Ep. 239: At 59, Mike became the oldest contributing member of a college football team in NCAA history—returning to his alma mater nearly four decades after being kicked off the team. He returned to finish what he started. 

But this isn’t just a comeback story—it’s about redemption, resilience, and the courage to face regret head-on.

🎁ENTER TO WIN SIGNED COPY: Subscribe to our Corporate Competitor Podcast YouTube channel to be entered to win a signed copy of The Senior and leave a comment on the YouTube episode with Mike Flynt to confirm you entered! We will pick three lucky winners on the day the movie hits theaters on September 19th and send you a message.

📋 Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Abbie Brandt and Andrew Levin for making this episode possible.

Ep. 238 Field hockey taught Linda to pause and ask "Why do you love the game?" That question has helped her transform both sports teams and billion-dollar organizations.

Linda’s team manages $111 billion in assets and are part of the 1.4 trillion dollar investment arm of Prudential Financial.

She began her career as a lawyer, but her love for math and problem-solving helped her rise to the top in the finance world.

Don’t miss:

• Why EQ is leadership’s real X-Factor in the age of AI
• How eye rolls and emails reveal your culture
• The "color-dot" system Linda uses for decoding personalities

Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Joey Morris and Lilly Mae Stewart for making this episode possible.

Ep. 237: From the sidelines of Miami Football’s National Championship game to leading one of the world’s most iconic brands, the first female CEO of Bose shares stories of how weekly discomfort built her confidence!

Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Karson Hills and Alissa Pupich for making this episode possible.

Ep. 236: Tennis & racing cars shaped Lance’s belief that decisiveness is a leader’s most powerful tool. As a nationally ranked tennis player, he learned to make high-stakes decisions alone.

That same mindset now fuels his success as a CEO and professional race car driver—where speed, risk, and preparation define every outcome.

Don't miss: • His “eyes up” strategy for forecasting in business • A behind-the-wheel story that saved a race (and inspired a deal) • Our BONUS RESOURCE with quotes and reflection questions to apply today’s insights 

📚Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

🎤Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Anthony Dickinson and Andrew Levin ​for making this episode possible.

Ep. 235: Softball shaped Kelli's belief that great leadership is about setting others up to win. In this heartfelt episode, she shares how her time as a scrappy leadoff hitter inspired a team-first mindset—and how embracing her adoption story became the key to building trust and loyalty as a leader.

Don't miss:

• Her simple 1–10 check-in that helps leaders truly understand how their team is doing
• How Kelli scouts the competition by building authentic relationships with fellow CEOs
• Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode with my favorite quotes and reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Alissa Pupich and Lilly Mae for making this episode possible.

Ep. 234: Notre Dame Football and having “Rudy” as a coach shaped the way Mike views “grit” and “grind” today! In this episode, you will learn how to turn personal wins into shared victories.

“If you have a great day, make it a point to share that feeling with your entire organization,” he shares. “That way everyone can enjoy it and feel proud.”

Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Anthony Dickinson and Karson Hills for making this episode possible.

Ep. 233: This CEO’s high school was so tiny that it didn’t have a track team, so he started a squad from scratch, built up the roster and even coached them, all while running a swift 4:25 mile along the way.

That mindset—identifying a challenge and pursuing a solution—never left him. Years after starring on the team, Sanford saw an opening in the real estate market. He realized that the future of the business was online. So, he acted.

Today? 📈 85,000+ agents 🏆 Publicly traded 🏅 Named one of Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work

Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Shon Kokoszka, Lauren Stecker, and Andrew Levin for making this episode possible.

Ep. 232: Training for her ultramarathon in Spain helped Heidi break big goals into small, achievable steps. Her approach offers a compelling blueprint for building trust, inspiring teams, and elevating the customer experience.

Rooted in small-town Kansas values and shaped by global experience, you will learn in this conversation how to stop treating customers like transactions.

1. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

2. Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

3. Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Alissa Pupich and Karson Hills for making this episode possible.

Ep. 231: How does a moment become momentum? You will learn the model to capture, accelerate, and reverse momentum as featured in my new book with Gen. Bernard Banks. 

From commanding in Desert Storm to teaching at West Point and Rice University to transforming organizations, Bernie’s perspective is battle-tested, data-backed, and built to help leaders at every level create their own momentum shift.

1. Order your copy of the book here!

2. Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

3. Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

4. Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Ep. 230: From college football to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, John Tuttle has always thrived in competitive arenas. Now as President of Acrisure, he leads 19,000 employees in one of the fastest-growing fintech companies on the planet. 

Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights. 

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/ 

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness. 

Special thanks to Anthony Dickinson and Guillermo Orellana for making this episode possible.