Making Elephants Fly | Conversations with High Octane Leaders, Dreamers, & Creatives

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with Leslie Weaver in his office! With more than 25 years of experience in education, non-profits, student development, camps, and organizational leadership, Leslie has dedicated her life to helping people discover the leader within them. She doesn't just teach leadership—she develops it. Her work has helped countless people who never saw themselves as leaders step into influence with confidence and purpose. Currently serving in a senior leadership role in one of the top school systems in the nation, Leslie leads a team of more than 600 people while helping create life-shaping experiences for thousands of students every day. Through her READY framework, she teaches that great leadership starts with leading yourself first through clear goals, simple systems, and consistent action. Known for her practical, engaging, and down-to-earth teaching style, Leslie equips teams and leaders with tools they can immediately apply in real life. She believes the best leaders aren't found—they're developed. As a departmental leader, she has built her work around growing leaders from the ground up, starting with those willing to step up and serve. Her passion is equipping people to lead with confidence, strengthening teams, and creating systems that don't just develop leaders—but retain and multiply their impact. Join Leslie and Terry Weaver as they talk about the ten-year journey of building "the Thing," lessons in community and leadership, and the power of showing up with intention for transformational events. This episode dives deep into how perseverance, curiosity, and authentic connections can turn a vision into a thriving community—and how the mindset you bring shapes the value you receive. Find out more at http://terryweaver.com and join Terry at the Thing at http://thething.live and use the code PODCAST for a discount.

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with Rachel Peterson. Rachel helps entrepreneurs and creators build businesses that grow without burnout. A USA Today bestselling author and founder of multiple companies, her content and systems reach over 100 million people annually, generating eight figures in revenue and earning features in outlets like Forbes, Cosmopolitan, and Today. Through her mentorship programs, Rachel has helped thousands of business owners grow their visibility, scale sustainably, and create content that truly connects. Join Rachel Peterson and Terry Weaver as they talk about public breakdowns and healing, the challenges of being known and staying authentic in business, and the power of loyalty and community through reinvention. Discover the big idea that real purpose and sustainable success come from showing up authentically, supporting others, and putting people first—even in the midst of life's most difficult seasons. Find out more at http://terryweaver.com and join Terry at the Thing at http://thething.live and use the code PODCAST for a discount.

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with Jesse Cole, owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team. Jesse Cole is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and the owner of the Savannah Bananas. With one mission to Make Baseball Fun, the Bananas have quickly become known as the Greatest Show in Sports. The team has sold out every game since their first season and have a waitlist for tickets of over 900,000. The Bananas have more than 5 million social media followers and been featured on Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, HBO Real Sports, Access Hollywood and in Bananaland, a five-part documentary original series on ESPN+ Jesse is the proud inventor of Banana Ball, the fastest and most entertaining game of baseball that features a two-hour time limit, no walks, no bunting, no stepping out of the box, no mound visits, and fans can catch a foul ball for an out. He is the not-so-proud promoter of the Grandma Beauty Pageant, the Human Horse Race, the Living Pinata, and Flatulence Fun Night. A best-selling author of Fans First and Find Your Yellow Tux, international speaker, Jesse continues to create fans all over the world. He's a raving fan of his wife, Emily, his kids, and peerless promoters like Walt Disney and PT Barnum Join Jesse and Terry as they talk about putting fans first, creating exceptional experiences, and going bananas with your business. They dive into the concept of firing bullets and cannonballs, the power of vision, and the importance of having fun in your organization. Discover how the Savannah Bananas have revolutionized the fan experience and why they believe that now is the time to bring hope back into people's lives. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation with Jesse Cole on Making Elephants Fly. Find out more at http://terryweaver.com and join Terry at the Thing at http://thething.live and use the code PODCAST for a discount.

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with Vincent Pugliese, a successful entrepreneur, author, and photographer. Vincent is the founder of the Total Life Freedom Community. Living a life of freedom is of huge importance to Vincent and his wife Elizabeth. They homeschool their three boys, and believe that having control of your time, your money, and the work you do, leads to the ultimate life freedom. While teaching others to do the same, the movement of Total Life Freedom was born. Join Vincent and Terry as they talk about the importance of connection, collaboration, and telling important stories in life and business. They share how forming genuine connections and building trust with others can ultimately lead to success and freedom. Vincent also reveals his strategies for creating multiple income streams from one idea and emphasizes the necessity of having character before creating a product that sells. Don't miss this inspiring conversation full of valuable insights and practical tips. Find out more about Terry at http://terryweaver.com and join him at the Thing live event at http://thething.live, and use the code PODCAST for a discount.

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with Dan Russell. Dan is the award-winning founder of marketing think tank Vivid Labs and is the author of Snake Oil, a modern-day handbook for business leaders trying to navigate the chaos of modern marketing. Over the past nine years, he's unlocked over $50 million in revenue for his clients by leveraging the science of marketing and why we buy. These days, he teaches those principles to entrepreneurs and executives through his private newsletter, the Goldpan Report, and his involvement in tech incubator Project 10K. Join Dan and Terry as they talk about: The importance of developing a solid marketing strategy that is centered around a "big idea" emotional message that resonates with your target audience and can last for decades. Understanding your audience's demographics and psychographics is crucial for successful campaigns as it helps you describe their problems and needs. Focusing on building a minimum viable audience and secondary audiences, rather than trying to capture the attention of everyone, leads to more effective marketing campaigns. Find out more at http://terryweaver.com and join Terry at the Thing at http://thething.live and use the code PODCAST for a discount

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with creative entrepreneur and filmmaker B. Jeffery Madoff. B. Jeffrey Madoff is a New York City-based filmmaker, author, and professor. He is the founder and CEO of Madoff Productions, a film production company that creates award-winning branded content. Madoff began his career as a fashion designer, but switched to film and video production after being named one of the top 10 designers in the U.S. He has edited and directed award-winning commercials, documentaries, and web content for clients such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret, Tiffany, and Harvard University. Madoff is also a faculty member at Parsons School of Design, where he teaches a course on creativity. He is the author of the book "Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas," which was a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Madoff has spoken at numerous conferences and events, and is on the advisory board of Artolution, a global non-profit that uses art to foster understanding and emotional healing. He graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in philosophy and psychology. Join Jeffery and Terry as they talk about the power of creativity, the importance of noticing and paying attention, and the myth of the isolated artist. They also discuss his journey as a creative entrepreneur, from starting a successful clothing company to getting into film production and teaching. Discover the key to harnessing your sense of wonder and doing something meaningful with it. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the creative process. Find out more at http://terryweaver.com and join Terry at the Thing at http://thething.live and use the code PODCAST for a discount.

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with Aurora Gregory. Aurora's career as a communicator started when she was 14. As an 8th grader, she was a finalist in a speech contest. While she didn't win, the experience launched her into the world of communicating stories and ideas. Today, she is a business coach, speaker mentor, and certified master marketer, teaching knowledge experts how to land stages, connect with audiences, and build businesses they love. She is the co-author of the speaker pitch best-seller, "Get Picked: Tips, Tricks and Tools for Creating an Irresistible Speaker Proposal." Called a "secret weapon" by clients, Aurora is also a strategic content creator for global financial companies. When she's not talking, you'll find her serving at her church, hiking the foothills in her hometown, or watching classic movies. Join Aurora and Terry as they talk about why your story belongs on a stage. Together they talk about Aurora's journey from attending the Thing in LA in 2018, to joining one of Terry's Mastermind coaching groups, to now coming to Nashville to speak at The Thing, STAGES, PAGES & WAGES. Find out more at http://terryweaver.com and join Terry and Aurora at the Thing Nashville at http://stagespageswages.com and use the code PODCAST for a discount.

On this episode of Making Elephants Fly, Terry sits down with Olympic Coach Justin Kavanaugh aka Coach Kav. Justin has been involved in almost every aspect of the sports performance and fitness industry, from being an elite athlete himself, to founding his first sports performance company while still in school, to managing gyms, to developing team and personal training programs. When an injury ended his college football career, he turned his passion and talent to helping other athletes reach their full potential in sports and life. After becoming a certified speed coach, he tested, trained and evaluated over 50,000 athletes, including stand-outs such as Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, Kansas City Royals first-round pick Eric Hosmer, and Florida's winningest softball pitcher Stephanie Brombacher. As a five-sport athlete himself, Coach Kavanaugh also knows the impact a coach can have on a player's life, and that a great coach can help an athlete reach their full potential both on and off the field. That's why SSI coaches not only teach the skills that improve athletic performance, but also provide a positive role model which fosters love of the sport and inspires athletes to be their best. Justin is also the author of Man-up. Off the field Justin a mentor to some of the most successful men and women in business. Join Coach Kav and Terry as they talk about what it takes to win a gold medal on and off the field. We talk about his time in Tokyo at both the Olympics and Paralympics and spend a lot of time unpacking what the field teaches about leading, going far, and going fast. Find out more at http://terryweaver.com and join Terry at the Thing at http://thething.live and use the code PODCAST for a discount.