The C’s

C-10 Podcast: Klee Nelson, Ep. 140

This week we’re chatting with one of the Blue KC Coaches with Character honorees from this season, Klee Nelson. What is the Blue KC Coaches with Character program? Well, since 2017 we’ve had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals called Coaches with Character. Each year we recognize six coaches who are making Kansas City a better place. This year we are featuring the … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Reggie Morris, Ep. 139

This week we’re chatting with Reggie Morris, the boy’s basketball coach at Raytown South High School, and one of this year’s Blue KC Coaches with Character honorees. What is the Blue KC Coaches with Character program? Since 2017, CYITML has partnered with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals for a program called Coaches with Character. Each year we recognize six coaches who are making Kansas City a better … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Tim Kennedy, Ep. 134

This week we’re chatting with Tim Kennedy, the longtime and extremely successful baseball coach at Bishop Miege and Blue Valley High School here in the Kansas City area. Now, why are we talking with a high school baseball coach on a podcast that mainly features business leaders and talks about leadership and mentoring? Well, as you may know, since 2017 we’ve had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Shelli Vaughan, Ep. 131

This week we’re chatting with Shelli Vaughan, the longtime and extremely successful dance team coach at Notre Dame de Sion High School here in the Kansas City area. Now, why are we talking with a high school dance coach on a podcast that mainly features business leaders and talks about leadership and mentoring? Well, as you may know, since 2017 we’ve had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Brandy Burch, Ep. 129

This week we’re talking with Brandy Burch, a co-founder and the CEO of Benefitbay, a company that works with other companies and ICHRA  — Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement, which is a health insurance solution for a company to offer its employees. Brandy started her professional career in the Kansas City area, including two years with Visit KC. But she’s had an interesting journey — at least certainly not a straight line. She graduated from … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Becky Browne, Ep. 126

This week we’re chatting with Becky Browne, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Lockton Affinity, a subsidiary of Lockton Companies. Lockton Affinity is an insurance brokerage firm working with affinity groups, nonprofits, associations and franchises. Becky has been with Lockton since 2001, first as a recruiter and then VP of HR with Lockton Affinity and then about a year ago, Senior Vice President of HR. Incidentally, Lockton Affinity started in 1987, making it … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Dave Youker, Ep. 124

This week we’re chatting with Dave Youker, the swimming & diving coach at Olathe East High School here in the Kansas City area. Now, why are we talking with a high school swimming and diving coach on a podcast that mainly features business leaders and talks about leadership and mentoring? Well, as you may know, since 2017 we’ve had a program in partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Kansas … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Jonathan Jones, Ep. 123

This week on the C-10 Podcast we’re talking with Jonathan Jones, the Cultural Conversation Leader at DEMDACO. What does a Cultural Conversation Leader do? And just what is DEMDACO? We’ll find that out momentarily. Jonathan has been with DEMDACO since September 2006. He joined the company to help its leaders focus on their mission and culture. As part of that, in full disclosure, DEMDACO — thanks to Jonathan — has been a sponsor at our … Read more

C-10 Podcast: C-10 Seniors, Ep. 120

As you might’ve seen in the title, this is episode 120. It’s going to be a little different from most episodes, but it’s an exciting one for us. See, on May 31st, we closed our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership school year with our annual salute to the seniors. This year, in addition to the normal pomp and circumstance, we asked each senior to deliver a 2-5 minute speech on one of our 10 C words. Each … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Toby Cook, Ep. 119

If you’re a long-time Kansas Citian, you likely recognize the name Toby Cook. He spent more than 14 years with the Kansas City Royals as the Vice President of Publicity. Before that, he was an anchor for eight years on Fox4 in Kansas City. In the spring of 2021, he had a job pivot — in his early 50s — when he left the Royals and became the Director of Public Relations for the University … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Mary Esselman, Ep. 118

This week we’re joined by Mary Esselman, the President and CEO of Operation Breakthrough here in Kansas City. Mary has an interesting background in education, starting as a teacher in a prison before focusing on children from under-resourced areas. She taught in the Kansas City area, moved to Detroit, and then came back to KC to begin working at Operation Breakthrough. (If you’re not familiar, Operation Breakthrough, which started in 1971, provides a safe, loving … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Ryan Watson, Ep. 117

  This week on the C-10 Podcast we’re chatting with Ryan Watson, a one-on-one mentor in the C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program. Ryan is finishing his second year in the program. As his student Korey heads to college in the fall, Ryan is eager to get his next student. Ryan grew up in the Kansas City area, graduated from Rockhurst High School and then Kansas State University. Incidentally, he is the nephew of award-winning jazz … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Mandy Shoemaker, Ep. 115

For those who’ve met her in the last 10 years or so, Mandy Shoemaker is an entrepreneur. And rightly so. In 2013, she and her sister-in-law Michala Gibson founded Prairie Elder Care, which provides residential care in a unique setting for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. And then last year they launched Connectivities, a subscription-based service that provides boxes of supplies for activities to help build connections for families and other caregivers for people … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Lina Baquero and Lenin Guerra, Ep. 106

As you may know — as we’ve mentioned on previous episodes — one early goal of this podcast was to introduce you to the great leaders who speak to our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership group once a month. Another early goal was to introduce you to the incredible mentors in the C-10 program. Well, this week, we’re combining both. Several months ago, C-10 Curriculum Committee Chair — and occasional guest host of the C-10 Podcast … Read more

C-10 Podcast: China McCarney, Ep. 95

  As we do once a month or so, the C-10 Podcast features a conversation that took place in front of our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership students and mentors. And that’s what we’re doing this week. On this episode, we are joined by the Vice President of Jaeger Sports, China McCarney. Jaegers Sports is known around the world as a leader in athletic stretch bands known as J-Bands. Jaeger Sports specialize in arm health, arm … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Casey Wright, Ep. 88

  This week we’re chatting with Casey Wright, president of Chief of Staff Kansas City, a staffing firm in Kansas City. Casey, who’s been in recruiting most of his career, is a great fit for our C word this week, COACH. In the C You In The Major Leagues vernacular, COACH is someone who understands the big picture, is an independent thinker, a good self evaluator, and offers enthusiasm. Chief of Staff KC is a … Read more

C-10 Podcast: C-10 Seniors, Ep. 85

As we come to end of the 2021-22 school year, we wanted to give you a chance to hear from the seniors in our C-10 Mentoring & Leadership program. So, during one of our sessions in May, we invited next year’s cohort, along with all other current C-10 students to hear interviews with our current seniors. That’s turned into this episode. You’re going to hear from four of our six seniors — Sidney, Jameson, Naomi … Read more

C-10 Podcast: Lt. Col. Jacob Jones, Ep. 83

  This week’s guest is Marine pilot Lt. Col. Jacob Jones, who works with one of our C-10 mentors, Alan Epps….so you might hear a reference to Alan. Upon graduation from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and after two deployments as a reservist, Lt. Col. Jones was commissioned through the Officer Candidate Course in August 2004. During his career in the Marines, he’s been a pilot and an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. He was involved … Read more