In Search Of Excellence

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

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is 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 a lead singer of the heavy metal band Hurricane – one of the most popular bands in the 80s. Kelly is a great musician with an amazing life story.  00:00 Kelly’s Family and Growing Up- A vivid picture from his childhood of his parents carrying albums under their arms- Mom had a GTO convertible- At school, he sang in the school choir – a part of the curriculum- Discovered that he can sing almost accidentally- Didn’t know how to use his voice, took some singing lessons- Realized he could do that as his job 09:55 The Beginnings of Kelly’s Singing Career- The first gig was at teen dance night- He was a part of a cover band- Later, they played at high school dances- Ended up playing all over Southern California- Played a military base in Yuma, Arizona- Music requires a lot of sacrifices and hard work- The band Hurricane- Parents were supportive 18:00 After High School- Left the high school band- Had his own bands - Kelly Hansen band, The Last Tango- Played around LA- His father was his manager- Also started doing sessions- Played in a couple of cover bands- Played 5-6 days a week- Tried to connect to the audience- Played with Ross Bolton, a great guitarist- The Guitar Institute of Technology - GIT 23:39 The Rise and Success of Hurricane- Met the drummer of the band- Later on, met bassist Tony Cavazo and guitarist Robert Sarzo- Started making music together- Found a new drummer - Jay Shelton- That's when they really became Hurricane- Did some demos with the producer called Kevin Beamish- Mixed them themselves- Sent them around to record labels- Made an EP with the producer Max Norman- The record label noticed them- Went on a tour- Went on the road- Made their second record- The third record- Continued doing shows and making songs- Doug Aldrich came to the band- Enigma records- Doing shows on the road, trying to sell records- Canceling the rest of the tour 41:48 Becoming a Foreigner’s Lead Singer- In the early 90s, a new style of music was coming in- Tackled the other aspects of the recording business that he loved- Album production started to slowly sank down as technology advanced- Realized he had to go back to what he does best - being the lead singer- Foreigner was trying to get back together- Set up a meeting with Tom Gimbel of Foreigner- Back and forth conversation with management of Foreigner- Received 5 Foreigner tracks - the original recordings, but without any vocals- Mick Jones got to hear that CD in New York- Kelly was one of the first ones to jam with the guys- He got into the band- Printed lyrics of songs and was memorizing 24/7Coaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to In Search of Excellence and the second part of our conversation with Dr. Mike Roizen.Dr. Mike is a world-renowned physician and author whose work has helped tens of millions of people improve their health and wellness through lifestyle changes, and whose purpose in life is to spread the message that we get to control our genes to a large degree. Dr. Mike formerly served as the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, and Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Chicago, and in 1997, he left to co-founded a company called Real Age, a consumer health media company that inspires people to adopt healthier lifestyles. Shortly after selling the company, Dr. Roizen was named Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the first such position at a major healthcare institution in the United States. Dr. Mike has published more than 185 peer-reviewed scientific papers, has written 18 books, including 4 New York Times bestsellers, and has received 13 and many foreign patents. 00:55 Stress management- Most stressful events are financial- The Christmas Eve story- Stress management technique- 10 breaths in the morning and evening 04:25 Vaccines in general and COVID-19 booster- The initial COVID vaccination and the first booster were beneficial- Long COVID and Spanish flu- Dr. Mike is scared of the inflammation- Flu vaccine 10 years in a row decreases the risk of dementia by 40% 11:15 Food recommendations- Eat things that are healthy, that you love and that will love you back- Eating bad food in moderation- Fruit is a sugar and fruit is bound to fiber and is not easily absorbed- 20g a day is fine 18:30 Obesity and fat reduction- Obesity, especially obesity around your waist, causes inflammation- White vs. brown fat- Side effects of drugs for reducing fat- We don’t know the long-term risk 22:40 Are hot sauna and cold plunge useful?- We have more data on the sauna- Sauna decreases heart disease and stroke risk- Increases longevity 24:05 Effectiveness of vitamins and supplements- The longevity playbook analyzed 53 supplements- 15 have enough data on humans- Creatine was a surprise  26:25 Can we live 120 years and do we really want to?- As a society, we need to- We are not producing enough kids- The working age will go from 40 to 60 years- The whole body will have a chance to get younger- Old people can be functional as young people 30:45 Is there just a simple checklist that we should be looking at every day?- Do what you love doing- There are many choices but do what you love and add things onCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Dr. Mike Roizen – a world-renowned physician and author whose work has helped tens of millions of people improve their health and wellness through lifestyle changes, and whose purpose in life is help other control their gene expression through healthy living. Dr. Mike formerly served as the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, and Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Chicago, and in 1997, he left to co-found a company called Real Age, a consumer health media company that inspires people to adopt healthier lifestyles. Shortly after selling the company, Dr. Roizen was named Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the first such position at a major healthcare institution in the United States. Dr. Mike has published more than 185 peer-reviewed scientific papers, has written 18 books, including 4 New York Times bestsellers, and has received 13 patents. 