In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Dana Gower, Vice President of Talent and Client Services at CareerPro, and co-author of Job Hunting in the AI Era, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the job hunt. Gower is also the founder of JobWorks Career Ministry and co-author of Careering. He has personally lived through three periods of unemployment, each followed by a major rebound. Dana Gower has been guiding people through some of life’s toughest moments—job loss and career transition—for years. His ministry is built around a provocative reminder, as he puts it: “How to waste valuable job search time and NOT get a job!” This is not a lesson he teaches, but instead a warning he has seen too many job seekers live out. Dana’s focus is on showing people a better way, including practical strategies, rooted in both human wisdom and today’s AI tools, to help you move forward with confidence. In this episode, Dana shares practical insights on navigating career transitions, tapping into the hidden job market, optimizing resumes and LinkedIn profiles with AI, and—most importantly—why human connections still matter more than ever. Whether you’re between jobs or planning your next move, this conversation offers powerful, practical advice for thriving in the AI era of job searching. Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

DANA GOWER:

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Dan Hesse talks with former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen about leadership during a crisis. Whether it’s a business crisis, family crisis, natural disaster, supply chain nightmare, government-mandated pandemic shutdown or something else, ethical leadership can make all the difference in ultimately navigating to “safe shores.” Our guest mentor today, Thad Allen, has a lot to share about leadership and crisis leadership. During his Coast Guard career, Allen was asked by two U.S. Presidents to take over leadership of the Federal response to two monumental crises—the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. To achieve resolution in each of these disasters required bringing together a wide swath of diverse constituencies—each with their own focus, concerns, habits of communication and pain points. No easy task. Allen was so successful in his efforts that he became known in some circles as “the master of disaster.” Allen also led the Atlantic Coast Guard forces in response to the 9/11 attacks and coordinated the U.S. Coast Guard response to a major Haitian earthquake. But what was Allen’s secret for bringing very diverse groups together, leading them to work together to achieve a common goal? How did he herd cats in a crisis? Among other things you’ll learn that one of the first things he does—every time, in every disaster with which he was involved—is to focus first on forging a unity of purpose and a culture of compassion. Yes. People First. Every Time! That required hyper-focused listening, clarity of assessment, finding the common threads and building on those, and… did we mention listening, putting people first?!! The lessons and experiences Thad Allen shares in this episode are worth more than gold for any human on the planet—in business, work, life, anywhere, anytime… and for cats too, if they’d only listen. FANTASTIC LEARNING and MENTORING in this episode!  Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

THAD ALLEN:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Randy Hain, founder of Serviam Partners, a nationally respected executive coach, and the author of 16 books—including Essential Wisdom, Becoming a More Thoughtful Leader, and most recently, Practical Virtue An Actionable Guide to Help You Become a Leader Worth Following. In this latest work, Randy makes the case that mastering virtue is not only essential to career success, but even more importantly, to success in life. You’ll discover why there’s a war on virtue today, how to spot the difference between real virtue vs. virtue signaling, how timeless wisdom from thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas still applies in modern leadership, and why practicing virtue is not just admirable—it’s transformative. And you may be surprised to learn why virtues such as gratitude, candor and civility are not just “soft skills,” but actually the foundation of true success—in work and in life. This is a conversation that could reshape how you live, work, and lead!  Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

RANDY HAIN:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse is joined by Lt. General Robert Caslen Jr. (Ret.) and Michael Matthews, Ph.D. to discuss The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity, a unique book in the way it combines lessons from extensive leadership research—strengthened by experience and real-life examples of leadership in action, and shares practical tools that can both assess and develop character to maximize leadership effectiveness. Robert Caslen served in the U.S. Army for 43 years. His distinguished military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Under his direction as Superintendent, the Academy was recognized as the Number One public college in the nation by Forbes Magazine and the Number One public college by U.S. News and World Report.  Caslen refined West Point’s leadership program with a focus on professional ethics as an essential part of leadership and character development. General Caslen also served in numerous combat and overseas deployments including operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Central America and Haiti.  After retiring from the Army, he served as the 29th president of the University of South Carolina.   Dr. Michael Matthews is Professor Emeritus of Engineering Psychology at the U.S. Military Academy.  He served as President of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Military Psychology and is a Templeton Foundation Senior Positive Psychology Fellow. He has authored more than 250 scientific papers and edited, authored or co-authored several books.   Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

—–

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

         —Frank Outlaw

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Forbes Magazine publisher and author Rich Karlgaard on the power of “late bloomers.” We live in a world obsessed with early achievement, but you may be surprised and inspired by what older individuals launch and achieve. Not only is Karlgaard and expert on the intersection of business and innovation, he is also a best-selling author and an economic and market forecaster. Plus, Karlgaard considers himself to be a late bloomer! This episode is packed with Karlgaard’s wisdom and examples that completely destroy the current trends of pressuring children to overachieve and assuming there is failure if someone is not “a success” by age 30. Absolutely false! And you’ll learn why these notions are false in this very special interview…  Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

RICH KARLGAARD:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Michael MacCambridge, the award-winning journalist and author featured on the acclaimed ESPN documentary series about the Kansas City Chiefs entitled “The Kingdom.” Today’s discussion will focus on MacCambridge’s biography, Lamar Hunt – A Life in Sports, about the man who started it all. Lamar Hunt did more than launch the Kansas City Chiefs, he founded the American Football League and brought professional soccer and tennis to America. Lamar Hunt has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Federation Hall of Fame, and the National Soccer Hall of Fame. MacCambridge and Hesse discuss how Lamar not only participated in—but was the catalyst for—multiple revolutions in sports. Many of Lamar’s innovations we take for granted today. Digging deeper, perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn what made Lamar Hunt an effective leader and someone beloved and respected by all who knew him. Dan’s guest, Michael, is likewise remarkable in his field of journalism, which makes for an exceptionally rich and engaging discussion.  MacCambridge has written several books, including the critically-acclaimed and award-winning America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation. His most recent book is The Big Time, How the 1970’s Transformed Sports in America. MacCambridge is also the creator and editor of The ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, hailed by Sports Illustrated as “the Bible” of the sport. He now lives in Austin, and serves as an adjunct instructor at the Center for Sports Communication & Media at the University of Texas, and serves as co-chair on the jury of the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting.   Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

MICHAEL MacCAMBRIDGE:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Gerald Nosich, PhD, who is among the most distinguished experts in critical thinking alive today. He authored such foundational works as Reasons and Arguments (Wadsworth, 1982) and Learning to Think Things Through, a book that has been translated into multiple languages and is used in classrooms globally. His latest book, Critical Writing, teaches powerful thinking tools through writing. Over the years, Dr. Nosich has led more than 250 workshops in countries from the U.S. to Singapore, consulted on national assessments of higher-order thinking, contributed to educational programming with PBS and Starlink, and served as a consultant for ACT testing. He holds emeritus positions at SUNY Buffalo State and the University of New Orleans and is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Critical Thinking. In the next 43 minutes, join us to explore how unexamined thinking imprisons us—and what it means to truly think critically in our lives. Listen to this episode below, or on ANY PODCAST PLATFORM here. BE SURE TO LEAVE US A GREAT REVIEW on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share with friends and colleagues!

GERALD NOSICH, PhD:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ursula Burns, Chairwoman of Teneo and founding partner of private equity company Integrum Holdings. But Ursula is best known for serving as Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox during a 36-year-career there, where she became the first black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. In addition, Ursula serves on several private company boards, while also providing leadership counsel to several community, educational and non-profit organizations including the Ford Foundation, the MIT Corporation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Mayo Clinic, among others. President Obama appointed her to lead the White House national program on STEM and she served as Chair of the President’s Export Council. Since February 2022, Ursula Burns has served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Ursula holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from NYU.  She’s a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Listen to this episode below, or on ANY PODCAST PLATFORM here. BE SURE TO LEAVE US A GREAT REVIEW on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share with friends and colleagues!

URSULA BURNS:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Mai Nguyen, PhD, the remarkable 36-year-old neuroscientist who is the co-founder and CEO of OptoCeutics and the inventor of EVY LIGHT®, a breakthrough light-based therapy aimed at slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders. Her journey is anything but ordinary. Born in Vietnam, raised in California as the youngest of nine children in a struggling family, she spent her childhood at a local Flea Market and then went on to earn a PhD in neuroscience. But it was a “chance” conversation with a Danish professor that changed her life, and quite likely the lives of millions who will benefit from her decision. In this episode, you’ll explore the science behind Dr. Mai Nguyen’s light therapy innovation, her deeply personal and unlikely entrepreneurial journey and the powerful values that have guided her. This is a conversation about courage, healing and what it means to be a leader with heart and grit.  Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! Of course, we are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

MAI NGUYEN, Ph.D.:

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Kate Darling, PhD, an expert on robots and their impact on humans. Just as animals have become helpers and companions over the centuries, so will robots, according to Dr. Kate Darling, a Research Scientist at the MIT Media Lab, where she leads the robotics, ethics & society research team at the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI). She is the author of The New Breed: What Our History With Animals Reveals About Our Future With Robots. Kate’s work explores the intersections of robotic technology and society, with a particular emphasis on legal, economic, social, and ethical issues. She runs experiments, holds workshops, writes, and speaks about some of the most interesting developments in the world of human-robot interaction, and where we might find ourselves in the future.  Kate joins Dan Hesse to discuss the implications of robots on job design and their future role as our close companions. Listen to THE MENTORS RADIO podcast anywhere, any time, on any platform, including Spotify and Apple, just click here! And just fyi, We are always grateful for your 5-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, which helps us reach even more people!!

KATE DARLING: