The Action Catalyst With Rory Vaden

Terri Rickard and Irina Tuluca of Southwestern Travel Group go into detail about the challenges they have faced since the start of the pandemic. They touch on everything from rescheduling and moving large events, to maintaining contact with and supporting their clients, to just doing the next right thing. They Also talk about what the future of the travel industry may hold. Don’t miss this wide ranging conversation about travel in a global pandemic. “Being prepared is the most important way we can reduce your stress.” - Terri Rickard More About Terri Rickard Terri Rickard is the Founder and President of Southwestern Travel. She began her career with the Southwestern Family of Companies in 2012 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO. In her role as Executive Assistant she took on a major project to create an internal managed travel program for the (then) 16 operating divisions, managing over $5 million in annual travel spend. In just a few years of collecting company travel data, intense industry re

Dr. Scott Massey on the importance of shared value and how businesses truly succeed when they solve the problems that affect the communities they serve. Enjoy this wide ranging conversation that explores everything from artificial intelligence to local and global economies to the role of businesses in finding non political systemic solutions to systemic issues in the midst of civil unrest and a global pandemic. “Everything that is organized has some underlying code, patterns, that make it what it is.” - Dr. Scott Massey “We have to be wise and careful stewards of the new technologies we are creating.” - Dr. Scott Massey “If seeing a problem as systemic leads to a solution, then that’s the right way to view the problem.” - Dr. Scott Massey “If you are trying to solve a systemic problem, one of the personal values you have to bring to the table is setting aside your own ego.” - Dr. Scott Massey “We need to be able to work with people we disagree with strongly.” - Dr. Scott Massey “No problem c

U.S. Army Brigadier General (ret.) Mike Scholes on leading through adversity and the importance of principles. Join our host Dan Moore and Southwestern Family of Companies COO, Mike Scholes as they talk about the challenges of leading large organizations through a wide range of adversity including the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records” - William Arthur Ward “There is no education like adversity” - Benjamin Disraeli “It takes a certain breed of soldier to want to jump out of an airplane” - Mike Scholes “It’s not everyday that someone coming fresh out of college has the lives of 45 soldiers in their hands” - Mike Scholes “The solution for leaders is to train your people, take care of them, and they’ll be there for you” - Mike Scholes “It’s about unity of purpose more than unity of command” - Mike Scholes More About Mike Scholes Mike Scholes is a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and the current COO of The Southwestern Family of Compa

Today's context is rife with stress about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic along with social and political unrest. We at The Action Catalyst believe this conversation with Stress Expert, Author, and Speaker Dr. Terry Lyles is important and worth listening to again. Please enjoy this special Replay of Episode 327, Coping with a pandemic with Dr. Terry Lyles “It's learning how to feel the fear and doing it anyway. All of us have fear.” —Dr. Terry Lyles “We first have to control the mind game. Know that you're okay and do everything you can to protect yourself, but still do what you need to do.” —Dr. Terry Lyles “The best gift you can give yourself every day is to be present.” —Dr. Terry Lyles “You have to monitor how much news you're watching. That will increase your anxiety and add pressure. That actually weakens our immune system which makes us more susceptible.” —Dr. Terry Lyles “Take deep breaths to neutralize the cortisol effect.”  —Dr. Terry Lyles “Change your mindset and focus on what you

Is it possible to succeed in the short term while investing in the long term? Former Honeywell CEO, David Cote, explains how you can have both in his new book, “Winning Now, Winning later.” With guest host and Southwestern Family of Companies CEO, Dustin Hillis, David Cote shares stories from his new book as well as lessons and principles that have helped him to advance quickly in his career and weather seasons of adversity while planting seeds for future growth. “Life and Business are always about trying to achieve two seemingly conflicting things at the same time” - David Cote “Advancement requires two things: Performance and Visibility.” - David Cote “You have to think about three constituencies: Customers, Investors or Owners, and Your People. Of those three, Customers have to come first.” - David Cote “Keep doing the seed planting” - David Cote More About David Cote: David M. Cote was formerly Chairman and CEO of industrial giant Honeywell and is currently Executive Chairman of Vertiv H

