Episodios

  • 203. From Seafood Clerk to CEO of Top Veterinary Network, with Chris Bishop

    203. From Seafood Clerk to CEO of Top Veterinary Network, with Chris Bishop
    Oct 29 2025
    This week, Anne interviews Chris Bishop about his multifaceted career in healthcare and his transition to leading in the animal health sector as CEO of Veterinary Innovative Partners (VIP). Bishop shares his journey from growing up in Tennessee, working the seafood counter, playing college basketball, working in myriad roles within healthcare and navigating the complexities of corporate leadership. He reframes "sales" as influencing behavior, discusses the importance of mentorship and highlights pivotal moments that shaped his leadership style. He also reflects on the impact of faith and the value of creating a culture of ownership within an organization. As always, stick around for the lightning round. 2:44 - Growing Up in Tennessee 7:59 - College and Career Aspirations 9:12 - Entering the Healthcare Industry 16:05 - Leading Regent Surgical Partners 22:24 - Transition to Veterinary Healthcare 24:53 - The Pet Boom and Its Implications 27:58 - Leadership Lessons and Personal Growth 30:53 - Balancing Family and Career 33:39 - The Role of Faith in Leadership 34:57 - Qualities of Effective Leaders 37:49 - Lightning Round: Quick Insights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 m
  • 202. From Camp Counselor to Elite Athlete, Author and Entrepreneur, with Jennifer Pharr Davis

    202. From Camp Counselor to Elite Athlete, Author and Entrepreneur, with Jennifer Pharr Davis
    Oct 15 2025
    From sleepaway camp to the Appalachian Trail, Jennifer Pharr Davis’s story is one of curiosity, courage and...camp. Her early desire to "keep up" rapidly transformed into a relentless drive to find her own limits, leading her to achievements few can even imagine. In this episode, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with the former National Geographic Adventurer of the Year to talk about how lessons from the trail have shaped her life as an athlete, business owner, and leader. Jennifer’s path began in the mountains of North Carolina and led her to set the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail—averaging 47 miles a day over 2,200 miles—and to create the Blue Ridge Hiking Company, inspiring thousands to connect with the outdoors. Along the way, she’s learned about resilience, risk-taking, and redefining leadership through self-awareness, faith, and the power of nature. “If you never fail,” her camp director told her, “you haven’t set your goals high enough.” Highlights: 2:46 – Growing Up in the North Carolina Mountains 4:18 – Lessons from Summer Camp 8:30 – First Job & Early Leadership 11:00 – First Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike 15:00 – First ‘Real Job’ & the Call of the Trail 18:00 – Founding Blue Ridge Hiking Company 22:00 – Lessons in Leadership & Longevity 23:30 – Back to the AT 31:00 – Endurance, Adversity & Teamwork 35:00 – Breaking the Record 36:00 – Advocacy & the Next Chapter 38:30 – Family, Faith & Work-Life Balance 41:00 – Leadership Lessons from the Trail 43:30 – Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 m
  • 201. From Burnt-Out Young Lawyer to Healthcare Media Mogul, with Scott Becker

    201. From Burnt-Out Young Lawyer to Healthcare Media Mogul, with Scott Becker
    Oct 1 2025
    In the first episode of Season Two, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Scott Becker. Becker’s name is synonymous with healthcare media and can’t miss industry conferences. The Becker’s brand is now an empire, covering every facet of the industry. And the energetic man behind the brand is a respected healthcare lawyer whose real purpose and passion is connecting people and ideas. Anne has known Scott for years. Yet in this conversation, they cover new ground about his life’s journey and ongoing aspirations. They talk about all the advice he didn’t get. About his mentoring of a young Barack Obama. And even about the lesson he once learned about yelling in the office. 02:16 Building Becker's Healthcare 05:11 Family and Upbringing 08:11 Law School, Early Legal Career and Leadership 18:30 Launching the ASC Newsletter 19:56 Interviewing Fascinating Personalities 23:00 Learning from Celebrity Interactions 27:36 Developing Leaders and Building Teams 30:20 Lessons from Mistakes and Life Experiences 32:17 Staying Active and Avoiding Regrets 33:16 Characteristics of Effective Leaders 34:32 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 m
  • Welcome to Season 2 of The Backstory

    Welcome to Season 2 of The Backstory
    Sep 24 2025
     Ever wonder what makes great leaders tick? Well then welcome to season two of the Backstory, where each conversation is a case study in authentic leadership. Throughout her career in healthcare consulting, Anne Hancock Toomey has encountered some truly impressive leaders. Here, she sits down with them, digging into their journeys, who they are and how they lead. The backstory is about humanizing respected leaders who are visionary, sharp, self-aware, and fiercely committed, who lift others up, own their mistakes, and share credit freely. They're not perfect, but they are genuine, and that's where greatness lives. Last season, we featured executives from top healthcare organizations across the nation, plus some investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. This time we're looking at healthcare and beyond. We'll kick it off with media mogul Scott Becker. Other episodes will feature a sports hero, a Guinness World record holder, the CEO of the fastest selling consumer wearable company, among others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 m
  • 18. From Hardware Store to Healthcare Entrepreneur, with Kenny Hancock

    18. From Hardware Store to Healthcare Entrepreneur, with Kenny Hancock
    Apr 16 2025
    In the capstone episode of Season One, Anne Hancock Toomey interviews healthcare entrepreneur and...her dad! Kenny Hancock is CEO of Lync Health Partners. Hancock shares his journey from working his family's small-town hardware store in Kentucky to a successful career as a serial entrepreneur in healthcare. He talks about how early setbacks in a high-pressure sales role motivated him to keep pushing and succeed, setting him up for a professional lifetime of finding ways to solve big challenges. Hancock reviews the highs and lows founding and leading companies like OrthoLink, Surgical Alliance, Meridian, and Lync Health Partners. He emphasizes the importance of relationships, authenticity, and risk-taking. Anne and Kenny also delve into the personal and familial dimensions of their journey, offering valuable insights into leadership and life lessons. 1:36 Family Values and Lessons 6:02 Growing Up in Russellville, KY 15:24 Transition to Healthcare and challenges in medical device sales 19:54 Moving to Nashville and New Ventures 21:16 A Life-Changing Decision 28:30 The Formation of Lync Health Partners 30:15 Reflecting on Mistakes and Accomplishments 32:58 Leadership Insights and Personal Reflections 35:51 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 m
  • 17. From Basketball Coach to Physician Executive, with Dr. David Miller

    17. From Basketball Coach to Physician Executive, with Dr. David Miller
    Mar 19 2025
    In this episode of The Backstory, host Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Dr. David Miller, President of University of Michigan Health and incoming Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs of University of Michigan and CEO of Michigan Medicine . Dr. Miller shares insights from his career as a urologic cancer surgeon and member of the leadership team at a large academic health system. He discusses his Michigan roots, the influence of his parents, and and the surprising role the CEO of Dow had on his journey from practicing medicine to taking on significant administrative roles. The conversation delves into his leadership philosophy, which emphasizes honesty, humility, visibility and enthusiasm. Dr. Miller also talks about balancing his clinical practice with his executive responsibilities. As a physician and executive, he is well-placed to talk about the importance of earning and maintaining trust from colleagues, team members and the public. 2:05 Early Life and Influences 4:46 First Job and Lessons Learned 8:25 College and Medical School Journey 9:31 Choosing Urology and Career Path 13:50 Transition to Administration 17:30 Balancing Clinical Practice and Leadership 19:43 Upcoming Role as CEO 22:36 Addressing Trust in Healthcare 27:19 Family and Personal Life 30:04 Leadership Insights and Advice 34:43 Lightning Round and Closing Remarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 m
  • 16. From Post-War Microlending to Healthcare Private Equity, with Ram Jagannath

    16. From Post-War Microlending to Healthcare Private Equity, with Ram Jagannath
    Feb 26 2025
    In this episode of The Backstory, host Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with the Global Head of Healthcare for Blackstone, Ram Jagannath, to trace the path that led him from a childhood as a first-generation American to the upper echelons of finance and healthcare investing. Jagannath shares how his formative years shaped his perspective, weaving through early influences, first jobs, and pivotal experiences—none more striking than his time working in a Croatian refugee camp with Bosnians displaced by the war. From navigating Wall Street to surviving the stock market crash and exploring a career in private equity, Jagannath unpacks lessons on why intellectual curiosity and purpose matter as much as strategy. And in a fast-paced lightning round, he gets personal – family, golf and a little love for Taylor Swift. 4:20 First Jobs and Early Lessons 11:44 College Years and Discovering Fulfillment 13:28 Life-Changing Experience in Croatia 20:09 Transition to Finance and Wall Street 22:42 Discovering Private Equity 25:10 Journey into Healthcare Investing 30:29 Founding a New Firm and Personal Loss 34:52 Leadership Qualities and Values 39:14 Lightning Round: Personal Insights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 m
  • 15. From Passing out in Biology Class to Health System CEO, with Ric Ransom

    15. From Passing out in Biology Class to Health System CEO, with Ric Ransom
    Feb 5 2025
    In this episode of The Backstory, Anne Hancock Toomey sits down with Ric Ransom, CEO of University of Missouri Health Care, for a conversation that covers everything from comic books to crisis leadership. Ric’s journey started in Birmingham, Alabama, in a home filled with big personalities and even bigger aspirations. He carved out a career that spanned law and healthcare administration, helping guide major health systems like Baylor Health System (now Baylor Scott & White Health), Prisma Health and UW Health along the way. Known for his ability to build strong teams and steer through uncertainty, Ransom unpacks lessons on resilience, communications and the influence of formative leaders – starting with his own father. Plus, he shares his approach to staying sharp (spoiler: it involves exercise and a good graphic novel). Come for the conversation about his first job as a telemarketer, stay for the lightning round where Ransom talks about his introverted side, his go-to stress relievers and what’s on his reading list. 02:15 Early Life, First Jobs and Leadership Influences 09:21 Journey Through Education and Career Beginnings 11:27 Transition to Healthcare Administration 17:13 Leadership Philosophy and Crisis Management 20:54 Challenges and Surprises as a CEO 23:49 Learning from Mistakes 29:07 Staying Healthy and Hobbies 30:07 Effective Leadership Traits 35:55 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 m