Barnraisers - Conversations with the World's Ultimate Team Players

For many people, the smash hit song Ghostbusters, is part of the soundtrack for the 1980’s and thanks to that song, Ray Parker Jnr. occupies a very well deserved seat at 80’s pop culture table. Understandably he really needs no introduction. But as well known as Ray is as the solo artist responsible for one of the biggest pop songs in history, in many ways, a proper introduction is exactly what he deserves. . Ray Parker, Jr. was born on May 1st, 1954 and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. . And long before anyone had ever considered calling anyone, Ray enjoyed a stellar career. He started out as a teenage session guitarist playing behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and other famous Motown acts. In 1972, Stevie Wonder called Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour that he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Funnily enough, Ray thought it was a prank call and hung up the phone. Stevie called back and only convinced Ray that he was the real deal when he sang "Superstition" to him. At the time, Ray was just 18years old! . Work with Barry White followed as did his own band, Ray Parker Jnr. And Raydio. It too was a runaway success. The first record with the band went gold, peaking at number eight in spring 1978 fuelled by the hit singles, "Jack and Jill” and "Honey I'm Rich." The hits continued with "You Can't Change That”, "Two Places at the Same Time” and all this was followed by a number one gold record A Woman Needs Love in 1981. . A solo carer followed, with more hit singles, more gold records and most importantly, as far as this podcast is concerned, even more collaborations. . The story of Ray Parker Jr. is amazing and fascinating. And the music he made is really only a small part - for instance Ray was also experienced first hand, and fortunately escaped, the violence of the 1967 Detroit riots. He is also one of the most prolific session guitarists, songwriters and stars of a generation, playing on hundreds of hit songs and classic tunes. . And right now, thanks to our second guest, Film Director and Barnraisers alum Fran Strine, Ray's story is all set to be captured on the silver screen. Of Course long time listeners might recall Fran from Episode 3, when I caught up with him to talk about Hired Gun, the documentary that has now taken Netflix, and the world, by storm! . As you’d expect, it’s been quite the ride and Fran has not surprisingly handled it in his stride, cool as ever and ever mindful of the importance and value of running a project with only the most committed and cohesive team he can find. . Ray Parker is without doubt one of the most experienced and successful collaborators, and team players on the planet - just don’t tell him that - he’s still not quite down with that just yet! . Together though, these two guys make quite the dynamic duo. They are the collaboration kings! . Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to let loose Ray Parker Jnr. And Fran Strine. . Always looking up. . Dan

"It's not what we play. It's how we play it. That's what creates magical performances."- MARK SCHULMAN Is there anyone who hasn’t imagined what it would be like to be in a world famous rock band? If your imagination is anything like mine, the rockstar lifestyle it will happily paint for you is one of 24/7 partying, a life of constant adoration and a first-class world full of glitz & glamour. And while that might be the popular perception, the rockstar you are about to meet will expose a reality that seems to be the exact opposite. Mark Schulman (IG/TW: @markyplanet) is a drummer. But not just any drummer - he is currently the drummer for P!nk (IG/TW: @pink), one of the world’s most loved and talented solo artists. And although Mark has served as Pink's drummer for over 10 years now, he has recorded and performed with some of the biggest names in the history of pop music: including Foreigner, Billy Idol, Cher, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner and the beat goes on. Putting this episode together, I was reminded of the words from another famous drummer, Tico Torres of Bon Jovi (IG/TW: @bonjovi) who once said drummers were very good at reading reading people and situations. "After all," he said "we are very observant people". And I think it is the perfect summation and lead-in for our conversation with Mark. As you are about to learn, Mark is also very observant and he definitely has a gift for being able to connect deeply with others. His people skills have obviously served him well over the years and have enabled him to do some pretty amazing things, he estimates he has performed in front of over a billion people! But as you are about to find out, Mark strongly believes his gifts are not to benefit him alone. Mark is driven by a burning desire to contribute positively beyond himself. Sharing his journey with others is a key responsibility that comes with the territory that he occupies. It's this attitude that has spurred Mark on to become an acclaimed author, keynote speaker, composer, producer and corporate trainer. I’m honored to share this powerful conversation with you today. It’s a special conversation because it goes way beyond behind the scenes and will give you an amazing insight into the world of a true rock-star team and what it takes to put together a magical performance - both individually and as a team. And of course it’s a story about leadership and what it’s like to work for one of the most talented and loved bosses on the planet! This is a very revealing conversation. My hope is that it will stick with you and spur you on to cultivate the space and awareness you need to make a positive impact on your team...for the highest good of all concerned. Rock on! Always looking up. Dan Stones Listen & Subscribe to Barnraisers on Apple Podcasts   Show Notes

