The Action Catalyst With Rory Vaden

Author, educator, and businessman Stedman Graham joins The Action Catalyst podcast, talking with Southwestern Family of Companies CEO Dustin Hillis about becoming a leader to yourself before you can lead others, creating a culture of learning within your daily life, a surprise friendship with Michael Jordan, spending time with Oprah and Nelson Mandela, and how love and humility is the key to all things. Stedman Graham is chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates. As a businessman, educator, and speaker, he presents, consults, and conducts training with corporations, educational entities, the military and veterans, non-profits, and the government. His identity message is grounded in the fact that the key to success is self-leadership capability. Graham has been writing books, speaking and delivering workshops, working with corporations, teaching in colleges and universities, working in community and, leading nonprofits, and speaking throughout the world for more than 30 years. His Identity Leadership bo

In honor of Independence Day, Mr. Gary Pears, Southwestern legal counsel, and a former captain in the United States Marine Corps, offers a tribute to our nation's veterans, the brave men and woman who continue to make our freedom possible, led off with remarks from Southwestern Family of Companies CEO Dustin Hillis about the principles that found great countries, as well as great companies. The Action Catalyst is presented by the Southwestern Family of Companies. With each episode, the podcast features some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Learn more at TheActionCatalyst.com, subscribe on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to leave a rating and review! LISTEN:

Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Mark Brown immigrated to the United States at the age of 18 with only $40 in his pocket and a dream for a better life. He spent 15 years working as a computer analyst before choosing to develop his public speaking skills, defeating 20,000 contestants from 14 countries to win the illustrious Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. Southwestern Consulting's Ron Alford sits down with Mark to cover his upbringing in Jamaica, his unique path to success in the United States, the importance of choosing the right words, and the role faith, both in yourself and others, plays in business and leadership.  And as an added treat, Mark uses that championship voice to serenade listeners with his best renditions of Harry Belafonte and Bette Midler classics! Mark has earned the coveted designation of Certified Speaking Professional from the National Speakers Association, and he has become one of the most popular inspirational speakers in the world.  He is an expert in helping

Executive Coach and "Relational Alchemist" Jamie George is back, continuing his wide-ranging discussion with Southwestern Family of Companies CEO Dustin Hillis, chasing down topics such as models of personality and how to diffuse a heated situation, how to transform defensiveness into curiosity and micromanagement into empowerment, self-talk, emotional intelligence, and yes, they even take a crack at creating world peace. More about Jamie George: Jamie George is an transformational coach to executives, individuals & teams as well as an author & storyteller, who for the last 30 years, has dedicated his life to helping successful professionals heal the fractures in their relationships produced by stress and anxiety so that they can experience peace and love in their closest relationships.Jamie has been actively serving as a coach and mentor to hundreds of executives, writers, directors, musicians, and entertainers throughout Nashville for the last 14 years. Jamie is also the Co-Founder of The Prodi

After a short sabbatical "The Action Catalyst" podcast is back! In this most recent episode, Southwestern Family of Companies CEO Dustin Hillis talks with Jamie George, Executive Coach and Relational Alchemist about interpersonal relationships in the workplace and beyond, the value of making agreements instead of operating on assumption, the fine line between expectation and regret, and sharing a hot tub in Estonia! More about Jamie George: Jamie George is an transformational coach to executives, individuals & teams as well as an author & storyteller, who for the last 30 years, has dedicated his life to helping successful professionals heal the fractures in their relationships produced by stress and anxiety so that they can experience peace and love in their closest relationships. Jamie has been actively serving as a coach and mentor to hundreds of executives, writers, directors, musicians, and entertainers throughout Nashville for the last 14 years. Jamie is also the Co-Founder of The Prodigy Cin

Since launching in May of 2013, The Action Catalyst podcast has helped listeners uncover inspiration, through valuable insights to overcome setbacks, defeat mediocrity, and reach life's biggest goals. Be sure to join us as we kick off the 9th year! The Action Catalyst is a podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. In each episode, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEZbV9Di3Wg

Rick Ruth spent his career creating cultural connections throughout the world on behalf of the United States. Join Dan Moore for this broad ranging conversation with Rick Ruth as he teases out the wisdom, understanding, and lessons learned from a lifetime spent creating cultural connections throughout the world. ““It’s not about the technology, it’s about the person who delivers and the person who receives.” “9/11 was...a catastrophic affront to mutual understanding.” “The single best antidote to a poisoned environment is human authenticity” “There is always something that can be done - there is never a reason to be in despair” “The basis of all human relationships should always be respect.” “No matter how dire the situation may seem - if you just take one step on the basis of respect for others, you can do something.” “The #1 source of information to people from around the world about the United States is movies and television”. “People from around the world just don’t know what Ameri

