Backstage Pass with GDA Speakers

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Kyle Davis sits down with Daymond John, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of FUBU, Shark Tank star, and bestselling author, to explore entrepreneurship, branding, innovation, and the mindset behind building a successful business.

Daymond shares how he turned an underserved market into the beginnings of FUBU, what Shark Tank has taught him about entrepreneurship, and why success still comes back to strong business fundamentals. He also discusses his then-new book, Rise and Grind, and what he learned by studying the daily habits and routines of high performers.

Key topics include:

• How identifying an underserved community helped Daymond build FUBU
• Turning customers into genuine brand ambassadors
• What Shark Tank taught Daymond about entrepreneurship and evolving business models
• Why successful entrepreneurs build a strong “rejection muscle” and keep moving forward
• Creating a culture where ideas and innovation can come from every level of an organization
• The habits, routines, and goal-setting practices behind Rise and Grind

Daymond’s message is a reminder that success isn't dependent on having unlimited resources or someone else opening the right door. It comes from understanding your market, staying focused on the fundamentals, taking action, learning, and continuing to move forward.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Daymond John to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Polly LaBarre, bestselling author, speaker, and founding member of Fast Company, to explore how organizations can become more adaptable, innovative, and engaging in a rapidly changing world.

Polly shares what she has learned from studying progressive organizations around the world and explains why experimentation is one of the most powerful tools for driving change. She explores how leaders can create environments where people have the freedom to test ideas, learn from failure, share work in progress, and contribute their full potential.

Key topics include:

• Using small, frequent experiments to make organizations more adaptable
• Reframing failure as an opportunity to learn, iterate, and improve
• Why sharing work in progress can create greater transparency and collaboration
• Giving people closer to the customer more freedom and authority to make decisions
• Balancing constant change and innovation with time to reset and recharge
• Using purpose and deeply held values to guide everyday decisions and create meaningful differentiation

Polly’s message is a reminder that creating a more innovative organization isn't about having all the answers. It’s about building a culture where people can experiment, learn, adapt, and use a shared sense of purpose to guide what comes next.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Polly LaBarre to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Carey Lohrenz, the first female F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy, to explore what her experience operating in high-pressure environments can teach us about leadership, courage, and high performance.

Carey shares lessons from the demanding path to becoming a Naval Aviator and explains how those principles translate to today's workplace. From planning and adapting to taking action before everything is perfect, she explores how leaders can help their teams navigate uncertainty, learn from setbacks, and keep moving forward when there is no guaranteed path to success.

Key topics include:

• Carey’s journey to becoming the first female F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy
• Why you sometimes have to raise your hand before you feel completely ready
• Using planning, briefing, execution, and debriefing to help teams adapt quickly
• Why “80% is good enough” when progress matters more than perfection
• Learning from failure, controlling what you can control, and continuing to move forward
• Staying curious, avoiding complacency, and continually working toward excellence

Carey’s message is a reminder that fearless leadership doesn't mean eliminating fear. It means being willing to pursue difficult goals, prepare for uncertainty, and take action even when you don't have every answer.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Carey Lohrenz to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Josh Linkner, entrepreneur, venture capital investor, author, and professional-level jazz guitarist, to explore how creativity and innovation can help organizations adapt, solve problems, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing world.

Josh explains why innovation doesn't have to mean reinventing an entire industry. Instead, he encourages people at every level of an organization to practice “everyday innovation”—small, creative changes that improve the way we lead, collaborate, serve customers, and get work done. He also shares what organizations can learn from startups, including embracing responsible risk, experimenting with new ideas, and using a clear vision as a compass when there isn't a map to follow.

Key topics include:

• What business leaders can learn about improvisation, collaboration, and adaptability from jazz
• Why diversity of thought and perspective can lead to more creative solutions
• Making innovation accessible through small, everyday improvements
• Creating a culture where people feel safe to experiment, take responsible risks, and learn from failure
• Why leaders should run small experiments, quickly abandon what isn't working, and build on what is
• Looking outside your own industry to borrow ideas and uncover fresh approaches

Josh’s message is a reminder that innovation isn't reserved for startups, CEOs, or massive breakthroughs. When people are empowered to think creatively, challenge familiar approaches, and make small improvements every day, innovation can become part of how an entire organization operates.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Josh Linkner to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Kyle Davis sits down with Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and author, to explore how our mindset shapes the way we handle stress, setbacks, relationships, and success. Elizabeth explains why everyone has an inner critic and how learning to manage that voice can help us change the way we think and respond.

Elizabeth shares how a patient she met during her postdoctoral training changed her perspective on happiness by showing her the power of focusing on what remains rather than what has been lost. She also explains how stress can narrow our perspective, why negative thought patterns can become automatic, and how intentionally practicing new ways of thinking can help us create healthier patterns.

