Your E.P.I.C Pursuit

How Great Leaders Embrace Uncertainty - Dr. Connie Book Elon University

What does it take to lead boldly when the world is telling you to stand down? In this episode of Your Epic Pursuit, host Mike Mooney, CSP sits down with Dr. Connie Book, President of Elon University — a trailblazing leader who made some of the boldest institutional decisions in higher education during one of the most uncertain periods in modern history. Under Dr. Book's leadership, Elon has been ranked #1 in the nation for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report — five consecutive years. But the real story is how she got there. In this episode, you'll discover: ✅ The "force power" framework she learned at The Citadel — and how it saved Elon during COVID ✅ Why she signed a $50 million construction deal during the pandemic (and why it was the right call) ✅ How a nursing program launched in crisis is now sending graduates to Yale, Mass General & Johns Hopkins ✅ The "swing and miss" culture that makes teams more innovative — not less accountable ✅ The 3 Rs every great organization must maintain (from Bank of America CEO Hugh McCall) ✅ Why the wisdom is always in the group — and how to harness it without losing speed ✅ The renting vs. owning mindset shift that will change how you lead, live, and build Whether you lead a team of 5 or an institution of thousands, this conversation will challenge you to stop planning your exit and start building your legacy. 🎙️ Your Epic Pursuit is a podcast hosted by Mike Mooney, CSP — leadership performance coach, keynote speaker, and former NASCAR performance professional. Each episode filters through the E.P.I.C. lens: Excellence, Presence, Intentionality, and Curiosity. 📌 Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: Dr. Connie Book & Elon University 3:00 – The childcare center: A 20-year idea that finally happened 6:00 – Innovation is a process, not an aha moment 12:00 – Swing and miss: Building a culture of bold risk 18:00 – The 3 Rs: Relevance, Reputation & Reward 20:00 – The pandemic decision nobody expected 28:00 – Signing a $50M deal during COVID 31:00 – Launching nursing during a crisis 33:00 – The wisdom is in the group 38:00 – Renting vs. owning: The ownership mindset

Stop Chasing Trophies. The Pursuit is the Prize! Guest Chad Biagini

What separates leaders who chase trophies from those who build lasting legacies? In this episode of Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit™, host Mike Mooney, CSP welcomes Chad Biagini, President of Excel Search and Advisory — one of the most respected executive search and leadership consultancies in global sports, media, and entertainment. Chad is a Sports Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree who has overseen 400+ executive placements at organizations including the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Pistons, World Surf League, and leagues spanning the NFL, NBA, MLB, and Premier League. In this candid, wide-ranging conversation, Chad pulls back the curtain on the bold career bets, servant-leader philosophy, and practical frameworks that have shaped his journey — and that can accelerate yours. In this episode: * The trophy isn't the destination — why the pursuit itself is where real fulfillment and growth live * The "10 out of 10" life mapping exercise — how Chad maps the key areas of his life each January, names the behaviors of a 10/10 in each category, and aligns his daily actions with who he wants to become * The Excellence, Efficiency & Empathy framework — how Chad's team uses this 3-part model to evaluate organizational health and make smart investments in people and process * The Go-Giver career pivot that changed everything — how doing pro bono and low bono nonprofit executive placements took Chad from "the young guy down the hallway" to the most connected person in his industry * Multiple motives in the same direction — why it's okay (and smart) for giving to benefit everyone involved * Building an authentic network — practical strategies for growing your career through service, curiosity, and genuine connection * The COVID roundtable that beat the Big Four — how Chad assembled 60+ global sports CEOs during the shutdown and became a strategic partner, not just a vendor * Deep listening as a superpower — what presence really looks like in leadership and how it deepens every relationship * Double-dipping your time — Chad's method for maximizing his 24 hours by stacking learning with daily activities Featured Quote: "Your dreams will come true when you go out of your way to make other people's dreams come true." — Chad Biagini About Chad Biagini: Chad Biagini is the President of Excel Search and Advisory, a premier leadership consultancy specializing in sports, media, and entertainment. A Sports Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, Chad has led over 400 executive appointments across major global sports leagues and organizations. He is also the host of The Excellent Leadership Podcast, where he interviews sports and entertainment leaders to explore championship cultures, high performance, and transformational leadership. About Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit™: Hosted by Mike Mooney, CSP, Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit™ is a leadership and performance podcast built around the pillars of Excellence, Presence, Intentionality, and Curiosity. Each episode features real, inspiring conversations designed to empower leaders with actionable tools to accelerate their personal and professional pursuit.

Bet On The People Who Show Up - Tim Flanagan

From Bold Decisions to People-First Leadership: Tim Flanagan on Scaling, Strategy & Courage | Your Epic Pursuit Podcast What does it really take to lead through a strategic inflection point? In this episode, Mike Mooney sits down with Tim Flanagan - third-generation leader, General Agent at the Pelora Group (MassMutual), Charlotte's 40 Under 40 honoree, and Most Admired CEO - for a raw, honest conversation on leadership, courage, and building high-performance teams. Tim shares the moment he looked across a conference table and realized his team had split into two camps - and what he did about it. He unpacks why hope is not a plan, how to think 10X when the pressure is on, and the "slow down to speed up" strategy he and his business partner use to cut through the chaos without stopping the business. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How to apply 10X thinking to compress your vision timeline ✅ Why strategic inflection points demand bold people decisions ✅ The "slow down to speed up" practice for leaders under pressure ✅ What "honoring someone's choice" means in real leadership ✅ How micro moments and experience wakes build (or break) culture ✅ The people-first principle that's driven decades of Charlotte business success Whether you're a founder, executive, team leader, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode delivers the kind of practical leadership wisdom you can put to work immediately. 🎙️ Guest: Tim Flanagan | General Agent, Pelora Group | MassMutual | Charlotte, NC 🏆 Charlotte's 40 Under 40 | Most Admired CEO | Best Places to Work Connect with Tim Flanagan: [Insert Link] Connect with Mike Mooney: [Insert Link] Subscribe to Your Epic Pursuit: [Insert Link] 📌 Chapters: 0:00 – Welcome & Tim's Introduction 2:16 – The Science of Scaling & 10X Thinking 10:37 – The Bold Decision That Changed Everything 24:02 – Slow Down to Speed Up 31:40 – The People-First Leadership Principle 37:33 – Micro Moments & Experience Wakes 39:21 – Closing Thoughts

Ramon Ray - Stop Chasing What Isn't Yours!

What happens when you stop chasing what everyone else says you should do — and finally go all in on what you're built for? In this episode of Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit, I sit down with Ramon Ray — serial entrepreneur, small business evangelist at Bitdefender, author of Celebrity CEO, and one of the most unapologetically positive humans I know. Ramon has started five companies, sold three of them, interviewed all five Shark Tank sharks and President Obama, and shared stages with Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Deepak Chopra. And yet — what makes this conversation unforgettable isn't the resume. It's the raw, real wisdom Ramon drops about staying in your lane, leading without a title, and why nothing in your journey is ever wasted. In this episode, we cover: ✅ Why saying NO to coaching requests — even lucrative ones — was the most powerful business decision Ramon ever made ✅ How to identify your Zone of Genius (and stop chasing what's not yours) ✅ The unconventional way Ramon recharges when he's hitting the wall ✅ Why leadership isn't about a title — and the 4-day-old realization that changed everything for Ramon ✅ The two core values that drive his business, his team culture, and every room he walks into 🔑 Key Quote: "When it's not in alignment — not what I enjoy and not what I do best — I'm learning more and more to say no." — Ramon Ray Whether you're an entrepreneur, a corporate leader, or just someone figuring out your next chapter, this conversation will challenge how you think about your purpose, your performance, and your pursuit. Connect with Ramon Ray: 🌐 zoneofgenius.com About Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit with Mike Mooney: Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit is a podcast for leaders and high-performers ready to operate at their best. Each episode explores the real stories, bold decisions, and leadership principles behind extraordinary people — through the lens of Excellence, Presence, Intentionality, and Curiosity. 🎙️ New episodes weekly | Subscribe so you never miss one. 📌 Chapters: 0:00 — Welcome & Introduction 2:00 — Ramon's background & what has him most excited 6:00 — The bold decision that defined his lane 11:00 — How to find your Zone of Genius 18:00 — Hitting the wall: unconventional ways to recharge 24:00 — What it really means to be a leader 29:00 — Guiding principles: have fun & do the right thing 31:00 — Final takeaways & where to find Ramon

When the Storm Hits at 1 AM, What Kind of Leader Shows Up?

What happens when a thunderstorm destroys your entire event course at 1 AM - and 2,500 athletes show up in 5 hours? In this episode of Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit, Carl Thomas shares the leadership lessons that helped him navigate that crisis and build triathlon's Olympic format from scratch. As a USA Triathlon Hall of Fame and World Triathlon Hall of Fame inductee with 30+ years of C-suite leadership experience, Carl reveals the unconventional principles that transformed his vision into a global movement. 🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS: ✅ Lead From the Front – Why showing up and getting your hands dirty builds unstoppable team loyalty and trust ✅ Build Culture Before Crisis – How to establish accessibility, transparency, and vulnerability as foundational leadership principles ✅ The Better Mousetrap Theory – Carl's framework for taking bold ideas and making them relatable to your audience ✅ Servant Leadership in Action – Why you work FOR your team, not the other way around ✅ Patient Persistence Wins – How Carl turned a Sports Illustrated article into an Olympic sport without knowing steps 5, 6, and 7 ✅ Good Enough Beats Perfect – Making tough calls under pressure and focusing on what matters most ✅ Navigating Leadership Transitions – How to support your team through uncertainty and organizational exits 🔑 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: * How to lead through uncertainty when there's no playbook to follow * The communication cadence that keeps teams focused during turbulent times * Why intentional action drives clarity better than perfect planning * How to make tough decisions when you can't gather all the information * The vision and framework that brought triathlon to the 2000 Sydney Olympics 👤 ABOUT CARL THOMAS: Carl Thomas is a global C-suite growth strategist, Best Boss Ever podcast host, and pioneering sports marketing executive. He created the Olympic triathlon format (1500m swim, 40K bike, 10K run) and co-founded both USA Triathlon and the International Triathlon Union. His leadership journey spans Fortune 500 companies, startup ventures, and building high-performance teams across marketing, sales, and business development. 📚 EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: [00:05] Welcome and Carl's Hall of Fame background [03:55] Leading through uncertainty during organizational exits [11:18] The 1 AM crisis: When the thunderstorm destroyed the triathlon course [18:12] The Goethe quote that changed Carl's career [20:40] Creating the Olympic triathlon format from a Sports Illustrated article [26:57] Navigating the IOC and bringing triathlon to the Olympics [35:44] The unconventional leadership principle that drives results [39:07] Making tough calls when there's no right answer 🎙️ ABOUT YOUR E.P.I.C. PURSUIT: Your E.P.I.C. Pursuit explores leadership and high performance through the lens of Excellence, Presence, Intentionality, and Curiosity. Host Mike Mooney brings 25+ years of motorsports leadership experience (NASCAR, IndyCar, F1) to real conversations with leaders who've built something remarkable. Every episode delivers actionable frameworks, insights, and strategies to accelerate your pursuit in life and business.