10 Lessons Learned

Joe Templin is an Author, Founder and Managing Director. He tells us why “Harder is better”; why we should “Be a kid”, that “a strong enough Why, overcomes any How” and much more. Hosted by Robert Hossary.

Reformed physicist, financial planner, startup founder and autodidactic polymath best described as a Swiss Army Knife, Joe Templin has invested the past two and a half plus decades to helping others reach their financial potential as a planner, trainer, mentor and creator. He has served as a member of NAIFA (the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) on the local, state, and national level, and including three terms on the NAIFA National Young Advisors Team (YAT) Subcommittee and was honored as one of the 2011 Four Under 40. He is a graduate of the Leadership in Life Institute of NAIFA as well as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is an alum of Johns Hopkins University.

Joe earned his CFP as well as his CHARTERED ADVISOR OF PHILANTHROPY, CLU, and ChFC designations and has qualified numerous times for the Million Dollar Round Table. He has been a business columnist for the Albany Times Union, Adviser Today Magazine, The Ballston Journal, and Insurance News Net. Joe earned his Certified Executive Counsellor designation as well as his Master Executive Counsellor in 2021.

Joe served as the President of the Castle Alpha Tau Foundation for Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and as the Chapter Advisor, and is currently a Board Member of The Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region. He has been a member of The Ancient Order of Hibernians for over 20 years, and is the Lieutenant of the Honor Guard.

Templin is the Managing Director of the Unique Minds Consulting Group, LLC, and is the author of “Every Day Excellence” and co-authored “Do You Want To Make MDRT, Or Not?” with Dr. John Stolk as well as “Choices: Creating a Financial Services Career”.

Joe is a Co-Founder and President of The Intro Machine, Inc. an organization dedicated to teaching professionals in a variety of fields how to build an Introduction Based Business. He has spoken all across the US and Canada on ethical business development.

In his free time, Joe enjoys running Ragnars (200 ish mile team relay races) ultramarathons and is a champion-level martial artist. He lives in Ballston Spa, New York, with his hooligan boys Danny, Liam, and Colin. They are huge Yankees fans.

Lesson 1: The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Mean Nothing. 03:50 Lesson 2: A Strong Enough Why, Overcomes Any How. 09:16 Lesson 3: Sacrifice Of Myself, To Myself. 12:03 Lesson 4: Harder is Better. 17:24 Lesson 5: See It, then Be It. 22:52 Lesson 6: Bad Day? Help Someone. 26:49 Lesson 7: Truth is Told Through Jokes 32:38 Lesson 8: Be a Kid. 38:41 Lesson 9: Speak Love, and in Their Language. 42:59 Lesson 10: Have Fun, Don’t Die! 48:24

Rod Miller  is an President, CEO, Founder and Strategics. He explains why we should “Put people first”, how “Everyone is the CEO of their job” why we should “Suck it up and drive on” and much more. Hosted by Siebe Van Der Zee.

Rodrick Miller has emerged as one of the nation’s foremost economic development leaders respected globally for his ability to maneuver in complex political and business environments, and craft strategies and structure deals to provide long-term value to communities and investors. Over the course of his career, he has brought more than $6B in private investment and 50,000 new jobs to communities where he has worked.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Miami-Dade County’s official economic development organization, Miller is focused on attracting and retaining companies that create high-value jobs and actively invest in the community. Miller champions Miami’s unique advantages as a diverse, global business destination, collaborating with key stakeholders in both the private and public sectors to leverage the strengths of the market’s target industries, deliver workforce solutions, and create opportunities that drive long-term economic prosperity and inclusive growth for both residents and businesses.

Experienced in leading economic recovery efforts in challenged markets across the country, Miller has launched or turned public-private development agencies around in New Orleans, Detroit and, most recently, Puerto Rico, where he served as Chief Executive Officer of Invest Puerto Rico. 

Prior to those positions, Miller served as the Executive Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Vice President of International Economic Development for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) and held several other positions in the public and private sectors. He began his career in the private sector in management consulting and infrastructure finance, is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.

Miller is also Founder and CEO of Ascendant Global, a boutique economic development firm focused on providing bold growth solutions to help economies sustain themselves, gaining jobs and private investment.  Ascendant Global has led diverse economic initiatives for a range of clients including Living Cities, the Kellogg Foundation, The Fund for our Economic Future, and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Miller holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from St. Augustine’s College. He also gained a Graduate Diploma in Finance from the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM) in Mexico as a Fulbright Fellow. A scholar practitioner, he has been a featured speaker to organizations such as Google, AIG, and the World Bank, and has lectured at Harvard University, Arizona State University, The University of Michigan and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has written extensively in scholarly and trade publications on the future of work, inclusive economic development, and market competitiveness. Miller is currently a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government where he is building a community of practice to rethink how economic development should be more inclusive and sustainable, training the next generation of economic development leaders, and researching diverse economic development topics including inclusive economic growth, incentives, and the Build Back Better program.

