What do you do when the career you dreamed about doesn't turn out the way you expected—and how do you know when to keep going, when to change direction, and when to adapt?

Success rarely follows a straight line. Careers can begin with uncertainty, setbacks can change our direction, and sometimes the opportunities that seem small at the time can eventually lead somewhere much bigger.

In this episode of Reverb Podcast, Gary Barss and Todd Sherman sit down with Ken Knutson, a longtime baseball coach and player development professional whose career spans more than three decades in baseball.

Ken shares the unexpected path that led him into coaching. After not being good enough to sign professionally as a player, he began coaching as a volunteer and eventually made just $1,500 for an entire season. A few years later, despite building a career in baseball, he found himself making only $10,000 a year and decided to leave coaching. His journey would eventually lead him back into the game and to some of the highest levels of baseball.

Over the course of his career, Ken spent 17 years as head coach at the University of Washington, where he became the program's all-time winningest coach with 559 wins, and worked with numerous players, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. His career has also included coaching and player-development roles at Arizona State, with the Cleveland organization, and working with Major League pitchers in rehabilitation.

We talk about:

• Finding a career path when your original dream doesn't work out
• Knowing when to persevere and when to change direction
• What it takes to build a career from the ground up
• The evolution of baseball, pitching, coaching, and player development
• Why throwing 100 miles per hour isn't necessarily the same as being a great pitcher
• How technology, data, and modern training are changing the game
• The importance of preparation, adaptability, and continuous learning
• The lessons that come from setbacks, unexpected opportunities, and years of experience
• What coaches can learn from the people they work with
• Some of the unforgettable and funny stories from Ken's decades in baseball

While Ken's experiences are rooted in baseball, the questions at the heart of this conversation are universal:

What happens when your first plan doesn't work? When should you keep pushing forward—and when should you take a different path? How do you continue learning when the world around you is changing? And what can decades of experience teach us about building a career and a meaningful life?

Whether you're a baseball fan, an aspiring coach or athlete, navigating your own career, building expertise in your field, or simply trying to figure out your next step, this conversation offers lessons that extend far beyond the baseball field.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Reverb Podcast on your favorite podcast platform and leave a rating or review. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue bringing meaningful conversations with people whose experiences can offer a different perspective on our own lives.

#ReverbPodcast #KenKnutson #Baseball #BaseballPodcast #Coaching #PlayerDevelopment #CareerDevelopment #PersonalGrowth

How do you make the choices that shape your career—and know when you're putting your time and energy into the things that truly matter?

Success rarely follows a straight line. Career decisions, family, ambition, setbacks, and unexpected opportunities all force us to decide what deserves our time and attention.

In this episode of Reverb Podcast, we explore those questions with Gregg Bell, Seahawks & NFL Writer for The News Tribune. From growing up in a football-driven community in Ohio and attending West Point, to serving in the military and building a career covering the NFL and Seattle Seahawks, Gregg has experienced a unique path shaped by discipline, perseverance, leadership, and change.

We talk about:

• Making difficult career decisions and knowing when to take a chance
• Perseverance, leadership, and discipline learned through military service and professional life
• Time management, priorities, and balancing career with family
• Defining success and keeping perspective when work doesn't always feel as important as the bigger challenges in life
• The realities of NFL and sports journalism, including what it's like to cover the Seattle Seahawks and experience major events like a Super Bowl

While Gregg's experiences are rooted in the military, professional football, and journalism, the questions at the heart of this conversation are universal:

What does success mean to you? What deserves your time? How do you keep going when the path isn't clear? And how do you build a meaningful career without losing sight of the life you're building around it?

Whether you're an NFL or Seattle Seahawks fan, interested in sports journalism, navigating your own career, developing as a leader, or simply trying to figure out what matters most, this conversation offers lessons that extend far beyond sports.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Reverb Podcast on your favorite podcast platform and leave a rating or review. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue bringing meaningful conversations with people whose experiences can offer a different perspective on our own lives.

#ReverbPodcast #GreggBell #NFL #SeattleSeahawks #Leadership #CareerDevelopment #PersonalGrowth

What does it take to help create some of the most iconic films in cinematic history?

In this episode of Reverb Podcast, we sit down with Dan Goldman, AI/ML Architect and Principal Engineer at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), to explore his remarkable career spanning Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and the future of artificial intelligence.

Dan shares behind-the-scenes stories from working on legendary films like Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest, and 101 Dalmatians. He also reflects on his time at Adobe and Google, discussing how generative AI is transforming visual effects, filmmaking, and the creative process.

Along the way, we explore career growth, problem-solving, innovation, and what it really means to build a career fueled by curiosity, continuous learning, and passion.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Behind-the-scenes stories from Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest, and 101 Dalmatians
• The evolution of CGI and visual effects at ILM
• How generative AI is reshaping filmmaking
• Lessons learned from Adobe, Google, and Lucasfilm
• Career advice for aspiring engineers, technologists, and creators
• Dan's perspective on success, creativity, and lifelong learning

Whether you're passionate about film, technology, artificial intelligence, or building a meaningful career, this conversation offers valuable insights from one of the industry's most experienced innovators.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Reverb Podcast on your favorite podcast platform and leave a rating or review. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue bringing inspiring conversations with leaders, innovators, and creators.

What does it look like to trade the spotlight for a calling?

In Episode 7, Gary Barss and Todd Sherman welcome Doug Early — Presbyterian minister, author, and poet — to the Reverb Podcast. Doug was headed for an acting career before a single audition weekend changed everything. What followed was a year in China, two years in a small California town called Weed, and nearly three decades leading a tight-knit congregation on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle.

In this conversation, Doug opens up about:

• Leaving behind dreams of acting to pursue a life of faith and service
• How loneliness has become a modern epidemic — and what the church is doing about it
• The surprising ways pastors are just as human as everyone else
• What 30 years of walking alongside people through births, deaths, and everything
• in between teaches you about what truly matters
• His definition of success — and why it has nothing to do with money
• Why he'd choose Vincent Van Gogh as his dream dinner companion

This is a conversation about reinvention, resilience, community, and living with intention.

If you've ever wrestled with purpose, belonging, or what it means to lead a life well-lived — this episode is for you.

Reverb Podcast drops new episodes twice a month. Subscribe and leave a review — it helps more people find conversations like this one.

Episode 6: From Howard Stern's Studio to Wall Street — with Mitch Slater

What do you get when you combine a college radio intern, Howard Stern's first morning at DC 101, a stint producing for Larry King, 312 Bruce Springsteen concerts, and a career pivot into wealth management? You get Mitch Slater — and one of the most entertaining conversations we've ever had on Reverb.

In this episode, Gary and Todd sit down with Mitch to trace a journey that defies every conventional career script. Mitch didn't take a business class in college. He had the lowest math SAT scores in New Jersey history (his words). But he had something Larry King told him was worth more than any degree: the ability to communicate, handle rejection, and truly listen.

What we cover:

• The morning Howard Stern walked into DC 101 — and why Mitch was the only one there
• What it was like to produce Larry King's late-night radio show at 21
• The lesson that shaped Mitch's entire career: "You never learn anything with your mouth open"
• 312 Springsteen concerts, and what a true passion looks like
• The unexpected connection between entertainment skills and financial advising
• Advice for college graduates and career changers: don't worry about your 20s

Guest: Mitch Slater

Hosts: Gary Barss & Todd Sherman

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Episode 5: We talk with mental performance coach David Elaimy about what it really takes to perform at a high level in sports, business, and life.

David has worked with elite athletes, surgeons, executives, and entrepreneurs, helping them identify and eliminate the mental “interference” that holds them back.

His approach goes beyond traditional coaching by focusing on awareness, presence, and aligning actions with a clear personal vision.

This conversation explores:

• The mental side of performance and why it matters more than mechanics
• How “interference” impacts results and consistency
• The role of awareness in unlocking peak performance
• Lessons from coaching high-level athletes and professionals
• Why success is more about how you live than what you achieve

Whether you’re an athlete, entrepreneur, or someone looking to improve your mindset, this episode offers practical insights to help you perform better and live more intentionally.

Key Topics Discussed:

Mental performance vs. physical mechanics

Identifying and eliminating “interference”

Building awareness and presence

Consistency and high-level performance

Insights from elite coaching experiences

Redefining success and intentional living

Guest: David Elaimy

Hosts: Gary Barss & Todd Sherman

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Episode 4: Dr. Bill Wagner, a renowned hand surgeon and sports medicine consultant with nearly 30 years of experience, shares his journey from childhood inspiration to becoming a leading expert in hand and upper extremity surgery.

Join hosts Gary Barss and Todd Sherman as they explore the realities of medical training, the challenges and rewards of performing complex surgeries, and the human side of patient care. Dr. Wagner also shares fascinating stories from his career, including trauma cases, microsurgery, and his work with professional athletes.

Whether you’re a medical student, aspiring doctor, or simply curious about life inside the operating room, this episode offers valuable insights into surgery, mentorship, and the discipline required to succeed in medicine.

Key topics discussed: hand surgery, orthopedic surgery, microsurgery, surgical training, medical career path, trauma cases, emergency surgery, sports medicine, professional athletes, mentorship, patient care, life as a surgeon

Guest: Dr. Bill Wagner

Hosts: Gary Barss & Todd Sherman

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Episode 3: Entrepreneur Dan Brettler, founder of Car Toys and co-founder of Wireless Advocates, shares his journey of building a business from scratch into a multi-state retail empire.

Dan talks about starting with just $30,000, the challenges of scaling a company, and the lessons he learned while managing rapid growth, leading teams, and delivering exceptional customer service. He also reveals the story behind his Costco partnership and how he turned opportunities into long-term success.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, startup founder, business leader, or aspiring retail professional, you’ll gain practical insights into leadership, business growth, resilience, and scaling a company.

Key topics discussed: entrepreneurship, startup business, business growth, leadership lessons, building Car Toys, retail strategy, scaling a company, Costco partnership, wireless retail, customer service leadership, resilience, lessons for entrepreneurs

Guest: Dan Brettler

Hosts: Gary Barss & Todd Sherman

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Episode 2: A seasoned submariner shares leadership lessons learned from years beneath the ocean’s surface—where teamwork, discipline, and trust determined survival.

He reflects on months without sunlight, the psychological resilience required in confined environments, and how staying calm under pressure shaped his mindset and career. This conversation explores overcoming challenges, building mental toughness, and developing the kind of leadership that thrives in uncertainty.

His advice for young professionals and aspiring leaders is simple: embrace new experiences, pursue growth, and fall in love with the learning process.

Life, he explains, is much like being under the sea—you don’t succeed by rushing, but by learning to breathe steadily in the unknown.

Topics discussed: leadership development, resilience, teamwork, career growth, overcoming adversity, mindset training.

Guest: Christopher McKey

Hosts: Gary Barss & Todd Sherman

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