Podcast
Discover Your Talent–Do What You Love
Hosted by Don Hutcheson · EN
What do highly successful people actually do to succeed? For 45 years as entrepreneur, inventor, and author, Don Hutcheson has studied the proven career-building strategies that people around the world have used for decades to create lives of success, satisfaction and freedom. Every Tuesday he interviews individuals from around the world who share their real-world experiences and insights—what worked, what didn't and why—and any advice they might offer to help you jump-start your life and career to the next level. On Fridays, a highly accomplished woman or man from one of the most popular or interesting occupations and professions gives listeners an up-close-and-personal look at what it's truly like to do what they do every day in "A Day in the Life." Select recorded interviews here: http://www.DiscoverYourTalentPodcast.com/podcast. Interview Don on your podcast, radio show or other media: don@DYTpodcast.com
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
1201. Veteran Transition. Veteran Employment. Veteran Hiring Programs.
Yesterday00:27:38Tap to summarizeMatt Louis, is one of the nation's leading experts in career transition for members of the military community. He coaches individuals on their transition efforts and advises employers on hiring programs designed to successfully assimilate this valuable talent pool. He is the author of the award-winning and best-selling HarperCollins book, Mission Transition, a practical guide for veterans in career transition, their families, and their employers. His second book, Hiring Veterans, is a practical guide for organizational leaders on how to build programs to successfully assimilate veterans and military spouses. He is a Member of Louis Advisors LLC, a veteran-owned small business, was President of Purepost, Inc. and spent 17+ years at Deloitte where he became a Senior Manager and Practice Leader. Matt is a retired officer, US Army Active Duty and Reserve, 1991 to 2012. He graduated from the Military Academy at West Point and received his MBA at Indiana University – Kelly School of Business. Matt in discussion with Don Hutcheson: "On average, today's transitioning veterans will be unemployed for 22 weeks before they find a job. And when they do, they are simply looking to replace a revenue source. They'll take a job to get any job – and it is usually not the right one. They'll rotate out of that job within the first year and a half, and they'll continue to job hop and job hop and job hop. So much so that by their sixth post-military job, 50 percent, yes, half of transitioning veterans are still not in their optimal career field. I would peg that their sixth job is between three to five years from when they re-entered civilian life. That's alarming." "Why would I raise my right hand and enlist if today's service members are not finding full-time employment? And suicide rates continue to be at unacceptable levels. There is a direct correlation with all of these things."
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1200. Building a Career as a Speech-Language Pathologist
1w ago00:40:45Tap to summarize"One of the many wonderful things about working as a speech language pathologist is that you can structure the work that you do based on your circumstances at any turning point of your life. The setting you work in, the kinds of clients your work with, the specific modalities that you offer, can all be created by you. When my son was born I wanted to be home every evening and on weekends, so I structured my private practice to make that happen. Earlier in my career my schedule and client base was quite different, which was ideal for that time in my life. But whatever the structure of my work, the thing that I really love about practicing speech language pathology is my one-on-one time with kids--there's something beautiful that happens in those moments when I am able to use my passion and expertise to help kids that stutter become happy, healthy, effective communicators and help families better understand how to best support their loved one who stutters." Susie Harder, M.A., CCC-SLP is an experienced, licensed speech-language pathologist and Director of Central Valley Stuttering Center in Clovis, CA. She devotes much of her passion to working with children who stutter. She works in private practice and with schools to help support children and provides workshops and consulting-based support to families and school districts. She is also the founder and CEO of Authorable, a program that turns third through sixth graders into authors, creators, and leaders through real book-making experiences.
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1199. Equipped to Meet Life's Challenges
3w ago00:22:37Tap to summarizeGuest: Spann Cordle "What I'd love to do is public speaking. Sure I've been a spokesman. Sure I've made inroads. But I want to get on-stage. I want to travel. I want to speak. I want to show people that if you are determined and you persevere, there is nothing you cannot do–whether you are disabled or able-bodied. It is a mindset. A lot of individuals who are disabled don't have the opportunity to express themselves. I would like to show them how to do it!" Sixty-eight years ago, Spann Cordle's parents made a decision that was ahead of their time. They chose to treat Spann as any other child and equip him to face life's challenges. Born with a disability, he went to elementary school riding a tricycle to strengthen his legs, learned to swim, took driver's ed in high school, and was on the drama team. After being a state probation officer for several years, in 2007 he became a full-time employee at Walmart in northwest Georgia. He has found it to be an excellent opportunity to spread disability awareness by demonstrating his workplace dedication and winning attitude day after day. Walmart has recognized his contributions by making him their spokesperson at other Walmart locations across the country. His hometown of Summerville, Georgia, held a celebration for him and dedicated a new art installation for disability awareness. But the best recognition is from the Walmart customers who stop to talk and tell him that he always provides them with encouragement. Spann strives to do the same for all of the disabled community.
