Intentional Performers

The Founder of Mizzen + Main, Kevin Lavelle, on Entrepreneurship

Kevin Lavelle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Kevin has done a lot in a short amount of time, and he is a young guy trying to make an impact and a dent on the world. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mizzen + Main, and he was the CEO before stepping down to take on the Chairman role. Mizzen + Main is an innovative company transforming the apparel industry by making the world’s most comfortable dress shirt. Kevin has been innovative and creative with how they market the product, and has used creative ways to get people’s attention. The company has been featured in the New York Times, Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, and Men’s Health. Today, he is a Senior Vice President at Staying Together which is a non-profit that aims to help social entrepreneurs supercharge their efforts to help people change their lives.

In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:40), what it was like going from SMU to the Middle East (10:00), his reaction when he started on a different path (14:30), if he had an entrepreneurial bug from a young age (20:30), how being a generalist helped and hurt him as a consultant (22:20), his experience at the Hunt Companies (24:00), why he decided to start his own company (26:00), job security and values (32:10), how people felt about him making work changes (34:30), what it’s like going from being a consultant to an employee to a boss (37:20), how to work with confrontation (42:30), if he felt he was someone that always wanted to work for himself (44:30), why he got help with executive coaching and EO to build his business (46:40), his experience with an executive coach and the Hogan assessment (54:10), when he got interested in politics (1:02:50), why he stepped into the non-profit space (1:06:30), what he loves about media types (1:13:40), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best (1:18:10)

We encourage you to find him on Twitter and check out @MizzenandMain on all forms of social media. Kevin now works for Stand Together https://standtogether.org/ and at this organization, he works with Youth Entrepreneurs, Urban Specialists, and Café Momentum.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Never Giving Up with Dr. Rob Bell

Dr. Rob Bell joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rob is a mental coach that works with athletes in the sports arena and individuals in the corporate space. Rob has written six books on mental toughness. He is also an ultra-marathon runner and this year he is running a 100-mile race. He will talk about spirituality, what makes him emotionally and mentally strong and why physical fitness is such a priority for him.  

In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (4:20), what it felt like to be arrested (6:50), the things that changed his life (9:00), embarrassment and rock bottom (12:20), what he loved about sports when he was little (14:50), how he thinks about success (17:20), when sports psychology came into his life (18:20), how it felt when he stopped playing baseball (19:40), his religious framework (23:10), giving yourself grace (27:30), what it was like starting a sports psychology practice (31:10), what it is like teaching (33:10), why he doesn’t voluntarily share his story (35:00), what he does to make sure he’s emotionally where he needs to be (36:10), why he got into running (37:20), the frameworks he uses when working with athletes (42:00), how he thinks about mental toughness (44:30), his mindset in the different areas of his life (45:10), what caused him to go down the road of sobriety (47:20), his habits (48:00), and why he does ultra-marathons (50:40)

Thank you to Rob for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://drrobbell.com/ and he is @drrobbell on all social media. His next book coming out is called “Puke and Rally” which is not about the setback but about the comeback.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

How to Create your Master Plan with Chris Wilson

Chris Wilson joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chris is a serial social entrepreneur, a story-teller, an artist, a social justice advocate, and an author. He wrote the book, “The Masterplan,” which is a fantastic read. He was incarcerated for murder at the age of 17 and had a life sentence so this conversation is less about the murder and more about what he did after it. He will talk about his life in prison where he was for 16 years before somehow miraculously getting out.

In this episode, we discuss when he decided he wanted to write a book (6:50), what his mother and grandmother instilled in him (7:50), his reaction in prison when he was saying he would talk about positive delusion (9:00), what life was like for him as a kid (12:20), his experience with his mother (14:30), despair in his life (16:40), what he thinks about nature vs. nurture (18:10), how he thinks about therapy and mental health (19:20), how he’d define toughness and being coachable (22:00), what makes a great mentor (25:50), what it was like to outline his book (27:30), being externally vs. internally focused (30:20), what it was like to be in solitary confinement vs. being in a free situation (34:10), what we should do differently for people in prison (36:40), why he wanted to tell his story (40:20), what he’s done to try to create more jobs (41:40), what he recommends to people who don’t look like him can do to make a difference (44:00), the photo business he started (45:00), how he started journaling (46:50), his process of writing the book (47:30), where he is on the master plan (48:30), the Chris Wilson foundation (49:50), doing the work and putting yourself out there (51:00), the willingness to speak with the Dean at the University of Baltimore (53:15), his mindset in all the different things he does (56:40), what a day looks like for him (57:30), the car he drives now (1:00:20), and why he didn’t used to smile in pictures (1:03:00)

Thank you to Chris Wilson for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to buy his book, “The Master Plan.” We also encourage you to check out his website http://chriswilson.biz/ and find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Paul James on Dealing with Adversity & Acting

Paul James, also known as PJ, joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. After college at Syracuse University, PJ moved out to LA and started his acting career. PJ was in the hit TV show Greek, and he was in a movie right off the bat called Cry Wolf. Today he is on a Netflix show called Soundtrack. You’ll enjoy that PJ is open, honest, and talks about the ups and downs that come with acting as a career.

In this episode, we discuss when acting came into his life (5:20), why his dad was a secret service agent (7:40), what he liked about being on stage (9:20), why he wanted to be in a fraternity (13:20), what the theater program at Syracuse was like (17:30), what it was like transitioning out to LA (20:10), playing as an actor (23:30), why he hates auditions (25:30), preparation vs. performance mindset (28:30), where he feels most alive (32:15), how his Dad passing impacted his life (37:00), dealing with adversity (41:20), the story behind his current show (45:00), what he does to mentally prepare himself for acting (47:30), how he responds to failure (52:30), what he’s done for the last two years (54:00), being in the show Greek (56:20), how he stays disciplined with the reactiveness of acting (1:01:10), and how he goes from acting vs. who he is off camera (1:06:20)

Thank you to Paul for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram and watch his show Soundtrack on Netflix.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Jamy Bechler on the Power of Influence

Jamy Bechler joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jamy is a professional speaker, leadership trainer, and executive business coach who has worked with teams ranging from major corporations to teams in the NBA. Before going into full-time leadership work, Jamy served for 20 years as a college basketball coach, a professor, and administrator. When he hung up his whistle, he didn’t stop coaching, he just moved from the locker room to the boardroom. Now he travels the country motivating people and motivating organizations. We will talk about what leadership is, what it might not be, and Jamy will talk about what that looks like on and off the basketball court.

In this episode, we discuss his childhood (4:30), his early thoughts on leadership (8:40), influence and leadership (12:10), how he thinks about talent with influence (18:00), when he decided he would be a sports coach (24:30), what he learned from John Wooden (29:00), similarities and differences in coaching men vs. women in basketball (30:10), how he’d connect with his players (32:30), the elements of a good culture (43:00), what he did after he got fired (46:00), why he shifted out of athletic coaching (48:00), what he noticed as an AD that he didn’t as a coach (50:00), what it’s been like to go off on his own (52:00), what he intentionally does to make sure he’s his best self (54:40), what he knows now about coaching that he didn’t used to know (57:40), and his writing process (1:03:00)

Thank you to Jamy for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://jamybechler.com/, find him on Twitter, and check out his books.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Remembering Kobe: The Intentional Performer

Today's podcast is in memory of Kobe Bryant. I never met Kobe, but his story-telling and the stories told about him are legendary. 

Hopefully, this podcast inspires you to learn from Kobe and intentionally perform at your craft. 

Sending love to all who perished in this tragic accident. 

 

How to Define Success with Gary Green

Gary Green joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Gary helped find Cameron Carmichael which is an executive search firm based in Charlotte, NC. They build a successful relationship with their clients that is built on a mutual trust and commitment to outstanding results. In this conversation, we will talk about what Gary looks for when he’s placing executives with companies and what makes a successful partnership when he’s doing that. He will also spend time talking about his journey through swimming at Duke, serving in the Navy, and receiving his MBA from Harvard. Gary has also competed in marathons and triathlons and he is still competing to this day.

In this episode, we discuss what his upbringing was like (5:10), the values his parents passed down to him (9:50), what his dynamic with his siblings was like (13:20), his sports interest (18:00), his experience as a swimmer at Dematha (21:40), why he decided to go into the military (24:50), how he balanced academics, ROTC, social, and athletics at Duke (27:20), what he loved about swimming (31:40), what it’s like to compete in endurance competitions (33:50), how he thinks about success (36:10), why he thinks some CEO’s may not be happy (38:30), what he does when he’s interviewing and someone feels stuck (40:30), how he tries to find alignment amongst intangibles between a person and an organization (43:20), how his business came to be (46:15), what has allowed his partnership to work (48:30), why VP of Sales is the hardest to recruit (52:10), how he figures out if someone is an individual contributor or a good manager (54:40), what his military experience was like (55:40), what it was like to be part of the Harvard community (58:30), what he does to make sure he’s living the life he wants to live (1:05:00), and the habits he does to make sure he’s sharp (1:07:40)

Thank you to Gary for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.cameroncarmichael.com/ and find him on LinkedIn.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

The Power of Mentorship and How to Be Your Best Self with Terry Knickerbocker

Terry Knickerbocker joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Terry is the studio director and founder of Terry Knickerbocker’s Studio in Brooklyn, NY. For the past 30 years, Terry has acted, directed, coached, and produced art with all kinds of incredible people. After he graduated from NYU, Terry trained as an actor with Bill Esper and worked with Bill for 25 years. Terry has been mentored and values mentoring others immensely. He is a past recipient of the Drama League of New York’s Directing Award Fellowship for Emerging Directors. This conversation is about what he does and who he is, and who he is constantly trying to become and how he wants to show up.

In this episode, we discuss, how he got into acting (6:10), the things people acknowledged about him as a child (10:30), what toughness is (15:20), the values his parents passed down to him (17:10), where he feels emotions (19:20), how to deal with anger (24:00), when acting became something he wanted to pursue (26:10), what makes people turn towards acting (34:00), his experience at NYU (36:00), what leads to consistency in coaching/teaching (45:00), how he’s different than Bill Esper (49:00), how he typically teaches acting (50:50), coaching vs. teaching (53:10), if he misses performing (1:00:00), how he’s doing with working on the business vs. in the business (1:01:20), how he serves people with a fear of not making it (1:05:00), the downside that comes with fame (1:11:00), the habits he has to make sure he’s at his best (1:13:10), his religious framework (1:16:20), the pictures up on his wall (1:19:20), and the power of polarity (1:22:40)

Thank you to Terry for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://terryknickerbockerstudio.com/ and his studio is in Brooklyn. They teach a two-year acting program twice a year that begins in September and January, and they also have a six-week intensive program from mid-June to the end of July. You can find him on Twitter @tknickerbocker and Instagram @terryknickerbockerstudio.  

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Ryan Holiday on the Power of Stoicism

Ryan Holiday joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Ryan wrote the books, “The Obstacle is the Way,” “Ego is the Enemy,” “The Daily Stoic,” “Conspiracy” and “Stillness is the Key,” to name a few. He’s written ten books and he is continuing to write. At his core, he is a writer and a media strategist. He’s worked in marketing, and he’s worked with prominent best-selling authors such as Neil Strass, Tony Robbins, and Tim Ferris. Before becoming a writer, he had a successful marketing career at American Apparel, and he went on to create an agency called Brass Check. Ryan has been in the weeds and done the work as far as marketing and writing. He has sold more than two million copies of his books and his books have landed in the hands of world-class coaches, athletes, and teams.

In this episode, we discuss how I got a package from Ryan (6:20), how he thinks about his audience when writing (7:50), the transition to the first book he wrote (12:20), the obstacle is the way tattoo (15:50), if he thought his books would flow together (17:10), his mindset when speaking vs. writing (18:00), when he knew he wanted to be a writer (19:30), his writing process (21:30), what his family was like growing up (26:10), how to find what you’re meant to do (32:00), what motivates him (35:10), mindset for preparation vs. performance (37:40), arrogance in performance (43:00), what he’s attracted to in stoicism (48:30), what he does to make sure he’s in it (53:00), what he does to be the best version of himself (54:40), what makes the San Antonio Spurs such a great organization (55:50), what he sees himself doing 10 years from now (59:10), how he thinks about building a business (1:01:00), his thoughts on fame (1:03:10), and selling your ideas (1:04:30)

Thank you to Ryan for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out at https://ryanholiday.net/, https://dailystoic.com/, and you can find him @RyanHoliday and @DailyStoic on all forms of social media.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

How to Prepare for Big Moments and Adapt with Matt Stover

Matt Stover joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matt Stover played in the NFL for 20 years where he played 13 years for the Baltimore Ravens. When he retired in 2009, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL. Matt played at the highest level and did his craft as well as anybody that’s ever done it. Matt will talk about the routines and habits that helped him have so much success in the NFL. You will also hear from Matt about how he thinks about strength, mental fitness, emotional fitness, and spiritual fitness. He is a super-bowl winner and he was a leader on the Ravens. Matt is the oldest player to ever play in a super bowl and he is in the Ravens ring of honor. Today, he is doing some really interesting stuff around finance and philanthropy that he will talk about.

In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:00), why he didn’t kick until his senior year (7:30), the values his parents passed down to him (9:20), what it was like playing for Bill Belichick (14:40), how he responded as a backup (17:40), where his motto of “why not me” came from (20:30), his mindset as a kicker (23:00), how he built trust with his teammates (24:30), what it was like to be part of a consistent contender (28:00), what the Ravens did to breakdown barriers between different parts of the team (33:10), what the draft was like when he was drafted in the 12^th round (35:10), what he’d be doing if he wasn’t in the NFL (39:00), how he’d prepare on gameday (43:30), the ability to adapt and how he thought about the super bowl (48:50), what he’s up to now with the Players Philanthropy Fund (54:40), and what he loved about kicking and what he loves about what he’s doing now (1:02:00)

Thank you to Matt for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out the great work he is doing at the Players Philanthropy Fund https://www.ppf.org/.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Mark Groves on the Power of Human Connection

Mark Groves joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Mark is a human connection specialist but putting a title on his work doesn’t do him justice. Mark is an emotional translator, writer, speaker, coach, and his clients range from businesses and leaders to couples and individuals. Mark really cares about the deepest of emotional connections that we have with ourselves and other people, and he loves studying love. He studies relationships and communications and is very thoughtful about how we are showing up for ourselves and for the people that we love.

In this episode, we discuss how it works for a company to take time to work with him (7:20), his upbringing (9:00), the message his dad shared about divorce (12:00), the skills that create great communication and relationships (20:00), how mastering personal relationships affects the business world (23:40), pain and love and emotions (27:00), when he started to lean into his emotions (30:30), what experiences at rock bottom teach us (34:30), what allowed him to learn from failure at 27 (38:40), when he got into the work he does now (41:30), what it was like to leave a nice six-figure salary (43:20), where he draws the line on sharing (45:50), how he’s built his social media following (50:10), how he feels when he gets powerful messages (54:10), what his writing process looks like (57:10), how he thinks about the me-too movement (1:00:10), and what he intentionally does to make sure he’s his best (1:05:10)

Thank you to Mark for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram @createthelove, YouTube, and his website http://markgroves.tv/.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Hamish Brewer on Leaving a Legacy and Creating a Culture of Family

Hamish Brewer joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Hamish is a Principal and is somebody who is relentless, tattooed, and a skateboarding Principal. He is a high-octane guy constantly calling on his students to be relentless. He has become known as an educational disruptor that challenges the status quo and is constantly looking to innovate and help his students however he can. Hamish does things differently and he is known for working with some of the most at-risk students in America, and he flat out gets results. He is real, authentic, genuine, and what you see is what you get. He has won all kinds of awards, he is nationally known as a Principal, he has written a best-selling book, he has given a Ted Talk, and he is somebody that is living, breathing, and doing things to make this world a better place.

In this episode, we discuss where he gets his enthusiasm and energy (6:10), what life was like growing up (7:30), why he thinks he and his brothers have had success (9:20), where he grew up (11:30), how he brings his journeyman mindset to his students (14:30), his religious framework (16:10), how he went from dropping out of high school to becoming a Principal (17:20), what he would’ve been like at a school where he was the Principal (21:00), where he sees education going (22:20), how he captures what poverty means (25:10), mental health in schools (28:00), how he teaches his students resilience (31:00), the legacy he wants to leave (33:20), how he makes sense of his social media presence (37:00), how he manages his fear of failure (40:20), how he thinks about fearlessness (42:00), how he brings out the best in his staff (43:20), why he puts his office in the middle of the school (45:40), how he thinks about working with parents (49:10), what he does to make sure he’s at his best (54:40), his use of the word love (57:40), what it’s like for him when the kids leave for summer (1:00:30), and how he wrestles with the desire to be in the school system vs. impact outside of the school system (1:03:10)

Thank you to Hamish for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also find his website at https://hamishbrewer.com/. He is also a best-selling author of Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm that can be found on amazon. He is also about to release relentless skateboards which will be giving everything back to kids. Humanity Stoke is also coming out in the Spring which is a documentary he will be in with Tony Hawk.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Asking Great Questions and Being Grateful with Brian Levenson

In this episode, I discuss gratitude and Thanksgiving (2:30), becoming a better communicator (4:00), three levels of listening (4:50), assumptions, assessments, and assertions (8:40), examples of great questions (11:30), and takeaways (21:30).

If you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Scott O’Neil on Sports Business and Creating a Culture

Scott O’Neil is the Chief Executive Officer of Harris Blitzer Spots & Entertainment, an organization with the ambition to become the most impactful sports and entertainment company in the world through the pursuit of innovation and performance. You will hear about Scott and his involvement with innovation and how much he values high, elite performance for himself and the teams that he’s involved with. Scott is responsible for the organization’s leadership, strategic vision, operations, and growth including the pursuit and acquisition of sports teams and organizations, entertainment, and consumer-facing properties. Scott wears many different hats and is involved with many different organizations including the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils, and the Prudential Center. He is also involved with Team Dignitas, an internationally renowned e-sports team, the Sixers Innovation Lab, the Delaware Blue Coats, and the Binghamton Devils. He has over 20 years of experience in the NHL, NBA, and NFL that has earned a reputation as a leader of leaders and is one of the best in sports business. He really grounds himself in the present and thinks about the culture they are creating inside these organizations.

In this episode, we discuss what his childhood was like (5:00), why he thinks all of his siblings are in business (7:50), how he feels thinking about his mom doing amazing work (11:00), why he got into sports (12:40),what his vision for his career was (14:00), his morning routine (15:20), how he thinks about management and culture in several different places (16:30), how he defines his mission (18:50), how he thinks about spirituality (20:10), why coaching his kids is so important to him (22:00), how he emotionally stays level over the course of a season (26:20), what part of his life he’s working on (27:40), how he’s used executive coaching (29:00), how he leverages mindfulness/meditation (33:05), what he looks for in talent (35:20), if he has conversations with his parents about being in it vs. on it (39:30), and where he feels most alive (41:20)

Thank you to Scott for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Brain Coding and Mental Health with Kip Watson

Kip Watson joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Kip is a former professional football player that was also an elite gymnast when she was a kid. She works in the world of sports psychology and I think you will find her to be a very thoughtful and intentional human-being who lives with spirit, emotion, and thinks about her mindset on a daily mindset. Kip will be vulnerable in this conversation, and she will share what she’s learned and is continuing to work on with herself and why she is so passionate about making an impact with people in and outside of the sports world.

In this episode, we discuss her experience with gymnastics (3:50), what her environment growing up was like (6:00), why she wanted to play football (9:30), how she got into gymnastics (12:40), her early success in gymnastics (17:00), how to view winning (19:40), the importance of consistency (22:10), brain codes and her intake form (23:20), how she develops nature (27:20), her drive to play professional football (30:00), what she learned about herself playing football (34:30), her tough times (37:40), what changed after low moments in her life (42:20), how religion has guided her (44:10), what she does to strengthen her mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual (47:20), how she handles her routine under stress (50:20), what it is like parenting two athletes (52:40), and why sports psychology as her vehicle to make an impact (59:40).

Thank you to Kip for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check her out @kipfit on any social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) platform, and her website https://www.braincodecorp.com/.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

How to Build Resilience with Van Brooks

Van Brooks joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Van played football growing up and today he works in the non-profit world in inner city Baltimore where he helps to mentor and develop a lot of our youth. Van is incredibly thoughtful, intentional, and resilient.

In this episode, we discuss why he was interested in sports at a young age (4:50), his relationship with his family (5:50), what it was like playing lacrosse (8:40), the values his parents passed down to him (10:30), what his experience at Loyola Blakefield was like (11:30), how he balances humility and confidence (15:40), the value of education (17:30), what it was like adjusting to his private school (19:30), what it was like being in two different communities (22:20), the transformative moment in his life (23:50), what he remembers when he woke up (28:20), what it would be like to go to Georgetown Prep (30:00), the thoughts running in his head in the hospital (31:50), tipping points that changed his views (36:30), how he applied athletics to his life after athletics (40:00), his high school graduation day (43:20), how he thinks about sticking out vs. fitting in (46:50), what it was like going to Towson (52:30), where he gets his therapy from (54:40), when he started the foundation and helping others (55:20), why he focuses on middle school (58:40), what the next ten years looks like for him and the foundation (59:30), what makes him feel most alive (1:01:00), what’s the draw to staying in Baltimore (1:02:40), how he thinks about working in the business vs. on the business (1:05:30), and giving a fish vs. teaching how to fish (1:07:40).

Thank you to Van for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. You can also find his personal website https://www.vanbrooks.com/ and support his organization https://www.safealternative.org/.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

How to Create Success through Failure with Jim Harshaw Jr.

Jim Harshaw Jr. joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jim is an educator by trade and coach by passion. He is a former Division 1 all-American Wrestler and we will talk about his experiences wrestling. Jim has also failed; he’s been broke, out of shape, and out of balance with his family at times in his career. He knows what it feels like to do 100 things in a day at 100 mph and still get nothing accomplished. Jim has set out to help others create clarity, focus, and consistency as an executive coach.

In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him growing up (5:00), how the culture of wrestling helped him (8:10), how competition brings out the best in us (12:40), his family situation growing up (14:00), the message about academics growing up (15:50), how he instills work ethic in his kids (19:20), how he shows inspired action (21:40), what it means to be blue collared (26:40), what it was like wrestling at UVA (32:40), what he did to get better his freshmen year (34:30), what it looks like to compete with joy (43:00), focusing on the process (47:00), why he got into coaching (48:20), what it was like going from wrestler to coach (50:40), his experience going back to UVA (54:00), why he decided to start his own business and what happened to the business (55:20), the dark place he was in (58:00), the mechanics of the reveal your path system (1:02:10), aligning your values to your work (1:05:20), the last two parts of his program (1:08:20), and where he sees himself ten years from now (1:12:00)

Thank you to Jim for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast, “Success Through Failure,” and his website https://jimharshawjr.com/ where you can set up a free call with him. You can also find him on Twitter @jimharshaw and Instagram @jimharshawjr.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Derek Fitzgerald on Overcoming Incredibly Difficult Situations

Derek Fitzgerald joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Derek is a survivor of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, heart failure, and ultimately a heart transplant. After receiving his life saving transplant in 2011, Derek entered the world of endurance sports and became dedicated to helping others going through their own healthcare journeys. He’s an advocate for cancer research, heart, health and organ donation. He founded the Recycled Man Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to improve life for those affected by significant health changes. Since 2011, Derek has upheld his life mission to honor his donor’s gift and has completed over 90 endurance events including a coast-to-coast bike ride and multiple iron man races. He has also completed the prestigious world championship in Kona, Hawaii. He is the only cancer survivor and heart transplant recipient to complete a full ironman distance race. Derek is living life to the fullest and has handled his adversity with unbelievable grit, determination, and perspective.

In this episode, we discuss his childhood (5:05), why he was interested in film (6:50), what soccer was like for him as a kid (8:10), what being in the band was like (11:00), how his view on winning has changed (12:40), what he studied in college (16:40), why he was passionate about film (19:20), what he enjoyed most about film making (23:00), how his background in music and film helped him progress in his career (25:00), where his work ethic comes from (28:30), starting a company called M3 (30:40), what makes a good problem solver (32:00), what it was like running an organization (33:05), what changed at age 30 (34:30), what it felt like when he heard he had non-hodgkin’s lymphoma (37:20), how he went from an invincible 30-year-old to focusing on getting stronger (39:20), if there are any downsides to being step by step (42:20), how he ended up after putting in all the work for his health (44:40), how he responded to hearing he had heart failure (49:20), how he processed his business being about his illnesses (52:30), his experience when his heart gave out (57:00), whether faith plays a role in his life (59:20), how his transplant went (1:02:20), if he changed after he got the new heart (1:07:30), when fitness became something he wanted to compete in (1:12:40), the advice he gives to people (1:17:10), and what he’s up to now (1:21:30)

Thank you to Derek for coming on the podcast. He has started a foundation called the Recycled Man Foundation https://www.recycledman.com/, and there mission is to improve the quality of life for people that have gone through significant life challenges by making them more active. Derek has also been doing speaking engagements and you can find him at https://www.recycledmanspeaks.com/. You can find Derek and the Recycled Man Foundation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. He also has a tech company where he has taken his experience as a patient and turned it into a way to help people through technology and that is called IronHeart Technologies and can be found at https://www.ironhearttech.com/.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

How to Network and Build Relationships with Rob McClanaghan

Rob McClanaghan joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rob is regarded as the premier NBA skill development trainer in the game today. Rob has over 15 years of experience helping elite athletes hone their skills and realize their full potential. His cliental and his client list is insanely impressive with players such as Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Stephon Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Al Horford, John Wall, and Candace Parker. We talk about what makes those athletes special and what he’s witnessed since he has an up close and personal seat into who they are as people and what they do to work on themselves. Rob also played basketball at Syracuse University where he was a 3-year basketball letterman as a walk-on where he played in three NCAA tournaments. Rob has also built a unique personal brand by leveraging three main principles that resonate not only in sports but also in the corporate world. He believes in the power of networking, building relationships, and professionalism.

In this episode, we discuss what his childhood was like (5:00), faith in his family and the values his parents passed down to him (7:40), why he decided to walk-on at Syracuse (9:50), what he would say to critics (12:30), what it was like to make the Syracuse team (15:00), where his confidence comes from (16:00), where confidence comes from in elite athletes (20:00), what he learned about teams at Syracuse (25:20), what makes a good leader (27:20), what his senior year at Syracuse was like (28:30), why coaches had confidence in him (29:50), why Jim Boeheim played him (32:00), the reaction he got from his hometown when he found out he was playing (33:30), his experience moving from playing to coaching (36:00), when skills training became a possibility for him (37:20), what it was like working with pros out in Vegas (40:20), how he cultivates creativity (41:30), how he thought about making this his own business (43:00), where he feels most alive (45:40), the similarities between the players he works with (49:30), how curious the players are when they’re not in training (51:30), what he does to make sure he’s crisp and clear for his players (52:30), what it was like losing his dad (53:40), what his book his about and what he’s up to now (55:00), what the top athletes do mentally to be their best selves (58:10), and his thoughts on the mindset in preparation vs. performance (59:15)

Thank you to Rob for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram @robmacnba or Twitter @RobMacNBA. His book, “Net Work” came out October 1^st and you can order it on Amazon here. You can find everything related to Rob’s work on his website http://robmacbasketball.com//

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian

Matthew Del Negro on How to Overcome Adversity

Matthew Del Negro joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matthew is an actor that has played a wide range of roles in features both on tv and in theater. He has worked on tv shows such as Scandal, Sopranos, West Wing, Showtimes United States of Tara, MTV’s Teen Wolf, and now he’s on a show called Goliath on Amazon Prime. He is a philosopher at heart, a deep thinker, and he will talk about how he’s been reflective throughout his life and how that’s led him to this journey of acting. He’s also a podcast host, and his podcast 10,000 No’s has all kinds of incredible guests. Matthew is on a journey and he’s trying to find out how he can be a great actor and great at other parts of his life. He is obsessed with adversity and hearing no, and how others have developed a relationship with adversity and how to turn failures or no’s into opportunities.

In this episode, they discuss what he was doing in San Diego (5:00), what life was like growing up (8:20), the lessons he learned from sports (12:30), where turning no’s into yes’s came from for him (14:20), when lacrosse came into his life (16:40), what it was like playing lacrosse at BC (18:20), how he got into acting (23:00), the moment he decided he wanted to be an actor (25:50), how his parents reacted to him saying he’d be an actor (27:30), what his vision was like in his 20’s (29:00), how he’s changed as an actor (30:40), his religious framework (33:20), the similarities and differences between lacrosse and being an actor (38:20), the systems or processes he’s put in place to handle rejection (41:00), the priming he does before he performs (43:15), questioning of his identity (47:30), how he defines success (51:20), what makes a great story (55:10), how to cultivate connection (56:00), his mindfulness techniques (58:40), and what has most helped shape him (1:01:00)

Thank you to Matthew for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his podcast, “10,000 No’s” at https://www.10000nos.com/. You can find him on Instagram @mattydel, Twitter @MatthewDelNegro, Facebook @delnegrofansite, and you can email him at info@10000nos.com.

Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.

-Brian