Greater Good Radio - Connect, Learn, Heal, and Grow

Hosted by Greater Good Radio

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Episodes

242

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Deep conversations with leaders to connect, learn, heal, and grow.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 17, 20262 hr 2 min

The Honest Cost of Leadership | Mayor Derek Kawakami

Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami sits down with Evan Leong for a rare, unfiltered conversation about leadership, loss, and legacy. From surviving Hurricane Iniki as a teenager to losing his mother, father, and brother within eighteen months, Derek opens up about grief, mental health, and why he refuses to stay silent about his brother's suicide. He shares how his wife Monica's wisdom shaped his run for office, why he built Kauai's first inclusive playground, and what's driving his campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Watch now to hear why real leadership starts with honesty, not perfection.

July 3, 20261 hr 16 min

Overcome Childhood Trauma & Rewire Your Brain | Steve Sawyer

Steve Sawyer grew up in a home where silence was the deadliest weapon — and rage could erupt without warning. As founder of the Developmental Trauma Training Institute, Steve draws on his own childhood wounds to reveal how unhealed trauma shapes every relationship, addiction, and behavior we carry into adulthood. From the neuroscience of the nervous system and the four core survival wounds identified by Anna Freud, to the life-changing power of repairing better as a parent, this conversation is a roadmap for breaking generational cycles and reclaiming connection. Watch now to discover why healing trauma isn't about soothing the pain — it's about moving through it.

June 19, 20261 hr 45 min

Psychedelic Therapy: Rewiring Trauma

What if the key to healing trauma, anxiety, and depression has been misunderstood for decades — and the answer lies in a medicine most of us were taught to fear? Mike DeMattos, Chair of the Bachelor of Social Work Program at the University of Hawaii, joins Evan Leong for a deeply honest and wide-ranging conversation about psychedelic-assisted therapy, the roots of self-rejection, and what it truly means to heal. Mike shares how his initial skepticism gave way to compelling research — and how psilocybin, MDMA, and other psychedelics may offer something traditional treatments have struggled to provide: a new way of seeing the world, free from the emotional patterns that have held us back. From unpacking childhood trauma and the "ruminative conditions" that trap us, to the power of IFS therapy and his own deeply personal unburdening, Mike brings both the clinical expertise and the lived experience of someone who has done the hard work himself. Watch now to discover why healing is never a solo journey — and why being whole matters more than being good.

June 5, 20261 hr 12 min

Unprocessed Anger Destroys Elite Leaders

Brad Yates spent six decades coaching elite athletes, leaders, and even legendary college football head coach Bill Curry — and his hardest lesson came from looking inward at his own unprocessed anger. At 84, the former Punahou School educator and high-performance coach sits down with Evan Leong to unpack "Accept Love," his framework for elite performance, why most of what we call passion is actually stored anger, and how grief, fear, and agency intertwine in every leader's life. From getting recruited to Georgia Tech to coaching at Punahou for 30 years, surviving FBI protection alongside Bill Curry at Alabama, and writing a coach's manual at 84, Brad shares the wisdom that only comes from a life fully lived. Watch now to learn why elite performance starts with accepting the work — and why repressed emotions quietly destroy even the strongest leaders.

May 22, 20261 hr 38 min

Leaving Executive Pay for Coaching

Scott Simon walked away from a high-paying executive career to become a leadership coach — and the journey that led him there is anything but ordinary. From playing D3 volleyball at Santa Clara after turning down Princeton, to navigating corporate law and a company bankruptcy, to ultimately trading a corporate paycheck for the freedom to build something on his own terms, Scott brings a rare depth of lived experience to every coaching conversation. In this episode, he and Evan Leong unpack the mindset shifts, practical frameworks, and personal turning points that define a life built around continuous reinvention and service to others. Watch now to discover what it really takes to lead — and to let go.

May 8, 20261 hr 56 min

The Honest Truth About Aging

Pal Eldredge has lived one of Hawaii’s most extraordinary sporting lives — from a three-sport athlete at Punahou and a College World Series competitor at BYU, to decades coaching baseball, scouting for Major League Baseball, and teaching fifth grade to a boy the world would come to know as Barack Obama. Evan Leong sits down with Coach Pal for an unflinching conversation about aging, legacy, physical decline, and what it truly means to give back to the game and the people who shaped you. Pal shares raw and moving reflections on losing his brother and sister, raising daughters he’s fiercely proud of, and why the greatest thing a player could ever say is “I learned a lot from that man.” Watch now to hear the honest truth about a life lived fully — and what really matters when the innings run out.

April 24, 20261 hr 24 min

How a Community Built a Tech CEO | Forest Frizzell

What if a tech CEO isn’t self-made—but community-made? In this powerful conversation, Forest Frizzell shares his raw, deeply personal journey from a troubled childhood marked by learning struggles, self-doubt, and survival, to becoming the co-founder of a globally recognized clean energy company. This episode goes beyond entrepreneurship—it’s about being “Hānai’d” (nourished and lifted) by people who believed in him, finding belonging in Hawaii, and redefining success through impact, humility, and service. Forest opens up about overcoming the belief that he wasn’t smart, learning to lead without losing himself, and why community—not credentials—is what truly builds leaders. If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t fit the traditional path to success, this story will change how you see what’s possible.

April 10, 20261 hr 35 min

Finding Authenticity: What 20 Years at the Chamber of Commerce Taught Me

Sherry Menor, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, sits down with Evan Leong for one of the most candid conversations about leadership, identity, and personal growth you'll hear from a Hawaii executive. Born in Tokyo and raised in Hilo in a strict Japanese-Filipino household, Sherry's path to becoming the first female CEO in the Chamber's 175-year history was anything but linear — it included detours through Hollywood extra work, a stint with Elton John's production team, a statewide political campaign, and years of learning to stop performing and start being herself. She opens up about imposter syndrome, the loneliness at the top, the transformative power of therapy, and what it finally feels like to own who you are. Watch now to hear the full story of what authenticity really costs — and everything it gives back.

March 27, 20261 hr 26 min

Lei Pedro: The Power of Aloha in Leadership and Business

What does it really mean to lead with Aloha in business? In this episode of Greater Good Radio, Pacific Business News Publisher Lei Pedro shares how her Hawaiian heritage, family legacy, and life experiences shaped her approach to leadership, connection, and community. From growing up in a family of traditional lei makers to becoming one of Hawaiʻi’s most influential business media leaders, Lei explains why great leaders connect people, speak with radical candor, and always lead with purpose. This conversation explores the deeper meaning of Aloha, culture in the workplace, and how business success can still honor values and community. Watch now to learn how the power of Aloha can transform leadership and business.

March 13, 20261 hr 11 min

The Christine Camp Story: Surviving, Healing, and Building Hawaii's Future

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Evan Leong sits down with Christine Camp — Korean immigrant, single mother, runaway teen, and founder & CEO of Avalon Group — for a raw, unfiltered conversation about survival, identity, healing, and what it truly takes to build something meaningful in Hawaiʻi. Christine opens up about leaving Korea as a child, losing her father shortly after arriving in America, running away from home at 15 and working multiple jobs to survive, and the defining moment that sent her back home and set her on a path toward education, real estate, and purpose. From founding one of Hawaiʻi's most prolific real estate development firms to raising a son on her own, Christine reflects on the wounds that drove her success, the difference between obligation and love, and why giving others hope is the greatest thing you can do — whether you're developing land or mentoring a struggling kid who feels they have none.