In Search Of Excellence

Latest Episodes:

Martin Luther King III: The Dream Lives On – Honoring MLK Jr.’s Legacy | E93 Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Martin Luther King III, a human rights activist, advocate, and philanthropist. He is the oldest son and the oldest living child of the civil rights icons, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
For the past five decades, Martin has continued his parents’ legacy by dedicating his life to equality, social justice, and nonviolent activism, and is honored that activism through his dedication to human rights, voting access, gun violence prevention, race relations, and other important social causes. He advocates for underserved communities and he has led initiatives, including the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and he has also been awarded the Rosa L. Parks Award and the Lantern of Peace Award.
Time stamps:
01:56 Martin Luther King as a father
- MLK III was 10 years old when MLK Jr. was killed
- When he wasn’t on the road, he spent time with his children
- People always wanted to speak to him
05:55 Moving to Atlanta and bullying
- The first African American kids to integrate the Atlanta school
- A kid with issues started bullying them
- The change in their relationship
- Mental health issues and bullying
10:37 An advice to parents whose kids are bullied
- Work to build a strong foundation within your children
- Figure out how to fortify your child
- Martin Luther King’s speech about resilience
13:00 When did he find out how important was his dad?
- Fully aware when he was assassinated
- Many famous people used to come to their house
- The president Kennedy was at his funeral
- Listened to his dad’s speeches later in life
18:46 Traveling with his dad
- His dad traveled a lot
- 80% of the time he traveled alone
- He would always seek his wife’s advice and counsel
- They met at Boston University
- Moving to Montgomery and becoming the leader in the community
23:16 The constant threat on Martin Luther King’s life
- The incident with a burning cross
- Martin Luther King was in constant danger
- A bomb was thrown at their home in Montgomery
- The New York attack and the cross on the skin
30:30 Martin Luther’s King Jr. assassination
- The day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed
- Comforting conversations with his mother
- His mom led the march on Memphis before the funeral
35:00 The influence of I Had a Dream speech
- The Civil Rights March in Washington
- A speech that could be felt by everyone
- The last message delivered at the National Cathedral
- How to disagree without being disagreeable
- It’s important to have common ground and build relationships
41:38 The winning of the Nobel prize
- A validation that he was on the right road
- Wanted to create a better world for all of God's children
- Always better to resolve conflict than to pick up arms
- His message is equally needed today
45:36 Forgiveness and hatred
- Dad and mom taught them to forgive
- How to handle losing a loved one?
- His grandmother and uncle were killed in the next 5 years
- The traumatic meaning of special bulletins
- His grandfather meets his wife’s murderer
- Harboring hatred or finding a way to release and love
54:00 The burden of his name
- Subconsciously felt the challenges
- His mother liberated him by saying to be his best self
- Saying his name to other people

About Randall Kaplan: Randall Kaplan is a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, executive coach, co-founder of Akamai Technologies, founder and CEO of JUMP Investors, and host of In Search of Excellence. Through his Extreme Preparation™ methodology, he helps founders, executives, business owners, and ambitious professionals improve strategy, communication, decision-making, and execution.

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Ian Boggs: How To Get 30 Million Followers | E92 Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence episode with my amazing guest, Ian Boggs. Ian is one of the most successful influencers of all time. He has more than 30 million followers on YouTube, Tik Tok, Snap, and Instagram. His videos have been viewed more than 30 billion times.

Learn about his first million, the importance of having passion in what you do, his plans for the future, and the struggles he had with his mental health. Tune in to hear more from this incredible young man!

Time stamps:

00:54 Should you be motivated by money as an influencer?

Anything you can think of that you can sell
Affiliate marketing

02:49 Should you be motivated by money as an influencer?

