Building Excellence with Bailey Miles: Recent Episodes
Bailey Miles
Welcome to the Building Excellence Podcast with Bailey Miles. The mission of this show is all about sharing inspiring stories from some successful athletes, coaches, business minds, and thought leaders to help you build excellence in your life, leadership, and legacy.
273: Steve Scalzi is an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons and now the Head Coach of the Motor City Cruise. He brings extensive experience in coaching, player development, leadership, and team building at the highest levels of basketball.
Throughout his career, Scalzi has worked within highly competitive collegiate and professional environments, developing a deep understanding of what it takes to build strong teams, cultivate a winning culture, and maximize individual potential. His stops include Boston College, Northeastern, OKC Thunder, Phoenix Suns, and the Detroit Pistons. He has coached players like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, and Jalen Duran. He has coached alongside Darko Rajakovic, Scott Brooks, Billy Donovan, Mark Daigneault, Monty Williams, & BJ Bickerstaff, as well as Sam Presti.
His experience provides valuable insight into leadership, organizational culture, performance, and the pursuit of excellence, principles that extend well beyond the basketball court. Today, he brings that perspective to Building Excellence to discuss the people, principles, and practices that drive sustained success.
For more on Steve you can check out the Detroit Pitons and motor City Cruise Website, as well as Linkedin.
Enjoy the show!
272: Ann Rhoades is the founder and president of People Ink, an organizational culture consulting firm focused on helping companies build values-driven, high-performing cultures. A recognized expert in leadership, employee engagement, and customer service excellence, Ann has spent her career helping organizations create workplaces where people thrive and businesses succeed.
Prior to founding People Ink, Ann served as Chief People Officer for Southwest Airlines, Promus Hotel Company (DoubleTree, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites, and Hampton Inn), and JetBlue Airways, where she played a key role in building some of the most admired cultures in the business world. She is the author of Built on Values and continues to advise leaders and organizations on how to create lasting cultures built around purpose, values, and excellence. Ann also serves on several boards, including JetBlue Airways, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, HireVue, and the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico.
For more on Ann check out peopling.com as well as amazon for her tremendous book Built on Values.
Enjoy the show!
271: Dr. Henry Cloud is an acclaimed leadership expert, clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and highly sought-after speaker. He has authored 46 books, including the iconic Boundaries, which have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
Dr. Cloud has extensive experience working with CEOs, executives, and leadership teams, helping organizations improve leadership performance, culture, and overall effectiveness. He also founded and built a healthcare company that operated inpatient and outpatient treatment centers across 40 markets in the Western United States, serving as its Clinical Director and principal for 10 years.
Dr. Cloud hosted a national radio show for 15 years, airing in more than 200 U.S. markets, and has been recognized by Success Magazine as one of the 25 most influential leaders in personal growth and development
His newest book YourDesired Future is a five-component framework combining psychology, physiology, and neuroscience principles to help readers achieve their desired future.
Today, Dr. Cloud speaks and consults internationally, bringing together his expertise in leadership, psychology, human performance, and organizational culture to help leaders and teams achieve greater success.
He is also very patient and gracious with me as we had to work through some technical difficulties on this episode.
For more on Dr. Cloud and his new book Your Desired Future check out drcloud.com as well as social media and where all books are sold.
Enjoy the show!
270: Eric Konkol is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Tulsa and has established himself as one of college basketball's most respected program builders. He most recently lead the Golden Hurricane to one of their best seasons in program history winning 30 games (second most in school history), reaching the American Conference semifinals for the first time in over a decade, and making a run in the NIT all the way to the championship game.
Since taking over Tulsa in 2022, he has been recognized for his emphasis on culture, player development, and leadership. Before arriving at Tulsa, he spent seven successful seasons at Louisiana Tech, where he won 153 games, led the Bulldogs to six 20-win seasons, captured a Conference USA West Division title, and was named Conference USA Coach of the Year.
More importantly than all of the accolades you will get to hear the real reason why he coaches to make an impact on his players and everyone that is a part of the program.
For more on Coach Konkol check out social media as well as tulsahurricane.com
Enjoy the show!
269: Andy Andrews is a New York Times bestselling author, internationally recognized speaker, and leadership expert whose books, including The Traveler's Gift and The Noticer, have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Known for blending timeless wisdom with engaging storytelling, Andy has spoken to Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, military organizations, and audiences around the globe. Through his work, he equips leaders to make better decisions, develop lasting perspective, and create meaningful impact in their personal and professional lives.
Leaders from the world’s top organizations, including four U.S. presidents, regularly seek him out as a trusted resource for unlocking extraordinary results.
Today, he joins us to share practical insights on leadership, success, faith, and the small choices that shape extraordinary lives.
For more on Andy check out andyandrews.com
Enjoy the show!
268: Justin Roethlingshoefer is a performance scientist, former NHL strength and conditioning coach, and the founder of OWN IT—an elite health coaching ecosystem trusted by Stanley Cup champions, Olympians, and mission driven leaders such as Brandon Lake & Phil Wickham.
His life’s work lives at the intersection of data-driven performance and Spirit-led transformation. Holy Health is the most personal and prophetic piece of literature he has published. Fusing science with biblical truth, he redefines health as a holistic act of worship, aligning body, mind, and spirit. Having overcome personal health crises, he provides a blueprint to break the "all-or-nothing" cycle, moving from burnout to overflow.
For more on Justin and his new book check out holyhealthbook.com holyhealth.org & justinroethlingshoefer.com
Enjoy the show!
267: Mark Miller is a bestselling leadership author, speaker, and the co-founder of Lead Every Day. His books have sold more than 1.5 million copies in 32 languages.
Mark’s career at Chick-fil-A spans over 40 years, starting as an hourly team member and becoming the company’s 16th corporate employee. He recently retired as Vice President of High-Performance Leadership, where he was instrumental in building Chick-fil-A’s renowned leadership culture.
For 25 years, Mark led initiatives investing tens of millions of dollars to develop and validate leadership principles across high-performance teams, employee engagement, execution, and organizational culture. His work resulted in globally acclaimed books such as THE Secret as well as Wall Street Journal bestsellers. He’s recognized for translating leadership principles into real-world application and unlocking the potential of executives and teams to create high-performance organizations.
For more on Mark at leadeveryday.com or his personal contact in the show notes.
Enjoy the show!
Contact Mark: mark@leadeveryday.com or 678-612-8441
266: Austen Allred is a technology entrepreneur, education innovator, and Y Combinator founder whose work has influenced the national conversation around workforce development, skills-based hiring, and alternative pathways to technology careers. He is the founder and CEO of Gauntlet AI an intensive AI engineering talent platform that partners with employers to identify and develop elite AI-native engineers. Previously, he co-founded Lambda School, later rebranded as BloomTech, one of the most recognized coding academies of the past decade, helping pioneer income-share agreements and raising more than $100 million from leading investors, including GV, Y Combinator, and Stripe.
Before founding BloomTech, Allred co-founded the citizen journalism platform Grasswire and co-authored the bestselling growth-marketing book Secret Sauce. His perspectives on entrepreneurship, education reform, and the future of work have been featured in publications including Harvard Business Review, The Economist, WIRED, Fast Company, TechCrunch, and The New York Times. Today, he is widely recognized for his efforts to rethink how top technical talent is trained and deployed in the age of artificial intelligence.
You can find Austen on X and Linkedin, as well as austenallred.com.
Enjoy the show!
265: Lieutenant General (Retired) Mark Hertling served 38 years in the United States Army as a tanker and cavalry officer, culminating as Commander of U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army.
During his military career, Hertling spent 38 months in combat. He served as a major and operations officer of a cavalry squadron during Operation Desert Storm, as Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad in 2003–2004, and later as Commander of the 1st Armored Division and Multinational Task Force Iron in northern Iraq during the 2007–2008 surge.
After retiring from the Army in 2012, Hertling transitioned to the private sector as a Senior Vice President at a major healthcare organization. He was asked to design and lead a healthcare leadership program, work that led to his first book, Growing Physician Leaders (2016). His second book, If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal, was published by Ballast Books in 2026.
From 2014 to 2024, he served as a senior analyst for CNN. He currently writes for The Bulwark and appears on MSNBC as a freelance national security analyst.
For more on General Hertling check out markhertling.com as well as LinkedIn & Twitter. You can find his book in the amazon link below.
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/If-Dont-Return-Fathers-Wartime-ebook/dp/B0GDJFMF21?ref_=ast_author_mpb
264: Chris Garner is a veteran SEC football official, leadership speaker, and author with more than two decades of experience officiating at the highest levels of college football. A graduate of The Ohio State University and former U.S. Navy servicemember, Chris worked his way from Ohio high school football fields to the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference, earning assignments to major bowl games, conference championships, and College Football Playoff contests.
Drawing from years of making split-second decisions under intense pressure and his sales experience, he shares insights on leadership, accountability, teamwork, and performance in high-stakes environments. Chris is also the author of Whistles and Wisdom, where he explores the lessons officiating has taught him about excellence both on and off the field.
For more on Chris check out garnerleadership.com
Enjoy the show!
263: Jason Jacobus is the Chief Commercial Officer of Brainerd Chemical, where he leads commercial strategy and growth for one of the country’s established chemical manufacturing and distribution companies. With decades of experience in sales, operations, and leadership, he has built a reputation for combining business performance with long-term relationships, operational discipline, and values-based leadership in a demanding industry.
Outside of business, Jacobus is also the author of Realigned, a book centered on faith, personal growth, leadership, health, family, and purpose. Drawing from his own life experiences, he speaks openly about success, setbacks, and the importance of aligning life around deeper principles instead of external achievement alone. His message resonates with entrepreneurs, leaders, and professionals looking to build meaningful success without losing sight of what matters most.
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Realigned-Jason-Jacobus/dp/B0G8LYBL11/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
262: Samyr Qureshi is an entrepreneur, investor, and business leader best known as the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Knack, a nationally recognized education technology company focused on advancing student success through peer learning. Under his leadership, Knack partnered with universities across the United States and raised significant venture capital to support its growth and impact. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and University of Florida “40 Gators Under 40” recipient, Samyr is widely respected for his work at the intersection of education, technology, and entrepreneurship. Today, he advises and invests in emerging companies while continuing to advocate for innovation, leadership, and expanding opportunity through scalable solutions.
https://www.samyr.co/
261: Mark C. Fava is a career aviation lawyer and retired naval flight officer. He is a prolific writer and entertaining speaker. Mark retired from the US Navy as a captain having commanded three units, including an aviation squadron. He has been a law firm partner and a corporate executive lawyer. He has written numerous articles, including “What I Learned from the Judge” in the SC Lawyer and “Steering Through a Crisis: Lawyers as Leaders” in The Washington Lawyer. As a law school adjunct professor, he has also taught aviation law and legal writing.
Mark was the chief operations attorney at Delta Air Lines on 9/11 and spent years in the navy’s P-3 Orion chasing Soviet submarines. He has practiced law for more than thirty years and is currently a vice president at the world’s largest aerospace company.
He lives in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife and three daughters. When not working, reading, or writing, Mark enjoys life in the low country and appreciates a cold glass of sweet tea in the summer and a good oyster roast in the fall.
markcfava.com
260: Jess Ekstrom is the founder of Headbands of Hope and Mic Drop Workshop, investor in women, best selling author, Forbes Top Rated Speaker and mom.
Her first brush with success was selling all of her toys on eBay when she was twelve. Since then, Jess and her companies have been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America and more. More importantly, her companies have helped millions of women and girls around the world.
She’s the bestselling author of Chasing the Bright Side and Making it Without Losing it. Her hobbies include writing, hiking, board games with her husband, playing hide and seek with her kids, and searching for the best breakfast burrito in America.
Social Media links:
www.instagram.com/jess_ekstrom
www.facebook.com/jessekstrom
www.twitter.com/jess_ekstrom
https://www.tiktok.com/@jessekstrom
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-ekstrom-59160342/
https://micdropworkshop.com/
https://jessekstrom.com/
259: Tony Schell is the co-founder and general partner at Escalate Capital Partners, a leading private credit and growth equity firm based in Austin, Texas. Since co-founding the firm in 2005, he has helped build Escalate into a prominent provider of flexible, non-dilutive capital solutions for growth-stage companies across technology, software, services, and healthcare sectors.
With decades of experience in venture lending, structured finance, and growth investing, Schell has played a central role in deploying over $1.3 billion of capital into more than 140 companies, supporting businesses as they scale toward profitability, acquisitions, or public exits.
At Escalate, he focuses on structuring tailored financing solutions—blending debt and equity—to help entrepreneurs extend runway, preserve ownership, and accelerate growth. Under his leadership, the firm has become known for its collaborative, long-term approach and deep relationships across the venture capital ecosystem.
Enjoy the show!
258: Frank Weisser is a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot best known for flying with the elite Blue Angels and for his role as a pilot and aviation coordinator on the blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Weisser logged thousands of flight hours in high-performance aircraft like the F/A-18 Hornet, earning recognition for both his precision in the cockpit and his leadership in high-pressure environments. After his military service, he brought his real-world expertise to Hollywood, helping deliver the film’s authentic aerial sequences while also flying as a stunt pilot. Known for his discipline, humility, and pursuit of excellence, Weisser’s career bridges elite military aviation and storytelling at the highest level.
frankweisser.net
Enjoy the show!
257: Michaella Gallina built the career most people spend their entire lives chasing. She is a former Wall Street investor, VP of H&R Block and Chief Financial Officer who walked away from the pinnacle of her career to pursue a greater mission—helping others achieve true financial freedom and design a life on their own terms.
Raised in a small rural town of just 4,000 people, Michaella learned early that money wasn’t about status—it was about access, opportunity, and freedom. By 18, she was financially independent, working multiple jobs while earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance. She went on to build an elite career on Wall Street, working in investment banking, managing high-level portfolios, and eventually becoming CFO of a $100+ million fintech company. She was a top shareholder in Starbucks, Chipotle, Lululemon, Facebook and many other amazing companies. She met with Howard Schultz, Mark Zukerberg, Cheryl Sandberg, Tim Cook, and many other household name CEO’s.
But despite the success—working with some of the biggest companies and leaders in the world—she realized something was missing. The long hours, high pressure, and constant grind led her to a turning point: success without purpose wasn’t enough.
At 36, Michaella made a bold decision—she walked away from it all.
Today, she’s a speaker, coach, and advocate for financial empowerment, helping people—especially women, create independence, choice, and the ability to live life on your own terms. Her work is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: this isn’t just about money—it’s about building a life of freedom, purpose, and meaning.
www.michaellagallina.com
Enjoy the show!
256: Luke Frizzell is a former Navy Seal & real estate entrepreneur with the RAL Room, but he is also one of my best friends and I am excited to share’s story today. He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where his upbringing was deeply rooted in faith, family, and sports. Influenced by his family's athletic background and his grandfather's wisdom, Luke developed a strong work ethic and a passion for serving others. His journey led him to the Virginia Military Institute, where he thrived academically and athletically, driven by a desire to join the Navy SEALs. Despite facing physical challenges rolling him back during training, Luke's determination and commitment saw him through, ultimately achieving his goal of becoming a SEAL. Now transitioning into civilian life, Luke applies his leadership skills and mission-driven mindset to the senior care industry, aiming to make a meaningful impact through his entrepreneurial ventures. Excited for you all to hear his story and for more on Luke check out theralroom.com
Enjoy the show!
255: Chris Kreider is the Rice Men's Basketball Associate Head Coach. He is a dedicated basketball coach with a rich background shaped by unique life experiences. Growing up as the son of missionaries, Chris spent his formative years in Colombia, South America, where he developed a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and a passion for basketball. His journey in coaching began with a strong foundation in teaching and mentoring, influenced by his parents' sense of purpose and calling. Chris has worked with various esteemed basketball programs, including Georgia Tech and Rice University, where he emphasizes the importance of character, integrity, and building meaningful relationships with his players. His coaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that success is not just about wins and losses but about developing individuals who are prepared for life beyond the court.
Enjoy the show!
254: Tanner Gardner is the Director of Athletics at Pepperdine University and a former three-time All-American wrestler at Stanford, where he built a legacy of excellence both academically and athletically. After earning advanced degrees from Stanford and an MBA from Harvard, Gardner began his career in consulting before rising through leadership roles in college athletics, including serving as Deputy Athletic Director and COO at Rice University. Known for his mission-driven leadership, he focuses on building championship programs rooted in character, faith, and long-term development, with a strong emphasis on developing student-athletes into leaders who excel both in competition and in life.
253: Jake Boss Jr. is the head baseball coach of the Michigan State Spartans and one of the most respected leaders in college baseball. Since taking over the program in 2009, Boss has guided the Spartans to more than 400 victories and led Michigan State to a Big Ten regular-season championship in 2011 and the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.
He has coached multiple All-Big Ten performers and numerous players who have gone on to professional baseball.
Before arriving at Michigan State, Boss served as head coach at Eastern Michigan and spent several years as an assistant at Michigan, helping develop nationally competitive programs.
A former standout player at Alma College, Boss has built a reputation across college baseball for leadership, program building, and developing student-athletes both on and off the field.
For more on Coach Boss and Michigan State check out msuspartans.com
Enjoy the show!
252: Brett Ledbetter is an industry leading thinking partner for high performers in sport, eduction, and business. He is the founder of What Drives Winning, where he studies the mindsets and cultures behind sustained excellence. Brett works with elite athletes, championship coaches, executives, and high-performing teams to help them understand the deeper drivers of performance, leadership, and purpose.
He has worked with coaches like Billy Donovan, Urban Meyer, Brad Stevens, Bob Stoops, Mark Few, Sherri Coale, and many other exceptional coaches. Known for his thoughtful approach to high performance, his work focuses on helping individuals pursue excellence in a healthy and sustainable way separating identity from outcomes and building cultures rooted in curiosity, humility, and growth.
Through his research, speaking, and consulting, Brett has become a trusted voice for leaders seeking to build teams that not only win, but win the right way over the long term. Brett has authored six books.
Each book has been developed into a graduate level course for the College of Health and Human Performance at the University of Florida. His newest book, 365 Questions, is out now. You can find out more about the book and Brett at www.whatdriveswinning.com
Enjoy the show!
251: Manish Vora is the Founder and the CEO of the Museum of Ice Cream, an immersive “experium” built to bring people together through play, joy and creativity. In 2016 he launched the first pop-up in New York City, which quickly grew into a global phenomenon with multiple permanent locations across the United States and Singapore, known for its colorful interactive exhibits and multi-sensory experiences that blend art and ice cream culture. Before this venture, he transitioned from a successful career in investment banking and executive leadership, including serving as CEO of the experience-tech venue Lightbox and co-founding the contemporary art platform GREY AREA into building innovative, experience-driven spaces that prioritize connection and human engagement. A graduate of Yale University, Vora also co-leads Figure8, the parent company of Museum of Ice Cream, helping guide its strategic growth, partnerships and continued expansion in the experiential space. For more on Manish you can find him & the Museum of Ice Cream on social, as well ascwww.museumoficecream.com or check out any of their locations in NYC, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Singapore, and other future locations.
Enjoy the show!
250: Tod Brown is the head baseball coach at the University of New Mexico, bringing more than two decades of Division I coaching experience and a reputation for steady program building. A former left-handed pitcher at the University of Arizona, Brown first made his mark as the longtime head coach at North Dakota State, where he transformed the Bison into a Summit League contender and led them to NCAA Tournament appearances. Since taking over the Lobos program in 2021, he has emphasized player development, accountability, and raising the competitive standard of the program. His journey reflects a coach who values consistency and is committed to building a foundation that can sustain success year after year.
249: Jared Mosley is the Vice President and Director of Athletics at the University of North Texas, where he oversees the Mean Green athletic department and leads more than 300 student-athletes competing at the Division I level. A former college basketball standout turned administrator, Mosley previously served as Athletic Director at Abilene Christian University and as CEO of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame before returning to North Texas, where he has helped guide the department through its recent move into the American Athletic Conference, bringing extensive leadership experience and a strong perspective on today’s evolving college athletics landscape.
248: Kyle Stark is a baseball executive and leadership consultant best known for his long tenure with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he served as Director of Player Development before being promoted to Assistant General Manager and later Vice President/Assistant GM, playing a key role in rebuilding the organization’s farm system and supporting the club’s return to postseason contention in the mid-2010s. A Pennsylvania native, Stark holds degrees from Ball State University, the University of Toledo College of Law, and St. Bonaventure University, and previously worked in baseball operations with the Cleveland Indians. After departing the Pirates in 2019, he transitioned into leadership coaching and consulting, working with sports teams, businesses, and organizations on culture, performance, and organizational development.
247: Paul Mainieri is the South Carolina Head Baseball Coach. He was also the head coach at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he led the Tigers from 2007 to 2021 and won the 2009 College World Series national championship. Over a coaching career spanning four decades, Mainieri also led successful programs at St. Thomas University, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the University of Notre Dame, earning a reputation for building disciplined, competitive teams and developing players both on and off the field. With more than 1,500 career wins, multiple Coach of the Year honors, and numerous College World Series appearances, Mainieri is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential coaches in college baseball history.
246: John Cohen is the Athletic Director at Auburn University, a position he assumed in October 2022 after a long career in the Southeastern Conference. Before coming to Auburn, Cohen was athletic director at Mississippi State University from 2016–2022 and previously spent 25 years as a college baseball coach, including head coaching stints at Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Northwestern State, earning two SEC Coach of the Year honors. A former Mississippi State baseball player, he combines experience as an athlete, coach, and administrator, and has overseen significant competitive, fundraising, and facility growth at Auburn while guiding all sports programs toward postseason success.
245: Mac Lake is a trusted voice in Christian leadership and church multiplication. With over 30 years of experience equipping leaders, Mac is passionate about helping individuals and organizations develop the character and competency needed to lead themselves—and others—with purpose.
In 1997, Mac planted Carolina Forest Community Church in Myrtle Beach, SC. He later served as Leadership Development Pastor at Seacoast Church in Charleston, where he helped create scalable systems to identify and equip leaders at every level. In 2010, he became the founding architect of the LAUNCH Church Planting Network, a model adopted by the North American Mission Board, where he served as a leadership strategist.
Today, Mac leads The Multiply Group, an organization dedicated to helping churches and businesses build intentional leadership development cultures. He’s the author of seven books, including The Multiplication Effect, Leading Others, and Leading Yourself, a practical training guide with a foreword by John C. Maxwell.
244: Tim Walton is the head coach of the University of Florida Gators softball program where he has led the team since 2006 and amassed well over 1,000 career victories, numerous SEC titles and Women’s College World Series appearances, including back-to-back national championships in 2014 and 2015. He has been selected 5 times as the SEC Coach of Year and was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame.
Walton has also made significant contributions on the international stage, serving as an assistant coach with the USA Women’s National Team, helping guide Team USA to medals at events such as the World Games, Pan American Games, and WBSC World Cup, as well as assisting the U.S. junior national teams to world titles
Before coaching, Walton played collegiate baseball at Oklahoma and briefly in the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor league system; he also coached at Wichita State and served as an assistant at Oklahoma early in his career.
For more on Coach Walton you can check out floridagators.com as well as all social platforms.
Enjoy the show!
243: Dave Berke is a retired US Marine Corps Officer, TOPGUN Instructor, and now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Development Officer. As a F/A-18 pilot, he deployed twice from the USS John C Stennis in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN, where he served as the Training Officer and the senior staff pilot responsible for the conduct of the TOPGUN course.
He then served as an ANGLICO Forward Air Controller supporting the Army’s 1st Armored Division during extensive urban combat operations on the ground in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006. Dave led his supporting arms liaison team on scores of combat missions into the most dangerous neighborhoods and accompanied SEAL Task Unit Bruiser on virtually every major operation in the Battle of Ramadi.
He was the only Marine selected to fly the F-22 Raptor, having served as an exchange officer at the Air Force’s 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron as the Division Commander. He became the first operational pilot ever to fly and be qualified in the F-35B, serving as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps’ first F-35 squadron from 2012-2014.
Dave holds both a Master's in International Public Policy and an MBA from The John Hopkins University.
Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps, Dave joined Echelon Front providing unmatched experience and a unique perspective on combat leadership, analytical decision making, risk mitigation, and creating winning teams.
He serves as Echelon Front’s Chief Development Officer, as well as a leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor.
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Need-Lead-Instructors-Leadership-Challenge/dp/125036163X
242: Steve Largent is a NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver who spent 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. When he retired he held all of the major NFL receiving records.
Steve played at the University of Tulsa where he was an All American. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. After the preseason with the Oilers Steve was cut, but signed with Seattle and the rest is history. During his time in Seattle he was a 7x Pro Bowl selection, 2x NFL Receiving Yards leader, the NFL Man of the Year Award Recipient, just to name a few of his accolades. His number 80 has been retired by the Seahawks and number 83 has been retired by the University of Tulsa. In 1995 he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
However, before all of his football success Steve overcame a lot of adversity from his upbringing with an absent father and alcoholic stepfather, which he shares.
After his time in the NFL he served as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1994 to 2002 and ran for Governor in the state of Oklahoma. He also served as the CEO of CTIA - The Wireless Association for 10 years.
On the show he shares his story, playing in the NFL, forgiveness, overcoming challenges, the importance of relationships, principles to 50 year marriage, being a great dad, pursing excellence, the power of focus, leadership, and his faith and how it changed his life.
Enjoy the show!
241: Dr. John Delony is a bestselling author, mental health and wellness expert, and host of The Dr. John Delony Show.
John holds two PhDs — one in counselor education and supervision and another in higher education administration.
He is the author of the bestselling books Own Your Past, Change Your Future and Redefining Anxiety. His newest book, Building a Non-Anxious Life, released this past fall. John has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business and Today and has been featured in the Real Simple and Fast Company magazines as well as HuffPost. He has also been a guest on shows such as, The Minimalist Podcast, The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast andthe Mind Pump Podcast.
While speaking he shares stages with people like Dave Ramsey, Malcolm Gladwell, Nick Saban, and Jocko Willink, Jaimie Kern Lima, Jordan Peterson, and more.
Before joining Ramsey Solutions, John spent two decades working as a senior leader, researcher, and professor at multiple universities. He also spent years working in crisis and emergency response.
John’s goal is to help people navigate tough decisions, improve their relationships, and believe they’re worth being well. By doing so he teaches people how to reclaim their lives from the madness of the modern world.
Follow John on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter.
This is a great show so be sure and takes notes.
Amazon Book Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Non-Anxious-Life-John-Delony/dp/B0C27Q9GQL/ref=asc_df_B0C27Q9GQL/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=652398953211&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15310727651871392435&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1024323&hvtargid=pla-2189495460191&psc=1&mcid=536612f239f03333876f85739167e491
240: Jerry Colangelo is the founder and former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as Managing Director of USA Basketball.
He is a 4x NBA Executive of the Year, former NBA GM & Head Coach, Chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame, founder of multiple sports franchises, and also started with Dick Klein to found the Chicago Bulls.
The accolades are endless, but he additionally won a world championship with the Diamondbacks and returned the once-tarnished U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team to glory. As Chairman of USA Basketball, Colangelo created a team that brought home the Gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, another in the 2012 London Olympics, again in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, and most recently in 2021 in Tokyo.
Having served as Chairman and CEO, general manager, and head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Colangelo boasts the second longest tenure with one franchise in the NBA.
On the show he shares his story of growing up, starting the Bulls, moving to Phoenix to start the Suns, winning a world series with the Diamondbacks, confidence, the power of relationships, preparation, failure, listening, excellence, his faith, and much more.
Currently, he continues his business in real estate as a principle in JDM Partners, LLC. He is also the special assistant to the president of Grand Canyon University.
For more on Jerry check out www.jcolangelo.com as well as his book How You Play The Game which is one of my favorites all time.
Enjoy the show!
239: Brent Beshore is the founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a private-equity firm he launched in 2007 that takes a mission-driven, long-term approach: investing in family-owned and founder-led companies and rarely exiting them.
Raised in Joplin, Missouri, Brent studied politics (with a focus on poverty) at Washington & Lee University. Before starting Permanent Equity, he was an entrepreneur and operator across service and marketing ventures. He’s well-known for his patient, “slow-growth” philosophy — raising ultra-long (30-year) funds, avoiding heavy leverage, and emphasizing value-creation over quick returns.
He also authored The Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers, reflecting his belief in thoughtful transitions and is also the founder of Main Street Summit which gathers business owners, operators, investors, and teams in Columbia Missouri.
For more on Brent you can find him on social as well as www.permanentequity.com
Enjoy the show!
238: Wren Baker is the Director of Athletics at West Virginia University, taking over the role in December 2022 as the school’s 13th athletic director. A native of Valliant, Oklahoma, Baker built his career through a blend of coaching, educational leadership, and administrative success. Before arriving in Morgantown, he served as the athletic director at the University of North Texas, where he led the Mean Green to unprecedented competitive success, record-breaking fundraising, major increases in attendance, and long-term strategic planning for facilities and program growth. His earlier stops included leadership roles at Memphis, Missouri, Northwest Missouri State, and Rogers State University, where he first stepped into an athletic director role and also coached basketball.
At WVU, Baker oversees 18 varsity sports, more than 250 staff, and nearly 500 student-athletes, guiding the department through a rapidly changing college athletics landscape shaped by NIL, the transfer portal, and evolving conference dynamics. His tenure has already included major coaching hires, strong fundraising performance, competitive success across multiple sports, and renewed emphasis on academic achievement.
For more on Wren check him out on social as well as www.wvusports.com
Enjoy the show!
Hans Helmerich is the Chairman of the Board of Helmerich & Payne, Inc., a Tulsa-based energy company and the largest provider of land drilling services in the United States. He previously served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer for 25 years, leading its growth and innovation in the oil and gas industry. Under his leadership, H&P developed its innovative FlexRig platform which played a major role in advancing land-based drilling technology.
A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development, Helmerich also serves on other boards and is deeply engaged in community service in Tulsa and beyond.
On show you will hear his story and his perspective on mentorship, leadership, faith, prioritizing family, and much more.
For more on Hans and Helmerich & Payne check out www.hpinc.com
Enjoy the show!
236: Ritchie McKay is the head men’s basketball coach at Liberty University, having first served in that role in 2007-09 and then returning in April 2015. Under his leadership, the Flames have achieved multiple 20-win seasons, won several conference championships, and secured the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in 2019. Prior to his return to Liberty, McKay was associate head coach at University of Virginia under Tony Bennett, where he helped guide the program to back-to-back 30-win seasons.
He has also served as the head coach at New Mexico, Oregon State, Colorado State, and Portland State.As a former collegiate player at Seattle Pacific University, McKay was known for his defensive tenacity and holds the school’s career and single-season steals records.
He is one of the best coaches in college basketball not just for his success on the court, but more importantly how he helps develop his team and his mission off the court.
For more on Coach McKay check out libertyflames.com
Enjoy the show
235: Kelli Masters is an attorney, a sports agent, business owner, author and speaker. Kelli fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming a National and World Champion in baton twirling, and Feature Twirler for the "Pride of Oklahoma" Marching Band in the early 1990's. In 1997 she was crowned Miss Oklahoma, winning awards for talent and community service at the Miss America pageant that year. Kelli used her scholarship money from Miss America to obtain her Juris Doctorate with Honors from the University of Oklahoma.
She began her law practice as a litigator at Fellers Snider law Firm in 2000, and became a partner in the firm in 2005. That same year, Kelli became a Certified NFL Sports Agent and founded KMM Sports, a full service sports agency representing athletes in the NFL and other professional sports.
She made history in 2010 as the first woman to represent a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft. Bleacher Report named Kelli as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Sports Business based upon her trailblazing success in athlete representation, as she has now represented more professional athletes than any woman in history.
In addition, she continues to practice law with her own firm, Dulin Reneau Law Firm, having argued and won cases before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. Her first book, High-Impact Life: a Sports Agent's Secrets to Finding and Fulfilling a Purpose You Can't Lose was released in August 2021. She continues to serve as President and Chief Player Agent for KMM Sports. Additionally, she is the founder and owner of The Branch, a popular co-working/office/event space in Oklahoma City, and continues to be a sought-after speaker across the nation and around the world. Kelli is also the founder of High Impact Life Ministries, a women's ministry devoted to helping women of all ages discover and fulfill their God-given purpose.
For more on Kelli you can check out her website at kellimasters.com
Enjoy the show!
Mike Matheny is the author of the New York Times Bestseller-The Matheny Manifesto. He played thirteen years as a catcher in the Major Leagues, won four Gold Gloves, and holds the MLB record for most consecutive chances at the position without an error. He was the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals for six seasons, leading the Cardinals to the postseason in each of his first four campaigns and winning the National League pennant in 2013 taking the Cardinals to the World Series. Matheny went on to coach the Kansas City Royals for 3 seasons.
Matheny continues to inspire and motivate through executive coaching and speaking engagements. His most recent book “The Dad Coach” How to lead kids to succeed on and off the field.” Is out now and I highly recommend it for all coaches across all levels.
For more on Mike check out mikematheny.com
Enjoy the show!
233: Mitch Matthews is a keynote speaker, success coach, and host of the top-ranked Dream Think Do podcast — a show dedicated to helping people dream bigger, think better, and do more of what they were created to do.
As the founder of Dream Think Do Coaching and creator of The Authority Bridge™, Mitch has helped thousands of leaders, entrepreneurs, and coaches clarify their purpose, build thriving businesses, and make a meaningful impact. His messages have inspired organizations like NASA, Disney, Nike, and United Airlines.
With humor, heart, and practical tools, Mitch empowers people to live with purpose, courage, and clarity.
For more on Mitch check out mitchmatthews.com as well as all social media platforms.
Enjoy the show!
232: Mike Noonan is a National Champion Coach and distinguished figure in U.S. collegiate soccer, currently serving as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Clemson University.
Before Clemson, Noonan built his coaching reputation over long tenures at Brown University (1995-2009) where he led the Bears to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Ivy League championships, and the school’s highest national ranking ever in 1995.
