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The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

As Kobe Bryant once said, “There is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own.” That’s why the Learning Leader Show exists—to understand the journeys of other leaders so that we can better understand our own. This show is full of learnings taught by world-class leaders—personal stories of successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way. Our guests come from diverse backgrounds—CEOs of multi-billion dollar companies, best-selling authors, Navy SEALs, and professional athletes. My role in this endeavor is to talk to the smartest, most creative, always-learning leaders in the world so that we can learn from them as we each create our own journeys.
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Now displaying: 2016
Sep 14, 2016

Episode 159: Henry Ward & Josh Merrill - CEO of eShares: How To Hire, Manage, & Lead

Henry Ward is the CEO of eShares. Josh Merrill leads product and Marketing at eShares

Hiring Principles:

Hiring means we failed to execute and need help

Startup employee effectiveness follows a power law

False Positives are okay, False Negatives are not

Culture is defined by who we hire

Hiring Heuristics:

Hire for Strength vs Lack of Weakness

Hire for Trajectory vs Experience

Hire Doers vs Tellers

Hire Learners vs Experts

Hire Different vs Similar

Always pass on ego

Episode 159: Henry Ward & Josh Merrill - CEO of eShares: How To Hire, Manage, & Lead

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The success of a company is the sum of the people in it."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Patience, long term thinking, and understanding that your success will be determined by the people you surround yourself with will lead to sustained excellence
  • Product focused and understanding "The Artist's Dilemma"
  • The best produce it for themselves
  • How eShares was created
  • Why their partnership works so well
  • What Josh feels Henry doesn't do well (Interesting moment!)
  • Why don't more companies publicly share what they believe in?
  • eShares hiring process
  • Why you shouldn't hire someone because they are a "culture fit"
  • Why you shouldn't have performance plans -- Once you've deemed the person is not working, then fire them immediately
  • Hiring for trajectory vs. experience
  • How it's similar to the LA Rams drafting Jared Goff with their #1 pick... Being patient to develop him
  • How should you grade employees? Don't... Teach them to grade themselves. Don't give people a number grade -- "How am I doing?" "You're doing a 2."
  • How to fire someone:
    • Give sincere explanation for why
    • Don't make it one-sided
    • Help them with what's next
  • Be intrigued about what you do -- "eShares is a learning experience for me. I'm doing things I've never done before"

“False positives are okay. False negatives are not."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Henry Ward and Josh Merrill on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

The Learning Leader Show is supported by Daor Design - Daor Design will help you build your brand like nobody’s business. Most of their work falls into one of four categories: Logo Design, Print Design, Web Design or Digital Marketing. They pride themselves in being a trusted, valued resource for their growing family of clients.

Sep 11, 2016

Episode 158: Amy Jo Martin - How To Build Engagement, Trust, & Serotonin

Amy Jo Martin, author of New York Times best-seller Renegades Write the Rules, founded Digital Royalty in 2009 to help corporations, celebrities and sports entities humanize their brands online through social communication channels. Amy Jo has worked closely with world-renowned brands such as Hilton Worldwide, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal to successfully humanize their presence. Her motto: humans connect with humans, not logos.

Amy Jo herself has a social media following of more than a 1.1 million people and was named the third most powerful woman on Twitter by Forbes. Amy Jo believes the future of technology is the future of humanity. She conducts clinical research studies and travels the world to speak about this topic and many other topics. She recently spoke an audience of 10,000 people.

In 2012 Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, and Baron Davis, NBA player, invested in Amy Jo and her company. After a successful seven-year run as the Founder & CEO of Digital Royalty and growing the business globally into ten different countries, Amy Jo recently exited the company.

As a young female building her career in male-centric industries, Amy Jo has developed a passion for helping women thrive in business leadership. She is currently spending her time researching the relationship between technology and humanity. She is also investing in other female entrepreneurs so they can reach their full potential.

Amy Jo is also a contributor to news outlets including the Harvard Business Review and Sports Business Journal. She has been featured in top-tier media outlets including Vanity Fair, TIME, Forbes, The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN SportsCenter, USA Today, MSNBC and Newsweek.

Client portfolio includes: Hilton Worldwide, Shaquille O’Neal, Motorola, FOX Sports, The X-Factor, Chicago White Sox, UFC and Dana White, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Los Angeles Kings, Jabbawockeeez, Doubletree by Hilton, Tony Hsieh CEO of Zappos.com, Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, KC Royals and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Episode 158: Amy Jo Martin - How To Build Engagement, Trust, & Serotonin

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Don't focus on the number of followers... Focus on the connection you are making with your followers."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having an innate curiosity and learning from failure will lead to sustained excellence
  • How Tony Hseih and "The Rock" have helped Amy Jo learn about leadership
  • The art of asking questions -- The Tony Hseih approach
  • Creating an online business -- How she did it and how to grow it
  • Not focusing on the number of followers, but the manner in which Amy Jo engages with them
  • Listening more than talking
  • How to figure out your value
  • The power of a positive outlook
  • How to boost serotonin (it's contagious)
  • The importance of mindfulness
  • "The unfollow exercise"
  • How she built her large Twitter following -- engagement
  • Why she wanted to start her own podcast
  • "Why Not Now?"
  • Definition of her success? Identifying your purpose, passion, and skill
  • A series of experiments including living on a boat

“Serotonin is contagious"

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Amy Jo Martin on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

The Learning Leader Show is supported by Daor Design - Daor Design will help you build your brand like nobody’s business. Most of their work falls into one of four categories: Logo Design, Print Design, Web Design or Digital Marketing. They pride themselves in being a trusted, valued resource for their growing family of clients.

Sep 7, 2016

Episode 157: Chris Zook - The Founders Mentality: A Bias For Action & Front Line Obsession

Chris Zook is a partner in Bain & Company's Boston office. He was co-head of the Global Strategy practice for 20 years. During his more than 25 years at Bain, Chris has specialized in helping companies find new sources of profitable growth.

A best-selling author, Chris published his fifth book,The Founder's Mentality in 2016. Based on a decade-long study of companies in more than 40 countries, The Founder's Mentality shows how leaders can overcome the predictable crises of growth and set their companies on a path of sustainable growth. Chris has been a featured broadcast guest, including NPR, CNBC, Fox News and Bloomberg TV. He has been a keynote speaker at a wide range of international and business forums including the World Economic Forum, the World Knowledge Forum, the Forbes' CEO Conference, the BusinessWeek CEO Conference, the Economist Summit and Endeavour’s entrepreneur summits. In the last five years, he has done over 500 talks and workshops across more than 35 different countries.

Episode 157: Chris Zook - The Founders Mentality: A Bias For Action & Front Line Obsession

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The leaders who have a deep intellectual curiosity to continuously learn" will sustain excellence over an extended period of time"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having a burning intensity and passion around a topic/cause and a love of the details will lead to sustained excellence
  • Walter Chrysler was a great example of this.. -- Also Phil Knight (Nike), Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX)
  • The importance of a "deep intellectual curiosity to learn"
  • Front Line Obsession - Do you treat your front line sales and customer service employees as the heroes of the business? Do you do whatever it takes to support them?
  • Customer Advocacy - Do you relentlessly try to create loyalty with your customers? Is the voice of the customer fully represented in all important meetings?
  • An Owner's mindset:
    • A bias for action - Making decisions with speed. Quick to take on personal responsibility and risk to do the right thing
    • An aversion to bureaucracy - Have you simplified your initiatives to focus on the biggest priorities? Are your planning and review processes the best in the industry and do you reallocate resources to make your front line more competitive?
  • The amount of time spent on the preparation for quarterly meetings (building PowerPoint decks, etc...) is immense -- However, it's not focused on customers, which is a problem
  • How Home Depot went from great to poor to great again... 
  • The 9 Nike Maxims -- Make sure you celebrate your front line employees
  • How can a company deal with cost reductions?
  • "Train the guns on thet thinkers, not the doers" -- The bureaucracy has to go
  • The importance of mindfulness
  • Have a bias for action... Be a doer, not a talker
  • 85% of a companies issues stem from internal issues
  • Why a company needs one dedicated person to owning the customer experience 
  • The hero of WWII - General James Gavin
  • New Leaders - Spend the first 6 weeks in the field. Learn what is happening and why. See it for yourself
    • Send an email to every person in your organization and take the time to thoughtfully respond to every email
  • How Chris helped build Bain from 100 employees to 5,000+
  • Thought of "Learning Leader" as an academic term originally, but after being a guest on the show views it as a way to bring ideas from an outside audience and share with others

“Complexity is the silent killer of growth"

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Chris Zook on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Bain.com

Chris has authored numerous additional books with Harvard Business Review Press, including Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change (2012), an argument for simple, great repeatable models to realize enduring, profitable growth. In 2010, he published Profit from the Core: A Return to Growth in Turbulent Times, an updated edition of his 2001 best-selling business book, Profit from the Core: Growth Strategy in an Era of Turbulence, which offers an approach to assessing and making the most of core business opportunities. Chris's sequel, Beyond the Core: Expand your Market without Abandoning your Roots (2004) examines how companies that have fully exploited their core businesses can systematically and successfully expand into related, or "adjacent" areas. Unstoppable: Finding Hidden Assets to Renew the Core and Fuel Profitable Growth (2007) completes the series and examines what to do when your growth formula of the past begins to approach its limits, demanding that your company change its strategic focus and redefine its core.

These “growth trilogy” books have received widespread critical support. Beyond the Corewas recognized by The Economist as one of the top five business and economic books in the year it was published, and it was also voted one of the top 100 business books ever written. Unstoppable was identified by The Financial Times as one of the notable business books of the year. Based on his work on how companies grow, Chris was included by theTimes of London in its biannual list of the 50 Most Influential Global Business Thinkers. He has written dozens of articles with Harvard Business Review Press and other business publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times,Fortune, Forbes and BusinessWeek.

He received a bachelor of arts in mathematics and economics from Williams College, an M.Phil. in economics from Exeter College, Oxford University, and earned master’s and doctorate degrees from Harvard University.

Sep 4, 2016

Episode 156: Greg Wittstock – The CEO Must Guide The Culture

Greg Wittstock has been dabbling in water gardens since the age of 12. He began with a concrete creation and evolved to the naturally balanced, #1 contractor-installed ecosystem ponds that Aquascape is well known for.

After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in Interpersonal Communications, Greg founded Aquascape Inc., which experienced incredible growth during its early years. The company appeared on Inc Magazine's coveted list of 500 Fastest-Growing, Privately-Held Companies in North America from 1999-2002. Greg later appeared on the cover of Inc Magazine, along with a feature article about his leadership and entrepreneurial spirit.

 

Episode 156: Greg Wittstock – The CEO Must Guide The Culture

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The first job of the CEO is to guide the culture"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Most excited about: The 25th anniversary of his company, Aquascape
  • Growing a business from college hobby to 120 employees and over $60m in revenue at one point
  • "Those who sweat together stay together"
  • Values of Aquascape
    • Character
    • Team
    • Winning
    • Fun
  • The importance of playing football and how they taught Greg about teamwork
  • How The Chicago Tribune story launched his business to another level
  • Why he didn't speak with his Dad for 9 years
  • The average pond they build is $15,000
  • Overall philosophy to the profession of sales: Help those who have had a bad experience, sell the lifestyle, share statistics about how a pond can change your life
  • Find someone who has done what you want to do and learn directly from them
  • "The greatest satisfaction in life is helping other people succeed"

“Find someone who does what you want to do and learn directly from them."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Greg Wittstock on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

The Learning Leader Show is supported by Daor Design - Daor Design will help you build your brand like nobody’s business. Most of their work falls into one of four categories: Logo Design, Print Design, Web Design or Digital Marketing. They pride themselves in being a trusted, valued resource for their growing family of clients.

Bio From Aquascapeinc.com

In 2004, Greg was nominated for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award. Greg also received the Best Boss' award from Fortune's Small Business Magazine and Winning Workplaces in 2005, and earned the University of Chicago's Entrepreneur Hall of Fame award in 2007.

At the end of 2005, Wittstock's dream of a workplace utopia came true as the company moved to Aqualand, a 256,000 square foot office and warehouse facility that boasts the largest sloping green roof in North America. Aqualand received Silver Level recognition in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating system.

Greg has been interviewed and featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times in 2009, and has appeared on a variety of television shows over the years including Good Morning America, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, and cable home improvement shows.

Aug 31, 2016

Episode 155: Russ Roberts - A Guide To Human Nature & Happiness

Russell Roberts is the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

Roberts hosts the weekly podcast EconTalk–hour-long conversations with authors, economists, and business leaders. Past guests include Milton Friedman, Nassim Taleb, Christopher Hitchens, Marc Andreessen, Joseph Stiglitz, and John Bogle. EconTalk was named podcast of the year in the 2008 Weblog Awards. Over 425 episodes are available at EconTalk.org and on iTunes at no charge.

His two rap videos on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek, created with filmmaker John Papola, have had more than seven million views on YouTube, been subtitled in eleven languages, and are used in high school and college classrooms around the world.

His latest book is How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. It takes the lessons from Adam Smith’s little-known masterpiece, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and applies them to modern life—lessons for work, family, friendship, and how to live the good life.

Episode 155: Russ Roberts - A Guide To Human Nature & Happiness

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Man naturally desires, not only to be loved, but to be lovely" -- "The right way to be loved is to be wise and virtuous"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • "Being intellectually alive" and having a passion about learning will help you sustain excellence
  • The importance of being open to people outside of the box
  • Adam Smith was an 18th Century Scottish Economist - Great writer, entertaining
  • He wrote "The Wealth of Nations" and "The Theory of Moral Sentiments"
  • What we all naturally desire = To be loved and to be lovely
  • Why do we care so deeply about what others think of us?
  • We want to be praised, BUT we want to earn that praise. We want to be praised for doing it the "right way"
  • How do you know what is right? Step outside of yourself -- you're prone to delusion.  View it in the spectrum of an impartial spectator
  • Meditation and mindfulness is helpful
  • "A prudent man is sincere and honest. Also though he doesn't volunteer everything he knows, he is reserved and cautious in his speech and his action. He doesn't stick his opinion into every discussion." -- Be measured.  "Say little, do much."
  • Create a beneficent rule about parenting -- Always take your child's hand when offered. It means holding their hand more often and also helps you remember to savor the moment.
  • How to live? Seek wisdom and virtue. Behave as if an impartial spectator is watching you. Use the idea of an impartial spectator to step outside yourself as others see you. Use that vision to know yourself. Avoid the seductions of money and fame, for they will never satisfy.
  • "These are the days to remember. They will not last forever."
  • The story of Pyrrhus - The kind of Epirus - Why Cinneas thinks it's a bad idea. -- "What hinders your majestry from doing so now?" -- You don't have to conquer Italy to enjoy the fundamental pleasures of life.
  • The Mexican fishing story = Bigger is not always better. Listen as this relates to so many people trying to check off boxes from a career perspectiveThe story of Pyrrhus - The kind of Epirus - Why Cinneas thinks it's a bad idea. -- "What hinders your majestry from doing so now?" -- You don't have to conquer Italy to enjoy the fundamental pleasures of life.

“A prudent man is sincere and honest. Also though he doesn't volunteer everything he knows, he is reserved and cautious in his speech and his action. He doesn't stick his opinion into every discussion." -- Be measured.  "Say little, do much."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Russ Roberts on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From RussRoberts.info

Russell Roberts is the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

Roberts hosts the weekly podcast EconTalk–hour-long conversations with authors, economists, and business leaders. Past guests include Milton Friedman, Nassim Taleb, Christopher Hitchens, Marc Andreessen, Joseph Stiglitz, and John Bogle. EconTalk was named podcast of the year in the 2008 Weblog Awards. Over 425 episodes are available at EconTalk.org and on iTunes at no charge.

His two rap videos on the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek, created with filmmaker John Papola, have had more than seven million views on YouTube, been subtitled in eleven languages, and are used in high school and college classrooms around the world.

His latest book is How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. It takes the lessons from Adam Smith’s little-known masterpiece, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and applies them to modern life—lessons for work, family, friendship, and how to live the good life.

Aug 28, 2016

Episode 154: Lewis Howes - How To Acknowledge Greatness

Lewis Howes is an online marketing expert, sought after business coach, author, podcaster, USA Men’s National Team Handball Player, and Lifestyle Entrepreneur. In 3 years, Howes went from sleeping on his sister’s couch to running a seven figure online education business. A former pro football player, and two sport All American, Howes experienced a career ending wrist injury that forever changed the trajectory of his business career.
He has spoken to thousands at conferences, educated entrepreneurs and professionals around the world on how to make a living doing what they love. Howes has developed multiple educational online courses for entrepreneurs and business owners.  His latest book, "The School of Greatness" is a New York Times Best-Seller.

The Learning Leader Show

“Do I have permission to make this the best interview you've ever done?"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Being passionate and obsessed with your craft combined with a commitment to being great will help you sustain excellence
  • Lewis sharing the painful moments about being sexually abused as a kid and how that impacted him
  • The things that hold us back from being a true leader
  • The power of vulnerability
  • Let's change our conversation style... Instead of asking, "What do you do?" Let's ask, "What are you most excited about in your life? What are you most grateful for in your life?"
  • His vision = Serve 100 million people
  • Dealing with depression when a wrist injury ended his football career
  • "Follow your curiosity" 
  • Master a skill to serve others - Be challenged -- Look at your life in 6 month seasons
  • Why Lewis transferred back and forth multiple times in college
  • Focusing on your strengths and how it helps
  • How to prime someone you are about to interview
  • Why we all should acknowledge the positive attributes of a person and most importantly TELL them
  • "I want to acknowledge you for..."
  • A true leader is always learning

“When you're a startup, you have to be willing to take a lot of risks."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Lewis Howes on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Aug 24, 2016

Episode 153: Brian Halligan, CEO of HubSpot: How To Make Them Come To You

(Bio in first person from Amazon.com) My day job is as co-founder and CEO of HubSpot, an inbound marketing company started in 2006. Most business market their products by "interrupting" their potential customers with advertisements, cold calls, email blasts, etc. We humans have gotten sick of being interrupted by marketers and have gotten better-and-better at blocking them out with new technology such as caller ID, spam protection, TIVO, etc. HubSpot helps businesses transform they way they market from interrupting potential customers to helping them "get found" by them in the natural course of the way they work today in Google, in blogs, and in social media sites. In other words, we help companies transform from "outbound marketing" to "inbound marketing." Despite only starting the company a few years ago, we have over 1700 paying customers who on average increase their leadflow by 6x within 6 months of buying our product.

In addition to working at HubSpot, I am an EIR at MIT where I lecture on startups and marketing as well as help students when I can.

Prior to HubSpot I was a venture capitalist. It was in working with small startups that I realized that the fundamental way in which marketing has worked for the last several decades was simply broken.

Prior to being a vc, I was a student at MIT where I was a Sloan Fellow. I spent a lot of time at MIT studying web2.0, business model transformation, and innovation.

In the early part of this decade, I spent four years running sales at Groove Networks prior to it being acquired by Microsoft. I spent the first 10 years of my career in sales and marketing roles at Parametric Technology Corporation where I joined in startup mode and helped it grow to be over $1billion in revenue.

In my spare time, I like to read books by folks like David Meerman Scott, Seth Godin, Clayton Christensen, Geoffrey Moore, etc. I also play guitar poorly. I enjoy all kinds of sports like tennis, squash, running, and golf. I can often be found in summertime enjoying a Red Sox game in Fenway Park.

Episode 153: Brian Halligan, CEO of HubSpot: How To Make Them Come To You

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“It looks like a rocket ship from the outside, but in reality it is slow and steady growth."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having a willingness to embrace change will help you sustain excellence
  • Understanding "The Inbound Methodology"
  • How HubSpot was born
  • The importance of finding a great co-founder who compliments your strengths
  • What's advice would he give to others who are starting their own business?
  • Must have product/market fit -- Look to improve someone's life with something that is unique.  For the first 6 months spend 100% of your time getting that right
  • Specific notes about the product from a current user
  • The Inbound Methodology - Much more effective than cold calling
  • The traditional playbook is broken... How do you do "Inbound Marketing?" Create a blog, start a podcast -- Find a way to attract people to you. Hubspot does a fantastic job of getting people to come to them
  • "I don't have a phone on my desk" -- "Sales is changing everyday" -- His co-founder just bought a Tesla and did the entire transaction online
  • "If I was an outside sales person, I would choose an industry with a very complex product. If it's not complex, then the buyer doesn't need anyone to explain it to them. They can just read about it online."
  • HubSpot sells a great deal completely through eCommerce
  • Why they publish their "Culture Code" and how it's helped them recruit the best talent
  • How they responded to Dan Lyons very critical book discussing his time of employment at HubSpot
  • Dealing with negative publicity -- How to handle a crisis -- Agreeing that some of what was written was true ("We are way too white male and we are too young.")
  • The dramatic rise of their stock price from when they went public to today (132% increase)
  • Why they have an "Inbound" conference every year and what takes place at the event
  • The importance of having healthy debates prior to "sailing the ships." - Once the ship is sailing, everyone must be on board
  • Most important quality for Brian to hire you? They must know why they were successful in their prior work. He doesn't only care about what happened, he wants to make sure they fully understand why they were successful
  • Read the book "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight (Nike)
  • "I like the name Learning Leader a lot. I like leaders who are constantly learning and evolving."

“When you're a startup, you have to be willing to take a lot of risks."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Kris "Tanto" Paronto on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

(Bio in first person from Amazon.com) My day job is as co-founder and CEO of HubSpot, an inbound marketing company started in 2006. Most business market their products by "interrupting" their potential customers with advertisements, cold calls, email blasts, etc. We humans have gotten sick of being interrupted by marketers and have gotten better-and-better at blocking them out with new technology such as caller ID, spam protection, TIVO, etc. HubSpot helps businesses transform they way they market from interrupting potential customers to helping them "get found" by them in the natural course of the way they work today in Google, in blogs, and in social media sites. In other words, we help companies transform from "outbound marketing" to "inbound marketing." Despite only starting the company a few years ago, we have over 1700 paying customers who on average increase their leadflow by 6x within 6 months of buying our product.

In addition to working at HubSpot, I am an EIR at MIT where I lecture on startups and marketing as well as help students when I can.

Prior to HubSpot I was a venture capitalist. It was in working with small startups that I realized that the fundamental way in which marketing has worked for the last several decades was simply broken.

Prior to being a vc, I was a student at MIT where I was a Sloan Fellow. I spent a lot of time at MIT studying web2.0, business model transformation, and innovation.

In the early part of this decade, I spent four years running sales at Groove Networks prior to it being acquired by Microsoft. I spent the first 10 years of my career in sales and marketing roles at Parametric Technology Corporation where I joined in startup mode and helped it grow to be over $1billion in revenue.

In my spare time, I like to read books by folks like David Meerman Scott, Seth Godin, Clayton Christensen, Geoffrey Moore, etc. I also play guitar poorly. I enjoy all kinds of sports like tennis, squash, running, and golf. I can often be found in summertime enjoying a Red Sox game in Fenway Park.

Aug 21, 2016

Episode 152: Dave Dameshek: NFL Network Star, Comedy Writer, Working With Jimmy Kimmel

Dave Dameshek is a TV writer and TV/Podcast personality. Dameshek is currently a football analyst and writer for NFL.com, appearing on NFL Fantasy Live and hosting the Dave Dameshek Football Program. He also regularly appears on the NFL Network.

His past: The Adam Carolla Show debuted in January 2006, recorded in Los Angeles and airing in syndication on stations across the western United States. Dameshek was a regular cast member on the show from the beginning, serving as the show's official sports reporter. He received his first big break in 2001 when he was hired as a writer on Comedy Central'sThe Man Show, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla. In 2002, he began writing for Kimmel's new late-night talk show on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he made several appearances in addition to his main responsibility of working on the show's nightly monologue.

Episode 152: Dave Dameshek: NFL Network Star, Comedy Writer, Working With Jimmy Kimmel

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“If you outwork everybody, nobody can accuse you of being given anything."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • The specific advice Jimmy Kimmel gave to him on how to have a successful career (work ethic)
  • Super resilient and self confident leaders sustain excellence
  • Best piece of advice for future broadcasters: "BE EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE"
  • When it comes to Dameshek's feelings towards obnoxious TV personalities - Be yourself and always tell the truth
  • Going from bartender to corporate sales to a career in entertainment
  • Dameshek responds to the Reddit thread, "Does anyone actually like Dave Dameshek?"
  • How he was able to earn Adam Corolla's respect (hard to do)
  • A great story about one of his first "LA" experiences with Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla
  • What "No Jive" means and why he believes in it
  • How has Roger Goddell been as a leader?
  • Why Dave gets nervous to speak with comedians but not anyone else
  • Why people will tell you terrible things about themselves but no one will admit they aren't funny
  • How to impress CEO's? "Don't kiss their butts" -- They are used to everyone doing that

“If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember anything."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 145: AJ Hawk - Life In The NFL, Awareness, Consistency

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Dave Dameshek on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio Dave Dameshek

Dr. Funny Dave Dameshek is a TV writer and TV/Podcast personality. Dameshek is currently a football analyst and writer for NFL.com, appearing on NFL Fantasy Live and hosting the Dave Dameshek Football ProgramThe Adam Carolla Show debuted in January 2006, recorded in Los Angeles and airing in syndication on stations across the western United States. Dameshek was a regular cast member on the show from the beginning, serving as the show's official sports reporter. He received his first big break in 2001 when he was hired as a writer on Comedy Central'sThe Man Show, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla. In 2002, he began writing for Kimmel's new late-night talk show on ABC,Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he made several appearances in addition to his main responsibility of working on the show's nightly monologue.

Aug 17, 2016

Episode 151: Kris "Tanto" Paronto - 13 Hours: A Secret Soldier Of Benghazi

Kris Paronto - “Tanto” as he is affectionately known in security contracting circles - is a former Army Ranger from 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment and private security contractor who has deployed throughout South America, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. He also worked with the US Government’s Global Response Staff conducting low profile security in high threat environments throughout the world.

Mr. Paronto was part of the CIA annex security team that responded to the terrorist attack on the US Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, September 11th, 2012, helping to save over 20 lives while fighting off terrorists from the CIA Annex for over 13 hours. Mr. Paronto’s story is told in the book “13 Hours” written by Mitchell Zuckoff and his five surviving annex security team members. Michael Bay directed the movie (based on the book) titled "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"

Episode 151: Kris "Tanto" Paronto - 13 Hours: A Secret Soldier Of Benghazi

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“I Will Never Ask You To Do Something I wouldn't Do Myself"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Being selfless, of service to others, and sacrificing will help you sustain excellence
  • Humility, strength, and faith have led to Tanto's success and his ability to stay alive
  • "The best leaders continually learn"
  • All of the death he saw in Iraq and other war zones helped prepare him for the Benghazi attacks
  • How accurate the movie "13 Hours" was to what happened in real life
  • How often he still speaks with the other soldiers from that night
  • Did he really wear shorts (like the movie portrays) that night? If so, why?
  • "Rangers are experts at belt fed weapons"
  • Why they were forced to wait 25 minutes at the annex prior to leaving
  • What it was like hearing on the radio, "GRS (his group), where are you? We are going to F'n die"
  • Tanto's thoughts Hillary Clinton's leadership (not good)
  • Why there were forced to sign 2 non-disclosures -- including one at the memorials
  • The amount of money you can make in 9 months as a security contractor
  • What happens when you come home from a job over seas and how it negatively impacts your life
  • How PTSD has impacted him
  • The CIA fired him for telling his story publicly -- telling the truth
  • Tanto and his teammates voted... They all chose to tell the truth -- And it got them fired
  • What it's like to be in the audience for one of Tanto's speeches

“Hillary Clinton is a failed leader. This is not a political statement. She is a sociopath." - Kris "Tanto" Paronto

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 047: David Marquet - "Turn The Ship Around"

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Kris "Tanto" Paronto on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From kristantoparonto.com

Kris Paronto - “Tanto” as he is affectionately known in security contracting circles - is a former Army Ranger from 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment and private security contractor who has deployed throughout South America, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. He also worked with the US Government’s Global Response Staff conducting low profile security in high threat environments throughout the world.

Mr. Paronto was part of the CIA annex security team that responded to the terrorist attack on the US Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, September 11th, 2012, helping to save over 20 lives while fighting off terrorists from the CIA Annex for over 13 hours. Mr. Paronto’s story is told in the book “13 Hours” written by Mitchell Zuckoff and his five surviving annex security team members. Michael Bay directed the movie (based on the book) titled "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"

Aug 14, 2016

Episode 150: Forbes Contributor Omaid Homayun Interviews Me - Learning From Failure, Creating A Hit Podcast, Sustaining Excellence

A few months ago I received a great email from Omaid Homayun. He shared how The Learning Leader Show has helped him grow as a leader. He mentioned that he had his own podcast (To The Top) and he was also a writer for Forbes.  After a few conversations, Omaid decided that he wanted to write a story on how my show as created and has sustained excellence. This episode is the recording of the official interview we did for what became this Forbes article. I'm sharing this conversation specifically because I appreciate the approach Omaid brought to this interview. He came to it with a curious mind (as Lin Wood would say). He also was able to get me to share information about myself that I've never discussed publicly. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you do too. Thank YOU all again for being great supporters of The Learning Leader Show.

Episode 150: Forbes Contributor Omaid Homayun Interviews Me - Learning From Failure, Creating A Hit Podcast, Sustaining Excellence

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Sometimes you can do absolutely everything within your power,” Hawk said of his time at Miami (OH), “and yet it still won’t be enough to accomplish your goals. It’s served me well to handle failure at a young age. I draw from that experience on a daily basis.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Why I decided against a PhD and started this show instead
  • The process for creating the show -- And the work done prior to launching
  • How to improve as an interviewer
  • The most important I learned from my football career
  • A detailed description of "what happens" from play to play as a quarterback (I've never discussed it in this detail before)
  • What it was like competing with Ben Roethlisberger for 2 years at Miami University
  • How to balance time at work and time with family
  • The specific breakdown (by % of time) for how I spend my 168 hours per week
  • How to get your family involved and excited about a new project
  • The most memorable lessons learned from speaking with over 150 world class leaders

“It will spread because I’m going to work like crazy for it to be great.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed how we flipped the script on this episode, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From www.LearningLeader.com 

Ryan Hawk is the creator and host of The Learning Leader Show, a top rated iTunes business podcast that focuses on learning from the smartest, most creative leaders in the world (including such luminaries as Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Kat Cole and Adam Grant). Hawk’s podcast has exploded on a global scale with listeners in 112 countries world-wide. Forbes has called The Learning Leader Show “The most dynamic leadership podcast out there.” And Inc magazine listed The Learning Leader Show as one of the top 5 podcasts to “help you lead smarter.”

Ryan also writes for The Huffington Post on the topics of leading and empowering others. His background is in the profession of selling where he’s won multiple awards for his production. Prior to his professional business pursuits Hawk was a decorated college football quarterback (at Miami University and Ohio University).

Aug 10, 2016

Episode 149: Marcus Sheridan - The Sales Lion: "They Ask, We Answer"

Marcus Sheridan has coached multiple businesses of all types from around the globe in an effort to help them achieve world-class communication in all its forms, online and offline. Specifically, he has become known for: Content Marketing, HubSpot Training, Keynote Speeches. In 2015 alone, award-winning speaker Marcus Sheridan has traveled the globe, giving multiple sales, marketing, and leadership keynotes in a total of 8 different countries and 24 states. Sheridan, along with team member George Thomas, can be counted on to teach, inspire, and move audiences of all sizes to action while embracing today’s digital consumer and new way of doing business.

Episode 149: Marcus Sheridan - The Sales Lion: "They Ask, We Answer"

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“I teach companies how to become the most trusted source in their industry."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having an obsession with continuing to learn will help you sustain excellence. A mindset that says "I have not figured it all out yet."
  • His core philosophy is: "They ask. We answer."
  • How Jim Rohn helped him fall in love with learning
  • The process in which Marcus teaches companies to be the most trusted source in their industry
  • "The reason why people buy from you is TRUST."
  • When people go to your website, they want to know how much it costs... So tell them
  • Talking openly about your competitors is a wise way to go about your business
  • What's the most important part of the sales cycle? 70% of people decide what they're going to do before talking to a sales professional
  • The magic happens before they talk to someone (this is why your website is critical)
  • If someone read 30 pages on his website, they bought 80% of the time
  • 80% of the questions are the same... Answer them on your website
  • Why it's required at his company for each employee to build their personal brand
  • Why is Marcus a great public speaker? "He knows how to explain things so that people can actually understand them."
  • "When we tell stories, the audience can see it."
  • Think, Feel, Act - Your speech can hopefully change all three
  • Why he took his daughter on the road with him for an entire semester
  • A learning leader is curious.. Constantly learning

“If you're going to be ultra successful in sales, you need a personal brand."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Marcus Sheridan on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From TheSalesLion.com

Marcus Sheridan has coached multiple businesses of all types from around the globe in an effort to help them achieve world-class communication in all its forms, online and offline. Specifically, he has become known for: Content Marketing, HubSpot Training, Keynote Speeches. In 2015 alone, award-winning speaker Marcus Sheridan has traveled the globe, giving multiple sales, marketing, and leadership keynotes in a total of 8 different countries and 24 states. Sheridan, along with team member George Thomas, can be counted on to teach, inspire, and move audiences of all sizes to action while embracing today’s digital consumer and new way of doing business.

Aug 7, 2016

Episode 148: Jason Wachob - CEO of MindBodyGreen: How To Build A Life, Not A Resume

JASON WACHOB is the Founder and CEO of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media brand dedicated to wellness. His site (mindbodygreen.com) receives 10 million unique page views per month! He has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Vogue. Jason has a BA in history from Columbia University, where he played varsity basketball for four years. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, and loves German Shepherds, Chuck Taylors, and guacamole.

Episode 148: Jason Wachob - CEO of MindBodyGreen: How To Build A Life, Not A Resume

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“You Don't Want To Spend Your Life Climbing A Ladder That you Realize Is The Wrong Ladder When You Get To The Top"

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Being around passionate people who have a palpable energy will help you sustain excellence
  • "If you're not progressing, you're dead."
  • mindbodygreen is dedicated to helping you live your best life
  • 4,400 contributors write for mbg
  • How does Jason respond to people who are critical of his work and view it with skepticism? -- "Go to mindbodygreen.com and look around, tell me what you think"
  • How playing basketball at Columbia helped him as a leader
  • How 9/11 impacted him and why it made him think about his career
  • At age 25, he made $800,000/year -- but he hated it
  • Why Jason felt he was going backwards and like he was a loser
  • Flew 150,000 domestic miles -- And he's 6'7
  • How yoga healed his back issues (he was previously told he needed surgery)
  • For the first 2 and a half years of mbg, he made no money
  • In 2012 he chose to raise capital
  • "Your problems don't go away... They change."
  • "Raising capital can be the quickest way to kill your business."
  • Build a Life, Not A Resume -- We all know people who like to check off certain career boxes.  Don't do that.
  • As an entrepreneur, you have to be extremely comfortable with ambiguity -- You go to bed at night not knowing if your business will succeed
  • You can't work for 2 and a half years making no money unless you are extremely passionate about it...
  • A learning leader has to evolve - Progress, Progress, Progress

“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night, and in between does what he wants to do.” - Bob Dylan

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jason Wachob on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From mindbodygreen.com

JASON WACHOB is the Founder and CEO of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media brand dedicated to wellness. His site (mindbodygreen.com) receives 10 million unique page views per month! He has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Vogue. Jason has a BA in history from Columbia University, where he played varsity basketball for four years. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, and loves German Shepherds, Chuck Taylors, and guacamole.

Aug 3, 2016

Episode 147: Anders Ericsson - What Malcolm Gladwell Got Wrong About The 10,000 Hour Rule

ANDERS ERICSSON, PhD, is Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology at Florida State University.  He studies expert performance in domains, such as music, chess, medicine, and sports, and how expert performers attain their superior performance by acquiring complex cognitive mechanisms through extended deliberate practice.  He has edited “Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance” (2006) and “The Development of Professional Expertise” (2009). In the book Outliers Malcolm Gladwell based his “10,000 hour rule” on Ericsson and colleagues’s research on musicians. His latest book is titled, "PEAK, Secrets From The New Science of Expertise."

Have you ever wanted to learn a language or pick up an instrument, only to become too daunted by the task at hand? Expert performance guru Anders Ericsson has made a career studying chess champions, violin virtuosos, star athletes, and memory mavens. Peak condenses three decades of original research to introduce an incredibly powerful approach to learning that is fundamentally different from the way people traditionally think about acquiring a skill.

Ericsson’s findings have been lauded and debated, but never properly explained. So the idea of expertise still intimidates us — we believe we need innate talent to excel, or think excelling seems prohibitively difficult.

 Peak belies both of these notions, proving that almost all of us have the seeds of excellence within us — it’s just a question of nurturing them by reducing expertise to a discrete series of attainable practices. Peak offers invaluable, often counter-intuitive, advice on setting goals, getting feedback, identifying patterns, and motivating yourself.  Whether you want to stand out at work, or help your kid achieve academic goals, Ericsson’s revolutionary methods will show you how to master nearly anything.

