In this episode, I welcome Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer, the former chief of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and former CEO of World Relief.

Admiral Ziemer explains how and why he saved 12 million people from death by malaria, and prevented another 2 billion cases of the disease.

He reflects on a life of disciplined service bookended by tragedy, from the 1968 attack in Vietnam that killed his father and left his mother with 18 grenade wounds, to the sudden loss of his wife of 54 years, Jodi.

From Admiral Ziemer, you'll learn these 3 things:

1) The surprising note his mom gave him after she landed in an air ambulance at Andrews AFB

2) What it took for him to say "yes" to the call from the White House

3) How to design a life

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction

03:40 – Understanding the scale of the world's deadliest disease.

08:31 – The "Decommissioning" of USAID

12:56 – The Drill Instructor’s "Black Book"

15:00 – A Childhood in a Leper Colony

19:19 – Processing the murder of his dad and the capture of his mom.

22:06 – A Note of Gratitude: The incredible moment on a medical transport plane.

26:52 – Returning to Vietnam

31:31 – "I Don’t Coordinate": Negotiating with the Bush White House for authority to get things done.

40:06 – "Go Save Lives": A direct briefing in the Oval Office

46:14 – Alone on Golden Pond: Navigating grief and finding purpose after the death of his wife.

47:31 – The Final Challenge: Design a life around faithfulness.

Links:
KFF Research

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/the-trump-administrations-foreign-aid-review-status-of-the-presidents-malaria-initiative-pmi/

CDC Website: PMI Celebrates 15 Years

https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/globalhealth/stories/2020/celebrating-15-years.html

NIH Report on PMI

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8176495/

Wheaton Magazine: Hope in the Healer

https://magazine.wheaton.edu/stories/hope-in-the-healer

Remarks upon Receiving the Roger E Joseph Prize

https://www.rogerejosephprize.org/2015

Jodi Ziemer Obituary

https://vacremationsociety.com/obituary/gene-joanne-jodi-ziemer/

Admiral Tim Ziemer: Rallying the World to Defeat Malaria

https://medium.com/@PMIgov/rallying-the-world-to-defeat-malaria-4c2b63f231e2

New York Times: The Malaria Fighter

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/21/science/a-quiet-approach-to-bringing-down-malaria.html

PHOTO BY GREG KAHN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Brent Beshore made his first million at 28. Visited the White House. Got ranked 28th on the Inc. 500. Got everything he wanted.

And realized he had summited the wrong mountain.

In this raw conversation, Brent—CEO of Permanent Equity, a private equity firm that owns 16 companies generating $400M in revenue with zero debt—goes places most CEOs do not.

He talks about weighing 252 pounds while everything he ate tasted grey. About earning a million dollars but telling his wife he didn't love her. About being an ardent atheist who made fun of Christians before everything changed.

This isn't your typical CEO interview. Brent breaks down why traditional private equity is broken, how his firm operates without debt or forced exits, and why treating people well isn't just nice—it actually delivers better returns.

But the real lesson?

"The lie is that money will make you someone else. The truth is that money only makes you more of what you already are."

If you've ever felt like you're winning the wrong game, this conversation will hit hard.

TIMESTAMPS:

[01:27] What is Permanent Equity?

[06:43] The two stakeholders traditional PE serves—and everyone it doesn't

[08:04] The portfolio: 16 companies, $400M revenue, $50M free cash flow, zero debt

[10:48] "We want to be a kind, generous, long-term owner"

[20:24] 28 years old: First million, Inc. 500, White House advisor, and completely hollowed out

[22:47] Climbing the wrong mountain

[27:36] "I don't even know what love meant when we got married"

[28:05] Why he never wanted kids (and why he wishes he had five more now)

[29:32] "He who has the gold makes the rules" vs. "The meek shall inherit the earth"

[32:23] "Do I own the things I create? No, of course not."

[37:36] Living generously: Why they give away 25% before taxes

[45:25] Good reasons to sell vs. bad reasons to sell

[48:37] How long-term thinking changes everything—with investors, employees, and communities

[50:55] The Main Street Summit: "You belong here. You're important. You matter."

[53:38] Being known vs. being loved: The safeguard against blowing up your life

[54:08] Addiction, affairs, and cutting corners: What happens when you're unknown

[56:50] The "Brené Brown bullsh*t" review (his favorite)

[58:06] The day everything changed: Dropping the performance and being authentic

[1:03:49] We're all going to anonymity—so what really matters?

[1:07:04] Advice for someone climbing the wrong mountain: You're not alone

[1:09:09] "Study the greats—all the greats study Jesus"

GUEST: Brent Beshore CEO, Permanent Equity Columbia, Missouri

HOST: Jonathan Block Founder, Stumbling Blocks Podcast

LINKS:
https://www.permanentequity.com/
linkedin.com/in/brentbeshore
https://www.mainstreetsummit.com/

If this conversation resonated, please pass it along.

In this episode, Linda Rutherford, the former Chief Administration Officer at Southwest Airlines, shares insights into the secret sauce that makes Southwest the 'LUV airline.' She discusses the legacy left by the airline's founding CEO, Herb Kelleher, and president, Colleen Barrett, as well as her role as a growth catalyst for the airline.

Linda also reflects on her early life, resilience, and the impact of generosity and vulnerability on her leadership style. The conversation covers the power of vulnerability in building workplace relationships, Linda's early career and transition to Southwest Airlines, her experience working with legends Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett, the importance of shaping company culture, CEO transitions, and crisis management, and the role of Linda in preserving the heart and soul of Southwest Airlines: its culture.

Takeaways

• Southwest's secret sauce is rooted in love and a unique culture
• Generosity and vulnerability are key qualities in effective leadership Vulnerability as a superpower
• The impact of Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett on company culture

Chapters

• 00:00 The Love Airline: Southwest's Secret Sauce
• 15:54 The Power of Vulnerability
• 25:28 Working with Legends: Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett
• 30:29 Shaping Company Culture
• 41:44 Keeping the Soul of Southwest

If your team is disengaged, cynical, or burnt out—Doug Conant has been there before. As CEO of Campbell's Soup, he inherited a culture that consultants called "Swamp Water."

But by putting honoring people at the center of his leadership dashboard, Doug turned the company around, both in terms of employee engagement and also in terms of financial performance.

In this episode, the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup reveals the brutal reality of leadership. He opens up about being fired at 32 and going home to a "very large mortgage" with no plan. He talks about what it took to bounce back and become CEO 17 years later.

We deconstruct his specific turnaround playbook:

• The "Swamp Water" Problem: Leading by giving your people chances to "Live, Love, Learn, and Leave a Legacy"
• The 30,000 Note Strategy: Doug wrote 10-20 handwritten notes every single day for a decade. We break down exactly why, how, and what the impact was.
• The "TouchPoint" Tactic: How to turn a 2-minute hallway conversation into a loyalty-building moment.
  

Resources Mentioned:

• The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights – Amazon Link
• TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections – Amazon Link
  

• [00:00] The Cold Open: "My career felt as if it was over in a snap..."
• [01:05] The Intro: From fired to Fortune 500 turnaround artist.
• [02:47] The "Noon" Deadline: The brutal details of the day Doug lost his job.
• [05:40] "Swamp Water": Measuring the toxic culture at Campbell's (and the 4 L's Framework).
• [07:56] The 30,000 Notes: Writing 20 notes a day in the back of a car for a decade.
• [12:41] The Only Way Out is In: Why you cannot lead until you know your own life story.
• [20:10] The CEO Bubble: Why nobody tells the CEO the truth (and how to fix it).
• [23:52] The ROI of Kindness: Why high-engagement cultures are 23% more profitable.
• [31:37] The "TouchPoint" Method: How to lead by listening in 2-minute increments.
• [35:32] Next Week: The CEO who had a heart transplant while leading an airline.