The Art of Excellence

Michael Grab is one of the world's premier rock balancing artists.  He has created rock art all over the world and has inspired a global movement for stone balancing art.  Summary In this conversation, Michael Grab, a renowned rock balancing artist, shares insights into his creative process, the philosophy behind his art, and the technical aspects of balancing rocks. He discusses how he finds inspiration in nature, the evolution of his hobby into a professional pursuit, and the meditative state he enters while creating his sculptures. The conversation also touches on the ephemeral nature of his work, emphasizing the beauty in its temporary existence. In this conversation, Michael Grab discusses his journey as a rock balancing artist, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of his work and the meticulous process of capturing it through photography and film. He reflects on the transition from a conventional job to pursuing his passion full-time, driven by a desire for creative fulfillment. Grab shares insights on self-competition and the personal standards he sets for his art, ultimately defining excellence as the ability to inspire himself through his creations. Takeaways  ·         His creative process is organic, often allowing the rocks to dictate the final arrangement. ·         He finds inspiration in nature and specific locations that resonate with him. ·         Rock balancing started as a hobby influenced by a psychedelic experience. ·         The art form is highly technical, requiring a deep understanding of gravity and balance. ·         Michael practices for hours, often pushing his limits to create more complex structures. ·         He experiences a flow state while working, feeling deeply connected to the environment. ·         The process of balancing rocks is meditative and exists solely in the present moment. ·         Michael embraces the ephemeral nature of his art, often dismantling structures after photographing them. ·         He believes that the journey of mastery in rock balancing is ongoing and never truly finished. ·         He doesn't set strict standards but rather focuses on the process and his growth.

Dean Koontz is an author with fourteen number one hardback bestsellers and sixteen number one paperback bestsellers. His books have sold more than 500 million copies in thirty eight languages.  His latest book is titled: Going Home in the Dark.   Summary: In this engaging conversation, Dean Koontz shares insights into his writing process, the challenges of genre blending, and the impact of his childhood on his career. He discusses the importance of character development, the role of fear in creativity, and the necessity of maintaining a unique voice in writing. Koontz reflects on his journey to success, the influence of supportive relationships, and the balance between creative freedom and market expectations. Dean shares insights into his creative process, daily writing routine, and the importance of character development. He discusses overcoming writer's block, the role of revision, and the impact of his upbringing on his writing themes. Koontz emphasizes the significance of resilience in the face of early career challenges and defines excellence in art and writing.   Takeaways: Dean Koontz has sold over 500 million books worldwide. He emphasizes the importance of character development in storytelling. Koontz believes in blending genres to create unique narratives. His childhood experiences shaped his perspective on happiness and resilience. He faced challenges with publishers regarding genre labeling. Koontz advocates for writing in one's own voice and style. He highlights the significance of support from loved ones in his career. Fear of failure drives him to push creative boundaries. Koontz believes talent is a grace that must be polished through hard work. He finds joy in overcoming challenges in his writing process. Writers should embrace different ideas, even if they are unfamiliar. Flow state allows for deep immersion in writing. Characters can take on a life of their own. Trusting characters' free will enriches the story. Self-doubt is a common struggle for writers. Revision is key to achieving perfection in writing. Resilience is crucial in overcoming early career setbacks. Notes Book: Going Home in the Dark Personal Website: Dean Koontz

James Lawrence has broken two Guiness World Records for endurance racing. He raced a full distance triathlon every day for 100 consecutive days and prior to that he raced 50 full distance triathlons for 50 consecutive days across 50 states. His latest book is titled Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible. Summary In this conversation, endurance athlete James Lawrence shares his incredible journey of overcoming fear, pushing through pain, and achieving remarkable feats in his triathlon quest. He discusses a life-altering bike crash, the mental strategies he employs to manage fear and pain, and the importance of focusing on the present moment. Lawrence reflects on his transition from a mortgage broker to a world record-holding athlete, driven by a desire to raise awareness for important causes. He emphasizes the power of resilience, positive self-talk, and finding flow in endurance challenges, while also addressing the balance between planning and spontaneity in life. In this conversation, the they delve into the themes of conquering fear, the importance of community support, mental agility in endurance training, and the significance of a 'day one' mentality. They discuss how breaking down large goals into manageable pieces can help alleviate anxiety and how the support of a community can inspire individuals to push through challenges. The conversation also touches on the role of experience in building mental toughness and the importance of having role models for inspiration. Ultimately, James emphasizes the art of excellence as a consistent effort towards authenticity and personal growth.   Takeaways Fear often stems from worrying about the future. Focusing on the present can eliminate fear. Accidents can happen unexpectedly but resilience is key. Emotions like fear and anger can be managed through self-talk. Life can take unexpected turns, leading to new paths. Setting big goals requires breaking them down into manageable tasks. The mind and body must work together to overcome challenges. Positive self-talk can help manage pain and anxiety. Experiences build resilience and mental strength over time. Finding flow can enhance performance and reduce suffering. Fear is often about worrying about the future. Breaking down big goals into smaller pieces helps manage fear. Success breeds success and confidence breeds confidence. Community support can inspire and motivate individuals. Experiencing challenges builds mental toughness. The 'day one' mentality encourages enthusiasm and optimism. Living each day as if it were your last can change your perspective. Role models can provide inspiration and guidance. Consistency over time leads to excellence. You must experience challenges to grow and learn. Notes Book: Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible Podcast: The Grit Show Amazon Prime Documentary: Conquer 100 Personal website: James Lawrence: Iron Cowboy  

Adam Galinsky is a social psychologist and a Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He has published over two hundred scientific articles on leadership, negotiations, diversity, and ethics. He has been a damages expert in numerous defamation lawsuits that have generated more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements, including Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News.  His latest book is titled: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         The leader amplification effect suggests that when we're in a position of leadership, all of our words and expressions get amplified, both the positive and negative ones. ·         There are three universal factors to inspiring leadership: being a visionary, being an exemplar, and being a mentor.  ·         Inspiring and infuriating leaders are mirror images of each other and exist on opposite ends of a continuum so based on the situation an inspiring leader one day can become an infuriating one the next. ·         Leaders are made, not born, and anyone has the tools to become more inspiring no matter their starting point. ·        The Great Resignation, where 30 million Americans quit their jobs during the pandemic, wasn't just about where we work but why we work. This “universal midlife crisis” was less about pay and much more about meaning and purpose and empowerment. ·         You can learn how to become more visionary by conveying an optimistic vision, keeping your message simple, and creating rich imagery.  ·         “Excellence is getting better at whatever you do on a day to day process.”   Notes Book: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others Personal website: Adam Galinsky

Diane Boyd has four decades of experience on behavior, conservation and management of wild wolf populations. In 1979 Diane moved to Montana to study wolf recovery in the Rocky Mountains, from the first natural colonizer to approximately 2000 wolves today in the western United States. Diane has worked for the University of Montana, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Montana. He new book is titled: A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         Similar to humans, wolves live in family groups and protect their territory, often to the death. ·         You learn a lot by walking the wolf's tracks in the snow – their habitat, how they respond to scent of other animals, where they sleep, how they kill animals.  You can see the entire ecology of wolves written in their tracks.  ·         A wolf is a cooperative obligatory hunter. It's obliged to cooperate because it needs the power of many mouths to take down a prey animal. ·         The average lifespan of a wolf in the wild is just 4.3 years. ·         Close to 300 wolves are killed every year due to recreational sport.  That's about 1/3 of the overall population. ·         “Excellence is the highest standard of quality for whatever you're measuring.”   Show Notes Book: A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery Personal Website: Diane Boyd   

Laurie is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University.  In addition to her work on the evolutionary origins of human cognition, Laurie is an expert on the science of happiness and the ways in which our minds lie to us about what makes us happy. Her Yale course, Psychology and the Good Life, teaches students how the science of psychology can provide important hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that's happier and more fulfilling. The class became Yale's most popular course in over 300 years.  The online version of the class—The Science of Well-Being on Coursera—has attracted more than 4 million students. She was recently voted as one of Popular Science Magazine's “Brilliant 10” young minds and was named in Time Magazine as a “Leading Campus Celebrity.” Her podcast, The Happiness Lab, has attracted over 100 million downloads since its launch.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       Our minds lie to us when it comes to happiness.  ·       There is the sense of being happy in your life and the sense of being happy with your life. ·       Investing in social relationships is the most important thing we can do to improve our happiness.  ·       If you force yourself to be more social, even if it's natural to you, you'll actually experience more positive emotions as a result. ·       Beyond social connections, practicing gratitude and helping others are also tools to increase your overall wellbeing.  ·       There's a disconnect between the things that we want and the things that we truly enjoy. ·       The arrival fallacy is thinking that you'll be happy once you achieve some goal but that happiness is often fleeting.  ·       The journey is ultimately much more rewarding than the destination.  Learn to enjoy it. ·       “Excellence is behaving and developing mindsets in a way that allows you to flourish.”   Show Notes: Personal website: Dr. Laurie Santos Podcast: The Happiness Lab Coursera class: The Science of Well-Being

Don Lemon spent three decades on local and national TV – a trusted voice after the Sandy Hook massacre, in war-torn Eastern Europe, and during the riots of 2020. Anchoring Don Lemon Tonight on CNN for eight years, he was known for hard-hitting interviews with public officials and compassionate dialogue with everyday people.  The Don Lemon Show is now streaming on all platforms.  He is the author of several bestselling books including his most recent one titled: I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       As a Black man, he has a complicated relationship with the flag. But he is still a patriot. And as a gay man, he has a complicated relationship with the Bible.  But he still believes in God. ·       He was the kid whose personality could not be denied.  He was likeable and easy to get along with. His charismatic personality would later help separate him from the other news anchors who were stiff and indistinguishable.  ·       He has always had a strong work ethic, outworking everyone around him. He worked full time while pursuing his degree full time and he never took a vacation his first ten years at CNN. ·       “Every setback or shortcoming you think you have is actually a gift. You just have to figure out what that gift is and how to use it.” ·       He's ok being a lightning rod, as he's just being himself and trying to foster healthy debate. He has learned to not care what others think about him. ·       “Excellence is not about perfection. Rather, excellence is being a good citizen, a good partner, a good family member, and a good contributor to society in the world.”   Show Notes: Books: I Once was Lost: My Search for God in America This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism TV/Digital: The Don Lemon Show   

Guy Snodgrass recently served as director of communications and chief speechwriter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis. A former naval aviator, he served as commanding officer of a fighter squadron based in Japan, A TOPGUN instructor, and a combat pilot over the skies of Iraq.  Today he is the founder and CEO of Defense Analytics, a strategic consulting and advisory firm. He is the author of Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis and his latest book is titled: TOPGUN's Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit.    Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         To succeed a TOPGUN, you have to possess three traits: talent, passion, and personality. ·         Competence is when you have an excellent capability but you operate below that level. Arrogance is when your competence is lower than you anticipate but you act like you're better. ·         You can achieve anything you put your mind to so long as you're willing to break down the problem and put the resources against it to solve it. ·         After every simulated dogfight there would be a debrief comparing your recollection of the events with the actual video footage.  This created a continual feedback loop to accelerate learning. ·         President Eisenhower once said: “Plans are worthless but planning is indispensable.” ·         TOPGUN has a flat organizational structure whereby junior officers are calling a lot of the shots.  Decisions are made based on capability and knowledge base, not based on rank. This allows them to get to the best tactical end result.    Show Notes: TOPGUN'S TOP 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis  

Craig Foster is one of the world's leading natural history filmmakers and cofounder of the Sea Change Project, a nonprofit to protect marine life and raise awareness of the importance of the kelp forest. He won an Academy Award for Best Documentary for My Octopus Teacher and has created more than one hundred films and documentaries.  His latest book is titled: Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       When he goes on cold water ocean dives, his entire brain chemistry shifts with elevated dopamine and adrenaline levels while remaining very calm.  ·       Managing fear is about getting to know what it is that you're fearful of. ·       His curiosity and fearlessness has often taken him into precarious situations coming face to face with dangerous predators like great white sharks and crocodiles.  ·       There are expert native trackers who go beyond tracking visuals and sounds of animals to getting into their minds. They can actually feel the animal inside their own bodies and know intuitively what they're doing and where they're going.  ·       Having a sense of purpose in life is key to accomplishing anything you want.  ·       “Excellence is tapping into the wild part of us that's inherent in all of us.”   Show Notes Book: Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World Documentary: My Octopus Teacher Nonprofit: Sea Change Project  

Adrian Newey is Chief Technical Officer for Red Bull Racing.  He has won 13 drivers' championships and 12 constructors' championships across three teams in his career. He is widely regarded as the greatest Formula 1 race car designer in the history of the sport.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       Racing teams have three departments: aerodynamics, vehicle design, and vehicle dynamics/simulation.  Because Adrian had worked in each of those disciplines, it provided a more holistic perspective when designing racing cars.  ·       A good design engineer must be both left brained and right brained - that is, combining the artistic imaginative left side with the analytical and practical right side. ·       He is still old school in that he prefers a drawing board and pencil over CAD (computer aided design) systems. ·       No matter how successful you are, you've got to keep pushing and you've got to stay sharp or you'll lose your edge. ·       If you can learn to manage the pressure, your subconscious brain will spend more time focused on the problem and can come up with a solution when you least expect it. ·       Curiosity can be advantageous to the creative design process.  You can often get inspiration looking at how things are done outside of your own domain.  ·       “Excellence is doing something to the ultimate.  To the best of one's ability at that time.”

Maurice Ashley is a Chess Grandmaster, a chess commentator, a national championship coach, and an author. In 1999 he earned the title of Chess Grandmaster, making him the first African American Grandmaster in the game's history, and was later inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame.  His latest book is titled Move by Move: Life Lessons On and Off the Chessboard.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       Going into any big moment, the best way to calm your nerves is to get into the right mindset which is that you can't be better than yourself.  Don't focus on the results.  Just focus on being yourself and the rest will take care of itself.     ·       He is able to play up to ten people simultaneously while blindfolded and win each game.  ·       It's important to cultivate a beginner's mind and approach the game as if you're viewing it for the very first time.  That way you're open to seeing something new and having a fresh perspective. ·       Upper echelon thinking is to keep growing every day.  Today you need to be a little bit better than yesterday.  Your only race is against yesterday's self. ·       Focus often dips when you're ahead and your lowest concentration is often when you have the biggest advantage. ·       To stay mentally sharp and focused over the course of a prolonged game, you have to learn to continually check yourself. You have to be your own barometer. Counting breaths also helps to calm down and stay in the moment.  ·       Retrograde analysis is envisioning a future state and then working backwards. ·       When conducting post mortems it's important to categorize your mistakes so you can become more self aware of the patterns behind the mistake and preempt their happening in the future.    Notes: Book: Move by Move: Life Lessons On and Off the Chessboard Personal website: Maurice Ashley  

Gary Hunt is a professional cliff diver.  He is a 10 time Red Bull World Series Champion with 43 overall victories and counting.  He is widely considered the greatest cliff diver in the history of the sport.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       Juggling was a practice he used to increase his focus and concentration and take his mind off the stress and pressure of the competition.  ·       It took several years diving off increasing heights to build up the confidence and courage to jump off the 27 meter platform ·       He's afraid of heights when there's no water underneath  ·       To prepare for a cliff dive, you have to practice routines off the 10 meter platform and then assemble the pieces together when doing the actual 27 meter dive. ·       His curiosity to learn new dives and explore what's possible is what drove him to be the best in the world. ·       His greatest fear is losing his motivation to learn new things

George Mumford is a psychologist, elite performance expert, and author of The Mindful Athlete.  He has worked with worldclass athletes including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal. He has also consulted with college and Olympic athletes, corporate executives, and inmates, and is a sought-after public speaker at both business and athletic conferences nationally and internationally.  His latest booked is title: Unlocked: Embrace your Greatness, Find the Flow, Discover Success.    Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       Unlocked is releasing the masterpiece within.  It's embracing your inner greatness. ·       Being authentic is a core part of being unlocked. “We remove the extraneous, the layering of our conditioning and defenses, and the ways that we have been untrue to who we really are until we find what is authentic within us - an authenticity that is always there, waiting to be revealed.” ·       Kobe Bryant once said of George Mumford: “George helped me to be neither distracted or focused, rigid or flexible, passive or aggressive. I learned to just be.” ·       George's big break was coming on the heels of the Lakers' third NBA championship in a row when coach Phil Jackson asked George to help the team deal with the stress and pressure brought on by their success. ·       90% of long term happiness is dependent upon how the brain interprets our experience. ·       One of the distinguishing characteristics of the best athletes in the world is they're very coachable.  They are lifelong learners, always looking to get an edge.  ·       If you want to be in flow, you have to have a fully integrated self. Your body, your mind, your heart, and your soul have to be in unison and harmony.   Notes: George Mumford website Book: Unlocked: Embrace Your Greatness, Find the Flow, Discover Success Book: The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance   

Dr. BJ Miller is a longtime hospice and palliative medicine physician and educator. He currently sees patients and families via telehealth through Mettle Health, a company he co-founded with the aim to provide personalized, holistic consultations for any patient or caregiver who needs help navigating the practical, emotional and existential issues that come with serious illness and disability. Led by his own experiences as a patient, BJ advocates for the roles of our senses, community and presence in designing a better ending. His interests are in working across disciplines to affect broad-based culture change, cultivating a civic model for aging and dying and furthering the message that suffering, illness, and dying are fundamental and intrinsic aspects of life. His career has been dedicated to moving healthcare towards a human centered approach, on a policy as well as a personal level.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         “I had a basic hunger and curiosity to understand the world in which I was living and to understand myself”.  ·         Early on, as he was recovering from the accident with three less limbs, he forced himself to reframe his situation. That life wasn't going to be extra difficult going forward but just uniquely difficult.  And that suffering is something we all deal with in our own way.  Eventually his emotions would catch up with his mind whereby he truly felt that way. ·         Studying art history in college taught him perspective.  It taught him how he was in control as to how he perceived his life and how he framed his life experience.  ·         In palliative care, you don't just treat the pain, you treat the suffering.  ·         “If you don't know the depths of sorrow, you aren't going to know the peaks of joy.” ·         As dying patients reflect back upon their lives, it's not so much regret over what decisions they made but how they imbued whatever decisions they made.  Did they do it with love, did they infuse their spirit into whatever they were doing. That's what matters most.   Notes: The Center for Dying and Living Book: A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death TED Talk: What Really Matters at the End of Life   

Kara Swisher is the host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher and the co-host of the Pivot podcast with Scott Galloway, both distributed by New York magazine. She was also the cofounder and editor-at-large of Recode, host of the Recode Decode podcast, and co-executive producer of the Code conference. She was a former contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and host of its Sway podcast and has also worked for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Her latest book it titled: Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       Her father's passing when she was just five made her appreciate the ephemeral nature of life and focus on what truly matters. ·       A lot of big tech titans have a big deficit in their upbringing and replace it with enablers and fence themselves off from the population, hence their isolation and loneliness.  ·       With her direct no nonsense approach, she has an uncanny ability to get big people to open up and share unique insights.  ·       She has been as entrepreneurial and innovative with her career as the tech entrepreneurs she covers for a living.  ·       She feels Steve Jobs is the most consequential figure of the modern tech era. ·       She has called Mark Zuckerberg one of the most carelessly dangerous men in the history of technology. ·       “Excellence is doing your very best to get to the heart of something, doing your very best to create something fresh and new, and doing your very best to get it right.”   Notes: Book: Burn Book: A Tech Love Story Podcasts: Pivot   On with Kara Swisher   

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist with an expertise in uncovering how human activity influences carnivore behavior and ecology. She is a National Geographic Explorer, host the PBS podcast Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, and is the cohost on NBC's Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild.  She is the first black woman to ever host a television nature show. Her new book is titled: Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         She attended a high school for the performing arts because of her voice yet refused to apply for a conservatory to continue her musical studies knowing that her life vision was to become a nature show host.  ·         Having black leaders in wildlife conservation during her first field study project in Kenya was transformative in helping her understand that she could actually do this for a living. ·         Learning firsthand of lions killing local villagers in Tanzania was an experience that taught her that the wellbeing of people has to come first in wildlife conservation.  ·         Capturing and tagging a rare lemur during a mission critical expedition to protect a rainforest in Madagascar allowed her to overcome her self-doubt, increase her self-confidence, and realize her full potential.  ·         As cohost on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, Rae has fulfilled her lifelong dream and become the first black woman to ever host a television nature show. ·         “Excellence is being your best and your truest.  It's being aligned with your values, aligned with your energy, and aligned with the balance you're seeking.”   Notes: Book: Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World Podcast: Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant TV show: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild Personal website: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant  

Daniel Goleman is a psychologist, former science journalist for the New York Times, and the author of 13 books including the #1 bestseller Emotional Intelligence.  He has worked with organizations around the globe, examining the way social and emotional competencies impact the bottom-line. Ranked one of the 10 most influential business thinkers by the Wall Street Journal, Daniel has won several awards including the HBR McKinsey Award for the best article of the year and the Centennial Medallion awarded to him by Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  His latest book which is titled: Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day shows how emotional intelligence can help us have rewarding and productive days every day.    Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         There are four parts to emotional intelligence: Self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship management. The latter builds on the first three parts.  ·         There are three kinds of empathy – cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and empathic concern. ·         When you're in an optimal state, you're highly productive, highly engaged, you care about others, you feel connected to your work, and connected to others. ·         The ability to focus is one of the pathways into the optimal state.  ·         People who have a sense of purpose and feel inspired in their work, do it better.  ·         It's never too late to increase your level of emotional intelligence.  ·         In emotionally intelligent organizations, it's not just about hitting your targets but how you went about it.  Did you get them by inspiring people to give their best or was it by fear and pressure? ·         Team EI is how people on a team relate to one another.  And teams with highest team EI are often the most productive.    Notes: Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ Daniel Goleman website Emotional Intelligence Courses

Kristin Harila is a Norwegian mountain climber who recently set a world speed record for climbing the 14 highest peaks in just 92 days.    Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         She quit her job and sold her home and put everything on the line to achieve this goal.  ·         “If you are happy with less than your goal, then you'll never reach your goal.” ·         You have to truly believe in what you're doing if you want to achieve a goal. ·         Working together as a team with her Sherpa was a key component of allowing her to pull off this world record. ·         Many people think that the summit is the goal but the goal is actually to come safely back down the mountain. ·         “On almost all the peaks, there are dead people.  If it happens to me, I will have died happy.”

Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, renowned for her research on psychological safety over twenty years. Her award-winning work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Psychology Today, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and more. Named by Thinkers50 in 2021 as the #1 Management Thinker in the world, Edmondson's TED Talk “How to Turn a Group of Strangers into a Team” has been viewed over three million times. She received her PhD, AM, and AB from Harvard University. Her latest book is titled: The Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well.    Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         A good failure is an undesired outcome that brings you new knowledge that could have not been gained any other way. It should be just big enough to get new information without wasting unnecessary time.  ·         Most of us have shifted from curiosity and learning in our childhood to defensiveness and self-protection in our adulthood because of the belief that we had to be right or successful to be worthy. ·         Psychological safety Is a belief that one can take interpersonal risks without the fear of punishment or rejection. ·         You need psychological safety in order to cultivate a culture of intelligent failure.  ·         Reframing is one of the techniques we can use to learn from failure. It's the ability to challenge the automatic thinking and come up with a healthier, more productive way to think about the same situation.  ·         A culture of accountability and high-performance standards can coexist with a culture of psychological safety and embracing failure.  ·         “The easiest way to not fail at all is to not take risks at all.”  ·         “Excellence is doing as well as you can in your chosen field and making a positive difference.”   Notes: Books: Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth   Websites: Amy Edmondson personal page Harvard Business School bio

Chris Voss is one of the preeminent practitioners and professors of negotiation skills in the world. He was formerly the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI as well as the FBI's hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council's Hostage Working Group.  He is the founder of The Black Swan Group, a consulting firm that provides training and advises Fortune 500 companies through complex negotiations.  He has taught business negotiation in MBA programs at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and Georgetown's McDonough School of Business. He also taught business negotiation at Harvard and guest lectured at other leading universities including the MIT Sloan School of Management and Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management.  His book is titled: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         Working the crisis hotline was where Chris first learned the power of empathy. Showing someone that they feel heard is often enough to get them to change their behavior.  ·         Empathy is about the transmission of information whereas compassion is about the reaction to that transmission. ·         Any time you relax into stress, you'll handle it far better. The act of relaxation increases your body's ability to handle its stress demands. ·         Labeling is a verbal observation of an emotion or a dynamic. It's a way of demonstrating that you're listening and understanding the other side. ·         Meeting someone halfway (i.e. splitting the difference) rarely works since it never feels like it's really halfway.  You feel the transaction was unfair.  Reason being, based on the economist Daniel Kahneman, people tend to fear a loss twice as much as they are likely to welcome an equivalent gain. ·         “Excellence is a delight with learning and growing. It is not the pursuit of perfection which is a fool's errand.”   Notes: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your Life Depended on It Black Swan Group Fireside Black Swan Group Coaching Program

Jason Belmonte is an Australian pro bowler. He has won 31 PBA titles including a record 15 major championships.  He is one of two bowlers in PBA history to have won the Super Slam, winning all five PBA major titles. He has been named PBA Player of the Year seven times.  He is widely considered one of the greatest bowlers of all time.    Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         When he was just 10 he told his mother he planned to one day bowl 100 perfect games which he actually accomplished a couple years ago.  ·         He chose to pursue bowling over the more popular sports like rugby and cricket given his love for the game despite the fact that it would never be as lucrative. ·         He was often teased and mocked for his two handed style of bowling but he let his impressive scores shut the naysayers down. ·         His unique two handed technique allowed him to spin the ball twice as fast as most other bowlers which allowed him to strike with much greater frequency.  ·         He has never had a coach and has always been self-taught, learning from his own mistakes and continually improving his game. ·         A turning point that allowed him to begin dominating the sport is when he shifted his mindset from being worried about failure when everything was on the line to just being in the moment and enjoying himself.  ·         “Excellence is working and striving toward a better version of yourself every single day.”   Show Notes: Jason Belmonte website YouTube videos: Jason Belmonte YouTube Channel Nascar bowling: fastest strike ever recorded Bowling trick shots with Dude Perfect  

Bubba Watson is a professional golfer. He has won two major PGA championships, both victories at the Masters.  He has a total of 12 PGA tournament wins and reached a world ranking of 2nd in 2015.  He has played in the LIV Golf league since 2022.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         Bubba never had formal lessons. He was entirely self-taught.  He would just go by feel and practice over and over until he understood how to position himself and swing to achieve a certain shot. ·         In college his drive to be better at golf was due to immaturity – he was mad at people.  These days his drive to be better is so he can help people.  Paying it forward is much more important than trying to be the best in the world. ·         He built a distinguishable brand as Bubba - the new age redneck country boy, despite not hunting or dipping or smoking or country music.  ·         He was kind and considerate off the golf course but had a hot temper on the course.  Pride and ego was eating him alive.  He got caught up in the rankings and allowed that to dictate how he felt about himself.  ·         His first Masters victory was on the heels of adopting their first baby so allowing his mind to focus on something outside of golf removed him from the excessive pressure which allowed him to play the match of his life.  ·         Joining LIV Golf wasn't about the money but an opportunity to play golf in a team format which he misses and the entrepreneurial opportunity to own a franchise in an emerging league.  ·         “Excellence is touching others in a way that makes their lives better. It's giving people an opportunity to be successful.”   Notes: Book: Up and Down: Victories and Struggles in the Course of Life Personal Website: Bubba Watson LIV site: Bubba Watson and the RangeGoats

Frans Lanting has been hailed as one of the great photographers of our time. For more than three decades he has documented wildlife from the Amazon to Antarctica to promote understanding about the Earth and its natural history through images that convey a passion for nature and a sense of wonder about our living planet.  He has received many honors including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Lennart Nilsson Award, The Netherlands' highest conservation honor – the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in nature photography. His latest book is titled: Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         Not knowing the rules will make you experiment with anything and everything.  Be aware of the rules but then put them to the side and do things your own way.  ·         His empathy toward animals allows him to capture their personalities which are as distinct as our own personalities.  ·         Unlike the prevailing methods of photographing the animals from a distance, Frans likes to get up close and personal and take his pictures at eye level to create a more intimate interaction.  ·         Too many people are overly fixated with technology but what's most important is knowing what's interesting to you and your connection with the subject in front of you. ·         Unlike painting where you start with a blank canvas, with photography you go in the opposite direction and have to delete as much as possible until there is clarity.  ·         His photography evolved from capturing a single species to capturing the essence of nature as a network of relationships amongst many species.   Notes: Books: Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales Into Africa Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape Other books by Frans Exhibitions: LIFE: A Journey Through Time Bay of Life Website: Frans Lanting  

Carol Tomé is the Chief Executive Officer of UPS.  Previously she served as Chief Financial Officer for The Home Depot.  Carol serves as board member for Verizon Communications, Inc., board of councilors for the Carter Center and is a board trustee for Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation and the Atlanta Botanical Garden.  Carol has been named twice to the Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women and was listed second on The Wall Street Journal's list of best Chief Financial Officers, and among the top 50 most powerful women in business by Fortune magazine.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         She was a competitive downhill ski racer growing up which taught her the importance of advanced preparation.  To this day she goes into every meeting well prepared.  ·         When she first joined Home Depot, she wasn't getting through and winning people over so she went to work in the stores to learn the business so she could speak their language.  ·         She had a transformative moment at Home Depot when she realized that she was working too hard and didn't have a purpose and dedicated herself from that day forward to making a difference. This changed how she interacted with the people around her. ·         Much of her success was learning to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, faster than you, and better than you.  They lift you up and give you wings. ·         One of her ingredients to success has been to be well networked.  Always first look to make deposits with people so down the road you're in a position to ask for a withdrawal.  ·         “Excellence is about thinking all the way around the problem.  Go slow to go fast. Or in the language of home improvement, measure twice, cut once.”

Bob Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and director of the program in Psychodynamic Therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital.  He is a practicing psychiatrist and a Zen master who teaches meditation around the world.  His latest book is titled: The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         His TEDx talk in 2015 is still one of the most popular TED talks ever with over 44 million views and growing. ·         When trying to optimize happiness, most of us try to strike a balance between eudaimonia, which refers to a state of wellbeing in which a person feels that their life has meaning and purpose, and hedonia, which is more about fleeting happiness. ·         The essence of the findings from the study boils down to relationships. That relationships are more important to long term health and happiness than diet or exercise or anything else in our lives. ·         Contrary to stereotypes, women are not any more likely to form relationships than men.  They just have a different means of engaging with one another.  ·         About 50% of our wellbeing set point is determined by genetics, 10% is based on our current life circumstance, and 40% is within our control. ·         “Excellence is being as fully and deeply engaged in something as I can be in something I care about.”   Notes: Book: The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness Ted Talks: What Makes a Good Life?   The Secret to a Happy Life

John Mather is a Senior Astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He is also the Senior Project Scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope. His research centers on infrared astronomy and cosmology. He was the chief scientist for the Cosmic Background Explorer and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 for his precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation.  He has served on advisory and working groups for the National Academy of Sciences, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.    Some interesting insights from this episode: The James Webb Space Telescope uses infrared technology which allows us to see through the dust clouds to see stars being born. “Maybe the formation of life doesn't require a rare and exotic coincidence but maybe it's something that always happens when given the chance.” Like Neil deGrasse Tyson, John visited the Hayden Planetarium as a kid which ignited his early passion for astronomy. He didn't have his entire career mapped out but rather followed his curiosity and said yes when opportunity would present itself. While society holds the theorists in higher regard than the experimentalists like John, that never deterred him. Stephen Hawking called his discovery of hot and cold spots in the cosmic background radiation “The most significant scientific discovery of this century if not of all time.” COBE took 15 years from inception to launch and the James Webb 27 years but John was able to stay the course on both, keeping himself and his teams motivated along the way. His secret to success isn't being the smartest one in the room and always knowing the answer but rather not being afraid to ask others.

Cindy Timchal is the head coach for the women's lacrosse team at the United States Naval Academy.  She is the NCAA's all-time leader in career wins (535) for division I women's college lacrosse. She has won eight national championships, seven of which were won consecutively while at University of Maryland. And as coach at The Naval Academy women's lacrosse team, she became the first coach to lead a service academy women's team to a Final Four. She's been named national coach of the year twice.    Some interesting insights from this episode: After they started winning a lot, they stopped thinking about winning and focused more on the journey. They treated their opponents as a partnership. If their opponents beat them, they would be teaching them a lesson of how they weren't doing things very well. She called the style of play “relaxed intensity”. If you're not tight and anxious and can just be in the moment, the intensity will rise on its own. She used a sports psychologist and spiritual advisor to help her team with the mental aspect of the game. It was helpful in building self-confidence, for even the most talented players have self-doubt. This spiritual advisor had an expression: “Slowing down is sometimes faster than speeding up.” Mistakes are part of sports but it's what you do after the mistake that makes all the difference.

Will Guidara is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park and the NoMad, and is the cofounder of the Welcome Conference, an annual hospitality symposium. In 2017, Eleven Madison Park was voted the world's best restaurant by The World's 50 Best Restaurants annual ranking.  He has coauthored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40, and is a recipient of WSJ Magazine's Innovator Award. His new book is called Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.   Some interesting insights from this episode: Unreasonable hospitality is being just as relentless, as focused, as intentional in your pursuit of how you make people feel as you are with every other facet of what you do for a living. One of our most deeply held needs as human beings is we want to feel known and seen. One of Will's favorite quotes that speaks to hospitality is one from Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you say. They'll forget what you do. But they'll never forget how you made them feel.” “If you don't understand the importance of your work, the nobility of what you put out into the world every day, it's very hard to be the best version of yourself consistently.” He has kept a paperweight on his desk since he was a child which reads: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” If you don't have the confidence and conviction to answer it honestly, it's unlikely you'll ever achieve it. Whenever you're leading a group of people, it's one thing to have a good idea. It's meaningless if you can't convey that idea to your team such that you're all moving in unison and in the same direction. It's important to be both “restaurant smart” and “corporate smart”. That is, balancing what's best for the guests with what's best for the bottom line. To become the number one restaurant in the world, he had to balance a culture of excellence with a culture of unreasonable hospitality. “If you are not being as intentional, as relentless, and as unreasonable about how you make people feel as you are about whatever product you make or service you offer, you are leaving extraordinary opportunities on the table.”   Notes: Book: Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect The Welcome Conference

David Copperfield is a magician and entertainer, best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, and described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history.  His illusions have included the disappearance of a Learjet, the vanishing and reappearance of the Statue of Liberty, levitating over the Grand Canyon, walking through the Great Wall of China, escaping from Alcatraz prison, and flying on stage.  He has received 21 Emmy Awards, 11 Guinness World Records, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a knighthood by the French government, and the Living Legend award by the US Library of Congress.  You can watch him live performing 7 days a week at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.    Some interesting insights from this episode: While he's passionate about magic and one of the greatest magicians ever, at heart he is a storyteller. He is a multidimensional entertainer. His role models growing up weren't other magicians but actors and dancers like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. And storytellers like Walt Disney. He likes to make audiences feel something in the heart, not just a challenge in the brain. To this day he is inspired by a quote he read as a kid: “You're only as good as you dare to be bad.” You can't do something unique and special without taking some risks along the way. The formula for his success is summarized with his mantra: “Passion, preparation, and persistence.” He still has imposture syndrome at times which pushes him to continue to keep trying to perfect his craft.    “Excellence is about nothing ever being finished. It's a process that never ends.”

Jimmy Burrows has directed more than one thousand episodes of sitcom television and has earned eleven Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. In 1974 he began his television career directing episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and Laverne and Shirley. He became the resident director on Taxi and co-created Cheers, directing 243 of the 273 episodes, as well as all 246 episodes of Will and Grace. He has directed the pilots of multiple episodes of Frasier, Friends, Mike & Molly, the pilots of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, and hundreds of other shows.  His new book is titled: Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Will & Grace, and More.      Some interesting insights from this episode: He operates with kindness. Everyone has to row together and pull equally with everyone else. He doesn't allow ego to get in the way. He has the perfect temperament for TV directing. He doesn't lose his temper, he's patient, he has low ego, and he knows how to encourage others. He feels as a director it's important to “die with your boots on”. That is, to try to do something to make a difference.  To provide input to make the best show possible. When deciding whether to work on a show, he likes to meet with the writer and have him/her defend themselves but not be defensive. When asked about same-sex marriage, then Vice President Joe Biden said, “I think Will & Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody's ever done so far. People fear that which is different. Now they're beginning to understand.” His success is attributed to his ability to create a harmony on the set so everyone's involved in making the show better. On his sets, you have to check your ego at the door. “Excellence is to try to be the best you can be in your particular field.”   Notes: Book: Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and More

Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized as the world's leading executive coach and has advised more than 200 major CEOs and their management teams. He is the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including What Got You Here Won't Get You There, Mojo, and Triggers. His latest book is titled: The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment.    Some interesting insights from this episode: Basing success strictly on results is a fool's game. The Buddhist term for this is The Hungry Ghost – always eating but never full. Success should be defined as: Are you doing something that is connected to your higher aspirations, are you doing that's meaningful, and do you enjoy the process. He pioneered the 360 feedback process which includes taking personal references away from the office to truly understand someone's character. What separate the great from the exceptional leaders are courage, humility, and discipline. “We are living an earned life when the choices, risks, and effort we make in each moment align with an overarching purpose in our lives, regardless of the eventual outcome.” To have a good life, we need to align our aspirations, our ambitions and our actions. Most executives you coach get stuck on the ambition phase. “Excellence is focusing on achievement that's consistent with something that's meaningful to you and something you enjoy.”   Notes: The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment What Got You Here Won't Get Your There: How successful people become even more successful Marshall Goldsmith website    100 Coaches  

Bertrand Piccard is a psychiatrist and explorer and made history by accomplishing two aeronautical firsts – flying around the world non-stop in a balloon, and more recently in a solar-powered airplane without fuel. As Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, he has succeeded in his mission to select 1000 profitable solutions to protect the environment and support clean growth.    Some interesting insights from this episode: Meeting the astronauts as a kid opened his eyes that anyone with a passion who wanted to achieve their dreams could do it. When reflecting on his decision to become an explorer, he knew there had to be new frontiers yet to be discovered. “It's like a compass showing the unknown, showing what has never been done.” The writer Paulo Coelho once said: “If you believe that adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is deadly.” He would perform self-hypnosis to relax when stressed and stay awake and vigilant while flying through the night. “Our life depends on the way we think. Once we're aware of that, we're free to think in every direction.” Failing so quickly and in such a public way on his first around the world balloon attempt liberated him, as he learned to no longer care what others thought. Why did they succeed in the around the world balloon flight when so many others failed? They never failed twice for the same reason. It took 13 years to complete the around the world solar flight starting with the initial announcement. While there were moments of doubt, that doubt allowed them to continue to refine their approach, adjust course, and surmount obstacles along the way.

Gary White is the cofounder and CEO of Water.org and WaterEquity. In 1991 he launched WaterPartners International, the nonprofit that would later become Water.org. Today the organizations he leads are creating market driven solutions to the global water crisis, driving innovations in the way the world funds water and sanitation projects.  His new book that he co-authored with Matt Damon is titled: The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World's Greatest Challenge.    Some interesting insights from this episode: In many parts of the world, families are paying upwards of 25% of their income to procure water and sanitation. This is a problem that disproportionally impacts women and girls. Microloans are a much more scalable solution to solving the water crisis than grants. 99% of all microloans Water.org provides get paid back in full and on time. To solve the global water crisis, 750 million people will need access to water and 1.7 billion will need access to sanitation. Matt Damon taught Gary how to be a more effective storyteller. “Excellence is doing the very best that you're capable of doing and always striving to do better with what you have.”   Show Notes Book: The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World's Greatest Challenge Organizations: Water.org  WaterEquity    Where to Donate: Water.org donations

Chef Andre Rush is a retired decorated combat Veteran known worldwide as the White House chef with the 24-inch biceps and for his advocacy for military service, as well as suicide prevention, which is why he does 2,222 push-ups a day: to bring awareness to the ongoing epidemic of mental health and suicidal ideation.  His new book is titled: Call me Chef, Dammit!: A Veteran's Journey from the Rural South to the White House..    Some interesting insights from this episode: “I don't care what I have done. It's what I'm doing right now and what I'm going to continue to do.” “You don't decide your destiny. Your destiny decides you.” “Cooking is like art. You eat with your eyes. And when you see art, it draws you to it.” He was very determined and found a way to feed off the negativity and use it as fuel. He uses cooking as a coping mechanism for his PTSD. At one point he gave away all his money to help bring Ethiopian refugees to the United States. “Excellence is doing everything you need to do at your very best.” Show Notes Book: Call Me Chef, Dammit!: A Veteran's Journey from the Rural South to the White House Meal Delivery Service: CHOW Website: Chef Rush   

Joaquin “Jack” Garcia is the former undercover FBI agent who infiltrated the Gambino crime family of Cosa Nostra in New York for nearly three years, resulting in the arrest and conviction of 32 mobsters.  He worked on over 100 major undercover investigations over his 26 year career.  He wrote a New York Times bestseller called Making Jack Falcone: An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family.    Some interesting insights from this episode: Being a good undercover is not something you can learn. It's something you're born with. Undercover skills include thinking quick on your feet, being comfortable around all types of people, knowing how to read people, being quick witted, and likeable. Sometimes he was juggling upwards of 6 different identifies and roles at the same time. The Gambino case led to the arrest and conviction of 32 mobsters. He worked on over 100 major undercover investigations over his career. “Excellence is being the best in what you set out to do. Look in the mirror and see if you've given it 100%. And if the answer is yes, then you have attained excellence.” Show Notes Book: Making Jack Falcone: An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family

Rob O'Neill is a Navy SEAL combat veteran with decorations which include two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars with Valor, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, three Presidential Unit citations, and two Navy/Marine Corps Commendations with Valor.  He is a public speaker, TV personality, philanthropist, and cofounder of the Special Operators Transition Foundation, a charity supporting special operations military personnel making the difficult transition from the battlefield to the boardroom. He is a New York Times bestselling author of The Operator and his latest book is titled: The Way Forward: Master Life's Toughest Battles and Create Your Lasting Legacy.   Some interesting insights from this episode: You learn a lot more from failure than you do from success. Life isn't about a big goal but having a series of achievable smaller goals. Whatever is going on in your life that's not working, learn from it and get over it. It's only dead weight and not helping to fixate on it. The worse thing you can say when you're leading a team is this is the way we've always done it. There can always be a better way. If you're worrying about something and your worrying isn't going to change it, stop wasting your energy on it. Sometimes in life it doesn't really matter why you're here, you're just here, so get over it. “Excellence is taking care of your family and teaching your children to be good people and then repeat the process.” Show Notes Book: The Way Forward: Master Life's Toughest Battles and Create Your Lasting Legacy Website: Robert O'Neill 

Barry Sonnenfeld is a director, producer and writer who broke into the film industry as the cinematographer on the Coen Brothers' Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, and Miller's Crossing.  He was the director of photography on Throw Momma from the Train, Big, When Harry Met Sally, and Misery.  Barry made his directorial debut with The Addams Family and has directed several other films including Addams Family Values, Get Shorty, and the Men in Black trilogy.  His television credits include Pushing Daises, for which he won an Emmy, and Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events.  His memoir is titled: Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother: Memoirs of a Neurotic Filmmaker.   Some interesting insights from this episode: Most movie directors use the camera as a recording device whereas he uses it as a story telling device. Lots of cinematographers have tried to become directors but have failed. Part of Barry's success making the transition was hiring a world-class cameraman so he could focus on the actors and other areas as opposed to micromanaging the cameraman.  The key to successful directing is to hire people better than you, answer everyone's questions to ensure a consistent tone, and feign self-confidence. He's known to be very neurotic but neurosis is a superpower when directing a project. His philosophy about comedy is that nobody on the show should think they're working on one. The formula is to have an absurd situation or an absurd character played for reality. “Excellence is being capable, responsible, and the willingness to make the tough decision.”   Show Notes Book: Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother: Memoirs of a Neurotic Filmmaker

Monica Aldama is the cheerleading coach at Navarro College. She is one of the most successful athletic coaches in the country, having led Navarro to 14 national championships. She and her team are the subject of a hit Netflix show called Cheer which is now entering its second season. She has a new book out which is entitled: Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach   Some interesting insights from this episode: Her lifelong dream was to become a Wall Street banker but something happened along the way She has learned how to acquire talent based not just on raw skills but on potential, knowing that some kids will grow and develop during the program To win championships, you have to have a championship culture which is as much about attitude as it is work ethic and commitment. Coaching these kids was not just about winning championships but about providing structure and discipline they would need during the program and throughout life. To become an effective leader, she had to learn to adjust her communication style and coaching approach based on how different kids respond. She encourages failure with her team. If you don't fail, you don't grow, and you become complacent.  “Excellence is carrying yourself in the way of a champion in all areas of your life.”   Show Notes Book: Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach

Eileen Collins is a retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force colonel. She was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle. Eileen has been recognized by Encyclopædia Britannica as one of the top 300 women in history who have changed the world.  She has been inducted into the National Women's Hall Of Fame and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame.  Her new book is called Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission.   Some interesting insights from this episode: Her father was an alcoholic and her mother was institutionalized but she didn't let anything from her childhood define her for the rest of her life. She never shared her dream of becoming an astronaut with anyone until she got accepted into the astronaut training program. She didn't feel anyone would be supportive.  It takes a tremendous amount of focus and discipline to fly a jet but she wasn't always wired that way. These are skills that can be learned. When she gets nervous, to calm herself down, she would envision herself not as Eileen Collins but as the Commander of a spaceship. To be a good leader, you have to learn to listen to others and to be humble when you listen to them. People won't respect you as a leader if you're telling others what to do all the time. An investigation into the Space Shuttle Columbia accident revealed that a big contributing factor was NASA's culture. People weren't listening.  People assigned to safety were being intimated and weren't speaking up.  And they weren't thinking creatively.  “Excellence is about knowledge, communicating openly and having high integrity.”   Show Notes Book: Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission

Katharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy.  She is also the Endowed Professor in Public Policy and Public Law and Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University. She has been named a United Nations Champion of the Earth and one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.  She holds a PhD in atmospheric science from the University of Illinois.  Her latest book is titled: Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.   Some interesting insights from this episode: We would need only a square area of 120 miles by 120 miles covered with present day solar panels to supply the entire United States with electricity. We could cut carbon emissions in half through efficiency alone. “Our planet has a fever caused by our lifestyle choices since the dawn of the industrial revolution. If we don't change our habits at a systemic level, the consequences for humanity will be enormous.” Climate change is not just an environmental issue but a serious health issue. Air pollution from fossil fuels is responsible for nearly 9 million premature death every year. Climate change disproportionally effects the poorest and most vulnerable and most marginalized people. “Excellence is your own standard of doing everything you can toward the goal that you've set.”   Show Notes Book: Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World Personal Website: Katharine Hayhoe Project DRAWDOWN

Maya Gabeira is a Brazilian big wave surfer. She is most known for having surfed a 73.5 ft high wave in Nazaré, Portugal in February 2020, recorded by Guinness World Records as the biggest wave ever surfed by a female.  It was also the biggest wave surfed by anyone that year.  She has received numerous accolades including the ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete and is considered one of the best female surfers in the world as well as one of the most influential female surfers of all time.   Some interesting insights from this episode: Both parents were well known in Brazil so she felt the need to leave the country at a young age to do something on her own terms and to find something that would be true to herself. She suffered severe asthma as a child which made her feel weak and vulnerable but as she grew older, she learned how to turn that weakness into a strength. “Surfing picks you up and also beats you down. It gives you everything but also takes everything out of you.” You have to train on strengthening your lungs so you're able to hold your breath for extended periods. Maya is able to hold her breadth for up to 4 minutes. While there were plenty of women competing in small wave surfing, Maya was one of the first women to break into the dangerous sport of big wave surfing. She barely survived a near-fatal accident while surfing at Nazaré when a 160 ton wave collapsed on her and she lost consciousness in the water. She had to endure years of intense pain and rehab following three spine surgeries along with dealing with debilitating anxiety disorder to be in a position to surf again. She ended up setting two Guinness world records for big wave surfing.  “Excellence is not about perfection. Perfection doesn't exist. Excellence is the greatest you can be.”

Howard Shore is a musical composer and has won three Academy Awards for his score to The Lord of the Rings as well as four Grammys and three Golden Globes. He has scored over 90 films and collaborated with many well known directors including Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese, David Cronenberg, and Tim Burton.   Some interesting insights from this episode: He was in a jazz fusion band called Lighthouse and opened for Jimi Hendrix while touring with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. He was the first musical director for Saturday Night Live. When he was starting out, he went to the library and studied other scores to learn how to write music for the movies. He has wide range as a composer scoring thrillers like Silence of the Lambs, comedies like Big and Mrs. Doubtfire, dramas such as Philadelphia and The Aviator, and fantasy films, most notably The Lord of the Rings. “You're trying to take the audience to the world. You want to transport the person and they may not be aware of how they got there and what's happening to them.” He used to review Mozart's symphonies in the morning before he would compose to tune his brain up and try to emulate that level of quality. The key to creating music is to not overanalyze but to keep writing and writing and figure out later how to revise and winnow it down to what you really want. “Excellence is respecting the art of the world that you're working in.”

Erin Brockovich is the president of Brockovich Research and Consulting and the founder of the Erin Brockovich Foundation which educates and empowers communities in their fight for clean water. She was the driving force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in United States history.  She has a newsletter called The Brockovich Report and her latest book is titled: Superman's Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We The People Can Do About It.   Some interesting insights from this episode: Her mother taught her not to let other's ideas or perceptions of who she was be hers. “Don't be afraid to grab something even if you don't know where you're going because when you do, you'll find your way.” The $333 million settlement awarded to the Hinkley plaintiffs was the largest sum in a direct-action lawsuit in United States history. According to a 2016 report by the Environmental Working Group, two thirds of Americans are drinking water contaminated with potentially unsafe levels of chromium-6. “Often times we think something's standing in our way when the only obstacle is ourselves.” It's important to know what you stand for, knowing your “why”. Erin's is the following: “I am an advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person's right to know. I believe that in the absence of the truth, all of us stand helpless to defend ourselves, our families, and our health, which is the greatest gift we have.” “Excellence is when we become the best we can be and it pulls out the best in others and we pull out the best in ourselves.”   Show Notes Book: Superman's Not Coming: Out National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It Newsletter: The Brockovich Report  Health data collection website: Community Healthbook Personal website: Erin Brockovich

Ed Stafford is a British explorer.  He holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person to walk the length of the Amazon River. He has been one of the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year and was also the European Adventurer of the Year.  He has written multiple books on his quests and now hosts an adventure reality show on the Discovery Channel called Ed Stafford: First Man Out.   Some interesting insights from this episode: His insecurity as an adopted child drove his ambition. He had to adapt his behavior in order to make people like him and prove his worth. He set the Guinness record for being the first person to hike the length of the Amazon. It took him 2 years, 4 months, and 8 days to complete the 4,345 mile trek.  “Imagine the thickest of bramble bushes, knotted with razor-sharp vines and spiky palms. Then imagine sinking the whole thing in a swimming pool full of muddy water and having to make your way through that swimming pool using just your 18 inch machete.” “I would start the day positive and upbeat and as each negative experience cropped up, I would set myself the challenge of laughing at it and not allowing it to bring me down. Each time I succeeded, I would give myself a pat on the back and it boosted my morale further to think I was gaining control over the way I reacted to external influences.” “I find myself in the pleasant position of being calmer and happier with the world about me. My confidence now comes from within rather than from the opinions of others. I now know who I am and what I am capable of.” “Excellence is always trying to become the best version of yourself.”   Links TV Show: Ed Stafford: First Man Out Books: Walking the Amazon Naked and Marooned Ed Stafford's Ultimate Adventure Guide    Personal Site: Ed Stafford 

Francis Collins is the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world.  Francis is a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project.  Francis is an elected member of both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science. In 2020, he was elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (UK) and was also named the 50th winner of the Templeton Prize, which celebrates scientific and spiritual curiosity.   Some interesting insights from this episode: He was able to act in his family's community theater as a child which served as an important foundation for his exemplary ability to communicate. He was an atheist early in life but a patient asking about his beliefs sent him down a path of exploration and meaning and he ended up becoming a devout Christian. He developed a technique known as positional cloning for identifying genes. With this technique, he discovered the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis and Huntington's Disease. He led the Human Genome Project, the global consortium which sequenced the entire human genome, one of the biggest most monumental scientific breakthroughs ever. “Science can produce knowledge but the way you apply that knowledge is where ethics and morality kick in.” The next frontier in science will be decoding the brain, the most complex part of the human body. “Excellence is not just about being able to bring your best, your creative approach, your work ethic, and your dedication but also being in the service of something that matters.”

Robert Lefkowitz is a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who is best known for showing how adrenaline works via stimulation of specific receptors.  He was trained at Columbia, NIH, and Harvard before joining the faculty at Duke University and becoming an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  In addition to being a researcher, Bob is a cardiologist as well as a cardiac patient.  His book is titled: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm: The Adrenaline-Fueled Adventures of an Accidental Scientist.    Some interesting insights from this episode: He started out as a physician but he preferred the creativity and experimentation needed in research over the disciplined approach of following standard operating procedures needed to succeed in medicine. He was much more motivated by trying to figure something out that had never been done before.  He won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his discovery on G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Many basic physiological processes depend on GPCRs and around half of all medications act through those receptors such as beta blockers and antihistamines. This has allowed the treatment of hypertension and coronary disease among many other conditions. It was never his intention to cure a disease or create a drug but rather he was driven by raw curiosity to understand a particular biological phenomenon. He had two deep-seated feelings in his 20s that he would die young and accomplish something of significance. These premonitions would motivate and propel him throughout his career. Because of his passion, social nature and upbeat personality, the press in Stockholm gave him the moniker “The Happiest Laureate”. Even for the most successful scientists, their experiments only work about 2% of the time. So you need to learn to live with failure and find a way to stay motivated. “Excellence is marshalling whatever your powers are to the fullest extent to do things that are of some inherent value.”   Show Notes Bio Books: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm Other links mentioned: THE POZCAST by Adam Posner NHP Talent Group

BJ Fogg is the founder and director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University.  In addition to his research, BJ teaches industry innovators how human behavior really works. He created the Tiny Habits academy to help people around the world. His book is called Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything.   Some interesting insights from this episode: The Fogg Behavior Model suggests that a behavior is driven by three things: motivation, ability, and a prompt. Motivation is the desire to perform the behavior. Ability is your capacity to do so.  A prompt is a cue to perform the behavior. If you're trying to create a new habit, you should adopt a “golden behavior” which is a behavior which is effective, one that you've motivated to do, and one that you have the ability to do. The next step is to make the habit tiny. Find the smallest, easiest way to start the new habit. The momentum will lead to bigger behaviors over time. You have to use a prompt which is a reminder to do a behavior. The best kind of prompt is an anchor. An anchor is an existing behavior already ingrained in your life which serves as a reminder to do the new behavior. You need to “celebrate” each time you perform a new desired behavior which causes a positive emotion inside yourself. It's a mechanism to self-reinforce the positive behavior.  To set yourself up for the day ahead, when you wake up first thing in the morning, plant both feet on the floor and say out loud “It's going to be a great day”. The key to lasting change is to help people do what they already want to do and help people feel successful at it. “Excellence is doing the very best job you can and helping others in ways that really moves the needle for them.”   Show Notes BJ Fogg personal website Stanford Behavior Design Lab Books: Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything Persuasive Technology Other links mentioned: THE POZCAST by Adam Posner NHP Talent Group

Jim McKelvey is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, philanthropist, and artist.  He cofounded the mobile payments company Square and sits on the Board.  He also founded Invisibly, a digital content company, LaunchCode, a nonprofit that teaches technology literacy, and a glass art studio. His book is called The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time.   Some interesting insights from this episode: He has never had a life plan and because of that, he's become very comfortable with uncertainty. He was a state debate champion and owed much of his success to the ability to read the judges and adjust his strategy accordingly. “If you want to be successful and make some money, copy what works. But if you want to have a phenomenally successful company, you have to do something original.” The big insight was rather than going after an existing market of merchants already using credit cards, Square decided to go after a market that didn't even exist – the tiny mom and pop merchants without access to the credit card payment networks. They designed a small card reader that looked really cool and got your attention but was flimsy and difficult to use. But the novelty of it turned every Square sale into a Square advertisement. This allowed the product to go viral without needing to spend one dollar on advertising.  What allowed Square to survive a competitive attack by Amazon and thrive as a standalone company was their innovation stack. An innovation stack is a series of innovations needed to provide a new product or service and that collectively work together to provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace.  Training as an artist was a big help in mentally preparing to be an entrepreneur. “Excellence is something that's above and beyond normal good. It's something that's surprisingly wonderful.”   Show Notes Book: The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time Non-profit: LaunchCode New startup: Invisibly

John Mackey is the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market and co-founder of the nonprofit Conscious Capitalism. He is a co-author of the book Conscious Capitalism as well as his latest book called Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business.    Some interesting insights from this episode: He had a food consciousness awakening when he moved into a vegetarian coop in his 20s. He learned that food could affect the way you feel, your health, vitality, and overall intelligence. Early on, the conventional supermarkets didn't take Whole Foods and the natural foods sector seriously since it was a relatively small industry. By the time they got to scale and supermarkets started to pay attention, Whole Foods was a formidable competitor.  John came close to being fired by the Board at Whole Foods. That's when he turned inward and learned to be a more conscious, more emotionally intelligent, more spiritually awake leader. There's no better time to learn and grow than during challenging times. “Crisis is a tremendous opportunity to accelerate your own life growth, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and intellectually.” The higher purpose of Whole Foods is to nourish people and the planet. As you scale an organization, you can't take purpose for granted. If you want the purpose to stay alive, you have to put purpose first which means embodying it and teaching it.  Leading with integrity entails integrating one's shadow which is the part of our being which we aren't conscious of. Generally the things that we don't like about ourselves are easier to repress from our consciousness and keep in the shadow.  “Excellence is doing something with all your attention and all your heart as best that you can do it.”   Show Notes Whole Foods Market Books: Conscious Leadership

Jimmy Wales is the founder of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and co-founder of the privately owned Wikia, Inc. including its entertainment media brand Fandom.  Wales serves on the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit charitable organization he established to operate Wikipedia. In 2019, Jimmy launched WT Social - a news focused social network. In 2006 Jimmy was named in Time magazine's ‘100 Most Influential People in the World' for his role in creating Wikipedia.   Some interesting insights from this episode: Jimmy was an avid reader as a child and used to devour the World Book Encyclopedia. He took a cautious and conservative approach to entrepreneurship, taking manageable risks, learning to fail fast, and always spending less money than what he took in. “I like to get up and do the most interesting thing I can think of to do and I try to live my life like that every day.” The core value of Wikipedia, which is to present high quality, neutral, factual information, is what allows the organization to maintain its integrity and consistency. He set a very aspirational mission for Wikipedia which is to give every person on the planet free access to the sum of all human knowledge. The success of Wikipedia is staggering. It's now a top 5 website globally with over 54 million articles in 300 languages and 1.5 billion visitors each month and growing.  To be a successful leader, you have to have clear and consistent values that people can buy into. “Excellence is about doing something interesting and having fun. It's got to be interesting because otherwise what's the point?”

Al Roker is a weatherman and coanchor of NBC's Today show, an Emmy-award winning journalist, a television producer, and a New York Times bestselling author.  He has spent over four decades on television and received 14 Emmy Awards. He has written a number of best-selling books, the latest book is titled: You Look So Much Better in Person: True Stories of Absurdity and Success.   Some interesting insights from this episode: His father advised him that “you're going to have to work twice as hard and be twice as good to get half as far as the white kid next to you”. “If you want something badly, keep at it until it's yours or it's no longer an option. Don't stop because you think you've tried hard enough and you believe it's not going to happen. Stop when you receive a flat out no.” He got some sage advice early in his career to just be yourself. He was too busy trying to be someone else to stand out and not allowing his true personality to surface.  “If you don't learn at least one new thing every day, you're not looking.” If you can learn to roll with the flow, you'll be much better off than creating a rigid life plan. Al has always woken up at 3:45 a.m.. “Time is the one commodity that you can't manufacture more of so the only way to make more of it is to start early.” “Excellence is doing your level best every day.”   Notes: Al Roker book: You Look So Much Better in Person: True Stories of Absurdity and Success Al Roker Entertainment Al Roker Today Show Bio