POWERS
POWERS

POWERS

Chris Powers

Overview
Episodes

Details

POWERS brings you inside the minds of world-class leaders who have built, battled, and succeeded at the highest levels. POWERS digs beyond the surface with questions driven by curiosity, uncovering stories and insights rarely shared publicly. Each episode delivers timeless wisdom and hard-earned lessons that apply across business and life. The show has earned a reputation for asking the right questions at the right moment. The focus is on timeless principles, proven through years of discipline and risk, not on shortcuts. Each conversation is direct, deliberate, and designed to leave listeners sharper than when they arrived. The aim is simple: to deliver insights that matter and can be carried into business and life. Since its launch, POWERS has drawn a high-caliber audience of builders, investors, and decision makers. Past guests have represented companies such as Starwood Capital, JLL, Hillwood Capital, Chick-fil-A, Morning Brew, Founders Podcast, Tiny Capital, Permanent Equity, Fort, Matthews REIS, Bonobos, and ConvertKit. At its core, POWERS is a celebration of leadership, of work that matters, and of the American spirit that makes it possible.

Recent Episodes

#399 - Colt McCoy - The Story
DEC 9, 2025
#399 - Colt McCoy - The Story
Today, my good friend Colt McCoy joins me for a deep and personal discussion about his path from small-town Texas to 14 seasons in the NFL, the mentors and moments that shaped him, and the intentional process of stepping away from the game. We talk through his early years growing up on the sidelines, the day he went from being a complete unknown to over 100 Division 1 offers, and the mindset he built while earning the starting job and leading Texas to the National Championship.   Colt reflects on the physical and emotional toll of the 2009 title-game injury, the realities of NFL life, and the teammates, coaches, and owners who influenced him most. He also opens up about the year-long discernment process that led him to retire, move his family to Fort Worth, and build a new career in real estate. We discuss: • Colt’s early upbringing around football and how it shaped his identity • Winning the starting job, leading Texas for four seasons, and the highs and lows along the way • The 2009 national championship injury and its lasting impact • Lessons from 14 years in the NFL, including leadership, longevity, and adapting his game • His decision to retire, prioritize family, and pursue a new path in Fort Worth real estate • The role of faith, patience, and discernment in navigating major life transitions Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Links: Colt on X - https://x.com/ColtMcCoy Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:51) - The realities of working for ESPN and calling games (00:11:15) - Colt’s earliest memories of football (00:18:31) - The impact of Colt’s dad (00:22:45) - Earning a scholarship to The University of Texas (00:34:34) - Colt’s career at UT (00:47:32) - Colt’s greatest memory at UT (00:57:43) - The state of College football (00:58:40) - The Michael Crabtree story (01:04:27) - The toughest environments to play in (01:06:24) - Colt’s NFL career (01:08:58) - The biggest learning curve going from the NCAA to the NFL (01:17:35) - Who’s the best athlete you’ve ever seen? (01:19:04) - What Colt misses the most about being in the NFL (01:20:59) - Who’s the scariest player you’ve gone up against? (01:23:27) - What was the hardest hit you’ve ever taken? (01:26:11) - The decision to leave the NFL and life after football Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/45gIkFd Watch POWERS on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://www.powerspod.com/ Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0 Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9j POWERS is produced by https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/
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108 MIN
#398 - Cody Campbell - Saving College Sports, NIL, & A $7B Opportunity
NOV 18, 2025
#398 - Cody Campbell - Saving College Sports, NIL, & A $7B Opportunity
Today's guest, Cody Campbell, digs into the forces reshaping college athletics and his plan to ensure a solution that works for every stakeholder.  We discuss: • How changing laws and court decisions created a brief window for Tech to act boldly • Why Texas Tech’s culture, alumni base, and momentum made the strategy work • How court rulings displaced the NCAA and fueled today’s chaotic environment • The financial strain on athletic departments and the risk posed to Olympic and women’s sports • The influence of commissioners, media companies, and private equity on the future of the system • Cody’s vision for reform and why federal action is the only path to long-term stability Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:00) - Transforming Texas Tech in the NIL era (00:05:11) - The strategy for acquiring talent (00:12:38) - Legal changes and their impact on college sports (00:19:43) - The financial realities of college athletics (00:29:35) - The need for unified media rights in college sports (00:33:07) - Fan engagement and conference dynamics (00:35:05) - Private equity in college sports (00:39:30) - Challenges with NIL and enforcement (00:44:28) - Proposed solutions for college sports (00:48:50) - The role of government and leadership (00:52:47) - Cultural importance of college sports Links: Cody on X - https://x.com/CodyC64 Support our Sponsors Ramp: ⁠https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: ⁠https://collateral.com/fort⁠ Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: ⁠https://x.com/fortworthchris⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/45gIkFd⁠ Watch POWERS on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/3oynxNX⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://www.powerspod.com/⁠ Leave a review on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/45crFD0⁠ Leave a review on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO⁠  POWERS is produced by ⁠https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/⁠
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56 MIN
#397 - Wiley Curran - Co-Founder @ CPC - Building A Perpetual Holding Company Of Lower Middle Market Businesses
OCT 28, 2025
#397 - Wiley Curran - Co-Founder @ CPC - Building A Perpetual Holding Company Of Lower Middle Market Businesses