Episode 147: Anders Ericsson - What Malcolm Gladwell Got Wrong About The 10,000 Hour Rule

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Deliberate or purposeful practice involves practicing alongside a great coach or teacher."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Being really thoughtful and deliberately thinking of ways to get better help you sustain excellence
  • Why it's so important to develop daily habits -- Being aware of the tradeoffs -- Using time wisely
  • The impact of Nobel Prize winner, Herbert Simon -- Anders worked with him for 3 years
  • Impressive listening skills -- How developing your ability to listen will dramatically improve your life
  • He has not found any evidence that shows that people are born successful -- It's learned
  • What does it take to be successful?
  • What exactly Malcolm Gladwell got wrong about the "10,000 Hour" rule
  • It's not just engaging in the domain -- There must be purposeful practice with a coach
  • Always operate on the boundary of what you can and can't do.
  • Why Anders and Malcolm Gladwell do not talk
  • Nature vs. Nurture debate - Family culture and interactions -- How they impact your life
  • A study of quarterbacks and their family backgrounds
  • How do you measure deliberate practice?
  • Creating the gap -- Where you are and where you want to be
  • Keynote speech - Think, Feel, Act -- We want to cover all three and most importantly change how you act
  • The Four Step Process
    • Specific Goal Set
    • Intense Focus
    • Immediate Feedback
    • Frequent Discomfort

“Always operate on the boundary of what you can and can't do."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Anders Ericsson on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

ANDERS ERICSSON, PhD, is Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology at Florida State University.  He studies expert performance in domains, such as music, chess, medicine, and sports, and how expert performers attain their superior performance by acquiring complex cognitive mechanisms through extended deliberate practice.  He has edited “Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance” (2006) and “The Development of Professional Expertise” (2009). In the book Outliers Malcolm Gladwell based his “10,000 hour rule” on Ericsson and colleagues’s research on musicians. His latest book is titled, "PEAK, Secrets From The New Science of Expertise."

Have you ever wanted to learn a language or pick up an instrument, only to become too daunted by the task at hand? Expert performance guru Anders Ericsson has made a career studying chess champions, violin virtuosos, star athletes, and memory mavens. Peak condenses three decades of original research to introduce an incredibly powerful approach to learning that is fundamentally different from the way people traditionally think about acquiring a skill.

Ericsson’s findings have been lauded and debated, but never properly explained. So the idea of expertise still intimidates us — we believe we need innate talent to excel, or think excelling seems prohibitively difficult.

 Peak belies both of these notions, proving that almost all of us have the seeds of excellence within us — it’s just a question of nurturing them by reducing expertise to a discrete series of attainable practices. Peak offers invaluable, often counterintuitive, advice on setting goals, getting feedback, identifying patterns, and motivating yourself.  Whether you want to stand out at work, or help your kid achieve academic goals, Ericsson’s revolutionary methods will show you how to master nearly anything.
Jul 31, 2016

Episode 146: Steven Sisler Psychoanalyzes Me - I Am Unorthodox, Mission Oriented, Logical, Competitive, & Complex

Steven Sisler is a Behavioral Analyst, speaker and author. Steve's consultation involves personality difference, leadership strategy, cultural differences, and temperament strategy. Working with clients in more than 18 countries, Steve gathers behavioral and attitudinal information on individuals within corporate settings and develops strategies for effective leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial success.

Steve makes normative judgments and brings thought provoking insights to the three ethical platforms within our society. These are the Community Ethic, The Autonomy Ethic, and The Divinity Ethic, and these platforms all have strong implications when challenged with ideological frameworks outside of those accepted within larger people groups. Steven was diagnosed with Hyper Kinetic Behavior in the second grade. He was beat up by girls and fought his way through nine years of intense bullying including being stripped down to his underwear and locked in a seven inch school locker in the seventh grade, kicked by a teacher in front of his class, and knocked unconscious by an eleven member gang on the school grounds.

Episode 146: Steven Sisler Psychoanalyzes Me - I Am Unorthodox, Mission Oriented, Logical, Competitive, & Complex

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Character is learned and character changes."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • People who understand themselves and embrace their strengths and weaknesses typically sustain excellence
  • Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss have a great understanding of themselves
  • What it means to be a "behavioral profiler"
  • The biggest misconceptions of Steve's work
  • The Four People Types:
    • Mad
    • Glad
    • Sad
    • Scared
  • Why job interviews are not authentic
  • The power of saying "I don't know"
  • I like to know "why" more than "how"
  • Measuring my emotional framework -- How Steve describes me based on the tests I took
    • Mission and results oriented person
    • Logical and left brained
    • Have a great poker face. Not showing emotion.
    • A very task oriented person -- "Give me the shovel"
    • Quick, very flexible, independent, freedom seeker, wanting to be in charge
    • Like to control the environment, suspicious -- People have to qualify to get in and be trusted
    • A teacher -- Would make a great college professor
    • A complex brain - Always want to know why?
    • Much more competitive with self than other people
    • High expectations of self -- Never feel content with what's been accomplished, never satisfied
    • An outside the box thinker -- Has unorthodox ideas and approaches to solving problems -- Answers questions in an interesting way, not a typical way
    • A creative problem solver who never gives up
    • A high empathy score -- But can be emotionally distant at times
    • In the 2% of personality score (matches very few people in the world)
    • Go to FreeBRG.com to get your own personality test

“I like to know why more than to know how."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Steven Sisler on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

Steven Sisler is a Behavioral Analyst, speaker and author. Steve's consultation involves personality difference, leadership strategy, cultural differences, and temperament strategy. Working with clients in more than 18 countries, Steve gathers behavioral and attitudinal information on individuals within corporate settings and develops strategies for effective leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial success.

Steve makes normative judgments and brings thought provoking insights to the three ethical platforms within our society. These are the Community Ethic, The Autonomy Ethic, and The Divinity Ethic, and these platforms all have strong implications when challenged with ideological frameworks outside of those accepted within larger people groups. Steven was diagnosed with Hyper Kinetic Behavior in the second grade. He was beat up by girls and fought his way through nine years of intense bullying including being stripped down to his underwear and locked in a seven inch school locker in the seventh grade, kicked by a teacher in front of his class, and knocked unconscious by an eleven member gang on the school grounds.

After losing his left eye in 1975, he was singled out and repeatedly punched in the eye by menacing students. At the age of 17 he became a bodybuilder and for the next 3 years worked out intensely until he was bench pressing well over 300 pounds. He later entered seminary after marrying his wife Anita and has since spoken in many forums including youth groups, retreats, churches, seminaries, business groups and currently consults and motivates leaders around the globe.

Jul 27, 2016

Episode 145: AJ Hawk - Life In The NFL: Awareness, Consistency, Curiosity

A special "swapcast" episode of The Learning Leader Show. This episode with my younger brother AJ is being released on both "The Learning Leader Show," and AJ's video podcast, "The HawkCast."  To view the video of this conversation go to: TheHawkCast.show. This has quickly become one of my favorite episodes. I really enjoy when AJ and I record episodes together.  We've done it in the past and we'll continue doing it in the future. 

Episode 145: AJ Hawk - Life In The NFL: Awareness, Consistency, Curiosity

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“It's really easy to work hard when you're feel good. The difference is consistently working hard everyday."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Focusing like Jim Tressel leads to sustained excellence. Keep everything simple... And LISTEN
  • The 3 words to describe AJ
    • Consistent - Always being there for your teammates. Everyday in practice, weightroom, film room, games
    • Aware - Understanding your surroundings. The real measure of intelligence is your awareness
    • Thoughtful - Caring for others. Understanding how your actions impact others
  • Where was our curiosity developed? Has it always been there? (No)
  • TRUST = It's everything
  • "Do Not Blindly Follow"
  • Why AJ feels that he wouldn't be a good coach (I disagree)
  • Creating actionable steps to change a bad habit -- Get an accountability partner
  • What makes a great coach
  • The best teammates he's ever played with
  • Talking a lot on the football field = "Insecurities bubbling to the surface" - Brady Poppinga
  • Be about DOING... Not Saying
  • AJ's philosophy as a Dad
  • The importance of authenticity as a leader and passing that on to your kids
  • How AJ would respond if his children are not hard workers like him
  • What one coach would he like to hear on the other end of the phone to sign him this season?
  • His dream golf foursome: Charles Barkley, Bill Belichick, Jesus playing at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin
  • The question he asks others to truly understand how they think
  • Learning Leader = "It felt right. It fits you."

“Typically, the "talkers" are simply voicing their insecurities. The "doers" don't talk about it. They just do it."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing AJ Hawk on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Bengals.com

Rookie first-round draft choice started all 16 games for Green Bay and led team in tackles (155) ... Ranked third in Associated Press voting for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year ... 2008—Played through chest and groin injuries, starting every Packers game and leading team in tackles (121) ...  2010—Team leader in tackles (134) for 10-6 Wild Card team that went on to capture Super Bowl XLV with 31-25 conquest of Pittsburgh ... Seven tackles (six solo) in Super Bowl win, with two passes defensed ... Named by teammates as one of two postseason defensive captains ... Led team in tackles (10) in NFC Championship win at Chicago ... Career-best three INTs in regular season, including picks against Brett Favre and Eli Manning ... 2012—Started every game and both postseason games for Packers club that went 11-5 for NFC North title ... Led team with 142 tackles, including three sacks... 2013—Started 16 games for Packers’ NFC North title winner, and played in both postseason games (one start) ... Led team in regular-season tackles (153) and had career-best five sacks ... Named a Packers postseason captain for third time in his career ... 

College: Played four seasons (2002-05) at Ohio State ... Earned consensus All-America honors in his final two seasons and was first-team All-Big Ten in his last three campaigns ... Foreshadowed his NFL durability by being available for every game of his career, and started his last 37 games ... As a senior in ’05, won Lombardi Award, given to college football’s top lineman or linebacker, and was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive MVP of Tostitos Fiesta Bowl ... As true freshman in ’02, played as a key reserve on 14-0 national championship team ... Career totals of 51 games, 38 starts, 394 tackles,41 tackles-for-loss, 15.5 sacks, seven INTs and two TDs (one on blocked punt and one on INT).

Community service: Has held an annual “Mane Event” in Columbus, Ohio, raising money for “Hawk’s Locks for Kids,” his charity that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatments ... Has participated in NFL’s Play60 program ... Worked with Packers in their “Take a Player to School” event ... Visited with Green Bay area elementary students as reward for their participation in Packers’ Women’s Association food drive ... Has supported Jerry Patrins Cruise for Cancer, the Donald Driver Foundation, the Greg Jennings Foundation and the 2nd-and-7 Foundation, the charity of fellow Ohio State alum Mike Vrabel ... Has made multiple appearances on the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer, and has been a spokesperson for Wisconsin Special Olympics.

A racing connection: Hawk’s initials stand for “Aaron James” ... He was nicknamed A.J. by his parents as an infant, after legendary Indy car driver A.J. Foyt.

Personal: Hometown is Centerville, Ohio ... Attended Centerville (Ohio) High School, where he logged 585 career tackles while also seeing time as a quarterback and place kicker ... Also earned two basketball letters as a point guard for Centerville ... Married to the former Laura Quinn, sister of former NFL QB Brady Quinn. Earned degree from Ohio State in criminology ... Grew his hair long in 2005 as a tribute to Pat Tillman, former NFL player who lost his life while serving with U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and kept hair long until 2012, when he cut it and donated trimmings to Wigs for Kids charity ... Chosen to throw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game in 2007 and also took part in batting practice, hitting two home runs ... Twice won “Celebrity Long Drive” title at the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic in Lake Tahoe, Nev., Hosts his own podcast, interviewing people from all walks of life, including golfer John Daly and sportscaster Joe Buck ... Brother, Ryan, played football at Ohio University and in Arena Football 2 league.

Jul 24, 2016

Episode 144: Paul Tough - How To Develop An Intrinsically Motivated Child

Paul Tough is the author, most recently, of Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why. His previous book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, was translated into 27 languages and spent more than a year on the New York Times hardcover and paperback best-seller lists. His first book, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America, was published in 2008.

Paul is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, where he has written extensively about education, parenting, poverty, and politics. His writing has also appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, GQ, and Esquire, and on the op-ed page of the New York Times.

He has worked as an editor at the New York Times Magazine and Harper’s Magazine and as a reporter and producer for the public-radio program “This American Life.” He was the founding editor of Open Letters, an online magazine.

Episode 144: Paul Tough - How To Develop An Intrinsically Motivated Child

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Our Goal Is To Help Our Children Be Independent."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having a growth mindset leads (not just about skills) to sustained excellence
  • Realize that failure will happen... You won't sustain excellence 100% of the time
  • How has parenting changed over the last 20 years
  • Read "Our Kids" by Robert Putnam
  • Parents are more educated = They have more anxiety about their kids
  • Parents are more intrusive -- They think everything has to be exactly right -- It puts pressure on children
  • Kids need to continue doing basic responsibilities (mow the lawn, wash dishes, etc...)
  • Creating a system around incentives is bad
  • How do you develop a child to be intrinsically motivated?
  • Keep praise for success overcoming difficult moments, not just getting straight A's
  • Helping children develop GRIT - How to do it
  • The importance of having a coach -- And placing a high value on a great coach
  • Understand the messages we send about success and failure
  • The value of having a winner and a loser in athletic competitions

“Hearing the word NO is one of the biggest gifts a child can receive."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 080: Ryan Estis - From Rock Star Sales Professional To World Class Speaker & Entrepreneur

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Paul Tough on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From PaulTough.com

Paul Tough is the author, most recently, of Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why. His previous book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, was translated into 27 languages and spent more than a year on the New York Times hardcover and paperback best-seller lists. His first book, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America, was published in 2008.

Paul is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, where he has written extensively about education, parenting, poverty, and politics. His writing has also appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, GQ, and Esquire, and on the op-ed page of the New York Times.

He has worked as an editor at the New York Times Magazine and Harper’s Magazine and as a reporter and producer for the public-radio program “This American Life.” He was the founding editor of Open Letters, an online magazine.

Jul 20, 2016

Episode 143: Chad Estis - SVP For The Dallas Cowboys: Working For Jerry Jones

Chad Estis serves as Executive Vice President at Legends Hospitality Management, LLC and served as its President of Legends Sales & Marketing. He is responsible for the sales strategies and client acquisitions for the Legends Division focused on selling premium seating inventory for new and renovated facilities in Major League and Collegiate athletics. He served as the Chief Marketing Officer and an Executive Vice President of Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena from 2006 to 2007 overseeing all sales, marketing, community relations, communications, web-site and game operations. He served as Head of Sales and Marketing at Cleveland Cavaliers. He served as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for the Cavaliers from 2001 to 2005.

Chad was then recruited (heavily) by Jerry Jones and family to lead the sales organization for The Dallas Cowboys.  He served as the lead for Cowboys Stadium Premium Sales project where he was responsible for a sales team of 60 people that set industry records for both PSL (Personal Seat Licenses) and Suite sales revenue. He is a 1993 graduate of Ohio University and a 1994 graduate of Ohio’s Sports Administration Masters Program.

Episode 143: Chad Estis - SVP For The Dallas Cowboys: Working For Jerry Jones

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Keys To A Great Career: Be great at what you currently do. Be curious. Have a career vision. Plant seeds for the future."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Passion, Optimism, and Likability leads to sustained excellence
  • What it's like working for Jerry Jones
  • The moment when the leaders of the Dallas Cowboys flew to Ohio to recruit Chad (WOW)
  • Starting at an entry level role making $16,000/year after earning a Masters degree
  • Learning to cold call (80-100 calls per day) and how they helped developed Chad's grit
  • The process of hiring millennials and working with them
  • Specific mentoring conversations - Hearing exactly what Chad says
  • Being great at what you currently do... Cannot focus on the future too much
  • The biggest mistake young managers/leaders make in their careers
  • How to hire a sales leader
  • The interview and hiring process -- Specifics on how to do it right
  • How to successfully use your "gut feelings"
  • The necessary ingredients for a happy and successful career
    • Work for people you enjoy being around
    • Be challenged everyday
    • Be compensated properly
  • Learning Leaders need to be constantly searching for new information to continually learn

“Everybody kept telling me they were a protege of Chad Estis.  I said, I need to meet this guy.” - Jerry Jones Jr.

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 080: Ryan Estis - From Rock Star Sales Professional To World Class Speaker & Entrepreneur

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Chad Estis on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Sportsad.ohio.edu 

Chad Estis serves as Executive Vice President at Legends Hospitality Management, LLC and served as its President of Legends Sales & Marketing. He is responsible for the sales strategies and client acquisitions for the Legends Division focused on selling premium seating inventory for new and renovated facilities in Major League and Collegiate athletics. He served as the Chief Marketing Officer and an Executive Vice President of Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena from 2006 to 2007 overseeing all sales, marketing, community relations, communications, web-site and game operations. He served as Head of Sales and Marketing at Cleveland Cavaliers. He served as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for the Cavaliers from 2001 to 2005.

Chad was then recruited (heavily) by Jerry Jones and family to lead the sales organization for The Dallas Cowboys.  He served as the lead for Cowboys Stadium Premium Sales project where he was responsible for a sales team of 60 people that set industry records for both PSL (Personal Seat Licenses) and Suite sales revenue. He is a 1993 graduate of Ohio University and a 1994 graduate of Ohio’s Sports Administration Masters Program.

Jul 17, 2016

Episode 142: Donald Miller - "I Will Make You Everyone's Favorite Leader"

Donald Miller is a student of story. He’s the author of New York Times Best Sellers: "Blue Like Jazz," "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," and "Scary Close." He co-wrote the major motion picture "Blue Like Jazz" which debuted at the SXSW Film Festival and was listed as one of the top four movies to get you through freshman year by USA Today. He has served on The Presidential Task Force for Fatherhood and Healthy Families, a joint effort between government and the private sector to rewrite the story of fatherlessness in America. Donald Miller is a 3 time NY Times best-selling author. He has worked on Presidential campaigns, and now he helps people clearly and concisely tell their stories through live events and at StoryBrand.com 

Episode 142: Donald Miller - "I'm Will Make You Everyone's Favorite Leader"

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“We don't want to react to life. We want to impose our will upon life."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having the ability to focus like Michael Hyatt and Bob Goff leads to sustained excellence
  • The importance of writing it down
  • Creating a filter to say "No"
  • The process for creating your story -- "If you confuse, you lose"
  • The 7 storybrand rules that Jeb Bush broke
  • People want to hear "their" story, not yours
  • Passing the "laptop to a caveman" test 
  • Your website should answer 3 questions:
    • What are you offering?
    • How does it make my life better?
    • How do I buy?
  • The top right quadrant is the most important part of your website
  • The 2 dominant things your brain does
    • Survive and thrive
    • Tries to conserve energy
  • The 7 parts of a story: 1) Character 2) A problem 3) A guide 4) A plan 5) The action 6) Ends in success 7) Or failure
  • Why "Make America Great Again" is a fantastic slogan
  • "Every human being is looking for a guide to help them"
  • Why empathy and authority are needed
  • "I know how to make you the leader that everyone loves" -- What are the 3 steps to making you the leader that everyone loves
  • Make everyone think: "What will my life be if I don't subscribe to your podcast?"

“I'm going to make you everyone's favorite leader."

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Donald Miller on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Amazon.com

Donald Miller is a 3 time NY Times best-selling author. He has worked on Presidential campaigns, and now he helps people clearly and concisely tell their stories through live events and at StoryBrand.com 

 

Jul 13, 2016

Episode 141: Jonah Berger - The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Behavior

Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On and Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior.

Dr. Berger has spent over 15 years studying how social influence works and how it drives products and ideas to catch on. He’s published dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals, consulted for a variety of Fortune 500 companies, and popular outlets like the New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work.

Episode 141: Jonah Berger - The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Behavior

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“With great insight, Jonah Berger removes the cloak of invisibility from powerful sources of influence and resolves fascinating mysteries of human behavior." Robert Cialdini, author of Influence

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Creating a sense of kinship or familiarity leads to sustained excellence
  • How the best leaders create a sense that "we've known each other a long time"
  • Why you should say "Nice to see you" instead of "Nice to meet you"
  • Successful negotiators mimic and imitate the people across from them (sometimes unconsciously) 
  • Waiters earn a 70% higher tip if they repeat the customer's order back to them verbatim
  • The importance of emulating the person you are speaking with (in order to influence)
  • Mimicry works because people aren't aware it's happening
  • Why expensive products don't always use logos
  • How older siblings provide a point of imitation and why younger siblings tend to be better at sports
  • The power of "playing up" against greater competition
  • Why comparing yourself to others is actually a good thing to do
  • As leaders, we should always be learning -- That's the core of being a leader
  • Why as a young manager you need to focus on collaboration -- Ask others for help
  • Learning Leader = "I loved it. Merging of Learning and Leadership. Helping others learn. Serving them.

“Be Optimally Distinct"

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jonah Berger on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From JonahBerger.com

Why do some things catch on while others fail? What makes online content viral? And why do some products, ideas, and behaviors get more word of mouth than others? Professor Jonah Berger examines the behavioral science that underlies these questions. He examines how people make decisions, how ideas diffuse, and how social influence shapes behavior.

Berger is a Marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals, and popular accounts of his work frequently appear in popular outlets like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Science, Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, Wired, Business Week, The Atlantic, and The Economist. His research has also been featured in the New York Times Magazine’s “Year in Ideas.” Berger has been recognized with a number of awards for both scholarship and teaching, including various early career awards and being named Wharton’s Iron Prof (an award for awesome faculty research).

Dr. Berger has helped all sorts of companies and organizations get their stuff to catch on. From Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups, and multinationals to non-profits, Berger has helped drive new product adoption, sharpen effective messaging, and develop marketing strategy.

Jul 10, 2016

Episode 140: Carol Dweck - The Power Of A Growth Mindset

Dr. Carol Dweck's work is the foundation for what it means to be a learning leader. To be in a constant state of improvement... "In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it."

Mindset is a simple idea discovered by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success—a simple idea that makes all the difference. Teaching a growth mindset creates motivation and productivity in the worlds of business, education, and sports.

Episode 140: Carol Dweck - The Power Of A Growth Mindset

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Growth mindset leaders want to be challenged."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Focusing on growth -- having a desire for a challenge and learning from setbacks leads to sustained excellence
  • People with a fixed mindset are afraid to find out that they aren't very smart
  • Growth mindset leaders want to be challenged
  • Fixed mindset leaders have a deep seated insecurity. They have to keep showing that they're a genius.
  • Don't declare that you have a growth mindset -- Instead figure out what triggers you into having a fixed mindset. Start there.
  • Questions to ask people in an interview to understand their mindset
  • Sharing credit or taking it all for yourself? It shows a lot about your mindset
  • When was the last time you were wrong? (It should be often)
  • "Don't praise the intelligence. Praise the process."
  • Do NOT reward children for getting straight A's
  • Taking the stairs -- Develop Grit 
  • Be aware that doing something the hard way will benefit you (and your children)
  • "I want your listeners to do something way outside of their comfort zone..."
  • Why as a young manager you need to focus on collaboration -- Ask others for help
  • Learning Leader = "I loved it. Merging of Learning and Leadership. Helping others learn. Serving them.

“I have always been deeply moved by outstanding achievement and saddened by wasted potential.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Carol Dweck on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From MindsetOnline.com

Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of motivation and is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her research has focused on why people succeed and how to foster success. She has held professorships at Columbia and Harvard Universities, has lectured all over the world, and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her scholarly book Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development was named Book of the Year by the World Education Federation. Her work has been featured in such publications as The New Yorker, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, and she has appeared on Today and 20/20.

Jul 6, 2016

Episode 139: Lin Wood – One Of The Greatest Trial Lawyers In The World

Lin Wood has more than 38 years of experience as a trial lawyer focusing on civil litigation, representing individuals and corporations as plaintiffs or defendants in tort and business cases involving claims of significant damage, including False Claims Act cases. Mr. Wood also has extensive experience in First Amendment/defamation litigation and management of the media in high profile cases.

On behalf of his clients, Mr. Wood has made numerous national television and radio appearances, including appearances on NBC’s The Today Show, CBS’ 60 Minutes and 60 Minutes II, Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’ The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning, MSNBC’s The Abrams Report, Imus in the Morning and Hardball, Court TV, and the CBS, NBC and ABC evening news programs. Mr. Wood was profiled in the cover article of the January 1998, issue of Atlanta magazine, on the July 12, 2000, broadcast of NBC’s The Today Show and in the cover article of the November 27, 2000, issue of Editor & Publisher magazine. Additionally, Mr. Wood was recognized as a Notable Georgian in the January 2002, issue of Georgia Trend magazine. Most recently, Mr. Wood was profiled in the cover article of the September 2015, issue of Attorney at Law.

Episode 139: Lin Wood – One Of The Greatest Trial Lawyers In The World

 

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“If You Follow A Script, Rather Than A Checklist, You Will Miss Answers.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having a vision/goal that is clearly defined combined with a willingness to take on risk will lead to sustained excellence
  • Lin’s combination of confidence and work ethic has led to his immense success
  • How representing Richard Jewell (the original person suspected of the Centennial Park bombing at the Atlanta Olympics) changed his life
  • What it was like defending Jon and Patsy Ramsey
  • His clients call him in times of need because he becomes their friend
  • Lin’s sole focus is on developing a relationship and helping his clients
  • The Devita case = $495 million settlement
  • It’s good to experience “jumping off a cliff without a parachute” = starting his own firm
  • The importance of getting a ton of “reps” in the court room as a young lawyer
  • Going in to each and every conversation with a curious mind
  • Why you have to be willing to take on cases that you will lose – No great trial lawyer is undefeated.  This is a great metaphor for life and risk taking opportunities

“Being A Trial Lawyer Is An Art… Not A Science.” – Lin Wood

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Lin Wood on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Information from LinWoodLaw.com

 

Lin Wood has been the lead attorney in many national, high profile cases, including serving as:

  • Lead civil attorney for the late Richard Jewell in matters arising out of reporting about Mr. Jewell in connection with the 1996 bombing of Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta
  • Lead civil attorney for Jeff Greene in libel litigation against The St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald related to Mr. Greene’s 2010 campaign for the Democratic Nomination for the U.S. Senate from Florida
  • Lead civil attorney for Sheldon Adelson in New York libel litigation against the National Jewish Democratic Council
  • Attorney for Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain in defense of false accusation
  • Attorney for Dr. Phil McGraw in connection with false and defamatory articles published by Newsweek, the Daily Beast and the National Enquirer
  • Lead civil attorney in Whistleblower cases alleging Medicare fraud against DaVita, Inc. in federal court in Atlanta and against Halifax Hospital Medical Center in federal court in Florida
  • Lead civil attorney for Howard K. Stern in the prosecution and defense of defamation claims arising out of the death of Anna Nicole Smith
  • Lead trial counsel for The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. in connection with claims related to corporate governance
  • Lead attorney for John and the late Patsy Ramsey and their son in matters relating to the 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado
  • Attorney for Beth Holloway in matters relating to the media coverage ofthe May 2005 disappearance of her daughter, Natalee Holloway, in Aruba and in a pending civil action against the National Enquirer in federal court in Alabama
  • Attorney for Sharon Rocha in matters relating to the media coverage of the December 2002 murder of her daughter, Laci Peterson
  • Attorney for former U.S. Congressman Gary Condit in defamation matters relating to the May 2001 abduction and murder of Chandra Levy in Washington
  • Co-counsel for the victim in the civil actions in Colorado against Kobe Bryant
  • Lead counsel for AirTran Airlines, Inc. in defamation litigation against the Cleveland, Ohio newspaper, The Plain Dealer
  • Lead counsel for Esquire Deposition Services LLC in multi-state class actions dealing with billing practices
  • Lead trial counsel for the Estate of Anna Nicole Smith in federal action for misappropriation and theft of estate property
  • Lead trial attorney for Sun Trust Bank in litigation arising out of claims by trust beneficiaries related to an inheritance of Coca-Cola stock
Jul 3, 2016

Episode 138: Caroline Burckle – How To Use Visualization Like An Olympian

What an honor it was for me to speak with an incredible leader and Olympic Bronze Medalist, Caroline Burckle. This conversation is packed with action oriented advice.  You can implement Caroline’s ideas immediately and see a positive impact in your life.

In her words: Winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in swimming was the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life. A lifelong road of pursuing a goal not only taught me the importance of clear communication, leadership, self-confidence, and goal-setting, but how to authentically follow a vision that was once merely a dream.

I thrive when I am developing individuals. My definition of success is to connect a person with their inner power and tap into their true potential. Whether I am rocking a one-on-one individual coaching session or speaking to a group of people, I am passionate in my quest to elevate people to view their lives through a spirited lens!

My journey (in a nutshell): Swam for The University of Florida & Team USA, 2008 Beijing Bronze Medalist in 4x200 Freestyle Relay , Swam Professionally for BlueSeventy & Team USA in Southern California, Associate of Arts Degree from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising -- Product Development, Worked for the ever-inspiring lululemon Athletica for ~ 3 years in both Beverly Hills, CA & Louisville, KY, Masters of Science in Sport Psychology & Motor Behavior from The University of Tennessee, Founder of Stilwellness - Peak Performance Coaching

Co-Founder of RISE Elite Athletes - Peak Performance Coaching for Youth Athletes

Episode 138: Caroline Burckle – How To Use Visualization Like An Olympian

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“A creative mind is an authentic mind.  It is your personal driving force for autonomy and a balanced life.  Without creativity we do not grow.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Connection to others (teammates).  The ability to know you are leading others leads to sustained excellence
  • The influence Brene Brown had on Caroline and the importance of “doing the work”
  • Winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – The effect it had on her life
  • Breaking Janet Evans long standing record
  • How Caroline felt in that race and was able to do something that had never been done
  • Flow state – the dynamics of it and how to get there
  • Visualizing like Jason Day
  • Mentoring and leading others – how to create a business from it
  • The writing process – Talking it out
  • The importance of waking up early and moving your body – How that impacts your mind and body
  • 2008 Olympics – Michael Phelps – The French trash talking
  • The struggle and depression that follows the Olympics – How common this is for Olympians
  • How to use self-doubt as fuel

“I believe in visualization… Paint the picture.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Caroline Burckle on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From LinkedIn.com/in/caroburckle

Winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in swimming was the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life. A lifelong road of pursuing a goal not only taught me the importance of clear communication, leadership, self-confidence, and goal-setting, but how to authentically follow a vision that was once merely a dream.

I thrive when I am developing individuals. My definition of success is to connect a person with their inner power and tap into their true potential. Whether I am rocking a one-on-one individual coaching session or speaking to a group of people, I am passionate in my quest to elevate people to view their lives through a spirited lens!

My journey (in a nutshell): Swam for The University of Florida & Team USA, 2008 Beijing Bronze Medalist in 4x200 Freestyle Relay , Swam Professionally for BlueSeventy & Team USA in Southern California, Associate of Arts Degree from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising -- Product Development, Worked for the ever-inspiring lululemon Athletica for ~ 3 years in both Beverly Hills, CA & Louisville, KY, Masters of Science in Sport Psychology & Motor Behavior from The University of Tennessee, Founder of Stilwellness - Peak Performance Coaching

Co-Founder of RISE Elite Athletes - Peak Performance Coaching for Youth Athletes

Jun 29, 2016

Episode 137: Don Yaeger – How To Become A Master Storyteller

Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, an eight-time New York Times Best-selling author and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated. Don has fashioned a career as one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story.

He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving Greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. Additionally, Don has been retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders, management teams and employees on building a culture of greatness by looking at Great Teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them.

Throughout his writing career, Don has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to every major talk show – from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America.

Episode 137: Don Yaeger – How To Become A Master Storyteller

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The greatest in the world learned to hate losing more than they loved winning.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Taking excuses off the table and understanding the value of who you associate with leads to sustained excellence
  • Looking for imperceptible slights to fuel you – Michael Jordan’s method to motivate himself
  • Listening, always being a student will lead to incredible relationships
  • Understanding how to asks questions that lead people to open up
  • Challenge yourself to be known by 5 words
  • The process of becoming a professional speaker
  • Understanding you have a personal brand and how to cultivate it
  • The 16 things high performing teams do that others don’t
  • Always having a development plan for the next leaders
  • How to make meetings better – It starts with punctuality
  • Learning Leader – John Wooden – Always reading, right up until the end of his life
  • Playing quarterback and how it compares to other parts of life

 “Every other month I flew to California to meet with John Wooden. EVERY time I walked in the room he was reading a book.  He never stopped learning.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Don Yaeger on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From DonYaeger.com

Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, an eight-time New York Times Best-selling author and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated. Don has fashioned a career as one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story.

He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving Greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. Additionally, Don has been retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders, management teams and employees on building a culture of greatness by looking at Great Teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them.

Throughout his writing career, Don has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to every major talk show – from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America.

Jun 26, 2016

Episode 136: Derek Coburn – Networking Is Not Working

Derek Coburn is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, “Networking Is Not Working: Stop Collecting Business Cards and Start Making Meaningful Connections.” Derek is the CEO and co-founder (along with his wife, Melanie) of CADRE—an un-networking community in Washington, DC—serving CEOs and business leaders, and has hosted numerous bestselling authors and thought leaders at their YOUniversity events. He began his professional journey as a financial advisor in 1998 and has been a partner at Washington Financial Group for 15 years. Derek lives in Washington, DC with his wife Melanie, two sons and pit bull, Bodie. You can connect with Derek on his website and on Twitter at @cadredc.

Episode 136: Derek Coburn – Networking Is Not Working

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Derek Coburn is a literal master at networking and human relations.” Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • A willingness to be wrong… Curiosity/asking questions, and willing to get feedback leads to sustained excellence
  • The problem with being surrounded by “Yes Men”
  • Read: Persuadable-Great -  How Great Leaders Change-Their Minds to Change the World
  • The importance of curating who is at an event and more importantly, who is NOT there – Keep The Takers OUT
  • The core mission of Cadre
  • Building a network of Givers
  • The blueprint for how everyone can do this
  • Networking – “The intersection of client appreciation and business development”
  • Start hosting small events first
  • “Be Nucleate” – The center of the group
  • Grading your business, your relationships, and yourself – We riffed live on this and it was very interesting. 
  • Being a learning leader means surrounding yourself with people who are constantly growing, learning, improving, and willing to question everything

 “We prevent cheeseballs who want to sling business cards.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Derek Coburn on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From DerekCoburn.com

Derek Coburn is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, “Networking Is Not Working: Stop Collecting Business Cards and Start Making Meaningful Connections.” Derek is the CEO and co-founder (along with his wife, Melanie) of CADRE—an un-networking community in Washington, DC—serving CEOs and business leaders, and has hosted numerous bestselling authors and thought leaders at their YOUniversity events. He began his professional journey as a financial advisor in 1998 and has been a partner at Washington Financial Group for 15 years. Derek lives in Washington, DC with his wife Melanie, two sons and pit bull, Bodie. You can connect with Derek on his website and on Twitter at @cadredc.

Jun 22, 2016

Episode 135: Andrew Warner: How To Be A Fearless Interviewer (Mixergy)

Andrew Warner is one of the interviewers I study in order to improve my own interviewing skills.  I love how fearless he is.  He will ask the tough questions that most people are too scared to ask. It became a Meta moment to interview someone who I think is one of the best interviewers in the world.  I loved it!

Andrew Warner was one of the pioneers of the internet startup scene — starting online in 1997 and growing his business into a multi-million dollar venture. When Andrew grew up in New York City, he saw the titans of entrepreneurship — in particular, entrepreneurs from the publishing industry — firsthand.

He remembers thinking to himself that he wanted to do that. He wanted what they had achieved. By any measure, Warner has accomplished this childhood vision, and has made it as an entrepreneur.

After he and his brother achieved their first success, a $30 million per year Internet business, he wanted to share the gift of inspiration and knowledge with budding entrepreneurs. To achieve this end, he started Mixergy, where he invites proven Entrepreneurs to teach how they built their startups. On Mixergy, he has had the founders of Wikipedia, Groupon, LivingSocial, LinkedIn, and over a thousand other fascinating start-ups.

Episode 135: Andrew Warner: How To Be A Fearless Interviewer (Mixergy)

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“We want to be like the people who will go running in gardening shoes.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Caring and passion leads to sustained excellence
  • How to ask the really tough questions
  • The best one word question an interviewer can ask
  • How Charlie Rose has improved so much as an interviewer
  • Focusing on the bigger mission – What do you want to do?
  • The importance of preparation as an interviewer – And how to deal with potentially being too prepared
  • Hiring a coach – Transcribing his interviews to review them
  • How The Larry Sanders Show helped him as an interviewer
  • Why he started Mixergy
  • Don’t worry about having the right shoes, just go run
  • When interviewing someone, think… What do I really care about?
  • The power of stories

 “If you don’t experience failure early, then you begin to fail it later.  You can’t fear it.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Andrew Warner on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From AndrewWarner.com

Andrew Warner was one of the pioneers of the internet startup scene — starting online in 1997 and growing his business into a multi-million dollar venture. When Andrew Warner grew up in New York City, he saw the titans of entrepreneurship — in particular, entrepreneurs from the publishing industry — firsthand.

He remembers thinking to himself that he wanted to do that. He wanted what they had achieved. By any measure, Warner has accomplished this childhood vision, and has made it as an entrepreneur.

After he and his brother achieved their first success, a $30 million per year Internet business, he wanted to share the gift of inspiration and knowledge with budding entrepreneurs. To achieve this end, he started Mixergy, where he invites proven Entrepreneurs to teach how they built their startups. On Mixergy, he has had the founders of Wikipedia, Groupon, LivingSocial, LinkedIn, and over a thousand other fascinating start-ups.

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