Key topics include:

• How our inner critic can influence the way we think, perform, and respond to stress
• Why perspective and focus play such an important role in happiness
• Rewiring negative thought patterns by consistently practicing new ways of thinking
• Viewing setbacks as data instead of personal failures
• Building unconditional self-worth that isn't dependent on achievement or other people's approval
• Recognizing and overcoming imposter syndrome and negative self-talk

Elizabeth’s message is a reminder that the way we think isn't fixed. By becoming more aware of our inner critic, shifting our perspective, and intentionally practicing healthier thought patterns, we can change how we experience challenges and how we show up for ourselves and others.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D. to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Seth Mattison, founder and Chief Movement Officer of FutureSight Labs, to explore workforce trends, generational dynamics, workplace culture, and how organizations can prepare for the future of work.

Seth shares how the relationship between employers and employees is becoming more fluid and why creating a great employee experience matters regardless of how long someone stays with an organization. He also explores the growing tension between traditional hierarchies and more connected, networked ways of working—and why leaders need to balance the strengths of both.

Key topics include:

• Why the employee experience can directly influence the customer experience
• Creating a strong culture in an increasingly fluid workforce
• Balancing traditional hierarchies with more connected, networked ways of working
• Why organizations need both fresh perspectives and experienced voices
• Leading with humility, abundance, and presence
• Creating a culture where people feel comfortable questioning assumptions and challenging the way things have always been done

Seth’s message is a reminder that organizations can honor what made them successful without holding on so tightly that they miss what’s coming next. Preparing for the future requires leaders to stay flexible, question old assumptions, and remain open to new ways of working.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Seth Mattison to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Mike Walsh, futurist, author, and CEO of global innovation research agency Tomorrow, to explore how technology, changing human behavior, and new ways of working are reshaping the future of business.

Mike explains that the future isn't driven by technology alone—real transformation happens when people change how they behave, leaders change how they make decisions, and organizations rethink how they operate. He explores what it takes for larger companies to stay agile, how artificial intelligence could reshape knowledge work, and why culture remains an organization's true operating system.

Key topics include:

• Why understanding human behavior is just as important as understanding new technology
• How larger organizations can stay agile by creating smaller, focused teams
• Why the future of work is about determining what people do best and what machines do best
• How AI could shift people from simply doing work to designing how work gets done
• Why future leaders will need both human empathy and computational thinking
• Why digital transformation requires changing mindsets and processes—not simply upgrading technology

Mike’s message is a reminder that technology itself isn't what creates transformation. The real opportunity lies in how people work together, make decisions, adapt, and use technology to move their organizations forward.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Mike Walsh to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Todd Whitthorne, health and wellness expert, to explore how simple lifestyle choices can improve individual health, performance, and overall well-being.

Todd shares why finding time for fitness is often more about priority than the number of hours in the day. He discusses practical approaches to exercise, nutrition, and habit formation while exploring how healthier employees can also contribute to stronger, more productive organizations.

Key topics include:

• Using frequency, intensity, and time to create a more effective fitness routine
• Why even short, high-intensity workouts can make a difference
• Building sustainable healthy habits instead of relying on short-term fixes
• How physical fitness can support energy, sleep, thinking, and professional performance
• Why leaders who model healthy behaviors can positively influence workplace culture
• Finding your personal “why” to make healthy behaviors easier to maintain

Todd’s message is a reminder that better health doesn't have to require a complete lifestyle overhaul. Small, intentional choices that become consistent habits can make a meaningful difference in how we feel, perform, and live.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Todd Whitthorne to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, to explore how individuals and organizations can stop being pulled in too many directions and focus their time and energy on what matters most.

Greg defines essentialism as the “disciplined pursuit of less but better” and explains how success itself can create more options, opportunities, and distractions. He shares why being more selective can lead to greater contribution and how creating space to pause, reflect, and prioritize helps us become less reactive and more intentional.

Key topics include:

• Why success can lead to the undisciplined pursuit of more
• Greg’s reminder that “if you don't prioritize your life, someone else will”
• Using routines and systems to protect your time, attention, and energy
• Creating space to pause and identify what actually matters
• Balancing responsiveness with healthy boundaries in a service-based business
• Using personal quarterly offsites to reconnect with your most important priorities

Greg’s message is a reminder that essentialism isn't about doing less for the sake of doing less. It's about making sure the right things make it onto our to-do lists and focusing our energy on our highest point of contribution.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Greg McKeown to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Mike Abrashoff, former commander of the USS Benfold, to explore how a shift in leadership transformed one of the poorest-performing ships in the Navy’s Pacific Fleet into one of its best—using the same crew.

Mike shares how he learned to see the ship through the eyes of his sailors, build trust, connect people to a greater purpose, and empower them to take ownership. He explains why sustainable performance starts with how leaders show up and why understanding what motivates each individual can help people perform at their best.

Key topics include:

• How changing his leadership style helped transform the USS Benfold
• Leading by example and taking ownership of the standards you expect
• Building trust by putting yourself in your employees’ shoes
• Connecting people to a greater purpose behind their work
• Empowering teams to take ownership instead of relying on command-and-control leadership
• Understanding individual motivators to better engage and develop your people

Mike’s message is a reminder that transforming a team doesn't always require changing the people. Sometimes, it starts with changing how you lead, building trust, and giving people the opportunity to take ownership.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Mike Abrashoff to your next event.