The Greatness Machine

Today I’m talking with Brad Lea, an entrepreneur, and businessman, who owns a portfolio of companies. He is the founder and CEO of LightSpeed VT, a global leader in web-based training and communication platforms that enables people to create, launch, and market their own interactive courses and training.He is the host of the Dropping Bombs Podcast and the creator of the Bottom Line. In 2021, he launched a book titled “The Hard Way: Lessons I Learned the Hard Way, So You Don’t Have To” to help people avoid challenges, heartache, and difficulties in life and business.With a mission to get the knowledge from the people who have it to the people who need it, Brad founded LightSpeed VT, which has revolutionized online learning and has made a massive impact in the lives of many since 1999. The tech company has led him to become an influential thought leader on social media. When asked for his advice to become successful, Brad emphasizes the importance of loving yourself, being authentic, and the value of learning sales. He also explains why relationships matter and why people need to leverage each other in order to level up. In this episode, you will learn the advantages of training people in your organization, the significance of learning and unlearning, the three key things you need to achieve greatness and the long-term benefits of being optimistic. Here are just some of the things we get into: His intention in starting Dropping Bombs Podcast. How Brad got into the world of entrepreneurship. How LightSpeed VT was born, and who it is built for. His inspiration for writing “The Hard Way” and three pieces of advice he’d like people to learn.  Why people need to unlearn in order to level up. You can also stream it on:iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vbu3kqMBgfGnu3vMyW5pd?si=f46b738ce5fb4217 Grab a copy of The Core Value Equation book here: https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ Learn how to leverage my proprietary and simple ScaleMAP Method Frameworks here: https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to spread greatness to the world!Peace,Darius Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m talking with Sonal Bahl, an experienced HR Director, and a Career Strategist. Over the course of nearly two decades in human resources, screening over 250,000 resumes and conducting over 5,000 interviews on three continents, she has recruited, built, and evolved highly talented teams. She has experience working with large companies like GE & PwC, midsize family-owned firms & startups.After realizing she was no longer happy with her employment, Sonal somehow found her way into leveraging YouTube to talk about her knowledge and perspective and started creating videos. When she did not see immediate results after putting out several videos, she decided to move to LinkedIn and uploaded her videos as native content. Two years after turning her back on YouTube, one of her older videos went viral, earning her hundreds of followers a day until she reached her first 100,000 followers.  When asked for her advice on how to get noticed on YouTube, Sonal emphasizes the importance of learning from what successful people do, the value of crafting a good Youtube homepage and creating attractive thumbnail designs. In this episode, you will learn some helpful tips on how to grow your YouTube channel, what YouTube success looks like, and why consistency matters in playing the long game of building a presence on the video-sharing platform.Here are just some of the things we get into: How Sonal found YouTube “success” after an old video went viral. Sonal’s advice to those who want to grow their YouTube channels. The importance of YouTube homepage and thumbnail designs. The tools Sonal uses in building her YouTube channel. Why YouTube is a trust accelerator. You can also stream it on:iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vbu3kqMBgfGnu3vMyW5pd?si=f46b738ce5fb4217 Grab a copy of The Core Value Equation book here: https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ Learn how to leverage my proprietary and simple ScaleMAP Method Frameworks here: https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to spread greatness to the world!Peace,Darius Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a recession, and are we in one now?Today I’m flying solo to talk about the US economy, its current state, and what to expect during the second half of the year. A recession is generally characterized by negative gross domestic product (GDP), rising unemployment, falling retail prices, and contracting measures of income and manufacturing lasting months or years. Recessions are often classified as two consecutive quarters of plummeting GDP growth, which the US economy is currently experiencing. GDP fell at an annual rate of 0.9% in the second quarter this year, following the last quarter’s decline of 1.6%. But before we talk about these figures, let’s take a step back and look at the four to five consecutive quarters with the most significant revenue growth in the last 15 years. US real GDP rose at an annual rate of 6.9% in the fourth quarter of 2021, following a 2.3% growth in the third quarter, a 6.7% pace in the second quarter, and a 6.3% increase during the first quarter of the same year. Despite the two recent negative quarters, we need to look at the numbers and what they represent. Moreover, a negative GDP growth rate does not necessarily connote that the economy is entering a recession.In this episode, you will learn about the US economy, GDP, recession, and why running a country is similar to running a business. Here are some of the things I get into: The real GDP growth in the US for the first two quarters of 2022.  The definition of recession. How economists determine whether the economy is in a recession.  Why we need to look at the data and consider the previous quarters. Why a negative GDP does not indicate a recession. You can also stream it on:iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vbu3kqMBgfGnu3vMyW5pd?si=f46b738ce5fb4217 Grab a copy of The Core Value Equation book here: https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ Learn how to leverage my proprietary and simple ScaleMAP Method Frameworks here: https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to spread greatness to the world!Peace,Darius Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m talking with Jesse Iwuji, the first and only active US Naval Officer to compete in NASCAR and the co-owner of NASCAR team Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, which he co-owns with HOF Former-NFL player Emmitt Smith. He's also a Keynote Speaker/Motivational Speaker and a NASCAR Driver Analyst for NBC Sports. After realizing his love for sports, particularly football, Jesse started setting goals for himself to be on the A team, get recruited, and play college football. Since he didn’t get to play Pee Wee and Pop Warner football, he had to put in extra effort to grow his talent, skills, strength, and ability. All his hard work paid off when he got recruited by the United States Naval Academy to play college football during his senior year. Jesse saw this as an opportunity to attend a great school, pursue his love for football, and have a career waiting for him as an officer in the US Navy when he graduates. He spent four years playing for the Naval Academy, went to four different bowl games, and had winning seasons all four years. He later became a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), which developed his passion for cars and racing. His life changed when he finally decided to become a professional race car driver. Jesse explored every possibility, took the entrepreneur route, and started his own business on the sideline while still serving active duty. In this episode, you will learn about football, professional car racing, the importance of having a vision, what kept Jesse going in pursuing his dream, and some helpful tips on how to start living your dreams. Here are just some of the things we get into: What made Jesse loves sports and football. How Jesse realized his passion for car racing. What he did to fund his journey of learning car racing. How he worked his way up from Late Models to NASCAR K&N Pro Series. How his partnership with Emmitt Smith started. You can also stream it on: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vbu3kqMBgfGnu3vMyW5pd?si=f46b738ce5fb4217 (https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vbu3kqMBgfGnu3vMyW5pd?si=f46b738ce5fb4217) Grab a copy of The Core Value Equation book here: https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ (https://therealdarius.com/book-order/) Learn how to leverage my proprietary and simple ScaleMAP Method Frameworks here: https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video (https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video) Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to spread greatness to the world! Peace, Darius This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I had the opportunity to appear on the Young and Profiting Podcast hosted by Hala Taha, where I talked about the entrepreneurial lessons I learned from my father, my experience working at the White House, how I built and grew my businesses through partnerships, my reason for stepping down as CEO of Money Source, and the importance of running a core value-driven organization. After realizing I was unemployable during my internship at the White House, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming my own boss and built my first business, Twin Capital Mortgage, with my twin brother. Things, however, did not come easy as I spent years and years pivoting, learning, and figuring out how to build a business through partnerships. I ranked #9 on Glassdoor’s list of Top CEOs of Small and Medium Companies in the US running The Money Source and have led organizations that have won numerous Stevie awards, been named “#3 Best Place to Work” by San Francisco Business Times, and have landed at #40 on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies. But despite achieving all these recognitions, I decided to step down as the CEO of TMS. That move allowed me to reassess what I truly wanted to do, resulting in the release of my first book, The Core Value Equation, and the launch of the Greatness Machine Podcast. And just recently, I launched a product called Scale MAP Method, where I help CEOs grow their companies. In this episode, you will learn about my entrepreneurial journey, the epiphany that made me step down as the CEO of my previous company, how I learned about the importance of core values, and my inspiration for launching my book