The Klimb with Adrian Branch

Sowing Seeds To Harvest with Jonathan Paul

Some stories challenge your definition of success. This one begins with humble origins and big dreams, then winds through boardrooms, hospital wards, and a quiet moment where a young man heard the words that changed everything: you’ve never enjoyed the harvest. Adrian sits down with longtime friend and corporate consultant leader Jonathan Paul to trace how early lessons in sowing and stewardship became a blueprint for building a national firm—and how love and caregiving for his family led to a profound new perspective on life. Jonathan shares major turning points in his life, shaped by faith, personal loss and keen perseverance. By the age of twenty‑six, he successfully launched a consulting firm serving Fortune 500s. The clients came quickly but so did the stress. On the other side of his career, Jonathan spent twelve years of round‑the‑clock caregiving for his wife while working nonstop on his business. This duality culminated in a cancer diagnosis with a 50 percent prognosis. From that crisis, Jonathan rebuilt around human purpose: taking on fewer clients, forming deeper partnerships, and an approach that blends organizational strategy with clinical psychology to align motivation, identity, and results. The insights cut to the bone for leaders and teams: acceptance precedes performance; purpose clarifies priorities; healthy companies invest in people’s growth and protect their dignity. Jonathan explains how to spot a poorly run organization, how to stop performing for approval, and how to design work that’s fruitful and humane. Jonathan calls the outcome the garden life—productive, beautiful, and bounded by rhythms that let you reap what you’ve faithfully sown. If you’ve ever wondered why success feels empty, this conversation offers a map back to meaning. Subscribe to The Klimb for more stories that turn adversity into wisdom and share this with someone who needs hope. Leave a review with one change you’ll make this week to enjoy your harvest. Keep Klimbing!

Winning Intangibles For Your Life with Michael Cooper

What if the thing that sets you apart isn’t your stat line but your courage to choose a role and master it? That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with basketball Hall of Famer Michael Cooper—5x NBA champion, 1987 Defensive Player of the Year, and title-winning coach in the WNBA, G League, and Big 3—who turned blunt advice into a blueprint for winning on and off the court. We trace Coop’s path from a childhood injury that threatened his ability to walk to a career built on defense, discipline, and purpose. Shortly after joining the Lakers in 1979, legendary team executive Jerry West told him there weren’t enough basketballs to go around, so Cooper adaptated his mindset and found another niche: to lock people up, think the game, and raise the team’s energy. He takes us back to the 1987 season, where his expanded offensive game caught up to his stellar defense and when his Walter J. Kennedy Citizenship Award honored a school attendance program that lifted local communities. The theme behind Coop's success is consistent: do the work, serve the team, and give back more than you take. Coop also breaks down his 5 D’s—determination, dedication, desire, discipline, and decision making—and shows how they can apply across various fields in life. He shares how his coaching principles mirrored fellow Hall of Famer Pat Riley’s standards, and how he developed his players with honest feedback built on trust. We also revisit Coop's legendary pre-draft workout with a high school phenom named Kobe Bryant, and the passion and professionalism that hinted at the Mamba Mentality years before the rest of the world saw it. This is a masterclass in coachability and role clarity, filled with stories that double as playbooks: how to build niches, how to align talent with responsibility, and how to let values steer your ambition. If you’re climbing in sports, business, or life, you’ll leave with an inspired mindset you can act on today—and an affirmation worth repeating: “I think, therefore I can.” If this conversation hits home, follow the show across our online platforms, share it with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review to help more climbers find us. Keep Klimbing!

From Quadriplegic to The Ambassador of Joy: Barry Shore's Remarkable Journey

From standing tall as a successful businessman to being completely paralyzed overnight, Barry Shore's life took a dramatic turn that would seem unfathomable for most people. Instead, it awakened an extraordinary mission that's inspired countless lives worldwide. Before becoming the "Ambassador of Joy," Shore's resilience was being forged through early life lessons. At just ten years old, his father taught him a profound truth hidden in plain sight: in the word "business," the "u" comes before the "i" – when you prioritize others, you'll naturally be taken care of. This foundation of service would later sustain him through unimaginable challenges. Shore's life was first upended by a devastating car accident at age 24 that shattered his femur and left doctors uncertain if he'd walk again. But with grit and charisma, Barry recovered and continued on to a successful career in business. Years later, however, another serious challenge threatened to upend his life on September 17, 2004, when a rare disease suddenly transformed him from completely healthy to totally paralyzed from the neck down in a single day. After 144 days hospitalized, two years in a home hospital bed, and four years in a wheelchair, Shore refused to surrender to despair. Through what he calls "PTL" – Prayer, Therapy, and Love – Shore gradually reclaimed portions of his mobility. Today, though still requiring some assistance,  he swims two miles daily, six days a week, accumulating over 10,000 miles. His philosophy of "SMILE" (Seeing Miracles In Life Every day) radiates through every conversation. Shore's transformative approach centers on three fundamentals: recognizing that life has purpose, going "MAD" (Making A Difference), and uncovering the power of everyday words. He views joy as the "Journey Of You," emphasizing that becoming your best self naturally improves the world around you. His current mission? Giving $1 billion to charity without costing givers a penny through his "Everywhere Card" initiative. Whether you're facing your own challenges or simply seeking wisdom from someone who's climbed from the depths of adversity, Shore's message offers a blueprint for resilience: "When you choose success... how you choose to respond in any given situation will determine your path in life and your trajectory."

Defining Your True Legacy: Dereck Whittenburg's Path to Greatness

What defines your true legacy? For former NC State standout Dereck Whittenburg, it's how many people you've helped along the way—not the trophies, accolades, or championships you've won. As a young boy driving with his father past the White House, Whittenburg wondered what it would be like to meet the president someday. That childhood dream became reality not once but twice, as his journey took him from the Maryland playgrounds to NCAA basketball glory. The heart of Whittenburg's story isn't just about championship rings or coaching successes—it's about his remarkable pattern of turning setbacks into comebacks. He shares how breaking his foot during his senior year at DeMatha High School taught him resilience, only to face the same injury years later during NC State's championship season. Through mental toughness and unwavering positivity, he recovered faster than expected both times, contributing to what became known as the "Cardiac Pack" under legendary coach Jim Valvano. Whittenburg's wisdom extends far beyond the basketball court. After his playing days, he rebuilt his career coaching at Wagner College and Fordham University before reinventing himself again as an Emmy-winning documentary producer. Most meaningfully, he helped co-establish the Jimmy V Foundation, which has raised nearly $400 million for cancer research, honoring his beloved coach's legacy. "People have to believe they are worthy of success," Whittenburg advises. "Stay the course, believe in yourself, let people help you, and your dreams can come true." Through the Dereck Whittenburg Foundation, he's now helping first-generation college students achieve their educational goals, embodying his philosophy: "If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone up today." Listen to discover how to transform your own setbacks into powerful comebacks that benefit others along the way.

Resilient Ruthie: Overcoming Adversity with Faith and Grit

Ever questioned if you're truly meant for greatness? In this soul-stirring episode, Adrian Branch welcomes two-time Olympic gold medalist Ruthie Bolton for a profound conversation about resilience, faith, and finding purpose through life's toughest challenges. Ruthie takes us back to her humble beginnings as the 16th child in a family of 20 in McLain, Mississippi, where her minister father instilled unshakable principles that would shape her extraordinary journey. With remarkable vulnerability, she shares the pivotal moment at age 14 when conquering her fear of jumping a fence became the unexpected foundation for her championship mindset. The conversation delves into Ruthie's heartbreaking college recruitment story—being told she wasn't talented enough while watching her sister receive star treatment. Instead of surrender, Ruthie embraced a grueling 10-hour bus ride to Auburn University, where coaches bluntly informed her she would never make the travel team. Through tears and determination, she transformed rejection into fuel, ultimately becoming a starter her freshman year. Perhaps most powerful is Ruthie's raw account of forgiveness after being unexpectedly cut from the Sacramento Monarchs, the team where she had become a franchise icon. "When you don't forgive, you become a prisoner of your own emotions," she reflects. "It clips your wings and you can't not just fly, but soar." Now an author, coach, and humanitarian, Ruthie shares how her current book "Sent with Purpose" emerged from her realization that every struggle was preparation for a greater mission. She offers listeners a masterclass in mental resilience: "When resistance tries to hit me, the stronger they come, the stronger I get." Ready to break through your own barriers? Join us for this transformative episode that will leave you saying, "If she can overcome, I can overcome too."  Connect with Ruthie on social media @RuthieBolton to learn more about her inspirational journey.