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Barry Dean discusses the hard things about country music. He talks about great artists who have slipped through the cracks and his opinion on how we treat “Kings and Queens”  in the country music industry. He gives a glimpse into meeting singers and artists as a songwriter and shares a bit about Eddie Arnold, Garth Brooks, Roger Miller, and other huge names in country music.

In this episode:

• A bit of Midwestern Geography
• Betty’s Fireworks best bang in town
• Meeting Roger Miller
• How comparison can be toxic
• The hardest thing about country music
• Going on air with Charlie Pride
• Breakfast with Eddie Arnold
• You don’t have to sing to sing
• The making of 1994
• Garth Brooks 

About Barry:
Barry Dean takes nothing for granted. Even after earning a GRAMMY nomination for Tim McGraw's "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools" and topping the charts with four No. 1 singles, he remains awestruck each time he hears a song he wrote on the radio. Dean still can’t help but think of how he seemed destined to work a 9-to-5 in Kansas––a fate that now seems preposterous, given his track record: two No. 1 singles for Little Big Town, "Pontoon" and "Day Drinkin’;" "Think a Little Less," which topped the charts for Michael Ray; "Heartache Medication" which most recently hit #1 for Jon Pardi; Ingrid Michaelson's Top 40 smash "Girls Chase Boys;" and an ever-growing list of country and pop successes prove Dean is doing exactly what he was made to do.

https://www.creativenationmusic.com/barry-dean

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Josh Bains joined me this week, and his journey is fascinating!!

Ghostwriting is its own form of literary mastery. In his efforts to expand on the profession, Josh Bains invites listeners to consider the stories in their lives. Through vulnerability and open-mindedness, Josh elaborates on his various adventures and those of others that ultimately led to priceless lessons, life-changing morals, and new growth paths.

In this episode:

• Bagpipes and a bicycle: A journey to Scotland
• Searching for roots in Auschwitz
• Hong Kong & the surprise synagogue
• India, Thailand, Israel, and California: a search for living Jews
• Finding an international family in the Jewish Community
• Christian and Jewish Spirituality
• Josh Bain’s path into ghostwriting
• Finding the Elixir in a story (River Town by Peter Hessler)
• Using literary concepts to delve into impactful writing

About Josh:
Josh Bains is a New York Times Bestselling Ghostwriter, Author Coach, and World Traveler. A SoCal native, after receiving his journalism degree from the University of Hong Kong, Josh began exploring his Jewish roots--eventually spending three years in Israel, where he reported on the Middle East conflict, as he learned in a traditional yeshiva for Jewish learning in the Old City of Jerusalem. Today, Josh helps people tell their stories and speaks about self-development.

https://joshbains.com/

This episode is sponsored by Habana Cuba.

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Country artist Tyler Rich has such an incredible connection with his fans, and you'll see why in this episode. Enjoy moments of laughter and meaning as Tyler expands on the work it took to become a world-famous songwriter and country artist.

Also in this episode:

• Pumpkin Pie, Salmon, and Quail Eggs; a critique
• Radio tour and the challenging yet rewarding experience it is
• What’s more intimidating? 15, 50, or 500-person audiences?
• Tyler’s various childhood introductions to live music
• The many influences that shape Tyler’s music
• From the Casino Circuit to Nashville, Tennessee
• A dream, a business card, and a lie
• 6 Hour French lesson produced a Top 10 Billboard Hit

About Tyler:
Northern California-raised, Nashville-rooted Tyler Rich found his love of music gathered around a Christmas tree alongside family singing holiday classics and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fast forward to graduating college with a degree in Economics, Tyler moved to LA to pursue a different game of numbers–music–exploring various genres with songwriting and bands before taking the leap as a solo artist. Since, he has been named a 2018 CMT Listen Up artist, 2019 Pandora Artist and Rolling Stone touted him as “the newest member of country music’s radio-minded incoming class, with a homecoming king’s swagger and a valedictorian’s songwriting smarts. ”Amassing over 394.4M+ total global streams with his debut album TWO THOUSAND MILES (The Valory Music Co.), featuring GOLD-certified “The Difference,” plus subsequent releases “Better Than You’re Used To” and The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston-produced “A Little Bit of You.” With “Thinkin’ We’re In Love,” an English and French duet with one of Canada’s most successful bilingual singer-songwriters, Marie-Mai, Tyler has announced a headline tour of the same name. Tickets are on sale now for his headline THINKIN’ WE’RE IN LOVE TOUR. His music embodies the feelings all people have in common –the need for acceptance, devotion and a place to call their own–and that empathetic spirit extends to animals too. With Rich Rescues, Tyler visits local shelters while out on the road to raise awareness for pet adoption.

https://www.tylerrich.com

Episode sponsored by: Habana Cuba

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It’s always a pleasure to sit across from a friend and chat about your favorite music, let alone a Grammy Award-winning songwriter. Walk down memory lane with Brett James as he shares stories from his past and brings appreciation to the icons of the music industry who have paved the way for future singers and songwriters.

In this episode:

• Thoughts on the CMA’s
• Med School drop-out twice!
• The difficulties of writing a hit song
• The benefits and challenges of co-writing
• Co-writing with Don Schlitz & other favorite artists
• The impact of Garth Brooks on the country music industry
• Which artists belong on the “Mount Rushmore” of the music industry?

This episode is sponsored by: Habana Cuba

About Brett:
For over a decade, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Brett James has been one of the most prolific and versatile songwriters in Nashville, having had more than three hundred of his songs recorded by major label recording artists. James has become a fixture on the Billboard Country chart with thirteen #1 songs and scores of top 20 singles to his credit.

In 2009, Brett achieved the Music Row “Triple Play,” an award for three #1 songs in a single chart year, not once, but twice! These six #1‘s; ‘It’s America,’ by Rodney Atkins, ‘Out Last Night,’ by Kenny Chesney, ‘Cowboy Cassanova,’ by Carrie Underwood, ‘Summer Nights,’ by Rascal Flatts, ‘The Truth’ by Jason Aldean, and ‘The Man I Want To Be’ Chris Young earned James ASCAP Songwriter of the Year for the second time in October 2010.

A native of Oklahoma City, Brett attended Baylor University, where he completed two years of medical school before moving to Nashville to pursue his dream of becoming a country star. In 1995, Brett James was signed to the Arista subsidiary Career Records and subsequently released his self-titled debut album. Career Records was later dissolved in consolidation, and with it, James’s recording artist aspirations. Brett persevered as a writer at Patrick Joseph Publishing which fostered the relationships that destined him for success.

In the year 2000, James received his first major album cut with the song ‘Love Is A Sweet Thing,’ recorded by Faith Hill, followed by a top 20 single ‘You Won’t Be Lonely Now,’ with Billy Ray Cyrus. It wasn’t long before Brett reached the benchmark that all songwriters and artists alike strive for, the coveted #1 song. In April of 2001, then-break-out artist Jessica Andrews landed James his first #1 with the song ‘Who I Am.’ He returned to the top of the chart in 2002, this time with country superstar Martina McBride and the song ‘Blessed.’

As his chart success continued, Brett appeared on Billboard Magazine’s top-ten country songwriters list for five consecutive years, the only writer to do so, and in 2006 reached yet another musical milestone winning ASCAP Songwriter of the Year. In 2007, Brett received the music industry’s highest honor winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Song ‘Jesus Take The Wheel,’ recorded by Carrie Underwood.

The list of artists that have recorded songs penned by Brett James resembles a who’s wh

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In this vulnerable and enlightening conversation, Whitney Miller reveals that she’s just as scared as the rest of us - but she doesn’t let that stop her. From being crowned Miss United States to a Country Music career and becoming an MMA fighter, Whitney Miller shares her secrets on never letting fear get in the way of your dreams.

In this episode:

• From evening gloves to boxing gloves - next steps after passing on the crown
• Whitney Miller’s biggest fear
• The surprising way Whitney started singing (that’s different from most artists!)
• What is a walking coach?
• A behind-the-scenes look at Whitney Miller’s singer/songwriter career
• Turning emotions into art
• Miss United State’s best advice on how to face your fears

This episode sponsored by: Habana Cuba

About Whitney:
Former professional athlete, Miss United States 2012, kickboxing commentator, and podcaster Whitney is a Texas-born country rock pop singer-songwriter living in Nashville, TN. Whitney’s roots and deep love to write and perform original country music dates back to being a little girl in South Texas, growing up listening to acts like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Bonnie Rhiatt, and Johnny Cash from her parents' record collection. Today, her sound is influenced by those early days and early Miranda Lambert and Gretchen Wilson. 

Whitney strongly encourages self-empowerment and a fearless take on life. Hearing no is only an opportunity to find a yes. Her overall mission in life is to inspire others to live life out loud! Before her move into her passion for creating music, Whitney specialized in unique relationship and life design. She knows how freeing it is to live life on your own terms, with less fear, and she directly supported hundreds of people, from professional and Olympic athletes and CEOs to stay-at-home parents, as they step into their truth and unleash the life they truly desire.   

She joined forces with some of the leading scientists and researchers in the field and co-hosted an extremely popular podcast that debuted at #50 on the overall iTunes charts and now has over 1.5 million downloads. 

In true "go for it" Whitney fashion, she has decided to take her biggest leap of faith yet and left her home state of Texas for Nashville, Tennessee, to chase her lifelong dream as a singer-songwriter. Her vast life experience and comfort in the spotlight allow her to not only create feeling through her lyrics and voice but also to inspire her audience. Whitney is currently finishing her debut album, recorded at Orb Recording studios with an all-star cast of guest musicians to be released in 2022. Expect a fun, country rock album filled with vulnerable, real-life stories and lots of attitude!

https://www.whitneymillermusic.com/

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Sports, sports, sports! Fans of the Golden States Warriors will definitely recognize his voice, but did you know he's also done broadcasting for water polo at the Olympics, boxing and more? Listen to this episode to get an inside look at the fascinating world of sports broadcasting.

In this episode:

• How competitive it is to be a sports broadcaster
• Alabama football
• Stephen Curry
• Notre Dame
• His thoughts on Brian Kelly leaving to go to LSU
• Shifting from accounting to sports
• What makes hockey players different
• The really competitive thing Michael Jordan did
• Calling water polo in the Olympics
• Something he hasn’t had the opportunity to call but would love to
• Concussions in the NFL and what could change

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/RM5a82Jb4BM

About American sports commentator Bob Fitzgerald:
One of the most recognizable sports personalities in the Bay Area, Bob Fitzgerald has served as television play-by-play announcer for the Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area since 1997. He called his first Warrior game on radio, Feb 18, 1993, as the backup radio play-by-play broadcaster and host of the Warriors Roundtable television programs. Since his arrival, the Warriors broadcast team has received 16 nominations and won three Emmy Awards for “Best Live Sports Broadcast,” most recently for NBC Sports Bay Area’s broadcast of the Warriors vs. Kings game during the 2014-15 season that featured Klay Thompson’s NBA-record 37 points in a single quarter. Fitzgerald has received six Emmy nominations for “Best On-Camera” and was awarded the Emmy for “Best On-Camera, Play-by-Play Sports” for Northern California in 2007 and 2014.

On a national basis, Fitzgerald currently calls NFL and college football games for Sports USA Radio and the San Francisco 49ers preseason broadcasts. He has 25 years of experience broadcasting the Olympic games for NBC Sports, and has called the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (Men’s and Women’s Basketball). Additional credits include NBC’s 2012 London Summer Olympics (Men’s and Women’s Basketball), 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics (Men’s and Women’s Water Polo), 2004 Athens Summer Olympics (Men’s and Women’s Basketball), and the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics (Men’s and Women’s Swimming). Fitzgerald was also chosen to call the NBA Playoffs in 2020 for TNT at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Fitzgerald has also handled network television NFL broadcasts for NBC and the NBA G League Finals series for Versus in 2010.

In 2019, Fitzgerald finished a 28-year run at KNBR radio in San Francisco, hosting the popular Fitz and Brooks show for 15 years. Fitzgerald was the television and radio voice for the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League for twenty years and spent six years as the play-by-play voice for ESPN’s NBA Basketball video game series. He also wrote a column for the Oakland Tribune and ANG Newspapers for seven years.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Fitzgerald also received his master’s degree in sports management from the Oh

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To say Nicolle is a hit songwriter might be an understatement. She has written songs for Lady A, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, and many others. Galyon has written nine No. 1 hits including "Automatic," Miranda Lambert's chart-topping lead single from her critically-acclaimed album Platinum, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and featured five songs by Galyon.

In this episode:

• Starting off as a pianist
• Giving herself permission to make a record despite not wanting to be a performer
• Having three #1 songs in a year
• Looking for the next “one”
• Where “Disneyworld” came from
• Having a very humble beginning
• Why she tells her kids “no”
• How moving out of Nashville was the catalyst for First Born
• Making songs NOT meant for radio
• How not winning class President in high school was a gift
• Being back in her hometown
• How not knowing her biological father shaped some of her music

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In this intense yet uplifting conversation, David Taylor-Klaus is open and honest with Gary about his suicide attempt and what he does now to keep himself on track. This episode will make you think while also lifting you up.
Also in this episode:

• Internal self-awareness
• External self-awareness
• Being a thought leader
• Ticking people off
• Whether or not it’s ok for your family to judge you
• Attempting suicide
• The impact Hurricane Katrina had on him
• The problem with the term “Work/Life Balance”
• Why you can’t separate work and life
• Being in relationship with what you’re doing

About David
David’s personal and professional worlds clearly reflect a journey in pursuit of excellence, always with a great deal of humor and heart. He is known for his sharp intellect and incisive ability to see and say what others do not. He balances fierce candor with genuine compassion … aka “an iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Whether working with individuals, teams, or speaking to large groups, David believes that a powerful leader exists in each of us, his goal is to empower others to unearth and unleash their own leadership mastery. From personal experience, he drives home the importance for all professionals to take an active, intentional, and dynamic role in their private and professional lives.

The mission of DTK Coaching is to reintroduce successful business people to their families and the world outside the office.

Through an informed, well-applied process and an inspired approach, David’s clients overcome the overwhelming aspects of succeeding in business and being a part of a family. DTK Coaching helps them create the kind of Life-Work Balance they only dared to imagine was possible, while also achieving dramatic shifts in their performance.

David’s insight and wisdom are built on his three decades as a successful serial entrepreneur.

Prior to establishing DTK Coaching, he was CEO of Digital Positions (DP), an internet strategy and web development firm he co-founded in 1995 and sold in 2009. As a strategist, he worked with C-level executives, senior management teams and boards of directors to broaden their perspective and see how interactive initiatives support corporate visions and values for positive growth.

It was during this time, however, that David realized that his success came from being reactive rather than proactive, and that he wasn’t participating consciously as a husband, father, business partner, or entrepreneur.  As he headed toward rock-bottom, David had a significant wake-up call that ultimately resulted in DTK Coaching. 

(It’s a great story… read how really bad it got)

Recent empty-nesters (a status modified due to the pandemic), David and his wife, Elaine, live in the heart of Atlanta with their dogs. A gold-medal rower in the 2004 Georgia State Games, an avid cyclist, and an enthusiastic wine-collector (and drinker), David also enjoys kick-boxing, really great jokes

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In this brutally honest conversation, Lynn Abaté-Johnson gets candid about her journey as a caregiver and talks about how she was able to finally care for herself the way she cared for her mom in her final years. We also talked about her recently released book Out of Love where she chronicles her journey and provides resources and systems for caregivers.

In this Episode:

• Being a caregiver while juggling her career
• Keeping it a secret
• Turning her mom’s cancer diagnosis into a “business”
• Why she put the book on pause
• Removing the hustle mindset
• Being a caregiver while juggling being a wife
• Changing to a healthier lifestyle
• When her mom realized she wasn’t going to beat cancer
• Feeding stress with food
• Incremental changes
• How to squeeze gifts out of hard situations
• How the book morphed into being about her

About Lynn:
After being a primary caregiver for her mother for over six years, author Lynn Abate-Johnson understands the typhoon of emotions and responsibilities that come with caring for a loved one. However, she discovered how to blossom through (and after) caregiving rather than let it drown her. 

By using her natural organizational skills and her solid work ethic, she developed systems and processes to help navigate the difficult journey of caregiving, which allowed her to go from “What am I going to do without my mom?” to “I know I can thrive after she’s gone–just as she would want.”

Like most caregivers, Lynn juggled caregiving duties with a full-time career. In her daily life, she’s a business consultant and global community builder. 

She’s been building businesses from the ground up from a young age, with her first business being a network of family roller skating rinks in the Detroit, Michigan metro area. She is currently growing the global community as “the voice” of the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), one of the world’s most respected leadership development and professional coach training organizations.

As part of her devotion to developing global communities that make a difference by connecting human beings, she speaks with cohorts of caregivers to help them discover they’re not alone, everything’s going to be ok, and there are tools they can use to ease the burdens they might feel as caregivers. Her book Out of Love: A Daughter’s Journey With Her Mom To The End provides care for caregivers by giving them the emotional and practical support they need.

About the Book:
Lynn’s words offer a uniquely personal glimpse into her journey as a daughter of a strong mother, along with her own transformation in the aftermath of being a caregiver.

Lynn’s approach removes the stigma of grief, Her expressive and often vulnerable ways of sharing help to normalize what many families may take for granted or miss in their often overwhelming and new experience as caregivers. There will be discomfort, shame, guilt, and layers of conditioning to discover in this book, with the goal of bringing light to the dark and peace to the soul.

These words are also interactive, meaning you will find practical, log

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Country artist Ashley Cooke is quickly becoming a favorite and is on her way to becoming a household name. She's already gotten to collaborate with Jimmie Allen and tour with Cole Swindell! In this episode, we talk about her journey to being a Country star and what her audience means to her, and so much more. You're going to appreciate and enjoy how open and authentic she is.
Also in this episode:

• Getting to work with Jimmie Allen
• Why poetry speaks to her
• What could possibly cause Taylor Swift to return to Country Music
• What makes a song Country
• Why she had to move around so much
• Why Florida is home
• Why she went to school for Marketing & Communications rather than something in music
• Being the first non-music major to win the Belmont Showcase
• Going on tour with Cole Swindell
• Her songwriting process
• Her future as an actress
• Is she or isn’t she dating the guy from Back in the Saddle
• Dating in 2022
• Connecting with her audience

About Ashley:
Raised between the coasts of California and Florida, Ashley Cooke is an up-and-coming country artist who brings authentic and honest storytelling to her music. The singer/songwriter developed her love of country music as Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, and Florida Georgia Line quickly became the soundtrack of high school. Cooke followed her passion for music to Belmont University, where she won the Country Showcase, placing her in an elite class of winners that includes Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, and more. 

In Aug. 2021, Cooke released her debut project, Already Drank That Beer, featuring 8 tracks written by Cooke alongside many of Nashville’s hottest songwriters. Produced by award-winner Jimmy Robbins, the debut project garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, People, Taste of Country, Sounds Like Nashville, Country Now, and more. In April, Cooke enlisted Country megastar Brett Young to feature on standout track “Never Til Now,” which Billboard tapped as a “superb vocal blend,” proving her “bright future ahead within the country music genre” (CMT). Resonating with fans far and wide, the romantic love song prompted Cooke to make her national television debut on ABC’s “The Bachelorette.”

Last year, Cooke hit the road on tour with fellow rising acts BRELAND and Spencer Crandall and spent the first half of 2022 touring alongside Cole Swindell, Brett Young, and Jordan Davis. Cooke will continue to appear at some of the summer’s hottest fairs, and festivals as she gears up to release more new music via Big Loud Records / Back Blocks Music before heading out on Swindell’s Back Down To The Bar Tour in fall 2022.

http://ashleycooke.com

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