Caring For Strangers

John Moran shares how raising his daughter Willa, who has Down syndrome, transformed him from an agenda-driven leader into someone who leads with patience, presence, and genuine curiosity about others.

Through Willa's natural ability to be fully present and connect without agenda, John learned to let go of control, listen more deeply, and see the greatness in everyone around him. This vulnerability translated directly into his workplace, creating a culture where his team feels genuinely cared for and empowered to own their vision.

Chad talks with Polly Culp about her superpower of making people feel seen and special. She talks about learning to set tables at camp "as though Christ is going to sit there," her favorite scripture about thinking more of others than yourself, and why genuine curiosity beats any agenda. Polly also shares how her dad modeled loving people, and why the treasure she finds in others fills her cup every single day.

Chad talks with Mark Romig (voice of the New Orleans Saints and Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at New Orleans & Company) about a life spent giving back. He talks about growing up with 23 foster babies rotating through his house, why he looks for volunteer work on resumes when hiring, and how his parents modeled a life of service. Mark also explains how to find the right organization to volunteer with by matching your passion to a need, and why teamwork learned through sports or Greek life matters.

Chad talks with Taylor Hughes, an author, keynote speaker, entertainer and storyteller who uses magic to help people realize they don't have everything figured out. Taylor shares why being interested in others beats trying to be interesting yourself, his "generous listening" exercise that changes teams in four minutes, and the questions that get past small talk fast. They discuss why storytelling matters in interviews, how to make strangers feel like family, and why the thing you think about every morning but never do is probably what you're supposed to be doing.

Chad continues his conversation with Oak Smith. This time focusing on prison staff instead of inmates. Oak shares the hard truth about correctional officer suicide rates - seven times higher than the general population - and why that number is so high. He talks about spending years "checking his humanity at the gate" every morning and struggling to turn it back on at night, how trauma from the job destroys marriages and families, and why staff are terrified to ask for help because they might lose their jobs. Oak also shares practical ways to support struggling coworkers, the importance of peer support programs, and why everyone needs mind, body, and soul balance - not just people working in prisons.

Chad talks with Oak Smith, former warden of San Quentin State Prison, about his 27-year journey from believing his job was to punish inmates to realizing the prison itself is the punishment. Oak shares how working at maximum security prisons where he had to "check his humanity at the gate" nearly destroyed him, and how San Quentin changed everything. He discusses the data behind rehabilitation, why he only wrote two support letters in his entire career, and the moment hardened criminals broke down crying when they saw dogs for the first time in 20 years. Oak also talks about Bob Goff's Love Does program, the father-daughter dance that had never happened before, and why corrections has the highest suicide rate of any profession.

Chad talks with Nestor Benavides about the conversations we avoid but desperately need to have. Nestor learned early how to navigate difficult talks and he's used that skill to save businesses, relationships, and careers. They discuss why the conversations that make you most nervous are usually the most important ones, how to ask permission before knocking on emotional doors, and why not having hard conversations often leads to negative outcomes. Nestor shares stories about demoting executives, terminating employees, and helping couples - and why caring about someone means being willing to have uncomfortable conversations with them.

Chad talks with Carter Leak, CEO of Bank of St. Francisville, about what it really means to build community. Carter shares why he and his wife host 3-4 events per week at their house (including a 100-person baseball banquet), how he learned to lead with weakness instead of trying to have all the answers, and why his personal mission statement is "guiding the hurting to hope." They discuss the difference between loving people and treating them like projects, how faith can be bold without being pushy, and why Carter thinks the key to empowering others is getting out of their way and slowing down enough to actually see the people in front of you.

Chad talks with Allen Richy, COO of PacTec, about why being crystal clear on expectations saves everyone time and heartache. Allen shares his "cross-examination" style of interviewing that digs deep into candidates' actual experiences, not just their resume titles. They discuss why employees need to be vulnerable about what's working and what isn't, how to create specific job descriptions instead of vague ones, and why Allen's former boss told him to be right less than 100% of the time - because if you're always right, you're not taking enough risk.

Chad talks with Jay Thompson, CEO of SITECH, about the challenge of growing a company while keeping people at the center. Jay shares how he learned to move people from wrong seats to right seats (like Lawson's journey from struggling in sales to thriving in operations), the difficulty of letting go and trusting others with pieces of the business you love, and why developing people has to come before growing revenue. They discuss building a culture of gratitude where 65 employees gave each other 1,100 kudos in one month in their company.