and podcast. Here are some of the things Hala and I get into: The entrepreneurial lessons I learned at an early age. The reason why I was almost fired from my work at the White House. How my first business, Twin Capital Mortgage, turned out to be. Why I stepped down as the CEO of the Money Source. Launching The Core Value Equation, The Greatness Machine Podcast, and Scale MAP Method. You can also stream it on: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-greatness-machine/id1555334180) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vbu3kqMBgfGnu3vMyW5pd?si=f46b738ce5fb4217 (https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vbu3kqMBgfGnu3vMyW5pd?si=f46b738ce5fb4217) Grab a copy of The Core Value Equation book here: https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ (https://therealdarius.com/book-order/) Learn how to leverage my proprietary and simple ScaleMAP Method Frameworks here: https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video (https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video) Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to spread greatness to the world! Peace, Darius This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (The Greatness Machine,) Darius is flying solo during his mini-sabbatical/pseudo vacation in Mexico to discuss who's living in your emotional house and what we're doing about our past. In this episode you'll discover: - How a chance encounter with Ed Mylett and his book, 'The Power of One More,' changed Darius' thinking. - The concept of 'cleaning your emotional house' and identifying what type of emotional house you have. - The importance of dreaming with imagination and dreaming about a compelling future for yourself. Join Darius as he challenges you to consider your emotional house and the emotions you want to have living there each day. Enjoy! What You'll Learn in this Show: How Ed Mylett’s book, 'The Power of One More,' has become a game changer in Darius' life. Your ‘emotional house’ and the emotions you choose to fill it with. Why dreaming with imagination and dreaming about a compelling future for yourself is so vital to happiness and success. And so much more... This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, our mistakes can offer powerful revelations, which can lead to incredible success. Today's guest reveals what inspired him to start his current business, recalling how he did not get real offers from collegiate football programs, because he failed to understand the recruiting process. In this episode of https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (The Greatness Machine,) Darius chats with Chris Krause, founder and CEO of NCSA Athletic Recruiting. Since it began, NCSA has helped more than 100,000 student-athletes commit to colleges with 8 billion in scholarships awarded to NCSA athletes. It has quickly become the leader in helping match college coaches with qualified high school athletes through education and technology and is now part of the Reigning Champs family of purpose-driven companies assisting the Collegiate athletic community- building the world’s first Athletic Recruiting Network with a mission of Athleadership- Empowering leaders through sports. Chris realized his passion for recruiting after his own determination and hard work paid off and he earned a full football scholarship to play in the SEC at Vanderbilt University. After graduating in four years, Chris made it his goal to make sure no other student-athlete gets left behind and misses out on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play college sports in return for education and lifelong empowerment. In this episode you'll discover: - How Chris' path led him to athletics. - The early days of NCSA and how it was formed. - The process of recruiting student-athletes. Join Darius and Chris as they discuss sports, athletes, recruitment, sales, business, core values, and a lot more! Enjoy! What You'll Learn in this Show: The path that eventually led Chris to athletics. How the NCSA was formed in the early days. Details on the student-athlete recruitment process. And so much more... Resources: https://www.ncsasports.org (NSCA website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskrause/ (Chris' LinkedIn) https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (Community) https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video (ScaleMAP video) https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ (TCVE Book) https://therealdarius.com (The Real Darius) https://www.facebook.com/therealdariusm/ (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/whoompdarius/ (Instagram) https://therealdarius.com/YT (YouTube) https://twitter.com/kingdarius (Twitter) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ (LinkedIn) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (The Greatness Machine,) Darius chats with John Jackson, the Director of Correctional Partnerships for Hustle 2.0, an evidence-based, trauma-informed curriculum used in more than 450 jails and prisons across the country. He is a co-author of ten books, a TEDx speaker, and a keynote speaker for multiple organizations advocating for second chances. However, he wasn't always so successful... John was introduced to a life of crime at the age of 17 by a person who promised to protect him. After serving 18 years in prison, he