What does resilient leadership look like when the stakes are life‑and‑death? In this episode of Bold Journeys, Rob Spee sits down with MK Palmore — Marine, retired FBI executive, cybersecurity leader, and now founder of his own enterprise risk consulting firm — to explore how true leadership is forged through failure, discipline, and hard‑won experience.

From childhood to the Marine Corps to a 22‑year FBI career, MK shares the defining moments that shaped his philosophy on courage, integrity, and leading under pressure. This conversation cuts through clichés and gets to the heart of what makes a leader resilient in the real world.

What You'll Learn

• How early conversations shaped MK's leadership mindset
• Why failure is essential for growth — and how to recover from it
• Lessons from the Marine Corps and FBI that apply to everyday leadership
• How MK transitioned from public service to entrepreneurship
• The role of values, discipline, and courage in resilient leadership

Why This Episode Matters

If you're navigating a demanding season — in leadership, career, or personal life — MK's story offers a roadmap for staying grounded, acting with integrity, and rising stronger from every setback.

About MK Palmore

MK is a former Marine officer and retired FBI executive with decades of experience in crisis leadership, cybersecurity, and enterprise risk. Today he advises organizations on resilience, risk, and strategic leadership.

Join the Journey

If this conversation resonates, subscribe for more stories of grit, faith, and the kind of leadership shaped in the fire.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:24 Childhood and Early Influences

08:59 Dreams of the Naval Academy

13:00 Joining the Marines

15:38 Transition to the FBI

18:55 Challenges and Failures

23:41 Grit and Resilience

28:32 Are Leaders Born or Made?

29:31 The Impact of Parental Influence

30:23 Rapid Fire Round: Business and Leadership

32:33 Morning Routines and Core Values

38:56 Transitioning from Public to Private Sector

40:15 Writing a Leadership Book for Youngsters

45:50 Challenges and Running as an Outlet

52:30 Final Words of Advice

Mitch Lewandowski's story is a raw, unfiltered journey through illness, loss, faith, and triumph. It's the kind of adversity that reshapes a life. From a near‑fatal battle with COVID‑19 to a MRSA infection that almost cost him his leg — and then walking with his wife through stage‑four cancer — Mitch's path is a powerful testament to resilience and strength forged in the hardest seasons.

In this episode of the Bold Journeys Podcast, Mitch shares how early hardship shaped his grit, how faith carried him through the unthinkable, and why "doing hard things" became the foundation for rebuilding a healthy, whole, and purposeful life.

What You'll Discover

· The medical crises that nearly took Mitch's life - twice

• How early adversity shaped his grit and character
• The turning points that sparked his transformation
• The role of faith, surrender, and determination in rebuilding
• Practical ways to find purpose and courage in your own storm

If you're navigating loss, uncertainty, or a season you didn't choose, Mitch's story will remind you that hope is never out of reach — and that a meaningful life can be rebuilt from the hardest places.

If this conversation resonates, subscribe for more stories of grit, adventure, and faith — and share it with someone who needs strength today.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 A Miraculous Survival Story

01:37 Mitch's Humble Beginnings

02:58 The Impact of a Bicycle

04:54 Realizing Socioeconomic Differences

06:32 Chasing Success and Its Consequences

08:30 A Life-Altering Realization

10:43 Facing Life-Changing Events

12:20 Surviving COVID Against All Odds

18:41 Battling MRSA and Personal Loss

22:37 Embracing the Journey of Life and Death

27:05 Drawing Strength from Adversity

29:28 Understanding Pain vs. Suffering

32:00 Cycling as a Metaphor for Life

36:58 The Importance of Faith and Devotion

38:01 Rapid Fire Questions

46:12 Empathy and Leadership

48:57 Advice for Personal Storms

Join us for a powerful episode of Bold Journeys as we explore the real‑world mountaineering experiences of Louise McEvoy, a high-altitude mountaineer who has summited 6 of the Seven Summits ⛰️ including Mt. Everest. Louise breaks down what it takes to tackle the world's tallest mountains and how the grit she developed on the slopes fuels her success in work, leadership, and life.