Develop A Belief System with Will Bartholomew, Founder and CEO of D1 Sports. Join Dustin Hillis, CEO of Southwestern Family of Companies, as he interviews this young founder about Redefining Possible and how he developed a belief system that helped him create one of the markets 50 fastest growing companies. More About Will Bartholomew: Will Bartholomew founded D1 Sports Training in 2001 in his hometown of Nashville, TN. His passion for sport developed early, earning All-State honors in three sports in high school (football, wrestling, and track). Will followed his passion for sport to The University of Tennessee where he played fullback for Peyton Manning. While at Tennessee, Will won the 1998 National Championship and captained the team in 2001. At Tennessee, he found his passion for lifting and the training foundation for D1 Sports Training. Will’s vision for D1 grew into a multi-million-dollar company with over 40 training locations across the country. Men’s Health recognized D1 as a TOP 30 Gym

Prepare for Impact with Nolan Pattee, Regional Director at Bankers Life. Join Dustin Hillis, CEO of Southwestern Family of Companies, as he interviews his friend and former Southwestern Coaching Client about life, business, leadership and Redefining Possible to make an impact on the world by impacting the people around him. More About Nolan Pattee: Nolan Pattee is Regional Director at Bankers Life based in Nashville, TN. As a former Southwestern Coaching client, Nolan has overcome many obstacles in his career but with guidance and determination he has risen to be one of the top professionals in his company. He has even led his region to be consistent performers and is on track to be in the top 10 regions in the company in 2020.  His personal success in business has also impacted the people he works with and enriched the lives of his family. He is a proud husband and father and spends his spare time enjoying his family and supporting his children who are very competitive athletes. The Action Cataly

Fortify your faith with Josh Hudson, CEO of Hudsons Furniture. Join Ron Alford, of Southwestern Coaching, as he interviews Josh Hudson about his journey of Redefining Possible and how it reshaped his company and priorities by leaning on his faith to find success not only in business, but in life as well.  “ I knew that I needed to build myself and my business in a way that was unshakeable.” “It feels so good to get better.  It feels so good to help others.” “You’re not going to get out of your challenges with the same mindset that got you into them.” More About Josh Hudson: Josh Hudson is the CEO of Hudsons Furniture and a former Southwestern Coaching client.  Josh took the wheel  as President of Hudsons Furniture at the age of 28 in the spring of 2011, the same year that his family’s company turned to the courts to file for protection as they reorganized in the middle of a recession. With a lot of faith, wise counsel and hard work, Josh has lead Hudsons Furniture back from the brink. Instru

Cultivate confidence with Kelley McClurkin, former owner of successful bakery Bread Kneads. Ron Alford, of Southwestern Coaching, interviews Kelley about her journey of Redefining Possible and how she gained the confidence to take her small town bakery in Findlay, Ohio from failing to flourishing.  “You have to have resilience…” “I always felt that working hard meant digging in within the four walls of my business. What I learned through coaching was that I needed to get outside of those four walls to build my business forward into the future.” “Asking questions is a very important part of your day.” “I knew what type of businesses would be a good fit or not, and that’s what I would seek out.” “Make things smarter, not harder.” “Use stillness and kind of go inward and take advantage of it rather than be afraid of it.” “Check in with who you are now.” “We all go through valleys of rediscovering ourselves.”  “Learn to take advantage of being still, being with yourself, and checking in

A New Record Holder! With 21,372 units sold door to door in just one summer, Emil Tsvetkov has taken the #1 salesperson spot in Southwestern Advantage. Former record holder and current CEO of Southwestern Family of Companies, Dustin Hillis, passes on his title and interviews Emil to highlight the tools, habits and principles that helped him achieve this harrowing feat.  “It’s all about commitment and attitude”. “If you don’t give up and you don’t quit, you will always find a way to make it happen”. “The best part of working in the world is helping others to brilliant things.” “Everyone who has done something significant knows that there is no secret to success.  It’s just about forming the right habits.” “I am a walking version of all the advice of my mentors”. “The moment when you feel like you cannot move forward is the moment you give up.” “The best way to make an impact in the world is by helping others do great things.” “You should look for inspiration because there is inspiration

Join our host, Dustin Hillis, and Ryan Groom as they discuss principles that build your business immune system and help you overcome adversity to achieve your goals. Ryan expounds on these principles and shares how they have helped his business grow by 44 percent during the COVID-19 Pandemic. More About Ryan Groom As a Regional Director for Southwestern Advantage, Ryan is an expert in recruiting, sales training, and leadership. His life’s work is to add value to others. He has mentored thousands of young adults on a range of topics like leadership, communications, character, finances, and much more.  As an individual subcontractor at Southwestern Advantage, he achieved $43,000 in retail sales in his first year. Over the past 15 years, Ryan’s organization has grown to over 250 sales people with revenues in excess of 7.2M all achieved within a short summer selling season. Most of all, Ryan is a loving husband and (almost) a loving father. His first child is expected on November 8th!  The Action C

Join Mark Rau of Southwestern Advantage on this discussion about how to clarify your vision, find your bigger why and hold to your mission. He dives into how these principles have led to success in his career and the opportunity to personally impact over 7,700 young lives. “What gets you through the down years is a strong belief that what you are doing is going to have a positive impact on people.”“I wanted to be a person who showed others that it doesn’t matter what you’ve been through, you can still be successful.”“If you’re really believing and holding to your mission - then it’s easy to create a vision.”“Assumed leadership is better than a sign.”“You have to be modeling behavior in every part of life.”“The feeling of overcoming adversity is built into the DNA of Southwestern Alumni. More About Mark Rau Mark Rau graduated with Honors from the University of Florida in 1992.  As a freshman in college, he began working with Southwestern Advantage as a door to door direct sales rep in 1988.  He was a

