Lead with a Question

Gary Dixon - President, The Foundation for a Better Life Every once in a while, we all find ourselves wanting for a little inspiration. We may feel burnt out from working long hours, or depleted by the burden of caregiving, or discouraged by a creative rut. We may feel disconnected from a greater purpose, wondering if our efforts are doing anything at all. But the good news is that the right nudge, at just the right time, can relight our fires and get us back into the game. Today’s guest makes those moments of inspiration possible–highlighting heroic stories online, on the radio, on TV–and sometimes–even as you’re driving down the highway. Together, we’ll examine the question: Can one person’s values really make a difference? A conversation with Gary Dixon, President of the Foundation for a Better Life, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Gary Dixon has served as President at The Foundation for a Better Life since its founding in 1999. The Foundation for a Better Life promotes positive values through the media. Their public service announcements, based on values such as hope, honesty, encouragement and generosity are currently being seen on television in the United States over five million times each day. They are also airing in over 200 countries around the world. Additionally, these inspiring messages appear on thousands of billboards across the country, including Times Square. The Foundation makes posters and DVDs available to thousands of schools each year, at no charge. It offers these messages in an effort to promote good values, good role models and a better life. Formerly, Gary served as vice president of Bonneville Communications where he directed the creative development of many successful campaigns, including Homefront, Major League Baseball, Children’s Miracle Network and the American Cancer Society. He has also been a speaker at regional and national advertising conferences for the American Advertising Federation and a keynote speaker for various events. Other assignments took him to Jakarta, where he served as a communications consultant on an Indonesian government project and, early in his career, to Japan where he directed a documentary on the first Trans-Pacific flight. Gary has a master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University and a bachelor’s in broadcasting from Texas Tech University. He serves on the National Board of Directors for the College of Media and Communication at TTU. He lives in Denver with his wife Susan and their family. Foundation for a Better Life website: www.passiton.com --------- Chris and Ian now have a book! It's called Brave Together: Lead by design, spark creativity, and shape the future with the power of co-creation. Available online at McGraw Hill and Amazon. Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Dan Ariely - Professor, Behavioral Economics When you run a business, one of your jobs is to make wise choices about where you place your bets. This definitely applies in the marketplace with your customers and competitors, but it also applies internally–especially as it relates to how you treat your people. How do you slice the pie? Maybe you offer pet insurance. Or more vacation time. What’s going to create the conditions for your people to help the company win? Today’s guest has worked very hard to demystify that puzzle. With the mind of a researcher and the heart of a storyteller, he’ll help us consider the question: What do employees care about most? It’s a conversation with Dan Ariely, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Dan Ariely, James B. Duke Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Economics at Duke University, is dedicated to answering these questions and others in order to help people live more sensible – if not rational – lives. His interests span a wide range of behaviors, and his sometimes unusual experiments are consistently interesting, amusing and informative, demonstrating profound ideas that fly in the face of common wisdom. Dan has also advised governments in South Africa, the Netherlands, Brazil, United Kingdom, US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Among the projects he has been involved with is how to help those in historically excluded populations stay in school, how to help women in these populations find work, and how to encourage more kids—girls especially—to study computer science. He has also worked on finding ways to address traffic congestion, reduce government bureaucracy, reducing prostitution, improve trust between government and citizens and increase motivation among principals, teachers, and students. He is a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight, co-creator of the film documentary (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies, and a three-time New York Times bestselling author. His books include Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty, Irrationally Yours, Payoff, Dollars and Sense, Amazing Decisions, and the forthcoming Misbelief: What makes rational people believe irrational things, available now for preorder. Dan's website: danariely.com --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Scott Belsky - Chief Strategy Officer, Adobe Every organization has a culture–whether it be a family, a company, or even a sports team. Most of the time, there’s an unspoken assumption that people on the team will share a set of attributes and values. Over time, this can lead to a homogenizing effect–also known as groupthink. Deviations become less frequent, because they disrupt the balance. But in our ever-changing world, is that really what we want? Our guest today has spent years building cultures, teams, and platforms with a singular focus: giving new ideas the oxygen they need. He’ll help us reflect on the question: How can we protect creative thinking? A conversation with Scott Belsky, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Scott Belsky is an entrepreneur, author, investor, and now serves as EVP & Chief Product Officer at Adobe. Scott founded Behance, the leading online platform for the creative industry to showcase and discover creative work, and served as CEO until Adobe acquired Behance in 2012. He is an early product advisor and investor in Pinterest, Uber, Carta, Flexport, sweetgreen, Ro, as well as several others in the early stages. Scott is also the author of two national bestselling books: Making Ideas Happen and The Messy Middle, writes a popular monthly newsletter called *Implications,* and founded 99U, a publication and annual conference devoted to productivity in the creative world. Scott's website: https://www.scottbelsky.com/ Scott's newsletter: https://www.implications.com/ The Messy Middle book: https://www.themessymiddle.com/ Making Ideas Happen book: https://www.scottbelsky.com/bio-part-3-1 --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Gale Pooley - Economist and Author With so much at stake in the decisions we make, especially at the global, societal, and environmental levels, it can be easy to feel like our options and our resources are ever-diminishing. We are emotional creatures, and the narratives we embrace matter. Our guest today has spent years tracking some of the most important metrics on earth–things like literacy rates, access to food, and availability of medicine. Far from being an escapist framework to deny the existence of real-world problems, our conversation today left us with the feeling that we had just visited a refueling station, and we were now ready to jump back in to keep doing the hard work. So today, we’ll consider the hopeful question: Are we actually doing better than we think we are? A conversation with economist and author Gale Pooley, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Gale L. Pooley is an associate professor of business management at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He has taught economics and statistics at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Boise State University, and the College of Idaho. Dr. Pooley earned his BBA in Economics at Boise State University. He did graduate work at Montana State University and completed his PhD at the University of Idaho. In 1986 he founded Analytix Group, a real estate valuation and consulting firm. The Analytix Group has performed over 5,000 appraisals in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Pooley has held professional designations from the Appraisal Institute, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and the CCIM Institute. He has published articles in Forbes, National Review, HumanProgress, The American Spectator, FEE, the Utah Bar Journal, the Appraisal Journal, Quillette, and RealClearMarkets. Dr. Pooley is a Senior Fellow with the Discovery Institute and serves on the board of HumanProgress.org. He is also a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. He has presented at FreedomFest and the COSM Technology conference. His major research activity has been the Simon Abundance Index, which he co-authored with Dr. Marian Tupy. Dr. Pooley's book, Superabundance, is available here. Superabundance website: https://www.superabundance.com/ --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Bonnie Lin - Impact Investor and Advisor At BraveCore, we believe in turning pain into power. This can mean different things to different people, but at its heart, the principle teaches us that instead of avoiding a challenge or remaining stuck in our pain, we choose to let it fuel our future. Today’s guest is one of the best examples we’ve seen yet. Whether winning a fight with cancer, grappling with questions about her life’s purpose, or digging deep to redefine hardships of the past, she’s seeking sustainable, meaningful ways to empower the global citizens of tomorrow. Together, she’ll help us ponder the question: How can we create opportunities for future generations? A conversation with impact investor and advisor Bonnie Lin, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Bonnie Lin is the Managing Director of The Rainmakers Global and Investment Committee member of Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2). She is an impact investor, advisor, and speaker who specializes in scaling technology ventures in global markets and works with family offices, corporates, and governments to accelerate innovation ecosystems with strategic capital. Bonnie has spent 25 years driving innovation and growth in private, public, and nonprofit sectors in North America and the Asia Pacific, and has expertise in change leadership, venture capital, and economic development. Her background spans marketing for 90s dot coms turned tech giants, lean manufacturing, global supply chain, and cross-border M&A in Taiwan and China, and R&D grants under the Obama Administration during the 2008 Recession. In addition to working with over 100 leaders from Fortune 500 companies to Shark Tank, she founded 4 companies including a tech startup and real estate investment brokerage. A cancer survivor whose childhood was spent in a Buddhist monastery, Bonnie is led by a purpose to collaborate for the responsible transfer of intergenerational wealth, knowledge, and power for the greater good. An advocate for education, entrepreneurship, and women in leadership, she is a Board Trustee of The Fogarty Foundation, mentors entrepreneurs, and has previously served on the boards of the US District Export Council and Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition. Bonnie resides in San Francisco and Perth and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. She earned her Bachelors at the University of California, Berkeley, her MBA from the University of Phoenix, and completed executive certificates in Venture Capital and Economics from Berkeley School of Law and Value Investing from Columbia Business School. Bonnie's website: https://www.bonnielin.com Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund: https://www.sv2.org --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

John Ondrasik - Singer and Songwriter, Five For Fighting In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien captures a solid bit of advice from Bilbo, directed toward his nephew Frodo. He says, “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” In the pursuit of success, it’s tempting to chase shiny objects. That’s certainly true in the music industry. But in spite of having two platinum albums, hundreds of credits on soundtracks, ads, and tv shows, AND composing a song that brought America together in the days following 9/11, today’s guest has stayed grounded, even as he continued to dream big dreams. Together, we’ll consider the question: How can you stay true to yourself as a leader? A conversation with John Ondrasik, AKA Five For Fighting, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: The only way for a story to progress is to turn the page. John Ondrasik— the songwriter and performer known as the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, Five For Fighting—knows this well. In the two decades since his first major single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” hit the stratosphere, the artist has both evolved and come back ‘round full circle. Creativity, if nothing else, is paradoxical. To date, Five For Fighting, has released six studio LPs, including the platinum certified America Town and The Battle for Everything; and the top-10 charting Two Lights, along with an EP and live albums. Ondrasik has penned major hits, including the chart-topping “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World,” and “Easy Tonight,” which have earned tens of millions of streams and place him as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s. The reflective “100 Years” has joined “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” as part of the American Songbook and continues to stand the test of time at weddings, birthdays, graduations, memorials, and many a home video. Five For Fighting’s music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials, including the Oscar-winning The Blind Side, Hawaii Five-O, The Sopranos and the CBS drama, Code Black. Today, Ondrasik spends his time writing music, touring, working at the family business, and enjoying life with his wife, two children, and dog Ender. Learn more about John's work at www.fiveforfighting.com www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Clint Schaff - Former Producer and Founder, LA Times Studios Mary Anne Radmacher wrote that “Your responsibility is to be an explorer, not a tourist in this adventure that is your life.” Our guest today took up that challenge from the time he was a kid: dreaming of robots, searching for community, and as he got older, discovering and amplifying stories that matter, at one of the biggest news agencies in the world. His professional expeditions have been so varied that his very impressive career resists categorization. So instead, we’ll lean in as he parts the curtain and we jointly consider this question: What makes a career meaningful? A conversation with Clint Schaff, former producer and founder of L.A. Times Studios, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Clint Schaff is award-winning producer of audio, television, film, and live-event projects, and a communicator and connector for social good. He works independently, with media and journalism organizations, with cultural institutions, and with brands and companies. In 2020, Adweek honored Clint as one of its Creative 100, which celebrates the 100 most inspiring minds in marketing, media and culture, and as one of ten honorees in the category of Media Innovators. Since moving to Bentonville, Arkansas in 2021, Clint has been busy. He has founded FIXIN, which brings to market media products that have an intention to positively change the world, and distributed its first full-length music album, “Bring On The…” from PARISHES. In 2022, Clint joined the campaign to elect Chris Jones—the physicist/minister/educator/non-profit leader, and Democratic nominee for Governor of Arkansas—as the campaign’s communications director. Best known for his work as Vice President of Strategy and Development at the Los Angeles Times, Clint was the first employee and founding operator of L.A. Times Studios, and was responsible for the development and programming of various audio, video and experiential projects. Successful projects include the immensely popular Dirty John podcast and two seasons of Dirty John, the television series franchise (which aired on Bravo and USA networks for Seasons 1 and 2, respectively). Clint has led the development and business-side operations around many successful podcasts, including Man In the Window, Larger Than Life, Room 20, Chasing Cosby, It Was Simple: The Betty Broderick Murders, The Trials of Frank Carson, Asian Enough and The Times: Daily news from the L.A. Times. At the Los Angeles Times, Clint has led several strategic initiatives and launched new platforms including L.A. Times Today, an Emmy-winning nightly news magazine show on Spectrum News 1 SoCal; the Newstory storytelling festival, which brought five stages of cutting-edge tech-driven medium stories to the long-standing L.A. Times Festival of Books; and the upcoming launch of L.A. Times Short Docs, which introduces established and emerging filmmakers through the company's opinion section. Prior to Los Angeles Times, Clint was U.S. General Manager directing all domestic operations, creative and account activities for Vision7 integrated advertising teams in Los Angeles and New York. Before that, Clint served as a Vice President for digital at two leading global agencies, Edelman and Golin. Over the course of his career, he has earned praise and awards for his work with high-profile brands and organizations including Procter & Gamble, Activision, Nintendo, Nestle, POM Wonderful, FIJI Water, Wonderful Pistachios, the Clinton-Gore White House, David Bowie, and the New York Yankees,. Clint has a BA in Communications & Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a MA from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism. After earning his graduate degree from USC, he returned to USC Annenberg for 10 years to teach as an adjunct instructor. Clint lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, and enjoys hosting Hip Hop Hello—a weekly radio show on...

Steve Young - NFL MVP quarterback and author Let’s assume for a minute that you’ve just landed your dream job–your new employer is a household name, your title is the envy of thousands, and of course, you’re well-paid. But what would you do if you found yourself miserable with your new situation? Our guest today faced that very situation. But through some soul-searching, and a life-changing conversation on a flight, he found his path forward–and also discovered a few things about life, love, and football. He’ll help us consider the question: How can we become more selfless leaders? A conversation with former NFL MVP quarterback and author Steve Young, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Steve Young is the President and Co-Founder of HGGC, and a Director of Pathfinder Acquisition Corp. Steve serves as Chairman of the Board of four HGGC portfolio companies: IDERA, Integrity, Dealer-FX and AutoAlert. Prior to their sales, he also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the firm’s exited investments in hybris Software (acquired by SAP AG (NYSE: SAP)), Serena Software (acquired by Micro Focus International plc (NYSE: MFGP)) and Sunquest Information Systems (acquired by Roper Technologies (NYSE: ROP)). Prior to the inception of HGGC, Steve's professional football career spanned more than 15 years in the NFL, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers, where he received numerous accolades, including Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXIX, Sports Illustrated and Sporting News' Player of the Year from 1992 - 1994 and the NFL's Most Valuable Player for 1992 and 1994. In 2005, Steve was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first left-handed quarterback to be so honored. When he retired, Steve was the highest-rated quarterback in NFL history and has the distinction of being the only signal caller in league annals to win four consecutive NFL passing titles. Steve founded and chairs the Forever Young Foundation which is actively involved in children's charities worldwide and is currently the broadcast host as well as the former International Spokesperson for the Children's Miracle Network, which has raised over $1 billion dollars worldwide to benefit children's hospitals. Steve earned a J.D. from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University and a B.S. in Finance and Political Science from Brigham Young University. Buy The Law of Love here: https://www.amazon.com/Law-Love-Steve-Young/dp/1639930310 Buy QB: My Life Behind the Spiral here: https://www.amazon.com/QB-My-Life-Behind-Spiral/dp/0544845765/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1683271315&sr=1-1 --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Guy Kawasaki - Podcaster and Chief Evangelist, Canva An impressive, and sometimes controversial group of figures populates the pantheon of people who changed the world: Walt Disney; Estee Lauder; Jane Goodall; Henry Ford; Marie Curie; Gandhi; Steve Jobs; Martin Luther King Jr. It’s tempting to assume that for this lot, greatness was somehow bestowed, like a birthright. And yet, when we dig deeper, we find that our remarkable people had to muddle through forks in the road, just like we do. Today, we’ll hear from a man who knows a thing or two about pivoting–in business, in family, and in life. He’ll help us consider a really tough question: What’s the best career strategy? An entertaining conversation with fellow podcaster Guy Kawasaki, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and the creator of Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People podcast. He is an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley), and adjunct professor of the University of New South Wales. He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He has written Wise Guy, The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and eleven other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. Guy's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guy-kawasakis-remarkable-people/id1483081827 Guy's website: https://guykawasaki.com https://guykawasaki.com/books/ --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Liz Ryan - CEO, Human Workplace Chris, Ian, and I owe a lot to the thinkers who’ve inspired us to focus on this work. Sometimes, you just come across someone whose insights, vision, conviction, and courage are so powerful that they seem to have their own gravitational field. Isaac Newton once wrote, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Well, we recently met one of our giants. Her unique blend of tough love, creativity, and business acumen have positioned her to speak truth to power, and boldly invite leaders to get back to the basics. Together we’ll consider the question: What if we made work more human? A table-slapping conversation with Liz Ryan, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Liz Ryan is the CEO and Founder of Human Workplace, a content and consulting firm whose mission is to reinvent work for people. Liz is a former Fortune 500 SVP of HR and the world's most widely read workplace advisor. She is the author of Reinvention Roadmap: Break the Rules to Get the Job You Want and Career You Deserve; Red-Blooded HR: Essays on Human Resources as a Force for Good; and Righteous Recruiting: Essays on Reinventing Talent Acquisition for People. Liz is the host of the Work Related Podcast and a beloved advisor to three million leaders and working people who share her vision for a human-powered working world. www.humanworkplace.com --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Nolan Bushnell - Inventor & Entrepreneur What do the Atari company and Chuck E Cheese have in common? Well, besides offering a lot of options for entertainment, it might surprise you to learn that they were both founded by the same man–a Silicon Valley entrepreneurial legend who holds the distinction as first and only person to ever hire Steve Jobs. But rather than resting on his achievements, he’s chosen to spend the autumn of his life (his words, not ours) trying to understand how gamifying the learning process could supercharge the educational experience for the next generation. He’ll help us consider: How can we create the school of the future? A conversation with Nolan Bushnell, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: In 1972 Nolan Bushnell created an industry when he founded Atari and gave the world Pong, the first blockbuster video game. Today his design credo—that games should be “easy to learn and difficult to master”—is inspiring a new generation of developers. A prolific entrepreneur, Bushnell has started more than 20 companies, including Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater, Catalyst Technologies, the first Silicon Valley incubator, and Etak, the first in-car navigation system. In the process, he pioneered many of the workplace innovations that have made Silicon Valley a long-standing magnet for creative talent. Bushnell was the first and only person ever to hire Steve Jobs, which he details in his 2013 book, Finding the Next Steve Jobs. He is currently Chairman of ExoDexa, a gamified education company, CKO of Moxy, a “play to earn” game and token platform, and an advisor to companies in the gaming and esports spaces. Additionally, he sits on several Boards, focusing on games, gaming and robotics. A true icon of the digital revolution, Bushnell was named one of “50 People Who Changed America” by Newsweek. A biopic about Bushnell, tentatively titled “Atari”, was acquired by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company and is in pre-production. https://www.exodexa.com/ --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Whitney Johnson - Author and CEO, Disruption Advisors Imagine for a moment that you’re suddenly forced to switch to your non-dominant hand for a week. Getting dressed, feeding yourself, brushing your teeth–the tasks you used to do on autopilot have now become deeply challenging and awkward. But by the end of the experiment, you’ve gotten the hang of it! What was once an inconvenience has gifted you a new set of skills. Our guest today has spent her career empowering others to embrace disruption, both at the personal and organizational level. She’s found that with the right support and mindset, continuously seeking out the uncomfortable is the only way to keep growing throughout our lives. Today, she’ll guide our discussion with the powerful question: How can self-imposed disruption accelerate your development? A conversation with Whitney Johnson, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: A non-exhaustive list of Whitney's many accomplishments: –––Top 10 Business Thinker globally, according to Thinkers50 –––Co-founder and CEO, Disruption Advisors, an Inc Power Partner 2022 honoree (B2B partners founders can't live without) –––WSJ bestselling author, Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company (Harvard Business Review Press: 2022) –––Host of Disrupt Yourself podcast, top .5% globally in terms of listenership. Guests have included Brené Brown, Leena Nair, Alexi Robichaux and Simon Sinek –––Former co-founder of Disruptive Innovation Fund with Harvard's Clayton Christensen and award-winning Wall Street analyst –––Lives in Lexington, VA where they grow strawberries, raspberries and blackberries https://thedisruptionadvisors.com/ --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

James Jensen - Founder and CEO, JUMP A well-lived existence is not for the faint of heart. Setting and pursuing goals invites challenge. It creates the potential for disappointment. When we’re younger, dreaming big dreams comes easily. But for some reason, we can lose that ability as we get older. Like barnacles that attach to the hull of a ship, fears can cling to us and slow our PRAW-gress through the waters of life. That’s why we were so excited to connect with our guest today–a leader whose experiences in the creative application of technology have equipped him to explore the limits of the question How can virtual reality help us overcome our fears? A conversation with James Jensen, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: James Jensen is an entrepreneur committed to working with leading-edge technology and eager to solve problems surrounding how we interact and engage with each other in physical and virtual worlds. He is the previous creator and co-founder of the world-renowned virtual reality company The VOID. Within the last 25 years, James founded and managed several technology companies in video streaming, social networks, mobile games, and creative services. He has partnered with Disney, Sony Entertainment, FOX, MGM, Intel, Microsoft, SyFy, Dreamworks, and MTV through those ventures. He is now launching a new form of virtual reality, called hyper reality, in the form of the multi-sensory entertainment company JUMP. JUMP will allow people to come as close to jumping and flying as the real thing, but without all of the risk. https://www.limitlessflight.com/ --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Chad Reynolds - Founder and CEO, Vurvey In times past, the process of bringing a product to market was a bit of a black box. And for many companies, it still is. Often, consumers don’t really have a chance to provide feedback on a company’s offering until it’s already been released. But in our new climate, people want to be seen and heard. They want to be active participants in the creation of the products they use. So today, we’ll spend a few minutes with a leader who’s building a platform that unites companies, creators, and consumers in totally original ways. It makes us wonder– What can we create together when we remove the barriers? A conversation with Chad Reynolds, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Chad Reynolds is a leading co-creation expert, pioneering ways companies can foster community building and collaborative intelligence to create a more inclusive and sustainable future. His company, Vurvey, is on a mission to help everyone become a creator. Chad graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP Program with a degree in Graphic Design. Over the past 20 years, he has developed new technology platforms that help companies like Adidas, Nike, P&G, and Unilever create more inclusive consumer research, product innovation, and brand experiences. He’s also a co-founder of Ocean, a high-tech accelerator that’s launched over 40+ start-ups from 12 countries. www.vurvey.co --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Chris Jones - 2022 Arkansas Gubernatorial Candidate What do you get when you combine a scientist, an ordained minister, a business leader, a husband, and a father? Well, you get today’s guest. His family roots in the state of Arkansas, dating all the way back to the 1700s, have given him a sense of groundedness, residency, and a love for his state, challenges and all. In fact, he loves his state so much that he’d like to be its next governor. Bonded to his core principles, he’s leading and teaching with humanity, using relatable analogies like bumblebees, hot coals, and PB&J. So together, we’ll consider this very important question: How can a return to principles like love heal our communities? A conversation with Chris Jones, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Dr. Chris Jones, the 2022 Democratic nominee for Governor of Arkansas, is a physicist, minister, educator, non-profit executive leader, father and husband. Chris, a Pine Bluff, Arkansas native, is a son of two preachers and was raised with a strong sense of faith. He attended Morehouse College on a NASA Scholarship for physics and math, then went on to study at MIT becoming a nuclear engineer and earning a Ph.D. in urban planning. After becoming ordained as a minister, Chris returned home to Arkansas and led the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Through this work, he has seen firsthand how disparities within Arkansas have gotten worse, not better. He believes there is much room for growth, including improving public education opportunities in every community, strengthening infrastructure from roads to broadband access, protecting and securing our right to vote, and bridging the rural and urban divide. Chris has faith in Arkansas’s potential, and he is running for governor to ensure every person in Arkansas has an opportunity to succeed. Chris is the proud husband to Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, an emergency medicine physician and U.S. Air Force combat veteran who served in Afghanistan. Together, they are proud parents to three daughters. Connect with Dr. Jones at chrisforgovernor.com and @JonesForAR across social media platforms. --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Joel Peterson, Chairman of JetBlue Airways and Professor at Stanford Have you ever been part of a low-trust organization, where people seem to devote more energy to protecting themselves than to collaborating, or building good products? Or one where leaders hoard power and seem reluctant to give the reins over to anyone else? You might ask yourself how things got to that point, but an even more pressing concern is, how do you fix the situation? Our guest today has worked with some 300 companies in various stages of growth, and during his 50-year career he’s observed, researched, written and taught–about leadership, trust, and building strong teams. Today, he’ll help us consider the question: What can entrepreneurship teach us about creating environments of empowerment? A conversation with Joel Peterson, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Joel has a long history of successful growth capital investments in a variety of industries. He currently teaches Entrepreneurial Management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, is the Chairman of the Board of Overseers at the Hoover Institution at Stanford as well as the Chairman of the Board at JetBlue Airways, and serves as a Director of Franklin Covey. He served formerly as Managing Partner of Trammell Crow Company. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Joel is the author of the books The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds that Make a Business Great; and Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff. Learn more about Joel and his work by visiting https://www.joelcpeterson.com. --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Lizzi Perkins, Senior Brand Strategist When you read a really moving story or watch a powerful film, you can often experience a taste of what the characters are feeling. You grieve with them as they suffer loss. You cheer them on to victory and share in their celebrations. Our capacity to see ourselves vicariously in others’ lives is one of the most human things about us. So today, let’s spend a few minutes with a woman whose upbringing in Asia, identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and a person of faith, combined with her compassionate work in suicide prevention, enable her to seek to understand, before seeing to be understood. She’ll take us on an eye-opening journey, guided by the question: What possibilities can empathy unlock? A conversation with Lizzi Perkins, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Lizzi’s experiences growing up in Southeast Asia for 17 years, mentoring troubled teens, and working as a brand strategist for big brands like American Airlines to nonprofits like Stop the Opidemic have given her an in-depth understanding into connecting with young, diverse audiences. With a focus in research and branding, Lizzi turns data into compelling stories and resonant experiences. Get to know Lizzi on her LinkedIn profile. --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Archie McEachern, Global Enterprise Leader & former VP at Nike When I was a kid, I learned about fire safety. One of the visual frameworks adults presented to me was the “fire triangle”: the idea that for fire to exist, you had to have three ingredients: heat, oxygen, and fuel. Take one of these three things away, and you had NO fire. Well, just like fire needs certain conditions to thrive, business outcomes require specific ingredients too. Finding the right blend can be especially tricky when teammates are separated by time, geography, background, and language. So that’s why it’s been important for today’s guest to keep the following question in his mind: How can deep connection and trust lead to a culture of innovation? A conversation with Archie McEachern, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Archie grew up in Kittery, Maine. a small, coastal town an hour north of Boston. He attended Ithaca College in Upstate, NY, and played collegiate basketball. He spent 28+ years at Nike, starting in a warehouse in Greenland, NH. He's had leadership experiences across multiple functions including sales, product creation, general management and merchandising. From 2009 to 2020 he spent the majority of my executive career in merchandising where he had the chance to lead teams in North America, Japan (Tokyo) and China (Shanghai). During that time, he lived with the family for 5 years in Asia (2012-2015 Tokyo), 2018-2020 (Shanghai). Archie's current work includes a start-up company, 360 Hoops, which makes a 3-sided basket attached to one adjustable pool…patented design. He also works in an advisory capacity with a few smaller companies and/or individuals. He volunteered as a high school coach in Maine recently, which was one of the more rewarding experiences he's had. Best season the team had in 25 years (not due to him, in his opinion!) Finally, he's the lucky husband to his wife Bridget, and they have 2 great kids ages 20 and 17. Get to know Archie on his LinkedIn Profile. --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Jaydeep Ranade, Director of Wireless Engineering at Facebook Let’s dig into the “misfit” principle for a minute. What is a misfit, really? Is a misfit defined by language, culture, appearance, or personality? We’ve tapped into that topic before, but today, our guest has a different take, one that has to do a lot with seeking out opportunities to learn and be stretched as a leader. And for him, it all starts with a set of core values, none of which actually includes being more talented or intelligent than anyone else in the room. In this personal account, he’ll guide us through his experiences seeking answers to the question: WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST PRINCIPLES AS A LEADER? A conversation with Jaydeep Ranade, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Jaydeep is a high energy, results driven technical leader with demonstrated ability to build and lead engineering organizations in delivering high-tech and innovative system solutions for wireless products. Credited with building and growing organizations into consistent top performers and delivering high quality hardware and software components and products on time. Recognized for outstanding technical expertise, hands-on style of organizational leadership, excellent team building skills, integrity and superb communication and inter-personal skills. Jaydeep is interested in designing, developing, and deploying hi-tech wireless products. Specifically interested in the intersection of wireless technology and healthcare. Get to know Jaydeep and his impressive history on his LinkedIn Profile. --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore

Randy Nelson, founder of Pixar University It's time to wrap up a conversation where we were learning so much from our guest that we couldn’t fit it all into one episode. So if you haven’t heard our last episode, “How can you create a culture of curiosity? - Part 1,” we really recommend going back to that one first. But just in case, here’s a review–we recently caught up with Randy Nelson, founder of Pixar University. He walked us through his early days as a juggler, meeting and getting hired by Steve Jobs, seeing what Pixar looked for in a new hire, and eventually being tasked with standing up an educational arm within Pixar that could help the company preserve its alchemic culture, even as it continued to grow. So today, we’ll keep digging into the question… HOW CAN YOU CREATE A CULTURE OF CURIOSITY? It’s part 2 of our conversation with Randy Nelson, on this episode of Lead With a Question. Guest Bio: Randy Nelson has spent his career working with organizations to make the best use of the people, wisdom and skills they already have, want to attract and need to develop. He has helped build amplifiers out of groups, using appropriate and dynamic mixtures of training and education, traditional skills and innovative technology, flexible programs and high standards. In addition to increased productivity and effectiveness, hijinks and shenanigans have sometimes resulted. Specialties: • Teacher, trainer, curriculum designer, life-long learner • Manager, project architect, recruiter, coach • Juggler, actor, performer, improvisor, speaker • Artist, designer, calligrapher • Filmmaker, writer, producer, editor • Programmer, systems analyst, database programmer Get to know Randy and his incredible work experiences on his LinkedIn profile. --------- Please like, subscribe, rate, and review! Every listener interaction helps others discover the show too! Learn about the work we're doing at Bravecore by visiting our website at Home - Bravecore To drop us a line, head over to Contact - Bravecore