Jamy Bechler

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

5 Things to Do When You Join the “I Got Fired” Club

“Hey, Jamy, do you have a minute?”

This was the question the athletic director asked me as I was getting ready to take my college basketball team on a team-building experience. 

It was early January and school had not yet started.

Little did I know that in the next few minutes, I would be receiving my invitation to a well-known club that has plenty of members all across the country.

“Jamy, we are going to go in a different direction at the end of the year and you will not be returning as our head coach.”

And just like that, as one of the younger head coaches at the NCAA level, I was a card-carrying member of the “I Got Fired” club.

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Episode 089: Former Yankees Strength Training Coach Dana Cavalea

Dana Cavalea spent 12 years with the New York Yankees Organization, many of those years  as the Director of Strength and Conditioning & Performance Enhancement winning a World Series in 2009. 

In addition, he was the recipient of the 2009 MLB Nolan Ryan Award. This award is given to MLB’s top Strength Coach as voted by his peers. During his career, Dana has had the opportunity to train greats such as Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Justin Verlander, and more.

Currently he is a high performance speaker and consultant to Pro Athletes, Entrepreneurs, Business Executives, Workforces and Universities on lifestyle strategies to reduce stress, improve work/life balance, and most importantly improve daily performance/outcomes. All of this is known as Performance Enhancement.

Dana has formulated plans and strategies to improve sleep, reduce pain, lower stress, improve body composition, speed-strength-power, as well as mindset training for maximal performance. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • His journey in Major League Baseball
  • Why the Yankees were so successful
  • Advice for coaches and parents of athletes

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Culture Is A Choice

“Don’t tell them what you’re going to do – that’s vision.  Do what you’re going to do – that’s culture. Culture eats vision for lunch”.  (John C. Maxwell)

When I first heard this, I wrote it down and thought that it sounded good.  However, the more I thought about that statement the more I started to see the truth of it.

We need both a strong culture and a positive vision to reach our fullest potential.  If I have to choose, however, I will take a strong culture any day of the week over a clear vision.  Even the clearest vision may not be realized if the culture is poor and weighing you down.

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Episode 088: Nicole Arbour, Comedian & Entertainer

Nicole Arbour is a comedian, entertainer, social media expert, actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, motivator, and business consultant. Her videos have been viewed more than 700 million times worldwide. She has a great story that can be inspirational to those that want to be a victor rather than a victim. After being an NBA cheerleader, choreographer, starring on the top comedy show on Much Music in Canada (Canada’s MTV), helping mass brands create record breaking digital content, and working her way up to feature films and televised stand up specials, Nicole was involved in a car accident in 2008 that left her on disability and a life of medial treatments. ​Refusing to accept the lifelong disability diagnosis, Nicole utilized unconventional treatments, created the #GOTEAM movement, and very literally cheered herself and thousands of fans back to life and off of pain killers.

Her hard-hitting, real, and innovative debate starting style of comedy has led her to being one of the Top-7 Youtube Channels Crushing It That You Can Learn From by Entrepreneur Magazine as well as being featured by major news outlets around the world in the last two years alone.  Nicole has been seen hosting Style New York Fashion Week at Madison Square Garden, joining the BBC Comedy Writing staff, hosting sold out events in Las Vegas and nightclubs around the world, consulting and creating content for brands that has led to tens of millions of views for her partners as well as beginning her music, beauty and book projects.

​Nicole has been humbled to receive a series of accolades in including an Honorary Hollywood  Walk of Fame star for special achievement in social media.  The Hero of Hope Award from the International Pain Foundation and was the online fan vote winner and finalist for a Shorty Award Best Comedian.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Refusing to be a victim and giving up her disability checks
  • The benefits and pitfalls of her celebrity status
  • Using comedy to make people think and begin conversations
  • How she strengthens her mind daily

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When Preparation Meets Opportunity

You’ve probably heard of guys like Tom Brady, Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, and Peyton Manning. These are some of the best quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League. But none of them – or anyone else for that matter – has ever done what Ryan Fitzpatrick has accomplished through the first 3 weeks of the NFL season. Ryan Fitzpatrick (“FitzMagic” as he is known) has thrown for more than 400 yards in all three games. No NFL quarterback has ever thrown for 400 yards in three straight games. Ever!

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Episode 087: World Champion Gamer Stephanie Harvey

Stephanie Harvey, known as “Miss Harvey”, is one of the pioneers in the gaming industry. She is a 5-time eSports world champion. She is probably best known for playing Counter-Strike and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (GS:GO). She currently plays for the Counter Logic Gaming Red team. Stephanie has worked with Ubisoft Montreal since 2009. She worked on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (XBOX 360, PS3, PC) and James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes (3DS). In December 2016, she won the 3rd season of the popular TV show “Canada’s Smartest Person”. The French-Canadian was recently-signed by Hewlett-Packard Canada to be its face in the gaming world. 

 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • Teamwork needed on eSports teams
  • What video games she played while growing up
  • Dealing with trash talk or criticism, especially as a female
  • Her passion for NHL hockey

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5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Young Coach

As a college basketball coach for nearly 20 years, I had many experiences that I was proud of. But, I also made my share of mistakes, especially early in my career. Now that I have left coaching to work with teams as a leadership trainer and consultant, I look back on my career and offer up five things that I wish I knew when I first started out in coaching.

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Episode 086: Bernard Robichaud from Trailer Park Boys

Boston-born, Canadian-based, actor, writer and comic, Bernard Robichaud, known to fans worldwide as Cyrus, the gun toting, drug dealing nemesis from the hit television series Trailer Park Boys, started his life in the spotlight as a sought after model. That is, until the day he crossed paths with a Toronto talent agent, who insisted he missed his calling and should try his hand at acting. With that advice in mind, Bernard enrolled in the Theatre Arts program at Dalhousie University and later honed his skills under the private tutelage of esteemed vocal coach Dorothy Ward, and later under the wings of award winning director Tom Kerr at the prestigious Neptune Theatre.

Believe it or not, this athletic man who grew up playing hockey and basketball and today is an avid golfer was hired to voice the characters of both Robert and Becky in the CBC radio drama In Becky’s Name. Governor General Award winning playwright and author, Kent Stetson, took the liberty of contacting ACTRA on Bernard’s behalf, stating that anyone who could play a man and women on radio in their first performance deserved to be given their professional status…and he was, and he hasn’t looked back.

His uncanny talent of being able to transform himself into a rough and tumble lowlife to a ruggedly handsome good guy has garnered Bernard a variety of most interesting roles over his career including performing alongside such Hollywood icons as James Caan and Kathy Bates. Most recently he was seen in Sea Change on Lifetime movies, based on New York Times best selling author Aimee Friedman, which everyone hopes will go to camera in the near future as a series. He also starred in Blue Seduction co-starring Billy Zane and Estella Warren, and American Sunset, co-staring with his friend, the late Corey Haim. Bernard also had a recurring role as Kirk in the hit Showcase TV series, Haven.

Bernard was very unexpectedly diagnosed on Oct 6, 2017 with Prostate Cancer after a routine visit to the doctor. He is now cancer-free and is an advocate for the fight against cancer. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • Growing up playing hockey and basketball
  • Why he doesn’t watch any of his movies or TV shows
  • Battling prostrate cancer and what advice he has for others
  • His acting career

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Episode 085: Drew Dinkmeyer, “Welly-Maker” Charity Water Organizer

Drew Dinkmeyer is one of the most respected experts in the fantasy sports industry. Along with Mike Leone, they co-founded DailyRoto, which is one of the most accurate and comprehensive research sites for fantasy sports. In 2013, at the age of 31, Dinkmeyer left his job as a financial investment analyst behind to become one of just a handful of fantasy sports professionals. In December of 2014, he won a million dollars in a football contest on Draftkings. 

In 2017, Drew was named the “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) for his work as the organizer of the Welly-Maker.  The Welly-Maker ultimately raised over $40,000 and provided clean water solutions for more than 1,300 people. In 2018, Drew launched Welly-Maker 2.0 and pledged to match up to $40,000.

“Dinkpiece”, as he is known in the fantasy world, earned an Ivy league degree in Psychological and Brain Studies (which means he is really smart) from Dartmouth University. Drew also played Division I Tennis – where he is 2nd all-time in wins. He worked for Morgan Stanley as a an investment analyst. He has been featured in both Maxim and the Wall Street Journal, as well as being interviewed by NPR. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • His passion for sports
  • Advice for starting to play fantasy sports
  • The need for clean water in third-world countries
  • Why he started the “Welly-Maker”

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Speak like a Champ

“There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” (Mark Twain)

My 6th grade year was coming to a close. It had been a good year.

I had won my fair share of kickball games at recess.  My “Killer B’s” tag team won homemade wrestling belts at our improvised events during lunch.  And maybe most memorably, I received my first kiss from a girl not named “Mom”.

But there was one thing left to do…

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