How can you continue to perform through disruption, overcome adversity, and focus on the positive? Alan Morton and Stuart Lotherington, of SBR Consulting, focus in on the tools and principles that have helped them live out their core value of finding a way in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.  “Every time you feel you’re on a certain path - look out – because something’s going to come and knock you off that path.” “Finding a way is one of our core values.” “Thinking in terms of absolutes never works.” More About Stuart Lotherington Stuart Lotherington is one of two Managing Directors of SBR Consulting and has been in the firm for over 13 years. He is still very much involved with his clients having dedicated 30 years to Sales Force Effectiveness. He is often asked to present at conferences all over the world on sales strategy and execution. In his time with SBR he has been engaged in over 250 client projects. They range from Google, Sir Robert McAlpine, Expedia & Facebook to numerous profession

What does it mean to “Have it All” across Body, Being, Balance and Business? Is it even possible? Tune in for this Special Episode of The Action Catalyst Podcast as Southwetern Family of Companies CEO, Dustin Hillis, explores the fine balance of life and success in this interview with Forrest Walden on TribeCast.  “ What kind of person do you want to be or be more like? That’s the most important part of your vision.” - Dustin Hillis More About Dustin Hillis: As Chief Executive Officer of Southwestern Family of Companies, Dustin Hillis is leading the vision and strategy to make Southwestern Family of Companies the largest and most impactful privately-owned company worldwide by 2048. Under his leadership the company has grown from 19 to 25 businesses and is well on its way to reaching its goal of being the largest and most impactful company world-wide. In addition to being CEO of Southwestern Family of Companies, Hillis is a Co-Founder of Southwestern Consulting, a sales and leadership coaching, key

An impactful and wide ranging conversation with Southwestern Speaker, Lee McCroskey. We’ll dive into Lee’s long history with the Southwestern Family of Companies and the influence it has had in his life. Lee opens up about inflection points in his life and speaks about success, the importance of perseverance, and finding your true identity. Also, Lee touches on the habits that have helped to keep him physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally healthy amidst the trying times we are currently living in. “Anything or anyone outside you cannot define who you are.” - Lee McCroskey More About Lee McCroskey: Though he studied astronomy and meteorology as an undergrad, Lee received a master’s degree in English from the University of Kansas. Lee was a mild-mannered lecturer in the English department by day, and a member of a touring glam rock band by night. Complete with pyrotechnics and makeup. His band just finished their Final Reunion after playing 45 years together..  As an undergrad, he travel

Ben Nemtin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and a star of MTV’s highest-rated show ever on iTunes and Amazon called The Buried Life. As the cofounder of The Buried Life movement, Ben’s message of radical possibility has been featured on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, FOX, and NBC News. President Obama called Ben and The Buried Life “inspiration for a new generation” and Oprah declared their mission “truly inspiring.” An acclaimed keynote speaker, Ben has headlined business conferences and Fortune 100 leadership teams around the world, garnering standing ovations from AIG, Anthem, Amazon, FedEx, Harvard, Microsoft, Verizon, and more. Ben is recognized as one of the World’s Best Motivational Speakers as well as World’s Top Organizational Culture Thought Leaders by Global Gurus (2019, 2020). In his first year of university, Ben was unexpectedly hit with a depression that forced him to drop out. In an attempt to feel more alive, he created t

Steve Hoffman, or Captain Hoff as he’s called in Silicon Valley, is the Chairman and CEO of Founders Space, one of the world’s leading incubators and accelerators. He’s also an angel investor, limited partner at August Capital, serial entrepreneur, and author of several award-winning books including Make Elephants Fly and Surviving a Startup. Hoffman was the Founder and Chairman of the Producers Guild Silicon Valley Chapter, Board of Governors of the New Media Council, and founding member of the Academy of Television’s Interactive Media Group. While in Hollywood, Hoffman worked as a TV development executive at Fries Entertainment, known for producing over 100 TV shows, acquired by MGM. He went on to pioneer interactive television with his venture-funded startup Spiderdance, which produced interactive TV shows with NBC, MTV, Turner, Warner Brothers, History Channel, Game Show Network, and others. In Silicon Valley, Hoffman founded two more venture-backed startups, in the areas of games and entertainme

