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Building Champions for Life

Building Champions for Life

Written by: Kirk Spahn
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Join host Kirk Spahn as he speaks with world champions about ways to elevate and equip tomorrow's champions and leaders. Drawing on his extensive background as a fourth-generation educator, founder of the Institute for Civic Leadership, and former competitive tennis player, Kirk explores the intersection of elite performance, character development, and lifelong success.


In each episode, Kirk sits down with remarkable achievers across sports, business, arts, and education to uncover the hidden foundations of true championship mindsets. Through substantive dialogues, guests share the pivotal moments, mentors, failures, and principles that shaped their journeys—revealing insights that parents, coaches, educators, and aspiring leaders can apply immediately.


Building Champions for Life goes beyond trophies and accolades to examine how exceptional performance in any field connects to deeper purpose and lasting impact. With Kirk's unique perspective spanning both traditional education and innovative learning approaches, listeners gain practical wisdom on nurturing not just skills and talents, but the character traits that create champions who thrive in all aspects of life.


Whether you're a parent supporting a child's dreams, a coach developing the next generation of talent, an educator shaping young minds, or someone striving for personal excellence, this podcast delivers actionable insights from those who've reached the pinnacle of achievement while maintaining their core values and purpose.


Subscribe to join the conversation about what truly makes a champion for life—in the arena and beyond.


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© 2026 Building Champions for Life
Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Craig Kaplan's Vision for Transparent, Safe Superintelligent Systems
    Jan 14 2026

    Craig Kaplan's nearly four-decade career in artificial intelligence culminated in a singular mission: ensuring that superintelligent systems embody human values rather than threatening humanity's future. His core insight—that values trump technology and that reason alone cannot generate moral frameworks—rests on philosophical foundations that superintelligent machines will never independently derive ethics and therefore must receive human values during their design phase.

    Kaplan's mission democratizes responsibility for AI safety by recognizing that every individual shapes superintelligent systems through their digital behavior. In education, he champions critical thinking over AI bans, emphasizing that teachers remain irreplaceable for transmitting values and modeling ethical behavior in ways no algorithm can replicate.

    Kaplan advances his mission through their website, offering the AI Safety Series—twenty-six concise videos and whitepapers making superintelligence and value alignment accessible to educators, policymakers, and citizens beyond technical specialists.


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    51 mins
  • Transforming Others' Lives Through Influence with Angela Lewis
    Jan 7 2026

    Angela Lewis's accidental discovery as a basketball player at age twelve evolved into a deliberate mission to transform young lives globally through sport. Rather than relying on natural talent, she built excellence through relentless work ethic, competitive environments, and a lifelong commitment to helping others. A friend's death while she worked as a college basketball coach became her turning point, redirecting her from recruiting toward broader impact: writing books, speaking, and mentoring young people—particularly young women—to recognize their inherent power to influence others.

    Her philosophy centers on three critical elements: belief systems, intentional community building, and reframing failure as predictable growth rather than aberration. Angela demonstrates that confidence builds incrementally through small wins, that adversity accelerates maturity, and that curating positive input shapes your internal environment. Her international experiences proved sport transcends cultural boundaries, reinforcing that young people's opportunities are genuinely global.

    Angela's core conviction is that young people already possess transformative voice and influence; they simply need permission and models to use it intentionally. Her upcoming children's book, A Ball and a Chance, distills this into one powerful message: It's new, it's hard. It's possible with courage and heart, you'll be unstoppable. To access her mentorship resources and pre-order this transformative book, visit her website and begin claiming the power you already hold.



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    39 mins
  • The Prosperity Revolution: Randy Gage's Vision for Abundance-Based Consciousness
    Dec 31 2025

    Randy Gage's transformation from incarcerated youth to self-made millionaire demonstrates that prosperity is not determined by circumstances but by the beliefs we hold about ourselves. His Prosperity Operating System identifies how cultural programming, media representation, and familial influence create invisible limiting beliefs about money, success, relationships, and health that sabotage achievement. By recognizing these beliefs as learned constructs rather than truths, individuals can dismantle them and replace them with empowering alternatives that align with their true potential.

    Genuine transformation requires identifying limiting beliefs, eviscerating them through honest examination, and continuously counter-programming with positive influences to counteract society's relentless negative messaging. Gage emphasizes that this work is ongoing and essential, particularly for young people and entrepreneurs at risk of investing their worth in hollow external achievements rather than in continuous personal growth and meaningful impact on others. The distinction between success and significance—between winning trophies and becoming the person capable of winning them—fundamentally shifts how individuals approach their goals and their lives.

    To begin this journey of transforming limiting beliefs into empowering ones, visit his website . Get your free copy of the 7 Elements of an Abundant Life PDF. Discover how Randy's holistic framework can guide you through assessing your prosperity across work, relationships, energy, mental harmony, clarity, and purpose, offering the first step toward understanding that genuine abundance is an infinite game of continuous self-improvement and becoming your highest possible self.

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    42 mins
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