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Most people negotiate with one billionaire in their lifetime. De Smith negotiated with 31 of them simultaneously.

As CEO of the NFL Players Association for 15 years, the former homicide prosecutor didn't just survive what ESPN called "the toughest job in all of sports." He transformed it, creating over $150 billion in value for players while revolutionizing how we think about athlete safety and life after the game.

In this raw, unfiltered conversation on Awake the Network, De. pulls back the curtain on:

The brutal truth about professional football is that the average career is 3.3 years, the injury rate is 100%, and "you're not a Saint, you're not an Eagle, you're not a Giant, you're an employee."

What it takes to lead in impossible situations. From prosecuting murderers to facing down NFL owners, D. shares the single most important skill he learned in the courtroom.

Why he stopped watching football and what it took to get him back into the game.

QTR (Quality Time Remaining) is the framework that changed how he thinks about every relationship, every decision, every moment.

His new book, Turf Wars, isn't about football. It's a brutally honest examination of power, humanity, and how we choose to treat each other when billions of dollars are at stake.

Listen now to hear how a kid from a long line of Baptist preachers became the voice for thousands of players—and why he believes America is now being run like the NFL.

This podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Book available wherever books are sold, and also check out De's book at turfwarsbook.com

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What happens when a thriving corporate career collides with a mother's love?

In this powerful episode of Awake In the Network, where destiny happens, we sit down with Sally Rucking—a woman who traded first-class airline travel for a front-row seat to changing lives.

After 17 years soaring through the corporate skies with a major airline, Sally made a decision that would transform not only her life but also thousands of others'. When her daughter's severe allergic asthma led to 40 hospitalizations, Sally discovered something more valuable than any boardroom success: purpose.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How a chance encounter on an airplane redirected an entire career path
• The moment Sally realized grassroots storytelling could move mountains (and money)
• Why "imposter syndrome" didn't stop her from becoming a nonprofit powerhouse
• The secret to building a legacy that outlasts any paycheck
• How to connect your passions to create opportunities that matter

From volunteering with the American Lung Association to leading as VP of Corporate Relations, from serving as President and CEO of Beyond OCD to now building a performing arts nonprofit spanning three countries, Sally's journey proves that when you answer your calling, the network awakens.

This isn't just another career pivot story. This is a masterclass in:

• Recognizing connected outs that change everything
• Turning personal tragedy into transformational impact
• Building nonprofit organizations with a clear mission and vision
• The art of fundraising through authentic storytelling
• Creating a legacy through service

Whether you're contemplating a career change, starting a nonprofit, or simply wondering if there's more to life than the corner office—Sally's story will remind you that the greatest success is measured in lives changed, not bonuses earned.

Join hosts Billy Dexter and Melissa G. Wilson for a conversation filled with wisdom, heart, and even a nostalgic trip down Romper Room memory lane.

Because in business, and in life, being aware of the connections, great and small, can be the difference between success and significance.

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Are You Truly Awake to the Connections Around You?

Life is a game of connected outs on many levels. Sometimes those connections lead to career opportunities and business success. Other times? They lead to mysteries that defy explanation.

Join hosts Billy Dexter and Melissa G. Wilson, along with producer John St. Augustine, for an extraordinary episode that bridges the corporate world with the supernatural, just in time for Halloween.

🎃 This Episode's Spine-Tingling Stories: The Voice from the Eastland Disaster

Producer John St. Augustine shares his chilling experience at Chicago's Harpo Studios, where a disembodied voice spoke the name of a man who drowned in the 1915 Eastland disaster—in the very building that once served as a morgue for over 800 victims. What happened next will make you question everything you thought you knew about the paranormal.

Messages from Beyond

Host Billy Dexter reveals his gift for receiving messages meant for others—a blessing that changed his brother's life and launched the careers of others. But is it intuition, divine guidance, or something more?

Angels Among Us

Melissa G Wilson offers a counterpoint to the darkness with her perspective on angels, faith, and why more than 70% of people worldwide believe in angels. Her grandmother's encounter with an angel will restore your faith in the light.

What Makes This Podcast Different?

Awake the Network isn't just another business podcast. It's about recognizing the connections, great and small, that shape our destinies. Whether those connections are:

• ✨ A chance encounter that becomes a career opportunity
• 🔮 An unexplained experience that changes your perspective
• 💫 A message you're meant to deliver to someone else
• 🌟 A moment of awareness that shifts everything

This podcast reminds you to stay awake because you never know what's coming your way.

Perfect For:

• Entrepreneurs and business professionals who trust their intuition
• Anyone who's experienced something they can't quite explain
• People who believe everything happens for a reason
• Those seeking deeper connections in business and life
• Fans of authentic, unscripted conversations

What Listeners Are Saying:

"This podcast balances practical networking advice with the kind of deep, meaningful conversations you rarely hear. It's church, therapy, and a business seminar all in one."

"I never thought I'd hear a podcast that goes from marketing strategies to paranormal experiences and makes both feel equally important to success."

Your Hosts:

Billy Dexter - A master networker with an unexpected gift for delivering life-changing messages.

Melissa G. Wilson - The "Hallmark Channel" of the trio, bringing light, faith, and major book creation (having published 175 thought leader books), creating 10 traditionally published books herself with 6 traditional publishers, a New York agent, 5 best sellers, and a book featured on Oprah.

John St. Augustine - Author, producer, and experiencer of the unexplained (former Oprah Radio executive)

Subscribe & Connect:

🌐 Visit:

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The 11-Year-Old CEO Who Rewrote the Rules of Innovation

Picture this: An 11-year-old walks into Great Western Savings with his father, opens a business account, and launches "Effortless Programming," teaching BASIC programming to neighborhood kids from his living room. That boy was Joseph Bradley. Today, he's the CEO leading a $500 billion initiative to build the world's first cognitive city.

This isn't just another tech success story. It's the blueprint for thriving in an age where the right question matters more than any answer.

The Foundation: When Respect Became Revolution

Joseph's father gave him more than a Commodore PET computer that day in 1980. He gave him a philosophy that would reshape entire industries: "Respect costs nothing, but it means everything."

But this wasn't the passive respect of "yes, sir, no, ma'am." This was active respect: the kind that listens with genuine curiosity, seeks to understand before being understood, and asks, "How can I help you succeed?"

This principle would later guide Joseph through:

• Becoming Pacific Bell's youngest CFO at 28
• Surviving the dot-com crash that taught him the difference between "failing fast" and "learning fast"
• Creating Cisco's Internet of Everything concept that grew into a $3 billion business
• Leading Saudi Arabia's NEOM project — the most ambitious smart city initiative in human history

The Cisco Years: Where Questions Became Currency

Under the mentorship of legendary CEO John Chambers, Joseph discovered something profound: In a world where all answers are becoming available instantly, value lies in knowing what questions to ask.

This insight became the basis of his book, "Questioneering," published by Melissa through her company, Networlding, written years before ChatGPT proved him right. While others focused on AI's outputs, Joseph saw the real revolution: AI doesn't replace human creativity; it amplifies the power of human curiosity.

The Saudi Arabia Gamble: Real-Time is Too Late

When that mysterious call from Saudi Arabia finally got through (after Joseph declined it five times), it led to the opportunity of a lifetime. The Crown Prince wasn't just building another smart city. He was reimagining what a city could be.

Joseph's breakthrough insight: Real-time is too late.

"We learned from COVID — by the time we found out in real-time, the damage was done. The future isn't about smart cities that react; it's about smart cities that anticipate. It's about cognitive cities that predict."

Under his leadership, NEOM became the world's first cognitive community: a city built not around assets, but around human intelligence. A place where AI doesn't just respond to your needs; it anticipates them.

The Next Evolution: Your AI Twin

Today, Joseph is pioneering what comes after the AI assistant: Identic AI. Not an agent that serves you, but a digital twin that IS you.

Imagine having a version of yourself that:

• Works 24/7 while you sleep
• Think with your knowledge and reasoning
• Maintains your values and decision-m

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The Extraordinary Baseball Story That Reveals the Hidden Power of Trust

Picture this: A man in England finds a 1970s Chicago White Sox jacket on eBay. Through careful detective work, he realizes it belonged to former player Eric Soderholm. But here's where the story gets remarkable—instead of trying to profit from his discovery, he flies from England to Chicago for one purpose: to return the jacket to its rightful owner.

No strings attached. No payment expected. Just one human being going to extraordinary lengths to do the right thing for another.

This is what trust in action looks like.

The Trust That Changes Everything

On this week's episode of "Awake in the Network," host John St. Augustine shares this incredible story—and it perfectly illustrates why trust isn't just nice to have in your network. It's everything.

As John discovered through decades in media and business, "Trust is the fundamental piece that keeps you awake in the network. Where destiny happens."

The Hidden Truth About Your Network

Most people think networking is about collecting contacts. They're wrong.

Real networking, what we call Networlding, is built on a foundation so powerful that it can collapse entire marketing cycles, create opportunities out of thin air, and connect you with people who will transform your life.

That foundation is trust.

Why Trust Matters More Than You Think

Consider this: Every time you drive, you're trusting that the person coming toward you—separated only by a thin line of paint—knows what they're doing. You do this automatically, without thinking.

Yet in business and relationships, we often forget the incredible power that trust holds to keep people together.

The Three Types of People in Your Network

Research reveals a startling truth: When surveyed on busy Chicago streets, people reported having far more "Takers" than "Givers" in their networks. But here's what's different about the most successful connectors: they've learned to become "Exchangers."

Exchangers don't just give or take. They build mutually beneficial relationships that generate transformational opportunities for all parties involved.

The Moment Everything Changed

John shares a deeply personal story about when he voluntarily ended his radio show at the height of his career to care for his daughter. In the depths of depression that followed, something remarkable happened: trusted people in his network, like Wayne Dyer, Cheryl Richardson, and Bob Green, reached out to him.

One conversation changed everything. Cheryl Richardson told him, "The problem is you confused what you do with who you are."

The magic happens when you trust the process, even when you can't see where it's leading.

Your Network is Your Net Worth—But Not How You Think

The real value isn't in the number of connections you have; it's in the quality of those connections. It's in the quality of those connections. It's in the depth of trust you've built with people who know you, like you, and are personally invested in seeing you succeed. And when trust becomes the foundation of your network, extraordinary things become ordinary.

The question isn't whether you can afford

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From "Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens" - Part 2: The Deep Psychology of Human Connection

Beyond the Basics: Why Master Networkers Are Artists, Not Algorithms

While Part 1 explored the fundamental human elements AI cannot replicate, Part 2 reveals the sophisticated psychological and emotional intelligence that separates networking novices from networking masters. These are the advanced human skills that turn connection into an art form—capabilities so nuanced and intuitive that they represent the pinnacle of human social intelligence.

The Intuitive Art of People Reading

Master networkers like Billy Dexter possess an almost supernatural ability to read people's true intentions and potential. "I'm listening for ways that I could be helpful. And I'm trying to get a sense of their spirit of wanting to be reciprocal," Billy explains. "It's sometimes really clear when people are coming at you and they're very transactional."

The Master's Touch: This goes far beyond surface-level conversation. It's the ability to:

• Detect authentic reciprocal intent versus transactional mindset
• Since someone's capacity for long-term relationship building
• Read micro-expressions and vocal tonalities that reveal true character
• Intuitively assess whether someone will "run the route" (follow through on commitments)

What AI Misses: Algorithms can analyze text patterns and keywords, but cannot sense the subtle energy shifts, the hesitation in someone's voice, or the difference between genuine enthusiasm and performative interest.

The Strategic Patience of Master Connectors

When someone approaches Billy with immediate requests, his response demonstrates masterful emotional intelligence: "I actually go into that mode and take the conversation off of what they're actually looking for and start asking questions about them... But I'm always going to come back to that, but I want to establish a rapport first."

The Master's Touch: This is psychological aikido—redirecting energy without offending. Master networkers:

• Slow down rushed conversations to build a proper foundation
• Create comfort zones that encourage authentic sharing
• Use strategic questioning to shift from transaction to relationship
• Know when to come back to the original requests after rapport is established

What AI Misses: The emotional intelligence to recognize when someone needs to be slowed down, the social grace to redirect without offending, and the intuitive timing of when to return to business matters.

The Sophisticated Art of Partnership Vetting

John's approach to vetting potential book collaborators reveals master-level discernment: "I set up hoops to jump through quite frankly because if you're not in for the long haul, then I need to know that... Do you have what it takes to run the race?"

Billy's "run the route" philosophy demonstrates similar mastery: "If a person can't run a route... by the time he turns into his break, the ball is right there. So there's ultimate trust in communication."

The Master's Touch: Advanced vetting includes:

• Creating meaningful tests that reveal character under pressure
• Assessing commitment levels through behavioral observation, not just words
• Recognizing the difference between

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From "Awake in the Network: Where Destiny Happens" - A Masterclass in Human-Centered Connection

The Heart-Centered Advantage: What AI Will Never Understand

In a world increasingly dominated by digital connections and automated outreach, the most successful networkers understand a fundamental truth: authentic relationships are built on deeply human elements that no algorithm can replicate.

The Art of Authentic Curiosity

Real networking isn't about collecting contacts—it's about genuine human curiosity. As Billy Dexter shares, "I stumbled into this philosophy because I was really uncomfortable asking people for help... I was a lot more comfortable with helping people and listening to them and trying to see how I can be helpful."

The Human Factor: AI can generate questions, but it cannot feel genuine curiosity about another person's journey, struggles, or dreams. The subtle art of asking the right question at the right moment—and truly caring about the answer—remains uniquely human.

The Slow-Down-to-Speed-Up Philosophy

When someone approaches Billy with immediate requests, his response is telling: "I don't even know you, so why would I connect? Let's talk a little bit first." This patience, this willingness to invest time in understanding, creates the foundation for lasting partnerships.

The Human Factor: Algorithms optimize for speed and efficiency. Humans optimize for depth and meaning. The ability to recognize when to slow down, when to listen longer, and when relationships need more nurturing cannot be programmed.

Intuitive Connection-Making

Billy's friend Orlando Ashford exemplifies this perfectly: "He will just connect me with people, give very little explanation on a connection. And then he knows that I'm going to find what that connection is." This requires an intuitive understanding of people that goes beyond data points.

The Human Factor: True networking requires reading between the lines, sensing potential synergies, and making connections based on gut feelings and emotional intelligence—capabilities that remain beyond artificial intelligence.

The Nurturing Process: Relationships as Living Things

The podcast beautifully illustrates this with Billy's plant metaphor: "Just like if you bought a beautiful plant. The plant is beautiful, but you've got to water it. You've got to tend to it. You've got to pick off the dead leaves."

The Human Factor: Relationships require emotional labor, empathy, and the ability to sense when someone needs support. This includes:

• Remembering personal details that matter
• Offering help without being asked
• Celebrating others' successes genuinely
• Providing comfort during difficult times

The Power of Vulnerable Authenticity

John's reflection on his broadcasting journey reveals a profound truth: "The more I tried to steer it, and the more I tried to get in the way of it, the less happened. And the more I got out of the way..." This vulnerability and authenticity cannot be manufactured.

The Human Factor: People connect with real stories, genuine struggles, and authentic journeys. The ability to be vulnerable, to share failures alongside successes, and to connect on an emotional level remains distinctly human.

Emotional Intelli

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The Art of Connection: Key Insights from Melissa G. Wilson, along with Podcast Producer and Regular Co-Host of Awake in the Network, go "Book Riffing."

In a dynamic episode of "Awake in the Network," Melissa G. Wilson and radio veteran and podcast producer, John St. Augustine, engaged in what Melissa calls "book riffing:" the practice of bringing written insights back to life through authentic conversation. Their wide-ranging discussion revealed profound truths about connection, authenticity, and the power of voice in an increasingly disconnected world.

The Revolutionary Concept of Connection Hubs

Wilson highlighted one of co-host Billy Dexter's most innovative networking strategies: the creation of 21 structured "Connection Hubs." Unlike traditional ad hoc networking – those last-minute decisions to attend after-work events – Dexter has systematically built ongoing environments for meaningful relationship building through committees, meetup groups, and social organizations. This structured approach, Wilson noted, creates the continuity necessary for trust to develop, which is the foundation of all successful networking.

Addressing the Modern Connection Crisis

Despite being more technologically connected than any previous generation, both speakers agreed that society faces a genuine "connection crisis." Wilson shared a telling anecdote about a senior partner at an accounting firm who, after participating in one of her networking exercises, asked in amazement: "How did you really get us connecting to each other today?" This moment crystallized a troubling reality – even successful professionals at the highest levels often lack basic connection skills.

The Authenticity Imperative

John emphasized that authenticity serves as the "superpower" in all meaningful relationships, whether in networking, podcasting, or book writing. He refuses to work with authors or podcast guests who present themselves as having "all the answers," recognizing that genuine connection requires vulnerability and the admission that "everybody's got problems, everybody's had problems, everybody will have problems."

The Enduring Power of Voice

Drawing from his extensive radio background, including work with Oprah Radio and CBS, John made a compelling case for audio's unique ability to create lasting connections. He illustrated this with a simple example: people know every word to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" despite never seeing him perform it on television. "The human voice is the organ of the soul," he quoted Longfellow, arguing that voice creates connections that transcend visual distractions.

Quality Over Quantity in Networking

Wilson introduced her concept of "the power of 10" – the idea that meaningful networking isn't about collecting hundreds of contacts, but about cultivating deep relationships with ten or fewer people who can genuinely help and be helped. This philosophy runs counter to the common misconception that successful networking requires vast networks.

The Author's Journey to Authentic Connection

Both speakers have increasingly focused their work on authors, recognizing that successful writers must embrace vulnerability and transparency. Wilson, who has helped over 170 thought leaders, noted that authors naturally understand the importance of connection because thei

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