What do NIL deals, career centers, and AI mentors have in common?

They all show up in this week’s Leadership Rules conversation with Don Philabaum—a serial entrepreneur, innovator, and author who’s been preparing students and leaders for “what’s next” long before most people saw it coming.

Don joins Nick and Marnie to explore how curiosity, adaptability, and human connection still beat out chaos and tech hype every time.

In this episode, Don shares:

🔗 Why human connection is the one competitive advantage AI can’t replicate
🎓 What career centers must do now to stay relevant
🤖 Why Gen Z understands AI better than most professionals
⚽ What the NIL era can teach all of us about career development
🧠 And why people do business with people—even in the age of bots

Plus:

• What it's like to launch virtual career coaches before ChatGPT was cool
• How to rewire fear of change into fuel for leadership
• And what student athletes and CEOs both need from their mentors

📍 Learn more about Don Philabaum:
🌐 Athlete Career Training
🌐 Talk to Me 24x7

What do school safety, confidence in chaos, and sneaking into a Michael Jackson concert have in common?

All of them show up in this week’s Leadership Rules episode with Dr. Roderick “Rocky” Sams—a passionate educator and school safety leader who believes preparation isn’t just a strategy. It’s a mindset.

Rocky joins Nick and Marnie to talk about how leading well starts with knowing yourself, investing in what matters, and showing up ready—even when the opportunity hasn’t arrived yet.

In this episode, Rocky shares:

🔐 The critical link between psychological safety and physical safety
🧠 How clarity, calm, and curiosity build real leadership presence
📚 Why he believes personalized learning is more possible now than ever
🏖️ How scheduling monthly “timeouts” with his wife helps him lead better
🔘 What Centegix is doing to transform school safety with one simple button

Plus:

• The one question every leader should ask before speaking
• Why struggle is often the best teacher
• The story of a young Rocky Sams sneaking into a stadium for a life-changing concert

👀 Bonus: Rocky’s message to educators about finding joy again—even in the chaos.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

📍 Connect with Dr. Roderick Sams:
🔗 LinkedIn

📧 rsams@centegix.com

What do undefeated teams, AV carts, and prosthetic legs have in common?

They all show up in this week’s conversation with educator and coach Rob Elia—and every story points to the same truth:

🏆 Leadership isn’t about winning. It’s about trust.

In this episode, Rob joins Nick and Marnie to talk about:

🎾 Coaching through culture, not just competition

🧠 Why confidence is a performance multiplier

🛠️ How to build trust that actually sticks

📉 Why you shouldn’t rescue people too soon

👟 And the real reason some losses matter more than wins

Plus:

• How to lead when your kid isn’t the starter
• Why culture doesn’t start with hype, but with habits
• The moment one player’s return from cancer taught the entire team what leadership really means

👀 Bonus: Rob explains why his undefeated record matters way less than the way his team practiced every day to earn it.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

📍 Find Rob Elia:

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

Check out the podcast Rob hosts: Leader’s Edge Podcast in association with the New Jersey Association of Educational Leaders