The Walker Webcast

Willy welcomes Clarke Murphy. He is the Board and CEO Leadership Advisor at Russell Reynolds Associates. He leverages 30 years of experience in the executive recruiting industry to advise on critical leadership mandates across sectors. He has provided leadership advisory services to corporations, such as Duke Energy, Deutsche Bank, and Siemens. Before joining Russell Reynolds, he was a banking officer at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. He hosts the Redefiners podcast, interviewing daring leaders who have transformed their organizations and created extraordinary impact. Clarke Murphy begins by talking about the smooth and textbook leadership transition in Russell Reynolds, the ideal number of board members, and the biggest benefit to running a public company – a strong focus on the client. The popularity of LinkedIn did not kill off the executive search firm because Clarke believes that posting resumes isn’t recruitment and that the website is more of a career development community. With Russell Reynolds, Clarke chose to focus on advising and recruiting board members, CEOs, and C-suite candidates, concentrating on board effectiveness and leadership development. The company has also worked closely with LinkedIn, testing new products and services and leveraging each other’s communities. Clarke explains how CEO academies should be transparent to their participants that they are investing time and money in them. He was anxious that the pandemic would encourage cost-cutting and layoffs due to not being able to afford to keep their employees. However, he believes that the best companies in the world retain their best people longer than their competitors. Currently, talent wins because of the abundance of cash, resulting in the nature of a leader significantly changing in the past 20 years. “Leadership is no longer about leading. It’s about creating followership,” he says. He thinks young people are thirsty for knowledge and improvement and will stay if you assure them that they’re on a winning team. Clarke enjoys sailing and retells his near-death experience of mistaking a 40-foot steel barnacle-covered container for a whale. However, his cautious and quick-thinking skills saved him and his crew. He explains how successful leaders all had sustainability mindsets with the four competencies: multi-level system thinking, stakeholder inclusion, disruptive innovation, and long-term activation. They also achieved a balance of people, the planet, and profit.Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy welcomes Bobby Turner. He is the CEO and Principal of Turner Impact and has established himself as a pioneer in social impact investing. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he is the former Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founding Partner of Canyon Capital Realty Advisors. He has committed to offering reasonable financial returns for investors and developing opportunities for underserved communities. Bobby Turner opens the show by relating the importance of sports in becoming a successful businessman, as it teaches you how problems come quickly. He fondly remembers Baltimore, growing up with "great perspective and diversity." He believes in reigniting the American dream as the pandemic has proven our resilience but demotivated the nation, highlighting the crises in food, housing, and healthcare and the disparity of wealth and hope. He emphasizes the importance of evolving, exploring and trying new experiences, and seeing the social issues in our present world. He recalls working for his father in a footwear factory in Puerto Rico as an eye-opener. He describes the working conditions as "subhuman" and "disheartening." After speaking with fellow machine operators, he unraveled how most of them don't have other options for livelihood. He explains how most people forget their privilege and that nobody is entitled to success; thus, we must pay our luck forward. Money being the sole metric of success was an idea Bobby refused to adhere to as he delved into philanthropy and saw how organizations only provided Band-Aid answers to entrenched problems—curing these required durable, scalable, sustainable, and profitable market forces. He formed the Canyon Johnson Urban Fund with Magic Johnson in 1998, raising $5 million in two years. Fighting against arrogance and distrust, he discovered the mismatch between supply and demand in underserved communities. Operating in these areas requires a diverse perspective to understand the people.Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy welcomes Dr. Larry Sabato. He is a political scientist, political analyst, and the Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia. He is the founder and director of the university's Center for Politics, which publishes Sabato's Ball, his online newsletter where he writes electoral predictions and analysis. Dr. Larry Sabato begins by discussing remaining nonpartisan in an increasingly divisive environment. He is only interested in picking the winners and claims to have a good idea of where the upcoming results are going. He aims to get people involved and excited about politics. Research done by the Center of Politics interviewed 1,000 Donald Trump supporters and 1,000 Joe Biden supporters, which resulted in 51% of Trump supporters believing that Democratic states should secede from the union, and 42% of Biden supporters wish the same for Republican states. Nowadays, people feel strongly about their campaigns that even some Americans don't believe that Biden was legitimately elected despite zero evidence of fraud. People think they're entitled to facts and opinions in a no-facts era. Dr. Sabato calls for returning to basics and the civic education of young people. Although existing systems work, Dr. Sabato recommends voting on paper to eliminate questioning. Having computers with the Internet creates doubts and is at risk of hacking. It's difficult for a third party to emerge even though it can change political dynamics. The two major parties comprise most of Congress and wouldn't want a smaller slice of the pie. Gerrymandering is a big issue, with Democrats in Virginia making decisions that, in the end, favored Republicans. Dr. Sabato talks about open primaries where people vote for four candidates in order, and each candidate receives a certain number of votes based on how high they are ranked. This system can produce centrist results, and Dr. Sabato is open to this reform. Despite Donald Trump receiving a larger turnout than usual, Dr. Sabato still hopes more people will be voting this year. Moving on to the gubernatorial elections, he describes how "hypocrisy is the lifeblood of politics." He predicts Brian Kemp winning even without a runoff. He explains how split-ticket results are rare, as their parties determine 90% of voters. He says we shouldn't believe the Gallup polls, and split ticketing mainly happened in the 70s. An entirely Republican sweep isn't possible, one of the reasons being the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He foresees Republicans winning Oregon, Wisconsin, and Kansas. Although Massachusetts and Maryland are Republican, Dr. Sabato thinks they will lose in a landslide. He believes that Sonny Perdue leaning heavily in Trump's direction was a mistake that ended his career. He explains how the Republican party is divided into two halves: one is entirely dedicated to Trump, and the other is much more conservative than Larry Hogan. He predicts Jared Polis is not running against Biden, but reruns are possible. It's also expected that Kevin McCarthy will win as a speaker. He describes how every president will experience one or both Houses of Congress controlled by the other party, but veto power will be exercised to counter it.GET NOTIFIED about upcoming shows: » Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5jhzGBWOTvQku2kLbucGcw » See upcoming guests on the #WalkerWebcast here: https://www.walkerdunlop.com/webcasts/Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy welcomes James Stavridis. He is a retired US Navy Admiral and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and the best-selling author of 2034: A Novel of the Next World War and To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and the Crucible of Decision. He is currently the Vice Chair of Global Affairs, Managing Director of the Carlyle Group, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation. James begins discussing his career in the Naval Academy in the late 1970s. Being on a top-five national-ranked team, his coach brought over an experienced Pakistani player, beating him and his members, making it his first lesson on humility. In his freshman year, he decided to be a sailor, much to his father's disappointment, who was a former infantry officer. But the choice paid off 25 years later. The first 20 years of his career were during the Cold War. He described knowing every detail of every Russian warship and conducting tabletop exercises. He points out aircraft carriers as the US's biggest advantage over Russia, while their strong point was undersea warfare. He mentions how the current Russian army is only a shadow of its former self. Due to bombings of US embassies in East Africa, James and his group were tasked to launch Tomahawk missiles on Osama Bin Laden's residence in the late 1990s. The mission failed because Pakistani residents informed Bin Laden of their presence. In 2001, Bin Laden returned fire on the Pentagon, killing many of James' close comrades and friends, ironically in the "safest place in the world." James affirms how Navy men are trained firefighters, able to combat the fire after the bombing. The Pentagon bombing taught James that "life can change forever in an instant," the importance of being ready at all times, and the flexibility in changing strategies. After 911, James was tasked with creating a tactical think tank called Deep Blue, gathering the smartest men in all ranks for a year and a half before becoming a carrier strike commander. The anger fueled James and the rest of the military to implement dramatic changes and innovate, fighting against internal parochialism. He emphasizes the importance of breaking those barriers in times of crisis. He believes the workforce should be challenged, incentivized, and rewarded for new ideas. He uses "innovation cells," having a small number of switched-on people to brainstorm with and compensating them exceptionally for their work. James thinks the US is not paying enough attention to South America, despite engaging with Colombia previously. He explains how South America has untapped potential for natural resources and economic and cultural diversity. Finland and Sweden joining NATO is a formidable threat against Vladimir Putin's war as these nations are highly-skilled air and land fighters, respectively. Their geographical locations and hold on the Arctic are also advantages.Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy welcomes Diana Walker, his mother. She is well-known for her work as a Time magazine White House photographer from 1984 to 2004. Before getting her big break, she freelanced for weddings and bar mitzvahs. She has covered historical moments and figures of the United States, such as Walter Mondale's presidential campaign, Steve Jobs' life, and the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations. Diana begins by talking about her early love for photography. She used to take many pictures as a child and had a darkroom in the basement to process her film. A friend offered to do a photography business with her, and she started earning as a freelance photographer. A friend referred her to a job at The Washington Monthly, getting credentials to photograph in the White House. As she built her portfolio, more opportunities came. Eventually, she was hired by Time Magazine to take photos side-by-side with Rosalynn Carter, the first lady to former president Jimmy Carter, during her trips, most notably in Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge took over. One of her iconic photos was of the late Queen Elizabeth giving a speech and then-president Ronald Reagan laughing behind her. She obtained it by taking note of the event schedule given to the press and borrowing a monopod from a San Francisco Chronicle journalist after fumbling to assemble hers. The challenge of camera technology in the '80s was getting the right shot without having the chance to check if you really got it and exposing it correctly. Her image of Walter Mondale speaking to the press gained attention for showing "why he wasn't leading the polls."Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Walker Webcast, Willy welcomes Dr. Peter Linneman. He is the principal of Linneman Associates, KL, Realty, and American Land Fund. He is cited as one of the 25 Most Influential People in Real Estate by Realtor Magazine and one of the 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real estate by the New York Observer. He is a highly sought-after speaker and author with his quarterly research, The Linneman Letter. Willy begins by citing a quote from The Linneman Letter, “​​The increases in interest rates to date will enhance economic growth, not cause a recession.” Dr. Linneman says, “of course.” He mentions that valuable things shouldn’t have zero price if the goal is maximizing resource efficiency. Interest rates going up to a certain point give a better signal of where money should flow. And that will enhance economic output. It is not where interest rates are; it’s the journey.GET NOTIFIED about upcoming shows: » Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5jhzGBWOTvQku2kLbucGcw » See upcoming guests on the #WalkerWebcast here: https://www.walkerdunlop.com/webcasts/Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Willy welcomes Molly Bloom. She is an entrepreneur, a Keynote Motivational Speaker, and the author of the 2014 memoir Molly's Game, which has now been adapted into a film by Aaron Sorkin. Previously becoming the "poker princess" of high-stakes games, she once trained to become an Olympic skier but quit after an injury. Now, she is passionate about networking, building a thriving community for hardworking women, and being a producer, host, and guest for multiple podcasts.Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy welcomes Mike Allen. He is a journalist, co-founder, and executive director of Axios, a news source that delivers brief and efficient takes on current events, politics, media, and tech. He also co-founded POLITICO, where he wrote his first newsletter, the POLITICO Playbook. He has previously written for Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Along with Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz, he has written Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less. Mike Allen begins by explaining what makes Axios different from traditional media and talking about how "the longer the story, the better chance to get on the front page of the section," which incentives traditional journalists to write verbosely. The first two words of the Axios manifesto are "audience first." This experience inspired Mike Allen and his co-authors to promote smart Brevity to "communicate more efficiently, crisply, and be heard through this crazy fog of words that comes at all of us." With his first newsletter, Mike learned the lesson of imagining that you're a human talking to another human while writing. This means avoiding overly extravagant words or phrases. He also suggests reading whatever you have written aloud so you can edit and avoid sounding like a robot. Mike describes how readers will only remember one thing from their work. The best course of action is to identify what that one thing is, hone it, and put it on top of your writing. He adds that it only takes 20 seconds for an average person to engage with an average piece of content. Mike adds that Axios was created to redesign a new experience for the news consumer. "For ninety-nine percent of content, an efficient experience is the best one," he adds. He gives an example of how one writer used bullet points to improve his emails to parents and how it significantly made it easier for them to remember. Mike also recommends thinking about the audience as you're writing, giving the example of priests delivering lengthy homilies that fail to drive home their key points. "Think of a sharp, memorable way to communicate it and say it," he says. Axios emphasizes the message, "Brevity is confidence. Length is fear." Mike continues by saying how many people fake it in their careers by talking too much. "The long letter is easier to write because you haven't thought about it," he adds. Interestingly, his book, Smart Brevity, has only 28,000 words, the minimum required for a hardcover publication. He retells his experience applying smart Brevity to Jamie Dimon's letters and improving its readership to people beyond real estate and financing. Talking about "sharp communications equals sharp strategy," Mike describes how the human tendency to talk too much can take us out of getting a raise or a sale. He advises saying what you want and stopping there. Some customers might feel overwhelmed by a salesperson's information vomit, eventually walking out of a possible order.Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy welcomes Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Peter Linneman. Dr. Michael Roizen is the Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. His books, RealAge and YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make you Healthier and Younger, has been translated into more than 44 languages and became #1 in the NY Times Bestsellers list. Dr. Peter Linneman is the principal of Linneman Associates, KL, Realty, and American Land Fund. He is a highly sought-after speaker and author, with his quarterly research, The Linneman Letter, the most respected publication in real estate for the past 11 years. The podcast begins with Dr. Michael Roizen defining RealAge as "the actual age of your body as opposed to your calendar age." It is the most accurate predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The critical factors to maintaining one's health and lowering one's RealAge are stress management (having a purpose and a posse), food choices (portion size and timing), physical activity, unforced errors, sleep and brain health, and supplements. He adds that creatine has been proven to decrease muscle mass loss for people over 65 and improves cognitive function. Around 18 supplements or small molecules have beneficial data. Dr. Peter Linneman takes over the conversation and emphasizes how much control we have over our destinies regardless of genetics. "We control 80% of our DNA settings," he says. This can be done through self-engineering. Dr. Roizen adds that exercise improves blood flow to the brain, prevents dementia, and turns on a new protein in your body that increases your hippocampal size. Whatever exercise you enjoy, as long as you stress a muscle, produces this protein. When comparing different types of exercises, Dr. Roizen says that some people benefit from cardio more than resistance training and vice versa. He adds that we should also consider jumping because it keeps our back disks lubricated, especially if you jump at times of the day when you lose mobility. He reminds everyone to consult a professional before doing it. He says that resistance training encourages muscles to be replaced with stronger ones the next day. Jumping also increases bone accretion and bone strength in one's hips and back. Dr. Roizen lists the five foods that increase aging: simple sugars, added syrups, simple carbohydrates, processed and red meats, and egg yolks. He recommends eating earlier because we become more insulin-resistant later in the day. People who avoid these foods and practice these portions sleep better, have more energy and are not hungry at night. Dr. Linneman gave up red meat in 1983. "Not only do you feel better, but you live better," he says. He discusses "staying healthy until the cavalry gets there." He also emphasizes how we cannot afford as a society not to reboot. The more we take care of ourselves, the more years are added to our lives, and the larger the increase in productivity. "Ten years is a 25% increase in your productive output in life," he says. Dr. Roizen explains how exercise can change the bacteria inside us. Studies have also shown that living healthy lives can knock out bodily mechanisms that don't attack cancer cells. Jim Allison's extensive work has produced KEYTRUDA, the medicine we use today to combat malignant melanoma, with a 63% cure rate. Internally, we can also produce killer T cells that can fight viruses. The strongest thing that knocks out our immune system is stress, so Dr. Roizen recommends doing exercises that don't stress you out, taking multivitamins, and having a dedicated group of friends.Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy welcomes Sean Foley. After graduating with an Arts degree and playing on his university’s golf team, his love for golf coaching came after watching David Leadbetter work with Nick Faldo on the range at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Course in the 1990s. Now, he had coached the biggest names in golf, including Sean O’Hair, Hunter Mahan, Stephen Ames, and Tiger Woods. He has been the head coach for the Canadian Junior Golf Association since 2003 and teaches at Core Golf Junior Academy in Winter Garden, Florida. He is a member of the faculty of Revolution Golf, a company that markets golf instruction videos and related content. The podcast begins with Sean sharing his experiences as a child constantly moving and his early experiences in golf. Moving back and forth between the US and Canada, he ended up working in the golf industry in Florida. “I think it’s harder for the world to sell you the normal nonsense when you’re well-traveled,” he says. He explains his philosophy on insecurity, which is something normal and wired in us and should be accepted instead of fighting against it. Sean credits his ability to maintain his identity as his way of staying strong even after letting go of friends and his environment due to moving. He talks about the difference between situation and circumstance. Stress is usually something we create within ourselves and something we can control. However, he believes that it is up to us to let go of what we don’t have control over. He continues to describe how our feelings are connected to old mental constructs, and we learn to assess and recognize them with age. “Frustration comes from what you think should be real at that moment is actually not real,” he says. He thinks positive mantras are pointless and that it’s better to combat negativity with breathing, sunlight, and exercise, a lesson his father taught him early on. He has always had a deep interest in learning from others. “When knowledge is passed on and goes through different experiences, it becomes wisdom,” he says. He drives home the importance of learning as a coach because it is easy to forget how learners feel while picking up something new. He continues to explain how mindfulness helps players realize that insecurity and a lack of confidence are fleeting. He encourages athletes and coaches to challenge belief systems and drill into strengths to improve on weaknesses.Listen to the replay!If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to your main Walker & Dunlop point of contact. We are all available to answer questions and provide assistance. Additionally, if you have topics you would like covered during one of our future webcasts, we would be happy to take your suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices