Mental Stillness

Derek Sloan, LPCC, NCC, CCTP
  • 5.0 (26)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Daily

This podcast aims to bridge the gap between leadership and mental health, emphasizing that the "how" of leadership is as crucial as the "what." It explores practical strategies for leaders to enhance their effectiveness by addressing both their own mental health and that of their team members. Derek Sloan is your host. Derek has graduate degrees in both leadership and clinical mental health. Derek is a board certified professional clinical counselor (LPCC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and a Certified Leadership Coach.

  1. 4d ago

    58. Guinness McFadden - The Unlikely Path to the Winner's Circle

    Guinness's horse, Country House, was the 2019 Kentucky Derby winner with the improbable odds of 65-1. Country House claimed the win after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference, a shocking and historic finish. Guinness is also the founder and president of Blackwood Distilling Co., a luxury Kentucky whiskey brand rooted in one of the most improbable stories in recent Derby history. Blackwood is named after the horse stable that Guinness and his wife Lisa owned. That next chapter is a case study in unconventional leadership. Guinness didn't start out in horse racing. He was living in Reno working construction until the housing market crashed, and a friend suggested he try the horse industry instead. He worked his way up from a groom to eventually owning a Derby-winning Thoroughbred. By his own admission, that win reshaped how people saw him overnight. Suddenly his opinion mattered in rooms it never had before. Rather than resting on that moment, he pointed that same outsider's drive at an entirely different industry. The result is Blackwood Distilling Co., launched in 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blackwood breaks from convention here too: instead of batching and finishing barrels the traditional way, it re-barrels aged Kentucky straight bourbon and Indiana straight rye one-to-one into new toasted barrels, a proprietary process built on craft over volume. Guinness's path is a throughline of betting on himself in industries where he started as an outsider, and it's exactly that journey we dig into on this episode.

  2. Jul 16

    57. Travis D. Hahler - Author of "Rethink Resistance"

    As Senior Director of Global Strategy and Transformation at Salesforce, and Founder of The Neurological Nomad, Hahler brings an unprecedented fusion of neuroscience and business acumen to organizational transformation. Travis has guided more than 100 organizations through transformation efforts and is known as the “Resistance Fortune Teller” for his ability to predict where change efforts will stall. In addition to his role at Salesforce, he has led change initiatives at companies including Google and has delivered his neuroscience-of-change keynote to more than 25,000 leaders across 150 global events. His work is both research-informed and highly practical for audiences navigating constant organizational change. Rethink Resistance, his new book, represents Hahler’s continued mission to democratize neuroscience for business leaders. Helping them to remove ego and embrace neuroscience to lead transformational change.

  3. Jun 11

    56. Kevin Konopasek - University of Kentucky Director of Athletic Performance

    Kevin Konopasek (pronounced like Coo-No-Pah-Zick), former Indiana Director of Athletic Performance, was hired as the University of Kentucky’s Director of Strength & Conditioning and Athletic Performance for Women’s Basketball on June 26, 2024. He enters his third season with the Wildcats’ women’s basketball program in 2026-27. Konopasek arrived in Lexington after spending 11 seasons at Indiana University, including the final eight seasons with women’s basketball and men’s and women’s swimming. In that position, Konopasek has helped the women’s basketball program reach six postseason appearances, including five NCAA Tournament bids and the 2018 WNIT Championship. He aided in the efforts of 31 All-Big Ten honorees and 19 All-America selections, including All-America First Team honoree Mackenzie Holmes and WNBA lottery draft pick Grace Berger. The Hoosiers have won 20 games or more in all eight seasons of his tenure. Moreover, he has worked with the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming program, guiding greats like Olympian and four-time NCAA Champion Lilly King and seven other Olympians at the 2020 Tokyo Games, including Blake Pieroni, Zach Apple, Annie Lazor and Michael Brinegar who all competed for Team USA. He has also trained athletes from six other nations during their time at Indiana who competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Marwan El Kamash (Egypt), Vini Lanza (Brazil), Tomer Frankel (Israel) and Bailey Andison (Canada). Konopasek’s time with swimming has also seen the men’s and women’s programs combine for seven Big Ten titles as well as 101 All-Big Ten First Team honors. In the summer of 2014, Konopasek completed an internship at EXOS, formerly Athlete’s Performance, in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Throughout his internship experience, Konopasek was able to train athletes from the NFL, NBA and U.S. Military Special Forces. He also assisted the Argentinian National Rugby Team train for the World Cup and SOCOM tactical athletes prepare for the Warrior Games. Konopasek received his master’s in kinesiology with a focus in applied sport science from Indiana University in May 2015. Prior to Indiana, Konopasek received his undergraduate degree in movement and sport science from Purdue University in May 2013. A native of Griffith, Indiana, Konopasek and his wife Kali have one son, Paxton, and one daughter, Parker.

  4. May 18

    55. JonRobert Tartaglione, Cambridge Ph.D. - Psychology of Persuasion

    Dr. JonRobert Tartaglione is a psychologist and behavioral scientist. He's worked with leadership teams at organizations like McDonald's, Visa, Nintendo, Boys & Girls Clubs, and more and holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Cambridge. His work focuses on the question: "What moves people to think, behave, or decide differently?" He is the Founder and CEO of Influence 51, a specialized consulting firm that equips clients with academic insights on the science of influence, persuasion, strategic communication, and change, with the goal of developing more effective leaders and building smarter strategies.

  5. May 11

    54. Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey - Subtraction Activist

    Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey (aka Nell 3D) is a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and Forbes Leadership contributor who helps ambitious, big-hearted leaders build success that feels as good as it looks. As founder of a certified B Corporation and creator of the Lead in 3D™ framework, she works with leaders across Fortune 500 companies, global nonprofits, and universities to subtract what's draining them and amplify what actually works. Nell's approach draws on psychology studies at Harvard, nearly a decade of nonprofit leadership from Rome to the West Bank to Mozambique, and, perhaps most transformationally, equine-assisted coaching, which taught her what no leadership course could: that presence isn't a soft skill, it's the whole game. Her Substack, Subtract to Succeed, is a laboratory for systematic subtraction and the basis for a forthcoming book. She lives between Greenwich, Connecticut and Big Sky, Montana, with her husband, two bernedoodles, and visiting adult step-kids as often as possible. www.nell3d.com

  6. Apr 2

    53. Eric Robinson - Former FBI Agent

    Eric Robinson spent a dozen years in Christian ministry before leaving the pulpit of his Baptist church to join the FBI, where he worked drugs, gangs, crimes against children, national security, and other violations. Eric served for 15 years as a SWAT operator and firearms and tactics instructor. Eric has written a book recounting his move from “preacher to breacher” as well as many of the remarkable cases and encounters he had in the FBI.

  7. Mar 5

    52. Alberto Manganelli - Former Adidas Senior Vice President & Global General Manager

    Alberto Uncini Manganelli is a global sports and consumer goods executive who has spent more than two decades shaping some of the world’s most recognizable brands. After 20 years at Procter & Gamble in marketing and senior management roles, he went on to lead major global sports business units at Adidas, serving for eight years as Global General Manager and Senior Vice President. Throughout his career, Alberto has driven large-scale brand and business transformations at the intersection of performance, innovation, and culture—helping redefine how global sports brands connect with athletes and consumers. He is also the author of The Formula of the Formulas, a book featuring insights from 22 world champions and a foreword by legendary football manager José Mourinho. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Alberto believes sport is one of the most powerful schools for developing mindset, leadership, and personal growth.

  8. Mar 1

    51. Dr. Trisha Vinatieri - Addressing Burnout

    Dr. Vinatieri is a clinical psychologist and organizational development psychologist who has spent nearly two decades treating PTSD and holding various leadership roles within healthcare systems. Currently serving as Chief Well-Being Officer at a large Level 1A healthcare system, she helps medical leaders combat clinical staff burnout using evidence-based frameworks that empower staff. Recognizing the scope of the burnout epidemic, Dr. Vinatieri founded Clinician Care Consulting to extend her expertise beyond her own organization and support healthcare leaders nationwide. In addition to her clinical and consulting work, she teaches undergraduate psychology courses. https://www.cliniciancareconsulting.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtrishavinatieri/ trisha@cliniciancareconsulting.com

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About

This podcast aims to bridge the gap between leadership and mental health, emphasizing that the "how" of leadership is as crucial as the "what." It explores practical strategies for leaders to enhance their effectiveness by addressing both their own mental health and that of their team members. Derek Sloan is your host. Derek has graduate degrees in both leadership and clinical mental health. Derek is a board certified professional clinical counselor (LPCC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and a Certified Leadership Coach.

Information

  • Creator
    Derek Sloan, LPCC, NCC, CCTP
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Derek Sloan, LPCC, NCC, CCTP
  • Show Website
    Mental Stillness