Caller ID

Brandon Davis Wells
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Careers

 Caller ID is a conversation-driven podcast exploring calling, career, and identity through real stories and honest dialogue. Hosted by Brandon Davis Wells, who has served in many roles from career coach, to college baseball coach, to broadcast professional for major networks like ESPN, IheartMedia, and more. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with professionals, creatives, leaders, and everyday people wrestling with the same questions we all face: Who am I called to be? What work fits who I’m becoming? How do faith, values, and purpose shape the way we work? This isn’t a podcast about quick career hacks or hustle culture. It’s about work that forms us, choices that matter, and finding meaning in the long, often winding path of vocation. Whether you’re a student, early-career professional, parent, or someone navigating change, Caller ID offers clarity, perspective, and encouragement for the work ahead.

  1. 1d ago

    Caller ID: S2:E6 - AI Won't Wait. B.Davis Wells on AI and Our Careers

    In this episode, I talk through how AI can be an asset, not a liability, when it comes to career. I have a few practical suggestions as to how to incorporate it to help us eliminate some of the thorns in our way.  Can AI help us to flourish in some way? I talk about Nick Bostrom's pendulum swing from Armageddon to Utopia in his books SuperIntelligence and Deep Utopia.  Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

  2. Sep 29

    Caller ID S2:E5 | Staying Rooted with Dusty Sloan

    Success doesn't always mean moving on to the next big thing—sometimes success means staying. On this episode of Caller ID, Brandon Davis Wells is joined by Dusty Sloan, Director of Athletic Communications at Ashland University. Dusty reflects on his 30-year career in sports journalism, navigating the non-linear path from pro football writer to Domino's driver to AU leader, and how faith and community have guided his decision to remain rooted in his hometown. Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

  3. Sep 22

    Caller ID S2:E4 | Mike Parker on Presence, Calling Beyond Ministry, and Building a Real Estate Life After Burnout

    In this episode of Caller ID, B. Davis Wells talks with his friend and former bandmate Mike Parker about identity, calling, and the career shifts that followed a difficult season. Mike traces his path from studying business to nearly 20 years in youth and pastoral ministry, describing how being labeled “pastor” changed relationships and intensified imposter feelings. He shares how pressure to appear calm left him carrying unprocessed emotions until repeated personal and professional brokenness led to anxiety, panic, and his body shutting down, and how learning to process grief and lament became essential. Mike explains his transition into real estate—drawn by business interest and relational “ministry of presence”—and the stress of commission work, his resistance to “salesy” tactics, a grounding personal mantra, and his focus on family, balance, rest, and helping his kids know they’re loved. 00:00 Emotional Weight in Ministry 01:46 Show Intro and Guest Setup 03:53 Meeting Through Music 05:01 Career Arc in 90 Seconds 06:24 Pastor Life and Imposter Syndrome 10:31 Rethinking Calling Beyond Ministry 14:04 Personal Mantra for Anxiety 19:01 Mindfulness and Grounding Rituals 20:31 Pressure to Appear Calm 24:24 Why Real Estate 25:18 House Flips and Crash 25:58 Why Real Estate Fit 26:52 Commission Rollercoaster 29:06 Building Consistent Business 30:24 Selling Without Sleaze 33:10 Ministry Skills in Realty 34:12 Marriage Through Uncertainty 35:24 Ted Lasso vs Larry David 40:28 Presence and Success 43:54 Fatherhood and Love 45:26 Advice to Younger Self 47:18 Closing Reflections Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

  4. Sep 15

    Caller ID S2:E3 with JD Hamilton | Behind the Scenes at the NCAA: Servanthood, Rules, and Identity with JD Hamilton

    On Caller ID, Brandon Davis Wells talks with JD, a longtime NCAA staffer and former ESPN spotter, about identity beyond work and the behind-the-scenes roles that keep college sports running. JD explains his current job as assistant director of playing rules and officials for men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse, including work with rules committees, officials, and game-flow emphases like traveling enforcement. He traces his path from sports information at Ole Miss and Purdue to the NCAA (since 2003), a 2020 COVID-era departure, and a return in a new role after time with Genius Sports and as courtside administrator for the Indiana Pacers. JD shares a passion for servant leadership—creating special opportunities for others—while admitting the burden of people-pleasing and his commitment to therapy. He highlights mentors, pride in speaking up about building a new Omaha stadium, and the joy of seeing teams raise trophies when athletes’ experiences aren’t disrupted. Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

  5. Sep 7

    Caller ID S2:E2 Adam Amin on Finding Joy, Earning Confidence, and Navigating Pressure in Broadcasting

    Adam Amin, the Chicago Bulls’ TV voice and a versatile play-by-play broadcaster for Fox Sports, reflects on finding joy in broadcasting despite early family skepticism shaped by his Pakistani immigrant upbringing, including his mother telling relatives he was in medical school until his first national TV break at 24 changed their view. He recounts falling into the craft through encouragement from an older friend at Valparaiso, learning through volume and repetition, and gradually replacing imposter syndrome with confidence—especially by understanding when to “lay out” and let the moment breathe. Amin discusses handling praise and criticism as human psychology in the social media era, building his voice by borrowing from many broadcasters, and valuing teamwork as a central professional lesson. He explains leaving ESPN after nine years for Fox and the Bulls role, and shares how DJing—started at 13—returned as a creative outlet alongside ongoing nerves, travel stress, and advice to trust your path while acknowledging struggles with drinking and depression in his 20s. Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

  6. Sep 1

    Caller ID - S2:E1 - Golden Threads

    Caller ID Season 2 Kickoff: Golden Threads from Season 1 (Work, Worth, Purpose & Community) Host B.Davis Wells kicks off season two of Caller ID by reflecting on season one’s 25 calls with 21 guests from diverse backgrounds and noting that while their language and circumstances differed, consistent “golden threads” emerged about calling, identity, and meaning. Key takeaways include listening for recurring themes in your story, discerning in community and friendship, taking the next step without needing the whole plan, and seeing failure and disruption as information rather than identity. Wells emphasizes that work matters but cannot carry the weight of worth, and that purpose is present tense—not waiting at the end of a map. He previews season two’s deeper questions about ambition, trade-offs, relationships, rest versus fear, and identity amid success or loss, and mentions upcoming guests including Adam Amin, Robyn Fralick, Dusty Sloan, J.D. Hamilton, and Mike Parker. 00:00 Season One Recap 04:15 Golden Threads Method 08:13 Career Pivots Stories 12:57 Try It To Learn 16:53 Discipline And Formation 20:07 Opportunity And Responsibility 21:51 Calling In Community 23:42 Failure And Disruption 27:52 Work Is Not Worth 30:36 Purpose Is Now 35:02 Lessons From Guests 39:02 Season Two Preview 41:00 Closing And Thanks Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

  7. Aug 7 ·  Bonus

    Season 1 Highlight Show: The Best Clips of Each Call

    Purpose Is Now: Mentorship, Faith, and Choosing What Matters This season 1 highlight episode reflects on responsibility, identity, and purpose through stories about career growth, faith, and relationships. The guests discuss what it means to carry yourself well as a leader, and the importance of paying it forward through mentoring, teaching, and giving back, including funding an endowed scholarship at Texas Tech. They emphasize learning through failure, swallowing pride in ego-driven work, and rejecting the belief that careers must be linear or fully planned from the start. Themes include knowing yourself, making intentional trade-offs (like prioritizing family over ambition), taking the next step rather than the “30th,” and viewing work as worship. They also highlight assuming positive intent, resisting “delayed happiness,” and finding joy and worth in the present moment rather than constant productivity. 00:00 Carrying the Responsibility 01:16 Faith and Calling Forward 01:57 Mentors and Early Growth 02:24 Failure and Swallowing Pride 03:05 Purpose Over Perfect Plans 04:01 Tradeoffs Family First 04:36 Restlessness and God’s Voice 06:02 Resilience After Mistakes 06:19 Nonlinear Paths and Success 07:42 Pay It Forward Mindset 08:56 Conversations and Knowing Yourself 10:07 Obedience One Step at a Time 10:44 Purpose Is Now 11:19 Work as Worship and Passion 12:14 Assume Positive Intent 12:39 Human Being Not Doing 13:23 Small Wins and Present Joy Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

  8. Jul 14

    S1:E25 Caller ID Podcast with Miles Larson (Calling in Seasons: Miles Larson on Leadership, Identity, and Holy Discontent)

    Calling in Seasons: Miles Larson on Leadership, Identity, and Holy Discontent | Caller ID On Caller ID, host B. Davis Wells talks with Miles Larson, executive director of the Brethren Church, about calling as seasonal rather than permanent and how work matters without defining identity. Miles shares his curiosity-driven hobbies, early leadership lessons managing a catering hall at 14, and an unexpected career path from higher education and career services to pastoral ministry after experiencing “holy discontent.” He describes discernment through community, wise counsel, and practical signs like a seminary scholarship, and explains success as “fruitfulness” rather than metrics. They discuss moving toward new roles versus running away, guarding against titles becoming identity, the need for rest and sabbatical, challenges like cynicism and rigid processes, cultural shifts driving bivocational ministry, and his hoped-for legacy of rebuilding trust, clarifying key terms, and cultivating joy in the church. Support the show Thanks for listening to Caller ID. You can follow Caller ID wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re enjoying the show, a quick rating or review helps more people find it. New episodes drop weekly, featuring conversations with people across disciplines who are thoughtful about their work and honest about the cost of doing it well. I’m Brandon Davis Wells and thanks for answering the call.

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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

 Caller ID is a conversation-driven podcast exploring calling, career, and identity through real stories and honest dialogue. Hosted by Brandon Davis Wells, who has served in many roles from career coach, to college baseball coach, to broadcast professional for major networks like ESPN, IheartMedia, and more. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with professionals, creatives, leaders, and everyday people wrestling with the same questions we all face: Who am I called to be? What work fits who I’m becoming? How do faith, values, and purpose shape the way we work? This isn’t a podcast about quick career hacks or hustle culture. It’s about work that forms us, choices that matter, and finding meaning in the long, often winding path of vocation. Whether you’re a student, early-career professional, parent, or someone navigating change, Caller ID offers clarity, perspective, and encouragement for the work ahead.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Davis Wells
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Caller ID
  • Show Website
    Caller ID