There’s a fine line between pushing someone and tearing them down. The best leaders know how to walk it.

For Ben Utecht, Super Bowl champ and author of The Champion’s Creed: Transform Your Culture Through the Power of Belief, that lesson came from one of the most respected coaches in football.

In this episode, he shares the phrase that taught him the importance of leading with belief over fear. You’ll learn how to build a culture that drives performance, why your core values might be working against you, and the mindset that helps you win in business and life.

Topics discussed:

00:00 Introduction

01:13 From the NFL to entrepreneurship

04:23 Advice for parents of children with big dreams

08:14 Winning the Uncommon Leader Award

11:12 Leadership lessons from Coach Tony Dungy

16:04 Identity and purpose after the NFL

19:23 The role of a “Chief Culture Officer”

22:19 Turning core values into a real culture

24:01 Ben’s book, The Champion’s Creed

27:19 Why culture is a movement, not a program

31:21 What brought you JOY today?

If you’re a writer who wants to take control of your finances, read Mitlin Financial’s Write Your Financial Future: A Financial Guide for Authors: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/insights/blog/write-your-financial-future-a-financial-guide-for-authors/

Resources:

• Sending your child to college will always be emotional but are you financially ready? Take the College Readiness Quiz for Parents: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/college-readiness-quiz/
• Doing your taxes might not be enJOYable but being more organized can make the process less painful. Get Your Gathering Your Tax Documents Checklist: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mitlin_ChecklistForGatheringYourTaxDocuments_Form_062424_v2.pdf
• Will you be able to enJOY the Retirement you envision? Take the Retirement Ready Quiz: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/retirement-planning-quiz/

Connect with Larry Sprung:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencesprung/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry_sprung/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceDSprung/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/Lawrence_Sprung

About Our Guest:

Ben Utecht is a Super Bowl Champion, award-winning author, and global keynote speaker on organizational culture and leadership. Drawing from his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts and his best-selling book The Champion’s Creed, Ben helps companies and conferences transform workplace culture through the power of belief and purpose. As a Chief Culture Officer and entrepreneur, he has partnered with executives, professional sports organizations, and Fortune-level companies to ignite engagement, align values, and build high-performance teams. Recognized for his dynamic storytelling and actionable strategies, Ben inspires audiences worldwide to cultivate cultures where people and performance thrive.

Connect with Ben Utecht:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BenUtecht/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/BenUtecht
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benutecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benutecht
• Website: https://benutechtspeaks.com/

Disclosure:

Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

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Larry Sprung Host Mitlin

Lawrence “Larry” Sprung, CFP® is a husband, father, entrepreneur and mental health advocate.

Larry is the author of the Amazon Bestselling book “Financial Planning Made Personal” and the also host of the Mitlin Money Mindset™ a podcast that reminds you to ask yourself “What did you do today that brought you joy?®”

In 2004 he founded Mitlin Financial, Inc. naming the firm memory of Larry’s wife’s grandfather, Mitchell, and his mother, Linda. During his career, Larry has found that a lot of industry terms and concepts can seem confusing to outsiders. That’s why he works with the families he serves to break down complex financial topics into easy-to-understand concepts.

In recognition of Larry’s significant contributions to his profession, he has received quite a few awards. In 2021, Larry was named to the Investopedia 100 Top Advisors in 2021 and was even more humbled to make their Top Ten list for 2022.

Outside the office, one of Larry’s greatest passions is raising awareness for mental health. He spent over 12 years serving on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and sits on its financial and investment committees. With his wife, Denise, he has raised more than $1.7 million for the organization through the Keith Milano Memorial Fund. The fund was created in memory of his brother-in-law.

Larry values his family tremendously and his desire to do right by his wife and two sons drives who he is in and out of the office.