Linch With A Leader

In this episode of "Linch with a Leader" Mike sits down with Coach Jamy Bechler.Jamy is a professional speaker, leadership trainer and executive business coach who works with teams ranging from major corporations to the NBA.  Before going into full-time leadership work, Jamy served for 20 years as a college basketball coach, professor and administrator. When he hung up the whistle, he didn’t stop coaching. Jamy just moved from the locker-room into the boardroom. He now travels the country motivating people and “coaching” organizations on how they can build championship teams and culturesJamy’s passion for leadership and adding value to others led him to go through extensive training to be a John Maxwell certified leadership coach, teacher and speaker.Today, Mike & Jamy will be talking about Jamy's new book "The Leadership Playbook".

In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike sits down with Pastor & Author Adam Weber.Adam is the founder and lead pastor of Embrace, a multisite church based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that was named by Outreach magazine as one of the fastest growing churches in the U.S. He also hosts a podcast called TheConversation and has written two books, including his latest, entitled, Love Has a Name: Learning to Love the Different, the Difficult, and Everyone Else. Adam is married to Becky and they have four children.

In this episode of Linch with a Leader Mike sits down with David Hodge.  David Hodge is founder and president of Anchor Leadership, an organization dedicated to encouraging and equipping business and ministry leaders. For over 25 years, David has served as a trainer, consultant, coach, and mentor for both senior-level leaders and rising executives.   David and his anchor leadership team have worked with some of America's most well known companies like:  Chick-Fil-A, U.S. Air Force, Honeybaked Hams and the Salvation Army among many others.  David also serves at Dogwood Church in South Atlanta as the Discipleship Pastor.In this interview Mike not only talks to David about what he has learned in leadership through the years but also about David's new book Your Legacy.  There is never a bad time to begin to look at not only the life you are living but the legacy you are leaving!

In Episode 84 Mike sits down with Jason Romano who was the very first guest back in 2017 of Linch with a Leader.Jason Romano was born in Ravena, New York and graduated from the State University of New York in 1997.  He began his professional career working for ESPN in Bristol Connecticut in the year of 2000.  During his time there, he served as a senior manager and producer, working on television and radio programs such as SportsCenter, Monday Night Football, Sunday NFL Countdown, College Gameday, and Mike and Mike in the Morning.  He has worked alongside some of the finest radio and television personalities that the sports world offers.In February of 2017, Jason had the opportunity to step out in faith and become the host and producer of the Sports Spectrum Podcast. The podcast has become a go to for thousands to hear the faith stories of some of their favorite athletes!  2017 also found Jason releasing his first book "Live to Forgive" about his journey of forgiveness with his father!In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Jason Romano about what the Lord is up to in his life and about his new book - The Uniform of Leadership!  Buckle up for this fun interview!

In today's episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike sits down best selling author and dynamic speaker Jon Gordon to talk about his new book, The Garden. This powerful spiritual fable is an incredible bridge for the readers to learn about the heart of God and the plan of the enemy!Jon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean and his latest Stay Positive. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Miami Heat, The Los Angeles Rams, Snapchat, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, West Point Academy and more.Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.

In episode 82 of the Linch with a Leader podcast, Mike sits down with Phyllis Hendry Halverson.Phyllis serves as the inaugural President and CEO of Lead Like Jesus. Under her visionary leadership, the organization has grown exponentially since its founding in 1999, equipping and empowering thousands of people throughout the United States and around the world to lead as Jesus led. She is the co-author of Lead Like Jesus Revisited, along with Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.The epitome of Southern charm, Phyllis radiates passion, warmth, authenticity and wit in every presentation. As a result, she is a highly sought after speaker, regularly travelling across the U.S. and around the world to deliver the hope-filled, love inspired, story laden, and deeply personal messages that pour straight from her heart.  She has been featured as a keynote speaker for crowds of 5,000-plus – often simulcast to thousands more – sharing the stage with such well-known orators as Ken Blanchard, John Ortberg, Rosey Grier, Erwin McManus, Patrick Lencioni, Henry Blackaby and more. Firmly believing “there are no unimportant conversations,” Phyllis also finds great joy communicating in more intimate settings, such as for congregations, in small group retreats, and during one-on-one encounters.Phyllis has enjoyed a fulfilling career in leadership positions within business, nonprofits, and ministry. Prior to joining Lead Like Jesus, she served for 11 years as President of the National Science Center, Inc., in Augusta, a partnership with the United States Army. In this role, she collaborated with top military and government officials.Her heart’s greatest desire is to lead individuals into a deeper relationship with Jesus, so that their lives will be transformed and their leadership will have maximum influence.  Through the ministry of Lead Like Jesus, Phyllis is helping equip and empower believers around the world to adopt Jesus as their leader role model, so that through them the world will be forever changed.

On this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike sits down with Dr. Derwin Gray. Derwin is a former defensive back, who played five seasons in the NFL with the Colts and Panthers. He’s now the pastor of Transformation Church near Charlotte, N.C.Selected in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft (92nd overall) by the Indianapolis Colts, Gray played five seasons with Indy from 1993-1997 and finished his career in Carolina with the Panthers in 1998.He has authored five books, including his latest, “The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about True Happiness,” which released everywhere at the beginning of June. Gray’s other books include “Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future” (2013) and “The High-Definition Leader” (2015).Gray is also the host of the “Marinate On That: The Dr. Derwin Gray Podcast,” and he releases a new episode on the first Monday of each month.

In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike sits down with author & motivational speaker Damon West. Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a motivational speaker and best-selling co-author (with best-selling author and motivational speaker Jon Gordon) of The Coffee Bean: A simple Lesson to Create Positive Change. His first book and autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, was published just three years after his release from a Texas maximum-security prison.Sentenced to sixty-five years in a Texas prison, Damon West once had it all. He came from a great family, in a home full of God, love, support, and opportunities to reach any goal. A natural born leader, an athlete with good looks and charm, he appeared to be the all-American kid pursuing his dreams.Underneath this facade, however, was an addict in the early stages of disease. After suffering childhood sexual abuse by a babysitter at the age of nine, Damon began putting chemicals into his body to alter the way he felt.Damon’s career as a Division 1 quarterback at the University of North Texas came to a premature end, after suffering an injury against Texas A&M. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stock-broker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today.Today, Damon lives a life of recovery and service, going to meetings and sharing his story all over the country with schools, church's, athletic teams, corporations, conferences and inside correctional facilities. Over the past few years, he has been sharing the Coffee Bean lesson with dozens of college football teams such as Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, and countless schools and businesses. His #coffeebeans message has inspired thousands, winning him the Service to Mankind Award in 2017. He works as a legal assistant for the Provost Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont, Texas and recently earned his master’s degree, in Criminal Justice, from Lamar University.Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally. His second book, The Coffee Bean, co-authored with best-selling author Jon Gordon, became an instant best-seller. Damon is passionate about the Coffee Bean message and loves sharing how it changed his life and how it can change yours, too. He is excited about the Coffee Bean Clubs that are being started by students at schools across the country.

In this episode Mike sits down with former professional baseball player and speaker Chris Singleton. Chris shares his story of not only his life in baseball but his journey through tragedy.Chris is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization as well as an inspirational speaker who has traveled the country passionately speaking to over 60,000 students. Chris has also spread his message through various different media outlets and has been featured on ESPN’s E:60, Sports Illustrated magazine, CNN, and USA Today. His mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was murdered along with eight other victims at Mother Emanuel AME church in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina on June 17th 2015 by a white male who wanted to start a race related war in the United States. Chris inspired his city and the nation by forgiving the man who murdered his mother and stating that “Love is stronger than hate.” Chris inspires his audiences through his personal experiences of adversity and his belief that God can guide you through any storm you will ever pass.You are going to love this conversation!

In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike sits down with business leader and entrepreneur Earnest Davis.  Earnest describes himself as a serial entrepreneur and a speaker.  His passion is to use his story to challenge them to be the best version of themselves that they can possibly be.  From growing up in a small town in Mississippi to today being the host of the "Real Money Real Talk" podcast & radio show, Earnest has been someone who knows his story was not meant for just him alone!In this episode, Mike & Earnest talk about his time in radio and as a business leader and brand strategist!  You are going to love this conversation!