"Coaching is a vocation to reach men who need to be reached." His Dad left when he was 4. His Mom's 4th husband shot at him when he was 17. Bill Courtney didn't have male role models at home, but he found them on the field and in the classroom. Today, Bill is a business owner, husband and father who believes: Giving back isn't something nice to do. It is a responsibility. Bill chose to coach football in an impoverished North Memphis High School for a team that had won 4 games in 10 years. Throug...
May 04, 2017•54 min•Season 3Ep. 28
"Sometimes we hold onto the life we think we're supposed to have. But in letting go, we get new possibilities." Janine Shepherd grew up an athlete in rural Australia. At 24, she was training for her first Olympics. On a 5-hour training ride, she was hit by a truck. Janine was left with a broken neck and back, massive internal bleeding and blood pressure at 40 over nothing. Janine Shepherd was not expected to survive. Miraculously, 10 days later, the internal bleeding stopped. She was in the hosp...
Apr 27, 2017•53 min•Season 3Ep. 27
"Enough was never enough." Christine Hassler was an over achiever. Each time she'd reach a milestone - she'd hurry off to the next big goal... never taking time to pause, recoup or celebrate. Early in her career, she was a high level producer in Hollywood... and completely unhappy. Today, she realizes that she was keeping busy and "achieving" in order to not have to truly feel her feelings. To get this sense of clarity, Christine had to have a mighty fall... Embrace the lessons from that fall an...
Apr 20, 2017•49 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Don't miss my big, time-sensitive announcement in this episode! "Time allows you to seek wisdom and understand what you've gone through so you can help other people with what you've learned." From homeless to bestselling author. From small-town Alabama to on-stage in front of thousands. From hating 6th grade football to working with the last nine college football national championship teams: My guest today has spent his lifetime gathering unbelievable observations and insights many of us would m...
Apr 13, 2017•49 min•Season 3Ep. 25
"I don't want you to be a been brother: a would-a-been, could-a-been or should-a-been. Focus, be well-rounded and give your effort at all times." Chris Hogan received this advice from his Mom. He was bless to grow up with seven or eight parental figures - from uncles and grandparents to teachers and coaches - in a small town in Kentucky. These role models helped him to dream big and never rest on his laurels. Today, Chris is a husband, father, bestselling author, radio and podcast host, expert o...
Apr 06, 2017•50 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Today's guest is going to give you 90s nostalgia in the best way. He sold 2 million records. Played the David Letterman and Tonight Show. Friends, today's guest is Brian Vander Ark, lead singer of the band Verve Pipe, who produced 90s hits Freshmen and Photograph . Brian is still playing today with the band and as a solo artist. From small town Michigan to opening for KISS in sold-out arenas: Brian shares simple yet profound lessons on life... and even a little live music, too! SHOW NOTES: Havin...
Mar 30, 2017•56 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Your journey is limitless and your life is profound. The guests on our show are ordinary people doing extraordinary things on purpose. On this episode, we'll celebrate the best insights from each guest AND how it has impacted the inspired lives we're living. After just two seasons, we've got 250,000 downloads. Which means more lives are being touched and more people are living inspired with us. Thanks for being part of the this Live Inspired movement and for sharing it with your friends. Make su...
Mar 23, 2017•37 min•Season 2Ep. 22
"Most of us don't know how to have real honest conversation. Culturally today there's a lot of yelling and finger pointing. Radical candor creates a bridge to connect the two sides." Kim Scott, who literally wrote the book on radical candor (released this week!), will ROCK the way you communicate with colleagues, loved ones, neighbors and everyone in between. Whether working at her own start up or at Apple or Facebook, Kim has spent her career disproving the old saying "if you can't say anything...
Mar 16, 2017•39 min•Season 2Ep. 21
What does improvisation bring to business and life? The idea that we are not competing. We are in agreement, working together, have each others' back and building a relationship. Travis Thomas is an author, speaker, coach, improviser and expert at applying the cornerstone of improv - "YES AND!" - to succeed in life and business. Today, you'll learn how improvisation has shaped Travis's life and how it will shape yours. Don't miss this fun, intensly meaningful conversation. You will leave with a ...
Mar 09, 2017•49 min•Season 2Ep. 20
"Just because you work through your stuff and you own it doesn't mean the evidence of it disappears." - William Paul Young William Paul Young's childhood broke him. As a husband and father, he hit rock bottom and began a journey to reconstruct the life he was meant to lead. Young shared this process in his book The Shack , written as a gift for his children to better understand his experience. He printed copies at his local printer to give them in 2005. To date, 22 million have sold... and The S...
