Before we get into today’s conversation…

I want to slow this down for a second.

Because this one’s different.

You know, a lot of times on this show, I bring people on because of what they’ve done…

what they’ve built…

the results they’ve created.

But today…

this isn’t about that.

This is about a person.

This is about someone who has had a real, lasting impact on my life… long before there was ever a podcast, a microphone, or anything called The Leadership Edge.

Marsha Babcock is joining me today…

and the truth is — she’s not just a guest.

She’s family.

She’s been like a second mom to me for years…

and I don’t think I’ve ever fully said out loud how much that’s meant.

Not through big speeches…

not through moments where she needed recognition…

But through consistency.

Through presence.

Through the way she shows up for people — over and over again — without ever making it about herself.

And if I’m being honest…

a lot of what I believe about leadership… didn’t come from a book.

It came from watching her.

Watching how she moved through different seasons of life…

teaching…

law…

executive leadership…

And never losing who she was in the process.

I’ve seen the way she impacts people quietly.

I’ve seen the way women — including my wife, Sara — look at her and see what’s possible.

And I’ve seen how her influence…

it doesn’t just stay in one place.

It ripples.

Into families.

Into careers.

Into the way people carry themselves every day.

And I don’t know if she fully realizes that.

I don’t know if people like her ever really do.

So today… this isn’t just a conversation.

This is a moment of gratitude.

A moment to reflect.

A moment to sit down with someone who helped shape who I am… in ways I’m still discovering.

So wherever you’re at right now — driving, working, just taking a minute…

I want you to lean into this one.

Because this is what Conversations on the Edge is really about.

Real people.

Real impact.

And the kind of leadership that doesn’t need a spotlight to change lives.

Let’s get into it.