Dr. Tony Bridwell has spent decades shaping culture, coaching leaders, and studying what truly makes teams extraordinary. In this conversation we unpack how trust is built (and broken), why your first impression rides on warmth and strength, and the surprising power of followership—the skill that makes leaders worth following. We also dig into his new book Beyond the Leader, a practical fable on the seven disciplines that define extraordinary teams, and how to keep engagement and execution connected in the real world. If you lead people, sell to people, or want to influence people, this one’s for you.

Fear always makes us small — but what if it’s actually selfish?

In this episode, Theresa challenges us to reframe fear, uncover the ego hiding beneath it, and choose service instead of self-protection. With practical stories and a powerful board-on-a-skyscraper analogy, she shows how shifting our focus to others helps fear lose its grip.

Whether you’re facing rejection in sales, stage fright, or a hard season of life, this teaching will help you step forward scared — because courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s choosing to do it anyway for the sake of others.

Former Duncanville Pantherette and Oklahoma State guard Destanie Owkumabua shares how a winning mindset is forged in loss, why identity must be rooted in who you are not what you do, and how ego quiets down when you choose to lead by following. We trace her path from a state title run to the hard reality of a college program in a losing season, then to modeling in New York where rejection was routine and confidence had to be learned. She opens up about motherhood, leadership, journaling that reframes the story, and a health scare that reset her perspective.

If you are a competitor in a rough stretch, this conversation will help you recommit to discipline, community, and the inner work that changes outcomes.

Guest links: Instagram: @destanieo_