Tracks To Success

Send us a textThe newest member of Kann Advisory Group joins founder Kraig Kann for a lively chat that covers more chapters than most this season.  And why wouldn’t it?!Seth Davis has authored nine books with NY Times Best-Seller status attached to a more than a few.  Davis recently launched Hoops HQ… dedicated to - college basketball - his passion for more than 3 decades.Seth’s esteemed writing career includes long runs at Sports Illustrated and The Athletic. He’s also widely recognized for his contribution to March Madness coverage on CBS and Turner.You’ll hear conversation on how Davis reached the television studio and why he’s passionate about the speaking stage on the topic of kindness.Join Kraig and Seth… it’s a slam dunk interview and you’ll quickly see why the two of them are now business partners.Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textAre you a baseball fan?  Catch this Tracks To Success episode if you are...  as former All-Star and World Series winner AJ Pierzynski joins Kraig Kann for a lively chat about his career.  A childhood dream fulfilled from Orlando, Florida to the big leagues and a career that included seven teams, more than 2,000 hits and has continued in a way that has him as enthused as ever.What was his "it" that helped him reach the majors?  What did one of his coaches tell him that changed his career trajectory?  Which team was his favorite and how has he become a network broadcaster and daily show host that people are talking about?Don't miss his takes on baseball but also the topic of leadership and being a part of a winning team.  Why is communication so important?  And why does everyone need a special attitude to succeed and reach full potential?  Pierzynksi has strong opinions on all of it.A podcast episode that gives you things about business and career than you might not have been expecting.  Don't miss it!Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textWhen it comes to “brand” and an incredibly passionate fan base in professional sports, you’d be hard pressed to beat the Green Bay Packers.  And it begins and ends with Kraig’s guest in this episode of Tracks to Success. Gabrielle Dow has 30 years in sports marketing and entertainment.  Her title is Vice President of Marketing and Fan Engagement … and her passion and creativity created a fast climb on the career track.  Her resume includes the Baltimore Ravens, the NHL's Florida Panthers and AEG, marketing the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Staples Center, Kodak Theatre and The Forum.She’ll wow you with her ideation and leadership thoughts and share what she believes is the key to branding sports … and successful people in today’s fast paced world.Don’t miss it! Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textDaDaDa…DaDaDa!  This is the episode that will give you high entertainment and true insight into the world of sports television and the iconic brand that is ESPN.John Anderson is more than a familiar TV face to sports fans.  His talent took him through local markets and up to Bristol, Connecticut where ESPN calls home.  A unique ability to connect with audiences also landed him a host role on the hit reality series “Wipeout” where his quick witted nature and authentic personality was an instant hit.  Anderson was a fixture - more than twenty-five years on SportsCenter bringing the day in sports into homes around the world.   In June of 2024, John delivered his finale show.  And now, there’s a new chapter as he pays an amazing television career …forward. So how did it all happen?  And what was it like to retire from the high profile career he chased for years?  John shares it all with his college classmate and longtime friend Kraig Kann as Tracks To Success brings you a rare look at the world of sports television and how following your dream can build a brand that leaves a lasting legacy. Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textIf brand is your thing and you want to learn how to promote you, then some time with Kraig Kann and Amy Littleton will serve you well!Amy is one of the brightest minds in brand engagement and public relations.  Building brands and telling stories has become big business in the corporate world and her company - Stretch PR - is fast becoming a game changer in sports and traditional business.How big is “brand” when looking for your next job?  How do you take control of your own PR?  Do you need to?  There’s plenty here to get you on the fast track to success.  And if you’re an entrepreneur looking for promote your own business this is just the podcast for you.  Join Kraig and Amy… a “brand” new episode of Tracks to Success.Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textIf you love sports and sports opinion, this is the podcast for you!Kraig chats with one of the most successful sports writers and columnists in the country.  Hall of Fame is attached to his media resume and his bestselling books are as popular as the columns he’s scribed for years in the Big Apple. Meet Mike Lupica, who admits he’s still taken aback by the number of people who watched him for years on ESPN’s “The Sports  Reporters.”So how did he rise to fame?  What does he think of today’s journalism?  Why does he love golf so much?  And who’s better… Michael or LeBron?The joy of writing books, the art of his reporting, the ease of writing columns and the thrill and rush that comes with television is all a part of this edition of Tracks To Success with Kraig Kann.Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textIf you are looking for someone whose book has sold more than a million copies… who’s spent time on stage speaking to thousands and preaches a message about the value and gift of “give before receive,” this is your podcast episode.Kraig Kann chats with Bob Burg, co-author of the “The Go-Giver” which sends an uplifting message about a way of conducting business that builds relationships that last and leads you to your greatest success.Burg has shared a stage with Olympic athletes, sports personalities, countless executives and political leaders including a former United States President.You’ll leave this episode inspired by his 30-plus years of changing the way corporations think and motivated to pay things forward with a business philosophy that will change your own personal and professional course.If endless referrals are a goal, Burg has written that book as well.  Enjoy the conversation! Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textA podcast for every football fan - especially those who follow the NFL.  A podcast for every sports fan - especially those who stress the importance of physical fitness and peak performance.Kraig Kann talks with Brett Fischer.  He’s the director of player health and performance for the NFL’s Detroit Lions.  He oversees every aspect of the team’s medical operation and runs his own business as well as founder and owner of the Fischer Performance Training and Rehab Center in Arizona. He’s worked with thousands of top professional athletes, helping them to become their best performing self and his story of success is one based on a seeing a dream and living out his “why.”A vast array of topics including the importance of having faith and a belief in mentorship to truly achieve.  Plus, amazing insight into what it takes to reach and stay fit in arguably the toughest and most physically demanding sport in the world, Don’t miss it!Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textHow important is your brand?  How big is the job of promoting and protecting the brands of many?  And a network’s reputation as well.  Kraig Kann goes one-on-one with one of the biggest names in media consulting, communications and public relations.  You’ll meet LeslieAnne Wade, the former SVP at CBS Sports who broke ground as a female ascending to one of the most important roles in network television. Her journey from college to the bright spotlight managing news, names and major network sports events is a fascinating tale of networking and know how.  And then there is her story of entrepreneurship. If you want to build your own brand, this interview has more than enough to send you on your way to being recognized and respected and owning a brand you can be proud of.Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textHe’s more than just a headhunter… he’s a pioneer in the executive search industry whose career took a big jump from the  corporate world to cornering the market in sports with the opportunity to lead the search for MLB’s commissioner.  Kraig Kann talks with the CEO of Eastman & Beaudine…. Bob Beaudine.  He helps people land their dream job and he’ll help you too!  The king of executive leadership “matchmaking” in college and professional sports, Beaudine has his masterful fingerprint in the NBA, NFL, NHL, NASCAR and on and on.  Major colleges look to him and so, too, do corporations like Nike, ExxonMobile, AIG, FOX, NBC and others who’ve brought him in as a speaker.His books “Two Chairs” and “The Power of WHO” have become best-sellers and life changers for many who seek to elevate their lives and their careers based on a network you didn’t know you had and the faith you need to lean on with more energy.Want to know what lands you the best job?  How to nail your next big interview?  Need to know what makes a job a “must take” versus just another opportunity?  Join Kraig Kann as he talks straight with another in his long line of inspiring success stories.  Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textHe went from the strings of a guitar in front of small audiences to the laces of dress shoes worn all across the globe.  And he's a leader who understands that success isn't a sprint, but instead a slow and steady walk.  And comfort is key.  Johnston & Murphy president Danny Ewoldsen is Kraig Kann’s guest in a Tracks To Success episode that kicks off a new season and is sure to keep you entertained.  The focus is on a surprise rise that most - certainly Ewoldsen - never saw coming ... and how he's turned a brand built in 1850 on quality conservative dress into a brand that's constantly looking to advance and has found its way as a classy trend-setter for successful professional men everywhere.  Ewoldsen joined the company in 2003 and Kraig weaves him through his professional journey that's had its share of pivots as he's climbed his way to the top.  He prides himself on being "fashionably early" when it comes to trends and his style of leadership is as cutting edge as the products worn by millions who tie their look, style and brand to that of J&M. So how DO you manage to stay ahead of the industry competition and carve a niche and how does that apply to professionals in their own careers?  Kann delivers a unique chat you don’t want to miss as Season III finds its footing! Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textAn amazing collegiate basketball star who’s jumped through hoops to reach a dream destination is the guest on this edition of Tracks To Success. Host Kraig Kann goes one-on-one with Niele Ivey, the boss of Notre Dame Women’s Basketball, and learns about a journey that took her to the final four, the WNBA and back to her alma mater.  But along the way was a stop coaching the top stars in the NBA that might have been her biggest break and her true impact moment.  Hear how a short stint with the Memphis Grizzlies and a pandemic put her in line to succeed a legend at the only school she’d dreamed of coaching career.  A trailblazer, a leader and a role model, Ivey tells Kann about the importance of personal legacy over professional victories,  the magnitude of her role in collegiate coaching, the pressures of the position and the job of mentoring future female leaders  in this inspiring episode of Tracks to Success.Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textHe understands law and also order.  And he’s been a leader of both organizations and a league itself.  Noah Croom  is Kraig Kann’s guest in a Tracks To Success episode that centers on what it took to land in the NBA’s league office and what it takes to lead not one but two teams as well.  Croom has held legal counsel and also general manager roles in his years of NBA service.  He’s also been a player agent at one of the most recognized firms in the game.  His relationships with top NBA talent includes assisting players in areas of mental success - a niche he carved for himself that set him apart from others.  Noah understands the importance of brand and shares advice on building it, molding it and holding onto it. Stops in Nee York, Vancouver and Minneapolis are just part of his professional basketball journey and his newest venture centers around a global build of soccer.So how DO you manage superstars?  What’s it like to have the keys to a city’s sports franchise?  Croom goes deep with Kann in a unique chat you don’t want to miss and shares advice for those with dreams of a role in professional sports. Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textPolished, popular and, without question, polarizing.  And among golf’s top analysts, his personal drive to be the best is unrivaled.  On this edition of Tracks To Success, you’ll meet Brandel Chamblee - a PGA TOUR winner, commentator and author who’s truly found his voice in the game after years playing it at the highest level.Chamblee opens up with Kraig Kann, who he sat beside for nearly a decade covering golf’s biggest global events.  Uncovered are topics like childhood, a college career that created lasting memories, the importance of a Tour win and the challenge of television after a family tragedy and a torn marriage.Brandel addresses his fans, has words for his critics and shares the secret to his successful climb in a profession that is often unkind to even the best.  Kann pulls answers to the reason he doesn’t fraternize with players, the motivation for his books and lands the surprising answer to what might come next.If you watch golf and know golf, you know of Brandel Chamblee.  But not like this!  So don’t miss a special golf focused edition of Tracks To Succes!Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textIt might just be the most dramatic episode of Tracks To Success we’ve ever seen!Chris Harrison, host of the hit ABC reality series “The Bachelor”  and  “The Bachelorette” joins Kraig Kann for a fun chat about a career journey that’s taken him on a ride he never envisioned.  From childhood in Dallas, to college in Oklahoma, to local television and onto becoming the face of a franchise that has given him fame and fortune beyond his dreams. Chris and Kraig talk about the show itself, some of the most impressive bachelors and bachelorettes, while also reliving some career highlights and the break that landed him in the enviable position to travel the world and spend his time amidst people looking for love and roses.* Which bachelor and bachelorette have impressed him the most?  What's the perfect date for him?  Did you know he was on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire or Sabrina The Teenage Witch?  It's a tell all with Chris Harrison and it's a podcast episode you don’t want to miss!  Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textIt's a brand new edition of Tracks To Success with a man who's found a second career and become an industry expert on the topic of BRAND.Personal and professional brand expert Gregg Burkhalter joins host Kraig Kann to discuss the career path that's led him to be a sought after speaker and coach in the area of digital brand marketing and become affectionately - and respectfully - known as "The LinkedIn Guy."Burkhalter grew up in Georgia with the dream of a long-time career in radio broadcasting, only to find his way into a lucrative position in marketing sales.  When his company hit the skids, he was off to the races in a new career as a brand expert.  But NONE of it was a plan he'd put into motion, it just happened.Hear how he used his own career turn of events to turn his professional life completely around and how his network of followers has grown beyond anything he'd imagined.    Plus, answers to questions like: What does LInkedIn actually think about his knowledge of the platform and how to put it into motion for professional gain?  What do people least understand about building their own brand?  And what's the first thing you should do the minute you stop listening to this edition of Tracks To Success?  You'll find out!Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textHe's a Grammy nominated, multi-platinum hit entertainer who sold merchandise for other stars on the way to becoming a big hit himself.Country music star Cole Swindell's most recent tour  is called “down to earth” which describes him as well.   He goes in depth with host Kraig Kann on topics like selling t-shirts for Luke Bryan, making tee-times with other country songwriters who love golf like he does, and the reality of life on the road - before and during COVID which has impacted his industry like nothing he's ever seen.Swindell talks about life growing up in rural Georgia, fraternity days in college and how songwriting  for other big artists became his ticket to making a name for himself.Nine number one singles… eleven number one singles as a songwriter … eight platinum singles …. numerous awards and a growing spotlight.You'll hear how he preps before hitting the stage, what goes into the order of his playlist at a concert, who's made the biggest impact in his life and career ... and how much he loves sports.  Plus, who would HE pay to see perform and what is the one venue he’d most like to add to his tour?This episode is hardly a "flatliner" ... "you should be here" and grab a listen to Kraig and Cole - you'll be a fan looking for his next big show! Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textAs a little boy he took a picture that would frame his own success story.  That photo helped turn this guest into a sought after star who shapes the images of celebrities and major corporations.In a Tracks To Success unlike any other, you’ll meet Mil Cannon, a director, producer, photographer and cinematographer to the stars. He shares his remarkable journey from a challenging childhood to the trusted image maker for the likes of Usher, Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, Pink, Toni Braxton and the late Whitney Houston.His video brand work with the Olympics and major companies like IBM, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Directv and others has earned him star status in an ultra competitive industry and made him a go-to that keeps HIM busier than he ever dreamed.His thoughts on working with Usher?  Mariah?  Carrie?  You'll get it right here.  And you'll learn what makes big brands bigger in the world of video and storytelling.Host Kraig Kann pulls incredible stories from Mil... his work with the stars, thoughts on what it takes to carve your own niche and a career path that ramped up quickly one extraordinary piece of creative art at a time. Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textShe’s won games, built leagues, written books and formed her own company.  Now, one of most influential people in sports has a new platform to help aspiring women of all ages.Donna Orender was born to lead and also inspire.  You’ll hear it in her voice and learn it in the stories and experiences she shares about her career journey with host Kraig Kann. What does it mean to be a 5-star athlete who played 7 sports in one year?!  What was it like to play professional basketball and then parlay that into becoming president of the WNBA?  And how did diving head first into professional golf help launch it all? Orender shares a career that includes television and media production … which vaulted her into a 17-year executive role with the PGA TOUR where she tells how she built the business, negotiated huge deals and expanded global reach. Kraig also pulls stories about how she’s launched a big non-profit geared toward bringing women together.  She’s been voted among the top 10 most powerful women in sports, Newsweek’s 100 most influential in sports business and she’s given a Ted Talk she talks about that gave her a huge platform to share her message.Don’t miss this power woman who’s had a journey worth following but will convince you that it’s really just getting started.   It's right now on an all-new Tracks To Success.Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!

Send us a textOn this edition, we’ve found space for one of our country’s most decorated space heroes.  Jim Wetherbee is a former naval officer, aviator, test pilot, aerospace engineer and NASA astronaut.  Perhaps most impressive is his distinction as a veteran of six space shuttle missions and the only American to have commanded five space flight missions.Wetherbee shares his own history with host Kraig Kann and they discuss a childhood that led him to Notre Dame, the U.S. Navy and then onto NASA.  What’s it like to climb in a craft bound for outer space?  What’s the rush?  What are the fears?  He discusses it all - and the dream of an opportunity to experience all of it.Jim shares detailed stories of his many missions including Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor.  But this soft-spoken Oregon resident, who was born in New York, is now a happily retired - yet sought after - consultant who celebrates two daughters and his wife, enjoys tennis and… his drums!  The American Federation of Musicians is also on his amazing life resume.So, what on earth do you even ask a man who’s docked with the Russian Mir and also the international Space Station multiple times? What stands out the most?  Which outer space movie is his favorite?  You’ll find out as Kraig goes all in on this edition of Tracks To Success.Watch Tracks To Success on Kraig Kann's YouTube Channel!