Excellent Leadership Podcast

Excel Search & Advisory x DBPodcasts
  • 4.9 (88)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

The Excellent Leadership Podcast interviews sports and entertainment CEOs, Presidents, General Managers, Athletics Directors, Head Coaches, Elite Athletes and Performers. We explore their career journeys, experiences, and advice as leaders in the world's most exciting and competitive industry. You will gain key insights on high performance, championship cultures, team management, leadership, and transformation. The podcast is hosted by Chad Biagini, President of Excel Search & Advisory at Excel Sports Management. New Episodes release every Tuesday.

  1. Josh Brooks (Athletics Director at University of Georgia) on Key Values, NIL Era Strategies, Giving 100% All The Time

    Jun 2

    Josh Brooks (Athletics Director at University of Georgia) on Key Values, NIL Era Strategies, Giving 100% All The Time

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Chris Hoppe (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) are here with Josh Brooks (Athletics Director @UniversityOfGeorgia-official) to discuss: Intro (:02) Favorite Moments & Putting Pressure on himself to win Championships (1:24) Going from Director of Football Operations to Athletics Director & How an executive builds resistance (4:40) Hiring for high level pressure coaching & The key values that University of Georgia looks for (8:47) What hiring for Head Coach in Football looks like & Always giving 100% with all of the sports programs at the University (14:34) Using his executive team as a super power & reading the room to embrace debate (20:17) Finding balance for board members & Not micromanaging (26:37) Striking a balance with football playing student athletes & Revenue sharing strategy splits (33:20) Measuring if the system is working outside of wins and losses & Honest assessment of staff and student athletes (38:38) Primary reasons that most athletes choose schools & Pros/Cons of working at a big university vs. a small school (44:15) Mistakes to avoid as a new Athletics Director & The importance of having mentors (50:35) Taking pride in your job & Striking a balance in deals being done (57:40) Managing Donor Fatigue & Pros/Cons of working at a big university vs. a small school (1:03:44) His secret lasagna recipe & 7 Question Blitz (1:05:14) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzs Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b52f086a-0266-4345-be4d-bb8a7cde89fd/EXCELLENT-LEADERSHIP-PODCAST?ref=dm_sh_iGzHwozj5FaE9BcH829Nv8GBz Follow Us: @excellentleadershippodcast on Instagram, YouTube, Spotify & LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 13m
  2. Gene Sykes (Chair U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee) on LA28 Success, Effective CEOs & more

    May 26

    Gene Sykes (Chair U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee) on LA28 Success, Effective CEOs & more

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! We are at the premiere of Season 3! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Mark Mayleben (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) are here with Gene Sykes (Chair U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee) to discuss: Intro (:02) Being Chair of USOPC & Ingredients of a Healthy Board (2:01) Organizations building trust on their board & Strategic governing boards vs. operating boards (9:13) Common behaviors of effective CEOs & Where boards get CEO selection wrong (14:51) When it’s time to consider a step up candidate & LA28 Board responsibilities (20:38) How Gene got to where he is today & Goldman Sachs formula for success (29:01) Being in the mergers and acquisitions business & Being at the introduction of the iPhone with Steve Jobs (34:58) What success will look like for LA28 & 7 Question Blitz (43:03) Special Bonus Clip: Establishing The Maggie Junior Golf & Communnity Foundation with Colin Morikawa (51:26) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzs Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b52f086a-0266-4345-be4d-bb8a7cde89fd/EXCELLENT-LEADERSHIP-PODCAST?ref=dm_sh_iGzHwozj5FaE9BcH829Nv8GBz Follow Us: @excellentleadershippodcast on Instagram, YouTube, Spotify & LinkedIn CEO Conversations #CEO #SportsExecutives #DreamJob Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    53 min
  3. Mark Jackson (Athletics Director at Northwestern University) on Investing In All Sports, DNA of Hiring, The Science of Optimism, Mentor Mt. Rushmore

    May 12

    Mark Jackson (Athletics Director at Northwestern University) on Investing In All Sports, DNA of Hiring, The Science of Optimism, Mentor Mt. Rushmore

