Jamy Bechler

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

Emmy Award Winning Broadcaster Michele Tafoya

Michele Tafoya is a former American sportscaster winning four Emmy Awards. From 2011 to 2022, she was a reporter for NBC Sports, primarily as a sideline reporter for NBC Sunday Night Football. Today, she hosts the “Sideline Sanity” Podcast and makes television appearances on talk shows discussing the state of American politics and culture.

Click here to see more about Michele

Click here to watch the interview on YouTube

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Broadcasting big events
  • Asking the right questions
  • Her “Sideline Sanity” podcast
  • What makes Al Michaels so good
  • Qualities that the best coaches share
  • How athletes should use their platforms
  • … and much more!!!

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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 156: Outkick’s Jason Whitlock

 

Jason Whitlock is a longtime TV personality on both Fox and ESPN. He is now a partner with Outkick.com. The former Ball State University football player has been a fearless journalist throughout his career in sports media. He has written for such papers as the Kansas City Star and the Ann Arbor News, where he covered the University of Michigan. 

Click here for Jason’s bio on Outkick.com

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The state of sports media
  • Athletes using their platforms
  • Joining Outkick.com
  • Dealing with trolls online
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 115: Kaya Jones, Recording Artist

Kaya Jones was one of the singers for The Pussycat Dolls, which is one of the most popular girl groups in history having sold more than 15 million albums & 40 million singles worldwide. She was discovered and first signed to a deal by R. Kelly in 1999 (when she was 13 years old). Kaya has worked with Britney Spears, Mick Jagger, D12, R.Kelly, Dada Life, Calvin Harris, Backstreet Boys, Eminem & Katy Perry to name a few. Kaya has also developed the Hollywood Doll brand, which designs and manufactures a line of dolls, and fashion and beauty products for young girls. And, at the age of 26, Jones became the youngest female in history to start her own record label, HueMan Race Records. Kaya has brought her own sound to the masses and developed her career as a solo artist.

 

In 2017 her song “What The Heart Don’t Know” shot up the chart to #3 behind Taylor Swift and P!NK. She stopped the promos for the song in order to focus on raising money for Hurricane Harvey and was successful in raising almost 3 million dollars for the relief efforts. She also went to Houston to help feed and distribute clothing to churches and food to victims, as well as first responders. In 2017, Kaya became a very out-spoken supporter of President Trump. On October 1, 2017 she was in Las Vegas and on stage with Big and Rich one hour before the worst mass shooting in US history. She became an Ambassador for the NDC (National Diversity Coalition for President Trump) and also a Director for the URC (Urban Revitalization Coalition for President Trump. In 2018, Kaya had the honor of singing the National Anthem for the President and Vice President of the United States over the course of two days at CPAC.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Signing a recording contract as a 13-year old
  • The time spent with the musical group The Pussycat Dolls
  • Being part of a Grammy nominate country album
  • Her political and religious views
  • … and so much more!!!

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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 093: FitMama Jen Oliver

Jen Oliver is the founder and CEO of FitMama Global, a mindset based coaching movement whose purpose is to educate, empower, and motivate moms to be stronger and healthier than ever, after having kids. She is also the author of the international best-seller, “The Love Fit Mama Way: Transforming the Core of Motherhood.”

Jen is a certified Bellies Inc. trainer, and has a master’s degree in Exercise and Health Psychology at McMaster University. She is a sought-after speaker throughout Canada, and is the host of the popular podcast, Kaizen with Jen. She is also a nutritionist, fitness instructor, and personal management consultant.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Being a basketball coach’s wife
  • How to be more healthy and have more energy
  • The 10-day silent meditation retreat that she attended
  • Motherhood and Health

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Episode 091: Crisis Preparedness Expert Melissa Agnes

Author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, Melissa Agnes is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection.  Agnes is a coveted speaker, commentator, and adviser to some of today’s leading organizations faced with the greatest risks.

In 2015, she gave a TEDx talk in Los Angeles where she discussed the secret to successful crisis management in the 21st century. Agnes is the editor of the Crisis Ready Blog, a contributor to Forbes, and a go-to source for the press, with recent coverage including the Wall Street Journal, VIBE Magazine, USA Today, and many others. As a university guest lecturer, Agnes teaches crisis management in university courses around the world, including at NYU and McGill.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The difference between issues and crisis
  • How to prepare for the inevitable crises that will come your way
  • Building your brand on social media
  • What to do when an issue or a crisis occurs
  • How Southwest Airlines and United Airlines handled crises differently

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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

[Read more…]

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