The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode 120: Andrew Brandt – Learning From A World Class Negotiator Andrew Brandt leads a fascinating life.  A great mentor of mine told me to always be on the lookout for others who have had “success in multiple life categories.” In Andrew’s case, he’s done that throughout his life: Stanford graduating Cum Laude à Georgetown Law à NFL Player agent à VP and head negotiator for The Green Bay Packers à Top Business analyst for ESPN/Writer for The MMQB/ Leader at Villanova.  This is a very insightful conversation on The Learning Leader Show. Andrew Brandt is an ESPN Business Analyst. He’s a weekly columnist; at The MMQB.com Andrew is also the Exec. Director, Moorad Center at Villanova. He focuses on trying to stay true to the good and never peaking.  Previously, he was the Vice President of Player Finance and General Counsel of Green Bay Packers.  He was in charge of The Packers Salary Cap as well as negotiating all of the player contracts for the team. Episode 120: Andrew Brandt – Learning From A World Class Ne

Episode 119: Jane Atkinson – How To Launch Your Speaking Career If you ever plan to speak in front of a group of people, then you’ll want to listen to this episode with Jane Atkinson.  If you have a desire to speak professionally and get paid, then you’ll love this conversation.  I really enjoyed this conversation, specifically the portion of the talk where Jane did a live workshop with me.   I learned a great deal about the speaking profession from Jane Atkinson has been helping speakers catapult their businesses for over 20 years. As a former speaker’s agent, she has represented numerous speakers, celebrities and best-selling authors. Today, as a speaker coach, Jane has helped some of the industry’s hottest stars. Many of Jane’s clients have vaulted to the top 3% of the field. Her clients are the who’s who…. Executive VP’s of Fortune 100 companies, Editors-in-Chief of Top Magazines, Bestselling Authors, Adventurers, Ivy League Professors and regular everyday people who have a strong message. Jane’s book ent

Episode 118: Greg McKeown – Essentialism: The Discipline Of Saying No I’ve been a big fan of Greg McKeown’s message and his writing since his best-selling book, “Essentialism” came out.  Greg has mastered the art and science behind optimizing his day, creating routines, and always asking the question, “Is this the absolute best use of my time?”  This is a very important and helpful conversation that we all can learn from.  How can we say no more often and eliminate everything that is not essential? Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people break through to the next level—and others don’t. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown’s latest project: the instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.  As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success. Episode 118: Greg McKeown – Essen

Episode 117: Tim Urban –  Using Procrastination to Perform A Ted Talk & Befriend Elon Musk Listen carefully to both the beginning and the end of this conversation.  Tim Urban is one of the most thoughtful leaders that I have ever met.  As a listener I found Tim to be patient and thoughtful in his responses to my questions, sometimes taking a minute or so before his point came across.  Genuinely, I loved that about him.  Be prepared for an incredibly funny, yet insightful conversation on The Learning Leader Show. Tim Urban has become one of the Internet’s most popular writers. With wry stick-figure illustrations and occasionally epic prose on everything from procrastination to artificial intelligence, Urban's blog, Wait But Why, has garnered millions of unique page views, thousands of patrons and famous fans like Elon Musk. (Bio from Ted.com) Episode 117: Tim Urban –  Using Procrastination to Perform A Ted Talk & Befriend Elon Musk Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show “Life i

Episode 116: Paul Madera – Why He Invested $10 Million In Facebook In 2005 Paul Madera is one of the most down to earth and humble people I’ve ever spoken to… Considering the immense level of success in multiple life categories, I initially expected that he would have at least a semblance of an ego.  As you’ll hear, that does not exist within Paul.  What a refreshing and enjoyable conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. Paul Madera is the founder of Meritech (1999).  Meritech is known as the pioneer of late stage investing. Paul currently focuses on the SaaS, storage, e-commerce, financial technology, digital consumer, and medical device sectors.  In 2005, Paul sat down with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and made the decision to invest $10 million to earn 2% of Facebook at the time ($500m valuation).  As most people know, Facebook is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars.  Paul also led the charge for Meritech to be an early investor in Salesforce.com among many other great decisions. Pau

Episode 115: Amy Porterfield - Working With Tony Robbins, Harley Davidson, & Launching Your Own Business Amy Porterfield is remarkably intelligent and an absolute joy to talk to.  I love her attitude and approach to her life and business.  Sometimes you have a conversation where it just clicks and this is one of those.  Between being a world class leader/coach/trainer, Amy is successful in multiple life categories.  I loved this conversation. Amy Porterfield is the co-author of “Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies” and a Social Media Strategist.  She creates educational programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them get more traffic, leads and sales with social media marketing. She’s been in the marketing arena for over 12 years and spent over 6 years working alongside Peak Performance Coach, Tony Robbins, where she managed his content marketing team and major online marketing campaigns. Episode 115: Amy Porterfield - Working With Tony Robbins, Harley Davidson, & Launching Your Own

