Dr. Tony Bridwell has spent decades shaping culture, coaching leaders, and studying what truly makes teams extraordinary. In this conversation we unpack how trust is built (and broken), why your first impression rides on warmth and strength, and the surprising power of followership—the skill that makes leaders worth following. We also dig into his new book Beyond the Leader, a practical fable on the seven disciplines that define extraordinary teams, and how to keep engagement and execution connected in the real world. If you lead people, sell to people, or want to influence people, this one’s for you.

Fear always makes us small — but what if it’s actually selfish? 

In this episode, Theresa challenges us to reframe fear, uncover the ego hiding beneath it, and choose service instead of self-protection. With practical stories and a powerful board-on-a-skyscraper analogy, she shows how shifting our focus to others helps fear lose its grip. 

Whether you’re facing rejection in sales, stage fright, or a hard season of life, this teaching will help you step forward scared — because courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s choosing to do it anyway for the sake of others.

Former Duncanville Pantherette and Oklahoma State guard Destanie Owkumabua shares how a winning mindset is forged in loss, why identity must be rooted in who you are not what you do, and how ego quiets down when you choose to lead by following. We trace her path from a state title run to the hard reality of a college program in a losing season, then to modeling in New York where rejection was routine and confidence had to be learned. She opens up about motherhood, leadership, journaling that reframes the story, and a health scare that reset her perspective. 

If you are a competitor in a rough stretch, this conversation will help you recommit to discipline, community, and the inner work that changes outcomes.

Guest links: Instagram: @destanieo_

What’s the one thing that makes every relationship, every sale, every leadership moment, and every team work? Trust.

In this solo episode, I break down the Trust Triangle—three key components you must have to build lasting trust in your life and business:

• 
  Authenticity: people experience the real you.
  
  
  
• Logic: people believe you can do it and that it makes sense.
  
  
  
• Empathy: people know you care about them.
  
  
  
  

I’ll show you how each side of the triangle works, what happens when one is missing, and how to strengthen the areas that may be holding you back.

Whether you’re leading a team, building client relationships, or strengthening your personal life, trust is the foundation. Strengthen it, and you’ll grow your influence everywhere.

Your mindset sets the ceiling on your success. In this episode of TheUPside, Theresa Flood shares a transformational framework for shifting from scarcity to abundance thinking—no matter your current circumstances.

Learn how to:

• Identify the hidden scarcity language stealing your peace
  
  
  
• Rewire your thinking through gratitude, generosity, and faith
  
  
  
• Attract more of what you want by changing the way you see
  
  
  

If you're ready to live bigger, think better, and lead stronger—this episode is your reset button.

What do you do when life throws its hardest punch—right in the middle of leadership, parenthood, and purpose?

In this honest and hope-filled episode of TheUPside, Theresa Flood sits down with her husband, Tommy Flood, to revisit the year everything changed: the moment he was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. With twin toddlers at home and a demanding new leadership role at Keller Williams, Tommy chose to keep showing up—not perfectly, but powerfully.

You’ll hear:

• The chemo brain moment that almost cost him a recruit
  
  
  
• How faith and humor shaped his healing
  
  
  
• What it means to lead transparently through crisis
  
  
  
• Why community was the secret weapon he didn’t see coming
  
  
  
• And the truth about juicing, bell-ringing, and hot tub excuses
  
  
  

This isn’t just a cancer story. It’s a story about choosing life, choosing people, and finding joy—even in change.