Lessons from Leaders with Brian Beckcom

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Adam Christing, a humorist, keynote speaker, and author, to talk about the power of laughter, connection, and storytelling. Adam has spent four decades performing more than 4,000 humor presentations for CEOs, Fortune 500 companies, major nonprofits, and high-stakes audiences around the world. He is a member of Hollywood's iconic Magic Castle, has wo...

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Rev. Hunt Priest, an Episcopal priest who openly shares how psilocybin (magic mushrooms) transformed his faith and ministry. Hunt took part in a groundbreaking Johns Hopkins/NYU study where clergy explored psychedelics, and the experience reshaped and reinvigorated his spiritual life. In our conversation, Hunt shares how partaking in the study expanded...

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Greg Vetter, a charismatic entrepreneur and storyteller best known for turning his mom's salad dressing into a $300 million brand - before losing it all. In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to build, and rebuild, a business from the ground up. Greg is a high-energy and insightful founder who co-created Tessemae's with his brothers, w...

I recently sat down with Pankaj Singh, a mindfulness and leadership expert. In this episode, we talk about how mindfulness can make you not just a better leader, but a better person. It was a pleasure chatting to Pankaj, a multi-faceted and dynamic individual known for redefining leadership through mindfulness practices. He has extensive experience in business as an engineer and notably steered Na...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Rob Roy, a Navy veteran, former member of SEAL Team Six, and the founder and CEO of Trident Coaching and Consulting. Rob brings decades of experience in elite military operations and leadership development, and his personal journey—from a difficult upbringing in Milwaukee to the pinnacle of America's special operations community—is nothing short of extr...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Cadigan, the HR leader who helped scale LinkedIn from 400 to 4,000 employees in just four years. Steve shares how his passion for team dynamics and workplace culture fueled this explosive growth and shaped LinkedIn's early success. We also discuss why prioritizing culture over salaries matters, the value of hiring for potential rather than...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Anders Indset, a Norwegian philosopher widely known as "The Business Philosopher." Recognized for his pioneering work at the intersection of philosophy, economics, and technology, Anders is also a renowned author whose books have appeared on international bestseller lists. His latest book, The Viking Code: The Art and Science of Norwegian Success , expl...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Bishoy Tadros. Born in Egypt, Bishoy's family moved to the United States when he was three years old after he received a cancer diagnosis. He underwent intermittent treatment for 10 years. On his 13th birthday, he had brain surgery for a blood clot and was later given a clear medical report. Despite his childhood battles with cancer, he was dete...

In this episode, Brian speaks with Robert Ingalls. Mr. Ingalls is a former practicing lawyer, professional speaker, and the founder of LawPods, a company specifically designed to help busy professionals start their own podcasts. In the episode, Brian and Robert talk about how to start your own podcast, the "why" of your podcast, how to come up with a good name for your podcast, the type of equipme...

This podcast episode holds an even deeper significance in light of Jim Goldsmith's passing. His wisdom and passion for his faith, family, and friends remain timeless, serving as a reminder of his enduring legacy. As we revisit this conversation, we celebrate and honor his remarkable life, ensuring that his spirit lives on through the stories and lessons he shared with us. Jim fought a brave battle...

In my latest podcast episode, I speak with Bobby Harrington, a United States Marine and former oil and gas executive. Our conversation covers everything on leadership. We exclusively speak about the most important part of being a leader.  Bobby Harrington also shares insights from his book, "Lead You," discussing how the leadership journey starts with yourself. We discuss how to develop confidence...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the founders of The Convincing Company, Chip Massey and Adele Gambardella. Our conversation covered everything from persuasive tactics anyone can implement to Adele's and Chip's start in public relations and hostage negotiation. While persuasion is something we all encounter in our daily lives, Chip shared insights he learned as an FBI Special Agent inv...

In this episode, Brian speaks with Jim Goldsmith. Jim has fought a brave battle with cancer over the past 5 years. Originally diagnosed with melanoma, Jim recently learned that the cancer has spread to his brain and spine. At the time of the podcast, Jim has been given less than 6 months to live. In the podcast, Brian and Jim discuss: The most meaningful experiences of Jim's life How the terminal...

Sophie Wade is an expert on the Future of Work. She holds degrees from Oxford and INSEAD, including an MBA, and is the author of "Empathy Works," a great book that discusses the importance of empathy in the workforce. In the podcast, Sophie and Brian talk about the future of work, how and why work has changed so dramatically, the most important skills for workplace leaders, why empathy in the work...

Piracy, Kidnapping, & The Most Famous Case of the Past 20 Years: A Discussion of the Captain Phillips Case I was recently a guest on the "Great Trials" podcast. Great Trials is a wonderful podcast hosted by Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey in which they discuss in details some of the most famous trials in the country. In this episode, we delve into the infamous  Captain Phillips case. When the U.S....

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tobias Jensen, an expert in blockchain, AI, and other emerging technologies, for an episode of my podcast, Lessons From Leaders. Our wide-ranging conversation explored the potential impacts, both positive and negative, of technologies like large language models and chatGPT.While AI promises to augment human capabilities and transform entire industries,...

In this episode, I join Travis Motl on his show, the Elbows Tight Podcast. This is a podcast that is dedicated to all things Jiu-Jitsu, with hopes of informing existing practitioners and inspiring new ones.  In this episode titled "From The Courtroom To The Jiu-Jitsu Mats", Travis and I discuss various topics that relate to jiu-jitsu including my preference for gi over no gi, the importance of ins...

Silence is one of the most powerful forces in the world. And yet, in a world that is constantly filled with noise and distractions, it's easy to overlook the importance of silence. My next guests are Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, the co-authors of a fantastic book called "Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise." In this episode, Justin, Leigh and I explore the many ways in which silence ca...

Caren Kenney is the CEO and Founder of Evolve Leadership. Caren coaches and consults with C-suite executives, high level athletes, military officers, and other leaders. Before Evolve, Caren was part of the leadership team at Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, where she built and launched several health and wellness initiatives.  Caren focuses on holistic leadership, meaning she focuses...

Next to my father and my high school basketball coach, Ben Glass has had as much influence as a mentor as any person in my life.  When I had just started my law firm, I found Ben. Ben had run a successful law firm for many years and was starting a coaching and mentoring business to teach other lawyers how to run a successful business. Ben also gave me "permission" to live life on my own terms, as...

Gerald has been a professional musician for almost 50 years. Gerald's musical talents have focused on jazz music in particular. Gerald is also the CEO of Principles of Execution, a Certified Minority Business Enterprise, and author of Workplace Jazz: How to Improvise.  In the podcast, Gerald and I talk about how to manage chaos, how his jazz experience informs his advice to entrepreneurs and busin...

Gary Bengier is the former Chief Financial Officer of Ebay. Gary was the CFO during the first two rounds of Ebay's public offering. He holds an MBA from Harvard and a philosophy degree from San Francisco State. Gary is the author of multiple books, including Unfettered Journey, a futuristic look at what humanity will look like in 140 years.  In the podcast, Gary and I talk about bioengineering, CR...

In this episode, Brian talks to David Lawrence. David is the author of "Are We Biochemical Robots?", a deep dive on the question of Free Will.  The question of free will has puzzled philosophers, theologians, and scientist for all of recorded human history. Today, there are a number of prominent thinkers, including the philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris, who believe that Free Will is an ill...

Mark Carpenter is a master storyteller. He teaches executives, professionals, marketers, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders how to identify stories in their life and then craft those stories to entertain, persuade, and present to people. In the podcast, Mark and I talk about -Why storytelling is the most effective method of communicating ideas -How to identify awesome stories in your own life -How...

Lori Saitz is the CEO of  Zen Rabbit , an award-winning writer, speaker, and broadcaster, and a nationally recognized expert in using gratitude and meditation to manifest goals faster. She's now on a mission to guide Gen-Xers to a place of unprecedented passion, clarity, peace, and to rediscover their purpose so they can get back to a place of liking themselves and their lives again In the episode...