Tell Your Story – 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. 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 Dan Hesse talks withAndy Beckstoffer, named “the most powerful grapegrower by Wall Street Journal and the Wine Spectator. Few people have played a more pivotal, pioneering role in Napa Valley’s evolution into a world class wine region than Andy Beckstoffer, who owns Beckstoffer Vineyards. Beckstoffer Vineyards includes six Napa “Heritage sites” which consistently produce some of the best wines in the world, being awarded 100 point scores year after year. Perhaps most notably, Andy introduced an innovative and radical new grape pricing structure in 1976, which created a major and lasting shift in how t...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Michael Collopy, one of the preeminent portrait photographers of our time — a man whose camera has revealed the inner soul of saints, world leaders, Nobel Peace laureates, and some of the most recognizable entertainers on the planet. Over 45 years, he has photographed six U.S. presidents, 37 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and hundreds of global icons — and in the process, he has observed patterns of character, humility, ego, joy, and loneliness that very few people ever get to see up close. Michael Collopy is self-taught, yet mentored by gian...

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Terry Hanck, a multi-award-winning blues and soul saxophonist, singer and songwriter whose journey is as raw and real as the music he plays. Terry didn’t follow a straight line to success. He started as a surfer and diver, found his voice through a saxophone at age 21, toured the world with Elvin Bishop, and went on to lead his own band for more than three decades. Along the way, he’s won multiple BMA Awards, that is Blues Music Awards (BMA) and played with legends of the genr...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Dr. Derry Connolly, a visionary entrepreneur, engineer, educator, and the founding president of John Paul the Great Catholic University—a unique university that merges faith, entrepreneurship and creativity. Derry left his home in Ireland to study at CalTech in Southern California, where he not only found a new country but also his future wife. He went from research and development (R&D) labs at IBM and Kodak to teaching innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of California at San Diego—and ultimately to building a university from scra...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Chris Howard, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Arizona State University and former President of Robert Morris University and Hampden-Sydney College, to discuss his diverse career path on the way to discovering his calling in higher education. Elected student body president at Plano High, where 2% of the student body was African American, he helped Plano win the Texas state football championship. Chris received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy where he again excelled in the classroom and on the gridiron and was...

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 Mitch Warner, managing partner of The Arbinger Institute and also an Arbinger author, about how to break free from self-deception to build authentic, thriving relationships. Self-deception is one of the most insidious barriers to success—affecting our leadership, relationships and even our ability to see reality clearly. You will learn how self-deception blinds us to our own impact, fuels conflict, and keeps us stuck in destructive patterns. We’ll explore how shifting our mindset can transform not just our professional lives, but also our families, friendships and comm...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with James Asplund, Chief Scientist at Gallup and one of the world’s leading experts on strengths-based development, diving into one of the most powerful tools for personal and professional growth—CliftonStrengths or more widely known as Strengths-Finder 2.0. Strengths-Finder 2.0 can unlock your own potential, as it has for more than 35 million people worldwide! If you’ve ever wondered why some people thrive while others struggle, the answer often comes down to understanding and using their natural strengths. Asplund spent years researching how focusing on what we naturally do best l...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Daniel Ruettiger—who the world knows as “Rudy”—joins Host Dan Hesse to discuss the movie about his against-all-odds mission for admission to the University of Notre Dame, and his even more unlikely tackle in a football game. The movie “RUDY,” a 1993 American biographical sports film directed by David Anspaugh, captures that now-famous tackle and the remarkable story leading up to it, in what USA Today calls “the greatest football movie of all time.” But some don’t know that Rudy’s greatest achievement might be getting the movie made in the first place – a “Roc...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Mitch Daniels, who was a two-term governor of Indiana, the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush and until recently, the 12th president of Purdue University. He was elected Indiana governor in his first bid for any elected office, and then re-elected with more votes than any candidate in the state’s history. A former top executive at Eli Lilly, he was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders and elected to the American Academy of Art...

In today’s episode, The Mentors Radio Host Tom Loarie talks with Teddy W—a recovering alcoholic, now 16 years sober. It’s real. In-depth. Fascinating and Down-to-earth. Together, they talk about alcoholism, its deceptive attraction, how it can take over lives, how Alcoholics Annonymous (AA) works and the absolutely freeing and transformative power of persistent good habits. Many today don’t realize that alcoholism is like the elephant in the room that nobody talks about. Although drug overdose deaths dominate headlines, excessive drinking is the #1 leading cause of preventable death in the United States. From 2015 to 2019, alcohol was responsible for more...

