People. Process. Progress.

During my conversation with Chase O'Donnell, Chase mentioned she had extensive training. She also mentioned that the level of formal training she completed is not necessary for acting or comedy. Throughout our conversation, Chase talked about how many times she was able to act, write jokes, and cold open shows. To me, this practical application is more valuable than the training that sets the foundation. This is what I expand on in this brief episode.

*Check out Chase's comedy special on YouTube February 9, 2023 at https://youtu.be/5hGJ7x8b6ek

Remember...

• Have a plan to keep teams aligned
• Stay informed with facts, not fear or rumors
• Get involved so you can make a difference

...and Godspeed

Kevin

Chase O'Donnell is hilarious, and her Instagram series of reels "If Musicals Were Real" is amazingly entertaining. Chase has been in "the biz" for quite some time. Chase grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, started dancing at a young age, and made appearances on hit shows, including "Judging Amy."

As Chase grew, she knew she wanted to make people laugh and pursued a career in standup comedy. Along the way, Chase wrote a play called "Too Blondes," in which she and Savannah Brown starred and received rave reviews. Feeling the call for home Chase went back west, kept doing standup comedy, and was fortunate (but also worked hard) to connect with Christina P., who is acting as a mentor in many ways.

Chase is now opening for Christina P. on a national comedy tour, and now Chase has her very own comedy special coming out. Chase's special is called "People Pleaser" and will be released on YouTube on February 2, 2023.

It was a pleasure to meet and talk with Chase, and I look forward to watching her continued success.

• Follow Chase on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chase_odonnell/ and check her website out at http://chaseodonnell.com/

Thank you for listening, subscribing, and sharing the KEV Talks Podcast. Read and listen to more great episodes at https://kevtalkspod.com/.

While walking this morning I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman. This episode from Thursday, January 26, 2023, was part of the Rapid Response series and focused on how Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald not only kept the doors of Lululemon open during COVID, but grew the business.

In the episode, Calvin shares how within your first 100 days as a leader it's important to share experiences for teams to consider, but not necessarily your opinion that may sway projects in one direction or another. Calvin also states that your opinion when a leader new to the company may also be wrong.

• Listen to "Stay Versatile: Lululemon Athletica's Calvin McDonald" at https://mastersofscale.com/stay-versatile-calvin-mcdonald/

Thank you for coming back to the KEV Talks Podcast, and for subscribing, and please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Remember...

• Have a plan to keep teams aligned
• Stay informed with facts, not fear or rumors
• Get involved so you can make a difference

Godspeed,

Kevin

In this week’s episode, we’re lucky to have seasoned Information Technology and Healthcare leader Katie McCullough. During this episode, Katie shares her over 25 years of Healthcare and IT experience as Katie, and I talk through her top 5 tips leaders should consider if they want to start up and maintain high functioning ProjectManagement Office (PMO) for their organization.

• Connect with Katie on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-mccullough-8a75252a/

Thank you all for listening. It was great to catch up with one of the best leaders I've had in my professional career.

• More on Project Management from the KEV Talks Podcast at https://kevtalkspod.com/?s=project+management&orderby=relevance&order=DESC
• More on the ADKAR change management model from Prosci at https://kevtalkspod.com/manage-the-change-with-the-prosci-adkar-model/

• Have a plan to keep teams aligned
• Stay informed with facts, not fear or rumors
• Get involved so you can make a difference

Godspeed,

Kevin

Deion Sanders or "Prime Time" is one of the greatest Defensive Backs to ever play in the National Football League (NFL). In fact, he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011. In addition to being a professional American Football player, Deion Sanders also put in a respectable career in Major League Baseball (MLB).

But that's not why we're here today. Instead, we're going to focus on Deion Sanders' (now Coach Prime) positive impact on Jackson State University and the coaches, staff, and players there. Coach Prime leads from the front in the show of the same name on Amazon Prime.

Coach Prime's statement, "Are you effective or infective?", the title of this episode, comes from the last episode of the series where Coach Prime puts a vote up to this team and coaching staff to help deal with someone spreading negative vibes throughout the Jackson State University football family.

So, hit play and hear more about how this decision went and how we can all benefit from asking ourselves, "Am I being effective or infective?" when leading or part of sports, project, or public safety teams.

Remember...

• Have a plan to keep teams in sync
• Stay informed with facts, not fear
• Get involved so you can make a difference

Godspeed,

Kevin

In November 2014, I was fortunate to meet JD Baker on the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg National Military Park. JD walked my fellow Public Safety and Incident Management Team (IMT) members and me through leadership decisions made on the same grounds 151 years earlier. This event was called a "staff ride" and was part of the L-580 Leadership is Action course. L-580 is designed to teach senior IMT leaders historical leadership lessons that can be applied in the modern era. This staff ride has had a lasting impact on me personally and professionally ever since.

I'm fortunate to have JD Baker as a guest on this episode as we talk about the leaders, decisions, and actions that shaped the Union and Confederate Armies leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg.

• Listen to my previous episode on the Battle of Gettysburg at https://kevtalkspod.com/leadership-lessons-from-the-battle-of-gettysburg/
• Hear JD dive deep into Civil War history with Jocko Willink on the Jocko Podcast at https://jockopodcast.com/2022/12/15/363-the-principle-weapon-is-the-mind-read-study-learn-with-jd-baker/
• Reserve your spot to hear from JD himself by booking a staff ride to Gettysburg or other pivotal locations in American history with OMNA International at https://theomna.com/

Thank you for listening, subscribing, and leaving a review. Remember...

• Have a plan to keep your teams aligned
• Stay informed with facts, not fear or rumors
• Get involved so you can make a difference

Godspeed

Sharing the concept of 360-degree feedback as a way to gather objective and anonymous feedback from your teams. Then, you can use this feedback to do continuous improvement on yourself as a leader.

• Check out this great write-up about 360-feedback from qualtrics at https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/employee/360-degree-feedback/

• Have a plan
• Stay informed
• Get involved
• Godspeed

Sharing the leadership principles from Unit 2 of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) Type 3 Incident Management Team Training or O-305 course.

• Take a deep dive and jump on the way back machine with me to hear more on the O-305 course from my 2018 episode at https://kevtalkspod.com/o-305-course-summary/
• Listen to the Civil War series on Jocko podcast at https://jockopodcast.com/2022/12/15/363-the-principle-weapon-is-the-mind-read-study-learn-with-jd-baker/
• Subscribe to this podcast here so you will get notified when my Civil War leadership discussion episode with Judd "JD" Baker releases on 1/17/2023

Remember...

Have a plan | Stay informed | Get involved | Godspeed

On January 5, 2023, my wife and I decided to put our dog Gringo down. He fought a good fight against Lyme Disease and old age, but it was time. This is never easy. We've had to make this decision twice before, and each time it broke our hearts.

Gringo was a true Alpha Dog. He loved humans and set the tone around other dogs. In this episode, I'm sharing three life lessons I'll carry with me that Gringo taught me.

• Walk with confidence
• Control your emotions
• Keep up the fight

Godspeed and RIP Gringo. We know you're leading the pack in Heaven.