Team Powdered Donut™ Podcast

Who Is Patrick Van der Pijl? Patrick founded Business Models Inc. the company that drives growth through innovation. BMI helps leaders and teams to systematically grow the core business, unlock new opportunities and build innovation capabilities. They work in collaboration with our clients like IKEA, ING, Mars, Medtronic and Heineken to create lasting results. After producing the global bestseller...

As I dug into John's story in preparation for his episode, I stumbled into not only a prolific writer but a deep thinker with a rich and interesting story. The kind of story and person I just love having a conversation with on the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast. John is as eloquent a speaker and thinker, as he is a writer. His own love story with Ana led to their book The Go-Giver Marriage, and they...

Who Is Tanya Hall? As CEO at leading hybrid publisher Greenleaf Book Group, Tanya drives growth efforts and fosters a culture built around serving authors. Prior to her current role, Tanya worked directly with Greenleaf's authors to develop publishing strategies (including multiple New York Times bestsellers); spearheaded growth strategies, including Greenleaf's ebook program and the River Grove d...

Who is Dr. Masha Malka? Over the years, Masha has worked with C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and ambitious women worldwide — guiding them to break through limitations and design lives of purpose, freedom, and fulfillment. From co-founding ShiftHub – a global movement for women 40+ to transform midlife transitions into opportunities for growth, leadership, and authentic living - to founding Inb...

Although Angela was faced by a breast cancer diagnosis of her own at 34, she, like my Maureen, is not defined by her cancer. For that matter, none of us are. We are instead defined by the spaces we are in. The theme of TEDx UW-Madison where I met Angela. I was captivated by her first words. Having spoken at several TEDx myself, I remember thinking... wow. Just wow! And I remember crying. Her vulne...

Today's episode with Rob Wolcott jumps in to his book, Proximity, which describes how every industry will change the rest of our careers, as well as his founding of the Kellogg Innovation Network, TWIN Global and his years as a professor across several leading universities. As we discuss from his book, digital technologies of all sorts push the production of provision of value (products, services,...

Episode 14 of Season 2 of the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast is with Meredith Cooper, Co-Founder of Wonders & Worries. It is dropping on what would be my late wife Maureen’s 62nd birthday, her 12th on the other side of heaven, to whom Team Powdered Donut is dedicated. On that fateful morning of her passing on October 21, 2014, I wondered what to do next. Fortunately, we had been introduced to Wo...

Today's podcast episode features Janice Kruger, currently brand ambassador for the Side- Out Foundation. A few years ago, as she was launching the Leave It Better podcast for the Side-Out Foundation, I had the privilege of being her guest in my role as board chair for the foundation. In this episode recorded earlier this month, I have the privilege of her being my guest. Our episode is dropping to...

Who Is Chef Steve McHugh? With over 30 years of experience in the culinary industry, and author of the cookbook Cured, Chef Steve McHugh currently serves as a Chef Consultant for the Spurs Club, leveraging his expertise in restaurants, menu development, kitchen/bar design and culinary skills. His role focuses on creating innovative dining experiences, enhancing menu offerings, and supporting teams...

As I get deeper into Season 2 of the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast series, I can't help but reflect about the gift of people. The people I have met along life’s journey, as well as the people I will meet on my journey ahead as I travel the country the next few years via Airstream® with my mobile love letter, capturing stories in my podcast studio just like this one's today with Henry S. Bienen, the...

What is Live From Stage 4? "Live from Stage 4" is a bold, hopeful podcast where people living with metastatic breast cancer, clinicians, and researchers take center stage. They share real stories, decode the science, and spotlight the ideas and breakthroughs that matter — for patients, caregivers, and anyone who believes progress is possible. In their words, "this podcast is for us, by us, and all...

Today's episode is with Keith Bellizzi, author of "Falling Forward: The New Science of Resilience and Personal Transformation." Keith is a tenured professor at the University of Connecticut, as well as a four-time cancer survivor. We dive into all aspects of his life and reflect on how all our stories are connected. Keith and I were first introduced 3 years ago by a mutual friend and we were blown...

For nearly three decades, Mo has been at the forefront of creating and advocating peer groups and building communities. He has worked with over 20,000 CEOs and entrepreneurs in 30+ countries, delivering over 2,500 retreats, programs, and trainings to corporate clients and leading organizations, including Google, Pathstone Federal Street, Harvard Business School, SHRM, and the Young Presidents’ Org...

Originally Aired 3/21/2024 on Leave It Better Podcast When Gary Thompson lost his wife Maureen to metastatic breast cancer almost 10 years ago, his kids (15, 13, and 10 1/2 at the time) lost their mom. He and his family leaned into a variety of philanthropic endeavors to honor her legacy. As a result of his daughters spearheading Dig Pink® games (raising over $75K over 6 years) at their high schoo...

This is a special Valentine's Day episode of the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast. For those that have listened to the podcast since Season One, you know that we typically drop new episodes on Tuesdays, however, this conversation with Daniel Bussius, author of Marketing Built by Love®, as well as CEO of the company by the same name, seemed appropriate for today. We start our conversation with the stuf...

In honor of #WorldCancerDay today, Team Powdered Donut's weekly podcast is featuring a compilation of highlights from Season 1. We had an incredible slate of guests from across the cancer community, and today's episode takes a key snippet from each of my conversations with a running commentary throughout. It's been so much fun going back and re-listening to these conversations. Thank you to each o...

Today marks the 9th anniversary of Bill Keegan's passing from cancer on January 27, 2017. This episode of the Team Powdered Donut ™ podcast is a special one. Rather than an interview, this is a conversation. A conversation between two friends. Friends connected early in their careers at Apple. Friends that both met the loves of their lives at Apple. Friends that lost track of each other as friends...

Some episodes are more personal than others. Today's guest is Dr. Leon Platanias, Director, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University. Northwestern happens to be my alma mater, and I first met Leon in early 2014 when he was named interim director of the cancer center. After graduating Northwestern, I met my late wife Maureen (for whom the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast a...

As one chapter closes, another one has opened. In Emma's words, "I am honored and overjoyed to have signed with the Indy Ignite Professional Volleyball team for the 2026 season! I am excited to get started and be back home in Indiana!" I am honored to have Emma start the next chapter of the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast as we open Season 2 with her episode, "One Dig. One Touch. One Game at a Time."...

Welcome to Season Two of the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast. For those that listened to Season One, you may recall the tradition that led to this podcast and my upcoming road trip via Airstream. On the weekend before my wife, Maureen, passed after 11 years with breast cancer, our oncologist prescribed donuts. We dutifully complied with this prescription and with powdered donut in hand, Maureen turne...

There are episodes and there are episodes. I couldn't think of a better episode as we "wrap" Season One than this one with Dr. Gail Bones. This is an episode that was truly months in the making. I first met Gail on a flight from Austin to Nashville, which we discuss in the podcast. The flight was back in May. I was headed up for both meetings and an Amy Grant concert. At the time, Team Powdered Do...

Excited by this latest episode with Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. Jonathan and I ran into each other when the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project came to Austin a few weeks ago. My family's connection with Habitat for Humanity came when my late wife, Maureen, was getting her Masters at the University of Texas School of Architecture. They had a design competitio...

Jane Kristen Marczewski, known as Nightbirde, was an inspiration to the world. Many remember her as the winner of Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent in 2021, but most remember her by her wise words and demeanor. Jane represented so many who were going through their own difficult journeys when she walked on that stage. Her ability to say, “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anym...

Super excited to be sharing this episode of the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast with Paula Schneider, now the honorary vice chair of Susan G. Komen as she transitions out of her role these past eight years as CEO. Two things as I drop this episode at the beginning of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. First, as I look back on my first 12 or so episodes of this podcast, I feel so incredibly priv...