Mick Unplugged

A growing business does not always mean a better life. Nat Berman joins Mick Hunt to explore meaningful success, relevant audiences, and the daily discipline behind getting better. Nat shares the family and support behind his purpose, the lesson he learned from expanding into too many websites, and why his first five dollars through Google AdSense meant so much. Mick and Nat also discuss choosing advice that fits your responsibilities, treating AI as a tool, and protecting the routines that support your well-being. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR: • The people behind Nat’s purpose • How business success and personal well-being can diverge • Speaking to one person and building the right audience • Why repetition creates room for improvement • Choosing advice and tools that fit your role • Nat’s first five-dollar win and a defining meeting with Gary Vaynerchuk • The Unplugged Five and the idea of being better every day CHAPTERS 00:10 Welcome 01:28 The Because: family and support 04:55 The Unplugged Truth: success and well-being 09:57 Engagement and audience building 15:48 Hot Takes: support, repetition, and focus 28:23 Advice, AI, and knowing your role 34:14 The Room: five dollars and a defining meeting 41:00 The Unplugged Five 44:41 Be Better and closing thoughts CONNECT & DISCOVER NAT BERMAN: Website: https://natberman.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realnatberman/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielberman/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realnatberman2 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NathanielBerman79 FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged Facebook: @mickunplugged YouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn: @mickhunt Website: MickHuntOfficial.com Website: howtobeagoodleader.com Website: Leadloudseries.com Apple: MickUnplugged Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One Follow and Subscribe to Mick Unplugged #MickUnplugged #NatBerman #Entrepreneurship

You can keep showing up, delivering results, and supporting everyone around you while losing touch with yourself. John R. Miles joins Mick to explore the difference between being needed and knowing that your presence matters. John shares the calling behind his work, the experience he calls the slow fade, and the ideas discussed in The Mattering Effect. Together, they unpack how leaders can help people feel seen, known, valued, and able to make a difference, and why that work also has to begin within ourselves. You'll Hear • Why being useful to others can leave your own sense of significance unanswered. • How John describes the slow fade in high performers and caregivers. • Why a culture of mattering requires more than recognizing someone's job title. • The mattering needs pyramid and John's MATTER framework: meaning, autonomy, trust, time, energy, and reciprocity. • The turning points that led John toward a more intentional life. • How small, self-honoring choices can help rebuild belief. • The Unplugged 5: culture, personal growth, podcast conversations, and legacy. Chapters 00:00 Your presence makes a difference 00:12 Welcome to Mick Unplugged 02:04 The Because: a calling to serve 07:24 Recognizing the slow fade 11:18 The Unplugged Truth: seen, known, and valued 15:45 The mattering needs pyramid 21:21 The Hot Takes: The Mattering Effect 26:43 Meaning, autonomy, trust, time, energy, reciprocity 29:52 The Room: the turning points behind the mission 37:53 The mattering loop and self-honoring choices 42:14 The Unplugged 5 50:32 Final reflections and your because Connect & Discover John R. Miles: Website: https://johnrmiles.com/ The Mattering Effect: https://thematteringeffect.com/ Passion Struck: https://passionstruck.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrmiles/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_r_miles/ Follow Mick Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g Buy Mick's book, How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958 Your because is your superpower. Go unleash it. Content note: This conversation includes a home invasion, bereavement, suicide loss, and personal experiences with mental health.

What does it cost to build a life you believe in before other people understand it? Jeff Staple joins Mick Hunt for a candid conversation about creative independence, the business lessons talent cannot replace, and the courage to stop pleasing everybody. Jeff traces the early T-shirt orders that became STAPLE, the decision to leave college, and the strain his choices put on family relationships. He explains why founders need to delegate, how listening to younger perspectives keeps his work relevant, and why a UPS driver's connection to his designs meant more to him than industry recognition. There is warmth and humor, too: five hours with Mike Tyson and his pigeons, a surprising closet answer, and the hidden wing pattern in the Breakneck sneaker. Jeff closes with the lesson he hopes people remember. TAKEAWAYS Give your creative talent the business skills it needs. You cannot grow by trying to do every job yourself. Hear a new idea all the way through before dismissing it. Build a life you believe in without making everybody else's approval the goal. MICK'S BREAKNECK OFFER In the conversation, Mick offers to buy Breakneck shoes for the first ten people who message him “Breakneck.” Mick will confirm whether you are among the first ten and ask your size. Jeff also offers support and discusses signed pairs. Message Mick at https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ and hear the episode for the recorded details. CHAPTERS 00:00 The secret to failure: cold open 00:16 Meet Jeff Staple 02:39 The Because: refusing other people's limits 05:00 T-shirts, necessity, and finding a path 06:22 Talent needs a business: delegation 09:21 Staying relevant by staying curious 13:21 Family expectations and the cost of belief 17:55 Taking care of yourself first 19:00 Simplicity, the UPS driver, and real impact 22:30 Growing beyond T-shirts 24:36 The next chapter: legacy and physical retail 27:55 The Unplugged Five 28:25 Mike Tyson and the pigeons 31:29 Breakneck: city, trail, and hidden pigeon wings 33:36 Mick's Breakneck offer 34:42 Stop trying to please everybody 35:36 Keep the kid in you: the closing CONNECT & DISCOVER JEFF STAPLE: Website: https://www.staplepigeon.com/ Jeff Staple: https://jeffstaple.tv/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffstaple/ FOLLOW MICK Website: https://mickhuntofficial.com/podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunY

What happens when the world talks about you for years before hearing your side? Kordell Stewart joins Mick Hunt for a candid conversation about silence, faith, and reclaiming his own story. The man known as “Slash” reflects on his path from receiver to starting quarterback, the personal cost of rumors, and why telling his story matters to the fans and young people who look up to him. Mick shares what Kordell’s example meant to his family, and Kordell closes with the priorities that have carried him: God, family, and career. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR Why Kordell wanted the opportunity to tell his story in his own words. How he describes the impact of years of rumors and public assumptions. What it took to move between wide receiver and quarterback. Why silence can be misunderstood and how he chooses to respond today. His gratitude toward the fans who stood by him and the young people he coaches. The Unplugged Five: New Orleans food, choosing Colorado, competition, music, and faith. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: the sound of silence 00:17 Welcome to Mick Unplugged 01:06 The Because: telling his own story 04:40 The origin and cost of rumors 14:18 Faith and handling adversity 17:11 Receiver, quarterback, and the work behind Slash 23:44 When silence becomes the story 27:14 Gratitude, grace, and reclaiming his voice 29:49 Giving Kordell his flowers 37:47 The Unplugged Five 42:52 God, family, career Kordell discusses the documentary featured in the interview, his relationship with Pittsburgh, and the responsibility he feels when speaking to the next generation. His recollections and views are presented in his own words. Mick and Kordell also discuss a possible fan gathering. No date, game, or registration details are confirmed in this episode. Connect & Discover Kordell Stewart: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kslash10/ X: https://x.com/KSlash10 KORDELL STEWART / SLASH & BURN is now available on HBO Max. FOLLOW MICK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickunplugged/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953 How to Be a Good Leader: https://howtobeagoodleader.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/ Buy Mick’s book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958 If this conversation speaks to you, subscribe to Mick Unplugged and share it with someone finding the courage to tell their own story. Your BECAUSE is your superpower. Go unleash it. #mickunplugged #kordellstewart #NFL #resilience

What happens when a creative outlet becomes the thing your family needs? Daniel Nicholson joins Mick Hunt for an in-person conversation about building custom bourbon barrels, finding focus through woodworking, and turning an idea into something real. Daniel shares how a first barrel, a small tool investment, and a change in his family's circumstances pushed him to keep creating. He talks about the value of working with his hands, the support of his wife, and the link between intention and action. The conversation goes deeper into his experience growing up biracial, the importance of honest conversations, and the relationships that opened doors in his career. Daniel and Mick close with mentorship, The Unplugged Five, and a spirited comparison of their favorite bourbons. YOU'LL HEAR Daniel's because: bringing an idea out of his head and into the physical world. How music and art helped him recognize his creative spark. Why woodworking became a personal outlet and then a business opportunity. How he and his wife responded when their family needed another source of income. His experience growing up biracial and why connection starts with conversation. How honesty and relationships helped him move beyond restaurant management. The quiet impact of mentorship, plus cooking questions and bourbon favorites. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Idea, intent, action 00:11 Meet Daniel and the bourbon barrel 03:29 The Because: turning ideas into reality 06:54 The Unplugged Truth: woodworking, family, and action 13:09 The Hot Takes: identity and honest conversations 20:42 The Room: honesty opens doors 25:00 The Unplugged 5: cooking, life, and bourbon 35:00 Connect with Daniel and closing CONNECT & DISCOVER DANIEL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbusbarrels/ Daniel recommends finding CBUS Barrels on Facebook for custom builds. FOLLOW MICK Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g Buy Mick's book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958