Career and Job transition – The Mentors Radio

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Thom Weisel, a guest whose influence has not only shaped companies, but also culture. A financier and sports leader, Weisel is both Senior Managing Director and a Director of Stifel, a diversified global wealth management and investment banking company. Previously Thom was Chairman and CEO of Thomas Weisel Partners Group, Inc. and Montgomery Securities, one of Silicon Valley’s famed “Four Horsemen”. Thom helped build the financial infrastructure that fueled Silicon Valley’s explosive rise, often referred to as “Wall Street West”. He led the financings behind companies that transformed medicine, semiconductors, and the internet itself. In addition, Weisel was responsible for raising the iconic KLEINER PERKINS’ first venture fund. Along the way, he also exercised his leadership skills toward something entirely different and arguably just as consequential: rebuilding the governance and funding models behind U.S. skiing and U.S. cycling—helping save those sports and elevate American athletes on the world stage. Growing up, Weisel was a five-time U.S. National Junior Champion in Speed Skating, ranked Third in the 1959 U.S. Olympic Trials for the 500 meter in Speed Skating. He remained athletically active the rest of his life, including ranking Third overall in the 1982 U.S. National Master Alpine Championship, in ’85 he launched the Montgomery Cycling Team, four years later he won 2 Gold Medals in 1989 Cycling Kilo & Sprint in the World Master Games in Finland, the following two years he picked up 5 more Gold Medals and a 6th Gold in World Cup Masters Cycling in Kilo in 1991, the same year he was named Masters Athlete of the Year for U.S. Cycling. In 1999, he received the U.S. Ski Association Julius Blegen Award, its highest honor… his athletic achievements continued and in 2018 he was inducted in the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame…. all while pursuing advanced college degrees and innovative business building and exceptional entrepreneurial leadership. Thom Weisel’s is a story of ambition and resilience; of building institutions, losing them, and building again. It’s about competition, yes…but it is also about patience, stewardship, and meaning. LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode!

THOM WEISEL:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Cathy Lanier, whose amazing story continues to inspire. At age 14, Lanier got pregnant, ran away from home, dropped out of high school. But by age 39, this single mother became Washington D.C.’s Chief of Police, earned two master’s degrees, and now serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer for the National Football League (NFL). In her role with the NFL, Lanier coordinates the efforts of the League offices—that is, all 32 clubs!—and federal, state and local law entities to ensure the security of the NFL’s venues, fans, players, staff and infrastructure. Cathy served as Chief of Police in Washington, D.C. from 2007 to 2016, where she was not only the first female police chief but also the longest serving chief, serving under three mayors. Her innovative strategies were credited with reducing violent crime in Washington, D.C. by 21 percent from 2007 to 2015 while the city’s population grew by 15 percent. LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode!

CATHY LANIER:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Carmen Policy, former President and CEO of the Cleveland Browns. But Policy is best known for his years as President and CEO of the San Francisco 49ers where he played a key role in all five of the 49ers’ Super Bowl winning teams — helping shape an organization that became widely viewed as the hallmark sports franchise of the ’80s and ’90s. Both The Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly named Carmen Policy the NFL Executive of the Year in 1994, the latter award having been determined by a vote of NFL owners and executives. The Sporting News and GQ Magazine have also named him as one of the most influential people in professional sports. An ardent believer in public service, Carmen formerly served for several years on the Board of Trustees of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He’s earned numerous honors, including being inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Carmen and his wife Gail also make a highly-decorated wine, Casa Piena. In this episode, Carmen shares his very interesting career journey, his leadership lessons, and what it means to “Win With Class.” Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

CARMEN POLICY:

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Dana Gower, Vice President of Talent and Client Services at CareerPro, and co-author of Job Hunting in the AI Era, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the job hunt. Gower is also the founder of JobWorks Career Ministry and co-author of Careering. He has personally lived through three periods of unemployment, each followed by a major rebound. Dana Gower has been guiding people through some of life’s toughest moments—job loss and career transition—for years. His ministry is built around a provocative reminder, as he puts it: “How to waste valuable job search time and NOT get a job!” This is not a lesson he teaches, but instead a warning he has seen too many job seekers live out. Dana’s focus is on showing people a better way, including practical strategies, rooted in both human wisdom and today’s AI tools, to help you move forward with confidence. In this episode, Dana shares practical insights on navigating career transitions, tapping into the hidden job market, optimizing resumes and LinkedIn profiles with AI, and—most importantly—why human connections still matter more than ever. Whether you’re between jobs or planning your next move, this conversation offers powerful, practical advice for thriving in the AI era of job searching. Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

DANA GOWER:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Randy Hain, founder of Serviam Partners, a nationally respected executive coach, and the author of 16 books—including Essential Wisdom, Becoming a More Thoughtful Leader, and most recently, Practical Virtue An Actionable Guide to Help You Become a Leader Worth Following. In this latest work, Randy makes the case that mastering virtue is not only essential to career success, but even more importantly, to success in life. You’ll discover why there’s a war on virtue today, how to spot the difference between real virtue vs. virtue signaling, how timeless wisdom from thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas still applies in modern leadership, and why practicing virtue is not just admirable—it’s transformative. And you may be surprised to learn why virtues such as gratitude, candor and civility are not just “soft skills,” but actually the foundation of true success—in work and in life. This is a conversation that could reshape how you live, work, and lead!  Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

RANDY HAIN:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse is joined by Lt. General Robert Caslen Jr. (Ret.) and Michael Matthews, Ph.D. to discuss The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity, a unique book in the way it combines lessons from extensive leadership research—strengthened by experience and real-life examples of leadership in action, and shares practical tools that can both assess and develop character to maximize leadership effectiveness. Robert Caslen served in the U.S. Army for 43 years. His distinguished military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Under his direction as Superintendent, the Academy was recognized as the Number One public college in the nation by Forbes Magazine and the Number One public college by U.S. News and World Report.  Caslen refined West Point’s leadership program with a focus on professional ethics as an essential part of leadership and character development. General Caslen also served in numerous combat and overseas deployments including operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Central America and Haiti.  After retiring from the Army, he served as the 29th president of the University of South Carolina.   Dr. Michael Matthews is Professor Emeritus of Engineering Psychology at the U.S. Military Academy.  He served as President of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Military Psychology and is a Templeton Foundation Senior Positive Psychology Fellow. He has authored more than 250 scientific papers and edited, authored or co-authored several books.   Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

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Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

         —Frank Outlaw

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Forbes Magazine publisher and author Rich Karlgaard on the power of “late bloomers.” We live in a world obsessed with early achievement, but you may be surprised and inspired by what older individuals launch and achieve. Not only is Karlgaard and expert on the intersection of business and innovation, he is also a best-selling author and an economic and market forecaster. Plus, Karlgaard considers himself to be a late bloomer! This episode is packed with Karlgaard’s wisdom and examples that completely destroy the current trends of pressuring children to overachieve and assuming there is failure if someone is not “a success” by age 30. Absolutely false! And you’ll learn why these notions are false in this very special interview…  Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

RICH KARLGAARD:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Michael MacCambridge, the award-winning journalist and author featured on the acclaimed ESPN documentary series about the Kansas City Chiefs entitled “The Kingdom.” Today’s discussion will focus on MacCambridge’s biography, Lamar Hunt – A Life in Sports, about the man who started it all. Lamar Hunt did more than launch the Kansas City Chiefs, he founded the American Football League and brought professional soccer and tennis to America. Lamar Hunt has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Federation Hall of Fame, and the National Soccer Hall of Fame. MacCambridge and Hesse discuss how Lamar not only participated in—but was the catalyst for—multiple revolutions in sports. Many of Lamar’s innovations we take for granted today. Digging deeper, perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn what made Lamar Hunt an effective leader and someone beloved and respected by all who knew him. Dan’s guest, Michael, is likewise remarkable in his field of journalism, which makes for an exceptionally rich and engaging discussion.  MacCambridge has written several books, including the critically-acclaimed and award-winning America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation. His most recent book is The Big Time, How the 1970’s Transformed Sports in America. MacCambridge is also the creator and editor of The ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, hailed by Sports Illustrated as “the Bible” of the sport. He now lives in Austin, and serves as an adjunct instructor at the Center for Sports Communication & Media at the University of Texas, and serves as co-chair on the jury of the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting.   Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

MICHAEL MacCAMBRIDGE:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ursula Burns, Chairwoman of Teneo and founding partner of private equity company Integrum Holdings. But Ursula is best known for serving as Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox during a 36-year-career there, where she became the first black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. In addition, Ursula serves on several private company boards, while also providing leadership counsel to several community, educational and non-profit organizations including the Ford Foundation, the MIT Corporation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Mayo Clinic, among others. President Obama appointed her to lead the White House national program on STEM and she served as Chair of the President’s Export Council. Since February 2022, Ursula Burns has served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Ursula holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from NYU.  She’s a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Listen to this episode below, or on ANY PODCAST PLATFORM here. BE SURE TO LEAVE US A GREAT REVIEW on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share with friends and colleagues!

URSULA BURNS:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Norman Hall, an actor and the last of the Fuller Brush salesmen in America. If you’re under 50, you might not know just how iconic the Fuller Brush Company once was. At its peak, Fuller Brush salesmen were household names, trusted faces at the door, and symbols of professionalism and perseverance.

 For more than 50 years, Norman walked the streets of San Francisco—not just to sell products, but to build relationships. His extraordinary life and legacy were captured by bestselling author Daniel Pink in the book To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, as the embodiment of what ethical, effective shoe-leather selling looks like.

 But Norman’s story doesn’t end there. He’s also a trained stage actor, a storyteller with grit and grace, and a man who reminds us of what resilience really means in an “ocean of rejection.”

 Whether you think of yourself as a salesperson or not, today’s conversation will challenge how you think about influence, listening, and the power of presence. Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here!

NORMAN HALL: