Lisa Fain is the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence and an expert in the intersection of cultural competency and mentoring. Her passion for diversity and inclusion work fuels her strong conviction that leveraging differences creates a better workplace and drives better business results. Lisa brings her energy, enthusiasm, and engagement to any group, facilitating lively workshops and training, and delivering interactive speeches with practical steps that can be implemented right away. As Senior Director of the Diversity and Inclusion function at Outerwall, Inc., Lisa spearheaded the development, establishment, and implementation of its diversity initiative. Prior to assuming that position, she worked as Outerwall’s in-house counsel, coaching leaders and partnering with Human Resources to establish fair and effective policies and practices that would sustain the organization as it grew in size, revenue, and renown. For almost a decade, Lisa practiced law in the Chicago office of a major multinational firm, where she counseled employers on creating inclusive policies and practices. While in that role, she served as Master Trainer, training thousands of employees at a variety of companies, large and small, on how to create a better workplace. Lisa is also an executive coach, specializing in individual and group coaching for professional women looking to design and live their best personal and professional lives. She is a certified mediator. She graduated with a B.S. in Social Policy from Northwestern University and holds a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.  Lisa lives in Seattle, WA. She loves to hike and explore the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. Check out Lisa’s new book, Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring, co-authored with her mom, Lois J. Zachary.

Intentional Living and Leadership with Cal Walters

#43: Lisa Fain (CEO of Center for Mentoring Excellence) — What Leaders Need to Know about Diversity + Inclusion

 Today, on July 13, 2020, we pay tribute to Chris Goeke. Chris was a husband, brother, son, dear friend, and leader among leaders. On this episode, we remember a man that made us laugh, feel special, believe in ourselves, grow in our faith, be okay with not knowing, and live more intentionally. Even from a young age, Chris was adventurous and born to be a leader. He grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota where he loved building forts in the woods behind his house and often gathered and encouraged his friends. He excelled in school through all his years and was active in music, mock trial, and various sports. As he grew older, his faith in God grew and he participated in many church activities and mission trips. He was accepted into West Point with the class of 2008, where he graduated 6th in his class. After college, Chris was commissioned as an infantry officer and complete Airborne School and Army Ranger School.  Chris married the love of his life, Kelsey, and they settled into life together at Fort Bragg, NC, where Chris joined Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment on May 18, 2009. In September 2009, Chris deployed with his unit to Afghanistan and would lead a platoon in combat.On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Chris was killed in action while repelling an insurgent attack on an Afghan police compound in Kandahar City.  10 years after his death, we come together to remember Chris and honor his lasting impact on our lives.  Chris, we love you and miss you.  You truly were the best among us, and we carry you with us wherever we go.  Visit www.calwalters.me for full show notes.     

#42: The Legacy of a True Hero — 1LT Chris Goeke (KIA 13 July 2010)

Brigadier General Joseph B. Berger III graduated from the U.S Military Academy at West Point in 1992 and was commissioned into the Military Police Corps, where he served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Supply Officer and Adjutant. Brigadier General Berger was subsequently selected for the Funded Legal Education Program and received his juris doctor from the George Mason University School of Law. Brigadier General Berger currently serves as the Commanding General of the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, located on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. His previous assignments include: Commander, United States Army Legal Services Agency and Chief Judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals; Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Cyber Command; Chief, Investigations and Legislative Division, Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison, Washington, DC; Chief, Plans Branch of Personnel, Plans and Training Office, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Washington, DC; Staff Judge Advocate, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Deputy Team Chief and later Assistant Director, Multi-National Force-Iraq; Group Judge Advocate, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Chief, Criminal Law, United States Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, Fort Bliss, Texas; Chief, Legal Assistance, later Administrative and Operational Law Attorney, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Germany. For show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

#41: Brigadier General Joe Berger — On Empathy, People First Leadership, and Being a Beginner

Spencer Kupferman currently serves as CEO at Milwaukee-based PKWARE an Award-Winning Data Security software solutions company.   In addition, Spencer supports Thompson Street Capital Partners portfolio companies working closely with their tech-enabled software practice as an Executive Advisor.  Spencer most recently served as CEO of Cloud Daddy, recognized as a Top 10 Storage Startup ’19 by crn.com, the world's most secure and easy-to-use Amazon Web Services native data protection platform for backup, disaster recovery and infrastructure management. Prior to Cloud Daddy, Spencer was President & CEO of Global Software, Inc., the global leader in corporate performance management (CPM) reporting solutions. Spencer spearheaded the revolution of the Spreadsheet Server platform as it took the market by storm.  Spencer led the company through two successful nine-figure transactions to market leading private equity firms, Thompson Street Capital Partners and TA Associates.  Spencer holds a BS in Kinesiology from the University of New Hampshire where he was a member of the men’s basketball team and an MBA-Technology Management from the University of Phoenix.  Spencer, his wife and 3 children reside in Scarsdale, NY. For show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

#40: Spencer Kupferman (3 x CEO) — On His Father, Adversity, and Leading as an Introvert

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level—and others don’t. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown’s 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. McKeown is the CEO of McKeown Inc. His clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, Facebook, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, VMware and Yahoo!. His writing has appeared or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month. McKeown has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows including NPR, NBC, FOX, and as a regular guest on The Steve Harvey Show. Entrepreneur voted his interview at Stanford University the #1 Must-See Video on Business, Creativity and Success.   For full notes and to download the show notes to this episode, visit www.calwalters.me

#39: Greg McKeown (NYT Bestselling Author) — On Essentialism, Negotiation, and Legacy

I'm really excited to bring you an interview with Jon Gordon! Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean and his latest Stay Positive. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Miami Heat, The Los Angeles Rams, Snapchat, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, West Point Academy and more. Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams. For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

#38: Jon Gordon (Bestselling Author) — On Staying Positive, Self-Belief, and the Comparison Trap

Juliet Funt is the CEO of WhiteSpace at Work, a training and consulting firm that helps organizations, their leaders and employees flip the norms of business in order to reclaim their creativity, productivity and engagement. With thought-provoking content and immediately actionable tools, she has become a nationally recognized expert in coping with the Age of Overload in which we all live and work. Juliet helps professionals learn the pivotal difference between activity and productivity. She teaches them a streamlined method for personal process improvement – leading to more creativity and engagement. She helps executives, managers and teams answer the critical question “What thoughts deserve my full attention today?” Juliet regularly wows audiences as a high-impact, high-energy speaker. Yet her deeper mission is to show organizations how WhiteSpace® can change the negative patterns and behaviors that prevent them from achieving optimum results. Her clients include a number of Fortune 100 companies and span a wide array of industries, from financial services to technology, manufacturing to the military, and executive workshops to audiences as large as 7,000. Incredibly intuitive, Juliet successfully blends highly customized content with a keen understanding of clients’ needs in her programs and consulting work. With a unique blend of charisma, humor and tough love, she has the uncanny ability to connect with people at all levels, compelling them to make real, lasting change. Yet beneath her powerful assets, she is both authentic and accessible. As a busy corporate speaker and consultant, business owner, wife, and mother of three young boys, she practices on a daily basis the WhiteSpace® concept she shares with clients. Juliet Funt is a force for change in organizations around the world, helping them find their WhiteSpace, recharge their people and reclaim their passion for work. Juliet is a graduate of Northwestern University. For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

#37: Juliet Funt (CEO of WhiteSpace at Work) — How to Combat Overload and Overwhelm

I’m really excited to bring you the inspiring story of Chaveso “Chevy” Cook! On this episode, you will hear Chevy share his powerful story of overcoming adversity as a child and finding mentors that helped him believe in himself and chart the course that led to where he is today. Chevy is the Co-Founder and Executive Direct of Military Mentors, a registered 501(c)(3) with a mission to elevate, educate, and facilitate for the military and beyond. Chevy graduated from West Point in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He also has a M.A. in Leadership Development from the University of Texas El Paso and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. He currently lives in Boston, MA as he pursues doctoral studies at Tufts University. A long serving member of the special operations community, he started his Army career in the historic 82nd Airborne Division and has served the majority of his career at Fort Bragg, NC. He also served as both a Tactical Officer and a Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership instructor at West Point. Find full show notes at www.calwalters.me

#36: Chevy Cook (Co-Founder of Military Mentors) — On Adversity, Self-Belief, and the Power of Mentors

Today, I’m really excited to bring you an interview with Ryan Hawk! Ryan Hawk is a keynote speaker, author, advisor, and the host of The Learning Leader Show, which Forbes called "the most dynamic leadership podcast out there" and Inc. Magazine recognized on its list of "5 Podcasts to Make You a Smarter Leader." Featuring interviews with hundreds of best-selling authors and world-renowned corporate, athletic, and military leaders, the show has millions of listeners in more than 150 countries.  He is the author of Welcome To Management: How To Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader.  Welcome to Management has received a lot of praise, and for good reason. #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink called Welcome to Management “the ultimate all-in-one guide to becoming a great leader.” New York Times bestselling author General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal said, “Ryan’s work provides nuanced and articulate insights into the best way to begin developing a plan to bring to light how we should lead—and it starts with reexamining ourselves.” Additionally, New York Times bestselling author Liz Wiseman said, “Ryan has uncovered the secrets of what the best leaders do and how they think.  If you are a new manager transitioning from player to coach, do yourself and your team a favor and read this book.”  For full show notes, visit www.calwalters.me

#35: Ryan Hawk (The Learning Leader Show) — Leadership Lessons from 350+ Interviews

Today, I am so privileged and honored to bring you insights from a true hero of mine, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert Caslen, who currently serves as the 29th President of the University of South Carolina.  Go Gamecocks!  General Caslen served 43 years in the United States Army.  His military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under his direction as Superintendent, West Point was recognized as the number one public college in the Nation by Forbes Magazine and the number one public college by U.S. News and World Report. Through the establishment of Centers of Excellence at West Point, General Caslen connected the operational Army with West Point research and intellectual capital. He refined West Point’s leadership program by making professional ethics a priority and essential part of leadership and character development. He worked tirelessly to expand the diversity of cadets and faculty alike, and he dramatically expanded West Point’s minority and women populations to reflect the demographics of the Army that West Point’s graduates help lead. Working with the Director of Athletics, he revamped the athletic program, made it self-sustaining, and fielded 25 competitive intercollegiate teams. He created partnerships with the NCAA and Department of Defense to conduct research into preventing and treating concussions and traumatic brain injury that have led to significant improvements in prevention and care. He stood up the Army Cyber Institute to build expertise and Army leaders prepared for the new cyber fight. And, fulfilling a pledge he made soon after becoming Superintendent, he led a sweeping reversal of Army’s football program and developed a culture of excellence through winning with character, culminating in Army defeating Navy in 2016 for the first time in 14 years, and beating both Air Force and Navy in 2017 to win the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy for the first time in 21 years. For full show notes and bio, visit www.calwalters.me

#34: LTG (Ret.) Bob Caslen (West Point Legend/USC President) — On Service, Character, & Failure

I’m really excited to bring you an inspiring interview with Joel “Thor” Neeb.  Thor is the CEO of Afterburner Inc., a global consulting firm, and the bestselling co-author with Chris Stricklin of Survivor’s Obligation, which was recently named a 2020 Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist. As a former F-15 pilot, Thor has flown over 2,500 missions. He provided escort for the President, protected our nation's borders, and was named the Top Instructor Pilot at the Air Force Flight Training Headquarters, training thousands of pilots for the United States and 25 allied countries around the world. He was the tactical leader of 300 of the most senior combat pilots in the Air Force and he oversaw the execution of a $150M/year flight program. In 2010, Thor was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and given about a 15% chance to live. Instead of giving up, Thor decided to give back. He started a youth outreach program in San Antonio that has grown to help more than 15,000 at-risk kids. Their efforts have been featured on every news channel for 100 miles and one national media outlet. In 2012, he was selected out of 62,000 people to receive the Air Education and Training Command National Public Service Award. Thor completed the New Zealand Ironman Triathlon in March of 2015 to commemorate the five-year anniversary of his Stage IV cancer diagnosis and to raise awareness for the rare and deadly cancer that he battled. Thor has also competed in American Ninja Warrior. For full show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/

#33: Q&A with Joel "Thor" Neeb (CEO + Cancer Survivor) — Our Survivor's Obligation

Is your way of thinking the best way to think?  This is a question Dr. Ryan Gottfredson asks in his brand new book, Success Mindsets, currently available in audio and E-book format and scheduled to be released in print form on May 5, 2020. While many have focused narrowly on different mindsets, Dr. Gottfredson pioneered a widespread study and synthesis of all critical mindsets for achieving success. On this podcast episode, we explore 4 specific mindsets each person can cultivate to achieve greater success: a growth mindset; an open mindset; a promotion mindset; and an outward mindset. Dr. Gottfredson is a mental success coach and cutting-edge leadership consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. In addition, Ryan is a leadership and management professor at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF). Dr. Gottfredson did his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University, and he holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University.  Connect with Dr. Gottfredson on LinkedIn and find his work on ryangottfredson.com.   Find full show notes at https://www.calwalters.me/.  

#32: Q&A with Dr. Ryan Gottfredson — 4 Critical Mindsets for Success

Today, I’m excited to bring you an interview I did with Dr. Kevin Kniery, Dr. Tom Hustead, and Dr. Scott Steele.  This is a rapid-release bonus episode for medical leaders during a time of crisis as the world combats the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Kevin Kniery is a vascular surgery fellow in New York City and he is the co-host of two podcasts—Behind the Knife and Audible Bleeding. Dr. Kniery is one of my best friends and a West Point classmate.  Dr. Kniery got his MD and MPH from Tulane University.  Dr. Tom Hustead graduated from West Point in the top 3% of his class and received his medical degree from Case Western University School of Medicine. As a retired Army Colonel, highlights from his distinguished career include deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, being awarded Flight Surgeon of the Year for his service in combat, Outstanding Faculty of the Year for his medical teaching, and board selection as Department Chair for a family medicine residency department. As a result of his appointment by the Army Surgeon General to be the “face of military medicine” to recruit and share the Army Medicine story, Dr. Hustead recognized a need and developed a passion for teaching physicians across the country to be effectively engaged leaders. In his final appointment in the military, Dr. Hustead was the commander/CEO of a NATO military medical facility at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium. Dr. Hustead currently practices as a family physician at Hardin Memorial Health and serves as Medical Director for their employed medical group. Dr. Hustead also co-founded The Referent Group, which provides leadership training, coaching, and resources for healthcare leaders.  With an emphasis on servant leadership, Dr. Hustead’s core conviction is that effective leadership is never about the leader but should be focused on creating a culture where those being led can flourish.  Dr. Scott Steele is the Chair of Colorectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. As a graduate of West Point, he was an active duty Army officer, serving as the Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, WA. He has served 4 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, being awarded the Combat Medical Badge amongst others. His contributions to the medical literature include over 140 peer-reviewed articles, 60 invited reviews and book chapters, 12 national practice parameters, guest editor for 5 volumes dedicated to colorectal disease, and currently is an editor on 4 textbooks in colorectal surgery. We recorded this interview on March 28, 2020, a time when our nation’s entire medical ecosystem is mobilizing for war against the COVID-19 pandemic. While many Americans are working from home to blunt the spread of the virus, healthcare clinicians and administrators are working around the clock to prepare for the coming tsunami of patients. The scope and the scale of the coming ﬁght is unprecedented in the healthcare community. Whether the US can successfully “ﬂatten the curve” or not, this pandemic will stretch US healthcare capabilities—and its workers—to the limit. Strong leadership will be needed at every level to address the physical and psychological stresses our healthcare professionals will experience in the coming weeks. I hope that the insights and proven leadership principles offered by Dr. Hustead and Dr. Steele can provide healthcare leaders clarity in this prolonged and all-consuming fight to beat COVID-19. 

#31: Medical Leaders in Crisis (COVID-19) with Dr. Tom Hustead & Dr. Scott Steele

Doug Crandall is a graduate of West Point and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has led multiple units in the Army, and spent time in operations at Amazon.  For five years, Doug taught leadership, advanced leadership, and leading organizations through change at West Point, where he won the Excellence in Teaching Award and exceeded the academy average in every area of teaching feedback during each semester that he taught.  In this interview, you’ll see why Doug was such an effective teacher at West Point.  He’s very approachable and an incredibly gifted story teller.  His stories and personal examples have a way of sticking with you.  He’s the co-author of four books: Permission to Speak Freely, Say Anything, Leadership Lessons from West Point, Hope Unseen, which is the inspiring story of Scotty Smiley, the US Army’s first blind active-duty officer.  Three of Doug’s books were Amazon Top New Releases, and his books have sold more than 60,000 copies worldwide and continue to gain momentum in Europe and Asia. Doug has also published articles in the International Journal of Servant-Leadership and written case studies for both Stanford and Harvard business schools.  He was a Founding Partner of the “Blue Rudder” Leadership Development Company, where he delivered high impact leadership development programs throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. He currently works at The Referent Group, a company in the healthcare leadership coaching industry.   For full show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/

#30: Q&A with Doug Crandall — Integrity, Authenticity, and Referent Power

Today, I’m super pumped to bring you an interview I did with the first person to ever introduce me to the concept of high performance at West Point, Dr. Joe Ross (Retired, US Army). Joe has a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Walden University and a Masters of Education in Psychology and Athletic Counseling from Springfield College. Dr. Ross is also a 1995 West Point graduate, where he was a three-year letter winner and co-captain of the 1994 Army Football team. As an Infantry Officer, Joe led 144 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division and deployed to Kosovo in 2001. The Secretary of the Army commended Joe’s unit for capturing two insurgents on the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) top ten most wanted list and bringing the Serbian and Albanian leadership together to start a dialogue of reconciliation. Joe also managed all logistics for over 1,000 personnel, directed human resources for over 4,000 personnel, and helped write the Soldier’s Creed. In 2009, Joe joined the Army Football coaching staff as the Special Teams and Fullback Coach, where he helped lead Army Football to the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl victory. At West Point, Joe also served as the Director of the Military Enhancement Program and was asked to collaborate on a Presidential committee to review and design procedures for wounded warriors in transition. Joe is now the President and Co-Founder of HigherEchelon, Inc., an Organizational Performance consulting firm with offerings in leadership, technology, and engineering to both public and private sector clients. Joe has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, college and professional sports teams, top tier Universities, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense. Joe led the creation of Higher Echelon’s flagship program, The Resilient and Adaptable Leader ©. You can follow, or connect with, Joe on LinkedIn here. Find out more about HigherEchelon at their website or on LinkedIn. Full show notes are at: https://www.calwalters.me/

#29: Q&A with Dr. Joe Ross — Mental Toughness, High Performance, and the Caring Leader

Join this community to pursue personal growth and leadership excellence, to inspire others, and make a lasting impact on the world. Life is short, so let's make it count by living an intentional life. On this podcast, Cal Walters — an imperfect follower of Jesus, a husband, father, West Point graduate, former Infantry Officer, Army Ranger, combat veteran, lawyer, and Army JAG — passionately explores ways to live intentionally, make each day count, and lead with greater influence and impact. Cal firmly believes leadership matters, and this podcast will help you lead yourself and inspire others. Cal believes we each have a unique contribution to make to the world, and he wants to help you make yours! For show notes, visit https://www.calwalters.me/ Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are those of the author and guests and do not reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army JAG Corps, US Army, DoD, or the US Government.

hubhopper

Intentional Living and Leadership with Cal Walters

hubhopper