Mario's journey from the soccer field to the construction site reveals profound leadership insights that transform how we think about success. Originally dreaming of becoming a doctor, his unexpected path to becoming a senior project manager with over 20 years of experience in the painting industry demonstrates how our greatest plans often give way to our greatest purpose.

"The hardest person I had to deal with was myself," Mario confesses while sharing how internal battles with self-doubt nearly derailed his career. His vulnerability creates an immediate connection with anyone who's ever questioned their place in their profession. Mario's guidance on building championship teams—whether on construction projects or soccer fields—centers on trust as the non-negotiable foundation. "When you have a strong team that works as a unit, you can trust each other and not worry about checking their work all the time."

The conversation takes a powerful turn when Mario addresses the rarely discussed isolation that comes with advancement. "The higher you move up, the lonelier you're going to be," he explains, detailing how leadership positions often mean fewer peers, less positive feedback, and increased pressure. His advice to have honest conversations with family about the sacrifices required for career growth comes from painful personal experience, offering listeners wisdom that could save relationships while pursuing professional goals.

What separates this leadership conversation from countless others is Mario's focus on practical application rather than theoretical concepts. From eliminating "I" from your vocabulary to encouraging team problem-solving without dictating methods, his approach transforms leadership from a position of authority to one of service. Listen now to discover how to build your own championship team and leave a lasting impact through sharing your wisdom with others who follow in your footsteps.

Connect with Mario at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-acosta-36281a286/

Make yourself a priority and get more done: https://www.depthbuilder.com/do-the-damn-thing

Download a PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
https://www.depthbuilder.com/books

Dr. Carrie Graham brings over 25 years of expertise in adult workplace learning to this eye-opening conversation about why most corporate training fails to deliver meaningful results. With refreshing candor and profound insights, she challenges conventional approaches that prioritize content over people.

"If you're not thinking about the people, what the hell are you doing?" This powerful question cuts to the heart of where training programs go wrong. Graham explains that organizations repeatedly miss the mark by creating content-heavy, performative training that doesn't acknowledge who their workforce actually is as learners. She shares a personal awakening when her own training wasn't achieving results, and instead of blaming participants, she asked why – discovering they lacked time, resources, and sometimes even basic skills needed to implement what she was teaching.

The discussion ventures into how organizations can meaningfully measure training ROI by starting with alignment between training approaches and company vision. Dr Graham emphasizes the critical importance of actually using collected feedback rather than letting it gather dust – a common failure that signals to employees that everything is merely performative. Through compelling stories, including Jesse's brilliant demonstration teaching executives bachata dance steps as a metaphor for unrealistic training expectations, the conversation illuminates how we must rethink support systems after initial training.

Most powerfully, Carrie reveals how her own professional journey evolved through recognizing approximately 4-5 year growth cycles, where boredom signals evolution rather than failure. Her advice on "sitting in the hard thing to understand the hard thing" offers wisdom for both individual growth and organizational transformation. The conversation culminates in a deeply moving reflection on her purpose: being a light for others in both personal and professional contexts.

Ready to transform how your organization approaches learning? Connect with Dr. Graham at http://www.drcarriegraham.com/ and download her free training assessment tool to start identifying where your current approaches might be missing the mark.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarriegraham

Make yourself a priority and get more done: https://www.depthbuilder.com/do-the-damn-thing

Download a PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
https://www.depthbuilder.com/books

When Greg Crumpton pulls up his sleeve to reveal his Kaizen tattoo, you understand immediately this isn't just another trades professional – this is someone who has infused continuous improvement into every fiber of his being. The veteran HVAC expert, author, and industry advocate shares a career journey that spans from scribbling notes in a black book while running service calls in the 1980s to building and selling a successful mission-critical air conditioning company.

His perspective cuts through today's workforce challenges with laser precision. "Our inability to take care of our country from a skilled trades aspect is a national security issue," Greg asserts, reframing trade careers as essential to American infrastructure security. This isn't hyperbole – it's the conviction of someone who has witnessed firsthand how skilled labor shortages threaten our fundamental systems.

The conversation explores why today's trades landscape looks so different from decades past. As baby boomers retire and Gen Z enters the workforce, Greg identifies a troubling 30-year experience gap created partly by removing trades education from high schools. His solution emphasizes personal responsibility: "If you're a tradesperson or craftsperson, grab a couple of youngsters and walk with them." His own mentorship approach balances classroom theory with immediate hands-on application, creating what he calls "learning on steroids."

Most powerfully, Greg recasts skilled trades as careers of choice rather than last resort: "We're not the people who had to go to shop class because that's all we could do. We're the people who chose to go to shop class because there's plenty of lawyers and doctors." With 24-year-olds in his company earning $100,000+ and advancement paths leading in countless directions, his message to young people couldn't be clearer – the trades offer not just work, but meaningful, financially rewarding careers building America's future.

Ready to explore the trades with fresh eyes? Listen now and discover why Greg believes his most important mission is helping the next generation become "smarter, more available, more open-minded" than previous generations of tradespeople were allowed to be.

Get the Deep Knowledge at:
http://www.deepknowledge.com/

Connect with Greg at:
http://www.gregcrumpton.com/

Make yourself a priority and get more done: https://www.depthbuilder.com/do-the-damn-thing

Download a PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be
https://www.depthbuilder.com/books