Corporate Competitor Podcast

Ep. 44: Tulane football shaped this business icon. Steven went into business with his brothers, Paul and Scott, opening a restaurant and a couple of coffee houses. Under the banner Ballard Brands, the brothers went on to form a company that today owns, operates and manages more than 150 restaurants and food and beverage "concepts" in 28 states and 3 countries, including the acclaimed PJ's Coffee o...

Ep. 43: Learn what made PGA Champion Jack Nicklaus an off-course success in Best Seat in the House that I co-wrote with his son Jack "Jackie" Nicklaus II.  The book gives readers 18 valuable lessons that Nicklaus II learned from his father while caddying for him and those learned off the green. This interview with the first family of golf will delight golf fans of all ages, encourage fathers, and...

Ep. 42: Albany basketball alumnus shares how he is paying his coach's example forward in business through principles like: -Keeping things fun and upbeat at meetings. -Using goal-setting rather than quotas in professional development because "nobody sets a quota on the basketball court." -Practicing "self-care" by clearing out time for himself to just sit with pencil and paper and think so that he...

Ep. 41: Michigan Rowing shaped this business icon. The mental discipline that earned Kate a seat on the US Olympic Crew Team also earned her a seat at the C-suite table at Visa and Google. As Visa's Vice President of Global Sponsorship Marketing, she developed and led the relationships between Visa and 40+ partners including International Olympic Committee, FIFA, and the NFL. Today, as Google's He...

Ep. 40: Chapek traces his remarkable journey, from humble roots running cross country in America's industrial heartland to running one of the world's most iconic companies.  Listeners looking to sharpen their presentation and leadership skills will receive a mini-tutorial from the master himself as Bob shows how he has turned "overpreparation" into an art form, including his patented "pencils down...

Ep. 39: LSU basketball-shaped this founder and CEO. Walk-On's was named the "#1 Sports Bar in America." Then, New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees expressed an interest in the business and ultimately joined the Walk-On's team as a co-owner. Today, with more than 100 locations in the works across 15 states, Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux operates with a mission of delivering a memorable game day experi...

Ep. 38: Jeff Bell served in senior leadership roles at companies such as Ford, Chrysler, Microsoft, and NBC Universal before taking the reins as CEO of legal services provider LegalShield. In this episode, he offers an abundance of practical tips on vulnerability, dealing with pressure, and developing lifelong learning habits essential for leaders seeking to inspire their teams as well as progress...

Ep. 37: Florida State Football and Bobby Bowden shaped this leader. Two weeks after Warrick's 18th birthday, his mother, a Baton Rouge police officer, was killed in a robbery at a bank. He became the legal guardian of his five younger siblings, won the National Championship with Bobby Bowden at Florida State, and was drafted 12th overall to Tony Dungy's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In this episode, you w...

Ep. 36: As the CEO of Continental Airlines — a position he accepted when he was only 33 years old — Continental went from ranking last in all of US Airline's key customer service areas to 18th on Fortune's list of "Best Companies to Work For." He continued this trend as the CEO of Burger King, PwC Consulting, and Quiznos.  As a golfer and as a leader, Greg knows how important it is not to let one...

Ep. 35: Discover how to ensure that internal competition fuels your employees and does not destroy team chemistry. Kikkan was 16 years old in Anchorage, Alaska when she was told that no American woman had ever won an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing. It was that moment that she set her goal: Make history. She went on to compete in FIVE Olympics and in 2018 in the last race of her last games…...

Ep. 34: He is best known for popularizing the concept of knowing your WHY, which he described in his first TED Talk. That talk went on to become the second most watched TED Talk of all time! Years later, his interview on millennials in the workplace broke the internet with over 80 million views in its first week. This led to Simon being YouTube's fifth most searched term that year. In his newest b...

Ep. 33: Syracuse Basketball and Coach Jim Boeheim shaped Sean Kerins. Today as Arrow's CEO, he leads a team of 20,000 employees across more than 300 locations worldwide. He is committed to lifelong learning. "The further you go, the less you know," Sean explained, "The more willing you are to reach out and learn from others, the better off you will be."  In this episode, Sean explains how that cur...

Ep. 32: Missouri Western State Football shaped this business icon. Captain Keith Hoskins grew up with a dream to be a Blue Angel pilot— and that dream came true! His 27 years in the Navy included serving as Commanding Officer for Naval Air Station Pensacola, where he provided leadership oversight for more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. The lessons he learned on the football field are...

Ep. 31: Kyle was posted on a rooftop in Afghanistan when an enemy grenade landed between him and a fellow Marine. Without hesitation, Kyle jumped on the grenade, saving his best friend but sacrificing himself. After flatlining three times, undergoing 41 surgeries, and spending three years at Walter Reed Medical Center, Kyle ran the Marine Corps Marathon. He is the youngest living recipient of the...

Ep. 30: Ohio State Softball shaped this military leader. In the history of the United States Air Force, 225 people have achieved the rank of four-star general, only five of them women. Recently retired General Maryanne Miller may have the most fascinating story of them all.  Growing up in Hilliard, Ohio, Miller spent many nights as a young girl playing baseball in the backyard. "Every family has t...

Ep. 29: West Point athletics shaped this business icon. Retired Brigadier General, Bernard Banks, knew as a child that he wanted to go to West Point because of his desire to develop himself as a leader. He was so successful in that journey that years later, West Point asked him to chair their leadership department. He has led multiple military units ranging in size from 10 to 3,000 people. In the...

Ep. 28: Purdue basketball shaped this business icon. Beth oversaw public policy for EY's operations in 150 countries. She has been named eleven times to Forbes "World's Most Powerful Women" list and, in 2015, was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Recently retired, she now devotes herself to numerous boards, including The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the Inter...

Ep. 27: NASCAR Hall of Famer, Rick Hendrick, grew up on his family's farm and turned his passion for the automobile into several successful business ventures. This episode explores the ultimate formula for keeping your team revved up. Hendrick believes open, honest, and frequent communication is the make or break skill separating those who get to victory lane and those who don't. Visit Episode 27...

Ep. 26: Navy Football shaped this business icon. This week's episode features Dana Barnes, Senior Vice President of Palo Alto Networks, and a former member of the Naval Academy Football team. His past leadership experience includes Microsoft's Vice President of State and Local Government and leading operations for Microsoft's National Security Group. Visit Episode #26 of corporatecompetitorpodcast...

Ep. 25: Albion football-shaped this business icon. Scott Mordell is Young Professional Organization's longest-serving Chief Executive. YPO has 29,000 members in 142 countries committed to becoming better leaders and better people together. In this interview, you will learn how to "re-calibrate" your leadership and maintain curiosity. Visit Episode #25 of corporatecompetitorpodcast.com for a free g...

Ep. 24 In the spirit of year-end reflection, Don Yaeger uses the last episode of 2020 as a chance to invite podcast producer, Savannah Gallagher, on the show for a fun behind the scenes look recording Corporate Competitor Podcast. You will learn the "why" behind the podcast and get to laugh at the hilarious "off-mic" moments with the world's best business leaders. Visit corporatecompetitorpodcast....

Ep. 23: UCLA Basketball shaped this business icon. I had the unbelievable good fortune to have legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, as a mentor. One day, Coach Wooden said, "Don, I want to tell you the story of one of the greatest players to ever play for me… Swen Nater." In this episode, we will dive into his incredible story and learn a valuable lesson: We will never outperform our inne...

Ep. 22: Brown University Rugby shaped this business icon. Chief Executive's CEO of the Year, Brian Moynihan, leads a team of more than 200,000 employees. You will learn how his childhood shaped his competitive nature and how to find great mentors, even when you're at the top of your industry. Visit Episode #22 of corporatecompetitorpodcast.com for a free gift and today's show notes!

Ep. 21: Dartmouth tennis and squash shaped this business icon. Dawn Hudson is one of Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. She served as the Chief Marketing Officer for the NFL and the President and CEO of Pepsi North America, and today she speaks around the world about smart reinvention and growth. Learn how this incredible leader was shaped by playing tennis and squash at a male-dominate...

Ep. 20: University of Texas Arlington Basketball shaped this business icon Fred Perpall went to college at age 15 and rose to be CEO of The Beck Group— a prestigious construction and architecture group— at 37. He grew up in the Bahamas and turned down five track and field scholarships for one in basketball, and went on to play on the 1994 Bahamian National basketball team, and at the University of...