Jamy Bechler

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

STAR Financial’s Kristin Marcuccilli

 

Kristin Marcuccilli, the President of STAR Financial Group joined us on the “Success is a Choice” podcast. Kristin and host Jamy Bechler talked about …

  • Playing high school football
  • Working for Notre Dame football
  • Hiring the right team members
  • Leading team members from different departments
  • Overseeing a company that has more than $3 billion in assets

STAR Financial Group, Inc. is the parent company of STAR Financial Bank, an Indiana-based community bank known for its culture of delivering quality service, personalized banking solutions and innovative use of technology. In addition, STAR Wealth Management offers licensed professional services in financial planning, trust and asset management. STAR Financial Group has grown to $3.11 billion in assets with 36 locations in central and northeast Indiana.

The “Success is a Choice” podcast provides positive insights, interesting interviews, and timely inspiration so that you can make an impact on the world around you. The podcast offers a variety of guests and different types of daily episodes. See the entire menu of episodes and guests at SuccessIsAChoicePodcast.com

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Episode 183: Pro Golfer Erik Barnes

Today’s guest is Erik Barnes, a professional golfer on the Korn Ferry Tour. At the time of this interview in April 2022, he was ranked 13th and had four top-10 finishes in his last eight events. He gained fame during the pandemic when he took a full-time job working at a Publix grocery store near his home in Bradenton, Florida. He is originally from Marion, Indiana, and attended college at Austin Peay State University.

Click here to see Erik’s official PGA webpage.

From Publix to the PGA Tour? (Forbes Article)

In today’s episode, we discuss:

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Leaders Growing Leaders: Mark DeMichael

Today’s guest on the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series is Mark DeMichael, the VP of Student Life and Athletics at Indiana Wesleyan University.

During the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network, Jamy Bechler talks with leaders on how they are growing and developing other leaders.

The series tries to examine how various leaders are making the people around them better and building a stronger, healthier culture.

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20 Books to Read in 2020

I once read 30 books in an entire summer, including 10 John Grisham novels. Reading is something that I enjoy doing. I am a paperback kind of guy as I will dog-ear pages, highlight passages, and make notes in the margins. My wife, on the other hand, only reads Kindle books or listens to audio books. 

Whatever your preference, it is important that you read. Readers are leaders. As Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things that you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

What follows is my recommended list of books in various categories that were published during the last two years. I have previously made recommended book lists of “19 Books to Read in 2019”, “18 Books to Read in 2018”, “15 Best Books for Coaches”, “15 Best Books for Leaders”, and “7 Underrated Books for Leaders”.

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Episode 126: Because of Burt with Mark Fauser

Mark Fauser is the author of “Because of Burt” and “Cool’s Angel”. He has been a television and movie actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He had parts in such shows as Jag, Evening Shade, Coach, SeaQuest, and Quantum Leap. He moved from Hollywood to Marion, Indiana in the early 2000’s and proceeded to help build up the Community School of the Arts as the Executive Director. He has continued to add value to the Marion community as the Director of Marketing for the City and currently serves as a Creative Development Consultant for Marion Community Schools. He has a love and passion for helping the community and has a desire to give back. His relationships with such stars as Jim Caviezel, Kelly Ripa, Billy Bob Thornton, and his mentor Burt Reynolds were key as he was able to get them to help the Community School of the Arts in various ways.  In 2006 he won the Marion Grant County Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award. In 2007 he won the Indiana University Public Service Award and the Grant County Community Achievement Award. He was presented with the 2011 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award for his work as a writer, actor and his leadership for the Community School of the Arts. He lives with his wife and three children in Marion, Indiana and works out of a home office that is decorated from wall-to-wall with action figures.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • His mentor and friend Burt Reynolds
  • The process of writing his first book
  • James Dean and the musical Cool’s Angel 
  • … and so much more!!!

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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 082: Travel Expert Dayvee Sutton

Dayvee Sutton is an award-winning journalist covering a range of beats: travel, sports, entertainment, movies, and a number of lifestyle topics for television and digital media. You can watch Dayvee on-air as a national lifestyle and travel correspondent on HLN, and the talk shows “Sister Circle Live“, “The Jet Set TV“, “Coffee with America“, and in airports across the country as a travel tips expert for CNN Airport Network. She also hosts the adventure travel show “Beyond the Usual”

Dayvee started her broadcast career in radio working weekends as a producer for the number one station in Atlanta, then quickly moved to TV as a features reporter and producer for Falconsvision and Comcast Sports. Over the years she has built credentials doing work for ESPN, CNN Atlanta and CNN London, Turner Sports (TNT, TBS and NBA TV/NBA.com), where she earned two National Sports Emmys. She’s co-hosted a daily talk show for four years at NBC Charlotte and was the only female sports anchor and reporter in Atlanta, while at the CBS affiliate. 

On the digital side, Dayvee has been a national contributor to sites like U.S. News and World Report, AOL, Yahoo, ESPN, The Root, NBA.com, Black Enterprise, NBC News and USA TODAY Network. She also has worked with brands like Firestone, Lifeproof, Nikon, Coke and Staples. 

Dayvee is a part of the new wave of entrepreneurial journalists. Through her production company Dream Network Media she produces original content for TV networks, news outlets, online platforms and mobile applications. She’s created popular websites like (the now defunct) NBA fan site NBA FrontPage and the lifestyle guide, The Daily Affair. She also produced the emotional documentary “What We Told Our Sons: Four Families React to the Trayvon Martin Verdict”. 

As if that wasn’t enough, Dayvee still finds time to play. In 2013, Dayvee was the #1 USTA tennis player in her division for the state of North Carolina and #7 in the Southern Division (9 states). She’s an avid traveler, and a self proclaimed karaoke queen. Dayvee Sutton is a southern California native and graduated from UCLA. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • How she measures success and how risk plays a part in it
  • Her career path in journalism and TV
  • The place that has had the most impact on her
  • Getting upgraded on flights or hotels

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Episode 068: Mark Fauser, Actor & Screenwriter

Mark Fauser has been a television and movie actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He had parts in such shows as Jag, Evening Shade, Coach, SeaQuest, and Quantum Leap. He moved from Hollywood to Marion, Indiana in the early 2000’s and proceeded to help build up the Community School of the Arts as the Executive Director. He has continued to add value to the Marion community as the Director of Marketing for the City and currently serves as a Creative Development Consultant for Marion Community Schools. He has a love and passion for helping the community and has a desire to give back. His relationships with such stars as Jim Caviezel, Kelly Ripa, Billy Bob Thornton, and his mentor Burt Reynolds were key as he was able to get them to help the Community School of the Arts in various ways.  In 2006 he won the Marion Grant County Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award. In 2007 he won the Indiana University Public Service Award and the Grant County Community Achievement Award. He was presented with the 2011 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award for his work as a writer, actor and his leadership for the Community School of the Arts. He lives with his wife and three children in Marion, Indiana and works out of a home office that is decorated from wall-to-wall with action figures.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • What it was like to work in Hollywood
  • Building pride and raising money in a school district
  • Going to school with Brad Pitt and Sheryl Crow at the University of Missouri

[Read more…]

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