Teach, Coach, Mentor

Kendall Morris turned down Shark Tank, built a marketing company that landed Verizon as a client, then walked away from it all to teach kids the durable skills schools skip. On this episode of Teach Coach Mentor, Mike Wish sits down with the founder and CEO of Founders Mark to unpack how youth entrepreneurship builds leadership, grit, and problem-solving in ways a classroom never can. Key Takeaway...

Dr. Arielle Jordan brings a rare combination of credentials to this conversation: Army veteran, licensed trauma therapist, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur. She breaks down why telling veterans to seek help has not been enough, and what actually has to change for mental health support to land. Key takeaways: The PTSD Coach app (developed by the VA) works for anyone dealing with anxiety, anger, or...

What if doodling isn't distraction, it's the missing layer in modern learning? Devika Toprani, creator of the Somagraphic Learning Method, joins Teach Coach Mentor to make the case that drawing shapes before instruction begins is one of the most powerful tools educators and corporate trainers have for building real understanding in an AI-saturated world. Key Takeaways: Somagraphic Learning is a vi...

Surviving domestic abuse led Lindsay to therapy... and therapy led her straight to a calling. Lindsay, founder of the Balanced Bureau, breaks down why coaching and therapy aren't interchangeable, why "work-life balance" is the wrong goal entirely, and what it actually means to hear yourself clearly. Coaching vs. therapy isn't just semantics — knowing which one you need first can be the difference...

Summary In this conversation, Michael Wish interviews Frank Narducci, an award-winning physicist and professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, discussing his approach to teaching advanced physics to military officers. They explore the value of repetition and review in learning, the difference between memorization and true understanding, and why Frank reframes exams as a "Celebration of Knowledge...

Summary In this conversation, Michael Wish interviews John Bergmann, a pioneer of the flipped classroom model, discussing his extensive experience in education, the importance of social learning, and the challenges and benefits of modern teaching methods. They explore the role of AI in education, the significance of reading and writing, and the impact of engaging projects on student learning. John...

Shā Sparks has been podcasting since 2018 and coaching people through their hardest moments for even longer. What started as a cosmetology career turned into a decade of training others, which evolved into fearless living coaching and a podcast built around one question: what does investing in people mean to you? In this conversation, Shā and Mike dig into the real engine behind personal transform...

Why Dads Are Burning Out — And What to Do About It | Jon Cooke, Honest Man Project Jon Cooke built the Honest Man Project because 11 years ago he had nowhere to turn. Now he runs a free community helping professional dads navigate burnout, emotional isolation, and the pressure to perform at work and at home — without losing themselves in the process. Michael Wish and Jon go deep on why men don't t...

Episode 9: From the Corps to Coaching — Finding Purpose After the Uniform Guest: Brandon Smith — Former U.S. Marine, Entrepreneur, Coach Host: Mike Wish Runtime: ~29 minutes Episode Summary Brandon Smith spent six years as an enlisted Marine — motor transport operator with an artillery unit — before stepping into the civilian world and discovering that a 9-to-5 wasn't going to fill the void the Co...

Naval Academy grad. Marine. Top 1% Etsy store owner. Female Entrepreneur of the Year. Karla Murphy didn't come from a background that predicted any of it — and that's exactly the point. In this episode, Karla sits down with Mike to talk about what obsession actually looks like when it's not just a buzzword on a hoodie. She breaks down how she went from having zero expectation of college to buildin...

In this powerful episode of Teach, Coach, Mentor, host Michael Wish sits down with Scott Ferguson: Navy veteran, elite performance coach, and host of the Time to Shine Today podcast (approaching 500 episodes). What starts as a conversation about military background and life transitions becomes a masterclass on overcoming adversity, the power of curiosity, and why coaching isn't about telling peopl...

Martha went from studying Latin and Greek to teaching herself software development while raising four kids—no bootcamp, no degree, just free online resources and building in public. Now she and her husband work remotely, travel, and practice "unschooling" with their children. In Part 1 of this conversation, we dig into what unschooling actually looks like, why interest-based learning creates what...

In this inspiring episode of Teach, Coach, Mentor , host Michael Wish sits down with innovator, writer, and AI educator Mike Todasco , former Senior Director of Innovation at PayPal and current Visiting Fellow at the AI Center at San Diego State University. What begins as a conversation about creativity and artificial intelligence quickly evolves into a deeper dialogue on democratizing technology,...

In this dynamic episode of Teach, Coach, Mentor , host Michael Wish sits down with entrepreneur, author, and energy powerhouse Joe Apfelbaum , founder of Evy AI and a master of authentic engagement. What starts as a conversation about AI and LinkedIn quickly evolves into a deeper exploration of personal transformation, attention as currency, and the life-changing power of intentional growth. Joe o...

How do we move from simply surviving adolescence to truly thriving ? What if every intense emotion—from anger to anxiety—wasn't a problem to be fixed, but a data point to be understood? In this powerful conversation, host Michael Wish sits down with licensed therapist Brittany Fella, who has spent 17 years working exclusively with teens and parents. Brittany shares a transformative framework for n...

In this heartfelt and humorous conversation, Michael sits down with longtime friend and writer Steven Petrow to explore how we find joy in the midst of life's hardest moments—and why writing, failure, grief, and even hero golf shots can be powerful sources of meaning and growth. Together, they discuss: The origins of their decade-long friendship—from a letter sent during deployment in Afghanistan...

Brandon Smart takes us on his remarkable from-enlisted-to-scholar journey, highlighting how a Marine Corps mindset can transform when applied to advanced education at the Naval Postgraduate School. He candidly discusses grappling with imposter syndrome, the power of honest feedback, and how resilience and anti-fragility—like leveling up through every boss fight—can be intentionally developed. He a...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Teach, Coach, Mentor , Mike Wish sits down with Edward “Buddy” Rushing—a Marine Corps veteran, real estate entrepreneur, and founder of White Feather Investments—to explore how failure can become your greatest teacher. From losing everything on his first real estate deal to helping veterans build over $1 billion in property, Buddy shares how he turned painful le...

In this episode of Teach Coach Mentor , Mike Wish sits down with his sister — the unapologetically real, wildly relatable Melissa Hammerle of Melissa in Chaos . A former teacher turned photographer turned online community builder, Melissa shares how she bootstrapped a successful photography business while juggling babies, bills, and zero formal training. Together, Mike and Melissa unpack what it r...

Barry Walton is a producer, award-winning filmmaker, and published author with over two decades of experience crafting impactful stories across platforms. He has led major productions for global networks like NatGeo and Animal Planet, and worked with premier organizations including the NBA and NHL. His Emmy Award-winning work has taken him from the Himalayas to Italy and across the U.S., always wi...

🎙️ Episode 001: Learning with Purpose — Tom Hathaway on Experience, Self-Awareness, and Leading Others Welcome to the first episode of Teach Coach Mentor — the podcast that’s all about learning how to learn, and helping others do the same. In this conversation, host Mike Wish sits down with Tom Hathaway — a Marine infantry officer, educator, and leadership coach — to explore how we learn, how we t...