Mick Unplugged

Ilana Golan is a transformative powerhouse with a career spanning elite engineering in the Air Force, founding and selling companies in Silicon Valley, and now empowering high achievers through Leap Academy. As an investor, TEDx speaker, and acclaimed podcast host, Ilana is dedicated to helping leaders and entrepreneurs reinvent themselves, discover their zone of genius, and leap forward with clarity and impact. Her mission is driven by a deep desire to help others avoid regret, build fulfilling careers, and continuously adapt in today's rapidly changing world.

Takeaways:

Reinvention is Essential: In today’s fast-paced environment, staying adaptable and reinventing yourself is vital—not only for professional relevance but for true fulfillment.

Clarity Drives Opportunity: Knowing your direction and crafting your story and brand around it opens the doors to hidden, meaningful opportunities beyond traditional career paths.

Grit Meets Purpose: Setbacks aren’t just obstacles—they can become teaching moments that fuel your mission and propel you toward greater impact.

Sound Bytes:

“If you’re not moving forward at the pace of change, you will fall behind, and lose relevance faster than you think.”

“Your brand is your currency, especially now in the lack of trust economy. It’s the only insurance policy you have.”

“Success leaves clues—look for what people are already drawn to you for, and lean into your unique zone of genius.”

Connect & Discover Ilana:

Linkedin: @ilanagolan

Website: ilanagolan.com

Leap Academy: leapacademy.com

Facebook: @ilanagolan2010 

YouTube: @ilanagolan-leap-academy 

Podcast: leapacademy.com

Instagram: @ilanagolanleap

🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥

 Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers. 

👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million 

 

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

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Joe McCarthy is a powerhouse branding strategist and entrepreneur renowned for his relentless approach and trailblazing results in the digital business world. As the brain behind rapidly scaling brands like Gem Social and Grow With Us Agency, Joe specializes in lead generation, crafting magnetic personal brands, and helping influencers and entrepreneurs scale their businesses. Known for his servant mindset and transparency, he takes pride in guiding others to find their voice, optimize their offers, and achieve profitable, sustainable growth online. With a proven track record and a client roster filled with success stories, Joe brings a no-nonsense, value-first approach to building brands that convert.

Takeaways:


Build a Strong Foundation: Success in personal branding starts with foundational work—clarifying your target audience, your own voice, values, and what unique value you offer. Skipping these steps can leave you struggling to create real impact or connect with the right people.


Brand and Lead Gen Go Hand-in-Hand: Building a great brand and effective lead generation aren’t separate pursuits; they’re deeply interconnected. An optimized brand attracts the right audience, while strategic lead gen processes convert interest into tangible results.


Value First, Sales Second: Leading with service, not sales, is the key to authentic business growth. When you provide overwhelming value and genuinely care about serving your audience, selling becomes a natural, trust-based outcome.

Sound Bytes:

“Your brand is your business card and your resume—it shows people upfront your values, beliefs, and skills.”

“People don’t share or save content unless they truly resonate with your message. Nail the messaging and the rest will follow.”

“If you know your service is great, it’s almost selfish not to get it in front of the people who need it.”

Connect & Discover Joe:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realjoemccarthy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-mccarthy-7b691518a/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Realjoemccarthy

X: https://x.com/realjoe_mac

🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥 

Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers. 

👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million  

 

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan Mendoza is a globally recognized expert in branding and business growth, celebrated for his resilience and trailblazing approach to overcoming adversity. Born to a diverse heritage, Jordan grew up learning lessons in perseverance from his mother, who was born with only one lung. Despite being voted "least likely to succeed" in high school, Jordan defied the odds and built a powerful personal brand, becoming a sought-after keynote speaker and LinkedIn powerhouse. He is the author of "The Life-Changing Power of Adversity," a book focused on turning struggles into opportunities and helping others blaze their own trail to success. Today, Jordan is also the host of the Blaze Your Own Trail podcast and is committed to empowering others to find their voice, share their story, and unlock their greatest potential.

 Key Takeaways:


Adversity is a Gift: Jordan emphasizes that adversity, when faced head-on and unpacked, offers valuable life lessons and growth opportunities. He encourages listeners to view challenges as gifts to be unwrapped, not just obstacles to be endured.


Your Story Has Power: Sharing your personal story, especially your struggles and how you overcame them, is essential—not just for personal healing, but for helping others realize they’re not alone and inspiring them to overcome their own challenges.


Start Before You’re Ready: Whether launching a podcast, building a brand, or publishing a book, Jordan urges people to take action even if they feel unqualified or nervous. Progress and confidence come from putting in the reps and learning along the way.

Sound Bytes:

"Adversity is a gift as long as we're willing to open it, to unwrap it, and to dive into all that it has to offer." 

"Everyone has a story. Most people haven't mustered up the courage yet to share it." 

"If you just start showing up, posting short videos, sharing tips and stories, you'll find your people." 

Connect & Discover Jordan:

Website: jordanjmendoza.com

LinkedIn: @jordanjmendoza

Instagram: @therealjordanjmendoza

TikTok: @jordanjmendoza

Podcast: Blaze Your Own Trail

Book: The Life-Changing Power of Adversity

🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥

 Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers. 

👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million 

 

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Ledwith, founder of ScholarReady, is a renowned educator and mentor based in Houston, Texas, celebrated for her relentless commitment to empowering students both academically and personally. With over 20 years of experience, Jennifer specializes in helping students build confidence, attain educational freedom, and achieve college admission success—without the crushing burden of student debt. Through her innovative College Ready program, she works with students and families from as early as seventh grade, focusing on literacy, foundational skills, and practical strategies for long-term academic and financial success. Her approach combines deep care, respect for each student’s unique motivations, and proven methods to help young people unlock opportunities and dreams.

Takeaways


Educational Freedom Starts Early: Jennifer stresses that the path to real educational opportunity and freedom from student loan debt begins well before the 11th or 12th grade. Building strong reading and comprehension skills from an early age is the foundation for test success and scholarship opportunities.


Individualized, Respectful Guidance: Jennifer’s unique approach involves learning each student’s “why” and working collaboratively with them—respecting their knowledge and allowing them to try their own methods while gently guiding them towards proven strategies when needed.


Parents as Key Partners: Parents should take an active role in their child’s educational journey, administering practice tests early, understanding their child’s strengths and challenges, and making consistent literacy and academic engagement a family affair, much like youth sports.

Sound Bytes

“All kinds of technology can be used for good and used for bad—we just have to figure out how to help students learn how to use technology positively.” – Jennifer Ledwith

“Education is supposed to give you freedom. When you’re educated, you have choices.” –Jennifer Ledwith

“We’ve got to bring that same energy to literacy that we bring to sports. Start early, build a pipeline, and make academic readiness a family priority.” – Jennifer Ledwith

Connect & Discover Jennifer:

Website: Scholaready.com

LinkedIn: @JenniferLedwith

YouTube: @scholaready

🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥

 Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers.

 

👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million 

 

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shawn French is a speaker, coach, and podcast host whose life and brand are built on resilience, discipline, and unyielding determination. Drawing from overcoming personal adversity and healing childhood wounds, he has transformed his journey into a mission to inspire and push others to stop negotiating with their greatness. Through his work, including the acclaimed "Determined Society" podcast and community, Shawn French empowers leaders and individuals to harness their pain, elevate their standards, and pursue their purpose with intention, discipline, and grit.

Takeaways:


Standards Over Goals: Success is rooted in maintaining personal standards, not just chasing goals. Standards become your minimum expectation and shape who you are during the journey.


Discipline is Freedom: The daily commitment to mundane, consistent habits grants true freedom and peace of mind, allowing individuals to move forward with zero regrets.


Embrace the Mundane: Lasting impact and achievement come from relentlessly executing the unglamorous, everyday tasks—even when motivation is low.

Sound Bytes:

"If it feeds the mission, then eat it, then go for it. But if it moves you further away from your goal, retreat. Don't do it."

"You have to be able to drop the walls and take that ego... I have to be vulnerable in this moment and admit that I didn't perform because of me."

"Discipline is freedom. Because when you act on that, there's nothing anyone can say... You have earned that moment no matter what."

Connect & Discover Shawn:

Instagram: @theshawnfrench

Podcast: The Determined Society

Website: thedeterminedsociety.com

X: @theshawnmfrench

Facebook: @thewronghouse

YouTube: @thedeterminedsociety

🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥 

Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers. 

👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million 

 

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices