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#284: Brandon Boyd is a longtime collegiate ministry leader with Cru at Oklahoma State University, an author, husband, father, and passionate follower of Jesus Christ. For nearly three decades, he has devoted his life to helping college students grow in their faith and discover the joy of following Christ. Brandon and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons, Ethan and Ben. Their journey as parents, particularly raising Ben, who has FOXP1 syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects development and communication, profoundly shaped Brandon’s understanding of faith, love, and the value of every human life. In 2026, he published Delighting in Ben: A Father and a Son, Discovering the Delight of God, a deeply personal account of how his son has taught him about God’s character, the beauty of unconditional love, and finding joy amid life’s unexpected challenges. Through his story, Brandon hopes to encourage families raising children with disabilities and help others recognize the dignity and immeasurable worth of every person.

Coach Brad Soucie is a veteran college basketball coach whose career spans decades of experience at the highest levels of collegiate basketball. He has worked alongside respected coaches, including Tony Bennett at the University of Virginia and Ritchie McKay at Liberty University, where he has contributed to player development, program building, and team culture. As a former college player at Eastern Michigan, Soucie helped the Eagles reach the NCAA Tournament in 1986 and made eight three-pointers in a first-round game against Pittsburgh. Beyond basketball, Soucie is recognized for his character and faith, receiving the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' John Lotz Barnabas Award in 2021. His career reflects a commitment to developing players, building relationships, and making a lasting impact on and off the court.

#282: Mayor Yemi Mobolade is the 42nd Mayor of Colorado Springs and a Nigerian immigrant whose remarkable journey to public leadership began with entrepreneurship, faith, community development, and a deep commitment to serving others.  After moving to Colorado Springs in 2010, Yemi founded a church, co-founded multiple businesses and community organizations, served in economic development and city government, and helped unite more than 100 churches through COSILoveYou. In 2023, he made history as the city’s first elected Black mayor and first immigrant mayor, winning as an independent political outsider. As mayor, he has focused on public safety, infrastructure, housing, economic growth, and strengthening neighborhoods while championing a philosophy of collaboration and bringing people together to solve problems.  At the heart of Mayor Mobolade’s story, however, is not his title or accomplishments, but the character of the man behind them—a husband, father, servant, and man of deep faith who believes leadership begins with humility and a willingness to serve others. His life is a testament to what can happen when faith, courage, integrity, and a genuine desire to make a difference guide the way you lead and live. Enjoy the show!

#281: Greg Sands is the longtime head coach of Texas Tech Men’s Golf and one of the most accomplished coaches in collegiate golf.  Since taking over the Red Raiders program in 2001, Sands has transformed Texas Tech into a perennial national contender, leading the program to 27 team tournament titles, 33 individual tournament victories, 27 NCAA Regional appearances, and 17 NCAA Championship appearances.  Under his leadership, Texas Tech has produced numerous All-Americans and Big 12 standouts, including three-time First-Team All-American and 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year Ludvig Åberg. Sands was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in 2021, was named the GCAA Central Region Coach of the Year, and served as the United States head coach at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup. But perhaps what makes Sands' story most compelling goes beyond the wins and championships. For more than two decades, he has developed young golfers into elite competitors while emphasizing academics, character, preparation, and the habits required to perform at the highest level. His players have gone on to professional golf, including PGA TOUR success, while Texas Tech has consistently remained one of the nation's top collegiate golf programs.  On this episode Coach Sands shares what he has learned about developing people, building a championship culture, handling pressure, and pursuing excellence not just in golf, but in leadership and life. Enjoy the show!

#280: As the co-founder and CEO of Vari®, Jason McCann’s mission is to help companies create environments that elevate people, cultures, and communities.  A lifelong entrepreneur, Jason has more than 30 years of experience building and running successful companies. He learned the importance of putting the customer first early-on while working in his mother’s hair salons as a child.   Jason co-founded Vari (formerly known as VariDesk) in 2013, and the brand quickly became synonymous with sit-stand desks. Under his leadership, the company grew at an incredible pace, expanded to over 4 million users of its products across 120 countries.  Today, Vari has grown into a workspace innovation company with a full suite of over 300 products and offers workplace strategy, design, installation, and transformation services, providing everything high-growth businesses need to unlock the potential of their workforce. In 2019, they launched VariSpace, a multi-tenant ideation center, showroom, and campus designed to elevate the way businesses approach office. VariSpace is a space-as-a-service offering fully furnished suites, and flexible lease terms to enterprise-level clients.  In 2021, Jason won CEO of the Year from D CEO Magazine, the award for 2016’s fastest growing company in the Dallas area at the annual SMU Cox Dallas 100™ Awards Ceremony. In 2017, he received EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He is a board member of The Real Estate Council and a member of Eric’s Club, a distinguished and select group of University of Houston’s Hilton College that build a legacy of student inspiration. Jason is actively involved in his local community and regularly speaks to students about entrepreneurship, servant leadership, and culture. For more on Jason check out social as well vari.com  and varispace.com  Enjoy the show!

