Steve Fleck is the voice many people hear in their hardest moments, when their heart is jumping out of their chest, their mind is crushed, and the finish line is in sight. Fleck is a broadcast commentator for athletics, cycling, endurance, and running competitions. He’s the familiar soundtrack to events streamed on media like CBC, FLOBIKES, Ironman Live, and others. But how does one become the voice of sport or anything else, for that matter?

It starts by knowing your stuff. And, in Steve’s case, doing it. He was an early competitor in triathlon. He’s a 9-time Ironman finisher with a best time of 9:04 and competed in the Ironman World Championships. In addition to broadcasting, Steve has coached elite athletes and is a founding board member of the Canadian Endurance Sports Alliance. In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, Steve shares how his athletic career influenced his business career, how he transitioned from corporate work to broadcasting, and how he delivers a sense of the moment to his audience. He also offers a point of view on what event organizers should learn from the pandemic era.

It’s a story of expertise, resourcefulness, resilience, and, yes, endurance too. And it applies to anyone trying to turn a passion into a profession.

Is there a secret to success? Absolutely. And it’s probably not what you may think.

Bert Thornton spent 40 years shaping careers (including his own) as Waffle House grew from a few restaurants in the American south to become a pillar of communities around the country. As president and chief operations officer, he believed that the growth of the company relied upon the development of its people. Building leadership skills throughout an organization is both an obligation and an opportunity. Now, there’s a gap between emerging leaders and those who can help guide them along the way. Mentoring can help bridge that gap…and, when done well, it can transform lives and organizations.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, Bert shares why mentoring can matter so much, the elements of an effective mentor/mentee relationship, and how to get started. He also covers how to foster creativity within systems…in a way that led to a product that Waffle House sells 11 million times a year.

Josh Hotsenpiller is one of those people you wish you’d known your entire life. And when you meet him, you’ll feel like you did. You see, Josh, devotes a big chunk of his time to building community and he does it with a goal to have a positive impact for all.

He’s done it in as an entrepreneur, leader, and pastor. He’s founder and CEO of JUNO, a rapidly scaling online events platform that delivers connection, education, and engagement. He founded Wisdom Capture which helps organizations share the collective insights of experience across geography and time. He founded Crowd Hub which helps organizations and brands build ongoing connection and engagement with their most important audiences. His companies have served clients ranging from Apple, Google, and Unilever to the United Nations.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, Josh shares principles and lessons he collected along the way that have fueled the growth of his teams, companies, and even his own sense of happiness.

Ambition is defined as a strong desire to achieve. But what does it really mean, in real life? And how do you turn your ambitions into reality? In this mini episode from What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, we talk with four people who absolutely can offer insights on how to achieve your ambition.

Ann Hiatt was an executive partner to Jeff Bezos during the formative years at Amazon and to Eric Schmidt at Google.

Bob Rief was CEO of Merrell Footwear, Reef Sandals, and Sanuk. As head of Nike Golf, he hired a young player named Tiger Woods.

Cody Horton had a distinguished career in the US Navy before leading roles at Walmart, Microsoft, and Deloitte. He now runs Diversity Recruiters and has hired thousands of people.

Hannah Ingram-Moore started a company in Spain that she sold to Motorola and held leading roles with Swatch, Mulberry Group, and The Gap. She founded the Maytrix Group in the UK as well as the Captain Tom Foundation.

In 13 minutes, they share 4 secrets to turn your ambitions into reality. It’s the sort of advice that anyone pursuing higher goals can readily apply to their daily work.

Camilla Barnard believes people should be able to feel good about loving food, not guilty. Her starting point was one of those good-for-you foods that may not taste so good: muesli. Trouble is that muesli is a commodity category dominated by big food companies, famous brands, and basic store products. Few would have the audacity to start there. She wasn’t a veteran of the food industry nor an expert in consumer marketing. And yet, her company, Rude Health, has become a familiar sight on store shelves and in shopping baskets across the UK and Europe.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, Camilla talks about how not knowing can be a strength, how Instagram has changed consumer behavior, and how creativity and attitude often leads to better solutions than expertise alone.

David Taylor has been named one of the world’s 50 leading marketing thinkers by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. His specialty, however, is in real-world, applied marketing…the sort that delivers growth in revenue and in regard. And whether the brand is a product or the proverbial brand you, Taylor has pragmatic advice shaped by 28 years’ experience leading brand growth projects for some of the world’s biggest global brands.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, David talks about his transition from engineer to marketer, crucible moments in life, the four classic marketing mistakes to avoid, and the rise of insurgent brands.

Taylor is also author of eight acclaimed branding books, writes one of the world’s top branding blogs, and is a highly rated teacher at London Business School. He has designed and delivered training programs for leading companies including AB InBev, Mars, Mondelez, Old Mutual, Pladis, and WD-40.

Jasmine Burton is an industrial designer by training and a social impact designer by choice. She’s a believer that design can help solve important societal problems…and that the next iPhone or app isn’t necessarily one of them. Instead, she’s taking on one of the biggest health problems in the world and one that, ironically, has also had little innovation over the years: sanitation.

In college, she founded Wish For WASH, a social impact startup intended to bring innovation to sanitation. She and her team won a 6-figure innovation prize. Within weeks, they were working on the ground in Africa to test their designs. She has since worked in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and the US. Her innovation success and willingness to take on big nasty problems, like sanitation, is quite a story. That’s why Jasmine has delivered more than 130 speeches on global stages and has been featured by the likes of CNN, Fast Company, TedX, and Wired.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, Jasmine talks about “design as functional art”, “designing for dignity”, and offers a perspective on the role that companies, institutions, and individuals should play in integrating social good into daily work.

Along with serving as CEO of Wish For WASH, Jasmine is founder of The Hybrid Hype, a woman-owned global consulting firm which brings a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving.

The world today is deeply divided over politics, covid, race, culture, values, religion, and many other issues. Bridging that chasm is perhaps harder than it’s ever been and yet maybe never more important than it is right now. Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson of UCLA believes that fear overhangs much of that discord and recognizing the source of that fear is vital to building cooperation.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, Dr. Johnson talks about the capacity for compassion that we all have and how we can tap it. She gets into how to approach important conversations with curious mindset rather than a furious one. She talks about the power of kindness and compassion. And she makes the case of learning from the young in their ability to find joy in everyday life.

Dr. Johnson is an author and expert on race, cultural politics, and freedom struggles. She is Associate Professor of Chicana/o and Central American Studies and an affiliate in the Department of African American Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. She’s an in-demand speaker, award winning faculty member, and teaches one of the most popular courses at UCLA. When you listen to this episode, you’ll easily understand why.

Good health has never been more important or as top of mind as it has been this past year. And many folks wish they’d taken care of their health before they lost it.

“Most people think disease is instantaneous,” said Dr. Richard Harris. However, many physical ailments can take years to develop. Lifestyle choices have a profound impact on health and quality of life. While lifespan is a common focus, Dr. Harris says that striving for health span – the duration of one’s good health – is even more important. His mission is to help people live better quality lives and to recognize how the choices they make can affect their health.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, Dr. Harris talks about the primary obstacles to healthy living, how the mental side of health affects the physical, health span versus lifespan, and four simple steps each person can take to help improve their health.

Dr. Richard Harris is an internal medicine physician, pharmacist, and an expert in holistic lifestyle medicine.

Oli Russell-Cowan was on a mission. It was also his honeymoon. He and his wife were roaming around North, Central, and South America with a plan to surf, see the sights, and experience culture. While surfing and sightseeing were pretty straightforward, they found it hard to find good intel on special events like the Day of the Dead in Mexico City. That sparked an idea for a blog, which became a business, and eventually a platform to share info, experiences, and logistical help for travelers interested in action sports, music festivals, and cultural events around the world.

The company, Rad Season, was the first one-stop shop for checking out and booking all things rad. Then Covid triggered the travel shutdown and cancellation of more than 900 events on Rad Season’s global calendar. While the events were down, interest and participation in the activities that Rad Season was built around hit new heights. Running an events company when there were no events was a massive challenge. And also an opportunity.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the guests on What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin and Simon Daw, it’s this: no matter the obstacles, these people always find a way. In this episode, Oli talks about the evolution of Rad Season: from the uncertainty of the beginning, to the acceleration with partners and events, and then shifting gears as covid came on.

What brand of blanket do you have at home? If you’re like most people, you have no idea. If you’re Wylie Robinson then you’re out to change that. Wylie is founder and CEO of Rumpl, the brand of blanket that most people will want when they see it.

It all started in a blizzard. Stranded in a vehicle that wouldn’t start and out of cellphone range, Wylie was inspired to create blankets out of the same high-performance material used in sleeping bags and puffy outdoor jackets. The resulting product ultimately became Rumpl and is now sold in outdoor retailers and online. Rumpl became so sought after that the staff at Shark Tank spent four years pursuing him to appear on the show…which he did.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Wylie talks about how his architecture education prepared him for a role as a designer and eventually to create Rumpl. He shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs (two hints: be ready to hustle and create a narrative around the business). He also talks about appearing on Shark Tank and why he turned down a deal.

What makes an effective leader? And why do so many fall short? Vanderbilt University Professor Patrick Leddin is an expert in helping leaders and teams reach their potential.

Dr. Leddin’s expertise is both academic and practical, and forged across a range of organizations. He served as a U.S. Army airborne, infantry, ranger-qualified officer, managed projects at KPMG Consulting, and partnered with his wife, Jamie, to start an Inc. 5000-recognized company. He teaches strategy, negotiation, marketing, and leadership courses at Vanderbilt. He is an in-demand speaker and author of multiple books on leadership. His latest, The Five-Week Leadership Challenge, is a story-oriented, step by step process to become the leader all organizations need. His writing has attracted more than 100,000 followers on LinkedIn.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Patrick discusses rising to the challenge of leadership, the elements of an effective culture, and the vital role of humility in personal development.

Why is learning another language so difficult? The challenge starts at the beginning…of life.

Babies aren’t born with a specific language but they are equipped to learn from what they hear. The sounds and words they hear from parents and caregivers are vital to their development of language. In fact, babies quickly learn to lock in on familiar sounds and those make up the building blocks of language. All good, right?

Sounds they aren’t exposed to never become part of their verbal repertoire. Years later, as they try to learn another language those unfamiliar sounds become obstacles to their progression. The solution isn’t trying to teach babies multiple languages. It’s a lot simpler than that and yet ingenious.

CEO Dean Koch and the team at smallTalk have found a way to engage infants in interactive language learning. “When a baby is in an environment where they can interact with two or more languages, they benefit for a lifetime. Infancy is the only time of life where this language interaction really changes the brain.” The company has developed a line of products to enable infants to engage with a foreign language.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Dean talks about his entrepreneurial journey, the changing risk/reward tradeoff of entrepreneurship, and the mission of smallTalk to set babies up on a lifelong pathway of language learning.

Mat Franken and his wife thought they had parenting all figured out. Having their first child was a breeze. Their second, however, had multiple health issues. Faced with an uncertain diagnosis about the causes of their son’s ailments and unclear direction about how to help, a doctor suggested the Frankens look at chemicals used around their home.

Their research revealed two alarming statistics: the air inside a home is up to 500% more polluted than the air outside simply because of products used to keep it clean. And more than half of children have some form of chronic illness, many of which are autoimmune driven. These individuals may be more vulnerable to chemical sensitivities. “At that point, I couldn’t unlearn what I had discovered. I had to do something.”

Franken set off to find or create products that addressed the very issues faced by his own family. “We were already buyers of natural products but that wasn’t enough.” Trouble was, Franken isn’t a chemist and doesn’t have the typical background one might expect of a founder of a cleaning company. But he did have something – a superpower, really – that many people lack: humility. “I know that there was a lot I didn’t know.”

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Mat shares how a personal quest turned into a national brand called Aunt Fannie’s, the power of humility, and keys to engaging others to join the cause.

“It’s true that there’s a cost to addressing environmental problems but it’s also true that there’s a much higher cost to not addressing them.” And in Mark Tercek’s view, everyone can and should play a part. The former CEO of The Nature Conservancy believes that the best outcomes for the planet will come at the intersection of government, corporate, institutional, organizational, and individual effort.

It’s a familiar place to Tercek. With more than 1 million members, $1 billion in revenue, and active in 70+ countries, The Nature Conservancy is the world’s largest environmental nonprofit. Prior to The Nature Conservancy, Tercek was partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs. He built the firm’s environmental practice to help clients pursue initiatives that achieved positive financial and environmental outcomes. These days, Mark is a speaker, writer, advisor to business, institutional investors, and climate startups. He also publishes The Instigator which is intended to push the private sector to take bold action on the environment.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Mark shares a blueprint for CEOs, organizational leaders, and individuals to maximize their positive environmental impact.

With the Covid vaccine, the entire planet has just had front row seats to innovation of massive importance, urgency, and scale. What looked like chaos has resulted in crunching the vaccine cycle time from 10 years to 10 months. So how did it happen? And what are the factors that lead to creative and innovative leaps? How can innovation occur in daily life? Jeff DeGraff is the person who knows.

Jeff is an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a top innovation speaker, a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and a bestselling author.

He founded the Innovatrium, an innovation consulting firm focusing on creating innovation culture, capability, and community. He has worked with companies including Apple, Coca Cola, General Electric, Google, and many others. He earned his nickname, the “Dean of Innovation,” while working as an executive for Domino’s Pizza in his youth, where he accelerated Domino’s growth from a regional success story to an international franchise phenomenon. He is also the author of several books on how teams innovate, his most recent being The Creative Mindset: Mastering the Six Skills that Empower Innovation.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Jeff talks about innovation accelerators and obstacles, the importance of the failure cycle, the geography of genius, and the Covid vaccine effort.

“Purpose is simultaneously absolutely nothing at all and absolutely everything.” How one defines purpose is an individual choice. And it’s all part of their story. Eric Thomas is what happens when you combine a decade of marketing experience, street smarts, and heavy dose of humor to balance it out.

For Eric, storytelling is a business and a way of life. His insights on culture, business, and media help strategists and leaders imagine innovative ways forward, break down old ways of thinking, and empower them along the way.

Eric is Chief Storyteller for the City of Detroit. His blog on LinkedIn has earned more than 3 million reads and been republished across the globe. His comments and work have appeared in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Economist, CBS, Detroit Free Press, Adweek, TedX, MIT, and the University of Michigan.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Eric talks about racism, the meaning of purpose, emotional truth versus authenticity, and his philosophy of “bitter optimism.”

Bob Morais is a go-to person when the goal is to understand human behavior. The business anthropologist has worked with brands such as Coca Cola, Danone, Fairmont Hotels, FreshPet, GlaxoSmithKline, Hain Celestial, Pinnacle Foods, Pfizer, Post, Proctor & Gamble, Sabra, Safeway, Swissotel, and WD-40 to distill customer insights into business strategy. He is a lecturer at Columbia University Business School.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Bob talks about the techniques to understand human behavior, how culture continually evolves, what cancel culture really means, big data versus thick data, and what may be the Covid pandemic’s lasting implications on modern culture.

Cody Horton grew up as the oldest of his family’s 10 children in a small town in the Texas panhandle. At an early age, he learned what it felt like to be excluded because of race and skin color.

After high school, his family didn’t have the resources or connections to jump start his life with a job or college, so he enlisted in the Navy. His naval recruiter was intentional about recruiting diverse candidates for an officer training program. Cody was selected and earned a commission as a naval officer. That experience changed his life and inspired him to make a difference in the lives of others. Cody is the Founder of Diverse Recruiting Experts LLC. Over the years, his teams have hired thousands of people into life-changing jobs at amazing organizations. Prior starting his company, Cody spent over 20 years in leadership roles in the US Navy, Walmart, Microsoft, Dell, Deloitte, Rackspace, Thoughtworks, and Sunpower.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Cody covers the keys to building resilience, adopting a diversity and inclusion mindset, and why culture fit can be a misguided goal.

Steph Barry lives at the intersection of curiosity and growth. From traveling the world as a kid to working around the world in her business, Steph’s inherent curiosity about people and how things work has led her to leading roles in B2B, B2C, public and private companies, higher education, and as an entrepreneur. She has held senior leadership positions with organizations such as Hunter Douglas, Solatube International, Hunter Douglas, the University of California San Diego, and WD-40. She has lived in five countries and speaks four languages. She is co-founder of Advance with AVA, a leadership development platform for women, and principal of Steph Barry Inc where she advises company owners in driving profitable and sustainable growth.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Steph talks about the obstacles she faced and the qualities that enabled her to navigate the world of business, across industries, and around the world.