The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode 072: Jon Gordon - Optimistic People Win More | The Energy Bus Jon Gordon leads an inspirational life.  He’s had high moments and very low moments.  He openly shares some of the lowest moments of his life as well as the specific thoughts process he developed in order to go from the lowest of lows to an international superstar author and key note speaker. We are extremely fortunate to have Jon share his message with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, MLB coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits. He is the author of numerous books including The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus, Soup, The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, and The Carpenter. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients inc

Episode 071: Nate Boyer – Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL, Making Films **A Special Veterans Day Episode** Nate Boyer leads a remarkable life.  He’s been all over the world working hard to help others and defend our country.  Nate truly values passion and having no compromise when going after your vision.  He has proven that he will stop at nothing in order to achieve it.  We are extremely fortunate to have Nate share his vision with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  In 2004, Nate Boyer became a relief worker in Sudan, building camps for refugees of the War in Darfur. After a short tenure there, he enlisted in the United States Army, training at Fort Benning, and later was accepted into the Green Berets. After multiple tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Boyer earned an honorable discharge after six years of service. During that period of time, Nate walked on to the football team at the University of Texas where he earned the position of starting long snapper. After his college caree

Episode 070: Dr. Sharon Melnick – Success Under Stress: Breathing Exercises & Other Tips To Improve Your 50% Sharon Melnick is an incredibly interesting person.  She truly understands the importance of physiology, psychology, and your response.  We are extremely fortunate to have Sharon share her knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Sharon Melnick, PhD is a leading authority on business psychology, stress resilience, and women’s leadership. Her methods are informed by 10 years of research at Harvard Medical School and field tested by over 15,000 clients and training participants. As CEO of her firm Horizon Point Inc, Sharon Melnick, PhD is an internationally renowned speaker and sought after trainer.  Her presentations on Resilience during Change and Success under Stress receive highest ratings and multiple repeat invites from organizations such as Procter and Gamble, MeLife, Novartis, NYLife, GE, Sodexo, Merck, Moody’s, OmniCom, AIG, Morgan Stanley, and many others. Episod

Episode 069: Jesse Itzler – Taking Risks, Selling For Millions, Living With A (Navy) SEAL, Married To A Billionaire Jesse Itzler is an incredibly interesting person.  Despite all of his (massive) success, he’s one of the most down to earth people I’ve ever spoken with.  This conversation felt like I was reconnecting with an old friend.  I absolutely loved it. Jesse cofounded Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid private jet card company in 2001, which he and his partner sold to Berkshire Hathaway/NetJets. He then helped pioneer the coconut water craze with Zico coconut water, which he and his partners sold to The Coca-Cola Company in 2013. He is a former rapper on MTV and he produced both the NBA’s Emmy Award-winning “I Love This Game” music campaign and the popular New York Knicks anthem “Go NY Go.” When he is not running ultra-marathons or being a dad to his three kids, Jesse can be found at the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks games, where he is an owner of the team. He is married to Spanx founder Sara Blakely whom

Episode 068: Joey Coleman – What Is Your Personal Brand? This is a special episode for me as I’ve been fortunate to get to know Joey over the last month and he’s become a great friend.  I had the distinct pleasure of attending a professional development workshop recently where Joey was the facilitator/speaker/lead engager.  It was the best 2 and a half day training event I have ever been to in my life.  And Joey is the best presenter I’ve ever seen.  This conversation was incredible and I really appreciate how honest, transparent, and truly helpful Joey is.  A huge thank you to Jayson Gaignard (from episode 001) for introducing me to Joey. Joey Coleman is the Chief Experience Composer at Design Symphony - a customer experience branding firm that specializes in creating unique, attention-grabbing customer experiences. His clients include individual entrepreneurs, start-ups, small businesses, non-profits, government entities, and Fortune 500 companies. For over a decade he's worked with clients that include NA

Episode 067: Roger Dooley – How To Persuade And Convince Others With Neuromarketing This episode was absolutely packed full of action oriented takeaways to help us all gain a better understanding of how our brain works to process information.  It was an extremely interesting talk on a topic that fascinates me. Roger Dooley is a speaker and author of Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing, the popular blog Neuromarketing, and Brainy Marketing at Forbes. He is the founder of Dooley Direct, a marketing consultancy, and co-founded College Confidential, the leading college-bound website. That business was acquired by Hobsons, a unit of UK-based DMGT, where Dooley served as VP Digital Marketing and continues in a consulting role. Episode 067: Roger Dooley – How To Persuade And Convince Others With Neuromarketing Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio   The Learning Leader Show “According to leading neuroscientists, 95% of all thoughts, emotions, and learning occur before we are

Episode 066: Judy Robinett – Creating A Titanium Digital Rolodex: The 5+50+150 Rule I would like to thank John Corcoran for introducing me to Judy Robinett.  Both John and Judy are such great givers… Always trying to help others and they’ve done so much for me.   I was fascinated with Judy.  She is incredibly intelligent and is a very deep thinker.  It was a joy to get her to put some of those thoughts on tape for this great podcast episode. Judy Robinett is the author of How to Be a Power Connector: The 5+50+150 Rule (McGraw-Hill, May 2014), a book that provides instant, effective strategies for meeting the people you need to know and bonding with them fast to further your goals and theirs. Robinett is a business thought leader who is known as “the woman with the titanium digital Rolodex.” She has been profiled in Fast Company, Forbes, Venture Beat, Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek as a sterling example of the new breed of “super connectors” who use their experience and networks to accelerate grow

Episode 065: Linda Kaplan Thaler – GRIT = Guts, Resilience, Initiative, & Tenacity Linda Kaplan Thaler is an incredibly interesting person.  She truly understands the importance of an intense focus on continuous improvement.  Linda and her team have some massive achievements from a Marketing perspective as well as the work Linda has down as a bestselling author and keynote speaker. We are extremely fortunate to have Linda share her knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Linda Kaplan Thaler is the CEO of Publicis New York and a bestselling author. She has written and composed advertising jingles such as: “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid” (Toys "R" Us); “Kodak Moments” (Eastman Kodak) and “The Heart of Communication” (Bell Atlantic). She is responsible for the “Yes, Yes, Yes” Herbal Essences campaign, and her agency created the well-known Aflac duck advertising.  Her most recent book (she wrote along with Robin Koval is titled, “Grit To Great” How perseverance pass

Episode 064: Kevin Lavelle – CEO of Mizzen+Main: Intellectual Curiosity Leads To Growing 500% Kevin Lavelle is an incredibly intelligent leader.  He truly understands the importance of possessing three qualities as a leader: An overwhelming amount of optimism, an intellectual curiosity, and persistence.  We are extremely fortunate to have Kevin share his knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Kevin Lavelle is an American entrepreneur and business executive. He is the founder of Mizzen+Main, a men's clothing brand where he serves as the company's CEO. Kevin was named to the 40 Under 40 list by Dallas Business Journal in 2013. He was also named to Men's Fitness list of Game Changers in 2014.  Investors in the company, which makes its products in the United States, include Zappos founder Tony Hsieh's Vegas Tech Fund and Navy SEAL Marcus Lutrell.  They have grown 500% year over year! And most recently, he has partnered with NFL star JJ Watt on an endorsement deal that gives JJ an equ

Episode 063: Whitney Johnson – How To Disrupt Yourself To Dare, Dream, and DO Remarkable Things This was a very interesting conversation with Whitney Johnson... She has an extremely interesting story to tell about how she disrupted herself in order to do something bigger.  She was an incredibly successful equity analyst and she quit in order to follow a dream of doing something bigger and helping others.  Whitney Johnson is an investor, speaker, author, and leading thinker on driving innovation through personal disruption.  Johnson is the co-founder of Rose Park Advisors, along with Clayton Christensen where they led the seed round for Korea’s Coupang, currently valued at $5+ billion. Whitney is a frequent contributor and writer, including to the Harvard Business Review, as a LinkedINfluencer, and through other channels. She is the author of two books, Dare, Dream, Do (2012), and the Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work (2015). She is also a prolific speaker and has spoken to a

Episode 062: Jim Tressel – Coaching Ohio State: President of Youngstown State: Servant Leadership: #QuietTime I’ve been fortunate to know Jim Tressel since 2002 when he recruited my younger brother AJ to play football at Ohio State University.  He has always been a phenomenal example of what it means to be a servant leader.  Always calm, composed, and measured in his approach… He’s someone who I admire a great deal.  It was a thrill for me to have this in depth conversation with him. Jim Tressel a former college football coach who served as head coach of the Youngstown State Penguins from 1986 to 2000 and the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2001 to 2010, winning five national championships between the two schools and 12 “Coach of the Year” awards during his career. He is currently the president of Youngstown State University. Episode 062: Jim Tressel – Coaching Ohio State: President of Youngstown State: Servant Leadership: #QuietTime Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio   The Learning Leader Show “It’s not where yo

Episode 061: Chris Hogan – The 7 Baby Steps To Take Control Of Your Money… Retire Inspired Chris Hogan is a really interesting leader.  I’ve seen him speak to large groups of people on two separate occasions and he always brings a ton of energy to the stage.  Mix that with his deep baritone voice and it makes for a unique leader! A former national champion and all-American football player, Chris Hogan has never backed down from a challenge. But how did he find his way off the gridiron and onto the path of helping others achieve financial peace? Once his playing days were over, Hogan served as the vice president of a well-respected mortgage company helping clients manage their money and their businesses. In the process, he realized that too many marriages and families were being adversely impacted by financial issues because they could not communicate openly and honestly about money. Hogan realized that the way people were counseled about money had to change. That’s when he met Dave Ramsey. Today, Hogan helps

Episode 060: Amy Morin – 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do Amy Morin is an incredibly interesting person.  She truly understands the importance of being real, being sincere, and being yourself.  We are extremely fortunate to have Amy share her knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Amy’s article, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” introduced the world to the bad habits that can keep us from being mentally strong. Her article was reprinted and shared millions of times as it became a viral sensation. Within a few days, her list was republished on Forbes.com, where it became one of their most read articles of all time with 10 million views. Despite the popularity of her article, very few people knew that her knowledge of mental strength stemmed beyond her expertise as a psychotherapist – it was also personal. Losing her mother, husband, and father-in-law in a short period of time reinforced to her that it’s not enough to have good habits – we also have to avoid the

Episode 059: Mark Fainaru-Wada – Investigative Reporter, Steroids, Barry Bonds, and Concussions This was an extremely thought provoking conversation with Mark Fainaru-Wada.  This is the first time I’ve ever had an investigative reporter on as a guest of The Learning Leader Show.  The magnitude of the work that Mark has done is immense.    We touched on a number of topics during this conversation from Chris Borland retiring to Cris Carter’s “Fall Guy” comments made at the NFL Rookie Symposium.  It was a very enlightening an entertaining conversation. Mark Fainaru-Wada is an investigative reporter for ESPN. With his colleague Lance Williams, he co-authored the New York Times best-seller “Game of Shadows — Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports.”  He’s also written (along with his brother Steve Fainaru) “League Of Denial,” which reveals how the NFL, over a period of nearly two decades, sought to cover up and deny mounting evidence of the connection between football and brain

Episode 058: Michael Port – Steal The Show: From Actor To World Class Speaker This episode was absolutely packed full of action oriented takeaways to help us better understand how to give the performance of our lives during our next presentation, job interview, or deal closing pitch.  Michael Port has an incredible story.  He has worked incredibly hard to build both his business and his personal brand.  There is so much to learn from him.  I’m incredibly grateful that he invested his time with us here at The Learning Leader Show. Michael Port is an author, speaker, and small business marketing consultant. Port is the author of Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid, The Contrarian Effect and the New York Times Bestseller, The Think Big Manifesto.  His newest book, “Steal The Show,” details how you can receive a guaranteed standing ovation for all of the performances in your life from Speeches to Job Interviews to Deal-Closing Pitches, and more. A graduate of New York University, Michael went on to achieve

Episode 057: Turney Duff – Wall Street, Addiction, Rehab, Best-Selling Author, TV Show Consultant This episode different from the normal Learning Leader Show episode…  Turney contacted me via my website (the contact form www.LearningLeader.com) after he saw the John LeFevre episode published.  He mentioned that he was a fellow Ohio University Bobcat and he had followed my football career.  From this common bond, we developed a friendship and I thought it would be a great idea to record an episode together.  I’m really glad we did it! Best-selling author Bethany McLean said it best: “Turney Duff is a natural storyteller, and his tale of how a naive kid from Maine traded in L.L. Bean for Armani and got sucked into the seamy side of Wall Street is almost impossible to put down. The book is by turns hilarious, harrowing, maddening, and illuminating. After this debut, the smart money will be on Duff.” “The Buy Side” is now on Amazon's 2013 Best Books of the Year: Business & Investing Episode 057: Turney Duff –

Episode 056: Blake Anderson – Trick Plays, Playing Fast, And Having Fun: America’s Most Entrepreneurial Football Coach Blake Anderson is an incredibly interesting learning leader.  I’m very fortunate to now call him a friend.  He truly understands the value of creativity mixed with hard work and empowering of his players.  We are extremely fortunate to have Coach Anderson share his knowledge with US, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  From John Brubaker on entrepreneur.com: Blake Anderson is one of the few in his profession who is keenly aware that the game has changed. College sports, like business, has entered an era where getting great results isn’t who you know or what you know. It’s about who knows you. To get “known” you’ve got to be different or you’ll be invisible. At a program such as Arkansas State, located in a small town and without the benefit of being the state’s flagship university or being a member of a major conference, great results are contingent on the ability to market bet

Episode 055: Joe Desena – Spartan Race CEO, Delayed Gratification, & Helping 1 Million People Joe Desena is an incredibly intense person.  He truly understands the importance of an intense focus on pushing yourself beyond what you might have perceived your limits to be.  We are extremely fortunate to have Joe share his knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Joe Desena is the founder and creator of “Spartan Race.” Spartan Race drives competitors to their very limit to learn what they are capable of and sets a new frame of reference; one they can draw upon in the face of life’s harshest challenges. Competitors climb ropes, crawl under barbed wire, and jump over fire, as well as a host of other boot-camp-like maneuvers. Everyday disappointments and setbacks seem small when you’ve been to the other side of hell and made it back as a victor. Joe wrote "Spartan Up" which chronicles his journey while also eliciting the life-changing transformations that has occurred for over 1 mill

Episode 054: Geoff Colvin – Talent Is Overrated: Humans Are Underrated Geoff Colvin is an incredibly interesting person.  He truly understands the importance of an intense focus on continuous improvement.  We are extremely fortunate to have Geoff share his knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Geoff Colvin is an Award-winning thinker, broadcaster, speaker and bestselling author of “Talent Is Overrated” and “Humans Are Underrated.” Geoff obtained a degree in economics from Harvard, and received his MBA from NYU. The thesis of Talent is Overrated is that the greatest achievers succeed through endless "deliberate practice." Colvin characterizes it as "Hitting an eight-iron 300 times with a goal of leaving the ball within 20 feet of the pin 80 percent of the time, continually observing results and making appropriate adjustments, and doing that for hours every day - that's deliberate practice."  Colvin is the brother of singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin.  Shawn is a female most known f

Episode 053: Shama Hyder – The Zen Master Of Marketing: Millennial Master Of The Universe This episode was absolutely packed full of action oriented takeaways to help us better understand how to be a “chief value officer.”  Shama Hyder has an incredible story.  She has worked incredibly hard to build both her business and her personal brand.  There is so much to learn from her.  I’m incredibly grateful that she invested her time with us here at The Learning Leader Show. Shama is known as the “Zen Master of Marketing” by Entrepreneur Magazine and the “Millennial Master of the Universe” by Fast Company, she is a visionary strategist for the digital age. She is the bestselling author of the Zen of Social Media Marketing and an acclaimed international keynote speaker who’s been invited to share the stage with the world’s top leaders, including President Obama and the Dalai Lama. As the CEO of the award-winning Marketing Zen Group, an integrated online marketing and digital PR firm, she’s led the organization thr