Ep. 215: Boston College Football and Baseball shaped the founder of the world’s leading identity verification company. Learn how his athletic background influenced the leadership that earned him the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award, helped Socure land on Inc.'s Best Places to Work list, and inspired his surprising new hobby—underwater ice hockey. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Allie Karlinsky and Lilly Mae Stewart for making this episode possible.

Ep. 214: College basketball in Lebanon played a pivotal role in shaping Zack’s leadership. With more than two decades of experience in the lodging industry, he now manages 700 properties and 60,000 rooms across the United States and Japan. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Dillon McDonald and Bradi Stewart for making this episode possible.

Ep. 213: The parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell thrives on a leadership philosophy rooted in recognition—a principle David Novak first learned from his dad while playing Little League. In this episode, you’ll get a masterclass in: The importance of heartfelt, consistent recognition and how simple gestures can significantly boost employee morale and performance. How David’s “aha moment” at Pepsi highlighted the critical need to acknowledge contributions and ensure every team member feels valued. The strategies David used to create cohesion across global brands while celebrating their unique identities. Our downloadable BONUS RESOURCE for this episode is a PDF with Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Jack Martha and Brian Schnorr for making this episode possible.

Kristen Faulkner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the first Team USA Women’s Road Race medalist in 40 years, shares her inspiring journey from venture capital to competitive cycling. She discusses the importance of balancing ambition with resilience and the role of team dynamics in achieving success. Kristen emphasizes recognizing individual contributions to boost morale and avoid burnout. Her insights on managing setbacks and the strategic mindset needed for Olympic success offer valuable lessons for anyone pursuing their dreams.

Ep. 211: Baseball and football shaped this executive with 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. “Some of my favorite athletic memories were in our front yard,” Scott shares in this episode. “Playing sports forces you to count on others and have others count on you.” Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Dillon McDonald and Dave Calder for making this episode possible.  

Ep. 210: Cornell Football shaped Jimmy Pitaro who honed his leadership skills as a wide receiver! If you ask him what he misses most about his playing days, it’s not the competition or the glory—it’s the huddle. Why? Because the huddle is where you come together, make decisions, and leave aligned. In this episode, Jimmy shares how he applies his “Discuss, debate, decide, and align” model to his weekly leadership meetings. Our free BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Ana Anzolin and Brian Schnorr for making this episode possible.

Ep. 209: Basketball, cycling, and skiing shaped this entrepreneur who founded two companies valued at more than $1 billion each. His secret? Concentrating on solving everyday problems that customers face. “When I was building Waze, if I had told you I was creating an AI crowd-sourced navigation system, you wouldn’t have cared,” he said. “But if I said I was going to help you avoid traffic jams, then you would. When you focus on the problem, it will serve as the North Star of your journey.” Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Dillon McDonald and Chase Skipper for making this episode possible.

Ep. 208: Football fields and marathon trails shaped this executive's approach to discipline, teamwork, and maintaining a competitive edge. These lessons became the foundation of his leadership at Coca-Cola, United Airlines, and now in his roles on the Board of Directors for Salesforce, CBRE, Archer, Fidelity Investments, and Televisa Univision. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Links mentioned in today’s episode: Order Oscar’s book here - Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and Its Employees in the Friendly Skies https://a.co/d/40EqEA8 Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Allie Karlinsky and Dillon McDonald for making this episode possible 

Ep. 207: This 7-time Dutch National Diving Champion earned a full scholarship to the University of Houston and went on to lead growth at global giants like Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Today at Logitech, she is recognized as one of the "Most Influential Women in Business."  Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Lilly Mae Stewart and Ethan Salzberg for making this episode possible.

Ep. 206: Basketball shaped this executive who created a done-for-you system to simplify book publishing for busy business leaders. Adam’s innovative approach to publishing caught the attention of Forbes, leading to the creation of Forbes Books, where he helps prominent executives around the world become authors and establish greater authority in their fields. In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/  Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.  Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.  Special thanks to Ana Anzolin and Bradi Stewart for making this episode possible.