Off the Rak

Two decades-plus in the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner means hard-won insights many leaders can learn from: how to stay committed to the truth, find purpose, and build systems that last. In this candid chat, international forensics expert Barbara Butcher shares the high-stakes realities of being a death investigator, the ethical conflicts she navigates, and the crisis moments like 9/11 that tested her leadership. We...

Can you lead with your heart first in corporate America? Or do the pressures of the c-suite leave little room for love and humanity? We’ve invited Joel Manby to Off the Rak to share what he’s learned from more than 25 years of experience as a CEO about how “love the verb” transforms cultures for success. After launching the automotive company Saturn and growing Saab at General Motors, Joel moved to the theme...

As human beings, we crave purpose. Ask any pastor, priest, monk, imam, rabbi, politician, philosopher, or psychologist. We also expect it of our organizations — in today’s transparent world, businesses are expected to stand for more than just profits if they are to attract top talent and influential stakeholders. Carol Cone is a pioneer in cause marketing, widely regarded as the creator of the purpose movement in busine...

Finding an agent, getting an audition, nailing the callback, having a great performance — show business can seem full of crowded paths with few roles and that means hearing a lot of no’s before you hear a “yes!” Veteran stage character actor, singer, dancer, composer, writer, and coach Robert Creighton joins Off the Rak to share his insights on staying resilient through the ebb and flow of opportunities, hon...

Disasters are getting bigger and more complex. How do you prepare an organization—and its people—to respond quickly, effectively, and with humanity?

Let's challenge the idea that crisis leadership is all about command. Instead, this episode of Off the Rak explores showing up with steadiness, trust, and humanity. Join us as we welcome Cliff Holtz, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, a leader who steers one of the...

If you know your Steelers history then you know how Rocky Bleier was an essential player for the team’s first four Super Bowl victories, serving as its fourth all-time leading rusher. But do you know the odds he overcame to get there? He wears more honors than his Super Bowl rings — as a Vietnam veteran, he was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his brave service, which almost cost him the game forever. We sit...

On this episode of Off the Rak, Dr. Christian Ntizimira — a Rwandan palliative care physician, Harvard-trained researcher, and Executive Director of the African Center for Research on End-of-Life Care — shares how prioritizing compassion, dignity, and community can redefine how we lead, especially in moments of crisis. We explore practical ways to design empathy into institutions, honor presence over quick fixes, and re...

Sitting on a stoop conjures up summer weather, friendly neighbors, and good conversation. It’s a place of community, purpose, and safety. Join a stoop chat with the founder of The Soul Purpose.

Culture change doesn’t happen from the outside, but from within. Advisor, coach, and facilitator Tina DeSalvo has worked with leaders from household names such as Comcast, Google, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, Goodyear,...

Is it possible to honor traditions and still embrace a growth mindset? 

Wayne Peacock’s 35-year tenure as USAA’s CEO has demonstrated that an entrepreneurial spirit can not only be nurtured at a 103-year-old company, but it can also be successful. Providing insurance and financial services to millions of veterans and their families, USAA’s singular focus has helped the organization, founded in 1922 by military...

Insights from a people guru who’s hired over 6,500 employees in 23 countries!

Employment used to be transactional. But companies don’t just go out and hire people, especially talented people. They need to attract them. It seems that more and more these days, the war for talent will be won by purpose. HR guru Jennifer Trzepacz joins Off the Rak to share what she’s learned in her two decades of experience in HR. As t...

Are you prepared for the future of work? Off the Rak welcomes Rishad Tobaccowala, a global business advisor, author, and futurist, to explore what transformative leadership looks like in a fast-moving, AI-enabled world. Drawing on four decades of helping leaders reinvent themselves, Rishad shares insights from his book Rethinking Work on how leaders must evolve to thrive in a dramatically transforming modern age, and how creativity...

Learn what it’s like being a professional female athlete from the recently retired LPGA golfer and two-time U.S. team captain. Lewis announced that she will be stepping away from full-time competitive golf at the end of the 2025 season — let's look back at her conversation. 

Can adversity help you find your greatest strengths? That’s just one of the topics we’re exploring as I welcome one of my favorite ...

How do you make the journey from being given last rites in a hospital bed to founding an organization that has saved thousands of lives through medical innovation? Dr. David Fajgenbaum is a physician-scientist, Castleman disease survivor, and the co-founder of Every Cure. From medical student to patient to leader, David shares how he turned personal health challenges into a driving force for innovative research, drug repurposing, a...

Michael Lee Stallard is president of E Pluribus Partners, and a speaker, teacher, and consultant on leadership, employee engagement, productivity, and innovation. He is the primary author of "Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity and Productivity" and a contributor to The ASTD Management Development Handbook. He joins me to discuss how leaders must fostering more human connection and empathy, and h...

Ready to discover what separates truly effective CEOs from those who just look good on paper?

Seasoned CEO advisor Steve Graves shares hard-won insights from three decades of coaching executive leaders. With 20 books on strategy and leadership under his belt, Steve has developed over 100 frameworks specifically designed for CEOs navigating the complex intersection of personal growth and professional demands. In this episode, Steve b...

“When I think about the value proposition of higher education… I think about the essence of leadership where they call it the knowing, being, and doing.”

Featuring the first female president of Penn State University, Neeli Bendapudi, we discuss what it means to be a Nittany Lion, how to create “customer” loyalty, and three time-tested leadership practices that have served my guest well at organizations...

Let's tackle a broader disease that needs eradicating: entitlement.

Joe Sanders is a thoughtful and focused leader who brings a wealth of experience serving youth to Colorado Uplift as its CEO. Not only is he a retired Air Force Colonel and Director of the Air Force Academy’s Leadership and Character Development activities, but he has also shaped the moral and ethical growth of more than 13,000 cadets and staff. He joins Off t...

In honor of Stacy Lewis' retirement at the end of the 2025 LPGA season, Off the Rak rewinds to a special minisode from September 2024 honoring TEAM USA's win in the Solheim Cup — the first since 2017! You don't want to miss these two inspirational stories from a Season 3 episode about success and influence with team captain Stacy Lewis — LGPA pro and leadership role model.

About the Guest

Stacy Lewis is an American profes...

Two good friends and two icons in the world of baseball talk creating a positive culture

Colorado Rockies legends Clint Hurdle and Dan O’Dowd join Off the Rak to share their experiences leading diverse teams, the Colorado Rockies trip to the 2007 World Series, leadership lessons learned on the diamond and beyond, and more!

About the Guests

Clint Hurdle
The cover of the March 20, 1978, annual baseball preview issue of Sports I...