The Extraordinary Us Podcast is taking a summer break 😎 Jeff closes season 2 with a special recap highlighting the great guests we’ve been able to hear from this past season and the lessons learned along the way. We’d love to hear from you over the summer about your ideas, what you’re interested in hearing from the Us podcast, different topics, and guests you’d like to hear from in season 3. Stay tuned for what’s coming next!

I first met John Curtis as the Mayor of Provo over a decade ago. It was fun to sit down and share memories, talk politics and about his hope for the future. John currently represents Utah’s 3rd Congressional District in the United States congress. Prior to being elected, John was the 45th mayor of Provo City. Congressman Curtis works hard and strives to do his best as a representative of our state. In this insightful episode, we discuss running for office, the opioid epidemic, growth of blockchain, inflation, climate change, and much more.

I had a friend contact me months ago with a story to tell. My guy, Sean Cortese, wanted to talk about something hard: drug addiction. Sean is a good person with a great heart who felt inspired to share his story in hopes of helping others who may be struggling with something challenging. In this very intimate conversation, Sean shares his personal story of addiction to drugs, how he found a way to forgive himself and overcome this hardship in his life.

Brad Bonham is a great entrepreneur and an even better person who is constantly striving to serve others and make a difference in the world. Brad is the CEO of Walker Edison and an EY Entrepreneur of the year winner. In this episode we talk about success but also heartache and disappointment. Brad shares the heartbreaking story of losing his son Grant, how he turned his loss into something amazing, never giving up, pushing through the hard things in life, and turning challenges into something meaningful.

As March Madness begins we re-release Coach Mark Pope's episode to remind us all that “failure is fuel that leads to greater opportunities in life!” Coach Pope is the current BYU men’s head basketball coach, a former NCAA champion and NBA player. Coach Pope is a great example of being relentless, having a positive perspective on life, and encouraging others to use failures to find success.

Today I had the opportunity to sit down and have an uplifting conversation with Jason Clawson. Jason brings something special and unique to the podcast as we talk about death and grief and how to best overcome the hardships we face in life. In this episode, Jason shares the saddening loss of his wife, Valerie, to cancer, how his family overcame this tragedy and found happiness, and how he used his profession as a therapist to create a charity. Giving Sunshine is focused on those who are struggling by giving sunshine baskets full of tools to help others get through their hardest moments.

Today I was blessed to sit down and have a heartfelt conversation with my dear friend and long-time mentor Fraser Bullock. Fraser was an original partner at Bain Capital for many years, and then later founded Sorenson Capital. He is also the former COO of the 2002 Winter Olympics and currently serves as the CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games. In this profound episode, we discuss his brush with death that changed his perspective and caused him to realize that every day is a gift. We also discuss the magic and future of the Olympics games in Salt Lake City.

Fun to reconnect with my good friend and former running mate Senator Dan McCay. Before serving in his current position as a State Senator of Utah, Dan served in the House of Representatives for seven years. In this somewhat insightful episode 😉 we discuss how technology is rapidly decentralizing decisions, what specific issues we’ll see in the upcoming legislative session, and how Dan's life has changed as he’s unplugged from digital connections and focuses instead on real relationships.

It was exciting to sit down & talk about the future, what’s happening & what is coming w/Kirk Ouimet the co-founder of Scan & our always entertaining & insightful friend Scott Paul. This is the 2nd episode we have done about potentially scary but also world changing technology & trends. Listen in to become more educated about the future and learn how we can have optimism instead of fear for what lies ahead.

Today is the first of a series of episodes that I am starting off with in 2022 - all about The Future! Paul Weimer is an economist who studied at the London school of economics and now runs a Crypto hedge fund. We had fun discussing the future of cryptocurrency, decentralized finance, NFTs, and how we all can learn and participate in shaping the best future for the most people possible.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! We end 2021 of the Extraordinary Us podcast recapping some of the highlights from amazing guests this year. Jeff also teases what the future holds in 2022 for the podcast, and reminds us all not to look back in fear but to take steps forward in faith, molding the future to be the best it possibly can be for all of us. 🙌🏻

It was my pleasure to sit down with my tennis partner Jeff Flake, the former Senator from Arizona and newly confirmed Ambassador of Turkey, and his lovely wife Cheryl to learn about living in the public eye and representing the United States throughout the world. In this singular episode, Jeff and Cheryl share personal stories of strength and triumph while living through the storms of life. Including the harrowing first-hand story of surviving a shooter at a  congressional baseball practice.

It was fun to sit down, catch up and have a compelling conversation with my former competitor and current Governor of Utah, Spencer J. Cox. In this eye-opening episode, Governor Cox shares personal struggles that he has experienced in life and opens up about how they have informed his leadership style. We discuss everything from growing up in Fairview, Utah to now leading one of the fastest-growing states in the country. If you are curious about who Spencer really is this episode is for you!

Today I got to sit down and have a fun and interesting conversation with Jess Toolson. She is the founder of Mixhers and they are everywhere! After living internationally with her young family for 12 years, Jess followed her dreams of creating a brand to help women feel more healthy and like themselves. She shares insights about being proactive, her passion for connection and community, and growing a company in the health space for women.

It was a joy for me to sit down today with my friend Tom Holmoe, director of BYU athletics and 4x super bowl champion. Tom shared the inside story on BYU getting into The Big 12, how he led through COVID, and insights on winning and losing. Tom is a master at learning and growing and a great example of getting out of your comfort zone to get and be better.

Natalie Gochnour is everywhere and that’s almost always a good thing! She serves as an associate dean and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. In this engaging episode, Natalie shares why she seeks simplicity in life and the importance of cutting through clutter and chaos in our modern world to get to the heart of important community issues.

Today I got to sit down with a fellow venture capitalist Blake Modersitzki. Blake came from a small-town farm in Idaho and is now one of the big names in investing in Silicon Slopes and beyond. In this insightful episode he shares lessons he's learned throughout the years and the future he sees for entrepreneurs. We discuss everything from cryptocurrency to life on the farm. This is a fun episode you don't want to miss.

Today I got to sit down and have an intimate conversation with my favorite person. My wife, Sally Burningham. Sally grew up knowing that there were two passions she had in life. Being a mother, and being a teacher. She has been able to live both of those passions and approaches each new opportunity with boundless positivity and simplicity. She’s always teaching me something new and I learn from her every day. I hope you enjoy getting to know her a little bit more and will mourn with us at the recent passing of Sal’s dad.

Today I had the good fortune of sitting down with a wonderful person and friend battling a terminal illness, ALS. Warren grew up on a farm in Perry Utah and has now become a prolific entrepreneur and investor. Over 3 years ago he and his family learned that he had ALS. Today he shares lessons learned in life, love and entrepreneurship. He is battling a terminal illness with tenacity, a sense of humor and a smile on his face. There is a lot for all of us to learn here.

Today I give you an inside glimpse into one of America’s most well known families; the Huntsman’s. Here are a couple of questions I ask Jon and Mary Kaye: 1. What’s it really like to be a Huntsman? 2. The role that faith has played in their lives? 3. How they decided not to run a write in campaign for Utah Governor 2020? Hope you enjoy this inside look!

Jeff switches seats for this episode and is interviewed by Michael Jolley. Jeff shares what he learned from running for governor, his big takeaways from his life experience thus far, and why he started the Us podcast.

Joseph Woodbury is an up and coming entrepreneur, the co-founder and CEO of Neighbor.com, a company that provides a better solution for customers in the $400+ billion self-storage industry. Joseph has been featured on Forbes 30 under 30, The Wall Street Journal and more. His story illustrates the power of the entrepreneurial journey to create positive change in communities around the entire country.