Mick Unplugged

D.L. Hughley wanted one more conversation with his father. He put it into Charlie's Boy. In this episode of Mick Unplugged, D.L. joins me to talk about his new memoir, the man who raised him and the parts of fatherhood he understands differently now. We get into duty, family silence and why providing for your children can become so consuming that being present gets pushed aside. D.L. shares what he learned about Charlie after his death and why he makes a deliberate effort to let his own children know him. I also tell D.L. how his backstage mentorship changed the way I approached my podcast and my business. We talk about knowing the rules, owning your decisions and understanding why people keep listening. You'll hear: - The conversation behind Charlie's Boy - What showing up does for a father-child relationship - The pressure to keep working, even when it costs you time at home - Why finding his way into comedy also brought survivor's guilt - A reunion 25 years after an act of kindness - D.L.'s take on freedom of speech, consequences and protecting your peace I'm giving a copy of Charlie's Boy to the first 100 people who DM "Charlie's Boy" to @mickunplugged on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ CHAPTERS 00:00 The conversation D.L. never had with his father 00:11 Meet D.L. Hughley 00:55 The Because: Faith, hope and connection 04:12 The Unplugged Truth: The father behind Charlie's Boy 07:12 Duty, love and the words fathers do not say 10:36 Why D.L. wrote Charlie's Boy 11:45 Hot Takes: Hurt, offense and growth 14:30 Free speech and consequences 16:22 Fatherhood and the trust built by showing up 21:56 What D.L. learned about Charlie's work life 26:03 The Room: Finding a way forward through comedy 28:02 Survivor's guilt and appreciating your life 29:05 An act of kindness comes back 25 years later 32:06 The backstage advice that changed Mick's approach to media 34:11 Mick's 100-book offer 35:22 The Unplugged Five: What makes D.L. laugh 36:37 The conversation America avoids 37:45 Human connection and why people keep listening 41:34 D.L.'s go-to drinks 42:35 Other people's opinions and protecting your attention 44:27 Closing conversation CONNECT & DISCOVER D.L. HUGHLEY Book: Charlie's Boy: A Memoir https://a.co/d/0bV9x1UZ Instagram: @realdlhughley https://www.instagram.com/realdlhughley/ Facebook: @RealDLHughley https://www.facebook.com/RealDLHughley/ YouTube: DL Hughley https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6B_HuuSaR-IDsKuJVK0LEw FOLLOW MICK Instagram: @mickunplugged https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ Facebook: @mickunplugged YouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn: @mickhunt https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/ Website: https://mickhuntofficial.com/ Book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One https://howtobeagoodleader.com/ Apple Podcasts: Mick Unplugged https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953 Spotify: Mick Unplugged https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g Content note: Explicit language and discussion of grief and family relationships.

What makes a bottle worth remembering? For Dixon Dedman, the answer starts with the people who share it. The master blender behind 2XO joins Mick Hunt for a conversation about bourbon, hospitality, creative conviction, and the legacy he hopes to leave his children. Dixon explains how his family's hospitality roots shaped his purpose, why blending requires more than mixing percentages, and how he approaches mouthfeel, maturation, and secondary oak exposure. Mick also tastes Rapper's Delight during the conversation, and Dixon shares the story of a father and son celebrating a new generation with a bottle of Kentucky Owl. That moment brings the conversation back to his because: making something that becomes part of another person's meaningful experience. In this episode:  How hospitality shaped Dixon's purpose and approach to bourbon The challenge of reproducing a small sample blend at barrel scale Why creative conviction matters when developing a whiskey His focus on mouthfeel, viscosity, and the overall drinking experience The personal connections that matter beyond awards and ratings His hope that the next generation will carry the family legacy forward Listen for the lesson that travels beyond bourbon: exceeding expectations can turn a product or service into a moment someone remembers. Chapters 00:00 A moment beyond selling bottles 00:40 Meet Dixon Dedman 03:06 What is your because? 07:30 Moments, memories, and personal connection 10:07 Unplugged Truth: the craft of blending 15:20 Putting a personal mark on whiskey 19:27 Hot Takes: tasting Rapper's Delight 22:01 Mouthfeel and the drinking experience 35:00 The Room: a toast to three generations 39:29 2XO and the recorded plans discussed 42:20 Unplugged 5 46:08 The legacy Dixon hopes to leave 48:08 Closing reflections Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about purpose, leadership, and the because behind the work. Connect & Discover Dixon Dedman: Instagram: @dixon_dedman LinkedIn: @dixon_dedman X: @dixon_dedman Website: 2xowhiskey.com                          FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One #MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #DixonDedman #2XOWhiskey

Your next difficult conversation may not need a stronger argument. It may need a better question. In this episode of Mick Unplugged, Mick sits down with his coach, Derek Gaunt, for a personal conversation about the communication skills that changed how Mick leads, negotiates, and approaches conflict. Derek draws on his law-enforcement and hostage-negotiation experience to explain tactical empathy: recognizing another person's perspective without having to agree with it. He breaks down why explaining too early creates resistance, how tone affects a conversation, and why an objection can point to a concern that has not yet been spoken aloud. Mick shares how asking what success looked like to a client uncovered a need he had missed. Derek also discusses the practical ideas behind Fight Less, Win More, the role of curiosity, and why difficult conversations often deserve a phone call instead of another long email. The conversation closes with lessons on coachability, silence, trust, and staying grounded under pressure. In this episode Why acknowledging a perspective is different from agreeing with it. How listening helps uncover the information missing from your assumptions. Why you should ask what success looks like before deciding what someone needs. What a hostage-negotiation training exercise reveals about tone and pressure. How unaddressed concerns can resurface after an agreement. Why Derek encourages live conversation for sensitive back-and-forth discussions. What coachability looks like when someone is already successful. How silence creates space to learn. Takeaways Before your next difficult conversation, replace one assumption with a question. Listen to the answer before preparing your response. Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about the because behind how we live, lead, and grow. Chapters 00:00 Meet Derek Gaunt, Mick's coach 03:29 The Because: sharing the gift of communication 05:25 Derek's journey in law enforcement 11:33 The Unplugged Truth: see their perspective 16:44 What does success look like? 19:41 The warning signs you should not ignore 21:45 Hot Takes: tone and pressure in negotiation 28:09 Find the concern beneath the objection 31:05 Why the conversation needs a phone call 35:05 Fight Less, Win More 39:08 The Room: a conversation that changed Derek's path 41:30 What Derek looks for in someone he coaches 45:05 When the skills change your personal life 48:12 The Unplugged Five 53:00 Silence as a negotiation tool 54:17 Trust, training, and final lessons 56:43 Closing Connect & Discover: Instagram: @derekmgaunt LinkedIn: @derek-gaunt-2943a824 Website: The Black Swan Group Book: Fight Less, Win More: How Master Negotiators Influence Hearts, Minds and Deals Clip: 60 Seconds or She Dies                          FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One #MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #DerekGaunt #Negotiation

This Monday on Mick Unplugged, we’re revisiting Mick Hunt’s conversation with David Pollack about standards, faith, leadership, and the work behind personal growth. David shares how mentorship and his experiences in football shaped the way he approaches challenges, leads others, and keeps growing. Mick and David explore the “50-40-10” principle, why preparation and consistent effort matter, and what it means to hold your standards when your feelings pull you in another direction. Whether you’re hearing this conversation for the first time or returning for another listen, consider where you can put one of these lessons into practice this week. This is a re-release of a previously recorded episode. In this conversation: Choosing standards over feelings. The role of preparation and effort in the “50-40-10” philosophy. Leadership built on care, influence, and understanding the people you lead. How an invitation and a mentor helped shape David’s faith journey. Adapting through challenges and learning from setbacks. Reflection: Where are you letting a temporary feeling make a decision that should be guided by a lasting standard? Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about purpose, leadership, and your because. Share this episode with someone who could use it this week. Connect & Discover David Pollack: Instagram: @davidpollack47 Facebook: @PollackFF X: @davidpollack47 YouTube: @DavidPollackCFB Website: davidpollack.com Podcast: See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One #MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast

What happens when you get the house, the car and the things you thought would make you happy, then realize your real dream was already at home? Ms. Pat joins Mick Hunt for a funny, candid conversation about family, authenticity and defining success for yourself. Discussing her memoir, Ms. American Dream, she explains why happiness has no price tag, how she prepared for Hollywood when she did not know the language, and why she thinks of fame as a job rather than an identity. They also explore the money lessons she wants younger generations to learn, the podcast appearances that helped open doors, and the legacy she hopes to leave: keep going and never let someone else tell you who you are. Explicit language. Discussion includes personal experiences with debt and credit, not individualized financial advice. Ms. Pat's purpose is bigger than getting a laugh. She wants people to know that their hardest experiences do not have to hold them down forever. In this episode: The Because: laughter, survival and moving forward after difficult experiences. The Unplugged Truth: why material success did not define her American dream. What home, family and being Patricia mean to her. Preparing for a table read through practice instead of pretending she already knew everything. Why treating people well matters more to her than acting famous. Hot Takes: the credit, interest-rate and saving lessons she shares with family and friends. The Room: trusting her instincts about podcasts before Hollywood called.  The Unplugged Five: food, Atlanta, comedy and the legacy of never giving up. Connect & Discover Ms Pat: Instagram: @comediannemspat Facebook: @mspatcomedy TikTok: @comediannemspat YouTube: @MsPat X: @MsPat Website: mspatcomedy.com Book: Ms. American Dream: A Memoir of Making It No Matter What                            FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged