James Aiken is the Admiral of the 4th Fleet. He’s spent over 3 decades in the Navy keeping the United States safe. He is a leader who studies leadership and shares the leadership principles and lessons that guides him and those he leads.

In this episode, you will:

      •     Learn how to build high-performing teams for outstanding results.

      •     Discover the importance of reading and learning for effective leadership.

      •     Gain insights into the impact of strong military presence on global security.

      •     Uncover leadership lessons from high-ranking military officers for real-world

application.

About the guest,

Admiral James Aiken is currently serving as commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet.

He is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. He was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at Pennsylvania State University with a degree in political science. He also earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Naval War College.

As a surface warfare officer, he commanded USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and Destroyer Squadron 60/Task Force 65.

His assignments at sea include service aboard USS Monongahela (AO(J) 178), USS Virginia (CGN 38), Commander, Carrier Group 2 (John F. Kennedy) battle group, USS Decatur (DDG 73), USS Normandy (CG 60) and USS Hopper (DDG 70).

Ashore, Aiken served as a manpower specialist/detailer at Navy Surface Warfare Manpower Headquarters, Navy Personnel Command; deputy executive assistant/administrative aide to the Secretary of the Navy; liaison to the U.S. Senate for the Secretary of Defense; and naval aide and executive assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management and Comptroller.

Aiken has completed a Legislative Fellowship with Congressman Randy Forbes, Virginia-4/ Chairman, House Armed Services Committee Readiness Sub-Committee.

As a flag officer, he served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 3 and deputy director Resources and Acquisition, Joint Staff, J8, Washington, District of Columbia.

Mastering Authentic Encouragement:

Authentic encouragement involves recognizing and affirming an individual's unique qualities authentically. By focusing on who a person is rather than just their accomplishments, encouragement becomes more impactful and meaningful. Being genuine and specific in our encouragement can build confidence, inspire greatness, and positively impact emotional well-being.

This week on the Jon Gordan Podcast, Jon talks with Jordan Montgomery, an accomplished author and sought-after speaker known for his expertise in personal growth and self-encouragement. His latest publication, "The Art of Encouragement," delves into the profound impact of positive reinforcement on emotional well-being. With a strong dedication to empowering individuals, Montgomery's practical insights and experiences offer valuable guidance for those striving to improve self-confidence and personal development through self-encouragement. As a respected authority in the field, his contributions bring a wealth of knowledge to the discussion of personal growth and the art of self-empowerment.

In this episode you will learn to master the art of giving authentic encouragement and inspire those around you to reach their full potential, discover the importance of encouragement in effective leadership and how it can transform your team dynamics, uncover the strategies for cultivating a culture of appreciation at work, leading to increased motivation and productivity and explore the transformative power of self-encouragement for personal growth and enhanced emotional well-being.

Visit the website theartofencouragementbook.com to learn more about Jordan Montgomery's book, The Art of Encouragement and to pre-order your copy today.

About Jordan,

Jordan Montgomery, owner of Montgomery Companies, is a highly regarded performance coach and keynote speaker whose clients include business executives, sales organizations, and entrepreneurs.

From small town Iowa, to a dominant force in the performance coaching industry, Jordan travels the country speaking and coaching executives at Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, and sales people.

In addition to his work speaking and coaching, Jordan is an accomplished business leader who has managed top-performing sales teams in the financial services industry.

Jordan resides in Tiffin, Iowa with his wife Ashley, his son Mackoy and his three daughters, Audrey, Claire, & Olivia. When he is not writing, coaching, or speaking, Jordan spends time with his family and enjoys the outdoors. He is a lover of sports and all things Iowa Hawkeyes!

If you're feeling the weight of financial struggles and the constant treadmill of earning, spending, and never feeling free, then you are not alone! The cycle of working hard for money without truly experiencing the freedom and abundance you desire can be overwhelming. It's time to break free from this cycle and discover lasting financial independence.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Master the art of building a sustainable money machine.
• Unveil the power of index funds for beginner investors.
• Enhance financial resilience through skill development after setbacks.
• Unveil effective strategies for achieving lasting financial freedom.
• Gain valuable insights from a Ponzi scheme experience.

My special guest is Mel Abraham

Mel is a CPA by education but an entrepreneur by exhilaration, and Author of the #1 Bestseller, The Entrepreneur's Solution: The Modern Millionaire's Path to More Profit, Fans & Freedom. As the founder The Affluence Blueprint TM, The Legacy Factor™ and ThoughtpreneurTM Academy he has been obsessed with helping people and entrepreneurs bring their businesses to life and build the lifestyle that they want.

The power of the principles and frameworks he teaches became immensely clear after finding a cancerous tumor in his bladder larger than a baseball in June 2019. His cancer journey followed by people's financial struggles through the pandemic highlighted the immediate and urgent need for others to get access to these powerful principles. This personal journey, combined with the financial upheavals many faced during the pandemic, became the seeds for his soon to be released book (Hay House Publishing - June 11, 2024), Build Your Money Machine: How to Get Your Money to Work Harder For You Than You Did For it!.

As a frequent guest on some of the top shows and podcasts where he shares his thought leadership around achievement, financial freedom, affluence, and building businesses of impact. He’s been called an Affluence Mentor™ and the “thought leader to thought leaders” and advised some of the top thought leaders of our time in their business, money matters, content creation, positioning and market influence.

Mel has built, bought and sold numerous multimillion-dollar businesses for himself as well as his clients. He’s a globally recognized thought leader, business advisor, CPA and financial expert sharing stages with a long list of Fortune 500 Companies as well as beacons in the business and personal development industry, from Arianna Huffington and Chalene Johnson to Brendon Burchard, Ed Mylett, Amy Porterfield, Ben Newman and Tony Robbins.