Purpose is what fuels perseverance

May was Mental Health Awareness Month, and it got me thinking about a conversation I've been having more often lately, both on stage and in baseball. The more we talk about mental health, the more we reduce the stigma surrounding it. We still have work to do, but I believe we are all making progress. And it’s a conversation worth continuing, both inside and Out of the Park.

Rounding the Bases is my podcast about culture and leadership with a baseball twist. A few minutes before a recent interview, I remember thinking the conversation I was about to have would probably stay within the usual territory. It was actually a deep conversation about how not to lose yourself while building something great. It’s a weight many, especially high achievers, carry with them daily, even if they don’t admit - or realize - it. 

Small ball isn’t a solo act. It never was. Small ball takes everyone.

Everyone is dealing with something. Even the people who look like they have it all figured out.

None of it was polished. None of it was planned. And maybe that’s exactly why people connected with it.

Navigating change is rarely embraced in the moment. But it's usually accepted in hindsight. The downtown stadium will feel like a loss of Kauffman Stadium, until it becomes the place where their kids’ memories are made. The new jerseys will feel strange until the day a young fan pulls one out of their closet because it's their favorite. 

In the meantime, our job is to lean harder into the things that don’t change. Trust. Relationships. Showing up for each other while the ground shifts beneath us. That’s the real work, inside and Out of the Park.

I’ve spent most of my career talking about change. So what happens when your entire idea how to navigate it is challenged? That’s what happened during a recent interview on my podcast, Rounding the Bases. I was joined by mother-daughter duo Judy Henderson and Angel McDonald. Theirs is a story of a mom who spent 36 years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. And on the outside, a daughter who never stopped believing she would come home.

When uncertainty shows up, people often look for big answers, but trust is rarely built that way. 

We can talk about process all we want, but results still drive how it feels, how it looks, and how everyone reacts.

Change happens one opened door at a time. And it’s the reason why representation is so important, inside and Out of the Park.

When I think about Women’s History Month, I start with my mom. Her professional journey is why it has always been so personal for me, and in one recent interview of Rounding the Bases, I was joined by a guest who has amplifies what’s possible for accomplished women who refuse to settle. In many ways, it felt like a continuation of my mom’s story. Viveka von Rosen is a social media authority, business strategist and founder of Beyond the Dream Board who has catalyzed countless reinventions from executive to entrepreneur. By blending hard earned wisdom with modern technology, she empowers women in their 50s, 60s and beyond to relaunch careers built for the person they’re becoming…not the one they’ve already been.

We get to hear her voice again, and it’s as powerful as you’d think.

The home runs come less from stats and more from trust

Small Ball, like baseball itself, reminds us that every role matters

I don’t check the calendar to know when spring starts. I listen for it. I’m excited about what’s ahead. The continued growth of the Negro Leagues. My return trip to Surprise next month. Opening Day in Atlanta. As Buck O’Neil so often reminded us, this game has a way of showing up right on time, and it always does…inside and Out of the Park.

I’ve always believed that as a broadcaster for the Kansas City Royals my job is ultimately about telling stories. In one recent conversation on Rounding the Bases, I was joined by a guest who has seen representation evolve in real time. His name is Shawn Edwards, a nationally acclaimed film critic whose career took him from Kansas City to Hollywood and back again.

This is Small Ball season.

One theme kept surfacing in different ways: transparency.

Titles change how people see you