The Hitstreak

Nick Hiter
  • 5.0 (21)
  • Entrepreneurship

“The Hitstreak” is a podcast hosted by the one and only Nick Hiter. Former professional athlete and serial entrepreneur, Nick has also recently been featured by CBS, NBC, FOX, The New York Times, and others. This show allows Nick the chance to meet, collaborate, and feature other successful individuals that have great stories to tell; whether it be personal or professional. This world is filled with too many people who are doing amazing things that haven't been talked about enough. This podcast is here to shed some light on some of those untold stories from some incredible people.

  1. 4d ago

    Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek "DY" Young)

    The Nick Hiter Show — Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek Young) In this one, I sit down with Derek Young — DY — for one of the most honest, layered conversations we've had on the show. Derek's a leadership and executive coach who's guided well over a thousand leaders, and he brings a rare mix of wisdom, faith, and hard-earned perspective. We get into his concept of "honest positivity" — how the way you speak to yourself literally reshapes your outcomes — and why insecurity quietly kills creativity, productivity, and growth. Derek opens up about raising his daughter Kristianna, who has Down syndrome, and how she reshaped his worldview, his leadership, and his sense of purpose. We talk about treating everyone like they have special needs, leadership as service instead of status, the "Joseph season" where hardship forges you for what's next, and the mantra that's stuck with me — give people their flowers before they die. Key Takeaways: - Honest positivity: what you think, frame, say, and hear, you plant — so speak to yourself in the affirmative. - Insecurity kills creativity, productivity, and growth — in you and in the people you lead. - Don't let labels — yours or anyone else's — limit who you can become. - Treat everyone like they have special needs, because everyone is carrying something. - Leadership isn't about your title or status; it's about what the people become. - Hardship is a "Joseph season" — it forges you for responsibility you aren't ready for yet. - Give people their flowers before they die: make appreciation specific, intentional, and on time. - If it doesn't come to you naturally, schedule it until it becomes muscle memory. Chapters: 00:00 Opening Reflections and Personal Presence 02:50 "Do It Now" and Acting With Urgency 06:11 Insecurity and How It Blocks Growth 08:02 Honest Positivity Explained 15:35 Kristianna's Diagnosis and Its Impact 18:57 The Perspective Shift on Down Syndrome 31:25 The Joseph Story: Hardship as Preparation 37:44 "What Doesn't Kill You Might Just Kill You" 42:03 "I May Not Be Cute, But I'm Compassionate and Confidential" 44:29 "Give People Their Flowers Before They Die" About Derek Young: Derek Young — known as DY — is a motivational speaker and culture and career strategist who helps individuals, keynote audiences, and C-suite leaders rapidly transform their culture with real, practical solutions. His insight is born from decades in serious work situations: he conducted systems, financial, and operational audits for the Federal Reserve System in the mid-'80s, helped establish communication protocols for the collections division at Sprint's global headquarters, and strengthened the first diversity pipelines for Fortune 1000 companies in Middle Tennessee through INROADS. He went on to serve as Dollar General's first head of corporate social responsibility and first head of continuous process improvement, and as Cracker Barrel's first leader of diversity, inclusion, and community outreach. Raised by his mother and grandmother in the Blumeyer housing project in St. Louis, DY entered high school at 12, college at 16, and corporate America at 20. Above everything, he leads with his faith and his family — he and his wife Allyson are the proud parents of Kayla, Kelton, Kendall, and Kristianna — guided by his life motto: "God First, Others Second, Dreams Third." Follow and contact: Derek Young (DY): @dyspeaks | derekyoungspeaks.com Instagram: @nickhiter Nickhiter.com Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek "DY" Young)

  2. Aug 7

    You Can Help Anybody, But You Shouldn't Help Everybody

    The Nick Hiter Show — Who You Help Matters In this one, I get into a lesson that's reshaped how I lead: who you help matters — and helping the right people, in the right way, changes everything. I talk about the difference between a handout and a hand up, and why "helping" the wrong person often just builds dependency instead of real progress. We get into the pace of high-level operators, what it looks like to surround yourself with people who move fast and pull you forward, and the discernment it takes to know when to give, when to hold back, and when to go get what's yours. I also open up about building the right team — the right seats at the right time — and why real growth comes from choosing people who are actually ready to level up. Key Takeaways: - Big ideas only matter if you can act on them and bring them to life. - Success is almost always built through the help, guidance, and investment of others. - Not everyone wants the same kind of help — and not all help is actually helpful. - "Helping" the wrong people creates dependency instead of progress. - Wisdom is knowing when to give, when to hold back, and when to push forward. - Growth requires choosing people who are ready to level up. - Leadership is building the right team, the right seats, and the right structure at the right time. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    You Can Help Anybody, But You Shouldn't Help Everybody

  3. Aug 7

    Episode 252: Best Playing Surfaces in the SEC? Inside Vanderbilt's Athletic Fields w/ Adam Adkins.

    This week we are joined by the Sports Field Manager at Vanderbilt University, Adam Adkins! Episode in a Glance: In this episode of The Hitstreak, I sit down with Adam Adkins, the Sports Field Manager at Vanderbilt University and a guy I have known for 30 years. Adam and a team of five or six are responsible for nearly every varsity athletic surface on campus, roughly 24 acres with 11 and a half of that natural turf, and the standard never moves no matter what the weather does. We get into how my own dad taught a five foot twelve year old left hander to pitch, the summer Adam grew from five foot four to six foot two, the wake up call of an SEC locker room, and the phone call that talked him into an Augusta National internship he was ready to turn down. Plus what he looks for on a resume, why most people stop evolving the day school ends, the morning someone sprayed weedkiller on greens worth millions, and why you will never outlive your own self image. Key Points: - Trust the process only works once you have stacked enough wins that you would be a fool not to. - Somebody has to see it in you first, and then have the patience to stay with you. - Consistency is the whole job. The weather changes, the surface does not. - Culture starts at recruiting. Hire like minded people and it stops being a job. - You can plan for a year and something will still go wrong, so hire for how people adapt. - Personal development stops being automatic the day you leave school. After that it is a choice. - A degree without a way to apply it is a skill you cannot monetize. - Getting out of your comfort zone is how you find out what you actually love. - The more you learn, the faster you admit somebody else knows more than you. - Attention to detail can be explained to you, but you do not understand it until it is yours to own. About our guest: Adam Adkins is the Sports Field Manager at Vanderbilt University, where he and his team look after nearly every varsity athletic surface on campus, roughly 24 acres of playing surface with 11 and a half acres of natural turf. Raised in middle Tennessee, he learned to pitch as a five foot twelve year old left hander under Mickey Hiter, Travis Copley and Lin Pilgrim, grew from five foot four to six foot two the summer before his junior year, and capped his high school career with a state championship before heading to the University of Tennessee, where he pitched and studied turf grass management. An internship at Augusta National that he nearly declined pulled him toward golf, and he spent 14 years as a golf course superintendent across middle Tennessee, starting at Vanderbilt Legends out of college. He returned to the sports side at Vanderbilt roughly two years ago. He credits Hall of Fame superintendent Joe Kennedy with giving him his start, and says being around coaches like Tim Corbin and Clark Lea is the part of the job he would never trade. Follow and contact: Instagram: @Adkins31 Subscribe to Nick's top-rated podcast The Hitstreak on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

  4. Jul 31

    The Cost of Your New Life Is Your Old Life

    The Nick Hiter Show — The Cost of Your New Life Is Your Old Life In this one, I get real about the difference between having a title and actually being the leader that title demands. I open up about the moment I realized I had "CEO" on paper but wasn't operating like one — and why that recognition is the actual starting line. We get into leading yourself before your family or team will ever follow, the discipline of fasting from your old life to step into the new one, and why your proximity — the people you keep closest — either propels you forward or drags you back. I talk about seasons, sacrifice, delayed gratification, learning your real role on a team, and how the smallest intentional moments with family end up mattering most. It's an honest look at leveling up when it's uncomfortable — and choosing to trade the old life for the one you actually want. Key Takeaways: - A title isn't leadership — recognizing the gap between the two is where real leadership starts. - You don't get promoted and then perform; you do the work first, then earn the role. - The cost of your new life is your old life — you have to be willing to trade it. - Leadership leaks, so you have to keep casting the vision to your team and family, over and over. - Your proximity decides your progress — protect who and what you keep closest. - Change starts with you; lead yourself first and the people around you follow. - Fasting — from food, habits, distractions, the old life — is how you accelerate change. - Know your real role; the best performer isn't always the best coach — play the position that fits. - Intentional time beats time spent — name the moment and it counts. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    The Cost of Your New Life Is Your Old Life

  5. Jul 31

    Episode 251: The Pat McAfee of Baseball? Inside the SwagNShades Takeover w/ Alex Hale

    Episode 251 of The Hitstreak, a podcast where we talk about anything and everything! This week we are joined by the Founder and Owner of CHIPS Performance Training and the voice behind SwagnShades, Alex Hale! Episode in a Glance: In this episode of The Hitstreak, I get to sit down with Alex Hale — better known across social media as SwagnShades — founder of CHIPS Performance Training, to break down how storytelling, relentless consistency, and a strong culture can completely transform a youth sports business. Alex shares his journey from pro baseball to social media mastery, including the decision to post three videos a day for a full year that changed everything. We get into intentional branding and how his SwagnShades persona became one of the most recognizable voices in youth baseball, the discipline of building a business from a barn into a 12,000-square-foot facility, and why protecting your culture matters more as you scale. We also look at the future of baseball media — live events, immersive branded experiences, and community-driven content — and Alex's belief that if you trust your purpose, you owe it to yourself to shoot your shot. Key Points: - Storytelling is everything in athlete and brand development. - Consistency wins — three videos a day for a year changed the whole business. - Culture is built and protected through clear standards. - Intentional branding — the persona, the sunglasses — is what makes you memorable. - Content should serve the audience, not your own ego. - Authenticity and self-awareness drive real growth. - Protect the relationships and community inside youth sports. - Events like home run derbies and tournaments are exposure engines. - The future of baseball media is live, immersive, and community-driven. About our guest: Alex Hale — known across social media as SwagnShades — is the founder and owner of CHIPS Performance Training, a private baseball training facility built on a simple belief: confident, competitive athletes are built through positive culture and relentless preparation. Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Alex was a standout catcher at Creighton Prep, winning two state championships and earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors before playing Division I baseball at the University of Richmond as a two-way player, where he finished ranked eighth all-time in strikeouts and tenth in wins. After competing in the prestigious Cape Cod League, Alex was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 2007 and again by the Boston Red Sox in 2008, signing with Boston to begin his professional career. Since hanging up his spikes, Alex has spent more than 15 years coaching and developing youth, high school, college, and professional players, growing CHIPS Performance Training into one of the Midwest's premier training facilities with more than 500 college commits and locations in Omaha, Lincoln, and Phoenix. Along the way, he has built the SwagnShades brand into a community of more than 737,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, where his mix of coaching insight, humor, and straight talk — along with partnerships with brands like Warstic, Bruce Bolt, and Baseballism — has made him one of the most recognizable voices in youth baseball. His mission has never changed: building a positive, competitive, and confident baseball culture for athletes, coaches, and families. Follow and contact: Instagram: @chipsperformance | @swagnshades chipsperformance.com Subscribe to Nick's top-rated podcast The Hitstreak on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

  6. Jul 24

    Pressure Makes Some People and Destroys Others

    The Nick Hiter Show — Nobody Rises to the Occasion: You Sink to Your Training How do the best leaders stay calm when everything's moving at once? In this episode I get into mastering control under chaos — how to manage your environment, build mental resilience, and communicate in a way that keeps everyone moving in the right direction. I talk about what "good chaos" actually looks like, why delegating in a crisis turns problems into leadership moments, and how transparency with your spouse turns the weight of business into something shared instead of carried alone. I also get into designing your environment on purpose, teaching your kids resilience through controlled adversity, and why the calm you have under pressure comes from the conditions you trained in. Key Takeaways: - Good chaos is when everyone moves fast in the right direction and communicates well. - Handling pressure comes down to capacity, calmness, and delegation. - Delegating in a crisis empowers others and turns problems into leadership moments. - Transparency with your spouse builds trust, security, and shared strength. - Know which "hat" you're wearing — leader, partner, parent — and communicate it. - Design your environment on purpose; mental toughness is built, not wished for. - Controlled adversity is how kids learn resilience. - Train in harder conditions than you'll compete in, and pressure stops feeling like pressure. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter nickhiter.com Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    Pressure Makes Some People and Destroys Others

  7. Jul 17

    The Price of Being Unprepared

    Welcome back to The Nick Hiter Show  In this one, I dig into the mechanics of sales — how to qualify leads, cut to the chase, and build relationships that actually work for both sides. I talk about why accountability and preparation are non-negotiable, where to draw the line between helping and serving people, and how personal health and discipline feed straight into business performance. From there I get into decluttering your life and mind to make room for growth — auditing what's holding you back, using technology to your advantage, and the power of choice, planning, and small wins to build real momentum and find balance along the way. Key Takeaways: - Listen to understand the other person's needs. - Make sure leads are financially qualified before you proceed. - Cut to the chase in conversations to save everyone time. - Accountability is crucial — for yourself and for others. - Relationships should provide mutual value to succeed. - Balance helping others with your own boundaries. - Discipline in your health impacts your overall performance. - Preparedness is essential for effective communication. - Decluttering leads to mental clarity and focus. - Auditing your life helps you spot what's holding you back. - The power of choice is essential for personal freedom. - Planning is crucial for success and avoiding failure. - Letting go of control can empower others to lead. - Small wins build momentum, confidence, and balance. Follow and contact: Instagram:  @nickhiter nickhiter.com Subscribe on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter⁠ Follow and Rate us on Spotify: ⁠https://spotify.com/NickHiter ⁠Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter⁠ Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: ⁠https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter⁠

    The Price of Being Unprepared

  8. Jul 10

    3 Lawsuits and Nobody Trusts Me

    Something new starts here. This is the very first episode of The Nick Hiter Show, a brand-new show I'm launching outside of The Hitstreak — a different format, a different kind of conversation, and a space to go deeper on the stuff that doesn't always fit the usual mold. Thanks for being here from day one. In this opener, I get into the complexities of navigating legal challenges — specifically the impact of lawsuits on personal and family life. I share the frustration of the legal process, the emotional toll it takes, and the lessons I've learned through adversity. We also get into transparency in business relationships, why trust matters so much, and the personal growth that comes from hardship — with some honest reflection on parenting and raising resilient kids along the way. Key Takeaways: - Legal battles can be a long and frustrating process. - Time is a critical factor in legal disputes, often driving up costs. - The emotional toll of lawsuits can affect family dynamics. - Transparency in business relationships fosters trust and collaboration. - Personal growth often comes from navigating difficult situations. - Parenting involves teaching resilience and handling adversity. - Criticism can be a valuable tool for personal development. - Building trust requires vulnerability and openness. - Life experiences shape our understanding of relationships. - Adversity can lead to significant personal and spiritual growth. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    3 Lawsuits and Nobody Trusts Me
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About

“The Hitstreak” is a podcast hosted by the one and only Nick Hiter. Former professional athlete and serial entrepreneur, Nick has also recently been featured by CBS, NBC, FOX, The New York Times, and others. This show allows Nick the chance to meet, collaborate, and feature other successful individuals that have great stories to tell; whether it be personal or professional. This world is filled with too many people who are doing amazing things that haven't been talked about enough. This podcast is here to shed some light on some of those untold stories from some incredible people.

Information

  • Creator
    Nick Hiter
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    259
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Hitstreak
  • Show Website
    The Hitstreak