Intentional Performers

Val Ackerman was named the fifth Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference on June 26, 2013. She previously served as an attorney and executive at the National Basketball Association, was the founding President of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and is a past President of USA Basketball, which oversees the U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic basketball program. She also served for two terms as the U.S. representative to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). She has been inducted as a contributor into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2021) and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2011) and has received the Billie Jean King Leadership Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation (2016). Val is a 1981 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she graduated with high honors with a B.A. in political and social thought and was a three-time captain and Academic All-American on the women’s basketball team. She received her law degree from UCLA in 1985.   Val had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “Sports aren’t like a monolithic block” (6:40). “When we started the WNBA there was always a sense of cause. It was like rolling a rock up a hill” (13:15). “What made my transition to the NBA such a great match for me was because I was a ‘basketball person’” (18:35). “I worked very hard with my personal relationships in the league” (18:10). “In any line of work, [the quality of your personal relationships] makes or breaks you” (18:15). “Preparation and attention to details were hallmarks [for working with David Stern]” (21:10). “David Stern had this adage that ‘micromanagement is underrated’” (21:15). “I took the best of both of them” (23:30). “I try to be practical but visionary” (23:40). “I’m a much more mature, developed leader than I was when I took the job at the NBA” (24:40). “I did all these other things that, in their way, fortified my leadership skills” (26:20). “My pregnancy and maternity in the early years was one of the most challenging periods of my life” (27:40). “When I got pregnant, I was a unicorn in the office… I was working for people whose wives didn’t work… They didn’t expect me to come back” (28:00). “When I came back from maternity leave, I really had something to prove at the league” (28:30). “It takes a village if you want to be a working parent” (29:10). “It was part-time, but I made it part-time-plus. I threw myself into USA Basketball” (33:35). “I could have an interlude in my life where I could be more present with my daughters” (34:45). “My career has been totally unplanned… I don’t know what my next chapter is” (44:00). “I’m serious, I’m competitive, I want to do well… but at the same time I’m a compassionate person, I care deeply about the relationships that I have with the many people in my life” (49:30). “If you’re going to be successful in your field and fulfill the demands that are made on you as a leader, you have to have that expectation that you’re going to make sacrifices” (51:20). “I think it’s important to clear your head regularly. There’s so much going on and you can’t be on all the time” (52:50). “Sports is one of the great ways of bringing people together in our world… The power of sports is very real” (56:30).   Additionally, make sure to follow the Big East Conference on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Thank you so much to Val for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Jess Lahey is the author of the NYT bestselling The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. Her writing can be found at The Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. She co-hosts the award-winning #AmWriting podcast and works as a prevention coach at Sana at Stowe, a medical detox and recovery in Stowe, VT.   Jess had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “One of the best things my parents ever did for me was [let me read whatever book I wanted]” (6:00). “My idea of heaven is a story well told that teaches me some things” (6:25). “I went for jobs I wasn’t qualified for and then learned how to do them on the go” (7:25). “The best part about being a writer is I can write about anything I want and I have to become an expert in that thing before I have any standing, any sort of authority, to write about it” (7:35). “I was a teacher for 20 years, and from my perspective my job was to not only teach the material to other people, but to anticipate their possible questions” (8:20). “The way we encourage curiosity without making our kids so curious to try things that may be dangerous for them is to also provide lots of information about it” (11:30). “Many of the ways we gather information changed during the pandemic” (20:20). “You can opt to just not have [drinking alcohol] be a part of your life, not because you have a problem with it, but because it doesn’t make you feel great. I love that” (22:15). “Getting to the place where you know you need help is like a 100-piece puzzle; you can’t have that 100th piece drop into place unless pieces 1-99 were there” (25:15). “I’m happy to be a resource for whoever wants to use me as a resource” (30:00). “Being there when someone is ready to talk is the best thing that I can do for anyone” (30:45). “I love learning on the fly, I love learning under pressure, I like a deadline, I like putting myself in the position of impressing people by how fast I can pick things up” (35:05). “[Through my book] now I get to give other people the benefit of what I learned from [my experiences with alcohol and addiction] and what I learned with years of research” (36:45). “I was born to teach and I was born to write, but they’re the same thing to me” (37:35). “Here’s this complicated thing that’s really interesting, let me do all the research for you and translate it for you. That’s my dream job, that’s heaven to me” (39:35). “We tend to teach the way we were taught” (42:35). “Teaching for me is partially about being on a stage and crafting thoughts and information in a way that helps people to arrive at conclusions themselves” (42:50). “I am a difficult person to have on your staff because… I have no problem saying ‘No, that doesn’t work, why are we doing it that way’” (45:45). “For me, the more public I am, the easier it is for me to stay sober” (50:00). “You have to name it to tame it when it comes to emotions” (51:10). “Gaining competence through doing things that are new/sometimes a little risky, that’s one of the biggest adrenaline hits and dopamine hits that kids can access. That’s one of the best ways to get that dopamine hit when a lot of kids turn to drugs and alcohol” (58:55). “[I] love to live in the gray area” (1:00:30). “One of the things I’m most proud of in my life is a big failure” (1:04:40). “It was this moment of facing that fear of not being good at something, to allow myself the freedom to learn how to do it and learn how to do it right so well that the next time I attempted to do something similar I was able to learn from my mistakes” (1:07:55). “Go for the moment [your kids] will let you have with them” (1:13:50).   Additionally, make sure to follow Jess on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! You can also use this link to find and purchase Jessica’s books! Thank you so much to Jess for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Dr. Michelle Segar is an award-winning lifestyle coach and sustainable behavioral change researcher at the University of Michigan. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable healthy behavior change that are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership retention. She’s an advisor to leading global organizations and frequently interviewed in major media outlets like The New York Times, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal.   Michelle had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “When you’re in a culture where food is valued and you’re allowed to eat it, there isn’t a need to rebel and overeat because it’s part of the culture and how you take care of yourself and how you enjoy life” (9:00). “When you tell people they can’t eat something, all they want to do is eat it” (9:20). “The art of living is knowing how to appreciate living in the moment, but also having a respect that your choices are going to have long term implications too (10:30). “The more we help people notice how they feel from their food choices and when they can escape those rebellion-like ‘should’s’ that are embedded in their belief system, more people will find a more natural way to eat things that are better for them” (16:45). “If you’re [eating unhealthily] every once in a while, it’s not a big deal. But we’ve been trained, we’ve been brainwashed, to think that it’s a big deal” (19:05). “When you help people feel their cravings, they actually are more successful quitting long term” (22:00). “Our unconscious belief system impedes us from really embracing a mindfulness approach” (25:00). “Our motivations and decisions are greatly impacted by the people around us, the choices around us” (25:45). “Weight loss poisons people’s motivation” (28:50). “We want to be thinking in terms of what are the tradeoffs we need to make with regards to eating, exercise, and sleep” (37:30). “We need to give ourselves grace” (41:00). “We have to figure out what we want to do and what we like. Following an eating or exercise plan is no different” (42:10). “We can’t follow someone else’s formula. We have to know what our own formula is” (44:25). “I don’t keep potato chips in the house because I know I would never stop eating them” (49:15). “We’ve been indoctrinated with dogmas and ‘should’s’ that human nature and research shows that we want to rebel against” (1:01:15). “When you rebel, you’re still being controlled” (1:01:45). “The joy choice, the perfect imperfect option that lets us do something instead of nothing” (1:05:10). “We feel joy when the moment in time reflects who we are at our core” (1:06:00). “When we take better care of ourselves… we have the energy and the wherewithal to be kind” (1:11:15).   Additionally, make sure to find everything you need to know about Michelle at michellesegar.com and to follow her on Twitter @MichelleSegar and on LinkedIn! Thank you so much to Michelle for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Mike Neighbors is the Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Arkansas. He is a father of four (Abby 26, Alec 20, Bowen 2, Barrett 9 months), a husband to Jayci, and a coach to 277 former players. For the last 29 years he has been paid as a Coach, but if you ask his lifelong friends and family, they will tell you he has been doing it since he was 9. So, he has really been a Coach for the last 43 years. Whether it was a neighborhood backyard game of tennis ball or the Final Four in 2016, he has approached every game as an opportunity to compete, learn, and grow. He has remained a learn-it-all/share-it-all ever since a life changing heart attack at 29. Before then, he was a know-it-all/hoard-it-all. He hopes those in our orbit learn for the experiences we share.   Mike had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “Had [I not had that heart attack at 29], I was probably heading down the wrong path… I think I was lucky” (6:45). “Those processes that I learned to survive [when I was younger] have helped me to survive in this very competitive world of college athletics” (16:15). “Get out of their way when they don’t need you” (18:00). “That’s one of my favorite parts about coaching. They don’t need you for the celebration, they need you when we lose” (18:40). “Only when they need me are you going to notice me” (23:50). “Without the heart attack, without those experiences, I probably would’ve been using ‘I’ a lot more than ‘we’” (24:05). “You don’t have to be relatable with somebody to be inspired by them” (41:10). “I wanted to believe as many true things as I possibly could” (48:30). “’It depends’… I say that all the time” (50:20). “You need to be compelled to be great at what you’re doing” (1:00:50). “We create better basketball players when they find that there are other things that basketball is going to create for them” (1:02:10). “I worry about being wrong” (1:06:40). “Until you’ve done 40 hours of research on something, I don’t want to have a conversation with you about it” (1:09:00). “[I envision myself coaching] forever” (1:16:45). “I probably wouldn’t take a job where all it was was win at all costs” (1:21:35).   Additionally, make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @coachneighbors and to check out his website coachneighbors.com! Thank you so much to Mike for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Vernon Davis is a ridiculously accomplished player on the football field. He’s a 2-time pro-bowler who played 14 seasons in the National Football League. He was also a 2nd Team All-Pro in 2013, led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2009, he was an All-American in college, and he won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. However, this conversation is about everything else that Vernon is involved with. He’s an entrepreneur, he’s an artist, he was on Dancing with the Stars, he’s a real estate investor, and he’s a dad. Whatever he does, he wants to be great at that thing. At his core, he believes he’s an artist. Interestingly enough, he blends artistry and creativity with discipline, helping him to be successful both on and off the football field.   Vernon had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “Without your health, you have nothing” (5:00). “Life is all about how we react to certain things” (6:40). “I started seeing a therapist from the moment I got drafted” (7:35). “Whatever it is that’s on your heart, your mind, you need to be able to talk about it and get it off your chest. It’ll take you much further than you think” (8:20). “We’re all human beings and we all have something we need to get better at each and every day” (9:00). “There’s nothing like having a vision board. If you’re waking up and seeing this vision board every single day, you’re going to go after those things you want” (9:50). “I’ll take at least 5 minutes every day to focus on the things I really want in my life” (10:10). “I’m an artist” (12:50). “I did the same thing every day for 14 years… I painted this picture in my mind because I’m an artist” (16:25). “I know exactly what I’m going to do before I do it” (16:45). “I was never a football player. I was an artist, a creative individual, who happened to be good at football” (17:40). “The only person that believes in you is you” (21:10). “If you’re putting in the work, it’s going to pay off, it’s going to show up” (25:05). “When preparation meets opportunity, it’s