Courageous
Podcast

Michael Marquis is the CEO at Raw Sugar, a national lifestyle brand that makes clean, premium, and healthy living products affordable. Prior to Raw Sugar, Michael held several major executive roles at Johnson & Johnson where he oversaw the success of brands such as Clean & Clear®, Listerine®, and the OGX® hair care brand. In a candid conversation with Ryan, Michael shares invaluable insights emphasizing the importance of team structure and relentless dedication to continuous improvement. We’ll also learn about Michael's leadership philosophy as Ryan probes whether he leads his team as a cohesive family unit or a high-performing sports team. Finally, Michael shares why he made the leap to lead Raw Sugar and what he learned from (once upon a time) being an All-American college rower.

Meticulously crafted plans. The essence of decisiveness. The inevitability of change. Nicole Ayers oversees a staggering billion-dollar enterprise comprised of household staples like Lucky Charms, Trix, Golden Grahams, and Coco Puffs. As a key force behind the cereal empire at General Mills, Nicole delves into the makeup and psychology of these beloved brands found in most pantries across America. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Nicole exposes her winning formula for surmounting challenges with her team that drive the business forward. Nicole also shares with Ryan what it's like to be a black woman in the boardroom today, delving into a few ways she is looking to move the ball forward in the arena of diversity and inclusion at General Mills and beyond. Finally, Nicole shares with Ryan her unique path from working in money to pivoting into marketing and how that has shown up as a competitive advantage for her.

What if you could slow down Alzheimer’s or ALS? That’s exactly the deeply personal journey Dr. Howard Berman, Founder and CEO at Coya Therapeutics, finds himself on. To day, Howard runs a mission-driven company that is making remarkable breakthroughs in the world of T-Cells. Driven by his father's personal battle with Dementia, Howard has embarked on a relentless quest for a cure. Along his journey, he uncovered an extraordinary technology devised by the brilliant Dr. Stanley Appel that gave him the courage to leave his last life in pharmaceuticals. In this episode, Dr. Berman speaks on the science of fear and the negative physical effects it can have on our bodies. Howard also gives listeners an educational crash course on what dementia is and the many ways it can rear its unfortunate, ugly head. It’s Berman to Berman on this episode of the Courageous Podcast.

Spoiler alert: we’re all going to die some day. Yet, 67% of Americans are completely unprepared for that reality with no trust or will presently in place. Enter Entrepreneur Cody Barbo and his Trust & Will team. For the last 6 years, Cody and his partners have been working around the clock to disrupt a complicated estate planning industry. In this conversation, Cody shares with Ryan how he might not have been your first guess (see: not a Lawyer) when it came to entering this regulated industry. Cody shares how he and his founders were perplexed that there wasn’t an easy, fast, and secure way to set up an estate plan online — which is why they decided to create this on their own. Finally, Cody shares forward his entrepreneurial path inspired by the visionary Steve Jobs and the groundbreaking release of the first iPhone. Cody also gives some great advice staying a perpetual student in life which includes how he uses social media to curate the “classroom you want to be in every day”.

Marie Griffin doesn't tell clients what to say, she teaches them how to think. From losing everything in her mid-30s to working with names like Gaga, Rhianna, and Beckham on the Media PR side of her firm GRIFFIN Media, Marie has defined her life by making bold moves. Despite lacking prior experience in broadcast or PR, Marie established a successful broadcast PR firm that has now partnered with renowned brands such as Nordstrom, Dior, Adidas, and the WSJ Magazine, just to name a few. In her conversation with Ryan, Marie reveals her superpower: building trust and consistently delivering on her commitments. Marie also debunks the misconception that people fear public speaking, emphasizing that our true apprehension lies in the fear of judgment, a challenge that requires internal resolution. Finally, they delve into CATNIP™, the speaking division of Griffin Marketing & PR, where Marie collaborates closely with clients to discover their irresistible qualities, fostering their development and enabling them to effectively communicate the unique attributes that set them apart.

Fresh off a 6 city comedy tour, Ryan sits down with the multi-talented John Lehr. You might recognize John as one of the original Geico Cavemen, or from his numerous TV show appearances, including the legendary "Friends." But John is more than an actor - he's a seasoned monologist and comedian who isn't afraid to talk openly about his over twenty years of sobriety on his "Cold. Sober. Comedy." tour. In their conversation, Ryan picks John's brain on the Hollywood writers strike and what it means to creativity. They also dive into a concept Ryan calls "body jumping" and explore the art of observing ourselves in those moments when fear creeps in. Finally, they delve into the intriguing concept that sometimes the most challenging experiences can unexpectedly become our greatest blessings, as John unveils his awe-inspiring tale of rebirth following his courageous path to sobriety.

It hasn’t always been a smooth ride for the people at Uber. In 2019, with the arrival of new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the culture took a U-turn for the better. Four months into his tenure, our guest Danielle Hawley, was hired. Today, Danielle is Uber’s Global Executive Creative Director. A master at creating experiences that keep the promises brands make, Danielle will be the first to tell you that creative isn't a deliverable, it is the culture. In their conversation, Ryan and Danielle discuss her joining the company amidst the pandemic during a crucial moment of Uber’s transformation. Through the power of emotional storytelling and data-enabled creativity, Uber answered the question: “how can we service people as a movement company in a time where no one can move?” They also dive into what separates really good creatives from great creative leaders, and why “finding your people” in business should be your everything.

Comedian, Musician, Producer, Entertainer: The content cup has runneth over from the hilarious Kareem Rahma. If you’ve seen his “Keep The Meter Running” series then you know there are many layered notes to Kareem’s madness. From albums to deal-making to comedy, Rahma and his multifaceted endeavors all share one common thread: Fun. Fresh from his debut live concert performance, Kareem joins Ryan to delve into the captivating tapestry of his diverse ventures. Unraveling the distinction between hedonism and epicureanism, Kareem unveils how prioritizing fun has not only enriched his own life but transformed him into a better person. Finally, Kareem shares invaluable advice to fellow creators, reminding them of the importance of “taking L’s” without losing heart.

A Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, Matt LeBris is a born and raised New Yorker whose current hustle is the pursuit of turning inward, with the goal of unlocking his core essence. Matt has previously worked for Shark Tank's Daymond John and now hosts the globally acclaimed podcast, Decoding Success. In their conversation, Ryan and Matt chop it up around their unique, and somewhat unconventional definitions of success and unlock the secrets of the equation E+P=O. The two podcast hosts also discuss what brought them to the medium, and what they've learned along the way. The conversation also delves into Matt's remarkable journey, where every setback becomes a stepping stone, earning him a "masters degree in getting knocked down" and an equally profound "PHD in getting back up." It's another inspiring and engaging episode of the Courageous Podcast that you won't want to miss!

After fighting and beating cancer for the third time, everyone told Taras Wayner he was the most courageous person they knew, but Taras didn't perceive himself that way. Intrigued by fear's impact on his life, he embarked on a journey to unravel its secrets. Thus, Fear Incorporated was born. In this enlightening episode of The Courageous Podcast, Ryan and Taras delve into the phenomenon of fear and its crippling ability to stop Corporate America in its tracks. They challenge the conventional notion of fearing fear itself and explore the liberating concept of embracing -- then conquering — fear altogether. They also touch upon Taras' upcoming book on the topic which is a satirical guide that unravels fear's playbook. Drawing from Taras' illustrious background as a former Chief Creative Officer at renowned agencies like Saatchi and Saatchi, Wunderman, and R/GA, the discussion ventures into the exciting yet nerve-racking crossroads of Taras' career. Together, Ryan and Taras navigate the path forward with an open mind, uncovering the potential for growth and transformation that lies within every fearful, daunting challenge.

It's almost as if Tim Bantle was destined for his current role as CEO of Eddie Bauer. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Live Your Adventure® could easily double as Tim’s personal slogan, as he has hopped from skiing to rock climbing expeditions throughout his life. Now, after time at both Patagonia and North Face, Tim's living his corporate adventure of driving forward a 100-year-old brand. In this episode, we learn how Tim is driven by questions (not his ego) which helps him sponge up new things about the company he runs on a daily basis. We cover the origin story of a real, live outdoorsman named Eddie Bauer. And we take part in a brave conversation on life, leadership, and the pursuit of a legacy.

Be clear on the ‘why’, flexible on the ‘how’. Let’s walk in the shoes of Buddy Teaster. Buddy is using shoes and clothing to create opportunities for millions as he runs Soles4Souls, where they collect and distribute shoes and clothing around the world. In his conversation with host Ryan Berman, Buddy gives listeners actionable advice to move towards a purposeful career, and also reminds us that you don’t necessarily need to switch jobs to start making an impact. Buddy also touches on how Soles4Souls has been able to help people through the power of shoes in places like Haiti, Honduras, and right here in the U.S. by providing free shoes that can boost morale, and enable the ability to walk long distances to places like school and work. He and Ryan also discuss what T.E.A.M stands for, and find similarities between Soles4Souls and one of Ryan’s organization, SockProblems, which “socks" problems in the world with altruistic socks.

When most British folks talk about football, they’re bantering over the one where players score goals vs field goals. But in this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Will Misselbrook shares his story of being front and center for the most talked about rebrand in NFL history. Will takes us behind-the-curtain for a look at his work with the recent rebrand of the Washington Commanders. This includes a look into what it took to build and run a first-of-its-kind Branded Entertainment Studio in the NFL, composed of content creators, designers, producers, marketers and social media specialists. Will also touches on his new journey with his recent move to the “other football” — now the Chief Creative Officer/Chief Content Officer at the iconic LA Galaxy. This includes his current challenge of re-igniting a ravenous fan base who are craving a return to their glory days.

You can’t hate yourself into change. You must love yourself into greatness. Star Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell’s journey to success began with a simple realization: Change is inevitable, but growth is optional. As of this week, Emma isn’t just the founder of Live Learn Lovewell, an Under Armour athlete, or an all-around wellness expert — she’s also now an author. In this episode, Ryan and Emma dive into her new book. Conversations run the gamut including her relationship with her family, her fellow Peloton instructors and her fans. Emma also touches on how she honed her storytelling skills through her Peloton classes, which ultimately helped her to become a stronger author. Emma also speaks on why she usually opts for the scarier situation when she has a choice, using these moments to learn and grow instead of remaining stagnant.

Think the NFL runs a six month season? Think again. The NFL is now an around-the-clock machine deliberately churning out content and programs year round. At the center of those stories is the NFL's EVP and Chief Marketing Officer Tim Ellis. A true innovator, Tim has accumulated more prestigious awards than he can count over his three decades as a marketing professional. This includes winning Marketer of the Year by Ad Age, being recognized as a top CMO by Adweek, while being awarded with 4 Emmys along the way. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, Ryan asks Tim what it’s really like to work for Commissioner Roger Goodell. Tim also shares what he perceives to be his boldest move during his time with the NFL so far. And, finally, Tim explains what the NFL's “helmets off” strategy means, and why storytelling around players is the secret to the NFL connecting more authentically with audiences old and new.

A few months back, you may remember my podcast with Robert Duran who had been fighting Pancreatic Cancer. In late March, Robert entered hospice. Last week, Robert (as he would put it) left this world for “2.0”. Robert was an anomaly in more ways than one. He defied the odds and battled the king of cancers for just under a decade. Along the way, he raised heaps of awareness and money for PAN CAN. I was able to spend an hour with Robert at the end of March when he arrived home to start hospice. It covers a coherent soul having the conversations he needed to have as well as a look back at his life. His spirit and passion for making a dent lives on in a lot of us — including me. Please consider listening to our conversation and making a donation on Robert’s behalf at PanCan.org

If you could have dinner with any four people, dead or alive, who would it be? Now what if you could make dinner for those four people? What would you serve up? On this episode, culinary master and TV personality Chef David Burke playfully shares his answers on what we he would create for a certain athlete, rock & roll star, family member (he never met) and love interest. While most know Chef Burke from his multiple appearances on Iron Chef and Top Chef, most are unaware that his culinary journey started as a Dishwasher. With passion, hard work, curiosity and courage, Burke's adventures began to take flight — literally — across the Ocean. He has cooked in Norway for Prince Charles. He has been honored with Japan’s Nippon Award of Excellence. And he was the first in America to serve-up his infamous “clothesline bacon”. If you wanted to know which of his senses is his favorite, how fear has driven Chef Burke to stay “in the arena” or what David Burke wishes his last meal on earth would be…and who would cook it for him….this is the episode for you.

How do you bring five fiercely competitive NBA owners together off the court for the creation of a new joint venture? Through a shared passion for tequila, obviously.  On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Co-Founder and CEO at Cincoro Tequila, Emilia Fazzalari, takes us on an exclusive journey into the birth of this iconic brand. Learn how Emilia, Jeanie Buss, Wes Edens, Wyc Grousbeck, and Michael Jordan joined forces and tirelessly tasted over 1,000 tequilas for three long years until they perfected Cincoro. We cover how this unique group came together, how Emilia took the reigns to become CEO of the brand and how Emilia learned to “be like Mike” when it came to sipping her tequila — with one large rock and a slice of orange. Finally, Emilia shares her you-can’t-make-this-up-if-you-tried, marriage-turned-Hollywood-sitcom coming to a TV near you this Fall thanks to NBC.

Celebrities are people too, you know. And not many people on the planet know exactly how true that statement is like Chris Detert — who from his first days on the job in Los Angeles had him interacting with some of the most influential (but real) celebrities on the planet. Formerly the CEO of American Rebel PR, a boutique agency Chris started from Los Angeles, Detert now teams up with his brother, Ryan, to run the largest influencer marketing company in the world called Influential. In his conversation with host Ryan Berman, Chris tells a few stories from his past including regular run-ins with celebrities like Britney Spears, LL Cool J and Shania Twain. Later in the episode, Chris provides invaluable advice on how he stays on top of what’s cool today. Finally, Chris shares a few tips about how he builds genuine relationships with celebrities, influencers, brand leaders and more.

Growing up in Indiana, Karena and her family weren’t equipped with the tools to navigate their moms chaotic paranoid schizophrenia. It took Karena on a tumultuous tailspin where she now confesses, "I spent my entire teenage years depressed." Despite a difficult childhood, the true dawning of Karena Dawn came after a long night (and morning) at a Los Angeles rave where Karena chose to have a necessary heart-to-heart with herself.  The transformation of her life started soon after. Now, as the co-founder of Tone It Up, Karena has inspired millions of women worldwide to live their truest, happiest and healthiest lives. In her conversation with Ryan Berman, Karena opens up about her family’s struggles with mental illness and how that lead her to inking the now best-selling book, The Big Silence.

The joys of being named a first time CEO just before the world shut down. This is the real, live work-in-progress story of Cedar Carter. Cedar, an experienced marketer who navigated her way through the fashion, wellness, and sports industries, took the reigns as the CEO of The Good Patch just before the global pandemic. She joins Ryan on The Courageous Podcast and shares her incredible journey despite the odds stacked against her, including an expansion into over 10,000 retailers nationwide, with over 15 million patches sold. We also discuss her favorite of the wearable wellness patches (she has a few) and some precious advice for anyone looking to take a brave step in their career. Whether you're interested in learning how to transition to CEO, or simply looking to pursue a bold move in your career, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

Jean Batthany is a seasoned brand builder and marketer with over three decades of experience. She has been recognized as one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative Women in Advertising and awarded Advertising Working Mothers of the Year by AWNY. Despite being "in between successes" at the moment, Jean is focusing on the art of pausing and leveraging creativity to make the world a better place. As Walmart's former Chief Creative Officer, Jean led a team of 300+ to enhance creative excellence, efficacy, and efficiency. She collaborated with agency partners to transform Walmart from a transactional company to an emotional brand. During her conversation with Ryan, Jean shares her insights on the advertising industry, the significance of awards, and the need to bridge the communication gap between brands and agencies. She also highlights the importance of asking difficult questions and having a clear and consistent message for effective communication. Tune in to hear Jean's invaluable advice for building successful brands and creating a positive impact.

“The hardest days are the most fun sometimes.” First at Buzzfeed, then helping to grow and sell Cheddar, Melissa Rosenthal recently made the leap to San Diego to take on a new challenge in her career. As the Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, Melissa is taking a bold approach to humanizing marketing in a space where it isn’t so common. Melissa has been named to Forbes' 30 Under 30, Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative People Under 30 and as one of Digiday's "Changemakers” for her creative brand work. As you’d expect, Melissa drops plenty of gems on this episode of The Courageous Podcast, including a few juicy tips on what it truly takes to “go viral.” Ryan and Melissa also dive into what it means to be a small fish that “punches up”, why being an outlier is important in differentiating your brand, and how Melissa has applied both of these tactics throughout her impressive career.

At just 8 years old, Matt Gilhooly was struck with the abrupt and heartbreaking news that his mother had passed away in a motorcycle accident. This event marked the beginning of a long, soul-breaking journey of grief that lasted well over two decades. Today, however, Matt has found a healthy way to cope with his grief; using his experiences to help others do the same through his podcast, The Life Shift. As a host, he creates a safe space for his guests to open up about their own struggles and triumphs. But today, Matt shares his story for a candid, unfiltered episode on The Courageous Podcast. Matt delves into some of the most transformative moments in his life including the next time he had to face death in his family — the passing of his grandmother — and how that moment helped him move on with his life.

Proper pacing, surrounding yourself with the right players, and realizing what you put in is what you get out. These are all lessons that Audrey Burger has taken from her days as a 3-sport D1 college athlete and has applied to her current role as Head of Commercial Strategy, Insights & Planning at Primal Kitchen. In this advice-filled episode of The Courageous Podcast, Audrey shares some great tips with Ryan on how to start eating cleaner by applying a few simple adjustments to our grocery shopping habits. Audrey also dolls out some advice to other women on successfully making change across workplace culture. Finally, Audrey speaks on the importance of trusting your gut in decisions where you don’t have ALL the data, and applying a “proud, not perfect” mentality when a new product goes to market.

Life creeps up on you if you’re not careful. Those were the near exact words shared by our charming centenarian guest, George Krumme, on this special 100th episode of The Courageous Podcast. As you can imagine, being 100, George has packed a lot into his life including honor, legacy, duty, four great grandchildren and two love stories. George shares a wealth of wisdom including how his life was forever altered by World War 2 — where he walked away with a Purple Heart and the Silver Star. He also provides sound advice for anyone looking to know the secret to a long, fruitful life with minimal regrets. Finally, George recounts his two marriages, the first one lasting nearly 70 years. Here's to George and The Courageous Podcast reaching 100.

800+ global artisans. 2 million raised for charitable organizations. A $200 dollar investment that started it all. Griffin Thall has always been an entrepreneur. As a teenager, he was selling a steady stream of products on eBay, earning enough cash to fund his college ventures. Now, 12 years after he co-founded and served as CEO for Pura Vida Bracelets, a company he helped grow from his dorm room into a $130 million+ company, Griffin announced he is stepping away. In his conversation with host Ryan Berman, we’ll hear some of the strategies that Griffin used to grow his tremendous brand, and why he feels there is still room for them to grow on platforms like TikTok. He also touches on why they felt Vera Bradley was the right partner to acquire the brand after interviewing 25 potential suitors. Note: This interview was conducted a week prior to Griffins departure announcement.

Lauren Teague knows the secret to building a great business is to cultivate fandom instead of followers. Currently, she’s focused on building FanWagn, a website specifically designed for sports fans to buy and sell apparel from their favorite teams. Before founding FanWagn, Lauren spent seven seasons as the voice of @PGATOUR, transforming how professional golf connects with fans online. On this episode of the Courageous Podcast, Lauren and Ryan dive into the realities of Lauren's major leap from her dream job with the PGA Tour to becoming a startup founder. They unpack why it’s become courageous to “do good” in business vs just “do well”, and why Lauren has a major challenge in catering to both buyers and sellers with her new startup. Lauren also shares some wise advice about reinvesting her income into training courses in areas she knows needs growth.

If you write it, it will come. Steven Cox first harnessed the power of manifesting his destiny through pen and paper to lose 55 lbs and date the homecoming queen in highschool. Writing down his goals has led Steven to some incredible places. Most recently to Hollywood where he’s made the leap from successful entrepreneur to aspiring actor after the company he founded, TakeLessons, was acquired by Microsoft in 2021. In his conversation with Ryan, we’ll learn how a worn out cassette tape of Brian Tracy laid a foundation for understating the importance of mentorship in Steven’s life. He also tells the story of how TakeLessons humble beginnings were inspired by a former bandmate’s struggle to make it as a professional drummer…and stay tuned until the end to hear where that drummer is now!

RESILIENCE. That’s the word Adam Markel wears across his chest in big bold letters for his conversation with Ryan. Adam is a CEO, Best Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, and Business Mentor. In his most recent book Change Proof, Adam gives readers a blueprint to “Leveraging the Power of Uncertainty to Build Long-term Resilience”. A self proclaimed cynic with a hopeful heart, Adam does not subscribe to the mindset that “balance” is ever truly attainable - instead he has adopted a perspective that works with uncertainty rather than against it. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, Adam shares the ways in which fear shaped his career, and how he was able to break free to live a life that is more authentic to himself. He also unpacks how a shift in environment can have big impacts on someone's mindset, and why the elusive work-life balance is a concept that is destined for failure.

Runner. Soccer Ball. Basketball. Basketball player. Hockey stick. English flag. American flag. These are the 7 emojis that Ed Romaine has carefully curated to present himself to the world in his Instagram bio. Ed is the Head of Marketing and Brand Development, Sports at Warner Bros Discovery, where he oversees a myriad of sports related properties including House of Highlights and Bleacher Report. In their conversation, Ryan and Ed bond over their love for sports while discussing highlight culture and strategies for connecting with the modern fan. Ed also gives a behind the curtain look into his unique role that spans far beyond the world of sports, and touches on his approach to managing a massive team with an emphasis on candor.

It’s the last episode of the Courageous Podcast of 2022, and what a year it has been! We’ve been so honored to have an incredible line-up of courageous, inspiring, and passionate guests join us this year to share so many amazing stories, bits of advice, and even some laughs along the way. To wrap the year up in a nice bow, we are tapping guest host Nicole Miller from the Courageous team for a special year-end episode where many of our past guests have sent in their questions for Nicole to ask Ryan. We’ll hear what Ryan considers his most courageous act of 2022, and why his best advice for the year is to “pick the thing you want to be fired for.” The two also discuss why listening for the sake of remembering is a step toward becoming a better leader and reminisce about some of the inspiring leaders who made them feel seen in the early days of their careers. We hope you enjoy the final episode of 2022 and we look forward to bringing you another year of episodes in 2023!

Steve Mayer is Senior EVP/Chief Content Officer at the National Hockey League where he’s produced a myriad of memorable events (and content) for the league. Since joining eight years ago, Steve has been on a mission to reinvent the way the NHL creates, with an emphasis on experience and authentic storytelling. In his conversation with host Ryan Berman, Steve touches on how story-making has attributed to the recent growth seen at the NHL, his simpatico relationship with misunderstood Commissioner Gary Bettman and why it’s so darn hard to get NHL players to brand themselves. The two also discuss what makes the NHL special and why their die hard fans are a unique breed in the sport’s world.

“Careful, your strategy’s showing.” While other kids were outside playing, an 8 year old Steve Pacheco spent Sunday mornings marking up ads in the paper to make them better. To this day, his passion for the craft of advertising is unmatched. Steve spent over 20 years of his career at FedEx, where he produced 12 consecutive Super Bowl commercials. He is currently the President & CEO at American Advertising Federation, being the first CEO to have held leadership roles at every level of the organization. In this conversation host Ryan Berman and Steve Pacheco discuss if advertising — and the ad business — is getting stronger or weaker. They each share their overarching "state of the union” on Super Bowl commercials, the business as a whole and the talent coming into the game.

Richie Norton is on a mission to expose the biggest lie ever told: time management was designed to control people, not give them their time back. Richie is a serial entrepreneur and an award-winning author of several books including Anti-Time Management and The Power of Starting Something Stupid. He is one of the world’s leading thinkers and Top 100 coaches as honored by MG100. Richie joins Ryan from his home in Hawaii for a master course in utilizing one’s time on earth to the fullest. They discuss why sacrificing what you love for success is never the right choice, and how having a full calendar can lead to an empty life. Richie gives advice on how to move from distraction to action, and reminds us to ask the question “What is the goal of the goal?” when making important decisions. Richie also opens up about some of his personal struggles and why he views grief as a tunnel and not a cave.

8 curious questions. 5 minutes per answer. 1 legendary storyteller. We are switching things up on this week’s episode of the Courageous Podcast as Host Ryan Berman, armed with a referee's whistle, puts his guest Ernest Lupinacci on the hot seat. In this advice packed episode, Ernest — a co-producer of “The Offer” — touches on how Francis Ford Coppola, Kurt Vonnegut, and Steve King have all played important roles at different points throughout his career. The two also discuss the make-up of every great story ever told (and sold), how fear is imaginary, and why Ernest considers himself more of a detective than a philosopher.

Our guest today defines what it means to be courageous. Robert Duran is a father, husband and passionate cyclist. For the last decade, Robert has been riding through life navigating the rocky terrain that comes with being diagnosed with what many call a death sentence in Pancreatic Cancer. In this very open and raw conversation with host Ryan Berman, Robert opens up about how he has been able to survive and thrive despite the odds against him. Robert shares how cycling has been a lifesaver during his battle with cancer, but was almost the thing that killed him. The two also discuss how “cutting the cord” from most electronics has allowed Robert to take his life back and live every moment in the present. It’s a moving and inspiring episode with a tremendous human being in honor of World Pancreatic Cancer Day on 11/17/2022.

57 USMNT goals. 57 USMNT assists. 3 World Cups. 1 dramatic extra-time World Cup goal against Algeria that sent America through to the final 16 in 2010. Landon Donovan is a name that needs no introduction to American soccer fans. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Landon literally joins Ryan on his way to Qatar. He shares what his next two weeks will be like, which American player he perceives will have the most courageous performance for Team USA and his predictions for which team he believes will end up hoisting the coveted World Cup Gold Trophy.

With a billion monthly users, an average session length of 90 minutes, and 27 billion views on the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt — there is a lot of commerce to unlock for any business or brand on TikTok. At the center of it all is Khartoon Weiss. Khartoon has been named “40 Over 40” by Campaign, “40 Under 40” by Advertising Age and “Top 50 Professionals." In her conversation with Ryan, the two discuss what it takes for any brand (at any size) to be successful on the platform. She also gives practical steps to help brands “think like marketers, but act like creators.”

If you say it, you will build it. If you build it, they will come. Jason Harris, Co-Founder & CEO of Mekanism, has worked with some of the most iconic, soulful brands on the planet including Peloton, Ben & Jerry’s, Method and Jose Cuervo. So much so that Mekanism was recently the desirable acquisition of Plus Company. In this episode, Ryan and Jason touch on what it’s like for Jason to now have a boss and the power of manifesting your own destiny (Code for: declaring out loud where you want to go then figuring out how to get there). They also unpack what it means to use a blend of Soul & Science in creating successful, courageous marketing campaigns.

For 300 years golf had remained the same. Then Topgolf came around. If you ask their Chief Marketing Officer Geoff Cottrill if Topgolf IS golf you’d be surprised to learn his answer. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we discuss how Topgolf is democratizing and diversifying the game. Geoff, on Forbes list of the 50 Most Entrepreneurial CMOs, and Ryan discuss what happens when sneaker culture meets golf culture and how to successfully introduce a new concept to the masses.

What would you do with 100 days away from your job? It’s a scenario most of us could only dream of. Today's guest believes it could be the key to living a more fulfilling and authentic life. DJ DiDonna is the founder of The Sabbatical Project. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, host Ryan Berman and DJ DiDonna discover that sabbaticals and courageous decisions can both serve as regret insurance for your future self. DJ also speaks on what it will take to make sabbaticals more equitable for workers of all pay grades, and the importance of taking time for yourself before you feel like you need it. It’s a thoughtful conversation that reminds us the importance of stepping away from our daily grind every once in a while to reset on our career and life journeys.

10 years ago, when the founders of Airbnb asked Chip Conley to be their mentor, he had his doubts. He could not see his place at a young-blooded tech start-up where the average employee was half his age. But Chip is not one to back down from a challenge, and with the help of Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, he began embracing his new role as a “Modern Elder”. Chip is a self-proclaimed Zeitgeist Surfer, a rebel hospitality entrepreneur, a bestselling author, and the Founder of Modern Elder Academy, the world’s first midlife wisdom school that helps people cultivate and harvest their wisdom. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, host Ryan Berman and Chip Conley explore what Chip is currently afraid of. They also discuss Chip’s time at Airbnb, the power of mentorship, and how the “great midlife edit” inspired Chip to launch The Modern Elder Academy.

Communication is powerful. Our guest today has proven that great communication changes individuals, companies, and societies for the better. Patti Sanchez is the Chief Strategy Officer for Duarte, and has helped clients such as Nike, Cisco, Ericsson, and HP take their storytelling to the next level. Through communication frameworks, storytelling techniques, and empathy exercises, Patti helps leaders and learners of all kinds understand the inner workings of the human mind and heart. She does so by crafting engaging narratives that resonate on a deep level. In this episode of The Courageous Podcast, host Ryan Berman and Patti Sanchez shed light on how to use storytelling to not only mobilize people to change, but to empower them to influence large-scale transformations. Patti also shares some actionable advice on becoming a more effective communicator and speaks on why she believes a conversation is a more effective communication tool than a monologue.

He helped bring two NHL teams to the Stanley Cup Finals. Aided a USA Hockey World Championship Team to a bronze medal. Rebuilt two college hockey programs from the ground up. It’s why Greg Carvel refers to himself more as a “program builder” than a “head coach”. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, join host Ryan Berman and Coach Greg Carvel as they discuss why having more character than your opponent is an essential feature of a winning team. We’ll hear how Coach Carvel, over the course of four years, took the University of Massachusetts men’s Hockey Team from 58th (out of 60 Division 1 programs) to 2021 National Champions — all while maintaining the highest GPA of any athletic team on campus. It’s an inspirational episode that presents lessons that can be applied to life, business, and beyond!

In this wide-ranging conversation, host Ryan Berman and Josh Golden discuss the importance of staying curious, which of the 300+ pieces of content Josh has made is his favorite, and his recent decision to share publicly his bout with epilepsy.  It’s another inspiring episode of the Courageous Podcast that you will not want to miss.

Cheerios. Lucky Charms. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Susan Pitt is a serial cerealist and seasoned Brand Experience Director who has spent just under a decade at General Mills believing none of the decisions we make as consumers are all that rational. As she puts it, “we’re all wired for story”. Susan dedicates her days to helping craft some of the world’s most iconic brands known in our culture. On this episode of the podcast, we learn of Susan’s career path starting out on the agency side. As an observationalist, she articulates the distinct differences between the MBA mentality found in most people on the brand side vs the scrappy nature of “agency life”. Her work at General Mills has earned Effies, Cannes Lions, One Show and others – all while living out her personal motto: doing serious work without taking herself too seriously.

There are creative gypsies among us. One of them is Romanian creative talent Mihnea Gheorghiu (Pronounced: Mee-na Gee-orge-ee-yew) who recently returned to Milan from Cannes as a fairly happy man thanks to his teams coveted work on Diesel. On this episode of the podcast, Mihnea, the Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Italia, shares his nomadic journey from Romania to the USA to Italy. We talked about the creative role in advertising: as he puts it, to, “Feel something in the shortest time possible.” We also covered the need for creators to stay curious, the importance of “asking seemingly stupid questions”, and the need to remain an entertainer. If you believe, like Mihnea, that “creativity is the enemy of comfort”, join us for a fast listen.

Ever wonder why your best ideas show up in mid shower? Or how you refreshingly feel different after spending the day next to an ocean on the beach? Today, we dive head first into the healing powers of water. We’re joined by the masterful J Nichols who was nicknamed “Keeper Of The Sea” by GQ Magazine. J has spent a career researching the benefits and impact water have on all of us. He is a marine biologist, PhD and author of the book “Blue Mind”. On this episode, J shares why we need to find moments to step away from terra firma to spend more time on, near or around lakes, pools, seas, hot tubs and more.

"Don't just look at the world differently. Do the world differently.” This week’s guest is a profound talent who does both. IN-Q is an award-winning poet, multi-platinum songwriter, and the best-selling author of Inquire Within. His ability to deconstruct society and bend those observations into words landed him on Oprah's SuperSoul 100 list of the world's most influential thought leaders. He was the first spoken word artist to perform with Cirque du Soleil, and to be featured on A&E, ESPN, and HBO's Def Poetry Jam. His stand-up poetry special, IN-Q - Live at the Ace Theatre, is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. On this episode, IN-Q shares some of his new work. In the spirit of courage, IN-Q nudged the host to write and share one of his own poems as well.

A birth. A death. An anniversary. A circled date on the calendar. A special occasion where sending flowers or chocolates can bring loved ones together; even when they're physically thousands of miles apart. Now, imagine if this memory-making moment doesn’t show up on time. This is the anxiety that comes with being Charlie Cole, the Chief Executive Officer of FTD, the modern florist collective. In this episode, Charlie and I discuss what it was like joining the company days before the lockdown in March 2020. Charlie shares what surprised him the most — that he didn’t know about — until after he accepted the job. Finally, we banter back and forth on where fear and courage show up for him as he tries to reinvent a legacy brand that deserves its own flowers for turning 112 years old. Enjoy.

Will Cady is many things. A conscious creator. An Emmy award-winning composer. A member of the 2020 AdWeek Top 50 for Tech, Media and Marketing. Like many, Will thoughtfully resides at Reddit's intersection of content, news, social media and trusted, vouched forum. On this episode, Will reveals what he believes is at the core of Reddit’s success. He expounds the importance of turning curiosity into understanding. And, above all, he shares what it means at Reddit to “remember the human”.

South African Marc Sidelsky believes in the power of storytelling, finding your voice and following it. Marc, an award-winning commercials director, tends to create scripts that disrupt and flourish in the market including his recent brave accomplishment of going straight to a CEO with an idea (Stussy X Nike) that one year later won honors at all major advertising festivals including the Clios, One Show and D&AD.  On this episode of the podcast, Marc shares where his passion for story-making started and gives smashing advice for anyone looking to push themselves in the content generation game.

Lauren Verrusio is the Head of Creators, Culture & Content Partnership Communications at YouTube. Jennifer Zudonyi is a Senior Director of Brand & Consumer Marketing at Warner Bros Discovery, leading efforts around its NHL partnership. On this episode of the podcast, we hear the story of how two power women turn themselves into a power couple. Each shares their version of what it was like meeting each other in a male dominated world of sports. When did they feel safe coming out? How does their personal life now show up at work? What advice might they have for anyone looking to right a wrong they’re experiencing firsthand in society? We get into it all on this episode of the podcast.

Think Postpartum depression only happens with women? Think again. For our Father’s Day edition of The Courageous Podcast, we sit down for a brave conversation with pediatrician Dr. David Levine. David graduated with highest honors from NYU Medical School while completing his residency at Yale Children’s Hospital. Even with all his wisdom and accolades, life changed fast—and not all for the best—when David became a father. On this episode, David bares all and shares his fatiguing story of being a pediatrician who suffered from paternal postpartum in a time where there wasn’t a wink of literature on this topic. Fast forward to today. That lonely bout with depression steered David to take on the role as incoming Vice President of Postpartum Support International, the worlds leading organization supporting the mental health of new parents.

Aron Ezra is a thinker, innovator and serial entrepreneur with two major exits under his belt. While his wife might wish he’d take a break, Aron is currently in the thick of his third mega business as Chairman of Plan A Technologies; an award-winning software development firm serving startups to the Fortune 500 with offices in the US, Europe, Africa and Latin America. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Aron and I discuss all facets of the entrepreneurial journey. Where to start? How to ramp from small to big? When it’s time to go from scale to sale? If you have the stomach to go out on your own and you need some expert advice from someone who has “done it” twice, has won dozens of awards, and was named one of the Most Intriguing people in Las Vegas by Seven Magazine, then this is the episode for you. Enjoy.

Todd is the SVP, Digital Innovation & Fan Experience for the Seattle Kraken. A former hockey player turned entrepreneur, Todd is charged with redefining how Seattle fans experience the game in a city with deep hockey history, but one that hasn’t had an NHL team in almost one hundred years. On this episode, we discuss life just before the launching of the Kraken brand. We learn how it all started at a conversational breakfast where Todd joined two Leiweke brothers and famed movie maker Jerry Bruckheimer. If you want an inside look at the then best kept secret in hockey, how the Kraken earned it’s late-in-the-game “red eye” in their logo, or were just curious how they put in the work to craft the first net zero carbon-arena, then this is the episode for you.

Ever show up to a party with a 6-pack of water? If you have, you most likely haven’t been invited back. Unless that sixer was comprised of stone-cold tallboys from Liquid Death Mountain Water. In just three short years, LDMW is “murdering thirst” by disrupting a boring-than-still-water commodity category. At the center of it all is Greg Fass; recently named by Forbes as one of 50 most Entrepreneurial CMO’s of 2022. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we are joined by Greg who has made a name for himself as a builder of consumer brands. He was the 2nd full-time employee at MeUndies, where he was at the forefront of non-traditional social-first brand marketing. Today, as Liquid Death Mountain Water’s VP of Marketing, he takes great pride in subverting all water category conventions. Greg grew up in the snow, skate, and surf world and unapologetically shares that he hates corporate marketing, in his words, “as much as everyone else”.

Some would say it’s hard to lose yourself if you had yet to truly find yourself. This is the story of how one man went from city-to-city searching for his purpose while stumbling through a divorce and a soul-crushing bankruptcy only to come out the other side building a multi 7-figure empire. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we meet Ryan Weeden who had lost everything — not just money; but himself. Today, this “Hairpreneur”, Founder and CEO of Masters of Balayage, happily helps thousands across his global audience not just navigate with what’s happening on their minds (their hair) but what’s happening in their minds! We’ll hear Ryan's personal trials and tribulations that he felt he had to go through in order to come out the other side as the man he is today. Enjoy.

On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we sit down with Bjorn Trowery who joined Meta’s Communications/PR team near the beginning of the pandemic and the tail end of the brand formerly known as Facebook. We discuss what it’s like for Bjorn to establish credibility with a new team handcuffed away from his “personal superpower”; his ability to be live, collaborating and in-person.

What does an asthmatic, a Rower, the co-founder of The Perfect Pushup and a Navy SEAL-turned-Platoon Commander have in common? All of them were my guest on this weeks episode of The Courageous Podcast. Alden Mills is one of a kind. He’s on a mission to help 100 million people be unstoppable. He strives to achieve this feat by being a keynote speaker, an executive coach and the epitome of courage. What else did I learn about Alden from our 45 minute conversation? For being a Platoon Commander, he is also a humble human. If you want to learn what it’s like to survive asthma and still become a Navy SEAL, if you aspire to be unstoppable, or if you care to hear why Alden has a bone to pick with Harvard, throw this episode between your ears.

Rhett Power is a Best-Selling Author, Executive Coach, Columnist at Forbes, and a Season 1 Cast Member of The Social Movement (TV Series). Rhett is also the Co-founder of Accountability Inc. and is host of Power Lunch Live; one of the first and most popular interview shows on LinkedIn. On this episode, we flip the script on Rhett as he’s usually the one asking thought leaders, authors, and business executives their secrets to success. We talk about Rhett’s transformation from product entrepreneur to becoming a member of the Marshall Goldsmith's 100. We also go behind the curtain on why Rhett and I came together every Friday during the pandemic to provide an hour long online forum where people could congregate, be inspired, learn and keep it real with one another. Enjoy.

Approximately 13 million adopted pets have found their way into homes over the course of the pandemic. While we’ve taken in our lovable new fur babies over the last two years, many of us are heading back into the working world leaving our pets behind (and alone) for the very first time. In dog years, that’s over a decade and a half of their life! Mental health isn’t simply something humans are dealing with; our four legged children will be coping with their own new levels of anxiety. Enter the team at Petco and Chief Marketing Officer Katie Nauman. On this episode of the podcast, Katie and I discuss Petco’s shifting business to provide more holistic solutions for our pets and their owners. We chinwag on all the pet people working for the company and discuss how the idea of “bring a pet to work” is a year round ordeal in their culture. And, if you ever wanted to know how to go from an $8 an hour job to the Chief Marketing Officer at Petco, then this is the episode for you.

Rihanna. Neymar. Dua Lipa. Usain Bolt. Lewis Hamilton. These are a few of our iconic favorites who set the tone across the globe in style and culture. Collaborating with these originals is one of the world’s leading brands in sports today. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, CEO and President of PUMA North America Bob Philion shares what it’s like to steer the “Big Cat” under the “forever faster” mantra. We dive into what it has been like for Bob getting to know these larger-than-life superstars. We chat about PUMA’s “Run Towards Change” reform platform and discuss how “the casualization of life” has really worked in PUMA’s favor. While we don’t delve too deep on “The Great Reshuffle”…we do get into “The Great Shuffle”; which entails Bob and his daughter showcasing their dance moves on social to pass the time during the pandemic. Enjoy!

Peyton Manning. Drew Brees. Eli Manning. Each of these Super Bowl winning quarterbacks relied on Bennie Fowler to run routes, block or catch passes over the course of his 8-year NFL career. But as Bennie will tell you, each of the above drew him to his current passion of helping executives and organizations maximize their performance. Today, Bennie is an entrepreneur, the creator of MVP leadership (cliff hanger opportunity: the MVP doesn’t stand for what you think) and the author of the book Silver Spoon. As you’ll soon learn from our episode, Bennie first learned to love leadership from his father Bennie Fowler Senior who was a high ranking executive at the Ford Motor Company. We discuss their relationship, Bennie's road to the NFL and his current role guiding leaders in business today.

“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” Twenty years ago, these were the words murmured by an unfilled-at-the-time Sam Zien to his wife after he quit his job as a biotech operator. It was then that he realized that something in his life didn’t feel right. One morning, now unemployed, Sam recalls watching “one of the worst cooking segments” on a local San Diego channel when the idea came to him: launch a cooking show. Only problem? Sam didn’t know how to cook. Today, Sam Zien is known as “Sam The Cooking Guy.” He is quickly approaching 3,500,000 YouTube channel subscribers while his 5th cookbook, “Sam The Cooking Guy: Between The Buns” comes out this May. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Sam shares how he went from averaging $8,000 a year over his first two years to becoming the Emmy-Award winning playful personality many of us have come to love today. Enjoy.

There are presently 171,476 words making up our English Dictionary. And with all those choices, you can see how many leaders fumble their way through picking the very right words to help motivate their people, navigate hard conversations, or galvanize a consumer base. Enter Molly Tschang, who is a problem-solver extraordinaire, lexicon rock star, and the Host of the radio show Say It Skillfully®. Molly envisions a world where people speak without fear and feel heard. She's passionate about each of us being who we are and helping others say what needs to be said, skillfully. Most believe actions speak louder than words—until, of course, words fail them. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Molly gives us a little taste of her skill, including what it takes to let go of what doesn’t serve us. Enjoy.

In the 90th minute on a beautiful California day, in front of 25,000 raving fans, the day got instantaneously more sunny for today’s guest when Javier Hernandez (“Chicharito”) went on to score the lone goal in a 1-0 opening day LA Galaxy win against MLS champions NYCFC. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we are joined by the President of the LA Galaxy Chris Klein. As the leader of a club with the most MLS Championships in history, the expectation to compete and win remains at an all-time high. Chris and I discuss the state of both the LA Galaxy and US soccer, the pressure that comes with his title and his rocketship-ride from player-to-President; including a handful of mentors who helped him along the way. Enjoy.

Emily Musil Church, Ph.D. specializes in tech for good, entrepreneurship, and prize competitions. She spent a half-dozen years at the XPRIZE Foundation and served as Executive Director of the human equity domain. Today, she continues her good work running world-changing, “crowdsourced" prize competitions at Milken Institute. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we discuss where her philanthropic gene came from, the potential outcomes of a prize that can change the world, and her recently announced finalists of the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize.

Today, there’s a video camera in everyone's pocket. But long before we coined the term influencers, there were just people with influence. Back in 2010, HBO decided to take a chance on two of them: The Neistat Brothers. Van and Casey Neistat once described their series that was picked up by HBO as "a handmade home movie TV show.” While the democratization of content is here and now, eclectic Van Neistat remains a master storyteller, talented artist, and DIY movie maker. From my lens, he truly ranks as one of the most interesting minds in America. Our discussion spans far and wide, including his current YouTube endeavor, "The Spirited Man,” his relationship with his brother Casey, and a few of our life adventures that included his Baja motorcycle trek (where Van brought along two total strangers) to my wedding. Enjoy.

"Nice" gets a bad wrap. But, Adam Morgan is one of the true nice guys who has successfully navigated the creative business space. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we are joined by the affable Adam Morgan who is Adobe's Executive Creative Director. We discuss a panoply of topics including how C-Suites can better understand the impact creativity has on its bottom line, as well as Adam’s challenge to creatives to “reach across the silo” and better understand the nuances of marketing and business. Who better to provide a point of view on the paramount importance of creative leadership than someone who has spent over two decades running creative departments at brands and agencies. Enjoy.

She’s not only back from Beijing, but she has returned to the States with the ultimate mantlepiece. Aerial Mogulist and freshly-minted Olympic Silver Medal winner Jaelin Kauf shares her whirlwind two weeks, from navigating a Covid Olympics from the other side of the world to her mother surprising her “live” on The Today Show during her media tour in New York City. Jaelin relives her run, discusses “if she feels different,” and confides where she hopes her picture will NOT go when they add it to the US Ski & Snowboard Center Of Excellence in Park City, Utah. We also discuss the history that was made with 4 US athletes finishing in the top 10 of her event, the work we did together on manifesting “Deliver The Love,” and what comes next for the Olympic medalist. Enjoy.

Walter Geer isn’t simply a talented black creative—he’s a talented creative (period, full stop). Walt takes great pride sitting at the intersection of design, data, innovation and storytelling. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we zip around discussing his work as a leader in the digital advertising space as well as his monumental work as a DEI advocate. We dive deep to address race, fairness, talent and if he’s seen any real progress in diversification of the board room. Walt also shares what drives him as well as what he has learned from his unique (and public) conversation with Proctor & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard. Savoy Magazine listed him as one of the most Influential Black Execs in Corporate America. Adweek named him as one of their 50 most important people in media, marketing and tech. If you’re ready to keep it real, then hit play on this conversation between your ears.

Whatever it takes. Say “yes and.” Keep it real. These are just a few of the concepts the affable Erin Levzow knows all too well. She shares her “just keep figuring out” journey with us on this new episode of The Courageous Podcast. If you ever wanted to learn how someone can go from studying theatre in school to making it in Las Vegas to masterfully building an art Mecca in a hotel to finally, “selling tacos on the internet” (her words, not mine), then buckle in for a genuine conversation with Top 25 Women by AWNewYork, CMO of the Year 2020 and ballroom dancing extraordinaire Erin Levzow. Enjoy!

Chris Kneeland is the tell-it-like-it-is co-founder of The Gathering which is, as the name suggests, a gathering that takes place in Banff’s Canadian Rockies by a consortium of world-class brand makers who wish to study, honor and celebrate the world’s best brands. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Chris and I discuss what goes into making this event as well as how his “day job” as the CEO of proactive creative agency “Cult" has evolved over the last decade. This includes a passionate back and forth about why brand leaders continue to make the very same mistake: putting stories into the world that don’t truly mirror what’s going on behind the curtain in their culture. And, if you’re a fan of Business Haiku’s, Ryan tests a few new ones out on Chris. Enjoy.

If you are like the majority, then you have an hourly rate. This severely bothered this weeks guest who couldn’t logically accept “hourly rate" payment terms for his talent. In fact, if Jonathan Stark was capable of cracking your problem in a shorter period of time, shouldn’t he be paid more? On this episode of The Courageous Podcast we are joined by a former software developer who is now on a mission to rid the world of hourly billing. Jonathan is the author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts, the host of Ditching Hourly, and writes a daily newsletter on pricing for independent professionals. If you’re like me (and Jonathan) and believe that the laziest, lowest measurement of our worth is a measurement of time, then this is the episode for you. Enjoy.

Phil Horvath has been on quite the journey. Nothing like starting a prominent, new job during the thick of the pandemic. Now, almost a year in, Phil shares what it has been like to navigate his organization as the new President of Floyd’s 99 Barbershop. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we discuss how Phil has gone about getting to know his team who reside across 114 locations in 13 states from Florida to Texas. This includes the colossal challenge of not being about to travel for face-to-face meetings with his new team for a major part of his tenure. We also discuss the personalities of such a curiously creative workforce, what they call “The Floyd’s Vibe” (which you’ll experience in every Floyd’s shop) and the importance of helping Floyd's employees find their purpose and live their best lives. Enjoy!

In the world of food, Kraft Heinz is on the hunt for what's next now. In this episode of The Courageous Podcast we are talking transformation and the future of food with VP of Capabilities, Kevin Zidron. Kevin shares how his entrepreneurial spirit took him on a journey which started with stocking shelves. We discuss the importance of understanding the inner workings of an organization at all levels and how to wisely tap into your customer's behavior. We also discuss Kevin’s leadership style; he believes in a people-first leadership approach, the "power of we", and shares how focusing on continuous learning is driving transformation at Kraft Heinz.

We are joined by Google’s Head of Industry Dustin Bomar who learned an entirely new category shifting from the travel business to the telecom arena. If not more courageous is Dustin’s backstory. As a father of two adopted African American kids, now 7, we took some time to discuss the impact of these last two chaotic years; including its toll on his family. Dustin shares his concern for the type of country we are creating that his kids will one day grow into. Take a listen on this episode of The Courageous Podcast.

It can share a news report with us in the morning. It can tell our kids a whimsical bed time story just before sleep. Amazon Alexa has become a useful member of many families found in kitchens and bedrooms all across the home. But what goes in to what Alexa says? And are there ways for us to teach Alexa what we best like to hear? Learn from Andrew Turner who is a Senior Manager on the Alexa Artificial Intelligence team. He works on what he calls the Natural Language Understanding team — and will share with us a few tricks, tips and Alexa skills that may help you in your home.

Male ego. Testosterone. One Ups. Away from the media, every locker room is a mental war zone that can often mirror the battles taking place on professional fields, diamonds and pitches itself. So imagine Robbie Rogers dilemma when he made the choice to become one of the first openly gay man in pro sports to brave the no holds barred chatter of the locker room. US Men’s National Team player Robbie Rogers, now retired, played for the LA Galaxy from 2013-2017. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Robbie shares his story of “coming out” and playing on. We learn who inspired him and what the experience was like. Finally, Robbie enlightens us with a bit of courageous advice to take forward in our lives.

What happens when the tables are turned on an award-winning podcast host? You get badass podcaster, producer and storyteller Shelby Stanger as your guest on The Courageous Podcast. Shelby is a colossal believer that stories can impact substantial change. She has not only covered those stories as a journalist but has lived them herself. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Shelby shares how she went about crafting her Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast that she knew she’d one day sell to REI. She also shares her current passion project called Vitamin Joy; a podcast that sets out to deliver more health, humor and joy into the world. From covering rock stars to sand boarding under the South African stars, Shelby talks us through her adventures over this entertaining, hour long episode.

Eric Toda has had enough. Do you blame him? He is a father who unremittingly thinks about raising his children in a world where hate, fear and profiling is haunting Asian Americans. But why isn’t it haunting all of us? It should. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Eric Toda keeps it real on how he feels. We do cover a lot of ground including Eric’s versatile career leading at AirBnB, Snap, Nike and now Facebook. Deeper into the episode we discuss Eric’s frustration over the last year as hate crimes targeting Asian Americans spiked 150% in major US cities over the course of the last year. Finally, we talk through how Corporate America can be a solution to stopping Asian (and all) hate.

Lilian Tomovich is a “kind competitor” who wants to win. While she has a serious passion for sports, she is a seasoned marketer who has spent a successful career growing on her experiences leaping from one vertical to another. With her ability to jump into teams across sectors — from banking to start-ups to gaming — Lili shares her perspective of the unique culture differences she has seen in companies focused on performance vs companies focused on brand. She believes technology matters; but people matter more. Finally, Lili shares her courageous story from corporate life which ends by giving excellent advice for any woman navigating predominantly stodgy, senior board rooms.

Imagine navigating the gauntlet of corporate life looking for that right opportunity to be a CEO. When you’re finally given your shot, you find yourself two months in on the job navigating your company through a pandemic. This is the “in progress’ story of Sarah Jordan who is the CEO of Mastermind Toys; Canada’s biggest specialty toy and children’s book retailer. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we discuss how Sarah quickly realized she wasn’t simply the CEO but needed to be the Chief Communications Officer, how she quickly scrapped her first 90 day plan and how she has been leading courageously with a team she has primarily never met in person. During a week where we’re proud to celebrate International Women’s Day we bring on a passionate and inspiring leader we can all learn a lot from.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Yet nailing an inspiring strategy can be the fuel a culture nourishes on to achieve its maximum potential. When it comes to unlocking true insight, there may be no one sounder on the planet than the founder of The Planning Dirty Academy Julian Cole. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Julian joins us from Australia to explain the cost of change, the price of courage and his insightful RICK process (no spoiler alert here) to taking on reinvention. If your job includes the hard task of socializing ideas or you are personally interested in becoming a strategy sherpa then take this episode for a gander.

Micol Rankin is a lot of things! Most of all, he’s a passionate spirit looking to lift up “dope” people doing “dope” work in the world. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we discuss his deep love of freestyle rap battling, his 13 years growing his craft as a creative and his epic LinkedIN content series “You Are Dope”. We also try to drop a new nickname on Micol that may or may not stick by his standards. For being a positive light that picks up others, Micol has also encountered some unimaginable heavy that has us running the gamut of emotions across the episode. Enjoy.

Amongst us are living, breathing heroes who have not only found their true calling, but are putting their purpose into action. This week on the Courageous Podcast, we are joined by “a real-live” superhero in Ricky Mena who is the founder of HeartOfAHero.org. Ricky is committed to bringing positivity and smiles to children facing life-threatening illnesses, disabilities and more. The way he does so is by dressing up as Spiderman for his visits. We’ll learn how Spiderman came to be, how Ricky had his own courageous fight with PTSD and how he overcame it all for a higher mission.

Get ready for some serious airtime as we get up, close and personal with US Ski & Snowboarding Athlete and current #2 Freestyle Mogul Skier in the world Jaelin Kauf. Jaelin, with the goal of becoming the globe's best female Freestyle skier, shares her action packed story of growing up on the mountain in a family of competitive skiers. We cover a lot of snow in this episode including her recent experience competing for Team USA at the PyeongChang Olympics as well as he current commitment, passion and fire to make it to the top of the podium in the 2022 Winter Olympics being hosted in Beijing.

Courageous Podcast w/ Tony Hsieh
The intentional Tony Hsieh is the CEO of Zappos, a serial entrepreneur and the author of NY Times Best-Selling book Delivering Happiness. He also continues to push the envelope on creating intentional environments that inspire his teams while maximizing the potential of the Zappos workforce. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, we time machine back to a time before Covid for an “in person” podcast recorded live at one of Tony’s latest new projects: Ferguson’s Downtown. Think Burning Man but for entrepreneurs as airstreams, motivated tenants, a Black Alpaca named Marley and Tony Hsieh himself all live together in a revitalization project just off the Las Vegas strip. We sat down with Tony, Tyler Williams (A Zappos Fungineer) and Jen Taler to discuss the future of work, the importance of curiosity in business and the “what’s next” at Zappos.

If Emily Wolfe 2.0 could time machine back to provide Emily Wolfe 1.0 with advice, what would she tell herself? We spent 45 minutes with Emily to discuss what life is like now as an Austin rocker where you can’t give live performances thanks to COVID. She takes us back to her fearful fight with alcoholism, the battle to overcome it and her original worries on if she would have creative flow coming out of it. We were also tickled with a live performance of “Atta Blues” — a soulful, sentimental sound that also happened to be the first song Emily wrote coming out of rehab. If her life was a movie, what would it be called and who would play her? What was the most courageous thing Emily has ever taken on in her life? What age did Emily start jamming and who on earth is “Big H”? We cover all that as well as what she would be doing if she couldn’t do music here on The Courageous Podcast.

Episode Notes:

2:34 - Emily Wolfe: "a frickin" rock star signed by Gibson

3:46 - When Did Emily Start Playing?

4:07 - Emily Define's Her Sound As A Threesome Between...

5:39 - Her 1st time playing Live: "Drummer's For Jesus"

8:50 - The Pain of Not Playing Live During A Pandemic

11:07 - Teenage Angst" Inspired Her To Write Her Own Music

13:17 - Emily Talks About The Twists of Her "Journeys"

15:07 - "Every Day is a Stepping Stone"

16:00 - There's No Easy Path

17:00 - "It's pretty mind blowing that I'm still here"

17:28 - Emily Opens Up About Her Battle with Alcohol

17:42 - The most courageous thing Emily has done: getting sober

20:15 - Spinning Your Brain: From Fight to a Different Light

21:55 - Playing is Her Remedy

22:45 - Emily's Conflict: Writing Sober

24:24 - “Atta Blues”: Emily's 1st song written sober

25:52 - If Emily today could give advice to Emily 1.0...

29:58 - Connecting is a Conflict: Quarantine

31:56 - LIVE PEFORMANCE: “Atta Blues”

35:56 - If she couldn't be in music for a living, she would...

38:03 - Who plays Emily in her movie...

40:05 - The importance of having good people around you

42:34 - Parting words

Donovan is a USA soccer legend, a Dad to three kids, and a coach to 26 athletes for the SD Loyal (https://www.sdloyal.com/). He has won six (6) MLS cups, is the all time leader in assists for the national team and MLS, and is tied with Clint Dempsey as the all-time leader in scoring for the U.S. national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest U.S. soccer players of all time.

We get a chance to relive the Algeria goal in 2010, the impact it had on soccer here in the states, the pressure of the moment, and the strategy to get to that goal.

He talks with us about creating an identity through soccer and how that filled his need for acceptance. What this did to him post professional soccer and how he came to grips with who he is as a human being. Landon shares how he found his next passion and the importance of trying new things to get to your “why” and define your personal purpose.

Learn how he got to the top level, the preparation needed to excel, and how training, travel and media affected his motivation. How he addresses fear and lives in the present. And what compassion can do for yourself and your relationships, especially when you coach, parent or lead a team.

Episode Notes:

1:27 - Landon’s tale of the tape

2:53 Landon’s life on Quarantine Standard Time

3:45 Landon’s “Selfless Phase”

6:26 Landon growing up

8:41 How Landon ranks in other sports

9:56 Landon’s rise from nowhere

12:24 U.S. scouting: bleak back in the day

12:59 Getting deep

13:59 Identity tied up in soccer

15:15 The hardships of Germany

16:15 Landon copes with the 2006 World Cup

18:25 How Landon stayed motivated

19:37 Landon’s key to coaching

21:12 What leaders can do better

22:46 Landon shares his purpose

25:02 Landon relives the “Algeria goal”

29:23 “In Search of Greatness” - documentary

30:42 Corner flag celebration

32:23 Landon’s take on fear

36:28 Landon’s new identity in life-after-soccer

37:32 Landon’s new challenge

40:32 Why are YOU here

From wireless bluetooth earbuds to state-of-the-art webcams, powerhouse Logitech hosts 7000 employees and generates 2.8 billion in global revenue annually. Since 2013, at the helm of it all, has been the deep thinking Logitech Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bracken Darrell.

Bracken has ventured on quite the journey to Logitech’s top seat. Prior to his time in his current position, Bracken experienced an amalgamation of experiences steering many household brands at Procter & Gamble, Whirlpool and General Electric. His leadership style has inspired teams and rejuvenated iconic brands such as Old Spice, Gillette, Braun and KitchenAid.

Prior to starting his career with Arthur Anderson and PepsiCo, Bracken earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. degree in English from Hendrix College in Arkansas.

In this lively episode we run the gamut in our conversation. If you’re passionate about leadership, inspiration, maintaining a new comers mentality and the importance of communication, then you’re in for a treat.

Bracken also “let’s us in” while sharing a few stories of his childhood. We learn how that gave him a desire and drive to succeed in business along his path to the role of CEO.

Learn why “success" and “failure" need to get shown the door from your vocabulary. Gain insight on the importance of constant experimentation. Enjoy a definition on how time can be on your side especially when it comes to taking on life's novelties. Hear Bracken’s take on a few served up Business Haikus. And, finally, learn the importance of courageously embracing your inner rebel.

Episode Notes:

3:26 - Background of Bracken and growing up in Kentucky

5:00 - Where Bracken’s drive came from

6:30 - Transition from sports to leadership

7:14 - How consuming content can help with analogies in business

8:30 - Setting goals early to achieve success

10:00 - Why reporting doesn’t matter if you use influence

11:40 - Communicating is the key to developing trust

14:08 - How and why Bracken decided to fire himself

17:13 - Staying hungry

19:15 - Negative blessing

19:55 - Business Haiku’s

23:28 - Bracken’s definition of time

28:00 - How to get inspired

30:56 - OGSMT - Objectives, Goals, Strategy, Measures and Tactics

35:46 - On being yourself and embracing your inner rebel

38:16 - Bracken’s definition of courage

Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides is a founding Astronaut at Virgin Galactic, the author of The New Right Stuff: Using Space to Bring Out the Best in You (https://www.thenewrightstuff.com/), Co-founder of global Space party Yuri’s Night (https://www.lorettawhitesides.com/yuris-night), and the creator of SpaceKind leadership training (https://www.lorettawhitesides.com/spacekind-training-consulting).

In this episode we cover how Loretta became interested in space and space travel that led to her journey to become an astronaut. Her definition of courage and how she has approached fear in her life. The tools she utilizes to manage stress, daily life, and the internal conversations we all have. How to set a vision for yourself and execute it. Mother earth and the perspective we should all have when evaluating our own life, and life as a community on this special planet.

Enjoy getting a bit more insight on Loretta's journey, her book, and the space party - Yuri's Night.

Episode Notes:

7:00 - How Loretta became interested in space and becoming an astronaut

9:47 - Loretta's definition of courage

15:48 - Managing your thoughts

17:16 - Setting a vision and mission for yourself

21:41 - Earth as a living system and how we can all work together as a superorganism

23:26 - Emotional sobriety - journaling, meditation and getting outside

25:44 - Using prompts for stream of consciousness journaling

30:57 - Lessons to be learned from the pandemic

33:55 - How the space community thinks about time scale and geographical boundaries

36:00 - Covering Loretta's book - The New Right Stuff

40:38 - Yuri's Night - World space holiday

47:48 - Loretta's closing message (enriching life by marinating in uplifting, inspiring and motivating content)