Magic in the Middle: Recent Episodes
Magic in the Middle
I have interviewed CEOs and professional sports coaches to identify the magic in the middle between sport and business leadership. I also incorporate my own story as co-founder and CEO of Brandlive, which quickly rose to one of America's fastest-growing companies.
My goal is to unlock the potential for a sustained growth strategy by exploring the sport to business analogy. Through my interviews and research, I’ve identified ten major topics that strike a chord with both coaches and business leaders. With each interview, I uncover lessons from substantial people, and show you how to use their wisdom to your benefit. From performance techniques to management styles, there is plenty to be learned from Magic in the Middle.
As a “podcaster” and researcher I get the chance to be a guest on other podcasts. This one is special. Back in February I spoke with Jerry Colonna. Jerry has been referred to as the “CEO whisperer” but he is also an accomplished Venture Capitalist and founder of reboot.io. Check out this article “This Man Makes CEO’s Cry”
There is a lot to read and listen to on the Reboot website so I will just link you there, Visit podcast website -> but here is the summary to get started.
Episode DescriptionFor many founders, the ups and downs of the startup rollercoaster feel like a natural component of the entrepreneurial journey, but what happens when the ride becomes too much and what’s best for you, and the company, is to walk away? In this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Jerry sits down with Fritz Brumder, co-founder and former CEO of Brandlive.
In this conversation, Fritz speaks candidly about his exit as CEO, describing how the process was simultaneously painful and relieving, and admits to the uneasiness that comes with the question, “what’s next for me?”. Jerry notes what happens when we merge our sense of self with an external entity and reminds Fritz that with the formation of his new company, Zipcan, he has been given a beautiful opportunity to rethink the way he wants to relate to work and to design his second act of life.
Magic in the Middle is my passion, but that does not put food in the freezer! I have been brainstorming new product ideas and working with a few collaborators I greatly respect. ✊ Faster than I could have expected one of our prototypes caught the attention of a telemedicine company. We landed a large enterprise contract to build the software and license it to them. Zipcan.com was born!
Zipcan brings video chat to every corner of the web by making it easy to embed. Add a simple code snippet into your app or website to unlock a 2-way video experience for your users right within your platform.
Within 60 days from the first customer contract, we landed investor funding and additional customers in the e-commerce space. It has been a wild ride so far and have our sights set on 🚀 launching a self service product for anyone to use for FREE! We would love your feedback. You can visit our website at zipcan.com, follow us on Linkedin or Product Hunt.
Today I sit down with Berekk Blackwell - franchise executive and collegiate national champ.
The restaurant industry, arguably, has been forced to deal with the most Covid 19 disruption, but this experienced executive is cool as a scoop of ice cream. Drawing from his time, growing cold stone ice cream in japan and scoring a golden goal in one of his two collegiate soccer championships Berrekk Blackwell has a lot to share about the current economy and his journey as President of growing restaurant chain - The Daily Jam.
We discuss the use of training as a differentiator and a competitive advantage. We also discuss how it feels to win a sports championship and what you can do to create that same feeling in your company.
Today I run through the playbook of Brian Baxter, a Sports Psychologist and founder of Amilyfy Sport Psychology. Brian also founded a multi-sport summer training program in Portland Oregon. What I love about this conversation is the simplicity of Brian’s expertise. Anyone can take his philosophy and leverage it for growth. Sports or business, you can control the controllable.
Nat is a CEO that has been through the wringer, acquisitions, rapid growth, lawsuits and mergers. Listen and learn how his mental practice and personal philosophy made him not only stay afloat but thrive in such an ever-changing role.
I want to give everyone a win. So when an employee first starts working for us, I will actively seek out an opportunity for them to have a win. And I feel like that gives them ownership inside of the company and creates a team atmosphere a lot faster for them and helps them feel like they bring something to the table.
I have always been interested in the sport to business analogy, and when I started this project, I was trying to quench my own curiosity. I read books, listened to podcasts, and interviewed high-level coaches and CEOs to develop an understanding of the crossover lessons between sport and business leadership.
These are the ten topics that strike a chord with both coaches and business leaders, and why they’re so important for growth.
Whole Life Meditation was inspired by a rough moment in my life.
I am a filmmaker so when I heard this metaphor it really made sense. Films are made 24 frames per second. When strung together each individual frame creates an amazing story. But if you tried to watch a movie one frame at a time, you would go mad. Life is similar, each day, each month is like the creation of one frame. When life is hard it forces you to watch things unfold one frame at a time.
What we need to do is step back, grab a bowl of popcorn and watch the whole movie. Whole Life Meditation is designed to do just that!
“It's people. You win with, people you develop your people. And if you have the right guy kind of people, thei organization will flourish. And if not, you'll sink.” - Barry Davis Barry Davis is a lifelong student of America’s Past Time. Barry has been coaching baseball at the collegiate level for thirty-one years, the last sixteen of which have been with Rider University at the Division I level. Armed with a PHD in Sports Leadership, with an emphasis on transformation and culture change, Barry gives his uniquely educated perspective on the importance of a growth mindset, different coaching philosophies, and how to develop leaders. He has over 900 wins with Rider University, could his tips help you create a winning team?
This is the first episode of Magic in the Middle. I have interviewed CEOs and professional sports coaches to identify the magic in the middle between sport and business leadership. I also incorporate my own story as co-founder and CEO of Brandlive, which quickly rose to one of America's fastest-growing companies.
My goal is to unlock the potential for a sustained growth strategy by exploring the sport to business analogy. Through my interviews and research, I’ve identified ten major topics that strike a chord with both coaches and business leaders. With each interview, I uncover lessons from substantial people, and show you how to use their wisdom to your benefit. From performance techniques to management styles, there is plenty to be learned from Magic in the Middle.
I have interviewed CEOs and professional sports coaches to identify the magic in the middle between sport and business leadership. My goal is to unlock the potential for a sustained growth strategy by exploring the sport to business analogy. On this journey, I also incorporate my own story as co-founder and CEO of Brandlive, which quickly rose to one of America's fastest-growing companies.
Many of the techniques the best ski racing coaches in the world use to help their athletes fly down the mountain tips first, can be translated into the business world. In this installment of Magic in the Middle, I have the pleasure of picking the brains of two behemoths of downhill - Peter Dodge and Felix McGrath