Earlier stops included New Hampshire, Wheaton College, and assistant positions at Vermont and Bates. As a player, he starred at Middlebury College—earning two first-team All-American honors—and went on to play professionally in Sweden and in U.S. indoor leagues.
Under Noonan’s leadership, Clemson has re-emerged as one of the nation’s elite men’s soccer programs. The Tigers have captured multiple ACC Tournament and Regular Season championships, and notably won NCAA National Championships in both 2021 and 2023.
Academics and character are central to his philosophy—Clemson under Noonan has maintained high academic standards, routinely earning high GPAs, producing Academic All-ACC honorees, and being recognized for strong community outreach. On the show you will see why he has built successful programs and made an impact through the values and deep care he has for the players that play for him and beyond.
For more on Coach Noonan you can find him on social media as well as clemsontigers.com for more on him and the Clemson men’s soccer program.
Enjoy the show!
231: Jeremie Kubicek is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, speaker, and entrepreneur who has spent his career helping leaders expand their influence and multiply their impact. As the co-founder and CEO of GiANT, he has built a global leadership development company that equips individuals and organizations with practical tools for growth, communication, and relational intelligence. Jeremie has started or led more than 20 companies around the world, including ventures in Moscow, London, Atlanta, and Oklahoma City, and his experiences give him a unique perspective on leadership across cultures and industries. He is the author of several influential books, including The 100X Leader, 5 Voices, 5 Gears, The Peace Index, and Leadership Is Dead, all of which emphasize the power of transformational leadership and intentional influence. Through his speaking, writing, and coaching, Jeremie inspires audiences to lead with authenticity, build thriving cultures, and unlock the potential in the people they serve.
Check out his newest book The Voice Driven Leader: How to Hear, Value, & Maximize Every Voice on Your Team.
For more on Jeremie check our jeremiekubicek.com as well 5voice.com and giant worldwide.com
Enjoy the show!
230: Adam Donyes is the founder and President of Link Year, an organization designed to equip young adults with the tools they need for personal and professional success. Through mentorship, leadership development, and life skills training, Link Year bridges the gap between high school and adulthood, empowering individuals to discover their purpose and build resilience. Adam’s vision has helped create a transformative experience that fosters growth, confidence, and social responsibility.
Before launching Link Year, Adam honed his leadership skills across various roles, gaining a deep understanding of both business and youth development. His unique approach blends emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and community-building, which has allowed Link Year to make a lasting impact on hundreds of young lives. Adam’s unwavering commitment continues to inspire the next generation of leaders to step into their potential.
For more on Adam you can find him on social, as well as www.linkyear.com
Enjoy the show!
229: John Olinger's journey from Nike marketing executive to purpose-driven leader began with a single question: What will matter most when I get to the end of my life?
After spending a decade creating breakthrough campaigns for Nike and Jordan Brand—including three years leading Global Marketing for Kobe Bryant—an unexpected loss changed everything. Today, John combines his strategic marketing expertise with hard-won wisdom to help others win where it matters most.
John-olinger.com
228: Bill Curry is a former NFL & Pro Bowl player, 2x Super Bowl champion, and celebrated college football coach whose life in the game has spanned more than 50 years. A Georgia native, he starred at center for Georgia Tech before playing ten seasons in the NFL, where he snapped the ball to legends like Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas. Curry won a championship with Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I and later captained the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and V, earning respect across the league for his toughness and leadership. He also served as the president of the NFL Players Association.
Following his playing days, Curry turned to coaching, where his influence extended far beyond the field. He served as head coach at Georgia Tech, Alabama, Kentucky, and later became the inaugural coach at Georgia State, building their program from the ground up. During his time coaching he was awarded ACC Coach of the Year, 2x SEC Coach of the Year, & the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year.
Known for his integrity, passion, and commitment to developing young men, Curry also became an acclaimed author and speaker, using football as a platform to share lessons of perseverance, teamwork, and character. His career as both a champion player and a transformative coach has left a lasting mark on the sport. More importantly he shares advice and lessons from his marriage of over 62 years, as well as his faith.
For more on Coach Curry check out billcurry.net
Enjoy the show!
227: Steve Lutz is the head coach of the Oklahoma State men’s basketball program. A San Antonio native, he made stops as an assistant coach at Incarnate Word, Garden City CC, Stephen F. Austin, SMU, Creighton, and Purdue.
During his career, Lutz has worked under some of the most respected names in college basketball, gaining invaluable experience along the way. He spent seven seasons at Creighton under Greg McDermott, helping the Bluejays to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, and later served four years at Purdue on Matt Painter’s staff, where the Boilermakers consistently ranked among the nation’s best. Those experiences, along with earlier roles at Stephen F. Austin and SMU, shaped Lutz into a tremendous head coach winning at the highest levels.
His first head coaching opportunity came at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, where he engineered a remarkable turnaround, leading the Islanders from a five-win season before his arrival to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and the school’s first-ever tournament victory.
Lutz went on to guide Western Kentucky to a Conference USA championship and an NCAA berth in his lone season with the Hilltoppers. He has established himself as one of the most respected coaches in college basketball as he leads the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
For more on Coach Lutz check out social as well as www.okstate.com
Enjoy the show!
226: General Stanley McChrystal, a retired four-star general, is best known for his leadership as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and as head of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he reshaped counterterrorism efforts and interagency collaboration. Over his decorated military career, he commanded elite units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment and spent more than six years deployed to combat following 9/11. In 2009, he was appointed Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF, leading over 150,000 troops from 45 allied nations until his retirement from the Army in 2010.
After retiring from military service, McChrystal founded the McChrystal Group in 2011, a leadership advisory firm that works with global businesses to help them navigate complexity and build stronger, more adaptive teams. He has also served as a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he taught courses on leadership. In addition, he sits on the boards of several major companies, including JetBlue Airways, Siemens Government Technology, and Navistar International, and is a highly sought-after public speaker on leadership, organizational culture, and team dynamics.
McChrystal is also a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, with works including My Share of the Task, Team of Teams, and Leaders: Myth and Reality, Risk, & On Character. A strong advocate for service and veteran affairs, he chairs the Board of Service Year Alliance, promoting national service opportunities for young Americans. A graduate of West Point and the Naval War College, McChrystal has also completed fellowships at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations, further shaping his perspective on leadership, strategy, and civic responsibility.
His newest book On Character: Choices that Define a Life can be found in the link below as well as www.mcchrystalgroup.com, Amazon, and where all books are sold.
For more on General McChrystal check out www.mcchrystalgroup.com
Enjoy the show!
225: Larry Kindbom is the former Wash U head football coach. His a highly respected figure in collegiate athletics, recognized for his remarkable career as a football coach and mentor spanning more than four decades. A former standout defensive back and baseball player at Kalamazoo College, Kindbom began his coaching career at Ohio State with Woody Hayes before serving as an assistant at the University of Akron. He earned his first head coaching opportunity at Kenyon College in 1983, where he led both the football and baseball programs, before taking the helm at Washington University in St. Louis in 1989.
Over the next 31 seasons, Kindbom transformed Washington University’s football program into a model of consistency and excellence. He retired as the winningest coach in school history with a record of 192–119, capturing 12 University Athletic Association championships, a Southern Athletic Association title, and leading the Bears to three NCAA Division III playoff appearances. His teams produced 33 All-Americans and 15 Academic All-Americans, including Brandon Roberts, recipient of the prestigious Draddy Trophy, known as the “Academic Heisman.”
In 2016, Kindbom reached the distinguished milestone of 200 career victories, finishing with 220 wins showing a testament to his longevity and sustained success. He is one of only a handful of coaches in all college divisions to ever reach 200 plus wins. More than just the wins Coach Kindbom spent his career investing in the lives of his players on and off the field.
Check out his new book Winning and Losing Are Imposters: Leadership Lessons from the Sidelines, as well as his social in the the links below.
Enjoy the show!
224: As an award-winning keynote speaker, eleven-time New York Times bestselling author, host of the top-rated Corporate Competitor Podcast, executive leadership coach, and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, Don Yaeger has built a career as one of America’s most compelling and influential thought leaders.
Widely sought-after for his powerful insights on achieving greatness, Don draws from first-hand experiences working alongside some of the most legendary figures in sports and business.
He has been engaged by leading organizations to coach executives on cultivating a culture of excellence, leveraging his proven framework developed through an extensive study of “Great Teams” in both athletics and corporate life. Known as a world-class storyteller, he has earned high praise from leadership icons such as John Maxwell and Simon Sinek, who have called him the best storyteller they have ever worked with. His expertise and charisma have earned him invitations to every major talk show—from Oprah and Good Morning America to Fox Business News and CNN.
In 2020, Don launched the Corporate Competitor Podcast, which Podcast Magazine named one of America’s Top 50 Podcasts. By 2022, Spotify ranked it among the top 5% of the most followed and shared podcasts worldwide.
His guest list reads like a who’s who of leadership and innovation, including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, along with CEOs from Disney, Delta Airlines, Bank of America, Hendrick Motorsports, KPMG, FanDuel, Chick-fil-A, Insight Enterprises, Topgolf, Mayo Clinic, BET Media, and The Ritz-Carlton.
Don’s newest book The New Science of Momentum shares how the best coaches and leaders build a fire from a single spark. You can find the book across all platforms where books are sold and also the Amazon link below.
For more on Don check out social media as well as donyaeger.com
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/New-Science-Momentum-Coaches-Leaders/dp/1400247136/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=ZjHup&content-id=amzn1.sym.0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_p=0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_r=147-1714889-6514833&pd_rd_wg=KNm2d&pd_rd_r=6bb490c6-f2ca-4cd2-9107-756b3e2e3e2f&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk
223: Brian Smith has served as Missouri’s head wrestling coach leading the Tigers for over 27 years. Under his leadership, Mizzou’s program has transformed into a national powerhouse through the establishment of the “Tiger Style” culture. During his tenure, he has guided the team to 23 winning seasons, including three undefeated dual campaigns, coached over 192 NCAA qualifiers and nearly 70 All-Americans, and mentored six individual national champions who collectively won ten NCAA titles
Smith is the winningest coach in program history, with a career dual record at Missouri around 334‑120‑3 (about a .734 win‑rate), and remains one of the most decorated leaders in collegiate wrestling. He’s earned national recognition twice—winning Dan Gable Coach of the Year in 2007 and NWCA Coach of the Year in 2017—as well as multiple conference Coach of the Year awards across both MAC and Big 12 affiliation. Beyond competitive success, his wrestlers have consistently excelled academically, earning more than 150 academic honors. Coach Smith also serves on national wrestling committees and has made lasting contributions to the broader sport at both the collegiate and Olympic levels
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he was a decorated Michigan State wrestler before embarking on a coaching career that included stints at Western High School (FL), Cornell, and Syracuse.
For more on Coach Smith follow him on all social media platforms, as well as the Mizzou Wrestling Program at mutigers.com
You can find his book Tiger Style: Eight Steps to Create a Winning Culture on Amazon in the link below.
Enjoy the show!
Insta: @smithbq126
Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Style-Create-Winning-Culture/dp/B0DN1PN5LM
222: Mark Batterson serves as the Lead Pastor of National Community Church (NCC) in Washington, DC. NCC also owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, The Miracle Theatre, the DC Dream Center, the Capital Turnaround, and Culture House as gathering places for the community and funding for Kingdom causes. Mark also serves as Lead Visionary for The Dream Collective, which equips and supports dreamers who long for revival in the church, reformation in the kingdom, and renaissance in culture.
Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the the New York Times bestselling author of 25 books including The Circle Maker as well as In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Double Blessing, Whisper, and, most recently, A Million Little Miracles and The Best Worst Day Ever, a children’s book he wrote with his daughter, Summer.
For more on Mark visit markbatterson.com as well as all social media platforms.
Enjoy the show!
221: Josh Pastner is the current head coach of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball program, bringing with him over two decades of collegiate coaching experience and a reputation for program-building and player development.
A member of the 1997 NCAA National Championship team at the University of Arizona, Pastner began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Hall of Famer Lute Olson. He later served as an assistant at Memphis under John CaliPERRY before being promoted to head coach in 2009 at the age of 31, where he compiled a 167–73 record and earned Conference USA Coach of the Year honors in 2013. His tenure included four NCAA Tournament appearances and consistent national rankings, establishing him as one of the youngest and most promising coaches in the country at the time.
Following his success at Memphis, Pastner took over at Georgia Tech in 2016, leading the Yellow Jackets to an ACC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2021, and earning ACC Coach of the Year in 2017.
After two years as an analyst for ESPN and other networks he is now at the helm leading the Runnin Rebels.
You can find him on social media @coachjpastner as well as the UNLV men’s basketball program @runninrebels
Enjoy the show!
220: Mike Beckham is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Simple Modern, a global producer of premium drinkware and lifestyle products. Founded in 2015 and based in Oklahoma, Simple Modern currently generates a nine-figure annual revenue and is committed to generosity, donating at least 10% of annual profits to nonprofit organizations. Under Mike’s leadership, the company has grown into a category leader for Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Sam’s Club, serving more than 20 million customers worldwide.
Mike is a teacher, leader, and entrepreneur at heart. Before founding Simple Modern, Mike began his career working for the worldwide Christian ministry CRU. Equipped with a deep understanding of the nonprofit sector, Mike transitioned into the business world and helped found and operate several e-commerce businesses, which cumulatively generated more than $1 billion in revenue. Mike graduated with a degree from the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business, where he currently serves as the senior entrepreneur-in-residence.
For more on Mike you can find him on social media platforms, mikebeckhamblog.com as well as simplemodern.com
Enjoy the show!
219: Dwight Perry is the head coach of the Wofford Terriers men’s basketball program. A walk-on at the University of Kentucky from 2006 to 2009, Perry played in 19 games and earned SEC Academic Honor Roll distinction.
He began his coaching career interning at the Stanford’s men’s basketball program for 2 years and soon moved to VCU as a graduate assistant and video coordinator from 2011 to 2014, during which the Rams posted an impressive 82–26 record and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. Perry then spent five seasons as an assistant at Furman, contributing to three 20-win campaigns and a shared Southern Conference regular-season title.
Perry joined Wofford’s staff in April 2019, was promoted to associate head coach in September 2021, and stepped in as interim head coach on December 5, 2022. After guiding the Terriers to signature wins—including victories over Texas A&M and UNC Greensboro, and finishing 17–16—he was officially named the permanent head coach on March 21, 2023
In his second full season (2024–25), Perry led Wofford to a Southern Conference Tournament championship and their sixth-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
On the show he shares his story of growing up, playing at Kentucky, getting into coaching, buy in, a walk on mentality of invisibility and visibility, building a culture of resilience, being authentic, the importance of family, and much more.
You can find Coach Perry on social as well as Woffordmbb on instagram.
Enjoy the show!
218: Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them.
EPM exists to meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around the world.
A New York Times bestselling author, Randy has written over sixty books, including Courageous, Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home. His books have been translated into over 70 languages and have sold over 12 million copies.
Before starting EPM in 1990, Alcorn co-pastored for fourteen years Good Shepherd Community Church outside Gresham, Oregon. He has ministered in many countries, including China, and is a popular teacher and conference speaker.*
Randy has written for many magazines including EPM’s issues-oriented Eternal Perspectives as well as articlesfor The Gospel Coalition and Desiring God Ministries. He blogs, is active daily on Facebook and Twitter, and has been a guest on more than 700 radio, television and online programs including Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, and Revive Our Hearts.
For more on Randy and his books check out EPM.org as well as where books are sold.
Enjoy the show!
217: Ken Anderson is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history and a cornerstone of the Cincinnati Bengals franchise. Over 16 seasons with the Bengals (1971–1986), Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler, a three-time NFL passing champion, NFL Man of the Year award winner and the league’s Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year in 1981. That same season, he led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl XVI), setting playoff records and solidifying his status as one of the premier quarterbacks of his generation. Anderson led the NFL in passer rating twice and completion percentage three times, finishing his career with over 32,000 passing yards and a then-record single-season completion percentage of 70.6% in 1982.
In addition to his on-field excellence, Anderson was known for his intelligence, leadership, and innovation, having played a key role in the early implementation of Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s and is a member of the Bengals Ring of Honor. Following his playing days, he transitioned into coaching, helping develop quarterbacks for several NFL teams, including a stint as the Bengals’ quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He coached players like Ben Rothleesburger with the Steelers, helping them win a Super Bowl, as well as Byron Leftwich with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Making an impact off the field Ken Started the Ken Anderson Alliance who mission is to create live, work, and play opportunities for adults with disabilities.
For more info on his non profit check out https://kenandersonalliance.org/
Enjoy the show!
216: Micah Lacher is the President and Founder of Anchor Investments, a Nashville-based real estate investment firm with a mission to become the most generous real estate company in America. Anchor specializes in the acquisition, development, and management of commercial properties across the Southeast and Midwest.
In addition to his real estate ventures, he leads Mission Hotels, a unique hospitality initiative that repurposes historic church buildings into boutique hotels. These hotels operate with a distinctive model: over 50% of their profits are donated to local nonprofits supporting underserved communities, including organizations like Nashville Rescue Mission and Room in the Inn.
Prior to forming Anchor Investments, he was a local partner in a regional development and brokerage firm as a developer of new retail facilities and residential communities. Along with a local partner, Micah founded and ran the Nashville office.
Prior to that partnership, he had several successful years in brokerage in the Nashville office of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, which is now called Cushman & Wakefield. Over the course of the last 14 years, Micah has been involved as the managing partner in the acquisition and development of close to 2 million square feet of commercial real estate.
Beyond his professional endeavors, he is deeply committed to community service. He has held board and volunteer positions with several Nashville organizations, such as the Nashville House Foundation for Young Life, The Halftime Institute, and Redbird Ministries. Micah is also a co-founder of Team Chad, a nonprofit that has raised over $1.6 million for leukemia-related charities since its inception in 2007. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tennessee, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
For more on Micah you can find him on Linkedin as well as achorinv.com and missionhotels.com
Enjoy the show!
215: Paul Mills is the head men's basketball coach at Wichita State University. Prior to his tenure at Wichita State, Mills served as the head coach at Oral Roberts University from 2017 to 2023. Under his leadership, the Golden Eagles achieved significant success, including a historic Sweet 16 appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a 15-seed, making them just the second team in history to reach that stage from such a low seed. In the 2022–23 season, Mills guided ORU to a 30–5 record, an undefeated 18–0 run through the Summit League, and a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. His coaching prowess earned him recognition as a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award and the NABC’s Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor.
Before his time at Oral Roberts, Mills spent 14 years at Baylor University, initially as a coordinator of operations from 2003 to 2009 and then as an assistant coach from 2009 to 2017. During his tenure, Baylor made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Elite Eight and four Sweet 16 berths.
Mills began his coaching career at the high school level, leading his teams to multiple district championships. He also served as the director of basketball operations at Rice University for one year. Mills is a 1996 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2020.
On the show Coach Mills shares his story of growing up, playing basketball, overcoming a career ending injury, getting into coaching, impact, stewardship, service, hard work, deeds over words, sustaining success, faith, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
https://x.com/coachmills?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/goshockersmbb/?hl=en
214: Doug McNamee serves as the President of Field & Stream, where he is leading the revitalization of the iconic outdoor brand. Since assuming the role he has overseen the return of Field & Stream’s print magazine, the launch of the 1871 Club membership program, and the development of strategic partnerships with cultural figures such as Eric Church and Morgan Wallen. Under his leadership, Field & Stream is being positioned as a modern platform that merges storytelling, commerce, and conservation, aiming to reconnect with a multigenerational audience of outdoor enthusiasts.
Prior to joining Field & Stream, Doug was President of Magnolia, the lifestyle and media brand founded by Chip and Joanna Gaines, where he played a key role in its national expansion. He and his wife were actually featured in the very first episode of Fixer Upper.
Before Magnolia he was the senior associate athletic director at Baylor University running the Bear Foundation and various other responsibilities. He served as a GA with the Baylor men’s baseball program and was a student manager with the men’s basketball team.
On the show Doug shares his story, getting into athleitcs, perspective on culture, the importance of listening, humility, confidence, vulnerability, family, faith, and much more.
For more on Doug check him out on social as well as fieldandstream.com
Enjoy the show
213: Casey Woods is the Offensive Coordinator for SMU Football. He just recently helped lead SMU to the College Football Playoff.
A veteran coach with a strong pedigree in both player development and strategic play-calling, Woods has played a pivotal role in shaping some of the most explosive offenses in college football.
Prior to joining SMU, Woods coached at powerhouse programs including Auburn winning a national championship, Missouri, UAB, Arkansas State, and Tennessee where he worked alongside some of the best coaches in the game and contributed to multiple high-performing teams. His journey through the coaching ranks reflects a deep understanding of the game, from recruiting and player evaluation to game-day execution. A former wide receiver at the University of Tennessee, Woods blends firsthand experience with a keen football intellect.
Beyond the X’s and O’s, Casey Woods is known for his leadership, communication, and the trust he builds with his players. His presence on the SMU sideline marks more than just a strategic advantage—it reflects a commitment to mentorship, culture, and winning the right way.
On the show he shares his story, the influence of his parents, importance of core values, power of genuine relationships, leadership, care, faith, family, and much more.
Be sure to follow Coach Woods on X @CoachCaseyWoods
Enjoy the show!
212: Mike O’Connell serves as the associate lead pastor at Love Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He is also an entrepreneur, speaker and leadership coach.
Mike’s story has been marked by overcoming obstacles. After a near fatal football injury in 2004, he turned down multiple football scholarship offers to walk on at Iowa. One week after the decision he was denied admission because he wasn’t in the top 50% of his graduating class, even with a 3.3 GPA. While meeting with the provost regarding the situation, he was told statistics indicated he would fail out in his first semester if they granted him admission.
Knowing failure wasn’t an option, he made the bold decision to walk on at Iowa State. With all the odds against him, he survived three coaching changes and went on to earn a scholarship, become a team captain and earn all Big 12 academic honors.
After one season of professional football Mike decided to lay down his dream of playing in the NFL. He moved from Los Angeles, California to Omaha, Nebraska with no job or place to live. Mike went on to work for Stryker as a medical device representative for two and half years before leaving corporate America to pursue his calling as a pastor.
Mike hosts the Backstage with Mike O’Connell podcast, as well as the Lead Different Experience.
For more on Mike check him out on social, as well as lovechurch.org and his website at mikeoconnell.com
Enjoy the show!
211: Eric Musselman is the head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) men's basketball team, having taken the helm in April 2024. Prior to joining USC, he spent five seasons at the University of Arkansas, compiling a 111–59 record and leading the Razorbacks to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Elite Eight runs. Musselman also served as head coach at Nevada from 2016 to 2019, where he guided the Wolf Pack to three Mountain West Conference titles and three NCAA Tournament berths. His coaching career spans over 30 years and includes stints in both the NBA and international basketball.
Coach Musselman played college basketball at the University of San Diego, where he earned All-Academic honors and helped the Toreros reach two NCAA Tournaments. He is the son of Bill Musselman, a former NBA head coach, making them the first father-son duo to both serve as NBA head coaches. Eric Musselman's coaching journey began in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he became the youngest head coach in league history at age 24. He later transitioned to the NBA, coaching the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and also served as an assistant with several NBA teams. His international experience includes coaching the national teams of the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and the United States.
On the show he shares his story, thoughts on leadership, continues learning, resilience, energy, adapting, consistency, building excellence, and much more.
For more info on Coach Muss check out his social media @ericpmusselman, as well as the USC men’s basketball program at usctrojans.com
Enjoy the show!
210: Hortense le Gentil is a world-renowned executive leadership coach, speaker, and author. She guides CEOs and senior executives on their journey from hero leaders to human leaders. Guided by 30 years in business, working across industries—including media consulting and advertising—and as an entrepreneur.
Hortense was recognized on the inaugural Coaches50 list in 2024 and was a 2023 and 2021 nominee for the Thinkers 50 Coaching and Mentoring Awards. She is a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered™ coach, a member of MG100 Coaches, and has been ranked #5 on the Global Gurus list by World Management Global Gurus.
Author of THE UNLOCKED LEADER: Dare to Free Your Own Voice, Lead with Empathy, and Shine Your Light in the World (2023), and ALIGNED: Connecting Your True Self with the Leader You’re Meant to Be (2019), Hortense is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and ThriveGlobal.com, and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and Business Insider. She is based in New York.
For more on Hortense check out hortenselegentil.com and her books on amazon and the links below.
Enjoy the show!
Book link:
https://www.amazon.com/Unlocked-Leader-Voice-Empathy-Shine-ebook/dp/B0CJLMFB3F?ref_=ast_author_dp
209# Ted Rath is the New Orleans Saints director of sports performance.
Rath comes to New Orleans after four seasons directing the strength and conditioning efforts of the Philadelphia Eagles. He originally joined the team as the director of sports performance in 2020 and was promoted to vice president of player performance in 2021. During his four full seasons in Philadelphia, the Eagles reached the playoffs three times with Rath overseeing the team's strength and conditioning program. In 2022, when the Eagles reached Super Bowl LVII, he was named the Strength Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association for the second time in his career, an award voted on by the league's strength and conditioning coaches.
In 2017, the first season of his three-year tenure with the Los Angeles Rams, Rath was named the Strength Coach of the Year for the first time, when according to Football Outsiders, Los Angeles finished as the healthiest team in the NFL based on adjusted games lost due to injury. Coming to Los Angeles as head strength and conditioning Coach, Rath was promoted to director of strength training/performance in 2018.
Before his stint with the Rams, Rath spent one season as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Miami Dolphins and seven seasons in the same role with the Detroit Lions.
Coach Rath played linebacker at the University of Toledo from 2003-06 and went on to be the assistant director of strength and conditioning at his alma mater in 2008 before entering the NFL.
Follow Ted across all social plafortms and check out his newest book Beyond Comfort: Mastering a Growth Mindset With Excellence Through Urgency.
Enjoy the show!
Book link:
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Comfort-Mastering-Mindset-Excellence/dp/1964811732
Andy Chrisman has been in the Christian music industry for over 25 years, both as a solo artist and as part of the Dove Award-winning group, 4Him. He has sold more than 5 million records, garnered twenty-five #1 singles, and was awarded numerous Grammy Award™ and Dove Award™ nominations and wins.
In 2004, Andy began leading thousands of people in worship every week at Church On The Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and served a strategic role in helping the organization become one of the most influential and creative churches in the world.
In 2005, Andy launched the world-wide syndicated radio show, "Worship with Andy Chrisman" which is currently heard on nearly 300 stations internationally with an estimated 5 million listeners each week.
With more than 5000 concerts, 10,000 stage appearances and an estimated 25,000 hours of professional singing, Andy Chrisman has become one of the most sought after vocal worship trainers in the country for singers. He also started the Worship Table, which is a scared space for worship pastors and creative leaders to find rest, renewal, and real connection.
He also hosts the podcast "1 Degree of Andy", where he shares stories from his four-decade journey in the Christian music industry. The podcast features in-depth interviews with influential artists, producers, and industry figures, offering insights into their careers and personal experiences
For more on Andy, his podcast, coaching, or vocal coaching check him out on social as well as andychrisman.com and theworshiptable.com
Enjoy the show!
207: Ross Bjork is the Ohio State University Director of Athletics. In his first year as AD, the Buckeyes football team won the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship. Additionally, he began a one-year term as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in June 2024.
Before arriving in Columbus he served as the athletic director at Texas A&M, where he oversaw record-setting fundraising efforts, major facility upgrades, and pivotal hires that elevated the Aggies’ national profile. His leadership is focused on a deep commitment to student-athlete success, both on and off the field.
With a career spanning over two decades of leadership at top-tier institutions, Bjork’s extensive career in collegiate athletics includes administrative roles at the University of Missouri, University of Miami, and UCLA.
He served as the Athletics Director at Western Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, where he was recognized for enhancing academic performance, fundraising, and athletic competitiveness.
Ross earned his bachelor's degree in recreation administration from Emporia State University in 1995, where he was a fullback on the football team, and a master's degree in athletic administration from Western Illinois University in 1996.
He has a great perspective on hard work, persistence, communication, curiosity, building relationships, facing challenges head on, leadership, and much more.
Be sure to check out Ross on X @RossBjorkAD
Enjoy the show!
206: Lieutenant Colonel Todd Beer was the Air Force One pilot for both the President Bill Clinton & President George W Bush administrations, as well as the 9/11 terrorists attacks and many other influential historical moments.
Todd grew up in Indiana and his basketball success earned him an opportunity to play college basketball at the highly coveted United State Air Force Academy. After surviving a plane crash while he was in high school he never had a desire to fly.
During his time at the USAFA he started over 108 straight games, overcame adversity, grew in courage, persisted through flight school, and competed at the highest levels. All of which were building blocks to a distinguished career in aviation.
He shares the tense moments on 9/11 when minimal information was at hand to make critical decisions to safely fly the president. Other moments include covertly flying Air Force one into Bagdad for President Bush’s surprise visit and flying Present Clinton right after news of the Monica Lewinsky scandal surfaced. More importantly he shares his story and all of the lessons he learned not just to have a successful career, but also a successful family.
Enjoy the show!
205: Anne Walker is the Stanford University Women’s Golf Head Coach. She has established herself as one of the premier college coaches in the country. In addition to leading the Cardinal to its first three NCAA titles in school history (2015, 2022, 2024), Walker has mentored some of the most recognizable names in the sport.
Stanford has enjoyed unprecedented team and individual success under Walker. The Cardinal has qualified for NCAA Championships in all 11 possible seasons during Walker’s tenure, including seven appearances in the national semifinals, while earning the distinction of being the only program in the country to reach the NCAA match play quarterfinal stage in all nine seasons of the current format.
A three-time WGCA National Coach of the Year (2015, 2022, 2024) and four-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2015, 2021-22, 2024), Walker has mentored the likes of Rachel Heck, Andrea Lee, Mariah Stackhouse, and many others, a heralded group that has combined to win three NCAA individual titles, three ANNIKA Award honors, three WCGA Golfer of the Year Award nods and five Pac-12 Golfer of the Year Award accolades.
Under Walker’s guidance, Stanford has captured 44 full-field victories and has produced 33 All-Americans. Stanford has had at least one first-team All-American in all 12 seasons with Walker at the helm.
Anne shares her story of growing up in Scotland, playing golf at Cal, getting into coaching, leadership, character, sustained excellence, focus, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
204: Ricky Dickson is the former CEO and President of Blue Bell Creameries, as well as an accomplished speaker and author with his newest book One Scoop at a Time.
Ricky graduated from Baylor University with a BBA in marketing and journalism. He began his career with Blue Bell in 1981 as a territory manager in Dallas. He transferred to the Fort Worth branch in 1982 and became sales manager. In 1984, he was promoted to San Antonio branch manager. He transferred to Oklahoma City and then to Tulsa when each of those branches opened.
In 1992, Ricky was named assistant Dallas/Fort Worth division manager. He transferred to Kansas City as branch manager in 1993 and returned to Tulsa later that year. He was named Midwest division manager in 1994. Four years later, he became general manager of the Broken Arrow plant but continued to stay involved in sales, particularly with the Walmart account. Ricky was named general sales manager in 2003 and moved to Brenham. In 2010, he was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing and was also appointed to serve as a director on the Blue Bell Board of Directors.
In 2017, he was promoted to company president, and in 2019, he was elected CEO and president of Blue Bell Creameries. In 2024, Ricky received the International Dairy Foods Association Laureate Award for his significant, prolonged contributions to the development and growth of dairy. He was also inducted into the Dairy Products Institute of Texas Hall of Fame.
To find out more on Ricky you can find him on social as well as his website rickydickson.com
For more on his book One Scoop at a Time check out amazon and where all books are sold as well as the link below.
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/One-Scoop-Time-Stories-Lessons/dp/1957616709
Matthew Mitchell is the winningest head coach in the history of the University of Kentucky women's basketball program, a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, and a two-time best-selling author and speaker.
The foundation for his teams’ achievements is the Winning Tools principles - honesty, hard work, and discipline. Through Mitchell's focus on the fundamentals, he led the program to new heights―seven 25-plus winning seasons, 3 Elite Eights, multiple sweet sixteens, and UK’s first SEC Championship in 30 years.
Coach Mitchell now leads the Winning Tools leadership platform, sharing the proven value of these principles with executive teams across the country. On the show he shares the Winning Tools, his newest book Ready to Win, his story of growing up, getting into coaching, learning from legendary Tennessee Coach Pat Summit, building and sustaining excellence, and much more.
For more on Coach Mitchell check out social media and CoachMatthewMitchell.com and for his newest book you can check out readytowinbook.com for extras and bonuses.
Enjoy the show!
202: Jack Herschend has served as Chairman, President and CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment and its portfolio of theme park, resorts, and aquariums.
Today, Herschend Family Entertainment and its parent company Herschend Enterprises are considered the nation’s largest family-owned themed attractions corporation in the US. Their team of more than 11,000 employees creates, develops, and operates entertainment, tourism, and hospitality properties that currently span 26 locations across the US and British Columbia.
Herschend’s roots date back to 1950 when the Herschend family founded their first attraction, a small cave tour in Branson, Mo., which later expanded into the famed Silver Dollar City®. Operating companies within Herschend Family Entertainment include Dollywood® Parks & Resorts, Silver Dollar City® Attractions, Harlem Globetrotters, Adventure Aquarium®, Newport Aquarium®, Kentucky Kingdom®, Vancouver Aquarium, and Wild Adventures®.
Jack’s intensity and deep caring for people shaped the company culture into what it is today. Jack attended Northwestern University as a wrestler and served as a Lieutenant in the Marine Corps before returning home to focus on the family business. He has a deep passion for personal service and giving and has actively served several Christian ministries including including Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch, Kids Across America and the National Institute of Marriage. In 1992, Jack founded The Gift of Green which has planted nearly 200,000 trees to counter deforestation due to development in the Missouri Ozarks.
On the show he shares his story, growth of HFE, building a business, leadership, encouragement, failures, family, faith, marriage, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
201: Michael Alford is the Florida State University Director of Athletics.
