Kevin Garland is a one of a kind individual.  A dedicated husband, father and mentor to many HS students and athletes.  He was a standout athlete in HS especially on the football field.  His skills transferred over to the collegiate world where he had very successful careers at both Lackawanna Junior College and West Chester University.  Kevin is a dedicated HS teacher, coach and also a small business owner in the community.  For the last several years he has operated a Speed and Agility program for athletes from the age of 7 on up.  Follow him on social media and you will see how intense, motivating and caring this man is.  He has also done tremendous work with the African-American population of the High School in which he works.  He has become the "go to" mentor for many minority students.  Kevin loves this role and feels like he is in the right place.  It wouldn't take long to see how well respected this young man is.  Currently he is finishing up his Masters degree in Special Education and will be putting that to good use soon.  Often times you hear about the X factor in life.  Kevin has this, he always has and he always will.  He is a humble man, who thanks many who helped him along the way.  His mother was a humongous influence on him and always made sure he was taken care of and if you ask him about his wife, he will tell you that he couldn't do what he does without her.  I hope you enjoy listening.  It is genuine and so is he!

Today we hear from Under Armour Pro-Athlete and runner Casey Comber.  Five-time All-American, nine-time BIG EAST champion and 13-time All-BIG EAST performer … Put a cap on his collegiate career by qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 1500 meters.  The list of achievements is mind boggling.  You can see all of them here: Casey Comber - Men's Track & Field - Villanova University

Casey has a positive outlook on life.  He holds a Master's Degree from Villanova (not too shabby) and is focusing all of his energy now, running for UA and living out his dreams.  He talks about nutrition, motivation and some of his best mentors along the way.  Check this episode out and you are sure to be leaving with a few nuggets of knowledge from one of the elite runners in this country!  Join The Leader Next Door podcast and cheer on Casey as he has big goals and dreams.  

Sam is a recent high school graduate who is planning on attending college to play Lacrosse in Pennsylvania.  This young man was a 3 sport athlete (Football, Basketball, Lacrosse).  Although Sam is playing Lacrosse in college, he shined on the field and court in his other sports.  As a high school quarterback Sam was often tasked with managing 10 other teammates to meet a common goal.  Possibly wise beyond his years, he gives us an in depth look at what it was like to be a high school athlete during a Global Pandemic.  Unfortunately I did not meet Sam until he was a Senior in high school.  In that short time, he impressed me with his kindness and leadership ability.  Like all young lads, Sam still has a long way to go and has many goals he would still like to accomplish.  His two amazing parents helped this young man get to where he is today.  He is the only student I've ever met that chose his college based on the landscaping.  

Coach Sanderson grew up in the heart of Philadelphia similar to the mythical character Rocky Balboa!  Much like Rocky, Dave worked hard and excelled in sports to find a pathway to success.  Dave Sanderson has held many roles in his 30 plus year coaching and teaching career.  Several of his ex-players still see him as a father figure.  As a young boy, Dave was fascinated with sports!  His father would pitch endless baseballs to him as a kid.  Football was the one sport that rose to the top for Dave.  At the age of 10, Dave was drawing offensive X's and O's on McDonalds napkins.  He knew it would always be part of his life.  After a tremendous career at Frankford High School, Dave went on to play for a short time at Temple University.  Shortly after college, Dave became a young coach.  He did this, and excelled for the next 3 decades.  Today, Dave is a Health and P.E. teacher in P.A., married to his wife Susan and resides in New Jersey.  The lessons Coach Sanderson has taught on the field and in the classroom, are cherished by many who live great lives today much in part to his mentoring!  One last thing, Dave was also one of my great mentors in life.  I've thanked him before, but really wanted him on this Podcast to show my appreciation!  Thanks Coach!

Nick Liberato left Pennsbury High School in 1996 and headed to the west coast with a dream!  Nick struggled in California for quite a few years and came to the verge of giving up on his dream.  Working as a surf instructor and even living out of his car for a time, Chef Nick Liberato persevered and started making his way as a well-respected young Chef in the Los Angelos area.  You may have seen him for several years on the hit show, "Bar Rescue" or his new Netflix series, "Restaurants on the Edge".  After 20 years, Chef Nick Brought his talents and family back east to open a Deli style eatery named, the Borscht Belt in Stockton, NJ.  It was an honor spending almost two hours talking with Chef Nick about his successes and many failures along the way.  The restaurant has some of the most amazing food I have ever eaten! I hope you join in on the fun and listen to this great episode.  This is also a video episode if you are a Spotify listener.  You can also view all of our podcasts on our Youtube channel, "The Leader Next Door".   

One of my former High School students and recent University of Delaware graduate, Lenny has made her mark in this world at a young age.  A strong woman with a tremendously positive attitude, Lenny shares her thoughts and opinions on some very important and controversial topics.  Today, Lenny shares her thoughts on Women's Rights as well as Mental Health.  Lenny's perspective has been drastically changed by her worldly travels to places such as India and Costa Rica.  How did the pandemic complicate the lives of young people in her specific age group?  Lenny answers this question with humor, passion and her own unique style.  

If you could package up the kindest, most caring, super smart, loyal person and make them a high school teacher, you would have Maya Schoenholtz Goldberg.  Maya is a high school AP World History and Sociology teacher.  She is an amazing wife and mother to her children and treats her students with a level of sincere respect and kindness that is rarely seen.  Ask any student that has spent time with Mrs. Goldberg and you will hear something positive.  She is loved by students and her many work colleagues. Today we talked about kindness, a rising epidemic of negativity and why Colorado is such a cool place to live and go to college.  Maya has a very intense vocabulary which stems from her love of reading and being an overall really smart person.  There were times in this interview that I had to look up a few words on my trusty pocket thesaurus.  In the end, we had a really fun and honest conversation that I think people can enjoy and maybe even learn from.  I truly enjoyed this Interview!

Today we celebrate Independence Day in the good old USA.  My guest today is someone who helps us live free each and every day.  John O'Malley is a graduate of West Point, where he learned how to be a special type of leader and take care of others.  Oh yeah, he also learned how to fly some pretty bad ass helicopters.  John is a humble soldier with an amazing family and wife.  In our discussion he talks about how he was raised to lend a hand to those in need.  I had the privilege of teaching John in high school and even showing him how to start a fire and tie a few knots.  As a standard practice for military pilots, John attended SERE school where he learned how to survive in enemy territory and evade capture.  

Today you may wake up and drink your morning coffee, take your kids to the July 4th parade, or just sit around and relax with family in peace.  We are all able to do these things every day because of bad ass dudes like John O'Malley!  Thank you for your service and happy 4th of July!