Episodes

What if the clearest path to becoming an unstoppable leader starts with getting radically honest about your own growth gaps? This week, Jon Goehring and Coach Jim Johnson sit down with Quinn Harwood, known as Coach Q, a former Davidson college basketball player, professional certified coach, and author of the leadership fable Growth Time, for a conversation packed with practical wisdom on confidence, mission, and becoming the kind of leader who lifts everyone around them. Coach Q opens with a p...

What if purpose is the secret antidote to anxiety and the fuel for unstoppable leadership? This week, Jon and Coach welcome Jimmy Page — founder of Unstoppable Elite Performance, health and wellness expert, bestselling author, and Spartan athlete — for a powerful conversation on leadership, faith, and living with relentless grit. Jimmy opens up about his athletic dreams, personal pivots, and the profound impact of faith on his leadership journey. He explains why discovering a mission bigger th...

What does it actually take to earn the trust and loyalty of the people you lead? This week, Jon Goehring and Coach Jim Johnson break down the eight Cs of leadership, a powerful framework every new and emerging leader needs to know to become someone worth following. Jon and Coach open with a compelling challenge: if you were just promoted, why should anyone follow you? They walk through each of the eight Cs in depth, showing how these principles work together to build the kind of leadership pres...

What does it really take to climb from the shop floor to the C-suite with integrity and impact? This week, Jon and Coach talk with Matt Simmes, CEO of IES Communications, who shares his powerful leadership journey beginning as a field technician to leading a billion dollar enterprise. Matt reveals how working in every role, from roofer to branch manager, shaped his empathy and credibility with teams. He emphasizes the importance of patience and consistent value creation to earn promotions, esch...

What does it take to transform talent, grit, and setbacks into lasting leadership? This week, Jon Goehring, Coach Jim Johnson, and Dr. Rehnuma Karim welcome Clint Hurdle — former MLB player and manager, author of Hurdle-isms, and inspirational coach — for an uplifting conversation about resilience, identity, and leadership. Clint shares how a natural gift for sports was honed through hard work, sacrifice, and relentless practice, illustrating the importance of perseverance through highs and low...

What if the biggest challenge in leadership is embracing failure, finding purpose, and taking absolute ownership? This week, Jon Goehring, Coach Jim Johnson, and Dr. Rehnuma Karim talk with Mark Astor — mental health and addiction attorney, author, and advocate — about overcoming setbacks and living a purpose-driven life. Mark shares his winding path from a burned-out prosecutor facing mounting cases and personal struggles to a successful entrepreneur running a mission-focused law firm. He reve...

What if a lack of purpose drives much of today’s anxiety... and finding your mission is the key to becoming unstoppable? This week, Jon Goehring, Coach Jim Johnson, and Dr. Rehnuma Karim sit down with Mark Astor, mental health and addiction attorney, author, and advocate, for an inspiring conversation about embracing purpose, overcoming failure, and leading with intentionality. Mark shares his personal story of breaking free from burnout and professional setbacks after starting as a prosecutor ...

What if failure isn’t the end of your story, but the key to your next breakthrough? This week, Jon Goehring, Coach Jim Johnson, and Dr. Rehnuma Karim explore the universal experience of setbacks... and share three powerful strategies to bounce back stronger. Coach draws on decades of basketball coaching to reveal the importance of analyzing what went wrong, correcting course, and committing to consistent improvement... because repeating mistakes is the only true failure. They discuss how daily ...

What does it take to lead with true impact, embracing challenge, love, and authentic connection? This week, we sit down with Chris Malleo — leadership coach, author of The ChairLeader, and former quarterback turned championship prep school coach — for a deeply inspiring discussion on culture-building and leadership resilience. Chris shares his personal story of navigating leadership transitions, throwing out ego to lead teams through reinvention and challenge. He reveals how early decisions to ...

What does it truly mean to lead a growing, family-owned business into a high-trust, high-performance culture? This week, we talk with Chad Peterman — President and CEO of Peterman Brothers, a family plumbing and HVAC business in Indiana — about transitioning, building culture, and hiring right. Chad shares insights from taking over his father’s business and crafting a vivid, evolving vision to unite the team around shared goals. He opens up about his leadership philosophy which revolves around ...

What if building a business that truly serves your community AND consistently makes profit isn’t just possible but essential? This week, David Grau Sr. — serial author and small business strategist — joins us from his horse farm in Kentucky to share powerful leadership insights from his book, The Stewardship Advantage. David challenges the myth that purpose and profit are at odds, emphasizing that well-written mission, vision, and values statements paired with operational systems can empower sm...

Who are you really, and what if rewriting your personal identity is the key to unlocking leadership success? This week, Jon Goehring, Coach Jim Johnson, and Dr. Rehnuma Karim guide emerging leaders through the transformative power of discovering and owning your mission, releasing social pressures, and building habits that define who you are. Coach Jim Johnson shares how writing a personal mission statement provided him with an unwavering foundation to navigate life’s ups and downs... and how al...

What if your biggest obstacle to success is actually your hesitation? This week, we dive into a masterclass in sales and leadership mindset with Ben Gay III — a living legend in professional selling, author of the classic The Closers series, and a keynote trainer whose lessons have shaped sales for decades. Ben kicks off by reminding us that people buy from those they know, like, trust, and feel safe with — an essential foundation for any leader selling their vision or product. He stresses the ...

What if optimism is the essential secret to true leadership resilience and success? This week, we sit down with Mike Baker — CEO of Heritage Health, author of The Optimist Way, and a leader fueled by hope and purpose — for a deeply inspiring conversation about navigating challenges with optimism. Mike shares why optimism, grounded firmly in realism, is a leader’s superpower. It enables you to uplift teams, push through tough times, and set a hopeful stage for breakthrough growth. He explains ho...

Ever wonder why so many fail to truly succeed despite having great ideas and working hard? This week, we sit down with Phil Portman — serial entrepreneur, host of Let’s Talk Success, and member of the Forbes Technology Council — who reveals the truth about what drives real, lasting success. Phil candidly explains that having ideas alone doesn’t create success; execution is the true queen of achievement. He outlines three essential keys that separate those who get things done from dreamers: clea...

What if your leadership breakthrough came down to one simple life audit? This week, we share powerful tri-generational insights into the “Stop, Start, Continue” framework... a traffic light strategy for leveling up your life and leadership in 2026....

What does it mean to be a leader of significance living a legacy beyond titles? This week, we talk with Mosongo Moukwa, experienced leadership mentor, senior executive, and author of Be a Leader of Significance, about building trust, fostering...

What happens when you blend athletic resilience with leadership grit and a relentless learning mindset? This week, we sit down with Damon Lembi, CEO of Learnit, keynote speaker, author, and former Division 1 baseball player, to uncover how continuous learning fuels powerful leadership. Damon shares: The transformative leadership lessons learned from competitive sports and tough feedback Why “learning without doing is treason” and how to put insights into action fast Practical tips to overco...

How do you speak with authenticity, clarity, and influence in today’s leadership landscape? This week, we sit down with Allison Shapira. She is a Harvard lecturer, executive advisor, bestselling author, and former opera singer, and we explore the art...

What happens when you cross continents, risk comfort, and build a business that bridges worlds? This week, we talk with Valerie Bowden, founder of CRDLE, leadership consultant, and pioneer of remote talent sourcing in Africa. We talk about navigating...

What if your leadership success hinged on the art of giving before asking? This week, we unpack powerful strategies for emerging leaders to build authentic connections and cultivate abundant leadership impact. We explore:Why relationships always come BEFORE results... and how to nurture them intentionally The mindset shifts for giving your time, attention, and gifts before expecting anything back Researching and preparing to add value in every new connection The simple power of genuine comp...

This week, we dive into a candid conversation with Derrick Girard, former financial advisor turned tech entrepreneur, author of Put to the Test, and speaker. He shares his powerful journey navigating lawsuits, scaling a business, and embracing a “Figure It Out” mindset. Derrick discusses how: Personal responsibility and relentless problem-solving fuel entrepreneurial success Facing three lawsuits simultaneously became a catalyst for growth and resilience Building solutions by deeply underst...

What if the key to thriving as a leader is embracing adaptability, purpose, and education? This week, we’re joined by Carrie Kisker, President of Kisker Education Consulting and Director of the Center for the Study of Community Colleges, for a rich...

How can humor and heartfelt storytelling elevate leadership and connect across cultures? This week, we sit down with Naveed Mahbub, award winning comedian, international speaker, and founder of Bangladesh’s first comedy club, who shares his unique journey from engineer and corporate leader to standup comic and global storyteller. Naveed reveals:The power of humor to captivate and engage diverse audiences Balancing entrepreneurial risk taking with cultural adaptation in leadership Why authent...