Going Big! with Kevin Gentry

What does it take to make a difficult decision when the stakes are high and the opposition is fierce? 

 

Former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker joins host Kevin Gentry on Going Big! to discuss the leadership decisions that defined his career, from confronting Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall to surviving a 2012 recall election after protests involving more than 100,000 people. Walker reflects on the personal cost of leadership, the mentors who shaped him, and the faith that helped him navigate threats and intense public pressure. The conversation also explores Walker’s decision to leave the 2016 presidential race and his current role as president of Young America’s Foundation, where he works to develop the next generation of leaders. 

 

Through stories about mentorship, risk-taking, public service, and a student who found the courage to lead after meeting peers who shared his convictions, Walker offers lessons on recognizing opportunities, knowing when to move on, and using personal gifts to make a lasting contribution.

How does a small Christian university reverse years of enrollment decline and launch a $500 million fundraising campaign? 

 

Dr. Michael Lindsay, president of Taylor University, joins Going Big! host Kevin Gentry to share how a bold vision, a distinctive institutional identity, and a commitment to student development helped transform the university’s trajectory. In five years, Taylor grew campus enrollment by 45%, achieved four consecutive years of record enrollment, and built momentum around one of the largest fundraising campaigns in Christian higher education.

 

In this conversation, Lindsay explains why organizations cannot cut their way to greatness, how to inspire donors through a compelling vision, and what his research on influential leaders taught him about mentorship and leadership development. He also reflects on his own career transitions, the role of faith in major decisions, and the importance of understanding what makes an organization truly distinctive. Nonprofit executives, fundraisers, board members, and leaders looking to scale their impact will find practical lessons in Taylor’s remarkable turnaround.

What does it take to build something everyone else says is impossible?

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with author and journalist Josh Dean to explore the remarkable story of Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the legendary Lockheed engineer who created the Skunk Works and helped produce some of the most consequential aircraft of the 20th century.

Johnson promised to build America’s first jet fighter in 180 days and delivered it in 143. He later led the development of the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird, transforming aviation and providing the United States with critical intelligence capabilities during the Cold War. Dean explains how Johnson combined audacious goals with disciplined execution: exceptional talent, extreme focus, minimal bureaucracy, delegated authority, and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking.

The conversation offers lessons far beyond aerospace. For anyone leading a business, nonprofit, creative organization, or ambitious project, Johnson’s story raises a fundamental question: How do you create a culture capable of doing things others believe cannot be done?

What happens when you have a big idea but no funding, no guaranteed audience, and no finished plan?

Armin Petschner-Multari decided to find out. He committed to building what became the Berlin Campaign Conference, an international gathering where political strategists, communicators, and campaign leaders from democracies around the world exchange ideas, compare campaign practices, and build lasting relationships.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry talks with Armin about taking that initial risk, the power of networks, the differences he sees between Anglo-Saxon and continental European campaigning, and the challenge facing traditional political parties as voters increasingly look for alternatives. The conversation also explores what it takes to build something consequential before you know exactly how it will work.

What does it take to build an exceptional craft from the ground up? 

 

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Josh Grainer, inaugural winemaker at Lost Mountain Vineyards in Delaplane, Virginia, to explore the unlikely journey that led him into winemaking and the vision behind one of Virginia’s most serious wine projects.

 

Josh traces his path from growing up around agriculture and studying ecology to a transformative spring break trip to Tuscany, working in restaurant kitchens, and eventually apprenticing under legendary Virginia winemaker Jim Law. He shares how persistence opened a door that initially seemed closed, and how an unexpected opportunity at a young age led him to Lost Mountain.

 

The conversation goes deeper into the philosophy of craftsmanship, mentorship, risk-taking, and building something exceptional in an unlikely place. At Lost Mountain, a hillside once considered unsuitable for agriculture because of its rocky soil became the foundation for a distinctive approach to Virginia wine. Josh’s story offers lessons for anyone trying to discover their contribution, take a meaningful risk, and spend a lifetime getting better at their craft.