In this episode of The Mentors Radio, Host Tom Loarie talks with Doug and Chase Averill of Flathead Lake Lodge, one of the top 2% hospitality businesses in America and a “Best of the Best Dude Ranch.” Discover their unique approach to hospitality and learn how this iconic, multi-generational, family-owned dude ranch builds family bonds, empowers kids, and even hosts world leaders, including Bing Crosby, George Bush, Bill Clinton and Colin Powell, who called it the best place in America to meet real Americans. Located in Bigfork, Montana, just outside Glacier National Park, an Averill family tradition since 1945, the ranch has...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Mother Delores Hart, who has now been a nun of the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, for nearly 60 years. Learn about her remarkable journey from Award-winning actress and a fast-rising Hollywood star famous for having the first on-screen kiss with Elvis Presley, to contemplative nun. What made Delores Hart abandon the fame and fortune of Hollywood for the hidden life of simplicity in a monastery on the other side of the country? What was her path to discovering tranquility and joy? What advice does...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Mark O. Hubbard, seasoned broadcasting executive and author, to discuss the impact Coach Ara Parseghian had on those around him. The author of four books, including Ara-The Life and Legacy of a Notre Dame Legend, Mark spent more than 25 years in the broadcasting industry, including serving as President of Flagship Broadcasting, President of Fairmont Communications, and Senior Vice President for Corporate Development at Clear Channel.  Mark was most recently an independent consultant providing services exclusively to senior management at established companies and to entrepreneurs at start-up ventures.  Ma...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Lorie talks with legendary Bill George, the former Chairman and CEO of Medtronic and now a Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School. Widely recognized for his leadership, Bill is the author of several best-selling books, including True North, which has helped countless leaders align their personal values with their professional roles. Bill spent his career mentoring executives and leaders, teaching at Harvard and guiding CEOs to discover their own authentic leadership style. In this episode, Tom and Bill dive into Bill’s insights on leading in turbulent times, mentoring the ne...

In this episode, THE MENTORS RADIO Host Dan Hesse talks with Jimmy Roberts, a 15-time Emmy Award-winning sports reporter and writer for ESPN and ABC Sports, about how athletes break out of slumps. Jimmy Roberts has had what most people would think of as an interesting run. During a 30-year career in network television, he has spoken at the United Nations, and interviewed a convicted murderer behind the walls of Attica State Penitentiary. He has traveled with the heavyweight boxing champion to meetings with Nelson Mandela in Soweto and the Pope at the Vatican … and had dinner at the Wh...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Gladys McGarey MD, one of the world’s great healers and wisest of elders of our time, to share her amazing life story and her six secrets to health and happiness at every age. Dr. Gladys McGarey is known as the Mother of Holistic Medicine. In this episode she shares her remarkable life story and insights from her latest book, The Well-Lived Life: A 103-Year-Old Doctor’s Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age. With a career spanning over seven decades, Dr. McGarey has been a tr...

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 Dan Hesse talks with Sister Donna Markham, PhD., an Adrian Dominican Sister and immediate past-president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA.  During her ministry there, she led the implementation of national initiatives directed at alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people in the United States.  Donna has dedicated the majority of her life as a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist to the ministry of personal and global healing.  A writer, speaker and faith-driven leader, she is actively engaged in global peace initiatives and processes of reconciliation that have taken her across the worl...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Filippo Silvestri and Enzo Rosano, two restaurant entrepreneurs who talk about their journey from Italy to San Francisco, and from nothing to becoming celebrated restaurant entrepreneurs in one of the most competitive and diverse restaurant markets. Today’s topic is about The American Dream and how a group of Italian entrepreneurs are emblematic of it. Theirs is a story of resilience, entrepreneurship, and success. Joining us are Filippo Silvestri and his partner Enzo Rosano, who both immigrated from Italy and have built a thriving restaurant business in th...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Daniel Hawkins, inventor of intravascular lithotripsy and visionary founder of Shockwave Medical Inc. As the company’s founding CEO for nearly 11 years, Daniel led Shockwave through a remarkable journey that culminated in 2024 with an acquisition by Johnson & Johnson for an astounding $13 Billion; the largest acquisition of a medical technology company in history! With a track record that includes being the #6 employee at Intuitive Surgical and driving the first-ever sale of the DaVinci surgical robot, Daniel is a true pioneer in the medical technology field. Join us as we...

In this episode, The Mentors Radio host Dan Hesse talks with David Foster, one of the most illustrious composers of our time. With 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and Three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Songs,” Foster has earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more.

Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foste...

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Ambassador John Negroponte. Few diplomats in history have served our country so well, for so long, and in so many key positions as today’s guest, Ambassador John Negroponte. Ambassador Negroponte has been U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines and Iraq and he has also been U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He held a cabinet level position as America’s first Director of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush. His most recent position in government was as Deputy Secretary of State, where he s...

In this encore episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Horst Schulze, the legendary founder of the Ritz Carlton hotel group. You’ll learn Horst’s journey first-hand—from busboy to founder, how it all began with a dream at age five, why setting the gold standard for customer service was so important to him, and how his pursuit–and achievement–of a ‘culture of excellence’ set his hotel brand apart from the rest. Horst talks about the influence and mentorship of his first boss, his defining vision for himself and how this came about, the founding of th...