Leadmore Podcast

Last Friday, to celebrate John’s last day as CEO, the Lemonly team surprised him with an afternoon full of laughter, memories, and quality time together — including a surprise podcast interview that put John in front of the mic.In this special episode, recorded live from Lemonly HQ in downtown Sioux Falls, John T. Meyer reflects back on his life and lessons from the past decade as CEO of Lemonly. It’s a heartfelt, vulnerable conversation moderated by Tess Thompson, Lemonly’s director of clien...

Blue Dot founder and executive coach Andy Sparks caught the startup bug early. When he was 19, he attempted to start a microbrewery, which was quickly shut down because of the illegality of owning such a business before turning 21. After thousands of TechCrunch articles and a handful of startups, he’s become an expert at starting and a coach for executive leaders working on one of our most persistent problems: climate change.Why did he choose to coach? And how did he set his sights on climate...

Nick Wendell is not a great spectator. As a first-generation college graduate turned higher-ed advocate and a public servant who led his community through pandemic-time policies, Nick holds a unique perspective on the arena of choices that belongs to each individual. More importantly, he consistently puts his perspective to work for others. Today, he’s the first Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Technical Education, a nine-member board impacting the way we see technical edu...

“You may not have a mental illness, but you do have mental health,” says Wendy Mamer. It’s one of many powerful takeaways from her TEDx Talk, Survivor of Suicide Loss: A Title I Never Wanted. As an ardent mental health advocate, she speaks to it in a way that only she can. And by creating conversations that normalize our innermost experiences, she’s paving the way for others to do the same.In episode 78, Wendy joins host John T. Meyer to discuss her leadership journey as a mental health advoc...

Who are the leaders who inspired you? It’s the question John T. Meyer asks every Leadmore guest. While the responses are as diverse as the guests themselves, a single theme runs through: We’re thankful for them.In this Thanksgiving Day episode, John reflects on his favorite holiday by recalling his favorite responses to this question, the impact these leaders make, and the leaders who inspired them.Chase McCants (3:38)Brigit Blote (6:06)Bill Anderson (7:48)Rahele Megosha (11:33)Senator John T...

Nate Poeppel does a lot of things. He’s the go-to audio engineer in Sioux Falls, the producer of the Leadmore Podcast, and he’s a unique friend to many, including host John T. Meyer. He also had a lot of things including a house, a car, and a studio. But a month ago, he decided to leave the bulk of it behind and begin a new chapter on the road. While “van life” isn’t new to us or to Nate, this episode isn’t about life hacks or efficiency either. It’s about self-awareness and letting go o...

In 2009, host John T. Meyer took time off from his corporate consulting job to attend SXSW. While it was the first of many non-traditional moves for John, it also changed his life. After 12 years, he’s captured lightning in a bottle once again. And he’s not leaving anyone out. In episode 75, John takes leaders inside his head, unpacks this Twitter thread about his time at NFT.NYC, and helps us embrace the beginner’s mindset.In the Spirit of Leadership (1:42)Social Media and SXSW (3:54)Un...

It seems nothing can prevent Taneeza Islam from meeting her community’s needs in the moment. In the 16 months since we first heard from the South Dakota Voices for Peace executive director and immigration attorney, her organization raised $1.2 million in five months and distributed it to 1700 immigrant-led families in South Dakota. When they recognized a lack of multilingual COVID-19 education and vaccination resources, her organization filled the gap and presented their efforts to the F...

Paige Pearson Meyer has a heart so big you can hear it in her voice. She’s also a sharp communications executive, a passionate contributor to her community, a mother to two young girls, a wife to Leadmore host John T. Meyer, and today, she’s a wealth of inspiration for his listeners.In episode 73, we learn how she balances it all. Tune in to this special conversation to hear the pair discuss lessons from Paige’s career in communications, how they pursue their passions as parents, and why it’s...

Since 2013, Tim Schut has picked a single word to serve as his annual theme. Last December, he chose the word courage. That was before he learned that Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech, a rare neurodegenerative syndrome, would rob him of his superpower: speech.While the odds are one in a million, he hopes to find and support others with the frequently misdiagnosed condition. In this special episode, Tim joins host John T. Meyer to share his story and how he’s preparing his family and frie...