Intentional Performers

Kevin Lavelle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Kevin has done a lot in a short amount of time, and he is a young guy trying to make an impact and a dent on the world. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mizzen + Main, and he was the CEO before stepping down to take on the Chairman role. Mizzen + Main is an innovative company transforming the apparel industry by making the world’s most comfortable dress shirt. Kevin has been innovative and creative with how they market the product, and has used creative ways to get people’s attention. The company has been featured in the New York Times, Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, and Men’s Health. Today, he is a Senior Vice President at Staying Together which is a non-profit that aims to help social entrepreneurs supercharge their efforts to help people change their lives. In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:40), what it was like going from SMU to the Middle East (10:00), his reaction when he started on a different path (14:30), if he had an entrepreneurial bug from a young age (20:30), how being a generalist helped and hurt him as a consultant (22:20), his experience at the Hunt Companies (24:00), why he decided to start his own company (26:00), job security and values (32:10), how people felt about him making work changes (34:30), what it’s like going from being a consultant to an employee to a boss (37:20), how to work with confrontation (42:30), if he felt he was someone that always wanted to work for himself (44:30), why he got help with executive coaching and EO to build his business (46:40), his experience with an executive coach and the Hogan assessment (54:10), when he got interested in politics (1:02:50), why he stepped into the non-profit space (1:06:30), what he loves about media types (1:13:40), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best (1:18:10) We encourage you to find him on Twitter and check out @MizzenandMain on all forms of social media. Kevin now works for Stand Together https://standtogether.org/ and at this organization, he works with Youth Entrepreneurs, Urban Specialists, and Café Momentum. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Dr. Rob Bell joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Rob is a mental coach that works with athletes in the sports arena and individuals in the corporate space. Rob has written six books on mental toughness. He is also an ultra-marathon runner and this year he is running a 100-mile race. He will talk about spirituality, what makes him emotionally and mentally strong and why physical fitness is such a priority for him.   In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (4:20), what it felt like to be arrested (6:50), the things that changed his life (9:00), embarrassment and rock bottom (12:20), what he loved about sports when he was little (14:50), how he thinks about success (17:20), when sports psychology came into his life (18:20), how it felt when he stopped playing baseball (19:40), his religious framework (23:10), giving yourself grace (27:30), what it was like starting a sports psychology practice (31:10), what it is like teaching (33:10), why he doesn’t voluntarily share his story (35:00), what he does to make sure he’s emotionally where he needs to be (36:10), why he got into running (37:20), the frameworks he uses when working with athletes (42:00), how he thinks about mental toughness (44:30), his mindset in the different areas of his life (45:10), what caused him to go down the road of sobriety (47:20), his habits (48:00), and why he does ultra-marathons (50:40) Thank you to Rob for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://drrobbell.com/ and he is @drrobbell on all social media. His next book coming out is called “Puke and Rally” which is not about the setback but about the comeback. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Chris Wilson joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Chris is a serial social entrepreneur, a story-teller, an artist, a social justice advocate, and an author. He wrote the book, “The Masterplan,” which is a fantastic read. He was incarcerated for murder at the age of 17 and had a life sentence so this conversation is less about the murder and more about what he did after it. He will talk about his life in prison where he was for 16 years before somehow miraculously getting out. In this episode, we discuss when he decided he wanted to write a book (6:50), what his mother and grandmother instilled in him (7:50), his reaction in prison when he was saying he would talk about positive delusion (9:00), what life was like for him as a kid (12:20), his experience with his mother (14:30), despair in his life (16:40), what he thinks about nature vs. nurture (18:10), how he thinks about therapy and mental health (19:20), how he’d define toughness and being coachable (22:00), what makes a great mentor (25:50), what it was like to outline his book (27:30), being externally vs. internally focused (30:20), what it was like to be in solitary confinement vs. being in a free situation (34:10), what we should do differently for people in prison (36:40), why he wanted to tell his story (40:20), what he’s done to try to create more jobs (41:40), what he recommends to people who don’t look like him can do to make a difference (44:00), the photo business he started (45:00), how he started journaling (46:50), his process of writing the book (47:30), where he is on the master plan (48:30), the Chris Wilson foundation (49:50), doing the work and putting yourself out there (51:00), the willingness to speak with the Dean at the University of Baltimore (53:15), his mindset in all the different things he does (56:40), what a day looks like for him (57:30), the car he drives now (1:00:20), and why he didn’t used to smile in pictures (1:03:00) Thank you to Chris Wilson for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to buy his book, “The Master Plan.” We also encourage you to check out his website http://chriswilson.biz/ and find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Paul James, also known as PJ, joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. After college at Syracuse University, PJ moved out to LA and started his acting career. PJ was in the hit TV show Greek, and he was in a movie right off the bat called Cry Wolf. Today he is on a Netflix show called Soundtrack. You’ll enjoy that PJ is open, honest, and talks about the ups and downs that come with acting as a career. In this episode, we discuss when acting came into his life (5:20), why his dad was a secret service agent (7:40), what he liked about being on stage (9:20), why he wanted to be in a fraternity (13:20), what the theater program at Syracuse was like (17:30), what it was like transitioning out to LA (20:10), playing as an actor (23:30), why he hates auditions (25:30), preparation vs. performance mindset (28:30), where he feels most alive (32:15), how his Dad passing impacted his life (37:00), dealing with adversity (41:20), the story behind his current show (45:00), what he does to mentally prepare himself for acting (47:30), how he responds to failure (52:30), what he’s done for the last two years (54:00), being in the show Greek (56:20), how he stays disciplined with the reactiveness of acting (1:01:10), and how he goes from acting vs. who he is off camera (1:06:20) Thank you to Paul for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out on Instagram and watch his show Soundtrack on Netflix. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Jamy Bechler joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Jamy is a professional speaker, leadership trainer, and executive business coach who has worked with teams ranging from major corporations to teams in the NBA. Before going into full-time leadership work, Jamy served for 20 years as a college basketball coach, a professor, and administrator. When he hung up his whistle, he didn’t stop coaching, he just moved from the locker room to the boardroom. Now he travels the country motivating people and motivating organizations. We will talk about what leadership is, what it might not be, and Jamy will talk about what that looks like on and off the basketball court. In this episode, we discuss his childhood (4:30), his early thoughts on leadership (8:40), influence and leadership (12:10), how he thinks about talent with influence (18:00), when he decided he would be a sports coach (24:30), what he learned from John Wooden (29:00), similarities and differences in coaching men vs. women in basketball (30:10), how he’d connect with his players (32:30), the elements of a good culture (43:00), what he did after he got fired (46:00), why he shifted out of athletic coaching (48:00), what he noticed as an AD that he didn’t as a coach (50:00), what it’s been like to go off on his own (52:00), what he intentionally does to make sure he’s his best self (54:40), what he knows now about coaching that he didn’t used to know (57:40), and his writing process (1:03:00) Thank you to Jamy for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://jamybechler.com/, find him on Twitter, and check out his books. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Today's podcast is in memory of Kobe Bryant. I never met Kobe, but his story-telling and the stories told about him are legendary.  Hopefully, this podcast inspires you to learn from Kobe and intentionally perform at your craft.  Sending love to all who perished in this tragic accident.   

Gary Green joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Gary helped find Cameron Carmichael which is an executive search firm based in Charlotte, NC. They build a successful relationship with their clients that is built on a mutual trust and commitment to outstanding results. In this conversation, we will talk about what Gary looks for when he’s placing executives with companies and what makes a successful partnership when he’s doing that. He will also spend time talking about his journey through swimming at Duke, serving in the Navy, and receiving his MBA from Harvard. Gary has also competed in marathons and triathlons and he is still competing to this day. In this episode, we discuss what his upbringing was like (5:10), the values his parents passed down to him (9:50), what his dynamic with his siblings was like (13:20), his sports interest (18:00), his experience as a swimmer at Dematha (21:40), why he decided to go into the military (24:50), how he balanced academics, ROTC, social, and athletics at Duke (27:20), what he loved about swimming (31:40), what it’s like to compete in endurance competitions (33:50), how he thinks about success (36:10), why he thinks some CEO’s may not be happy (38:30), what he does when he’s interviewing and someone feels stuck (40:30), how he tries to find alignment amongst intangibles between a person and an organization (43:20), how his business came to be (46:15), what has allowed his partnership to work (48:30), why VP of Sales is the hardest to recruit (52:10), how he figures out if someone is an individual contributor or a good manager (54:40), what his military experience was like (55:40), what it was like to be part of the Harvard community (58:30), what he does to make sure he’s living the life he wants to live (1:05:00), and the habits he does to make sure he’s sharp (1:07:40) Thank you to Gary for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out https://www.cameroncarmichael.com/ and find him on LinkedIn. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Terry Knickerbocker joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Terry is the studio director and founder of Terry Knickerbocker’s Studio in Brooklyn, NY. For the past 30 years, Terry has acted, directed, coached, and produced art with all kinds of incredible people. After he graduated from NYU, Terry trained as an actor with Bill Esper and worked with Bill for 25 years. Terry has been mentored and values mentoring others immensely. He is a past recipient of the Drama League of New York’s Directing Award Fellowship for Emerging Directors. This conversation is about what he does and who he is, and who he is constantly trying to become and how he wants to show up. In this episode, we discuss, how he got into acting (6:10), the things people acknowledged about him as a child (10:30), what toughness is (15:20), the values his parents passed down to him (17:10), where he feels emotions (19:20), how to deal with anger (24:00), when acting became something he wanted to pursue (26:10), what makes people turn towards acting (34:00), his experience at NYU (36:00), what leads to consistency in coaching/teaching (45:00), how he’s different than Bill Esper (49:00), how he typically teaches acting (50:50), coaching vs. teaching (53:10), if he misses performing (1:00:00), how he’s doing with working on the business vs. in the business (1:01:20), how he serves people with a fear of not making it (1:05:00), the downside that comes with fame (1:11:00), the habits he has to make sure he’s at his best (1:13:10), his religious framework (1:16:20), the pictures up on his wall (1:19:20), and the power of polarity (1:22:40) Thank you to Terry for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out his website https://terryknickerbockerstudio.com/ and his studio is in Brooklyn. They teach a two-year acting program twice a year that begins in September and January, and they also have a six-week intensive program from mid-June to the end of July. You can find him on Twitter @tknickerbocker and Instagram @terryknickerbockerstudio.   Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Ryan Holiday joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Ryan wrote the books, “The Obstacle is the Way,” “Ego is the Enemy,” “The Daily Stoic,” “Conspiracy” and “Stillness is the Key,” to name a few. He’s written ten books and he is continuing to write. At his core, he is a writer and a media strategist. He’s worked in marketing, and he’s worked with prominent best-selling authors such as Neil Strass, Tony Robbins, and Tim Ferris. Before becoming a writer, he had a successful marketing career at American Apparel, and he went on to create an agency called Brass Check. Ryan has been in the weeds and done the work as far as marketing and writing. He has sold more than two million copies of his books and his books have landed in the hands of world-class coaches, athletes, and teams. In this episode, we discuss how I got a package from Ryan (6:20), how he thinks about his audience when writing (7:50), the transition to the first book he wrote (12:20), the obstacle is the way tattoo (15:50), if he thought his books would flow together (17:10), his mindset when speaking vs. writing (18:00), when he knew he wanted to be a writer (19:30), his writing process (21:30), what his family was like growing up (26:10), how to find what you’re meant to do (32:00), what motivates him (35:10), mindset for preparation vs. performance (37:40), arrogance in performance (43:00), what he’s attracted to in stoicism (48:30), what he does to make sure he’s in it (53:00), what he does to be the best version of himself (54:40), what makes the San Antonio Spurs such a great organization (55:50), what he sees himself doing 10 years from now (59:10), how he thinks about building a business (1:01:00), his thoughts on fame (1:03:10), and selling your ideas (1:04:30) Thank you to Ryan for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check him out at https://ryanholiday.net/, https://dailystoic.com/, and you can find him @RyanHoliday and @DailyStoic on all forms of social media. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Matt Stover joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Matt Stover played in the NFL for 20 years where he played 13 years for the Baltimore Ravens. When he retired in 2009, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL. Matt played at the highest level and did his craft as well as anybody that’s ever done it. Matt will talk about the routines and habits that helped him have so much success in the NFL. You will also hear from Matt about how he thinks about strength, mental fitness, emotional fitness, and spiritual fitness. He is a super-bowl winner and he was a leader on the Ravens. Matt is the oldest player to ever play in a super bowl and he is in the Ravens ring of honor. Today, he is doing some really interesting stuff around finance and philanthropy that he will talk about. In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:00), why he didn’t kick until his senior year (7:30), the values his parents passed down to him (9:20), what it was like playing for Bill Belichick (14:40), how he responded as a backup (17:40), where his motto of “why not me” came from (20:30), his mindset as a kicker (23:00), how he built trust with his teammates (24:30), what it was like to be part of a consistent contender (28:00), what the Ravens did to breakdown barriers between different parts of the team (33:10), what the draft was like when he was drafted in the 12th round (35:10), what he’d be doing if he wasn’t in the NFL (39:00), how he’d prepare on gameday (43:30), the ability to adapt and how he thought about the super bowl (48:50), what he’s up to now with the Players Philanthropy Fund (54:40), and what he loved about kicking and what he loves about what he’s doing now (1:02:00) Thank you to Matt for coming on the podcast. We encourage you to check out the great work he is doing at the Players Philanthropy Fund https://www.ppf.org/. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian