Going Big! with Kevin Gentry

What does it take to turn a life shaped by violence into a life devoted to peace? In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry talks with Antong Lucky, president of Urban Specialists, who shares his remarkable journey from helping start the Dallas Bloods to becoming a leader in community violence prevention. After serving time in prison, Antong encountered mentors who recognized his leadership potential and challenged him to use it for good. One of his boldest moves came after his release, when he entered the neighborhood of his former enemies to ask for peace and begin working with...

What does it take to make a difficult decision when the stakes are high and the opposition is fierce?    Former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker joins host Kevin Gentry on Going Big! to discuss the leadership decisions that defined his career, from confronting Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall to surviving a 2012 recall election after protests involving more than 100,000 people. Walker reflects on the personal cost of leadership, the mentors who shaped him, and the faith that helped him navigate threats and intense public pressure. The conversation also explores Walker’s decision to leave the 2016 presidential race and his current role as presid...

How does a small Christian university reverse years of enrollment decline and launch a $500 million fundraising campaign?    Dr. Michael Lindsay, president of Taylor University, joins Going Big! host Kevin Gentry to share how a bold vision, a distinctive institutional identity, and a commitment to student development helped transform the university’s trajectory. In five years, Taylor grew campus enrollment by 45%, achieved four consecutive years of record enrollment, and built momentum around one of the largest fundraising campaigns in Christian higher education.   In this conversation, Lindsay explains why organizations cannot cut their way to greatness, how to inspire donors through a compe...

What does it take to build something everyone else says is impossible? In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with author and journalist Josh Dean to explore the remarkable story of Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the legendary Lockheed engineer who created the Skunk Works and helped produce some of the most consequential aircraft of the 20th century. Johnson promised to build America’s first jet fighter in 180 days and delivered it in 143. He later led the development of the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird, transforming aviation and providing the United States with critical intelligence capabilities during the Cold War. D...

What happens when you have a big idea but no funding, no guaranteed audience, and no finished plan? Armin Petschner-Multari decided to find out. He committed to building what became the Berlin Campaign Conference, an international gathering where political strategists, communicators, and campaign leaders from democracies around the world exchange ideas, compare campaign practices, and build lasting relationships. In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry talks with Armin about taking that initial risk, the power of networks, the differences he sees between Anglo-Saxon and continental European campaigning, and the challenge facing traditional political parties as voters increasingly look...

What does it take to build an exceptional craft from the ground up?    In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Josh Grainer, inaugural winemaker at Lost Mountain Vineyards in Delaplane, Virginia, to explore the unlikely journey that led him into winemaking and the vision behind one of Virginia’s most serious wine projects.   Josh traces his path from growing up around agriculture and studying ecology to a transformative spring break trip to Tuscany, working in restaurant kitchens, and eventually apprenticing under legendary Virginia winemaker Jim Law. He shares how persistence opened a door that initially seeme...

What happens when parents have the resources to choose the education that best fits their child? In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Darla Romfo, president and CEO of Children’s Scholarship Fund, an organization that has awarded more than $1.2 billion in scholarships to nearly a quarter of a million children across America. Darla shares the story behind CSF, the vision of founders John Walton and Ted Forstmann, and why she believes families should be at the center of educational decision-making. The conversation also explores the major new opportunity created by the upcoming federal tax cre...

How much of your day is consumed by work that no longer needs to exist? In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Mike Allen, one of America’s most influential political journalists and the co-founder of Axios, to explore the hidden cost of complexity and how leaders can reclaim time for the work that matters most. Mike traces his journey from traditional newspaper journalism to Politico, where he helped create Playbook, and then to Axios, where he helped pioneer Smart Brevity. Now, in his new book Simplify—which you can get at smartbrevity.com/simplify —Mike an...

What happens when a successful private-equity executive decides that one of America’s biggest challenges cannot be solved through philanthropy alone?   In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Tony de Nicola, Chairman of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe and co-founder of Invest in Education, to explore his decade-long effort to expand educational opportunity for American families. Inspired by his own immigrant family’s experience and the education that changed the trajectory of his life, Tony became convinced that systemic reform was needed to help more children access the schools that best meet their needs.   Tony shares the re...

What if the obstacles standing in front of a young person do not have to determine the course of that person’s life? Ian Rowe, author and senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, has spent three decades working across education, philanthropy, government, and the private sector trying to answer that question.   In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Rowe to explore his concept of agency: the combination of free will and moral discernment that allows people to make choices about the lives they will build. Rowe shares the personal story that shaped his thinking, including the...

What if losing the biggest opportunity of your life was actually preparing you for something much bigger? In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Nick Freitas, an Army Green Beret, former Virginia legislator, two-time congressional candidate, and media entrepreneur whose platform now reaches millions of people. Nick shares the story behind his unconventional journey, from military service and public office to two painful electoral defeats and the unexpected media career that followed. The conversation explores faith, family, responsibility, overcoming adversity, military leadership, entrepreneurship, and the difference between measuring success by outcomes versus obedience. Nick also e...

What does it take to turn good ideas into lasting policy change?   In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Matt Brouillette, longtime public policy leader and founder of Commonwealth Partners, to explore his journey from teaching history in San Diego to working alongside legendary state-policy leaders Larry Reed and Joe Overton, eventually leading the Commonwealth Foundation and launching a new organization focused on winning political and policy battles in Pennsylvania.   The conversation goes deeper into Matt’s new book, You GOTTA Win Pennsylvania!, and his argument that the states are the critical battleground for America’s futu...

What does it take to lead with integrity when compromise seems inevitable? In this episode of Going Big!, Kevin Gentry sits down with attorney, historian, and author Frank Atkinson to explore one of the most important questions facing leaders today: Can you remain true to your principles while navigating politics, public service, and positions of influence? Drawing from his newly released novel, The Lion's Den: Renewing Our Democracy by Renewing Ourselves, Frank shares how the biblical story of Daniel, the leadership of George Washington and James Madison, and decades of firsthand experience in government shaped his understanding of courage, character...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Joe Scarlett, retired CEO of Tractor Supply Company, to explore the leadership principles behind one of retail’s most remarkable turnarounds. For nearly 30 years, Joe helped transform Tractor Supply from a struggling retailer into a Fortune 500 company with more than 2,500 stores nationwide. But Joe believes the company’s greatest achievement wasn’t its growth—it was the culture that made that growth possible.   Joe shares how listening to frontline employees, empowering others to make decisions, building trust with partners, and creating a culture of accountability helped reshape an entire orga...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Jorge Velarde Rosso and Juan Pablo Chamon, the founders of Libera Bolivia, to discuss what it means to defend freedom under extraordinary circumstances. As young leaders living under an increasingly authoritarian socialist government, they chose not to stay silent. Instead, they built a movement dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders committed to liberty, free markets, and democratic institutions—even when that work came at great personal cost.   Jorge and Juan Pablo share the remarkable story behind Libera Bolivia, the mentorship that launched their mission, the challenges of b...

How do you make a document written more than 230 years ago come alive for a generation raised on YouTube, social media, and streaming video? Janine Turner and Cathy Gillespie believe the answer isn't another textbook—it's storytelling.   In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with the founder and CEO of Constituting America to explore how they've spent the past fifteen years transforming civics education through film, music, classroom engagement, and student creativity. They share the personal stories that led them to launch the organization, the lessons they've learned building a national nonprofit, and why they believe Ame...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Dr. Josh Hall, Dean of the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University, for a conversation about leadership, mentorship, economic opportunity, and the future of higher education.   Josh shares how one professor changed the course of his life, why thriving communities are built on strong institutions, and how visionary leadership can reshape an entire state. From helping secure a transformational $20 million gift to launching nationally recognized programs in business ethics, artificial intelligence, and experiential learning, he explains why the best leaders focus less on pr...

David Rubenstein has spent a lifetime building extraordinary institutions—and studying the leaders who built the ones that came before him.   In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with the co-founder of The Carlyle Group for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, American history, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and the enduring qualities that define great leaders. Drawing on decades of studying presidents, founders, military leaders, and CEOs, Rubenstein shares why humility often matters more than charisma, why perseverance is a better predictor of success than early achievement, and what today's leaders can learn from figures like George Washington, Abraham Linc...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with filmmaker Jon Erwin, the creative force behind Young Washington, the new theatrical release opening July 3. Known for I Can Only Imagine, Jesus Revolution, American Underdog, and House of David, Erwin shares why this film is his most ambitious project yet — and why he believes this is a story audiences should experience on the big screen. Together, they explore the little-known early years that shaped George Washington before he became the leader history remembers. Jon explains how Young Washington brings to life a gripping origin story marked by failure, resilien...

In this episode of Going Big!, Kevin Gentry sits down with Senator Steve Daines for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, risk, entrepreneurship, family, and public service. Daines reflects on the major leaps that shaped his life, from moving his young family to China with Procter & Gamble, to helping build RightNow Technologies in Bozeman, to stepping into the political arena and serving 14 years in Congress.   Together, they explore what China looks like up close, what entrepreneurship taught him about leadership under pressure, why he felt called into public service, and why he says this next chapter is not about retirement but r...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Dr. Jane Kamensky, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, for a timely conversation about Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence, and the ideas that have shaped America for nearly 250 years.   Kamensky explains why Jefferson was chosen to draft the Declaration at just 33 years old, how divided and uncertain the Continental Congress really was, and why the document’s opening vision became far more than a list of grievances. She also explores the central contradiction in Jefferson’s legacy: how the author of words about equality could also pa...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Princeton professor Dr. Robert George for a wide-ranging conversation about truth, freedom, virtue, and the future of the American experiment. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, Robert reflects on what Americans often misunderstand about the founders, why George Washington was indispensable, and why a republic cannot survive without moral seriousness and civic friendship.   George also shares his own remarkable story, from growing up in Appalachia as the grandson of immigrant coal miners to becoming one of the country’s leading public intellectuals. Along the way, he explains why...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry welcomes economist Daniel Di Martino back for a timely conversation about Venezuela, freedom, assimilation, and the future of America. Raised in Caracas during one of the most dramatic political and economic collapses in modern history, Daniel shares what it was like to watch shortages, inflation, and repression reshape everyday life, and how those experiences led him to come to the United States and speak out.   Together, they explore what prosperous societies forget, why immigration and assimilation matter, what Daniel’s research says about family and culture, and why he remains hopeful abo...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with producer Drake Springer and director Meredith Danluck to discuss Why We Dream, a documentary that follows World War II veterans returning to Normandy 80 years after D-Day. With many of the veterans now more than 100 years old, the film captures a vanishing generation’s memories of war, service, sacrifice, and the lives they built afterward. Together, they explore how to tell a World War II story in a way that feels fresh and deeply human; why the filmmakers fought to keep the veterans, not the brand, at the center; and...

After losing her husband, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Brendan Looney, in Afghanistan, Amy Looney Heffernan could have stepped back from the world. Instead, she chose a harder path: building a life of service, leadership, and impact in his memory.   On this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry talks with Amy, now President of the Travis Manion Foundation, about grief, resilience, Memorial Day, and how service can help turn pain into purpose. She shares the deeply personal story behind her journey, the values Brendan lived by, and how the Foundation is equipping veterans, families of the fallen, and young people to le...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with former Vice President Mike Pence for a conversation about faith, conviction, public service, and the moments that test a leader’s character. Pence reflects on his journey from a young Democrat inspired by John F. Kennedy to a Reagan conservative, the hard lessons he learned from early political defeats, and the principles that shaped his years in Congress, as governor of Indiana, and in the White House. They also discuss January 6, the constitutional duty Pence believed he was bound to uphold, and his continued work to defend traditional con...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry talks with Kip Woodward, a Canadian business leader, investor, and public-policy advocate whose career has spanned family enterprise, ranching, health care governance, and reform efforts around some of Canada’s most entrenched institutional challenges. Kip reflects on what it takes to lead at scale, challenge broken systems, and take risks without losing perspective. From entrepreneurial pivots to public controversy, this conversation explores curiosity, resilience, governance, and the kind of leadership required when the answers are neither simple nor popular.

Human trafficking and exploitation are often hidden in plain sight. In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Rev. Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms, to explore how one home for five women became a survivor-led movement serving around 1,500 women each year through housing, employment, and long-term support.   Stevens shares what most people still misunderstand about trafficking, why punishment alone cannot heal deep wounds, and how Thistle Farms built a distinctive model of restorative justice through social enterprise, community, and love put into practice. It’s a conversation about healing, entrepreneurship, faith, and what it takes to b...

Most people spend their lives trying to escape work. David Bahnsen thinks that’s a tragedy — and a recipe for emptiness.   In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with David, founder and CIO of a wealth management firm overseeing more than $9 billion, to unpack a countercultural claim: human beings were made to contribute, not just consume.   They talk about why the “non-essential worker” language of the COVID era still matters, why shorter work weeks and universal basic income can miss something deeper, and why “more purpose, more work, more endeavor” might actually be part of the solution to ris...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry interviews Adrien Lewis, Founder and President of CarePortal, about building a “care-sharing network” that connects vetted needs for kids and families in crisis with local churches, businesses, and neighbors who can respond quickly. CarePortal connects the real-time needs of community members (submitted by caseworkers and agencies) with neighbors who can step in fast — strangers helping strangers. Adrien shares his personal origin story, the challenges of scaling a new model, and real examples of how one small need (like a crib) can become long-term support and stability. Learn how CarePortal works, why trust is...

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins joins host Kevin Gentry on Going Big! to discuss his "minimum dose" philosophy of regulation—and why information overload can be just as harmful as too little disclosure. They cover the decline of public markets and Paul's push to revive IPOs, the role of institutional ownership and politicized shareholder activism, and why he believes crypto belongs under U.S. oversight with clearer rules rather than pushed offshore.

Most people never step inside a prison. But what if some of the most compelling stories of change in America are happening there?   In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry interviews Heather Rice-Minus, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship, about what she has seen in prisons across the country and why she believes hope can grow in the hardest places.   The conversation traces the origins of Prison Fellowship through the story of Chuck Colson, whose conversion and time in prison helped spark a movement that now serves incarcerated men and women, supports families, and partners with churches nationwide.   Heat...

Millions of people say life feels empty, even when they’re achieving more than ever. Why is that happening, and how do you reverse it? In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Arthur C. Brooks — Harvard professor, bestselling author, and one of the world’s leading voices on happiness and meaning — to unpack what Brooks calls the “meaning gap.” Arthur shares his own journey of reinvention: from professional musician to public policy leader, and then a deliberate pivot into the science of happiness, purpose, love, and faith. They explore how modern technology can keep people trapped in “...

On this special episode of Going Big!, released on March 16 -- Wichita's "316 Day" -- Wichita Mayor Lily Wu joins host Kevin Gentry for a conversation about civic leadership, immigrant grit, and what it looks like to “go big” as a true outsider. Without prior election experience — and without the backing of either major political party — Wu ran for mayor of Wichita in 2023 and won decisively. She explains why she believed the city needed a new direction, and how focusing on the core services of local government helped her connect with voters across the community. Wu also shares her family’s immigration...

Episode Description
What does it mean to find your unique skill set when technology is moving faster than most people can process? In this episode, Kevin Gentry sits down with _Wall Street Journal_ columnist and innovation optimist Andy Kessler to break down how high performers and high agency leaders can thrive through the biggest technology shift of our time. Andy lays out a simple but powerful framework for Going Big today: become relentlessly productive by doing more with less, pursue profit as a signal that you are creating real value for society, and most importantly, learn to spot major trends ea...

What happens when you stop trying to control a movement and instead design it to be owned by everyone? In this episode of the Going Big! Podcast, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Asha Curran, Chief Executive Officer of Giving Tuesday, the global generosity movement that began as a simple idea and grew into a year-round force for good across more than one hundred countries. Initially conceived as a counter-movement against Black Friday, #GivingTuesday was invented to encourage people to do good through donations and acts of service every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Asha breaks down how it...

When people are able to apply their unique talents to real-world problems, we all benefit. But too often, talented entrepreneurs lack the practical tools, know-how, or relationships they need to turn a good idea into a working business -- and so they miss out on the essential seed capital to take those ideas to market. That’s the gap Bo Ghirardelli and Nicolas Cary built Sky’s the Limit to close. Together, serial builders and lifelong friends Bo and Nic (of Blockchain.com) developed a digital success platform that delivers tangible support for low-income, earliest-stage entrepreneurs to access education, mentorship, and...

What if Going Big doesn’t mean building a massive platform — but laying a foundation that lasts for generations? In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Reverend John Yates III, rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. The son of influential pastor John Yates II, Yates has chosen a different but equally ambitious path to live out and develop long-term faithfulness. Yates shares how his father’s steady leadership shaped him, what he learned working closely with renowned theologian John Stott, and why mentoring often happens not through formal instruction but through quiet...

In this episode of Going Big, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Fr. Robert Sirico — priest, thinker, and co-founder of the Acton Institute — to explore a remarkable life shaped by bold ideas, unexpected turns, and an unwavering commitment to the dignity of the human person. Fr. Sirico reflects on his early years in Brooklyn, his immersion in the social movements of the 1970s, and the intellectual journey that ultimately led him back to faith and into the priesthood. He shares how thinkers like Michael Novak, Cardinal Avery Dulles, and others helped him integrate theology, human freedom, economics, and moral reasoning into...

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Aditi Goel and David Carroll, the executive director and founder of the Sixth Amendment Center, to explore one of the most misunderstood crises in American law: the failure of many local courts to provide legal counsel to people who can’t afford it. Though the Constitution guarantees the right to an attorney, millions of Americans are being prosecuted, sentenced, and even jailed without ever speaking to one. In lower courts, the right to counsel often doesn't exist.  Goel and Carroll share their journey of building the only national org...