On the latest Backstage Pass episode, Gail Davis sits down with former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino to explore the out-of-this-world lessons he learned in space. From teamwork and communication to overcoming obstacles, Mike shares invaluable insights that apply far beyond the cosmos.

Show Notes
Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut and celebrated space walker who repaired the Hubble Space Telescope, is our guest today. As a keynote speaker, he brings authenticity and inspiration to every stage he steps on. Mike shares the biggest lessons he’s learned during his career in this conversation, as well as the strengths he brings to his speaking events.

Key topics in this episode include:

• What inspired Mike to become an astronaut, and who he brought to space.
• One of Mike’s biggest fears and why he didn’t let it stop him.
• How many times he applied to NASA before he actually got accepted.
• Why your goals are worth trying for, even if they seem out of reach.
• Why it’s better to speak up than stay silent, especially when it comes to ideas.
• What happens when a whole team focuses on one mission and goal.
• The value of adaptability in the workplace.
• Mike’s biggest lessons from his visits to space.
• What Mike did in space that no one else had ever done before.
• One of the best things you can do to support your team as a leader.
• The topics Mike covers in his speaking events and how he entertains the audience.
• How Mike can fulfill the specific needs of event planners.
• Why he loves doing Q&As and meet-and-greets with the audience.
• Tips for event planners who aren’t sure about setting up a Q&A.
• The view of space programs internationally and how those talks are received.

Gail Davis is joined by Suneel Gupta who discusses how to practically manage energy and bolster emotional resilience in order to unite our wellbeing and performance at work.

Show Notes
Today we’re joined by Suneel Gupta, an expert on how well-being impacts performance. He’s a healthcare entrepreneur, best-selling author, and visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School. He helps people bolster their emotional resilience so they can reset, reignite, and find meaning in their work. Suneel shares tips for increasing your daily productivity, resilience, and energy levels no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Key topics in this episode include:

• The difference between people who reach their potential and those who don’t.
• A common misconception about burnout (and what the truth really is).
• Why you don’t need a long vacation to recuperate and reset.
• How little moments of rest can change your capacity to take on life.
• What the science of human performance has shown about rest.
• Why your best years are yet to come, no matter how old you are now.
• The human energy crisis of our time and how it impacts us at work.
• How cutting back on your schedule can increase your output and energy.
• How using rhythmic renewal in your daily life enhances your resilience.
• How to monitor your energy level and know when it’s time for a break.
• The experience Suneel had with his dad that inspired his vision.
• The surprising person who has a significant influence on your mental health.
• How the legacy of a great leader lives on and the small things that make a big difference.
• Where Suneel is investing his time right now and why he’s passionate about it.
• The many applications of energy management and who it can help now.

Gail Davis is joined by Nando Parrado who shares the powerful message behind his story of survival and why it continues to resonate with generations and audiences of all ages today.

Show Notes
We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Nando Parrado, the first speaker ever booked by GDA Speakers 25 years ago. Nando is the hero of a 1972 plane crash in the Andes Mountains, which he discusses in today’s episode, and he’s lived through one of the greatest survival stories of all time. His story continues to resonate with audiences today; when he attends as a speaker, he promises to give the audience the best speaker experience they’ve ever had. We also discuss GDA Speakers' 25th anniversary and Nando's continued involvement and influence in the company.

Key topics in this episode include:

• What audiences find so engaging and appealing about Nando’s story.
• How he celebrates his survival and honors those who were lost.
• Why Nando is visiting the podcast office today.
• Why Nando was chosen as the first speaker booked at GDA Speakers (and how he filled a tall order).
• Where he’s speaking next and why it’s such a big accomplishment.
• The secret to his survival and why it’s a miracle that Nando is here today.
• The small ways people survive every day and why it matters.
• What to watch for in an engaged audience and how to know if they’re all in.
• Nando’s experience with the movie Society of the Snow.
• Why he says speaking is a part of his life (and what the other important parts are).
• His thoughts on going to the Oscars and what it was like.
• How he selects speaking engagements to do (and why he says no sometimes).
• The reasons why Nando gets booked again and again.

Gail Davis is joined by Ron White who discusses the importance of memory in business, relationships, and self confidence.

Show Notes
Today we’re joined by two-time USA memory champion Ron White. His presentation addresses the skill of memorization and why it’s so important in business and in relationships. Not only that, but having a good memory can boost your confidence as well because it allows you to fortify what you know—whether that’s product knowledge, sales information, or a speech of your own. Being a great speaker is the sign of a great leader, and a great memory is where that begins.

Key topics in this episode include:

• The events that fell together for Ron and Gail to meet.
• The person Ron met who introduced him into the world of all things memory.
• How Ron became a foremost memory expert and solidified it.
• Why Ron is making a return to competing soon.
• The many different situations that memorization can help you in.
• How learning to remember things well fosters confidence in adults and children.
• Why Ron is a great speaker for kicking off any event.
• Ron’s service history and how he’s used his gifts to honor fallen soldiers.
• The incredible connections he’s made through his speaking events.
• The program his customers kept asking him for and how well it did when he delivered.
• The biggest trick to remembering anything (with examples).
• Why most people struggle with memorizing names, and what to do instead.
• Ron’s interest outside of speaking and how it’s changed his life.
• What Ron wants planners to know before they book him (and why they should).
• What makes him different from other memory experts.

Gail Davis is joined by Sandra Joseph & Ron Bohmer who discuss finding success by removing our masks to be our authentic selves and how they uniquely blend their captivating Broadway talent with impactful storytelling at each event.

Show Notes
In this episode of Backstage Pass, we’re joined by Sandra Joseph & Ron Bohmer. Often referred to as Broadway royalty, this couple fell in love both on and off stage in 1997. They’ve been married for over 20 years and have formed a beautiful business partnership. The speaking events they do together are often about overcoming fear and rejection, following your heart, and the importance of dropping your mask and being your authentic self.

Key topics in this episode include:

• The role that made Sandra the longest leading lady on the longest running play.
• A gift that helped Sandra keep her edge after a decade into performing.
• How a shift in underlying motivations can recharge you.
• Why it’s important to be who you are, flaws and all.
• Why Sandra said she’s the least likely Broadway star you’d ever meet.
• How being vulnerable can actually help you achieve your dreams.
• What made Ron and Sandra’s first conversation unique.
• The pressure people feel to show up a certain way and how it burdens them.
• How having a deep dive with a client before a speaking event improves the event.
• Sandra’s motivation for becoming an author and speaker.
• How a theater background has equipped them to make events especially engaging.
• The role their daughter landed and how it’s been a bonding experience for their family.
• How Ron and Sandra give back to the community and why they are passionate about it.
• Their favorite parts of what they do and why their audience gets lit up from them.

Gail Davis is joined by seasoned event strategist Heather Davis who shares what makes an event a home run, factors that play into speaker selection, and the challenges she faces behind the scenes.

Show Notes
In this episode of Backstage Pass we’re joined by events strategist Heather Davis, Corporate Vice President with New York Life. She drives high-impact outcomes through oversight of three domains: marketing, meetings, and training and development. This conversation has Heather share what makes a speaking event successful, why some speakers are invited back, and the biggest hurdles she faces as an events strategist. She also spills about what a recent speaker did that surprised her—and what she expects to see in the event and speaking space next.

Key topics in this episode include:

• The services Heather provides and the individuals who look for these services.
• The overall objective of the annual meeting that Heather coordinates.
• How having a small event team influences the planning process.
• Signs of a successful annual meeting (and why measuring it matters).
• How many contracts Heather has facilitated.
• What encourages Heather to book a speaker again (or never again).
• Why you should book speakers as far in advance as possible.
• Whether a speaker’s video is actually helpful in decision making or not.
• The biggest challenges Heather has in strategizing events.
• Why speaker customization is so important.
• How she approaches booking speakers and who she trusts with the heavy lifting.
• The type of speaker that Heather needs right now who are also hard to find.
• What a recent speaker did that surprised Heather.
• Heather’s predictions for future events and what’s already changing now.
• Recent speakers that stood out for Heather in a positive way.

Gail Davis is joined by Lisa Bodell who dissects the difference between productivity and simplicity, how workplace culture influences the complexity of our work, and using simplicity as an employee retention strategy.

Show Notes
Today our guest is the founder and CEO of FutureThink, Lisa Bodell. Lisa is a futurist and a global leader on collaboration and innovation. She ranks in the top 50 speakers worldwide, and she is also a two-time best-selling author. She’s an expert in helping people discover how to eliminate complexity through the power of simplicity. In today’s conversation, she shares why emphasizing productivity doesn’t work, and why simplifying your work is the way to go.

Key topics in this episode include:

• Why so many people are at a breaking point right now.
• How being organized differs from being simplified.
• The benefits of simplifying your work and your life.
• A better way to say no (that actually feels good).
• The importance of leaning into saying “yes, if” statements.
• Why people want their time back and how being selfish with it helps.
• How your work culture influences the complexity of your work.
• What makes Lisa a more sought-after speaker and why.
• Why Lisa says simplicity is agnostic and who her main audience is.
• Why productivity isn’t the answer in the workplace (and what matters more).
• How Lisa applies the things she speaks about to her own life.
• How killing stupid ideas has made Lisa’s team even better.
• The secrets to making a speaking event a home run.
• What the best rooms are to find yourself in and what makes the best group.
• The surprising thing Lisa learned about herself as a speaker.

Gail Davis is joined by John Register who discusses transforming adversity into advantage, what holds people back from moving past difficult times, and how his message provides audiences a necessary perspective shift.

Show Notes
In this episode of Backstage Pass we’re joined by John Register. John is a Paralympic silver medalist, army combat veteran, TedX speaker, author, and CPAE. Recently, he was named among the top global leadership speakers. John opens up about his Paralympic career, what holds people back from moving past difficult times (and how he can help), and the experiences that helped make him the speaker he is today.

Key topics in this episode include:

• What getting the CPAE title meant to John and how he reached this milestone.
• How being diverted towards the Gulf War elevated his speaking ability.
• How he lost his leg and what it taught him about adversity.
• Why he was so surprised when he made the Paralympic swim team.
• The importance of having people in your life who won’t let you fail.
• How his Paralympic experience developed and expanded.
• The fear that holds people back from reaching their goals and how John can help.
• How his speaking gives him a unique perspective of leadership and the world.
• The calls John gets weekly and why he makes himself available to serve them.
• Why knowing what the Constitution is matters when protecting it.
• The unique aspect the US brings to athletic events, including the Paralympics.
• What John is focusing on right now in his career next.
• Why the way you show up with event planners and producers matters.
• The influence any interaction you have with someone, no matter how small, can have.