Podcast Ryan Berman

After fighting and beating cancer for the third time, everyone told Taras Wayner he was the most courageous person they knew, but Taras didn't perceive himself that way. Intrigued by fear's impact on his life, he embarked on a journey to unravel its secrets. Thus, Fear Incorporated was born. In this enlightening episode of The Courageous Podcast, R…

It's almost as if Tim Bantle was destined for his current role as CEO of Eddie Bauer. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Live Your Adventure® could easily double as Tim’s personal slogan, as he has hopped from skiing to rock climbing expeditions throughout his life. Now, after time at both Patagonia and North Face, Tim's living his corporate adventure of …

Be clear on the ‘why’, flexible on the ‘how’. Let’s walk in the shoes of Buddy Teaster. Buddy is using shoes and clothing to create opportunities for millions as he runs Soles4Souls, where they collect and distribute shoes and clothing around the world. In his conversation with host Ryan Berman, Buddy gives listeners actionable advice to move towar…

When most British folks talk about football, they’re bantering over the one where players score goals vs field goals. But in this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Will Misselbrook shares his story of being front and center for the most talked about rebrand in NFL history. Will takes us behind-the-curtain for a look at his work with the recent reb…

You can’t hate yourself into change. You must love yourself into greatness. Star Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell’s journey to success began with a simple realization: Change is inevitable, but growth is optional. As of this week, Emma isn’t just the founder of Live Learn Lovewell, an Under Armour athlete, or an all-around wellness expert — she’s a…

Think the NFL runs a six month season? Think again. The NFL is now an around-the-clock machine deliberately churning out content and programs year round. At the center of those stories is the NFL's EVP and Chief Marketing Officer Tim Ellis. A true innovator, Tim has accumulated more prestigious awards than he can count over his three decades as a m…

Forever Remembered: Robert Duran. A few months back, you may remember my podcast with Robert Duran who had been fighting Pancreatic Cancer. In late March, Robert entered hospice. Last week, Robert (as he would put it) left this world for “2.0”. Robert was an anomaly in more ways than one. He defied the odds and battled the king of cancers for just …

If you could have dinner with any four people, dead or alive, who would it be? Now what if you could make dinner for those four people? What would you serve up? On this episode, culinary master and TV personality Chef David Burke playfully shares his answers on what we he would create for a certain athlete, rock & roll star, family member (he never…

How do you bring five fiercely competitive NBA owners together off the court for the creation of a new joint venture? Through a shared passion for tequila, obviously. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Co-Founder and CEO at Cincoro Tequila, Emilia Fazzalari, takes us on an exclusive journey into the birth of this iconic brand. Learn how Emi…

Celebrities are people too, you know. And not many people on the planet know exactly how true that statement is like Chris Detert — who from his first days on the job in Los Angeles had him interacting with some of the most influential (but real) celebrities on the planet. Formerly the CEO of American Rebel PR, a boutique agency Chris started from …

Growing up in Indiana, Karena and her family weren’t equipped with the tools to navigate their moms chaotic paranoid schizophrenia. It took Karena on a tumultuous tailspin where she now confesses, "I spent my entire teenage years depressed". Despite a difficult childhood, the true dawning of Karena Dawn came after a long night (and morning) at a Lo…

The joys of being named a first time CEO just before the world shut down. This is the real, live work-in-progress story of Cedar Carter. Cedar, an experienced marketer who navigated her way through the fashion, wellness, and sports industries, took the reigns as the CEO of The Good Patch just before the global pandemic. She joins Ryan on The Courag…

Jean Batthany is a seasoned brand builder and marketer with over three decades of experience. She has been recognized as one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative Women in Advertising and awarded Advertising Working Mothers of the Year by AWNY. Despite being "in between successes" at the moment, Jean is focusing on the art of pausing and leveragin…

“The hardest days are the most fun sometimes.” First at Buzzfeed, then helping to grow and sell Cheddar, Melissa Rosenthal recently made the leap to San Diego to take on a new challenge in her career. As the Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, Melissa is taking a bold approach to humanizing marketing in a space where it isn’t so common. Melissa has …

At just 8 years old, Matt Gilhooly was struck with the abrupt and heartbreaking news that his mother had passed away in a motorcycle accident. This event marked the beginning of a long, soul-breaking journey of grief that lasted well over two decades. Today, however, Matt has found a healthy way to cope with his grief; using his experiences to help…

Proper pacing, surrounding yourself with the right players, and realizing what you put in is what you get out. These are all lessons that Audrey Burger has taken from her days as a 3-sport D1 college athlete and has applied to her current role as Head of Commercial Strategy, Insights & Planning at Primal Kitchen. In this advice-filled episode of Th…

Life creeps up on you if you’re not careful. - George Krumme, 100 Those were the near exact words shared by our charming centenarian guest, George Krumme, on this special 100th episode of The Courageous Podcast. As you can imagine, being 100, George has packed a lot into his life including honor, legacy, duty, four great grandchildren and two love …

800+ global artisans. 2 million raised for charitable organizations. A $200 dollar investment that started it all. Griffin Thall has always been an entrepreneur. As a teenager, he was selling a steady stream of products on eBay, earning enough cash to fund his college ventures. Now, 12 years after he co-founded and served as CEO for Pura Vida Brace…

Lauren Teague knows the secret to building a great business is to cultivate fandom instead of followers. Currently, she’s focused on her new courageous endeavor — building FanWagn, a re-commerce marketplace where gently used, greatly loved fan apparel gets new life. On this episode of the Courageous Podcast, Lauren and Ryan dive into the realities …

Think it. Ink it. Sink it. Steven Cox first harnessed the power of manifesting his destiny through pen and paper to lose 55 lbs then date his High School prom queen. Writing down his goals has led Steven to some incredible places. Most recently to Hollywood where he’s made the leap from successful entrepreneur — selling his company TakeLessons to M…

RESILIENCE. That’s the word Adam Markel wears across his chest in big bold letters for his conversation with Ryan. Adam is a CEO, Best Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, and Business Mentor. In his most recent book Change Proof, Adam gives readers a blueprint to “Leveraging the Power of Uncertainty to Build Long-term Resilience”. A self proclaimed cy…

Runner. Soccer Ball. Basketball. Basketball player. Hockey stick. English flag. American flag. These are the 7 emojis that Ed Romaine has carefully curated to present himself to the world in his Instagram bio. Ed is the Head of Marketing and Brand Development, Sports at Warner Bros Discovery, where he oversees a myriad of sports related properties …

It’s the last episode of the Courageous Podcast of 2022, and what a year it has been! We’ve been so honored to have an incredible line-up of courageous, inspiring, and passionate guests join us this year to share so many amazing stories, bits of advice, and even some laughs along the way. To wrap the year up in a nice bow, we are tapping guest host…

Steve Mayer is Senior EVP/Chief Content Officer at the National Hockey League where he’s produced a myriad of memorable events (and content) for the league. Since joining eight years ago, Steve has been on a mission to reinvent the way the NHL creates, with an emphasis on experience and authentic storytelling. In his conversation with host Ryan Ber…

“Careful, your strategy’s showing.” While other kids were outside playing, an 8 year old Steve Pacheco spent Sunday mornings marking up ads in the paper to make them better. To this day, his passion for the craft of advertising is unmatched. Steve spent over 20 years of his career at FedEx, where he produced 12 consecutive Super Bowl commercials. H…

Richie Norton is on a mission to expose the biggest lie ever told: time management was designed to control people, not give them their time back. Richie is a serial entrepreneur and an award-winning author of several books including Anti-Time Management and The Power of Starting Something Stupid. He is one of the world’s leading thinkers and Top 10…

8 curious questions. 5 minutes per answer. 1 legendary storyteller. We are switching things up on this week’s episode of the Courageous Podcast as Host Ryan Berman, armed with a referee's whistle, puts his guest, Ernest Lupinacci, on the hot seat. In this advice packed episode, Ernest — a co-producer of “The Offer” — touches on how Francis Ford Cop…

Our guest today defines what it means to be courageous. Robert Duran is a father, husband and passionate cyclist. For the last decade, Robert has been riding through life navigating the rocky terrain that comes with being diagnosed with what many call a death sentence in Pancreatic Cancer. In this very open and raw conversation with host Ryan Berma…

57 USMNT goals. 57 USMNT assists. 3 World Cups. 1 dramatic extra-time World Cup goal against Algeria that sent America through to the final 16 in 2010. Landon Donovan is a name that needs no introduction to American soccer fans. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Landon literally joins Ryan on his way to Qatar. He shares what his next two w…

With a billion monthly users, an average session length of 90 minutes, and 27 billion views on the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt — there is a lot of commerce to unlock for any business or brand on TikTok. At the center of it all is Khartoon Weiss. Khartoon has been named “40 Over 40” by Campaign, “40 Under 40” by Advertising Age and “Top 50 Profession…

If you say it, you will build it. If you build it, they will come. Jason Harris, Co-Founder & CEO of Mekanism, has worked with some of the most iconic, soulful brands on the planet including Peloton, Ben & Jerry’s, Method and Jose Cuervo. So much so that Mekanism was recently the desirable acquisition of Plus Company. In this episode, Ryan and Jaso…

For 300 years golf had remained the same. Then Topgolf came around. If you ask their Chief Marketing Officer Geoff Cottrill if Topgolf IS golf you’d be surprised to learn his answer. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, we discuss how Topgolf is democratizing and diversifying the game. Geoff, on Forbes list of the 50 Most Entrepreneurial CMOs…

What would you do with 100 days away from your job? It’s a scenario most of us could only dream of. Today's guest believes it could be the key to living a more fulfilling and authentic life. DJ DiDonna is the founder of The Sabbatical Project. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, host Ryan Berman and DJ DiDonna discover that sabbaticals and c…

10 years ago, when the founders of Airbnb asked Chip Conley to be their mentor, he had his doubts. He could not see his place at a young-blooded tech start-up where the average employee was half his age. But Chip is not one to back down from a challenge, and with the help of Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky, he began embracing his new role as a “Mode…

Communication is powerful. Our guest today has proven that great communication changes individuals, companies, and societies for the better. Patti Sanchez is the Chief Strategy Officer for Duarte, and has helped clients such as Nike, Cisco, Ericsson, and HP take their storytelling to the next level. Through communication frameworks, storytelling te…

He helped bring two NHL teams to the Stanley Cup Finals. Aided a USA Hockey World Championship Team to a bronze medal. Rebuilt two college hockey programs from the ground up. It’s why Greg Carvel refers to himself more as a “program builder” than a “head coach”. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, join host Ryan Berman and Coach Greg Carvel …

What would it take to make you 10% happier? Ben Rubin believes that making small incremental changes, like spending a few minutes a day meditating, can make big impactful improvements in your life. Ben has spent the better part of his career at the intersection of technology and human behavior change. He is the Co-Founder & CEO at Ten Percent Happi…

Growing up in a large Ohio blue collar family, inspired by her love of sport as a young girl, Beth Malafa told her mother she wanted to work for the NFL or the Olympics. Today, she has checked the box on both. In fact, Beth has found herself putting on events for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and the USOC. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast wi…

What is your purpose? Lana McGilvray, Founder and CEO at Purpose Worldwide, helps her clients answer that question on the daily. Purpose Worldwide is a global public relations firm that specializes in helping clients drive their purpose and growth as they pioneer a better world for all. Lana has an extensive background in PR and is also a contribut…

Repetition is reputation. Michael Preysman, Founder and Climate Lead at Everlane, has earned his reputation by repeatedly delivering on his company's promise to “Help people live their best lives with the least impact on the planet." The company pioneered the term ‘Radical Transparency’, and has lifted the veil on many aspects of the fashion indust…

AT&T, Ad Age, Xerox, NBC Universal. These are just a few of the companies that Josh Golden, Chief Marketing Officer at Quad, has had a hand in making courageous changes at. With a diverse career spanning over two decades, Josh’s wife accurately describes him as the Marco Polo of industry professions. Josh has earned a reputation as a catalyst to dr…

Do the scary thing. These are the words that our guest Miranda Prins lives by, and she has the track record to prove it. Miranda currently sits as General Manager of Continental Europe at Kellogg company, a role that spans 10 markets, 30 nationalities, and is made up of a team of roughly 600 people who speak 6 different languages. Managing this inc…

Cheerios. Lucky Charms. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Susan Pitt is a serial cerealist and seasoned Brand Experience Director who has spent just under a decade at General Mills believing none of the decisions we make as consumers are all that rational. As she puts it, “we’re all wired for story”. Susan dedicates her days to helping craft some of the world…

There are creative gypsies among us. One of them is Romanian creative talent Mihnea Gheorghiu (Pronounced: Mee-na Gee-orge-ee-yew) who recently returned to Milan from Cannes as a fairly happy man thanks to his teams coveted work on Diesel. On this episode of the podcast, Mihnea, the Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Italia, shares his nomadic jour…

Ever wonder why your best ideas show up in mid shower? Or how you refreshingly feel different after spending the day next to an ocean on the beach? Today, we dive head first into the healing powers of water. We’re joined by the masterful J Nichols who was nicknamed “Keeper Of The Sea” by GQ Magazine. J has spent a career researching the benefits an…

"Don't just look at the world differently. Do the world differently.” This week’s guest is a profound talent who does both. IN-Q is an award-winning poet, multi-platinum songwriter, and the best-selling author of Inquire Within. His ability to deconstruct society and bend those observations into words landed him on Oprah's SuperSoul 100 list of the…

A birth. A death. An anniversary. A circled date on the calendar. A special occasion where sending flowers or chocolates can bring loved ones together; even when they're physically thousands of miles apart. Now, imagine if this memory-making moment doesn’t show up on time. This is the anxiety that comes with being Charlie Cole, the Chief Executive …

Will Cady is many things. A conscious creator. An Emmy award-winning composer. A member of the 2020 AdWeek Top 50 for Tech, Media and Marketing. Like many, Will thoughtfully resides at Reddit's intersection of content, news, social media and trusted, vouched forum. On this episode, Will reveals what he believes is at the core of Reddit’s success. H…

South African Marc Sidelsky believes in the power of storytelling, finding your voice and following it. Marc, an award-winning commercials director, tends to create scripts that disrupt and flourish in the market including his recent brave accomplishment of going straight to a CEO with an idea (Stussy X Nike) that one year later won honors at all m…

Lauren Verrusio is the Head of Creators, Culture & Content Partnership Communications at YouTube. Jennifer Zudonyi is a Senior Director of Brand & Consumer Marketing at Warner Bros Discovery, leading efforts around its NHL partnership. On this episode of the podcast, we hear the story of how two power women turn themselves into a power couple. Each…