In Search Of Excellence

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! Our amazing guest is Ben Johns, the greatest pickleball player of all time. He has been the No.1 player in the world in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles for most of the last 3 years.On the business side, Ben is a co-founder of Pickleball Getaways, a vacation travel company that arranges pickleball vacations to Mexico, Portugal, Croatia, and other sunny locations. He is also the co-founder of Pickleball 360, an online instructional video subscription service that gives lessons on how to become a better pickleball player. 00:00 IntroductionWho is Ben Johns? 01:59 Ben’s backgroundSupportive, inspiring parents and 6 siblingsEncouraged to follow their own passion 04:15 Homeschooling of 7 kidsMom used online resources and textbooksKids worked at their own pacePersonal responsibilitySocial aspects of homeschoolingThey pursued their interests, and social stuff happened naturally 08:59 Sports Ben played as a kidPlayed baseball, tennis, table tennis, golfVery eye-hand oriented sports 10:32 Ben's college experienceSwitched majors from Business to Material Science and EngineeringHow Innovators Think course by Professor Mark WellmanAdvice to people who don’t know what they want to doExpose yourself to different things, experiment, research 17:24 Developing and innovating a new pickleball racketGenuinely interested in how to make paddles betterBeing genuine creates an opportunity in almost any area 19:27 Optimism and fear of failureOptimism is important, but also confidence and work ethicsDo your utmost and put 100% of your effortIf you fail, learn from it 22:56 Ben’s first business venturePickleball had the stigma of an old person's sportWanted to make it more exciting 24:04 What is pickleball?A combination of tennis and ping-pong on a badminton-sized courtVery easy to learn and very easy to play 27:19 The professional pickleballThe history of pickleball associationsThe TPA and APPThe merging of 2 leagues 32:25 The ownership and worth of pickleball teamsThe worth of major pickleball teamsTeams are part of venture capital groupsWho are the owners? 35:44 How do teams make money?A revenue modelThe vision is to make it like an NBA NFL type of leagueNo major TV contract but a rapidly growing fan basePickleball has fanatically engaged fans - a golden nugget for any investor 40:39 Pickleball statisticsIts popularity is growing among different groupsIt has a great social component 45:43 The start of Ben’s professional careerFirst professional tournament – US Open in 2016Won the US Open in 2017Making money and covering expensesCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to Part 2 of my amazing episode of In Search of Excellence with Brandi Love!Brandi has starred in more than 800 movies and her videos have been streamed more than a billion times. She has been nominated for and won 12 adult industry awards and is the author of the book Getting Wild Sex from Your Conservative Woman. She is also the owner of Traffic Stop Media and a real estate business together with her husband that renovates distressed properties.We discuss her strategies for success, making money and investing, the future of porn, and so much more. 02:53 Brandi’s great-grandfather Jesse LivermoreBrandi's savant great grandfather who was trading stocks at 14 years old04:27 Finding a nicheHoward Stern showToo old, too athletic, with a long faceThe American Pie and the term MILF08:49 The impact of Brandi’s job on her daughterBrandi’s college fan baseGreat relationship with her daughter11:12 The reaction of their parentsIt was a decision for her and her husband to make Their parents tried to stop them and take away their child17:15 The fallout from friendsA unique obstacle for adult entertainersPeople don’t want the stigmaThere are consequences to our choices19:50 How much do people make in the porn industry?Brandi is 50 and never earned more7 major revenue streams 24:57 Earnings on online porn websitesFor women, It’s possible to earn around $50.000/monthFor men, around $20.000/month 27:02 How has Only Fans changed the games for porn actresses?Only Fans is financially life-changingA lot of talent left the industry for Only Fans 32:16 Money managementDelayed gratification and investing moneyBuying a Ferrari37:54 Thoughts on porn VRNot her favorite because of the lack of interactionCan see the advantages of VR39:51 How is AI changing the porn industry?Forever VoicesAI is always available to hang out with fansBrandi trained her AI and the results were impressive 45:35 Mental health issuesSuicides in the porn industryYou have to be tough because of societal backlash 47:17 What are the elements of success?Love what you do, be passionate, be authentic47:39 The value of Extreme PreparationBrandi’s husband is an exceptionally prepared human beingShe extremely prepared for a contract with BMG49:37 Faking in the porn industryFaking means you chose the wrong careerBrandi can find something attractive in every man52:21 Issues with sexually transmitted diseasesThe industry standard is 14-day testNever had a bad test in 20 years 54:18 Sex trafficking and Porn HubHarming a child is the most disgusting crimePorn Hub is protected by the law (Netflix movie – Money Shot: The Porn Hub Story)56:54 The importance of giving backYou can donate time or money58:17 Fill in the blanks for excellenceCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Brandi Love, one of the most famous adult film actresses, discusses her childhood passion for ice skating, meeting her soulmate in college, her experience working in the corporate world, and her time as a salesperson at a Harley-Davidson dealership. She also talks about learning from failures, starting a wine label company, defining pornography, and her unique approach to entering the adult entertainment industry.

Welcome to the second part of our interview with the amazing Joe Mansueto. Joe is the founder and former CEO of Morningstar, a financial services and investment research firm that is one of the most recognized companies in finance. It provides investment research and investment management services to many millions of people around the world. If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check that one out first 00:55 The importance of parental supportJoe’s dad was buying saving bonds for his children for yearsHe gave the accumulated money to Joe to start his businessJoe made sure every dollar was spent wisely 05:07 Can parents give proper advice to children in today’s business environment?You should listen to your own instinctsBut also take into account your parents’ advice 09:06 The importance of cold callingYou learn about perseverance, handling rejection, processing, and not taking it personallyCold calling is a very valuable skill to have 13:40 Bootstrapping and raising moneyEntrepreneurs should not raise a lot of money if they can avoid itSubscription model for MorningstarThe pressures of raising outside money 20:11 Becoming rich should not be your primary goalJoe is more about independence, creativity, and autonomyOne of the byproducts is building wealthHis goal was to build a viable, enduring, independent company, that would survive for a very long timeYou should want to make money, but not at all costs 23:42 Joe’s soccer investmentsWanted to diversify his investmentsLoves soccer and it became his passionBought MLS team in Chicago 28:37 The importance of Extreme PreparationPreparation is essentialImportance of understanding the client and his needsIf you can move the needle for a company, any company will hire youShow the company how you can add value to it 33:26 Reaching out to successful peopleTrust your gut and do something that no one else doesPeople are much more accessible than you thinkSuccessful people want to help and give back 36:56 The responsibility of giving backGiving back is importantFinding meaningful ways of giving back 39:20 The pressure of giving money and being generousWe shouldn’t judge others on their philanthropyJoe signed a giving pledge to set a good exampleMost wealthy people are trying to make the world a better place 42:56 Fill in the blanks to excellenceJoe's biggest lesson in lifeJoe's number one professional goal Joe's number one personal goalThe importance of family and spending time with your childrenThe one piece of advice that you would give your 21-year-old self isJoe's biggest regret And more...Coaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Joe Mansueto, founder and former CEO of Morningstar, discusses his childhood, first entrepreneurial experience, the magic of boldness, the Christmas tree business, perseverance and passion in starting a company, and funding entrepreneurs. He shares valuable lessons on taking risks, managing inventory, and the importance of enjoying what you do. The podcast also touches on upbringing, overcoming fear, due diligence, customer satisfaction, and discovering Warren Buffett's investment journey.

