Business Leadership Series

Business Leadership Series

Our audience is comprised of business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs who desire to learn from our guests’ knowledge, advice, and experience for personal and professional growth. We interview pro athletes, rock and roll hall of famers, best selling authors, and other leaders with an inspiring story. We are also a syndicated  show regionally on ESPN radio. 

  1. CEO of The Weather Company

    1d ago

    CEO of The Weather Company

    Derek Champagne talks with Rohit Agarwal, CEO of The Weather Company.Rohit Agarwal is the CEO of The Weather Company, the world’s most accurate forecaster. In this role, Rohit is responsible for setting the strategic vision that spans the company’s digital consumer properties, including The Weather Channel app and weather.com, as well as its enterprise business across media,advertising, aviation, defense, and a variety of other industries. He stands behind the belief that high-performing teams are critical to innovation, growth, and impact, and diverse backgrounds and thinking benefit the end customer.Prior to joining The Weather Company, Rohit was the chief product and revenue officer at SoundCloud, the world’s largest online community of artists, bands, DJs, and audio creators, where he led the vision, strategic execution, and revenue. This included overseeing business and product strategy, delivery and operations, design, product marketing, and growth. Through Rohit’s leadership, SoundCloud refactored the product, doubled its subscriber base, and meaningfully improved its ads business, leading the company to its first profitable year in its 16-year history.Rohit previously served as chief product and growth officer at CNN. Throughout his career, he has driven 2-3x user and revenue growth across leading companies in industries including music (Last.fm, CBS), media(CNN/WarnerMedia, The Economist, Bild), banking (HSBC), B2B SaaS (Trustpilot, Akamai), and consumer internet (AOL). Rohit is a frequent speaker at leading conferences (Google I/O, SXSW, CES, RISE, WebSummit, Product Summit), an active advisor and investor in startups, and launched his own startup in the past. He is also a committed supporter of diverse and inclusive education initiatives – both as a board member of the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and as a board member of Leap Year, a unique program based in metro Atlanta dedicated to improving college access and early adolescent reading skills to under-represented youth.Rohit lives in Atlanta with his wife and two daughters. An avid sports fan, he also enjoys playing soccer and tennis, painting, and cooking, and he acknowledges that his creative endeavors make him a better leader.Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

    37 min
  2. NY Times Best Selling Author Liane Davey

    Jun 14

    NY Times Best Selling Author Liane Davey

    In this episode Derek Champagne talks with NY Times best selling author Liane Davey. Liane has spent more than 25 years researching and advising teams on how to perform at their best. Known as the “teamwork doctor,” she works with teams from the frontlines to the boardroom, across industries and around the world, from Boston to Bangkok. Through her work with hundreds of teams, including 26 Global Fortune 500 companies (and counting), she has developed a practical, research-backed approach to solving the challenges that prevent teams from working effectively together. Liane is a New York Times bestselling author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done and The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track. She is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and a sought-after expert for media outlets including CNN, NPR, USA Today, The Globe & Mail, and Forbes. Her work focuses on increasing productivity, strengthening engagement, developing leaders, and helping teams navigate conflict in healthier, more effective ways. Liane’s clients have included Amazon, Walmart, TD Bank, RBC, AMD, MD Anderson, Google, Bayer, KPMG, Aviva, UNICEF, and SONY Interactive Entertainment. While she works across a wide range of industries, she customizes every conversation to reflect the realities of each audience.In Thoughtload, Liane tackles today’s most pressing management challenges: over-burdened systems, burned-out teams, and plateauing results. However, contrary to conventional wisdom, Davey argues that the problem is not with out-sized workloads. The root cause of the madness sapping productivity in today’s offices is our excessive thoughtload.Thoughtload is the cumulative and often overwhelming burden of increasing cognitive and emotional demands, worsened by decreasing physical and mental energy. In this brilliant, highly prescriptive guide, Davey lays out the steps for reducing thoughtload, so that managers and their teams feel more focused―and get more done.For free resources and to order a copy of Thoughtload visit: Thoughtload.comBusiness Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

    38 min
  3. NBA Champion Trent Tucker

    Jun 7

    NBA Champion Trent Tucker

    Derek talks with 93' Chicago Bulls NBA Champion Trent Tucker. Trent talks with Derek about leadership skills necessary to build a championship team, how to manage egos, having Phil Jackson as a coach, the Trent Tucker Rule, and what it was like playing with his friends Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Derek also talks with Trent about his 9 years playing with the NY Knicks.

    26 min
  4. Former WWE Co-President: George Barrios

    May 31

    Former WWE Co-President: George Barrios

    Derek Champagne talks with George Barrios, former co-president of WWE, about the deal he made to reshape the global company, his public firing by Vince McMahon, the future of the sports industry, and his approach to leadership (and coping with public failure).   Barrios tells his story in his new book Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt.  ABOUT SOMETIMES WRONG BUT NEVER IN DOUBT At a time when leadership is under scrutiny and industries are being reshaped at breakneck speed, stories of bold decision-making and personal reinvention have never felt more essential. Readers are hungry for narratives that go beyond corporate gloss—stories that show how transformative deals actually unfold, how leaders make high-stakes decisions, and how grit still propels people to the highest levels of business.   In SOMETIMES WRONG BUT NEVER IN DOUBT: How a Cuban Kid from Queens Transformed WWE (Skyhorse Publishing; June 2, 2026), George Barrios—son of Cuban immigrants, former co-president of WWE, and architect of the largest transaction in sports history—offers exactly that kind of story. With unfiltered honesty and cinematic detail, Barrios traces his journey from a cramped Queens apartment to the boardrooms where he helped reshape a global entertainment company. Told with the humor, swagger, and introspection of a leader who has lived many careers in one lifetime, the book blends memoir and business insight to reveal how an outsider learned to trust his instincts, move decisively, and lead through uncertainty.   Barrios brings readers inside the world of WWE: from his twelve-year partnership with Vince McMahon, to the media-rights revolution that redefined the company, to the personal and professional fallout of being fired in front of the entire industry. But the story reaches far beyond wrestling. It is equally a story of immigration, family resilience, cultural identity, and the relentless pursuit of upward mobility.   Barrios reflects on: ·       High-stakes leadership, including how he learned to take bold action despite backlash, uncertainty, and public scrutiny. ·       The making of a massive sports deal, and the pressures, strategy, and behind-the-scenes dynamics that shaped an industry-defining negotiation. ·       Immigrant grit and the American Dream, and how his parents’ escape from Castro’s Cuba shaped his path and worldview. ·       Reinvention after public failure, including the firing that could have ended his career and the personal reckoning that followed. ·       The cultural forces inside major entertainment companies, with unvarnished insight into ego, power, and the real cost of winning.   Written with the immediacy of a ringside story and the heart of a family saga, SOMETIMES WRONG BUT NEVER IN DOUBT is more than a business memoir. It is a testament to risk-taking, reinvention, and the belief that anyone—regardless of where they begin—can shape their own future.Order book here: https://georgebarrios.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

    44 min
  5. An Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom

    May 24

    An Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom

    Derek Champagne talks with Mark Rampolla, Founder of ZICO Coconut Water. Mark is also the author of the book High-Hanging Fruit and new USA Today bestseller: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom.  Mark built ZICO Coconut Water from nothing, sold it to Coca-Cola for over $200 million, then made a decision most people thought was insane. He bought it back and now he’s scaling it toward a billion-dollar brand. The hardest leadership moment wasn't the exit or the early grind. It was deciding to come back after he had already "made it." That required convincing himself first, then his team, then everyone who thought He had lost my mind. For free resources mentioned on the podcast and to order Mark’s new book: https://www.markrampolla.co/ Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

    42 min
  6. Growing Categories & Engaging Super Consumers

    May 17

    Growing Categories & Engaging Super Consumers

    Derek Champagne chats with Eddie Yoon. Eddie is a growth strategy expert for the last 20 years as a Partner with The Cambridge Group. In the last 5 years, he has helped double numerous businesses-cable media company, food brand, beverage company, pet food brand, consumer robotics, standby generators-from several hundred million to close to a billion dollars.Eddie is the author of the acclaimed book, Superconsumers: A Simple, Speedy and Sustainable Path to Superior Growth. He is also the author of over 40 articles, including Make Your Best Customers Even Better (Harvard Business Review magazine) and Why It Pays to Be a Category Creator (Harvard Business Review magazine). Eddie has been a keynote speaker in the U.S., Africa, Australia, Denmark, the UK and Japan.Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

    44 min
  7. Biohacking Leadership

    May 10

    Biohacking Leadership

    Derek Champagne talks with Dr. Scott Hutcheson, author of Biohacking Leadership.  Scott Hutcheson, PhD is a biosocial scientist and senior lecturer at Purdue University, where his teaching, research, and professional practice centers on leadership, team, and organizational performance through the lens of the biology of behavior. His work in biosocial sciences explores how biological systems interact with social behavior to shape how we lead, collaborate, and adapt. Dr. Hutcheson brings this perspective to leaders and organizations navigating complex, fast-changing environments. A personal health diagnosis several years ago deepened his professional interest in the biology of behavior. After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Dr. Hutchesonturned to biohacking—using data, behavior change, and  biological feedback loops—to manage the disease. That lived experience sparked a powerful insight: the same principles that optimize the body can optimize leadership. This became the foundation of his current work: applying biohacking principles to how leaders signal presence, build trust, and create conditions for collective success. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Hutcheson has worked with hundreds of organizations across industry, higher education, and the public and nonprofit sectors. His clients have included the White House, Fortune 400 companies, startups, and rural communities helping them address challenges related to competitiveness, innovation, sustainability, and public health. His impact is global, having worked with more than 4,000 leaders from 147 countries.He is the author of numerous academic articles and essays, and his 2019 release, Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership (Wiley), became a #1 Amazon New Release in six categories and appeared on multiple Best Business Book lists. His next project is a three-book series with Wiley on the biodynamics of leadership, teams, and organizations. Dr. Hutcheson is also a columnist for Forbes where his articles are read by millions. He ranks in Forbes top 0.1% in readership. Dr. Hutcheson is a sought-after speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops around the world. His TED Talk on the “Science of Prospection” has been viewed more than 1.3 million times, and his Instagram account, @bookscotttospeak, has nearly 40,000 followers. He and his wife Lisa Hutcheson, a mental health policy leader and co-founder of Hutcheson Associates, live near Indianapolis in the historic Town of Ulen with their two dogs, Pippa and Cosette. They have two adult sons, Henry and Oliver.To learn more about BIOHACKING LEADERSHIP, please visit: https://biohackingleadership.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

    37 min
  8. Military Leadership Secrets That Transformed Fortune 500 Giants

    May 3

    Military Leadership Secrets That Transformed Fortune 500 Giants

    Derek Champagne talks with former British Military Officer, Jimmy Burroughes. Jimmy’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and purpose. He began his career as a British Military Officer, leading soldiers across Europe and the Middle East. It was there he learned, sometimes in life-or-death situations, the true meaning of intentional leadership: how to inspire trust, keep people motivated under extreme pressure, and build unity in uncertain environments. When Jimmy transitioned out of the military, he faced his own challenges, struggling to find his place in the corporate world and experiencing first-hand the burnout and disconnection that so many leaders face. This difficult period became the catalyst for his mission to redefine leadership in a way that sustains both people and performance. Through his journey from the battlefield to the boardroom, Jimmy developed his “Simplify to Amplify” methodology, a framework born out of necessity that is now transforming how global organisations lead their people. His story resonates deeply because it is not just about success; it is about overcoming adversity, finding clarity, and choosing a path that creates lasting impact. Jimmy shares this journey with honesty and humility, weaving in the hard lessons from both military service and corporate leadership. Audiences often walk away not only inspired but equipped with the belief that they too can lead with more intention, reclaim time, and create meaningful results without burning out. Jimmy made the leap from British military officer to Fortune 500 leadership expert and now leads the charge in transforming overwhelmed managers into high-performing leaders. His bestselling books, “Beat Burnout - Ignite Performance” and “Escape the Multitasking Trap,” deliver action you can feel. His signature “Simplify to Amplify” methodology gets leaders performing at an average of 47% higher in just 90 days—no fluff, just results. Across Samsung, Bank of America, Lego, Fonterra, and 40+ countries, Jimmy has guided more than 3,000 leaders from burnout to breakthrough. The secret? He applies hard-won lessons from command and operations to cut through clutter and create measurable improvements. These same principles have driven up productivity by 156% and slashed overwhelm by 89% in teams worldwide. Learn more at: https://www.jimmyburroughes.com/Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

    44 min
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5
out of 5
107 Ratings

About

Our audience is comprised of business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs who desire to learn from our guests’ knowledge, advice, and experience for personal and professional growth. We interview pro athletes, rock and roll hall of famers, best selling authors, and other leaders with an inspiring story. We are also a syndicated  show regionally on ESPN radio. 

Information

  • Creator
    Business Leadership Series
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Business Leadership Series
  • Show Website
    Business Leadership Series

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