In this episode of The Greatness Garage, Brad welcomes Maurice, co-owner of Wurk Gym in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Maurice shares the real, behind-the-scenes journey of launching a fitness facility in 2019—right before the pandemic—and the trials, lessons, and triumphs that came with it.

From navigating the hidden challenges of commercial real estate (sprinkler systems, ADA compliance, HVAC headaches) to painting ceilings that literally collapsed overnight, Maurice takes us inside the “build it as you fly it” chaos that every small business owner can relate to.

We also dive into the world of boxing and MMA, where Maurice and his business partner train both amateurs and pros. You’ll hear what it really takes to chase greatness in combat sports—long hours, little pay, high risk, and unwavering passion—and how it parallels the entrepreneurial grind.

Whether you’re building a business, pursuing a dream, or just looking for inspiration, this conversation is packed with lessons in grit, humility, and resilience.

In this episode of The Greatness Garage, Brad Borkhuis welcomes longtime friend and executive coach Mike Goodfriend of Goodfriend Consulting. With over 30 years in coaching and team development, Mike shares powerful lessons from his journey—from becoming an early adopter of the Birkman Method in the 1980s to building programs that help leaders and teams embrace their unconventional strengths.

Together, Brad and Mike explore:

• The hidden value of “unconventional” traits in leadership and teamwork.

• Why culture plays such a big role in whether organizations embrace or resist different perspectives.

• Stories from Mike’s decades of consulting, including a transformative coaching experience that connected personal motivators to professional breakthroughs.

• His book Breakthrough Time and how leaders can stop waiting and start acting on their best ideas today.

This conversation is packed with insights, personal stories, and even a few baseball analogies that bring leadership lessons to life. Whether you’re leading a team or navigating change yourself, this episode will challenge how you see your own strengths—and inspire you to leverage them for greater impact.

In this episode of The Greatness Garage, Brad Borkhuis welcomes executive coach David Handler—a man whose career spans sports television, global sports travel, franchising, and over two decades of leadership coaching. David shares remarkable stories from his journey, including what he “wished he would have” done differently, lessons learned from missed opportunities, and how risk tolerance shapes our paths in business and in life.

From launching a Notre Dame travel company on a napkin sketch to producing thousands of live sports broadcasts, David’s experiences reveal the balance between hesitation and boldness, and how confidence (or the lack of it) can alter our trajectory. He also reflects on the wisdom that helped him shift from playing by others’ rules to trusting his own voice—both in media and in coaching.

Listen in for a rich conversation on opportunity, risk, resilience, and the power of showing up authentically in work and life.