07:32 The difference between real age and actual age- Used to think this was all physiologic- How to calculate your actual age?- Age test on a new app called Longevity Playbook at the longevityplaybook.com    13:10 The results of the Human Genome Project- What's the rest of the DNA?- Switches that control your genes- Your habits influence how your genes function 15:58 How will 20% of our genetics we cannot control negatively influence our life expectancy?- Some of us are born with dominant genetic genes that might cause sickle cell disease- Many of those 20% we're learning how to alter with CRISPR Cas9- Stress Management turns off or on over 256 genes and reduces our rate of aging very substantially 17:51 How useful is DNA testing like 23andMe?- They are designed to let you know what risk you have from a genetic standpoint- You can take action to reduce the risk- Some of these tests aren't exactly accurate 20:19 Should parents do genetic testing of their kids?- In the future, it will be more common and more useful.- Some genetic tests are mandated state by state- We're still in the infancy of this field 24:34 38 choices to improve cognitive functioning and reduce aging- Mike’s life mission is to alter your genetics to control them to improve the quality of life and life expectancy - Speed of processing games- Favorite video games- Mike jumps rope every day 36:14 How to get 10,000 steps a day when you are a very busy person?- Walking on a treadmill as you work, making phone calls- What is important is physical activity- 10,000 daily steps are optimal 40:35 The benefits of drinking coffee- If you're a fast metabolizer, drinking lots of coffee lowers your risk of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 diabetes- 8 cancers, including breast cancerCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence, featuring an exceptional man and a good friend of mine, David Kidder.David is a serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, advisor to Fortune 500 companies, sought-after speaker, and author of four books, including two New York Times bestsellers, “The startup playbook” and “The intellectual devotional”.David has been a co-founder and CEO of three venture-backed startups, including Clickable, SmartRay, and Bionic, where he is currently a CEO.We are discussing if an entrepreneur is born or made, what is the right motivation to start a business, how to learn from hardships, what is the concept of TOAD, and the concept of Becoming. Tune in to hear more! 00:35 Are you born as an entrepreneur or you can become one?- Born entrepreneurs are very rare- Mostly conditioned at home- Creativeness and problem-solving 09:52 The motivation for starting a business- Those who earn $100 million are rare- You can't be a billionaire without being lucky- Compounding is the secret to long-term wealth 16:51 Extreme preparation and its importance for the success- Extreme preparation benefits greatly- For public speaking, David prepares like hell- Do not love people just to get something from them 23:20 Transition from an entrepreneur to an angle investor- 70% of all of our returns come from 7% of all capital deployed- There are two investment signals- You have to put yourself in a network 27:47 Dealing with difficult people and hardships- You have to have the ability to say no to people- Best books about entrepreneurship- Success is a bad educator- Growth lives in discomfort 33:34 Three most important things to look for in an entrepreneur- Why them? What is their secret? What is their proprietary gift?- Timing, their understanding of the forces within the next 3-5 years- The ability to solve a problem and create an unfair advantage 35:24 Three worst things that an entrepreneur can do- Overconfidence- Ambition, not obsession, as a drive- Urgency bias 37:14 What motivates David to be self-aware and constantly grow?- The Becoming Journey- The second stage is Love Loving point- Mike Tyson – an incredible human being- Toad principle 44:28 What is a toad and how it changes people’s lives?- It's a natural psychedelic that exists in both biological and organic form- The conscious physical reality that we live in is a part of the larger nature of our creation- These are not toys, they're not recreational, they're profoundly powerful- You’d probably want to experience them later in your life, in your 40s and 50s 48:12 Fill in the blank to excellence- When I started my career I wish I had known    - The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is- My number one professional goal is- My biggest regret in life isCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is my good friend, David Kidder.David is a serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, advisor to Fortune 500 companies, sought-after speaker, and author of four books, including two New York Times bestsellers, “The Startup Playbook” and “The Intellectual Devotional."David has been a co-founder and CEO of three venture-backed startups, including Clickable, SmartRay, and Bionic, where he is currently a CEO.We are talking about his background and early years, college experience, his first company, how to be successful as an entrepreneur, how to overcome the fear of failure, and what the future holds for our kids in this constantly changing world. Tune in to learn more! 02:15 David Kidder’s background and early childhood05:22 What is Montgomery Ward?08:26 The advice to companies that get offers to be bought by private equity firms11:45 How to hire the right person for the job?15:26 As a young entrepreneur, how to figure out what is good?19:30 The story of David's uncle, Roger Franchi23:25 How important are mentors for success?26:02 How important is the college experience today? 30:24 How to advise kids on caring for their mental health?35:04 The advice to students on how to deal with mental stress and negative thoughts 43:28 The start of David’s first company at 19 46:55 What is a roll-up?49:40 Fear of failure and how to bounce back from failureCoaching and Staying Connected:1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn