Meikles & Dimes

88: Top Gun Pilot Luke Babbitt | From Fighter Jets to Finance

Luke Babbitt is a graduate of Top Gun and served in the US Navy for 10 years as an F/A-18 pilot. He then graduated from both Stanford Law School and the Stanford School of Engineering. After graduation, Luke worked at Goldman Sachs for five years as Vice President before founding Jordan Park where he was first Chief Operating Officer and now partner.

In this conversation, Luke talks about:

• Doing fun, exciting things early in life where you can make a name for yourself, independent of your upbringing.
• For Luke, that meant being a Top Gun pilot, flying single seat F/A-18s, which he described as being in a wrestling match, while driving a race car, and playing a video game, all at the same time.
• Flying fighter jets meant Luke developed self-reliance and confidence as he learned to land the $70 million aircraft on a tiny dot in the middle of the ocean, while his performance was broadcast on every TV on the ship.
• Leaving the military, at the top of his game, to attend Stanford Law School was humbling, and taught Luke the value of interacting with people who think differently than him. Specifically, Luke learned the value of not rushing decisions, and slowing down his decision-making process when possible.
• When choosing a career, solve for the thing you’re interested in. Prioritize passion over paycheck.
• When other service members started talking about Goldman Sachs, Luke had never heard of the firm before. But he soon realized Goldman was full of interesting, smart people, in a dynamic field. By joining Goldman, and later founding Jordan Park, Luke was able to work with some of the smartest, most accomplished entrepreneurs of the last 20 years.
• As Yogi Berra said, “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” But Luke’s approach to his career was a pretty good bet. Take risks when young, learn from others along the way, and don’t just take a job for the money, but rather prioritize interest and excitement. 

Follow Luke:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-babbitt-53a08a11/ 

Follow me:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/

 

87: From Academia to Agriculture | Rob Holmes’ Goal to Feed the World

Rob Holmes is the founder and co-owner of Eco-Cattle, a ranch in northeast Kansas that raises grass-fed meat using regenerative agricultural processes. Before founding Eco-Cattle, Rob was a biology professor at Hutchinson Community College. Rob earned a PhD in plant biology with a minor in biotechnology from North Carolina State and an undergraduate degree in botany from BYU.

To learn more about Rob and Eco-Cattle, visit https://eco-cattle.com/.

86: Stanford Professor Jeff Strnad | Interconnected Beyond Belief and Embracing the Inevitable

Jeff Strnad, Stanford Law Professor and psychotherapist, teaches courses on mental health law, game theory, Bayesian statistics, cryptocurrency, securities, taxation, and finance law. Before joining Stanford Law School, Jeff was a professor of law and economics at the California Institute of Technology. He received an undergraduate degree from Harvard, a law degree from Yale, and a PhD in economics from Yale.

85: Stanford Associate Dean Dan Siciliano | Imagine You Might Be Wrong

Dan Siciliano is Co-founder and CEO of Nikkl, Inc as well as the current Chair of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks. He's consulted with Boards of Fortune 500 companies including Google, Microsoft, Fedex, & Disney, and invested in, and advised, firms in Silicon Valley, Hong Kong, India, and Latin America. 

His teaching includes Finance, Governance, and Venture Capital and he has testified in front of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. From 2009-2011, alongside Ben Bernanke, Paul Krugman, and Carl Icahn, Dan was named to the “Directorship 100” – a list of the most influential people in corporate governance.

He was co-founder, CEO and Executive Chairman of LawLogix Group – a technology company named nine times to the Inc. 500 and ranked in the Top 100 fastest-growing private companies in the US.

In 2006, Dan co-founded the Stanford Rock Center, and as Associate Dean at Stanford Law School, led the Center until 2017. 

Dan is a first-generation Mexican-American, and he chairs the American Immigration Council. He is a board member at the Latino Corporate Director Education Foundation and is a policy expert and activist on issues of immigrant/refugee rights, corporate and boardroom diversity, and related matters of economic development.

I hope you enjoy learning from Dan Siciliano today, because I always do. 

