The Action Catalyst

Ever wonder how a Navy SEAL would sell door-to-door? Best-selling author, CEO of SEALFIT, and retired Navy SEAL commander Mark Divine explains EXACTLY how they would do it, using SEAL tactics and mindsets that can translate directly to the sales world.Hear the rest of Mark's interview in Episode 218 of The Action Catalyst.

Best-selling author, CEO of SEALFIT, and retired Navy SEAL commander Mark Divine explains the “20x Factor” and idea of direct perception, talks about shaping your enemies’ minds, and breaks down the 4 step process to achieving an unbeatable mind.

President of Southwestern Ventures, Priit Martin, explains why simple isn't always easy, and new and different isn't always effective, and why success boils down to the basics.Hear Priit's full interview in Episode 465 of The Action Catalyst.

Marketing, PR, and comms expert Kim Rozdeba shares insights from his book, “Branding Queens”, including what exactly a brand IS, the 5 C’s of branding, the paradox of expectation, the Oprah test, and why having your own personal brand might be a trap, plus, reminisces about carrying the Olympic torch in the ’88 games.

Author, speaker, business coach and podcast host Christy Wright explains why the antidote to fear is action. So don't let fear stop you; whatever it is you want to do, just do it scared.Hear Christy's full interview in Episode 188 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 465 with the President of Southwestern Ventures, Priit Martin.

President of Southwestern Ventures, Priit Martin, shares the mission of creating career and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people in Europe, reflects on the dream job of making money playing computer games, talks about weathering Covid, why simple isn't always easy, and new and different isn't always effective, why success boils down to the basics, and why Ventures’ real product isn’t a product at all.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student CoachingApply for an inspiring career at SouthwesternVentures.com/Careers. Elevate your business and create global impact by partnering with Southwestern Ventures at SouthwesternVentures.com/Partners.Southwestern Ventures

Cassie Petrey, CEO and co-founder of social media/music management firm Crowd Surf, offers advice on differentiating yourself in a crowded field, and what the REAL hardest part of your job will be running a business.Hear Cassie's full interview in Episode 464 of The Action Catalyst.

Author, speaker, business coach and podcast host Christy Wright covers the importance of only disappointing the RIGHT people, and choosing between being popular, or being effective as a leader (but you can't be both).Hear Christy's full interview in Episode 60 of The Action Catalyst.

Author, speaker, business coach and podcast host Christy Wright defines “mom guilt”, explains what women in particular intuitively know about business, why more is caught than taught, why the antidote to fear is action, and why to always make the easiest win your first step.

Author, speaker, business coach and podcast host Christy Wright covers the importance of saying "no", disappointing the RIGHT people, choosing between popular and effective, and why balance doesn’t mean 50/50.

Bestselling author and Hall of Fame speaker Sally Hogshead talks about the value of being a specialist, and how to create your own "anthem".Hear Sally's full interview in Episode 47 of The Action Catalyst.

Cassie Petrey, CEO and co-founder of social media/music management firm Crowd Surf, talks about starting a Backstreet Boys army at 12 years old, questioning Hillary Clinton, how hardware leads to social media change, the limitations of VR, advice on differentiating yourself in a crowded field, innovating new pay structures in the music and digital marketing industries, what the REAL hardest part of your job will be running a business, and the critical use of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in her workflow.

Ron Alford, Executive Coach, Certified Trainer, Keynote Speaker, and Senior Partner with Southwestern Consulting, dives into a few of the principles found in his newly revised edition of "Redefining Possible", including creating impact, forming your vision, breaking belief barriers, identifying truth vs. lies, and organizing your time.Hear Ron's full interview in Episode 463 of The Action Catalyst.

Bestselling author and Hall of Fame speaker Sally Hogshead breaks down the importance of focusing on differences vs strengths, getting the magic glasses to reveal how the world sees you, being a specialist, and creating your own anthem, and why you don’t learn how to be fascinating…you UNlearn how to be boring.

Chris Hunter, founder of several successful beverage brands, including the iconic Four Loko as well as the health-focused Koia, and the unique Not Your Father's Root Beer, shares the story of the gap in the market that he identified that led to the creation of Four Loko, and the process of fighting the government to keep it legal.Hear Chris's full interview in Episode 462 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 463 with Ron Alford, author, Executive Coach, Certified Trainer, Keynote Speaker, and Senior Partner with Southwestern Consulting.

Ron Alford, Executive Coach, Certified Trainer, Keynote Speaker, and Senior Partner with Southwestern Consulting, covers the principles and parables in his newly revised edition of "Redefining Possible", and talks about finding the joy in having his soul crushed, collecting “Ron's Rambles”, the importance of putting on blinders, truths vs. lies, diving into the data, but going with the gut, and why his pals call him “Switzerland”.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student CoachingOrder today at RedefiningPossible.comRedefining Possible

Best-selling author, speaker, and podcast host Gretchen Rubin explains why rewards are dangerous (but treats are good) when creating habits.Hear Gretchen's full interview in Episode 83 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 462 with Chris Hunter, founder of several successful beverage brands, including the iconic Four Loko as well as the health-focused Koia, and the unique Not Your Father's Root Beer.

We’re going loko!  Chris Hunter, founder of several successful beverage brands, including the iconic Four Loko as well as the health-focused Koia, and the unique Not Your Father's Root Beer, shares insights from his memoir, “Blackout Punch: an Entrepreneur’s Journey from Chaos to Clarity”, including the gap in the market that he identified that led to the creation of Four Loko, what they SHOULD have done at the very beginning to avoid disaster later, how the role of Founder/CEO is ill-defined (and why that's a good thing), hunters vs. gatherers in sales, fighting the government to keep Four Loko legal, creating Not Your Father’s Root Beer, what success means as a younger man versus now, and the value of knowing you’re going to be wrong but taking the first step anyways.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student Coaching

Matt Abrahams, host of the Think Fast, Talk Smart business show from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as well as an acclaimed Strategic Communication lecturer, and author of the new book Think Faster, Talk Smarter, shares the secrets to spontaneous speaking, how to get out of a conversation you DON’T want to be in, and how to answer a question you DON'T have the answer to.Hear Matt's full interview in Episode 461 of The Action Catalyst.

Best-selling author, speaker, and podcast host Gretchen Rubin talks about why habits are superpowers, why rewards are dangerous (but treats are good), and how the easiest habits to change are the ones that are, well…the most habitual.

Entrepreneur, television personality, author and speaker Bill Rancic talks about becoming an entrepreneur at age 10, the 3 biggest lessons he learned from competing on (and winning) The Apprentice, and "The Mega-Brands That Built America”, airing on The History Channel.Hear Bill's full interview in Episode 460 of The Action Catalyst.

Matt Abrahams, host of the Think Fast, Talk Smart business show from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as well as an acclaimed Strategic Communication lecturer, and author of the new book Think Faster, Talk Smarter, explains why his name, in some way, led to his life’s work, and shares the secrets to spontaneous speaking, the construction of conversation, speaking up without freaking out, controlling your actual BODY during discussion, how to get out of a conversation you DON’T want to be in and how to answer a question you don’t have the answer to, listening to what’s NOT said, daring to be dull and maximizing your mediocrity, finding the third side of a coin, and the role of martial arts in all of this.

Luis Báez, a Sales Enablement Strategist who has worked with tech giants like LinkedIn, Uber, Tesla, and Google, explains why LinkedIn is the best employment experience he’s ever had, how the same customers behave radically differently depending on the platform they're engaging with, creating a "water cooler" in a virtual setting, and how accepting messiness was important to his success.Hear Luis's full interview in Episode 459 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 460, with entrepreneur, television personality, author and speaker Bill Rancic.

Entrepreneur, television personality, author and speaker Bill Rancic talks about becoming an entrepreneur at age 10, the 3 biggest lessons he learned from competing on (and winning) The Apprentice, how he was treated by Trump, words of wisdom from Howie Mandel, breaking down goals into smaller victories, "The Mega-Brands That Built America” on The History Channel, the way fatherhood forced him to change both his personal and business mindset, and learning from Neil Armstrong if the moon landing was a hoax?Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student Coaching

Leadership speaker, best-selling author, and global influencer Jon Gordon explains how Steve Jobs taught his team to overcome limiting beliefs, and why being a realist can often be overrated, and ineffective. Hear Jon's full interview in Episode 192 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 459, with Sales Enablement Strategist Luis Báez.

Luis Báez, a Sales Enablement Strategist who has worked with tech giants like LinkedIn, Uber, Tesla, and Google, explains why LinkedIn is the best employment experience he’s ever had, what parts of sales make him feel icky and why you don’t need them, the massive value of community, how the same customers behave radically differently depending on the platform they're engaging with, creating a "water cooler" in a virtual setting, thriving through intrapreneurship, and accepting messiness.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student Coaching

Karin Hurt and David Dye, the CEO and President, respectively, of Let’s Grow Leaders, explain the 4 C's of how to resolve workplace conflict, as well as some key phrases for diffusing a heated argument and moving forward with a shared mission.Hear Karin and David's full interview in Episode 458 of The Action Catalyst.

Leadership speaker, best-selling author, and global influencer Jon Gordon shares tips for dealing with the "energy vampires" in your life.Hear Jon's full interview in Episode 40 of The Action Catalyst.

Leadership speaker, best-selling author, and global influencer Jon Gordon shares the 3 winning strategies of love, service, and caring, the importance of slowing down to produce MORE, the power of grace, being a resistor vs a conductor, tips for dealing with energy vampires, and how to become a love magnet.

Leadership speaker, best-selling author, and global influencer Jon Gordon explains why when it comes to employees, you’ve got to love ‘em up but hold them accountable, why to be demanding not demeaning and to start with the believers, how there IS such a thing as healthy delusion, and shares a story involving fellow Action Catalyst alum Donna Orender.

Gary Kusin, co-founder of GameStop, Laura Mercier Cosmetics, and former President and CEO of Kinko’s, tells the story of launching what would become GameStop, and how the catalyst for it's innovative business model was staring them in the face for so long.Hear Gary's full interview in Episode 457 of The Action Catalyst.

Karin Hurt and David Dye, the CEO and President, respectively, of Let’s Grow Leaders, dive into the findings of their book “Powerful Phrases For Dealing With Workplace Conflict”, including the REAL trends of workplace conflict and what’s driving it, the role of generational leadership styles, new world conflict vs old world conflicts, expectation violation, why silence is selfish, going with your G.O.A.T.s, scheduling the finish, having the courage to have the conversation, and contending with a "global staring contest with mortality".

Author, programmer, and entrepreneur Scott Young rejoins The Action Catalyst to talk about his book, "Get Better at Anything", including topics of discussion like what things it's NOT worth getting better at, what exactly IS "talent", the tension of learning, how these principles were on display during the Renaissance, the role of Tetris in all of this, and why monkey see is NOT monkey do.

Alex Neist, founder of Hostage Tape sleep enhancement tape, talks about the transition from professional football to business, the value of polarizing marketing, and how to target your T.A.M.Hear Alex's full interview in Episode 456 of The Action Catalyst.

You may have wondered, rightfully so, why The Action Catalyst doesn't have it's own upbeat 80s ballad yet. Well, wonder no more...T.A.C. is the place to be, Ignite inspiration, spark creativity, Top leaders bulldoze through complacency. Produced by Southwestern Family of Companies.With Adam Outland, and host supreme in Stephanie Maas, yeah she's a boss. With the biggest guests, yeah we've got 'em all, let's hear a roll call!Chip Gaines, Adam Grant, Kris Allen, Stephen Covey, Cal Newport, Dean Koontz, Dave Ramsey, Stedman Graham, governors, senators, Olympians, and more,Creating impact is what they're here for.In and out in 30 minutes or less, it's no wonder we've been named as the best. Subscribe and listen anywhere that you like, Always growing, there's no end in sight.T.A.C. is the place to be!

Gary Kusin, co-founder of GameStop, Laura Mercier Cosmetics, and former President and CEO of Kinko’s, unveils his new book Always Learning: Lessons on Leveling Up from GameStop to Laura Mercier and Beyond, and shares insights on alignment and accountability, respect, honesty, and integrity, continuous change, tackling toxicity, good reasons vs real reasons, only getting paid for the stuff you DON’T like, launching what would become GameStop, the delicate and sometimes dark nature of mentorship, the 4 most mission-critical things to look for when hiring, and not necessarily being driven to win, but refusing to lose.

Best-selling author, Hall of Fame speaker, and distinction expert Scott McKain explains what it means to be different vs. distinctive, and lays out the 4 cornerstones of setting yourself apart.Hear Scott's full interview in Episode 4 of The Action Catalyst.

Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 456, with former pro arena football quarterback, and now the founder of Hostage Tape sleep enhancement tape, Alex Neist.

Alex Neist, founder of Hostage Tape sleep enhancement tape, shares his first love of football and his time as a former professional quarterback in the arena football league, explains how dedication is just motivation over time, gives the story behind the name “Hostage Tape”, and talks about the importance of being polarizing, targeting your T.A.M., the TRUE definition of success, and finally making it on Rogan.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more at SouthwesternConsulting.com/Coaching/StudentsSouthwestern Student Coaching

Award-winning journalist and CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir explains why reporting on climate includes reporting on EVERYTHING, and how storytelling is the thing that sets humans apart from everything else on the planet, and also, which brings us together.Hear Bill's full interview in Episode 455 of The Action Catalyst.

Best-selling author, Hall of Fame speaker, and distinction expert Scott McKain explains different vs. distinctive, pursuit vs. attraction, the 4 cornerstones of setting yourself apart, and how creating clarity often means saying “no”.

Best-selling author, leadership speaker, and entrepreneur Mark Sanborn covers how to maximize your potential by entering...dun dun dun...the Potential Matrix. (Not scary, we promise.)Hear Mark's full interview in Episode 202 of The Action Catalyst.

Best-selling author, leadership speaker, and entrepreneur Mark Sanborn talks about making a “signature difference” and practicing "A.B.C.D." to create an amazing experience for customers and others around you.Hear Mark's full interview in Episode 1 of The Action Catalyst.

Award-winning journalist and CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir shares the story of his new book LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (CAN BE): Stories of People, Climate, and Hope in a Changing World, explains why reporting on climate includes reporting on EVERYTHING, the one thing that makes humans special from every other animal on the planet, advice from Mr. Rogers, the influence from his very unique upbringing, why there’s no climate change without culture change and why Earth repair is self-repair, and bonds with host Stephanie Maas over a mutual admiration of Taylor Swift.

John Hewitt, founder of both Jackson Hewitt as well as Liberty Tax Services, explains what makes the secret sauce of franchising, and why he might be the one person on Earth who thinks Berkshire Hathaway is doing something very wrong.Hear John's full interview in Episode 454 of The Action Catalyst.