Épisodes

  • Nick Lavery: American Hero – Unstoppable Warrior

    Nick Lavery: American Hero – Unstoppable Warrior
    Feb 23 2026
    Nick Lavery is the founder and CEO of Precision Components LLC, where he and Team Machine train, advise, enable, and inspire organizations and individuals to unlock capacity and increase capability. He is also the best-selling author of Objective Secure – the battle-tested guide to goal achievement. Nick is a warrior, leader, teammate, and most importantly, a proud husband and father of two boys. Nick enjoys reading, writing, lifting weights, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and shooting. Most significantly, however, he enjoys building forts, Legos, getting dirty, drawing and reading with his sons and traveling, eating dinner, and watching movies with his wife. Nick founded MCHN to build a community that embodies these same principles – where discipline, leadership, and resilience aren't just taught, but lived. Nick, born and raised in Massachusetts, is an active-duty Green Beret within The United States Army Special Forces. The Green Berets perform critical missions including direct action, counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. Nick is currently serving as a Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer and is widely recognized as an experienced subject matter expert in special operations, intelligence fusion, mission planning, and complex problem solving across all operational continuums. He is also the first amputee in military history to complete the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification course, the Special Operations Combatives Program Instructor course, and the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification course. In 2013, while deployed in Afghanistan, Nick and his detachment fell victim to an attack that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his leg. Following a year of surgeries and initial recovery including the use of a prosthetic at Walter Reed National Medical Military Center, he returned to his unit. Refusing military medical retirement, Nick set his sights on returning to operational status. In 2015, at the conclusion of a challenging, comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate Nick's abilities to operate, he returned to his detachment and was subsequently deployed once again to Afghanistan conducting full spectrum combat operations. Nick is considered the first Special Forces operator to return to combat as an above-the-knee amputee in military history. Nick's awards include the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, Bronze Star with "V" for valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, the OSS Society Peter Ortiz Award, the Bruce Price Leadership Award, and the Special Operations Command Excalibur Award. Takeaways: How YOU Livin? When I hear Nick's story – the bravery, the courage and all the selfless sacrifice that he has endured and continues to endure for our country, this simple question comes to mind. "How you livin'?" The simple challenge that comes along with it is this: are we living in a way that is worthy of all that Nick has gone through? Would Nick be able to look at our lives and say to himself – "yep, that life is worth fighting for" or "yep, I'm proud to fight for him or her and the way they're living." This one is for all of us and it's especially good right now. There's a lot going on in this country – I think it's a great time for all of us to look in the mirror both individually and collectively and ask this question…and KEEP asking it to keep our pursuits on a good path. Character Reps. I like how Nick went out of his way to point out that he was not always the massive 6'5" warrior that he is today. In fact, for most of his childhood, he was the small, weak one who got picked on. However, he mentioned that each patch of difficult time served as a character rep that ended up adding to the toughness that embodies so much of who he is today. So, no matter how we struggle at times, let's remember that life has a way of throwing us these character reps – and if we can see it this way, we'll be stronger in the long run. TEAM First. Nick's story brings so many examples of an intense and high-level TEAM FIRST mindset. From the way he handled all of his injuries – refocusing his mission to that of getting back to his unit as fast as humanly possible, to the way he helped his teammate put his eye back into socket as he was bleeding from his own face, to the way he watched with pride when he thought he was dying as his young teammates fought off the enemy…It's just endless with Nick. And it shows that great things happen when we put the TEAM first. GRACE/FORGIVENESS/PERSPECTIVE. I thought it was a very powerful story regarding Nick getting his blood transfusion. After all he had survived on the battlefield, he almost died due to a blood transfusion that ...
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    1 h et 15 min
  • Patric Young – Turning Tragedy into Victory

    Patric Young – Turning Tragedy into Victory
    Jan 16 2026
    Patric Young is a basketball analyst, author, speaker, and philanthropist. Patric played for the University of Florida Gators from 2010-2014, playing for Hall of Fame Coach Billy Donovan, which included a Final Four appearance. Patric then played professionally in the NBA and then overseas from 2014-2020. In 2021, he transitioned into a college basketball analyst for the SEC Network, a position he holds currently. In the summer of 2022, Patric was involved in a single automobile accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Once a towering force on the court, Patric now had to face new challenges that initially tested his faith, resolve, and the very core of his identity. In 2023, Patric summarized his inspiring story in his book Sit to Rise, Turning Your Darkest Pain Into Your Brightest Victory. His story now serves as a beacon of hope, proving that in moments of vulnerability, we can discover newfound strength and unleash new levels potential within ourselves. Four months following his accident and while undergoing intensive therapy and treatment, Patric launched The Patric Young Foundation. With a mission to help those facing life-altering injuries, the foundation works to provide financial, emotional, and physical support to those who need it most. Determined to make a difference, Patric is working to be the best he can be for himself, his family and his new adaptive community. Takeaways: The DRIFT. This is a truly great LIFE lesson and one that is consistent with a lot of what we discuss on this show. Patric reminds us that we have to live intentionally, anchoring ourselves to the right identities. Anchoring? Sound familiar? As Patric said, if we don't, then – just like the ocean's tide takes kids playing in the waves – life will take us where it wants us to go, not where we want to go. Soon we end up in unexpected and most of the times, undesired places. We need to establish a strong identity, based on the right standards, principles, and priorities, and then go live a life with intention to maintain all of it every day. It's not easy. Just worth it. Your Reputation. Feeding off the point about The Drift, when we develop a positive identity, and live it consistently, it transforms into a positive reputation. That leads to others being drawn in – and increases our ability to make positive IMPACT, which is something that all humans are wired to seek. Being Coachable. We all need to be coachable. One simple reason is that great leaders and great teams simply don't have time for those who aren't. Patric mentioned how he got his wake-up call when Hall of Fame Coach Billy Donovan had to tell him he was going to have to leave if he didn't become more coachable. We need to always strive to find that balance of contributing our unique talents, while also maintaining the humility that acknowledges that we can always get better and grow – especially when it comes to what the TEAM needs. Success. Speaking of Billy Donovan, his description of success, as Patric relayed in our conversation, is simple, yet powerful. As Coach Donovan said, you "just have to live it." What a great reminder that we need to be thinking about success and our pursuit of it – all the time - in all that we do. Life is where you are. As we discussed, due to an infection, Patric was stuck in the hospital for an extended period of time following his accident. How did he handle it? By deciding that he was going to be as nice as he could possibly be to every single person with whom he came into contact. We have a chance to IMPACT everywhere, all the time. I like how Patric refers to the option of bitterness by saying "I just don't see the point in it." As we discussed, there were a couple of nurses who were positively impacted by Patric – opportunities that would've been lost if Patric had chosen bitterness. Because he chose positive instead, who knows who else may be impacted – through the stories those nurses tell their friends and families and beyond. Living FULL and DYING Empty. What a great way to think about life. This includes the notion Patric mentions of using trials and adversity as tools to develop us. It isn't always easy – Patric admitted there are good and bad days on his journey, of course. But, overall, with each challenge, he's getting better. And that allows him to keep living fully…I have no doubt that when it's all said and done, Patric's tank will be empty – all of it having been spent positively impacting a countless number of people. Links: Website: patricyoung.com Instagram: @patricyoung4 Foundation: py4foundation.org
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    1 h et 5 min
  • Molly Miller - Winning with Relentless Positive Energy

    Molly Miller - Winning with Relentless Positive Energy
    Jan 2 2026
    On March 22, 2025, Molly Miller agreed to join Arizona State University as its next head coach of the women's basketball program. ASU hired a proven winner in Miller who guided Grand Canyon University to a 32-3 record last season which included a 30-game winning streak and GCU's first berth in the NCAA Women's Tournament. Miller went 117-38 (.760) at GCU and overall is 297-55 (.845) at the collegiate level that also included 180 wins in six seasons at her alma mater (Drury), where she served as an assistant coach and was a four-year letterwinner. Miller was the most sought after mid-major coach in America with numerous SEC Universities and others seeking her services. Molly and her husband, Derek have two children, Crosby and Cy. Takeaways: Positive Energy. For this, you simply need to take a look at Coach Miller's Instagram from the moment she took the job at Arizona State. She was simply everywhere – all the time. On campus. In the community. With current players. Former players and coaches. And more. I'm no expert on coming in to build a program, but I think it looks pretty much like this. And, as we discussed, she talked about how much fun she was having doing it all – it's hard not to follow a leader like this. Culture – This is talked about a lot these days, but that doesn't lessen its importance. I like how Coach Miller referenced culture as being a brand of habits the entire team lives out every single day that should carry over every year. She also mentioned that it was something she could work on quickly upon taking the job. The wins she promised would come, but she could start working on culture immediately – and she clearly did just that. When you do it the way she describes - in genuine way…like a family…the need to recruit your own players lessens. As we discussed, you end up with happy players – who will stay. CHARGE – What a great mantra and acronym that Coach Miller referenced as a foundation of her program. It's also fitting as she mentioned she loved the defensive side of the ball and taking charges is one of the toughest parts of that side. This one covers it all – Communication, Humility, Accountability, Respect, Gratitude, and the Energy, that Coach Miller takes to the next level. Again, this is a rock-solid foundation for Coach Miller's culture – and it sure seems to result in a lot of winning as well. Leadership – Coach Miller's style – a firm hand with a gentle heart as she described it. This seems to be a great way to describe the way she empowers the team by giving them the chance to embrace the opportunity they have to make their own mark on the program so long as they "take CHARGE" as we just described. Do this and she'll have their backs the entire way. She'll listen and do all she can to make their ride as good as it can be for them as individuals and as a team. Four pillars of the program – As a compliment to her CHARGE foundational theme, Coach Miller's 4 pillars further strengthen her program. The notions of teammate, manners, commitment, and communication – four non-negotiables that are essential for lasting success. I especially like the "manners matter" element. Manners really do matter – the seemingly little things of treating people all around you with good solid manners as we discussed – this is the "class" icing on the cake that will make all the winning truly last. Culture check – I love how this is a part of Coach Miller's program. Teams can do all they want in terms of building a great culture, but if they don't keep everybody accountable to it on a consistent basis, it will fade and cracks in its foundation will develop. Coach Miller does a great job of not only pointing out when the team is getting sideways in terms of culture but also explaining why and how it's happening. And her question of "does your audio match your video" is a great one for all of us – are our words matching our actions? And are they both in alignment with our culture? This one is a good one not only for team culture but also for the individual standards we set for ourselves – are we living those standards we set for ourselves? What a great way to stay on track. Finally, on this point – Coach Miller mentioning another fantastic question – are you a drain or a faucet in terms of the team's culture. Great reminder to always be the faucet – be the one who ADDs to the culture. Never be the one who takes away, lessens or drains it. 0-0 Mentality. Coach Miller has clearly had a ton of success in her career so far. One of the main reasons is the way of she's able to maintain a sharp focus for her teams – even when the wins are stacking up - by challenging them to focus as if their record is 0-0. And I love how she mentioned that she is sure to coach them through this process – she makes sure she explains the way behind the method – which makes it much ...
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    49 min
  • Ken Coleman – Finding and pursuing YOUR BEST PATH

    Ken Coleman – Finding and pursuing YOUR BEST PATH
    Dec 23 2025
    Ken Coleman has been called America's Career Coach, he's a 3x Best-selling author (Get Clear Career Assessment: Find the Work You're Wired To Do, From Paycheck to Purpose, and The Proximity Principle), and Ramsey Solutions personality known for his podcast/show, Front Row Seat, with Ken Coleman. Since the age of 16, Ken had planned a political future that would have him running for office, but that dream slowly died—leaving him confused and lacking confidence about his professional direction. After some deep soul searching and life mapping, Ken decided to get on the path to broadcasting. He didn't have a degree or any experience. His head told him it was too late and too risky to start over and completely change direction at this point, but his heart kept pulling toward the vision he couldn't stop thinking about. Thankfully, Ken's wife, Stacy, was all in, and they decided they were going to do whatever it took so he could pursue broadcasting. The clarity he had about the direction he was going gave him the confidence to move forward. Ken knew he was going to need to grow personally so he could advance professionally in uncharted waters. Ken signed up for a six-week broadcast school with people 10 years younger than him, and he covered high school football games on a country station at 11 p.m. on Friday nights. He worked for free several hours a week at a sports-talk station in Atlanta. He fought through imposter syndrome and humbling moments to gain as much experience as possible. He took on public speaking gigs, introduced mimes and balloon artists at a community event, worked on podcasts . . . And when Ken says podcasts, he means back when podcasts weren't cool—and he was doing it from a closet-sized sound booth with no air conditioning in the Georgia heat. Glamorous, right? Through strategic connections he had made along the way, Ken got an emcee role for a national leadership conference that gave him the opportunity to interview well-known athletes, leaders, authors and celebrities. One of the notable guests he interviewed was Dave Ramsey, which eventually led to their friendship and Ken joining the team at Ramsey Solutions. After three years of serving in multiple hosting roles, Ken got the chance to use all the career strategies he'd learned along the way to write three bestsellers and host a nationally syndicated radio show. And he still regularly co-hosts The Ramsey Show, the second-largest syndicated talk radio show in America. This has allowed Ken to fulfill the dream of broadcasting to encourage and equip people to be who they were born to be. At this point in his journey, Ken has had the opportunity to interview three presidents, heads of state, some of the top names in sports and entertainment, and a host of other leaders. Between interviewing leaders and coaching over 10,000 people who are working to level up their careers, he's gained a unique perspective on how you can get better, move up, and lead well. Ken wants you to bring the best version of you to work. So pull up your chair and take a front row seat to conversations meant to change the trajectory of your life. Takeaways: Finding YOUR Path. Ken points out that we all need to find the work – and life – we are meant to live by looking at our TALENTS, our PASSION, and our sense of MISSION. As Ken says, this leads to intrinsic motivation and ultimately to the FLOW he talked about. This should be the goal for all of us. Like hitting that golf ball or baseball as Ken and I discussed – when you barely even feel it – we should aim to get our careers and lives on THAT path…and the resulting potential is truly limitless.Self-awareness as a superpower. We can't reach this FLOW state unless we take a good long look at ourselves. Ken emphasizes figuring out how we're wired first, then building a career and life around that. Clarity is critical. Like Ken says – clarity creates confidence which is essential for us to fully pursue our own unique paths.Building YOUR career plan. For young people – or anybody looking to start a new career path – Ken provides a great way to establish the path and eliminate the fear that holds a lot of us back. We need to go with the four questions Ken gave us – what do I need to learn? What do I need to do to get there? What will it cost? And, finally, how long will it take? You might like the answers, and you might hate them. But, at least, as Ken points out – the fear that causes so many to be frozen or stuck, because they're overwhelmed by the unknown – will be gone.The Proximity Principle. Great summary from Ken for anybody looking to pursue a career path. As Ken said, in order for me to do what I want to do, I need to be around people who are doing it, and the places where it is happening. Basically, get in the game you are chasing by getting to know the people playing it and get on or at least close to the field where it is being played....
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    1 h et 4 min
  • Lexi Johnson – A Passionate Letter – A Powerful Movement

    Lexi Johnson – A Passionate Letter – A Powerful Movement
    Dec 8 2025
    Lexi Johnson has experienced firsthand the necessity of prioritizing your health, as well as what happens when you neglect to make your health a priority. Lexi witnessed her father suffering 4 heart attacks as she was growing up, with the last one happening while she was a freshman in college. Unable to watch the effects on both her father and her family any longer, Lexi wrote her father a heartfelt letter, pleading with him to lead a healthier lifestyle. Inspired and touched by this, Lexi's father changed his ways and lost 120 pounds. With that, Lexi's mother got a better husband, Lexi got a better father, and her entire family was changed for the better. Inspired by this positive impact from healthy living, Lexi was soon on a mission to promote long-term, sustainable changes in health and fitness. Today, Lexi is the founder of Lexi J Wellness, an online fitness and lifestyle community founded on bringing lifestyle changes, consistency and real confidence to everyday people. She started the business in 2020 while working full-time as a dental hygienist by sharing what was working for her on social media and hoping it could help someone else too. Now as a 1st Phorm Elite Athlete, she leads by example and encourages thousands to take ownership of their health physically and mentally through sustainable practices. Lexi J Wellness was born in an unfinished basement in 2020 during a time when the world felt uncertain and disconnected. With a set of Facebook Marketplace dumbbells and a dream to make movement feel personal again, Lexi hit "record" — not in a flashy studio, but in her raw, unfinished concrete basement; with the goal of making the person on the other side of the screen feel like they were simply getting in a great workout with a friend. Lexi's background is rooted in her passion for helping others live well — not through quick fixes or trendy fads, but by building real habits for real life. She created LJW to bring connection, consistency, and confidence to women in every season of life. Degrees and certifications: NASM Certified Personal Trainer NASM Certified Nutrition Coach NASM Certified Behavior Change Specialist NASM Certified Women's Fitness Specialist NASM Certified Virtual Coaching Specialist Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Takeaways: Whatever it takes for Family. Lexi tried repeatedly to tell her Dad he needed to change his ways. Having the maturity to realize that talking to him wasn't working, she poured her heart out in that letter to him – telling him where the next heart attack would likely lead him – along with their entire family. And kudos to her Dad for taking the letter to heart and doing the really tough thing and making changes. Both Lexi and her father showed that when it comes to family and loved ones – the simple rule is whatever it takes. Health's Ripple Effect. When her father changed his ways and lost those critical 120 pounds by taking on a healthier lifestyle, it wasn't just him that benefitted. Like Lexi said, she got a better Dad, her Mom got a better husband, her Dad got a promotion, and so on. Our health is not just ours – it affects everybody around us. We owe it not only to ourselves, but to them as well. We need to choose to live the healthiest lives we possibly can – physically, mentally, emotionally, and beyond. We need to optimize the best health for us as individuals – not what society says the scale should tell us, as we learned from Lexi – but we should seek that best possible healthy version of ourselves for us – so that we can give our best to those around us.Swing Big. As she said, Lexi grew up in a small town and graduated from high school with 20 people. Yet, she described her pursuits as "shoot for the moon" which is clear from all she's done. This is how we should all think – regardless of our backgrounds. We all have time and talents – and it's up to all of us to maximize them. No better way to do this than to "shoot for the moon" as Lexi has done – and the impact when we do this is truly limitless. A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships. Lexi's answer to what winning with class means to her could be one of my favorites. It's creative, spot on and goes perfectly with her story – both about her Dad and the "ships" he raised when he got healthier as well as all of the boats Lexi has raised and continues to raise with her movement. Feeding off what we said about swinging big above – when we maximize our time, talents, and passions to chase greatness – that's winning. Seeking to bring others with us – that's winning with class. And Lexi is as good an example of this as there is. Links: Website: https://lexijwellness.com Social: @lexijwellness
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    56 min
  • Dr. John Delony – Building a Non-Anxious Life

    Dr. John Delony – Building a Non-Anxious Life
    Nov 20 2025
    Dr. John Delony, the host of The Dr. John Delony Show and co-host of The Ramsey Show, earned his Bachelor of Arts in humanities and psychology at Lubbock Christian University and his Masters of Education in higher education administration from Texas Tech University. He went on to earn two PhDs from Texas Tech University—one in counselor education and supervision, and the other in higher education administration. Other qualifications and certifications he's earned over the years include: Education Management, Harvard UniversityCivil Rights, Title IX Investigator (L1), NCHERM/ATIXACertified Behavioral Intervention Team Best Practice (Not Current), National Association of Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA)Group Crisis Intervention, Individual Crisis Assistance, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) After spending over twenty years in crisis response and leading students in higher education (and finding real solutions and freedom in his own wellness journey), John knew he wanted to help as many people as possible heal from their past trauma and live whole, connected lives. He now writes, speaks and teaches on relationships, mental health, anxiety and wellness. He also hosts The Dr. John Delony Show where he answers callers' questions about all of the above, and serves as co-host of The Ramsey Show where he helps unpack the psychology behind finances. When John isn't working, you can find him hanging out with his wife and two kids on their farm in Tennessee, headbanging at some obscure concert, or obsessing over his new lifting routine. AWARDS Three-Time National Bestselling Author for Redefining Anxiety, Own Your Past, Change Your Future and Building a Non-Anxious LifeOutstanding Professional in Graduate and Professional Student Services, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)Emerging Leader, West Texas Counseling AssociationLife Changer Award, Student Bar AssociationAward of Excellence, Black Law Students AssociationPresident's Leadership Institute, Texas Tech UniversityDistinguished Staff Member, Texas Tech UniversityStaff Member of the Year, Chi Alpha Delta Tech Law School COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT State Board of Directors, Disability Rights TexasPlanning and Network Advisory Committee, Lubbock StarCareVictim's Services/Crisis Response Team, Lubbock Police DepartmentBoard of Directors, Texas Boys RanchProfessional Wellness Committee, Texas Counseling Association Takeaways: Anxiety is NOT an identity. John does a great job of describing what anxiety is and what it is not. He describes anxiety as a snapshot and a smoke alarm. He lets us know that it is NOT an identity that is to be taken as a permanent label or something that we "have" all the time. One of the main problems with labeling ourselves this way is that it creates a false governor, as John puts it, on our potential and limits who we can be. If you get a professional diagnosis of anxiety, treat it like the snapshot that it is and move forward to face those issues causing it as John shows us.Listen to your body and act. That tightness in your chest. The restlessness at night invading our sleep. The mind racing. Like John says, our bodies will tell us when things are not well. As he points out, unfortunately, our culture is one that pushes us not to be intentional and resolve issues, but to instead numb ourselves to these signs from the body. Netflix, drinking, over-working, and others as John mentioned, are used to make us forget about the warning signals…all as our body whispers, then talks, and eventually screams at us for action. The good thing is, we can do the opposite of all the numbing and take action. And John's book, as some of our discussion highlighted, does a great job of telling us how to do this.Choose the hard path that brings you to peace. I like how John says we need to choose our hard – or choose our misery. Taking action is hard but will lead to a good place. Doing nothing will end up with hard results. Which one will you pick? As John says, we need to choose the one that brings us to a place that brings peace and a feeling of being whole.6 daily habits – As we discussed, John's book brings out 6 daily habits that will help us live our lives as opposed to just letting it happen to us…while the alarms start to sound. John lists these not just as habits but as habits we CHOOSE – as he said, intentionality is the key. A few of the habits we touched on in our conversation were: Reality – I love how John describes this as choosing our starting line – going to each main area of our lives and actually facing where we really are in each. How are your relationships? Your health? Your finances? John likens it to hearing that smoke alarm in the house – anxiety calling us – and then going from room to room in the house and seeing where we are with each and what we need to do to get to a place where we're...
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    1 h et 6 min
  • Trey Gowdy – The Color of Death

    Trey Gowdy – The Color of Death
    Nov 14 2025
    Trey Gowdy was born in Greenville, South Carolina and grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is the son of Hal and Novalene Gowdy and has three sisters: Laura, Caroline, and Elizabeth. From 1994-2000, as a federal prosecutor, Trey prosecuted the full range of federal crimes including narcotics trafficking, bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, child pornography cases, and the murder of a federal witness. He was awarded the Postal Inspector's Award for the successful prosecution of J. Mark Allen, one of "America's Most Wanted" suspects. He also received the highest performance rating a federal prosecutor can receive – two years in a row. In 2000, he left the U.S. Attorney's office to run for 7th Circuit Solicitor (District Attorney) in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. As 7th Circuit Solicitor, Trey led an office of 25 attorneys and 65 total employees. He started a Violence Against Women Task Force, a Worthless Check Program, enhanced and expanded Drug Court, and implemented a Drug Mother Protocol designed to assist expectant mothers break the cycle of addiction. He has been recognized statewide for his commitment to victim's rights and drunken driving enforcement and nationally for excellence in death penalty prosecutions. In 2010, he ran for congress to represent the 4th Congressional District (Greenville and Spartanburg Counties). While in congress he served on the Judiciary Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Intelligence Committee, Education and the Workforce Committee and Ethics Committee. He was also chosen to chair a Select Committee on the events occurring in Libya on September 11-12, 2012. While in congress he actively participated in numerous congressional investigations, sponsored bills signed into law and had deep and meaningful relationships with scores of colleagues on both sides of the aisle. After four terms in congress, he announced he would not seek re-election in 2018 and would leave public service for good; thus, ending his career with a flawless record in the courtroom and undefeated in political races. In January of 2019, he returned to his beloved South Carolina to practice law, teach classes with his close friend Senator Tim Scott, and speak on legal issues he considers important to our country. Trey is a best-selling author, host of a television show, and podcast. Trey is married to Terri Dillard Gowdy, a former first grade school teacher in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They have two children, Watson and Abigail. Takeaways: Significance over success. As you heard, Trey described winning with class as living a life of significance as defined by us and being able to say that you lived a life that mattered. As Trey emphasized, it's NOT about success, money, or fame – all of which are totally overrated. So, we need to all first determine what significance is to us – then go out and live THAT life. Trey also mentioned the IMPACT he wants to make – making people around him better - as he's living his life of significance. Overall, I think Trey gave us a great model of significance over success by saying he wants to be remembered as a great husband, a great father, a good friend and, ultimately, in terms of his profession, he wants to be remembered as a fair prosecutor. Both sides of the aisle. As you know, this is not a political show, but if you listen to Trey, both in this episode and elsewhere, you will often hear of him refer to his friends on both sides of the aisle. This is one of the things I like most about him – he serves as a good example of where we need to be in terms of treating all people with respect, calling out truth and lies equally, no matter which letter comes behind a person's name. I heard one leader say recently how we all need to put country over party – we simply need to strive to get back to that place. As Trey mentioned, fairness – a beautiful virtue – is absent in politics as it's become too much about chopping down the opponent, popularity and getting clicks. The path back from this, as Trey mentions, is to get to a place where our value for fairness and justice supersedes all. Passion for Justice and Fairness. It was great to hear about why Trey ultimately chose the path of being a prosecutor. First, his Mother, who had a background as a victim's advocate inspired Trey by noting that it often seemed like the defendants got better attorneys than those who were seeking justice for the victims. Then, secondly, Trey was inspired to jump in and do something as he was driving home from the funeral of a family friend who was murdered for not giving up his grandfather's watch. I'm not sure there are better motivating factors than that. And, as Trey indicated, to handle all that comes with that job of a prosecutor – you need to have a passion for it and truly love it. I gained even more respect for Trey, all prosecutors and law enforcement through our conversation....
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    39 min
  • Marty Grunder – Growing a Winning with Class Business

    Marty Grunder – Growing a Winning with Class Business
    Oct 24 2025
    Marty Grunder started Grunder Landscaping Co (GLC) in 1984 so that he and his brother could buy more baseball cards. He didn't have any idea then what it would become. He still serves as the company's Founder and CEO, working to connect with those in the community who could use a great partner in their landscaping. Marty also runs his own business consultancy, The Grow Group, which teaches landscape professionals from across the country how to implement the business practices that work so well for GLC. Their annual event, The Grow Annual Conference, brought 1,000 + landscape pros to Columbus, OH in 2025. Marty has been recognized as the Ohio Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Midwest by the Small Business Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was also named the Dayton/Miami Valley Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001 by Ernst & Young, and in 2021 was inducted into the Dayton Business Hall of Fame. He's been recognized by the Dayton Business Journal's (DBJ) 40 under 40 and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2020. He was recognized as a Leader in Diversity by the DBJ in 2023 and is an award-winning regular columnist for Landscape Management Magazine. A lifelong Daytonian, Marty enjoys rooting for the Reds, Bengals, and Dayton Flyers. When he's not working, he loves spending time with his wife, Lisa, visiting their four children, and being "Mulch" and "Pop" to his two granddaughters. Takeaways: Pursuing your WHY. As he mentioned, from the start of his business journey, Marty had a love for landscaping. This passion was soon combined with a drive, at that time, to get out of college with no debit. This early WHY transformed and expanded into that of building a great team, business, and culture, all while maintaining family as his top priority. What a great example of the notion that when you have a great WHY and pour your heart and soul into chasing it, success is soon to follow. Leadership. Marty has gained so many great leadership lessons on his journey and he continually shares them with his team and consulting group – the Grow Group – they're all lucky to have him. As Marty shared with us, leadership is an ongoing, evolving journey that he's still pursuing. Just to highlight a few of his lessons.. Marty made a great point about how, no matter how hard it is, you need to find a way to delegate. To really grow, you can't do it alone, so, you need to find a way to trust others, build a team of great people around you, and then let them handle responsibilities that are in line with their talents. He also mentions how he battled ego in the beginning. I think this is fairly normal - handling success at young age is NOT easy. It takes a true focus to stop at that line of the confidence that comes from success and making sure it doesn't cross over into cockiness and ego driven behavior that is poisonous to teams and businesses. Marty did this and, now like the great leader he is – he helps other young business owners do the same through the Grow Group.Emotional Intelligence. Related to the leadership points above, Marty mentions the importance of emotional intelligence and how it is a skill you can develop. He points out that it's all about pondering, thinking, slowing down, learning when to talk and when to listen when you're frustrated, etc. Marty's "TNT"– standing for Temperature – cooling down, realizing there is No reason to react, and then finding the T - the opportunity to Teach. This is all a part of building and maintaining solid emotional intelligence – something that is absolutely essential to both leadership and the building of solid and lasting relationships. Culture. Marty makes great culture points here. I love his mantra about how external customer services will never exceed internal customer service, meaning that he needs to treat his team as well as he aims to treat customers. This leads to low turnover and an engaged and inspired team which will in turn, treat the customers well on the front lines. Marty emphasized that NOTHING is more important than culture. He brought this home by describing how he likes to create an atmosphere that is as if the front door is open and back door is closed. They come in the front door and it's so great, they don't want to leave. Marty's built a great model of this and his company's low turnover rate in a high turnover industry is proof that it has been a success.Integrity. I love how simply and bluntly Marty mentioned integrity. It's so essential that he doesn't need a sign for it. It should be automatic. Marty and his team lead by example with a focus on doing the right thing always – no signs are needed for this one. Links: Websites: https://grunderlandscaping.com/ Instagram: @grunderlandscaping, @growgroup, @martygrunder Facebook: Grunder Landscaping Company, Marty Grunder, The Grow Group
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    1 h et 3 min