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1198. Jared Cohn Encore
4w ago00:21:15Tap to summarize"It was really sort of a Blitzkrieg assault approach where I wrote many, many scripts and emailed everybody I knew, and entered scripts into screenwriting competitions. "While I was living in New York I paid for a pitch fest in L.A. I flew out there to this event where you had five minutes to pitch different companies, like Lionsgate Motion Pictures. It was like speed dating for screenwriters. Eventually, I got one of my scripts into the hands of The Asylum and that eventually became 'Born Bad,' which was a made-for Lifetime TV movie. When they told me they liked that script and they wanted me, well, that was amazing!" Jared Cohn is a film/TV director, writer, and producer based in Los Angeles, CA. He has directed over 50 films that have been produced and distributed by major studios and distributed by major studios and production companies such as Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, Syfy, Lifetime, and many more. His book, 50 Movies Made: Lessons Learned on a Filmmaker's Journey, chronicles his life through the Hollywood trenches and how he achieved his lifelong dream on the other side. In the book, he discusses all areas of the movie making process, from screenwriting and preproduction to production, post-production and distribution. This May 2026 airing of Jared Cohn was originally aired in December 2024. Be sure to visit his website to see what he has been working on recently.
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1197. Day in the Life of an Analytical Psychologist
Apr 1000:36:30Tap to summarizeDr. Cara Lee Barker is an international keynote speaker and visionary artist. She served as an Army nurse during the Vietnam era at Walter Reed Hospital. She has a Master's degree in nursing from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Union Institute and University in Ohio. Her post-doctoral work was completed in Zurich as an International Diplomat and a Jungian Analyst. She was a columnist for HuffPost for five years and is the author of three books: World Weary Woman; The Love Project; and her latest release, Nightlight: My Soul Calling, Body Listening, Heart Speaking. "After I completed my PhD in clinical psychology, I began working in the so called 'human potential movement.' People wanted to dig deeper into who they really are on every level: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical and social. I loved doing that work and would have done it for free! I did my post-doctoral work in Zurich as an International Diplomat and Jungian Analyst. After reading Carl Jung's book–The Symbolic Life–I quickly realized the vital importance of dreams in helping people discover their inborn talents. I continue to work with clients, which uses my best talents, while I devote an increasing amount of time writing. My favorite life lesson from my very supportive parents: 'Lean into the thing you are trying to resist. Always lean in.'"
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1196. Open to Opportunities & Willing to Take Risks
Mar 2600:32:29Tap to summarize"The most powerful lesson I've learned is that self-discovery—learning your strengths and weaknesses–is foundational, followed by a strong education. Be open and ready for opportunities and be willing to take risks. Don't be afraid to dream because dreams do come true." This encore episode is in memory of Delano Lewis, a guest on this podcast in 2015. He was an amazing person with an unforgettable life story. He passed away in 2023. We are taking this opportunity to spread his inspiring story to all our current listeners. Delano Lewis, a former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, rose from segregation-era Kansas to prominence in government, business, and the not-for-profit world. His bestselling memoir, "It All Begins with Self," affirms his belief in the value of family, education, hard work, perseverance, mentors and supporters. His trailblazing career includes top positions at National Public Radio and the Peace Corps.
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1195. Finding a Deep Sense of Purpose: Successful Venture Capitalist to Passionate Education Change Advocate
Feb 1000:37:38Tap to summarizeTed Dintersmith is a best-selling author, education advocate, and former venture capitalist who believes math has been weaponized—and it's time to set things right. His professional career has been immersed in the world of technology-driven education, giving him a ringside seat to the advances of integrated circuits, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence. For the past fifteen years, he has focused on the world of education, forming an education non-profit, authoring best seller books, and setting a mission to help catalyze and accelerate progress in our schools and equip our children with skills and mindsets that are essential in a world defined by rapidly-advancing innovation. Ted graduated from the College of William and Mary with High Honors in English and Physics and then got a PhD in Engineering from Stanford. In 2012, he was appointed by President Obama to represent the U.S. at the United Nations General Assembly, where he focused on education and youth entrepreneurship. "I was recognized by one of the trade publications as one of the top-ranked venture capitalists in the country for 1995 to 1999 – which were good years to be good at it. I loved every day. But as I got further into it, I realized that a lot of the companies we backed were developing products and solutions to make customers far more productive. And that seems to be a really good thing. "But at a certain point, I realized that if you make a few people really productive, you may be laying off a bunch of others, which gets me to AI and why I am so focused on things today. "As I looked back on my business career, every day was really fun, but I didn't feel a sense of purpose. Now, every day, I feel a deep sense of purpose by fighting for different priorities in schools and fighting for helping kids find their strengths – instead of putting students on the narrow conveyor belt that leads right into the jaws of AI." Recommendation to listeners: "Find the things you love to do. Be resourceful in terms of connecting your passions with ways to support yourself financially. Take chances and be bold. And leverage technology. You will never look back and you are going to be in great shape."
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1194. Make a Difference Every Day
Dec 1200:23:47Tap to summarizeScott Robison, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces veteran with 23 years of service, is a founding partner of Kingswood Defense Group and Cadet Holdings and the founder of Camp Cowboy, a nonprofit supporting veterans with the use of equine therapy. Scott specializes in consulting for military and commercial sectors, leveraging deep expertise in emerging technologies and defense strategy, and managing rapid acquisition initiatives. When he retired from the Army, he decided that he wanted to do something for those who struggle with issues from military and public service. That resulted in creating Camp Cowboy in Kemper, Texas. It is operated by veterans to provide FREE Equine Assisted Growth Programs to Service members, Veterans, First Responders, Family members and Gold Star Family members. Through equine-based experience, education, and knowledge, they help participants navigate and overcome stressors and a vast multitude of "life's scars," allowing for a reconnected, well-balanced life change for those in need. His military career highlights include leading the Special Weapons Testing Task Force at Fort Cavazos and overseeing over 300 major defense acquisition programs. He has also led counterterrorism efforts in Iraq and counter-drug operations with federal agencies. Robison holds degrees from the New Mexico Military Institute and University of Colorado and certifications from Defense Acquisitions University.
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1193. Using Technology to Connect Entrepreneurs with Customers
Nov 1100:26:04Tap to summarizeKahlil Wyche became disillusioned with the restaurant industry when he found himself handling all the responsibilities of a store manager but the chain was only paying him assistant manager wages. "I've always liked money and numbers, so I looked into an entry level position at a bank," Kahlil recalls. "I knew God has His hand on me about 40 days in. I overheard a co-worker who was frustrated with her computer. During my military time and after I'd been certified in some Microsoft software and taken some courses." Kahlil offered to take a look at her computer. He fixed it. The next morning, she offered him a job in the information technology (I.T.) department. He received steady promotions. On weekends he developed a catering business which eventually developed into Catering to Your Whims. He had come full circle back to entrepreneurship and the food business. Kahlil Wyche is an entrepreneur, local marketing and social media expert who has been connecting people and products through technology for 19 years. As founder of Catering to Your Whims, Inc., and KGW Enterprises, he draws on his experience in marketing, sales and business development to create a platform for professionals to promote their work, share their expertise and interact with consumers.
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1192. Switching Careers With an Entrepreneurial Spirit
Oct 2100:19:46Tap to summarizeLiz Chism has been an entrepreneur for over 11 years. She started out her entrepreneurial journey by starting a craft brewery with her husband and being the COO and Head Brewer. After that journey ended, she started Systems into Freedom where she is a business operations coach who strategizes with business about how to organize and streamline their operations so they can create freedom through their business. Liz seamlessly fits coaching around helping her husband in his real estate business, running the house, raising their three children, and homeschooling. "It wasn't until my husband and I decided to start a craft beer brewery that I found my passion for organizing, streamlining and strategizing how to go from point A to Point B in the fastest way possible. "My husband and I fell in love with brewing, the science and the art mixture. And we fell in love with the community aspect that it brought, the ability to bring people together. What's interesting is that most people didn't think that I would be the brewer. They always put the male as the brewer and the female as the admin/marketing person. It turned out I had more talent for organizing and operations, repeating success and creating the recipes. In the end I was the brewer and did all the operations. My husband's talents were more of that CEO mentality, that visionary, and he handled the business side. "We ran it for almost five years but ended up closing down in 2018 and filing bankruptcy in 2019. And that's actually when we pivoted. There's a lot of things about the brewery that we liked, but some aspects weren't a match for where we wanted to be and what we wanted to do with life. It was actually a moment where we could redesign our life however we wanted to. "Based on what my husband and I learned while building the brewery, I started a coaching business called Systems into Freedom. It is designed to really help business owners put the systems in place so they will not get burned out. Those systems need to be incorporated into the culture of the business and leverage their employees to become leaders."
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