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! We are at the premiere of Season 3! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Chris Hoppe (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) is here with our thirty seventh guest, Mark Jackson (Athletics Director, Northwestern University) on to discuss: Intro (:02) The moment Mark decided to become an Athletic Director & Hiring Yes or No People (1:37) Biggest Lessons Learned from USC to Vilanova to Northwestern & Superpowers that Northwestern has while maintaining excellence (6:14) DNA of hiring the right kind of coaches for Northwestern & Getting stakeholders to all march in the same direction (13:04) Investing dollars throughout all sports programs & Strategy involed in NIL era (19:26) Continued evolution as a person & The science of optimism (29:14) Mount Rushmore of Mentors & Determining where money goes throughout sports (34:31) Managing donor fatigue & Alignment within the Executive team (41:11) Onboarding in all of these organizations & Unplugging from the workplace (50:09) The importance of understanding what an Athletics Director does & Lessons learning from working in the NFL (55:41) Emotional equity & 7 Question Blitz (1:01:00) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzs Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b52f086a-0266-4345-be4d-bb8a7cde89fd/EXCELLENT-LEADERSHIP-PODCAST?ref=dm_sh_iGzHwozj5FaE9BcH829Nv8GBz Follow Us on Socials: @excellentleadershippodcast on Instagram & LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 12m
  4. Shelly Cayette (President of Business Operations, Charlotte Hornets) on Staring with The New Orleans Hornets, 10 Years at Cleveland Cavaliers

    08/19/2025

    Shelly Cayette (President of Business Operations, Charlotte Hornets) on Staring with The New Orleans Hornets, 10 Years at Cleveland Cavaliers

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! We are at the finale for Season 2! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Mark Mayleben (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) is here with our thirty sixth guest, Shelly Cayette (President of Business Operations, Charlotte Hornets) on to discuss: Intro (:02) Being a student athlete at Tulane University & Working in the Casino Industry (1:30) Working in Marketing for The New Orleans Hornets & Going From Marketing To Sales (7:00) Working a Community role in New Orleans & Working for The Cleveland Cavaliers during COVID (11:53) Balancing work with Motherhood & Advice to her younger self (17:31) The pitch to join The Cleveland Cavaliers & Key pillars that lead to her successes (27:55) Working with strong executive business leaders & Perfecting an interview process (33:43) Staying sharp & 7 Question Blitz (43:50) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzsSubscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b52f086a-0266-4345-be4d-bb8a7cde89fd/EXCELLENT-LEADERSHIP-PODCAST?ref=dm_sh_iGzHwozj5FaE9BcH829Nv8GBz Follow Us on Socials: @excellentleadershippodcast on Instagram & LinkedIn CEO Conversations #CEO #SportsExecutives #DreamJob Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    56 min
  5. Clark Lea (Head Football Coach of Vanderbilt University) on The Week Leading Up To Beating #1 Alabama, Insisting Character & Consistency In Players

    08/13/2025

    Clark Lea (Head Football Coach of Vanderbilt University) on The Week Leading Up To Beating #1 Alabama, Insisting Character & Consistency In Players

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! We are back for Season 2! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Kari Goodwin (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) is here with our thirty fifth guest, Clark Lea (Head Coach of Vanderbilt University Football) on to discuss: Intro (:02) Favorite Half Time Speeches & Setting the rules for a college football team (:56) Playing Football at Vanderbilt University & Aligning the full program with their ultimate vision (4:41) What excites him most about coaching college football at Vanderbilt & Instilling consistent behaviors (9:21) The week leading up to beating #1 University of Alabama & Instilling character in players (19:01) Assessing talent in a recruit & The importance of making adjustments as a new coach (30:00) Communication through the media & Prioritizing when hiring for the coaching staff (38:28) 7 Question Blitz (47:35) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzs Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b52f086a-0266-4345-be4d-bb8a7cde89fd/EXCELLENT-LEADERSHIP-PODCAST?ref=dm_sh_iGzHwozj5FaE9BcH829Nv8GBz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    54 min
  6. Danita Johnson (President of Business Operations - D.C. United) on Creating A Culture of Success, Finding A Sense of Purpose, A System of Process

    07/22/2025

    Danita Johnson (President of Business Operations - D.C. United) on Creating A Culture of Success, Finding A Sense of Purpose, A System of Process

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! We are back for Season 2! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Matt Rogers (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) is here with our thirty fourth guest, Danita Johnson (President of Business Operations of D.C. United) on to discuss: Intro (:02) How deep sports love runs with her family & Being part of a military family (:51) Why she chose a career in sports & Starting with a Minor League team (4:19) Walking into her first MLS job & Creating a culture of success (11:39)Leaving a system of process & Advice for managing up for ownership groups (18:58) Finding a sense of purpose & The importance of knowing the type of person you’re hiring (23:28) The process of hiring people for specific roles & Advice for those stepping into leadership roles (30:45) The importance of taking risks & Why people should be D.C. United supporters (38:55) The explosive growth of D.C. United & Biggest learnings from leading at Los Angeles Sparks (45:25) The leaders who helped shape her career & Teaching confidence (51:14)7 Question Blitz (59:29) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 8m
  7. JJ Gottsch (CEO of Austin Gamblers) on Valuations of PBR Teams, Western Curious Brands, The Risk of Injury To Bull Riders & more

    07/15/2025

    JJ Gottsch (CEO of Austin Gamblers) on Valuations of PBR Teams, Western Curious Brands, The Risk of Injury To Bull Riders & more

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! We are back for Season 2! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Kari Goodwin (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) is here with our thirty third guest, JJ Gottsch (CEO of Austin Gamblers) on to discuss: Intro (:02) Being raised in problem solving environments & Foundational memories that prepared him to be a leader (1:03) The realization that his parents were entrepreneurs & Bowling in his life (6:47) What excited him about joining PBR & The best way to resign (11:26)The intricacy of PBR & The future of PBR (16:55) Valuations of PBR Teams & Those who are Western curious (24:45) The risk of injury to athletes in PBR & How PBR riders get started in training (30:05)Why a rider chooses a particular bull & How riders warm up (35:33) Prioritizing in hiring & Day in the life of the Austin Gamblers CEO (40:40)Biggest surprises that come from his job & The turning point in his career (47:01)Professional habits in his work/live balance & 7 Question Blitz (51:24) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzs Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b52f086a-0266-4345-be4d-bb8a7cde89fd/EXCELLENT-LEADERSHIP-PODCAST?ref=dm_sh_iGzHwozj5FaE9BcH829Nv8GBz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 7m
  8. Dewayne Hankins (President of Business Operations, Portland TrailBlazers) on Bringing Basketball & Business Together, Community Leading in Portland

    07/01/2025

    Dewayne Hankins (President of Business Operations, Portland TrailBlazers) on Bringing Basketball & Business Together, Community Leading in Portland

    This is the Excellent Leadership Podcast! We are back for Season 2! Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory) & Mark Mayleben (Partner, Excel Search & Advisory) is here with our thirty third guest, Dewayne Hankins (President of Business Operations, Portland TrailBlazers) on to discuss: Intro (:02) How he starts every day with a workout & Habits to keeping his mind sharp (:45) Getting into the seat that he has today & Working in Digital Marketing for Professional Los Angeles Teams (5:32) Finding the right people to run social media for teams & Moving into digital sponsorship sales (8:20)Moving from CMO to President & Bringing Basketball and Business together (14:22) The goal of culture & The big projects he’s been involved with in Portland (20:09) Those who have helped him become the leader he is today & Becoming a Community Leader in Portland (26:24)Building a culture of leadership & What he’s most obsessed about (32:47) Convincing people and sponsors to sign on for a season & Working with a team owner (37:14) Putting together the strongest leadership team & Filling senior leadership roles (41:59) Hiring for potential vs. Hiring for experience & 7 Question Blitz (46:59) Subscribe To Full Episodes & Clips on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExcellentLeadershipPodcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excellent-leadership-podcast/id1756992305 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KU2g2Baee7a5d04fQfSzs Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b52f086a-0266-4345-be4d-bb8a7cde89fd/EXCELLENT-LEADERSHIP-PODCAST?ref=dm_sh_iGzHwozj5FaE9BcH829Nv8GBz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    55 min
See All (41)

4.9
out of 5
88 Ratings

About

The Excellent Leadership Podcast interviews sports and entertainment CEOs, Presidents, General Managers, Athletics Directors, Head Coaches, Elite Athletes and Performers. We explore their career journeys, experiences, and advice as leaders in the world's most exciting and competitive industry. You will gain key insights on high performance, championship cultures, team management, leadership, and transformation. The podcast is hosted by Chad Biagini, President of Excel Search & Advisory at Excel Sports Management. New Episodes release every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Excel Search & Advisory x DBPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Nolan Partners

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