Mick Unplugged

What makes a bottle worth remembering? For Dixon Dedman, the answer starts with the people who share it.

The master blender behind 2XO joins Mick Hunt for a conversation about bourbon, hospitality, creative conviction, and the legacy he hopes to leave his children. Dixon explains how his family's hospitality roots shaped his purpose, why blending requires more than mixing percentages, and how he approaches mouthfeel, maturation, and secondary oak exposure.

Mick also tastes Rapper's Delight during the conversation, and Dixon shares the story of a father and son celebrating a new generation with a bottle of Kentucky Owl. That moment brings the conversation back to his because: making something that becomes part of another person's meaningful experience.

In this episode:

Listen for the lesson that travels beyond bourbon: exceeding expectations can turn a product or service into a moment someone remembers.

Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about purpose, leadership, and the because behind the work.

Connect & Discover Dixon Dedman:

Instagram: @dixon_dedman

LinkedIn: @dixon_dedman

X: @dixon_dedman

Website: 2xowhiskey.com

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One

#MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #DixonDedman #2XOWhiskey

Your next difficult conversation may not need a stronger argument. It may need a better question.

In this episode of Mick Unplugged, Mick sits down with his coach, Derek Gaunt, for a personal conversation about the communication skills that changed how Mick leads, negotiates, and approaches conflict.

Derek draws on his law-enforcement and hostage-negotiation experience to explain tactical empathy: recognizing another person's perspective without having to agree with it. He breaks down why explaining too early creates resistance, how tone affects a conversation, and why an objection can point to a concern that has not yet been spoken aloud.

Mick shares how asking what success looked like to a client uncovered a need he had missed. Derek also discusses the practical ideas behind Fight Less, Win More, the role of curiosity, and why difficult conversations often deserve a phone call instead of another long email.

The conversation closes with lessons on coachability, silence, trust, and staying grounded under pressure.

In this episode

Takeaways

Before your next difficult conversation, replace one assumption with a question. Listen to the answer before preparing your response.

Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about the because behind how we live, lead, and grow.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Derek Gaunt, Mick's coach

03:29 The Because: sharing the gift of communication

05:25 Derek's journey in law enforcement

11:33 The Unplugged Truth: see their perspective

16:44 What does success look like?

19:41 The warning signs you should not ignore

21:45 Hot Takes: tone and pressure in negotiation

28:09 Find the concern beneath the objection

31:05 Why the conversation needs a phone call

35:05 Fight Less, Win More

39:08 The Room: a conversation that changed Derek's path

41:30 What Derek looks for in someone he coaches

45:05 When the skills change your personal life

48:12 The Unplugged Five

53:00 Silence as a negotiation tool

54:17 Trust, training, and final lessons

56:43 Closing

Connect & Discover:

Instagram: @derekmgaunt

LinkedIn: @derek-gaunt-2943a824

Website: The Black Swan Group

Book: Fight Less, Win More: How Master Negotiators Influence Hearts, Minds and Deals

Clip: 60 Seconds or She Dies            

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One

#MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #DerekGaunt #Negotiation

This Monday on Mick Unplugged, we’re revisiting Mick Hunt’s conversation with David Pollack about standards, faith, leadership, and the work behind personal growth.

David shares how mentorship and his experiences in football shaped the way he approaches challenges, leads others, and keeps growing. Mick and David explore the “50-40-10” principle, why preparation and consistent effort matter, and what it means to hold your standards when your feelings pull you in another direction.

Whether you’re hearing this conversation for the first time or returning for another listen, consider where you can put one of these lessons into practice this week.

This is a re-release of a previously recorded episode.

In this conversation:

Reflection: Where are you letting a temporary feeling make a decision that should be guided by a lasting standard?

Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about purpose, leadership, and your because. Share this episode with someone who could use it this week.

Connect & Discover David Pollack:

Instagram: @davidpollack47

Facebook: @PollackFF

X: @davidpollack47

YouTube: @DavidPollackCFB

Website: davidpollack.com

Podcast: See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One

#MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast

What happens when you get the house, the car and the things you thought would make you happy, then realize your real dream was already at home?

Ms. Pat joins Mick Hunt for a funny, candid conversation about family, authenticity and defining success for yourself. Discussing her memoir, Ms. American Dream, she explains why happiness has no price tag, how she prepared for Hollywood when she did not know the language, and why she thinks of fame as a job rather than an identity.

