
Corporate Competitor Podcast
What do most Fortune 500 executives have in common? They learned important lessons on the fields and courts of their high school and collegiate sports teams. This is true for both men and women. Ernst & Young found that a whopping 94% of women holding a C-suite position, played sports.
Join 11-time New York Times Best-Selling Author Don Yaeger on his journey to sit with some of the brightest executives in the world as we discuss how sports shaped their professional trajectory in life.
Latest episodes

Jul 19, 2023 • 40min
Performance Psychologist Jim Loehr says: Know your stress limit so you don’t come apart
Performance psychologist Jim Loehr discusses building healthy teams by listening to your inner coach, resetting energy, and promoting oxytocin flow. He emphasizes the importance of mental strength in sports and fostering connection in leadership for optimal performance.

Jul 5, 2023 • 34min
Blue Angel Pilot turned Navy Federal Executive Keith Hoskins says: Compartmentalization isn’t always a bad thing
Ep. 151 REWIND EPISODE: College football shaped Keith Hoskins whose Navy career included serving as Commanding Officer for Naval Air Station Pensacola, where he provided leadership oversight for more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. You will learn incredible lessons in collaboration, character, and why compartmentalization isn’t always a bad thing Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! Special thanks to Francisco Nunez and Lauren Hafner for making this episode possible.

Jun 21, 2023 • 39min
EY Americas Center for Board Matters Leader, Kris Pederson says: You can grow professionally through the power of saying “yes”
Ep. 150: Swimming shaped Kris who climbed the corporate ladder at PwC and IBM before arriving at Ernst & Young. You will learn how to build effective coaching and mentoring into your daily routine. Kris is a recipient of Consulting Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award and she brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, acquired throughout her career and enhanced by her MBA from Harvard Business School. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! Special thanks to Ethan Salzberg and Lauren Hafner for making this episode possible.

Jun 7, 2023 • 35min
Infosys Consulting CEO Andrew Duncan says: To lead you must stay humble
Ep. 149: Rugby, golf, and fishing have shaped Andrew, whose clients have included Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. He received international acclaim as a leading figure in his industry from Consulting Magazine and teaches why humility is a leader’s most potent leadership trait. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! +Special thanks to Kyle Smedley and Lauren Hafner for making this episode possible.

May 31, 2023 • 26min
Visa Global Sponsorship Strategy SVP Andrea Fairchild says: Behind every number there is a story
Ep. 148: Equestrian and track & field shaped the leader responsible for Visa’s partnerships with the NFL, Olympics, and FIFA. In the months leading up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Andrea’s team will launch a marketing campaign based on the premise that “behind every number, there is a story” that will bring the achievements of these world-class athletes to life!! Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! Special thanks to Kyle Smedley and David Beira for making this episode possible.

May 24, 2023 • 40min
P.F. Chang's CEO Damola Adamolekun says: Start your day with a conquest
Ep. 147: Brown University football taught Damola about hard work and sacrifice, core values that he took to heart in a career that has taken him from the world of Wall Street to the C-Suite at P.F. Chang’s. +Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. ++If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! Special thanks to Cade Stransky and Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.

May 17, 2023 • 34min
Virgin Voyages President & CEO Tom McAlpin asks: Do you know the gap in your customers’ experience that they are missing?
Ep. 146: Wrestling shaped this founding member of the Disney Cruise Line who rose to President. When I first met Tom, he handed me the coolest business card I had ever seen. He was the chief executive of a 1-ship cruise line called The World. The business card he handed me let me know I was talking the President of The World. Today as CEO of Virgin Voyages, he leads a world-class team in all elements of ship design, sailor experience, construction, crew, safety, operations and service delivery. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! Special thanks to Davd Beira and Ethan Salzberg for making this episode possible.

May 10, 2023 • 40min
Chevron’s Kim McHugh asks: Are you fully engaged on the sideline?
REWIND EPISODE: Featuring the highest ranking woman in the oil drilling industry honor of Mother’s Day! Kim is a proud mother and learned valuable lessons from her time playing volleyball at Texas A&M and I know you will love her wisdom. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! +At the time of the recording, I was recovering from a battle with COVID that put me in the ICU for 9 days, so you will notice my voice does not sound as it does today. ++Special thanks to Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.

May 3, 2023 • 39min
Savannah Bananas Owner Jesse Cole says: At heart I am still a kid just trying to make my dad proud.
Ep. 144: Jesse is BACK as our first repeat guest to talk about our new book Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas. Whether at the ballpark, on social media, onstage delivering keynotes, or in features for ESPN, Jesse continues to create fans all over the world. The Bananas have sold out every game since their first season and have a waitlist for tickets in the thousands. They have entertained millions of fans in Savannah and at ballparks all over their country on their Banana Ball Tour. Listen now and take notes on our free BONUS RESOURCE. +If you want to connect with Don Yaeger to next-level your company culture connect with him at maxwellleadership.com/don Special thanks to Lauren Hafner and Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.

Apr 26, 2023 • 38min
Involta President & CEO Jim Buie says: The answers you receive are only as effective as the questions you ask.
Ep. 143: Baseball and football shaped Jim whose experience includes executive roles at Comcast and AT&T. Today his competitive spirit can be seen golfing and skiing in his home state of Colorado! “As a corporate leader, I'm always thinking about that person who takes the first phone call from our customer. ‘How hard are we making that job?’ I want to know.” Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes fill-in-the-blank notes and reflection questions. Click here to download the bonus resource. If these lessons resonated with you, connect with me and my team at maxwellleadership.com/don and together we can next-level your company culture! Special thanks to Kyle Smedley and Francisco Nunez for making this episode possible.