Podcast appearances and mentions of John Wooden

In today's episode of the 2-Minute Drill, Success is a Choice podcast host, Jamy Bechler shares a story from his career, as well as quotes from Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and John Wooden to hammer home the point about taking responsibility for our actions. The 2-Minute Drill is a short and sweet segment that examines insights regarding success, business, teamwork, culture, or leadership. - - - -  Each week, the Success is a Choice podcasting network brings you leadership expert Jamy Bechler and guest experts who provide valuable insights, tips, and guidance on how to maximize your potential, build a stronger culture, develop good leadership, create a healthy vision, optimize results, and inspire those around you. Please follow Jamy on Twitter @CoachBechler for positive insights and tips on leadership, success, culture, and teamwork. - - - -  If you like daily readers then you'll want to check out "Step by Step: 365 Daily Insights for Growth, Influence, and Success". This book is a great way to jump start each one of your days this year. Get your copy today at JamyBechler.com/shop This episode is made possible by MyPillow.com. Use promo code SUCCESS and save lots of money on almost all the My Pillow products including sheets, towels, coffee, energy drinks, slippers, bathrobes and of course, pilllows. Go to MyPillow.com/Success to start saving. Check out our weekly webinars for parents, coaches, students, and administrators at FreeLeadershipWorkshop.com. These sessions are free and cover a variety of topics. The Success is a Choice podcast network is made possible by TheLeadershipPlaybook.com. Great teams have great teammates and everyone can be a person of influence. Whether you're a coach, athletic director, or athlete, you can benefit from this program and now you can get 25% off the price when you use the coupon code CHOICE at checkout. Build a stronger culture today with better teammates and more positive leaders.  - - - -  Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a quick review on Apple podcasts. Ratings and reviews are the lifeblood of a podcast. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. Thanks again for listening and remember that "Success is a choice. What choice will you make today?" - - - -  Jamy Bechler is the author of 10 books including "The Captain" and "The Bus Trip", host of the "Success is a Choice Podcast", professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He previously spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator.  TheLeadershipPlaybook.com is Bechler's online program that helps athletes become better teammates and more positive leaders while strengthening a team's culture. As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by visiting JamyBechler.com/newsletter.

