Chief Eternal Optimist

In this episode, Kevin speaks with Alyssa Vescio, an executive leader at Whole Foods, about her career journey, leadership philosophy, and the importance of food traditions and family connections. They discuss the influence of Alyssa's upbringing in Minnesota, her experiences in the retail industry, and the significance of team culture in creating a successful work environment. Alyssa shares h...

Dr. Stacy Sims, a world-renowned physiologist, endurance athlete, and advocate for empowering women through science-based fitness drops one incredible insight and strategy after another. Together, we unpack groundbreaking ideas that challenge traditional approaches to health, fitness, and nutrition. Dr. Sims shares her compelling philosophy: women are not small men, and their fitness and nutrition...

If you thought that inspiration and motivation coming from a manufacturer isn't possible, thank again. This episode will change all of your paradigms. Anthony Flynn, founder and CEO of YouBar, a manufacturing company known for its innovative approach to protein bars, it so much more than you think. This conversation explores the inspiration behind YouBar, the company's unique culture influenced by...

Madeline Haydon, founder of Nutpods, shares her journey from a pregnant woman seeking better coffee creamer options to creating a category and surging CPG successful plant-based brand. We dig into Zoom etiquette, personal endurance sports experiences, the challenges of product development, and the growing movement towards clean ingredients in the food industry. Madeline shares insights on entrepre...

Melanie Strong, Founding Partner at Next Ventures, is a phenom in the boardroom and in athleticism. This episode is full of hot takes as we explore firsthand a deeply personal and thought-provoking journey of resilience, authenticity, and leadership. Mel opens up about how flunking out of college shaped her path, why talking about failure is essential, and how her sister's disabilities profoundly...

Cody Royle, a three-time author and renowned “Coach of the Coaches”, brings his unique insights into what it truly means to lead, focusing on the power of teams and the resilience it takes to be at the top. We dive into the challenges head coaches (and all of us) face in maintaining confidence and grit under pressure, and we explore how our human ability to connect socially—something that sets us...

Kevin sits down in an engaging conversation with holistic health and detox coach, Meghan Swidler, about her journey from venture capital to health coaching. They discuss the importance of detoxification, the misconceptions surrounding it, and the role of supplements in health. Meghan shares her personal transformation and the impact of nature on her journey, as well as the challenges of navigating...

In this episode, Kevin sits down with the passionate and purpose driven leader, Wiley Robinson, CEO and founder of Rumpl, an outdoor brand known for its innovative blankets. They discuss the origins of Rumpl, the journey of building a hybrid team, and the importance of sustainability in product development. Wiley shares personal insights about his background in mountain biking and architecture, th...

"The quality of the response is going to be depending on the quality of the question." Kevin sat down with Adriana Peon, CEO of Decathlon Americas and they unpacked her background, experiences, and leadership philosophy. They discuss topics such as personal growth, mental models, situational leadership, representation in leadership, and the power of sports and nature. Adriana shares her passion fo...

Anthony Vennere, co-founder of Fit Insider, shares his career journey and the lessons he learned along the way. He emphasizes the importance of consistency in fitness and the need to approach health and wellness with simplicity. Anthony also discusses his battle with cancer and the mental mindset needed to overcome challenging health prognoses. He highlights the mission of Fitt Insider as a B2B me...

In this episode, Kevin sits down with Erin Sprague, the CEO of Protect Our Winters (POW), an outdoor movement for climate impact. They discuss the mission of POW, which is to advocate for policies that help solve the climate crisis through the influence of inspirational athletes and outdoor brands. Erin shares her background as a runner and her experience running marathons on each continent. Kevin...

Kevin sits down with Cameron Hughes, the man who transformed his love for sports into a thriving career as the ultimate stadium cheerleader. Discover how Cameron went from being a passionate spectator to an active participant, inspiring crowds and creating unforgettable experiences. What You'll Learn: - Career Insights: How to turn your passion into a career, with practical steps from Cameron&...

Our Chief Eternal Optimist, Kevin Rutherford, interviews Vince Poscente, an Olympic skier and professional speaker. Vince's experiences with the Olympics, and the importance of mindset and anchoring in achieving peak performance. Vince shares stories of cheating death during a parachute malfunction and the mental state of athletes during high-pressure moments. He emphasizes the role of physica...

Buckle up for this episode as you will get so many insights from an Alien, Gregg Bagni, straight from his hometown of gn-z11 galaxy. Gregg Bagni is a brand, marketing, product geek with a street PHD and deep knowledge around what he likes to call "enthusiast brands". He’s known for his orbital outside life & business perspectives. He hpv (humanoid powered vehicles) dreams about bikes...

In this insightful episode of the Chief Eternal Optimist podcast, we sit down with Dr. James Richardson, author of the acclaimed book "Ramping Your Brand." Dr. Richardson dives deep into the common pitfalls that leaders and businesses face when trying to scale their brands. He emphasizes the importance of mastering the fundamentals and shares his proven framework designed to help anyone...

Today we are sitting down with Arielle Knutson, the CEO for  Oiselle , a women's running apparel business that's bringing confidence, empowerment and community through the transformative power of sport. This interview is so powerful for me. Arielle's articulation of leadership, team culture, and the tools that positively impact them are absolutely timeless. This talk will help CEOs all...

Kevin sits down with Michael Rossi to dig into why team is mission critical for success and momentum in business, sports and life. Michael is the perfect person to listen and learn from as the President and Founder of Voce Leadership. He is an Executive Coach, Speaker, and Facilitator all with the domain expertise on Team Culture and Leadership. Michael currently is the Board Chair for the Terry F...

At  Nestlé Health Science , the mission is to empower healthier lives through nutrition. As the CEO of NHSc U.S., Abigail Buckwalter has the goal to bring this purpose to life and deliver innovative solutions that transform the lives of consumers and patients. Buckwalter has been with NHSc since its inception, and for more than a decade she is still fueled every day by the people, purpose, and pot...

Kevin sits down with Eric Ryan, a serial entrepreneur.  At one point the two of them were competitors leading the way to the creation of a booming natural cleaners category. Today, they are friends and dig into the 'what' and 'how' they both won their 'Superbowl'. More importantly, as Eric reveals, why stop when you have success when you love what you do.  Eric talk about h...

At Brooks they believe, "Running is more than just a hobby—it’s our passion. We eat, breathe and stretch for the run. And we find running brings us closer together as a group than any team-building exercise could. On the road of life, it’s always better to travel in packs." I know you will enjoy this episode with their CEO, Jim Weber. You can also check out Jim's book  here !

Finding racing shoes shouldn’t have been a struggle for Olympic champion Allyson Felix. She had already won 32 career medals and helped usher in game changing pay guarantees and pregnancy protections. But inequality knows no bounds, and she still saw disparities in a footwear industry that didn’t bother to consider bodies that weren’t male. So she teamed up with her brother, Wes, and together they...

Sean Riley flipping burgers and then in construction before he started his side hustle on the weekends that quickly grew into a $150M business. Dude Wipes are a  disposable wipe  product manufactured by Dude Products, a personal care brand based in  Chicago . In episode of the CEO podcast, Kevin and Sean talk about all aspects of being in the C-Suite, brand marketing, company culture and more!

Roy Notowitz knows a thing about culture and fit, he runs one of the  top recruiting companies  in the country. Listen to this episode as Roy and Kevin discuss how to find great people who will help you build your company into a force. About host Kevin Rutherford Kevin is a human-centric leader helping you to unlock your team’s full potential by creating a dynamic and engaging work environment. Jo...

Seth Goldman, the Founder and CEO of Just Ice Tea, and the mastermind behind the iconic Honest Tea brand (which he later sold to Coca-Cola) sits down and talk about business, culture, and even a quick chat on running 10 miles after eating 20 donuts.  Following the acquisition of Honest Tea, Coca-Cola chose to discontinue the brand, leaving a void in the market. Undeterred, Seth embarked on his sec...

In 1995,  Mike Fata  had no idea how to lose weight the healthy way. He fell for the low-fat fad diet as his go-to solution.  Then he set-off to get ‘healthy’ by cutting the fat and ramping up an exercise plan, but soon realized that he'd gone too far. He lost too much weight, felt lethargic all the time and was overall…still unhealthy. A lot of experimentation later,  Mike discovered that hem...