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This week on the Village Well Podcast we sat down with American Ninja Warrior host and former NFL player Akbar Gbajabiamila! We talked about his book Everyone Can Be a Ninja which covers family, faith, and positive masculinity. Enjoy!Akbar's Recommendations:- Will by Will Smith- A Promised Land by Barack Obama- Born a Crime by Trevor NoahThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at podcast@villagewell.com.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!
ABOUT AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR Season 15 of "American Ninja Warrior" returns with the most elite athletes in the country competing on the world's most difficult obstacle courses. Hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila, along with co-host Zuri Hall, are back to call the action as the ninjas make their way through the qualifying and semifinal rounds in Los Angeles before moving to the national finals in Las Vegas. With the biggest changes in show history, Season 15 will challenge the ninjas to race side-by-side and head-to-head across a high-stakes course with a spot in the national finals on the line. At stake is a top prize of $1 million for the fastest ninja who can conquer all four stages at the national finals.There is a 1 Million Dollar winner this season. In the past 14 seasons, this has only happened twice. The fastest ninja at the final stage always wins prize money, but if they are faster than the rest of the competitors AND reach the top in under 30 seconds, the prize becomes $1M. The show airs 2-hour episodes Monday nights at 8/7c on NBC with the finale on Sept 11th.AKBAR GBAJABIAMILA BIOAkbar Gbajabiamila serves as host of NBC's four-time Emmy Award-nominated heart-racing obstacle course competition series American Ninja Warrior. The former NFL player also joined CBS's hit show The Talk this past September.Gbajabiamila most recently hosted Tokyo Live! which debuted on Peacock and covered the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He also recently hosted The Miss USA Contest as well as multiple years hosting NBC's Red Nose Day programming and the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. His critically acclaimed debut book, I>Everyone Can Be a Ninja: Find Your Inner Warrior and Achieve Your Dreams,/I> aimed to encourage readers to never give up no matter the obstacle> Gbajabiamila is honored to leverage his professional platform to inspire and motivate others as well as advocate for those in need. Currently, he serves on the board for the Asomugha Foundation, which provides pathways to college for disenfranchised youth, as well as for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. He's also privileged to be a celebrity ambassador for Red Nose Day, which since its inception in 2015 has raised more than $150 million to fight child poverty. Moreover, Gbajabiamila is a strong proponent of financial literacy, lending his time and energy to educating young people and pro athletes.Gbajabiamila grew up in hard-scrabble South Central Los Angeles, one of seven children of Nigerian immigrants. A solid family foundation coupled with a natural athletic ability made him a standout high school student athlete, excelling in both basketball and football. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in communications and media studies while attending San Diego State University on a football scholarship and then spent five years in the NFL as a linebacker and defensive end with the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins before retiring in 2008.Gbajabiamila started his broadcasting career with CBS Sports before joining the NFL Network. He and his wife live in Los Angeles where they are raising their four beautiful children and two dogs.https://www.nbc.com/american-ninja-warrior
“Coding well with others or being a team player is at the heart of everything we do as developers. Unless you're coding yourself for a piece of software that only you are going to use, you're not a solo developer." Fernando Doglio is the author of “Skills of a Software Developer”. In this episode, Fernando shared some insights from his book on how to be a successful software developer. He highlighted that software development is a mostly a team effort and shared tips on how we can work well within a team, including not to fall into the trap of over-engineering and early optimization. He then shared some practical tips on technical interviews and what we should avoid writing in our resume. Towards the end, Fernando gave his tips to aspiring authors who want to write a technical book and cleared some misconceptions and mental blocks that may stop a lot of them from writing. Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:05:34] Skills of a Software Developer - [00:09:05] Everyone Can Be a Successful Developer - [00:11:34] Tips to Work Well in a Team - [00:14:47] Avoiding Overengineering - [00:16:35] Focus on Working Code First, Then Optimize It - [00:20:30] Writing Readable Code - [00:24:46] Tips on Technical Interviews - [00:28:26] Tips for Writing Technical Books - [00:34:07] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:40:56] _____ Fernando Doglio's Bio Fernando Doglio is a Data Engineering Manager at Accenture and has over 18 years of experience in the software industry, from web development to big data. Fernando loves to tinker and learn, and has written several technical blogs and books such as Node.js and React. His latest book, “Skills of a Software Developer”, is currently available through the Manning Early Access Program, and he's open to talk about the industry, possible projects, or any help regarding choice of tech-stack. Follow Fernando: Twitter – @deleteman123 LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandodoglio/ Medium – https://deleteman123.medium.com/ Website – https://www.fdoglio.com/ Our Sponsor Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags by visiting https://techleadjournal.dev/shop. Like this episode? Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and submit your feedback. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Pledge your support by becoming a patron. For more info about the episode (including quotes and transcript), visit techleadjournal.dev/episodes/62.
—- 1. The Las Vegas Posse, Shreveport Pirates, Memphis Mad Dogs and Birmingham Barracudas were teams that briefly played in what league during the 1990s? 2. Name the head coach who led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team to nine Final Four appearances and two NCAA championships from 1987-2020. 3. What team sport designed for visually impaired athletes was introduced as an official event at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto? 4. What TV personality and former NFL player authored the book “Everyone Can Be a Ninja: Find Your Inner Warrior and Achieve Your Dreams”? 5. In 2002,...Article Link
Today's show is another in a series of bonus episodes each featuring one of the powerful talks given by my participants in The Big Talk Academy as a part of our Virtual Showcase. This showcase is the culmination of their hard work as they cross the finish line to becoming certified speakers. These episodes give you a peek behind the scenes to witness the amazing Big Talks presented, and also give you exclusive access to my live feedback and direction I give to each speaker immediately following their performances. This week's episode features Lynelle Suan and her talk, Everyone Can Be a Millionaire. Lynelle is an 18-year-old homeschooler who left traditional school after 10th grade to work on mastering her mind through personal development and self-education. She's a young lady on a journey towards mastery in all areas of life, and her mission is to inspire people to be strong enough to live the life that they've always imagined In her commanding and passionate Big Talk, Lynelle shares how and why we can all be millionaires, and the importance of embracing our own worth. She also shows us that is possible to be an incredible speaker at any age.
Athletes are taken advantage of most often when it comes to making private investments. So many of my teammates ended up with bad advice, poor returns, or even losing all of their money in bad private deals. It pays to know what you're doing if you're interested in getting into the private side of finance.That's why this week, I'm joined by Akbar Gbajabiamila to discuss Venture Capital investing.Akbar is an NFL veteran of the Raiders, Dolphins and Chargers, current host of American Ninja Warrior and NFL Fantasy Live, and he wrote the book Everyone Can Be a Ninja. Akbar is a true example of #morethananathlete, and has achieved continued exceptional success after his already successful football career.Akbar and I met through the Next Play Capital Venture Fellowship, a two week event that takes a cohort of current and former professional athletes on a crash course of how the best venture capital investors approach investing, and gives perspective on what it takes to build a successful company.Episode Highlights Our takeaways from completing the Next Play Capital Venture FellowshipAccess is what matters in venture capital returns, top firms continue to win year in and year outAkbar's venture startup mask idea created during COVID so fans could attend sporting eventsAs an entrepreneur it isn't just about money but the strategic partnership and team you pick to help guide you as a growing company.Conflicts of Interest in financial advice and why independent advisors align incentives of the advisor and playerHow to invest like a professional outside of Venture Capital and how to pick a financial team that adds real valueAkbar talks about his recent crypto trading and the FOMO, fear of missing out, so many guys get caught up inAkbar's advice for active players and using their status to create a strong network: “your network is your net worth” as he says
Have you ever watched the TV show American Ninja Warrior? My family and I love it, so I have some special surprise hosts on today's conversation - my two sons, Caden and Jordan. :) Today my guest is Akbar Gbajabiamila, who is the host of NBC's Emmy nominated, heart-racing obstacle course competition series American Ninja Warrior. He also hosts Universal Kids's spin off show, American Ninja Warrior Junior as well as NFL Networks' highest rated show NFL Fantasy Live. Akbar shares his personal journey of overcoming the odds, about his new book, and it was just an absolutely fun conversation today! Pick up Akbar's book "Everyone Can Be a Ninja" here: amazon.com/dp/B07MD6JSTN/. Pick up Matt's book "Truth Plus Love: The Jesus Way to Influence" here: amazon.com/Truth-Plus-Love-Jesus-Influence/dp/0310355249/ For more from Matt Brown, and to receive our free gift “5 Spiritual Keys to Find Fulfillment in God” which will help you get started into the life of fulfillment God has for you, go to: Thinke.org
Episode 341 Akbar Gbajabiamila is the host of NBC's Emmy-nominated obstacle course competition series American Ninja Warrior. He also hosts Universal Kids' spin-off American Ninja Warrior Junior, as well as NFL Network's NFL Fantasy Live. A former NFL player, Akbar was signed by the Oakland Raiders in 2003 after going undrafted out of San Diego State. He played 5 seasons with the Raiders, Chargers and Dolphins before retiring in 2008. Akbar's book "Everyone Can Be a Ninja" was released in May of 2019. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Akbar about readers responding to his new book, how a dream he had challenged him in his Christian faith, having a platform to share about God with empathy and love, the greatest NFL lesson he learned, and his surprising 2019 NFL Super Bowl prediction. For more, log on to http://SportsSpectrum.com
How does someone go from retiring as an NFL player with over $300,000 in the bank to offering his time and services for free (and surviving off less than $25k per year) just so he can “get his shot?” If this story sounds crazy, then you’ve haven’t met Akbar Gbajabiamila. Akbar Gbajabiamila is the host of American Ninja Warrior (alongside Matt Iseman) who is also a former NFL player for teams such as the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and Miami Dolphins, as well as the host of the NFL network’s highest rated show ‘NFL Fantasy Live.’ Akbar is also the author of the soon-to-be bestselling book “Everyone Can Be a Ninja: Find Your Inner Warrior and Achieve Your Dreams.” Whether you’re an athlete who aspires to be or who has already competed on Ninja Warrior, a weekend warrior who enjoys the occasional Spartan Race or triathlon, or a sedentary office worker looking for something to inspire you to get back in shape, Akbar’s story is one of the most compelling and motivating I’ve ever come across. From the outside it might appear his path to stardom just makes sense and was pretty simple, but once you break down the challenges he’s faced since the very beginning of his life growing up in ‘the hood,’ you realize Akbar’s career path is anything but ordinary. The biggest reason I’m excited about this interview and Akbar’s book is that it’s not just an inspirational story...it’s also a roadmap to help you overcome the mindsets, limiting beliefs, mental barriers, and outright excuses you might be making to stop you from pursuing something difficult and frightening. Get ready to step outside your comfort zone...because that’s where the magic happens. Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One? » Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode Here's What You'll Learn: How Akbar got his first job in television even though he wasn't a "hall of famer" Taking a monetary loss for the sake of your ideal career plan Realizing that the work you get paid more for might fail to fulfill you Learning to reject your circumstances and do what you can with what you have Counteracting the negative narratives that you've been give about the cards you've been dealt in life How to stop using the obstacles and low expectations in your life to keep yourself from improving Recognizing when you're afraid of being successful Learning how to accept and even take joy in failure without watering down how painful it is in the moment Useful Resources Mentioned: IAmAkbar.com Akbar Gbajabiamila's Ninja Warrior Run for Red Nose Day GO FAR Official Theatrical Trailer Our Generous Sponsors: This episode is made possible for you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation. The Topo is super comfortable, an awesome conversation starter, and it’s also scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. Click here to learn more and get your Topo Mat. Guest Bio: Facebook|Twitter|Instagram As one of television’s most compelling personalities Akbar Gbajabiamila reigns supreme as host NBC's 5-time Emmy® nominated, heart-racing obstacle course competition series American Ninja Warrior. In addition, a former NFL star player, Akbar hosts NFL Networks' highest rated show NFL Fantasy Live. His debut book “Everyone Can Be a Ninja: Find Your Inner Warrior and Achieve Your Dreams” will be published by Gallery Books (A division of Simon & Schuster) on May 7th of this year. Akbar is honored to leverage his formidable professional platform to inspire and motivate others as well as advocate for those in need. Currently, he serves on the board for the Asomugha Foundation, which provides pathways to college for disenfranchised youth, as well as for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. He is also privileged to be a celebrity ambassador for Red Nose Day, which since its inception in 2015 raised more than $150 million dollars to fight child poverty. Moreover, Akbar is a strong proponent of financial literacy, lending his time and energy to educating young people and pro athletes. Akbar grew up in hard-scrabble South Central LA, one of seven children of Nigerian immigrants. A solid family foundation coupled with a natural athletic ability made him a stand-out high school student athlete, excelling in both basketball and football. Akbar went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Studies, while attending San Diego State University on a football scholarship and then spent five years in the NFL as a linebacker and defensive end with the Oakland Raiders, Chargers (San Diego), and Miami Dolphins before retiring in 2008. Akbar began his broadcasting career while still playing for the Chargers as a contributor to KLSD 1360 AM and as a co-host for Football Night in San Diego (NBC 7). He went on to serve as an analyst on the MountainWest Sports Network (formerly mtn.) and CBS Sports before joining the NFL Network. He and his wife live in Los Angeles where they are raising their family. Show Credits: This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet). Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
What’s Trending—The Hot topics of the day Akbar Gbajabiamila Akbar is host of American Ninja Warrior & is promoting his new book "Everyone Can Be a Ninja" Make Us Feel Good-A positive story to put you in a good mood. Matt Granite—Majic Ways To Save Jordan Reid talks about the hilarious activity book “The Big Activity Book For Anxious People” Ganley Buick is this week’s contender on Morning Show Feud.
Gabe and Joe open the second level of the show looking at the latest news that Maximum Security will skip the Preakness, and that his owner is filing an appeal over the horse's disqualification. On today's episode of Get Off My Lawn, Gabe tells everyone who thinks that Maximum Security got robbed needs to know that it was the right call, and man up and realize your horse lost. Gabe says even though the Blazers are balling this series, the Nuggets will get this series done, and will take a bet on them to win the series. American Ninja Warrior host Akbar Gbajabiamila joins the show to talk about his new book, Everyone Can Be a Ninja, as well as his NFL career. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everyone in business or involved with a cause needs to distinguish themselves. Before we "spread the word," shouldn't we first be asking, "what word?" We’ll discuss the best ways to achieve the "clarity" that is so vital to your message and focus on what you can give to someone rather than what you would like to get while networking. Though we often depend on word-of-mouth advertising, what infrastructure is in place to capitalize on that process? Are we really clear about "our edge" and how well and often do we communicate it? Mark Grimm can help you find the solutions to these challenges to help you stand out in a crowd!Former TV new anchor Mark Grimm is a professional speaker and ASTD Trainer of the Year in a 20-county region. He is the author is the book Everyone Can Be a Dynamic Speaker: Yes, I Mean You! He founded Mark Grimm Communications, a public speaking training, media relations, and message strategy firm.
Everyone in business or involved with a cause needs to distinguish themselves. Before we "spread the word," shouldn't we first be asking, "what word?" We’ll discuss the best ways to achieve the "clarity" that is so vital to your message and focus on what you can give to someone rather than what you would like to get while networking. Though we often depend on word-of-mouth advertising, what infrastructure is in place to capitalize on that process? Are we really clear about "our edge" and how well and often do we communicate it? Mark Grimm can help you find the solutions to these challenges to help you stand out in a crowd!Former TV new anchor Mark Grimm is a professional speaker and ASTD Trainer of the Year in a 20-county region. He is the author is the book Everyone Can Be a Dynamic Speaker: Yes, I Mean You! He founded Mark Grimm Communications, a public speaking training, media relations, and message strategy firm.
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