Alain Hunkis, author of CRACKING THE LEADERSHIP CODE: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders, is a sought-after speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. Over his 20-year career, he has led over 2,000 groups in 25 countries. Alain’s clients include Wal-Mart, Pfizer, Citigroup, General Electric, State Farm, IBM, General Motors, and Microsoft. He has designed and facilitated seminars on numerous leadership topics, including teambuilding, conflict management, communication, peak performance, innovation, engagement, and change. Alain serves on the faculty of Duke Corporate Education and has published over 400 articles on leadership. Show Highlights: It doesn't matter what industry or organization you're apart of, we're all in the people business. —Alain HunkinsMost of the world functions on the backs of human relationships. I've realized, especially in this pandemic, is the importance of connection. —Alain HunkinsUse the lessons that this crisis is offering so we have a deeper richness in our relationships

The Wall Street mindset separates families, entrepreneurs, and business owners from their money while others use it for their advantage. The secret to freedom is having your money work for you, not someone else, when wealth building. Both Russ Morgan and Joey Mure work tirelessly to be the hub for financial insight and education for individuals, business owners, and investors nationwide. They believe that taking control over your finances will lead to greater prosperity and a more stress-free way of life. They invite you to join their community as you take control of your path to financial freedom. Joining the community will allow you to make better decisions regarding your financial future through coaching, access to legal and tax experts, and networking with like-minded individuals who are exploring multiple ways to create passive income. Learn more about their podcast at wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/podcast, and visit wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/action for exclusive content for The Action Catalyst listen

Forrest Walden is the founder and CEO of Iron Tribe Fitness. He pioneered the brand from his home garage in 2010, quickly franchising the company to include multiple locations throughout the country. He graduated from Auburn University and lives in Homewood, Alabama, with his four children and wife, Mendy. Learn more about Forrest here. Show Highlights During COVID-19, I've been stressing to my team, how can we create value outside of our walls? —Forrest WaldenI think this pandemic pushed the online delivery of business 10 years into the future. —Forrest WaldenWe had to pivot and figure out our avatar, and adjust our business. —Forrest Walden As I'm thinking of how we're going to move forward, I thought, I should ask my customer what they've liked and haven't liked during this time. —Forrest WaldenI went through a bout of depression and it began a process of finding where I put value in my identity. —Forrest Walden Forrest's final thoughts: For me, Jesus tells me what to do next and I tap into t

Alan Stein, Jr. teaches proven strategies to improve organizational performance, create effective leadership, increase team cohesion and collaboration, and develop winning mindsets, rituals, and routines. A successful business owner and veteran basketball performance coach, he spent 15 years working with the highest-performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant). In his corporate keynote programs and workshops, Alan reveals how to utilize the same approaches in business that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level. He delivers practical lessons that can be implemented immediately. His clients include American Express, Pepsi, Sabra, Starbucks, Reeds Jewelers, FDA, Omnicell, and numerous college athletic programs. The strategies from Alan’s book, Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best, are implemented by corporate teams and sports teams around the country. His inspirational words are featured on a

Reese Evans is a Master Manifestation and Abundance Coach, Creator of the YES SUPPLY METHOD, and is on a mission to teach the world the power of their subconscious mind and universal laws to create the life you're meant to live. After starting on her path to her coaching business, and working with dream clients, she knew there was something missing. She was feeling like her mission deserved much more growth, and she wanted to go so much deeper with her clients to make lasting, deeply impactful shifts on a spiritual, emotional, and energetic level, AND create more abundance—but she didn’t know how. After discovering the power of the subconscious mind, our doorway to the infinite, with coaching techniques like Neuro-Linguistic Programming, hypnotherapy, emotional freedom techniques tapping, and energy work, she found her answer. She now coaches her students in the YES SUPPLY METHOD Certification to create massive positive as a mindset, manifestation, relationship and business coach, and she has created an i

Brad Lemley is a science journalist who has written for the Washington Post, Discover magazine, and dozens of other national publications. He has written or co-written 10 books, mostly on achieving physical and emotional health. He is a passionate advocate for self-directed, nature-based health care, and believes strongly that robust health is within reach of anyone who possesses the right information. Show Highlights: No part of being human is to be despised, feared, or pushed away. You have to grab on to the totality of human life and say this part I'll keep, this part I'll discard. —Brad Lemley Most of the good things in the world have happened because people let their emotions propel them. —Brad LemleyBeing open and available through your emotional life is one of the most important things a human can do. —Brad LemleyWe are aggregations of people and you need to respect all the sub-personalities that you are. —Brad LemleyIt's the formidable people in the world who make things happen. —Brad LemleyI th

Dr. Angela E. Lauria is the founder of The Author Incubator™ and creator of the Difference Process™ for writing a book that matters. In 2018, The Author Incubator was ranked #275 on the Inc. 500 fastest-growing companies and #87 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Entrepreneur 360. Dr. Angela won the Stevie Award’s Coach/Mentor of the Year Award and her program, The Author’s Way, was named Coaching Program of the Year. She was also named by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top 10 most inspiring entrepreneurs to watch—one of only two women on the list. Dr. Angela has been helping people free their inner author since 1994, helping over 1,000 authors-in-transformation write, publish, and promote their books. Her clients have been seen everywhere from Vanity Fair to O Magazine to the Today Show, and their books have been responsible for over $100 million in cumulative revenue. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in journalism and media affairs from The George Washington University and a PhD in communications fr

Dr. Terry Lyles holds a PhD in psychology and is recognized as a national/international educator, author of three books, speaker to universities, schools, Fortune 500 companies, world-class athletes, and public audiences. Dr. Lyles has trained hundreds of individuals including fire rescue workers in and around Ground Zero, international forensic medical teams in the Asian-torn tsunami area, and the Haiti relief effort sharing his time-tested, scientifically measured approach to stress utilization. Major corporations have also benefited from this training technology such as Gulfstream, Chrysler Group, GM, Banana Republic, Macy’s, Pfizer, Universal Studios, Tommy Hilfiger, and Dior to name a few.  NASCAR’s Richard Petty Motorsports, military Special Forces, Air Force fighter pilots, and Space Command have all utilized this specialized training.  Dr. Lyles has appeared on CNN, CNBC, HLN, NBC, ABC, FOX NEWS, USA Today, and U.S. News & World Report as a Human Engineering Life-Balance Specialist. He hosted a

John Assaraf is one of the leading mindset and behavioral experts in the world who has appeared numerous times on Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. His latest bestselling book, Innercise: The Proven Science to Unleash Your Brain’s Hidden Power, helps individuals recognize and release the mental and emotional blocks that prevent them from achieving their fullest potential. John has built five multimillion-dollar companies including taking one public on NASDAQ and growing Re/Max of Indiana to 1,200 sales associates and $4.5 billion a year in sales. He has written two New York Times bestselling books that have been translated to 35 languages and he has been featured in 10 movies, including the blockbuster hit, The Secret and Quest For Success with Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama.  Today, he is the founder and CEO of NeuroGym, a company dedicated to using the most advanced technologies and evidence-based brain training methods to help individuals strengthen their minds

Mike Weber grew up in the Midwest and earned his degree at Cornell University while selling books door-to-door with Southwestern Advantage.  He then enjoyed success as a sales rep for Great American Opportunities— Southwestern’s national fundraising company that helps kids raise millions of dollars for educational and community organizations that are changing lives. In 1993, he founded Southwestern’s Leadership Institute with a focus on equipping people with the skills and attitudes needed to excel in today’s dynamic world. For the past 20 years, Mike has motivated and inspired people from all walks of life to break out of restrictive patterns of thought and behavior, and open themselves up to achieve greater success in whatever their field.   Engaging and energetic, Mike’s passion is to ignite performance by helping people recognize and then challenge patterns and assumptions that may be holding them back from all they could accomplish and enjoy.  Mike lives in New Hampshire, is married to Jane, the