Dr. Mark Sullivan is an organizational psychologist, an Ohio State Fisher College of Business faculty member, a coach to executives and government leaders, and a motivational speaker on personal leadership in high demand environments.

I had the privilege to assist Mark in his most recent project, which was a book Titled “THRIVE! When Trouble Visits, being your best in tough times.” Mark spent hundreds of hours interviewing CEOs, military generals, healthcare executives, elite professional athletes, Hollywood celebrities and many other individuals who have found the capacity to thrive in high pressure, and sometimes very traumatic, environments because of their commitment to Presence, Passion, and Purpose. This book is now available at Barnes and Nobles Bookstore.

What I love most about Mark is that he is not only a respected academic, but he is truly a student in the game of life who has overcome many challenges - some of which he shares in this podcast. I am lucky to sit across the table from Mark in this interview and learned so much from an awesome human being.

Judge William Klatt is the Presiding judge for the Tenth District Court of Appeals in the state of Ohio. He is a proud father and husband and has found a way to mix his passion for justice that he developed at a young age with his passion for people and has served as an appellate judge for the past 17 years. In this episode we looked at Judge Klatt’s resilience model and how he maximized his resiliency capacity while minimizing the influence stress and anxiety have on our life.

I was first introduced to Reiki when the Director of Critical Care Nursing, and Associate Director of Integrative Nursing at the OSU Med Center came into a class and discussed the practical use of this alternative form of healing through a lecture. In my research I have found that Reiki is a vibrational, or subtle energy, therapy most commonly facilitated by light touch, which is believed to balance the biofield and strengthen the body's ability to heal itself. Although systematic study of efficacy is scant thus far, Reiki is increasingly used as an adjunct to conventional medical care, both in and out of hospital settings.

I am very interested in alternative forms of medicine and healing and had to find the best Reiki practitioner in the area. After researching, I found Linda Haley who is a master reiki practitioner, teacher, and an incredibly passionate and fulfilled individual. She has been practicing for decades and has found a way to mix her passion, her purpose, and her profession all in one space that she has created from the ground up. I am incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to connect with such a wise leader who approached her work and life from an incredibly spiritual lens. I learned a lot recording this episode and hope you will appreciate Linda’s message as much as I did.

Steve Miller is the Founder and President of Millwood Incorporated. He started this business at the age of 19 and has grown it now to one of the top competitors in their industry, where the company is home to nearly 2,000 employees with 30 facilities across the country. Steve’s story is nothing short of an inspiration. His approach life and business is rooted in faith and it has driven him to become one of the best in the world at what he does. I’m excited to share with you a great leader and friend - strap in for an awesome story.

Show Notes:

Life Growing Up: 2:30

The stake in the ground in Steve's life: 7:45

Steve going into business after high school: 10:45

...

Intro Music Credit:

Midnight by Serge Narcissoff | https://soundcloud.com/sergenarcissoff

Erin Halleran is a bright mind and kind heart that drives positive impact through social entrepreneurship. In this podcast Justyn and Erin talk a great deal about the importance of giving yourself permission to be great and not waiting for approval. She currently works as a full time analyst and is currently in the process of founding an impact venture fund, Miracle Innovation Fund. Erin has started two programs to help teach entrepreneurship to incarcerated population, started her own management consulting services company, and has deep experiences working with and for social enterprises.

Connect with Erin on Social Media:

Instagram: erinhalleran

Timeline:

1:45 About Erin

3:30 How Erin Engages with Social Entrepreneurship

4:30 Why not drop out of school?

8:55 Experience working at Hot Chicken Takeover

11:30 Ohio Prison Entrepreneurship Program

15:00 Take Aways and understandings being a social entrepreneur

19:00 Where does her belief come from?

21:30 Where does motivation come from

25:00 Power of Coincidence

28:00 Spending time with the right people

31:00 Two ways to listen

We jump back in on the podcast with John Sirpilla on episode 21. This episode we discuss personal brand, character, operating at a high level in the business world, and giving to life.

Bio: John Sirpilla is the founder of Encourage LLC, which is a private equity company with a diverse portfolio from health care to interior design to retail and event spaces to spirit brands and fashion wear. He is a member on numerous boards and a professional speaker to businesses, communities, and universities about managing thoughts, leading yourself to productive choices, and framing each challenge in your life as an opportunity for self-development and growth. Most importantly, John is a proud father and husband and grounded in his faith.

When I met Nick Lippert a few years back I instantly knew that he was a different breed. He told me about his desire to enter the military after an undergraduate experience at Ohio State in the Navy ROTC program. It was his goal to maximize his potential as a Navy officer and live his life making the biggest impact that he could. He currently is a Midshipman First Class and about to commission as an Ensign in the Navy. We talk about the truths in his life that has allowed him to create a life that he is proud of and put him in a position to actualize the dreams. Our discussion entails the importance of suffering, preparation, humility v arrogance, the importance of team in triumph, failure and never quitting, and the importance of loving life. My respect for this man’s commitment to greatness and living a life for others is incredibly high. Strap in this episode is loaded. Here is episode 20, with Nick Lippert.

1) Our greatest fears lie within anticipation

2) Humility is strength and arrogance is weakness

3) Triumph is a team sport

4) Its okay to fail, but waiting is not

Episode 19 of Creating the Game features John Sirpilla. I had the privilege to grow up around John and always looked up to him as someone living life at the highest level. He is the founder of Encourage LLC, which is a private equity company with a diverse portfolio from health care to interior design to retail and event spaces to spirit brands and fashion wear. He is a member on numerous boards and a professional speaker to businesses, communities, and universities about managing thoughts, leading yourself to productive choices, and framing each challenge in your life as an opportunity for self-development and growth. Most importantly, John is a proud father and husband and grounded in his faith. This episode was awesome for me because I got to share John’s impact on my life during the loss of my youngest brother in 2008. We discuss the importance of spirituality, bringing great people into your life, happiness, and how your thoughts create your reality. Johnny is the definition of what it means to create the game.

Episode 18 "Finding Your Why" features Paul Epstein. Paul worked for over a decade in the professional sports industry. He served in numerous different roles, one of which was a top sales executive with the San Fransisco 49ers organization.

This was all fantastic until he found his why and it was compelling enough for him to change the entire trajectory of his career path. He is now a leadership consultant and the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the BW Leadership Institute. BWLI builds people-centric cultures to deliver intentional, business outcomes.

We discuss many different topics, from healthy organizational culture, to a growth mindset, to the importance of having a coach in your life. Paul does a phenomenal job highlighting the most important lesson of the podcast, which is to find your "why."

Don't hesitate to connect with Paul on LinkedIn and reach out sharing your appreciation for this episode. https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-epstein-6a42738/

Mark Dickerhoof is a senior ISE major and eminence scholar at The Ohio State University, cofounder of Best Food Forward at OSU, and management consultant at McKinsey and Company. Justyn and Mark discuss their trip to the wilderness to rejuvenate, level up, and realign with their missions.

They talk about nihilism v optimism, the meaning of the human experience being created inside ourselves, the importance of elegance over efficiency, and areas of their life they are looking to improve on.