008 - Betting on Yourself: Leaving Wall Street to Build Goldholly with Andrew Little

008 - Betting on Yourself: Leaving Wall Street to Build Goldholly with Andrew Little

In this episode of Lead with Bubba Scott, I sit down with Andrew Little, co-founder of Goldholly, to talk about leaving finance, building a purpose-driven startup, and introducing people to yaupon holly, the only naturally caffeinated plant native to North America. We discuss entrepreneurship, sustainability, small-team leadership, and what it means to bet on yourself. Where to find Goldholly: Website: goldholly.com [http://goldholly.com] Social: @drinkgoldholly Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Andrew’s Upbringing and New England Roots 03:02 Brown, Baseball Stats, and the Path Toward Finance 04:42 First Lessons in the Corporate World 06:13 Mentorship, Feedback, and Professional Growth 07:58 Finding Purpose Through Sustainability Finance 10:41 Leaving Finance and Searching for Tangible Impact 13:25 Career Change, Identity, and Betting on Yourself 16:42 The Origin Story of Goldholly 18:32 Discovering Yaupon Holly 20:07 The History and Sustainability of Yaupon 21:55 Sustainability as Good Business 24:10 Health and Better Caffeine Options 26:38 From Board Games to Building a Beverage Company 28:13 Product Benefits, Theocrine, and American-Grown Supply Chains 30:41 Bootstrapping, E-Commerce, and Educating the Market 33:02 Marketing Goldholly and Finding Product-Market Fit 36:26 Evangelizing the Product as a Founder 38:12 Running Ad Campaigns on a Startup Budget 40:07 Testing Messaging and Learning What Works 42:08 Building an Honest Marketing Funnel 45:07 Peer Leadership on a Team of Three Co-Founders 47:05 Strengths, Roles, and Wearing All Hats 49:35 Trust, Passion, and Small Team Leadership 53:22 Letting Go of Identity and Self-Doubt 56:52 The Leadership Trait Founders Need Most 58:07 Where to Find Goldholly 59:35 Closing Reflections

007 - Building a Championship Culture with Gilly Lane

Gilly Lane, head coach of Penn Men’s Squash, joins Lead with Bubba Scott to discuss his journey from Penn standout to professional player to national championship-winning coach. Gilly shares how his parents shaped his competitive mindset, why failure taught him more than winning, and how he builds tough, selfless, player-led teams. The conversation explores elite performance, recruiting for character, leading international athletes, and why responding to adversity calmly and confidently is one of the most important traits a young leader can develop. 00:00 Introduction 07:07 Early Life and Introduction to Squash 12:06 The Challenges of Individual Sports 19:06 Transitioning to Elite Performance 25:50 Lessons from Adversity and Competition 30:59 Coaching Philosophy and Character Development 32:41 Building a Strong Mindset 35:54 The Power of Belief in Teams 37:12 Recruiting Future Leaders 40:33 Leadership Styles and Adaptability 52:25 Coaching During Matches 56:49 Embracing Cultural Differences in Team Dynamics 01:00:15 Responding to Adversity as a Leader

006 - Helping Students Find their Voice with John Nagler

John Nagler, a high school history teacher and department chair, discusses his journey from a teaching internship at a boarding school to becoming a leader in the classroom. They explore what it means to go beyond teaching content and instead develop students into confident, independent thinkers. John shares his approach to building a “democratized classroom” where student voice, discussion, and writing take center stage. The conversation also covers mentorship, leadership among peers, the challenges of technology in education, and how great teachers help students grow long after they leave the classroom. Check out GritBakery.com [http://GritBakery.com] as discussed in the show for fantastic baked goods in Charleston, SC.   Chapters   00:00 Introduction to John Nagler 01:12 Early Influences and Background 03:52 The Groton Experience 07:09 Transition to Brown University 09:56 Teaching Journey Begins at Groton 16:37 Teaching Philosophy and Classroom Dynamics 25:30 The Harkness Method and Student Engagement 26:47 Empowering Student Voices Through Writing 29:56 The Importance of Rigor and Integrity in Teaching 32:07 Navigating Technology and Distractions in the Classroom 38:03 Leadership Dynamics in Educational Settings 41:27 Establishing Clear Expectations and Standards 51:20 The Role of Humor in Leadership and Teaching 57:05 Introduction to Lead with Bubba Scott 57:06 Engagement with the Audience

005 - Leading in the ER with Dr. Kevin Sullivan

In this episode, ER physician and former Navy doctor Kevin Sullivan shares insights on leadership, decision-making under pressure, and managing chaos in high-stakes environments. We explore the parallels between military and medical leadership, the importance of humility, competence, and empathy, and practical strategies for thriving in chaotic settings.   Chapters   00:00 Chaotic ER Stories 04:02 Early Life and Influences 06:59 Path to Medicine and Mentorship 09:09 Motivation and Discipline in Medical Studies 10:37 Military Service and Medical Career 14:22 Leadership in Medicine and Military 19:44 A Day in the Life of an ER Doctor 23:36 Cognitive Offloading in High-Stress Environments 27:06 The Importance of Team Trust and Competence 30:22 Leadership Challenges in Emergency Situations 33:53 Debriefing and Continuous Improvement in the ER 37:43 Managing Emotional Toll in Emergency Medicine 43:38 Lessons from Medicine and Military Leadership 46:51 Engagement with the Audience

004 - The Principles Behind the Rules: Dr. Kevin Mullaney

In this episode of Lead with Bubba Scott, I sit down with Dr. Kevin Mullaney, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, Industrial and Organizational psychologist, and executive coach, to explore leadership in high-stakes environments. Kevin shares his journey from growing up in an Army family to serving as a nuclear submarine officer, and how those experiences shaped his understanding of accountability, ethics, and leadership development. We discuss why great leaders focus on the principles behind the rules, how ownership and competence drive trust, and why personality, self-awareness, and curiosity matter more than most leaders realize. Drawing from his work in the Navy, academia, and executive coaching at Harvard Business School, Kevin introduces the Know-Do-Be model and challenges leaders to think more deeply about character, responsibility, and what it truly means to lead humans, not just organizations. Chapters 00:00 From Army Brat to Navy Submarine Officer 01:15 The Principle Behind the Rules 03:40 Leadership in the Submarine Force 06:29 The Role of the Executive Officer 08:29 Navigating Accountability and Relationships 10:59 Transitioning to Academia and Teaching Leadership 13:28 Understanding Personality in Leadership 15:57 The Impact of Experience on Leadership Philosophy 26:57 Leadership, Discipline, and Punishment 31:03 The Importance of Curiosity in Leadership 33:20 Measuring Leadership Competencies Over Time 40:11 The Know-Do-Be Model of Leadership 43:43 Coaching Leaders at Harvard Business School 47:38 The Case for Ethical Leadership 55:10 The Value of Ownership in Leadership