Real Leaders with Roshini: Recent Episodes
Audacy
We'll get real with Real Leaders in our community as well as icons and newsmakers from around the country. We'll cover topics they might not feel comfortable talking about in a regular broadcast space. We'll engage listeners to get their "real" questions answered through an interactive component online.
Justin Sutherland is opening a new chicken restaurant...Side Chick. learn more when he talks about the opening June 14. #baddestbirdontheblock
Explorer. James Beard Award Winner. Restaurant owner. Chef Gavin Kaysen's list of accolades keeps growing. A very real global pandemic hit his industry hard, and he wasn't afraid to put his neck out to fight for it. He compares his restaurants to kids but admits the best part of his day is always getting home to his very real two sons. Chef Kaysen calls cooking his therapy and had a distinct vision for each of his three restaurants: Spoon and Stable, Bellecour, and Demi. His favorite mistake? Losing his passport in Switzerland at the age of 21. That also meant a memorable and long date with his now wife. As for downtime, he loves long walks by the river for date night and grabbing a meal at a great restaurant--something he hopes to do sooner than later.
Growing up in Worthington, Minnesota, Liz Collin found inspiration from how much her grandparents loved watching the news. She became a news junkie at a young age and got her broadcast debut covering a tornado in Southwest Minnesota while working at a small radio station. Eventually, she went on to report for TV stations around the US before landing at WCCO TV in Minneapolis. An Emmy-winning reporter, her investigative journalism has led to policy changes in the daycare industry as well as for Minneapolis 911 operators. You might not guess this hard-hitting newshound also plays the organ and the violin. In fact if she weren't a journalist, she'd be a fiddler in a country band. Her son Anthony makes her melt and focus on what's truly important. Liz cherishes every day she gets to watch him become the person he was meant to be.
A special conversation for Season 2 of Real Leaders with Roshini as Dean Sri Zaheer is the first leader from whom we asked for reaction to the COVID-19 global pandemic. You'll find inspiration in the speed at which she and her team were able to mobilize the students, staff, and faculty at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management to go virtual. Not surprising for a leader who says "the only thing that's predictable is unpredictability." Her story starts in the town of Dargapur in the state of West Bengal in India. Zaheer still marvels that a young girl who decided to follow business instead of physics would end up in such a big position on the other side of the world. Her blue chip education is backed by a global mindset and a habit of listening to others. In January 2020, she started her term as Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. To blow off steam and stay in shape, she took up boxing more than a decade ago. A sport she says can teach lessons in "focus, living in the moment, and agility." Just what is needed now and well into the future.
Colle McVoy chief creative officer Mike Caguin thanks his wife of more than two decades for putting up with his sometimes inability to focus. He says "laughter drives the success of their relationship" along with strong communication and acknowledges, "Much like work, I will never master marriage. But I'm in the pursuit of mastery." Credited with leading culture-shifting campaigns, he admits his early days as a manager came with a command and control model. One that he didn't like much nor did his employees. Over time, Mike learned "being among the people" was his strength. He regularly walks the halls and invites people to mini brainstorming sessions. He calls advertising the "intersection of art and commerce." When those "moments of magic happen," he basks in the purpose-driven results he can bring to clients. His favorite part of fatherhood is how he gets to rediscover his inner child when he interacts with his teenagers.
Katie Harms takes her role as health advocate seriously. She didn't ask for the title but landed there through her own health odyssey. After struggling on and off with major headaches, a car accident in 2017 caused a series of events that led to a spinal fluid leak. She tried all sorts of treatment until surgery at Mayo Clinic gave her some relief. Though after-effects will never completely leave her, she finds joy in teaching and advocating, hoping to "short-circuit some of the tough stuff" for others. Her role on the board of the Spinal CSF Leak Foundation has taken her to Washington, DC, to lobby members of Congress for legislation toward relief. Katie says there are 300 different designations for headaches. Those known as migraines are the number two cause of disability in the United States. Always an optimist, her journey has helped her find the positives in life. Katie ponders: perhaps this is the "path I'm supposed to be on so I can find ways to help others with it."
