The Walker Webcast

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

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