Curious Creature Podcast

A podcast where one brown kid's curiosity leads him to converse with individuals from all walks of life to better understand their journey and his own humanity. Come along for the ride if you feel so inclined.

Leadership Into AEP: Scott McCown 10/11/2022

Leadership Into AEP: Scott McCown Today we have a conversation with SQ's SVP of Sales, Scott McCown, to hear how he is preparing for his first AEP and what his expectations are as we dive head first into our busiest season. Scott has a diverse leadership background, beginning in small town New England & Oregon with his father, a lead-from-the-front businessman and Veteran of Korea. He continued his leadership journey by enlisting in the Air Force right out of high school, where he learned to be resilient and how to effectively work within a dynamic team through cultivating an environment of high trust and compassion. Post military service, he entered the corporate world where he effectively used his skills in leadership roles as a Director, VP and COO in the banking and insurance industries. Scott joined SelectQuote in June of this year and has worked diligently to prepare our teams for this year's AEP. His leadership has already made a huge impact in our organization as has his infectious positivity. Great interview with Scott! This episode we talk Top Gun Maverick, New England Life, Farm Work, Trial By Firehose, Leading with Empathy & Compassion and AEP Prep. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/24656085

Leadership & Culture: David Mergen 09/12/2022

Leadership & Culture: David Mergen Culture has been one of SelectQuote's defining features over the years, and in 2022, a new and brighter focus has been placed on restoring and amplifying that culture. Leadership and culture are intricately linked, and when aligned properly, they can strengthen and enhance an organization far beyond a great bottom line. For today's show we welcome SQ's resident expert on all things culture, David Mergen. David has been an important fixture at this company for over ten years. He is a self described servant leader and possesses a deep passion for connecting and investing in people's lives. In this episode we talk Master of Merriment, Culture Defined, Same Message/Different Platform, Giving Others a Voice, Navigating a Mental Black Hole, Serving the Community, Riding the Paddy Wagon and Tattoos. Thanks for listening and enjoy! /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/24355701

AHS Alumni: Fred Hoiberg 08/28/2022

AHS Alumni: Fred Hoiberg As we usher in the new High School and say goodbye to the old, we wanted to celebrate both future and past with one of Ames High's more well known alums, Fred Hoiberg. Fred was a multi-sport athlete as a Little Cyclone and is of course most well known for leading the school to it’s sixth high school state basketball championship in 1991. He went on to star at Iowa State and then the NBA for 10 years where he became one of the league’s most prolific shooters. Fred has since returned to his birthplace of Lincoln Nebraska where he is serving his fourth season as head coach for the University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball team. In this episode Fred and I talk about the privilege of growing up in Ames, the advantages of playing multiple sports, academic expectations, Mistletoe Dance, recruitment dilemma, Johnny Orr, Forced Retirement, and Nebraska Legacy. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/24188322

30 Years with Spenser & Belz 06/09/2022

30 Years with Spenser & Belz Join Spenser and I as we reflect on our 30 years post high school and explore what that means, how it feels and how we embrace it. This is just a simple convo between he and I with no music or big intro or fancy production. Enjoy Lil' Cyclones! /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/23376746

Leadership Through Change: Emily Thomas and Jason Westover 06/01/2022

Leadership Through Change: Emily Thomas and Jason Westover SelectQuote has experienced tremendous change over the last several months, and navigating that change successfully requires strong and competent leadership. We have two such leaders on today's show in Emily Thomas and Jason Westover. Emily and Jason talk us through what it takes to maneuver an organization such as ours through the complexities and nuances of change, and the decision making and leadership processes that go into making sure those changes effectively communicated and implemented. In this episode we talk Trustpilot Reviews, KU vs. K-State, Humility, Leading Remotely, Culture, Lessons Learned, Making Lists and Prioritizing. Thank you for listening and enjoy! /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/23295410

Enrollment Podcast: Being an Impact Player with Tiffany Sterling 02/28/2022

Enrollment Podcast: Being an Impact Player with Tiffany Sterling On this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the one of our top leaders, Tiffany Sterling. Tiffany came to SelectQuote just over a year ago from Sprint, where she started as a temp worker in a store in San Diego, and diligently worked her way up to to a director position at the corporate level. She is now the Vice President of Operations for the Senior division here at SQ and just completed her first AEP. On today's show we talk small town living, life lessons from sports, the value of education, California dreaming, climbing the corporate ladder, becoming an impact player, and surviving AEP. Thank you for listening and enjoy! /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/22283495

Enrollment Podcast: Youth in Leadership with Audrey & Sam 01/05/2022

Enrollment Podcast: Youth in Leadership with Audrey & Sam The enrollment department has a diverse range of ages in leadership, and today we focus on two of our youngest leaders, Audrey Phillips and Sam Salts. On this episode we discuss living abroad, commanding the room, the social media effect, entitlement, implementing empathy, and keys to being a successful young leader . Thanks for listening and enjoy! /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/21684641

Enrollment Podcast: Leadership with Jette & Devin 12/29/2021

Enrollment Podcast: Leadership with Jette & Devin We kick off our new podcast with a series on leadership and two of our department's very important leaders, Jette Higgins and Devin Regan. On this episode we discuss being a bossy pants, problem solving, growth spurts, meshing leadership styles and keys to being a successful enoller. Thanks for listening and enjoy! /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/21627164

Leadership Series I: Servant & Empathic Leadership 03/09/2021

Leadership Series I: Servant & Empathic Leadership This episode centers on Servant & Empathic Leadership with my guest Spenser Villwock, an old high school mate of mine and CEO of IEC National, a trade association leading 2500 electrical and systems contractors. Spenser is one of the most thoughtful and engaging people I’ve ever known. He and I explore what it means to be a servant leader, the importance of empathy in leadership, creating space for diverse voices and how to build and sustain a culture that supports every one of those pieces. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/18245480

The Forgotten Nation: Rhonda LeValdo 10/13/2020

The Forgotten Nation: Rhonda LeValdo My guest on this episode is Rhonda LeValdo, an educator of her culture and faculty member at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence KS, where she teaches Media Communications. She is also an outspoken advocate against the use of Native American stereotypes and the misappropriations of Native American culture. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/16377260

Joining the Fight for Equality 08/13/2020

Joining the Fight for Equality On this episode speak with a man whose life has been completely transformed in the wake of the latest killings, of black Americans and who has now dedicated his life to the fight for racial injustice. He is white. He is also German-American, which carries its own set of complexities. We explore his life growing up in the San Francisco bay area, his understanding of white privilege, the effect of Breonna Taylor's murder on him and what impact he hopes to have moving forward. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/15606953

AHS Alumni: Spenser Villwock 06/24/2020

AHS Alumni: Spenser Villwock My first podcast for the AHS Alumni podcast was Spenser. When planning this project five years ago, he immediately came to mind as the first person I wanted to interview, simply because of how he has lived his life. Spenser's love of adventure and people led him to run his own curbside recycling company at the age of 23, embark on a solo cross country bicycle trip from Iowa to Oregon and led him to Japan to work and experience the culture. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/14949185

AHS Alumni: Bill Ripp 06/18/2020

AHS Alumni: Bill Ripp Honored to have my high school principal and long time Ames Community School educator, Bill Ripp. I have a great amount of respect for Mr. Ripp and admire him for his love of teaching and his respect and treatment of students. He impacted many students and their families far beyond the walls of Ames High School. Thanks you to Mr. Ripp for joining be today. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/14880914

White Raising Black: A Father's Journey After George Floyd 06/08/2020

White Raising Black: A Father's Journey After George Floyd Jason Crawford is a white parent raising two black children. He knows his son and daughter will experience prejudice and racism. He struggles, because as a white man, he feels he cannot rightly teach them how to deal with being marginalized and treated as something less than human. His heart aches for the world his children will face as they grow into adulthood. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/14739941

Upsetting the System: What to do With White Privilege 05/31/2020

Upsetting the System: What to do With White Privilege Like many of you, I am frustrated and angry. I need to understand, to educate myself, to have a conversation with someone who will shed light on what to do with these feelings. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/14634668

AHS Alumni 91: Jolyn Brakke 05/28/2020

AHS Alumni 91: Jolyn Brakke Jolyn Brakke was a year ahead of me in high school. In my view she was very popular, athletic and attractive. My perception did not match her reality however, and it turns out, her time at Ames High was challenging. In this episode Jolyn and I talk growing up a twin, Central Junior High, Skittle woes, battling eating disorders, the pressure of varsity, finding your groove and competing in a fitness pageant at 40. Thank you to Jolyn for sharing her life with us. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/14607692

AHS Alumni 92: Jessica Purdy 05/21/2020

AHS Alumni 92: Jessica Purdy One of the most raw and open podcasts I have ever done. Jessica's redemption story is fascinating, heartbreaking and inspiring all at once. Her journey from a physical, emotional and sexually abusive childhood to marriage to motherhood to biker gang to full-blown drug addict to becoming clean and reconciling her faith in God and her relationship with her family is nothing short of a miracle. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/14513582

AHS Alumni 92: Bryce Freeman 04/09/2020

AHS Alumni 92: Bryce Freeman My good friend Bryce joins the podcast today to talk bullying, contact lenses, team sports, discipline, living abroad, divorce, friendship and renewal. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/13919402

AHS Alumni 92: Holly Anderson 04/02/2020

AHS Alumni 92: Holly Anderson Holly and a special guest join me today to talk favorite movies, family challenges, trombone woes, teaching in the trenches and mothering an awesome kid. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/13812503

AHS Alumni 92: Tabitha Halsrud 03/27/2020

AHS Alumni 92: Tabitha Halsrud Tabitha joins me today to talk about hair, high school, living in fear, overcoming those fears, mothering, self-care and mindfulness. /episode/index/show/curiouscreature/id/13728296