Jean Batthany is a seasoned brand builder and marketer with over three decades of experience. She has been recognized as one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative Women in Advertising and awarded Advertising Working Mothers of the Year by AWNY. Despite being "in between successes" at the moment, Jean is focusing on the art of pausing and leveraging creativity to make the world a better place. As Walmart's former Chief Creative Officer, Jean led a team of 300+ to enhance creative excellence, eff...
Mar 08, 2023•49 min•Ep. 104
“The hardest days are the most fun sometimes.” First at Buzzfeed, then helping to grow and sell Cheddar, Melissa Rosenthal recently made the leap to San Diego to take on a new challenge in her career. As the Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, Melissa is taking a bold approach to humanizing marketing in a space where it isn’t so common. Melissa has been named to Forbes' 30 Under 30, Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative People Under 30 and as one of Digiday's "Changemakers” for her creative brand w...
Mar 01, 2023•39 min•Ep. 103
At just 8 years old, Matt Gilhooly was struck with the abrupt and heartbreaking news that his mother had passed away in a motorcycle accident. This event marked the beginning of a long, soul-breaking journey of grief that lasted well over two decades. Today, however, Matt has found a healthy way to cope with his grief; using his experiences to help others do the same through his podcast, The Life Shift. As a host, he creates a safe space for his guests to open up about their own struggles and tr...
Feb 22, 2023•46 min•Ep. 102
Proper pacing, surrounding yourself with the right players, and realizing what you put in is what you get out. These are all lessons that Audrey Burger has taken from her days as a 3-sport D1 college athlete and has applied to her current role as Head of Commercial Strategy, Insights & Planning at Primal Kitchen . In this advice-filled episode of The Courageous Podcast , Audrey shares some great tips with Ryan on how to start eating cleaner by applying a few simple adjustments to our grocery...
Feb 15, 2023•35 min•Ep. 101
Life creeps up on you if you’re not careful. - George Krumme, 100 Those were the near exact words shared by our charming centenarian guest, George Krumme, on this special 100th episode of The Courageous Podcast. As you can imagine, being 100, George has packed a lot into his life including honor, legacy, duty, four great grandchildren and two love stories. George shares a wealth of wisdom including how his life was forever altered by World War 2 — where he walked away with a Purple Heart and the...
Feb 08, 2023•32 min•Ep. 100
800+ global artisans. 2 million raised for charitable organizations. A $200 dollar investment that started it all. Griffin Thall has always been an entrepreneur. As a teenager, he was selling a steady stream of products on eBay, earning enough cash to fund his college ventures. Now, 12 years after he co-founded and served as CEO for Pura Vida Bracelets, a company he helped grow from his dorm room into a $130 million+ company, Griffin announced he is stepping away. In his conversation with host R...
Feb 01, 2023•30 min•Ep. 99
Lauren Teague knows the secret to building a great business is to cultivate fandom instead of followers. Currently, she’s focused on her new courageous endeavor — building FanWagn, a re-commerce marketplace where gently used, greatly loved fan apparel gets new life. On this episode of the Courageous Podcast, Lauren and Ryan dive into the realities of Lauren's leap. They unpack why it’s become courageous to “do good” in business and why Lauren has a major challenge in catering to both buyers and ...
Jan 25, 2023•42 min•Ep. 98
Think it. Ink it. Sink it. Steven Cox first harnessed the power of manifesting his destiny through pen and paper to lose 55 lbs then date his High School prom queen. Writing down his goals has led Steven to some incredible places. Most recently to Hollywood where he’s made the leap from successful entrepreneur — selling his company TakeLessons to Microsoft -- to work-in-progress aspiring actor. In his conversation with Ryan, we’ll learn how a worn out cassette tape of Brian Tracy laid a foundati...
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 97
RESILIENCE. That’s the word Adam Markel wears across his chest in big bold letters for his conversation with Ryan. Adam is a CEO, Best Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, and Business Mentor. In his most recent book Change Proof, Adam gives readers a blueprint to “ Leveraging the Power of Uncertainty to Build Long-term Resilience”. A self proclaimed cynic with a hopeful heart, Adam does not subscribe to the mindset that “balance” is ever truly attainable - instead he has adopted a perspective that ...
Jan 11, 2023•50 min•Ep. 96
Runner. Soccer Ball. Basketball. Basketball player. Hockey stick. English flag. American flag. These are the 7 emojis that Ed Romaine has carefully curated to present himself to the world in his Instagram bio. Ed is the Head of Marketing and Brand Development, Sports at Warner Bros Discovery, where he oversees a myriad of sports related properties including House of Highlights and Bleacher Report. In their conversation, Ryan and Ed bond over their love for sports while discussing highlight cultu...
Jan 04, 2023•49 min•Ep. 95
It’s the last episode of the Courageous Podcast of 2022, and what a year it has been! We’ve been so honored to have an incredible line-up of courageous, inspiring, and passionate guests join us this year to share so many amazing stories, bits of advice, and even some laughs along the way. To wrap the year up in a nice bow, we are tapping guest host Nicole Miller from the Courageous team for a special year-end episode where many of our past guests have sent in their questions for Nicole to ask Ry...
Dec 28, 2022•54 min•Ep. 94
Steve Mayer is Senior EVP/Chief Content Officer at the National Hockey League where he’s produced a myriad of memorable events (and content) for the league. Since joining eight years ago, Steve has been on a mission to reinvent the way the NHL creates, with an emphasis on experience and authentic storytelling. In his conversation with host Ryan Berman, Steve touches on how story-making has attributed to the recent growth seen at the NHL, his simpatico relationship with misunderstood Commissioner...
Dec 21, 2022•43 min•Ep. 93
“Careful, your strategy’s showing.” While other kids were outside playing, an 8 year old Steve Pacheco spent Sunday mornings marking up ads in the paper to make them better. To this day, his passion for the craft of advertising is unmatched. Steve spent over 20 years of his career at FedEx, where he produced 12 consecutive Super Bowl commercials. He is currently the President & CEO at American Advertising Federation, being the first CEO to have held leadership roles at every level of the org...
Dec 14, 2022•52 min•Ep. 92
Richie Norton is on a mission to expose the biggest lie ever told: time management was designed to control people, not give them their time back. Richie is a serial entrepreneur and an award-winning author of several books including Anti-Time Management and The Power of Starting Something Stupid. He is one of the world’s leading thinkers and Top 100 coaches as honored by MG100. Richie joins Ryan from his home in Hawaii for a master course in utilizing one’s time on earth to the fullest. They dis...
Dec 07, 2022•43 min•Ep. 91
8 curious questions. 5 minutes per answer. 1 legendary storyteller. We are switching things up on this week’s episode of the Courageous Podcast as Host Ryan Berman, armed with a referee's whistle, puts his guest, Ernest Lupinacci, on the hot seat. In this advice packed episode, Ernest — a co-producer of “The Offer” — touches on how Francis Ford Coppola, Kurt Vonnegut, and Stephen King have all played important roles at different points throughout his career. The two also discuss the make-up of e...
Nov 30, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 90
Our guest today defines what it means to be courageous. Robert Duran is a father, husband and passionate cyclist. For the last decade, Robert has been riding through life navigating the rocky terrain that comes with being diagnosed with what many call a death sentence in Pancreatic Cancer. In this very open and raw conversation with host Ryan Berman, Robert opens up about how he has been able to survive and thrive despite the odds against him. Robert shares how cycling has been a lifesaver durin...
Nov 23, 2022•57 min•Ep. 89
57 USMNT goals. 57 USMNT assists. 3 World Cups. 1 dramatic extra-time World Cup goal against Algeria that sent America through to the final 16 in 2010. Landon Donovan is a name that needs no introduction to American soccer fans. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Landon literally joins Ryan on his way to Qatar. He shares what his next two weeks will be like, which American player he perceives will have the most courageous performance for Team USA and his predictions for which team he bel...
Nov 16, 2022•39 min•Ep. 88
With a billion monthly users, an average session length of 90 minutes, and 27 billion views on the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt — there is a lot of commerce to unlock for any business or brand on TikTok. At the center of it all is Khartoon Weiss. Khartoon has been named “40 Over 40” by Campaign, “40 Under 40” by Advertising Age and “Top 50 Professionals". In her conversation with Ryan, the two discuss what it takes for any brand (at any size) to be successful on the platform. She also gives practi...
Nov 10, 2022•35 min•Ep. 87
If you say it, you will build it. If you build it, they will come. Jason Harris, Co-Founder & CEO of Mekanism, has worked with some of the most iconic, soulful brands on the planet including Peloton, Ben & Jerry’s, Method and Jose Cuervo. So much so that Mekanism was recently the desirable acquisition of Plus Company. In this episode, Ryan and Jason touch on what it’s like for Jason to now have a boss and the power of manifesting your own destiny (Code for: declaring out loud where you w...
Nov 02, 2022•39 min•Ep. 86
For 300 years golf had remained the same. Then Topgolf came around. If you ask their Chief Marketing Officer Geoff Cottrill if Topgolf IS golf you’d be surprised to learn his answer. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we discuss how Topgolf is democratizing and diversifying the game. Geoff, on Forbes list of the 50 Most Entrepreneurial CMOs, and Ryan discuss what happens when sneaker culture meets golf culture and how to successfully introduce a new concept to the masses.
Oct 26, 2022•46 min•Ep. 85
What would you do with 100 days away from your job? It’s a scenario most of us could only dream of. Today's guest believes it could be the key to living a more fulfilling and authentic life. DJ DiDonna is the founder of The Sabbatical Project. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, host Ryan Berman and DJ DiDonna discover that sabbaticals and courageous decisions can both serve as regret insurance for your future self. DJ also speaks on what it will take to make sabbaticals more equitable fo...
Oct 19, 2022•49 min•Ep. 84
10 years ago, when the founders of Airbnb asked Chip Conley to be their mentor, he had his doubts. He could not see his place at a young-blooded tech start-up where the average employee was half his age. But Chip is not one to back down from a challenge, and with the help of Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, he began embracing his new role as a “Modern Elder”. Chip is a self-proclaimed Zeitgeist Surfer, a rebel hospitality entrepreneur, a bestselling author, and the Founder of Modern Elder Academy...
Oct 12, 2022•54 min•Ep. 83
Communication is powerful. Our guest today has proven that great communication changes individuals, companies, and societies for the better. Patti Sanchez is the Chief Strategy Officer for Duarte, and has helped clients such as Nike, Cisco, Ericsson, and HP take their storytelling to the next level. Through communication frameworks, storytelling techniques, and empathy exercises, Patti helps leaders and learners of all kinds understand the inner workings of the human mind and heart. She does so ...
Oct 05, 2022•42 min•Ep. 82
He helped bring two NHL teams to the Stanley Cup Finals. Aided a USA Hockey World Championship Team to a bronze medal. Rebuilt two college hockey programs from the ground up. It’s why Greg Carvel refers to himself more as a “program builder” than a “head coach”. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, join host Ryan Berman and Coach Greg Carvel as they discuss why having more character than your opponent is an essential feature of a winning team. We’ll hear how Coach Carvel, over the course o...
Sep 28, 2022•49 min•Ep. 81
What would it take to make you 10% happier? Ben Rubin believes that making small incremental changes, like spending a few minutes a day meditating, can make big impactful improvements in your life. Ben has spent the better part of his career at the intersection of technology and human behavior change. He is the Co-Founder & CEO at Ten Percent Happier, where he and his team are on a mission to convince fidgety skeptics that meditation isn’t as intimidating as it seems. In this episode of the ...
Sep 21, 2022•41 min•Ep. 80
Growing up in a large Ohio blue collar family, inspired by her love of sport as a young girl, Beth Malafa told her mother she wanted to work for the NFL or the Olympics. Today, she has checked the box on both. In fact, Beth has found herself putting on events for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and the USOC. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast with host Ryan Berman, we learn that Beth doesn’t simply embrace teamwork — but the importance of hard work in everything she creates for Under Armour ....
Sep 14, 2022•49 min•Ep. 79
What is your purpose? Lana McGilvray, Founder and CEO at Purpose Worldwide, helps her clients answer that question on the daily. Purpose Worldwide is a global public relations firm that specializes in helping clients drive their purpose and growth as they pioneer a better world for all. Lana has an extensive background in PR and is also a contributor to Ad Age, an Adobe Influencer, and an advisor to several purpose-driven startups. In this upbeat and insightful episode of the Courageous Podcast,...
Sep 07, 2022•40 min•Ep. 78
Repetition is reputation. Michael Preysman, Founder and Climate Lead at Everlane, has earned his reputation by repeatedly delivering on his company's promise to “Help people live their best lives with the least impact on the planet." The company pioneered the term ‘ Radical Transparency’, and has lifted the veil on many aspects of the fashion industry from pricing mark-ups to factory processes. Embodying the brand's transparent values, Michael has put environmental impact front and center throug...
Aug 31, 2022•42 min•Ep. 77
AT&T, Ad Age, Xerox, NBC Universal. These are just a few of the companies that Josh Golden, Chief Marketing Officer at Quad, has had a hand in making courageous changes at. With a diverse career spanning over two decades, Josh’s wife accurately describes him as the Marco Polo of industry professions. Josh has earned a reputation as a catalyst to drive change within organizations. In 2017, he led the repositioning of ‘Advertising Age’ to the more current ‘Ad Age’ — solidifying its place in a ...
Aug 24, 2022•46 min•Ep. 76
Do the scary thing. These are the words that our guest Miranda Prins lives by, and she has the track record to prove it. Miranda currently sits as General Manager of Continental Europe at Kellogg company, a role that spans 10 markets, 30 nationalities, and is made up of a team of roughly 600 people who speak 6 different languages. Managing this incredibly diverse team is part of the reason why Miranda is so passionate about equity, diversity & inclusion at Kellogg’s and beyond. In this episo...
Aug 17, 2022•39 min•Ep. 75
