The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode 157: Chris Zook - The Founders Mentality: A Bias For Action & Front Line Obsession

Chris Zook is a partner in Bain & Company's Boston office. He was co-head of the Global Strategy practice for 20 years. During his more than 25 years at Bain, Chris has specialized in helping companies find new sources of profitable growth.

A best-selling author, Chris published his fifth book,The Founder's Mentality in 2016. Based on a decade-long study of companies in more than 40 countries, The Founder's Mentality shows how leaders can overcome the predictable crises of growth and set their companies on a path of sustainable growth. Chris has been a featured broadcast guest, including NPR, CNBC, Fox News and Bloomberg TV. He has been a keynote speaker at a wide range of international and business forums including the World Economic Forum, the World Knowledge Forum, the Forbes' CEO Conference, the BusinessWeek CEO Conference, the Economist Summit and Endeavour's entrepreneur summits. In the last five years, he has done over 500 talks and workshops across more than 35 different countries.

Episode 157: Chris Zook - The Founders Mentality: A Bias For Action & Front Line Obsession

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"The leaders who have a deep intellectual curiosity to continuously learn" will sustain excellence over an extended period of time"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a burning intensity and passion around a topic/cause and a love of the details will lead to sustained excellence
• Walter Chrysler was a great example of this.. -- Also Phil Knight (Nike), Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX)
• The importance of a "deep intellectual curiosity to learn"
• Front Line Obsession - Do you treat your front line sales and customer service employees as the heroes of the business? Do you do whatever it takes to support them?
• Customer Advocacy - Do you relentlessly try to create loyalty with your customers? Is the voice of the customer fully represented in all important meetings?
• An Owner's mindset:
  • A bias for action - Making decisions with speed. Quick to take on personal responsibility and risk to do the right thing
  • An aversion to bureaucracy - Have you simplified your initiatives to focus on the biggest priorities? Are your planning and review processes the best in the industry and do you reallocate resources to make your front line more competitive?
• The amount of time spent on the preparation for quarterly meetings (building PowerPoint decks, etc...) is immense -- However, it's not focused on customers, which is a problem
• How Home Depot went from great to poor to great again...
• The 9 Nike Maxims -- Make sure you celebrate your front line employees
• How can a company deal with cost reductions?
• "Train the guns on thet thinkers, not the doers" -- The bureaucracy has to go
• The importance of mindfulness
• Have a bias for action... Be a doer, not a talker
• 85% of a companies issues stem from internal issues
• Why a company needs one dedicated person to owning the customer experience
• The hero of WWII - General James Gavin
• New Leaders - Spend the first 6 weeks in the field. Learn what is happening and why. See it for yourself
  • Send an email to every person in your organization and take the time to thoughtfully respond to every email
• How Chris helped build Bain from 100 employees to 5,000+
• Thought of "Learning Leader" as an academic term originally, but after being a guest on the show views it as a way to bring ideas from an outside audience and share with others

"Complexity is the silent killer of growth"

Continue Learning:

• READ his book: The Founders Mentality
• Follow Bain on Twitter: @BainInsights
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Chris Zook on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Bain.com

Chris has authored numerous additional books with Harvard Business Review Press, including Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change (2012), an argument for simple, great repeatable models to realize enduring, profitable growth. In 2010, he published Profit from the Core: A Return to Growth in Turbulent Times, an updated edition of his 2001 best-selling business book, Profit from the Core: Growth Strategy in an Era of Turbulence, which offers an approach to assessing and making the most of core business opportunities. Chris's sequel, Beyond the Core: Expand your Market without Abandoning your Roots (2004) examines how companies that have fully exploited their core businesses can systematically and successfully expand into related, or "adjacent" areas. Unstoppable: Finding Hidden Assets to Renew the Core and Fuel Profitable Growth (2007) completes the series and examines what to do when your growth formula of the past begins to approach its limits, demanding that your company change its strategic focus and redefine its core.

These "growth trilogy" books have received widespread critical support. Beyond the Corewas recognized by The Economist as one of the top five business and economic books in the year it was published, and it was also voted one of the top 100 business books ever written. Unstoppable was identified by The Financial Times as one of the notable business books of the year. Based on his work on how companies grow, Chris was included by theTimes of London in its biannual list of the 50 Most Influential Global Business Thinkers. He has written dozens of articles with Harvard Business Review Press and other business publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times,Fortune, Forbes and BusinessWeek.

He received a bachelor of arts in mathematics and economics from Williams College, an M.Phil. in economics from Exeter College, Oxford University, and earned master's and doctorate degrees from Harvard University.

Episode 156: Greg Wittstock – The CEO Must Guide The Culture

Greg Wittstock has been dabbling in water gardens since the age of 12. He began with a concrete creation and evolved to the naturally balanced, #1 contractor-installed ecosystem ponds that Aquascape is well known for.

After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in Interpersonal Communications, Greg founded Aquascape Inc., which experienced incredible growth during its early years. The company appeared on Inc Magazine's coveted list of 500 Fastest-Growing, Privately-Held Companies in North America from 1999-2002. Greg later appeared on the cover of Inc Magazine, along with a feature article about his leadership and entrepreneurial spirit.

Episode 156: Greg Wittstock – The CEO Must Guide The Culture

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"The first job of the CEO is to guide the culture"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Most excited about: The 25th anniversary of his company, Aquascape
• Growing a business from college hobby to 120 employees and over $60m in revenue at one point
• "Those who sweat together stay together"
• Values of Aquascape
  • Character
  • Team
  • Winning
  • Fun
• The importance of playing football and how they taught Greg about teamwork
• How The Chicago Tribune story launched his business to another level
• Why he didn't speak with his Dad for 9 years
• The average pond they build is $15,000
• Overall philosophy to the profession of sales: Help those who have had a bad experience, sell the lifestyle, share statistics about how a pond can change your life
• Find someone who has done what you want to do and learn directly from them
• "The greatest satisfaction in life is helping other people succeed"

"Find someone who does what you want to do and learn directly from them."

Continue Learning:

• READ: Forbes Feature on Greg
• Follow Greg on Twitter: @ThePondGuy
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Greg Wittstock on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

The Learning Leader Show is supported by Daor Design - Daor Design will help you build your brand like nobody's business. Most of their work falls into one of four categories: Logo Design, Print Design, Web Design or Digital Marketing. They pride themselves in being a trusted, valued resource for their growing family of clients.

Bio From Aquascapeinc.com

In 2004, Greg was nominated for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award. Greg also received the Best Boss' award from Fortune's Small Business Magazine and Winning Workplaces in 2005, and earned the University of Chicago's Entrepreneur Hall of Fame award in 2007.

At the end of 2005, Wittstock's dream of a workplace utopia came true as the company moved to Aqualand, a 256,000 square foot office and warehouse facility that boasts the largest sloping green roof in North America. Aqualand received Silver Level recognition in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating system.

Greg has been interviewed and featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times in 2009, and has appeared on a variety of television shows over the years including Good Morning America, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, and cable home improvement shows.

Episode 155: Russ Roberts - A Guide To Human Nature & Happiness

Russell Roberts is the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

Roberts hosts the weekly podcast EconTalk–hour-long conversations with authors, economists, and business leaders. Past guests include Milton Friedman, Nassim Taleb, Christopher Hitchens, Marc Andreessen, Joseph Stiglitz, and John Bogle. EconTalk was named podcast of the year in the 2008 Weblog Awards. Over 425 episodes are available at EconTalk.org and on iTunes at no charge.

His two rap videos on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek, created with filmmaker John Papola, have had more than seven million views on YouTube, been subtitled in eleven languages, and are used in high school and college classrooms around the world.

His latest book is How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. It takes the lessons from Adam Smith's little-known masterpiece, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and applies them to modern life—lessons for work, family, friendship, and how to live the good life.

Episode 155: Russ Roberts - A Guide To Human Nature & Happiness

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Man naturally desires, not only to be loved, but to be lovely" -- "The right way to be loved is to be wise and virtuous"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• "Being intellectually alive" and having a passion about learning will help you sustain excellence
• The importance of being open to people outside of the box
• Adam Smith was an 18th Century Scottish Economist - Great writer, entertaining
• He wrote "The Wealth of Nations" and "The Theory of Moral Sentiments"
• What we all naturally desire = To be loved and to be lovely
• Why do we care so deeply about what others think of us?
• We want to be praised, BUT we want to earn that praise. We want to be praised for doing it the "right way"
• How do you know what is right? Step outside of yourself -- you're prone to delusion. View it in the spectrum of an impartial spectator
• Meditation and mindfulness is helpful
• "A prudent man is sincere and honest. Also though he doesn't volunteer everything he knows, he is reserved and cautious in his speech and his action. He doesn't stick his opinion into every discussion." -- Be measured. "Say little, do much."
• Create a beneficent rule about parenting -- Always take your child's hand when offered. It means holding their hand more often and also helps you remember to savor the moment.
• How to live? Seek wisdom and virtue. Behave as if an impartial spectator is watching you. Use the idea of an impartial spectator to step outside yourself as others see you. Use that vision to know yourself. Avoid the seductions of money and fame, for they will never satisfy.
• "These are the days to remember. They will not last forever."
• The story of Pyrrhus - The kind of Epirus - Why Cinneas thinks it's a bad idea. -- "What hinders your majestry from doing so now?" -- You don't have to conquer Italy to enjoy the fundamental pleasures of life.
• The Mexican fishing story = Bigger is not always better. Listen as this relates to so many people trying to check off boxes from a career perspectiveThe story of Pyrrhus - The kind of Epirus - Why Cinneas thinks it's a bad idea. -- "What hinders your majestry from doing so now?" -- You don't have to conquer Italy to enjoy the fundamental pleasures of life.

"A prudent man is sincere and honest. Also though he doesn't volunteer everything he knows, he is reserved and cautious in his speech and his action. He doesn't stick his opinion into every discussion." -- Be measured. "Say little, do much."

Continue Learning:

• READ his book: How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life
• Follow Russ on Twitter: @EconTalker
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Russ Roberts on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From RussRoberts.info

Russell Roberts is the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

Roberts hosts the weekly podcast EconTalk–hour-long conversations with authors, economists, and business leaders. Past guests include Milton Friedman, Nassim Taleb, Christopher Hitchens, Marc Andreessen, Joseph Stiglitz, and John Bogle. EconTalk was named podcast of the year in the 2008 Weblog Awards. Over 425 episodes are available at EconTalk.org and on iTunes at no charge.

His two rap videos on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek, created with filmmaker John Papola, have had more than seven million views on YouTube, been subtitled in eleven languages, and are used in high school and college classrooms around the world.

His latest book is How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. It takes the lessons from Adam Smith's little-known masterpiece, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and applies them to modern life—lessons for work, family, friendship, and how to live the good life.

Episode 154: Lewis Howes - How To Acknowledge Greatness

Lewis Howes is an online marketing expert, sought after business coach, author, podcaster, USA Men's National Team Handball Player, and Lifestyle Entrepreneur. In 3 years, Howes went from sleeping on his sister's couch to running a seven figure online education business. A former pro football player, and two sport All American, Howes experienced a career ending wrist injury that forever changed the trajectory of his business career. He has spoken to thousands at conferences, educated entrepreneurs and professionals around the world on how to make a living doing what they love. Howes has developed multiple educational online courses for entrepreneurs and business owners. His latest book, "The School of Greatness" is a New York Times Best-Seller.

The Learning Leader Show

"Do I have permission to make this the best interview you've ever done?"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Being passionate and obsessed with your craft combined with a commitment to being great will help you sustain excellence
• Lewis sharing the painful moments about being sexually abused as a kid and how that impacted him
• The things that hold us back from being a true leader
• The power of vulnerability
• Let's change our conversation style... Instead of asking, "What do you do?" Let's ask, "What are you most excited about in your life? What are you most grateful for in your life?"
• His vision = Serve 100 million people
• Dealing with depression when a wrist injury ended his football career
• "Follow your curiosity"
• Master a skill to serve others - Be challenged -- Look at your life in 6 month seasons
• Why Lewis transferred back and forth multiple times in college
• Focusing on your strengths and how it helps
• How to prime someone you are about to interview
• Why we all should acknowledge the positive attributes of a person and most importantly TELL them
• "I want to acknowledge you for..."
• A true leader is always learning

"When you're a startup, you have to be willing to take a lot of risks."

Continue Learning:

• His book: The School of Greatness
• See why over 109,000 people follow Lewis on Twitter: @LewisHowes
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Lewis Howes on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Episode 153: Brian Halligan, CEO of HubSpot: How To Make Them Come To You

(Bio in first person from Amazon.com) My day job is as co-founder and CEO of HubSpot, an inbound marketing company started in 2006. Most business market their products by "interrupting" their potential customers with advertisements, cold calls, email blasts, etc. We humans have gotten sick of being interrupted by marketers and have gotten better-and-better at blocking them out with new technology such as caller ID, spam protection, TIVO, etc. HubSpot helps businesses transform they way they market from interrupting potential customers to helping them "get found" by them in the natural course of the way they work today in Google, in blogs, and in social media sites. In other words, we help companies transform from "outbound marketing" to "inbound marketing." Despite only starting the company a few years ago, we have over 1700 paying customers who on average increase their leadflow by 6x within 6 months of buying our product.

In addition to working at HubSpot, I am an EIR at MIT where I lecture on startups and marketing as well as help students when I can.

Prior to HubSpot I was a venture capitalist. It was in working with small startups that I realized that the fundamental way in which marketing has worked for the last several decades was simply broken.

Prior to being a vc, I was a student at MIT where I was a Sloan Fellow. I spent a lot of time at MIT studying web2.0, business model transformation, and innovation.

In the early part of this decade, I spent four years running sales at Groove Networks prior to it being acquired by Microsoft. I spent the first 10 years of my career in sales and marketing roles at Parametric Technology Corporation where I joined in startup mode and helped it grow to be over $1billion in revenue.

In my spare time, I like to read books by folks like David Meerman Scott, Seth Godin, Clayton Christensen, Geoffrey Moore, etc. I also play guitar poorly. I enjoy all kinds of sports like tennis, squash, running, and golf. I can often be found in summertime enjoying a Red Sox game in Fenway Park.

Episode 153: Brian Halligan, CEO of HubSpot: How To Make Them Come To You

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"It looks like a rocket ship from the outside, but in reality it is slow and steady growth."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a willingness to embrace change will help you sustain excellence
• Understanding "The Inbound Methodology"
• How HubSpot was born
• The importance of finding a great co-founder who compliments your strengths
• What's advice would he give to others who are starting their own business?
• Must have product/market fit -- Look to improve someone's life with something that is unique. For the first 6 months spend 100% of your time getting that right
• Specific notes about the product from a current user
• The Inbound Methodology - Much more effective than cold calling
• The traditional playbook is broken... How do you do "Inbound Marketing?" Create a blog, start a podcast -- Find a way to attract people to you. Hubspot does a fantastic job of getting people to come to them
• "I don't have a phone on my desk" -- "Sales is changing everyday" -- His co-founder just bought a Tesla and did the entire transaction online
• "If I was an outside sales person, I would choose an industry with a very complex product. If it's not complex, then the buyer doesn't need anyone to explain it to them. They can just read about it online."
• HubSpot sells a great deal completely through eCommerce
• Why they publish their "Culture Code" and how it's helped them recruit the best talent
• How they responded to Dan Lyons very critical book discussing his time of employment at HubSpot
• Dealing with negative publicity -- How to handle a crisis -- Agreeing that some of what was written was true ("We are way too white male and we are too young.")
• The dramatic rise of their stock price from when they went public to today (132% increase)
• Why they have an "Inbound" conference every year and what takes place at the event
• The importance of having healthy debates prior to "sailing the ships." - Once the ship is sailing, everyone must be on board
• Most important quality for Brian to hire you? They must know why they were successful in their prior work. He doesn't only care about what happened, he wants to make sure they fully understand why they were successful
• Read the book "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight (Nike)
• "I like the name Learning Leader a lot. I like leaders who are constantly learning and evolving."

"When you're a startup, you have to be willing to take a lot of risks."

Continue Learning:

• Read: Inbound Marketing, Revised and Updated: Attract, Engage, and Delight Customers Online
• Read: HubSpot - Culture Code
• See why over 58,000 people follow Brian on Twitter: @bhalligan
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Kris "Tanto" Paronto on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

(Bio in first person from Amazon.com) My day job is as co-founder and CEO of HubSpot, an inbound marketing company started in 2006. Most business market their products by "interrupting" their potential customers with advertisements, cold calls, email blasts, etc. We humans have gotten sick of being interrupted by marketers and have gotten better-and-better at blocking them out with new technology such as caller ID, spam protection, TIVO, etc. HubSpot helps businesses transform they way they market from interrupting potential customers to helping them "get found" by them in the natural course of the way they work today in Google, in blogs, and in social media sites. In other words, we help companies transform from "outbound marketing" to "inbound marketing." Despite only starting the company a few years ago, we have over 1700 paying customers who on average increase their leadflow by 6x within 6 months of buying our product.

In addition to working at HubSpot, I am an EIR at MIT where I lecture on startups and marketing as well as help students when I can.

Prior to HubSpot I was a venture capitalist. It was in working with small startups that I realized that the fundamental way in which marketing has worked for the last several decades was simply broken.

Prior to being a vc, I was a student at MIT where I was a Sloan Fellow. I spent a lot of time at MIT studying web2.0, business model transformation, and innovation.

In the early part of this decade, I spent four years running sales at Groove Networks prior to it being acquired by Microsoft. I spent the first 10 years of my career in sales and marketing roles at Parametric Technology Corporation where I joined in startup mode and helped it grow to be over $1billion in revenue.

In my spare time, I like to read books by folks like David Meerman Scott, Seth Godin, Clayton Christensen, Geoffrey Moore, etc. I also play guitar poorly. I enjoy all kinds of sports like tennis, squash, running, and golf. I can often be found in summertime enjoying a Red Sox game in Fenway Park.

