Surfacing Leaders
Come with Marc as he tells the stories of leaders in unlikely places and the human spirit that drives us all.
Episodes
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Borja Cuan, co-founder of Four15 Digital and a performance marketing leader with nearly three decades of experience. They explore what it takes to build a high-performing organization while keeping people at the center of leadership.
Borja shares lessons from his career and the evolution of Four15 Digital, including one of his biggest leadership real...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with performance coach, endurance athlete, and founder of the Run With Christ Blueprint, Chris Avery, for a powerful conversation about resilience, faith, and the leadership that emerges through consistent action. Chris shares his remarkable journey from childhood trauma, addiction, and despair to becoming a man driven by purpose—one mile at a time....
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Hiten Sonpal, CEO of Rise Robotics, to explore the intersection of innovation, leadership, and the courage to embrace uncertainty. From immigrating to the United States from India to deploying robotics at Ground Zero after 9/11 and leading breakthrough technologies that challenge decades-old industries, Hiten shares the experiences that shaped his le...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Dr. Ashley Markovic, board-certified clinical psychologist, former U.S. Navy officer, and expert in military psychology, to explore what truly builds resilient leaders in high-pressure environments. Drawing on her years supporting submarine crews, recruits, and veterans, Dr. Markovic shares powerful insights into the psychology behind trust, emotiona...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Ryan Berman, corporate fear fighter, founder of Courageous, and author of Return on Courage. Together, they explore why courage is one of the most important leadership skills in today's rapidly changing world and how leaders can move beyond fear to create meaningful impact.
Ryan shares the journey that led him from the advertising world to building a...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Dr. Apollo Emeka, decision-making expert, entrepreneur, former FBI intelligence analyst, and U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret. Together, they explore the power of decisions and how a single choice can alter the course of a life, career, or organization.
Apollo shares his remarkable journey from leaving traditional school after fourth grade to ear...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Anthony Dyer, a retired U.S. Air Force Special Missions Aviator, author, and mental health advocate. Anthony shares his remarkable journey from growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina to flying combat missions aboard AC-130 gunships and HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters in some of the world's most dangerous environments.
Throughout...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with DeDe Halfhill for a powerful conversation about leadership, vulnerability, and the emotional dynamics that shape performance under pressure. Drawing from her 25-year career in the United States Air Force, including leadership roles in Iraq, the Pentagon, and as senior communication advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, DeDe shares why the stro...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with executive coach and former John Deere leader Tony Thelen to explore what it really takes to lead through uncertainty, change, and the transitions that shape a career. Drawing on more than 35 years of global leadership experience and his work coaching senior executives today, Tony shares practical insights on how leaders can navigate complexity while ...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Colleen Bordeaux, founder of Growth, Inc. and leadership advisor focused on modern communication, influence, and performance at work. They explore what today’s leaders must unlearn about success and how outdated assumptions about confidence, development, and workplace expectations continue to hold people back. Colleen shares insights from her e...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Andrea Howard, a U.S. Navy submarine officer, Marshall Scholar, and MIT PhD candidate studying security and strategy. Together, they explore what it means to lead at the intersection of global perspective, academic rigor, and operational responsibility in one of the most demanding environments in the world.
Andrea shares how her journey from Atlanta ...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with entrepreneur and customer-loyalty strategist Jason Milen to explore what it really takes to build a business that lasts. Together, they discuss leadership inside a multigenerational family company, the challenges of rebuilding trust after losing customers, and the mindset shift required to move from chasing transactions to creating lasting relationsh...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with journalist and author Rachel Hartigan to explore the remarkable life and enduring mystery of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. A former writer and editor for National Geographic and The Washington Post, Rachel brings years of research and storytelling expertise to the conversation as she discusses her new book, Lost: Amelia Earhart’s Three Myste...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with John (JD) Dwyer, a marketing enigma and customer attraction expert known for creating “wow factor” strategies that drive extraordinary results. John shares how incentive based marketing taps into timeless human behavior and why the fundamentals of leadership, decision making, and customer attraction have remained consistent, even as techn...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Scott D. Anthony, a globally recognized expert on innovation, strategy, and navigating disruption. Together, they explore what it truly takes to lead when the future is uncertain and familiar playbooks no longer apply.
Scott shares insights from his extensive work advising organizations through periods of transformation, emphasizing that innovation i...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Sheri Jacobs, founder and CEO of Avenue Group, bestselling author, and the creator of the Innovation Capacity Score. Sheri shares a fascinating journey that spans entrepreneurship, association leadership, and photojournalism, including what it was like capturing Michael Jordan on the court and later trading sports arenas for wildlife expeditions in p...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Ivy Gustafson, former top agent at the Washington Speakers Bureau and Gotham Artists, now a seasoned advisor and speaker coach.
Together, they explore what it truly means to communicate with impact in today’s rapidly evolving leadership landscape. Ivy shares insights drawn from more than two decades in the speaking industry, working alongside w...
In this unprecedented episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler kicks off 2026 by sitting down with Lead With Purpose’s own Head of Technology Derek Barber for a powerful conversation on purpose, trust, and what it truly means to lead.
Derek shares his journey from software developer to purpose-driven leader, and how his passion for meaningful work shaped both his career and the culture of the company he hel...
In this year-end episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler reflects on the defining leadership lessons of 2025 and offers a forward-looking perspective on what leaders can expect in 2026. Drawing from 26 diverse conversations—from fire chiefs and construction leaders to Navy admirals and Gen Z innovators—Marc highlights the themes that surfaced again and again across industries, generations, and commun...
In this episode of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, host Marc Koehler sits down with Dr. Heather Collins, a cognitive neuroscientist who has spent her career bringing cutting-edge brain science out of the lab and into real-world leadership. With more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and work ranging from Alzheimer’s to NASA astronaut cognition, Heather offers a rare blend of scientific rigor and practical insight.
Together, t...
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