Eating Crow

David Cooks is the kind of man you want your son to be around.

Heck, he's the kind of person we should all be around.

David is the last episode of Season One of the Eating Crow Podcast.

We could not have picked a better way to end 2020.

David's story is the stuff of movies.

I'm thinking Denzel, maybe Jamie Foxx or the late, great Chadwick Boseman as the right guys to play David.

In his book, "Getting Undressed, from Paralysis to Purpose" he describes his approach to life. The title says it all.

David is highly educated, a successful basketball coach, mentor, leader and man of character.

David received his Master of Business Administration in Finance from Duke University and his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (trivia, my wife's alma mater - and where we met, that's another story).

His career path includes time spent in Banking, Finance, Education and Athletics.

His ability to overcome obstacles and to achieve success in the face of adversity is what makes his story inspiring and motivating to others.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Perspective is so important. David met someone in his first days in a rehab hospital that changed his view of the world.
2. Leadership comes in many forms. David coached basketball from a wheelchair in a manner most men could only dream of.
3. No obstacle is worth crying about. David opened many companies and educational institutions to the need for handicap access. Literally, unapologetically - he showed up and didn't complain, he just "did".

David's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Getting fired as a coach. I love this part of his story. Despite his persona, results matter and he was the first to admit it.
2. Asking for help. David has learned the art of asking for assistance in a way that puts people at ease.

THIS IS A MUST LISTEN.

You can find David here:

Website: www.davidcooksspeaks.com

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3hbogw6

Facebook: facebook.com/dcespeaks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cooksspeaks-mba-20001210

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Alex B. Sheridan is an entrepreneur.

He's also one of the most talented people I've ever met. What makes him special is his gutsy decision to turn his talent into a career and grind it out.

Alex ran amok as a kid. I've seen it before...too much talent bottled up inside to care about school or to respect authority. He needed to express that talent and he did. Then the real world came knocking: "Hey Alex, time to get a job, blah, blah, blah..."

Alex went down the traditional path but always felt he had a different calling. He was meant to be a creator. His passions were music and video. So, he dabbled. It didn't work, so he put his passions back on the shelf.

After realizing he had more to offer, he dusted off his hoodies and tank tops and started producing hilarious but yet content rich videos on LinkedIn. They sucked (according to Alex) but the LinkedIn community felt otherwise. They were unique, people were learning the power of content, and they wanted to LEARN MORE.

Alex had a business. He just needed to make the leap from worker bee to entrepreneur. He did, and the rest is history.

Alex's Eating Crow Moments:

• When he was 19 he realized he had to get his shit together.
• Recognizing his talent was being wasted in the "real world"

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Talent comes in many shapes and sizes. Every employee (especially you) has a talent. Find it, nurture it, let it run.
2. When you FEEL it in your gut, you need to act.
3. Being an entrepreneur is really hard. Be ready to grind, and miss a lot of the mundane.
4. However, if you LOVE what you do, you won't care.
5. Leadership can be external. Alex is a leader, for his clients. They rely on him and he owns it 100%

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Cris Cohen loves music, no he REALLY loves music.

Cris is an accidental entrepreneur and he's far better at it than he knows (he's also pretty humble). Not many people can successfully turn a passion into a career. After dabbling in several different jobs, Cris took an internship at a radio station in LA and the rest is history, or at least part of history.

Cris's crow is of a different variety - he had to look deep at his passion and after a series of "downsizing" events he realized he should gobble up and shift his focus. He also has a voice for radio - not because he doesn't have a face for video, he's handsome enough, in a radio personality sort of way :-).

Cris created Bands to Fans, a business centered around helping musical groups and individual artists develop a presence on social media - with quality and thoughtful content. Music was already changing, but with COVID, a musical act without a way to connect to their audience online simply becomes irrelevant.

Listen how Cris got is first gig (he asked for the order) and learn how it has evolved. He's a joy to have on the program and a first class human.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Follow your passion. We've heard it before, but Cris took a crazy leap and is truly happy.
2. Find your niche. Social media is a big business, so are "podcasts" and video interviews. Cris found a niche that was not being addressed and doubled down.
3. Be in the moment. How Cris got his first gig was completely spontaneous - but he jumped at the right time. Fear was not an issue and trust me, Cris is not a sales dude - he's got guts and great timing.

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Holly Hammer likes to win.

She grew up with two brothers who played D1 Lacrosse and gave as many bruises in the backyard as she received. It's why she was such a successful litigator and now runs her own law firm.

But there's more to the story. Much more. Holly left a promising career on the West Coast to be near family and that meant starting over in a place where the old-boys club ran the show. That didn't stop Holly, she proved herself and landed in what appeared to be the right job - until she did a gut check and realized she wanted to help people more than she wanted to make money.

That meant starting her own firm, choosing her own clients and giving back to her community. I took more notes during this podcast than ever before and when I reviewed them, I felt completely inadequate. She does it all and gives back more than most.

You will be fascinated by Holly's rise to the top, the stories of clients who thought she was the court reporter and how a blue blazer and khakis do not define a successful attorney.

Holly's Eating Crow Moments:

1. When she realized she had to change the stigma around substance abuse and how its inspired her charitable work.
2. Recognizing she can't do everything at her firm - she needs specialization and help to retain balance.
3. Knowing what kind of clients she wants - and the fact that the big money is sometimes in other places.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Diversity is not just race, gender or skin color. It can be about experiences, cultures, mindset, etc. Enrich your team with different experiences and see them thrive.
2. Map your behaviors to your goals. Where do I want my company to be in 3 to 5 years? What sacrifices or changes am I willing to make to support these goals. Many entrepreneurs do not define an exit or a long-term goal and spend considerable time and money doing what others expect rather than what they'd like to accomplish.
3. Map charitable giving into your plan - and get engaged with time, talent and treasure.

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Josh Peach is Au Sm. Crow was a staple for Josh when he was growing up. His story highlights the importance of having someone believe IN you, enough to take a chance ON you. Josh was always selling - the will to win was there but early in his life, focus wasn't. We'll hear how a key person in his high school years had faith and put their faith into action, changing Josh's life forever.

Fast forward and now Josh hosts two podcasts and helped drive the success of one of the country's most successful SaaS companies. He's one of the funniest men on the planet and has a very humble way of sharing his pitfalls and successes (and amazing timing) so that others can benefit from his experiences.

Josh can also rock a Members Only jacket and a mullet in 2020. Somehow he pulls it off.

Josh's new passion, Be Au Sum, is well, a movement and a podcast. Josh inspires us with stories of people making a difference through action.

Josh inspired me to start Eating Crow and it's an honor to share a meal with him.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Pay it forward. Josh benefited from a mentor and is constantly trying to pay it forward - and it's authentic as heck.
2. FOSO (Fear of Starting Out) Put yourself out there. Josh was nervous about doing a podcast, but he did it. 78 episodes later he's still honing his craft. If you don't start you won't learn the early lessons that lead to long-term success.
3. Be Au Sum. Josh is living proof that if you treat people well, good things happen.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.