Building Excellence

#217: Ken Anderson is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history and a cornerstone of the Cincinnati Bengals franchise. Over 16 seasons with the Bengals (1971–1986), Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler, a three-time NFL passing champion, NFL Man of the Year award winner and the league’s Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year in 1981. That same season, he led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl XVI), setting playoff records and solidifying his status as one of the premier quarterbacks of his generation. Anderson led the NFL in passer rating twice and completion percentage three times, finishing his career with over 32,000 passing yards and a then-record single-season completion percentage of 70.6% in 1982.

In addition to his on-field excellence, Anderson was known for his intelligence, leadership, and innovation, having played a key role in the early implementation of Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s and is a member of the Bengals Ring of Honor. Following his playing days, he transitioned into coaching, helping develop quarterbacks for several NFL teams, including a stint as the Bengals’ quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He coached players like Ben Rothleesburger with the Steelers, helping them win a Super Bowl, as well as Byron Leftwich with the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Making an impact off the field Ken Started the Ken Anderson Alliance who mission is to create live, work, and play opportunities for adults with disabilities. 

For more info on his non profit check out https://kenandersonalliance.org/

Enjoy the show! 

#216: Micah Lacher is the President and Founder of Anchor Investments, a Nashville-based real estate investment firm with a mission to become the most generous real estate company in America. Anchor specializes in the acquisition, development, and management of commercial properties across the Southeast and Midwest. 

In addition to his real estate ventures, he leads Mission Hotels, a unique hospitality initiative that repurposes historic church buildings into boutique hotels. These hotels operate with a distinctive model: over 50% of their profits are donated to local nonprofits supporting underserved communities, including organizations like Nashville Rescue Mission and Room in the Inn. 

Prior to forming Anchor Investments, he was a local partner in a regional development and brokerage firm as a developer of new retail facilities and residential communities. Along with a local partner, Micah founded and ran the Nashville office.

Prior to that partnership, he had several successful years in brokerage in the Nashville office of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, which is now called Cushman & Wakefield. Over the course of the last 14 years, Micah has been involved as the managing partner in the acquisition and development of close to 2 million square feet of commercial real estate.

Beyond his professional endeavors, he is deeply committed to community service. He has held board and volunteer positions with several Nashville organizations, such as the Nashville House Foundation for Young Life, The Halftime Institute, and Redbird Ministries. Micah is also a co-founder of Team Chad, a nonprofit that has raised over $1.6 million for leukemia-related charities since its inception in 2007. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tennessee, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

For more on Micah you can find him on Linkedin as well as achorinv.com and missionhotels.com 

Enjoy the show! 

#215: Paul Mills is the head men's basketball coach at Wichita State University. Prior to his tenure at Wichita State, Mills served as the head coach at Oral Roberts University from 2017 to 2023. Under his leadership, the Golden Eagles achieved significant success, including a historic Sweet 16 appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a 15-seed, making them just the second team in history to reach that stage from such a low seed. In the 2022–23 season, Mills guided ORU to a 30–5 record, an undefeated 18–0 run through the Summit League, and a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. His coaching prowess earned him recognition as a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award and the NABC’s Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor. 

Before his time at Oral Roberts, Mills spent 14 years at Baylor University, initially as a coordinator of operations from 2003 to 2009 and then as an assistant coach from 2009 to 2017. During his tenure, Baylor made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Elite Eight and four Sweet 16 berths. 

Mills began his coaching career at the high school level, leading his teams to multiple district championships. He also served as the director of basketball operations at Rice University for one year. Mills is a 1996 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2020.

On the show Coach Mills shares his story of growing up, playing basketball, overcoming a career ending injury, getting into coaching, impact, stewardship, service, hard work, deeds over words, sustaining success, faith, and much more. 

Enjoy the show! 

https://x.com/coachmills?lang=en 

https://www.instagram.com/goshockersmbb/?hl=en 

#214: Doug McNamee serves as the President of Field & Stream, where he is leading the revitalization of the iconic outdoor brand. Since assuming the role he has overseen the return of Field & Stream’s print magazine, the launch of the 1871 Club membership program, and the development of strategic partnerships with cultural figures such as Eric Church and Morgan Wallen. Under his leadership, Field & Stream is being positioned as a modern platform that merges storytelling, commerce, and conservation, aiming to reconnect with a multigenerational audience of outdoor enthusiasts.

Prior to joining Field & Stream, Doug was President of Magnolia, the lifestyle and media brand founded by Chip and Joanna Gaines, where he played a key role in its national expansion. He and his wife were actually featured in the very first episode of Fixer Upper. 

Before Magnolia he was the senior associate athletic director at Baylor University running the Bear Foundation and various other responsibilities. He served as a GA with the Baylor men’s baseball program and was a student manager with the men’s basketball team. 

On the show Doug shares his story, getting into athleitcs, perspective on culture, the importance of listening, humility, confidence, vulnerability, family, faith, and much more. 

For more on Doug check him out on social as well as fieldandstream.com 

Enjoy the show

#213: Casey Woods is the Offensive Coordinator for SMU Football. He just recently helped lead SMU to the College Football Playoff. 

A veteran coach with a strong pedigree in both player development and strategic play-calling, Woods has played a pivotal role in shaping some of the most explosive offenses in college football. 

Prior to joining SMU, Woods coached at powerhouse programs including Auburn winning a national championship, Missouri, UAB, Arkansas State, and Tennessee where he worked alongside some of the best coaches in the game and contributed to multiple high-performing teams. His journey through the coaching ranks reflects a deep understanding of the game, from recruiting and player evaluation to game-day execution. A former wide receiver at the University of Tennessee, Woods blends firsthand experience with a keen football intellect.

Beyond the X’s and O’s, Casey Woods is known for his leadership, communication, and the trust he builds with his players. His presence on the SMU sideline marks more than just a strategic advantage—it reflects a commitment to mentorship, culture, and winning the right way.

On the show he shares his story, the influence of his parents, importance of core values, power of genuine relationships, leadership, care, faith, family, and much more. 

Be sure to follow Coach Woods on X @CoachCaseyWoods

Enjoy the show! 

#212: Mike O’Connell serves as the associate lead pastor at Love Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He is also an entrepreneur, speaker and leadership coach. 

Mike’s story has been marked by overcoming obstacles. After a near fatal football injury in 2004, he turned down multiple football scholarship offers to walk on at Iowa. One week after the decision he was denied admission because he wasn’t in the top 50% of his graduating class, even with a 3.3 GPA. While meeting with the provost regarding the situation, he was told statistics indicated he would fail out in his first semester if they granted him admission.

Knowing failure wasn’t an option, he made the bold decision to walk on at Iowa State. With all the odds against him, he survived three coaching changes and went on to earn a scholarship, become a team captain and earn all Big 12 academic honors.

After one season of professional football Mike decided to lay down his dream of playing in the NFL. He moved from Los Angeles, California to Omaha, Nebraska with no job or place to live. Mike went on to work for Stryker as a medical device representative for two and half years before leaving corporate America to pursue his calling as a pastor.

Mike hosts the Backstage with Mike O’Connell podcast, as well as the Lead Different Experience. 

For more on Mike check him out on social, as well as lovechurch.org  and his website at mikeoconnell.com 

Enjoy the show!

#211: Eric Musselman is the head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) men's basketball team, having taken the helm in April 2024. Prior to joining USC, he spent five seasons at the University of Arkansas, compiling a 111–59 record and leading the Razorbacks to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Elite Eight runs. Musselman also served as head coach at Nevada from 2016 to 2019, where he guided the Wolf Pack to three Mountain West Conference titles and three NCAA Tournament berths. His coaching career spans over 30 years and includes stints in both the NBA and international basketball.

Coach Musselman played college basketball at the University of San Diego, where he earned All-Academic honors and helped the Toreros reach two NCAA Tournaments. He is the son of Bill Musselman, a former NBA head coach, making them the first father-son duo to both serve as NBA head coaches. Eric Musselman's coaching journey began in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he became the youngest head coach in league history at age 24. He later transitioned to the NBA, coaching the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and also served as an assistant with several NBA teams. His international experience includes coaching the national teams of the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and the United States.

On the show he shares his story, thoughts on leadership, continues learning, resilience, energy, adapting, consistency, building excellence, and much more. 

For more info on Coach Muss check out his social media @ericpmusselman, as well as the USC men’s basketball program at usctrojans.com 

Enjoy the show!

#210: Hortense le Gentil is a world-renowned executive leadership coach, speaker, and author. She guides CEOs and senior executives on their journey from hero leaders to human leaders. Guided by 30 years in business, working across industries—including media consulting and advertising—and as an entrepreneur. 

Hortense was recognized on the inaugural Coaches50 list in 2024 and was a 2023 and 2021 nominee for the Thinkers 50 Coaching and Mentoring Awards. She is a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered™ coach, a member of MG100 Coaches, and has been ranked #5 on the Global Gurus list by World Management Global Gurus. 

Author of THE UNLOCKED LEADER: Dare to Free Your Own Voice, Lead with Empathy, and Shine Your Light in the World (2023), and ALIGNED: Connecting Your True Self with the Leader You’re Meant to Be (2019), Hortense is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and ThriveGlobal.com, and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and Business Insider. She is based in New York.

For more on Hortense check out hortenselegentil.com and her books on amazon and the links below. 

Enjoy the show!

Book link:

https://www.amazon.com/Unlocked-Leader-Voice-Empathy-Shine-ebook/dp/B0CJLMFB3F?ref_=ast_author_dp 

#209# Ted Rath is the New Orleans Saints director of sports performance.

Rath comes to New Orleans after four seasons directing the strength and conditioning efforts of the Philadelphia Eagles. He originally joined the team as the director of sports performance in 2020 and was promoted to vice president of player performance in 2021. During his four full seasons in Philadelphia, the Eagles reached the playoffs three times with Rath overseeing the team's strength and conditioning program. In 2022, when the Eagles reached Super Bowl LVII, he was named the Strength Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association for the second time in his career, an award voted on by the league's strength and conditioning coaches.

In 2017, the first season of his three-year tenure with the Los Angeles Rams, Rath was named the Strength Coach of the Year for the first time, when according to Football Outsiders, Los Angeles finished as the healthiest team in the NFL based on adjusted games lost due to injury. Coming to Los Angeles as head strength and conditioning Coach, Rath was promoted to director of strength training/performance in 2018.

Before his stint with the Rams, Rath spent one season as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Miami Dolphins and seven seasons in the same role with the Detroit Lions.

Coach Rath played linebacker at the University of Toledo from 2003-06 and went on to be the assistant director of strength and conditioning at his alma mater in 2008 before entering the NFL.

Follow Ted across all social plafortms and check out his newest book Beyond Comfort: Mastering a Growth Mindset With Excellence Through Urgency.

Enjoy the show!

Book link:

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Comfort-Mastering-Mindset-Excellence/dp/1964811732

Andy Chrisman has been in the Christian music industry for over 25 years, both as a solo artist and as part of the Dove Award-winning group, 4Him. He has sold more than 5 million records, garnered twenty-five #1 singles, and was awarded numerous Grammy Award™ and Dove Award™ nominations and wins.

In 2004, Andy began leading thousands of people in worship every week at Church On The Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and served a strategic role in helping the organization become one of the most influential and creative churches in the world.

In 2005, Andy launched the world-wide syndicated radio show, "Worship with Andy Chrisman" which is currently heard on nearly 300 stations internationally with an estimated 5 million listeners each week.

With more than 5000 concerts, 10,000 stage appearances and an estimated 25,000 hours of professional singing, Andy Chrisman has become one of the most sought after vocal worship trainers in the country for singers. He also started the Worship Table, which is a scared space for worship pastors and creative leaders to find rest, renewal, and real connection. 

He also hosts the podcast "1 Degree of Andy", where he shares stories from his four-decade journey in the Christian music industry. The podcast features in-depth interviews with influential artists, producers, and industry figures, offering insights into their careers and personal experiences

For more on Andy, his podcast, coaching, or vocal coaching check him out on social as well as andychrisman.com and theworshiptable.com 

Enjoy the show!