The Growth Project

In this episode, Drs. Drew Brannon and Milt Lowder explore practical strategies for strengthening focus and prioritizing what truly matters. They discuss how leaders can create environments that eliminate distractions, foster attention, and support high performance. The conversation also touches on Kliff Kingsbury's unconventional approach to team meetings with the Arizona Cardinals—sparking a broader discussion about how structure can either support or sabotage focus.

In this episode, Dr. Milt Lowder is joined by Art Seaver, CEO of Southern First Bank, for a meaningful conversation about values-driven leadership. Art shares the guiding principles that have shaped his life and leadership—and how those values have fueled Southern First's growth and culture. Together, they explore the power of service, acting with intention, and staying aligned with what you believe—both inside the organization and in the broader community.

In this episode, Drs. Drew Brannon and Milt Lowder unpack the power of aligning individuals and teams around a clear set of core values. They explore how values serve as the foundation for team culture, how they connect to the standards you uphold, and why this alignment is essential for personal and collective growth. Whether you lead in sports, business, or education, this conversation offers practical insights for building a values-driven environment where people can thrive.

In this episode, Drs. Drew Brannon and Katie Nichols explore three core fundamentals of positive coaching. Drawing on her impactful work at the University of Missouri, Dr. Nichols unpacks practical strategies that help leaders bring out the best in their teams. Whether you're leading in athletics, business, or any other arena, these principles offer valuable guidance for creating a culture of trust, accountability, and growth.

In this episode, Dr. Drew Brannon sits down with Coach Scott Fountain, Special Teams Coordinator at the University of Georgia. With 28 years of coaching experience, Coach Fountain has been a key figure in the Bulldogs' recent success. He shares the story of how his passion for football took root, the intentional vision he set for his life and career, and the strategies he uses to navigate the demanding world of Power 5 college football. Through it all, Coach Fountain reflects on the deep rewards of mentoring athletes and helping them grow both on and off the field.

In this episode, Dr. Drew Brannon sits down with Ron Courson, Senior Associate Athletic Director and Director of Sports Medicine at the University of Georgia. Ron is a world renowned expert who has cared for elite level athletes for nearly 30 years. In this discussion, Ron talks about lessons learned over the course of his career and his observations of how setbacks such as injury can play a significant role in the growth and development of people. He also offers insight on how people can manage adversity moments well so that they become formative life experiences.

In this episode, Drs. Drew Brannon and Cory Shaffer discuss a topic that everyone is familiar with as we flip the calendar to a new year: personal growth. Specifically, Drew and Cory will focus on obstacles to growth - some of the main reasons why change does not occur despite our best intentions and why many goals fail. They will highlight three main obstacles to individual development: an unwillingness to acknowledge the truth, a poor understanding of what growth actually takes, and an inability to fail forward.

In the final episode of the Project Aristotle series, Drs. Drew Brannon and Cory Shaffer discuss the remaining variables that Google found to be characteristic of their most effective teams: meaning and impact. Listen in to learn about how having a 'why' drives meaning, and how coaches and managers can help their players and team members feel the impact and purpose of their contributions.

Picking up where they left off in Part 1, Drs. Drew Brannon and Cory Shaffer dig deeper into Project Aristotle and discuss two additional variables that Google found to be present in their most effective teams: dependability/structure and clarity. They define and discuss these terms, talk about how coaches and leaders can develop these traits within their teams, and explore what happens when dependability and structure and clarity are not present on teams.