Coach Reed believes that "progress hinges on the gap between who will talk in private and who will act in public." Of all the quotes that runs through his head, that is the one that really resonates. It has become his morning mantra, because "until we act, every thing we do in private makes no change in the world." Coach Reed is a Sports Coach with a message for all of us...and, if you think this is a message for athletes alone you will be missing out. He has a unique perspective that is not only refreshing, but in my opinion... needed. As a coach for 20 plus years, he is passionate about many things and one in particular...and this is one I can get behind...Coach Reed is all about developing confidence in his players, rather than controlling them with fear. As the Executive Director of STAR Soccer Club- a 500 player club in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Ted Talk alumni Coach Reed isn’t “just” about coaching kids. He also trains parents, coaches, and sports leaders alike on cultivating healthy communication in competitive environments. I think you hopefully agree that we need more kindness in our lives and in our world...perhaps of late especially in the political arena especially. As we’ll learn in this interview... kindness is not weak; instead, it requires the strongest kind of discipline we have to give. And really listening to another human being is a skill that takes time and commitment to develop. Like the saying goes: “be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

Barbara Jenkins is a bestselling co-author and traveler who received the attention of National Geographic Magazine with a cross country trek she took with her ex husband back in the 70's.  Don't be fooled.  This woman is as vibrant today as she was back then.  Barbara is a natural born storyteller who is all about the power of saying "yes" and she joins us today with wisdom to spare.  When adventure came knocking, Barbara Jenkins answered. And it wasn’t just any adventure--but one that would take her on a walk across America and change the trajectory of her life forever.  Some of you may be familiar with the New York Times best-sellers Walk Across America and The Walk West, written by Barbara and her then-husband, Peter Jenkins. In today’s interview, we get a glimpse behind the curtain into the story behind the stories, and the wisdom that Barbara has gathered along the way. Barbara has faced numerous challenges throughout her life: being hit by a car, walking pregnant across a mountain range in a blizzard, and then eventually raising three children as a single parent while simultaneously navigating a writing career on her own. Barbara’s story of resilience, extraordinary adventure, empowerment, and perseverance is a reminder that struggle is essential to growth. That even after one door closes, another door will open in due time if you’re willing to keep your head up and keep doing the work.

Jim Riviello is a business growth expert who reminds us that focusing on the next three steps in front of us will slow us down long enough so we won't feel overwhelmed.  If we are successful in business but our children, spouses or employees want little to do with us then we have not achieved true success.  If we don't take the time to find out who we are it's unlikely that anyone else will ever really know us either.  Jim emphasizes that while planning for our future is important and necessary for achieving our goals it is also important to slow ourselves down and liv in the present.  Nothing meaningful ever comes easy, and that includes personal growth.  Honoring our journey, or what I call the process, is just as important as getting there.  One can often preclude the other so it's especially important to accomplish both.  

Brigadier General, Dr. Rhonda Cornum is tough and gentle.  I find the two are often a package deal.   In today's interview with  Brigadier General and Physician Rhonda Cornum, we will learn that resilience can be taught, learned and even mastered. However, here is the best part...whether you are a civilian or in the military or even feel like the walking wounded today’s episode is for you. After surviving a helicopter crash while on a rescue mission during the first Iraq war General Cornum was then taken prisoner. if that isn’t a petri dish to test one’s resilience, I don’t know what is.  Gen. Cornum is well acquainted with the double-edged sword of hardship, but as you will soon learn, she is also adamant about not being defined by those experiences... except in terms of lessons learned. When Dr. Cornum returned back to the States after being rescued, people were often confused when she would explain that instead of experiencing PTSD, she felt stronger because of her experience. As Dr. Michaela Haas notes in her book Bouncing Forward, in the early 1990s, the term “post traumatic growth” had not yet been discovered. Instead of blindly accepting what some consider constricting labels that trauma survivors are given, Dr. Cornum focused on re-claiming the agency over what she could control. Before she retired from the military, Dr. Cornum developed the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program, which not only helps boost resilience in troops, but can help all of us in everyday life. Rhonda’s story is a reminder that the human spirit is capable of surmounting unimaginable challenges, and that if anything, living through a near-death situation can make life that much more precious and cherished.   

Travis Meadows is known by "Rolling Stone" magazine as "Nashville's most badass songwriter."  Whether or not you’re familiar with or even like country music, it is often about love, loss and and human resilience. “Riser,” a song co-written by Travis Meadows and performed by Dierks Bentley, is one of those songs that stays with you long after you listen to it, and you can’t help but wonder about the life behind those words. If you listen closely, you get the sense that Travis’s depth of insight has been forged because of struggle, and that taking the long way has given him something rare and irreplaceable. Dealing with cancer at fourteen, growing up with an absent father, and wrestling with addiction are only a few of the mile-markers on his life’s journey. Today you will hear how Travis discovered how to make peace with his past and how he learned that you can’t truly appreciate light without the darkness. Travis teaches us to aim for authenticity rather than accolades, and to accept what we cannot control. He has written songs for country artists such as Eric Church, Jake Owen, Leann Womack, and Wynonna Judd to name a few, making his unique artistry unmistakable. As Travis agrees and I believe...nothing meaningful ever comes easy. Travis has had to fight for his voice, and in the process of doing so, discovered the "Riser" inside of him.

Mark Schulman is here to teach us that we can all overcome stage fright if we follow what he calls the Three C’s. He has played drums with some of the most famed musicians of our time. From Tina Turner to Cher, to Stevie Nicks, Billy Idol to Beyonce, and three world tours with Pink you might get the sense that he’s just warming up.  Before he was voted one of the “Top 3 Pop-Rock Drummers” in the 2014 Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll, he learned what it would take to get there...putting in the long hours practicing his craft so he would be ready for opportunity when it came knocking; and, knocking it did. Mark has performed for an estimated one billion people over the course of his 27 year long career, so it might surprise you that he’s had his share of stage fright to overcome and understand from the inside-out. He has learned to harness his fear to be helpful rather than debilitating, and has written about his experience in his new book, Conquering Life’s Stage Fright. Mark’s story shows us how failure can be disguised as a pivotal moment for growth, if we’re willing to be open to the lesson.

Aaron Walker was 27 years old when he reached a level of success people dream about.  What he wasn’t prepared for was the hollow feeling that came with it.  His message today is get your priorities straight...and, by all means pay it forward.  While he could have settled into an early retirement and what some people consider the “comfortable life he didn't. Intuitively, he  knew there was more out there for him. When you fear missing an opportunity more than failure, success is only a matter of time. Aaron began seeking out others who wanted similar things in life: growth, opportunity, and to “give back” in some way. He also found what he hadn’t had before...mentors who would help him develop his potential. Today, Aaron helps others discover how to build significance into their lives by investing in relationships, not just retirement plans. If you’ve ever doubted whether a successful life can also be a meaningful one, then you’ll want to keep listening; because moving forward in your career and building lasting relationships don’t need to be mutually exclusive. Aaron has a powerful message for anyone spending more energy holding onto regret rather than focusing on what you can control---your future.