Everybody Pulls The Tarp

This week Andrew talks with former Chief White House Speechwriter Cody Keenan. Cody went from a campaign intern in Chicago to President Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter at the White House. Post-presidency, the two continued to collaborate and today Cody is a sought after expert on politics, communication, & current affairs. Cody is also the author of the instant New York Times bestseller "Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America." In this conversation, Cody shares what it’s like to get feedback on your work from Barack Obama — and how to “manage up” when your boss is the President of the United States. You’ll also hear powerful lessons on how to grow your career, navigate times of crisis, communicate ideas that stand the test of time, & more. This episode is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to work alongside a U.S. President and shape the ideas & moments forever cemented in our history books. 

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(2:47) - Cody’s childhood
(3:49) - Reading as a kid
(7:15) - Interning for Senator Ted Kennedy
(9:31) - Powerful early career feedback
(13:49) - “I’ll always be a career staffer”
(14:48) - Getting into speechwriting
(16:27) - Joining Obama campaign
(16:48) - Preparing to be Obama’s speechwriter
(17:52) - Meeting President Obama for the first time
(20:16) - Planning for Presidential speeches
(21:52) - Getting edits from President Obama
(23:10) - “For him it was like sheet music”
(26:18) - Managing up to the President
(29:05) - Life lessons from President Obama
(30:53) - Communication lessons from jazz music
(32:46) - Cody’s bestselling book
(38:50) - Chicago Cubs White House visit

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This week Andrew talks with former US Air Force fighter pilot Michelle “MACE” Curran. Michelle spent 13 years as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force. Flying under her pilot callsign “MACE”, she flew F-16s in combat missions in Europe, Asia, & the Middle East. From 2019 to 2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds — and became only the 2nd woman to fly the Lead Solo in the Thunderbirds demonstration since the team’s creation in 1953. In this conversation, you’ll hear actionable lessons on how to turn curiosity into progress, get more comfortable making mistakes, maximize your learning from past experiences, & so much more. If you are ready to power your personal & professional journey to new heights — then this conversation is for you.

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(2:14) - First time in airplane
(3:20) - Adventuring as a kid
(5:35) - Role of Michelle’s parents
(7:05) - Decision to go to ROTC
(8:54) - Blending curiosity & discipline
(10:16) - “Forget this FBI thing, I want to fly jets”
(11:31) - Becoming a fighter pilot
(14:52) - Learning to fly F-16
(15:26) - Learning complex things
(16:54) - Learning from mistakes
(17:44) - Adapting your approach
(21:58) - Debrief process
(22:38) - Incremental improvement
(23:22) - “Not all mistakes are created equal”
(27:12) - Overcoming imposter syndrome
(27:57) - What motivates Michelle now

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This week Andrew talks with New York Times & international bestselling author Madeline Martin. Madeline is the author of over 40 historical fiction & romance novels. After reading a book during her maternity leave, Madeline became inspired to write her own book as well. From there, she joined a local writers club & spent years immersing herself in the writing craft. Since then, she’s become one of the most successful & prolific authors in her genre. In this conversation, Madeline shares a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process & writing workflow. She also details her exhaustive research process & the quarterly goal-setting framework that’s helped her publish over 40 books in 15 years. This conversation is filled with lessons anyone can utilize to develop a new skill & become a more powerful storyteller. 

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(3:13) - Love of books
(4:01) - “I’ve always had stories in my head”
(6:31) - Starting journey as writer
(7:02) - Joining local writer’s group
(8:54) - Developing as writer
(9:58) - Pacing a story
(10:19) - Creating great characters
(11:30) - “Save the cat” moments
(14:46) - Quarterly goal-setting process
(16:12) - 10 months of research per book
(21:34) - Creating an outline
(23:57) - Professional development
(25:02) - Getting feedback
(29:23) - Most important skill

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This week Andrew welcomes Fordham University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Keith Urgo back to the show. In his first year as a head coach, Keith led Fordham to its best season in over 30 years and was named the 2023 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. Under Keith’s leadership, Fordham’s historic Rose Hill arena went from an often quiet, near-empty building to a packed house — with ticket lines snaking around campus & one of the loudest, most passionate student sections in the US. In this conversation, you’ll hear actionable lessons to help you grow as a leader, focus on what you can control, energize communities around a common cause, & so much more. This episode will help you transform the organizations, teams, & communities you love into the very best versions of themselves. 

Show Highlights: 

(0:00) - Intro
(4:10) - Creating early success
(5:13) - Building continuity
(5:54) - Getting others to buy-in 
(8:31) - Transition from assistant to head coach
(8:44) - Balancing competing time demands
(11:27) - Why a head coach is like a CEO
(13:47) - Passion vs. emotion
(15:58) - Focusing on the present
(16:24) - Transforming Fordham basketball culture
(21:01) - Getting aligned with stakeholders
(25:04) - Keith’s trailblazing mentality
(27:01) - Tarp pulling philosophy
(30:57) - “Greatest honor of my life”
(34:46) - “Where would you rather be” message
(39:27) - Power of EPTT platform

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This week Andrew talks with newly retired pro footballer & former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley. Tom joined Manchester United when he was 12 years old — and went on to have a successful pro football career that spanned 15 years & included winning a Premier League title in 2013. In July, Tom announced his retirement due to injuries at just 33 years old and now he’s ready to climb the ladder again — this time as a coach. In this conversation, Tom shares powerful lessons he learned about leadership, teamwork, & success during his time at Manchester United and other elite football clubs. You’ll hear actionable ideas on how to grow outside your comfort zone, develop a winning mindset, & more. This episode is filled with career & life lessons everyone can apply. 

Show Highlights: 

(0:00) - Intro
(2:36) - Tom’s childhood
(4:31) - Managing pressure
(6:09) - Manchester United experience
(7:23) - Staying patient
(11:11) - Growing through discomfort
(14:53) - Great teams vs. good teams
(15:05) - Why Manchester United is so successful
(16:58) - Winning Premier League title
(20:20) - Accountability
(24:50) - Transition from player to coach
(26:17) - Relationship between veterans & younger players
(28:10) - Creating your own luck

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This week Andrew talks with Cayce Lynch. Cayce is the Administrative Partner at Tyson & Mendes, a national civil litigation law firm. After law school, Cayce sent a cold e-mail to Tyson & Mendes co-founder Bob Tyson. Cayce aced her interview, was offered an entry level position, & has since worked her way up the ladder. Today, Cayce is the firm’s Administrative Partner. She’s led the firm to unprecedented growth & innovation — helping more than double the firm's size since her promotion to partner in 2017. In this conversation, Andrew & Cayce explore her career & success secrets. You’ll hear actionable lessons on creating your own opportunities, optimizing decision making, & so much more. This episode will get you ready to take bold action, write that email you’ve been afraid to send, & power your journey to new heights. 

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(2:59) - Law school in Hawaii
(4:42) - Hawaiian culture
(6:05) - Analyzing issues
(6:52) - Writing for unique audiences
(9:37) - Overcoming perfectionism
(12:14) - Launching career with cold e-mail
(19:20) - Impact of “getting in the weeds”
(22:33) - Fighting imposter syndrome
(25:16) - Optimizing decisions
(26:20) - Maintaining perspective

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This week Andrew talks with journalist & author Polina Marinova Pompliano. Polina spent 5 years at Fortune where she wrote over 1,300 articles — and served as author & editor of Term Sheet, Fortune’s industry-leading newsletter on venture capital, private equity, and corporate dealmaking. Today, Polina is the founder of The Profile, a media company that features longform profiles of successful people and companies. She is also the author of the new book “Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking That Power The World’s Most Successful People”. In this conversation, Andrew & Polina dive deep into her favorite findings from years of studying top performers  — and explore how all of us can apply these lessons to our own lives. 

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(2:45) - Learning through stories
(4:54) - Learning through people
(5:17) - Consuming well-rounded content
(7:21) - Lessons from author Danielle Steele
(10:50) - Learning instead of idolizing
(14:01) - Polina’s decision to leave Fortune
(15:26) - Building a powerful personal brand
(17:32) - Betting on yourself
(21:35) - Creating moments of elective hardship
(25:14) - Leadership lessons from Spotify’s Daniel Ek
(29:13) - Business of Taylor Swift
(29:59) - Doing things that don’t scale
(31:26) - “Slow bake” vs microwave growth
(33:04) - Who Polina would like to write a biography on
(34:41) - Building a legacy
(36:13) - Lessons Polina models for her daughter
(37:41) - Creating trust

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This week Andrew talks with Los Angeles Chargers star running back Austin Ekeler. In 2021 & 2022, Austin led the NFL in total touchdowns and established himself as one of the NFL’s top players. Despite his success, Austin’s path has never been easy or assumed. Barely recruited out of high school, Austin played Division II college football for Western Colorado University. In 2017, the LA Chargers signed Austin as an undrafted free agent — and the rest is history. Off the field he launched the Austin Ekeler Foundation and is the founder of Eksperience, a new fan engagement platform.  Andrew & Austin sat down just days before the start of the 2023 NFL season to explore Austin’s journey from undrafted free agent to one of the NFL’s biggest stars. This conversation is filled with powerful lessons to help you make the most of every opportunity — personally & professionally.

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(3:05) - Childhood working on ranch
(4:40) - Finding joy & appreciation in your job
(5:08) - Growth mindset
(6:10) - Youth football
(8:26) - Building a 26 mile fence
(9:10) - Influence of Austin’s mother
(12:33) - College experience
(15:55) - Integrating passions & goals
(19:31) - Differentiating yourself
(21:20) - Leading NFL in touchdowns
(21:40) - Continuous growth
(24:01) - Optimizing small details
(25:25) - Taking on diverse experiences
(27:19) - Power of community & connection
(31:57) - Austin’s long-term vision

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This week Andrew talks with Brijesh Patel — the Associate Athletic Director & Director of Athletic Performance at Quinnipiac University. Brijesh is the head strength & conditioning coach for the 2023 NCAA National Champion Quinnipiac University Men’s Ice Hockey team. Back in June, Andrew interviewed Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Rand Pecknold to explore the team’s remarkable rise to the top of the college hockey world that captured the hearts of millions. It was during that conversation that Rand sang the praises of his colleague Brijesh Patel. In this week’s episode, Andrew sits down directly with Brijesh — to dive even deeper into the success secrets that powered Quinnipiac’s unprecedented rise to national champions. You’ll hear important lessons on building trust, improving self-awareness, building positive habits, & achieving peak performance. This conversation is filled with so many powerful & actionable ideas that apply far beyond the hockey rink. 

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(5:06) - Reflecting on national championship
(5:58) - Building trust
(6:44) - Empowering others
(7:58) - Understanding your purpose
(9:04) - Developing a winning attitude
(10:29) - Driving improvement
(13:01) - Taking on too much
(13:59) - Developing discipline
(14:57) - Creating positive habits
(16:29) - Inspiration vs. habits
(19:10) - Attention to detail
(23:53) - Creating ownership & awareness
(27:55) - Stacking incremental improvements
(30:15) - Improving body language
(33:40) - Building strong connections with others

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This week Andrew talks with 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Lynne Roberts. Lynne took over a struggling University of Utah Women's Basketball program in 2015 and has since engineered a remarkable turnaround. Last season, Lynne led the team to 27 wins and the program’s first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance since 2006. In this conversation, Andrew & Lynne explore the mindsets, tools, & leadership philosophies powering her team’s success on and off the basketball court. Lynne highlights actionable coaching, leadership, & life lessons that will help you achieve ambitious goals, communicate more effectively, & so much more. Lynne also shares an important message everyone needs to hear about the power of going all-in on the present & making today the bigtime. 

Show Highlights:

(0:00) - Intro
(2:15) - Reflecting on recent success
(3:00) - Surrounding yourself with the right people
(4:36) - Lynne’s blue collar mentality
(5:45) - Lynne’s childhood and upbringing
(6:38) - Doing lots of different roles
(8:24) - Lessons learned waitressing
(10:06) - Setting priorities
(10:50) - Incremental goals
(11:22) - Setting tone for organization
(13:58) - Managing criticism
(15:30) - Giving players space to work
(16:47) - Leading with “bumper rails”
(18:04) - Improving decision making
(19:02) - Creating culture of unselfishness
(20:45) - Good, bad, ugly 
(22:28) - Communicating feedback
(25:25) - Managing emotion
(27:59) - Being where your feet are

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Twitter: @andrewhmoses
Instagram: @AndrewMoses123

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