The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD

After 69 episodes spent listening to remarkable people from every walk of life, Brian answers the question listeners have been asking:  "What have you learned?" In this deeply personal conversation with producer Shawn Dusing, Brian reflects on 66 years of life, visiting all 50 states, leading a Fortune 50 company, experiencing profound love and heartbreaking loss, and having thousands of...

What makes a great leader? This week on  The Most Important Podcast Ever , I'm joined by leadership advisor, executive coach, retail veteran, and musician  Alan Meyer  for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, change, and the lessons that shape us over a lifetime.  Alan shares his journey from recording engineer to a 26-year career in retail leadership, where he discovered that the bes...

In Part 2 of Brian Dunn's conversation with author, attorney, and business strategist David Grau Sr., the discussion turns to one of the most important questions every business owner must eventually answer: How does your story end? David explains why most entrepreneurs wait too long to think about succession planning, how founders become trapped on "The Founder's Treadmill," and what it takes to b...

What happens when the founder becomes the business? In Episode 67 of  The Most Important Podcast Ever , Brian Dunn welcomes author and business advisor David Grau Sr. to discuss why so many entrepreneurs unknowingly build companies that can't survive without them. David explains the concept behind  The Founder's Treadmill  and shares practical strategies for moving from being the hub of ev...

What happens when an entrepreneur decides that growth isn't the ultimate goal? In Episode 66, Brian Dunn sits down with Kate Asaraf, founder and CEO of DIP Hair Care, to discuss entrepreneurship, sustainability, motherhood, business failure, and the pursuit of a meaningful life.  After nearly two decades in the beauty industry, Kate launched DIP with a simple mission: create a plastic-free pro...

From selling Christmas trees in Wisconsin to leading teams across North America and traveling throughout Asia, Shaun Schuetz has built a career defined by curiosity, relationships, and a genuine passion for people. In this episode of  The Most Important Podcast Ever , Brian and Shaun explore the lessons learned along the way—from retail floors and international business meetings to family life and...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Angie Bruhn, we move beyond career disruption and into the deeper realities of change, identity, grief, healing, and personal transformation. Angie shares lessons from years of coaching people through layoffs, divorce, loss, health crises, and major life transitions. Together, we talk about why some relationships fall away during difficult seasons, how suffering o...

Episode 63 of  The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD  features the return of leadership coach and former Best Buy, Under Armour, and Tesla executive Angie Bruhn. What begins as a conversation about layoffs, AI, and disruption quickly becomes something deeper: a discussion about identity, grief, reinvention, and learning who we are when life changes underneath us. Brian and Angie reflect on: nav...

In Episode 62 of  The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD , Brian sits down with and — two young women whose friendship began before they can even remember and has grown stronger through every season of life. This episode is a follow-up to Episode 33 featuring their mothers, Tammy Nipper and Tara Larson, lifelong best friends whose bond became the foundation for the next generation. Lindsay and H...

What happens when we take our best performers… and turn them into leaders with little to no training? In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of  The Most Important Podcast Ever , Brian sits down with leadership coach and performance expert  Ian Watts  to explore a reality most organizations don’t talk about enough: Two-thirds of new leaders receive no formal training. And the cost? It’s no...

Military Intelligence. Executive leadership. MBA. Law degree. And then… a return home to become a tulip farmer. In this episode of  The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD , I sit down with Andrew Miller to explore a journey that challenges the very definition of success. On paper, Andrew’s path followed a traditional trajectory—military service, corporate leadership, advanced degrees. But what m...

In this special episode of  The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD , Brian answers questions submitted by listeners—drawn from DMs, texts, and emails. The conversation spans leadership, life decisions, personal growth, and reflections from the journey so far. From lessons learned through past guests to navigating uncertainty and staying grounded, this episode is unscripted, honest, and driven by...

What happens when someone finally says what everyone else is thinking? In this episode of  The Most Important Podcast Ever , Brian sits down with  Seamus Harvey —a rising voice known for his viral takes on workplace culture, “corporate bullsh*t bingo,” and the disconnect between leadership language and real employee experience. Seamus doesn’t just poke fun at the jargon—we’ve all heard it:  “circl...

Episode 57: Michael Much (Part 2) — A Life Fully Lived In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Michael Much continues to share the story of a life shaped by curiosity, courage, and deep love for family. From his experiences in Vietnam to a lifetime of entrepreneurship, Michael reflects on the moments that defined him—not just professionally, but personally. This episode goes deeper into the heart...

A soldier in the Vietnam War… an entrepreneur… a photographer… But at his core, this is a story about family, love, and the life that shaped him. Michael Much has lived a life shaped by movement, service, and reinvention. From a childhood spent in different places… to serving as a soldier during the Vietnam War… to returning home changed and searching for direction—his journey is one of resilience...

What does it mean to step up for someone—and how can one decision change two lives forever? In this episode, I reconnect with Steve (Episode 19) and Brad (Episode 20) to reflect on a journey that is nothing short of extraordinary. Their story didn’t begin with a lifelong friendship. They were former colleagues—connected, but not deeply involved in each other’s daily lives. And then everything chan...

The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD — Anniversary Special In this special anniversary episode of The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD , Brian reflects on an incredible year of conversations, stories, and moments that remind us why people—and their stories—matter so much. When this podcast began, the mission was simple: to shine a light on ordinary people doing extraordinary things . Over...

In Episode 53 of  The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD , Larry and Cheri Salazar share their journey of family, entrepreneurship, and their mission to help more working Americans achieve the dream of homeownership. This episode explores entrepreneurship, homeownership, leadership, workplace culture, employee retention, and why modern employee benefits must evolve to meet today’s workforce chal...

What if the most important shift in your career isn’t about your company… but about you? In Episode 52 of  The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD , I sit down with Kelly McGinnis — writer, leadership voice, and creator of the Substack  Lead with Kelly  — for a candid conversation about ownership, learning, and personal responsibility. Kelly challenges a belief many of us quietly carry: that comp...

What does leadership require in 2026? Dr. Guy Beaudin returns to launch the first of three conversations in this year’s Leadership Series — focused on the inner work that shapes external results. Drawing from their respective vantage points — Guy advising CEOs and executive teams around the world, and Brian having led from the sales floor to CEO — they share a candid, unscripted dialogue about the...

Episode 50 is a milestone — and Robby Incmikoski returns for a conversation about something listeners rarely get to hear discussed honestly:  the business of being a broadcaster . Behind every voice you hear on game day is preparation, pressure, timing, and a deep commitment to storytelling. Robby pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build a career behind the microphone — from the cra...

Almost everybody has a memory of a baseball game—walking into a stadium and feeling a rush of memories come flooding back. In this episode of  The Most Important Podcast Ever with BJD , Brian sits down with  Robby Incmikoski  for a conversation that uses baseball as the backdrop—but life as the main story. Robby shares what it was like growing up in South Philly, where sports weren’t just somethin...

Ten years ago, I lost my wife Susie. In  Episode 48  of  The Most Important Podcast Ever , I reflect on a decade of life after loss through a  Top Ten list  shaped by grief, love, faith, leadership, and gratitude. This is not a story about cancer. It’s a story about  living after loss  — and what it means to  lead a family through the aftermath of grief , one day at a time. I share lessons from ca...

Angelica Garcia is living proof that you can make time for the things that truly matter. Angelica wears many hats: she’s a producer at StreetSide Studio 7, a producer on  The Most Important Podcast Ever , the proprietress of a bookstore inside Deja Bleu House of Coffee, the owner of a mobile bookstore, the host of the  Pages of INK Podcast , and a barista who helps keep her community connected. In...

Dana Peterson is a  true entrepreneur  and  TikTok Shop creator , balancing stay-at-home mom life while building a business rooted in trust. In Episode 46 of  The Most Important Podcast Ever , Dana shares her origin story—starting her TikTok Shop journey in  June 2024 —and breaks down the  art and science  behind creator-led commerce. We talk about: • How to start a TikTok Shop • What “going viral...