Mick Unplugged With Mick Hunt

You don't rise to the occasion, you rise or fall to your level of preparation.

This Memorial Day episode features reflections from figures like Chef Robert Irvine and Michelle Mace-Curren on military service and leadership. Delve into the deep driving forces behind dedication and self-sacrifice, exploring the critical role of preparation in overcoming impossible challenges.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- Chef Robert Irvine's mission to help those lost

- The reason behind a 30-year Air Force veteran's call for help

- Why micromanaging doesn't constitute leadership

- 4 principles for building strong, loyal teams

- The significance of 1% of the US population serving in the military

QUOTES THAT HIT

"Because there are people out there that need my help." - Memorial Day 

"If you're worried about something right now that your worry will not affect, you're wasting your energy." - Memorial Day 

"My because is simply because we're temporary." - Memorial Day 

CHAPTERS

00:03 Mick Unplugged: Your Because

00:46 Chef Irvine's Because: Helping Others

02:12 Tough Love and Relatability

05:48 Overcoming Impossible: Start with Chapter One

07:29 Empathetic Leadership: Beyond Micromanagement

10:51 Military Service: A Daughter-in-Law's Journey

17:03 My Because: A Free Nation

22:43 Robert J. Ono's Because: Family

28:02 Bin Laden Raid: The 90-Minute Flight

32:31 Preparation: Master the Basics

33:23 CZ Lopez: Purpose and Misfortunes

43:17 Michelle Mace-Curren: Legacy and Leadership

QUESTIONS THIS EPISODE ANSWERS

Q: What does Chef Robert Irvine consider his "because"?

A: Chef Robert Irvine says his "because" is that there are people out there who need his help, and he uses his platform for the betterment of others who are less fortunate.

Q: How does Michelle Mace-Curren define her "because" as an entrepreneur after military service?

A: Michelle Mace-Curren finds her "because" in creating her legacy now, seeing the tangible inspiration in front of her eyes when she gives keynote speeches, and knowing that her work impacts people's lives.

Q: Why is preparation essential for leaders, according to Robert J. Ono?

A: Robert J. Ono emphasizes that leaders must be prepared for contingencies and master the basics, because "you don't rise to the occasion, you rise or fall to your level of preparation."

Connect & Discover Our Memorial Day Heroes:

Chef Robert Irvine Website: ChefIrvine.com

Chef Robert Irvine Instagram: @chefirvine

Robert Irvine Foundation: RobertIrvineFoundation.org

JoAnne Bass LinkedIn: @jo-bass

JoAnne Bass Instagram: @thejoannebass

Rob O'Neill Website: RobONeill.com

Rob O'Neill Instagram: @mchooyah

CZ Lopez LinkedIn: @ramoncolonlopez

CZ Lopez Instagram: @therealczcolonlopez

Michelle "Mace" Curran Website: MaceCurran.com

Michelle "Mace" Curran Instagram: @mace.curran

Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer?

Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers.

Grab your copy now and level up your life: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A MillionFOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: @mickhunt

Website: MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 The story will keep you there.

This Mick Unplugged episode features JEFRË, a Public Artist and Creative Director. He explores how pivotal life experiences and a singular vision shaped his career, leading him to create monumental public art around the globe. Discover JEFRË’s journey from urban designer to iconic artist.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- JEFRË's journey after a 35-year-old heart attack

- How to become a brand-collaborating artist

- The significance behind "Victor" in the Philippines

- Why brands seek creative leaders like JEFRË

- Developing art from community insights

QUOTES THAT HIT

"The story will keep you there." - JEFRË

"I'm getting cities and nations together to create icons or moments that they can identify with their own culture." - JEFRË

"The key is, is really engineering. That's where it is." - JEFRË

CHAPTERS

00:00 Mick Unplugged Introduction

02:30 JEFRË on legacy and creation

06:51 JEFRË's Filipino-American origin story

09:42 Heart attack, career change to artist

13:47 JEFRË's process for designing art

20:06 JEFRË on personal connections

24:43 Branding and entrepreneurship with JEFRË

31:54 New projects and Shark Art

QUESTIONS THIS EPISODE ANSWERS

Q: What motivated JEFRË to become an artist after a career in urban design?

A: JEFRË’s near-death experience from a heart attack at 35 prompted him to pursue creating impactful art immediately, shifting from long-term urban planning projects to direct artistic creation.

Q: How does JEFRË ensure his monumental public artworks resonate with communities?

A: JEFRË emphasizes listening to the community to understand their desires, then interpreting that input into his art. He believes the storyline derived from community engagement is more important than the scale of the artwork.

Q: What is "Shark Art" and how does Damon John support artists like JEFRË?

A: Shark Art is Damon John's initiative to support artists by providing management and business guidance. Damon helps artists like JEFRË navigate commercial aspects, manage their image, and secure licensing deals to expand their reach.

Connect & Discover Jefrë:

Instagram: @jefre_artist

Website: jefre.org

LinkedIn: JEFRË Studio

TikTok: @jefre_artist

 🔥 Ready to Lead Different & Win Bigger? 🔥 

How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One by Mick Hunt isn’t just a book - it’s your blueprint to set up, stand out, and lead with confidence (even if no one ever showed you how).

Straight talk. Real Strategy. No fluff. Just the tools you need to elevate your leadership and life.

👉 Get your copy now and start leading on your terms → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website: MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Haley Sacks — better known as Mrs. Dow Jones — is the financial educator helping millions of people stop being weird about money and start building real wealth. Named Creator of the Year by Adweek, featured on Fortune's 40 Under 40, and dubbed by The Wall Street Journal as “the financial guru millennials listen to,” Haley has built a movement around making personal finance feel less like punishment and more like power. She's also the author of the brand-new book Future Rich Person: The New Rules for Building Wealth — a modernized, judgment-free playbook for anyone who's tired of the old advice that doesn't work anymore. This conversation is a masterclass in mindset, money, and why the old American Dream needs a complete rewrite.

Takeaways:

•       The Old American Dream Is Dead — Use the New Rules: Your parents' money playbook was built for a world that no longer exists. Pensions, affordable homes, single-employer careers, and predictable student debt are gone. Haley breaks down why financial literacy in 2026 has to include AI, business structures like LLCs and S-corps, retirement vehicles for entrepreneurs, and the negotiation tactics nobody taught you. If you're still playing by 1985 rules, you're already losing.

•       Money Magnifies Who You Already Are: There's no shame in wanting to be rich — money is just a tool that amplifies your character. If you're a giver, money lets you give bigger. If you want to take care of your family, build your community, or leave a job that doesn't serve you, wealth is the fuel that makes it possible. Drop the guilt, own the goal, and start building a financial life that matches the impact you want to have.

•       Money Etiquette Is a Wealth Skill: Money is energy — and how you carry yourself with it determines how it flows back to you. Holding too tight, nickel-and-diming, or being tone-deaf about other people's situations doesn't just hurt your relationships, it actually slows your wealth-building. Move with grace, lead with humor, communicate openly with your people, and treat money etiquette like a non-negotiable part of your financial education.

Sound Bytes:

“Money only magnifies who you are.” 

“The system was always created by the people that it serves.” 

“Money is energy. If you hold on to it too tight, it's not going to come to you as freely.”

Connect & Discover Haley:

Instagram: @mrsdowjones

Website: mrsdowjones.com

LinkedIn: @mrsdowjones

TikTok: @mrsdowjones

Book: Future Rich Person

 🔥 Ready to Lead Different & Win Bigger? 🔥 

How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One by Mick Hunt isn’t just a book - it’s your blueprint to set up, stand out, and lead with confidence (even if no one ever showed you how).

Straight talk. Real Strategy. No fluff. Just the tools you need to elevate your leadership and life.

👉 Get your copy now and start leading on your terms → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rickey Smiley is a nationally beloved stand-up comedian, award-winning syndicated radio host, television personality, bestselling author, and one of the most authentic voices in entertainment today. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Rickey first captured America’s attention through his legendary prank phone calls and breakout performances on BET’s Comic View before building a media empire that includes The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, heard in over 70 cities nationwide. A two-time Marconi Award winner, Rickey has starred in multiple television series and specials, including his critically acclaimed Hulu comedy special Foolish. Beyond the laughs, Rickey is a devoted father, grandfather, mentor, and man of deep faith who uses his platform to uplift communities and inspire others. His bestselling memoir, Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith, chronicles his journey through unimaginable grief—including the loss of his eldest son Brandon—and stands as a powerful testament to resilience, service, and the healing power of purpose.

Takeaways:

• Give Your Kids What You Had, Not What You Didn’t: Rickey Smiley is unapologetic about raising his children and grandchildren with the same discipline, structure, and old-fashioned home training his grandparents gave him. No negotiations, no iPads as pacifiers, no coddling. In a world where everything right is being called wrong and everything wrong is being called right, Rickey stands firm—because the foundation that built him still works. If you liked who you became, give your kids the blueprint that made you, not the things you missed out on.

• Men, Put Your Ego Down and Get Help: Rickey Smiley performed comedy shows while crying backstage. He went back on the radio three days after burying his son because eight million listeners needed him. But behind closed doors, he sat on the steps of his kitchen and cried for days. This conversation is a direct message to men—you cannot be too big, too proud, or too successful to grieve, to seek therapy, and to talk about what you are carrying. Rickey’s honesty about his own mental health journey, and Mick’s personal testimony about how the book Sideshow pushed him into therapy, is the kind of real talk that saves lives.

• Help People, Protect Your Peace, and Pay It Forward: Rickey’s “because” is simple—he wakes up every day to serve, to bless, and to make somebody’s life better. But he also delivers a truth that every giver needs to hear: not everybody you help is going to appreciate it. Out of twenty people you pour into, maybe six or seven will say thank you. Be prepared for the disappointment, protect your peace fiercely, and keep pouring anyway—because that is the assignment. Our grandparents and teachers made personal sacrifices so we could have what we have, and the only proper response is to pay it forward.

Sound Bytes:

“I told God a long time ago, hey, if you get me out of this rut right here, I promise you, I’ll serve you to the day I die and try to make somebody life better because of the things that you bless me with.”

“You literally on stage, doing joke, doing comedy, performing while you crying on the inside.”

“I think that what my grandparents and my parents did for me, it worked for me. It was critical to my development. And if it worked for me, it should work for my kids, because it still works.”

Connect & Discover Rickey:

Instagram: @rickeysmileyofficial

Facebook: @RickeySmileyOfficial

YouTube: @RickeySmileyOfficial

TikTok: @rickeysmileydigital

Website: RickeySmiley.com

Show: The Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Book: Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith

🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥

Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers. 

👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Guthrie is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who commanded the mound for over a decade with the Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City Royals. A Stanford graduate and former BYU standout, Jeremy was an American League Rookie of the Year candidate in 2007, represented Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and started Games 3 and 7 of the 2014 World Series before earning a World Series ring in 2015. Off the field, Jeremy serves as an MLB Commissioner’s Ambassador, traveling to over 60 countries across six continents to grow the game globally. He is also the owner of Custom Cleats, the pioneering company that converts any sneaker into a high-performance cleat for athletes of all ages and sports. A man of deep faith, Jeremy’s two-year mission in Spain at age 19 laid the foundation for a life built on service, resilience, and redefining what success truly means.

Takeaways:

• Redefine Success Before It Defines You: Jeremy learned on the streets of Spain what most people never figure out in a lifetime — success isn’t about the scoreboard. It’s about the effort you pour into becoming the best version of yourself. John Wooden said it, Jeremy lived it, and it carried him through a decade in the big leagues when the stats didn’t always cooperate. If you’re measuring your worth by outcomes you can’t control, you’re playing a losing game. Control your effort, your focus, your resilience — and let the results take care of themselves.

• Forget Yourself and Find Your Purpose: At 19, Jeremy walked away from a professional baseball contract to spend two years serving others in Spain. No fastball. No spotlight. Just service. And what he found was the foundation of everything that followed — a deeper understanding of who he was and what he was capable of becoming. When you stop chasing what the world says you should want and start pouring into other people, that’s when the real breakthroughs happen. Lose yourself in service and watch your purpose reveal itself.

• Every Day You Have a Platform, Use It: Jeremy’s teammate Kevin Millar said it best — every day you’re in the big leagues, you have a chance to touch somebody’s life. Jeremy took that to heart and ran with it across 60 countries and six continents. But here’s the thing — you don’t need a Major League roster spot to have a platform. You have one right now. The question is, are you using it? Whether it’s a kind word, a signed autograph, or showing up for your community, your platform is your opportunity to leave people better than you found them.

Sound Bytes:

“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of the self-satisfaction that you have in making the best effort you can to become the best you’re capable of becoming.” 

“Every day you’re in the big leagues, you have a chance to touch somebody’s life.” 

“I learned the joy of forgetting yourself, of losing yourself, and yet finding yourself through that.”

Connect & Discover Jeremy Guthrie:

Instagram: @therealjguts

Custom Cleats Instagram: @customcleats

Facebook: @TheRealJGuts

X: @TheRealJGuts

Website: customcleats.com

 🔥 Ready to Lead Different & Win Bigger? 🔥 

How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One by Mick Hunt isn’t just a book - it’s your blueprint to set up, stand out, and lead with confidence (even if no one ever showed you how).

Straight talk. Real Strategy. No fluff. Just the tools you need to elevate your leadership and life.

👉 Get your copy now and start leading on your terms → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged 

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast 

LinkedIn: @mickhunt 

Website:  MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.