Caller ID

What happens when the title gets bigger, the stakes get higher and more people begin judging you by the outcome? Michigan State head women’s basketball coach Robyn Fralick joins Davis Wells to talk about building a successful career without allowing the career to become your identity. Robyn shares the journey from Davidson to assistant coaching, a formative decade at Ashland University, rebuilding...

When Success Isn’t Enough: My Call with Jerry Cowley Jerry Cowley looked successful from the outside—moving up professionally, checking the boxes, and building a strong career. But as he shares in this conversation, outward success and inner fulfillment are not always the same thing. In this episode, Jerry and I talk about career pivots, identity, ego, family, entrepreneurship, teaching, retiremen...

In this episode, I talk through how AI can be an asset, not a liability, when it comes to career. I have a few practical suggestions as to how to incorporate it to help us eliminate some of the thorns in our way.  Can AI help us to flourish in some way? I talk about Nick Bostrom's pendulum swing from Armageddon to Utopia in his books SuperIntelligence and Deep Utopia .  Support the show Thank...

Success doesn't always mean moving on to the next big thing—sometimes success means staying. On this episode of Caller ID , Brandon Davis Wells is joined by Dusty Sloan, Director of Athletic Communications at Ashland University. Dusty reflects on his 30-year career in sports journalism, navigating the non-linear path from pro football writer to Domino's driver to AU leader, and how faith...

In this episode of Caller ID, B. Davis Wells talks with his friend and former bandmate Mike Parker about identity, calling, and the career shifts that followed a difficult season. Mike traces his path from studying business to nearly 20 years in youth and pastoral ministry, describing how being labeled “pastor” changed relationships and intensified imposter feelings. He shares how pressure to appe...

On Caller ID, Brandon Davis Wells talks with JD, a longtime NCAA staffer and former ESPN spotter, about identity beyond work and the behind-the-scenes roles that keep college sports running. JD explains his current job as assistant director of playing rules and officials for men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse, including work with rules committees, officials, and game-flow emphases like travelin...

Adam Amin, the Chicago Bulls’ TV voice and a versatile play-by-play broadcaster for Fox Sports, reflects on finding joy in broadcasting despite early family skepticism shaped by his Pakistani immigrant upbringing, including his mother telling relatives he was in medical school until his first national TV break at 24 changed their view. He recounts falling into the craft through encouragement from...

Caller ID Season 2 Kickoff: Golden Threads from Season 1 (Work, Worth, Purpose & Community) Host B.Davis Wells kicks off season two of Caller ID by reflecting on season one’s 25 calls with 21 guests from diverse backgrounds and noting that while their language and circumstances differed, consistent “golden threads” emerged about calling, identity, and meaning. Key takeaways include listening f...

Purpose Is Now: Mentorship, Faith, and Choosing What Matters This season 1 highlight episode reflects on responsibility, identity, and purpose through stories about career growth, faith, and relationships. The guests discuss what it means to carry yourself well as a leader, and the importance of paying it forward through mentoring, teaching, and giving back, including funding an endowed scholarshi...

Calling in Seasons: Miles Larson on Leadership, Identity, and Holy Discontent | Caller ID On Caller ID, host B. Davis Wells talks with Miles Larson, executive director of the Brethren Church, about calling as seasonal rather than permanent and how work matters without defining identity. Miles shares his curiosity-driven hobbies, early leadership lessons managing a catering hall at 14, and an unexp...

Sarah Johnson joins the Caller ID Podcast to talk about her path from healthcare marketing to Case Western Reserve and now Chief Communications Officer for the City of Cleveland under Mayor Justin Bibb, overseeing everything from media and social to internal messaging for 8,000 employees—plus crisis communications during incidents like shootings and a cyberattack. She shares why she initially resi...

In this episode of Caller ID, Brandon Davis Wells talks with Dr. Mohsine Bensaid—Ashland University assistant professor and TESOL program director—about identity beyond the usual “what do you do?” question. Bensaid shares how growing up in Morocco, dreaming of pro soccer, and discovering English through an influential teacher shaped his path into language, education, and intercultural exchange. He...

In part two of our 2-part call, Linda and I dive into all kinds of topics, including:why someone stays at a company like Southwest Airlines for a long time, mentorship, what growing up in a single parent household meant, mentorship, paying it forward, how to deal with imposter syndrome, women in leadership, Clifton Strengths, and what she looked for in candidates to work on her team.  Support the...

What does it take to go from an entry-level employee to the Chief Administration Officer of one of America's most beloved companies? In Part 1 of my conversation with Linda Rutherford, we explore Linda's remarkable career journey from the newspaper industry to the executive leadership team at Southwest Airlines. After losing her newspaper job when her employer closed, Linda found an oppo...

In part two of our call, Coach Ellenwood talks about his desire to keep learning and how he deal with getting a little bored.  He also leans into his calling as someone who isn't a hoops expert (although I'll tell you having spent countless days on the road with him and his staff, they're definitely expert level hoops tacticians).  How he deals with losing now vs when he was a young...

This week is part one of my call with Ashland University Head Men's Basketball Coach, John Ellenwood. Coaching basketball wasn't the original plan, but it's definitely turned into a calling. Turning down opportunities with the FBI and other major retailers are pieces of the first part of our conversation. John. talks about nearly being fired, and what it took for him to save his job...

This week, I catch up with a former boss, Cleveland Cavaliers television producer, Brent Valenti. Brent has produced live Cavalier basketball for the last fifteen years. I served on his home crew for years in the truck.  We talk leadership, how to make it in sports television, what to learn from failure, and how to keep a family together while you're spending time on the road.  Support the sh...

ESPN Director, Adam Bryant, joins me this week on the call, as we talk what it takes to work in sports broadcasting, being an African-American in the tv industry, and you'll hear my old nickname with the worldwide leader.  Adam has directed some of the biggest events in sports, from the NBA Playoffs to the WNBA Finals, bowl games, and all kinds of other events.  You can hear him talk about hi...

On part two of our fascinating call, Dr. Grady talks about how she went from grad school to getting a full-time professor role, the impact of AI on higher ed, her amazing work with corrections ed, and some great career wisdom.  You'll also hear about my ridiculous freshman comp story at Ohio University.  Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID . You can follow Caller ID wherever yo...

Dr. Maura Grady joins me this week as we talk about higher ed careers, but also more than that as usual. It's not just her career path to higher ed, but what she learned along the way about herself, how to not attach outcomes to identity, and what drove her to English. All of this and more in part one of a two week conversation with one of the best and smartest people you'll find anywher...

If you can’t be yourself in the interview… you don’t want the job. This episode is a real conversation about authenticity, career alignment, and why so many people feel stuck in work that doesn’t fit. We get into:  Red flags in interviews (on both sides)   Why people change jobs more than ever   The danger of tying identity to your title   How to actually find meaningful work  No fluff. Just hones...

Every once in a while you meet someone who reminds you that the most meaningful work does not come with a flashy title. It comes through presence, curiosity, and the ability to truly listen. Matt Trukovich is a barber, but what happens in his chair goes far beyond a haircut. From factory floors to cleaning bathrooms to running an MMA promotion, his journey is built on saying yes to opportunities o...

Ashley Davis joins the Caller ID Podcast to share her journey from intern to full-time HR Generalist at School Specialty—and what the transition from college to the professional world actually feels like. In this conversation, Ashley reflects on how her internship at the Career Center for Life Calling at Ashland University helped shape her direction, the moment she realized HR—and especially recru...

In Part 2 of this conversation, B.Davis and Dr. Jason Barnhart turn to the topic of friendship and the challenge of being truly known. Drawing from Jason’s upcoming book, they explore why meaningful friendships can feel so difficult, especially for men, and how our tendency to fix rather than listen gets in the way of real connection. Jason shares personal stories about vulnerability, emotional gr...

In this episode, B. Davis sits down with Dr. Jason Barnhart, Professor of Theology at Ashland Theological Seminary, to explore how our sense of calling is shaped over time. Jason shares his journey from youth ministry to the classroom and reflects on how theology, worldview, and life experience all play a role in forming identity. Together, they unpack what it really means to “listen to your life”...