By Manuel Amezcua
Hosted by CEO and entrepreneur, Manuel Amezcua, At The Podium features conversations with high-performance people in sports, business, and life who have done the work most won't do to experience li
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The podcast currently has 95 episodes available.
In this episode of At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, we’re sitting down with Josh Ross, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens and former Michigan Wolverine.
Josh takes us through his journey from Southfield High School to standout performances at Michigan to his ongoing career in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.
Josh shares the importance of family pride and how his family's unwavering support has played a crucial role in his success and development as both a man and an athlete.
He talks about the belief in oneself and how that mindset, reinforced by his family's encouragement, has helped him face challenges on and off the field.
Despite not being the most naturally talented, Josh's relentless work ethic sets him apart, driving him to excel and leave a lasting legacy for the name on the back of his jersey.
Josh also dives into the mental side of football, highlighting how crucial mental toughness and focus are in today’s game.
He explains how the mental game often makes the difference between good and great players, and the strategies he uses to stay sharp, resilient, and ahead of the competition.
Additionally, Josh discusses the importance of time management as an athlete, sharing how balancing training, recovery, and personal life is key to maintaining peak performance and overall well-being.
Whether you're a sports fan or someone looking for inspiration, Josh’s story highlights the impact of determination, resilience, effective time management, and the power of a strong support system.
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / officialmanuelamezcua
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
0:00 - Introducing Josh Ross
4:54 - Childhood, High School, and Michigan Wolverines
11:18 - Being a Hard Worker and Honoring His Family Name
13:39 - Individualism in the Modern Game
16:28 - Having a Clear Standard For Yourself and His Father’s Impact
23:25 - Choosing Michigan and Favorite Michigan Memory
33:34 - Grinding to Become a Starter with Devin Bush
40:28 - Football is Intense But Mostly Mental
44:43 - What Should Young Athletes Start Doing NOW to Be Better?
48:05 - Message For Kids Thinking About Entering the Game of Football
51:20 - Sound Mind Sound Body’s Impact
In this episode of At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, we’re sitting down with National Champion, NCAA ‘24 cover athlete, and aspiring philanthropist Donovan Edwards.
Donovan Edwards is entering his final year at Michigan, and is looking to help the Wolverines defend their national championship for the 2024-2025 season.
With his head coach Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL’s LA Chargers, many thought that Edward’s would follow suit and declare for the draft, but as you’ll hear in this episode, he feels that he has unfinished business in Ann Arbour.
Donovan shares with us in this episode the sacrifices that his father made after his mother’s untimely passing, how he grew as a leader, and how he’s looking to make an impact in his community before leaving for the big leagues.
Donovan is an inspiration to young players around the country, and an example of what it means to constantly seek personal growth.
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / officialmanuelamezcua
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
0:00 - Introducing Donovan Edwards
3:08 - Donovan’s Childhood and His Early Trials
7:30 - How Donovan Chose Michigan over Other Major Programs
11:53 - What Made Jim Harbaugh a Great Coach to Play For?
16:11 - Reaction to Harbaugh Leaving for NFL and Coach Moore
18:21 - How Donovan Went From Bad to Great Leader
25:11 - Donovan’s Growth and Purpose Outside of Football and His Charity
33:56 - How You Speak to Yourself and What You Focus on Shapes Your Reality
36:27 - Donovan’s Goals Entering His Senior Year
37:45 - Donovan’s Daily Routine, Diet and Speed
41:27 - Staying Focused on the NOW
43:08 - Spread Love and Be the Change You Wish to See
46:26 - Follow the Show and Donovan!
Brenden Rice is a professional football player for the LA Chargers, former Colorado Buffalo and
USC Trojan, and the son of the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, Jerry Rice.
In this episode of At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, Manny and Brenden go deep on
Brenden’s upbringing in Chandler, Arizona, the pressure involved in being the son of an NFL
legend, his time at USC with Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley, and his plans for life after his
NFL career comes to an end.
This episode was recorded just days before the NFL draft, and will give you some insight on
who the Chargers are inheriting into their organization.
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / officialmanuelamezcua
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
0:00 - Introducing Brenden Rice
1:43 - Staying Focused During the NFL Draft Process
2:20 - The Impact of His Mother on His Maturity
3:32 - Brenden’s Backstory, His Influences, and Love For Football
5:37 - The Pressure of Being Jerry Rice’s Son
7:03 - Growing Up in Chandler Arizona
8:16 - Why Brenden Originally Committed to Colorado and Why He Transferred
10:35 - How USC Improved His Game and Playing with Caleb Williams
14:36 - The NFL Combine Process and Building His Support Team
18:12 - Who Did Brenden Want to Play For as a Kid?
19:15 - Brenden’s Plans in His Rookie Season
21:37 - Life After Football?
26:01 - Staying Locked in Leading Up to Training Camp
28:27 - Advice for Student Athletes and Parents of Athletes
In this episode of At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, we’re sitting down with Alexander (A.J.) Johnson.
A.J. is one of Tennessee's greatest linebackers of all time, is a member of Gainesville’s Hall of Fame, and is a professional football player in the NFL.
Manny and A.J. discuss how A.J. set clear expectations for himself from a young age. As you’ll hear, A.J. believes that in order to reach your dreams in life, you have to set your goals, and set them high.
A.J. shares how the support of his mother, and the community he lived in, helped to mold him into the person he is today, and how his mother’s support in his dreams helped build the belief he already had for himself.
In this episode, Manny and A.J. also discuss A.J.’s plans for life after football ends, and the real estate portfolio that A.J. has slowly been building during his time in the NFL.
If you have big dreams, this episode is for you – Alexander Johnson is a testament to the mental toughness that it takes to overcome the obstacles that are bound to present themselves when you’re chasing after what you desire most.
Some of these obstacles have included false accusations against Alexander Johnson, which left him out of the NFL for 4 years before he was acquitted, as well as a torn pectoral muscle, and most recently an achilles injury.
Despite all of this, A.J. is still working towards his comeback and plans to play another 4 years.
There’s so much to take from this man, so please enjoy this episode of At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua.
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / podium_podcast
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
Time stamps:
0:00 - Set Your Goals and Set them High Intro
1:56 - A.J.’s Upbringing, Influences, and Setting Goals From a Young Age
7:28 - Mental Toughness is Built From Life Experiences
9:15 - High School Football at Gainesville (Deshaun Watson, Blake Simms)
12:28 - Getting Inducted into the Gainesville HOF
13:30 - Impact of High School Team and Brotherhood
18:07 - Getting Recruited to NCAA Schools and Choosing Tennessee
21:18 - Expecting to Be Great and Setting Your Goals
21:50 - Eric Berry
23:20 - Advice for Student Athletes
25:32 - Leading Tennessee in Rushing Touchdowns
27:33 - NFL Draft and False Allegations
32:30 - Getting Picked Up By Broncos After 4 Years
38:00 - Playing For Broncos and Great Teammates
39:30 - Fighting Back From Injuries
44:23 - Life After Football and Building a Real Estate Portfolio
46:30 - What Does He Want His Kids to Know About Him
On this week’s episode of At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, Manny is sitting down with Bill Burke, former Michigan State Spartans quarterback.
Currently, Bill works with The Podium Group and is the author of Victory Outside the Arena: How Athletes Can Go From Isolated to Inspired Once the Applause Begins to Fade.
Before this new phase of his life though, he learned the power of focusing and giving your best effort for the task at hand from his head coach, Nick Saban.
Bill’s insight to the reality of being a high level athlete, and the lessons that he’s taken from the greatest college football coach of all time, have formed the contents of his latest works, and today he is here to share that perspective with you.
If you’re enjoying the podcast please consider sharing it with someone who you think would love it, and if you want to find Bill’s book or his podcast please see the links below!
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / podium_podcast
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introducing Former MSU QB Bill Burke
4:03 - Bill’s Post Football Life Mission
6:41 - Bill’s Podcast, Kirk Cousins and Jim McMahon
9:54 - Where Did Bill’s Belief in Becoming an NCAA QB Come From?
13:20 - Being Prepared for Life After Football
14:49 - High School Football, Wing-T, Winning Starting Spot
16:55 - Finish What You Start, Don’t Quit
22:05 - Nick Saban, Getting Recruited, and Saban’s Best Lesson
29:54 - Perspective on Achieving Dreams
34:00 - MSU 1999 Season, Beating Tom Brady, Drew Brees
36:54 - Sports Open Doors in Life, Value of Teammates
39:00 - Nick Saban’s Process before He Was Successful
45:29 - Beating Ohio State in 1998, the Work No One Sees, Citrus Bowl
50:00 - Expect Adversity
54:14 - Bill’s Book (Who’s it for?)
57:37 - Leaving a Legacy for his Kids
1:04:40 - Follow Bill and ATP!
Today on At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, we’re sitting down with a long time friend of Manny’s, Amir Syed.
Amir is the child of Iranian immigrants who fled in the midst of war. The Syed family ultimately settled in Chicago where Amir’s father Hassan undertook many small business opportunities to keep food on the table and support his family.
Through these experiences, Amir earned an MBA in street knowledge, and learned the value in being a businessman that someone else can refer to and trust.
Amir has now grown multiple businesses to achieve massive success - these ventures include funding over $1 billion dollars in home loans, and his newest project, Go Coaching.
In this episode you’ll find gems in the form of practical business lessons, but more importantly, you’ll get a first hand account of the philosophy and mindset it takes to take your business to the next level.
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / podium_podcast
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
Time stamps
0:00 - Introducing Amir Syed
3:30 - Growing up as a poor immigrant in America
5:54 - How a friends father encouraged Amir to be great
8:58 - How being a child of immigrants formed Amir’s work ethic
9:25 - Amir’s Father’s Car Lot Taught Him Business
14:39 - Be someone who customers refer and you’ll never need to advertise
17:09 - The pillars of every business - Marketing, Sales, Ops, Leadership
19:17 - What Leadership in Business Actually Looks Like
21:37 - Impact is Greater Than Income
22:37 - The seduction of success can weaken you
26:45 - Pay for skill transference
33:16 - How Amir knew he wanted to coach
39:36 - You need to care first
40:28 - Book Smarts only take you so far
41:12 - Advice to student athletes
42:35 - Champions do the unseen
43:29 - Follow Amir on social media!
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / podium_podcast
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
Today on "At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua," we’re sitting down with Jason Wilson.
Mr. Jason Wilson is the founder and CEO of The Yunion (pronounced "union"), a non-profit youth development organization in Detroit, Michigan.
Since 2003, The Yunion has effectively reached more than 15,000 youth and young adults through innovative prevention programming, trauma-informed care, parental engagement, and counseling.
In 2008, Mr. Wilson's dedication to fatherless and misguided Black boys inspired him to create and direct the Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy (CATTA).
In this episode, Manny and Jason talk in depth about what it takes to become the man that the moment demands.
At the core of this discussion is recognizing, confronting, and addressing the childhood experiences and societal pressures that contribute to the growth and suffering of broken men.
Jason shares insights on overcoming these struggles and explains why correcting our children with love leads to understanding and inner transformation.
Jason has appeared on major shows like Lewis Howes’ "School of Greatness," the Ed Mylett Show, and "The Joe Rogan Experience," and we couldn’t be more thankful for him spending his afternoon with us on "At the Podium."
For more information about Jason’s books and his organizations, you can visit the link below!
https://mrjasonwilson.com/
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / podium_podcast
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
Time stamps:
0:00 - Introducing Jason Wilson
3:14 - Being the man the moment demands
8:07 - Jason’s background
13:29 - Finding the power to be more than just masculine
16:51 - Run towards the battles that create the emotions you try to suppress
19:33 - Discipline needs to be rooted in love
24:56 - How Jason’s past is guiding his life’s mission
26:54 - What peace actually looks like
28:29 - How OUR fears infect our children
35:00 - The right kind of discipline
42:21 - The need to evolve is heavy
47:05 - expressing how you feel with composure
50:50 - Sadness is OKAY
57:20 - Meeting Laurence Fishburne
1:00:46 - You have a calling to do more
1:04:11 - Jason’s experience with Joe Rogan and Ed Mylett
1:09:36 - Jason’s next book and our book give away
NEW TO THE PODCAST?
At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua features interviews with the most innovative minds in business, sports, and entertainment to uncover the habits, disciplines, and mindsets that lead to success.
#mindset #professionalathletes #business #motivation
On this episode of At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, we’re sitting down with the head football coach and athletic director of Detroit Country Day School, Dan MacLean.
Coach MacLean has taken Detroit Country Day to 7 state championships and has won two. During his almost 4 decades holding this position, he has had the honor of coaching some of the NFL’s highest profile players, and has helped countless young athletes reach their full potential.
In this conversation, Manny and coach MacLean touch on the current state of athletics, the value they bring to young men and women, and how the pressure that athletes and kids face today is different than in the past.
A common theme throughout the episode, and coach MacLean’s life is built on the importance of faith, family, and friendship.
Whether you’re a young athlete, coach, or business tycoon, you’ll find lessons in this conversation that will lead to a more fruitful and fulfilling daily grind.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introducing Coach Dan MacLean
3:53 - Coach Dan's Early Life, and the Impact of His Wife
9:14 - Impact of Faith on Dan's Life
14:21 - The "It Factor" in Coaching
17:43 - Why Kids NEED to Play Sports
22:42 - Dan's Childhood and Football Life
29:44 - Is Too Much Expected From Kids Today?
38:00 - Playing at Illinois and Dick Butkus Stories
44:02 - How Dan Became the Coach at Detroit Country Day
49:36 - Should Everyone Be Coached Equally?
54:35 - Setting the Tone at the Top
57:55 - Shutting Down Ego
1:01:00 - Expectations, Influences, and Coaching Styles
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / podium_podcast
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
NEW TO THE PODCAST?
At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua features interviews with the most innovative minds in business, sports, and entertainment to uncover the habits, disciplines, and mindsets that lead to success.
#nfl #nba #collegesports #podcast #sports
Today on At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, we’re sitting down with former NFL players Israel Idonije and Jake Butt.
Both Israel and Jake have played the game of football at the highest level, and are now taking the skills and lessons they learned in the NFL to their lives outside of the game.
Israel Idonije’s journey started in Canada at the University of Manitoba, but his hard work took him to a 10 plus year career in the NFL. During his time with the Chicago Bears, he discovered the importance of preparing for life after football, and has since started several successful business ventures.
Jake Butt played football at Michigan under legendary coach Jim Harbaugh, and had several stops in the NFL. During his time at Michigan, coach Harbaugh imparted a life changing approach to striving for greatness, and Jake has never looked back.
In this episode of At the Podium, Israel and Jake share the lessons they’ve learned and touch on how former athletes, or anyone looking to excel in life or business, can achieve greatness!
These pieces of advice include the value of mentorship, aggregating small daily effort, and so much more.
0:00 - Introducing Israel Idonije and Jake Butt
1:09 - Creating a Vision for Your Life
3:59 - “Hard Work” Just Makes You Average
6:37 - How Jim Harbaugh Made Michigan’s Roster Elite
9:25 - What Michael Jordan and Izzy’s Dad Taught Him About Effort
12:18 - You’re Responsible For Everything in Life
13:14 - Why Tony Gonzalez and Other Players Are HOF Level
14:49 - Be the Standard
19:42 - Adding Value to Create Opportunity
21:34 - Planning For Life After the NFL
25:26 - Value of Mentorship
28:49 - Finding Balance Between “Yes” and “No”
33:42 - Gadgets They Can’t Live Without
39:00 - The Danger of Being Rigid
43:00 - Financial Instability
Today on At the Podium with Manuel Amezcua, we’re sitting down with NCAA and Michigan State Legend, Greg Kelser.
Greg Kelser has lived a life unlike many. He moved over 10 times as a child due to the fact that his parents were in the military, and along the way he acquired a unique approach to life that is still serving him today.
He has overcome obstacles during his athletic journey, ranging from being placed on the JV squad for 4 games as a tenth grader, to fighting for a starting spot at Michigan State.
In this episode, Greg shares a look behind the curtain of Michigan State's 1979 National Championship over Larry Bird, and reflects on his time playing with Magic Johnson, Terry Furlow, and his other immortalized teammates.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introducing Greg Kelser
3:20 - Growing Up in a Military Family
8:35 - How Greg’s Parents Raised a Winner
13:47 - How Greg’s Father and Bill Russel Made Him Love Basketball
18:53 - Going From JV to Varsity in 4 Games
25:26 - The Impact of Coaches
28:19 - How Greg Got Recruited to MSU
37:06 - Life at Michigan State
38:55 - Terry Furlow’s Impact on Greg
44:22 - The Type of Advocates You Want in Life
47:31 - Beating Larry Bird in the National Championship
51:04 - How Magic Johnson Made Greg a Better Player
54:05 - Getting Drafted to the Detroit Pistons
58:11 - Battling Injuries and Walking Away From the NBA
1:04:38 - Basketball Can Give You A Lot But It Owes You Nothing
1:06:23 - Becoming a Broadcaster
1:10:42 - Making Meaningful Connections
1:13:01 - The Current State of Society
1:19:16 - Sports Connect the Community
1:32:40 - Follow At the Podium and Greg Kelser
CONNECT WITH MANNY
Podcast: At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua
Website: https://thepodiumgroup.com/
Instagram: / podium_podcast
LinkedIn: / mannyamezcua
NEW TO THE PODCAST?
At The Podium with Manuel Amezcua features interviews with the most innovative minds in business, sports, and entertainment to uncover the habits, disciplines, and mindsets that lead to success.
#nfl #nba #collegesports #podcast #sports
The podcast currently has 95 episodes available.
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