Have you ever looked at a project you've poured years of your life into and realized… it's fine? Not catastrophic. Not terrible. Just fine.No one wants to read a book that's fine — and I am certain you don't want to write one.The first step in making sure you do better than fine is to catch yourself when you know you've hit a wall — which is way easier said than done.We get so used to plowing ahead, getting the words down, prioritizing FINISHING that we often forget to stop and make sure we are writing what we really want to be writing. Think of that pause like checking in with your gut or your heart: do you love this?Because if you don't love it, your readers aren't going to love it, either.In this Write Big episode, KJ and I sit down for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what happens when you hit a wall—and decide to set off a stick of dynamite instead of trying to climb over it. Both of us recently threw out huge portions of our current projects (my Write Big book, and KJ's novel) to start fresh from page zero.I share the story of my 12-hour wrestling match with ChatGPT over the books subtitle (yeah — 12 hours on the subtitle), the “tough love” reality check I got from #amwriting recurring guest therapist Dr. Diana Hill, and how answering one simple question—are you actually centering your reader?—changed everything about my book's tone, structure, and voice. Meanwhile, KJ opens up about why she threw out her protagonist, embraced a dual-timeline structure, and ignored the well-meaning advice of friends who told her NOT to keep starting over.We talk about:* How to recognize when a book is polite or timid instead of alive.* The difference between an echo chamber (which AI can sometimes be) and a true truth-teller.* A method for salvaging the gold from an abandoned draft without getting bogged down by old words.* Why starting over isn't “falling behind”—it's standing up for your conviction.If you're feeling stuck, lost, or secretely suspecting your current draft needs a radical pivot, we encourage you stop playing it safe and build something alive.Let's get back to work and finish work we LOVE.#AmWriting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Books Mentioned* Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist* John Wooden's books on coaching basketball* Serena Bowen's novel: Big Stick Energy* Virginia A. Evans's The CorrespondentTranscriptJennie: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Jennie Nash, and you're listening to the #amwriting podcast, the place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most. This is a Write Big episode, where I bring you short conversations, this one might not be so short, about the mindset shifts that shape the work, and today I'm talking to KJ.Jennie: Hi, KJ.KJ: I'm so excited to be here. This is... Uh, you know. I'll be here lots. This is great. Uh, the, the behind-the-scenes stuff- Is the behind the scenes stuff? KJJennie: often-KJ: And here we are just to like, you know, having a nice normal, um, a podcast, soJennie: yeah. I know. I'm so excited to talk to you and to share this conversation with our listeners, and we're talking aboutJennie: So we're talking about the mindset shifts that shape the work. That's what Write Big is all about, and [00:01:00] oof, some big ones just happened for us both. Yep. Um, if you've been listening for a while, you know we're both working on projects. They're very different projects. Um, KJ's is a novel, mine is a nonfiction book, and I just m- literally dropped a bomb on mine and totally blew it up and started in a new direction, and this is years into it, and you recently did that too, and you- I didKJ: something very similarJennie: you were shy about sharing it with me, which I thought was funny. Um- Oh. ‘Cause you were like- Yeah ... “She's not in the book anymore.” I was asking her aboutKJ: something. That's right. You're like, “Oh, and this could be s- “ I, I mentioned something, and I was like, “Oh, yeah.” Yeah,Jennie: I just mentioned changes. That was when we were in person.Jennie: We, KJ and I were in person, and you know what? We didn't take a picture.KJ: Oh my God, we didn't. You're right. Oh, well.Jennie: We both tra- We have aKJ: lot of things. Travel It just means we have to do it again [00:02:00] soon.Jennie: We both traveled great distances in order to have lunch and go shopping and talk about books, and we were walking and chatting about KJ's book, and, and that's when I learned she had blown everything up.Jennie: So how areKJ: you- We both blew things up. So I got questions. I'm sure you have questions. I have. My first question- Yeah ... you just did this, so how did you know you had to do this?Jennie: Yeah, I did it yesterday.KJ: I think that's ... I know. I think that's the thing that people wanna know, like, “How did you, how did you know?”KJ: Okay. “Was it gradual? Was it sudden?” Just-Jennie: Yeah ...KJ: you know, j- tell, tell us how we should know if we should do the same thing, which I already did, and I have an answer to this too, so.Jennie: Yeah, yeah.KJ: How didJennie: you know? So I was ... I had a finished manuscript, and I asked two people to read it for very particular reasons, these beta reas- readers, and they, neither of them were people that I would callJennie: They're not the kinda typical people that I would go to. [00:03:00] They were, they were more, um, regular readers, if that makes sense. They're, they're not insidery people like you. I mean, you and I- Me ... have a lot of insidery, inside the industry people. These were not those people. So I had a full manuscript. I took it out to both of them.Jennie: I got feedback from both of them, and the, the first, the first person's feedback was- Fine? It was, it was fine. It was like, “This is fine. I want more of this or that.” And it was, it was kind of like, not-KJ: Fine, huh? Great ...Jennie: not what anybody wants. Fine. I either want my reader to be like, “Oh, hell yes,” or, “I co- totally don't get it.”Jennie: Like, I want, I don't want fine. So that was the first thing, and then the second reader [00:04:00] said, “I ha- I got some tough love for you.” And this was happened after I was really struggling. I was trying to rewrite while they were doing the beta read, and, you know, f- with my own critique and my own next steps and my own thing, and I found myself unable to go forward because of the title.Jennie: I kept changing my mind on the title. Like, what really is this? And what, it's particularly the subtitle. What, what am I doing? Like, after all this time, after all this time, after a million blueprints, a million conversations, a whole manuscript, I'm still asking myself, “What is the point? Who is this for?Jennie: What am I doing?” And I, when I say that I was wrestling with that, I felt that I couldn't revise until I got it right because I, the revision now is very [00:05:00] specific. It's not let's just get some words down.KJ: Mm-hmm.Jennie: And so I think I spent, I mean, I'm not even exaggerating- 12 hours? I'm not kidding. Playing- No,KJ: I, I believe-Jennie: Playing with my title.Jennie: And-KJ: And you kept sending me things, and I'd be like, “Eh.”Jennie: Yeah, you were like, “Meh.” I was playing in Chat GPT- I was super helpful ... and the reason that I spent so much time was it was really fun. It was, it was like, “Well, what about this? Well, what about the other? I don't like that word.” Like I was fighting with the machine, which I sort of enjoyed, and, and it was, it wasJennie: It says, you know, it says ridiculous things all the time. “This is your most original idea.” I'm like, “Blah.” You know? Yeah. Just I was kind of wanting to- Yeah, you,KJ: you, you can't listen to it. No. You can only listen to what it's making you say.Jennie: I was wrestling with my own mind. Yeah. That's what I was doing.Jennie: Mm-hmm. And, and I would land on something, and I would think this, and I would start [00:06:00] to revise, and I'd think, “Yeah,” and then I'd send it to you. And you'd be, yeah, you'd be like, “I don't like it,” or, “I don't get it,” or, “Meh,” or, “No,” or whatever. And I was getting mad, not at you, but at my own self. Like, what is the matter here?Jennie: And if you've listened to the podcast, you heard some big revelation episodes with Andrew Perella, who's working on his novel, where you have to step back from the wrestling to say, “Why am I wrestling so much with this? There's something else going on here,” right? Mm-hmm. So that was kind of what was happening, and then the second beta reader- Uh, who is, has been on the podcast several times as well and, and will be in the future.Jennie: It's therapist Diana. So therapist Diana often comes on to help us with some psychological things around writing. And- AndKJ: she has a book.Jennie: She does. She has actually three. So she was the one [00:07:00] who said, “I got some tough love for you.” And she said, “Why don't you come over, and we'll sit down, and I'll, I'll tell it to you.”Jennie: And so part of me was doing that thing that you do is, where it was like, “Oh, crap, I still have so much work to do, and, and I'm tired of this, and I don't wanna.” And, you know, so I went into it with that sort of whiny, resistant attitude. And for, like, the first hour when she was talking to me, I had that really defensive thing of like, “You don't get me.Jennie: You don't get, you don't get what I'm doing. You don't, you're not, you're not in my world.” Like, I was really resistant. And then she did the coolest thing because she's a, a therapist and a writer and all the things. She used my own system on me, and she was like, [00:08:00] “Okay, step one is why are you doing this?” And she said, “I want...Jennie: I'm gonna ask you,” I think she said, “15 times, ‘Why are you doing this?'” And we, we were walking, and so she was just go saying, “Why are you doing this?” And I was just spouting out all the things. And I got to about, I don't know, eight, nine, and she goes, “Okay.” None of these are about the reader. These are all about you and what you want.Jennie: And, and none of these are about what you're actually making. Is this book... Are you trying to help your readers with what you're trying to do with this book? Like, are they in the same place you are? And I s- I had this really strong reaction, and I said, “No. What I'm struggling with around this book is, is a different problem from, from my r- my [00:09:00] reader.Jennie: I want to meet them here.” And I, and I said where I want to meet them, and what I want, how I wanted to help them, and why it was so hard to deliver that. And she was taking notes on her phone while we were walking, and then, uh, she read them back to me, and, and it was like, oh yeah, that's the book I want to write.Jennie: That, that's the book I want to write. Like, I, I knew it, I just wasn't doing it. And it was, um, a whole different structure, a whole different attitude, a whole different voice and tone. And, and it really required a page zero start. So I... This was what was really cool. I, um, did not use ChatGPT. I wrote a new subtitle.Jennie: I guess I did use it, ‘cause I was wrestling with one word. I guess I did use it for this one [00:10:00] word. Um-KJ: It's, it can be a really great thesaurus.Jennie: Yeah, yeah. And, and I sent it to you, and you said, I'm gonna keep this text for the rest of my life. You said, “I've already pre-ordered it.”KJ: Yeah.Jennie: I mean- YouKJ: got itJennie: It actually-KJ: I mean, you know, you might change a word or something, but, but no, that one was like, oh, oh, yeah, yeah.KJ: Okay.Jennie: Yeah. It made me wanna cry. Aw. And then I re- I wrote a new intro, totally new from scratch, which is where I had been stuck before, just like even what is this? And I, I wrote it in, like, 15 minutes, and I sent it to Diana, therapist Diana, and, um, she said, her text reply was, “F*****g awesome.”KJ: Yay.Jennie: And I was like, okay, okay.Jennie: [00:11:00] Like, two people I trust.KJ: She didn't say, “Fine.”Jennie: Right? Two people I trust had that reaction, and when I... I wish I could find the text. Maybe I can find the text. Because when I sent it to her, this was what was so great. I do wanna find this. I'm scrolling through my texts now while we're talking, because I said, um- New intro, just three pages.Jennie: Will you read? This is it, period. I hardly even need to ask you because I know it's it. Like, I, it wasn't looking for confirmation or validation. I kind of just wanted her to see. But I, I felt it was it. I knew it was it. And then I started... I can't stop writing now. Like, I'd been so stuck, and I can't stop writing.Jennie: I'm so fired up. I'm so excited. It feels alive and amazing. Um, it feels like butter on toast. Like, it's just [00:12:00] smooth and easy, and I get it, and I, I, I've clicked in, and it, and it... This has come after, like, I tried to sell this book. You know? I mean, I went through that whole process and, and it didn't. And now I'm so delighted that it didn't sell, that I'm not writing that other book, that, that I get to write- YesJennie: this book. And it's, like, such a pain in the butt really because, you know, I wanted it to be done, and I wanted it to be over- ... and I wanted to be close. And I thought I was there. Um, I had all these plans, you know, for launching and making it happen and blah, blah, blah. And it's like, oh gosh, now I'm like six months or a year behind.Jennie: I'm using air quotes. Like, behind what? I don't know. I mean, if I'm perfectly honest, there, there's a colleague who has a book coming out in 2027 that I'm [00:13:00] twitchy about, and I sort of wanted to beat it. And- ... it was never gonna happen. And also, like, what is that even? What is that even? So I, yeah, I feel amazing.KJ: This is great.Jennie: Yeah. Yeah. I, I feel amazing.KJ: That's, that's fantastic. Yeah.Jennie: I, I just love it. I'm so grateful for, um, you know, the people that I have who are truth tellers, which is, you're one of them. And youKJ: know- It is hard to find a truth teller. And I pick up so many books now, some of them by, you know, very well-known authors, and I'm like, there, there was no truth teller- RightKJ: for this person. And- I mean, I, I, yeah. You know, sometimes it's just like, “Well, this could've been better,” but the- I've had a couple where I was like, “Wow, damn.” Like, I would've, I would... [00:14:00] Even though I don't know you very well, if you'd given this to me in time, I would've stopped you, but-Jennie: Well, I think sometimes the more famous people get, the, the less often- I think soJennie: people will tell them the truth, and- Mm-hmm ... you have to seek that o- out your own self. And, y- you know, I'm so lucky that I have s- have, I mean, so lucky. You know, you, you're not gonna let me get away with crap, and I don't wanna put crap out there. Like, what I had was fine. ItKJ: wasn't crap. It was fine. ItJennie: was fine.KJ: Mm-hmm. But- And some of it was great, was, like, inspirational, really. Helped me, and had lot... But you couldn't, you just couldn't nail that the subtitle was the point.Jennie: Yep. It's so true. Yeah,KJ: and you just couldn't, you just kept sending me, like, “Ugh.”Jennie: I know.KJ: You know? Like, like, “Oh, this is a book about...” You know, I was like, eh, just like, you know-Jennie: This is a writing bookKJ: boring thing, boring thing, colon, [00:15:00] boring thing. And it was- I know ... or, you know, like, like, “Meh thing, unexciting, dash-” “... probably okay.” I don't know. It's, it's-Jennie: I know, and it, you know, this is in fact the whole write big process. I am going through the very thing I am teaching people to do. And- Mm-hmm When I, what I really understood finally is the reasonJennie: So one of the things, um, when Diana asked me, when she stopped me from saying all the reasons why I wanted to write this book and, and said none of these are about the reader, she understands about me that my whole career is about the reader. I, I train book coaches. I'm a book coach. I- it's what I do. And, and so she was e- then asked me to really define.Jennie: She was like, “When you're coaching someone and it's magic and it [00:16:00] just works and it's awesome, what are you doing?” And, and it was like, I'm not pulling any punches. I'm not, you know, a- and I, and I described to her an incident that just happened, and I can't say very much about it. But a very, very well-known performer was sent to me by an agent, somebody we would all know, with a book proposal that needed help.Jennie: And, and I read the proposal, and the word that was just like a neon sign flashing in my mind was timid. It just felt timid.KJ: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.Jennie: And everybody does this. Everybody shrinks to a certain extent from the thing that they know they can write, and it was like, wow, s- super famous performer who is connected to all the famous people, don't write a timid book.Jennie: Like, we don't, we don't want you to write a timid book. No. You don't want to write a timid book. And in what I do, so I, I got on the Zoom with them, and I said, [00:17:00] “This is timid. This is a timid book. You're shrinking from your authority.” And, you know, they were obviously taken aback. Um, but also then they ... It landed.Jennie: Like- Yes ... I, I see that. And that's what I do when I'm coaching someone. So, so why is that not in the book? Yeah. So the book has gotten much more confrontational, much more tough love, much, much less equivocating. It just feels- MuchKJ: less how to not do something.Jennie: Ugh. Like. It's so much more me, and I- YeahJennie: sometimes pretend like I'm a, a polite and kind and whatever, patient person. But the people that know me, you know, know I'm not actually like that, so. Anyway.KJ: And that would not be a helpful, I mean, that's not a helpful book coach.Jennie: That's right.KJ: You know, people may need that, but- For some people, give somebodyKJ: I don't, yeah. I mean, yeah. Some, sometimes. But by and large, if you give somebody [00:18:00] something and they're like, “This is great”-Jennie: Yeah.KJ: I, I mean, and maybe it's great. Yeah. It's probably not.Jennie: Yeah.KJ: You know, 99% of the time it's almost, or it's not even close, or it's ...Jennie: Yeah.KJ: Yeah.Jennie: So I've pulled off of my shelf some different books for inspiration than the ones I was using before.Jennie: Um, Austin Kleon has a really cool thing in his new book. Why can't I remember the title of his new book? It's quite hard to remember.KJ: I don't know. What does he want you to steal now?Jennie: I mean, steal, Steal Like an Artist is so memorable, and I can't remember the new, the new one. It's a good book, but he has this really cool image where he says, “Books are made of books,” and, and he has the cover of his new book with these inputs and the cover of, like, I don't know, maybe six or eight books that went into his [00:19:00] book.Jennie: You know, like the, that went through his mind to create his book, and it's really beautiful. LikeKJ: real books?Jennie: Yes.KJ: Like his cover is like if you put, I don't know, I'm look- reading titles from the back of you- you- you're behind ... Deep Work and Dare to Lead and Made to Stick, and, and you like- Yep ... fed them into a brain- YepKJ: and then it spat out your book?Jennie: Yep.KJ: Wow. Huh.Jennie: It's reallyKJ: cool. That's a, that's an interesting ...Jennie: Yeah, it'sKJ: bold.Jennie: That's really- It is bold, and it, but I do think it's, I do think it's real. And, and I had some books that were sort of ... What's weird is I wasn't reading them or studying them. I was almost like I would almost just touch them.Jennie: Like, these are the books I want my book to sit next to, to be like. And I've changed out the books that are, are that. I've pulled ... Like, I have this book that I love that is, um, by John Wooden, the basketball coach, about coaching basketball, and you know, it's about [00:20:00] coaching, and, and I've always loved that book, and I've loved how he was revered as a coach.Jennie: And you know, that, that book is now one that's informing me more. It would never be a comp title. This is a very different concept than a comp title, right? But, um, yeah, I just feel, I feel great. And, um- And folks who have been listening have heard me share some things where I've not been feeling great, and I've been feeling lost and confused, and, you know, shouldn't I know better?Jennie: I'm the coach of the coaches, and shouldn't I know better? This is my 13th book, and shouldn't I know better? And it's like, no, you always have to do the work. You just do.KJ: Well, and that's what I hope, you know, people who've been listening along to us for the years we've spent on these projects now take is, I mean, there are people who write great books really quickly.KJ: Typically, they are also people who are able to, uh, you [00:21:00] know, process and keep pots on the stove. And, you know, like Serena writes three to four books a year, and that's, uh, you know, a really hard person to have next to you at all times- Yeah, no kidding ... as I pretty much do. But I also can see that she's got pots boiling at all the time.KJ: She doesn't, you know, wake up on March 1st and say, “Okay, I wanna have a book by July 31st. What should it be about?” And, and that's not how it works for her. And, and so even though she is absolutely faster at producing quality work than, than I am, it's still, it's not that. You know, it's more like, “Okay, here's this thing that I set up before, and here's this thing that I spent, you know, a week plotting, and here's...KJ: And I'm gonna pull this, this toge- together,” and, you know, she gets stuck, but she, and she also, you know, she's full time all the time- Eh, not [00:22:00] doing, you know, that's what she does. That and promoting them. And incidentally, she had a book come out today. Uh-oh, you've gone silent for me.Jennie: Sorry, I was raving and saying she did.Jennie: Um, it was, it's called Big Stick Energy.KJ: Yeah.Jennie: And when this podcast airs, it will not have just come out today. It'll be-KJ: No, but, you know, as we talk ...Jennie: a few weeks ago. But yeah, yay Serena. Okay. Yeah. So do you have more questions for me?KJ: It was more that I just wanted to express that I, uh, felt similarly, but minus all the other people.KJ: Mm. It was a very, like I was really stewing in like, “I just can't- You know, I wanted to have, um, a, a, something that I was thinking about the whole time as I write. You know, I really wanted to know the, what the theme was and what the point was, and I just wanted to know why. Why was I doing this? And every day I would like sort of wake up [00:23:00] and, and stew more on that, and like put some more things in that.KJ: And it was like a, a 40-page Google Doc of, you know, me ranting and trying to get there. And then, then I was, I was putting words on the page, and I had 35,000 words, but I would sit down and I found the protagonist boring. She just ... The other people around her were more interesting.Jennie: That'sKJ: not aJennie: good- And- That's not a good- NoJennie: feeling.KJ: No, it was bad. And I just kept sort of poking at this, and, and it was always so ... I'd say it's, it's, um, I would call it, I would call it domestic suspense except that it, it's more of an outdoorsy book, so, you know, I don't know, campground suspense. I don't know. But, um, it's, it's not exactly a thriller.KJ: It's definitely a, a suspense novel. And it all came down to like, well, why did this [00:24:00] happen, and why and why and why? And I realized that all of it was in the past. The more interesting story was in the past, and the more interesting people were the ones who had had that past experience, and were still here in this book.KJ: And it didn't mean that, that I didn't need a second generation of people, but they needed to have been, um, honestly fed by the trauma of the thing that happened in the past, and it ... So I, at some point, I was looking for the text while we were talking, but I can't find it. I texted, um, Serena and Jess, and I was like, “Ugh, I think I gottaKJ: The, I gotta, I gotta have a second, I gotta have a dual timeline. I gotta ...” A- and Serena was like, “Stop doing this. You keep stop, you keep blowing this bo- book up. You know, just write what you're writing. Just write.” And I was like, “No, no, no, no. I really, I, I do. I do.” And, “Why?” She said, “Why?” I said, “Because that's where the interesting stuff is.”KJ: And she said, “Okay, fine.”Outro: Okay, but you said- And then she made me explain itKJ: whenOutro: we had a, a walk,KJ: but,Jennie: um- You said it didn't involve people, but that's people. [00:25:00]KJ: Oh, yeah. Yeah. But the people were saying, “No, no.” And, and she's right to do that. I'm very prone- Oh, I see. They were not- I'm a little prone to blowing, blowing things upJennie: they were not egging you on. They were saying-KJ: No. Yeah. Uh, it was, it was, you know, “Can, can you stop rethinking this book and, and write this book?” And yes, yes I can, but it needed the, the rethinking. It's, this is, it's, it's much more interesting. And, you know, it was at a point where things would kinda like, I'd come up with something and be like, “Oh, yeah, that locks into this, and this locks into this, and this locks into this,” but- The method of telling it wasn't working.KJ: It's not really a different story. The method of telling it wasn't, wasn't, wasn't working. But it really is kind of like it bugs you, and it bugs you, and it bugs you, and it bugs you, and it bugs you, and finally you just give in to it.Jennie: Well, yeah. I mean, it's a really interesting question of how do you know when you're hiding from something, or avoiding something, [00:26:00] or telling yourself a story about your story, and how do you know when you need to make a move?Jennie: I, I feel like it's very, very hard to do that in isolation. You know, even with your situation where your people were saying, “No, KJ,” that's a mirror that somebody's holding up to you where you get to decide how you feel about them saying no. Like, the point- Right ... really honest, good feedback is not that you take it all the time, it's that does this resonate with something in you or not?Jennie: And with me it was like, oh, yeah, my fine manuscript, and then, and then this tough love. I'm like, “Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it needs to change.” And you hearing that, you're like, “No. No. This...” Like, it, it was all, it all goes back to your conviction, but it's- It,KJ: it's just like the way you were using ChatGPT. ChatGPT wrote nothing, said [00:27:00] nothing, con- added nothing because he is...KJ: He. I don't, uh... You know, it is not an anything. It is a echo. It is- Yeah ... a reflection. It is an echo and a reflection of all of our work combined into, you know, a, a, a stolen creation. But e- and therefore, as far as I'm concerned, we have a right to use it however we want. But- It's not capable of producing anything original, but it is capable of reflectingJennie: That's rightKJ: And that's what you were using it for, and I think that's reallyJennie: It's really helpful when you're strategizing- Mm-hmmJennie: and sorting out your thoughts, and this is what I think I wanna do, and this is why I wanna do it, and this is why that word isn't right for that. And for me, that was just the-KJ: And the peril of it kind of is that it refuses to stopJennie: So that's what's so interesting you say that, because I... When I... So I said 12 hours.Jennie: I spent a whole lot of time on airplanes the last month, and this [00:28:00] is kind of what I would do on an airplane, is I was on airplanes that now have super fast, like that satellite hotspot- Mm-hmm ... WiFi. It's super fast. And so it was kind of fun to get to do this stuff on an airplane. And you know, I can... I love to work on airplanes, but I can't do deep work.Jennie: So I would sort of tap into this, and I was just playing, playing, playing, playing, pushing, pushing. And I did have the thought at one point: There is no friend that I have on the planet or anybody that I could pay that would stick with this as long as I'm doing it. And-KJ: That is true ...Jennie: and that was in, on some, some ways I was like thank goodness that this thing will stick with my brain, saying, “No.Jennie: No, not that word. Let's find 47 other words to think about rightKJ: now.” But you're the one saying, “No, no, no.”Jennie: Yes. Yes.KJ: Yeah.Jennie: And no humanKJ: would do that. But I do find that a peril of it, like, [00:29:00] like I was trying to use it to, to find a, a stand-up paddleboard today. This is a fine use to... And, and you know, it kept... It just keeps saying, “Well, if you'll tell me this, I could do this.KJ: And if you'll tell me this, I could...” Like, it never... It doesn't want... You know, it's not a thing, so it wants to keep you there like all things of its sort. So it's a, it's a little bit of, um It, it's, it's just something to be aware of. Like, it's, it is keeping ... Its job is to keep you in that conversation.Jennie: Yeah.Jennie: And itKJ: wa- But it is not a conversation because it is not a, it is not something that you can converse with. But so, so to use it for as far as you can get, and then as you did, to go, “Uh, and now, you know, uh, my thoughts have, have churned enough to have, have, have ... And, and you have to sort of, uh, you know, leave it going, “But wait, if you'll sugg- you know, tell, [00:30:00] I, tellKJ: Right. It- “I can still think of 452 more words for, for,” you know.Jennie: And it, and yeah. No. It's relentlessly helpful- It's relentless ... in suggesting things.KJ: Yeah,Jennie: yeah. And it's ... So on the one hand, that was lovely, and on the other hand it was like, “Just stop.” Like, the writer's job is to have an opinion or a point of view.Jennie: And-KJ: It could have any point of view ...Jennie: it will never have a point of view- No. Yeah ... or opinion that is based on anything. And so, like, your reaction to your, your longtime people who know you and know your writing, know your process, and know your goals, and know all that, y- you know, that reflection allowed you to tap back into your point of view, which is, “No, I have to have two timelines.Jennie: I have to blow this up. I have to do it differently. It's ... My protagonist is boring.”KJ: Yeah. Don't worry, future readers of this book. She's gone. [00:31:00]Jennie: But new protagonist is not boring.KJ: New protagonist is not one bit boring. It was funny ‘cause there were just some things that I, that had come from the point of view of non-protagonist characters that I was just like, “This is so much better thanKJ: Like, this is the, this is ... Like, I wanna be with this person. I don't wanna be with this person I'm ... This person just threw themselves into this,” whereas, you know, the person I was imagining and creating and, uh- Anyway, it- it's okay. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.Jennie: Um, I mean, I know you've had that thing I've had, which is I'm gonna have a draft by X, and you've had that- YeahJennie: for many, many months.KJ: The number of times I've said I'm gonna have a draft by on- Yeah ... this particular manuscript are- Really embarrassing. They're not embarrassing, it's just, you know, it, it, [00:32:00] it just, it just is. I'm trying to do something different, and doing something different takes time, and you are trying to do something big-Jennie: YeahKJ: and something that has a big shadow and a big resonance, and you can't ... You're not gonna ... That's not gonna be that way in the first or the second or the fourth or the fifth draft.Jennie: Well, you said to me ... I, I've always had a vision of this book I'm writing as, as being small. I have a couple of-KJ: Small physically, like thin.Jennie: Both. Small in length and small in trim size. Uh, uh, spare, I guess, is maybe- Yeah ... a word I, I would think of. And there's several books I have that do that, that I admire, and it's a thing I want. And you've been always saying to me, “It's really hard to write a book like that.” It's n- you don't just ... [00:33:00] Just ‘cause it's little and short doesn't mean it's easyKJ: It's hard to write short.Jennie: Yeah. And, and you've been warning me about that, and I think I really encountered that buzzsaw here. Uh, I'm like, “Ugh.” Um, so.KJ: Well, you're just trying to channel ... I think you're also trying to channel a part of yourself that mostly comes out in reaction to others.Jennie: Mm, yeah.KJ: And that's hard, because you don't have anything to react against.KJ: Yeah. You're reacting against an imaginary version. You're reacting against everyone that you've ever had to go, “That's timid.”Jennie: Yep. “KJ: That's, you know, that's not what you meant to do.” Okay, great, but I didn't ... Like, uh, this is, is, is fine writing, but why? Where does it fit? Right. What is this? What the hell are you doing?KJ: What- Right ... you know? And you're trying to write for all of those people, but as an abstraction.Jennie: That's super astute. That's super astute. And I,KJ: I'm gonna- Maybe, [00:34:00] maybe, maybe you, you address this book to, to the, this, um, unknown celebrity.Outro: Well, I actually did write thatKJ: story. Dear Taylor Swift, this is how you-Outro: Oh, gosh.Outro: Can youKJ: imagine? Don't write a ... Don't- Uh ... don't write a, a, you know- Uh ...Jennie: aKJ: timid book. And I know it wasn't Taylor. Well, I don't actually know that it wasn't Taylor. No. But it wasn't Taylor Swift, guys. It wasn't TaylorJennie: Swift. Oh, my gosh. Um, the ... Yeah, that is a really helpful thing for me to think about, actually, because I need to keep specific people in mind at specific points, and that's gonna help me.Jennie: And that's the reason why I love book coaching, is I love the back-and-forthing. Interactive nature that isKJ: very- Well, and you said to me the last time we talked about my book, I wrote it down, hold on, ‘cause it's very, [00:35:00] “What can I say that's not being said? What can I say that's offensive? How can I make people mad?”KJ: Here, do that. I'm shaking the page at Jennie. Jennie, what can you say that's not being said about writing? Why, how can you offend people? How can you hurt their feelings and make them go away and go, “That's worse. I'm not either doing that. You're soKJ: mean”?Jennie: Well, the reason I said that is because we were talking about what books ... I mean, so far listeners, Kate is obviously at a level many of us will never get to, and in her career. She is at a very high level with- SheKJ: does not feel that way.Jennie: I know. But, you know, with really big goals and, uh, big possibilities in front of her.Jennie: And so the, when we talk about it, it's like, “What will make people pick this book for their book club?” And, and that's a question anybody could ask, and should [00:36:00] ask, if that's what their goal is, to write such a book. And, you know, that's why I was saying write something offensive, because you want some book clubs to be like, “That is a book we will not touch,” because- YepJennie: that that means there are other book clubs that are gonna be like, “This is our next book, no question.” Yeah. You know?KJ: Yeah. Like, if you- And we say it all the time, you write for everyone, you write for no one, but also it's just hard to-Jennie: Well, and I haveKJ: been- Hard not to like pull your punches and back up a little and be like, “Uh, I can't mention that.KJ: I can't, I can't-” Or, “IJennie: can't be that person.” And you, as a human, I mean, I am so fortunate to be your friend, because you as a human will often say things that other people will, will maybe not say, or, you know, are maybe not super popular. And I go to you to hear those things, you know? And, and you, you say them with conviction, and I love [00:37:00] that about you.Jennie: And that should be in your book, you know?KJ: Well, I'm trying. I think it's closer. Amazing. I think it's a lot closer.Jennie: Well, if folks are getting tired of hearing us talk about this, the endless struggle and challenge and up and down and whatever, you're probably not in the right business. Because-KJ: Yeah ...Jennie: this is- IKJ: would hope this would be reassuringJennie: this is how it goes.KJ: I always wanna hear. That is part of the problem with the, the standard podcast model of talk to author whose book has just come out, because that is an author whose book has just come out. They have just, they've, they've done all this, and, and I'm not... I mean, by all means, you know, listen to podcasts about authors and then go buy their books.KJ: Um, but you know, as a writer, you just hear that and you're like, “Oh, look, they're finished. Look, that,” you know, they, they, they... And they, they'll say, “Well, there was this really low moment where, you know, the, my book pre- before [00:38:00] this got turned down,” or whatever. But they're, they're past that and, and you're just like, “Well, yeah, but that was probably really short.KJ: That was probably a blip. You probably didn't feel that the way I would've felt it.” And I,Jennie: yeah, so- Right? You hear Virginia A. Evans say she was rejected and rejected and rejected, and she finally just said, “Screw it, I'm gonna write this weird story in my head,” that turned out to be The Correspondent, you know?Jennie: And, and she tells that in three minutes on a podcast,KJ: and- Right ... I- And you're like, “Well, that, that, that was short. That can't have been very painful.”Jennie: Right? And look at what it got her, and she's fine now. But- Mm-hmm ... yeah, I'm mostly interested in talking to people when they're making the decisions that lead to whatever, whatever they're gonna make, ‘cause it's the process, man.Jennie: You gotta like the process. Yeah. Even on the days when it sucks and- Ooh ... oof, there are days when it does. They really-KJ: There, there are, [00:39:00] there are indeed Yeah. Well, but this is pretty g- like we're, we're back. We're back, kids. We're, we're- We're, we're back ... we're writing. We're, we're, we're here. We're doing it.KJ: We did. Yeah. We blew some stuff up, but now we'reKJ: building it back. Hopefully a year from now you won't be listening to the exact same podcast. We'll be like, “Here's what we said a year ago. Here's how we're blowing up our books today.” At some point everyone should be like, “You know they're never gonna finish these books.” When is that point?Outro: 2029.KJ: If we're still doing this in 2029Jennie: and talking about the same books, you can, you can all just turn off. No, I'm on fire now. I'm on fire. I am too,KJ: I swear.Jennie: Yeah, yeah.KJ: This is it.Jennie: And there's a thing that I'm doing that we could talk briefly about, ‘cause I know you're doing too, which is when you blow something up, there are parts of what you made that you can keep.Jennie: And what's part of the fun is discerning that. Yeah. And for me, I'm [00:40:00] going through the manuscript and, and saving a story here, a page there. I would say like one out of 10 maybe. One-KJ: That is not how I do it.Jennie: Mm.KJ: I start a new thing and then I will go back. Whenever I run into something that I know is in the other thing, I pull it in.Jennie: Mm. Yeah, I've beenKJ: mining- It's kind of my rule. I'm allowed, allowed to be in the other thing.Jennie: Interesting. Interesting. It'sKJ: only I have to take it ... And sometimes I don't even drop it right into the Scrivener. I'll like put it somewhere else- Yes ... and then play with it somewhere else-Outro: Interesting ...KJ: so thatKJ: Yeah, ‘cause I, I, I don't wanna Sometimes, and sometimes I will realize that revising something that I already did, even though it's good, to make it fit is actually harder than just rewriting it.Jennie: Yeah. I just really like the physical act. I, I do this physical thing. I go in and [00:41:00] I literally strike out what I'm not gonna use.Jennie: Mm. And it, it feels really satisfying. Just like, “Nope, nope, nope, nope”- Yeah ... nope. And then I'll encounter a thing I am gonna use, and I'll highlight it gray. That means it was used. And-KJ: Nice ...Jennie: it just ... I like the physicality of there are parts of this that are useful, and there's a lot of this that is not, and, and I'm making that decision.Jennie: It's gone from-KJ: Right ...Jennie: well, it's not really, it's struck out, but- Yeah ... that physical, um- Yeah.KJ: That was, that was what ... I forget the phrase that Serena used, but when I said I was doing this and I was gonna start it, and she said, “Okay, save past draft.” Like, she said something very clear. It was just, like, three words that were just like, you know, like, “Okay, but don't, don't throw it away.”KJ: That's so funny.Jennie: Which I,KJ: I wasn't going to, but yeah.Jennie: Do you feel 100% committed to the forward path now? [00:42:00]KJ: I feel 100% committed to the forward path. Thanks. This is so much more alive.Jennie: Yay. Same. That's what we're looking for, alive. Alive.KJ: Yes.Jennie: Yeah, I love it. All right. Well, um, so fun to chat with you, KJ, and we will continue the conversation.Jennie: Um, also you have some stuff up your sleeve that, um, folks will get to listen to coming up. And for everyone tuning in, so glad you could join me to talk to KJ. Now let's get back to work and finish what matters most.Outro: The hashtag amwriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were [00:43:00] paid for their time and their creative output because everyone deserves to be paid for their work This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

For most of my life, success meant winning...then I read one sentence that tore that apart completely.It came from John Wooden, who won ten NCAA championships in twelve seasons. The first thing he taught every new player was how to put on their socks. Not a play, not a drill. Socks.There is a real reason behind it, and once I understood it, I started asking what the socks were inside my own clinic. The answer was not what I expected, and it's now the first thing we protect.Wooden built the rest of it into a pyramid, fifteen blocks running from the foundation to the top. I go through all of them in this episode and what each one actually looks like inside a practice. What you'll learn about in this episode:Why the definition of success has nothing to do with winning.Why the first thing new players learned from John was how to put on their socks.How to identify the small overlooked details quietly running your business.Why you cannot delegate your way out of doing the work.Why people rarely quit companies but very often quit bad leaders.Why changing direction every month quietly destroys momentum in a practice.How a championship team wins without relying on one standout player.Why your team will never outperform the energy you bring.What one airline understands about culture that its competitors do not.Why most clinics have an awareness problem instead of a business problem.Why hiring before you feel ready beats waiting for certainty.How your own energy and habits set the ceiling for growth.How real confidence gets built through preparation instead of personality.What competitive greatness actually means when the pressure hits hardest. Our website: https://pathtovictorychiro.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoryspinalcare 

Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher joins Annie to expose the mainstream media's biased Trump boycott. The mainstream media is showing its true colors yet again. Trace Gallagher, anchor of Fox News @ Night, joins The Annie Frey Show to break down the White House TV pool's refusal to cover Donald Trump events. Annie and Trace call out the glaring double standards of agenda-driven networks and discuss California's absurd push to use taxpayer dollars to bail out failing liberal newspapers. **Key Takeaways:** * **The Trump Boycott:** Why networks like CNN and MSNBC are terrified of covering Trump events and how they are failing the American people. * **Government Media Bailouts:** Trace explains why California's push to fund going-broke newspapers is a dangerous violation of the free press. * **AI & Global Threats:** The looming dangers of AI, China, and what the latest Washington DC summit means for our national security. * **Lessons in Leadership:** Trace discusses his new book, *Turns Out They Were Right All Along*, sharing incredible insights from legendary basketball coach John Wooden on humility, losing, and true leadership. Stream the full episode now for the truth the mainstream media won't tell you! If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, follow the podcast, and leave us a 5-star review today. Annie's Website: Anniefreyshow.com Station Website: audacy.com/971Talk Follow Annie on X: @anniefreyshow Follow the Station on X: @971FMTalk Annie's Facebook: Facebook.com/Anniefreyshow Station Facebook: Facebook.com/971FMTalk #TraceGallagher #FoxNews #MediaBias #AnnieFreyShow #ConservativeNews

Chad Hyams and Bob Stewart dive into the complexities of ego, discussing its impact on self-esteem and self-importance. Drawing insights from Ryan Holiday's book, "Ego is the Enemy," they explore the balance between passion and purpose, using examples like renowned coach John Wooden and NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Highlighting the importance of continuous learning and maintaining humility, the hosts share personal stories and strategies for keeping ego in check. They also emphasize the benefits of focusing on others and the pitfalls of pride, especially in the age of social media. ---------- Connect with the hosts: •    Ben Kinney: https://www.BenKinney.com/ •    Bob Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/activebob •    Chad Hyams: https://ChadHyams.com/ •    Book one of our co-hosts for your next event: https://WinMakeGive.com/speakers/   More ways to connect: •    Join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/winmakegive •     Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://WinMakeGive.com/sign-up •     Explore the Win Make Give Podcast Network: https://WinMakeGive.com/ Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network

Dawn opens the hour breaking down the latest census data showing record-high U.S. household median income alongside wage growth for African American households and women. We preview the Federal Reserve meeting as central bank officials gather and Kevin Warsh faces intense focus surrounding Donald Trump's nominee picks. Plus, we jump into the breaking national scandal surrounding Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner after U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond issued a scathing 40-page opinion referring Krasner to the federal prosecutor for allegedly lying in court to overturn murder convictions. Veteran Fox News anchor and author Trace Gallagher joins the show to discuss his new book, Turns Out They Were Right All Along. Trace shares incredible stories from his life, including learning fundamental preparation lessons from legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, his surprising former career as a professional stunt water skier, and his take on how independent content creators like Nick Shirley are reshaping investigative journalism. We also react to the newest local political turmoil as venture capitalist Paul Martino stops by to reveal the exclusive story behind why Bucks County Community College suddenly canceled the local premiere of the new PBS docuseries Bucks County, USA. Linda Kearns joins the crew for "Linda Wednesday" to break down the legal steps of DA Krasner's potential disbarment and federal indictment process. We wrap up with a sharp, hilarious critique of popular television shows like The Pit and Reacher. We call out forced political messaging, outrageous Hollywood depictions of federal law enforcement, and laughable attempts at Philadelphia pop-culture references like buying clothes at "Wei Wei."

UCLA women's hoops Head Coach Cori Close sits down to discuss how she built an elite program en route to bringing the first modern-era women's hoops championship to UCLA. Close discusses her ability to develop close bonds & trust while getting a complete buy-in from a team of superstars, including six players who were drafted off of this year's championship team. She was a mentee of the great John Wooden, and we talked about the lessons that "Coach" imparted that helped Close become one of the greatest coaches in the sport today.

Josh Evarts explains how authentic relationships can become a business's strongest competitive advantage in an increasingly technology-driven world. Drawing on 30 years across technology, real estate development, and hospitality, he argues that healthy culture attracts better employees, customers, vendors, and opportunities. His relational leadership approach emphasizes interpersonal connection, curiosity, listening, authenticity, and intentional conversations. Evarts warns that social media followers and digital influence can easily be confused with genuine relationships, especially after the disruptions of COVID and AI. At The Vault Cigar Lounge, he built a community where the primary currency was relationship rather than competing with cheaper online cigar prices. He also points to John Wooden's 11 UCLA championships as evidence that sustained results can emerge from deliberately building culture first. The most useful takeaway is to create margin for meaningful conversations because being present, curious, and relational often opens opportunities that strategy alone cannot predict.

"There's a fine line between persistence and failure to accept reality. But if you're going to err on one side or the other, you want to err on being overly persistent rather than giving up too soon." — Tim Leatherman Tim Leatherman is back for his third conversation with Nicky — and this one comes with a new book. The Leatherman Book releases October 6th, 2026, and it tells the story of how a note scribbled in a travel journal — add pliers to a pocket knife — became one of the most recognized tool brands in American history. The origin story is almost improbable. Tim and his wife were traveling through Europe and into Asia on a shoestring budget in the early 1970s when Tim kept running into the same problem: his pocket knife could start the job but couldn't finish it without a pair of pliers back in the car. He came home, went into the garage, and spent two years building a prototype. Then seven years trying to sell it. Knife companies said it wasn't a knife. Tool companies said it was a gadget and gadgets don't sell. More than 100 catalogs received a photo and cover letter. Zero wrote back. What finally moved the needle was a Seattle catalog buyer who did something unusual: instead of saying no and sending them home, he sat Tim and his co-founder Steve Berliner down, looked at the tool, and told them exactly what to remove to make it manufacturable at a price people would pay. Tim simplified the design, drove back to Portland, and six months later returned with the tool that would become the Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool. In their first full year, they hoped to sell 4,000. They sold nearly 30,000. By 1993, Leatherman was shipping more than a million tools a year. Today it's around 2 million — all made in Portland, Oregon. Tim and Nicky also go deep on persistence, the detail-obsession that made the tool worth carrying, Tim's design philosophy (highest quality, most functionality, smallest space, least weight), and why he considers the company's warranty a profit center rather than a cost. Learn more and connect: Leatherman Tool Group — https://www.leatherman.com The Leatherman Book (releasing October 6th) — https://www.leatherman.com Resources mentioned: The Leatherman Book by Tim Leatherman — https://www.leatherman.com John Wooden's Pyramid of Success — https://www.coachwooden.com Leatherman Wave+ Multi-Tool — https://www.leatherman.com/wave-10.html Leatherman Arc Multi-Tool — https://www.leatherman.com/arc-950.html Cabela's — https://www.cabelas.com Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. Listen at thethoughtleaderrevolution.com/episodes/815

"There's a fine line between persistence and failure to accept reality. But if you're going to err on one side or the other, you want to err on being overly persistent rather than giving up too soon." — Tim Leatherman Tim Leatherman is back on the show for his third appearance — and this time he's coming with a new book, The Leatherman Book, releasing October 6th. If you caught his earlier episodes, you know this man has a story worth sitting with. If this is your first time hearing him, you're in for one of the most honest founder conversations the show has produced. The Leatherman story starts with a budget road trip through Europe and Iran in 1974, a $300 used car in Amsterdam, and a pocket knife that kept getting the job started but couldn't finish it. Tim jotted down a note: add pliers to a pocket knife. Eight years later, after rejection from every knife company and tool company he approached, after mailing over 100 catalogs and getting zero responses, a purchase order from Cabela's showed up at his home address. The company that grew from that moment now ships 2 million tools a year, all made in Portland, Oregon. What makes this conversation worth your time is what Tim reveals about the discipline behind the persistence. He built to federal military specifications before he had a single commercial order. He accepted brutal feedback from a catalog buyer in Seattle, stripped out features he loved, and came back six months later with a better product. He talks about his four-part design philosophy — highest quality, most functionality, smallest space, least weight — and explains why he treats his 25-year warranty as a profit center, not a cost center. These aren't abstractions. They're the decisions that built an American icon. Tim also reflects on the three lessons he took from eight years in the garage: start with a clear goal, learn what you need to know as you go, and study hard. He puts it plainly — unless you're all in, your chances of success are greatly diminished. Learn more and connect: Leatherman Tool Group: https://www.leatherman.com The Leatherman Book (releasing October 6th): https://www.leatherman.com Resources mentioned: The Leatherman Book by Tim Leatherman — https://www.leatherman.com Leatherman Tool Group (made in USA, Portland Oregon) — https://www.leatherman.com John Wooden's Pyramid of Success — https://www.coachwooden.com The Sovereign Man Movement — https://www.sovereignman.ca Sovereign Circle (men's membership community) — https://www.sovereignman.ca/sovereign-circle You're invited to come to a Sovereign Circle meeting to experience it for yourself. To learn more, go to https://www.sovereignman.ca/. While you're there, check out the Battle Ready program and check out the store for Sovereign Man t-shirts, hats, and books.

2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalist, author, actor, and Emmy-winning broadcaster Marques Johnson is a five-time NBA All-Star, First Team All-NBA selection, and one of the greatest players in Milwaukee Bucks history. In The Crenshaw Chronicles, Marques turns his attention to the formative institution that helped shape his own trajectory: Crenshaw High School in South Central Los Angeles. Under legendary basketball coach Willie West—who compiled more than 800 victories at Crenshaw while winning eight state titles, 16 Los Angeles City Section titles, and 28 league championships—Marques became the 1973 Los Angeles City Player of the Year and helped establish a tradition that would influence generations of athletes to follow. Through conversations with notable Crenshaw alumni spanning sports, music, entertainment, business, and civic life, The Crenshaw Chronicles explores the guidance, exposure, adversity, and sense of community that affected the direction of their lives. Among them are actor Mykelti Williamson; rapper and actor Ice-T; Cheryl Cooley, guitarist and co-founder of Klymaxx; baseball greats Darryl Strawberry and Ellis Valentine; Super Bowl champion Wendell Tyler; David “Doc” Robertson; Robert “Pookie” Smith; and members of Marques' own family, including his son Kris Johnson. Twenty years after his father earned Los Angeles City Player of the Year honors, Kris received the same distinction in 1993 before helping UCLA win the 1995 NCAA national championship—making father and son national champions at the same university. Marques' own path from Crenshaw led just a few miles west to UCLA, where he played under John Wooden and helped deliver Wooden's 10th and final NCAA championship in 1975. As a senior in 1977, Marques averaged 21.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game and became the inaugural recipient of the John R. Wooden Award. The Milwaukee Bucks selected him third overall in the 1977 NBA Draft, beginning an 11-year career in which he averaged 20.1 points and seven rebounds per game, earned five All-Star selections and three All-NBA honors, and helped pioneer the role that would become known as the “point forward.” His career included memorable postseason battles with Larry Bird's Boston Celtics and a 33-point performance in the deciding Game 4 of Milwaukee's 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinal sweep of Boston. After later joining the Los Angeles Clippers, a devastating neck injury threatened to end his playing career, but Marques eventually made an improbable return to the NBA with the Golden State Warriors in 1989. The Bucks retired his No. 8 jersey in 2019. His career beyond the court has been similarly varied. Marques became an Emmy-winning basketball broadcaster and pursued acting, appearing as Raymond in White Men Can't Jump, Mel in Blue Chips, and in films and television projects including Dark City, Caught Up, Dangerous Minds, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Boston Legal, and The Gambler. In our conversation, we discussed his upbringing in Los Angeles and his journey to Crenshaw; the enduring influence of Willie West, John Wooden, and Don Nelson; his transition into acting and broadcasting; and the countless stories within The Crenshaw Chronicles that examine humanity, courage, resilience, love, mentorship, and dedication to one's craft.Opening Credits: Podington Bear - Blue Highway I CC BY-NC; Black Ant - 6,49 I CC BY. Closing Credits: Eric Van der Westen - A Left Hook I CC BY-NC.

Cori Close has been the head coach of UCLA women's basketball since 2011. In 2026 she led the Bruins to the program's first NCAA national championship, beating South Carolina 79-51 to cap a 37-1 season. She's the only coach in program history with 300-plus career wins, and after 15 years being mentored by John Wooden, she's become one of the sport's clearest voices on coaching people rather than performances.Download my FREE Coaching Beyond the Scoreboard E-book www.djhillier.com/coach Download my FREE 60 minute Mindset Masterclass at www.djhillier.com/masterclassDownload my FREE top 40 book list written by Mindset Advantage guests: www.djhillier.com/40booksSubscribe to our NEW YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MindsetAdvantagePurchase a copy of my book: https://a.co/d/bGok9UdFollow me on Instagram: @deejayhillierConnect with me on my website: www.djhillier.com

"He believed so strongly in the product that he just couldn't wrap his mind around anybody saying no. So he just looked at it and took another approach." — Patrick Francey Patrick Francey — founder of the Real Estate Investment Network, host of The Everyday Millionaire podcast, and a 43-year entrepreneur whose first business still runs without him — brings the kind of grounded, hard-won perspective that only comes from decades of watching businesses succeed and fail. The conversation opens on sales — specifically the psychological barrier that keeps capable coaches and consultants from ever getting good at it — and quickly moves somewhere more interesting. Patrick tells a true story about a multi-billion-dollar company that spent two years firing its marketing team, its sales team, and most of its management in a cycle of blame and replacement, until a rookie in the back of the room identified the real problem in one sentence: the dogs don't like the food. It is a story about paying attention to the right details, and it lands hard. From there the conversation shifts to the difference between mindset and self-mastery — a distinction Patrick has come to see as the most important one in his coaching work. Mindset, he argues, is about how we react to the world outside us. Self-mastery is an inside job: knowing your values, operating in integrity with them, and being willing to face the real consequences of genuine change. He introduces the idea of structural integrity — the values at your core as the load-bearing structure of your life — and "own your need," a simple discipline for stating expectations plainly before assumptions and resentment fill the gap. Learn more & connect: Real Estate Investment Network — https://www.reincanada.com The Everyday Millionaire Podcast — https://www.theeverydaymillionaire.ca Resources mentioned: John Wooden leadership philosophy — https://www.coachwooden.com Real Estate Investment Network — https://www.reincanada.com The Everyday Millionaire Podcast — https://www.theeverydaymillionaire.ca Mind Shui Way — search Mind Shui Way on your podcast app Xerox Professional Selling Skills — widely referenced in sales training literature Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.

Dr. Killeen shares one of John Wooden's most enduring leadership lessons: championships are built on mastering the smallest details. From teaching players how to properly put on their socks and tie their shoes to prevent blisters, Wooden understood that excellence starts with the fundamentals long before game day. In this episode, Dr. Killeen explores how that same mindset applies in dentistry. Whether it's clinical precision, sterilization protocols, treatment planning conversations, or the materials and techniques you use every day, the little things add up to exceptional patient care. Learn why revisiting the basics may be the biggest step you can take toward building a championship practice.

Episode Description:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins James for a From the Archive conversation about basketball, identity, mentorship, faith, writing, civil rights, and his book Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court.The episode begins with basketball. James asks Kareem how the game has changed since his playing days, and Kareem explains the shift toward the three-point shot, the rule changes around physical defense, and the way modern spacing has altered how teams score.But the conversation quickly becomes deeper than basketball.James sees Becoming Kareem as a book about the search for identity. Kareem agrees, explaining that Black Americans have often had identities imposed on them—first through slavery, then through Jim Crow, then through the lingering assumptions and limitations of American racism. His own journey required rejecting those imposed definitions and building an identity he could be proud of.Kareem emphasizes the importance of mentors. Some were direct mentors, like John Wooden and Bruce Lee. Others were cultural or intellectual mentors, like Malcolm X. Together, they helped him understand not only how to succeed, but how to think about who he wanted to become.The central advice Kareem gives young people is simple: knowledge is power. Learn what your future could be. Seek out what motivates you. Do not let someone else define your path. Every person has a unique spark, and the work is to discover where that spark leads.James and Kareem also talk about fundamentals. Kareem remembers John Wooden expecting him to graduate and teaching his players the smallest details of preparation, including how to put on their socks. The lesson is that success depends on doing the basic things correctly before the glamorous work begins.The conversation then turns to Kareem's life as a writer. James asks about the challenge of moving from basketball into Sherlock Holmes fiction. Kareem explains that writing Mycroft Holmes required serious preparation: understanding Victorian England, Arthur Conan Doyle's canon, and the possibilities hidden inside Mycroft's brief appearances.Kareem also reflects on Islam, his conversion, and the way faith gave him a moral anchor. He talks about being raised Catholic, studying Islam, reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and finding a belief system that helped him understand right and wrong.Near the end, James asks about Kareem's seriousness in photos and the HBO documentary Kareem: Minority of One. Kareem explains that his height made him visible everywhere he went, and that constant scrutiny made him more guarded than someone who could disappear into a crowd.The episode closes with the idea that everyone is, in some way, a minority of one. Every person has to figure out their own path, and often that path is not the one their parents followed. Kareem's story is about basketball, but it is also about becoming a whole person.Editorial Note:This is a From the Archive episode. References to Kareem's career scoring record, the state of the NBA, Becoming Kareem, and his then-current writing projects reflect the original recording period.Since this conversation was recorded, LeBron James has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The conversation remains historically valuable because it captures Kareem reflecting on his record, his era, and his evolution before that milestone changed.What You'll Learn:How Kareem thinks basketball changed after his era.Why the three-point shot transformed modern NBA strategy.Why Becoming Kareem is ultimately a book about identity.How imposed identity shaped Kareem's experience as a Black American.Why knowledge is power in the search for a future.How mentors helped Kareem understand who he was and who he wanted to become.What John Wooden taught him about education, discipline, and preparation.Why fundamentals matter before talent can fully express itself.How the lesson of “putting on your socks” applies far beyond basketball.Why Bruce Lee's “one kick 10,000 times” idea connects to the skyhook.How Kareem approached writing Sherlock Holmes fiction through Mycroft.Why religion became part of Kareem's search for identity.How Islam gave him a moral anchor.Why constant public scrutiny made him more guarded.Why competitive fire separates great athletes from talented ones who do not fully develop.Why every generation has to find its own path.Timestamped Chapters:[02:38] How Basketball ChangedKareem explains how the three-point shot, rule changes, and less physical defense changed the modern NBA.[04:14] Beyond BasketballJames introduces Becoming Kareem and frames Kareem's life as a continuing search for identity.[05:44] Rejecting an Imposed IdentityKareem explains how Black Americans have had identities imposed on them and why his journey required building one he could be proud of.[07:03] Mentors and the Making of a SelfJames points to Coach Wooden, Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Wilt Chamberlain, Malcolm X, and other influences who shaped Kareem's identity.[08:17] Knowledge Is PowerKareem says young people should seek knowledge, understand what motivates them, and choose a path instead of accepting one imposed by others.[09:57] Education, UCLA, and CommunityKareem explains why earning a college degree mattered to him personally and to his community.[11:12] Finding Your Path in AmericaKareem talks about the many ways to become successful and the need to figure out what you want to pursue.[12:12] Fundamental PreparationKareem explains why every field requires fundamentals, whether basketball, chemistry, law, or any other discipline.[13:05] John Wooden and the Socks LessonJames and Kareem discuss Wooden teaching players how to put on socks and why small details determine whether bigger work can happen.[14:26] The Skyhook and 10,000 KicksJames connects Bruce Lee's practice philosophy to Kareem's skyhook and the discipline of repeating one skill until it becomes mastery.[15:46] Becoming a Sherlock Holmes WriterKareem explains the challenge of entering a new creative field and writing about Mycroft Holmes.[17:02] Finding the Blank Space in MycroftJames notes that Kareem built a story from Arthur Conan Doyle's brief suggestion that Mycroft was, at times, the British government.[17:39] Religion and IdentityKareem explains how his Catholic upbringing, interest in monotheism, African history, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X led him toward Islam.[18:49] A Moral AnchorKareem says Islam helped him clarify his belief system and understand right and wrong.[20:06] A Minority of OneJames asks why Kareem often appeared so serious in photos, and Kareem explains the effect of lifelong scrutiny.[21:31] What Coach Wooden Still Teaches HimKareem reflects on Wooden's example, expectations, and belief that effort in academics and athletics was worthwhile.[22:47] Talent, Skill, and Competitive FireKareem says competitive fire often separates championship athletes from talented players who never fully make it.[24:35] Civil Rights and Speaking Up YoungJames asks about the Cleveland Summit, Muhammad Ali, and Kareem's early role in civil-rights conversations.[25:54] Everyone Is a Minority of OneJames and Kareem return to the question of identity and the need for each generation to define its own path.Additional Resources:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Official WebsiteBecoming Kareem — Hachette Book GroupMycroft Holmes Series — Penguin Random HouseKareem Abdul-Jabbar — Simon & Schuster Author PageWe All Want to Change the World — Penguin Random HouseGame of Death — Janus FilmsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"The thing about being a musician is once you finish your gig, you're unemployed. So you have to be hustling nonstop to get your next gig." — Terry Donnelly Terry Donnelly does not look like a man who has reinvented himself six times. He looks like a man who has been doing the same thing in six different industries — which, it turns out, is exactly right. From touring musician to HR consultant to venture capital partner to tech founder to CMO of a $1.3 billion agency portfolio, Terry has built, exited, and rebuilt businesses across digital advertising, cannabis beverages, and now hotel media technology. The connective tissue is a single skill: seeing how fragmented pieces of a market can be pulled into a unified platform that nobody else has built yet. He did it with digital out-of-home advertising. He did it with alcohol-free craft beer and cannabis-infused drinks. And he's doing it now with Hotel Communication Network — which jumped from 8,000 hotel rooms to 50,000 by giving the tablet away for free and generating revenue from the media on the screen instead. Nicky and Terry go deep on what it actually means to know your own strengths, the musician's hustle mentality that has driven Terry's entire career, and the urgent vs. important distinction that separates growing businesses from busy ones. Nicky brings in John Wooden's Pyramid of Success — and the famous lesson about socks — to make the case that attention to detail is not perfectionism, it's competitive advantage. Learn more & connect: Terence Donnelly on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/terencedonnelly Hotel Communication Network — https://www.hcn.com Resources mentioned: Hotel Communication Network — https://www.hcn.com Adcentricity — digital out-of-home media exchange co-founded by Terry Donnelly Hill Street Beverage Company — world's most award-winning alcohol-free craft beer and Canada's best-selling alcohol-free wine The Pyramid of Success — John Wooden's coaching framework, referenced by Nicky in discussion of detail, work ethic, and enthusiasm Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (widely available) Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.

"When something becomes a measurement, it stops becoming a good target." In a world obsessed with digital efficiency and quick fixes, the real currency of a meaningful life remains independent thought, presence, and intentional effort. In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, host Chris Schembra sits down with Nishat Mehta, CEO of Lexitas. A Harvard-trained mathematician and computer scientist turned executive, Nishat breaks down how leaders can navigate rapid change by embracing dialectical thinking—holding two seemingly competing truths at the same time. From balancing bottom-line performance with human empathy to shifting parenting styles as children grow, Nishat shares key insights on Goodhart's Law, confident humility, and finding extraordinary meaning in ordinary moments. 10 Memorable Quotes: "The new normal is that it will just keep changing. It really comes down to the ability to accept the change yourself and then lead the change amongst those around you." — Nishat Mehta "Confident humility balances high confidence in one's ability to figure things out with low ego regarding one's own current knowledge." — Chris Schembra "When something becomes a measurement, it stops becoming a good target." — Nishat Mehta "Always find the extraordinary in the ordinary." — Chris Schembra "Everything is on a spectrum... the edges of the spectrum are rarely the right answer." — Nishat Mehta "Efficiency increases consumption if you're not careful." — Chris Schembra "The journey is far more important than the destination... if we are constantly changing, it's because we are succeeding at the things we needed to do before." — Nishat Mehta "We must step out of the tyranny of the 'or' and into the genius of the 'and'." — Chris Schembra "Great work is something you're supposed to do, but recognizing what might seem ordinary is worthy of extraordinary gratitude." — Nishat Mehta "Gratitude doesn't change your circumstances; it changes your capacity to carry them." — Chris Schembra 10 Key Takeaways: Practicing Confident Humility: Balancing low ego regarding current knowledge with high confidence in a team's adaptability to solve complex, unfamiliar problems. Overcoming Goodhart's Law: Why single metrics distort business outcomes, and how pairing competing targets (like quantity vs. quality) maintains operational integrity. The "Genius of the 'And'": Replacing rigid "either/or" tradeoffs with dialectical thinking that unites radical acceptance with proactive change. Navigating Shifts in Family & Parenting: Transitioning from physical, hands-on care for young children to emotional, social mentorship as they grow into independence. Understanding Jevons Paradox in Modern Work: Recognizing how efficiency gains from AI can be swallowed by routine busyness unless leaders intentionally safeguard time for human connection. Harnessing "Collective Effervescence": Leveraging physical experiences, shared sports, and community gatherings to foster genuine human harmony and connection. Lowering Barriers to Access Justice: Applying technology and low-level AI guidance to make legal support more affordable, equitable, and fair. Change Management as a Core Leadership Skill: Shifting focus from day-to-day tactical execution toward building organizational consensus and motivating teams through continuous evolution. Finding Extraordinary Meaning in Ordinary Moments: Cultivating daily awareness to appreciate quiet family routines and ordinary acts of care that are often taken for granted. Embracing the Business Journey Over Destinations: Accepting that strategic goals evolve naturally as progress is made, making the growth process the ultimate measure of success. About our Guest: Nishat Mehta is the Chief Executive Officer of Lexitas, a leading national provider of technology-enabled litigation services and an Apax portfolio company based in Houston, Texas. He stepped into the CEO seat on January 1, 2025, having originally joined the company as President and Chief Operating Officer in March 2024. Under his leadership, Lexitas is launching AI-enabled deposition analysis, expanding its eLaw case-tracking platform, and continuing to serve law firms, insurance companies, and corporations across all 50 states. Nishat brings more than two decades of leadership across data, analytics, and enterprise technology. He most recently served as President of Global Products and Solutions and Chief Product Officer at Circana (formed from the merger of IRI and The NPD Group), where he ran the firm's global media, analytics, e-commerce, software, and consulting divisions. Prior to Circana, he led the customer communications team at 84.51° (Kroger's data-science and personalization arm), directed strategic partnerships at dunnhumby, and spent 15 years at MicroStrategy. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) and on the Board of Advisors of Adelaide Metrics. Nishat holds a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and a Master's degree in Computer Science, both from Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife, Shalini, and their three children. His guiding quote, from John Wooden: ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk www.LearningLeader.com The Price of Becoming www.LearningLeader.com/Becoming My guest: Angela Duckworth is a psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a MacArthur "genius" grant recipient. Her book Grit was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and her TED Talk is among the most-watched ever. Her new book is Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best. Key Learnings She almost lost her mom in the Atlantic. Angela took her 87-year-old mom snorkeling miles offshore. Her mom had not swum in decades. Within minutes, she had aspirated water into both lungs and was unconscious. Angela treaded water, held her mom's head up with one arm, and waved the other until help came. Her mom is 91 now and painting. No amount of grit would have saved them. Angela could not have swum her mother to shore. What saved them was changing the situation, which meant getting other people to their side. The situation is the ocean. It's that powerful, and most of us don't know what water we're swimming in. Grit isn't wrong. It's incomplete. Angela hasn't renounced anything. She's expanding it. Effort is what you bring. The situation determines whether that effort compounds or gets swallowed. Angela was a striver, and it worked for a long time. She knew she wasn't the most talented kid, but nobody was going to outwork her. She wanted to make the cheerleading squad without being able to do a split. She wanted a solo in choir while barely able to carry a tune. She worked her way to both. Most people would be surprised how far sheer effort can take them. Then it stopped being enough. To get as far as she actually wanted to go, and to do it sustainably for herself and the people around her, ignoring the situation was a mistake.  The shift: stop making the best of your situation through effort alone, and make the situation better first. "Of all the ways you can change your behavior, willpower is the absolute worst." You can white-knuckle a donut. You just can't do it forever. Resisting works in the moment and reliably leaves people exhausted, which is why it fails on day three. Your urges come from your thoughts. Your thoughts come from your surroundings. Donut, delicious. Then your hand moves. Instead of fighting the urge, ask where the thought came from. The better question: what situation would give me different thoughts? Not "how do I resist," but "where can I be so that the thought never arrives?" Three inputs shape what you think: the people around you, the physical objects within reach, and the place you're in. Situational agency. Angela coined the term. The situation isn't given to you. It's taken. Leon Marchand was already sixth in the world. His parents, both former Olympians, didn't tell him to train harder or wake up earlier. They told him to change his situation. He emailed Bob Bowman, moved to Arizona, and within two years cut more than eight seconds off his personal best and broke Michael Phelps's last-standing individual world record. A year after that, he won four golds in Paris. What actually changed for Marchand: the best coach in the sport, a lane full of people who all believed they could win it all, better facilities and nutrition and physical therapy, and a culture where world-class was the baseline rather than the ceiling. The situation isn't a given. The situation's taken. Control the controllables. The situation is one of them. Angela agrees with the mantra. Her objection is that most people apply it only to what's between their ears: mindset, attitude, goals. Marchand didn't rethink his attitude. He got on a plane. Get the outside game right, and you get much of the inside game for free. Change the room and the thoughts change with it. Every reason you can't change your situation is probably true, and beside the point. When Angela told people what she was writing, they immediately listed the reasons they were stuck. The mother-in-law, the spouse's job, the kids' school. None of it is wrong. All of it ignores the list of things they could change. Her late father-in-law's whole philosophy was two words: show up. Wedding, funeral, baseball game. Show up. John Wooden taught high school English for 14 years. He kept an apple on his desk. He thought of himself as a teacher first, which is also why he sat high in the bleachers during games instead of courtside. He'd taught them in practice. The game was theirs. What Wooden's players took with them: to be your best at anything, find a great teacher. Angela sees a DIY culture pulling the other way. When she tells young people to email someone, the answer is often that they'll just learn it on YouTube or ask a chatbot. You can teach yourself a lot of guitar that way. You will not become a great guitarist alone. Belief is borrowed more than you'd think. Nobody tries hard at anything without the thought "I can do this" somewhere in their head. That thought usually arrives from someone else first. Angela was a self-described ditzy cheerleader throwing keg parties. Her 10th- and 12th-grade English teacher, Mr. Carr, saw a writer. He handed her books. He took time on her pages. By graduation, she was the rare Harvard freshman who signed up for a second semester of the required writing course, just to keep going. The Pygmalion effect. Bob Rosenthal made up a test, told elementary teachers which kids were about to bloom, and picked the names at random. The teachers called on those kids more, listened harder, encouraged more. By year's end, the kids fulfilled the prophecy they'd been randomly assigned. Every single person she has interviewed has a Mr. Carr. Olympic athletes, Olympic coaches, CEOs, world leaders. Someone who could see farther than they could see. Confidence is a half-filled helium balloon. It has to get batted back up again and again. Which means you don't need your mentor once. You need them on the bad days. Angela forwards her rejection letters to her team. The journals she submits to reject over 90 percent of submissions, and the rejections run eight single-spaced pages. She sends them around so the younger scientists watch her fail, hear that she's angry and discouraged, and then watch her get back up. She failed writing this book the first time. Up before dawn seven days a week through an entire sabbatical, and the clock ran out. She called her publisher and her agent to give the money back and asked whether she owed interest. They called it a pause. She said remote controls have separate buttons for pause and stop. Burnout and imposter syndrome were abstractions until they weren't. She had taught both. She had never lived either. Not eating, not sleeping. What got her out was not more effort. It was a better situation: additional editorial support and mentors to get her back on track. Frankl and Maslow argued about this for decades, and Maslow conceded. Self-actualization aimed only at yourself leaves you unfulfilled. Maslow's final writing added a level above it and named it self-transcendence. There are only two types of people: those who are humble, and those who are about to be humbled. Angela's champagne moment a year from now: celebrating the people around her. Erikson called this stage generativity, and the question it asks is how everything you've learned can help the next generation do better than you did. Her students should excel her. They should be the ones on podcasts. She wants to cede the spotlight on purpose rather than have it taken. Her core identity is psychological scientist. Not speaker. Not author. The stage is a flow state, and she's good at it, but take away the research, and it isn't her anymore. Worth knowing which one yours is. Reflection Questions Pick the goal you've been grinding on the longest with the least to show for it. Is that an effort problem or a situational problem? Who is the best in the world at the thing you're trying to learn? What would it take to send the email this week, and then get on the plane? What is your purpose, in one sentence, written down? Mine is to inspire others to value and pursue excellence. What's yours? More Learning #679: Kat Cole - The Four Mindsets Every Leader Needs #591: Ryan Holiday - Do The Right Thing Right Now #673: Dan Coyle - Flourish. The Transformative Power of Creating CommunityPodcast Chapters 00:00 Apply for the Learning Leader Circle  01:39 Meet Angela Duckworth  02:57 The Dedication to Her Mother  04:17 Her Mother Nearly Drowned  07:08 Grit Isn't Enough  09:47 Willpower Is the Worst  12:26 Where Your Urges Come From  14:31 Marchand Got on the Plane  19:57 The Excuses That Sound True  22:27 Wooden Taught English for 14 Years  26:25 The Confidence You Borrow  32:22 Five Minutes With Pete Carroll  34:27 A Half-Filled Helium Balloon  35:29 She Forwards Her Rejections  37:05 What Success Feels Like  40:28 Frankl, Maslow, Self-Transcendence  45:59 The Book She Failed to Write  52:57 The Champagne Question  54:03 She Wants to Be Surpassed  57:27 Scientist First, Speaker Second  01:01:34 EOPC

Zehn Meisterschaften in zwölf Jahren, davon sieben in Folge.Trotzdem war Erfolg für John Wooden nie das Ergebnis.Sondern die Gewissheit, alles getan zu haben, um so gut zu werden, wie man werden kann.Dahinter steckt seine Pyramid of Success: 15 Bausteine, 5 Ebenen – vom Fundament über Selbstführung bis zur Competitive Greatness.Warum sich die Spitze dieser Pyramide nicht direkt trainieren lässt und wie du das Modell nutzt, um den Engpass in deinem Team zu finden – darüber spreche ich in dieser Folge.Show Notes:>> Mentoring für Ingenieure: skool.com/mentorwerk>> No Zero Days – Buch für Ingenieure: nozerodays.de/buch>> Mentornotes Newsletter: mentorwerk.de/newsletter>> Tim bei YouTube: youtube.com/@schmaddebeck>> Tim bei LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timschmaddebeck>> Tims Buchempfehlungen: mentorwerk.de/buecherStichworte zur Folge:Leistung unter Druck, Führung lernen, Führungskraft werden, Leadership für Ingenieure, technische Führungskraft, vom Ingenieur zur Führungskraft, Ingenieur Karriere, Podcast für Ingenieure, John Wooden, Pyramid of Success, Pyramide des Erfolgs, Competitive Greatness, Führungsmodell, Führungsframework, Selbstführung, Selbstdisziplin, Selbstreflexion, Charakterentwicklung, Persönlichkeitsentwicklung, Höchstleistung, High Performance, Teamführung, Team Performance, Teamentwicklung, Team Spirit, Selbstvertrauen aufbauen, Gelassenheit unter Druck, Resilienz, Erfolgsfaktoren, Erfolg definieren

What if your phone is your biggest competition for being a great leader, and you do not even realize it? Brian Biro's two daughters once asked him a question that changed everything.This week Brian joins Jon and Coach Jim for a conversation packed with energy, both literal and figurative. He has delivered over 2,000 presentations, written 16 books, coached Olympic swimmers, and counted John Wooden as a close friend and mentor. His framework for breakthrough leadership comes down to three controllables, and one surprising acronym he calls the WOO.He also tells a story about his father, fourteen years of silence, and the last words he ever heard him say.This one moves fast and hits hard.Connect with Brian: brianbiro.comThe Limitless Leadership Lounge was selected by MillionPodcasts as one of the Top 100 Leadership Development Podcasts in the world: millionpodcasts.com/leadership-development-podcasts

"Success is peace of mind, which is the direct result of self-satisfied action in knowing you did your best to become the best you're capable of." — John Wooden, as quoted by Nicky Billou Most people skip the fundamentals because they seem too small. John Wooden built 10 national championships on them anyway. In this Thought Leader Nugget, I walk you through what made Wooden the greatest coach in history — and it wasn't plays or strategy. It was his obsessive attention to the details everyone else considered beneath them. His first lesson for every new UCLA player wasn't about shooting or defense. It was about how to put on a pair of socks. Folds cause blisters, blisters slow you down, and Wooden wasn't willing to leave that to chance. Same principle applied to shoe fit and lace tying. Every small thing had a direct line to performance. The same logic applies to building a coaching or consulting practice. I break down the three fundamentals of selling that most coaches gloss over — and show you how applying Wooden's standard of care to each one changes everything. I close with three concrete actions you can put to work immediately — none of them complicated, all of them the kind of thing most people skip. 1. Time-block a minimum of 4.5 hours each week for prospecting activity. Protect that time absolutely and never let anything replace it. 2. Spend 15 minutes before each sales block deliberately raising your enthusiasm and energy. Treat it as a skill to develop, not a mood to wait for. 3. Enter every prospecting block with a specific action plan: outreach calls, podcast guest pitches, stage applications, direct messages to book discovery calls. Learn more & connect: https://www.eCircleAcademy.com Resources mentioned: John Wooden's Pyramid of Success — https://www.coachwooden.com/pyramid-of-success John Wooden: UCLA Basketball coach, author, and widely regarded as the greatest coach in sports history Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.

What if grace isn't just what God gives you after you mess up?We often think of grace as God's eraser—something that wipes away our mistakes and gives us another chance. But in Titus 2, Paul gives us a much bigger picture: grace doesn't just forgive us. Grace teaches us.In this episode of Your Weekly Calling, Brad talks about how God uses grace to shape the small areas of our lives—the way we respond when we're frustrated, how we treat the people closest to us, the habits nobody else sees, and even the struggles we thought we'd never overcome.Through the story of legendary UCLA coach John Wooden and an honest look at his own struggle with anger, Brad explores a simple truth: God loves you exactly as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there.Your calling this week isn't just to ask, “God, what do You want me to accomplish?”Ask something different:“God, what are You trying to teach me?”Because that difficult season you're walking through might not just be an obstacle.It might be a classroom.And grace is still teaching.

On The Coaching 101 Podcast, Daniel Chamberlain and Kenny Simpson return after a busy summer, share a John Wooden quote on composure under pressure, and promote Simpson's Fieldhouse session with his offensive coordinator. They spotlight sponsors Winning Edge Performance Analytics (real-time in-game data and automated film tagging with a Coaching 101 discount), Ace Sports video board/scoreboard fundraising, and Blended Threads apparel. The main discussion focuses on fall camp priorities: stripping away what doesn't fit, emphasizing fundamentals over endless install, establishing depth across positions and special teams, defining team identity based on personnel, introducing light game-plan variations, and avoiding overworking players (“don't kill your cats”). They explain why priorities prevent being average at everything, keep practice organized and shorter, and help teams improve throughout the season, including using football drills—not conditioning—to build game readiness.00:00 Competitive Edge Pitch01:07 Fundraising Video Boards02:57 Podcast Intro Catch Up05:03 Quote on Composure08:57 Fieldhouse Session Invite11:26 Sponsor Roundup13:29 Fall Camp Priorities15:00 Peel Back and Build Depth18:04 Identity and Base Mastery20:22 Avoid Camp Burnout21:14 Coaching First Graders23:58 Basics Before Scheme24:48 Prioritize Core Plays26:53 Depth And Special Teams28:36 Shorter Organized Practices33:42 Evolving Camp Plan37:47 Game Speed Without Gassers39:26 Build Around Strengths43:06 Plan It On Paper44:26 Sponsors And Sign OffDaniel Chamberlain:@CoachChamboOKChamberlainFootballConsulting@gmail.comchamberlainfootballconsulting.comKenny Simpson:@FBCoachSimpsonfbcoachsimpson@gmail.comFBCoachSimpson.com

On this episode of The Hamilton Review Podcast, Dr. Bob Hamilton welcomes renowned podiatrist Dr. Michael J. Levi for an engaging conversation about one of the most overlooked aspects of children's health - their feet. Drawing on nearly four decades of experience, Dr. Levi shares a handful of practical, evidence-based recommendations every parent can use to maximize the health and development of their children's feet, helping to prevent common problems and support lifelong mobility.  Dr. Levi also reflects on his inspiring journey into podiatric medicine, sharing the experiences, mentors, and dedication that led him to become one of Southern California's most respected podiatrists. With more than 37 years in practice, he serves as Chief of the Podiatric Surgical Section at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica and is the team podiatrist for the Los Angeles Clippers, the UCLA Men's Tennis Team, the Santa Monica Track Club, LMU Athletics and the Los Angeles Ballet Company. An accomplished endurance athlete himself, Dr. Levi has completed numerous Half Ironman triathlons, giving him a unique perspective on the physical demands placed on the feet and the importance of injury prevention, proper footwear, and long-term foot health for athletes and non-athletes alike. Dr. Levi's passion for giving back through more than 25 years of volunteer service at the Venice Family Clinic, where he was honored with the California Humanitarian Award by the California Podiatric Medical Association. Dr. Levi also discusses his heartfelt book, Wednesdays With Wooden: A Doctor's House Calls and His Unique Bond with a Legendary Coach, which chronicles the meaningful relationship he developed with legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and the life lessons that emerged from their time together. Whether you're raising young children, coaching young athletes, or simply interested in keeping your family active and healthy, this episode is filled with expert guidance, inspiring stories, and practical takeaways to help your children build a strong foundation, from the ground up. How to contact Dr. Michael Levi: https://www.yelp.com/biz/michael-j-levi-dpm-santa-monica?ylpcid=dd115aca3c8a4d8d80f77de3fe351be997747047   How to contact Dr. Bob: Dr. Bob on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChztMVtPCLJkiXvv7H5tpDQ Dr. Bob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drroberthamilton/ Dr. Bob on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bob.hamilton.1656 Dr. Bob's Seven Secrets Of The Newborn website: https://7secretsofthenewborn.com/ Dr. Bob's website: https://roberthamiltonmd.com/ Pacific Ocean Pediatrics: http://www.pacificoceanpediatrics.com/  

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." — John Wooden

The small things in our spiritual lives matter tremendously to God. Just as basketball coach John Wooden taught players to properly put on socks and shoes before focusing on advanced skills, we must master spiritual fundamentals. In Acts 1, the disciples demonstrated three crucial elements before receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: obedience to Jesus' instructions, unity of heart and purpose, and devoted prayer. These seemingly simple practices create the foundation for God's blessing and breakthrough. When we're faithful in small things like following God's clear direction, building unity with other believers, and maintaining passionate prayer lives, we position ourselves to receive what God has promised. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Alan Castel, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and one of the world's foremost experts on human memory and cognitive aging. We discuss what science actually tells us about how to improve our learning ability and memory at any age. We also discuss how memory works, why all planning and imagination about the future is based on the past, false memories, and how to leverage curiosity, emotion, and self-testing retrieval practice to stamp in memories for the long term. We discuss what "superagers"—people who actually improve their cognitive capacity with age—do differently than everyone else. This episode is for anyone interested in the science of memory and tools to maintain and improve your memory across the lifespan. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Wealthfront*: https://wealthfront.com/huberman Helix Sleep: https://helixsleep.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Lingo: https://hellolingo.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Alan Castel (00:02:41) What Is Memory?, Reconstruction & Metacognition (00:04:49) Mnemonics, Remembering Names & Deeper Learning (00:08:22) The Penny & Apple Logo, Noticing vs Seeing, Learning Through Mistakes (00:10:43) Sponsors: Wealthfront & Helix (00:14:05) Neuroplasticity, Frustration, Curiosity & Mindset (00:17:42) Maintaining vs Learning New Things, Habits, Novelty & Emotional Memory (00:24:28) "Mental Photographs," Photo-Taking & Imagining the Future (00:29:28) Eyewitness Memory, the Ronald Cotton Case, Confidence vs Accuracy (00:35:07) Medium-Term & Prospective Memory, Hotel Fire Exits (00:40:28) Sponsor: AG1 (00:41:47) When Habits Turn Lethal, Aviation & Human Error (00:49:01) Why Memory Changes With Age; Alzheimer's & the Nun Study (00:52:34) Exercise & Hippocampal Volume, Falls & Balance (00:57:14) SuperAgers & Athletes; Regret, Balance & Being Driven (01:12:08) Sponsor: Function (01:13:45) Age Stereotypes, Subjective Age & Positive Age Beliefs (01:20:02) Goals & Plans, Scams; Anterior Midcingulate Cortex & SuperAgers (01:26:23) Culture, Resilience, Blue Zones & COVID (01:29:18) Adversity, the Positivity Effect & Intergenerational Learning (01:36:31) Sponsor: Lingo (01:38:00) Limitations & Purpose; Time, Family & Connection (01:44:58) Deliberately Building Memories; the ABCs of Successful Aging (01:51:02) Following Your Interests; Castel's Path & Older Adults (01:57:16) Mental Simulations, Curiosity Studies & Selectivity (02:01:19) Socioemotional Selectivity Theory; Steve Jobs & Lifespan (02:07:10) The Secret to Successful Aging; State vs Trait Curiosity (02:11:04) Scams & AI Voice Cloning (02:14:31) John Wooden, Wisdom, Love & Balance (02:17:41) Learning Through Mistakes; Does the Brain Get Better With Age? (02:25:00) Conclusion, Better With Age (02:26:00) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures *This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Andrew Huberman receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for paid testimonials in his podcast, creating a conflict of interest. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.05% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Additional terms and conditions apply, which can be found on Wealthfront.com/Huberman. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Tyler Clark and Coleman Ayers sit down with Dr. Tony Miller, head men's basketball coach at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, where he has taught for 20 years and served on staff since the program's intercollegiate launch in 2012. Tony brings a teacher's lens to coaching, discussing how his background in secondary education shapes the way he thinks about player learning, classroom management principles applied to the court, and the balance between "old school" influences like Coach K and John Wooden and "new school" concepts from Alex Sarama and Chris Oliver. The conversation covers identity, both for players and coaches, the challenge of building culture quickly given roster turnover from the transfer portal, and what it means to run a truly player-led program.The back half of the episode dives deep into Tony's analytics-driven approach to shot selection, including his "5-7-9" shot rating system and the "sevens for 70" practice game he uses to teach shot quality. He also unpacks his program's core values (character, competitiveness, connectedness), his approach to individual meetings and recruiting fit, and closes with a reflection on Bob Ritchie's "person development over player development" philosophy and what legacy really means beyond wins and awards.Timestamps0:00 — Introduction to guest Tony Miller, head coach at Bob Jones University 0:50 — Merging the classroom and the court: Tony's background as a teacher 6:57 — Filtering information overload post-COVID and knowing who you are as a coach 11:02 — Getting the most out of individual players within a team setting 19:49 — Identity — helping players and coaches figure out who they are 26:47 — Balancing team culture with individual expression 31:51 — Empowering players to problem-solve ("figure it out") 36:14 — Intentionality in practice design and managing controlled chaos 43:43 — Individual development within the team system 49:32 — Letting players surprise you — positionless development 53:44 — Building team culture fast through individual conversations and analytics 1:02:31 — Shot selection analytics: the "5-7-9" shot rating system and "sevens for 70" 1:11:38 — Generating advantage shots with a different roster every year 1:22:12 — Bob Ritchie's "person development over player development" and legacy 1:26:35 — Closing thoughts and where to find Tony MillerResources & LinksFree Resources: https://byanymeanscoaches.com/resources BAM Coaches Platform: https://platform.byanymeanscoaches.com/#/platform Books: https://byanymeanscoaches.com/blueprint-bookKeep ListeningG-League Coach of the Year, Vitor Galvani, on Why Player Development Isn't Linear, G-League Practices, Being Where Your Feet Are and Much More Another head coach interview covering player ownership, balancing structure with freedom, and long-term development over short-term results — themes that run throughout the Tony Miller conversation. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1911095/episodes/19047395Alessandro Nocera on Building More Conceptual Players A coach interview exploring conceptual, principles-based offense and adapting philosophy to personnel — a natural pairing with Tony's system-plus-freedom approach to advantage creation. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1911095/episodes/19331880Stuart Armstrong on Talent Identification, Development, Ecological Dynamics and much more Digs into coach education, athlete identity, and building intuition-driven decision-makers — echoes Tony's emphasis on questioning players and developing independent thinkers. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1911095/episodes/18955528

All humans, leaders and teams sometimes fall into a hurried state. When we are hurried, our brain functionality gets worse and our performance suffers. Perhaps it's time to eradicate the hurry. For Full Shownotes visit: https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/eradicating-hurry/ Jason explores the critical difference between operational quickness and mental rushing, sharing a strategic approach to managing attention, cognitive performance, and workplace pacing. Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: In a hyper-connected business landscape, how can leadership teams execute at an elite level without succumbing to systemic burnout? In this episode of The Thermostat, Jason V Barger deconstructs the hidden operational toll of chronic rushing on your organizational ecosystem. Referencing legendary UCLA coach John Wooden's famous maxim—"be quick, but don't hurry"—Jason breaks down how a constant state of rush actively derails decision-making, performance, and corporate culture. Moving past generic time-management advice, this conversation tracks the neural tax of structural hurry. Jason introduces the MIT concept of a "switch cost," revealing that every chaotic pivot costs the human brain 15 minutes of peak cognitive executive function. This episode provides an actionable, four-tiered roadmap to rebuild mental margins and establish sustainable pacing for healthier leadership in teams. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, managers, and project leaders committed to building resilient environments, this episode offers clear strategies to protect working memory, eradicate institutional panic, and recover the capacity to execute when your best is needed most. Episode Notes & Timestamps: [00:00] Intro: Jason welcomes listeners and shares a massive milestone: The Thermostat being ranked #13 among the top 70 most authentic leadership podcasts globally by Million Podcasts. [00:03] The John Wooden Maxim: An examination of the standard of being quick to maximize opportunities without allowing frantic hurry to hijack operational control. [00:04] Toggling the Tension: Why parents, executives, and high-achievers constantly battle reactive, thermometer-style thinking when multitasking demands accelerate. [00:07] The MIT Switch Cost: Analyzing the neurological penalty of constant multi-tasking and why it takes our brains 15 minutes to recover a deep focus groove. [00:08] Executive Function Depletion: How chronic rushing damages attention spans, working memory, impulse control, and overall team performance. [00:11] 1. Daily Margins: Jason's personal practice of backing up the alarm by 30 minutes to frame the morning with clear intent, gratitude, and appreciation. [00:12] 2. Weekly Calendar Protection: The importance of avoiding back-to-back virtual call stacks by intentionally mapping 10-minute structural breathing spaces. [00:13] 3. Monthly Capacity Audits: Proactively scanning your master calendar to isolate overloaded weeks and methodically scheduling rest and recovery windows. [00:15] 4. Yearly Rest & Recovery: Confronting the striking statistic of 768 million unused vacation days in the U.S. and why time away is a non-negotiable metric for elite performance. [00:16] Calibration Tactics: Final reflection prompts to guide teams away from panic patterns and back to disciplined, sustainable velocity. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Acknowledge the Switch Cost: Protect team attention spans by limiting fragmented multitasking and scheduling dedicated blocks for deep, singular focus. Build Calendar Margins: Lead by example—stop stacking commitments back-to-back and actively build structural buffers into your team's workflows. Prioritize True Rest: Treat vacation and recovery periods as non-negotiable strategic investments required to protect executive cognitive function. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/eradicating-hurry/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason

Someone recently tried to dismiss everything I teach as 'soft skills,' and it sparked a conversation worth having with you. In this episode, I get into why the people who belittle what you're building have never actually built anything themselves, and why that distinction matters. When you're a creator paving a new road, you are not in the same race as people who have only ever followed paths others built. The cheetah doesn't race dogs to prove a point. Neither should you. Key Takeaways People who are truly moving forward never have time to belittle your dreams. Opposition almost always reveals the insecurity of the person delivering it. When you are blazing a new path, it is supposed to take longer. You are building the road, not just running on one someone else paved. Comparing yourself to lifelong followers gives them credibility they have not earned. You are not in the same race. The cheetah racing dogs is not a win. It is an insult. Knowing your own value means you do not need to prove it to everyone who challenges it. Confidence is not a soft skill. It is the foundational skill. John Wooden built dynasty-level championships by returning to foundational basics every single season. Action Steps The next time someone dismisses your work or your vision, ask them what they have created. If they go silent, you have your answer and you can move on. Write down who specifically benefits from what you are building. Keep that list somewhere visible so that on your hardest days, you remember exactly why you are building it. Identify one foundational skill in your life or work that you have been neglecting because it feels too basic. Return to it this week with the same seriousness John Wooden brought to teaching championship players how to tie their shoes. Notable Quote You're building the road. It's gonna take longer, but you know what else it's gonna do? It's gonna create a legacy something that people can't take away from you.

What happens when a strength coach trades the weight room for infrastructure and operations? Jim Robinson sits down with Bryan Glover, Director of Infrastructure and Operations at Ramirez Hospitality Group, for a conversation on developing people, managing ego, and leading through fear instead of running from it.If you lead people, coach people, or are trying to build a culture where people actually want to grow — this one's full of value bombs.Chapters:00:26 – Welcome & introducing Bryan Glover00:49 – From strength coach to infrastructure/ops leader01:18 – Stephen Covey and finding a belief system01:44 – Faith, mentorship, and finding purpose through coaching04:36 – Coaching, business, and "we're all looking for what's next"05:44 – John Wooden's socks: why fundamentals win07:09 – Developing self vs. "what can you do for me"08:55 – The coach as "stress master"09:21 – Dependence, independence & interdependence11:33 – Staying playful: the puddle story13:02 – The 1,150-lb leg press lesson in overcomplicating things14:15 – "How we do anything is how we do everything"14:38 – Awareness, choice, commitment16:46 – When good people leave: what you learn19:24 – Loyalty doesn't mean "stay" — building an alumni culture22:41 – Meeting people where they are23:25 – Pay well, and ditch the "golden handcuffs"23:45 – Ego isn't your amigo: advice for new leaders26:50 – Playing to win vs. playing not to lose27:40 – Wooden, Walton, and coaching egos29:11 – Bring your ego to the table30:24 – The George Washington letter story31:08 – Fear is F.E.A.R. — false evidence acting real31:51 – Being real and vulnerable as a leader33:18 – Using fear as fuel for small wins35:13 – Value bomb: "Divorce the pattern, not the person"

What if the sport your child plays every week is one of the most powerful character development tools you have — and you are not fully using it yet? Character development through sports goes so much deeper than winning and losing.This episode pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to raise coachable, confident, resilient kids, sharing 5 practical insights from a coach with 26 years of experience at the college and NBA level:✅The number one life skill that separates great players from average ones — and it is not talent✅Why 70 percent of kids quit youth sports by age 13 and the surprising reason behind it✅The one thing every parent should say after a game — and nothing more✅What you say on the ride home after a game matters more than you think✅How to turn failure into the most powerful character-building moment of all✅The simple 3-step approach to test taking and decision making that builds real confidenceCheck out the resources mentioned in this episode and start building character development through sports in your family today.Resources for YouOn the Right Path website and all resourcesOn the Right Path six-book series for kids ages 3 and upLife and Basketball 12-week interactive curriculum for middle and high schoolOnline educational classroom with videos from NBA players on life skillsShow Notes:Building Leadership and Life Skills Through Sports — A Conversation With Brett GunningToday I have Brett Gunning here, and we're talking about building leadership skills and life skills through sports. I love sports. My kids grew up in a sports family. And Brett has spent 26 years coaching — 14 years at the college level and 12 years in the NBA. What he's sharing today goes way beyond basketball. These are life skills that apply to any sport and really to any area of life.The Number One Life Skill: Be CoachableBrett spent years watching what separated great college players from great NBA players. And it kept coming back to one thing — being coachable. Being teachable.When a parent, teacher, or coach gets on you, it's most likely rooted in a desire to help you. But a lot of kids can't get past the ego part to see that. They can't move from why are they getting on me to — this person loves me, they care about me, what is the message they're trying to give me?For as simple as it sounds, most kids are not coachable. So that's where we have to start. Whether it's basketball, football, gymnastics, music — whatever it is — being coachable is the foundation.Honesty and Letting Kids Make DecisionsBrett learned from a great coach who used to say — the greatest gift anyone can ever give you is the truth. And that's a biblical principle. When you're honest with your kids, you may not get the result you want immediately. But over time, when they start seeing on their own — every time dad told me something, he was right — that's when it sinks in.Let them make the decision. Then sit down and have the difficult conversations about what happened. Let them learn the natural consequences. Instead of making your kid do something, be honest with them and give them the freedom to make the choice — then hold that conversation afterward about what they could do differently next time.That's what coaches do. Right after a game, the best coaching moment is watching the film and evaluating the decisions. Then sitting down and saying — next time you're in this position, here's something to think about. You can do the same thing at the dinner table.For a spelling test — if they waited until Thursday to study for a Friday test, have the conversation about how to prepare differently next week. That's not punishment. That's coaching.The Ride Home — The Gut Punch That Changed Everything70% of kids quit youth sports by the age of 13. And the number one reason? The ride home.When Brett Gunning heard that statistic, he said — I'm done. Because making it to the college or professional level is about as likely as winning the lottery. So let's take that pressure off the table. What matters is that your kid has a great experience playing the sport through their high school years.Here's the advice — after every game, say one thing. Just one thing. I loved watching you play today. Not — why didn't you do this? Why didn't you pass to Johnny? Why didn't you catch that?Just — I loved watching you play. Let the ride home be that. Then maybe later that night or the next day, circle back to one teaching moment. But the ride home is where we are losing kids. Don't let that be the moment.Building Confidence and ResilienceBrett's eight-year-old son was playing in a basketball game, down one with 10 seconds left, bringing the ball up for the last shot. He missed it. And Brett said — right away I flipped a switch and thought, this is going to be a much bigger teaching moment than if he made it. Because it's easy to handle success. It's hard to handle failure.How do you build resilience? You have to embrace the hard moments. You can't run from them. You don't tell your kid — it was the ref's fault, you got fouled. You say — you missed the shot. It's okay. You're not going to win every game. Keep a great attitude. Shake their hand. You're going to have other opportunities in your life to hit the game-winning shot.And guess what — one week later, same scenario, last game of the season. His son hit the game-winner. He said, "Dad, how did you know?" Brett told him — I didn't know it was going to happen next week. I just knew at some point you were going to be in that spot again.Whether it's a failed test, a hard season, or a breakup — the only way kids become resilient is if we let them face the difficult moments, accept them, and learn from them. If we go through a failure and don't take the lesson from it, it's a wasted opportunity.Teamwork, Humility, and Helping OthersIf you don't want to be part of something bigger than yourself, go play tennis or golf. If you're going to play a team sport, you are part of something. And that requires humility.In basketball, someone sets a screen so you can get open for a shot. If they don't do their job, you don't get the shot. Having the humility to recognize — I am part of something bigger than myself — is everything.After 26 years in the game, Brett has seen it over and over. When you help someone else get open, the ball moves, your defender goes to help, and you end up getting the shot. You helped someone else and it came back to you. That's a biblical principle. When you help someone, it always comes back.As parents, praise the unselfish things. Don't just say great job, you scored 10 points. Say — great job helping your teammate up when he fell. Great job cheering for your buddy when his head was down. Great job passing. Every kid already knows how many points they scored. Emphasize the things that don't show up in the box score.Be Knowledgeable — Go Seek the InformationThe second life skill Brett Gunning teaches is being knowledgeable. There has never been more information available. Whatever you want to be great at, every morsel of information is out there. Go get it.Don't wait for someone to hand it to you. Go seek it. Whether it's cooking, basketball, coding, music — no matter what the profession, there are no secrets. It's all available. Our job as parents and coaches is to help kids understand they have to go pursue it. Learn as if you're going to live forever.On the Right Path — Brett's Nonprofit and Book SeriesBrett started On the Right Path based on Proverbs 22:6 — train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. He uses basketball to guide kids on the right path at the beginning of their journeys, tying every life skill and basketball skill together with a Bible verse.He has three resources available. A six-book series for younger kids — each book teaches a life skill through basketball in a way kids and parents can read together. A 12-week interactive curriculum called Life and Basketball for middle school and high school ages — a great parent-child learning experience built around the game. And an online educational classroom on the website with videos from current and former NBA players talking about humility, resilience, and being coachable.The Lesson From John WoodenBrett Gunning once had the privilege of spending two to three hours with John Wooden — one of the greatest coaches of all time — about a year before Wooden passed away. At the end of that visit, Brett asked him one question. Coach, you've been through it all. What is the most important thing for a young coach to remember?Wooden thought for a moment. Then he said — patience. Patience with your team. Patience with your players.And that is a great place to close. For as much as we want our kids to get it as fast as possible, because we care about them and we know what's on the other side — we also have to hang in there with them. There's a dynamic of patience that we cannot overlook.You can find Brett's book series, 12-week curriculum, and online educational classroom at ontherightpath.org. Links to all of it are below this video.

“Send Coach John a message”I found a great post from Coach AJ  / Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) “The real fear shouldn't be action - it should be inaction.” There is a very deep post here that I will post on my social media channels for you to take a longer look at these thoughts on this very important life topic.  It ties into Friday's show dealing with regret and discipline.  The intro quote from Coach John Wooden is a key part of this. “You're going to fail on occasions. But the greatest failure of all is failure to act when action is needed… You have to act knowing that at times you will fail… that's the greatest - absolutely the greatest - fault of all is failure to act when action is needed.”  Powerful thoughts that go with this from Coach AJ. Again, for me this is a huge reminder as I stated when I reposted this:  “One of the biggest (and truest) reminders that I know I needed to re-connect with!  The “key” for me is to have this truth be a part of my everyday life. I have plenty of examples from my past where I didn't try & plenty where I did. Always learning & growing! Thanks Coach AJ!”  I hope you can make a big connection with this episode as well.  Thanks for listening.  Please take a few moments to subscribe & share this with someone, also leave a 5 Star rating on Apple Podcasts and ITunes or other services where you find this show.  Find me on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/coachtoexpectsuccess/   on Twitter / “X”:  @coachtosuccess   and on Instagram at:  @coachjohndaly  - My YouTube Channel is at: Coach John Daly.   Email me at: CoachJohnDalyPodcast@gmail.com     You can also head on over to https://www.coachtoexpectsuccess.com/ and get in touch with me there on my homepage along with checking out my Top Book list too.  Other things there on my site are being worked on too.  Please let me know that you are reaching out to me from my podcast.  ** I would appreciate anyone to try clicking on the top of the show notes where it says "Send us a text" to leave a few thoughts / comments / questions.  It's a new feature that I'd like to see how it works. **

Bowie Kuhn landed on the cover of the June 28, 1976 issue of Sports Illustrated because he had just done something nobody in baseball had done quite so boldly — voided three of the biggest player sales in the history of the sport. When Charlie Finley sold Vida Blue to the Yankees and Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers to the Red Sox all in a single afternoon, Kuhn stepped in and nullified every transaction, invoking his power to act in baseball's "best interests." Finley called him the village idiot, Billy Martin joked about pitching him, and the entire baseball world stopped to ask one question — just how much power does a commissioner actually have? That was enough to put Bowie Kuhn on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That same week two other seismic sports stories were playing out inside that June 28th issue. In boxing, George Foreman demolished Joe Frazier in five rounds, knocking him down twice before the referee stopped it — and Smokin' Joe announced his retirement on the spot with a perfect line: "It's time to put it on the wall and go boogie, boogie, boogie." And in basketball, after years of financial chaos and a 44-minute vote, the ABA officially ceased to exist — four franchises surviving into the NBA while the rest quietly disappeared, ending a nine-year experiment that gave the world Julius Erving, the three-point line, and a red, white and blue ball nobody took seriously until it was too late. Swen Nater's journey is one of the most unlikely in sports history. He grew up in the Netherlands, never played a high school game, and arrived at UCLA with almost no formal experience — spending two seasons as Bill Walton's practice player on back-to-back undefeated championship teams without ever starting. Yet the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him in the first round in 1973, making him the only player ever drafted that high without a college start. He chose the ABA instead, and after the Virginia Squires sold him off he landed with San Antonio and won ABA Rookie of the Year. When the merger came, Nater transitioned seamlessly, eventually becoming the only player in history to lead both the ABA and NBA in rebounding. Swen tells us what it was like to backup Walton, how Kareem kept him from signing with Milwaukee, and how Wilt Chamberlain taught him to become a ferocious rebounder. He tells us how John Wooden prepared him for the pros, how Don Nelson made him a better shooter, and the story of the time he and Lonnie Shelton got into it — and his wife's 80-year-old grandmother came onto the court to give him some assistance. It's the end of the ABA and the beginning of a great era in the NBA, and Swen Nater was in the center of it all. Listen and download the latest Past Our Prime wherever you get your podcasts. Have your grandkids show you how. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Send Coach John a message”I came across a gem today that I needed (of course I need it, why else would I connect with it.)  When these reminders come across my radar - it's so important for me to grab them, use them, and share them.  This is from Coach the Coaches (@WinningCoaches ) and the treasure they shared is this:  “Let me give so much time to the improvement of myself that I shall have no time to criticize others.” – John Wooden.  Of course it is from one of the greatest teachers of all time. This gets me fired up to keep looking for the gems I try and find every day to keep getting better and to stop wasting my time judging others, criticizing, condemning and complaining. Wow.. those things bring me down so much… and I need to look for ways to stop making those choices for sure. How about you? I'd love to hear some of your thoughts and ideas as to how you keep striving to improve yourself for the life that you want to build. I need all the help I can get.  Thanks for listening.  Please take a few moments to subscribe & share this with someone, also leave a 5 Star rating on Apple Podcasts and ITunes or other services where you find this show.  Find me on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/coachtoexpectsuccess/   on Twitter / “X”:  @coachtosuccess   and on Instagram at:  @coachjohndaly  - My YouTube Channel is at: Coach John Daly.   Email me at: CoachJohnDalyPodcast@gmail.com     You can also head on over to https://www.coachtoexpectsuccess.com/ and get in touch with me there on my homepage along with checking out my Top Book list too.  Other things there on my site are being worked on too.  Please let me know that you are reaching out to me from my podcast.  ** I would appreciate anyone to try clicking on the top of the show notes where it says "Send us a text" to leave a few thoughts / comments / questions.  It's a new feature that I'd like to see how it works. **

“If we don't forget where we've come from, we're well positioned to continue to win share and growth in the future.” - Bill GouldThank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.My guest on today's show is Bill Gould, president of Allied Solutions. Our conversation today couldn't be timelier, because since his last appearance on the podcast, Bill has stepped into the role of president at Allied Solutions, giving him an even broader view of the challenges and opportunities that credit unions face today. We kick off by talking about his journey, the remarkable story behind Allied Solutions, and how the company continues to help credit unions grow, protect what they've built, recover when challenges come up, and stay prepared for what comes next.Throughout our conversation, one theme that keeps coming up is the idea of “build, buy, or partner,” and Bill shares why there's no one-size-fits-all formula for making those decisions. He explains how credit unions can determine which capabilities should remain core to their organization and which are better supported via outside expertise. In addition, Bill and I talk about one of the biggest realities facing the industry right now: growth through mergers, and Bill offers some practical insights into how credit unions can bring organizations together, thoughtfully integrate technology, and create member experiences that are consistent without losing sight of what makes each institution unique.As we wrap up the episode, we look ahead at the trends shaping the future, including AI, compliance, regulation, automation, and the increasing pace of change across financial services, and, of course, we, as always, get to know our guest a little more personally with a series of rapid-fire questions. Bill shares the leaders who have influenced him most, the books that have shaped his perspective, why family experiences are always worth the investment, and how he stays connected with loved ones despite a demanding travel schedule. Enjoy my conversation with Bill Gould!Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.Connect with Bill:Bill Gould, President of Allied Solutionsalliedsolutions.net Bill: LinkedInAllied Solutions: LinkedIn | FacebookShow notes from this episode:Shout-out: Securian FinancialShout-out: Missy EldridgePlace mentioned: Saint Paul, MinnesotaPlace mentioned: Carmel, IndianaPlace mentioned: Sarasota, FloridaShout-out: PortXPlace mentioned: Denver, ColoradoPlace mentioned: TexasShout-out: John WoodenShout-out: Minnesota TimberwolvesPlace mentioned: IndianaShout-out: WNBAShout-out: Caitlin ClarkShout-out: Bill's familyShout-out: Robbie's kidsPlace mentioned: Québec City, Québec; CanadaPlace mentioned: EuropePlace mentioned: Atlantic OceanBook mentioned: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy & Ram CharanBook mentioned: Good to Great by Jim CollinsBook mentioned: Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI by Eric Lamarre, Kate Smaje, & Rodney ZemmelPlace mentioned: WashingtonPrevious guest mentioned in this episode: Bill Gould (episodes 1 & 42)In this episode:[0:55] - Bill reflects on how transitioning to Allied expanded his ability to serve credit unions.[2:00] - Founded by Missy Eldridge, Allied helps credit unions grow, protect, recover, and evolve.[5:22] - Bill argues that credit unions should strategically balance building, buying, and partnering based on unique strengths.[7:44] - Partnerships such as PortX help speed up integration and lend innovation and operational flexibility.[10:36] - Hear how Allied helps merging credit unions align systems and programs while also preserving member value.[11:44] - Bill reveals that, for the future, Allied is focused on mergers, AI, regulations, and evolving member expectations.[13:39] - For Bill, leaders such as Missy Eldridge and John Wooden exemplify tenacity and excellence![14:48] - Family travel remains Bill's favorite investment, while work trips offer opportunities for exploration![16:16] - Listen as Bill recommends several different books.[17:09] - Bill believes that balancing a personal life with a professional one requires efficiency, intentionality, and maximizing work-travel opportunities.[18:22] - Future success depends on balancing growth, risk, transformation, and member-focused values!

Be true to yourself.Make each day your masterpiece. - John Wooden Check out John Lee Dumas' award winning Podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire on your favorite podcast directory. For world class free courses and resources to help you on your Entrepreneurial journey visit EOFire.com

This week's episode is a TARP REPLAY. In April, UCLA Women's Basketball Head Coach Cori Close led her team to a national title. In celebration, Andrew is re-sharing his conversation with Cori from back in 2024. The ideas Cori shared are timeless. You'll hear powerful ideas to help you adjust to new surroundings, turn challenges into growth, & lead a life filled with impact. ** Follow Andrew **Instagram: @AndrewMoses123X: @andrewhmosesSign up for e-mails to keep up with the podcast at everybodypullsthetarp.com/newsletterDISCLAIMER: This podcast is solely for educational & entertainment purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

McKay explores Dolly Parton's philosophy of ‘finding the God-light in everyone' as a transformative leadership discipline. He argues that choosing to see potential rather than faults is a practical way to inspire growth and redirect lives.Our host highlights how belief in others alters history through the stories of Louis Armstrong, Walt Disney, and Abraham Lincoln. Detailing Nelson Mandela's healing of South Africa and John Wooden's UCLA coaching, McKay demonstrates that by applying the Pygmalion effect and defending the absent, listeners can foster trust and move beyond automatic negative thinking.Main Themes: Dolly Parton's "God light" philosophy The Pygmalion Effect on performance Lincoln's "Team of Rivals" strategy Louis Armstrong's reform school start Walt Disney and the power of affirmation Defending the absent to build character Mandela's use of rugby to unite a nation Overcoming self-centered "default settings" John Wooden's shame-free coaching Belief as a practical leadership strategyTop 10 Quotes:"I try to find the God-light in everybody.""If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.""Human nature tends to notice faults first.""When people are seen as capable, they often become more capable.""If you humiliate people, they resist; if you honor people, they change.""When you defend those who are absent, you retain the trust of those present.""Seeing the good in others is a discipline, not a feeling.""Remembering everyone is good makes a meaningful life possible.""Correct what can be improved, not what is wrong with you.""Seeing good in someone can redirect an entire life."Show Links:Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

Legendary coach John Wooden shares his timeless philosophy on success, hard work, and reaching your full potential. In this inspiring message, he explains why true success is about peace of mind, self-satisfaction, and becoming your best — not comparing yourself to others. This episode will challenge you to pursue excellence with enthusiasm, discipline, and purpose.Source: John Wooden: The Pyramid Of SuccessHosted by Sean CroxtonFollow me on InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2058: Tyler Tervooren shares the remarkable philosophy behind legendary basketball coach John Wooden's success, revealing how small disciplines like showing up on time, staying neat, and even tying shoes properly helped shape championship-level character. The story offers a powerful reminder that real success comes from mastering yourself first, and that focusing on personal growth often leads to extraordinary results in every area of life. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.riskology.co/better-shoelaces/ Quotes to ponder: “Never try to be better than somebody else. Just try to be the best you can be; never cease trying to be the best you can be. That's in your power. The other isn't.” “His theory was that if he could instill the discipline in his players to be the best they could in school, at home, and in life, he could consider himself successful, and winning basketball games would be a byproduct.” “Whatever it is you're trying to excel at, these are rules that focus your energy on improving yourself, the one and only thing you get full control over. And when you master the things you control, that's real success.” Episode references: Bill Walton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Walton Boston Celtics: https://www.nba.com/celtics/ John Wooden: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wooden Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy sat down with David Carle, the University of Denver's head hockey coach and one of the most dominant leaders in college sports today. With three NCAA championships in the last five years, Carle is earning a reputation as the John Wooden of college hockey.   In this conversation, Coach Carle reveals what it really takes to build a championship culture—from identifying and recruiting the right people, to instilling a relentless team-first mindset, to leading in a way that drives both elite performance and long-term development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I talk about whether you should announce your goals to the world with great fanfare—or just quietly plug away and pursue them. The topic was inspired by a couple of social media clips, including a “sub-11 second 100 meters in 90 days” project, which sounds exciting…but also highlights what we’re seeing more and more today—spouting big goals, getting instant attention, and receiving that payoff without having to continue on and struggle and suffer through the process. I get into the brain science behind this, including how simply announcing a goal—“I’m working on a book,” “I’m training for an Ironman”—can trigger a dopamine spike that tricks you into thinking you’ve already made progress. I also cover the flip side, with research showing that sharing goals can increase accountability and support when done correctly. From there, I break down the nuances: why announcing vague or unrealistic goals can backfire, how you risk turning into a “dilettante” chasing attention instead of results, why process-oriented goals beat outcome obsession (with insights from elite sport and my own experience), and when it actually does make sense to share what you’re working on—like being fully immersed in the journey or reporting real progress, not just talking about it. I also explain why who you share your goals with matters, and how the wrong approach can leave you stuck while the right one can push you forward. It’s a thoughtful look at motivation, accountability, and what it really takes to follow through on meaningful goals in a world full of hype. TIMESTAMPS: We have some differing expert opinions about the value or the strategy of announcing goals to others. Some say it helps keep you accountable. There's good research there. Others reference the emptiness and the risk [01:06] Troy is an example of announcing to all that he will be breaking 11 seconds in the 100 meters. [01:35] Josh is another example of sharing his ambition to try a feat and asks that you follow along to see what goes into this attempt. [03:13] Brad discusses the differences in these two styles. [03:37] It is harmful to attach your self-esteem to specific outcomes. [09:37] Try to let go of the pressure and enjoy the process with a positive attitude. [11:49] Brain research confirms that we can elicit a spike of dopamine by simply announcing a big goal to the public or to your friends. [13:40] The same dopamine hit—with potential backlash—happens when we announce success prematurely. [17:50] There is a meta-study from the American Psychological Association in 2025 that found that sharing a goal was linked to receiving more support from others. [23:41] Do not broadcast vague goals that might be deemed unrealistic by an expert outsider observer. [26:27] Set process-oriented goals. Basketball coach John Wooden said, "Worrying about the scoreboard is a big mistake. Instead, focus on the perfect execution of every possession." [29:02] Announcing goals when you're actually immersed in the difficult and meaningful journey works well. [31:11] LINKS: Brad Kearns.com BradNutrition.com - 20% OFF Your First Order! B.rad Superdrink – Hydrates 28% Faster than Water—Creatine-Charged Hydration for Next-Level Power, Focus, and Recovery NEW: B.rad Real Rad Gummies - Creatine + Nootropics for Focus, Motivation, Performance, and Recovery! B.rad Whey Protein Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet! Brad’s Shopping Page BornToWalkBook.com B.rad Podcast – All Episodes Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes Hicham El Guerrouj Podcast with Lion Martinez Carlo Thranhardt The Weight of Gold, Documentary A Memoir - LANDON Alysa Liu Sleep The Hacking of the American Mind We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life: B.rad Nutrition: Premium quality, all-natural supplements for peak performance, recovery, and longevity; including the world's highest quality whey protein! Get 20% OFF your first order! Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off! Jaspr Air Scrubber: Ultra high-performance air purifier - blows other air filters away! Save $400 on your unit with code BRAD. Get Stride: Advanced DNA, methylation profile, microbiome & blood at-home testing. Hit your stride the right way, with cutting-edge technology and customized programming. Save 10% with the code BRAD. Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD! #bradpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeremy Guthrie is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who commanded the mound for over a decade with the Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City Royals. A Stanford graduate and former BYU standout, Jeremy was an American League Rookie of the Year candidate in 2007, represented Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and started Games 3 and 7 of the 2014 World Series before earning a World Series ring in 2015. Off the field, Jeremy serves as an MLB Commissioner's Ambassador, traveling to over 60 countries across six continents to grow the game globally. He is also the owner of Custom Cleats, the pioneering company that converts any sneaker into a high-performance cleat for athletes of all ages and sports. A man of deep faith, Jeremy's two-year mission in Spain at age 19 laid the foundation for a life built on service, resilience, and redefining what success truly means. Takeaways:Redefine Success Before It Defines You: Jeremy learned on the streets of Spain what most people never figure out in a lifetime — success isn't about the scoreboard. It's about the effort you pour into becoming the best version of yourself. John Wooden said it, Jeremy lived it, and it carried him through a decade in the big leagues when the stats didn't always cooperate. If you're measuring your worth by outcomes you can't control, you're playing a losing game. Control your effort, your focus, your resilience — and let the results take care of themselves.Forget Yourself and Find Your Purpose: At 19, Jeremy walked away from a professional baseball contract to spend two years serving others in Spain. No fastball. No spotlight. Just service. And what he found was the foundation of everything that followed — a deeper understanding of who he was and what he was capable of becoming. When you stop chasing what the world says you should want and start pouring into other people, that's when the real breakthroughs happen. Lose yourself in service and watch your purpose reveal itself.Every Day You Have a Platform, Use It: Jeremy's teammate Kevin Millar said it best — every day you're in the big leagues, you have a chance to touch somebody's life. Jeremy took that to heart and ran with it across 60 countries and six continents. But here's the thing — you don't need a Major League roster spot to have a platform. You have one right now. The question is, are you using it? Whether it's a kind word, a signed autograph, or showing up for your community, your platform is your opportunity to leave people better than you found them. Sound Bytes:“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of the self-satisfaction that you have in making the best effort you can to become the best you're capable of becoming.” “Every day you're in the big leagues, you have a chance to touch somebody's life.” “I learned the joy of forgetting yourself, of losing yourself, and yet finding yourself through that.” Connect & Discover Jeremy Guthrie:Instagram: @therealjgutsCustom Cleats Instagram: @customcleatsFacebook: @TheRealJGutsX: @TheRealJGutsWebsite: customcleats.com

The most successful leaders, coaches, and teams in history share one counterintuitive secret: their main focus wasn't winning. And yet… they won more than everyone else.  My guest, Don Yaeger, learned this lesson from his mentor: legendary college basketball coach John Wooden. Don is one of my favorite master storytellers, a top business leadership coach, author of 44 books, 13 of them New York Times bestsellers, and a former Associate Editor at Sports Illustrated. Don has worked alongside the greatest athletes of our generation: Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Michael Phelps. But no relationship shaped him more than the 12 years he spent as Coach Wooden's mentee. Whether or not you're a sports fan, I promise you: the lessons Don shares are as universal as it gets. We explore what it really means to win in business and in life. The greatest leaders in history already figured this out. The question is why the rest of us aren't following their lead. In this episode you'll learn:  ➡️ Why the winningest coach in college basketball history never talked about winning (and what he focused on instead) ➡️ The Bill Walton story that reveals how great leaders hold standards without exceptions (even for their best people)  ➡️ How one conversation with John Wooden transformed Don's marriage & the weekly habit he's kept for 16+ years  ➡️ What Delta CEO Ed Bastian's "virtuous cycle" can teach any leader about putting people before results  ➡️ What a great mentor actually look like and how to know when you've found one If you've ever chased the short-term win at the cost of the long game… this episode is the reset you didn't know you needed.  This… is A Bit of Optimism. + + + Join Don for a live Q&A on Leaderful on April 27th at 12pm ET: https://leaderful.simonsinek.com/browse/events/OMNjQIJ19cDDjjYRFbIge  Join the Leaderful app! Listeners can use promo code: STORY30 when you download the app or sign up at simonsinek.com. If you want to read a free chapter from Don's upcoming book The Business of Storytelling, head to: https://www.donyaeger.com/chapter/ + + + Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 The Power of Appreciation: What You Look For, You Find 00:02:02 From Delivering Newspapers to Sports Illustrated: Don's Journey to Journalism 00:04:21 Don's 12-Year Mentorship with Coach John Wooden 00:06:50 Coach Wooden's Philosophy: Pyramid of Success 00:09:00 The Bill Walton Haircut Story: How Wooden Managed Ego and Held Everyone to the Same Standards 00:10:33 Building Better Humans, Not Just Better Players 00:14:36 The Love Letters That Changed Don's Marriage 00:19:35 Looking for Things to Love: The Mindset That Changes Everything 00:22:23 Leading with Employee Care Over Customer-First Mentality 00:33:55 What True Mentorship Really Means: It's Not Transactional 00:47:07 Why Aren't More Leaders Following Coach Wooden's Example? 00:53:17 The Best Storytelling Advice: Know Your Audience + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek + + + Photo/Video credits for this episode: https://tinyurl.com/ycxdw52s

A daily quote to inspire the mind, gratitude to warm the soul, and guided breathing to energize the body. Quote: Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. ~ John Wooden. Gratitude: Getting lost in a good book. Studies show that reading fiction actually make you more empathetic in real life. Here are some suggestions if you're looking a new novel. Guided Breathing: Equal Breathing. Visit TheDailyRefresh.com to share your unique piece of gratitude which will be featured on an upcoming episode, and make sure to watch the tutorial of how to make The Daily Refresh part of your Alexa Flash Briefings! Call to action: If you're interested in launching your very own Podcast, visit FreePodcastCourse.com/ and this completely free training will teach you EVERYTHING you need to know! So visit FreePodcastCourse.com.

John Wooden shares his timeless definition of success and the foundation behind it — the Pyramid of Success. True success isn't measured by results, but by effort, character, and personal growth. Through principles like industriousness, enthusiasm, and cooperation, Wooden shows how to build a life rooted in purpose, discipline, and inner fulfillment.Want Ad-Free Episodes? Join QOD Club and hear zero ads inside our Circle community. Plus, book clubs, mentorship calls, weekly business trainings, and new likeminded friends. Get started for only $9.Source: Wooden's Wisdom: John Wooden Pyramid of Success at Tampa Bay 1998 All Poetry IncludedHosted by Sean CroxtonFollow me on InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Winning ten national basketball championships is remarkable, but Coach John Wooden's greatest legacy may be what he taught off the court. On today's edition of Family Talk, Dr. Dobson shares a timeless conversation with the late Coach Wooden about his famous “Pyramid of Success,” the power of faith, and what it truly means to finish well. Hear the wisdom that shaped generations of leaders on and off the court. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/707/29?v=20251111

Few coaches have shaped the game of basketball—and the character of a nation—like Coach John Wooden. On today's edition of Family Talk, Dr. Dobson sits down with the legendary UCLA coach to discuss his remarkable journey of faith, family, and perseverance. From his humble upbringing on a farm to 10 national championships, Wooden shares the timeless wisdom that made him a truly great leader. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/707/29?v=20251111

Legendary coach John Wooden shares his timeless definition of success — one that has nothing to do with winning trophies or titles. Instead, success is rooted in effort, character, and becoming the best version of yourself. In this thoughtful message, Wooden explains how focusing on what you can control leads to peace of mind and a truly meaningful life.Want Ad-Free Episodes? Join QOD Club and hear zero ads inside our Circle community. Plus, book clubs, mentorship calls, weekly business trainings, and new likeminded friends. Get started for only $9.Source: The difference between winning and succeeding | John Wooden | TEDHosted by Sean CroxtonFollow me on InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.