Welcome back to the Mentors and Moguls podcast with your host, Heather Stone! Today’s guest is a real treat--George “the Iceman” Gervin, one of the best basketball players in the history of the NBA and San Antonio Spurs legend. George is sitting down to chat with us about what makes him tick--his motivations, what gets him up in the morning, and what he’s doing now.

 

What gets George up in the morning is deceptively simple. It’s the sun. The longer you sleep, he says, the less you are helping somebody. He feels that his responsibility as an older man to show a younger man how to be the best they can be. Leading by example is the way to go. When he talks about mentors, he thinks we need more of them. Sometimes younger people can get lost and need someone to show them where to go.

 

On days when he didn’t have the motivation to get up, he is reminded of his love of life. He knows we’re here for a short time and he wants to make his impact in the world while he’s here. As an athlete, he wanted to be one of the best. That took work. It’s the same way in life. Having a solid foundation opens the way for your future.

 

He talks about his organization in San Antonio, where he helps underprivileged children. He opened the George Gervin Youth Center as a space to provide programming to the local community. From there, he opened two charter schools, K-12, with over 2000 students. Education is what life is all about--and giving back is the best way for George to do that.

 

At the end of the day, George knows he’s spending his time the right way when parents, former students, and fans come up to him and tell them the impact he has made on their lives. You can’t ask for a better gift.

 

Things You’ll Learn

In today’s episode, you’ll learn about what the famed George “the Iceman” Gervin’s motivations are, what gets him up in the morning, what lets him sleep at night, and the in’s and out’s of his philosophies on life.

If you’re looking to get into writing, or better yet, if you are a writer with their sights on a book deal, today’s episode is sure to bring you value. Heather’s guest today is Nicole Meier, an accomplished novelist who just signed a book deal with a large publisher. She’s here to share with us her experience and strategy to help you find success with your next book. She’ll discuss methods and tactics to make sure you can claim your spot on the shelf. 

 

Believe it or not, it wasn’t until her 40th birthday when Nicole made the choice to start writing professionally. After graduation, Nicole spent time shadowing editors and writers but never built up the confidence to write her own piece. Once she shifted her focus to her own writing, she began writing freelance pieces and started a blog. From there, she moved into her manuscript. 

 

For Nicole, she never had a defined, individual mentor early on. She gleaned her advice from every note, every edit, and every critique she received from her writing. Over time, she had built up experience that helped her in the long-term. 

 

Many creative people tend to work in a bubble, which can make it hard to get feedback. Nicole recommends getting a critique group going, get feedback from a trusted friend, and continue to absorb perspective. This can take practice! The writing industry is full of rejection and ‘no’s’, but it only takes one ‘yes’ to change everything. Nicole even went as far as writing a “practice novel” that allowed her to dip her toes into critique. 

 

Many writers get burnt out. Sometimes it can be ugly, but Nicole talks about how important it is to be persistent and resilient. You have to want it really, really badly. The same way a professional athlete dedicates their lives to a sport, you have to do the same. 

 

Nicole touches on her daily routine. Writing a book takes serious disciple. Nicole writes before her family wakes up in the morning. She does this every day. There is a flow that comes, she says, and if you work that muscle it becomes easier. Her recommendation is to make space for that writing every day. One secret? She doesn’t believe in writer’s block. When nothing is coming to her, she has her characters write letters to each other to get the flow back. There are prompts out there that can help as well!

 

What you’ll learn

On today’s show, Nicole shares with us her process of writing, her daily practices, some tips and tricks to break through writer’s block, and the publishing industry. She touches on the ups and downs of being a writer, and how persistence is key when you have your sights on a book deal. 

 

LINKS

Nicolemeierauthor.com

The Second Chance Supper Club on Amazon

Do you find yourself in search of a mentor who can show you the ropes of high-level podcasting? Are you just getting started and need some direction? Today’s episode is for you. Our guest today is a producer and host of the Satellite Sisters, an award-winning radio talk show turned top-rated podcast for women. Lian Dolan has interviewed everyone from Nora Ephron to Big Bird. She’s toured with Oprah and is an LA Times best-selling author. She’s here to share her journey into podcasting and the fundamental truths she recognizes that lead her to her successes. 

Lian and her sisters found themselves stuck when it felt as though the gig was up with their radio show. Their show was eventually sold in 2008 amidst a collapse of the media industry’s economy. However, the sister’s versatility paid off when they decided to pivot into a new era of talk-show--podcasting. So, Lian got the equipment she needed and learned how to edit. They still had something to say--finding the platform for that was secondary. The solution was in new technology. 

Lian talks about her passions, and for her, writing is where it all starts. She processes the world like a writer--observing, noting, planning, and being really intentional about what, and how, she speaks. Finding meaning is at the core of her conversations. 

She speaks on the founding of the podcast. Getting her sisters on board was easy, Lian says, but the business side of things was more difficult than they could’ve imagined. Her sister Liz said there should be a show that truly validates the conversations sisters have throughout the day. So often these are viewed as “girl-talk” and are undervalued for what they are. Lian and her sisters went out to change that--and they did. Their discussions growing up and the chemistry they built up as a family act as the basis for the podcast. They’ll even save stories, especially for their recording!

Lian talks about some mentors she has had on her journey. Her boss, while she worked in marketing, allowed her to run with projects and grow exponentially. 30 years have gone by, but she still feels as though he set her on her path. He didn’t look at her at judge based on her age or gender and took risks on her talent. He believed what they had to say and how they said it. 

What You’ll Learn

On today’s episode, Lian Dolan gives us a look at how she converted her award-winning radio show into a top podcast. She discusses the dynamics of her show, where she gets all her wonderful stories, and who helped her along the way. 

 

LINKS

liandolan.com 

Satellitesisters.com

Thanks for tuning into another episode of the Mentors and Moguls podcast with your host, Heather Stone! Here with us today is Wendi Sparks. Wendi is an accomplished pilot who is sitting down to talk about what helped shape her into the incredible woman she is today.

As a child, Wendi was lucky enough to be taken up in an airplane. Even at that young age, she knew this is where she belonged. She had several women in her life that she was able to look up to as role models. As she grew up, she found more and more women who impacted her by introducing her to what was possible. A mentor of hers sat Wendi on her lap and showed her what all the different controls do. From then on, she had found her calling.

In a traditionally male-dominated field (only 4.4% of pilots are women), Wendi believes that more and more women are starting to fly. Though it seems like the number of women hasn’t increased, every new class of pilots brings in more capable women pilots.

Wendi discusses what sort of skill set and what qualities pilots need to be successful. She says if you get a group of pilots together you’ll find they are very methodical and goal-oriented. You’ll find that they make lists and make sure things are done. They’re trained to know how to remain calm in an emergency situation. While many things can be taught, there is an innate drive that gets pilots through the academy. Being a pilot is a job where you are constantly learning!

Wendi shares her experience working with Gulf Stream and how it helped form her and her daughter in similar ways. She discusses what she did, how she did it, and the impact it had on her and her family.

Among other topics, Wendi and Heather dig into the implications of COVID-19 while working in the commercial flight industry and being a mother.

 

What You’ll Learn

On today’s episode, Wendi gives us a window into the aviation industry. She discusses the in’s and out’s of being a woman pilot in a male-domniated industry, the skills she’s aquired in becoming a pilot, the implications of COVID-19, and more!

Zach Wigal is the founder of Gamers Outreach, a charity organization that provides hospitalized children video games while undergoing treatment. They supply an estimated 2 million play sessions to children in more than 200 hospitals across the country and host the largest LAN party in America: Gamers for Giving. Zach’s been recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 and is a CNN Hero nominee. He’s here today to share his story and discuss how he overcame constant adversity to provide care and support to those who need it most.

 

When you’re in the hospital, clearly the first priority is to get OUT of the hospital. Things like treatments, research, and similar activities can overshadow the experience you have during your stay. The goal of Zach’s organization is to ease the struggle of an extended visit to the hospital. His focus is on quality of life. It got started while Zach was in high school. He and his friends wanted to host a video game tournament. His efforts were shut down by a resource officer who felt that games were corrupting the minds of America’s youth. Frustrated by this sentiment, Zach created a charity fundraiser, Gamers for Giving. From there, Zach was connected with people at local hospitals. The rest is history. Zach always knew he would be in the gaming industry, but he never thought he would grow to the success he has now. When he first got started, he didn’t have the vision of the impact his organization would have. At a certain point, this work started leaking into other aspects of his life. Eventually, he decided to pursue it full-force. 

 

A big aspect of gaming is the interaction, both with other people and with the world itself. Now that we are all in a state of quarantine, the relationships built online can be reinforced through video games. Zach is in the business of recreation, entertainment, and engagement. 

 

Zach certainly took a different path from many of his peers. A major struggle he faced was comparing his progress and his standing to those around him. When times of doubt hit, he reminded himself of the two things that make people quit: extreme failure and extreme success. Because he was so young, his perspective differed from some people he was working with. At one point, they decided to part ways. At the time, it felt like the bottom had fallen out. Zach sat down and concluded that he needed to be sure he was doing this to make a difference for kids in hospitals. It isn’t the Zach show, he wasn’t trying to improve the public outlook of him or gamers. Even in a smaller capacity, he knew this work was important. With that in mind, he started over and just kept going. The growth and development he embraced kept him above water in difficult times. 

 

What you’ll learn

On today’s episode, Zach shares with us his journey in creating his charitable organization. He discusses the successes and failures he experienced, and what kept him going through adversity. 

 

LINKS

Gamersoutreach.org

@GamersOutreach

Our guest today is Zach Wigal. He’s the founder of Gamers Outreach, a charity organization that provides children with recreation in the form of video games. They supply an estimated 2 million play sessions to children in more than 200 hospitals across the country and host the largest LAN party in America: Gamers for Giving. Zach’s been recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 and is a CNN Hero nominee. He shares his story and discuss how he overcame adversity to provide care and support to others.

Today’s mentoring session is an incredibly important one in light of the current pandemic. Our guest this week Dr. Danielle Delaney. She’s a THD, a certified crisis intervention counselor, a specialist in addiction and recovery after-case, a rape-crisis counselor, spiritual counselor, sober coach, interventionist, and author. Dr. Delaney is here to talk to us about turning that corner into the light. We’re experiencing a moment in history unlike any other before it. Many people are struggling or know someone who could use guidance as we navigate uncharted territory. With the right support systems in place, you’ll get through this and come out the other side. 

As we’re in a time of major crisis, everyone’s experience differs. For some, they have built up, like a muscle, an ability to adapt and overcome this sort of turmoil. Dr. Delaney recommends structure. Doing what feels “normal” whenever possible can give you a sense of order and normalcy. From there, some sort of gentle movement can help release endorphins. Additionally, if you were having meals at certain times, continue to do that!

From a mental-emotional standpoint, having support helps. Touching base with friends, family, and coworkers can help ease the monotony of the day-to-day. To supplement that, many therapists are employing a sliding scale to make therapy more accessible to everyone. 

It’s important to remember what not to do during this crisis as well. Dr. Delaney reminds us not to overindulge. Be it food, alcohol, sleep, or even drugs, it’s essential that we don’t allow ourselves to slide into negative habits just because we are quarantined. That means overindulging in negative mentalities as well. Someone who was already in a negative headspace is experiencing that even more right now, and it’s important to recognize that things aren’t especially easy right now. If that means you need to separate yourself from those people, though, don’t feel guilty. Tolerance is temporary and this isn’t going to last forever. 

Dr. Delaney talks about finding the right counseling, journaling, and grief support. Something she especially recommends is honoring those feelings of grief, journaling, and eventually seeking out professional help. 

 

What you’ll learnIn today’s episode, Dr. Delaney sits down to talk about mental health as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. She touches on therapy, journaling, grief, and shares with us her top tips for staying healthy, and points out some pitfalls to avoid. 

 

LINKS

1-800-273-8255 National Suicide Prevention Hotline

https://danielledelaneycounseling.com/

Instagram: danidelaney

Heather sat down for another roundtable discussion with Skip Lawver, Professor Emeritus at Eastern Michigan University, and Katelyn Coberley, threat intelligence professional. These two cyber-defense experts discuss the field of cybersecurity, what the next generation will look like, and the key role women will play in the future. 

Cybersecurity is an incredibly broad field. There are countless companies that don’t know they need cybersecurity. But when you can just as many places hacking infrastructure--from water treatment to manufacturing--there is a massive need. While the industry is male-dominated, it certainly can’t (and shouldn’t) all be managed by men. There are qualities where a woman’s lens is much more effective than a man’s. There is less of a reaction-based decision-making process, a very useful skill in an assessment-based profession. In every case, more perspectives bring more creative solutions. Leaving women and their point of view out of the conversation isn’t the way to go.

Not many people think about a heart-pumping machine being hacked, but when a system like that is hacked, there are things that are encrypted, which are also affected. The impact of cybersecurity is greater than you may think. Protecting the energy grid itself or protecting a piece of individual information--the spectrum is massive. 

To enter the field of cybersecurity, you don’t always need a 6-year degree. You can start wherever you’re at. From books, Youtube, videos, to talking to friends--you can always learn. The biggest thing to remember is that technology continues to improve and new people are always needed to develop new concepts. You can work from home, in the field, or at a company. And you can make great money! Even if it isn’t your career, it’s worth having in your back pocket! There are free classes everywhere. It can be something as simple as learning how people communicate or as complicated as coding.

In cyber defense classes, oftentimes, the women in Skip’s class would ask the most thoughtful, meaningful questions. They were both mothers who decided they wanted to take the next step and pursue a job in the industry. 

What you’ll learn

On today’s episode, you’ll get a window into the world of Cybersecurity. Heather sits down with two cyber defense experts, Skip Lawver and Katelyn Coberley, to fill us in on what the field of cybersecurity is, how we can get into the cybersecurity industry, and the important role women play in the future of cybersecurity.

Our guest today is the most decorated female US Olympic athlete in history. She’s a five-time Olympian, representing the US from the age of just 15 to the age of 41. She is a 12-time Olympic medalist and one of three women with the most Olympic swimming medals. In 2019, she was inducted in the US Olympic Committee Hall of Fame. Dara Torres is a mother, author, speaker, and entrepreneur.  Dara is a highly sought after guest, and today she’s on the show to talk about her triumphs as well as the obstacles she’s overcome along her journey. She touches on her experiences with aging, injury, insecurities, eating disorders, and even bullying. As a mentor and a mentee, Dara can teach us all how to be the exception. 

 

Dara is the first woman in history to swim in the Olympics past the age of 40. For many athletes, they are focused on the results and the accomplishments that come along with competition. Dara’s experience was different. She was competing to prove to herself and the rest of the people watching that she is capable of performing at the highest level at any age. 

 

As a young swimmer, Dara’s biggest influence was another swimmer named Jill Sterkel. She held the record that Dara broke when she was 15. Going into the games, Dara didn’t swim very well. There was discussion for Jill to replace her, which took a toll on Dara’s headspace. Nonetheless, Jill took Dara under her wing and made sure she was taken care of. It’s not about what a person has accomplished to be a mentor, Dara says, it’s about the kind of person they are. 

 

Dara’s inspired so many young women and young swimmers with her story. Today, she tries to inspire some of the older crowd. Uplifting middleaged people deserve to be motivated in the same way. Sharing her trials and tribulations as an adult can have an impact on people just as much as her struggles as a young person. 

 

Dara shares her battle with bulimia and the mental shifts she made throughout her college career that formed her into the woman she is today.

 

Things You’ll Learn

In today’s episode, Dara shares with us how her experiences overcoming injury, insecurities, eating disorders, and bullying as a mentor helped shape her into the incredible mentor she is today. She gives us a window into the life of a high-performing athlete and the mental strength it takes to succeed on the world stage.

Today’s guest is the great Charlie Batch, former NFL quarterback turned mentor. During his time as a professional athlete, Charlie was always thinking about what was next. Whatever it was, he knew it would revolve around helping kids. So, after he retired, he founded the Best of the Batch Foundation, an educational foundation that focuses on computer literacy. Beyond that though, they run a number of programs, including an event during the holidays where they collect thousands of gifts and household items for families in need.

The Best of the Batch Foundation also provides children with mentorship, guidance, and parental figures that help motivate them to study, eat well, and get active. A perfect example of their leadership can be found in their basketball program. Charlie’s foundation is committed to getting kids as involved with their studies and academics as they are with their athletics. To help join the two, their basketball league includes having players take 4 study halls as well as read and study a complete book. For 15 years, they’ve been running this program and still today they are seeing the impact. Kids who have grown up and come back to talk about the importance of the program exemplifies how strong the momentum is.

Charlie and Heather shift gears to talk about Charlie’s own mantras that helped him find success in his personal and professional lives. He breaks it down into the 5 P’s: Proper preparation prevents poor performance. This made sure he was staying true to his work-ethic and solidified that he was setting himself up to be in the best position possible.

 

Things you’ll learn

In today’s episode, former NFL star quarterback Charlie Batch talks about his Best of the Batch Foundation and the work they do and dives deep into his personal mantras and mottos that helped him reach the success that he has today.