By day, Louise is a high‑impact channel executive who helped shape Trend Micro's award‑winning partner ecosystem and now leads global channel sales at Keyfactor. By night (and often at 20,000+ feet), she's pushing her limits on some of the harshest terrain on earth.

In this conversation, Louise shares:

- What climbing Everest and Denali taught her about resilience

- How mountaineers manage fear, fatigue, and mental overload

- The training required for high‑altitude expeditions

- How to handle disappointment, setbacks, and unexpected danger

- Why pursuing passion outside of work builds stronger leaders

- The story behind She Summits Fourteeners, her initiative empowering women through mountaineering

This episode isn't just about climbing mountains — it's about building the mental toughness to face life's biggest challenges and emerging stronger on the other side. 💪

What's the "mountain" you're climbing right now, and what's one step you're taking toward the summit?

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and Everest Experience

01:27 Lou's Climbing Pedigree

04:35 Challenges on Denali

07:22 Lou's Childhood and Early Influences

08:49 The Journey to Everest

17:19 Training and Mental Toughness

27:41 Surviving a Knee Injury in the Wilderness

30:00 Glorious Moments in Mountaineering

33:05 Challenges and Decisions on the Summit

35:44 Overcoming Fear in Rock Climbing

38:38 Rapid Fire Questions with Lou

48:21 The SHE Summit: Empowering Women Climbers

52:09 Life Lessons from the Climb

What if you could develop a systematic way to build grit and resilience, a mental model that would help you handle life's hardest moments without falling apart? 🌟 Join us in this profound episode as we explore Jay McBain's journey of systems thinking—a way of living that's both practical and transformative.

Jay McBain is one of the most respected voices in the tech channel world, known for helping companies understand where partnerships and ecosystems are heading. He's widely recognized for helping businesses navigate the fast‑changing world of partner strategy and go‑to‑market models.

Growing up in Canada, Jay's childhood was filled with pivotal moments that shaped his logical and resilient mindset. Discover how early lessons in financial planning, sports, and technology prepared him to face life's toughest challenges, from the heartbreak of divorce to the failure of a tech startup.

This conversation is essential for anyone seeking courage, clarity, faith, or reinvention. You'll come away with practical strategies for:

1️⃣ Compartmentalizing life's challenges to avoid overwhelm.

2️⃣ Using statistical and logical thinking to overcome emotional hurdles.

3️⃣ Embracing gratitude and acknowledging privilege in personal success.

4️⃣ Finding adventure in travel and life's unexpected turns.

Jay's wisdom offers a fresh perspective, empowering you to approach your storm with a heart full of determination and a mind ready for calculated action. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that will elevate your sense of possibility and prepare you to face your own storm with a resilient heart.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to System Thinking

01:31 Jay's Early Life and Family Background

02:17 Childhood Memories and Early Influences

04:00 Pivotal Moments and Early Career

06:59 Financial Lessons and First Motorcycle

12:57 Building a Future and Facing Adversity

22:31 System Thinking and Resilience

26:04 Prostate Health and Genetic Testing

27:29 Family History and Genealogy

29:41 Christmas and Family Traditions

31:13 Adventurous Travels and Rollerblading Tour

35:21 Skydiving Proposal and Rapid-Fire Questions

41:49 Reflections on Life's Challenges and Advice

Introducing The Bold Journeys Podcast, where we inspire you to find hope, resilience and strength in challenging times of adversity.

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Hello, Channel Pros! Welcome to the final episode of Channel Journeys—a moment that's both nostalgic and exciting. After celebrating our voyage with highlights from ten fantastic guests in the last episode, it's time to chart a new course toward "Bold Journeys."

This December, in the spirit of advent—a season of anticipation and joy—I reflect on the past seven years of Channel Journeys and the joy it has brought me. Through insightful conversations with astonishing people, we've explored channel stories that resonated with our ecosystem, the channel community.

The podcast has evolved from an emerging platform to a sought-after space where guests frequently requested to share their partnering wisdom. But as I transitioned from my career as a channel chief, my passion for sharing channel stories shifted to adventures, grit, and faith.

Join me in this final episode as we dive into grit, adventure and faith behind the pivot to Bold Journeys. You'll hear stories from Jay McBain, Louise McEvoy, and Mitch Lewandowski that personify these themes.

Grit: A Formula for Success

Grit combines passion and perseverance, serving as a cornerstone for long-term achievement. Often more crucial than natural talent, grit fuels persistence in challenging times. Jay McBain, known for his analytical approach as a chief channel analyst, transforms obstacles into manageable challenges. During our interview, he emphasized the importance of compartmentalizing life's difficulties, aiming to prevent overwhelming piles of stress. His analytical mindset is a hallmark of his ability to overcome life's hurdles.

Adventure: Stepping into the Unknown

Adventure starts where certainty ends. It's about embracing risks for rewarding experiences. Louise McAvoy, a partnering executive and avid mountaineer, embodies this spirit. Inspired by reading about the 1996 Everest Disaster, she set her sights on climbing Everest. What started as a simple promise turned into a 14-year journey to the summit. Her narrative illustrates that adventure is a choice to leave comfort behind and discover personal limits, whether in careers, relationships, or personal growth.

Faith: Trust in the Unseen

Faith is the compass guiding our journey, even amidst unseen challenges. For Mitch Lewandowski, faith was a lifeline through three critical life challenges, including a near-death experience with COVID. Emerging from his trials stronger, Mitch highlights how faith fuels perseverance, molding us for future challenges. His conviction that trials develop character echoes deeply as we navigate our own journeys.

As we embark on "Bold Journeys," I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our distinguished guests—Jay, Louise, and Mitch—for their inspiring narratives and insights. Thank you, too, to our devoted listeners who've been part of the Channel Journeys community and all of the guests who have shared their stories over the past 7 years.

While bidding farewell to Channel Journeys, I invite you to join me on this new adventure. When it launches in January, subscribe, share, comment, and let's be bold and courageous together.

Thank you so much for being an integral part of the Channel Journeys adventure and for embracing the upcoming Bold Journeys.

Hello, Channel Pros! Welcome to the final episode of Channel Journeys—a moment that’s both nostalgic and exciting. After celebrating our voyage with highlights from ten fantastic guests in the last episode, it’s time to chart a new course toward “Bold Journeys.”

This December, in the spirit of advent—a season of anticipation and joy—I reflect on the past seven years of Channel Journeys and the joy it has brought me. Through insightful conversations with astonishing people, we’ve explored channel stories that resonated with our ecosystem, the channel community.

The podcast has evolved from an emerging platform to a sought-after space where guests frequently requested to share their partnering wisdom. But as I transitioned from my career as a channel chief, my passion for sharing channel stories shifted to adventures, grit, and faith.

Join me in this final episode as we dive into grit, adventure and faith behind the pivot to Bold Journeys. You’ll hear stories from Jay McBain, Louise McEvoy, and Mitch Lewandowski that personify these themes.

Grit: A Formula for Success 

Grit combines passion and perseverance, serving as a cornerstone for long-term achievement. Often more crucial than natural talent, grit fuels persistence in challenging times. Jay McBain, known for his analytical approach as a chief channel analyst, transforms obstacles into manageable challenges. During our interview, he emphasized the importance of compartmentalizing life’s difficulties, aiming to prevent overwhelming piles of stress. His analytical mindset is a hallmark of his ability to overcome life’s hurdles.

Adventure: Stepping into the Unknown 

Adventure starts where certainty ends. It’s about embracing risks for rewarding experiences. Louise McAvoy, a partnering executive and avid mountaineer, embodies this spirit. Inspired by reading about the 1996 Everest Disaster, she set her sights on climbing Everest. What started as a simple promise turned into a 14-year journey to the summit. Her narrative illustrates that adventure is a choice to leave comfort behind and discover personal limits, whether in careers, relationships, or personal growth.

Faith: Trust in the Unseen 

Faith is the compass guiding our journey, even amidst unseen challenges. For Mitch Lewandowski, faith was a lifeline through three critical life challenges, including a near-death experience with COVID. Emerging from his trials stronger, Mitch highlights how faith fuels perseverance, molding us for future challenges. His conviction that trials develop character echoes deeply as we navigate our own journeys.

As we embark on “Bold Journeys,” I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our distinguished guests—Jay, Louise, and Mitch—for their inspiring narratives and insights. Thank you, too, to our devoted listeners who’ve been part of the Channel Journeys community and all of the guests who have shared their stories over the past 7 years.

While bidding farewell to Channel Journeys, I invite you to join me on this new adventure. When it launches in January, subscribe, share, comment, and let’s be bold and courageous together.

Thank you so much for being an integral part of the Channel Journeys adventure and for embracing the upcoming Bold Journeys.

Host Rob Spee shares a tribute to 7 years of Channel Journeys with powerful clips from ten prior guests on this last episode as Rob transitions to Bold Journeys.

Seven years ago, in December 2018, I launched Channel Journeys, on a mission to explore the stories behind the partnerships and partner leaders who shape our industry. My goal was to help all of us become better partnering professionals. Over the past 7 years, I've had so many incredible guests who've shared so much channel wisdom. This episode is a tribute to all of my guests who've joined me over the past 180 episodes. It's a celebration of the voices that made this journey unforgettable.

I enjoyed meeting all of my guests. And what I found getting to know them was often something deeper than their channel story. I heard stories of grit, grace, and transformation. And that's where I'm being pulled, to dig more into those stories of perseverance, endurance and coming out of failure and challenges stronger than ever.

Today, as I prepare to launch Bold Journeys, I want to pause and say thank you. Thank you to the guests who shared their wins and losses, challenges and successes. And thank you to all of you listeners who've joined me on this awesome journey.

Here are the top 10 lessons from the distinguished guests featured in this episode:

1. Visionary Ecosystems – Jay McBain : Jay highlights the shift from transactional partnerships to transformational ecosystems. His insights remind us that modern channel programs are comprehensive ecosystems accommodating a diverse array of partnerships.

2. Agile Collaboration – Rich Blakeman : Rich's metaphor of 'seagull behavior' in sales emphasizes the need to embrace a hybrid approach. Collaborating with partners is essential to overcoming classic sales challenges.

3. Relational Leadership – Theresa Caragol : Theresa's belief in the exponential growth factor through trust and internal cultural transformation reshapes our approach to partnership growth.

4. Cultural Alignment – Timm Hoyt : Tim emphasizes the importance of aligning leadership around a shared vision before executing the mission. This cultural foundation drives successful channel outcomes.

5. Strategic Reinvention – Rajnikant Gupta : Raj teaches us that reinvention in channel strategy isn't failure, but faith in motion. Building mind share and heart share within enterprises is essential.

6. Embracing Change – Louise McEvoy : Louise shows us how courageously embracing change leads to growth and innovation. Her insights inspire leaders to face risks head-on and learn from experiences.

7. Coachability – Bart Fanelli : Bart reminds us that being coachable is key to effective leadership. Collaboration and openness to learning facilitate stronger team dynamics.

8. Ecosystem Leadership – Janet Schijns : Janet stresses targeting future-oriented connections to influence tomorrow's behaviors, encouraging leaders to look beyond traditional networks.

9. AI Leadership – Noelle Russell (Microsoft MVP, AI): Noel emphasizes the modern leader's role in managing AI systems, highlighting clarity in communication and results-driven strategies in AI adoption.

10. Empowering Partners – Jessica Baker : Jessica showcases how empowering partners with knowledge in AI and prompting skills enhances loyalty and trust, enriching partnership dynamics.

Thank you for being a part of this journey and for contributing to its success. As we transition to Bold Journeys, we hope to delve into deeper stories of grit, adventure, and faith, drawing on all the invaluable lessons learned here. Until next time, be bold and have a great channel journey!

Seven years ago, in December 2018, I launched Channel Journeys, on a mission to explore the stories behind the partnerships and partner leaders who shape our industry. My goal was to help all of us become better partnering professionals. Over the past 7 years, I’ve had so many incredible guests who’ve shared so much channel wisdom. This episode is a tribute to all of my guests who’ve joined me over the past 180 episodes. It’s a celebration of the voices that made this journey unforgettable. 

I enjoyed meeting all of my guests. And what I found getting to know them was often something deeper than their channel story. I heard stories of grit, grace, and transformation. And that’s where I’m being pulled, to dig more into those stories of perseverance, endurance and coming out of failure and challenges stronger than ever.  

Today, as I prepare to launch Bold Journeys, I want to pause and say thank you. Thank you to the guests who shared their wins and losses, challenges and successes. And thank you to all of you listeners who’ve joined me on this awesome journey.  

Here are the top 10 lessons from the distinguished guests featured in this episode:

1. Visionary Ecosystems – Jay McBain : Jay highlights the shift from transactional partnerships to transformational ecosystems. His insights remind us that modern channel programs are comprehensive ecosystems accommodating a diverse array of partnerships.

2. Agile Collaboration – Rich Blakeman : Rich’s metaphor of ‘seagull behavior’ in sales emphasizes the need to embrace a hybrid approach. Collaborating with partners is essential to overcoming classic sales challenges.

3. Relational Leadership – Theresa Caragol : Theresa’s belief in the exponential growth factor through trust and internal cultural transformation reshapes our approach to partnership growth.

4. Cultural Alignment – Timm Hoyt : Tim emphasizes the importance of aligning leadership around a shared vision before executing the mission. This cultural foundation drives successful channel outcomes.

5. Strategic Reinvention – Rajnikant Gupta : Raj teaches us that reinvention in channel strategy isn’t failure, but faith in motion. Building mind share and heart share within enterprises is essential.

6. Embracing Change – Louise McEvoy : Louise shows us how courageously embracing change leads to growth and innovation. Her insights inspire leaders to face risks head-on and learn from experiences.

7. Coachability – Bart Fanelli : Bart reminds us that being coachable is key to effective leadership. Collaboration and openness to learning facilitate stronger team dynamics.

8. Ecosystem Leadership – Janet Schijns : Janet stresses targeting future-oriented connections to influence tomorrow’s behaviors, encouraging leaders to look beyond traditional networks.

9. AI Leadership – Noelle Russell (Microsoft MVP, AI): Noel emphasizes the modern leader’s role in managing AI systems, highlighting clarity in communication and results-driven strategies in AI adoption.

10. Empowering Partners – Jessica Baker : Jessica showcases how empowering partners with knowledge in AI and prompting skills enhances loyalty and trust, enriching partnership dynamics.

Thank you for being a part of this journey and for contributing to its success. As we transition to Bold Journeys, we hope to delve into deeper stories of grit, adventure, and faith, drawing on all the invaluable lessons learned here. Until next time, be bold and have a great channel journey!

Figuring out co-opetition, especially with the hyperscalers, is one of the biggest challenges in partnering today. That’s why the number one top listened to Channel Journeys episode over the past 12 months is this one I had with Alan Chhabra. At the time of the interview, he was Executive Vice President of Worldwide Partners and International Sales at MongoDB. And he had figured out how to turn potential rivals into powerful allies.

Our conversation delves deeply into the challenges and successes MongoDB has faced in navigating partnerships with hyperscalers like Microsoft, AWS, and Google – all while simultaneously competing with them.

Alan sheds light on the nuanced strategy of “co-opetition” – where competition meets cooperation – and how MongoDB has managed to leverage partnerships for growth. This episode is essential listening for business executives and partnership leaders looking to understand the intricate balance of competition and collaboration in today’s technology-driven market landscape.

Here are five important lessons I learned from my discussion with Alan Chhabra about managing partnerships and navigating the competitive landscape: