Thirty Minute Mentors

Jim McCann is the founder and CEO of 1-800-Flowers. A pioneer in the world of retail, 1-800-Flowers generates more than $2 billion a year in revenue, consists of over a dozen brands, has more than 3,000 employees, and delivers more than 30 million gifts a year. Jim joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Jim and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, leadership, career development, marketing, customer centricity, self-deprecation, growth and scale, and much more.

A trailblazer in the worlds of journalism and broadcasting, Lesley Visser is the only sportscaster in history who has covered the Final Four, the NBA Finals, the World Series, the Triple Crown, Monday Night Football, the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Figure Skating Championships, and the U.S. Open on network television. Among her many firsts, Lesley is the first woman to receive the Sports Emmys Lifetime Achievement Award. Lesley joins Adam to share her journey and best lessons and advice.

Willie Pietersen was the CEO of four different multibillion-dollar businesses, including Tropicana and Seagram USA. Willie joins Adam to share his journey and best lessons on leadership and career success. Willie and Adam discuss lessons from growing up in South Africa when apartheid began; navigating a nontraditional path to the c-suite; keys to growing and excelling as a leader; the importance of ethics in leadership and business; and much more.

Reggie Aggarwal is the founder and CEO of Cvent, the largest event software company. Reggie has led Cvent through numerous highs and lows - from the brink of bankruptcy to getting acquired by Blackstone last year for $4.6 billion. Reggie joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Reggie and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, leadership, team-building, career development, crisis management, culture, and much more.

A Fortune 500 CEO and the leader of one of America's largest financial services companies, Dan Houston is the CEO of Principal Financial Group, where he leads nearly 20,000 employees and a business that generates more than $13 billion a year and serves more than 62 million customers. Dan joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Dan and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, teamwork, trust, career development, customer centricity, and much more.

Lieutenant General Mary O'Brien is in a rare group of women who have ascended to the highest levels of leadership within the military, most recently leading one of the Defense Department's most important modernization initiatives. Lieutenant General O'Brien joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Lieutenant General O'Brien and Adam discuss a wide range of topics, including leadership, building and managing high-performance teams, overcoming obstacles and blind spots, and much more.

The creator, host, and star of numerous highly popular food television, web, and radio shows, Andrew Zimmern is a celebrity chef, an Emmy Award winner, and the recipient of four James Beard Awards. Andrew joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Andrew and Adam discuss a wide range of topics, including attaining greatness, navigating a nonlinear path to success, resilience, humility, leadership, and more.

Ron Shaich is the founder and former CEO of Panera Bread, which he sold for $7.5 billion and was the best-performing restaurant stock under his leadership. Ron helped define the fast-casual restaurant segment: he was also the CEO of Au Bon Pain and is the Chairman of and lead investor in Cava, Tatte, Life Alive, and Level99. Ron joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Ron and Adam discuss entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, personal and professional development, and much more.

Mark Dixon is a pioneer in the world of coworking. Mark is the founder of Regus, now known as IWG - which has more than 4,000 locations across more than 120 countries - and where he serves as CEO. Mark joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Mark and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, leadership, growth and scale, innovation, hiring, the future of work, and much more.

A leading entrepreneur in the world of fintech, René Lacerte is the founder and CEO of BILL. Valued at more than $5 billion, BILL helps hundreds of thousands of businesses manage their financial workflows. René joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. René and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, entrepreneurship, EQ, growth and scale, culture, and much more.

Dr. Mandy Cohen is the Director of the CDC, where she leads the federal agency responsible for protecting America's health. Dr. Cohen was North Carolina's Health and Human Services Secretary during the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Cohen joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons learned along the way. Dr. Cohen and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, crisis management, communication, trust, career development, balance, and much more.

A three-time Emmy Award winner, two-time Golden Globe Award winner, and Grammy Award winner, Beau Bridges has spent more than 75 years acting in television and movies and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along the way. Beau joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Beau and Adam discuss a wide range of topics, including leadership, mentorship, building successful relationships, enjoying professional longevity, and much more.

The first female three-star Admiral to lead in a combat branch, Vice Admiral Carol Pottenger spent more than 35 years serving in the United States Navy, leading at all levels and breaking many barriers along the way. Vice Admiral Pottenger joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Vice Admiral Pottenger and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, communication, confidence, inclusivity, listening, mentorship, and much more.

Jason Buechel is the CEO of Whole Foods, one of America's largest, most popular, and most successful supermarket chains. Jason joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Jason and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leading people, teams, and companies; personal and professional development; recruiting, retaining, and motivating talent; building trust; feedback; and much more.

One of the biggest stars in the world of wrestling, Daria Berenato - also known by her stage name Sonya Deville - is a WWE Women's Tag Team Champion and is the first openly gay female WWE wrestler. Daria joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Daria and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: the keys to an unconventional path to success; relationships; motivation; mindset; and much more.

Sean O'Keefe was the Secretary of the Navy, the Administrator of NASA, and the Chancellor of LSU. Sean joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Sean and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, motivation, innovation, and much more.

Julia Stewart was the leader of two of America's best-known restaurant chains. Julia Stewart was the CEO of IHOP, and upon acquiring Applebee's, spent a decade as the CEO of the parent organization of both IHOP and Applebee's. Julia joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Julia and Adam discuss leadership, career development, risk-taking, culture, confidence, navigating setbacks, and much more.

Mark Sanford is the former Governor of South Carolina and a former United States Congressman. Governor Sanford joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Governor Sanford and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: winning and losing elections; leadership; ethics; overcoming obstacles, challenges, and failure; authenticity; personal and professional development; relationships; and more.

LeRoy Butler is an NFL Hall of Famer, a Super Bowl champion, and the creator of the Lambeau Leap. LeRoy joins Adam to share his unique journey - overcoming poverty, bullying, and physical and learning disabilities to reach the pinnacle of success in football - and his best lessons learned along the way. LeRoy and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, building winning cultures, developing a winning mindset, happiness, and much more.

Gary Kusin is the co-founder of GameStop and Laura Mercier Cosmetics and was the CEO of Kinko's. Gary led the turnaround of Kinko's and its acquisition by and integration into FedEx. Gary joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Gary and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, entrepreneurship, building winning relationships, building winning teams and cultures, feedback, mentorship, and much more.

Bellamy Young was a star on the hit TV show Scandal, where she portrayed the first female president of the United States and won a Critics' Choice Award. Bellamy joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Bellamy and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: finding personal and professional alignment; pivoting in your career; excelling in a competitive field; leadership; human rights; lessons from Kerry Washington and Shonda Rhimes; and more.

Dr. James Downing is the CEO of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one of the best-known and most impactful hospitals in America. St. Jude has an annual operating budget of roughly $1.4 billion, and among other achievements, has helped raise the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80%. James joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. James and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, innovation, decision-making, and more.

Doug Jones was the first Democrat elected to the United States Senate from Alabama in 25 years and was one of the most productive and bipartisan members of the Senate during his time in office. Senator Jones joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Senator Jones and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, mentorship, decision-making, finding common ground, building trust, fostering productive work environments, and much more.

Amy Errett is the founder and CEO of Madison Reed, which disrupted the hair coloring market and has serviced more than 5 million customers since its inception. Amy joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Amy and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: personal and professional discovery and development, leadership, building winning teams and cultures, diversity and inclusion, and much more.

Dr. Jason Wersland is the founder of Therabody and the inventor of the Theragun. Jason joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Jason and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, team-building, trust, growth and scale, mission, marketing, wellness, and more.

Strauss Zelnick is the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, one of the largest video game companies in the world. Strauss is also the founder and managing partner of the private equity firm ZMC; was previously the CEO of BMG Entertainment, then one of the largest music and entertainment companies in the world; and has earned the nickname "America's fittest CEO." Strauss joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice

Joe Foster is the co-founder of Reebok, one of the best-known and most successful sportswear companies of all time. Joe joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Joe and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, growth and scale, expanding internationally, leadership, marketing, branding, and more.

Patricia Moller was the United States Ambassador to two different conflict-ridden countries: Burundi and Guinea. Ambassador Moller led through numerous significant crises, including helping to avert a civil war. Ambassador Moller joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons learned along the way. Ambassador Moller and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, crisis management, negotiations, conflict resolution, career development, and much more.

Chris Todd is the CEO of UKG, one of the largest private software companies in the world, valued at $22 billion. Chris leads 15,000 employees across more than 150 countries and oversees a customer base of 75,000 organizations. Chris joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Chris and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: defining and attaining success, leadership, personal and professional development, communication, feedback, hiring, customer-centricity, culture, and more.

Nick Green is the co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, a leading social enterprise that has disrupted the way consumers can access healthy food and serves more than a million customers around the country. Nick joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Nick and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, entrepreneurship, personal and professional development, relationship-building, mission, capital-raising, navigating rejection, and more.

James Keyes was the CEO of two of America's largest and best-known companies: 7-Eleven and Blockbuster. While James was CEO of 7-Eleven, shareholder value increased tenfold and the company was acquired. James joins Adam to share his unique journey - from growing up in poverty to leading two household name companies with opposite fates - and his best lessons learned along the way. James and Adam discuss leadership, managing adversity and change, cultivating confidence, cultural literacy, and much more.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo was the CEO of Celebrity Cruises and the first female CEO of a major cruise line, where she led a multibillion-dollar business and more than 20,000 people. Lisa joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Lisa and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, crisis management, customer centricity, culture, gender equity in the workplace, and much more.

Artis Stevens is the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, one of America's largest and most impactful non-profit organizations focused on mentorship. Artis joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Artis and Adam discuss the ins and outs of mentorship - how to find a mentor, how to optimize a mentor-mentee relationship, how to be a great mentor, and much more - in addition to topics ranging from career development to leadership to purpose.

A self-made billionaire, Jenny Just is the co-founder and managing director of PEAK6, a multi-billion dollar financial services and technology company. Jenny joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Jenny and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, leadership, decision-making, risk management, investing, poker, managing personal and professional relationships, and more.

One of the greatest offensive linemen in the history of football, Ron Mix is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was one of the best players in the game in each of his first nine seasons. Ron joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Ron and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: attaining greatness, leadership, building winning teams and cultures, building relationships and loyalty, negotiations, the social impact of sports, and much more.

Ted Leonsis is the founder and CEO of Monumental Sports, which owns and operates five professional sports teams, including the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics. Previously a senior executive at AOL, Ted is also the co-founder of the venture capital firm Revolution Growth. Ted joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Ted and Adam discuss entrepreneurship, leadership, mentorship, personal and professional development, the human and business sides of sports, and much more.

Michael Osanloo was the CEO of P.F. Chang's, a billion-dollar restaurant chain with more than 300 locations around the world. Michael is the CEO of Portillo's, which has expanded rapidly under his leadership and is valued at over a billion dollars. Michael joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Michael and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, decision-making, customer-centricity, hiring, culture, and much more.

Jason Gorevic is the CEO of Teladoc Health, the world's largest telehealth company. Jason joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Jason and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leading people, organizations, and your own career; leading remote and hybrid teams; building a values-driven culture; hiring; feedback; how to define and measure success; and much more.

Benita Fitzgerald Mosley is the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles. Benita has served in leadership roles for numerous prominent nonprofit organizations and is the CEO of the nonprofit Multiplying Good. Benita joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons learned along the way. Benita and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, mentorship, motivation, mindset, overcoming imposter syndrome, building winning relationships, and much more.

One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Fran Tarkenton is an NFL legend and a Hall of Famer. Fran led the NFL in all-time passing yards and touchdowns at the time of his retirement. Fran joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Fran and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, mentorship, personal and professional development, winning and losing on and off the field, and much more.

Allan Thygesen is the CEO of DocuSign, the market leader in eSignature. DocuSign has facilitated more than a billion eSignature transactions for users across more than 180 countries. Allan previously led a $100 billion + business within Google. Allan joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Allan and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leading people and teams, leading a global business, career development, decision-making, networking, innovation, hiring, and much more.

Tim Ryan spent two decades as a member of Congress, winning ten consecutive elections. Congressman Ryan joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Congressman Ryan and Adam discuss a wide range of topics, including leadership, mentorship, trust, building successful relationships, developing a winning mindset, and much more.

Ania Smith is the CEO of TaskRabbit, where hundreds of thousands of freelancers have performed millions of tasks in thousands of cities across nine countries. Ania joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Ania and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, customer-centricity, decision-making, learning from mistakes, the gig economy, diversity and inclusion, and more.

One of the greatest hockey players of all time and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Chris Pronger was a six-time all-star, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, an NHL MVP, and a Stanley Cup champion. Chris joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Chris and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, teamwork, motivation, mental toughness, mentorship, entrepreneurship, culture, and much more.

GJ Hart is the CEO of Red Robin, where he leads a billion-dollar business that consists of more than 500 restaurants and roughly 25,000 employees. GJ joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. GJ and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, building winning teams and cultures, building customer-centric businesses, navigating setbacks, the restaurant business, franchising, and much more.

General Michael Garrett is a retired four-star general who spent nearly four decades serving in the Army, including more than a decade in the elite 75th Ranger Regiment. General Garrett led the United States Army Forces Command, the largest organization in the Army, consisting of roughly 750,000 soldiers and 100,000 civilians. General Garrett joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons on leadership and life.

A former Fortune 500 CEO and Cabinet member, Carlos Gutierrez was the CEO of Kellogg - the youngest CEO in Kellogg history and the only Latino CEO of a Fortune 500 company at the time - and subsequently the United States Secretary of Commerce. Secretary Gutierrez joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons learned along the way. Secretary Gutierrez and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, sales, building winning teams and cultures, mentorship, and much more.

Rania Succar is the CEO of Mailchimp, the leading email marketing and automation company. Mailchimp helps 13 million customers around the world send more than a half billion emails every day. Rania joins Adam to share her journey and her best lessons and advice. Rania and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, hiring, innovation, email marketing, work-life balance, and more.

Jim Weber is the CEO of Brooks, which he led from the verge of bankruptcy to more than a billion dollars in annual revenue and transformed into a leader in the running shoe market. Jim joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Jim and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leading people and teams, leading a turnaround, lessons from working with Warren Buffett, branding, culture, personal and professional development, and much more.

Kunal Kapoor is the CEO of Morningstar, where he leads a multibillion-dollar business and one of the most influential companies in the world of investing. Kunal joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Kunal and Adam discuss a wide range of topics, including leadership, career development, navigating a data-driven world, contrarianism, communication, mentorship, and more.