Send us a textJoe McCormack, author of BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact By Saying Less, returns to the podcast to discuss his follow-up book NOISE: Living and Leading when Nobody Can Focus. He shares how our electronic devices are hijacking our ability to focus, talks about the concept of infobesity, and offers ideas on how we can be deliberate about where we invest our attention. Joe McCormack is on a mission to help organizations master lean communication. In an age of shrinking attention spans, non-stop interruptions, and floods of information, the messages business and military leaders send out are getting lost in a sea of words.An experienced marketing executive, successful entrepreneur and author, Joe is recognized for his work in narrative messaging and strategic communications. His book, “BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less”(Wiley, 2014) tackles the timeliness of the “less is more” mandate. Because even expert communication can be thwarted by an audience that has lost the capacity to pay attention, he follows up with a pragmatic guide to managing a distraction-filled environment in “NOISE: Living and leading when nobody can focus” (Wiley, 2020).He speaks at diverse industry and client forums on the topics of brevity, storytelling, change and leadership. A passionate leader, he founded The BRIEF Lab in 2013 after years dedicated to developing and delivering a unique curriculum on executive communications for U.S. Army Special Operations Command (Ft. Bragg, NC). He actively counsels military leaders and senior executives on effective, efficient communication and produces a weekly podcast series called “Just Saying”.The BRIEF Lab’s mission is to help organizations master concise communication to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. His clients include Mastercard, Grainger, Boeing, Harley-Davidson, TransUnion, BMO Harris Bank, DuPont and a variety of U.S. military units. Previously, he served as SVP, Corporate Marketing at Ketchum, a top-five marketing agency in  Chicago, where he directed its corporate marketing practice and introduced new service models to enhance messaging and deepen relationships with market influencers.He received a BA in English Literature from Loyola University of Chicago where he graduated with honors. He is fluent in Spanish and has broad international experience. He lives in  Pinehurst, NC.

Send us a textThe extraordinary Seth Godin joins Joe to discuss the importance of focusing on the practice over outcomes, why the process matters, and how we can create buy-in within our organizations. Seth also explains why writing is important habit to develop in our personal and professional lives.  Seth Godin is the author of nineteen international bestsellers that have been translated into over 35 languages and have changed the way people think about marketing and work. He’s a recent inductee the Marketing Hall of Fame, and a member of the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame, and the Guerilla Marketing Hall of Fame. In addition to writing and speaking, Seth was founder and CEO of Squidoo.com. His blog www.sethgodin.com is the most popular marketing blog in the world. Before his work as a writer and blogger, Godin was Vice President of Direct Marketing at Yahoo!

Joe Hart, President and CEO of Dale Carnegie & Associates, discusses his book 'Take Command' and shares insights on gaining control of thoughts, forming enduring relationships, seeking feedback, dealing with stress, building self-confidence, and the value of feedback.

Send us a textCommand Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann shares her powerful story of coming to the realization that something wasn't right internally and if she wanted to lead others, she needed to begin with herself.  Joe and JoAnn discuss stigmas with asking for help, the importance of habits and rituals, and setting professional boundaries. 

Send us a textSteven Pressfield returns to the podcast to discuss his newest book, Govt Cheese: A Memoir. He recounts his decades-long journey in "the wilderness",  working as a truck driver, apple picker, and struggling  screenwriter, before discovering his true calling. Joe and Steven discuss the stories we tell ourselves when faced with failure and how hard work can be our saving grace. About Steven (@SPressfield)Steven Pressfield is the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons, Virtues of War, The Afghan Campaign, Killing Rommel, The Profession, The Lion’s Gate, The War of Art, Turning Pro, Do the Work, The Warrior Ethos, The Authentic Swing, An American Jew, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, The Knowledge, The Artist’s Journey, and A Man at ArmsHis debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was adapted for screen. A film of the same title was released in 2000, directed by Robert Redford and starring Matt Damon, Will Smith and Charlize Theron.His struggles to earn a living as a writer (it took seventeen years to get the first paycheck) are detailed in The War of Art, Turning Pro, The Authentic Swing, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, and The Knowledge.

Jesse and Emily Cole, owners of the world famous Savannah Bananas, revolutionized baseball by putting fans first, embracing failure, and drawing inspiration from outside the industry. They also discuss their fulfilling experience as foster parents and their advocacy for the foster care system. The chapter also explores their positive mindset, energy-boosting activities, and deliberate approach to parenting.

Send us a textBestselling author James Patterson joins Joe to discuss his memoir, James Patterson by James Patterson: Stories of My Life.  In the interview they discuss how James walked away from a successful first career in advertising to pursue his love for telling stories. Patterson also shares lessons he learned coauthoring books with President Clinton and Dolly Parton. Finally, he shares the approach he used to get his son into reading books and offers advice to parents on getting kids to put down their devices and pick up a book. James Patterson is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 375 million copies worldwide. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, Dog Diaries and Max Einstein series. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed author of adult fiction in UK libraries for the past eleven years in a row. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.

Send us a textBestselling author Ryan Holiday discusses his newest book Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control. He makes the case that in a world where most things are literally at our fingertips, discipline becomes a virtue of great importance. It’s what helps us remain in check and avoid ruin, imbalance, dysfunction, or dependency. Ryan Holiday is one of the world's bestselling living philosophers. His books like The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, and the #1 New York Times bestseller Stillness Is the Key appear in more than 40 languages and have sold more than 5 million copies. Together, they've spent over 300 weeks on the bestseller lists. He lives outside Austin with his wife and two boys...and a small herd of cows and donkeys and goats. His bookstore, The Painted Porch, sits on historic Main St in Bastrop, Texas.

Send us a textJuliet Funt, the author of A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work discusses the need for leaders and organizations to embrace white space on their calendars.  Juliet and Joe also talk about the reasons why people feel the need to fill schedules  with activity and how that can actually become a road block to success. Featured in top media outlets such as Forbes, CNBC, and Fast Company, Juliet Funt is a globally renowned keynote speaker, tough-love advisor to the Fortune 500, founder and CEO of the efficiency training firm, Juliet Funt Group.Juliet is the author of A Minute to Think, nominated for the Next Big Idea Club curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, Susan Cain and Adam Grant. She is an evangelist for freeing the potential of companies by unburdening their talent from busywork, and she has brought her powerful concepts to Spotify, National Geographic, Anthem, Vans, Abbott, Costco, Pepsi, Nike, Wells Fargo, Sephora, Sysco, and ESPN. 

Send us a textHollywood Producer Andrew Muscatto and military advisor Hans Bush join the show to discuss The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a new movie starring Zac Efron and Russel Crowe that tells the story of Chickie Donahue and his mission to deliver beer to all of his neighborhood friends serving in Vietnam. Based on a true story, The Greatest Beer Run Ever recounts Chickie's unlikely but true story of his trip to the front lines in 1967 and the lessons he learned along the way. The Greatest Beer Run Ever is currently in theaters and available on Apple TV+. Also, check out Andrew's short documentary on Chickie and his friends.