Alford has helped position Seminole athletics among the nation’s elite both in terms of competitive excellence and as influential in the critical issues of the day. He has truly emerged as one of collegiate athletics’ leaders while remaining true to his primary objective – an unwavering commitment to student-athlete welfare.
That commitment has produced measurable results by every metric within a solution-oriented, positive culture that places the student-athlete first in all pursuits. It’s evidenced, in part, by his direction of more than $400 million for projects to improve athletic facilities and fields in just the last three years.
It is clear to anyone that comes to campus as construction on the 150,000 square foot Dunlap Football Center and state-of-the-art improvements to historic Doak Campbell Stadium are fully in progress entering the 2025 football season.
Alford is equally committed to the success of the student in the classroom resulting in the strongest consistent academic performance in athletics department history. FSU student-athletes established an all-time best cumulative grade-point average of 3.250 as a department. Not only that but numerous teams have excelled in their respective sports from football, baseball, softball, volleyball, and many others.
Over three decades in intercollegiate athletics and professional sports, he has held positions with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Alabama, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Southern California, the Cincinnati Bengals and was Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics at Central Michigan University.
For more info on Michael check out social media and seminoles.com This is a great conversation with an incredible leader. Enjoy the show!
200: Jimmy Mellado is President and CEO of Compassion International, a global ministry that is dedicated to holistic child development in partnership with local churches.
Jimmy is passionate about Compassion’s church-based approach to releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. The son of an engineer, Jimmy spent his childhood in the developing world and saw firsthand the powerful impact thriving local churches can have on their communities, especially in under-resourced environments.
Before taking office as CEO of Compassion International in 2013, Jimmy served for nearly 20 years as the president of the Willow Creek Association.
He earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School. Jimmy is an accomplished athlete who competed in the decathlon in the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games and still retains the national record for his birth country, El Salvador, in that event.
Jimmy and his wife have three adult children and grandchildren. They’ve been passionate Compassion sponsors since 2005.
Enjoy the show!
199: Jerod Haase is the former Stanford university head men’s basketball coach. During his time on the farm at Stanford the Cardinal had won 126 games, recorded its best conference finish and most league wins in a decade and earned a postseason berth for the first time since 2015. The 2020 team was set to be postseason bound before the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament.
A native of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Haase attended California in 1992-93, starting 23 games as a freshman and playing alongside Jason Kidd in the backcourt. Haase then transferred to Kansas, where he helped lead the Jayhawks to three consecutive conference titles and finished his career ranked in the school’s top 10 in assists, three-point field goals and steals. Haase started 99 of 101 games at Kansas and scored 1,264 points, averaging 12.5 per game and reaching double figures 74 times. While at Kansas, Haase was a candidate for the Naismith and Wooden Awards.
Haase was also a first-team GTE Academic All-American as a senior, a second-team Academic All-American as a junior and a three-time academic all-conference pick. The Jayhawks' Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1997, Haase later earned a master's degree in business at Kansas in 2000.
After playing professionally he went on to help as an assistant with his former college coach Roy Williams at Kansas and then North Carolina, before he became the head coach at UAB.
At UAB, Haase led the Blazers to a regular-season Conference USA championship in 2016 and the program’s 15th all-time NCAA Tournament berth in 2015. Haase compiled an 80-53 overall record in four seasons while improving the Blazers’ win total every year. In 2016 he was tabbed as the Gene Bartow Conference USA Coach of the Year, leading the Blazers to a 26-5 overall record and a 16-2 conference mark while capturing their first regular-season title since 2011.
In 2017, Haase joined the National Advisory Board of the Positive Coaching Alliance, the organization that uses the power of positive reinforcement to pursue winning and the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports.
On the show you will hear his story, overcoming setbacks, being genuine and authentic, core values, relationships, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
Book Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Floor-Burns-Inside-Kansas-Jayhawk/dp/0965839214
198: Joe Scarlett is the former CEO, President, and Chairman of Tractor Supply Company. He spent nearly thirty years in leadership roles with the company. Today Joe is engaged in teaching and writing about leadership, working in the family foundation, and striving to improve Tennessee.
In 1982 Scarlett played a key role in the initiative to return the company to profitability through improved customer service and focused product selection as part of a classic leveraged buyout. He was instrumental in developing the company culture which today is admired and often copied. In 1994 Joe led the successful effort to take the company public.
Tractor Supply Company was honored by Forbes as one of the “Best Managed Companies in America” and Scarlett was recognized as Ernst & Young’s Southeast Entrepreneur of the Year. Joe also served twenty years on the board of the nation’s largest retail trade organization, including four as its chairman.
On the show Joe shares his story of growing up, hard work, common sense, working at Two Guys Discount Store alongside Bernie Marcus who went on to found The Home Depot, leading and growing Tractor Supply Co, focusing on people, listening to the customer, using the corporate jet (aka Southwest Airlines), adapting, over 50 years of marriage, intentionality with your kids, and much more.
For more on Joe his book newsletter and foundation check out joescarlett.com as well as scarlettfoundation.org
Enjoy the show!
197: Mike Small is the University of Illinois head men's golf coach and is currently entering his 25th season.
The GCAA Hall of Fame & 2015 GCAA Dave Williams National Coach of the Year, has brought national recognition to Illinois golf in his 25 years at the helm of the program, as he has guided the Illini to 13 of the last 15 Big Ten Championship titles, including a conference-record run of eight straight from 2015 through 2023 to established a new standard for sustained excellence in the league.
Under Small’s direction, the Illini program has seen consistent success as his teams have not only continued to achieve greatness at the conference level, but on the national level as well. Small has led Illinois to top-five NCAA finishes in nine of the last 13 postseasons, including a runner-up finish in 2013. Illinois has advanced past NCAA Regionals to the NCAA Championship 17 times under Small’s guidance, including a run of 13 straight from 2008 to 2021, a streak that ranked second nationally during time. The Orange and Blue have won six NCAA Regional titles, including four consecutive NCAA Regional Championships from 2013-2016, becoming one of just two schools in NCAA history to do so.
Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Small’s Illini have been a consistent force among the top 25 in the Golfweek/Bushnell Coaches’ Poll, and own the longest streak ranked in the top spot. Small was again recognized for his coaching success in 2016 as he was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame.
Small has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year a conference-record 13 times in his career (2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2002) and has also been named Midwest Regional Coach of the Year on 13 occasions (2024, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2003). Under his direction, 19 Illini have won 37 All-America honors and 65 All-Big Ten accolades garnered by 28 student-athletes. He also has the distinction of playing on a Big Ten championship team and coaching 13 more.
Small has continued his professional career while coaching, most recently playing on the PGA TOUR Champions. Since 2000, he is a three-time winner of the PGA Professional National Championship, a three-time PGA Professional National Player of the Year, a 14-time IPGA Champion, four-time Illinois Open Champion and he has participated in 13 major championships. Small has made the cut in 15 of 34 PGA TOUR events since he began coaching at Illinois, and 18 of 19 PGA TOUR Champions events, earning three top 10 finishes and playing in three U.S. Senior Opens. He was also named the 2017 OMEGA Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year.
Enjoy the show!
196: Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is the former CEO of Celebrity Cruises. She is a recognized global business powerhouse and recipient of numerous awards including the South Florida Business Journal and Forbes Travel Guide Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Most recently, Lisa served as President & CEO of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Miami Host Committee, where she led the strategy, fundraising, fan activations, and operations for the seven Miami matches of this globally significant event. During her time in this role, her dedication to excellence and innovation helped position Miami—a world-renowned sports and entertainment destination—as a standout host city for the matches and a city that expects over 700,000 visitors and close to two billion dollars in economic impact during the tournament.
Prior to her role with FIFA, Lisa spent 40 years in progressive leadership positions at the Royal Caribbean Group where she made history as the first woman to serve as President and CEO of one of the company’s multibillion-dollar subsidiaries, Celebrity Cruises (2014–2023). During her tenure as CEO of Celebrity she redefined the luxury cruise industry with groundbreaking ship designs, innovative services, and a commitment to leadership.
She also transformed the financial performance of the Brand to historic levels. Before leaving the Royal Caribbean Group, she held the role of Vice Chairman, External Affairs for the Royal Caribbean Group, where she strengthened industry partnerships and advanced company strategy across its global portfolio of three Brands.
A trailblazer in the global hospitality industry, Lisa has received numerous accolades for business transformation, leadership, and now serves on corporate Boards as Chairwoman of the Board of the Hornblower Group, where she oversees the strategic direction of this industry leader in transportation and experiential travel, the Board of Directors for Fortune 500 company AutoNation (NYSE: AN), the Advisory Board of AHC Group, and the Board of Directors of Amerant Bank (NYSE: AMTB).
Lisa shares her inspiring journey and leadership insights in her best-selling book, Making Waves: A Woman’s Rise to the Top Using Smarts, Heart, and Courage and through numerous public speaking engagements.
For more on Lisa visit her website at lisalutoffperlo.com as well as all social platforms.
Enjoy the show!
195: Kelley Hester is the Clemson University Women’s Head Golf. She has led Clemson to unprecedented success in her first eight seasons as Clemson’s head coach. In 2023-24 the Tigers reached match play of the NCAA National Tournament and finished fifth in the nation. She was also named ACC Coach of the Year and a finalist for National Coach of the Year.
When you look at her career it is no surprise Hester has brought the Clemson program to consistent success. She has been successful everywhere she has coached over her 24 seasons and 234 tournaments as a head coach.
Nothing documents her success more than the fact that she is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to take four different programs to the NCAA National tournament and record at least one top 20 finish at four different schools.
Over her career, Hester has 20 wins, 42 top two finishes and 110 top fives. That includes four top two finishes and eight top fives in 2023-24. She has taken teams to 19 NCAA regionals, had eight top 25 national finishes, coached 37 all-conference players and 18 All-Americans.
Before Clemson she had been the head coach at Furman, Georgia, Arkansas, UNLV, and Mercer.
More importantly on the show you will hear what matters most to her and how she cares about her players on and off the course.
Enjoy the show!
194: Charlie Duke is a former Astronaut & Apollo 16 Lunar Model pilot who became the 10th and youngest human being to ever walk on the surface of the moon.
He has also served in many other critical historical events. On Apollo 11, the first ever moon landing, Neil Armstrong asked Charlie to serve at CAPCOM (which is the voice of Houston/mission control when they landed on the moon). He served back up on Apollo 13 working tirelessly to help safely bring back his fellow astronauts.
Charlie attended the US Naval Academy before becoming a fighter pilot in the US Air Force. After a few years in the Air Force he attended MIT and then became a test pilot with Chuck Yeager. During this time he was encouraged by Yeager and others to apply to become an astronaut and the rest is history.
Apollo 16 was NASA’s second scientific expedition on the moon. During his time on the moon he logged 20.25 hours in extra vehicular activities and collected some 213 pounds of soil and geological samples. He took the only videos of the lunar rover in action. Charlie’s stay on the moon was a record setting 71hours and 14 minutes and he was also the first person to do Moon Olympics.
On the show Charlie shares his story of growing up, becoming a fighter pilot, test pilot and then astronauts, the many of tense stories of the Apollo landings, his own experience walking on the moon, life after NASA, the impact and influence of his wife Dotty, forgiveness, fulfillment, faith, and much more.
For more info on Charlie and his wife Dotty, as well as their books, check out charlieduke.com and dukeministryforchrist.org
Enjoy the show!
193: Lance Witt is the Founder of Replenish. He has been leading churches and organizations for 40+ years. He was the lead pastor for 3 different churches and then spent 7 years as an executive and teaching pastor at Saddleback Church in Southern California.
During his years at Saddleback, Lance led the 40 Days of Purpose campaign. Ultimately, both nationally and internationally, more than 25,000 churches also did the 40 Days of Purpose campaign.
In 2007, Lance launched a ministry called Replenish, which is dedicated to “Helping people live and lead from a healthy soul.” Over the last 15 years Lance has encouraged, challenged and equipped thousands of leaders through speaking, personal coaching LifePlanning, and writing books.
- Replenish… a resource for pastors and ministry leaders on doing ministry without losing your soul.
- High Impact Teams… a resource to catalyze teams to increased health and high-performance
- Your ONE Life… this newest book releases in 2021 and is focused on helping people own, live and love their one and only life.
For more information on Lance his books, coaching, or speaking check out replenish.net
Enjoy the show!
192: Jim Keyes is the former CEO of 7-Eleven, Inc, and Blockbuster, Inc. which are two internationally recognized Fortune 500 companies. He is a global business leader, philanthropist, educator, artist, musician, commercial pilot, and modern renaissance man.
His other business interests cover a broad range of industries including retail, consumer products, technology, new space, energy, and advanced nuclear. He sits on several public company boards and serves as a board adviser to a venture capital firm and a number of start-up companies.
Keyes’ philanthropic initiatives, have an equally broad focus, including serving on the Board of Governors for the American Red Cross, the former Chairman of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and serving on the board of directors for institutions such as UT Southwestern Medical School, The Cooper Institute, Dallas Performing Arts Center, SMU Cox School of Business, Columbia Business School, and his alma mater, College of the Holy Cross.
He has had a lifelong commitment to education, serving as a founding director of the Dallas Education Foundation and is the founder of the Education is Freedom Foundation. A personification of the American Dream, Keyes came from his humble beginnings and was inducted in 2005 as a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. In 2024 he received the Robert S. Folsom Leadership Award, presented by Methodist Health System Foundation to recognize demonstrated community leadership.
Jim recently released his new book Education is Freedom, which can be found on Amazon and the links below.
For more info on Jim check out jameswkeyes.com
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Education-Freedom-Future-Your-Hands/dp/B0CH6X6BVB
191: David Pollack is a college football analyst, author, speaker, and host of the Family Goals Podcast.
A former NFL player and University of Georgia standout, David joined ESPN in 2009 as a college football analyst and was quickly elevated to College GameDay.
Pollack was also a contributor to ESPN’s daily college football news show College Football Live and several additional shows throughout the season. He was previously an analyst on ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football and co-host of Palmer & Pollack. He started his broadcasting career in 2008 hosting a sports radio talk show in Atlanta for 790 The Zone.
As a defensive end at the University of Georgia, he was just the second Bulldog to be named a three-time All-American. The other being Hershel Walker. During his time at UGA he was awarded the 2002 & 2004 SEC Player of the Year honors, 2003 & 2004 Ted Hendricks Award, 2004 the Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, & SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In the 2005 NFL Draft, he was a first round draft pick taken 17th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. His NFL career was cut short, however, after he broke a cervical vertebra in a game versus the Cleveland Browns in the second game of the 2006 season. The Bengals announced Pollack’s retirement before the 2008 season.
On the show David shares his story, building resilience, parenting on purpose, identity, faith, being all in, intentionality, never quitting, marriage, faith, and much more.
For more on David be sure to check him out on social, as well as the Pollack Family Foundation at pollackfamilyfoundation.com and the Family Goals Podcast on all podcast platforms.
Also, check out his new book “The Won’t Quit Kid” which is out now and can be found at bravebooks.us and amazon.
Enjoy the show!
Book link:
https://bravebooks.us/products/the-wont-quit-kid?srsltid=AfmBOooGqXQR8lZga_svq5RjGCvlKVPdhbx8W2ngtzOplS9eEJ8j3t3K
https://www.amazon.com/Wont-Quit-Kid-David-Pollack/dp/1955550824?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1∣=A10YDWL6MSY05I
Family Goals Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/family-goals-with-david-pollack-and-pastor-j/id1585214791
190: General Robert F. “Bob” Dees served for 31 years in the U.S. Army in a wide variety of command and staff positions culminating in his last three assignments as Assistant Division Commander for Operations, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Commander, Second Infantry Division, United States Forces Korea; and as Deputy Commanding General, V (US/GE) Corps in Europe, concurrently serving as Commander, US-Israeli Combined Task Force for Missile Defense.
Bob is a graduate of numerous military schools including the Command and General Staff College, the Naval Postgraduate School, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. He has authored and taught Management Science topics in the Department of Engineering at West Point, as well as multiple Resilience courses at Liberty University.
Following military retirement in January 2003, Bob served as a Microsoft Corporation executive; followed by leadership of a non-profit outreach to the military. He authored the Resilience Trilogy (Resilient Warriors, Resilient Leaders, and Resilient Nations) and pioneered resilience programs for the military as Vice President for Military Outreach at Liberty University. In the 2016 Presidential cycle, Bob served as National Security Advisor and Campaign Chairman for Dr. Ben Carson. Bob now heads Resilience God Style, a national movement to restore resilience to every area of American life, including recent publication of the Resilience God Style book, study guide, video series, and training game (www.ResilienceGodStyle.com).
Bob is a senior advisor for the newly formed Faith-based Veterans Support Alliance (FBVSA). Bob is also President of the National Center for Healthy Veterans (www.HealthyVeterans.org) with the mission of “Returning Healthy Veterans to America.” This broad and comprehensive Healthy Veteran initiative ranges from trauma recovery using best practices, faith-based programs to veteran microbusinesses which afford dignified work, skills training, and economic opportunity. Community is a critical element of the initiative, including veteran tiny home villages for formerly homeless Veterans and others. While the Healthy Veteran initiative will help Veterans, the real winner is America with Healthy Veterans positively impacting culture as role models for our youth, as experienced leaders in business, and as standard bearers in every walk of life.
Bob speaks at numerous seminars and conferences, as well as commentary on national security, leadership, and resilience in a wide array of media, military, business and church venues. He was featured as one of 30 “Master Leaders” in America by noted author George Barna and was awarded the Council for National Policy George Washington Military Leadership Award in 2018.
For more on General Dees check out www.ResilienceGodStyle.com as well as www.HealthyVeterans.org
Enjoy the show
189: Roland Thornqvist is the University of Florida Women’s Tennis former head coach and 4X National Champion. Thornqvist owns a remarkable 582-157 head coaching record in 28 years, including a 507-107 mark at Florida.
In 20+ years with Thornqvist on the sidelines, some of Florida’s more significant highlights include four NCAA Team National Championships (2003, 2011, 2012, & 2017), as well as 11 SEC regular-season titles (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 & 2016) and 10 SEC Tournament crowns (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2016).
Individually, Thornqvist has been honored as the ITA National Coach of the Year (2011), the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year (2010 & 2012) and the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year (2004, 2006, 2010, 2013 & 2016).
The Sweden native climbed the charts in 2022, in terms of NCAA historical success as he ranked top 10 all-time in Division I winning percentage (8th, .808) and top 20 in all-time wins (12th, 512). In July 2020, Thornqvist was among the top NCAA Division I active head coaches carrying the fourth-highest winning percentage and the eighth-most victories.
He has guided Florida to 11 NCAA ‘final four’ appearances, with four culminating in titles and two as national runner-up (2002 & 2010). Before arriving in Gainesville he was the head coach at UNC and KU. Thornqvist also played professional tennis for one year after completing his collegiate eligibility, attaining a world ranking of No. 290 in singles.
Thornqvist established himself as one of the top players in the history of the ACC during his collegiate career. He was a three-time first-team All-ACC selection, the 1993 ACC Player of the Year, a 1992 and 1993 first-team All-American and a 1992 and 1993 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist in singles. In 1992, he led the Tar Heels to the ACC Championship and to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels also made the NCAA Tournament during his senior season, advancing to the round of 16. Thornqvist won the 1993 Rolex National Indoor Singles Championship as a senior. In both 1992 and 1993, he won the ITA’s Rafael Osuna National Sportsmanship Award. He is the only college player in history to win that award twice. Thornqvist was the No. 4-ranked collegiate singles player in the country his senior year.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Thornqvist received his bachelor’s degree in economics from UNC in 1996. He played for the Tar Heels from 1990-93, transferring from Elon College, where he played one year and won the NAIA singles and doubles championships as a freshman in 1990. He also led Elon to the NAIA team championship that year. More importantly you will see how he has been able to build and sustain success. Enjoy the show!
188: Matt Pinnell is the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. Pinnell is President of the Oklahoma State Senate and serves on multiple constitutional boards and commissions, including serving as Chairman of the Oklahoma Tourism Commission and Route 66 Centennial Commission. He has set his Lt. Governor agenda focused on workforce and economic development issues.
Pinnell is the chief marketer of Oklahoma and spends much of his time promoting Oklahoma. In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, he launched a talent recruitment campaign targeting the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He also works to retain and attract companies to the state by hosting events throughout the year, including the annual Lt. Governor’s Turkey Hunt, a two-week event that showcases Oklahoma to prospective out-of-state companies and site selection representatives.
As an entrepreneur himself, Pinnell champions small business growth. He advises the Oklahoma Department of Commerce on small business growth, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. In 2022, he launched ‘A Look at Oklahoma CareerTech,’ a video interview series that showcases the education and employment opportunities the state’s CareerTech system provides.
Pinnell launched a statewide rebrand in 2020, a campaign that has streamlined state agency processes and saved taxpayer dollars.
On the show you will get to hear more of these things as well as, the importance of discipline, courage, overcoming criticism, decision making, leadership, family, and much more.
For more on Lt. Governor Pinnell check out oklahoma.gov as well as mattpinnell.com
Enjoy the show!
Chris Acker is the Long Beach State University Men’s Basketball Head Coach.
Acker has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at San Diego State, playing a crucial role in the team’s recent success. The Aztecs have reached the NCAA tournament in each of the last four seasons and were 30-2 in 2019-20 prior to the COVID shutdown. In 2022-23, SDSU reached the National Championship game and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2023-24. In his five seasons as an assistant coach at SDSU, the Aztecs went 134-34 overall. He also served as an assistant at Boise State and Hawaii.
Acker’s move to Division I came on the heels of two successful stints in the junior college ranks. As the head coach of West Los Angeles College, he rebuilt the program in two years, taking 11 freshmen in his first season and leading that group to an 18-9 record and a CCCAA Regional playoff berth within two years.
In his first coaching position with Citrus College, Acker spent six seasons at Citrus, winning the 2008 California State Championship and posting a dominant 92-9 record during his tenure, first as an assistant and then as the associate head coach of the program.
A Los Angeles native, Acker closed his collegiate playing career at Chaminade University in Hawaii, before playing professionally for four seasons in Europe and the United States.
On the show he shares all of these experiences as well as building relationships, building programs, building young men, and making an impact on and off the court.
For for more on Coach Acker follow him on social in the links below, as well as longbeachstate.com
Enjoy the show!
X:
@ackercr
Insta:
@chris.acker
https://www.instagram.com/coach.acker/
Collective:
https://lbsumbballiance.com/join
MBB Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/lbsumbb/?hl=en
186: Robin Siegfried is the former Co-Owner & CEO of NORDAM, which stands for Northeastern Oklahoma Research, Development, & Manufacturing. Chances are if you have ever flown on a plane you have interacted with many of NORDAM’s products even if you weren’t aware of it.
NORDAM is a top choice for engineering, manufacturing, maintaining, and repairing components for business jets, commercial aircraft, and military warfighters around the globe. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, NORDAM is one of the world’s largest independently owned aerospace companies, employing 2,500 stakeholders across multiple facilities in North America and Europe. Through more than 50 years of experience, they are aligned to meet the growing needs of the defense and space markets with cutting-edge solutions that drive aerospace forward.
Robin grew up in Tulsa and after college at OU ventured into building NORDAM into what it is today. Through persistence, problem solving, hard work, and relationships he traveled all around the world growing the company.
On the show he shares his journey of how he did just that, building relationships, leadership, working from your strengths, eating sushi in Japan, surviving multiple aviation crashes, getting Bob Stoops to OU as a Regent, a million dollar bet, hunting adventures all over the world, being a dad, and much more.
Be sure to check out his book Stay On Fire.
Enjoy the show!
https://books.google.com/books/about/Stay_on_Fire.html?id=bq-yzgEACAAJ
185: Bubba Cunningham is the University of North Carolina Director of Athletics. Under his leadership, the athletic department has accomplished numerous academic and athletic achievements.
The Tar Heels have won 22 national titles and made an additional 14 runner-up finishes. More than 3,500 student-athletes have made the ACC Academic Honor Roll -- which requires a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better for the year. The Tar Heels finished in the top 10 of the NACDA Learfield Directors' Cup nine times, including a 7th overall finish in 2023-24. He also has been committed to upgrading facilities to give student-athletes the best experience possible, overseeing more than $220 million worth of projects during his tenure in Chapel Hill.
Cunningham’s leadership has also extended outside of Chapel Hill as he has served on numerous NCAA committees over the last two decades. He is the past president of The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and sits on the board of LEAD1, an association representing the ADs from the NCAA Division I FBS schools. In 2019, he worked with the Atlantic Coast Conference to lead the launch of the ACC Network that fall.
He earned the 2019-20 AD of the Year Award from The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). In 2020, he was named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and in 2022 was named to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Board of Directors. He also is currently serving on the ACC Autonomy Committee and was the Chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Committee in 2024.
Cunningham is in his 22nd year as a Division I director of athletics. He came to Chapel Hill after spending the previous six years as the director of athletics at the University of Tulsa, where he guided the Golden Hurricane through its initial move to Conference USA and spearheaded a $60 million athletics initiative. He also served as Ball State University’s Athletic Director from 2002-2005.
He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Notre Dame and worked in Notre Dame’s athletics department from 1988-2002. A former member of the Irish golf team (1982-83), Cunningham served as Notre Dame’s Associate Athletics Director for finance and facilities from 1995-2000 and was the Associate Director of Athletics for external affairs from 2000-02.
Enjoy the show!
184: Kevin Deshazo is the Co-Founder of BETTER and a partner at global leadership development firm GiANT. He works with some of the best leaders, teams, and organizations in the industry of sports on mindset, leadership, and performance.
A sought after speaker and consultant, he has presented on more than 400 college campuses, dozens of fortune 100 companies, and headlined top conferences and conventions. Places like OU and Florida State football, Nike and ESPN, and the CFP to name a few.
Kevin is the author the besting book Keep Chopping Wood: an ordinary approach to achieving extraordinary success, as well as iAthlete, and his newest book Into the Storm: How to Turn Adversity Into Your Advantage.For more on Kevin check out kevindeshazo.com and bebetterleaders.com as well as all social media platforms.
Enjoy the show!
183: Pat Chambers is the Florida Gulf Coast University men’s basketball head coach. He is the former head coach at Penn State and Boston University, as well as the associate head coach at Villanova.
Pat did not know he wanted to be a college basketball coach. For the first 8 years out of college he started in business and was quickly very successful. However, a near death experience helped him find clarity in his purpose and passion to coach basketball. Within a few years he found himself helping build Villanova into a basketball powerhouse. After their run to the final four in 2009 he took the job as the head coach at Boston University. In just 2 years he led the Terrier's to the NCAA tournament and was given the opportunity to lead the Penn State men’s basketball program. After 9 seasons at Penn State, he now leads the FGCU men’s basketball program.
On the show he shares the impact of his family and parents, experiences playing college basketball, getting into coaching, power of perspective, courage, faith, purpose, passion, his pillars of excellence and much more.
For more on Coach Chambers check him out on social, as well as FGCUatheltics.com
Enjoy the show!
182: Daniel Lamarre is Vice Chairman and former CEO of Cirque Du Soleil. As CEO he guided the organization through a period of astounding growth and then brought it back to life during the massive upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Daniel joined in 2001 as president of new ventures, Cirque Du Soleil had two thousand employees and seven shows in performance. Five years later he became chief executive and the company grew to five thousand employees and forty four shows around the world. At it’s peak Cirque had annual sales of $1 billion, profit margins of twenty percent, and fifteen million people attending its shows per year.
Daniel's strengths of using creativity, his laser like focus, building relationship, finding positive solutions, and exceptional negotiating skills enabled him to lead the organization to put together one of a kind shows such as Michale Jackson’s “One” and the Beatle’s “Love”, which was the only show ever agreed upon by the iconic group.
Before Cirque Daniel worked with TVA Broadcast Group, NATIONAL Public Relations, and Burson Marsteller.
In 2012 he collaborated on the creation of C2MTL Conference, a one-of-a-kind coming together of the creative and business elite of the world. It is a platform for exploring creative answers to commercial questions. In line with his belief that without creativity, there is no commerce.
He has been honored with Doctorates from McGill University, and his alma mater the University of Ottawa.
For more on Daniel and his book check out daniellamarre.ca as well as the links below.
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Acts-Unleashing-Power-Creativity/dp/1400223024
181: Chris Haack is the University of Georgia Head Men’s Golf Coach. Haack has coached the Bulldogs to two national championships (the only two in school history), eight SEC titles, 67 team tournament titles, and virtually every squad and individual records.
Under his tutelage, 27 Bulldogs have accumulated 63 medalist titles. Thirty-one of his players have rolled up 70 All-America honors, while 33 have earned 73 All-SEC certificates. He also has coached 19 Scholar All-Americans. Eleven of Haack’s pupils have amassed 44 PGA Tour wins and, all told, his former players have earned more than $200 million at the pro level. He also shares coaching a young Tiger Woods before his UGA days.
Haack was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in 2012, the GSGA’s Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 2016, and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
Better than all of the accolades he shares how he cares and pushes his players to be their best, as well as how he has built, established, sustained unprecedented success with the Georgia Bulldog program.
Enjoy the show!
180: Taylor Edge is the Founder and CEO of Season Builder. The Season Builder Foundation's mission is to help students and young adults define direction and equip them to pursue it with purpose.
Taylor is the creator of the Season Builder framework as well as former college athlete, successful entrepreneur, corporate employee, UAH Men’s and Women’s Basketball Character Coach, public servant, worship leader, technology consultant, head coach, author, and inspirational liver of life.
He is a follower of Jesus, passionate encourager, problem solver, self leadership coach, and mentor that has been called to facilitate, inspire, remind, and empower transformation in the next generation.
Taylor has been married to his beautiful wife Mindy since 1996. They have two sons, Stuart & Austin, and live in Madison, AL.
For more info on Taylor, Season Builder, the Coach Edge App, and his book, More Than A Believer, check out seasonbuilder.org and the link below.
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Believer-Practical-Transformed/dp/1791627684/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
179: Admiral Mike Manazir is a retired US Navy Admiral who is a Top Gun fighter pilot and instructor who commanded the aircraft carrier the USS Nimitz, an F-14 squadron, and a Carrier Strike Group.
He completed 15 overseas deployments, qualified in the F-14 and the F/A-18 and has flown 3,750 fighter hours with 1,240 arrested landings on multiple aircraft carriers. He also completed five tours in the Pentagon culminating in his role as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Warfighting and he is now an executive with a Fortune 100 aerospace and defense company.
On the show Admiral Manazir shares his story from attending the US Naval Academy, to the split second decision of having to eject out of a jet, to commanding an aircraft carrier in a typhoon, and much more.
For more on his bestselling books, newsletter, and much more check out mikemanazir.com amazon, and all social platforms.
Currently he has a Lead From the Heart Series book promotion going on that is posted in the link below.
Enjoy the show!
Lead From The Heart Promo:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6P57VHL?binding=paperback&qid=1724005240&sr=8-2&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tpbk
John Rossman is the author of four books on leadership and business innovation including the best seller The Amazon Way and Big Bet Leadership. He is an early Amazon executive who played a key role in launching the Amazon marketplace business in 2002. Today he is a leading keynote speaker on leadership for innovation and transformation. John is an operator and builder whose love is diving into business problems and customer needs, designing innovative solutions and business models, and creating durable enterprise value. He has served as the senior technology advisor at the Gates Foundation and senior innovation advisor at T-Mobile.
His new book, Big Bet Leadership: Your Transformation Playbook for Winning in the Hyper-Digital Era, is an actionable playbook for senior leaders to succeed at complex transformations.
John is the founder of Rossman Partners, a strategy & leadership solutions firm.
177: Mike Morrell is the UNC Asheville men’s basketball head coach. In 2023 he was selected as the Big South Coach of the Year and led UNCA to a Big South Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
In the last two years the Bulldogs are one of the winningest programs in college basketball. In 2023 he guided UNCA to a school record 27 wins.
Before moving to Asheville Coach Morrell coached alongside Shaka Smart at the University of Texas and VCU.
Prior to that he coached at Charleston Southern, Clemson, and King College.
On the show Coach Morrell shares his story of growing up, playing college basketball and golf, getting into coaching, doing your job, incremental growth, relationship excellence, the skill of following directions, confidence, building an environment, and much more.
For more on Coach Morrell and UNCA check out uncabulldogs.com
Enjoy the show!
Ken Coleman is the three-time bestselling author of Find the Work You're Wired to Do, From Paycheck to Purpose, The Proximity Principle, and host of The Ken Coleman Show. As America’s Work Expert, he helps people discover what they do best so they can do work they love and produce the results that matter most to them. Whether they’re looking for a complete career change or they’re just unsure about what step to take next, Ken will help them get unstuck and get on the path to meaningful work. Follow Ken on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. And check him out as well at KenColeman.com and RamseySolutions.com
Enjoy the show!
175: Alan bowman is the staring quarterback at Oklahoma State University. With currently less than two weeks before the start of the 2024 season, Alan has been selected on the Manning Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and Wuerffel Trophy watchlists. The AP Top 25 rankings has the Cowboys at 17 as they look to build upon last year’s great season. Last season Alan helped lead OSU to a Big 12 Championship appearance and Texas Bowl win over Texas A&M.
Alan grow up in Grapevine, Texas and from a young age knew he loved football and wanted to play at the highest levels. He chose to start off his career at Texas Tech and as a true freshman started 7 games before an injury sidelined him for the season. He holds a Big 12 freshman single game record of 605 passing yards in one game, breaking the mark set by Patrick Mahomes and was a Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Honorable Mention.
Alan has overcome adversity throughout his career starting with injuries, coaching changes, school changes, COVID-19, and not starting, to coming back and leading OSU to a great 2023 season, which he elaborates in detail. He also shared some of the lessons he has learned from coaches and the different cultures he has been around during his time at Texas Tech, Michigan, and Oklahoma State. More importantly he share about the positive influence of his parents and sisters and how having a great support system is crucial to your success on and off the field.
