Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens!

Send us Fan Mail What happens when competence becomes a commodity? Mark Schaefer has spent decades studying what makes businesses grow and people connect. He's written 12 bestselling books, teaches at Rutgers University, and advises companies like Pfizer, Cisco, and the U.S. Air Force. His latest book, Audacious, tackles how humans can stand out in a world increasingly shaped by AI. In this e...

Send us Fan Mail Most people negotiate with one billionaire in their lifetime. De Smith negotiated with 31 of them simultaneously. As CEO of the NFL Players Association for 15 years, the former homicide prosecutor didn't just survive what ESPN called "the toughest job in all of sports." He transformed it, creating over $150 billion in value for players while revolutionizing how we t...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a thriving corporate career collides with a mother's love? In this powerful episode of Awake In the Network , where destiny happens, we sit down with Sally Rucking—a woman who traded first-class airline travel for a front-row seat to changing lives. After 17 years soaring through the corporate skies with a major airline, Sally made a decision that would tran...

Send us Fan Mail Are You Truly Awake to the Connections Around You? Life is a game of connected outs on many levels. Sometimes those connections lead to career opportunities and business success. Other times? They lead to mysteries that defy explanation. Join hosts Billy Dexter and Melissa G. Wilson , along with producer John St. Augustine , for an extraordinary episode that bridges the corporate...

Send us Fan Mail The 11-Year-Old CEO Who Rewrote the Rules of Innovation Picture this: An 11-year-old walks into Great Western Savings with his father, opens a business account, and launches "Effortless Programming," teaching BASIC programming to neighborhood kids from his living room. That boy was Joseph Bradley. Today, he's the CEO leading a $500 billion initiative to build the wo...

Send us Fan Mail When a Stranger Flies 4,000 Miles Just to Give You Back Your Past The Extraordinary Baseball Story That Reveals the Hidden Power of Trust Picture this: A man in England finds a 1970s Chicago White Sox jacket on eBay. Through careful detective work, he realizes it belonged to former player Eric Soderholm. But here's where the story gets remarkable—instead of trying to profit f...

Send us Fan Mail From "Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens" - Part 2: The Deep Psychology of Human Connection Beyond the Basics: Why Master Networkers Are Artists, Not Algorithms While Part 1 explored the fundamental human elements AI cannot replicate, Part 2 reveals the sophisticated psychological and emotional intelligence that separates networking novices from networking maste...

Send us Fan Mail From "Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens" - A Masterclass in Human-Centered Connection The Heart-Centered Advantage: What AI Will Never Understand In a world increasingly dominated by digital connections and automated outreach, the most successful networkers understand a fundamental truth: authentic relationships are built on deeply human elements that no algori...

Send us Fan Mail The Art of Connection: Key Insights from Melissa G. Wilson, along with Podcast Producer and Regular Co-Host of Awake in the Network, go "Book Riffing."    In a dynamic episode of "Awake in the Network," Melissa G. Wilson and radio veteran and podcast producer, John St. Augustine, engaged in what Melissa calls "book riffing:" the practice of bringing w...

Send us Fan Mail Picture this: You're 19, your girlfriend just transferred to Colorado, your parents just moved to a new town, and you're completely lost. Then your dad bumps into an old college buddy at a Chicago bar, and suddenly you're living in a basement on Dearborn Street, serving drinks to a crowd that's about to teach you everything college never could. That's exac...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Nichole Barnes-Marshall: The Leader Who Turned Networking Into an Art Form What happens when a political science major becomes one of America's most respected DEI executives? You get a masterclass in authentic relationship building that spans 30 years, 20,000+ vinyl records, and countless lives transformed. This Episode Will Change How You Think About: 🌟 Building Networ...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you discover possibilities you never knew existed? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Anita Brick, who shares her remarkable journey of awakening to potential that emerged from an unexpected and unwanted setback. To create value, she transformed the pain into a better life. Her story isn't just inspiring—it's a roadmap for you to step into the p...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you combine "The Voice of America," Chicago's networking maven, and a master storyteller? Pure magic. Welcome to "Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens," through honest conversations, genuine laughter, and the kind of authentic connections that change lives. Meet Your Hosts Who Don't Take Themselves Too Seriously Billy Dexter –...

Send us Fan Mail "Negotiation is our lifestyle. Every communication, every conversation, every dialogue that we have can be viewed as a negotiation." – Adam Dolejš Are you someone who thinks negotiation is just for boardrooms and car dealerships? Think again! In this enlightening episode of "Awake in the Network," hosts Billy Dexter and Melissa G. Wilson welcome negotiation exp...

Send us Fan Mail "You are who Google says you are." - Anouk Pappers In a world where first impressions increasingly happen online, understanding how to craft your personal brand has never been more crucial. On this episode of the "Awake in the Network" podcast, we welcome brand anthropologist and online presence architect Anouk Pappers, who shared her fascinating journey and po...

Send us Fan Mail From the projects of Cabrini Green to becoming the first Black woman to lead the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Kim Foxx's extraordinary journey is a masterclass in resilience, purpose, and authenticity. JOIN HOSTS BILLY DEXTER AND MELISSA G. WILSON AS THEY EXPLORE: How growing up in Chicago's Cabrini Green shaped Kim's identity and fueled her dete...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we interview Michelle Rathman. Michelle founded Impact! Communications, Inc., in 1989. For over 30 years, Impact! has provided a broad range of strategic advisory, decision support, communications, and creative solutions to healthcare organizations, including urban and rural hospitals, health clinics, and community health centers.  Michelle and her team bring experience...

Send us Fan Mail Steve P. Reese is a trailblazer on a mission to transform how we approach health and success—one night’s sleep at a time. With nearly three decades in sports technology, personal battles with sleep challenges, experiencing domestic violence as a child, and groundbreaking work with the Phoenix Suns, Steve brings a unique blend of humor, data, and heartfelt storytelling to the table...

Send us Fan Mail In this enlightening episode of "Awake in the Network," hosts Billy Dexter and Melissa G. Wilson sit down with healthcare innovator and author Robert Slayton to explore the intersection of healthcare reform and human wellness. From his early days in rural Ohio, learning the value of community to becoming a leading voice in healthcare supply chain management, Slayton shar...

Send us Fan Mail Cheryl Stokes Cheryl is the CEO of CNEXT, a leadership development and executive networking company that helps connect, develop and advance high-impact leaders. Before taking on her CEO role, Cheryl was a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles, consulting in the firm’s Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Culture Shaping practices. Before joining Heidrick &amp...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a transformative episode of the Awake in the Network Pod featuring Barb Burgess, founder of Corluma and former COO of the Wright Foundation. With over three decades of experience transforming organizations and leaders, Barb shares her unique perspective on leadership that turns traditional performance-based approaches on their head. "Leadership is like being an ar...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an extraordinary end-of-year conversation that marks two remarkable years of "Awake in the Network" - where destiny truly happens. In this intimate episode, your hosts Billy Dexter and Melissa G Wilson welcome our behind-the-scenes genius, producer John St. Augustine (former Oprah Radio producer), into a candid conversation that began at Chicago's exclus...

Send us Fan Mail Want to get a lot of content in the shortest amount of time? Join John as he shares three of the best shows of 2024. Enjoy a hot cup of cider, coffee, or tea and cozy up on a couch while you will to those who are "Awake in the Network!"  Connect with Melissa @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagwilson/ Connect with Billy @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billydexter/ Co...

Send us Fan Mail James' professional journey began at age 20, when he took a cosmic leap, teaching British Literature at a private school in London. Homerically returning stateside, he decided he didn't want to grade papers, so he moved to LA and became a waiter instead. Back in his hometown of Chicago he applied for a gig at the Chicago Recording Company (having fudged just a bit on a r...

Send us Fan Mail  Bert Allen possesses  a valuable combination of Private Equity and public company executive experience. CEO’s and their leadership teams, across a broad range of industry sectors, value Bert as acoach and trusted confidante. Bert has a demonstrated passion for coaching clients to drive business results by maximizing individual performance and team effectiveness. In a forward-look...