going to show up” (25:35). “I wanted to change the dynamic of the world I was born into” (27:15). “Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, but always hope and live for the moment” (27:35). “The same thing that draws me to acting is what drew me to football” (27:50). “I’m not going to stop working for anything. I know what it is that I’m after and I know exactly how it’s going to play out because I’ve dreamed about it and visualized it” (28:15). “You control the narrative. It’s all on you” (29:05). “Everyone has been through moments where they fail, and they’ve gotten back up and succeeded” (29:45). “There’s a risk in everything that we do” (42:00). “I’m never going to say to my son you can’t do that” (42:10). “You can take the things that other people look at as a [challenge]… and instead feel grateful for them because it made me an extraordinary man” (44:15) “Give your kids what they need, not what they want” (46:15). “I knew for a fact I would get things done because I’ve always been the type of person who gets things done” (50:45). “I knew I had to change the direction of my path” (53:10).   Additionally, make sure to check out JaxJox, a great, interactive workout platform, as well as to follow Vernon on social media @VernonDavis85! Thank you so much to Vernon for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Jay Van Bavel is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at New York University. Prior to joining NYU, Jay completed his PhD at the University of Toronto and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Ohio State University. From neurons to social networks, Jay’s research examines how collective concerns of identities, moral values, and political beliefs shape the mind, brain, and behavior. His work addresses issues of group identity, social motivation, cooperation, moral judgment, decision making, and social media. He’s a researcher at his core who’s highly curious, looking up the newest and best ways to gather great science and great data and great information. He’s published over 100 academic publications and co-authors a mentoring column. His work has appeared in academic papers in the US Supreme Court and the Senate. His research has been featured in a TedTalk, a TedEd, and a TedX. He’s consulted with the White House, United Nations, European Union, and the World Health Organization on issues related to his research.   Jay had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “We have an enormous amount of resilience, more than we would have expected” (11:20). “90% of success is just showing up. You show up and you do your best even if it’s not your best day” (12:45). “We’re highly attuned to the social norms of any group we’re in” (15:00). “People want to feel like the identities they have are positive and distinct from other groups” (16:45). “We want to signal to ourselves and others that we’re part of valued identities” (18:15). “If people reduce their social media use by 1 hour a day, they’re much happier” (20:35). “Most every human has a need for affiliation” (24:15). “We can identify with groups of people we’ve never even met” (25:00). “People misrepresent themselves on social media” (28:40). “People are tuned to whatever type of value generates engagement on different [social media] platforms” (29:15). “The more you identify with a group, the more you want to start to embody the norms of the group” (31:55). “If you’re in a group, you should be carefully thinking about what the norms are” (33:30). “You can nudge and influence other people by changing your own behavior” (33:35). “The most powerful form of identity that makes people feel fulfilled but also inclusive is what’s called the dual-identity model: When you feel part of something bigger than yourself, but you are still able to sustain and feel that your other identities are valued” (36:50). “We’re wired to be group-ish” (39:40). “The groups we belong to don’t necessarily need to discriminate” (40:35). “One of the key predictors of cooperation is that you both benefit if it’s good” (45:45). “I frame my criticisms as questions” (47:30). “Organizations who add talent but don’t think about how groups will gel often times aren’t any more successful” (50:45). “Even though polarization has gotten really bad, people still vastly overestimate it” (56:30). “40-50% of our political ideologies is biological” (1:04:30). “We all contain multitudes of identities” (1:10:00). “Whatever situation we’re in activates an identity, and with it comes a way of seeing the world” (1:10:25).   Additionally, make sure to check out powerofus.online for more information on Jay’s book, and you can also find more info on Jay at JayVanBevel.com! Also, you can follow Jay on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and if you’d like to reach out to Jay his email is jay.vanbevel@nyu.edu. Thank you so much to Jay for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.   Jay had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “We have an enormous amount of resilience, more than we would have expected” (11:20). “90% of success is just showing up. You show up and you do your best even if it’s not your best day” (12:45). “We’re highly attuned to the social norms of any group we’re in” (15:00). “People want to feel like the identities they have are positive and distinct from other groups” (16:45). “We want to signal to ourselves and others that we’re part of valued identities” (18:15). “If people reduce their social media use by 1 hour a day, they’re much happier” (20:35). “Most every human has a need for affiliation” (24:15). “We can identify with groups of people we’ve never even met” (25:00). “People misrepresent themselves on social media” (28:40). “People are tuned to whatever type of value generates engagement on different [social media] platforms” (29:15). “The more you identify with a group, the more you want to start to embody the norms of the group” (31:55). “If you’re in a group, you should be carefully thinking about what the norms are” (33:30). “You can nudge and influence other people by changing your own behavior” (33:35). “The most powerful form of identity that makes people feel fulfilled but also inclusive is what’s called the dual-identity model: When you feel part of something bigger than yourself, but you are still able to sustain and feel that your other identities are valued” (36:50). “We’re wired to be group-ish” (39:40). “The groups we belong to don’t necessarily need to discriminate” (40:35). “One of the key predictors of cooperation is that you both benefit if it’s good” (45:45). “I frame my criticisms as questions” (47:30). “Organizations who add talent but don’t think about how groups will gel often times aren’t any more successful” (50:45). “Even though polarization has gotten really bad, people still vastly overestimate it” (56:30). “40-50% of our political ideologies is biological” (1:04:30). “We all contain multitudes of identities” (1:10:00). “Whatever situation we’re in activates an identity, and with it comes a way of seeing the world” (1:10:25). Additionally, make sure to check out powerofus.online for more information on Jay’s book, and you can also find more info on Jay at JayVanBevel.com!   Thank you so much to Jay for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Sam Walker is the author of The Captain Class, a profile of the captains of the 17 greatest dynasties in sports history. He is a columnist, keynote speaker and teambuilding consultant for corporations, military units, nonprofits and professional and Olympic sports teams. Over two decades at The Wall Street Journal, Walker served as sports columnist, sports editor, deputy page-one editor and leadership columnist. He attended the University of Michigan. He lives in New York with his wife and two children.   Sam had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “I’ve been blessed and cursed at the same time by being easily bored” (4:55). “When you walk in a door that you’ve never been through before, you see that people are dealing with a lot of the same things, the same issues, the same stresses” (8:35). “The book is really about what are the real qualities of effective leadership” (15:30). “The big threat to great leadership and sustained excellence is rarely a lack of ability, it’s burnout” (16:20). “I need to be effective as a leader, but I also need to be efficient” (17:45). “You need to understand your superpower and your kryptonite” (18:45). “[Great leadership] is behavior. It’s what you do. It’s not anything you’re born with. It’s making the right choices in the right contexts” (20:40). “These captains don’t over celebrate. They’re almost more relieved when they win because they feel like that’s how things are supposed to go” (24:05). “Everyone talks about Michael Jordan being a leader except Michael Jordan” (25:30). “I don’t think the instincts of being a great captain and the instincts of being a great coach are really the same” (28:20). “No one has studied more dynasties than me. That’s what I do. I seek out these dynasties because I want to understand long term successes” (29:40). “There are three things which I have always called the contagious behaviors of the boss or leader: relentless effort, toughness, and emotional control” (32:35). “The things that I notice about these great leaders is that they’re not obvious leaders” (34:10). “Leadership is about what you do not who you are” (34:25). “These captains had very good relationships with people” (37:15). “There’s no two dynasties that have had exactly the same culture” (43:45). “Be the best version of who you are, not of who you want to be” (45:25). “What is your unique culture?” (48:30). “Leadership is about this intense one-on-one communication where you talk as much as you listen” (54:15). “The act of being heard makes people feel safer” (55:25). “All of these great dynasties had a superstar who was rarely the captain” (59:15). “There’s three phases of a dynasty: the building phase, the committing phase, and the maintaining phase. These three phases are completely different” (1:09:00).   Additionally, make sure to check out Sam’s website and to follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn! Thank you so much to Sam for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

D’Qwell Jackson was a superstar at the University of Maryland. He had an amazing and illustrious career, winning all kinds of awards. He really out-kicked expectations that were placed on him when he arrived in College Park, Maryland. He did such a good job there that he ended up being a second-round pick in the NFL Draft. He went on to have a 10+ year career in the NFL starting at linebacker. This conversation is going to be about a lot more than just executing as a football player. D’Qwell is open and honest about some of the challenges he faced over his NFL career around his identity, his mindset, his belief in himself, and overcoming adversity and injuries.   D’Qwell had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “Trevor [Moawad] was a godsend for me” (5:45). “I’m a planner. When I wake up in the morning, I need to know exactly what I’m doing every moment, every hour, of the day” (9:00). “We mapped out everything. Monday through Sunday everything was planned” (10:40). “If you want to be great, there are no choices. Period.” (12:45). “Those two decisions I made in my life of meeting Trevor and going to Sierra Leone really changed the way I looked at and evaluated my life. I started making better choices after those moments” (15:00). “I was very self-motivated. It didn’t take much. It was just a matter of mapping out a plan of how to do it” (17:30). “If there was an opportunity to be my best self or to be the best at something, internally I couldn’t let that opportunity pass me by” (19:05). “I didn’t want to miss an opportunity” (19:45). “I knew I had the skills to get a full scholarship and to go to college. That was my only thought” (20:00). “At one point in life, I needed football for my identity” (24:25). “I’m more than just football. I can use my talents to really branch out” (24:40). “As a professional athlete, the sooner you can realize you’re living in 2 different worlds, 2 different realities, the better off you’ll be” (28:45). “People deal with trauma differently” (33:05). “Every day needs to be better than the previous day” (36:25). “It took some things not going exactly as planned in order for me to come out on the better end of things” (37:15). “Never get too high, never get too low” (38:35). “You go right to the solution. You don’t dwell on what’s happened” (40:00). “Everyone deals with mental stress whether they realize it or not” (40:55). “I wanted to be the best linebacker I could possibly be” (42:05). “If you don’t have people you trust at every level, it’s not going to work” (44:15). “If you make people believe like they’re a part of the system, then we’re going to get so much more in return” (51:40). “I’m comfortable in my own skin” (54:45). “Football helped me come out of my shell” (59:55).   Additionally, I would encourage you to check out the Athletes Unplugged podcast hosted by D’Qwell. Each episode unearths great behind-the-scene stories while showcasing each guest as their authentic selves, not just their profession. You can find @AthletesUnplugged on platforms such as YouTube, Google podcast, Podbay, Spotify & Apple. You can also find D’Qwell on Instagram @dqwelljackson and you can find Athletes Unplugged on Instagram @Athletesunplugged. Thank you so much to D’Qwell for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

All along the way Buzz has had tremendous success on the basketball coBuzz Williams is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Texas A&M University. Buzz has had quite an experience in his coaching journey. He was a head coach from a very young age. I first learned about him as the head coach at Marquette, then he went over to Virginia Tech, where I first met him in person, and now he’s at Texas A&M. What’s caught my attention and what really blew me away when I met him is his presence. He is somebody who really cares about culture, leadership, character building, life skills, you name it. And, he’s a competitor. Make no mistake, he’s an emotional guy that cares deeply about winning, but he also cares about learning and growing. He’s one of the most curious people I’ve been around, and we actually connected after he read my book and he reached out and gave me some amazing compliments, which really blew me away. Buzz is someone who is constantly learning, constantly looking to grow, and then trying to pour all of himself into his student athletes, his family, his community, and the people he has great relationships with. He’s a heart-centric guy who wears his emotions on his sleeves. He’s thoughtful, he’s intelligent, he’s creative, and he likes to do things a little bit differently. This conversation is unique, it’s different, and I think that’s a testament to Buzz and what he brings to not just the basketball community, but to our society as a whole.   Buzz had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “I want to be famous in my home” (5:45). “The lives in your home are the ones you have to be held accountable to in a higher regard” (6:20). “I want our players to see what being a good husband and father is” (9:10). “I want all of the children to learn all of the facets that come with being a spouse” (9:55). “I want there to be a route and a rhythm to everything that we do” (15:30). “I’ve tried to become more purposeful in controlling the offseason” (16:25). “Leaders become stale and non-existent when they don’t know how to feed themselves” (18:15). “What do I need to know? What do I not know? Who can help me figure it out?” (19:00). “We all talk about time management. I don’t think you manage time, I think you manage energy, which is where you are giving your time to” (21:10). “The best way to figure out where you’re going is to, as best as possible, think of yourself in that next version. What is it that you’re wanting to do and how is it you’re wanting to do it?” (25:10). “I’m always cautious to never step on anyone’s dream” (26:30). “You can’t be anything that you want to be. You can be what you earn the right to be” (28:55). “They print money, but they don’t print time and they don’t print opportunity” (29:30). “I spend a lot of time at work and I spend a lot of time at home” (31:25). “You don’t get to your full potential when you’re worrying about the wrong things” (33:25). “I don’t know if I was ever able to exhaust the best I could be because I was giving energy and emotion to things that, in truth, are just part of the job” (35:10). “I don’t want what I do to solely be my identity” (36:00). “I would rather begin to view myself as the steward, [not the coach]” (37:45). “This is not my program; I’ve just been appointed as the steward of this program for now” (38:10). “Wisdom is more precious than rubies” (40:00). “We have become connoisseurs of information” (40:10). “There is a never-ending supply of knowledge and I want to have a learner’s spirit in everything that I do” (40:30). “There’s knowledge around us in every possible way. Our job as leaders is how can I take knowledge from a different world and translate it to the world I live in and make the world I live in better” (41:10). “Wisdom is a completely different category than knowledge. I’m constantly trying to accrue knowledge, but I want to get to the lowest common denominator of that knowledge and see if there’s wisdom that can be applied” (41:30). “Wisdom is a separator” (41:45). “Wisdom can be accrued through experience, but wisdom can also be accrued through someone else’s experience” (42:45). “The smartest people in the world ask the best questions” (48:35). “What’s running through your mind will always come out in your walk” (49:05). “I want to be curious about everything” (49:30). “Always be aware of patterns. Patterns can be good, and patterns can be bad” (52:00). “I never say no to an opportunity to learn as long as it doesn’t put me in a negative position to neglect my priorities” (53:00). “The perception of who I am and the reality of who I am, they’re as far as the east is from the west” (53:20). “I’m super sensitive to the patterns of those around me because I am curious” (54:40). “You can control your thoughts, your actions, your attitude, your reactions. Most of the rest of it is out of your control” (55:10). “The best way to acknowledge someone’s curiosity is their willingness to listen and their willingness to ask good questions” (58:15). “I want to listen more than I want to talk” (58:40). “True love has no agenda” (1:00:55). “What our world needs is more truth telling” (1:03:35). “I’m cautious to give advice until I have such a relationship with that person that the transparency in the conversation goes both ways” (1:04:00). “I’m not very good at being. But I think some of your best, most creative ideas come when you are bored. I need to continue to find ways to allow myself to be bored without feeling guilty” (1:09:25). “If I’m not stronger [in the weight room] than every player on my team, I’m going to retire” (1:11:40). “Just because I don’t know what I’m going to do, that doesn’t mean I should continue doing what I’m doing” (1:13:45). “Build trustful relationships for 10 years from now, but learn to connect the dots between now and then. Trustful means you never ask them for anything” (1:17:10). “I never ask our players for anything other than their best” (1:18:50). “Is the relationship transactional or is the relationship transformative?” (1:19:15). “I would never even consider hiring you if I didn’t trust you” (1:22:30). “The best way to learn is when you have ownership” (1:27:10). “We want our staff to be an example to our team of what it means to be a team” (1:27:45). “I write two handwritten thank you notes every day to make sure my heart stays in the right place relative to the spirit I want to carry in my life” (1:29:40). “I write my kids every day that they go to school” (1:31:15). “For every mile of road, there’s two miles of ditch. Stay out of the ditch” (1:35:15).   Additionally, make sure to check out Buzz’s website! Thank you so much to Buzz for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Johanna Faries is currently the General Manager of Call of Duty. She is highly involved, especially with their Esport league, where she is head of the league. She was also the commissioner of Call of Duty Esports before transitioning to this role. Prior to that, she worked at the National Football League where she was Vice President, she was involved in business development and marketing strategy and fan development, and she was on a pathway to continue to rise up that corporate “ladder.” She’s also a musician. When she graduated from Harvard, she moved to California and started writing songs and making music. I think what makes Johanna really unique is that she’s got multiple sides to her. She is a complex person. She’s highly driven, she’s highly ambitious, but she also has a lightness to her that is really likable and is really refreshing. She’s clearly very smart and very bright, but she’s also someone who seems to be trying to be grounded.     Johanna had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “I’ve always been thinking about spirituality, thinking about relationships with larger forces than ourselves… why are we here type questions” (7:15). “I often have felt burdened by my obsession with theology and the spiritual path” (9:10). “I balance those questions, that are often never-ending and open-ended questions, with very tactical work day-to-day as a business executive” (10:00). “I’m fascinated by all of us because I think we’re all wrestling with the same question” (10:45). “It is a very scary part of the process to actually stop and reflect and really think about how fulfilled your soul might be” (13:15). “If I could spend 30 minutes a day interviewing people like you’re interviewing me and ask them ‘Where are you in the faith journey?’, no matter what the response is, I find it fascinating” (13:30). “It’s where I’m at now, I don’t know where I’m going to be at 3 years from now” (15:10). “It’s not just this time of great resignation or the great pandemic, it’s also this moment of great permission to pause collectively and reflect” (18:00). “What does great leadership look like going forward? What level of empathy needs to come through each and every day to enable people to do their best work?” (19:05). “I am so goal-oriented as a leader, I’m so big-picture, so vision-setter, I sometimes lose sight of the intricacies of the people doing the detailed work actually enabling you to summit in the first place” (22:00). “I have really learned how important it is to stop and check in with all of those parts of somebody on my team. It matters. It matters to building trust, it matters to seeing them as more than just getting to the top of Mount Everest” (23:40). “I’ve learned how to not under-express my tendencies around introversion because my version of being an introvert means that solitude is my happy space” (26:30). “I exert high extroverted energy in my roles as a business leader, but I also need these moments of solitude to really recharge” (26:50). “I have to really think about how I’m going to spend my time for maximum impact” (29:15). “Every day cannot be so rote that the predictability undermines creativity” (30:00). “Every great leader thinks about time, energy, focus, and the triangulation of those things” (31:05). “I feel very blessed in this moment in time because these passions have all intersected and interwoven in ways that feel very balanced” (31:45). “Creativity and art have this power that goes beyond language, nationality, our indoctrinations, and our individual choices” (35:45). “I’m a both/and kind of a gal” (41:40). “There’s nothing more powerful than great storytelling to move people” (50:40). “Everything is timing. What isn’t timing?” (52:30). “What an amazing time because of the convergence that’s happening” (57:30). “We’re connecting dots all the time” (1:06:40). “We’ve created a societal normality around perfectionism” (1:10:35). “We are inundated with the self-talk and the external factors that are pouring into us to feel insecure, to feel imperfect, to feel not enough” (1:11:00). “I’m not secure because life isn’t secure and it’s always changing” (1:12:45). “It changed my life in so many ways for the better to get curious about industries that I knew very little about” (1:14:25).   Additionally, make sure to check out Johanna on LinkedIn! Thank you so much to Johanna for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.