In this episode of The Jon Gordon Podcast, I’m joined by David Jones who shares an incredible story of resilience and love. When Hurricane Helene hit, David was determined to make it to his daughter’s wedding, despite facing impassable roads and challenging conditions.

David’s journey took all night and involved a 17-mile walk on a narrow, unlit road, using only his cell phone light and a makeshift reflector for safety. His story of overcoming obstacles with vision, goal setting, and perseverance is both inspirational and moving.

Join us as we discuss the themes of positivity, persistence, and the powerful role of strong father figures. You’ll be inspired by David’s dedication and his commitment to both his family and his principles in business.

About David,

David is an instructor, consultant, and executive coach with Excellence Advisory. He has over 35 years of experience in the manufacturing, education, and health care sectors. He is passionate about helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential, particularly through the use of the Baldrige Criteria.

Concurrent with his teaching and consulting, David was an engineer and manager with Texas Instruments, Siemens, EPIC Technologies, and Mountain States Health Alliance. His areas of expertise span Management, Leadership, Performance Excellence, Strategic Planning, Manufacturing, Marketing and Sales, ISO 9000, and ISO 13485.

In 2007 he co-founded Edamar, Inc., an award-winning educational products company serving the K-12 science classroom with innovative hands-on teaching tools.

David has over 25 years of hands-on experience with the Baldrige Framework at the state and national levels as an applicant, examiner, examiner training facilitator, judge, and consultant.

He has consulted with numerous state quality award winning organizations and two Malcolm Baldrige Award winning organizations.

He has served on multiple local, national, and international boards. He has also been an adjunct instructor in the College of Business and Technology at East Tennessee State University and in the MBA program at Milligan College. He is currently an instructor for the American Society for Quality (ASQ) where he earned certifications as a Certified Quality Engineer (1985-2011) and Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (1995-2011).

David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University and a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering (Engineering Management) from the University of Tennessee.

Here are a few additional resources for you…

Follow me on Instagram: @JonGordon11

Every week, I send out a free Positive Tip newsletter via email. It’s advice for your life, work and team. You can sign up now here and catch up on past newsletters.

Join me for my Day of Development! You’ll learn proven strategies to develop confidence, improve your leadership and build a connected and committed team. You’ll leave with an action plan to supercharge your growth and results. It’s time to Create your Positive Advantage. Get details and sign up here.

Do you feel called to do more? Would you like to impact more people as a leader, writer, speaker, coach and trainer? Get Jon Gordon Certified if you want to be mentored by me and my team to teach my proven frameworks principles, and programs for businesses, sports, education, healthcare!

Candy started her first business before she could legally order a drink.

Starting at 19 years old with NO degree, NO corporate background, NO money (and no internet) she began her career in business and investing.

She has successfully started, scaled, and sold businesses in multiple industries, in addition to creating a vast real estate portfolio as an investor.

At 26, she founded a non-profit charity and through her business success, she bought and donated a building to the organization. Since then they have saved thousands of lives and was actively involved, personally raising millions for the charity.

During her two and half decades as an entrepreneur, she has been named to
Top Business Leaders 40 Under 40, Top 50 Women In Business, 10 People Making a Difference, Top 10 Business Consultants by Yahoo Finance, and was the youngest female to receive the Governor’s Award in Entrepreneurship in Pennsylvania.

More recently she have been selected by Success Magazine as one of just 6 ‘Women of Influence’ and additionally listed as ‘Leaders Who Get Results’ with names like Tony Robbins and Brene Brown.

She is a Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, business trainer and financial analyst.

Get your copy of her newest book, "The 9% Edge: The Life-Changing Secrets to Create More Revenue for Your Business and More Freedom for Yourself"

Here are a few additional resources for you…

Follow me on Instagram: @JonGordon11

Every week, I send out a free Positive Tip newsletter via email. It’s advice for your life, work and team. You can sign up now here and catch up on past newsletters.

Join me for my Day of Development! You’ll learn proven strategies to develop confidence, improve your leadership and build a connected and committed team. You’ll leave with an action plan to supercharge your growth and results. It’s time to Create your Positive Advantage. Get details and sign up here.

Do you feel called to do more? Would you like to impact more people as a leader, writer, speaker, coach and trainer? Get Jon Gordon Certified if you want to be mentored by me and my team to teach my proven frameworks principles, and programs for businesses, sports, education, healthcare

In this episode of The Jon Gordon Podcast, I sit down with Matthew Mitchell, a coach who redefined success in both life and sports. Matthew's journey from a small town in Mississippi to the head coach of the University of Kentucky women's basketball team is nothing short of inspiring. We delve into the principles that have shaped his leadership philosophy: honesty, hard work, and discipline.

Matthew shares insightful stories from his coaching career, including lessons learned from legendary figures like Pat Summitt and Bobby Bowden. We discuss the path he took from trying to emulate the greats to forging his own unorthodox style that revolutionized Kentucky's basketball program.

A key highlight of our conversation is Matthew's new book, "Ready to Win," which is set to release on November 19. The book offers a treasure trove of practical resources and compelling stories about how preparation is fundamental to success. Our talk also touches on his departure from coaching to focus on a faith-driven life mission, enriching family time, and broader impact through writing and speaking.

Tune in to discover Matthew Mitchell's winning tools and how the principles he's honed on the basketball court are universally applicable to business and personal growth. You'll come away motivated and armed with strategies you can implement to thrive in your own journey.

About Matthew,

Matthew Mitchell is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author, speaker, three-time SEC Coach of the Year and the winningest head coach in the history of the University of Kentucky women's basketball program. The foundation for his teams’ achievements is the Winning Tools principles - honesty, hard work, and discipline. Through Mitchell's focus on the fundamentals, he led the program to new heights―seven 25-plus winning seasons and UK’s first SEC Championship in 30 years. Mitchell now leads the Winning Tools leadership platform, sharing the proven value of these principles with executive teams across the country.

Here are a few additional resources for you…

Every week, I send out a free Positive Tip newsletter via email. It’s advice for your life, work and team. You can sign up now here and catch up on past newsletters.

Join me for my Day of Development! You’ll learn proven strategies to develop confidence, improve your leadership and build a connected and committed team. You’ll leave with an action plan to supercharge your growth and results. It’s time to Create your Positive Advantage. Get details and sign up here.

Do you feel called to do more? Would you like to impact more people as a leader, writer, speaker, coach and trainer? Get Jon Gordon Certified if you want to be mentored by me and my team to teach my proven frameworks principles, and programs for businesses, sports, education, healthcare!