Shows
Your Next Best StepWhy You Already Know Your Next Step — You're Just Ignoring ItYou don't need more information. You don't need a better plan. And you definitely don't need to wait until everything feels ready. Nine times out of ten, you already know what you need to do — you're just avoiding it.In this solo episode, Brek Cockrell pulls back the curtain on the phrase at the heart of this podcast: Your Next Best Step. Where did it come from? Why does it matter? And what does it actually take to stop overthinking and start moving?Brek shares the personal story behind the name — rooted in a season of t...
2026-03-1328 minYour Next Best StepMotivation Gets Applause, Systems Get Results with Joshua DeanWhat happens when a top 1% mortgage advisor — five years running — stops chasing every shiny object and bets everything on doing less, better?In this episode of Your Next Best Step, Brek welcomes back Joshua Dean, leader of The Dean Team Experience and National Sales Director at Homeowners Financial Group, for a conversation that's as much about life and leadership as it is about loans.Joshua Dean is a Top 1% Mortgage Advisor and trusted guide in home financing, helping individuals and families turn homeownership into a powerful wealth-building tool. As the leader of The Dean Team Expe...
2026-03-0649 minYour Next Best StepLearn, unlearn, relearn… the only leadershipWhat happens when a kid from Buffalo answers a call that takes him far beyond anything he ever imagined?In this episode of Your Next Best Step, host Brek Cockrell sits down with Bishop Matthew L. Brown — senior pastor of Greater Community Church of God in Christ in Marietta, Georgia, a church with over 100 years of legacy — for a conversation that is as honest as it is inspiring.Bishop Brown takes us from the blue-collar streets of Buffalo, New York, to the halls of city government, to the pulpit of one of Atlanta's most community-rooted chur...
2026-02-281h 08Your Next Best StepNothing Meaningful Happens Until Trust Is in the RoomWhat does it actually take to build a culture where every voice is heard and every person truly belongs? In this episode of Your Next Best Step, Brek sits down with Ekua Mends-Aidoo, CCDP, founder and president of Clementine Gold Group — a full-service strategy, planning, and community engagement firm doing some of the most necessary work in organizations today.Ekua doesn't consult from a distance. She gets in the room, earns trust, and does the work with people, not just for them. A Cornell Certified Diversity Professional with over 15 years of experience across municipal government, healthcare, and no...
2026-02-211h 03Your Next Best StepNothing Is Impossible With You: Damar Dowell on Faith, Family & LeadershipWhat does it take to lead with oneness instead of isolation? In this powerful conversation, Brek Cockrell sits down with DaMar Dowell—author, musician, father, husband, and Buffalo community leader—to explore the evolution from dictator-style leadership to collaborative, rooted leadership.DaMar shares his journey from "my way or the highway" to understanding the power of different perspectives through a compelling samurai warrior analogy. He opens up about the lessons learned through 17+ years of marriage, raising four kids, earning his master's degree from Gonzaga, and leading in multiple spaces as a worship lead...
2026-02-131h 17Your Next Best StepBuilding a Platform to Amplify Others with Jamil Crews | Your Next Best StepWhat happens when a DJ from Buffalo decides to stop waiting for permission and starts building platforms for others to be heard?In this episode, Brek sits down with Jamil Crews — founder of Cruise Control Media and The PodHub, photographer, world-renowned DJ, and one of the most intentional behind-the-scenes leaders you'll meet. Jamil shares how he went from piecing together old equipment in a 2-bedroom apartment to running a media company that amplifies voices across Buffalo and beyond.They dive into the real story — from mentoring Brek's son Caleb in photography, to the challenges of bala...
2026-02-071h 12Your Next Best StepSpirit-Led vs. Self-Driven: The Leadership Choice That Changes EverythingLeadership isn't neutral—you're either being formed or deformed by the way you live and lead. In this episode, Brek unpacks a powerful framework from Galatians 5 that reveals two kinds of leaders: the spirit-led leader who cultivates love, joy, peace, and self-control, and the self-driven leader fueled by ego, comparison, and the constant hustle. Brek shares four warning signs that you might be slipping into self-driven leadership and offers a compelling reminder: you can win the room, get the promotion, and hit every number—and still lose your soul. If you've ever felt like success isn't quite fulf...
2026-01-3027 minYour Next Best StepBuilding Communities, Not Just Companies with Kenworth ReevesWhat does it look like to build multiple successful businesses while keeping family, culture, and community at the center?In this episode of Your Next Best Step, we sit down with Kenworth Reeves—a hands-on entrepreneur who owns and operates a diverse portfolio of businesses including a real estate investment company, 13 Stripes Brewery, and a local Junk King franchise. But Kenworth's approach is anything but conventional. He doesn't just write checks—he shows up, leads from the front, and brings his five kids along for the journey.Kenworth shares his philosophy on people-first leadership, the powe...
2026-01-231h 11Your Next Best StepBeyond the Startup Grind: Kristian Andersen's Blueprint for Building Multiple Successful VenturesIn this episode of Your Next Best Step, Brek Cockrell sits down with Kristian Andersen, Co-Founder and Partner at High Alpha, to explore the innovative venture studio model that's changing how technology companies are built. Unlike traditional startups or venture capital, venture studios like High Alpha conceive, launch, and scale companies from the ground up—and Kristian has mastered this approach.With an impressive track record that includes founding Studio Science (a leading design and innovation consultancy he sold in 2019) and co-founding multiple successful software companies including Octiv, Lessonly, Visible, and Pathagility, Kristian brings a unique perspective on...
2026-01-161h 24Your Next Best StepStop Leading with Armor: 6 Ways You're Sabotaging Trust (And How to Fix It)The armor we wear isn't physical—it's the self-protection we put on when we feel threatened, exposed, or uncertain. And it's killing trust on our teams.In this episode, BC unpacks 6 contrasts from Brené Brown's "Strong Ground" that reveal where leaders armor up and how to choose daring leadership instead:Being a knower vs. being a learnerTapping out vs. leaning into hard conversationsShame & blame vs. empathy & accountabilityDriving perfectionism vs. modeling healthy achievementProfessing values vs. practicing valuesFitting in culture vs. belonging cultureBC challenges you to pick ONE contrast that made you squirm, get...
2026-01-1026 minYour Next Best StepClosing out 2025 - The Mystery of Wheat & Weeds🎙️ Season Finale | The Final Episode of 2025As we close out the first 25 years of this century, I explore a question from Father Richard Rohr: What if we don't lack love, but wisdom?In this powerful episode, I unpack Jesus's parable of the wheat and weeds, offering a fresh perspective that challenges our leadership instincts around control, certainty, and fixing people.What You'll Learn:Why certainty is a trap for leadersHow to love people wisely, not just love themThe wheat and weeds within each of usPractical next steps: Name the mystery, create space, trust...
2026-01-0127 minYour Next Best StepFrom Intention to AttentionMost leaders don't suffer from a lack of good intentions—they suffer from a lack of good attention. In this episode, Brett introduces a powerful leadership framework to help you design 2026 instead of drifting through it. Learn how to move from hoping the year goes well to creating a year that ends with a win you can actually point to.Key Takeaways✓ Most leaders suffer from a lack of good attention, not good intentions✓ Focused attention creates impact✓ You cannot lead where you are unwilling to look✓ Awareness is discipline...
2025-12-1318 minYour Next Best StepLeader of One: Why Your Internal Game Matters More Than Your StrategyYou're doing all the things. Working the strategy. Leading the team. Executing the plan.So why does it feel like nothing's moving forward?Here's what most leaders miss: You're not stuck. You're experiencing resistance.In this episode, Aundrea De Leon—Fractional Chief of Staff, Business Integrator, and former Fortune 500 executive—breaks down why your next breakthrough won't come from doing more. It'll come from fixing what's running amok internally before you run amok externally.Aundrea's journey took her from foster care to the executive ranks at UPS, IBM, and American Express. Afte...
2025-12-061h 04Your Next Best StepWhen God Interrupted a Revenge Plot: Jay Harris on Radical TransformationWhen God Interrupted a Revenge Plot: Jay Harris on Radical TransformationJay Harris was 10 steps from leaving church when God spoke: "You're gonna die this week."He was plotting a murder for Wednesday. Going to church on Sundays to keep his girlfriend happy. Living in the streets, dealing with beef, drowning in alcohol—and convinced he had it all under control.Then everything changed.In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Jay shares his journey from the streets of Jacksonville to pastoring in the hood, from survival mode to building a legacy that sh...
2025-11-221h 01Your Next Best Step2026 Doesn't Start with a Plan—It Starts with Paying AttentionWhat if the best way to prepare for 2026 isn't planning—but paying attention?In this episode, Brek Cockrell shares a transformative leadership lesson he learned back in 2008 at conference that has shaped how he approaches new seasons, new roles, and new years. Drawing from wisdom taught by Pastor Wayne Gordon and Dr. John Perkins, Brek introduces a simple but profound rhythm: listen, reflect, respond.Most leaders end the year exhausted, already planning for what's next without taking time to listen to their own lives, teams, or the patterns that ha...
2025-11-1716 minYour Next Best StepStop Chasing Success: The $100 Weekend That Changed EverythingWhat if everything you're chasing as a leader is keeping you from what actually matters? In this powerful solo episode from the locker room in Brek Cockrell shares a transformational story from 1993 that shifted his entire approach to leadership and life.With only $100 to his name, newly married, and desperate to advance his coaching career, BC attended the Final Four in New Orleans. What happened that weekend—and the conversation with Josh McDowel —completely changed his definition of success.This episode is for every leader who's caug...
2025-11-1122 minYour Next Best StepWhen Your Dream Job Isn't Enough: From Community Health Worker to Beauty Boss & BeyondWhen Your Dream Job Isn't Enough: From Community Health Worker to Beauty Boss & Beyond. What happens when your "dream job" stops being enough? In this raw and powerful episode, SalleyNycole Crews—8-time award-winning entrepreneur, esthetician, and business coach—shares her journey from making $26K as a community health worker to building her thriving beauty empire, all while battling severe depression.This isn't just another success story. It's a masterclass in resilience, showing up when everything feels impossible, and why asking for help is the smartest move you'll ever make.🎙️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE SalleyNycole Crews opens up about...
2025-11-0150 minYour Next Best StepNever Not On Mission: Anchored, even when direction shifts.What happens when the career you thought would last forever suddenly ends? For Pete Hixson, stepping away from 22 years in pastoral ministry wasn't the end of his mission—it was the beginning of discovering what it had always been.In this raw and inspiring conversation, Pete opens up about the moment he walked away from full-time ministry, the identity crisis that followed, and how his daughter Hope—who has cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability—showed him what it truly means to lift the lid on potential.From coaching leaders through StoryBrand to founding Beyond Commun...
2025-10-2453 minYour Next Best StepThe Haunted House Theory: How Stress Hijacks Communication at WorkIn this episode of Your Next Best Step, I sit down with Thomas Asta, a leadership expert with over 20 years in the medical device industry, to unpack the neuroscience of communication. Together, they explore how empathy, emotional intelligence, and brain chemistry—especially dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin—shape the way we connect, lead, and influence.Thomas shares powerful stories and frameworks that help leaders move beyond “winging it” in communication to creating environments of trust and growth. From managing stress and imposter syndrome to understanding the “haunted house” of workplace triggers, this conversation bridges science, soul, and leadership in a way tha...
2025-10-1755 minYour Next Best StepHappy in the Hard: Finding Joy in Life’s Toughest SeasonsWhat does it mean to find joy when life feels impossible? In this episode of Your Next Best Step, I sit down with Mercedes Wilson—TV host, author, nonprofit founder, wife, and mom—who has walked through trauma, divorce, betrayal, and two cancer diagnoses, including stage 4 breast cancer.Mercedes shares how faith, therapy, and self-reflection transformed her pain into peace and taught her how to lead herself and others with hope and authenticity. Together, we explore:- The power of facing trauma instead of hiding it- Why self-awareness and therapy are leadership esse...
2025-10-0945 minYour Next Best StepLeading with C.A.R.E.: How to Give Feedback That Builds Trust and Sparks GrowthHard conversations don’t have to be scary. In this episode, BC shares the C.A.R.E. Framework—a simple way to give feedback that’s clear, constructive, and growth-focused. Walk away with tools you can use in your very next conversation.
2025-10-0321 minYour Next Best StepSimple + Obvious = Genius: Unlocking Sustainable LeadershipLeadership doesn’t have to be complicated. In this episode ofYour Next Best Step, I sit down with Jay Adcock, a global coach and movement leader, to uncover why the best leaders lean into simplicity, curiosity, and consistency.Jay’s story takes us from leaving the corporate world with a 100% pay cut to building a coaching movement that’s training thousands of leaders in nearly 100 countries. Along the way, he shares the lessons learned in South Africa, the power of asking better questions, and the importance of small, sustainable shifts that add up to massive impact....
2025-09-2658 minYour Next Best StepCuriosity Over Certainty: Leadership Lessons with Charlie MitchellIn this episode of Your Next Best Step, I welcome a longtime friend and leader, Charlie Mitchell, into the Locker Room for a powerful conversation about calling, curiosity, and courage in the face of change.Charlie opens up about growing up in Fort Myers, losing his parents young, and stepping into unexpected responsibility as a teenager. He shares how those experiences shaped his heart for cross-cultural ministry, eventually leading him to plant churches in some of America’s toughest neighborhoods—from Camden to Baltimore.Together, Charlie and I explore:Why curiosity is a lead...
2025-09-181h 09Your Next Best StepBreaking the Loneliness of Leadership with Nick KennedyWhat happens when success isn’t enough?In this episode of Your Next Best Step, Brek Cockrell sits down with Nick Kennedy, a serial entrepreneur who built and sold three companies, including an airline—before stepping into his true calling as an executive coach.Nick opens up about:Growing up with a father in prison and how it shaped his drive.Building businesses in healthcare and aviation, and what success cost him at home.The...
2025-09-1246 minYour Next Best StepEveryone Matters… But Do They Feel It?In this powerful conversation, Brek sits down with longtime friend and higher education leader Scott Traylor to unpack a core leadership truth: saying “everyone matters” is easy... but making people feel it is what transforms culture.Scott shares his journey of stepping into a vice president role during the Great Resignation, leading nearly 1,000 staff and faculty through turnover, burnout, and transition. Together, Brek and Scott explore:Why trust, collaboration, and accountability became the cornerstone values for his teamHow leaders can create environments where staff feel truly seen, heard, and valuedThe...
2025-09-0546 minYour Next Best StepThe Cheat Code Every Leader NeedsWhat if the secret to becoming a better leader isn’t about titles or tactics, but about values, clarity, and the willingness to grow? In this episode of Your Next Best Step, I sit down with longtime friend and national mortgage lender Joshua Dean to unpack the “cheat codes” every leader needs to navigate business, team dynamics, and personal growth.Joshua shares candid lessons from leading in the mortgage industry and beyond, how identifying his core values shifted his leadership, why curiosity beats quick answers, and how clarity is actually the ultimate form of kindness. Together, they explor...
2025-08-2943 minYour Next Best StepVulnerability is the Real Leadership FlexIn this episode of Your Next Best Step, we sit down with Kyria Stephens to unpack what it really takes to lead with impact. From setbacks and doubt to building a movement, Kyria shares how vulnerability, clarity, and consistency shaped his journey from $7.25 an hour to the C-suite and beyond. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to lead with courage when the pressure is on—this conversation will show you why vulnerability is the real leadership flex.
2025-08-2242 minYour Next Best StepThe Heart Behind Your Next Best StepWelcome to Your Next Best Step, the leaders’ locker room. In this short kickoff episode, Brek Cockrell shares why he’s starting the podcast, the journey that led him here, and what you can expect in the weeks ahead. Through real stories, practical strategies, and rooted leadership wisdom, you’ll be inspired to slow down, reflect, and take the next best step in your leadership.
2025-08-1511 min