Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel: Why Deliberate Practice Beats Just Putting in the Hours
Release Date: 10/29/2025
Wall Street Executive Mike Dorrell says: You've won the meeting when the other person talks more than you.
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 268: Stonepeak CEO was shaped by rugby league, cricket, and growing up in a working-class farming town in Australia. Today he's built a career on Wall Street, but the personality that took him there was forged on fields where teammates and opponents alike gave each other unfiltered honesty — and expected the same in return. Want to become a better storyteller? Pre-order Don’s new book The Business of Storytelling and become a Founding Member of The Circle of Storytellers. This is a limited experience — it ends at launch. All of these resources are yours FOR FREE the moment your...
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Axon President Josh Isner on What His Mentor Bill Belichick Told Him That Still Runs His $45 Billion Company
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 267: Harvard Golf and playing at Whisper Rock alongside Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, and Max Homa shaped Josh Isner's understanding of what winning really requires — and it shows in how he leads one of the most competitive companies in America. Axon is the $45 billion public safety company behind body cameras and life-saving technology protecting law enforcement and first responders across the country. In this episode, you will learn: Why the best mentors are never assigned — and how Luke Larson, a Marine Corps officer just one year ahead of Josh at Axon, chose to invest in him and...
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Deloitte US CEO Jason Girzadas on The Feedback Formula: 3 Things Every Leader Must Consider
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 266: Long before he was CEO of Deloitte US, Jason Girzadas was on the pitcher's mound with the bases loaded, his team up by one run, and his coach walking out to deliver the kind of feedback that sticks for a lifetime. In this episode, you will hear the lesson he learned, PLUS: How to fight complacency inside a historically successful organization — and keep your people hungry Why "know yourself so you can be yourself" is not a soft idea but a leadership prerequisite How timely, direct, one-on-one feedback creates a domino effect of accountability across an entire organization Do...
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Guardian Life Executive Mike Perry teaches how to respond to a crisis without reacting to it
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 265: As Head of Client Solutions and Wealth Management at Guardian Life Insurance, Mike has learned that the most transformational moments in business look a lot like cycling: riders who trust each other, rotate leadership, and communicate constantly can cover ground together that no one could cover alone. In this episode, you will learn: How finding a coach — whether on a bike or in a boardroom — speeds up every kind of growth. Why the best response to a crisis is not reacting to the event itself, but locking onto what you can actually control. How making space for every voice...
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Papa John's CEO Todd Penegor on what the restaurant floor teaches that offices never will
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 264: Playing high school golf in Michigan and winning the Upper Peninsula State Championship shaped this CEO who led Wendy's through a decade of global growth before stepping into the CEO role at Papa John's after a very brief retirement. Today, Todd Penegor brings that same team-first mentality to every leadership table he sits at — and in this conversation, he shares exactly how. In this conversation, Todd shares how he thinks about developing next-generation leaders, why he believes a CEO's job looks more like an offensive lineman than a quarterback, and what it really takes to earn...
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Xero CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy Says: When FOMO Fear of Failure, You Move
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 263: With a resume that includes StubHub President and Google President of Asia Pacific and Latin America, this technology exec joins the show talk about how tennis shaped her, and the way she now is involved in ownership of the Toronto Tempo! In this episode, you will learn: Why pre-morteming failure shrinks fear and drives real action Why the who you work for will always matter more than the what How modeling imperfection — not perfection — creates psychological safety on your team How to find passion in your work, not just find work you're passionate about Do you want to...
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Emmy-winning Food Network Star Giada De Laurentiis Says: Know What You Need and Make It Non-Negotiable
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 262: What conditions do you actually need to perform at your best? Emmy award-winning chef Giada De Laurentiis shares that knowing your non-negotiables is the key ingredient. Don’t miss these amazing stories on this episode: Food is connection. When Giada moved to the US from Italy, she struggled with the language barrier. But food became the great translator. “Food was the thing that could connect me to other people and maybe start to forget some kind of community,” she said. Keep your recipes. As an Italian-born chef living in the US, Giada wonders how to balance being...
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No Finish Line: How IndyCar Legend Sam Schmidt Turned Paralysis Into Purpose
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 261: Just months after winning his first IndyCar race, Sam Schmidt hit a wall at nearly 200 miles per hour during preseason testing. He was paralyzed from the neck down at 35 years old. Doctors told his wife he wouldn't make it through the night. Twenty five years later, Sam has co-founded championship racing teams, driven a car at 107 miles per hour using only his head, stood in an exoskeleton to on her wedding day, and helping thousands of others get the rehabilitation they would never otherwise receive. In , his new memoir—which I had the honor of...
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Dutch Bros CEO Christine Barone says: It's not about being the most valuable player. It's about creating the most valuable team.
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 260: The Harvard water polo co-captain, who had never played the sport before joining the team,now leads one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the countrywith the same philosophy that earned her that captaincy: it's not about being the most valuable player. It's about creating the most valuable team. In this episode, you will learn: • Why the "zone of discomfort" is where real leadership growth happens • How to set goals just beyond what seems possible—and why trust makes them achievable • Why the jobs we don't like are often the ones with the most to teach us...
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Calero President & CRO Eric Martorano says: Data tells you what’s happening, stories tell you why it matters.
Corporate Competitor Podcast
Ep. 259: After a decade at Microsoft where he was responsible for more than $17 billion in revenue, Eric used lessons from the baseball field—failure, resilience, and belief—to build award-winning cultures at Nextiva, Accordo, and Calero. You will learn: • Why people commit to stories—not spreadsheets • How to build belief in your team after failure • Why clarity—not control—is the foundation of great leadership Our for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. Do you...
info_outlineEp. 243: This executive who oversees OpenTable, Booking.com, and KAYAK was shaped by tennis courts and ski slopes. Glenn explains why “deliberate practice” beats “time on task” every time.
Don’t miss:
• How Glenn used this mindset to recover from a stroke
• The right way to coach for continuous improvement
• How AI is changing the rules of feedback in real time
Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.
Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/
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Special thanks to Joey Morris and Anthony Dickinson for making this episode possible.