Welcome to the second part of our interview with the incredible Tony Capuano, the President and CEO of Marriott International. Tony is the President and CEO of Marriott International, the world's largest hospitality company with nearly 8,600 properties in 139 countries and over 31 brands, including JW Marriott, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Westin Hotels and Resorts, and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, among many others.Marriott also has the travel industry's largest customer loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which has more than 186 million members! Tony sits on the board of directors of McDonald's Corporation and Save Venice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy, which since its founding in 1971, has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000 individual artworks. 00:45 Becoming the CEO of Marriott- FILO (First In, Last Out)- Control the factors that you can control- Arne Sorensen died of pancreatic cancer    - Arne was a friend, mentor, humble, iconic leader- Tony became the new CEO six days later    - Had to compartmentalize his grief and start working immediately- Buying Starwood and a round-the-world tour- Bill Marriott’s advice to Arne Sorensen- Randall’s experience with Arnie    - Arnie knew how to listen and connect with people 11:00 The biggest 3 lessons Tony learned from COVID- Core values and culture have never mattered more than in the pandemic- The value of authentic and transparent communication- The value of thoughtful stewardship of the company's financial position- The resilience of travel and wise business plan- Arnie’s pandemic video 16:22 Interaction with employees and customers- Reads every email he gets- A face-to-face business 18:04 The importance of Extreme reparation- Prepares extremely for earnings calls- Prepared for the audience with the Marriott board for 4 nights 22:12 The importance of giving back- It’s critically important to give back- Tony responded to every person who reached him out 23:52 Fill in the blanks to Excellence- The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is    - Listen to the advice of your parents- My number one professional goal is    - To give back- My number one personal goal is    - To give back- And more!Coaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence. It’s a true pleasure to have Tony Capuano as our guest today! Tony is the President and CEO of Marriott International, the world's largest hospitality company with nearly 8,600 properties in 139 countries and over 31 brands, including JW Marriott, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Westin Hotels, and Resorts and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, among many others. Marriott also has the travel industry's largest customer loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which has more than 186 million members! Tony sits on the board of directors of McDonald's Corporation and Save Venice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy, which since its founding in 1971, has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000 individual artworks. 01:56 Tony’s family, childhood and early years- The importance of work ethic- The impact of Tony’s father and grandfather- His parents divorced, lived with his father- Very self-sufficient from an early age- Played lacrosse at school- First job as a pot washer at Toby’s Dinner Theatre- Fell in love with the hospitality business- There are no bad jobs, everything can be a learning opportunity 09:39 Interns and the operating side of the business- Tony’s experience with his interns- A member of the Dean's Advisory Board at the Hospitality School at Cornell- Students who have a passion for the operating side of the business- Tony has a lot of optimism for the future of the industry 12:58 Job interviews after graduation- Cornell School of Hotel Administration- After 8 job interviews, got 7 offers and 1 rejection from Marriott- The importance of humility- Tony had deep admiration for the Marriott Company- Joined them in 1995 16:24 Working in a consulting firm- “A and B work” message from his boss that changed his perspective- Your work impacts your team, customers, and investors- Catchphrases from Bill Marriott and his father- Success is never final 22:02 Joining Marriott during their hardships- Worked under Kenneth Leventhal as a consultant- Got to do significant international work- But he had a burning desire to be inside the projects- Was always impressed with Marriott’s intellect, integrity, and innovation 24:36 The importance of being in the right place at the right time- Working until 10 pm- Raised with a strong work ethic- Carol Wagner and a trip to New York- Working until the job was doneCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to part two of my amazing conversation with Jason Belmonte, the greatest bowler of all time. He has won a record number of 15 major championships and has been named PBA Player of the Year 7 times. He is also the second person in PBA history that has won the Super Slam, winning all 5 PBA major titles in the same year. If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check it out first. 00:00 Dealing with the defeat in 2008- At first, 60th of 63 contestants- Jason thought he was better- Watched what the best players in the world were doing- Won the eighth event 03:48 Tim Mack and the first contract- Tim was the best amateur player in the world- Called his sponsor to see Jason- Flew to Las Vegas for the tournament- Signed the contract for Storm Bowling 08:06 The courage to ask for what you want- You have to be OK to hear No- Finding the best way to ask for something- Show value and give them a reason not to say No 10:46 How to deal with hate and loneliness- Cheating accusations affected his mental health- Being constantly on a defense drained him- The jealousy of his competitors- Decided to focus on his supporters, not haters- The small inner circle of family and friends 20:24 Dealing with people that envy your success- His roommate wasn’t happy about his first win- Becoming successful very young feels lonely- The story of Norm Duke coming to his defense 36:13 Bowling with two hands- Jason doesn’t know the science behind it- Bowling with two hands became popular 39:17 The growth of the bowling industry- The industry is a wild beast- It has many opportunities to grow- The sport needs the right people in the right places 42:43 The importance of mental preparation and confidence- World Series comeback after 71 games- Self-belief is a huge element in the recipe for success- Understanding your own success 46:27 Throwing a ball outside of a NASCAR car- Promoting the game in an unusual and funny way- An incredible moment 50:25 The importance of Extreme Preparation- An honest discussion with yourself about why you are not as good as you can be- The goal is to figure out where you can improve and dedicate time to doing that52:54 Fill in the blanks to excellence- The biggest lesson I’ve learned- Number one professional goal- Number one personal goal- And more...Coaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

My guest today is Jason Belmonte, the best bowler in the history of this sport. He has won a record number of 15 major championships and has been named PBA Player of the Year 7 times. He is also the second person in PBA history that has won the Super Slam, winning all 5 PBA major titles in the same year. 01:30 Off days during world tours- It is brutally hard to compete- Tournaments are exhausting for both mind and body- Days off are mostly for sleep and relaxation 04:17 The first event outside of Australia- At 16, he traveled to Malaysia on a mini tour- Bowling conditions in Asia- That was the catalyst for understanding     10:35 The preparation for tournaments- Tries to leave Australia as late as he can- Most people like to play in the middle part of the lane- Bowling in a new tournament is a puzzle that you need to solve- Japan bowling centers 17:36 Types of lane surfaces and bowling balls- Synthetic lanes are made of tough plastic    - Bowling balls are very similar to golf balls    - Jason carries 20 balls on his tours- Bowling balls weigh up to 16 pounds- Materials and designs vary depending on the goal 26:32 Jason’s childhood- His parents built the bowling center after he was born- He started bowling at 18 months- The ball was too heavy so he had his own way of bowling- That difference gave him the advantage 31:16 Norm Duke and the Beast- Norm Duke is one of Jason’s favorite bowlers- Norm Duke’s ball was called the Beast- Got the Beast from his parents- Met Norm and competed against him 34:50 The culture of bowling- The popularity of bowling shirts, shoes, and other apparel- Breaking the stereotype of the burger-eating and beer-drinking bowler 39:02 Focusing on a bowling career- As a kid, besides bowling, played rugby and cricket- Realized he had to commit to one- Quit his job at Blockbuster- Dad fired him, his safety net was gone 45:07 What did Jason do with his first prize money- The first thing he bought was a Nokia 5110- Invested the money into his career- Losing and not generating income- Became incredibly analytical of his gameCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence featuring Kelly Hansen, the lead singer of the legendary rock band Foreigner which has had five platinum records and sold more than 80 million albums. He was also the lead singer of the heavy metal band Hurricane, popular in the 80s. 03:46 The importance of being proactive- Kelly was frustrated with where he was- Realized he had to be proactive- You have to handle criticism- Believe in yourself enough that you can take the risk- Keep moving forward- Is fear our greatest motivator to success? 11:47 Sex, drugs & rock ’n’ roll- Learned a huge lesson in Hurricane    - They became famous rock stars    - 6 months after the label went under, no one knew who they were- What popularity projects to you is not reality    - You have to know who you are as a person- Experienced some things of a rock star life    - Never did drugs 16:05 Playing in front of 50 000 people- There are a lot of types of audiences    - You have to treat each kind differently- Responsible for converting the audience- How to keep your energy night after night?- Show hours have to be the apex of the day 23:02 Priorities in life- Re-prioritized his life- Currently on the farewell tour- Has other passions besides music- Wants to spend time with his family 26:05 Popular songs vs. “bathroom” songs- The band had 16 Top 30s- Every single song did well- Fortunate to be in a band with so many popular songs 28:28 The importance of Extreme Preparation for success- Your 100% might be somebody else's 70%- When you over-prepare, it's like muscle memory- Bands in the 70s and 80s looked rebellious and unhappy- 45 years later, not trying to prove how dark and cool they are    - Smiling is a huge part of that 34:15 The current state of the music business and where's it going?- Talked with a famous rapper about his revenue stream- Live is the only place you're making any money- Everybody's stealing and no one’s paying- A cynical view of what's going forward- AI created content- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 40:44 Giving back to others- Started working with Grammy Foundation    - To raise awareness about the lack of funding for school music programs- Did a lot of work for the Shriners Hospital    - Helping parents pay bills for their sick children 42:18 Fill in the blank for excellence- When I started my career, I wish I had known    - More about collaboration- The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is    - You are insignificant- And moreCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn