The Main Thing Podcast

When Your Calling Isn't What You Expected Wisdom Revisited with Debbie Henne What happens when the calling you've carried for years begins taking a shape you never imagined? When Debbie Henne first joined The Main Thing Podcast in October 2022, she shared a piece of wisdom that resonated with our listeners. Nearly four years later, she's back, and life has taken some fascinating turns. Debbie is a...

Ep. 152 — Steady Leadership in Turbulent Times A Wisdom Conversation with Charita Williams Charita Williams knows something about leading when the ground shifts beneath you. She and Skip explore people-first leadership, career change, trust, grace—and what it takes to keep moving when the path ahead looks different than you expected.   Wisdom Resources to Explore Connect with Charita on   LinkedIn...

The Neighbor I Thought I Knew For twenty years, Irv lived directly across the street from Skip. They weren't strangers. They had shared meals. Shoveled snow. Looked out for each other during power outages. By any reasonable definition, they were good neighbors. Skip thought he knew Irv. Then, one late-summer weekend, a simple request for a fair gave him a reason to cross the street. In this short...

The Wisdom in Your Voice A Wisdom Conversation with Amie Breedlove There's a pretty good chance you've already heard  Amie Breedlove's voice. If you've used the self-checkout at Target, that's Amie reminding you not to forget your receipt. Before voiceover became her full-time career, she spent years in radio in West Virginia and Alaska. Her work today spans commercials, corporate projects, e-lear...

The People Who Shape Us The people who leave the deepest mark on our lives rarely do it with grand gestures. More often, they are parents, mentors, teachers, coaches and friends whose quiet encouragement shapes who we become. Dr. Bethany Meighen has spent her life learning from people like these—and becoming one herself. As President of Concord University, she now helps prepare a new generation of...

Welcome back to The Main Thing Podcast! The Teachers We Never Chose Sometimes our greatest teachers don't stand at the front of a classroom. They arrive disguised as hardship, disappointment, illness, financial pressure, failure or seasons we never would have chosen. When fellow podcaster  Rick Barron accepted my invitation to join me on The Main Thing , I expected to hear great stories from his r...

Most of us spend our lives looking ahead—to the next goal, the next responsibility, or the next season. But what if wisdom begins by giving our full attention to the moment we're already living? In this thoughtful conversation, Skip sits down with longtime optometrist, respected leader, wife, mother, and lifelong student of wisdom, Dr. Jacquie Bowen. Through stories of family, leadership, adversit...

What Happens When We're Forced to Slow Down? Wisdom Revisited with Wellness Entrepreneur Kate Reed Three years after first sharing her wisdom to "slow down" on The Main Thing Podcast, Kate Reed returns for a deeply personal conversation. Together, she and Skip explore entrepreneurship, burnout, recovery, mindfulness, and what changed after a traumatic brain injury forced her life into a different...

Ep. 145 – Skip's Quips: Who Do We Stop For? There's a strange thing that happens to us when we drive. Over time, certain people begin to fade into the scenery—not because we are cruel, but because the human brain is constantly filtering what deserves our attention and what can safely blur into the background. In this short "Skip's Quips" episode, Skip reflects on a cold spring morning in Appalachi...

My Wisdom Conversation with Marcus Daly What does a casket maker know about life? More than you might expect. In this deeply thoughtful conversation, Marcus Daly shares how a life spent building caskets has shaped the way he thinks about living, loving, and what ultimately matters. What begins as a conversation about craft and career unfolds into something far more meaningful—touching on loss, pur...

What happens when the thing you built gets taken away? Jodi Scott founded Green Goo with a simple mission: create clean, all-natural first aid products that actually work. What started in her kitchen grew into a nationally recognized brand. And then—just like that—it was gone. A financing deal fell apart. Ownership slipped away. And Jodi found herself on the outside of the very company she created...

Welcome back to The Main Thing Podcast — your wisdom podcast where we explore insights, stories, and ideas that help us get a little bit better at life.  In this episode, host  Skip Lineberg sits down with optometrist, author, and community leader Dr. Brad Lane for a thoughtful conversation about mindset, perception, and the power of intentional focus . Brad shares how a simple journaling practice...

When the Mic Turns Around What happens when interviewer becomes interviewee?   In this special role-reversal episode of The Main Thing , longtime friend Chip VanAlsburg steps in as host to turn the microphone on Skip Lineberg. Together, they explore the origin story behind the podcast, the deeper spiritual motivation driving it, and what it really takes to distill knowledge into wisdom that helps...

Wisdom, Perspective and Hope on the Border: A Wisdom Conversation with Gil Gillenwater Welcome back to  The Main Thing Podcast . We recently engaged in a meaningful and transformative conversation with Gil Gillenwater, a trailblazing humanitarian leader. Gil has devoted his life to serving people in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. This conversation offers listeners a deeper, more grounded understandi...

The Worst Christmas Gift I Ever Received Welcome, wisdom-seekers to Skip's Quips - a Holiday Special Edition! This week on The Main Thing Podcast , we're doing something a little different — and a little more intimate. No guest. No interview. Just you and me, gathered around a story that has stayed with me for nearly half a century. And it couldn't be landing at a better time. Today is a week befo...

In this heartfelt and deeply meaningful wisdom conversation, I sit down with Kathleen Walker —a trusted friend of more than 25 years, a respected leadership consultant, an entrepreneur and one of the most compassionate people I know. Kathleen works with leaders, teams, and organizations to strengthen communication, clarity, and performance. But beyond her professional expertise, Kathleen brings a...

In this inspiring wisdom‑conversation, I sit down with Chris Breed. He's not only a top PGA-certified golf instructor, coach, encourager and faith‑driven leader, he is one of the most inspiring people I've ever met. FACE Forward - Encouragement, Focus & Faith We explore how Chris' coaching insights and spiritual perspectives combine to help us live wiser, bolder lives. Chris introduces his "FACE"...

Today's wise guest is an entrepreneurial business owner who has lived and worked in Chicago, London and San Francisco. Lindsay Yellin is creative and bold—and she keeps it very real. She's worked as an executive in high-pressure industries and now helps other executive leaders in similar environments to cope and thrive. When you listen to this episode you will come away with … Tips and techniques...

Welcome to a very special wisdom mini-series. This four-part project originates from an archive of rare 2004 recordings of wisdom conversations with my mentor, John Wells Jr. In the truest sense this batch of wisdom has been two decades in the making. Sadly, John passed away in early February 2005, after battling cancer. Those conversations and recordings served as a pre-cursor, perhaps even a pre...

This four-part series originates from an archive of rare 2004 recordings of wisdom conversations with my mentor, John Wells Jr. Sadly, John passed away in early February 2005, after battling cancer. Those conversations and recordings served as a pre-cursor, perhaps even a prequel to this podcast which launched 15 years later in 2019.   A Powerful Six-Word Phrase for Leaders Part Three of our our m...

Welcome to a very special episode and wisdom mini-series. This four-part series originates from an archive of rare 2004 recordings of wisdom conversations with my mentor, John Wells Jr.   In the truest sense this batch of wisdom has been two decades in the making. Sadly, John passed away in early February 2005, after battling cancer. Those conversations and recordings served as a pre-cursor, perha...

Welcome to a very special episode and wisdom mini-series. This four-part series originates from an archive of rare 2004 recordings of wisdom conversations with my mentor, John Wells Jr. Sadly, John passed away in early February 2005, after battling cancer. Those conversations and recordings served as a pre-cursor, perhaps even a prequel to this podcast which launched 15 years later in 2019. In the...

From Combat Zones to Community Hubs: Jake Harriman's Journey of Servant Leadership I first heard about Jake Harriman by way of his guest appearance on The Jocko Willink Podcast. Immediately I was drawn to his mission, heart and bias for action. Jake Harriman is a former US Marine Commander who spent more than a decade abroad defending our nation from enemies, terrorism and other global threats. Bu...

Creative expression comes in many forms—and it's not limited to the arts. Creative expression can be a tremendous, strategic advantage in business, too. The rich, full life of our guest, Bryan Boyd, is a perfect illustration of this wisdom truth.   Musical Journeys Meet Marketing Mastery  In this rich, colorful wisdom conversation with Bryan Boyd, the ingenious artist and musician, you will discov...

A productive, peaceful workday morning in 2002, suddenly shifted into a frenzy of quick decision-making and high-profile event planning. What turned it? An unexpected phone call from the White House transformed that ordinary Wednesday into something truly extraordinary. Join me, Skip Lineberg, on "The Main Thing Podcast" as we explore a remarkable tale of seizing unexpected opportunities. Seizing...