C-10 Mentoring & Leadership Podcast

In memory of Rob Browne, the CEO of YouthReach International who died on May 1st, we're revisiting a fun and powerful conversation from 2021 that exemplifies servant leadership and the impact one person can have across the globe. Rob's unexpected passing, following the loss of his wife to cancer just 13 months ago, leaves a void in many hearts but also a legacy of service that will continue to inspire.From the basketball court at Lipscomb University under legendary coach Don Meyer to the challenging terrain of Siberia as a missionary, Rob's journey was anything but ordinary. As President and CEO of YouthReach International, he established mentoring communities for vulnerable youth around the world, touching countless lives through his dedication to serving others.In this conversation with host Matt Fulks, who had been friends with Rob since college, Rob shares invaluable leadership lessons learned from Coach Meyer, entertaining stories from his basketball days, and how these experiences shaped his mission to serve vulnerable youth across the world. His wisdom, humility, and heart for service shine through in every moment of this memorable discussion.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.To join us at the 4th Annual C You At Topgolf on May 29, 2025, to give students a mentor, visit here.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

In this special episode of the C-10 Podcast, recorded at Music Theater Heritage in Kansas City's Crown Center, we welcome Shawnie Nix, whose journey with C-10 exemplifies the power of meaningful mentorship. As a former Kansas City, Missouri police officer, Shawnie brought unique insights when she helped develop the C-10 program as a member of the curriculum committee. Her commitment to youth development grew as she later stepped into roles as both a pinch-hit mentor and eventually a one-on-one mentor.With regular host Matt Fulks away, curriculum committee chair Max Utsler steps in as guest host for this engaging conversation. Recorded shortly before Shawnie's relocation to Phoenix, this episode captures her reflections on law enforcement, mentorship, and the lasting impact of the C-10 program. Her story demonstrates how different life experiences can shape our ability to guide and influence young people.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.To join us at the 4th Annual C You At Topgolf on May 29, 2025, to give students a mentor, visit here.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

For more than 25 years, Ryan Lefebvre's voice has been synonymous with Kansas City Royals baseball. In Episode 161 of the C-10 Podcast, we sit down with Lefebvre, who grew up immersed in baseball as the son of former big league player and manager Jim Lefebvre.Ryan's journey in broadcasting began at just 19 years old, and after graduating from the University of Minnesota, where he also played baseball, he worked his way through the minor leagues, and a stint with the Minnesota Twins before joining the Royals broadcast team in 1999. But beyond the broadcast booth, Ryan's story is one of remarkable courage and transparency.In this powerful conversation, Ryan opens up about his personal battle with depression and addiction, a journey he detailed in his memoir "The Shame of Me: One Man's Journey to Depression and Back." His willingness to share his story has helped countless others face their own challenges, making him not just a voice of baseball, but a voice of hope and recovery.This episode was recorded in front of the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program students and mentors in February 2025. LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.To join us at the 4th Annual C You At Topgolf on May 29, 2025, to give students a mentor, visit here.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Episode 160 of the C-10 Podcast features a conversation with contemporary Christian music powerhouse Matthew West, recorded during our C You In The Major Leagues' 10th anniversary celebration in December 2024. In this special episode, Emmy Award-winning Fox 4 anchor Abby Eden teams up with CYITML Executive Director Matt Fulks to co-host an engaging Q&A with Matthew West. Eden, who later served as emcee for the evening's celebration, helps bring out unique perspectives in this meaningful conversation.As a five-time GRAMMY® nominee and recipient of ASCAP's 2023 Golden Note Award, Matthew has established himself as one of Christian music's most prolific songwriters, with an impressive 34 number-one songs to his name. But beyond the accolades – including an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, and multiple GMA Dove Awards – lies a story of persistence, faith, and the power of using your gifts to impact others.In this intimate session, which includes an audience Q&A, West shares personal insights about his creative process, the challenges of the music industry, and how his faith has guided his career. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to his music, this conversation offers valuable lessons about pursuing your passion while staying true to your values.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.To listen to Episode 39, which features a previous chat with Matthew, go here.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Episode 159 of the C-10 Podcast welcomes former Kansas City Chief and current Chiefs Radio Network color analyst Danan Hughes for a special live recording at Music Theater Heritage in Crown Center. In front of our C-10 students and mentors, Hughes shares his fascinating journey from New Jersey to becoming a two-sport star at the University of Iowa, where his athletic prowess caught the attention of both the NFL and MLB.After being drafted by both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Milwaukee Brewers, Hughes chose the gridiron, spending five seasons as a wide receiver with the Chiefs during a transformative period for the organization. His insights into those years provide a unique perspective on a crucial chapter in Chiefs history.Following his playing career, Hughes has built an impressive second act in Kansas City's financial sector, currently serving as a senior business development officer and mortgage originator with Community America Credit Union. Now in his fifth season alongside Mitch Holthus as color analyst for the Chiefs Radio Network, Hughes continues to impact the Kansas City community both on and off the air.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Episode 158 of the C-10 Podcast takes listeners on an exciting new journey with our first-ever (and possibly last) "car chat" featuring Fox4 news reporter Matt Stewart. In this unique and intimate setting, we dive deep into Matt's career, exploring the journey that led him to become a respected figure in the Kansas City media.As we, um, cruise through the conversation, Matt shares invaluable lessons from his days as a college football player at Northwestern University. These experiences helped shape his views on leadership, team building and how every person matters to a team.In a poignant turn, Matt opens up about his personal battle with cancer, offering a raw and inspiring account of his journey. This powerful episode showcases Matt's resilience, determination, and positive outlook in the face of adversity, making it a must-listen for anyone seeking motivation and perspective in their own lives.LINKS:To order Matt Stewart's books or "Stewart Strong" merch, visit his website.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

On Episode 157 of the C-10 Podcast, we're chatting with Mari Foster, one of this year's six Blue KC Coaches with Character honorees.Mari has been a coach in the Kansas City Public School District for more than 25 years. She started at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy Middle School in 1998, and then created the Tiger Dance Team in 2005, which reached the state championships just three years later, in 2008. In addition to dance, Foster has also been the head boys' and girls' track and field coach at East High School since 2019 and is USA Track and Field Level 1 certified.Additionally, she works with House of Hope KC.As her nominator, Dr. Lee Allen Sr. wrote: “Coach Foster has been a coach and mentor to hundreds of students in multiple schools throughout her illustrious career. In addition to founding the Tiger Dance Team and growing it into one of the best dance teams in Missouri, she's also helped capture multiple state championships and has had several of her student-athletes continue their careers at the collegiate level. Because of her love of children, Kansas City Public Schools asked her to serve in a role where she can mentor other district dance teams, and replicate her success district-wide. She means so much to so many students, past and present.” LINKS:For more information about the Blue KC Coaches with Character program, visit this page on our site.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

For Episode 156 of the C-10 Podcast, we're featuring Tim Kluempers, the second of six 2024 Blue KC Coaches with Character honorees.Tim started the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints Rugby team in 2007. Under his direction, the Saints have won the Kansas state championship nearly every year, and they've competed on the national stage, also. Before getting into coaching, Tim played for the US National Rugby team from 1996-2001, and for the Kansas City Blues Rugby team for more than 20 years. By day, Tim is in Business Development for Budnick Converting.Additionally, he's heavily involved in youth rugby in Kansas City area.LINKS:For more information about the Blue KC Coaches with Character program, visit this page on our site.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

On Episode 155 of the C-10 Podcast, we're chatting with the July Blue KC Coaches with Character honoree, Jill Courter, the girls golf coach at Blue Springs High School. Jill Courter has worked in the Blue Springs School District for more than 25 years, and has been the golf coach since 2007. During the past 17 years, she had an undefeated team that won the Missouri state championship in 2014, she's had one individual golfer win the state championship, and she's had five all-state golfers.But, as Alli Bowers, one of Jill Courter's former golfers and her nominator wrote: “Jill's tireless efforts to create a place where female athletes are respected and loved is her priority. I still remember the love, care and concern she gave me as a young athlete. Constantly encouraging, teaching, and pushing me to be my best self.” LINKS:For more information about the Blue KC Coaches with Character program, visit this page on our site.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

In Episode 154 of the C-10 Podcast we're chatting with Rob O'Byrne, the retired president of CBIZ Employee Services. Before that, he was the President and CEO of other employee benefits firms Robert D. O'Byrne and Associates, and the Grant Nelson Group, before they were acquired by CBIZ in December 1997. Rob O'Byrne, who's the husband of C-10 Curriculum member and previous C-10 Podcast guest Diane O'Byrne, chats about his career, how leadership has looked throughout, a great lesson his dad taught him early, and much more.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

In Episode 153 of the C-10 Podcast we're chatting with Brian Bracco, who spent most of his career in leadership at various stations around the country. Most notably for those of us in Kansas City, he was the news director at KMBC — channel 9 — for 13 years, from 1987-2000. He then spent 13 years as Vice President of News for Hearst Television, before spending a little more than four years, 2013 into 2017, as vice president/general manager at KSHB — channel 41.Bracco chats about his career, how leadership has looked throughout, TV today, our C word CONFIDENCE, and much more.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This is an extra special episode of the C-10 Podcast, as you get to hear from the three seniors from the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program, John Wilson IV, Topher Rauth, and Norman Davis Jr. Each, during interviews with Max Utsler in front of the students and mentors in the C-10 program at Operation Breakthrough on May 15, discuss how much they've changed because of C-10, what they learned in the program, what advice they'd pass along to new students, and much more. LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

In this episode, we're chatting with Mike Sewell, who's the co-inventor of the StepNpull foot-operated door opener. (You've probably seen it in some public restrooms.) Mike led the company through its exponential growth and international recognition as businesses look for ways to minimize the spread of germs, particularly in light of Covid.Part of that growth in 2020 came from Mike — and StepNpull — being featured on the hit television show, "Shark Tank," where entrepreneurs seek funding from five or six investors. (More on that momentarily.) Mike's focus shifted to long-term initiatives such as recruiting key talent, expanding StepNpull's product line, and implementing new processes. In December 2022, in addition to his work with StepNpull, Mike became the Procurement Manager with Ubiquity, a communications company that works on digital infrastructure for communities.In addition to all of that, from a personal side, Mike happens to be the step-father of one of our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership students, Elijah.This interview was conducted in front of our students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage inside Crown Center. LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To watch part of Mike's segment from "Shark Tank," click here.To sponsor the 3rd Annual C You At Topgolf event, go here.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

In this episode, we're excited to be joined by someone who's helped shape some of the things we do at C You In The Major Leagues on the fundraising side. Steven Screen is the co-founder and creative director at The Better Fundraising Company, which launched 10 years ago this month in the Seattle area. And he's been with other agencies that work with nonprofits during a 31-year career.CYITML Executive Director Matt Fulks -- who's hosting this week's C-10 chat -- has leaned on Steven's expertise, as well as that of The Better Fundraising Co., to help with several of our donation appeals, newsletters...well, many things that have landed in our donors' physical and virtual mailboxes. During this conversation, Steven talks about legacy, his dad's influence on the fundraising business, the Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1980s, tips on telling stories, and so much more.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To learn more about The Better Fundraising Company, visit their site.To sponsor the 3rd Annual C You At Topgolf event, go here.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

You might know the name Jeff (or Jeffri) Chadiha from his time at Sports Illustrated or ESPN, or what he's doing now at the NFL Network.But Jeff, who makes his home in the Kansas City area, is a great spark for several nonprofits in the KC community.In fact, he's been vital to several things we've done at C You In The Major Leagues during the past seven or eight years.He was a part of the curriculum committee to help develop what became the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program, he has participated in our Wiffle ball and Topgolf fundraisers, and he's been one of our Character Champions to help raise money for C You In The Major Leagues. He's recruited some of our mentors, and so much more. Frankly, C You In The Major Leagues is lucky to have him involved.This is a conversation between Jeff and C-10 Podcast (and CYITML Executive Director) Matt Fulks in front of our C-10 students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage inside Crown Center on Wednesday night, March 13.  LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To sponsor the 3rd Annual C You At Topgolf event, go here.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

If you're a long-time Kansas Citian, you likely recognize the name Toby Cook. He was an anchor for eight years on Fox4 in Kansas City. And then he spent more than 14 years with the Kansas City Royals as the Vice President of Publicity.But then in the spring of 2021, he had a job pivot — in his early 50s — when he left the Royals and became the Director of Public Relations for the University of Kansas Health Systems.Additionally, Toby is the chair of the committee for the C You At Topgolf fundraiser, which is coming up on May 23, 2024.In this episode we talk to Toby about the job he's doing now, what advice he'd give to someone looking for a job, the upcoming C You At Topgolf event, and he takes a swing at a Billy Joel version of our Pre-Game Batting Practice. LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To sponsor the 3rd Annual C You At Topgolf event, go here.To listen to Toby's first appearance on the C-10 Podcast, Episode 60, click here.To listen to Toby's second appearance on the C-10 Podcast, Episode 119, click here.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Matt Dimmick served as the Director for Russia and Eastern Europe on the National Security Council Staff. He previously served as the Russia Director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Through that he consulted a president on Russian affairs. He also held the positions of Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché in Tbilisi, Georgia, Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor for the Chief of Staff of the Army, and Assistant Army Attaché in Moscow.A veteran of the US Army, Matt served as an infantry officer and foreign area officer for 29 years with overseas assignments in Saudi Arabia, Germany, Bosnia, Kosovo, Russia, Iraq, and Georgia. Matt is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, holds a Master of Arts degree in National Strategy from the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, and a Master of Arts degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the University of Kansas.He retired from the Army and joined the nonprofit Spirit of America in 2022 as a regional program manager. LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

On this episode of the C-10 Podcast, we're chatting with Ryana Parks-Shaw, the Mayor Pro Tem in Kansas City, Mo. She began serving her first term as council woman in the 5th District in August 2019. She has lived in the 5th district with her family for more than 22 years.Mayor Quinton Lucas appointed Ryana Mayor Pro Tem of Kansas City in August 2023. She also serves as the Chair of the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee, Chair of the Land Bank Commission, Vice Chair of the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Commission, and Co-Chair of the Health Commission. She previously served as the Chair of the Mayor's Houseless Task Force. She is also a member of the Kansas City Zoo Board of Directors and the Starlight Board of Directors.Mrs. Parks-Shaw is a long-time healthcare executive. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Missouri State University and a Master of Science degree from Southwest Baptist University. She is an alum of Ruskin High School in the Hickman Mills School District. She has a deep passion — a COMMITMENT — for community service and improving the quality of life for Kansas City residents.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page. 

Episode 145 of the C-10 Podcast is a fun chat with Chase Coffman, who grew up in the Kansas City area, before becoming an All-American tight end at the University of Missouri, and then a journeyman career in the NFL. Chase, whose dad starred at Kansas State before a career in the NFL with Green Bay and Kansas City, chats in this conversation about his football career, how faith played a role in his decisions, what he would've done had football not panned out originally, and MUCH more.This interview was recorded in front of our students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage inside Crown Center in December 2023.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Episode 144 of the C-10 Podcast is a fun chat with Karli Ritter, who's been a meteorologist with Fox4 in Kansas City since March 2007. She's currently on the morning broadcasts.Karli got her start as a student at Florida State University and worked in Sarasota, Florida, and Montgomery, Alabama before moving to Kansas City.She enjoys traveling, cooking, yoga, spending time on a boat and playing or watching any sport. And she's involved with several nonprofit organizations here in Kansas City…including being a celeb at C You In The Major Leagues' C You At Topgolf event for two years.This interview was recorded in front of our students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage inside Crown Center in November 2023.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring and to help families in crisis, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This is Episode 143 of the podcast, and we're chatting with Dayton Moore, C You In The Major Leagues' Founder and Board President. Dayton talks about Christmas memories and movies, some "Hot Stove" talk, the Texas Rangers' World Series victory, and so much more.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a year-end financial gift -- that'll be DOUBLED -- to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This is Episode 142 of the podcast, and we're chatting with a great storyteller and filmmaker, who happened to start a conference to help folks in the nonprofit world get better at their jobs.In short, Chris Davenport is a storyteller by heart. He's had a career in Hollywood and doing documentaries, but he's making his biggest impact working with nonprofits — working with organizations on videos of need and impact, and with a concept about 10 years or so ago for a conference to help nonprofits called the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference.As you'll hear, Chris' background is in films and Hollywood. He'll share some wonderful stories (and lessons) from a couple of films, how the death of his brother changed his outlook on work, and the importance of storytelling for businesses and leaders with any type of organization. And much more.LINKS:To learn about the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a year-end financial gift -- that'll be DOUBLED -- to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This is episode 141 of the C-10 Podcast and as we do occasionally, we're turning over the hosting to Al Wallace, a longtime sportscaster here in Kansas City — and now one of the mentors in the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program. This week, Al interviews Max Utsler, who taught journalism at both the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas, and was instrumental in helping to develop the C-10 program.If you've listened to many of the previous 140 episodes, you've heard Max a time or two. We even did an interview with Max during the early days of this podcast, episode 16 to be exact, in August of 2020. But this week you'll hear a little different side of Max as he's interviewed by one of his longtime friends, Al Wallace.A little about Max, though.In 2020, Utsler received broadcast journalism education's highest honor, the Edward L. Bliss Award. Before retiring, he was also recognized at KU as the top mentor among his peers.Prior to joining the faculty at KU, Utsler served as assistant news director at KOMU-TV (NBC) and Associate Professor for the School of Journalism at Missouri. He joined the KU faculty in 1984 and served in both teaching and administrative positions. After serving as assistant news director at KSDK-TV (NBC) in St. Louis, he was a reporter, producer, and freelance writer with major media outlets like MLB.com, MLB-TV, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, and ESPN. He spent half a year at KPNX-TV covering sports in Phoenix, Arizona.Utsler, who's from a farm community in central Illinois, graduated from Knox College before starting his career as a junior high English teacher in Minnesota.This interview with Max and Al Wallace was recorded in front of the C-10 students and mentors in November.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with one of the Blue KC Coaches with Character honorees from this season, Klee Nelson.What is the Blue KC Coaches with Character program? Well, since 2017 we've had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals called Coaches with Character. Each year we recognize six coaches who are making Kansas City a better place.This year we are featuring the coaches on this podcast because who knows better about leadership, building teams, team chemistry and so on than successful high school coaches?Klee Nelson, the football coach of the Kansas City East Lions, was this season's first honoree back in April.Klee Nelson has been coaching at KC East, a homeschool organization in the Kansas City community, since 2015 and never takes a single day of his job for granted. His passion for coaching makes him a key asset in helping student-athletes engage in fun, happy and healthy competition outside of their homeschooled environments.Through coaching, Nelson is able to give homeschooled kids an opportunity to play sports that they never thought they could. He says that it is his honor and privilege to be able to serve homeschool and small private-school communities when they feel they do not have any other options. He is providing opportunities that he never had as a child, and he knows how fulfilling it is to the players who he and the rest of the staff coach and mentor. LINKS:Here's the article about Klee Nelson as the April Blue KC Coaches with Character honoree.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Reggie Morris, the boy's basketball coach at Raytown South High School, and one of this year's Blue KC Coaches with Character honorees. What is the Blue KC Coaches with Character program? Since 2017, CYITML has partnered with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals for a program called Coaches with Character. Each year we recognize six coaches who are making Kansas City a better place.This year we are featuring the coaches on this podcast, because, who knows better about leadership, building teams, team chemistry and so on than successful high school coaches?Reggie Morris, the boys' basketball coach at Raytown South High School, was our second Coaches with Character recipient this year, back in May.Morris is starting his third year at Raytown South after a successful stint as the coach at Grandview High School, where his teams won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Morris' resume includes being selected as KC Metro Basketball Coach of the Year twice, the Conference Coach of the Year award winner three times, from 2017-2019, and the District Coach of the Year for four consecutive years from 2017-2020.Ultimately, though, Morris is about what happens away from basketball for the young men he coaches. Culture is huge for Morris. And his goal, like it is with our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program, is to prepare his players, as well as other students with whom he comes in contact at Raytown South, for their next stage in life.Morris talks about all of that, defines COMPASSION, takes a swing at Pregame Batting Practice, and much more. LINKS:Here's the article about Reggie Morris as the May Blue KC Coaches with Character honoree.Here's a link to the Blue KC documentary, Not Good Enough, that Reggie and Matt reference. For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Butch Rigby, a Kansas City developer — or restorer, might be a better term — entrepreneur, lawyer and founder of Thank You, Walt Disney.Rigby has developed real estate in and around the Kansas City area for more than 30 years, starting when he was a full time student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, and a Juris Doctor from the UMKC School of Law.Right after school, he headed to Hollywood to work in movies. A few years later, Butch returned to Kansas City with some great stories.He founded the Screenland Movie Theatre Circuit, and as a part of that venture, he restored the Historic Granada Movie Theatre Building in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. He then renovated the historic Armour Theatre Building in North Kansas City, Mo. He placed the two buildings on the National Historic Register.In the 1990s he formed Thank You Walt Disney Inc., and as Chairman of that organization, he and a group of volunteers purchased Walt Disney's first cartoon studio, the Laugh-O-Gram building near 31st and Troost and took the building off of the city's condemned building list, restored its structural integrity and have prepared it for re-use as an interactive historic site.Butch will talk about those things and much more, including taking a swing at some "Pregame Batting Practice." LINKS:To learn more about Thank You, Walt Disney, please visit their site.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Jessalyn Kincaid, who's made a name for herself during the past two decades as an actor in numerous theater performances in Kansas City and beyond. Jessalyn is the Audience and Donor Relations Manager at Music Theater Heritage, a job she's held for about three months. Before that, going back to 2016, she was MTH's Manager of Artistic Operations. But she's also a director, producer, former event coordinator…and former waitress, which will come out during this episode.You'll hear about all of that, and much more, including Jessalyn's swings at "Pregame Batting Practice."This episode was recorded on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, in front of our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage.LINKS:For tickets to MTH's production of "Ain't Misbehavin'," which goes until October 29, please visit their ticket site.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Chris Giuliani, the CEO of Spring Venture Group, a national insurance company based in Kansas City that focuses largely on Medicare.Chris Giuliani joined Spring Venture Group in 2011 as Executive Vice President, and was promoted to CEO in 2012. Shortly after that, in 2014, he was selected for Ingram magazine's “40 Under 40” list. Under Chris' leadership, Spring Venture Group grew from 27 employees in 2012 to more than 1,200 today. Additionally, Spring Venture Group has been on INC. magazine's "Inc. 5000" list, plus Business Insurance's "Best Places to Work," The Kansas City Business Journal's "Fast 50," and has been inducted in the “Ingram's 250” three times.In full disclosure, Spring Venture Group has been a sponsor of our Crown Town Wiffle and C You At Topgolf events, and recently hosted our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership students and mentors for a field trip.You'll hear about all of that, and much more, including an unexpected opening and Chris' swings at "Pregame Batting Practice."  LINKS:For more information about Spring Venture Group, please visit their site.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with C You In The Major Leagues founder and board president Dayton Moore. We discuss the one-year anniversary of the Kansas City Royals firing him, Ned Yost's Royals Hall of Fame induction, the importance of coaches, and why teams like the Royals can take five out of six games from the Houston Astros, while the Texas Rangers struggle with the Astros. All of that and much more.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Tim Kennedy, the longtime and extremely successful baseball coach at Bishop Miege and Blue Valley High School here in the Kansas City area.Now, why are we talking with a high school baseball coach on a podcast that mainly features business leaders and talks about leadership and mentoring?Well, as you may know, since 2017 we've had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals called Coaches with Character. Each year we recognize six coaches who are making Kansas City a better place.This year we are featuring the coaches on this podcast because who knows better about leadership, building teams, team chemistry and so on than successful high school coaches?A graduate of Blue Valley High School in 1990, Tim Kennedy put together a successful 2023 campaign in his first year as head coach at his alma mater after having previously served as a math teacher and an assistant coach at the school since 2013.Tim's coaching and teaching background started in 1997, shortly after graduating from Kansas State University. After five years as an assistant coach at Bishop Miege High School, Kennedy became head coach of the Stags and served in that role from 2003-2011 before his tenure at Blue Valley High School began in 2013.As his nominator, Peggy Rose, who was a Blue KC Coach with Character honoree a few years ago, wrote, “Coach Kennedy is what first class looks like as a teacher and a coach. He works with his students in Algebra 2 and AP Calculus in the same way he works with his high school baseball players – in a patient, respectful and encouraging manner that fosters a sense of confidence that has manifested itself in several league and state titles, as well as success in the mathematics classroom. He always does the right thing and wants what is best for the team and to make kids better through sports. Tim always has time to talk and listen to fellow coaches, teachers, students and athletes.”In this chat, we talk about that coaching career, leadership highs and lows, building a team, and much more.LINKS:Here's the article about Tim Kennedy as the June Blue KC Coaches with Character honoree.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week you're going to be hearing from two more of the mentors in our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program: Shawnie Nix and Todd Donoho. (Technically, you're hearing from three C-10 mentors as Al Wallace, a longtime Kansas City sportscaster, leads the discussion.)This was recorded on Wednesday night, September 6th, in front of our students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage inside Crown Center here in Kansas City.We interview mentors from time to time because we want the students in the program to hear about leadership within different companies, and see that most of our paths aren't straight between high school and a possible career to the ultimate career in a person's life. We recorded these four with the idea that they'd be episodes of the C-10 Podcast.We actually recorded four interviews that night, and you can hear the first two — Jen Fescoe and Jim Unruh — in last week's episode.As mentioned, though, this week are Shawnie Nix and Todd Donoho.First up is Shawnie, who happened to be the guest of our second-ever C-10 Podcast in 2020. (Link below.) But Shawnie has a special place in the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program. She used to bring groups from the Police Athletic League to Kauffman Stadium for a program we used to have called C You At The K. That program ended up being the impetus for what became the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program….and because we'd gotten to know her really well through C You At The K, when we put together the curriculum committee to form C-10, we asked Shawnie to be a part of that. And, about three years ago, as she was nearing retirement from the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, she became a mentor in the C-10 program. And we're so lucky to have her as a part of this.After Shawnie you'll hear from longtime sportscaster Todd Donoho, who's been with C-10 as a pinch-hitter mentor — a substitute mentor — since our first year. As you'll hear, Todd had a long and successful career as a sports anchor in Michigan, Cincinnati and Los Angeles. Besides being one of our most active pinch hitters, Todd has also been an important part of our C You At Topgolf committee for the past few years.One quick note about Todd's interview because it's unlike the other three that you've heard up to this point. Although students and mentors could ask questions of each guest that night, we took those out. But you'll get a chance to hear a couple of the students' questions for Todd. We're leaving them in because the answers are insightful and entertaining.LINKS:To hear Episode 2 of the C-10 Podcast, which features Shawnie Nix, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week you're going to be hearing from two of the mentors in our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program: Jen Fescoe and Jim Unruh. (Technically, you're hearing from three C-10 mentors as Al Wallace, a longtime Kansas City sportscaster, leads the discussion.)This was recorded on Wednesday night, September 6th, in front of our students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage inside Crown Center here in Kansas City.We actually recorded four interviews that night, so you can hear the first two this week and then the next two in a future episode.We interview mentors from time to time because we want the students in the program to hear about leadership within different companies, and see that most of our paths aren't straight between high school and a possible career to the ultimate career in a person's life. We recorded these four with the idea that they'd be episodes of the C-10 Podcast.Up first are Jen Fescoe and Jim Unruh.Jen is in her fifth year as a C-10 mentor. Here's a cool thing about Jen and the program: she was paired with a student in her first year, but the student didn't return. She was paired with a new student for her second year. Again, the student didn't return for a second year. We promised Jen, though, that she wouldn't have that issue with her third student.And she didn't. It was a perfect fit. Jen and her third student, Alissa, bonded quickly. And Alissa excelled in C-10. So much so that she was selected as a member of the C-10 Student Leadership Council last year, and this year, as a college freshman, Alissa is back as a mentor in training.By day, Jen, who's the mother of two teenage girls and is the wife of Bob Fescoe, a morning host on 610 Sports Radio, is a high school teacher.After Jen you'll hear from Jim Unruh, who's in his third year as a C-10 Mentor.Jim, who's in leadership in commercial real estate with Collier's, has had the same student for his first two years, Manny. Like Alissa, Manny has been so well thought of by his peers that this year he's a member of the C-10 Student Leadership Council. (Incidentally, Manny is the second of three students from his family to be in C-10. His older brother was in the program for more than three years and his younger sister joined this year.) That's a direct correlation to his experience with his mentor, Jim Unruh.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Shelli Vaughan, the longtime and extremely successful dance team coach at Notre Dame de Sion High School here in the Kansas City area.Now, why are we talking with a high school dance coach on a podcast that mainly features business leaders and talks about leadership and mentoring?Well, as you may know, since 2017 we've had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals called Coaches with Character. Each year we recognize six coaches who are making Kansas City a better place.This year we are featuring the coaches on this podcast because who knows better about leadership, building teams, team chemistry and so on than successful high school coaches?Shelli Vaughan was not only the coach of the dance team, which won numerous state championships, but she also helped start the program….when she was just a junior in high school.Since she took over as head coach in 2000, her teams won 15 Missouri state championships, including an incredible streak of 11 in a row. In 2020, Vaughan was selected as a “Coach of the Year” nominee by the National Dance Team Coaches Association. In this chat, we talk about that coaching career, leadership highs and lows, building a team, and much more. LINKS:Here's the article about Shelli Vaughan as the August Blue KC Coaches with Character honoree.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week on the C-10 Podcast we're chatting about mentoring with long-time sports anchor, Al Wallace. Al joined the sports department at WDAF-TV/FOX 4 in Kansas City in May 1985, and spent 33 years at the station. His broadcasting roots started in 1978, when he began working in production at KAMC-TV in Lubbock, Texas, where he eventually became sports director. He has also been weekend sports anchor and executive sports producer for KXAS-TV in Dallas, Texas and KVBC-TV in Las Vegas, Nevada.He retired from FOX 4 on December 18, 2018.Today he teaches in the journalism department at the University of Kansas, and he's a mentor in the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program. LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're talking with Brandy Burch, a co-founder and the CEO of Benefitbay, a company that works with other companies and ICHRA  — Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement, which is a health insurance solution for a company to offer its employees.Brandy started her professional career in the Kansas City area, including two years with Visit KC. But she's had an interesting journey — at least certainly not a straight line. She graduated from Emporia State with a degree in accounting before working for various companies. But then about 10 years after graduating, she went back to school for another undergrad degree before getting a Masters of Business Administration. In 2021 she was part of a group that started what became Benefitbay in Omaha, Nebraska. A year later, in April 2022, she was selected as the company's CEO. After securing a second round of funding, Brandy moved the company's headquarters to the Kansas City area earlier this year. She did all of this — ALL of this — as a mother. So, we chat about Brandy's background, the "long and winding road," her persistence to overcome adversity, and the COURAGE it's taken to do all of this. LINKS:To find out more about Benefitbay, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

When you were young, did you ever dream of staying up all night during the summer to play your favorite sport or game? For many, especially in the summer, it was baseball. Well, this week we're talking about that dream of playing all night as we talk about an idea of an “Endless Game.” But it's not a bunch of 12-year-olds who've hatched this idea. No, it's a group of, well, middle-aged (or slightly beyond) men and women who came up with the idea of playing an all-night game…for about four nights and five days. And, along the way, they're hoping to break a Guinness Book World Record…and raise a lot of money for various charities in Kansas City, including C You In The Major Leagues. This week we're chatting with one of the main instigators of this idea — and someone who happens to be a big supporter of C You In The Major Leagues — Jerry Weaver. (In full disclosure, as you'll hear, Jerry and his wife Janice are monthly donors to C You In The Major Leagues, and he's participated in our first two C You At Topgolf fundraising events. The photo for this week is from this year's event when Jerry's team won the "Far From First" award.)By day, Jerry is a Regional Sales Manager with Minerals Technologies. But by night and weekend, Jerry plays and helps run the Kansas City Men's Senior Baseball League.  LINKS:To find out more about the Endless Game, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Periodically on this podcast since February, we've been introducing you folks who have turned doing "one good thing" into life-changing experiences and moments for people in the Kansas City community (and beyond).The series is part of the new book, titled "One Good Thing," that was co-authored by CYITML Founder/Board President Dayton Moore, CYITML Executive Director and host of the C-10 Podcast Matt Fulks, and Ray Jarrett, the Executive Director of Unite KC. (You can learn more about the book at OneGoodThingBook.com or through one of the links in the show's notes.)So far in this occasional series, you've heard from Jeremiah Enna of The Culture House, Will Gurley, founder of the You Matter Festival, and Rex and Jennifer Hudler from Team Up For Down Syndrome.Well, this week you're going to hear from Dayton Moore, as he shares why he wanted to write the book, what he learned about people during this process, why it's important to him to give back to the community and much more.LINKS:To order the new book, "One Good Thing," from Amazon, go here.To get a copy of "One Good Thing" signed by Dayton Moore, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Becky Browne, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Lockton Affinity, a subsidiary of Lockton Companies. Lockton Affinity is an insurance brokerage firm working with affinity groups, nonprofits, associations and franchises.Becky has been with Lockton since 2001, first as a recruiter and then VP of HR with Lockton Affinity and then about a year ago, Senior Vice President of HR. Incidentally, Lockton Affinity started in 1987, making it about 36 years old…and Becky has been with them since 2004. So she's been with Lockton Affinity for more than half of their lifetime.Becky, who's originally from Detroit, got her degree in Textile Apparel Studies from Western Michigan University, and then started her career at Kohl's before moving to Kansas City and going to work for Lockton Companies.She talks about that transition, keys for job seekers today, the importance of culture and looking for the right people to fit a culture, and much more. (And, of course, she takes a swing at our Pregame Batting Practice.)LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page. 

As we talk with CYITML Founder and Executive Chairman Dayton Moore regularly throughout this year, we're chatting this week about the recent CYITML Baseball Camp -- and how a tragedy turned into this camp nine years ago. And, of course, we talk baseball, including the Texas Rangers' draft, the evolution of pitchers and much more.   LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're chatting with Dave Youker, the swimming & diving coach at Olathe East High School here in the Kansas City area.Now, why are we talking with a high school swimming and diving coach on a podcast that mainly features business leaders and talks about leadership and mentoring?Well, as you may know, since 2017 we've had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals called Coaches with Character. Each year we recognize six coaches who are making Kansas City a better place.This year we are featuring the coaches on this podcast because who knows better about leadership, building teams, team chemistry and so on than successful high school coaches?Dave Youker, the swimming & diving coach at Olathe East High School here in the Kansas City area, happens to be the July Coaches with Character honoree.Coach Youker has been at Olathe East since it opened in 1992 — so for 31 years, he has built an incredibly successful program that has turned out championship swimmers who understand the importance of becoming something bigger than themselves. And there was even a stretch about 10 years ago when he was coaching two high school teams at the same time: Olathe East and St. Thomas Aquinas.In this chat, we talk about that coaching career, leadership highs and lows, building a team, and much more. LINKS:Here's the article about Dave Youker as a Blue KC Coaches with Character honoree.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week on the C-10 Podcast we're talking with Jonathan Jones, the Cultural Conversation Leader at DEMDACO.  What does a Cultural Conversation Leader do? And just what is DEMDACO? We'll find that out momentarily.Jonathan has been with DEMDACO since September 2006. He joined the company to help its leaders focus on their mission and culture. As part of that, in full disclosure, DEMDACO -- thanks to Jonathan -- has been a sponsor at our first two C You At Topgolf events, the most recent at the end of May. Recently, Jonathan and DEMDACO launched a podcast called Lift the Spirit, which you'll hear about as well.Before joining DEMDACO, Jonathan was a pastor for about 12 years — first in Florida and then in Leawood, and finally in Belton, Missouri.LINKS:To find out more about DEMDACO, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week on the C-10 Podcast, we're featuring a "One Good Thing" chat with Michael Loney, the founder of Freedom Hoops, a basketball ministry in the urban core of Kansas City.Michael founded Freedom Hoops in 2014 alongside friend and mentor Kevin Kacy of Freedom Fire. Throughout his career, basketball seemed to promise fulfillment but God used basketball to teach Michael to solely boast in Christ. He has a passion to follow Christ, romance his wife each day, point his sons to Jesus, and to use basketball and the gospel to disciple and transform urban youth to know God.In this conversation, Michael talks about going from small-town Iowa to a career setback that led to founding Freedom Hoops. And much more.LINKS:To order the book, "One Good Thing," from Amazon, go here.To get a copy of "One Good Thing" signed by Dayton Moore, click here.To find out more about Freedom Hoops, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

As we hit summer this week, it's a great time for baseball camp. And it's a great time to pick up our bimonthly chat with C You In The Major Leagues Founder and Executive Chair Dayton Moore. This was recorded during our ninth annual C You In The Major Leagues Baseball Camp at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City.This week we chat with Dayton about his old friend Rusty Kuntz, who was one of our camp instructors, the art of scouting, C You At Topgolf, his gig with the Texas Rangers, and much more.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

As you might've seen in the title, this is episode 120. It's going to be a little different from most episodes, but it's an exciting one for us.See, on May 31st, we closed our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership school year with our annual salute to the seniors. This year, in addition to the normal pomp and circumstance, we asked each senior to deliver a 2-5 minute speech on one of our 10 C words. Each C word could be picked only once. Funny, but the seven words chosen by these seniors fits each one perfectly.So this week's episode features those seven speeches. You'll hear about the C words, how the C words have influenced each student, and how the C-10 program fits with that C word in their lives.The order:Avary (Character)Lisa (Care)Treyton (Courage)Isaiah (Confidence)Alissa (Commitment)Dawson (Competitor)Korey (Coach)We hope you enjoy it.LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

If you're a long-time Kansas Citian, you likely recognize the name Toby Cook. He spent more than 14 years with the Kansas City Royals as the Vice President of Publicity. Before that, he was an anchor for eight years on Fox4 in Kansas City. In the spring of 2021, he had a job pivot — in his early 50s — when he left the Royals and became the Director of Public Relations for the University of Kansas Health Systems.In this episode we talk to Toby about the job he's doing now, what he's learned about himself, our C word, COMPOSURE, the recent C You At Topgolf event, and he takes another swing at our Pre-Game Batting Practice.LINKS:In this episode we mention the legendary Bill Kurtis and how he's a past guest. To hear Episode 40 with Bill Kurtis, click here.This is Toby's second time on the C-10 Podcast. To hear his first visit, Episode 60, go here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week we're joined by Mary Esselman, the President and CEO of Operation Breakthrough here in Kansas City. Mary has an interesting background in education, starting as a teacher in a prison before focusing on children from under-resourced areas. She taught in the Kansas City area, moved to Detroit, and then came back to KC to begin working at Operation Breakthrough. (If you're not familiar, Operation Breakthrough, which started in 1971, provides a safe, loving and educational environment for children in poverty and empowers their families through advocacy, emergency aid and education.)We're incredibly fortunate that Mary and her incredible team at Operation Breakthrough allow our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program to use their space on a fairly regular basis during the school year.Mary takes our Pre-Game Batting Practice before diving in to the 10 questions, including one about our C word, COMMITMENT. LINKS:To learn more about the awesome work at Operation Breakthrough, visit their website.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

This week on the C-10 Podcast we're chatting with Ryan Watson, a one-on-one mentor in the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program. Ryan is finishing his second year in the program. As his student Korey heads to college in the fall, Ryan is eager to get his next student.Ryan grew up in the Kansas City area, graduated from Rockhurst High School and then Kansas State University. Incidentally, he is the nephew of award-winning jazz musician, Bobby Watson.For eight years, Ryan was a District Manager with EcoLab. For the past seven years, he has worked his way up to agency owner with Farmers Insurance. LINKS:For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

One of our favorite nights on the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program calendar happened recently. It's when we invite the next year's cohort of students to come to a session and see what C-10's about. As part of that, we interview the current seniors to see what they've taken from their two to four years in the program.So, this week you're meet and hear from five of this year's seven seniors: Alissa from Sumner Academy, Avary from Piper, Dawson from Liberty North, Lisa from Wyandotte, and Trey from Truman. (Our other two seniors, Isaiah and Korey, weren't with us due to high school baseball games.)As an extra bonus, these five seniors were interviewed in front of the group by longtime Kansas City sports TV anchor — and C-10 mentor — Al Wallace.One final note: if you're a supporter of C You In The Major Leagues and, specifically, the C-10 program, as a financial donor, a mentor, an in-kind donor…whatever it might be…THANK YOU! You are making all of this possible. LINKS:Register here for the 2nd Annual C You At Topgolf event.To go straight to the auction page, which closes on May 25th, click here.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

For those who've met her in the last 10 years or so, Mandy Shoemaker is an entrepreneur. And rightly so. In 2013, she and her sister-in-law Michala Gibson founded Prairie Elder Care, which provides residential care in a unique setting for people living with Alzheimer's and dementia. And then last year they launched Connectivities, a subscription-based service that provides boxes of supplies for activities to help build connections for families and other caregivers for people with dementia and Alzheimer's.Before 2013, though, Mandy had a much different career. She started as an elementary school teacher in Oregon, where she worked in some challenging circumstances. She returned to the Kansas City area -- her childhood home -- in 2005, first as a principal in the Blue Valley School District, before moving over to the Olathe School District.With all of this awesomeness that she's been a part of, Mandy was a 2019 Women Who Mean Business honoree from the Kansas City Business Journal, and then in 2020, Prairie Elder Care was one of the Kansas City Chamber's Top 10 Small Businesses.We chat with Mandy about her career, building relationships, the importance of CARE in leadership, and much more. LINKS:To learn about Prairie Elder Care, go here.For info about Connectivities, click here.Register here for the 2nd Annual C You At Topgolf event.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Periodically since February, we've been introducing you to the remarkable people featured in the new book, "One Good Thing." This week, you're going to “meet” Ryan Lefebvre. We're putting "meet" in quotation marks because although you likely know Ryan's work as a Royals broadcaster for 25 years, you're going to hear a different side of Ryan in this conversation, as we chat about race, how George Brett's brother helped Ryan get his first real glove, and how that led to a project that's put gloves on the hands of hundreds of boys and girls in Kansas City. And much more.Ryan grew up in Los Angeles, the son of a former Major League player and manager, before going to the University of Minnesota on a baseball scholarship, where he was a first-team all-Big 10 selection in 1993.He spent the first four years of his major-league broadcasting career with the Minnesota Twins before coming to Kansas City in 1999, replacing the popular Fred White. (He mentions that in this conversation.)Ryan is the founder of Gloves for Kids, which has raised money for youth programs in Kansas and Missouri since 2001. In 2011, he was the recipient of the John J. “Buck” O'Neil MVP Award for his commitment to youth in Kansas City. In 2015, Ryan was named the recipient of the Olathe NAACP Diversity in Sports Award.LINKS:To order the new book, "One Good Thing," from Amazon, go here.To get a copy of "One Good Thing" signed by Dayton Moore, click here.Register here for the 2nd Annual C You At Topgolf event.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.

Sandra Olivas is a Kansas City lifer. She grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, went to the University of Kansas, spent a brief time with a TV station in Topeka, Kansas, before coming home and becoming one of the top reporters for KCTV-5.Sandra spent about 14 years at the station. But then her family, through the tragic death of her mom in a car accident caused by a high-speed police chase, altered her career.She then went into the banking world, first with Bank of Labor Community Bank and, since January 2021 with First Federal Bank of Kansas City, where she is the Community Development Officer.(On a side note, if you've listened to other episodes of the C-10 Podcast you know that First Federal Bank sponsors the Student Spotlight that hits around the middle of each episode. We are incredibly grateful to bank president JR Buckner and the First Federal Bank family for their continued support of C You In The Major Leagues and, specifically, the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program.)This interview was recorded in front of our C-10 students and mentors at Music Theater Heritage inside Crown Center on Wednesday night, April 19.As we do with many of these interviews, we've taken out the students and mentors' questions at the end, but you're left with a fascinating conversation with someone who followed her dream, pivoted after tragedy struck — although not right when that happened, as she will point out during this chat — but she's continuing to make a great impact on her hometown.Max Utsler, who does interviews on the C-10 Podcast from time to time, was one of Sandra's college professors at KU and interviewed her for this week's podcast. LINKS:Register here for the 2nd Annual C You At Topgolf event.For more information about the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program for high school students, including how current eighth to 10th graders in the KC Metro can apply, visit our website.To make a financial gift to give students life-changing one-on-one mentoring, visit our secure donation page.For all episodes of the C-10 podcast and ways you can listen, click here.If you'd like to make a comment, have a suggestion for a future guest, or your company would like to help underwrite this podcast, please visit our contact page.