Business Leadership Series

In this episode Derek talks with the world's #1 Bowler Jason Belmonte. Jason talks with Derek about his unique story of bowling since the age of two, how he stays motivated to continue being the best in the world, and more on his entrepreneurial journey.Jason is known for being one of the first bowlers to gain media attention for using the two handed approach style to deliver his shot. He has won 22 PBA titles, making him one of only 15 players in history with at least 20 PBA Tour wins. His PBA Tour victories include a record 11 major championships, four of these in the USBC Masters, which is also a record. He is also a four-time PBA Player of the Year.Learn more at https://www.jasonbelmonte.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

Derek talks with baseball legend Art Shamsky. Art was a prominent player with the iconic 69′ Mets World Series Championship Team.Art captures an important part of our nation’s history: a country torn apart by war, the year of Woodstock, the year of first person on the moon, and the “lovable losers” who went from underdog to champions!Be sure to order Art’s MUST READ book: “After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the ’69 Mets”Learn more at: http://artshamsky.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

Derek's guest this week is Jack Daly. Jack talks with Derek about his first sales job at age 7, living a life "by design", and key insights from his book "Hyper Sales Growth".Jack Daly is a leading sales speaker and trainer with over 30 years of sales and executive experience. Jack’s track record is a testament to his real-world knowledge and extensive expertise in sales and sales management. He started his professional journey at CPA firm Arthur Andersen and rose to the CEO level of several corporations, building six companies into national firms along the way, two of which he subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston.In addition to his comprehensive professional background, Jack holds a BS in Accounting, as well as an MBA, and was a Captain in the U.S. Army. Jack Daly is an Amazon Best Selling Author and has written and contributed to many books, including Hyper Sales Growth and The Sales Playbook for Hyper Sales Growth. Jack is a 15-time Ironman competitor and has comp

n this episode Derek Champagne, CEO of The Artist Evolution, interviews Tim Sanders. Tim Sanders spent most of his early career on the cutting edge of innovation and change. He was an early stage member of Mark Cuban’s Broadcast.com, which had the largest opening day IPO in history. After Yahoo acquired the company, Tim was tapped to lead their ValueLab, and by 2001, he rose to Chief Solutions Officer. In 2005, he founded Deeper Media, which provides consulting services for leading brands. Today, he is one of the top-rated speakers on the lecture circuit.Tim is the author of four books, including the New York Times bestseller Love Is the Killer App: How To Win Business & Influence Friends. It’s been translated into over a dozen languages and has been featured in Fast Company, USA Today, the New York Times, The Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor and on CNN. He’s a master storyteller who offers listeners actionable takeaways that produce results right away. That’s why he’s one of the top speakers on th

Listen to this powerful interview with Dr. David Fajgenbaum who has an incredible new memoir, "Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope into Action". David’s story is truly unique; it’s a tale of learning to live, while dying: a universally relatable story about getting up and fighting back after life knocks you down.A former Georgetown quarterback nicknamed "The Beast," David Fajgenbaum was also a force in medical school, where he was known for his unmatched mental stamina. But things changed dramatically when he began suffering from inexplicable fatigue. In a matter of weeks, his organs were failing and he was read his last rites. Doctors were baffled over a condition they had yet to even diagnose; floating in and out of consciousness, Fajgenbaum prayed for the equivalent of a game day overtime: a second chance.Miraculously, Fajgenbaum survived, but only to endure repeated near-death relapses from what would eventually be identified as a form of Castleman disease—an extremely deadly and rare condition

Derek Champagne talks with Enes Kanter Freedom. Enes is a human rights activist, NBA star, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and NY Times Best Selling author of the book: In The Name of Freedom. summaryIn this conversation, Ennis Cantor-Freedom shares his remarkable journey from a childhood in Turkey, where he faced societal pressures to hate, to becoming a prominent NBA player and a human rights activist. He discusses the challenges he faced in speaking out against injustices, particularly regarding the treatment of Uyghurs in China, and the personal sacrifices he made, including estrangement from his family and the threat to his safety. Through his story, he emphasizes the importance of empathy, the responsibility of influential figures, and the need to educate the next generation about human rights and social justice.takeaways Ennis Cantor-Freedom's journey from Turkey to the NBA is marked by a commitment to human rights. He faced societal pressures to hate America but chose to embrace understanding instead. His

In this episode Derek Champagne interviews Devin Thorpe. As a new-media journalist and founder of the Your Mark on the World Center, Devin has established himself as a champion of social good. Devin was formerly the CFO of one of the top 3 Fortune 500 companies before shifting his attention to social entrepreneurship.As a Forbes contributor, with more than 250 bylines and over one million unique visitors, he has become a recognized name in the social impact arena. His YouTube show, featuring celebrities, CEOs, billionaires and entrepreneurs who are out to change the world, has been viewed over 200,000 times, giving him a recognizable face as well.Devin is also a noted author with 4 popular books and calls himself a champion of social good. As an author, speaker and Forbes contributor he focuses on helping those doing good in the world.www.devinthorpe.comBusiness Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

Derek Champagne talks with Sramana Mitra. Sramana is the founder and CEO of One Million by One Million (1Mby1M), the world’s first and only global virtual incubator/accelerator. Its goal is to help a million entrepreneurs globally reach a million dollars in annual revenue, build a trillion dollars in global GDP, and create 10 million jobs.Since its founding in 2010, 1Mby1M has become a powerful platform for democratization of entrepreneurship acceleration.Sramana also developed 1Mby1M’s Incubator-in-a-Box methodology for Corporate Incubation that is used by enterprises to manage internal and external innovation endeavors.In 2015, LinkedIn named Sramana one of their Top 10 Influencers alongside Bill Gates and Richard Branson.Sramana has been an entrepreneur and a strategy consultant in Silicon Valley since 1994. Her fields of experience span from hardcore technology disciplines like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Semiconductors, to sophisticated consumer marketing industries including e-commerce,

In this interview, Derek talks with John and Ana Mann about their new book "The Go-Giver Marriage". John and Ana share the "why" behind writing this new book, their process for collaboration, and highlight some of the secrets to lasting love. Learn more at https://gogivermarriage.com  John David Mann is coauthor of more than 30 books, including four New York Times bestsellers and five national bestsellers. His classic 2008 parable The Go-Giver (coauthored with Bob Burg) earned the 2017 Living Now Book Award’s “Evergreen Medal” for its “contribution to positive global change.”   Ana Gabriel Mann, M.A., earned her degree in clinical psychology before going on to serve as an educator, therapist, corporate trainer, speaker, and coach. She currently coaches Go-Giver Marriage clients and leads the Go-Giver Marriage Coaches Training Program, training coaches from around the globe. Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/2683865

Derek Champagne talks with Dr. Scott Hutcheson, author of Biohacking Leadership. Scott Hutcheson, PhD is a biosocial scientist and senior lecturer at Purdue University, where his teaching, research, and professional practice centers on leadership, team, and organizational performance through the lens of the biology of behavior. His work in biosocial sciences explores how biological systems interact with social behavior to shape how we lead, collaborate, and adapt. Dr. Hutcheson brings this perspective to leaders and organizations navigating complex, fast-changing environments. A personal health diagnosis several years ago deepened his professional interest in the biology of behavior. After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Dr. Hutchesonturned to biohacking—using data, behavior change, and biological feedback loops—to manage the disease. That lived experience sparked a powerful insight: the sameprinciples that optimize the body can optimize leadership. This became the foundation of his current work: applyi

Derek Champagne talks with Chris Robinson. Chris is a founding partner of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team and as the Executive Vice President of the Maxwell Entrepreneur Solutions, he a product of the product leading a global team of over 40,000 speakers, coaches, and trainers. He is an international speaker who has enthralled crowds as large as 4500 and trained small groups inside of companies weekly before taking on his current role as the EVP of the Maxwell Entrepreneur Solutions.John Maxwell has made a tremendous impact on his life over the past 20 years. Initially Chris started watching John’s VHS tapes in the basement of a church. Then as a sales representative for the largest vehicle service, he quickly advanced 3 positions in 5 years to a Senior Sales Manager by learning and then applying John’s principles. Chris helped grow that company from 18 employees to over 700.Years later he became a part of John’s team as a certified coach. Chris has been instrumental in the development of many of the pr

Derek Champagne talks with former British Military Officer, Jimmy Burroughes. Jimmy’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and purpose. He began his career as a British Military Officer, leading soldiers across Europe and the Middle East. It was there he learned, sometimes in life-or-death situations, the true meaning of intentional leadership: how to inspire trust, keep people motivated under extreme pressure, and build unity in uncertain environments.When Jimmy transitioned out of the military, he faced his own challenges, struggling to find his place in the corporate world and experiencing first-hand the burnout and disconnection that so many leaders face. This difficult period became the catalyst for his mission to redefine leadership in a way that sustains both people and performance.Through his journey from the battlefield to the boardroom, Jimmy developed his “Simplify to Amplify” methodology, a framework born out of necessity that is now transforming how global organisations lead their people. His

Derek Champagne talks with Jason Ferguson. Jason Ferguson wasn’t supposed to make it—not out of his neighborhood, not into a Division I lockerroom, and definitely not to a tech IPO. But he’s never followed the script. A former University of Hawai‘i football player, Jason is now a Sales Leader, speaker, coach, and author of Nobody’s Legend, a self-help memoirrooted in truth, pain, and resilience.Raised in West Los Angeles, Jason faced violence, loss, and long odds. Football became his escape, and his obsession. Despite being undersized, he earned a full-ride scholarship through grit, vision, and relentless work. But when injuries ended his career, the identity he’d built crumbled, and he spiraled into addiction behindclosed doors. Jason’s journey is one of rebuilding. From silence to significance. Today, he’s a Director ofSales at ServiceTitan, where he helped scale the company through its hypergrowth years and successful IPO. He also coaches early-stage tech founders, helping them build high-performing revenu

NYT bestselling author Shaka Senghor talks with Derek Champagne about his personal story and his powerful new book, How to Be Free: A Proven Guide to Escaping Life’s Hidden Prisons."I love this book—because it teaches you how to manifest freedom in your own life and how that work allows you to rise to your greatest glory." —Oprah Winfrey, The Oprah PodcastAfter 19 years in prison—7 of them in solitary—Shaka emerged not just with a story, but with a methodology. In this book, he distills the inner work that helped him survive, heal, and grow into practical tools that anyone can apply to their own life.Because not all prisons have bars. We all live inside systems, stories, and cycles that can hold us back—doubt, fear, disconnection. And for men in particular, a flawed definition of manhood—emotional suppression, isolation, performative strength—can quietly destroy us. Shaka challenges that directly and offers a radically honest path to healing, self-trust, and real leadership.Each chapter blends hard-won wisdom

Derek Champagne talks with Terry Healey, author of The Resilience Mindset: How Adversity Can Strengthen, Individuals, Teams, & Leaders. A survivor of a permanent facial difference and life-threatening cancer, Terry Healey is anauthor, keynote speaker, and business strategist. Healey challenges audiences to face theiradversities and apply his framework of four key principles to gain confidence, build resilience,and find joy in their personal and professional lives.Having endured more than thirty surgical procedures to reconstruct his face while in his earlytwenties, Healey discovered tools that could help him transform his changed life. He sharesways to take control, overcome challenges, build trust and teams, embrace change, and learnthe value of acceptance and tolerance. He views the lessons he learned as gifts, and believeshis greatest reward is being able to teach others how to overcome any kind of adversity andcelebrate life.His experience led him to a successful thirty-five-year career as a high-tech

Derek interviews NY Times best selling author, Brian Moran. Brian Moran has over thirty years of expertise as a CEO, corporate executive, entrepreneur, consultant and coach. His background as a corporate executive combined with his experience as an entrepreneur positions him with a unique skill set to help individuals and organizations grow and prosper.Brian’s corporate experience includes management and executive positions with UPS, PepsiCo, and Northern Automotive. As an entrepreneur he has personally launched and led successful businesses and been instrumental in the success of many others. In addition, he has consulted for dozens of world-class companies including Coldwell Banker, Mass Mutual, Medtronic, New York Life, and Tiffany & Co.Brian is a recognized expert in the field of leadership and execution. His realization that most people don’t lack ideas but struggle with effective implementation led him to the development of The 12 Week Year. In addition to his books, Brian has been published in many

In this episode Derek talks with Melissa Proctor, Executive Vice President & CMO of the Atlanta Hawks. Melissa, the author of the book “From Ball Girl to CMO”, shares her inspiring personal story and recipes for ongoing success.BiographyMelissa Proctor began her NBA experience in highschool as the first ball girl for the Miami Heat. After highschool, she attended Wake Forest University where she got her Bachelor’s degree in communications and her masters degree in design studies/branding from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design at The London Institute. After obtaining her degree, she went on to work for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. serving in senior brand development and strategy leadership positions. Proctor was with Turner for 9 years before moving on to the Atlanta Hawks as VP of brand strategy. She quickly made her way up and is now the executive vice president and chief marketing officer.Order Melissa’s new book here: https://melissamproctor.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Ou

Derek Champagne sits down for a special conversation with his dear friend, Charles Kochel. Charles is a husband, father, entrepreneur, and author. Charles is also the CEO of Infinity Blue, North America, a borderless e-commerce agency helping brands engage with new customers on multiple platforms and continents. Charles talks with us about business, life…and cancer. Charles new must-read book is More: A Mindful Guide To Intentional LivingIn More, Charles Kochel presents a heartfelt exploration of what truly matters in life: spirituality, health, relationships, time, and freedom. This book is not about imparting absolute truths but rather about encouraging readers to embark on their own unique journeys toward fulfillment. Through personal stories and valuable lessons, Kochel invites you to reflect on your path, recognize your potential, and embrace the richness of life. With an emphasis on mindfulness and intentionality, More serves as a guide to inspire you to live fully, love deeply, and discover the beauty

Derek Champagne interviews Quang X. Pham. Quang is a biotech executive, war veteran, author, speaker, and community leader with a remarkable journey shaped by resilience, service, and entrepreneurship. He made history as the first Vietnamese American to earn naval aviator wings in the Marine Corps and lead an initial public offering (IPO) on Nasdaq.His inspiring American underdog journey, told in first person, is unlike any other. Born in Saigon, South Vietnam, Quang and his family fled as refugees when he was 10, while his father, a Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilot,remained and was imprisoned for more than a decade. After earning a degree from UCLA, Quang served seven years on active duty, flying CH-46 helicopters in the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, and the Reserves. Following his military career, Quang transitioned into business, founding multiple pharmaceutical companies. In 2000, he launched MyDrugRep.com (which became LathianSystems), an innovative online platform for physician marketing engagements, wh

Derek talks with Brett Goode, former AR Razorback and Superbowl XLV champion with the Green Bay Packers. Brett shares his unique story from being in the right place at the right time, walking on to the Razorbacks without a scholarship, his over decade long career in the NFL, the experience of winning a Super Bowl, transitioning after sports, and the lessons he's learned along the way.