Mick Unplugged

What if the problem is not your content, your reach, or the algorithm? What if the real problem is that you are trying to be social instead of becoming unmistakably yourself? In this Mick Unplugged re-release, Mick Hunt sits down with Gary Vaynerchuk, known worldwide as Gary Vee, for a direct conversation about interest media, authentic personal branding, accountability, gratitude, and the discipline required to build something that lasts. Gary explains why intent matters more than tactics, why audiences can sense when a creator is only trying to sell, and why the only niche no one else can copy is you. He also shares how staying close to culture helps him see shifts before they become obvious, why blaming other people keeps us stuck, and why winning should make us more compassionate, not more bitter. This is not a conversation about shortcuts. It is a reminder to get back in the trenches, live within your values, protect your energy, and take responsibility for the life and work you want to build. Note: This episode contains explicit language. In this episode, you will learn: - Why social platforms are increasingly organized around interests instead of existing social connections - Why genuine intent can matter more than a perfect content strategy - How staying close to culture helps Gary form original points of view - Why the only truly defensible personal-brand niche is being fully yourself - How accountability changes your relationship with money, work, and opportunity - Why limiting negative inputs can help you rebuild your energy - How to respond when people close to you struggle with your success - Why Gary believes collecting and live social shopping will keep growing Chapters 00:00 Interest media and the conversation ahead 00:30 Gary Vee joins Mick 02:52 Gary's deeper purpose and the power of gratitude 05:36 Consistency through cultural and political change 08:32 Why intent matters more than the transaction 10:56 Measuring 45 times before cutting once 14:29 The more you become yourself, the more you win 16:19 Personal brand, garage sales, and serving people at every level 18:21 From social media to interest media 23:05 Remote work, entitlement, and changing expectations 27:09 Money choices, humility, and personal accountability 28:56 When you need to move your feet 29:19 Protecting your energy from negative inputs 33:07 Compassion for the people who boo your success 34:46 Gary's vision for VeeFriends and collectibles 38:16 The VeeFriends quiz and closing challenge Connect & Discover Gary Vee: Instagram: @garyvee YouTube: @GaryVee TikTok: @garyvee Facebook: @gary X: @garyvee LinkedIn: @garyvaynerchuk Website: garyvaynerchul.com FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged

Darryl Strawberry's story is bigger than baseball. In this deeply personal episode of Mick Unplugged, Darryl opens up about the mother who raised five children alone, the pain of an absent and abusive father, the cost of success without healing, and the freedom he found through forgiveness. Darryl shares why talent and fame could not repair what was broken inside him. He reflects on addiction, consequences, discipline, ministry, marriage, and the moment he finally forgave his father at his bedside. Mick also shares how Darryl's book, Another Life, helped him process his own relationship with his late father and begin thinking differently about forgiveness and self-forgiveness. The conversation moves from baseball to faith, but the central lesson is universal: your past does not disqualify your purpose, and the way you start does not have to determine the way you finish. IN THIS EPISODE • Why Darryl's mother became the foundation of his resilience • How proving his father wrong fueled his early ambition • Why success exposes who you are • The consequences Darryl could not outrun • How forgiving his father gave him freedom • Why Tracy's boundaries helped redirect his life • The difference between talent, identity, and purpose • What Another Life reveals about healing and faith • Why Darryl believes it is not how you start, but how you finish • The legacy he wants to leave for his children MICK'S BOOK OFFER Mick is purchasing 50 copies of Darryl Strawberry's new book, Another Life, for members of the Mick Unplugged community. To request a copy, message Mick the words "another life" on LinkedIn or Instagram. The offer is limited to the first 50 eligible responses and is available while supplies last. BOOK Another Life: Discovering the Healing Power of Purpose on My Long Journey from Player to Preacher Darryl Strawberry https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Another-Life/Darryl-Strawberry/9781637748848 CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 02:16 The Because 02:54 Darryl's purpose and the mother who never quit 07:15 Success exposes who you are 10:07 The Unplugged Truth 11:39 Forgiving his father 17:38 Hot Takes 21:11 Discipline, faith, and ministry 24:23 The Room 27:15 Another Life 29:54 Mick's 50-book giveaway 31:34 The Unplugged Five 32:46 The legacy Darryl wants to leave 33:17 Closing Connect & Discover Darryl: Instagram: @darrylstrawberry18 Website: darrylstrawberry18.com Facebook: @therealdarrystrawberry Threads: @darrylstrawberry18 Book: Another Life: Discovering the Healing Power of Purpose on My Long Journey from Player to Preacher Strawberry Ministries: @livingrestored FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged #MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #darrylstrawberry

The most powerful move in business is not always saying yes. Sometimes it is knowing when to walk away. Daymond John joins Mick Hunt for a candid conversation about the decisions that shape a business and a life. The FUBU founder and Shark Tank investor explains why his deeper purpose is “because I should,” how mentors can save us from painful mistakes and why growing too quickly can quietly destroy what an entrepreneur worked to build. Daymond also opens up about his health journey after cancer and the discipline of making gradual, sustainable change. He shares how he thinks about investing through his “My Money, Homie” framework, why he supports artists without asking for anything in return and how a five-to-seven-person filter helps him decide what belongs on social media. This episode is a sharp, funny and personal masterclass in protecting your time, choosing the right people and refusing opportunities that no longer respect your value. Daymond’s message is clear: get narrow, go deep and keep the power to walk away. IN THIS EPISODE • Why Daymond’s deeper purpose is “because I should” • How dyslexia, business and cancer shaped his perspective • Why mentors and mistakes are the two great teachers • How scaling too fast can weaken a business • The difference between purpose-driven and return-driven investments • Why Daymond supports artists without asking for anything back • The five-to-seven-person filter behind his social media decisions • Why too many opportunities can become a liability • How walking away protects your value • Why a small, trusted inner circle can outperform a massive network CHAPTERS 00:00 Mentors or mistakes 01:38 Meet Daymond John 03:38 “Because I should” 06:04 What Daymond had to overcome 08:13 Fasting, discipline and gradual change 12:09 Cancer and the decision to study health 16:44 Why mentors matter 20:15 Don’t scale too fast 23:50 “My Money, Homie” and smarter investing 28:47 Supporting artists with no strings attached 33:16 The two-year-old turkey leg debate 35:29 Daymond’s five-to-seven-person filter 39:34 Drowning in opportunity 41:15 The power to walk away 41:30 Quick Five 43:39 Go narrow and deep 43:53 Leadership and what Daymond is building 46:22 Closing Connect with Daymond John: Website: daymondjohn.com Instagram: @thesharkdaymond LinkedIn: @daymondjohn YouTube: @TheSharkDaymond Facebook: @TheSharkDaymond FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged #MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #daymondjohn

Mick sits down with licensed therapist, mental health advocate and author Kier Gaines for a direct conversation about emotional honesty, uncomfortable truths and the courage to begin. Kier explains why saying "you hurt my feelings" can be an act of strength, especially for men who have been conditioned to hide emotion. He and Mick unpack avoidance, awareness, curiosity, boundaries, professional value and why credentials still matter in a culture that often rewards visibility over expertise. Kier also shares the barber shop conversation that helped him recognize his mind as a valuable tool for change. He explains why his book, It All Starts When You Do, rejects shallow positivity and invites readers into the real work of self-healing. This conversation is honest, practical and deeply human. It is about telling the truth, protecting what matters and taking the first step before you feel completely ready. IN THIS EPISODE • Why emotional honesty is a form of authority, not weakness • How to move beyond surface-level wellness • Why awareness and curiosity are the first two steps toward change • The connection between boundaries, business and self-respect • Why credentials create accountability, safety and protection • How attention and notoriety can weaken integrity • The barber shop conversation that changed Kier's view of his work • Why "walking away from what does not serve you" can become avoidance • The meaning of an authentic and consistent legacy MICK'S BOOK OFFER As discussed in the episode, the first 20 people who message Mick with the words "I'm starting" will receive a copy of It All Starts When You Do, purchased by Mick. Available while the offer remains open and supplies last. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Attention Economy and Integrity 00:24 Meet Kier Gaines 01:00 Saying "You Hurt My Feelings" 04:46 The Because: Because Why Not? 07:01 Why Surface-Level Wellness Is Not Enough 10:14 It All Starts When You Do 14:12 Two Ways to Start Healing 18:15 Boundaries, Business and the Cost of Free 23:53 Hot Takes: Credentials, Safety and Anti-Intellectualism 34:13 The Room: A Barber Shop Conversation That Changed Everything 37:43 The Book, the Podcast and Mick's Offer 40:15 The Unplugged Five 44:03 Legacy, Authenticity and Kept Promises 46:00 Closing Connect & Discover Kier: Instagram: @kiergaines Instagram: @learnedthehardwaypod LinkedIn: @kiergaines   Podcast: Learned the Hard Way with Kier Gaines Facebook: @kiergaines TikTok: @kiergaines Book: It All Starts When You Do Threads: @kiergaines FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged

Discussion about service, patriotism, faith, leadership, technology, and the responsibility to leave no one behind. Governor Moore explains why "service saved me," beginning with the mentors, teachers, coaches, ministers, aunties, and uncles who saw his potential before he could see it himself. He reflects on losing his father at age three, wearing handcuffs by eleven, being sent to military school, and eventually discovering that leadership is not about individual achievement. It is about lifting as we climb. The conversation then turns to the meaning of American patriotism. Governor Moore draws a sharp distinction between patriotism and nationalism, arguing that faith, not fear, is the foundation of a more perfect union. He and Mick also discuss Maryland's public-safety progress, service-year opportunities, apprenticeships, cannabis pardons, energy affordability, AI, data-center accountability, and why technological progress must include guardrails and public trust. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 Mick’s most important conversation 02:05 Governor Moore’s “Because”: service saved me 04:39 Running away from military school 06:37 The Unplugged Truth: a speech that moved Mick’s family 08:41 Faith, fear, patriotism, and nationalism 13:22 God’s grace and moral leadership 15:21 Hot Takes: Maryland’s progress through collaboration 20:49 Energy affordability, AI, and data-center guardrails 28:55 The Room: you belong because the room needs you 33:11 The Unplugged Five and a legacy of compassion FEATURED SPEECH Watch Governor Wes Moore's July 4, 2026 address, "The Work of Patriotism": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfLQy82IsWo Read the official transcript: https://governor.maryland.gov/news/speeches/work-patriotism Connect & Discover Governor Wes Moore: Website: theofficeofgovernorwesmoore.com LinkedIn: @iamwesmoore X: @iamwesmoore Facebook: @iamwesmoore Instagram: @iamwesmoore FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged  Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast  LinkedIn: @mickhunt  Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged