Leadmore Podcast

Since 2013, Tim Schut has picked a single word to serve as his annual theme. Last December, he chose the word courage. That was before he learned that Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech, a rare neurodegenerative syndrome, would rob him of his superpower: speech. While the odds are one in a million, he hopes to find and support others with the frequently misdiagnosed condition. In this special e...

Hardship is a powerful teacher. It can shape the way we think, the way we lead and change the trajectory of our lives—for the better. That’s what we learn from Billie and Kelsea Sutton’s remarkable story of love, adversity, and leadership. While the pair grew up in Burke, SD, their relationship began across state lines in 2007. Only weeks into their budding romance, Billie experienced a life-alter...

If you follow host John T. Meyer on Twitter, then you’ve noticed his dive into the world of Web3. But do you know what the terms mean or how to get started? Whether you’re crypto curious or ambivalent about the future of blockchain, John believes all leaders should learn what the emerging space holds for them and how it will impact transactions in the future. In episode 70, Pinata founder Kyle Tut...

Senator John Thune didn’t grow up with political aspirations, but a chance encounter opened that door over 46 years ago and ignited a storied career in public service. The Senate Minority Whip is now serving his third term in the U.S. Senate, and he’s bringing a rare collection of leadership lessons to share with Leadmore listeners. Ready to unpack them? In this thoughtful conversation with host J...

Chief Culture Officer: The title sounds like a job exclusive to Silicon Valley startups, but it also belongs to Rana DeBoer, the first person to fill the role at the City of Sioux Falls. And while she credits former Leadmore guest, Mayor Paul TenHaken, for conceiving the new role, neither government nor culture work is new to her. In episode 68, Rana joins host John T. Meyer to discuss the origin...

When Adam Nathan founded Almanac, he was building tools for a remote workforce of the future. Due to the pandemic, that future came much faster than he anticipated. As a leader in the asynchronous work movement, Adam joins host John T. Meyer to discuss the terms and tactics you need to know to lead an asynchronous work culture. Tune in to learn the benefits of asynchronous work, the difference bet...

What do leaders do when life gets heavy? While the pandemic has taught us how quickly life can change, it’s also shown us how mindset impacts our daily lives and the lives of others. In this framework episode, host John T. Meyer sits down to help us reframe our mindset. If you’re in need of a powerful reset, tune in to start the shift. Be Where Your Feet Are (4:09)You Can Only Control What You Can...

Using your voice is a prerequisite for leaders, but recognizing when other voices need to be heard is also essential for good leadership. That’s the work of Libby Skarin’s career at the American Civil Liberties Union. As the Campaigns Director of the ACLU of ND/SD/WY, Libby brings this and other key insights from her field to this episode. Tune in as she and host John T. Meyer discuss power dynami...

In the last episode, host John T. Meyer share his framework for setting and making big goals as he prepared to make his: climb the equivalent of Mount Everest in 36 hours. 29,029 feet and 13 summits later, John shares three takeaways from the experience. Reframe Your Limits (1:34)Plug into the Power of Community (3:41)Be Where Your Feet Are (6:39)-----Follow John T. MeyerFollow Leadmore on Instagr...

It’s days before his 36th birthday and host John T. Meyer is preparing to hike 29,029 feet, the equivalent height of Mount Everest. How did he decide to take on 13 summits over 36 hours, and how do other leaders define and climb their own Everest? In this framework episode, John shares a four-step process for accomplishing big goals and issues a challenge to Leadmore listeners to find and climb th...

Transition is fresh on Eric McDonald’s mind. After leading the successful startup DocuTap (now Experity) through acquisition, Eric recently left the company he founded 20 years prior. What came after would allow him to fully explore the options ahead of him. In Episode 62, Eric joins host John T. Meyer to discuss the period of transition, the criteria for finding success twice, and how Eric decide...

If you want to grow your organization, you must grow your people. As a leader, the best way to help your people grow is through high-quality, productive, 1-on-1 meetings—not only having 1-on-1s, but doing them well. In this Frameworks episode, host John T. Meyer shares his model for effective 1-on-1 meetings, The Four Cs of a Great 1-on-1. Dig into this episode to start having better meetings that...

Amy Moore and Leadmore host John T. Meyer started Lemonly nearly 10 years ago to the day. Today, it’s home to the world’s best infographics, leads the region with company culture, and was recently acquired by Click Rain. In episode 60, Amy and John openly discuss how they created an industry-leading design company, their dynamic as co-founders, and how Amy felt about the acquisition. The earliest...

Words are powerful. Whether you use many or few, words have impact, and leaders need to master how and when to use them. Tucker Bryant is a master of words. A marketing manager at Google by day and a poet by night, Tucker believes that poetry is the best way to connect to your emotions and describe the world around you. Tucker is embarking on his own journey to help leaders and organizations use p...

Rahele Megosha is going places. At 17 years old, she just became the national champion in the Poetry Out Loud competition. Next month, she’ll move to New York—a city she’s never been to—to attend Columbia University and study biochemistry. Rahele is also the youngest guest we’ve ever had on the Leadmore Podcast. In this episode, she talks with host John T. Meyer about her victory at the national P...

“What are you going to do next?” We all face this question at every milestone in life, forcing us to think about what we want to do next, how we’ll do it, and why. For host John T. Meyer, it’s the most frequently asked question following the recent acquisition of his company, Lemonly. The answer? He doesn’t know, but he’s figuring it out—and he’ll spend the next six months documenting the process...

Do you see opportunities for leverage in your life? Eric Jorgenson does, and he’s teaching leaders how levers can decrease input and increase output. As the author of The Navalmanack, an Amazon #1 Best Seller, Eric’s ideas about leverage have also spawned a course and community. In episode 56, Eric joins host John T. Meyer to discuss the origin of his new book, the profound power of leverage, and...

Bill Anderson has a fascinating mind and a career marked by his time as a CIA analyst, a university professor, and an entrepreneur. Today, he’s the Chief Customer Experience Officer at First National Bank, a 136-year-old organization. In episode 55, Bill joins host John T. Meyer to discuss how curiosity has shaped his leadership journey, the tools he picked up along the way, and how entrepreneurs...

While the pandemic crippled many businesses in the event industry, The Event Company bucked the trend and doubled its business last year. In episode 54, founder and CEO Addie Graham-Kramer tells us how. Listen in as host John T. Meyer and Addie take us behind the scenes to discuss how her company started, her insight into the future of events, and our burgeoning need for gathering. From criminal j...

Jim Hagen has worked with four governors to attract visitors to South Dakota, where one out of every 11 people work in the tourism industry. As the state’s Secretary of Travel and Tourism, Jim also lead a global media and marketing team through the pandemic. In episode 53, host John T. Meyer and Jim discuss the work of travel and tourism departments, how the South Dakota department navigated uncer...

The ideas behind the Leadmore Podcast took form over a year ago. As the pandemic enveloped the world, leaders, as we knew them, went missing in action while others rose to the occasion. Host John T. Meyer knew it was time to give today’s leaders a platform to encourage the leaders of tomorrow, but could he do it for an entire year? In the final episode of Season 1, John discusses the goal and core...

When BuzzFeed recognized rising inequality in the wake of the pandemic, the news publisher formed a desk dedicated to the phenomenon, and senior reporter Venessa Wong reframed a decade of experience in business writing to cover its cause and the communities impacted by it. In episode 51, Venessa and host John T. Meyer unpack the growing wealth gap, where her stories start, and her experience in co...

Throughout his 20 years in community building, Joe Bartmann learned he had a knack for following legendary leaders. He also recently learned that he’d lived his entire life with autism. In episode 50, Joe and host John T. Meyer discuss Joe’s leadership journey, how he embraces the gap between legendary leaders, and what he’s doing to help others understand autism. Joe’s first community (02:55)Wadi...

Listening leads the storytelling process for Jackie Hendry, host of SDPB’s news program South Dakota Focus. It’s also her superpower. In episode 49, Jackie joins John T. Meyer to discuss what it was like to cover healthcare during the pandemic, the art of storytelling with audio, and what she has learned from interviewing leaders throughout her time at SDPB. You wanted to be a journalist when? (04...

Rob Walling sees himself as a maker and serial entrepreneur. These days he leads with three things: Startups for the Rest of Us, a podcast about bootstrapping SaaS companies, MicroConf, the oldest and largest community for bootstrapped SaaS founders, and TinySeed, the first accelerator designed for bootstrappers. In this episode host John T. Meyer and Rob unpack his life’s mission of supporting a...