Behind the Brilliance

T.A. McCann got the entrepreneurial bug as a teenager and never stopped building. His career has been a mix of corporate and startup ventures that have shaped his perspective on marketing and leadership. Now he’s the managing director of Pioneer Square Labs, a startup studio and venture capital fund. He draws on the experience of raising millions of dollars during his career to share what he’s learned about selling, fundraising, and shipping new projects. He also opens up about how he regained his confidence after a failure and why you should always have a side project. Behind His Brilliance: Great advice and being given opportunities  Say hi to T.A. on Twitter: @tamccann  

In  this solo episode, Lisa describes the why, what and how of living eulogies - inspiring personal tributes offered to people who are still alive.  Going beyond special occasions and milestones, Lisa inspires you to start creating living eulogies for the special people in your life. 

Chris Hutchins has lived many lives in his short time on earth. His adventures have been fueled by curiousity and acceptance of uncertainty. From startup experiments to traveling the world for 8 months to using hacks to optimize his life, Chris’ open mind and willingness to learn has taken him to fascinating places. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on the twists and turns of the journey, the hardest won lessons, and his perspective on creating more personal satisfaction in work and life. Behind His Brilliance: Being comfortable learning in real time Say hi to Chris on Twitter: @hutchins

Nina Westbrook is a trained marriage and family therapist and the founder of Bene, a digital platform offering wellness workshops and inspiration to help you embrace self-care, personal growth, and learning. Nina is also a mom of 3 and the wife of NBA all star Russell Westbrook. This conversation unpacks how Nina navigates change, her perspective on modern self-care, and her best advice for sustaining mental health.  Behind Her Brilliance: Her Parents Say hi to Nina on Twitter: @ninawestbrook Follow Bene on Instagram: @benexnina Check Out Nina's Teachable Workshop: benebynina.teachable.com/

What would inspire you to reach the peak in your career then decide to scale a different mountain? Burnout. Justin Welsh went from making it rain at tech startups to going out on his own as a consultant. With the future unknown, he wrote his way to a 7 figure personal brand that allows him to spend his time on things he cares about and have an impact on thousands of professionals. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on a journey littered with setbacks and shares how he turned each failure into a launching pad for his next success.  Behind His Brilliance: A big stroke of luck Say hi to Justin on Twitter: @justinSaaS

This is the ultimate reinvention story of a dynamic creative letting her passion guide her from the safety of her executive office to early mornings perfecting her craft as a screenwriter.  After climbing the ranks as an executive in Hollywood, Kelly left it behind to return to her passion of writing. Now she has a producing deal with HBO and decades of hard won wisdom guiding her creative pursuits. During this conversation, Kelly opened up about the highs and lows of her journey as a creative and a woman reinventing herself. Her reflections and strategies are an inspiration no matter your industry or ambitions. Behind Her Brilliance: Listening  Say hi to Kelly on Twitter: @kellyedwards

Lisa offers frameworks and questions for conducting pre-mortems and post-mortems for personal and professional projects. Find the list of questions at BehindtheBrilliance.com/225preandpostmortems

Ryan Allis is the founder and former CEO of iContact, the email marketing company that sold for $169 million. After a short-lived stint as an angel investor, Ryan started a social enterprise and then became the Managing Partner of HeartRithm, an algorithmic trading fund that’s turning money into good. During this conversation, Ryan opens up about the peaks and valleys of his journey as an entrepreneur, what it means to be a heart-centered leader, and why he’s bullish on crypto. Behind His Brilliance: Loving and supportive parents Say hi to Ryan on Twitter: @ryanallis

Jessie Inchauspé brings clarity and levity to the wellness space as a biochemist, researcher, and author. Her Instagram account, @GlucoseGoddess, exploded when she started sharing what she learned about glucose monitoring and managment. Her book, Glucose Revolution, has been called the best practical guide for managing glucose to maximize health and longevity. Even if you don't think you have a glucose "problem," you're almost certainly in the group of people who could stand to improve their overall well-being by taking a more thoughtful approach to nutrition. In this conversation, Jessie offers simple sustainable changes that can have a significant impact on an array of health markers from sleep to energy levels to preventing disease. This is a must listen if you want to be well.  Behind Her Brilliance: Curiosity and a willingness to fail and be wrong Say hi to Jessie on Instagram: @glucosegoddess

In this solo episode, Lisa outlines two mental models and discusses how they fit together to make decision making easier and more effective.