Real Talk with Ben Tompkins Ben Tompkins

Nick Jourdan is an industry staple 🔗

There’s nothing this man can’t do. He can host, he can write, he can shoot and edit, he can produce, he’s a leader, a hustler, as genuine as they come and he makes an outstanding addition to any team.

Nick joined the show to share his personal journey and his professional journey through the sports journalism world, including stops at ESPN, being the Director of Creative Services for a minor league baseball club, numerous internships and freelance work, and of course, an esteemed showrunner at the University of Kentucky’s student radio station, WRFL.

Anybody that’s worked in the industry or anyone listening that knows someone who’s interested in working in the industry will benefit from listening to this episode.

Not only is Nick one of the most knowledgeable colleagues I’m proud to know, he speaks very candidly about the ups and downs of choosing this path, the perception vs. the reality of working at ESPN, what it was like making that leap from the worldwide leader, and much more.

We also have some lighter stuff in there too, like his favorite moment from one of the broadcasts he’s worked and other iconic sports memories.

And finally, Nick wraps things up with his realest talk, and it’s something everyone needs to hear.

Major shoutout to my boy right here for persisting down his path and being the Swiss Army Knife that he is, it’s been fun to watch and admire from where I’m sitting and here’s to many more accolades and celebrations, my friend.

Jamie Leddin is a powerhouse ⚡️

She’s a leader, a storyteller, a mom and a wife, a lecturer at Vanderbilt University, and she is the Director of the Leddin Group, a Nashville-based boutique leadership consultancy firm that she runs with her husband, Patrick.

I first crossed paths with both Jamie and Patrick while I was in undergrad at the University of Kentucky, where they co-taught a few business classes at the time. We’ve stayed connected through the years via LinkedIn and as I’ve followed her work, I couldn’t think of a better guest I’d want to feature on the show.

A naturally gifted speaker, Jamie came on and absolutely crushed this interview.

We begin with how growing up in West Virginia shaped her early experiences in life (7:07), as well as the gap year she took in Denmark, then transitioning into motherhood and being a full-time mom and business leader (28:00).

Later, Jamie shares how she strives to bring inclusivity to her classrooms (38:55), as well as some of her personal beliefs that people should bring their whole selves to work (45:42) and that everyone is a leader (56:35).

We touch on storytelling as a skill, thought leadership, building trust through spoken word, organizational culture, women in leadership, building the business with her husband, and finally, Jamie wraps up with her realest talk (1:28:44).

This is a special episode and one that I really enjoyed. I’m so glad we’ve stayed connected and could link back up for this interview, I hope you enjoy it as well!

If you enjoy this episode…
• Sarah Cummins on Entrepreneurship, Voluntary Discomfort and the Art of Dentistry
• Kayla Weber Nord on Artistry, Kentucky Things, and the Creative Journey
• Brad Steinfeld on Mountain Climbing, Medical Sales, and Hitchhiking Around the World
• Tim O’Neil on Building Products and Processes from Scratch, Dealing with No, and Nuances of Networking

Sara Cummins is a hustler, a mother, a businessowner, a solo traveler, an artist, and a bad ass human being. Give her a Louisville Legend banner already.

I’ve known her for most of my life as she’s been my dentist and friend through it all.

This is the woman who fixed me after I broke myself post Derby ’17 and there’s nothing I can say about her other than it’s all love.

Sarah joins the show to share her strengths, her insights, and her expertise on how to build a business and what she believes are the core keys any entrepreneur should have.

We start with how she grew up and how her parents’ divorce when she was young shaped her adolescence, and how she’s strived to do things different through her own divorce (8:20)

She takes us through her time in college (13:26), starting out as an artist, and eventually moving back home to make the shift into dentistry. She shares how the two things are synonymous for her.

Then (24:12), we get into the meaty parts of how she built her business, starting from scratch, the system building that had to happen (27:57), the processes and the culture she built (33:30), and eventually, opening an additional location.

We talk about what it’s like being a mom and running a fulltime business and how she balances all of those things (37:20)

Later, we go super deep when talking about rock bottoms (46:05), why she loves being in solitude and solo traveling, women in business, voluntary discomfort, and finally, she gives her realest talk.

I’m so so grateful that she trusted me to share her story. Editing this episode, I felt like I was touching something so delicate, so fragile, because it’s that special to me.

Thank you, Sarah, for all that you do for the Louisville community!

Like fellow Louisville legend Bryson Tiller once rapped, I’m back and I’m better. It’s true. Not only are we back and better than ever, I also have some big news to share on today’s episode… your boy is now a Chief Storyteller in Atlanta. Thanks to everyone that has played a role in me getting to this point, especially my family and my new home in Cinamaker. Here’s to new beginnings, new stories, new episodes, and new levels.

Hang tight until 5/18, my friends. I've got a major announcement to make and I couldn't be more thrilled 🥳

Real people, real stories, REAL 👏🏼 TALK 👏🏼
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