The Climb - Cross Roads & Defining Moments

The Climb - Cross Roads & Defining Moments

By Michael Moore, Robert WieremaSociety & CultureBusinessEntrepreneurshipPersonal Journals
Download on the App Store

The Climb - Cross Roads & Defining Moments episodes

  • #34: Ryan "Birdman" Parrott - Navy SEAL on finding your "Why", helping Veterans, and the process of joining the #1 Fighting Force in the World

    Ryan "Birdman" Parrott is a US Navy SEAL and joins us on the podcast to give us an inside look at the BUD/S training process, his life prior to joining up, his philanthropy work with Veterans and so much more. Enjoy the Climb!

    Links:

    Sons of the Flag

    American Extreme

    Birds Eye View Project
    Ryan Birdman Parrott on Instagram
    Sons of the Flag book by Ryan Parrot


    Topics:

    (2:13) - Ryan’s background and upbringing

    (10:26) - What resistance did you face from family and friends during this time?

    (12:08) - What fire was lit inside you in the aftermath of 9/11?

    (16:40) - Ryan’s experience at BUD/S

    931:37) - What are your thoughts on the nature vs. nurture aspect of being able to become a SEAL?

    (35:03) - Hell Week

    (44:51) - Is there something you learned about yourself during that time?

    (45:44) - Appreciation for the folks who choose to serve

    (46:57) - The nature of being a SEAL & traumas of the military

    (58:08) - Why don’t we do a good job of taking care of our veterans?

    (1:02:45) - What can listeners do to help?

    (1:06:45) - What’s something that no one knows about you?

    (1:10:47) - What do you want people to know about you?

    1 hr 15 min
  • #33: Matt Johnson - North Texas Serial Entrepreneur with Ventures in Auto, Entertainment & Firearms
    Matt Johnson is a North Texas Business Titan. His has successful ventures across a variety of industries including automotive, entertainment, and firearms. He joins us today to discuss his approach to building businesses through customer service, how he disrupts industries, and diversifying himself as an entrepreneur. We also touch on the politically volatile nature of some of his businesses, firearm education, advising the next generation and much more. Enjoy!
    Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-johnson-173b7844/
    Michael Moore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/
    Bob Wierema on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wierema/
    Holiday Autogroup: https://www.holidayautogroup.com/
    Courtside Kitchen: https://www.courtsidekitchenfw.com/
    Defender Outdoors: https://defenderoutdoors.com/
    (1:18) - Why did you want to be a guest on this podcast?
    (4:21) - Matt’s approach to building businesses through customer service
    (13:20) - How were you able to expand a simple auto sales business into multiple arms of revenue?
    (15:58) - What other business ventures are you involved in?
    (21:07) - How do you think about disrupting a business or an industry?
    (23:16) - What have the last two years been like managing the different verticals you’re in given the politcally charged nature of some of them?
    (30:14) - What work are you doing from an education standpoint in your firearms business?
    (36:52) - You’re based in Texas, how would you approach firearm education in a state where laws are more strict?
    (40:36) - How do you continue to diversify yourself as an entrepreneur?
    (44:50) - How do you get employees to open up to you with potentially negative feedback?
    (47:27) - Matt’s career journey
    (50:47) - What advice would you give the next generation?
    (57:50) - What are you currently working on?
    (1:00:05) - What do you want people to know about you?
    1 hr 4 min
  • #32: Lindsay Androski - Founder, President & CEO of Roivant Social Ventures
    Lindsay Androski serves as President and CEO of Roivant Social Ventures. Shei joined Roivant Sciences as one of its earliest employees, and built and led the team responsible for the in-licensing or acquisition of more than 30 therapeutic programs, resulting in the launch and incubation of 16 subsidiary biotechs and several successful IPOs.
    Lindsay has likewise demonstrated a longstanding commitment to public service, including by serving on the MIT Alumni Association Board, as Chair of the MIT Annual Fund Board, on the Board of the Women Lawyers Association of LA, and on the Leadership Council of the LA Center for Law and Justice.
    Roivant Social Ventures has introduced a new model of corporate philanthropy, which couples industry expertise with donor dollars to make an outsized social impact. We provide seed funding and expert advice to startups attacking systemic barriers to health equity. We also launch programs with partners to increase the number of diverse senior executives in biotech and diverse primary investigators.
    On this episode, we discuss Roivant, Lindsay's upcoming TEDx Event in Dallas in October, the growing ESG movement, creating companies that push a societal good, mental health, and much more.
    We also welcome back co-host Bob Wierema after his long hiatus from the show! Enjoy.
    Links:
    Get your tickets to TEDxVickeryPlace: https://www.tedxvickeryplace.com/event
    Roivant Social Ventures: https://roivantsv.org/
    Lindsay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayandroski/
    Michael Moore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/
    Bob Wierema on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wierema/
    Topics:
    1:47) - Welcoming back Co-host Bob Wierema
    (5:42) - The Alder Initiative
    (8:06) - Lindsay’s background and career
    (15:48) - Lindsay’s social impact fund
    (21:11) - Europe’s influence on America when it comes to ESG
    (24:23) - The growing ESG movement
    (26:59) - Reversing the profit-only focus of Big Pharma
    (38:07) - How would you build a successful company that pushes societal good as well as make money?
    (41:38) - What are some of the major hurdles in impact investing?
    (45:06) - What’s your take on the world right now and where we are headed?
    (48:30) - What’s the best path philanthropic people can take to make the most impact?
    (54:24) - What advice do you have for young people to be successful?
    (59:04) - Thoughts on Mental Health
    (1:05:42) - What do you want people to know about you?
    1 hr 8 min
  • #31: Mayor Mattie Parker - Growing into Fort Worth 2.0
    Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker joins us on The Climb to discuss her journey from small-town Texas to the youngest mayor of a major city in the country. We talk about equality and democracy, how social media pushes us to the fringes, solutions to bring us back to the middle, building community, and the future of Fort Worth. Enjoy The Climb!
    Links:
    Go Time in Fort Worth with Mayor Mattie Parker: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/go-time-in-fort-worth-with-mayor-mattie-parker/id1579328171
    Collective Illusions by Todd Rose: https://www.amazon.com/Collective-Illusions-Conformity-Complicity-Decisions/dp/0306925680
    The Hardest Job in the World by John Dickerson: https://www.amazon.com/Hardest-Job-World-American-Presidency/dp/1984854518
    Topics:
    (1:58) - Thoughts on Equality and Democracy
    (6:35) - Deciding it was time to run for mayor
    (9:48) - Balancing a non-partisan office with a world where everything is politicized
    (15:33) - How do you think about increasing voter turnout?
    (19:07) - Solutions to bring people back to the middle
    (24:31) - How are you thinking about the massive growth of Fort Worth?
    (31:57) - Mayor Parker’s background and childhood
    (39:06) - What is Fort Worth focused on next?
    (47:11) - How do we increase the feeling of community in the city?
    (49:50) - What advice would you give to people interested in getting into politics?
    (54:47) - What do you want people to know about you?
    59 min
  • #30: Rhett Keisler - Founder of Revolver Brewing & Watertight Canned Cocktail Co.
    Rhett Keisler is the Co-Founder of the Texas Beer staple: Revolver Brewing. After being acquired by Molson-Coors in 2016, Rhett founded Watertight Cocktail Co. which prides itself on using 100% real ingredients in their canned cocktails.
    On this episode, Rhett describes the journey of building Revolver, the story behind the acquisition from Molson-Coors and his incredible new canned cocktails at Watertight. They also discuss the impact of family support in entrepreneurship, becoming business partners with your father and the story behind the Blood & Honey beer. Enjoy The Climb!
    Check out Watertight here: https://watertightcocktails.com/
    (0:59) - Introducing Watertight Canned Cocktail Co.
    (2:44) - How did you come up with the concept for Watertight?
    (8:13) - Rhett’s decision to leave the corporate world & start Revolver Brewing
    (16:44) - The father-son business dynamic
    (21:39) - Building the Revolver Brewing Brand
    (28:24) - Realizing how big Blood & Honey would be
    (35:51) - Getting acquired by Miller-Coors
    (45:16) - What was life like after selling the business?
    (51:33) - Building Watertight
    (1:03:01) - The impact Rhett’s wife has had and her support throughout
    (1:08:20) - Where you can find Watertight
    1 hr 10 min
  • #29 John Fein: Founder and Managing Partner of Firebrand Ventures | Building out the Midwest Tech & VC Scene
    Prior to founding Firebrand, John served as Managing Director for Techstars, a leading startup accelerator with over 40 programs around the world. While at Techstars he ran three accelerator programs in Kansas City and invested in 30 startups.
    John was previously a part of five startups, including one he cofounded. Before Techstars he spent nine years at UnitedHealth Group, managing large scale projects including scaling a business from zero to $1.5 billion per year and 1,500 employees in four years.
    With a passion for building startup ecosystems, John has been active in the Kansas City startup community since 2012, serving on several advisory boards of community organizations.
    On this episode, we dive deep into John's background through his career in startups, healthcare and technology. We talk about the DotCom Bubble, his founding of Firebrand, the process of raising two separate funds and what Firebrand brings to the table for their portfolio companies. We end with talking about why it's critical to keep going, but to remember to cut yourself some slack. Enjoy The Climb!
    Links:
    Visit our Website: https://www.climb-podcast.com/our-podcast/
    Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/
    John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfein/
    Firebrand Ventures: https://www.firebrandvc.com/
    Topics:
    (2:34) - John’s background and career
    (13:11) - Life in the DotCom Bubble
    (15:41) - The importance of family dinner & living in a time without supervision
    (19:53) - John’s time working in the start up world, healthcare and technology
    (28:32) - Founding FireBrand & the explosion of Tech in the Midwest and the South
    (31:27) - John on raising his first two funds
    (39:24) - How does working in VC shape your view of early stage companies?
    (44:50) - Why do companies need your help?
    (48:18) - Advice to listeners: Cut yourself some slack, but keep going.
    (50:16) - What do you want listeners to know about you?
    54 min
  • #28 Matt Homan: President & GM of Dickie's Arena
    Matt Homan is the President and GM at Dickie’s Arena in Fort Worth, TX. On this episode we deep dive into Matt’s career in event management and how it led to his leadership in helping create one of the most beautiful arenas in the country. We also discuss the intricacies of the public/private partnership for the arena, adapting events in light of the pandemic and the Las Vegas shooting, virtual event, the labor market and much more. Enjoy the Climb!
    Check out Dickies Arena: https://dickiesarena.com/
    Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-homan-7386119/
    Follow The Climb: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-climb-podcast/
    Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/
    (1:26) - Matt’s background and career leading up to Dickie’s & Fort Worth
    (27:51) - Sales is involved in EVERYTHING
    (32:22) - Is there still a role for Unions in our world going forward?
    (35:13) - What was the inflection point that led you to make the jump to Dickie’s & Fort Worth?
    (37:24) - What was your first experiences like on the project?
    (44:03) - The public/private partnership for funding of Dickie’s
    (47:37) - Adapting events in the aftermath of the Vegas shooting and Covid-19
    (53:14) - What’s the value proposition for Dickie’s and Fort Worth?
    (56:21) - The business of ticket sales
    (1:00:58) - Do Virtual event experiences threaten the industry at all?
    (1:03:38) - Thoughts on ability for college athletes being able to monetize themselves
    (1:07:57) - The labor market
    (1:14:07) - What keeps you up at night when thinking about the next 5 years?
    (1:19:05) - What do you want people to know about you?
    1 hr 24 min
  • #27 A Band of Brothers: Philip Moore, Roy, Rick and Ryan Seiders
    We've got one of the most special episodes ever recorded on this podcast. I am joined by my brother Philip and 3 of my lifelong friends, Roy, Rick and Ryan Seiders. We reflect back on our childhood growing up in Dripping Springs, our parental influences and trace our family lineages in Texas back to the early 1800's. We also talk about where the boys are today: We break down Philip's career in renewables, Rick's career at AG&M and Roy and Ryan's journey of founding Yeti Coolers. Enjoy the Climb!
    Follow The Climb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-climb-podcast/
    Check out Ørsted Energy: https://us.orsted.com/
    Check out Yet: https://www.yeti.com/
    (1:38) - Introductions
    (3:22) - The Seiders and Moore’s first meeting
    (4:56) - The Seiders & Moore Family history in Texas during the 1800’s
    (12:42) - Life growing up in Dripping Springs, TX
    (22:05) - Parental influences
    (35:00) - Philips’s career in Renewables
    (38:35) - Commentary on the 20201 Texas Ice Storm
    (42:24) - What do renewables look like over the next 2 decades?
    (44:34) - Rick’s career at AG&M and his future career plans
    (52:53) - Roy and Ryan on founding Yeti
    (1:10:01) - What do you want people to know about you?
    The Climb is produced by Johnny Peterson & Straight Up Podcasts
    1 hr 22 min
  • #26 Michael Knight: President, Exponential Technology Group and SVP Corporate Business Development at TTI, Inc.
    Michael’s work life has been spent in the electronics industry where he has worked for three component manufacturers (two start-ups and one publicly traded) ranging in size from national to global, one rep firm, and one software company.
    On this episode we discuss Michael’s unique upbringing that led him to riding a motorcycle cross-country to begin his career in Silicon Valley. Michael is described as a visionary and he delves into his technology predictions for the next decade, the Ying & Yang of technology, where the United States will stand on the world stage going forward and much more. Enjoy The Climb!
    The Climb on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-climb-podcast/
    Bob Wierema: www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wierema/
    Michael Moore: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/
    Michael Knight on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelknight850/
    (1:38) - Michael’s childhood and early influences
    (7:38) - The impact of divorce on a child and how it’s played into Michael’s marriage in adulthood
    (12:29) - Michael’s experience going into college and moving to Silicon Valley
    (17:38) - “The Renaissance Man”
    (30:22) - TTI :The Best Little Warehouse in Texas
    (33:25) - What set Michael apart at TTI
    (37:55) - The Visionary: Michael’s prediction for the next decade
    (56:43) - Where is TTI headed in their role of the technology of tomorrow?
    (1:05:00) - How will current supply chain issues affect component cost goals for TTI?
    (1:09:20) - Michael’s thoughts on the United States role going forward
    (1:12:05) - What do you want people to know about you?
    The Climb is produced by Johnny Peterson & Straight Up Podcasts
    1 hr 19 min
  • #25 Jim & Ashley Walsh: Mezcal, Chocolate & Psilocybin
    Jim & Ashley Walsh are the Father-Daughter duo behind Kimo Sabe Mezcal. Jim is also the founder of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, and Ashley is the founder of Inner State, a Psilocybin-based wellness company. On this episode, we discuss Jim's entrepreneurial parenting style, their move to Hawaii for a "1950's-style" family experience, starting the first chocolate company on the islands and eventually into the success of Kimo Sabe Mezcal and Ashley's journey of founding her own company. Enjoy the Climb!
    The Climb on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-climb-podcast/
    Bob Wierema: www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wierema/
    Michael Moore: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/
    Kimo Sabe: https://kimosabemezcal.com/
    www.Instagram.com/kimosabemezcal
    (1:46) - Spirituality, Purpose, Drive, Determination & Family
    (11:56) - Jim & Ashley on parenting
    (15:56) - “Gen-z” will learn more from technology than from their parents
    (22:52) - The Foundations of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate
    (31:38) - How the business exploded in growth
    (36:35) - Bridging Chocolate and Mezcal
    (38:39) - Why is Tequila more well-known than Mezcal?
    (42:09) - The Father-Daughter and Co-Founder Dynamic
    (49:10) - Ashley’s resolve and self-assurance
    (53:05) - Why Ashley left the entertainment business
    (1:01:38) - The future for Kimo Sabe & Inner State
    (1:06:36) - What do you say to folks who doubt the benefits of Psilocybin or folks who criticize the moves you’ve made in Mexico?
    (1:13:35) - What do you want the other to know about you?
    1 hr 17 min

About The Climb - Cross Roads & Defining Moments

From the publisher's feed

Humans have told stories since the beginning of time as a medium to connect and pass knowledge from one generation to the next. Robert and Michael aim to explore these stories with today’s leaders with real and raw conversation - getting rid of all the noise in today’s data driven, twitter-fed society. The art of storytelling has taken a back seat to 24 hour news, politicking and diminished attention spans. As we began to contemplate this shift, we developed The Climb – Cross Roads and Defining Moments – to capture the stories of today’s leaders. Each of our esteemed guests will bring their own unique set of circumstances they faced in their life to our podcast so that our listeners can hear the raw and unfiltered truth. The climb is never easy – the cross roads and defining moments shape us.