Arizona Originals

Our guest this week is Tran Tran, founder and CEO of Axis Employment Services located in Phoenix, Arizona.  Axis has been recognized time and time again as a top minority owned business and a top staffing agency in Arizona. In our conversation, Tran shares her story about growing up in Saigon and how her family fled Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon in 1975.  Within just a few months, her family settled in Arizona after a local dentist sponsored them.  In addition to telling the stories surrounding her family's escape from Vietnam, Tran shares her insights on family, culture, leadership, delegation, building a team, and so much more.

This week, we're joined by Jim Scussel, co-founder of Four Peaks Brewing Company.  A Phoenix native, Jim tells the story of how he moved around the country with his family and, ultimately, moved back to Arizona after one of his bosses did not give him a raise.  His story proves you never know what events will set your life on a different trajectory. Jim discusses many issues related to entrepreneurship, team building, the art and science of brewing beer, and much more.

This week's podcast features Jim Adkins - lead singer and lead guitarist for Jimmy Eat World.  The band has been together since 1993 and has released nine albums, and they have always been based in Arizona.   Jim covers a wide range of topics: his definition of success and failure the evolution of gratitude especially with the smaller things in life (and on the road) utilizing outside perspective to help shape your work and art the difference between playing with the band a going on a solo tour and so much more...

CB Dollaway is a mixed martial artist currently fighting in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).  CB came to Arizona when Arizona State University recruited him into their wresting program from Colby Community College (in Colby, Kansas) where he was an NJCAA Division I All-American Champion.  In our conversation, CB talks about his unexpected journey from college, to corporate life, and ultimately to the UFC. Today, in addition to being a professional athlete, CB has just opened his own training gym, DMA Life Club, and in the planning stages of starting a non-profit focused on veterans. In our conversation, CB talks about life as both a wrestler and a mixed martial artist.  He discusses how mental preparedness, attitude, strategy, and resilience have helped make him a world class fighter.

Jim Click, Jr. moved to Tucson in 1971 to turn around a struggling Ford dealership.  Fast forward 45 years, and Jim Click has become one of Arizona's premiere car dealers and philanthropists. Jim has dealerships for Ford, Lincoln, Dodge, RAM, Chrysler, Jeep, Mazda, Nissan, Kia, and Hyundai in Tucson, Green Valley, and also in Orange County, CA. In our conversation, Jim shares the story of how he ultimately began in the car business after growing up in Oklahoma and earning a business degree from Oklahoma State University (where he was a Scholastic All-American football player, captain of the football team, and made the Dean's Honor Roll every semester).  Among other topics, he recounts the stories of how two men, Holmes Tuttle and Jim Click, Sr., influenced him at various stages of his life and taught him valuable lessons which serve him today.

This week our podcast features retired United States Air Force Brigadier General Ron Shoopman.  In 2004, Ron assumed the role of president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and continues to serve in the capacity as CEO of that organization.  His diverse career accomplishments include serving as the wing commander of the 162nd Fighter Wing where he commanded the International F-16 Training Wing for the USAF.  On the civilian side, Ron has worked for Gates Learjet Corporation, flew for Continental Airlines, and served as an instructor pilot and manager for Flight Safety International. During our conversation, Ron shares his story and the lessons he has learned about leadership, accountability, collaboration, and how to encourage growth within organizations.  He also shares his thoughts about how organizations can focus their efforts and not dilute their effectiveness by asking "what not to do."  Throughout, Ron shares his lessons learned from both the private sector and military, and you will benefit from his insights.

This week, Lee Benson joins us on Arizona Originals.  Lee is the CEO of Able Aerospace Services and also the CEO of Execute to Win.  Able Aerospace Services is a leading maintenance, repair and operations provider of FAA-approved replacement parts, repairs, overhauls, and exchanges for aircraft.  Execute to Win specializes in helping CEOs create an intentional culture within an organization to measurably and intentionally execute their strategy. Lee talks about many issues including his approach to leadership, the importance of emotional energy, moving corporate values from words on office walls to behaviors your team lives out in an intentional culture, and so much more.

Our guest this week is Eileen Klein, the president of the Arizona Board of Regents.  The Board of Regents provides leadership and guidance to Arizona’s three public universities – the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.  In her role as president, Eileen oversees the entire $4 billion public university enterprise and gives leadership and guidance to the Board of Regents.  Additionally, she heads the Enterprise Executive Committee which is made of of her and the three presidents of our public universities. Prior to joining the Board, Eileen held leadership positions in both the private and public sectors.  These include her service as chief of staff to Governor Janice K. Brewer and chief operating officer for Arizona Physicians IPA for UnitedHealthcare. In our conversation, Eileen shares her story which took her from Alaska to Florida to Arizona.  She discusses lessons she has learned about getting an education, building respect within organizations, managing and leading through tension, and becoming resilient.  She also shares some important lessons she learned from former-Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Jake Flake when she served on his staff…and much, much more.

This week our conversation is with Craig Weiss, the Founder and CEO of Aladdin Dreamer - a technology company designing consumer technology allowing people to control their dreams (also known as "lucid dreaming").  Prior to founding Aladdin, Craig was the CEO of NJOY, the world's largest independent electronic cigarette and vaping company which is headquartered in Arizona. Additionally, Craig is a patent attorney, a published author, an inventor with seven patents, an entrepreneur, and a frequent lecturer at ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business.  He discusses the roles creativity, risk, and the value in getting comfortable with the inevitable failures and setbacks in business.  He discusses the lessons learned while writing "I Am My Brother's Keeper" about the origins of the Israeli Air Force, and tells his story about transitioning from patent attorney, to hedge fund manager, to CEO, to entrepreneur.

Today's guest is Pam Slim - an award-winning author, speaker and business consultant who has a passion for career and organizational development.  She spent the first 10 years in business as a consultant to large companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Charles Schwab and Cisco Systems, where she worked with thousands of executives, managers, and employees. In the last 11 years, she helped hundreds of people to start and grow successful businesses.  Through her online presence at Escape from Cubicle Nation, Pam developed and taught business building courses for thousands of entrepreneurs.  In August, 2016, Pam opened K'é, a place to grow small business in downtown Mesa, Arizona. Pam has written two books, Escape from Cubicle Nation and Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together.  When you pick up Body of Work, you immediately notice the endorsements from some of the leading thinkers in business today: Brené Brown, Daniel Pink, Nancy Duarte and Seth Godin. In our conversation, Pam covers a wide range of topics, including the value of being uncomfortable, the power of fear, the importance of thinking about your legacy, and how developing connectional intelligence can benefit both you and your business.