“Adaptability is being able to adjust to any situation, at any given time.” Rich draws upon 20+ years of experience as a Navy SEAL Officer where he completed more than 13 overseas deployments – 11 of which were to Iraq and Afghanistan. Through his career, he has achieved multiple leadership positions – to include the Commanding Officer of a Navy SEAL Command.

Since retirement in early 2017, Rich has worked as a speaker, facilitator, and consultant with the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute and Simon Sinek Inc.

He has just recently released his first book, The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance, which we talk about in-depth. Rich is incredibly bright and cares deeply about the work that he does. To learn more about this work, check out The Attributes website.

Each of the resources mentioned in the show can be found on the website. Take the Assessments here. Download the Workbooks here. 

Music: Surprise Yourself - Jack Garratt

"We are in the midst of another pandemic...fatherlessness." Carey Casey is a powerful speaker and is full of wisdom. He served on the White House Task Force for Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage. In 2012, Carey was selected as a Fatherhood Champion of Change, as part of President Obama’s “Winning the Future” initiative, honoring those individuals shaping the fatherhood field and fathers themselves through their diligent work as “Fatherhood Champions of Change.” His career has also included serving as chaplain at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Landry, and chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs. Carey has spent time as a lecturer at the World Congress on Sports, the college football Senior Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, and the Super Bowl. He has been featured in many local and national publications and broadcasts, including Focus on the Family’s radio broadcast and webcast, “Fox and Friends,” ESPN.com and ESPN’s “Quite Frankly” with Stephen A. Smith. 

Carey has an impressive resume, but more than that, he has a heart for people and for the betterment of his community and the world. I hope that you learn as much from him as I have been blessed to be able to learn over the years. 

To Learn More, check out Championship Fathering's website, or Carey's books. 

Order his books here: Championship Fathering | Championship Grandfathering | The 21-Day Dad's Challenge: Three Weeks to a Better Relationship with Your Kids

Music: Surprise Yourself - Jack Garratt

Danny and Nancy are the first married couple we have had on the show. They are inspiring, encouraging and just plain fun to be around. They both have hearts of service and see life with such a positive perspective. Danny is a firefighter and medic and just loves people and loves to serve others. Nancy is a former Olympic Speed Skater and is now an entrepreneur. We dive into each of their stories and also ways to navigate marriage, specifically when one spouse is more entrepreneurial minded than the other. This conversation was a lot of fun and was so refreshing amidst the divides we see in our society today. But like Nancy says at the end of the show, a little listening will go a long way. And that is exactly what Pursuing Greatness aims to encourage, listening to someone else's story, remembering that they too, are human.

This is the book Danny references. And here is Nancy's website! 

Song: Surprise Yourself - Jack Garratt

"There is no greater thing that a follower of Christ can be for God, than faithful." Louis Dooley is a former prisoner with two life sentences + 100 years at 19. He is now a free man, giving hope to other inmates. During his time in prison, Louis was introduced to Jesus by other inmates and gave his life to following Him. His story is powerful and is a testament to the work of God in his life.  Over the the next hour, you will hear from a man who had lost hope and sought to take his own life, and now has found his purpose and calling. He is living with a joy that is not his own. If you are feeling trapped or imprisoned, either physically or in your own mind, there is hope and there is a way out. Louis is a powerful example of this and if you are impacted by his story, please let us know. 

You can read more of Louis' story on his website.

Prison Saved My Life can be found and purchased here.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Song: Surprise Yourself - Jack Garratt

“When you keep it more focused on others, when you look to translate what God has given you to help other people… that mindset has been a game changer for me." Cameron Carter is an Online Fitness Coach and future Dentist with the drive to develop and get better each day. He was the perfect guest for the show because, like many of us, he is in the "gray" area of continued growth and development as he looks to make an impact on this world. Regardless, Cam desires to serve others and to use the gifts he has been blessed with to do so. If you take nothing else from this episode, recognize the power your words have and how they can alter the trajectory of an individuals life! 

If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. 

Song: Surprise Yourself - Jack Garratt 

"I want to leave a legacy of serving others so well that they are able to walk in the calling, purpose, mission and assignment that God has destined for their lives’ before they even stepped on this earth." Christina Hovestadt is the Community Relations Manager for the NFL but her impact spans much further. In addition to her role with the NFL, Christina has a passion for the next generation of people, particularly women who have a desire to pursue a career in sports. I was struck by her confidence but more than that her humility. We cover her entire journey, spending time as a high school teacher and coach, and eventually winding up working for the NFL. Our hope is that this episode points to the legacy that Christina speaks about. A legacy that goes far beyond her story and points to something far greater. As always, we appreciate your support and would love a rating and review if you are tuning in on Apple Podcasts. 

To find out more about what Christina and the NFL are doing in communities around the country, please visit: https://www.nfl.com/community/

Music: Surprise Yourself - Jack Garratt

“The type of person that achieves greatness is the type of person that always seeks out things that are beyond what others feel is possible." Michael Martocci knows a thing or two about the massive dividends that making bold decisions can have. From the age of 5, he has constantly been finding and innovating new ways to make money. He takes us through this 20 year journey, which has landed him at the helm of a company he started 4 years ago, which is on pace to pull in upwards of $20 million this year. It is all about more than just the numbers to Michael, he has built a culture and a team that is having a massive impact on other companies and their own cultures. He is not here by accident, but had to take massive leaps into the unknown in order to get here.

Don't forget to rate us and leave a review, your feedback and support are greatly appreciated!

Song: Surprise Yourself - Jack Garratt

"Great leaders understand one thing, time spent developing a relationship is never wasted time." Mike Swider spent 35 seasons at Wheaton College coaching football and 24 of them he spent as the head football coach and retired in the fall of 2019. In his 24 seasons as head coach, Wheaton posted a 209-52 record with an 80.1% winning percentage. Today, Coach speaks beyond the stats and the X's and O's and delves into his heart behind it all and how he built the team and culture that he did. His leadership style is aimed at resembling the leadership of Jesus and the impact he had speaks volumes. Michael had the privilege of playing under Coach Swider for 4 years at Wheaton and it had a tremendous impact on his life. Some of the motivation to launch this show comes from the influence of Coach. This episode will undoubtedly be a longtime favorite of ours and it won't take much listening to understand why.

Song: Thunderstruck - AC/DC

Michael sits down with musician Jack Bennett and covers the development of his musical career. Jack gives us an inside look at his newest single, Back In Time, including why and how he wrote the song. Jack has amassed a monthly following totaling over 20,000 listeners and his most popular song in approaching half a million streams. Even with this early success, it has been a long road to get there and we discuss the journey that led him here. You can find Jack on both Spotify and Apple Music.

Song: Back In Time - Jack Bennett