About the Guest:

Mr. Wai Phyo is a leading entrepreneur and business leader in Myanmar whose companies span food manufacturing, nationwide distribution, and technology. He is Managing Director of Yathar Cho Industry Ltd. and Cho Cho Industry Ltd., among the largest instant noodle manufacturers in the country, and also oversees Myanmar Zarla Distribution, one of the largest B2B distribution platforms. His technology ventures include Parama Technologies, OneLink Technologies, and Cannopy Technologies. He serves as Vice President of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, founding President of the Myanmar Young Entrepreneurs Association, and is a 2017 Eisenhower Fellow.

Wai Phyo is known for his resilience in a volatile environment, his commitment to developing future leaders, and his focus on preparing organizations for an AI-driven future. He believes in reskilling and redeploying people so they can thrive as technology evolves. Hear more about how he turned a family business into a multi-company enterprise in this episode of the Take Command Podcast.

What You Will Learn:

• Why grit is essential to extraordinary leadership and how to build it through failure
• How to move from scattered expansion to focused, synergistic growth
• Why succession is a privilege and how to prepare leaders to step up confidently
• How to create a culture of ownership, trust, and shared responsibility
• How to apply empathy, respect, and genuine interest in a modern organization
• How AI can boost productivity while creating new opportunities through reskilling

Join us for this episode of the Take Command Podcast to explore what it takes to lead through uncertainty and build something lasting. Wai Phyo combines humility, long-term thinking, and a strong belief in people. He doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but his journey offers clear lessons for any leader looking to turn challenges into opportunity.

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We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest:

Wemimo Abbey grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where he witnessed his mother borrow at 400% interest to fund his education. That early experience inspired him to co-found Esusu, helping millions of Americans get credit for paying rent and access fair financial services. Abbey has been recognized on the TIME100 NEXT List and named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023. He serves on the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the University of Minnesota Crookston Board of Trustees, LEDA, and co-chairs the LACMA Director Circle. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota and earned an M.P.A. from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

What You Will Learn:

• How to turn early adversity and rejection into entrepreneurial success
• The power of resilience, faith, and purpose in leadership
• Why failure is a stepping stone and “falling forward” accelerates growth
• Strategies for building mission-driven companies that create tangible impact
• Lessons on teamwork and collaboration: going far together, not just fast alone

Discover how to lead with impact, embrace failure as a tool for growth, and create opportunities for others while building a sustainable business. Join Joe and Wemimo for a conversation full of inspiration, practical wisdom, and the mindset needed to make a difference.

Please rate and review this Episode!

We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest:

Ivan Tornos grew up in Madrid, Spain, facing profound loss—his father, uncle, and brother all passed at 45 from cancer—which fueled his mission to "alleviate pain and extend life" in healthcare. Now CEO of Zimmer Biomet, a century-old medtech giant, he's expanding from orthopedics into robotics, AI, and infection prevention, aiming to become "the boldest medtech company on Earth."

Early in his career, Ivan struggled with leadership until embracing purpose alongside execution. "Once you get the purpose right and you're authentic about it, that's not enough—you gotta inspire performance and manage performance," he explains, outlining his 4P algorithm honed over 31 years at companies like J&J and Baxter.

Listen to hear how he "fired himself from email," blocks personal KPIs in his calendar (like gym time and calling his 90-year-old mom), and prioritizes patients over short-term shareholders—creating low turnover and high engagement at a $20B+ market cap firm.

What You Will Learn:

• The 4P leadership model (Purpose, Plan, People, Processes) for turning vision into results
• How to define winning holistically across spiritual, personal, physical, mental, and professional dimensions with personal KPIs
• Why saying no and ruthless calendar audits (every Sunday) beat busyness every time
• Balancing hugs and "kicks" as a leader, plus allowing failure for bold innovation

Ivan delivers transformative advice for leaders at any level, rooted in Dale Carnegie authenticity. "Purpose equals a sense of urgency when you're dealing with other people's lives," he says.

Discover how to lead with intention, build unbreakable teams, and live carpe diem when you listen to this inspiring episode of the Take Command Podcast. Join Joe and Ivan for stories, frameworks, and the discipline to win big.

Please rate and review this Episode!

We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.