Fry Your Chickens!

In this episode, I sit down with my college roommate and longtime friend Brad Perkins , now Managing Partner at Perkins Equity Management, to talk about the twists, turns, and lessons from a life spent leading massive software teams… and why he walked away from corporate life to build something on his own terms. We cover a lot of ground — and yes, plenty of laughs: Why contractors and software dev...

This is one of the most important episodes I've done in the podcast. Bryce Austin is a cybersecurity expert. He fights the bad guys. And he can help you fight them too. More importantly he can help you avoid ever having to fight them in the first place. If you have the same password on multiple accounts, this one is for you. If you have an IOT water softener, it's for you. If you want to h...

What can a former hostage negotiator teach us about leadership, stress, and communication? A lot — especially when the stakes are life and death. In this episode, Phil Barth talks with Jeff Owens, CSP , about how lessons learned in life-and-death negotiations now help organizations build trust, stay calm, and transform under pressure. Jeff shares stories from the field, his journey from police wor...

Fabrício Laguna — The Brazilian BA — joins the show for a wildly entertaining and insightful conversation that has everything: a genius dog, a terrifying mobster encounter, and a masterclass on how to market a book without losing your sanity. We dig into how Fabricio became one of the world’s most recognizable voices in Business Analysis, his philosophy on teaching complex ideas simply (with stori...

What do Bill Nye the Science Guy , Johnny Depp, and 29 Emmy Awards have in common? They’re all part of the incredible career of Bill Stainton — Hall of Fame speaker, innovation expert, and author of Innovation Unleashed . In this Fry Your Chickens episode, Bill and I dive into: 💡 How a sketch on a Seattle comedy show helped launch Bill Nye the Science Guy (with an unplanned assist from Johnny Dep...

What happens when a guy who’s shared the stage with Robin Williams, Jay Leno, and Dana Carvey brings his “Leadership Through Laughter” philosophy to Fry Your Chickens ? You get 45 minutes of charisma, comedy, and quotable wisdom. Ray Engan joins Phil to talk about: The missing piece in most sales conversations (and why it’s not more data) Why people instinctively lean in to genuine connection How...

What’s it really like to write for the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber ? Or to coach Martha Stewart through jokes about him? In this episode, comedy writer and producer Chris McGuire takes us behind the curtain of some of the wildest, funniest, and most unpredictable moments in television. From the legendary Snoop and Martha Show to a day spent at Snoop’s compound (yes, there’s a story), Chr...

🎙️ Episode: Frying Chickens with Jeff Rogers – From Second City to Last Story Standing This week, Phil welcomes Jeff Rogers — actor, author, improviser, and creator of Jeff’s Homemade Game Show — for a high-energy conversation that zigzags from the comedy stage to the keynote stage. We dig into: How Jeff went from Second City performer to professional speaker. His 2024 NSA “Last Story Standing” ch...

Trent Leopold is a seasoned business analyst, project strategist, and cognitive science advocate with over 25 years of experience across public and private sectors. Based in Dallas, Texas, Trent is a long-term research participant with the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas, where his curiosity about strategic thinking and human cognition meets neuroscience in action. He regularly s...

What do you get when you cross a senior Intel engineer with a comedy stage? You get Dan Nainan—our guest this week on Fry Your Chickens . Dan shares the wild leap he made from tech to touring comic, and the surprising role Toastmasters played in the transition. We talk about what it takes to open for Russell Peters and Robert Schimmel, how Dan turned fear into laughter, and yes—there’s even a deto...

This is one of the most powerful and important conversations we’ve had on Fry Your Chickens . Dr. Samra Zafar shares her extraordinary journey—from escaping an abusive arranged marriage to becoming a bestselling author, human rights advocate, and future psychiatrist. We explore her first book, A Good Wife , and her newest release, Unconditional , diving deep into the process of unlearning inherite...

Ever wonder what it’s like to run Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? My guest this week, Rich Sirop, was Co-Executive Producer of the show — and my Associate Producer back when I sat in the hot seat. He’s also been at the helm of countless other TV projects. We talked about working with Regis and Meredith, shared behind-the-scenes memories, and had plenty of laughs. Rich also opened up about his curr...

In this laugh-filled episode, I sit down with Cincinnati legend Terry Aufermann to swap stories that span generations of Scouting adventures and beyond. We dig into Terry’s rich family history in Scouts, his surprising knack for triathlons, the unforgettable chaos of camp chair races, and of course… the invention of “Hungry Human Hippos.” It’s part comedy, part nostalgia, and all about the lessons...

What do fitness, relentless positivity, and dad jokes have in common? Joe Martin. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Joe — a coach who helps women over 40 get fit, inspires teens to reach their potential, and brings unstoppable energy to everyone he meets. We talk fitness, laughter, and why positivity might just be the ultimate workout. Get ready for some wisdom — and plenty of laughs. KEY...

What do Wordle streaks, Bruce Springsteen’s canceled concerts, David Cone’s perfect game, and the eternal debate of one horse-sized chicken vs. 100 chicken-sized horses have in common? Apparently…everything. In this laugh-packed episode of Fry Your Chickens , I sit down with Jennifer and Tom Bedell for a wild ride through Belgium beers, blizzards, broken bones, and brown-haired radio voices. Tom s...

What happens when a self-described introvert steps up, faces the fear, and starts building impact? In this episode of Fry Your Chickens , Phil Barth talks with longtime friend Michael J. Pope Jr. — Distinguished Toastmaster, Maxwell Leadership faculty member, and author of Doers Win the Day . They dive into the chickens Michael had to fry to get from terrified speaker… to trusted mentor for speake...

As a kid, Mike Davis vowed never to speak again after a humiliating moment in school. Today, he’s one of the most respected storytelling coaches around — and the voice behind Speaking CPR. In this episode, Mike joins Phil Barth to talk about the chickens he had to fry to get there: fear, shame, and the belief that his story didn’t matter. They dive into: His “ABS” storytelling method (And. But. So...

In the debut episode of Fry Your Chickens , Phil Barth sits down with Leslie Hughes — LinkedIn branding expert and founder of Punch Media — to talk about fear, uncertainty, and that moment when life throws you a health curveball. Leslie shares how she used ChatGPT as a tool for courage — helping her reframe anxiety, organize her thoughts, and silence the voice of imposter syndrome when it mattered...