Deep Leadership

If you’re anything like me you love to see an elite performance. Whether it’s an Olympian like Michael Phelps or sports figures like Michael Jordan or Tom Brady, we’re fascinated at people who can perform at the highest level. There’s a common thread with these individuals – they all have an elite mindset. I’m joined today by Dr. Larry Widman. Larry is a High-Performance Psychiatrist AND an Elite...

Have you ever considered that military veterans might be the best people to start a business? First of all, they know how to build and lead a team. They are not afraid to get their hands dirty. And they can handle the “suck." Yes, starting and running a business is difficult but veterans have experience in doing hard things. My guest today is Dean Bundschu. Dean is the National Ecosystem Developme...

Today, my guest is Jeff Akin. Jeff is a former submariner who has more than 20 years of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. He’s also a motivational speaker, voice-over artist, and podcast host. In fact, I think Jeff has the most unique leadership podcasts on the planet (and maybe other planets as well). He is the host and creator of the Starfleet Leadership Academy podca...

Have you ever considered what it takes to be a leader in a business start-up? It’s not easy and it takes a special person and a special set of skills. My guest today has those skills. D'Shawn Russell gave up her career in education to manufacture candles. Yes, candles. She decided to give up a predictable job to do something she knew very little about. She entered into the crowded market of candle...

Imagine if you and your team were called upon to go to the front lines of a global pandemic. How would you lead your team and yourself in the face of so much risk and uncertainty? My guest today did that and he’s here to talk about it. Max Hourigan is a company commander in the Army National Guard. When he’s not in uniform he is the Director of Operations for a major transportation company in the...

Have you ever considered that some of the best leaders in history had vastly different personalities and leadership styles? Think of General George Patton and Gandhi for example. Both are considered highly influential leaders yet they were so different in their approach to leadership. Today I’m joined by Steven Mays. Steven is a former nuclear submarine officer who served on the USS Los Angeles. F...

If you love the sights, sounds, and smells of manufacturing like me, you are in for a treat. Today I’m joined by Mack Story. Mack served in the Marines and spent most of his career working and leading in manufacturing businesses. 12 years ago, he and his wife started a leadership development company called Top Story Leadership. Together, they have published 24 books on leadership development and p...

Today we’re going to talk about an often-ignored subject of leadership - mental health. My guest today is Evan Whitehead. Evan has spent most of his career in education as a teacher, a coach, and in a variety of educational leadership positions. He was a former Division 1 football player who has enjoyed a successful leadership career. But there was a problem. Evan was dying inside. Like many leade...

In this episode, we’re talking about success. My guest today is Fred Stuvek. Fred played quarterback for the Naval Academy, served as a Naval Officer,  Led global businesses including start-ups, and now he is an author. Fred is someone who has enjoyed tremendous success in his career in sports and in business. We’re discussing why so many people miss out on achieving their goals. Fred Stuvek Jr. o...

Today I’m joined by Matthew Confer.  Matthew is the head of Strategy & Business Development for Abilitie. Abilitie is a leadership development company that offers team-based leadership simulations. Matthew has observed hundreds of leaders making decisions in business simulations and he’s learned some very interesting things. In fact, he did a TED Talk last year discussing these findings which has...

Today I’m joined by Neal Woodson. Neal has more than 30 years of leadership experience across a wide range of environments, including restaurants, retail, education, and the event technology industry. He is the author of a new book called “The Uncomplicated Coach.” This is a leadership book written for busy managers and leaders of organizations who are frustrated with low employee engagement. Neal...

What would you do - as a leader - if you were traveling on business and found out there was a major explosion at your workplace and two employees were killed? This happened to my guest, Jason Wenschlag. As a high school principal, he had to deal with this unimaginable situation. As he watched his school burn on CNN, he had two thoughts: What do I need to do now? AND How are we going to move forwar...

Today I’m joined by Deb Fortin and John Vincent. Deb and John are the co-founders of Submarine Way – A corporate training and consulting company. They are also co-authors two leadership books - Diversity and Inclusion The Submarine Way and Up Periscope: Putting Traditional Leadership in The Crosshairs. Deb comes from 25 years of leadership in the corporate world and John comes from 20 years of US...