Miller is a board member of the New Growth Innovation Network, the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board, New Corp (CDFI), and St. Augustine’s University. He is a former board member of the International Economic Development Council and completed a term membership with the Council on Foreign Relations. He has advised various federal agencies on economic policy including the Federal Reserve Board, the Economic Development Administration, and the White House. Miller has received numerous accolades including Young Economic Developer of the Year (2013), Michigan Man of Excellence (2016), the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Harvard Kennedy School Black Student Union (2018), and various others. He enjoys playing the piano, reading, and spending time with his family.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Put people first.   06:25 Lesson 2: Remember, the arc of time is long. 10:04 Lesson 3: You don’t know how much capacity one has until you put it to the test. 11:11 Lesson 4: Everyone is the CEO of their job. Take initiative and lead. Results matter.  Everything else is noise.  17:35 Lesson 5: Be interesting. Try something new. 21:14 Lesson 6: Suck it up and drive on. 23:49 Lesson 7: One’s character is demonstrated when one’s faced with adversity.  26:46 Lesson 8: No one is completely self-made. Everyone has had some help. 28:41 Lesson 9: The world is a large place.  Follow the news and travel.  33:53 Lesson 10: We’ll all have to die one day; make time for the people you love. 36:39

Julie Lancaster discusses why you should “Tend to your introvert”; “Solicit interest instead of force-feeding facts”, and the importance of “F/U” hosted by Diana White.

Julie Lancaster is a founder and CEO; Leadership Development Expert & Master Business Strategist.

Before starting Lancaster Leadership, Julie was: A rock-climber who ran an outdoor education school for 5,000 children per year. She was also a professor turned Dean of Education who taught courses like the Psychology of Motivation. After providing 900 performance evaluations and having 100 direct reports over a few decades, Julie learned what makes people succeed and fail. She started her leadership development company 10 years ago and today has a team that combines the schools of psychology, coaching, and teaching to create transformative programs. With Lancaster Leadership nearly quadrupling its business in last 5 years, Julie is grateful to be part of workplaces becoming environments of productivity and joy.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Prime the experience within the first 5 minutes. 03:28 Lesson 2: Tend to your introvert. 08:01 Lesson 3: Get them to connect emotionally. 12:34 Lesson 4: Solicit interest instead of force-feeding facts. 16:27 Lesson 5: Be meticulous about the flow. 21:42 Lesson 6: Have an ever-growing language bank.  27:52 Lesson 7: Dive in with 1 person. 34:42 Lesson 8: Bring numbers into the emotional. 40:15 Lesson 9: F/U. 48:31 Lesson 10: Know (and use) your power & influence. 53:59

Lee Eldridge is an Entrepreneur, CEO, and a Performance Coach. He shares why you should “Understand what you're hiding”; “Be careful what you think”, that “Failure is an option” and much more. Hosted by Robert Hossary.

Lee Eldridge is the founder and performance director of Cognitive Athlete a bespoke human performance coaching company, on a mission to lead elite business executives towards obtaining and sustaining optimal results over the long term. Throughout his 20-year career, he has worked with athletes and business executives in elite environments, including professional rugby and football players, world-ranked tennis players and C-Suite executives at multi-national companies. Lee holds an MSc in Human Performance and a BSc in Sports Science and Coaching.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Understand what you're hiding. 05:49 Lesson 2: Develop your tribe of people. 10:54 Lesson 3: Develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence. 17:20 Lesson 4: Understand your values. 20:40 Lesson 5: It shall pass. 26:43 Lesson 6: Develop systems, not goals. 33:06 Lesson 7: Be careful what you think. 40:24 Lesson 8: Engagement is the key to sustainable performance. 44:29 Lesson 9: Failure is an option.  47:04 Lesson 10: Define your own success. 50:27

Jan Cavelle  is an Author,Speaker and Entrepreneur . She explains why ”It’s ok not to be the best”, how “‘Don't Quit’ is a load of baloney“, why “being laughed at shouldn't stop you” and much more. Hosted by Siebe Van Der Zee.

Jan Cavelle is an entrepreneur from the UK who has a few decades of running micro and small businesses behind her.  She is very familiar with all the challenges that go with that, having started one from the kitchen table as a single mother with two young children, and overcome the obstacles to go on to build that into a multi-million turnover business.

She has always been passionate to encourage and support other entrepreneurs and has been involved in many campaigns with a view to that.   She was chosen as one of the first 50 women to represent the UK in the European Union on entrepreneurship.

She now does this through her writing.  Scale for Success was published by Bloomsbury in 2021 and Start for Success came out in January 2023, aimed at helping aspiring and growing entrepreneurs everywhere

Episode Notes

1. Being laughed at – or the fear of it - should never stop you 05:18
2. It is ok not to be the best – because, actually, that is impossible 09:42
3. Orders are good, right? 12:07
4. Values are far more important than they seem 15:38
5. Value is more important than turnover and learning how to sell a business is vital 18:13
6. Systems may be boring, but they are a game-changer 22:53
7.  Investment isn’t only for other people 27:16
8. “Don’t quit” is a load of baloney 30:36
9. The word entrepreneur isn’t a synonym for superman 34:23
10.  Never lose your thirst for learning 39:22

Mark Smith  is a Counselor, Speaker Trainer and Podcaster. He explains why ”Comfort is the Casualty of Growth”, how “Words Lie, Actions Lie, but Consistency Doesn't Lie”, asks “What is FREE?” and much more. Hosted by Diana White.

Mark Smith “Curator of a Bigger Vision Within,” Mark Smith specializes in speaking from his personal experience of trials and tribulations in life.  

Smith served as Vice President of the Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association and was a former Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment facilitator for the Department of Labor. In those previous roles, he used his gift of sharing words of perseverance and helped individuals push forward through adversity.  

Currently, he is a nationally acclaimed award winning STRIVE (Support Training Results in Valuable Employees) trainer at the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore. 

With his podcast “The Process,” he outlines and breaks down SITUATIONS we all go through and offers insight on methods to weather the storms in life.  Known for his clever use of acronyms within his messages, Smith gives listeners a way to remember key points as we GROW FORWARD. Mark’s vision statement of “Your Why is Greater Than Your Situation Which is Part of Your PROCESS,” gives us the perspective that we are always GROWING.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Comfort is the Casualty of Growth 04:37

Lesson 2: Words Lie, Actions Lie, Consistency Doesn't Lie 07:19

Lesson 3: Building a trail is good for you. 11:43

Lesson 4: Know the difference of circle vs cage 18:08

Lesson 5: Being busy doesn't mean being productive 21:53

Lesson 6: I thought equals I'm wrong 25:06

Lesson 7: What is a laugh? 27:32

Lesson 8: Rain is the greatest of all weather events 30:26

Lesson 9: What is FREE 33:15

Lesson 10: TIME 38:12

Troy Hadeed  is a Social Entrepreneur, Philosopher, Yoga Teacher, Author. He explains why ”Privilege is not a bad word”, why you should “Cultivate a loving relationship with your mind”, how “Forgiveness does not depend on an apology” and much more. Hosted by Robert Hossary.

Troy Hadeed was born in Trinidad & Tobago and has lived there for the majority of his life, today he still calls the forested North Coast of Trinidad his home and lives among a community of hummingbirds.

He attended the University of Tampa in Florida and graduated with a degree in business. After that Troy returned to Trinidad to open Trinidad’s first Hemp store, which he ran for eight years before starting a bio-fuel business, and then finally nurturing a beautiful yoga studio and community known as One Yoga Trinidad—recently re-branding as BeyondYogaTv.com

Troy has traveled the world on a ship, walked on foot across Costa Rica, sat in silence for 10 days at a time, spent time in absolute darkness, and has dedicated the last 15 years of his life to the practice and teaching of Yoga. He has recently completed his first book, Popcorn in My Pocket; Insightful Reflections For A Better You & A Better World, scheduled to launch in April/May 2023

Episode Notes

1. Do you disagree or are you avoiding having the conversation? 04:38
2. Nurture a personal relationship with (your) GOD & allow others to nurture theirs. 08:16
3. Forgiveness does not depend on an apology. 15:08
4. Hope & Faith are not the same and do not carry the same power. 20:15
5. Privilege is not a bad word 29:32
6. The most valuable currency on the planet is our support, attention, and love. 30:23
7. Everyone fails. Everyone succeeds. That’s what makes us the same. 34:43
8. Stop asking the question, “How can I change the world?” - Have the courage to ask, “How am I changing the world?” 39:49
9. Cultivate a loving relationship with your mind. 44:29
10. Breathing is not something we do, but something that is done to us 50:11

Terry Tucker is a motivational speaker and author. He explains why you should ”Be part of something bigger than yourself”, why you should “Control your mind or it will control you”, how “You are the person you’re looking to become” and much more. Hosted by Siebe Van Der Zee.

Terry Tucker is a motivational speaker, author, and international podcast guest on the topics of mindset, motivation, and self-development. He is the Founder of Motivational Check LLC. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Citadel and a Master’s degree from Boston University. He has been a college basketball player, a marketing executive, a hospital administrator, a SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, a high school basketball coach, a business owner, a motivational speaker, and most recently, a cancer warrior. He is the author of the book Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life. Terry has also been featured in Authority, Thrive Global, and Human Capital Leadership magazines. 

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Control your mind or it will control you. 05:12

Lesson 2: Embrace the pain and difficulty we all experience in life and use it to make you more resilient. 07:19

Lesson 3: What you leave behind is what you weave in the hearts of other people. 11:37

Lesson 4: As long as you don’t quit, you can never be defeated. 15:14

Lesson 5: Be part of something bigger than yourself. 17:24

Lesson 6: Most people think with their fears and insecurities, instead of using their minds. 23:37

Lesson 7: You are the person you’re looking to become. 28:43

Lesson 8: Fail often, especially when you are young. 32:03

Lesson 9: Listen more than you talk. 35:29

Lesson 10: Love is the most important word in any language. 38:56

On this episode Brad Chan explains the importance of “living your values” why being an Introvert is a superpower” and how “Challenges are opportunities” along with more lessons learned. Hosted by Jeffery Wang.

Brad is a property professional and the CEO of Banna Property Group, a 3rd generation family business with a vision to transform its shopping centres into community hubs. Brad is also founder of HaymarketHQ, an innovation hub which opened in 2016 with a particular focus on helping startups grow into Asian markets. In 2022, he led a group of community organisations to successfully launch Neon Playground, a festival of lights, arts, music and community to reactivate Sydney’s Chinatown.

Brad was a previous board member of the Museum of Chinese in Australia, former President of the Haymarket Chamber of Commerce for five years, sat for several years on the City of Sydney Chinese New Year Advisory Committee and was the first President of the Australian Asian Association of Bennelong. He was recently a Board Director of Northcross Limited for four years, whilst also President of the school P&F for the same duration. He remains involved with a number of other community and local government committees and currently sits on the City of Sydney Business Advisory Panel. He is also a former board member of the DAWN Network a purpose-led business with a vision to build culturally diverse leaders in the future. In 2016, he established the Banna Foundation, the family group’s philanthropy arm which currently supports a range of charities including the UTS Humanitarian Scholarship for the past 4 years. 

Brad has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Land Economics), Post-Graduate Diploma in Finance & Investment, a Masters in Real Estate and a Masters of Town Planning. He is also a graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has been a Justice of the Peace in NSW since 2010.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Live Your Values 02:53 Lesson 2: Introversion is a superpower. 09:48 Lesson 3: Challenges are opportunities. 17:46 Lesson 4: Learn languages. 22:21 Lesson 5: Just Do It 25:36 Lesson 6: Be Humble 27:20 Lesson 7: Join a gym. 30:52 Lesson 8: Choose Your Response 35:16 Lesson 9: Success is intentional. 39:03 Lesson 10: Become literate…in Money. 44:55

Mitch Bolnick is a CEO, Author and Mentor. He explains how “Good communication is at the heart of all success”, how “Loyalty comes from trust” and why we should “Plan for success”. Hosted by Diana White.

Mitch Bolnick is the principal of The Excel Consulting Group in 2013 to help other entrepreneurs succeed for the long term and obtain funding in the short term. His two books, MItch's Pocket Guide to a Great Business Plan and Mitch's Framework to Business Development were written to help focus entrepreneurs on the things they need to in order to succeed.  Starting in 2018 Mitch joined Greener Pacific, an Oregon LLC, as CEO/member and FocalPoint Security, an Arizona LLC, as an advisor/member.

Mitch also is a volunteer mentor/advisory positions for several organizations, including the State of Arizona's Venture Ready (Arizona Innovative Challenge) program.  Mitch’s passion is to help other businesses excel. Mitch has found many rabbit holes to fall into during his diverse career and has learned many lessons the hard way as a result. Mitch’s goal is to help other entrepreneurs and leaders avoid mistakes.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Great leaders spend their lives building their respect by not giving away their integrity. 03:03 Lesson 2: Good communication is at the heart of all success. 06:30 Lesson 3: Balance life and work 08:36 Lesson 4: Loyal customers are the key to long-term profitable success. 13:55 Lesson 5: Loyalty comes from trust. 16:19 Lesson 6: Plan for success. 19:42  Lesson 7: Get rid of the deadwood. 33:44 Lesson 8: Understand risk. 43:56 Lesson 9: Don’t dwell, life is like riding several rollercoasters at the same time. 50:41 Lesson 10: “Respect your elders” is a cliche, but listening to them might save you. 53:35