Shows
The Art of ExcellenceDr. Kwane Stewart: CNN Hero of the Year and Founder of Project Street Vet Dr. Kwane Stewart is a veterinarian and the co-founder of Project Street Vet, a non-profit that provides free veterinary care for the pets of people experiencing homelessness in cities across the country. His work earned him CNN Hero of the Year in 2023. His book is titled: What It Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian’s Quest for Healing and Hope. Summary In this conversation, Dr. Kwane Stewart, a veterinarian and co-founder of Project Street Vet, shares his journey from a successful veterinary career to providing free care for pets of the unhoused. He d...2025-06-231h 16The Art of ExcellenceMichael Grab: Rock Balancing Artist on Making the Impossible Possible Michael Grab is one of the world’s premier rock balancing artists. He has created rock art all over the world and has inspired a global movement for stone balancing art. Summary In this conversation, Michael Grab, a renowned rock balancing artist, shares insights into his creative process, the philosophy behind his art, and the technical aspects of balancing rocks. He discusses how he finds inspiration in nature, the evolution of his hobby into a professional pursuit, and the meditative state he enters while creating his sculptures. The conversation also touches on the ephemeral nature of h...2025-06-031h 02The Art of ExcellenceDean Koontz: 500 million books sold and counting Dean Koontz is an author with fourteen number one hardback bestsellers and sixteen number one paperback bestsellers. His books have sold more than 500 million copies in thirty eight languages. His latest book is titled: Going Home in the Dark. Summary: In this engaging conversation, Dean Koontz shares insights into his writing process, the challenges of genre blending, and the impact of his childhood on his career. He discusses the importance of character development, the role of fear in creativity, and the necessity of maintaining a unique voice in writing. Koontz reflects on...2025-05-121h 23The Art of ExcellenceJames Lawrence “aka” Iron Cowboy: 100 full distance triathlons in 100 days James Lawrence has broken two Guiness World Records for endurance racing. He raced a full distance triathlon every day for 100 consecutive days and prior to that he raced 50 full distance triathlons for 50 consecutive days across 50 states. His latest book is titled Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible. Summary In this conversation, endurance athlete James Lawrence shares his incredible journey of overcoming fear, pushing through pain, and achieving remarkable feats in his triathlon quest. He discusses a life-altering bike crash, the mental strategies he employs to manage fear and pain, and the importance of...2025-04-061h 15The Art of ExcellenceAdam Galinsky: Unlocking the formula to inspiring leadership Adam Galinsky is a social psychologist and a Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He has published over two hundred scientific articles on leadership, negotiations, diversity, and ethics. He has been a damages expert in numerous defamation lawsuits that have generated more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements, including Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News. His latest book is titled: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others. Some interesting insights from this episode: · The leader amplification effect suggests that when we’re in a position of leadership, all of our words...2025-02-211h 04The Art of ExcellenceDiane Boyd: Wildlife biologist and wolf conservationist Diane Boyd has four decades of experience on behavior, conservation and management of wild wolf populations. In 1979 Diane moved to Montana to study wolf recovery in the Rocky Mountains, from the first natural colonizer to approximately 2000 wolves today in the western United States. Diane has worked for the University of Montana, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Montana. He new book is titled: A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery. Some interesting insights from t...2024-12-151h 08The Art of ExcellenceLaurie Santos: The Happiness Professor on the science of well-being Laurie is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University. In addition to her work on the evolutionary origins of human cognition, Laurie is an expert on the science of happiness and the ways in which our minds lie to us about what makes us happy. Her Yale course, Psychology and the Good Life, teaches students how the science of psychology can provide important hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. The class became Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years. The online version of the class—The Science of Well...2024-11-101h 22The Art of ExcellenceDon Lemon: Award winning broadcast journalist and media trailblazer Don Lemon spent three decades on local and national TV – a trusted voice after the Sandy Hook massacre, in war-torn Eastern Europe, and during the riots of 2020. Anchoring Don Lemon Tonight on CNN for eight years, he was known for hard-hitting interviews with public officials and compassionate dialogue with everyday people. The Don Lemon Show is now streaming on all platforms. He is the author of several bestselling books including his most recent one titled: I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America. Some interesting insights from this episode: · As a Black man, h...2024-10-251h 11The Art of ExcellenceGuy Snodgrass: Former naval aviator, TOPGUN instructor, and speechwriter for Secretary of Defense James Mattis Guy Snodgrass recently served as director of communications and chief speechwriter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis. A former naval aviator, he served as commanding officer of a fighter squadron based in Japan, A TOPGUN instructor, and a combat pilot over the skies of Iraq. Today he is the founder and CEO of Defense Analytics, a strategic consulting and advisory firm. He is the author of Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis and his latest book is titled: TOPGUN’s Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit. Some interesting insights from this episode: 2024-09-221h 16The Art of ExcellenceCraig Foster: My Octopus Teacher Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker Craig Foster is one of the world’s leading natural history filmmakers and cofounder of the Sea Change Project, a nonprofit to protect marine life and raise awareness of the importance of the kelp forest. He won an Academy Award for Best Documentary for My Octopus Teacher and has created more than one hundred films and documentaries. His latest book is titled: Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World. Some interesting insights from this episode: · When he goes on cold water ocean dives, his entire brain chemistry shifts with elevated dopamine and adrenal...2024-09-081h 00The Art of ExcellenceAdrian Newey: Greatest Formula 1 race car designer ever Adrian Newey is Chief Technical Officer for Red Bull Racing. He has won 13 drivers' championships and 12 constructors' championships across three teams in his career. He is widely regarded as the greatest Formula 1 race car designer in the history of the sport. Some interesting insights from this episode: · Racing teams have three departments: aerodynamics, vehicle design, and vehicle dynamics/simulation. Because Adrian had worked in each of those disciplines, it provided a more holistic perspective when designing racing cars. · A good design engineer must be both left brained and right brained - that is, combining...2024-07-291h 07The Art of ExcellenceMaurice Ashley: Chess Grandmaster, glass ceiling breaker, life philosopher Maurice Ashley is a Chess Grandmaster, a chess commentator, a national championship coach, and an author. In 1999 he earned the title of Chess Grandmaster, making him the first African American Grandmaster in the game’s history, and was later inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame. His latest book is titled Move by Move: Life Lessons On and Off the Chessboard. Some interesting insights from this episode: · Going into any big moment, the best way to calm your nerves is to get into the right mindset which is that you can’t be better tha...2024-04-281h 12The Art of ExcellenceGary Hunt: Ten-time world champion cliff diver Gary Hunt is a professional cliff diver. He is a 10 time Red Bull World Series Champion with 43 overall victories and counting. He is widely considered the greatest cliff diver in the history of the sport. Some interesting insights from this episode: · Juggling was a practice he used to increase his focus and concentration and take his mind off the stress and pressure of the competition. · It took several years diving off increasing heights to build up the confidence and courage to jump off the 27 meter platform · He’s afraid of heights when there’s no...2024-04-0855 minThe Art of ExcellenceGeorge Mumford: Psychologist, elite performance coach, and mindfulness guru George Mumford is a psychologist, elite performance expert, and author of The Mindful Athlete. He has worked with worldclass athletes including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. He has also consulted with college and Olympic athletes, corporate executives, and inmates, and is a sought-after public speaker at both business and athletic conferences nationally and internationally. His latest booked is title: Unlocked: Embrace your Greatness, Find the Flow, Discover Success. Some interesting insights from this episode: · Unlocked is releasing the masterpiece within. It’s embracing your inner greatness. · Being authentic is a core part of being...2024-03-251h 10The Art of ExcellenceBJ Miller: Palliative medicine physician and educator on life and death and everything in between Dr. BJ Miller is a longtime hospice and palliative medicine physician and educator. He currently sees patients and families via telehealth through Mettle Health, a company he co-founded with the aim to provide personalized, holistic consultations for any patient or caregiver who needs help navigating the practical, emotional and existential issues that come with serious illness and disability. Led by his own experiences as a patient, BJ advocates for the roles of our senses, community and presence in designing a better ending. His interests are in working across disciplines to affect broad-based culture change, cultivating a civic model for...2024-03-101h 03The Art of ExcellenceKara Swisher: Tech journalist, digital media entrepreneur, and pioneer Kara Swisher is the host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher and the co-host of the Pivot podcast with Scott Galloway, both distributed by New York magazine. She was also the cofounder and editor-at-large of Recode, host of the Recode Decode podcast, and co-executive producer of the Code conference. She was a former contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and host of its Sway podcast and has also worked for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Her latest book it titled: Burn Book: A Tech Love Story. Some interesting insights from this episode:2024-02-251h 15The Art of ExcellenceDr. Rae Wynn-Grant: Wildlife ecologist and first black woman to host a TV nature show Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist with an expertise in uncovering how human activity influences carnivore behavior and ecology. She is a National Geographic Explorer, host the PBS podcast Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, and is the cohost on NBC’s Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild. She is the first black woman to ever host a television nature show. Her new book is titled: Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World. Some interesting insights from this episode: · She attended a high school for the performing arts because of...2024-02-051h 04The Art of ExcellenceDaniel Goleman: How to use Emotional Intelligence to Achieve an Optimal State Every Day Daniel Goleman is a psychologist, former science journalist for the New York Times, and the author of 13 books including the #1 bestseller Emotional Intelligence. He has worked with organizations around the globe, examining the way social and emotional competencies impact the bottom-line. Ranked one of the 10 most influential business thinkers by the Wall Street Journal, Daniel has won several awards including the HBR McKinsey Award for the best article of the year and the Centennial Medallion awarded to him by Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. His latest book which is titled: Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Orga...2024-01-1255 minThe Art of ExcellenceKristin Harila: Mountain Climbing World Record Holder Kristin Harila is a Norwegian mountain climber who recently set a world speed record for climbing the 14 highest peaks in just 92 days. Some interesting insights from this episode: · She quit her job and sold her home and put everything on the line to achieve this goal. · “If you are happy with less than your goal, then you’ll never reach your goal.” · You have to truly believe in what you’re doing if you want to achieve a goal. · Working together as a team with her Sherpa was a key component of allowing her to pull off...2023-10-1649 minThe Art of ExcellenceAmy Edmondson: Harvard Business School Professor and Leadership Guru on the Art of Failing Well Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, renowned for her research on psychological safety over twenty years. Her award-winning work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Psychology Today, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and more. Named by Thinkers50 in 2021 as the #1 Management Thinker in the world, Edmondson’s TED Talk “How to Turn a Group of Strangers into a Team” has been viewed over three million times. She received her PhD, AM, and AB from Harvard University. Her latest book is titled: The Right...2023-09-2552 minThe Art of ExcellenceChris Voss: Former top FBI hostage negotiator and CEO of The Black Swan Group Chris Voss is one of the preeminent practitioners and professors of negotiation skills in the world. He was formerly the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI as well as the FBI’s hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council’s Hostage Working Group. He is the founder of The Black Swan Group, a consulting firm that provides training and advises Fortune 500 companies through complex negotiations. He has taught business negotiation in MBA programs at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. He also taught business negotiation at Harvard an...2023-08-2853 minThe Art of ExcellenceJason Belmonte (“Belmo”): Greatest Bowler of All Time Jason Belmonte is an Australian pro bowler. He has won 31 PBA titles including a record 15 major championships. He is one of two bowlers in PBA history to have won the Super Slam, winning all five PBA major titles. He has been named PBA Player of the Year seven times. He is widely considered one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Some interesting insights from this episode: · When he was just 10 he told his mother he planned to one day bowl 100 perfect games which he actually accomplished a couple years ago. · He chose to pursue bowl...2023-07-161h 02The Art of ExcellenceBubba Watson: Professional golfer and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is a professional golfer. He has won two major PGA championships, both victories at the Masters. He has a total of 12 PGA tournament wins and reached a world ranking of 2nd in 2015. He has played in the LIV Golf league since 2022. Some interesting insights from this episode: · Bubba never had formal lessons. He was entirely self-taught. He would just go by feel and practice over and over until he understood how to position himself and swing to achieve a certain shot. · In college his drive to be better at golf was due to immatu...2023-06-121h 08The Art of ExcellenceFrans Lanting: Internationally Renowned Wildlife and Nature Photographer Frans Lanting has been hailed as one of the great photographers of our time. For more than three decades he has documented wildlife from the Amazon to Antarctica to promote understanding about the Earth and its natural history through images that convey a passion for nature and a sense of wonder about our living planet. He has received many honors including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Lennart Nilsson Award, The Netherlands’ highest conservation honor – the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in nature photography. His latest book...2023-04-0955 minThe Art of ExcellenceCarol Tomé: Chief Executive Officer of UPS Carol Tomé is the Chief Executive Officer of UPS. Previously she served as Chief Financial Officer for The Home Depot. Carol serves as board member for Verizon Communications, Inc., board of councilors for the Carter Center and is a board trustee for Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Carol has been named twice to the Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and was listed second on The Wall Street Journal’s list of best Chief Financial Officers, and among the top 50 most powerful women in business by Fortune magazine. Some inte...2023-03-1954 minThe Art of ExcellenceBob Waldinger: Psychiatrist, Professor, Zen Master, Happiness Guru Bob Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and director of the program in Psychodynamic Therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a practicing psychiatrist and a Zen master who teaches meditation around the world. His latest book is titled: The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. Some interesting insights from this episode: · His TEDx talk in 2015 is still one of the most popular TED talks ever with over 44 million views and growing. · ...2023-02-2051 minThe Art of ExcellenceJohn Mather: Nobel Laureate in Physics and senior project scientist on the James Webb Space TelescopeJohn Mather is a Senior Astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He is also the Senior Project Scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope. His research centers on infrared astronomy and cosmology. He was the chief scientist for the Cosmic Background Explorer and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 for his precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation. He has served on advisory and working groups for the National Academy of Sciences, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. Some interesting insights from this episode: The James Web...2023-02-0544 minThe Art of ExcellenceCindy Timchal: Winningest Coach in Division I Women’s Lacrosse HistoryCindy Timchal is the head coach for the women’s lacrosse team at the United States Naval Academy. She is the NCAA's all-time leader in career wins (535) for division I women's college lacrosse. She has won eight national championships, seven of which were won consecutively while at University of Maryland. And as coach at The Naval Academy women’s lacrosse team, she became the first coach to lead a service academy women’s team to a Final Four. She’s been named national coach of the year twice. Some interesting insights from this episode: After they...2022-12-1151 minThe Art of ExcellenceWill Guidara: Restaurateur Extraordinaire and Hospitality InnovatorWill Guidara is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park and the NoMad, and is the cofounder of the Welcome Conference, an annual hospitality symposium. In 2017, Eleven Madison Park was voted the world’s best restaurant by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants annual ranking. He has coauthored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain’s New York Business’s 40 Under 40, and is a recipient of WSJ Magazine’s Innovator Award. His new book is called Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. Some interesting insights from this episode: Unreasonable hospitality...2022-11-071h 07The Art of ExcellenceDavid Copperfield: Magician, Entertainer, StorytellerDavid Copperfield is a magician and entertainer, best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, and described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history. His illusions have included the disappearance of a Learjet, the vanishing and reappearance of the Statue of Liberty, levitating over the Grand Canyon, walking through the Great Wall of China, escaping from Alcatraz prison, and flying on stage. He has received 21 Emmy Awards, 11 Guinness World Records, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a knighthood by the French government, and the Living Legend award by the US Library of Congress. You ca...2022-10-1745 minThe Art of ExcellenceJames Burrows: King of SitcomsJimmy Burrows has directed more than one thousand episodes of sitcom television and has earned eleven Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. In 1974 he began his television career directing episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and Laverne and Shirley. He became the resident director on Taxi and co-created Cheers, directing 243 of the 273 episodes, as well as all 246 episodes of Will and Grace. He has directed the pilots of multiple episodes of Frasier, Friends, Mike & Molly, the pilots of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, and hundreds of...2022-09-121h 01The Art of ExcellenceMarshall Goldsmith: The Father of Executive CoachingMarshall Goldsmith has been recognized as the world’s leading executive coach and has advised more than 200 major CEOs and their management teams. He is the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Mojo, and Triggers. His latest book is titled: The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment. Some interesting insights from this episode: Basing success strictly on results is a fool’s game. The Buddhist term for this is The Hungry Ghost – always eating but never full. Success should be defined as: Are you do...2022-08-2948 minThe Art of ExcellenceBertrand Piccard: Psychiatrist, pilot, explorer, adventurist, environmentalist, and humanitarianBertrand Piccard is a psychiatrist and explorer and made history by accomplishing two aeronautical firsts – flying around the world non-stop in a balloon, and more recently in a solar-powered airplane without fuel. As Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, he has succeeded in his mission to select 1000 profitable solutions to protect the environment and support clean growth. Some interesting insights from this episode: Meeting the astronauts as a kid opened his eyes that anyone with a passion who wanted to achieve their dreams could do it. When reflecting on his decision to become an expl...2022-07-1855 minThe Art of ExcellenceGary White: Water.org and WaterEquity Cofounder and CEOGary White is the cofounder and CEO of Water.org and WaterEquity. In 1991 he launched WaterPartners International, the nonprofit that would later become Water.org. Today the organizations he leads are creating market driven solutions to the global water crisis, driving innovations in the way the world funds water and sanitation projects. His new book that he co-authored with Matt Damon is titled: The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World’s Greatest Challenge. Some interesting insights from this episode: In many parts of the world, families are paying upwards of 25% of their...2022-05-2358 minThe Art of ExcellenceAndre Rush: Celebrity chef and yes, that guy with the 24-inch bicepsChef Andre Rush is a retired decorated combat Veteran known worldwide as the White House chef with the 24-inch biceps and for his advocacy for military service, as well as suicide prevention, which is why he does 2,222 push-ups a day: to bring awareness to the ongoing epidemic of mental health and suicidal ideation. His new book is titled: Call me Chef, Dammit!: A Veteran’s Journey from the Rural South to the White House.. Some interesting insights from this episode: “I don’t care what I have done. It’s what I’m doing right now and what I’m...2022-05-0950 minThe Art of ExcellenceJack Garcia: Undercover FBI AgentJoaquin “Jack” Garcia is the former undercover FBI agent who infiltrated the Gambino crime family of Cosa Nostra in New York for nearly three years, resulting in the arrest and conviction of 32 mobsters. He worked on over 100 major undercover investigations over his 26 year career. He wrote a New York Times bestseller called Making Jack Falcone: An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family. Some interesting insights from this episode: Being a good undercover is not something you can learn. It’s something you’re born with. Undercover skills include thinking quick on your feet, being c...2022-05-021h 10The Art of ExcellenceRobert O’Neill: Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin LadenRob O’Neill is a Navy SEAL combat veteran with decorations which include two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars with Valor, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, three Presidential Unit citations, and two Navy/Marine Corps Commendations with Valor. He is a public speaker, TV personality, philanthropist, and cofounder of the Special Operators Transition Foundation, a charity supporting special operations military personnel making the difficult transition from the battlefield to the boardroom. He is a New York Times bestselling author of The Operator and his latest book is titled: The Way Forward: Master Life’s Toughest Battles and Create...2022-04-041h 11The Art of ExcellenceBarry Sonnenfeld: Director, Producer, CinematographerBarry Sonnenfeld is a director, producer and writer who broke into the film industry as the cinematographer on the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, and Miller’s Crossing. He was the director of photography on Throw Momma from the Train, Big, When Harry Met Sally, and Misery. Barry made his directorial debut with The Addams Family and has directed several other films including Addams Family Values, Get Shorty, and the Men in Black trilogy. His television credits include Pushing Daises, for which he won an Emmy, and Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. His memoir is titled: Barry Sonn...2022-03-071h 01The Art of ExcellenceMonica Aldama: 14 national cheerleading championships and countingMonica Aldama is the cheerleading coach at Navarro College. She is one of the most successful athletic coaches in the country, having led Navarro to 14 national championships. She and her team are the subject of a hit Netflix show called Cheer which is now entering its second season. She has a new book out which is entitled: Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America’s Favorite Coach Some interesting insights from this episode: Her lifelong dream was to become a Wall Street banker but something happened along the way She has learned how to acq...2022-01-2448 minThe Art of ExcellenceEileen Collins: First female pilot and commander of a Space ShuttleEileen Collins is a retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force colonel. She was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle. Eileen has been recognized by Encyclopædia Britannica as one of the top 300 women in history who have changed the world. She has been inducted into the National Women's Hall Of Fame and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame. Her new book is called Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission. Some interesting insights from this episode:2021-11-1849 minThe Art of ExcellenceKatharine Hayhoe: Climate scientist and chief scientist for the Nature ConservancyKatharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She is also the Endowed Professor in Public Policy and Public Law and Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University. She has been named a United Nations Champion of the Earth and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People. She holds a PhD in atmospheric science from the University of Illinois. Her latest book is titled: Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. Some interesting insights from this episode: We would need onl...2021-09-2752 minThe Art of ExcellenceMaya Gabeira – Big wave surfing legendMaya Gabeira is a Brazilian big wave surfer. She is most known for having surfed a 73.5 ft high wave in Nazaré, Portugal in February 2020, recorded by Guinness World Records as the biggest wave ever surfed by a female. It was also the biggest wave surfed by anyone that year. She has received numerous accolades including the ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete and is considered one of the best female surfers in the world as well as one of the most influential female surfers of all time. Some interesting insights from this episode: Bo...2021-08-0252 minThe Art of ExcellenceHoward Shore: Academy Award-winning composerHoward Shore is a musical composer and has won three Academy Awards for his score to The Lord of the Rings as well as four Grammys and three Golden Globes. He has scored over 90 films and collaborated with many well known directors including Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese, David Cronenberg, and Tim Burton. Some interesting insights from this episode: He was in a jazz fusion band called Lighthouse and opened for Jimi Hendrix while touring with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. He was the first musical director for Saturday Night Live. When he was s...2021-06-0251 minThe Art of ExcellenceErin Brockovich: Consumer advocate and environmental activist Erin Brockovich is the president of Brockovich Research and Consulting and the founder of the Erin Brockovich Foundation which educates and empowers communities in their fight for clean water. She was the driving force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in United States history. She has a newsletter called The Brockovich Report and her latest book is titled: Superman’s Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We The People Can Do About It. Some interesting insights from this episode: Her mother taught her not to let other’s ideas or perceptions of who sh...2021-05-181h 09The Art of ExcellenceEd Stafford: Extreme adventurer, explorer, and reality TV competitor Ed Stafford is a British explorer. He holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person to walk the length of the Amazon River. He has been one of the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year and was also the European Adventurer of the Year. He has written multiple books on his quests and now hosts an adventure reality show on the Discovery Channel called Ed Stafford: First Man Out. Some interesting insights from this episode: His insecurity as an adopted child drove his ambition. He had to adapt his behavior in order to ma...2021-03-2352 minThe Art of ExcellenceFrancis Collins: Director of the National Institutes of HealthFrancis Collins is the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. Francis is a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project. Francis is an elected member of both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science. In 2020, he was elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (UK) and was also named the 50th winner of the Templeton Prize, which celebrates sci...2021-03-081h 04The Art of ExcellenceRobert Lefkowitz: Nobel Laureate in chemistry Robert Lefkowitz is a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who is best known for showing how adrenaline works via stimulation of specific receptors. He was trained at Columbia, NIH, and Harvard before joining the faculty at Duke University and becoming an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In addition to being a researcher, Bob is a cardiologist as well as a cardiac patient. His book is titled: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm: The Adrenaline-Fueled Adventures of an Accidental Scientist. Some interesting insights from this episode: He started out as a physician but h...2021-02-2255 minThe Art of ExcellenceBJ Fogg: Behavior Scientist and Expert on Habit Formation BJ Fogg is the founder and director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University. In addition to his research, BJ teaches industry innovators how human behavior really works. He created the Tiny Habits academy to help people around the world. His book is called Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Some interesting insights from this episode: The Fogg Behavior Model suggests that a behavior is driven by three things: motivation, ability, and a prompt. Motivation is the desire to perform the behavior. Ability is your capacity to do so. A prompt is...2021-02-0846 minThe Art of ExcellenceJim McKelvey: Co-Founder of Square on Art, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Jim McKelvey is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, philanthropist, and artist. He cofounded the mobile payments company Square and sits on the Board. He also founded Invisibly, a digital content company, LaunchCode, a nonprofit that teaches technology literacy, and a glass art studio. His book is called The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time. Some interesting insights from this episode: He has never had a life plan and because of that, he’s become very comfortable with uncertainty. He was a state debate champion and owed much of his succe...2021-01-1251 minThe Art of ExcellenceJohn Mackey: Founder and CEO of Whole Foods John Mackey is the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market and co-founder of the nonprofit Conscious Capitalism. He is a co-author of the book Conscious Capitalism as well as his latest book called Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business. Some interesting insights from this episode: He had a food consciousness awakening when he moved into a vegetarian coop in his 20s. He learned that food could affect the way you feel, your health, vitality, and overall intelligence. Early on, the conventional supermarkets didn’t take Whole Foods and the natural foods sector seriously sinc...2020-12-1450 minThe Art of ExcellenceJimmy Wales: Founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales is the founder of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and co-founder of the privately owned Wikia, Inc. including its entertainment media brand Fandom. Wales serves on the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit charitable organization he established to operate Wikipedia. In 2019, Jimmy launched WT Social - a news focused social network. In 2006 Jimmy was named in Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ for his role in creating Wikipedia. Some interesting insights from this episode: Jimmy was an avid reader as a child and used to devour the Worl...2020-12-0754 minThe Art of ExcellenceAl Roker: Weatherman, TV producer, journalist, and author Al Roker is a weatherman and coanchor of NBC’s Today show, an Emmy-award winning journalist, a television producer, and a New York Times bestselling author. He has spent over four decades on television and received 14 Emmy Awards. He has written a number of best-selling books, the latest book is titled: You Look So Much Better in Person: True Stories of Absurdity and Success. Some interesting insights from this episode: His father advised him that “you’re going to have to work twice as hard and be twice as good to get half as far as t...2020-11-3039 minThe Art of ExcellenceJim McCloskey: Founder of Centurion Ministries and father of the innocence movement Jim McCloskey is the founder of Centurion Ministries, an organization devoted to exonerating wrongfully convicted prisoners who are serving life or death sentences. To date, the organization has freed 64 innocent people. His new book is titled: When Truth Is All You Have: A Memoir of Faith, Justice, and Freedom for The Wrongly Convicted. Some interesting insights from this episode: Today there are dozens of innocence organizations but Centurion Ministries was the first one. Jim was the father of the entire innocence movement. He learned first-hand early on the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. He was ab...2020-11-0946 minThe Art of ExcellenceSarah Frey: The Pumpkin Queen of America Sarah is the founder and CEO of Frey Farms which she founded at the age of 16. The farm grows thousands of acres worth of fruits and vegetables. Dubbed “the Pumpkin Queen of America” by the New York Times, she sells more pumpkins than any other producer in the United States. She is also the owner of Tsamma, a bottled watermelon juice sold in over 1,500 stores all over the country. Her new book is titled The Growing Season: How I Built a New Life – and Saved an American Farm. Some interesting insights from this episode: Because she...2020-10-2645 minThe Art of ExcellenceDeepak Chopra: Medical Doctor, Spiritual Advisor, and Mindfulness Guru Deepak Chopra is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. He is the founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality. Deepak is also a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of over 90 books, including numerous New York Times bestsellers, the latest one titled Total Meditation: Practices in Living the Awakened Life. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of...2020-10-1247 minThe Art of ExcellenceScott Boras – Baseball Power AgentScott Boras is a sports agent specializing in baseball. He is the Founder and President of Boras Corporation, a sports agency that represents roughly 75 professional baseball clients. He has negotiated more than $9B in major league baseball contracts, with 11 of them worth more than $100 million—more than any other agent. Scott has been named the “Most Powerful Sports Agent in the World” by Forbes magazine. Some interesting insights from this episode: He felt it was important to have a backup plan. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy and law degrees while he was playing baseball...2020-09-2145 minThe Art of ExcellenceAlain Robert: The “French Spiderman” Alain Robert is the world’s leading free climber and is known all over the world as the “French Spiderman” for free climbing skyscrapers. He has climbed 163 buildings in 70 different countries. He has a documentary on Amazon Prime titled My Next Challenge and is the author of a book With Bare Hands: The True Story of Alain Robert, the Real-Life Spiderman. Some interesting insights from this episode: His insecurity as a child was the early motivation to try something to build confidence and to stand out. He didn’t start climbing because he wasn’t afraid of...2020-08-3137 minThe Art of ExcellenceColin Follenweider: One of Hollywood’s top stuntmen Colin Follenweider is one of the top professional stuntmen in Hollywood. He has performed stunts in Spider-Man, Transformers, Iron Man, X-Men, Captain America, Avatar and Die Hard and has 86 total stunt credits to his name. Some interesting insights from this episode: He is one of Hollywood’s top stuntmen and has performed stunts in dozens of blockbuster films. It’s good to know the direction you’re heading, even if you’re not sure of the ultimate destination. His motto was “Action, Inspiration”. If you always wait for inspiration to hit, you’re going to keep waiting...2020-08-0455 minThe Art of ExcellenceDavid Fajgenbaum: Chasing a cure for the rare Castleman Disease David Fajgenbaum is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the associate director for the Orphan Disease Center. He is also cofounder and executive director of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network and the cofounder of the National Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers Support Network. He has received numerous awards including the Forbes “30 Under 30” for healthcare and the RARE Champion of Hope Award for science. His memoir is titled Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race to Turn Hope into Action. Some interesting insights from this episode: David has a hyperfocus...2020-07-2247 minThe Art of ExcellenceSteve Case: AOL founder and Revolution CEOSteve Case was the co-founder and CEO of AOL, the largest Internet company at the time, which he took public and eventually merged with Time Warner. Today he is the CEO of Revolution, an investment firm which invests in visionary entrepreneurs focused on building long lasting businesses. He is also the Chairman of the Case Foundation and an author with a New York Times bestselling book called The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future. Some interesting insights from this episode: There were much more heavily capitalized competitors but Steve decided that whil...2020-07-1353 minThe Art of ExcellenceVictor Vescovo: Record setting adventurer and explorerIn 2019 Victor Vescovo became the first person to dive in a submersible to the deepest points in all five of the world’s oceans. In 2017 he became the 12th person to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam, climbing the highest peak on all seven continents and skiing to the North and South Poles. He is the managing partner of a private equity firm called Insight Equity and holds degrees from Stanford, MIT, and Harvard Business School. Some interesting insights from this episode: Doing well in school wasn’t about some unfettered ambition but rather, a desire...2020-06-3049 minThe Art of ExcellenceAlan Alda: Actor, Director, Author, Communications guru Alan Alda is an actor, director, author, and communications guru. He has received 6 Emmys and been nominated 34 times. He has also been nominated 3 times for a Tony and once for an Oscar. He is most known for playing Dr. Hawkeye Pierce on the TV series MASH and has been inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. He is also an accomplished author with a number of New York Times bestselling books, the latest one titled: If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating. He is...2020-06-2349 minThe Art of ExcellenceBen Lecomte: Ultra endurance swimmer and environmental activist Ben Lecomte is an ultra-endurance swimmer and the first person to complete a cross-Atlantic ocean swim without a kickboard. He has also swum through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to raise awareness for sustainability and the impact of plastic pollution. He was named one of the World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Swimmers in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association. Some interesting insights from this episode: He swam over 3,500 miles from Massachusetts to Quiberon, France. The journey took him 73 days, swimming upwards of 10 hours a day, and fighting off sharks and battling 20 foot swells...2020-06-0942 minThe Art of ExcellenceTerry Fator: Ventriloquist, comedian, impressionist and singing sensationTerry Fator is a ventriloquist, impressionist, stand-up comedian, and singer. He won season 2 of America’s Got Talent in 2007 and has performing his award winning show at the Mirage in Las Vegas ever since. Some interesting insights from this episode: Learn how Terry went from performing small shows town by town, fair by fair to having a $100 million act performing at the Mirage in Vegas. He is a rare talent able to combine ventriloquism, comedy, impressions, and singing all into one incredible act. Having ADHD enabled his talent as a ventriloquist as he was abl...2020-04-0643 minThe Art of ExcellenceDan Buettner: Blue Zones Founder and Longevity Explorer Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and a New York Times bestselling author. He discovered the five places in the world—dubbed Blue Zones—where people live the longest, healthiest lives. He is the founder of Blue Zones , a company that puts the world's best practices in longevity and well-being to work in people's lives. He has written a number of NY Times best-selling books with his latest one titled: “The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100”. Some interesting insights from this episode: Setting world records on a bike was a v...2020-03-2346 minThe Art of ExcellenceCharles Schwab: The big entrepreneur looking out for the small investor Charles Schwab is the founder and chairman of The Charles Schwab Corporation. What began as a small discount brokerage company in the 70’s has evolved to become the nation's largest publicly traded investment services firm, with close to $4 trillion in client assets. He is also the chairman of The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, a private foundation focused on education, poverty prevention, human services, and health. He is the author of several bestselling books with his latest memoir titled Invested. Some interesting insights from this episode: He had to work extra hard to build his s...2020-02-2443 minThe Art of ExcellenceSafi Bahcall: Physicist, Biotech Entrepreneur, Organizational Behavioral GuruSafi Bahcall received his BA in physics from Harvard and his PhD from Stanford. He co-founded Synta Pharmaceuticals—a biotechnology company developing new drugs for cancer. He led its IPO and served as its CEO for 13 years. In 2008, he was named E&Y New England Biotechnology Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2011, he served on the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. Safi is the author of Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries. The book was selected by Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, Susan Cain, and Adam Grant for the Next...2020-02-041h 16The Art of ExcellenceNeil deGrasse Tyson: Astrophysicist and Master of the Universe Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History and Director of the Hayden Planetarium. He is also the host of the hit radio and Emmy-nominated TV show StarTalk, and the New York Times best-selling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and the author of a number of other notable books, the latest of which is titled Letters from an Astrophysicist. He earned his BA in physics from Harvard and his PhD in astrophysics from Columbia. Some interesting insights from this episode: He knew he wanted to become an a...2020-01-2151 minThe Art of ExcellenceJon Dorenbos: Former NFL star, magician, and survivorJon Dorenbos is a former professional football player and magician. He played for 14 seasons in the NFL as a long snapper with the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles. He had a parallel career as a magician and was a finalist on America’s Got Talent, placing third overall amongst tens of thousands of competitors. He is a regular guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and his new book is called “Life is Magic: My Inspiring Journey from Tragedy to Self-Discovery.” Some interesting insights from this episode: Don’t listen to that negative inner voice which is co...2020-01-0746 minThe Art of ExcellenceSteve Schwarzman: Co-founder and CEO of BlackstoneSteve Schwarzman is the co-founder and CEO of Blackstone, one of the world’s largest and most successful investment funds with over a half trillion dollars under management. Steve is an active philanthropist with a history of supporting education, culture, and the arts. He holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His new book is called What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence. Some interesting insights from this episode: He has always been very competitive. When he graduated from Yale, he insisted upon an extra $500 a year in hi...2019-11-1948 minThe Art of ExcellenceJill Heinerth: Underwater Cave Explorer Jill Heinerth is a cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. She has starred on TV series for PBS, National Geographic Channel, and the BBC, and has consulted on movies for directors, including James Cameron. Her new book is titled: Into The Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver. Some interesting insights from this episode: Fighting off a burglar during college taught her how to deal with challenges in life. Having had this harrowing dance with fear probably saved her life in the long run. Despite having enormous success as an entrepreneur in the...2019-11-1245 minThe Art of ExcellenceCindy Eckert: Serial healthcare entrepreneur behind the “female Viagra”Cindy Eckert is an entrepreneur who built and sold two pharmaceutical companies, notably Sprout Pharmaceuticals, creator of “female Viagra,” for more than $1B. She subsequently founded The Pink Ceiling which invests in companies founded by, or delivering products for, women. Some interesting insights from this episode: Moving every year during her childhood taught her how to be comfortable being uncomfortable. This experience of constant change would lay the foundation for the rest of her life. While she had been surrounded by incredibly smart and hard working people in prior companies, she knew in her heart th...2019-10-3157 minThe Art of ExcellenceRich Karlgaard: Publisher of Forbes Rich Karlgaard is a bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and speaker. He is the publisher of Forbes magazine and is based in Silicon Valley. He is a renowned lecturer on technology, innovation, corporate culture, and a number of other important business issues and the author of three books, his latest one titled: Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement. Some interesting insights from this episode: His time at Stanford poring over Sports Illustrated in the library would later become the genesis for starting up what would become a hi...2019-10-0757 minThe Art of ExcellenceChris Wilson: From a life in prison to a life of purpose At the age of 17, Chris Wilson was sentenced to life for murder. He turned his life around while in prison and was released after 16 years. Today he is the owner of Barclay Investment Corporation, a social enterprise specializing in residential and commercial contracting work and employing out of work Baltimore residents. His other business ventures include the House of DaVinci, a high-end furniture restoration and design company, and Master Plan Productions, a social impact content development company. His book is called: The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose. Some...2019-08-2650 minThe Art of ExcellenceEduardo Strauch: Andes Mountains plane crash survivorEduardo Strauch is an architect and painter living in Montevideo, Uruguay. He is also one of 16 survivors from a 1972 plane crash in the Andes mountains which was charted by an amateur Uruguayan rugby team. He survived 72 treacherous days trapped high up in the mountains. He wrote a book about his experience called Out of the Silence: After the Crash. Some interesting insights from this episode: Learn how he and 15 others managed to survive for over two months with minimal provisions, subzero temperatures, and thin air which was very difficult to breathe. Learn how spontaneous medita...2019-08-0638 minThe Art of ExcellenceJerry Colonna: VC-turned executive leadership coachJerry Colonna is the founder and CEO of Reboot.IO, an executive coaching and leadership development firm whose coaches are committed to the notion that better humans make better leaders. Previously he was a successful venture capitalist with JPMorgan Partners and Flatiron Partners focused on technology startups. His new book is titled Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up. He lives in Boulder, Colorado. Some interesting insights from this episode: Growing up in a chaotic environment with an alcoholic father and mentally ill mother drove his associating money with safety. There was a dissona...2019-07-1643 minThe Art of ExcellenceRoger McNamee: Tech investor, musician, activistRoger McNamee has been a successful Silicon Valley investor for thirty five years. He co-founded Silver Lake and Elevation Partners, two very successful private equity funds. He also plays bass and guitar in the bands Moonalice and Doobie Decibel System. He holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School. He has written 4 books, the latest one titled Zucked: Waking up to the Facebook Catastrophe. Some interesting insights from this episode: Roger had a very unusual approach to tech investing which allowed him to be highly successful. Learn why he started...2019-06-2546 minThe Art of ExcellenceJoe De Sena: Founder and CEO of Spartan Joe is the founder and CEO of Spartan, the largest obstacle racing series in the world. He is also a New York Times bestselling author of multiple books including Spartan Up, Spartan Fit, and most recently The Spartan Way. Some interesting insights from this episode: The most grueling endurance event he’s ever done is running a business. “Death is the price we pay for life so make it worth it.” Learn how he built the largest participatory endurance sport in the world with over a million annual participants and 275 events spread across 42 countries. It took ove...2019-04-0937 minThe Art of ExcellenceEp 41: Albert–Laszlo Barabasi: Unlocking the formula for successAlbert-László Barabási is the Robert Gray Dodge Professor of Network Science at Northeastern University, where he directs the Center for Complex Network Research, and holds appointments in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Central European University in Budapest. He is the author of four books with his latest one entitled: The Formula: The Universal Laws of Success. Some interesting insights from this episode: The definition of success is the rewards we earn from the communities we belong to. While your performance is about you, your success is about us. It...2019-03-2643 minThe Art of ExcellenceSeth Godin: Marketing MavenSeth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. He has written 19 best-selling books, publishes one of the most popular marketing blogs, and speaks to audiences around the world. He also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne which was acquired by Yahoo. Seth has been inducted into both the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame and the Marketing Hall of Fame. His latest book is called This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See. Some interesting insights from this episode: In the old days, money bought you attention and you could use tha...2019-02-2643 minThe Art of ExcellenceBen Saunders: Extreme Polar Explorer Ben Saunders is one of the world’s leading polar explorers, and a record-breaking long-distance skier who has covered more than 4,300 miles on foot in the Polar Region. His accomplishments include skiing solo to both the North and South poles, and leading The Scott Expedition, the longest human-powered polar journey in history, a 105-day, 1,800 mile round-trip from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back again. Some interesting insights from this episode: Hear the remarkable story of how he traveled the equivalent of 69 marathons, the distance from Maine to Miami, in frigid temp...2019-01-0238 minThe Art of ExcellenceMark Tercek: The Nature Conservancy CEO Mark Tercek is the CEO of The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest environmental organization. He is a former Managing Director and Partner at Goldman Sachs and is the author of the bestselling book Nature’s Fortune: How Business and Society Thrive by Investing in Nature. Some interesting insights from this episode: We all have an inner environmentalist inside of us. His executive coach taught him some valuable lessons early on including how to listen better and how to not sweat out the details. In the nonprofit world, he had to learn how to understand...2018-11-2753 minThe Art of ExcellenceClint Harp: Craftsman, TVman, Journeyman Clint Harp and his wife Kelly own their own handmade furniture design business Harp Design in Waco Tx. He was formerly a regularly recurring guest in the hit TV show Fixer Upper and currently stars in his own television series called Wood Work. His new book is called Handcrafted: A Woodworker’s Story Some interesting insights from this episode: Sometimes we may hang on to a dream for too long. His original dream was to be a musician but eventually realized that he didn’t have the talent and had to accept that hi...2018-10-0955 minThe Art of ExcellenceScott Hamilton: Champion on and off the ice Scott Hamilton is a retired figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships from 1981–84, four consecutive World Championships from 1981–84 and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. Since that time he has been a TV commentator, a motivational speaker, the founder of a skating academy, a cancer survivor and the founder of a cancer research center. He is a New York Times bestselling author and his latest book is called Finish First: Winning Changes Everything. Some interesting insights from this episode: Finishing first doesn’t necessarily mean finishing first. Accomplishing whatever go...2018-10-0236 minThe Art of ExcellenceBeth Comstock: Disrupter, Innovator, Change Agent: The Former Vice Chair at GE Beth Comstock spent over 25 years at GE where she was a vice chair, CEO of Business Innovations and Chief Marketing Officer among other roles. She has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Fortune and Fast Company and has been named to the Fortune and Forbes lists of the world’s most powerful women. Her new book is titled Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change. Some interesting insights from this episode: Risk taking is a skill that can be learned. “Most of us fear losing what we have more than we d...2018-09-1952 minThe Art of ExcellenceDoug Bernstein: Founder and CEO of toy company Melissa and DougDoug Bernstein is the co-founder and CEO of Melissa and Doug, a several hundred million dollar toy company focused mostly on simple classic toys for children up to 5 years of age. He and his wife Melissa started the company together about 30 years ago. Some interesting insights from this episode: They never intended to build a company from the beginning but rather, were driven by their shared passion to do something good for children. They are a product company at its core. If they simply focus on making great products, everything else will take...2018-09-0446 minThe Art of ExcellenceDaniel Negreanu: World-Renowned Poker LegendDaniel Negreanua (aka “Kid Poker”) is a professional poker player who has won six World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and two World Poker Tour (WPT) championship titles. The independent poker ranking service Global Poker Index (GPI) recognized Negreanu as the best poker player of the decade in 2014. As of 2018, he is the 2nd biggest live tournament poker winner of all time, having accumulated over $39,500,000 in prize money. He is the only player in history to win WSOP Player of the Year twice. Some interesting insights from this episode: He was making more money than his te...2018-08-0754 minThe Art of ExcellenceScott Jurek: Ultrarunning Legend Conquers the Appalachian TrailScott is widely regarded as one of the greatest runners of all time. He has won most of ultrarunning’s elite events including the Hardrock 100, the Badwater 135, and the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, which he won a record seven straight times. His most recent accomplishment is his 2015 Appalachian Trail speed record, averaging nearly 50 miles a day over 46 days. He is a New York Times-bestselling author and his latest book is called North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail. Some interesting insights from this episode: He averaged nearly 50 miles a day for 46 days t...2018-06-1247 minThe Art of ExcellenceNicola Benedetti: Vibrant Violin VirtuosoNicola is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. She is one of the most influential classical artists in the world and has played with the finest orchestras and symphonies from around the globe. She was the BBC Young Musician of the Year at age 16, twice the Female Artist of the Year at the classical BRIT awards and has sold millions of records. Some interesting insights from this episode: As early as the age of 5, she was so emotionally moved by music that she would often be brought to tears while playing. It’s...2018-04-2548 minThe Art of ExcellenceJosh Blue: Uber-talented comedian with cerebral palsyJosh Blue is a comedian. He has cerebral palsy which forms the basis for much of his self-deprecating humor. He won first place on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in its fourth season. He has appeared in a number of comedy specials on Comedy Central, Showtime, Bravo and Netflix and has been featured in several publications including People Magazine, The New York Times and NPR. His YouTube videos have been viewed millions of times. He was also a member of the US Paralympic Soccer Team. Some interesting insights from this episode: Learn how he didn’t...2018-03-1345 minThe Art of Excellence“The Birdman” Jeb Corliss: Fearless BASE JumperJeb is one of the world’s best known BASE-jumpers and wingsuit pilots. He has made more than 1,000 jumps including the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel falls to name a few. He is featured in a documentary called Fearless: The Jeb Corliss Story. Some interesting insights from this episode: Learn how he was diagnosed with counterphobia at an early age which made him want to confront his fears head on. “The only limits on you are the ones you place upon yourself.” Base-jumping saved him from a life of depression. It was the fir...2018-03-0654 minThe Art of ExcellenceCat Hoke: Defying the Odds: Giving Current and Former Convicts, Herself, and the Rest of US a Second ChanceCat Hoke is the founder and CEO of Defy Ventures, a non-profit which creates personal and economic opportunities for people with criminal histories. She’s been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and a number of other publications. Her new book is called A Second Chance: For You, For Me, and For the Rest of Us. Some interesting insights from this episode: Learn how she converts hardened criminals into entrepreneurial, hard-working, law-abiding citizens upon their release from prison. Ask yourself this question: “If I died today, why would my life matter...2018-02-2053 minThe Art of ExcellenceKristin Beck: A Navy SEAL, a Purple Heart, and a Transgender ActivistChristopher Beck served for 20 years as a Navy SEAL. He deployed 13 times over two decades, including stints in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He received the Bronze Star award for valor and the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat. In 2013, after retiring from the Navy, he came out publicly as a transgender with the new name Kristin. A documentary was produced about her life called Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story. Some interesting insights from this episode: Hear a glimpse of what daily life is like during the Navy SEAL BUD/S training. Becoming a Navy...2018-02-1345 minThe Art of ExcellenceDaniel Pink: Behavioral science guru and bestselling authorDaniel Pink is the author of several New York Times bestselling books about business, work and behavior including A Whole New Mind, Drive and To Sell is Human. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Wired and a number of other publications. His TED talk on the science of motivation is one of the 10 most watched TED talks of all time. His latest book is titled WHEN: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Some interesting insights from this episode: Curiosity is more important than planning. If you simp...2018-02-0644 minThe Art of ExcellenceBill Browder: Superstar investor turned human rights activistBill Browder is the founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital, which was the largest investor in Russia for a number of years. More recently he has been spearheading a campaign to expose Russia’s corruption and human rights abuses. His efforts led to the passing of the Magnitsky Act in 2012. He is the author of Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice. Some interesting insights from this episode: Learn how he became the largest investor in Russia and one of the top performing investment funds in the wo...2018-01-1644 minThe Art of ExcellenceChristian Picciolini: Reformed White Supremacist now leading the fight against extremismChristian Picciolini is an Emmy Award-winning director and producer, a published author, a TEDx speaker, and a reformed extremist. He is the co-founder of Life After Hate, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding long-term solutions that counter racism and violent extremism. His latest book is titled White American Youth: My Descent into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement – and How I Got Out. Some interesting insights from this episode: “Hatred is born of ignorance. Fear is its father and isolation is its mother.” Hear about the tactics hate groups use to recruit. The birth of his childre...2018-01-0945 minThe Art of ExcellenceNik Wallenda: Living Life High on the WireNik Wallenda is an acrobat, daredevil, high wire artist and author. He is known for his high-wire performances without a safety net. He holds nine Guinness World Records for various acrobatic feats but is probably best known for walking a tightrope stretched over Niagara Falls. He is the author of a book entitled: Balance: A Story of Faith, Family and Life on the Line. Some interesting insights from this episode: “Life is on the wire and everything else is just waiting.” “Fear is a choice and it’s up to us to decide whether we’re going to...2017-12-0544 minThe Art of ExcellenceLonnie Johnson: Serial Inventor: From Super Soakers to Solar SystemsLonnie Johnson is a former Air Force and NASA engineer who invented the massively popular Super Soaker water gun. He currently oversees Johnson Research and Development, a company which commercializes technologies with a recent emphasis on alternative energy. He studied at Tuskegee University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in nuclear engineering. He lives in the Atlanta area. Some interesting insights from this episode: Learn how he created one of the world’s top 20 all-time best selling toys. He made his own toys from a young age includin...2017-11-1437 minThe Art of ExcellenceScott Kelly: Astronaut ExtraordinaireScott Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut and a veteran of four space flights. He is best known for spending nearly a year on the International Space Station and the second most time in space of any American. He recently wrote a book now available about his space travels called Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery. Some interesting insights from this episode: He struggled academically for many years until he read Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff which would finally give him the focus he needed to turn himself around and become...2017-11-0734 minThe Art of ExcellenceMorten Andersen: Professional Football Hall of Fame KickerMorten Andersen is a former professional football kicker who spent most of his career with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. He played in a record 382 games during his 25 year career and is the all-time leading scorer in NFL history with 2,544 points. In 2017, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. These days Morten is a motivational speaker and also oversees his family foundation. He resides in Atlanta, GA. Some interesting insights from this episode: As an exchange student, he never intended to stay in the United States for more than a year b...2017-10-3144 min