Mentorship — Podcast

Careers, Culture, & Becoming CEO with Erika Ayers Badan

What does it take to get to the C-suite? In the case of Erika Ayers Badan, the road to the CEO’s chair was filled with risk and had plenty of bumps along the way. Earlier in 2024, Erika was appointed CEO of Food52. She’s the former CEO of Barstool Sports, where she saw Barstool’s rocket ship ascent in the competitive sports media environment. She is also the author of the book “Nobody Cares About Your Career.” In this interview with Erika, she discusses her willingness to take risks, how she thinks about career development, the roles of mentors in assisting her success, her approach to getting over the need to be perfect, and she discusses the CEO’s role in cultivating the company culture that will help an organization succeed.

Erika Ayers Badan is the CEO of Food52 and the former CEO of Barstool Sports. During her tenure at Barstool from 2016 to 2024, Erika transformed the organization from a regional blog to a national powerhouse operation leading to a 5,000% increase in overall revenue, making it one of the most innovative and successful internet media brands. Before joining Barstool, Erika held several leadership positions in media and technology at Microsoft, AOL, Demand Media, and Yahoo. She has been extensively recognized for her innovation in the industry, including being named one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in Sports amongst other achievements. Erika currently serves on the boards of the Premier Lacrosse League, Axon Enterprise (AXON), and Malaria No More. She is the author of the book “Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure is Good, The Great Ones Play Hurt and Other Hard Truths.”

The Leadership Lessons of Coach John Wooden with Swen Nater

Swen Nater has one of the most unlikely paths to success. He was born in the Netherlands where he spent several years in orphanages. When he came to America as a boy, Swen fell in love with the game of basketball. Despite never playing in high school, he became an All-American at Cypress College, a two-time national champion at UCLA, and he played 12 years professionally. He is the only player in history to lead the ABA and NBA in rebounding. When Swen’s playing days were over, he went on to coach Christian Heritage College to a national championship.

In this interview, Swen talks about his difficult childhood and the journey that led him to play professional basketball. He shares the leadership lessons he learned from his legendary leader at UCLA – Coach John Wooden. Swen talks about Coach Wooden’s approach to time management, giving feedback, discipline, conditioning, and the tremendous care he showed for his players. Swen finishes the interview by talking about the mentorship he received from Coach Wooden in the decades after playing at UCLA.

Swen Nater still holds the California Community College single game rebound record at 39. After becoming a community college All-American, Swen played for two undefeated, national championship teams at UCLA. He went on to become the ABA Rookie of the Year, a two-time All Star, and led the league in rebounds and field goal percentage. When he jumped to the NBA, Swen led the league in rebounds, becoming the only player in history win both the ABA and NBA rebounding titles. After playing basketball, Swen Nater became athletic director and head coach at Christian Heritage College where he led the Hawks to a national small college championship. Swen is author of five books including "You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned.” Swen has been inducted into the Orange County Hall of Fame and The San Diego Hall of Champions Hall of Fame. Swen is currently a buyer for Costco Wholesale.

Reaching Peak Performance with Sports Psychologist Dr. Rick Aberman

When the lights are on and the ball is in play, we tend to forget that athletes are human too. They have families, friends, bills, obligations, and commitments like everyone else. And their jobs are really, really stressful. Failure can lead to the scorn of fans in the arena and on social media. Pundits can be unusually cruel. Coaches and General Managers can be fickle when players underperform and losses mount.

To deal with these pressures, collegiate and professional athletes often turn to a sports psychologist to help them overcome their doubts, regain their confidence, curiosity and purpose, and strive toward performing at their potential. One of those sports psychologists is Dr. Rick Aberman. He is a pioneer in the field and has been working with elite athletes and corporate executives for 30 years.

In this discussion, Dr. Aberman talks about how business leaders and sports coaches can more effectively assess talent, help team members move past failure, manage emotions, build healthy work cultures, and help their people live full, well-rounded lives. One of his most powerful tools is simply asking the people he works with “how good do you want to be?”

After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Aberman became one of the first psychologists in the country to be hired as a member of a sports medicine staff. He initiated a program designed to specifically meet the needs of high performing competitive student-athletes, coaches, and administrators at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Aberman served as the Director of Peak Performance on the medical staff of the Minnesota Twins. In addition, he continues to be a long-standing advisor to athletic teams and coaches at the University of Minnesota. He utilizes the latest thinking in psychology, motivation, neuroscience, and peak performance.

Progress, Not Perfection with Basketball Legend Coach Ray Scott

This interview is so much more than a discussion about leadership. It’s a reflection on the incredible progress that has been made in the United States and the work that still needs to be done. Born in South Philadelphia, former professional basketball player and coach Ray Scott discusses a formative trip he took as a 12-year-old boy to the segregated South in 1950. He talks about the bravery amid intimidation and death threats of the first African American players in the National Basketball Association. He shares what he learned from pioneering leaders he was fortunate to meet and get to know like Muhammad Ali, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Aretha Franklin, and his mentor and coach Earl Lloyd.

Additionally, Coach Scott talks about his role as a leader during his playing and coaching career in professional basketball. Ray discusses the importance of forming habits, being a pioneer, establishing the right mindset in very difficult circumstances. mentorship, determining individual readiness to lead other people, building a self-reliant team, and coaching former players.

In 1961, Ray Scott was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the #4 overall pick in the National Basketball Association Draft. His professional playing career spanned 11 years with the Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, and Virginia Squires. He became an assistant coach and eventually the head coach of the Detroit Pistons during the early 1970s. In 1974, Ray became the first African American Coach of the Year. He went on to become the head men’s basketball coach at Eastern Michigan University and then had a long, successful career in business. Ray is the author of The NBA in Black and White: The Memoir of a Trailblazing NBA Player and Coach.

Being CEO with Evamarie Schoenborn

In this episode, 12 Geniuses host Don MacPherson and guest Evamarie Schoenborn talk about the attributes of great leadership, they discuss how Evamarie honed her listening skills by emulating financial advisors with whom she worked, and she shares how she and her team led Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management through the pandemic. Evamarie describes her approach to talent management, assessment, and succession planning as CEO and she is candid about the challenges of being CEO, including the difficulty of transitioning into that role from another company. Evamarie also talks about creating a sense of belonging across the entire organization, why she spent so much time on developing others, and she leaves us with her thoughts on what she would like her legacy as a leader to be.

Leading in a World of Unpredictable Disruption with Dave Ulrich

In this episode, 12 Geniuses host Don MacPherson and guest Dave Ulrich talk about leading through disruption and crisis. They start off by discussing the attributes of good and great leadership. They talk about how leaders need to be aware of mental health challenges employees face and how those challenges influence the employee experience. They conclude the interview with a discussion about leading in crisis situations and Dave shares a model leaders can use to navigate any disruptive event.

The Future Entrepreneur with Gino Wickman

In this interview, entrepreneurial expert and best-selling author Gino Wickman joins host Don MacPherson to discuss what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur including how to tell if you are a “true entrepreneur,” how to plan for a successful career, and how to make the best decisions for your business. They also discuss common mistakes made by entrepreneurs, the entrepreneur’s identity after they sell their business, and the impact of COVID-19 on entrepreneurship.

An entrepreneur since the age of 21, Gino has an obsession for learning what makes businesses thrive. Gino is the founder of Entrepreneurial Leap and EOS Worldwide. He has also authored Traction and Entrepreneurial Leap while continuing to help entrepreneurs-in-the-making thrive and succeed in their endeavors.

Building the Leaders of Tomorrow - with Shakeel Nelson

Shakeel Nelson and the Inner City Ducks are using sports in very innovative ways to reach young people and ensure they are on the right path in life. They provide mentoring, a safe space to play and learn, discipline, and exposure to new experiences for the young people in his community. The players have participated in tournaments in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Chicago, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. Eating in restaurants, staying in hotels, and seeing new places expands their sense of what is possible in their lives and teaches them life skills they will apply in adulthood.

In this interview, Shakeel shares his personal experience growing up without a father and candidly shares the challenges he faced. Shakeel explains his inspiration for creating the Inner City Ducks and how he sees the organization and its players growing in the years to come. Shakeel also tells us about the creative ways he is introducing his kids to new experiences and teaching them life skills while developing athletes hungry for success.

At the young age of 25, Shakeel volunteers four days a week to support the youth of his community as a coach, role model, and mentor through the Inner City Ducks. Shakeel’s vision for the organization is to serve 150+ boys and girls and to provide a community center where the kids can go after school to play, study, work out, and receive mentoring.

Leadership Moment - Shakeel Nelson

Leadership Moment - Shakeel Nelson - Wisdom

“If you could trade lives with any other person in the world, who would it be?” I was curious to hear his response. I suspected it would fall in line with the average response from any other 12-year-old.

I had been Shakeel’s Big Brother for about three years at this point. We would get together two or three times a month spending our time playing basketball or cooking meals. Early on, I made a deal with him that he could ask me anything he wanted. He didn’t hesitate to explore all kinds of topics which led to a very candid relationship.

On this particular Sunday morning, Shakeel and I were driving to a gym to play basketball. Our conversation had varied throughout the drive and as we approached our destination I asked him the question I’d wanted to ask for a long time.

I could see the wheels in his head turning. He really processed the question. I was impressed. I thought he would choose to trade lives with an athlete or entertainer. Those were the people he and his friends talked about frequently.

After a minute, Shakeel looked at me. His head was slightly tilted to one side, one eye was closed and the other squinted at me with a slight bit of skepticism. He slowly and rather sheepishly gave his answer…

Hear his story here.

The Transgender Champion - An Interview with Team USA's Chris Mosier

Chris Mosier has been a life-long athlete, becoming an All-American Duathlete, and earning a spot on Team USA in 2015. Globally recognized as “The Man Who Changed the Olympics,” Chris became the first known transgender man to make a United States Men’s National Team and challenged the International Olympic Committee’s policies on transgender participation at the international level. In this interview, Chris shares his personal journey of transition, his quest to remain a competitive athlete, and his advocacy work educating and campaigning for LGBTQ+ equality. Chris also provides advice for individuals who are questioning their identities, or interested in becoming an ally. In this interview, Chris discusses:

A growing passion in athletics, becoming a duathlete and triathlete, competing at the national and international levels, discovering transgender identity, college athletics, coming out to his athletic and personal community, experiencing male privilege, representing his country, social justice achievements, making the decision to transition, understanding your identity, phases of transitioning, transitioning in the professional workplace, changing the Olympics, hormone therapy, trans athletics, advocating for trans rights both in athletics and in life, how to be open to people who are transgender, and children exploring gender identity.

People, Organizations, and resources mentioned:

Renée Richards, Northern Michigan University, Team USA, Martina Navratilova, All-American Athletes, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, GoAthletes, LGBTQ+ Community, Olympics, BBC, New York Magazine, International Olympic Committee (IOC), transathlete.com, Laverne Cox, Michael Jordan, Nike (Unlimited Courage Ad)

“If any person of any age has the courage to tell you who they are, whether they’re a family member or a friend, know that the life that they were living in secrecy, or not being able to be honest about who they were, is probably harder than the life that they’re going to face. So while there are very real challenges, discrimination, violence and harassment against the trans community and the queer community, not being able to be who you know you really are is incredibly painful.”

Chris Mosier on being an ally to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Find Chris on social media @TheChrisMosier and at www.thechrismosier.com. For more information on Transgender athletics, go to www.transathlete.com.

Leadership, the Brain, and Managing Lasting Change - An Interview with Dr. Robert Eichinger

Leadership guru Dr. Robert Eichinger shares his wisdom on the topics of:

Neural leadership, change management, the brain at work, neural plasticity, mindfulness, women in leadership, emotional competence, confirmation bias, innovation, leadership and Artificial Intelligence, anger management, narcissism, and derailment research

“You cannot manage change cognitively. It has to be managed from an EQ standpoint. People get promoted based on smarts and fail based on people skills.”

Dr. Robert Eichinger

12 Geniuses Podcast

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