Executive Access

2-time NCAA Division 1 Champion Men’s Soccer Coach, Mike Noonan, has an unbelievable winning record, consistently transforming teams into champions. Jamie asks Mike to share his method for success which centers around creating a strong shared mission, practicing team values, and recruiting players to a set of standards that speak to the inherent qualities of the players on and off the field. Mike is a lifelong learner and calls himself “a grinder”; he is strong, principled, and kind. Mike’s leadership success and principles can be immediately applied to athletics, business, education, or any industry.

During the episode, Jamie refers to the following work:

• The Captain Class: A New Theory of Leadership by Sam Walker
• Growth Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck
• Outward Mindset by Arbinger Institute
• Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Google President of North America, Michael Clark, discusses his leadership journey through his career at both Microsoft and Google including key moments of learning and growth. He provides several practical frameworks for listeners to use for communicating with excellence, leading through change, and building strong teams. Michael describes himself as a lifelong learner and coaches his team and himself to be students of customers’ businesses. Michael is the type of leader people want to follow – principled, highly respected, and generous; Executive Access is grateful for the time and wisdom he shares.

During the episode, Michael refers to the following work:

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Maureen Beauregard took over as President and CEO of Easterseals NH and VT at the start of COVID and, rather than hunkering down to weather the storm, she pursued a new strategic plan and took control with her team, growing mission impact from ~$100M to $140M in 5 short years. Maureen discusses a commitment to doing what’s right even when it’s hard, not letting fear get in the way. She discusses bringing a deep focus on business planning to uplevel the historic non-profit model and the power of seeking out input from the team on the front lines, creating conditions for them to feel appreciated, seen, and heard. Maureen is a bold leader whose north star is always to improve the conditions for those the organization serves. She is an excellent example of how bridging deep business expertise with personal passion can create extraordinary mission impact.

To learn more about Easterseals NH and VT, and to support the work, please visit:

• Easterseals New Hampshire (eastersealsnh.org)

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Marc joined architecture firm, LS3P Associates LTD as an intern over 25 years ago because it provided him a phenomenal opportunity to learn and grow. Today he is the firm’s CEO and still views change as an opportunity to advance personally, advance projects, and advance processes. Marc shares excellent advice for early in career listeners including to just “be a sponge” and the importance of focusing on making a contribution. He shares how critical it is to lead by empowering others, helping people “find their edges.” He shared his philosophy on building great teams (Right People, Right Project, Right Reason) and how to make your company vision and values come to life every day. Marc is an exceptional, others’ focused leader who finds joy in supporting his team and family in reaching their goals.

During the episode, Marc refers to the following work:

• The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman and Bill Pentak
• Think Like a Horse by Grant Golliher

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Captain Thomas describes the USS Carl Vinson as a “City at Sea,” with 5,000 sailors and all the complexity and functions required to power a city. As Commanding Officer, he is responsible for leading the entire operation. He explains how he leads a diverse group of senior leaders and the communication frameworks he asks them to use, particularly in high-stakes situations—What, So What, Now What.

We discuss the importance of strong cross-team leadership, emphasizing his constant reminder that “anything affects everything on an aircraft carrier.” Captain Thomas excels at simplifying complex conditions and communicating the mission clearly to his sailors, focusing on two main priorities: 1) combat readiness and 2) quality of life and service aboard the ship.

He also shares insights about his career journey and his commitment to mentoring and growing future leaders within his organization. Listeners will gain a deep appreciation for the leadership skills Captain Thomas has developed during his time in the Navy and will find his insights immediately applicable to their own industries.

During the episode, Captain Thomas refers to the following work:

• Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything by Stephen Covey
• Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal
• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Elizabeth Burwell is able to come across as both Warm and Strong at the same time, something many leaders strive to emulate but few are able to master. Listeners will get an insider look at how she is able to strike this balance, walking in confidence while truly understanding that how you make people FEEL is key to followership. Elizabeth discusses the value of direct communication, especially when it is difficult. She shares the importance of being curious, recognizing that there is always more to learn, and how important it is to see others in the same way. Elizabeth is an extraordinary leader who boldly shares what is usually unspoken in business settings, what is at the core of her leadership doctrine…the power of love.

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Dr. Chris Streck is well versed in leading in high stress environments and shares his approach that hinges on preparedness and teamwork. Dr. Streck believes in the uncomfortable practice of inviting review and feedback so that improvements are made rapidly in the pursuit of positive patient outcomes. He likens his role as a leader to that of a coach, listening and fine-tuning, and how being a great coach starts with really knowing your team members. He shares his approach for hiring residents including the most important qualities he looks for. Dr. Streck is also a leader on the national stage, stepping into influence leadership to work across teams in his passion for research that will help prevent injuries in children and keep them safe. Dr. Streck is an unbelievably accomplished and humble leader, a true role model for others in any industry.

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Imagine the challenge of leading an enormous, complex system — 50k students, 6500 employees, 85 schools — with passionate parent/ caregiver stakeholders that also need to be served. Anita Huggins, Superintendent of Charleston County Schools, leads with a focus on valuing people, serving, leading with enthusiasm, and communicating openly even when it’s difficult. She discusses leading through influence and building consensus by separating the “how” and the “what” to bring people along. Anita’s desire to understand the problems leads her to fearlessly invite public feedback in ways that few senior leaders are willing to do. Anita closes by stating that leadership is an honor, and how deeply embracing that statement enables leaders to make an enormous impact. Anita’s passion for improving outcomes for students and care for community members is evident in this discussion. Anita is bold, brave, and kind – please enjoy getting to know her as I did!

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Have you ever met with someone and experienced an explosion of ideas, excitement, and encouragement? I call Sig Behrens “the Spark” because he ignites in people a spirit of possibility and empowers them to do more than they imagined. Sig is CEO of Permuta Technologies, tech industry veteran (former Microsoft, Blackboard), and entrepreneur founder of multiple businesses. My discussion with Sig explores how he is able to be that spark as a leader that creates untold value and drives results. Sig discusses how his experiences early in his life shaped him, the importance of empowering your team from day one, and getting to know people – your team and customers – and their motivations. Sig shares helpful frameworks including C.I.A – challenge, interest, aptitude – to apply to career decisions. Sig is an extraordinary leader motivated by “making the news.” He consistently says that it’s his team that gets all the credit for the significant success he has enjoyed. While that may be true, Sig’s spark provides a gift to everyone around him, lighting a fire of achievement that builds confidence and a sense of wonder.

During this episode, Sig references Simon Sinek’s Find Your Why.

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.

Scaling a company through multiple growth stages is a challenging endeavor, and most founders I’ve met are dynamic and brave leaders. Jennifer Holmstrom, Platform Team Partner at Notable Capital, excels in partnering with founders to support them in successfully navigating these company growth stages. Jennifer and her team assist technology company founders with talent strategy, sales, marketing story, engineering velocity, and leadership development. Jennifer recounts best practices from success stories at Handshake, Stripe, and Poshmark. She shares the keys to leadership success: growth mindset and an insatiable appetite for learning. In addition to supporting others, Jennifer is herself an excellent senior leader, describing how leaders must get 2 things right: 1) providing clarity around an exciting destination and) empowering the team to get there. Jennifer believes that both managing people and partnering are “1-on-1 sports,” requiring deep situational leadership. Jennifer is a compelling, dynamic leader who generates energy in every interaction.

Executive Access is produced by The Ideal Life, a platform that provides coaching, community, and content for people to grow both personally and professionally.