books: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, a #1 NY Times best seller, and The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athlete Performance, another NY Times best seller. He was previously a science and investigative reporter at ProPublica, and prior to that, he was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. He has done amazing work, and has a TedTalk that has been viewed over 8.5 million times.
In this episode, we discuss where his curiosity comes from (5:40), his brother (11:40), why he combined his sports and science interest (13:00), how pain predicates behavioral change (14:30), the power of feeling all emotions (17:40), how he thinks about his audience (19:30), how he got over the fear of putting his book out (23:40), if he ever gets imposter syndrome (27:30), preparation vs. performance mindset (29:40), what he does to prepare for speaking (32:40), how he thinks about grit and agility (36:30), the importance of curiosity (44:30), what has allowed him to have conversations with Gladwell and Duckworth (47:00), the value in drilling and playing (53:30), nature vs. nurture in his books (57:10), how we nurture the nature (1:01:20), and what he learned from the Girls Scout CEO (1:04:30).
Thank you to David for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his newsletter which you can find at https://davidepstein.com/, and also follow him on Twitter @DavidEpstein.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening,
-Brian
Shaka Smart joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Shaka is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Texas. He was previously the Head Coach at VCU where he helped get them to a Final Four. He is an amazing guy and incredible coach, but this conversation is about his life. He will talk about spirituality, culture, leadership, and we go deep in this conversation. He brings an energy to every conversation he is in, and he’s genuine, curious, and a life-long learner.
In this episode, we discuss why he’s drawn to relationships (5:30), the people that have impacted him (6:50), what he loves about basketball (9:10), how he thinks about competition (10:30), what he’d be doing if not coaching basketball (12:10), consciousness (17:40), the spiritual teachers he follows (21:10), how he thinks about ego (22:40), what he’s watching during a game (25:05), his sleep schedule (28:10), how he winds down (31:20), his spiritual framework (34:30), awareness and acceptance (39:30), feeling, emotion, and sensitivity (41:40), his biggest daily challenge in trying to achieve greatness (45:20), the power of curiosity (50:40), what goes through his body when telling a story (56:00), the culture he wants (1:00:30), what he looks for when recruiting (1:02:50), and if he cheers for underdogs as a fan (1:06:20).
Thank you to Shaka for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter @HookEmSmart. We also recommend you check out Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative https://eji.org/bryan-stevenson/.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Rob Lively joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rob recently retired after 28 years of military service as the Command Sergeants Major of a Special Missions Unit within the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, NC. Rob has been at some of the most tense situations that somebody can be at in our military. He is an experienced and proven leader that has operated and led teams and organizations in all kinds of diverse and challenging environments. He was able to lead and influence from the tactical to the strategic, and do so across the boundaries that exist around military services, agencies, and countries. Rob culminated his Army service with the highest enlisted rank in the most competitive non-commission officer position. Rob currently serves on the board of directors of Patriot Defense Group, he’s a consultant for several companies including Tignum, and he founded the Unit Foundation where he serves as President of the Board of Directors.
In this episode, we discuss his childhood (7:40), how football played a role in his life (10:00), his mother (14:40), what it was like playing football at Virginia Tech (17:30), what he’d say to his 14-year-old self (21:20), his hike (24:30), preparation and confidence (29:40), when he began to think about the military (32:40), how hard it was to walk away from football (36:40), why you don’t have to be phenomenally successful every day (41:00), what he noticed being around elite performers (45:00), teamwork in the military (47:40), what makes a good leader (51:00), what 9/11 was like for him (53:00), his perspective on death and loss (56:05), why he doesn’t have post-traumatic stress (59:10), the transition out of the army (1:01:40), what he missed most when he retired (1:06:00), what he does to be the best version of himself (1:07:00), what he’s up to now (1:11:10), and crisis leadership (1:15:00).
Thank you to Rob for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://roblivelyspeaking.com/ if you are interested in a keynote.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Bob Richey joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Bob is the head men’s basketball coach at Furman University and you will learn quickly that he is sharp, with it, and extremely intentional as he thinks about culture. He recently completed his third season as the head coach at Furman and it’s his ninth overall as he served as an assistant for his first six years. Coach Richey has had a lot of success during his time at Furman and his overall record is 73-26 with a record of 41-13 in the Southern Conference. He is currently ranked ninth in winning percentage among Division 1 head coaches.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (6:00), his brothers (10:00), the values in his family (12:10), who influenced him (17:10), his parents (18:40), why basketball (20:00), switching schools at a young age (22:15), resilience (25:30), what he does to make sure his blind spots aren’t derailing him (27:30), remote leadership (33:40), the power of pausing (38:20) , his experience as Director of Basketball Operations (45:20), if you can be great at everything (49:00), his routines/habits (51:00), what he was like at 27 (55:20), how he shows up now as a head coach (1:05:00), his mindset as a coach (1:09:00), how he gets the right people on the bus (1:13:30), how to find someone special that isn’t in a winning organization (1:19:30), how he thinks about bringing Freshmen in (1:22:40), how he gets feedback from players (1:25:00), committed vs. compelled (1:32:00), and sports psychology and what he does for his staff (1:35:40).
Thank you to Bob Richey for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter @CoachRichey and check out his team @FurmanHoops.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Mark Shapiro joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Mark has really been at the forefront when it comes to player development, human development, and baseball. He has been at it for over 25 years, and he worked for the Cleveland Indians organization for 24 years and has been with the Toronto Blue Jays for the last 5 years as the President and CEO. He has worked at the highest level with both the Indians and the Blue Jays, and Marks thinks about and studies leadership development and human development unlike many other people in this world. He understands the value of the mental side and he cares deeply about developing the holistic side of people.
In this episode, we discuss his life growing up (8:10), what he observed from Cal Ripken Jr. (10:30), what he focuses on to get better (14:30), how to manage load management (17:00), how he thought about his relationship with his dad and baseball (20:00), what is different about the son of a big leaguer (25:20), the three-legged stool (31:00), why he’s invested in full-time sports psychologists (33:20), coaching the front office (35:40), the balance between strength and being humble (43:00), what he does to work on blind spots (46:10), what happened to him as a Junior in college (49:45), values inside an organization (54:30), how he focuses on being and becoming (1:00:50), and analytics and sports psychology in baseball (1:04:10)
Thank you to Mark for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to follow him @MarkShapiro.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Max Rose joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Max is a Congressman and Army Veteran where he has won all kinds of awards – Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and a Combat Infantry Badge. Max has done a lot in his 33 years and continues to try to leave a legacy and make an impact on this country. He represents South Brooklyn, Staten Island, and is a proud US Army Veteran that serves on the House Committee of Veteran Affairs as well as the House Committee of Homeland Security. He is in the weeds as someone that is making a difference in the security of our nation.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (7:30), regret vs. failure (15:40), being present (20:00), powerful conversations (24:20), not being introspective (28:20), the importance of self-awareness (31:20), being a fighter growing up (38:20), what he wanted to be at 16 (40:00), why he wants to be in service (45:00), “thank you for your service” (48:30), what it was like being in NYC on 9/11 (55:40), when the military idea came into his life (59:00), what he learned from the military (1:01:00), what he did after he left the military (1:05:20). what it’s like navigating congress (1:06:50), his thoughts on fame (1:09:00), normalcy and human fragility (1:18:50), and what he does to set himself up to be successful (1:19:50)
Thank you to Max for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter, Facebook, and his website https://www.maxroseforcongress.com/.
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Louis Joseph joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Louis is the Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Alps & Meters which expresses a deep appreciation for the rich, memorable mountain experiences through the design of first-class performance outerwear that is tailored, technical and timely. Lou has been at the clothing brand game for quite a while as he has worked at Puma, New Balance, and K-Swiss. He is a value-driven human that cares deeply about culture and connection.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (4:20), twins in his family (7:40), his parents (14:40), being a creator (20:20), what he loved about soccer (25:20), the roles he and his brother took on (28:30), the first time he experienced creating (31:20), what allowed New Balance and Puma to grow (36:30), when Alps & Meters came to be (41:30), the name of his company (45:20), his journey starting a company (49:30), and what he does to make sure he’s sharp (54:20)
Thank you to Louis Joseph for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.alpsandmeters.com/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Rudy Cline Thomas joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rudy is the Founder and Managing Partner of a company called Mastery, Inc. which brings together world class athletes, leading technology, media and consumer product companies as well as entrepreneurs and investors to create top tier platform building companies. When we say top tier platform building companies, we are talking about companies like Zoom which was used to put together this podcast. Most recently Rudy was an Executive Producer in the documentary The Scheme which was on HBO and was about College Basketball. In 2007, Rudy founded the Annual Players Technology Summit and now they have Bloomberg as a partner, and they bring together top tier athletes with some of the best thought leaders in technology and venture capital. He currently works as a strategic advisor and resides in New York City.
In this episode, we discuss his childhood (5:45), basketball in his life (9:40), what he wanted to do in life (11:20), his relationship with money (12:30), his college experience (13:40), his internship with the NBA (16:20), his biggest failure (19:40), where his persistence comes from (25:30), what he learned from 3 different mentors (28:30), being an alpha (31:00), when he pivoted out of being an agent (35:10), his mission (36:00), his habits (38:40), Players Technology Summit (39:40), what makes him feel most alive (40:30), and where he likes to get information (42:10).
Thank you to Rudy for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out the documentary “The Scheme” on HBO which Rudy was involved in.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Alexander Caillet joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Alexander is an organizational psychologist, consultant, and a coach that is internationally known for his pioneering approach to team coaching and state of mind research with organizational leaders. He is also an active professor at the Georgetown University Leadership Coaching Certificate Program, guest lecturer at American University, and a frequent international speaker on the subjects of change, teams, coaching, and leadership.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (5:20), his family (10:50), the benefits of moving around a lot (12:20), the values his parents passed down to him (14:20), state of mind work (22:40), if he would do anything differently as a 28-year-old (28:20), three up and three down (35:00), how to get people to notice their state of mind (37:00), the course that woke him up (43:50), team development (51:30), what makes an effective meeting (55:20), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best day to day (59:20)
Thank you to Alexander for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://corentus.com/. For listening to this podcast, if you go to https://corentus.com/heartandresults and put in the password heart&results you can get a lot of great free content.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Halelly Azulay joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Halelly is an author, speaker, facilitator, and leadership development strategist and an expert in communication skills and emotional intelligence. In 2006, Halelly founded TalentGrow LLC, a consulting company focused on developing leaders and teams, especially for enterprises experiencing explosive growth or expansion. Halelly is the author of two books, Employee Development on a Shoestring (ASTD Press) and Strength to Strength: How Working from Your Strengths Can Help You Lead a More Fulfilling Life. Her books and workshops build on her 20+ years of professional experience in communication and leadership development in corporate, government, nonprofit and academic organizations.
In this episode, we discuss her upbringing (4:30), when to quit vs. stay committed (9:10), trusting values when making decisions (13:00), her family (16:30), her transition to the United States (23:40), the role of religion in her life (26:40), how she thinks about spirituality (27:50), her vision for herself in college (30:20), risk taking and being intentional (34:00), how she thinks about advice (36:20), when she got interested in communication (43:30), what she didn’t like about advertising and PR (47:20), tools that unlock great communication (51:00), servant leadership (57:30), the power of giving first (1:04:00), and her business (1:09:30)
Thank you to Halelly for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out her company https://www.talentgrow.com/ where you can find more information about her books and podcast. You can also find her on all social media @HalellyAzulay.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Chad Ford joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chad has really been living five lives simultaneously for 20 years. He has been an international conflict mediator, a college professor, a senior consultant and facilitator for the Arbinger Institute, executive board member of PeacePlayers, and is probably best known as a writer/analyst/entrepreneur covering the NBA and NBA draft for ESPN. Being a basketball analyst has really just been a side gig for most of the last two decades for Chad. He is really passionate about peace building and it is what he feels he was meant to do on this earth. He has a book coming out in June called Dangerous Love.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (6:10), his memory of his Dad (12:00), how he thinks about nature vs. nurture (17:20), why he wanted to get into conflict (19:00), his experience at Georgetown (23:40), his spiritual framework (32:10), when he got interested in the NBA draft (37:10), why he loves the NBA draft (47:30), NBA draft debates (54:00), how he thinks about confrontation (1:02:30), how he sees love and difficult conversations in the sports world (1:10:00), inward mindset vs. outward mindset (1:19:20), and his upcoming book Dangerous Love (1:29:20).
Thank you to Chad for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his new book https://dangerouslovebook.com/ coming out on June. You can also check out his blog and podcast at that same website.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Marc Polymeropoulos joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Marc worked in the CIA for 26 years and retired in 2019 after working as an analyst to start his career, and then he moved into operations. He is one of their most decorated field officers and has honed a unique leadership style based on his decision making under pressure, inclusivity, comradery, and competition. He terms this “finding clarity in the shadows.” Marc’s goal is to pass on this knowledge he learned in the CIA to the private sector.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (6:10), if he had a vision to go down the road of national security (9:15), what stuck with him from childhood (12:00), why Cornell was interested in him (16:10), how 9/11 impacted his journey in the agency (21:00), the upside and downside of anger & guilt driving action (25:20), what the agency thought of psychological help (28:20), the comradery of the CIA (34:30), what it’s like to live in secrecy (37:20), what makes someone effective in the CIA (43:20), his perspective on leadership right now (45:30), taking accountability as a leader (54:00), the differences in leadership between the CIA and the military (59:10), leadership and this virus (1:05:30), understanding how to lead in ambiguity (1:09:30)
Thank you to Marc for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://www.findingclarityintheshadows.com/ where you can find information about his upcoming book. We also encourage you to follow him on Twitter.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Chris Sparks joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chris is the founder of The Forcing Function which is a company empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs by transforming the way they think about work. Chris was once ranked in the top 20 in online poker and we’ll talk about his experience playing online and in-person. Now he trains executives on some of the tactics he used to develop a competitive edge so they can reach their highest limits. Chris is a journeyman who has experienced the world, but he is also grounded having done a lot of work on himself. Chris is currently hosting workshops and retreats around NYC and he is helping clients consistently perform at their peak, accelerate business growth, and build lives with greater freedom and purpose.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (4:30), his hobbies (9:10), the values his parents passed down to him (12:30), when he became interested in marketing (14:20), when he thought he could play poker full time (15:40), how people reacted when he said he was going to play poker full time (19:20), why he was always trying to be more (22:10), how he handled becoming with being present (28:30), his habits (31:20), his nightly routine (35:40), the differences in online vs. in-person poker (37:00), how his game changes online (39:30), his thoughts on Rounders (43:30), his mindset when preparing vs. performing (45:50), his decision to shift out of poker (47:10), what he was like when he stopped playing poker (51:40), how his life has changed in his new career (57:20), and the power of being in service to others (1:02:30)
Thank you to Chris for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://www.theforcingfunction.com/ where you can get the “Experimenting Without Limits” workbook and take his performance assessment. You can find him on all social media channels @SparksRemarks. If something resonated with you, please feel free to reach out to Chris directly.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dan Pink joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dan is a very well-known author that has six provocative books about business and human behavior. His books include the longtime New York Times best-seller “When,” “A Whole New Mind,” “Drive,” and “To Sell is Human.” Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 39 languages, and have sold more than 3 million copies. Dan currently lives in the Washington, DC area.
In this episode, we discuss when he knew he was passionate about writing (3:10), what he was into as a kid (7:40), why he went off on his own (8:40), how to be productive with distractions (12:20), his habits to be productive (15:10), his research process (18:00), his mindset when speaking vs. creating (20:10), how he best acquires information (22:10), his ideas for future books (25:10), what’s driving him (28:00), advice he gives to people that want to be writers (29:10), how important legacy is for him (30:30), how he handles re-reading his work from years ago (34:10), advice he’d give to someone going off on their own (35:20), authors that he really likes (36:30), and what he’s noticing in quarantine (38:40)
Thank you to Dan for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://www.danpink.com/ and you can find him on Twitter here.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jordan Steffy joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jordan played Quarterback for the University of Maryland. Jordan is a mentor at his core and he is a leader. He founded two non-profits called Children Deserve a Chance Foundation and Attollo Prep. At his organizations, they help lead young men and women to college. He is a community leader based on Lancaster, PA and Jordan is somebody who cares deeply about making this world a better place.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him growing up (4:30), the mentor he got in 8th grade (7:40), how he thought about money when he was young (10:50), why he was interested in academics (14:10), where he’d be if he didn’t play sports (17:40), his identity in high school (26:20), why playing QB was important to him (29:40), when Attollo Prep became something he wanted to pursue (32:00), his biggest win in college (35:20), how he leans on head vs. heart (38:30), what his routine looks like (41:00), what he does to make sure he’s empowering his people (44:30), leadership is about modeling (49:40), the questions he constantly asks (51:20), what it’d be like if he went through his program before going to Maryland (55:30), what he wishes he knew (59:30), how he created relationships while at the University of Maryland (1:02:30), his entrepreneurial spirit (1:05:50), what he does to intentionally get better (1:11:00), and how he captures the content he inhales (1:13:05)
Thank you to Jordan for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram and http://attolloprep.org/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Betsy Butterick joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Betsy is articulate with her words, passionate about the work that she does, and very thoughtful about where she’s been and where she wants to go. She works as a coach and a communications specialist, and her work is right at the intersection of coaching sports coaches and how they are delivering messages to their organizations and teams. She is a thoughtful person that has been in the trenches as a basketball coach and is living her purpose and desire to have an impact with organizations and teams.
In this episode, we discuss why she’s providing free resources for people during this time (4:10), if she’s wired to be optimistic (9:40), her siblings (12:20), the values her parents passed down to her (14:30), fencing and why it wasn’t passed down (17:20), how she maintained strength through hearing stereotypes (22:50), what high school was like for her (30:20), her experience leaving UMBC (38:20), when she realized she wanted to coach (44:40), what she’s missed about no longer coaching basketball (52:30), what makes a good sport vs. executive coach (53:50), how she thinks about communication and what makes a great communicator (1:03:20), how much of her work is asking questions vs. giving recommendations (1:10:30), and how she helps people lean into confrontation (1:13:30).
Thank you to Betsy for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out her website https://www.betsybutterick.com/, her YouTube channel, Twitter, and Instagram. Check out her online course about Winning with Words.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Torrey Smith joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Torrey went to the University of Maryland and played football, and then went up the street to play professional football for the Baltimore Ravens after being selected in the 2nd round of the NFL draft. He ended up playing in the NFL for 8 years where he spent the majority of his career on the Ravens, but he also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and then he finished his career with the Carolina Panthers. He won a super bowl with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, and he’ll talk about the culture with both of those teams.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (3:50), how male figures in his life impacted him as a father (7:10), being one of seven siblings (11:30), post-traumatic growth (14:40), the importance of education (17:40), the decision to not smoke or drink (20:00), how faith played a role in his life (21:30), how emotions play a role in his life (24:00), what makes a super bowl winning team (30:30), when his vision changed to wanting to play in the NFL (34:05), the transition from high school to college (37:10), mindset in preparation vs. performance (44:00), how he got more efficient with his preparation (47:00), his gameday routine (49:40), what he would say to himself when he dropped passes (55:10), how he learned to be adaptable (58:30), what it’s like to win two super bowls (1:02:30), his emotions when he lost his brother (1:04:30), how he went to work the day after a tragedy (1:07:40), and his perspective playing Sunday Night Football after a tragedy (1:11:20)
Thank you to Torrey for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out the Level 82 fund https://www.torreysmith.org/programs/ where they are taking over a rec center to provide after school programs. You can also find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Coaching Leaders During Challenges. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead, it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Scott Eblin
Scott Eblin is president of The Eblin Group, a leadership development firm committed to helping clients lead at their best and live at their best. As a leadership expert, global speaker, best-selling author, and executive coach, Scott works with some of the best-known companies and organizations in the world.
Twitter: @ScottEblin
Website: : https://eblingroup.com/
Jim Harshaw, Jr.
Jim Harshaw Jr. is an NCAA Division I All American athlete, former NCAA head coach, internationally recognized TEDx speaker, and personal performance coach. He has impacted thousands of lives across the world by helping clients and audiences increase resilience, maximize potential, and build high performing teams. His clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders from global companies as well as current and former athletes from the NFL, UFC, NCAA, Olympics and the Eco-Challenge.
Twitter: @jimharshaw
Website: https://jimharshawjr.com/
Miranda Holder
Miranda Holder is a leadership coach and the founder of Holder & Co., LLC. With fourteen years of coaching under her belt, she leverages her experience to help her clients be in condition to lead through individual and team coaching, facilitation and leadership development programs. She works nationally and internationally with CEOs, VPs, start-up founders and managers developing their internal and external leadership skills and management style.
Website: https://www.mirandaholder.com/
Sebastian Little
Sebastian Little is an Experiential Learning Designer at McChrystal Group, a management consulting firm in Washington D.C. He is a former collegiate football player from Yale University who conducted research with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence on emotionally intelligent leadership. He also serves as a speaker and mental performance coach where he coaches and works alongside high school and college athletic coaches to build leadership competencies and emotional intelligence within teams.
Twitter: @SebLittle_
www.sebastianlittle.com
IG: @Seblittle_
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Leveraging Habits When the World Stops. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead, it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Derin McMains
Derin McMains is going into his 20th year of working in the highest level of sports. He has been a professional baseball player, professional baseball coach, and for the last 7 years has been a mental conditioning coach for some of the world’s best baseball players and most elite coaches. He has worked with the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and the University of Notre Dame. He currently is the Director of Mental Skills for the San Francisco Giants.
Twitter: @McMainsDmac
Chris Sparks
Chris Sparks is the founder of The Forcing Function, a company which is empowering the next generation of entrepreneurship by transforming the way we think about work. Chris was once ranked in the top 20 online poker players in the world. Now he trains executives and investors to deploy the same techniques he used to gain a competitive edge so that they too can reach the highest limits. His clients consistently perform at their peak, accelerate their business growth, and build lives with greater freedom and purpose.
Twitter: @SparksRemarks
Alan Stein, Jr.
Alan Stein, Jr. teaches proven strategies to improve organizational performance,
create effective leadership, increase team cohesion and collaboration, and develop winning mindsets, rituals, and routines. A successful business owner and veteran basketball performance coach, he spent 15 years working with the highest-performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant).
Twitter: @AlanSteinJr
Jake Thompson
Jake Thompson is a professional speaker and the Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day, a brand he started in 2011 by first selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car. Jake works with organizations and individuals around the country, teaching how they can develop accountability, mental resilience, and leadership skills in order to make bigger impacts in their careers and in their life. It’s through his experience and research that he’s discovered how people who harness a competitive mindset against themselves can reach their goals, commit to action over motivation, and step into the leader they were created to be.
Twitter: @JakeAThompson
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Communication During Crisis. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead, it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Melissa Agnes
Author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, Melissa Agnes is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Agnes is a coveted speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today's leading organizations faced with the greatest risks.
Website: www.melissaagnes.com
Twitter: @melissa_agnes
Betsy Butterick
At first glance, communications training and basketball coaching may not seem that similar. But as Betsy Butterick knows, each requires the perfect mix of technique, repetition, playfulness, and trust. As a Coach with Own The Room, she loves helping people discover new skills and reach their full potential in a fun and meaningful way.
Website: www.betsybutterick.com
Twitter: @betsybutterick
Daniel Stillman
Hey there! I'm Daniel, and I design conversations for a living, to help people work together better. I wear many hats: teacher, workshop leader, coach, mentor, facilitator, writer and always, a designer. Before getting a Masters in Industrial Design at Pratt in Brooklyn, I got a degree in Physics and did crazy things like manage a secret lab on the roof of the Natural History Museum and lead university research acquisitions outreach for a medical venture fund.
Website: www.theconversationfactory.com
Twitter: @dastillman
Bram Weinstein
Bram Weinstein is the founder of Ampire Media and can be heard weekdays from 3-6 PM EST on "The Bram Weinstein Show" on ESPN 630 DC. As part of his 24 year (and counting) on air career, he spent 7 years at ESPN mainly as an anchor of "Sportscenter" and has appeared on a variety of programs including "Like it or Not" on Fox 5 in Washington DC, "The Bram Weinstein Show" on The Team 980, as well as analyst roles on NBC Sports Washington. Website: www.ampiremedia.com
Twitter: @RealBramW
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Mentoring and Coaching Vulnerable Populations. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast.
These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best. The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead, it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Jamion Christian
Jamion Christian, who architected a perennial Northeast Conference title contender at Mount St. Mary’s and turned Siena into one of the nation’s most improved teams in 2018-19, is in his first season as men’s basketball head coach at George Washington University. Hired to lead his alma mater at the age of 29, Christian led Mount St. Mary’s to two NEC Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2014 and 2017. He guided the Mount to 101 wins and a winning record in conference play all six seasons, the only school in the conference to achieve that feat.
Twitter: @JamionChristian
David Shapiro
David Shapiro is CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, the national organization unifying and elevating the youth mentoring field through expertise, advocacy, and recruitment. For more than 13 years, he has dedicated his career to driving equity through the power of relationships and is a servant leader for the mentoring movement. His thought leadership and movement-building expertise has been recognized by Social Impact Exchange, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. He is a husband, father, and mentor.
Twitter: @dshapMENTOR
Website: https://www.mentoring.org/
Jordan Steffy
Jordan Steffy is the Founder & CEO of Children Deserve a Chance Foundation and the Co-Founder and CEO of Box4 Mentor. Continuously inspired and grateful to his own mentors, Steffy works tirelessly to pair high-aspiring young people with high-performing mentors to enable both to build a more successful and inclusive society.
IG: @Jordan_Steffy
Website: https://attolloprep.org/
Susannah Wellford
Over the last two decades, Susannah Wellford founded two organizations designed to raise the political voice of young women in America. In spring 2007, Susannah founded Running Start to inspire young women and girls to pursue political leadership. To date, Running Start has trained over 15,000 young women to run for elected office. Running Start furthers the work begun by the Women Under Forty Political Action Committee (WUFPAC), which Susannah cofounded in 1999 and led for five years. Susannah speaks frequently around the country about the importance of involving more young women in politics. She has also lectured about politics to international groups from dozens of countries.
Twitter: @SusannahWDC
Website: https://runningstart.org/
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Using Adversity for Good. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead, it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Rais Bhuiyan
After serving as a pilot officer in the Bangladesh air force, Rais moved to the United States in 1999 to study computer technology. Ten days after 9/11, Rais was the victim of a horrific hate crime. Shot in the face at point blank range by white supremacist, Mark Stroman, Rais barely survived. Sadly, two others were killed. Stroman was sentenced to death; ten years later, Rais led an international campaign, fighting to save Stroman’s life.
Through his non-profit, World Without Hate, Rais has touched the lives of more than 175,000 people as he shares his inspirational story and message at schools, universities, organizations and conferences all over the world.
Website: https://worldwithouthate.org/
Twitter: @Rais4peace
Van Brooks
A native of West Baltimore City, Van was a three-sport athlete at Loyola Blakefield high school in Towson, Maryland. In 2004, Van suffered a life altering spinal cord injury at the age of sixteen. Despite that he earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Towson University, and founded SAFE Alternative Foundation for Education nonprofit in 2012 and the SAFE Center youth facility in 2015.
Website: https://www.safealternative.org/
IG: @VanBrooks25
Derek Fitzgerald
Derek Fitzgerald is a survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, heart failure and ultimately a heart transplant. After receiving his life-saving transplant in 2011, Derek entered the world of endurance sports and became dedicated to helping others going through their own healthcare journeys. Since 2011, Derek has upheld his life’s mission to honor his donor’s gift. He has completed over 90 endurance events, including a coast-to-coast bike ride and multiple IRONMAN races, including the prestigious World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
Website: https://www.recycledmanspeaks.com/
IG: @RecycledManSpeaks
Moses Maddox
I am the Veterans Counselor for Veterans to Energy Careers and Veterans Services at California State University San Marcos, I provide professional development service to veterans who have left the military and are in college entering their post-military careers.
Website: https://veteranstoenergycareers.org/
IG: @Moses.Maddox
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Creating Culture During Uncertainty. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead, it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Kris Herman
Kris Herman has been an instrumental figure in collegiate softball since beginning her coaching career at Tufts University in 1988. After Tufts, Herman came to Williams during the 2003-04 academic year. On March 27, 2018, Herman reached the 700-win milestone in her career. Herman's career mark stands at 767-388-5, a .662 winning percentage. She became the 17th coach at the Div. III level to surpass 700 wins in a career and is 12th on the active list.
Ben Olsen
Ben Olsen is the longest-tenured head coach in D.C. United history, having served since the middle of the 2010 season. With Olsen on the sideline, the Black-and-Red have qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs four times in the last five years, including back-to-back-to-back seasons in 2014-15-16. In 2014, Olsen was named MLS Coach of the Year after helping guide the Black-and-Red to the biggest single-season turnaround in Major League Soccer history, finishing the regular season in first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2007 and with the most points in team history.
Cody Royle
Cody Royle is a standout voice on leadership, culture, and organizational dynamics. Currently, he serves as head coach of AFL Team Canada, the men’s national program for Australian Rules football. Cody is the author of the influential sports-business book Where Others Won’t, which investigates how forward-thinking teams use talent strategies to create competitive advantage.
Tanya Vogel
Tanya Vogel assumed the role of Director of Athletics and Recreation on July 1, 2018 after serving as Acting Director of Athletics and before that Deputy Athletics Director, Senior Woman Administrator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at her alma mater. In her third stint with GW Athletics, Tanya Vogel has seen intercollegiate athletics from every vantage point. First as a student-athlete competing in soccer as an undergraduate at GW, Vogel learned firsthand what the student-athlete experience should be. wae
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Teamwork Under Pressure. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead, it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Mitch Aguiar
Mitch Aguiar is a 10 year Navy SEAL Veteran, entrepreneur, speaker, painter and Professional Mixed Martial Arts Fighter. Mitch learned early on that a lot things in life are hard, but setting hard goals instills confidence, which is why he enlisted in the Navy and eventually graduated from BUDs Class 273 in 2008. He went to SEAL Team 10 deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 for 11 months, worked as a multi purpose Dog Handler for a year and then deployed to Europe for 6 months.
Mitch has always had a passion for learning and teaching others. And after his tours he finished up his time in the teams teaching combatives and close quarters combat.
He left the Navy in January of 2018 at the rank of E6/SO1 (Special Operator First Class) to pursue his dream of becoming a World Champion Mixed Martial Arts Fighter. He holds an amateur record of 15-1 and on January 27th, 2018 he made his Professional MMA debut winning by TKO.
Mitch encourages others to follow their passions in life and in March of 2017 he founded his company MASF (Mitch Aguiar Smashin’ Frog). He aims to awaken and instill a new mindset in people. Once you truly understand the philosophy “Mindset is Everything”, your potential becomes limitless.
He is on a mission to make the world a better place and to inspire others to do the same by sharing his story and living by example. He travels across the US speaking to businesses and students, athletes and veterans, to share his “Mindset is Everything” philosophy.
Website: https://masfsupplements.com/
IG: @Mitch_Aguiar
Jeff Gum
Jeff grew up in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania and attended University of Central Florida majoring in Business Management/ Entrepreneurship. In July 2007 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to attend Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL (BUDS) training in Coronado, California.
After two years of SEAL training he graduated from Class 272 and checked into SEAL Team Five. After his first deployment to Fallujah, Iraq, he was selected for the Navy SEAL Breacher and Sniper Schools and worked with the Secret Service on a POTUS mission for a month in Hawaii.
His second deployment took him to the United Arab Emirates with the Crisis Response Element, and upon returning home he began teaching Combatives and Prisoner Handling to SEAL trainees. As the Lead Petty Officer, Jeff helped develop the Combatives Instructor Course to train SEALs how to lead Combatives training for their platoons. He also traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark for two weeks to help the Danish Frogmen stand up their own Combatives program.
In 2015, he began his transition out of the Navy by participating in The Honor Foundation’s 120 hours of Executive Education at UCSD Rady School of Management. The program inspired him to launch his own swimwear line, Sunga Life, that is focused on achieving double bottom line goals of purpose and profitability, where 10% of profits go to veteran charities -- specifically those that benefit wounded and amputee Special Operations Forces. Jeff transitioned out of the Navy in June 2017 and traveled the world for a year before beginning his MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management with a focus on Entrepreneurship. He is currently focused on leading a team of MBA students to scale Sunga Life through the Business Creation Option as their master’s thesis at UCLA Anderson.
Website: https://www.sungalife.com/
IG: @JeffGum
Mario Romero
Mario is a former Navy SEAL who is a graduate of Columbia University, where he studied math, astronomy, and astrophysics as he attempts to fulfill his dream to become an astronaut one day. He is also an advocate in trying to help the cause of suicide prevention, with hopes that the number of suicides can decrease by as much as 20% less than a decade from now.
Today, Mario is a NASA EVA (SpaceWalk) tech, and Orion crew capsule recovery team member. Helping astronauts train for spacewalks and training recovery methods for recapturing crew capsules upon return to earth. He is also writing a book.
IG: @Marioromero186
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Negotiation Under Stress. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok.
This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Bio’s Below.
Blake Baratz
I have now worked in the representation of professional athletes for the past 10+ years. I have learned a lot about this industry, but the most glaring area of need for improvement is simply education. 78% of all NFL players are either leaving the game broke, or broke within 3 years of their last NFL game.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blakebaratz
Bob Bordone
I am an internationally-recognized expert, speaker, author, coach, and teacher on negotiation, mediation, consensus-building, dialogue, and facilitation. Currently a Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School and a Visiting Clinical Professor of Conflict Transformation at the Boston University School of Theology, I was the Thaddeus R. Beal Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School for more than two decades where I also founded and directed the Harvard Law School Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program. I am also on the roster of neutrals at The Mediation Group in Brookline, MA.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobbordone
Danielle Cantor
Danielle Cantor was born in Washington D.C. A former Division I soccer player at the University of Pennsylvania, Cantor also earned a degree from the Wharton School of Business. In 2007, Cantor helped David Falk to relaunch FAME, a sports agency. As of 2017, Cantor was the only female NBPA certified agent with a current client in the league.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcantor22
Matthew Hartman is a founding partner at Betaworks Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund based in New York City and San Francisco. Betaworks builds and invests in consumer tech companies including Giphy, Twitter, Kickstarter, GroupMe, and Tumblr. At Betaworks, Matt has led investments in companies such as Anchor and Gimlet Media, which were both acquired by Spotify in 2019.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattHartman
Thanks for joining us for today’s panel on Obstacle Opportunities. I have been fortunate to chat with over 150 remarkable people on my Intentional Performers Podcast. These people have overcome adversity, thought deeply about leadership, and have setup intentional lives for themselves to perform at their best.
The coronavirus has created challenges for so many throughout the world and it is my hope that these panel discussions will help those in need. While everyone on the panel has tremendous expertise, I also want to note that what we are going through is truly unprecedented and there may be questions that the panelists don’t have the answer to. That’s ok. This isn’t designed to give you the answer to every question you have, instead it’s designed to have you think deeply about how you can handle this challenging time.
Thanks to my wonderful panelists!
Bios below.
Josh Basile, a C4-5 quadriplegic, lives in Maryland and is a trial attorney working in Washington, DC. Growing up, Josh attended the Bullis School, graduating in 2003 where tennis and golf were his top passions. A natural athlete, Josh played number one singles for the Bullis Varsity Team and was recruited to play tennis at Skidmore College. He played for one year at Skidmore before his life was turned completely upside-down. In August 2004, while on his family’s annual summer vacation in Bethany Beach, DE, Josh was picked up by a single wave and was slammed headfirst against the ocean floor. The impact shattered his fifth cervical vertebra leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down.
http://www.determined2heal.org/about-d2h/joshs-story/ https://www.instagram.com/josh.basile/ https://www.facebook.com/josh.basile/
Matthew Del Negro is a professional Actor (Goliath, Scandal, The West Wing, The Sopranos) and podcast host (10,000 "No"s with Matthew Del Negro). He can currently be seen as Detective Chris Caysen, Captain of the Youth Violence Strike Force on Showtime's critically-acclaimed Boston crime drama series, City on a Hill, starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge. He received rave reviews on his Netflix Comedy Series, Huge in France, released in April 2019, for his portrayal of down-and-out actor Jason Alan Ross and was singled out as a "show stealer" and "comedic tour de force".
https://www.10000nos.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mattydel/ https://twitter.com/MatthewDelNegro
Adrianne Haslet has survived the terrorist bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon where she lost her left leg below the knee. She is quickly rising to meet her daily challenges head on with a unique perspective. Being a full time professional ballroom dancer at the peak of her career, she has had to learn an entirely new meaning to the word patience. In the wake of the marathon, she has become an inspiration through her positive attitude. She has since returned to the dance floor, winning her first competition back, and ran the 2016 and 2018 Boston Marathons.
https://www.adriannehaslet.com/ https://www.instagram.com/adriannehaslet/ https://twitter.com/AdrianneHaslet https://www.facebook.com/Adrianne-Haslet-367670170038419/
Neen James is the author of nine books including Folding Time and her most recent, Attention Pays. Named one of the top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Guru several years in a row because of her work with companies like Viacom, Comcast, Cisco, Virgin, Pfizer, BMW, and the FBI, among others. Neen earned her MBA from Southern Cross University and the Certified Speaking Professional designation from National Speakers Association. She has received numerous awards as a professional speaker and is a partner in the international education company Thought Leaders Global.
https://neenjames.com/ https://www.instagram.com/neenjames/ https://twitter.com/neenjames https://www.facebook.com/NeenJamesCommunications
The past few weeks drastically changed the landscape of the world. While I am generally an optimist, it’s my belief that the next few weeks will continue to be a challenge for many. With that in mind, I have been reflecting on what I could do to help.
The Intentional Performers Podcast has given me an amazing gift; a stronger connection to amazing people and expanded wisdom and knowledge. It’s my hope that the listeners have received this gift as well.
So, here’s my idea to help others during this time of uncertainty.
I am creating a series of panel discussions with past podcast guests to help others learn, grow and take action to better their lives and careers. It’s my hope that the content will help people navigate some of their toughest challenges right now in a productive way.
You can also go to this YouTube link to watch all panels.
Bios below for panelist participants. Keith Mitchell
Keith Mitchell is a former All-Pro NFL football player turned internationally renowned Celebrity Yogi. As a Motivational Mindfulness Coach, Holistic Health and Wellness Advocate, Community Activist and Humanitarian, he is committed to providing holistic tools that help others achieve optimal health, harmony and aliveness to the fullest degree.
A life changing football injury left Keith partially paralyzed, he utilized Yoga and Meditation to fully recover, he now shares his inspirational transformation with others as a highly sought after spiritual lifestyle/ wellness coach, teacher and motivational speaker.
Although Keith’s football accident forced him into an early retirement, it led him to his true life’s calling — inspiring others to move beyond survivor and victim consciousness to full empowerment. Keith is a leader and exemplary teacher for people dealing with emotional and physical suffering. His personal shift from a professional sports athlete to spiritual luminary allows him to mentor from experience with full transparency and authenticity; utilizing his many years of Yoga and meditation training combined with his stellar PRO athlete expertise.
As the founder of the The Light it Up Foundation , Keith considers altruism and service as his life’s purpose— the most rewarding position he has ever played— sharing his mindfulness skills Yoga and meditation certification whether for peak performance and self-awareness to help others heal from the inside and out.
Keith’s mission is to guide others to find the power within themselves to make a positive shift— so they may live a life full of joy, gratitude and purpose.
Stu Singer
Stu Singer works as the sports psychology and performance consultant for the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s 2019 World Champion Washington Mystics, University of Maryland Women’s Basketball team, Rice University Basketball, and many other programs across the country. Stu served an integral role in helping the Mystics win their first WNBA Championship in team history, the University of Maryland Women’s basketball team reach back to back Final Fours in 2014 and 2015, and multiple NCAA Division 1 Conference Championships.
The WellPerformance “system” is based in solid research and performance psychology theory, and then developed further through the lens of well-over a decade worth of "in the trenches' experience in high-performance environments. WellPerformance is all about applicable skills that can be developed and then used in the real world.
Pro and elite amateur athletes across sport and gender - NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NCAA, NWSL, MLS, USMNT and USWNT call-up players, USA Basketball Team Members, and Olympic gold medalists have been trained in Stu's system.
Stu completed his Doctor of Psychology coursework at the University of the Rockies specializing in sport and performance psychology, and is a professional member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Additionally, he received his M.Ed. in Counseling from Shippensburg University.
Steve Schlafman
I became a seed investor in 2010 and a certified professional coach in 2017. I chose these two professions because I love helping entrepreneurs bring their visions to life. I also love jamming on organizational design, leadership development and company building. This is what I plan to do for the rest of my life.
I currently operate a boutique leadership coaching practice. I work closely with CEOs to help them lead more authentically and effectively. I also partner with ‘executives in transition’ who are contemplating a new role, career or venture
I’m also an active angel investor and operate a small fund that invests in pre-seed and seed stage technology companies in NYC.
Over the last decade, I’ve honed my human-centric investment philosophy and approach. I always put the founding team, market opportunity and human impact above everything else. Some companies I’ve been fortunate to work with include Bark & Co., Boom Aerospace, Bowery Farming, Breather, Brightwheel, Care/of, Citizen, Giphy, Groups, Managed by Q, SmartThings, The Skimm, View The Space and Zipline.
Previously, I’ve held a mix of investing and operating roles at Primary Venture Partners, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, RRE Ventures, The Kraft Group / The New England Patriots, Microsoft, Stickybits / Turntable.fm, and Massive.
The past few weeks drastically changed the landscape of the world. While I am generally an optimist, it’s my belief that the next few weeks will continue to be a challenge for many. With that in mind, I have been reflecting on what I could do to help.
The Intentional Performers Podcast has given me an amazing gift; a stronger connection to amazing people and expanded wisdom and knowledge. It’s my hope that the listeners have received this gift as well.
So, here’s my idea to help others during this time of uncertainty.
I am creating a series of panel discussions with past podcast guests to help others learn, grow and take action to better their lives and careers. It’s my hope that the content will help people navigate some of their toughest challenges right now in a productive way.
All panels will be recorded on Zoom and uploaded to YouTube so that as many people can have access to the content as possible.
You can also go to this YouTube link to watch all panels.
Bios below for panelist participants.
Handling Isolation
Sam Morris
Sam Morris is the founder of Zen Warrior Training®, a transformational coaching program for high performers, entrepreneurs and creative professionals. Sam is an internationally known leader in the field of personal transformation.
With over twenty years of experience studying and teaching the ancient wisdom of Zen and Taoist philosophy, meditation and breathwork practices, Sam coaches high performing men and women and corporate clients how to master the inner workings of the mind, body and spirit and live from a place of peace, power and purpose in their careers and in their personal lives.
Chris Wilson
Born and raised in Washington D.C, Chris grew up under extremely difficult circumstances. Poverty, drug addiction, and gun violence was the everyday norm in his community. At the age of 17, he was charged with a crime, convicted, and sentenced to natural life in prison. It was during times of isolation that he decided to not only to turn his life around, but to make a difference in the lives of people who currently live in poverty-stricken communities similar to his childhood surroundings. “Many years ago, I committed my life to self-improvement and helping others. I sat in a dark cell and wrote up what I now call my Master Plan. A plan to build a business empire and help others.”
While imprisoned, he earned his high school diploma, graduated from all of the vocational shops, earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Sociology, from Anne Arundel Community College and taught himself to speak and write in several foreign languages. He became a mentor, started a career center, book club and after serving 16 years in prison, he has returned to society a changed man.
He now resides in Baltimore City and is the owner and founder of the Barclay Investment Corporation, a multi-service social enterprise, specializing in residential and commercial contracting work. Barclay works closely with local workforce and social service providers to connect unemployed Baltimore City residents with clients who are in need of a number of services.
His other business ventures include The House of DaVinci, a high-end furniture restoration and design company and Master Plan Productions, a social impact content development company.
Ethan Zohn
Ethan Zohn is a humanitarian, inspirational speaker and television host; former professional soccer player; cancer survivor and advocate; winner of the hit reality television show, CBS’s Survivor: Africa; contestant on season 40 of Survivor: Winners at War, author and inventor; and co-founder of the global non-profit, Grassroot Soccer.
In 2002, Ethan used a portion of his Survivor: Africa winnings to help found Grassroot Soccer (GRS), an adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize at-risk youth in developing countries to overcome their greatest health challenges, live healthier, more productive lives, and be agents for change in their communities. To date, the organization has reached over 2.7 million youth in over 60 countries with critical health information, access to health services, and mentorship.
In 2009, as a fit, active, 35-year-old former professional soccer player who had traveled the world on behalf of the international health community through Grassroot Soccer, Ethan became an unlikely face of cancer. Diagnosed not once but twice with CD20+ Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the span of several years, Ethan endured years of aggressive treatment, including two stem cell transplants.
Ethan is a graduate of Vassar College, and he has played and coached soccer professionally in Zimbabwe, the United States, and as a member of the US National team for the 1997 and 2001 Maccabiah Games in Israel and 2004 Pan-American Maccabiah Games in Chile. In recognition for his work Ethan was awarded the 2004 Nkosi Johnson Community Spirit Award by the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, the Heroes Among Us Award from the Boston Celtics and the Massachusetts State Health Department, and the Auxilia Chimusoro Award from the US State Department in Zimbabwe.
Ever the tireless and creative promoter, in 2008, Ethan embarked on a record-breaking 550-mile journey on foot, from Boston, MA to Washington, D.C., dribbling a soccer ball the entire route, to raise money and build awareness for GRS.
The past few weeks drastically changed the landscape of the world. While I am generally an optimist, it’s my belief that the next few weeks will continue to be a challenge for many. With that in mind, I have been reflecting on what I could do to help.
The Intentional Performers Podcast has given me an amazing gift; a stronger connection to amazing people and expanded wisdom and knowledge. It’s my hope that the listeners have received this gift as well.
So, here’s my idea to help others during this time of uncertainty.
I am creating a series of panel discussions with past podcast guests to help others learn, grow and take action to better their lives and careers. It’s my hope that the content will help people navigate some of their toughest challenges right now in a productive way.
All panels will be recorded on Zoom and uploaded to YouTube so that as many people can have access to the content as possible.
You can also go to this YouTube link to watch all the panels.
Bios below for panelist participants.
Panel: Leading During Crisis
David Cuthbert
David began his career in Naval Special Operations after receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics from the United States Naval Academy. After nearly a decade of leading Special Operations teams around the world, David became the CEO of cloud-based technology companies in the private and public sectors. In these roles, David gained extensive experience in strategic business development, mergers and acquisitions, and organizational development. He then leveraged this experience in his five years of service as CEO of Wine To Water, an international organization providing clean water and disaster relief. He established offices on four continents, working in 30 countries, serving a million people globally. He did this by connecting individual and corporate philanthropic initiatives to impactful international development work.
Noticing the gap between companies’ intention to make an impact with their CSR program and their actual implementation inspired David to start Global Imprint. In this new endeavor, he combines his passions for team and leadership development and the empowerment of communities on a global scale.
David is married with three kids and enjoys surfing and swimming. In his own community, he coaches youth soccer teams, so they too can make their mark on the world.
Melissa Hyatt
Chief Melissa R. Hyatt was sworn in as Baltimore County’s 14th Police Chief on June 17, 2019, bringing with her over 20 years of law enforcement experience with the Baltimore Police Department. While at the Baltimore Police Department, her assignments included Chief of Staff to the Police Commissioner, Chief of Patrol, Chief of the Special Operations Division, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT). In 2018, she retired at the rank of Colonel to accept a position of Vice President for Security for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Hyatt holds a Masters in Management Degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware.
She is a graduate of the 250th session of the FBI National Academy, and the Major Cities Chiefs Police Executive Leadership Institute (PELI). She has been honored with numerous awards and citations, and holds memberships in several professional organizations, including the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association. She is an enthusiastic supporter of Special Olympics and youth programs throughout the region.
Chief Melissa R. Hyatt is a lifelong resident of Baltimore County.
Brendan Tuohey
Brendan Tuohey grew up in the Washington DC area and is a former Division I basketball player at Colgate University. Tuohey went on to found PeacePlayers. The goal of PeacePlayers is to use basketball as an entry point into areas of conflict so that people can truly begin to see each other as humans and develop empathy.
PeacePlayers has operations in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Cyprus, and the US. In 2017, PeacePlayers partnered with Nike in Nike’s EQUALITY campaign in 2017 in an effort to build safer neighborhoods and improve relationships between police and the surrounding communities.
Additionally, Beyond Sport has named Tuohey one of the 50 Most Influential People in Sport.
Michael Signer
Hon. Michael Signer, the award-winning former mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, is a public scholar, executive, and practicing attorney. From 2016 to 2018, Signer served as mayor of Charlottesville, a AAA-bond-rated city of nearly fifty thousand.
He has served as an executive and general counsel at a major Virginia technology firm, as counsel to governor Mark Warner of Virginia, as the national security director on the 2008 John Edwards presidential campaign, and as the chair of the Emergency Food Network in Virginia.
He has been an instructor at the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and the University of California. He was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2009 and has received senior appointments from three Virginia governors.
In 2018, he founded and chaired Communities Overcoming Extremism, a bipartisan capacity-building project for leaders in the public and private sectors and the sponsor of the "Overcoming Extremism" podcast.
He is the author of two previous books, Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies and Becoming Madison: The Extraordinary Origins of the Least Likely Founding Father. He has written opinion pieces and essays for The NewYork Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Time, and Vox.
His latest book CRY HAVOC: Charlottesville and American Democracy Under Siege is now on sale.
David Shapiro joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. David is the CEO of a non-profit called Mentor which does incredible work. They are the unifying national champion for outstanding quality mentor relationships for young people. For more than 25 years, Mentor has helped build and serve the mentor field by providing a public voice, and developing and delivering resources for mentoring programs nationwide. Mentors fantastic work with David at the helm has been mentioned in the Social Impact Exchange, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Grant Makers for Effective Organizations.
In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (6:20), his relationship with his siblings (8:20), if he’s structured (12:30), how sports impacted him (19:50), what mentor does to give people access to “heroes” (24:40), why he started with the Tiger Woods foundation (29:50), why he went into the non-profit world (33:30), what makes a great leader and a great mentor (37:30), how to view mentorship as the mentor (42:30), the type of training mentors should go through (46:00), his mentors (48:30), what he learned from sports (51:00), working with coaches vs. players (55:20), process vs. results (58:50), what will change in the next 5-10 years (1:00:10), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best (1:03:00).
Thank you to David for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.mentoring.org/ where you can find out everything you need about his organization.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Riley Cote joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Riley played in the NHL for 4 years and was mainly known as an enforcer. We will talk about his experience as an enforcer, what it was like for him and the toll it took on him. Upon retiring from the NHL, he founded the Hemp Heals Foundation which is a non-profit organization that provides cannabis as a viable resource that can help increase the quality of lives of people. Riley is also a founder of Athletes For Care which is a non-profit organization created to help athletes find support, opportunity, and purpose in life after a career in sports. Riley is currently launching a product called Body Check Wellness which is a line of hemp based personal care products whose mission is to optimize everyday performance and challenge individuals to rethink the healing process.
In this podcast, we discuss what life was like growing up (5:20), the values his parents passed down to them (9:10), his religious framework (11:40), his experience with ayahuasca (15:10), where his curiosity comes from (21:00), what it was like playing juniors (24:05), if he was into education at an early age (27:00), his progression working his way into the NHL (29:50), his options if he didn’t go into the NHL (32:20), what he’d do to get himself ready to fight (34:40), his perspective on guys overdosing from his role in the NHL (40:30), head trauma and concussions (45:20), if he believes fighting should be part of the game (51:30), what he’s been up to since he stopped playing hockey (56:50), and his meditation practice (1:03:50).
Thank you to Riley for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to find him on Instagram @RileeCoyote32, Facebook @RileyCote, and Twitter @RileeCoyote. He is soon to be launching Cote Culture which is the umbrella website and business for all the things he’s involved in.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Kevin Lavelle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Kevin has done a lot in a short amount of time, and he is a young guy trying to make an impact and a dent on the world. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mizzen + Main, and he was the CEO before stepping down to take on the Chairman role. Mizzen + Main is an innovative company transforming the apparel industry by making the world’s most comfortable dress shirt. Kevin has been innovative and creative with how they market the product, and has used creative ways to get people’s attention. The company has been featured in the New York Times, Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, and Men’s Health. Today, he is a Senior Vice President at Staying Together which is a non-profit that aims to help social entrepreneurs supercharge their efforts to help people change their lives.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:40), what it was like going from SMU to the Middle East (10:00), his reaction when he started on a different path (14:30), if he had an entrepreneurial bug from a young age (20:30), how being a generalist helped and hurt him as a consultant (22:20), his experience at the Hunt Companies (24:00), why he decided to start his own company (26:00), job security and values (32:10), how people felt about him making work changes (34:30), what it’s like going from being a consultant to an employee to a boss (37:20), how to work with confrontation (42:30), if he felt he was someone that always wanted to work for himself (44:30), why he got help with executive coaching and EO to build his business (46:40), his experience with an executive coach and the Hogan assessment (54:10), when he got interested in politics (1:02:50), why he stepped into the non-profit space (1:06:30), what he loves about media types (1:13:40), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best (1:18:10)
We encourage you to find him on Twitter and check out @MizzenandMain on all forms of social media. Kevin now works for Stand Together https://standtogether.org/ and at this organization, he works with Youth Entrepreneurs, Urban Specialists, and Café Momentum.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Rob Bell joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rob is a mental coach that works with athletes in the sports arena and individuals in the corporate space. Rob has written six books on mental toughness. He is also an ultra-marathon runner and this year he is running a 100-mile race. He will talk about spirituality, what makes him emotionally and mentally strong and why physical fitness is such a priority for him.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (4:20), what it felt like to be arrested (6:50), the things that changed his life (9:00), embarrassment and rock bottom (12:20), what he loved about sports when he was little (14:50), how he thinks about success (17:20), when sports psychology came into his life (18:20), how it felt when he stopped playing baseball (19:40), his religious framework (23:10), giving yourself grace (27:30), what it was like starting a sports psychology practice (31:10), what it is like teaching (33:10), why he doesn’t voluntarily share his story (35:00), what he does to make sure he’s emotionally where he needs to be (36:10), why he got into running (37:20), the frameworks he uses when working with athletes (42:00), how he thinks about mental toughness (44:30), his mindset in the different areas of his life (45:10), what caused him to go down the road of sobriety (47:20), his habits (48:00), and why he does ultra-marathons (50:40)
Thank you to Rob for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://drrobbell.com/ and he is @drrobbell on all social media. His next book coming out is called “Puke and Rally” which is not about the setback but about the comeback.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Chris Wilson joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chris is a serial social entrepreneur, a story-teller, an artist, a social justice advocate, and an author. He wrote the book, “The Masterplan,” which is a fantastic read. He was incarcerated for murder at the age of 17 and had a life sentence so this conversation is less about the murder and more about what he did after it. He will talk about his life in prison where he was for 16 years before somehow miraculously getting out.
In this episode, we discuss when he decided he wanted to write a book (6:50), what his mother and grandmother instilled in him (7:50), his reaction in prison when he was saying he would talk about positive delusion (9:00), what life was like for him as a kid (12:20), his experience with his mother (14:30), despair in his life (16:40), what he thinks about nature vs. nurture (18:10), how he thinks about therapy and mental health (19:20), how he’d define toughness and being coachable (22:00), what makes a great mentor (25:50), what it was like to outline his book (27:30), being externally vs. internally focused (30:20), what it was like to be in solitary confinement vs. being in a free situation (34:10), what we should do differently for people in prison (36:40), why he wanted to tell his story (40:20), what he’s done to try to create more jobs (41:40), what he recommends to people who don’t look like him can do to make a difference (44:00), the photo business he started (45:00), how he started journaling (46:50), his process of writing the book (47:30), where he is on the master plan (48:30), the Chris Wilson foundation (49:50), doing the work and putting yourself out there (51:00), the willingness to speak with the Dean at the University of Baltimore (53:15), his mindset in all the different things he does (56:40), what a day looks like for him (57:30), the car he drives now (1:00:20), and why he didn’t used to smile in pictures (1:03:00)
Thank you to Chris Wilson for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to buy his book, “The Master Plan.” We also encourage you to check out his website http://chriswilson.biz/ and find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Paul James, also known as PJ, joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. After college at Syracuse University, PJ moved out to LA and started his acting career. PJ was in the hit TV show Greek, and he was in a movie right off the bat called Cry Wolf. Today he is on a Netflix show called Soundtrack. You’ll enjoy that PJ is open, honest, and talks about the ups and downs that come with acting as a career.
In this episode, we discuss when acting came into his life (5:20), why his dad was a secret service agent (7:40), what he liked about being on stage (9:20), why he wanted to be in a fraternity (13:20), what the theater program at Syracuse was like (17:30), what it was like transitioning out to LA (20:10), playing as an actor (23:30), why he hates auditions (25:30), preparation vs. performance mindset (28:30), where he feels most alive (32:15), how his Dad passing impacted his life (37:00), dealing with adversity (41:20), the story behind his current show (45:00), what he does to mentally prepare himself for acting (47:30), how he responds to failure (52:30), what he’s done for the last two years (54:00), being in the show Greek (56:20), how he stays disciplined with the reactiveness of acting (1:01:10), and how he goes from acting vs. who he is off camera (1:06:20)
Thank you to Paul for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram and watch his show Soundtrack on Netflix.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jamy Bechler joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jamy is a professional speaker, leadership trainer, and executive business coach who has worked with teams ranging from major corporations to teams in the NBA. Before going into full-time leadership work, Jamy served for 20 years as a college basketball coach, a professor, and administrator. When he hung up his whistle, he didn’t stop coaching, he just moved from the locker room to the boardroom. Now he travels the country motivating people and motivating organizations. We will talk about what leadership is, what it might not be, and Jamy will talk about what that looks like on and off the basketball court.
In this episode, we discuss his childhood (4:30), his early thoughts on leadership (8:40), influence and leadership (12:10), how he thinks about talent with influence (18:00), when he decided he would be a sports coach (24:30), what he learned from John Wooden (29:00), similarities and differences in coaching men vs. women in basketball (30:10), how he’d connect with his players (32:30), the elements of a good culture (43:00), what he did after he got fired (46:00), why he shifted out of athletic coaching (48:00), what he noticed as an AD that he didn’t as a coach (50:00), what it’s been like to go off on his own (52:00), what he intentionally does to make sure he’s his best self (54:40), what he knows now about coaching that he didn’t used to know (57:40), and his writing process (1:03:00)
Thank you to Jamy for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://jamybechler.com/, find him on Twitter, and check out his books.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Today's podcast is in memory of Kobe Bryant. I never met Kobe, but his story-telling and the stories told about him are legendary.
Hopefully, this podcast inspires you to learn from Kobe and intentionally perform at your craft.
Sending love to all who perished in this tragic accident.
Gary Green joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Gary helped find Cameron Carmichael which is an executive search firm based in Charlotte, NC. They build a successful relationship with their clients that is built on a mutual trust and commitment to outstanding results. In this conversation, we will talk about what Gary looks for when he’s placing executives with companies and what makes a successful partnership when he’s doing that. He will also spend time talking about his journey through swimming at Duke, serving in the Navy, and receiving his MBA from Harvard. Gary has also competed in marathons and triathlons and he is still competing to this day.
In this episode, we discuss what his upbringing was like (5:10), the values his parents passed down to him (9:50), what his dynamic with his siblings was like (13:20), his sports interest (18:00), his experience as a swimmer at Dematha (21:40), why he decided to go into the military (24:50), how he balanced academics, ROTC, social, and athletics at Duke (27:20), what he loved about swimming (31:40), what it’s like to compete in endurance competitions (33:50), how he thinks about success (36:10), why he thinks some CEO’s may not be happy (38:30), what he does when he’s interviewing and someone feels stuck (40:30), how he tries to find alignment amongst intangibles between a person and an organization (43:20), how his business came to be (46:15), what has allowed his partnership to work (48:30), why VP of Sales is the hardest to recruit (52:10), how he figures out if someone is an individual contributor or a good manager (54:40), what his military experience was like (55:40), what it was like to be part of the Harvard community (58:30), what he does to make sure he’s living the life he wants to live (1:05:00), and the habits he does to make sure he’s sharp (1:07:40)
Thank you to Gary for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.cameroncarmichael.com/ and find him on LinkedIn.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Terry Knickerbocker joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Terry is the studio director and founder of Terry Knickerbocker’s Studio in Brooklyn, NY. For the past 30 years, Terry has acted, directed, coached, and produced art with all kinds of incredible people. After he graduated from NYU, Terry trained as an actor with Bill Esper and worked with Bill for 25 years. Terry has been mentored and values mentoring others immensely. He is a past recipient of the Drama League of New York’s Directing Award Fellowship for Emerging Directors. This conversation is about what he does and who he is, and who he is constantly trying to become and how he wants to show up.
In this episode, we discuss, how he got into acting (6:10), the things people acknowledged about him as a child (10:30), what toughness is (15:20), the values his parents passed down to him (17:10), where he feels emotions (19:20), how to deal with anger (24:00), when acting became something he wanted to pursue (26:10), what makes people turn towards acting (34:00), his experience at NYU (36:00), what leads to consistency in coaching/teaching (45:00), how he’s different than Bill Esper (49:00), how he typically teaches acting (50:50), coaching vs. teaching (53:10), if he misses performing (1:00:00), how he’s doing with working on the business vs. in the business (1:01:20), how he serves people with a fear of not making it (1:05:00), the downside that comes with fame (1:11:00), the habits he has to make sure he’s at his best (1:13:10), his religious framework (1:16:20), the pictures up on his wall (1:19:20), and the power of polarity (1:22:40)
Thank you to Terry for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://terryknickerbockerstudio.com/ and his studio is in Brooklyn. They teach a two-year acting program twice a year that begins in September and January, and they also have a six-week intensive program from mid-June to the end of July. You can find him on Twitter @tknickerbocker and Instagram @terryknickerbockerstudio.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Ryan Holiday joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Ryan wrote the books, “The Obstacle is the Way,” “Ego is the Enemy,” “The Daily Stoic,” “Conspiracy” and “Stillness is the Key,” to name a few. He’s written ten books and he is continuing to write. At his core, he is a writer and a media strategist. He’s worked in marketing, and he’s worked with prominent best-selling authors such as Neil Strass, Tony Robbins, and Tim Ferris. Before becoming a writer, he had a successful marketing career at American Apparel, and he went on to create an agency called Brass Check. Ryan has been in the weeds and done the work as far as marketing and writing. He has sold more than two million copies of his books and his books have landed in the hands of world-class coaches, athletes, and teams.
In this episode, we discuss how I got a package from Ryan (6:20), how he thinks about his audience when writing (7:50), the transition to the first book he wrote (12:20), the obstacle is the way tattoo (15:50), if he thought his books would flow together (17:10), his mindset when speaking vs. writing (18:00), when he knew he wanted to be a writer (19:30), his writing process (21:30), what his family was like growing up (26:10), how to find what you’re meant to do (32:00), what motivates him (35:10), mindset for preparation vs. performance (37:40), arrogance in performance (43:00), what he’s attracted to in stoicism (48:30), what he does to make sure he’s in it (53:00), what he does to be the best version of himself (54:40), what makes the San Antonio Spurs such a great organization (55:50), what he sees himself doing 10 years from now (59:10), how he thinks about building a business (1:01:00), his thoughts on fame (1:03:10), and selling your ideas (1:04:30)
Thank you to Ryan for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out at https://ryanholiday.net/, https://dailystoic.com/, and you can find him @RyanHoliday and @DailyStoic on all forms of social media.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Matt Stover joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matt Stover played in the NFL for 20 years where he played 13 years for the Baltimore Ravens. When he retired in 2009, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL. Matt played at the highest level and did his craft as well as anybody that’s ever done it. Matt will talk about the routines and habits that helped him have so much success in the NFL. You will also hear from Matt about how he thinks about strength, mental fitness, emotional fitness, and spiritual fitness. He is a super-bowl winner and he was a leader on the Ravens. Matt is the oldest player to ever play in a super bowl and he is in the Ravens ring of honor. Today, he is doing some really interesting stuff around finance and philanthropy that he will talk about.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:00), why he didn’t kick until his senior year (7:30), the values his parents passed down to him (9:20), what it was like playing for Bill Belichick (14:40), how he responded as a backup (17:40), where his motto of “why not me” came from (20:30), his mindset as a kicker (23:00), how he built trust with his teammates (24:30), what it was like to be part of a consistent contender (28:00), what the Ravens did to breakdown barriers between different parts of the team (33:10), what the draft was like when he was drafted in the 12th round (35:10), what he’d be doing if he wasn’t in the NFL (39:00), how he’d prepare on gameday (43:30), the ability to adapt and how he thought about the super bowl (48:50), what he’s up to now with the Players Philanthropy Fund (54:40), and what he loved about kicking and what he loves about what he’s doing now (1:02:00)
Thank you to Matt for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out the great work he is doing at the Players Philanthropy Fund https://www.ppf.org/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Mark Groves joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Mark is a human connection specialist but putting a title on his work doesn’t do him justice. Mark is an emotional translator, writer, speaker, coach, and his clients range from businesses and leaders to couples and individuals. Mark really cares about the deepest of emotional connections that we have with ourselves and other people, and he loves studying love. He studies relationships and communications and is very thoughtful about how we are showing up for ourselves and for the people that we love.
In this episode, we discuss how it works for a company to take time to work with him (7:20), his upbringing (9:00), the message his dad shared about divorce (12:00), the skills that create great communication and relationships (20:00), how mastering personal relationships affects the business world (23:40), pain and love and emotions (27:00), when he started to lean into his emotions (30:30), what experiences at rock bottom teach us (34:30), what allowed him to learn from failure at 27 (38:40), when he got into the work he does now (41:30), what it was like to leave a nice six-figure salary (43:20), where he draws the line on sharing (45:50), how he’s built his social media following (50:10), how he feels when he gets powerful messages (54:10), what his writing process looks like (57:10), how he thinks about the me-too movement (1:00:10), and what he intentionally does to make sure he’s his best (1:05:10)
Thank you to Mark for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram @createthelove, YouTube, and his website http://markgroves.tv/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Hamish Brewer joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Hamish is a Principal and is somebody who is relentless, tattooed, and a skateboarding Principal. He is a high-octane guy constantly calling on his students to be relentless. He has become known as an educational disruptor that challenges the status quo and is constantly looking to innovate and help his students however he can. Hamish does things differently and he is known for working with some of the most at-risk students in America, and he flat out gets results. He is real, authentic, genuine, and what you see is what you get. He has won all kinds of awards, he is nationally known as a Principal, he has written a best-selling book, he has given a Ted Talk, and he is somebody that is living, breathing, and doing things to make this world a better place.
In this episode, we discuss where he gets his enthusiasm and energy (6:10), what life was like growing up (7:30), why he thinks he and his brothers have had success (9:20), where he grew up (11:30), how he brings his journeyman mindset to his students (14:30), his religious framework (16:10), how he went from dropping out of high school to becoming a Principal (17:20), what he would’ve been like at a school where he was the Principal (21:00), where he sees education going (22:20), how he captures what poverty means (25:10), mental health in schools (28:00), how he teaches his students resilience (31:00), the legacy he wants to leave (33:20), how he makes sense of his social media presence (37:00), how he manages his fear of failure (40:20), how he thinks about fearlessness (42:00), how he brings out the best in his staff (43:20), why he puts his office in the middle of the school (45:40), how he thinks about working with parents (49:10), what he does to make sure he’s at his best (54:40), his use of the word love (57:40), what it’s like for him when the kids leave for summer (1:00:30), and how he wrestles with the desire to be in the school system vs. impact outside of the school system (1:03:10)
Thank you to Hamish for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also find his website at https://hamishbrewer.com/. He is also a best-selling author of Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm that can be found on amazon. He is also about to release relentless skateboards which will be giving everything back to kids. Humanity Stoke is also coming out in the Spring which is a documentary he will be in with Tony Hawk.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
In this episode, I discuss gratitude and Thanksgiving (2:30), becoming a better communicator (4:00), three levels of listening (4:50), assumptions, assessments, and assertions (8:40), examples of great questions (11:30), and takeaways (21:30).
If you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Scott O’Neil is the Chief Executive Officer of Harris Blitzer Spots & Entertainment, an organization with the ambition to become the most impactful sports and entertainment company in the world through the pursuit of innovation and performance. You will hear about Scott and his involvement with innovation and how much he values high, elite performance for himself and the teams that he’s involved with. Scott is responsible for the organization’s leadership, strategic vision, operations, and growth including the pursuit and acquisition of sports teams and organizations, entertainment, and consumer-facing properties. Scott wears many different hats and is involved with many different organizations including the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils, and the Prudential Center. He is also involved with Team Dignitas, an internationally renowned e-sports team, the Sixers Innovation Lab, the Delaware Blue Coats, and the Binghamton Devils. He has over 20 years of experience in the NHL, NBA, and NFL that has earned a reputation as a leader of leaders and is one of the best in sports business. He really grounds himself in the present and thinks about the culture they are creating inside these organizations.
In this episode, we discuss what his childhood was like (5:00), why he thinks all of his siblings are in business (7:50), how he feels thinking about his mom doing amazing work (11:00), why he got into sports (12:40),what his vision for his career was (14:00), his morning routine (15:20), how he thinks about management and culture in several different places (16:30), how he defines his mission (18:50), how he thinks about spirituality (20:10), why coaching his kids is so important to him (22:00), how he emotionally stays level over the course of a season (26:20), what part of his life he’s working on (27:40), how he’s used executive coaching (29:00), how he leverages mindfulness/meditation (33:05), what he looks for in talent (35:20), if he has conversations with his parents about being in it vs. on it (39:30), and where he feels most alive (41:20)
Thank you to Scott for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Kip Watson joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Kip is a former professional football player that was also an elite gymnast when she was a kid. She works in the world of sports psychology and I think you will find her to be a very thoughtful and intentional human-being who lives with spirit, emotion, and thinks about her mindset on a daily mindset. Kip will be vulnerable in this conversation, and she will share what she’s learned and is continuing to work on with herself and why she is so passionate about making an impact with people in and outside of the sports world.
In this episode, we discuss her experience with gymnastics (3:50), what her environment growing up was like (6:00), why she wanted to play football (9:30), how she got into gymnastics (12:40), her early success in gymnastics (17:00), how to view winning (19:40), the importance of consistency (22:10), brain codes and her intake form (23:20), how she develops nature (27:20), her drive to play professional football (30:00), what she learned about herself playing football (34:30), her tough times (37:40), what changed after low moments in her life (42:20), how religion has guided her (44:10), what she does to strengthen her mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual (47:20), how she handles her routine under stress (50:20), what it is like parenting two athletes (52:40), and why sports psychology as her vehicle to make an impact (59:40).
Thank you to Kip for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check her out @kipfit on any social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) platform, and her website https://www.braincodecorp.com/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Van Brooks joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Van played football growing up and today he works in the non-profit world in inner city Baltimore where he helps to mentor and develop a lot of our youth. Van is incredibly thoughtful, intentional, and resilient.
In this episode, we discuss why he was interested in sports at a young age (4:50), his relationship with his family (5:50), what it was like playing lacrosse (8:40), the values his parents passed down to him (10:30), what his experience at Loyola Blakefield was like (11:30), how he balances humility and confidence (15:40), the value of education (17:30), what it was like adjusting to his private school (19:30), what it was like being in two different communities (22:20), the transformative moment in his life (23:50), what he remembers when he woke up (28:20), what it would be like to go to Georgetown Prep (30:00), the thoughts running in his head in the hospital (31:50), tipping points that changed his views (36:30), how he applied athletics to his life after athletics (40:00), his high school graduation day (43:20), how he thinks about sticking out vs. fitting in (46:50), what it was like going to Towson (52:30), where he gets his therapy from (54:40), when he started the foundation and helping others (55:20), why he focuses on middle school (58:40), what the next ten years looks like for him and the foundation (59:30), what makes him feel most alive (1:01:00), what’s the draw to staying in Baltimore (1:02:40), how he thinks about working in the business vs. on the business (1:05:30), and giving a fish vs. teaching how to fish (1:07:40).
Thank you to Van for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. You can also find his personal website https://www.vanbrooks.com/ and support his organization https://www.safealternative.org/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jim Harshaw Jr. joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jim is an educator by trade and coach by passion. He is a former Division 1 all-American Wrestler and we will talk about his experiences wrestling. Jim has also failed; he’s been broke, out of shape, and out of balance with his family at times in his career. He knows what it feels like to do 100 things in a day at 100 mph and still get nothing accomplished. Jim has set out to help others create clarity, focus, and consistency as an executive coach.
In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him growing up (5:00), how the culture of wrestling helped him (8:10), how competition brings out the best in us (12:40), his family situation growing up (14:00), the message about academics growing up (15:50), how he instills work ethic in his kids (19:20), how he shows inspired action (21:40), what it means to be blue collared (26:40), what it was like wrestling at UVA (32:40), what he did to get better his freshmen year (34:30), what it looks like to compete with joy (43:00), focusing on the process (47:00), why he got into coaching (48:20), what it was like going from wrestler to coach (50:40), his experience going back to UVA (54:00), why he decided to start his own business and what happened to the business (55:20), the dark place he was in (58:00), the mechanics of the reveal your path system (1:02:10), aligning your values to your work (1:05:20), the last two parts of his program (1:08:20), and where he sees himself ten years from now (1:12:00)
Thank you to Jim for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast, “Success Through Failure,” and his website https://jimharshawjr.com/ where you can set up a free call with him. You can also find him on Twitter @jimharshaw and Instagram @jimharshawjr.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Derek Fitzgerald joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Derek is a survivor of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, heart failure, and ultimately a heart transplant. After receiving his life saving transplant in 2011, Derek entered the world of endurance sports and became dedicated to helping others going through their own healthcare journeys. He’s an advocate for cancer research, heart, health and organ donation. He founded the Recycled Man Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to improve life for those affected by significant health changes. Since 2011, Derek has upheld his life mission to honor his donor’s gift and has completed over 90 endurance events including a coast-to-coast bike ride and multiple iron man races. He has also completed the prestigious world championship in Kona, Hawaii. He is the only cancer survivor and heart transplant recipient to complete a full ironman distance race. Derek is living life to the fullest and has handled his adversity with unbelievable grit, determination, and perspective.
In this episode, we discuss his childhood (5:05), why he was interested in film (6:50), what soccer was like for him as a kid (8:10), what being in the band was like (11:00), how his view on winning has changed (12:40), what he studied in college (16:40), why he was passionate about film (19:20), what he enjoyed most about film making (23:00), how his background in music and film helped him progress in his career (25:00), where his work ethic comes from (28:30), starting a company called M3 (30:40), what makes a good problem solver (32:00), what it was like running an organization (33:05), what changed at age 30 (34:30), what it felt like when he heard he had non-hodgkin’s lymphoma (37:20), how he went from an invincible 30-year-old to focusing on getting stronger (39:20), if there are any downsides to being step by step (42:20), how he ended up after putting in all the work for his health (44:40), how he responded to hearing he had heart failure (49:20), how he processed his business being about his illnesses (52:30), his experience when his heart gave out (57:00), whether faith plays a role in his life (59:20), how his transplant went (1:02:20), if he changed after he got the new heart (1:07:30), when fitness became something he wanted to compete in (1:12:40), the advice he gives to people (1:17:10), and what he’s up to now (1:21:30)
Thank you to Derek for coming on the podcast. He has started a foundation called the Recycled Man Foundation https://www.recycledman.com/, and there mission is to improve the quality of life for people that have gone through significant life challenges by making them more active. Derek has also been doing speaking engagements and you can find him at https://www.recycledmanspeaks.com/. You can find Derek and the Recycled Man Foundation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. He also has a tech company where he has taken his experience as a patient and turned it into a way to help people through technology and that is called IronHeart Technologies and can be found at https://www.ironhearttech.com/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Rob McClanaghan joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rob is regarded as the premier NBA skill development trainer in the game today. Rob has over 15 years of experience helping elite athletes hone their skills and realize their full potential. His cliental and his client list is insanely impressive with players such as Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Stephon Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Al Horford, John Wall, and Candace Parker. We talk about what makes those athletes special and what he’s witnessed since he has an up close and personal seat into who they are as people and what they do to work on themselves. Rob also played basketball at Syracuse University where he was a 3-year basketball letterman as a walk-on where he played in three NCAA tournaments. Rob has also built a unique personal brand by leveraging three main principles that resonate not only in sports but also in the corporate world. He believes in the power of networking, building relationships, and professionalism.
In this episode, we discuss what his childhood was like (5:00), faith in his family and the values his parents passed down to him (7:40), why he decided to walk-on at Syracuse (9:50), what he would say to critics (12:30), what it was like to make the Syracuse team (15:00), where his confidence comes from (16:00), where confidence comes from in elite athletes (20:00), what he learned about teams at Syracuse (25:20), what makes a good leader (27:20), what his senior year at Syracuse was like (28:30), why coaches had confidence in him (29:50), why Jim Boeheim played him (32:00), the reaction he got from his hometown when he found out he was playing (33:30), his experience moving from playing to coaching (36:00), when skills training became a possibility for him (37:20), what it was like working with pros out in Vegas (40:20), how he cultivates creativity (41:30), how he thought about making this his own business (43:00), where he feels most alive (45:40), the similarities between the players he works with (49:30), how curious the players are when they’re not in training (51:30), what he does to make sure he’s crisp and clear for his players (52:30), what it was like losing his dad (53:40), what his book his about and what he’s up to now (55:00), what the top athletes do mentally to be their best selves (58:10), and his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (59:15)
Thank you to Rob for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram @robmacnba or Twitter @RobMacNBA. His book, “Net Work” came out October 1st and you can order it on Amazon here. You can find everything related to Rob’s work on his website http://robmacbasketball.com//
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Matthew Del Negro joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matthew is an actor that has played a wide range of roles in features both on tv and in theater. He has worked on tv shows such as Scandal, Sopranos, West Wing, Showtimes United States of Tara, MTV’s Teen Wolf, and now he’s on a show called Goliath on Amazon Prime. He is a philosopher at heart, a deep thinker, and he will talk about how he’s been reflective throughout his life and how that’s led him to this journey of acting. He’s also a podcast host, and his podcast 10,000 No’s has all kinds of incredible guests. Matthew is on a journey and he’s trying to find out how he can be a great actor and great at other parts of his life. He is obsessed with adversity and hearing no, and how others have developed a relationship with adversity and how to turn failures or no’s into opportunities.
In this episode, they discuss what he was doing in San Diego (5:00), what life was like growing up (8:20), the lessons he learned from sports (12:30), where turning no’s into yes’s came from for him (14:20), when lacrosse came into his life (16:40), what it was like playing lacrosse at BC (18:20), how he got into acting (23:00), the moment he decided he wanted to be an actor (25:50), how his parents reacted to him saying he’d be an actor (27:30), what his vision was like in his 20’s (29:00), how he’s changed as an actor (30:40), his religious framework (33:20), the similarities and differences between lacrosse and being an actor (38:20), the systems or processes he’s put in place to handle rejection (41:00), the priming he does before he performs (43:15), questioning of his identity (47:30), how he defines success (51:20), what makes a great story (55:10), how to cultivate connection (56:00), his mindfulness techniques (58:40), and what has most helped shape him (1:01:00)
Thank you to Matthew for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast, “10,000 No’s” at https://www.10000nos.com/. You can find him on Instagram @mattydel, Twitter @MatthewDelNegro, Facebook @delnegrofansite, and you can email him at info@10000nos.com.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Jonathan Fader joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. He is a licensed clinical and performance psychologist that is best known for working with professional athletes in the MLB and the NFL. He has worked with the New York Mets and the New York Giants. He is also the co-founder of Union Square Practice which is a mental health center. He will talk today about Sports Strata which he has helped build and they are a performance coaching group. He is regularly working with athletes, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, schools, physicians, and first responder groups such as the NYC Fire Department. He also does a lot of public speaking on topics such as mindfulness, motivation, motivational interviewing, improving performance, stress reduction, and team building.
In this episode, they discuss when he realized his work could be used outside of sports (7:40), how he got into psychology (9:30), why he got into theater and how he was interested in psychology at 16 (11:20), what his dad did (15:15), his exposure to sports psychology (17:00), what makes him feel most alive with clients (20:10), transformational vs. transactional leadership (24:40), the one speed model of coaching (28:20), where he spends the majority of his time (33:40), what he’s doing when he spends a day with a company (35:30), what it’s been like to build an organization (40:30), what they do to make sure their culture is where they want it to be (45:20), what his initial vision for the company was (48:20), what he thinks his organization will look like in the future (51:00), his experiences with awe (53:20), and the preparation of the Flying Wallendas (57:30)
Thank you to Fader for coming on the podcast. He encourages you to look at motivational interviewing if you are interested in communicating better. There is a book coming out in November with Fader and Steve Rollnick called “Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best – Motivational Interviewing in Sport.” You can find him on Instagram @Jonathan_Fader and Twitter @drfader.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Ken Tyler joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Today, Ken works as the Director of Advancement at the St. James and he came on as the Athletic Director to run that facility. Before working at the St. James, he was the Director of Athletics at Mary Washington University in Virginia. Ken has really spent his career working in sports; he has spent time as a basketball coach, athletic director, and at his core, he is a servant leader that is trying to put others in position to be successful. He is a coach, athletic director, and somebody who cares deeply about his mindset and the mindset of the people he serves.
In this episode, they discuss what the St. James facility is (4:30), why the St. James was started (11:20), what life was like for him as a kid (15:40), his experience at Episcopal High School (19:40), what his parents did (21:10), how his perspective on divorce has changed (25:40), what’s changed inside of him over the last 20 years (30:00), his experience with 9/11 (33:10), playing basketball at William & Mary (42:10), his experience playing basketball after his freshmen year (45:30), the competition he faced at William & Mary (52:00), when he became interested in theater (55:30), his experience as a high school basketball coach (1:01:00), his career after coaching in high school (1:02:10), his experience at Albright College (1:07:40), what he liked about being an assistant athletic director (1:11:00), what he misses and doesn’t miss about coaching (1:14:00), why he decided to become an athletic director (1:15:10), the words that have unlocked his potential (1:19:30), the habits/routines he has that allow him to be his best self (1:23:10), and how faith plays a role in his life (1:27:10)
Thank you to Ken for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.thestjames.com/ and you find Ken on Twitter @TheStJames_AD.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Susannah Wellford joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Over the last two decades, Susannah has founded two organizations designed to raise the political voice of young women in America. The one that she will really talk about today is “Running Start” which she started to encourage young woman and girls to pursue political leadership. Susannah will talk about her relationship with politics starting from a young age, and how she came up with this idea of “Running Start” which to date has trained over 15,000 young women to run for elected office. Susannah is a big believer in underdogs, she wants to empower underdogs, and she’ll explain why that is so important to her.
In this episode, they discuss what her childhood was like (4:20), what her family dynamics were like (7:00), her experience being bullied in 7th grade (11:10), being laid off in her 30’s (13:00), the vision she had for herself from a career standpoint (15:00), how to improve women’s lives in the workforce (19:40), why she was interested in politics (24:10), who saw the potential in her (28:00), the differences often found in men and women leaders (30:00), how she started Running Start (35:30), how you build confidence (36:40), self-talk and confidence (40:00), how to cultivate better self-talk (46:00, the difference in men and women wanting to be the #1 vs. #2 (50:30), what success looks like with Running Start (54:00), her vision for Running Start 10 years from now (59:20), the diversity on her team (1:00:00), how to get young women to step into power and be leaders (1:04:40), and her perspective on all women schools (1:05:40)
Thank you to Susannah for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://runningstart.org/ and they have programs for high school students, college students, and young professionals. You can also find Susannah on Twitter @SusannahWDC.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Seb Little joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Seb currently works at the McChrystal Group, and before that he was a football player at Yale University. Seb is somebody that is obsessed with humans and elite performance. As mentioned, Seb is currently with the McChrystal Group which is a firm that takes military strategy and philosophy and applies that to the corporate world. Seb is at the forefront of human development and teaches, trains, and coaches’ elite athletes and elite performers.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:00), what his mom and grandma taught him (7:30), what his other families do for him (10:35), how seeing his dad go through his challenges impacted him (11:30), how he makes sense of addiction (12:45), how he thinks about belonging (15:40), how academics came into his life (18:15), when sports came into his life (20:40), his mindset when playing football (23:30), what he loved about football (27:00), what got in the way of him being successful in a game (29:00), the position he played and how that impacted how he sees the world (30:40), why he decided to go to Yale (31:40), what it was like going through injuries (33:30), when working for a company like the McChrystal Group started to form for him (36:30), what the McChrystal group does (38:40), what it was like transitioning from college to the corporate world (41:00), his desire to be a captain at Yale (45:00), what makes a great leader (47:10), what he does to make sure he is at his best (49:05), the similarities between business, sports, and military (52:10), how love relates to teams (54:30), the differences between business, sports, and military (56:05), how he thinks about his interactions with the world (1:00:20), emotional intelligence (1:02:20), what the world will look like in terms of leadership 10 years from now (1:04:30), and what excites him about the work the McChrystal Group does (1:09:00).
Thank you to Seb for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out @SebLittle_ on Twitter and @seblittle_ on Instagram. Also, please check out College Next Door which pairs high school students with college mentors to go through the process of mentoring.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Brandon Chambers joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Brandon is an Assistant Coach with the Men’s Basketball Team at Texas Southern University. Previously to Texas Southern, Brandon was at the University of Nevada where he helped them succeed in the NCAA basketball tournament and before that, he was at Paul VI, and VCU. Brandon has played in a lot of different sandboxes in the coaching world over the last 10 years or so, and he is someone that is a sponge, a lifelong learner, and always trying to become more. At Brandon’s core he is just trying to share knowledge and wisdom and build relationships with people.
In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like for him (6:00), his experience with his brothers (9:30), what he learned from moving around (11:30), what his parents are like (13:20), the values his parents passed down to him (15:50), what he learned about his dad after he passed (19:00), how he saw his dad as a ten-year-old and how he sees him now (22:10), what he does to be his best self (26:30), how faith plays a role in his life (30:00), his thoughts on dealing with difficult situations (36:00), his thoughts on being and becoming (46:00), his experience as a student manager at VCU (52:30), what made the VCU program so successful (57:10), and what he’s doing at Texas Southern now (59:10)
Thank you to Brandon for coming on the podcast. You can find him on twitter @chambershoops and Chambersbm on Instagram. We encourage you to check out the Texas Southern Men’s Basketball team on twitter and Instagram as well.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Sefu Bernard joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Sefu is in charge of player development for the Washington Mystics where he works with them on their skill development and pretty much everything involved in basketball. Sefu really values people, he really looks at players from a holistic level, and is obsessed with trying to get them to a whole new level. Sefu will share his journey and will be vulnerable sharing things that he often doesn’t talk about with people.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a child (3:40), his experience moving (7:50), the difference in him and his brother (11:00), his experience moving to Toronto (13:50), how he thinks his son would feel in a similar situation to the one he went through (19:40), how his mom responded when she moved to Toronto (21:00), the values his parents passed down to him (22:30), what it felt like to be obese as a kid (25:30), when basketball came into his life (28:00), his experience with education (31:30), what he was like as a basketball player (34:30), how he instills a competitive spirit in those he works with (38:30), what’s gotten him to where he is today (41:00), why he knew he had to make a career move (44:05), what his day to day was like in player development in 2007 (48:20), what his day to day looks like today (53:20), what would get in the way of him being world class at his craft (55:30), complacency vs. being content and gratitude (1:02:30), and what he does to make sure he’s his best self (1:05:10)
Thank you to Sefu for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on twitter @SefuBernard and his website https://sefubernard.com/. For any coaches, teachers, and even parents interested in sport specific stuff go to @theLLaBB where he shares ideas where he frames the art and science of player development. He also recently launched a new initiative geared towards people who are working in the youth sport experience that can be found @ACXBasketball.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
This week on the podcast we are joined by Selam Bekele. Selam, who hails from Ethiopia, currently works as a development practitioner with more than 10 years of experience addressing critical social issues on the grassroots level and international development platforms. She now resides in Washington DC where she serves as a senior associate at Results Educational Fund. Additionally, Selam is the founder of Umoja, a non-profit organization that coaches and empowers young Africans to be positive change agents in their communities.
She also holds an MA in Economic Development from the Catholic University of America, as well as a Masters in Gender Studies from Addis Ababa University. At her core, Selam is an activist who deeply cares about those who are underserved and underprivileged. Education is at the core of everything she has done, and she has leveraged that education to try and make a meaningful impact. Throughout the episode, Selam discusses her upbringing as a woman in Ethiopia, the oppression she has faced, her life journey, and how all of those things have shaped who she is and the work she does as an activist and advocate for education. Additionally, make sure to give Selam a follow on twitter @selseladu!
Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Charlie was a fighter in mixed martial arts MMA where he got up to the #7 ranked fighter in his weight class. He also won a contest in the reality TV show, “Pros vs. Joes.” Charlie has become obsessed with this idea of being a lifelong learner and learning how he can show up in his career, for his family, and what his mindsets should be for those scenarios. Today, Charlie is a thought-leader who focuses on giving talks, workshops, he has a podcast, he has written a book and is writing another book, and he’s really trying to help people learn how to be bold. He has developed a systematic approach to learning and teaching that is easy to consume and built upon the five elements of excellence – vision, values, success, accountability, and surroundings.
In this episode, they discuss where he got the nickname “The Spaniard,” (5:00), when wrestling came into his life (7:50), what his childhood was like (9:50), his mom (11:00), the values his parents gave to him (12:30), if he’s more like mom or dad (13:45), how he’s an emotional person (14:30), how he thinks about judgment and following what others do (18:30), his experience as a wrestler (22:00), if he liked wrestling (25:00), where the idea of sacrificing something now for something later came from (28:30), when he started to gain awareness (30:15), what triggered exploration into self-awareness (32:30), his thoughts on lifelong learning (35:30), how he sets his mind in different areas of his life (38:50), shifting from the preparation to performance mindset (43:30), why he went into teaching (44:30), what allowed him to change his mindset when performing (48:20), why he doesn’t still fight (50:50), how he leverages his warrior mentality (52:20), his lowest point and what he learned from being there (53:30), the brightest moment (56:40), his perspective on if his kids wanted to be MMA fighters (1:00:00), and his current business (1:02:20)
Thank you to Charlie for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his book, “Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage,” and also be on the lookout for his next book, “Becoming the World’s Toughest Lifelong Learner.” He also does speaking engagements for youth and for corporations. He has a show called the Spaniard Show and you can check out everything he does on his website at https://charliespaniard.com/ and charliespaniard.com/email is a great way to get signed up to receive his content.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jamion Christian joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jamion is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at George Washington University. He coached last year at Siena and then the year before that he was at Mount St. Mary’s. At the age of 29, he was a Division 1 Men’s Head Basketball Coach. From an early age, Jamion was looked at as somebody who could lead men, and this also was the case when he was a 3-year captain at Mount St. Mary’s. He is somebody who has always been curious and is always learning. Today he will share the knowledge that he has learned in what makes a great team, what makes people perform at their best, and how he can lead those people to achieve whatever it is that they want to achieve.
In this episode, they discuss when he got introduced to the psychology of basketball (5:00), what led him to basketball (8:10), the conversations he has with his brother (10:10), what has led to him and his brother’s early coaching opportunities (12:30), his and his brother’s dreams at 14 and 18 (14:05), what it was like loving practice (16:00), what makes a great leader (17:40), how you build love and awareness in a team (19:00), how he makes players aware of their emotions but not let it hijack them (21:30), how he motivates his players (27:40), the thing holding him back from being his best basketball self (29:30), what gets in the way of him being at his best (36:20), his mindset as a coach (38:20), how he thinks about filling out a staff (40:10), what he looks for in players (42:30), how he cultivates culture/systems on his teams (49:30), how he cultivates connectedness on his team (52:40), the necessary parts of the fabric for a team (57:40), what he does to celebrate learning (59:00), what he is excited about for the next 10 years from a team perspective (1:00:30), and if he wasn’t coaching, what he’d be doing (1:02:30)
Thank you to Jamion for coming on the podcast. You can find Jamion on twitter @JamionChristian and Instagram @jamion_christian.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jake Thompson joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jake has lived an intentional life. He was very into sports growing up and he will talk about points in his life that led to different changes. He is very open in this conversation about his past struggles, challenges, and failures, and how that has led him to become a combination of a teacher and entrepreneur. He is somebody who is trying to pour what he’s learned, and what he continues to learn, into others. He’s a speaker, podcast-host, brand and marketing expert that has launched an apparel line, and a writer.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like growing up (4:50), his experience working in sports (8:30), why he had a growth mindset in sports and not school (12:30), his thoughts on standing out (17:30), the values his parents passed down to him (21:10), how he’s intentionally created his career (24:10), how much of his job is a mixture of his parent’s careers (28:00), how he stays even while also having energy and passion (30:50), what it was like growing up in a small town in Texas (32:00), what he would do to pivot and go forward in tough times (34:00), if he was always interested in psychology (38:20), what he intentionally does to get his mind right (41:20), his morning and evening routines (42:50), how faith plays a role in his life (46:40), his mindset in each of the different facets of his work (48:30), how he looks at ambition (51:00), about people being interested in getting better (55:30), why compete is at the forefront of everything he does (59:20), how much of his branding experience is relevant to his other work (1:01:00), and what he needs to learn and his vision for the next 8-15 years (1:03:20)
Thank you to Jake for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.competeeveryday.com/. You can find more information about the apparel podcast on every platform, as well as the coaching and their events. If you are a parent and have kids in youth sports, check out https://raisingcompetitors.com/. The book is called, “Compete Every Day,” and it should be out at the end of this year. You can find them @CompeteEveryDay on every social media platform, and you can find Jake on Twitter @JakeAThompson and Instagram @lifeisworthcompetingfor.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Jesse Cassady joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jesse is a yoga-instructor, a deep thinker, and he’s philosophical. He thinks about how he wants to show up in the world and he’s extremely intentional. Jesse is extremely vulnerable and willing to share his story even if it can help just one person. Jesse is a giver and a teacher, and he loves sharing his knowledge in both the body and the mind. In his yoga practice, he brings together the body and the mind in an incredible way. In his business, he’s about to open a yoga studio in Washington, D.C. in the Georgetown area.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:30), what it was like being the middle child (7:30), the qualities his parents passed down to him (9:20), the draw to being in the outdoors (11:40), how he thinks about religion compared to spirituality (13:20), when yoga came into his world (14:50), if he was a reader (20:20), if the accident helped him discover yoga (22:10), what allowed him to go towards something that was difficult (24:20), his thoughts on being and becoming (28:00), his thoughts on feeling (31:00), how pain led him to yoga (33:30), some of the dark spots of his childhood (34:15), when gratitude entered his life (37:00), what inside him allowed him to go towards gratitude as opposed to anger (40:00), why the President being elected affected him so much (42:10), his perspective on addiction (44:30), if yoga can help with addiction (49:00), his meditation practice (51:00), how he blends teaching and having a beginner’s mind (52:40), how he doesn’t judge people when they do something awful (54:30), what he would say to people that went through what he went through (59:20), and what he’d say to people struggling with addiction (1:00:40)
Thank you to Jesse for coming on the podcast. Jesse is opening a yoga studio in Georgetown called Uprising Yoga Center on O St. in NW Washington, DC. You can find more information at https://uprisingyogacenter.com/. We encourage you to check out his Instagram @thegratefulyoga and his business Instagram @uprisingyogacenter.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Travis Heath joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Travis Heath is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver which is also where he attended. He is a licensed psychologist working in private practice in Denver, Colorado, and is the Co-Founder of Rocky Mountain Narrative Therapy Center. He will talk about narrative therapy which focuses on shifting from multi-cultural approach counseling to one of cultural democracy. He really believes in the power of writing and how writing can help people shift their narrative and story, as well as elicit emotions. He is currently in the process of writing a book on narrative therapy. Travis is a psychologist, teacher, writer, and he wears all these different hats which make up a lot of his identity. He is also passionate about sports, but this conversation is mainly about humans and how he feels about the world of psychology. He has run workshops to share his work in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. He is on sabbatical right now, so he’ll talk about that experience, and he is scheduled to teach in Auckland, New Zealand in November, Mumbai, India in January and Ystad, Sweden in 2020.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a child (5:40), if he does anything to just get lost and go wander (10:15), his family dynamics (11:30), the values his parents passed down to him (14:00), what it was like being an only child (15:35), what it was like when his father passed away (18:40), his psychology background (20:20), why people get scared about envisioning their future 5-10 years out (28:20), what he envisions for his life at 50 years old (30:40), what his book is about (34:40), his thoughts on emotion with performance and psychology (41:30), what it’s like wearing a lot of different hats (46:30), how he transitions from each of his different areas (51:00), the draw to stay in academia vs. going all in on entrepreneurship (54:40), and the meaning behind his tattoos (57:45)
Thank you to Travis for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out Travis on twitter @DrTravisHeath, and you can also email him at HeathT@msudenver.edu.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Ticha Penicheiro joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Tina is a Portuguese sports agent and retired basketball player. She was just recently nominated to get inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. She is in the Old Dominion University hall of fame where she played her college ball. She was also a four-time WNBA all-star, and three-time all WNBA selection. When she finished her career, she was considered one of the all-time greatest point guards in the history of women’s basketball and led the WNBA in all-time assists and is now currently second in all-time assists. She won a WNBA championship with the Sacramento Monarchs in 2005, and she also led ODU to the national championship game during her time. Ticha is very free, fearless, lives for the moment, and focuses on controlling what she can control.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like growing up in Portugal (3:50), her mindset playing against boys on the playground (5:40), the values her parents passed down to her (7:20), the cultural items that influenced the person she became (8:20), why she ended up at Old Dominion (10:10), the vision she had at 18 years old (11:15), the experience taking ODU to the national championship (12:30), what made her teams championship-caliber teams (13:25), the locker room when they lost to Tennessee compared to when they won it with Sacramento (15:00), how she would cultivate fearlessness on a big stage (17:10), her thoughts on the preparation vs. performance mindset (18:40), how she thought about leveraging her emotions when playing ball (21:20), what she loved about passing (23:20), what makes a great passer (24:05), what makes a great leader (25:10), what it was like to represent her country on the national team (25:50), her thoughts on women’s sports and women’s basketball (28:00), the life of a WNBA player (32:20), what she was like at 23 vs. 33 (33:30), her pregame habits (34:00), playing overseas vs. playing in the WNBA (35:00), what she thinks the future of the WNBA will be (36:00), what drew her to becoming an agent and what she’s learned (37:10), what she does to make sure she’s at her best from a career standpoint (38:30), similarities and differences between being a point guard and an agent (39:30), what she loved about playing ball (41:20), what it was like becoming an American citizen (42:30), her passion for the special Olympics (43:00), how she thinks about the future (44:30), how she thinks about focusing on what you can control (46:00), what she does when she has negative thoughts (47:50), how she doesn’t bring perfectionism into the arena (49:40), any processes she did to make sure she was present (52:30), what she would say to an 8-year-old girl with dreams of playing pro basketball (54:20), and how she makes sense of her accolades and where basketball has taken her (55:00)
Thank you to Ticha for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to follow her on twitter @TichaPenicheiro, check out https://sigsports.com/team-member/ticha-penicheiro/, and her website http://www.tichapenicheiro.com/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Matt Bodnar joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matt wears many hats; he has been named to “Forbes 30 Under 30” and he’s a partner in multiple “Inc Fastest Growing Companies.” He is a deal maker, strategy expert, and he has scaled businesses across multiple industries. He has done over $100 million in deal volume across 25+ transactions. He is Chairman of Fresh Technology, CoFounder and Managing Partner of Fresh Capital, and Managing Partner of Fresh Holdings. Matt will share with you some of his work in real estate, restaurants, and technology. He is always looking to invest and become a partner in companies as he really values ownership. He is an entrepreneur at heart, but his career started at Goldman Sachs where he learned a lot about finance and what went into that world until he decided to pursue a life that went along with his values and strengths. Matt is intentional about how he spends his days and his weeks, and where he’s looking to go from a career standpoint.
In this episode, they discuss when his entrepreneurial spirit came up for him (4:30), what brought him to Wall Street (7:15), if anything in his childhood showed his entrepreneurial spirit (8:30), how his travel shaped his view of the world (10:30), what he was like as a kid in the school system (12:10), how being the only one in the house with his parents affected him (14:50), how he feels about reading in the middle of the day (15:50), his daily routine and thoughts on productivity (16:50), how he uses Evernote for journaling (23:10), what’s the psychology behind getting yourself to put out content (27:30), what comes after meditation and journaling in his routine (32:30), how he thinks about exercise and fitness (34:10), what his conversation would look like if he had an employee that wanted to journal, meditate, etc. during the day (35:40), his career up to this point (36:30), how he makes the decision to delegate (38:40), how he compensates for always wanting to delegate (39:50), what makes him feel most alive (42:10), when he became interested in self-help and personal development (45:20), what he does to work on himself (47:05), and what he struggles with (50:50)
Thank you to Matt for coming in the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast at https://www.successpodcast.com/ and sign up for his email list. Matt also reads and responds to every email from everyone that signs up for the email list so if you email him at Matt@successpodcast.com he will respond.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Heideh Shahmoradi joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Heideh has her own firm that some would call a lobbying firm, but she calls it an educating firm. She really has become a big player in Washington, DC and on Capitol Hill and has made a tremendous impact on the homeless community and transportation industry all over the country. Heideh has worked with some of the most influential people in our government and she will share how she came to get to that point, and also some of the challenges that she’s faced along the way. At the end of the day, Heideh is someone who is kind, grateful, and looks for the best in life.
In this episode, they discuss what Sasha Bruce does (4:40), her story and how she ended up at Sasha Bruce (5:30), her teenage years (7:30), how religion played a role in her life (8:20), her experience meeting her husband (10:00), when Sasha Bruce became a resource for her (11:00), why she ran away from home (13:00), what was so great about her experience at Sasha Bruce (14:50), what she thinks people saw in her (16:20), what it was like working in transportation (20:30), what she was like academically (21:20), her college experience (24:30), what it was like not having a permanent home (26:20), how she thinks about vulnerability (28:20), what she does to practice gratitude (33:40), if positivity is innate for her (34:50), when she shifted to taking advantageous of her situations (35:30), what she thinks makes someone successful (37:50), her experience working on Capitol Hill (39:30), the importance of relationships (42:10), what she liked about being in politics (44:50), what she’d be doing now if she didn’t go to DC (51:30), how she thinks about what she has gone through (53:50), how she sees religion today (56:20) , her relationship with her parents today (58:10), what she’s up to now (1:02:00), what she does for youth homelessness (1:05:30), what makes a good educator (1:06:15), and what she does to make sure she’s at her best (1:09:05)
Thank you to Heideh for coming on the podcast. If anyone is ever looking for guidance, advice, or consulting information on the work that she spoke about today they can reach her at Heideh@osstrategiesllc.com.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Stu Singer joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Stu has worked as a Director of Performance Psychology for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and as a Performance Psychologist for the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball team, Fordham University, Rice University, and the Connecticut Sun among other teams. Stu has served an integral role in helping the University of Maryland Women’s Basketball reach back to back Final Fours, and Fordham University win their first A10 Championship. Stu’s approach focuses on teaching and providing mental performance skills for athletes that have the pressures of competing at elite levels in high school, college, and pro sports. He also provides team trainings, clinics, and consultations with coaches on how to develop healthy and effective mental performance fundamentals for their athletes. Stu completed his doctoral coursework at the University of the Rockies where he specialized in sport and performance psychology and is also a professional member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. He additionally received his M.Ed. in Counseling from Shippensburg University. This conversation gets into the core of mental performance and he will talk about everything that he has learned up until now and where he sees the field going in the future.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a child (6:40), the path his brother was on (10:20), his parents’ family business (13:00), how sport came into his life (14:40), the values his parents passed down to him (16:40), when he became interested in sports psychology (18:20), why he majored in business (20:20), the art and science of people (26:00), how he thinks about confidence (29:05), his thoughts on self-talk (35:40), how he thinks about mastery in his world (39:40), what he does to work on his craft (45:10), what he does now that he wasn’t doing 5 years ago (47:50), where he’s going in the next 5 years (49:20), the app he created to train athletes (51:30), what his meditation practice looks like (55:05), what he does differently working with kids vs. college athletes vs. professionals (56:05), how he toggles between teaching and asking questions (59:10), how much of his work is focused on mental performance vs. the clinical side (1:03:00), and how much of his work is with the staff vs. athletes (1:06:05)
Thank you to Stu for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his DoSo app and to check out his website http://wellperformancecoach.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter @Wellperformance and on Instagram @wellperformance.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Tom Penn joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Tom has had quite an illustrious career in the sports industry. He started out his relationship with sports playing basketball in high school, and then he went on to become a captain of the swim team at the University of Notre Dame. From there, he went on to law school, and after law school he decided to get into the NBA where he became an elite executive for the Portland Trail Blazers. He also served as a high-ranking executive in the basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies where he worked alongside Jerry West. Tom also worked for ESPN for a number of years as an analyst and continues to do TV work currently for Turner. Tom also runs LAFC which is one of the the best MLS soccer teams in the league.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:50), the values his parents passed down to him (7:40), what he was like as a teenager (11:20), why making the Notre Dame swim team had such a big impact on his life (12:50), his relationship with swimming (14:40), how religion played a role in his life (17:50), when law school became of interest for him (19:00), what his mindset was like as a swimmer (21:00), how he approached leadership at Notre Dame (23:00), what it was like to coach while in law school (24:00), what it was like working with his dad (27:30), where the desire to play in different buckets comes from (29:30), why he was interested in working in the NBA and why he keeps his rejection letters (31:00), how he transitioned from law to sports (36:50), if he thought he wanted to be an agent or an executive for an NBA team (42:30), what basketball was like in Vancouver (46:20), his thoughts on integrating business and operations in the NBA (49:50), the organizations that he looks to as models (54:30), his experience with Memphis and then Portland (56:20), what made Jerry West special (59:10), what makes a great leader (1:01:50), Jerry West and his experience with depression (1:03:30), why he went to TV (1:06:20), how he felt when he got let go (1:11:30), going all in on soccer in Los Angeles (1:17:20), the difference between running teams and being on ESPN and Turner (1:20:40), and what has helped him to get the headspace to manage people (1:24:20).
Thank you to Tom for coming on the podcast. If you are ever in or around Los Angeles, we encourage you to check out an LAFC game. Tom is also very involved in St. Jude’s Children Hospital in Memphis, TN which is a 100% free hospital that’s mission is to find cures for children usually fighting cancer or other diseases. You can also find Tom on twitter @TomPennLAFC.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Paul Biancardi joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Paul is somebody who has spent his entire life analyzing people, trying to figure out how to bring out the best in people as a coach and now as a scout for ESPN. Paul has spent a lot of his career as a Division 1 basketball coach. He’s served as an assistant coach for Boston College and Ohio State, and then went on to become the head coach at Wright State University. Today, Paul works for ESPN doing all of their basketball recruiting at the high school level. He is in charge of creating the board that shows the top 100 basketball players in the country and he plays a major role in the recruiting that goes on at the college level.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:00), what his parents were like (6:30), the values his mom passed down to him (8:35), what his coach provided for him (10:40), his experience playing Division 3 basketball (12:00), where his persistence came from (16:00), why he didn’t get into trouble (17:30), his relationship with his dad (21:10), what has helped guide him as a parent (24:10), what Tom Thibodeau was like as a coach at Salem State (26:00), his first experience coaching (27:50), what Coach Jarvis saw in him (31:30), his coaching journey (32:40), his experience at Boston College and Ohio State (37:10), what it was like being the head coach at Wright State (40:45), what qualities make a great head coach (43:05), why he transitioned out of coaching into the work he does now (45:15), what he likes about working for ESPN (47:30), what he’s looking for in high school basketball players (54:00), and how he thinks about his process for getting better at his job (59:30)
Thank you to Paul for coming on the podcast. You can find him on twitter @PaulBiancardi and Instagram @paulbiancardi. You can find his work on espn.com and we encourage you to check out his website at https://www.coachbiancardi.com/ to see all the different work he does around basketball and recruiting.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Phil Costa and Rob Curley join us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Phil and Rob recently wrote a book called The Transition Playbook for ATHLETES: How Elite Athletes WIN After Sports. Phil played professional football and was the starting Center for the Dallas Cowboys. After football, he worked for a medical device company assisting heart surgeons through more than 500 operations. In 2018, he decided to go back to school and got his MBA from Columbia Business School and today he lives in Madrid, Spain where he is enrolled in Spanish Language School. Phil has played football at the highest level and has also done academics at the highest level, and he’s somebody who is very thoughtful and intentional with how he’s going about his life. Rob was the winner of the Charles L. Albert award for the most outstanding athlete at Lafayette College. Phil and Rob played football in high school together where Rob was the QB and Phil was the Guard, and Rob went on to play professional football in Europe. Rob has worked in sales for a leading global pharmaceutical manufacturer and today he lives in Bern, Switzerland, where he attends German Language School. These are two worldly guys who also played football at the highest of levels and they’ve come together to share their knowledge and research on athlete transition. Their passion in life is to help people and give advice on how people can better get themselves ready for massive transitions.
In this episode, they discuss what high school was like for them (6:10), if football was their passion (8:10), what college was like (8:40), what Rob did mentally as a QB (10:20), if they loved football (11:20), the details and how they dealt with pain (16:30), what it felt like for Phil to leave the NFL and Rob to leave Lafayette (17:30), what they did on gameday to make sure they were there mentally (20:10), the idea of being a novice vs. an expert (26:20), the advice he’d give to Gronk transitioning out of the NFL (29:00), how they thought about leveraging themselves as athletes (32:10), what they’d tell a high school kid going to play their sport in college (34:20), how people respond to athletes looking at things outside their sport (36:10), if leagues are trying to help current players explore job opportunities once they’re done (39:00), when they realized they wanted to write a book together (42:20), what Rob’s transition was like after playing sports (46:00), what is currently out there on this topic (47:30), what it was like interviewing people for the book (49:00), the similarities athletes did to be successful with the transition (51:10), what athletes miss the most when they left their sport (52:20), the knowledge that Jordan Steffy shared (54:40), transition outside of sport (56:00), and the process of writing a book together (57:20)
Thank you to Phil and Rob for coming on the podcast. Their book is coming out in late May and 100% of the pre-order proceeds are donated to the AthLife Foundation https://athlifefoundation.org/ which supports student-athletes all across the U.S. You can find their book on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Transition-Playbook-ATHLETES-Athletes-Sports/dp/0578500876 and Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-transition-playbook-for-athletes-phil-costa/1130810803. Finally, we encourage you to check out their website https://thetransitionplaybook.com/ and you can find them on Instagram @thetransitionplaybook.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Henry Abbott joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Henry started a blog in 2005 called True Hoop and that blog ended up gaining a ton of interest. It was so popular that he brought that content to espn.com and he started True Hoop at ESPN. Henry has since left ESPN after a 10-year run and started his own thing called True Hoop which sends newsletter format emails with all kinds of gems and quality content you can’t get anywhere else. If you are an NBA fan you have probably ready some of Henry’s work, heard him on podcasts/TV’s, and he has been at the forefront of the changes that have occurred in the NBA over the last 10-15 years. Henry will share how he became a writer/journalist and entrepreneur, and how he believes teamwork plays a role in developing culture.
In this episode, they discuss what inspired him to get into the blogging world (5:40), what it felt like to get paid for different reasons (10:30), what his childhood was like (13:40), his experience with his parent’s divorce (17:20), if he challenged authority (20:30), why he goes against the standard (24:00), his thoughts on passion and going in the right direction (27:00), what he studied in University (28:50), what he liked and didn’t like about journalism (32:20) , where he saw himself in journalism (35:20), where his entrepreneurial spirit comes from (37:30), why he started a blog about basketball (41:00), what it felt like to interview Jason Williams (50:10), Brian’s experience meeting Obama (53:00), if his Dad is very matter of fact (57:30), how curiosity plays a role in the work that he does (1:00:20), when he realized people would read his blog (1:04:00), what it was like going to ESPN (1:06:30), how he thinks about editing vs. writing (1:08:00), soft skills vs. hard skills (1:12:30), playing at home vs. away (1:17:00), how he built his culture at True Hoop (1:21:30), what he’s up to now (1:29:40), what makes a popular story (1:31:20), and who, over the last 20 years, he would pick to build a team around (1:34:40)
Thank you for Henry for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.truehoop.com/ and you can put your email in for free. On truehoop.com you can also subscribe to get two premium posts per week which are magazine style with a ton of great insights into the NBA which you cannot get anywhere else. You can also find them on twitter @TrueHoop.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Spike Mendelsohn is a world-renowned chef and he has worked with some of the top chefs in the world including Thomas Keller, Sirio Maccioni, and Drew Nieporent. After making his television debut on Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Spike went on to appear on several other cooking shows including Life After Top Chef, Iron Chef of America, Late Night Chef Fight, and Beat Bobby Flay. He also hosted Midnight Feast and Food Network’s Kitchen Sink. He has made a presence in the DC area where he opened up Good Stuff Eatery, and his since opened up a number of other restaurants including, We, The Pizza, Bearnaise, and Santa Rosa Taqueria. He has a presence not just because of his food, but he also works with several other brands as a consultant and works with a number of other people on policy. He has a passion for food, equity, and education so he began working with organizations like Care and DC Central Kitchen as a Chef Ambassador and Contributor. His work has landed him as the first chairman of DC’s Food Policy Council. He has used his voice to speak out about improving the quality of school lunches, equal access to whole and healthy foods, and he really wants to make a positive impact on our food system.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like growing up (7:40), the restaurants his family had (10:10), his religious framework (12:10), what allowed his parents to make the move to Spain (14:10), how his siblings affected his upbringing (15:15) , what made his parents good at the restaurant industry (17:30), when he knew what he wanted to do as an adult (20:00), what military school gave him (21:50), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (24:30), how he shifts from perfectionism to adaptability (27:40), his main takeaway from his experience in France (33:30), Brian’s binaries (37:40), his approach to running a kitchen (41:40), what it’s like to be on television (44:40), what his parents would say when he’d make certain declarations (46:00), why he went toward fast casual (51:30), why he doesn’t want to be a celebrity chef (56:20), focusing on character instead of reputation (1:03:00), how he balances everything that he does (1:05:05), and his restaurant at the St. James (1:12:00)
Thank you to Spike for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out at http://www.chefspike.com/ and follow him on Instagram @spikethechef.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Megan Gebbia joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Coach Megan Gebbia is Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball team at American University. They have had amazing success since Coach Gebbia has been there, having gone to the NCAA tournament twice. Megan has helped the team to two conference championships, and they have been a very competitive team every year since she’s been there. They have created a culture that is selfless and specific in what they are trying to do and is system oriented. They are a talented, smart, gritty group that I am lucky to get to work with. This conversation gets into her journey and will give you some insight into how she has come to be, and she will share some watershed moments that have shaped her life, and some people that have really influenced her.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for her as a kid (5:20), what it was like to win a championship her Junior year of High School (8:05), her parent’s reaction when she got involved in sports (9:15), if she looks for athletes that play multiple sports (10:00), what she got from other sports that assisted her in basketball (11:00), the values her parents passed down to her (15:30), why she thinks some of the better coaches are the negatives ones (17:40), how much of her coaching style is about believing and telling it straight (23:50), what she knows now about coaching that she didn’t know when she was 26 or 36 (25:50), the dynamic of being a Head Coach (31:00), how she thinks about building her system and culture (35:30), how she goes about finding the players she wants (40:00), when she started to get recruited for college basketball (42:40), what her experience was like at Towson (43:30) , what changed after her brother’s car accident (47:30), why things became serious for her (50:30), what drives her as a coach (51:10), when coaching came into the picture for her (51:50), what it was like to coach players she was just in the locker room with (53:00), what she does to make sure she’s showing up at her best (54:00), why she loves practices (55:00), her routines on game day (57:50), how her mindset on defense has changed (59:10), what she wants her legacy to be as a coach (1:01:05), and how she makes sure she’s passionate and excellent (1:05:40)
Thank you to Megan for coming on the podcast. You can find her on twitter at @CoachMegGebbia and the AU Women’s Basketball team on twitter @AU_WBasketball. You can also follow the team at http://www.aueagles.com/sports/w-baskbl/index.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Eric Carcich joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Eric was previously the Head Women’s Rowing Coach at George Washington University and is now the Head Women’s Rowing Coach at Cornell University. Eric has always been passionate about the mental side of rowing. Eric will talk about his journey, how he first found rowing at UMass, and how he’s worked with elite rowers in men’s and women’s rowing. He is very intentional when he thinks about the culture and vision for the program that he’s running, and he cares deeply about his relationships in general, and about his relationships with the athletes that he serves.
In this episode, they discuss what his childhood was like (7:20), the values his parents passed down to him (11:30), what he loved about soccer (12:40), when rowing came into his life (14:00), what it felt like when his friend asked if he was in (19:10), what about his childhood allowed him to go down his path (20:30), what he liked about rowing as a player (22:40), how he got better at rowing (24:20), what came after graduation (25:50), his first-year coaching (29:10), how he reacted to a yelling style of coaching (32:00), when he found his coaching voice (33:20), when he started coaching females (34:30), what made the coach at Yale a great leader (37:00), his experience at Penn and what makes a city special (40:00), what it was like to be the head coach of GW Women’s Rowing (50:30), his vision when he took over (52:00), what sparked his notion of thinking more holistically (54:50), what he does in his other 22 (55:50), how important it is to coach the whole person (1:02:30), how he thinks about balance and integration (1:06:00), his vision for Cornell (1:07:10), and what he’s doing to make sure he’s showing up on a regular basis (1:10:00)
Thank you to Eric for coming on the podcast. You can reach out to Eric via email at ec862@cornell.edu and you can find Cornell Women’s Rowing at https://cornellbigred.com/index.aspx?path=wrow.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Cody Royle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Cody is passionate about coaching coaches. Cody is an author, keynote speaker, podcast host, and an Australian Rules Football Coach. He is the head coach for AFL Team Canada which is the men’s national program for Aussie Rules Football. Cody is a big voice in the crossover between leadership principles in sports and business. His first book, “Where Others Won’t,” proposed that businesses should look at how pro sports teams look at team dynamic and talent optimization in order to innovate. In this conversation, we also talk about how the sport’s world now needs to leverage some of business’ best practices when it comes to human development and what that might look like going forward. His podcast, “Where Other’s Won’t,” is a great listen and we highly recommend following Cody on twitter @codyroyle.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like as a little kid (5:05), Aussie Rules Football and Cricket (7:30), what he likes about Aussie rules football (9:40), what his childhood was like (11:30), the values his mom passed down to him (12:35), what he thought his future would look like (14:20), how he felt when he couldn’t play at the level he wanted to (16:20), what an emotional wreck meant for him (17:20), why he got involved in coaching (18:10), the steps he took to become a coach (19:40), how he makes sense of the binary of I can do this better, but I still have a lot to learn (21:05), what he likes about coaching (22:30), his thoughts on the CEO mindset vs. a sports coach (25:05), the importance of flipping mindsets (28:40), what he likes about watching coaches (33:00), how he thinks about coaching coaches (39:10), the biggest challenge to people who want to coach coaches (42:40), the difference in being a team coach vs. a coach of coaches (48:10), how he ended up in Canada and why explore this space outside of just being a coach (53:10), what would happen if we used high-performance techniques from athletes to our coaches/front office (1:00:10), information about his podcast and book (1:03:00), why he thinks people were interested in being on his podcast (1:07:00), how he answers what he does (1:09:40), what makes a great writer and where he learned to write (1:10:40), where the idea of nuance and context came from for him (1:14:05), and what he’ll be doing 10 years from now (1:16:00).
Thank you to Cody for coming on the podcast. His book and podcast are both called, “Where Others Won’t,” and you can find those on Amazon, iTunes, etc. You can find Cody on social media on Instagram and Twitter @codyroyle and https://www.codyroyle.com/ houses everything he does.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Lee Sommers joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Lee is a strength and conditioning coach that does amazing work and truly cares about his clients. He is somebody who is a servant leader, somebody who wants to make his athletes and clients as strong as they possibly can be, and he has worked with the tip of the arrow athletes, most notably Katie Ledecky. Lee started working with Katie when she was 15 years old. Lee has carved out a niche for himself in the Washington, DC area working with elite swimmers. He will share his journey and how he became a strength coach at a really young age and helped build Sport and Health’s Sport and Performance Program that works with elite athletes.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like as a kid (4:20), the values his parents passed down to him (6:50), his transition from New York City to Maryland (11:20), his relationship with his Dad (14:05), his experience trying to play college basketball (17:30), what it was like leaving Temple to go to Towson (19:20), how he got into personal training (21:00), how he thinks about his relationship with money (23:30), his first job out of college and experience managing people (31:00), what he did to try to help his employees sell themselves (38:20), how much of his work is modeling vs. explaining how something should be done (39:50), what he does to make sure he’s a conscience coach (41:05), the habits he does to make sure he’s mentally at his best (42:05), his nutrition and strength and conditioning habits (44:50), his thoughts on grit and grind (50:00), his experience working with Katie Ledecky (52:05), where Katie Ledecky’s confidence comes from (56:50), why he believes Katie hasn’t experienced burnout (1:00:30), and his business now (1:01:10)
Thank you to Lee for coming on the podcast. He has started his own business called Purpose Personal Fitness https://ppf-fitness.com/ and he is also a part of Healthy Baller https://www.healthyballer.com/aboutus. He works with all types of athletes and all types of cliental. He is also currently working with swimming teams including both nation capital swim clubs out of Georgetown Prep and RMSC swim club out of the Rockville area. You can find him on social media at @leesommerspt on Instagram, and you can find him on Facebook at Lee Sommers.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Norman Rosenthal joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Norman Rosenthal is a world-renowned psychiatrist, researcher, and author who first described seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD. He pioneered the use of light therapy as a treatment during his 20 years at the National Institute of Mental Health. He is a highly cited researcher and best-selling author, and he has written over 200 scholarly articles and authored or co-authored 8 popular books. Dr. Rosenthal has worked in the weeds with patients and had a private practice while also going deep into the research. He has written books including “The Winter Blues,” and he also has New York Times bestsellers list called “Transcendence” and “The Gift of Adversity.” He has practiced psychiatry for over three decades, coached, and conducted numerous clinical trials of medications and alternative treatments such as transcendental meditation for psychiatric disorders. He and his work have been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, NPR, and other national media outlets.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (4:20), what guilt felt like for him (6:05), what it was like to be stabbed (6:40), how he thinks about gratitude (8:30), his experience with Viktor Frankl (13:50), the distinction between gratitude and forgiveness (16:40), his thoughts on grievances (19:10), if he’d do our jails/criminal system any differently (21:30), when he became a researcher and scientist (23:00), how his parents reacted to his career choice (24:30), the values his parents passed down to him (25:20), how he handles privilege while understanding how quickly things can change (28:30), how life is so multi-faceted (33:00), how he first thought of SAD (35:30), how the community first responded to SAD (38:15), why he didn’t stay on the path of research (40:00), what light therapy is (41:20), about transcendental meditation (43:30), how he thinks about spirituality (45:00), his thoughts on death (47:40), his writing process (51:30), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (55:30), what he does to make sure he’s mentally where he needs to be (59:20), what about his framework allows him to be open to other possibilities (1:01:30), how he navigates when to be open and when to be contrarian (1:05:30), the letter his mom wrote he and his siblings (1:09:50).
Thank you to Dr. Norman Rosenthal for coming on the podcast. You can find more information about Norman at his website at https://www.normanrosenthal.com/ which lists his books and blogs he’s written. You can also find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/PoetryRx/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Miranda Holder joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Miranda is an Executive Coach that has a background in sport. She was a three-sport athlete in High School and then she found Rowing in College where she competed at an elite, high level. She then became a Rowing Coach and ended up becoming the Head Rowing Coach at Georgetown University. That journey of becoming a Rowing Coach ended up leading her to become an Executive Coach. Today, she spends a lot of time working with people in all walks of life in the corporate space, and she considers herself to be an insight wizard and she will give insight into how she came to develop her eye for coaching. She helps people see themselves in their situation more clearly, and for the people brave enough to do the work, there’s an incredible leader, person, and idea ready to surface. She loves to work with people on being the best leader or CEO that they can be while also taking risk to start a company or refusing to settle into a career path that doesn’t elicit joy and excitement. She loves helping people unlock their potential and at her core, she loves coaching.
In this episode, they discuss when rowing first came into her life (5:40), what her childhood was like (8:40), the values her parents instilled in her (9:35), her academic experience (11:30), where her “if it’s meant to be, it’ll be” mindset is rooted in (14:40), what her spiritual lens is (16:40), what her rowing experience was like (19:20), what was exciting about getting up at 4:40 am to row (23:00), the amount of time it took her to get good at rowing (26:20), how she managed what she was doing individually with it being a team sport (28:40), what she would do mentally to prepare for a race (30:30), when she started to pursue the national team (32:10), how it felt when she stopped rowing (35:00), how her rowing coaching experience began (41:00), what she thought her career path was going to be (42:20), if she would’ve had a similar path without the heart condition (43:40), her sport coaching journey (44:40), what she noticed in elite rowers (47:30), how to instill persistence in kids (49:00), what it was like managing a rowing program (53:15), what led to her burnout (56:20), when executive coaching came into her life (58:50), what in her allows her to go get help (1:00:00), what makes her feel alive about executive coaching (1:01:50), how she got interested in yoga (1:06:20), and what she does to make sure she’s mentally, emotionally, and physically strong (1:08:20)
Thank you to Miranda for coming on the podcast. You can email her at Miranda@Mirandaholder.com, and we encourage you to check out her website https://www.mirandaholder.com/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
David Vobora joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Since 2014, David has painstakingly built a business and a dream around training elite and adaptive athletes. Many of the athletes are wounded warriors, and his adaptive training environment gym provides free 9-week bootcamps to people with amputations, spinal cord injuries, and other disabilities. He’ll say in this conversation a lot of those people are veterans, but not all of them are. He has a ton of respect for veterans, and his foundation is about serving those who are adaptive athletes.
David has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show, he’s been to the White House where he shook hands with President Obama, he has had President Bush accompany him, House Speaker Paul Ryan visited the foundation, and they presented him with a set of cuff links with the Presidential seal. Also, when David was 10 years old, a teenage neighbor sexually abused him, and we jump into this in the conversation. He will talk about how that shaped his life and his career. He played professional football for 4.5 years, and he had concussions, a major shoulder injury that ended his career, and he has been through a lot including getting addicted to opioids and his experience with suicide. David will share his journey, his mindset, and what he’s learned about emotion and building emotional strength in this deep conversation.
In this episode, they discuss what his childhood was like (6:00), the tools he used to get him in the space to be a linebacker (9:20), how being sexually assaulted drove him on the football (11:30), what allowed him to be successful when the lights came on in college (14:00), if we’re better served focusing on the becoming or the being (17:00), the earning of wisdom (22:30), what his football career would’ve looked like if he had the emotional strength he has now (24:30), the inner work he did emotionally (26:05), where his mental capacity came from (30:00), how his mental models have changed (32:00), how he dealt with his suicidal thoughts (37:20), if he had family members that dealt with similar addictive issues (43:10), if there’s someone that is doing an amazing job of becoming and being (45:10), the habits/tools he does to optimize his human experience (48:20), when he feels most alive (51:00), a word he would use to describe himself (54:10), if he has a religious or spiritual framework (55:20), why he’s going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (58:30), the qualities super heroes have (1:00:00), what he does to make sure he’s becoming his own super hero (1:01:00), what he’s up to now (1:02:20), and where he hopes he is in ten years (1:08:20)
Thank you to David for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to follow the Adaptive Training Foundation on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Go to http://adaptivetrainingfoundation.org/ to check out their site that shows the rosters of the people that are training, and we encourage you to help this incredible mission.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Don Yaeger joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Don is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, 11-time New York Times best selling author and a long-time associate editor for Sports Illustrated. Don is a writer, but what has made him a great writer over the years is his thirst for curiosity on how people compete at their highest level. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and Cancer Survivor groups, where he shares his personal stories. In this episode, you will hear how Don is a story-teller and many of the stories he tells involve elite competitors. He loves to share the human side of those elite performers in these stories.
In this episode, they discuss when writing first came into his life (4:00), what life was like for him as a kid (6:40), how faith was a big part of his upbringing (8:50), the values his parents passed down to him (9:40), when sports came into his life (11:20), what he loves about sports (12:10), what inspired him to pursue a career in sports journalism (13:35), the similarities he observes in different environments that he’s involved in (16:20), if curiosity and/or competition can be developed (18:40), David Ross story about how he developed his leadership (21:05), what allowed David Ross to interpret something as feedback as opposed to criticism (25:20), what David Ross learned that makes a great teammate (27:20), how he saw people mentally prepare and then shift when they got between the lines (31:30), why he pivoted to do other things in his career besides journalism (35:40), when he feels most alive (39:50), his biggest fear (42:10), what he intentionally does to make sure his greatest fear doesn’t happen (42:40), if you can be great in your career while being great in your home life (43:50), what he does to be present (45:30), how he writes a book a year (46:40), and what he learned from himself from this conversation that he’ll take with him (51:30).
Thank you to Don for coming on the podcast. You can follow him on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter @DonYaeger and he shares a quote a day with a group of about 50,000 people at 8 am ET. He has also built an online learning class that has a meaningful purpose and takes them from point a to point b. Their first course just went live a few weeks ago, and it’s called Journey to Greatness, and they go through the elements of what he’s learned from the greatest winners he’s had a chance to work with.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Bram Weinstein joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Bram covered the Washington Redskins for a number of years, worked on sports talk radio, and eventually became an anchor on ESPN’s SportsCenter. When he finished up at ESPN, he came back to the DC area in sports talk radio, and now he has decided that he wants to go into the world of podcast production. He brings a great perspective on performing under the pressure. He also shares his thoughts on media, and specifically sports talk media in this conversation.
In this episode, they discuss the crazy story when Bram and Brian first met (4:10), what life was like for him as a kid (12:10), if his parents wanted him to go into broadcast journalism (14:10), the dynamic with his siblings (16:30), the values his parents passed down to him (17:30), where creativity comes from for him and his brother (19:30), where he saw himself while in high school (22:10), what covering the Redskins involved (23:05), how much ESPN was around during his childhood (25:00), his interview process with ESPN (27:10), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (29:30), how he listens during interviews (35:30), the people he emulated (38:00), how much of broadcasting is writing (39:40), the difference between print and broadcast (43:00), when he has felt most alive in his career (44:30), what lead writing is (46:00), how gratitude has helped or hurt him (47:30), what it’s like to be on sports talk radio (53:40), what his authentic self looks like (56:20), the biggest mistake he’s made on air (57:40), how he balances fandom and doing what he loves (58:40), the routines/habits he does to make sure he’s ready to perform (1:00:20), if he ever gets nervous (1:02:30), his thoughts on preparation before performance (1:08:30), what he’s up to now (1:10:30), his biggest fear (1:12:30), what the media landscape will look like in 2030 (1:14:30), and how he makes sense of the AAF ratings being so high (1:16:15)
Thank you to Bram for coming on the podcast. You can find him @RealBramW on Twitter and Instagram. AmpireMedia.com will be coming out shortly, and it will coincide with the studio getting up and running. Bram is open for business and has a long history of performing so he brings a unique view point of how things should be put together. At the same time, he is looking forward to collaborating with people on ideas and stories and is open to all ideas.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Honest Tea Founder Seth Goldman joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Seth Goldman is the Co-Founder and TeaEO Emeritus at Honest Tea. He started Honest Tea years ago and he is also the Executive Chair of Beyond Meat. We will talk about both companies in detail and the mission behind both companies. Honest Tea specializes in beverage that are a tad sweet, organic and fair trade certified. In March 2011, Honest Tea was acquired by the Coca Cola Company becoming the first organic and fair-trade brand in the world’s largest beverage distribution system. Honest Tea and Honest Kids is sold in over 140,000 stores in the US and Europe including McDonald's, Subway, and Chick-fil-A. Beyond Meat is also rapidly expanding distribution as the company seeks to expand the accessibility and availability of plant-based protein. You will hear Seth’s passion for vegetarianism and providing plant-based options that can provide protein for us. Seth is passionate about providing quality ingredients to humans so they can fuel their body and live a better life. Seth also serves on the board of Ripple Foods, the Yale School of Management, and Bethesda Green. Seth is a “multi-tasker” that likes to create, innovate, and disrupt, and he is passionate about making this world a better place.
In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like (5:20), where his mother’s interest in Chinese history came from (6:30), what his father was like (8:00), how his parents helped shape his perspective (9:30), how his parents reinforced that he was special (12:30), the values his family all share (13:20), what high school was like for him (14:20), the difference between being spoiled and being special (18:20), why he kept with wrestling (20:00), where his confidence comes from (21:00), when running came into his life (22:50), what he was like theater wise (24:30), his experience at Harvard (25:40), what motivates him to do all these different things (27:00), what he did right after college (27:40), his mindset when he is performing (31:00), the things he would do to train his mind (32:30), what he did to practice presence (33:20), how his parents reacted when he didn’t do something academic (35:20), what his preparation was like (36:30), what causes him to not be at his best (39:10), what it was like when his dad passed away (41:00), what he did after China (42:00), his thoughts on how he sees non-profits succeed (45:30), what bubbled up for him while at business school (47:00), when Honest Tea came to be for him and what he enjoys about creating (48:10), how he develops his relationship with fear and what excitement feels like for him (53:40), what it was like being a brand in Bethesda, Maryland (55:20), the advice he gives to entrepreneurs (56:00), what attracted him to Beyond Meat (58:20), how he responds to people that think his ideas won’t work (59:30), how he handles investors and his relationship with his employees (1:01:20), his partnership with Coca Cola (1:02:20), what makes a good leader (1:03:10), what he envisions for himself in the future (1:04:40) , the quotes, frameworks, or philosophies that help guide his life (1:08:40) , his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (1:10:30), when he looks for help (1:12:40), and how religion guides him (1:13:40)
Thank you to Seth for coming on the podcast! We encourage you to check out Honest Tea and Honest Kids which is currently expanding around the country. Beyond Meat is also growing quickly and they have a beyond burger and beyond sausage that is available in places like Whole Foods, Kreuger, and Safeway, and also now at Carl’s Jr., BurgerFi, TGI Friday’s, and here locally at Silver. Seth is also on the board of Ripple Foods which sells plant-based dairy made with peas. Bethesda Green is the local non-profit he founded 10 years ago, and they have a green business incubator, and they are working hard to engage the community of Bethesda in sustainability and finding ways for them to live greener, more sustainable lives. https://www.netimpact.org/ is another organization he’s interested in that is helping to organize MBA and college students interested in business to pursue careers in socially responsible businesses. Last, his co-founder Barry Nalebuff and he published a comic book called Mission in a Bottle, and it’s a fun retelling of the Honest Tea story in a comic book story that shows the lessons they’ve learned.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Brendan Tuohey joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Brendan is an Executive Director at PeacePlayers. Brendan grew up in the DC area in a diverse environment which has helped shape his life. At PeacePlayers they are inspiring people to see each other as people through the game of basketball. Brendan played Division 1 basketball at Colgate so he’ll talk about that experience, and then he’ll talk about his experience at Peace Players. Brendan serves over 100 employees and over 6500 kids throughout the world. PeacePlayers has sites in Israel, Cyprus, South Africa, Ireland, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Brooklyn, and Baltimore. They are expanding rapidly into the U.S. and their mission is to have people leverage the game of basketball so they can go into areas of conflict and start seeing each other as humans and develop empathy. Brendan is a terrific leader that empowers people in his organization and is very thoughtful about how he sets up his organization and what he wants the organization to be moving forward.
In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like in the Tuohey household (5:20), if his parents were into basketball (8:30), how hard work played a role in his childhood (10:20), how much academics were stressed (11:40), how religion played a role in his life (13:00), what it was like growing up in DC (14:50), his experience at Gonzaga (16:40), if he had any fear leaving Gonzaga (19:20), what he means by “being in the middle of things,” (21:15), when he started to thrive at basketball (28:50), what his experience was like at Colgate (31:10), what he did to set his mind for success while playing basketball (37:00), what he was thinking he’d do with his major (39:00), his experience playing and coaching in Ireland (39:30), his experience coaching in Northern Ireland (46:50), where the idea for PeacePlayers came from (49:00), about his brother Sean (53:10), when he began full-time with PeacePlayers (58:50), where his overconfidence comes from (1:00:00), where he gained self-awareness to figure out how to build these programs (1:02:10), where his ability to ask good questions came from (1:04:20), what makes a good leader (1:06:30), how he balances the press (1:09:00), how he leads and supports people who work for PeacePlayers around the globe (1:13:15), what they’ve learned from the Olympics and other sporting activities (1:20:00), how many kids are touched by PeacePlayers and how many employees (1:21:10), how he manages 6500 kids and 100 plus employees on his shoulders (1:22:10) , the tools he uses to make sure he’s the best leader he can be (1:24:00), and how he prepares (1:25:10)
Thank you to Brendan for coming on the podcast. PeacePlayers is currently making plans this summer for Baltimore, Brooklyn, Detroit, Chicago, and LA. If people are interested in getting involved, they can look at their website https://www.peaceplayers.org/. They also have a program on their website that supports volunteers, so we encourage you to check out the website.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Coach Gary Williams joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Gary Williams is a Hall of Fame Basketball Coach from the University of Maryland. In 2001, Gary led the University of Maryland to a Final Four appearance, and then in 2002, he led the Terrapins to their first NCAA National Championship. In this conversation, we learn about Gary’s journey, about some of his coaching outside of the basketball world, his mindset, and how he approached basketball as a player and as a coach. You will find out that Gary really values work ethic, hard work, people that would play with effort and intensity, and he coached with a strong intensity as well. In a lot of ways, he helped build a culture of intensity with the University of Maryland’s basketball team.
In this episode, they discuss when basketball first came into his life (4:20), if his family was into sports (7:00), if he ever thought basketball could be his way into college (8:40), the people that most impacted him (11:00), what he liked about basketball (13:00), how difficult experiences impacted who he became (15:50), how he ended up at Maryland (17:00), when the idea of becoming a coach became a reality for him (18:10), why he was so comfortable on a basketball court (20:50), what he loved about the game as a player (21:40), how coaching after college came to be (23:00), what it was like to go from player to coach (24:40), when the college coaching opportunity came up (26:40), what it was like coaching soccer for 6 years (30:00), his biggest takeaway in coaching a sport you’re not an expert on (31:30), what makes a great coach (32:30), how he was able to grow student-athletes (38:20), how he approached coaching soccer vs. basketball (41:00), what is so motivating about winning for him (42:30), how he handled losing (44:15), the routines he used as a player and as a coach (45:30), what preparation for practice looked like for him (47:30), the values he wanted his kids at Maryland to have (48:50), what qualities he looked for in the athletes he recruited (53:40), how he cultivates intensity, and his philosophy on teaching the bench (59:30), his philosophy on the press (1:05:00), what made Steve Blake and Juan Dixon special (1:08:10), when he knew the national championship team was special (1:09:15), how much of success is getting the right people vs. coaching them (1:10:20), what he intentionally did to get his mind right to coach (1:11:00), what makes a great leader (1:14:00), how expectations impact a culture (1:16:10), what he knows now that he didn’t know when he was in coaching (1:18:00), and what it was like to be inducted into the hall of fame (1:19:50)
Thank you to Gary for coming on the podcast. The University of Maryland is a great research university, and nobody should ever doubt how great of a University it is. Gary was always involved in Coaches vs. Cancer (where all of the money raised goes directly to cancer research) and we encourage you to check out this organization.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Matt joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matt has a background in venture capital, and he has also developed technology for companies, so he is a developer, but he also invests in companies. Today he works for a company called Beta Works which is a nice convergence of what Matt is passionate about. At Beta Works, they make new products that can make an impact, and then Beta Works will then invest in those products. Matt has a really interesting story that involves music, technology, and partnerships, and he will get into all of that today. At his core, Matt really cares about developing products that can make an impact on people.
In this episode, they discuss his story growing up (5:40), his curiosity for products (11:20), when music came into his life (17:10), his thoughts on the performance vs. preparation mindset (20:30), what his high school experience was like (25:40), if he ever thought about going the music route (28:30), when he realized he could go music or software, and then went this direction (33:20), how playing the piano compares to his job (36:15), the willingness of companies to pivot or not pivot (40:15), how he goes from working for someone to building products (44:20), what he thought the next step would be after grad school (47:40), the creativity that he and his siblings have (50:10), what his parents did (51:30), what it was like for him to create products (55:00), what it was like to be in business with someone else (58:40), how he transitioned and ended up in the business of technology (1:02:50), how important his background in development is (1:05:30), why he’s so passionate about communication (1:09:10), his thoughts on subscription pages (1:15:30), what his secret sauce is as far as successful companies (1:18:30), and what he intentionally does to be his best self (1:21:20)
Thank you to Matt for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out Matt on twitter @MattHartman. He also has a daily 5 minute podcast called TLDR Daily https://tldrdaily.com/, and he is at Beta Works Ventures so if you have a company they could be interested in, please reach out. We also encourage you to check out the piano bar in New York which Matt plays at once a month!
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Professor Maria Brown joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Brown has a PhD from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and she wrote her dissertation entitled, “Psychiatric history and cognition trajectories in later life: variations by sex, race and ethnicity, and childhood disadvantage.” You will find out from Maria that her upbringing was anything but normal, and she had to deal with mental illness in her family, poverty, and other challenges that made her a unique case coming out of high school and at Ithaca College. Fortunately, Maria was willing to share her story, the challenges she’s faced, and how she’s risen above some of those challenges.
In this episode, they discuss what her childhood was like (5:40), what her day to day was like with her mom’s illness (7:00), what her siblings were like (8:25), the values her parents passed down to her (9:50), how religion played a role in her life (13:40), if she was surrounded by poverty (15:20), how her upbringing impacted how she saw the world (16:40), when alcoholism and depression showed up in her life (23:05), how it felt when she experienced her failure freshmen year (24:50), what inside of her allowed her to keep going (30:00), why the school of management (33:40), her thoughts on business ethics (37:30), her thoughts on the corporate world (40:10), when she decided to go back to her sociology roots (43:20), if sexuality was always clear for her (46:40), how her friend passing away impacted her (51:10), what allowed her to get help and what about it was helpful for her (52:40), her perspective on battling breast cancer while pursuing her academic achievements (55:00), what it’s been like to be a professor (58:40), why she’s drawn to adverse experiences she’s had (1:05:05), her research and what she’s drawn to (1:06:20), what she hopes comes from her research (1:09:50), and what she hopes to do in the next 5-10 years (1:13:00)
Thank you to Dr. Maria Brown for coming on the podcast. You can find information about the work she’s doing on their Facebook page, Genesis Health Project Network and there is also a website. She also has a Facebook page called Caregiver Matters of CNY which links directly to her YouTube which is the same title. She also has a faculty website at the Faulk College at Syracuse University where you can find out more about her work.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Brian Mitchell joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Brian was a longtime Washington Redskins that started his career as a 5th round draft pick in 1990, and he went on to become a kickoff and punt return specialist. Brian is the all-time leader in kickoff and punt return yards and is the NFL all-time leader with 13 total special teams’ touchdowns. Brian is somebody who has done it as well as anybody, and there’s certainly an argument to be made that he’s the greatest of all time when it comes to kickoff and punt returns. Brian is also in the Redskins Ring of Fame, and was just nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a three-time first team all-pro player and is second only to Jerry Rice in total yards. Brian had an illustrious playing career, and today he works on TV and radio in the DC area.
In this episode, they discuss what childhood was like for him (5:00), which of his older siblings had the biggest impact on him (7:10), what his parents were like (8:15), how teachers reacted to his mentality in school (11:00), the demographics of the area he grew up in (12:10), what his dad did after the military (15:35), where his strong academics came from (16:10), the three best lessons his dad taught him (18:10), his experience playing quarterback and other positions (25:30), his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (30:20), how he tortured himself in the off-season, so he could have fun during the season (34:30), what’s motivating him to do the work (37:00), how he shifts from the tunnel to being able to talk trash on the field (39:30), his thoughts on what makes a great coach (47:10), his experience at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (48:45), how he became a returner (50:30), how he came back from plays where he didn’t do well (52:00), how he always thinks about things as challenges instead of threats (54:00), some of the things Coach Gibbs instilled in him (56:45), his thoughts on mobile quarterbacks and how that affects the rest of the team (58:40), what made his super bowl team special (1:03:30), the polarity of patience vs. aggressiveness (1:06:00), how he thinks about football (1:10:30), what he thinks about competitiveness (1:15:30), and what he’s learned about golf (1:18:20).
Thank you to Brian for coming on the podcast. Brian is on the Team 980 from 1-4 pm, and then he is on NBC Sports Washington on a multiple of shows like Redskins 100, and the Redskins pre and post games. He is also starting to get his foundation, the Brian Mitchell Foundation, back up. Brian is getting more into the motivational speaking front, and you can find those on twitter @BMitchliveNBCS , on Instagram at BMitch30, and on Facebook.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Collin Martin joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Collin played soccer at Wake Forest University for a year and then played professional soccer after that where he has played for DC United and Minnesota United FC. Soccer took Collin all over the country and in a sense, all over the world. Collin will talk about his transition into professional soccer, and the challenges of being in the business in sports. Collin also came out of the closet publicly in June of 2018, and is currently the only openly gay professional soccer player in the MLS. Collin is still a young guy at 24 years old, still figuring out professional soccer, and somebody who is at the beginning of his journey, but he is incredibly knowledgable.
In this episode, we discuss what childhood was like for him (6:00), why soccer for their family (7:40), how his parents reacted when he would say he wanted to play pro soccer (9:40), what it was like going to boarding school (15:05), how he thinks about environment in relations to someone’s success (18:00), the values his parents/siblings passed down to him (18:45), what he loves about soccer (20:00), his mindset when performing vs. when he’s not between the lines (21:10), what it feels like for him to want to impress on the field (24:00), his thoughts on being arrogant in performance (25:30), the best leaders he’s been around and the qualities they have (26:40), what he does to set his mind before a game (32:05), what high school was like for him (35:30), what comes hard for him (37:05), his experience at Wake Forest (42:10), how he has grown a lot personally (46:20), how it felt to go through opening up a new side of himself (49:15), what the response was when he opened up to people about being gay (52:45), if he thinks the MLS is more open than other leagues (57:20), how times have changed with regard to how the world views gay people (1:02:00), and how he sees himself from an identity standpoint (1:07:05).
Thank you to Collin for coming on the podcast. You can find Collin on Twitter @martcw12 and Instagram at @cm7md.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Chris Cassidy joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chris is currently an astronaut that was previously a Navy Seal from the Naval Academy. Chris was an honor graduate of basic underwater demolition with the Seal Buds Class 192, and he received a bronze star for his work leading a 9-day operation on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. He has been a guest speaker at the U.S. Naval Academy Combat Leadership Seminar, and you’ll hear about how the Naval Academy was a baseline and foundation for his leadership. In 2003 and 2004, he was awarded a second bronze star for combat leadership service in Afghanistan. He has also received the NASA exceptional achievement medal, and he has finished an Ironman World Championship Triathlon. He has done a lot during his 48 years on this planet and seems to have a desire to do work on other planets as well. He will talk a lot about the value of leading and serving other people in this conversation.
In this episode, they discuss what his childhood was like (6:10), what he was thinking about in high school (7:50), the value his parents passed down to him (9:10), his parent’s reaction to his decision to go to the Naval Academy (10:50), what it was like being at the Naval Academy (12:50), what he learned at the Academy (14:50), his thoughts on a great leader needing to know when to follow (16:20), what he knows now about leadership that he didn’t know back when he was 22 (18:10), what drew him to the Seals team (19:00), how being competitive plays into being an astronaut (21:10), what seal training was like for him (24:00), what it felt like to lead his team (28:40), what he did to survive training (30:00), what it was like going over and being behind enemy lines (34:10), his thoughts on the preparation vs. performance mindset (39:00), if he uses any meditation or breathing techniques (41:50), how he sets his mind up in space (43:00), why he does what he does (44:00), what’s appealing about being a basketball referee (46:05), how he handles emotion (47:00), if he’s a risk taker or rule follower (48:30), his thoughts on Mars and what that timeline looks like (50:10), how important it is for him to get to Mars (53:30), and how he thinks about his job in relation to family and others (55:10)
Thank you to Chris for coming on the podcast. Chris’s next mission is going to launch in 2019 which you can follow along on the NASA website, and he is on Instagram @astro_seal.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Moses Maddox joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Moses works as a veteran’s counselor at California State University, San Marcos, and they provide professional development services to veterans who have left the military and are in college entering their post-military careers. You will find out from Mo that he is passionate about helping people, and he loves the feeling he gets from helping people. One of the interesting parts that Mo will get into is the ability to receive help as well as give help, and how we need to be vulnerable in order to do both. Mo will talk about his upbringing, being in the Marine Corp, what he did overseas in Iraq, and he will talk about some of the struggles he had when he came back from war. Mo is very passionate about helping people get help so they can live their best lives and be their best selves. Mo really gets going with his story immediately so there isn’t an introduction with this podcast in the beginning.
In this episode, they discuss his thoughts on discussing social issues (6:30), his thoughts on how people change when they are performing (8:45), how he thinks about his work with veterans (13:30), his thoughts on giving help and receiving help (17:00), who he is and how he came to be (22:05), what life was like when his mother passed away (27:15), his relationship with his dad (29:00), how he responds when someone says “thank you for your service,” (32:40), how he wrestles with empathy as it relates to terrorism (41:30), how he still executed his job when dealing with difficult situations (45:10), what he did to shut his mind off and do his job (46:30), if he would do anything differently as a marine after his journey with mental health (47:30), what it was like in 2006 when he was drinking heavily (50:20), when he realized he was his own toughest enemy (52:10), where he feels it in his body when he tells a story about a tough time (54:20), what it was like for him to ask for help (57:00), what kind of help helped him the most (58:20), what school was like for him when he got back into it (1:01:10), what it felt like to go on David Letterman and get 5,000 emails (1:04:30), what he does now to ground himself in the present (1:07:05), how he would describe himself from an identity standpoint (1:09:20), when he decided he wanted to be a counselor and help people with careers (1:10:30), and what he does to be a whole person (1:12:30)
Thank you to Moses for coming on the podcast. For any student veteran who is pursuing computer science, mechanical engineering, any sort of computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, please go to https://veteranstoenergycareers.org/ or the veterans page at Cal St. San Marcos. They are providing full-paid internships for students pursuing STEM degrees who want to do their concentration in renewable energy. He also wants people to not be afraid to put themselves first and take care of themselves. You can find him at @momaddox on Instagram, Moses Maddox on Facebook, and Moses Maddox on LinkedIn. If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to reach out to Moses.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Wade Gilbert joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Dr. Wade Gilbert is an internationally renowned coaching consultant and sports scientist, as well an award-winning professor of kinesiology at Fresno State University. He has a great book called Coaching Better Every Season, and he will talk about how that book is constantly evolving in this podcast. Dr. Wade has taught at the University of Ottawa, UCLA, and Fresno State. He has contributed to over 100 publications, serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Sport Coaching Journal, and was the lead author of USOC Quality Coaching Framework. He is a growth minded individual that is always trying to learn and grow. He is at the forefront of coaching coaches, and tries to help them see better, and solve complex problems.
In this episode, they discuss what led to him being a coach of coaches (5:50), when he became passionate about working with coaches (9:10), the differences in working with athletes vs. coaches (10:50), whether he focuses more on mentoring vs. coaching his clients (13:40), how he works with perfectionism (15:50), how he’s seen the best coaches shift from preparation to performance (19:20), if he’s ever been around coaches that lack discipline (22:05), what he does to make sure he’s still working on himself (25:20), how he gives himself space to be (27:50), how he thinks about coaching as an art vs. a science (32:10), how he thinks about creating as little unknown while still embracing the unknown (34:30), what he does to help coaches who don’t enjoy games (37:50), what he intentionally does for performing (39:00), the books that have resonated with him over the years (43:20), what coaching with heart is about (45:20), how he taps into the body when working with coaches (47:20), what’s different about working with a CEO of a company vs. a Head Coach (51:20), what he loves doing (53:30), how he helps people who are doing difficult things (55:40), what drives him (59:10), the mechanics of how his job works (1:02:05), how the world of coaching coaches is evolving (1:07:00), and why there isn’t a process for coaches to become certified (1:10:50)
Thank you to Wade for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out Wade’s book and his newest work at https://us.humankinetics.com/products/coaching-better-every-season, and you can also find Wade on twitter @WadeWgilbert. Wade’s faculty web page can also be found here.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
David Cuthbert joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. David was the captain of the Naval Academy soccer team. David, at his core, is a leader, and someone who took that word captain into something that he relished and appreciated. This conversation is mostly about leadership, what it takes to lead humans, and the challenges that come with that. David is the CEO of a non-profit called Wine to Water that works with over 700,000 people in 30 countries to provide them water. They dig wells and create sustainable resources so those communities can have water, and continue to access that crucial element that we sometimes take for granted in the United States. David and Wine to Water go into these communities and help them to have a long, sustainable water resource. David was also in the Special Ops, and he will give you a bit of insight into what he did in Special Ops and what is career was like in the Armed Forces. David leverages a lot of different skills and techniques to be his best self, and he is the definition of an intentional performer.
In this episode, they discuss what his upbringing and childhood was like (6:30), if faith was a big part of his life (11:00), the values his parents passed down to him (12:10), the feeling he gets when he talks about his Dad (14:00), his life growing up with sports (17:50), when college soccer came into his mind (21:10), his experience playing college soccer at Navy (23:00), if he only looked at Navy (26:20), what he thinks of, “embrace the suck,” (30:30), what he learned about leadership while at Navy (32:10), what caused him to become a starter on the team (36:10), what it’s like to become a captain at Navy (40:30), his thoughts on competitiveness (45:15), his thoughts on if leading by example is enough (49:40), what came after he graduated from Navy (54:00), how he felt when he broke his leg during his senior season (56:30), his time in the special ops (1:00:00), his thoughts on the mindset for preparation vs. performance (1:02:00), the mental skills/tools he used in the special ops (1:05:30), his experience in a start-up tech company (1:07:05), what makes a great teammate (1:08:00), why he left corporate to go into a non-profit (1:09:40), the downsize of being a maximizer (1:15:10), and what they do at Wine to Water (1:21:50).
Thank you to David for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his non-profit https://www.winetowater.org/ to learn about the amazing work they are doing.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Danny Binstock joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Danny is somebody I have known since elementary school and he is always doing a million things at once. As Danny has gotten older, he’s really focused on his craft of acting. Danny was also a three-sport athlete that ran cross country, played ice hockey, and also played lacrosse. He is someone who has always been good at whatever he puts his mind to. Danny is a New York City-based actor from the Washington, DC area that has worked at different theaters throughout the country, and he has also appeared on television. Danny is in the middle of his journey, and he has a vision for himself of bigger things even though he has already had a successful career thus far.
In this episode, we discuss his last seven years of grinding in the acting world (8:10), what desperation felt like for him (9:30), how he thinks about comparisons (16:10), how massive vulnerability is in his world (21:10), what he has shifted intentionally with regard to how he thinks about auditions (28:10), how empathy plays a role in his profession (35:20), how empathy impacts his life off stage (40:00), what he does to be successful in an audition (46:10), how he thinks about acting as a team sport (49:50), the emotions he feels when he’s on stage (54:30), his experience in a performance when he didn’t have time to study the lines (1:00:10), why a play is called a play (1:04:30), his thoughts on the preparation vs. performance mindset (1:06:00), how his sports experiences impacted him in his career today (1:09:05), what works for him with motivation (1:14:30), why he’s so passionate about acting (1:15:40), the habits/routines he does to keep himself sharp (1:22:20), what he does if he isn’t able to connect with his teammate (1:28:05), how he creates confidence moving forward for himself (1:31:00), the dialogue he has with himself before his performance (1:35:10), and how he’s not afraid (1:37:40).
Thank you to Danny for joining us on this week’s podcast. He was just on Blue Bloods, Madam Secretary, and Elementary so you can find him on CBS. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram @dbinstock.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Danielle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Danielle is sharp, passionate about helping people, and knows her stuff about basketball. You will not find a smarter, and more competent person when it comes to representing basketball players. Danielle is an NBPA certified agent and has worked alongside David Falk who is a legend in the sports agent world. Danielle is a relationship-based person that values people, helping people, and she is a servant leader at her core. She was also a Division 1 soccer player at the University of Pennsylvania. Danielle is a competitor, a winner, and she is also a very caring person that wants to help make people better and unlock their potential.
In this episode, they discuss what she was like growing up as an athlete and soccer player (6:20), what qualities make-up a good goalie (11:05), where sports came from for her (12:50), the differences between competitiveness and fearlessness (14:20), how she defines winning (19:10), how she works with being competitive but not necessarily having control of the outcome (24:10), her process for goal-setting (26:30), a devastating soccer loss she went through and the follow-up from that event (29:00), what it feels like when she gets into the space of “I’m going to make this happen,” (34:30), going towards a challenge as opposed to thinking of it as a threat (38:00), when college soccer became something that seemed like a possibility for her (42:50), her experience playing college soccer (46:00), how she got into the sports agency world (51:30), the qualities she believes salespeople need (56:20), what she did routine wise as a goalie (57:00), what processes she puts in place for her attention to detail (59:00), how she prepared for this podcast (1:03:20), and how she feels about being a female in a male dominated industry (1:07:00)
Thanks to Danielle for coming on the podcast. Danielle is exploring fearlessness in a way that is inspiring, and we thank her for sharing her story.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Today is a bit of a different episode as it will be just me sharing thoughts on setting your mind for performance. I work as a mental performance coach, and executive coach. I am fortunate to have worked with top performers in sports, and today I also work with CEO’s and Executives to help them unlock their potential. I am integrating some of the work I do in sport and bringing it over to the corporate world. If you are in the corporate world, and interested in the work that I do, please do reach out. I am obsessed with mindset, and love learning about humans and how they can unlock their potential to create success.
In this episode, I discuss “set mind” and how to intentionally set your mind (7:30), mental toughness and recovery (10:10), when matters, the performance mind, and Kobe Bryant (12:30), polarities and mindset (18:50), meditation and visualization as tools to change your mindset (21:00), the idea behind the podcast and being intentional (22:30), the power of interpretation (25:20), the power of self-talk (26:30), interacting with the world from the inside out instead of the outside in (27:00), the idea that our identity is who we are and not what we do (27:30), winning the moment (28:20), and how grateful I am and the power of gratitude (28:50).
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Daniel joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Daniel does some really interesting work on design thinking and designing conversation for companies and individuals. Daniel does a lot of different things, but at his core, he will talk about being a designer. He’s a design thinker and helps others design their companies, and themselves, to help them unpack what they have envisioned for themselves and where they want to go. Daniel founded and exited start-ups and now travels the world teaching design thinking to teams and organizations to help them be more intentional at work. At his core, Daniel believes design means making things better tomorrow than they are today.
In this episode they discuss when and how he got interested in facilitation (6:50), why he was different than others in his family with regard to challenges (11:40), how he thinks about confrontation (13:10), how he practices active listening in tough moments (17:50), life as an infinite game (22:30), how he went from focusing on science to facilitation (26:30), the consequences of looking at human focused design vs. non-human focused design (29:30), how he thinks about vision (34:00), how he thinks about values (37:20), the conversation operating system model (41:20), what is so powerful about sticky notes for him (47:50), what he does to make sure he’s showing up at his best (51:00), what he does on stage to make sure he’s good to go (52:20), how he thinks about all the different hats that he wears (55:10), and how he facilitates with people who just want to have a monologue (57:30)
Thank you to Daniel for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast and sign up for his emails on his website at http://theconversationfactory.com/. Daniel just finished a book on design thinking called “The 30 Second Elephant and Paper Airplane Experiment,” and he’s working on another book about how conversations work which should be coming out in the next year. You can also find Daniel on twitter @dastillman.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Cordie joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. During our conversation, Cordie talks about how to grow and learn as a golfer. He will talk about how golf is changing and turning into somewhat of a team sport. Cordie is curious about how to make the best golfer, what makes golfers good, and how we change or shift golf in our society. Cordie is a podcast producer, a podcast expert, and entrepreneur. He will share how he is constantly innovating and working on new things.
In this episode, they discuss where golf started for him (4:20), what drew him to podcasting (7:10), who introduced him to music and golf (8:05), what drew him to golf over music (10:20), why he dislikes the word potential (11:10), what comes next for him after the software company and golf podcast (15:45), what he sees from the best golf coaches (18:45), the idea behind “Par” and golf being a problem-solving activity (24:00), his idea on the preparation vs. performance mindset (25:30), what gave him the confidence to pursue his passion (29:40), the downside of going after his passion (31:10), what he learned from his failed software company (32:10), the values his mom and dad passed down to him (33:20), when he started to create content and where this ability came from (36:20), the advice he’d give to someone producing a podcast or creating content (37:00), how companies use podcasts internally (40:10), the different areas he’s involved in (43:00), the drive for each of his three funnels (43:45), how long he’s been at the flooring company and what he’s learned along the way (45:30), what it’s like managing people (46:45), how he sees himself in the future (48:05), the concept behind his podcast (50:20), how northeast golfers adapt to not being able to play golf all year (54:30), what he does when he’s preparing and performing at golf (56:50), the expectation he puts on himself when performing (1:01:30)
Thank you to Cordie for joining us on this week’s episode of the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast “The Golf Science Lab,” and “Just Hit Publish” is the agency where they produce shows for businesses and organizations. Finally, we encourage you to check out his twitter @cordiewalker and website http://cordiewalker.com/.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Curtis joins us on this week’s episode of the Intentional Performers podcast. Curtis is an assistant basketball coach at Paul VI. Curtis is a special guy who basically volunteers as a basketball coach at Paul VI. Curtis has a background in cable, and worked at ESPN for a number of years, and then worked at BET and helped BET build out their programming. He will share how he went from managing 1-2 people to managing 150 people, and he will talk about his leadership style in this podcast. He also worked for the Washington Mystics, and will talk about how he went from being a sales and marketing guy to learning how to manage operations of a professional basketball team. Curtis is passionate about basketball, community, and giving back to the youth.
In this episode, they discuss where his energy comes from (5:50), how he knew he could play college basketball after not playing high school basketball (10:30), his mom’s reaction to him saying he was going to walk-on to the college basketball team (13:30), the role his dad played in his life (15:00), the value his parents passed down to him (17:10), what it feels like to think about joining a hall of fame (19:40), what makes a great team (21:10), what gets in the way of making teams successful (23:10), his thoughts on how far talent can take you (26:20), how his leadership style changed at BET (31:30), the values that he looks for when hiring (34:05), how he thinks about building something out for a specific group of people (36:20), what his days were like at BET (41:00), what it was like transitioning from sports to music (47:05), his experience with the Mystics (49:05), what it was like going from being an expert to a novice (50:30), why he is so involved with Paul VI (52:30), if he’s noticed a change in kids today compared to 15 years ago (56:30), how important the environment is for being successful (1:03:00)
Thank you to Curtis for coming on the show. He is building a digital network around Historical Black Colleges called the HBCUX Classic Sports Network to help with the lack of exposure for HBCU’s. The goal of this network is to give these schools more exposure and get more student-athletes to these schools. Curtis truly cares about people and has had an amazing impact on Paul VI, and we thank him for coming on the podcast.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Mike joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Mike is a culture and story-telling expert who helps executives, teams, and thought leaders communicate, connect, and engage. Mike shares his story which includes working in restaurants, working as a flight attendant, and how he developed an appreciation for culture. He wrote the book “Company Culture for Dummies” and has been named a top 30 culture speaker by Global Guru. Mike uses his high energy to re-write the stories that are happening within a company’s culture. Mike is also the head performance coach at Heroic Public Speaking, and he’ll talk about what he’s shared with others to help them develop their mind for public speaking.
In this episode, they discuss why culture is something he’s been interested in (6:05), what it was like to be a flight attendant (10:50), how his family reacted to him dropping out of school to become an actor (14:10), his mom’s impact on his life (20:00), how he prepared to perform for improv (22:20), what it was like working at Potbelly’s (25:20), what he believes is the source of culture (32:40), how he finds out the beliefs in a company (35:45), what he does for companies that aren’t clear on culture (40:15), how technology has changed how he thinks about culture and story-telling (44:05), what percentage of culture is based on science vs. art (50:50), how he sets his mind for public speaking (56:40), how he prepares to best serve his audience (1:00:20), what he does to ensure he’s taking care of himself (1:03:25), why “say yes, and” is meaningful for him (1:05:05).
Thank you to Mike for coming on the podcast. If you are communicating and something is not aligned with your audience, Mike is a great guy to connect with to help. You can find his book, “Company Culture for Dummies,” on Amazon, and you can also find him on http://www.mikeganino.com/. We encourage you to connect with Mike on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook as well.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Neen James joins us on this week’s episode of the Intentional Performers podcast. Neen is a bundle of energy, and she brings this positivity and energy into everything that she does. She is the author of Folding Time, and Attention Pays which are fantastic books. In 2017 she was named one of the top 30 leadership speakers by Global Guru. Neen brings boundless energy and offers very tangible solutions to give you ways you can use what she’s talking about into your everyday life.
In this episode, they discuss the moment when attention became something she was interested in (4:40), what she was doing in the productivity world (7:50), where her desire to become an achiever came from (11:05), how religion played a role in her life (17:20), her curiosity about her biological father (19:30), how she transitioned out of the corporate world (25:05), if she was someone that always wanted to work for herself (29:20), where her confidence comes from (34:10), the systems she’s created (36:00), how to increase your ideas and creativity (39:40), how her writing has improved since she first began doing it (43:50), how she views new ideas (46:30), why speaking is her passion (49:15), what 4 am rehearsing looks like for her (50:10), her thoughts on people being so afraid of public speaking (55:30), her thoughts on integration and balance in work and life (1:02:10), her mission and how it came to be (1:09:00), why she cares about others feeling better after speaking with her (1:10:30)
Thank you to Neen for coming on the podcast. You can check out her website out at https://neenjames.com/ and we encourage you to check her out on twitter @neenjames.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Scott Eblin is the President of the Eblin Group, a Leadership Development group committed to helping clients lead and live at their best. Scott really believes that in order for leaders to lead they have to be at their best. As a leadership expert, global speaker, and executive coach, Scott works with some of the best known companies in the world. He is also an amazing writer, and he will talk about his books in this episode. Finally, we will end our conversation talking about his journey into coaching.
In this episode, they discuss how he got into coaching and what that journey was like (5:30), why he was interested in HR (8:50), what it was like growing up in West Virginia (12:40), some of the values his parents passed down to him (14:15), what life was like for him in High School (16:20), how he thought about education growing up (18:05), how he thinks about developing curiosity (22:05), the coolest thing he’s ever gotten to do (27:20), his transition from the corporate world to coaching (29:40), the biggest change he’s seen in the executives from the time he started coaching until now (35:15), how mindfulness works with time and focus, and how he thinks about them together (37:05), how he thinks about judgment with regard to mindfulness (39:00), his thoughts on the mindset for preparation vs. performance (44:20), his habits and routines that he uses to be successful (46:15), what he thinks makes a good coach (50:30), what he does to get his mind right for his presentations (56:40), and his writing process (59:20)
Thank you to Scott for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his newest book, the third edition of The Next Level, and you can find more information on that here . We also encourage you to check out his website at https://eblingroup.com/ and you can find Scott on Twitter @ScottEblin and Instagram @ScottEblin, and LinkedIn.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Roman Baca joins Brian Levenson on this week’s episode of the podcast. Roman is a classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer. In 2001, Roman recognized his desire to defend the vulnerable. He took a hiatus from his dance, and enlisted in US Marine Corps during the Iraq War. After the war, he returned back to dance and co-founded Exit 12 which is a dance company which tells veterans stories choreographically to increase cross cultural understanding and heal divisions. He also has a great TedX from TedX San Antonio. He has led choreographic workshops at schools, universities, and veteran centers to inspire military veterans, victims of war, and civilians through the power of dance. He is currently pursuing a MFA in choreography at the Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance in London.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (6:40), what his relationship was like with his dad and mom (9:20), the values his mom passed down to him (11:40), what happened for him after high school (13:20), what felt different for him in dance (17:00), how he handled the search for perfection in dance (18:20), how much perfectionism plays a role in performing in dance (19:30), his mindset in preparation vs. performing (25:30), a time in his career when he learned to perform (30:50), his thoughts on if flow can be transferred (36:20), about his desire to join the military (39:30), how 9/11 played a role in his journey (43:05), the similarities in training in dance and in the military (45:15), the juxtaposition between military and ballet dance (46:50), the reaction of others in the marines when he told them his background (49:20), what he learned about himself when sharing his passion with others in the military (53:00), how has he grown and gotten better as he’s trying to transform others (1:00:40), what he would do differently in the military training process (1:04:20), if his leadership problem was his own fault (1:08:30), if there’s anything he would do differently if he were in charge of military training (1:10:10), the tools, techniques, and mantras that he uses to guide him (1:11:30), what he’s doing in London (1:14:20), what makes a great choreographer (1:18:00), what he feels and where he feels it when he talks about what he wants to accomplish (1:20:05)
Thank you to Roman for coming on the show. Roman recently choreographed a piece for the new US embassy in London, and it’s one of the first receptions with that many people. He was able to put it together with some colleagues in London and the US ambassador tweeted it out here. He also premiered a new work in progress that can be found here. We encourage you to check out the Exit 12 Dance Company website and twitter handle at @exit12danceco.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Derin McMains joins Brian Levenson on this week’s episode of the podcast. Derin works as a mental performance coordinator for the Seattle Mariners. In his role, Derin coordinates the mental performance program for the entire organization. He works with the 40 man roster, and alongside two other colleagues that work primarily with the minor league teams. Almost all of the organizations in the MLB currently utilize a mental performance coach, and Derin is at the forefront of this profession. Derin also played minor league baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization, and he will share what it was like growing up playing baseball and what led him to becoming obsessed with the mental game.
In this episode, they discuss what life was like for him as a kid (4:40), his family dynamic (9:10), the values his parents passed down to him (10:10), when baseball came into his life (11:30), what allowed him to take the risk to become a switch-hitter (14:30), what it was like playing baseball with his brother in Junior College (18:00), his thoughts on players playing angry (21:50), his college recruiting process and how he attacks goals (26:20), how he helps athletes discover their vision (30:05), what percentage of pro athletes have a clear vision for themselves and what they want to become (32:50), how he quiets his ego when he tries to work with athletes that aren’t interested (35:30), his thoughts on thinking about what matters and what’s helpful (39:30), what percentage of his work is with people struggling with the yips vs people trying to move from good to great (40:50), his career in professional baseball and what his mindset was like playing baseball (42:00), his reaction to people saying someone is injury prone (45:50), what drew him to sport psychology (48:20), what qualities he’s noticed that people have that make them successful during games (50:10), why baseball has opened its doors to people in the sport psych world (52:30), what his sports psychology team looks like with the Mariners (56:50), what does he do to remain sharp (59:20), his background in music and the story about how he started writing music (1:01:30).
Thanks to Derin for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his twitter @McMainsDmac.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Malcolm Brogdon joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Malcolm was selected in the 2nd round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was named ACC player of the year and ACC defensive player of the year at the University of Virginia. He had an amazing college career and was overlooked by every NBA team when it came to the draft. Malcolm won the rookie of the year, and he was the first player to do this as a 2nd rounder since 1956. His NBA and College accolades are phenomenal, but he’s also an amazing person. He was fortunate enough to be around civil rights activists including his grandfather and he will talk about his upbringing during this conversation.
In this episode, they discuss his background growing up in Atlanta (4:40), if there were ever times when he resisted in his upbringing (8:20), who taught him the game of basketball (9:10), his mindset and training program in high school (10:50), some of the stories he heard from his grandfather and his experience in Africa (12:40), how his parents’ divorce impacted his life (16:30), where his confidence came from (19:20), how difficult it was for him to choose UVA over Harvard (22:20), similarities between competing in the classroom and on the court, and the values his mother taught him (23:45), transition from high school to college basketball (26:10), the adversity he faced when he got injured his sophomore year (27:15), why he was able to believe in and play the long game in life/basketball (29:30), his reaction when UF doesn’t offer and when every NBA passes on him (31:30), his mindset in preparation being different than his mindset in performance (33:50), what he does to shift out of perfectionism for his performance (37:40), his yawning before games and visualization techniques (38:30), how he goes from being a 2nd round pick to rookie of the year (41:50), what was going through his mind when he began with Milwaukee (43:50), what he knows now that he didn’t when he entered the league (45:45), what he does to give his mind a rest (47:30), his competitive spirit and how that shows on the basketball court (48:40), how he defines leadership (51:20), his experience in Africa (52:40)
Thanks to Malcolm for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out the non-profit he’s involved in with Chris Long called waterboys. He has started his own organization from the Chris Long foundation called Hoops 20 to help make a difference in Tanzania and East Africa.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Phil Weber joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Phil has spent time with Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, University of Florida, Chaminade University, Iona University, New Orleans Pelicans, and he was the Head Coach of the Sioux Falls team in the D-League. He is a basketball lifer who has coached in a number of different ways. He also worked as a player development coach from 1995-1998 where he worked with over 100 NBA players. Phil is a philosopher at heart, always reading, always writing, always learning, and he is definitely an intentional performer. He doesn’t just focus on basketball, but what concepts and ideas can make his players better on and off the floor.
In this episode, they discuss his journey into coaching (5:00), his experience being around Coach Jim Valvano (7:10), the number one value each Coach brought (8:30), one value that explains who he is as a coach (10:00), where he thinks self-belief comes from (12:10) , if persistence has ever hurt him and how it’s helped him (13:45), how he cultivated a growth mindset (21:30), when he started to devour books (25:30), his transition into the NBA (30:10), how he started doing player development (34:00), the story about Kobe walking into his gym (39:40), the coaches he got to be around throughout his professional coaching career that have inspired him (49:30), his experience being around D’Antoni and Spoelstra (56:10), how he set his mind to do the jobs he’s had (1:04:40), his thoughts on the inner circle of influence vs the outer circle (1:11:40), life’s golden nuggets and the mindset for growth (1:114:10), qualities that are common in championship teams (1:17:20), experiences or observations with the Miami Heat (1:21:30), and finally about his poetry and the writings that he has done (1:28:00)
Thanks to Phil for coming on the podcast.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Brian
Sam joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Sam works as a coach and speaker, and has a company called Zen Warrior Training where he helps people unlock what’s inside of them and get in touch with their feelings. Sam has a deep passion for inspiring and helping others. In this podcast, Sam talks about a number of life events including an accident that took place when he was 24 years old that was life changing.
In this episode, they discuss his childhood and how he became who he is today (4:45), the difference in what he learned from his father and mother (11:00), the relation between his childhood and what he does today (14:20), if he sees his mom and dad as Warrior or Zen (20:00), when he got into cycling (24:10), his mindset when cycling across the country (29:10), when he started playing guitar (35:50), his time at Hampshire College (41:00), his major accident in 1999 (46:30), what he remembers from the accident and the immediate feeling he experienced after (48:20), what he feels now as he rehashes the story (52:20), his mindset when in the hospital for an extended period of time (54:00), how he created a mindset to have the state of neutrality as opposed to victimhood (58:00), his thoughts on selfishness and selflessness (1:04:10), what he does to take care of himself and the diet he is currently on (1:05:30), his meditation routines and the power of the breath (1:11:40), and what Zen Warrior Training is about (1:17:50)
Thanks to Sam for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his website at http://zenwarriortraining.com/about/. You can also find Sam on twitter @zwtraining and on facebook at facebook.com/zenwarriortraining.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Eric Mangini joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Eric played college football at Wesleyan, and has since spent his entire career working in football where he actually began as a coach in Australia. Eric was an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, and at the age of 34, he was hired as the NY Jets Head Football Coach. After being the head coach for the NY Jets, Eric was then the head coach for the Cleveland Browns. Today, Eric works in TV and has a wealth of knowledge on culture, leadership, and mental performance.
In this episode, they discuss how he started in football, and his time coaching in Australia (4:00), how he started as a ball boy and public relations intern with the Cleveland Browns (10:30), how he began taking on jobs from Bill Belichick (16:00), what advice he would give to someone wanting to get into coaching (18:00), what lessons he learned from coaches and GM’s that he’s seen be successful (23:00), about the group of coaches on the 1995 Cleveland Browns (31:40), his thoughts on the Patriots culture and always playing the best players (35:30), what made Bill Parcells special (40:45), what traits Tom Brady had that made him successful (46:30), what he loves about football (50:05), how losing his Dad impacted his life (54:45), on the leap to becoming a head coach at 34 years old (56:20), what the lifestyle is like as an NFL head coach (1:01:30), how he’d describe his leadership style (1:10:40), on the routines he would do (1:12:10), and what’s similar about performing on TV and coaching (1:15:30).
Thanks to Eric for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his foundation at https://www.cfm-foundation.org/. This is a family foundation in honor of Eric’s father and uncle that creates opportunities for under resourced kids.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Melissa Agnes joins Brian Levenson on this weeks podcast. Melissa is an author, strategic advisor, and keynote speaker. She is the author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, and a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Agnes is a coveted speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today's leading organizations faced with the greatest risks. As a strategic advisor and keynote speaker, Agnes has worked with NATO, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, cities and municipalities, law enforcement agencies, global non-profits, and many others, helping them understand risk and build invincible brands that can withstand even the most devastating of events. In 2015, she gave a TEDx talk in Los Angeles where she discussed the secret to successful crisis management in the 21st century. Agnes is the editor of the Crisis Ready Blog, a contributor to Forbes, and a go-to source for the press, with recent coverage including the Wall Street Journal, VIBE Magazine, USA Today, and many others. As a university guest lecturer, Agnes teaches crisis management in university courses around the world, including at NYU and McGill.
In this episode, they discuss Melissa’s upbringing and where she grew up (5:00), what helped guide her as a child (8:00), what advice she would give someone living in an environment they don’t believe they should be in (10:00), what her truth is (10:30), what transforming her life meant (11:10), if she’s more of a risk taker or rule follower (12:40), on the values she lives by (13:10), how she works with an organization or CEO on finding their truth (17:20), how she sees herself culturally (19:10), how she can analyze without judgement (24:00), how she ended up where she is today (28:10), how branding led her to a career in crisis management (30:10), how she uses intuition in her life (35:30), what she does daily to go inward (38:00), what she does once she notices emotions (46:00), about the mechanics of roof building, and making sure her companies are crisis ready (47:00), if she facilitates or teaches with an organization (50:40), and her thoughts on preparing with a “why” mindset and performing with a “how” mindset (54:00).
Thanks to Melissa for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out her website at https://melissaagnes.com/. Melissa’s website houses everything related to her work, and provides a ton of valuable information she has on crisis management. You can also find Melissa Agnes on twitter @melissa_agnes, and check out her book “Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World.”
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Dr. Mark Goulston joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Dr. Goulston works as a psychiatrist, but also has been a high stakes crisis psychiatrist, FBI hostage negotiation trainer, and he coaches founders to become CEO’s. He has helped traumatized people heal and thrive in addition to surviving and coping. This conversation is deep, and it’s a conversation about suicide and how we can prevent suicide in the future.
In this episode, they discuss how he came to be interested in the medical world, and his story about depression in medical school (5:45), how his life changed when he was kicked out of Medical School (11:00), what mentors mean to him (15:00), what drew him to being a suicide specialist (16:00), where his ability to connect with people comes from (19:00), about how people die from despair as opposed to depression (22:30), why he was drawn towards helping people prevent suicide (24:00), what helping people does for him (27:40), his thoughts on mindfulness (34:20), on being a first class “noticer” and two magical tricks to stop any argument (40:30), what he believes about suicide, advise for people who are thinking about suicide, and how we can be helpful to people having suicidal thoughts (49:00), what he thinks depression wise is going on with our society today (58:15), a magical tip that he’s given men when in an argument with their wife (1:02:00), and the best quote he’s ever heard (1:05:30).
Thanks to Dr. Goulston for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his website at http://markgoulston.com/. You can also find Dr. Goulston on twitter @MarkGoulston and we encourage you to check out his pinned tweet where he connects people who have been impacted by suicide. He has also written several top-selling books such as “Talking to Crazy,” and “Get Out of Your Own Way,” which we encourage you to check out.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
-Brian
Josh Basile joins the podcast this week. Josh is an advocate, lawyer, teacher, and mentor. Josh is amazingly grateful and he leverages gratitude in every part of his life. In this podcast, he talks through his traumatic injury at Bethany Beach and how he views life and interprets events that have happened to him.
In this episode we discuss what life was like growing up (4:50), what his mindset was like as a top athlete at Bullis and at Skidmore College (7:05), his memories as soon as the injury happened and how his mom helped him through the injury (11:10), his mindset during rehabilitation (17:00), his biggest transition after the injury and the mentor program he has created (18:20), what gets him from idea to action (24:30), how he views mindset in preparation vs performance (30:30), what he does in the moments that are not glamorous and moments that are special (36:40), what he does in his life to tap into the present (41:20), when gratitude entered his life and his visualization tactics (43:20), who has helped him on is journey and what lessons he has learned (49:10), and they close with what he sees himself doing in 10 years (51:10).
Thanks to Josh for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his non-profit at http://www.determined2heal.org/ or https://spinalpedia.com/ where they help newly injured families transition to a life with paralysis and give them the tools and mindsets they need to be successful and live a healthy and active lifestyle. You can also follow them on Twitter at @SPINALpedia, Facebook @SPINALpedia or his email is Josh.Basile@gmail.com.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Ken Harbaugh joins Brian Levenson on this week’s podcast. Ken has spent time in the Navy and as President of Team Rubicon Global to name a few of his professions, and is currently running for Congress in Ohio. Ken is a devoted family man that has become a leading advocate for military veterans, and when he sees the need for action, he takes action.
In this episode they discuss what led him to the military and becoming a pilot (6:05), how the Navy views leadership and how to train like a Navy pilot (12:15), what is his mindset when in the air, and how to perform when emotion and anxiety rise (18:10), his routine before going up in the air (23:30), what leadership and being part of a team mean for him (25:00), his journey from leaving the Navy to joining Team Rubicon (26:30), why he has shifted from a traditional path to an alternative path throughout his life (32:00), his mindset in preparation/planning, and then mindset in pure action mode (36:00), how his experience in Team Rubicon was different than as a Pilot (41:30), about why he is transitioning toward politics (45:40), and what success would look like if he gets elected, and which job has been the most impactful on his life (46:50). Finally, he concludes by talking about writing his book, Here Be Dragons, with his wife (48:40).
Thanks to Ken for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his book Here Be Dragons: A Parent's Guide to Rediscovering Purpose, Adventure, and the Unfathomable Joy of the Journey. You can also follow him on Twitter: @Team_Harbaugh or Instagram: @kenharbaugh
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Former all-pro NFL football player turned internationally renowned celebrity yogi Keith Mitchell joins Brian Levenson on the podcast this week. Keith is a motivational mindfulness coach, holistic health and wellness advocate, community activist and humanitarian, and he is committed to providing holistic tools that help others achieve optimal health, harmony and aliveness to the fullest degree. A life-changing football injury left Keith partially paralyzed, and he utilized Yoga and Meditation to fully recover, and he now shares his inspirational transformation with others as a highly sought after spiritual lifestyle/wellness coach, teacher and motivational speaker. Keith’s mission is to guide others to find the power within themselves to make a positive shift— so they may live a life full of joy, gratitude and purpose.
In this episode, they discuss his upbringing and life growing up both from a personal and football standpoint (6:45), the values his parents passed down to him (9:30), the different between fitting in vs. sticking out in football (12:00), his dominance mindset with football (19:40), what he would tell himself to believe he could achieve a goal with regards to the visualization tactics, and goal setting tactics he used (22:20), his thoughts on leadership and how he developed his work ethic (29:50), what thriving looks like for him and what’s meaningful in his life (40:10), how he cultivated a belief in himself and how he created his own story with self-talk (52:00), preparation and minset during both the week of and right before a game (1:03:30), the moment when he makes that tackle and his life takes an unexpected turn (1:08:50), his experience with depression after the injury and how he changed after the injury (1:14:00), what his daily and morning routines look like (1:23:20), and finally if he would have gone down this path had the injury not happened (1:28:40).
Thanks to Keith for coming on the podcast, and I encourage you to check out his website http://www.keithmitchell59.com/ as well. You can also follow him on Twitter: @K_Mitchell59 or Instagram @keithmitchell59.
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Today's guest is Jen Rizzotti. Jen is entering her third season as the head coach of the George Washington women's basketball team. Jen guided the Colonials back to the NCAA Tournament in her second season at the helm in 2017-18 after leading the program to the Atlantic 10 Championship.
Rizzotti was named the 10th head coach of GW women's basketball on April 15, 2016. Coach Rizzotti spent the previous 17 seasons as the head coach of the Hartford Hawks, where she built a conference powerhouse in taking the Hawks to all six NCAA appearances in program history, winning a pair of NCAA Tournament games, and distinguishing herself as the all-time winningest coach in America East history.
Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, Rizzotti is well-known in basketball circles around the world. After taking control of a Hartford program that went 8-19 in the year before she was hired and that had never won more than 15 games prior to her arrival, the Hawks enjoyed 11 seasons with more than 15 victories in her tenure and won at least 20 games seven times.
Following the 2009-10 regular season, Rizzotti was named a finalist for the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year award after leading Hartford to a school-record 20-game winning streak, a perfect 16-0 record in conference play and the program's first-ever national ranking.
Rizzotti is also deeply connected to international basketball through her involvement with the USA Women's Basketball national program. She served as head coach of 2010 FIBA Americas U18 gold medal winners as well as the 2011 U19 World Champions. In 2011 she was crowned as the USA Basketball National Coach of the Year. More recently Rizzotti served as an assistant for the 2014 FIBA World Championships and served in a support role for the USA Basketball Women's National Team's Gold Medal run at the 2016 Olympic Games.
As a student-athlete at the University of Connecticut, Rizzotti first vaulted into the national spotlight as the starting point guard for the Huskies' first national championship team in 1995 with an undefeated 35-0 record. During the run to the national title, Rizzotti was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
A former All-American and the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player after her junior and senior seasons, in 1996 Rizzotti virtually swept the postseason awards as Big East Player of the Year, Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Associated Press Player of the Year, the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the Wade Trophy winner.
Rizzotti graduated as UConn's career leader in assists (637) and steals (349) and still ranks second all-time in those categories.
As a coach and formerly as a student-athlete, Rizzotti's focus on academics has always been exemplary. Under her guidance, Hartford was ranked among the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Academic Top 25 teams on three occasions. Another accolade from her playing days was awarded in June 2016 when the two-time Academic All-American and 1996 Academic All-American of the Year was officially inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Rizzotti played eight seasons of professional basketball following her graduation from UConn in 1996. In addition to five seasons in the WNBA - two with the Houston Comets and three with the Cleveland Rockers - she competed for three seasons with the New England Blizzard in the American Basketball League. In the ABL she was a two-time All-Star.
You can follow GW on Twitter @GW_WBB.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian
Kevin Cherilla has had the privilege of working with thousands of people from all walks of life for the past 20 years. Whether in the classroom, the boardroom or on the mountain, his tailored messages and themes are delivered for maximum impact to diverse audiences.
From students to educators and employees to corporate executives, Kevin’s engaging, energetic and educational programs are perfect for reaching young people and adults through lessons and experiences that directly apply to their everyday lives:
• Value the diverse qualities in every team member
• Learn when to lead and when to follow
• Achieve and appreciate success regardless of the odds against you
• Inspire vision, hope and accomplishment in the minds of those who have given up
• Set real goals that are beyond the ordinary
As a business owner, premiere educator and mountain guide of twenty years, Kevin understands how people learn and what kind of presentation will resonate with specific audiences. Kevin’s programs not only captivate listeners but deliver salient lessons to inspire everyone. He offers these presentations for international corporations, foundations, universities and schools. Each one is unique and tailored to their needs, themes and schedule. Kevin’s presentations include breathtaking expedition photos and award winning video footage from around the world including the summit of Mt. Everest and Mt. Kilimanjaro.
His teams have been featured on the front cover of TIME, Outside, Climbing and *Scholastic News magazines, on the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and world news programs, including CNN. Kevin started K2 to engage and challenge individuals by reaching their goals of climbing mountains around the world. Many of his clients have individual disabilities such as amputations, blindness, paralysis and muscular dystrophy. His teammates have ranged in age from 10 to 85 years old and have had a phenomenal success rate of over 95%.
In January 2012, Kevin was given one of his greatest and most rewarding climbs to date. He was the expedition leader for Kyle Maynard, the first quadruple amputee to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kyle won an ESPN ESPY Award for this tremendous accomplishment. In 2016, Kyle climbed the highest peak in the western hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina under Kevin’s leadership, and was subsequently featured in a Nike commercial during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Some of Kevin’s other expedition successes include leading 8 blind climbers up Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2009 which broke four world records.
Kevin was a member of Erik Weihenmayer’s historic summit of Mt. Everest in 2001. Erik is the only blind person in history to reach the summit. On June 5, 2007, Kevin fulfilled one of his life-long dreams and summited Mt. Everest himself. In 2009, Kevin co-founded K2 Adventures Foundation, a qualified national and international 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. K2’s mission is to care for children, adults and families with special needs and or life changing medical circumstances by providing services, support and funds that will be used for educational and medical enrichment. K2 has had many projects over the years including building a children’s medical and dental center in Tanzania, 3 schools in Nepal and working with a school for severely disabled children in Peru.
You can learn more about Kevin's work at https://k2adventures.org/.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian
Mike Signer is a former mayor who successfully promoted innovation and pluralism in one of America's most well-known cities; a corporate attorney and executive at a major Virginia technology firm; and a public scholar who writes and teaches about constitutionalism, statesmanship, and the rule of law. His leadership against extremism, intolerance, and demagoguery has been recognized around the nation.
Mike served as Mayor of Charlottesville from 2016 to 2018, a AAA-bond-rated city of nearly 50,000 that is frequently ranked among America's best places to live and that has Virginia's lowest unemployment rate. He continues to serve on the City Council.
He is Vice President and General Counsel of WillowTree, Inc., a digital design agency with over 200 employees whose clients include Fortune 500 companies such as GE, HBO, Nestle, and National Geographic. He serves on the firm's executive team and directs many corporate and strategic matters, including contract negotiations, regulatory compliance, real estate matters, and the firm's Social Impact practice.
Mike is a lecturer at the University of Virginia, where he teaches classes on leadership. His books Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies (St. Martin's Press 2009) and Becoming Madison: The Extraordinary Origins of the Least Likely Founding Father (PublicAffairs 2015) both received widely positive reviews. They have been assigned in classes at Rutgers University, the University of Virginia, James Madison University, and George Mason University. He has written opinion pieces and essays for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Time, Vox, Democracy, and The New Republic, among others.
Mike and the people of Charlottesville received the Anti-Defamation League's Levenson Family Defender of Democracy Award in 2017. He is the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of California Alumni Club of Washington, D.C. He is a member of the 2018 class of Aspen Institute Rodel Fellows. He was recognized by Forward Magazine in its "Forward 50" 2017 list of the 50 most influential Jewish leaders in America. He was a 2009 candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia. He has received senior appointments from three Virginia governors.
He has been profiled by CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian and interviewed by Meet the Press, Face the Nation, the Rachel Maddow Show, and NPR's Morning Edition. He has been an invited speaker at Princeton University, Wake Forest University, Ryerson University, South by Southwest, Georgetown University, James Madison University, Marymount University, Israel's Foreign Ministry, the Friedrich Ebert Institute in Berlin, the Anti-Defamation League, the B'nai Brith Youth Organization, and the Richmond World Affairs Council.
He has held many leadership roles in nonprofits and civic organizations. He is the former Chair of the Emergency Food Network and former President of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association, both in Charlottesville. He served on the Board of Directors of OneVirginia2021, which advocates for nonpartisan redistricting. As a law student at the University of Virginia, he founded the Coalition for Progress on Race and co-founded the Center for the Study of Race and Law. He was also President of the UVA Law Democrats and Co-President of the UVA chapter of the American Constitution Society.
He holds a Ph.D. in political science from U.C., Berkeley, where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow; a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law; and a B.A. in politics, magna cum laude, from Princeton University, where he was a work-study student.
You can learn more about Mike at his website (https://www.michaelsigner.com/) and give him a follow on twitter: @MikeSigner.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian
This week's podcast guest is retired U.S. Army Capt and Medal of Honor winner, Florent "Flo" Groberg. Flo was born in Poissy, France and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2001. Flo went to high school with my wife at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Md.
Groberg attended the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and competed in varsity track and cross country. In May 2006, Groberg graduated from UMD with a bachelor's degree in criminology and criminal justice.
Groberg entered the Army and attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. He received his commission as an infantry officer, Dec. 4, 2008. After completing Infantry Officer Basic Course, Mechanized Leaders Course, U.S. Army Airborne and U.S. Army Ranger Schools, he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., as a platoon leader.
In November 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Lethal, with responsibility for the Pech River Valley in Afghanistan's Kunar Province. Upon returning home in June 2010, he continued serving as a platoon leader until he was reassigned as an infantry company executive officer from October 2010 to November 2011. He was then assigned as the brigade personal security detachment commander for 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He deployed again to Kunar Province, Afghanistan, in February of 2012, with Task Force Mountain Warrior. He was promoted to captain in July 2012.
As a result of his actions, Groberg sustained the loss of 45 to 50 percent of his left calf muscle with significant nerve damage, a blown eardrum, and a mild traumatic brain injury. Groberg spent his recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center from August 2012 through May 2015. He was medically retired from Company B Warriors, Warrior Transition Battalion, as a captain, July 23, 2015.
Groberg's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars; the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the U.S. Army Parachutists Badge, the U.S. Army Ranger Tab, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
You can follow Flo on Twitter: @FlorentGroberg and read his book, 8 Seconds of Courage.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian
This week's podcast is with Alex Banyan. I was fortunate to be introduced to Alex from previous guest, Cal Fussman. I recently finished reading Alex's (in 5 days) and I highly recommend it.
The day before his freshman year final exams, ALEX BANAYAN hacked The Price Is Right, won a sailboat, sold it, and used the prize money to fund his quest to learn from the world’s most successful people.
Since then, Banayan has been named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and Business Insider’s “Most Powerful People Under 30.” He has contributed to Fast Company, the Washington Post, Entrepreneur, and TechCrunch, and has been featured in major media including Fortune, Forbes, Businessweek, Bloomberg TV, Fox News, and CBS News.
An acclaimed keynote speaker, Banayan has presented the Third Door framework to business conferences and corporate leadership teams around the world, garnering standing ovations from Apple, Nike, IBM, Dell, MTV, Harvard, and countless others.
You can learn more about Alex at http://thirddoorbook.com/ and follow him on Twitter @AlexBanayan.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian Levenson
Basketball has taken Tony Ronzone all over the world. He played professionally overseas in New Zealand and began his coaching career as the youngest head coach in New Zealand history (age 22). He also held head coaching positions with the Saudi Arabian National Team (1992) and United Arab Emirates Team (1992-1997). Since 1997 Tony has worked in the front office of the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Before his professional basketball journey, he started by playing college basketball and baseball at the University of Nevada, participating in two NCAA tournaments, before finishing his collegiate career at Long Beach State.
He was a member of the Pistons during their NBA Championship run in 2004. He also was a member of the Olympic committee of F.I.B.A., and Ronzone has been very active with USA Basketball, where he serves as Director of International Player Personnel. In this position, he assisted with the gold-medal winning men’s basketball team at the 2008 Olympics (China), the 2010 FIBA World Championships (Turkey) and the 2012 Olympics (London).
In 2001, Ronzone became the first American to coach the Chinese National Team, winning gold at the East Asian Games with a team featuring Yao Ming. Ronzone has coached or conducted clinics in over 55 countries around the world. He is very active with NBA Basketball without Borders and has coached at Euro camp in Treviso, Italy for the past 14 years.
Tony is a big personality who lives his life with gratitude and optimism. In this conversation, he shares everything he has learned and give insight into what it's like to scout for talent.
Tony is active on Twitter so check him out @tonyronzone.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian
I grew up watching Brian Grant compete during his 12-year career in the NBA. And I intentionally used the word "compete" because Brian played his tail off. He went up against bigger players like Shaq, and seemed to never blink an eye. He had a ferocity about him that I loved. He played with a chip on his shoulder.
In this episode, you will hear Brian discuss his unique and surprising journey to the NBA, his mindset when practicing and performing, and his battle with Parkinson's Disease which started at the young age of 36.
Today, Brian continues to inspire as a speaker, philanthropist, and a patient who insists on thriving with Parkinson’s disease. His mission is to help people become their best, even when it seems impossible.
Brian started his career at Xavier University where he was Player of the Year twice for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. He was drafted in the first round, eighth overall, in the 1994 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. His career continued with the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns. During this time, Brian also served underprivileged youth and sick families in his community. His contributions earned him the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
Brian has a great sense of humor and is an amazing story-teller. Check out his work at http://www.briangrantspeaks.com/, on Twitter @bwgrant, and his foundation https://briangrant.org/.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian
Mitch Aguiar is a former Navy SEAL, an MMA fighter, and entrepreneur.
This episode starts with Mitch and I simply having a conversation, which turned into a fascinating talk that ranged from his upbringing, going through BUDS, serving 10 years as a SEAL, some of the physical and mental challenges he's faced in his journey, fighting MMA, and starting his own clothing company.
Mitch lives by the mantra "Mindset is Everything" and he certainly lives that mantra daily. He also doesn't sugar-coat his opinion so it's worth noting that this conversation does contain explicit language.
You are going to love the stories, honesty, and overall vulnerability that Mitch shows throughout this episode.
Mitch is very active on Instagram and he talks about how fulfilling it has been for him to make an impact on people through social media. Go give him a follow @SmashinFrog. You can also check out his apparel line at https://smashinfrog.com/.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks to Mitch for coming on and thank you for listening.
--Brian
Julie Elion has been my mentor for the past 10 years. Along the way she has provided me insight, advice, and she always seems to know when to ask the right question. I owe much of my career to Julie.
Julie has developed one of the premier sport psychology practices in the professional golf world. She is currently working with multiple players on the PGA Tour, including winners of multiple major tournaments and regular tour events totaling over 60 wins and five majors. She worked with the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team in their victory at Valhalla Golf Club, as well as with four members of the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup and four members of the 2011 U.S. Presidents Cup teams. She has a broad focus on competitive golf and counsels golfers at multiple levels of competition including the Nationwide and Champions tour for men, the LPGA and LET for women, and Division I Collegiate Golf.
As well as working extensively with golfers, Julie also provides mental coaching for athletes and teams of other sports on both the professional and collegiate level, including the Washington Wizards (NBA), the Washington Redskins (NFL), the Washington Mystics (WNBA), and the University of Maryland Men’s Basketball team.
Julie founded the Center for Athletic Performance Enhancement in 1998. Her philosophy is based upon helping an individual gain insight into their sport, character, family, and relationships and then use these insights to become a resilient athlete and a more fulfilled person. Julie integrates classical sport psychology tools (e.g., pre-shot routines, course management, and visualization) that are focused on behavioral and cognitive cues, with a deeper appreciation and understanding of oneself. Julie helps to prepare her players for success by focusing on believing in themselves first as a person, and second as an athlete.
In this episode we discuss her surprising path to the field of Sport Psychology, her work with world-class golfers, setting process expectations, the difference between working with individual sports versus team sports, and much more.
Thanks to Julie for coming on the podcast.
You can learn more about her work at www.capeperformance.com. You can also check out her rockstar daughter and her band at http://www.overcoatsmusic.com/.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks,
Brian
Former Washington Post assistant managing editor George Solomon joins Brian Levenson to discuss the challenges of editing. During his tenure, he got to work with sports journalism legends including Michael Wilbon Tony Korhnheiser, and Sally Jenkins. George also served as the 1st ombudsman for ESPN. He now works at the University of Maryland as a sports journalism professor and was inducted into the Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
In this episode they discuss how he developed an interest in journalism as a kid (5:15), how important feedback from others and reading can be to improving writing skills and hiring the right people (14:00), how technology has made the newspaper industry more about surviving than content (24:45), what the role of a good editor is (26:20), the difference between a reporter and a columnist and what it was like editing for some of the best columnists in the business (30:30), what makes Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon special and how it helped them transition to radio and TV (37:30), the importance of having elite female voices like Sally Jenkins and Christine Brennan in the newsroom (41:20), what he enjoys about teaching and lessons for students (43:35), and finally they talk about how he is able to keep his memory so sharp and how curiosity helps make a great story (53:05).
Thanks to George Solomon for coming on and make sure to learn more about Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Sports Agent and expert negotiator Ron Shapiro joined Brian Levenson to talk about how he got into the industry. He has had quite a journey as an author, attorney (after attending Harvard Law school) and he became Maryland State Securities Commissioner in his late 20's. He has worked as a consultant with NBA teams including the Spurs, Nets, and Thunder and an agent for stars such as Cal Ripken and Kirby Puckett and is also an advisor to the owner of the Baltimore Ravens.
In this episode they discuss how his family inspired him in his youth and the power of optimism (7:15), his path to Harvard Law and how learning to write there was key to unlocking his future (12:45), the value of being able to connect with people and how he overcomes fear in public speaking (17:40), why he decided to work in Baltimore after finishing law school to help desegregation and how he positioned himself into what he calls an "accidental career" (22:50), why empathy, compassion, preparation, and humility are essential to negotiation and how people are mainly a product of circumstance (33:15), the development of having confidence in negotiations and athletics when it’s time to perform (39:10), what made Cal Ripken Jr. special (42:50), the importance of experience and understanding precedents in his field (47:30), the transition from securities to sports (51:35), how one can be self-serving in a way that still helps others (57:15), and the values it takes for someone to run a sports organization (1:00:10). Finally, he discusses his regimented and intentional daily routine (1:03:25).
Thanks to Ron Shapiro for coming on and make sure to follow him on Twitter. You can also purchase his book The Power of Nice, How to Negotiate so Everyone Wins-Especially You!.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Mano Watsa, presently serves as the President of PGC Basketball. He joins Brian Levenson to discuss coaching and PGC basketball. If you don’t know about PGC, they provide intense, no-nonsense basketball training for players and coaches. Their basketball camps are designed to teach players of all positions to think the game and to be leaders on and off the court. They have served thousands of basketball players and coaches all over the country. He was selected as a two-time All-Canadian and earned Academic All-Canadian honors at the University of Waterloo.
In this episode they discuss the beginnings of his basketball journey at age 10 and how invaluable his grade school coach was to his growth (6:00), what the driving factors were to reach his goals in high school and maximize his potential by starting a basketball camp at 15 (14:30), his time at PGC and how what he learned there about leadership inspired him and changed his mindset on coaching and teaching (22:00), the evolution of the point guard position and how to make teamwork an asset to the team (28:00), his journey at the University of Waterloo and his decision afterwards to start his own point guard program which turned into a merge with PGC (34:30), the difference in working with coaches versus working with players and how to become a transformational coach (39:00). Finally, he describes his morning routine and how important habits are (43:00).
You can follow Mano on twitter: @ManoWatsa and check out PGC Basketball at www.pgcbasketball.com
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Respected immigrants’ activist Tolu Olubunmi joins Brian Levenson to discuss her unexpected journey searching for the American Dream, which started as an unemployed and undocumented chemical engineer. Her innovative thinking and desire for change have led to her becoming the founder and CEO of Lion’s Write which gives voices to the voiceless. Additionally, she was named one of 15 Women Changing the World in 2015 by the World Economic Forum and has given speeches at NYU, the World Bank, and the White House as she advocates for equality.
In this episode they discuss how she got interested in words and how it has helped her express herself effectively and how writing can help her keep what is going on in her brain in order (5:30), the value of religion in her life and how it isn’t related to what she was taught as a child (10:00), her sheltered childhood growing up as the youngest of 5 children in Nigeria and how important family is to her (13:30), the excitement and difficulties of moving to the United States at 14 to live with her siblings (24:30), why her curiosity helped her decide that she wanted to become an engineer at 8 and how that curiosity assists immigrants to thrive(29:00), the experience that led to her going to a smaller college than expected and why she embraces the challenge of chemistry rather than eschewing it (37:45), figuring out how to deal with the devastating problem of losing her immigration status and the process of advocating to change the law (48:00), learning what makes leaders in immigration advocacy so special and what she believes the future holds for her (56:00). Finally, she talks about what courage is for different people and what current advocacy discussions she finds important (1:03:00).
Thanks to Tolu Olubunmi for coming on, and make sure to visit her website. You can also follow her on Twitter: @Tolu_Olubunmi
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Interviewer extraordinaire Cal Fussman joins Brian Levenson to talk about how essential curiosity is in the realm of interviewing. Cal has interviewed some of the most famous people in the world ranging from Kobe Bryant to Al Pacino to Dr. Oz. He is also a best selling author and not surprisingly the host of a very popular Podcast called Big Questions.
In this free flowing episode they discuss how Brian should introduce himself and the power of motivation and inspiration (5:30), why he loves Podcasts (16:30), the use of opening interview questions to get a better sense of a person (22:30), how asking someone a question can open you up to something unexpected and what constitutes a hero (29:00), why getting out of your comfort zone and getting back up after being knocked down are essential for success (37:30), what drew him to writing about sports at a young age (41:00), Kobe’s interest in storytelling and how storytelling has changed as technology has evolved (51:00), how his constant curiosity led to him leaving a job and the love of looking for the next adventure (59:30), and the exhilaration of the unknown while traveling and how it taught him to interview (1:06:30). Finally Cal explains how family taught him to mix routine with his yearning for new experiences (1:17:00).
Thanks to Cal Fussman for coming on, and make sure to listen to his Podcast . You can also follow him on Twitter: @calfussman
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
High Performance Psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais joins Brian Levenson on this weeks podcast. Dr. Gervais is the co-founder of the company Compete to Create with Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and has worked with the Seahawks, NBA players, and Microsoft. He is a renowned public speaker with a deep understanding of how to find clarity and thrive under pressure.
In this episode they discuss his introduction into sport psychology as a kid through surfing (4:30), the way he is able to visualize a path to a goal and find a way to best articulate his thoughts (12:00), his first memory of surfing and how the unknown of it changed his mindset (18:00), the idea of the tip of the arrow and how it relates to neuroticism and narcissism as part of becoming a professional athlete (26:00), the difference between being goodness and greatness as character traits and the possible darkness of greatness (34:30), the value of teaching without giving advice, the importance of self-trust and mental skills that can help people (38:00), the psychological framework of interpretation and time management (47:00), whether or not it is necessary to go through adversity or suffering and what success is (55:00), and how he primes his mind on a daily basis (1:04:00). Finally, he talks about how he feels about his overall journey to get to where he is at this point in his life (1:08:00).
Thanks to Dr. Gervais for coming on, and I encourage you to listen to his great Podcast as well. You can also follow him on Twitter: @MichaelGervais or Instagram: @findingmastery
Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
One of the most recognizable and successful lacrosse players and former MVP Paul Rabil joins Brian Levenson to discuss his time as a lacrosse player. Additionally, Paul is a great marketer through social media, which he has leveraged to enhance his brand. Paul is also very open about his work with a Sport Psychologist and remains fascinated by the psychology of performance.
In this episode, they discuss his work with sport psychology (4:00). What triggered his competitive nature and the importance of loyalty (9:00). How playing a variety of other sports as a kid helped him develop his mindset (18:00). What drew him to lacrosse (27:30). The things that go on in his mind when he’s on the field and his rigorous preparation for games (38:00). Why focusing on perfection is not ideal (43:00). The value he places on visualization, meditation, and journaling (50:45). Understanding time management and trying to find 10 minutes to read every day despite learning differences (57:00) Why he believes it is so important to use social media and how he takes advantage of the various platforms (1:02:45). The full development of what got him interested in sport psychology and it’s importance in all facets of life (1:07:00). Where he sees himself in the future (1:14:00).
Thanks to Paul for coming on, you can listen to his excellent podcast. You can also follow him on Twitter: @PaulRabil and on his youtube channel: www.youtube.com/PaulRabil
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Mario Romero joins Brian Levenson to share his thoughts and inspirations from humble beginnings leading to the process of him becoming a Navy SEAL and now his time as attempting to become an astronaut as he finishes graduate school at Columbia University. He shares wisdom from his past and how he is able to think against the grain to achieve his goals.
The conversation touches on his difficult childhood raised by his mother and feeling like an outcast as a Jehovah’s Witness (4:00). His current views on religion, faith, and spirituality (12:00). The vision of becoming a Navy SEAL he developed at a young age and the constant desire to challenge himself in high school(16:00). The value of putting himself out there even when failure was likely and choosing sports that build mental toughness (25:30). How 9/11 reaffirmed his desire to become a Navy SEAL and how he wouldn’t let any obstacles keep him from his goal (35:00). Methods he uses to not be distracted (51:00). How he prepared and dealt with others doubting him during his time as a Navy SEAL (55:30). What it’s like serving as a SEAL and how proud he is of his time there (1:09:00). Dealing with having to conform (1:18:30). The difficulties of dealing with PTSD upon returning to being a civilian (1:22:00). His decision to go to graduate school in mathematic and conquer the mindset that he couldn’t be good at math (1:28:45). What he plans to do in the future (1:41:00).
Thanks to Mario for coming on. He's a great instagram follow @Marioromero186
so make sure to check him out there.
Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon.
Thanks for listening.
--Brian
Houston sports radio host and freelance writer Sean Pendergast joins Brian Levenson to discuss his journey starting in sales before becoming a radio host (4:45), the value of money in relationship to happiness and the serendipitous moment that led to working in sports radio (12:00), and advice for college students on choosing a career (27:00). Then they talk about his transition to sports radio and the value of enthusiasm in the workplace (37:30), the importance his time in sales has had in his success in radio (52:00), how has mindset changed for maximizing the impact of the show after the 1st couple of years and why he started writing (1:01:30), and learning to develop a better feel of how to prepare and still be able to adapt on the fly (1:09:30). Then Sean describes the best interview he ever did with the man who shot Osama Bin Laden: Rob O’Neill (1:17:00). Finally, he discusses how he prepares before going on the air (1:25:00).
Thanks to Sean for coming on the podcast. Make sure to give him a follow on Twitter: @SeanTPendergast.
Also, please check out our patreon page and support if you are able: https://www.patreon.com/IntentionalPerformers
Thanks!
Brian Levenson
Former NBA Player/Executive Danny Ferry joins the podcast to discuss being a star in high school for legendary Dematha coach Morgan Wooten (8:15). Growing up as part of a basketball family (12:20). Being recruited to Duke and Coach K's vision (16:40). How he handled stress while playing there (29:00). Then they talk about Danny’s time playing in the NBA starting as the #2 overall pick playing in Italy for a year, and how it changed his mindset, as he struggled for the first time (35:04). How a book helped him refocus (38:40). The value of systems (47:00). Balancing ego and the difference between individual vs. team sports (55:00). Playing for the Spurs while adjusting to coach Gregg Popovich and his holistic approach (57:00). Then Danny talks about transitioning from playing into the front office (1:11:50). Finally, he picks between his 3 coaches for various hypothetical scenarios (1:18:00).
Dennys Lozada is tough.
He is a Fitness Personal Trainer in New York City where he works at the Fhitting Room. He has over 10 years of experience, and his passion for helping people came across before we even turned the mics on. Dennys has worked at Under Armour/IMG Academy and with professional athletes from the Minnesota Twins (MLB), Timberwolves (NBA), Vikings (NFL), and Wild (NHL). Dennys is a Nike Trainer and member of the Men’s Health Fitness Council.
Since he was young, Dennys has shown perseverance and hard work in all aspects of his life. Being a collegiate football player and a 2-time Golden Gloves winning professional boxer helped guide Dennys on his journey.
In this episode, Dennys opens up about his upbringing which was riddled with adversity. He will also talk about some of the health challenges he has faced in his life, including surviving cancer--twice! He will share how he has set his mind to handle physical and emotional challenges and some of the people who have helped him along the way.
Dennys' smile is as big as his biceps, which is saying something! His energy is contagious, and he truly loves helping people.
I am grateful for being introduced to Dennys, by my sister-in-law Samantha, and I know you will be too.
You can learn more about Dennys:
Instagram: @Fftstrong
Website: www.Fhittingroom.com
Thanks so much for listening!
--Brian
Chief Melissa Hyatt has blended emotional intelligence with a fierce drive to become one of the highest ranking police officers in Baltimore.
Even though she is diminutive in size, she never let that or her gender serve as an excuse for not achieving what she wanted to achieve. She credits valuing empathy and persistence as the reason that she's been able to get to where she is today--the highest ranking female in her agency.
Melissa joined the Baltimore Police Department in 1997. Her previous assignments include Chief of Staff to the Police Commissioner, Chief of Patrol, Area Commander, District Commander of the Central District, Executive Officer of the Southeastern District, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), District Patrol (Northwestern, Southwestern, and Northeastern), and Citywide Operations.
In her current role as Chief of the Special Operations Division, she commands the Tactical Section, the Communications Section, and Headquarters and City Hall Security.
In this conversation we talk about humility, leadership, grit, and what is required of people who serve our communities.
You can follow Melissa on Twitter (@ChiefMHyattBPD) and check out the work she does with the Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics.
Thanks for listening!
--Brian
Ben Olsen is the head coach of DC United. I have been fortunate to collaborate with Ben and get to know him as a coach, father, and human. He's an amazing guy. Ben is someone who has tremendous emotional intelligence and knows how to bring people with him on a journey.
Ben had tremendous success as a player. In 1997, he was named the Soccer Player of the Year for the season he had at University of Virginia. He then went on to have success at the pro level where he played with the team he is currently the coach of (DC United). As a player, he was part of two MLS Cup titles, was a two-time All-Star, was the MLS Cup MVP in 1999, and won the Rookie of the Year. He also earned 37 caps with the US men's national team and played in the 2006 world cup.
I have enjoyed getting to know Ben over the years and I know you will enjoy this conversation as well. We get into his upbringing, leadership, humility, culture, and how he used visualization to help him in his career.
Thanks so much to Ben for coming on.
Also, we are excited to tell you about our partnership with 2Betties. If you love healthy snacks or are looking for a healthy breakfast option, make sure to head over to their site and pick up your "rounds". Don't forget to enter promo code "INTENTIONAL" to get 15% off your first order!
Thanks to those who have already sponsored the show through our patreon page. Also, thanks to H&R Retail for their support and sponsoring this episode through our patreon page.
Hakim Warrick! If you went to Syracuse, like I did, this interview is going to be a trip down memory lane. If not, Hakim's story is still an incredible one. Hakim helped lead Syracuse University to a national championship, when I happened to be a freshman, and he probably had the most famous block in college basketball history--helping secure the win for his team.
In this conversation, Hakim will share his unexpected journey. He was a "late bloomer" both from a physical and skill stand-point, which impacted his high school experience. When he did develop he ended up at Syracuse University where his expectations quickly went from trying to "make it" at that level to knowing he could make an impact.
Hakim ended up having a very successful 4-year career at Syracuse which led to him being a first-round pick in the NBA. Hakim played 8 years in the league before playing overseas which he is currently doing as a professional.
As you will tell from this conversation, Hakim is a humble guy who has used systems and processes to get to where he is today. He had a vision of playing professionally when he was in 4th grade and was able to follow that vision all the way to the top of his profession.
Thanks to Hakim for coming on the podcast. And thanks to the Syracuse community for listening.
Hakim is not using social media as much these days but you can find him on Twitter and Instagram.
Twitter: @hdubb21
Instagram:@hdubb215
Lastly, we are excited to launch our partnership with 2Betties. If you love healthy snacks or are looking for a healthy breakfast option, make sure to head over to their site and pick up your "rounds". Don't forget to enter promo code "INTENTIONAL" to get 15% off your first order!
Also, please head over to our patreon page to support the podcast!
Thanks to Hakim for coming on the podcast.
Steve Schlafman is in transition. He worked at a Venture Capital (VC) firm for a number of years and recently decided to break off on his own. Before working as a VC he had jobs at places like Microsoft and The Kraft Group, and those experiences have left an impact on how Steve looks at his career. Steve is certainly passionate about technology, but he will also talk about relationships, habits, and how he is constantly searching for how he can be his best self.
He is mindful. He recently participated in a 10-day intensive meditation retreat, which he talks about in the podcast. He's a deep thinker. He recently did a "think week" where he unplugged from technology to dive into books, videos, and write about a number of topics. He is intentional. He has made shifts in his life when he looked in the mirror and felt like he needed to make a change. He also will talk about some of the challenges in his life including ADHD, anxiety, and he will share what went into his decision to not drink alcohol anymore.
In this episode, we focus on the present--where he is right now, while also getting a sense of how he got to this point.
You can learn more about Steve at the following places:
Twitter: @schlaf
Insta: @schlaf
Medium: schlaf.me
Lastly, we are excited to launch our partnership with 2Betties. If you love healthy snacks or are looking for a healthy breakfast option, make sure to head over to their site and pick up your "rounds". Don't forget to enter promo code "INTENTIONAL" to get 15% off your first order!
Also, please head over to our patreon page to support the podcast!
Thanks so much to Steve for coming on the podcast!
--Brian
Candace Parker is one of the best basketball players to ever lace up their sneakers. In high school, Candace won the 2003 and 2004 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Following high school, Candace attended powerhouse University Tennessee where she continued to drastically impact women's basketball as the team won back to back championships her Sophomore and Junior year. She won player of the year honors in college before becoming the first pick of the WNBA draft.
Candace continued her elite performance upon getting to the WNBA. She is a 2X WNBA MVP, is a 4X all-star, and helped lead her team to a WNBA champion in 2016 where she was named the Finals MVP. She has won gold medals and has received a number of other accolades. She has also had a lot of success overseas and currently is playing in China.
Ok. So, while her resume is clearly impressive, what I enjoyed most was learning about how reflective Candace is in regard to her own personal growth. In this conversation, she shares how she studied and observed Kobe Bryant, to learn about his process for greatness. She also discusses how journaling has helped her develop and reach her goals throughout her career. She mentions mentors and people who have also helped nudge her to fulfill her potential and the gratitude she has for those people.
Thanks to Candace for being so generous with her time and being vulnerable enough to share some of her strengths and weaknesses and how she is continuing to grow. If you want to learn more about Candace you can go to her website: http://candaceparker.com/.
Also, Candace mentioned The Pat Summit Foundation which is working to end Alzheimer’s disease.
Twitter: @Candace_Parker
Instagram: @CandaceParker
Lastly, we are excited to launch our partnership with 2Betties. If you love healthy snacks or are looking for a healthy breakfast option, make sure to head over to their site and pick up your "rounds". Don't forget to enter promo code "INTENTIONAL" to get 15% off your first order!
Also, please head over to our patreon page to support the podcast!
Thanks to Candace for coming on and all the best on this season.
Jon Gordon is a best-selling author and keynote speaker who has impacted some of the most successful organizations in the world.
His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 15 books including 5 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First and The Power of Positive Leadership.
Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy and more.
Jon is a passionate guy who was generous enough to chat with a stranger. In this conversation, we talk about his writing process, how he helps organizations cultivate culture, and what he thinks is most important to being our best self. We will also talk about how to handle failure and how the best leaders inspire their people.
Jon is a graduate of Cornell University, where he played lacrosse and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.
Jon is a great follow on twitter: @JonGordon11
You can also go to his website:www.JonGordon.com
Also, we are excited to tell you about our partnership with 2Betties. If you love healthy snacks or are looking for a healthy breakfast option, make sure to head over to their site and pick up your "rounds". Don't forget to enter promo code "INTENTIONAL" to get 15% off your first order!
Thanks to those who have already sponsored the show through our patreon page.
Special thanks to @TDOgden and Blue Ivy Partners for their support. Blue Ivy works with early-stage product companies in security, big data and networking, to help them match their products with Federal customers who must innovate because they have urgent missions. Key partnerships are with Carbon Black, Corelight and Data Robot. Follow them on Twitter: @BlueIvyPartners.
Thanks to everyone for their continued support and thanks to Jon for coming on the podcast.
Elton Brand had an NBA career that spanned 16 1/2 years. During that time, he was a two-time all-star and one of the top power forwards in the league. He entered the league as the first overall pick in 1999 where he became the co-rookie of the year. Before that, he had an illustrious career at Duke University.
In this conversation, we talk about Elton's mindset growing up and how his Mom helped him become the man he is today. We will also get into the weeds on Elton's best year in the NBA and how his mindset helped him average 24.7 points per game and 10 rebounds per game. Elton was obsessed with trying to be the best player he could be and that season was the tipping point for how he thought about his performance.
Today, Elton serves as the General Manager of the Delaware 87ers and also works with the Philadelphia 76ers front office.
Elton's a warm guy, who makes people feel important when they talk to him. He's thoughtful, humble, and has a great sense of who he is and who he wants to be. His character is what helped him have a long career and has also helped him transition out of playing.
Elton is involved with Team Impact, which was actually co-founded by one of our former guests, Kris Herman.
Lastly, we are excited to launch our partnership with 2Betties. If you love healthy snacks or are looking for a healthy breakfast option, make sure to head over to their site and pick up your "rounds". Don't forget to enter promo code "INTENTIONAL" to get 15% off your first order!
Also, please head over to our patreon page to support the podcast!
Thanks to Elton for coming on and thanks to all of you for listening.
Brian
I was introduced to Yael by our previous guest, Joanna Lohman. And I am so happy we were able to connect.
Yael is a professional soccer player, about to enter her 10th season as a pro. She's played all around the U.S. and the world and enjoys sharing her journey through the sport as well as encouraging young players to set goals to own their personal development. Yael also played college soccer at University of North Carolina, which is one of the most storied NCAA teams in the country. Yael will talk about her experience at UNC and how it impacted her development as a player.
She recently launched Techne Futbol, a training app to help players sharpen their individual skills.
Yael is a deep thinker who has used hard work to fulfill her potential. Although I don't think she would ever say that she has fulfilled her potential as she is always focused on constant improvement. That mindset has helped her get to where she is today.
You can learn more about her at www.yaelaverbuch.com and Techne Futbol at www.technefutbol.com.
You can also check her out on social media:
Personal - Twitter: @Yael_Averbuch Instagram: @yaelaverbuch Facebook: facebook.com/yaelaverbuch Business - Twitter: @TechneFutbol Instagram: @TechneFutbol Facebook: facebook.com/technefutbol Thanks to Yael for coming on the podcast and thanks to all of you for listening in 2017!
-Brian
Hi All,
Excited to share this bonus episode with you on this special holiday!
As you chow down on some delicious food and hopefully watch some great football, we are all reminded to ask the question; what are you grateful for?
As we wind down the podcast in 2017, I want to sincerely thank each of you for taking the time to listen!
More to come in 2018!
With Love,
Brian
Kris Herman is the Head softball coach and an assistant athletic director at Williams College. Before working at Williams, she spent 17 years at Tufts University as an Assistant coach before becoming the head coach of both softball and volleyball. She is now in her 15th year at Williams as their head softball coach.
700+ softball wins and four world series appearances later she has established herself as one of the top coaches in all of sport. Yet, as you’ll find out in this conversation, Kris talks more about her processes than her accolades. She is extremely thoughtful and innovative when it comes to how she interacts with and develops young people and teams. In this episode, she will give tangible ideas and tools that have helped her become the coach she is today. She is extremely intentional about the work she does with her athletes, and just as importantly, the work she does on herself.
Kris is more than a coach. She is the founder of Team IMPACT (www.goteamimpact.org), which is a non-profit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses to local college athlete teams, forming life-long bonds and life-changing outcomes. She is also involved with ONE Softball (www.onesoftball.com), which is a free community aimed to help share information on softball, character development and recruiting. Lastly, she is the owner of Go Team Coaching (https://goteamcoaching.com/), where she blogs about all things coaching.
You can also check her out on social media:
twitter: go team coaching, @gt3coaching
instagram: williams_college_softball
fb: WilliamsSoftball
To say that Kris is intentional is an understatement. She is extremely conscientious and has developed championship systems to develop people and athletes. This conversation is loaded with wisdom so please share it with your social networks.
Thanks to Kris for coming on and enjoy the episode.
-Brian
I was introduced to Rais Bhuiyan randomly. As I was leaving a meeting with one of my clients, he introduced me to Rais and I was blown away by his story, as you will be too. Rais has an incredible story to tell. But, what is amazing about Rais is not just what happened to him, but how he used the obstacles and hate he experienced, to create growth opportunities.
A bit more about Rais. He is a Bangladeshi American working as a technology professional in Dallas. He also served in the Bangladesh Air Force, so he is a performer in a number of ways. He left Bangladesh to move to New York City to study computer technology and then found himself in Dallas, Texas where he was employed at a gas station. After the September 11 terror attacks, Mark Anthony Stroman walked up to that gas-station and shot Rais in the face. Incredibly, Rais survived but lost sight in one of his eyes. What happened next is incredible.
Compassion. Empathy. Power. All extremely impactful words. All of those words are part of Rais' story. But, this is also a story about love and how to have an impact on the world. Rais is on a mission. He lives intentionally. He wants to make the world a better place. And he is.
To learn more about Rais you can check him out here:
http://worldwithouthate.org/
Twitter: @Rais4peace , @WWHforgive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldwithouthate?fref=ts
Thanks to Rais for coming on and being so open.
Thanks to all of you for your continued support!
Brian
Today we chat with Steve Campbell, who is co-founder and CEO of The Ascent.
Prior to breaking off on his own, Steve was the 10th employee at Vayner Media where he helped that company grow to what is now a 700 person company. Steve is a personal brand consultant and he helps people build communities. He has also walked the walk, as he has built an only community of over 34,000 people on Medium where people document their personal journeys (stories, experiences, life lessons, etc.).
In this episode Steve goes into greater detail about his journey, the lessons he's learned from being around some of the top social media experts in the world, and his decision-making process that led to him taking massive risks in his career. Steve is a caring guy who really values helping people. He wants to make an impact on the world while still cherishing the things he values most.
If you didn't know by now, Steve is also very active on social media.
http://facebook.com/imstevecampbell,
http://instagram.com/imstevecampbell,
http://twitter.com/steve_campbell,
http://linkedin.com/in/imstevecampbell
Make sure to give him a follow and share this episode with your network.
Thanks to Steve for coming on the podcast!
--Brian (@brianlevenson)
Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. is co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He is also co-founder of the Boston University CTE Center and the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, a collaboration with Boston University and the US Department of Veterans Affairs, where he currently serves as the outreach, recruitment, education, and public policy leader.
Chris has quite a story to tell. He was an elite athlete in high school, but that certainly was not his only identity. He excelled in the classroom, theater, and also participated in academic competitions.
Excelling in football and school led him to Harvard University where he was an All-Ivy defensive tackle. After college, he tried out and ended up breaking through as a professional wrestler with WWE. It was during his time at the WWE where he experienced a concussion that ended his wrestling career. That concussion sparked his journey into finding out more about concussions and learning everything he could about them.
Chris is interested in psychology, sociology, and neurology, and how all three impact human life. He's a risk taker and purpose-driven person, who believes in hard science and data to make decisions. It’s clear that his curiosity and persistence has helped him change how we view concussions. For that, I know I am grateful for all of the work that he has done and continues to do.
You can read Chris' book Head Games and he's active on social media:
Twitter: @ChrisNowinski1 @ConcussionLF
Facebook: @nowinski.christopher @ConcussionFoundation
Instagram: @christophernowinski @concussionfoundation
You can also check out the work that Chris and his colleagues are doing at the ConcussionFoundation.
Thanks to Chris for coming on the show and hope everyone is now a little bit more informed as a result of this conversation.
Today's intentional performer is Bob Bordone.
Bob is the Thaddeus R. Beal Clinical professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the Founding Director of the Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program. He teaches several courses at Harvard Law School including the school’s flagship Negotiation Workshop. Bob also teaches in the Harvard Negotiation Institute and the Harvard Program on Negotiation’s Senior Executive Education seminars.
As a professional facilitator and conflict resolution consultant, Bob works with individual and corporate clients across a spectrum of industries. He specializes in dispute systems design and in assisting individuals and groups seeking to manage conflicts in highly sensitive, emotional, or difficult situations. His corporate clients have included Premera Blue Cross, Health Net, Gap, Inc., Fidelity Investments, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Exelon, and Microsoft. In addition, he has worked on projects with nonprofit, educational, governmental and cultural institutions such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Massachusetts General Hospital, Princeton Regional Schools, Dartmouth College, Fort Wayne, Indiana Schools, the U.S. Department of Justice, the United Way, the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Seeds of Peace, and the Vienna School of Economics and Business Administration.
His resume is obviously impressive, but in this conversation you will get real insight into how Bob sees the world and how he thinks about negotiation. He is authentic and curious. He's a teacher at his core, but he also is a learner. He is constantly searching for how he can impact the world. We get into the art of negotiation, we find out his journey to Harvard, and we learn about how he integrates other fields into his process for negotiation.
He believes it's essential to be intentional throughout the negotiation process and he is certainly an intentional performer.
Twitter is the best place to connect with Bob so make sure to give him a follow there: @bobbordone.
Thanks to Bob for coming on!
Today's podcast is rich. Rich in nuance, dialogue, and amazing content. I am so excited to share it with you.
Megan Phelps-Roper was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church, the Topeka, Kansas church known internationally for its daily public protests against members of the LGBT community, Jews, the military, and countless others. As a child, teenager and early 20-something, she participated in the picketing almost daily and pioneered the use of social media in the church. Dialogue with "enemies" online proved instrumental in her de-radicalization, and she left the church and her entire way of life in November 2012. Since then she has become an advocate for people and ideas she was taught to despise -- especially the value of empathy in dialogue with people across ideological lines.
In this conversation, we go deep into her story and the challenging decision to leave her family and the church. We also talk about the power of empathy, social media, and how we can get people to change how they see the world. Megan also shares how she set her mind when she was protesting and how she sets her mind today, as she travels the country speaking about her experience.
Megan's a deep thinker. She is extremely well read. She's caring. And most importantly, she's a lifelong learner. I hope you can deeply listen to her message, and understand where she is coming from, and what she is going toward.
Megan has an incredible Ted Talk that has over 4 million views. She has a forthcoming memoir and movie that is currently titled, This Above All.
She is extremely active on social media.....
Twitter: @MeganPhelps
Instagram: @MeganMarie
Thanks so much to Megan for coming on!
I am so pumped for today's episode. It's the first time we interview two performers at the same time, and I couldn't think of two people who would be better to chat with. Kyle Maynard and Jeff Gum are best friends. They travel the world together and have a cool attire company called Loud Mouth Patriot.
Kyle is a motivational speaker, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and ESPY award-winning mixed martial arts athlete, known for becoming the first quadruple amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Aconcagua without the aid of prosthetics.
Jeff Gum had a ten-year career with Naval Special Warfare where he was a proven leader, mentor, and instructor focused on teamwork, innovation, and strategic planning within the NSW Community.
To be blunt, Kyle and Jeff are both awe-inspiring, friendly, thoughtful, bad-asses, who I am so excited to share with you.
In this conversation, we talk about mantras, breathing techniques, and all of the different ways that Jeff and Kyle set their mind to perform tough tasks. You are going to love their friendship and their perspective on the world.
Make sure to follow Jeff on Instagram (@JeffGum) and Kyle on Instagram (@KyleMaynard) and Twitter (@KyleMaynard) and you can also check out his website: www.kyle-maynard.com.
Thanks to both of them for coming on and please make sure to share this episode with friends/family and your social media!
Talk soon,
Brian
Paxton Baker is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, who has served in the entertainment, music, sports and production industries for over 30 years.
He is a minority owner of the Washington Nationals Baseball club and currently serves as chairman of the Washington Nationals Founding Partners Group. In 2015, he became a partner in the ownership group of the Washington Kastles World Team Tennis League. He is also a governing Board Member of the Global Sports Summit.
For nearly 15 years, Baker was President of BET Event Productions, which produced music festivals, TV awards shows, specials and concerts throughout the world. While at BET, Baker produced several major award shows including the BET Experience (2014-2015), Soul Train Awards (2009-2014), The Source Awards (2006-2007) and Billboard Jazz Awards (2001).
In this conversation, we learn about Paxton's journey, what he does daily and weekly to be the best version of himself, and get insight into how sees the world. Paxton is also an athlete; he plays competitive basketball during the warm months in DC and canoes with a team in the cold months. He's extremely diligent and disciplined and intentional with his decisions. Paxton is rich with story, theory, and is extremely clear about how his thinking impacts his behavior.
To learn more about Paxton you can follow him on twitter @PaxtonKBaker and on Instagram @PaxtonKBaker and @PittWarrior.
Thanks so much to Paxton for coming on.
If you enjoyed this episode, please share on social media and write us a review on itunes.
Thanks for listening!
Chris Grant works as a scout for the San Antonio Spurs and was previously the General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Assistant General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks.
Chris is a learner. He's constantly studying the best organizations in the world to figure out how to develop culture, people, and leaders. He has a Masters in leadership and has spent time studying some of the best organizations in the world.
In this conversation, we talk about the importance of values and how values drive culture. We discuss leadership and what it takes to transform lives. He also shares why he thinks it's so important to develop "people" instead of just "athletes".
Chris will share his journey to the NBA and the different roles that he has had in the NBA. One of Chris' best qualities is his thirst for information and how curiosity has helped him grow his career.
Thanks to Chris for coming on the podcast!
Hi Everyone,
This episode is a little different. It’s shorter and it’s just with Brian. The purpose is to give a “State of the Union” in order to update you on the podcast. The first update is that we are changing the name of the podcast to "Intentional Performers with Brian Levenson". We have discussed this for some time now and think it's time to make an intentional shift. We are really excited about the change and think it will serve you, the listener.
We also are going to consciously sift each episode for great gems from guests where they share an intentional act that they did in their journey to help them get where they are today. The hope is that you can learn from these intentional performers and think about how you are, and how you can be, intentional with not just your performance, but your life.
You will notice a lot of changes coming to the podcast. We have gotten terrific feedback from you and we want to make the show as helpful as possible. I also recently hired a producer (Michael Yoder with Truth Work Media), who is helping me design and develop the best podcast possible.
I am truly grateful for all of you who are listening! It truly means a ton to me. As we continue to make the podcast as professional as possible, we need your help as well. If you could share episodes on social media and write us a review on itunes, it really helps us grow our community. Anything you can do is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all of the guests who have come on the show and thanks to all of you for listening!
Look forward to hearing from you all as we continue to be intentional with the show!
Talk soon,
Brian Levenson
Jake Sherman is a senior writer for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics. Jake is the top congressional reporter on Capitol Hill and has built a career on landing hard-to-get scoops. Since 2009, Jake has chronicled all of the major legislative battles on Capitol Hill, and has also traveled the country to cover the battle for control of Congress.
In this conversation, Jake discusses his mindset, his journey, and how he thinks about the complexities of his job. Jake is a hard worker, a go-getter, and someone who has become an expert at the craft of reporting.
Jake is extremely active on Twitter so make sure to give him a follow there as well: @JakeSherman and in the future check out his book A Hill to Die On, which will be out in 2019.
Please share this episode on social media and remember to subscribe and write a review for the podcast on itunes!
Thanks for listening.
Today, we talk with Rebecca Scritchfield. Rebecca is a well-being coach, registered dietitian nutritionist, and certified health and fitness specialist. Through her weight-neutral Body Kindness practice, she helps people create a better life with workable, interesting self-care goals. She has influenced millions through her writing, podcast, and appearances in over 100 media outlets including NBC Nightly News, CNN, the Today show, the Washington Post, O Magazine, Health, Shape, and many others.
Rebecca also wrote the book, Body Kindness, which takes a holistic approach to nutrition. The book really reflects Rebecca's philosophy that health transformation occurs from the inside out.
In this conversation, we discuss the mentality of an athlete, what it means to live a healthy life, and we explore Rebecca's journey and career. Rebecca's journey blends small town values with big city dreams. She is extremely hard working, very well educated, and someone who cares deeply about helping people be their best self. She also talks about the importance of being useful and valued to people and how that has influenced her career. You will enjoy Rebecca's energy, vulnerability, and creativity as she shares her knowledge on nutrition.
Rebecca is also active on social media. You can follow her on Twitter: @ScritchfieldRD, on Instagram: @Rebeccascritchfield, and her website.
Thanks to Rebecca for coming on and thanks to all of you for listening!
On this episode I chat with Adell Harris. Adell is a strong woman who has not just survived adversity, but thrived from her adversity. Adell has been a victim of sexual abuse, was raised in a chaotic household, and has lost a number of important people in her life. But, that's just part of her story.
Adell played division 1 basketball at Wake Forest University and had a 14 year coaching career that led her to become the head coach of UNC Wilmington at the age of 31. She recently resigned from her post as head coach to pursue her dream of being a public speaker where she leverages story to help people make adversity their advantage.
There are a number of labels that Adell could use to describer herself, but as you will find in this conversation, using just one word would not do justice to who she is. She is authentic, passionate, inspiring, and fearless. I truly enjoyed this conversation with Adell and I know you will too.
To learn more about Adell check out her website: http://rtladell.com and follow her on Twitter:@RTL_AdellHarris.
If you enjoy this podcast, please make sure to subscribe on Itunes and share on social media. Thanks to Adell and thanks for listening!
Today we chat with Justin Su'a. Justin is a mental performance coach with the Cleveland Browns and Boston Red Sox. Justin also was a division 1 baseball player at Brigham Young University.
This conversation gets into the power of ambition, self-belief, and how mindset impacts performance. Justin has an incredible way with words and is a tremendous story-teller. He leverages stories to help others create clarity around how to achieve their dream. At his core, Justin is a teacher.
Justin is the type of person who you feel like you know from the moment you meet him. He's warm, caring, and extremely thoughtful. That will come across in this conversation. He is one of the most respected people in the world of Sport Psychology and he is extremely generous with giving back to the field.
In this conversation, we dive into faith, culture, business, and human performance and I know you will enjoy hearing Justin's story.
Also, Justin has a great podcast called Increase Your Impact. He is also a great follow on Twitter and Instagram @Justinsua.
Ron Paul is someone I have always admired and looked up to. Ron is a classy man, a terrific father, and an extremely successful businessman. Ron is a humble man but his accomplishments include being named “Community Banker of the Year” for the Eastern Region, by the Independent Community Bankers of America, Named by Washington Business Journal as a member of the Washington, DC area “Power 100”, and being inducted into the “Washington Business Hall of Fame”.
Yet, while his accolades in business are many, he brims with pride when talking about his family and the philanthropic work he has done to fight kidney disease and different forms of cancer.
Ron is a high character human who has faced all kinds of set-backs in his life, yet he maintains a strong sense of self and understanding of his values.
If you want to learn more about his work in fighting kidney disease you can check out the Ron & Joy Paul Kidney Center here.
Thanks to Ron for the time and being so open.
This week's podcast was with a longtime friend, Martin Bahar. We went to elementary school and grew up playing sports together. Martin has always been someone who valued hard work and improvement. As a kid, every year he got better and better at basketball. Today, he is a charismatic guy who can connect with just about anyone.
Martin is an assistant coach with the men's basketball team at the University of Southern California. Martin has been coaching for over a decade and his coaching journey has taken him all over the country. Because I am in the basketball community, I am constantly meeting people who know and love Martin. He's a special guy.
In this conversation, we talk about building relationships, dealing with distractions, and team culture. Martin is also a great follow on Twitter: @MShoneBahar. Lastly, Martin is very involved with the Leukemia Lymphoma society where he raises money in honor of his late sister (Maddie). Thanks so much to Martin for coming on!
Today we go beyond the surface with Dave Smith. Dave was the Canisius College men's ice hockey coach for 12 seasons. At Canisius, he built the Men's Ice Hockey program to a number 25 ranking among Division I NCAA Men's Ice Hockey teams. Dave guided Canisius to a 21-11-7 record this season and was named the Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year after winning the program's first regular-season title. He led the Golden Griffins to three straight trips to Atlantic Hockey Championship weekend for the first time in school history, including consecutive appearances in the title game and the team's first crown in 2013. The program has also received national attention with its graduates having unprecedented success at the professional level.
Dave recently took the job at RPI and this episode will give you great insight into what he values, looks for, and hopes to build at RPI. Dave also had a long professional hockey career which took him all over North America. Dave and I talk about mindset, leadership, growing and developing.
You can learn more about Dave and the RPI hockey team by following him on Twitter: @RPI_hcky_Coach.
Today we go beyond the surface with Joanna Lohman. Joanna is a professional soccer player with the Washington Spirit. Lohman was captain of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2002–2003 and was the first four-time First Team All-Big Ten selection in the school's history. She earned a 3.98 GPA while obtaining her business degree at Penn State, resulting in her also being a four-time Academic All-American. In 2004, she was named Pennsylvania's NCAA Woman of the Year.
Joanna also helped launch an organization called GO! Athletes that aims encourage schools to create safer spaces for lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and questioning athletes.
Joanna is Vice President of Tenant Consulting, LLC, a commercial real estate firm in the Washington DC area. She helped create the first "carbon neutral calculator" for office buildings, resulting in an invitation to meet former Vice President Al Gore.
As you will hear, Joanna is extremely thoughtful and passionate about her professiona career. She believes in serving others by inspiring them to be the best version of themselves. I also recommend giving Joanna a follow on twitter: @JoannaLohman.
Thanks so much to Joanna for coming on the show!
Today I go beyond the surface with Darris Nichols. Darris is an assistant coach with University of Florida Men's basketball. Darris has also coached at many other schools. Before coaching, he was a standout guard at West Virginia Universit where he was a four-year letterwinner under legendary coaches, Bob Huggins and John Beilien.
Nichols, a native of Radford, Va., shined as a player in the Big East. He scored 993 career points and dished 399 assists while shooting at a .375 clip from 3-point range. He averaged 10.7 points per game as well as 3.2 assists per game as a senior on the way to WVU’s Sweet 16 run. He was also a member of the 2007 NIT Championship, 2006 Sweet 16 and 2005 Elite Eight teams and finished his collegiate career as a top five most winningest player in Mountaineer history.
As you will hear, Darris has been greatly impacted by people in his life who worked hard and he takes that work-ethic with him as a coach. He also values relationships and the ability to connect with the players he serves. Darris is adaptable, warm, humble, and extremely intentional with his decision making.
Darris is a great follow on twitter: @CoachNice14. Thanks to Darris for coming on the show.
Today we go beyond the surface with Ethan Zohn. Ethan has many chapters in his story. He played professional soccer, won $1,000,000 on the hit TV show Survivor, and is a cancer survivor, or thriver as we discuss in this episode.
Ethan’s journey starts in the Northeast but has taken him all over the world. One of the places that has had a big influence on his life is Afirca, as he spent time there as a professional soccer player and a competitor on Survivor. That time inspired him to co-found Grassroots Soccer, who’s mission is to "mobilize the global soccer community to combat the AIDS epidemic in Africa.”
Ethan will discuss how his experiences have greatly impacted how he sees the world and given him tremendous purpose in his life. Thanks to Ethan for being so vulnerable, especially with a stranger, and sharing your journey. If you want to follow Ethan on Twitter feel free to do so @EthanZohn and check out all the great work Grassroots Soccer is doing https://www.grassrootsoccer.org/.
Today we go beyond the surface with Maggie Lucas. Maggie is a professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Maggie also attended Penn State University where she was 2X Big Ten Player of the year and an All-American.
While Maggie has certainly had an accomplished career, in this episode she will also talk about some of the challenges she has faced along the way. Maggie has torn her ACL twice since becoming a pro and has had to develop a tremendous mindset to deal with that adversity. Maggie will also talk about how her mindset has changed through the years.
Thanks so much to Maggie for coming on and if you want to learn more about her feel free to follow her on Twitter @MaggieLucas33.
Laron Profit played professional basketball for over 10 years. He played for the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers and also played for teams all over the world. Laron was fortunate to have his career journey cross paths with two of the most mentally strong athletes of all-time: Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. After finishing his career he went on to coach with the Orlando Magic for a number of years before making the decision to get out of coaching to take a job with the Jordan Brand clothing company. At Jordan Brand Laron works hand in hand with some of the greatest athletes in both basketball and football.
Laron is an extremely thoughtful guy. During this episode he will talk about his journey, what he learned along the way, and how he continues to develop his mindset every day. We talk about the importance of self-talk, interpretation, and preparation. I know you will enjoy Laron’s perspective
If you want to follow Laron on Twitter you can do so @Profit4eva. But, full disclosure, Laron said he checks it sparingly!
Jesse Itzler wears many hats. He’s a former rapper, entrepreneur, and author. As a rapper he reached #74 on the billboard top 100, he wrote the NY Knicks theme song “Go NY Go”, and has written and produced songs for a number of companies. As an entrepreneur he co-founded Marquis jets which was later acquired by NetJets, he partnered with Coconut Water company, Zico which he helped sell to Coca Cola. Jesse is also a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks.
As an author he wrote a New York Times bestselling book called Living with a Seal: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet. I read the book and found it to be funny, inspirational, and just terrific story-telling. I highly recommend it. Jesse is a high energy guy who is a person of action. He is obsessed with fitness and completed an Ultra Marathon competition where he completed 100 miles run in 24 hours.
If you want to learn more about Jesse you can follow him on Twitter: @the100MileMan. Jesse also has a terrific Facebook group that challenges people to push their fitness limits called: we do hard stuff.
Thanks so much to Jesse for coming on.
Adrianne Haslet's life changed on April 15th, 2013. As Adrianne watched the Boston Marathon participants finish their grueling 26.2 miles she heard an explosion and her life was forever changed. Adrianne lost her leg that day. The leg that she had relied on to become one of the best dancers in the world. Her life was forever changed.
In this conversation we unpack that faithful day, but much of our conversation is about the rest of Adrianne's life. Who she is. Who she was. And who she is constantly aspiring to be. Adrianne's willingness to make herself vulnerable leads to conversations about her battles with perfectionism, post traumatic stress, and the everyday challenges of living with a prosthetic leg.
This conversation is really about a strong, independent, constantly evolving, curious, and driven woman, who aspires to be successful at whatever she does. Adrianne values challenges and inspires through her actions. She is honest and brave, and flawed like all of us. Thanks to Adrianne for coming on the podcast and sharing her journey with a stranger. Definitely give Adrianne a follow on Twitter: @AdrianneHaslet.
Today we go beyond the surface with Hernando Planells. Hernando is the associate head coach with Duke University's women's baskebtall team. Hernando's journey is anything but linear. Basketball has taken him all over the world and his entrepreneurial spirit can be heard throughout our conversation. Hernando is not just a coach. He also has a company that puts on workshops to develop leadership, communication, and culture, predominantly by using improv. You can also check out his podcast here. Lastly, he's a great follow on Twitter @hernandojr.
Planells has one of the most diverse backgrounds in basketball in both coaching and player development. He has coached at every level including a stint with the Maine Red Claws from 2010-11 of the NBA Development League. As an assistant coach, he was in charge of player development, scouting and did on-court coaching. He helped develop Boston Celtics No. 1 draft pick Avery Bradley and NBA D-League Rookie of the Year DeShawn Sims. Planells has also spoken at coaching clinics and conducts player development camps all over the United States and in countries such as Japan, Philippines, Australia, Switzerland and Taiwan. In 2011, he founded ELITE athlete training, which specialized in personal training and consulting services for athletes. Through his work with ELITE, he trained and assisted over 100 athletes reach their goal of gaining a college scholarship or playing professionally.
From 2005-10, Planells served as a scout for Marty Blake, who is the Director of Scouting for the NBA. In his role as a scout, Planells put together scouting reports evaluating NBA prospects which were circulated to every NBA general manager and player personnel director.
In 2008, Planells returned to the United States after serving as head coach of the Ryukyu Golden Kings, an expansion team that is a part of the BJ League (Basketball Japan). For the 2006-07 season, he served as the head basketball coach for The Hollywood Fame, a team that participated in the American Basketball Association (ABA).
In 2005, Planells was named the first head coach of the Wyoming Golden Eagles out of the All-American Professional Basketball League. At that time, the 28-year-old was the youngest professional basketball coach in the country.
From 2003-05, Planells served as the assistant coach in charge of offense for Citrus College, one of the top community colleges in the state of California. Other coaching stops include a stint as the head varsity coach at Los Angeles High School (1998-2000), Immaculate Heart High School (1996-97) in Tucson, Ariz., and as an assistant at Monrovia High School (1995-96).
Thanks to Hernando for coming on the podcast.
Today we go beyond the surface with Coach Jessica Kern. Coach Kern is the head women's basketball coach at Tennessee State University. Coach Kern has a terrific way with words, is super engaging, and has an incredible and irregular story. She will discuss her path to coaching, what it was like to growing up around basketball, and how sport psychology helped her excel as a college track athlete and in the future as a pro basketball player.
Before taking the job at Tennessee State she was the head coach at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU).
Prior to taking over the program at MVSU, Kern was an assistant coach at Furman University following a four-year stretch as head coach at NCAA Division II Lincoln (Pa.) University.
In 2014-15, she was named Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Coach of the Year after leading her squad to a 22-9 mark and a share of the CIAA Northern Division title.
Taking over a Lincoln program in 2011 that had won just three games the previous season, Kern coached the Lady Lions to seven wins in her first season, 10 victories the following year, and to a 12-16 mark in 2013-14 before posting a 22-9 record in her final season.
The 22 wins was a school record and carried Lincoln to a CIAA Tournament championship game appearance. She also guided Lincoln to the program's first win over a Division I opponent, a 94-86 triumph over Morgan State.
Before accepting the head coaching position at Lincoln, she served as an assistant coach and media specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, immediately following a two-year period (2008-10) as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Thanks to Coach Kern for coming on the podcast! You can give her a follow on twitter: @Coach_Jkern.
Today I go beyond the surface with Alan Stein, Jr. Alan is a basketball performance coach, corporate speaker, and podcast host. He is currently the director of basketball for pure sweat. We discuss how passion and purpose drive motivation, the pitfalls of grinding, how to be fearless without being complacent, and many more concepts. As you will hear in the podcast, Alan and I have similar thoughts on how to maximize a human's ability to perform!
Alan has over 15 years of experience working with elite high school, college and NBA players including work for the Nike Skills Academies, McDonald’s All-American game, Jordan Brand Classic, NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp and the CP3 Elite Guard Camp.
As you will hear in our conversation, Alan has developed a passion for delivering high-energy keynote performances to develop genuine leadership, authentic team cohesion and true mental toughness.
You can check out Alan's podcast here, his website here, and give him a follow on twitter here.
Thanks to Alan for being so generous with his time!
On today's podcast I chat with Cam Lynch. Cam is a professional football player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cam starred at Syracuse University and also excelled in track and field in high school. Cam will talk about his mindset for performance and how that has been cultivated throughout his life. Thank you Cam for coming on the show and make sure to follow Cam on Twitter @CameronLynch50.
In today's podcast I chat with Paul Goldstein. Paul is the Taube Family Director of Men's tennis at Stanford University. Paul also had a successful playing career where he at one point was ranked the 58th best tennis player in the world. Paul played professionally for 10 years and before that had a tremendously successful career while playing at Stanford. Additionally, Paul also spend significant time in the corporate world after his playing days. For all of those reasons, and many more, Paul made a fantastic guest on the podcast.
Thanks to Paul for coming on the podcast. If you want to see how his team is doing, you can give Stanford Men's tennis a follow on Twitter: @StanfordTennis.
Today I go Beyond the Surface with professional runner, Heather Kampf. Heather talks about her mindset for performance and how she prepares for the day of a meet. Heather also talks about her run in 2008 where she fell in the middle of the race, got up, and won the race.
Heather is an American middle-distance runner and four-time United States National Champion in the 1 mile road race
While at the University of Minnesota Kampf became the schools most decorated women's track and field athlete in history earning All-American honors eight-times, holding ten school records and becoming the only Golden Gopher to compete in every NCAA championship in cross country, indoor and outdoor track during her time at the university.
As a freshman in 2006 Kampf was the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champion in the 800 meter race. In 2008 Kampf won the University of Minnesota's Golden Goldy female athlete of the year award.
You can follow Heather on Twitter @HeatherRaeKampf and check out her website: www.heatherkampf.blogspot.com
Today I go Beyond the Surface with professional football player, Bishop Sankey. Bishop was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Before the NFL, Bishop played collegiately at the University of Washington. He carried the ball 644 times for 3,496 yards (third-most in Huskies’ history) and scored 37 touchdowns on the ground, while also adding 567 yards and one more score on 67 receptions (8.46 ypc) and 134 yards on seven kickoff returns (19.14 avg) for a total of 4,197 all-purpose yards (110.45 ypg). In 2013, with a 200-yard game against Washington State in the Apple Cup, he finished the game and the regular season with 1,775 yards for the season, breaking Corey Dillon’s 1996 record of 1,695 yards. On the same play on which he passed Dillon, a seven-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, he also broke Napoleon Kaufman’s school career rushing touchdowns record, with his 35th.
Last year Bishop was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots and he is now on the Minnesota Vikings.
Give Bishop a follow on Twitter @BishopSankey.
Blake Baratz is an NFL agent and the founder of the Institute for Athletes. Blake represents a number of prominent NFL players and represents Jonathan Allen from the University of Alabama, who will most likely be a top 5 pick in next week's NFL draft.
In our conversation, Blake talks about his childhood and how sports played a major role in his identity. He reminisces about being a collegiate tennis player and the lessons he learned from competing at a high level. And we discuss his mindset on creating a company from scratch and how he has built a company to represent his values.
Blake is an incredible Twtter follow so I recommend you check him out there as well @BlakeBaratz.
Today I go beyond the surface with professional kicker, Brad Craddock. Brad is an accomplished football kicker. He set records at the University of Maryland for most consecutive made field goals (24) and longest made field goal (57 yards). During his Junior year he won the Lou Groza award, which is awarded to the nation's best collegiate placekicker.
Brad is currently pursuing a career as an NFL kicker. You can follow him on Twitter @BradCrad.
Thanks to Brad for coming on the podcast!
Today I go Beyond the Surface with Jon Wallace. Jon ended up starting every game of his career (136), was part of four teams that went to the postseason, including three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, won back-to-back BIG EAST Regular Season titles (2006-07, 2007-08) and a BIG EAST Tournament Championship (2006-07). He ranks third all-timee in career starts at Georgetown and the Hoyas won 100 games during his four-year career.
For his career, Wallace averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 assists and hit 240 3-point field goals, the latter mark which stood as the school record until the 2015-16 season. He ranks No. 24 all-time in scoring (1,256 points), third in 3-point field goal percentage (43.4%), fifth in free throw percentage (82.1%) and ninth all-time in assists (378).
Jon went on to play professional basketball for 8 years, where he played in the NBA D-League and all over the world.
Thanks so much to Jon for coming on the podcast!
Davy Arnaud played Major League Soccer (MLS) for 14 years. Throughout his career Davy was known as a competitor who helped his teams make winning plays. Today Davy is an assistant coach with the Houston Dynamo.
In this episode Davy discusses his journey, some of the adversity he faced and how he interpreted that adversity, and his ability to keep fighting even when the odds were stacked against him.
Thanks to Davy for coming on the podcast and feel free to give him a follow on Twitter: @D_arnaud22.
In this episode of Beyond the Surface we chat with Dr. Amber Lattner of Lattner Performance Group. Dr. Lattner works with individuals, teams, and organizations to build chmapionship mindsets.
Dr. Lattner will share her journey in sport as a soccer player and her decision to pursue Sport Psychology. She will provide insight into her mindset and the mindset she works to cultivate with her clients.
You can check out her podcast and give her a follow on Twitter and you can give her podcast, which is great, a listen as well.
Today I go Beyond the Surface with John Scott Rattan where we discuss his upbringing, his journey as a golfer, and his approach to coaching.
John Scott is a golf professional at Congressional Country Club where he works with top junior, amateur and professional golfers. John Scott also previously worked as a coach with The University of Maryland and University of Virginia.
John Scott also played collegiate golf at Univeristy of Tennessee and played professionally for 4 seasons.
You can learn more about John Scott at http://www.jsrgolf.com/.
Dimas Chavez might be the most interesting person I have met with for this podcast. He has lived a full life and still has much more living to do. Dimas did not speak english until the age of six, faced discrimination, lost a sibling at a young age, and has faced other adversity that you will learn about in our conversation. All along the way, Dimas cultivated relationships with people, started a family, and eventually went to work for the CIA.
Dimas' story is truly fascinating. If you want to learn more about Dimas I encourage you to read his book: On My Own.
On this episode of Beyond the Surface I chat with Chris Caputo, Associate Head Coach at University of Miami Men's Basketball. Coach Caputo discusses his journey from playing division 3 basketball, to Geroge Mason Univesity where he helped that team on an improbable run to the final 4, to where he is today at the University of Miami.
Coach Caputo will talk about the impact his parents, coaches, and mentors have had on him all along the way.
I hope you enjoy Coach Caputo's perspective on coaching, his desire to constantly learn, and his gratitude for getting to work at something he is truly passionate about.
Thanks to Coach Caputo for coming on!
On this episode of Beyond the Surface I went out to Los Angeles and got to meet with Jason Zone Fisher. In some ways Jason is a jack-of-all-trades, as he has worked as a host, spokesman, producer, and creative consultant for a number of major brands. Yet, Jason also has a great sense of who he is: creative, hard-working, driven, passionate, and funny.
As we explore his journey, Jason discusses how he has used his passion to create a dream job for himself where he gets to work at the intersection of entertainment and sports. He also talks about his mindset while being "on" and how he's cultivated that mindset.
If you want to find out more about Jason, feel free to check out his website: http://jasonzonefisher.com/ and give him a follow on twitter: @JZFish.
Today I go beyond the surface with Jon Torpey, the head lacrosse coach at High Point University. Coach Torpey talks about his journey to playing D1 and professional lacrosse and the mentors who helped him along the way. He also talks about his mindset as a coach and how he approaches helping his players.
Coach Torpey also discusses the values that he has embedded into the culture of his lacrosse team and how he empowers coaches, players, and parents.
Enjoy!
Loved having Howard Beck from Bleacher Report on the podcast. Howard's journey has taken him to Los Angeles where he covered the Lakers for the Los Angeles Daily News and New York where he covered the Knicks for the New York Times.
Howard talked about his up-bringing, being perceptive as a reporter, understanding the basic fundamentals, making mistakes and moving forward, and his motivation as a writer.
Thanks to Howard for coming on the podcast.
Today I go Beyond the Surface with Tim Gentry. Tim discusses his upbringing, discipline, adaptability, dealing with adversity, and his overall mindset. Take note of how Tim has bridged his experience in sport with his role as a manager.
You can also follow Tim on Twitter @ThGentry where he drops knowledge regularly. Thanks to Tim for coming on the podcast!
In this episode of Beyond the Surface, I sat down with Kelen Coleman. Kelen is an actress who has appeared in The Office, The Newsroom, and The McCarthy's. She has also appeared in a number of movies.
In this episode, Kelen talks about her journey to Hollywood, the tools she has developed to be at her best when it matters most, and she provides perspective on how her mindset for preparation differs from her mindset for performance.
You can find Kelen on Twitter @KelenColeman. Thanks to Kelen for taking the time to chat.
I was fortunate to sit down with TV host and sports columnist, Jason Whitlock. Jason discusses his journey from Indianapolis to Los Angeles, and all of the stops in between. Along the way, Jason shares how he cultivated his mindset for performing and how he used adversity to learn life lessons.
Jason also discusses how he approaches performing on air and how it differs from his cultivation of thought as a writer. Jason's approach to performing is something we can all benefit from listening to, so I hope you enjoy this episode of Beyond the Surface with Jason Whitlock.
In part 2 of my conversation with David Falk we continue to explore his journey as he breaks off on his own, selfishness, having perspective on being well-liked, stories about his clients, becoming a coach, and we get a sense of what his preferences are.
David is extremely transparent and does not mince his words as we continue to go beyond the surface.
If you want to learn more about David, check out his book The Bald Truth.
Thanks so much to David for being so generous with his time.
As always, thanks so much for listening.
David Falk is a pioneer, innovater, and considered one of the best spors agents of all time. His client list is littered with hall-of-famers and all-stars like Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Alonozo Morning, Patrick Ewing, Allen Iverson, Dikembe Mutombo, Elton Brand, Juwan Howard, and many more. Along the way he also represented legendary coaches John Thompson and Mike Krzyzweski.
While his client list is as impressive as any, this conversation is much more about David's journey in business and the challenges that existed as he pursued greatness in his field. We talk about his mindset, how he dealt with failure, and his drive to combine sports and law.
This is part one of a two-part series.
Truly honored to interview Coach Raphael Chillious. Coach Chillious is the Associate Head Coach for the University of Washington Mens Basketball program. His journey is truly remarkable as he talks about his upbringing, his experience as an athlete, and how he approaches coaching.
Coach Chillious has an amazing ability to connect with his players, while also imparting the wisdom he has learned through the years. There are so many gold nuggets in our conversation, so I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks so much to coach for being so generous with his time!
For my first Beyond the Surface interview I talked with Teague Moore, head coach of American University Wrestling. Teague was also an accomplished wrestler, winning a national championship while at Oklahoma State.
Teague discusses his upbringing, moments in his life that changed his competitive drive, and his mindset for performance. He also reflects on his mindset as a wrestler and how it's changed now that he's a coach.