Lead Well. Live Whole

Michael Sirmon

Lead Well. Live Whole. is for anyone who wants to think more clearly, make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and live with greater purpose. Hosted by executive leadership coach and author Michael Sirmon, this channel explores leadership, personal growth, confidence, identity, resilience, decision-making, emotional intelligence, difficult conversations, and practical strategies for navigating life's biggest challenges. Whether you're leading a business, a classroom, a church, a nonprofit, a family, a team, or simply learning to lead yourself, you'll find real-world insights you can apply immediately. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. 🌐 Learn more: https://www.michaelsirmon.com 🎥 Watch every podcast episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadwelllivewhole 📚 Books, Articles & Resources: https://www.michaelsirmon.com 🤝 Executive Coaching | Leadership Development | Keynote Speaking https://www.michaelsirmon.com This channel is for: • Leaders at every level • Parents and grandparents • Teachers and educators • Coaches and mentors • Entrepreneurs and business owners • Military and first responders • Church and nonprofit leaders • Students and young professionals • Anyone seeking greater clarity, confidence, and purpose Popular topics include: • Leadership Development • Decision Making • Mental Clarity • Overthinking • Confidence • Identity • Emotional Intelligence • Difficult Conversations • Accountability • Personal Growth • Resilience • Purpose • Healthy Relationships • Building Trust • Communication Skills • Self-Leadership • Work-Life Balance • Living Whole If you've ever asked yourself: • Why do I overthink everything? • How do I make better decisions? • Why am I so hard on myself? • How do I become a better leader? • How do I handle difficult conversations? • How do I build confidence? • How do I stop carrying everyone else's problems? • How do I live with greater purpose? ...you're in the right place. Subscribe and join a growing community committed to thinking clearly, leading confidently, developing others, and living whole. #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #SelfLeadership

  1. Oct 20

    Are You More Than the Worst Thing You've Ever Done? | Shannon Roy

    What if the worst decision you've ever made became the only thing people remembered about you? For fifteen years, criminal defense attorney Shannon Roy has stood beside people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Through those experiences, she has developed a deeply personal conviction: people are more than their worst decisions, and compassion and accountability can exist together. In this episode of Lead Well. Live Whole., Michael Sirmon welcomes Shannon, managing partner of Roy Law Firm, for a conversation that reaches far beyond the courtroom. Together, they explore how we define ourselves, why our titles and accomplishments can become traps, and what happens when we allow our past mistakes—or other people's opinions—to determine who we are. They also discuss the importance of authentic relationships, the courage to be honest with ourselves, the power of listening without judgment, and the difference between forgiving someone and removing the consequences of their actions. Shannon shares how her experiences as an attorney inspired her involvement in Forever Becoming Youth, a nonprofit focused on connecting young people with positive role models, mentorship, and a community of people who believe in their potential. This conversation is a reminder that our stories are still being written. We can take responsibility for our decisions without surrendering our dignity, and we can extend that same compassion to others. Connect with Shannon Roy: Roy Law Firm: https://www.roydefense.com/ Forever Becoming Youth: https://foreverbecomingyouth.org/ Polar Opposite Life: https://polaroppositelife.com/ Instagram: @hugoxredd_unfiltered Connect with Michael Sirmon: https://michaelsirmon.com/ Lead Well. Live Whole. — Leadership doesn't begin with a title. It begins with identity.

  2. Oct 13

    S2 E34 | Planting Tomorrow’s Citizens | Julie Dermody — Part 2

    What if we’re starting the conversation about citizenship too late? We often call children “future voters,” and they are. But Julie Dermody believes there’s something important they need to understand long before they’re old enough to cast a ballot: They already belong. In Part 2 of my conversation with Julie, we move from the election process to the next generation and explore the heart behind her Future Voters Club books. Julie has taken what she has learned through years of election administration, public service, and civic education and turned it into stories designed to help children understand the world already surrounding them—their communities, government, Constitution, freedoms, responsibilities, and their place in “We the People.” But this conversation is about much more than children's books. We talk about teaching children how to think rather than what to think, creating room for questions and disagreement, helping kids recognize that government isn't simply something happening far away in Washington, and the important role parents, grandparents, teachers, and communities play in preparing the next generation. Because our children may be future voters. But they aren't future members of our communities. They're already part of the “We.” Learn more about Lead Well. Live Whole. at michaelsirmon.com. #LeadWellLiveWhole #FutureVotersClub #JulieDermody #CivicEducation #Citizenship #WeThePeople #Parenting #Leadership #Community #NextGeneration #Stewardship

  3. Oct 6

    S2 E33 | Behind the Ballot: People, Process, Trust | Julie Dermody — Part 1

    Most of us experience an election in a matter of minutes. We walk into a polling place, check in, cast a ballot, grab the sticker, and go on with our day. But what happens before we ever walk through that door? In Part 1 of my conversation with longtime friend and Rogers County Election Board Secretary Julie Dermody, we go behind the ballot to explore the people, preparation, procedures, safeguards, and countless details required to make Election Day work. Julie has served in election administration since 2011, and our conversation goes well beyond voting machines and polling places. We talk about public trust, transparency, voter education, accountability, the role of poll workers, and why understanding a process can change the way we think about it. We also talk about service. Julie doesn't simply describe election administration as a job. She sees it as an opportunity to serve her community—and that perspective runs through nearly everything she does. This is not a conversation about candidates, parties, or telling anyone how to vote. It's a conversation about understanding the system, the people who make it work, and our responsibility to care for what has been entrusted to us. Part 2 takes the conversation in an entirely different direction as Julie and I talk about her Future Voters Club books, children, belonging, and preparing the next generation. Learn more about Lead Well. Live Whole. at michaelsirmon.com. #LeadWellLiveWhole #JulieDermody #ElectionAdministration #CivicEducation #Elections #PublicService #CivicEngagement #Leadership #Community #Stewardship

  4. Sep 29

    Are You Becoming Who You Want to Be? | Brandon Summitt | S2 E32

    What does it actually mean to build a life worth living? Not simply a successful life. Not a busy life. But a life where our faith, relationships, work, curiosity, character, and the people we influence somehow fit together into something whole. In this episode of Lead Well. Live Whole., Michael Sirmon sits down with Brandon Summitt, host of the Charting Life podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, leadership, parenting, curiosity, character, and the next generation. Brandon shares how his early experiences shaped his curiosity about people, how he went from dropping out of college to reading 200 books in four years, and why he eventually returned to school and is now completing a master's degree in theology. But this conversation quickly moves beyond Brandon's story. Michael and Brandon wrestle with questions such as: How do we help young people develop convictions instead of simply borrowing ours? Can we be secure enough in our faith to say, “I don't know”? What are our children learning from the lives we're actually modeling? And how do we keep our public influence from outrunning our private character? Brandon also shares the deeply personal reason he created Charting Life: to preserve conversations about values, faith, resilience, authenticity, and living intentionally that his son could someday return to. Ultimately, it comes down to one question: Are you becoming who you want to be? Because a life well lived isn't measured only by what we accomplish. It's also measured by who we become along the way. Connect with Brandon Summitt - Charting Life YouTube @ChartingLife TikTok @charting.life4 Connect with Michael Sirmon - Lead Well. Live Whole. michaelsirmon.com

  5. Sep 15

    What Nobody Tells You About Homesteading | Terry Jarrard | S2 E30

    Homesteading looks peaceful from the outside. Gardens. Chickens. Solar panels. A little land and a simpler way of life. But what happens when you actually have to live it? In this episode of Lead Well. Live Whole., Michael Sirmon sits down with Terry Jarrard of TnT Homesteading for a candid conversation about what nobody tells you before you start building an off-grid life. Terry and his wife, Tracey, traded a more conventional lifestyle for ten wooded acres and began learning what it really takes to live differently. Along the way, Terry discovered that some of the biggest challenges weren't the ones he expected. There were lessons about gardening, infrastructure, solar power, water, safety, time, physical limitations, and perhaps most importantly—the realization that you don't know what you don't know. But Terry's story isn't simply about figuring things out for himself. As he learned, he began sharing. Through TnT Homesteading, YouTube, and presentations to homesteading groups, Terry is helping other people understand the realities of homesteading and off-grid living before they make some of the same mistakes. Michael and Terry also explore something bigger than homesteading: starting later in life, learning from mistakes, accepting that self-sufficiency often requires community, and realizing that you may be capable of far more than you've allowed yourself to believe. Sometimes leadership isn't having all the answers. Sometimes it's learning something the hard way, turning around, and helping the person coming behind you. Connect with Terry Jarrard and TnT Homesteading: Email: tnthomesteadok@gmail.com TnT Homesteading: Terry's Linktree YouTube: TnT Homesteading on YouTube Connect with Michael Sirmon: www.michaelsirmon.com Lead Well. Live Whole. Built to Serve. Made to Thrive.

  6. Sep 8

    People Aren’t Projects: Sharing Your Faith Without Pushing People Away | Randall Moss | S2 E29

    If something has profoundly changed your life, do you have an obligation to share it? And if you do, how do you share it without becoming the person everyone tries to avoid? Michael Sirmon sits down with longtime friend and former colleague Randall Moss for a candid conversation about sharing Christian faith with wisdom, courage, discernment, and love. Michael and Randall have known each other for more than 20 years and have worked both with and for one another. Their conversation explores the spectrum between saying nothing about what you believe and becoming so determined to convince others that the relationship itself gets lost. They discuss following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the difference between sharing and convincing, knowing when an opportunity has presented itself, and why positional authority makes conversations about faith particularly important for leaders to handle carefully. They also wrestle with whether living your faith is enough, why words eventually matter, how easily passion can become pressure, and how Christians can build genuine relationships with people who don't share their beliefs. Perhaps the most important reminder from the conversation is this: People aren't projects. They're not arguments to win. They're not boxes to check. They're people to love. So maybe the question isn't simply, “Am I sharing my faith enough?” Maybe it's: Am I trying to prove what I believe—or am I living in a way that invites someone else to ask about it? Listen to Lead Well. Live Whole. with Michael Sirmon. michaelsirmon.com

  7. Sep 1

    Who Is Better Because You Were Here? | Tim Atchison | S2 E28

    What if the best measure of success isn't how far you climbed, but who is better because you were here? In this special long-form episode of Lead Well. Live Whole., Michael sits down with longtime friend Tim Atchison for a conversation that begins with career transition and eventually becomes something much bigger. After 25 years with Gardner Denver, Ingersoll Rand, and GD Energy Products, including serving as Vice President of Supply Chain, Tim recently stepped away from corporate leadership and founded Team United USA, a supply chain consulting company. But Tim's story isn't defined by a title. He's also Director of Missions at his church, a husband and father, a mentor and teacher, an extensive world traveler, and caretaker of a collection of goats, donkeys, dogs, cats, and apparently at least one raccoon determined to outsmart him. Michael and Tim have known each other for nearly 15 years and have literally traveled around the world together. That history makes this less of an interview and more of a conversation between two longtime friends about leadership, faith, grief, family, serving others, developing younger leaders, seeing the humanity in the people around us, and how our definition of success changes as we move through life. Twenty years ago, Tim says he wanted to get to the top. Today, success looks much different. It's about helping others grow, serving his community, investing in his family, following God's direction, and leaving something meaningful behind. Because eventually, the question may not be, "How successful was I?" It may be, "Who is better because I was here?" Connect with Tim Atchison Founder, Team United USA Supply Chain Consulting Email: tim@teamunitedusa.com Lead Well. Live Whole. Built to Serve. Made to Thrive. michaelsirmon.com

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About

Lead Well. Live Whole. is for anyone who wants to think more clearly, make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and live with greater purpose. Hosted by executive leadership coach and author Michael Sirmon, this channel explores leadership, personal growth, confidence, identity, resilience, decision-making, emotional intelligence, difficult conversations, and practical strategies for navigating life's biggest challenges. Whether you're leading a business, a classroom, a church, a nonprofit, a family, a team, or simply learning to lead yourself, you'll find real-world insights you can apply immediately. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. 🌐 Learn more: https://www.michaelsirmon.com 🎥 Watch every podcast episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadwelllivewhole 📚 Books, Articles & Resources: https://www.michaelsirmon.com 🤝 Executive Coaching | Leadership Development | Keynote Speaking https://www.michaelsirmon.com This channel is for: • Leaders at every level • Parents and grandparents • Teachers and educators • Coaches and mentors • Entrepreneurs and business owners • Military and first responders • Church and nonprofit leaders • Students and young professionals • Anyone seeking greater clarity, confidence, and purpose Popular topics include: • Leadership Development • Decision Making • Mental Clarity • Overthinking • Confidence • Identity • Emotional Intelligence • Difficult Conversations • Accountability • Personal Growth • Resilience • Purpose • Healthy Relationships • Building Trust • Communication Skills • Self-Leadership • Work-Life Balance • Living Whole If you've ever asked yourself: • Why do I overthink everything? • How do I make better decisions? • Why am I so hard on myself? • How do I become a better leader? • How do I handle difficult conversations? • How do I build confidence? • How do I stop carrying everyone else's problems? • How do I live with greater purpose? ...you're in the right place. Subscribe and join a growing community committed to thinking clearly, leading confidently, developing others, and living whole. #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #SelfLeadership