No One Ever Told Me

Matt Booth is the President of Room 101 Brands. Room 101 is a lifestyle company that creates products that range from my favorite cigars on the planet, to custom jewelry, and now a recently launched gin division. Today Matt takes us on the journey of his life and tells us what he thinks it takes to make it in business.

Today my guest is Dr. Hermilo Jasso Dr. Jasso is a keynote speaker, leadership expert, economics professor, and was easily my favorite teacher at Lee University. Dr. Jasso is responsible for helping place thousands of business students into the workforce, but his influence goes so far beyond that. From humble beginnings, to a PhD, Dr. Jasso is the picture of determination and resilience and today we talk about why A students work for C students, why leaders are always learners, and how to bounce back from unthinkable tragedy.

Today my guest is Kyle Reed. Kyle is the founder of Reed Digital Agency, a leader in helping brands and business leverage social media for growth. Now if you know me personally, you know this is a touchy subject for me. I don't love social media, and at best I consider it a necessary evil, but I'm always willing to hear someone out, especially someone as talented and gifted as Kyle. Today we talk about how to set simple goals for your social media, how to change your mindset from victim to victor, and why you have to love the process if you want to win online.

Jeff Henderson is today's guest and this entire conversation is a gift!Jeff is one of those rare leaders that truly lives out his life with humble excellence. From large projects to simple everyday conversations, Jeff is a walking masterclass in leadership.I've been a student of Jeff's teaching for years and his wisdom and kindness are unmatched. Today we talk about how to know when it's time to leave a job, how to leverage side hustles and so much more. Find out more at JeffHendeson.com

Tim Stevens is a gifted leader, with a celebrated career in for-profit and non-profit sectors, and is an author of 7 books, Right now Tim's newest and current assignment is to lead at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, IL as the executive pastor. Today Tim talks about leading through challenging seasons, discerning your momentum, and why an inner circle is crucial to leaders

Today my guest is Chip Dodd.Chip is a mentor, a consultant, a counselor, and an author of 7 books. Through hundreds and thousands of conversations Chip has helped a ton of leaders through addiction, stress illnesses, and burn out, and today we spend time talking about why leaders wear out, the steps you can take to reverse course, and why sometimes even great leaders lose heart. 

Matt Tresidder is the co-founder and CEO of Leadr “a people development software specifically designed to develop leaders at every level of your organization.”Matt's audacious goal to develop 1 million leaders is inspiring, and I think they've got what it takes to get there.But, today's conversation is so much more than a simple exploration of a new technology.Today Matt and I talk about why immigrants so frequently succeed in the United States, imposter syndrome, and why is so important for leaders to recognize and fight against decision fatigue.

Chris Redhage is the co-founder of Provider Trust, and the co-founder of Nashville's own Major League Soccer team - Nashville SC.I love the conversation we have today. A conversation about a kid who started life with a learning disability and a disadvantage, but also about a kid who's leadership gifts were called out and nurtured at a young age and how that put him on a pathway towards a beautiful and complex life as an entrepreneur and organizational leader.Chris's personal mission statement is other's focused, and no matter what leadership hat he's wearing on any given day - Chris wakes up and thinks about serving others. 

Our 1st guest of season two is legendary author and professional sports executive Pat Williams. Pat is a brilliant man who's passion for leadership and history shine in this conversation. And, if a 56 year career in professional sports management including leading his franchises to 5 NBA finals - including a 30 year run with the Orlando Magic wasn't impressive enough, somehow Pat found time to write 117 books, that is simply incredible!Today Pat and I discuss parts of his leadership journey and his newest book - Revolutionary Leadership. 

I'm thrilled about the pile of interviews we've captured over the summer.  In this trailer we briefly talk about my leadership take-aways from running trails.

On this episode I share my one big takeaway from each episode in season 1 and what to expect from The No One Ever Told Me Podcast season 2. 

Mike Mixson was my boss  20 years ago, and he invested in my leadership and taught me about systems, sales, and how to lead a team. In 1992 Mike created a playground for musicians by starting L&M Music, a hugely successful music store in Chattanooga, TN.  But, life has a way of imposing it's will on a business plan, so almost 30 years later, Mike has completely reinvented his retail business to serve golfers on a budget and the business is on fire!And, if you're a fan of viral videos or Tosh.0, you may have even seen his Youtube smash hit - "We buy golf." 

Vaden Landers is CEO of Paymogy, but that title is simply inadequate in describing all of the experience and value he brings to the table. From C-suite roles in publicly traded companies to start ups and a handful of roles in between, Vaden has spent 35 years in the payment industry.And after all that time, he's still driven to succeed by leveraging his strengths, building excellent teams, and executing strategic direction. 

Annie F. Downs is a NY Times best selling author, coveted keynote speaker, and podcast host extraordinaire. But, her skill set doesn't stop there. Annie is a builder and that's why I wanted her to share her story. Her 2 organizations - Downs Books Inc. and The That sounds Fun Network are absolutely crushing it right now, and her wit and wisdom are guiding them both to massive impact and incredible influence. Listen along as Annie shares her journey from Founder to CEO. 

Today's guest is Tyler Thayer, principle of Paradym Studio.Tyler has been an entrepreneur since childhood, so it's no surprise to anyone that during a global pandemic he's experiencing exponential growth at Paradym Studio.But, with growth comes growing pains and today you'll hear that it's not enough to simply grow your company. YOU have to grow your leadership in proportionality, or risk that growth because you aren't ready to handle it.

Nathan Artt is the founder of Ministry Solutions, executive leadership solutions, and XP solutions. On this episode Nathan talks through the ins and outs of leading a fast growing company, the upside of Covid-19 disruption, and why you should hire and empower a team of experts to build the best version of your organization. 

Ginny Reed's strong desire to help and empower women has skyrocketed her online and retail business to dizzying heights. And, through all the tough choices and decisions over the last 7 years, one simple question has helped guide her over and over again - "Does this make sense?" Now, armed with the hard-earned lessons of her success, she's turning her attention to coaching other business leaders. 

You've heard the saying "tough times don't last, tough people do." It's what comes to mind immediately any time I think about the West Nashville Dream Center and its Executive Director, TJ Fletcher. The failure rate of small businesses is alarming. Even more concerning to me is how non-profits aren't typically built to succeed, much less persist through tough times. Listen to TJ's story about the courage of conviction that provides a true north for difficult decisions. 

From the moment I had the idea to start the No One Ever Told Me podcast, I knew one the first guests had to be my friend Nathan Dantzler. Nathan is the owner of The HitLab, and I've admired Nathan's genius from the moment I met him 20 years ago. On this episode Nathan shares his story from studio intern to Grammy winner, and gives us his brilliant perspective on failure and growth. We talk through the challenging topics of identity, momentum, and why planting seeds is important. 

I'm not sure how many leaders can go from corporate IT recruiting to partnering with NFL athletes on commercial real estate investments, but there's at least one - Scott Stephens. On this episode, we talk about recognizing open doors, growing in wisdom, and defining success in a way anyone can understand. You'll want to take notes on this one, so grab a pen or your note-taking app and dive in. 

Most of us had a childhood dream job. And most of us never made it happen. Even fewer of us landed our dream job only to pivot to a completely different career. On today's episode we talk to Charlie Neese about how decisions are easier when you've identified your values and how to strategically transition from one career to another. 

How many architect / developers / general contractors do you know that have a skateboard ramp in their yard?  Well, for 15 years Jared Bradley has been building a thriving business in two of the greatest cities in America, all while never forgetting his skateboarding roots. On this episode, Jared tells us how his unlikely journey taught him the leadership lessons that serve as the foundation for his 3 companies. 

Over 25 years ago, Rusty Gaston pulled into Nashville, TN with a Charlie Daniels' record playing on the stereo and an entrepreneurial mindset that has helped turn a passion into a career.  From starting his own publishing company all the way to the C-suite at the largest publishing company in Nashville, Rusty shares the lessons he's learned that have shaped the leader he is today. 

Welcome to the No One Ever Told Me Podcast where we talk about the things that no one ever tells you that you really need to know to thrive in business and in leadership. This trailer will give you a glimpse of the conversations we'll have and the ideas we'll explore. Listen and subscribe so you don't miss these inspiring discussions.