No stranger to big challenges, Laura Brod Hameed has flexed her muscles as University of Minnesota Regent, a state legislator, and tech startup CEO. As executive director of Columbus Children's Foundation, her advocacy and fundraising strives to make life better for people with ultra-rare diseases, specifically children. 320 million people globally have an ultra-rare disease. Half of which are children; three of ten of those kids will not live to their fifth birthdays. She embraces the task ahead of her and treasures each win along the way. When Laura is able to see a gene therapy treatment fix a child's genetic mutation, she calls it "humanity at its best." This multi-tasker is also a big family person. She and her husband have six children between them. That's why their downtime includes lots of good meals, conversation, and wine.
The term deviant often brings negative connotations. But health journalist and co-host of The Living Experiment podcast, Pilar Gerasimo, wants you to try the deviant lifestyle to fully handle modern life. Whether dealing with a pandemic or everyday challenges, she reminds people that "A high-vitality, high-energy, high-resiliency person always stands a better chance of getting through periods of high stress." Her past life as founding editor of Experience Life Magazine and now author of The Healthy Deviant, all make her especially committed to the adage, "If you're not breaking the rules, you're probably breaking yourself." She shares the Morning Minutes Ritual that can help you take control of your autonomy each morning and urges you to adopt a lifestyle that observes your own ultradian rhythms. Why is she so passionate? Her research found that 50 percent of US adults are living with chronic illness and only 3 percent of America is healthy, happy, and on track to stay that way.
Justin Sutherland never planned to go into cooking professionally. His childhood was filled with watching his Japanese and Mississippi native grandmothers cook and garden so food was always a big part of his life. He credits Chef David Fhima and Meritage owner Russell Klein for many lessons through hard work and his Iron Chef TV experience as giving him a wonderful springboard for national exposure. Chef Sutherland calls cooking an action and doesn't buy it when someone says they can't cook. For now, he welcomes you into his restaurants, which he calls judgment-free zones. His legacy will be one of taking chances and owning his own path.
Would you believe that of the world's developed nations, the United States has the fastest death rates for moms in childbirth? Melissa Hanna co-founded Mahmee with her own mother, who's a nurse, because the healthcare system was letting moms and babies down. The Mahmee healthcare app provides personalized, ongoing postpartum care to new moms and infants. So far, Mahmee has more than 1000 providers in Los Angeles and is working on scaling nationally. Anyone can access Mahmee online. Melissa says Finland, Norway, and Denmark lead the world in how their models of care prevent many of the gaps the US and other countries face. Those "gaps in care are rooted in gaps in data," she says. Find out what she said when Roshini asked her if moms get shafted by US laws. Melissa remains committed to helping more parts of the system see the big picture so the crisis of maternal and infant mortality disappears.
Explaining that he grew up as a "fat kid," Paul McGuire Grimes says a big awakening after a beer and pizza binge in 2011 made him want to take control. Eighty-two pounds of weight loss in eleven months with the help of Weight Watchers, inspired him to become a wellness coach for the weight loss giant in 2015. You can see and hear his movie reviews on KSTP-TV and FM 107 FM or catch his detailed analysis on Paul's Trip to the Movies on YouTube. When he's on the red carpet interviewing icons like Jane Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg or sharing his reviews of the latest movies, he knows it's a daily choice to live healthy.
If Jennifer Grant were a cocktail, she'd be a fancy gin and tonic. But that's where the glossy exterior ends as Jennifer is committed to a zero-waste lifestyle and bringing grace and compassion to her clients and the world. This speaker, author, and enviro activist wants you to lead with love. Her activism led her to train with former Vice President Al Gore's Climate Leadership Program. She chairs the St. Paul, Minnesota, chapter of Climate Reality.
When Elizabeth Ries didn't get the same high from breaking news as her TV colleagues, she knew she was ready to leave news reporting and take on a daily talk show. Co-host of Twin Cities Live on ABC Minneapolis since 2009, she hasn't looked back. She added podcast host to her repertoire with Best to the Nest, which has earned number 1 status on Apple Podcasts in the home and garden category. She loves growing her own food and getting eggs from her backyard chickens. In fact, she'd grow squash and make jam for a living if she weren't a TV host. Her Dirt Alerts on MyTalk FM help fill her daily dirt quotient.
When former WCCO TV anchor Don Shelby walks into most rooms in Minnesota, people feel they know him. Since retiring from a 55-year career in daily journalism, he raises money for the Smithsonian's "Bias Inside Us" traveling exhibit, teaches his grandkids primitive survival skills, and lends his time to the Climate Science Rapid Response Team. In his downtime, you might find him embodying Mark Twain on stage or climbing icefalls in the Boundary Waters. This George Foster Peabody winner takes passion for causes to new levels. He gives a lot of credit to his wife of more than 45 years for letting Don be Don.
Steele Smiley is a serial entrepreneur and franchisor. He sold Steele Fitness to Snap Fitness in 2013 and had a partnership with Under Armour. As co-founder and CEO of Crisp & Green, he ventures from the fitness industry into healthy eating. He says, "Revolution is part of my style and a part of good business." This dad also enjoys as much time as he can spend adventuring with is kids.
Tom Wiese is a world-class dealmaker who thrives in multiplying the value of people's talents. Nate Garvis is a community innovator whose thought leadership drives results in ways you wouldn't imagine. Together, they've been best friends since 7th grade and decided to put their Wonder Twin status into launching and growing a learning community that challenges people to improve culture. Started in 2010, Studio/E has more than 2000 alumni from diverse industries who have gone on to become major changemakers and explorers.
A serendipitous internship at National Geographic put Taylors Falls, Minnesota, native J.J. Kelley on his path to destiny. Since then, he's traveled to all seven continents, led the first expedition to open the tomb of Christ in 800 years, and helped increase elephant numbers in Africa. The University of Minnesota Duluth grad says cross-country skiing is how he unwinds. With a new show debut Dec 29, 2019, on Travel Channel and a genuine love for the planet, J.J. says he is in continual shock that he lives his dream job.
She became CEO of Minneapolis Heart Institute to change lives. Now, she's pushing a legacy of equality. On a quest to challenge the media, backward medical notions, and the public to move women's heart research up 35 years to equal men's heart research, Fortman is overseeing a movement she hopes goes viral- #ResearchHer. Her world routinely mixes business, healthcare, and philanthropy. She keeps her own heart healthy by hiking new terrain with her husband and three sons.
St. Paul native Matt Birk was a 3-sport athlete in high school and went on to play football for Harvard. Drafted by the Vikings in 1998, he went on to win a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. Shortly afterward, he announced he'd donate his brain to Boston University's Medical School for concussion research. Throughout his career, his Catholic faith was a guiding force. He and his wife have eight children. In 2019, they started a Catholic high school in Burnsville, Minnesota.
When Mike Felmlee became a grandpa, his worldview changed. Now, he cares even more about the planet his three grandkids will inherit. To further educate himself about Earth and to stretch his understanding of the unknown, he traveled to the North Pole. What he found was beyond his wildest imagination. Overseeing a company that cares about leadership, the CEO of Prouty Project has some tips for staying grounded and pushing beyond your limits.
Twin Cities Business mag's editor-in-chief Ali Kaplan was doing her own brand building long before Instagram gave rise to the age of influencers. Her writings have appeared in national and local publications. Her radio hosting helps thousands decide where to shop. Yet, this media diva comes across as the mom and wife next door. Her curious nature and great writing skills help the rest of us stay on top of things.
