Ep. 264: Playing high school golf in Michigan and winning the Upper Peninsula State Championship shaped this CEO who led Wendy's through a decade of global growth before stepping into the CEO role at Papa John's after a very brief retirement.

Today, Todd Penegor brings that same team-first mentality to every leadership table he sits at — and in this conversation, he shares exactly how.

In this conversation, Todd shares how he thinks about developing next-generation leaders, why he believes a CEO's job looks more like an offensive lineman than a quarterback, and what it really takes to earn both the heads and hearts of a franchise community.

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Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we're making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started:https://books.forbes.com/don/

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.

Special thanks to Abigail Brandt and Danielle Cadena for making this episode possible.

Ep. 263: With a resume that includes StubHub President and Google President of Asia Pacific and Latin America, this technology exec joins the show talk about how tennis shaped her, and the way she now is involved in ownership of the Toronto Tempo!

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why pre-morteming failure shrinks fear and drives real action

• Why the who you work for will always matter more than the what

• How modeling imperfection — not perfection — creates psychological safety on your team

• How to find passion in your work, not just find work you're passionate about

Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we're making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/

Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.

Special thanks to Amelia Prieto and Johnathan Levin for making this episode possible.

Ep. 262: What conditions do you actually need to perform at your best? Emmy award-winning chef Giada De Laurentiis shares that knowing your non-negotiables is the key ingredient.

Don't miss these amazing stories on this episode:

• Food is connection. When Giada moved to the US from Italy, she struggled with the language barrier. But food became the great translator. "Food was the thing that could connect me to other people and maybe start to forget some kind of community," she said.
• Keep your recipes. As an Italian-born chef living in the US, Giada wonders how to balance being herself with preserving culture. "How do I gain my independence but still hold onto what I feel like is my identity and my grounding?" she said. Ultimately, she tries to put it all in the food.
• A kitchen is like a ballet. The best teams feel as if everyone is on a string, like each person is moving in unison together. Giada likens that to a dance. "The kitchen is like a dance, right? It's like a ballet—it really takes precision," she said.