84: Graham Cochrane — How to Get Paid for What You Know to Live and Give More

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Cal Walters and Wes Cochrane interview Graham Cochrane (Wes's older brother) about this new book, "How to Get Paid for What You Know."

Graham Cochrane is a business coach to over 3,500 premium customers worldwide. He founded The Recording Revolution, an online music business that generates 7 figures in revenue, in 2009. He now hosts over 80,000+ monthly followers on his podcast, YouTube channel, and blog, talking about business, mindset, productivity, and psychology. Graham has been featured in Business Insider, Yahoo!, and The Huffington Post.

Even if you have no interest in online business or have never even considered it, stick around to hear this interview because it’s packed with wisdom about life and self-leadership. We dive into how Graham went from living on food stamps to creating his first 7 figure business, The Recording Revolution. We discuss imposter syndrome, something we can all relate to, staying committed to a long term plan and how he remains so consistent, he gives us a critique of the hustle culture that is constantly promoting workaholism, why even after having two 7 figure businesses he has invested a lot of money in a high performance coach, and some keys to self-leadership that he shares at the end. 

Watch the interview on YouTube here or click below!

I highly recommend you get a copy of Graham's book!

How to Get Paid for What You Know: Turning Your Knowledge, Passion, and Experience into an Online Income Stream in Your Spare Time

By Cochrane, Graham

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83: Mike Bassett — On Getting Out of the Ditch, Overcoming Shame, and Finding Redemption

Unapologetically passionate and transparent, Mike Bassett has never stopped believing in the power of his team, truth, and doing the next good thing. He is a civil litigation attorney who has practiced law for nearly four decades. In 2002 he founded The Bassett Firm, a Dallas-based boutique law firm specializing in defending catastrophic injury cases.

Mike has tried nearly 200 cases to verdict and is a highly sought-after national speaker, consultant, and mediator. He is also the host and co-creator of the Podcast, Legal Grounds: Conversations on Life, Leadership, and Law, whose guests have included everyone from bishops to military leaders and New York Times bestselling authors.

In his time as an attorney, Mike has embraced the hard path of grace and believes in second chances as much as he believes in honesty to his clients.

On this episode, we discuss his new book, The Man in the Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today.

The Man in The Ditch is a story about undeserved privilege, unlimited potential, hard work, and hustle. A story about self-inflicted wounds, hubris, insecurity, shame, and abandonment. A story, ultimately, about the Operation of Divine Grace that manifests itself as unapologetic joy. 

And while this is a story told by a lawyer, father, husband, and practicing Catholic, it is a story for all of us. A story that teaches us that our darkest moments don't define us, but have the power to radically change us for the worse or for the better. 

The Ditch will break us, but in that brokenness lies the potential for raw and radical transformation. 

Do we stay stuck in darkness, or do we overcome it? And once we overcome it, how do we emerge? Bitter and beaten down, or a stronger, better version of ourselves?

The Man in The Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today

By Bassett, Mike H

Are you interested in writing a book or finding your voice online?

Alexandra Davis at Davis Legal Media can help! She helped Mike make his book a reality.

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If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.

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#82: Mike Erwin — On Building Healthy Relationships in our Digital World

It was very special to welcome Mike Erwin back on the podcast. He was previously a guest on Episode 45 of the podcast.

He is a man that wears many important hats. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB)—a non-profit with a mission to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Team RWB is a growing organization with over 220,000 members.

In addition to leading Team RWB, Mike is the CEO of the Character & Leadership Center and the Co-Founder & President of The Positivity Project—a non-profit organization with the mission to empower America’s youth to build positive relationships. With 425 partner schools, the organization reaches 260,000 children daily.

He is the also the author of Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership through Solitude and his new book, Leadership is a Relationship: How to Put People First in a Digital World. 

Mike is also a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, assigned to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he serves as an Assistant Professor in Leadership & Psychology. He also serves as the founding Chairman of the Board for Father Vincent Capodanno High School, outside Fort Bragg, NC.

Mike graduated from West Point in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He was commissioned as an Intelligence Officer, serving in three combat tours with the First Cavalry Division and 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). His service includes deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004–2005 that involved the Battles of Fallujah and Najaf. Mike also deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2006–2007 and 2009. On those tours, he worked with NATO forces, to include serving as a lead intelligence planner for one of the largest NATO-led combat operation in history. Mike earned two Bronze Star Medals from these tours.

Following his third deployment, Mike attended the University of Michigan from 2009–2011, where he studied positive psychology and leadership under the tutelage of the co-founder of Positive Psychology, Dr. Chris Peterson. He went on to serve as an Assistant Professor in Psychology & Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy from 2011–2014. While assigned to West Point as a Major, Mike served as a lead planner for the Bob McDonald Global Leadership Conference and was the aide-de-camp to the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership, held by Jim Collins and then Tom Tierney.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Some of the themes for his life in 2021

• His reasons for moving his family to a farm in NC

• The consistent thread between his two books, Lead Yourself First and Leadership is a Relationship

• His views on how technology is affecting our relationships

• How he sees technology affecting the next generation of leaders

• Where he sees technology going in the next few decades (putting on his Military Intelligence hat)

• Some wonderful advice he received from Secretary Bob McDonald

• Stories from his relationship with the great Jim Collins

Connect with Mike and follow his awesome work at MikeErwin.net or on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.

Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude

By Kethledge, Raymond M., Erwin, Michael S.

Leadership is a Relationship: How to Put People First in the Digital World

By Erwin, Michael S., DeVoll, Willys

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#81: Mayor Adrian Perkins — On Serving the Community and a Mindset for Success

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It was a lot of fun to sit down for this interview with my West Point classmate, Adrian Perkins. Adrian now serves as the Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana.

On this episode, we explore:

• what life was like for him growing up in Shreveport,

• the powerful leadership lessons he learned from his mom,

• how he struggled the first time he went through the US Army’s Ranger School,

• life at Harvard Law, and

• we even talk about his run for Senate and how he deals with the criticisms that come with political office. 

Adrian Perkins is the grandson of a Bossier Parish sharecropper, and the youngest of three boys born to Johnny Oliver and Archie Perkins. He was raised in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport. He attended Arthur Circle, Youree Drive Middle School, and Captain Shreve High School where he was a member of the student council and the varsity football, basketball and track and field teams. Perkins was all-state in track and field in high school.

Inspired to join the United States Army following the September 11 attacks, Perkins sought and received an appointment to the United States Military Academy, a United States service academy located in West Point, New York. While at West Point, Perkins was elected class president, the first African American cadet to graduate to serve as class president in the 215-year history of the institution. Perkins was selected to be a Tillman Scholar by the Pat Tillman Foundation. He attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor and served as president of the student government.

Upon graduation from West Point, Perkins was commissioned as a field artillery officer and posted at Fort Stewart, Georgia. During his career, Perkins was also posted at Fort Sill, Fort Benning, and Fort Campbell and served deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Perkins served eight years in the Army, completing Ranger training and achieved the rank of captain and served as a company commander. Adrian Perkins is a Bronze Star recipient.

On April 26, 2018, Perkins announced his candidacy for Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana.

On November 6, 2018, Perkins finished first with 17,466 votes and 28.86% in the blanket primary, but did not garner the required 50 percent plus one vote to win outright.

On December 8, 2018, Perkins handily defeated incumbent Ollie Tyler in the runoff to become the 58th mayor of Shreveport.

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#80: Ryan Hawk — The Pursuit of Excellence & The Power of Consistency

I’m really excited to bring Ryan Hawk back on the show!

You can watch the interview on YouTube here or below.

Ryan created The Learning Leader Show in 2015 as a way to follow his curiosity about leadership and excellence with great rigor. It has since been listened to by millions of people in more than 150 countries. Forbes called it, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it’s one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader.” Apple named it an “all-time best seller” in 2020.

He’s the author of Welcome to Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader. Book Authority recently named it to its 100 Best Management Audiobooks of all time (#25). Forbes called it, “the best leadership book of 2020.”

Welcome to Management: How to Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader

By Hawk, Ryan

He previously worked in corporate America for 12 years. He started as an entry-level telephonic sales rep and worked his way to manager, director, and ultimately VP of sales for a multi-billion dollar company.

When he’s not recording podcasts or writing books, he tries to help leaders be more effective. Some of the ways he does that: fascinating Leadership Circles, 1:1 advising, and teaching in The Learning Leader Academy. Finally, he regularly delivers keynote speeches on leadership and performance excellence and has spoken all over America and abroad in front of thousands of people.

After a very successful first book, Ryan is out with his brand new book, The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World’s Most Productive Achievers!

The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers

By Hawk, Ryan

On this episode, we dive into:

• How his father and grandfather were incredible models of servant leadership

• How he stays so incredibly consistent

• How he stays motivated to do hard things

• What gratitude means to him

• How he and his wife, Miranda, intentionally surround themselves with positive people

• His experiences with writing a book and where that stacks up for him in terms of difficult pursuits

• The meaning of the words “excellence” and “pursuit” to Ryan

• How he intentionally pursues his wife

• The importance of being action oriented

• Why he loves his Leadership Circles

During my conversation with Ryan, I mention Ryan’s interview with his wife Miranda (Episode 375 of the Learning Leader Show). This is one of the most inspiring interviews out there for couples looking to create a supportive relationship. Check it out here or below!

Visit learningleader.com to connect with Ryan and learn more about his work!

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