Dr. Thomas Van Gilder is a triple threat. A doctor, lawyer, and public health expert who oversees health and wellness for Walmart U.S. Along the way, he had six kids and finds fun by running the Nashville Rock 'n Roll Marathon as Elvis. Van Gilder talks about why Walmart wants to make health and wellness a national conversation.
Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison grew up in Detroit but grew a strong foundation for his love for Minnesota. This civil rights attorney represented Minnesota in the United States Congress for twelve years before taking on the state's top watchdog role. He talks power, impeachment, and why it's important he and his wife calendar date nights.
Mall of America's top marketer Jill Renslow is going on 23 years with the country's largest mall. Perks of her job include getting up close and personal with Justin Timberlake before he went BIG and being a leading voice on shopping trends. Find out how she keeps 5.5 million square feet of shopping, dining, and fun fresh for visitors from around the world.
B. Kyle is President and CEO of the St Paul Chamber of Commerce. She's also an Army vet who was in West Germany before and during the Wall falling. She talks about all the emotions 30 years later.
Super Bowl Champ Greg Jennings talks to Roshini on why not going into architecture was a good move for his NFL career. Greg Jennings almost majored in architecture. When it looked like it would interfere with his football aspirations, he switched. He's used his designing skills since then on his homes to create spaces that support life. Greg also shares why his family is his number one entourage.
Defeating dried lips. That was Joshua Neumann's mission when he created 'Kind Lips,' a 100% Natural and Organic Lip Balm. He sits down for the Real Leaders with Roshini Podcast.
Attempting to turn a near tragedy into triumph, Hannah and Charlie Lucas want the world to know that it's okay not to be okay. The creators of the 'notOK' app join Roshini on the 'Real Leaders with Roshini' podcast.
Roshini sits down with Jamie Yuccas for the Real Leaders with Roshini Podcast. The Minnesota Native, and CBS News Star, gives fans a peek behind-the-curtain on balancing her personal life with the chaos of covering breaking news on a national level.
Roshini is still on-the-road for a special edition of the Real Leaders with Roshini Podcast. Live from the Manova Summit in downtown Minneapolis she chats with Erika Cheung and Tyler Shultz, two people you may know as the Theranos Whistleblowers.
Roshini is on-the-road at the Manova Summit in Downtown Minneapolis. She chats with Chuck Runyon, Co-Founder and CEO of Anytime Fitness. Learn more about the summit and Chuck's story on the latest edition of the Real Leaders with Roshini podcast.
Roshini takes the 'Real Leaders with Roshini' podcast on-the-road and chats with Pulitzer Prize Winner Thomas Friedman. After covering so many important events and people throughout his career, what keeps him going?
Publishing a magazine is hard work! So how does Editor-In-Chief of Artful Living, Kate Nelson, keep it so calm, cool and collected? She sits down with Roshini for the Real Leaders with Roshini Podcast.
If you're like most people, mornings don't really start until you've had at least one cup of coffee. Alyza Bohbot launched City Girl Coffee, which not only gets you ready for the work day, but is a brand that promotes and practices gender equality. Listen to her story - and how it all works - on this episode of Real Leaders with Roshini.
Mike Dimond is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Fox Sports North. He chats with Roshini for 'Real Leaders with Roshini' about the process of bringing the Minnesota Twins, Timberwolves, and Loons to your TV and mobile devices. Plus, he's quite the competitive athlete himself.
What exactly is Irish Titan? Who really is Founder and Chief Libertarian Officer Darin Lynch? Roshini sits down with the man who grew up on a farm in Iowa and made his way to St. Thomas and now the digital media world.
Restaurant owner. The executive chef for professional sports teams. Chef David Fhima has made a huge impact on the food scene in Minneapolis and sits down with Roshini - at a restaurant of all places - for Real Leaders with Roshini.
Does Pete Najarian really need an introduction? Seriously, what doesn't he do? On this episode of 'Real Leaders with Roshini' learn what fuels Najarian's drive. As someone who excelled on the football field, and now in the finance world, you never know what's next!