became entrenched in gang culture. He was locked up in one of California's most notorious supermax prisons, Pelican Bay, as "the worst of the worst." Since then, his life has been transformed and now he works with gang leaders nationwide to interrupt generational cycles of violence and incarceration. In this episode you'll discover: - How John entered a life of crime at an early age. - His experiences during his 18 years in prison. - How, during his time in prison, he became deeply rooted in gang culture. Join Darius and John as they discuss why being massively successful comes down to being prepared, reliable, and obsessed! Enjoy! What You'll Learn in this Show: How John's criminal life began at age 17. Some of the things he experienced during his time in Pelican Bay prison. How he became entrenched in gang culture while an inmate. And so much more... Resources: https://www.hustle20.com (Hustle 2.0 website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjackson/ (John's LinkedIn) https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (Community) https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video (ScaleMAP video) https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ (TCVE Book) https://therealdarius.com (The Real Darius) https://www.facebook.com/therealdariusm/ (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/whoompdarius/ (Instagram) https://therealdarius.com/YT (YouTube) https://twitter.com/kingdarius (Twitter) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ (LinkedIn) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (The Greatness Machine,) Darius chats with SuperBowl Champion Jimmy Farris. Jimmy is a former NFL wide receiver, author, national speaker, coach and master trainer for Kaizen Unlimited, best known for his signature “Be A PRO” platform. After six seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL, where he won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, Jimmy now uses the lessons he learned in the NFL and beyond to train high performing individuals, teams and organizations on the championship level disciplines and winning mindset that make anything possible. In this episode you'll discover: - How Jimmy raised and raced a horse on his own in college. - His first impressions upon entering the NFL and training with the legendary Terrell Owens. - Information on his new book, 'Be a Pro: Your Blueprint to Professional Level Achievement.' Join Darius and Jimmy as they discuss why being massively successful comes down to being prepared, reliable, and obsessed! Enjoy! What You'll Learn in this Show: How Jimmy raised and raced a horse on his own in college. How he entered the NFL and what it was like to train with the legendary Terrell Owens. Information on his new book, 'Be a Pro: Your Blueprint to Professional Level Achievement.' And so much more... Resources: https://jimmyfarris.com (Jimmy's website) https://www.instagram.com/jimmyfarris (Jimmy's Instagram) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmyfarris/ (Jimmy's LinkedIn) https://www.amazon.com/Be-Pro-Blueprint-Professional-Achievement/dp/1953153607 (Be a Pro book) https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (Community) https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video (ScaleMAP video) https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ (TCVE Book) https://therealdarius.com (The Real Darius) https://www.facebook.com/therealdariusm/ (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/whoompdarius/ (Instagram) https://therealdarius.com/YT (YouTube) https://twitter.com/kingdarius (Twitter) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ (LinkedIn) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you aware of the tests you've had to endure throughout your life? As we move through life, levelling up and growing, we all experience various tests designed to help us expand and meet the new challenges the future brings, even if we're not aware of it. In this episode of https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (The Greatness Machine,) Darius is recording from Wahaca, Mexico to discuss the tests we all have to pass in order to level up in our lives. In this episode you'll discover: - Why the most successful people are always focused on the next goal, and the next target. - Some of the tests Darius has had to endure to grow and expand in his life. - Why recognizing these tests and persevering through them is a key component of success. Join Darius as he discusses the tests we all must face as we level up to a new form of greatness! Enjoy! What You'll Learn in this Show: Why do successful people always have one eye on the future? Some backstory on Darius' life and the tests he has undergone. Why meeting every test and pushing through is a key component of success. And so much more... Resources: https://therealdarius.com/the-greatness-machine-series/ (Community) https://www.dariusclass.com/training-video (ScaleMAP video) https://therealdarius.com/book-order/ (TCVE Book) https://therealdarius.com (The Real Darius) https://www.facebook.com/therealdariusm/ (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/whoompdarius/ (Instagram) https://therealdarius.com/YT (YouTube) https://twitter.com/kingdarius (Twitter) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ (LinkedIn) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices