Inside the Sphere

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Brittany Thoms, the president and co-founder of the marketing agency See.Spark.Go. She shares the process of building a multi-location marketing and PR firm from the ground up, how to cultivate a healthy work environment, the importance of the team you surround yourself with, and practical business advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Breakdown

(00:00) Introduction

(0:47) The making of See.Spark.Go

(4:20) The risks of starting a business

(8:25) How the name See.Spark.Go came about

(9:22) Cultivating a healthy work environment

(19:33) Starting a business with your spouse

(21:42) How to build relationships with businesses

(25:52) Giving back to businesses

(28:31) Practical business advice

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with 12Stone Church founding senior pastor Kevin Myers. He shares about moving to Gwinnett County to start the church, the tough times in the early years of 12Stone, and how he nearly closed the doors and walked away after three years. Through it all, PK relives the miraculous journey of someone gifting the church land for their first building, how he nearly bankrupted 12Stone, how the church has navigated multiple locations, what they are doing to cultivate their online audience, and how he plans to step down and hand the church over to the next generation.

Breakdown

• (0:00) Introduction

• (0:47) Making the move to Gwinnett County

• (7:00) The beginning days of 12Stone Church (Crossroads)

• (10:27) Struggling through the early years

• (26:21) Finding a breakthrough after nearly closing the church

• (39:49) God provides the first piece of land for the church

• (48:10) The church nearly bankrupts over the next piece of land

• (58:40) The start of multiple 12Stone campuses

• (106:25) How 12Stone is cultivating its online audience

• (114:49) The pastoral succession plan at 12Stone

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Dr. Marty Mazzawi from Mazzawi Family Dentistry and the owner of Slow Pour Brewing Company. He shares about the joy of doing business with family, how his faith journey has shaped his life, and what giving back to the community looks like in his role as a business owner.

Breakdown

• (0:00) Introduction

• (0:45) The history of Mazzawi Family Dentistry

• (5:20) The challenges and advantages of a family business

• (8:23) How his faith journey has shaped his life

• (10:48) How his wife (Zoe) is the rock for the family

• (12:37) Incorporating faith and community into his career

• (16:36) Raising children to love the Lord

• (21:15) How Slow Pour Brewing is evolving and growing

• (23:43) What impacting lives looks like at his breweries

In a special holiday episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Chanda Bell, who co-authored The Elf on the Shelf book, which is the fourth-best selling children’s book of all time. She shares how her family turned a simple Christmas tradition into a worldwide phenomenon, the early struggles of self publishing the book, the future of The Lumistella Company, and how she incorporates faith into her company.

Breakdown

• (0:00) Introduction

• (0:58) A look back to the inception of The Elf on the Shelf

• (4:34) The struggles of publishing the original book

• (8:18) Going all in on self publishing

• (9:55) Hot off the press - selling one copy at a time

• (12:38) Turning a book into a business

• (16:45) The first big breakthrough thanks to Jennifer Garner

• (19:08) Living out the mission, vision, and purpose of The Lumistella Company

• (26:59) Building partnerships and looking to the future

• (35:32) Incorporating faith into her leadership role

• (41:07) How The Lumistella Company uses its platform to give back

• (46:06) How the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon came to be

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with David Greene, the most successful quarterback in UGA history. He shares his journey to UGA, his favorite moments in Athens, the impact of Mark Richt on his life, transitioning to life in the NFL, and how his priorities have changed following his playing career.

Breakdown

• (0:00) Introduction

• (1:10) The competitive switch is flipped at 7 years old

• (4:24) Facing adversity in high school

• (6:07) The college offers start rolling in

• (7:55) The commercialization of high school football

• (9:58) Adjusting to the bright lights at UGA

• (14:47) Developing as a leader under Mark Richt

• (19:27) The impact of Mark Richt on young men

• (23:29) The moments that defined career at Georgia

• (27:30) Transitioning from college to the NFL

• (34:29) The brutal business of professional football

• (42:26) Going from UGA legend to backup QB

• (46:16) Changing priorities following playing career

• (52:17) Applying faith to everyday life

• (55:24) Lessons from dad

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Dr. Matthew Hazzard, a board-certified neurosurgeon with Advanced Neurosurgery Associates.

He shares his journey to becoming a neurosurgeon, how his faith takes center stage in pre-op with his patients, and how healthcare in the United States could work better for more people.

Breakdown

• (0:00) Introduction

• (0:50) Professional background

• (1:42) Journey to becoming a neurosurgeon

• (9:51) The formative years at Spring Arbor University

• (11:28) First round of medical school applications

• (15:57) Duke bound during medical school match day

• (17:57) Sleepless nights completing residency

• (21:08) Typical work week of a neurosurgeon

• (23:29) Incorporating faith into daily routine

• (29:09) Balancing personal life with career

• (32:17) Healthcare in the United States

• (36:00) Experiencing medical miracles

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Joel Ferdinand, who serves as the Managing Partner for Litigation & Global General Counsel at FisherBroyles Law Firm. He shares his experience of learning his calling into law at a young age, how he strives to be genuine, authentic, and honest with his finances, and opens up about his faith journey.

Breakdown

• (0:00) Introduction

• (0:37) Professional background

• (2:18) Business as usual during COVID

• (4:15) Career calling into law

• (8:12) Finding a passion at work

• (11:06) Following God’s plan from a young age

• (14:45) Being genuine, authentic, and honest with finances

• (27:38) Faith journey and parental influence

• (36:14) Management style at work and home

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Landon Dowden, who serves as the Lead Pastor at Hebron Church. With nearly two decades of experience as a lead pastor, Landon talks about the challenges of pastoral leadership, how he creates and casts a vision as a leader, and what balance looks like between his family and ministry.

Breakdown

(0:00) Introduction

(0:48) Challenges of pastoral leadership

(5:20) Embracing God’s calling

(10:00) Surrendering to the Lord’s path

(14:55) Creating and casting a vision as a leader

(21:03) Passions within senior pastoral role

(25:44) Balance between family and ministry

(29:30) Living a role vs. being a real person

(37:26) Tips on studying God’s word

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Nancy Easterling, who spent 24 years in financial services as a senior vice president for Bank of America and Fifth Third Bank, before becoming a senior principal operations lead at Chick-Fil-A. As a leader at one of the most popular fast food restaurants in the country, she outlines how Chick-Fil-A shifted focus during the pandemic, how the company invests in the community, and the challenges she faced immigrating from Seoul, South Korea.

Breakdown

(0:00) Introduction

(0:55) Background and leadership roles

(2:40) Leadership position Chick-Fil-A

(4:05) How Chick-Fil-A maneuvered COVID-19

(8:39) CFA’s transition from dine-in to curbside

(12:20) Employee training – It’s my pleasure!

(17:37) A faith-based organization in the corporate world

(21:34) CFA making a difference in the community

(24:27) Management and leadership principles

(31:28) Personal and family background

(37:50) Facing gender and racial challenges during career

(42:24) Navigating career options in college

(45:45) Living in the center of God’s will

In the latest episode of The Joy of Leadership Podcast, Dr. James Taylor sits down with Greg Beadles, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Atlanta Falcons and the Chief Financial Officer for Arthur Blank’s family of businesses. In this episode, he talks about the 10-year journey to create Mercedes Benz Stadium, how Atlanta United FC was built into a global powerhouse, Arthur Blank being in the people business, and what fans can expect in Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Breakdown

• (0:00) Introduction

• (0:17) Current position with AMB Sports & Entertainment

• (3:36) Career progression

• (10:30) The importance of mentors

• (12:33) Named CFO of the Year by The Atlanta Business Chronicle

• (15:00) The building of Mercedes Benz Stadium

• (19:35) Creating Atlanta United FC

• (24:40) Bringing the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Atlanta

• (26:53) Long-standing relationship with Arthur Blank

• (30:56) Leadership and operation roles

• (32:52) Implementing faith in a corporate setting

• (35:46) Making a difference in the community

• (40:50) The Body of Christ on display at work