How can you sharpen your focus on the things that matter to you and your business? Join Ron Alford of Southwestern Coaching as he interviews Northwestern Mutual’s Tyler Hjelseth in a broad ranging discussion about life, business, faith, and increasing success and impact by focusing on the things that really matter.  More About Tyler Hjelseth: Tyler Hjelseth  started his career as an advisor with Northwestern Mutual in 2012 with a passion for helping individuals and businesses develop strategic financial plans to guide them in achieving their goals. He brings an integrated approach to the planning process, helping coordinate clients’ needs in tandem with their other trusted advisors such as CPAs, attorneys, and banking relationships. Tyler graduated with a double major from Idaho State University, where he also played football. He grew up in University Place and currently resides there with his wife and two boys, Lleyton and Maddox. While not spending time with clients, Tyler enjoys watching footba

Dustin Hillis and Ron Alford on The Power of Possible and why they co-authored their forthcoming book, Redefining Possible. Join our host, Dan Moore, as he talks with these two record breaking achievers about faith, confidence, and the power of redefining what you believe is possible. Prepare for impact! More About Ron Alford: Ron is a Senior Partner and the VP of Recruiting at Southwestern Coaching. He was the former Regional Sales Director for Southwestern Advantage responsible for recruiting, training, mentoring, and managing more than 600 salespeople over 19 years. He is an expert when it comes to recruiting, sales training, and coaching individuals and teams to reach higher than they ever imagined. He is a company record holder—personally achieved the highest level of sales 70 times with Southwestern—and a leadership record holder—coaches and trained more than 10,000 producers, which is more than any other manager in the 158-year-old Southwestern history. He also personally coached and trained s

Chris Capen, President of Southwestern Publishing House, discusses overcoming adversity, taking ownership and selling 50 million books in the process. Join us for this wide ranging conversation about leadership, books and business.  “The greatest opportunities have come from the most challenging of times.” - Chris Capen “If you do not take ownership of a challenge, your team will not follow.” - Chris Capen “Sitting and waiting for change to come to you is not the way to do it.  You must take ownership.” - Chris Capen More About Chris Capen Chris Capen joined Southwestern Publishing House in 2008 and became president of the company in 2016. With more than 25 years of book publishing experience, Chris has long been recognized as an innovative leader in this field and is proud to work with a core publishing team that has been together for over 20 years. As the head of the company’s strategic, financial, and business development activities, Chris has launched three new publishing imprints and has a

In a world of many countries, cultures and divisions, Dave Causer believes that building bridges means building people. As President of the foreign exchange program, Global Educational Concepts, Dave has helped to impact the lives of thousands of students across the world. Join us for this wide ranging conversation with Dave Causer about business, leadership, principles and the global impact they can create.  “There are no negative thoughts in this room - only problem solving.” - Dave Causer “Great organizations and companies are built not necessarily on people, but on principles.” - Dave Causer “1 out of every 3 world leaders have been to exchange programs in the United States.” - Dave Causer “We build people - and our people build the business.” - Dave Causer More About Dave Causer Dave Causer is the president of Global Educational Concepts, a Southwestern Company. A graduate of Houghton College with a BA in Business Administration in 1974, he started working in the Southwestern Advantage

Join President of Southwestern Real Estate, Pat Roach, as he takes us on his journey from selling books to selling homes. He goes into detail about his vast experience at Southwestern Family of Companies as well as the value that it has in the career marketplace. Pat also describes what it takes to start and grow a successful real estate business in one of the worst housing market crashes in US history. Don’t miss this wide ranging conversation. “What do I want the product of my work to be?” - Pat Roach “The best organizations are made up of people who are all rooting for each other.” - Pat Roach “We retain 90% of our agents year over year.” - Pat Roach More About Pat Roach Pat Roach started Southwestern Real Estate in 2007 at the request of the CEO of Southwestern/Great American Inc., Henry Bedford. Pat has a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in History/Social Science.  He paid his way through college by selling educational products door-to-door in the Southwestern Company’s summer int

How do you stand out in your career search? Join Greg Boucher, President of executive search firm Thinking Ahead, as he discusses the changing job market and what makes a job candidate great. He also Talks about leading one of the largest executive search firms in the state of Tennessee through hard economic times resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.  “I lied about my age to get a paper route - so I was delivering papers at age 7.” - Greg Boucher “Culture trumps strategy any day.” - Greg Boucher “We knew we could teach the skills for people to be successful...but, we can’t teach will.” - Greg Boucher “There are a trinity of traits that companies are looking for in today’s market: communication skills, resiliency, and learning to live with ambiguity.” - Greg Boucher “Realize and accept that what used to work, doesn’t work anymore.” - Greg Boucher More About Greg Boucher Greg Boucher was appointed President of Thinking Ahead in January of 2015.  He has been an award-winning search professi