Thirty Minute Mentors

Carly Pearce is a Grammy Award-winning country music star who has won both CMA Female Vocalist of the Year and ACM Female Artist of the Year. Carly joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Carly and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: high performance, leadership, self-awareness, coachability, authenticity, creativity, resilience, balance, and more.

Terry Lundgren, former CEO of Macy’s and Neiman Marcus, shares stories from a remarkable retail career. He discusses overcoming early setbacks, starting at the bottom, building high-performing teams, winning over skeptics, and leading through transformation. They explore situational management, psychological safety, clear communication, e-commerce, and why even successful organizations must keep reinventing themselves.

General CQ Brown, Jr. is a retired four-star general who served as the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the United States military. General Brown previously served as Chief of Staff of the Air Force, becoming the first African American to lead a branch of the United States Armed Forces. General Brown joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. General Brown and Adam discuss leadership, career success, approachability and relatability, crisis management, innovation, trust, and much more.

Rick Rosenfield is the co-founder and former CEO of California Pizza Kitchen, a global restaurant company that generates nearly a billion dollars a year in revenue. Rick joins Adam to share his unique journey - from criminal defense lawyer to one of the restaurant industry's most successful entrepreneurs - and his best lessons and advice. Rick and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, leadership, hiring, culture, resilience, partnership, and much more.

Sebastian Thrun is the founder of Waymo, the market leader in the United States in autonomous driving. A pioneer in the fields of computer science, robotics, automation, education, and artificial intelligence, Sebastian is recognized as the godfather of the self-driving car industry. Sebastian is also the founder and former CEO of Udacity. Sebastian joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Sebastian and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: innovation, purpose, trust, decision-making, team building, AI, leadership, success, and much more.

Chris Peterson, CEO of Newell Brands and leader behind brands like Sharpie, Rubbermaid, and Crock-Pot, discusses the making of a modern executive. He explores career growth, CEO time management, stakeholder tradeoffs, and servant leadership. He also breaks down Newell’s multi-year turnaround, consumer-led innovation, hiring collaborative leaders, and making smart decisions amid uncertainty.

David Cohen, entrepreneur, investor, and Techstars co-founder and CEO, shares the forces that shaped his journey. He explores why mentorship and trusted networks can transform startups, what drives exceptional founders, and how to persuade through clarity and listening. He also discusses adaptable leadership, rapid experimentation, intrinsic motivation, and why becoming AI-native is essential.

Alan Rothenberg led the growth of soccer in the United States. A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Alan was the president of U.S. Soccer, the governing body of American soccer, where he oversaw the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1999 Women's World Cup and founded Major League Soccer. Alan joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Alan and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career success, authenticity, reputation, risk, and much more.

Mitch Caplan was the CEO of E*TRADE, where he helped pioneer the first fully integrated online brokerage platform and led through the highest of highs (building a $3 billion business) and the lowest of lows (the 2008 financial crisis). Mitch is currently the CEO of Willow Wealth. Mitch joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Mitch and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, humility, collaboration, growth and scale, innovation, navigating crisis and chaos, and much more.

Neil Giraldo is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and a five-time Grammy winner. Neil has performed, written, and produced music that has sold more than 45 million records, most notably through his decades-long creative partnership with his wife and bandmate Pat Benatar. Neil joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Neil and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: the road to greatness, leadership, creativity, ego, evolution, and much more.