Winning with Class

Exploring how we can all build winning with class lives..for ourselves and for all the teams around us - our families, sports teams, schools, communities...our COUNTRY and beyond...

Frank Martin: Coaching basketball and LIFE. 04/06/2026

Frank Martin: Coaching basketball and LIFE. Massachusetts head basketball Coach Frank Martin was named the 23rd head coach in men’s basketball history in March of 2022. Martin brought 15 years of head coaching experience to Amherst after spending 10 seasons prior as the head coach at South Carolina, where he led the Gamecocks to the program's first ever NCAA Final Four in 2017. Martin began his 10-year run in Columbia, S.C. prior to the 2014-15 season and went on to match the program's record for wins in a season as his team finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 25-9 record. The squad rose to as high as 15th in the USA Today Coaches Poll following the Gamecocks' best start since the 1933-34 season. Under Martin, South Carolina broke the record for wins in a single season with 26 in 2016-17 on the way to the best NCAA Tournament run in program history. Martin led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1973 and to the program's first-ever Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four. The No. 7-seed squad defeated No. 2 seed Duke in the round of 32 and earned wins over Baylor in the Sweet 16 and Florida in the Elite Eight before falling to Gonzaga in the national semifinals. He was named the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year. The Gamecocks were ranked in the AP Poll for nine weeks and the Coaches Poll for 10 weeks and finished as the No. 6-ranked team in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. Sindarius Thornwell was named a CBS Sports First-Team All-American and the NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player. Martin got his first head coaching opportunity at Kansas State in 2007-08 and brought the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in four of his five seasons at the helm. He guided the Wildcats to their first win over rival and No. 2-ranked Kansas since 1983 and took the team to its first NCAA Tournament since 1996. In 2009-10, Martin led Kansas State to a 29-8 record and an Elite Eight appearance. The Wildcats earned their first win over a No. 1-ranked team in Texas since 1994 and finished the year ranked inside the top 10 in both major polls. Kansas State went into the 2010 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed and defeated North Texas, BYU and Xavier in postseason play. He was recognized as the Big 12 Coach of the Year. A Miami, Fla. native, Martin began his coaching career in the high school ranks in Miami, earning his first head coaching job at North Miami High School before moving to Miami Senior, where he led the team to three straight state championships. His first collegiate coaching job came in 2000 as he was named an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northeastern University. From there, he joined Bob Huggins' staff at Cincinnati and was part of Huggins' coaching staff at Kansas State during the 2006-07 season. A fixture off the court and in the community, Martin and his wife, UMass track and field alumna Anya (nee Forrest), have hosted numerous philanthropic events and have been key investors in the UMass women's track and field program. In 2019, Martin was introduced into the Naismith Coaches Circle that was created by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to recognize coaches who have impacted their communities, players, other coaches, and society in a positive manner. Martin earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Florida International in 1993. He and his wife, Anya, have three children: Brandon, Amalia and Christian. Takeaways: Coach’s anchor. From listening to him, it’s clear to see what makes up Coach’s anchor or internal foundation. Family – starting with his grandmother, a rock-solid work ethic, his faith and, related to and largely gained from his work ethic – a clear knowledge of how to treat people. It’s not hard to see how Coach is so admired and respected. Don’t worry about what you don’t have. What a great lesson for us all. This one started with his grandmother – the source for a lot of his lessons as you heard. Coach Martin mentioned it in the context of telling young coaches to just take care of the job they have and not to worry about chasing that next job. He also mentioned that this came from growing up and building furniture with his grandmother, noting that they didn’t have much at all – but they didn’t know it because they just appreciated what they DID have. What a great lesson for all of us – especially in today’s comparison world led by social media. We all need to stop, appreciate what we DO have and take care of the people around us NOW. Like Coach said, it’s far better to do it this way and more often than not, ascension up that mountain will come. And, even if it doesn’t, the genuine peace and fulfillment that comes from enjoying the journey and the people around you are worth it. Spirituality and the Pursuit of Complete. As you heard, Coach had a couple of amazing experiences that made it very clear to him that God has a plan for him. It’s now very clearly a part of his life’s pursuit of complete – a main part of his set of priorities - as he continues to impact lives. Another great reminder to, at the very least pay attention to the spiritual side of ourselves as we build and maintain our own pursuit of our complete selves. Culture. This one is hard to beat. Coach Martin mentioned that his culture is based on four building blocks - honesty, loyalty, trust, and love. I love how he explained how each building block built off the previous one. I also love how he started with honesty and the truth as the first building block, or foundation, for it all. Then, if you get to love – that’s when you arrive at a family…and, if you get there, you can deal with the storms. When it comes to culture, it’s hard to say it all any better than that. Winning + Class. Coach Martin described this by saying it’s about how we should strive to focus our energy on uplifting the lives of those around us. As coach said, when we can show up the next day excited regardless of the previous day’s outcome because we’re inspired this way, that’s winning with class. It’s clear that Coach lives this notion and it’s a great one for all of us to follow as well. Links: Website: Instagram: @frankmartinumass; @umassbasketball /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/40748835

Nick Lavery: American Hero – Unstoppable Warrior 02/23/2026

Nick Lavery: American Hero – Unstoppable Warrior Nick Lavery is the founder and CEO of Precision Components LLC, where he and Team Machine train, advise, enable, and inspire organizations and individuals to unlock capacity and increase capability. He is also the best-selling author of Objective Secure – the battle-tested guide to goal achievement. Nick is a warrior, leader, teammate, and most importantly, a proud husband and father of two boys. Nick enjoys reading, writing, lifting weights, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and shooting. Most significantly, however, he enjoys building forts, Legos, getting dirty, drawing and reading with his sons and traveling, eating dinner, and watching movies with his wife. Nick founded MCHN to build a community that embodies these same principles – where discipline, leadership, and resilience aren’t just taught, but lived. Nick, born and raised in Massachusetts, is an active-duty Green Beret within The United States Army Special Forces. The Green Berets perform critical missions including direct action, counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. Nick is currently serving as a Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer and is widely recognized as an experienced subject matter expert in special operations, intelligence fusion, mission planning, and complex problem solving across all operational continuums. He is also the first amputee in military history to complete the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification course, the Special Operations Combatives Program Instructor course, and the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification course. In 2013, while deployed in Afghanistan, Nick and his detachment fell victim to an attack that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his leg. Following a year of surgeries and initial recovery including the use of a prosthetic at Walter Reed National Medical Military Center, he returned to his unit. Refusing military medical retirement, Nick set his sights on returning to operational status. In 2015, at the conclusion of a challenging, comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate Nick’s abilities to operate, he returned to his detachment and was subsequently deployed once again to Afghanistan conducting full spectrum combat operations. Nick is considered the first Special Forces operator to return to combat as an above-the-knee amputee in military history. Nick’s awards include the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, Bronze Star with “V” for valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, the OSS Society Peter Ortiz Award, the Bruce Price Leadership Award, and the Special Operations Command Excalibur Award. Takeaways: How YOU Livin? When I hear Nick’s story – the bravery, the courage and all the selfless sacrifice that he has endured and continues to endure for our country, this simple question comes to mind. “How you livin’?” The simple challenge that comes along with it is this: are we living in a way that is worthy of all that Nick has gone through? Would Nick be able to look at our lives and say to himself – “yep, that life is worth fighting for” or “yep, I’m proud to fight for him or her and the way they’re living.” This one is for all of us and it’s especially good right now. There’s a lot going on in this country – I think it’s a great time for all of us to look in the mirror both individually and collectively and ask this question…and KEEP asking it to keep our pursuits on a good path. Character Reps. I like how Nick went out of his way to point out that he was not always the massive 6’5” warrior that he is today. In fact, for most of his childhood, he was the small, weak one who got picked on. However, he mentioned that each patch of difficult time served as a character rep that ended up adding to the toughness that embodies so much of who he is today. So, no matter how we struggle at times, let’s remember that life has a way of throwing us these character reps – and if we can see it this way, we’ll be stronger in the long run. TEAM First. Nick’s story brings so many examples of an intense and high-level TEAM FIRST mindset. From the way he handled all of his injuries – refocusing his mission to that of getting back to his unit as fast as humanly possible, to the way he helped his teammate put his eye back into socket as he was bleeding from his own face, to the way he watched with pride when he thought he was dying as his young teammates fought off the enemy…It’s just endless with Nick. And it shows that great things happen when we put the TEAM first. GRACE/FORGIVENESS/PERSPECTIVE. I thought it was a very powerful story regarding Nick getting his blood transfusion. After all he had survived on the battlefield, he almost died due to a blood transfusion that resulted in him getting the wrong type of blood. Not only did Nick go quickly to GRACE in terms of handling this mistake – forgiving the doctors – but he also took it a step further by saying that he was grateful that his experience led to a change in protocols that could have saved lives like Nick’s down the road. In a world of me first and who can I sue when mistakes are made, this is incredibly refreshing. Nick knew his medical team was doing all they could to help him and immediately went to a “mistakes happen” mentality, especially under that much pressure. He then took that “team first” mentality, thinking about how his suffering hopefully saved lives in the future. More great lessons from Nick. I WILL Mindset for Adversity. Nick clearly had and maintained an “I WILL” mentality throughout all he faced both in battle and recovery. Getting back to his unit after each injury, getting through his rehab, getting through training after learning to walk again with his new leg, having endured 35-40 surgeries…There was no “I think I can” or “I’ll try” or anything else less than complete “I WILL” in his head. These are two extremely powerful words to guide us in our pursuit. Things may happen along the way that are out of our control and take us off path, but if we keep the words “I WILL” at the forefront, we will never have to doubt whether or not we gave it all we could along the way. Nick certainly does not have to wonder about this in all that he did. PURSUIT of COMPLETE: Nick’s description of winning with class is a great one. He likens it to the climbing of a mountain and talks about how getting to the top just isn’t right if you haven’t done it the right way – leaving others behind or stepping on them to get to the top, etc. And is there a better warrior than Nick to remind us that this is NOT just a “soft” or “cheesy” notion? As he said, winning with class is by far the harder and tougher road to take. Let’s all follow his lead and get to the top of the mountain with the great feeling and positive IMPACT that comes along with taking the challenging pursuit of complete that is based on bringing winning AND class into all that we do. Links: Book: Objective Secure, The Battle-tested Guide to Goal Achievement Website: Instagram: @thenicklavery Facebook: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/40198215

Patric Young – Turning Tragedy into Victory 01/16/2026

Patric Young – Turning Tragedy into Victory Patric Young is a basketball analyst, author, speaker, and philanthropist. Patric played for the University of Florida Gators from 2010-2014, playing for Hall of Fame Coach Billy Donovan, which included a Final Four appearance. Patric then played professionally in the NBA and then overseas from 2014-2020. In 2021, he transitioned into a college basketball analyst for the SEC Network, a position he holds currently. In the summer of 2022, Patric was involved in a single automobile accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Once a towering force on the court, Patric now had to face new challenges that initially tested his faith, resolve, and the very core of his identity. In 2023, Patric summarized his inspiring story in his book Sit to Rise, Turning Your Darkest Pain Into Your Brightest Victory. His story now serves as a beacon of hope, proving that in moments of vulnerability, we can discover newfound strength and unleash new levels potential within ourselves. Four months following his accident and while undergoing intensive therapy and treatment, Patric launched The Patric Young Foundation. With a mission to help those facing life-altering injuries, the foundation works to provide financial, emotional, and physical support to those who need it most. Determined to make a difference, Patric is working to be the best he can be for himself, his family and his new adaptive community. Takeaways: The DRIFT. This is a truly great LIFE lesson and one that is consistent with a lot of what we discuss on this show. Patric reminds us that we have to live intentionally, anchoring ourselves to the right identities. Anchoring? Sound familiar? As Patric said, if we don’t, then – just like the ocean’s tide takes kids playing in the waves – life will take us where it wants us to go, not where we want to go. Soon we end up in unexpected and most of the times, undesired places. We need to establish a strong identity, based on the right standards, principles, and priorities, and then go live a life with intention to maintain all of it every day. It’s not easy. Just worth it. Your Reputation. Feeding off the point about The Drift, when we develop a positive identity, and live it consistently, it transforms into a positive reputation. That leads to others being drawn in – and increases our ability to make positive IMPACT, which is something that all humans are wired to seek. Being Coachable. We all need to be coachable. One simple reason is that great leaders and great teams simply don’t have time for those who aren’t. Patric mentioned how he got his wake-up call when Hall of Fame Coach Billy Donovan had to tell him he was going to have to leave if he didn’t become more coachable. We need to always strive to find that balance of contributing our unique talents, while also maintaining the humility that acknowledges that we can always get better and grow – especially when it comes to what the TEAM needs. Success. Speaking of Billy Donovan, his description of success, as Patric relayed in our conversation, is simple, yet powerful. As Coach Donovan said, you “just have to live it.” What a great reminder that we need to be thinking about success and our pursuit of it – all the time - in all that we do. Life is where you are. As we discussed, due to an infection, Patric was stuck in the hospital for an extended period of time following his accident. How did he handle it? By deciding that he was going to be as nice as he could possibly be to every single person with whom he came into contact. We have a chance to IMPACT everywhere, all the time. I like how Patric refers to the option of bitterness by saying “I just don’t see the point in it.” As we discussed, there were a couple of nurses who were positively impacted by Patric – opportunities that would’ve been lost if Patric had chosen bitterness. Because he chose positive instead, who knows who else may be impacted – through the stories those nurses tell their friends and families and beyond. Living FULL and DYING Empty. What a great way to think about life. This includes the notion Patric mentions of using trials and adversity as tools to develop us. It isn’t always easy – Patric admitted there are good and bad days on his journey, of course. But, overall, with each challenge, he’s getting better. And that allows him to keep living fully…I have no doubt that when it’s all said and done, Patric’s tank will be empty – all of it having been spent positively impacting a countless number of people. Links: Website: patricyoung.com Instagram: @patricyoung4 Foundation: py4foundation.org /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/39763375

Molly Miller - Winning with Relentless Positive Energy 01/02/2026

Molly Miller - Winning with Relentless Positive Energy On March 22, 2025, Molly Miller agreed to join Arizona State University as its next head coach of the women’s basketball program. ASU hired a proven winner in Miller who guided Grand Canyon University to a 32-3 record last season which included a 30-game winning streak and GCU’s first berth in the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Miller went 117-38 (.760) at GCU and overall is 297-55 (.845) at the collegiate level that also included 180 wins in six seasons at her alma mater (Drury), where she served as an assistant coach and was a four-year letterwinner. Miller was the most sought after mid-major coach in America with numerous SEC Universities and others seeking her services. Molly and her husband, Derek have two children, Crosby and Cy. Takeaways: Positive Energy. For this, you simply need to take a look at Coach Miller’s Instagram from the moment she took the job at Arizona State. She was simply everywhere – all the time. On campus. In the community. With current players. Former players and coaches. And more. I’m no expert on coming in to build a program, but I think it looks pretty much like this. And, as we discussed, she talked about how much fun she was having doing it all – it’s hard not to follow a leader like this. Culture – This is talked about a lot these days, but that doesn’t lessen its importance. I like how Coach Miller referenced culture as being a brand of habits the entire team lives out every single day that should carry over every year. She also mentioned that it was something she could work on quickly upon taking the job. The wins she promised would come, but she could start working on culture immediately – and she clearly did just that. When you do it the way she describes - in genuine way…like a family…the need to recruit your own players lessens. As we discussed, you end up with happy players – who will stay. CHARGE – What a great mantra and acronym that Coach Miller referenced as a foundation of her program. It’s also fitting as she mentioned she loved the defensive side of the ball and taking charges is one of the toughest parts of that side. This one covers it all – Communication, Humility, Accountability, Respect, Gratitude, and the Energy, that Coach Miller takes to the next level. Again, this is a rock-solid foundation for Coach Miller’s culture – and it sure seems to result in a lot of winning as well. Leadership – Coach Miller’s style – a firm hand with a gentle heart as she described it. This seems to be a great way to describe the way she empowers the team by giving them the chance to embrace the opportunity they have to make their own mark on the program so long as they “take CHARGE” as we just described. Do this and she’ll have their backs the entire way. She’ll listen and do all she can to make their ride as good as it can be for them as individuals and as a team. Four pillars of the program – As a compliment to her CHARGE foundational theme, Coach Miller’s 4 pillars further strengthen her program. The notions of teammate, manners, commitment, and communication – four non-negotiables that are essential for lasting success. I especially like the “manners matter” element. Manners really do matter – the seemingly little things of treating people all around you with good solid manners as we discussed – this is the “class” icing on the cake that will make all the winning truly last. Culture check – I love how this is a part of Coach Miller’s program. Teams can do all they want in terms of building a great culture, but if they don’t keep everybody accountable to it on a consistent basis, it will fade and cracks in its foundation will develop. Coach Miller does a great job of not only pointing out when the team is getting sideways in terms of culture but also explaining why and how it’s happening. And her question of “does your audio match your video” is a great one for all of us – are our words matching our actions? And are they both in alignment with our culture? This one is a good one not only for team culture but also for the individual standards we set for ourselves – are we living those standards we set for ourselves? What a great way to stay on track. Finally, on this point – Coach Miller mentioning another fantastic question – are you a drain or a faucet in terms of the team’s culture. Great reminder to always be the faucet – be the one who ADDs to the culture. Never be the one who takes away, lessens or drains it. 0-0 Mentality. Coach Miller has clearly had a ton of success in her career so far. One of the main reasons is the way of she’s able to maintain a sharp focus for her teams – even when the wins are stacking up - by challenging them to focus as if their record is 0-0. And I love how she mentioned that she is sure to coach them through this process – she makes sure she explains the way behind the method – which makes it much easier to follow. This is another great way to think BOTH in terms of a team as well as individually. On either level, you may be on a great streak – but there are always ways to improve. Celebrate wins? Yes. Then get right back to work as though your record is 0-0. Links: Website: Instagram: @coach_mollymiller, @sundevilwbb X: @MollyMiller33 /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/39596180

Ken Coleman – Finding and pursuing YOUR BEST PATH 12/23/2025

Ken Coleman – Finding and pursuing YOUR BEST PATH Ken Coleman has been called America's Career Coach, he’s a 3x Best-selling author (Get Clear Career Assessment: Find the Work You’re Wired To Do, From Paycheck to Purpose, and The Proximity Principle), and Ramsey Solutions personality known for his podcast/show, Front Row Seat, with Ken Coleman. Since the age of 16, Ken had planned a political future that would have him running for office, but that dream slowly died—leaving him confused and lacking confidence about his professional direction. After some deep soul searching and life mapping, Ken decided to get on the path to broadcasting. He didn’t have a degree or any experience. His head told him it was too late and too risky to start over and completely change direction at this point, but his heart kept pulling toward the vision he couldn’t stop thinking about. Thankfully, Ken’s wife, Stacy, was all in, and they decided they were going to do whatever it took so he could pursue broadcasting. The clarity he had about the direction he was going gave him the confidence to move forward. Ken knew he was going to need to grow personally so he could advance professionally in uncharted waters. Ken signed up for a six-week broadcast school with people 10 years younger than him, and he covered high school football games on a country station at 11 p.m. on Friday nights. He worked for free several hours a week at a sports-talk station in Atlanta. He fought through imposter syndrome and humbling moments to gain as much experience as possible. He took on public speaking gigs, introduced mimes and balloon artists at a community event, worked on podcasts . . . And when Ken says podcasts, he means back when podcasts weren’t cool—and he was doing it from a closet-sized sound booth with no air conditioning in the Georgia heat. Glamorous, right? Through strategic connections he had made along the way, Ken got an emcee role for a national leadership conference that gave him the opportunity to interview well-known athletes, leaders, authors and celebrities. One of the notable guests he interviewed was , which eventually led to their friendship and Ken joining the team at . After three years of serving in multiple hosting roles, Ken got the chance to use all the career strategies he’d learned along the way to write and host a nationally syndicated radio show. And he still regularly co-hosts , the second-largest syndicated talk radio show in America. This has allowed Ken to fulfill the dream of broadcasting to encourage and equip people to be who they were born to be. At this point in his journey, Ken has had the opportunity to interview three presidents, heads of state, some of the top names in sports and entertainment, and a host of other leaders. Between interviewing leaders and coaching over 10,000 people who are working to , he’s gained a unique perspective on how you can get better, move up, and lead well. Ken wants you to bring the best version of you to work. So pull up your chair and take a to conversations meant to change the trajectory of your life. Takeaways: Finding YOUR Path. Ken points out that we all need to find the work – and life – we are meant to live by looking at our TALENTS, our PASSION, and our sense of MISSION. As Ken says, this leads to intrinsic motivation and ultimately to the FLOW he talked about. This should be the goal for all of us. Like hitting that golf ball or baseball as Ken and I discussed – when you barely even feel it – we should aim to get our careers and lives on THAT path…and the resulting potential is truly limitless. Self-awareness as a superpower. We can’t reach this FLOW state unless we take a good long look at ourselves. Ken emphasizes figuring out how we’re wired first, then building a career and life around that. Clarity is critical. Like Ken says – clarity creates confidence which is essential for us to fully pursue our own unique paths. Building YOUR career plan. For young people – or anybody looking to start a new career path – Ken provides a great way to establish the path and eliminate the fear that holds a lot of us back. We need to go with the four questions Ken gave us – what do I need to learn? What do I need to do to get there? What will it cost? And, finally, how long will it take? You might like the answers, and you might hate them. But, at least, as Ken points out – the fear that causes so many to be frozen or stuck, because they’re overwhelmed by the unknown – will be gone. The Proximity Principle. Great summary from Ken for anybody looking to pursue a career path. As Ken said, in order for me to do what I want to do, I need to be around people who are doing it, and the places where it is happening. Basically, get in the game you are chasing by getting to know the people playing it and get on or at least close to the field where it is being played. No time to stay in the stands – get in the game. Great lesson for all of us. General rules for when you get in the game. So, when we do make the jump and get into the game, Ken makes it simple for us in terms of what our focus should be. We need to focus on WHO we need and want to become (not what). As Ken said, we do this by being likeable, coachable, reliable, adaptable, and honorable. As Ken points out, none of these 5 things has anything to do with talent. If we do these, the wins that need to come for us to advance will take care of themselves. Contribution – the ultimate goal. As Ken said, we, as humans, are wired with the desire to contribute. This comes when we’ve followed the steps Ken provided for us – we’ve gotten clarity on who we are and how we’re wired. We’ve figured out the best path for us based on that clarity and have shown the confidence to pursue it. Because it’s aligned with who we are, we’ve had success and achievement. Now we GET to contribute to those around us by sharing what we’ve gained…with our families, our communities, and beyond. The PEACE that comes from this is simply priceless and aligns with all we’ve ever talked about on this show – this is part of the “why” when it comes to winning with class… Links: Website: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ken-coleman Books: Get Clear Career Assessment: Find the Work You’re Wired to Do; From Paycheck to Purpose, The Proximity Principle Instagram, X, Tik Tok, FB: @kencoleman, Ken Coleman /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/39520190

Lexi Johnson – A Passionate Letter – A Powerful Movement 12/08/2025

Lexi Johnson – A Passionate Letter – A Powerful Movement Lexi Johnson has experienced firsthand the necessity of prioritizing your health, as well as what happens when you neglect to make your health a priority. Lexi witnessed her father suffering 4 heart attacks as she was growing up, with the last one happening while she was a freshman in college. Unable to watch the effects on both her father and her family any longer, Lexi wrote her father a heartfelt letter, pleading with him to lead a healthier lifestyle. Inspired and touched by this, Lexi’s father changed his ways and lost 120 pounds. With that, Lexi’s mother got a better husband, Lexi got a better father, and her entire family was changed for the better. Inspired by this positive impact from healthy living, Lexi was soon on a mission to promote long-term, sustainable changes in health and fitness. Today, Lexi is the founder of Lexi J Wellness, an online fitness and lifestyle community founded on bringing lifestyle changes, consistency and real confidence to everyday people. She started the business in 2020 while working full-time as a dental hygienist by sharing what was working for her on social media and hoping it could help someone else too. Now as a 1st Phorm Elite Athlete, she leads by example and encourages thousands to take ownership of their health physically and mentally through sustainable practices. Lexi J Wellness was born in an unfinished basement in 2020 during a time when the world felt uncertain and disconnected. With a set of Facebook Marketplace dumbbells and a dream to make movement feel personal again, Lexi hit “record” — not in a flashy studio, but in her raw, unfinished concrete basement; with the goal of making the person on the other side of the screen feel like they were simply getting in a great workout with a friend. Lexi’s background is rooted in her passion for helping others live well — not through quick fixes or trendy fads, but by building real habits for real life. She created LJW to bring connection, consistency, and confidence to women in every season of life. Degrees and certifications: NASM Certified Personal Trainer NASM Certified Nutrition Coach NASM Certified Behavior Change Specialist NASM Certified Women's Fitness Specialist NASM Certified Virtual Coaching Specialist Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Takeaways: Whatever it takes for Family. Lexi tried repeatedly to tell her Dad he needed to change his ways. Having the maturity to realize that talking to him wasn’t working, she poured her heart out in that letter to him – telling him where the next heart attack would likely lead him – along with their entire family. And kudos to her Dad for taking the letter to heart and doing the really tough thing and making changes. Both Lexi and her father showed that when it comes to family and loved ones – the simple rule is whatever it takes. Health’s Ripple Effect. When her father changed his ways and lost those critical 120 pounds by taking on a healthier lifestyle, it wasn’t just him that benefitted. Like Lexi said, she got a better Dad, her Mom got a better husband, her Dad got a promotion, and so on. Our health is not just ours – it affects everybody around us. We owe it not only to ourselves, but to them as well. We need to choose to live the healthiest lives we possibly can – physically, mentally, emotionally, and beyond. We need to optimize the best health for us as individuals – not what society says the scale should tell us, as we learned from Lexi – but we should seek that best possible healthy version of ourselves for us – so that we can give our best to those around us. Swing Big. As she said, Lexi grew up in a small town and graduated from high school with 20 people. Yet, she described her pursuits as “shoot for the moon” which is clear from all she’s done. This is how we should all think – regardless of our backgrounds. We all have time and talents – and it’s up to all of us to maximize them. No better way to do this than to “shoot for the moon” as Lexi has done – and the impact when we do this is truly limitless. A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships. Lexi’s answer to what winning with class means to her could be one of my favorites. It’s creative, spot on and goes perfectly with her story – both about her Dad and the “ships” he raised when he got healthier as well as all of the boats Lexi has raised and continues to raise with her movement. Feeding off what we said about swinging big above – when we maximize our time, talents, and passions to chase greatness – that’s winning. Seeking to bring others with us – that’s winning with class. And Lexi is as good an example of this as there is. Links: Website: https://lexijwellness.com Social: @lexijwellness /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/39328395

Dr. John Delony – Building a Non-Anxious Life 11/20/2025

Dr. John Delony – Building a Non-Anxious Life Dr. John Delony, the host of The Dr. John Delony Show and co-host of The Ramsey Show, earned his Bachelor of Arts in humanities and psychology at Lubbock Christian University and his Masters of Education in higher education administration from Texas Tech University. He went on to earn two PhDs from Texas Tech University—one in counselor education and supervision, and the other in higher education administration. Other qualifications and certifications he’s earned over the years include: Education Management, Harvard University Civil Rights, Title IX Investigator (L1), NCHERM/ATIXA Certified Behavioral Intervention Team Best Practice (Not Current), National Association of Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA) Group Crisis Intervention, Individual Crisis Assistance, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) After spending over twenty years in crisis response and leading students in higher education (and finding real solutions and freedom in his own wellness journey), John knew he wanted to help as many people as possible heal from their past trauma and live whole, connected lives. He now , and teaches on relationships, mental health, anxiety and wellness. He also hosts The Dr. John Delony Show where he answers callers’ questions about all of the above, and serves as co-host of where he helps unpack the psychology behind finances. When John isn’t working, you can find him hanging out with his wife and two kids on their farm in Tennessee, headbanging at some obscure concert, or obsessing over his new lifting routine. AWARDS Three-Time National Bestselling Author for , and Outstanding Professional in Graduate and Professional Student Services, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Emerging Leader, West Texas Counseling Association Life Changer Award, Student Bar Association Award of Excellence, Black Law Students Association President’s Leadership Institute, Texas Tech University Distinguished Staff Member, Texas Tech University Staff Member of the Year, Chi Alpha Delta Tech Law School COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT State Board of Directors, Disability Rights Texas Planning and Network Advisory Committee, Lubbock StarCare Victim’s Services/Crisis Response Team, Lubbock Police Department Board of Directors, Texas Boys Ranch Professional Wellness Committee, Texas Counseling Association Takeaways: Anxiety is NOT an identity. John does a great job of describing what anxiety is and what it is not. He describes anxiety as a snapshot and a smoke alarm. He lets us know that it is NOT an identity that is to be taken as a permanent label or something that we “have” all the time. One of the main problems with labeling ourselves this way is that it creates a false governor, as John puts it, on our potential and limits who we can be. If you get a professional diagnosis of anxiety, treat it like the snapshot that it is and move forward to face those issues causing it as John shows us. Listen to your body and act. That tightness in your chest. The restlessness at night invading our sleep. The mind racing. Like John says, our bodies will tell us when things are not well. As he points out, unfortunately, our culture is one that pushes us not to be intentional and resolve issues, but to instead numb ourselves to these signs from the body. Netflix, drinking, over-working, and others as John mentioned, are used to make us forget about the warning signals…all as our body whispers, then talks, and eventually screams at us for action. The good thing is, we can do the opposite of all the numbing and take action. And John’s book, as some of our discussion highlighted, does a great job of telling us how to do this. Choose the hard path that brings you to peace. I like how John says we need to choose our hard – or choose our misery. Taking action is hard but will lead to a good place. Doing nothing will end up with hard results. Which one will you pick? As John says, we need to choose the one that brings us to a place that brings peace and a feeling of being whole. 6 daily habits – As we discussed, John’s book brings out 6 daily habits that will help us live our lives as opposed to just letting it happen to us…while the alarms start to sound. John lists these not just as habits but as habits we CHOOSE – as he said, intentionality is the key. A few of the habits we touched on in our conversation were: Reality – I love how John describes this as choosing our starting line – going to each main area of our lives and actually facing where we really are in each. How are your relationships? Your health? Your finances? John likens it to hearing that smoke alarm in the house – anxiety calling us – and then going from room to room in the house and seeing where we are with each and what we need to do to get to a place where we’re at peace and at least know that the smoke alarm is real. Connection – This is a great one given how we’ve all become so addicted to our devices. They’ve replaced our real connection - and that is not how we’re wired as humans. We need people and real connection – in person connection as John described, with some of his friends – not fake connection we get from social media and texting. As John noted, our body knows it when we have nobody with whom we can connect. And it wants to set off an alarm for you. We can satisfy or avoid these alarms by seeking REAL connection with people. So, we need to put down the phone or iPad and go out to lunch with a friend. We’ll feel better and those alarms will stay quiet. Freedom – As the body knows when you are out of touch with people due to a lack of connection, it also knows whether or not you have autonomy. As John mentioned, if you are in debt, you gotta go to work. It doesn’t matter if you have bad boss, you gotta go. But you can choose freedom by living below your means to get out of debt so you can choose where and for whom you will work. This goes for financial freedom, freedom with our calendars as John and I discussed, and more. Like Johns said, we need to look at our lives and ask who is making the decisions in our lives? How would we rate our autonomy? Do the check…then start getting after the pursuit of that freedom that will bring you peace…and you guessed it…less of those alarms. The Cornerstones of Psychologically healthy human. – I love how John listed these - Faith (believing in something bigger than us and how that brings the peace that comes from knowing you don’t have to worry about all the problems in the universe – somebody else’s got it), fitness, fun, and family – as the cornerstones of psychologically well human. And he followed it up by saying he just doesn’t compromise on these things. What a great way to look at the building blocks of our own foundations – and it’s hard to top John’s as a model. Establish them. Then commit to never compromising on them. Then the peace – and at least LESS anxiety – is sure to follow. Links: Website: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/john-delony Instagram: @johndelony YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnDelony TikTok: @johndelony Facebook: X: @johndelony /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/39109320

Trey Gowdy – The Color of Death 11/14/2025

Trey Gowdy – The Color of Death Trey Gowdy, Fox News Channel host of Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy and author of the book The Color of Death, was born in Greenville, South Carolina and grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is the son of Hal and Novalene Gowdy and has three sisters: Laura, Caroline, and Elizabeth. From 1994-2000, as a federal prosecutor, Trey prosecuted the full range of federal crimes including narcotics trafficking, bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, child pornography cases, and the murder of a federal witness. He was awarded the Postal Inspector’s Award for the successful prosecution of J. Mark Allen, one of “America’s Most Wanted” suspects. He also received the highest performance rating a federal prosecutor can receive – two years in a row. In 2000, he left the U.S. Attorney's office to run for 7th Circuit Solicitor (District Attorney) in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. As 7th Circuit Solicitor, Trey led an office of 25 attorneys and 65 total employees. He started a Violence Against Women Task Force, a Worthless Check Program, enhanced and expanded Drug Court, and implemented a Drug Mother Protocol designed to assist expectant mothers break the cycle of addiction. He has been recognized statewide for his commitment to victim’s rights and drunken driving enforcement and nationally for excellence in death penalty prosecutions. In 2010, he ran for congress to represent the 4th Congressional District (Greenville and Spartanburg Counties). While in congress he served on the Judiciary Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Intelligence Committee, Education and the Workforce Committee and Ethics Committee. He was also chosen to chair a Select Committee on the events occurring in Libya on September 11-12, 2012. While in congress he actively participated in numerous congressional investigations, sponsored bills signed into law and had deep and meaningful relationships with scores of colleagues on both sides of the aisle. After four terms in congress, he announced he would not seek re-election in 2018 and would leave public service for good; thus, ending his career with a flawless record in the courtroom and undefeated in political races. In January of 2019, he returned to his beloved South Carolina to practice law, teach classes with his close friend Senator Tim Scott, and speak on legal issues he considers important to our country. Trey is a best-selling author, host of a television show, and podcast. Trey is married to Terri Dillard Gowdy, a former first grade school teacher in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They have two children, Watson and Abigail. Takeaways: Significance over success. As you heard, Trey described winning with class as living a life of significance as defined by us and being able to say that you lived a life that mattered. As Trey emphasized, it’s NOT about success, money, or fame – all of which are totally overrated. So, we need to all first determine what significance is to us – then go out and live THAT life. Trey also mentioned the IMPACT he wants to make – making people around him better - as he's living his life of significance. Overall, I think Trey gave us a great model of significance over success by saying he wants to be remembered as a great husband, a great father, a good friend and, ultimately, in terms of his profession, he wants to be remembered as a fair prosecutor. Both sides of the aisle. As you know, this is not a political show, but if you listen to Trey, both in this episode and elsewhere, you will often hear of him refer to his friends on both sides of the aisle. This is one of the things I like most about him – he serves as a good example of where we need to be in terms of treating all people with respect, calling out truth and lies equally, no matter which letter comes behind a person’s name. I heard one leader say recently how we all need to put country over party – we simply need to strive to get back to that place. As Trey mentioned, fairness – a beautiful virtue – is absent in politics as it’s become too much about chopping down the opponent, popularity and getting clicks. The path back from this, as Trey mentions, is to get to a place where our value for fairness and justice supersedes all. Passion for Justice and Fairness. It was great to hear about why Trey ultimately chose the path of being a prosecutor. First, his Mother, who had a background as a victim’s advocate inspired Trey by noting that it often seemed like the defendants got better attorneys than those who were seeking justice for the victims. Then, secondly, Trey was inspired to jump in and do something as he was driving home from the funeral of a family friend who was murdered for not giving up his grandfather’s watch. I’m not sure there are better motivating factors than that. And, as Trey indicated, to handle all that comes with that job of a prosecutor – you need to have a passion for it and truly love it. I gained even more respect for Trey, all prosecutors and law enforcement through our conversation. Trey does a great job of portraying the soul crushing nature of the entire pursuit of justice process in The Color of Death. Success Principles. As you heard, Trey’s record as a prosecutor is impressive. I loved the notions to which he credits his success – preparation, communication, authenticity, credibility, and integrity - priding himself on the judges and, everybody involved for that matter, being able to rely on what he said. These principles pretty much work with any avenue you choose to pursue and are principles we should carry with us everywhere we go. Peace. We’ve spoken previously about how the ultimate goal of all we are talking about on this show is the peace that comes from a well-anchored pursuit. I loved it when Trey said – “What other people think about me is none of my business.” What a great reminder of a great place to be in a world full of comparisons and negativity. We get there by achieving peace through our anchored pursuit. Trey is on this path – living his life of significance - and we can all get there too. Links: Websites: https://www.treygowdy.com Instagram: X: @tgowdysc Facebook: Trey Gowdy Other Books by Trey: Unified, How Our Unlikely Friendship Gives Us Hope for a Divided Country (New York Times Best Seller with Tim Scott) Doesn’t Hurt to Ask, Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade (New York Times Best Seller), Start, Stay, or Leave, The Art of Decision Making (New York Times Best Seller) /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/39034980

Marty Grunder – Growing a Winning with Class Business 10/24/2025

Marty Grunder – Growing a Winning with Class Business Marty Grunder started Grunder Landscaping Co (GLC) in 1984 so that he and his brother could buy more baseball cards. He didn’t have any idea then what it would become. He still serves as the company’s Founder and CEO, working to connect with those in the community who could use a great partner in their landscaping. Marty also runs his own business consultancy, The Grow Group, which teaches landscape professionals from across the country how to implement the business practices that work so well for GLC. Their annual event, The Grow Annual Conference, brought 1,000 + landscape pros to Columbus, OH in 2025. Marty has been recognized as the Ohio Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Midwest by the Small Business Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was also named the Dayton/Miami Valley Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001 by Ernst & Young, and in 2021 was inducted into the Dayton Business Hall of Fame. He’s been recognized by the Dayton Business Journal’s (DBJ) 40 under 40 and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2020. He was recognized as a Leader in Diversity by the DBJ in 2023 and is an award-winning regular columnist for Landscape Management Magazine. A lifelong Daytonian, Marty enjoys rooting for the Reds, Bengals, and Dayton Flyers. When he’s not working, he loves spending time with his wife, Lisa, visiting their four children, and being “Mulch” and “Pop” to his two granddaughters. Takeaways: Pursuing your WHY. As he mentioned, from the start of his business journey, Marty had a love for landscaping. This passion was soon combined with a drive, at that time, to get out of college with no debit. This early WHY transformed and expanded into that of building a great team, business, and culture, all while maintaining family as his top priority. What a great example of the notion that when you have a great WHY and pour your heart and soul into chasing it, success is soon to follow. Leadership. Marty has gained so many great leadership lessons on his journey and he continually shares them with his team and consulting group – the Grow Group – they’re all lucky to have him. As Marty shared with us, leadership is an ongoing, evolving journey that he’s still pursuing. Just to highlight a few of his lessons.. Marty made a great point about how, no matter how hard it is, you need to find a way to delegate. To really grow, you can’t do it alone, so, you need to find a way to trust others, build a team of great people around you, and then let them handle responsibilities that are in line with their talents. He also mentions how he battled ego in the beginning. I think this is fairly normal - handling success at young age is NOT easy. It takes a true focus to stop at that line of the confidence that comes from success and making sure it doesn’t cross over into cockiness and ego driven behavior that is poisonous to teams and businesses. Marty did this and, now like the great leader he is – he helps other young business owners do the same through the Grow Group. Emotional Intelligence. Related to the leadership points above, Marty mentions the importance of emotional intelligence and how it is a skill you can develop. He points out that it’s all about pondering, thinking, slowing down, learning when to talk and when to listen when you’re frustrated, etc. Marty’s “TNT”– standing for Temperature – cooling down, realizing there is No reason to react, and then finding the T - the opportunity to Teach. This is all a part of building and maintaining solid emotional intelligence – something that is absolutely essential to both leadership and the building of solid and lasting relationships. Culture. Marty makes great culture points here. I love his mantra about how external customer services will never exceed internal customer service, meaning that he needs to treat his team as well as he aims to treat customers. This leads to low turnover and an engaged and inspired team which will in turn, treat the customers well on the front lines. Marty emphasized that NOTHING is more important than culture. He brought this home by describing how he likes to create an atmosphere that is as if the front door is open and back door is closed. They come in the front door and it’s so great, they don’t want to leave. Marty’s built a great model of this and his company’s low turnover rate in a high turnover industry is proof that it has been a success. Integrity. I love how simply and bluntly Marty mentioned integrity. It’s so essential that he doesn’t need a sign for it. It should be automatic. Marty and his team lead by example with a focus on doing the right thing always – no signs are needed for this one. Links: Websites: Instagram: @grunderlandscaping, @growgroup, @martygrunder Facebook: Grunder Landscaping Company, Marty Grunder, The Grow Group /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/38775240

Dave Berke – The Need to Lead 10/21/2025

Dave Berke – The Need to Lead DAVE BERKE is a Retired U.S. Marine Corps Officer, Fighter Pilot, and the Chief Officer of Development and Curriculum and Leadership Instructor at Echelon Front. Dave Berke is a retired Marine Corps officer, fighter pilot, and ground-combat leader. A seasoned F/A-18 Hornet pilot, Dave was deployed twice aboard aircraft carriers in support of combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN and became qualified in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, then served as the Training Officer, the senior staff pilot responsible for the conduct of the TOPGUN course. He was the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor and became the first operational pilot to fly and be qualified in the F-35B, commanding the world’s first F-35B squadron. Dave went on to serve as an ANGLICO forward air controller in the Battle of Ramadi, leading an arms liaison team in combat missions through the most dangerous neighborhoods and accompanying Task Unit Bruiser on virtually every major operation. 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 Jocko Willink and Leif Babin to apply his leadership expertise as the Chief Development Officer at Echelon Front, where he advises, speaks, and instructs civilian teams and companies. He is the author of the forthcoming book, “The Need to Lead”, which distills his lessons from TOPGUN to the battlefield into actionable leadership skills. Takeaways: Leadership exists in every capacity. This is a great point that Dave’s book brings home..literally. As Dave points out, it starts with ourselves – actually taking the time to lead ourselves, then also looking to lead in all of our roles – at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond. Detachment. This is a great point that comes out in the book as well as our conversation. It’s a word we don’t think about often, but I think it perfectly describes what have to do when we lead our teams. Truly effective leadership doesn’t happen unless we genuinely listen to our team and take in their perspectives and ideas. For us to do this, we need to have the ability to detach from ourselves – our ego, our emotions, our own viewpoints, etc. If we can do this, we’ll develop the ability to consistently lead the team and build a strong culture as well. It’s ALWAYS about the team. What an amazing story Dave tells about landing on that carrier in the dark and the snow…being surprised at the SOUND of him landing. Dave tells how he never would have been able to land if it wasn’t for the team on the carrier that guided him in – the team on the flight deck, the cat seat controllers who control you at night, air traffic control team, etc. Dave was the pilot, and it would’ve been easy for him to allow his ego to take over and accept the pats on the back for landing the plane. Instead, he took the lesson its impact on him to teach him the importance of realizing that no matter what you do, it’s ALWAYS about the TEAM. Links: Website: IG: @davidrberke FB: X: @davidrberke /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/38734235

Masey McLain – A soul on fire LIVING her PURPOSE 10/17/2025

Masey McLain – A soul on fire LIVING her PURPOSE Masey McLain is an actress, screenwriter, and producer best known for her leading roles in I’m Not Ashamed and the hit Amazon Prime series, The Baxters, where her performances have been praised for their emotional depth. Masey also plays a lead role in Soul On Fire, the recently released movie based on the inspirational life of John O’Leary. Masey is also one half of a powerhouse creative team alongside her writing and producing partner, Taylor Kalupa. Together, their projects include the award-winning film A Christmas Less Traveled, starring Candace Cameron Bure, as well as their work on the action-packed TV series Blue Ridge. They are currently developing a television series with Jon Erwin’s The Wonder Project (I Can Only Imagine, House of David). They’re also set to adapt and produce a #1 New York Times bestselling novel alongside producer Roma Downey. Off-screen, Masey is a sought-after speaker known for inspiring women to step boldly into their purpose. Whether on set, in a writers’ room, or on stage, she’s committed to telling stories that matter and make an impact that lasts far beyond the screen. Takeaways: Living a YES life. We joked about Masey’s habit of just trying everything. From running, to theater, to film, to singing in front of Jonas brothers. She’s a living, breathing example of what it means for us to seize every opportunity that comes our way. Boldly living her purpose. There’s no doubt that Masey’s purpose is rooted in her faith. This is great in and of itself. But the way Masey truly LIVES her purpose so proudly and boldly is a great model for all of us. We talk a lot about it, and we’ve had some great guests discuss the importance of self-awareness and doing the work to discovery who we are, how we’re wired and what makes us truly LIVE. It’s all worth it to get to a place like Masey is where she is living so freely and truly with her soul on fire, knowing she’s living on purpose for her purpose. So, we need to do the work to look within ourselves and find what truly drives us – something that builds our foundation and fulfillment – and then go live it, boldly like Masey. Ability to pivot. Masey’s performance in playing Rachel Joy Scott in the movie, I Am Not Ashamed is one you need to see. As we discussed, Masey does an incredible job of portraying a person who draws people in as Rachel did before she passed and even did afterward as well. I think this comes naturally for Masey as we discussed. But, then Masey had to be ready to pivot from her career expectations afterward – since she was told her career would take off – and it just didn’t. All Masey did was show the strength, the courage, and the faith to take on the new path that developed – that of speaking all across the country. And, again, not only did she benefit from discovering a new talent, but many others benefited as well from her talks. We have to be ready for the pivots of life and then pour ourselves into them…good things will come for us..and for those around us. Soul on Fire Movie. I love Masey’s wish for people to have in terms of walking out from this movie – the notion that no matter what - you have a choice with regard to the trajectory/path of your life. But two things. First, YOU have to CHOOSE to LIVE. And second, at times, you will have to FIGHT to LIVE. John clearly did it his whole life after his Mom challenged him to fight. Masey has also done it in her life – choosing to live her purpose and then fight for her pursuit of putting out the best and most positive and impactful content possible. Being Spiritually Selfish. I love this advice from Masey that we discussed. It’s so in line with all we’ve talked about regarding doing the work on yourself so that you can not only pursue your complete, but so you can also maximize the positive impact that comes from maximizing your foundation and talents. Links: Soul on Fire Movie: Website: Instagram: Facebook: TikTok: Twitter: YouTube: Masey’s Social Media: Instagram: Facebook: Website: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/38619675

John O’Leary – Living a Soul on Fire Life 10/16/2025

John O’Leary – Living a Soul on Fire Life In 1987, John O’Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live. This epic story of survival was first showcased in Overwhelming Odds, the book his parents wrote in 2006. It was this book that first invited John to embrace his miraculous recovery and share it with the world. Today, John inspires tens of thousands of people at more than 100 live and virtual events each year. He partners with companies and organizations across fields, such as sales, healthcare, safety, marketing, finance, faith, education and insurance. Consistently described as “the best speaker we’ve ever had,” John’s tireless schedule is a testament to the power of his message. His emotional storytelling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each presentation unforgettable. John is a two-time bestselling author of On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy. John’s award-winning Live Inspired Podcast has more than seven million downloads and enjoys world-class guests such as Brené Brown, Mitch Albom, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Bob Costas. Amazingly, John’s story is taking on a new form: a full-length feature film starring Joel Courtney, John Corbett, and William H. Macy. SOUL ON FIRE will be released in theaters nationwide on October 10, 2025. Regardless of his professional accomplishments, John considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family. Takeaways: Life before the accident. John mentions that life for his family was REALLY good but “we didn’t know it.” Isn’t this how we all are? It’s so easy for us to move through life without stopping to take a look around and appreciate all that we have. John’s story is just another reminder here. Especially in today’s fast-paced world – we need to MAKE time to stop and appreciate our family, friends, and all of those people and things for which we should be grateful. The instant responses to the fire of John’s siblings. Like the Navy Seals say, you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. Here’s it’s not so much about training as it is about the seeds of foundation that were planted by John’s family. As John said in our conversation, the instantaneous, instinctive, and heroic responses of his siblings at the sight of their brother on fire were all the result of two parents who, as John put it figuratively “sat at the head of the table and insisted that the siblings loved each other.” True, Genuine, Unconditional and sometimes tough love from John’s parents. From his Dad running after him to tell him he loves him, to, in the movie saying repeatedly “I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it” to his Mom and her tough love, forcing John to find a way to eat on his own from the very beginning, despite the challenges. This is a great example of the REAL love we should all strive for…and, I would say John turned out pretty good, so it worked. Fighting to LIVE. John’s Mom didn’t give him just any answer when he asked if he was going to die. She gave him a real one that came with a challenge. And John more than answered that challenge. This became one of the main themes of John’s journey – choosing and fighting to not just survive, but to THRIVE. John's job after college – as a real estate developer. As John said, “It’s one thing to overcome the fire. It’s another to LIVE after it.” It’s hard to find a better example of the aggressive application of this phrase than this. Scars over his entire body. No fingers. And he chose to go fix up and flip houses. All he did here, was make a career out of it for 10 years. Simply amazing. Mission statement for life – why do you choose to thrive? We talk about companies having mission statements all the time. But, not as much for individuals. John’s is a pretty strong one – God demands it. My family deserves it. The world is starving for it. Let’s roll. No excuses – is there any doubt John has lived his mission statement? What’s yours? Create one that works for you. Then go live it. Jack Buck. The amazing way Jack, a hall of fame baseball announcer for John’s favorite team, showed up for John – not only to help him through his situation, but to coach him up along the way, as he did helping John learn to write. We can all help somebody – and we should strive to pour ourselves out for others like Jack did more often. Living In Awe. As we discussed, John’s book, In Awe, is a great reminder to live like we did as kids before “adulting” got in the way. Not avoiding or ignoring responsibilities, but rather just living on OFFENSE, instead of defense. Like John’s son, Jack, told him “Dad, I’m playing to win and you’re playing not to lose.” There’s a difference. It’s not always easy, but let’s follow Jack’s way. Links: Soul on Fire Movie: Website: Instagram: Facebook: TikTok: Twitter: YouTube: John’s Social Media: Instagram: Facebook: Website: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/38603475

Dr. Allison Rogers - Winning Mental Health and Performance 10/09/2025

Dr. Allison Rogers - Winning Mental Health and Performance Dr. Allison Rogers is a part of the Mississippi State University Counseling and Sport Psychology department. She specializes in applied approaches to obtaining peak performance with strategies based in self-awareness, efficacy and autonomy, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and understanding the interconnectedness of thoughts, feelings and behavior. Additionally, Dr. Rogers believes in a holistic approach to well-being and places a significant emphasis on relationships and communication. Dr. Rogers has a master's degree in counseling from West Alabama and a doctorate degree in sport and performance psychology from Western States. She holds a National Certified Counselor credential from the National Board of Certified Counselors and Certified Mental Performance Consulting credential from the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Before coming to Mississippi State, she ran a private practice in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for youth to professional athletes in the area of sport performance psychology (reaching peak performance through mental skills training). Since the start of her career, Dr. Rogers has worked in several mental health capacities across both the private and public sectors with a plethora of experience serving special education and neglected and delinquent populations of individuals. As a Mississippi native, Dr. Rogers strives to increase accessibility of mental health services in her home state while also hoping to continue educating teams and athletes on the benefits of proactive mental performance training. Takeaways: Self-awareness. I really liked how Allison explained self-awareness as the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Now, more than ever, with all the distractions out there and how fast paced life is – we really need to be extra intentional about this process. We need to study ourselves – doing the work, using any and all resources available to us – to take charge of our thoughts, so that our feelings and behaviors are as we want them to be – leading to positive results for ourselves and our teams. Confidence issues. I hope you were able to note that one of the things Allison deals with the most is that of confidence. Yes, EVEN for D 1 Athletes. As you heard, one of the methods Allison uses to battle confidence issues is the establishing of a journaling habit. This allows her athletes to start with and keep track of small accomplishments and build from there. Once this is done the size of the accomplishments and level of confidences rises. Allison also emphasized the power of positive self-talk, which we’ve hit on before. And I love how Allison mentioned that we need to be careful not to let our weaknesses define our self-worth. Again, I think the key here is checking in consistently on ourselves – looking in the mirror – and seeing how we’re doing - what is and isn’t working in terms of how we feel about ourselves and then taking the time and doing the work to make any changes that may be needed. Self-efficacy and autonomy. Allison touched on a great point here. Self-efficacy being the individual’s belief in their own ability to succeed. And autonomy – being the capacity to act independently and free from control. As our conversation showed, creating efficacy and autonomy is a team game. Leaders need to create environments that allow for both, and the team’s individuals need to work on themselves to best set them up for success both as individuals and as a team. When this comes together success usually follows. Emotional regulation. Bad emotions lead to bad behavior – if we don’t know how to regulate them. Again, whether it’s breathing techniques as Allison mentioned or otherwise – there are things you can find to do to get better at regulating your emotions. So, we need to be intentional about this as the bad behavior that comes from bad emotions can hurt relationships and teams…in sports and in life..if we let them. Mindfulness. This one is about making sure we stay in the present moment. Another tough challenge for all of us given the speed at which we live. And, again, it’s going to take every bit of the best intentional efforts we can give to make it happen. But if we want to be at our best – we have to be where are feet are. Put the phone down and have the conversation. Forget the past slump as Allison mentioned and just play TODAY’s game. I like how Allison mentioned getting back to center…using the grounding technique of engaging our senses and soaking all of that in as opposed to engaging bad emotions and distracting negative thoughts about the past, etc. Internal foundation. Allison does a great job of explaining how the building of our internal foundation depends on who we are. So, in line with what we talked about in terms of self-awareness – here’s another reason why it’s so important. We need to know how we’re wired first, so we can figure out the best way to build our internal foundation – one that will be there for us when the ups and downs of life call for it. Relationships. Allison put it pretty simply here, which was great - nothing can happen without genuine relationships. We do the work on self-awareness, we build ourselves into the best versions of ourselves as we’ve discussed..which leads to emotional control, which leads to better interactions with the team, which makes it easier to work with each other, which forms trusting relationships. Once we get there, the sky is the limit for us and our teams. Links: Website: IG: @doc.allison.rogers X: @DrAllisonRogers /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/38527200

Rachel Cruze – Helping Us Win Money with Class 08/13/2025

Rachel Cruze – Helping Us Win Money with Class Rachel Cruze is a wife, a mother, a certified financial coach, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and seasoned communicator. Rachel helps Americans learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. She’s authored multiple bestselling books, including Know Yourself, Know Your Money, Love Your Life, Not Theirs, Contentment Journal, Smart Money Smart Kids, and a children’s book, I’m Glad for What I Have. The daughter of Dave Ramsey, she uses the knowledge and experiences from growing up in the Ramsey household to educate others. She’s the host of The Rachel Cruze Show on YouTube and podcast, co-hosts Smart Money Happy Hour with George Kamel, and co-hosts The Ramsey Show, often with her Dad! Check out the links below to follow her! Takeaways: Avoiding the comparison game. This is a tough one when it comes to the money game because, as Rachel says, whether its social media, the news, or almost anywhere else, the opportunities for us to compare ourselves to others surround us. So, we have to be intentional about getting to a place of peace. This comes from the right combination of foundation and fulfillment that comes from putting in the work. Once we’re at this level of peace, we’re a LOT less susceptible to the comparison game. And, as Rachel says, we can actually get to a place of celebrating others and turn the viewing of others’ success as a positive experience. Knowing ourselves. I love the notion – like the title of her book tells us – to know ourselves so that we can really figure out our true relationship with money. As we’ve said with winning with class and pursuing your complete – you gotta do the work. We all need to look in the mirror, dig deep and figure out what is driving our relationship with money. Self-awareness is critical in all areas of life and Rachel confirms that the money game is no different. I love how Rachel makes the point that personal finance is 80% behavior, 20% head knowledge. This isn’t complicated. We can all get the knowledge we need to have a solid money game. It’s our HABITS that we need to analyze and strive to consistently improve – and Rachel helps us with this. Also, like we discussed, just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy. And, as we discussed, fear can play a factor. I love how Rachel says that one of the ways we can fight fear is by focusing on the truth – write it all down and get comfortable with the facts. Facts are our friend. Most of the time, either they will reveal that reality is not as bad as you thought OR, even if it’s not great, by getting it all in front of you, you’ve tackled the toughest part which is owning the situation. Now you just need to game plan your way to progress…and we discussed how you can do that, using the baby steps Rachel mentioned. Being Committed v. Just Involved. For the reasons Rachel mentioned – all the positives that money can bring you if used as the tool she describes – freedom, peace, a life of impact and more – the money game needs to be one we all fully COMMIT to on a consistent basis. We can’t just be involved – we need to COMMIT! Finally, the word we’ve begun to speak about regularly on the show pops up again…PEACE….Rachel does a great job of describing PEACE as the result of living a life with the right money perspective and game plan. The peace that involves living a life you love and being generous while you do it..THAT IS winning with class and it simply doesn’t get any better than that. Links: Website: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/rachel-cruze IG: @rachelcruze X: @rachelcruze TikTok @rachelcruze /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/37801790

Dr. Caroline Leaf – Help In A Hurry! 08/07/2025

Dr. Caroline Leaf – Help In A Hurry! DR. CAROLINE LEAF is a globally acclaimed communication pathologist and clinical and research neuroscientist, celebrated for her groundbreaking work in harnessing the power of the mind to transform the brain and unlock sustainable happiness and health. A passionate advocate for mental and emotional well-being, she is the bestselling author of 19 transformative books which have been translated into over 24 languages. Her best-selling books include Switch On Your Brain, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, The Perfect You, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, and How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess. Her research and insights have touched millions through widely read journal articles, viral videos, her top-ranking podcast, and inspirational TV episodes. Dr. Leaf is a sought-after speaker, captivating audiences at prestigious academic, medical, and neuroscience conferences, as well as in churches and organizations across the globe. Her expertise has been featured in renowned media outlets such as Forbes, BBC, Mindbodygreen, CNN, Men’s Health, Vogue, Elle, TEDX and many others, solidifying her as a trusted voice in neuroscience, personal development, and mental health. Help In a Hurry Book Even though it’s uncomfortable and sometimes even distressing to us, it’s perfectly normal to feel lost, anxious, or overwhelmed at times. It’s okay to be a bit of a mess! But none of us wants to stay that way for long. If you’ve ever felt stuck in crisis mode, the strategies in this book will help you cope in the moment, manage a chaotic mind, and start living each day with intention and inner peace. With actionable, evidence-based strategies to handle our most common challenges in life, this practical guide from bestselling author and clinical neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf offers the tools you need to prevent a descent into chaos and instead find peace and strength amid the turmoil of daily life. Takeaways: The way this book is set up is great. Dr. Leaf dedicates a separate chapter each to common issues a lot of us face and provides tools and information that will help process our responses to these circumstances. We covered one in our conversation – yes, one of the chapters really is titled “Help, I want to punch that person in the face.” Other chapters include “Help, I’m under pressure!”, “Help, my brain won’t shut up!”, “Help, I don’t understand what the heck is happening!”, and more. One of the main things I like about the book is the empowering notion that our minds actually make up 99% of who we are. There’s so much out there about brain science – all of which is great. But, as we discussed, that can get a little overwhelming in terms of the science behind how the brain is built and how it functions. To hear Dr. Leaf describe how the mind controls the brain and that WE can manage our minds – that’s powerful and should make us all feel like we actually can control everything a lot more than we may have thought before. If we pursue mind management, our brains and even our bodies will end up in a good place. I like how Dr. Leaf says we have 3 time periods in which we can manage our minds. We can prepare beforehand – practice before the situation arises, we can take charge of that 60 second short period before we respond immediately to the circumstances, and then we can do a deep dive for 63 days following our triggering event and transform it into a positive habit or memory. All of this is described as Mind Management. One of the benefits of mind management is that when we choose to be intentional, self-reflective, and manage our own minds, as Dr. Leaf and I discussed, we can avoid following that that that has become all too common of falling into an identity that is based on the surface information and outside sources. If we simply allow the processes and tools of our own mind take over, we will no longer be interested in the quick-hit or “trendy” identity. I also like how Dr. Leaf said that Winning with Class simply is Mind Management. As she said this, she confirmed that when we manage our minds, it allows us to be both strong AND nice as people. This balance is exactly what winning with class – and the pursuit of complete - is all about. Finally, I like how Dr. Leaf referred to PEACE as FUEL. Ultimately, all of this – mind management, winning with class, pursuing complete…it’s all about achieving a level of PEACE. This peace is, as Dr. Leaf says, FUEL – fuel that will free us and allow us all to maximize our time and our talents and the resulting POSITIVE IMPACT that we will have on ourselves and all those surrounding us. Links: Website: www.drleaf.com IG: @drcarolineleaf X: @DrCarolineLeaf /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/37717980

Coach Nick Mingione – Culture: Build it. Lead it. LIVE it. 07/18/2025

Coach Nick Mingione – Culture: Build it. Lead it. LIVE it. Nick Mingione was named Kentucky’s head coach on June 13, 2016 and quickly became a respected piece of the UK Baseball program and local community, while guiding the Wildcats to their only Super Regional and first-ever College World Series appearance in school history. In his rookie season as a head coach, Mingione proved a quick study as the 2017 Wildcats etched their name all over the school’s record books. The program made a trip to the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals for the first time and finished ranked in the Top 10 of every major college baseball poll. In year seven, Mingione repeated the feat by returning to the Super Regional and climbing into the Top 10 during the season. UK has hosted a regional four times in history, all of which Mingione was on staff for, including twice as head coach. The Wildcats had a record-breaking 2024 season that earned Mingione his second SEC and National Coach of the year awards. UK set a new school record with 46 victories and won the SEC regular season crown for just the second time. Mingione – who spent eight seasons as an assistant to Cohen at Mississippi State – was an immediate hit with fans and community leaders. He made it a point to have his team involved in the community, part of his “Student. Person. Player.” guiding principle of the program, participating in numerous philanthropic events in Lexington while also taking time for more than 100 local speaking engagements. His impact on the Commonwealth culminated in being named a Kentucky Colonel on Oct. 23, 2017. The designation is the highest honor a civilian can receive in Kentucky. He also was named the 2022 winner of the Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award for his work on and off the field. The Cats also have been dominant in the classroom, having 31 players receive SEC Academic Honor Roll and First-Year Honor Roll in 2018, eight more than any other school in the conference. Zach Logue was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2017, Troy Squires won the prestigious Senior CLASS Award in 2018, the first Kentucky player to do so, and Marshall Gei was First-Team Academic All-America in 2019. T.J. Collett then became the second Wildcat in four years to win the Senior CLASS Award when he was honored in 2021. UK also has had an Academic All-American in five of the past six years. “He’s a special coach,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “They know how to play. They know how to win. Their pitchers know exactly who they are, how to execute it. They know exactly the style of offense that they are, and they play it great. He’s a special dude. He’s a special competitor. He’s a great coach and a great human being.” Mingione – born in Tarrytown, N.Y., before growing up in Florida – graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2000 with a degree in aerospace studies, as well as a triple minor in business, psychology and humanities. He was also a four-year letterman on the school’s baseball team. Away from coaching, Mingione travels often for both speaking engagements and mission trips. In 2013, he and a group of former players and coaches helped build houses and run baseball clinics for youth on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. When he returned stateside, he was inducted into the “Be The Best You Are” Baseball Clinic Speaker Hall of Fame. Other past inductees include Ted Williams (2002), Ron Polk (2003), Leo Mazzone (2006) and Cohen (2008). Mingione and his wife, Christen, have one son, Reeves. Key Takeaways: From the start, it was pretty clear that Coach Mingione had coaching in his heart. We talk a lot about pursuing your complete – one of the main aspects of this is pursuing a life that is truly in line with how you are wired from the inside. This is the best path to pursuing a life as the best and most COMPLETE versions of ourselves. Coach has clearly done this, and it comes out in the genuine nature with which he discusses his role as coach and leader. “It’s not what you’re playing for, it’s WHO you’re playing for.” What a fantastic notion for all of us – in sports and in life. If we can maintain this as our mentality for ourselves, for the teams we play on, the businesses in which we work, the communities in which we live – playing and living not for trophies and awards, but as the best representative of ourselves and those around us…there is no limit for how far we can all go. Coach’s three culture points: 1) It’s an everyday thing. 2) It’s about what you allow – he strives to allow his players to be best versions of selves 3) It’s about what you reinforce. I love how he mentions that “consistency compounds.” The result - it becomes WHO YOU ARE as players and as a team. That’s when the fun starts. The standard is the standard. I love this one. There is little room for gray here. And it’s great for all of us – as individuals and teams. You establish standards that will lead you where you want to – and then you follow them. Then you encourage repetition with acknowledgement and rewards. As the repetition builds…you end up defining yourself and your team. As Coach indicates, elite teams and losing teams are usually defined by their standards. Feedback – breakfast of champions. This is a great one as well. We can’t grow if we can’t give and receive feedback. When we give it, it needs to be from the right place in our hearts. Likewise, when we receive it, it needs to be with an open heart. A critical piece to this is letting go of EGO. Coach mentions that he defines ego as “Edging God Out” which I love as well. Or another way to say it is just putting aside our self-interest and opening ourselves up for growth, acknowledging that the person giving the feedback just wants growth and improvement for us and the team. Coach’s FOUNDATION is clear. Faith, family, and UK make up his foundation and this is clearly genuine as he discusses it so naturally. I really like how his faith is unwavering for him, but he acknowledges that, as a leader, he needs to meet his players where they are on THEIR journey. He is always open to share his faith but won’t force it on anybody either. Related to this point on FOUNDATION is our common notion of PURSUING COMPLETE. I like how coach mentions here the important step of eliminating the negatives as well as adding the positives in this PURSUIT. He can’t have whining, complaining, soft, lazy or selfish and strives to eliminate those as much as he works to build the positive elements of the team’s culture. Eliminating the negatives from our lives should be just as much a part of our PURSUIT of COMPLETE as adding and chasing the positive aspects of who we strive to be. Leadership style. Two points here. First, I love coach’s simple, yet powerful style of simply asking questions and listening. He mentions how this process takes some longer than others, but, as the example he provided of taking three meetings with one player, it sounds like Coach usually gets everybody where they need to be with this process. Second, the notion of “better caught than taught.” There’s no better way to lead than by example. It can be supplemented by teaching and coaching, but they’ll follow you mostly because of what they SEE in you. Links: Website: IG: @ukbaseball X: @Coach_Mingione /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/37455795

Neal McDonough – The Pursuit of High Standards 05/20/2025

Neal McDonough – The Pursuit of High Standards Multi-talented and award-winning actor Neal McDonough has been blessed to have an incredible career in the film industry. He is now producing films alongside his wife Ruvé for the McDonough company. Films such as THE WARRANT, BREAKERS LAW, REDSTONE, BOON, BLACK SPARTANS ,and most recently the hit film THE SHIFT for Angel Studios. Soon, they will be going into production on their next western that he has written called THE WICKED AND THE RIGHTEOUS . McDonough is well known for performances in productions, such as BAND OF BROTHERS, MINORITY REPORT, WALKING TALL and STAR-TREK FIRST CONTACT. He also started in many stage productions, and most recently playing Whitey Bulger on stage in FINDING WHITEY at the Wilbur theater in Boston. He also recently played Daddy Warbucks in ANNIE and numerous other stage productions as well. His voice over career is what really started him. The voice of many cartoons, including Bruce Banner in the INCREDIBLE HULK and in many video games such as CALL OF DUTY ZOMBIES. He has also been the long-term voice of FIDELITY AND CADILLAC. But he's most proud of his relationship with God, his wife, Ruvé, and their five children. McDonough trained at Syracuse University and studied at LAMDA in London. The Last Rodeo Synopsis: A retired rodeo legend risks it all to save his grandson. Facing his own painful past and the fears of his family, he enters a high-stakes bull-riding competition as the oldest contestant ever. Along the way, he reconciles old wounds with his estranged daughter and proves that true courage is found in the fight for family. Neal McDonough, Writer/Producer/Lead Actor (Ian Ross). Takeaways: First, we all need to go see The Last Rodeo. It comes out on Memorial Day, so go get your tickets and go with your whole family. A movie that’s described as Rocky on a bull, that comes with great messages, truly made for the whole family, with the icing on the cake of having Neal’s wife Ruve join him – how can it get any better than that? Neal’s genuine and humble nature – the manner with which he handled the entire interview from the minute he sat down to chat. Neal gets a million requests for interviews, and he spoke on this show as if he’s been friends with all of us forever. This guy’s the real deal and confirmed why he’s such a great model of the phrase that is the title and main theme of this show. Neal’s Pursuit of Complete. a. First, it hasn’t been easy – we mentioned his having to go through great loss from being black balled in Hollywood for choosing to stand by his standards, then having to quit alcohol as he mentioned – he’s clearly fought some battles along the way. b. Second, and along those lines – he’s a great example of TRULY committing to your pursuit and the standards that drive it. How much are we willing to sacrifice to maintain our standards? How many battles would we be willing to fight to stay true to them? c. Third, we talk a lot about strong priorities and a strong foundation – Neal clearly has both. With FAITH and FAMILY as his main driving factors, he was able to handle all the adversity and battles that went along with his pursuit…and…he was going to WIN…it was just a matter of time. d. Fourth, like we’ve said, and Neal confirmed by saying as well..that the PURSUIT of COMPLETE is ongoing. As he said, we’ll never get there - we’re always in PURSUIT and we just have to keep driving. e. Finally, listen to the RESULT of Neal’s PURSUIT – though it is ongoing as we just mentioned, there is that sense of genuine fulfillment that will come at some point when you know you’re on the right path that is directly in line with who you are at your core. When that happens, LIMITLESS IMPACT becomes possible. And Neal is clearly on that path… Please follow Neal, Angel Studios, and PBR where Neal and his wife Ruve are part of the ownership team of PBR’s Austin Gamblers: Links: The Last Rodeo Website: Neal McDonough IG: @neal_mcdonough Angel Instagram: @angelstudios_inc Angel website: PBR website: PBR IG: @pbr /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/36647160

Cori Close – Coaching from the Heart! 03/31/2025

Cori Close – Coaching from the Heart! Cori Close was named The Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach on April 21, 2011, and is currently 287-140 (.672) overall. This year, Coach Close led the Bruins to a 30-win season, at one point winning 23 in a row, 22 by double digit margins. The regular season ended with a Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship and a number one overall seed in the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament. For all of this, Close was named the Women’s Coach of the Year by the US Basketball Writers Association. This strong season was preceded by UCLA’s second-consecutive 27-win season in the 2023-24 campaign, tying the third-most wins in a season in UCLA program history. After that season, Close was named the recipient of the 2024 WBCA Carol Eckman Integrity in Coaching Award, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced in February of 2024. The WBCA presents the award annually to an active member coach who exemplifies Eckman's spirit, integrity and character through sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose. Prior to becoming the head coach at UCLA in 2011, her first head coaching position, Close spent time as an assistant at UCLA, an assistant/associate head coach at UC Santa Barbara, and as an associate head coach at Florida State University. Coach Close has also had success coaching for USA basketball, having been on the USA Basketball staff for three gold-medal winning teams. In 2021, following gold at the FIBA U19 World Cup, Close was named the co-recipient of the 2021 USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year Award, sharing with 2021 USA Men’s U19 head coach Jamie Dixon. Takeaways: When it comes to the PURSUIT of COMPLETE as we talk about often, there are few better than Coach Close. In our conversation, she seemed to cover all bases, discussing how she builds her team and herself from within, building both foundations on all the right things. Some of my main takeaways from the conversation are Building a principle-based culture. I love how coach uses this phrase so naturally. She mentions the three core aspects of her culture – having a growth mindset, being a person of gratitude, and being a lifestyle giver and truly wants these to serve her players during their stay at UCLA and beyond. She also mentions that if she’s not continually working on herself, then her ability to build and maintain this culture for her players will be limited. This could not be more important in today’s world of NIL and the transfer portal – having a coach that is truly and genuinely concerned with building herself into her best version so she can then give the best to them…could be the difference between some of them staying at UCLA or going elsewhere. I love how Coach talks about her goal of having practice be her players’ best 2 hours of their day. She mentions how over a player’s career, the games are only 4% of their time. As Coach makes clear, the best way to do this is to make the time she has with them the best mix of work, competition and the true essence of TEAM that she can make it. Gratitude. This is a big one for Coach, as it should be. I like how she has decided to add to one of her mantras of – “Doesn’t matter. Get better.” Now, it’s “Doesn’t matter. Get better. Practice gratitude.” Here, she makes the great point that if you do nothing with your thoughts – 80% of them will be negative. So, we have to be intentional with our thoughts and especially with including gratitude as it is our biggest weapon v. negativity. Whether it’s focusing on somebody special in your life, something that went well today…whatever works best. Where gratitude is in our head, negativity cannot be. There are few things better than having a positive impact on others. But, Coach does a great job of explaining that if she isn’t working on herself first, then her ability to impact others will be limited. Coach mentioned that she really tries to spend time each day quietly working on herself so that she can bring her best to her team. She clearly has a lot of gifts to give..but as she says, it takes this CONSISTENT and INTENTIONAL work to maintain and build them…so that their impact on her team can be maximized. When Coach was talking about Winning with Class, she confirmed for us that leaders need to lead from place of humility. As she made clear, this is absolutely NOT a weakness – instead, it’s a STRENGTH. Further confirmation that, as we’ve heard from other guests, winning with class is the uncommon path and it takes STRENGTH!!!! Finally, Coach Close’s answer as to why we need BOTH winning and class as a pursuit was perfect: She said if some of her players asked her why both winning and class are important, she would ask them about the best moments in their lives. Most of the time, the answers would be not as much about wins on the court, but more about when they served others or overcame hard things and grew from the adversity. She also pointed out that yes, we do forget this as we are frantically chasing wins…but, that’s just another reason to stay intentional and consistent as we mentioned before in terms of our PURSUIT of COMPLETE – bringing both winning AND class into all we do. Please follow Coach Close and The UCLA Bruins: Links: Website: X/Instagram: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/35945370

Brittany Ratcliffe – Beyond the Bow 11/21/2024

Brittany Ratcliffe – Beyond the Bow Far more than a professional soccer player with the Washington Spirit, Brittany Ratcliffe is a great package of personality and talent who has her priorities firmly in order. This package has led to a long and successful soccer career and has put her on a path to ensuring that she wins with class at anything she does in life – in and beyond sports. Born and raised in South Jersey, Brittany grew up and remains a huge Philadelphia sports fan. While growing up, she dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player as she attended Philadelphia Charge (of the former Women’s United Soccer Association) games. Brittany attended the University of Virginia (2012-15) where she earned both Third Team All-ACC and ACC Academic Honor Roll recognition in both her junior and senior seasons – and played for previous Winning with Class guest, Coach Steve Swanson. #FearTheBow, #The BowIsBack - It was during this time at Virginia where a small gesture from Brittany for the benefit of her parents went viral. Hearing that her parents had a hard time distinguishing her from her teammates – as their hair often covered their jersey numbers – Brittany decided to wear a bright orange bow in her hair during games. The Bow was born….becoming one of the most well-known images of women’s soccer and even working its way up to the hashtags above…. Brittany was drafted in 2016 when she was selected 17th overall by the Boston Breakers in the NWSL draft. Other stops in the league include FC Kansas City and the North Carolina Courage before joining the Spirit in January of 2024. As you’ll hear, Brittany’s longevity in the league – she just celebrated her 100th game! - is due in large part to her commitment to consistency. A fierce competitor and loyal teammate, Brittany has scored 12 goals so far in her career, three of which have been game winning. In 2023, the forward scored in three consecutive Challenge Cup group stage matches, tallying game-winning goals against Washington and Orlando. Ratcliffe later helped her team win the Challenge Cup Championship trophy. Much more than any stat or Bow hashtag, I know you will enjoy getting to know Brittany through this episode. Her appreciation for family and team, combined with her overall engaging and fun personality make her a great example of the winning with class personalities we’re so proud to feature on this show! Takeaways: Some of the specific takeaways from our conversation: Brittany’s very clear appreciation for her parents as part of her foundation is one to be modeled. From giving credit to them for instilling certain principles all the way to creating “The Bow” for them…She is clearly thankful for all her parents have done to get her where she is…as should we all be. Related to this point – as Brittany gives her parents credit – she makes the point of how important it was for her to learn that if you’re going to do ANYTHING – you need to work your absolute hardest at it and that this principle applies to EVERYTHING - whether it’s sports, school, friends….anything – bring your absolute best to it. This is directly in line with what this show stands for in terms of doing all we can to bring winning and class into ALL areas of our lives. Brittany clearly gets this and credits her parents for teaching it to her at an early age. Culture is a big word these days. Brittany clearly appreciates how important it is on any team. She credits the players and coaches at the University of Virginia for creating a great one there. She touched on the critical element of culture being the “ALL IN” mentality all must have as a team of players owning their roles. From the stars of the team to those who only got 10 minutes of time – whatever it is – be ALL IN and own your role and the team and its culture will be successful. The benefits of this are not only immediate in the form of wins, but more importantly, they’re also long term in terms of lifelong relationships, as Brittany mentioned. What drives Brittany? Her love of being part of a TEAM. Is she competitive? For sure. Does she get upset when she loses? Definitely. But at the end of the day, she loves going out after practice and getting coffee together. Brittany makes a great point when she talked about how she knows she had a good day – is she happy with herself when she goes to bed? She is if she competed, brought her best, and then had a great “team” day as well. It’s hard to describe winning with class any better than that! The standard that drives Brittany – a great one – Consistency. I love how she describes this. She mentions not only showing up and working hard as a good teammate but also consistently striving for and chasing growth. She asked – can you get better at something every day? What a great question for us to ask of ourselves in all areas of our lives. This notion of consistency flowed right into Brittany’s definition of winning with class – never letting winning or losing affect your personality – staying consistent – while also CONSISTENTLY asking “What’s next?”…to work in that growth challenge we should all bring to ourselves every day. Please follow Brittany and The Washington Spirit: Links: Website: washingtonspirit.com Instagram: @brit_ratcliffe and @washingtonspirit /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/34083516

Jeff Boyd, Founder of MTE - Pursuing Complete Health 11/07/2024

Jeff Boyd, Founder of MTE - Pursuing Complete Health Jeff Boyd is the founder of MTE (More Than Energy), research-based wellness supplement that seeks to help you thrive by boosting your focus, productivity, and overall well-being. Jeff shares how health has always been a focus and passion for him, starting back when he grew up as an athlete. He then shares his entrepreneurial path and what it takes to go out and build something on your own. Throughout, you’ll learn that Jeff is sincere in his quest to bring people health and wellness through is product and that he values living by a high standard that starts at home with his family and extends to his friends and beyond. Takeaways: Some of the specific takeaways from our conversation: The story about Damon West. Damon’s story is amazing, and he will be a guest on this show, but this point is not about him. It’s about how his friend, Jeff, stuck with him through thick and thin – including when Damon went completely off the rails in a very bad way. We always talk about bringing winning and class with you into every area of your lives – this is a great example of doing this with your friends. It would’ve been very easy for Jeff to write Damon off, and he didn’t. After Jeff sold his first business, he talks about the freedom he had in terms of his next move. This is what financial success gives you and what should be focused on – and look what he chose to do. The conversation wasn’t about THINGS – it was about Jeff finding a passion and using it to build something that will help bring health and wellness to others. Is it a business? Yes. Is he out to win in business? Yes, but he cares deeply about making sure that his product truly serves his customers. Pretty good winning with class plan for a business… A related point – Jeff maintains high standards for his product as he made clear when he stated its first customer is HIM and his family. So, as he said, no corners will be cut. This is what it means to be genuine and accountable and how we should approach all of our pursuits. Great story about how Jeff’s entrepreneurial spirit started – during his job at Arby’s. This is a great way to look at every job you have – own all of the aspects of YOUR JOB as its own small business and then make sure it’s then done to the absolute best of your ability. Instead of seeing some of your jobs while growing up as just meaningless parts of a big business, treat them like YOUR own little small business and manage it like no other. This seems to have served Jeff well. One of Jeff’s main points about blazing his own trail in business is that there is no room for excuses. It’s a results driven game and if something happens, it’s on the person in the mirror - YOU. Again..pretty good way to remain accountable. Jeff makes a great point about how high school football helped teach him to live by this “no excuses” mentality. As Jeff tells the story, none of his coaches cared about the Jeff’s teammate’s excuse of being held when the other team scored….Bottom line is the other team scored. This is a great way to live – forget coming up with excuses and focus on the results. Jeff makes a great and timely point about our society in general – how we’re all WAY more alike than we’ve been programmed to believe recently. It’s time to get back to focusing on what we have in common as opposed to how we are different. Please follow Jeff and MTE: Website: Instagram: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/33829297

Rhett Lashlee - Living Leading and Competing with High Standards 08/28/2024

Rhett Lashlee - Living Leading and Competing with High Standards Coach Rhett Lashlee 2023 Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year Award Finalist 2023 Dave Campbell's Texas Football Co-Coach of the Year 2023 Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award Finalist 2023 Maxwell Football Club National Coach of The Year Award Semi-Finalist Head Coach Rhett Lashlee enters his third season as Head Coach for SMU in 2024. Coach Lashlee has been the driving force in leading the Mustangs’ return to prominence in his first two years as the leader of the program, highlighted by a championship season in his second year, going 11-3 and undefeated in AAC play (8-0). Lashlee made history on Dec. 2, 2023, with a 26-14 victory over No. 22 Tulane in the AAC Championship game, giving the Mustangs their first conference championship since 1984 and 12th overall as a program. It was the first outright conference title won by the school since 1982. The historic campaign led to a fifth straight year of being bowl eligible, the longest stretch in program history. Lashlee, who served as offensive coordinator for the Mustangs for two seasons (2018-19), also served as the offensive coordinator at Miami in 2020 and 2021. A one-time finalist (2013) and two-time semifinalist (2019, 2020) for the Broyles Award (top assistant college coach), Lashlee has the distinction of being the only coach ever nominated for the Broyles Award four different times at four different schools (Arkansas State, Auburn, SMU, Miami). He is married to the former Lauren Lee. They have twin sons, Thomas and Hudson, and twin daughters, Rowyn, and Scarlet. Some of the specific takeaways from our conversation: Takeaways: Being content. Coach Lashlee talked about this as one of the main lessons he learned as he made his way through the process of being an assistant coach, hoping to get to the head coaching level at some point. He talked about acknowledging that you’re never in complete control of everything anyway. So, it’s just best to let the process take care of itself. As he said, if you’re not good where you are, the next big thing isn’t gonna happen anyway. So, focus on being good where you are now. Once he made that mindset change, it all worked out…and he was able to enjoy the 10 years of being an assistant which included interviewing for several jobs that he didn’t get. We all need to remember this in terms of how we chase our goals. Being genuine. I love how coach said he desired to reach a level where other people might look at him and want what he had inside him. For this to happen and to truly make such an impact with people you have to really walk the walk. It’s gotta be genuine and real. Otherwise, they’ll all see through you and your credibility will be shot - and nobody will be impacted by you, and nobody will want to follow you. Being intentional and accountable in terms of living your priorities. If you notice, this is a pattern we’re seeing in successful leaders. In today’s fast paced world filled with so many distractions, we simply must take control and be intentional. Or we’ll soon start finding ourselves off track most of the time. Coach mentioned how he tries to make sure he focuses on getting what he needs priority wise - like quiet or prayer time. He does this so he can fill himself up - so he can be of better service and IMPACT on those around him. Be accountable and have people around you to hold you to who you are. Coach mentioned that he likes to have strong assistants around him in football to do so. More importantly, he talked about a powerful and annual discussion he has with his wife every year where he asks her - is my family suffering because of my job? He then says if so, you say word and I’m out. What a great example of LIVING your priorities and being willing to be accountable. We should all strive for the courage to maintain our priorities in this way. Coach’s keys to his program. Family. No better vision for a program. Competitive excellence. Coach mentioned the key difference between competing WITH each other - like brothers and the notion of iron sharpening iron - and competing AGAINST the opponent on Saturdays. Hard work. Coach holds high standards for effort. Be FINISHERS. Coach mentioned how this applies to sports and life - being a finisher in terms of how you do EVERYTHING. It’s so easy to start things…but nothing matters unless we FINISH them. Great word for all of us. Winning with Class as a sign of strength and security. Coach mentioned how it's the OPPOSITE of soft. Please follow The Mustangs and Coach Lashlee: Links: Website: Instagram: @rhett_lashlee; @sjmufb X: @rhettlashlee; @SMUFB /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/32782957

Hilinski’s Hope: Fighting for the Mental Health of Student-athletes 08/13/2024

Hilinski’s Hope: Fighting for the Mental Health of Student-athletes The Foundation Hilinski’s Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization formed to promote awareness and education of mental health and wellness for student athletes. The Foundation’s mission is to educate, advocate, and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness, while funding programs that provide student-athletes with the tools and resources that support their mental health and wellness. The Hilinski’s Hope Foundation (H3H) was founded in 2018 by Mark and Kym Hilinski to honor the life of their son Tyler. H3H helps colleges and universities save lives, eliminate stigma, and scale mental wellness programs for student-athletes. H3H does this by sharing Tyler’s story, connecting students with mental health resources, and assisting universities to institutionalize best practices. H3H envisions a world where mental health is supported in parity with physical health and equally prioritized by universities as connected to athletic performance. Meet Tyler Tyler was one of the three Hilinski boys, all of whom fell in love with football early. They were teammates, brothers, and best friends. Tyler enrolled at Upland High School and won the starting job as their quarterback. Tyler’s junior and senior seasons were record setting and as fun as it could ever be - it was pure joy to see him excel at his craft. Many awards followed. A two-time All CIF selection at quarterback, All Baseline league offensive MVP and for the county, all state Quarterback as selected by Cal Hi Sports among them. Working closely with his coaches and mentors, Tyler began his habit of watching and breaking down film. This would continue to be a strength he would develop highly at the next level. What is more fun to remember is Tyler as our “Superman”. He simply refused to quit trying to charge, lead, and win for his team - even to the point of scrambling for what seemed like hours letting his line and receivers adjust while Tyler found the best option down the field. Tyler at WSU Coach Ken Wilson at WSU recruited Tyler during his Junior year. Ty spent many hours on the phone talking to WSU Head Coach Mike Leach. They really hit it off and soon after Tyler committed to WSU over Cal and others. He was on his way… Many describe Tyler as the happiest person in any room and on any field. He always had a smile on his face and kind words for his friends and teammates. Tyler threw his first touchdown at WSU as a red-shirt sophomore in the Arizona game, a 71-yard bomb to River Cracraft. But, perhaps Tyler will best be remembered for his play in the Boise State game. Ty was put into the game in the 4th quarter with less than 10 minutes to play and WSU was down 31-10. Three overtimes later, Tyler threw the game winning touchdown to Jamal Morrow. WSU fans rushed the field and the WSU players hoisted Tyler on their shoulders. From that moment on, Ty became known as the “Comeback Kid”. Just a few months later Tyler died by suicide on January 16, 2018. Tyler never showed any signs of depression or struggle. On the day he passed he went to football practice at 7am but failed to show up for the team’s afternoon weightlifting session. Tyler was a good and kind son, brother, friend, and teammate. For years, he wore a wrist band that said, “Gehrig’s Grit, Never Quit” (his maternal grandmother passed away from ALS when he was 10). He gave the ALS wristband out to many friends and teammates. Ty was also wearing his Superman bracelet his Mom, Kym, had just given him 3 weeks before on Christmas. Although Tyler always believed in happy endings and that good was around every corner, Tyler simply couldn’t endure the pain he must have been suffering. He passed away wearing that Gehrig’s Grit wrist band. We are so lucky to have shared 21 awesome years with Tyler. Please remember Tyler with love and do three good things every day. Takeaways: Some of the specific takeaways from our conversation: Get help. This is the bottom line. If there is even a question as to whether or not something is going on inside you and you don’t understand, just go talk to somebody. You heard Tyler’s father say, “if Tyler had just spoken to somebody..” The stigma of asking for help is going down, largely in part to Hilinski’s Hope. Let’s keep it going that way. Also, let’s all look for signs in others. We may see some that make a difference and we may see some that turn out to be nothing. And sometimes there may not be any to find. But it NEVER hurts to speak up and see what’s there if you see somebody you know who may seem a bit off track. Seeing mental illness as a disease. One of Mark and Kym’s messages is that we need to start treating this like any other type of diagnosis by getting the help we need and helping others get the help they need. Mark pointed out how we rally around others with various types of illnesses, and we need to start doing the same for those struggling with mental health instead of treating it like we need to sweep it under the rug. Some answers will never come. This is frustrating, but it is still part of the mystery of mental health today. So, that leaves a void, and we have to be careful how we fill it – because, as you heard, it’s often a go-to or automatic feeling to feel guilty. We have to be on guard not to go there just because something happened. Tyler as an example of Winning with Class. As you heard from Mark and Kym, after leading Washington State to an incredible comeback triple overtime win against Boise State, Tyler was carried off the field. Did he enjoy it – yes. Did he also want to be put down quickly – yes. Tyler was about the team and didn’t want the individual attention. And, on his walk away from the stadium with his Mom, he simply asked her “Did that just happen?” Tyler was a clear warrior who simply willed his team to win who then followed it up with a very humble conversation with his mom. Hilinski’s Hope – As that example of winning with class from Tyler showed, Mark and Kym provided a strong foundation for their kids. Now, through Hilinski’s Hope, they’re helping others build their foundations by understanding mental health. We need to follow their lead and continue to learn all we can about this disease as a part of the building of our own internal foundations. Please follow Hilinski's Hope: Links: - with its NEW host - RYAN Hilinski! ESPN's E60 Sports Emmy award-winning documentary /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/32558567

Cara Brookins: How a House Built a Family 08/01/2024

Cara Brookins: How a House Built a Family Cara Brookins is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, #1 best-selling author of nine books, and renowned thought leader in the science of motivation. Her actionable strategies empower audiences worldwide to overcome odds that seem insurmountable and thrive in any situation. Brookins is best known as the mom who built her own house with her kids using YouTube Tutorials. With her eager construction crew consisting of her four young children, Brookins laid the block, framed the walls, and even ran the plumbing and gas lines for her 3,500 square foot house. She shared her story in her #1 best-selling memoir Rise: How a House Built a Family. Brookins’ incredible story went viral amassing more than two billion views in over 100 countries in two weeks’ time. Media outlets including The New York Times, The Today Show, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, NBC, CBS News, USA Today, TIME, TLC, ABC News, BBC, Fox News Insider, People Magazine, and CNN have featured Cara's compelling journey, and it’s been optioned for film, television, and reality television. With two decades of experience working as a senior software analyst and no construction experience, Brookins was the least likely person to build anything — let alone a house. The idea that ordinary people can do extraordinary things is a constant in her work, including her latest self-help book Unstuck: End Procrastination Using The Ancient Psychology Behind How-To Videos and is why she was inducted as a member of the prestigious Society for the Science of Motivation and the National Speaker Association. Told through stories on her unconventional family construction site, Brookins’ entertaining keynotes reveal proven strategies to overcome odds that seem insurmountable. Brookins has shared her motivation strategies with the world’s most respected organizations, including Walmart, Google, Kimberly Clark, YouTube, CenturyLink, Artemis, US Law Network, Lincoln Financial Group, Capital One, and many more. She also works with the United Nations in her role as a United Nations Association Advocate to raise awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Takeaways: Some of the specific takeaways from our conversation: Punching back. Could life have been punching Cara any harder? We’ve all been in situations where life just seems to punch us relentlessly. A lot of times, it can seem truly HOPELESS. Cara was there. Until she started punching back. In doing so, Cara proved that it’s never hopeless – even if all you have is…YOU. When life appears to give you no options – sometimes you gotta go out and make your own. Committing to your BIG goal. Once we figure out a big goal that we MUST achieve – and sometimes it takes getting backed into a corner to realize it - we need to fully commit to it. Within a week of having the idea to build her house, Cara bought the land where she was going to build it. She was all in. She had burned the boats. Cara explained how we need to present our new plan as THE plan to our own brains, so it won’t find another easier path for us to follow. Then go at it with all you have – simply refusing to let ANYTHING get in the way. Pride. How many of us have said the words I just mentioned – All In. Burn the Boats. No going back. But, then stopped because we were embarrassed about how the pursuit would look, how stupid we would look – either in the process or, God forbid, if we failed. Cara let none of that stop her – from the very beginning when she said she wasn’t afraid to get rejected by the first few banks she approached for a loan. This continued throughout the building of her house. I love how she said she was willing to try 100 ways and didn’t care how stupid she looked. How many times have we all stopped short because of pride, of being embarrassed, of what others would think? Consistent small wins leading to the big win and building a team in the process. Cara talked about the momentum that was built as she and her children got started working together. They got satisfaction from learning how to use a tool. From completing a wall. And all of the other small wins that went into building each part of the house. All of these were steps that brought them closer to the vision of the house that they kept close by – whether it was a picture or a model of the house or where certain pieces of furniture would be once the house was finished. More importantly, they got to know each other as a family. Each of their talents came out and they bonded as they came closer to their goal. Rise/fall structure of book. I love how Cara structured her book – as she said, she followed a rise and fall process to the book. Her reasoning? Because THAT IS LIFE. This is the reality we all need to face. Enjoy the wins and bounce back and learn from the losses – because, as Cara said, neither of them will last forever. Foundation. As you know, this is probably the word I’ve said most on this podcast. It’s part of the goal of this show – to help us all build our own strong internal foundations. Cara said that building the foundation of her house was the hardest. Yet, it’s also something she would never change. It was through this hard process that her family bonded and started to transfer from victims running from life to a family that was making a stand and taking charge of their lives. When they were done with the house, Cara wondered if it was all worth it…until she heard her son say to her daughter “you built your own house, you can do anything.” This is why Cara’s book has such a great title – how HOUSE built a FAMILY. The family foundation – and the internal foundations of each member of the family – was set for life. This is how we all need to approach the building of our own internal foundations – do the hard work – do whatever it takes to build them in the right way, made of the right things, built to last because then….we too can do anything. Please follow Cara: Links: Website: Books: and Instagram: Twitter: Podcast: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/32354797

Tim Schurrer: The Secret Society of Success 07/25/2024

Tim Schurrer: The Secret Society of Success Tim is the author of and host of the podcast, where he challenges people to consider “helping others win” as the North Star for how they should live and lead. He’s also the CEO of David Novak Leadership, a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation whose mission is to make the world a better place by developing better leaders at every stage of life. As the CEO of Yum! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut), David Novak grew the business from $4 billion to $32 billion and he did it by creating a culture of recognition where every employee felt seen and valued for what they contributed. And now, these leadership lessons are being taught in companies and to students all over the world through the nonprofit David has entrusted Tim to lead. Early in his career, Tim spent a decade launching two brands — StoryBrand and Business Made Simple — as COO alongside New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller. And before that, he worked at TOMS and Apple Inc. Tim lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Katie, and their two kids. Takeaways: Helping Others Win. This is such a great way to think about success that we don't think about enough. Tim makes the point that success through the assist or serving somebody else's vision and goals - is just as important as any other type or level of success. Tim does such a great job of displaying this through the stories he tells about Michael Collins getting people to the moon and Tim Cook working on the iPhone as part of a team and then taking it to the next level by deflecting credit about it personally. Related point - you're never going to do anything great alone. Eventually, to do big things, you'll need a team. And, you can't be great at everything, so it's inevitable that you'll have to take a second seat to others at some time in some areas. So, having this notion of "assist" as a measure of success is critical. Given this - that we'll need teams around us to go to great places - if you don't care about winning with class, then, as Tim says - nobody will want to follow you or be around you. Just another reminder of WHY winning with class is so important. Recognition. This really goes for ALL of the teams we are on - from our families, to sports teams, to communities, businesses and beyond. Giving and receiving recognition is absolutely critical. Everybody has unique gifts. The more we are recognized for using them for the benefit of the team, the more we will be inspired to use them even more to take the team to bigger and better places. Being in the Secret Society doesn't mean throttling back your ambition. As Tim says, we should always strive to be best in class - the best we can be at all we do. Instead, the Secret Society is about thinking of other people - the team first - as you chase this best-in-class level. As Tim tells the story - NCAA Champion Coach Dan Hurley is a fan of this philosophy. It's hard to find a more competitive guy than Coach Hurley - yet he does it all within the consistent context of TEAM in mind...or it doesn't work. Please follow Tim: Links: Book: Instagram: Twitter: Podcast: Website: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/32295202

Lew Caralla: Fire Lighter 05/16/2024

Lew Caralla: Fire Lighter Coach Lew is the Director of Strength and Conditioning for UNC Charlotte Football. Caralla spent the previous four years as the Head Football Strength and Conditioning Coach at Georgia Tech and served as the head strength and conditioning coach for three different NCAA Division I FBS programs before making his way to Atlanta. Caralla was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Buffalo in 2018 following stints as Director of Strength and Conditioning at Louisiana-Lafayette (2016-17) and North Texas (2015). He was named Football Scoop's 2018 Strength Coach of the Year during his time at Buffalo. He served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Michigan for three years (2012-14), at Mississippi State for one (2011) and at Georgia Tech. His career began with an internship at South Florida in 2007. He was an intern at Virginia in 2008 and became a graduate assistant at Mississippi State in 2009-10. Coach Lew is the author of Fire Lighters, 365 – Daily Motivational Messages for Athletes, Coaches, and Leaders. Originally from Tarpon Springs, Fla., Caralla graduated with a bachelor's degree in wellness and corporate fitness from Defiance (Ohio) in 2008. He was a two-time all-conference running back and earned academic all-conference accolades twice. He received a master's degree in kinesiology from Mississippi State in 2010. Caralla and his wife, Lori, have three children: Marshall, Ali, and Ava. Takeaways: Coach Lew is a great example of the benefit of starting from ground zero and just grinding your way up…The adversity in being let go multiple times, working crazy hours for very little pay, moving the family with little notice and more…All of this led Coach Lew to where he is and gives him instant credibility for all the great lessons he teaches. There are no shortcuts. Coach Lew had a great answer to the question he gets frequently – why are these workouts so hard? - Coach Lew is coaching LIFE. And Life is NOT fair all the time. So, his answer is - are these workouts fair all the time? No. But you’re gonna get through it, you’ll do it with teammates, so that in the end, you will be better and so will our team. Great way to look at challenges – even when they seem unfair. Consistency is critical and much more intimidating than any flexing for great play. It’s the people who never change no matter what happens. Their effort and process are the same. You can count on them – always. As Coach Lew said, as a competitor, that’s a dangerous person… The difference between satisfied, hungry, or starving??? To get to really great places, we need to be STARVING. Do you have life habits that show you are starving? Are you doing extra? As Coach Lew says, separation is available – are you taking advantage of it? In sports…in life? 1 day contract: Coach Lew asks - If you were going to be hired or fired by your effort TODAY, what would it be? As coach says, I bet your urgency would go up! So, let’s all commit to a one-day contract with ourselves – every day. Can you admit your own potential? As Coach Lew says – this is a tough one. Looking in the mirror and comparing yourself to your potential is daunting. Can you do it? More importantly, do you accept the challenge to close the gap between that person in the mirror and his or her potential? Coke v. water bottle. This one is great because it really encompasses a lot of all we talked about, if not all. If you live your life, pursue your goals, and chase that best version of yourself with discipline and in line with solid core values, and do so in a humble manner – winning with class in all that we do – then being that bottle of water as opposed to the bottle of coke will never be a problem for you. Please follow Coach Lew: Links: by Lew Caralla /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/31341417

Rachel Baribeau: Cultivating Joy - Changing the Narrative 04/17/2024

Rachel Baribeau: Cultivating Joy - Changing the Narrative Rachel Baribeau is an Award-winning Storyteller, Inspirational Speaker, Author (Relentless Joy: Finding Freedom, Passion, and Happiness (Even When You Have to Fight for It)), Changing the Narrative Founder, Transformative Coach, Host of the Joystarters™ Podcast, First Female SiriusXM ESPNU Host (College Sports Nation), and Former National Sportscaster. In 2016, while working in her role as a national sportscaster, Rachel penned a piece for Gridiron Now entitled, "College Football is Breaking My Heart." The game she loved was becoming unrecognizable. Negative news stories dominated the game, and no campus seemed immune. Most broadcasters would have left it at that. Not Rachel. Rachel developed the #ImChangingtheNarrative movement with lost souls and student-athletes in mind and a belief that one crooked course made straight is everything. While the message originated as purpose, passion, and platform, over a seven-year span and 80-plus campuses, it now has spread to corporations, churches, prisons, halfway houses, high schools, junior highs, K-5, LEO, and more! Her topics have expanded to mental health, being a KING/QUEEN/ROYAL every day of your life, finding JOY/purpose, and interpersonal relationships, as Rachel was a victim of domestic violence herself. Takeaways: Change the narrative – changing the narrative starts with each of us starting to pay attention to how WE are living…are we IN THE GAME to make it better? When we see bad things happen or bad trends developing are we the type who will say something? Or will we just go with the flow…Rachel started a movement because she spoke up – in a big way – when she realized she was seeing something that broke her heart…we need to do the same… You’ve got to put in the work – we all have good, bad, and ugly in our lives. It’s up to us to cultivate the JOY in our lives by looking at ourselves, figuring out what it takes to fill our own cups, and then going after it with all we’ve got. Use your experiences to help others – see how Rachel feeds off helping people by telling her story…it’s a place we all need to be – while we’re on our way to filling our own cup, we need to be vulnerable and reach out and help others do the same. Please follow Rachel: Links: Website: Instagram: @rachelbaribeau Twitter: @RachelBaribeau YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RachelBaribeau /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/30863848

Better Help – The World’s Largest Therapy Service 01/25/2024

Stacy Horst - Erin's Hope for Friends 12/28/2023

Stacy Horst - Erin's Hope for Friends Darren and Stacy Horst's 17-year-old daughter Erin was a gentle and talented girl who faced many challenges, primarily what is formerly known as Asperger's Syndrome. The couple lost Erin too soon, but they aspire to allow her compassionate spirit to live on through charity. The Horst family founded Erin's Hope for Friends in loving memory of Erin to help teens struggling with autism make meaningful and lasting social connections. Founded in 2014 in metro Atlanta, Erin's Hope for Friends welcomes members to connect at E's Club locations. These spaces provide opportunities for conversation, games, creativity, and friendships. Programming appeals to the interests of members, increases social interactions and supports neuro-diverse relationships. Takeaways: Human Life - it's time we start getting back to having a basic respect for it. Sounds simple and like something we don't need to discuss. But we've all seen it - violence and basic disrespect all over the place. Whether it's on the news, social media, in how we talk, how we treat each other, how we treat people in authority...the list goes on far too long. We simply never know how we treat somebody else is going to affect them - why not start from a place of respect...seems simple doesn't it? Stacy and Darren were punched about as hard as you can be punched by life. And they relied on a life-sustaining, strengthening priority in their life - for them, it was their faith - and it served as the launching pad for their positive moves very shortly after enduring the loss of Erin. We simply never know when life will punch us and how...what priorities are we keeping and LIVING on a regular basis, so our INTERNAL FOUNDATIONS will be strong enough to not only take the hit, but to keep moving forward afterward. There is ALWAYS a positive choice in terms of responding to even the toughest of challenges. For Stacy and Darren, it came quickly. For some, it may take longer. You just have to breathe, dig deep, and let it come to you. Links: For more about Erin's Hope for Friends, please visit the link below and help if you can! /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/29259863

Coach Steve Swanson - A great TEACHER. On and off the field. 12/26/2023

Kevin Kuwik – A Doer. A Leader. And, a great fit to lead Army Basketball. 11/16/2023

Kevin Kuwik – A Doer. A Leader. And, a great fit to lead Army Basketball. Kevin Kuwik was named Army West Point's Lee Anderson Head Men's Basketball Coach on March 29, 2023. Kuwik becomes the 32nd head coach in the program's 121-year history. Coach Kuwik is a great fit for this opportunity, as you will hear on this episode. As you will also hear, the reason for this goes far beyond his abilities as a coach. Kuwik was a Distinguished Military Graduate in Notre Dame's Army ROTC program. He was able to serve 10 years in the military as he also began his coaching career. While coaching at Ohio University, Coach Kuwik took an 18-month leave of absence as he was commissioned as second lieutenant at age 22 and soon became a platoon leader of 45 soldiers in Iraq. While serving in Iraq, he earned a Bronze Star for meritorious service (the Army's highest merit award). He used leave time to return to the Bobcats bench and help Ohio win the 2005 Mid-American Conference Tournament title and reach the NCAA Tournament. He received an honorable discharge from the military in 2006. Prior to getting the call to become the head coach at Army, Coach Kuwik spent time on the coaching staff of high-quality programs including Ohio U, Butler, Ohio State, and Davidson. Also included in Coach Kuwik’s story is a display of his great leadership skills as well as his drive to turn negative into positive during tragic circumstances. On February 12, 2009, the plane that was carrying Kevin’s then girlfriend, Lorin Maurer, crashed, taking the lives of all on board. Kevin, driven by seeing his girlfriend’s father suffer, soon committed to turn a negative into a positive. He spearheaded a crusade which became an organized effort to demand reforms to federal aviation safety standards that still stand today. The safety legislation enacted as a result of their efforts is working….as Coach indicates in the episode, since the legislation, there have been no commercial airline crashes. Army is without a doubt getting a great coach to lead their basketball program. He will produce wins on the court, but, more importantly, he will build and develop men we will be proud to have represent us all, not only as graduates of West Point, but also as sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, and leaders of our country in whatever endeavors they choose to pursue. Takeaways: Be a doer. Coach Kuwik mentions the difference between one who just complains and one who takes action. Coach had every right to take time and just concentrate on his own suffering after the tragic plane crash that took somebody very close to him. Taking the time to process such a difficult situation is more than acceptable. However, there were safety issues that needed to be addressed and changed. Coach could have just let it go and complained about how unfair life was. Instead, he chose to act and turn a negative into a positive. The result was one that continues to save lives today. Do the hard and right thing knowing that somebody will notice and be impacted. When Coach Kuwik got his notice that he was being deployed, there was some question as to whether he had satisfied his obligation and the thought crossed his mind to challenge it. Then, he thought of the impact that would have the current and future players he was coaching and how they would listen to him in the future about the concept of commitment. Coach Kuwik headed to Iraq to serve his country. Balance having DRIVE and AMBITION for the NEST STEP with being PRESENT. As coach Kuwik describes, all assistant coaches want to be a head coach someday. He also recognizes that if you focus on that all the time, you will NOT do a good job in your current role as an assistant. Having ambition for the future is great and we all need that, but it should never come at the expense of the job we are currently doing. Be the best you can NOW, then work on making gradual progress toward the future. APPRECIATE OUR COUNTRY. Coach Kuwik's service in Iraq made him appreciate how good we have it in this country. You can have differences with others, and it has never been and never will be perfect. However, it's pretty much as good as it gets in terms of how free and blessed we are. Let's always try to remember this and, as Coach Kuwik said, let's try to live in a way that would make those who sacrificed for us proud. Links: /episode/index/show/0ff0faa7-bafa-433d-9ab2-2ce1baae338b/id/28678278

Winning with Class

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