The Doneson Podcast

Today on episode four of the Doneson podcast! The iconic Muddy Waters. An original from Mississippi, Waters took the delta blues and added the sounds of the electric guitar thus putting his own unique spin on the music of the time. Credited with influencing some of the classics in rock, such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and The Beatles- his style and sound was unlike any other. Muddy Waters...

Check out episode three of the Doneson podcast! On this episode we're diving into the world of Quincy Jones! As the producer of the second biggest selling album of all time -Michael Jackson's Thriller; Quincy's name made a lasting impression on the music scene. He also composed many TV theme songs and even discovered Oprah Winfrey. However, he was a man who spoke his mind and had many strong opini...

Today on episode two of the Doneson podcast! We discuss the contributions of Duke Ellington to African-American musical culture. Ellington is known in most circles as the greatest jazz composer of all time. It's because of him that jazz rose to fame and is highlighted as an American original art form. With 14 Grammy awards to his name and the Harlem Renaissance to his credit, Duke Ellington contri...

Welcome to season two, episode one of the Doneson podcast! We're starting season two off with a bang, as we discuss one of the greatest musical influencers of our time-Berry Gordy. As the founder and director of Motown, Gordy was the reason that musicians such as The Temptations, Smoky Robinson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gay and the Jackson 5, were able to rise to fame and fortune. As the...

Welcome to Season 2 of the Doneson Podcast! Our focus is to help you with the MOL (Management of Leagues) all while having fun and hanging out with some of the coolest hosts around. We've got everything from relationship advice and gaming tips to some crucial history on some of the most successful leaders around. Listening to this podcast can not only transcend your gaming league on Doneson but wh...

Welcome to our last episode of the season! We're signing off with a leader that much of the American public felt was one of the most captivating leaders of all time: President Barack Obama. Obama changed the face of our country by instilling programs that had as a mandate to help those who needed it most. With the introduction of Obamacare, health care became accessible to almost 95% of the countr...

Welcome to episode 19 of the DONESON podcast! Today we discuss an iconic American: Henry Ford. He is mostly known for being the founder of Ford Motors and changing the entire concept of transportation for the 20th century. However, there was another side to Ford. One that was in direct conflict with how he changed the world by revolutionizing moving assembly lines and his desire to ensure that all...

Join us for episode 18 of the DONESON podcast as we discuss Francis Scott Key. Key was the author of the most recognized song in our country -our national anthem. A song that was derived from an original poem by Key, is now a sign of patriotism. However, when you look beneath the surface, there's much more to the story. Key's clear support of slavery and general open bigotry against African-Americ...

Join the gang for episode 17 of the DONESON podcast! Ronald Reagan is the leader we are discussing in this episode. Reagan was Republican president who initiated a space military system nicknamed Star Wars, appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court and yet was an FBI informant contracted to spy on Hollywood's elite. Reagan also turned a blind eye to cocaine smuggling into the U.S and was oppo...

Welcome to episode sixteen of the Doneson podcast! Thomas Jefferson was a mover and a shaker when it came to being president. From securing more land for the country from Napoleon, to selling his personal library to Congress-his motives seemed to be directed towards the greater good of the country. However, despite the beliefs he claimed to have; he was still a slave owner, said disparaging commen...

Come join the gang for Episode #15 of the Doneson Podcast! Today we discuss a different kind of a leader; one from the past who ended up being a major player in changing the future that we are familiar with today. It's Harriet Tubman- one of the most famous of all the Underground Railroad conductors. Freeing slaves was her job but it wasn't an easy one. Tubman used surprising methods like her sing...

Finally, we have arrived at the fourteenth episode of the Doneson podcast! Welcome to all! Today we discuss a different leader, a business and technology giant: Elon Musk. The man who was the inspiration for the blockbuster film-Iron Man. Musk is only the second man in Silicon Valley to bring three companies to a billion dollars. All this while creating a new venture to bring transportation underg...

Thank you for joining us here for episode thirteen of the Doneson podcast! Today we discuss the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was a president who established two of the most important facets of modern life that offer protection to our citizens. He instituted the Welfare Act and established Social Security. He was also known for a particularly famous speech he gave at Pearl Harbor. It w...

Welcome to episode twelve of the Doneson podcast! Join us as we dissect the leadership of another U.S President: Jimmy Carter. Carter was known for pardoning Vietnam war draft dodgers. This was a huge acknowledgment that healed the wounds of many. He was also known for creating the Department of Education, which created loans and allowed all children access to schooling through free bussing despit...

Today on episode eleven of the Doneson podcast! We examine the inner workings of Ulysses S. Grant -the "S" in his name being a mistake that stuck with him his entire career. Grant was a Republican President back 1867 who succeed in dismantling the first era of the KKK. He brought positive changes to voters by prohibiting discrimination towards them by state officials with the Force Act of 1870. De...

Let episode ten of the Doneson podcast take you on a journey to South Africa with none other than Nelson Mandela! Mandela was known for abolishing apartheid but does the bigger picture always trump the steps it takes to get there? That's the question we aim to answer when we are faced with the fact that Mandela largely ignored the HIV/AIDS issue until after he was elected. Ultimately, he did stand...

Today on episode nine of the Doneson podcast, we have the great Chinese military leader Sun Tzu! This was a man who made history as an effective leader due to his family's military background, the famous quotes that he lived and ruled by and his forward-thinking ideas. However, like any great leader-the same things are not successful each and every time they are used. His philosophies carried grea...

Welcome to episode eight of the Doneson podcast! Join the gang as we dive into the details surrounding the leadership of prolific American sociologist and psychologist W.E.B Du Bois. Du Bois was an interesting leader both on account of his work as a historian and author, as well as a civil rights activist and Pan-Africanist. This was a man who co-founded the NAACP, was the first African-American m...

Today on episode #7 of the Doneson Podcast…Napoléon Bonaparte! This was a leader who was known for taking care of his troops and introducing the notion of freedom of religion in his country. Despite these incredible advances, Bonaparte was also a sexist who encouraged nepotism. How could such a leader still manage to conquer multiple territories with these opposing values? Join us, as we discuss a...

Today we are diving in to everything about the notorious leader Winston Churchill! Join us as we learn about his humor, his anger and how both molded him as a one of the world's greatest speakers despite his battles with depression. We discuss how his wartime decisions changed the fate of millions of people in India. One of his famous quote's and even how he was responsible for the minimum wage sy...

Welcome to episode five of the Doneson podcast! Join the gang as we tackle the details about the leader of the civil rights movement -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The impact he made on our country is undeniable, as were his beginnings as a fifteen-year-old college student. Although accused in some circles of academic plagiarism and plagued with rumors of his participation in compromising sexual gath...

Today on episode four of the Doneson podcast! Join us as we dive into the details of the leadership of Bill Clinton. Despite the infamous sexual scandals and his controversial "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, his leadership made a deep impact on the American economy. We will discuss everything from how his religious upbringing shaped his choices, to how he revolutionized the war on drugs, the publi...

Today we discuss the complicated history of Abraham Lincoln. The president who both freed the slaves and yet maintained a contradictory stance of slavery. His story is the ultimate political debate of morality versus economics. True equality versus a better equilibrium. A starting point that changed our country for the better but still allowed for inequality to fester beneath the surface.

Today on episode two of the Doneson podcast! Join the crew as we dive into everything you ever wanted to know about one of the most popular presidents of our time: JFK. From being the father of the space program, a speed reader and the preventer of nuclear war. To calling off the Bay of Pigs invasion, a relentless womanizer and the dubious way he manipulated the black vote right before the electio...

Welcome to the first episode of the Doneson podcast! Join us as we examine the pros and cons of the 1st President of the United States: George Washington. Find out why two terms are the maximum for any president and what the Navy and the American foxhound have in common. There's even some crazy facts about George's dental history, the slaves he owned and finally, his connection to weed.