Award-Winning Leadership Speaker, Executive Coach & New York Times Best-Selling Author
       

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What do most fortune 500 executives have in common?

They learned their leadership lessons on the fields and courts of their high school and collegiate sports teams. This is true for both men and women. Ernst & Young found that a whopping 94% of women holding a C-suite position played sports.


Access to the greatest winners of our time!

Over the last 30 years, longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated and 11-Time New York Times Best-Selling Author, Don Yaeger, has been blessed to interview the greatest winners of our generation. He has made a second career as a keynote speaker and executive coach, discerning habits of high performance to teach teams how to reach their full potential.

Now the same level of curiosity and interview expertise that allowed Don to sit down with the best in sports, is coming to the boardroom so that you can have world-class access to the brightest executives in the world. Together, we will learn how sports shaped their professional trajectory in life in Corporate Competitor Podcast.


What do most fortune 500 executives have in common?

They learned their leadership lessons on the fields and courts of their high school and collegiate sports teams. This is true for both men and women. Ernst & Young found that a whopping 94% of women holding a C-suite position played sports.


Access to the greatest winners of our time!

Over the last 30 years, longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated and 11-Time New York Times Best-Selling Author, Don Yaeger, has been blessed to interview the greatest winners of our generation. He has made a second career as a keynote speaker and executive coach, discerning habits of high performance to teach teams how to reach their full potential.

Now the same level of curiosity and interview expertise that allowed Don to sit down with the best in sports, is coming to the boardroom so that you can have world-class access to the brightest executives in the world. Together, we will learn how sports shaped their professional trajectory in life in Corporate Competitor Podcast.


 

CCP-OLD

Episode 1: Dolf Berle, Topgolf CEO, Asks: Do You Practice Courage?

Coupon Code for Journey to Greatness: PODCAST

CEO of Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux Brandon Landry asks: What is your underdog story?CEO of Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux Brandon Landry asks: What is your underdog story?

Today, with more than 100 locations in the works across 15 states, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux operates with a mission of delivering a memorable game day experience with a taste of Louisiana created by an All-American team. And the best part? The culture they work to inspire in every employee celebrates being a great teammate.

In recounting his journey, CEO Brandon Landry offers sharp lessons for business leaders eager for insights on aligning staff, scaling company culture, raising the bar on expectations, and knowing when — and how — to change course when things are not going to plan…including holding a funeral when moving past failure!

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CEO of LegalShield Jeff Bell reveals the key to scaling your businessCEO of LegalShield Jeff Bell reveals the key to scaling your business

Jeff Bell believes the hardest thing a leader can do is make the complex seem simple, especially when it comes to motivating and managing people. Developing this skill is what sets apart many successful leaders, whether they are football coaches or Fortune 500 executives.

In this episode, he offers an abundance of practical tips on vulnerability, dealing with pressure, and developing lifelong learning habits essential for leaders seeking to inspire their teams as well as progress in their own careers. And he makes sure each one is simplified for the listener!

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Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons Part Owner and Former Nfl Running Back, Asks: Will You Choose to Be Bitter or Better?Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons Part Owner and Former Nfl Running Back, Asks: Will You Choose to Be Bitter or Better?

Part Owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Former NFL Running Back, and Walter Payton Man of the Year recipient, Warrick Dunn, joins Corporate Competitor Podcast. Warrick was only the 22nd player in the National Football League's history to carry the football for 10,000 yards. That fact is even more amazing if you know that Warrick is only 5 foot 8, 178 pounds. As impressive as that is, his life story is better.

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Greg Brenneman, Home Depot Board Director and Chairmain of CCMP Capital reveals the three most underused words in the English languageGreg Brenneman, Home Depot Board Director and Chairmain of CCMP Capital reveals the three most underused words in the English language

As the CEO of Continental Airlines — a position he accepted when he was only 33 years old — Continental went from ranking last among all US airlines in key customer service metrics to 18th on Fortune's list of "Best Companies to Work For." He continued this trend as the CEO of Burger King, PwC Consulting, and Quiznos.

"You can't afford to think too much during a turnaround," Greg said, "Time is tight; money is tighter. If you sit around devising elegant and complex strategies and then try to execute them through a series of flaw-less decisions, you're doomed."

In this episode, he teaches us how to ask better questions and get comfortable saying the three most uncommon words in the English language: “I don’t know.”

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Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall asks: Do you let internal competition destroy your team dynamic?Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall asks: Do you let internal competition destroy your team dynamic?

Kikkan Randall was 16 years old in Anchorage, Alaska when she discovered that no American woman had ever won an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing. At that moment, she set her goal: make history.

In this episode, you will learn about Kikkan’s goal-setting secrets. You’ll also discover how to ensure that internal competition fuels your employees and does not destroy team chemistry. “We brought an element of fun to the Olympic team and the camaraderie gave us superpowers,” she recalled, “If you want to be a great team, only training together is not enough.”