You need money to survive, but not make it your end-all-be-all
Figure out what makes you happy and then how to make money out of it
The first thing is to build a strong core audience

06:27 The importance of passion

Randall’s experience with his interns
Passion as a life purpose

09:45 The feeling of the first million

Ian wasn't even looking at the numbers
Money is just a tool to invest into the business
Hiring people and building a team

12:18 Growing and planning the future

Typical age demographic
Plans for making a movie
A written 5-year tenure or 30-year plan
Buying a house
Building a franchise

21:58 The importance of extreme preparation

Writing down your personal goals
Making realistic and achievable goals
An interview for Netflix
Trying to over-prepare for other things

27:36 Mental health issues

Got stressed, anxious, and depressed at college
Thinking about suicide
A help from his dad and a therapist
Advice for people suffering from depression
Take advantage of existing resources, like the suicide hotline

34:38 Dating and parties

Doesn’t like parties
There is much more to life
There is more fun in learning and growing

37:38 The importance of giving back

Buying a house for his parents
Give back to people who helped you and supported you

40:11 Fill in the blanks for excellence

The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is
- Do what makes you happy
My number one professional goal is
- To be a billionaire
The one thing I've dreamt of doing for a long time but haven't done
- Making a movie
And more

43:48 Is luck important for success?

Mark Cuban’s thoughts
Ian always thought he was unlucky
That’s why he worked hard

46:03 Randall’s advice to teens and young adults

Anxiety is normal
Write down your goals
5 things you are best and worst at
Be passionate about what you are doing
Work ethic is vital

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Ian Boggs: How I Created Viral Videos with 30 Billion Views | E91 Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is an incredible young man, Ian Boggs. Ian is one of the most successful influencers of all time. He has more than 30 million followers on YouTube, TikTok, Snap, and Instagram. His videos have been viewed more than 30 billion times.

Tune in to hear Ian talking about his childhood, education, and his journey from dreaming about being a doctor to becoming one of the most successful influencers online. Find out how he started doing what he loved, how his videos went viral, and how he gained millions of followers on social media. He also shares how he dealt with hateful comments and how he earns money as a social media creator.

Time stamps:

01:27 Ian’s background

An American father who grew up in Kenya and a Japanese mother
That helped him build his audience all around the world

02:48 Creating his first content

His mother loved photography and had a camera
Ian created content with Legos

04:46 What was Ian like as a kid?

Introverted and super creative
Learned that nothing comes for free
Made money mowing lawns

07:53 The education and the shift in mindset

AP classes in Italy
Cheating on test
Studying to be a doctor at UCI
Decide to go a different route
Switched to Media Studies

14:53 Cutting his own hair for a video

Making fun of alpha males
Started doing haircuts for $15
Passionate about photography and videography
Started earning money

19:28 Becoming a social media creator

A dream of becoming a social media creator
A video went viral
Did live of himself sleeping
Parents supported his dream

25:44 Hitting a million followers

A million followers on Tik Tok
Had a lot of anxiety
Wasn’t happy about the content he was posting

27:24 Making the content he loved

Going to California, starving, and working hard
His father cut him off financially
He decided to make the content he was happy about

30:30 Hateful comments

He made some cringy content
Bad comments gave him anxiety
Learned to deal with it
Engaging with comments on social media

34:45 Buying followers

Bought followers are usually bots
Fake followers are harmful
Buying followers is a scammy business

38:27 How to make money on social media?

Merch – selling different products
Earning with AdSense on YouTube explained
Brand deals - Marvel, Netflix, and Old Spice

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Luc Robitaille: Playing With Wayne Gretzky And Lifting The Stanley Cup | E90 Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to part 2 of In Search of Excellence episode with a good friend of mine, Luc Robitaille! Luke is an NHL Hall of Famer and the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history, with 668 goals over his 19-season career.

In his first year in the league, Luc won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and then went on to become the only left wing in NHL history to record 8 consecutive 40-goal seasons.

Luc played 8 all-star games, won a Stanley Cup as a player with the awesome Detroit Red Wings in 2002, and 2 more Stanley Cups as an executive with the Los Angeles Kings.

