🎙️Host : @jeffhopeck
🚀Guest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bardis

In this episode, entrepreneur and philanthropist John Bardis shares profound insights from his multifaceted career spanning business, government service, athletics, and charitable leadership. Bardis, who founded MedAssets and helped lead its $2.7 billion sale, attributes much of his success to observational learning—studying mentors’ character, decision-making, and compassion rather than formal instruction.

He emphasizes servant leadership and humility, recognizing that many opportunities in his life were “unearned gifts” that he sought to honor through effort and gratitude. His worst advice, he says, stems from the influence of pop culture, which distracts people—especially youth—from values that truly matter. Instead, Bardis praises the selflessness seen in the U.S. military and programs like Hire Heroes USA, calling the armed forces an “elevator of opportunity.”

Discussing his biggest mistake, Bardis recalls investing with people misaligned in values—reminding listeners that moral and cultural compatibility outweigh profit. True leaders, he says, let values lead investments, not the reverse.

He also recounts his time on the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency board, where he participated in stripping Lance Armstrong of his titles and exposing Russia’s state-sponsored doping. These experiences reinforced his commitment to truth and integrity in leadership.

🎙️Host : @jeffhopeck
🚀Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvankeppel/

Kurt Van Keppel, founder of XIKAR (originally Zykar), shares the entrepreneurial story behind creating the world’s leading cigar accessory brand. In 1995, while balancing a corporate job and a cigar club in Kansas City, Van Keppel grew frustrated with poor-quality cigar cutters. With his friend and partner, Scott Almsberger, he designed a single-handed cutter—what began as a $5,000 garage-built experiment that evolved into an iconic brand. The turning point came when a friend pointed out the need to “hone” the blades, leading Van Keppel to establish XIKAR’s lifetime guarantee—an act of integrity that fueled trust, loyalty, and exponential growth.

Despite early years with no profit and personal sacrifice—including living in his mother-in-law’s basement—Van Keppel emphasized customer satisfaction over short-term gain. His philosophy, influenced by Harvard’s Ted Levitt, reframed business purpose as serving consumer needs, not just generating profit. XIKAR’s dedication to quality and guarantees propelled decade-long 20–25% annual growth.

Van Keppel’s biggest mistake came from misunderstanding his business identity—expanding into cigar manufacturing (the Havana Collection) diluted focus and failed commercially. He learned to stay within his brand lane of accessories. Likewise, he rejected the worst advice he’d received: to prioritize gross margins over brand and service quality, noting that XIKAR’s long-term value lay in its reputation, not spreadsheets.

The company name derives from the indigenous “Sikar,” altered to “XIKAR” to symbolize crossing blades. Van Keppel’s ultimate life lesson: surround yourself with people who share your values, both in business and life.

In this inspiring interview on The 20-Minute MBA Podcast, host Jeff Hopeck speaks with Dennis Smith, the original founder of Party on the Moon Band, a 14-piece entertainment group that rose from widespread skepticism to international acclaim.

Dennis recounts his journey from an 11-year-old discovering live music for the first time to building one of the most sought-after event bands in the world. That childhood moment—watching a local band rehearse—ignited his lifelong fascination with the creative process and the power of collaboration. Despite early rejections and industry doubts, Dennis persisted in forming a large, high-energy ensemble that has since performed alongside artists like Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, and Brooks & Dunn.

His best piece of advice came from reading Robert Fritz’s The Path of Least Resistance, which taught him that creativity is not a mindset but a skill rooted in structure and tension-resolution—principles he now applies across music, business, and life.

Dennis shares a powerful lesson about separating identity from outcomes: what we create does not define who we are. This realization freed him from fear of judgment and allowed him to create boldly.

Finally, he emphasizes personal freedom and authenticity—illustrated through mentoring a high school marching band to perform without fear of others’ opinions. His core philosophy: create for the joy of creating, not for validation or reward.

🎙️Host : @jeffhopeck
🚀Guest: https://www.dennissmithentertainment.com/

In this episode, Jeff Hopeck interviews Michael Goodroe, CEO of Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation. Goodroe shares his lifelong journey in the electric cooperative industry, which began in 1974 when his father insisted he get a summer job. Starting at the lowest level on a right-of-way crew, he learned hard work, resilience, and teamwork—principles that guided his rise through engineering, operations, and management to CEO.

Goodroe credits his wife, Joan, with teaching him to view issues from multiple perspectives and to look for the good in others, turning challenges into growth opportunities. Under his leadership, Sawnee EMC grew from $50 million in assets and 22,000 members to $1.4 billion and over 200,000 members. He stresses that the organization’s success stems from consistent values—mission, purpose, and integrity—rather than chasing trends.

Reflecting on mistakes, he recalls a premature contract decision early in his career that taught him humility, risk awareness, and the importance of seeking diverse counsel. Today, he leads by values rather than gut instinct, emphasizing trust, transparency, and long-term thinking.

Goodroe’s central life lesson is adaptability: being at peace with change and using it for growth. Drawing from his family’s experience raising an autistic son, he advocates resilience and empathy—making the best of every situation for others’ benefit.

🎙️Host : https://www.instagram.com/jeffhopeck/
🚀Guest: Michael Goodroe

Michael Goodroe
President & Chief Executive Officer, Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation (EMC)

Michael Goodroe serves as the President and CEO of Sawnee EMC, one of Georgia’s largest electric cooperatives, providing power to over 200,000 accounts across seven counties in the metro Atlanta area. With more than three decades of experience in the energy and utility sector, Michael has guided Sawnee EMC through a period of modernization, reliability improvements, and strong member satisfaction. Known for his collaborative leadership style, he’s focused on community engagement, innovation in energy efficiency, and maintaining the cooperative’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable power. Under his leadership, Sawnee EMC continues to rank among the top cooperatives nationwide for service reliability and customer trust.

Jeff Hopeck welcomes Chris Shueler, CEO of Cyderes, a cybersecurity company founded by Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec—who later hired his first outside CEO in Chris. Shueler traces a nontraditional path: after military service and finishing college, he planned to become a high-school history teacher, inspired by his own teacher. His wife challenged that “low ceiling,” pushing him to recognize his gift for leading people. He built his career by “leading from the front” while “leaders eat last,” empowering teams so their performance becomes his performance. After private-sector roles and an acquisition into IBM, he rose quickly—becoming a VP at 32—but his Enneagram 8 “challenger” wiring clashed with Big Blue’s constraints. Ten years of pushing boundaries—and being reprimanded for it—told him he needed a stage where challenging the status quo was an asset.

That arrived via “code name Stingray,” a nod to Herjavec’s car passion. One year into the Cyderes role, bookings are up 40% year over year, the brand is stronger than ever, and the company is leaning into market disruption—at the cost of intense travel (he logged ~80,000 domestic miles in his first three months).

Best advice: trust your gut. A senior government mentor (Ron Smith) once asked him what his gut said—then why he wasn’t trusting it. Since then, he’s learned that by the time you finally act on instinct, it’s often already too late. Biggest mistake: not trusting that gut when high-leverage opportunities appeared—twice. Earlier backers urged him to start his own firm, and in 2006 Amazon courted him to help build security for its nascent AWS. He balked—young family, relocation to Seattle, compensation heavy in stock—and still calls it a miss.

Life lesson/legacy: curate a spouse/partner and an inner circle who speak truth, create healthy friction, and want nothing but your greatness. CEO life is lonely; that support network sustains you. Follow Chris on LinkedIn, where he regularly challenges industry thinking on AI adoption and security.

🎙️Host : @jeffhopeck
🚀Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cschueler/

In this episode of 20-Minute MBA, host Jeff Hopeck sits down with entrepreneur and musician Mike Barnhill to unpack a story of grit, transformation, and staying true to what matters most. Mike tells how he went from homeless to #1 in the world! It all started with a book and willingness.

Mike’s journey began with humble beginnings—growing up poor, sleeping on couches, and feeling trapped in a cycle he thought might never change. The turning point came when he and his brother discovered the power of self-education. From audio programs on long commutes to books like Good to Great by Jim Collins, they began to shift their mindset and challenge them to think bigger.

Together, they launched Specialist ID, a lanyard and badge holder company, and made a life-changing decision: to become the best in the world at one thing. By doubling down on badge holders and cutting all distractions, they transformed their small idea into an industry-leading business.

Mike also opens up about the downside of all-in hustle. In chasing business success, he sacrificed his passion for music—a mistake he now sees as losing touch with a core part of himself. Rediscovering that love has made him not only a better entrepreneur but a more fulfilled human being.

He leaves us with one simple but powerful life lesson: always be nice to people. Whether in business or everyday life, kindness builds bridges, opens doors, and makes the world a better place.

From poverty to industry leader, and from giving up to reclaiming music, Mike’s story is proof that mindset, focus, and kindness can change everything.

Episode 2 : Bonneau Ansley. He’s a remarkable real estate entrepreneur who, in just eleven years, grew from one client to selling his firm for $440 million. At 50, with a Wall Street bestselling book Brokering Billions, he continues to thrive. Alongside building his company, he personally sold $300–$400 million in real estate annually for eleven years straight. Driven by passion, he’s not only a top agent but also a strong entrepreneur with valuable wisdom to share. [Watch full episode on YOUTUBE (https://youtu.be/tfIAjVM62eA]

🎙️Host : @jeffhopeck1

🚀Guest : @bonneau_ansley

👉 Episode 1 : Chris Carneal, Founder & CEO of Booster (the fun runs in grade schools!). Host Jeff Hopeck asks these 4 questions: How did you get here? What's the best advice you ever got? What's the biggest mistake you ever made? And what life lesson would you like to pass on? In Chris' answers he explains his unique approach on virtues vs values along with his biggest failure in character explained in depth and more…. I would normally say “you don’t wanna miss this” but it’s way more important than that. You can’t AFFORD to miss this. [Watch full episode on YOUTUBE.]
🎙️Host : @jeffhopeckbrand
🚀Guest : @chriscarneal