Linch With A Leader

Darleen Santore, also known as “Coach Dar” is a Board Certified Occupational Therapist, business executive, author and speaker. She started out as an occupational therapist working with a variety of different clients. While she was working her way up in the management world living in Nashville, she suffered a stroke at the age of 25. It changed her world and her own faith, as she then stepped out and began her own practice. She now helps individuals, corporate executives, and professional teams and athletes become the best that she can be. She has also made a stamp in the game of basketball, as she was awarded the “Most Inspiring Woman from WNBA.” In this episode, Mike Linch and Darleen Santore talk about her background and how she got into her career, the setback she faced, dealing with adversity.

Brian Dodd currently serves as the Director of New Ministry Relationships for Injoy Stewardship Solutions, where he helps churches fully-fund their mission and vision for their church. Brian also has a leadership website entitled Brian Dodd on Leadership. Brian states the goal for the site is “to take everyday life experiences we all have and process them in the light of leadership.” He is constantly updating the site with blog posts and e-books that are all leadership focused. Brian’s site is consistently viewed by some of the greatest leaders in the industry, and was ranked the number one Christian Leadership blog in 2012 by Theology Degrees Online. Brian has also authored a book recently entitled Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices of Apex Leaders, which gives some insight on what great leaders have done to achieve success. In this episode, Mike Linch and Brian Dodd dive into not only his background, how Brian’s faith has played a role, the intricacies of spiritual leadership, and the qualities some of the greatest leaders.

Dave is a graduate of Middle Tennessee University with a degree in recording management.  While a student there he began writing songs for others but was later encouraged to begin to perform himself.  He has now released eight albums, his most recent being, Who Knew It Would Be So Hard To Be MySelf,which released in 2018.   He gained huge notoriety when Blake Shelton recorded and released his song, God Gave Me You, in 2011.  The song became his fifth number one song and led to his nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song.Today, Mike talks to Dave about his journey into music and how he handles the stresses and strains of the road.  Dave shares his story of growing up as a “preachers kid” but how his parents lived out their faith in front of him helping him to have a faith that works.

Mark Cole is the CEO of all John Maxwell Companies and has been in the world of leadership for over 25 years.  He has gained experience in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, and has been with companies through economic challenges and difficult team dynamics.  Today, Mark works closely with John Maxwell and brings access to John’s real time principles to the rest of the John Maxwell Team.In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Mark Cole about his upbringing, what he’s learned from his time with the John Maxwell Team, the difficult transition in his work life, how his view of leadership has changed, the importance of leadership, and what he has learned from working with John Maxwell.

Rachel Cruze is currently a member of the Dave Ramsey Speaker’s Group, and a New York Time Best-Selling author. She learned the idea of handling money properly at an early age and began to share that message and those principles with teenagers and young adults all across the country. She authored a book entitled, Smart Money Smart Kids, that was co-authored with her father, Dave Ramsey, and achieved the top spot on the 2014 New York Times Best Seller list. She also wrote a book in 2016, called Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want. She is also the host of the online web show, The Rachel Cruze Show.In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Rachel Cruze, about what she thought she’d do as a kid, the things that her parents did right, the way her relationship with Christ has influenced her life, what she wished every person knew about their money, and being content.

Dansby Swanson is the current shortstop for the Atlanta Braves.  Swanson was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia and was a two-sport star at Marietta High School.  He went on to play at Vanderbilt University where he began to become a household name.  In 2014, he led the Commodores to win the College World Series, where he was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.  In 2015, he was the number one pick in the MLB Draft to the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Later that winter, he was traded back to his hometown team and became a member of the Atlanta Braves.  He made his MLB debut in August of 2016, and became the starting shortstop in Atlanta.  In 2018, he launched a company called ‘All Things Loyal’ to help him give back to the city of Atlanta and make an impact on the community he is a part of.In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Dansby Swanson about living out his dream, the things that professional athletes deal with, the role basketball played in his development, his time at Vanderbilt, the role his parents played in his life, his views on leadership, the role his faith plays in how he lives his life.

Coach Thompson is the head coach at Auburn University, and has been a staple in collegiate baseball since the 1990’s. He has a record of 103-82 (.557) as the head coach of Auburn, where he took over in 2015. Before he arrived, he was an assistant at many stops along the way, most notably at Mississippi State University where he served as the pitching coach. In 2014, Baseball America and American Baseball Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year. Eight of his former pitchers have made it in Major League Baseball since 2014, and he coached the number one pick in the 2018 MLB Draft in Casey Mize. As a player, he played at Itawamba Community College and is a member of the ICC Athletic Hall of Fame; he later transferred to Birmingham Southern University.In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Coach Thompson about the excitement of the spring, the impact his former coach had on his life, Brian Shoop, the lessons he has learned from coaching, what God’s taught him through waiting, how he carved his niche in pitching.

Patty is entering her 25th season as the head softball coach at the University of Oklahoma. She is widely thought of as one of the most successful softball coaches in NCAA history, as she is already a member of the NFCA Hall of Fame. Gasso has seen the Sooners win four national championships since she has been at the helm in 2000, 2013, 2016 and most recently in 2017. She has completed 28 seasons as a head coach, compiling a collegiate coaching record of 1364-386-3, which equates to a 77.9% winning percentage. Patty Gasso has also joined the coaching staff of Team USA Softball, leading the women who compete against other countries representing the United States of America. In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Patty Gasso, about her background and upbringing, success at the coaching level, and the impact her faith has had on her life and her coaching.

Dondi is an international speaker, who is known for delivering high-energy presentations all over the globe. She’s made a name for herself in the industry becoming a sought-after consultant about the keys that made her so successful in business. She is also a best-selling author for some of her work, such as Designed for Success: The 10 Commandments for Women in the Workplace.In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Dondi Scumaci about what led her to have so much success in the business world, some of her writings, and the role her faith has played in all of it along the way.

This week’s podcast features Chris Hogan, who is a part of the Dave Ramsey team.Chris Hogan received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he was a star on the football team as he became an All-American. After graduating from college, he transitioned to the coaching side of football while completing his graduate degree. Chris found lots of success in the business world, as he climbed the ladder becoming the vice president of a prestigious company. However, Chris felt the call to do more than sit behind his desk, and watch clients struggle with their finances. Shortly thereafter, he connected with Dave Ramsey and a new career opportunity emerged. Now, Chris helps spread the message of financial hope to audiences all over the country. He is an expert on subjects like mortgages, healthcare, and investing. Chris Hogan is also considered one of America’s leading voices regarding retirement, and has authored the book Retire Inspired.In this episode, our host, Mike Linch, has his second discussion with Chris Hogan. In this episode, Chris and Mike talk about his new book Everyday Millionaire.