Thoughts That Rock

In this episode, we talk with DAMON WEST, an amazing motivational speaker and  best-selling author… with an inconceivable story about being sentenced to sixty-five years in a Texas prison, only to emerge with a passion to impact & influence others. His story of redemption starts with the rally cry to "Be a Coffee Bean".

THOUGHT:

Be a Coffee Bean

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DAMON WEST'S BIO:

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a motivational speaker and best-selling co-author (with best-selling author and motivational speaker Jon Gordon) of The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change. 

His first book and autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, was published just three years after his release from a Texas maximum-security prison. 

Sentenced to sixty-five years in a Texas prison, Damon West once had it all. He came from a great family, in a home full of God, love, support, and opportunities to reach any goal. A natural born leader, an athlete with good looks and charm, he appeared to be the all-American kid pursuing his dreams.

Underneath this facade, however, was an addict in the early stages of disease. 

After suffering childhood sexual abuse by a babysitter at the age of nine, Damon began putting chemicals into his body to alter the way he felt.

Once he was introduced to methamphetamines, however, he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today.

Today, Damon lives a life of recovery and service, going to meetings and sharing his story all over the country with schools, church's, athletic teams, corporations, conferences and inside correctional facilities. Over the past few years, he has been sharing the Coffee Bean lesson with dozens of college football teams such as Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, and countless schools and businesses. His ”Be a coffee bean” message has inspired thousands, winning him the Service to Mankind Award in 2017. 

Professionally, he works as a legal assistant for the Provost Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont, Texas and is an adjunct professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston Downtown.

Damon’s message connects with audiences on a level rarely before seen, as evidenced by the lengthy and thought-provoking Q&A following each presentation. His ability to articulate his story is proof that sometimes they lock-up the right person.

Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally. He is passionate about the Coffee Bean message, and loves sharing how it changed his life and how it can change yours, too.

“It is my hope that my story, my example, can show others they are capable of way more than they think. In order to stem the flow of pain in society, it is incumbent upon each of us, whether in life, in school or in business, to be like the coffee bean from my story.”  – Damon West

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In this episode, we talk with RYAN BONNICI, a big-time, globally-renowned, digital marketing and sales leader, who is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at G2 Crowd. Ryan talks about how to prioritize your life and only focus on the things that can actually make a difference.

THOUGHT:

Know When to Pick Your Battles

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RYAN BONNICI'S BIO:

Ryan Bonnici is a globally renowned digital marketing and sales leader.  He is the chief marketing officer at G2 Crowd (the world’s leading B2B software and services platform) and has been featured in publication such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, CMO, and Lifehacker.

 Over the past ten years, Bonnici has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most innovative technology companies, such as Hubspot, Salesforce, ExactTarget, and Microsoft. In his most recent role, he was the senior director of global marketing at Hubspot, where he led teams in Boston, Sydney, Singapore, and Japan.

 Ryan is passionate about helping businesses of all sizes grow through the use of data-driven marketing, sales and growth strategies. For more frequent updates from Ryan on marketing, CRM or social media strategies, feel free to join the 115,000+ people following him across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

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In this episode, we talk with KAY RAWLINS, the founder & owner of the Orlando City Soccer Club.

THOUGHT:

Build and Nurture Your Own Tribe

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KAY RAWLIN'S BIO:

Kay Rawlins is a Founder and owner of Orlando City Soccer Club and serves as the VP of Community Relations and President of the Foundation. Originally from the UK, Kay has lived in the US for over 14 years and is now an American citizen. She owned and ran children’s pre-schools in the UK, served as an educational assessor, lectured on signs and symptoms of child abuse to pre-school educators and taught parenting classes. 

The last seven years has seen the rise of Orlando City, playing their first season in Major League Soccer in 2015, adding a women’s team, Orlando Pride in 2016 and a new downtown stadium which opened in 2017. 

Kay’s role includes speaking engagements on behalf of the Club, most of the community outreach, sending players to schools and youth groups to talk about exercise and healthy choices and encouraging staff and fans to join community projects. 

Kay also heads up the Orlando City Foundation and is a board member for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, Cannonball Kids cancer, 4Rivers Foundation, Central Florida Foundation, Florida Sports Foundation and the Commission on Homelessness. Kay was awarded 2016 Businesswoman of the Year by the Orlando Business Journal and gave a talk at TEDx Orlando 2017. 

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In this episode, we talk with RON TITE, a great friend of ours in the advertising industry, who is also a fantastic speaker, a best-selling author, and an entrepreneur & investor.

THOUGHT:

It’s better to come in last than to come in second - Tom Blackmore (Former President, Havas Canada)

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BRAND & RESOURCE MENTIONS:

RON TITE'S BIO:

A best-selling author, speaker, producer, and entrepreneur, Ron Tite has always blurred the lines between art and commerce. He has been an award-winning advertising writer and creative director for some of the world’s most respected brands including Air France, Evian, Fidelity, Hershey, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Intel, Microsoft, Volvo and many others.

He is founder of Church+State, host and executive producer of the hit podcast, “The Coup”, and publisher of This is That Travel Guide to Canada – a best-selling and award-winning satirical book. He has written for television. Penned a children’s book. Wrote, produced and performed a hit play. Created a branded art gallery. And was executive producer & host of the award-winning comedy show, Monkey Toast.

In demand as a speaker all over the world, Ron speaks to leading organizations about leadership, disruption, branding, and creativity.
Ron’s first book, Everyone’s An Artist – Or At Least They Should Be (Co-written by Scott Kavanagh and Christopher Novais), was published by HarperCollins in 2016. His most recent book, Think Do Say: How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy Busy World, hit store shelves in October or 2019.

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In this LIVE episode, we talk with MEREDITH McCLUNG, Owner & President of Kyser Musical Products, Inc.

THOUGHT:

Measure Twice, Cut Once

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MEREDITH McCLUNG'S BIO:

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In this episode, we talk with SCOTT DIKKERS, the Founder of TheOnion.com, the world’s most popular satirical publication.

THOUGHT:

Empower your people with radical freedom.

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SCOTT DIKKER'S BIO:

Scott Dikkers is a #1 New York Times  bestselling author and Founder of TheOnion.com, the world's most popular satirical publication.

He’s the recipient of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and a Peabody.  Time Magazine ranked him #43 on its list of the Top 50 “Cyber Elite”, alongside iconic figures Steve Jobs and George Lucas.

His book, "Outrageous Marketing: The Story of The Onion and How to Build a Powerful Brand with No Marketing Budget" was a  number-one new release on Amazon. 

Scott has created several other successful entertainment brands, including Jim’s Journal, the AV Club, and How to Write Funny.

Having recently left  The Onion, Scott’s goal is to share his techniques for writing humor and building successful brands.

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Our guest today is ELIZABETH McCORMICK, a decorated US Army Black Hawk Pilot, who flew air assault, command & control, top-secret intelligence missions and transported high-level government VIP’s.

THOUGHT:

First, Lead Yourself

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ELIZABETH McCORMICK'S BIO:

As a decorated former US Army Black Hawk Helicopter pilot, Elizabeth flew command and control, air assault, rappelling, top-secret intelligence missions, and also transported high level government VIPs including the Secretary of Defense. These stories keep attendees on the edges of their seats, and the stories are turned into relatable lessons that any audience can put into immediate action.

She has received many awards in the army, and supported United Nations peacekeeping operations in Kosovo, receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for her excellence in service. In 2011, Elizabeth was awarded the US Congressional Veteran Commendation for her commitment to serving her country and community as a disabled veteran.

An authority on Leadership and Veterans Issues with the media, Elizabeth has been seen on ABC, CBS, FOX, CW, MSNBC, and been featured in the Wall Street Journal, and more. A best-selling author, her personal development book, The P.I.L.O.T. Method; the 5 Elemental Truths to Leading Yourself in Life, has sold more than 35,000 copies and is available for bulk purchase for your event attendees! Elizabeth also has more than 19 total books out; with her series of small format business success tip books: Soar 2 Success in a variety of Leadership, Culture, and Entrepreneurial topics.

Elizabeth has consistently booked 100+ engagements per year, and has spoken to a variety of audiences at some of the world’s leading brands including Coca-Cola, Sherwin Williams, Boston Scientific, Rockwell Collins, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Intuit, Oracle, Hitachi Vantara, Pharmacyclics, Celgene, Prudential, Mass Mutual, Charles Schwab, and more for their Leadership, Sales and Safety related functions. As well as a many Associations’ conferences in the USA and internationally, including male dominated industries such as RETA (Refrigeration Engineers & Technicians Conference), IAAI (International Association of Arson Investigators, and ESICA (Eastern States Insulation Contractors Association).

As an in-demand renowned motivational business success speaker, Elizabeth inspires audiences with her pioneering aviation experiences and shares her lessons learned in a dramatically memorable keynote presentation. As a premier leadership trainer and top performing founding member of the John Maxwell Team of speakers, she is a dynamic and energizing entertainer sought after for events around the world.

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In this episode, we talk with CHRIS PLUE, the Sr. VP at Webcor Builders, a $2 Billion dollar California general contractor. Chris talks about Leadership and Culture Change in a business.

THOUGHT:

What you do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you say - Emerson

CONNECT:

BRAND & RESOURCE MENTIONS:

CHRIS PLUE'S BIO:

Chris Plue is Sr. Vice President of Webcor Builders, a $2 Billion dollar California general contractor. He is responsible for the Self-Perform Division at Webcor, a $400M specialty subcontracting group that performs concrete, drywall, doors, cabinetry and millwork. 50% of this work is for general contractors other than Webcor and the group is best known for safe production: rapid floor cycles utilizing a collaborative approach that integrates safety and production.

 After obtaining his civil engineering degree, Chris started in the field as a union carpenter apprentice. Chris has served every role on site from apprentice to foreman, project engineer to project manager, superintendent to project executive. Along the way he received a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

 Chris currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Concrete Contractors and is actively involved in many of the current issues within the construction industry.

He and his wife Suzanne have two daughters and live in the San Francisco Bay area.

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In this episode, we talk with the “Idea Whisperer", TAMSEN WEBSTER, who is the founder of Find the Red Thread. As a keynote speaker, brand strategist and go-to consultant, Tamsen helps people and companies find and develop clear messaging.

THOUGHT:

You don’t get to choose how someone else interprets you; you only get to choose the experiences you offer.

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TAMSEN WEBSTER'S BIO

As the “Idea Whisperer,” Tamsen helps people find, build, and tell the stories of their ideas using their Red Thread®, the universal (but unique!) tie between how we see the world and what we do in it.

Tamsen’s own Red Thread weaves through her 20 years as a brand and message strategist, though she says she learned the most about inspiring change as a Weight Watchers leader.

As a TEDx Executive Producer, Tamsen coached experts, iconoclasts, and pioneers from around the world to build their Red Threads into Ideas Worth Spreading—and more than 9 million YouTube views.  

Today, she’s a globe-hopping keynote speaker on storytelling, branding, change management, and idea development, and a go-to consultant for enterprise companies like Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, and State Street Bank who want to their big ideas to have an even bigger impact.

Tamsen lives in Boston with her other half/chief ballroom dancing partner, and two amazing boys with big ideas all their own.

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In this episode, we talk with Captain SCOTT KELLY, the history-making NASA astronaut, who spent over a year on the International Space Station.

THOUGHT #1

There’s no easy path to success; Become the Expert.

THOUGHT #2

There are no traffic jams on the extra mile – Zig Ziglar

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SCOTT KELLY'S BIO:

Captain Scott Kelly’s epic Year In Space, now a New York Times best-selling book, solidified his status as one of the greatest pioneers in history. In his acclaimed speech appearances, he now brings audiences to the edge of their seats with transcendent insights that inspire and challenge them to dream big, test the status quo, and “choose to do the hard things.”

One of a select group of Americans who embody a defining moment in the nation’s history, he captivated the world and seized the imagination of millions during his record-breaking voyage—proving that the sky is not the limit when it comes to the potential of the human spirit. On his trip, Scott, together with his identical twin brother Mark on Earth, paved the way for the future of space travel and exploration as the subjects of an unprecedented NASA study on how space affects the human body.

Scott’s New York Times best-selling memoir, Endurance: My Year In Space and Our Journey to Mars, is now available everywhere and has been optioned as a Hollywood film by Sony Pictures.

With awe-inspiring stories from space and personal reflections on leadership, teamwork and testing limits, Scott inspires others to believe that they can reach any goal, no matter how ambitious or audacious. As he looks back on the expedition that shuttled him into history books, audiences revel in the presence of a true American hero and gather unique takeaways on persistence, resilience and self-determination that transform the way they view their own journey through life.

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