What happens when a leader stops running from their most painful chapter and starts leading from it?

Kelly Diane Galloway — award-winning humanitarian, founder of Project Mona's House, PBS documentary producer, and the woman who walked 902 miles along the Underground Railroad — joins Brek Cockrell in the Locker Room for one of the most powerful conversations we've had on this show.

Kelly grew up in Buffalo with a strong foundation, but after losing her brother to gun violence at a young age, grief pulled her into the streets. She went from nearly finishing last in her high school class to building a nationally recognized organization where over 92% of graduates achieve homeownership and financial independence. Today she leads anti-trafficking work across the globe, empowers young girls through the Young Women's Empowerment Academy, and is turning 120 girls into published authors.

In this episode, we talk about how trauma becomes a leadership asset when you stop hiding it, why trust is built through consistency, transparency, and celebration, and what it really costs to lead something that didn't exist before you built it.

Kelly also drops one of the most unforgettable leadership metaphors you'll hear this year — involving a little girl, a dark room, and a light switch.

If you've been waiting for permission to stop hiding your story, this is your episode.

🔗 Learn more: projectmonashouse.com🔗 Connect with Kelly: @kellydianegalloway

What does it take to lead when the pressure is real, the stakes are high, and nobody handed you a playbook?

In this episode, Brek Cockrell sits down with Carlos V. Spencer — transformational speaker, author of Flip the Switch: Let's Go, Let's Grow, Let's Get It, former New York State Trooper, and the first African American speaker invited to address the NY State Police Academy. Carlos takes us from growing up in the projects of Buffalo to captaining a Division I football team, leading 196 personalities through a paramilitary police academy, and stepping into full-time purpose work helping others break through the mental roadblocks holding them back.

Along the way, he drops gems on what it means to lead from the middle, why consistency is the real cheat code, the difference between being nice and being kind as a leader, and why the pressure you're feeling right now might just be the tool that pulls someone else through later. Plus, Carlos shares a powerful story about fatherhood, showing up in spaces where he never had a model, and the moment a coach's words unlocked a gear he didn't know he had.

If you've ever felt stuck, overlooked, or unsure whether the grind is worth it — this one's for you. Let's go, let's grow, let's get it.

Who are you really trusting to run your leadership?

In this solo session, Brek steps into the Locker Room to bring the full Throwdown Thursday series to life — and it all comes down to four letters: EDOT. Everything Depends on Trust.

Built on the ancient wisdom of Proverbs 3:5–6, this episode breaks down a powerful framework for purpose-driven leaders: 3 lenses, 2 verses, 1 operating system. Through the lenses of Becoming, Producing, and Performing, Brek challenges leaders to close the gap between what they say they trust and how they actually lead — in the pressure moments, the high-confidence moments, and every daily decision in between.

Trust isn't just a value. It's the soil out of which everything good grows.

In this episode:

• Why the gap between what you say and how you operate quietly breaks down leadership
• The EDOT framework and why it's the foundation of everything
• How Proverbs 3:5–6 serves as a living operating system for leaders today
• What it really means to lead with all your heart

Whether you're in a season of growth or feeling the weight of the gap — this one's for you.

You don't need more information. You don't need a better plan. And you definitely don't need to wait until everything feels ready. Nine times out of ten, you already know what you need to do — you're just avoiding it.

In this solo episode, Brek Cockrell pulls back the curtain on the phrase at the heart of this podcast: Your Next Best Step. Where did it come from? Why does it matter? And what does it actually take to stop overthinking and start moving?

Brek shares the personal story behind the name — rooted in a season of transition, a book that stopped him in his tracks, and the moment he realized that waiting for the full picture was just fear in disguise. From there, he breaks down three truths every purpose-driven leader needs to hear:

• Movement creates clarity — you don't need to see the whole road, just the next 200 feet
• Best is not the same as fastest — wisdom, not speed, is what separates good leaders from great ones
• Your next step is easier when you're not taking it alone — trust and community aren't soft skills, they're leadership essentials

Plus, Brek shares three practical questions you can ask yourself this week to get unstuck and take your next best step with clarity and confidence.

If you've been sitting on something — a decision, a dream, a conversation you keep putting off — this episode is your nudge.

What happens when a top 1% mortgage advisor — five years running — stops chasing every shiny object and bets everything on doing less, better?

In this episode of Your Next Best Step, Brek welcomes back Joshua Dean, leader of The Dean Team Experience and National Sales Director at Homeowners Financial Group, for a conversation that's as much about life and leadership as it is about loans.

Joshua Dean is a Top 1% Mortgage Advisor and trusted guide in home financing, helping individuals and families turn homeownership into a powerful wealth-building tool. As the leader of The Dean Team Experience, he's committed to delivering more than loans — he delivers strategy, education, and relationships that last. His philosophy is simple: We care deeply, advise wisely, and give freely.

Joshua gets honest about what it actually took to go from average to elite, why he almost drove his wife crazy paying for coaching, and the one correction he's made in his own leadership this year that's already changing how his team executes. Whether you're in sales, ministry, business, or just trying to focus in a world that won't stop throwing new ideas at you — this one's for you.

🎙️ Subscribe, share, and take your next best step.

What happens when a kid from Buffalo answers a call that takes him far beyond anything he ever imagined?

In this episode of Your Next Best Step, host Brek Cockrell sits down with Bishop Matthew L. Brown — senior pastor of Greater Community Church of God in Christ in Marietta, Georgia, a church with over 100 years of legacy — for a conversation that is as honest as it is inspiring.

Bishop Brown takes us from the blue-collar streets of Buffalo, New York, to the halls of city government, to the pulpit of one of Atlanta's most community-rooted churches. Along the way, he unpacks what it really means to lead with purpose, stay rooted when life pulls you in every direction, and build something that outlasts you.

This episode covers it all — identity, calling, race, faith, and the kind of leadership that doesn't just talk about community, it becomes it.

You'll walk away with three things every leader needs right now: the courage to refocus, the humility to learn, unlearn, and relearn, and the clarity to find where your deep gladness meets the world's deep hunger.

This is more than a leadership conversation. This is a life one.

🎙️ Subscribe, share, and take your next best step.

What does it actually take to build a culture where every voice is heard and every person truly belongs? In this episode of Your Next Best Step, Brek sits down with Ekua Mends-Aidoo, CCDP, founder and president of Clementine Gold Group — a full-service strategy, planning, and community engagement firm doing some of the most necessary work in organizations today.

Ekua doesn't consult from a distance. She gets in the room, earns trust, and does the work with people, not just for them. A Cornell Certified Diversity Professional with over 15 years of experience across municipal government, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations, Ekua brings a grounded, people-first perspective on what it truly costs when organizations ignore culture — and what becomes possible when they finally decide to take it seriously.

In this conversation, you'll hear how her Ghanaian roots and Buffalo roots shaped her entire approach to this work, why she named her company after her grandmother, what it means to lead when you're exhausted and wondering if the fight is still worth it, and the one thing every leader needs to return to when the work gets hard.

If you care deeply about your people and your culture but you're tired and uncertain — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen, subscribe, and share with a leader who needs it.📩 Want weekly leadership lessons rooted in scripture? Sign up for Throwdown Thursdays at bcleadershipco.com

What does it take to lead with oneness instead of isolation?

In this powerful conversation, Brek Cockrell sits down with DaMar Dowell—author, musician, father, husband, and Buffalo community leader—to explore the evolution from dictator-style leadership to collaborative, rooted leadership.

DaMar shares his journey from "my way or the highway" to understanding the power of different perspectives through a compelling samurai warrior analogy. He opens up about the lessons learned through 17+ years of marriage, raising four kids, earning his master's degree from Gonzaga, and leading in multiple spaces as a worship leader, communicator, and entrepreneur.

This episode covers the importance of being present, the danger of leading with only one perspective, why getting alone is essential when you feel stuck, and how community around the "Ring of Fire" has shaped authentic leadership in Buffalo. Damar also shares his leadership walk-up song and offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating uncertainty in their leadership.

Key Topics:

• The shift from dictator to collaborative leadership
• The one-eyed warrior analogy for partnership and team vision
• Marriage as a leadership teacher
• Being present vs. living in anxiety or regret
• What to do when you feel stuck as a leader
• The power of community and authentic conversation
• Buffalo's unique leadership culture

Perfect for: Leaders navigating transition, entrepreneurs building teams, pastors and ministry leaders, anyone who feels stuck or uncertain in their leadership journey.

Connect with the show: Share this episode with another leader who needs to hear it. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Remember: Clarity fuels confidence. Confidence moves you forward. Keep leading with purpose.

What happens when a DJ from Buffalo decides to stop waiting for permission and starts building platforms for others to be heard?

In this episode, Brek sits down with Jamil Crews — founder of Cruise Control Media and The PodHub, photographer, world-renowned DJ, and one of the most intentional behind-the-scenes leaders you'll meet. Jamil shares how he went from piecing together old equipment in a 2-bedroom apartment to running a media company that amplifies voices across Buffalo and beyond.

They dive into the real story — from mentoring Brek's son Caleb in photography, to the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with fatherhood, to what it means to stay rooted in faith when life keeps evolving. Jamil gets vulnerable about the areas he's still figuring out, why he refuses to have it all together, and how his relationship with God has been the one constant through every season.

This episode is for the builders, the creatives, and the leaders who know that the best work often happens when nobody's watching.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• How Cruise Control Media and The PodHub were born
• The power of amplifying others instead of promoting yourself
• Mentorship, legacy, and the coaching tree effect
• Navigating fatherhood and business at the same time
• Why staying rooted in faith is the ultimate leadership advantage
• The importance of giving yourself grace while still growing

If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you're ready to do the root work so the fruit can work, visit bcleadership.com to learn about coaching with Brek.

Leadership isn't neutral—you're either being formed or deformed by the way you live and lead.

In this episode, Brek unpacks a powerful framework from Galatians 5 that reveals two kinds of leaders: the spirit-led leader who cultivates love, joy, peace, and self-control, and the self-driven leader fueled by ego, comparison, and the constant hustle. Brek shares four warning signs that you might be slipping into self-driven leadership and offers a compelling reminder: you can win the room, get the promotion, and hit every number—and still lose your soul. If you've ever felt like success isn't quite fulfilling anymore, this episode is your invitation to pursue significance over success and stay rooted for the long game.