Jamy Bechler

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

Episode 174: Jeff Hoffman (Global CEO, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist)

Jeff Hoffman is an award-winning global entrepreneur, proven CEO, worldwide motivational speaker, bestselling author, Hollywood film producer, producer of a Grammy Award-winning jazz album, and executive producer of an Emmy Award-winning television show. Jeff has been part of a number of well-known successful startups, including Priceline.com, Booking.com, uBid.com, and more. Jeff is the CEO of Driving Force Enterprises, a strategic consulting firm that teaches exponential growth to business owners and entrepreneurs, as well as teaching innovation strategies to corporations and governments worldwide.

Click here for Jeff’s complete bio

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • William Shatner becoming the face of Priceline
  • How to build a strong team
  • Making the world better – with or without money
  • Using a whiteboard to build culture
  • … and much more!!!

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The Skinny Mirror

“Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change.” (Jim Rohn)

One of my favorite shows is the Emmy Award-winning show “Shark Tank”.

Please click here to listen to the 2-minute audio version of this article on the “Success is a Choice” podcasting network.

Aspiring entrepreneurs make presentations to a panel of five rich and successful business people who decide whether to invest in the product.

One memorable episode was when the rich investors were pitched an idea called “The Skinny Mirror”.

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Episode 169: Laura DiBenedetto, America’s Happiness Coach

Laura DiBenedetto is a TEDx Speaker, #1 best-selling author of The Six Habits: Practical Tools for Bringing Your Dreams to Life, and a life mastery coach. Laura teaches others how to create the life of our dreams without sacrificing what we love. As founder and CEO of Vision Advertising, a company that she built aged 19, she has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs build and grow profitable enterprises entirely on their terms.

Click here to read more about Laura DiBenedetto.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The secret of happiness
  • Why money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness
  • Developing good habits
  • … and much more!!!

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Episode 158: Kay and Shi, Dynamic Entrepreneurial Sister Duo

Kay & Shi (Kay Salerno & Shila Morris) are dynamic and entertaining entrepreneurs with fascinating stories. When Kay and Shila were 10 and 17, their parents quit their careers and “bet it all” to buy a tiny breakfast restaurant in a California ski town. These sisters instantly gained a front row seat to the drama of American entrepreneurship, all while bussing tables and working the new family business on the daily. As they became adults, they joined the ownership and helped grow the business into a national brand featured on Food Network and in the New York Times. With Mom and Dad now retired, Kay and Shila lead the business as it serves millions of guests across multiple states each year. Often recognized for their unique marketing strategies and dedication to development Kay and Shila find that their love for each other fuels their drive and success.

​Since 2015 Kay and Shila have shared their stories and strategies as speakers and podcasts hosts, and as the marketing faculty for leadership expert and bestselling author John Maxwell’s global team of speakers, coaches and trainers. They love to serve delightful experiences with results-oriented focus and simple, actionable takeaways. Kay and Shila now channel their learnings into their daily 5 minute podcast and blog: The Mentorship Quest and add value daily through their social channels.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Growing up in the restaurant business
  • Throwing down with Bobby Flay on the Food Network
  • Building the marketing system for the John Maxwell Team
  • Invaluable marketing tips
  • Thinking outside the box to help the community
  • … and so much more!!!

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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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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 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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Episode 077: Hall of Fame Softball Coach Sue Enquist

Sue Enquist is UCLA Softball’s first All-American, National Champion, and Hall of Famer. In 2006, Enquist concluded her storied 27-year career as head coach of the UCLA Bruins with a 887-175-1 (.835) record, making her the winningest softball coach among all active coaches. She is the only person in NCAA Softball history to win a championship as a head coach and a player. During her career, Enquist produced 65 All-Americans and 15 Olympians. She has been inducted into six Hall of Fames including UCLA, Women’s Sport Foundation, USA Softball Hall of Fame, and National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Enquist is also the recipient of multiple National Coach of the Year and Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors. She grew up in San Clemente, California, and is a former professional surfer. Today she lives in San Clemente, California, where she surfs daily and enjoys spending time with her family.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • How she was able to be so successful as a coach
  • What she would do differently if she was still coaching today
  • Her friendship with legendary basketball coach John Wooden

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Episode 069: NFHS Executive Director Bob Gardner

Bob Gardner has been the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations since May of 2010. He will be retiring from this position in August of 2018 after nearly 50 years of serving in secondary education. Gardner was only the fifth full-time executive director for the NFHS since 1940.

During his 18 years on the NFHS staff in Indianapolis, participation in high school sports has increased by almost 400,000, including the expanded opportunity for students with disabilities in high school sports. Gardner has led the organization’s focus on risk minimization in high school sports, with particular emphasis on concussion awareness, and has brought a heightened national presence to the work of the NFHS and its member state associations.

In addition to the continual expansion of the NFHS Learning Center during his tenure, Gardner is credited with starting the NFHS Network, the first-of-its-kind digital coverage of high school sports with more than 25,000 events covered during the 2016-17 school year.

He spent his career in Indiana as a teacher and coach at three schools for eight years and as an athletic director. In 1978, Gardner became principal of Milan Junior-Senior High School, followed by a stint as superintendent of the Milan Community Schools.

After serving on the Indiana High School Athletic Association board of directors during his time at Milan, Gardner joined the IHSAA staff in 1985 as assistant commissioner. He served 10 years in that role prior to becoming commissioner in 1995.

Gardner joined the NFHS staff in 2000 as chief operating officer and served in that position for 10 years prior to becoming executive director. During this time, he chaired the NFHS Rules Review Committee and was responsible for day-to-day operations of the organization. He has served on the board of directors for USA Football, USA Basketball and the Indiana Sports Corp. He is a member of the Indiana High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • His career serving student-athletes
  • The movie Hoosiers and the real-life story
  • The future of High School sports

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