Ep14 Dr. Brett Fickes, from Teacher to CEO, and NASCAR®: Leadership Development

HOST: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership. He grew up in a village off-the-grid, migrated to the U.S., learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years. Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and a social entrepreneur. .

GUEST BIO: Dr. Brett Fickes, a retired educator with 36 years in public schools (history teacher & administrator until June 2025), is now a CEO and entrepreneur. Post-retirement, he became CEO of Universal Dental Clinics. He owns Redline Motorsports Racing, Chicago's premier NASCAR® Xfinity team, and Teachercraft, which makes classroom easels. He also serves on the Learning Forward Illinois board.

Find our guest at: www.uudclinics.com
Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com

Keywords: leadership development, values-driven leadership, corporate leadership, mentorship, education innovation, strategic planning, emotional intelligence, business transition, loyalty, servant leadership, NASCAR, entrepreneurship, teamwork, CEO mindset, educator impact.

Summary:
Dr. Brett Fickes unpacks a rare leadership evolution. He shares how 36 years in public education laid the groundwork for his roles as CEO of a dental group and owner of Chicago’s only NASCAR team. Brett breaks down how leadership skills transfer across industries when grounded in integrity, clarity, and service. From building a school-based dental care system to launching a professional racing team in four months, Brett’s story proves leadership is about mission, not titles. His biggest asset? Relationships built through respect, vision, and humility.

Takeaways
✅ Relationships are the foundation of long-term leadership success.
✅ Great leaders embrace roles they don’t fully understand, and build teams.
✅ Clearly defined mission and values align and activate any organization.
✅ Conflict resolution and active listening build team trust.
✅ Career growth follows when you say yes to responsibility and change.
✅ Entrepreneurial mindset thrives with curiosity and courage.
✅ Loyalty matters. Brett stayed at one district for decades, impacting thousands.
✅ Public libraries remain powerful, underused resources.
✅ Ask questions. Most people want to help when asked.

Titles
✅ From Public Schools to NASCAR: Dr. Brett Fickes' Leadership Pivot
✅ Leading with Loyalty: A CEO’s Path from Classroom to Boardroom
✅ How a History Teacher Became a Multi-Industry Entrepreneur
✅ Leadership is a Relationship Game: Lessons from Brett Fickes

Sound Bites
🗣 “Strong leadership is strong leadership in any field.”
🗣 “I never imagined owning a NASCAR team. It started with an idea among four friends.”
🗣 “I define the mission, communicate it clearly, then hold the team accountable.”
🗣 “If you're not reading a leadership book a week, you're doing your team a disservice.”
🗣 “You don’t have to know everything. Build a team that does.”

Chapters
03:00 – Leadership Across Industries
06:00 – Building Chicago’s First NASCAR Team
10:00 – Mentorship, Relationships, and Conflict Resolution
14:00 – Dental Equity and Serving Low-Income Youth
22:00 – The Power of AP Courses and History
27:00 – Saying Yes to Growth and the Unexpected
34:00 – Top 3 Leadership Books Brett Recommends
40:00 – Public Libraries, Asking Questions, and Staying Curious
43:00 – Beatles Songs that Fuel His Leadership Energy

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