The Walker Webcast

In today's episode, Willy welcomes Carolyn Dewer. She founded and co-leads McKinsey's CEO excellence work, coaching many Fortune 100 CEOs to maximize their effectiveness. She works extensively with clients to drive organizational effectiveness at pivotal moments such as mergers, strategic shifts, and crises. She also leads large-scale performance improvement programs, integrating strategic, operational, and cultural initiatives. In addition to her direct work with clients, Carolyn conducts ongoing research. Among her many articles are two of the most read McKinsey Quarterly Articles of all time, The CEO's role in leading transformation and The irrational side of change management. She has also authored two foundational publications, Performance Culture Imperative: A Hard-nosed Approach to the Soft Stuff and Breaking New Ground. She is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets that Distinguish the Best Leaders From The Rest. The episode begins with Carolyn giving a brief insight into the CEOs she included in her book CEO Excellence. The outliers to her were the lesser-known but equally impressive leaders. Her inspiration for writing the book was McKinsey's landmark event, the Leadership Retreat, bringing together next-generation CEOs to learn from more experienced ones. She also wanted a clear answer to the question, "What does it mean to be a CEO?" CEOs included in the book had to have strong performance, a six-year tenure, and good reputational risk. Winning to an elite CEO looks different from the regular ones. One point is setting direction – being bold and reframing what winning looks like. She cites Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga recalibrating the company's focus from the credit card market to "killing cash." She also mentions Herbert Hainer of Adidas, bringing the brand back to its deep sense of purpose, creating the best products with science and technology. Another note-worthy CEO was Hubert Joly of Best Buy, shifting the focus on the customer experience and delivering value in-store that other stores can't do. He put into action the filter of four circles: what the world needs, what you're good at, what you're passionate about, and how you can make money. This philosophy can be used in any decision-making in one's career. Best Buy also allowed an on-site presence for brands like Apple and HP. An excellent CEO knows what you can do best, where you can add the most value in 24 hours, and where you can empower others instead of doing things yourself. The best CEOs have micro habits that propel them to the top. Aside from boldness and courage, it was also talent, culture, and design – treating the soft stuff as the hard stuff – and recognizing how they can help the directors and the board help them run the business. Mentioning Microsoft's Satya Nadella embodied the characteristics necessary for an excellent CEO, one of which is transparency. When asked why the CEO job is lonely, he said nobody underneath you could see what you can see, driving home the importance of letting others know about it. Chase's CEO Jamie Dimon dedicates an hour of his meeting to share what keeps him up at night about the company. Knowing which people on your board have expertise that can help you and be part of an extended partnership is vital.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 Mark Few. He is the Head Coach at Gonzaga University and was announced as an assistant coach for the 2022-2024 USA National Team. He served as an assistant coach for ten seasons before reaching the top position. Originally from Creswell, Oregon, Mark boasts of an extensive coaching career. He once worked as a head coach for the 2015 Pan American Men's Basketball team, an assistant coach for the gold medalist 2012 USA U18 National Team, and a court coach for the 2009 USA Men's U19 World Cup/World University Games Team Training Camp. He and his wife, Mercy, have four children, one of them currently playing and studying at Gonzaga University. The podcast begins with Mark returning to his graduate assistant days at Gonzaga University. He describes it as an enriching experience, teaching weight training, basketball, and other sports, and encouraging people to watch the sports games. He took a coaching job and brought the team to the Elite Eight. "The cool thing about it was to see a group of guys who deserved it with all their hard work," he says. He describes it as "pure fun, unadulterated hoops with no pressure." However, the stakes have gotten higher as more is expected from him after that taste of success. He retells the culture shock of having more expectations than before and questioning his situation at that moment. What helped him most was knowing everybody in the program, from compliance to academics, he was able to manage the burden. In the end, his team won the tournament. He reminisces about the moment he became head coach. "It's nice to have the humility and peace to level you out a little bit," he says. He adds that two backbones drive everything they do in Gonzaga: team chemistry and team culture. He prioritizes strong relationships with players with the right amount of fear, "demanding without being demeaning." As a coach, he aims to have his players "play with the most confident they've ever had and still play with unbridled joy." He looks back, seeing Coach Nick Saban's style, thinking he would never want to be in a position where his players are terrified of him. He wants to harness his players' strengths and create an organized model with a common goal and a plan. He talks about Kevin Pangos as someone who loved "working on chemistry instead of just talking about it." He mentions that mental coaching isn't just saying "toughen up and work hard." Working with Travis Knight led them to spend 25-30% of the athletes' time in mental development with Personal Growth Mondays (PGMs) that aided in processing pressure, expectations, lack of confidence, and handling adversities and success.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 Charles Rivkin. He is the Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). He leads the MPA’s global mission to advance and support the film, television, and streaming content industry. The MPA’s members currently include Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros. Drawing on almost 30 years of experience as a media executive and a leading U.S. diplomat, he advocates for policies that drive investment in film and television production, protect creative content, and open markets. He champions the economic and cultural power of film and television to communities around the world. The episode begins with Charles talking about his father’s career as a US ambassador to Luxembourg and Senegal and his godfather, a US ambassador to France. Charles believes that public service is the highest calling, and the influence of his relatives encouraged him to serve in the State for 18 years. With a deep love for singing, Charles never thought of doing it professionally, but the hobby gave him a chance to travel around the world. “I love being surrounded by creative people, and that’s one of the reasons I pursued a career in the entertainment industry,” he says. He decided to get an MBA because he was always fascinated by his grandfather’s clothing business. “When you give somebody employment, you change their lives,” he says. He loves the idea of being a CEO, contributing to his community, and making a difference on the international stage. With his background in economics, he combined it with his love for entertainment. He thinks that media is an enormous source of power and cultural exchange and can be a source of good when used properly. The MPA is already 100 years old and represents the six largest companies in the world. He talks about working with Jim Henson and selling his company, his desire to play in a “creative world”, and how they preserved his legacy by monetizing his assets. He got involved in politics in 2003 as Barack Obama’s US Ambassador to France, having the chance to know him before his presidency. He shares about doing film showings in the residence as he thought that films were a unionizing force and a reflection of American society. He challenged his French counterparts to create movies about sensitive topics and uses the medium to break stereotypes. Charles shares his experience being the first ambassador to jump out of an airplane with the US Army Golden Knights on the 60th anniversary of D-Day, overcoming his fear of heights. Referencing Top Gun, he has flown on an F-18 with a passionate and talented naval pilot. The first thing he did as he moved into the MPA was to bring Netflix on board. He clarifies that the MPA is not just about film but also includes TV and streaming. With the billions of dollars that Amazon and Apple spend on creating potentially award-winning content, he believes these giants will join the association soon. As gaming is also catching up, MPA is working together with Apple and Amazon to fight piracy, the one commonality they can agree on, and make entertainment a diverse and flexible force. “The walls are blurring,” he says. Doing trade deals with USMCA in Canada also enforces intellectual property protection online and brings content to markets that were unreachable in the past. He has a positive outlook towards reopening theaters, as Top Gun Maverick raked in a billion at the box office, and other smaller productions like Everything Everywhere All At Once made millions as well. “Moviegoing begets moviegoing. 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 Keith Ferrazzi. He is an entrepreneur, a global thought leader in relational and collaborative sciences, a sought-after public speaker and coach, and the Chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight, where he works to transform organizations with new behaviors that promote growth and shareholder value. In his successful 20-year career, he introduced co-elevation, a new transformational operating system that leads to exponential change and value. Previously the CMO of Deloitte and Starwood hotels, he is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Who’s Got Your Back, Never Eat Alone, and his latest book, Leading Without Authority. He writes for the Harvard Business Review, WSJ, Fast Company, Forbes Inc, Fortune, and other publications. The podcast begins with Keith talking about his two introductions for a TEDx Talk and how people usually open up with their achievements to compensate for their insecurity. He brings up a friend, Zappos founder Tony Hsieh and how his humility and creativity showed in his work as an “evangelist of his mission.” He recalls meeting Donald Trump at a prestigious networking dinner at the Forbes Mansion and his parting words, “The number one driver of anybody’s success is insecurity.” As a father of foster children and noting that 80% of the US prison population are from foster care, he acknowledges how trauma and distrust fuels insecurity, something he deeply relates to as an openly gay man. “I’ve always wondered why some people, when faced with that kind of insecurity, collapse and become very small. Some of us become very big, grandiose, and overcoming. I got lucky in some regards and went in the latter,” he says. He reminisces his experience of wanting “rich kid” jobs back then, so he lived out of his car and ate once a day for $2 to afford to live in the city. “You will never fully eradicate your insecurities, fears, and abhorrent natural reactions,” he adds. But he encourages becoming more grounded and elevated to transform in life. As a young boy, he once worked at a golf course where his dad encouraged him to show up an hour early. The best golf player in that country club introduced him to her son and the then-governor of Pennsylvania, Dick Thornburgh, who then coached him into winning the National Speech Debate Tournament. He emphasizes the importance of two lessons: valuing the people opening doors for you and how nepotism isn’t always about family relations but cultivating relationships with people who bring you to success. He considers the foundation of an “elevating” relationship to be candor and accountability. He believes being “polite” is political and that terrible, pent-up frustrations will come out in passive-aggressive statements unless expressed respectfully. He shares that 50% of average Americans say that no one has their back, and 60% of that statistic is married.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 Walker, Chairman, and CEO of Walker & Dunlop, gives the opening remarks at the Walker & Dunlop Summer Conference 2022 in Sun Valley, Idaho.The presentation starts with Willy thanking his team for successfully organizing this yearly event. He opens with a disclaimer, informing the audience that he will share opinions about politics. He compares the current state of the world to a "three-headed animal," with inflation rates, the war in Ukraine, and a massive political divide filling in news headlines. He says it is worth remembering that we are in a better place than we were two years ago. The US economy has improved, which Willy calls on for resolving supply chain issues and controlling rising rates. He states that cable television and the money behind it is what's driving the political divide. Les Moonves once said, "Trump may not be good for the United States, but he is good for CBS." He cites the significance of former governor Bill Haslam's insights on looking for solutions in governance: "Getting to the right answer is more important than our answer." With hordes of angry commentators and extreme supporters, Willy believes that more complex and nuanced solutions are what we truly need to solve issues. He retells his experience responding to a tweet about the Supreme Court's decision regarding the Brett Kavanaugh case, arguing that the ones who never contemplated their votes are the real problem, not the individuals who struggled with their decision made a hard call. He says that the middle is the place where we have to be to be able to "pull everyone together and start to find solutions." He fears that the divisiveness of US politics will only get worse.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 special episode, Willy welcomes Jamie Lee Curtis. She is an actress, producer, director, inventor, and author. With an illustrious career spanning four decades, she has appeared in widely loved films, such as "Halloween," "Trading Places," "True Lies," "Knives Out," and A24's highest-grossing film to date, "Everything Everywhere All At Once." She has starred in numerous sitcoms, such as "Anything But Love," "The Heidi Chronicles," and "Scream Queens." She has written 13 children's books, narrated for Audible's "Letters From Camp," and is the host and producer of "Good Friend," an iHeartMedia podcast. She is an amateur photographer and an advocate for children, animals, and the environment. Happily married for 37 years to Christopher Guest, she now has two adult children. The podcast begins with Jamie sharing her stepfather's influence on her when it comes to business. Bob Brandt was an ex-marine and a self-made businessman who taught Jamie the value of money and the greatest finance lesson of her life: "Save every penny you've ever made." She continues to talk about her mother, Janet Leigh, popularly known as Marion Crane from the cult-classic horror film "Psycho." She remembers her mother as someone who "came from nothing" and was discovered by Tom Cruise but goes out of her way to memorize the names of everyone around her and get to know them deeply – a trait that Jamie has emulated. Jamie's thoughts about social media revolved around it being a poison to the youth and how it should be "about standing for something." She wants to relate to others on both sides as "that's the goal of America." When it comes to comments, she advises, "Don't read the comments. Period. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Don't say it mean. And get the f*** out." Working with her mother made her strive to honor her parents by doing her best in everything she was set to do. She uncovers a downside to fame as she says, "Fame doesn't disappear…. But what made you famous goes away," expressing her heartbreak over what her parents have experienced in showbiz. Jamie attests to putting one foot out the door so that she can leave anytime if the limelight is not where she belongs anymore. She is grateful for staying relevant even in her sixties. She talks about the difference between earning TV money and movie money. She advises everyone to give their money away while they're still alive and use it to live life to the fullest. "I want to die fully alive… manifest my destiny so I can leave a little bit of goodness in the world before I go. She shares her experience working for Blumhouse for the "Halloween" movies, being "a final girl," and acting with fake blood in most of her films. She retells her fairy-tale-like experience of marrying Christopher Guest and the interesting aspects of filming kiss scenes. She touches on her latest movie, "Everything Everywhere All At Once," and how her friends thought it was "the worst movie they have ever seen." She adds that sitcom work is her favorite job and that James Cameron wrote "True Lies" with her in mind. She describes the director as someone who "can do every single job on a movie except acting, which is why actors love working for him." She developed a close friendship with Arnold Schwarzenegger on set and described the challenges of portraying Helen Tasker. She ends the show with a touching message: "The most important thing is who we are as human beings, with other human beings." Even in today's troubled times, she believes respect and humanity should come first above all else. Tune in to this new episode of the Walker Webcast — Behind the Scenes with Jamie Lee Curtis. ▶️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 Peter Linneman. He is the principal of Linneman Associates, KL, Realty, and American Land Fund. Having been a member of the Wharton School of Business’s faculty at the University of Pennsylvania for 32 years, he is the Albert Sussman Emeritus Professor of Real Estate, Finance, and Business Public Policy and is the co-founding editor of The Wharton Real Estate Review, publishing 80 articles. 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, the most respected publication in real estate for the past 11 years. The Walker Webcast begins with Peter emphasizing inflation is transitory with supply lagging demand due to 23% of the workforce collecting unemployment insurance. Also, industrial output is only 3% in Q1. Expanding output would be profitable, but most companies are not following through. Oil prices would normalize when production increases. The US remains the largest producer of oil in the world, and the situation of $260 a barrel is unlikely because supply is predicted to adjust. Besides, the US exports weapons and food, which Southeast Asian countries will highly favor due to tensions with China. Peter advises giving the supply 3-4 years of adjustment. The Federal Reserve System would not have control over long-term interest rates as $5 trillion in cash is set aside. He describes how debt should not be the main concern but “getting your money’s worth” and continues to say how federal debt is largely misunderstood. The higher the debt is, the bigger the political problems are because debt is owed by US citizens individually, not the state. Tune in to this new episode of the Walker Webcast — The Best Hour in CRE with Peter Linneman, Leading Economist, Former Wharton Professor. ▶️ Key Points In The Webcast: 00:35 Willy welcomes Peter Linneman 03:21 Inflation is transitory, and supply lags demand 08:02 Decrease in oil prices due to supply adjustment 10:33 The US posed to export more weapons, oil, and food 14:21 Why the Fed has no control over long-term interest rates 20:19 Peter’s opinion on national debt concerns 26:13 Significant growth exists despite COVID-19 32:06 Stress tests and fear holding banks back from lending 34:33 Lowering debt to cope with interest 38:14 The strength of the US dollar 41:20 Returning to office and productivity vs. profit 45:29 Generation gap and what inflation means in real estate 49:45 The trend of moving to coastal gateway cities 52:57 The economic state under Joe BidenListen 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 Bill Haslam. He is the former two-term mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee and former two-term governor of Tennessee, reelected in 2014 with the largest victory margin of any gubernatorial election in Tennessee history. During his tenure, Tennessee became the fastest improving state in the country in K-12 education and the first state to provide free community college or technical school for all of its citizens. The state also added 475,000 net new jobs during his term. Haslam serves on the boards of Teach for America and Young Life and is a visiting professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of Faithful Presence: The Promise and Peril of Faith in the Public Square. Bill is a graduate of Emory University. He and his wife of 40 years, Crissy, have three children and ten grandchildren.The podcast begins with Bill sharing how he changed his mind about becoming a teacher and going to the seminary. His father advised him to work in the family company, Pilot Corporation, to hone his communication and business skills, which he found to be a more “interesting and challenging environment”. He is optimistic about the trajectory of the business despite pointing out America’s supply-and-demand issue. In the early days of internet retailing, he moved on to be the CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue, seeing it as a fresh and different challenge. The Friday Five, a peer support group he created with a lawyer, banker, salesman, and dentist, held weekly meetings and encouraged him to run for the Knoxville mayoral position. Bill explains how crucial it is to be surrounded by people who know you well before making life-changing decisions as they give the best advice. He continues to explain how Americans have forgotten the importance of governing and institutions to a public democracy due to extreme divisiveness. He urges everyone to support officials with a history of problem-solving. As a mayor, he emphasizes the significance of vulnerability that although it is uncomfortable, it allows him to examine himself in new ways.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 Taylor Heinicke. He is the quarterback of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League. Previously playing college football at Old Dominion University (ODU), he was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent after the 2015 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, and the St Louis Battle Hawks of the XFL. The Walker Webcast begins with Taylor reminiscing about his early start at ODU, receiving the offer during his senior year, and committing to it immediately. He attributes his confidence and tenacity to his parents. Starting out disliking football, he gave it a chance and fell in love with the sport. He explains that back then, people associated football with South Georgia, and as someone from the North and of smaller stature, it became a chip on his shoulder and proved his talent and skills. He describes playing in high school and college as not having much difference, but only when moving up levels are the players much stronger and smarter. It pushes him “to be good all the time, not just some of the time”. He retells his comeback as a “bizarre game” but “was a lot of fun” as he threw for 730 yards, five touchdowns, ran for another 60, and another touchdown. His collegiate injuries included a concussion and an AC joint separation, but he never missed any games in his career. In his mind, he believed he had to “grind through it”. He mentions coach Scott Turner of Minnesota as someone who showed interest in him early on, keeping him on the team. Taylor retells meeting Tom Brady during his stint with the Patriots. “He’s already in there with a coffee in his hand,” Taylor says, “I got to kind of pick his brain and be around him… which was a really cool experience.” Debuting in the NFL on Christmas Day was a surprise for Taylor as he was thrown into the team after T.J. Yates’ injury. He describes his feelings while playing on national television as an “Oh my God moment” but also blacking out and then getting into a state of focus. Despite a concussion, he moved to the Carolina Panthers, seeing it as “a second start,” where he learned from his previous mistakes and improved on them. COVID-19 halted most of Taylor’s activities, but he still continued to train in hopes of receiving a call. In terms of signing contracts, when presented with one from the Redskins, Taylor would ensure terms were guaranteed, and his hard work would not go to waste. However, he would not base his excellent performance on bonuses and incentives alone.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 Walker Webcast, Willy welcomes Adi Ignatius. As the Editor in Chief of the Harvard Business Review Group and the publisher of HBR Press, he oversees the editorial activities of HBR, HBR.org, and its book-publishing unit. Before getting onboard HBR in 2009, he was the #2 editor at TIME. Two books he edited, President Obama: The Path to the White House and Prisoner of the State: The Secret Diaries of Premier Zhao Ziyang, became New York Times’ Bestsellers. Living and working overseas, he previously worked as an editor of TIME’s Asian edition and Beijing Bureau Chief and Moscow Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. With HBR turning a century old in 2022, the publication aims to be credible and valuable, publishing the best ideas and research. From gathering ideas in their inbox to being more proactive, Adi explains that the editors strive to write about relevant topics while delivering long-form content. Their digital domain has garnered more attention as the physical copies took a setback. With their active Instagram presence, Adi says they want to “give people a nugget that has value then provide a link to go deeper,” providing an option to consume short pieces or in-depth research. He attributes their revenue success to their dedicated paying subscribers.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