Launch Youniversity: Professional Development and Career Tips for Entrepreneurs, Executives, Intrapreneurs and Non-Profit Lea

If you do a great job fulfilling your role, you'll likely get opportunities to lead projects and people. However, transitioning from subject matter expert and independent contributor to leader is like an athlete transitioning from playing on the field to coaching the team. It requires different skills and abilities. Consequently, a promotion into a leadership position often negatively affects the contributions of an organization's top performers, but it doesn't have to be that way. We can begin preparing ourselves and our team members for opportunities to lead. In episode 211, Heather Zempel of National Community Church in Washington D.C. shares how she develops herself and others as leaders at one of the most successful churches in the United States. She also gives us a framework to do the same. Welcome to episode 211.

The reward for doing a great job at work is typically more projects to manage, more people to lead, bigger decisions to make, and bigger goals to accomplish. However, you never get more time to do it all. As you grow, One of the keys to your professional success will be how well you manage your time as the demands for your time increase. In episode 210, David Farmer, SVP of Restaurant Experience at Chick-fil-A and one-fourth of the MNTR team, shares how he masters his schedule to maximize his time. In the process, David gives us a masterclass in time management and productivity. Welcome to episode 210 of Executive Minds.

Ambitious, high-achievers, like us, often struggle to acknowledge what we are doing well. We develop a critical eye, which quickly identifies when we and others around us are not hitting the mark. We believe it helps us raise our game, deliver excellence, achieve results, gain recognition, and maximize our growth. However, brain science disagrees. In this episode, we revisit Jeff Henderson's conversation with organizational and clinical psychologist Dr. Tim Irwin to learn how affirmation, not criticism, is the way to improve performance at work and bring the best out of others.

As go-getters, we often have a future-focused, what's-next orientation that can rob us of enjoying today. However, we still need to think, plan, and work ahead intentionally. It's required to be an effective leader for ourselves and others. Planning today helps us reduce the potential stress and overwhelm of tomorrow. So, how do we both stay present and get ahead? In this episode, we catch up with Chick-fil-A executive and founding mentor at Executive Minds, David Farmer, for a behind-the-scenes into his annual review for 2021. We also discover how he works to balance leading for the future while still living in the present.

Everything gets hard at some point. There are just different types of hard. Physically, it's hard to work out, and it's hard to navigate a failing body. Relationally, there's the difficulty of uncomfortable conversations or the challenge of fractured relationships. Professionally, we can lead ourselves and our teams through the obstacles of just growing the bottom line or also solving problems that matter. Our opportunity is to choose our version of hard, so the effort put into our work and career is for something that matters. In this episode, Ashley Jones of Love Not Lost shares how she discovered a problem worth solving. However, this conversation also reveals principles we can use to do the same.

Go-getters, no matter how motivated, often struggle to achieve goals when it's hard to measure their progress. Physically, we know when we're losing weight. Financially, we know when we've earned more money. Professionally, we typically know when goals are achieved and projects are completed at work. However, things are never quite as clear in our marriage, parenting, spiritual life, and even our leadership at work. In this episode, we catch up with Chick-fil-A executive and founding mentor at Executive Minds, Shane Benson, for a behind-the-scenes into his annual review for 2021. We also discover how he's learned to make progress in areas of life that are a bit harder to measure.

All of our ideas will not work. Some ideas will underperform and not meet expectations, and some ideas will simply bomb. Back in 2016, after significant research and development, David Farmer's team at Chick-fil-A replaced the restaurant's classic barbecue sauce with a new one. Despite having success during testing, it was publicly criticized by thousands of loyal customers, and the original sauce quickly returned. In episode 205, Jeff Henderson leads a conversation with David and Shane Benson recapping the experience — what happened, how they responded, and what they learned. Along the way, they will arm you with a toolbox of strategies and principles on how to handle situations where ideas, projects, and products simply don't go as planned. Welcome to episode 205.

It's challenging to work your way up the ranks of an organization. Unlike the military, most companies provide no clear path for earning more opportunities and preparing yourself for the next level of leadership. In this episode, Courtney DeRonde, the managing partner of the accounting and business intelligence firm TDT, shares her journey and how she went from an entry-level employee at the company out of college to now leading and owning the organization without ever being given a roadmap. Through her story, we extract a strategy to help you grow where you are and what is assigned to you so you can get where you want to go. Welcome to episode 204.

Go-getters feel compelled to grow. We know it's the path to earning more money, improving the quality of our lives or our family's lives, getting a promotion, landing our dream jobs, launching our business, and making a more significant impact in the world. We know our potential is our responsibility, but how do we cultivate it? In episode 203, you'll learn how to intentionally and strategically take your growth into your own hands. To help you, we revisit a conversation between Kevin B. Jennings and David Farmer when they shared how to develop and execute an effective professional development plan. Welcome to episode 203.

What got you where you are often isn't what will get you where you ultimately want to go. How things have been done is no indication that they should continue being done that way. Business as usual and status quo will, at best, typically get us the results we're currently getting. To achieve our biggest goals, attract the right opportunities, and maximize our impact, we will likely have to think and act differently. In episode 202, Brett Hagler, CEO of New Story, shares his journey of building a tech-driven nonprofit tackling global homelessness while opening up about his approach to thinking differently to help us stand out, attract top talent, and achieve big goals. You'll also discover the power of perusing what's possible and, sometimes, what even seems impossible. Welcome to episode 202 of Executive Minds.

Despite knowing the impact relationships have on our careers, many professionals and leaders still struggle to cultivate and nurture their networks, which ultimately limits their future opportunities for growth. In episode 201, we revisit some of the guidance we received from business strategist and networking expert Darrah Brustein about how to both grow your network and build authentic relationships while embracing your personality style and navigating a busy schedule.

Have you ever wondered how some people succeed professionally while also enjoying a fulfilling life outside of work? We've often wondered the same. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to life, success leaves clues. To celebrate our 200th episode, we've invited Chick-fil-A franchisee Kevin Williams on the podcast to discuss his book, "Irrational Kindness." For decades, Kevin has been inspiring everyone he meets to pursue an extraordinary life, but his approach isn't rooted in an unhealthy, never-ending pursuit of more. It's quite the opposite. Kevin has created an extraordinary career and life by choosing to be irrationally kind, infinitely curious, and consistently believing in the power of possibilities. Now, what started as simple one-on-one meetings with new employees at his Chick-fil-A restaurants has turned into a grassroots movement inspiring others to pursue an extraordinary life by being irrationally kind. Check out Kevin's conversation with Jeff Henderson, David Farmer, and Shane Benson, and welcome to episode 200 of Executive Minds.

After taking 2021 to reset, Executive Minds is back with more interviews and conversations full of principles, strategies, and tools to help you maximize your potential as you launch ideas, lead teams, build businesses, and improve communities. Our goal is still the same: To help you convert potential into high-performance so you can grow your career. Now, we're doing it as a podcast in The Art of Leadership Network — a podcast network by Carey Nieuwhof dedicated to helping you live in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow. Discover what's next for the podcast as we continue to help go-getters, like you, become difference makers.

You and your team are accomplishing big things. Big, difficult things. And with all the testing, tweaking and launching, it's easy to lose sight of something just as important: celebrating. As Shane and David share in today's episode, a pause to celebrate creates energy and momentum. It can even be the fuel to rocket power through the next launch.

It's the opening day of your new clothing boutique. As a new entrepreneur, you've worked so hard to see your passion and vision come to life. But when you arrive for your first day of work, you find that your business has been completely robbed. Everything from your inventory to your register is gone. What do you do?This is what happened to Dana Spinola, CEO of fab'rik boutique stores. Since the 2006 launch, fab'rik has grown to over 40 store locations and launched a nonprofit, free fab'rik. On today's episode of the podcast, Jeff and David join Dana in the fab'rik offices to hear her story. We hope you find Dana's unwavering vision and heart as inspiring as we did.

Meet Dave Adamson an Australian sports reporter, online pastor, photographer, YouTuber and podcast host. You might be asking how can one person be all those things? It s surprisingly simple: Dave has designed his life and schedule to allow him to say yes to most things. And he does so without sacrificing his sanity or time at home with his family. If you re a multi-passionate creative or entrepreneur, this podcast is for you. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Welcome to The Executive Minds Podcast.

The Launch Youniversity Podcast helps go-getters, like you, discover what it takes to turn good intentions into reality in their career, business, and life.

Welcome to the Executive Minds Podcast! On this week's episode, we sat down with Rodney Bullard, Chick-Fil-A Corporate Social Responsibility Leader and Executive Director of the Chick-Fil-A Foundation. Rodney is a frequent public speaker as well as being the bestselling author of Heroes Wanted: Why the World Needs You to Live Your Heart Out. We talked with Rodney about what it means to be a "difference maker" in our lives and businesses. We were lucky to be able to have this conversation with Rodney and we know you'll enjoy it as well!  

Most of us visioneers have the same problem we have this idea we d like to see get off the ground, but we re overwhelmed by the starting point (where is that thing anyway?). Others of us jump clear over the start line and land somewhere in the middle, bypassing all of the important stuff that keeps the idea afloat.On today s episode, we re joined by MacKenzie Wilson, cofounder of Delight Ministries, a nationwide Christian ministry that invites college women into a community centered around shared college experiences and stories. What started as an idea among college sophomore friends in 2012 with just a few interested women transformed into an organization present in more than 130 universities nationwide and in the United Kingdom and Uganda. Together with host, Shane Benson, Wilson shares how the vision for Delight Ministries was propelled by community, and trial and error.

In this week’s Executive Minds, David sits down with co-mentor Jeff to discuss the nuances surrounding transitioning out of one occupational position and into another. Having recently been through this, Jeff has a lot of wisdom and tips to share for someone who is currently in the process of transitioning or thinking about transitioning in the near future. We discuss the importance of paying close attention to where the world is leading you and how to take those directions in the most mindful way possible. Hopefully, this conversation provides you with some beneficial insight into how to properly navigate this process now or in the future!

Today, host Kevin Jennings is joined by Carey Nieuwhof; author, pastor, and speaker. Carey shares his personal experience towards self-improvement and about the character challenges that no one expects, yet everyone experiences. Welcome to episode 192 of the Executive Minds Podcast.

The Launch Youniversity Podcast helps go-getters, like you, discover what it takes to turn good intentions into reality in their career, business, and life.

In this week’s Executive Minds, Kevin sits down with co-mentors David and Jeff to discuss how to remain productive during a personal crisis. As a leader, we’re expected to drive performance and lead a team towards a shared goal but perhaps team members are experiencing personal hardships for which you need to account. Whether it’s a loss of a loved one or a fight with a spouse, we all can find ourselves dealing with something that can impact our work. There’s a tension in figuring when is it best to push forward and when to pull back. How do you show up when you’re not okay? We hope this on-time conversation is as helpful and insightful for you as it was for the team. Thanks for tuning in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, David, Jeff, and Shane discuss how to approach your first time as a leader. You might be thinking that this doesn’t apply to you since you’ve been a leader for many years. But perhaps you’re taking on a new leadership role after many years in the same position. Whether it’s starting a company, changing organizations or kicking off new projects, it might be helpful to hear some reminders, recollections and tested wisdom for how to proceed and make the most out of your new role. As always, we want to position you for success. We hope this conversation is as enlightening for you as it was for the team. Thanks for tuning in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Jeff, Kevin, and David discuss how to position yourself for success at work. Believe it or not, you can orient yourself for success even in the midst of these uncertain times. The MNTR team outlines six major ways that you can navigate your work environment and culture and position yourself for success in the long run. It’s a process and requires effort. But the work is worth it. We hope this conversation is as enlightening for you as it was for the team. Thanks for tuning in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Shane, Jeff, and David discuss the importance of getting ahead mentally. It’s something we should be thinking about on a consistent basis. Our job as a leader is to move people from where they currently are to where they need to be eventually. But before we can lead anyone else, we have to make sure that we are leading ourselves successfully. For this reason, getting ahead mentally is key. Pulling from proven experience, the mentors discuss how to take your leadership to the next level in this candid conversation. Thanks for tuning in!

Welcome to Executive Minds! This week, Kevin Jennings sits down with David Farmer to discuss Growing Your Career with a Growing Family. As leaders, it’s important that we schedule a time to reflect and go inward so that we might have a renewed perspective and outlook. David dives into his growth process as a leader and shares all the things he wished he had known. It’s not just a matter of wondering how you grow your career, but rather how do you grow it in a way that you won’t regret? How do you grow your career in a way that is appropriate for what matters long-term? Hopefully, this discussion will help you analyze and right-size best practices and principles for your life in whatever particular season you may be in at the moment.

Welcome to Executive Minds! This week, Kevin Jennings sits down with Clay Scroggins, the Lead Pastor of Buckhead Church in Atlanta, GA. As a leader, speaker, and thinker, Clay is also the author of How to Lead in a World of Distraction: Four Simple Habits for Turning Down the Noise) which was released September 2019. His previous book, How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority released in 2017.

Welcome to Executive Minds Podcast! This week, Shane and David sit down with Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy to talk about the importance of family and how the magic is made at Chick-fil-A. Dan is a true servant leader and it’s humbling to be able to sit and listen to him share the wisdom he has gained in his lifetime in and around the Chick-fil-A family.

Welcome back to the Executive Minds Podcast! This week we're looking back at our conversation with Chick-fil-a's Dan Cathy to talk through relationships with your staff and keeping your history relevant.

There will come a time in all of our lives and careers where we will need to make a change. Whether that means shifting your academic focus early in life or your organizational focus after you’ve established your career, we would all do well to become masters of the pivot. In basketball, pivoting is helpful because it allows you to shift your direction and create an advantage relative to your defender. You remain anchored in place, but with a fresh direction you can often see a clearer path to the basket. This week on the podcast, David and Shane discussed what they call the 5 “M’s” of pivoting: Mission, Methods, Momentum, Means, and Membership.

Michael Hyatt is a bestselling author and entrepreneur. Formerly the Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, Michael now leads the team at Michael Hyatt & Co., coaching high achieving leaders in the art of long-lasting multidimensional success. This week Shane and David sat down with Michael to talk about what real success looks like, and how to achieve it.

We ve officially reached the halfway point of 2020 and for many of us, it s the perfect time to review the goals we set at the beginning of the year. Maybe you haven t made as much progress as you would ve liked this far into the year. Maybe you ve completed your goals and you re wondering what s next. No matter what side you land on, don t worry there s no time like right now to recommit or make adjustments to your plans.Today, we hear from three of Executive Minds s mentors: David Farmer, Shane Benson, and Jeff Henderson, who will discuss the best ways to take stock of your year so far and set a clear path to where you re headed.

This week Executive Minds is taking you back a few months to December 2019, Kevin and David tackle the idea of mentorship. One of the questions we’re asked most is “how do I find a mentor?” Because of this, we decided to pivot our organization towards providing those services to those leaders and entrepreneurs who are looking for that kind of relationship. In this episode, our hosts specifically talk through what you need to do to prepare for a mentorship opportunity; strategies to prepare to make the most of your relationship, whether someone is investing in your development, or you have the opportunity to invest in someone else.

In this week’s Executive Minds, Shane and David discuss wrestling through trade-offs. All leaders have to deal with trade-offs. It’s a necessity of leadership. Whether we’re in charge of a team, a project, or work in general, we all have to make decisions on behalf of what we’re trying to accomplish. This conversation cuts to the heart of the tension that exists in making those strategic decisions and lays out some points on how to navigate that give and take. We think this discussion will prove helpful for you as we pivot to the 2nd half of an eventful 2020. Thanks for tuning in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, David and Shane discuss a topic that plenty of us are wrestling with which is how to stay connected to the people who matter. You may still be in the midst of a lockdown or perhaps a bit of your economy has opened up and your company is resuming business in a limited capacity. Either way, staying connected in a virtual space with those in your team and partners is challenging. Whether introvert or extrovert, we were made for connection. It’s fundamental to how we work, live, and play. We hope this conversation is enlightening and that you’re able to glean some best practices that will help you nurture and grow your interpersonal relationships. Thanks for tuning in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Kevin, Jeff, and David continue their conversation on how to address the tension in the air as a business leader. This week, they dig into creating a process to navigate crises. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and a social uprising, but if not these then there will be something else that will lead us into a tension that we’ll have to maneuver effectively. By the end of this episode, you should be able to extract a light framework to better navigate tension on the team, whether or not we’re the cause of it. We hope you find this conversation as helpful as we did having the discussion. Thank you for tuning in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Kevin, Jeff, and David continue a frank and transparent conversation about what’s going on in the culture today in light of the recent police murder of George Floyd and the subsequent national dialogue around police brutality, white supremacy, and racial injustice. Building on last week’s virtual meetup, the MNTR team discusses how to address the topic of racial dignity and social justice as a leader in your business and organization. It's a timely and vital conversation and we’re thankful to have you tuned in with us. We’re in this together.

In this week’s Executive Minds, we’re inviting you to join our first-ever community conversation and virtual meetup. On Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 3 p.m. ET the entire MNTR team will host a live, virtual gathering for the community to discuss navigating and creating change as we collectively tackle the questions, “What Now? And What How?” We’ll be hosting this conversation inside the MNTR Network, which you can join for free right now. So, instead of this week’s podcast, sign up for the Network and join us live to experience the most powerful part of MNTR — the community.

In this week’s Executive Minds, David Farmer and Kevin Jennings discuss how to lead an effective virtual meeting. Whether you’re a participant or leader, we’ve found ourselves conducting a ton of virtual meetings like never before. As a result, we’ve all had to learn some new skills. We discuss best practices on getting the most from virtual meetings. Tune in for this timely conversation!

In this week’s Executive Minds, the MNTR leadership team gathers to discuss what it’s like to lead organizations that can’t meet in-person. This timely topic helps address best practices and challenges for churches, teams, organizations, or companies that rely on operating in the same space under normal conditions. How are we responding? In what ways can we pivot? This relevant discussion will help you navigate how to connect effectively in the virtual space and bolster your team’s efficiency. Tune in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Kevin Jennings, Jeff Henderson, and Shane Benson continue the discussion around the question, “Are you ready for re-entry?”. In this second part, Shane shares how to leverage your personal reflections to help power you in to your plan of reentry. In the midst of those lessons, we discuss why MNTR was created and how to reengineer your mindset for what’s ahead. We want you to know you are not alone. Tune in for this timely convo!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Kevin Jennings, Jeff Henderson, and Shane Benson ask the question, “Are you ready for re-entry?”. This is part one of a two-part series meant to prepare you for stepping back into your work environment and how that affects your family or team. Patience is required when we find ourselves in an unpleasant place at an unpleasant pace. So give yourself patience and let’s not waste this moment. The MNTR team discusses some guideposts meant to orient your thinking as you get ready for reentry. We want you to know you are not alone. Tune in for some great insights!

On this week's Executive Minds podcast, David Farmer sits down with Seth Carver, the co-founder of Twisted Cycle and Dreambody, Inc. Twisted Cycle is an hour-long workout that combines indoor cycling with HIIT training. Dreambody, Inc. is the #1 rated personal training company in Kennesaw, GA. Seth answers 10 pointed questions about effective business-building that can help enhance your company or career. Tune in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Kevin Jennings, Jeff Henderson, and Shane Benson dig into what it means to lead with care. Throughout your journey, uncertainty is the #1 factor that you can be sure to encounter. Your trusted model, process, or system might prove unfit for these days and times. We don’t know or control the future, but we can influence it. The team discusses why it’s not enough to just lead through a crisis, but we must also lead with care. Tune in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, co-mentors Kevin Jennings and Jeff Henderson have a riveting conversation on how to thrive when the world is just trying to survive. The discussion touches on what it looks like to lead with care during a difficult season. What if there was a way to use this period of uncertainty to prepare you for greatness in the days to come? Well, Kevin and Jeff help us look inward and come to insightful revelations during this episode. Tune in!

In this week’s Executive Minds, Jeff Henderson sits down with Jesse Cole, the owner of the Savannah Bananas — a minor league baseball team known for always selling out games. Jesse Cole is also the founder of Fans First Entertainment which made the INC 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in America in 2018. Along the lines of putting the fans first, Jesse talks about the radical decision by the Savannah Bananas to creat the first ad-free ballpark experience and how they’re navigating business during the pandemic. Jesse released his first book “Find Your Yellow Tux – How to Be Successful by Standing Out” in January of 2018. The book launched #1 in three categories on Amazon and has been sold in 18 countries.

In this week’s episode of Executive Minds, MNTR leaders Kevin Jennings and David Farmer sit down to have a conversation about what it means to think and act like an owner. Based on David’s time spent with fellow leader Shane Benson at Harvard Business School, David and Kevin discuss the ownership mentality. The conversation goes in-depth on changing your mindset, thinking beyond the project, having a common purpose, redefining success, sharing resources and anticipating what’s on the horizon. There are so many helpful gems in this discussion regardless of where you are in the organization. Tune in!

Once again David Farmer sits down with former professional baseball player, author, podcast host, and friend of the show Billy Boughey to break down who are their heroes in the world of building culture.

This week David Farmer sits down with former professional baseball player, author, podcast host, and friend of the show Billy Boughey to break down how to create a culture that people can thrive in. David and Billy go back and forth to share unique insight on ways to grow your own cultural intelligence, avoid toxicity, and keep your environment authentic to who you are.

Welcome to Executive Minds! This week, David Farmer sits down with Shane Benson to have a riveting discussion about the 5 Big Ideas on How To Get Your Team Energized for the Future. Learn some great tips from the MNTR co-founders on how to be a better leader and invigorate your team moving forward!