Erik Antons is Chief Security Officer of Whirlpool Corporation, where he leads the physical security risk and crisis management programs for the $22.3 billion dollar enterprise of nearly 70,000 employees across more than 170 countries. Previously, he was the Vice President and Chief Security Officer of Hyatt Hotels, Manager of International Security and Executive Services for Sempra, and served his country as a Special Agent with the Diplomatic Security Service in the U.S. Department of State. Erik is an adjunct faculty member at San Diego State University, where he got his Masters degree in Homeland Security. He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Security Foundation (ISF) and on the Associate Board of Directors of the Pat Tillman Foundation. In 2022, Erik was identified as one of the 12 most influential people in security by Security Magazine. 

Erik joins Alex to talk about "learning the hard way" the gifts and traps of instinct and intuition. They explore the difference between experience and expertise, how to recognize when it's time to make a change, and the importance of "listening to your gut", but not at the cost of critical thinking. Erik recounts his various career and management endeavors, reflecting on how his biggest challenges often led to his greatest successes. 


Erik on LinkedIn
"Thank you for laying me off: Companies come and go, but talent is forever"
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
Amazon's Leadership Principles

Martin Figueroa , or "Fig", is the host of The Hyperguy Motivational Podcast and a senior level leader at a large government organization. In addition to 20-years of experience in law enforcement, he holds a BA from Berkeley, Masters in Counseling Psychology, an Executive Masters in Leadership, and is currently getting his doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California (Fight on!) He’s highly decorated for his work, receiving honors such as a National Jefferson Award for Community Service and a California Medal of Honor for Public Service to name a few.

Fig joins the podcast to discuss challenges he encountered early in his leadership career managing people who didn't share his same passion for the job. He describes the impact underperformers can have on team morale, his approach to accountability conversations, and the need to create psychological safety in an inclusive environment to ensure leadership success. Their discussion is part one of a conversation that carried over into an episode Fig's podcast, which you can find below. 

The Hyperguy Motivational Podcast 

Sally Helgesen is cited in Forbes as the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership. She is an internationally best-selling author, speaker and leadership coach, who has been inducted into the Thinkers 50 Hall of Fame and is ranked number 3 among the world’s thought leaders by Global Gurus. 

Sally joins Alex to discuss “learning the hard way” how important it is to take opportunities while they are there, because you don't always get a second chance. From trips with friends to missed career opportunities, Sally talks about  overcoming self-doubt and self-protection instincts that cause us to play it safe.

Sally's Website
Link to purchase Rising Together
Link to purchase How Women Rise

Dr. Michael Atwood Mason is the CEO and Executive Director of President Lincoln’s Cottage, a historic site and museum located in Washington D.C. He is also the former Director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Michael has spent the last 30 years working as a museum professional and public folklorist identifying, documenting, and preserving different cultures around the world.

Michael shares "learning the hard way" that not listening to your discomfort and avoiding tough conversations always seems to create more challenges in the end. He talks about ways he's learned to approach hard conversations with people he managed, people who managed him, and with himself.

President Lincoln's Cottage
Michael on LinkedIn

Chris Cappy has over thirty years of consulting, teaching, coaching, and speaking to leaders about change management, strategy execution, and cultural change in organizations. His firm, Pilot Consulting, which he founded in 1994, specializes in leadership development, action learning, executive coaching, and organizational strategy. Additionally, Chris is a published author, and you can find his book, Driving Leaders Lessons in high-performance leadership drawn from endurance racing and a founding member of Empactful Advisors, where he serves as Chief Learning Officer.

Of the many things Chris "learned the hard way" he discusses the consequences of picking bad role models and how he learned about the things he didn't know he didn't know.

Pilot Consulting
Empactful Advisors
Driving Leaders: Lessons in high-performance leadership drawn from endurance racing:
Chris on LinkedIn