About the Guest:

Wemimo Abbey grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where he witnessed his mother borrow at 400% interest to fund his education. That early experience inspired him to co-found Esusu, helping millions of Americans get credit for paying rent and access fair financial services. Abbey has been recognized on the TIME100 NEXT List and named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023. He serves on the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the University of Minnesota Crookston Board of Trustees, LEDA, and co-chairs the LACMA Director Circle. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota and earned an M.P.A. from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

What You Will Learn:

• How to turn early adversity and rejection into entrepreneurial success
• The power of resilience, faith, and purpose in leadership
• Why failure is a stepping stone and “falling forward” accelerates growth
• Strategies for building mission-driven companies that create tangible impact
• Lessons on teamwork and collaboration: going far together, not just fast alone

Discover how to lead with impact, embrace failure as a tool for growth, and create opportunities for others while building a sustainable business. Join Joe and Wemimo for a conversation full of inspiration, practical wisdom, and the mindset needed to make a difference.

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We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest:

Ivan Tornos grew up in Madrid, Spain, facing profound loss—his father, uncle, and brother all passed at 45 from cancer—which fueled his mission to "alleviate pain and extend life" in healthcare. Now CEO of Zimmer Biomet, a century-old medtech giant, he's expanding from orthopedics into robotics, AI, and infection prevention, aiming to become "the boldest medtech company on Earth."

Early in his career, Ivan struggled with leadership until embracing purpose alongside execution. "Once you get the purpose right and you're authentic about it, that's not enough—you gotta inspire performance and manage performance," he explains, outlining his 4P algorithm honed over 31 years at companies like J&J and Baxter.

Listen to hear how he "fired himself from email," blocks personal KPIs in his calendar (like gym time and calling his 90-year-old mom), and prioritizes patients over short-term shareholders—creating low turnover and high engagement at a $20B+ market cap firm.

What You Will Learn:

• The 4P leadership model (Purpose, Plan, People, Processes) for turning vision into results
• How to define winning holistically across spiritual, personal, physical, mental, and professional dimensions with personal KPIs
• Why saying no and ruthless calendar audits (every Sunday) beat busyness every time
• Balancing hugs and "kicks" as a leader, plus allowing failure for bold innovation

Ivan delivers transformative advice for leaders at any level, rooted in Dale Carnegie authenticity. "Purpose equals a sense of urgency when you're dealing with other people's lives," he says.

Discover how to lead with intention, build unbreakable teams, and live carpe diem when you listen to this inspiring episode of the Take Command Podcast. Join Joe and Ivan for stories, frameworks, and the discipline to win big.

Please rate and review this Episode!

We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest:
Sanjay Gupta comes from a family of trailblazers. His mother, the first woman engineer hired at Ford Motor Company—a refugee who fled India at age 5—took Dale Carnegie courses to conquer public speaking fears, making How to Win Friends and Influence People a family staple. Inspired by her grit, Sanjay pursued neuroscience early, became a White House fellow, and joined CNN just before 9/11, evolving from healthcare wonk to global reporter on wars, disasters, and outbreaks—while still operating in war zones.

That’s why Sanjay is CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, a practicing neurosurgeon at Emory, a bestselling author (Keep Sharp), and a Dale Carnegie graduate. He credits the course (taken at 16–17) for turning speaking terror into TV poise for millions. Hear more about blending medicine, media, and mentorship when you listen to this episode of the Dale Carnegie Taking Commandpodcast.

What You Will Learn:

• Insights into how family resilience shapes bold careers
• Lessons in humility as a leadership superpower ("Say 'I don't know'—it galvanizes teams")
• Stories about Dale Carnegie's hacks like using names and unsolicited praise notes
• The hard truth on brain health: movement grows neurons, but brisk walks beat sprints for optimal results

Join us for this deep dive into balancing dual careers, learning from everyone, and optimizing your mind for peak performance. Sanjay isn’t just a reporter—he’s a perpetual student turning lessons into action. Tune in today to learn from one of the best.

Please rate and review this Episode!

We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.