Today, I sit down with my good friend Wiley Curran to break down the story behind CPC, a family-built perpetual holding company that buys and holds businesses indefinitely. We also discuss how CPC approaches acquisitions, management incentives, and organizational design to create enduring value across industries. We discuss: The evolution of CPC from a family chemicals business to a multi-company holding group Why long-term ownership outperforms short-term investing strategies How to build companies around customer intimacy and employee satisfaction The “five key battles” CPC uses to evaluate and improve every business Lessons learned from buying, integrating, and supporting 14 companies over time Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:12) - Running a CEO search (00:08:26) - The story behind CPC (00:23:39) - The importance of customer intimacy (00:37:02) - CPC's long-term vision and employee engagement (00:40:33) - Executive ownership and equity (00:41:29) - Structuring equity buyouts (00:42:58) - Valuation and liquidity rights (00:44:49) - Investment strategy and business acquisition (00:47:11) - Sourcing and evaluating business opportunities (00:50:14) - Onboarding and integration of new businesses (01:03:09) - Customer lifetime value and profitability (01:09:13) - Board meetings and CEO summits (01:14:36) - AI experiments and business impact (01:18:30) - Future vision and personal goals Support our Sponsors Ramp: ⁠https://ramp.com/fort⁠ Collateral Partners: ⁠https://collateral.com/fort⁠ Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: ⁠https://x.com/fortworthchris⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/45gIkFd⁠ Watch POWERS on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/3oynxNX⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://www.powerspod.com/⁠ Leave a review on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/45crFD0⁠ Leave a review on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO⁠  POWERS is produced by ⁠https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/⁠
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82 MIN
#396 - Jason Illian - Co-Founder @ Highmount Capital - Eternal Thinking
OCT 21, 2025
#396 - Jason Illian - Co-Founder @ Highmount Capital - Eternal Thinking
Today’s guest is my good friend Jason Illian, Co-Founder @ Highmount Capital.  Jason returns to the show for a meaningful conversation about faith, fatherhood, leadership, and living with eternal purpose.  We explore how Jason integrates ministry into his home and family life, using sports as a vehicle to teach character and faith. He shares how he and his wife intentionally guide their children through social pressures, technology, and success, and how his approach to leadership, both at home and in business, is grounded in biblical truth. Together, we unpack what it means to lead a family, resist cultural distractions, and build a legacy that lasts beyond material success. We discuss: How Jason uses sports and family life as everyday ministry The challenges of parenting in a tech-saturated world Why true leadership requires being both prophet, priest, and king The cultural impact of Dude Perfect and the rise of faith-driven media How to shift from chasing empires to leaving lasting legacies Links: Dude Perfect Highmount Capital Jason on X Support our Sponsors: Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Vesto: https://www.vesto.com/fort Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:07) - Balancing family and ministry (00:04:02) - Raising intentional kids (00:12:10) - The role of fathers in spiritual leadership (00:18:23) - Navigating technology and social media (00:39:38) - Dude Perfect's positive influence (00:43:17) - The revival of good content (00:44:43) - Fear and cultural moments (00:45:50) - The role of Christians in society (00:49:09) - Hope for the future (00:50:29) - Leaving a legacy vs. building an empire (00:51:07) - Making intentional choices (00:54:34) - The importance of accountability (01:02:21) - The eternal perspective (01:12:09) - The impact of truth and integrity (01:19:40) - Final thoughts and encouragement Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowerspodcast/   Watch POWERS on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://www.powerspod.com/ Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0 Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO POWERS is produced by https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/
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81 MIN
Fearless Decision Making - Jamie Winship - Replay
OCT 7, 2025
Fearless Decision Making - Jamie Winship - Replay
Jamie Winship has decades of experience bringing peaceful solutions to some of the world’s highest conflict areas. After a distinguished career in law enforcement in the metro Washington D.C. area, Jamie earned an M.A. in English and developed a unique process of resolving inner conflict that results in the ability to lead and innovate from a position of authenticity and freedom. His unconventional efforts to bring about societal and racial reconciliation led him to Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, and back to the U.S.  We discuss: How to discover your true identity Separation and Connection world views Jamie’s experiences working in the Middle East Bringing terrorists to the US and converting them to Christianity ⁠We'd appreciate you filling out our audience survey, so we can continuously work on providing relevant content to our listeners.⁠  https://www.thefortpod.com/survey Links ⁠Jamie's website⁠ ⁠Living Fearless by Jamie Winship⁠ ⁠Identity Exchange⁠ ⁠Finding Hope in Depression⁠ Topics (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:37) - Jamie’s background and upbringing (00:04:31) - Being recruited into the CIA (00:10:25) - What is identity? (00:14:14) - How can I discover my true identity? (00:26:14) - Separation vs. connection world views (00:34:23) - Jamie’s experiences working in the Middle East (00:51:37) - How to change the mentality of another person (01:05:12) - Bringing Palestinian terrorists to a Christian men’s retreat Chris on Social Media: X: ⁠https://bit.ly/3BYIjcH⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/45gIkFd⁠   Watch The POWERS on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Powerspod Visit our website: ⁠https://bit.ly/43SOvys⁠ Leave a review on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/45crFD0⁠ Leave a review on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO⁠  This episode originally aired on February 20th, 2024 The FORT is produced by ⁠Johnny Podcasts
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77 MIN