Step Wise

Foster Mobley
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For over 45 years, Dr. Foster Mobley has had the unique opportunity to guide thousands of leaders from the board room to the locker room. Naturally curious, Foster is now unraveling stories of growth, learning, triumphs, and—more importantly—struggles of leaders in his podcast, Step Wise. This is a series of conversations between Foster and the change agents he admires. Each of these guests has taken their own path to growth and awakening.Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on social media.www.instagram.com/fostermobleywww.linkedin.com/in/fostermobleyWe look forward to sharing these fulfilling conversations and the leaders who are a part of them with you soon.Edited and promoted by Zettist: www.zettist.com

  1. 5d ago ·  Video

    David Betts on ALS, AI, and What Happens When Fear Becomes Fuel (Part 1)

    David Betts spent 22 years building teams at Deloitte, scaling their public health practice from one state to 20 during a pandemic, and getting very, very good at solving other people's problems. He's the kind of leader who walks into chaos and thinks: what's actually needed here? Then he figures out how to build it. Last year, he got a diagnosis of ALS. The progressive neurological disease that destroys motor neurons—the kind that ends stories. Most people would take time to process. David looked at what was happening and thought: nobody's going to know if I fail at this, so I might as well try. He taught himself to code in 80 days. Built an AI voice assistant called Talk to Me Goose that's now with more than 100 families. And did it all while coming to terms with a disease that's stealing his ability to speak—the exact ability he uses to solve problems and think and connect with the world. But here's what makes this conversation worth your time: it's not about inspiration porn or overcoming adversity. It's about what happens to your clarity when the stakes get this real. When you can't hide behind strategy anymore. When the gap between what you think is important and what actually is gets impossible to ignore. Foster and David explore: Why his background in theater—not consulting, not healthcare, theater—ended up being the thing that prepared him for everythingWhat he found when he went looking for solutions for people losing their ability to speak (and why the technology was so spectacularly broken)The specific moment fear became something that propelled him forwardHow purpose shows up when you're paying attention versus how we talk about it in TED talks and LinkedIn postsWhat intentionality actually requires of you when your body's timeline is different from everyone else'sHow he's building a company that doesn't feel like a startup, but like a mission dressed up as a businessThis is a conversation about resilience that doesn't require you to be inspired. It's about clarity. About knowing what matters and having the backbone to build it even when the fear is very real and very legitimate. Learn more about David and Story Flight Labs: storyflightlabs.com Follow Step Wise wherever you listen. Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    David Betts on ALS, AI, and What Happens When Fear Becomes Fuel (Part 1)

  2. Aug 26 ·  Video

    Foster Mobley and Jana Devan on Wisdom and AI

    Wisdom isn't the opposite of speed. It's what comes after. Everyone's panicking about AI. Either you're adopting it or you're getting left behind. Speed or irrelevance. That's the choice, right? Wrong. Foster sits down with Jana Devan to talk about what's actually happening beneath all the noise. Leaders across every industry are asking the same question: If machines can do 85% of this, what am I actually here for? The answer lives in the last 10-15%. The wisdom part. The human judgment part. The stuff that requires understanding not just data, but what the data means for actual people. This isn't a "robots are coming for your job" conversation. It's a "figure out what you're uniquely good at before someone else does" conversation. CHAPTER BREAKS: 00:00 The Setup: Why speed alone is a trap  06:00 The biopharma company that used AI to build something new 12:00 Why the consulting model broke (and what's replacing it)  15:00 The uncomfortable question: What are YOU uniquely good at?  20:00 Why the youngest generations are actually the wisdom generation  24:00 The framework: It's not wisdom vs. AI. It's wisdom filtering AI. If you lead people, sell services, or work in a field where information used to be your competitive advantage this is for you. Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    Foster Mobley and Jana Devan on Wisdom and AI

  3. Aug 19 ·  Video

    Norman Huynh on Why it Takes Presence to Lead

    A 38-year-old conductor asks a single question that changes everything: "What would it sound like if we didn't shy away from that high note?" Norman Huynh, Music Director of the Bozeman Symphony, doesn't lead like most people. He asks more than he tells. He builds competence and confidence at the same time. And at an age when most leaders are just finding their footing, he's already figured out what takes most of us decades to discover. Foster and Norman dig into why questioning matters more than answering, what presence actually requires, and why the best leaders are often the ones quiet enough to listen. Chapters:  00:49 - Why a conductor matters in leadership  06:29 - The role of a musical director  12:10 - Clarity, presence, and the ask versus tell framework  15:07 - The phrase that changed how he leads  19:08 - Nonverbal communication and how you know people are getting it  23:09 - On presence, meditation, and the noise that drowns out real leadership  24:33 - The question nobody asks but should  29:00 - Find more from Foster More from Norman Huynh:  https://www.normanconductor.com/ https://www.bozemansymphony.org/  https://britt.org/ More from Foster: fostermobleymt.com  Get Leadersh*t: https://fostermobley.com/store/p/leadersh-t-book #StepWise #Leadership #Conducting #Presence #Inquiry Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    Norman Huynh on Why it Takes Presence to Lead

  4. Aug 12 ·  Video

    Marycay Durrant on What Horses Can Teach Us About Leading

    Marycay Durrant doesn't believe in the traditional leadership playbook. She's a vibrancy architect who works with some of the world's most successful companies—Pepsi, Deloitte, PayPal, Children's Hospital Los Angeles—to help leaders discover something they've been missing the whole time: their own presence. Her philosophy is simple. Live from love, live from joy. But getting there requires unlearning everything that got you promoted in the first place. For over a decade, Marycay has used an unexpected teacher to help leaders see themselves clearly: horses. Not as a gimmick. As a mirror. Horses sense emotions 1,000 times more acutely than humans. They know immediately whether you're truly present or faking it. And they won't follow a pretense—no matter how impressive your title or credentials. In this episode, Foster and Marycay talk about: - Why authenticity isn't about oversharing, it's about honest presence - What technical brilliance is actually hiding - The difference between confidence and connection - Why ramming through results breaks down over time - What "healthy pressure" actually looks like in practice - How your body is already communicating what your words can't hide - The single practice that changes how leaders show up - Why the second-string player beat the star athlete with a horse - What female-led herds teach us about sustainable leadership The uncomfortable truth? You can't think your way to authentic leadership. You have to feel your way there. Learn more about Marycay here: https://marycaydurrant.com/ Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    Marycay Durrant on What Horses Can Teach Us About Leading

  5. Jul 8 ·  Video

    Luis Benitez on Guiding the First Blind Climber up Everest and What It Taught Him About Leadership

    A kid with asthma and allergies growing up in Saint Louis is not the profile you'd guess for someone who ends up standing on the summit of Everest six times. Luis Benitez did exactly that, and along the way became the guide who led Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind climber, to the top of the world. Luis has spent his career at the intersection of extreme adventure and public policy. He went on to serve as Colorado's first director of outdoor recreation (the first such position in the nation), and now works nationally to advance the outdoor recreation industry. His book, Higher Ground: How the Outdoor Recreation Industry Can Save the World, makes the case that getting people outside is not a nice-to-have. It's core to public health, local economies, and how we lead. In this episode, Foster and Luis talk about: What it actually feels like to stand on the summit of Everest, six times overThe physical and mental preparation behind guiding a non-sighted climber up the world's tallest mountainHow Luis talked his way onto that expedition team in the first placeWhy climbing is one of the purest examples of teamwork available, and what it teaches about giving people room to use their strengthsWhat it looks like when someone can't surrender their ego for the good of the team, on a mountain or in a boardroomHow today's workforce, like a rope team, needs leaders who guide rather than controlThe case for why the outdoor recreation industry matters to the economy and to public healthWhat policy changes Luis would make if he could wave a magic wand for the outdoorsLuis's lightning round: his proudest accomplishment, the lesson he keeps having to relearn, and what he would tell his younger self Find Luis's book , Higher Ground, at: https://amzn.to/4g2TbeK To find out more visit: https://www.highergroundbook.com/ To find out more, visit our website: Mountain-mule.com Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    Luis Benitez on Guiding the First Blind Climber up Everest and What It Taught Him About Leadership

  6. Jul 1 ·  Video

    Dr. Foster Mobley on Loneliness, Ego, and Why Leadership Can Be So Isolating

    Half of all CEOs say they feel lonely in their role. Sixty-one percent say it actively hurts their performance. So why don't more leaders talk about it? In this episode, Foster sits down across the table for an unusually candid conversation about his own experience with loneliness, the moment that started separating his ego from his identity, and what it actually took to build relationships he didn't have to perform for. He gets into the role executive coaches often play as a "safe place" for leaders who can't be vulnerable anywhere else, the slow and sometimes painful process of stepping out of a 35-year identity as CEO, and a book that reframed how he thinks about connection altogether: Mattering by Jennifer Breheny Wallace. Foster and host Jana Devan talk about: Why loneliness in leadership often isn't about being alone, it's about not feeling fully knownThe moment with his son that began breaking down years of inflated egoHow a five-year, deliberate succession process with Matt Brubaker became a case study in doing transitions rightWhy so many leadership and CEO transitions go badly, and the bad assumption behind itThe difference in how men and women report loneliness, and what that gap is actually hidingWhat Foster's twice-monthly men's group around a Bozeman campfire taught him about communityOne true thing Foster wants every leader to hear if they recognize themselves in this conversationFor more on the themes in this episode, check out two earlier Step Wise conversations: Jen Fisher in Season 1 and Matt Brubaker in Season 2. This episode was hosted by Jana Devan of Zettist. Resources:  https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/new-to-leadership-heres-how-to-address-loneliness/ https://www.lgt.com/global-en/market-assessments/insights/entrepreneurship/lonely-at-the-top-the-high-price-of-success-285466 https://hbr.org/2024/12/ceos-often-feel-lonely-heres-how-they-can-cope To find out more visit: https://www.highergroundbook.com/ To find out more, visit our website: Mountain-mule.com Go to ourwholenessatwork.com to learn more. Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    Dr. Foster Mobley on Loneliness, Ego, and Why Leadership Can Be So Isolating

  7. Jun 24 ·  Video

    Benjamin Smith on Why "Fixing Yourself" Is the Wrong Goal

    Benjamin Smith was a high school quarterback who could hit every throw in practice and none of them under pressure. That gap between what he could do alone and what he could do with everyone watching became the question that's driven his entire career: where does steady confidence actually come from, and why does it disappear the moment it matters most? Benjamin is a performance and wellness coach with experience at Yale University, Fairfield University, and Canyon Ranch. He works with athletes, executives, and high performing leaders, but his path there wasn't a straight line. He started in sports psychology, found the standard toolkit (breathing, visualization, imagery) useful but incomplete, and ended up at Yale Divinity School chasing the deeper question underneath it: who am I when the performance doesn't go well? Now he runs his own practice and a weekly newsletter, A Life Well Lived, where he blends performance science with contemplative practice for people trying to do both at once: perform and stay whole. I suggest you subscribe. In this episode, Foster and Benjamin talk about: Why "what's wrong and how do we fix it" is the wrong starting question for coaching, and what to ask insteadThe high school football moment that sent Benjamin from sports psychology into divinity schoolHis four core values (courage, connection, compassion, joy) and how he actually uses themWhy elite performance spaces (sports, the military, the boardroom) tend to surface the same deep fearsWhat it means to perform as "an artistic expression of your deepest sense of self" instead of a defense of your self-worthA favorite definition of contemplation from theologian Walter Burghardt: "a long, loving look at the real"Three practical starting points for anyone considering a similar career pivotFind Benjamin's weekly newsletter, A Life Well Lived, at innerlifeofsport.com. To find out more visit: https://www.highergroundbook.com/ To find out more, visit our website: Mountain-mule.com Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    Benjamin Smith on Why "Fixing Yourself" Is the Wrong Goal

  8. Jun 17 ·  Video

    Sarabeth Rees on Why Ending Child Trafficking Starts With a Conversation

    "It's not going to happen to my niece." That sentence, Sarabeth Rees says, is the most dangerous one we tell ourselves. It feels true, it feels protective, and it is almost always wrong. Sarabeth is the Executive Director of Everstrong (formerly Stolen Youth), a Seattle nonprofit working to prevent the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children through education, empowerment, and advocacy. Before stepping into this role, she spent more than 20 years in corporate strategy and change management, most recently as a Senior Director at PwC advising Fortune 500 leaders around the world. She's served on the board of the Joyful Heart Foundation and previously chaired the board of Haven. In this episode, Foster and Sarabeth talk about: Why the comfortable assumption that "it doesn't happen here" is the exact narrative that keeps trafficking invisible, regardless of zip code, income, or educationWhy Everstrong is moving away from fear-based messaging and the word "trafficking" itself, in favor of "exploitation," a word more people recognize from their own livesA real story about an eight-year-old, a video game chat feature, and the calm, non-punitive conversation that made him feel safe enough to speak upWhy grooming doesn't discriminate, and what it actually looks like in the ordinary, everyday places kids spend time onlineWhat made Sarabeth walk away from a high-powered corporate path to take what she calls her dream job, and what it means to actually live the values you claim to holdThe nonprofit funding myth that drives Sarabeth up a wall (hint: it involves the phrase "eat the scenery") and why underpaying mission-driven people is bad strategy, not virtueA leadership parallel Foster pulls from the conversation about power and silence, and why the same dynamic that silences trafficking victims shows up in boardrooms tooLearn more about Sarabeth's work, download free conversation guides for parents and educators, or get involved at everstrong.org. To find out more visit: https://www.highergroundbook.com/ To find out more, visit our website: Mountain-mule.com Hosted by Foster Mobley Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Foster Mobley. www.instagram.com/fostermobley https://www.linkedin.com/in/fostermobley/ Produced, Edited, and Promoted by Zettist Additional support from Amber Jillard Consulting Music for Season 3 composed and performed by Philip Aaberg. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Music.

    Sarabeth Rees on Why Ending Child Trafficking Starts With a Conversation
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About

For over 45 years, Dr. Foster Mobley has had the unique opportunity to guide thousands of leaders from the board room to the locker room. Naturally curious, Foster is now unraveling stories of growth, learning, triumphs, and—more importantly—struggles of leaders in his podcast, Step Wise. This is a series of conversations between Foster and the change agents he admires. Each of these guests has taken their own path to growth and awakening.Learn more about Foster at fostermobleymt.com or follow us on social media.www.instagram.com/fostermobleywww.linkedin.com/in/fostermobleyWe look forward to sharing these fulfilling conversations and the leaders who are a part of them with you soon.Edited and promoted by Zettist: www.zettist.com

Information

  • Creator
    Foster Mobley
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Step Wise
  • Show Website
    Step Wise

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