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Superpower Cal Newport is a remarkably intelligent leader… I am a massive fan of his writing and have been following his work for years.  It was a thrill to speak with him directly.  This conversation went deep on many levels.  The importance of doing deep work is something I've written about for The Huffington Post as one of the core qualities of a leader who has sustained excellence over an extended period of time.   Cal Newport is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distributed algorithms. He previously earned his Ph.D. from MIT in 2009 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004. His most recent book, Deep Work, argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy, and that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive. On publication, Deep Work became an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and received praise in the New York Times Book Review,

Episode 113: David Meerman Scott – How Donald Trump Has Mastered NewsJacking David Meerman Scott is a remarkable leader… I really appreciate that he’s actively seeking out opportunities to learn, grow, and help others. On this episode, I learned a great deal about Newsjacking – what that meant and how we all can do it.  I also learned a lot about how David became a world class speaker commanding over $25,000 per hour.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. David Meerman Scott’s book The New Rules of Marketing & PR opened people’s eyes to the new realities of marketing and public relations on the Web. Six months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list with over a quarter of a million copies sold in more than 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese, “New Rules” is now a modern business classic. He is the author of ten books and the series editor of six. His other international bestsellers include Real-Time Marketing & PR and Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead

Episode 112: Liz Wessel – Why You Should Cold E-Mail Your Heroes Liz Wessel is a remarkably talented leader… I found her to be extremely interesting and dynamic during this conversation on The Learning Leader Show.  I also admire her guts, will, and determination to create, grow, and sustain her company.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. Liz Wessel is the CEO of WayUp.  WayUp is the largest online marketplace exclusively for college students and recent grads to find employment.  Their mission is to connect students with awesome opportunities.  Liz and WayUp have since raised $9.1 million in funding. Liz is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who’s had the entrepreneurial bug since birth.  Initially after graduation she took on a leadership role at Google and famously told them on her first day, “Consider this my 2 years notice.”  Liz stayed true to her word and exactly two years after starting at Google, she left to launch her own business. Episode 112: Liz Wess

Episode 111: Chris Guillebeau – How To Create Your Dream Job Chris Guillebeau is an extraordinary leader.  Between his best-selling books and hosting the World Domination Summit every summer, he’s constantly inspiring and empowering others to be creators and leaders.  During this conversation, you’ll get to hear why Chris specifically wanted to come on the show and his personal backstory (It’s incredible).  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Since then he has modeled the proven definition of an entrepreneur: “Someone who will work 24 hours a day for themselves to avoid working one hour a day for someone else.” Chris’s first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, “The $100 Startup,” was a New York Times and Wall Street

Episode 110: James Clear – How To Habits Using Warren Buffett’s 2 List Strategy James Clear is a leader who has researched and learned how the best leaders in the world form fantastic habits.  On this episode, I was inspired to hear how James has made it his life’s work to study leaders who have sustained excellence and then has shared what he’s found with the world.  I particularly enjoyed the part of our conversation where we discussed the specific ways all of us can implement and form great habits in our lives. James Clear studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns in his popular email newsletter. James teaches others to: Use small habits to multiply your mental and physical performance by 10x.  Beat procrastination and shave wasted hours off your workweek. Overcome their inner fears and actually follow through on what they set

Episode 109 Natalie Sisson:  A Clear Vision, Discipline, & Leveling Up Can Lead To The Life You Want Natalie Sisson is an adventurous leader… I really appreciate the way she approaches her work.  She is incredibly passionate about building amazing online businesses and that passion is evident in her voice!  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. Natalie Sisson is the Suitcase Entrepreneur because, since leaving New Zealand in 2006, she’s travelled and explored the world (69 countries and counting), lived out of her suitcase and run an online business that allows her massive freedom while generating a multiple six-figure income in 2015 alone. Natalie was destined to live out of a suitcase – both from a physical sense – she prefers to buy experiences over stuff, and she has a mental attitude of minimalism and a carefree attitude of no burdens. Natalie is on a mission to help 1,000,000+ entrepreneurs create true freedom in life by 2020. Episode 109 Natalie Sisson:  A C

Episode 108: Steven Kotler – Your Flow State:  What Is It? How To Get There… Steven Kotler is a remarkable leader… I really appreciate that he’s actively seeking out opportunities to get to his “flow” state.  Your flow state is your optimal level of consciousness.  On this episode, I learned a great deal about being in flow and finding ways to get there more often.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and the cofounder/director of research for the Flow Genome Project. He is one of the world’s leading experts on ultimate human performance. His latest work, Bold was called a “visionary roadmap for change,” by President Bill Clinton and spent many weeks atop both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. His previous book, The Rise of Superman, was one of the most talked about books in 2013 and the first book in history to land on national bestseller lists in the sports,

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why Simon Sinek is a bucket list type of a guest.  He is a literally hero of mine.  His TED Talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” is one of my all-time favorites.  It’s also happens to be one of the most popular TED talks of all time.  I loved learning more about Simon the person… As well as some of his newer views on leadership...  I loved how emotional Simon got at certain points in this conversation… Especially when we discussed how it takes courage for great leaders to step up and make tough decisions.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. Simon Sinek is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. With a bold goal to help build a world in which the vast majority of people go home every day feeling fulfilled by their work, Sinek is leading a

Episode 106: Michelle Gielan – How To Broadcast Happiness Michelle Gielan is a remarkable leader… I love the way she approaches her work.  Studying happiness and the mindset in which she approaches life inspires me!  Her newest book, “Broadcasting Happiness” takes an incredible look at some really interesting topics on happiness including: Priming your brain for high performance, how to spark positive thinking, and How to deal with negative people.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. Michelle Gielan, national CBS News anchor turned positive psychology researcher, is the bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness. Michelle is the Founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research and is partnered with Arianna Huffington to study how transformative stories fuel success. She is an Executive Producer of “The Happiness Advantage” Special on PBS and a featured professor in Oprah’s Happiness course. Michelle holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the Univ

Episode 105: David Burkus – How The Best Companies Are Breaking All The Rules David Burkus is a remarkable leader… I really appreciate that he’s actively seeking out opportunities to learn and grow.  His newest book takes an incredible look at some really interesting topics such as: getting rid of open offices, banning non-compete clauses, and making salaries transparent.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show. David is the best-selling author of The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies Generate Great Ideas. He writes regularly for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Psychology Today. He’s also the founder and host of Radio Free Leader, a podcast that shares insights on leadership, innovation, and strategy. He’s delivered keynote speeches and workshops for Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft and Stryker, in-demand conferences such as SXSW and TEDx events, and governmental leaders and future leaders at the US Naval Academy and Naval Postgrad

Episode 104: Tom Bilyeu: How To Grow Your Business 57,000% In 3 Years Tom Bilyeu is an incredible leader… I really appreciate that he’s actively seeking out opportunities to learn and grow.  His company has had massive amounts of success in an extremely short period of time.  They’ve grown 57,000 % in the last three years.  Tom has an energy and excitement in his voice that moves and empowers people. Tom Bilyeu is the Co-Founder/President of Quest Nutrition.  Quest is number 2 on the list of Inc.’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies.  Tom is also the Host Inside Quest – An incredible show he publishes on YouTube where he speaks with some of the greatest leaders in the world… People who are titans of their industry like, Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Rainn Wilson, Robert Greene, Lewis Howes, and more… Episode 104: Tom Bilyeu: How To Grow Your Business 57,000% In 3 Years Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show “When You Have A Growth Mindset, Those Inadequacies Are Opportunities” In This Episode

Episode 103: Chase Jarvis – 28 Ways To Be More Creative Chase Jarvis is one of my favorite leaders in the world.  I love his attitude and his approach to his life and business.  Sometimes you have a conversation where it just clicks and this is one of those.  Between being a world class photographer and running perhaps the greatest learning platform in the world (Creative Live), Chase is successful in multiple life categories.  I absolutely loved this conversation. Chase Jarvis is an award winning photographer, director, and media maven.  He co-founded CreativeLive in 2010 to share free creative education with aspiring artists and entrepreneurs worldwide. In addition to his work creating campaigns for Nike, Apple, RedBull, Starbucks and other Fortune 100 companies Chase is widely recognized for creating Best Camera - the world's first photo app to share images to social networks - which kicked off the mobile photography/sharing craze. Episode 103: Chase Jarvis – 28 Ways To Be More Creative Subscribe on iTunes

Episode 102: Steve Kamb - How To Level Up Your Life Steve Kamb is a giving leader who has experienced immense success building his company.  On this episode, I was inspired to hear how Steve has progressed in multiple life categories.  I particularly enjoyed the part of our conversation where we discussed the specific ways all of us can “level up our lives.” Embracing gamification to unlock your happiness and exceed your goals was also a unique tactic that I personally will be employing. Steve Kamb is the rebel leader at NerdFitness.com.  He helps desk jockeys, nerd, and average Joes level up their lives.  And occasionally he travels the world on an “Epic Quest of Awesome.”  His goal is to inspire people to make positive changes which will help you live a better life.  He’ll educate you on how to work out properly, cook a decent meal, and consistently improve your health and well-being. He just released an incredible book titled, “Level Up Your Life:  How To Unlock Adventure and Happiness By Becoming The Hero

Episode 101: Jay Baer – Why You Should Hug Your Haters I am a huge Jay Baer fan… Having the opportunity to speak with him for this episode was a huge thrill for me.   He has an energy and excitement in his voice that moves people.  He’s also willing to be vulnerable and share details about really tough moments in his life.  You’ll hear it throughout this episode.  I loved having Jay on the show. Jay Baer is The world’s most inspirational marketing and customer service keynote speaker. He helps businesspeople fundamentally rethink their approach to marketing and customer service, helping them gain more customers and keep those they’ve already earned.  He’s An experienced pro, having given hundreds of insightful, humorous presentations world-wide to audiences as large as 10,000.  He’s also a New York Times best-selling author of five books and an advisor to more than 700 companies since 1994, including Caterpillar, Nike, The United Nations and 32 of the FORTUNE 500. Episode 101: Jay Baer – Why You Should Hug Yo