NYT bestselling author Shaka Senghor talks with Derek Champagne about his personal story and his powerful new book, How to Be Free: A Proven Guide to Escaping Life’s Hidden Prisons.

"I love this book—because it teaches you how to manifest freedom in your own life and how that work allows you to rise to your greatest glory." —Oprah Winfrey, The Oprah Podcast

After 19 years in prison—7 of them in solitary—Shaka emerged not just with a story, but with a methodology. In this book, he distills the inner work that helped him survive, heal, and grow into practical tools that anyone can apply to their own life.

Because not all prisons have bars. We all live inside systems, stories, and cycles that can hold us back—doubt, fear, disconnection. And for men in particular, a flawed definition of manhood—emotional suppression, isolation, performative strength—can quietly destroy us. Shaka challenges that directly and offers a radically honest path to healing, self-trust, and real leadership.

Each chapter blends hard-won wisdom with actionable steps (including “Keys to” sections at the end of each chapter that offer concrete, practical guidance), perfect for readers hungry for a path that’s real, not performative. Shaka’s work has been praised by figures ranging from Oprah to Ben Horowitz, and he’s regularly sought after by CEOs and changemakers for his insights on leadership, trust, and mindset.

Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

Derek Champagne talks with Terry Healey, author of The Resilience Mindset: How Adversity Can Strengthen, Individuals, Teams, & Leaders.

A survivor of a permanent facial difference and life-threatening cancer, Terry Healey is an
author, keynote speaker, and business strategist. Healey challenges audiences to face their
adversities and apply his framework of four key principles to gain confidence, build resilience,
and find joy in their personal and professional lives.

Having endured more than thirty surgical procedures to reconstruct his face while in his early
twenties, Healey discovered tools that could help him transform his changed life. He shares
ways to take control, overcome challenges, build trust and teams, embrace change, and learn
the value of acceptance and tolerance. He views the lessons he learned as gifts, and believes
his greatest reward is being able to teach others how to overcome any kind of adversity and
celebrate life.

His experience led him to a successful thirty-five-year career as a high-tech sales and marketing
executive, including being on the founding team of a company that had a successful initial
public offering. His popular programs are presented to healthcare organizations, corporations,
educational institutions, associations, and nonprofits nationwide. They include Cisco Systems,
Inc., Charles Schwab, the University of California Berkeley football team, Santa Clara University,
Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Genomic Health, Perkin Elmer, Stanford University, UC San Francisco,
Kaiser Permanente, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Greater Baltimore Medical Center,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and many others.

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Healey is the author of The Resilience Mindset: How Adversity Can
Strengthen Individuals, Teams, and Leaders [September 2025], and his previous title, At Face
Value: My Triumph over a Disfiguring Cancer, and is a contributing author to Open My Eyes,
Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity; Make Your Own Miracle: Surviving
Cancer, an Anthology; and Reading Lips and Other Ways to Overcome a Disability.

His work has appeared in Psychology Today, Metro UK, The San Francisco Chronicle,
Guideposts, NurseWeek, U.S. News and World Report, Sales and Marketing Magazine, Coping
and CURE Today. He has appeared on dozens of national and local TV networks and has been
interviewed on more than seventy-five radio stations across the U.S. and Canada.

Order a copy of The Resiliance Mindset here: https://terryhealey.com/product/the-resilience-mindset/

Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576

In this episode Derek talks with Melissa Proctor, Executive Vice President & CMO of the Atlanta Hawks. Melissa, the author of the book “From Ball Girl to CMO”, shares her inspiring personal story and recipes for ongoing success.

Biography
Melissa Proctor began her NBA experience in highschool as the first ball girl for the Miami Heat. After highschool, she attended Wake Forest University where she got her Bachelor’s degree in communications and her masters degree in design studies/branding from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design at The London Institute. After obtaining her degree, she went on to work for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. serving in senior brand development and strategy leadership positions. Proctor was with Turner for 9 years before moving on to the Atlanta Hawks as VP of brand strategy. She quickly made her way up and is now the executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Order Melissa’s new book here: https://melissamproctor.com/

Business Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576