Intentional Performers

Shaka Smart joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Shaka is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Texas. He was previously the Head Coach at VCU where he helped get them to a Final Four. He is an amazing guy and incredible coach, but this conversation is about his life. He will talk about spirituality, culture, leadership, and we go deep in this conversation. He brings an energy to every conversation he is in, and he’s genuine, curious, and a life-long learner.   In this episode, we discuss why he’s drawn to relationships (5:30), the people that have impacted him (6:50), what he loves about basketball (9:10), how he thinks about competition (10:30), what he’d be doing if not coaching basketball (12:10), consciousness (17:40), the spiritual teachers he follows (21:10), how he thinks about ego (22:40), what he’s watching during a game (25:05), his sleep schedule (28:10), how he winds down (31:20), his spiritual framework (34:30), awareness and acceptance (39:30), feeling, emotion, and sensitivity (41:40), his biggest daily challenge in trying to achieve greatness (45:20), the power of curiosity (50:40), what goes through his body when telling a story (56:00), the culture he wants (1:00:30), what he looks for when recruiting (1:02:50), and if he cheers for underdogs as a fan (1:06:20).   Thank you to Shaka for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter @HookEmSmart. We also recommend you check out Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative https://eji.org/bryan-stevenson/.   I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order 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. -Brian

Rob Lively joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rob recently retired after 28 years of military service as the Command Sergeants Major of a Special Missions Unit within the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, NC. Rob has been at some of the most tense situations that somebody can be at in our military. He is an experienced and proven leader that has operated and led teams and organizations in all kinds of diverse and challenging environments. He was able to lead and influence from the tactical to the strategic, and do so across the boundaries that exist around military services, agencies, and countries. Rob culminated his Army service with the highest enlisted rank in the most competitive non-commission officer position. Rob currently serves on the board of directors of Patriot Defense Group, he’s a consultant for several companies including Tignum, and he founded the Unit Foundation where he serves as President of the Board of Directors. In this episode, we discuss his childhood (7:40), how football played a role in his life (10:00), his mother (14:40), what it was like playing football at Virginia Tech (17:30), what he’d say to his 14-year-old self (21:20), his hike (24:30), preparation and confidence (29:40), when he began to think about the military (32:40), how hard it was to walk away from football (36:40), why you don’t have to be phenomenally successful every day (41:00), what he noticed being around elite performers (45:00), teamwork in the military (47:40), what makes a good leader (51:00), what 9/11 was like for him (53:00), his perspective on death and loss (56:05), why he doesn’t have post-traumatic stress (59:10), the transition out of the army (1:01:40), what he missed most when he retired (1:06:00), what he does to be the best version of himself (1:07:00), what he’s up to now (1:11:10), and crisis leadership (1:15:00). Thank you to Rob for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://roblivelyspeaking.com/ if you are interested in a keynote. I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order 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. -Brian

Bob Richey joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Bob is the head men’s basketball coach at Furman University and you will learn quickly that he is sharp, with it, and extremely intentional as he thinks about culture. He recently completed his third season as the head coach at Furman and it’s his ninth overall as he served as an assistant for his first six years. Coach Richey has had a lot of success during his time at Furman and his overall record is 73-26 with a record of 41-13 in the Southern Conference. He is currently ranked ninth in winning percentage among Division 1 head coaches. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (6:00), his brothers (10:00), the values in his family (12:10), who influenced him (17:10), his parents (18:40), why basketball (20:00), switching schools at a young age (22:15), resilience (25:30), what he does to make sure his blind spots aren’t derailing him (27:30), remote leadership (33:40), the power of pausing (38:20) , his experience as Director of Basketball Operations (45:20), if you can be great at everything (49:00), his routines/habits (51:00), what he was like at 27 (55:20), how he shows up now as a head coach (1:05:00), his mindset as a coach (1:09:00), how he gets the right people on the bus (1:13:30), how to find someone special that isn’t in a winning organization (1:19:30), how he thinks about bringing Freshmen in (1:22:40), how he gets feedback from players (1:25:00), committed vs. compelled (1:32:00), and sports psychology and what he does for his staff (1:35:40). Thank you to Bob Richey for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter @CoachRichey and check out his team @FurmanHoops. I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order 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. -Brian

Mark Shapiro joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Mark has really been at the forefront when it comes to player development, human development, and baseball. He has been at it for over 25 years, and he worked for the Cleveland Indians organization for 24 years and has been with the Toronto Blue Jays for the last 5 years as the President and CEO. He has worked at the highest level with both the Indians and the Blue Jays, and Marks thinks about and studies leadership development and human development unlike many other people in this world. He understands the value of the mental side and he cares deeply about developing the holistic side of people. In this episode, we discuss his life growing up (8:10), what he observed from Cal Ripken Jr. (10:30), what he focuses on to get better (14:30), how to manage load management (17:00), how he thought about his relationship with his dad and baseball (20:00), what is different about the son of a big leaguer (25:20), the three-legged stool (31:00), why he’s invested in full-time sports psychologists (33:20), coaching the front office (35:40), the balance between strength and being humble (43:00), what he does to work on blind spots (46:10), what happened to him as a Junior in college (49:45), values inside an organization (54:30), how he focuses on being and becoming (1:00:50), and analytics and sports psychology in baseball (1:04:10) Thank you to Mark for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to follow him @MarkShapiro. I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order 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. -Brian

Max Rose joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Max is a Congressman and Army Veteran where he has won all kinds of awards – Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and a Combat Infantry Badge. Max has done a lot in his 33 years and continues to try to leave a legacy and make an impact on this country. He represents South Brooklyn, Staten Island, and is a proud US Army Veteran that serves on the House Committee of Veteran Affairs as well as the House Committee of Homeland Security. He is in the weeds as someone that is making a difference in the security of our nation. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (7:30), regret vs. failure (15:40), being present (20:00), powerful conversations (24:20), not being introspective (28:20), the importance of self-awareness (31:20), being a fighter growing up (38:20), what he wanted to be at 16 (40:00), why he wants to be in service (45:00), “thank you for your service” (48:30), what it was like being in NYC on 9/11 (55:40), when the military idea came into his life (59:00), what he learned from the military (1:01:00), what he did after he left the military (1:05:20). what it’s like navigating congress (1:06:50), his thoughts on fame (1:09:00), normalcy and human fragility (1:18:50), and what he does to set himself up to be successful (1:19:50) Thank you to Max for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Twitter, Facebook, and his website https://www.maxroseforcongress.com/. I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that will be coming out in October 2020, and you can pre-order 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. -Brian

Louis Joseph joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Louis is the Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Alps & Meters which expresses a deep appreciation for the rich, memorable mountain experiences through the design of first-class performance outerwear that is tailored, technical and timely. Lou has been at the clothing brand game for quite a while as he has worked at Puma, New Balance, and K-Swiss. He is a value-driven human that cares deeply about culture and connection. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (4:20), twins in his family (7:40), his parents (14:40), being a creator (20:20), what he loved about soccer (25:20), the roles he and his brother took on (28:30), the first time he experienced creating (31:20), what allowed New Balance and Puma to grow (36:30), when Alps & Meters came to be (41:30), the name of his company (45:20), his journey starting a company (49:30), and what he does to make sure he’s sharp (54:20) Thank you to Louis Joseph for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.alpsandmeters.com/. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Rudy Cline Thomas joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rudy is the Founder and Managing Partner of a company called Mastery, Inc. which brings together world class athletes, leading technology, media and consumer product companies as well as entrepreneurs and investors to create top tier platform building companies. When we say top tier platform building companies, we are talking about companies like Zoom which was used to put together this podcast. Most recently Rudy was an Executive Producer in the documentary The Scheme which was on HBO and was about College Basketball. In 2007, Rudy founded the Annual Players Technology Summit and now they have Bloomberg as a partner, and they bring together top tier athletes with some of the best thought leaders in technology and venture capital. He currently works as a strategic advisor and resides in New York City. In this episode, we discuss his childhood (5:45), basketball in his life (9:40), what he wanted to do in life (11:20), his relationship with money (12:30), his college experience (13:40), his internship with the NBA (16:20), his biggest failure (19:40), where his persistence comes from (25:30), what he learned from 3 different mentors (28:30), being an alpha (31:00), when he pivoted out of being an agent (35:10), his mission (36:00), his habits (38:40), Players Technology Summit (39:40), what makes him feel most alive (40:30), and where he likes to get information (42:10). Thank you to Rudy for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out the documentary “The Scheme” on HBO which Rudy was involved in. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Alexander Caillet joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Alexander is an organizational psychologist, consultant, and a coach that is internationally known for his pioneering approach to team coaching and state of mind research with organizational leaders. He is also an active professor at the Georgetown University Leadership Coaching Certificate Program, guest lecturer at American University, and a frequent international speaker on the subjects of change, teams, coaching, and leadership. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (5:20), his family (10:50), the benefits of moving around a lot (12:20), the values his parents passed down to him (14:20), state of mind work (22:40), if he would do anything differently as a 28-year-old (28:20), three up and three down (35:00), how to get people to notice their state of mind (37:00), the course that woke him up (43:50), team development (51:30), what makes an effective meeting (55:20), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best day to day (59:20) Thank you to Alexander for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://corentus.com/. For listening to this podcast, if you go to https://corentus.com/heartandresults and put in the password heart&results you can get a lot of great free content. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Halelly Azulay joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Halelly is an author, speaker, facilitator, and leadership development strategist and an expert in communication skills and emotional intelligence. In 2006, Halelly founded TalentGrow LLC, a consulting company focused on developing leaders and teams, especially for enterprises experiencing explosive growth or expansion. Halelly is the author of two books, Employee Development on a Shoestring (ASTD Press) and Strength to Strength: How Working from Your Strengths Can Help You Lead a More Fulfilling Life. Her books and workshops build on her 20+ years of professional experience in communication and leadership development in corporate, government, nonprofit and academic organizations. In this episode, we discuss her upbringing (4:30), when to quit vs. stay committed (9:10), trusting values when making decisions (13:00), her family (16:30), her transition to the United States (23:40), the role of religion in her life (26:40), how she thinks about spirituality (27:50), her vision for herself in college (30:20), risk taking and being intentional (34:00), how she thinks about advice (36:20), when she got interested in communication (43:30), what she didn’t like about advertising and PR (47:20), tools that unlock great communication (51:00), servant leadership (57:30), the power of giving first (1:04:00), and her business (1:09:30) Thank you to Halelly for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out her company https://www.talentgrow.com/ where you can find more information about her books and podcast. You can also find her on all social media @HalellyAzulay. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Chad Ford joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chad has really been living five lives simultaneously for 20 years. He has been an international conflict mediator, a college professor, a senior consultant and facilitator for the Arbinger Institute, executive board member of PeacePlayers, and is probably best known as a writer/analyst/entrepreneur covering the NBA and NBA draft for ESPN. Being a basketball analyst has really just been a side gig for most of the last two decades for Chad. He is really passionate about peace building and it is what he feels he was meant to do on this earth. He has a book coming out in June called Dangerous Love. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing (6:10), his memory of his Dad (12:00), how he thinks about nature vs. nurture (17:20), why he wanted to get into conflict (19:00), his experience at Georgetown (23:40), his spiritual framework (32:10), when he got interested in the NBA draft (37:10), why he loves the NBA draft (47:30), NBA draft debates (54:00), how he thinks about confrontation (1:02:30), how he sees love and difficult conversations in the sports world (1:10:00), inward mindset vs. outward mindset (1:19:20), and his upcoming book Dangerous Love (1:29:20). Thank you to Chad for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his new book https://dangerouslovebook.com/ coming out on June. You can also check out his blog and podcast at that same website. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian