Arizona Originals

Our guest this week is Brig. Gen. Todd D. Canterbury - the Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. A true "Arizona Original", General Canterbury spent many of his formative years at Luke AFB where his fatheralso served as the commander. General Canterbury entered the Air Force in May 1993 after graduating from Arizona State University ROTC in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering Technology.  General Canterbury’s assignments have been a mix of operational and training assignments. As an operational F-15E and MC-12 pilot he has logged over 650 combat hours and has participated in operations Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom. He has served as a weapons school Instructor, Thunderbird demonstration pilot, fighter squadron Commander, and wing Commander. He is a graduate of the National War College and a Command Pilot with more than 4,100 hours in the F-35A, F-15E, F-16 and MC-12W aircraft.

This week our guest is Brian Steele, CEO and Executive Director of City Help - also known as the Phoenix Dream Center - a nonprofit organization serving several populations we’ll discuss in the show, including victims of human trafficking.  Brian has been with the Dream Center since its start in 2007 and oversees campuses across the state which house 800 people every night.  We appreciate Brian’s willingness to share his story - both the highs and lows. Additionally, Brian provides some incredible insights into building organizations and employing quality control measures to both help serve the community and grow the organization more effectively.

Our guest this week is Tom Espinoza, President and CEO of Raza Development Fund (RDF). Tom has over 45 years of experience that span the breadth of the public, private sector, and nonprofit spectrum.  In 1998, he co-founded RDF; and is responsible for the overall strategy, performance, and management of the fund, which has grown into the largest Latino CDFI in the country. Prior to founding RDF, Tom worked at UnidosUS (formally the National Council of La Raza), where he led the Office of Technical Assistance and Constituency Support.  Additionally, he was the President & Chief Executive Officer of Chicanos Por La Causa where he provided capacity development during its early years, established funding strategies for various social, real estate community development projects, and advocated for the Latino community. In our conversation, Tom shares his story and provides insights on how to build a quality team, how to balance activism and development, maintaining a healthy tension within an organization, thinking big, and everything in-between.

This week our guest is Steve Sossaman, who describes himself as the Major Domo at Sossaman Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona.   This year marks the 100th anniversary of Sossaman Farms, and Steve does an amazing job telling the story of the farm and explains how he approaches farming, family, and life.   So, if you’re curious about gluten, innovation in agriculture, millennials in the workplace and marketplace, or incorporating variety and diversity into your work and life, you’ll want to listen to my conversation with Steve.   Check out the Arizona Originals website for show notes and so much more.   To reach us, email at contact@azoriginals.net

This week our guest is Jason Beck, the founder and owner of TYR Tactical located in Peoria, Arizona.  TYR Tactical provides tactical gear to law enforcement and military all over the world and has seen consistent growth under Jason’s leadership.     In our conversation, he provides a very frank description of his life growing up in an abusive home and discusses the individuals and experiences which have helped to shape him into who he is today.  We cover his youth, his time in the US Marine Corps, his decade of work with the Gracie family at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, and then into his current vocation which mixes his love of design and his passion for innovation and combative techniques.

This week we're joined by Ellen Pallestrant, South African-born writer and artist and filmmaker. She was educated in South Africa and Britain and immigrated with her family to the USA in 1987. Palestrant has been a writer, artist, creativity expert, game inventor, hydroponic farmer, special education teacher, television scriptwriter (adult documentary and children's animation), film producer, college instructor (English, Humanities, Creative Writing) and co-publisher of a college press. Ellen discusses creativity, perfectionism, balancing the practical with the possible, and the importance of taking action and moving forward. SELECT LINKS FROM THE PODCAST Conversations about Creativity Ellen's Books and DVDs

This week our guest is Brian Mohr. He was a founding member of Jobing.com and later became director of talent strategy & acquisition for P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and Pei Wei Asian Diner restaurants until he joined forces with co-founder, Max Hansen, to create the first purpose-based leadership search firm, Y Scouts, in March of 2012. In the summer of 2018, Brian joined the Arizona Chapter of Conscious Capitalism as its first President and still found time to co-author a book (Hiring on Purpose), do his own podcast (Built on Purpose), and spend time with family, friends, and regular visits to Orange Theory! Brian provides insights on a wide range of topics from curiosity, to connecting with people, to developing a long-term focus and stakeholder mindset. There is something in this episode for everyone!

This week our guest is Dr. Warren H. Stewart, Sr., a native of Coffeyville, Kansas.  Today he serves as the Senior Pastor of the First Institutional Baptist Church of Phoenix, Arizona and has served there since July 1, 1977. Dr. Stewart served as the first General Chairperson for ARIZONANS FOR A MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. STATE HOLIDAY which contributed significantly to the legislative passage of Arizona’s Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on September 21, 1989.  Dr. Stewart also organized and led VICTORY TOGETHER, INC., a broad-based coalition that campaigned for a Martin Luther King, Jr./Civil Rights Day in Arizona which was won by a historic vote of the people in the general election on November 3, 1992. In our conversation, Dr. Stewart shares the moments in his life which led him from Kansas to Arizona and in his role as a leader in civil rights efforts here and beyond Arizona’s border.  We discuss everything from knowing when to say “no”, the attributes of servant leadership, overcoming personal challenges to pursue your calling, and much more.

This week is our final episode of Season 3 - thanks for being part of this fantastic community!  Stay tuned for Season 4 which should launch in early 2019!   In Season 2 Episode 12, we spoke with David Kolbe, the CEO of Kolbe Corp.  If you haven’t already listened to that episode, I encourage you to do so. David was kind enough to share his thoughts on a variety of topics in short, topical episodes which we share intermittently.  This week we spend a few moments with David on the topic of navigating our passions with a focus on how self-awareness plays into the equation.

In Season 2 Episode 12, we spoke with David Kolbe, the CEO of Kolbe Corp.  If you haven’t already listened to that episode, I encourage you to do so. David was kind enough to share his thoughts on a variety of topics in short, topical episodes which we share intermittently.  This week we spend a few moments with David on the topic of preventing organizational paralysis, including how success can paralyze an organization.