Episode 152: Dave Dameshek: NFL Network Star, Comedy Writer, Working With Jimmy Kimmel

Dave Dameshek is a TV writer and TV/Podcast personality. Dameshek is currently a football analyst and writer for NFL.com, appearing on NFL Fantasy Live and hosting the Dave Dameshek Football Program. He also regularly appears on the NFL Network.

His past: The Adam Carolla Show debuted in January 2006, recorded in Los Angeles and airing in syndication on stations across the western United States. Dameshek was a regular cast member on the show from the beginning, serving as the show's official sports reporter. He received his first big break in 2001 when he was hired as a writer on Comedy Central'sThe Man Show, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla. In 2002, he began writing for Kimmel's new late-night talk show on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he made several appearances in addition to his main responsibility of working on the show's nightly monologue.

Episode 152: Dave Dameshek: NFL Network Star, Comedy Writer, Working With Jimmy Kimmel

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"If you outwork everybody, nobody can accuse you of being given anything."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The specific advice Jimmy Kimmel gave to him on how to have a successful career (work ethic)
• Super resilient and self confident leaders sustain excellence
• Best piece of advice for future broadcasters: "BE EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE"
• When it comes to Dameshek's feelings towards obnoxious TV personalities - Be yourself and always tell the truth
• Going from bartender to corporate sales to a career in entertainment
• Dameshek responds to the Reddit thread, "Does anyone actually like Dave Dameshek?"
• How he was able to earn Adam Corolla's respect (hard to do)
• A great story about one of his first "LA" experiences with Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla
• What "No Jive" means and why he believes in it
• How has Roger Goddell been as a leader?
• Why Dave gets nervous to speak with comedians but not anyone else
• Why people will tell you terrible things about themselves but no one will admit they aren't funny
• How to impress CEO's? "Don't kiss their butts" -- They are used to everyone doing that

"If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember anything."

Continue Learning:

• Read Dameshek's blog for NFL.com: davedameshek.nfl.com
• Follow Tanto on Twitter: @Dameshek
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 145: AJ Hawk - Life In The NFL, Awareness, Consistency

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Dave Dameshek on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio Dave Dameshek

Dr. Funny Dave Dameshek is a TV writer and TV/Podcast personality. Dameshek is currently a football analyst and writer for NFL.com, appearing on NFL Fantasy Live and hosting the Dave Dameshek Football Program. The Adam Carolla Show debuted in January 2006, recorded in Los Angeles and airing in syndication on stations across the western United States. Dameshek was a regular cast member on the show from the beginning, serving as the show's official sports reporter. He received his first big break in 2001 when he was hired as a writer on Comedy Central'sThe Man Show, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla. In 2002, he began writing for Kimmel's new late-night talk show on ABC,Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he made several appearances in addition to his main responsibility of working on the show's nightly monologue.

Episode 151: Kris "Tanto" Paronto - 13 Hours: A Secret Soldier Of Benghazi

Kris Paronto - "Tanto" as he is affectionately known in security contracting circles - is a former Army Ranger from 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment and private security contractor who has deployed throughout South America, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. He also worked with the US Government's Global Response Staff conducting low profile security in high threat environments throughout the world.

Mr. Paronto was part of the CIA annex security team that responded to the terrorist attack on the US Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, September 11th, 2012, helping to save over 20 lives while fighting off terrorists from the CIA Annex for over 13 hours. Mr. Paronto's story is told in the book "13 Hours" written by Mitchell Zuckoff and his five surviving annex security team members. Michael Bay directed the movie (based on the book) titled "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"

Episode 151: Kris "Tanto" Paronto - 13 Hours: A Secret Soldier Of Benghazi

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"I Will Never Ask You To Do Something I wouldn't Do Myself"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Being selfless, of service to others, and sacrificing will help you sustain excellence
• Humility, strength, and faith have led to Tanto's success and his ability to stay alive
• "The best leaders continually learn"
• All of the death he saw in Iraq and other war zones helped prepare him for the Benghazi attacks
• How accurate the movie "13 Hours" was to what happened in real life
• How often he still speaks with the other soldiers from that night
• Did he really wear shorts (like the movie portrays) that night? If so, why?
• "Rangers are experts at belt fed weapons"
• Why they were forced to wait 25 minutes at the annex prior to leaving
• What it was like hearing on the radio, "GRS (his group), where are you? We are going to F'n die"
• Tanto's thoughts Hillary Clinton's leadership (not good)
• Why there were forced to sign 2 non-disclosures -- including one at the memorials
• The amount of money you can make in 9 months as a security contractor
• What happens when you come home from a job over seas and how it negatively impacts your life
• How PTSD has impacted him
• The CIA fired him for telling his story publicly -- telling the truth
• Tanto and his teammates voted... They all chose to tell the truth -- And it got them fired
• What it's like to be in the audience for one of Tanto's speeches

"Hillary Clinton is a failed leader. This is not a political statement. She is a sociopath." - Kris "Tanto" Paronto

Continue Learning:

• Read: 13 Hours
• Watch: 13 Hours - The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
• Follow Tanto on Twitter: @KrisParonto
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Kris "Tanto" Paronto on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From kristantoparonto.com

Kris Paronto - "Tanto" as he is affectionately known in security contracting circles - is a former Army Ranger from 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment and private security contractor who has deployed throughout South America, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. He also worked with the US Government's Global Response Staff conducting low profile security in high threat environments throughout the world.

Mr. Paronto was part of the CIA annex security team that responded to the terrorist attack on the US Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, September 11th, 2012, helping to save over 20 lives while fighting off terrorists from the CIA Annex for over 13 hours. Mr. Paronto's story is told in the book "13 Hours" written by Mitchell Zuckoff and his five surviving annex security team members. Michael Bay directed the movie (based on the book) titled "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"

Episode 150: Forbes Contributor Omaid Homayun Interviews Me - Learning From Failure, Creating A Hit Podcast, Sustaining Excellence

A few months ago I received a great email from Omaid Homayun. He shared how The Learning Leader Show has helped him grow as a leader. He mentioned that he had his own podcast (To The Top) and he was also a writer for Forbes. After a few conversations, Omaid decided that he wanted to write a story on how my show as created and has sustained excellence. This episode is the recording of the official interview we did for what became this Forbes article. I'm sharing this conversation specifically because I appreciate the approach Omaid brought to this interview. He came to it with a curious mind (as Lin Wood would say). He also was able to get me to share information about myself that I've never discussed publicly. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you do too. Thank YOU all again for being great supporters of The Learning Leader Show.

Episode 150: Forbes Contributor Omaid Homayun Interviews Me - Learning From Failure, Creating A Hit Podcast, Sustaining Excellence

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Sometimes you can do absolutely everything within your power," Hawk said of his time at Miami (OH), "and yet it still won't be enough to accomplish your goals. It's served me well to handle failure at a young age. I draw from that experience on a daily basis."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why I decided against a PhD and started this show instead
• The process for creating the show -- And the work done prior to launching
• How to improve as an interviewer
• The most important I learned from my football career
• A detailed description of "what happens" from play to play as a quarterback (I've never discussed it in this detail before)
• What it was like competing with Ben Roethlisberger for 2 years at Miami University
• How to balance time at work and time with family
• The specific breakdown (by % of time) for how I spend my 168 hours per week
• How to get your family involved and excited about a new project
• The most memorable lessons learned from speaking with over 150 world class leaders

"It will spread because I'm going to work like crazy for it to be great."

Continue Learning:

• Read: Forbes Feature: How To Maximize Your Time To Achieve Sustained Success: An Interview With Ryan Hawk
• Read: Omaid's Forbes Feature on Simon Sinek
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed how we flipped the script on this episode, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From www.LearningLeader.com

Ryan Hawk is the creator and host of The Learning Leader Show, a top rated iTunes business podcast that focuses on learning from the smartest, most creative leaders in the world (including such luminaries as Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Kat Cole and Adam Grant). Hawk's podcast has exploded on a global scale with listeners in 112 countries world-wide. Forbes has called The Learning Leader Show "The most dynamic leadership podcast out there." And Inc magazine listed The Learning Leader Show as one of the top 5 podcasts to "help you lead smarter."

Ryan also writes for The Huffington Post on the topics of leading and empowering others. His background is in the profession of selling where he's won multiple awards for his production. Prior to his professional business pursuits Hawk was a decorated college football quarterback (at Miami University and Ohio University).

Episode 149: Marcus Sheridan - The Sales Lion: "They Ask, We Answer"

Marcus Sheridan has coached multiple businesses of all types from around the globe in an effort to help them achieve world-class communication in all its forms, online and offline. Specifically, he has become known for: Content Marketing, HubSpot Training, Keynote Speeches. In 2015 alone, award-winning speaker Marcus Sheridan has traveled the globe, giving multiple sales, marketing, and leadership keynotes in a total of 8 different countries and 24 states. Sheridan, along with team member George Thomas, can be counted on to teach, inspire, and move audiences of all sizes to action while embracing today's digital consumer and new way of doing business.

Episode 149: Marcus Sheridan - The Sales Lion: "They Ask, We Answer"

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"I teach companies how to become the most trusted source in their industry."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having an obsession with continuing to learn will help you sustain excellence. A mindset that says "I have not figured it all out yet."
• His core philosophy is: "They ask. We answer."
• How Jim Rohn helped him fall in love with learning
• The process in which Marcus teaches companies to be the most trusted source in their industry
• "The reason why people buy from you is TRUST."
• When people go to your website, they want to know how much it costs... So tell them
• Talking openly about your competitors is a wise way to go about your business
• What's the most important part of the sales cycle? 70% of people decide what they're going to do before talking to a sales professional
• The magic happens before they talk to someone (this is why your website is critical)
• If someone read 30 pages on his website, they bought 80% of the time
• 80% of the questions are the same... Answer them on your website
• Why it's required at his company for each employee to build their personal brand
• Why is Marcus a great public speaker? "He knows how to explain things so that people can actually understand them."
• "When we tell stories, the audience can see it."
• Think, Feel, Act - Your speech can hopefully change all three
• Why he took his daughter on the road with him for an entire semester
• A learning leader is curious.. Constantly learning

"If you're going to be ultra successful in sales, you need a personal brand."

Continue Learning:

• Go to: TtheSalesLion.com
• Follow Marcuson Twitter: @TheSalesLion
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Marcus Sheridan on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From TheSalesLion.com

Marcus Sheridan has coached multiple businesses of all types from around the globe in an effort to help them achieve world-class communication in all its forms, online and offline. Specifically, he has become known for: Content Marketing, HubSpot Training, Keynote Speeches. In 2015 alone, award-winning speaker Marcus Sheridan has traveled the globe, giving multiple sales, marketing, and leadership keynotes in a total of 8 different countries and 24 states. Sheridan, along with team member George Thomas, can be counted on to teach, inspire, and move audiences of all sizes to action while embracing today's digital consumer and new way of doing business.

Episode 148: Jason Wachob - CEO of MindBodyGreen: How To Build A Life, Not A Resume

JASON WACHOB is the Founder and CEO of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media brand dedicated to wellness. His site (mindbodygreen.com) receives 10 million unique page views per month! He has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Vogue. Jason has a BA in history from Columbia University, where he played varsity basketball for four years. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, and loves German Shepherds, Chuck Taylors, and guacamole.

Episode 148: Jason Wachob - CEO of MindBodyGreen: How To Build A Life, Not A Resume

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"You Don't Want To Spend Your Life Climbing A Ladder That you Realize Is The Wrong Ladder When You Get To The Top"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Being around passionate people who have a palpable energy will help you sustain excellence
• "If you're not progressing, you're dead."
• mindbodygreen is dedicated to helping you live your best life
• 4,400 contributors write for mbg
• How does Jason respond to people who are critical of his work and view it with skepticism? -- "Go to mindbodygreen.com and look around, tell me what you think"
• How playing basketball at Columbia helped him as a leader
• How 9/11 impacted him and why it made him think about his career
• At age 25, he made $800,000/year -- but he hated it
• Why Jason felt he was going backwards and like he was a loser
• Flew 150,000 domestic miles -- And he's 6'7
• How yoga healed his back issues (he was previously told he needed surgery)
• For the first 2 and a half years of mbg, he made no money
• In 2012 he chose to raise capital
• "Your problems don't go away... They change."
• "Raising capital can be the quickest way to kill your business."
• Build a Life, Not A Resume -- We all know people who like to check off certain career boxes. Don't do that.
• As an entrepreneur, you have to be extremely comfortable with ambiguity -- You go to bed at night not knowing if your business will succeed
• You can't work for 2 and a half years making no money unless you are extremely passionate about it...
• A learning leader has to evolve - Progress, Progress, Progress

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night, and in between does what he wants to do." - Bob Dylan

Continue Learning:

• Read: Wellth - How ILearned To Build A Life, Not A Resume
• Read: MindBodyGreen.com
• Follow Jason on Twitter: @JasonWachob
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jason Wachob on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From mindbodygreen.com

JASON WACHOB is the Founder and CEO of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media brand dedicated to wellness. His site (mindbodygreen.com) receives 10 million unique page views per month! He has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Vogue. Jason has a BA in history from Columbia University, where he played varsity basketball for four years. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, and loves German Shepherds, Chuck Taylors, and guacamole.

Episode 147: Anders Ericsson - What Malcolm Gladwell Got Wrong About The 10,000 Hour Rule

ANDERS ERICSSON, PhD, is Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology at Florida State University. He studies expert performance in domains, such as music, chess, medicine, and sports, and how expert performers attain their superior performance by acquiring complex cognitive mechanisms through extended deliberate practice. He has edited "Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance" (2006) and "The Development of Professional Expertise" (2009). In the book Outliers Malcolm Gladwell based his "10,000 hour rule" on Ericsson and colleagues's research on musicians. His latest book is titled, "PEAK, Secrets From The New Science of Expertise."

Have you ever wanted to learn a language or pick up an instrument, only to become too daunted by the task at hand? Expert performance guru Anders Ericsson has made a career studying chess champions, violin virtuosos, star athletes, and memory mavens. Peak condenses three decades of original research to introduce an incredibly powerful approach to learning that is fundamentally different from the way people traditionally think about acquiring a skill.

Ericsson's findings have been lauded and debated, but never properly explained. So the idea of expertise still intimidates us — we believe we need innate talent to excel, or think excelling seems prohibitively difficult.

Peak belies both of these notions, proving that almost all of us have the seeds of excellence within us — it's just a question of nurturing them by reducing expertise to a discrete series of attainable practices. Peak offers invaluable, often counter-intuitive, advice on setting goals, getting feedback, identifying patterns, and motivating yourself. Whether you want to stand out at work, or help your kid achieve academic goals, Ericsson's revolutionary methods will show you how to master nearly anything.

Episode 147: Anders Ericsson - What Malcolm Gladwell Got Wrong About The 10,000 Hour Rule

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Deliberate or purposeful practice involves practicing alongside a great coach or teacher."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Being really thoughtful and deliberately thinking of ways to get better help you sustain excellence
• Why it's so important to develop daily habits -- Being aware of the tradeoffs -- Using time wisely
• The impact of Nobel Prize winner, Herbert Simon -- Anders worked with him for 3 years
• Impressive listening skills -- How developing your ability to listen will dramatically improve your life
• He has not found any evidence that shows that people are born successful -- It's learned
• What does it take to be successful?
• What exactly Malcolm Gladwell got wrong about the "10,000 Hour" rule
• It's not just engaging in the domain -- There must be purposeful practice with a coach
• Always operate on the boundary of what you can and can't do.
• Why Anders and Malcolm Gladwell do not talk
• Nature vs. Nurture debate - Family culture and interactions -- How they impact your life
• A study of quarterbacks and their family backgrounds
• How do you measure deliberate practice?
• Creating the gap -- Where you are and where you want to be
• Keynote speech - Think, Feel, Act -- We want to cover all three and most importantly change how you act
• The Four Step Process
  • Specific Goal Set
  • Intense Focus
  • Immediate Feedback
  • Frequent Discomfort

"Always operate on the boundary of what you can and can't do."

Continue Learning:

• Read: Peak - The New Secrets of Success
• Read: How To Become an Expert at Anything
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Anders Ericsson on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

ANDERS ERICSSON, PhD, is Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology at Florida State University. He studies expert performance in domains, such as music, chess, medicine, and sports, and how expert performers attain their superior performance by acquiring complex cognitive mechanisms through extended deliberate practice. He has edited "Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance" (2006) and "The Development of Professional Expertise" (2009). In the book Outliers Malcolm Gladwell based his "10,000 hour rule" on Ericsson and colleagues's research on musicians. His latest book is titled, "PEAK, Secrets From The New Science of Expertise."

Have you ever wanted to learn a language or pick up an instrument, only to become too daunted by the task at hand? Expert performance guru Anders Ericsson has made a career studying chess champions, violin virtuosos, star athletes, and memory mavens. Peak condenses three decades of original research to introduce an incredibly powerful approach to learning that is fundamentally different from the way people traditionally think about acquiring a skill.

Ericsson's findings have been lauded and debated, but never properly explained. So the idea of expertise still intimidates us — we believe we need innate talent to excel, or think excelling seems prohibitively difficult.

Peak belies both of these notions, proving that almost all of us have the seeds of excellence within us — it's just a question of nurturing them by reducing expertise to a discrete series of attainable practices. Peak offers invaluable, often counterintuitive, advice on setting goals, getting feedback, identifying patterns, and motivating yourself. Whether you want to stand out at work, or help your kid achieve academic goals, Ericsson's revolutionary methods will show you how to master nearly anything.

Episode 146: Steven Sisler Psychoanalyzes Me - I Am Unorthodox, Mission Oriented, Logical, Competitive, & Complex

Steven Sisler is a Behavioral Analyst, speaker and author. Steve's consultation involves personality difference, leadership strategy, cultural differences, and temperament strategy. Working with clients in more than 18 countries, Steve gathers behavioral and attitudinal information on individuals within corporate settings and develops strategies for effective leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial success.

Steve makes normative judgments and brings thought provoking insights to the three ethical platforms within our society. These are the Community Ethic, The Autonomy Ethic, and The Divinity Ethic, and these platforms all have strong implications when challenged with ideological frameworks outside of those accepted within larger people groups. Steven was diagnosed with Hyper Kinetic Behavior in the second grade. He was beat up by girls and fought his way through nine years of intense bullying including being stripped down to his underwear and locked in a seven inch school locker in the seventh grade, kicked by a teacher in front of his class, and knocked unconscious by an eleven member gang on the school grounds.

Episode 146: Steven Sisler Psychoanalyzes Me - I Am Unorthodox, Mission Oriented, Logical, Competitive, & Complex

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Character is learned and character changes."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• People who understand themselves and embrace their strengths and weaknesses typically sustain excellence
• Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss have a great understanding of themselves
• What it means to be a "behavioral profiler"
• The biggest misconceptions of Steve's work
• The Four People Types:
  • Mad
  • Glad
  • Sad
  • Scared
• Why job interviews are not authentic
• The power of saying "I don't know"
• I like to know "why" more than "how"
• Measuring my emotional framework -- How Steve describes me based on the tests I took
  • Mission and results oriented person
  • Logical and left brained
  • Have a great poker face. Not showing emotion.
  • A very task oriented person -- "Give me the shovel"
  • Quick, very flexible, independent, freedom seeker, wanting to be in charge
  • Like to control the environment, suspicious -- People have to qualify to get in and be trusted
  • A teacher -- Would make a great college professor
  • A complex brain - Always want to know why?
  • Much more competitive with self than other people
  • High expectations of self -- Never feel content with what's been accomplished, never satisfied
  • An outside the box thinker -- Has unorthodox ideas and approaches to solving problems -- Answers questions in an interesting way, not a typical way
  • A creative problem solver who never gives up
  • A high empathy score -- But can be emotionally distant at times
  • In the 2% of personality score (matches very few people in the world)
  • Go to FreeBRG.com to get your own personality test

"I like to know why more than to know how."

Continue Learning:

• Go to FreeBRG.com to get your own personality test
• Follow Steve on Twitter: @stevesisler
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Steven Sisler on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

Steven Sisler is a Behavioral Analyst, speaker and author. Steve's consultation involves personality difference, leadership strategy, cultural differences, and temperament strategy. Working with clients in more than 18 countries, Steve gathers behavioral and attitudinal information on individuals within corporate settings and develops strategies for effective leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial success.

Steve makes normative judgments and brings thought provoking insights to the three ethical platforms within our society. These are the Community Ethic, The Autonomy Ethic, and The Divinity Ethic, and these platforms all have strong implications when challenged with ideological frameworks outside of those accepted within larger people groups. Steven was diagnosed with Hyper Kinetic Behavior in the second grade. He was beat up by girls and fought his way through nine years of intense bullying including being stripped down to his underwear and locked in a seven inch school locker in the seventh grade, kicked by a teacher in front of his class, and knocked unconscious by an eleven member gang on the school grounds.

After losing his left eye in 1975, he was singled out and repeatedly punched in the eye by menacing students. At the age of 17 he became a bodybuilder and for the next 3 years worked out intensely until he was bench pressing well over 300 pounds. He later entered seminary after marrying his wife Anita and has since spoken in many forums including youth groups, retreats, churches, seminaries, business groups and currently consults and motivates leaders around the globe.

Episode 145: AJ Hawk - Life In The NFL: Awareness, Consistency, Curiosity

A special "swapcast" episode of The Learning Leader Show. This episode with my younger brother AJ is being released on both "The Learning Leader Show," and AJ's video podcast, "The HawkCast." To view the video of this conversation go to: TheHawkCast.show. This has quickly become one of my favorite episodes. I really enjoy when AJ and I record episodes together. We've done it in the past and we'll continue doing it in the future.

Episode 145: AJ Hawk - Life In The NFL: Awareness, Consistency, Curiosity

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"It's really easy to work hard when you're feel good. The difference is consistently working hard everyday."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Focusing like Jim Tressel leads to sustained excellence. Keep everything simple... And LISTEN
• The 3 words to describe AJ
  • Consistent - Always being there for your teammates. Everyday in practice, weightroom, film room, games
  • Aware - Understanding your surroundings. The real measure of intelligence is your awareness
  • Thoughtful - Caring for others. Understanding how your actions impact others
• Where was our curiosity developed? Has it always been there? (No)
• TRUST = It's everything
• "Do Not Blindly Follow"
• Why AJ feels that he wouldn't be a good coach (I disagree)
• Creating actionable steps to change a bad habit -- Get an accountability partner
• What makes a great coach
• The best teammates he's ever played with
• Talking a lot on the football field = "Insecurities bubbling to the surface" - Brady Poppinga
• Be about DOING... Not Saying
• AJ's philosophy as a Dad
• The importance of authenticity as a leader and passing that on to your kids
• How AJ would respond if his children are not hard workers like him
• What one coach would he like to hear on the other end of the phone to sign him this season?
• His dream golf foursome: Charles Barkley, Bill Belichick, Jesus playing at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin
• The question he asks others to truly understand how they think
• Learning Leader = "It felt right. It fits you."

"Typically, the "talkers" are simply voicing their insecurities. The "doers" don't talk about it. They just do it."

Continue Learning:

• Watch this episode at: TheHawkCast.show
• See Why Over 230,000 People Follow AJ on Twitter: @OfficialAJHawk
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing AJ Hawk on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Bengals.com

Rookie first-round draft choice started all 16 games for Green Bay and led team in tackles (155) ... Ranked third in Associated Press voting for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year ... 2008—Played through chest and groin injuries, starting every Packers game and leading team in tackles (121) ... 2010—Team leader in tackles (134) for 10-6 Wild Card team that went on to capture Super Bowl XLV with 31-25 conquest of Pittsburgh ... Seven tackles (six solo) in Super Bowl win, with two passes defensed ... Named by teammates as one of two postseason defensive captains ... Led team in tackles (10) in NFC Championship win at Chicago ... Career-best three INTs in regular season, including picks against Brett Favre and Eli Manning ... 2012—Started every game and both postseason games for Packers club that went 11-5 for NFC North title ... Led team with 142 tackles, including three sacks... 2013—Started 16 games for Packers' NFC North title winner, and played in both postseason games (one start) ... Led team in regular-season tackles (153) and had career-best five sacks ... Named a Packers postseason captain for third time in his career ...

College: Played four seasons (2002-05) at Ohio State ... Earned consensus All-America honors in his final two seasons and was first-team All-Big Ten in his last three campaigns ... Foreshadowed his NFL durability by being available for every game of his career, and started his last 37 games ... As a senior in '05, won Lombardi Award, given to college football's top lineman or linebacker, and was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive MVP of Tostitos Fiesta Bowl ... As true freshman in '02, played as a key reserve on 14-0 national championship team ... Career totals of 51 games, 38 starts, 394 tackles,41 tackles-for-loss, 15.5 sacks, seven INTs and two TDs (one on blocked punt and one on INT).

Community service: Has held an annual "Mane Event" in Columbus, Ohio, raising money for "Hawk's Locks for Kids," his charity that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatments ... Has participated in NFL's Play60 program ... Worked with Packers in their "Take a Player to School" event ... Visited with Green Bay area elementary students as reward for their participation in Packers' Women's Association food drive ... Has supported Jerry Patrins Cruise for Cancer, the Donald Driver Foundation, the Greg Jennings Foundation and the 2nd-and-7 Foundation, the charity of fellow Ohio State alum Mike Vrabel ... Has made multiple appearances on the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer, and has been a spokesperson for Wisconsin Special Olympics.

A racing connection: Hawk's initials stand for "Aaron James" ... He was nicknamed A.J. by his parents as an infant, after legendary Indy car driver A.J. Foyt.

Personal: Hometown is Centerville, Ohio ... Attended Centerville (Ohio) High School, where he logged 585 career tackles while also seeing time as a quarterback and place kicker ... Also earned two basketball letters as a point guard for Centerville ... Married to the former Laura Quinn, sister of former NFL QB Brady Quinn. Earned degree from Ohio State in criminology ... Grew his hair long in 2005 as a tribute to Pat Tillman, former NFL player who lost his life while serving with U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and kept hair long until 2012, when he cut it and donated trimmings to Wigs for Kids charity ... Chosen to throw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game in 2007 and also took part in batting practice, hitting two home runs ... Twice won "Celebrity Long Drive" title at the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic in Lake Tahoe, Nev., Hosts his own podcast, interviewing people from all walks of life, including golfer John Daly and sportscaster Joe Buck ... Brother, Ryan, played football at Ohio University and in Arena Football 2 league.

Episode 144: Paul Tough - How To Develop An Intrinsically Motivated Child

Paul Tough is the author, most recently, of Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why. His previous book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, was translated into 27 languages and spent more than a year on the New York Times hardcover and paperback best-seller lists. His first book, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America, was published in 2008.

Paul is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, where he has written extensively about education, parenting, poverty, and politics. His writing has also appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, GQ, and Esquire, and on the op-ed page of the New York Times.

He has worked as an editor at the New York Times Magazine and Harper's Magazine and as a reporter and producer for the public-radio program "This American Life." He was the founding editor of Open Letters, an online magazine.

Episode 144: Paul Tough - How To Develop An Intrinsically Motivated Child

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Our Goal Is To Help Our Children Be Independent."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a growth mindset leads (not just about skills) to sustained excellence
• Realize that failure will happen... You won't sustain excellence 100% of the time
• How has parenting changed over the last 20 years
• Read "Our Kids" by Robert Putnam
• Parents are more educated = They have more anxiety about their kids
• Parents are more intrusive -- They think everything has to be exactly right -- It puts pressure on children
• Kids need to continue doing basic responsibilities (mow the lawn, wash dishes, etc...)
• Creating a system around incentives is bad
• How do you develop a child to be intrinsically motivated?
• Keep praise for success overcoming difficult moments, not just getting straight A's
• Helping children develop GRIT - How to do it
• The importance of having a coach -- And placing a high value on a great coach
• Understand the messages we send about success and failure
• The value of having a winner and a loser in athletic competitions

"Hearing the word NO is one of the biggest gifts a child can receive."

Continue Learning:

• Read: Helping Children Succeed
• Go To: PaulTough.com
• Follow Paul on Twitter: @paultough
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 080: Ryan Estis - From Rock Star Sales Professional To World Class Speaker & Entrepreneur

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Paul Tough on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From PaulTough.com

Paul Tough is the author, most recently, of Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why. His previous book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, was translated into 27 languages and spent more than a year on the New York Times hardcover and paperback best-seller lists. His first book, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America, was published in 2008.

Paul is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, where he has written extensively about education, parenting, poverty, and politics. His writing has also appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, GQ, and Esquire, and on the op-ed page of the New York Times.

He has worked as an editor at the New York Times Magazine and Harper's Magazine and as a reporter and producer for the public-radio program "This American Life." He was the founding editor of Open Letters, an online magazine.

Episode 143: Chad Estis - SVP For The Dallas Cowboys: Working For Jerry Jones

Chad Estis serves as Executive Vice President at Legends Hospitality Management, LLC and served as its President of Legends Sales & Marketing. He is responsible for the sales strategies and client acquisitions for the Legends Division focused on selling premium seating inventory for new and renovated facilities in Major League and Collegiate athletics. He served as the Chief Marketing Officer and an Executive Vice President of Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena from 2006 to 2007 overseeing all sales, marketing, community relations, communications, web-site and game operations. He served as Head of Sales and Marketing at Cleveland Cavaliers. He served as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for the Cavaliers from 2001 to 2005.

Chad was then recruited (heavily) by Jerry Jones and family to lead the sales organization for The Dallas Cowboys. He served as the lead for Cowboys Stadium Premium Sales project where he was responsible for a sales team of 60 people that set industry records for both PSL (Personal Seat Licenses) and Suite sales revenue. He is a 1993 graduate of Ohio University and a 1994 graduate of Ohio's Sports Administration Masters Program.

Episode 143: Chad Estis - SVP For The Dallas Cowboys: Working For Jerry Jones

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Keys To A Great Career: Be great at what you currently do. Be curious. Have a career vision. Plant seeds for the future."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Passion, Optimism, and Likability leads to sustained excellence
• What it's like working for Jerry Jones
• The moment when the leaders of the Dallas Cowboys flew to Ohio to recruit Chad (WOW)
• Starting at an entry level role making $16,000/year after earning a Masters degree
• Learning to cold call (80-100 calls per day) and how they helped developed Chad's grit
• The process of hiring millennials and working with them
• Specific mentoring conversations - Hearing exactly what Chad says
• Being great at what you currently do... Cannot focus on the future too much
• The biggest mistake young managers/leaders make in their careers
• How to hire a sales leader
• The interview and hiring process -- Specifics on how to do it right
• How to successfully use your "gut feelings"
• The necessary ingredients for a happy and successful career
  • Work for people you enjoy being around
  • Be challenged everyday
  • Be compensated properly
• Learning Leaders need to be constantly searching for new information to continually learn

"Everybody kept telling me they were a protege of Chad Estis. I said, I need to meet this guy." - Jerry Jones Jr.

Continue Learning:

• Read: Chad Estis Named 2015 Recipient of the Charles R. Higgins Distinguished Alumnus Award
• Read: 40 Under 40: Chad Estis
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 080: Ryan Estis - From Rock Star Sales Professional To World Class Speaker & Entrepreneur

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Chad Estis on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Sportsad.ohio.edu

Chad Estis serves as Executive Vice President at Legends Hospitality Management, LLC and served as its President of Legends Sales & Marketing. He is responsible for the sales strategies and client acquisitions for the Legends Division focused on selling premium seating inventory for new and renovated facilities in Major League and Collegiate athletics. He served as the Chief Marketing Officer and an Executive Vice President of Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena from 2006 to 2007 overseeing all sales, marketing, community relations, communications, web-site and game operations. He served as Head of Sales and Marketing at Cleveland Cavaliers. He served as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for the Cavaliers from 2001 to 2005.

Chad was then recruited (heavily) by Jerry Jones and family to lead the sales organization for The Dallas Cowboys. He served as the lead for Cowboys Stadium Premium Sales project where he was responsible for a sales team of 60 people that set industry records for both PSL (Personal Seat Licenses) and Suite sales revenue. He is a 1993 graduate of Ohio University and a 1994 graduate of Ohio's Sports Administration Masters Program.

Episode 142: Donald Miller - "I Will Make You Everyone's Favorite Leader"

Donald Miller is a student of story. He's the author of New York Times Best Sellers: "Blue Like Jazz," "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," and "Scary Close." He co-wrote the major motion picture "Blue Like Jazz" which debuted at the SXSW Film Festival and was listed as one of the top four movies to get you through freshman year by USA Today. He has served on The Presidential Task Force for Fatherhood and Healthy Families, a joint effort between government and the private sector to rewrite the story of fatherlessness in America. Donald Miller is a 3 time NY Times best-selling author. He has worked on Presidential campaigns, and now he helps people clearly and concisely tell their stories through live events and at StoryBrand.com

Episode 142: Donald Miller - "I'm Will Make You Everyone's Favorite Leader"

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"We don't want to react to life. We want to impose our will upon life."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having the ability to focus like Michael Hyatt and Bob Goff leads to sustained excellence
• The importance of writing it down
• Creating a filter to say "No"
• The process for creating your story -- "If you confuse, you lose"
• The 7 storybrand rules that Jeb Bush broke
• People want to hear "their" story, not yours
• Passing the "laptop to a caveman" test
• Your website should answer 3 questions:
  • What are you offering?
  • How does it make my life better?
  • How do I buy?
• The top right quadrant is the most important part of your website
• The 2 dominant things your brain does
  • Survive and thrive
  • Tries to conserve energy
• The 7 parts of a story: 1) Character 2) A problem 3) A guide 4) A plan 5) The action 6) Ends in success 7) Or failure
• Why "Make America Great Again" is a fantastic slogan
• "Every human being is looking for a guide to help them"
• Why empathy and authority are needed
• "I know how to make you the leader that everyone loves" -- What are the 3 steps to making you the leader that everyone loves
• Make everyone think: "What will my life be if I don't subscribe to your podcast?"

"I'm going to make you everyone's favorite leader."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: storybrand.com
• Follow Donald on Twitter: @donaldmiller
• Go to: 5minutemarketingmakeover.com
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Donald Miller on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

Donald Miller is a 3 time NY Times best-selling author. He has worked on Presidential campaigns, and now he helps people clearly and concisely tell their stories through live events and at StoryBrand.com

Episode 141: Jonah Berger - The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Behavior

Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On and Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior.

Dr. Berger has spent over 15 years studying how social influence works and how it drives products and ideas to catch on. He's published dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals, consulted for a variety of Fortune 500 companies, and popular outlets like the New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work.

Episode 141: Jonah Berger - The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Behavior

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"With great insight, Jonah Berger removes the cloak of invisibility from powerful sources of influence and resolves fascinating mysteries of human behavior." Robert Cialdini, author of Influence

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Creating a sense of kinship or familiarity leads to sustained excellence
• How the best leaders create a sense that "we've known each other a long time"
• Why you should say "Nice to see you" instead of "Nice to meet you"
• Successful negotiators mimic and imitate the people across from them (sometimes unconsciously)
• Waiters earn a 70% higher tip if they repeat the customer's order back to them verbatim
• The importance of emulating the person you are speaking with (in order to influence)
• Mimicry works because people aren't aware it's happening
• Why expensive products don't always use logos
• How older siblings provide a point of imitation and why younger siblings tend to be better at sports
• The power of "playing up" against greater competition
• Why comparing yourself to others is actually a good thing to do
• As leaders, we should always be learning -- That's the core of being a leader
• Why as a young manager you need to focus on collaboration -- Ask others for help
• Learning Leader = "I loved it. Merging of Learning and Leadership. Helping others learn. Serving them.

"Be Optimally Distinct"

Continue Learning:

• Go To: JonahBerger.com
• Follow Jonah on Twitter: @j1berger
• Read: Invisible Influence
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jonah Berger on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From JonahBerger.com

Why do some things catch on while others fail? What makes online content viral? And why do some products, ideas, and behaviors get more word of mouth than others? Professor Jonah Berger examines the behavioral science that underlies these questions. He examines how people make decisions, how ideas diffuse, and how social influence shapes behavior.

Berger is a Marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals, and popular accounts of his work frequently appear in popular outlets like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Science, Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, Wired, Business Week, The Atlantic, and The Economist. His research has also been featured in the New York Times Magazine's "Year in Ideas." Berger has been recognized with a number of awards for both scholarship and teaching, including various early career awards and being named Wharton's Iron Prof (an award for awesome faculty research).

Dr. Berger has helped all sorts of companies and organizations get their stuff to catch on. From Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups, and multinationals to non-profits, Berger has helped drive new product adoption, sharpen effective messaging, and develop marketing strategy.

Episode 140: Carol Dweck - The Power Of A Growth Mindset

Dr. Carol Dweck's work is the foundation for what it means to be a learning leader. To be in a constant state of improvement... "In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it."

Mindset is a simple idea discovered by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success—a simple idea that makes all the difference. Teaching a growth mindset creates motivation and productivity in the worlds of business, education, and sports.

Episode 140: Carol Dweck - The Power Of A Growth Mindset

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Growth mindset leaders want to be challenged."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Focusing on growth -- having a desire for a challenge and learning from setbacks leads to sustained excellence
• People with a fixed mindset are afraid to find out that they aren't very smart
• Growth mindset leaders want to be challenged
• Fixed mindset leaders have a deep seated insecurity. They have to keep showing that they're a genius.
• Don't declare that you have a growth mindset -- Instead figure out what triggers you into having a fixed mindset. Start there.
• Questions to ask people in an interview to understand their mindset
• Sharing credit or taking it all for yourself? It shows a lot about your mindset
• When was the last time you were wrong? (It should be often)
• "Don't praise the intelligence. Praise the process."
• Do NOT reward children for getting straight A's
• Taking the stairs -- Develop Grit
• Be aware that doing something the hard way will benefit you (and your children)
• "I want your listeners to do something way outside of their comfort zone..."
• Why as a young manager you need to focus on collaboration -- Ask others for help
• Learning Leader = "I loved it. Merging of Learning and Leadership. Helping others learn. Serving them.

"I have always been deeply moved by outstanding achievement and saddened by wasted potential."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: MindsetOnline.com
• Follow Carol's thoughts on Twitter: @mindsetworks
• Read: Mindset - The New Psychology of Success
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Carol Dweck on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From MindsetOnline.com

Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., is one of the world's leading researchers in the field of motivation and is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her research has focused on why people succeed and how to foster success. She has held professorships at Columbia and Harvard Universities, has lectured all over the world, and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her scholarly book Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development was named Book of the Year by the World Education Federation. Her work has been featured in such publications as The New Yorker, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, and she has appeared on Today and 20/20.

Episode 139: Lin Wood – One Of The Greatest Trial Lawyers In The World

Lin Wood has more than 38 years of experience as a trial lawyer focusing on civil litigation, representing individuals and corporations as plaintiffs or defendants in tort and business cases involving claims of significant damage, including False Claims Act cases. Mr. Wood also has extensive experience in First Amendment/defamation litigation and management of the media in high profile cases.

On behalf of his clients, Mr. Wood has made numerous national television and radio appearances, including appearances on NBC's The Today Show, CBS' 60 Minutes and 60 Minutes II, Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC's Good Morning America, CBS' The Early Show, CNN's American Morning, MSNBC's The Abrams Report, Imus in the Morning and Hardball, Court TV, and the CBS, NBC and ABC evening news programs. Mr. Wood was profiled in the cover article of the January 1998, issue of Atlanta magazine, on the July 12, 2000, broadcast of NBC's The Today Show and in the cover article of the November 27, 2000, issue of Editor & Publisher magazine. Additionally, Mr. Wood was recognized as a Notable Georgian in the January 2002, issue of Georgia Trend magazine. Most recently, Mr. Wood was profiled in the cover article of the September 2015, issue of Attorney at Law.

Episode 139: Lin Wood – One Of The Greatest Trial Lawyers In The World

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"If You Follow A Script, Rather Than A Checklist, You Will Miss Answers."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a vision/goal that is clearly defined combined with a willingness to take on risk will lead to sustained excellence
• Lin's combination of confidence and work ethic has led to his immense success
• How representing Richard Jewell (the original person suspected of the Centennial Park bombing at the Atlanta Olympics) changed his life
• What it was like defending Jon and Patsy Ramsey
• His clients call him in times of need because he becomes their friend
• Lin's sole focus is on developing a relationship and helping his clients
• The Devita case = $495 million settlement
• It's good to experience "jumping off a cliff without a parachute" = starting his own firm
• The importance of getting a ton of "reps" in the court room as a young lawyer
• Going in to each and every conversation with a curious mind
• Why you have to be willing to take on cases that you will lose – No great trial lawyer is undefeated. This is a great metaphor for life and risk taking opportunities

"Being A Trial Lawyer Is An Art… Not A Science." – Lin Wood

Continue Learning:

• Go To: LinWoodLaw.com
• Read: A Conversation With Lin Wood
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Lin Wood on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Information from LinWoodLaw.com

Lin Wood has been the lead attorney in many national, high profile cases, including serving as:

• Lead civil attorney for the late Richard Jewell in matters arising out of reporting about Mr. Jewell in connection with the 1996 bombing of Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta
• Lead civil attorney for Jeff Greene in libel litigation against The St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald related to Mr. Greene's 2010 campaign for the Democratic Nomination for the U.S. Senate from Florida
• Lead civil attorney for Sheldon Adelson in New York libel litigation against the National Jewish Democratic Council
• Attorney for Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain in defense of false accusation
• Attorney for Dr. Phil McGraw in connection with false and defamatory articles published by Newsweek, the Daily Beast and the National Enquirer
• Lead civil attorney in Whistleblower cases alleging Medicare fraud against DaVita, Inc. in federal court in Atlanta and against Halifax Hospital Medical Center in federal court in Florida
• Lead civil attorney for Howard K. Stern in the prosecution and defense of defamation claims arising out of the death of Anna Nicole Smith
• Lead trial counsel for The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. in connection with claims related to corporate governance
• Lead attorney for John and the late Patsy Ramsey and their son in matters relating to the 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado
• Attorney for Beth Holloway in matters relating to the media coverage ofthe May 2005 disappearance of her daughter, Natalee Holloway, in Aruba and in a pending civil action against the National Enquirer in federal court in Alabama
• Attorney for Sharon Rocha in matters relating to the media coverage of the December 2002 murder of her daughter, Laci Peterson
• Attorney for former U.S. Congressman Gary Condit in defamation matters relating to the May 2001 abduction and murder of Chandra Levy in Washington
• Co-counsel for the victim in the civil actions in Colorado against Kobe Bryant
• Lead counsel for AirTran Airlines, Inc. in defamation litigation against the Cleveland, Ohio newspaper, The Plain Dealer
• Lead counsel for Esquire Deposition Services LLC in multi-state class actions dealing with billing practices
• Lead trial counsel for the Estate of Anna Nicole Smith in federal action for misappropriation and theft of estate property
• Lead trial attorney for Sun Trust Bank in litigation arising out of claims by trust beneficiaries related to an inheritance of Coca-Cola stock

Episode 138: Caroline Burckle – How To Use Visualization Like An Olympian

What an honor it was for me to speak with an incredible leader and Olympic Bronze Medalist, Caroline Burckle. This conversation is packed with action oriented advice. You can implement Caroline's ideas immediately and see a positive impact in your life.

In her words: Winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in swimming was the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life. A lifelong road of pursuing a goal not only taught me the importance of clear communication, leadership, self-confidence, and goal-setting, but how to authentically follow a vision that was once merely a dream.

I thrive when I am developing individuals. My definition of success is to connect a person with their inner power and tap into their true potential. Whether I am rocking a one-on-one individual coaching session or speaking to a group of people, I am passionate in my quest to elevate people to view their lives through a spirited lens!

My journey (in a nutshell): Swam for The University of Florida & Team USA, 2008 Beijing Bronze Medalist in 4x200 Freestyle Relay , Swam Professionally for BlueSeventy & Team USA in Southern California, Associate of Arts Degree from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising -- Product Development, Worked for the ever-inspiring lululemon Athletica for ~ 3 years in both Beverly Hills, CA & Louisville, KY, Masters of Science in Sport Psychology & Motor Behavior from The University of Tennessee, Founder of Stilwellness - Peak Performance Coaching

Co-Founder of RISE Elite Athletes - Peak Performance Coaching for Youth Athletes

Episode 138: Caroline Burckle – How To Use Visualization Like An Olympian

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"A creative mind is an authentic mind. It is your personal driving force for autonomy and a balanced life. Without creativity we do not grow."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Connection to others (teammates). The ability to know you are leading others leads to sustained excellence
• The influence Brene Brown had on Caroline and the importance of "doing the work"
• Winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – The effect it had on her life
• Breaking Janet Evans long standing record
• How Caroline felt in that race and was able to do something that had never been done
• Flow state – the dynamics of it and how to get there
• Visualizing like Jason Day
• Mentoring and leading others – how to create a business from it
• The writing process – Talking it out
• The importance of waking up early and moving your body – How that impacts your mind and body
• 2008 Olympics – Michael Phelps – The French trash talking
• The struggle and depression that follows the Olympics – How common this is for Olympians
• How to use self-doubt as fuel

"I believe in visualization… Paint the picture."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: RiseEliteAthletes.com
• Follow Caroline on Twitter: @caroburckle
• Read more about Caroline: OWaves.com
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Caroline Burckle on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From LinkedIn.com/in/caroburckle

Winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in swimming was the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life. A lifelong road of pursuing a goal not only taught me the importance of clear communication, leadership, self-confidence, and goal-setting, but how to authentically follow a vision that was once merely a dream.

I thrive when I am developing individuals. My definition of success is to connect a person with their inner power and tap into their true potential. Whether I am rocking a one-on-one individual coaching session or speaking to a group of people, I am passionate in my quest to elevate people to view their lives through a spirited lens!

My journey (in a nutshell): Swam for The University of Florida & Team USA, 2008 Beijing Bronze Medalist in 4x200 Freestyle Relay , Swam Professionally for BlueSeventy & Team USA in Southern California, Associate of Arts Degree from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising -- Product Development, Worked for the ever-inspiring lululemon Athletica for ~ 3 years in both Beverly Hills, CA & Louisville, KY, Masters of Science in Sport Psychology & Motor Behavior from The University of Tennessee, Founder of Stilwellness - Peak Performance Coaching

Co-Founder of RISE Elite Athletes - Peak Performance Coaching for Youth Athletes

Episode 137: Don Yaeger – How To Become A Master Storyteller

Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, an eight-time New York Times Best-selling author and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated. Don has fashioned a career as one of America's most provocative thought leaders. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story.

He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving Greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. Additionally, Don has been retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders, management teams and employees on building a culture of greatness by looking at Great Teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them.

Throughout his writing career, Don has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to every major talk show – from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America.

Episode 137: Don Yaeger – How To Become A Master Storyteller

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"The greatest in the world learned to hate losing more than they loved winning."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Taking excuses off the table and understanding the value of who you associate with leads to sustained excellence
• Looking for imperceptible slights to fuel you – Michael Jordan's method to motivate himself
• Listening, always being a student will lead to incredible relationships
• Understanding how to asks questions that lead people to open up
• Challenge yourself to be known by 5 words
• The process of becoming a professional speaker
• Understanding you have a personal brand and how to cultivate it
• The 16 things high performing teams do that others don't
• Always having a development plan for the next leaders
• How to make meetings better – It starts with punctuality
• Learning Leader – John Wooden – Always reading, right up until the end of his life
• Playing quarterback and how it compares to other parts of life

"Every other month I flew to California to meet with John Wooden. EVERY time I walked in the room he was reading a book. He never stopped learning."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: DonYaeger.com
• Follow David on Twitter: @DonYaeger
• Read: Great Teams: 16 Things High Performing Organizations Do Differently
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Don Yaeger on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From DonYaeger.com

Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, an eight-time New York Times Best-selling author and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated. Don has fashioned a career as one of America's most provocative thought leaders. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story.

He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving Greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. Additionally, Don has been retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders, management teams and employees on building a culture of greatness by looking at Great Teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them.

Throughout his writing career, Don has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to every major talk show – from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America.

Episode 136: Derek Coburn – Networking Is Not Working

Derek Coburn is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, "Networking Is Not Working: Stop Collecting Business Cards and Start Making Meaningful Connections." Derek is the CEO and co-founder (along with his wife, Melanie) of CADRE—an un-networking community in Washington, DC—serving CEOs and business leaders, and has hosted numerous bestselling authors and thought leaders at their YOUniversity events. He began his professional journey as a financial advisor in 1998 and has been a partner at Washington Financial Group for 15 years. Derek lives in Washington, DC with his wife Melanie, two sons and pit bull, Bodie. You can connect with Derek on his website and on Twitter at @cadredc.

Episode 136: Derek Coburn – Networking Is Not Working

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Derek Coburn is a literal master at networking and human relations." Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• A willingness to be wrong… Curiosity/asking questions, and willing to get feedback leads to sustained excellence
• The problem with being surrounded by "Yes Men"
• Read: Persuadable-Great - How Great Leaders Change-Their Minds to Change the World
• The importance of curating who is at an event and more importantly, who is NOT there – Keep The Takers OUT
• The core mission of Cadre
• Building a network of Givers
• The blueprint for how everyone can do this
• Networking – "The intersection of client appreciation and business development"
• Start hosting small events first
• "Be Nucleate" – The center of the group
• Grading your business, your relationships, and yourself – We riffed live on this and it was very interesting.
• Being a learning leader means surrounding yourself with people who are constantly growing, learning, improving, and willing to question everything

"We prevent cheeseballs who want to sling business cards."

Continue Learning:

• Follow Derek on Twitter: @cadredc
• Read: Networking Is Not Working

• Read: Persuadable-Great - How Great Leaders Change-Their Minds to Change the World

• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Derek Coburn on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From DerekCoburn.com

Derek Coburn is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, "Networking Is Not Working: Stop Collecting Business Cards and Start Making Meaningful Connections." Derek is the CEO and co-founder (along with his wife, Melanie) of CADRE—an un-networking community in Washington, DC—serving CEOs and business leaders, and has hosted numerous bestselling authors and thought leaders at their YOUniversity events. He began his professional journey as a financial advisor in 1998 and has been a partner at Washington Financial Group for 15 years. Derek lives in Washington, DC with his wife Melanie, two sons and pit bull, Bodie. You can connect with Derek on his website and on Twitter at @cadredc.

Episode 135: Andrew Warner: How To Be A Fearless Interviewer (Mixergy)

Andrew Warner is one of the interviewers I study in order to improve my own interviewing skills. I love how fearless he is. He will ask the tough questions that most people are too scared to ask. It became a Meta moment to interview someone who I think is one of the best interviewers in the world. I loved it!

Andrew Warner was one of the pioneers of the internet startup scene — starting online in 1997 and growing his business into a multi-million dollar venture. When Andrew grew up in New York City, he saw the titans of entrepreneurship — in particular, entrepreneurs from the publishing industry — firsthand.

He remembers thinking to himself that he wanted to do that. He wanted what they had achieved. By any measure, Warner has accomplished this childhood vision, and has made it as an entrepreneur.

After he and his brother achieved their first success, a $30 million per year Internet business, he wanted to share the gift of inspiration and knowledge with budding entrepreneurs. To achieve this end, he started Mixergy, where he invites proven Entrepreneurs to teach how they built their startups. On Mixergy, he has had the founders of Wikipedia, Groupon, LivingSocial, LinkedIn, and over a thousand other fascinating start-ups.

Episode 135: Andrew Warner: How To Be A Fearless Interviewer (Mixergy)

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"We want to be like the people who will go running in gardening shoes."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Caring and passion leads to sustained excellence
• How to ask the really tough questions
• The best one word question an interviewer can ask
• How Charlie Rose has improved so much as an interviewer
• Focusing on the bigger mission – What do you want to do?
• The importance of preparation as an interviewer – And how to deal with potentially being too prepared
• Hiring a coach – Transcribing his interviews to review them
• How The Larry Sanders Show helped him as an interviewer
• Why he started Mixergy
• Don't worry about having the right shoes, just go run
• When interviewing someone, think… What do I really care about?
• The power of stories

"If you don't experience failure early, then you begin to fail it later. You can't fear it."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: Mixergy.com
• Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewWarner
• Read: Shoe Dog
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Andrew Warner on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From AndrewWarner.com

Andrew Warner was one of the pioneers of the internet startup scene — starting online in 1997 and growing his business into a multi-million dollar venture. When Andrew Warner grew up in New York City, he saw the titans of entrepreneurship — in particular, entrepreneurs from the publishing industry — firsthand.

He remembers thinking to himself that he wanted to do that. He wanted what they had achieved. By any measure, Warner has accomplished this childhood vision, and has made it as an entrepreneur.

After he and his brother achieved their first success, a $30 million per year Internet business, he wanted to share the gift of inspiration and knowledge with budding entrepreneurs. To achieve this end, he started Mixergy, where he invites proven Entrepreneurs to teach how they built their startups. On Mixergy, he has had the founders of Wikipedia, Groupon, LivingSocial, LinkedIn, and over a thousand other fascinating start-ups.

Episode 134: Patrick Lencioni – Naked Consulting: Why It Works

I read Pat's Leadership Fable, "The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team" many years ago and became a huge fan of his work. "Getting Naked" is another seminal piece on shedding fear. You'll notice on this episode that Pat also has a great wit and sense of humor. I was learning and laughing throughout the conversation.

Pat Lencioni is the founder of The Table Group and the author of 10 books which have sold nearly 5 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Wall Street Journal called him "one of the most in demand speakers in America." He has addressed millions of people at conferences and events around the world over the past 15 years. Pat has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc., Fortune, Fast Company, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek.

As CEO, Pat spends his time writing books and articles related to leadership and organizational health, speaking to audiences interested in those topics and consulting to CEOs and their teams.

Episode 134: Patrick Lencioni – Naked Consulting: Why It Works

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

The Learning Leader Show

"Getting naked… Being completely transparent has been the key to our success."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Humility is the core virtue of sustained excellence
• A drive for excellence is imperative to be successful – Southwest Airlines
• Why don't most leaders do this? They think it's beneath them
• How do you not get fooled in the hiring process? Pat answers…
• "Scare people with sincerity"
• Why the phrase "it's just business" is horrible
• Why his business is called The Table Group
• It's important to enjoy each step of growth. If you don't enjoy owning one restaurant, you won't enjoy owning 20 of them
• Getting naked – Being 100% transparent
• Don't sell… Help. Start to do stuff for a potential client immediately. Help them from the very beginning before they've paid you anything. They will eventually beg to give you money.
• Naked Consulting =
• • Don't be afraid to lose the business
  • Don't be afraid to be embarrassed – Ask questions
  • Don't be afraid to feel inferior to your client. Help them. Clean the office, carry supplies, do the little things
• The Ideal Team Player is:
• • Humble
  • Hungry
  • Smart
• Keynote speech process? Make people an insider. Make it so they are in on it. Don't present, just talk as you normally would. Be honest.
• A great learning leader is humble enough to know that she is learning constantly

"The best piece of technology is a table."

Continue Learning

• Read: The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team- A Leadership Fable
• Go To: The Table Group
• Follow Pat on Twitter: @patricklencioni
• Follow me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks – An event with a lower acceptance rate than Harvard

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Super Power

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content. Pat Lencioni is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From TableGroup.com

Pat Lencioni is the founder of The Table Group and the author of 10 books which have sold nearly 5 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Wall Street Journal called him "one of the most in demand speakers in America." He has addressed millions of people at conferences and events around the world over the past 15 years. Pat has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc., Fortune, Fast Company, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek.

As CEO, Pat spends his time writing books and articles related to leadership and organizational health, speaking to audiences interested in those topics and consulting to CEOs and their teams.

Prior to founding The Table Group, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase.

Episode 133: John Ruhlin – Giftology: Radical Generosity Is Your Secret Weapon

John Ruhlin is the founder of The Ruhlin Group, a gift logistics company that helps clients like the Chicago Cubs, Wells Fargo, Caesar s Entertainment, Miami Dolphins, Morgan Stanley, and The John Maxwell Company execute year-round gifting strategies.

John's unique approach to relationships led him to become the #1 salesman for a $250 Million direct sales company by the time he was 23 (out of 1.5 Million reps). He now speaks widely about strategic gifting and relationship building and helps CEOs and sales teams drive referrals and open doors to elusive decision makers.

He is the author of "Giftology." Ruhlin breaks down how anyone from mail clerk to managing director can master the magic of Giftology; with these and more: Mastering reciprocity, the hidden bottom line booster Laser-targeting whom to give a gift and when to use thrift Uncovering your client s inner circle and becoming part of it Give wholeheartedly to Giftology and reap the rewards of an expanding business and fruitful relationships, professional and personal alike.

Episode 133: John Ruhlin – Giftology: Radical Generosity Is Your Secret Weapon

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

The Learning Leader Show

"I Help Leaders Not Suck At Saying Thank You." – John Ruhlin

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The best gift John ever received – Specific gifts for him, his wife, and his kids based on each of their preferences
• A thoughtful hand written note on a nice sheet of paper will go a long way
• Percentage of revenue invested on gift giving
• Reframing your questioning to: "What's the most I could give?"
• Differentiating from all others
• Why you shouldn't give gifts at Thanksgiving or Christmas
• Why you should never put your own logo on a gift
• How to be a better gift giver in your relationship with your spouse
• "Surprise and Delight" – "Planned "Randomness"
• Why you shouldn't ask for your gift recipient's address – Find another one to get it
• Don't give consumable safe bets – Be thoughtful
• Think, "How can I help you look good to your most important relationships?'
• Paying for each employee to have their homes cleaned every two weeks and the benefit his company receives from it
• How to dominate your specific space like he dominates the appreciation space

"What's the most I could give? What's the craziest thing I could do to show them how much I appreciate them?"

Continue Learning

• Read: Giftology
• Go To: Ruhlin Group
• Follow John on Twitter: @ruhlin
• Follow me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks – An event with a lower acceptance rate than Harvard

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Super Power

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content. John Ruhlin is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From RuhlinGroup.com

John Ruhlin is the founder of The Ruhlin Group, a gift logistics company that helps clients like the Chicago Cubs, Wells Fargo, Caesar s Entertainment, Miami Dolphins, Morgan Stanley, and The John Maxwell Company execute year-round gifting strategies.

John's unique approach to relationships led him to become the #1 salesman for a $250 Million direct sales company by the time he was 23 (out of 1.5 Million reps). He now speaks widely about strategic gifting and relationship building and helps CEOs and sales teams drive referrals and open doors to elusive decision makers.

He is the author of "Giftology." Ruhlin breaks down how anyone from mail clerk to managing director can master the magic of Giftology; with these and more: Mastering reciprocity, the hidden bottom line booster Laser-targeting whom to give a gift and when to use thrift Uncovering your client s inner circle and becoming part of it Give wholeheartedly to Giftology and reap the rewards of an expanding business and fruitful relationships, professional and personal alike.

Episode 132: Kevin Kelly - How To See The Future...

Much of what will happen in the next thirty years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion. In this fascinating, provocative new book, Kevin Kelly provides an optimistic road map for the future, showing how the coming changes in our lives—from virtual reality in the home to an on-demand economy to artificial intelligence embedded in everything we manufacture—can be understood as the result of a few long-term, accelerating forces. Kelly both describes these deep trends—interacting, cognifying, flowing, screening, accessing, sharing, filtering, remixing, tracking, and questioning—and demonstrates how they overlap and are codependent on one another. These larger forces will completely revolutionize the way we buy, work, learn, and communicate with each other. By understanding and embracing them, says Kelly, it will be easier for us to remain on top of the coming wave of changes and to arrange our day-to-day relationships with technology in ways that bring forth maximum benefits. Kelly's bright, hopeful book will be indispensable to anyone who seeks guidance on where their business, industry, or life is heading—what to invent, where to work, in what to invest, how to better reach customers, and what to begin to put into place—as this new world emerges. (Per Amazon.com)

Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His new book for Viking/Penguin is called The Inevitable, with a publication date of June 6, 2016. He is also founding editor and co-publisher of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily since 2003. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a journal of unorthodox technical news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers' Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. His books include the best-selling New Rules for the New Economy, the classic book on decentralized emergent systems, Out of Control, a graphic novel about robots and angels, The Silver Cord, an oversize catalog of the best of Cool Tools, and his summary theory of technology in What Technology Wants (2010).

Episode 132 Kevin Kelly – How To See The Future...

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Their success can prevent future success. It's difficult to move off that peak. It's important to know nothing at times."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Those who cultivate, create, make, and have an ability to see the world a little differently sustain excellence
• With technology advancements, it's difficult to sustain a different view
• Why we should think of ways to optimize our lives
• The art of making allies instead of enemies
• "I write in order to tell myself what I think"
• The power of sharing your journal with the world
• Why humans will own less and will pay for access to more things
• Why do we need to sleep? Can we optimize it?
• Why hasn't the speed of commercials airlines increased in 30 years?
• "You are not late – Go do something now"

"What are you trying to optimize in your life?"

Continue Learning:

• Follow Kevin on Twitter: @kevin2kelly
• Read: 1,000 True Fans
• Read: The Inevitable: Understanding The 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape You
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – Ego Is The Enemy

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Kevin Kelly on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From KK.org

Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His new book for Viking/Penguin is called The Inevitable, with a publication date of June 6, 2016. He is also founding editor and co-publisher of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily since 2003. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a journal of unorthodox technical news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers' Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. His books include the best-selling New Rules for the New Economy, the classic book on decentralized emergent systems, Out of Control, a graphic novel about robots and angels, The Silver Cord, an oversize catalog of the best of Cool Tools, and his summary theory of technology in What Technology Wants (2010).

Episode 131: Marshall Goldsmith – The #1 Leadership & CEO Coach In The World

When you google "helping successful leaders," the name that will appear on almost all 3,500+ results is Marshall Goldsmith… It was an absolute thrill to learn directly from him during this conversation on The Learning Leader Show.

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the author or editor of 35 books, which have sold over two million copies, been translated into 30 languages and become bestsellers in 12 countries. He has written two New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There – a Wall Street Journal #1 business book and winner of the Harold Longman Award for Business Book of the Year. His newest book Triggers: Creating Behavior that Lasts – Becoming the Person You Want to Be was published on May 19, 2015.

Marshall's global professional acknowledgments include: Harvard Business Review – World's #1 Leadership Thinker, Institute for Management Studies – Lifetime Achievement Award (one of only two ever awarded), American Management Association - 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years, BusinessWeek – 50 great leaders in America, Wall Street Journal – top ten executive educators, Forbes – five most-respected executive coaches. Leader of the Future Award, and Global Gurus ranked Marshall #1 World's Top 30 Coaching Professionals for 2016. Marshall's work has been recognized by nearly every professional organization in his field.

Episode 131: Marshall Goldsmith – The #1 Leadership & CEO Coach In The World

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"He Who Is Not Busy Being Born Is Busy Dying"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Courage, Humility, and Discipline leads to sustained excellence
• Giving speeches in 96 countries and earning 11 million frequent flyer miles
• 27 CEO's have endorsed his new book, "Triggers"
• Marshall's strategy and how he "bets" on himself (he doesn't get paid unless his coaching works)
• The amount he gets paid and time length: 18 months of coaching for $250,000
• He's been coaching for 39 years – He feels incredibly worthy of coaching the best in the world.
• He's the world's #1 CEO/Leadership coach
• If you google "helping successful leaders," Marshall's name will appear in virtually every result (over 3,500)
• The daily 2 minute exercise that will change your life – Why you should email Marshall and ask him to send it to you (he sent it to me. It's incredible)
• Don't use the phrase, "I have this problem." Instead say "I used to do that" – Make it past tense, not current
• Doing your best to set clear goals every single day
• Being a learning leader means reading and constantly striving to improve

"I Wrote The Theory About How To Change Behavior"

Continue Learning:

• Go To: MarshallGoldsmith.com
• Follow Marshall on Twitter: @coachgoldsmith
• Read: What Got You Here Won't Get You There
• Read: Triggers
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Marshall Goldsmith on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the author or editor of 35 books, which have sold over two million copies, been translated into 30 languages and become bestsellers in 12 countries. He has written two New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There – a Wall Street Journal #1 business book and winner of the Harold Longman Award for Business Book of the Year. His newest book Triggers: Creating Behavior that Lasts – Becoming the Person You Want to Be was published on May 19, 2015.

Marshall's global professional acknowledgments include: Harvard Business Review – World's #1 Leadership Thinker, Institute for Management Studies – Lifetime Achievement Award (one of only two ever awarded), American Management Association - 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years, BusinessWeek – 50 great leaders in America, Wall Street Journal – top ten executive educators, Forbes – five most-respected executive coaches. Leader of the Future Award, and Global Gurus ranked Marshall #1 World's Top 30 Coaching Professionals for 2016. Marshall's work has been recognized by nearly every professional organization in his field.

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

If you enjoyed the first conversation Ryan Holiday and I had, then you will absolutely love this one. We went much deeper on a number of really interesting topics including: Destiny (does it choose us?), Ego, Stoicism, Risk, Metallica, Focus, Silence, and Gawker Media… I loved it.

Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company.

His most recent book, "Ego Is The Enemy" draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to his­tory. We meet fascinating figures such as George Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who all reached the highest levels of power and success by con­quering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

"Ryan Holiday is one of his generation's finest thinkers, and this book is his best yet." - Steven Pressfield, author of New York Times bestseller "The War of Art"

The Learning Leader Show

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The importance of always being a student – "One cannot learn that which they think they already know."
• The remarkable story of Kirk Hammett, lead guitar player for Metallica – His actions upon being hired will blow you away (and inspire you)
• Ryan's process for receiving feedback and coaching
• Why it's not wise to try and impress others
• Being motivated to prove people right
• The importance of your spouse
• The power of silence and how it relates to Robert Greene's work in The 48 Laws of Power
• The phrase confident and secure leaders are willing to say that others are not
• Don't follow your passion, follow your effort – Nobody quits what they're good at
• What is destiny? Is it predetermined?
• Meeting your heroes in person
• Why Ryan feels that Gawker is one of the worst media companies of all time and the piece he wrote about Peter Thiel
• Great giveaways for his book

"Be an anteambulo – Clear the path for others to be successful."

"One cannot learn that which they think they already know."

Continue Learning:

• Go To Ryan's Website: RyanHoliday.net
• Read: Ego Is The Enemy
• Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RyanHoliday
• Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Episode 117: Tim Urban – Using Procrastination To Perform A TED Talk

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Super Power

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content. Ryan Holiday is a leader who leads an very interesting life. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

From The Prologue of "Ego Is The Enemy"

"While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive visionary geniuses who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, I've found that history is also made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, who eschewed the spotlight, and who put their higher goals above their desire for recognition."

Episode 129: Rory Vaden – Why The Best "Take The Stairs"

Self-Discipline Strategist Rory Vaden's book Take the Stairs is a #1 Wall St Journal, #1 USA Today, and #2 New York Times bestseller. As an award-winning entrepreneur and business leader, Rory Co-Founded Southwestern Consulting™, a multi-million dollar global consulting practice that helps clients in more than 14 countries drive educated decisions with relevant data. He's also the Founder of The Center for the Study of Self-Discipline (CSSD).

Rory is the world's leader on defining the psychology around modern day procrastination, called Priority Dilution™ - in fact, he coined the term. He speaks and consults on how to say no to the things that don't matter, and yes to the things that do. His client list includes companies and groups such as: Cargill, The Million Dollar Roundtable, P&G, True Value, YPO, Wells Fargo Advisors, Land O'Lakes, Novartis, and hundreds more. His insights have recently been featured on/in: Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc, Fortune, and the New York Times.

Episode 129: Rory Vaden – Why The Best "Take The Stairs"

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"When I think of a learning leader, I think of someone who is learning and applying."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Being willing to take on the tough moments (like a buffalo does a storm) leads to sustained excellence
• The relation to Kevin Ollie and "Take The Stairs" that he used with his UConn basketball team
• The specific number of "reps" Rory has gained as a speaker (Deliberate Practice)
• The science behind habit forming
• 70 speaking dates per year
• The mindset of multiplying time
• Understanding the most significant tasks
• Why one of his books totally failed (really interesting and transparent talk from Rory)
• The impact Zig Zigler had on him as a mentor
• Being a learning leader means putting what you've learned into action. Action is critical

"Multipliers create more time tomorrow."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: RoryVaden.com
• Follow Rory on Twitter: @rory_vaden
• Read: Take The Stairs - 7 Steps To Achieving True Success
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Rory Vaden on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From RoryVaden.com

Self-Discipline Strategist Rory Vaden's book Take the Stairs is a #1 Wall St Journal, #1 USA Today, and #2 New York Times bestseller. As an award-winning entrepreneur and business leader, Rory Co-Founded Southwestern Consulting™, a multi-million dollar global consulting practice that helps clients in more than 14 countries drive educated decisions with relevant data. He's also the Founder of The Center for the Study of Self-Discipline (CSSD).

Rory is the world's leader on defining the psychology around modern day procrastination, called Priority Dilution™ - in fact, he coined the term. He speaks and consults on how to say no to the things that don't matter, and yes to the things that do. His client list includes companies and groups such as: Cargill, The Million Dollar Roundtable, P&G, True Value, YPO, Wells Fargo Advisors, Land O'Lakes, Novartis, and hundreds more. His insights have recently been featured on/in: Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc, Fortune, and the New York Times.

He is a regular contributor for American Express Open Forum, Huffington Post, and The Tennessean and his articles and insights average more than 4 million views every month. Additionally, he hosts The Rory Vaden Show which is the only nationally syndicated weekly radio show for "movers and shakers in the world of business."

Episode 128: Donna Dubinsky – Standing Up To Steve Jobs And Being Right

Donna Dubinsky was made famous by the Harvard Business School study about the time when she disagreed with Steve Jobs (when he decided that Apple should eliminate their distribution warehouse). She ultimately prevailed and we discussed what happened next in her incredible career. We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Donna Dubinsky first partnered with Jeff Hawkins at Palm, Inc. in 1992, where she served as president and CEO. She held this position throughout Palm's acquisition by U.S Robotics and subsequently 3Com Corporation. In 1998, Donna and Jeff co-founded Handspring, creator of the category-defining Treo smartphone. Handspring merged with Palm in 2003, and Donna continued to serve on Palm's board until 2009. Previously, Donna spent 10 years at Apple Inc. in a multitude of sales, sales support, and logistics functions—both at Apple and at Claris, an Apple software subsidiary.

Donna earned a B.A. from Yale University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She is currently on the board of Yale University.

Episode 128: Donna Dubinsky – Standing Up To Steve Jobs And Being Right

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"When I Worked With Steve Jobs, He Was Interested In Vision, Not Practicality"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The ability to defy conventional wisdom and curiosity leads to sustained excellence
• The specifics on the story when she vehemently disagreed with Steve Jobs and what happened
• Why Donna wanted to change the world and how she set out to do it
• What it was like working with Steve Jobs in the early days at Apple
• Steve Jobs initially said he would never be involved in mobile phones… Donna and her colleagues changed his mind when they came out with the first version of a smart phone
• The future is built on learning machines
• Steve Jobs redefined the relationships with the phone carriers – Something that nobody before him could do
• What it's like to find patterns in streaming data
• Being a learning leader – It's not a batch process, you have to continue learning and always deploy as you learn more

"The Future Is Built On Learning Machines"

Continue Learning:

• Go To: Numenta.com
• Follow Donna on Twitter: @ddubinsky
• Read: Ten Lessons I Learned From Bill Campbell
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Donna Dubinsky on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Numenta.com

Donna first partnered with Jeff Hawkins at Palm, Inc. in 1992, where she served as president and CEO. She held this position throughout Palm's acquisition by U.S Robotics and subsequently 3Com Corporation. In 1998, Donna and Jeff co-founded Handspring, creator of the category-defining Treo smartphone. Handspring merged with Palm in 2003, and Donna continued to serve on Palm's board until 2009. Previously, Donna spent 10 years at Apple Inc. in a multitude of sales, sales support, and logistics functions—both at Apple and at Claris, an Apple software subsidiary.

Donna earned a B.A. from Yale University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She is currently on the board of Yale University.

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Adam Grant has been a leader I've admired since I read his NY Times best-selling book, "Give and Take" in 2013. The book changed my life. It changed how I view the world and how I view success. The path to success and sustained excellence is different than I originally thought and I have Adam to thank for you. It was an absolute thrill to have this conversation with Adam.

Adam Grant is Wharton's top-rated professor and a New York Times writer on work and psychology. He has been recognized as one of the world's 25 most influential management thinkers, the 100 most creative people in business, the 40 best business professors under 40, and Malcolm Gladwell's favorite thinkers.

Adam is the author of two New York Times bestselling books translated into 35 languages. Originals explores how individuals champion new ideas and leaders fight groupthink; it is a #1 national bestseller and one of Amazon's best books of February 2016. Give and Take examines why helping others drives our success, and was named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal—as well as one of Oprah's riveting reads and Harvard Business Review's ideas that shaped management.

Adam received a standing ovation for his 2016 TED talk on the surprising habits of original thinkers and was voted the audience's favorite speaker at The Nantucket Project on the success of givers and takers.

Episode 127: Adam Grant

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"It's a myth that you have to be a big risk taker to be a successful entrepreneur."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Being a dedicated learner and always raising the bar leads to sustained excellence
• Realizing he had no excuse not to share his ideas with the world after he made tenure
• Why Adam does not consider himself an Original
• It's not that we struggle with creativity, it's Originality where we are lacking
• Getting invited to the main TED conference
• The process for writing and delivering a world class TED talk
• The importance of having a coach – Adam had 4 speaking coaches helping him prepare and edit his TED Talk
• How to deal with a Taker who has success
• Why procrastination helps spur creativity
• Creativity and curiosity are the starting point for all originality
• The best originals think about risk like a stock portfolio
• A learning leader cares more about getting better than they do about their own ego

"I don't think we struggle at creativity, we struggle at originality."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: AdamGrant.net
• See Why Over 66,000 People Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamMGrant
• Read: Give and Take
• Read: Originals
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Adam Grant on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From AdamGrant.net

Adam Grant is Wharton's top-rated professor and a New York Times writer on work and psychology. He has been recognized as one of the world's 25 most influential management thinkers, the 100 most creative people in business, the 40 best business professors under 40, and Malcolm Gladwell's favorite thinkers. Previously, he was a record-setting advertising director, a junior Olympic springboard diver, and a professional magician.

Adam is the author of two New York Times bestselling books translated into 35 languages. Originals explores how individuals champion new ideas and leaders fight groupthink; it is a #1 national bestseller and one of Amazon's best books of February 2016. Give and Take examines why helping others drives our success, and was named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal—as well as one of Oprah's riveting reads and Harvard Business Review's ideas that shaped management.

Adam received a standing ovation for his 2016 TED talk on the surprising habits of original thinkers and was voted the audience's favorite speaker at The Nantucket Project on the success of givers and takers. His speaking and consulting clients include Google, the NBA, Merck, Goldman Sachs, Pixar, Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, the United Nations, the U.S. Army and Navy, and the World Economic Forum, where he has been honored as a Young Global Leader. His New York Times articles on Raising a moral child and How to raise a creative child have each been shared over 300,000 times on social media.

Adam was profiled in The New York Times Magazine cover story, Is giving the secret to getting ahead? He was tenured at Wharton while still in his twenties, and has received the Excellence in Teaching Award for every class that he has taught. He is the founder and host of the Authors@Wharton speaker series, and co-director of Wharton People Analytics. He has designed experiential learning activities based on The Apprentice in which students have raised over $325,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation while developing leadership, influence, networking and collaboration skills. He serves on the Lean In board and authored a New York Times series on women and work with Sheryl Sandberg, including Speaking while female and Madam C.E.O., get me a coffee.

Adam earned his Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan, completing it in less than three years, and his B.A. from Harvard University, magna cum laude with highest honors and Phi Beta Kappa honors. He has earned awards for distinguished scholarly achievement from the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, and the National Science Foundation. He has more than 60 publications in leading management and psychology journals, and his pioneering studies have increased performance and reduced burnout among engineers and sales professionals, enhanced call center productivity, and motivated safety behaviors among doctors, nurses and lifeguards. His studies have been highlighted in bestselling books such as Quiet by Susan Cain, Drive by Daniel Pink, and David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks: An Event With A Lower Acceptance Rate Than Harvard

Jayson Gaignard has become a great friend over the course of the past year. He calls himself a "talent scout" – Meaning he looks for people on the rise and works hard to support them on that journey. Jayson believes building those relationships are more important than just simply seeking the "already famous" people in the world. I'm grateful that he's been such a great supporter of me for the last year.

The event that Jayson Gaignard has created (Mastermind Talks) is harder to get an invitation to than it is to get accepted to Harvard (5.2% for Harvard). Mastermind Talks accepts less than 1 half of 1% of applicants. Jayson Gaignard says this is the key to the long term success of his business. In 2016, the event was held in Ojai, CA and I was fortunate to be one of those in attendance. During this conversation today, we discussed the details and specifics around executing a world class event. You'll be amazed at Jayson's attention to detail and his care for each and every member. He's one of the most thoughtful leaders I've ever met.

"Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It's that simple, and it's that hard."

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks: An Event With A Lower Acceptance Rate Than Harvard

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"We're Drowning In Information, But Starving For Wisdom."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Success breeds complacency and arrogance. Leaders who sustain excellence are not arrogant and are never complacent
• "Amazing people often know other amazing people"
• How and why Jayson has resisted the temptation to have open enrollment – He actively leaves a large sum of money on the table ever year
• Jayson's remarkable ability to develop trust with his colleagues
• Going into an event without sharing an agenda or featured speakers – Again Jayson has built massive trust
• Why it's helpful to build in a great deal of time for people to mingle
• Roundtables/Breakout Sessions – The power of having subject matter experts as attendees
• Peer to Peer learning is huge part of Mastermind Talks
• The element of surprise – Gary Vaynerchuk, Tony Hawk, James Altucher, Damien Escobar
• If you want to be blown away, watch this: Damien Escobar
• "My focus is on scaling trust. If I have trust, I can make magic happen"
• The importance of having a morning "movement event" – Get people together early to workout, eat breakfast, and then start the formal information at 10:00
• Advice given to event attendees: How to stand out and make an impact on your fellow attendees

"Amazing People Know Other Amazing People."

Continue Learning:

• Follow Jayson on Twitter: @JaysonGaignard
• Read: Mastermind Dinners
• Go to: MastermindTalks.com
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jayson Gaignard on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From MastermindTalks.com (In Jayson's words)

Just a few years ago, I was stuck on the entrepreneurial "hamster wheel" building a business I hated, which enabled me to buy things I didn't need, to impress people I didn't even like. I was "successful" on the outside, but the heaviness of that success left me yearning for the lightness of being a beginner again.

That business made me "burn the boats" in search of something different... something fulfilling. I didn't know what this would be at the time, but by the end of our first event in May of 2013, I knew I had found it.

Entrepreneurs may come to our events for content - but they leave with something far more valuable... community. Entrepreneurship can be very isolating at times, and it's hard to find like-minded individuals. Over the last few years I've spent my time carefully curating an incredible network of entrepreneurs without using rational benchmarks such as their type of business, or revenues. Instead, I curate based upon who they are and what they stand for. Just like an investor investing in businesses, I invest in people, because I believe that amazing people become increasingly amazing over time.

I dedicate my life to supporting and serving a small group of individuals. These people value legacy over currency. They know that good is the enemy of great, and are never satisfied with what is considered "good" in any area of their life.

They are not afraid to sacrifice who they are for who they want to become.

These are the people I'm committed to - Is that you?

Episode 125: Garry Ridge – How To Build A Tribal Culture (CEO WD-40)

Garry Ridge is president and chief executive officer of the WD-40 Company (NASDAQ WDFC) headquartered in San Diego, California. WD-40 Company is the maker of the ever-popular WD-40. A native of Australia, Garry has served as national vice president of the Australian Marketing Institute and the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association.

Garry is an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego. He teaches leadership development, talent management & succession planning in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. In March 2003, Garry was awarded Director of the Year for Enhancement of Economic Value by the Corporate Directors forum. In 2006, Garry was awarded the Ernst & Young - Master Entrepreneur Award.

In 2009, Garry co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard titled "Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called "Don't Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A."

Episode 125: Garry Ridge – How To Build A Tribal Culture (CEO WD-40)

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"The Number That Predicts Long Term Sales Success Is Employee Satisfaction"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a high level of empathy (EQ), being a great listener, and a passion to see others succeed leads to sustained excellence
• How he grew WD-40 from $250 million to $1.6 Billion
• How to build a tribal culture
• Turning up the volume on training, learning, and development
• What it means when Garry says, "Don't waste a good crisis"
• Setting SMART goals
• Why the employee needs to set the goal and be supported by the leader
• "Wisdom is putting knowledge to work"
• "You learn a lot by shutting up"
• A great line from "The Bridge of Spies" When the prisoner is asked if he's worried about something potentially bad happening to him, he quietly responds, "Would that help?" – It's a waste of energy to worry about things outside of your control
• Don't Mark My Paper – Help Me Get An A
• Having a rigorous hiring process to ensure bringing great people into the business
• Learning Leader – Aggressive self-education

"I Never Lose… I Either Win Or I Learn" – Garry Ridge

Continue Learning:

• Follow Garry on Twitter: @LearningMoment
• Read: Helping People Win At Work
• Go To: The Learning Moment
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Garry Ridge on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From TheLearningMoment.com

Garry's passion about learning is driven from his personal experience of working in an environment where learning was not encouraged or sought out. As Garry recalls, "I knew we as a team could be better, but when looking into the eyes of my employees, I didn't see the hunger. I took a hard line approach and starting asking tough questions, such as, 'what kind of environment would help feed your hunger?' My employees were direct and honest, 'give me an environment where I can learn, be challenged, and rewarded for taking a risk.' So, I did just that, I set out to create a learning environment.

Today, Garry has the desire to continue with his learnings by sharing them with others. Garry says, "Change is difficult, and as I was going through this transitional period, it would have been helpful to have a big brother/sister who could have provided additional insights. Today, knowing others will want to create a learning environment, I would like help and support this by sharing my learnings.

Episode 124: Don Wettrick – Pure Genius: Learning From The Innovation Teacher

Don Wettrick has become a great friend over the last three months. I absolutely love what he is doing for the students he's leading at Noblesville High School. It takes a dynamic and fearless leader to create and implement his idea for an Innovation factory within a high school. I love it!

Don Wettrick is an Innovation Specialist at Noblesville High School, just outside Indianapolis, IN. He is the author of "Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level". Wettrick has worked as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; and educational speaker. Don is passionate about helping students find their educational opportunities and providing them with the digital tools they need to give them a competitive edge.

Don has lectured across the US and Europe about collaboration, social media use, and work environments that enable innovation. He also hosts an internet radio program, InnovatED, for the BAM! Radio Network. Most importantly Don works with educators and students to bring innovation and collaborative skills into education.

Episode 124: Don Wettrick – Pure Genius: Learning From The Innovation Teacher

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Students Have The Arrogance Of Belief"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a broader view of the journey leads to sustained excellence
• Why Prince is the definition of "sustained excellence" to Don (**Note – This conversation was recorded prior to Prince tragically passing away)
• How Don was inspired by Dan Pink's TED Talk
• The students have the arrogance of belief – it's great
• Learning can be a problem if the only destination is getting into college
• The art of non-conformity
• The heroes journey is life
• Don wants adventure – "Too many people are busy watching someone else's and not doing it themselves"
• The importance of "Just Asking…" And what it can lead to
• Being a learning leader means you are embrace the failures and learn from them

"Don Wettrick has incorporated a range of creativity-generating concepts into his teaching and turned his classroom into an innovation factory." – Dan Pink

Continue Learning:

• See why over 31,000 people follow Don on Twitter: @DonWettrick
• Read: Pure Genius
• Go to: TheInnovationTeacher.com
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Don Wettrick on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From The InnovationTeacher.com

Don Wettrick is an Innovation Specialist at Noblesville High School, just outside Indianapolis, IN. He is the author of "Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level". Wettrick has worked as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; and educational speaker. Don is passionate about helping students find their educational opportunities and providing them with the digital tools they need to give them a competitive edge.

Don has lectured across the US and Europe about collaboration, social media use, and work environments that enable innovation. He also hosts an internet radio program, InnovatED, for the BAM! Radio Network. Most importantly Don works with educators and students to bring innovation and collaborative skills into education.

Episode 123: David Allen – How To Get Things Done

David Allen is an incredible leader. Between his best-selling book, "Getting Things Done," The 5 I's, and living in Europe, I was blown away by the depth of David. There is a great deal to learn from him and his experiences. We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. That's why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater performance, capacity, and innovation. It alleviates the feeling of overwhelm—instilling focus, clarity, and confidence.

After decades of in-the-field research and practice of his productivity methods, David wrote the international best-seller Getting Things Done. Published in over 28 languages, TIME magazine heralded it as "the defining self-help business book of its time." In 2015, he released a new edition of the book, with new insights, updates, and discoveries about the world of Getting Things Done and its many personal and professional applications.

Today, the David Allen Company is a thriving global training and consulting company, widely considered the leading authority in the fields of organizational and personal productivity.

Episode 123: David Allen – How To Get Things Done

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"This Material Is For Anyone But Not For Everyone."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a mix of strong ego and humility leads to sustained excellence
• It's important to have an "openness" to what could be coming next
• It took David 25 years to "figure it out"
• He spent 4 years writing "Getting Things Done"
• This process helps you create more space
• Creating an "In" basket – Find things that have your attention, list them all out
• Unwrap it – A "to do" list on steroids
• Clarify you decisions and KEEP TRACK of them… Very important
• The 5 I's:
• • Information
  • Inspiration
  • Installation
  • Implementation
  • Integration
• Bottom Up – Start where you are, not where you need to be
• How heroin affected his thought process
• Being a learning leader means you are authentic and will spend a lifetime learning

"Anything That Takes 2 Minutes Or Less… Do It Immediately"

Continue Learning:

• See why over 1,200,000 people follow David on Twitter: @gtdguy
• Read: Getting Things Done
• Go To: GettingThingsDone.com
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing David Allen on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From GettingThingsDone.com

Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. That's why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater performance, capacity, and innovation. It alleviates the feeling of overwhelm—instilling focus, clarity, and confidence.

After decades of in-the-field research and practice of his productivity methods, David wrote the international best-seller Getting Things Done. Published in over 28 languages, TIME magazine heralded it as "the defining self-help business book of its time." In 2015, he released a new edition of the book, with new insights, updates, and discoveries about the world of Getting Things Done and its many personal and professional applications.

Today, the David Allen Company is a thriving global training and consulting company, widely considered the leading authority in the fields of organizational and personal productivity.

Episode 122: Sarah Robb O'Hagan – EXTREME YOU: Unlocking Your Potential

Executive, activist and entrepreneur, Sarah Robb O'Hagan is described by the media as everything from "Superwoman undercover" to the "Queen of the Jocks" to the ultimate example of where fierce business woman, mother and fitness fanatic combine. Named among Forbes "Most Powerful Women in Sports" and recognized as one of Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business" Sarah is an internationally recognized re-inventor of brands, but if you ask Sarah, she'll say she's in business to help individuals and teams achieve their potential.

Sarah was born in New Zealand – the first country in the world to give women the vote and home to the first man to climb Mt Everest. The pioneering spirit of her country cultivated Sarah's drive and imagination for "what's possible" enabling her to found a movement she currently leads called "Extreme Living" – helping individuals, teams and businesses unlock their potential by discovering their own uniquely exploitable traits. Her book EXTREMEYOU will be published by HarperCollins in 2017. (From CAASpeakers.com)

Episode 122: Sarah Robb O'Hagan - EXTREME YOU: Unlocking Your Potential

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"Don't worry about making the right decision, worry about making the decision right."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Curiosity and humility leads to sustained excellence
• How to build a career that builds upon itself
• How to be persistent when going for a job you really want
• What it was like to work for Nike, Virgin, Gatorade, Equinox, and now as an entrepreneur
• ExtremeYOU – Building the platform and writing the book
• What Sarah learned from getting fired – The embarrassing moment when she had to pack her box and leave
• Resilience is key
• The importance of mentors – How they can fast track your career
• The biggest mistake young leaders/managers make
• Expect your team to be extraordinary – Watch them live up to your expectations
• The reason for leaving massive jobs to start her own company
• The best piece of advice she ever received and how Sarah implements it
• Being a learning leader to Sarah – "I love it!"

"If you don't experience failure early, then you begin to fail it later. You can't fear it."

Continue Learning:

• Go To: ExtremeYOU.com
• Follow Sarah on Twitter: @ExtremeSRO
• Read: Getting Things Done
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Sarah Robb O'Hagan on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Fortune.com

Sarah Robb O'Hagan is the founder and Chief Extremer at EXTREMEYOU which is a a content platform of inspirational and educational articles, as well as programs, tools, workshops and experiences for ALL Extremers of ALL levels who have the guts and drive to achieve their potential and want to learn how to get it done." Prior to that she was the President of Equinox -- the world's premier fitness lifestyle company, comprising the Equinox, Soul Cycle, Blink Fitness and Pure Yoga brands.

Before earning the role of leading Equinox, she was the President of Gatorade. During her tenure, the Gatorade brand was returned to healthy growth and succeeded in evolving into sports nutrition with successful launches of the G Series platform in the USA, Latin America, UK and Australia.

Robb O'Hagan joined Gatorade after nearly six years at Nike where she held marketing and general management roles. She was a member of the team that launched Nike Plus in collaboration with Apple.

Prior to Nike she worked at Atari Interactive, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Megastores and Air New Zealand.

Episode 121: Ryan Michler – How To Build Your 1,000 True Fans

If you have a desire to build your own tribe full of raving, engaged fans, then this is a great episode for you. I originally met Ryan Michler over a year ago… He was in the midst of building his community, "The Order of Man." It's incredible to see how far and impactful his community has become in just 12 months. In addition… Ryan and his wife had their 4th child the DAY BEFORE we recorded this episode. Ryan is a man of his word and didn't want to cancel even in the midst of having a child! Incredible.

Ryan Michler is the creator of "The Order of Man" and "The Iron Council." The Order of Man is a website that provides fantastic value to leaders who strive to improve on a daily basis. Ryan also has a podcast with the same name. I was fortunate to be a guest on his show in May of 2015. You can listen to that episode HERE if you would like.

Episode 121: Ryan Michler – How To Build Your 1,000 True Fans

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

"The Reality Is You Get To Choose Your Environment"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The ability to take action on a consistent basis leads to sustained excellence
• Read Teddy Roosevelt's "The Strenuous Life"
• How and Why Ryan created "The Order of Man"
• The impact it had on Ryan's life by not having a father figure
• The Iron Council – Why he created it and what they do for their members
• Spending a year in Ramadi (Iraq) in a combat zone
• Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook – Gary Vaynerchuk
• The benefits of having an accountability partner
• How to build your own community
• "Decentralized Command" – Having team leaders
• Focusing on the ONE thing that will yield the most impact
• The 3 P's of Masculinity
• Learning Leader = Being Humble, realizing you don't have it all figured out yet and you never will

Continue Learning:

• Go To: OrderOfMan.com
• Follow Jane on Twitter: @orderofman
• Read: Theodore Roosevelt - The Strenuous Life
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Ryan Michler on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From OrderOfMan.com (In Ryan's Words)

Most of my childhood was spent without a permanent father figure in my life. I never learned how to work on my car, I never had the chance to roughhouse with my dad, and I didn't even learn how to throw a baseball correctly until I was a freshman in high school.

Looking back on it now, I wonder how my life would have been different if I had a permanent male influence in my life. What would the world look like if there were more men in it? I'm not talking about males. I'm talking about MEN (there is a difference).

Now that I have sons, I'm committed to being the dad that I never had. We do all kinds of great things together-sports (I coach ALL their teams), build tree houses, and roughhouse 'til we're exhausted.

As I talk with other men, I can see that there is a huge need for learning how to be a better father. But I've also seen a need for strong and honorable men outside of the home.

Guys, we're losing the meaning of manhood. We've gone away from being strong, rugged, independent, and tough to a collection of wimpy, dependent, whiners. Something has got to be done!

Episode 120: Andrew Brandt – Learning From A World Class Negotiator

Andrew Brandt leads a fascinating life. A great mentor of mine told me to always be on the lookout for others who have had “success in multiple life categories.” In Andrew’s case, he’s done that throughout his life: Stanford graduating Cum Laude à Georgetown Law à NFL Player agent à VP and head negotiator for The Green Bay Packers à Top Business analyst for ESPN/Writer for The MMQB/ Leader at Villanova. This is a very insightful conversation on The Learning Leader Show.

Andrew Brandt is an ESPN Business Analyst. He’s a weekly columnist; at The MMQB.com Andrew is also the Exec. Director, Moorad Center at Villanova. He focuses on trying to stay true to the good and never peaking. Previously, he was the Vice President of Player Finance and General Counsel of Green Bay Packers. He was in charge of The Packers Salary Cap as well as negotiating all of the player contracts for the team.

Episode 120: Andrew Brandt – Learning From A World Class Negotiator

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“There are a lot of fathers of success but few of failure.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Self-discipline, internal motivation, having a lack of complacency leads to sustained excellence
• The story of Ricky Williams asking him to work for Master P!
• What it was like being in the middle of an NFL “war room” on draft day
• Working as an NFL agent with David Falk and Bobby Orr
• Writing, teaching, broadcasting are the three pillars of his career
• Wharton to Villanova
• Supporting coaches who are forward thinking and innovative like Chip Kelly
• Unfortunately, most coaches and GM’s are just trying not to get fired
• How to become a great negotiator
• Never let emotion override focus – “Emotions fade, focus doesn’t”
• Keeping Aaron Rodgers on hold while waiting for a trade offer prior to drafting him!
• An incredible Drew Rosenhaus story
• Not using the word “former” in the description for anything he does – Looking forward, living in the present. Learn from the past but moving forward
• Stay true to the good and being in “constant beta mode” is the definition of a learning leader

“Stay true to the good… And never peak.” – Andrew Brandt

Continue Learning:

• See Why Over 200,000 People Follow Tim on Twitter: @AndrewBrandt
• Read: Andrew's Work On The MMQB
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Andrew Brandt on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Twitter

Andrew Brandt is an ESPN Business Analyst. He’s a weekly columnist; at The MMQB.com Andrew is also the Exec. Director, Moorad Center at Villanova. He focuses on trying to stay true to the good and never peaking. Previously, he was the Vice President of Player Finance and General Counsel of Green Bay Packers. He was in charge of The Packers Salary Cap as well as negotiating all of the player contracts for the team.

Episode 119: Jane Atkinson – How To Launch Your Speaking Career

If you ever plan to speak in front of a group of people, then you’ll want to listen to this episode with Jane Atkinson. If you have a desire to speak professionally and get paid, then you’ll love this conversation. I really enjoyed this conversation, specifically the portion of the talk where Jane did a live workshop with me. I learned a great deal about the speaking profession from

Jane Atkinson has been helping speakers catapult their businesses for over 20 years. As a former speaker’s agent, she has represented numerous speakers, celebrities and best-selling authors. Today, as a speaker coach, Jane has helped some of the industry’s hottest stars. Many of Jane’s clients have vaulted to the top 3% of the field. Her clients are the who’s who…. Executive VP’s of Fortune 100 companies, Editors-in-Chief of Top Magazines, Bestselling Authors, Adventurers, Ivy League Professors and regular everyday people who have a strong message.

Jane’s book entitled “The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: A Proven Formula for Building a Successful Speaking Business” has been touted “the bible” of the speaking. Her follow up book “The Epic Keynote: Presentation Skills and Styles of The Wealthy Speaker” has become the speakers “presentations reference guide”.

Episode 119: Jane Atkinson – How To Launch Your Speaking Career

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“What changed for me working with Jane? Everything…we’ve been together since the beginning and 3 years later we are well on our way to building a million dollar business. She is the definitive Speaker Launcher!” – Ryan Estis

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Focusing… Choosing something you want to be known for leads to sustained excellence
• Be a specialist… A thought leader in one area
• How speakers bureaus can be helpful
• The beginnings of Ryan Estis’ career and how Jane helped him
• Direct, Live, 1 on 1 coaching
• Why building in surprise elements to your speech will differentiate you
• Read The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
• How to “make the audience the heroes of your story”
• Creating audience interaction and engagement – A “How To”
• Why everyone should invest in a coach (She pays $25K/year for hers)
• Personal growth, self-development = Learning Leader

Continue Learning:

• Go To: SpeakerLauncher.com
• Follow Jane on Twitter: @janeatkinson
• Read: The Wealthy Speaker 2.0
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jane Atkinson on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From SpeakerLauncher.com

Jane Atkinson has been helping speakers catapult their businesses for over 20 years. As a former speaker’s agent, she has represented numerous speakers, celebrities and best-selling authors. Today, as a speaker coach, Jane has helped some of the industry’s hottest stars. Many of Jane’s clients have vaulted to the top 3% of the field. Her clients are the who’s who…. Executive VP’s of Fortune 100 companies, Editors-in-Chief of Top Magazines, Bestselling Authors, Adventurers, Ivy League Professors and regular everyday people who have a strong message.

Jane’s book entitled “The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: A Proven Formula for Building a Successful Speaking Business” has been touted “the bible” of the speaking. Her follow up book “The Epic Keynote: Presentation Skills and Styles of The Wealthy Speaker” has become the speakers “presentations reference guide”.

Episode 118: Greg McKeown – Essentialism: The Discipline Of Saying No

I’ve been a big fan of Greg McKeown’s message and his writing since his best-selling book, “Essentialism” came out. Greg has mastered the art and science behind optimizing his day, creating routines, and always asking the question, “Is this the absolute best use of my time?” This is a very important and helpful conversation that we all can learn from. How can we say no more often and eliminate everything that is not essential?

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people break through to the next level—and others don’t. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown’s latest project: the instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success.

Episode 118: Greg McKeown – Essentialism: The Discipline Of Saying No

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Very Successful People Say No To Almost Everything.” - Greg McKeown

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Saying “No” to almost everything leads to sustained excellence
• Essentialism is defined as “The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”
• What would you do if you could do anything?
• Success creates an increase in options and opportunities which can actually create failure
• Ronda Rousey – Her success led to an abundance of opportunities which may have caused her loss to Holly Holm
• Always think, “Is this the very best use for me?”
• The word priority initially meant “the one thing.” For some reason it’s evolved to now priorities.
• There is no such thing as having 20 priorities
• Explore, Eliminate, Create a Routine
• Learn to say No gracefully
• Set up systems to optimize your work
• Learning Leader as a noun = Focus
• Learning Leader as a verb = Constantly adjusting to maintain clarity, reflecting, asking, “What’s the most important thing I can be doing right now?”

“What Would You Do If You Could Do Anything?

Continue Learning:

• Go To: GregMcKeown.com
• Follow Greg on Twitter: @GregoryMcKeown
• Read: Essentialism
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Greg McKeown on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From GregMcKeown.com

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people break through to the next level—and others don’t. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown’s latest project: the instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success. McKeown is the CEO of THIS Inc, a company whose mission is to assist people and companies to spend 80 percent of their time on the vital few rather than the trivial many. Clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, Facebook, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, VMware and Yahoo!. His writing has appeared or been covered by Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month. McKeown has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows including NPR’s All Things Considered and NBC’s Press: Here. Entrepreneur Magazine voted his interview at Stanford University the #1 Must-See Video on Business, Creativity and Success.

Episode 117: Tim Urban – Using Procrastination to Perform A Ted Talk & Befriend Elon Musk

Listen carefully to both the beginning and the end of this conversation. Tim Urban is one of the most thoughtful leaders that I have ever met. As a listener I found Tim to be patient and thoughtful in his responses to my questions, sometimes taking a minute or so before his point came across. Genuinely, I loved that about him. Be prepared for an incredibly funny, yet insightful conversation on The Learning Leader Show.

Tim Urban has become one of the Internet’s most popular writers. With wry stick-figure illustrations and occasionally epic prose on everything from procrastination to artificial intelligence, Urban's blog, Wait But Why, has garnered millions of unique page views, thousands of patrons and famous fans like Elon Musk. (Bio from Ted.com)

Episode 117: Tim Urban – Using Procrastination to Perform A Ted Talk & Befriend Elon Musk

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Life is like a white canvas. Most people paint in white. White paint on white canvas. You don’t even notice them. The people who paint in different colors make things happen. They lead. You notice them.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Doing something that makes a splash… Changing what others do, continuing to reinvent yourself leads to sustained excellence
• Seth Godin has a great knack for constantly reinventing himself because he’s always searching and noticing
• How writing about a number of different topics helps you learn
• 7 Ways to be insufferable on Facebook
• The secret (not really) to getting 4,000 people to pay you for your blog content
• Getting invited to the main TED conference
• The pain of coming up with a topic for his TED speech
• The imposter syndrome… Feeling like he didn’t belong with the other TED speakers
• The process for writing and delivering a world class TED talk
• How Elon Musk became a fan of Tim’s work
• Getting a phone call from Elon and discussing how they could work together
• Humility and confidence are the qualities of great learning leaders
• The opposite of arrogance… Having an open mind and being humble is the definition of a learning leader

“One of the few things I feel like an expert on is procrastination.” – Tim Urban

Continue Learning:

• Go To: WaitButWhy.com
• See Why Over 70,000 People Follow Tim on Twitter: @waitbutwhy
• Read: The Elon Musk Blog Series
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Tim Urban on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Ted.com

Tim Urban has become one of the Internet’s most popular writers. With wry stick-figure illustrations and occasionally epic prose on everything from procrastination to artificial intelligence, Urban's blog, Wait But Why, has garnered millions of unique page views, thousands of patrons and famous fans like Elon Musk.

What others say:

With “Wait But Why,” Tim Urban demonstrates that complex and long-form writing can stand out in an online wilderness choked with listicles and clickbait.

“Wait But Why has captured a level of reader engagement that even the new-media giants would be envious of.” — FastCompany, 2015

Episode 116: Paul Madera – Why He Invested $10 Million In Facebook In 2005

Paul Madera is one of the most down to earth and humble people I’ve ever spoken to… Considering the immense level of success in multiple life categories, I initially expected that he would have at least a semblance of an ego. As you’ll hear, that does not exist within Paul. What a refreshing and enjoyable conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Paul Madera is the founder of Meritech (1999). Meritech is known as the pioneer of late stage investing. Paul currently focuses on the SaaS, storage, e-commerce, financial technology, digital consumer, and medical device sectors. In 2005, Paul sat down with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and made the decision to invest $10 million to earn 2% of Facebook at the time ($500m valuation). As most people know, Facebook is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Paul also led the charge for Meritech to be an early investor in Salesforce.com among many other great decisions.

Paul holds a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and currently serves as the Chairman of the US Air Force Academy Endowment. Previously he flew F 16’s on missions that included dropping bombs on targets and dealing with enemy aircrafts (dogfighting).

Episode 116: Paul Madera – Why He Invested $10 Million In Facebook In 2005

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“I Love To Invest In Leaders Who Are Obsessed About Their Company. Those Who Absolutely Love What They Are Doing.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The most dedicated, focused individuals who stress personal excellence tend to sustaine excellence
• Why Paul initially wanted to invest in MySpace
• What his first thoughts of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg were in 2005
• Agreeing to a deal with Mark Zuckerberg – Investing $10m at a $500m company valuation
• How his company makes decisions on who to invest in
• The specific qualities he looks for in a CEO to invest in (He loves leaders who are obsessed with their company and certain of their future success)
• The biggest mistakes young leaders/managers make
• The specific missions he flew as a fighter pilot – dropping bombs on enemy targets and dealing with combative opposing aircrafts
• Dogfighting like they did in the movie “Top Gun” – incredible stories!
• Great leaders are always “doing” – Always striving to learn more

“It’s Important To Have a Commitment Strategy… Not An Exit Strategy”

Continue Learning:

• Go To: MeritechCapital.com
• See Paul on The Forbes Midas List: Forbes Midas List: Paul Madera
• Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: com/in/paulmadera
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jay Baer on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From MeritechCapital.com

Paul Madera founded Meritech in 1999. He currently focuses on the SaaS, storage, e-commerce, financial technology, digital consumer, and medical device sectors.

He has led Meritech's investments into 2Wire (Pace), Acopia (F5), BlueArc (Hitachi Data), DataStax, DealerSocket, Facebook (FB), Force10 Networks (DELL), Glaukos, Homestead Technologies (INTU), IntraLase (AMO), Openlane (KAR), Panzura, Prosper, Riverbed Technology (RVBD), Salesforce.com (CRM), Tegile, Tensilica (CDNS), Topspin (Cisco), Wonga, Yammer (MSFT) and 21Vianet (VNET).

Prior to Meritech, Paul was Managing Director and Head of the Private Equity Group at Montgomery Securities/Banc of America where he assisted tech and consumer-based startups in raising capital. He began his career in finance as an investment banker with Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York. Before joining Morgan Stanley, he served in the United States Air Force as an F-16 Instructor Pilot based in South Korea, Spain, and Utah. He also spent a tour at the Pentagon as a member of the Air Force Legislative Liaison Office.

Paul holds a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and currently serves as the Chairman of the US Air Force Academy Endowment. Paul spends his off hours cycling the hills west of Palo Alto to prepare for "century" rides as well as jogging throughout the San Francisco Peninsula (when he is not gathering material to terrorize his partner Mike Gordon).

Episode 115: Amy Porterfield - Working With Tony Robbins, Harley Davidson, & Launching Your Own Business

Amy Porterfield is remarkably intelligent and an absolute joy to talk to. I love her attitude and approach to her life and business. Sometimes you have a conversation where it just clicks and this is one of those. Between being a world class leader/coach/trainer, Amy is successful in multiple life categories. I loved this conversation.

Amy Porterfield is the co-author of “Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies” and a Social Media Strategist. She creates educational programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them get more traffic, leads and sales with social media marketing. She’s been in the marketing arena for over 12 years and spent over 6 years working alongside Peak Performance Coach, Tony Robbins, where she managed his content marketing team and major online marketing campaigns.

Episode 115: Amy Porterfield - Working With Tony Robbins, Harley Davidson, & Launching Your Own Business

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“A Learning Leader Has A Lack Of Ego… There’s So Much To Learn.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Consistency and regularly “showing up” is the key to sustaining excellence over an extended period of time.
• The way to build trust is to be consistent and always do what you say you’re going to do
• What it was like working with Tony Robbins for 6 years
• Side Hustle? Why should everyone start one...
• The importance of approaching your business in phases
• Specific tactics for Facebook marketing
• Building your email list – why you must do this
• Creating your first webinar – how it will help you
• Always have an opportunity for people to “opt in”
• The strategy for building a warm audience
• Creativity is a habit. It’s a way of thinking
• As a learning leader, lose the go and look to grow and learn

“As A Leader You Said You Were Going to Do It… You Have To Do It.”

Continue Learning:

• Go To: AmyPorterfield.com
• See why over 130,000 people follow Amy on Twitter: @AmyPorterfield
• Read: Facebook Marketing - All In One For Dummies
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Amy Porterfield on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From AmyPorterfield.com

Amy Porterfield is the co-author of “Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies” and a Social Media Strategist. She creates educational programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them get more traffic, leads and sales with social media marketing. She’s been in the marketing arena for over 12 years and spent over 6 years working alongside Peak Performance Coach, Tony Robbins, where she managed his content marketing team and major online marketing campaigns.

Amy also speaks at marketing events, businesses, and networking events about the power of social media. Presentation hot topics include: Facebook marketing "how to", social media marketing strategy, how to streamline your social media chaos, ways to engage in the online world, how to build real, valuable relationships online, and why Facebook just might be your secret weapon to change the game forever for your business.

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Superpower

Cal Newport is a remarkably intelligent leader… I am a massive fan of his writing and have been following his work for years. It was a thrill to speak with him directly. This conversation went deep on many levels. The importance of doing deep work is something I've written about for The Huffington Post as one of the core qualities of a leader who has sustained excellence over an extended period of time.

Cal Newport is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distributed algorithms. He previously earned his Ph.D. from MIT in 2009 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004.

His most recent book, Deep Work, argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy, and that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive. On publication, Deep Work became an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and received praise in the New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Guardian.

Newport’s previous book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, argues that “follow your passion” is bad advice. Since its publication, it has been selected for several best business books of the year lists, including those by Inc. Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and 800-CEO-Read. Newport’s New York Times op-ed on the book became the paper’s most e-mailed article for over a week.

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Superpower

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The Ability To Do Deep Work Is A Super Power”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• A leader who respects how hard everything is leads to sustained excellence
• We should all study Teddy Roosevelt
• Why “follow your passion” is bad advice
• Passion evolves over time… Developing skills through hard work creates passion
• Deep Work is an activity
• The ability to do Deep Work is a Super Power
• How to schedule Deep Work into your day/week/month
• Why e-mail can be eliminated
• The power of rituals and routines in order to do deep work
• Adam Grant and his 4 days of hibernating deep work
• Why you must claim YOUR time
• Productive meditation – what is it? And how it benefits you
• Why Cal is not on any form of social media
• Learning Leader – Aggressive self-education

“You Don’t Follow Your Passion, Your Passion Follows You”

Continue Learning:

• Go To: CalNewport.com
• Read: So Good They Can't Ignore You
• Read: Deep Work
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Cal Newport on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From CalNewport.com

Cal Newport is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distributed algorithms. He previously earned his Ph.D. from MIT in 2009 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004.

In addition to studying the theoretical foundations of our digital age as a professor, Newport also writes about the impact of these technologies on the world of work.

His most recent book, Deep Work (Grand Central, 2016), argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy, and that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive. On publication, Deep Work became an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and received praise in the New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Guardian.

Newport’s previous book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You (Grand Central, 2012), argues that “follow your passion” is bad advice. Since its publication, it has been selected for several best business books of the year lists, including those by Inc. Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and 800-CEO-Read. Newport’s New York Times op-ed on the book became the paper’s most e-mailed article for over a week.

Newport is also the author of three books of unconventional advice for students: How to Be a High School Superstar (Random House, 2010), How to Become a Straight-A Student (Random House, 2006), and How to Win at College (Random House, 2005). The How To student series has sold over well over 150,000 copies since its inception, and Newport has been invited to speak on these topics at some of the country’s top universities, including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Georgetown and Duke.

Between books, Newport explores related ideas on his popular Study Hacks blog.

Episode 113: David Meerman Scott – How Donald Trump Has Mastered NewsJacking

David Meerman Scott is a remarkable leader… I really appreciate that he’s actively seeking out opportunities to learn, grow, and help others. On this episode, I learned a great deal about Newsjacking – what that meant and how we all can do it. I also learned a lot about how David became a world class speaker commanding over $25,000 per hour. We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

David Meerman Scott’s book The New Rules of Marketing & PR opened people’s eyes to the new realities of marketing and public relations on the Web. Six months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list with over a quarter of a million copies sold in more than 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese, “New Rules” is now a modern business classic.

He is the author of ten books and the series editor of six. His other international bestsellers include Real-Time Marketing & PR and Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead (written with HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan).

His latest book is The New Rules of Sales and Service: How to Use Agile Selling, Real-Time Customer Engagement, Big Data, Content, and Storytelling to Grow Your Business.

Episode 113: David Meerman Scott – How Donald Trump Has Mastered NewsJacking

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“I Help People Understand How To Reach Buyers In The New Age Of The Web”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Being incredibly curious and not afraid to try something new leads to sustained excellence
• How Donald Trump is a master at news jacking
• The power in building a substantial platform
• Seeing patterns that others don’t – how to do it
• The importance of being fearless in your approach to the market
• Newsjacking – injecting your thoughts into the current hot topics
• Creating multiple streams of revenue – how to do it
• How to get paid speaking gigs
• Taking equity over cash for advisory roles
• Hiring a speaking coach even when you’re one of the best in the world
• Walk on stage like Mick Jagger
• A learning leader recognizes that they don’t have it all figured out and never will

“I Saw Patterns That Nobody Else Was Seeing”

Continue Learning:

• Go To: DavidMeermanScott.com
• See why over 122,000 people follow David on Twitter: @dmscott
• Read: The New Rules of Marketing & PR
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing David Meerman Scott on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From DavidMeermanScott.com

David Meerman Scott’s book The New Rules of Marketing & PR opened people’s eyes to the new realities of marketing and public relations on the Web. Six months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list with over a quarter of a million copies sold in more than 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese, “New Rules” is now a modern business classic.

He is the author of ten books and the series editor of six. His other international bestsellers include Real-Time Marketing & PR and Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead (written with HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan).

His latest book is The New Rules of Sales and Service: How to Use Agile Selling, Real-Time Customer Engagement, Big Data, Content, and Storytelling to Grow Your Business.

Episode 112: Liz Wessel – Why You Should Cold E-Mail Your Heroes

Liz Wessel is a remarkably talented leader… I found her to be extremely interesting and dynamic during this conversation on The Learning Leader Show. I also admire her guts, will, and determination to create, grow, and sustain her company. We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Liz Wessel is the CEO of WayUp. WayUp is the largest online marketplace exclusively for college students and recent grads to find employment. Their mission is to connect students with awesome opportunities. Liz and WayUp have since raised $9.1 million in funding.

Liz is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who’s had the entrepreneurial bug since birth. Initially after graduation she took on a leadership role at Google and famously told them on her first day, “Consider this my 2 years notice.” Liz stayed true to her word and exactly two years after starting at Google, she left to launch her own business.

Episode 112: Liz Wessel – Why You Should Cold E-Mail Your Heroes

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“A Learning Leader Is Positively Skeptical”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• A positive attitude and being fearless leads to sustained excellence
• How working for Google in India helped prepare her to lead WayUp
• How she was able to raise over $9M in funding
• The decisions she has to make in regards to spending all of that money
• Why she pushes her employees to cold e-mail their heroes
• How she manages to only sleep a few hours a night
• Advice she has for millennials
• The fear of burn out? Does she have it? Why not?
• How reading auto-biographies can help you be more creative
• A learning leader is positively skeptical

“You Need To Understand What You Love AND What You Don’t Love”

Continue Learning:

• Go To: WayUp.com
• Follow Liz on Twitter: @lizwessel
• Read More About Liz: Cold E-Mail Your Idols
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Liz Wessel on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio – Liz Wessel

Liz Wessel is the CEO of WayUp. WayUp is the largest online marketplace exclusively for college students and recent grads to find employment. Their mission is to connect students with awesome opportunities. Liz and WayUp have since raised $9.1 million in funding.

Liz is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who’s had the entrepreneurial bug since birth. Initially after graduation she took on a leadership role at Google and famously told them on her first day, “Consider this my 2 years notice.” Liz stayed true to her word and exactly two years after starting at Google, she left to launch her own business

Episode 111: Chris Guillebeau – How To Create Your Dream Job

Chris Guillebeau is an extraordinary leader. Between his best-selling books and hosting the World Domination Summit every summer, he’s constantly inspiring and empowering others to be creators and leaders. During this conversation, you’ll get to hear why Chris specifically wanted to come on the show and his personal backstory (It’s incredible). We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Since then he has modeled the proven definition of an entrepreneur: “Someone who will work 24 hours a day for themselves to avoid working one hour a day for someone else.”

Chris’s first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, “The $100 Startup,” was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, selling more than 300,000 copies worldwide. His latest book, “Born For This” will be released April 5, 2016. This book is the culmination of years of research on people who’ve found or created their “dream job.” From the outside, it looks like these people have been lucky. But in reality, they’ve followed a process of trial-and-error to get exactly what they want.

Every summer in Portland, Oregon, Chris hosts the World Domination Summit, a gathering of creative, remarkable people with thousands in attendance. Chris is also the founder of Pioneer Nation, Unconventional Guides, the Travel Hacking Cartel, and numerous other projects.

Episode 111: Chris Guillebeau – How To Create Your Dream Job

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Never Give Up? That’s Terrible Advice.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Curiosity and persistence leads to sustained excellence
• Why some of the greatest achievers in the world have given up at times
• Why we should all think like a janitor
• Fulfillment = Success
• How to build a tribe through creating interesting content
• The art of non-conformity
• Build a business on vision and relationships… Not on tactics
• Receiving life coaching from Jay-Z
• You Inc. – Build a small empire
• Why a side hustle is something that everyone should have
• How to be a DIY Rock Star
• Why you shouldn’t think like a CEO
• Being a learning leader means you are actively engaged in learning – positioning yourself as a learner

“Think Like A Janitor… He Knows Everybody”

Continue Learning:

• See why over 140,000 people follow Chris on Twitter: @chrisguillebeau
• Read: Born For This
• Read: The $100 Startup
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Chris Guillebeau on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From ChrisGuillebeau.com

During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Since then he has modeled the proven definition of an entrepreneur: “Someone who will work 24 hours a day for themselves to avoid working one hour a day for someone else.”

Chris’s first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, The $100 Startup, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, selling more than 300,000 copies worldwide. His latest book, The Happiness of Pursuit, was published in September 2014 and was also a New York Times bestseller.

Every summer in Portland, Oregon, Chris hosts the World Domination Summit, a gathering of creative, remarkable people with thousands in attendance. Chris is also the founder of Pioneer Nation, Unconventional Guides, the Travel Hacking Cartel, and numerous other projects.

Episode 110: James Clear – How To Habits Using Warren Buffett’s 2 List Strategy

James Clear is a leader who has researched and learned how the best leaders in the world form fantastic habits. On this episode, I was inspired to hear how James has made it his life’s work to study leaders who have sustained excellence and then has shared what he’s found with the world. I particularly enjoyed the part of our conversation where we discussed the specific ways all of us can implement and form great habits in our lives.

James Clear studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns in his popular email newsletter.

James teaches others to: Use small habits to multiply your mental and physical performance by 10x. Beat procrastination and shave wasted hours off your workweek. Overcome their inner fears and actually follow through on what they set out to do.

Episode 110: James Clear – How To Build Habits Using Warren Buffett’s 2 List Strategy

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Stop Trying To Manage Time… Instead Manage Your Energy”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having an ability to focus and ruthlessly eliminate all unnecessary things leads to sustained excellence
• It’s an exercise in getting started… Find a way to get started
• The 2 minute rule – Initially start with the tasks that take only 2 minutes
• The science behind habit forming
• Habits take an average of 66 days to form
• The science of habit forming needs to be a small, but permanent lifestyle change
• The Compound Effect and getting 1% better everyday
• The Warren Buffett 2 list exercise
• The four burners theory – Family, Friends, Work, Healthy
• The aggregation of marginal gains
• Being a learning leader means reading and constantly striving to improve

“The Friction In Most Habits Is At The Beginning. You Must Get Started.”

Continue Learning:

• Go To: JamesClear.com
• See why over 75K people follow James on Twitter: @james_clear
• Read: Getting Things Done
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing James Clear on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From JamesClear.com

James Clear studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns in his popular email newsletter.

James teaches others to: Use small habits to multiply your mental and physical performance by 10x. Beat procrastination and shave wasted hours off your workweek. Overcome their inner fears and actually follow through on what they set out to do.

Episode 109 Natalie Sisson: A Clear Vision, Discipline, & Leveling Up Can Lead To The Life You Want

Natalie Sisson is an adventurous leader… I really appreciate the way she approaches her work. She is incredibly passionate about building amazing online businesses and that passion is evident in her voice! We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Natalie Sisson is the Suitcase Entrepreneur because, since leaving New Zealand in 2006, she’s travelled and explored the world (69 countries and counting), lived out of her suitcase and run an online business that allows her massive freedom while generating a multiple six-figure income in 2015 alone.

Natalie was destined to live out of a suitcase – both from a physical sense – she prefers to buy experiences over stuff, and she has a mental attitude of minimalism and a carefree attitude of no burdens.

Natalie is on a mission to help 1,000,000+ entrepreneurs create true freedom in life by 2020.

Episode 109 Natalie Sisson: A Clear Vision, Discipline, & Leveling Up Can Lead To The Life You Want

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“I’m on a mission to help 1,000,000 entrepreneurs create true freedom in life by 2020” – Natalie Sisson

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Having a clear vision, being disciplined, & surrounding yourself with others who “level you up” leads to sustained excellence
• You’ll learn the 4 things you need to be truly free
• How to create your own personal freedom plan
• Natalie defines the future of work
• Why air bnb is so great
• How traveling helps people become more aware
• The best places in the world to travel
• The power of Mastermind retreats and Natalie’s process for creating them
• Travel hacking ideas – how to do it without spending a lot of money
• People trust their leaders when the leaders trust them first
• Being a learning leader – Scaling and learning enough to teach others

“I’m a multi-faceted, multi-potentialite woman intent on changing my world and yours for the better” – Natalie Sisson

Continue Learning:

• Go To: SuitCaseEntrepreneur.com
• Follow David on Twitter: @suitcasepreneur
• Read: The Suitcase Entrepreneur
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Michelle Gielan on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From suitcaseentrepreneur.com

Natalie Sisson is the Suitcase Entrepreneur because, since leaving New Zealand in 2006, she’s travelled and explored the world (69 countries and counting), lived out of her suitcase and run an online business that allows her massive freedom while generating a multiple six-figure income in 2015 alone.

Natalie was destined to live out of a suitcase – both from a physical sense – she prefers to buy experiences over stuff, and she has a mental attitude of minimalism and a carefree attitude of no burdens.

Building a freedom-based life doesn’t always have to mean living constantly on the road though. It means grabbing the freedom to make choices that feed your soul.

Which is why in August 2015, she dropped everything she was doing in Portugal to go back home to Wellington, New Zealand to be with her family and her father who became ill.

She is incredibly thankful to have a freedom based business that allowed her to do that and spend quality time, especially with her father, before he passed away on December 1st.

Had she still been in a corporate job, she may not have had the leave or the money to be able to do this at all, and that’s when it really hit her how important it was to build a business or career that supports your ideal lifestyle, and why EVERYONE deserves the right to freedom.

Natalie is on a mission to help 1,000,000+ entrepreneurs create true freedom in life by 2020.

Episode 108: Steven Kotler – Your Flow State: What Is It? How To Get There…

Steven Kotler is a remarkable leader… I really appreciate that he’s actively seeking out opportunities to get to his “flow” state. Your flow state is your optimal level of consciousness. On this episode, I learned a great deal about being in flow and finding ways to get there more often. We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and the cofounder/director of research for the Flow Genome Project. He is one of the world’s leading experts on ultimate human performance.

His latest work, Bold was called a “visionary roadmap for change,” by President Bill Clinton and spent many weeks atop both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

His previous book, The Rise of Superman, was one of the most talked about books in 2013 and the first book in history to land on national bestseller lists in the sports, science, and business categories simultaneously. In it, Steven decodes the science of flow, an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.

Episode 108: Steven Kotler – Your Flow State: What Is It? How To Get There…

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Flow Is The Optimal State Of Consciousness”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Creating a life that maximizes time in “flow” leads to sustained excellence
• Attacking life with a level of commitment… Day by Day
• Waking up at 3:30 AM to write
• The power and importance of momentum
• Flow requires a massive amount of focus – Deep Work
• Tim Ferriss’s 4 hour time blocks
• Why Montessori schools are great – Focused on self-directed learning
• What is the Flow Genome Project?
• Be known for doing something that is uniquely you
• Why action sport athletes are great people to hire
• Learning Leader – Have a sense of humor… Life is hard for everybody
• The speech process – Preparation and delivering
• Playing quarterback and how it compares to other parts of life

“Ideas Don’t Matter… I Care About Execution”

Continue Learning:

• Go To: StevenKotler.com
• Follow David on Twitter: @steven_kotler
• Read: BOLD: How To Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact The World
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Steven Kotler on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From StevenKotler.com

Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and the cofounder/director of research for the Flow Genome Project. He is one of the world’s leading experts on ultimate human performance.

His latest work, Bold was called a “visionary roadmap for change,” by president Bill Clinton and spent many weeks atop both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

His previous book, The Rise of Superman, was one of the most talked about books in 2013 and the first book in history to land on national bestseller lists in the sports, science, and business categories simultaneously. In it, Steven decodes the science of flow, an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.

Just as Rise explores the upper limits of individual possibility, his book, Abundance, explores the upper limits of societal possibility, breaking down four emerging forces that give humanity the potential to significantly raise global standards of living over the next 20 to 30 years. Abundance spent 10 weeks atop the New York Times bestseller list and appeared on four prestigious “Best Book of the Year” lists. A Small, Furry Prayer—Steven’s book about the relationship between humans and animals—was a national bestseller and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; West of Jesus, which examines the neurobiology of spiritual experience, was a Pen/West finalist; and his bestselling novel, The Angle Quickest For Flight, won the William L. Crawford IAFA Fantasy Award.

His writings have been translated into over 40 languages and appeared in over 80 publications, including The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Forbes, Wired and TIME. He also writes “Far Frontiers,” a blog about science and culture for Forbes.com, appears frequently on television and radio, and lectures widely on technological, scientific and cultural issues, both to corporate and education institutions.