Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

Episode 100: Jon Gordon, New York Times Best-Selling Author

Jon Gordon is a best-selling author, motivational coach and motivational speaker.  His books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 16 books including six best-sellers: “The Energy Bus,” “The Carpenter,” “Training Camp,” “You Win in the Locker Room First,” “The Power of Positive Leadership,” and “The Power of a Positive Team.” Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Rams, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy, and more.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Getting rejected by more than 30 publishers
  • Writing a book in 3 weeks
  • Being positive in the world today
  • Working with high-level sports teams
  • … and so much more!!!

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Do The Right Thing

From 1923-1930, Bobby Jones won 13 major championships in golf. His record was unmatched until 1973 when it was finally broken by Jack Nicklaus. One time, in a championship match that he was playing in, Jones drove the ball into the woods. As he was looking for the ball, he accidentally nudged it. Although no one saw him move the ball, he penalized himself one stroke (according to the rules), which caused him to lose the match by that margin. Afterward, when reporters praised him for his integrity, he responded that they might as well praise him and congratulate him for not robbing a bank.

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Episode 099: Company Culture for Dummies with Mike Ganino

Mike Ganino is a culture & storytelling expert who helps executives, teams, and thought leaders communicate, connect, and engage. He is the author of “Company Culture for Dummies” and has been named a top 30 Culture Speaker by Global Guru. His unique experience as a hospitality and tech industry executive combined with his years as an improve actor help his clients and audience craft the kinds of stories that drive their culture, boost results, and increase sales.

Mike’s work as a professional speaker, communications coach, Emcee, and trainer has helped create memorable performances and events for companies like Big Fresno Fair, Snagajob, PeopleMatter, Uber, US Foods, American Marketing Association, and more. He is faculty member at Heroic Public Speaking where he works with authors, experts, and professional speakers to improve their storytelling skills. Mike’s the Head Performance Coach for TEDx Cambridge.

Audiences love Mike’s high energy, high engagement keynotes that fire them up to rewrite the stories happening in their organization. They leave with real-life strategies they can begin implementing immediately for improved culture that drives employee and customer experience.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What is culture and why it’s important
  • Strategies for developing the right culture
  • Mistakes people make in business
  • How to hire better people
  • … and so much more!!!

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Will You Reach for the Summitt with Your Legacy?

photo credit: Patrick Murphy-Racey

(originally posted on June 28, 2016)

Today is a sad day not only in Tennessee, but across the nation.

I first wrote those words in April of 2012, when she left coaching at the too young age of 59 after a legendary and unprecedented career and I proclaimed that she was the best ever.

This morning we lost one of the greatest leaders as Pat Summitt her battle with Alzheimer’s type dementia.

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Episode 098: Leaving the Corporate 9-to-5 with Anna Lundberg

Anna Lundberg is the author of the book, “Leaving the Corporate 9-to-5”, a book that compiles the stories of 50 people who have left their corporate jobs and have found success by doing so. She is also the Founder of the company, One Step Outside.

Anna used to work for P&G for more than 6 years and has been recognized as one of P&G Alumni’s “40 under 40”. After leaving P&G, Anna built her own startup to focused on providing digital marketing consulting to beauty and luxury brands like Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Hugo Boss.

Today, Anna helps people who want to achieve meaningful success in their personal and professional lives by setting clear objectives, balancing their ambitions at work with their priorities at home, and managing their time and energy effectively. She helps people create business and build the lifestyle they love.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • How to leave your corporate 9-to-5 job
  • Reimagining success
  • Addressing fears
  • Taking more vacations
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 97: Eric Platte, Atlanta Hawks Vice-President

Eric Platte is the Vice President of Ticket Sales for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. He has been with the Hawks since 2010 when he graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Supply Chain Management. Eric is highly regarded for his innovative ideas for workplace culture and leadership training.  Eric believes that leaders drive culture, culture drives people, and people drives business. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • His journey and career advice for others looking to get into professional sports
  • Creative ways to motivate employees and team members
  • On-boarding and training of employees
  • How leadership is important in the sales business

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Bad Food

“People ask me how I stay so positive after losing my legs … I simply ask them how they stay so negative with theirs.” (Ssgt Johnny “Joey” Jones)

There is a story of a monk who was allowed to say only two words every three years.

After the first three years, he met with his order’s Brother Superior and said, “Uncomfortable bed!”

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Episode 096: Toronto Raptors Guard Lorenzo Brown

Lorenzo Brown was the NBA’s 2018 G-League Most Valuable Player and is a member of the Toronto Raptors. He also played with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and Phoenix Suns. The six-foot-five combo guard played college basketball at NC State. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in assists as a junior before leaving early to enter the NBA Draft. He was drafted 52nd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013 NBA draft.

During Brown’s MVP season, he helped lead the Raptors 905 to the G-League Finals while averaging 18.8 PPG, 8.8 APG, and 5.2 RPG. On  January 12, 2018, Brown became the first player to score in both a G-League game and an NBA game on the same day. He had 24 points and 12 assists for the 905s earlier in the day and then suited up that night against the Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavs on national TV. Brown would play 19 minutes in the 34-point blowout win, scoring 6 points and dishing out 5 assists.

Brown initially attended Centennial High School in his native Roswell, Georgia, where he averaged 20.8 points as a senior and was named a fourth-team Parade All-American and the Georgia 5A player of the Year. He would eventually spend a post-graduate year at Hargrave Military Academy. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • His basketball journey and lessons he’s learned
  • What he’s learned from Demar Derozan and Kyle Lowry
  • What makes Toronto’s “Bench Mob” so valuable
  • How he embraces his role on the team
  • Qualities of a great coach
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 095: Tim Hall, UMBC Athletic Director

Tim Hall is the Director of Athletics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He was also appointed President of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (ADA) in the summer of 2017 and has served as the chairman of the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics. During the 2018 NCAA Tournament, the UMBC Retrievers Men’s Basketball team made history when they became the first ever No. 16 seed to beat the No. 1 seed when they beat Virginia by 20 points, 74-54. Tim has previously served as the Athletic Director at the University of Missouri at Kansas City.  Before heading up his own departments, he was the assistant A.D. at Eastern Kentucky University, Saint Xavier University, Youngstown State University, and Kent State University. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The historic upset that the men’s basketball team had in the 2018 NCAA Tournament
  • Social media creativity of UMBC athletic communication staff during the tournament
  • Ways to build a mid-major athletic program
  • Hiring and keeping good team members
  • What makes UMBC so special

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Who’s On First?

Poor Abbott. Poor Costello. In the classic sketch Who’s On First, they heard each other’s words but just couldn’t seem to understand what each other was saying.

It’s no secret that we all desire to be listened to and we all want to be understood.

I am right. You are wrong. Why should I listen to you? Wait, what?!? You don’t understand what I’m saying? How is that even possible?

In the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey said, “If you’re like most people you probably seek first to be understood; you want to get your point across. And in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you’re listening, selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation, or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely. So why does this happen?”

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