Mick Unplugged

Landon McKinnis wanted his mom and his kids to be proud of the man he was becoming. That purpose kept him moving as he built GoNutz through rejection, grief, and the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. In this episode of Mick Unplugged, Landon joins me to talk about the because behind his work. He reflects on growing up in Shawnee, Kansas, facing racial discrimination, and finding his own identity. He also shares how faith helped him learn patience when things weren't happening on his timeline. We get into the business journey, too: the first shipment of inventory, a viral TikTok moment, slowing sales, and the Shark Tank email he initially thought was a joke. Landon explains how being prepared helped him respond to the opportunity, what it felt like to pitch the Sharks, and why listening to customers matters. YOU’LL HEAR - The family relationships behind Landon's purpose - How childhood experiences shaped his work ethic and sense of identity - The challenges that followed going viral - Why business records, numbers, and preparation mattered before Shark Tank - What customer feedback taught him about the product he was building - How he stays focused when competitors have bigger budgets and teams - A friendly Kansas City versus Carolina barbecue debate EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Faith, Patience, and Being Ready 00:16 Welcome to Landon McKinnis 01:12 The Because: Family, Purpose, and Making Them Proud 03:47 The Unplugged Truth: Identity, Setbacks, and Faith 09:18 The Hot Takes: Building GoNutz and the Shark Tank Journey 33:46 The Room: The Opportunity That Changed Everything 38:31 The Unplugged 5: Barbecue, Resourcefulness, and Running Your Own Race 43:14 Friendship, GoNutz, and Your Because Put it into practice: Choose one useful step you can take with the resources you have today. Keep your attention on the work in front of you and the people you're doing it for. Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about purpose, leadership, and the because behind the work. Connect & Discover Landon McKinnis GoNutz / ORBÉ: https://thegonutz.com/ Founder story: https://thegonutz.com/pages/orbe-story This conversation uses the GoNutz name. The company's current website introduces ORBÉ as its new primary brand. 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/ Website: https://mickhuntofficial.com/ Book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One https://howtobeagoodleader.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g Content note: Discussion of grief, racial discrimination, and personal grooming. #mickunplugged #landonmckinnis #gonutz #sharktank #entrepreneurship

This is a previously recorded conversation, returning as a Mick Unplugged re-release. References to upcoming projects reflect the time of recording. Chef André Rush's strength reaches far beyond the kitchen or the gym. In this conversation, the U.S. Army veteran, former White House chef, and mental health advocate shares the mission that keeps him serving others through grief, setbacks, and success. Mick and Chef Rush talk about checking in on the people you love, the stigma around asking for help, and why compassion belongs alongside discipline. Chef Rush reflects on September 11 at the Pentagon, a moment of connection at therapy, and the lessons his parents gave him about hard work and perseverance. The conversation also explores how cooking became his calling, the accountability required inside the White House, and the experiences behind his memoir, Call Me Chef, Dammit! It closes with four rapid-fire questions and an exchange about mentorship, gratitude, and making an impact. You'll Hear - Why a simple conversation can help people feel connected - Chef Rush's answer to “What is your because?” - How personal loss shaped his commitment to children and veterans - His experience of trauma and the difficulty of asking for support - Why encouragement, empathy, and perseverance matter - How military service led him toward a culinary career - Accountability, teamwork, and the White House kitchen - The story behind his memoir and four candid rapid-fire answers CHAPTERS 00:00 Check on each other: the cold open 00:20 Meet Chef André Rush 01:19 Why reaching out matters 03:24 Choosing service and refusing complacency 05:33 His father's lessons on hard work 07:19 The Because: a mission beyond yourself 10:22 Mick on friendship, loss, and connection 13:05 Turning remembrance into a cause 14:13 September 11, the Pentagon, and trauma 17:14 Asking for help and challenging stigma 20:12 A moment of connection at therapy 20:43 Keep going: encouragement and resilience 24:44 How cooking became his calling 32:17 Accountability inside the White House 35:35 The story behind Call Me Chef, Dammit! 40:50 Food, patience, and plans discussed in the recording 42:24 Four rapid-fire questions 44:40 Gratitude, mentorship, and farewell CONNECT & DISCOVER CHEF ANDRÉ RUSH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realchefrush/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChefRush TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefrush Website: https://chefrush.com/ Book discussed: Call Me Chef, Dammit! A Veteran's Journey from the Rural South to the White House 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/ TikTok: @mickunplugged: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged Spotify, Mick Unplugged: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953 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 Content note: Discussion of suicide loss, grief, September 11, trauma, and mental health. Contains occasional strong language.

What happens when business experience becomes the foundation for a more personal mission? Adam Zeitsiff joins Mick Hunt to discuss youth fitness, purpose, and the leadership lessons behind building teams that can carry a mission forward. From technology to Gold's Gym and LA Fitness, Adam reflects on the experiences that led him to his work with the Dominique Dawes Academy. He explains why a child's gold medal moment might be learning a cartwheel, gaining confidence, or discovering the value of practice. The conversation also explores the shop-floor example his grandfather set, the importance of asking for help, and why hiring and listening to capable people can change a business. They close with mentorship, lessons Adam wishes he had learned earlier, and The Unplugged Five. YOU'LL HEAR - Why Adam's because is centered on creating better opportunities for children. - How his technology background shaped his work in the fitness industry. - The mission behind helping kids find their own gold medal moments. - What his grandfather taught him about caring for the people on your team. - Why entrepreneurs need to ask for help, listen, and hire strong specialists. - His perspective on AI, mentorship, and the legacy he wants to leave. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 The mission behind the work 00:33 Meet Adam Zeitsiff 01:34 The Because: a mission centered on children 05:45 Schools, parents, and physical activity 08:55 The Unplugged Truth: technology meets fitness 11:45 Leading at Gold's Gym 14:32 Two different fitness business models 16:05 Hot Takes: the Dominique Dawes Academy vision 20:43 AI and the human side of fitness 23:17 Finding a child's gold medal moments 25:57 The Room: a grandfather's leadership example 27:56 Asking for help and scaling a business 30:01 Hiring and compensating the right people 32:58 Mentorship and growing leaders from within 34:25 Connecting with the academy 35:11 Leadership lessons learned the hard way 36:46 The Unplugged Five 40:12 Legacy and making a difference CONNECT & DISCOVER Adam Zeitsiff: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-zeitsiff/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/zeitscameraaction/ Dominique Dawes Academy: https://www.dominiquedawesgymnasticsacademy.com/ Academy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dominique-dawes-academy/ Academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawesgymnasticsacademy FOLLOW MICK Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ TikTok: @mickunplugged 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: Mick Unplugged 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: Contains occasional strong language. Business plans and expansion discussions reflect the time of recording. #mickunplugged #adamzeitsiff #kidsfitness #gymnastics

What does it take to stand in front of a room and make people laugh—even when the room goes quiet? Comedian Mookie G joins Mick for a candid, funny conversation about the work behind the punchline. He shares how his mother recognized his gift for bringing people joy, encouraged him to take a comedy class, and helped him discover his because. Mookie breaks down the difference between being funny online and performing live, the challenge of developing jokes, and why an audience’s silence does not always mean a set has failed. Mick and Mookie also explore authenticity, self-love, social media, and the patience it takes to keep showing up before the right opportunity arrives. Along the way: Houston sports loyalty, growing up in Beaumont, moving to Atlanta, and a rapid-fire conversation about comedy, food, and the legacy Mookie wants to leave. Listen for the purpose beneath the laughter—and the reminder to be yourself. In this episode: • Finding a because in bringing happiness and joy to others • The mother who saw a comedian before he saw it himself • Stage fright, audience energy, and learning to trust silence • Developing material through recorded conversations and real-life experience • Hosting, featuring, and headlining: different jobs, different rhythms • Using social media to build visibility while staying yourself • Self-love, consistency, and being ready for opportunity • Beaumont roots, Atlanta possibility, and a funny and friendly legacy CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: becoming comfortable with silence 00:27 Welcome and the comedy show where Mick and Mookie met 02:36 The Because: bringing happiness and joy 03:29 How his mother helped him discover comedy 04:10 Being funny online versus performing on stage 05:36 Tough rooms and protecting your own material 07:42 The Unplugged Truth: developing jokes 11:04 Hosting, featuring, and headlining 12:42 Hot Takes: getting attention and staying yourself 14:05 Building visibility through social media 16:40 Be yourself, self-love, and finding joy 18:23 Houston loyalty and Beaumont roots 22:26 Why Atlanta felt full of possibility 23:49 The Room: the comedy class that changed his path 25:45 Trusting silence and finding your pace 28:45 New projects and getting booked 29:59 Performing your best when opportunity is watching 33:15 Where to find Mookie and the story behind the merch 34:47 The Unplugged Five: comedy, football, and food 38:03 The legacy he wants to leave 39:30 Closing: your because is your superpower Subscribe to Mick Unplugged for conversations about the because behind the journey. Connect & Discover Mookie G: Instagram: @mookie_g_comedy Facebook: @mookiegcomedy Website: mookieg.com FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify: MickUnplugged Instagram: @mickunplugged Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube: @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