Take Command: A Leadership Podcast

Embark on a journey of real-life business insights and inspiring personal growth narratives. Welcome to Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast, where we seek to uncover what leadership means in today’s world. Hosted by Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie, we’ll be talking to diverse leaders across various industries to help unlock your potential for success. We’ll be sharing real-life insights into leadership—which in turn can help spark...

About the Guest:

Meet Matt Norman, the president of Dale Carnegie, North Central US. Matt’s career started in technology, where he struggled with confidence, building relationships, and communication. Over time, and by following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather (both Dale Carnegie trainers), Matt learned to trade the comfort of solving tangible problems for a deeper understanding of the ambiguity of interpersonal relat...

About the Guest:

Meet Suzanne Sutter Chesnutt, a dynamic leader with a rich corporate leadership, philanthropy, and organizational development background. Suzanne's illustrious career culminated in her role as the CEO of Things Remembered, overseeing a massive 650-store organization. Her journey is characterized by a deep commitment to leadership development and significant contributions to charitable endeavors, particularly with th...

About the Guests:

Christina Dorr Drake & Rusty Drake are the co-founders of Willa’s Organic Oat Milk since 2020. The couple juggled launching their product while simultaneously navigating Christina's breast cancer diagnosis and facing the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode features Rusty, a former filmmaker & Dale Carnegie master trainer turned entrepreneur, and Christina, an advertiser, a resilient cancer survivor, a well-being enthus...

About the Guest:

Niren Chaudhary is the CEO & Chairman of the Board of Panera Brands, one of the world's largest fast-casual restaurant companies. With prior roles as President of Krispy Kreme and 23 years at Yum! Brands, including the Global President of KFC, his leadership is unparalleled. Fluent in four languages, he supports DKMS, a leading non-profit with the world’s largest stem cell donor registry.

What will You Learn:

Chaudhar...

About the Guest:

Alvaro Nuñez Alfaro, originally from Madrid, Spain, found himself drawn to the world of tennis at an early age. His dreams of becoming a professional tennis player laid the foundation for his resilient and adventurous spirit. Graduating as a valedictorian student,Alvaro used his proficiency in tennis as a lever to secure a scholarship in the U.S., kickstarting a journey that would transcend sports and lead him into ...

About the Guest:

Chris Winton, from his early days in Memphis, initially struggled with his academic performance while juggling two jobs to support his family. However, an internship through the InRoads program at FedEx altered the trajectory of his life. This opportunity ultimately led him to become a key figure in both FedEx and Tesla, gaining profound insights from iconic CEOs Fred Smith and Elon Musk.

What Will You Learn?

• Auth...

Who is Deena Ghazarian?

Deena Ghazarian is a former retail executive at Macy's who has transitioned into a tech executive and is currently the CEO of Austere, an award-winning technology accessories company. She is also the co-founder of Chloe Nickie, a women's shoe business that provides higher-end brands at reasonable prices and donates a significant portion of its profits to support autism spectrum disorders

What will you learn?

1....

1. Who is Vala Afshar?

Vala Afshar is a prominent figure in the world of technology and digital transformation. He currently serves as the Chief Digital Evangelist for Salesforce, a leading international CRM software company. Vala has a remarkable life story that began with the Iranian revolution in 1979. At the age of 10, he and his family needed to immigrate to the United States as refugees, separated from his father. Vala's journ...

Who is Aarash Darroodi?

Aarash Darroodi is General Counsel, Executive Vice President, and Corporate Secretary of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, one of the world’s global leaders in manufacturing instruments and amplifiers. 

He grew up in Iran with his grandparents and was able to move to his parents in the USA at the age of 7. His background and experience with immigration to the US shaped who he is today. With a background ...

*Note: This episode was recorded in March 2023 

About our guest:

Meet Britta Wilson, who most recently served as the Vice President of Inclusion & Outreach at Pixar Animation, where she led initiatives to discover, nurture and empower diverse voices. Her primary focus is on cultivating resonant content, fostering a culture of belonging, and promoting compassionate community service.

Prior to Pixar, she served as the Chief Diversity Of...

Who are Redfoo and Piers Ridyard?

Redfoo, born Stefan Kendal Gordy, is a multi-platinum-selling singer and two times Grammy nominee, songwriter, producer, and Web3 coder. Despite facing hurdles and criticism, Redfoo pursued his passion for music and achieved success. He is best known for his hit single "Party Rock Anthem" in 2011 and his performance for Super Bowl Half-Time Show in 2012. However, he has recently shifted his focus to...

Who is Merrie Williamson

Meet Merrie Williamson, an accomplished leader with a diverse background. With 20 years of experience leading engineering teams at Intel and currently serving as the Corporate Vice President of Azure Infra at Microsoft, Merrie's career trajectory has been remarkable. In this episode, Merrie shares her personal journey of discovery and the pivotal moment that led her to embrace empathy and transition into her...

Who is Ron Carter?

Ron Carter is a veteran of the technology industry, an inventor, and a visionary whose work has helped great technology products enter the market. In 2003, he filed a patent for the first video doorbell—now known as Ring. He is revolutionizing the industry with his latest first-generation technology that addresses security in the e-commerce sector, using mobile applications for improved security, access, and logis...

Silvina Moschini is an Argentinian entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the founder, president & chairwoman of Unicoin, a next-generation cryptocurrency designed to be stable and profitable because it’s backed by a portfolio of equity stakes in the companies part of Unicorn Hunters,  is a new groundbreaking investment platform that will spotlight emerging growth companies looking to hit the coveted $1B “unicorn” valuation mark wh...

Suneel Gupta is an accomplished entrepreneur and best-selling author whose mother immigrated to the United States from Pakistan. She secured a position as the first female engineer at Ford, and her inspiring story influenced Suneel's career trajectory. Suneel has helped thousands of individuals develop better habits and achieve success through his best-selling book, "Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Ch...

Ally Love is a multifaceted woman, pioneering the slash generation by wearing a multitude of hats. She is the CEO of Love Squad, a community organization empowering women; a Peloton instructor, Brooklyn Nets arena host; an inspiring speaker; and an Adidas global ambassador. Ally was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and moved to New York City (NYC) to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer. As a speaker and instructor, she has insp...

Happy New Year! 

Our first episode of 2023 is dedicated to Dale Carnegie & Associates' newest book, Take Command. The book, like our podcast, focuses on what professionals in the modern world can do to take command and succeed in their personal and professional lives. Our guests today are the book co-authors: Joe Hart, President & CEO of Dale Carnegie & Associates and Take Command Podcast host; and Michael Crom, author, Board member...

This end-of-year, special episode of Take Command features an interview with Dale Carnegie’s daughter, Donna Dale Carnegie, who is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Dale Carnegie and Associates. Together with Simon and Schuster author Andrew Postman, they added, edited, and updated the bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People, with more contemporary stories and language.

Andrew Postman, a professional author and...