They also explore the money lessons she wants younger generations to learn, the podcast appearances that helped open doors, and the legacy she hopes to leave: keep going and never let someone else tell you who you are.

Explicit language. Discussion includes personal experiences with debt and credit, not individualized financial advice.

Ms. Pat's purpose is bigger than getting a laugh. She wants people to know that their hardest experiences do not have to hold them down forever.

In this episode:

Connect & Discover Ms Pat:

Instagram: @comediannemspat

Facebook: @mspatcomedy

TikTok: @comediannemspat

YouTube: @MsPat

X: @MsPat

Website: mspatcomedy.com

Book: Ms. American Dream: A Memoir of Making It No Matter What             

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Normal gets normal results. What would happen if you stopped copying your industry and started creating an experience people could not stop talking about?

In this Mick Unplugged re-release, Mick Hunt sits down with Jesse Cole for a practical conversation about building a fans-first business. Jesse shares how joy, memorable moments, and a willingness to try what others will not can change the way customers and employees experience your brand.

The conversation goes beyond the show on the field. Jesse explains how his team looks for customer friction, why values matter most when they cost you something, and how storytelling keeps a growing organization aligned. He recounts a ticket-email mistake and the decision to make it right, even at what he describes as a $6 million cost to the company.

You will also hear why failure can be treated as discovery, how gratitude helps create fans, and why great leaders keep teaching, repeating, and getting their reps in.

If you lead a team, serve customers, or are building something of your own, this conversation will challenge you to stop settling for ordinary.

This is a re-release of an archival conversation. References to team counts, tours, ticket demand, and projects reflect the time of recording.

The big idea

Being different is not the goal by itself. Creating an experience people remember, talk about, and want to share is the goal. Jesse Cole explains how he uses that distinction to lead, generate ideas, and build a fans-first culture.

 In this episode

- Jesse's deeper purpose: bringing people together through joy.

- Why copying the normal practices of an industry tends to produce normal results.

- How to identify friction in everyday customer interactions, from invoices to the live experience.

- The "you wouldn't believe" test for a memorable moment.

- Why a company's values need to show up in decisions, not just on the wall.

- Jesse's account of an email mistake and a costly ticket commitment.

- How repeated stories and team recognition reinforce culture.

- Why watching customer behavior can reveal more than asking for opinions.

- The setbacks behind ambitious ideas and the discipline of continuing to improve.

- Gratitude as a daily practice for leaders, employees, and customers.

- Why great leaders teach, repeat, and practice communicating.

Put it into practice

Choose one ordinary interaction in your business. Find the friction. Write down three ways to make the experience more useful, surprising, or memorable. Then thank one person who has helped you build what you have.

Chapters

00:00 Why this conversation is a business masterclass

00:40 Welcome to Mick Unplugged

01:39 Jesse's because: bringing people together with joy

03:38 Bring the energy and make moments matter

04:23 Why normal gets normal results

07:51 Find the friction and create memorable experiences

09:50 Making fans-first values real

10:13 The ticket mistake and the cost of doing right

13:13 Storytelling and a culture that scales

15:26 Reinvention without losing your direction

16:19 Build the best experience and watch your fans

18:53 The setbacks behind the show

21:17 Inspiration, energy, and doing hard things

22:41 Gratitude and creating fans

24:28 Great leaders teach and get their reps in

26:53 Creativity, speaking, and sharing the journey

29:36 Quick questions: yellow tuxes, big moments, and lessons

31:21 The daily creativity routine

31:51 Jesse's message about legacy

33:13 Your because is your superpower

Connect & Discover Jesse Cole:

Instagram: @yellowtuxjesse

LinkedIn: @yellowtuxjesse

Facebook: @jesse.cole.129

TikTok: @yellowtuxjesse

YouTube: @yellowtuxjesse

Website: findyouryellowtux.com

Savannah Bananas: thesavannahbananas.com

Non-Profit: bananasfoster.org

Books: Fans First

             Banana Ball

             Find Your Yellow Tux

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

#mickunplugged #jessecole #thesavannahbananas #fansfirst #leadership

In this episode of Mick Unplugged, Justin, The Real Food Stalker, sits down with Mick Hunt and unpacks the unglamorous work behind a following that grew without a single negative review. He started Food Stalker in 2010 with nothing but photos and a habit of asking waiters what the next table ordered. He did not eat on camera until 2021, when his kids told him he made food look too good not to. He paid for every meal himself long before a brand ever called.

Mick opens up about his own start, too. When he was still a LinkedIn-only guy two and a half years ago, Justin was the first account he followed on Instagram, and watching Justin be unapologetically himself is what convinced Mick he did not have to perform to show up online.

The conversation runs from microwave burgers to a lost footrace to a sister who brought home teriyaki wings and accidentally created a food critic. But the through line is simple and it applies far past food: you do not have to be the most talented person in the room. You have to be the one who keeps showing up.

IN THIS EPISODE

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

00:55 How Justin got Mick on Instagram

03:10 The Because

03:50 Why he only shows food he likes

05:20 From 2010 photos to eating on camera

06:49 The Unplugged Truth

07:21 Consistency is everything

09:48 Fans, followers, or your people

09:51 The gear: phones, CapCut and one take

13:07 Writing for the AJC

17:40 Hot Takes

17:57 The microwave burger debate

21:42 The race he lost to his nephew

27:02 The Room

27:26 The sister who changed his taste buds

29:55 Vegan mac and cheese

33:03 How Mick Unplugged started

36:48 The Unplugged Five

43:29 What Justin wants the world to know

46:36 Where to follow Justin

48:05 Closing

Connect & Discover Justin Brown:

Instagram: @therealfoodstalker

Facebook: @The-Real-Food-Stalker

TikTok: @therealfoodstalker

YouTube: @therealfoodstalker

LinkedIn: @justintherealfoodstalker

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

What if the problem is not your content, your reach, or the algorithm? What if the real problem is that you are trying to be social instead of becoming unmistakably yourself?

In this episode, you will learn:

Chapters

Connect & Discover Gary Vee:

Instagram: @garyvee

YouTube: @GaryVee

TikTok: @garyvee

Facebook: @gary

X: @garyvee

LinkedIn: @garyvaynerchuk

Website: garyvaynerchul.com

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Darryl Strawberry's story is bigger than baseball.

In this deeply personal episode of Mick Unplugged, Darryl opens up about the mother who raised five children alone, the pain of an absent and abusive father, the cost of success without healing, and the freedom he found through forgiveness.

Darryl shares why talent and fame could not repair what was broken inside him. He reflects on addiction, consequences, discipline, ministry, marriage, and the moment he finally forgave his father at his bedside. Mick also shares how Darryl's book, Another Life, helped him process his own relationship with his late father and begin thinking differently about forgiveness and self-forgiveness.

The conversation moves from baseball to faith, but the central lesson is universal: your past does not disqualify your purpose, and the way you start does not have to determine the way you finish.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Darryl's mother became the foundation of his resilience

• How proving his father wrong fueled his early ambition

• Why success exposes who you are

• The consequences Darryl could not outrun

• How forgiving his father gave him freedom

• Why Tracy's boundaries helped redirect his life

• The difference between talent, identity, and purpose

• What Another Life reveals about healing and faith

• Why Darryl believes it is not how you start, but how you finish

• The legacy he wants to leave for his children

MICK'S BOOK OFFER

Mick is purchasing 50 copies of Darryl Strawberry's new book, Another Life, for members of the Mick Unplugged community.

To request a copy, message Mick the words "another life" on LinkedIn or Instagram. The offer is limited to the first 50 eligible responses and is available while supplies last.

BOOK

Another Life: Discovering the Healing Power of Purpose on My Long Journey from Player to Preacher

Darryl Strawberry

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Another-Life/Darryl-Strawberry/9781637748848

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:16 The Because

02:54 Darryl's purpose and the mother who never quit

07:15 Success exposes who you are

10:07 The Unplugged Truth

11:39 Forgiving his father

17:38 Hot Takes

21:11 Discipline, faith, and ministry

24:23 The Room

27:15 Another Life

29:54 Mick's 50-book giveaway

31:34 The Unplugged Five

32:46 The legacy Darryl wants to leave

33:17 Closing

Connect & Discover Darryl:

Instagram: @darrylstrawberry18

Website: darrylstrawberry18.com

Facebook: @therealdarrystrawberry

Threads: @darrylstrawberry18

Book: Another Life: Discovering the Healing Power of Purpose on My Long Journey from Player to Preacher

Strawberry Ministries: @livingrestored

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

#MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #darrylstrawberry

The most powerful move in business is not always saying yes. Sometimes it is knowing when to walk away.

Daymond John joins Mick Hunt for a candid conversation about the decisions that shape a business and a life. The FUBU founder and Shark Tank investor explains why his deeper purpose is “because I should,” how mentors can save us from painful mistakes and why growing too quickly can quietly destroy what an entrepreneur worked to build.

Daymond also opens up about his health journey after cancer and the discipline of making gradual, sustainable change. He shares how he thinks about investing through his “My Money, Homie” framework, why he supports artists without asking for anything in return and how a five-to-seven-person filter helps him decide what belongs on social media.

This episode is a sharp, funny and personal masterclass in protecting your time, choosing the right people and refusing opportunities that no longer respect your value. Daymond’s message is clear: get narrow, go deep and keep the power to walk away.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Daymond’s deeper purpose is “because I should”

• How dyslexia, business and cancer shaped his perspective

• Why mentors and mistakes are the two great teachers

• How scaling too fast can weaken a business

• The difference between purpose-driven and return-driven investments

• Why Daymond supports artists without asking for anything back

• The five-to-seven-person filter behind his social media decisions

• Why too many opportunities can become a liability

• How walking away protects your value

• Why a small, trusted inner circle can outperform a massive network

CHAPTERS

00:00 Mentors or mistakes

01:38 Meet Daymond John

03:38 “Because I should”

06:04 What Daymond had to overcome

08:13 Fasting, discipline and gradual change

12:09 Cancer and the decision to study health

16:44 Why mentors matter

20:15 Don’t scale too fast

23:50 “My Money, Homie” and smarter investing

28:47 Supporting artists with no strings attached

33:16 The two-year-old turkey leg debate

35:29 Daymond’s five-to-seven-person filter

39:34 Drowning in opportunity

41:15 The power to walk away

41:30 Quick Five

43:39 Go narrow and deep

43:53 Leadership and what Daymond is building

46:22 Closing

Connect with Daymond John:

Website: daymondjohn.com

Instagram: @thesharkdaymond

LinkedIn: @daymondjohn

YouTube: @TheSharkDaymond

Facebook: @TheSharkDaymond

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

#MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #daymondjohn

Mick sits down with licensed therapist, mental health advocate and author Kier Gaines for a direct conversation about emotional honesty, uncomfortable truths and the courage to begin.

Kier explains why saying "you hurt my feelings" can be an act of strength, especially for men who have been conditioned to hide emotion. He and Mick unpack avoidance, awareness, curiosity, boundaries, professional value and why credentials still matter in a culture that often rewards visibility over expertise.

Kier also shares the barber shop conversation that helped him recognize his mind as a valuable tool for change. He explains why his book, It All Starts When You Do, rejects shallow positivity and invites readers into the real work of self-healing.

This conversation is honest, practical and deeply human. It is about telling the truth, protecting what matters and taking the first step before you feel completely ready.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why emotional honesty is a form of authority, not weakness

• How to move beyond surface-level wellness

• Why awareness and curiosity are the first two steps toward change

• The connection between boundaries, business and self-respect

• Why credentials create accountability, safety and protection

• How attention and notoriety can weaken integrity

• The barber shop conversation that changed Kier's view of his work

• Why "walking away from what does not serve you" can become avoidance

• The meaning of an authentic and consistent legacy

MICK'S BOOK OFFER

As discussed in the episode, the first 20 people who message Mick with the words "I'm starting" will receive a copy of It All Starts When You Do, purchased by Mick. Available while the offer remains open and supplies last.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Attention Economy and Integrity

00:24 Meet Kier Gaines

01:00 Saying "You Hurt My Feelings"

04:46 The Because: Because Why Not?

07:01 Why Surface-Level Wellness Is Not Enough

10:14 It All Starts When You Do

14:12 Two Ways to Start Healing

18:15 Boundaries, Business and the Cost of Free

23:53 Hot Takes: Credentials, Safety and Anti-Intellectualism

34:13 The Room: A Barber Shop Conversation That Changed Everything

37:43 The Book, the Podcast and Mick's Offer

40:15 The Unplugged Five

44:03 Legacy, Authenticity and Kept Promises

46:00 Closing

Connect & Discover Kier:

Instagram: @kiergaines

Instagram: @learnedthehardwaypod

LinkedIn: @kiergaines  

Podcast: Learned the Hard Way with Kier Gaines

Facebook: @kiergaines

TikTok: @kiergaines

Book: It All Starts When You Do

Threads: @kiergaines

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged