In this episode of Alignment First, Mycal sits down with Corbin Smith, a 30-year coaching veteran, founder of MTTS Sports Group, author of More Than the Scoreboard, and host of the More Than the Scoreboard podcast.

Corbin shares the raw reality of transitioning from athlete to coach, navigating loyalty in the coaching profession, and why self-leadership is the foundation of every great team, family, and organization. From locker-room lessons to parenting adult children, this conversation is a masterclass in integrity, accountability, and alignment.

Key Takeaways

• Why self-leadership is the non-negotiable foundation of all leadership

• The difference between loyalty and alignment in modern coaching and business

• How peer leadership creates more leaders—not followers

• Why honesty without tact fails, and tact without honesty is manipulation

• How great leaders zoom in and out without losing their North Star

Notable Quotes

• “Leadership isn’t a position—it’s a service.” - Corbin

• “If you can’t lead yourself, everything above it collapses.” - Corbin

• “The best leaders don’t create followers; they create leaders.” - Corbin

• “Imposter syndrome usually means you’re standing at the edge of growth.” - Corbin

• “You don’t avoid failure as a leader—you learn how to respond to it.” - Corbin

Connect with Corbin

• Website: https://mttssportsgroup.com/

• Podcast: More Than the Scoreboard (YouTube, Spotify, Apple)

• Book: More Than the Scoreboard (coming soon)

Stay Connected & Take Action
✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → NextLevelHQ.co
✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → CoachDerz.com/blog
✅ Subscribe to the Next Level Substack → https://nextlevelalignment.substack.com/
✅ Subscribe to Progress Always on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5DmNDDIPLiYIfO278S32hM

Partners & Sponsors
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@StrongCoffee → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

@ThorneHealth → thorne.com/u/progressalways

#Leadership #SelfLeadership #Coaching #AthleteToLeader #AlignmentFirst #ProgressAlways

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Joseph Cancilla, founder of Hana Events & Experiences, United States Marine Corps veteran, and experiential architect creating emotionally resonant events at scale. What begins as a shared Marine Corps bond evolves into a deep conversation about grief, empathy, nervous system regulation, and what it actually takes to lead with presence instead of pressure.

Joseph opens up about unlearning Marine Corps conditioning in civilian leadership, avoiding grief through busyness, and how meditation, breathwork, and embodiment reshaped both his leadership style and his business model.

Together, they explore why slowing down is not weakness, how emotional intelligence creates better outcomes, and why aligned leaders create experiences that move people—not just impress them.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership often requires unlearning before growth becomes possible

• Empathy can exist without lowering standards

• Grief avoided becomes friction; grief processed becomes wisdom

• Stillness and embodiment lead to clearer decisions

• Emotional resonance creates lasting leadership impact

Quotes

• “Every decision in the Marine Corps is framed as life or death—and that doesn’t translate cleanly to civilian leadership.” – Mycal Anders

• “Validation doesn’t mean agreement—it means honoring someone’s lived experience.” – Joseph Cancilla

• “Slowing down was the only way I could finally feel again.” – Joseph Cancilla

• “If nobody’s given you permission to be great, this is it.” – Mycal Anders

Connect with Joseph Cancilla

• 🌐 Website: https://www.hana.events

• 📸 Instagram: @hanaaroundtheworld

• 🔗 LinkedIn: Joseph Cancilla

Stay Connected & Take Action
✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → https://nextlevelhq.co
✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → https://go.coachderz.com/blog
✅ Subscribe to the Next Level Substack → https://nextlevelalignment.substack.com/
✅ Subscribe to Progress Always on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5DmNDDIPLiYIfO278S32hM?si=258af1623c974b00

Partners & Sponsors
@ThorneHealth → https://www.thorne.com/u/progressalways
@StrongCoffee → https://strongcoffeecompany.com — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always!

#AlignmentFirst #ProgressAlways #VeteranLeadership #EmbodiedLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #MarineCorpsMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #EventExperience

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Jessica Depatie—producer, podcaster, shadow work educator, and branding consultant—for a deep conversation on identity, harmonics, and why true alignment matters more than marketing tactics. We explore how inner coherence shapes outer expression and what it really means to lead, and brand, from integrity.

Key Takeaways

1. Niching down fails when your work operates at a principled, not professional, level

2. Alignment creates resonance; optimization creates burnout

3. Standing out feels dangerous only when identity lags behind expression

4. The most powerful brands are revealed, not manufactured

5. Leadership becomes art when coherence replaces performance

Quotes

• “The most powerful brand isn’t engineered, it’s revealed.” – Jessica Depatie

• “We’re not optimizing humans; we’re harmonizing them.” – Mycal Anders

• “Fear of being seen is often fear of our own judgment.” – Jessica Depatie

Connect with Jessica Depatie

• Website: https://shadowmedia.group

• Substack & Projects: Available via her website

___________________________________________________________________________________

Stay Connected & Take Action

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → NextLevelHQ.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CoachDerz.com/blog

✅ Subscribe to the Next Level Substack → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nextlevelalignment.substack.com/

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First on Spotify → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5DmNDDIPLiYIfO278S32hM?si=258af1623c974b00

Partners & Sponsors

@ThorneHealth → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@StrongCoffee → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always.

#AlignmentFirst#ProgressAlways#FittestLeader#LeadershipDevelopment#HighPerformanceHabits#ExecutiveAthlete#MindsetMastery#PersonalGrowthJourney#PeakPerformanceCoaching#NextLevelLeadership#Podcast