#279: Hal Donaldson is the president and CEO of Convoy of Hope, a global, faith-based, nonprofit organization that works with communities to address root causes of poverty and hunger. According to Forbes, Convoy of Hope is among the 50 largest charities in the United States. Through its disaster responses and community development programs, Convoy has distributed more than $2.5 billion worth of food and supplies to more than 250 million people and currently feeds more than 677,000 children every school day. Hal is an award winning journalist & speaker, as well as received numerous public service awards. He is also the author of the great book What Really Matters: How to care for yourself and serve in a hurting world.  He has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies from Bethany University.  For more on Hal, his book, & Convoy of Hope you can check out social as well as www.haldonaldson.org and www.convoyofhope.org Hal was great as well patient during some technical difficulties, but I know you will be inspired and tremendously impacted by Hal’s story.  Enjoy the show!

#277: Scott Spiezio is a two-time World Series champion and former Major League Baseball player who spent 12 seasons with the Oakland Athletics, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, and St. Louis Cardinals. He is the only father-son duo to win a World Series ring with the same organization (St. Louis Cardinals). An All-American at the University of Illinois and the school’s career home run leader, Spiezio is best known for his pivotal home run in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series that helped lead the Angels to their first championship. After reaching the highest level of professional baseball, however, Spiezio's life began to unravel through alcohol addiction and substance abuse. His struggles eventually cost him his career and brought significant personal and professional consequences. Rather than hiding from that chapter of his life, Spiezio has increasingly made his story one of honesty, accountability, recovery and helping others. His new memoir, The Hardest Comeback, chronicles that journey—from childhood and baseball success to addiction, losing nearly everything, and finding a path forward to redemption. His book is one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. His story is also the subject of the documentary SPIEZIO, premiering on September 10 in St. Louis as the city celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Cardinals' 2006 World Series championship and then will be streaming on Re-Discover TV. Scott is also available for public speaking and personal appearances.  For more on Scott his book and speaking check out ScottSpiezio.com as well as social media. For his new documentary check out spiezio.info  Enjoy the show!

#276: Arun Gupta is a venture capitalist, educator, author, and mission-driven leader who has spent more than two decades operating at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, national security, and public service. He is the CEO of NobleReach Foundation and previously spent 18 years as a Partner at Columbia Capital, where he helped lead investments in cybersecurity, AI, government technology, and cloud infrastructure.  Arun also teaches entrepreneurship and venture capital at Georgetown University and Stanford University, and is the author of the national bestseller Venture Meets Mission and co-author of The Mission Generation. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, Arun is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and leaders use innovation not simply to create financial success, but to solve some of the most important challenges facing society. For more on Arun check out social as well as www.noblereach.org  Enjoy the show!

#275: Daniel Coyle is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and journalist whose work focuses on how individuals and teams develop excellence, build strong cultures, and reach their full potential. He is the author of The Culture Code, The Talent Code, and The Little Book of Talent, and has studied some of the world’s highest-performing organizations, including Navy SEALs, the San Antonio Spurs, Pixar, and other elite teams. Coyle serves as an advisor to organizations across business, sports, education, and the military, helping leaders create cultures where people can perform at their best. His work has made him one of the leading voices on leadership, teamwork, talent development, and the science behind high performance.  His newest book Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, & Fulfillment, is out now.  For more on Daniel you can check out www.danielcoyle.com as well as social media.  Enjoy the show!

#274: Captain Mark Brouker, United States Navy (Retired), is a thought leader, keynote speaker, professor, coach, consultant, facilitator, pharmacist, and proven leader who is passionate about helping others on their leadership journey. He has more than twenty-five years of leadership experience, fifteen of which were in C-suite-level positions. The recipient of numerous military and civilian leadership awards, he held a wide array of leadership positions both during and after his naval career. He served as commanding officer at one of the largest naval hospitals worldwide and as chief of staff for Navy Medicine West, responsible for ten hospitals spanning the West Coast to the Indian Ocean and health care for eight hundred thousand patients.  After transitioning from the military, Captain Brouker founded Brouker Leadership Solutions, a company dedicated to helping leaders succeed on their leadership journeys. He has presented to thousands of professionals in twenty-one countries, and his clients include Fortune 500 companies, professional and military organizations, and top universities. Brouker volunteers as an executive coach at The Honor Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps U.S. Navy SEALs and other Special Operations Forces transition from the military environment to the corporate environment.  For more information, please visit: www.broukerleadershipsolutions.com. Enjoy the show!

#273: Steve Scalzi is an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons and now the Head Coach of the Motor City Cruise. He brings extensive experience in coaching, player development, leadership, and team building at the highest levels of basketball.  Throughout his career, Scalzi has worked within highly competitive collegiate and professional environments, developing a deep understanding of what it takes to build strong teams, cultivate a winning culture, and maximize individual potential. His stops include Boston College, Northeastern, OKC Thunder, Phoenix Suns, and the Detroit Pistons. He has coached players like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, and Jalen Duran. He has coached alongside Darko Rajakovic, Scott Brooks, Billy Donovan, Mark Daigneault, Monty Williams, & BJ Bickerstaff, as well as Sam Presti.  His experience provides valuable insight into leadership, organizational culture, performance, and the pursuit of excellence, principles that extend well beyond the basketball court. Today, he brings that perspective to Building Excellence to discuss the people, principles, and practices that drive sustained success. For more on Steve you can check out the Detroit Pitons and motor City Cruise Website, as well as Linkedin.  Enjoy the show!

#272: Ann Rhoades is the founder and president of People Ink, an organizational culture consulting firm focused on helping companies build values-driven, high-performing cultures. A recognized expert in leadership, employee engagement, and customer service excellence, Ann has spent her career helping organizations create workplaces where people thrive and businesses succeed. Prior to founding People Ink, Ann served as Chief People Officer for Southwest Airlines, Promus Hotel Company (DoubleTree, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites, and Hampton Inn), and JetBlue Airways, where she played a key role in building some of the most admired cultures in the business world. She is the author of Built on Values and continues to advise leaders and organizations on how to create lasting cultures built around purpose, values, and excellence. Ann also serves on several boards, including JetBlue Airways, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, HireVue, and the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. For more on Ann check out peopling.com as well as amazon for her tremendous book Built on Values.  Enjoy the show!

#271: Dr. Henry Cloud is an acclaimed leadership expert, clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and highly sought-after speaker. He has authored 46 books, including the iconic Boundaries, which have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Dr. Cloud has extensive experience working with CEOs, executives, and leadership teams, helping organizations improve leadership performance, culture, and overall effectiveness. He also founded and built a healthcare company that operated inpatient and outpatient treatment centers across 40 markets in the Western United States, serving as its Clinical Director and principal for 10 years. Dr. Cloud hosted a national radio show for 15 years, airing in more than 200 U.S. markets, and has been recognized by Success Magazine as one of the 25 most influential leaders in personal growth and development His newest book YourDesired Future is a five-component framework combining psychology, physiology, and neuroscience principles to help readers achieve their desired future. Today, Dr. Cloud speaks and consults internationally, bringing together his expertise in leadership, psychology, human performance, and organizational culture to help leaders and teams achieve greater success. He is also very patient and gracious with me as we had to work through some technical difficulties on this episode.  For more on Dr. Cloud and his new book Your Desired Future check out drcloud.com as well as social media and where all books are sold.  Enjoy the show!

5 Years of the Building Excellence Podcast - Thank YOU!

#270: Eric Konkol is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Tulsa and has established himself as one of college basketball's most respected program builders. He most recently lead the Golden Hurricane to one of their best seasons in program history winning 30 games (second most in school history), reaching the American Conference semifinals for the first time in over a decade, and making a run in the NIT all the way to the championship game. Since taking over Tulsa in 2022, he has been recognized for his emphasis on culture, player development, and leadership. Before arriving at Tulsa, he spent seven successful seasons at Louisiana Tech, where he won 153 games, led the Bulldogs to six 20-win seasons, captured a Conference USA West Division title, and was named Conference USA Coach of the Year. More importantly than all of the accolades you will get to hear the real reason why he coaches to make an impact on his players and everyone that is a part of the program.  For more on Coach Konkol check out social media as well as tulsahurricane.com  Enjoy the show!