415 episodes

The L3 Leadership Podcast is focused on leadership development and personal growth. We are obsessed with helping you grow to your maximum potential and maximizing the impact of your leadership. We release a new episode every week to help you grow and develop as a leader. You will hear a mix of personal lessons from our Founder, Doug Smith, and conversations Doug has with world-class leaders from around the world. Doug interviews leaders like Pittsburgh Steelers Coach, Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Penguins Coach, Mike Sullivan, Tony Horton, Liz Wiseman, Brian Tome, John Mark Comer, Mark Batterson, Ryan Hawk, Nona Jones, Claude Silver, Ken Coleman, Christy Wright, Rachel Cruze, Mark Cole, and many more. Our hope is that you will not only learn great leadership lessons but that you will catch great leadership from the lives of the leaders that we expose you to. 

The L3 Leadership Podcast with Doug Smith Doug Smith

    • Business
    • 4.9 • 132 Ratings

The L3 Leadership Podcast is focused on leadership development and personal growth. We are obsessed with helping you grow to your maximum potential and maximizing the impact of your leadership. We release a new episode every week to help you grow and develop as a leader. You will hear a mix of personal lessons from our Founder, Doug Smith, and conversations Doug has with world-class leaders from around the world. Doug interviews leaders like Pittsburgh Steelers Coach, Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Penguins Coach, Mike Sullivan, Tony Horton, Liz Wiseman, Brian Tome, John Mark Comer, Mark Batterson, Ryan Hawk, Nona Jones, Claude Silver, Ken Coleman, Christy Wright, Rachel Cruze, Mark Cole, and many more. Our hope is that you will not only learn great leadership lessons but that you will catch great leadership from the lives of the leaders that we expose you to. 

    Leon Ford on Brutality, Forgiveness, and Building a Better Future for His Son

    Leon Ford on Brutality, Forgiveness, and Building a Better Future for His Son

    Episode Summary: In this episode of the L3 Leadership Podcast, Leon Ford shares his profound journey from the brink of death due to police brutality to becoming a symbol of forgiveness and activism.

    About Leon Ford: Leon Ford is a celebrated author, social entrepreneur, impact investor, international speaker, and changemaker dedicated to driving positive change in his community and beyond.
    As a respected activist and mental health ambassador, Ford passionately addresses disparities by focusing on holistic wellness. His inspiring approach emphasizes the importance of resilience, transforming personal challenges into purpose, and creating a lasting societal impact.
    Ford's accomplishments include executive producing the Cannes Film Festival award-winning documentary Leon (2019) and Breaking Bread: A Conversation on Race in America (2021), which won a Shorty Award. President Obama's Volunteer Service Award (2017), The Root 100 (2018), Pittsburgh's 40 Under 40 (2019), Forbes 30 Under 30 (2023), and National Urban League Community Service Award (2023).


    Key Takeaways:
    1. Leon shares how personal growth thrives through challenging conversations and supportive mentorship.
    2. Leadership emerges from therapy, community support, and embracing both love and critique. 3. The Here Foundation is born from facing fears and fostering unexpected alliances.
    4. Forgiveness is a continuous journey, leading to prevention and healing through understanding and purpose-driven action.

    Quotes From the Episode:
    “I believe that it’s more curiosity than courage because I’m genuinely curious to understand what someone elses’ lived experiences may have been to let them see the world the way they see the world.”
    “Forgiveness is a choice, but it’s also not a threshold that you cross, it’s not a finish line.”

    Resources Mentioned:
    An Unspeakable Hope by Leon Ford
    The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
    The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
    The HEAR Foundation
    Connect with Leon:
    Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)
    Episode Webpage: https://l3leadership.org/414
    L3 Mastermind Groups: https://l3leadership.org/mastermind
    L3 Leadership Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L3Leader/
    Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/l3-leadership
    Rate This Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/l3leadership

    • 47 min
    Anne Bieler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels, on Overcoming Trauma and Finding Purpose in the Pain

    Anne Bieler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels, on Overcoming Trauma and Finding Purpose in the Pain

    Episode Summary: In this episode of the L3 Leadership Podcast, Anne Beiler joins Doug to discuss her upbringing, Auntie Anne’s, and shares advice with listeners who may be struggling on how she navigates life’s more difficult seasons.

    About Anne Beiler: Anne Beiler, raised in an Amish-Mennonite community, faced immense tragedy when her 19-month-old daughter died in a farming accident, leading her into darkness and depression. Her marriage with Jonas suffered, exacerbated by an abusive pastor. Seeking healing, they pursued counseling and reconciliation, birthing a vision to offer free counseling services. To support this vision, Anne bought a concession stand, which evolved into Auntie Anne’s, the world's largest pretzel franchise. Despite her success, Anne battled depression, finding solace in sharing her story publicly. This act of confession liberated her and inspired her to help other women find similar freedom. In 2005, Anne sold Auntie Anne’s to pursue speaking engagements on leadership, purpose, and the power of confession.

    3 Key Takeaways:
    1. Anne recounts her childhood growing up within the Amish community.
    2. She shares how she came out of a difficult time in her life with guidance from The Holy Spirit.
    3. Anne gives advice to others who may be struggling with feelings of depression or grief.

    Quotes From the Episode:
    “There is no way to be well unless you tell. Unless you feel the pain of it all.”
    “I don’t have secrets anymore, I just bring them into the light.”
    Resources Mentioned:
    The Secret Lies Within by Anne Beiler
    Connect with Anne:
    Website | Facebook | Instagram
    Episode Webpage: https://l3leadership.org/413
    L3 Mastermind Groups: https://l3leadership.org/mastermind
    L3 Leadership Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L3Leader/
    Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/l3-leadership
    Rate This Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/l3leadership

    • 50 min
    Doug Smith on Overcoming Mental Health Issues, Parenting, and How to be Good with People

    Doug Smith on Overcoming Mental Health Issues, Parenting, and How to be Good with People

    Episode Summary: In this episode of the L3 Leadership Podcast, Doug is interviewed by his friend Zack Blair. Together, they discuss various topics, such as mental health, leadership, confidence, and parenting.

    About Doug Smith: Doug Smith is the Director of Development at Light of Life Rescue Mission and Founder and CEO of L3 Leadership. He is the author of his eBook, “Making the Most of Mentoring”, a step-by-step guide to help you build and cultivate relationships with mentors. He blogs at dougsmithlive.com, he is the host of the L3 Leadership podcast, and he is a sought-after public speaker. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Laura, who works as an Account Executive at Ivalua. Together, they love family, personal growth, travel, working out, and serving others.

    4 Key Takeaways:
    1. Doug shares his journey to confidence as a leader.
    2. Zack and Doug reflect on their friendship over the years and how having support is crucial to being a leader.
    3. Being good with people involves showing an interest in others. Doug shares how he teaches his kids this concept.
    4. He talks about overcoming trauma and moving past difficult times in life with the help of a therapist.

    Quotes From the Episode:
    “Invest in deep relationships.”
    “Unity is always really important to me.”
    Resources Mentioned:
    Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro
    Leaf by Niggle by JRR Tolkien 
    Connect with Doug:
    Website | Twitter | Facebook | Linkedin | Instagram
    Episode Webpage: https://l3leadership.org/412
    L3 Mastermind Groups: https://l3leadership.org/mastermind
    L3 Leadership Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L3Leader/
    Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/l3-leadership
    Rate This Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/l3leadership

    • 1 hr 21 min
    Mark Miller on Uncommon Greatness: 5 Fundamentals to Transform Your Leadership

    Mark Miller on Uncommon Greatness: 5 Fundamentals to Transform Your Leadership

    In this episode of the L3 Leadership podcast, Mark Miller, the former VP of High-Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A, joins us to reveal the core principles of "Uncommon Greatness."  
    About Mark Miller: Mark started over 40 years ago working as an hourly employee at a local Chick-fil-A.  He has worked all across the business since then and currently serves as Vice President of High-Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A.  For the last 20 years, Mark has traveled the United States and the world focusing much of his time on serving leaders, helping them grow themselves, their teams, and their organizations. 
    4 Key Takeaways:
    1. Mark shares how important vision casting is for individuals in leadership and entire organizations.
    2. Mark walks us through the five fundamentals as outlined in his book that can  transform your leadership approach.
    3. He talks about aligning vision, results, and relationships, all while keeping your core values intact.
    4. We discuss idea of servant leadership and how it helps create a caring atmosphere for people and for achieving goals.
    Quotes From the Episode:
    “If you don’t spend enough time thinking about the future, there may not be one for your or for your organization.”
    “Uncommon leadership is the path to uncommon greatness.”
    Resources Mentioned:
    Call Mark at 678-612-8441
    Preorder Uncommon Greatness
    Connect with Mark:
    Mark’s Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

    • 34 min
    William Vanderbloemen on Finding Unicorns, The Importance of Responding Quickly, and How to be as Likeable as Bill Clinton

    William Vanderbloemen on Finding Unicorns, The Importance of Responding Quickly, and How to be as Likeable as Bill Clinton

    Episode Summary: In this episode of the L3 Leadership Podcast, William Vanderbloeman joins Doug to share the groundbreaking insights he’s gained from conducting over 30,000 interviews and shares strategies that will equip you to identify and become the 'unicorn' in your professional sphere.

    About William Vanderbloeman: William brings over 15 years of ministry experience as a Senior Pastor, blending it seamlessly with executive search best practices to offer faith-based organizations a distinctive service. Before establishing Vanderbloemen Search Group, he apprenticed in executive search under a seasoned mentor with over 25 years of experience, gaining insights into corporate practices and search strategies used by renowned firms like Russell Reynolds. William's background also includes managerial roles in Human Resources within a Fortune 200 company, focusing on corporate culture integration and succession planning. His pastoral journey, which spans churches in North Carolina, Alabama, and Houston, includes transformative experiences such as rebuilding and relocating congregations and leading a historic Houston church as its Senior Pastor. William's expertise extends beyond the pulpit; he is a sought-after speaker at churches and conferences nationwide and the author of several acclaimed books on pastoral leadership and succession planning. Holding degrees from Wake Forest University and Princeton Theological Seminary, William's commitment to family, networking, and personal interests like running and golfing, further enrich his professional and personal endeavors, making him a well-rounded advisor and leader in his field.

    4 Key Takeaways:
    1. William defines what it means to hire a “unicorn”.
    2. He discusses what he’s learned about likability, and shares his thoughts on authenticity.
    3. William talks about one thing that makes his hiring process unique.
    4. He talks about what he believes the future of work is going to look like.

    Quotes From the Episode:
    “People really like being seen and recognized and noticed.”
    “Look people directly in one eye.”

    Resources Mentioned:
    William’s Books
    Connect with William:
    X(Twitter) | Instagram | Linkedin  
    Episode Webpage: https://l3leadership.org/410
    L3 Mastermind Groups: https://l3leadership.org/mastermind
    L3 Leadership Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L3Leader/
    Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/l3-leadership
    Rate This Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/l3leadership

    • 40 min
    Jade Warshaw on Getting out of $460,000 in Debt, Lessons Learned from Dave Ramsey, and How You Can Get Free Financially

    Jade Warshaw on Getting out of $460,000 in Debt, Lessons Learned from Dave Ramsey, and How You Can Get Free Financially

    Episode Summary: In this episode of the L3 Leadership Podcast, Jade Warshaw, a Ramsey personality, shares her journey to financial freedom and the importance of following the Baby Steps to get out of debt.

    About Jade Warshaw: Jade Warshaw, hailing from a musical background, spent 15 years as a professional vocalist, touring 92 countries alongside her musician husband. However, their story took a sharp turn with nearly half a million dollars in debt. Marrying in 2007, they faced a staggering $280K in student loans, coupled with credit card debts and unaffordable assets. In 2008, after discovering Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps, they embarked on a journey to financial freedom, taking up various jobs and even sharing their home with roommates. Despite financial strains, Jade prioritized quality meals, inspired by her childhood. Sharing recipes online, they built a community around debt-free living. In 2015, a debt-free business idea emerged, marking a turning point. By 2017, they celebrated paying off their last $91K student loan on The Ramsey Show, embracing parenthood thereafter. Today, Jade finds fulfillment at Ramsey Solutions, using her journey to inspire others toward financial independence, emphasizing that if they could overcome six-figure debt, anyone can.

    4 Key Takeaways:
    1. Jade discusses what the Baby Steps program is and how it can help in becoming debt-free.
    2. She reflects on life after debt and building wealth.
    3. Jade talks about her new book, Money Is Not a Math Problem.
    4. She shares some of her experiences at Ramsey Solutions including her favorite Ramsey personality and the challenges and growth she’s encountered in her role.

    Quotes From the Episode:
    “Start layering up your skills so you can offer more to the marketplace and thereby earn more money.”
    “You do need help, there’s only so much you can do on your own.”
    “Preparation is a gift you give yourself.”

    Resources Mentioned:
    Money Is Not a Math Problem by Jade Warshaw
    Ramsey Solutions
    Connect with Jade:
    Website | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram
    Episode Webpage: https://l3leadership.org/409
    L3 Mastermind Groups: https://l3leadership.org/mastermind
    L3 Leadership Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L3Leader/
    Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/l3-leadership
    Rate This Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/l3leadership

    • 48 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
132 Ratings

132 Ratings

cara.jean ,

Inspiring Growth and Leadership!

If you're seeking a podcast that intertwines faith, insight, and inspiration - this is it! Doug shares insightful discussions with an emphasis on a growth mindset, each episode serves as a beacon of guidance, inspiring personal and spiritual growth. Grounded in leadership principles, this podcast offers invaluable lessons for those on a journey of self-improvement and leadership development.

Drewbieeeeeee16 ,

Great Podcast

Always a great lesson found in these podcasts. Doug is a great interviewer and brings on a wide range of guests.

R_M_R_ ,

Valuable Content

Listening to this podcast has greatly helped me develop my leadership, business, and life skills.

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