Podcasts about Special Olympics

What if the toughest moments in your life were preparing you to lead better, serve deeper, and live with more purpose? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with Greg Hess, known to many as Coach Hess, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, resilience, trust, and what it really means to help others grow. Greg shares lessons shaped by a lifetime of coaching athletes, leading business teams, surviving pancreatic cancer, and building companies rooted in service and inclusion. We talk about why humor matters, how trust is built in real life, and why great leaders stop focusing on control and start focusing on growth. Along the way, Greg reflects on teamwork, diversity, vision, and the mindset shifts that turn adversity into opportunity. I believe you will find this conversation practical, honest, and deeply encouraging. Highlights: 00:10 – Hear how Greg Hess's early life and love of sports shaped his leadership values. 04:04 – Learn why humor and laughter are essential tools for reducing stress and building connection. 11:59 – Discover how chasing the right learning curve redirected Greg's career path. 18:27 – Understand how a pancreatic cancer diagnosis reshaped Greg's purpose and priorities. 31:32 – Hear how reframing adversity builds lasting resilience. 56:22 – Learn the mindset shift leaders need to grow people and strengthen teams. About the Guest: Amazon Best-Selling Author | Award-Winning Business Coach | Voted Best Coach in Katy, TX Greg Hess—widely known as Coach Hess—is a celebrated mentor, author, and leader whose journey from athletic excellence to business mastery spans decades and continents. A graduate of the University of Calgary (1978), he captained the basketball team, earned All-Conference honors, and later competed against legends like John Stockton and Dennis Rodman. His coaching career began in the high school ranks and evolved to the collegiate level, where he led programs with distinction and managed high-profile events like Magic Johnson's basketball camps. During this time, he also earned his MBA from California Lutheran University in just 18 months. Transitioning from sports to business in the early '90s, Coach Hess embarked on a solo bicycle tour from Jasper, Alberta to Thousand Oaks, California—symbolizing a personal and professional reinvention. He went on to lead teams and divisions across multiple industries, ultimately becoming Chief Advisor for Cloud Services at Halliburton. Despite his corporate success, he was always “Coach” at heart—known for inspiring teams, shaping strategy, and unlocking human potential. In 2015, a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer became a pivotal moment. Surviving and recovering from the disease renewed his commitment to purpose. He left the corporate world to build the Coach Hess brand—dedicated to transforming lives through coaching. Today, Coach Hess is recognized as a Best Coach in Katy, TX and an Amazon Best-Selling Author, known for helping entrepreneurs, professionals, and teams achieve breakthrough results. Coach Hess is the author of: Peak Experiences Breaking the Business Code Achieving Peak Performance: The Entrepreneur's Journey He resides in Houston, Texas with his wife Karen and continues to empower clients across the globe through one-on-one coaching, strategic planning workshops, and his Empower Your Team program. Ways to connect with Greg**:** Email:  coach@coachhess.comWebsite: www.CoachHess.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachhess Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachHessSuccess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachhess_official/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! 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Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:21 Well, hi everyone. I am Michael Hinkson. Your host for unstoppable mindset. And today we get to enter, well, I won't say interview, because it's really more of a conversation. We get to have a conversation with Greg. Hess better known as coach Hess and we'll have to learn more about that, but he has accomplished a lot in the world over the past 70 or so years. He's a best selling author. He's a business coach. He's done a number of things. He's managed magic Johnson's basketball camps, and, my gosh, I don't know what all, but he does, and he's going to tell us. So Coach, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad that we have a chance to be with you today. Greg Hess  02:07 I'm honored to be here. Michael, thank you very much, and it's just a pleasure to be a part of your program and the unstoppable mindset. Thank you for having me. Michael Hingson  02:17 Well, we're glad you're here and looking forward to having a lot of fun. Why don't we start? I love to start with tell us about kind of the early Greg growing up and all that stuff. Greg Hess  02:30 Oh boy, yeah, I was awfully fortunate, I think, to have a couple of parents that were paying attention to me, I guess. You know, as I grew up, at the same time they were growing up my my father was a Marine returned from the Korean War, and I was born shortly after that, and he worked for Westinghouse Electric as a nuclear engineer. We lived in Southern California for a while, but I was pretty much raised in Idaho, small town called Pocatello, Idaho, and Idaho State Universities there and I, I found a love for sports. I was, you know, again, I was very fortunate to be able to be kind of coordinated and do well with baseball, football, basketball, of course, with the sports that we tend to do. But yeah, I had a lot of fun doing that and growing up, you know, under a, you know, the son of a Marine is kind of like being the son of a Marine. I guess, in a way, there was certain ways you had to function and, you know, and morals and values that you carried forward and pride and doing good work that I learned through, through my youth. And so, you know, right, being raised in Idaho was a real great experience. How so well, a very open space. I mean, in those days, you know, we see kids today and kids being brought up. I think one of the things that often is missing, that was not missing for me as a youth, is that we would get together as a group in the neighborhood, and we'd figure out the rules of the game. We'd figure out whatever we were playing, whether it was basketball or, you know, kick the can or you name it, but we would organize ourselves and have a great time doing that as a community in our neighborhood, and as kids, we learn to be leaders and kind of organize ourselves. Today, that is not the case. And so I think so many kids are built into, you know, the parents are helicopter, and all the kids to all the events and non stop going, going, going. And I think we're losing that leadership potential of just organizing and planning a little bit which I was fortunate to have that experience, and I think it had a big influence on how I grew up and built built into the leader that I believe I am today. Michael Hingson  04:52 I had a conversation with someone earlier today on another podcast episode, and one of the observations. Sense that he made is that we don't laugh at ourselves today. We don't have humor today. Everything is taken so seriously we don't laugh, and the result of that is that we become very stressed out. Greg Hess  05:15 Yeah, well, if you can't laugh at yourself, you know, but as far as I know, you've got a large background in your sales world and so on. But I found that in working with people, to to get them to be clients or to be a part of my world, is that if they can laugh with me, or I can laugh with them, or we can get them laughing, there's a high tendency of conversion and them wanting to work with you. There's just something about relationships and be able to laugh with people. I think that draw us closer in a different way, and I agree it's missing. How do we make that happen more often? Tell more jokes or what? Michael Hingson  05:51 Well, one of the things that he suggests, and he's a coach, a business coach, also he he tells people, turn off the TV, unplug your phone, go read a book. And he said, especially, go buy a joke book. Just find some ways to make yourself laugh. And he spends a lot of time talking to people about humor and laughter. And the whole idea is to deal with getting rid of stress, and if you can laugh, you're going to be a whole lot less stressful. Greg Hess  06:23 There's something that you just feel so good after a good laugh, you know, I mean, guy, I feel that way sometimes after a good cry. You know, when I'm I tend to, you know, like Bambi comes on, and I know what happens to that little fawn, or whatever, the mother and I can't, you know, but cry during the credits. What's up with that? Michael Hingson  06:45 Well, and my wife was a teacher. My late wife was a teacher for 10 years, and she read Old Yeller. And eventually it got to the point where she had to have somebody else read the part of the book where, where yeller gets killed. Oh, yeah. Remember that book? Well, I do too. I like it was a great it's a great book and a great movie. Well, you know, talk about humor, and I think it's really important that we laugh at ourselves, too. And you mentioned Westinghouse, I have a Westinghouse story, so I'll tell it. I sold a lot of products to Westinghouse, and one day I was getting ready to travel back there, the first time I went back to meet the folks in Pittsburgh, and I had also received an order, and they said this order has to be here. It's got to get it's urgent, so we did all the right things. And I even went out to the loading dock the day before I left for Westinghouse, because that was the day it was supposed to ship. And I even touched the boxes, and the shipping guy said, these are them. They're labeled. They're ready to go. So I left the next morning, went to Westinghouse, and the following day, I met the people who I had worked with over the years, and I had even told them I saw the I saw the pack, the packages on the dock, and when they didn't come in, and I was on an airplane, so I didn't Know this. They called and they spoke to somebody else at at the company, and they said the boxes aren't here, and they're supposed to be here, and and she's in, the lady said, I'll check on it. And they said, Well, Mike said he saw him on the dock, and she burst out laughing because she knew. And they said, What are you laughing at? And he said, he saw him on the dock. You know, he's blind, don't you? And so when I got there, when I got there, they had and it wasn't fun, but, well, not totally, because what happened was that the President decided to intercept the boxes and send it to somebody else who he thought was more important, more important than Westinghouse. I have a problem with that. But anyway, so they shipped out, and they got there the day I arrived, so they had arrived a day late. Well, that was okay, but of course, they lectured me, you didn't see him on the dock. I said, No, no, no, you don't understand, and this is what you have to think about. Yeah, I didn't tell you I was blind. Why should I the definition of to see in the dictionary is to perceive you don't have to use your eyes to see things. You know, that's the problem with you. Light dependent people. You got to see everything with your eyes. Well, I don't have to, and they were on the dock, and anyway, we had a lot of fun with it, but I have, but you got to have humor, and we've got to not take things so seriously. I agree with what we talked about earlier, with with this other guest. It's it really is important to to not take life so seriously that you can't have some fun. And I agree that. There are serious times, but still, you got to have fun. Greg Hess  10:02 Yeah, no kidding. Well, I've got a short story for you. Maybe it fits in with that. That one of the things I did when I I'll give a little background on this. I, I was a basketball coach and school teacher for 14 years, and had an opportunity to take over an assistant coach job at California Lutheran University. And I was able to choose whatever I wanted to in terms of doing graduate work. And so I said, you know, and I'd always been a bike rider. So I decided to ride my bike from up from Jasper, Alberta, all the way down to 1000 Oaks California on a solo bike ride, which was going to be a big event, but I wanted to think about what I really wanted to do. And, you know, I loved riding, and I thought was a good time to do that tour, so I did it. And so I'm riding down the coast, and once I got into California, there's a bunch of big redwoods there and so on, yeah, and I had, I set up my camp. You know, every night I camped out. I was totally solo. I didn't have any support, and so I put up my tent and everything. And here a guy came in, big, tall guy, a German guy, and he had ski poles sticking out of the back of his backpack, you know, he set up camp, and we're talking that evening. And I had, you know, sitting around the fire. I said, Look, his name was Axel. I said, Hey, Axel, what's up with the ski poles? And he says, Well, I was up in Alaska and, you know, and I was climbing around in glaciers or whatever, and when I started to ride here, they're pretty light. I just take them with me. And I'm thinking, that's crazy. I mean, you're thinking every ounce, every ounce matters when you're riding those long distances. Anyway, the story goes on. Next morning, I get on my bike, and I head down the road, and, you know, I go for a day, I don't see sea axle or anything, but the next morning, I'm can't stop at a place around Modesto California, something, whether a cafe, and I'm sitting in the cafe, and there's, probably, it's a place where a lot of cyclists hang out. So there was, like, 20 or 30 cycles leaning against the building, and I showed up with, you know, kind of a bit of an anomaly. I'd ridden a long time, probably 1500 miles or so at that point in 15 days, and these people were all kind of talking to me and so on. Well, then all sudden, I look up why I'm eating breakfast, and here goes the ski poles down the road. And I went, Oh my gosh, that's got to be him. So I jump up out of my chair, and I run out, and I yell, hey Axel. Hey Axel, loud as I could. And he stops and starts coming back. And then I look back at the cafe, and all these people have their faces up on the windows, kind of looking like, oh, what's going to happen? And they thought that I was saying, mistakenly, Hey, asshole, oh gosh, Michael Hingson  12:46 well, hopefully you straighten that out somehow. Immediately. Greg Hess  12:50 We had a great time and a nice breakfast and moved on. But what an experience. Yeah, sometimes we cross up on our communications. People don't quite get what's going on, they're taking things too seriously, maybe, huh? Michael Hingson  13:03 Oh, yeah, we always, sometimes hear what we want to hear. Well, so what did you get your college degree in? Greg Hess  13:10 Originally? My first Yeah, well, I'd love the question my first degree. I had a bachelor of education for years, but then I went on, and then I had my choice here of graduate work, right? And, you know, I looked at education, I thought, gosh, you know, if I answered committee on every test, I'll probably pass. I said, I need something more than this. So I in the bike ride, what I what I came to a conclusion was that the command line being DOS command line was the way we were computing. Yeah, that time in the 90s, we were moving into something we call graphical user interface, of course, now it's the way we live in so many ways. And I thought, you know, that's the curve. I'm going to chase that. And so I did an MBA in business process re engineering at Cal Lu, and knocked that off in 18 months, where I had a lot of great experiences learning, you know, being an assistant coach, and got to do some of magic Johnson's camps for him while I was there, California. Lutheran University's campus is where the Cowboys used to do their training camp, right? So they had very nice facilities, and so putting on camps like that and stuff were a good thing. And fairly close to the LA scene, of course, 1000 Oaks, right? You know that area? Michael Hingson  14:25 Oh, I do, yeah, I do. I do pretty well, yeah. So, so you, you, you're always involved in doing coaching. That was just one of the things. When you started to get involved in sports, in addition to playing them, you found that coaching was a useful thing for you to do. Absolutely. Greg Hess  14:45 I loved it. I loved the game. I love to see people grow. And yeah, it was just a thrill to be a part of it. I got published a few times, and some of the things that I did within it, but it was mostly. Right, being able to change a community. Let me share this with you. When I went to West Lake Village High School, this was a very, very wealthy area, I had, like Frankie avalon's kid in my class and stuff. And, you know, I'm riding bike every day, so these kids are driving up in Mercedes and BMW parking lot. And as I looked around the school and saw and we build a basketball and I needed to build more pride, I think in the in the community, I felt was important part of me as the head coach, they kind of think that the head coach of their basketball program, I think, is more important than the mayor. I never could figure that one out, but that was where I was Michael Hingson  15:37 spend some time in North Carolina, around Raleigh, Durham, you'll understand, Greg Hess  15:41 yeah, yeah, I get that. So Kentucky, yeah, yeah, yeah, big basketball places, yeah. So what I concluded, and I'd worked before in building, working with Special Olympics, and I thought, You know what we can do with this school, is we can have a special olympics tournament, because I got to know the people in LA County that were running, especially in Ventura County, and we brought them together, and we ran a tournament, and we had a tournament of, I don't know, maybe 24 teams in total. It was a big deal, and it was really great to get the community together, because part of my program was that I kind of expected everybody, you know, pretty strong expectation, so to say, of 20 hours of community service. If you're in our basketball program, you got to have some way, whether it's with your church or whatever, I want to recognize that you're you're out there doing something for the community. And of course, I set this Special Olympics event up so that everybody had the opportunity to do that. And what a change it made on the community. What a change it made on the school. Yeah, it was great for the Special Olympians, and then they had a blast. But it was the kids that now were part of our program, the athletes that had special skills, so to say, in their world, all of a sudden realized that the world was a different place, and it made a big difference in the community. People supported us in a different way. I was just really proud to have that as kind of a feather in my calf for being there and recognizing that and doing it was great. Michael Hingson  17:08 So cool. And now, where are you now? I'm in West Houston. That's right, you're in Houston now. So yeah, Katie, Texas area. Yeah, you've moved around well, so you, you started coaching. And how long did you? Did you do that? Greg Hess  17:30 Well, I coached for 14 years in basketball, right? And then I went into business after I graduated my MBA, and I chased the learning curve. Michael, of that learning curve I talked about a few minutes ago. You know, it was the graphical user interface and the compute and how all that was going to affect us going forward. And I continued to chase that learning curve, and had all kinds of roles and positions in the process, and they paid me a little more money as I went along. It was great. Ended up being the chief advisor for cloud services at Halliburton. Yeah, so I was an upstream guy, if you know that, I mean seismic data, and where we're storing seismic data now, the transition was going, I'm not putting that in the cloud. You kidding me? That proprietary data? Of course, today we know how we exist, but in those days, we had to, you know, build little separate silos to carry the data and deliver it accordingly for the geophysicists and people to make the decision on the drill bit. So we did really well at that in that role. Or I did really well and the team that I had just what did fantastic. You know, I was real proud I just got when I was having my 70th birthday party, I invited one of the individuals on that team, guy named Will Rivera. And will ended up going to Google after he'd worked us in there. I talked him into, or kind of convinced him so to say, or pushed him, however you do that in coaching. Coached him into getting an MBA, and then he's gone on and he tells me, You better be sitting down, coach. When he talked to him a couple days ago, I just got my PhD from George Washington University in AI technology, and I just turned inside out with happiness. It was so thrilling to hear that you know somebody you'd worked with. But while I was at Halliburton, I got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Michael, and so that's what changed me into where I am today, as a transition and transformation. Michael Hingson  19:21 Well, how did that happen? Because I know usually people say pancreatic cancer is pretty undetectable. How did it happen that you were fortunate enough to get it diagnosed? It obviously, what might have been a somewhat early age or early early Greg Hess  19:35 time, kind of a miracle, I guess. You know. I mean, I was traveling to my niece's high school graduation in Helena, Montana. And when we were returning back to Houston, we flew through Denver, and I was suffering from some very serious a fib. Was going up 200 beats a minute, and, you know, down to 100 and it was, it was all. Over the place. And I got the plane. I wasn't feeling well, of course, and they put me on a gurney. And next thing you know, I'm on the way the hospital. And, you know, they were getting ready for an embolotic, nimbalism potential, those type of things. And, and I went to the hospital, they're testing everything out, getting, you know, saying, Well, before we put your put the shock paddles on your on your heart to get back, we better do a CAT scan. And so they CAT scan me, and came back from the CAT scan and said, Well, you know what, there's no blood clot issues, but this mass in your pancreas is a concern. And so that was the discovery of that. And 14 days from that point, I had had surgery. And you know, there was no guarantees even at that point, even though we, you know, we knew we were early that, you know, I had to get things in order. And I was told to put things in order, a little bit going into it. But miracles upon miracles, they got it all. I came away with a drainage situation where they drained my pancreas for almost six months. It was a terrible pancreatic fluids, not good stuff. It really eats up your skin, and it was bad news. But here I am, you know, and when I came away from that, a lot of people thought I was going to die because I heard pancreatic cancer, and I got messages from people that were absolutely powerful in the difference I'd made in their life by being a coach and a mentor and helping them along in their life, and I realized that the big guy upstairs saved me for a reason, and I made my put my stake in the ground, and said, You know what? I'm going to do this the best I can, and that's what I've been doing for the last eight years. Michael Hingson  21:32 So what caused the afib? Greg Hess  21:35 Yeah, not sure. Okay, so when they came, I became the clipboard kid a little bit, you know. Because what the assumption was is that as soon as I came out of surgery, and they took this tumor out of me, because I was in a fib, throughout all of surgery, AFib went away. And they're thinking now, the stress of a tumor could be based on the, you know, it's a stress disease, or so on the a fib, there could be high correlation. And so they started looking into that, and I think they still are. But you know, if you got a fib, maybe we should look for tumors somewhere else is the potential they were thinking. And, yeah, that, Michael Hingson  22:14 but removing the tumor, when you tumor was removed, the AFib went away. Yeah, wow, Greg Hess  22:22 yeah, disappeared. Wow, yeah. Michael Hingson  22:26 I had someone who came on the podcast some time ago, and he had a an interesting story. He was at a bar one night. Everything was fine, and suddenly he had this incredible pain down in his his testicles. Actually went to the hospital to discover that he had very serious prostate cancer, and had no clue that that was even in the system until the pain and and so. But even so, they got it early enough that, or was in such a place where they got it and he's fine. Greg Hess  23:07 Wow, whoa. Well, stuff they do with medicine these days, the heart and everything else. I mean, it's just fantastic. I I recently got a new hip put in, and it's been like a new lease on life for me. Michael, I am, I'm golfing like I did 10 years ago, and I'm, you know, able to ride my bike and not limp around, you know, and with just pain every time I stepped and it's just so fantastic. I'm so grateful for that technology and what they can do with that. Michael Hingson  23:36 Well, I went through heart valve replacement earlier this year, and I had had a physical 20 years ago or or more, and they, they said, as part of it, we did an EKG or an echo cardiogram. And he said, You got a slightly leaky heart valve. It may never amount to anything, but it might well. It finally did, apparently. And so we went in and they, they orthoscopically went in and they replaced the valve. So it was really cool. It took an hour, and we were all done, no open heart surgery or anything, which was great. And, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I feel a whole lot better Greg Hess  24:13 that you do does a lot. Yeah, it's fantastic. Well, making that commitment to coaching was a big deal for me, but, you know, it, it's brought me more joy and happiness. And, you know, I just, I'll share with you in terms of the why situation for me. When I came away from that, I started thinking about, why am I, kind of, you know, a lot of what's behind what you're what you're doing, and what brings you joy? And I went back to when I was eight years old. I remember dribbling the ball down the basketball court, making a fake, threw a pass over to one of my buddies. They scored the layup, and we won the game. That moment, at that time, passing and being a part of sharing with someone else, and growing as a group, and kind of feeling a joy, is what I continued to probably for. To all my life. You know, you think about success, and it's how much money you make and how much this and whatever else we were in certain points of our life. I look back on all this and go, you know, when I had real happiness, and what mattered to me is when I was bringing joy to others by giving assist in whatever. And so I'm at home now, and it's a shame I didn't understand that at 60 until I was 62 years old, but I'm very focused, and I know that's what brings me joy, so that's what I like to do, and that's what I do. Michael Hingson  25:30 I know for me, I have the honor and the joy of being a speaker and traveling to so many places and speaking and so on. And one of the things that I tell people, and I'm sure they don't believe it until they experience it for themselves, is this isn't about me. I'm not in it for me. I am in it to help you to do what I can to make your event better. When I travel somewhere to speak, I'm a guest, and my job is to make your life as easy as possible and not complicated. And I'm I know that there are a lot of people who don't necessarily buy that, until it actually happens. And I go there and and it all goes very successfully, but people, you know today, were so cynical about so many things, it's just hard to convince people. Greg Hess  26:18 Yeah, yeah. Well, I know you're speaking over 100 times a year these days. I think that's that's a lot of work, a lot of getting around Michael Hingson  26:27 it's fun to speak, so I enjoy it. Well, how did you get involved in doing things like managing the Magic Johnson camps? Greg Hess  26:37 Well, because I was doing my MBA and I was part of the basketball program at Cal Lu, you know, working under Mike Dunlap. It just he needed a little bit of organization on how to do the business management side of it. And I got involved with that. I had a lunch with magic, and then it was, well, gee, why don't you help us coordinate all our camps or all our station work? And so I was fortunate enough to be able to do that for him. I'll just share a couple things from that that I remember really well. One of the things that magic just kind of, I don't know, patted me on the back, like I'm a superstar in a way. And you remember that from a guy like magic, I put everybody's name on the side of their shoe when they register. Have 100 kids in the camp, but everybody's name is on the right side of their shoe. And magic saw that, and he realized being a leader, that he is, that he could use his name and working, you know, their name by looking there, how powerful that was for him to be more connected in which he wants to be. That's the kind of guy he was. So that was one thing, just the idea of name. Now, obviously, as a teacher, I've always kind of done the name thing, and I know that's important, but, you know, I second thing that's really cool with the magic camp is that the idea of camaraderie and kind of tradition and bringing things together every morning we'd be sitting in the gym, magic could do a little story, you know, kind of tell everybody something that would inspire him, you know, from his past and so on. But each group had their own sound off. Michael, so if he pointed at your group, it would be like, or whatever it was. Each group had a different type of sound, and every once in a while we'd use it and point it kind of be a motivator. And I never really put two and two together until the last day of the camp on Friday. Magic says, When I point to your group, make your sound. And so he starts pointing to all the different groups. And it turns out to be Michigan State Spartans fight song to the tee. Figured that out. It was just fantastic. It gives me chills just telling you about it now, remembering how powerful was when everybody kind of came together. Now, you being a speaker, I'm sure you felt those things when you bring everybody together, and it all hits hard, but that was, that was one I remember. Michael Hingson  28:50 Well, wow, that's pretty funny, cute, yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, he has always been a leader, and it's very clear that he was, and I remember the days it was Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird. Greg Hess  29:10 Yeah, yeah. Well, when he came to LA you know, they had Kareem and Byron Scott, a whole bunch of senior players, and he came in as a 19 year old rookie, and by the end of that year, he was leading that team. Yeah, he was the guy driving the ship all the time, and he loved to give those assists. He was a great guy for that. Michael Hingson  29:30 And that's really the issue, is that as a as a real leader, it wasn't all about him at all. It was about how he could enhance the team. And I've always felt that way. And I you know, when I hire people, I always told them, I figure you convince me that you can do the job that I hired you to do. I'm not going to be your boss and boss you around. What I want to do is to work with you and figure out how the talents that I have can complement the talents that you have so that we can. Enhance and make you more successful than you otherwise would be. Some people got it, and unfortunately, all too many people didn't, and they ended up not being nearly as successful. But the people who got it and who I had the joy to work with and really enhance what they did, and obviously they helped me as well, but we they were more successful, and that was what was really important. Greg Hess  30:24 Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that. It's not about controlling, about growing. I mean, people grow, grow, grow, and, you know, helping them certainly. There's a reason. There's no I in team, right? And we've heard that in many times before. It's all about the group, group, pulling together. And what a lot of fun to have working in all throughout my life, in pulling teams together and seeing that happen. You know, one plus one equals three. I guess we call it synergy, that type of thinking, Michael Hingson  30:56 Yeah, well, you've faced a lot of adversity. Is, is the pancreatic cancer, maybe the answer to this, but what? What's a situation where you've really faced a lot of adversity and how it changed your life? You know you had to overcome major adversity, and you know what you learned from it? Greg Hess  31:16 Sure, I think being 100% honest and transparent. I'd say I went through a divorce in my life, and I think that was the most difficult thing I've gone through, you know, times where I'm talking to myself and being crazy and thinking stupid things and whatever. And I think the adversity that you learn and the resilience that you learn as you go, hey, I can move forward. I can go forward. And when you you see the light on the other side, and you start to create what's what's new and different for you, and be able to kind of leave the pain, but keep the happiness that connects from behind and go forward. I think that was a big part of that. But having resilience and transforming from whatever the event might be, obviously, pancreatic cancer, I talked about a transformation there. Anytime we kind of change things that I think the unstoppable mindset is really, you know what's within this program is about understanding that opportunities come from challenges. When we've got problems, we can turn them into opportunities. And so the adversity and the resilience that I think I'd like to try to learn and build and be a part of and helping people is taking what you see as a problem and changing your mindset into making it an opportunity. Michael Hingson  32:40 Yeah, yeah. Well, you've obviously had things that guided you. You had a good sense of vision and so on. And I talked a lot about, don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. But how's a good sense of vision guided you when necessarily the path wasn't totally obvious to you, have you had situations like that? Absolutely. Greg Hess  33:03 And I think the whole whole I write about it in my book in peak experiences, about having vision in terms of your future self, your future, think where you're going, visualize how that's going to happen. Certainly, as a basketball player, I would play the whole game before the game ever happened by visualizing it and getting it in my mind as to how it was going to happen. I do that with golf today. I'll look at every hole and I'll visualize what that vision is that I want to have in terms of getting it done. Now, when I have a vision where things kind of don't match up and I have to change that on the fly. Well, that's okay, you know that that's just part of life. And I think having resilience, because things don't always go your way, that's for sure. But the mindset you have around what happens when they don't go your way, you know, is big. My as a coach, as a business coach today, every one of my clients write a three, three month or 90 day plan every quarter that gets down to what their personal goal is, their must have goal. And then another kind of which is all about getting vision in place to start putting in actual tactical strategies to make all of that happen for the 90 day period. And that's a big part, I think, of kind of establishing the vision in you got to look in front of us what's going to happen, and we can control it if we have a good feel of it, you know, for ourselves, and get the lives and fulfillment we want out of life. I think, yeah, Michael Hingson  34:39 you've clearly been pretty resilient in a lot of ways, and you continue to exhibit it. What kinds of practices and processes have you developed that help you keep resilience personally and professionally? Greg Hess  34:54 I think one of them for sure is that I've I've lived a life where I've spent you. I'm going to say five out of seven days where I will do a serious type of workout. And right now bike riding. I'll ride several days a week, and, you know, get in 10 to 15 miles, not a lot, but, I mean, I've done but keeping the physical, physical being in the time, just to come down the time to think about what you're doing, and at the same time, for me, it's having a physical activity while I'm doing that, but it's a wind down time. I also do meditation. Every morning. I spend 15 minutes more or less doing affirmations associated to meditation, and that's really helped me get focused in my day. Basically, I look at my calendar and I have a little talk with every one of the things that are on my calendar about how I'm setting my day, you know? And that's my affirmation time. But yeah, those time things, I think report having habits that keep you resilient, and I think physical health has been important for me, and it's really helped me in a lot of ways at the same time, bringing my mind to, I think, accepting, in a transition of learning a little bit accepting the platinum rule, rather than the golden rule, I got to do unto others as they'd like to be treated by me. I don't need to treat people like they'd like to like I'd like to be treated. I need to treat them how they'd like to be treated by me, because they're not me, and I've had to learn that over time, better and better as I've got older. And how important that is? Michael Hingson  36:33 Well, yeah, undoubtedly, undoubtedly so. And I think that we, we don't put enough effort into thinking about, how does the other person really want to be treated? We again, it gets back, maybe in to a degree, in to our discussion about humor earlier we are we're so much into what is it all about for me, and we don't look at the other person, and the excuse is, well, they're not looking out for me. Why should I look out for them? Greg Hess  37:07 You know, one of the biggest breakthroughs I've had is working with a couple that own a business and Insurance Agency, and the they were doing okay when I started, when they've done much better. And you know, it's besides the story. The big part of the story is how they adjusted and adapted, and that she I think you're probably familiar with disc and I think most people that will be listening on the podcast are but D is a high D, dominant kind of person that likes to win and probably doesn't have a lot of time for the other people's feelings. Let's just put it that way to somebody that's a very high seed is very interested in the technology and everything else. And the two of them were having some challenges, you know, and and once we got the understanding of each other through looking at their disc profiles, all of a sudden things cleared up, a whole, whole bunch. And since then, they've just been a pinnacle of growth between the two of them. And it was just as simple as getting an understanding of going, you know, I got to look at it through your eyes, rather than my eyes. When it comes to being a leader in this company and how sure I'm still going to be demanding, still I'm going to be the I'm not going to apologize about it, but what I got him to do is carry a Q tip in his pocket, and so every time she got on him, kind of in the Bossy way. He just took out, pulled out the Q tip, and I said, that stands for quit taking it personal. Don't you love it? Michael Hingson  38:29 Yeah, well, and it's so important that we learn to communicate better. And I'm sure that had a lot to do with what happened with them. They started communicating better, yeah, yeah. Do you ever watch Do you ever watch a TV show on the Food Network channel? I haven't watched it for a while. Restaurant impossible. Greg Hess  38:51 Oh, restaurant impossible. Yeah, I think is that guy? Michael Hingson  38:55 No, that's not guy. It's my Michael. I'm blanking out Greg Hess  39:00 whatever. He goes in and fixes up a restaurant. Michael Hingson  39:03 He fixes up restaurants, yeah, and there was one show where that exact sort of thing was going on that people were not communicating, and some of the people relatives were about to leave, and so on. And he got them to really talk and be honest with each other, and it just cleared the whole thing up. Greg Hess  39:25 Yeah, yeah. It's amazing how that works. Michael Hingson  39:28 He's He's just so good at at analyzing situations like that. And I think that's one of the things that mostly we don't learn to do individually, much less collectively, is we don't work at being very introspective. So we don't analyze what we do and why what we do works or doesn't work, or how we could improve it. We don't take the time every day to do that, which is so unfortunate. Greg Hess  39:54 Oh boy, yeah, that continuous improvement Kaizen, all of that type of world. Critical to getting better, you know. And again, that comes back, I think, a little bit to mindset and saying, Hey, I'm gonna but also systems. I mean, I've always got systems in place that go, let's go back and look at that, and how, what can we do better? And if you keep doing it every time, you know, in a certain period, things get a lot better, and you have very fine tuning, and that's how you get distinguished businesses. I think, yeah, Michael Hingson  40:27 yeah, it's all about it's all about working together. So go ahead, I Greg Hess  40:31 was working with a guy at Disney, or guy had been at Disney, and he was talking about how they do touch point analysis for every every place that a customer could possibly touch anything in whatever happens in their environment, and how they analyze that on a, I think it was a monthly, or even at least a quarterly basis, where they go through the whole park and do an analysis on that. How can we make it better? Michael Hingson  40:55 Yeah, and I'm sure a lot of that goes back to Walt having a great influence. I wonder if they're doing as much of that as they used to. Greg Hess  41:04 Yeah, I don't know. I don't know, yeah, because it's getting pretty big and times change. Hopefully, culture Go ahead. I was gonna say a cultural perspective. I just thought of something I'd share with you that when I went into West Lake Village High School as a basketball coach, I walked into the gym and there was a lot of very tall I mean, it's a very competitive team and a competitive school, 611, six, nine kids, you know, that are only 16 years old. And I looked around and I realized that I'm kid from Canada here, you know, I gotta figure out how to make this all work in a quick, fast, in a hurry way. And I thought these kids were a little more interested in looking good than rather being good. And I think I'd been around enough basketball to see that and know that. And so I just developed a whole philosophy called psycho D right on the spot almost, which meant that we were going to build a culture around trying to hold teams under a common goal of 50 points, common goal, goal for successful teams. And so we had this. I started to lay that out as this is the way this program is going to work, guys and son of a gun, if we didn't send five of those guys onto division one full rides. And I don't think they would have got that if they you know, every college coach loves a kid who can play defense. Yeah, that's what we prided ourselves in. And, of course, the band got into it, the cheerleaders got into it, the whole thing. Of course, they bring in that special olympics thing, and that's part of that whole culture. Guess what? I mean, we exploded for the really powerful culture of of a good thing going on. I think you got to find that rallying point for all companies and groups that you work with. Don't you to kind of have that strong culture? Obviously, you have a very huge culture around your your world. Michael Hingson  42:54 Well, try and it's all about again, enhancing other people, and I want to do what I can do, but it's all about enhancing and helping others as well. Yeah. How about trust? I mean, that's very important in leadership. I'm sure you would, you would agree with that, whereas trust been a major part of things that you do, and what's an example of a place where trust really made all the difference in leadership and in endeavor that you were involved with? Greg Hess  43:29 Yeah, so often, clients that I've had probably don't have the they don't have the same knowledge and background in certain areas of you know, we all have to help each other and growing and having them to trust in terms of knowing their numbers and sharing with me what their previous six month P and L, or year to date, P and L, that kind of thing, so that I can take that profit and loss and build out a pro forma and build where we're going with the business. There's an element of trust that you have to have to give somebody all your numbers like that, and I'm asking for it on my first coaching session. And so how do I get that trust that quickly? I'm not sure exactly. It seems to work well for me. One of the things that I focus on in understanding people when I first meet and start to work with them is that by asking a simple question, I'll ask them something like, how was your weekend? And by their response, I can get a good bit of an idea whether I need to get to get them to trust me before they like me, or whether they get to get them to like me before they trust me. And if the response is, had a great weekend without any social response at all connected to it, then I know that I've got to get those people to trust me, and so I've got to present myself in a way that's very much under trust, where another the response might be. Had a great weekend, went out golfing with my buddies. Soon as I hear with the now I know I need to get that person to like. Me before they trust me. And so that's a skill set that I've developed, I think, and just recognizing who I'm trying and building trust. But it's critical. And once, once you trust somebody, and you'd show and they, you don't give them reason to not trust you, you know, you show up on time, you do all the right things. It gets pretty strong. Yeah, it doesn't take but, you know, five or six positive, that's what the guy said he's going to do. He's done it, and he's on top of it to start trusting people. I think, Well, Michael Hingson  45:31 I think that that trust is all around us. And, you know, we we keep hearing about people don't trust each other, and there's no trust anymore in the world. I think there's a lot of trust in the world. The issue isn't really a lack of trust totally. It's more we're not open to trust because we think everyone is out to get us. And unfortunately, there are all too many ways and times that that's been proven that people haven't earned our trust, and maybe we trusted someone, and we got burned for it, and so we we shut down, which we shouldn't do, but, but the reality is that trust is all around us. I mean, we trust that the internet is going to keep this conversation going for a while. I shouldn't say that, because now we're going to disappear, right? But, but, trust is really all around us, and one of the things that I tell people regularly is, look, I want to trust and I want people to trust me. If I find that I am giving my trust to someone and they don't reciprocate or they take advantage of it. That tells me something, and I won't deal with that person anymore, but I'm not going to give up on the idea of trust, because trust is so important, and I think most people really want to trust and I think that they do want to have trusting relationships. Greg Hess  47:02 Yeah, totally agree with you on that, you know. And when it's one of those things, when you know you have it, you don't have to talk about it, you just have it, you know, it's there, right? Michael Hingson  47:16 Yeah, and then, well, it's, it's like, I talk about, well, in the book that I wrote last year, live, it was published last year, live like a guide dog. Guide Dogs do love unconditionally, I'm absolutely certain about that, but they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between them and us, unless there's something that is just completely traumatized them, which isn't usually the case, they're open to trust, and they want to trust and they want to develop trusting relationships. They want us to be the pack leaders. They know we're supposed to be able to do that. They want to know what we expect of them. But they're open to trust, and even so, when I'm working with like a new guide dog. I think it takes close to a year to really develop a full, complete, two way trusting relationship, so that we really essentially know what each other's thinking. But when you get that relationship, it's second to none. Greg Hess  48:15 Yeah, isn't that interesting? How long were you with Rosella? Before the event, Michael Hingson  48:21 Rosella and I were together. Let's see we Oh, what was it? It was February or May. No, it was the November of 1999 so it was good two year. Good two years. Yeah, wow, yeah. So, you know, we we knew each other. And you know, even so, I know that in that in any kind of a stressful situation, and even not in a stressful situation, my job is to make sure that I'm transmitting competence and trust to Roselle, or now to Alamo. And the idea is that on September 11, I all the way down the stairs just continue to praise her, what a good job. You're doing a great job. And it was important, because I needed her to know first of all that I was okay, because she had to sense all of the concern that people had. None of us knew what was going on on the stairwell, but we knew that something was going on, and we figured out an airplane hit the building because we smelled jet fuel, but we didn't know the details, but clearly something was going on, so I needed to send her the message, I'm okay, and I'm with you and trust you and all that. And the result of that was that she continued to be okay, and if suddenly she were to suddenly behave in a manner that I didn't expect, then that would tell me that there's something different and something unusual that's going on that I have to look for. But we didn't have to have that, fortunately, which was great. It's. About trust, and it's all about developing a two way trust, yeah, Greg Hess  50:05 yeah, amazing. Well, and it's funny how, when you say trust, when in a situation where trust is lost, it's not so easily repaired, no, Michael Hingson  50:16 you know, yeah. And if it's really lost, it's because somebody's done something to betray the trust, unless somebody misinterprets, in which case you've got to communicate and get that, that that confidence level back, which can be done too. Greg Hess  50:33 Yeah, yeah. Important to be tuned and tuned into that, Michael Hingson  50:40 but it is important to really work to develop trust. And as I said, I think most people want to, but they're more often than not, they're just gun shy, so you have to really work at developing the trust. But if you can do it, what a relationship you get with people. Greg Hess  50:57 Circumstances, you know, and situational analysis change the level of trust, of course, in so many ways. And some people are trusting people where they shouldn't, you know, and in the right in the wrong environment. Sometimes you know, you have to be aware. I think people are fearful of that. I mean, just even in our electronic world, the scammers and those people you gotta, we get, we get one or two of those, you know, messages every day, probably people trying to get you to open a bank account or something on them. Better be aware. Don't want to be losing all your money. Yeah, but it's not to have trust, right? Michael Hingson  51:41 Yeah, it's one we got to work on well, so you you support the whole concept of diversity, and how has embracing diversity of people, perspectives or ideas unlocked new opportunities for you and the people you work with. Greg Hess  52:00 I got a great story for you on that. Michael A when I got into this coaching business, one of the one of the clients I was lucky enough to secure was a group called shredding on the go. And so the mother was kind of running the show, but her son was the president, and kind of the one that was in charge of the company. Now he's wheelchair, 100% wheelchair bound, nonverbal, very, very, I don't remember the exact name, but I mean very, very restrictive. And so what she figured out in time was his young is that he could actually take paper and like putting paper into a shredder. So she grew the idea of saying, Gosh, something James can do, we can build a business. This, this kid's, you know, gonna, I'm gonna get behind this and start to develop it. And so she did, and we created, she had created a company. She only had two employees when she hired me, but we went out and recruited and ended up growing it up to about 20 employees, and we had all the shredders set up so that the paper and all of our delivery and so on. And we promoted that company and supporting these people and making real money for real jobs that you know they were doing. So it was all, you know, basically all disabled autism to, you name it. And it was just a great experience. And so we took that show to the road. And so when we had Earth Day, I'd go out and we'd have a big event, and then everybody would come in and contribute to that and be a part of growing that company. Eventually, we got to the company to the point where the mother was worried about the the owner, the son's health was getting, you know, his life expectancy is beyond it, and she didn't want to have this company and still be running and when he wasn't there. And so we worked out a way to sell the company to a shredding company, of course, and they loved the the client. We had over 50 clients going, and they ended up making quite a bit of money that they put back into helping people with disabilities. So it was just a great cycle and a great opportunity to do that and give people an opportunity. I got to be their business coach, and what a lot of fun I included myself in the shredding I was involved with all parts of the company, and at one point, what a lot of fun I had with everybody. Michael Hingson  54:22 Yeah, yeah. There's something to be said for really learning what other people do in a company and learning the jobs. I think that's important. It's not that you're going to do it every day, but you need to develop that level of understanding. Greg Hess  54:37 Michael, you'll love this. Our best Shredder was blind. She did more than anybody, and she was blind. People go, you can't be doing that when you're What do you mean? She had it figured out. Yeah. Michael Hingson  54:48 What's the deal? Yeah, no, Shredder doesn't overheat, you know? But that's another step, yeah. So what's an example you've worked with a lot of teams. And so on. What's an example where a collaborative effort really created something and caused something to be able to be done that otherwise wouldn't have happened? Right? Greg Hess  55:10 Well, I referred back real quickly to the psycho D thing, where he had a common goal, common pride in taking it, and we just were on it. And I think that was a really, really transformational kind of thing to make everybody better as one whole area in a team. Now that's probably the first thing that comes to mind. I think the the idea of bringing the team together, you know, and really getting them to all work as one is that everybody has to understand everybody else's action plan. What's their plan? What is their vision? Where are they going in terms of, you know, playing basketball, to whether you're on the sales team, whether you're on the marketing team, or whatever part of the business you're in, do you have an action plan? And you can openly show that, and you feel like you're 100% participating in the group's common goal. I can't over emphasize an element of a common goal. I think, in team building, whatever that may be, you know, typically, the companies I'm working with now, we try to change it up every quarter, and we shoot quarter by quarter to a common goal that we all and then we build our plans to reach and achieve that for each individual within a company. And it works really well in building teams. And it's a lot of fun when everything comes together. You know, example of how a team, once you built that, and the team's there, and then you run into adversity, we have a team of five people that are selling insurance, basically, and one of them lost her father unexpectedly and very hard, Hispanic, Hispanic background, and just devastating to her and to her mother and everything. Well, we've got a machine going in terms of work. And so what happened is everybody else picked up her piece, and all did the parts and got behind her and supported her. And it took her about five months to go through her morning phase, and she's come back, and now she's going to be our top employee. Now going forward, it's just amazing how everybody rallied around her. We were worried about her. She comes back, and she's stronger than ever, and she'd had her time, and it was just nice to see the team of a group of company kind of treat somebody like family. That's a good thing. Michael Hingson  57:30 That's cool. What a great story. What mindset shift Do you think entrepreneurs and leaders really need to undergo in order to be successful. Greg Hess  57:45 Boy, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about the idea of looking through it, through other people's eyes, right? And then as a leader, you know, the same thing you were mentioning earlier, Michael, was that you draw the strength out of the people, rather than demand kind of what you want them to do in order to get things done, it's build them up as people. And I think that that's a critical piece in in growing people and getting that whole element of leadership in place. Yeah, what was the other part of that question? Again, let me give you another piece of that, because I think of some Go ahead. Yeah. I was just remember, what did you ask me again, I want to make sure I'm right Michael Hingson  58:28 from your books and coaching work. The question was, what kind of mindset shift Do you think that entrepreneurs and leaders have to adopt? Greg Hess  58:39 Yeah, yeah. So that's one part of the mindset, but the big one is recognizing that it's a growth world that we need to look at how we can grow our company, how we can grow individuals, how we can all get better and continuous improvement. And I think that is an example of taking a problem and recognizing as an opportunity. And that's part of the mindset right there that you got to have. I got a big problem here. How are we going to make that so that we're we're way better from that problem each time it happens and keep improving? Michael Hingson  59:10 Yeah, that makes sense. Well, if you could leave everyone who's listening and watching this today with one key principle that would help them live and lead with an unstoppable mindset. What would that be? What, what? What advice do you have? Greg Hess  59:30 Yeah, my advice is make sure you understand your passion and what, what your purpose is, and have a strong, strong desire to make that happen. Otherwise, it's not really a purpose, is it? And then be true to yourself. Be true to yourself in terms of what you spend your time on, what you do, in terms of reaching that purpose. It's to be the best grandparent there you can be in the world. Go get it done, but make sure you're spending time to grandkids. Don't just talk it so talks cheap and action matters. You know, and I think, figure out where you're spending your time and make sure that fits in with what you really want to gather happen in your life and fulfilling it. Michael Hingson  1:00:09 Well, I like that talks cheap and action matters. That's it. Yeah, I tell that. I tell that to my cat all the time when she doesn't care. But cats are like that? Well, we all know that dogs have Masters, but cats have staff, so she's a great kitty. That's good. It's a wonderful kitty. And I'm glad that she's in my life, and we get to visit with her every day too. So it works out well, and she and the Dog get along. So, you know, you can't do better than that. That's a good thing. Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely super. I we've I think we've talked a lot, and I've learned a lot, and I hope other people have too, and I think you've had a lot of good insights. If people would like to reach out to you and maybe use your services as a coach or whatever, how do they do that? Greg Hess  1:01:00 Well, my website is coach, hess.com Michael Hingson  1:01:06 H, E, S, S, Greg Hess  1:01:07 yeah, C, O, A, C, H, H, E, S, s.com, that's my website. You can get a hold of me at coach. At coach, hess.com that's my email. Love to hear from you, and certainly I'm all over LinkedIn. My YouTube channel is desk of coach s. Got a bunch of YouTubes up there and on and on. You know, all through the social media, you can look me up and find me under Coach. Coach S, is my brand Cool? Michael Hingson  1:01:38 Well, that it's a well worth it brand for people to go interact with, and I hope people will so Oh, I appreciate that. Well, I want to thank you all for listening and watching us today. Reach out to coach Hess, I'd love to hear from you. Love to hear what you think of today's episode. So please give us an email at Michael H i, at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, wherever you're monitoring our podcast, please give us a five star rating. We value it. And if you know anyone who might be a good guest to come on and tell their story, please introduce us. We're always looking for more people to come on and and chat with us. Coach you as well. If you know anyone, I'm sure you must love to to get more people. Now, if you could get Magic Johnson, that'd be super but that's probably a little tougher, but it'd be, it'd be fun. Any, anyone t

This episode of Little Teeth, BIG Smiles explores how co-locating pediatric dentistry and orthodontics under one roof advances dentistry's version of the Triple Aim: improving patient experience, enhancing population oral health, and reducing per-capita costs. Dr. Christina Carter joins our host Dr. Joel Berg for a discussion that reframes co-location not as a convenience model, but as a value-based, prevention-oriented system of care that is particularly impactful for children, families, and underserved communities. Guest Bio: Dr. Christina R. Carter is a graduate of Haverford College in Haverford, Penn. She earned her dental degree at UMDNJ-NJDS, now Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. She earned her Certificate in both Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at New York University College of Dentistry. She completed a fellowship in Cleft, Craniofacial and Surgical Orthodontics at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery- New York University Langone Medical Center. She earned her Certificate as a Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Carter is in private practice in Madison, NJ. She has been named multiple times as a “Top Doctor” by New Jersey Magazine and “Favorite Kid's Doc” by New Jersey Family Magazine. She has served on the AAO Council of Orthodontic Health Care and multiple AAO committees and is a past president of the Northeastern Society of Orthodontists (NESO) and served as their Delegate Chair to the ADA House of Delegates. She often appears on Sirius Radio “Doctor Radio”, AAPD Podcasts, and has been published in Scholastic and Kiwimagazines. In addition, she has appeared on “Inside Edition”, WPIX NYC News, and Today.com. She lectures nationally and internationally on pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and treating patients with special needs. She is an Assistant Professor at New York University College of Dentistry in the Departments of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Dr. Carter enjoys volunteering with Special Olympics and alongside her certified therapy dog, Callie, through Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in New Jersey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Joe talks with Christian LeFer, the Founder and CEO of Instant Nonprofit. Christian's journey began as the son of a Navy veteran and through early involvement with the Special Olympics, giving him a front-row seat to the power of service. After experiencing the frustrations of the nonprofit application process firsthand, he dedicated his career to removing the 'red tape' for other changemakers. Christian breaks down the 'whole life cycle' of a nonprofit and the importance of long-term fundraising and operations. We also explore the innovative world of 'hybrid' models, where for-profit businesses and nonprofit foundations work side-by-side to create sustainable impact Episode Resources: The Nonprofit Startup Kit     About Our Guest Christian LeFer is the Founder and CEO of Instant Nonprofit, a company that makes it fast, easy, and affordable to start and grow a 501(c)(3) organization. With decades of experience in nonprofit strategy, entrepreneurship, and systems design, Christian has helped thousands of founders turn their missions into tax-exempt organizations that create real impact. He's passionate about removing red tape so changemakers can focus on what truly matters, making the world a better place.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

Sherriff Karl Leonard joins Jeff to talk about Special Olympics fundraising.

In the 3rd hour Jeff listens to Rubio crush the media and then chats with Sherriff Karl Leonard about Special Olympic fundraising.

The World's Largest Athlete and former WWE/WCW/ECW World Champion, The Big Show, joins Steve on the podcast today and it is indeed, a big show! Show and Steve talk birds, boats, travel, working with the Special Olympics and Big Show's recent hip surgery.Part Two featuring YOUR questions for The Big Show is coming at you next Tuesday!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Josh Melching returned home from war, the battle didn't end.The symptoms of PTSD slowly began to surface. In a very short amount of time, Josh lost some of the closest people in the world to him. Trying to numb the pain, he turned to alcohol, a path that eventually led to serious trouble with the law.Rock bottom came fast.What changed everything wasn't a shortcut or an escape. It was working with his hands. Josh found an outlet in woodworking. What began as a way to quiet his mind became his purpose. Piece by piece, he started creating handcrafted American flags — each one built with intention, discipline, and meaning.Today, Josh is the owner of Wars End (@wars__end), a veteran-owned brand whose flags are in high demand, helping people commemorate memories, milestones, service, and sacrifice through powerful American craftsmanship.Josh's heart for giving back is just as strong as his work. He donated a custom flag to I Am Redemption to commemorate our 100th episode, and even more meaningfully, created and donated a flag for our good friend Kayleigh Williamson to honor her invitation to the Special Olympics.This episode is about war, loss, accountability, addiction, healing, and what happens when you decide to turn pain into purpose. This is Josh Melching's redemption.Welcome to I Am Redemption, hosted by Shawn Livingston.I Am Redemption is a community-driven platform focused on recovery, fitness, mental resilience, and real stories of transformation. We sit down with people who have lived through adversity and chose to build something meaningful with it. Built Different by Pain. Powered Different by Purpose. We Are What Comes After.

A.J. Manning and Terri Manning talk about A.J. preparing for the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games.

Michael Chad Hoeppner is the Founder and CEO of GK Training, a firm dedicated to giving individuals, companies, and organizations the communication skills to reach their highest goals in work and life.Michael has worked with some of the world's most influential companies and leaders, across a wide range of industries, universities, and professional sectors. His corporate clients include: three of the top eight financial firms in the world, 45 of the AmLaw 100, and multinational tech, pharma, and food and beverage companies. He teaches his unique approach to communication at Columbia Business School, in both the MBA and PhD programs.Michael assists clients in every aspect of their communication: public speaking, business development, executive presence, interpersonal agility, Q&A, speech writing, email skills, and more. His individual coaching clients include varied professionals at the peak of their industries: US Presidential candidates, deans of Ivy League business schools, three of the managing partners of the 25 largest global law firms, founders of asset management firms with $100B+ under management, field officers of international peace keeping organizations, and visionaries in various fields, including the innovator who coined the term cloud computing, the most successful venture capitalist in the US for a consecutive 5-year period, and senior board members of the Special Olympics. Michael advised US democratic presidential candidates in the 2016 and 2020 races, including his role as senior communications strategist and debate coach for the Andrew Yang 2020 Presidential campaign. He also works with political aspirants at the beginning of their careers, including pro bono work for Vote Mama, an org that supports mothers with young children seeking first-time public office.His background in communication, training, and teaching is diverse and rich, having studied linguistics, theatre, speech, rhetoric, philosophy, and communications at the graduate and undergraduate level. His work in professional communications started two decades ago with achieving his Master of Fine Arts degree from NYU's graduate acting program, studying with many of the preeminent vocal and performance teachers in the country. After NYU, Michael enjoyed a prolific first career as a professional actor: playing on Broadway twice, including working with stage legends like Nathan Lane; touring to 30+ US states; performing internationally, including at the 2009 European Capital of Culture; guest starring in prime-time network television; and originating roles in independent film.His passion then evolved, shifting to launching his first and still primary entrepreneurial venture, GK Training. As head of GK, Michael developed his unique, proprietary approach to communications training over a decade plus, an approach that utilizes kinesthetic learning to unlock rapid and lasting behavioral change. In that work he has created a suite of over 40 proprietary kinesthetic drills to address stubborn communication challenges like excessive filler language, lack of eye contact, slouching, talking too fast, and more with innovative tools that activate embodied cognition and circumvent thought suppression. Now entering its second decade, GK Training has clients in 43 industries across five continents.Michael's work in academia at Columbia University spans disciplines. In addition to teaching in the MBA and PhD programs at the Business school, he designed the curriculum for the PhD program's capstone communication course focused on entering the job market, as well as Executive Presence programs for the Law school. One of the GK online courses he designed is integrated into the Advanced Management Program summer curricula. His proprietary kinesthetic learning drills are featured in the curriculum of communication courses in the Management Division. He has coached over 15 members of the business

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast, host Daniel Smrokowski sits down with David Evangelista, the incoming CEO of Special Olympics International. From volunteering at the 1995 World Games to leading programs across 58 countries, David shares his lifelong journey within the Special Olympics movement, his global vision, and what inclusion truly means. In this episode, we discuss: David's lifelong dedication to Special Olympics His global leadership experience and advocacy work Continuing the legacy of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Mary Davis, and Tim Shriver His vision for inclusion, Unified Sports, and opportunities worldwide

Shawn Holten was selected as Beck's Player with Heart because of his involvement and dedication to his school, sports, and community. Shawn is involved in basketball, football, track, the National Honor Society, and 4-H. Shawn is a leader on and off the field. Between being a captain for his basketball and track teams and having served as president and vice president of 4-H, there is no doubt that his peers see him as someone to look up to. He loves being able to help his teammates improve athletically and as people. He believes that the competition and the drive to improve have shaped him into a better person. Shawn is very active in his community too, volunteering his time with community-wide cleanups, at nursing homes, blood drives, and with the Special Olympics. To Shawn, agriculture is what drives his community. Through 4-H, he teaches people about his swine project and the importance of agriculture during the county fair. Shawn also has a lot of great memories growing up on a small farm. Working with animals, helping his grandpa restore tractors, and driving in the fields have helped Shawn grow an appreciation for the craft. His goal is to go to college for business management and later sell insurance. He also wishes to later return to take over his family's farm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Special Olympics is working to close major gaps in healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A new global report reveals widespread problems – from poor provider training to communication barriers – that prevent individuals with IDD from receiving informed, respectful, and effective care. The organization hopes to create a more inclusive system by improving physician training and empowering people with IDD to participate in their own health decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Special Olympics National Summer Games have been in full swing this week in Christchurch. Over 1200 athletes, 500 coaches, and 800 volunteers have descended on the city in one of the biggest sporting events of the year. CEO Fran Scholey told Piney there's been a buzz all week. She says there's been a lot of support and it's been a great vibe. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Athletes have been put through their paces today at the Special Olympics National Summer Games on in Christchurch. It's the first day of competition - over the next four days, more than 1200 competitors will take part in 10 different sports. Cameron Easton was just eight when he participated at the special Olympic games as a swimmer. But he has since turned his hand to Bocce, the Italian lawn bowling game. His mum Vivian is the coach of the Horowhenua Bocce team and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Special Olympics fever has touched down in Christchurch with the national summer games getting under way. The pinnacle event for athletes with intellectual disabilities has returned to the Garden City for the first time in 20 years. Teams began pouring into Otautahi yesterday ahead of today's opening ceremony which started this afternoon. Adam Burns reports.

The highly anticipated Special Olympics Summer Games have returned to Christchurch this year! Fran Scholey is the CEO of the Special Olympics Summer Games and she joined D'Arcy to talk about the event. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's headlines include: A 41-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison with a 25-year non-parole period for the 2018 murder of Queensland woman Toyah Cordingley. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has decided to keep the cash rate unchanged at 3.6% at its last meeting of the year today. The Northern Territory’s Corrections Minister Gerard Maley has defended not allowing a United Nations team to inspect prisons, youth detention centres, and police watchhouses. An Australian has been named the Most Valuable Player at the Special Olympics’ unified 3x3 basketball tournament, held in Puerto Rico. Reporting with AAP. Hosts: Lucy Tassell and Elliot LawryProducer: Rosa Bowden Want to support The Daily Aus? That's so kind! The best way to do that is to click ‘follow’ on Spotify or Apple and to leave us a five-star review. We would be so grateful. The Daily Aus is a media company focused on delivering accessible and digestible news to young people. We are completely independent. Want more from TDA?Subscribe to The Daily Aus newsletterSubscribe to The Daily Aus’ YouTube Channel Have feedback for us?We’re always looking for new ways to improve what we do. If you’ve got feedback, we’re all ears. Tell us here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sheletta sits down and chats with the CEO, Christy Sovereign, to get all the details. Visit https://2026specialolympicsusagames.org/ 

This week on the Special Chronicles Podcast, we're honored to share a special re-release of our 2017 conversation with Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics, Inc., as she prepares to retire. In this heartfelt interview, Mary reflects on her inspiring journey, her leadership across the global movement, and the lasting legacy of inclusion she leaves behind. Host Daniel Smrokowski also takes a moment to express his gratitude for Mary's years of dedication and the impact she has made on athletes, families, and communities around the world. Join us as we celebrate Mary Davis and her incredible contributions upon her retirement as CEO of Special Olympics. This episode originally aired on July 26, 2017.

Sherriff Karl Leonard joins Jeff to chat about the NEXT challenge they plan to do for raising money for the Special Olympics.

Rich previews what's at stake for the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions in their pivotal Thursday Night Football game with big-time playoff implications for both teams. Rich weighs in on the latest on the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into their key Week 14 AFC North showdown against the Baltimore Ravens, and reacts to Ben Roethlisberger saying Mike Tomlin should take the Penn State head coach job. Comedian Andrew Santino and Rich discuss his charity work with the Special Olympics in his upcoming ‘Ho-Ho Homer' celebrity softball event, the surprising success of his beloved Chicago Bears, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Coca-Cola Company sponsors this episode of Season 7 of Inclusion Revolution Radio, where leadership and inclusion take center stage. Recorded in the studios of Podville Media in Washington, D.C., this episode features an inspiring conversation between host Novie Craven and Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics. With nearly five decades of dedication to the movement, Mary shares her extraordinary journey, the evolution of Special Olympics and her vision for a future rooted in dignity, opportunity and athlete-centered leadership.

Toyota proudly sponsors this episode of Inclusion Revolution Radio, celebrating a historic milestone for Special Olympics Unified Sports®. For the first time in Special Olympics' 57-year history, athletes and Unified partners will compete globally in the Unified 3x3 Basketball World Cup in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This episode spotlights the power of inclusion and the growth of Unified Sports worldwide, featuring voices from Special Olympics Puerto Rico who are shaping this groundbreaking event.

Qigong is the best form of stress relief you've never heard of. But that changes with this episode of the To Your Health podcast.Chris Shelton joins me to explain what Qigong is, why it works so well for stress management, and how emotions actually get “stuck” in the body.You'll learn a complete 5-minute “Emotional Reset” routine you can start using today, plus simple emergency techniques for those moments when stress feels overwhelming.If you've ever wished for a quick, natural way to calm your mind and body, this conversation will give you tools you can use right away.I have dedicated my life to helping people reduce stress and relieve pain through Qigong, an ancient holistic health practice that combines movement, breath, and visualization. Over 30 years ago, Qigong saved my life after a devastating teenage back injury left me in constant pain and barely able to walk. In a 10-year period, I transformed from major suffering to becoming a martial arts champion, renowned healer, and successful business owner.I've helped thousands of people across the United States and around the world reclaim their health and enjoy life free from chronic pain and emotional stress. My work has included Special Olympics teams, professional athletes, and celebrities seeking deeper meaning and wellness in their lives. My expertise has been featured in newspapers, magazines, podcasts, television, and across the web.I'm the founder of Morning Crane Healing Arts Center with locations in San Jose and Los Angeles, California, author of "Chris Shelton's Easy Guide to Fix Neck and Back Pain" and "Chris Shelton's Easy Guide to Emotional Well-Being with Qigong," and co-creator of The Qi Club and Qigong Teacher Training programs. My motto is "If I can do it, YOU can too!"Website: https://sheltonqigong.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/chrissheltonqigong/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chris_shelton_qigongYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisSheltonQigongThe Qi Club: https://theqiclub.com/Check out Esther's website for more about her speaking, coaching, book, and more: http://estheravant.com/Buy Esther's Book: To Your Health: https://a.co/d/iDG68qUEsther's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esther.avantEsther's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estheravant/Learn more about 1:1 health & weight loss coaching: https://madebymecoaching.com/coaching 

Megan Rosenberg, a dedicated Special Olympics Maine athlete and health messenger, brings remarkable heart, resilience, and advocacy to her work both on and off the field. From early beginnings in California to representing Maine at multiple national competitions, Megan has built a life shaped by athletic discipline, community connection, and a deep commitment to helping others pursue healthy, active lives. Now preparing to compete in unified golf alongside her mom, she continues to model grit and positivity—whether running beside teammates who need support, encouraging healthier choices, or speaking openly about personal challenges with honesty and strength. Megan's strong ties to Maine's Special Olympics community, the Law Enforcement Torch Run, and even the Portland Art Gallery through her aunt, artist Ann Trainor Domingue, add warmth and depth to her story. Join our conversation with Megan Rosenberg today on Radio Maine. And don't forget to subscribe to the channel. Radio Maine is sponsored by the Portland Art Gallery

Tim Shriver—educator, author, and longtime Chairman of Special Olympics—joins Kate for a tender, funny, deeply practical conversation about dignity: what changes when we decide everyone matters, how relationships (not information) do the real work, and why service is more than “being nice.” Together they trace a family story from Rosemary Kennedy to Eunice Kennedy Shriver to millions of athletes, swap hospital-and-gymnasium epiphanies, and offer a simple lens for disagreeing better. It’s an invitation to the “really real,” where joy and sorrow live together and love makes people—and communities—more fully alive. SHOW NOTES: Special Olympics — The global movement founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver and now led by Tim. Dignity Index — A practical tool for scoring how we speak across difference, helping us learn to disagree without contempt. Unite — A bridge-building initiative founded by Tim Shriver to foster common ground and shared dignity. CASEL — The pioneering framework for social and emotional learning Tim helped develop. Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most — Tim’s memoir on faith, family, and the pursuit of a life that really matters. Subscribe to Kate’s Substack for blessings, essays, and reflections that hold what’s hard and beautiful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textA green shirt in the lobby can mean more than a friendly hello—it might be the quiet promise that you can worship in peace. We sit down with Gus and Gary, longtime law enforcement pros turned church servants, to explore how God redeems our work and how practical vigilance can coexist with deep, joyful faith.Gus traces his journey from a mixed religious upbringing to a Bible-centered church that shifted him from checking boxes to building a living relationship with Christ. Gary's doorway was unexpected: Friday jiu-jitsu classes with a pastor who rolls on the mat and opens Scripture on Sunday. Together they explain how a safety ministry grew from instinct to intentionality—SOPs, training, and a calm presence—so families can focus on the Word while a thoughtful team watches the room.The stories go deeper than procedures. Gus recalls a chase and a sudden, unexplainable stop at the woods—later learning the suspect waited with a gun. That pause, he says, was God's protection. Both men share regrets about missed moments to point people to Jesus and how Scripture, mentors, and community have made them bolder and kinder. We talk about serving without fear, letting God lead our careers, and seeing setbacks as protection or redirection. We also widen the lens beyond Sunday: coaching Special Olympics, volunteering in the city, and living so visibly that people ask, Why are you different?If you've ever wondered how your weekday skills could matter in a church, or how to balance vigilance with worship, this conversation offers hope, clarity, and next steps. Join us to learn how availability becomes ministry, why community shapes courage, and how God uses ordinary work to guard, guide, and grow His people. Enjoyed this conversation? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find it.New episodes every Mondaywww.lifehousemot.cominfo@lifehousede.com Join us Sundays at 9 & 11 AM Intro music by Joey Blair

Dr. Vitto Mena talks about how he got started in sports vision and his work with Special Olympics. He shares why networking, financial literacy, and investing in yourself matter so much for young ODs. Dr. Mena also offers practical tips on managing money and explains how his interest in photography has helped him connect with others in the optometry world.

This week, we're spotlighting Dylan Wheeler, a standout wide receiver at Saint John's University and a member of the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Dylan discusses his journey as one of Division III's top receivers and how his commitment to service has shaped his life on and off the field. Last season, Dylan recorded 21 touchdowns and over 1,100 receiving yards, establishing himself as a leader for the Johnnies. Off the field, he has raised more than $25,000 for Folds of Honor, led diversity and inclusion efforts as Saint John's SAAC President, and helped generate $35,000 to provide nearly 100,000 meals for families in need. His service also includes mission work in the Bahamas and volunteer efforts with Special Olympics and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Dylan shares how faith, leadership, and a desire to serve motivate him to make a lasting impact far beyond the game of football. Follow Saint John's Football: @saintjohnsfootball

Chuck and Roxy are back and open the show with a few corrections and by talking about "doxxing" and a new company called "Alivemoment." Next it's time to "Meet the Littles" as our guests welcome Nathan Kolker to the podcast. (16:30) An east coaster who is originally from the midwest who is the first Little to be recorded on Choxy's new podcast equipment! PLUG: Volunteer for your local Special Olympics program! Then our hosts close out the show with some soda/pop talk and your emails/notes. (35:30) SONG: "Long Way Home" by Tim Wildsmith www.timwildsmith.com TWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @timwildsmith YOUTUBE, ITUNES etc. Search Tim WildsmithJINGLE: "Sharp Dressed Man" A parody of a song by ZZ Top.Recorded by John Fitzpatrick in Arlington, VARecorded: 12/07/2014  Released: 12/08/2014  First aired: unairedPodcast Website - www.loyallittlespod.com  Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/loyallittlespod/membershipPodcast Email - WTFCPODNET@GMAIL.COMTwitter:@loyallittlespod Instagram: @theloyallittlespodcastPODCAST LOGO DESIGN by Eric Londergan www.redbubble.com Search: ericlondergan or copy and paste this link! https://www.redbubble.com/people/ericlondergan/shop

In this episode of Voices in the Field, hosts Jim Reese and Britt sit down with Scott MacDonald, Senior Director of Youth Partnerships for the Cleveland Cavaliers, to trace his 20+ year journey in professional sports. Scott shares how a high school job-shadowing experience and a love of sports led him to Ohio University, an internship with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a formative stint in minor league baseball where he learned to “sell a $6 ticket” and, more importantly, to sell himself. Along the way, he emphasizes the role of grit, mentorship, and personal branding, as well as the power of relationships and being coachable in a highly competitive industry. Scott also gives an inside look at how the Cavs approach youth sports and fan development, guided by a simple but powerful matrix: friends, swag, snacks, and fun. He explains how the organization partners with rec centers, YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, and Special Olympics to support kids, empower parents, and equip coaches—creating first-class experiences that build lifelong fans and better humans, not just better athletes. With reflections on servant leadership, the impact of commissioners like Adam Silver, and practical advice for students aspiring to work in sports, the episode is a thoughtful, energetic exploration of what it means to lead with humility, hustle, and heart. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful episode of The Special Chronicles Podcast, host Daniel Smrokowski welcomes Matthew F. Gorski, Athlete Leader with Special Olympics Illinois, to talk about his incredible journey running the 2025 Chicago Marathon. Matthew takes us behind the scenes of what it's like to train for 26.2 miles — from early training runs and mental preparation to race day excitement and the unforgettable moment he crossed the finish line. He also shares how representing Special Olympics at the marathon embodies leadership, inclusion, and perseverance.

On this week's episode of Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Richie Leonard IV, a standout offensive lineman for Florida State University and a proud member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Richie has made an incredible impact not only on the field but in the lives of those around him. In addition to being a leader for the Florida State Seminoles, he's deeply committed to giving back to his communities in both Tallahassee and his hometown. He founded the Richie H. Leonard IV Football Camp, a free event that brings together over 300 kids and families for a day of skill development, mentorship, and fun. His dedication to service extends far beyond football — from participating in a Fellowship of Christian Athletes mission trip to Argentina, to volunteering locally at elementary schools and Special Olympics events. Richie even supports his childhood AAU basketball team, purchasing shoes and equipment for players in need. Inspired by his mother's courageous battle with cancer, Richie is preparing to launch a care package initiative for cancer patients later this year. Through his actions, he continues to demonstrate what it means to use your platform for good — leading with gratitude and service both on and off the field.

What helps us move through fear instead of getting stuck in it? New York Times bestselling author, animal advocate, and mother Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt shares how love, patience, and trust can turn fear into confidence. In this heartfelt conversation, we talk about her new children's book Kat and Brandy, the healing bond between animals and kids, and the power of kindness and courage to make the world a little better.Thrive Global Article:Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt on “Kat & Brandy” and the Courage to Face Our FearsAbout Our Guest:Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt is aNew York Timesbest-sellingauthor, mother, and host ofthepodcast.BDA Baby.A passionate animal advocate, Katherine works as an Ambassador for BestFriends Animal Society (bestfriends.org) and the ASPCA (aspca.org). She is a Global Ambassadorfor the Special Olympics. Katherine lives with her family in Los Angeles.About Lainie:Lainie Rowell is a bestselling author, award-winning educator, and TEDx speaker. She is dedicated to human flourishing, focusing on community building, emotional intelligence, and honoring what makes each of us unique and dynamic through learner-driven design. She earned her degree in psychology and went on to earn both a post-graduate credential and a master's degree in education. An international keynote speaker, Lainie has presented in 41 states as well as in dozens of countries across 4 continents. As a consultant, Lainie's client list ranges from Fortune 100 companies like Apple and Google to school districts and independent schools. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/lainierowell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Website - ⁠LainieRowell.com⁠Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LainieRowell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn - @LainieRowellX/Twitter - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@LainieRowell ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Evolving with Gratitude, the book is available ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And now, Bold Gratitude: The Journal Designed for You and by You is available too!Both Evolving with Gratitude & Bold Gratitude have generous bulk pricing for purchasing 10+ copies delivered to the same location.

100 Episodes. One Movement. One Unforgettable Night.Part 2 of our 100th Episode celebration takes you LIVE from downtown Austin, Texas at the exclusive Powder Room, where the walls couldn't contain the energy, emotion, and power of the Sober Girls Group Chat.We opened the night with a deeply heartfelt tribute to Kayleigh Williamson, an athlete redefining resilience. The I Am Redemption community rallied to raise funds supporting her journey to the Special Olympics, a reminder of what happens when purpose meets community.Then, the room came alive with a live performance from I Am Cricchi, setting the stage for a conversation that would become one of the most emotional and impactful moments in I Am Redemption history.When the Sober Girls Group Chat took the mic, they absolutely brought it. Every voice on that stage carried a different story, but one shared message:

How does a basketball injury lead to opening for Tech N9ne and D12?In this high-energy episode, Kid Coffin, a Halifax-based rapper, videographer, real estate agent, and Special Olympics coach, unpacks his incredible journey from a shattered sports dream to sharing stages with hip-hop legends. Kid Coffin pulls back the curtain on the grind, revealing the 12-hour rehearsals, strategic networking, and intense mental prep that go into his explosive live performances. Kid Coffin is an artist that you either love or hate. His music is a reflection of a conflicting world with themes reaching from love, kindness, and empathy to themes of corruption, power, and greed. Kid Coffin uses hard-hitting lyricism and vivid storytelling to explore the deep and complex world that is the human condition. Check him out @kidcoffinofficial

Ann talks with Jensen Cristales (Heart Of Texas Program Director - Special Olympics) about the program and it's impact. Then Ann sits with Barbara Powell (Waco Advisory Council with Community Healthcare of Texas Providence Hospice), and Sonya Wilson (Volunteer Coordinator with Community Healthcare of Texas Providence Hospice) about the upcoming Lights of Love. We also get a new Act Locally Live from Elizabeth Riley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we're joined by Auvic White, senior running back at Hendrix College and a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. A two-time All-Conference performer and Academic All-Conference honoree, Auvic is known for his discipline, leadership, and commitment to serving others. Off the field, Auvic works full-time with Athletes in Action, mentoring over 600 student-athletes, leading outreach programs, and hosting Bible studies. He's raised more than $12,000 to support AIA's mission and dedicates nearly 40 hours a week to helping others grow in faith and purpose. From speaking at churches to supporting Special Olympics and packing 20,000 meals for children in need, Auvic embodies what it means to lead through service. His story is a powerful reminder that football is more than a game—it's a platform to change lives. Follow Hendrix Football on social media: @hendrixfootball

On this all-new episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's Unified at Work Series S6:Pt9: Host Daniel Smrokowski welcomes back Emmy Award-winning journalist, consultant, podcaster, and Special Olympics Illinois Board Member Rob Johnson. Rob joins us to talk about his brand-new book, Overcommunicate: A Guide for Business Executives and Aspiring Leaders. Most leaders confuse saying something with being understood — this book offers the tools to align people, clarify strategy, and drive action with clarity and intention. We dive into: Why clarity—not noise—is a leader's most powerful tool The “Communication Flywheel” that helps leaders build alignment and trust How to avoid the most common communication mistakes Lessons Rob has learned from journalism, consulting, and serving on the board of Special Olympics Illinois Why overcommunicating matters for inclusive leadership and the Unified at Work initiative Rob also shares practical takeaways for executives, entrepreneurs, and aspiring leaders — including Special Olympics athletes stepping into leadership roles. This conversation is packed with wisdom, real-world stories, and tools you can use to lead with clarity. Episode 804 ShowNotes & Links

Erin Cain didn't grow up around horses but eventually was exposed to them and the remarkable abilities they have to facilitate healing for a wide range of individuals.  A series of life events caused her to move from her native northeast to the Colorado Rockies and today, she's the co-founder, owner, and operator of Grace Reins Equine Therapy. In this episode she describes the personal hardships she's overcome and the work she now does rescuing and “gentling” wild mustangs, then working with these animals to provide therapy to the diverse group of individuals who come to Grace Reins for healing.    Chapters:  00:00 Erins's East Coast Roots  Host Bill Burke introduces Erin Cain, founder of Grace Reins, a therapeutic horse organization. Erin shares her early life growing up on Long Island in a blue-collar family, far from horses, and how she eventually moved to California.  03:12 Discovering Equine Therapy  Erin recounts her first exposure to equine therapy in Connecticut at High Hopes, a major program.   07:22 Grace Reins: Founding & Mission  Erin discusses her journey from volunteering at High Hopes to getting certified in therapeutic horsemanship. She details her move to Colorado in 2013 and the eventual establishment of Grace Reins, emphasizing the inspiration she drew from Special Olympics events.  11:12 Rescuing Wild Mustangs  Erin introduces her partner Joe and explains how their shared passion for wild mustangs led to their collaboration. She highlights Grace Reins' unique approach of rescuing and gentling wild mustangs, integrating them into their therapy programs.  15:04 The Art of Gentling Wild Horses  Erin explains the process of gentling wild mustangs, referencing Monty Roberts' methods of compassionate training. She illustrates how this process teaches respect and patience, which are crucial lessons also applicable to human interaction.  19:05 Mustangs and Human Healing  Erin explores the profound connection between rescued mustangs and clients, especially veterans, who find a mirror in these traumatized yet resilient animals. This shared experience of overcoming adversity fosters hope and a sense of worth for both the horses and the individuals.  22:08 Therapy with Veterans & Children  Erin details the therapeutic process at Grace Reins, focusing on groundwork, grooming, and non-verbal communication to help clients, including female wounded warriors and children, downregulate and connect with horses. She describes how the horses' slower heartbeats and meditative presence aid in relaxation and emotional regulation.  27:13 Nature's Impact: Beyond the Screen  Erin discusses the benefits of children spending time outdoors with horses, moving away from screens and engaging their senses. She highlights how this environment helps children develop emotional regulation and a sense of calm, echoing the concept of nature deficit disorder.  31:05 Personal Resilience & Drive  Erin shares a deeply personal story about the loss of her brother, a New York City firefighter, on 9/11, and how this tragedy fuels her dedication to helping others. She connects her experiences with her father's firefighting career and her brother's memory to her empathetic approach in therapeutic work, especially with veterans.  38:01 Finding Equine Therapy Near You  Erin discusses the widespread availability of equine therapy and directs listeners to PATH, the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, for finding local programs. She also offers to personally assist those seeking therapeutic horsemanship options, emphasizing the global reach of this impactful work. 

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe080This episode's podcast guest is Cindy Bentley. For the last 25 years, Cindy has been Wisconsin's foremost voice for inclusion and civil rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 1999, Cindy helped found People First Wisconsin, a statewide disability advocacy organization with a mission to provide opportunities for people with disabilities in Wisconsin to speak up and be heard about healthcare, voting, employment, housing, and transportation issues. Cindy began her work at People First Wisconsin as an advocacy specialist, but was promoted to executive director and is the only person with an intellectual disability leading an advocacy organization in Wisconsin. Cindy recently received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in recognition of her many years of advocacy.Cindy serves on several boards, including the Governor's Committee for People with Disabilities, Life Navigators Board, and the Milwaukee County Combined Community Services Board. The Wisconsin Historical Society published a biography, which Cindy co-authored called Cindy Bentley: Spirit of a Champion. Choose the Pond, a short film about Cindy's life was recently shown at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival. Cindy is a highly decorated Special Olympics athlete and global messenger. She's currently training for the Special Olympic National Games in 2026 where she will play volleyball for Team Wisconsin.Connect with People First Wisconsin: People First WisconsinPeople First Wisconsin | FacebookConnect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

In this episode, we sit down with Carter St. John, senior quarterback at Alma College and a proud member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. A three-time First Team All-MIAA selection, Carter has helped lead Alma to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and the deepest playoff run in school history. But Carter's biggest impact goes beyond the game. He's the founder of QBs vs. Cancer, a nationwide nonprofit that unites college quarterbacks to raise money for cancer research and patient care through youth QB training sessions. Since launching in 2023, the program has grown to include over 40 quarterbacks and has raised more than $12,500 for cancer charities. Carter also gives back locally through Special Olympics, youth mentorship, and community outreach — showing what it truly means to lead with purpose, both on and off the field. Follow Alma Football on social: @almascotsfootball

This week, we're coming to you straight from Fairview with a packed lineup of co-hosts. Waves CEO Staci Davis is joined by some of our amazing Waves adults—Johnny Sunshine, Jimmy, Jeni, Eric, Adam, and Hannah—for a lively, heartfelt, and fun conversation. Together, the crew dives into a discussion about the film The Peanut Butter Falcon before sharing their own stories, updates, and recent adventures—including highlights from the Special Olympics bowling event. From laughter to life lessons, this episode is full of personality, energy, and perspectives you won't want to miss. ✨ Whether you're here for inspiration, community, or just some genuine conversation, the Fairview crew will leave you smiling and thinking long after you hit play. ________________________________________ Learn more about Waves: wavesinc.com Watch Waves of Awareness on YouTube: @Waves_of_Awareness Check out Spread The Positive: spreadthepositive.net

Send us a textIn this inspiring episode, we welcome Sharon Hernandez, Law Enforcement Torch Run Coordinator for Special Olympics Texas, and Katrina Cordova, dedicated SOTX volunteer, to discuss how a partnership built on service and compassion continues to transform lives across the state.Sharon and Katrina share heartfelt stories of the connection between Texas law enforcement and Special Olympics athletes—how each event, from the Torch Run to statewide competitions, represents courage, inclusion, and unity.Together, they reflect on the incredible impact TMPA's involvement has made—building bridges between officers and communities, inspiring athletes, and empowering families to see what's truly possible when law enforcement and Special Olympics Texas stand side by side.

Dr. Alicia Thatcher, a family physician from Saskatchewan, Canada, specializes in primary care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Her passion for this field began as a camp counselor and evolved through involvement in organizations like Special Olympics and Best Buddies. Recognizing the gap in adult services compared to pediatric care, she has pioneered curriculum development for medical education, aiming to make care for adults with IDD more sustainable and widespread. She also plays a leadership role in national initiatives, including the Developmental Disabilities Member Interest Group and the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, advocating for integrated care and inclusive education. Her work emphasizes amplifying voices of those with lived experience, using respectful language in healthcare, and creatively embedding IDD topics into medical and dental training.

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast, host Daniel Smrokowski celebrates International Podcast Day with the 800th Episode of this podcast!  We share an ALL NEW speech he recently gave to the regional marketing staff of Special Olympics about his lessons as a Podcasting Legend within the Special Olympics Movement. Then, Daniel transitions into an encore conversation with fellow Special Olympics Illinois Athlete Leader Jose Moreno, where they discuss the art of podcasting about podcasting,  sharing some of our best tips for you to get into podcasting yourself!

Had the pleasure of speaking with professional wrestler and promoter Frankie DeFalco! On episode 230, we discussed becoming a fan, training, favorite opponents, getting involved with Special Olympics, running Brew City Wrestling, and more. Find out more about Brew City Wrestling here: https://www.brewcitywrestling.com Are you a pro wrestler and have done community service and/or charity work? E-mail the podcast at wrestlingwithheart@yahoo.com and tell us if you would be interested in being interviewed. Follow us on:Facebook: Wrestling with Heart with Stanley Karr Bluesky: @wrestlingwithheart.bsky.social Instagram: @wrestlingwithheart Threads: @wrestlingwithheart Hear Wrestling with Heart on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Hear Wrestling with Heart on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46cviL5... Hear Wrestling with Heart on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-wr... Donate to my Patreon and subscribe to my content here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84502525 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Sawalich's latest work, Case for Kindness, is an award-winning documentary exploring the transformative impact of kindness on society and emphasizes its critical role in shaping our future. The film has earned over 75 awards worldwide.Sawalich is President & CEO of Articulus Entertainment, combines a passion for humanitarian work with a commitment to capturing emotionally compelling and thought-provoking human experiences on film. Under his leadership, Articulus has consistently delivered commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies, television shows, and original programming to audiences worldwide.His directorial debut was Music Within (2007), which won the Audience Award at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival and was distributed by MGM.In 2015, he launched Operation Change on the Oprah Winfrey Network, a documentary series featuring global changemakers like the Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, and Elton John. His 2019 film Where the Light Shines followed two Afghan skiers striving for the Olympics and offered a rare hopeful look at Afghanistan.Sawalich has worked with numerous organizations, including Starkey Hearing Foundation, Eastern Congo Initiative, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program, Sentebale, X-Prize, THORN, Virgin Unite, Special Olympics, and Clinton Global Initiative.Links:https://caseforkindness.com/https://www.starkey.com/https://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/https://www.citizensofsound.com/

Forty-one years ago, Bob Bowler walked into a Special Olympics event during his lunch break. He had no plan, no role, and no agenda—only a desire to serve. That small step turned into a lifetime of impact: raising funds, starting sports programs, and founding a camp for children with special needs that now serves over 335 campers and draws more than 500 volunteers each year. In this episode, I share Bob's story and the three leadership lessons I learned from him: Find joy in other people's dreams coming true Serve expecting nothing in return Choose positivity over negativity Bob's example shows that leadership starts with initiative, service, and discipline. His story might inspire you to take the next step in your own journey.