He is giving back to his community through his Echoes of Hope Foundation.
Time stamps:
11:29 Becoming a Stanley Cup Champion

A hard trophy to win
As a free agent, went to the Detroit Red Wings
Luc’s feelings during the game and after winning the cup

18:39 Giving away his best memorabilia

A great party after winning the cup
A poker night theme with giveaways
Gave away the stuff he collected during his career

22:42 The NHL Hall of Fame

It was very emotional
Luc’s inspiring speech
The reaction of his parents

26:28 The fear of failing makes you great

If you're willing to push yourself, you're going to have success
What do you do when no one's looking?

28:25 The importance of extreme preparation

Luc was very disciplined
Had to be sure he was prepared for every game
He likes having a plan and sticking to it
Picking the right marketing agency

34:10 How important is passion to our success?

Passion is the most important thing
Very few lucky people do a job that they're passionate about

36:34 Is luck an important ingredient of our success?

You bring your luck through preparation
Someone can open the door for you, but you have to prove yourself
Work ethic and constant improvement

41:51 Being humble and kind

Luke grew up in a humble family
The lesson from his uncle
How important is being kind and humble for our success?
Very successful people are usually extremely humble
Never forget where you came from

47:13 How important are coaches in hockey?

Coaches in hockey are very important
A coach has to make sure every player is involved

49:52 Giving back to the community

It’s important to give back – money or time
Helped numerous foundations
Started a charity with his wife
Started working with foster kids
Helping them to stand on their feet

56:20 Fill in the blanks for excellence

The biggest lesson I've learned in my life
- Never give up
My biggest regret is
- Not spending enough time with family
And more

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Luc Robitaille: From "Too Slow" To NHL Hall Of Fame | E89 Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of In Search for Excellence! My guest today is my good friend Luc Robitaille! Luc is an NHL Hall of Famer who as a 19-year-old teenager went from being drafted in the 9th round (171st overall) to becoming the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history, with 668 goals over his 19-season career.

In his first year in the league, Luc won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and then went on to become the only left wing in NHL history to record 8 consecutive 40-goal seasons. Luc played 8 all-star games, won a Stanley Cup as a player with the awesome Detroit Red Wings in 2002, and two more Stanley Cups as an executive with the Los Angeles Kings. He is giving back to his community through his Echoes of Hope Foundation.
Time stamps:

01:23 Luc Robitaille’s family and background

He had a great life but not a lot of money
Worked at his dad’s scrap yard
The value of manual labor

07:44 Earliest memories playing hockey

A tennis ball was gold
Made their own equipment for hockey
His first memory holding a stick

11:13 The difference from other kids

Practicing all the time to be better
His mentality was all about hard work
Sense of a game is hard to teach

14:57 Goals, dreams, and hard work

Wanted to play Junior Major
- That was what they could afford to watch
He was up at 4:30 am to go to practice
No one needed to ever push him for the next practice

19:50 Getting into the World Junior Championship

Only 40 players were invited to make the team
- He wasn’t called
One of the players got injured and he got in
That changed his life permanently

22:35 Getting drafted by the LA Kings

NHL draft
Projected to be a late-round draft pick
The scouts said he was too small, didn't skate well, lacked hand-eye coordination
He became the 171st pick
The story about the draft and the pin

29:38 Moving to LA

He wanted to focus on playing hockey only
Stayed in the boarding house with Marcel Dionne
Did nothing except training
The nickname Lucky

35:18 The first game

Wanted to be a part of making the LA Kings great
Recalling the first game experience
The excitement of his first score

39:17 The Rookie of the Year

How did it feel to receive the award?
Didn’t think he was going to win
He was overwhelmed but moved on

41:18 A special bond with Jimmy Carson

Jimmy came from a different background
They had a special bond and practiced all the time
The secret signal helped them score 15-20 goals
Staying in the middle of the bench

45:30 Playing with Wayne Gretzky

As a kid, he admired Wayne Gretzky
Wanted to impress him more than to win
When he came to the Kings, it was hard because he was his hero
The coach took him from Wayne’s line because he was distracted

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Amberly Lago: Turning Pain into Purpose by Helping Others Heal | E88 Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to part 2 of our amazing conversation with Amberly Lago. Amberly is a peak performance coach, TEDx speaker, top 1% podcast host, motivational speaker, and a leading expert in the field of resilience, transformation, and health and wellness. She is also the bestselling author of the book True Grit and Grace, and the founder of Unstoppable Life Mastermind.

Amberly has an incredible life story and she is sharing pure gold advice on how to overcome life challenges, how to deal with trauma, and become resilient and successful.
Time stamps:

00:54 Randall’s emotional story about his heart attack

Life-threatening situation and a traumatic experience
Finding he had myocarditis
Death of a close friend
Asked by doctors if he was taking cocaine
Grateful for being alive
The power of endorphins

10:30 Hitting a rock bottom and suicidal thoughts

Amberly was always a high achiever
The pain became unbearable
Alcohol numbed the pain
It worked until it didn’t
Became addicted to alcohol and went to rehab
Didn’t want to live but had to endure because of her daughters

15:15 The importance of resilience

We have to decide to take action and thrive
Shifting perspective to gratitude
Focusing on what you can do, not what you can’t
Acceptance and being aware of who you are
Connecting to a community – Success is built on relationships
Resting is essential for resilience

21:08 The power of writing down our goals

There is power in writing things down
The story of Amberly’s book
Randall’s thoughts on writing things down

24:36 Put yourself on the to-do list

Amberly likes helping people and meeting their needs first
It’s important to take care of yourself as well

28:33 Surround yourself with the right people

Get rid of the doggie downers and stick with the puppy uppers
Surround yourself with people who are passionate and go-getters
Avoid energy vampires

21:28 We are all superheroes

We all have superpowers and resilience in us
It’s hard to become aware of that
Focus on what brings you joy
Gratitude practice and Amberly’s gratitude group
A sense of purpose and giving service
Ask people what your superpower is

37:25 Sexual abuse and its consequences

Amberly was sexually abused by her stepfather
Takes a lot of courage to tell someone
Told her dad but he didn’t do anything
At 23, she told that to her abusive husband
Dealing with triggering situation
Writing about the sexual abuse was very cathartic
The importance of therapy

1:01:28 The importance of extreme preparation

She was an athlete and a dancer
Always worked very hard
Preparing for a TEDx talk
Preparation gives you confidence

51:16 What are the key ingredients for success?

Know your Why
Have a strong community
Seek council not opinion
Stick to your non-negotiables

54:28 Why do motorcyclists take so much risk?

There’s nothing like a feeling of freedom while riding
You are fully in the present
Amberly’s husband stopped driving his motorcycle
Randall’s traumatic experience
Amberly grew up on dirt bikes
She is a bit of an adrenaline junkie
Her advice for those who want to ride a motorcycle

1:05:36 The feeling of being on stage and changing people’s lives

As a dancer, she loved bringing people joy
When on stage, she connects to people and shares her experience
She sees joy in

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Amberly Lago: Triumph Over Trauma | E87 Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is the incredible Amberly Lago. When Amber was 38 years old, she was hit by an SUV while riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

When she woke up from a coma, she learned that she had a 1% chance of saving her leg from being amputated. After the accident, she was diagnosed with an incurable nerve disease, lost her business, fell into a deep depression, and became an alcoholic.
Today Amberly is a peak performance coach, TEDx speaker, top 1% podcast host, motivational speaker, and a leading expert in the field of resilience, transformation, and health and wellness. She is also the bestselling author of the book True Grit and Grace, and the founder of Unstoppable Life Mastermind.
Time stamps:

02:05 Amberly Lago’s background

A strict Texas mom and dancing classes
The importance of instilling resilience in our children
It’s OK to ask for help

05:00 High school experience and Amberly’s kids

Parents’ divorce and physical and sexual abuse
Children need an outlet
Dancing and drill teams
Amberley's high school jobs

09:47 The importance of mentors in our lives

Amberly had a mentor for everything she did in life
The importance of doing research and finding a counsel, not an opinion
Not having a mentor is a waste of money
Pushing you to pass your limits
Randall’s mentoring experience
Unstoppable Life Mastermind for women
Having the right mentor is life-changing

16:37 What is a mastermind according to Amberly?

A small group of like-minded people who help brainstorm, collaborate, and guide each other
Not expensive events with hundreds of different people
- Very profitable gatherings where hosts over-promise but don’t deliver
Amberly’s Unstoppable Life Mastermind
The launch of the mastermind while the world was shutting down

25:07 How important is it to be in good shape?

Amberly’s entire identity was in physicality
A knee injury and self-help
Went to school and became a certified trainer
Started a course to help people become trainers

28:55 The horrible motorcycle accident

Got very seriously injured
The first thought was how to save her business
1% chance to save the leg
Our health is the most important thing
Had 34 surgeries in total
You have a shovel in your hand, you can lean on it, pray for a hole, or you can start digging

37:09 The Story of a Good Samaritan

An unknown person saved Amberly’s life
She doesn’t remember him but would like to know who he was

39:31 Chronic regional pain syndrome

After the accident, suffered from chronic pain
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – CRPS
Predicted to be in pain and paralyzed forever
Decided to work hard to recover
Tried every kind of medical treatment
Had to change everything in her life
Only when she is teaching, she feels no pain
Working on a healthy sleeping pattern and other healthy stuff

Resources Mentioned:
TrueGritAndGrace.com
AmberlyLago.com

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Mat Ishbia: Dream Big Then Make It Happen | E86 Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to In Search of Excellence! This is part 2 of our fascinating conversation with Mat Ishbia!
Mat is the Chairman and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, the largest wholesale mortgage lender in the United States, which had a $931.9 million net income in 2022. Mat owns 71% of the company shares that are worth $5.9 billion, which places Mat at 156 on the Forbes 400 in early 2023.
Mat and his brother Justin bought a majority stake in the NBA, Phoenix Suns and WNBA, Phoenix Mercury. Mat was a member of the Michigan State Spartans basketball team that went to three Final Fours and won the NCAA championship in 2000. He is the author of the book “Running the corporate office: Lessons in Effective Leadership from the Bench to the Boardroom”, and is a very generous philanthropist who has given away more than $50 million.
1:10 What does Mat look for in a new hire at UWM?

Mat doesn’t care about the diploma
He looks for someone with a heart, work ethic, attitude, and drive to be great
Knowledge is a commodity
Be a human being, be engaged and energetic

4:56 The Importance of little things for success

Mat is looking for difference-makers
Intangibles are much more important than the tangibles

10:23 Advice to people who have dreams

Randall’s meeting with Bill Davidson
Think crazy big and then work towards it
Put the work in and be the best

14:05 No meeting Thursdays

Mat responds to every email
No meetings on Thursday – talking and checking with people
You have to be in the weeds of your business to be successful

15:55 Advice to people who are not working as hard as they should

Work ethic and attitude are the biggest determinators of success
Go to places that provide opportunity
You have to sacrifice to be the best
Mat is sacrificing for his kids and his business

19:14 The importance of extreme preparation

Game plan and role play
Preparation leads to success
Everything is about preparation

21:40 Owning an NBA basketball team

Managing a team is much fun in all areas
Making a positive impact on team members, fans, and the community
Coaching his children
Teaching life, skills, personality, the importance of supporting your teammates

24:35 How important is giving back to our success?

Giving money is only one part of giving back
You can give your time and care

25:30 Fill in the blanks to excellence

The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is
- Work ethic and attitude always win
My number one professional goal is
- To get better every single day
And more

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Mat Ishbia: From Basketball To Billion-Dollar Business | E85 Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to In Search of Excellence! We are happy to have Mat Ishbia as our guest today!
Mat is the Chairman and CEO of the United Wholesale Mortgage, the largest wholesale mortgage lender in the United States, which had a $931.9 million net income in 2022. Mat owns 71% of the company shares that are worth $5.9 billion, which places Mat at 156 on the Forbes 400 in early 2023.
Mat and his brother Justin bought a majority stake in the NBA, Phoenix Suns, and WNBA, Phoenix Mercury. Mat was a member of the Michigan State Spartans basketball team that went to three Final Fours and won the NCAA championship in 2000.
He is the author of the book “Running the Corporate Office: Lessons in Effective Leadership from the Bench to the Boardroom”. Mat is also a very generous philanthropist who has given away more than $50 million.
01:26 Mat’s background
- Born in Birmingham, Michigan, in a Jewish family
- His mom was a schoolteacher and his dad lawyer and serial entrepreneur
- From mom learned structure and accountability
- From dad learned good work ethics and taking care of people
04:07 Mat’s life as a kid
- Always competitive
- Didn’t like to lose
- Pretty good at school, loved sports
05:03 Sacrifices are essential for success
- You can’t be good at everything
- Focus and dominate one thing
- Life’s goal should be happiness
09:58 Figuring out what to do as a student
- Expose yourself to as many different internships, people, and networks as possible
- Find what you are passionate about
- Mat has a passion for competing and winning
14:01 How important is having a great personality and sense of humor for success?
- Matt’s basketball career in the Michigan State team
- The most popular guy on the team
- It’s important to be who you are, genuine, kind, and caring
- Every team needs camaraderie, leadership, culture, family atmosphere
- The team is bigger than the person
- A good team needs a balance of talent and chemistry (fit)
- Different roles in Phoenix Suns
19:35 Deciding to choose his future career at 23
- Wanted to be a basketball coach
- Decided to join his dad’s mortgage company
- Applied his basketball experience to the mortgage business
21:57 Is money the number onbe factor when choosing your career?
- Opportunity to grow should be the no.1 factor
- Also your dreams and aspirations
- People focus too much on the money
- Be great and successful in what you do and money will follow
24:27 What's cool or sexy about mortgages?
- Became the CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage in 2013
- Two years later, UWM was the no.1 wholesale mortgage lender in the country
- Mat loves competing, improving, winning
- Be great today and build on that tomorrow

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Ben Johns: The Path To Greatness And Keys To Pickleball Success | E84 Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

You're listening to part 2 of the incredible conversation with Ben Johns, the number one pickleball player in the world and the greatest player of all time.

On the business side, Ben is a co-founder of Pickleball Getaways, a vacation travel company, and the co-founder of Pickleball 360, an online instructional video subscription service.
If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check that one out first.
Time stamps:

00:58 Winning his first US Open

Ben wasn’t expecting to win
Incredible feeling, felt like a dream
Professional high and low in Ben’s career

04:01 Being the lead in the beginning and today

Pickleball is a new sport and requires a lot of learning
More competition leads to being a better player
Winning 108 matches in a row

08:04 Is tennis background an advantage?

Tennis definitely lends a ton of advantages
Doesn’t automatically guarantee success

10:00 How long can Ben be so good?

No concrete plan as to how long he will be in pickleball
The ideal age to play

12:47 Making money in pickleball

The potential of making at least seven figures
Sponsors have a huge role

17:39 Ben’s mixed doubles partner Anna Leigh Waters

10 years younger
Very tough and extremely talented

20:22 Ben’s diet and training routine

2-3 hours every day on court
5 days a week working out in the gym
Standard healthy diet

21:49 A flow state in sports

A state where your body knows what to do without you thinking about it
It’s the perfect feeling that all athletes pursue

22:59 The importance of extreme preparation

Preparation is crucial
The more prepared I am, the luckier I seem to be

24:39 The importance of humility

You don’t need to talk yourself out
People will admire you for your accomplishments
How do people approach him?

27:02 All-inclusive pickleball vacations

Pickleball instructions from a pro player
The cost of training with a pro
How to contact Ben?

30:40 Elon Musk and Ben’s role models

His greatest role models are his parents and brother
Admires Elon Musk very much

33:06 The importance of giving back to the community

Being a good example
Contributing to the events with good cause

34:18 Fill in the blanks to excellence

Biggest lesson I learned
- You are most fulfilled by working hard
My number 1 professional goal
- To be number one as long as I can
My number 1 personal goal
- Learn new things frequently
And more

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected