Your Next Best Step

You're doing all the things. Working the strategy. Leading the team. Executing the plan. So why does it feel like nothing's moving forward? Here's what most leaders miss: You're not stuck. You're experiencing resistance. In this episode, Aundrea De Leon—Fractional Chief of Staff, Business Integrator, and former Fortune 500 executive—breaks down why your next breakthrough won&#3...

When God Interrupted a Revenge Plot: Jay Harris on Radical Transformation Jay Harris was 10 steps from leaving church when God spoke: "You're gonna die this week." He was plotting a murder for Wednesday. Going to church on Sundays to keep his girlfriend happy. Living in the streets, dealing with beef, drowning in alcohol—and convinced he had it all under control. Then everything chan...

What if the best way to prepare for 2026 isn't planning—but paying attention? In this episode, Brek Cockrell shares a transformative leadership lesson he learned back in 2008 at conference that has shaped how he approaches new seasons, new roles, and new years. Drawing from wisdom taught by Pastor Wayne Gordon and Dr. John Perkins, Brek introduces a simple but profound rhythm: listen, reflect,...

What if everything you're chasing as a leader is keeping you from what actually matters? In this powerful solo episode from the locker room in Brek Cockrell shares a transformational story from 1993 that shifted his entire approach to leadership and life. With only $100 to his name, newly married, and desperate to advance his coaching career, BC attended the Final Four in New Orleans. What hap...

When Your Dream Job Isn't Enough: From Community Health Worker to Beauty Boss & Beyond. What happens when your "dream job" stops being enough? In this raw and powerful episode, SalleyNycole Crews—8-time award-winning entrepreneur, esthetician, and business coach—shares her journey from making $26K as a community health worker to building her thriving beauty empire, all while batt...

What happens when the career you thought would last forever suddenly ends? For Pete Hixson, stepping away from 22 years in pastoral ministry wasn't the end of his mission—it was the beginning of discovering what it had always been. In this raw and inspiring conversation, Pete opens up about the moment he walked away from full-time ministry, the identity crisis that followed, and how his daught...

In this episode of Your Next Best Step , I sit down with Thomas Asta , a leadership expert with over 20 years in the medical device industry, to unpack the neuroscience of communication . Together, they explore how empathy, emotional intelligence, and brain chemistry—especially dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin—shape the way we connect, lead, and influence. Thomas shares powerful stories and frame...

What does it mean to find joy when life feels impossible? In this episode of Your Next Best Step, I sit down with Mercedes Wilson—TV host, author, nonprofit founder, wife, and mom—who has walked through trauma, divorce, betrayal, and two cancer diagnoses, including stage 4 breast cancer. Mercedes shares how faith, therapy, and self-reflection transformed her pain into peace and taught her how to l...

Hard conversations don’t have to be scary. In this episode, BC shares the C.A.R.E. Framework —a simple way to give feedback that’s clear, constructive, and growth-focused. Walk away with tools you can use in your very next conversation.

Leadership doesn’t have to be complicated. In this episode of Your Next Best Step, I sit down with Jay Adcock , a global coach and movement leader, to uncover why the best leaders lean into simplicity, curiosity, and consistency. Jay’s story takes us from leaving the corporate world with a 100% pay cut to building a coaching movement that’s training thousands of leaders in nearly 100 countries. Al...

In this episode of Your Next Best Step , I welcome a longtime friend and leader, Charlie Mitchell , into the Locker Room for a powerful conversation about calling, curiosity, and courage in the face of change. Charlie opens up about growing up in Fort Myers, losing his parents young, and stepping into unexpected responsibility as a teenager. He shares how those experiences shaped his heart for cro...

What happens when success isn’t enough? In this episode of Your Next Best Step, Brek Cockrell sits down with Nick Kennedy, a serial entrepreneur who built and sold three companies, including an airline—before stepping into his true calling as an executive coach. Nick opens up about: Growing up with a father in prison and how it shaped his drive. Building businesses in healthcare and aviation, and...

In this powerful conversation, Brek sits down with longtime friend and higher education leader Scott Traylor to unpack a core leadership truth: saying “everyone matters” is easy... but making people feel it is what transforms culture. Scott shares his journey of stepping into a vice president role during the Great Resignation, leading nearly 1,000 staff and faculty through turnover, burnout, and t...

What if the secret to becoming a better leader isn’t about titles or tactics, but about values, clarity, and the willingness to grow? In this episode of Your Next Best Step , I sit down with longtime friend and national mortgage lender Joshua Dean to unpack the “cheat codes” every leader needs to navigate business, team dynamics, and personal growth. Joshua shares candid lessons from leading in th...

In this episode of Your Next Best Step , we sit down with Kyria Stephens to unpack what it really takes to lead with impact. From setbacks and doubt to building a movement, Kyria shares how vulnerability, clarity, and consistency shaped his journey from $7.25 an hour to the C-suite and beyond. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to lead with courage when the pressure is on—this conversation...

Welcome to Your Next Best Step, the leaders’ locker room. In this short kickoff episode, Brek Cockrell shares why he’s starting the podcast, the journey that led him here, and what you can expect in the weeks ahead. Through real stories, practical strategies, and rooted leadership wisdom, you’ll be inspired to slow down, reflect, and take the next best step in your leadership.