Business Leadership Series

Hosted by Business Leadership Series

BusinessInterviews guestsExplicit

Website RSS feed Facebook

Episodes

100

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Our audience is comprised of business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs who desire to learn from our guests’ knowledge, advice, and experience for personal and professional growth. We interview pro athletes, rock and roll hall of famers, best selling authors, and other leaders with an inspiring story. We are also a syndicated show regionally on ESPN radio. ]]>

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 14, 2026Episode 147238 min

Episode 1472: NY Times Best Selling Author Liane Davey

In this episode Derek Champagne talks with NY Times best selling author Liane Davey. Liane has spent more than 25 years researching and advising teams on how to perform at their best. Known as the “teamwork doctor,” she works with teams from the frontlines to the boardroom, across industries and around the world, from Boston to Bangkok. Through her work with hundreds of teams, including 26 Global Fortune 500 companies (and counting), she has developed a practical, research-backed approach to solving the challenges that prevent teams from working effectively together.Liane is a New York Times bestselling author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done and The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track. She is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and a sought-after expert for media outlets including CNN, NPR, USA Today, The Globe & Mail, and Forbes. Her work focuses on increasing productivity, strengtheningengagement, developing leaders, and helping teams navigate conflict in healthier, more effective ways.Liane’s clients have included Amazon, Walmart, TD Bank, RBC, AMD, MD Anderson, Google, Bayer, KPMG, Aviva, UNICEF, and SONY Interactive Entertainment. While she works across a wide range of industries, she customizes every conversation to reflect the realities of each audience.In Thoughtload, Liane tackles today’s most pressing management challenges: over-burdened systems, burned-out teams, and plateauing results. However, contrary to conventional wisdom, Davey argues that the problem is not with out-sized workloads. The root cause of the madness sapping productivity in today’s offices is our excessive thoughtload.Thoughtload is the cumulative and often overwhelming burden of increasing cognitive and emotional demands, worsened by decreasing physical and mental energy. In this brilliant, highly prescriptive guide, Davey lays out the steps for reducing thoughtload, so that managers and their teams feel more focused―and get more done.For free resources and to order a copy of Thoughtload visit: Thoughtload.comBusiness Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

June 7, 2026Episode 147126 min

Episode 1471: NBA Champion Trent Tucker

Derek talks with 93' Chicago Bulls NBA Champion Trent Tucker. Trent talks with Derek about leadership skills necessary to build a championship team, how to manage egos, having Phil Jackson as a coach, the Trent Tucker Rule, and what it was like playing with his friends Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Derek also talks with Trent about his 9 years playing with the NY Knicks.

May 31, 2026Episode 147043 min

Episode 1470: Former WWE Co-President: George Barrios

Derek Champagne talks with George Barrios, former co-president of WWE, about the deal he made to reshape the global company, his public firing by Vince McMahon, the future of the sports industry, and his approach to leadership (and coping with public failure). Barrios tells his story in his new book Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt. ABOUT SOMETIMES WRONG BUT NEVER IN DOUBTAt a time when leadership is under scrutiny and industries are being reshaped at breakneck speed, stories of bold decision-making and personal reinvention have never felt more essential. Readers are hungry for narratives that go beyond corporate gloss—stories that show how transformative deals actually unfold, how leaders make high-stakes decisions, and how grit still propels people to the highest levels of business. In SOMETIMES WRONG BUT NEVER IN DOUBT: How a Cuban Kid from Queens Transformed WWE (Skyhorse Publishing; June 2, 2026), George Barrios—son of Cuban immigrants, former co-president of WWE, and architect of the largest transaction in sports history—offers exactly that kind of story. With unfiltered honesty and cinematic detail, Barrios traces his journey from a cramped Queens apartment to the boardrooms where he helped reshape a global entertainment company. Told with the humor, swagger, and introspection of a leader who has lived many careers in one lifetime, the book blends memoir and business insight to reveal how an outsider learned to trust his instincts, move decisively, and lead through uncertainty. Barrios brings readers inside the world of WWE: from his twelve-year partnership with Vince McMahon, to the media-rights revolution that redefined the company, to the personal and professional fallout of being fired in front of the entire industry. But the story reaches far beyond wrestling. It is equally a story of immigration, family resilience, cultural identity, and the relentless pursuit of upward mobility. Barrios reflects on:· High-stakes leadership, including how he learned to take bold action despite backlash, uncertainty, and public scrutiny.· The making of a massive sports deal, and the pressures, strategy, and behind-the-scenes dynamics that shaped an industry-defining negotiation.· Immigrant grit and the American Dream, and how his parents’ escape from Castro’s Cuba shaped his path and worldview.· Reinvention after public failure, including the firing that could have ended his career and the personal reckoning that followed.· The cultural forces inside major entertainment companies, with unvarnished insight into ego, power, and the real cost of winning. Written with the immediacy of a ringside story and the heart of a family saga, SOMETIMES WRONG BUT NEVER IN DOUBT is more than a business memoir. It is a testament to risk-taking, reinvention, and the belief that anyone—regardless of where they begin—can shape their own future.Order book here: https://georgebarrios.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

May 24, 2026Episode 146942 min

Episode 1469: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom

Derek Champagne talks with Mark Rampolla, Founder of ZICO Coconut Water. Mark is also the author of the book High-Hanging Fruit and new USA Today bestseller: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom. Mark built ZICO Coconut Water from nothing, sold it to Coca-Cola for over $200 million, then made a decision most people thought was insane. He bought it back and now he’s scaling it toward a billion-dollar brand.The hardest leadership moment wasn't the exit or the early grind. It was deciding to come back after he had already "made it." That required convincing himself first, then his team, then everyone who thought He had lost my mind.For free resources mentioned on the podcast and to order Mark’s new book: https://www.markrampolla.co/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

May 17, 2026Episode 146843 min

Episode 1468: Growing Categories & Engaging Super Consumers

Derek Champagne chats with Eddie Yoon. Eddie is a growth strategy expert for the last 20 years as a Partner with The Cambridge Group. In the last 5 years, he has helped double numerous businesses-cable media company, food brand, beverage company, pet food brand, consumer robotics, standby generators-from several hundred million to close to a billion dollars.Eddie is the author of the acclaimed book, Superconsumers: A Simple, Speedy and Sustainable Path to Superior Growth. He is also the author of over 40 articles, including Make Your Best Customers Even Better (Harvard Business Review magazine) and Why It Pays to Be a Category Creator (Harvard Business Review magazine). Eddie has been a keynote speaker in the U.S., Africa, Australia, Denmark, the UK and Japan.Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

May 10, 2026Episode 146736 min

Episode 1467: Biohacking Leadership

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: applying biohacking principles to how leaders signal presence, build trust, and create conditions for collective success.With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Hutcheson has worked with hundreds of organizations across industry, higher education, and the public and nonprofit sectors. His clients have included the White House, Fortune 400 companies, startups, and rural communities helping them address challenges related to competitiveness, innovation, sustainability, and public health. His impact is global, having worked with more than 4,000 leaders from 147 countries.He is the author of numerous academic articles and essays, and his 2019 release, Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership (Wiley), became a #1 Amazon New Release in six categories and appeared on multiple Best Business Book lists. His next project is a three-book series with Wiley on the biodynamics of leadership, teams, and organizations. Dr. Hutcheson is also a columnist for Forbes where his articles are read by millions. He ranks in Forbes top 0.1% in readership. Dr. Hutcheson is a sought-after speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops around the world. His TED Talk on the “Science of Prospection” has been viewed more than 1.3 million times, and his Instagram account, @bookscotttospeak, has nearly 40,000 followers. He and his wife Lisa Hutcheson, a mental health policy leader and co-founder of Hutcheson Associates, live near Indianapolis in the historic Town of Ulen with their twodogs, Pippa and Cosette. They have two adult sons, Henry and Oliver.To learn more about BIOHACKING LEADERSHIP, please visit: https://biohackingleadership.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

May 3, 2026Episode 146644 min

Episode 1466: Military Leadership Secrets That Transformed Fortune 500 Giants

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 story resonates deeply because it is not just about success; it is about overcoming adversity, finding clarity, and choosing a path that creates lasting impact.Jimmy shares this journey with honesty and humility, weaving in the hard lessons from both military service and corporate leadership. Audiences often walk away not only inspired but equipped with the belief that they too can lead with more intention, reclaim time, and create meaningful results without burning out.Jimmy made the leap from British military officer to Fortune 500 leadership expert and now leads the charge in transforming overwhelmed managers into high-performing leaders. His bestselling books, “Beat Burnout - Ignite Performance” and “Escape the Multitasking Trap,” deliver action you can feel. His signature “Simplify to Amplify” methodology gets leaders performing at an average of 47% higher in just 90 days—no fluff, just results.Across Samsung, Bank of America, Lego, Fonterra, and 40+ countries, Jimmy has guided more than 3,000 leaders from burnout to breakthrough. The secret? He applies hard-won lessons from command and operations to cut through clutter and create measurable improvements. These same principles have driven up productivity by 156% and slashed overwhelm by 89% in teams worldwide.Learn more at: https://www.jimmyburroughes.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

April 26, 2026Episode 146533 min

Episode 1465: From Drift To Drive

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 programs offered by the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Members, a leadership development organization whose members speak, coach and train on values-based, people-centric principles that help people lead powerful, positive change in themselves, in their organizations and in the world around them.Chris Robinson’s new book, From Drift To Drive, reveals how even the most accomplished leaders, coaches, and visionaries can fall prey to the subtle trap of complacency—a quiet force that halts progress and stifles potential. Drawing on years of global experience with thousands of clients, Chris exposes how reaching a peak often leads to settling into routines that erode passion and innovation. He outlines his transformative Seven Step Framework to help you detect early signs of stagnation, reignite your drive, and map a renewed course toward extraordinary achievement. With clear, actionable advice on mastering efficient learning, forging powerful connections, and overcoming obstacles, this book is your essential guide to turning daily busywork into a dynamic journey toward a more fulfilling, impactful life.Order From Drift To Drive anywhere books are sold or direct link: https://store.maxwellleadership.com/products/chris-robinson-from-drift-to-drive-a-high-achievers-guide-to-breaking-the-chains-of-complacencyBusiness Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

April 19, 2026Episode 146443 min

Episode 1464: Nobody's Legend

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 revenue teams and sustainable growth strategies—grounded not in theory, but lived experience.Jason speaks on emotional intelligence, mental resilience, and transforming adversity into advantage, bringing unfiltered truth to audiences ranging from students to C-suite leaders.Nobody’s Legend isn’t just a memoir. It’s a raw, unapologetic roadmap through chaos, self-destruction, and the long climb back to purpose. Told with unfiltered honesty and cinematic detail, this is the true story of a former D1 athlete who lost it all—football, identity, family, self-worth—and still found a way to rebuild from rock bottom.Jason Ferguson takes you inside the mind of an addict mid-withdrawal, a teenager chasing dreams in the unforgiving streets of L.A., and a grown man staring down the voice in his head telling him he’s not enough. What unfolds isn’t a comeback story. It’s a reintroduction to who he was always meant to be.This book goes beyond motivation. It’s about the war between your ears—the lies you believe, the doubts you feed, and the habits that either bury you or build you. Whether it’s walking into a sales job in an oversized suit with nothing to lose or running sprints up a sand dune at 4 AM chasing a vision no one else could see, Nobody’sLegend reminds you that your pain isn’t proof you're broken. It’s proof you're not done yet.It’s about mindset. It’s about radical accountability. It’s about getting hit and getting back up with youridentity intact. And most of all, it’s about reminding every underdog, former screw-up, or misunderstood soul outthere that you don’t have to be famous to be legendary.Order a copy of Nobody's Legend: https://jfinspires.com/book/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

April 12, 2026Episode 146341 min

Episode 1463: How To Be Free

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 with actionable steps (including “Keys to” sections at the end of each chapter that offer concrete, practical guidance), perfect for readers hungry for a path that’s real, not performative. Shaka’s work has been praised by figures ranging from Oprah to Ben Horowitz, and he’s regularly sought after by CEOs and changemakers for his insights on leadership, trust, and mindset.Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576