Reach Your Full Potential – The Mentors Radio

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Shirin Behzadi, author of The Unexpected CEO and an extraordinary leader who has lived what many would call three lifetimes in one. Shirin’s journey is a masterclass in perseverance, resiliance and what some would describe as anti-fragility. She rose from being alone, as an 18-year-old immigrant, working behind bulletproof glass as an all-night gas station cashier, to becoming the CEO of a billion-dollar home improvement franchise network. Along the way, she navigated a high-stakes, nine-figure private equity exit and overcame a life-threatening health crisis—a brain tumo...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Kaushik Basu, Professor of Economics and of International Studies at Cornell University. Dr. Basu was formerly Chief Economist of the World Bank, Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government, and president of the International Economic Association. He is currently co-Chair of the United Nations High-Level Expert Group “Beyond GDP”. Widely published, Dr. Basu’s works have been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish and French. He won the Humboldt Research prize and he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks in a new episode with Jim Loehr, one of the world’s leading performance psychologists, a true pioneer in understanding human potential who has worked with the most elite athletes and business leaders, and who is a prolific author including his most recent book—and perhaps his most important—Sapiens Reinvented. You’ll learn about the real root of fear and bias, why it affects all of us, and why Loehr believes that families are the key to real change in our future. Loehr is the co-founder of the Huma...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ginni Rometty, who was the ninth Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of IBM. Under her leadership, the 100-year-old company reinvented 50 percent of its portfolio, built a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, and established leadership in AI and quantum computing.  IBM acquired 65 companies during Ginni’s tenure as CEO, including Red Hat, the largest acquisition in the company’s history.  She also drove record results in workforce transformation and supported the explosive growth of an innovative high school program to prepare the workforce of the future in over twenty-eig...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Richard Harris, the global sales expert who trained the teams at SalesForce, Zoom and General Electric, founder and principal of The Harris Consultant Group, and author of bestseller “The Seller’s Journey: Your Guidebook to Closing More Deals with N.E.A.T. Selling”. You’ll learn why everyone is in sales, regardless of whether you are sharing ideas, influencing a corporate direction, an entrepreneur, a landscaper, have a career in selling products or services, or at home discussing an upcoming vacation with the family. In short, the Sell...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Sunita Sah, national bestselling author, award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. Dr. Sunita Sah joins Dan Hesse to discuss her bestselling book, Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, which teaches us how to say “No” when saying “Yes” conflicts with our personal values.  Dr. Sah leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, trust, compliance and defiance. A trained physician, she currently teaches executives, leaders and students in healthcare and business. Dr. Sah is a sought-after international speaker and consultant...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ashley Goodall, former Cisco executive and co-author of Nine Lies About Work, about lies we are told about work. For example, we are told that the best companies cascade goals and the best people are well-rounded. We are told that people leave because of ‘culture’ and that feedback is a gift. But what if every one of those statements is a lie?! In this episode, often-repeated work ‘dogmas’ will be dismantled—including the myth of “Company Culture” and the trap of “Work-Life Balance”. Ashley Goodall culls from two decades workin...

In today’s episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist and the founder of Dementia Careblazers. Did you know that right now, one in four adults in the United States is providing care for someone else? That represents 63 million Americans—a silent army navigating complex medical needs, crushing financial pressures, and heavy legal responsibilities. As our population ages, this role is rapidly becoming one of the most defining experiences of our time. But what if we looked at caregiving differently? What if, rather than just a burden, we viewed it as a...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Jim Loehr, a world-renown human performance psychologist, about how to ensure you are leading with character and purposely pursuing what matters most. Loehr knows what he’s talking about. He has literally transformed hundreds of lives, including the most elite tennis competitors in the world, as well as business executives at all levels, and the millions of individuals who have read his books or taken his courses over many yeas. Jim’s ability to transform an individual’s energy so that he or she can easily and dramat...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Yale Ph.D. J. Budziszewski, professor of Government and Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. The author of more than 20 books, including The Revenge of Conscience, What We Can’t Not Know and his most recent work, Pandemic of Lunacy: How to Think Clearly When Everyone Around You Seems Crazy. A former radical atheist, Dr. Budziszewski underwent a profound conversion that integrated his world-class intellect with deep faith. Today, he is one of the preeminent voices on Natural Law and critical thinking. In this discussion of...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Eswar Prasad, a Professor of Economics at Cornell, a senior fellow at Brookings, and the former head of the IMF’s China division, to discuss his book The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Currencies and Finance, which was chosen as a Best Book of the Year by The Economist, The Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, ProMarket, and The Week. In The Future of Money, Dr. Prasad argues that we are at an inflection point where technology is redefining what money is, who issues it...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Jerome Bettis (also known as “The Bus”), who is a Hall of Fame running back and Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year. Jerome describes how he “broke the cycle” of shunning rookies in the locker room and instead focused on encouraging and mentoring them. He also talks about how the generosity of one pro football player he met as a kid drove him to develop the habit of giving a “hand up” to those in need; a habit that he knows he will continue for the rest of his...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Rusty Gaillard, a man who built one of the quintessential “A-student” careers of our time: Princeton engineering, GE under Jack Welch, an MBA from Stanford, and ultimately 14 years at Apple, where he served as Worldwide Director of Finance. By any external measure, he had “made it”. But internally, Rusty hit a wall — a wall many high achievers eventually reach. That crisis led to deep introspection, divorce, reinvention, and ultimately the insights behind his book, Breaking the Code: Stop Looking for Answers and Start Enjoying Life — a guide to upgrading...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Dan Hesse talks with Sahil Bloom, author of The 5 Types of Wealth—A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life to describe how important Time, Social, Mental, Physical, and Financial wealth are to leading one’s dream life, and how important it is not to sacrifice one kind of wealth in pursuit of another.  In addition to his debut book, Sahill captivates millions of people every week through his insights and biweekly newsletter, The Curiosity Chronicle. Sahil is a successful entrepreneur and the managing partner of SRB Ventures, an early-stage investment fund...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Thom Weisel, a guest whose influence has not only shaped companies, but also culture. A financier and sports leader, Weisel is both Senior Managing Director and a Director of Stifel, a diversified global wealth management and investment banking company. Previously Thom was Chairman and CEO of Thomas Weisel Partners Group, Inc. and Montgomery Securities, one of Silicon Valley’s famed “Four Horsemen”. Thom helped build the financial infrastructure that fueled Silicon Valley’s explosive rise, often referred to as “Wall Street West”. He led the financings behind companies that...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Dan Hesse discusses the AI spectrum with Nick Thompson, who is the host of “The Most Interesting Thing in AI” podcast and CEO of The Atlantic magazine. Thompson also discusses his just-released book The Running Ground, where Nick, the #1 long distance runner in the world at his age, tells the story of how running both bonded him with, but also kept him from becoming, his father. Nick was previously the editor-in-chief of Wired magazine and editor of NewYorker.com. In addition to being a successful CEO, husband and father, Nick set the U...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Daniel Levintin, PhD, a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, musician and best-selling author whose newest book, I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine, explores how music changes the brain, strengthens memory and restores joy. Dr. Levitin’s research explains why that happens. He’s a Founding Dean of Arts and Humanities at Minerva University in San Francisco, James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, and the author of ten acclaimed books, including This Is Your Brain on Music and The Orga...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Dan Hesse talks with Robert L. Dilenschneider, who has been called “the Dean of American Public Relations Executives,” to discuss his just-released book, his nineteenth, Respect: How to Change the World One Interaction at a Time.   In 1991, Bob formed The Dilenschneider Group, providing strategic advice and counsel to Fortune 500 companies, leading families, and individuals around the world. He is well-known for his experience in fields ranging from mergers and acquisitions, crisis communications and marketing, to government affairs and international media. Prior to forming his own firm, Bob served as the President and CEO...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Cathy Lanier, whose amazing story continues to inspire. At age 14, Lanier got pregnant, ran away from home, dropped out of high school. But by age 39, this single mother became Washington D.C.’s Chief of Police, earned two master’s degrees, and now serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer for the National Football League (NFL). In her role with the NFL, Lanier coordinates the efforts of the League offices—that is, all 32 clubs!—and federal, state and local law entities to ensure the security of the NF...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Carmen Policy, former President and CEO of the Cleveland Browns. But Policy is best known for his years as President and CEO of the San Francisco 49ers where he played a key role in all five of the 49ers’ Super Bowl winning teams — helping shape an organization that became widely viewed as the hallmark sports franchise of the ’80s and ’90s. Both The Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly named Carmen Policy the NFL Executive of the Year in 1994, the latter award having been determined by a vote of...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ed Kopetsky, retired and award-winning Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Stanford Health’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford’s Children’s Health. Kopetsky now focuses on mentoring families whose lives have been turned upside down due to drug addiction. In 2017, Kopetsky tragically lost his 31-year-old son to an opiod overdose. In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Ed shares 17 years of frontline experience, including invaluable insights on addressing addiction within families and communities. “There is no one I know who is better to provide guidance on dealing...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Dana Gower, Vice President of Talent and Client Services at CareerPro, and co-author of Job Hunting in the AI Era, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the job hunt. Gower is also the founder of JobWorks Career Ministry and co-author of Careering. He has personally lived through three periods of unemployment, each followed by a major rebound. Dana Gower has been guiding people through some of life’s toughest moments—job loss and career transition—for years. His ministry is built around a provocative reminder, as he put...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Dan Hesse talks with former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen about leadership during a crisis. Whether it’s a business crisis, family crisis, natural disaster, supply chain nightmare, government-mandated pandemic shutdown or something else, ethical leadership can make all the difference in ultimately navigating to “safe shores.” Our guest mentor today, Thad Allen, has a lot to share about leadership and crisis leadership. During his Coast Guard career, Allen was asked by two U.S. Presidents to take over leadership of the Federal response to two monumental crises—the deva...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Randy Hain, founder of Serviam Partners, a nationally respected executive coach, and the author of 16 books—including Essential Wisdom, Becoming a More Thoughtful Leader, and most recently, Practical Virtue An Actionable Guide to Help You Become a Leader Worth Following. In this latest work, Randy makes the case that mastering virtue is not only essential to career success, but even more importantly, to success in life. You’ll discover why there’s a war on virtue today, how to spot the difference between real virtue vs. virtue signal...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse is joined by Lt. General Robert Caslen Jr. (Ret.) and Michael Matthews, Ph.D. to discuss The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity, a unique book in the way it combines lessons from extensive leadership research—strengthened by experience and real-life examples of leadership in action, and shares practical tools that can both assess and develop character to maximize leadership effectiveness. Robert Caslen served in the U.S. Army for 43 years. His distinguished military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Forbes Magazine publisher and author Rich Karlgaard on the power of “late bloomers.” We live in a world obsessed with early achievement, but you may be surprised and inspired by what older individuals launch and achieve. Not only is Karlgaard and expert on the intersection of business and innovation, he is also a best-selling author and an economic and market forecaster. Plus, Karlgaard considers himself to be a late bloomer! This episode is packed with Karlgaard’s wisdom and examples that completely destroy the current trends...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Michael MacCambridge, the award-winning journalist and author featured on the acclaimed ESPN documentary series about the Kansas City Chiefs entitled “The Kingdom.” Today’s discussion will focus on MacCambridge’s biography, Lamar Hunt – A Life in Sports, about the man who started it all. Lamar Hunt did more than launch the Kansas City Chiefs, he founded the American Football League and brought professional soccer and tennis to America. Lamar Hunt has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Federation Hall of Fame, and the National...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Gerald Nosich, PhD, who is among the most distinguished experts in critical thinking alive today. He authored such foundational works as Reasons and Arguments (Wadsworth, 1982) and Learning to Think Things Through, a book that has been translated into multiple languages and is used in classrooms globally. His latest book, Critical Writing, teaches powerful thinking tools through writing. Over the years, Dr. Nosich has led more than 250 workshops in countries from the U.S. to Singapore, consulted on national assessments of higher-order thinking, contributed to educational programming with...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ursula Burns, Chairwoman of Teneo and founding partner of private equity company Integrum Holdings. But Ursula is best known for serving as Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox during a 36-year-career there, where she became the first black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. In addition, Ursula serves on several private company boards, while also providing leadership counsel to several community, educational and non-profit organizations including the Ford Foundation, the MIT Corporation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Mayo Clinic, among others. President Obama appointed her to...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Mai Nguyen, PhD, the remarkable 36-year-old neuroscientist who is the co-founder and CEO of OptoCeutics and the inventor of EVY LIGHT®, a breakthrough light-based therapy aimed at slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders. Her journey is anything but ordinary. Born in Vietnam, raised in California as the youngest of nine children in a struggling family, she spent her childhood at a local Flea Market and then went on to earn a PhD in neuroscience. But it was a “chance” conversation with a Danish profess...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Norman Hall, an actor and the last of the Fuller Brush salesmen in America. If you’re under 50, you might not know just how iconic the Fuller Brush Company once was. At its peak, Fuller Brush salesmen were household names, trusted faces at the door, and symbols of professionalism and perseverance.

 For more than 50 years, Norman walked the streets of San Francisco—not just to sell products, but to build relationships. His extraordinary life and legacy were captured by bestselling author Daniel Pink in the book To Sell Is...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile musicians in history. Young could be the most difficult artist to categorize as he plays rock, folk, country, rockabilly, blues, new wave and electronic music, plus he’s been recognized as the Godfather of Grunge. Neil Young has released more than 60 albums, received multiple Grammy Awards, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame TWICE, and he’s influenced and inspired countless artists. Rolling Stone magazine includes Neil on thei...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Mark C. Thompson, the Founding CEO and Chairman of The Executive Alliance. For more than 30 years, Mark has been scaling companies and coaching CEOs and entrepreneurs. He has been named the World’s #1 CEO Coach. Success is a funny thing. For many, it means wealth, fame, power, or position. But what if those things aren’t success at all? That’s the question today’s guest, Mark C. Thompson, set out to answer in the bestselling book Success Built to Last: Creating a Life That Matters, by Mark C...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Paul Christo, author and award-winning physician renown for his cutting-edge work as a pain specialist. Pain, if left untreated, can impact our performance and productivity, and even our enjoyment of life. In this episode, Dr. Christo discusses breakthrough techniques and therapies that can relieve even the most severe chronic pain. One of the world’s leading pain specialists, Dr. Christo is the author of Aches and Gains, A Comprehensive Guide to Overcoming Your Pain. He is the Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at the Jo...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Sabina Nawaz, a former Microsoft executive who worked closely with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer—and who now coaches leaders at Amazon, Google, the United Nations and beyond. Nawaz’ heavily-researched book, You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need), goes far beyond the boardroom.
 It is a practical guide to navigating pressure, power and personal blind spots—whether you are leading a company, raising a family, managing a team, or simply trying to be your best self. You’ll learn how to identify...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Ashley Goodall, outstanding leadership expert, former Fortune 50 executive, former Senior VP at Cisco, former senior executive at Deloitte and author of The Problem with Change, one of Financial Times‘ top business books of 2024. As a thought leader, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and more. In this episode, you’ll learn why nonstop disruption drains performance–and how to fix it. You’ll learn how predictability fuels innovation, why “check-ins” beat “performance reviews” and the four questions that make check-ins w...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, host Dan Hesse talks with General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army General (Ret.), Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan, Leader of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), co-founder and CEO of McChrystal Group, and noted, best-selling author of several books. A one-of-a-kind leader with a new perspective on collaboration and teamwork, General Stan McChrystal is known for helping organizations tap into the potential of their people to better compete in a complex and interconnected world. Following thirty-four years of service in the U.S. Army—including as commander of U...

In this compelling episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with global strategist Ram Charan who returns with a powerful message for leaders at every level. From AI integration to talent shortages, from critical thinking to cash flow, Ram offers sharp, actionable insights. Ram explains why capital flows matter more than headlines, how humility fuels leadership growth, and why war rooms and curated newsletters are replacing traditional news sources. Most urgently, he reveals China’s economic strategy to undermine democracies—including the U.S.—and why we must understand it now. If you want to lead, adapt, and st...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Robert Parker, a man widely considered the most powerful critic of any genre in history, about changing careers to pursue a passion. Pulitzer-prize winning media critic David Shaw, in his two-part Front Page profile for the Los Angeles Times, called wine critic Robert Parker “the most powerful critic of any kind, anywhere.” Parker’s impact on the wine world has been unrivaled, and many others agree that no critic of any genre, be it theatre, movies, music, art or fashion, has been as influential in their industry as Rob...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, host Tom Loarie talks with Justin Stebbing, M.D., a London-based, world-renown scientist, cancer researcher, medical journal editor and author. Dr. Stebbing talks about the excitement and rewards of a STEM career, the life of a scientist, and about his own journey to becoming a world-renown clinician and scientist. He also about the tremendous wonder of discovering improved therapies for cancer and for treating covid. Professor Justin Stebbing, M.D., is also a professor of biomedical sciences at ARU, Cambridge, and a visiting professor at Imperial College where he has an active...