John Sweeney is a ball of energy. The owner of 'Brave New Workshop' takes time out of his busy schedule to join the 'Real Leaders with Roshini' Podcast to talk about why he has to drink so much coffee, and what the phrase "long time dead" really means.
She'll be inaugurated on September 20th, officially claiming the title as the 17th President of the University of Minnesota. Real Leaders with Roshini went on the road to chat with Joan Gabel about everything from starting college at age 16, travel, Seinfeld and her new position.
Jana Shortal is no stranger to the media spotlight. Recently she has gone from asking questions and telling stories, to answering them as part of the story. She joins Real Leaders with Roshini to discuss everything from the whirlwind that has been 2019, the fight for equal pay, social media and more.
Kim Valentini founded Smile Network International when she was searching for motivation and purpose during her second act in life. More than 15 years later, Kim serves as the CEO and has learned to smile each and every day. How does she do it? Listen to Valentini on this week's edition of Real Leaders with Roshini!
Dale Cook is the co-founder and CEO of 'Learn To Live' and he attempts to take the stigma out of talking about mental health. Listen to Cook on the Real Leaders with Roshini Podcast discuss mental health, or what he calls, mental fitness and lets people know it's okay to talk about.
Everyone wants to laugh, even when they shouldn't. Tane Danger is a comedian, actor who isn't afraid to test limits and talk to strangers. In this episode of Real Leaders with Roshini, Danger joins to talk about life as a comedian and why he rides the bus from beginning to end without stopping.
Blended families, runs by the lake, books, wine, and Star Wars? Heather Brown of WCCO-TV chats with Roshini on the Real Leaders with Roshini Podcast about so much more than just her successful career in television.
Alison Brown is the President and CEO of the Science Museum of Minnesota. During her childhood, she learned the importance of science and math, and strives to make careers more accessible to girls everywhere. Brown also has a few incredible hobbies.
How does a community end up with $100,000 worth of sales in one night and a trip to The White House? Paul Mooty chats with Roshini about why he re-opened Faribault Woolen Mill, a Civil War era woolen mill, and how business took off from there.
Sports fans want as much insight and information as possible. In Minnesota, Marney Gellner provides that access for fans inside the locker rooms and clubhouses, gathering and reporting non-stop information about the best athletes in the world. How does she make it look so easy? Sideline reporter for Fox Sports North, Marney Gellner, joins Real Leaders with Roshini to discuss her career and life outside of sports.
Libby Larsen is one of the most decorated and accomplished musical composers in American history. She has worked with multiple genres, for multiple generations, and has a few Grammy Awards to show for her hard work and dedication to the craft. Larsen chats with Roshini for 'Real Leaders with Roshini' to discuss the music, her love of Minnesota and so much more.
In Episode #15 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Sanneh Foundation CEO and former pro soccer player Tony Sanneh counts his blessings. He says, "Kids all over the world just want positive interactions," and strives to make a change in the lives of young people through education, health and wellness, and community building. His foundation launched while he was still playing soccer when a college student asked him for help to start a soccer camp. The rest is history as the Sanneh Foundation went from a basic budget and one program to a $3.5 million organization with six programs and growing. These days, his playing field could be anywhere in the world.
In Episode #14 of Real Leaders with Roshini, we go back in time to October 2018. Roshini talked with Ron Stallworth ahead of his visit to Minneapolis and ahead of the movie awards season. Stallworth's New York Times bestseller, Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime, had been made into a movie by Jordan Peele and Spike Lee. The world didn't yet know the movie would soon get nominated for Golden Globe and Academy Awards.
In Episode #13 of Real Leaders with Roshini, CaringBridge CEO Liwanag Ojala gracefully brags about the crazy stats of the world's first and most widely-used global non-profit social network. With someone creating a new CaringBridge site every eight minutes and 115,000 distinct donors in 2018, most businesses would salivate for these engagement numbers. Liwanag brings her past as a digital executive and CEO of Simon Delivers, among other big roles, to this job where healthcare, technology, and non-profit culture intersect. She stresses the importance of relationships and credits how sharing a "take a pause" conversation with Lars Leafblad, of Ballinger Leafblad, years ago led to him reaching out to her about CEO succession planning for CaringBridge when she was first considered for the COO position in 2014.
In Episode #12 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Minneapolis Police Federation President Lt Bob Kroll talks about what made him leave confirmed bachelorhood, how he rose to the top of the ranks, and what he might have done differently from his early years as a leader.
In Episode #11 of Real Leaders with Roshini, former Green Bay Packer Darrell Thompson shares how he found his calling for mentoring, and how that would come into play in his later role as CEO of Bolder Options, when he volunteered with kids during college.
He told Roshini "he married right" with his wife Stephanie and explains why bringing kids into the world is like horse breeding. Listen to his episode to find out exactly what he means by that.
He wants to re-set the norm for black men and is bringing more black teachers into schools through his work with the organization Black Men Teach. As for football today compared with when he was a pro? He says it's safer: "You used to be taught techniques to almost knock people out—put the crown of your helmet into the other guy's ear hole."
This man who mentors young people counts Manchester Companies CEO Mark Sheffert and Delta Dental CEO Rod Young as two key mentors in his life.
In Episode #10 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Experience Life Magazine's Jamie Martin says, "If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it," and shares why Michelle Obama is her dream cover story. She also had to rely on her own habits of wellness when her family was struck by the death of her young nephew due to a rare genetic disease. Now, she's an advocate and educator on Krabbe Disease. Jamie doesn't shoot for perfection but progress. And if she were a cocktail, she'd be a gin and tonic--partly because of the ability to add your own twist.
In Episode #9 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Retired Army helicopter pilot Miki Huntington tells us why Panic at the Disco's High Hopes is her theme song. Plus, what it was like working for Vice President Dick Cheney.
In Episode #8 of Real Leaders with Roshini, KSTP-TV Sports Director Joe Schmit got very real as he reflected on a poignant moment when he asked forgiveness for a past deed. Plus, what he's learned about keeping the 'noise' out and the 'sizzle' on and why you might be surprised about who's had the most impact on him over decades of interviewing everyone in sports.
In Episode #7 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Rolf Nordstrom tells us why renewable energy is the new industrial revolution; plus, what the smell of a Manhattan calls to mind.
In Episode #6 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Kim Bartmann shares the inside scoop about her 9 restaurants, which one is her Happy Face place, plus the biggest tragedy that could befall a bartender.
In Episode #5 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Greg and Nicole Jennings share why they avoid countries with iguanas for family trips and why the Super Bowl Champ is a Cabernet while you could call the fashion guru a red blend. Plus, their secret for keeping a relationship sexy.
In Episode #4 of Real Leaders with Roshini, Summer Kath shares why it's important not to put a cap on your success. Her work around the globe led to a close friendship with an original supermodel, Cheryl Tiegs. Plus, why she considers herself the other "B" word.
Real Leaders with Roshini seeks to introduce you to inspirational people of all ages. Millennial Phil Terrill is author of Collision Course. His near-death experience shortly after college graduation changed his world view forever. Find out how his 4 F's can help you spend time with yourself and move mountains. Plus, his easy tip for saving $10K.
In Episode #2 of Real Leaders with Roshini, former Minnesota Twins player Corey Koskie takes us deep into his head and heart. He shares how he's learned resiliency through failure, why baseball was exactly what America needed after 9/11, his relationship with Jesus, and why his current passion is telling the stories behind youth sports.
In our debut episode of Real Leaders with Roshini, we meet Angelina Lawton—CEO of Sportsdigita. Recently named to Forbes List of the 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports, Angelina shares who her key mentors are, what makes her tick, plus what cocktail she'd be if she were a mixed drink.