The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

032: Steve Sims – How To Create World Class Experiences | Why Elon Musk Is A Great Learning Leader Steve Sims is one of the coolest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.  He leads a life that most people would love to lead. I am very grateful that John Corcoran introduced Steve to me.  This was a fantastic episode where we covered a ton of topics ranging from how Steve creates the best experiences in the world for his clients to how he now is a regular speaker at Harvard!  I promise you will love this episode. Steve Sims is the visionary founder of Bluefish: the world’s first luxury concierge that delivers the highest level of personalized travel, transportation, and cutting-edge entertainment services to corporate executives, celebrities, professional athletes, and other discerning individuals interested in living life to its fullest. Just some of the extraordinary experiences that Steve and his Bluefish team have made possible for his A-list clientele include: Visiting the International Space Statio

Episode 031: Gary Vaynerchuk on Leadership, Self-Awareness, Empathy, and Bill Parcells I originally sent a cold email to Gary roughly 6 months ago asking him to be one of the first guests on my podcast, The Learning Leader Show.  He initially responded and said, “No, I won’t do it as I’m not recording any podcasts now, but maybe you can convince me to do it later.”  Well, six months later (after many emails), Gary and I recorded an incredible episode.  I’m extremely proud of this, and I was especially happy to hear the kind words Gary shared about me and the persistence I showed as well as how I handled a couple scheduling issues we’ve had along the way.  Enjoy this episode with the Great Gary Vaynerchuk! Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, and an internet personality with millions of follows across multiple social media platforms.  Gary has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, and Time.  He’s appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Ellen. W

Episode 030: Keith Hawk – Being An Effective Business Leader Is A Lot Like Being A Great Dad This episode was very special to me as I had the opportunity to record a phenomenal episode with the greatest learning leader I’ve ever known.  This is a really special Father’s Day episode.  There are a ton of actionable takeaways for all of YOU:  The great listeners and friends of The Learning Leader Show… Keith is a 35-year veteran sales professional and sales leader.  Over the course of his career he has developed a rich understanding of what it takes to be a successful sales professional.  For over 15 years he's led one of America's greatest sales organizations, at LexisNexis.  He continues in a customer focused role to this day at that global organization, speaking to customer groups around the world on the topic of solving business problems with the solutions offered by his firm.  In addition, he continues to lecture regularly on topics such as leadership, selling to executives, and his personal favorite:  the

Episode 029: Dave Carroll – How To Create A Movement Through Storytelling (United Breaks Guitars) Known as a master storyteller, Dave Carroll’s incredible talent was introduced to millions when his 2009 anthem ‘United Breaks Guitars’ became a worldwide sensation. The song chronicled his experience in the customer service process with United Airlines. His creative use of social media to share that message as an Independent Musician, has reached over 150 million people. As the #1 most watched YouTube Music Video in the world in July 2009, United Breaks Guitars has been called ‘one of the most important [videos] in Google’s history,’ and became a metaphor for change and innovation. Dave Carroll and United Breaks Guitars are now recognized as ‘household names.’ United Breaks Guitars won the 2009 Music Nova Scotia Video of the Year Award and Dave Carroll was award the 2009 Music Nova Scotia Digital Artist of the Year. Dave was also nominated for the 2010 ECMA for Entertainer of the Year. Episode 029: Dave Carroll

Episode 028: Jeff Goins – The Art of Work… Be A Little Bit Uncomfortable Everyday Jeff Goins’ latest book, “The Art of Work” is a powerful piece of literature that combines inspiring stories and how they can apply to all of our daily lives.  His book has morphed into a full blown movement.    Originally from Chicago, Jeff moved to Nashville after graduating from college and spending a year traveling with a band. In college, he studied Spanish and Religion and spent part of his Junior year in Spain, which unlocked a passion for travel, writing, and making a difference in the world. After a year of letter-writing and long-distance phone calls, he moved to Tennessee to “see about a girl.” In 2008, he married her. Now, he lives with his wife Ashley, their son Aiden, and their dog Lyric just outside of Nashville. He’s the former Communications Director for Adventures in Missions, a nonprofit organization, and spends his time writing books and trying to take over the Internet. He’s written and guest-blogged for ove

Episode 027: John Corcoran – How To Be As Charismatic As President Bill Clinton John Corcoran is one of the most giving human beings I’ve ever met.  Prior to us recording this episode, John consistently went out of his way to introduce me to other inspiring leaders… Since we recorded he has introduced me to many more extremely intelligent learning leaders.  I am so grateful to John and so fortunate to call him a friend.  This was a fantastic episode where we covered a ton of topics ranging from hearing world leaders argue in the white house to the best way to tell someone thank you.  I promise you will get a lot out of this episode. John Corcoran has worked in Hollywood, written speeches for President Bill Clinton and lost his job when Arnold Schwarzenegger became the Governator. Even though he's lived in California most of his life, he is the world's worst surfer, although he does speak Valley Girl fluently. His day job is working with small business owners and entrepreneurs as a lawyer and business advisor.

Episode 026: Ben Greenfield – How To Become Super Human and Hack Your Environment… This episode was absolutely packed full of action oriented takeaways to help us all “hack our environments.” I always take notes while recording these podcasts… With that said, I’ve never written down as much as I did with this episode.  Ben shared a number of different tips to help us all live a better, more meaningful life.  Ben Greenfield’s mission is to show you how to get your body performing at peak capacity, with maximum fat burning efficiency and ideal hormonal and health status, in the safest and fastest way possible. Rather than pounding you with complex workout videos and difficult diets, Ben will instead teach you how to achieve your goals by optimizing lifestyle parameters that go way beyond simply “exercise and healthy eating. You’ll learn about fat burning efficiency zones, gut health, mental performance, maximizing recovery, boosting libido, and enhancing every possible aspect of your body – rather than just wo

Episode 025: Mike Michalowicz – Why You Should Put Profit First… This was a very interesting conversation with Mike Michalowicz… Mike has had some very great moments and some low moments… Including a heartbreaking story about telling his family he went broke.  The response from his daughter in particular was incredible.  You’ll want to hear Mike tell this story… By his 35th birthday MIKE MICHALOWICZ (pronounced mi-‘kal-o-wits) had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies. Confident that he had the formula to success, he became an angel investor… and proceeded to lose his entire fortune. Then he started all over again, driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Among other innovative strategies, Mike created the “Profit First Formula”, a way for businesses to ensure profitability from their very next deposit forward. Mike is now running his third million dollar venture, is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal; is the former MSNBC business make-over expert;

Episode 024: Natalie Jill – How To Be Healthy, Happy, and Fit… And How Natalie Maintains Great Abs Year Round This was an extremely enjoyable episode for me.  Natalie Jill is a very intelligent leader who has a fantastic understanding of the human body.  I promise you will have more knowledge about your body after listening to this episode.  This is episode is great for anyone who wants to learn more about the specific activities (lifestyle eating and exercise) to be healthy, happy, and fit. Natalie Jill helps millions of people become the healthier versions of themselves… In her words: I DECIDED to fix things. I put everything I knew into play- from goal setting, to vision boards, to eating unprocessed foods, positive thinking and getting negatives OUT of my life. I did NOT starve myself. I didn’t try any fad “quick fixes”, I didn’t do dangerous diet pills and I didn’t do unhealthy calorie restrictions…I used a FORMULA.” Episode 024: Natalie Jill – How To Be Healthy, Happy, and Fit Subscribe on iTunes or Sti

Episode 023: AJ Hawk – Why Does This Show Exist? What Does The Future Hold? One of the most enjoyable conversations I’ve had doing this podcast.  My brother AJ and I discuss why I am doing this podcast.  AJ has no fear to ask me anything and dives deep into my “Why” and we discuss how this show will progress… From The “About Me” page on www.LearningLeaderShow.com Leaders are learners. The best leaders never stop working to make themselves better. As Kobe Bryant once said, “There is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own.” That’s really why the Learning Leader Show exists. To come together to understand the journey successful leaders are on so that we can better understand our own. This Show is full of stories told by world class leaders. Personal stories of successes, failures and lessons learned along the way. Our guests come from diverse backgrounds—some are best-selling authors, others are genius entrepreneurs and one even made a million dollars wearing t-shirts for a year. M

Episode 022: Steve Scott – How To Earn $50,000/Month Self-Publishing on Amazon I love learning about people with fascinating lifestyles… Steve leads an incredibly interesting life.  I also enjoyed learning about his daily routine and the process for creating successful books. Steve lives the kind of life that Tim Ferriss describes in The 4 Hour Work Week.  Striving to do the activities that he wants… In Steve’s case that involves a lot of traveling, writing, and running! Episode 022: Steve Scott – How To Earn $50,000/Month Self-Publishing on Amazon Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. The Learning Leader Show “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” – John Wooden Some Questions I Ask: How much money do you make? What is your writing process? What are your daily routines? What is your best-selling book? How did you decide to do this as your life’s work? In This Episode, You Will Learn: $65,000 is the biggest income he’s earned in a month How to focus on “habit stacking” Why Steve disagrees w

Episode 021: Kare Anderson – How To Become An Opportunity Maker I would like to thank Dorie Clark for introducing me to Kare.  Both Dorie and Kare are such great givers… Always trying to help others and they’ve done so much for me.   I was fascinated with this conversation with Kare.  She is incredibly intelligent and is a very deep thinker.  It was a joy to get her to put some of those thoughts on tape for this great podcast episode. This is episode is great for anyone who wants to become an opportunity maker. Kare Anderson is an Emmy-winning former NBC and Wall Street Journal reporter, now connective behavior speaker and columnist for Forbes and Huffington Post. Anderson’s TED talk on The Web of Humanity: Becoming an Opportunity Maker has attracted over 1.3 million views. Her clients are as diverse as Salesforce, Novartis, S.F. Giants and The Skoll Foundation. Episode 021: Kare Anderson – How To Become An Opportunity Maker Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. The Learning Leader Show “A learning leader

Episode 020: Matt Eversmann – How To Lead Soldiers Into Battle (Black Hawk Down) I was truly honored to speak with an American Hero for this episode of The Learning Leader Show.  Matt Eversmann led soldiers into one of the most dangerous places in the world.  His story was told in the book and movie, “Black Hawk Down.”  His specific character was played by Josh Hartnett.  We discussed the story behind what really happened in Mogadishu… Matt Eversmann has received many military decorations, including the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Ribbon, eight Army Achievement medals, and four Army Commendation medals. For his service in Somalia, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor device and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Before his retirement in early 2008, Eversmann served 18 months in Iraq leading an elite Army Ranger force. Episode 020: Matt Eversmann – How To Lead Soldiers Into Battle (Black Hawk Down) Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. The Learning Leader Show “Fear is something

Episode 019: Chris Borland – Why He Walked Away From Millions Of Dollars This was an extremely thought provoking conversation with Chris Borland.  Chris is an extremely intelligent person who also is very driven and likable.  I really enjoyed getting to know him better and also gain a better understanding for why he walked away from the NFL after just one stellar season. Chris Borland had a storied high school and college football career.  That led him to being a third round draft choice of The San Francisco 49ers where he quickly excelled as a dominant Linebacker. Borland was selected as the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for November. Chris finished his rookie season with 108 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions in only starting 8 games. On March 16, 2015, he announced his retirement from the NFL citing concern of head trauma.  Chris received a $617,436 signing bonus when he inked a four-year rookie deal with the 49ers coming out of college. He'll be returning over $450,000 to the team. Episode 019: Ch

Episode 018: Sam Silverstein – Why Successful People Love Accountability This was an intense conversation with Sam Silverstein.  Sam is absolutely committed to instilling the desire for accountability within organizations. Accountability is about keeping commitments to people, not things.  If you have any desire to learn more about accountability and how that’s a necessary component for all learning leaders, then you will love this episode.   Sam Silverstein, CSP is founder and CEO of Sam Silverstein, Inc., an accountability think tank dedicated to helping companies create an organizational culture that prioritizes and inspires accountability. He is an international business consultant, speaker and author. His manufacturing and distribution companies have sold over $100 million in products and services and he has successfully sold one of his businesses to a Fortune 500 company. Sam served as the President of the National Speakers Association (2008-2009) and is a Certified Speaking Professional. Sam’s work wit

Episode 017: Jeff Haden – Why 578,000 People Follow Jeff’s Writing On LinkedIn This was a very interesting conversation with Jeff Haden.  I had never met a ghost writer prior to speaking with Jeff.  I have actually read a ton of his work on INC and LinkedIn for quite some time and I didn’t even realize he was the author.  I suspect a lot of  you have as well.  Check his work out on LinkedIn.  He has written a lot of great pieces that will inevitably help in your career.  This was a very fun conversation!1 From INC: Jeff Haden is a ghostwriter, speaker, LinkedIn Influencer, and contributing editor for Inc. He learned much of what he knows about business and technology working his way up to managing a 250-employee book plant; everything else he picks up as a ghostwriter for innovators and business leaders. He’s written more than 50 nonfiction books, including six Amazon Business and Investing No. 1's, along with hundreds of articles and reports. And he's collected four years of tips and advice in his book Trans

Episode 016: Jon Levy – The Influencers: How To Be A Super Connector When I was thinking of creating this podcast, Jon was the type of person I wanted to have on my show.  I learned about him after both Forbes and Business Insider wrote great articles about his “Influencer Dinners.”  I was fascinated to hear about these dinners and many more stories from Jon during our time speaking together. This is a great episode for anyone who wants to become better at creating lasting memories and also Jon Levy is a behavior expert, consultant, writer and keynote speaker best known for his work in the fields of Influence and Social Experience. He has worked with countless brands and companies to support their efforts in consumer engagement, customer acquisition, and product development, by applying the latest behavioral research ranging from neuroscience and psychology to economics and biology.   Welcome to Episode 016 with the leader of The Influencers, Jon Levy   Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.   The Learning

Episode 015: Noah Fleming – How To Create Enduring Customer Loyalty   I love discussing how we can all better serve our customer base.  The best way to create and grow a thriving business is to create customer loyalty.  Noah Fleming is an expert at accomplishing this task.  He goes into detail on this topic in this episode. That’s just one reason I had an awesome time interviewing today’s guest on The Learning Leader Show. Noah is a marketing expert. As a thought leader in strategic marketing and customer loyalty, Noah helps clients dramatically and rapidly increase sales, multiply profits, and maximize customer value.   Welcome to Episode 015 with the Marketing Expert, Noah Fleming   Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.   The Learning Leader Show “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” – John Wooden   Some Questions I Ask: How do you create customer loyalty? What made you pay so much money for a mentor? How are you affiliated with Seth Godin?  He seems to like your book… Do you think

Episode 014: Jairek Robbins – How We Can All “Learn It, Live It, Give It” This was one of the most inspirational conversations I’ve had… Jairek has an incredible desire to serve others and it’s evident immediately when speaking with him.  This episode was packed full of great ideas and actionable takeaways to implement immediately. “My goal is to assist people in the process of rapidly achieving their goals so they are able to live the life of their dreams. My hope is that they will eventually pay-it-forward and help those that they care about the most do the same” – Jairek Robbins   Welcome to Episode 014 with Inspirational Speaker, Jairek Robbins   Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.   The Learning Leader Show “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” – John Wooden Some Questions I Ask: What do you think of people who view positive psychology with skepticism? What are the specific big moments in your life that shaped who you are? Why do people fail to execute the plan? Is 1 on 1 coac

Episode 013: Jenny Vrentas – How A Biochemistry Major Became One of The Best Football Writers In The Business Jenny Vrentas is one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met… I actually sent her a copy of Shane Snow’s book, Smartcuts because I think they have so much in common (both are super smart).  She majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State and was personally picked by Peter King to write for The MMQB… The premier football website in the world.   Jenny received her Masters in Journalism from Columbia and was hired by The Star Ledger (2007 – 2013).  She was then hired by Peter King and The MMQB (Sports Illustrated) in 2013.   Welcome to Episode 012 with award winning journalist for The MMQB, Jenny Vrentas   Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. The Learning Leader Show Some Questions I Ask: How does a Bio Chemistry major become a sports journalist? What was it like to be recruited by Peter King for The MMQB and Sports Illustrated? Who are your favorite people to cover? Teams? C