Dr. John Delony, the host of The Dr. John Delony Show and co-host of The Ramsey Show, earned his Bachelor of Arts in humanities and psychology at Lubbock Christian University and his Masters of Education in higher education administration from Texas Tech University. He went on to earn two PhDs from Texas Tech University—one in counselor education and supervision, and the other in higher education administration.

Other qualifications and certifications he's earned over the years include:

• Education Management, Harvard University
• Civil Rights, Title IX Investigator (L1), NCHERM/ATIXA
• Certified Behavioral Intervention Team Best Practice (Not Current), National Association of Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA)
• Group Crisis Intervention, Individual Crisis Assistance, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)

After spending over twenty years in crisis response and leading students in higher education (and finding real solutions and freedom in his own wellness journey), John knew he wanted to help as many people as possible heal from their past trauma and live whole, connected lives. He now writes, speaks and teaches on relationships, mental health, anxiety and wellness. He also hosts The Dr. John Delony Show where he answers callers' questions about all of the above, and serves as co-host of The Ramsey Show where he helps unpack the psychology behind finances.

When John isn't working, you can find him hanging out with his wife and two kids on their farm in Tennessee, headbanging at some obscure concert, or obsessing over his new lifting routine.

AWARDS

• Three-Time National Bestselling Author for Redefining Anxiety, Own Your Past, Change Your Future and Building a Non-Anxious Life
• Outstanding Professional in Graduate and Professional Student Services, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)
• Emerging Leader, West Texas Counseling Association
• Life Changer Award, Student Bar Association
• Award of Excellence, Black Law Students Association
• President's Leadership Institute, Texas Tech University
• Distinguished Staff Member, Texas Tech University
• Staff Member of the Year, Chi Alpha Delta Tech Law School

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• State Board of Directors, Disability Rights Texas
• Planning and Network Advisory Committee, Lubbock StarCare
• Victim's Services/Crisis Response Team, Lubbock Police Department
• Board of Directors, Texas Boys Ranch
• Professional Wellness Committee, Texas Counseling Association

Takeaways:

1. Anxiety is NOT an identity. John does a great job of describing what anxiety is and what it is not. He describes anxiety as a snapshot and a smoke alarm. He lets us know that it is NOT an identity that is to be taken as a permanent label or something that we "have" all the time. One of the main problems with labeling ourselves this way is that it creates a false governor, as John puts it, on our potential and limits who we can be. If you get a professional diagnosis of anxiety, treat it like the snapshot that it is and move forward to face those issues causing it as John shows us.
2. Listen to your body and act. That tightness in your chest. The restlessness at night invading our sleep. The mind racing. Like John says, our bodies will tell us when things are not well. As he points out, unfortunately, our culture is one that pushes us not to be intentional and resolve issues, but to instead numb ourselves to these signs from the body. Netflix, drinking, over-working, and others as John mentioned, are used to make us forget about the warning signals…all as our body whispers, then talks, and eventually screams at us for action. The good thing is, we can do the opposite of all the numbing and take action. And John's book, as some of our discussion highlighted, does a great job of telling us how to do this.
3. Choose the hard path that brings you to peace. I like how John says we need to choose our hard – or choose our misery. Taking action is hard but will lead to a good place. Doing nothing will end up with hard results. Which one will you pick? As John says, we need to choose the one that brings us to a place that brings peace and a feeling of being whole.
4. 6 daily habits – As we discussed, John's book brings out 6 daily habits that will help us live our lives as opposed to just letting it happen to us…while the alarms start to sound. John lists these not just as habits but as habits we CHOOSE – as he said, intentionality is the key. A few of the habits we touched on in our conversation were:
   1. Reality – I love how John describes this as choosing our starting line – going to each main area of our lives and actually facing where we really are in each. How are your relationships? Your health? Your finances? John likens it to hearing that smoke alarm in the house – anxiety calling us – and then going from room to room in the house and seeing where we are with each and what we need to do to get to a place where we're at peace and at least know that the smoke alarm is real.
   2. Connection – This is a great one given how we've all become so addicted to our devices. They've replaced our real connection - and that is not how we're wired as humans. We need people and real connection – in person connection as John described, with some of his friends – not fake connection we get from social media and texting. As John noted, our body knows it when we have nobody with whom we can connect. And it wants to set off an alarm for you. We can satisfy or avoid these alarms by seeking REAL connection with people. So, we need to put down the phone or iPad and go out to lunch with a friend. We'll feel better and those alarms will stay quiet.
   3. Freedom – As the body knows when you are out of touch with people due to a lack of connection, it also knows whether or not you have autonomy. As John mentioned, if you are in debt, you gotta go to work. It doesn't matter if you have bad boss, you gotta go. But you can choose freedom by living below your means to get out of debt so you can choose where and for whom you will work. This goes for financial freedom, freedom with our calendars as John and I discussed, and more. Like Johns said, we need to look at our lives and ask who is making the decisions in our lives? How would we rate our autonomy? Do the check…then start getting after the pursuit of that freedom that will bring you peace…and you guessed it…less of those alarms.
5. The Cornerstones of Psychologically healthy human. – I love how John listed these - Faith (believing in something bigger than us and how that brings the peace that comes from knowing you don't have to worry about all the problems in the universe – somebody else's got it), fitness, fun, and family – as the cornerstones of psychologically well human. And he followed it up by saying he just doesn't compromise on these things. What a great way to look at the building blocks of our own foundations – and it's hard to top John's as a model. Establish them. Then commit to never compromising on them. Then the peace – and at least LESS anxiety – is sure to follow.

Links:

Website: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/john-delony

Instagram: @johndelony

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnDelony

TikTok: @johndelony

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnDelony/

X: @johndelony

Trey Gowdy, Fox News Channel host of Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy and author of the book The Color of Death, was born in Greenville, South Carolina and grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is the son of Hal and Novalene Gowdy and has three sisters: Laura, Caroline, and Elizabeth.

From 1994-2000, as a federal prosecutor, Trey prosecuted the full range of federal crimes including narcotics trafficking, bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, child pornography cases, and the murder of a federal witness. He was awarded the Postal Inspector's Award for the successful prosecution of J. Mark Allen, one of "America's Most Wanted" suspects. He also received the highest performance rating a federal prosecutor can receive – two years in a row.

In 2000, he left the U.S. Attorney's office to run for 7th Circuit Solicitor (District Attorney) in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. As 7th Circuit Solicitor, Trey led an office of 25 attorneys and 65 total employees. He started a Violence Against Women Task Force, a Worthless Check Program, enhanced and expanded Drug Court, and implemented a Drug Mother Protocol designed to assist expectant mothers break the cycle of addiction.

He has been recognized statewide for his commitment to victim's rights and drunken driving enforcement and nationally for excellence in death penalty prosecutions.

In 2010, he ran for congress to represent the 4th Congressional District (Greenville and Spartanburg Counties). While in congress he served on the Judiciary Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Intelligence Committee, Education and the Workforce Committee and Ethics Committee. He was also chosen to chair a Select Committee on the events occurring in Libya on September 11-12, 2012.

While in congress he actively participated in numerous congressional investigations, sponsored bills signed into law and had deep and meaningful relationships with scores of colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

After four terms in congress, he announced he would not seek re-election in 2018 and would leave public service for good; thus, ending his career with a flawless record in the courtroom and undefeated in political races. In January of 2019, he returned to his beloved South Carolina to practice law, teach classes with his close friend Senator Tim Scott, and speak on legal issues he considers important to our country. Trey is a best-selling author, host of a television show, and podcast.

Trey is married to Terri Dillard Gowdy, a former first grade school teacher in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They have two children, Watson and Abigail.

Takeaways:

1. Significance over success. As you heard, Trey described winning with class as living a life of significance as defined by us and being able to say that you lived a life that mattered. As Trey emphasized, it's NOT about success, money, or fame – all of which are totally overrated. So, we need to all first determine what significance is to us – then go out and live THAT life. Trey also mentioned the IMPACT he wants to make – making people around him better - as he's living his life of significance. Overall, I think Trey gave us a great model of significance over success by saying he wants to be remembered as a great husband, a great father, a good friend and, ultimately, in terms of his profession, he wants to be remembered as a fair prosecutor.
2. Both sides of the aisle. As you know, this is not a political show, but if you listen to Trey, both in this episode and elsewhere, you will often hear of him refer to his friends on both sides of the aisle. This is one of the things I like most about him – he serves as a good example of where we need to be in terms of treating all people with respect, calling out truth and lies equally, no matter which letter comes behind a person's name. I heard one leader say recently how we all need to put country over party – we simply need to strive to get back to that place. As Trey mentioned, fairness – a beautiful virtue – is absent in politics as it's become too much about chopping down the opponent, popularity and getting clicks. The path back from this, as Trey mentions, is to get to a place where our value for fairness and justice supersedes all.
3. Passion for Justice and Fairness. It was great to hear about why Trey ultimately chose the path of being a prosecutor. First, his Mother, who had a background as a victim's advocate inspired Trey by noting that it often seemed like the defendants got better attorneys than those who were seeking justice for the victims. Then, secondly, Trey was inspired to jump in and do something as he was driving home from the funeral of a family friend who was murdered for not giving up his grandfather's watch. I'm not sure there are better motivating factors than that. And, as Trey indicated, to handle all that comes with that job of a prosecutor – you need to have a passion for it and truly love it. I gained even more respect for Trey, all prosecutors and law enforcement through our conversation. Trey does a great job of portraying the soul crushing nature of the entire pursuit of justice process in The Color of Death.
4. Success Principles. As you heard, Trey's record as a prosecutor is impressive. I loved the notions to which he credits his success – preparation, communication, authenticity, credibility, and integrity - priding himself on the judges and, everybody involved for that matter, being able to rely on what he said. These principles pretty much work with any avenue you choose to pursue and are principles we should carry with us everywhere we go.
5. Peace. We've spoken previously about how the ultimate goal of all we are talking about on this show is the peace that comes from a well-anchored pursuit. I loved it when Trey said – "What other people think about me is none of my business." What a great reminder of a great place to be in a world full of comparisons and negativity. We get there by achieving peace through our anchored pursuit. Trey is on this path – living his life of significance - and we can all get there too.

Links:

Websites: https://www.treygowdy.com

Instagram: @tgowdysc and @gowdyamerica

X: @tgowdysc

Facebook: Trey Gowdy

Other Books by Trey: Unified, How Our Unlikely Friendship Gives Us Hope for a Divided Country (New York Times Best Seller with Tim Scott) Doesn't Hurt to Ask, Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade (New York Times Best Seller), Start, Stay, or Leave, The Art of Decision Making (New York Times Best Seller)

Marty Grunder started Grunder Landscaping Co (GLC) in 1984 so that he and his brother could buy more baseball cards. He didn't have any idea then what it would become. He still serves as the company's Founder and CEO, working to connect with those in the community who could use a great partner in their landscaping. Marty also runs his own business consultancy, The Grow Group, which teaches landscape professionals from across the country how to implement the business practices that work so well for GLC. Their annual event, The Grow Annual Conference, brought 1,000 + landscape pros to Columbus, OH in 2025.

Marty has been recognized as the Ohio Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Midwest by the Small Business Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was also named the Dayton/Miami Valley Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001 by Ernst & Young, and in 2021 was inducted into the Dayton Business Hall of Fame. He's been recognized by the Dayton Business Journal's (DBJ) 40 under 40 and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2020. He was recognized as a Leader in Diversity by the DBJ in 2023 and is an award-winning regular columnist for Landscape Management Magazine.

A lifelong Daytonian, Marty enjoys rooting for the Reds, Bengals, and Dayton Flyers. When he's not working, he loves spending time with his wife, Lisa, visiting their four children, and being "Mulch" and "Pop" to his two granddaughters.

Takeaways:

1. Pursuing your WHY. As he mentioned, from the start of his business journey, Marty had a love for landscaping. This passion was soon combined with a drive, at that time, to get out of college with no debit. This early WHY transformed and expanded into that of building a great team, business, and culture, all while maintaining family as his top priority. What a great example of the notion that when you have a great WHY and pour your heart and soul into chasing it, success is soon to follow.
2. Leadership. Marty has gained so many great leadership lessons on his journey and he continually shares them with his team and consulting group – the Grow Group – they're all lucky to have him. As Marty shared with us, leadership is an ongoing, evolving journey that he's still pursuing. Just to highlight a few of his lessons.. Marty made a great point about how, no matter how hard it is, you need to find a way to delegate. To really grow, you can't do it alone, so, you need to find a way to trust others, build a team of great people around you, and then let them handle responsibilities that are in line with their talents. He also mentions how he battled ego in the beginning. I think this is fairly normal - handling success at young age is NOT easy. It takes a true focus to stop at that line of the confidence that comes from success and making sure it doesn't cross over into cockiness and ego driven behavior that is poisonous to teams and businesses. Marty did this and, now like the great leader he is – he helps other young business owners do the same through the Grow Group.
3. Emotional Intelligence. Related to the leadership points above, Marty mentions the importance of emotional intelligence and how it is a skill you can develop. He points out that it's all about pondering, thinking, slowing down, learning when to talk and when to listen when you're frustrated, etc. Marty's "TNT"– standing for Temperature – cooling down, realizing there is No reason to react, and then finding the T - the opportunity to Teach. This is all a part of building and maintaining solid emotional intelligence – something that is absolutely essential to both leadership and the building of solid and lasting relationships.
4. Culture. Marty makes great culture points here. I love his mantra about how external customer services will never exceed internal customer service, meaning that he needs to treat his team as well as he aims to treat customers. This leads to low turnover and an engaged and inspired team which will in turn, treat the customers well on the front lines. Marty emphasized that NOTHING is more important than culture. He brought this home by describing how he likes to create an atmosphere that is as if the front door is open and back door is closed. They come in the front door and it's so great, they don't want to leave. Marty's built a great model of this and his company's low turnover rate in a high turnover industry is proof that it has been a success.
5. Integrity. I love how simply and bluntly Marty mentioned integrity. It's so essential that he doesn't need a sign for it. It should be automatic. Marty and his team lead by example with a focus on doing the right thing always – no signs are needed for this one.

Links:

Websites: https://grunderlandscaping.com/

Instagram: @grunderlandscaping, @growgroup, @martygrunder

Facebook: Grunder Landscaping Company, Marty Grunder, The Grow Group

DAVE BERKE is a Retired U.S. Marine Corps Officer, Fighter Pilot, and the Chief Officer of Development and Curriculum and Leadership Instructor at Echelon Front.

Dave Berke is a retired Marine Corps officer, fighter pilot, and ground-combat leader. A seasoned F/A-18 Hornet pilot, Dave was deployed twice aboard aircraft carriers in support of combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN and became qualified in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, then served as the Training Officer, the senior staff pilot responsible for the conduct of the TOPGUN course. He was the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor and became the first operational pilot to fly and be qualified in the F-35B, commanding the world's first F-35B squadron.

Dave went on to serve as an ANGLICO forward air controller in the Battle of Ramadi, leading an arms liaison team in combat missions through the most dangerous neighborhoods and accompanying Task Unit Bruiser on virtually every major operation.

Dave holds both a Master's in International Public Policy and an MBA from The John Hopkins University. Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps, Dave joined Jocko Willink and Leif Babin to apply his leadership expertise as the Chief Development Officer at Echelon Front, where he advises, speaks, and instructs civilian teams and companies. He is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Need to Lead", which distills his lessons from TOPGUN to the battlefield into actionable leadership skills.

Takeaways:

1. Leadership exists in every capacity. This is a great point that Dave's book brings home..literally. As Dave points out, it starts with ourselves – actually taking the time to lead ourselves, then also looking to lead in all of our roles – at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond.
2. Detachment. This is a great point that comes out in the book as well as our conversation. It's a word we don't think about often, but I think it perfectly describes what have to do when we lead our teams. Truly effective leadership doesn't happen unless we genuinely listen to our team and take in their perspectives and ideas. For us to do this, we need to have the ability to detach from ourselves – our ego, our emotions, our own viewpoints, etc. If we can do this, we'll develop the ability to consistently lead the team and build a strong culture as well.
3. It's ALWAYS about the team. What an amazing story Dave tells about landing on that carrier in the dark and the snow…being surprised at the SOUND of him landing. Dave tells how he never would have been able to land if it wasn't for the team on the carrier that guided him in – the team on the flight deck, the cat seat controllers who control you at night, air traffic control team, etc. Dave was the pilot, and it would've been easy for him to allow his ego to take over and accept the pats on the back for landing the plane. Instead, he took the lesson its impact on him to teach him the importance of realizing that no matter what you do, it's ALWAYS about the TEAM.

Links:

Website: https://echelonfront.com/leadership-books/the-need-to-lead/

IG: @davidrberke

FB: https://www.facebook.com/DaveRBerke

X: @davidrberke

Masey McLain is an actress, screenwriter, and producer best known for her leading roles in I'm Not Ashamed and the hit Amazon Prime series, The Baxters, where her performances have been praised for their emotional depth. Masey also plays a lead role in Soul On Fire, the recently released movie based on the inspirational life of John O'Leary.

Masey is also one half of a powerhouse creative team alongside her writing and producing partner, Taylor Kalupa. Together, their projects include the award-winning film A Christmas Less Traveled, starring Candace Cameron Bure, as well as their work on the action-packed TV series Blue Ridge. They are currently developing a television series with Jon Erwin's The Wonder Project (I Can Only Imagine, House of David). They're also set to adapt and produce a #1 New York Times bestselling novel alongside producer Roma Downey.

Off-screen, Masey is a sought-after speaker known for inspiring women to step boldly into their purpose. Whether on set, in a writers' room, or on stage, she's committed to telling stories that matter and make an impact that lasts far beyond the screen.

Takeaways:

1. Living a YES life. We joked about Masey's habit of just trying everything. From running, to theater, to film, to singing in front of Jonas brothers. She's a living, breathing example of what it means for us to seize every opportunity that comes our way.
2. Boldly living her purpose. There's no doubt that Masey's purpose is rooted in her faith. This is great in and of itself. But the way Masey truly LIVES her purpose so proudly and boldly is a great model for all of us. We talk a lot about it, and we've had some great guests discuss the importance of self-awareness and doing the work to discovery who we are, how we're wired and what makes us truly LIVE. It's all worth it to get to a place like Masey is where she is living so freely and truly with her soul on fire, knowing she's living on purpose for her purpose. So, we need to do the work to look within ourselves and find what truly drives us – something that builds our foundation and fulfillment – and then go live it, boldly like Masey.
3. Ability to pivot. Masey's performance in playing Rachel Joy Scott in the movie, I Am Not Ashamed is one you need to see. As we discussed, Masey does an incredible job of portraying a person who draws people in as Rachel did before she passed and even did afterward as well. I think this comes naturally for Masey as we discussed. But, then Masey had to be ready to pivot from her career expectations afterward – since she was told her career would take off – and it just didn't. All Masey did was show the strength, the courage, and the faith to take on the new path that developed – that of speaking all across the country. And, again, not only did she benefit from discovering a new talent, but many others benefited as well from her talks. We have to be ready for the pivots of life and then pour ourselves into them…good things will come for us..and for those around us.
4. Soul on Fire Movie. I love Masey's wish for people to have in terms of walking out from this movie – the notion that no matter what - you have a choice with regard to the trajectory/path of your life. But two things. First, YOU have to CHOOSE to LIVE. And second, at times, you will have to FIGHT to LIVE. John clearly did it his whole life after his Mom challenged him to fight. Masey has also done it in her life – choosing to live her purpose and then fight for her pursuit of putting out the best and most positive and impactful content possible.
5. Being Spiritually Selfish. I love this advice from Masey that we discussed. It's so in line with all we've talked about regarding doing the work on yourself so that you can not only pursue your complete, but so you can also maximize the positive impact that comes from maximizing your foundation and talents.

Links:

Website: https://soulonfiremovie.com/

Instagram: @SoulOnFireMovie

Facebook: @SoulOnFireMovie

TikTok: @SoulOnFireMovie

Twitter: @SoulOnFireMovie

YouTube: @SoulOnFireMovie

Masey's Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maseymclain/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaseyMcLain/

Website: https://www.maseymclainofficial.com/

In 1987, John O'Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live.

This epic story of survival was first showcased in Overwhelming Odds, the book his parents wrote in 2006. It was this book that first invited John to embrace his miraculous recovery and share it with the world.

Today, John inspires tens of thousands of people at more than 100 live and virtual events each year. He partners with companies and organizations across fields, such as sales, healthcare, safety, marketing, finance, faith, education and insurance.

Consistently described as "the best speaker we've ever had," John's tireless schedule is a testament to the power of his message. His emotional storytelling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each presentation unforgettable.

John is a two-time bestselling author of On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy.

John's award-winning Live Inspired Podcast has more than seven million downloads and enjoys world-class guests such as Brené Brown, Mitch Albom, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Bob Costas.

Amazingly, John's story is taking on a new form: a full-length feature film starring Joel Courtney, John Corbett, and William H. Macy. SOUL ON FIRE will be released in theaters nationwide on October 10, 2025.

Regardless of his professional accomplishments, John considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family.

Takeaways:

1. Life before the accident. John mentions that life for his family was REALLY good but "we didn't know it." Isn't this how we all are? It's so easy for us to move through life without stopping to take a look around and appreciate all that we have. John's story is just another reminder here. Especially in today's fast-paced world – we need to MAKE time to stop and appreciate our family, friends, and all of those people and things for which we should be grateful.
2. The instant responses to the fire of John's siblings. Like the Navy Seals say, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. Here's it's not so much about training as it is about the seeds of foundation that were planted by John's family. As John said in our conversation, the instantaneous, instinctive, and heroic responses of his siblings at the sight of their brother on fire were all the result of two parents who, as John put it figuratively "sat at the head of the table and insisted that the siblings loved each other."
3. True, Genuine, Unconditional and sometimes tough love from John's parents. From his Dad running after him to tell him he loves him, to, in the movie saying repeatedly "I love you and there's nothing you can do about it" to his Mom and her tough love, forcing John to find a way to eat on his own from the very beginning, despite the challenges. This is a great example of the REAL love we should all strive for…and, I would say John turned out pretty good, so it worked.
4. Fighting to LIVE. John's Mom didn't give him just any answer when he asked if he was going to die. She gave him a real one that came with a challenge. And John more than answered that challenge. This became one of the main themes of John's journey – choosing and fighting to not just survive, but to THRIVE.
5. John's job after college – as a real estate developer. As John said, "It's one thing to overcome the fire. It's another to LIVE after it." It's hard to find a better example of the aggressive application of this phrase than this. Scars over his entire body. No fingers. And he chose to go fix up and flip houses. All he did here, was make a career out of it for 10 years. Simply amazing.
6. Mission statement for life – why do you choose to thrive? We talk about companies having mission statements all the time. But, not as much for individuals. John's is a pretty strong one – God demands it. My family deserves it. The world is starving for it. Let's roll. No excuses – is there any doubt John has lived his mission statement? What's yours? Create one that works for you. Then go live it.
7. Jack Buck. The amazing way Jack, a hall of fame baseball announcer for John's favorite team, showed up for John – not only to help him through his situation, but to coach him up along the way, as he did helping John learn to write. We can all help somebody – and we should strive to pour ourselves out for others like Jack did more often.
8. Living In Awe. As we discussed, John's book, In Awe, is a great reminder to live like we did as kids before "adulting" got in the way. Not avoiding or ignoring responsibilities, but rather just living on OFFENSE, instead of defense. Like John's son, Jack, told him "Dad, I'm playing to win and you're playing not to lose." There's a difference. It's not always easy, but let's follow Jack's way.

Links:

Soul on Fire Movie:

Website: https://soulonfiremovie.com/

Instagram: @SoulOnFireMovie

Facebook: @SoulOnFireMovie

TikTok: @SoulOnFireMovie

Twitter: @SoulOnFireMovie

YouTube: @SoulOnFireMovie

John's Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnoleary.inspires/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnOLearyRisingAbove/

Website: https://johnolearyinspires.com/johns-story/

Dr. Allison Rogers is a part of the Mississippi State University Counseling and Sport Psychology department. She specializes in applied approaches to obtaining peak performance with strategies based in self-awareness, efficacy and autonomy, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and understanding the interconnectedness of thoughts, feelings and behavior. Additionally, Dr. Rogers believes in a holistic approach to well-being and places a significant emphasis on relationships and communication. Dr. Rogers has a master's degree in counseling from West Alabama and a doctorate degree in sport and performance psychology from Western States. She holds a National Certified Counselor credential from the National Board of Certified Counselors and Certified Mental Performance Consulting credential from the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Before coming to Mississippi State, she ran a private practice in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for youth to professional athletes in the area of sport performance psychology (reaching peak performance through mental skills training). Since the start of her career, Dr. Rogers has worked in several mental health capacities across both the private and public sectors with a plethora of experience serving special education and neglected and delinquent populations of individuals. As a Mississippi native, Dr. Rogers strives to increase accessibility of mental health services in her home state while also hoping to continue educating teams and athletes on the benefits of proactive mental performance training.

Takeaways:

1. Self-awareness. I really liked how Allison explained self-awareness as the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Now, more than ever, with all the distractions out there and how fast paced life is – we really need to be extra intentional about this process. We need to study ourselves – doing the work, using any and all resources available to us – to take charge of our thoughts, so that our feelings and behaviors are as we want them to be – leading to positive results for ourselves and our teams.
2. Confidence issues. I hope you were able to note that one of the things Allison deals with the most is that of confidence. Yes, EVEN for D 1 Athletes. As you heard, one of the methods Allison uses to battle confidence issues is the establishing of a journaling habit. This allows her athletes to start with and keep track of small accomplishments and build from there. Once this is done the size of the accomplishments and level of confidences rises. Allison also emphasized the power of positive self-talk, which we've hit on before. And I love how Allison mentioned that we need to be careful not to let our weaknesses define our self-worth. Again, I think the key here is checking in consistently on ourselves – looking in the mirror – and seeing how we're doing - what is and isn't working in terms of how we feel about ourselves and then taking the time and doing the work to make any changes that may be needed.
3. Self-efficacy and autonomy. Allison touched on a great point here. Self-efficacy being the individual's belief in their own ability to succeed. And autonomy – being the capacity to act independently and free from control. As our conversation showed, creating efficacy and autonomy is a team game. Leaders need to create environments that allow for both, and the team's individuals need to work on themselves to best set them up for success both as individuals and as a team. When this comes together success usually follows.
4. Emotional regulation. Bad emotions lead to bad behavior – if we don't know how to regulate them. Again, whether it's breathing techniques as Allison mentioned or otherwise – there are things you can find to do to get better at regulating your emotions. So, we need to be intentional about this as the bad behavior that comes from bad emotions can hurt relationships and teams…in sports and in life..if we let them.
5. Mindfulness. This one is about making sure we stay in the present moment. Another tough challenge for all of us given the speed at which we live. And, again, it's going to take every bit of the best intentional efforts we can give to make it happen. But if we want to be at our best – we have to be where are feet are. Put the phone down and have the conversation. Forget the past slump as Allison mentioned and just play TODAY's game. I like how Allison mentioned getting back to center…using the grounding technique of engaging our senses and soaking all of that in as opposed to engaging bad emotions and distracting negative thoughts about the past, etc.
6. Internal foundation. Allison does a great job of explaining how the building of our internal foundation depends on who we are. So, in line with what we talked about in terms of self-awareness – here's another reason why it's so important. We need to know how we're wired first, so we can figure out the best way to build our internal foundation – one that will be there for us when the ups and downs of life call for it.
7. Relationships. Allison put it pretty simply here, which was great - nothing can happen without genuine relationships. We do the work on self-awareness, we build ourselves into the best versions of ourselves as we've discussed..which leads to emotional control, which leads to better interactions with the team, which makes it easier to work with each other, which forms trusting relationships. Once we get there, the sky is the limit for us and our teams.

Links:

Rachel Cruze is a wife, a mother, a certified financial coach, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and seasoned communicator. Rachel helps Americans learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. She's authored multiple bestselling books, including Know Yourself, Know Your Money, Love Your Life, Not Theirs, Contentment Journal, Smart Money Smart Kids, and a children's book, I'm Glad for What I Have. The daughter of Dave Ramsey, she uses the knowledge and experiences from growing up in the Ramsey household to educate others. She's the host of The Rachel Cruze Show on YouTube and podcast, co-hosts Smart Money Happy Hour with George Kamel, and co-hosts The Ramsey Show, often with her Dad! Check out the links below to follow her!

Takeaways:

1. Avoiding the comparison game. This is a tough one when it comes to the money game because, as Rachel says, whether its social media, the news, or almost anywhere else, the opportunities for us to compare ourselves to others surround us. So, we have to be intentional about getting to a place of peace. This comes from the right combination of foundation and fulfillment that comes from putting in the work. Once we're at this level of peace, we're a LOT less susceptible to the comparison game. And, as Rachel says, we can actually get to a place of celebrating others and turn the viewing of others' success as a positive experience.
2. Knowing ourselves. I love the notion – like the title of her book tells us – to know ourselves so that we can really figure out our true relationship with money. As we've said with winning with class and pursuing your complete – you gotta do the work. We all need to look in the mirror, dig deep and figure out what is driving our relationship with money. Self-awareness is critical in all areas of life and Rachel confirms that the money game is no different.
3. I love how Rachel makes the point that personal finance is 80% behavior, 20% head knowledge. This isn't complicated. We can all get the knowledge we need to have a solid money game. It's our HABITS that we need to analyze and strive to consistently improve – and Rachel helps us with this.
4. Also, like we discussed, just because it's simple, doesn't mean it's easy. And, as we discussed, fear can play a factor. I love how Rachel says that one of the ways we can fight fear is by focusing on the truth – write it all down and get comfortable with the facts. Facts are our friend. Most of the time, either they will reveal that reality is not as bad as you thought OR, even if it's not great, by getting it all in front of you, you've tackled the toughest part which is owning the situation. Now you just need to game plan your way to progress…and we discussed how you can do that, using the baby steps Rachel mentioned.
5. Being Committed v. Just Involved. For the reasons Rachel mentioned – all the positives that money can bring you if used as the tool she describes – freedom, peace, a life of impact and more – the money game needs to be one we all fully COMMIT to on a consistent basis. We can't just be involved – we need to COMMIT!
6. Finally, the word we've begun to speak about regularly on the show pops up again…PEACE….Rachel does a great job of describing PEACE as the result of living a life with the right money perspective and game plan. The peace that involves living a life you love and being generous while you do it..THAT IS winning with class and it simply doesn't get any better than that.

Links:

DR. CAROLINE LEAF is a globally acclaimed communication pathologist and clinical and research neuroscientist, celebrated for her groundbreaking work in harnessing the power of the mind to transform the brain and unlock sustainable happiness and health. A passionate advocate for mental and emotional well-being, she is the bestselling author of 19 transformative books which have been translated into over 24 languages. Her best-selling books include Switch On Your Brain, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, The Perfect You, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, and How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess. Her research and insights have touched millions through widely read journal articles, viral videos, her top-ranking podcast, and inspirational TV episodes. Dr. Leaf is a sought-after speaker, captivating audiences at prestigious academic, medical, and neuroscience conferences, as well as in churches and organizations across the globe. Her expertise has been featured in renowned media outlets such as Forbes, BBC, Mindbodygreen, CNN, Men's Health, Vogue, Elle, TEDX and many others, solidifying her as a trusted voice in neuroscience, personal development, and mental health.

Help In a Hurry Book

Even though it's uncomfortable and sometimes even distressing to us, it's perfectly normal to feel lost, anxious, or overwhelmed at times. It's okay to be a bit of a mess! But none of us wants to stay that way for long.

If you've ever felt stuck in crisis mode, the strategies in this book will help you cope in the moment, manage a chaotic mind, and start living each day with intention and inner peace.

With actionable, evidence-based strategies to handle our most common challenges in life, this practical guide from bestselling author and clinical neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf offers the tools you need to prevent a descent into chaos and instead find peace and strength amid the turmoil of daily life.

Takeaways:

1. The way this book is set up is great. Dr. Leaf dedicates a separate chapter each to common issues a lot of us face and provides tools and information that will help process our responses to these circumstances. We covered one in our conversation – yes, one of the chapters really is titled "Help, I want to punch that person in the face." Other chapters include "Help, I'm under pressure!", "Help, my brain won't shut up!", "Help, I don't understand what the heck is happening!", and more.
2. One of the main things I like about the book is the empowering notion that our minds actually make up 99% of who we are. There's so much out there about brain science – all of which is great. But, as we discussed, that can get a little overwhelming in terms of the science behind how the brain is built and how it functions. To hear Dr. Leaf describe how the mind controls the brain and that WE can manage our minds – that's powerful and should make us all feel like we actually can control everything a lot more than we may have thought before. If we pursue mind management, our brains and even our bodies will end up in a good place.
3. I like how Dr. Leaf says we have 3 time periods in which we can manage our minds. We can prepare beforehand – practice before the situation arises, we can take charge of that 60 second short period before we respond immediately to the circumstances, and then we can do a deep dive for 63 days following our triggering event and transform it into a positive habit or memory. All of this is described as Mind Management.
4. One of the benefits of mind management is that when we choose to be intentional, self-reflective, and manage our own minds, as Dr. Leaf and I discussed, we can avoid following that that that has become all too common of falling into an identity that is based on the surface information and outside sources. If we simply allow the processes and tools of our own mind take over, we will no longer be interested in the quick-hit or "trendy" identity.
5. I also like how Dr. Leaf said that Winning with Class simply is Mind Management. As she said this, she confirmed that when we manage our minds, it allows us to be both strong AND nice as people. This balance is exactly what winning with class – and the pursuit of complete - is all about.
6. Finally, I like how Dr. Leaf referred to PEACE as FUEL. Ultimately, all of this – mind management, winning with class, pursuing complete…it's all about achieving a level of PEACE. This peace is, as Dr. Leaf says, FUEL – fuel that will free us and allow us all to maximize our time and our talents and the resulting POSITIVE IMPACT that we will have on ourselves and all those surrounding us.

Links:

Nick Mingione was named Kentucky's head coach on June 13, 2016 and quickly became a respected piece of the UK Baseball program and local community, while guiding the Wildcats to their only Super Regional and first-ever College World Series appearance in school history.

In his rookie season as a head coach, Mingione proved a quick study as the 2017 Wildcats etched their name all over the school's record books. The program made a trip to the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals for the first time and finished ranked in the Top 10 of every major college baseball poll. In year seven, Mingione repeated the feat by returning to the Super Regional and climbing into the Top 10 during the season.

UK has hosted a regional four times in history, all of which Mingione was on staff for, including twice as head coach.

The Wildcats had a record-breaking 2024 season that earned Mingione his second SEC and National Coach of the year awards. UK set a new school record with 46 victories and won the SEC regular season crown for just the second time.

Mingione – who spent eight seasons as an assistant to Cohen at Mississippi State – was an immediate hit with fans and community leaders. He made it a point to have his team involved in the community, part of his "Student. Person. Player." guiding principle of the program, participating in numerous philanthropic events in Lexington while also taking time for more than 100 local speaking engagements.

His impact on the Commonwealth culminated in being named a Kentucky Colonel on Oct. 23, 2017. The designation is the highest honor a civilian can receive in Kentucky. He also was named the 2022 winner of the Fellowship of Christian Athlete's Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award for his work on and off the field.

The Cats also have been dominant in the classroom, having 31 players receive SEC Academic Honor Roll and First-Year Honor Roll in 2018, eight more than any other school in the conference. Zach Logue was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2017, Troy Squires won the prestigious Senior CLASS Award in 2018, the first Kentucky player to do so, and Marshall Gei was First-Team Academic All-America in 2019. T.J. Collett then became the second Wildcat in four years to win the Senior CLASS Award when he was honored in 2021. UK also has had an Academic All-American in five of the past six years.

"He's a special coach," LSU coach Jay Johnson said. "They know how to play. They know how to win. Their pitchers know exactly who they are, how to execute it. They know exactly the style of offense that they are, and they play it great. He's a special dude. He's a special competitor. He's a great coach and a great human being."

Mingione – born in Tarrytown, N.Y., before growing up in Florida – graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2000 with a degree in aerospace studies, as well as a triple minor in business, psychology and humanities. He was also a four-year letterman on the school's baseball team.

Away from coaching, Mingione travels often for both speaking engagements and mission trips. In 2013, he and a group of former players and coaches helped build houses and run baseball clinics for youth on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. When he returned stateside, he was inducted into the "Be The Best You Are" Baseball Clinic Speaker Hall of Fame. Other past inductees include Ted Williams (2002), Ron Polk (2003), Leo Mazzone (2006) and Cohen (2008).

Mingione and his wife, Christen, have one son, Reeves.

Key Takeaways:

1. From the start, it was pretty clear that Coach Mingione had coaching in his heart. We talk a lot about pursuing your complete – one of the main aspects of this is pursuing a life that is truly in line with how you are wired from the inside. This is the best path to pursuing a life as the best and most COMPLETE versions of ourselves. Coach has clearly done this, and it comes out in the genuine nature with which he discusses his role as coach and leader.
2. "It's not what you're playing for, it's WHO you're playing for." What a fantastic notion for all of us – in sports and in life. If we can maintain this as our mentality for ourselves, for the teams we play on, the businesses in which we work, the communities in which we live – playing and living not for trophies and awards, but as the best representative of ourselves and those around us…there is no limit for how far we can all go.
3. Coach's three culture points: 1) It's an everyday thing. 2) It's about what you allow – he strives to allow his players to be best versions of selves 3) It's about what you reinforce. I love how he mentions that "consistency compounds." The result - it becomes WHO YOU ARE as players and as a team. That's when the fun starts.
4. The standard is the standard. I love this one. There is little room for gray here. And it's great for all of us – as individuals and teams. You establish standards that will lead you where you want to – and then you follow them. Then you encourage repetition with acknowledgement and rewards. As the repetition builds…you end up defining yourself and your team. As Coach indicates, elite teams and losing teams are usually defined by their standards.
5. Feedback – breakfast of champions. This is a great one as well. We can't grow if we can't give and receive feedback. When we give it, it needs to be from the right place in our hearts. Likewise, when we receive it, it needs to be with an open heart. A critical piece to this is letting go of EGO. Coach mentions that he defines ego as "Edging God Out" which I love as well. Or another way to say it is just putting aside our self-interest and opening ourselves up for growth, acknowledging that the person giving the feedback just wants growth and improvement for us and the team.
6. Coach's FOUNDATION is clear. Faith, family, and UK make up his foundation and this is clearly genuine as he discusses it so naturally. I really like how his faith is unwavering for him, but he acknowledges that, as a leader, he needs to meet his players where they are on THEIR journey. He is always open to share his faith but won't force it on anybody either.
7. Related to this point on FOUNDATION is our common notion of PURSUING COMPLETE. I like how coach mentions here the important step of eliminating the negatives as well as adding the positives in this PURSUIT. He can't have whining, complaining, soft, lazy or selfish and strives to eliminate those as much as he works to build the positive elements of the team's culture. Eliminating the negatives from our lives should be just as much a part of our PURSUIT of COMPLETE as adding and chasing the positive aspects of who we strive to be.
8. Leadership style. Two points here. First, I love coach's simple, yet powerful style of simply asking questions and listening. He mentions how this process takes some longer than others, but, as the example he provided of taking three meetings with one player, it sounds like Coach usually gets everybody where they need to be with this process. Second, the notion of "better caught than taught." There's no better way to lead than by example. It can be supplemented by teaching and coaching, but they'll follow you mostly because of what they SEE in you.

Links:

Website: www.ukathletics.com IG: @ukbaseball X: @Coach_Mingione