Taking the Leap

Brett M. Johnson graduated from Brown University, where he was a member of the rowing team and received his Bachelor of Arts in History. He received his MBA from Pepperdine University and graduated from the Harvard Business School Executive Program. He is a member of the Young President's Organization (YPO) and is the CEO and Founder of Benevolent Capital and Founder of Fortuitous Partners.

Brett is the Chairman of Rhode Island FC, Director and Shareholder of Ipswich Town FC in England and Phoniex Rising FC in Phoneix, Arizona.

Show Notes:

• How Brett fell in love with soccer (Football) and the insight that led him to get involved in professional soccer (football) in the United States and England.
  • Phoenix Rising FC, Rhode Island FC, Ipswich Town FC 
• (8:00) What were the problems and challenges that Brett found with traditional private equity firms?
• (11:00) Brett discovered the incentives were misaligned. When he and Grant founded Benevolent Capital they decided to focus on creating the right incentive structure, which is very different from traditional private equity firms.
• (13:00) - What did Brett learn as a "Wartime CEO"...a leader navigating challenging times.
  • "The challenges I faced made me a good CEO and leader...I love being an entrepreneur!" 
  • "As an entrepreneur, the universe will test you!"
• (24:00) - What was Brett's thesis for Professional Soccer in the United States?
  • What are the similarities and differences between traditional business and professional sports?
• (29:00) - What is the impact of Ted Lasso on the game of soccer in the United States?
• (33:00) - What other business insights is Brett having after being in professional sports?
• (40:00) - The World Cup truly is an event that brings the world together unlike anything else.
• (45:00) - Brett advises young people.
• (49:00) - Brett's top three skills everyone needs to be successful in life.
• "I know I am doing exactly what I should be doing and that is a great feeling!" Brett had to "take the leap" to get there and he went all in!
  • You get rewarded when you go "all in" and people and the world see that you mean business.
• Learning how to "manage up" in your career is as important as how you "manage down" in your career.
• Book Recommendations
  • Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss
  • Shoe Dog - Phil Knight
  • American Lion - Jon Meacham
  • The Last Hill - Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
  • Against All Odds - Alex Kershaw
• (1:00:00) Why is outside motivation so important for an entrepreneur and their journey?
• (1:03:00)If Brett could give a State of the Union Address to the American people what would he say?
• Connect with Brett M. Johnson on Linkedin. 

Dr. Sajjan Gohel has a Bachelor of Arts in Politics with Honors from Queen Mary University in London. He earned his Master's in Comparative Politics and Ph.D. in International History both from the London School of Economics. 

• International Security Director for the London-based Asia Pacific Foundation
• Editor of NATO's Counter Terrorism Reference Curriculum
• Host of NATO's first-ever podcast series, "Deep Dive"
• Author "Doctor, Teacher, Terrorist" the story of Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahari

Show Notes:

• Dr. Gohel gives a succinct overview of Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahari and conflicts in the middle east.
• What are the ideological doctrines that radicalize? 
• What did the fall of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan mean for the middle east? 
• The near enemy vs. the far enemy.
• The 9-11 attack was less about an attack on America and more of an attack on a value system. It was part of an ideological war.
• What is the Haqqani Network?
• What is the Quad in the Indo-Pacfic? What you need to know?
• What is the difference between ISIS and Al-Qaeda? 
• Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahari's last strategy was the "safe base" concept being built in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
• The difference between Osama Bin Laden and Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahari?
• Why is it important to know history and learn from history...it is the foundation of understanding our world today.
• Why and how did Dr. Sajjan Gohel choose his career path? Why people should be proud historians.
• What is Dr. Gohel's advice to young people starting their career?
• Dr. Gohel discusses his love of football, the Celtic Club in Scotland, and his prediction for the World Cup final.
• Book Recommendation - for Soccer (Football) fans - Martin O'Neill - Biography
• If Dr. Gohel could give a State of the Union address to the American people what would he say?

Show Notes:

Kelly Fletcher is the founder and CEO of Fletcher Marketing & PR. She is a graduate of Meredith College with a degree in communications. She is the host of Ms. InterPReted Podcast: Public Relations Demystified.

• (2:00) How is the marketing, PR, media, and crisis communications industry changing today?
• The how and why of reaching the female audience.
• (14:30) You can't fix communications problems unless you fix operational issues first.
• (21:00) Why Kelly "the expert" hired an expert to help her with her personal "rebranding."
  • Dr. Trillion Small - Business/Mindset Coach
• (24:00) What I appreciate about Kelly...her leadership, humility, and experience.
• (27:00) How Kelly continues to grow and navigate through difficult times.
• (30:00) Kelly hires a mindset coach to help her go to the next level. Why do high performers have a coach and why does it matter?
• (40:00) Why Kelly is hiring business coaching for her son for Christmas.
• (46:00) How to build your culture in a remote environment and why it is so important for a business and relationships with your team.
• (51:00) What is the biggest challenge of the remote workplace environment?
• Book Recommendations
  • The Secret Life of the Savoy Hotel - Olivia Williams
• (57:00) If Kelly could give a State of the Union Address to the American people this is what she would say.
• "Sphere of Influence vs. Sphere of Control" 
• "We all need to do the hard work of becoming a good person!"
• As we are about to land the plane Kelly decides to tell a story about her "blanky!" :) Go Kelly!!!

Show Notes:

Mark Ferrier is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and Harvard Business School. He is a serial entrepreneur, having started seven companies with his newest venture AndCapital.ca. He is also a Young President's Organization (YPO) member. Mark discusses his career, multiple pivots, and his latest leap. 

• (07:00) - Mark starts his first business at twenty-six and "tripped into being an entrepreneur" out of college.
• "Urgency creates opportunities!"
• (16:00) - Surround yourself with smart people and keep your emotions in check at all times.
• "You don't want to be a dinosaur in a young person's game." 
• "If you are going to sell your business, you are better off selling it for less earlier and have time with your children and family."
• (27:00) - Mark discovers a way to pivot his company. Instead of trying to stop turnover, they decided to be the agency known for the best people and training, and thus they have the most recruited staff. It changed everything.
• (34:00) - Mark takes a year off to spend time with family and started studying other industries. What challenges are they facing? He has an entrepreneurial insight that is the birth of his next venture.
• (39:00) - Mark reflects on his COVID experience and what he and his family learned and how it lead to a new chapter in his life.
  • Advice to young people
  • There is power in authenticity and transparency
  • "Sometimes the paragraph is better than sentences...because it contains all the emotion."
• (50:00) - Mark has an insight and pulls all his career insights and experience together to start www.AndCapital.ca
  • "We are super founder friendly. We tell founders that we will help you grow and scale your business, help your customers and culture and give you a clear picture of that AND then tell you what to do with capital."
  • What are the problems and challenges founders face in growing their businesses?
• (1:05:00) - The differences between private equity firms.
• (1:12:00) - Advice to his children and young people.
  • Creativity, curiosity, and resiliency, are superpowers in life.
  • Understand your life is a series of chapters...enjoy and maximize each one without worrying about the next.
  • Ask questions and listen!
• The process of helping companies start with alignment, empowerment, culture, value creation, then execution!
• (1:18:00) How do you build resilient people and cultures?
  • Lean into discomfort! This is where we grow.
  • "Sometimes to be your happiest you need to be at your most uncomfortable first!"
  • "At the moments of your greatest defeats are also the times where the seeds of your greatest victories are being planted!"
  • Learn the power of reframing the situations you are going through in life.
  • Advice to children = "Positive thoughts before actions."
  • Learn the power of self-advocacy.
• (1:37:00) - It's okay to move on to the next chapter! Advice from HBS professor Arthur C. Brooks. 
• (1:40:00) - Changes in the work environment.
• (1:48:00) - The difference between alignment and agreement.
• Follow Mark Ferrier at www.AndCapital.ca and Linkedin.
• Books recommendations
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World - David Epstein.
• "And yet a tech founder who is fifty years of age is nearly twice as likely to start a blockbuster company as one who is thirty, and the thirty-year-old has a better shot than a twenty-year-old. Research at Northwestern, MIT and the US Census Bureau studied new tech companies and showed that among the fastest growing start-ups, the average age of a founder was forty-five when the company was started." 
• Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell.
• (1:57:30) - If Mark could give a State of the Union Address to the American and Canadian people this is what he would say...

Follow Robert Dickie III on Twitter @RobertDickie
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Show Notes:

Special thanks to the guests of Pensacola Naval Air Station class 1958 (28-58) for their time and insight.

1. Captain Walter "Dub" Fields aka "Fireball"
2. Captain Bill Solms 
3. Captain Rodney Neibauer aka "Rocket Rod"
4. Commander Bob Vollaire 
5. LT Floyd Joramo 

• (13:15) What was America like in 1958 when you were entering the military? What was the world like?
• (18:27) Dub recalls meeting and hanging out with Elvis Presley in Kilgore, Texas.
• (23:00) Advice and words of encouragement to young people and to the country during a time of division.
  • Capitalism vs. Socialism
  • Problems with the media
  • America needs energy independence
• (35:00) Dub recalls classmate Bob Flynn who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam war and his "six principles" that helped him survive 5.5 years in prison all of which were in solitary confinement.
  • #1 God
  • #2 Duty
  • #3 Honor
  • #4 Country
  • #5 Family
  • #6 Self
• (37:00) How to make decisions in life.
• (42:00) Capt Bill Solms gives a warning about China, debt, and a divided America.
• "You can't be afraid to fail." - Rodney Neibauer
• (47:00) Capt Bill Solms decides to do a loop - "The smartest thing I did was start that at 20,000 feet!"
• An old aviator saying, "Three things a pilot does not need; Altitude above you, runway behind you, and fuel left in the truck!"
• Advice for parents raising kids.
• (56:00) If you could give a state of the union address to the American people what would say?
  • Why optimism is a difference maker!
• (1:02:45) - Bob Dickie's "call to action" for the men and women who are enjoying freedom today! 

Show Notes:

• Oren is a graduate of California State University at Long Beach & Harvard Business School
  • Young President's Organization (YPO) member
• Marc Andreessen “Software is eating the world!”
• Flock Freight – “We are building an enormous tech stack and incredible cutting-edge technology business while building a best-in-class freight block – algorithmic ride-sharing of freight.” https://www.flockfreight.com/about-us/
• 50% of the semi-trailers on the road are only 50% full. This is wasteful of space and increases carbon emissions to move cargo.
• Terminal-free or hubless shipping to move cargo across the country.
• Key performance indicators in the freight industry.
  • On-time pick up
  • On-time delivery
  • Damage
  • Transit time
  • Loss/theft
• (9:45) HBS Professor Francis Frei - Three Wedges of Business 
  • Customer Delight
  • Supplier Surplus
  • Profits for the Firm
• Flock Freight is the only Certified B-Corporation in the freight industry!
• It is important to be environmentally AND financially sustainable
• (18:00) Is deflation coming to the freight industry? 
• Transportation as an industry is $7 Trillion globally and $1 Trillion in the US
• (20:50) How does Oren pivot and tackle the challenges of entrepreneurship while dealing with the stress of the job?
• “It is better to expect that you will have to chew glass daily!”
• “Because it is hard it is worth doing! Don’t expect hard things to be easy.”
• (27:00) Why is it important to have close friends, confidants, mentors, and coaches around you on your journey to help you?
• (29:00) “Business is like middle school.”
• (33:00) What is it like to navigate an 18-month near-death experience for his business?
• (39:00) What is it like to have big outside investors like Softbank, Google Ventures, GLP, and Signal Fire as investors in your company? 
• (49:00) Why is it important to wear your values on your sleeve as a leader and CEO?
• (50:40) Why does Oren invest so much in continuing education?
  •  Why I started vs. Why I stayed.
  • “I loved it because I felt safe.”
• (1:04:00) How can society come together to communicate better and see different points of view?
  • Be conscious about the world around us
  • Be thoughtful about others’ viewpoints and perspectives
  • “99% of the world is the same…we all want to live in peace and raise our families in peace and prosperity.”
  • As you move up Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, you are able to have different types of conversations.
• (1:11:45) What is coming down the pike with technology advancements, AV (autonomous vehicles) and how will this impact the economy?
  • Upwards of 2.5m truck drivers could lose their jobs over time
  • Creative destruction in all industries are changing jobs and careers across many sectors…causing “career migration or career immigrants”
• (1:22:00) We love our truck drivers!
• “It’s hard…Let’s do it!”
• “The benefit of being a for-profit is we are sustainable! You can do well by doing good.”
• Book Recommendations
  • Mornings on Horse Back – David McCullough
  • War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
  • Washington – Ron Chernow
  • Hamilton – Rob Chernow
• (1:25:00) Why Oren is reading historical biographies of leaders
• “They were people who worked on big things with a lot of purpose behind what they did and many times were reluctant but they felt called and felt compelled into service.”
• “I’ve been filling up my tank on people doing hard things!”
• Final Question: If you had the ability to give a state of the union address to the American people what would you say?

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie
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Show Notes:

• Jim Paullin – MBA from Emory University, division manager for a global paper company, and now an entrepreneur
• Kathy Paullin – BS from Emory in Chemistry, worked at the CDC and Monsanto, and now an entrepreneur
• (6:45) “Joe Darkangelo, I need your help. I have slight chest pains.”
• (10:15” ****Code Blue****
• (17:15) “The most important realization we had about this heart attack was that God was in control….if we had the heart attack at home he might not have made it.”
• (21:10) “All I can remember is I WANT SOME OXYGEN!”
• (25:50) Why it is important to invest consistently through life.
• (29:00) Why you buy insurance when you don’t need it.
• (31:00) Jim Paullin gives advice to young people of what he has learned in life.
  • We decided to do life together
  • Learning soft skills and personal development in life is critical
  • The secret to success is to ask questions and then LISTEN.
  • Get mentors and coaches that can help you in life.
• (41:00) The hare vs. the tortoise. 
• (46:45) Words of encouragement to Jim Paullin about his mission for the next generation. The best days of America are ahead, and there is hope and opportunity!
• (56:00) Jim & Kathy’s parting words of wisdom
• “The life you want is easily obtained by getting new information.”
• Book Recommendations
  • Leading With A Limp – Dan Allender
  • Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

Follow Bob Dickie in Twitter @RobertDickie
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• Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club – Mesic Michigan
  • http://thunderingaspenssportsmanclub.com/about/
• Ken Herman – sportsman, teacher, coach, business leader
  • Ken is passionate about teaching and coaching kids in sports and life.
• Joe Darkangelo is an entrepreneur but formerly served as a firefighter and police officer
  • Joe wants to make a difference in people’s life.
  • Isaac Darkangelo, his nephew is playing linebacker for the University of Illinois and having a great season at 7-1!
• How you prepare for a hunt is similar to how you prepare for victory in life.
• Take counsel from people who have the expertise and it can make a difference in your life.
• Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club – Mesic, Michigan
  • Jonathan Wright – World-Class and World Champion Taxidermy Artist
  • A family business run by Jonathan, Jason, and Gregory Wright brothers.
• People love being around people who are “all in” and enjoying and maximizing life!
• Following the basics in any pursuit is critical for success.
• “There is no better way to spend your life than in the service of others.”
• Ceaser Guerini Shotguns 
  • https://gueriniusa.com/shotguns/forum-sporting/
• Field Sport – Purveyor to the Wingshooter
  • https://www.fieldsportltd.com/
• Book Recommendations
  • Leading with a Limp – Turning Your Struggles Into Strengths - Dan Allender
  • Whale Done – The Power of Positive Relationships – Ken Blanchard
  • The Obstacle is the Way – The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph – Ryan Holiday 
• “Shoot and Move – always work to improve your fighting position.” US Army Rangers

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie
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Show Notes:

• Dean is a graduate of Liberty University & Harvard Business School and a member of the Young President's Organization (YPO).
• “You will meet the same people on the way up that you do on the way down in your career. Treat all people with respect in all situations.”
• “A non-self-examined life is a life not worth living.” 
• No amount of success will fill a previous wound or hurt. At some point, you will have to address and deal with the problem. 
• “Leadership is about serving the people.”
• “I was running from the pain…it never fixed the issue. I felt devalued and so I was trying to create value for myself with my business and success. I had to discover that I was enough as Dean Parker.”
• We have the power to break muti-generational curses.
• The saddest thing in life is to see a leader that does not have a story arch of change and growth. 
• “When one door opens another will open but you have to be looking for it.”
• “I have all my employees take the 5 Love Languages test because I want to know what is most meaningful to them.”
• The key to business is to give more than you receive.
• “Always expect the worst in people and you will not be disappointed.” – Dr. Ben Carson
• Dr. Ben Carson asks Dean Parker to be the national finance chairman of his political campaign.
• “Dean, God is going to do something great through us, I just don’t know what it is.”
• What Dean learned about politics.
  • It is all about the money. You need money to win and have influence.
  • If you provide enough vision and people believe in that vision it’s amazing what you can accomplish.
  • If someone in power with influence validates you, you get positional authority whether you have experience or not.
  • Sadly, many times those who do the wrong thing often time get rewarded because they are owed a favor.
• Many times in politics people in opposite parties want the same thing but have different views on how to get there.
• Advice from Governor of Arizona Doug Ducey – Former YPO member
  • Make sure your family is on board
  • Make sure you have enough money that you don’t have to sell your soul to the devil. 
• Donald Trump’s philosophy during the campaign was, “Say what I have to say to own the media and I will win the election.”
• Dean’s opinion is that the national economy will hinge on the mid-term elections. Many places around the country will be resilient…the southeast will continue to grow as the economy thrives and people leave places like Chicago and Illinois. 
• The political campaigns changed overnight after the Paris attack. One event can be a hinge point that changes everything. 
• Dean talks about the shifts in the country to states that are losing power and states that are gaining economic opportunity and freedom.
• Dean thinks we will have a “V” shaped recovery for a lot of the US but many places like LA will have a longer road to recovery due to bad politics.
• America needs to be able to have messy conversations to get to the heart of issues and find common ground. We have to get rid of polarization and that starts by seeking to understand the other's point of view.
• Book Recommendations
  • 5 Love Languages – Dr. Gary Chapman
  • Personality Plus – Florence Littauer
  • Think Big – Dr. Ben Carson
  • Gifted Hands – Dr. Ben Carson
  • Networking is not Working – Derek Coburn
  • Game Change – John Meilemann

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Follow Dean Parker on Twitter - @DeanParker

• Drayton Wade, with a Clemson undergraduate degree and London School of Economics (LSE) Master's degree decides to go back to get an MBA at Dartmouth Tuck School of Business.
• Left UIPath after their IPO
• The key data point for SAS (Software as Service Companies) – ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)
• Drayton realized he enjoyed the chaos of start-ups instead of the structured systems of a public company. This led him to make a leap.
• Drayton realized he wanted to grow in sales development but also wanted to get an MBA to get more business experience.
• The lifeblood of all business is sales (8:45)
• Key to success for young people? “Seek out more responsibility. Add value.” (12:00)
• Different people are created for different companies AND even different stages of companies. You have to know what your gifting is and where you will thrive. What is the culture and what will be rewarded? (16:00) 
• To achieve "outsized" success you have to go “all-in.”  Do you know what you want? Do you know how you are designed? (19:00)
• Smaller college towns do a better job of fostering community and engagement. 
• Drayton joined Kogintos as Director of Business Development and Operations while he is finishing his MBA. www.Kognitos.com 
  • “Kognitos is the world's first automation solution that understands English. This means any business user can create, modify, and maintain automations. Kognitos can automate the many tasks that run your business such as quote generation, invoice processing, credit card payment reconciliation, bills of laden entry, or any other repetitive process.”
• Much of what you learn at a top-tier MBA program can be learned via www.Coursera.org 
• Drayton learns about the issues with impact investing and ESG and “greenwashing.” (32:00)
• Book Recommendations
  • The Power Law – Sebastian Mallaby
  • AI 2041 – Ten Visions for our Future – Kai-Fu Lee 
  • Angel – Jason Calcanis
  • The Firm – Duff McDonald
  • The Terminal List – Jack Carr
  • Amazon Unbound – Jack Stone
  • Meditations – Marcus Aurelius
  • The Daily Stoic  - Ryan Holiday
• How to use Meditations to control emotions (49:00) 
• The benefit of "first principle" thinking and removing emotions from a critical decision moment to stay focused on the logic of the issue. You will obtain better results and not make bad decisions. (52:00)
• Drayton wonders if Gen-Y has over-corrected and is too emotional and vulnerable and taking it to far. Emotions are not built and are not founded in logic. 
• Kognitos allows you to write in English and create automation for your business. (1:05:30)
• The story arch of data processing using from using coding languages like Python to Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to Kognitos…the process continues to get better all to help take data and clean it, process it, and give it to the right people so analysis can take place faster and cheaper.
• What do you look for in a job interview?
• Drayton asks Bob for his Tennessee football prediction for the Florida game and 2022 regular season record 
  • 9-3 for the regular season 
  • 35-21 Vols over Florida (actual score 38-33)
• “Everything rises and falls on leadership!” John Maxwell

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie
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In Episode 28, Bob Dickie sits back down with fan favorite guest Grant Webster to discuss the block chain revolution.

Some of the topics discussed in this podcast are:

• The Afghanistan humanitarian crisis
• Block chain technology revolution and what it is
• Cryptocurrency
• Helium and The People's Network

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie

Jim Martin and Joe Darkangelo are both successful Bonvera Entrepreneurs who are radically changing the gig economy space with the banner of “Home Is Business”. 

Some of the topics discussed in this podcast are:

• Navigating and learning how to adapt as business owners during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Adapting, growing, and overcoming as entrepreneurs
• Connections and relationships in a virtual environment
• Being prepared for the rapidly changing economy
• Keeping a high standard of excellence in business
• The importance of connecting and building relationships
• F.O.R.M. (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Motivation)
• Insights into becoming a successful entrepreneur

Book Recommendations:

• Speed of Trust - Steven Covey 
• DNA of Relationship - Gary Smalley
• Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
• How To Fail At Almost Everything and Still Win Big - Scott Adams
• Radical Candor - Kim Scott

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie

On Episode 26 of Taking The Leap Podcast, host Bob Dickie interviews Triniti Gawthrop. Triniti is the CEO and founder of Ami Wellness, a plant-only wellness company that empowers women on their wellness journey. Triniti's own personal journey ranges from living the “hippie” lifestyle as a child to working in New York City as a Director of Marketing. This contrast has given her key insights into both eastern and western medicine practices that has inspired her approach to wellness. 

Some of the key points Bob and Triniti discuss are:

• Flexibility, tenacity, consistency, and dedication in all aspects of life
• Lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic
• Advice for young girls to female executives
• The entrepreneurial leap into creating your own business
• Plant-based wellness 

Book Recommendations:

• Think Like A Monk - Jay Shetty
• The Third Door - Alex Banayan
• The Leap - Bob Dickie
• Love Your Work - Bob Dickie

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie

Albert “Bud” Ayers is a lecturer at San Jose State University where he teaches social dancing. He has been dancing since 1990 and has taught thousands the joy of dancing as well as the physical and social benefits. Bud truly believes that if more people danced the world would be a better place because dance is an expression of joy. What separates Bud from the other dance instructors are his words of wisdom or life lessons he incorporates at the end of each class. He inspires his students to take risks, accept failure and be better at communication, and understand that dance is a metaphor for life. His varied experiences in manufacturing, distribution, personal growth, sports, communication, entertainment, entrepreneurship, public speaking and ballroom dance give him a unique supply of resources and perspectives on life. He is known for his passion for sharing his love of dance as well as helping others navigate their personal life challenges. Some of his students who took his class as a mere curiosity have taken his words and have changed their careers to become either professional or competitive ballroom dancers. He is happily married to his wife Deborah Borlase (whom he met dancing) and has three children and seven grandchildren.

Key Learnings: 

• Dance can help you be confident, and it brings joy to life.

• It’s also about communication, learning your partner, and how to work together in relationships.

• Life and dancing cross in showing us how to take risks, be afraid, and do it anyways.

• People’s thoughts don’t hurt them.

• Fear kills more dreams than death.

• Life is not just success. A lot of failure precedes the success.

• It’s about learning the struggle in the journey. 

• Knowledge is the vehicle, passion is the gasoline.

• We reap more benefits when we live in the moment, not being focused on worries and preoccupations. 

• You know what's expected of you. You know what's right.

• The seven C’s of life: Choice, challenges, character, change, charity, community, courage.

Links:

• Napoleon Dynamite & Can’t Buy Me Love, other classic dance movies 

• Bud Ayers Dance Website

• Become a Fan of Bud Ayers on Facebook  

• Words Matter website 

• Tiger Mom, or Tiger Parenting

• What’s In the Way Is The Way 

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.

April Zeilinger is helping to keep her husband’s family legacy alive in the challenging arena of American textiles. She is not only the Vice President of Operations but also the heart and soul behind the Brand Awareness and Marketing for the company. April is the creator of Foodie Yarn, a fun yarn line that is dyed the colors of food and launched it during the pandemic. Zeilinger Wool Company is a fourth generation fiber mill producing thousands of pounds of natural fibers per week into yarn, socks and other items enjoyed within the craft and wool lovers market. April worked 20 years in financial institutions before leaving everything that was comfortable around her, for half of her salary and took the risk to join her husband Jon in his family business. The business had no presence on social media and a twelve year old website to start her entrepreneurial journey. She is a self-taught business gal who never wants to stop learning with a certificate in leadership from Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute through Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan.         

In this episode, April shares how she came into her own and stepped up in her career journey. 

Key Learnings: 

• A break-up with your job isn’t fun, but you have to break-up sometimes.

• You will experience resistance, so get ready for it. 

• Don’t let fear guide your decisions. 

• When you work with your spouse, you learn to have a mutual respect for each other’s strengths. 

• Learning to take knowledge and experience it in action is true learning. 

• No one tells you how to be an entrepreneur; you figure it out. 

• Ask people, especially women, where they see their career going. 

• Write good things to yourself and speak them to yourself. 

• Two things to do to grow in your own leadership abilities? Spend time by yourself and be curious.

Links:

• Zeilinger Wool Company 

• Myers Briggs Personality Test

• Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute 

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.

Joe & Laura Darkangelo left corporate America in 2005 and haven’t looked back. Most of their days consisted of reaching someone else’s goals and dreams, and they found little time for each other or for their children. With Joe in the sales department for a large distributor and Laura in the airline industry AND owning their own pizza franchises at the same time, they were spent. With exhaustion and an unfulfilling life, they started their entrepreneurial journey. Today, they’re entrepreneurial giants leading teams in Bonvera. 

In this episode, they recount their personal journey to entrepreneurship, and they hash out the dreams, the struggles, and the victories.

Key Learnings: 

• Stress is one thing; entrepreneurial stress is another. 

• We justify a job rather than taking a leap to entrepreneurship. 

• I noticed a lot of people in entrepreneurship, and they had better marriages, were always learning, and had good relationships. 

• I learned more in entrepreneurship more than I ever did in college.

• Negative motivation doesn’t work. Positive reinforcement works best by lifting others up and encouraging them. 

• Education saves us from becoming who we don’t want to be. 

• I’m different from everyone else, so I can’t be like this author or that. But I can use their teachings and apply them to myself.

• It’s your time that matters and what you do with it that’s important.

• Live your priorities. 

Links:

• Dream Big by Bob Goff

• Love Does by Bob Goff 

• Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa Terkeurst 

• Live in Love by Lauren Akins 

• Phyzix MD 

• Bonvera’s Global Impact Initiative

• Hard Easy by Arthur Coombs III  

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.

“Discipline is really about doing what you don’t want to do until you often find joy in what you do.” - Anne Beiler

Anne Beiler is the creator and founder behind the world-renowned franchise, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. Most wouldn’t know this about her, but she started this incredible company with no business plan, no capital, and no education. Growing up in an Amish community, she only received up to an eighth-grade education and got married when she was 19 years old. Years of baking cakes and breads for her large family taught her how to make some of the world’s tastiest pretzels, and what started out as a small business and dream grew to be a global sensation.

In part 2 of this interview series, Anne shares her professional experience learning and growing from a founder and creator to a manager and business woman. She shares her keys to success and her biggest takeaways from managing a global enterprise of tasty pretzels. 

Quotes:

• Overcoming personal challenges helped me to know I could overcome other obstacles I’d face.

• I didn’t know anything about training, writing a mission or purpose statement, or franchising. It was going back to my roots -- discipline and hard work. 

• A list is good no matter your age.

• If we can’t manage the small things right now, we’ll never be able to manage the bigger opportunities coming.

• The appetite for learning is a part of your personal growth, your professional growth, your emotional growth, and your spiritual growth. You have to grow in all those areas to become truly successful.

• I define success as are you doing what you love to do? 

• At the end of the day, can you put your head on the pillow and can you say I did my very best?

• Training isn’t barking out orders. Training is role modeling. Training is talking to your people to help them understand who you are. 

• Create relationships with people and train them to be excellent in what they have -- loving, respecting, and honoring them.

• It’s about role modeling what is important to you, and you do that with grace and kindness. People will come flocking to you. They’ll carry out your purpose. They’ll do it without you being the boss. 

• The very seeds of your greatest victory are being planted right now.

Links in this episode include:

Anne Beiler

Auntie Anne’s Pretzels

Anne Beiler Store

The Secret Lies Within: An Inside Outlook at Overcoming Trauma and Finding Purpose in the Pain

Blog from Anne

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.

“With faith and hard work, all things are possible. That’s what truly makes you successful.” - Anne Beiler

Anne Beiler is the creator and founder behind the world renowned franchise, Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Most wouldn’t know this about her, but she started this incredible company with no business plan, no capital, and no education. Growing up in an Amish community, she only received up to an eighth grade education and got married when she was 19 years old. Years of baking cakes and breads for her large family taught her how to make some of the world’s tastiest pretzels, and what started out as a small business and dream grew to be a global sensation.

But her story of entrepreneurship and professionalism grew from experiences she was going through personally and spiritually. She overcame so much trauma, suffering, and pain in order to become the person she is today. Having sold Auntie Anne’s, she now shares her personal experiences and testimony to help others overcome their own obstacles and challenges with hope in this part 1 of 2 interviews.

Quotes:

• The successful entrepreneur will do what others don’t feel like doing.

• Most of the time, I was the obstacle. I limited myself because of my pain.

• Perseverance is the point. You don’t stop when you feel like it. You don’t stop when you think you can’t do something.

• Life is hard. God is good. I’m not confused about that anymore. 

• If I would have stayed there and didn’t have the courage, there would be no Auntie Anne’s.

• What I discovered was that stepping outside of that box, there is so much more room out there to be who God created you to be.

• We spend so much time wishing we were somebody else that we don’t take time to be ourselves and use our gifts. Be who God made you to be.

• Out there, it is limitless. Whining about what we don’t have is wasted energy. Understanding what we do have is enough. Focus on what we do have instead of whining about what we don’t have gave me boundless energy.

•  Salt doesn’t speak, it only makes things tasty. Light doesn’t speak, it only draws people in. 

Links in this episode include:

Anne Beiler

Auntie Anne’s Pretzels

Anne Beiler Store

The Secret Lies Within: An Inside Outlook at Overcoming Trauma and Finding Purpose in the Pain

Blog from Anne

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.

“I always think there is so much more to see. I’m so excited to be alive, and there is always potential to be cultivated.” - Reggie Leonard 

Reggie Leonard is an education, tech, and learning fanatic. He’s a young millennial leader influencing the way we think about education, technology, AI, and the entire learning process. Reggie received his undergraduate degree from Bowie State University where he was the treasurer and founding member of the men’s soccer club. He attended Liberty University following, and he got his Master’s degree in Counseling. Today, he works at the University of Virginia, and he serves as the Associate Director for Career Connections and Community Engagement for the School of Data Science and Engineering.

Bob and Reggie don’t waste a minute as they dive right into the heart of education and how it’s changing especially with the onset of COVID-19. They discuss the paradigms of education and learning, and they have an interesting dialogue about how it’s changing and what the future could really hold. Together, they banter back and forth about insights they’re learning and influencing in today’s world.

Notes and Quotes: 

• Make sure that the decisions you’re making are in line with the vision for your life. The earlier you ask the questions about who and how you want to be in the world, the more defined your path and direction will be.

• For those that don’t have strong social capital or access to opportunity, college is a great opportunity for that. To not go to college is to have a sense of resilience and ingenuity. Our education system hasn’t trained people in that way, it’s trained them to check the boxes. College is the most linear.

• Imagine living in a world where you can never take your shoes off. It’s one thing to have protection on your feet, and it’s another to feel safe taking off your shoes and can kick back. There is efficacy in creating safe spaces - comfort, belonging, camaraderie. There is a difference between peace keeping and peace making.

• “People are easy to hate from a distance, move in.” - Brene Brown

• That’s the word -- strengthen and practice. The way to be great at something is to practice something. We don’t often think about practicing things like resilience or having enough or being uncomfortable and learning how to operate like that. We don’t seek that out nor fully exist presently while we experience them.

• Most people do their jobs, but they don’t think about their jobs. That’s what separates professionals from workers.

Links in this episode include:

About Reggie

Reggie Leonard, Bio at the University of Virginia 

The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts 

MBA In a Book 

Trello board, project management tool

New Way MBA 

The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek 

The Art of Gathering

Winners Take All 

Substack

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.

“The number one reason you’re going to succeed is because of your passion.” - Gino Wickman 

Gino Wickman has been an entrepreneur since age 21, and even at an early age, he’s had an obsession for learning what makes businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. At 25, he took over the family business, which was deeply in debt and in need of help. After turning the company around and running it for seven years, he and his partners successfully sold the company. He then set out to help entrepreneurs and leaders get what they want from their businesses. Based on his years of real-world experience, he created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a practical method for helping companies achieve greatness. He has personally delivered more than 1,900 full-day sessions for more than 135 companies, helping them implement EOS. He’s also the author of the award-winning, best-selling book Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business, as well as Get a Grip, Rocket Fuel, How to Be a Great Boss, and What the Heck is EOS?, which have sold more than one million copies. As the founder of EOS Worldwide, an organization that helps tens of thousands of businesses implement EOS with the aid of an international team of over 350 professional certified EOS Implementers and online support. There are almost 100,000 companies using the EOS tools worldwide. 

He’s now devoting his time and energy toward helping entrepreneurs-in-the-making get a jump-start on taking their entrepreneurial leap, which is why he created Entrepreneurial Leap. The mission of Entrepreneurial Leap is to find all of the entrepreneurs-in-the-making, at any age, wherever they are - to help them realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live.

In this episode, Bob and Gino break down Gino’s latest book, Entrepreneurial Leap, and they talk about the principles and philosophies of what makes an entrepreneur. It’s really an inside peek at his new book and a unique conversation with the author first-hand.

Notes and Quotes: 

-Responsibility is really this -- you tend to look at yourself when something goes wrong, and you dive in to solve your problem.

-The first thing to do is discover your passion. Do some soul searching. Get clarity about what you’re built for. A simple exercise is to evaluate your 3 greatest successes, your 3 greatest failures, and what life has prepared you for. 

-Success as an entrepreneur is greatly accelerated and improved with a mentor. It’s undeniable.

-A mentor wants to leave a legacy. Show them appreciation, give them feedback on how you’re applying what they’re giving to you, and put in the work. 

-Make a 10 year goal, and then work backwards from there. You’ll find you get to your goal faster, better, and more peacefully.

Links in this episode include: 

Entrepreneurial Leap Information

Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Worldwide

Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender by David Hawkins

Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?

Take the Free Entrepreneur-in-the-Making Assessment

Subscribe to the Entrepreneurial Leap YouTube Channel

Visit www.e-leap.com for more information.    

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.