Mar 02, 2017•58 min•Season 2Ep. 19
If you don't have motors in your life and you do have anchors, the anchors are going to pull you down and drown you. Be around positive people that pull you up and plant positivity, not fear. Jill Blashack Strahan shared this when reflecting on how she found significance and success as Founder & CEO of Tastefully Simple , despite experiencing tragic loss when her spouse and two brothers died much too early in life. As a speaker, Jill often asks her audiences to "Think back to a time when you...
Feb 23, 2017•53 min•Season 2Ep. 18
When bad things happen, Dale Partridge no longer questions them. Instead, he thinks: "What will I learn from this moment?" After numerous pivots, failures and unmanageable businesses growth early in his career, Dale began "to hold less tight to things. I'm more open-handed because of these moments." At one point his business was so successful, he couldn't grow fast enough to sustain it. On the outside he was successful and everyone was cheering him on. On the inside, he and his wife were experie...
Feb 16, 2017•59 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Love of country was one of the most important tenants in Sergeant Rocky Sickmann's house the he was growing up. His father and brother were both in the army and Rocky joined the Marines. In October of 1979, Rocky was a guard at the US Embassy in Tehran, Iran. A few weeks later, he was taken hostage. He was held for the next 444 days. Rocky recounts the day he was taken hostage, gives unbelievable, historical context from his first-person experience and most importantly: Shares how faith, hope an...
Feb 09, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Discipline, toughness, enthusiasm and selflessness. If you combine these things, you have maximized what you can control in becoming a pro baseball player. Mike Matheny, manager and head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, husband and father, observed this truth after playing for 17 years and coaching for five. On today's show, he shares what it's like to win a World Series, fall in love and how having a "consistent and God-honoring" father shaped him into the man he is today. The highlight of his...
Feb 02, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 15
"Parents are so much more worried today then they were 35 years ago. They so desperately want to be 'good parents' that they're exhausting important energy on stuff that doesn't matter." This is a quote from today's guest, Meg Meeker, MD. Meg is a pediatrician, author, parent, wife, grandmother and business owner. Her goal is to diffuse fear-based parenting. I shared the stage with Meg at the Dave Ramsey SMART Conference and fell in love with her message around her book Strong Fathers, Strong Da...
Jan 26, 2017•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 14
Stay positive. Feed yourself so you can feed others. These are the key messages of Jon Gordon, author of bestselling book The Energy Bus and today's guest. Jon and I met a few months back when we shared a stage at a client event. I've always loved the transformative fable he shares in The Energy Bus (about what happens when you change your mindset when entering "the bus of life" each day) and was excited to hear more about the man behind the story. Today, you're invited to hear this discussion! ...
Jan 19, 2017•43 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Almost a decade ago my life changed when I read Jinny Ditzler's book Your Best Year Yet. At the time I was struggling in my real estate development business and had not yet cracked into my speaking business. I read this book on the front side of a new year on the recommendation of a dear friend. Rather than quickly flip through, I read it like it was a workbook. Pen in hand, I took notes, answered her 10-Questions and in doing so created a one-page plan to attack that year. I had great success a...
Jan 12, 2017•58 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Let's move our focus from the cold winter to where the sun is shining: Spring! One of my favorite parts of spring is March Madness. I love sports, I love baseball and I love the race to the final game (especially when the underdog wins). Most importantly, after the final game, I love when they play the Luther Vandross song, One Shining Moment , while showing the highlights of the best plays from the entire tournament. They tie it all together and today, I am going to do something similar for you...
Jan 05, 2017•42 min•Season 1Ep. 11
"You can have everything in life you want, as long as you just help enough other people get what they want." This is one of the most popular quotes from legendary speaker, Zig Ziglar and it is absolutely modeled through his son Tom's life today. Tom Ziglar has influenced 250 million lives through his work. On today's show, Tom will share about growing up with Zig as his father and how his dad walked the talk he shared with the world. Tom shares about falling in love with sales, defines what "sal...
Dec 29, 2016•51 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Today's guest will help you to stop managing life and start LIVING it. She is a bestselling author, blogger, mom, leader of the hands free revolution and my dear friend: Rachel Macy Stafford. Every conversation I've had with Rachel is one of the most authentic conversations I've ever had - and today's episode is no different. You'll see yourself in Rachel's struggles, triumphs and story and you'll be inspired by her tools to live life to the fullest. We're nearing the end of Live Inspired Podcas...
Dec 22, 2016•40 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Today we have on our show Pulitzer Nominated author of 25 books Don Yaeger. From Walter Payton - one of the most prolific running backs in the history of the NFL - who wanted his book to NOT be about football, but about leaving a legacy as an organ donor… To John Wooden, who many consider the greatest coach of all time as he led the UCLA Men's basketball team to 10 national championships in 12 years. You are going to hear amazing examples of individuals living inspired through Don's LIBRARY of b...
Dec 15, 2016•51 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Today's guest is a comedian, author, speaker, huge over-comer and a new, dear friend of mine. She has been through more challenges and misadventures than most, but exemplifies more grace, forgiveness, courage and perseverance than anyone I have ever met. You've likely never heard of her but after our time together, I am certain you will never forget her! Kathy Buckley will share her story in such a way that you will be ready to live more inspired than ever before! My favorite takeaways from our ...
Dec 08, 2016•55 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Today's guest started his first business at 12 years old after asking his dad for money for an icee. His dad responded, "You don't need money, you need a job!" He promptly started mowing lawns and has been a business owner since. This one-time lawn-mower is now a nationally syndicated radio shows host, #1 national bestselling author, personal finance guru and my friend, Dave Ramsey. Dave's show is aired on 578 stations, is the third largest talk radio show in the nation and enjoys nearly 13 mill...
Dec 01, 2016•47 min•Season 1Ep. 6
"Discipline becomes dormant in the absence of a dream. So dream big." This quote is from today's guest, Rory Vaden. Rory is an expert and a coach on self-discipline. He's written books about it, built his business around it but most amazingly – has built a life inspired by it. Today he is a bestselling author, soon to be father, one-time impoverished young man who began making his financial way as a college student during his summers learning how to do what he has coined as "take the stairs." Th...
Nov 24, 2016•49 min•Season 1Ep. 5
No matter what you are going through, you will get through it. I met today's guest, German-born, bestselling author, journalist and teacher of resilience Michaela Haas, earlier this year when she interviewed me for her column in the "New York Times of Germany." Michaela wanted to share about my book ON FIRE because in her writing and research, she focuses on the topic of Post Traumatic Growth. I was so enamored with this topic that I immediately got a copy of her book Bouncing Forward and invite...
Nov 17, 2016•48 min•Season 1Ep. 4
January 18th, 2017 will be the 30th anniversary of a very important day for me. I'd been laying in a hospital bed for a full day after being burned on 100% of my body. I couldn't move. My eyes were swollen shut. Into that darkness came my very special hero, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals Cardinals, Jack Buck. He was told I'd die. But yet he came back day after day to encourage me to live. Then, he held "John O'Leary Day" at the Ballpark at Busch stadium to help me celebrate life. Next, he ...
Nov 10, 2016•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Addiction and cancer threatened her life, but grace and endurance gave it back to her. In a world where the media frequently loves to buy, sell, trade and speak in fear, Teri Griege realizes and honors that the human spirit is powered by hope and starved for inspiration. She has made it her life's work to be a pillar of hope and she has already done so by being: an iron man, author, triathlete, cancer survivor and sober for more than 20 years. From our time with Teri, you will be reminded that l...
Nov 03, 2016•45 min•Season 1Ep. 2
I am so honored to have author, speaker and trainer, Brian Buffini, as my guest on the inaugural episode of the Live Inspired Podcast. A few years ago I shared a stage with Brian at his event, The Success Tour, where we spoke to a stadium with thousands of of real estate professionals. Little did I know that that day I would meet my mentor and a dear, dear friend. Brian's direction has helped me to improve my speaking, business, faith, family life and led directly to me writing and releasing my ...
Oct 27, 2016•51 min•Season 1Ep. 1
My mom has taught me more about resilience, faith, courage, redemption, family, love and life than ANYONE else in the world. I am so honored to have her as my guest on this very special, preview episode of the LIVE INSPIRED Podcast! If you've ever heard me speak, you've heard a lot about the impact my mom has had on my life. But for those of you who've not heard me speak, here is just one example. My mom and dad's unauthorized biography of my life, Overwhelming Odds , is what encouraged me to ac...
Oct 18, 2016•49 min•Season 1Ep. 1
I created this episode to introduce myself to you. Share a bit about how and why I started the Live Inspired Movement -- and why you are meant to be a part of it! I also created it to share a bit about what you can expect through the Live Inspired Podcast: A new episode released every Thursday One special guest each week will join me and share about his/her story, successes, challenges, LIFE so that we can learn from each other on how to better live ours If you ever have any questions or feedbac...
Oct 17, 2016•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1