On the show he shares all these things and much more. Be sure to check him out on all social media platforms and watch him lead the Cowboys as they start their season against South Dakota State on August 31st.
Enjoy the show!
Tony Monetti is a former B2 Stealth Bomber Pilot and currently leads Stealth Advantage Consulting as CEO.
Tony is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, and holds two Masters Degrees. During his exemplary Air Force career, he led the 13th Bomb Squadron’s as Director of Operations, one of two operational B-2 Stealth squadrons. He has flown multiple planes including the B2 Stealth, B1, B52, and many others.
He served as Chairman of the NATO Time Sensitive Targeting Committee. Since leaving the military, Tony served as the University of Central Missouri’s Assistant Dean of Aviation. Tony’s versatile leadership style and strong management skills demonstrates effective team building and corporate goal success. He was the US Senate candidate in 2018 for Missouri and came in 2nd out of 11 candidates.
His strategic thinking challenges the status-quo with the ability to exceed organizational vision and team goals. Tony is a three time-published author and his motivational workshops and seminars have impacted and inspired individuals and organizations globally.
He currently serves as CEO of Stealth Advantage Consulting. For more information on his latest book, THE STEALTH WAY, check out the link below, as well as tonymonetti.com for more info on speaking and consulting services.
Now learn from one of America's first B-2 Stealth Pilots on how to win life's battles to achieve a life worth living. Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Stealth-Way-Live-Life-Fully/dp/B0CLHQQN4Y
173: Lorenzo Romar is one of college basketball’s all time winningest and most accomplished coaches. More importantly he is one of the most respected coaches. He has served as the head coach at the University of Washington, Pepperdine, and Saint Louis. He is currently an assistant coach a Loyola Marymount University.
As a head coach, he's had 18 players taken in the NBA Draft. As either a head coach or an assistant, he's worked with 27 future NBA Draft picks. During his time in Washington alone he coached several future NBA players including Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson, Isaiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter, Spencer Hawes, and top-overall pick Markelle Fultz.
As the Head Coach of Washington, the Huskies played in six NCAA Tournaments, three NITs and one CBI, and won 298 games. Additional accolades in Romar's decorated career include winning the Pac-10/Pac-12 regular season twice (2009, 2012), winning the Pac-10/Pac-12 Tournament three times (2005, 2010, 2011), being named Pac-10/Pac-12 Coach of the Year three times (2005, 2009, 2012), and winning the Conference USA Tournament (2000).
Coach Romar was drafted in the 1980 NBA Draft and played 5 seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, Bucks, and Pistons.
He started at Cerritos Community College and then went on to play at Washington, where he was a two-year starter at point guard and was the team captain as a senior.
On the show Coach Romar shares his story of growing up in Compton, influence of his parents, his love for basketball, resilience, playing in the NBA, Athletes in Action, getting into coaching, faith, family, values, and much more.
As I was getting into coaching Coach Romar was one of the main coaches I wanted to learn from and I spent a tremendous amount of time just to have the opportunity to be around him and his program. He gave me some of the best advice during my coaching journey. One of the men I respect the most not only for the success that he has had, but the type of person that he is. I’m excited to share his story with you all.
Enjoy the show!
172: Scott Mabrey is Chief Executive Officer of Mabrey Bank. Mabrey Bank is a $1.7 billion community bank with 15 locations throughout Oklahoma. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Mabrey Bank and Mabrey Bancorporation. Scott first joined the bank in 2001 after working 3.5 years at Bank of Oklahoma in Corporate Lending.
An active civic member, Scott has served on the boards or volunteered for a variety of organizations including the American Red Cross, Friends of the Fairgrounds Foundation, Oral Roberts University Athletics Council, Holland Hall Independent School, Bixby Chamber of Commerce, Bixby Optimist Club, and the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Committee of One Hundred, the Board of Governors for Southern Hills Country Club and also volunteers on various committees at Southern Hills.
On the show Scott shares his story of growing up, influence of his parents, playing college golf, the importance of law school, perspective after serious car incidents, getting into banking, authenticity, building culture, being prepared, confidence, making decisions, and much more.
For more info on Scott and Mary Bank check out mabreybank.com
Enjoy the show!
171: Jeremy Foley is the University of Florida Athletic Director Emeritus and served as the Athletic Director from 1992-2016.
During his tenure leading the University of Florida, the Gators accumulated 27 National Titles, made numerous athletic facility improvements, he handled virtually every aspect of the $119.3 million athletic program during his athletic administrative career, and he won multiple athletic directory of the year awards.
Florida was equally successful on the field of play and in the classroom during Foley’s administrative tenure. The Florida athletic program ranked among the nation’s top 10 for 33-straight years and among the top five for 18 of the last 25 years, according to national all-sport rankings.
He hired coaches like Billy Donovan, Urban Meyer, Rhonda Fane, Kevin O’Sullivan Tim Walton, and Becky Burleigh to name a few.
Jeremy started at the University of Florida in 1977 as an intern in the ticket office. From there he quickly excelled and worked his way up the leadership ladder in the athletic department.
On the show Jeremy shares his story of growing up, playing at Hobart, persistence, getting to Florida, encounter with a booster changing his leadership style, becoming the Florida AD, culture, leadership, hiring people, making tough decisions, building a team, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
170: Wayne Simien is a former NBA world champion with the Miami Heat, Kansas basketball player, and current KU athletics associate AD.
Growing up Wayne had two very important role models being his parents. He quickly excelled at basketball and was a part of a 6A State Championship team and became a McDonald's High School All-American.
As a player at the University of Kansas he was coached by Hall of Fame coaches Roy Williams and Bill Self, played in two Final Fours, won three Big 12 Championships and was named Big 12 Player of the Year as well as First Team Consensus All-American. However, the most transformative part of his college experience was becoming a Christian in 2003.
He was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by the Miami Heat. While on the Heat he won a NBA Championship under another Hall of Fame coach, Pat Riley and then eventually ended his professional basketball career playing in Spain.
For 13 years Wayne served as a Christian campus minister at the University of Kansas and campuses across the Midwest. He is currently an Associate Athletic Director at the KU where is jersey is retired in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse.
On the show he shares his story, impact of his parents, the relevance and life lessons from fishing, playing at KU and beyond, leadership, never quoting, the importance of his faith, family, marriage, and much more.
For more on Wayne checkout waynesimien.com
Enjoy the show!
169: Howard Behar is the former President of Starbucks Coffee Company. During his time at Starbucks he helped the company grow from 28 stores to over 15,000 stores all over the world. Not only does he share some great stories and principles from his time at Starbucks, but also from his early years growing up around the retail business.
Howard currently travels around the world speaking to leaders, corporations, and students. His message is focused on inspiring everyone to be servant leaders and to lead with their values first.
For more information on Howard check out his website at howardbehar.com. Also, be sure to check out Howard's books, It's Not About The Coffee: Lessons on Leadership from a Life at Starbucks, and The Magic Cup.
Enjoy the show!
168: 7x MLB All-Star & hosts of the Table 40 podcast, Matt & Leslee Holliday share their journey, as well as lessons in faith, marriage, leadership, and being present.
Matt & Leslee met while Leslee was in college and Matt had just started his professional baseball career. They share their experiences and what it was like to have a great marriage, live out their faith, and still raise great kids, all while living life in professional baseball.
Today they host the Table 40 podcast, which is a show that shares organic conversations about Jesus and life. Check out the link below to listen and find out more about their show!
Table 40 podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-spectrums-table-forty/id1505637930
113: Steve Robinson is the former Executive Vice President & Chief marketing officer of Chick-Fil-A from 1981-2015. He currently serves as a consultant, speaker, and author on organizational culture, brand strategy, marketing and advertising, as well as leadership development.
Steve went to Faulkner State where he played baseball and then finished his college at Auburn University with a bachelor of science in marketing. He then attended Northwestern University where he earned a master’s in advertising from the Medill School of Journalism.
After Northwestern, Steve went to work for Texas Instruments and Six Flags. He quickly rose into leadership positions at a young age and caught the attention of the leadership of Chick-Fil-A. In 1981 Steve was hired to lead Chick-Fil-A’s marketing efforts. Steve was integrally involved in the company’s steady and then explosive growth from 184 stores and $100 million in 1981 to more than 2,100 stores and more than $6.8 billion in annul sales in 2015. He and his team helped establish and create many of the recognizable Chick-Fil-A branding and marketing efforts such as iconic Cow & Eat Mor Chikn campaign to the everyday Chick-Fil-A experience.
On the show he dives into his story, working hard, building culture, mentors, asking questions, loyalty, using metrics and facts to learn and growth, faith, family, and much more.
Be sure to check out his book Covert Cows where all books are sold, as well as his website srobinsonconsulting.com for more information.
Enjoy the show!
166: Chad Hennings is a 3 time Super Bowl Champion with the Dallas Cowboys, A10 fighter pilot, real estate businessmen, author, speaker, and ministry founder.
In order to achieve a legacy of excellence, one must live a life of integrity and purpose. Excellence isn’t a destination; it’s an identity. Chad Hennings has lived this message through a nine year NFL career and three Super Bowl Championships with the Dallas Cowboys, forty-five combat missions flying the A10 Warthog with the Air Force, and as a respected businessman in commercial real estate. Chad has taken this message around the world at the invitation of some of the most distinguished audiences ranging from Fortune 500 companies, a host of U.S Government agencies, and respected non-profits. He is also a philanthropic leader in the Dallas/Ft Worth area serving several non profits that work with at risk families and veterans. Chad is the founder of Wingmen Ministries, an organization that encourages discipleship and mentorship of men.
On the show Chad shares his story of growing up on a farm in Iowa, impact of his parents, playing football at the Air Force Academy, becoming a fighter pilot, playing for the Cowboys and winning three super bowls, commitment, character, mindset, identity, leadership, faith, family, and much more.
He is also the author of three books Rules of Engagement, It Takes Commitment, & Forces of Character, which I would highly encourage you to check out.
For more on Chad check out chadhennings.com and more on his ministry check out wingmen.org
Enjoy the show!
165: Horst Schulze is the Co-Founder of the Ritz Carlton & Founder of the Capella Hotel Group. He is also author of the book "Excellence Wins", a no nonsense guide to becoming the best in a world of compromise.
He is a legend and leader in the hotel world and his teachings and vision have reshaped the concepts of service and hospitality across industries.
During his tenure at The Ritz Carlton, Mr. Schulze served as President and COO responsible for the $2 billion operations worldwide. It was under his leadership that The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company became the first service-based company to be awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — twice.
Today he actively speaks and consults across all industries. His leadership content can be purchased and viewed at NeedToLead.com where the content can be licensed for a larger audience.
In the show we get to hear his story of growing up in German, getting into the hotel industry, hard work, excellence is a result of high intent, success, purpose, vision, service, marriage, faith, and much more!
Enjoy the show!
Ways to engage with Horst Schulze:
Website: HorstSchulze.com
All social media platforms
Book: Excellence Wins
https://www.amazon.com/Excellence-Wins-No-Nonsense-Becoming-Compromise/dp/0310352096
Leadership content: NeedToLead.com
Jim Harrick is a national championship coach with the UCLA men’s basketball program. In 1995, he led the bruins to the NCAA championship and gained pac-10 and national coach of the year honors.
Coach Harrick grew up in West Virginia and after playing college basketball, he and his wife ventured to California where he became a teacher and coach at morning side high school. While at morning side, he had the number one ranked high school team in the country. Living in the LA area, he began a friendship and was mentored by UCLA coach John wooden. Coach wooden’s influence significantly impacted his life and he talks in depth about that relationship on the show.
Over the course of 23 seasons, coach Harrick won over 470 games at some of the most prominent college basketball programs in the county including Pepperdine, UCLA, the university of Rhode Island, and the university of Georgia. He also had a stint coaching professionally with the Bakersfield jam.
On the show, coach harrick talks about his story growing up, moving to LA, getting into coaching, meeting coach wooden and his influence, loyalty, care, leadership, winning a national championship, losing his wife and son, his faith, how there are no coincidences, the power of relationships, and much more.
Coach Harrick is a legend in the basketball community and we are very grateful to have him on the show. His book Embracing the Legend can be found on Amazon and I highly encourage you to check it out.
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Legend-Harrick-Revives-Mystique/dp/1566250544
Pete Chambers is an entrepreneur and businessman at heart. He has been married to his wife Raney for 30 years, and is the proud father of three daughters. He is a graduate of Texas Christian University, is also proud to have attended the University of Texas MBA program. He began his career with the Chemical Lime Company, now a Lhoist Group Company, in plant operations, sales and business development functions in Europe, California and Texas. In 1997, Pete purchased Diamond H Recognition, an employee recognition company, and transformed the company into an employee engagement software platform serving Fortune 1000 companies worldwide.
In 2009, the company was branded Inspirus. He served as the CEO and Chairman of Inspirus until it sold to Sodexo in 2016. He is currently Managing Partner at Chambers Interests, a single-family office. Chambers is a past president of the West Texas Chapter of Young Presidents’ Organization and continues to be an active member. He is Chairman of the Board at Rivertree Academy, a private, Christian school serving under-resourced students in the Lake Como community of Fort Worth.
On the show he shares his story of growing up, impact of his parents, curiosity, going to TCU to play golf, getting into business, seeking mentors, asking great questions, and applying advice, buying and selling a business, servant leadership, intentionality, family, and how you can have it all in your faith, family, relationships, health, business, and fun.
Enjoy the show!
Jerry Colangelo is the founder and former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as Managing Director of USA Basketball.
He is a 4x NBA Executive of the Year, former NBA GM & Head Coach, Chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame, founder of multiple sports franchises, and also started with Dick Klein to found the Chicago Bulls.
The accolades are endless, but he additionally won a world championship with the Diamondbacks and returned the once-tarnished U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team to glory. As Chairman of USA Basketball, Colangelo created a team that brought home the Gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, another in the 2012 London Olympics, again in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, and most recently in 2021 in Tokyo.
Having served as Chairman and CEO, general manager, and head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Colangelo boasts the second longest tenure with one franchise in the NBA.
On the show he shares his story of growing up, starting the Bulls, moving to Phoenix to start the Suns, winning a world series with the Diamondbacks, confidence, the power of relationships, preparation, failure, listening, excellence, his faith, and much more.
Currently, he continues his business in real estate as a principle in JDM Partners, LLC. He is also the special assistant to the president of Grand Canyon University.
For more on Jerry check out www.jcolangelo.com as well as his book How You Play The Game which is one of my favorites all time.
Enjoy the show!
161: Brandon Lohse is the CFO of Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp.
Prior to joining Arkansas Electric he worked more than 26 years in the energy and financial services sectors. Most recently Brandon served as the Director of Investor Relations at One Gas in Tulsa, OK.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with honors from Seattle Pacific University, a Master’s in Business Administration from Washington University’s Olin School of Business and is a Certified Treasury Professional.
Not only is Brandon’s career path and leadership experience impactful, but also seeing a true miracle take place in his daughters battle with Leukemia.
On the show he shares his story or growing up, the dream of becoming a CFO, college, getting into business, adversity, his daughters story, restoration, redemption, leadership, and much more.
A quote I have always liked is from Martin Luther King Jr, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” I am thankful to call Brandon a friend and got to see him as he navigated through this really challenging time for him and his family. I couldn’t think of a more faithful person to speak on restoration and redemption, as well as fining purpose in pain.
Enjoy the show!
160: Clint Hurdle is a former Major League Baseball player and manager.
He spent 9 seasons as the Manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over his tenure in Pittsburgh he led the Pirates to multiple playoff appearances. In 2013, only his third season as manager, he led the Pirates to their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1992. He also won the award for National League Manager of the Year.
Prior to his time in Pittsburgh he was also the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers during the 2010 season where he helped all star players like Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, advance to the World Series.
For 8 seasons he was the manager of the Colorado Rockies where he led them to their first ever NL pennant and World Series appearance.
Before he stepped into managing he spent 12 seasons playing professional baseball. In 1975 he was drafted in the first round of the MLB draft, 9th overall, to the Kansas City Royals. In 1978 he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as “This Years Phenom.” He played for the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, & the St. Louis Cardinals.
On the show Clint shares his story of grown-up, the influence of his parents, playing major league baseball, stories from his time managing the Rockies and Pirates, adapting, the importance of passion, Mudita, 3 key questions every coach and leader should ask, being a good husband and father, faith, and much more.
For more on Clint, his encouraging daily emails, and his hot stove dinner fundraiser for Prader-Willi syndrome check out clinthurdle.com as well as all social platforms. We will have a link in the show notes, social media posts, and YouTube for links to Clints platforms.
Enjoy the show!
159: Scott Nield is the CEO of Montereau, which is Oklahoma’s premier retirement community.
Scott is a deeply passionate senior living and hospitality executive who looks for innovative platforms and programming to delight his residents. Scott is a servant leader. He believes in living a life of service and purpose. Service has to benefit another. He feels his purpose in life is to ensure people (especially seniors) know they are loved, valued and that they are hugely important. Ultimately, great leadership is great fellowship. He sees senior living as a wonderful platform to fulfill this mission.
Scott’s experiences both in the senior living and development sector have shaped his leadership, but also stem from his time leading some of the most elite PGA country clubs. During his time in professional golf he was able to learn from Craig Harmon and many other golf greats.
Before Scott stepped into progressional golf he moved to the United States during college to play soccer and golf at New Mexico State University from Scotland.
On the show Scott shares his story of growing up in Scotland, playing sports in college, getting into golf, stepping into senior living, RDD leadership, power of listening, mentors, finding a calling, failing forward, and much more.
For more info on Scott check out www.montereau.net, as well as their charity golf tournament at Southern Hill Country Club that he mentions toward the end at https://www.montereau.net/golf
Enjoy the show!
158: Joe Moglia is the former CEO and Chairman of TD Ameritrade, former Head Football Coach and current Executive Advisor to the President and Chair of Athletics at Coastal Carolina.
In 1984 Joe entered the MBA Training Program at Merrill Lynch, there were 25 MBA's and 1 football coach. By 1988, that football coach was the Number One Producer in the World. He became a member of both the Institutional and Private Client Executive Committees, and his final responsibilities were all Investment Products, the Insurance Company, the 401(k) Business and the Middle Markets. Prior to that, he was the head of Global Fixed Income Institutional Sales and ran the firm’s Municipal division.
In the business world, he was at Merrill Lynch for 17 years before becoming the CEO at TD Ameritrade in 2001. When Joe stepped down in 2008, shareholders had enjoyed a 500% return. In 2009 he became Chairman of the Board and stepped down in 2020 when TD Ameritrade was acquired by Schwab. At close, the combined company was worth $100 BILLION with client assets of $7 TRILLION. When Joe arrived, these numbers were $700 million and $24 Billion. Quite a big difference.
Joe has also been a Football Coach for 25 years, but it’s not a traditional 25 years. He began his career coaching for 16 years, moved to the business world for 24, and returned to football in 2009.
In 2012, Joe became the Head Coach at Coastal Carolina and in his first five seasons went to the National Playoffs all 5 years and was Conference Champion 4 times. His overall record is 56‐22 and in his last 11 years of college coaching, he was a part of 8 championship teams. He has also received multiple Coach of the Year honors, including the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year, was the recipient of the Vince Lombardi Award and was inducted into the Lombardi Hall of Fame. He was also selected to the Big South All Decade Team, and based on the success at the FCS, CCU was invited to the Conference.
Joe has been induced into 10 Halls of Fame, received numerous leadership awards and is only the fourth alumnus in the history of Fordham University to receive three of the University’s highest awards: the Fordham Founders Award, induction into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame, and induction into Fordham’s Hall of Honor.
His autobiography, “4th and Goal” by Monte Burke is in development for a film with Strong Studios. He is the only author who has written books published on both investing and football. His investing book is called, “Coach Yourself to Success” winning the investment game.
You can find out more about Joe at moglia.com as well as all social media platforms.
Enjoy the show!
157: Will Reece is a sports agent, entrepreneur, and former basketball coach. In 2007, he set out to create his dream job, one that tied together his passion for sports, his knack for networking, and his desire to help others succeed. The result was NextLevel Sports Marketing and Representation.
Now with over a decade of experience in the industry, he was recently featured in a CBSsports.com article identifying him as one of the top agents representing college basketball coaches. NextLevel currently represents 25+ Division 1 Head Basketball Coaches and several high potential assistant coaches. Some of the coaches they represent are guys like Jerome Tang with Kansas State, Grant McCasland with Texas Tech, Dennis Gates with Missouri, Mike Rohodes with Penn State, Josh Pastner, Jerod Hasse, and many others. Additionally, NextLevel has become a leader in creating professional development and networking opportunities for leaders in college athletics.
In 2011, Reece founded the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS). CALS is a by invitation professional development and networking event for intercollegiate athletics administrators. It has become one of the top professional development conferences in the field. CALS has hosted over 1,000 athletic administrators and industry experts over the past 13 years.
Prior to founding NextLevel, Reece was a highly successful high school and college basketball coach for 14 years.
On the show Will shares his story, his journey to walk again after a tragic accident, coaching basketball, starting NextLevel, life as an agent, the importance of family, faith, and much more.
This interview couldn’t have happened at a busier time for Will, so you really get to hear first hand what it is like with March madness and the madness of the coaching carousel.
Enjoy the show!
156: Steve Largent is a NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver who spent 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. When he retired he held all of the major NFL receiving records.
Steve played at the University of Tulsa where he was an All American. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. After the preseason with the Oilers Steve was cut, but signed with Seattle and the rest is history. During his time in Seattle he was a 7x Pro Bowl selection, 2x NFL Receiving Yards leader, the NFL Man of the Year Award Recipient, just to name a few of his accolades. His number 80 has been retired by the Seahawks and number 83 has been retired by the University of Tulsa. In 1995 he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
However, before all of his football success Steve overcame a lot of adversity from his upbringing with an absent father and alcoholic stepfather, which he shares.
After his time in the NFL he served as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1994 to 2002 and ran for Governor in the state of Oklahoma. He also served as the CEO of CTIA - The Wireless Association for 10 years.
On the show he shares his story, playing in the NFL, forgiveness, overcoming challenges, the importance of relationships, principles to 50 year marriage, being a great dad, pursing excellence, the power of focus, leadership, and his faith and how it changed his life.
Enjoy the show!
155: Nicholaus Rohleder is the Co-Founder of Climate Commodities and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.
At CC, he sits on the steering committees of CC’s operating businesses in physical trading, mineral processing & refining, transportation & logistics, renewable power & alternative fuels, and reinsurance.
Outside of his professional commitments, Nicholas serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches the course Climate Technology: Finance & Policy focused on the following areas of the climate economy: solar & wind, batteries – grid & vehicle applications, hydrogen, carbon capture, and circularity, critical minerals, and climate-focused insurance solutions. He currently serves as an Alumni Mentor at Columbia University’s Climate School, as a Contributing Writer focused on climate, insurance, & geopolitics at Climate & Capital Media, and as a Mentor for the Rice University Clean Energy Accelerator. As a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, he currently serves as a member of the global Forbes 30 Under 30 board as a representative for Texas.
Nicholas received a Master of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Engineering and Technology from the UPenn, where his research was focused on clean energy technology materials science alterations and substitutions in various clean energy transition scenarios, and a Master of Science in Sustainability Management with a concentration in Environmental Finance from Columbia University where his research was focused on the economics of waste to value conversion technologies in homogeneous and heterogeneous waste input scenarios.
On the show he shares his story, the influence of his grandpa, things learned from sports, time at Columbia, Penn, and Oxford, experiences working for a hedge fund, starting his own business, critical minerals, determination, building a culture, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
154: Joanne P. McCallie is the former Duke University head women’s basketball coach.
She is an author and elite-level NCAA basketball coach with nearly 700 career wins. She received a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from Auburn University, and has coached at Maine, Michigan State, and Duke, making National Coach of the Year in 2005, and winning numerous championships at all three schools. She is the only coach in history to win Coach of the Year in four different conferences.
An advocate for mental health and melanoma, she is also a wife, and mom of two, Maddie and Jack. She has extensive media experience on radio shows and podcasts, and has provided color commentary for four years in the WNBA. She previously published Secret Warrior: A Coach & Fighter On and Off the Court and Choice Not Chance: Rules for Building a Fierce Competitor.
On the show she shares her story, growing up, playing sports, excelling at basketball, getting into coaching, dealing with bipolar disorder, melanoma, mental health, leadership, and much more.
For more on Coach P her books, and foundation check out coachp4life.org as well as all social media platforms.
Enjoy the show!
153: Jerry Stritzke is the former President & CEO of REI, which is one of the premier American retail and outdoor recreation corporations with over 24 million people.
Before Jerry stepped into his role at REI he served on the board of Lulu Lemon as well as President & COO of Coach, COO of Victoria’s Secret, and CEO of Mast Industries.
Jerry grew up on a farm we he learned the value of hard work, but his college experiences and decisions lifted his sights on new horizons and eventually landed him an opportunity in law school where he paid his way through. Upon graduation he quickly excelled in the law profession, but found himself at a crossroads when he was offered a position with a consulting firm. His decision to step into the new venture changed the course of his trajectory.
On the show he shares his story, the importance of standing up and making you own decisions, taking a growth mindset, always learning from others, adding value, great leadership and culture, and the importance of knowing who you are becoming.
Enjoy the show!
152: Jeremiah Dickey is the Boise State University Athletic Director. Under Dickey’s leadership Boise State has experienced tremendous success on and off the field and court. The Business Development and Revenue Innovation unit, Broncos United, and the Athletics Master Village are just a few of the many initiatives he has launched during his tenure in Boise. He is a great example of casting vision, working hard, building relationships, and getting things done.
Prior to his time at Boise State he served as Associate Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Baylor University, as well as stops at the University of Houston, University of Akron, and the University of Texas El Paso. Dickey earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management from the University of Texas and a master’s of sport science and coaching from Akron.
On the show he shares his story, getting into athletics, the importance of relationships, working hard, casting vision, plan the work and work the plan, leadership, making tough decisions, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
Boise State Athletics:
https://broncosports.com/
151: Bruce Heppler is the Georgia Tech head men’s golf coach.
As the 10th-longest tenured head coach in Division I at 29 years, he has guided the Yellow Jackets to an NCAA regional every year since 1998 (no NCAA championships were held in spring of 2020), while 19 of those teams advanced to the NCAA Finals. Twelve of those teams have finished in the top eight, with five of those teams reaching match play since that format was introduced in 2009. In 2023, the Yellow Jackets reached the finals of match play at the NCAA Championship for the first time, where they finished as national runner up.
During his tenure, Tech has won or shared 14 Atlantic Coast Conference titles. Only two ACC coaches have led their teams to more ACC titles than has Heppler. With victories in the last four years by Andy Ogletree (2019) and Tyler Strafaci (2020), as well as Matt Kuchar in 1997, three of his players have won the coveted United States Amateur Championship, which is tied for the most by any college coach.
He has been named ACC Coach of the Year 10 times, which is more than any ACC coach in conference history. He also is a member of the Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in October of 2022.
Even more impressive is that his players have been just as successful in the classroom. Tech’s golf program has been recognized with a perfect Academic Progress Report score of 1000 for 19 straight years, and every senior has graduated.
On the show you will hear Coach Heppler’s story from playing at Dixie Junior College, becoming a CPA, to getting into college athletics at Amherst that ultimate led him into coaching collegiate golf at UNLV and Oklahoma State, and the principles that have helped him build and sustain excellence at Georgia Tech.
Enjoy the show!
150: James D. ‘Murph’ Murphy is the Founder & Chairman of Afterburner, Inc., a former Air Force F-15 fighter pilot, and owner of multiple businesses and the private equity firm Afterburner Capital.He has a unique and powerful mix of leadership skills in both the military and business worlds.
Murph joined the U.S. Air Force where he learned to fly the F-15. He logged over 1,200 hours as an instructor pilot in the F-15 and accumulated over 3,200 hours of flight time in other high-performance aircraft. As the 116th Fighter Wing's Chief of Training for the Georgia Air National Guard, Murph's job was to keep 42 combat-trained fighter pilots ready to deploy worldwide within 72 hours. As a flight leader, he flew missions to Central America, Asia, Central Europe and the Middle East.
Prior to his service in the U.S. Air Force, Murph had a successful career in imaging equipment sales, where he helped increase his company's sales by 500%. Years later, he became Director of Sales for a small paint company. The concepts he developed and utilized in business and the U.S. Air Force would become known as Flawless Execution®. Applying Flawless Execution’s continuous cycle of planning, briefing, executing, and debriefing, he increased his new employer’s sales from $5 million to $52 million per year. Realizing that all companies and organizations could benefit from these same concepts, Murph started Afterburner Incorporated in early 1996.
Through his leadership, Afterburner landed on Inc. Magazine's "Inc. 500 List" 5x. Murph has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Inc. Magazine, Newsweek, Meetings & Conventions Magazine and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and Bloomberg News. He was also named as one of Atlanta's top 50 entrepreneurs by Catalyst Magazine. To date, the Afterburner team of elite military professionals has led over 2 million executives, sales professionals, and business people from every industry through Afterburner's Flawless Execution Model℠, and its unique, high-energy programs.
Murph and Afterburner have shared the podium with notable speakers like Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Marcus Buckingham, Colin Powell, J.W. Marriott Sr. and Terry Bradshaw. Murph serves as a panel member of the League of Extraordinary Minds with business and self-improvement gurus such as Tony Robbins and Stephen Covey. He is the author of the groundbreaking books Business Is Combat and Flawless Execution through Harper Collins publishing and has spoken at many of the world's most notable business schools to include Harvard, Wharton, Cornell, Emory, Duke and Fudan University in Shanghai, China.
To find out more on Murph, his books, and Afterburner check out jamesdmurphy.com and afterburner.com
Enjoy the show!
149: Gary Gilmore is the head baseball coach at Coastal Carolina University. In 2016 he led CCU to a National Championship winning the College World Series and was named the National Coach of the Year.
A two-time ABCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year (2005 and 2016) and a 10-time conference Coach of the Year, Gilmore ranks among the NCAA’s all-time top 25 in wins with 1,293 and is also ranked fourth overall in wins among all active NCAA Division I head coaches.
Under his guidance, Coastal won the 2016 NCAA College World Series, has made 18 NCAA berths, advanced to a Super Regional three times, and he has earned the Big South Coach of the Year 9 times. In addition to team success, the program has featured numerous draft picks - including 26 players drafted within the top 10 rounds over the last 15 years and built perhaps the best overall practice and playing facilities in the nation.
Gilmore was be one of seven individuals inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 Class in January 2023.
On the show he shares his story of growing up, getting into coaching, building the program at Coastal, winning a championship, building men, faith, family, his cancer battle, and much more.
It was an honor having him on the show and I hope you enjoy it!
148: Patric Young is a former professional and University of Florida basketball player. He is currently an ESPN basketball analyst.
As a McDonald’s All American Patric was touted as one of the top high school recruits in the country. This landed him a scholarship at the University of Florida with then Head Coach Billy Donovan.
In his four year career with the Gators Patric and his teammates achieved tremendous success going to 3 Elite 8’s and 1 Final Four. Individually he amassed numerous accolades from SEC Defensive Player of the Year to 3 time SEC scholar-athlete to many others. Even more impressive is that he never missed a game during his career at Florida.
After playing professionally in the NBA and overseas he transitioned into broadcasting as a college basketball analyst for the SEC Network.
In the summer of 2022 Patric was involved in a tragic car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. His new book Sit to Rise: Turning Your Darkest Pain into Your Brightest Victory, shares his story and perspective not only from that experience, but also from his whole life.
Patric’s story is truly an inspiration and encouragement, but even as he has already overcome so much he still in the middle of battling to walk again one day, which I believe makes his words even stronger and even more of a reason to listen. On the show you will get to hear his perspective and the principles he uses as he works each day to live in the present in the midst of his own challenges.
If you want to finds out more about Patric, his book, or having him come speak to your organization check out patricyoung.com and www.py4foundation.org
This conversation with Patric really inspired me and I know it will to you as well. I hope you enjoy the show and be encouraged!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Sit-Rise-Turning-Darkest-Brightest/dp/B0CN1SXL42
147: Brad Formsma is the Founder & President of I Like Giving, which is an organization that has inspired more than 125 million people all over the world to live generously through its Generous Business, Generous Family, and Generous Classroom and student initiatives.
Brad has been featured on Today, Fox News, National Geographic, and Forbes. He speaks on leadership and organizational health for sales teams and businesses including Trek Bicycle, Southeastern Freight Lines, Merrill Lynch and Johns Hopkins. He also guides families through custom gatherings to help them discuss generosity together with every generation, so that their values and story live on.
Brad is also the author of the best-selling book "I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life" and “Everyday Generosity: Becoming a Generous Family in a Selfie World.”
He hosts the leading podcast: The WOW Factor “Words of Wisdom” from extraordinary leaders to help people grow in business and beyond.
On the show you will get to hear his story and the 7 types of generosity.
Enjoy the show!
146: Lonni Alameda is the Florida State University Softball Head Coach. In 2018 She led the Seminoles to a National Championship.
She is entering her 16th season as the head coach of the Florida State softball program. Coach Alameda has guided the Seminoles into one of the nation’s best teams. After seven Women’s College World Series appearances from 1987-2004, the Seminoles have returned to the final site of women’s collegiate softball five times in the last eight complete seasons (2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2023), including winning the program’s first NCAA National Championship in 2018 and two WCWS Finals appearances in 2021 & 2023.
She has been selected 6x ACC Coach of the Year and during her tenure at FSU they are 7x ACC regular season champs, as well as 9x ACC Tournament champs.
FSU has played in the NCAA postseason every year under Alameda and is one of only nine schools to participate in the NCAA Tournament in every season since 2000.
On the show she shares her story, growing up, playing softball, getting into coaching, building programs, building trust, having standards, being vulnerable, core values, common language, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
145: Tim Johnson is the Athletic Director at Oral Roberts University. In his time at ORU, the Golden Eagle Club has increased its membership by 215 percent, achieved its highest fundraising totals, and premium seating sales. He has guided campaigns to build a state of the art basketball training facility, renovate the baseball stadium, men’s and women’s soccer locker rooms, volleyball locker room, install infield baseball turf and construct ORU’s first track and tennis complex on campus. On top of all of this many of the athletic programs have achieved unprecedented success under his leadership.
Prior to ORU he spent five years at Clemson University as both an Assistant A.D. and Development Officer. He was responsible for development/stewardship, annual giving, letterwinner interaction, as well as development and fundraising. He helped develop the Clemson Athletics strategic plan and served on Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips’ senior staff and acted as a sport supervisor – where he was heavily involved in building Clemson Football under Coach Dabo Swinney. The Clemson Football program won its first ACC Title in 20 years in 2011 and went on to win a National Championship in 2017.
Prior to Clemson, Johnson graduated from the University of Arkansas with both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (2005) and a Juris Doctor (2008) and practiced law in Fayetteville. During his time at Arkansas, Johnson worked on Coach Houston Nutt’s football staff from 2002 to 2007. He received his MBA from Clemson University in 2014.
On the show he shares his story, getting into athletic leadership, culture, process, being willing to ask, hiring and finding the right fit, being All In, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
144: David Weekley is the Founder & Chairman at David Weekley Homes, which is one of the largest national homebuilders. He is also one of the most well respected homebuilders in the nation.
Throughout more than 45 years of home building excellence, David Weekley Homes has earned hundreds of awards for design, quality and Customer Satisfaction, and have established a solid reputation for delivering on their Brand Promise to provide the best in Design, Choice and Service for more than 115,000 Homebuyers. And over the course of his company’s history, David's formula for providing exceptional Customer Satisfaction has remained the same: hire your industry's best and keep them happy, so they’ll in turn go the extra mile and delight our Customers. This rewarding workplace culture has even been recognized 17 times by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For.
At 23, David teamed up with his older brother, Dick, to establish David Weekley Homes in Houston, Texas, in 1976. David worked as a Salesperson, Purchasing Manager and Builder. To differentiate his homes from competing national companies, he paid close attention to home design. The company was selling close to 600 homes a year in Houston alone, leading David to grow his Team of talented people and earning us recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies in the nation by Inc. magazine.
Even though much has changed since 1976, their Purpose of Building Dreams, Enhancing Lives has never wavered.
On the show David shares his story, the impact of family, gives a masterclass on growing and operating a company, choosing to give away half his time and resources, creating a great culture, taking action, choosing where and how to spend your time giving back, focusing less on you and more on others and much more!
Be sure to check out davidweekleyhomes.com for more info on his company, as well as his foundation the Dove Tail Impact Foundation at dovetailimpact.org
I would also highly encourage you to read his two books The Gift & The Giver & The Board & The CEO, which you can find in the show note links and wherever books are sold.
Be sure to get a pen and paper and take a lot of notes. Enjoy the show!
Books Links:
Gift and Giver
https://www.amazon.com/Giver-Gift-Principles-Kingdom-Fundraising/dp/0764217747
The Board and the CEO
https://www.amazon.com/Board-CEO-practices-organizations-relationship/dp/1547270160/ref=asc_df_1547270160/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=266094129756&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1128576369343960034&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1024323&hvtargid=pla-569924923811&psc=1&mcid=1cacdc10f6033231aae31dfa5201a4a4&gclid=CjwKCAiAqY6tBhAtEiwAHeRopezrpbl739Ji2QUs5fM28bwKGlbkNqe8f1PDt_J4IEGA9IpjyY4n-hoCnHMQAvD_BwE
143: John Fields is the Head Men’s Golf Coach at the University of Texas. He is currently in his 27th season at Head Coach of the Longhorns. Coach Fields became the Longhorns’ head coach in August 1997 and has guided Texas to 21 NCAA Championship appearances in his 25 opportunities.
Under Fields’ leadership, UT has posted 10 top-five finishes at the NCAA Championship, including NCAA team titles in 2012 and 2022 and runner-up showings in 2016 and 2019. The Longhorns have reached the NCAA quarterfinals (the ‘Match Play’ portion of the national championship) a national-best seven times in their last 11 opportunities. UT owns the nation’s-longest current streak of consecutive Division I Men’s Golf NCAA Championship appearances at 16, dating back to the 2007 season.
Fields was selected as Golfweek’s Men’s National Coach of the Year in 2022. He earned the prestigious accolade for the third time during his tenure at Texas, as he previously received the honor in 2012 and 2016. Fields has been voted the Big 12 Coach of the Year a total of nine times in his time in Austin (2002, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2022).
Texas has claimed a total of eight Big 12 Conference team championships under Fields.
Fields has produced 27 All-Americans at Texas: with well known players such as, Jordan Spieth, Matt Bortis, Dylan Frittelli, Doug Ghim, Cody Gribble, Cole Hammer, Charlie Holland, Beau Hossler, Julio Vegas, Brandon Stone, Scottie Scheffler, and many many more.
But more than all of the accolades and titles Coach Fields is about excellence in all he does. Leadership, Class, Integrity, Player development., Championship culture are all words that define John Fields. On the show you will see why he has had so much success on and off the course.
For more on Coach Fields and UT golf check out texassports.com or social at Texas Men’s Golf.
Enjoy the show!
142: Dr. John Delony is a bestselling author, mental health and wellness expert, and host of The Dr. John Delony Show.
John holds two PhDs — one in counselor education and supervision and another in higher education administration.
He is the author of the bestselling books Own Your Past, Change Your Future and Redefining Anxiety. His newest book, Building a Non-Anxious Life, released this past fall. John has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business and Today and has been featured in the Real Simple and Fast Company magazines as well as HuffPost. He has also been a guest on shows such as, The Minimalist Podcast, The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast andthe Mind Pump Podcast.
While speaking he shares stages with people like Dave Ramsey, Malcolm Gladwell, Nick Saban, and Jocko Willink, Jaimie Kern Lima, Jordan Peterson, and more.
Before joining Ramsey Solutions, John spent two decades working as a senior leader, researcher, and professor at multiple universities. He also spent years working in crisis and emergency response.
John’s goal is to help people navigate tough decisions, improve their relationships, and believe they’re worth being well. By doing so he teaches people how to reclaim their lives from the madness of the modern world.
Follow John on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter.
This is a great show so be sure and takes notes.
Amazon Book Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Non-Anxious-Life-John-Delony/dp/B0C27Q9GQL/ref=asc_df_B0C27Q9GQL/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=652398953211&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15310727651871392435&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1024323&hvtargid=pla-2189495460191&psc=1&mcid=536612f239f03333876f85739167e491
141: Bryce Kenny is a professional Monster Jam driver as the Great Clips Mohawk Warrior. Since his 2016 debut, Bryce has earned multiple awards including the 2021 Outreach Award for his work helping those in need and making positive contributions to the community. He travels the country speaking to audiences of all ages about finding the courage to chase your dreams and overcome fear.
In 2021, Bryce set the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed recorded in a monster truck. He also participates in national conferences and corporate events through his sponsorship with the international hair salon chain, Great Clips. In March 2022, Bryce launched his non-profit Live Like Warriors in order to help people who are struggling. Whether it's medical bills or tipping a food service worker, his mission is simple: identify needs and fill them.
Bryce’s new book Geared for Life, is all about helping you make the shift into your full potential.
On the show Bryce shares his story growing up, the impact of his grandpa, starting in drag racing with , overcoming roadblocks, working in corporate America for an executive search firm, his journey into Monster Jam, daily routine, mental and physical demands of driving, decision making, leadership, family, faith, and much more.
Bryce lives in Kernersville, NC, with his wife and their kids.
You can find out more on Bryce at brycekenny.com and his book is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
https://www.amazon.com/Geared-Life-Making-Shift-Potential/dp/1947297783
140: Don Wenner is the Founder and CEO of DLP Capital, a private real estate investment and financial services firm focused on making an impact on American communities by acquiring, developing, and building relationships, housing, leaders, and organizations. Wenner founded DLP Capital in 2006 and has since spearheaded its meteoric growth, with the firm ranking on the Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest Growing Private Companies in America” for 10 consecutive years—among the few companies on the list to achieve such growth consistency. The firm now has more than $4 billion of assets under management.
He originally formed DLP Capital—standing for “Dream, Live, Prosper”—as a small, residential real estate sales firm in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, not far from Philadelphia. Within five years, he had expanded the firm to include an investment portfolio of real estate rentals along with property management. Soon after, under Wenner’s stewardship the firm added real estate brokerage and construction affiliates and had grown to a team of 100 employees and now over 400 plus.
This Elite Execution System, or EES, is today a hallmark of Wenner’s success. Wenner became a bestselling author in a book that elaborates on this EES model, Building an Elite Organization: The Blueprint to Scaling a High-Growth, High-Profit Business. The book, a Wall Street Journal, USAToday and Amazon bestseller, also elaborates on other best-in-business practices for 10x-ing growth as well as focusing on core values that contribute to driving greatness. Earlier this year he released his newest book Building an Elite Career: The Blueprint to Thriving in a High Growth Organization.Among additional noteworthy milestones in Don Wenner’s career: he has closed more than 28,000 real estate transactions, overseen the acquisition of 30,000+ homes and apartments, and impacted more than 838,000 lives through DLP Capital’s affordable housing initiatives. Under his leadership, DLP Capital consistently receives regional accolades as a Best Places to Work, among other awards of distinction.
For more on Don & DLP check out dlpcapital.com and for more on his books check out dlpelite.com
Enjoy the show!
139: Mitch Canham is the Head Baseball Coach at Oregon State University. Coach Canham played at Oregon State where he was a 2007 All-American and guided the Beavers to three trips to Omaha, culminating in National Championships in 2006 and 2007.
Following his stellar career at Oregon State, he was selected in the first round, 57th overall, by the San Diego Padres in the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He was the sixth first-round selection in Oregon State history.
He spent four seasons with the Padres’ organization, reaching as high as Triple-A Portland. He also spent time with the Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals’ organizations before ending his professional playing career with the independent Lincoln Saltdogs in 2015.
After playing he decided to get into coaching and served in different roles with the Seattle Mariners as manager of the Arkansas Travelers, Modesto Nuts, and Clinton Lumber Kings before arriving in Corvallis as head coach at Oregon State.
Canham’s contributions to local communities have continued during his professional career and include founding and serving as the CEO of BASE By Pros LLC, an organization that provides personalized baseball instruction and mentorship to kids across the country.
During his time at Oregon State he has led the Beavers to 2 NCAA Regionals and 1 NCAA Super regional in his first 3 full seasons, with a record of 141-71.
On the show he shares his story, the power of effective communication, body language, the art of teaching, pouring into others, leadership, what the best do, resilience, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
138: Oliver Winterbone is the Vice President & Director of Coaches & Executives at Wasserman. Wasserman proudly represents elite athletes, broadcasters, coaches, sport executives and influencers. As an agent some his clients are coaches such as Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls & Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Prior to Wasserman he spent 18 years on the sidelines and front offices of places like the OKC Thunder, University of Florida, University of Virginia, & Rutgers University. During his tenure in those places he was able to help build great teams and programs which ultimately culminated into experiences in the Western Conference Finals, Final Four, SEC & ACC Titles, to name a few. He has worked alongside some of the most elite players, coaches, & executives. The Athletic named Oliver to their 40 Under 40 in the NBA.
On the show Oliver shares his story of growing up, getting into basketball, the power of relationships, hard work, making decisions, finding opportunities, being great where you are, authenticity, and much more.
Be sure to take notes and enjoy the show!
137: Andrew Abernathey is the founder and CEO of Abernathey Holdings, a leading real estate holding company driven by a passion for business and inspired by the value investing approach of Warren Buffett and the simplicity approach of Gary Tharaldson.
Andrew’s investing journey began at the age of 13, exploring a diverse range of public securities. By the age of 18 he was already a millionaire.
Established in August 2012, Abernathey Holdings initially pursued a diverse investment strategy. However, in 2019, they strategically shifted their focus to developing and owning class-A self-storage facilities across the sunbelt region, while also owning the operating companies to ensure vertical integration. This streamlined approach has not only enhanced their returns but also propelled them to achieve remarkable market-beating results, elevating their assets under management to an impressive $250 million and quickly growing.
In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, he co-founded Abernathey Brothers Farm, an agricultural enterprise spanning multiple locations in North Dakota. Their focus is on planting, growing, and harvesting thousands of acres of small grains, which are sold in the open market.
Beyond his corporate endeavors, he is actively engaged in the nonprofit sector. Through the Abernathey Foundation, he collaborates with Unseen, a Fargo-based organization, to combat global human trafficking. By combining his expertise in real estate investments, agricultural enterprise, and philanthropy, he strives to make a lasting impact and contribute to the betterment of society.
For more on Andrew check out andrewaabernathey.com or abernatheyholdingco.com
Enjoy the show!
136: Thomas R. Williams is a professional speaker and the author of “Permission to DREAM,” “The Relentless Pursuit of Greatness” and “DIG”.
As a professional speaker he is a member of The Jon Gordon Speaking team and communicates with great passion and purpose on “The Energy Bus” and “The Power of Positive Leadership” He impacts his audiences by helping them create a successful vision that leads them to greatness.
When Thomas isn’t speaking with corporations and organizations, he works closely with both college and professional athletes on the inevitable transition to life beyond the scoreboard. It is here where he drives home his mantra, “Athletes are great people first, who just so happen to be great athletes. Greatness may have started with sports, but it doesn’t end when you retire… GREATNESS is a lifestyle.”
In 2008 Thomas graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Sociology. Nicknamed The Hitman, Thomas was a captain on USC’s football team, where he and his Trojan teammates had a record of 59-6. They won 2 National Championships and 3 Rose Bowls under now Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Selected 155th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft Thomas played 5 years in the NFL, where he was not just focused on winning and competing, but rather mastering TEAMWORK, MENTAL TOUGHNESS and LEADERSHIP. During his time as a player he was able to learn from some of the best coaches such as Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick, and Ron Rivera.
In 2012 after a career ending neck injury, Thomas transitioned from a game changer to a life changer, helping teams tackle obstacles and finding their winning solutions.
On the show Thomas shares his story of growing up, becoming an elite athlete, college at USC, playing in the NFL, what he learned from great coaches, leadership, accountability, buy in, obedience, running towards the roar, and much more.
For more on Thomas check out thomasrwilliams.com
Enjoy the show!
135: Aaron Ackerman is Partner at HoganTaylor and leads the firm's Financial Management Services practice which includes fractional CFO services, Transaction Advisory Services, and Client Accounting Services. He is a CPA with more than 20 years of experience and leadership in both public accounting and private business.
Over the course of his career, Aaron has served clients in a wide variety of entities including nonprofit, manufacturing, construction, and self-insurance funds. After transitioning to corporate accounting/finance he worked in energy services, television/online media, and retail fuel. Aaron has served as Controller or CFO for a 50-year-old family owned business, as well as a hedge fund backed start-up company.
He is also the co-host of the How That Happened Podcast, which is a business and innovation success podcast.
On the show Aaron shares his story, the impact of family, gathering advice, making decisions, leadership, prioritizing, building community, consistency, and much more.
To find out more about Aaron and Hogan Taylor, check out hogantaylor.com
Enjoy the show!
134: John Ramstead is the CEO of Beyond Influence and former Navy F-14 tomcat fighter jet pilot. He is also the president of Alpha Principle and host of the Eternal Leadership Podcast.
John began his career as an active-duty Navy F-14 combat pilot, serving in Operation Desert Storm during the first Gulf War. He was invited to join the acclaimed Top Gun school in 1994, then served in the Navy reserves for 8 years, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
After the Navy John became an entrepreneur and was part of founding and building three technology companies before making the move to Wall Street in 2004. John served as a trusted advisor to his investment and financial planning clients while at Bernstein and Financial Designs. He specialized in multi-generational legacy planning, impact investing for philanthropy, and creating long-term security for his clients.
After his decade in the investment and financial planning industry, John became a world-class coach to senior executives of Fortune 100 companies as well as the U.S. Department of Defense. John helped guide their vision, communication, and collaboration. As a coach, John’s purpose is to connect individuals, families, and organizations to their purpose and guide them into their full potential by living a life that outlives their lives. He is the bestselling author of On Purpose with Purpose – Discovering How to Live Your Best Life. John’s podcast, Eternal Leadership, was named by Inc. Magazine in “The Top 12 Podcast Leaders You Need to Listen To.”
On the show John share lessons learned from growing up, becoming a fighter pilot, getting accepted to TOP GUN, adversity, overcoming a near death horseback riding incident that left him in the hospital for nearly two years, leadership lessons, gratefulness, faith, what matters, and much more!
For more on John check out BeyondInfluence.com as well as a link to his book in the show notes.
Enjoy the show!
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Discovering-Live-Your-Best/dp/1631952560
133: Jacie Hoyt is the Oklahoma State University Women’s Basketball Head Coach.
In her first season as head coach at Oklahoma State she lead the Cowgirls to 21 wins, matching the program's best tally ever under a first-year head coach. OSU’s total marked a 12-win improvement from the previous season and resulted in one of the 10 largest turnarounds in the nation, as well as making it to the NCAA Tournament.
Before coming to Oklahoma State, she was the youngest head coach in the country at UMKC where she lead the Roos to a first ever 2020 WAC regular season Championship and was named 2020 WAC Coach of the Year.
Coach Hoyt grew up in Kansas. During her high school years she enjoyed one of the most prolific scoring careers in Kansas prep history, finishing with 2,016 points in only three seasons at Hoxie (Kan.) HS. Her career average of 26.6 points per game ranks sixth in state history.
On the show she shares her story, lessons learned from her parents, how relationships matter, selflessness, commitment to the process, the power of alignment, holding people accountable, never settling, choosing hard, being uncommon, leadership, and much more.
(Also the week this podcast comes out, Coach Hoyt and the cowgirls are hosting an open practice on October 24th at 5pm. So if you want to see Coach Hoyt and the Cowgirls live in action be sure to check that out.)
Enjoy the show!
132: Lloyd Reeb is a successful real estate developer, owner of retirement housing, Co-Founder of both the Halftime Institute & Ardent Mentoring.
He made a mid-life transition, looking for greater meaning, joy and impact in his second half. To his surprise he discovered that he was not alone in this journey and that many talented leaders are longing for midlife renewal.
Lloyd has had the privilege of investing 25 plus years helping leaders plan their second half. He, along with his mentor Bob Buford, helped launch the Halftime Institute, a global team that teach, coach, and connect successful men and women in pursuit of significance.
Lloyd has taken the Halftime message around the world: speaking, teaching and coaching individuals through the journey. As a result, he understands the issues that surround your Halftime in a deep and practical way.
He is the author ofFrom Success to Significance: When the Pursuit of Success Isn’t Enough, which is a road map for this mid-life transition. His book The Second Half: Real stories, Real adventures, Real significance provides compelling evidence that your second half could be the most creative and productive season of your life.
Lloyd and his wife, Linda, have written the family-focused relationship series: Halftime for Couples, Finally Connected, andBuilding a Thriving Family.
On the show Lloyd shares his story of growing up, being a gymnast, building on your strengths, starting in banking then real estate, freedom, meeting Bob Buford, Halftime, low cost probes, success to significance, parenting, knowing your spouses dream, family vision, and much more.
For more info on Lloyd check out haltimeinstitute.org and ardentmentoring.org as well as social media platforms. Also, if you want to see any of the examples or material Lloyd mentioned on family vision, values, or list of characteristics to instill in your children just let me know.
Enjoy the show!
131: Bob Richey is the head men’s basketball coach at Furman University.
Coach Richey has helped propel the Paladins to national prominence leading Furman to the 2023 Southern Conference regular season title, the program’s first SoCon Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth since 1980, and its first tournament victory since 1974 against the University of Virginia this past season.
In his six seasons as head coach he has guided the Paladins to a 139-54 overall record and 78-27 mark in Southern Conference play while posting a .720 winning percentage, which ranks in the top 20 among all active Division I head coaches.
Under his leadership, Furman ranks as one of just 19 Division I programs to win at least 25 games in three of the last five seasons and one of only 12 Division I schools to record at least 22 victories in six of the last seven years. Furman’s .720 overall winning percentage and .727 SoCon winning percentage over the past six seasons are both tops among SoCon schools during his tenure.
On the show he shares his story of growing up in South Carolina, impact of his parents, playing college basketball, becoming a college coach, being bold, growth, accountability, leadership, designing things to be hard, your best, understanding your gifts, building excellence, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
130: Anne Beiler is the founder of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. Many of you already know of Auntie Anne’s from walking through malls, airports, and stores all over the world where you can smell the amazing scent of their pretzels from a mile away. Auntie Anne’s has over 2,000 locations in 26 different countries.
Anne began twisting pretzels in 1987 to support her husbands vision of offering free counseling services in their community. What started as a single farmers market stand grew into Auntie Annes pretzels, the worlds largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise. Anne’s journey towards success began many years before she rolled her first pretzel when she and her husband experienced any parents worst nightmare, losing a child. Out of her pain came purpose and the desire to persevere towards personal and professional success. Anne is among an elite group of women who have founded national companies in America and is among an even smaller group that has owned an international franchise company. She was named one of America’s 500 Women Entrepreneurs by Working Women & Entrepreneur of the Year by Inc. Magazine.
More than just the business success though, her story of overcoming despair, abuse, depression, and trauma is incredible. On the show Anne shares how she found hope and overcame tremendously difficult life circumstances to help others find purpose and light in their own life. This is one of the most impactful stories I’ve ever heard.
Also, Anne just released a new cookbook Come to the Table, so if you want to cook like Auntie Anne be sure to check out the link in the bio.
To find out more about Anne check out annebeiler.com and all social media platforms, as well as more of her books such as Overcome and Lead, The Secret Lies Within, & Twist of Faith.
Enjoy the show!
129: Steve Irby is the founder and CEO of KICKER/Stillwater Designs.
In 1973, KICKER's Livin' Loud legacy began as a two-man operation, hand-building professional-speaker systems in a narrow one-car garage. With very few resources and an intense love for music Steve invented the mobile-stereo enclosure market from his Stillwater, Oklahoma community, when he developed the Original KICKER. It was the first full frequency-range speaker box designed specifically for cars and trucks. From that historic moment, delivering concert-like audio quality across a wide volume range with renowned bass and accurate sound has always been the KICKER way.
The Original KICKER was made for use behind the seat in pickup trucks, and at the time thousands of the vehicles rolled along Oklahoma roads due to a recent oil boom. Because Steve had already been making a living designing and building the larger P.A. speakers, he literally overdesigned the much smaller Original KICKER. It produced a ton of bass, and when customers had it installed, heard it, and felt the enormous rumble through their truck seat, they said it “really kicked.”
Today KICKER products are currently sold by approximately 1,200 authorized dealers in the United States, and export sales are managed through a network of distributors serving over 2,000 dealers in approximately 50 countries.
On the show Steve shares the inside story of just how KICKER came to be, lessons growing up, never quitting, the power of the 3P’s passion, perseverance, & prayer, faith, family, and much more.
To find out more about Steve and KICKER be sure to check out their website at KICKER.com
Enjoy the show!
128: Michelle “MACE” Curran 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.
Upon joining this high performing team, she rapidly discovered the best part was not the flying, but the opportunity to inspire others. Michelle was only the 2nd woman to fly as the Lead Solo in the Thunderbird demonstration since the team’s creation in 1953. Before joining the Thunderbirds, Michelle was a combat-proven fighter pilot completing missions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
As the Lead Solo Pilot for the Thunderbirds, Michelle realized this put her in a unique position to inspire and empower others to overcome their fears, pursue their dreams, and overcome adversity. Since transitioning out of the Air Force Michelle founded her company, Upside Down Dreams, where she speaks and encourages leaders, teams, businesses, and individuals to overcome obstacles and the fear of failure.
On the show Michelle shares her story, growing up, becoming a pilot, overcoming imposter syndrome, humility, what makes the best the best, flying for the Thunderbirds, taking ownership, preparation, and so much more.
For more on Michelle check out her website at macecurran.com and follow her on all social media platforms. Be sure to check out her new bestselling children’s book Upside Down Dreams on amazon or in the link below.
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Dreams-Michelle-Curran/dp/1637970757
Enjoy the show!
127: Phillip Fulmer is the College Football Hall of Fame former Head Coach & Athletic Director at the University of Tennessee.
Coach Fulmer lead Tennessee to a National Championship Title in 1998, 2 SEC Championships, 152 wins, Coach of the Year, & many other accolades. He has coached players from Peyton Manning, Eric Berry, Jason Whitten, & many other great players. However, aside from all of the accolades and great teams he coached the intentionality to impact his players off the field is what truly stands out.
Coach Fulmer is Tennessee through and through. He played at the University of Tennessee and once he decided to get into coaching he started as a GA there. He then spent a few years away at Wichita State and then Vanderbilt University before making his way back to Knoxville.
On the show you will get to hear his story of going up, impact of his parents, the power of belief, open communication, being yourself, leadership, faith, being united as one, and much more.
For more information on Coach Fulmer check out phillipfulmer.com
Enjoy the show!
126: Bob Beaudine is the President and CEO of Eastman & Beaudine. He is one of the nation's most respected search executives having conducted 100's of searches for Fortune 500 companies, entertainment entities, professional sports organizations, non-profits, olympic bodies, and universities, among many others.
Bob placed people like Deion Sanders at Colorado, Bud Selig as the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Scott Drew as the Baylor men’s basketball head coach, and many more.
Eastman & Beaudine has been named by The Wall Street Journal as the “top recruiting firm in college sports." Sports Illustrated named Bob the “top front-office matchmaker in sports” as well as the “most influential man in sports you’ve never heard of." These accolades come as a result of Bob helping shape the leadership teams of NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL franchises and league offices, in addition to university athletic departments and conferences across the nation. Bob’s experience extends to the PGA TOUR, USTA, PBR, U.S. Olympics, NASCAR, UFC, and sports-related non-profits among others.
Bob is the bestselling author of The Power of WHO! and 2 Chairs.He is a frequent speaker at universities, corporations, conventions, conferences, and workshops.He has spoken at places like AIG, Exxon-Mobile, Nike, Advocare, Cessna, Learfield, and dozens of other major corporations.He has appeared on The Today Show, Fox Business Network, CNBC, Canada’s Business News Network, Fox Good Day, CBN News, and more.
Bob’s leadership also extends into the community. He is currently on the Advisory Board of Directors for the Positive Coaching Alliance, the College Football Assistance Fund, and the Cox School of Business at SMU, his alma mater. He is a former Chairman of the Doak Walker National Running Back Award, and a former Board of Director of the two-time American League Champions Texas Rangers. Bob and his wife, Cheryl, have been married over three decades and have three grown daughters and four grandchildren.
For more info on Bob check out bobbeaudine.com as well as all social media platforms.
This is a great conversation, so be sure and take notes. Enjoy the show!
125: Niko Medved is the head coach of the Colorado State University Men’s Basketball program. Recently, he guided Colorado State to their highest ever seeding in the NCAA tournament.
Coach Medved has helped build and establish successful programs every place he has been. As head coach of Furman University he turned the program from one of the worst programs in the country to one of the best. He also spent a season as the head coach of Drake University before moving to CSU.
On the show Coach Medved shares many invaluable principles on how he has gone about creating vision, buy in, and turning around programs. He also shares his story of growing up, moving from hockey to basketball, deciding to coach, being passionate about something, going above and beyond, serving others, viewing things through others perspective, leveraging your strengths, creating simplicity in a complex world, being a great husband and father, and much more!
You can follow Coach meddled on social media and find out more on the baseball program at csurams.com
Enjoy the show!
124: Mike Linch is the Senior Pastor of Northstar Church in Kennesaw, Georgia. He is also the host of the Linch with a Leader Podcast.
Mike grew up in Georgia and played baseball at Liberty University under legendary New York Yankee great Bobby Richardson. After college he felt called to step into full time vocational ministry. However that didn’t stop his love for athletics. He serves as the pitching coach for the Allatoona High School Baseball Program, as well as a Chaplin for the Bucs football team and is a guest Chaplin for the Atlanta Falcons. He also hosts a call with MLB scouts, college coaches, and athletic administration professionals to help grow in leadership and faith.
As mentioned before Mike is the host of the Linch with a Leader podcast. His podcast is all about inviting leaders to listen and learn the spiritual principles behind big success. He has interviewed many great people like Jon Gordon, Darryl Strawberry, Andy Stanley, Mark Richt, Patrick Lencioni, Dansby Swanson, Rachel Cruze, and so many more. It is one of my favorites to listen to!
On the show Mike shares his story, the impact of his parents, playing college baseball and the impact of his coach, stepping into ministry, pursing a calling, being able to say no, having vision, how consistency compounds, parenting, lessons from his podcast, and much more.
For more info on Mike check out his podcast Linch with a Leader on all podcast platforms, as well as mikelinch.com and northstarchurch.org
Excited to introduce you to this great man. Enjoy the show!
123: Anson Dorrance is a 21x National Champion Coach for the University of North Carolina’s Women's Soccer Program & led the United States Women’s National Team to their first World Cup title in 1991, where he served as the head coach from 1986-1994.
In 2008 he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He has one of the most successful records in all of sports with 1,093 games won at Carolina. The list of accomplished athletes that he has coached is endless. He has coached 19 different players to National Player-of-the-Year honors, including three-time recipient Cindy Parlow and Mia Hamm, who was selected the Greatest Female Athlete in the ACC’s first 50 years. Dorrance has been named National Coach of the Year seven times, six as the women’s head coach (1982, 1986, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006) and once with the men (1987).
On the show Coach Dorrance shares his unique story of growing up, learning from Coach Dean Smith, playing soccer, competition, coaching, snowplow parents, accountability, being a loving critic, the competitive-cauldron and much much more.
Be sure to check out his three books: Vision of a Champion, Training Soccer Champions, and The Man Watching, which can be found on amazon. He also has a podcast called The Vision of a Champion Podcast, which can be found on all platforms.
You can check out the UNC Women’s soccer team in acton as they start their season this week up at Penn State. You can find their schedule at https://goheels.com/sports/womens-soccer/schedule and if you know someone that would want to become a better player and learn form the best check out their summer camps at carolinagirlssoccercamp.com
Enjoy the show!
122: Dr. David Burkus’ is one of the world’s leading business thinkers. His forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders build their best team ever.
He is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. A former business school professor, he now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA.
On the show David shares his story of growing up, the power of story, leadership, common understanding, psychological safety, prosocial purpose, and his newest book Best Team Ever, the surprising science of high performing teams. David gives you a framework from hours and hours of research to help you build your best team ever.
To find out more about David, his books, podcast, speaking, and resources check out davidburkus.com as well as the links in the show notes.
Enjoy the show!
Books:
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Team-Ever-Surprising-High-Performing/dp/1544541740?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&linkCode=sl1&tag=davidburkus-20&linkId=0a60a28bc0583bac05a2034c4f9585f4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-burkus-presents/id1543942272
Speaking:
https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/
121: Pat Williams is the co-founder of the Orlando Magic and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He has also been the former GM of the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and the Philadelphia 76ers, where he helped lead to the NBA title in1983.
He has drafted players like Shaquille O’Neil, Charles Barkley, & Penny Hardaway and built rosters with players like Julis Erving, Maurice cheeks, and many many others.
Pat is also a top inspirational speakers and is a best selling author of over 100 books! He has many, but one of my favorite books is Your Formula For Success, which I would highly encourage you all to check it out. It is a great tool focused on helping you find the place where your talent and passion meet.
And even with the long list of accolades, Pat is not slowing down. With his newest venture he shares what it takes to start a new MLB franchise from the ground up in Orlando, Florida.
He has a unique perspective of being an executive in professional baseball and basketball, building a championship team, and building something from the ground up.
Pat and his wife have 19 children, including 14 who are adopted. On the show he shares his perspective on the importance of faith and family.
For more info on Pat, the Orlando Dreamers, and his newsies book on Aging check out patwilliams.com
Enjoy the show!
120: Omar Ahmadieh is a partner & financial advisor with JM Brown Financial Partners, as well as an entrepreneur with multiple businesses across different sectors.
Omar grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but his story is anything but normal. An entrepreneur at heart, he was always findings ways to sell things and start little ventures when he was in elementary school. Unfortunately, while in early high school, he lost a close friend and had to work through the grief of losing someone at a young age. While in college he found himself in a job quickly learning business in an unconventional way through gambling in Vegas and building a business for someone else. This experience taught him a lot, but ultimately he followed his gut and got out after hearing that what he had been told was not what he thought. A few years later Omar was diagnosed with cancer. He tells his story of the mindset and perspective he used to overcome and beat cancer. Omar shares the principles he has learned that have enabled him to overcome and succeed in the various setbacks and ventures he has pursued.
On the show Omar shares his story of growing up, overcoming setbacks, intentionality, battling cancer, mindset, finding the lessons in everything, winning the day, being the red ant, building wealth, faith, and following the promptings of God.
Enjoy the show!
119: Swen Nater is a former NBA & ABA player. He is a two time NCAA national champion and played under legendary Coach John Wooden at UCLA. As a man of many talents he has been a championship player and coach, author, speaker, poet, and businessman.
Swen was born in the Netherlands and immigrated to the US after living in an orphanage for 5 years. Through a series of events he was reunited with his family through on a nationally televised show. Swen went to junior college where he eventually landed a spot on the basketball team. After many hours of hard work and practice, he became an All American and highly recruited player. He chose to attend UCLA where he was never promised a starting spot. Instead he was promised to practice again Bill Walton every day. Swen was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft after never starting a college game. He is the only player to ever do that. Swen had a long and distinguished career in the NBA and ABA with and was Rookie of the Year. He played for teams like the Lakers, Bucks, Clippers, Spurs, and Nets.
Swen is an author of multiple books and is speaker to businesses, teams, and organizations. On the show he shares his story of growing up, moving to the US, overcoming adversity with an abusive step father, playing basketball, repetition, UCLA, professional basketball, putting in the work, having dreams, testing, learning from others, and much more.
For more on Swen, his books, and speaking checking out the link in the show notes.
Enjoy the show!
117: Matt Doherty is the former University of North Carolina head men’s basketball coach, player, and national champion. He was also head coach at Notre Dame, SMU, & Florida Atlantic.
Matt grew up in New York with a close family and parents who led by example. His hard work and discipline enabled him to earn a scholarship to play at UNC. Matt was a starter on the 1982 UNC National Championship team coached by Hall of Famer Dean Smith. At Carolina Matt played alongside Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty, and many others. He was drafted in the 1984 NBA Draft. After playing he stepped into Wall Street before deciding to get back into coaching.
He is now an executive coach and gives keynote speeches. He is also author of the bestselling book Rebound: From Pain to Passion - Leadership Lessons Learned. On the show he tells his story, playing, coaching, being coaching, get bitter or get better, developing emotional intelligence, applying what you learn, building a personal board of directors, note taking, leadership, parenting, and much more.
For more info on Matt, his coaching, and book, check out dohertycoaching.com
Enjoy the show!
116: Joshua Medcalf is a bestselling author of books like Chop Wood Carry Water, Pound the Stone, and many others, as well as a keynote speaker and founder of Train 2 Be Clutch. He works with some of the top high performing teams, brands, and organizations.
Joshua played soccer at Vanderbilt and then Duke University. While at Duke he learned about the mental aspect of training and performance. From there he decided not to pursue law school and choose to move across the country to California to serve at a homeless shelter. He then began to start working with athletes and relentlessly studied mindset, psychology, and mental toughness. Since then he has worked with leaders, athletes, and businesses all over the world.
On the show Joshua shares his story of growing up, playing soccer, identity, practicing what you preach, focus, surrendering the outcome, and how to fall in love with the process of becoming great.
Enjoy the show!
115: Charles O’Bannon is a former professional basketball player. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1997 NBA Draft.
Chuck grew up in Compton, California and went to school at the basketball powerhouse Artesia. While at Artesia he was a 3x state champion and All American. He then went to UCLA where he was able to play with his brother and win the 1995 NCAA National Championship. After getting drafted and spending a few seasons in the NBA with the Pistons, Chuck then went on to play professionally and win championships in Japan, Poland, and Italy.
Chuck has won championships everywhere he has been from high school to college and professionally. On the show he shares his story, the influence and support of his parents and family, the power of competition and hard work, playing professionally, building the discipline of a championship work ethic, mindset, culture, and much more!
Enjoy the show!
114: Daniel Grothe is the associate senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO. He is also the author of Chasing Wisdom & The Power of Place.
Daniel grew up in Tulsa, OK and attended ORU where he played basketball. After college he stepped into full time ministry. Unfortunately, he was hit quickly with two tragic and significant events involving the resignation of the lead pastor & a church shooting that took the lives of some of the members. Through all of the hardship and tragedy he picked up a book and sent the author, Eugene Peterson, a note. This led to a relationship with Eugene and a pursuit of chasing wisdom.
Daniel speaks of the power of mentors and chasing wisdom, asking, seeking, learning to engage, holy presumption, putting in the reps, taking notes, creating environments, parenting, faith, and much more!
Be sure to check out Daniel's books and website danielgrothe.com
Enjoy the show!
113: Steve Robinson is the former Executive Vice President & Chief marketing officer of Chick-Fil-A from 1981-2015. He currently serves as a consultant, speaker, and author on organizational culture, brand strategy, marketing and advertising, as well as leadership development.
Steve went to Faulkner State where he played baseball and then finished his college at Auburn University with a bachelor of science in marketing. He then attended Northwestern University where he earned a master’s in advertising from the Medill School of Journalism.
After Northwestern, Steve went to work for Texas Instruments and Six Flags. He quickly rose into leadership positions at a young age and caught the attention of the leadership of Chick-Fil-A. In 1981 Steve was hired to lead Chick-Fil-A’s marketing efforts. Steve was integrally involved in the company’s steady and then explosive growth from 184 stores and $100 million in 1981 to more than 2,100 stores and more than $6.8 billion in annul sales in 2015. He and his team helped establish and create many of the recognizable Chick-Fil-A branding and marketing efforts such as iconic Cow & Eat Mor Chikn campaign to the everyday Chick-Fil-A experience.
On the show he dives into his story, working hard, building culture, mentors, asking questions, loyalty, using metrics and facts to learn and growth, faith, family, and much more.
Be sure to check out his book Covert Cows where all books are sold, as well as his website srobinsonconsulting.com for more information.
Enjoy the show!
112: Matt Wells is currently a football coach at the University of Oklahoma. He was formerly the head football coach at Texas Tech & Utah State.
Coach Wells spent 3 years at Texas Tech and 6 years at Utah State as a the head coach. After his time at USU he closed his tenure as the second winningest coach in program history, leading them to five different bowl games in those 6 seasons. Before becoming the head coach at USU he had coaching stops at New Mexico, Louisville, Tulsa, and Navy.
On the show Coach Wells does a deep dive on what it means to create, establish, and build a sustainable culture. Some of the keys that he elaborates on are building authentic relationships, developing trust, toughness, communicating vision, hard work, having best as the standard, and much more.
He also shares his story of growing up, playing football at Utah State, making tough decisions, learning from failure, faith, family, being present, and finding joy in the process of it all.
This is a great conversation with an even better man & coach. Enjoy the show!
111: Suzy Sevier and Michael Barnhart are the Founders of Adventurous Real Estate Investors. They specialize in Return on Impact. Through real estate investing they create immeasurable impacts; in their family, with their friends, in their community, with the families (residents) they serve, in the spaces where they want to be generous.... everywhere and anywhere!
Suzy is Real Estate Professional and has a background in project management and finance. Suzy has a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Marketing from The University of Denver. Previously, she was a program manager and supply chain coordinator for a global multibillion-dollar biotechnology company in Cambridge, UK. Her main project was a $6.1M warehouse transfer in the Netherlands. She volunteers for the Junior League of Dayton and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Michael is Active Duty Air Force, as well as an assistant professor at the Air Force Academy. Michael graduated from the Air Force Academy and then completed his Masters at Colorado State University. Recently he finished his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Cambridge. Michael has served as a counter-proliferation program manager overseeing the successful acquisition, implementation, and disposition of over $100MM of defense systems. He serves as an active board member of Fortune 51.
Suzy and Michael are triathletes, outdoor and adventure enthusiasts, and avid travelers. On the show they share their stories and how they have been able to achieve finial freedom & ROI through real estate investing, while having full time jobs. You can find out more about them through their website at adventurousrei.com or they also have a great podcast called The Adventures of a Real Estate Investor.
Enjoy the show!
110: Kevin Hambly is the Head Coach and Director of Women’s Volleyball at Stanford University. Under his leadership over the last 6 seasons, Stanford has won 2 National Championships, 4 Pac 12 Championships, and he has been named Pac 12 Coach of the Year multiple times.
Kevin played Volleyball at BYU and was a first team All American and eventually played professionally after college. After playing he decided to get into coaching. He started coaching club and eventually became an assistant coach at UNLV. Coach Hambly then went and served as an assistant with the USA national volleyball team. From there he went to Illinois where he helped establish the Illini program into one of the best in the country. In 2011 he was named Volleyball Magazine National Coach of the Year and lead the team to the national semifinals for the first time in 23 years before advancing to the NCAA title match for the first time in program history.
On the show he shares his story, playing and coaching volleyball, building a championship culture, separating who you are and what you do, growth, failure, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
109: John Ballenger recently retired from serving as a Marine One Pilot, which is the helicopter responsible for flying the President of the United States around.
Today John is an entrepreneur, Co-Owner of Aspire Development Group, and an Executive Consultant with his company 8:28 Ventures.
John grow up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended Oral Roberts University for college. Towards the end of his college career he felt a pull to leave the pursuit of business after school to become a military pilot. It wasn’t easy, but John persisted and eventually decided to fly helicopters in the Marine Corps. With over 20 years of flying experience John shares some of the most invaluable lessons he learned from training, flying, and serving as a Marine One pilot for both the Trump and Biden Administrations.
On the show he also shares lessons such as the value of time, overcoming failure, taking the risk and trying, humility and being prepared, trust, brilliance in the basics, and much more.
For more information on John check out the show notes.
Be sure to get a pen ready and enjoy the show!
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-ballenger53/
https://aspiredevgroup.com
108: Darleen Santore “Coach Dar” is a Board Certified Occupational Therapist, business executive, author and highly sought after motivational speaker. She is passionate about helping people break through barriers to achieve their goals.
She is also the former Phoenix Suns mental skills coach and a leadership and mental edge coach to many professional athletes, CEO’s, and business leaders around the world.
Coach Dar shares The Art of Bouncing Back, which is the title to her new book.
On the show she also shares her story of playing sports, experience as a business executive, how everything is on the other side of hard, just trying, leadership, overcoming setbacks, and how her faith is like Red Bull.
Reframing is a key concept Coach Dar uses. She has had to overcome multiple strokes and an even crazier story of finding out at a young age that she was told she couldn’t have children later to be told she could. I couldn’t think of a better person to tell her story, the art of bouncing back, and how you can as well.
Enjoy the show!
107: Chris Powers is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Fort Capital and the host of The FORT podcast. Chris is a serial entrepreneur with more than 18 years of real estate development and investment experience. Since founding Fort Capital, the company has invested over $2.1B in Class B industrial, commercial, multifamily, student housing, and residential and land development projects throughout Texas and the sunbelt.
As host of, The FORT, he has published over 267 episodes to date, where he talks with some of the most fascinating minds in business and discusses important topics in the worlds of real estate, entrepreneurship, and investing. It is hands down one of my favorite podcasts to listen to.
On the show Chris dives into his story, going to Texas Christian University, entrepreneurship, optimizing for freedom, finding mentors, taking risks, faith, forgiveness, building a business and culture, and what matters most.
Like I mentioned before Chris’s podcast is one of my favorites and I am always learning something new.
Be sure to check out his podcast, The FORT on all major platforms. Also, if you are looking to invest, check out FortCapitallp.com
Enjoy the show!
106: Jamion Christian is a highly accomplished American college basketball coach, formerly as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at George Washington University.
At 29 years old, Jamion became the Head Basketball Coach at Mt. Saint Mary’s where he was one of the youngest coaches, if not the youngest, in all of college basketball. As a young coach, Jamion learned from some of the best coaches in the country. While working as an assistant at Emory & Henry, Bucknell, William & Mary, and VCU, the head coaches that he worked with collectively accumulated over 2,000 career wins. While Head Coach at Mt. Saint Mary’s he led the Mountaineers to two NCAA tournament appearances and a Northeast Conference Coach of the Year Award. Because of his success at Mt. Saint Mary’s he was highly sought after to become the head coach at Siena and then George Washington University.
Jamion currently is the Chief Content Officer for Speakeasy Sports. Jamion is responsible for new media and content strategy for the brand. He currently hosts, Winning in the Margins & Last Call with Jamion Christian, which are available on all major platforms and host some fantastic conversations with many great guests.
On the show Coach Christian tells his story of growing up, playing basketball, reframing, becoming a coach, building culture, routine, finding your why & purpose, making decisions, different layers of love, creating a personal mission statement, and leaving things better than you found it.
Enjoy the show!
105: Justin Donald is the #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Lifestyle Investor book and has been called the “Warren Buffett of Lifestyle Investing” by Entrepreneur Magazine.
He is a master of low-risk cash flow investing, specializing in simplifying complex financial strategies, structuring deals, and disciplined investment systems that consistently produce profitable results. Not only does he show you how to create financial freedom through cash flow investing, but also what it means to personally create and build the life you imagine.
On the show Justin dives into his story growing up, overcoming rejection, growth, seeking out mentors, curiosity, sales, competing against yourself, investing, calculated risk, financial freedom, and family.
If you want to learn more bout Justin be sure to check out his website at LifestiyleInvestor.com. From there you can order his book, The Lifestyle Investor: The 10 Commandments of Cash Flow Investing For Passive Income & Financial Freedom, as well as his podcast, masterclasses, blog, courses, coaching, mastermind, and much more.
Also, be sure to checkout lifestyleinvestor.com/strategy/ for a free strategy call!
Enjoy the show!
Jade Gordon is a keynote speaker and certified workshop facilitator with the Jon Gordon Companies.
She is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in communications and also worked with the Clemson football program. After college she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting while working at Nobu Malibu, a world famous restaurant. She learned the art of great customer service by loving and caring about the people she encountered daily.
Jade has a passion and mission to develop positive leaders and build great teams. Today she works with teams, businesses, and organizations to help them implement the Power of Positive Leadership
On the show Jade dives into her story, growing up, playing lacrosse, leadership, serving, confidence, identify, fear, faith, honor, and much more.
Be sure to take notes and enjoy the show!
103: Ryan Folmar is the head baseball coach at Oral Roberts University.
He is in his 11th year as the head coach of the Golden Eagles. During his time as head coach he has earned the Summit League Coach of the Year Award 5 times, taken ORU to 7 NCAA post season appearances, and coached numerous professional players. Even greater than that, as you will see on the show, he has helped his players become better men.
Ryan grew up in Pennsylvania and earned a baseball scholarship to Oklahoma State. While at Oklahoma State he played on some of the most successful teams going to the college world series in 1996. He was then drafted by the Colorado Rockies. After his professional career, he started coaching at Oklahoma State. He then spent 10 years as an assistant coach at ORU before becoming the head coach in 2013.
On the show he dives into his story, playing baseball, coaching, leadership, culture, hard work, resilience, buy-in, faith, family, and a lot more. This is a masterclass on leadership and building a culture from one of the best coaches out there so be sure to take notes.
Enjoy the show!
102: Mike Hearne is the host of the This Is Oklahoma Podcast, where he interviews Oklahomans and those who have made Oklahoma home. On the show he dives into their businesses and why they love Oklahoma and more.
Mike grew up in Wales and then earned a golf scholarship at Southern Nazarene University. After graduating he got into the real estate and eventually started his podcast. He has interviewed some of the most well known Oklahoman’s and shared their stories to help others learn and grow.
On the show Mike dives into his own story, playing golf, persistence, real estate, his podcast, how to start a podcast, branding, repetition, focus, business, and much more.
Be sure and check out his podcast, This is Oklahoma, on all platforms.
Enjoy the show!
101: Stu Grazier is a retired Navy pilot & Co-founder of Storehouse 310.
As a retired Naval Officer with 20 years of military experience, Stu spent time flying the MH-60 Sierra Knighthawk helicopter and later the C-40. He also spent time in leadership overseeing hundreds of people.
Throughout his time in the military Stu started his own entrepreneurship journey through investing in real estate. This ultimately led him and his Co-founder David, to start Storehouse 3:10 Ventures, Capital, Partners, and Mastermind.
On the show Stu dives into his story of growing up, playing baseball at the Naval Academy, graduating flight school as number one in his class, service, real estate, learning from others, real estate, accountability, pivoting, purpose, leadership, failure, faith, family, and much more.
For more on Stu and Storehouse 3:10 check out storehouse310.com
Enjoy the show!
Connect with Stu:
Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/filling-the-storehouse/id1505081414
Website - https://storehouse310.com
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartgrazier/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/militaryinvestor/?hl=en
100: Sam Acho is a former nine-year NFL veteran, current in studio analyst for ESPN, author, public speaker, humanitarian, and committed Christian.
Sam played college football at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was recently inducted into the University of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor. While at Texas he received the William V. Campbell Trophy for being college football’s top scholar-athlete. He also won the NCAA Top VIII Award, which recognizes the top eight student-athletes in all of sports, and was named the 2010 Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year.
In 2011, Sam was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals and played four seasons as a linebacker with the team. He then signed with the Chicago Bears for the 2015–2016 season and played four years there before spending the 2019 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2016 and 2017, Sam was the Bears’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. He is also the vice president of the NFL Players Association and Sam was named by Sporting News as one of the twenty smartest athletes in all of sports.
Sam is the founder and president of Athletes for Justice and is also currently an ambassador for the International Justice Mission.
Every year he joins his family on medical mission trips to Nigeria and serves as the vice president of Living Hope Christian Ministries.
This week on Tuesday March 7th Sam is releasing his second book, Change Starts With You: Following Your Fire to Heal a Broken World. You can preorder right now and get the bonuses. To find out more check out SamAchoBook.com. I highly encourage you to get his book!
If you are sitting there wondering how does he do all of this? Listen to the show and find out, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy the show!
Connect with Sam:
Twitter - @TheSamAcho
Intsagram - @TheSamAcho
Linkedin - Sam Acho
Facebook - Sam Acho
Website - www.samacho.com
Book Website - www.samachobook.com
Books
Change Starts With You:
https://www.amazon.com/Change-Starts-You-Following-Broken/dp/1400237998
Let the World See You:
https://www.amazon.com/Let-World-See-You-Fakes/dp/1400220270/ref=pd_bxgy_vft_none_img_sccl_1/142-1957624-4583243?pd_rd_w=baA3M&content-id=amzn1.sym.7f0cf323-50c6-49e3-b3f9-63546bb79c92&pf_rd_p=7f0cf323-50c6-49e3-b3f9-63546bb79c92&pf_rd_r=HDNF7MNMJSY7EZPC501A&pd_rd_wg=85X8O&pd_rd_r=905874cb-22cd-483e-ac02-26c2078406e9&pd_rd_i=1400220270&psc=1
99: Forrest Carpenter is the author of the book They’re Your Choices Now. Forrest has been in the business world as a business executive and entrepreneur. Throughout his life he has always served and given back through ministry ventures and the church.
In his book he articulates the power of our choices and how they ultimately determine the course of our life. He also shares how the key is to seek obedience to God in all areas of your life. His life management plan gives you clear, actionable steps to do just that. A Life Management Plan is built on 7 pillars of life that create harmony, balance, and success.
On the show he shares his story, his book, failure, grief & joy, preparation, his business experiences, always moving forward, being a great husband & father, and much more.
To find out more about Forrest and his book check out: itsyourlifenow.org
Enjoy the show!
98: Travis Wyckoff is the founder of Kingdom Coaching, a consulting business where he partners with leaders to help them discover the strengths that propel them, the constraints that trip them up, and their unique style and voice.
He also hosts the Coaching DNA Podcast which is a podcast focused on investigating what makes coaches and leaders great.
Travis coached college baseball for over 11 years. During his time coaching he coached at the University of Iowa, Creighton University, Des Moines Area Community College, & Dallas Baptist University. He has also served & lead on staff at Stonegate Church. Travis was drafted by the Miami Marlins and played collegiately at Wichita State University.
Throughout his time running Kingdom Coaching he has helped and worked alongside some of the best coaches and leaders out there from Tim Corbin at Vanderbilt, Anson Dorrance at North Carolina, Kevin Hambly at Stanford, Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees, & many many more.
On the show Travis shares his own story, experiences leading cohorts with some of the best of the best, building self awareness, developing curiosity, following the promptings of God, authentic leadership, gaining elite clarity, and much more.
There are a lot of great takeaways to apply, so be sure to grab a pen and paper and take notes. Enjoy the show!
Connect with Travis:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/KingdomCoachTW
Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coaching-dna-podcast/id1463232323
Website - https://kingdomcoachingtw.com
Email - travis@kingdomcoachingtw.com
97: Bill Blankenship is one of the most successful and respected high school and college football coaches in the country. As a head coach at the University of Tulsa his teams won the Liberty Bowl and a Conference USA Championship.
As a high school coach he has had tremendous success. He is currently the head football coach at Owasso High School where his teams have won 2 6A state championships and recently played for the state championship this past season. Prior to Owasso he was the head coach at Fayetteville High School, where in his only season they won the 7A state championship.
At Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma he went 154-26 in 14 years. During those 14 years Union qualified for the playoffs every year, reached the quarterfinals ten times, won eight consecutive district championships, played in the state championship seven times, and won three 6A state titles.
The amount of success with state championship appearances and titles are endless, but what I love is what Coach Blankenship shares on the show about setbacks, his own cancer battle, failure and success, how to build a great team, relationships, his family, faith, and much more.
This is a masterclass from a true Hall of Fame Coach, so be sure to take notes and enjoy the show!
96: Terry Cook is a leader, teacher, coach, and change agent. Through his passionate and skilled leadership and coaching, he has helped a wide range of individuals and organizations around the globe, from university students to leaders on Capitol Hill to agencies and leaders in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. He regularly leads symposia that teach the LDC Leadership Model in addition to helping leaders worldwide move from cognitive knowledge to experiential understanding of the model through both onsite and virtual coaching.
On the show Terry dives into the model and his own story, but I also want everyone to know that there will be a Lead Develop Care Seminar in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday Feb 17 through Saturday Feb 18.
In my opinion this is one of the best leadership tools any leader can use to better his or her team, organization, or company. I’ve gotten to be around and seen a lot of different leadership models and frameworks and I really do think this is one of the best because of its simplicity and effectiveness. If you are someone who wants to grow in their leadership and if you are able I would highly recommend signing up while there are still spots available. I will leave all of the info in the show notes and bio below. Thanks now let’s get to the show.
Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lead-develop-care-tickets-519238505347?aff=efbneb
95: Chris Young is the Director of Tennis & the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at Oklahoma State University. In the last 13 years of leading the OSU women’s tennis program he has complied a 224-103 record and built OSU into a national tennis power.
In 2016 Oklahoma State made it to the National Championship finishing as runner up. With numerous appearances to the Sweet 16, 10 straight NCAA tournament trips, and two Big 12 regular season titles, he has led OSU to unprecedented success. Coach Young was instrumental in the fundraising and design for the Michael & Anne Greenwood Tennis Center. With an overall record of 413-197 he has seen successful and built tremendous programs everywhere he has been.
On the show Coach Young shares his perspective on how to establish a compelling vision, the importance of belief, building a program, curiosity, surrounding yourself with great people, how complacency is the enemy of success, faith, authenticity, what it means to be a great husband and father, & much more.
I have been really excited to share this episode because wether you are a coach, business leader, or young person there is so much to take away from Coach Young’s story. I hope it inspires and encourages you. Enjoy the show!
94: Lee Domingue is an entrepreneur, international speaker, pastor and author of 4 books: Stay in Your Lane, Pearls Of The King, KB GAMEPLAN Devotional and The Family Meeting Guide. His passion for the local church to be the hope of the world drives him to help pastors and marketplace leaders understand just how vital they are to each other. Through his ministry, Kingdom Builders U.S. and serving as Legacy Pastor at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, Lee brings inspiration and practical strategies for thousands of pastors and marketplace leaders to understand the significant eternal return on investment or “e-ROI®” that their relationship creates to build the Kingdom of God.
Lee has over 30 years of success in the automotive, finance, energy, healthcare, and technology sectors founding companies like AppOne®, Cyrus Partners, m360, and SLC Capital. Lee’s pioneering spirit led him to create the first virtual automobile buying service in 1993 that revolutionized the automotive retail industry making way for companies like Autobytel, Autotrader, Cars.com, Carvana, and TrueCar.
In 2007, Lee and his wife, Laura started Trafficking Hope, an anti-human trafficking campaign that has helped hundreds of victims. Lee was co-Executive Producer of anti-trafficking motion picture, CAGED NO MORE, which released in 2015.
Lee served his home state as Commissioner on the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission from 1999 - 2003. Lee was the youngest person to be named 2008 Business Report / Junior Achievement "Businessperson of the Year." In 2014, Lee and his wife Laura received the "Community Leaders of the Year" award from the Cenikor Foundation. Lee has served on various boards like A21 Campaign, Omni Bank and Promise Keepers.
Lee and Laura have been married over 32 years and have 5 children and 7 grandchildren.
www.kingdombuilders.us
93: Chris O’Hare is an Olympic runner & NCAA champion. He competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro running the 1500m race, as well as six world championships, and won three European Championship medals. In 2012, while he was running for the University of Tulsa, he was the NCAA champion and set a NCAA indoor mile record time of 3.52.
As you can see Chris is a very accomplished runner, but don’t let the stats deceive you from all of the hard work Chris put in to accomplish those goals. In the show we dive into Chris’s story of growing up in a small town in Scotland, learning to lose, getting a scholarship to run at the University of Tulsa, assessing and adapting, winning the NCAA championship, life as a pro, discipline, the Olympics and much more.
Chris has a great story and a lot of applicable lessons, so be sure to take notes and apply!
92: Lee Sherman is the former owner of Hahn Appliance and a tremendous entrepreneur. In 2017 Hahn was the 34th largest appliance company in the United States in Oklahoma with 3 stores.
He bought Hahn in 1983 with just 6 employees and $600,000 in sales. When he retired and sold in 2017 Hahn had grow to 252 employees with over $67 million in sales.
Lee grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas and eventually found himself in the appliance business. He learned early on how to sell through listening, research, and doing the basis, which have been the foundation to how he has grown his business and served others.
On the show he dives into his story, hard work, surrounding yourself with great people, setting targets, fulfilling your promises, sales, listening, building, growing, and scaling a business, and mastering the basics.
Lee’s story is a great example of treating people the right way, focusing to achieve a predetermined target, and a masterclass on building a business. Be sure to take notes and enjoy the show!
91: Brian Thornton is the Commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference, also known as the WAC.
Brian joined the WAC following one year as associate commissioner for basketball at the American Athletic Conference. He joined the American after two year as assistant director for basketball development at the NCAA National Office.
Before working at the NCAA he was an assistant basketball coach at places like Xavier, Furman, Winthrop, & Ball State.
Thornton was a standout men's basketball player at Xavier University, where he was the 2005 and 2006 Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year, a Academic All-America selection and was a first-team all-conference pick for the Musketeers' 2006 Atlantic 10 championship team. He began his playing career at Vanderbilt University, where he was an SEC all-freshman selection in 2002 and played professionally for the Artland Dragons for the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany from 2006-07.
On the show Brian dives into his story, his experiences playing at Vanderbilt, Xavier, and professionally, how hard work is a skill, timing, taking risk, caring for others, developing buy in, trying new things, and much more.
As I mention in the show, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be around him while I was a freshman in college and everything he says he lives. Great leaders don’t just talk the talk they walk it and Brian Thornton certainly does that.
I could not thing of a better way to start off the Building Excellence in 2023. Enjoy the show!
90: "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." - James Clear
I hope everyone had Merry Christmas & has Happy New Years. In this episode we talk about beginning with the end in mind and creating systems that enable you to achieve your goals.
89: For 25 years Sherri Coale served as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma where she is the winningest coach in OU history. She lead her program to three Final Fours, won six Big12 Regular season Championships, and four Big12 Tournament Championships, had nineteen straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and made nine Sweet 16 appearances. She also served as a coach for USA Basketball. In 2016 Coale was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
She is a master motivator, an engaging speaking, a gifted writer, and a keen observer of everyday life, and most importantly her faith drives everything she does.
On the show she shares everything from her story growing up, following your curiosity, doing your job with excellence, being willing to ask, showing up, failure, daily diligence, and what makes your heart sing.
She also just realized a new book called Rooted to Rise, which is the redwood legacies of life-anchoring people. It is a great read and a perfect Christmas gift for anyone as we get closer to Christmas.
This is a great conversation with one of the all time greatest coaches, so be sure and take notes.
Enjoy the show!
88: Nick Graham is the founder of Nick Graham Player Development. He is regarded as one of the top player development specialists in the country working with thousands of players, many of whom have gone on to play at the college and professional levels. Nick has worked with NBA stars Chauncey Billups, Trae Young, Jimmer Fredette, and many others.
Through a partnership with Spalding, the official basketball of the NBA, Nick created and starred in instructional training videos, along with co- hosting elite camps with Chris Paul and DeMar DeRozan that were featured in Slam magazine.
Nick played college basketball at Washington State University under his father and recently coached college basketball at Iowa State University.
He is the author of GodxBasketball, which is an athletes handbook to navigating life with God’s word, and hosts a podcast called Underdog.
Nick continues to leverage his basketball platform to use God’s Word to encourage and empower athletes and coaches all over the world.
Enjoy the show!
87: Sam Littlefield is President & CEO at Littlefield Agency. They specialize in digital marketing for B2B companies—reimagining all things marketing and working with companies like Southwest Airlines, Loves, Rib Crib, BOK, Ditch Witch, & more.
After completing his undergraduate degree from the University of San Diego, Sam was hired as an Account Manager at one of the world’s largest digital advertising agencies, Mirum, where he worked on the CBRE, Johnson & Johnson & Cobra Puma Golf accounts.
Sam is currently a Director on the MAGNET (Marketing & Advertising Global Network) Board— a network of member agencies across five different continents, providing agency owners and executive-level leaders the opportunity to learn, share and grow best practices in a confidential and non-competitive environment.
On the show he shares his story, choosing freedom over money, getting people in the right seats on the bus, effective communication, focus, and a lot more!
86: David Mason is the Founder of Elev8Hoops. He has helped train NBA players like Joel Embiid, Jason Tatum, Tyler Herro, & many others.
David started his basketball career at Jenks Public Schools. In his senior year, he assisted his 6A nationally ranked (#1 in the State) team to a 27-1 record and finished as a state runner-up. He then went on to play college basketball at Oral Roberts University. While there, he set a single-game ORU assist record for that season. No one has surpassed that record since he graduated.
After his playing days came to an end, he stayed on staff at Oral Roberts as a Graduate Assistant Coach while seeking his MBA degree. One of his duties as a Graduate Assistant Coach included helping the team with skill development for the marquee players. Through this process, Mason found his love for developing players. For the next three years, he went on to become a full-time skills trainer. To date he has trained 45+ Division One players, 9 Professional Players, 3 NBA G-League players, and 300+ 2nd-12th graders.
Mason has two main passions in life; basketball and helping others succeed. To him, there is no better way to fulfill those callings than through skill development. That is the reason why he created Elev8Hoops.
85: Brad Lomenick is a leadership consultant, speaker, and the founder of BLINC Consulting. He is also the author of The Catalyst Leader: Eight Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker, as well as his most recent leadership book, H3 Leadership: Be Humble, Stay Hungry, Always Hustle.
He writes about leadership, the next generation, creativity, innovation, social media, teamwork, and personal growth.
For more than ten years, Brad served as president of Catalyst, one of America’s largest and most influential conference movements of young leaders across the United States.
On the show he dives into the difference between identify calling and assignment, H3 Leadership, saying yes, making decisions and just start moving.
Enjoy the show!
84: Eric Maddox is a public speaker, author, and former special operations soldier. He was member of a Delta Force Special Operations team that was part of the Joint Special Operations Command responsible for tracking down the most wanted men in Iraq. During his six month tour with this Delta Force team, Eric conducted over 300 interrogations and collected intelligence which directly led to the capture of Saddam Hussein.
As a result, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award, and the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement. During his time working with the Department of Defense he conducted over 2,700 interrogations while deploying eight times in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
Eric currently helps corporations, sports teams, universities, and CEOs master the art of empathy based listening, leading from behind, and negotiating. Eric is also the author of “Mission: Black List #1: The Inside Story of the Search for Saddam Hussein.”
On the show Eric dives into how he was able to gather the intel that led to the location and capture of Saddam Hussein, his story, developing empathy based listening, confidence, faith, and a lot more.
Enjoy the show!
83: Chris Hart is the Founder of the Brave Group Coaching. He works with business executives, athletes, coaches, teams, and organizations with the focus of helping them move forward both personally and professionally.
Chris is an entrepreneur and was on staff at Guts Church for 15 years. He is the Chaplin for the Oral Roberts University Athletic Department and also worked with World Compassion both domestically and internationally.
On the show Chris dives into his own story, taking the next step, competitive spirit, creating win/win opportunities, breaking down your day into phases, accountability, the 6 F’s, alignment, & choosing hard. There is a lot of ground that is covered in the show so be sure to take notes and apply what Chris shares into your life, leadership, and legacy.
Enjoy the show!
82: Todd Gongwer is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and former 3 time national champion college basketball coach. He is the author of the best-selling book, “Lead … for God’s Sake!”
His expertise in the area of leadership and team dynamics comes from more than 25 years of a wide range of experiences spanning the world of business and athletics. He’s held senior positions in companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-up to public entity, while also serving as an assistant college basketball coach for one of the winningest small college programs in the country during the 1990s. Todd’s message has been featured in numerous publications, such as ESPN the Magazine, ESPN.com, YahooSports and Grantland. In addition, his powerful messages are impacting leaders from Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, major universities, professional sports teams, school districts, and churches throughout the country.
On the show he dives into his own story, leadership, peace of mind, pace, comparison, why he wrote the book, and the lessons he shares to teams like Clemson football and Virginia basketball to businesses like the Home Depot and YPO.
Enjoy the show!
81: Lars Gwartney is a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual.
Through his work at Northwestern Mutual he helps his clients improve their quality of life and relationships by helping them articulate what their goals and dreams are and then helping to develop a plan to protect and achieve them.
As you will see in his story, it is one of persistence, belief, and clarity. All three of those qualities are what he has used to achieve a high level of success throughout his career and what he currently uses to help his clients succeed.
On the show he touches on his story, identity, overcoming obstacles, persistence, the power of belief, leadership, building not just financial wealth, but true wealth, and a lot more.
Enjoy the show!
80: Coach Rick Byrd is the former Belmont University men’s basketball head coach. During his time coaching he won over 805 games as a head coach, which ranks 12th all time in NCAA Division 1 basketball.
In 2021 he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of the prestigious John R Wooden Legends of Coaching Award, as well as many other highly regarded awards.
Under his leadership Coach Byrd led Belmont to 8 NCAA tournaments, 17 conference championships, and consistently had victories over teams like North Carolina, UCLA, Cincinnati, Stanford, and more in his final 14 seasons. Just as impressive is Belmont posted a team GPA of 3.0 or higher 20 consecutive seasons and every player that completed eligibility earned his degree.
On the show Coach Byrd shares about growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, playing college basketball, getting into coaching, treating people with respect, building a team, leadership, sustaining excellence, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
79: Jeremie Kubicek is a powerful communicator, serial entrepreneur and content builder. He creates content used by some of the largest companies around the globe found in the books he has authored: The 100X Leader, 5 Voices, 5 Gears and the National Bestseller, Making Your Leadership Come Alive. His new book, The Peace Index, just released.
Jeremie is the Co-Founder of GiANT, a company that certifies coaches and consultants that serve companies and their employees. Jeremie has started over 20 companies while living in Oklahoma City, Moscow, Atlanta and London.
In the show Jeremie shares about his newest book The Peace Index where he dives into the 5 part framework of conquering chaos and finding fulfillment, along with so many other great principles.
Enjoy the show!
To buy the book as well as other great tools check out:
thepeaceindexbook.com
Jeremiekubicek.com
Giantworldwide.com
78: Brian Wagers is a partner with Elevate Commercial Investment Group. Elevate has acquired over 6,000 units and has over $400,000,000 in assets under management.
Before Elevate Brain started Wagers Capital. He grew his portfolio to 500 units before moving on to syndication where has now been involved in over $150,000,000 worth of apartment transactions & over 2,000 units through his experience as an owner and general partner. He now seeks to invest and help other high growth professionals and business owners put their money in a tax advantaged, risk adjusted growth space that is multi family.
On the show Brian dives into his story of growing up, getting started in business, finding mentors, building wealth through multi family real estate, being prepared, discipline, health, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
77: Alan Stein, Jr. is a keynote speaker, author, and coach. He teaches proven strategies to improve organizational performance in sports and business. Alan’s programs empower effective leadership, increase team cohesion, and develop winning mindsets and habits.
As an internationally renowned basketball performance coach, he spent 15+ years working with the highest-performing players on the planet, including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant. Alan reveals how to utilize the same approaches in business that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level. He delivers practical lessons that can be implemented immediately.
His clients include American Express, Pepsi, Sabra, Starbucks, UGG, and Under Armour, as well as numerous college athletic programs like Penn State Football and UCONN’s Men’s Basketball. Once you listen in you will see why!
Enjoy the show!
76: Alex Demczak is a top keynote speaker and bestselling author. He frequently delivers keynotes and conducts training programs based on The Power of Positive Leadership and The Power of a Positive Team with the goal of helping leaders transform their teams and change the world.
Alex is the author, along with Jon Gordon, of his newest bestselling book “The Sale”, which is the number one strategy to build trust & create success. He is also the author of Thrive U. The inspirational book is a collection of stories from 100 collegiate and professional athletes from across the country.
Alex is a former SEC quarterback for the Missouri Tigers. He dives into his own story of growing up, facing adversity as a player, transitioning to the business world, taking a risk and pursuing his calling, burnout, integrity, building trust and so much more!
Alex is passionate about helping high-performance leaders take the next step in their leadership journey. Once you listen to the show you will see why!
For more info about Alex and for info on how to buy his book check out alexspeaking.com
If you are thinking about writing a book be sure and reach out to his company at writemybooks.com
Enjoy the show!
75: Jill Donovan is the founder of Rustic Cuff. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland; was raised in Pensacola, Florida; and graduated from Oral Roberts University, in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she met her husband, Terry.
She went on to get her law degree from the University of Tulsa and was a practicing attorney and adjunct law professor at TU law school when Rustic Cuff was born. She taught herself how to make cuffs and gifted them to friends and family.
Today, Rustic Cuff jewelry is sold in more than 250 stores across the country. The brand has been featured on many national TV shows including Good Morning America, The Today Show, E! News and The View. When not working she enjoys spending time with her daughter’s, Ireland, and Peanut.
You can find out more about Jill on her website jilldonovan.com. Be sure to also check out Jill’s book the Kindness Effect and her podcast the Jill Donovan podcast. Check out rusticcuff.com for more information on Rustic Cuff.
74: Jordan Montgomery is the owner of Montgomery Companies. He is a highly regarded performance coach and keynote speaker whose clients include business executives, sales organizations, entrepreneurs, and teams.
From small town Iowa, to a dominant force in the performance coaching industry, Jordan travels the country speaking and coaching executives at Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, and sales people.
In addition to his work speaking and coaching, Jordan is an accomplished business leader who has managed top-performing sales teams in the financial services industry.
On the show we dive into living life by design, growing in your boldness and courage, failure, leadership, building relationships, faith, family, and much more.
Jordan has a lot of great advice, insight, and more importantly action steps to help you build excellence in your life, leadership, and legacy!
73: Ryan Hawk is the host of The Learning Leader Show. He has recorded more than 475 episodes over the past 7 years. Forbes called The Learning Leader Show, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it’s one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader.” Apple named it an “all-time best seller” in 2020 and 2021. As you listen to the show you will see why.
Ryan is the author of Welcome to Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader. Book Authority named it to its 100 Best Management Audiobooks of all time (#25). Forbes called it, “the best leadership book of 2020.” Ryan’s second book is called The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of The World’s Most Productive Achievers. It sold through its first printing in eight hours and shot to the top of the Amazon rankings. It is one of my favorite books.
Previously, Ryan worked in corporate America for 12 years. He started as an entry-level telephonic sales rep and worked his way to manager, director, and ultimately VP of sales for a multi-billion-dollar company.
When he’s not recording podcasts or writing books, he tries to help leaders be more effective. Some of the ways he does that are through Leadership Circles, 1:1 advising, and teaching in The Learning Leader Academy (the online school he created). Ryan has delivered hundreds of keynote speeches on leadership and performance excellence all over the world.
Enjoy the show!
72: Kirby Andersen is a Coach & Facilitator with Intentional Churches.
With over 40 years in leadership Kirby loves to encourage leaders and equip them with tools and sustainable habits for personal growth. He’s passionate about building strong families and churches. He has conducted numerous time management and financial stewardship seminars and has coordinated national leadership conferences and numerous community and county-wide events.
Kirby and his wife Gail live in Tulsa, OK, where they love to babysit their grandkids! Kirby also serves as the Church Relations contact for Intentional Churches.
On the show he dives into overcoming tragedy at a young age, trying to take the next best step, making small consistent decisions to see big results, managing your time, being intentional, and building a strong family.
To find out more about Kirby check out KirbyAndersen.com and you can follow him on all social platforms.
71: Clay Martin is currently an NFL referee.
Growing up in Tulsa, OK Clay was a great athlete at Nathan Hale High School. After high school, Clay had the opportunity to play basketball and football at the University of Tulsa and then basketball at OBU.
During his time at OBU he helped his team reach the NAIA national championship and was able to play under legendary coach Bob Hoffman.
After graduating Clay decided to get into college coaching. After a few years coaching college basketball he felt led to get into coaching high school basketball. This decision ultimately landed him a job at Jenks High School where he helped establish and build the program into one of the top high school programs in the state of Oklahoma.
He discuses his experiences coaching at Jenks from leadership, buy-in, being coachable, going the extra mile, as well as his journey to become an NFL referee and much more.
Enjoy the show!
70: Jeremy Hudson is the CEO & partner at Specialized Real Estate Group. He leads the company, playing a key role in design and development of new projects and leading the property management division.
Since 2002, he has been involved in all facets of real estate in Northwest Arkansas including brokerage, design, development, and construction. He speaks nationally about the importance of building for health and sustainability. He is a member of the inaugural Urban Land Institute 40 Under 40. Jeremy is a graduate of John Brown University with a degree in Construction Management and Business Administration.
On the show he dives into his own story of how he got into real estate, thoughtful and sustainable development, humility, servant leadership, building a culture, and much more. Be sure to take lots of notes and enjoy the show!
69: Chad Busick is an author, speaker, & host of the Championship Mindset podcast. He is a former collegiate soccer player and graduated with a degree in Psychology. Today he works with sports, business, and education teams, providing leadership, team, and culture, development. Chad brings a unique combination of experience and education which includes 20+ years in corporate sales, 15 years coaching competitive sports and over 7+ years leading various workshops and trainings. He is a Master Facilitator with Advance Sports Technology as well as a Power of Positive Leadership Certified Trainer with the Jon Gordon Companies.
On the show he gives you a masterclass on how to building a championship mindset and what is means to realize your full potential. On top of those key topics he dives into developing a game plan, staying in your land, and running your race, comparison, pride, creating standards, leadership, and much more!
Take notes and be sure to check out Chad’s book the Rock Tumbler and his podcast The Championship Mindset where he has guests like NFL great Kurt Warner and many more dive into the topic of a championship mindset.
68: Connor Baxter is the lead pastor of Onward Community Church in Frisco, Texas.
On the show Connor dives into his own story of growing up. Connor was a great athlete and ultimately had an opportunity to wrestle at Oklahoma State, but in high school he found himself in trouble often. His life began to change when he encountered and started building a relationship with Christ. He also talks about the importance of who you surround yourself with and how it can ultimately direct the course of your life. After college he felt led to venture into ministry first at Watermark Church in Dallas and now as the lead pastor at Onward.
We cover a lot of ground such as: how and why to eliminate distractions and discouragements from your life, mission driven leadership, building margin in your day, be present and focusing on doing the next right thing, building culture & community, faith, what it means to be a good husband and father, and a lot more.
Be sure to take notes and enjoy the show!
67: Sean Kouplen is currently the chairman and CEO of Regent Bank. Not only has he exceeded the billion dollar mark in his business, but most recently he served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce, hosts his own podcast the Kingdom Driven CEO, has authored multiple books, leads the Ascend Executive Leadership Institute, and most importantly is a great husband and father. Those are just a few of the many things he does.
If you are like many people and wondering how do you do all of those things? Don’t worry because in this episode Sean shares his story and the principles that have enabled him to do so.
There is no doubt Sean’s drive and work ethic have helped him excel, but more importantly he shares about doing the best you possibly can, time management, empowering others, being intentional, delegating, and being a great husband and father.
He shares so much great insight so be sure to take notes and enjoy the show!
66: Clay Wilson is currently on the mens basketball coaching staff at the University of North Texas. Before North Texas he was an assistant coach at Cornell University.
Clay grew up with a dream to coach and from a young age he started pursing that dream as a player. He was extremely dedicated to reaching his potential as a player and starting early on during his playing career he consistently got to the gym each day and made 1,000 shots. He did that every day until he retired from professional just a few years ago. That consistent work ethic and discipline enabled him to be one of the all time best shooters in the state of Oklahoma, play college basketball at Princeton University, and then professionally overseas in Germany, New Zealand, and Latvia.
Clay dives into his story of pursuing his dreams, learning from people ahead of you, overcoming obstacles, being uncommon, and leading by example with a servants heart.
Enjoy the show!
65: Tyler Thorne is the Sales Manager for Vivint Smart Home. He has managed over 18 million in direct sales, trained over 100’s of sales employees, and has a tremendous business mind for growing and scaling. He also hosts a podcast called The Money Game, which is all about normalizing personal finance talk and breaking the taboo barriers around money to rebuild your relationship with money.
We cover a lot of ground on the show. He talks about growing up and always having an entrepreneurship mindset. Ty elaborates on what it looks like to scale your business and develop systems, but much more than that he dives into what it means to take control of your life by controlling the controllables and much more!
And as you can see on the show and through his own podcast he has a tremendous passion to help expose people to understanding the concepts of economic self reliance and independence, so that people can take control of their money and their life!
This is a great one so get your notebook ready and be prepared to take a lot of notes! Enjoy the show!
64: Luke Pent is the Co-Founder of Jetstream Oil & Gas, as well as Jetstream Capital, based in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2004 Luke formed Pent Energy. Since then he has been active in Texas and Oklahoma on both operating and service sectors of the oil and gas industry.
On the show we dive into Luke's story of entrepreneurship and starting companies. He talks in depth about taking calculated risk and how to do that, embracing failure and changing your mindset, what it means to be a good leader, and we dive into his faith and what really matters most to him.
Enjoy the show!
63: Jimmy Dykes is a college basketball analyst for ESPN. He became an on air personality for ESPN's coverage of mens college basketball in 1995, serving as both a game and studio analyst.
Dykes was a three year letterman in basketball at the University of Arkansas. He then transitioned into college coaching, spending time as an assistant men's coach at the University of Kentucky, Oklahoma State University, Appalachian State University, UALR, Sacramento State University, and Arkansas, where he later became the head coach of the women's program. He is a popular motivational speaker for companies, organizations, teams, and faith based groups across the country. His popular book "The Film Doesn't Lie" is a must read for those wanting to deepen an authentic walk with God. We dive into that and much more on the show.
Enjoy the show!
62: Jan Thetford is a National Sales Director for Mary Kay. Jan grew up in Lubbock, Texas and eventually chose to go to college at Texas Tech University. After a career change she ended up working at Mary Kay. From there she has gone on to have a tremendous career.
On the show she dives into her story, sales, leadership, mindset, integrity, building a culture, purpose, faith & family. She has so many great principles to share!
Enjoy the show!
61: Today we have Damon West on the show. Damon is a best selling author, keynote speaker, and college professor. He travels all over speaking to teams, many of which you’ve heard of, such as Alabama & Clemson football, the Dallas Cowboys, businesses, schools, and many other organizations all over the country. But what is really amazing is his story before he started doing all of this. Damon was sentenced to 65 years in prison.
Damon grew up in a great home with loving and supportive parents, however early on he got into substance abuse and addiction. This compounded by the time his was the starting QB at the University of North Texas. After a serious injury sidelined him from playing he turned to addiction, which ultimately led to him being arrested and sentenced to life in prison.
I know his story will resonate and inspire you to be a coffee bean and a change agent in your own life.
Enjoy the show!
Today we have Will Karstetter on the show. Will is the Co-Founder of Spark Equity Group. Over the last few years Will has quickly scaled his company and well on his way to surpassing over 100 million in real estate holdings. And Will is still only in his 20’s.
What I am really excited about on this show is his story of focus, discipline, and action. Everything Will does filters through those principles and because of that he gets big results.
You will get a chance to hear about his entrepreneurial spirit, being willing to fail, creating financial freedom not just for himself, but others on his team, building a great culture, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
59: Nik Rule is the athletic director at William Penn University. Under his leadership William Penn has become one of the top programs in the country. In this episode you will see why.
Nik has a great story and the principles he talks about will definitely shape and improve your own life, leadership, and legacy.
He talks about growing up in Idaho, leaving to go play college athletics at William Penn basically sight unseen, making wise decisions and trusting your intuition, always being curious and adopting a constant explorer mentality, leading through crisis, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
58: Today we have Matt Reynolds. Matt is currently a major league baseball player with the Cincinnati Reds.
Matt grew up in Tulsa, OK. He excelled at baseball, basketball, and football. After a great high school career he attended the University of Arkansas on a baseball scholarship. He then was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2012 MLB draft by the New York Mets. He has been playing professionally ever since, with stops at the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and currently the Cincinnati Reds.
On the show Matt discusses the support and encouragement from his parents, hard work, building confidence, focusing on the process instead of goals, being a good teammate, never giving up, a commitment to excellence, and much more!
Enjoy the show!
57: Jared is the cofounder of Sixthday Properties, a extremely successful home building and developing firm based out of Tulsa, OK.
Jared grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit mowing lawns and helping remodel houses. He eventually turned his love for real estate into a full time job when he and his partner Dave started Sixth-day.
I love Jared’s perspective on life, work, and living by principles not pressure. So many of us live by reacting to the daily demands of life, yet Jared has a great perspective and actions steps on changing that and being intuitional about everything you do.
He elaborates on what it takes to build a successful business, live with purpose, have an abundance mentality, create systems, and much more.
Enjoy the show!
56: Today we have David Nurse. David is a top 50 world wide keynote speaker, best selling author of his books Pivot & Go & Breakthrough, host of The Art of podcast, and NBA life optimization coach. He has helped over 150 plus NBA players with their personal and professional development.
David dives into his own story growing up in Pella Iowa, his journey to becoming a professional basketball player and eventually the shooting coach for the Brooklyn Nets. He touches on how and why he got to doing what he is currently doing today and shares the concepts from his new book Breakthrough, which is a sure fire guide to realizing your potential, pushing through limitations, and achieving things you didn’t know were possible!
Be sure to take notes and enjoy the show!
55: Kevin Landreville is the Founder of Kevin Landreville Collaborative Coaching. Kevin has been a coach for 20 years and worked alongside some of the best coaches in the NHL, NCAA, NBA, and more. He has been a Physical & Health Education educator for 14 years and Department Head of Physical & Health Education in St. John’s-Ravenscourt School. Leadership, character development, team development through coaching and teaching are his professional passions.
His research and presentations on Coaching Culture, Cultivating Connections, and Creating a Winners Mindset have received international recognition. He is a Lead Coach Facilitator and Mentor within Hockey Canada’s High Performance program. He’s developed a curriculum in sports high performance training. A former personal trainer, Kevin has always prided himself in living an active healthy lifestyle. It’s through his love for life, love for competition, and love for creating connections that he has created a positive learning environment for athletes, coaches, and educators to thrive as they pursue personal and professional goals.
Be sure to check out his newsletter:
kevinlandreville.substack.com
Enjoy the show!
54: Sarah Young is the Director of college women's golf ministry with Global Golf. Sarah grew up in New Zealand and moved to Stillwater, OK on a college golf scholarship at Oklahoma State University. She was a standout student athlete and excelled in her freshman year earning all Big 12 freshman team honors. One day before she was supposed to return back to Stillwater she and her father were involved in a severe head on car collision. It took paramedics over 2 hours to get her out of what was left of the car and she suffered a traumatic brain injury and memory loss.
In the show she talks about her journey from being a person whose identity was based in athletics and golf, as well as overcoming what many would tell her was never possible, which was to play the sport she loved again. Through many individuals support and encouragement and her own discipline and determination she trained and was able to get back to playing.
Sarah’s story is a great encouragement to never let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Her faith story is incredible and she is making a huge impact on so many!
Enjoy the show!
53: Howard Behar is the former Presidents of Starbucks Coffee. During his time at Starbucks he helped the company grow from 28 stores to over 15,000 stores all over the world. Not only does he share some great stories and principles from his time at Starbucks, but also from his early years growing up around the retail business.
Howard currently travels around the world speaking to leaders, corporations, and students. His message is focused on inspiring everyone to be servant leaders and to lead with their values first.
For more information on Howard check out his website at howardbehar.com. Also, be sure to check out Howard's books, It's Not About The Coffee: Lessons on Leadership from a Life at Starbucks, and The Magic Cup.
Enjoy the show!
52: Dave Kraft is a best selling author, speaker, life & leadership coach. He has coached hundreds of leaders from business to faith all over the world. Dave also travels each year conducting seminars on two of his books, Leaders Who Last, and Mistakes Leaders Make, which can all be purchased on amazon.
He is one of the most passionate, upbeat, and enthusiastic leaders you will ever meet. He has more energy than men half his age and is a committed life long learner. He blogs several times each week sharing his leadership content. He has been married to his wife for over 50 plus years. Together they have four children and seven grandchildren.
For more information on all of Dave's content check out his website at davekraft.org
Enjoy the show!
51: 7x MLB All-Star & hosts of the Table 40 podcast, Matt & Leslee Holliday share their journey, as well as lessons in faith, marriage, leadership, and being present.
Matt & Leslee met while Leslee was in college and Matt had just started his professional baseball career. They share their experiences and what it was like to have a great marriage, live out their faith, and still raise great kids, all while living life in professional baseball.
Today they host the Table 40 podcast, which is a show that shares organic conversations about Jesus and life. Check out the link below to listen and find out more about their show!
Table 40 podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-spectrums-table-forty/id1505637930
50: Horst Schulze is the Co-Founder of the Ritz Carlton & Founder of the Capella Hotel Group. He is also author of the book "Excellence Wins", a no nonsense guide to becoming the best in a world of compromise.
He is a legend and leader in the hotel world and his teachings and vision have reshaped the concepts of service and hospitality across industries.
During his tenure at The Ritz Carlton, Mr. Schulze served as President and COO responsible for the $2 billion operations worldwide. It was under his leadership that The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company became the first service-based company to be awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — twice.
Today he actively speaks and consults across all industries. His leadership content can be purchased and viewed at NeedToLead.com where the content can be licensed for a larger audience.
In the show we get to hear his story of growing up in German, getting into the hotel industry, hard work, excellence is a result of high intent, success, purpose, vision, service, marriage, faith, and much more!
Enjoy the show!
Ways to engage with Horst Schulze:
Website: HorstSchulze.com
All social media platforms
Book: Excellence Wins
https://www.amazon.com/Excellence-Wins-No-Nonsense-Becoming-Compromise/dp/0310352096
Leadership content: NeedToLead.com
49: Charlie Saxon is a professional golfer currently on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Charlie grew up around the game, as well as playing other sports. His parents were tremendous role models that supported and encouraged him every step of the way.
Once Charlie committed himself to playing golf competitively he focused his time on getting better every day. This enabled him to be recognized as one of the best players in the state and eventually the University of Oklahoma where he earned a golf scholarship.
During his time at OU he helped change the culture into what it is today. After a successful college career Charlie turned pro and has had great success playing all over the world.
In the show he discussed work ethic, attitude, routines, approach, faith, and much more!
Enjoy the show!
48: Dr. Nathan Baxter and his wife Dianne are the founders of Real Coaching Success and authors of the book Real Coaching Success: What it Takes to Be An Excellent Coach and Build Your Business. and they enjoy equipping others in order to help them further develop in their coaching and mentoring skills and knowledge. Nathan has been coaching professionally for over 15 years and carries a full load of clients along with his team at Lead Self Lead Others (LeadSelfLeadOthers.com). Dianne has been coaching women in her successful Mary Kay business for over 30 years.
In 2014, they decided to start helping others who were interested in coaching by hosting a 2 day workshop in their home, as a way to pass along their coaching tips, tools, and techniques and inspire other coaches to develop their own unique coaching practice. This has since grown into an annual Coaching Success Workshop held in downtown Tulsa, OK each year.
Dr. Baxter received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Administration from Oklahoma State University, a Masters of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He also is a certified Birkman® Consultant by Birkman International in Houston Texas. Dianne received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State University. They live in Tulsa, OK and have 2 Sons and Daughters-in-law, and 3 grandchildren.
Enjoy the Show!
47: Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. “As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village and the ESPN sports and recreation complex in addition to the ancillary operations which supported the number one vacation destination in the world.”
One of Lee’s major and lasting legacies was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies which was used to train and develop the 7000 leaders at Walt Disney World. Lee has held various executive positions in the hospitality and entertainment business with Hilton Hotels for 8 years and the Marriott Corporation for 17 years before joining Disney in 1990 to open the Disneyland Paris project.
Lee has served as Chairman of the Board of Heart of Florida United Way, the Board of Trustees for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the board of the Production and Operations Management Society and the board of Reptilia a Canadian attractions and entertainment company. In 2005 Governor Bush appointed Lee to the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Public Service for the state of Florida where he served as Chairman of the Board.
He is now dedicating his time to public speaking, authoring a book on leadership, management and service excellence titled, Creating Magic…10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney. which is now available in 13 languages and his latest book, The Customer Rules…The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service. Lee also performs leadership and service excellence workshops and consulting for organizations around the world as well as for the Disney Institute.
So many great takeaways! Enjoy the show!
46: Chris Lofton is former Kentucky Mr. Basketball, Tennessee Volunteer, SEC Player of the Year, All American, and professional basketball player.
It is easy to see all of the accolades, however what you don't always see is the work put in and the adversity that was overcome to help Chris achieve all of that. Even though he worked hard and was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Kentucky Chris was not heavily recruited. Towards the end of his senior season in high school Chris signed with the University of Tennessee. After 3 great seasons at Tennessee Chris unexpected was told he had cancer. During his senior season he kept it a secret so that no one would know what was going on. He continued to play and lead his team to a great season. Chris went undrafted, but did not let his discouragement deter him. He has had a tremendous career playing basketball. In the show he discusses all of the highs and lows and the mentality you need to have to build excellence in your life, leadership, and legacy.
A few key takeaways:
- Trusting in God's plan
- Being patient
- Being disciplined to do the things you need to do even when you don't feel like it
- Making decisions
- Overcoming cancer
- Developing a routine
- Putting in the work and giving it all you have
- Being the best at everything you do
- Serving others
Enjoy the show!
45: Andrew Denton is a successful business owner, long time elder at Hillsong Church, and founder of Kingdom Builders, who has circled the globe sharing a simple message: inspiring pastors and their congregations to live life on a different level and finance the Kingdom. He's also raised three wonderful, God-fearing children alongside his beautiful bride, Susan. As a kid he wanted to be a professional surfer and travel the world; God answered one of those prayers. When Andrew's not cycling, texting Denton's Daily Verse out to leaders around the planet, or drinking a long-black, you can find him enjoying time with his grandkids at home in Sydney, Australia. Relational, honest and straight-forward, Andrew's approach to ministry and life is nothing short of inspirational. His talks have impacted thousands of believers world-wide.
A few key points:
- A faith step can sometimes be spelled out in RISK
- Tithing vs. giving
- Work hard, work smart, and most importantly trust God
- Take calculated risk & due diligence: move forward with 75%
- Take the first step
- Fearful or faithful? Can't be both
- Whats in your hand?
- Be obedient
- Pray with your spouse
- Do the best you can do
Enjoy the show!
44: TJ Saint is the Associate Head Coach of the Birmingham Squadron, the affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans.
TJ grew up in Indiana. From an early age he knew he wanted to play basketball and eventually become a basketball coach. In college he went on to play at Mercer University and eventually Belmont University in Nashville, TN. At Belmont he was able to learn from one of the best coaches in the country, Rick Byrd. He then went to Butler University, where they had just completed two back to back national title appearances under Brad Stevens. After his time at Butler, TJ made the jump to the NBA with the Detroit Pistons. In Detroit he was able to work alongside Stan Van Gundy. He then spent one year at the University of Georgia with Tom Crean and then to his current position in Birmingham.
As you can tell TJ has gotten a chance to learn from some of the all time great coaches. With that he has been able to learn about leadership, coaching, culture, and the pursuit of excellence. He has established himself as one of the best young coaches in the country.
In the show he shares his journey and all he has learned along the way. Enjoy the show!
43: National Champion coach and current Baylor men's golf coach, Mike McGraw, shares insight from his experiences, leadership, lessons in excellence, and much more.
Mike grew up in Ponca City where he became an avid student of the game. His parents instilled in him at an early age to always do the right thing and work hard at whatever you do. With a strong work ethic and determination to succeed he was able to receive a college golf scholarship. At the end of his playing career he decided to get into coaching. Mike started off coaching high school and then jumped into college as an assistant at Oklahoma State University. He then took over as head coach, where in his first year as head coach won a National Championship. He talks about the excitement and pressures that go with being a head coach at one of the best golf programs in the country. After his time at OSU came to an end he accepted a position at Alabama. In his only year at Alabama he helped the crimson tide win a national championship against his former OSU team. Since then he accepted the head coaching position at Baylor and has helped guide the Bears to numerous successful seasons.
Key takeaways:
- Always do the right thing and work hard
- Be intentional, work hard and work smart
- Accountability is key
- Be willing to confront issues and deal with them head on
- Never stop learning
- Keep an enthusiasm for what you do
- What it takes to build a team and culture
- Be grateful
- Learn to forgive
- The importance of routine and developing good habits
- Qualities of great players
- Be authentic
- Leave things better than you found them
Enjoy the show!
42: Co-host of the Dream Big Podcast with Bob Goff and friends and CEO of the You School, Scott Schimmel is focused on helping others build a life of meaning and purpose. He is a speaker, writer, curriculum designer, and consultant, and has spent 20 years studying human flushing in young adults.
Scott grew up in Southern California and went on to attend the University of San Diego. He was on the fast track to "success", but with the unfortunate separation of his parents and introduction to faith in Jesus, he re-evaluated what success really meant and the trajectory he was on. After finding some influential mentors and growing more in his faith he decided to get into ministry and the non profit world. Since then he has started new ventures trusting his gut and trusting God. One way he has been able to make a tremendous impact in the lives of many people is the simple concept of asking the right questions. In the show you will see the power of deep reflection and asking the right questions to get the right answers. He is a frequent speaker at schools, faith communities, retreats, and conferences.
A few key points touches on are:
- Even bad things can be a gift if you are willing to look for it and learn from it
- Faith in Jesus
- Mentors are very important for your growth as a person
- Leadership
- Take risk and overcome limiting beliefs
- Trust your gut and trust God
- Good questions bring out the best answers
- Learn to ask the right questions
- Why not now and why not me?
- Don't wait for permission
- Being a good husband and father
- Help others live a meaningful life
Enjoy the show!
41: As a NFL player with the Buffalo Bills Jerry started 102 games, but there is much more to the successful stats and accolades he achieved during his football career. It is the story of toughness, commitment, and perseverance. All qualities he learned at a young age from his parents. It is the positive impact he has made on the many players he has coached and also the relationship of being a great father and husband. In the show Jerry shares his story, but also he shares many practical ways that you can implement those principles in your own life. He shares some of his favorite advice about exhausting every option towards pursuing your dream and taking advantage of when your opportunity comes.
Enjoy the show!
40: Mike Buddie leads the athletic department of the best leadership institution in the world at Army West Point. A former New York Yankee, World Series champion, and 13 year professional baseball player, he has been a part and seen what it takes to lead and build a culture of excellence.
Here are some key points:
- Work your but off so that you have no regrets
- Priorities & balance (Where do you spend your time?)
- Pressure & expectations
- Culture and leadership within the New York Yankees
- Having confidence and expecting to win
- If you ignore something you are condoning it
- Having vision and getting people to buy into that vision
- Be where your feet are in everything as a parent, husband, and leader
- Learn from every experience, both good and bad
- People first and winning matters
- His leadership at West Point
- Excellence & expectations
Excellence:
- Coming up with a way to exceed your own expectations and your own potential.
- What is your God given gift and how can your get the most out of that gift?
Enjoy the show!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. We just wanted to share a few quick questions as we move into the new year and you look to make your New Years resolution and goals.
3 Questions:
- What do you want?
- Why do you want it?
- What are you going to do to get it?
- What type of person do you want to be and become in 2022?
- What are you thankful for and what have you learn in 2021?
39: Justin Games ATC, SCAT, is the athletic trainer for the Furman University Paladin men’s basketball and tennis teams.
Prior to coming to Furman in 2014, Games served as an outreach athletic trainer for ATI Physical Therapy in Chicago, Ill., for three years, providing athletic training coverage for the athletic teams of Harper College. He has additional experience as a Clinical Instructor and supervised athletic training students while at West Virginia and at Harper College. Also, Games served an additional internship with the Tennessee Titans in the National Football League. Has additional training in manual treatment techniques of Graston, and biomechanical analysis of upper extremity movement patterns.
Games earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University in 2009 and completed his Master's degree and Athletic Trainer Residency from West Virginia in 2011.
In the show Justin touches on a variety of topics within health, leadership, & excellence. Enjoy the show!
38: Rob Walton is the Oklahoma State University baseball pitching coach. During his time at OSU Coach Walton has coached 23 All-Big 12 pitchers, three first-team All-Americans, two Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honorees and a first-round Major League Baseball Draft pick. Prior to returning to Stillwater, Walton spent the previous 14 years at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, where he was the Golden Eagles’ head coach for nine seasons. He was a four-year letter winner as a pitcher at OSU from 1983-86 and played on four College World Series teams for the Cowboys.
In his nine seasons at the helm of ORU, Walton compiled a 367-167 (.687) record and was named the Summit League Coach of the Year five times. Under his direction, the Golden Eagles were an NCAA Tournament team each year and produced five seasons with 40 or more wins, including a 50-win campaign in 2004. In his 14 seasons in Tulsa, Walton helped ORU produce 16 All-Americans, 14 conference player or co-players of the year and 12 conference pitchers of the year. Additionally, the Golden Eagles had 45 players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft over that span. During Walton’s tenure, ORU continued its record streak of conference championships, which reached 15 in 2012. With Walton as head coach, the Golden Eagles made nine NCAA Regional appearances and reached a Super Regional in 2006.
He was also the Head Coach for USA Baseball & in 2016 was awarded the Assistant Coach of the Year in college baseball. Even more important than all the awards is the lives of the many players he has coached and impacted.
Enjoy the show!
37: Starting with the end in mind and what you accept is what you get are all a part of the questions Aaron highlights in today's episode.
Aaron has a unique perspective as he was around Gonzaga basketball in the early years as the culture was being established. From basketball Aaron transitioned into teaching where he ultimately landed at Oklahoma State University.
Aaron is currently a Associate Professor in the Management Department of the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida. He received his PhD from Oklahoma State University. His research focuses on strategic leadership and governance, examining what drives strategic leaders like executives and politicians to act as well as the ultimate implications of these individuals for organizational outcomes. Aaron’s research has been published in outlets such as the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, and Journal of Management, among others. Aaron is an active member of professional organizations dedicated to the field of management, including the Academy of Management, Strategic Management Society, and Southern Management Association. Within the Strategic Management Society, he currently serves in the officer rotation of the Strategic Leadership & Governance Interest Group and he has previously served both on the advisory panel for the Research Methods Community and as a Representative at Large in the Strategic Leadership & Governance Interest Group. He also co-chaired a Strategic Management Society special conference focusing on theories and practice relevant to strategic leadership and governance. Aaron also served a three-year term on the board of directors for the Southern Management Association. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Management and is on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, and Strategic Organization.
Enjoy the show!
36: Nate Loenser shares what it means to maximize your abilities, make no excuses, and live life with grace.
Loenser is currently with the University of Nebraska basketball program. Loenser spent five seasons with the Bulls, including three seasons as an assistant coach for Hoiberg and Jim Boylen. He helped develop 2021 NBA all-star Zach Lavine as well as Kris Dunn, Ryan Arcidiacono, Justin Holiday, Chandler Hutchison, David Nwaba, Denzel Valentine and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot during his tenure with the Bulls. Loenser also served as the Bulls’ NBA Summer League coach in 2019, a roster which featured NBA Lottery pick Coby White and ran the Bulls’ predraft workouts for three seasons.Prior to joining the Bulls coaching staff, he was the head coach of the Windy City Bulls D-League team in 2016-17.
Loenser spent two years on Hoiberg’s Iowa State staff and was a key component in helping the Cyclones to a pair of Big 12 Tournament titles. He was the Cyclones’ Director of Player Development in 2014-15, as ISU went 25-9 and tied for second in the Big 12. That season, Georges Niang earned All-America honors, while Niang, Monté Morris and Jameel McKay were recognized on the All-Big 12 teams. McKay was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
In his first season, Loenser served as graduate assistant as the program enjoyed one of its best seasons in program history. The Cyclones finished with 28 wins, won the Big 12 Tournament title and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.
After one season at Northern University High School in Cedar Falls, Loenser began his collegiate coaching career at Southern Mississippi. He served on Larry Eustachy’s staff for six seasons, helping the Golden Eagles post a pair of 20-win seasons and reach the CIT in 2010. Loenser returned to Iowa to coach high school basketball, serving as the head coach at Spirit Lake High School before joining the Iowa State staff in 2013.
A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Loenser was a 2002 graduate of Iowa State, where he played baseball for the Cyclones in 2001. He was a four-sport athlete (baseball, basketball, football, and golf) at Northern University High School.
Enjoy the show!
35: Dave Owens was hired as the women's bobsled head coach in May 2010 to lead the U.S. team through the 2014 Games.
After his collegiate football career at the University of Tulsa and a semi-pro football stint in Europe, Owens competed as an elite bobsled push athlete on the World Cup team for four seasons. He finished as high as fourth in the four-man bobsled 2000 World Championships.
Owens retired from competition after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer, but remained active in the sport as an official. Nominated for his tenacity, strength and dedication to the sport, Owens was selected to carry the Olympic torch for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Owens has worked as an FIBT official since 2002. He served as the assistant chief of competition at the 2002 Olympics and assistant race director at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games while organizing internal and external logistics for athletes and equipment.
Owens has coached for more than 18 years including the football, baseball and track programs at Holland Hall School in Tulsa, Okla. Owens is also the president of Eagle Training Systems, Inc.
Owens earned his Bachelor of Science in Fitness and Exercise from the University of Tulsa. He and his wife, Kim, are the proud parents of five-year-old triplets; Kennedy, Eisenhower (Ike) and Madison
Enjoy the Show!
34: Allison Sheffield is a Broker Associate with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors who has personally handled 884 transactions from contract to closing worth over 287 Million in sales volume.
Allison moved to Tulsa with her family when she was 7 years old, graduated from Union Public Schools, received an associates degree from Tulsa Community College, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.
After graduating from OU in December 2006, Allison moved back to Tulsa and spent three years on staff at Chinowth & Cohen Realtors working under Sheryl Chinowth & Lee Cohen before transitioning into full-time real estate sales in 2010.
Allison’s primary area of expertise is in listing and selling new construction after many years of extremely successful partnerships representing home builders, neighborhood developers, and homeowners in Tulsa.
Allison holds a Certified Residential Specialist designation and is the only Master Certified New Home Sales Specialist designation holder in Oklahoma from the National Association of Home Builders.
Allison has been married to her husband, JJ, for 12 years and they are the proud parents of two children, JR and Callie.
So many great lessons in the show today!
Enjoy the show!
33: Former ESPN producer & current host of the Sports Spectrum Podcast shares his story and some of the powerful lessons he has learned along the way.
For 17 years, Jason was an Emmy-Award winning Producer and Senior Manager at ESPN. He has created and produced content for shows such as SportsCenter, Monday Night Football, Mike and Mike in the Morning, Sunday NFL Countdown, College Gameday, MLB’s All Star Game and many more. From there he stepped into his current position at Sports Spectrum.
Growing up with his brothers in New York sports were always at the epicenter of what they did. As Jason ventured to college he started his journey into the sports media & broadcasting world. He eventually landed a job in the profession after college. Through a series of events he wound up at ESPN. After a great career at ESPN he then decided to take a leap of faith trusting God, as he stepped out to work at Sports Spectrum. Jason's story is one of passion, purpose, courage, persistence, and faith.
For more information on Jason check out his website https://www.jasonromano.com
He is also the author of two books Live to Forgive & The Uniform Of Leadership.
To hear him on the Sports Spectrum podcast check out: https://sportsspectrum.com
Enjoy the show!
32: Jay McAuley is the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Wofford College. A proven leader, Jay talks in depth about what it means to be a great leader, as well as what it takes to build a culture.
Growing up in Georgia Jay grew up in a competitive household. Not only that, but he had two great examples in his parents. He shares what life was like growing up and how sports played an integral part in his upbringing. Jay's story is one of persistence, drive, and hard work. As a walk on at the University of Georgia he had to go through a coaching transition and earn his spot through a second tryout. When his playing days at Georgia came to an end he then made the jump to coaching. From UGA, Wofford, GWU, Furman, and now as the Head Coach at Wofford, you get to hear the ins and outs of Jay's journey. At each coaching stop he has gotten the chance to learn from great coaches and has been a key factor in building the cultures and programs.
In the show you will get to see how Jay goes about establishing his culture, understanding his players, and what it takes to develop excellence daily. As one of the best coaches and leaders out there, this is a masterclass on leadership.
Enjoy the show!
31: Ben was Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll's right hand man. From a University of Southern California walk on to the NFL sidelines Ben shares his story of faith & purpose.
As a student at USC Ben wrote for the Daily Trojan. He was focused on pursing a career in journalism. What started as a good idea about documenting what it was like to go through walk on tryouts for the USC football team turned into even more than what he imagined. Ben made the team. This was at the prime of the USC football dynasty in the 2000's. Throughout his time at USC Ben connected and developed a relationship with Coach Pete Carroll. It led to an opportunity to work on the USC football staff and then with Coach Carroll to the Seattle Seahawks.
In Ben's book "Walk On" (From Pee Wee Dropout to the Sidelines - My Unlikely Story of Football, Purpose, and Following an Amazing God) he talks about "the nudge". He shares that every time he gets the nudge from God of stepping out in faith he tries to take it. In the show you will see how many times he has done just that and in the moment he didn't see the results that he thought he would. However, God has bigger and better plans. From his own experiences you will see how sometimes it is not the momentary results, but the courage and diligence to act and follow God's nudge in your life, even when you can't see the outcome.
For more info on Ben Malcolmson check out https://benmalcolmson.com/
His Book - Walk On (also being turned into a movie)
Enjoy the show!
30: OSU Baseball All American, Houston Astros draft pick, & 2015 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Michael Freeman, shares on developing consistency, building a routine, and just go do it.
Many who followed Mike's story could easily believe that he was an overnight sensation, however Mike shares how that is simply not the case. Rather it was a culmination of ruthless consistency to get better each day.
Mike's baseball journey was not an easy or glamorous journey. Upon his high school graduation he chose to sign at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilberton Oklahoma, where he redshirted his freshman year. After 3 seasons at Eastern, he was fortunate enough to earn a spot at Oklahoma State University. After a ok junior season, Mike had a break out senior season earning him the 2015 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year & an All American selection. He was then drafted by the Houston Astros in the 7th round of the 2015 MLB draft.
Mike shares the principles that helped him achieve success, along with the stories and lessons that shaped him to become the person he is today.
Enjoy the show!
29: Keith Chesley is an assistant men's basketball coach at Army West Point. In this show he shares so much from leadership, building a culture, being ready, having a whatever it takes mentality, finding a way, and just figuring it out.
Before getting to West Point he came from James Madison, were he served as the Director of Basketball Operations for the 2020-21 season. In his role, he was responsible for all day-to-day operational aspects within the program including player development, team travel, budgeting, equipment, new arena design and game scheduling. With his assistance, the Dukes had a worst-to-first turnaround from the season before. JMU claimed the CAA regular season title and earned the top seed in the conference tournament for the first time in 28 years.
Prior to joining the Dukes' staff, he spent the 2019-20 season at Georgia Southern as the Director of Basketball Operations. The Eagles went 20-13 and advanced to the Sun Belt semifinal, but the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The year before that, he served as the Director of Basketball Operations at Stetson University.
Chesley got his start in coaching at Florida State, where he served as a graduate assistant from 2016-18. The Seminoles advanced to the NCAA tournament both years he was there, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2018. Six members of the team went on to sign NBA contracts.
Chesley owns a bachelor's degree in liberal studies with a concentration in special education from the University of Maine at Augusta, where he was a four-year star on the court. He is the program's all-time leading scorer with 2,119 career points. Chesley also enjoyed success in the classroom. A four-time United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Academic All-American, he was also named the organization's National Student-Athlete of the year in 2015. Chesley additionally earned his master's in sports management from Florida State University in 2018.
28: Jared Gallagher is a dedicated professional in the sports industry with more than a decade of experience across all facets of athletic events.
Jared got his start in the public address booth during his senior year of high school announcing grade school football and high school soccer in his hometown of Owasso, Oklahoma. In the following years, he gained experience in media relations, broadcasting, game management and entertainment at every level of athletics.
After a three-year stint in Florida, Jared returned to his home state of Oklahoma and currently announces at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. Over the last decade, he has had the opportunity to announce more than 1,100 athletic events. In addition to his experience, Jared has obtained professional certification from the National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers, the only such certification of its kind.
In 2017, NASPAA selected Jared as the Bob Sheppard Public Address Announcer of the Year, the highest professional honor for a public address announcer. He is the current PA announcer for the OKC Dodger, University of Tulsa football and basketball, and has does numerous others including NCAA March Madness. In the show he shares his story and many of the lessons he has learned along the way!
Enjoy the show!
27: Current Furman Men’s Basketball Chaplin & Pastor of Freedom Church Nate Muse. Nate poses so many great questions to reflect upon. A key concept he focuses on is knowing yourself. Do you know who you are and where you keep your identity? If you don’t know the answer to that question then how can you expect to lead others well? Help dives into some real action steps to get you going and growing in the right direction.
A few more things he touches on:
- how to grow relationships through deep connection
- connection grows compassion
- having a desire to develop others
- focused leadership and attacking things head on
- what does success look like to you?
- are you exhausting all you can do each day?
- we find out the most about ourselves when the heat is turned up
- do we have healthy processes and habits that will grow us?
- long obedience in the same direction
- we all do what we desire the most
There are so many great points that he brings up and these are just a few. Throughout the show you will see why Nate is so well respected and sought out for wisdom and counsel. You can also see how God honors those that use their gifts, abilities, and talents to serve.
Enjoy the show!
26: Head Coach of the Greensboro Swarm, Jordan Surenkamp, on attention to detail, knowing yourself, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
Growing up in Indiana, basketball and competition was always a part of Jordan's life. He had the opportunity to play college basketball at Wabash. Upon graduation he went to start his coaching career at South Alabama and then on to the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets.
Jordan shares many different experiences and insight from his career in coaching. In the show he touches on what separates those individuals at the elite level, how to take advantage of opportunities, how to develop authentic meaningful relationships, pursuing your passion, and much more.
When we recorded this show Jordan was the video coordinator of the Charlotte Hornets. Since the recording he was elevated to the Head Coach of their G-League team the Greensboro Swarm. His recent appointment to head coach is a current real life example of "being where your feet are" and doing a great job where you are at, which he touches on in the show.
Enjoy the podcast!
25: Founder of the Sports Armory, Coach Pace has been dedicated to athletics and sports performance his entire life. At a young age he was competitive in basketball, track, and boxing. A love for physical conditioning developed at the start of middle school. Due to an unwavering desire to become a great athlete, his activities quickly became a lifestyle. Coach Pace received a full scholarship to play basketball for St. Gregory’s University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science.
Coach Pace is known for his ability to pull the best out of the athletes he trains. His adolescent athletes respect him, trust him and look up to him as a mentor and friend. The one thing all of Pace’s athletes will tell you is “He is the best at what he does because he’s never satisfied with what he knows right now.”
He has been working as an active strength and conditioning specialist since 1998 and has been certified with National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) since 2002. Coach Pace also serves as a member of the NSCA Oklahoma Advisory Board and holds certifications as a sports nutritionist through the International Sports Science Association, certified C360 master trainer, and a certified USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sport Performance Coach.
For more information on Coach Pace, read The Coach Pace Difference.
24: Are you taking advantage of the opportunities you've been given? Former UTSA long snapping standout, Matt Bayliss, sits down and shares what it takes to achieve a career of perfection. With over 500 plus snaps without a messed up snap, Matt talks about how to find your niche and be great at what you do.
Coming out of college Matt was in the top 3 of deep snappers for the NFL. Throughout his career he put in the work and reaped the rewards, but there is much more to his story than just that. Long snapping is not a common path. It is one that has a unique route to get to the college level. As Matt was early in high school he decided he wanted to focus on long snapping, so that he would have an opportunity to play college football. Throughout his story you will see how he figured out what he wanted to do, took initiative, and took advantage of the opportunities in front of him. He became confident once he committed and shares how that is a motto to live by in your own life. That confidence will build belief in yourself and that belief in yourself will build success in your life.
Enjoy the show!
23: John Benzinger shares what it means to love people well, work smarter and not harder, and encourage others. John is a living example of what it means to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
John did not grow up with a lot, but rather everything he needed. He had loving and supportive parents and a lot of siblings. Two of his siblings had down syndrome and he shares how much they impacted his life. Once he got married he took a leap of faith and stepped into his fear of moving away from his home in Kentucky. He touches on what those moments were like not only starting fresh in a new town, but also in business. He shares how his faith became more real and how it has guided him through his life. In this show John touches on many different aspects of building excellence, being honest, developing relationships, having courage, taking risk, and trusting God. Just a few of some great lessons from John Benzinger.
John has been a great influence upon me and I know he will be to you! Enjoy the show!
22: Ian Davis is a former professional golfer and All American at Oklahoma State University. In the show you will see that Ian's preparation, confidence, relationships, and work ethic are what helped propel him to succeed.
Ian grew up with supportive parents that encouraged him to pursue his dreams of playing golf. Once he made the commitment to go all in for golf he never looked back. He talks about how important is it to have discipline and stay committed to the process even when you may not feel like doing something at the time. It is about doing the little things over and over again, behind the scenes, that helps prepare you for the the moment. Those little moments of preparation give you the confidence to compete at the highest level.
He shares some of his experiences playing golf both in high school, college, and professionally. And he also touches on overcoming adversity, staying focused, building processes to help accomplish your goals, and much more!
Enjoy the show!
21: Church On The Move Pastor Blake Zimmerman sits down and touches on many different topics. If you listen to this show you will walk away with something impactful and something you will be able to implement in your own life.
Growing up Blake did not always have an idea of what he wanted to do. However, when he got to college Blake remembers a shift towards becoming more intentional. After college Blake took a job and he and his wife enjoyed the DINK (Double Income No Kids) life.
Blake was working in the business sector before he made the jump into ministry. He talked about that leap of faith in depth and how challenging it is to step away from the culture of the American success narrative that can many times hold us captive. He also mentions how he goes about discerning what direction to take and how it is vital to have people in your life that help you through that process. Right around the same time of trusting God and taking that leap of faith, Blake's wife Sydney was severely injured in an accident and life-flighted to the hospital. Blake talks about the emotions in those moments and trusting God. He touches on a few other challenges and how he worked through those and relied on the Lord.
Blake poses some great questions to reflect upon such as: where is your attention? How has God continued to arrive in your life instead of focusing on what has gone bad? Are you living on God's terms or are you living on your own terms? When was the last time you sat in COMPLETE silence and reflected, as well as listened to God? Why was today such a great day? Why was today a struggle?
He also makes some great references that are key takeaways:
- Pay attention to what God is blessing and do more of that.
- The Glory of God is when a human being is fully alive. God gets glory when I am using my gifts, abilities, and encouraging others to use theirs and be fully alive.
- Excellence is an act of worship before God and with the help of God, using all of our raw materials and fashioning it into something beautiful and excellent for Him.
20: Iain Laymon is the Director of Player Development/Video Coordinator at Oral Roberts University. This past season he helped ORU to the NCAA Sweet 16. Before coming to ORU Iain worked with Tom Crean at Indiana.
Throughout his coaching experiences he has been able to learn from some great coaches and coach some great players. Iain traveled to Liberia with Managers on a Mission for two summers before spending the 2019 summer in Israel with Athletes in Action.
In this show Iain talks about working under Paul Mills and what he has learned, as they have built the culture and program at ORU. He also discusses what it takes to get into coaching along with advice for those wanting to enter the coaching ranks. More importantly, he talks about what keeps him grounded, how to WIN (whats important now) everyday, having a commitment to others, and much more!
Enjoy the show!
19: Founder & Executive Producer of Hero Productions, Carol Mathews has spent nearly three decades in film and television. Her award-winning projects have been featured in theaters across the country and on major cable networks like ESPN and TBN.
Driven by a passion for inspirational entertainment, Carol began her career producing nationally syndicated television spots for churches. She has since produced numerous successful collaborations for major faith-based networks—including TBN’s top-rated show, “360 Life”—and internationally syndicated documentaries such as “Death and Beyond” and the Angel Award-winning program, “Hymns,” which uncovers the remarkable stories behind beloved hymns like “Amazing Grace.”
In 2013, Carol transitioned into feature films as Executive Producer and Producer of “Home Run.” The inspirational film was named Best Feature Film and Best Inspirational Film at CBA’s Resonate Film Festival. Her first feature film, “Home Run,” became the highest grossing faith film of 2013 and the highest grossing film distributed by Samuel Goldwyn in both 2013 and 2014.
Since the success of “Home Run,” Carol has continued to acquire and develop inspirational projects to engage and inspire viewers.
Enjoy the Show!
18: Cincinnati Bengals coach Brad Kragthorpe is one of the top young coaches in the NFL. After listening to the show you will see why.
At a young age Brad learned the value of hard work and controlling what you can control. The example was set before him through his parents. From growing up around the game with his dad coaching, he knew he one day wanted to be a coach. After his collegiate career ended he started on the coaching staff at Utah State. At every place Brad has been they have built and sustained a successful culture, both at Utah State, LSU, and now Cincinnati. Not only has he gotten to learn from some of the best coaches in the game of football, Zac Taylor, Ed Orgeron, Matt Wells, and Steve Kragthorpe, but has also worked with some of the best players. During his time at LSU and now with the Bengals, Brad has worked with Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase. He mentions the growth he has seen and some of the qualities they possess that make them great at what they do. From all the experiences in his life, he has gained a tremendous perspective on life, leadership, and what it takes to build excellence.
Some takeaways:
- Control what you can control
- Be intentional in everything
- Leadership is setting the example, being the example, and evaluating the play of others around you
- Being consistent with the right things is what matters to excel
- Have an adapt or die mentality
- What it takes to build a culture and specifics
- How to develop mental toughness and why it is so important
- Hard work is a must in everything, never get complacent
Enjoy the show!
17: Host of the Young Business Leader Podcast & President of Trost Marketing, Evan Uyetake, shares some of his story, along with the lessons he has learned through his experiences.
Evan has had tremendous success running Trost Marketing, as well as hosting the Young Business Leader Podcast. Throughout the podcast Evan has sat down with individuals from all walks of life with unique perspectives on many different topics. From Mark Cathy of Chick Fil-A, Mart Green of Hobby Lobby, Lee Cockrell of Disney, & many others he has uncovered common patterns and principles within wisdom and leadership. More importantly he discusses some key topics like success, comparison, & vulnerability. All are key issues within our culture today that many struggle with. Evan shares insight towards not just overcoming those things, but thriving and living a life of purpose to help others.
If you would like to check out Evan's podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/young-business-leader-podcast/id1160452268
Key takeaways:
- Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity
- Have humility, be vulnerable, & know you don't have all the answers
- Have mentors
- Push yourself outside your comfort zone, try new stuff, and learn to fail
- Success leaves clues
- Learn what home runs are for you
- My path is not your path (comparison)
- Building relationships
- You define what success means to you not what others think
- Go above and beyond to provide excellence
- Be present
- How do I convey care?
- Love & respect in marriage
- Being a great husband and father
- Stay focused on what matters most
Enjoy the show!
16: Ryan Hamm is the Associate Head Basketball Coach at St. Leo University. A proven leader on and off the court, in 2017 the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) nominated Ryan as a 30 under 30 honoree. This past season, amid battling the challenges of navigating COVID, St. Leo won their first conference championship in school history.
Ryan Hamm grew up in Kentucky where basketball is not just a sport, but a way of life. At a young age he was always competing with his sibling. From there he learned the values of hard work and being a great team mate. After playing college basketball Ryan always knew he wanted to coach. Upon graduating he stepped into coaching and has never looked back.
In this show he discusses:
- Being a champion in everything
- How you do one thing is how you do everything
- Leadership
- Communication is key
- Believing in yourself and having confidence
- Don't prove peel wrong prove people right
- Excellence is being great in all you do
- Body language
- Building a foundation
- Having a morning routine
- The best leaders care
Enjoy the show!
15: From PGA Golf Pro to CEO. Jeff Smith is the CEO of the Tulsa Homebuilders Association. In his current position, he leads an organization of over 1,000 members, puts on 100's of events, and is the chief advocate of home building with local, state, and national governments.
At a young age, Jeff learned the value of hard work. He spent many hours on the golf course and shares some of the lessons he learned from playing golf. At 20 years old, through a lot of hard work, he became a PGA golf pro. He then transitioned into homebuilding, where he built beautiful homes and focused on delivering excellent customer service. Jeff became the youngest President of the HBA at the age of 29 while he was building. Because of his great leadership skills, relationships, work ethic, and knowledge of the industry Jeff was chosen a few years later to lead the organization as the CEO.
In this show, Jeff talks about:
- Being great at doing the little things right.
- Always working hard going above and beyond in whatever you do.
- Leading with integrity and stick to your principles.
- Stepping out on your own and stepping into fear and uncertainty.
- Pick out a task and accomplish it. if you do that you will go far in life.
- How to process and make difficult decisions.
- How to deliver excellent customer service.
- Making decisions together with your spouse.
- When you build a team get the right people on board and in the right spots.
Enjoy the show!
14: Seattle Mariners MLB player, Donnie Walton, has reached the highest level of his profession. However, what many people don't see is the hours of hard work, sacrifice, disappointment, and determination it takes to get to that level. In this show, Donnie shares the experiences and lessons he has learned on his journey.
At an early age, with the guidance of his parents, he adopted an ALL IN mentality. No matter what it was, his parents encouraged him to take that approach in everything he did. He talks about the moment he realized he had to make some sacrifices and do things differently if he wanted to really achieve his goals and dreams.
He talks through some of his experiences: playing at Oklahoma State, playing under his dad, facing adversity and disappointment in his first year at the premier college baseball Cape Cod League, winning the Cape League and being named MVP the following year, playing in the College World Series, life in the minor leagues and now major leagues, along with much more!
A few takeaways:
- Control what you can control
- Don't be afraid to ask questions
- Pay attention and learn from others
- Be where your feet are and enjoy the process
- Have an All In mentality and put in the work
- If you really want something be willing to make the necessary sacrifices
- Have a routine
Donnie will show you through his own experiences and lessons on what it takes to achieve your dreams and goals!
Enjoy the show!
13: Former Brooklyn Nets Coach and the current Head Coach of St. Stephens St. Agnes, Mike Jones, shares the principles that have enabled him to achieve excellence in his life as a professional basketball player, coach, and both husband and father. Even more significant is that he shares how he is determined to give back through his foundation, the MJ Foundation.
Mike Jones was the first member of his family to attend college. He also had to make a tough decision that ultimately changed the trajectory of his life as he got into high school. He was given the opportunity to attend a different high school, but it was not easy to leave his friends. Growing up he learned the value of hard work from watching his parents and applied that to everything he did. As he excelled in sports and the classroom he earned the honors of the Oklahoma High School Player of the Year, as well as a scholarship opportunity to play college basketball.
As a player, under Coach Billy Tubbs, he was on some of the most successful teams in TCU basketball history. While at TCU he recorded 51 points & 45 points in back-to-back games, as well as having a handful of 40+ point games. In 1997 he earned the opportunity to represent the USA in the World Games. After being disappointed from going undrafted, he talks about continuing to be disciplined and consistent to achieve his goal of playing professional basketball. He also discusses some of the lessons he has learned from his time playing and coaching.
Some key points:
- Put in the work
- Separation is in the preparation
- You have to believe in yourself and have confidence
- Stay consistent and disciplined
- Don't compare yourself to others, just focus on being your best
- The best teams have accountability
- You can't do the bare minimum and expect results
- Pinpoint what you want to do, lock in, stay laser-focused until you achieve that goal
The mission of the Mike Jones Foundation is to provide minority students from public schools in the DMV City the opportunity to attend and graduate from a college preparatory school in the Mike Jones foundation’s coalition of schools.
For more about the Mike Jones Foundation check out:
mjonesfoundation.org
12: Founder of the Legacy Letter Challenge, Blake Brewer, is on a mission to help 1 million dads write at least 1 meaningful, well-written, lasting letter to their children.
After Blake's freshman year of college his family went on the trip of a lifetime to Hawaii. Unfortunately, that trip would be remembered for different reasons. One morning Blake and his dad were out snorkeling. They got caught up in some rough water in what is called Witches Brew. Blake saw his dad struggling and going under the water. Despite his best efforts to save his dad, his dad drowned that morning. Later that afternoon back at the condo his mother handed Blake a letter that his dad was going to give him on that trip. His dad had no idea that it would be his last words to Blake. To this day those words guide Blake's life and inspired him to encourage and help dads all over the world write a meaningful, well-written, letter to their children.
In this show, Blake also touches on how he overcame adversity and loss, being intentional each day, living on the edge, and stretching yourself to grow, what it means to be a good father, and the Legacy Letter Challenge. The Legacy Letter Challenge is one of the best and most intentional ways to make sure your words as a father are etched in the legacy of your children. From professional athletes and coaches to business leaders, Blake has helped so many dads write their legacy letters to their children.
If you want to learn more about Blake and the Legacy Letter Changgle check out:
www.legacyletterchallenge.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theendurance_/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/legacy_letter
11: Current Holland Hall head men's basketball coach Teddy Owens. Over the last few years, he has built his team into one of the best high school basketball programs in the state of Oklahoma. Coming off back to back to back state tournament appearances, he shares some of the principles and lessons that he has learned throughout his coaching experiences.
Coach Owens has had a chance to learn under some of the best coaches in college basketball, which goes back to his time at Oklahoma State with Eddie Sutton, OU with Lon Kruger, Nebraska with Tim Miles, and even his own father Ted Owens. In this show he talks about being great where you are, honesty, consistency, understanding your players, buy-in, and building a culture through relationships. He talks about how faith has played a key role in his life and what truly matters.
There is a reason why Coach Owens has not only done so well, but has also been able to sustain it. Enjoy the show and you will learn why!
10: Founder of Your One Degree, Dave Jewitt, sits down and shares how you can live a life of joy, freedom, impact, and purpose.
Dave Jewitt has an extensive background in business, leadership, and personal development, and helping people grow in their faith. Both inside and outside the workplace, Dave Jewitt has consistently functioned as a mentor and guide for thousands of individuals over the past 30 years all over the world.
Of the 360 degrees in life you can go, Your One Degree is unique to you. It has to do with direction and focus. It is your unique Particular Purpose and why God created you and what He has been preparing you for your entire life. Your One Degree is a personalized, coach-driven program helping you discover and implement your unique God-given Design. It is a deeply spiritual process of facing down one’s fears, dealing with one’s motives, growing in God’s ways, and trusting Him more in order to live a life filled with significance, purpose, and joy.
For more info on YOD and Dave check out:
www.youronedegree.com
9: What hasn't Caleb Lade done? TCU football, Ironman, biking across America, Doctor, Businessman, Father, and Husband... He does it all!
In this show we get to hear about how Caleb's experienced shaped him and the way he thinks about each day. He discusses how focusing on health and keeping yourself healthy will enable many areas of your life to be better because of it, as well as gaining confidence from it.
Caleb is the epitome of pushing yourself past the limits of what you think you can do. In college Caleb was on the TCU football team, all while he participated in a fraternity and studied pre-med/business. In the summer going into his senior year of college he biked across the United States to raise support for charity. During med school he chose to do an Ironman without ever hardly running or swimming the distances even close to what is necessary to finish.
From his own experience he shares how sometimes it is important to be hard on yourself in order to pull yourself out of a rut. Caleb also talks about how it is up to you to seize the opportunity that is in front of you. No excuses no regrets. Enjoy and implement the lessons he shares!
8: Current Oklahoma State Men's Basketball Coach Barry Hinson shares stories from growing up, coaching, leadership, loving what you do, and changing lives.
Entering college anticipating a career in politics, Coach Hinson's trajectory changed when he got involved in athletics at Oklahoma State University. From that moment he got the bug to coach. In this show, he shares his journey from coaching junior high all the way to his long tenure as an NCAA division one head coach at Missouri State and Southern Illinois.
Coach Hinson poses some great questions to ask yourself such as: what is the best thing that you do? Do you have a personal mission statement? What do you want to do? Be the best you can and have fun doing it. Whenever you face adversity, buck up and bow your neck, which is some wisdom he gained from his father growing up.
Throughout this episode, you will see why Coach Hinson has made a positive impact wherever he has been, as his focus is always to change lives.
7: Former Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune describes the lessons he has learned as Mayor, DA, and Judge. Under Bill's tenure as mayor Tulsa passed Vision 2025, which brought the BOK center to downtown Tulsa and helped catapult the growth now seen in downtown Tulsa and beyond. As we all know, unfortunately, politics is very polarizing and we get to talk about being in the spotlight, dealing with criticism, and understanding how it is a part of what you sign up for in politics.
In this show, Bill touches on his decision to run for Mayor, Vision 2025, leadership, service, dealing with criticism, the highs and lows, disappointments, successes, and overall reflection. There are a lot of great lessons and insights that you will be able to take away. More importantly, he talks about family, being a good husband, and father. So grab a pen or notes on your phone and enjoy hearing part 2 with Bill.
(This is Part 2 of a 2 Part Series with Bill LaFortune)
6: Former Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune talks about his early years, lessons, and persistence, among many others. Bill walks through growing up and touches on the influences of his grandfather and parents. Throughout the show, you will see that he is a constant learner and is always growing.
In this show, you will see the importance of relationships, always treating people the right way, how to always look and create opportunities, stay focused and determined towards a goal, be positive, and how it is ok not to always know what you want, but when you find it go all in. He also touches on leading as having a vision, a purpose, and a plan, a swell as being a problem solver.
(This is Part 1 of a 2 Part Series with Bill LaFortune)
5: Former NBA draft pick Rashad Wright shares his story from growing up with a dream in Statesboro, GA to achieving that dream and having a successful career of over a decade in professional basketball.
Rashad shares the lessons he has learned from watching others and learning from them. Having a goal and staying on the right path. Pushing through any doubt and sticking with something all the way through. Having friends that lift you up and help keep you focused on your goals. He shares how his goal has always been constant growth and becoming better each day. Success is not success if it is not shared with the ones you love and that have helped you get there.
Stick with it, build on it, and keep going. Rashad is a great example of hard work, determination, consistency, focus, growth, service, and excellence. Once you listen in, you will see why and learn invaluable ways to implement those same qualities into your own life!
4: Tyler Zander lost his leg in a grain auger accident at 17 years old. A coworker was pulled into a grain auger and instinctively Tyler rushed to help get him out. The next thing he knew he was also being pulled into the auger. He was life-flighted from the scene and had a very slim chance of survival. In those few moments, his life was forever changed from how he knew it.
Many surgeries later, Tyler made it out of the hospital. It wasn't an easy transition or recovery, but he chose to make the most of it. Since then Tyler received his Bachelor's Degree from Oklahoma State University and attended OU Med School to become a doctor. During his white coat ceremony, the same doctor who worked tirelessly to save his life presented Tyler with his white coat.
If you need to know how to overcome real setbacks, want to be more consistent, and want to reach your goals, then this show is for you!
3: Former NASA Chief of Staff Gabe Sherman talks about his story from selling sandwiches to working as Chief Staff at NASA. Gabe is someone who has left a positive mark wherever he has been planted. In this episode, you will get a chance to learn leadership and growth lessons from Gabe's life and time at NASA.
If you have questions on wanting to develop discipline, setting goals, overcoming fear with faith, being a better husband and father, learning to trust God, or uncertain about what it is you are supposed to be doing? Then this show with Gabe Sherman is for you!
2: Current State Senator and Former Tulsa Head Football Coach Dave Rader shares his lessons in leadership, as well as believing in yourself and doing the work. Dave was drafted in the NFL and turned to coach afterward. Through his coaching experience, he got to learn from the coaching lineages of Bear Bryant, Don Shula, Bobby Bowden, Joe Gibbs, Don Coryell, and Ray Perkins. At the time of his first head coaching job, he was the youngest NCAA Division 1 football coach at 31 years old.
In this show, you will see how a small moment and a key word of encouragement catapulted Dave to dreaming big and accomplishing the goals he set out before himself. If you want to be a better leader, need to develop self-confidence, want to learn how to deal with failure better, or achieve your dreams then this show is for you!
1: Welcome to the Building Excellence Podcast with Bailey Miles. This show is all about sharing inspiring stories from some successful athletes, coaches, business minds, and thought leaders to help you build excellence in your life, leadership, and legacy.
We hope you found value in the show and if you enjoyed it we would really appreciate you sharing the show with a friend, subscribing on apple or Spotify podcasts, writing a quick review, or leaving a five-star rating. When you do, that it really helps get the message out and allows more people to hear these stories and help them build excellence in their life, leadership, and legacy.
If you have any questions, thoughts, or ideas I would love to hear from you. You can reach out to me via email its bailey@baileymiles.com, follow on social, or check our website at baileymiles.com. I would love to hear from you.
Thanks again for joining me on this journey. And remember life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
More info:
baileymiles.com
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube