Marty Strong has been a leader for decades, first in uniform as a combat-decorated Navy SEAL, and then in commercial business. In this episode, Marty discusses his career as a Navy Seal and prolific author - the rigors of Navy Seal training, and the transition from a military career to the business world. After leaving military service Marty spent seven years as a successful investment advisor focused on high net worth clients, ending that phase of his career at the United Bank of Switzerland. He transitioned into business management as a senior vice president for a billion-dollar-a-year defense contracting company. In 2009, he joined a small, early-stage growth company in this same industry as an equity partner. Since then, Marty has led first one, then two employee-owned healthcare startups as CEO, and Chief Strategy Officer. He is a thought provoking guest with over 350 appearances to his credit on national cable TV. He is a popular Podcast personality and has conducted hundreds of stimulating interviews in large metro radio markets across the United States. Marty plans to continue writing business insight books over the next few years and is currently working on, Be Exceptional: Personal and Professional Leadership in the age of Optimization.

Henry Kimsey-House is one of the first professional coaches in the 1980s and the co-founder and lead designer of the Co-Active Training Instute’s (CTI) provocative experiential learning programs. He is also the co-author of Co-Active Coaching and Co-Active Leadership. An actor since age 9, Henry honed his insights into human emotion and the narrative process through classical theatrical training and years of stage, television, and film experience. With deep conviction that education should be driven by immersive, contextually based learning and not dry information dumps, Henry is committed to creating richly engaging and transformative learning environments where retention approaches 80% rather than the traditional 20%. Henry continues to develop new, innovative curriculum and collaborate with other dynamic thought leaders. Along with his wife and partner, Karen, has written Co-Active Leadership – now in its second edition.

When one thinks about public radio networks and classical music radio, one name comes to mind and that name is Steve Robinson. Steve Robinson in his home studio It’s difficult to imagine a highly successful radio station without a leader like Steve Robinson. Steve is well known for his unflagging energy, endless creativity, and deep knowledge of classical music and radio operations. Steve has been creating, producing and developing radio programs for 50 years that have been heard throughout the U.S. and around the world. He is an example of someone who is a master of the critical skills of Communications, Production, and Technology. In Chicago, Steve spent sixteen years at the helm of the great classical radio station, WFMT FM (98.7). He retired from WFMT in 2016 and now lives in Boston where he is President and Head Cheese of a company he founded, New Media Productions. The company creates and produces podcasts, CD’s and provides consulting services to a variety of media clients.

Retired Rear Admiral Tom Lynch is my classmate from the great Naval Academy class of 1964. At Navy, Tom was active in sports – especially football where he lettered three times and was the captain of the great 1963 Navy team. He was also the brigade heavyweight boxing champion. Tom’s Naval service focused on surface warfare culminating his taking command of the USS Eisenhower battle group during the course of Operation Desert Shield. He also served as chief of Navy Legislative Affairs, and for three years was Superintendent of the US Naval Academy. Tom retired in 1995 and since then has pursued a very successful business career primarily in mortgage banking.

As a Master Coach, Hugh Shields is one of the top leadership and career coaches in business today and is a co-founder of Shields Meneley Partners – one of the nation’s leading career transition and executive coaching firms. Hugh Schields Hugh’s experience fits his role as an advisor to executives in transition. He has extensive profit and loss, strategy development, sales & marketing and operations experience in a variety of industries including professional services, specialty chemicals, electronics and controls, and electrical products Hugh’s clients appreciate his peer-to-peer “straight talk” way of helping them see, own and overcome their leadership blind spots. The result is that clients are better able to achieve the results they want for their careers and the organizations they lead.

Jill Wine-Banks is best known as the “Watergate Girl,” and has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in law, corporate, education, and as a regular prime time legal analyst on MSNBC, PBS and other networks. Jill Wine-Banks Her story is documented in her book, “The Watergate Girl,” a memoir available in bookstores everywhere and on Amazon.com. She currently hosts two podcasts – “Sisters-in-law” with her legal colleagues and “iGen Politics” – the intergenerational program discussing issues facing our nation. Jill is truly a woman who has “been there – done that. ”

Jim Carr is the owner, president and CEO of Blue Book Services, Inc., in Carol Stream, Illinois. Blue Book Services, Inc. is a credit rating and information company for the fresh fruit, vegetable, and lumber industries. Jim Carr Previously, Jim worked for Harris Bank in Chicago from 1974 to 1979. He has also served as the mayor of the City of Wheaton for 14 years from 1993 to 2007. I’m proud to say that Jim and his family lived across the street from me for about 30 years where we enjoyed our friendship and watching our children grow up and mature into responsible adults.

Fred Wackerle earned a reputation as a master Executive Recruiter. He had a forty-year career in executive search specializing in Chief Executive Officer succession and governance. According to Business Week, Fred was named as one of the nation’s top five general management executive search professionals by Chief Executive Officers and high-ranking executives. He has been the recipient of the Gardner Heidrick Award from the Association of Executive Search Consultants for outstanding contributions to the executive search consulting profession. Truly a dean of his profession, Fred retired from search and now spends time as an artist, painting in oils. His works may be seen on his website, www.wackerle.com. I’m proud to say that Fred is not only a dear friend, but an incredible partner.

Greg Pohlmann worked professionally in the store brand industry for 40 years. He is an expert in private labeling – store brands. Greg worked for the cream of the crop in private labeling – Topco Associates and Daymon Associates which together cover over fifty percent of all private label product sales in the United States. Greg was also part of the original start-up team that brought Aldi Stores to the United States. Greg is an expert in the private label industry and has documented what he has learned in his book, Thinking Store Brands First – Best Practice Guidelines to Enhance Customer loyalty and Increase Operating Profits.

In this short (7 minutes) episode, Charlie Jett discusses the importance of information validity to the Critical Thinking process. In short, if you want to think critically, your information needs to be reliable and accurate.