"If you want to really have an impactful team, you have to have a semblance of community in order to have people feel like they're a part of something bigger than themselves, and they have a role in shaping the world that they are part of."  AMANDA SLAVIN There’s a chance that you might never heard the name Amanda Slavin, but I would be willing to bet that you have probably seen her work or have, in some way, felt the effects of one of the many campaigns and collaborations that have been created by her company CatalystCreativ. Amanda has been associated and responsible for putting together some of the most popular, impactful and engaging marketing campaigns in recent history. Born out a fierce desire to build supportive communities where people feel safe to contribute, Amanda has forged quite an impressive career. Her community based projects include setting up Charity Connector, where she worked with over 200 nonprofit organisations, running events and supporting them in their fundraising efforts. She was also one of the producers for the Global Poverty Project’s Global Festival, the 60,000 person concert in Central Park, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. About 5 years ago Amanda started her current business, an experiential marketing agency initially funded by Tony Hsieh (of Zappos fame!). CatalysCreativ is focussed on helping cities, brands and institutions flourish by developing educational and inspirational experiences through carefully constructed and collaborative (or what Amanda might call "community crafted") strategy. In just 5 short years, Amanda and the incredible CatalystCreativ team have worked with brands such as Dell, PayPal, Nestle and Google. They also work behind the scenes to help maximise the reach and engagement with some of the world’s largest music festivals and events - including the Life Is Beautiful festival (the largest inner city music festival in the world) and the Global Citizen Festival. If you have an interest in building a community, bringing people together or just want to know how to gain support and engagement for your biggest, boldest and most beneficial ideas, then I know of no one better than Amanda Slavin to guide you along the way. I’m so grateful for this conversation and I sincerely hope you enjoy it. Always looking up! Dan Stones Listen & Subscribe to Barnraisers on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Show Notes Background, Context & Reference Connect with Amanda:  Website | Instagram | LinkedIn Notable People Discussed Rich Roll:  Pro-endurance athlete, author, host of the Rich Roll Podcast. Tony Hsieh: The CEO of Zappos.

Why would anybody in his right mind want to jump on a sled and hurl himself down an icy mountain at over 80 miles per hour? At the age of 21, Ruben Gonzalez took up the sport of luge and started training for the Olympics. Four years….. and a few broken bones later, Ruben made his Olympic dream come true! But he didn’t stop there… Ruben kept training, and at the age of 47, he was competing against 20-year-olds at the Vancouver Winter Olympics! That’s right Ruben is the first & only person to ever to compete in four Winter Olympics - EACH in a different DECADE! That is just mind-blowing! Now, he's 55 years old and still competing. He’s not at South Korea, but he is in training and hoping to become the oldest person to ever compete in the Winter Olympics in 2022. Ruben Gonzalez is also one of the most popular speakers in America. He best selling book "The Courage to Succeed" has helped inspire countless people achieve their goals and dreams. But despite all of Rubens stunning achievements, Ruben also happens to be one of best team players I know. It sounds a little counterintuitive, but I think that most unique about Ruben is that he actually collaborated his way to the biggest show on earth to make it in a what most people would consider to be a purely solo sport. But when you get to hear his story, it’s not really a surprise. In his younger days, Ruben also forced his way onto an NCAA division one college soccer team by being the best teammate on the roster. And he still counts his time working in a team at a fast-food chain as one of his most cherished team memories. It’s one thing to talk about passion and excitement, but it’s another thing to bring it every day, no matter how hard it gets, no matter hat obstacles might lie in your way. But Ruben manages to do this every day. Whether he is on the stage speaking to packed out auditoriums, training for his next Olympics or another crazy adventure; excitement and passion ooze from this man. So get ready to be inspired…. And let’s go for Gold. Ladies and gentlemen Four-time Olympian Mr. Ruben Gonzalez! LINKS FROM THE SHOW: Ruben's Instagram: @thelugeman Ruben's Wwebsite: www.ruben-gonzalez.com or www.thelugeman.com Video of the Internationa Luge Team in action: www.yourgreatestteamever.com Register to attend Dan's next Webinar: www.discovertheupside.com Dan Instagram: @danjstones Barnraisers Facebook: www.facebook.com/barnaiserspod Barnraisers on Twitter: @barnraiserspod

The Brian Smith story starts out like so many Australian boys and girls. Brian was raised with an enduring passion for surfing and in his youth, he enjoyed the epic waves on both the East and West coasts of his home country. However, that's just about as normal as the story gets. After ten years not exactly relishing his role as a public accountant, Brian handed in his resignation notice, got on a plane to America, and became a regular at the classic surfing destinations up and down the southern California coastline. Then one day, while pulling on his sheepskin boots after a cold surf session, he realized there were nothing like them available in California. It was at this moment that the UGG brand was born. After 17 very challenging years building the business, Brian finally sold his company and the brand to Decker’s Outdoor Corporation. And now, the UGG Brand Brian created now generates more than a billion dollars of sales per year...year, after year, after year. In this episode we dive deep into Brian's story and explore what it was like at the birthplace of this iconic brand. Brian presents the ups—and downs—of his journey and talks openly about the challenges he had in building a cohesive team in those early years. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Brian's website: www.briansmithspeaker.com The Sash Bag (Brian's new favorite product): www.thesashbag.com GET IN TOUCH WITH DAN Dan Stones Instagram: @danjstones Dan Stones LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dan-stones Shifting Peers: www.shiftingpeers.com Barnraisers Podcast: www.barnraiserspodcast.com

“Any kind of persuasion involves capturing and leading the imagination and the emotions of the people you are dealing with.” ~Ross Jeffries   Ross Jeffries™ is the founder, creator and Master Teacher of the worldwide seduction community. Featured as the mentor to Neil Strauss in the best-selling book, “The Game”, and for the past 25 years Ross has taught, coached, and mentored thousands of men around the world, since 1991, guiding them to the success with women they truly desire and deserve.   But that is just one of the more well known sides of an intriguing man with a very interesting story.    Perhaps a more apt description, is the one he uses on his professional speaking website:   Ross describes himself [...]

“The national rugby team of New Zealand is, by any reasonable accounting, the world’s preeminent sports dynasty. Since 1903, the All Blacks have won or drawn 80 percent of their international test matches despite New Zealand having a population of 4.4 million in 2013, which makes it roughly the size of Greater Detroit. Its chief rivals— the national teams of England, France, Australia, and South Africa— come from nations that have populations up to fifteen times larger.” taken from The Captain Club by Sam Walker. — You can now support Barnraisers on PATREON! Check out the cool bonus content and supporter packs we have put together. Get on board today and become part of the team

“Whether it’s a book, an event, a film, a product or a project, we create to have a positive impact on people’s lives.” 
Greg Reid, (Author, Speaker & Film Maker) On his bio page at Amazon, Greg Reid is described as a natural entrepreneur known for his giving spirit and a knack for translating complicated situations into simple, digestible concepts. He is called an action taking phenomenon, someone who turns strategy into results, he’s fast and furious, and relationships are deep and rich in the space he orbits. He is a firm believer in the role of win-win partnerships and making a difference in others to succeed. He can be found having a great time brewing up inspiration, occasionally breaking into song and dance, and being of service to those aro [...]

From the outside, De La Salle High School in Concord, California looks like any other boys high school. But coursing through the halls, theatres and locker rooms there is something very special going on. Something that every other school, business, or community would love to have…and that is one of the strongest team-first cultures that I have ever encountered. And perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in their varsity football program. You may have heard of the Spartans. There’s been a number of books, documentaries and even a major movie has been made about them. And the reason for all of this exposure? Well for 14 seasons, the De La Salle Spartans Football team was undefeated. Yes, you heard that right, between 1992-2004 the Spartans football program managed to rattle off 151 consecutive victories and proved to themselves, and the world, that team culture trumps personnel every day of the week. I love the Spartan story, not just for the b [...]

“Share your ideas. Ask lots of questions. Expect help from others. That’s what teams are for!”~Dan Stones Making teams work better isn’t always easy. Sometimes it’s downright hard work. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it never has to be complicated. This episode is a look back on the guests we’ve spoken to on the show so far, and if there was ever a doubt about those sentiments, then they were ceraintly put to bed by these ultimate team players. Who would have thought that in such a short time we would be able to assemble such high calibre guests, from all over the world in all sorts of different industries. In this episode you’ll have the pleasure of listening to an Olympic medallist and former WNBA basketballer, a Formula One motorsport executive and TV analyst, a former International Lead Kidnapping Negotiator f [...]

“Allowing one strong opinion to dominate usually leads to either failure, (because they have the wrong idea of how to win the game), or success, but a the cost of everyone else because they feel like they didn’t participate. If people don’t all have a voice and a point of being on the team, then when you get to the end of the co-op game it’s either like “well I wasn’t listened to and we lost” or “I wasn’t listened to and we won…but I didn’t care”.” ~Rob Daviau, Co-op Game Designer Rob Daviau is an award-winning game designer whose games have been sold world-wide. He is most well known for being the co-designer of Pandemic Legacy (Season 1), the highest-rated game on boardgamegeek.com. It’s also a cooperative game, which is why I was so keen to have a conversation with Rob! As the name suggests, in a cooperative game, p [...]

“When you make a mistake in music, whether your playing an instrument or your singing, its audible for every single person in the room to hear…and so you have to have this trust with everyone else that if you make a mistake, that its a safe mistake and you learn from it and you move on. Your quite vulnerable when you’re in an ensemble like that. That trust that you develop builds community.” ~Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer, (Associate Director of the School of Music & Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University) To say that today’s guest is an Ultimate Team player might just be selling her a little short. Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer is Professor of Music, Associate Director of the School of Music and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. During 2006-2008 she served as President for The National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC) in the U [...]

Teamwork is a very dangerous topic to talk about. It’s a great concept and it’s a nice way to describe how you want people to work together. The difficulty is that you can begin to run the risk of having folks think that somehow responsibility lies with the group and not the individual. And that’s the mistake.· ~ Mark Gallagher (Formula One Executive and Author of The Business of Winning - Strategic Success from the Formula One Track to the Boardroom) Mark Gallagher has been a regular face in and around the heady world of Formula 1 and other forms of topflight motorsport for over 30 years. Today he is a co-commentator for the BBC in the UK in addition to being a much sought after keynote speaker for companies all around the world, eager to learn from his experiences in this fascinating sport. During his career, Marked worked with many of the sport’s leading teams and drivers, inclu [...]

Think about this for a moment…at any given time, there are 10,000 FBI agents in the Bureau, but only one Lead International Kidnapping Negotiator. Sounds like a pretty daunting role doesn’t it? Well our guest for this episode and ultimate team player held that position from 2003 to 2007. A 24 year veteran of the FBI, Chris Voss is one of the preeminent practitioners and professors of negotiating skills in the world. He is the founder and principal of The Black Swan Group, a consulting firm that provides training and advises Fortune 500 companies through complex negotiations. Voss has taught for many business schools, including the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Harvard University, MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, among others. In his book, Never Split the Difference, Chris takes us inside the [...]

“It’s not the person who clinks their glass, gives the big speech and tries to project leadership. It’s the person who is quietly going around and talking to everyone individually with great enthusiasm and listening.” ~ Sam Walker (Author of The Captain Class - The Hidden Force That Creates The World’s Greatest Teams) The secret to winning is not what you think it is. It’s not the coach. It’s not the star. It’s not chemistry. It’s not a strategy. It’s something else entirely. Several years ago, our guest today Sam Walker set out to answer one of the most hotly debated questions in sports: What are the greatest teams of all time? He devised a formula, then applied it to thousands of teams and sporting leagues all over the world, from the NFL to the English Premier League to Australian Rules Football and Olympic field hockey. When he was done, he had a [...]

“How much more helpful would a review process be if it got people focussing forward. IMPROV-ed performance reviews do just that! They ask for ideas and insights into what opportunities exist for growth, and encourage more impactful collaboration among teammates beyond completion of tasks and routine processes”  Dan Stones   Episode 5 is here and it’s a real game changer!  Welcome to team huddle! Here’s how it goes; Every second week on Barnraisers we release an episode that features a conversation with a special guest. Every other week we do a Team Huddle with just you and I. Sound simple enough? Awesome! So what is the Team Huddle all about? Well, it’s a shorter Barnraisers episode, made up of 3 segments: At the start the show with a quick Q&A SESSION. It’s a time for follow up and give you a chan [...]

“When you find a group of people that you learn to really trust and communicate with, you have confidence to lead when you have to, and you also have humility to listen and be led when you need to be.” Adam Hembree - Actor, Producer and Co-founder of the Improv Troupe SOOTHPLAYERS. Adam Hembree has been collaborating with others onstage in some form or fashion since he was 13. Back then, his big break came when he tackled the venerable role of ‘Orphan’ in a smash hit high school production of Oliver. Since 2008 though, Adam has been performing and studying Shakespeare. While he’s on the clock, Adam is busy pursuing a Ph.D. in English and Theatre Studies at the University of Melbourne. When he’s off the clock, he performs in Shakespeare’s language with Soothplayers, the totally improvised Shakespeare troupe he cofounded with creative partner Ryan Patterson in 2015.[...]

“Are you a cool guy on the road, or are you a jerk, prima donna or diva? I’ve toured with all of them, and if you’re not cool to hang out with, if you bring a lot of drama and baggage with you, it won’t last long.”  Fran Strine - Filmmaker & Director of the Award-winning Documentary HIRED GUN   Fran Strine first picked up a camera 25 years ago, and hasn’t put one down since. He started out as a freelance photographer for Metal Edge Magazine in 1989 where he developed his unique style and eye for capturing live performances and intimate recording sessions. Over the years, Fran has worked and toured with many bands including; Staind, Nickelback, Shinedown and Seether. Fran is also a filmmaker - he he has directed and produced two live DVDs for country music legend Dolly Parton, and recently shot the promotional material for her current [...]

“We spend billions every year to develop the best leaders possible. Only one problem: It’s not working”   Dan Stones on Twitter (@barnraiserspod)   Episode 2 and we’re already switching things up!  For today’s show it just you and I. It’s our very first team huddle! And here’s how it works; Every second week we will be releasing an episode that features a conversation with a special guest. Every other week is a Team Huddle. Sound simple enough? Now you all know about the conversations with special guests, but what is the Team Huddle all about? Well, it’s a shorter episode, made up of 3 segments: At the start the show with a quick Q&A SESSION. It’s a time for follow up and give you a chance to hear answers to listener questions about the show and the topics we have discussed in previous w [...]

“It all comes down to whether your team can gel. You’ve got all these egos, and personalities and there’s only one basketball. And that creates a problem for some people.”   Annie La Fleur (Olympic Medallist, WNBA star and Basketball NSW Hall-of-Famer) Welcome to Barnraisers Episode #1…So glad you could make it! Thanks for dropping by and checking out this interview with someone who epitomises what Barnraisers is all about. There can be no question that the title of “Ultimate Team Player” fits perfectly for Annie La Fleur - and I know that after listening to this podcast you’re going to reach the same conclusion. For those of you that aren’t aware of Annie’s story, here is a little background. Annie, along with her Opal’s teammates, were responsible for launching Australian womens basketball onto the international stage. As part of the Australian nation [...]