Withology

On episode 7, Toni Pergolin – President and CEO of Bancroft – sits down with Brian for an insightful and wide-ranging conversation. Bancroft is a leading nonprofit providing support to individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this episode, Toni talks about her lifelong love of numbers, her mother’s advice for professional success (“learn to play golf”), spearheading the campaign for Bancroft’s new $75 million Welsh Campus, and what motivated her to write a book on running nonprofits. Get the full show notes and more resources at Briancom.com/about

To kick off season two of Withology, Brian is joined by Pete Gurt, President of Milton Hershey School (MHS). MHS is one of the finest independent schools in the nation, serving nearly 2,000 young students from families of lower-income and boasting more than 11,000 alumni. In this episode, Pete offers a deeply personal account of his experience with the school, outlines his vision for the future and shares his insights on leadership in service of others. Get the full show notes and more resources at Briancom.com/about.

On Episode 5, Jami McKeon, Chair of Morgan Lewis, the seventh largest law firm in the world and the largest led by a woman, joins Brian for a special live episode of his podcast at the B. PHL Innovation Festival in Philadelphia. Jami discusses how she helped grow her firm into a multinational organization with more than 2,000 lawyers and specialists in 31 offices across three continents. She also shares candidly her views on leadership style and how she really feels about the phrase “work-life balance.” Spoiler alert: the goal should be “to have a life that feels in balance.” Get the show notes and more resources at https://www.briancom.com/about/

On Episode 4, Part 2, Robert “Bob” Brown, a former advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and President Richard Nixon, takes listeners into the political arena. Bob provides insight into how he first met Bobby Kennedy and eventually came to work with him and his brother, President John F. Kennedy, before crossing the aisle to serve as Special Assistant to President Nixon in the White House. The audience is shown another side of President Nixon as Bob shares how the President empowered him to advance Black people, Black businesses and Black military leaders in America. Bob’s memoir, “You Can’t Go Wrong Doing Right: How a Child of Poverty Rose to the White House and Helped Change the World,” is available now on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and Booksamillion.com. Learn more about Bob at Bobbrownspeaks.com. Get the full show notes and more resources at https://www.briancom.com/about/

On Episode 4, Part 1, Robert “Bob” Brown, a former advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and President Richard Nixon, sits down with host Brian Tierney to discuss the hard truths that he learned growing up in the segregated South, his time with Dr. King on the front lines of the civil rights movement and what it took to make Coretta Scott King’s first flight to South Africa to meet Mrs. Mandela possible. Details of this trip to South Africa are best heard directly from Bob. He puts the art of great storytelling on display as he takes listeners with him to visit Nelson Mandela in jail, becoming one of the first non-family members to visit Mandela in prison—a feat that, in the moment, Bob feared he might not live to share. Bob’s memoir, “You Can’t Go Wrong Doing Right: How a Child of Poverty Rose to the White House and Helped Change the World,” is available now on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and Booksamillion.com. Learn more about Bob at Bobbrownspeaks.com. Get the full show notes and more resources at https://www.briancom.com/about/

On Episode 3, Brian Tierney is joined by Madeline Bell, President and CEO of the renowned Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). After starting her career as a pediatric and home care nurse, Madeline switched gears to enter the administration and management side of the renowned children’s hospital – her experiences along the way have led her to become a truly prolific leader who has prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion, women’s advancement and open lines of communication in the workplace since Day 1. Madeline’s podcast, “Breaking Through with Madeline Bell,” is available now on PodBean and her “Heels of Success” blog can be visited here. Get the full show notes and more resources at https://www.briancom.com/about/

On Episode 2, Brian Tierney is joined by radio and television host, political commentator and New York Times bestselling author Michael Smerconish. With a passion for politics and a few serendipitous encounters, Michael has built a highly successful career interviewing many of the world's most influential people and tackling some of the most controversial topics. Get the full show notes and more resources at https://www.briancom.com/about/

On Episode 1, Brian is joined by Emmy award-winning journalist and host of Nightline on ABC, Byron Pitts. Although he suffered from a severe speech impediment as a child, Byron leaned on his faith and the support of several influential people in his life – including his mother Clarice, a college professor, and his college roommate – to become a leading news reporter who’s covered some of the world’s most historical moments. For more, go to https://www.briancom.com/about/