Rounding The Bases With Joel Goldberg

The final episode of the "Best of 2021" series features the amazing story of Montee Ball. After a successful college football career, the Broncos drafted the running back in the 2nd round. He was on the fast track to success when his fight with alcoholism, anxiety, and depression ended his football dreams. But instead of losing all hope, Montee changed his path in life and found his purpose. Listen to hear his story.

The best of 2021 continues with an immigrant to the US with an inspiring story. Rania Anderson is "driven by a deeply held conviction that the global economy will only thrive when women and all people are equally engaged in leading its prosperity." Rania is an author, international keynote speaker on inclusive leadership, gender parity and the advancement of women, and an executive business coach. Listen to this enlightening conversation that teaches the importance of compassion through empathy.

Continuing with the "Best of 2021", this episode features a familiar guest for host Joel Goldberg, who covered this Kansas City Royals legend his entire 13 year MLB career. Alex Gordon is a hero to the Kansas City community, he's a guy who always played the game the right way, respected by players and coaches alike, a fan favorite, a family-man, and an elite athlete. Joel and Alex discuss his retirement from baseball, his playing days, and what's next for the 8X Gold Glove left fielder.

2021 has been such a great year for Rounding the Bases with amazing guests each week. As the year comes to an end, we are playing great moments of 2021starting with Sam Rapoport. Sam is the Sr. Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with the NFL. She has worked to shift and progress diversity hiring in football, and catalyzed a movement for women in sports by creating a new diversity platform for the NFL. Rapoport was named one of SI's most Powerful, Influential and Most Outstanding Women in Sports.

Every now and then, you meet someone who sets sky-high expectations and shatters them. Today’s guest is one such example. Peter Mallouk is the President and CEO of Creative Planning, a New York Times best-selling author, and all-around epitome of excellence. Even by his own exacting standards, he has no shortage of accomplishments. From his top-ranked wealth management firm to his passionate commitment to bettering our community, Peter sets himself apart on the regular, all with a rare sense of grace.

Healthcare will always be about people. Brian Whorley recognized the importance of people in healthcare as an opportunity to modernize the payment experience. As the Founder and CEO of Paytient, Brian’s objective is to remove cost as a barrier to care, making it more accessible and affordable than ever. Paytient now lives at the intersection of medicine and financial services, where it is making a meaningful impact on countless lives.

Dr. Michelle Robin, wellness champion, joins Joel for a full helping of gratitude and a serving of perspective on Thanksgiving for a quick holiday special.

Brian Roland is a social entrepreneur and self-proclaimed coffee guru who has unearthed the secret to a successful life. It’s a simple recipe with just one key ingredient, and that’s people. Turns out people are also the secret to a successful business, which has been the focus of his company - Abenity - since day one. Abenity’s social mission is sponsoring hundreds of impoverished children and donating more than a million dollars in humanitarian aid.

In a world that often asks how much can I make, my guest today asks how many people can I serve? Isaac Wambua, founder and CEO of Dynamo Methods, emerged from humble beginnings in a Kenyan village. With grit and determination, he learned English, immigrated to America and has built a business from the ground up that solely focuses on helping others. Isaac is a believer that in life, people can choose to run away from pain or to go after fulfillment.

A special guest joins the show as Joel Goldberg chats with his younger brother, Marc Goldberg. Marc's passion is closing educational opportunity gaps. He began his career as a member of the Peace Corps, then spent over 10 years supporting adult education in Portland, and now he is the Principal and CEO at Skills Strategy Consulting as well as host of the podcast, All In: Student Pathways Forward. Listen to hear the ways Marc changes the lives of those around him. (And who was the better son growing up...)

We my know what a brand is, but how about the concept of a "cult brand"? I’m referring to the select group of companies that have established a loyal, almost fanatical consumer base. And expertise in what makes them iconic is exactly where Chris Kneeland has found his success. As the co-founder and CEO of the Cult Collective,Chris has worked with some of the most recognizable brands on the planet empowering businesses to become remarkable.

Kenny Randle is someone who has built a career around the potential of people. As a collegiate hall of fame track star turned NFL football player, he’s no stranger to the influence a great coach can have. But it's when a coach can find a way to simultaneously harness natural talent while also tapping into latent abilities that the magic happens. As the Regional Vice-President of a leading HR firm, he has played a critical role in matching candidates to positions, putting both on the path to success.

Mental health is no laughing matter, but with our guest Frank King, the topic somehow provides a way to feel at ease together regarding a heavy subject. Frank is equal parts humorist and survivor. As a veteran comedian and Tonight Show writer, he has a strong brand of sharp witted humor. By coupling that with serious real life situations like suicide and depression, both of which Frank has suffered, he is able to boldly - yet respectfully - start discussions in ways that have never been done.

Showing support to our brothers and sisters in arms is something Joel Goldberg takes to heart. An important cause no matter the time of year, but as we move into the holidays, it’s especially vital to show appreciation to those on deployment. Operation Uplift is a local organization with the mission of sending holiday care packages to the men and women who choose service over self. VP and Director of HR from Yarco Property Management, Mickey Carlson joins Joel to share more about this incredible cause.

If you’ve ever used your cellphone to put video on the internet, Adam Fichman is the one to thank. That’s right, his first company - a garage start-up in college, called 1dawg, pioneered the entire process and introduced it to the world. He is a tech savant and sometimes-irreverent internet prodigy, who bears many claims to fame. Fast forward to the present, Adam is the President and Founder of Lifted Logic, a KC-based media company specializing in everything from graphic design to print to web.

Carol Espinosa is a firm believer that growth is made possible when shared with others. Her first priority in life is pursuing her own happiness, while helping others achieve theirs along the way. Carol Espinosa is the founder of Freedom Interiors, which specializes in workspace design. The positive influence of her work is evident in the experience of her clients as well as among her team, where freedom is more than a word, it’s a way of life.

Cam F Awesome is one of the most decorated boxers in US history. Cam reaped the benefits of being a storied boxer, but the cards weren't always stacked in his favor, which is how he learned to shuffle the deck and make necessary changes in his life. He went from being a professional boxer to living a life in a van traveling the country. Shuffling the deck helped Cam find his way to becoming a speaker keynoting for organizations on diversity and cultural awareness and living his life to the fullest.

Today on Rounding the Bases we will hear the story of the man behind the stories. By harnessing the power of public media, Kliff Kuehl - President and CEO of Kansas City PBS - has realized his goal of keeping high-quality storytelling local. With an eye towards reinvigorating tradition, his leadership can be credited with bringing radio, social and digital reading platforms into the mix.

Jeff Cloud is an expert in MRO, otherwise known as maintenance, repair and operations. Just as his company excels at customizing these solutions, he’s the type of leader to apply them at the human level. He is the President, CEO and third-generation owner of IBT Industrial Solutions, a place where culture is paramount. Jeff understands that strong culture is rooted in strong tradition. And because of it, he is determined to keep IBTs family-centric founding values at the forefront to his modern-day team.

Mike Kilkenny is President and CEO of Taylor Forge Engineered Systems in Paola, KS. He is a University of Illinois alumni and has served in many capacities during his 35+ year tenure with Taylor Forge, as well as several professional affiliations over the course of his career. He believes that small manufacturing businesses are the key to growth in our country, and is always looking for good, hard-working people to help advance that initiative.