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Simon Sinek, Team Building Expert, Asks: How Do We Win a Game That Has No End?Simon Sinek, Team Building Expert, Asks: How Do We Win a Game That Has No End?

Simon Sinek is best known for popularizing the concept of knowing your WHY, which he described in his viral TED Talk. That talk went on to become the second most-watched TED Talk of all time! Years later, his interview on millennials in the workplace broke the internet with over 80 million views in its first week. This led to Simon being YouTube’s fifth most searched term that year.

Simon is a leader whose words have changed many lives. In this conversation he shares a story that changed him, a story from a dramatic day spent with US troops in Afghanistan.

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Sean Kerins, COO of Arrow Electronics, Says: The further you go, the less you knowSean Kerins, COO of Arrow Electronics, Says: The further you go, the less you know

Sean had been his high school's all-time leading scorer — a record he held for more than three decades— but his decision to be the "little fish in the big pond" and go to Syracuse paid off. He knew he would progress far more rapidly when competing against bigger and better, even if that meant less playing time than he might have received at a smaller school.

Today as Arrow's Chief Operating Officer, he leads a team of 20,000 employees across more than 300 locations worldwide with the same scrappy mindset. He is committed to lifelong learning.

In this episode, Sean explains how that curious culture inspired Arrow to modify a Corvette, empowering a quadriplegic former IndyCar race driver to drive again using only his head's motion. Through Sean’s story you will learn how to activate the company culture document that hangs in your office so that it becomes more powerful than just wall art.

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Keith Hoskins, Navy Federal Credit Union’s Executive Vice President Branch Operations, Asks: Can You Remain Calm When Your Senses Hit Overload?Keith Hoskins, Navy Federal Credit Union’s Executive Vice President Branch Operations, Asks: Can You Remain Calm When Your Senses Hit Overload?

Eleven million spectators experience the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Air Show each year. In 1971, one of those spectators was five-year-old Keith Hoskins. As the F-4 Phantom jets flew overhead, he told his dad, “I want to be a Blue Angel.”

Nearly three decades later, that dream came true! His Navy career included serving as Commanding Officer for Naval Air Station Pensacola, where he provided leadership oversight for more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. Today, Captain Hoskins serves as Executive Vice President of Branch Operations for the largest credit union in the world -- Navy Federal!

You will learn incredible lessons in collaboration, character, and why compartmentalization isn’t always a bad thing.

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Kyle Carpenter, Medal of Honor Recipient, says: You Are Worth ItKyle Carpenter, Medal of Honor Recipient, says: You Are Worth It

In my 30 years as an author and storyteller, many people have asked, “What is your favorite story you’ve had the opportunity to tell?” Without question, it is the story of Kyle Carpenter.

On November 21, 2010, Carpenter, a U.S. Marine Lance Corporal, was posted on a rooftop in Afghanistan when a Taliban grenade landed between him and a fellow Marine. Without hesitation, Carpenter jumped on the grenade, saving his best friend but sacrificing himself. After flatlining three times, undergoing 41 surgeries, and spending three years at Walter Reed Medical Center, Carpenter ran the Marine Corps Marathon. “The more I fought for my future instead of against my past, the more I realized that there wasn’t just life for me on the other side of this – there was life for me in the middle of it,” he said, “The smallest of steps eventually completes the grandest of journeys.”

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Gen. Maryanne Miller, United States Air Force, asks: If duty calls, will you be ready?Gen. Maryanne Miller, United States Air Force, asks: If duty calls, will you be ready?

In the history of the United States Air Force, 225 people have achieved the rank of four-star general, only five of them women. Recently retired General Maryanne Miller may have the most fascinating story of them all.

In this candid conversation with one of America’s great leaders, you will learn how to leverage your weaknesses properly, and we will reveal the biggest mistake people make as they seek to climb the ranks.

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Episode 29: Gen. Bernard Banks, United States Army, asks: Fortune favors the prepared, do you deserve fortune?Episode 29: Gen. Bernard Banks, United States Army, asks: Fortune favors the prepared, do you deserve fortune?

Retired Brigadier General, Bernard Banks, knew as a child that he wanted to go to West Point because of his desire to develop himself as a leader. He was so successful in that journey that years later, West Point asked him to chair their leadership department. He has led multiple military units ranging in size from 10 to 3,000 people. In the early 2000s, He was brought in to improve an Apache Helicopter unit ranking in the bottom third globally. In just two years, under Bernie’s leadership, the same group was designated number ONE! Today he is an Associate Dean at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management teaching leadership in the MBA program!

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Episode 28: Beth Brooke, longtime EY Global Global Vice Chair - Public Policy, asks: Are You Protecting Part of Your Day?Episode 28: Beth Brooke, longtime EY Global Global Vice Chair - Public Policy, asks: Are You Protecting Part of Your Day?

In a world where finger-pointing and playing the blame game has become second nature in many organizations, Beth Brooke offers a unique example of extraordinary achievement precisely because she owns her failures. Flipping that script landed Brooke on the Forbes "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list eleven times and in 2015, she was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

This episode of Corporate Competitor Podcast illustrates in Brooke's own words how communication, diversity and inclusion, and a culture of constructive feedback can help employees think more like owners.

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Episode 27: Rick Hendrick, NASCAR Hall of Famer, asks: Are you valuing your people over profitsEpisode 27: Rick Hendrick, NASCAR Hall of Famer, asks: Are you valuing your people over profits

Rick Hendrick grew up on his family’s farm and turned his passion for the automobile into several successful business ventures. The first, Hendrick Automotive Group, is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. With more than 130 retail franchises from the Carolinas to California, the company employs more than 10,000 people with the motto: Prioritize your people over profits. The company’s top 15 leaders have been with Hendrick for an average of 25 years, a record of longevity and loyalty that would be hard to match in any industry. Secondarily, he founded Hendrick Motorsports in 1984. Since then, his team has won an all-time record 13 NASCAR Cup Series championships. His rock-star roster of drivers has included Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Chase Elliott.

This episode explores the ultimate formula for competitors who want to keep their team revved up, including: Keys to proper communication, how to celebrate IMPROVEMENT as much as success, and how to limit mistakes.

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Episode 26: Dana Barnes, Palo Alto Networks Senior Vice President, asks: Do you value your rival?Episode 26: Dana Barnes, Palo Alto Networks Senior Vice President, asks: Do you value your rival?

When you play for the Navy, in any sport, the most important thing you can do is beat the Army. The rivalry is real. It makes each one of them better. This week’s episode features Dana Barnes, Senior Vice President of Palo Alto Networks, and a former member of the Naval Academy Football team. His past leadership experience includes Microsoft’s Vice President of State and Local Government and leading operations for Microsoft’s National Security Group. Dana shares that coaching youth ice hockey prepared him for his leadership transition, “Coaching youth sports taught me that I do not know it all,” he said, “When I came to Palo Alto Networks, I knew my job was to listen, learn, and create an environment that is conducive for my teammates to succeed.”

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Episode 25: Scott Mordell, YPO's longest-serving CEO, asks: Do you have a commitment to the cause?Episode 25: Scott Mordell, YPO's longest-serving CEO, asks: Do you have a commitment to the cause?

Scott Mordell is Young Professional Organization Global’s longest-serving Chief Executive. YPO has 29,000 members who have joined chapters in 142 countries. All of them are committed to becoming better leaders and better people together. Scott grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and played hockey, basketball, baseball, and football. He may have been the smallest offensive lineman, but that did not stop him from playing at Albion College before continuing his education at Michigan State and earning a master’s degree from Northwestern. In this interview, you will learn how to “re-calibrate” your leadership journey and maintain curiosity. Scott also shares his five business principles so you can grow in 2021.

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Behind the Scenes with host Don Yaeger and producer Savannah GallagherBehind the Scenes with host Don Yaeger and producer Savannah Gallagher

In the spirit of year-end reflection, Don Yaeger uses the last episode of 2020 as a chance to invite podcast producer, Savannah Gallagher, on the show for a fun behind the scenes look recording Corporate Competitor Podcast. You will learn the “why” behind the podcast and get to laugh at the hilarious “off-mic” moments with the world’s best business leaders.

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John Wooden’s UCLA player, Swen Nater, shares Coach’s Lessons and LegacyJohn Wooden’s UCLA player, Swen Nater, shares Coach’s Lessons and Legacy

I had the unbelievable good fortune to have legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, as a mentor. We ended up in a relationship that allowed me every other month for 12 years to fly to California to spend a day learning from Coach. One day, Coach said, “Don, I want to tell you the story of one of the greatest players to ever play for me.”

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Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, asks: Do you have a curious mind?Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, asks: Do you have a curious mind?

Brian Moynihan was selected by his business peers to receive the Chief Executive Network's 2020 CEO of Year award. As one of eight children, competition was woven into the fabric of Moynihan’s childhood. Whether it was determining who had to do the dishes or a race to solve a mathematic equation, his family taught him to compete and cooperate.

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Dawn Hudson, longtime NFL Chief Marketing Officer and Pepsi NA President, asks: Do you look at your company from the outside in?Dawn Hudson, longtime NFL Chief Marketing Officer and Pepsi NA President, asks: Do you look at your company from the outside in?

Dawn Hudson is one of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. She served as the Chief Marketing Officer for the NFL and the President of Pepsi North America and today she speaks around the world about smart reinvention and growth. Learn how this incredible leader was shaped by playing tennis and squash at a male-dominated Dartmouth, walking on campus just three years after they began accepting women.

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Episode 20: Fred Perpall, CEO of The Beck Group, asks: Do you have a deep understanding of your teammates?Episode 20: Fred Perpall, CEO of The Beck Group, asks: Do you have a deep understanding of your teammates?

Fred Perpall went to college at age 15 and rose to be CEO of The Beck Group — a prestigious construction and architecture group — at 37. He grew up in the Bahamas and turned down five track and field scholarships for one in basketball, and went on to play on the 1994 Bahamian National basketball team, and at the University of Texas Arlington. In this thought-provoking interview, you will learn how to develop a deep understanding of your team members, the three characteristics of great mentorship, and Fred’s shares why success and succession go hand in hand.

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Episode 19: Sean Covey, FranklinCovey Education President, asks: Do You Listen With the Intent to Understand or Respond?Episode 19: Sean Covey, FranklinCovey Education President, asks: Do You Listen With the Intent to Understand or Respond?

President of FranklinCovey Education, Sean Covey, was the quarterback at BYU after Hall of Famer Steve Young. Sean’s father, Stephen Covey, most famous for his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, loved watching his son play. Today Sean is a New York Times Best-Selling author and brings his competitive fire to FranklinCovey-- an organization whose mission is to enable greatness in students, teachers, and schools working in all 50 states and in more than 150 countries.

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Episode 18: Dr. Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, aks: Are You Willing to Go Off-Script When the Situation Calls for it?Episode 18: Dr. Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, aks: Are You Willing to Go Off-Script When the Situation Calls for it?

CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida and Vice President of Mayo Clinic, Dr. Kent Thielen, has a strong personal interest in developing new technologies! He shares how they are using 3D printers to create anatomic models from a patient’s CT scans. He reflects on the lessons he learned as a three-sport athlete in high school, including how to push past self-limiting beliefs.

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Episode 17: Laura Gentile, ESPN Senior Vice President of Marketing and founder of espnW, asks: Are you a leader with great followers?Episode 17: Laura Gentile, ESPN Senior Vice President of Marketing and founder of espnW, asks: Are you a leader with great followers?

Forbes named ESPN’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and the FOUNDER of espnW, Laura Gentile, one of the “Most Powerful Women in U.S. Sports.” She was a two-time field hockey team captain at Duke and led the Blue Devils to their first appearance in the NCAA tournament, graduating as Duke’s all-time leading scorer!

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Episode 16: Matt Karst, Synnex Sales Leadership, Asks: Are You Building A Powerful Network The Right Way?Episode 16: Matt Karst, Synnex Sales Leadership, Asks: Are You Building A Powerful Network The Right Way?

Synnex’s Matt Karst brings more than 30 years of experience in the technology industry leading successful sales organizations. Through trials, including a season-ending baseball injury, and an emergency heart surgery, he has learned that his attitude governs his altitude. You will learn the power of a recommendation through the story of his Miami recruitment, and Matt’s 11 Ground Rules so that you attract trustworthy teammates that listen more than they speak.

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Episode 15: Joe Quaglia, Longtime Techdata President Of The Americas, Asks: What Attitude Do You Bring To The Merger Or Acquistion?Episode 15: Joe Quaglia, Longtime Techdata President Of The Americas, Asks: What Attitude Do You Bring To The Merger Or Acquistion?

Learn how to navigate mergers and acquisitions in this technology month episode with Joe Quaglia! Joe joined the Tech Data team in 2006 and rose to be President of the Americas. Tech Data connects the world with the power of technology and has been named one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 11 straight years.

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Episode 14: David Ross, Chicago Cubs Manager, Joins Us For A World Series Special EditionEpisode 14: David Ross, Chicago Cubs Manager, Joins Us For A World Series Special Edition

Two-time World Series Champion, David Ross, spent most of his 15-year career playing in the major leagues as a back-up catcher. But, when he learned how to become a great teammate, his career doubled in length and he had the opportunity to win two world series championships.

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Don Yaeger

Longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated and 11-Time New York Times Best-Selling Author, Don Yaeger, has been blessed to interview the greatest winners of our generation. Don’s first book, Undue Process: The NCAA’s Injustice for All, was published in 1990. In the 30 years since, he has penned 30 more books, including:

In addition to regular media appearances over the years on almost every major talk show – from Oprah to Fox & Friends, from CNN to Good Morning America – Don speaks to corporate audiences around the globe 60 times each year.

Now the same level of curiosity and interview expertise that allowed Don to sit down with winners like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams is coming to the boardroom so that you can have world-class access to the brightest executives in the world. Together, we will learn how sports shaped their professional trajectory in life in Corporate Competitor Podcast. Listen now!

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About Don Yaeger

Don Yaeger

Don Yaeger is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, 12-time New York Times best-selling author, leadership expert and executive coach.

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