The Savage Leader Podcast

In this episode, Darren Reinke Chats with Heiner Hilbert, CEO of H2 Sports Marketing. Heiner discusses the lessons he learned working with iconic sports stars such as Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Michael Jordan, the factors that led him to launch his own sports marketing agency, as well as how he uses human connection to build trust with clients and develop their long term brands. H2 Sports Mark...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Jason Jordan, CEO of the FireStory Communication Academy. Jason discusses why powerful stories are an untapped resource for leaders and how you can gain confidence telling authentic stories both personally and professionally through creating a FireStory.  The FireStory Communication Academy helps individuals and businesses discover and develop their FireSt...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Joe Musselman, founder of Broom Ventures, The Honor Foundation, and the Honor For Life Foundation. Joe talks about being a shameless optimist and altruist, how a spinal injury during Navy SEAL BUD/S training led him to founding The Honor Foundation, why his venture’s mission statements were often reflections of his own, and why knowing what you believe is...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Alexa Koenig, Executive Director of UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center (HRC) and Co-Founder of the Human Rights Center Investigations Lab. Alexa discusses the spark that led her to fight for human rights, how the HRC uses social media to prosecute war criminals, and some of the tools leaders can use to build alignment when working with groups that may share...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Mark Brouker, Retired Navy Captain and Founder of Brouker Leadership Solutions. Mark discusses the powerful leadership lessons he learned in the Navy, why he attributes his success to taking care of his people, the power of saying “I Don’t Know”, and how to build a sense of hope for your team when facing a crisis.  Show Notes: Mark’s Spark for Joining the...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Ryan Berman, CEO of Courageous Brands and author of the book Return on Courage. Ryan discusses the tips and tricks you can use to implement courage in both your personal and professional life, why leaders need to readjust their views on millennials being entitled, and why courage is a competitive advantage that few companies fully utilize. Courageous is a...

Darren Reinke chats with Ben Hemminger, Co-Founder and CEO of Fashionphile. Ben discusses how a lack of job opportunities in Hawaii led him to "re"-commerce, the importance of having relevant metrics to assess growth, and why Fashionphile’s first value is “We believe in Authenticity.”   Show Notes: How "Re"-commerce is Different from E-Commerce [0:55] How Ben Started Fashionphile [...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with "AJ" Machado, award winning radio host and host of The AJ and Sara Podcast. AJ discusses how his quick stint in stand up comedy led to him to pursue radio hosting as a full-time career, why vulnerability and authenticity are the building blocks to creating a more compelling story, and why every business needs to identify their niche. AJ is an award...

In the episode, Darren Reinke chats with Brant Cooper, Author of the New York Times best selling book The Lean Entrepreneur and CEO of Moves the Needle. Brant discusses how companies can better manage uncertainty and disruption, the importance of balancing new idea exploration and execution, and how companies can use hackathons to test new ideas and drive results. Brant has over two decades of exp...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Mark Sperling, Co-Founder and CEO of Group Y. Mark discusses his passion for creating immersive guest experiences at major events, the importance of building and maintaining an authentic brand, the challenges COVID-19 imposed on the event industry, and how the switch to digital consumption of events may be here to stay.   Group Y is the original and leadin...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Nora Poggi, director of the award-winning documentary SHE STARTED IT. Nora talks about her journey from journalism to film making, how her films are designed to inspire and empower female entrepreneurs to take action, and how leaders and parents can create equal opportunity for women in business, film, and life.   Nora Poggi is a French journalist and the...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Emily Watkins, Regional Principal at Unispace. Emily discusses the future of workplaces, how companies are engaging employees in an in person/remote hybrid set-up, the impact of new workplaces on employees and leaders, and what leaders should be thinking about from a workplace perspective.   Unispace’s mission is to revolutionize the creation of the workpl...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Mariama Shaheed, Founder and CEO of Global Prep Academy. Mariama discusses misconceptions about charter schools, how Global Prep is using their values to attract top talent and align with their students, and why inclusivity is critical to achieving success as an organization, regardless of industry. Global Prep Academy is a dual language charter school in...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Sean Li, co-founder of Clever FM and Alumni FM. Sean talks about disrupting the podcast ecosystem, overcoming imposter syndrome in the technology industry, the pursuit of lifelong learning, principles on building intentionality, and the lessons he learned leaving the security of investment banking for the uncertainty of entrepreneurship.   Clever FM is a p...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Navid Alipour, co-founder and managing partner of Analytics Ventures. Navid talks about how AI is taking on breast cancer, his journey from a political science major to co-founding a venture capital company focused on artificial intelligence, how leaders should be thinking about AI, and how AI can drive humanity forward. Analytics Ventures is a Venture For...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Jacob Marash, the CEO of Stem Audio. Jacob talks about his decision to launch a startup within his existing organization, why he emphasized having employee input when building Stem’s culture and values, and the importance of revisiting your company’s values each year to ensure alignment. Stem Audio is a manufacturer of a suite of audio-conferencing solutio...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Marty Gorsich, CEO of Century Club of San Diego, a non-profit that puts on the Farmers Insurance Open. Marty shares his insights about creating a world-class customer experience, what makes the Farmers Insurance Open special, creating a great culture, building a top-notch team, and lessons learned from working in the sports industry. Show Notes How the Far...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Michel Kripalani, the CEO of Oceanhouse Media and Extality. Michel talks about his experience starting 4 different companies, tackling self-limiting beliefs, what he learned from his 2020 RV trip, how to learn and stay sharp as an entrepreneur, the importance of asking “How might that work?” in place of “Will that work?”, and dreaming big to live big lives...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Chase Fisher, founder and CEO of Blenders Eyewear. Chase talks about starting his sunglasses company with only a $2,000 loan from his roommate, the importance of being a hustler, competing with the titans of the sunglasses industry, overcoming adversity, how he almost quit, and how surfing has influenced his leadership style. Show Notes The Genesis of Blen...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Kurt Kaufer, partner and Chief Marketing Officer of Ad Results Media. Kurt shares his insights on the importance of values-centric leadership, creating a values-centric organization, how values can help beat the competition, and using values to filter clients. Ad Results Media is the leading audio and podcasting marketing agency that works with Fortune 500...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Sabrina Ellison, Entertainment Teams Director, of the Golden State Warriors. In her role, Sabrina oversees the 5 Warriors Dance teams including the flagship Warriors Dance Team. Sabrina shares insights based on her experience leading a professional dance team that can be adopted by leaders in the business world and beyond. We discuss mindset work required...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Evan Mendelsohn, the co-founder of Tipsy Elves. Tipsy Elves is an e-commerce company that makes and sells fun clothing and outfits for every holiday.   Evan talks about leaving a stable job at a major law firm to start an ugly Christmas sweaters e-commerce business. We discuss taking the road less travelled, tuning out negative voices, building a company g...