Backstage Pass with GDA Speakers

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Leslie Morgan Steiner, author and advocate who tackles difficult, often taboo topics including motherhood, domestic violence, and surrogacy. Leslie shares why she is drawn to conversations people often avoid and how opening up about them can create greater understanding and change.

Leslie discusses her own experience surviving an abusive marriage and the story behind Crazy Love, explaining why domestic violence can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, education, or background. She also explores why victims stay, the importance of breaking the silence around abuse, and how greater awareness can help people recognize when someone may need support.

Key topics include:

• Challenging assumptions around working and stay-at-home mothers
• Leslie’s personal experience with domestic violence and the story behind Crazy Love
• Understanding why victims may stay in abusive relationships
• Recognizing warning signs and breaking the silence around relationship violence
• Why domestic violence can affect people across every background and circumstance
• Exploring the personal and ethical complexities of surrogacy

Leslie’s message is a reminder that difficult subjects become easier to understand when we're willing to talk about them openly, challenge stereotypes, and listen to the people who have lived them.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Leslie Morgan Steiner to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Kindra Hall, professional storyteller, author, and communications expert, to explore how storytelling can help businesses communicate more effectively, strengthen their culture, and connect with customers.

Kindra shares how her fascination with storytelling began at age 11 and eventually led her to study its role in organizational culture. She explains why stories are more powerful than simply sharing information and how organizations can use real moments and experiences to turn conversations from “product and price” into “problem and solution.”

Key topics include:

• How Kindra discovered the power of storytelling at an early age
• Why stories play an important role in building organizational culture
• Using storytelling to differentiate beyond products, features, and price
• How stories can strengthen relationships and improve sales conversations
• Finding the small, real moments that make up an organization's larger story
• Why storytelling is a skill anyone can learn and practice

Kindra’s message is a reminder that the stories organizations need are often already there. The key is recognizing them, learning how to tell them well, and using them intentionally to create connection.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Kindra Hall to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with John O'Leary, who was burned on 100% of his body at age nine and given less than a one percent chance to live. John shares how that experience—and the extraordinary people who showed up along the way—ultimately taught him about resilience, service, gratitude, and choosing to live inspired.

John reflects on the accident that changed his life, the five months he spent in the hospital, and the ordinary heroes who helped him survive and heal. He also shares how changing the way we ask ourselves three simple questions—“Why me?”, “Who cares?”, and “What more can I do?”—can shift our perspective from feeling like a victim to taking ownership of how we show up each day.

Key topics include:

• John’s journey of surviving burns on 100% of his body as a nine-year-old
• The ordinary heroes who showed up throughout his recovery
• How baseball legend Jack Buck’s encouragement and generosity changed John’s life
• Why our scars can become reminders of healing rather than what we've lost
• Reframing “Why me?”, “Who cares?”, and “What more can I do?” to live with greater gratitude and purpose
• Choosing to let adversity refine us and bring people together rather than pull us apart

John’s message is a reminder that we can't always choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond—and the seemingly small ways we show up for others can have an impact that lasts far beyond us.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing John O'Leary to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Kyle Davis sits down with Garry Golden, an academically trained futurist, to explore how leaders can better anticipate change, identify emerging trends, and prepare their organizations for what’s ahead.

Garry shares how futurists look beyond individual technologies to understand broader shifts in society, culture, demographics, and business. The conversation explores the future of work, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the importance of spotting early signals of change before they become major disruptions.

Key topics include:

• How professional futurists study and anticipate long-term change
• The impact of demographic shifts on the workforce and organizations
• How humans and artificial intelligence could work together in the future
• Understanding blockchain beyond cryptocurrency and its potential business applications
• Using foresight to uncover blind spots and prepare for disruption
• Building a “signals team” to identify emerging changes and turn them into action

Garry’s message is a reminder that thinking like a futurist isn't about perfectly predicting what will happen. It’s about paying attention to signals of change, exploring what they could mean, and preparing to act before change arrives.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Garry Golden to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Lisa Bodell, bestselling author and founder and CEO of FutureThink, to explore how simplifying work can give people more time and energy to focus on what truly matters.

Lisa explains how unnecessary meetings, emails, processes, and rules can create complexity that keeps even talented teams from doing their most valuable work. She shares practical ways leaders and employees can eliminate the unnecessary, empower better decision-making, and create a culture where simplicity becomes an everyday behavior.

Key topics include:

• Why eliminating unnecessary work creates space for more meaningful work
• Rethinking meetings, emails, processes, and rules that no longer add value
• How leaders can empower employees to make more decisions on their own
• Lisa’s “Kill the Stupid Rules” approach to uncovering unnecessary complexity
• Why simplicity starts with changing everyday behaviors and workplace culture
• Focusing on less—not simply doing more and doing it better

Lisa’s message is a reminder that simplicity isn't about getting rid of everything. It's about removing what gets in the way so people can spend more time on the work that makes a difference.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Lisa Bodell to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Sam Silverstein, founder of the Accountability Movement, to explore how accountability, values, and intentional leadership shape stronger organizational cultures.

Sam challenges the idea that accountability is about blame or punishment. Instead, he defines it as keeping your commitments to people and explains why lasting transformation starts by changing how people think, not simply what they do. He also shares how leaders can move from a culture by default to a culture by design by clearly defining and consistently living their values.

Key topics include:

• Why accountability is the highest form of leadership
• Moving from a culture by default to a culture by design
• Why organizational values should guide decisions, behaviors, and relationships
• Hiring, coaching, and leading people based on clearly defined values
• The five steps to building culture: design it, model it, teach it, protect it, and celebrate it
• How accountable leaders earn trust and loyalty by keeping their commitments

Sam’s message is a reminder that values shouldn't simply live on a wall or website. When leaders model them consistently and make them non-negotiable, they can become the foundation for stronger relationships, greater accountability, and a more intentional culture.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Sam Silverstein to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Ron White, two-time USA Memory Champion, author, and memory expert, to explore how memory is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and applied in everyday life and business.

Ron shares how a chance phone call at age 18 introduced him to memory training and eventually led him to compete in and win national memory championships. He also explains the practical side of his techniques, from remembering names and faces to retaining what you read, learning more from conferences, and delivering presentations without notes.

Key topics include:

• How Ron discovered memory training and turned it into a career
• Why a strong memory is a learned system rather than a natural gift
• The techniques behind remembering hundreds of names and faces
• Ron’s journey to becoming a two-time USA Memory Champion
• Using memory skills to strengthen relationships, sales, learning, and presentations
• How Ron used his memory to honor fallen service members from Afghanistan

Ron’s message is a reminder that memory isn't something you're simply born with—it’s a skill you can develop and use to learn more, connect more meaningfully with others, and perform at a higher level.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Ron White to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Kyle Davis sits down with Ty Bennett, entrepreneur, author, and leadership expert, to explore the power of relationships, influence, and storytelling in business. Ty shares lessons from building a company to $20 million in annual revenue while still in his 20s and how that experience shaped his approach to leadership and connection.

Ty explains why sustainable success is built on relationships rather than transactions and why leaders should focus on the individuals who make up their teams. He also breaks down how asking better questions, listening, and telling compelling stories can help people create stronger connections and greater influence.

Key topics include:

• Why business is built on relationships, not transactions
• Ty’s “Core Four” of creating, contributing, connecting, and coaching
• Leading individuals based on their unique strengths and needs
• Why asking great questions can be more powerful than doing all the talking
• Creating connection instead of chasing perfection
• Using “struggle to solution” to tell more compelling and influential stories

Ty’s message is a reminder that lasting influence comes from adding value, building genuine relationships, and focusing on connection with the people you lead and serve.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Ty Bennett to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Kyle Davis sits down with Dr. Jackie Freiberg, author and workplace expert, to explore how purpose, culture, and innovation can help organizations attract great people, engage employees, and create lasting customer loyalty. Jackie also discusses her then-new book, Cause! A Business Strategy for Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness.

Jackie explains why people want more than a paycheck from their work—they want to know their time, talents, and contributions are making a difference. She shares how organizations can connect employees to a greater purpose, create cultures where ideas are valued, and give people the freedom to contribute their best work.

Key topics include:

• Why purpose, mission, and cause can create greater meaning at work
• Finding the bigger impact behind the products and services your organization provides
• Hiring for attitude and building a culture around the right people
• Why leaders should invite ideas instead of believing they need all the answers
• Creating space for employees to experiment, collaborate, and innovate
• How purpose and culture can strengthen employee engagement and customer loyalty

Jackie’s message is a reminder that great organizations aren't built around profit alone. They give people the opportunity to do meaningful work, contribute their ideas, and make their corner of the world a little better.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Dr. Jackie Freiberg to your next event.

In this episode of the GDA Podcast, Gail Davis and Kyle Davis sit down with Simon T. Bailey, former sales director and new business development director for Disney Institute and leader of the “brilliance movement,” to explore how individuals and organizations can shift their thinking, embrace change, and create meaningful results.

Simon shares lessons from his time at Disney and his work with organizations around the world, exploring what it takes to stay relevant, build a strong culture, and help people take greater ownership of their future. He also explains why leadership isn't about motivating people but creating an environment where they can discover what motivates them.

Key topics include:

• Simon’s journey from Disney leadership to building his own business
• How to shift your thinking and stay relevant in a changing world
• Helping employees embrace change by learning, unlearning, and relearning
• Why great leadership helps people discover how to motivate themselves
• How culture shapes both the employee and customer experience
• Creating workplaces centered on purpose, meaning, and genuine connection

Simon’s message is a reminder that meaningful change starts with how we think, how we lead, and the culture we create for the people around us.

Visit gdaspeakers.com to learn more about bringing Simon T. Bailey to your next event.