84: Tech Executive Ryan Westwood | Discipline and Experimentation

Ryan Westwood is an entrepreneur who has built multiple companies including Simplus, where Ryan was named one of the best CEOs in the country. Ryan has also sold multiple companies, and in 2020, Ryan sold Simplus for $250 million.

Ryan is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal and Forbes, and he is the best-selling author of the book Five Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur. Ryan is also an active philanthropist, helping disadvantaged youth attend college and succeed as entrepreneurs.

83: Michigan Professor Dave Ulrich | Four Questions To Find Clarity

Dave Ulrich is a world-renowned Professor at the Michigan Ross School of Business, partner at the RBL Group, and one of the most recognized and influential leaders in Human Resources. The recognition Dave has received is staggering: 

Dave was Ranked the #1 most influential person in all of HR by HR Magazine, one of the 10 most innovative and creative thinkers by Fast Company, one of the world’s top five business coaches by Forbes, and the #1 management educator and guru by Business Week.

And in 2012, Dave received the Lifetime Achievement Award from HR Magazine for being the “father of modern human resources.”

Dave has published 30 books and over 200 articles, and served on the editorial board of numerous academic journals. Dave also served on the board of directors of Herman Miller for more than a decade. He has presented his work in 90 countries, consulted with more than half of the Fortune 200 companies, and coached countless successful business leaders.

I hope you enjoy learning from Dave Ulrich today, because I always do.

82: NYU Professor Elizabeth Morrison | Be Proactive and Voice

Elizabeth Morrison is an award-winning Professor at the NYU Stern School of Business, where she teaches courses in Leadership, Negotiation, and Organizational Behavior. Elizabeth researches how employees behave proactively at work and how proactive behavior facilitates career success and improves organizational effectiveness. 

Her research also focuses on employee voice and silence, and in particular, the reasons why employees are often reluctant to speak up about problems and concerns.

Elizabeth earned a B.A. in Psychology from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Northwestern.

I hope you enjoy learning from Elizabeth Morrison today, because I always do. 

81: Stanford Professor Bob Sutton | ”The Knowledge That I’ve Got Enough”

Bob Sutton is a Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. He is co-founder of Stanford’s Center for Work, Technology and Organization, the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, and the “the d school”. He’s a New York Times bestselling author and has published over 200 academic articles as well as 8 books, which have sold more than a million copies.

Bob has served as an advisor to McKinsey, Bain, and Microsoft, as faculty at the World Economic Forum, and as Fellow at IDEO, and he is currently a Senior Scientist at Gallup.

He has given keynote speeches to more than 200 groups in more than 20 countries, and has been a guest on numerous radio and television shows, including ABC, Bloomberg, BBC, CNBC, Fox, NBC Today Show, PBS, NPR, Marketplace, and CNN.

I hope you enjoy learning from Bob Sutton today, because I always do.

80: NYU Professor Batia Wiesenfeld | Explain Why

Batia Wiesenfeld is a Professor of Management at New York Univeristy’s Stern School of Business. She’s an expert on managing organizational change, and she studies how technology changes the future of work and organizations. Batia earned her undergraduate degree in Economics and Sociology from Columbia College and her Ph.D. in Management and Organizational Behavior from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.

I hope you enjoy learning from Batia Wiesenfeld today, because I always do.

79: Ryan Hawk | Learning Leadership from the Learning Leader

Ryan Hawk is the host of The Learning Leader Show, and he has recorded more than 500 episodes over the past eight years. Forbes called The Learning Leader Show, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it’s one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader” and Apple named it an “all-time best seller.”

Ryan is also the author of two books: Welcome to Management and The Pursuit of Excellence.

When Ryan isn’t podcasting or writing, he’s helping leaders be more effective through his Leadership Circles, one-on-one advising, and The Learning Leader Academy, the online school he created. 

Ryan has delivered hundreds of keynote speeches on leadership and performance excellence all over the world.

I hope you enjoy learning from Ryan Hawk today, because I always do.