In 1990 when NASA launched the $1.5 billion Hubble Telescope into space, they did so with a faulty mirror that took blurry images. They tasked Story Musgrave to lead a team to fix it. What made him the best person to lead the mission? Because Story was a lifelong learner and his range of experience allowed him to view problems through a unique lens.
Story was an electrician, mathemetician, computer programmer, mechanic, pilot, trauma surgeon, and an astronaut who helped design space suits and the Hubble Telescope. He earned six academic degrees and became the only astronaut to have flown aboard all five Space Shuttles.
In this episode, we deconstruct his life and career to learn the most important lessons.
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An enrolled member of the Ottawa Tribe of Michigan, D.J. was born to impoverished teenage parents. He went from sleeping in a drawer for the first three months of his life to becoming a proud graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a decorated Air Force captain, a renowned member of the tribal community, a bestselling author, and a revered motivational speaker. A true warrior, who is successful in both business and life, he credits these personal triumphs to traditional teachings and ceremony as well as his service as a military officer.
D.J. and I discuss his new book, The Warrior Within, and the stories and principals he shares often rooted in Native American culture and wisdom.
In this episode we discuss:
-The sigificance of your 'medicine bag' in Native American culture and how you can use it
-Why sometimes the biggest challenge to seeing our vision come true are because of the people closest to us
-The importance of creating your own war cry, how to keep your fire lit, and more..
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Andy Dunn co-founded the e-commerce driven menswear brand Bonobos in 2007 and served as CEO through its 2017 acquisition by Walmart. While business was booming, Andy struggled to manage his mental illness until he hit rock bottom which resulted in a night of mayhem. Andy opens up in his riveting memoir, Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind, which intersects entrepreneurship and mental health.
One of the major inflection points at Bonobos was the tense relationship with his co-founder, Brian Spaly. In his book and in this interview we discuss what he would have done differently and how their relationship materialized.
We also discuss how people can begin to open up to their friends and loved ones about issues like depression, bi-polar disorder, and other mental illnesses. Also, how we can become better noticing those around us who may need help. This was one of the most important books I've read, I highly recommend the Audible because Andy reads it himself.
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His second book, The Pursuit of Excellence, distills the behaviors he's learned from his guests and life experiences in order to live an excellent life.
In this episode we discuss:
-How he wants his daughters to remember what kind of father he was
-Which podcast guests of his he would select to run a potential company of his
-Unpacking my favorite behaviours from his book and more..
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In this episode we cover:
-How Troy views trust as a leader
-How working in multiple industries has helped shape his professional experience
-How he approaches building great teams like putting together an amazing band
-How to strike work/life balance and more..
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In this episode we cover:
-Who Jay was when he wrote his book
-His preparation process for a great interview
-How to strike work/life balance and more..
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Gihan is a tinkerer who began making his own gear at the age of 13. He's had a knack for problem solving for efficiency through the lens of science. He's the co-founder and president of an innovative apparel brand, Ministry of Supply, where they produce high quality clothing engineered to be both comfortable and presentable. He earned his chemical engineering degree from MIT and was recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2015. In 2018 he cycled across America wearing a Ministry of Supply Nasa-derived polo shirt. Gihan holds several patents and Fast Company recognized MOS as one of the most innovative companies in 2021.
In this episode we discuss:
-How his parents nurtured his curiosity
-How he approaches habit stacking to be super efficient
-Why you should think of vacations as fueling vs rest
-How he prepared for his Ted Talk and more..
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Tony Horton is the creator of the world's most popular home-fitness program, P90X. He is a world-class motivational speaker and the author of top-selling books “Bring It”, Crush It!” and his latest book, “The Big Picture” 11 Laws that will change your life. He has appeared on countless television programs as a fitness and lifestyle expert to promote healthy living through exercise and proper nutrition.
In this episode we discuss:
-What life was like after P90X launched
-What new perspective his illness gave him
-His transition from Beach Body and his focus now
-His favorite fitness gadgets, and more..
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Joe Vernachio is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Allbirds. He was previously the President of Mountain Hardwear, one of the leading mountain sport brands in the world. Joe is a seasoned retail industry veteran where he began working at Patagonia in the late 1980s and he spent over a decade at Nike. In this episode we discuss:
-Commonalities of the best leaders he's worked for
-How he earned his real life MBA working at Nike
-How he's tried to balance his ambitious career while being a present father and husband
-Why "being a pro" is one of the most important principals he leads with, and more..
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Aly Orady is a computer engineer by trade, graduating from Stanford. Early on in his career he worked at HP and Sun Microsystems. One of the companies he founded was acquired by Samsung. He's a tech veteran who followed his passion when he wanted to re-focus on his health and well-being which is why he founded Tonal. It's coined as "the world's smartest home gym" where the weights are powered digitally. If you're considering investing in smart at-home fitness equipment it should be part of your evaluation. Aly shares the importance of strength training and why you should be sure to incorporate it into your fitness regiment (not just cardio) and more.
Check out Tonal www.tonal.com
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Scott Weiss is the Partner and Principal Recruiter at Makena Partners where he primarily recruits candidates for some of the leading roles in technology. He shares a wealth of advice in and around the interview process, branding yourself properly, and ultimately how to best position yourself for your dream job including:
-The benefits creating a failure resume
-The #1 advice for your next interview with a hiring manager
-The truth about about designer looking resumes
-How to approach getting the interview
-When experience trumps potential
-LinkedIn profile best practices to standout to a recruiter and more..
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Scott Galloway is a professor of marketing at Stern NYU, an entrepreneur, and author of three books including Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity. His YouTube videos on the Algebra of Happiness and The Future of Education have both gone viral. He's widely known for his views on the intersection of technology and politics.
In this episode we discuss:
-The aftermath of the pandemic
-The future of education
-The pandemic affect on mental health
-Solicited parenting tips, and more..
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Troy Bigby, along with his brother, co-founded Devil's Reef, a cinnamon spiced rum. His background has spanned technology, music, and spirits. After earning his computer science degree from NYU in the mid 1990s, he joined Roc-A-Fella Records where he helped promote and tour with Jay-Z which led to the height of his career -- arguably the most successful hip-hop star of all-time.
Troy's technology career has led him from Goldman Sachs to Moody's and BlackBerry, where he orchestrated some of the largest mobile device deployments in the world. He's recently partnered with his brother (a former Super Bowl champion) to craft and launch a unique flavor of spiced rum that is being distributed around the country.
In this episode we discuss:
-Some of the most important lessons from his parents
-How he used his computer science degree in the real world
-The most important lesson from his experience working with Jay-Z
-The inspiration behind Devil's Reef and more..
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Dan Sheridan, EVP and Chief Operating Officer of Brooks Running, shares a treasure trove of life and career lessons from his 20+ years at the company. Dan has also experienced the turnaround of the organization through the leadership of their CEO, Jim Weber. Dan shares the lessons he's learned leading the organization before and after the pandemic and how it's positioned Brooks for a bright future.
In this episode we also discuss:
-The impact of finding the right CEO
-How Dan and his team approach diversity, equity, and inclusion
-Traits of the best leaders
-How Brooks positioned themselves as a market leader in performance running/training
-The upside of working for Warren Buffett and more..
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Dr. Srini Pillay is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and brain researcher who has published multiple books on how to address anxiety and how to unleash your full potential. His recent book, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try is about how to create periods of un-focus in your day to re-fuel your brain.
In this episode we discuss:
-the unconscious mind
-a unique approach when feeling overwhelmed with uncertainty
-tips to re-fuel your brain during the day to be more productive
-ways to boost confidence, relieve stress, and more..
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Pete Flint is a General Partner at NFX, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. He was the co-founder of Trulia, the popular real estate app that merged with Zillow and valued Trulia at $3.5B. Trulia has 50 million monthly users. Pete moved to the US (not knowing anyone) to attend business school at Stanford. He also earned his masters in physics from Oxford University. Pete discusses the hard decisions he and his team had to make during the recession around 2008 when Trulia pivoted business models to survive. He also discusses what he looks for in culture, the four reasons to attend business school, and more.
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Bayard Winthrop is the CEO + founder of American Giant, an apparel brand that was coined of making the greatest hoodie ever made by Slate Magazine. AG is also known for sourcing and manufacturing their apparel in the US. Bayard is one of the most forward thinking leaders in the apparel industry. His is obsessed with quality, creating apparel that is American made, and leading his people with compassion. We discuss a range of topics from career advice, his journey, why cheap isn't cheap, and more.
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Bruce Smith is the CEO and founder of Hydrow which is like the Peloton of rowing. It's designed as a connected fitness device that has classes in a live outdoor reality setting. Bruce was also an elite rowing coach. He won the Head of the Charles, coached the US Lightweight Eight to a Bronze medal at the 2015 World Rowing Championships and was the former Executive Director of Community Rowing in Boston.
In this episode we discuss:
Check out Hydrow at www.hydrow.com
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Adam Schefter is a Senior NFL Insider at ESPN. He joined ESPN as an NFL Insider in August 2009, and now appears on a variety of programs, including NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter and more throughout the year. He also hosts his own ESPN Audio podcast, “The Adam Schefter Podcast”, and regularly contributes to other ESPN platforms, such as ESPN.com and ESPN Radio.
Before joining ESPN, Schefter was a reporter/analyst for NFL Network (2004-08) and a sportswriter for more than 15 years for the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News, where he covered the NFL and the Denver Broncos.
A former president of the Pro Football Writers of America, Schefter has authored five books. His most recent, The Man I Never Met: A Memoir (co-authored by Michael Rosenberg), is a powerful story of loss and hope, centered around his family and the memory of his wife Sharri’s first husband, Joe Maio, who died in the September 11 terror attacks.
In this episode we discuss:
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Jaya Rao is the co-founder and CEO of Molekule. She joined the "family business" after getting her mechanical engineering degree and masters in public policy from Stanford. Her father initially developed the technology for Molekule because her brother, Dilip, had severe asthma. Being one of the thought leaders in solar energy, Dr. Goswami, went to work to and built the prototype to what is now Molekule. Jaya shares sound career advice through her journey as the CEO of a disruptive and innovative brand.
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Joe Boyle is a fourth-generation member of the founding Boyle family and currently Executive Vice President of Columbia Sportswear Company and Columbia Brand President. Through his years at one of the largest outdoor companies in the world, Joe served in several roles of increasing leadership and responsibility, ranging from sales and planning to merchandising and product design.
Joe discusses the heritage of the brand, how they've led through adversity, career advice, and much more.
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Richard Krulik is the CEO of Briggs & Riley, my favorite luggage brand in the entire world. His family has been in the business for nearly a century. Richard shares the story of his family's heritage along with his experience in the business and how he's led the company to be one of the most respected and beloved brands that thoughtfully builds lasting relationships with their customers. Richard shares a mountain of gems ranging from career advice to some of the toughest decisions he's had to make as CEO.
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This episode is brought to you by Briggs & Riley (www.briggs-riley.com)
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Ryan Hawk is widely known as hosting the most dynamic leadership podcast where he's interviewed 350 of the most forward thinking leaders. He's published a new book titled Welcome to Management which is the guide book he wishes he had when he was promoted from an individual contributor to a management role. Admittedly, he was ill prepared. His book should be handed to new managers and would be a great asset to those thinking of management or existing ones wanting to compare notes.
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This episode is brought to you by Anker, the leading provider of chargers, cables, and power banks. (www.anker.com)
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Bryan Barr is the President of SC30 Inc. where he partners with Stephen Curry and oversees his brand, investment strategy, and philanthropy. He and Stephen were college roommates while they played basketball at Davidson.
In this episode we discuss:
-We unpack the lessons Bryant learned while working at Nike, The Stanford Graduate School of Business, and founding his own startup
-The added pressure of being Stephen Curry's best friend and being the president of SC30 Inc.
-We discuss their investment in Palm and how they are aiming to create a new category of devices to keep people connected to their phones, but not consumed
-We also talk about the things Bryant does to be more mindful and present around the people that matter most
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This episode is brought to you by Timbuk2 bags (www.timbuk2.com)
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Chris Herren's story was publicized in 2011 through an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary titled Unguarded. It was the story of his rise and sudden fall of his professional basketball career due to substance abuse. The film also shows how Chris turned his life around.
Over the years, Chris has been telling his new story. The First Day is the evolution of that talk where he weaves in his experiences but truly makes it about the students he's speaking to and about their struggles. His superpower is the ability to connect with these students -- and everyone should watch this film.
In this episode:
-Chris and I discuss why he made The First Day film and the impact he believes it can make
-Jonathan Hock, the producer of The First Day, and I discuss the backstory of this documentary and the initial film he produced about Chris titled Unguarded
-Watch the trailer for The First Day
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This episode is brought to you by HANDL New York (www.handlnewyork.com)
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