Today I’m joined by John O'Connor. John is a former US Army Officer and President of Career Pro Inc. For the past 30 years, he has been coaching executives and helping people in their career transitions. I met John when I was making a major career change many years ago and he helped me step up my game in terms of networking and personal branding. With the COVID pandemic having a deep impact on the...

Today I’m joined by George Milton. George is a highly decorated retired U.S. Army Colonel with more than 30 years of leadership experience. He is also the author of a new book called Failure Is Not The Problem. This book teaches people how they can reach their goals by turning their failures into strengths. If you’ve led people for any length of time, you have experienced some level of failure. Th...

Today I’m joined by Will Bachman. Will is an independent management consultant and the Co-Founder of Umbrex, an organization that connects top-tier independent management consultants around the world. He also hosts the successful podcast, Unleashed, where he focuses on helping people thrive as independent professionals. My favorite part of his background, however, is that Will was a Harvard-educat...

Today I’m joined by Ronald Donnell. Ron is currently in the Air Force officer where he has spent the past 17 years. 14 of those years, he was enlisted and 3 years ago he was promoted into the officer ranks. He is also a Ph. D. candidate working on a degree in Leadership. Like me, Ron has a fascination with the topic of leadership. Ron and I talk about his 3 C's of Servant Leadership. This is a vie...

Today I’m joined by Larry Williamson. Larry is the founder of Anchored Values Coaching and Consulting where he helps businesses, executives, and people find balance and improve relationships. He is also the author of “Successful Relationships: Sharing Simple Behaviors That Bring Results.” Larry understands the importance of relationships when it comes to leading people and he provides us with a un...

Today I’m joined by Ed Brzychcy. Ed is a US Army combat veteran and Founder of Blue Cord Management. Ed also hosts the Leadership Update Brief podcast of which I was a guest last year. He recently wrote two books, Daily Leadership Reflections: A Guided Journal for New Leaders and Daily Leadership Reflections: A Guided Journal for Experienced Leaders. We talked today about day-to-day leadership as...

Today I’m joined by Whitney Vosburgh. Whitney is the Co-Founder and CEO of Brand New Purpose, a company that helps leaders and organizations identify their “True North Strategy.” He’s also the co-author of the #1 Amazon Best Selling book, WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY where he helps readers find their true purpose in a world full of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In this episode, we...

Today I'm joined by fellow podcaster and coach, Jason Oates. Jason is the host of the popular Whistle and a Clipboard podcast where interviews successful sports coaches to learn their best practices. This was recorded as a joint podcast and was a lot of fun. If you’ve ever wondered what coaches and business leaders can learn from each other, this is your episode. Jason Oates can be found at: Whist...

Today I’m joined by Philip Freeman. Philip is the Founder and CEO of Murphy’s Naturals - a manufacturing company focused on making natural products for outdoor living. He is also a former US Navy Deep Sea Diving Officer. In this episode, we talk about the changes he made in his company to provide assistance during the COVID crisis. This is an important discussion about how to pivot your organizati...

Today I’m joined by Gretchen Smith. Gretchen is the founder of Code of Vets, a military veterans’ charity that is focused on helping veterans in need. She is a passionate leader who has rallied thousands of people around the country to help veterans in crisis. She is making a real difference in the lives of veterans. She is a living example of the John Maxwell quote. “A great leader's courage to f...

Today I’m joined by Jack Riggins. Jack is a retired Navy Seal Commander and Co-founder of Performance Mountain, an organization that helps people, teams, and companies develop an elite mindset and a winning culture. He’s also the Host of "The Darkside of Elite" Podcast which is one of my favorites. Jack knows what it means to lead in a crisis and with everything that is going on in the world today...

Today on the podcast, my guest is John Brubaker. John is a former college lacrosse coach who is now a leadership author, speaker, and executive coach. In this podcast, we talk about his award-winning leadership book called “Seeds of Success” and the impact that one leader can make in the world. This podcast is a reminder of how important leaders are in impacting the lives around us. John Brubaker'...