Mick Unplugged

What happens when a creative outlet becomes the thing your family needs? Daniel Nicholson joins Mick Hunt for an in-person conversation about building custom bourbon barrels, finding focus through woodworking, and turning an idea into something real.

Daniel shares how a first barrel, a small tool investment, and a change in his family's circumstances pushed him to keep creating. He talks about the value of working with his hands, the support of his wife, and the link between intention and action.

The conversation goes deeper into his experience growing up biracial, the importance of honest conversations, and the relationships that opened doors in his career. Daniel and Mick close with mentorship, The Unplugged Five, and a spirited comparison of their favorite bourbons.

YOU'LL HEAR

Daniel's because: bringing an idea out of his head and into the physical world.

How music and art helped him recognize his creative spark.

Why woodworking became a personal outlet and then a business opportunity.

How he and his wife responded when their family needed another source of income.

His experience growing up biracial and why connection starts with conversation.

How honesty and relationships helped him move beyond restaurant management.

The quiet impact of mentorship, plus cooking questions and bourbon favorites.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Idea, intent, action

00:11 Meet Daniel and the bourbon barrel

03:29 The Because: turning ideas into reality

06:54 The Unplugged Truth: woodworking, family, and action

13:09 The Hot Takes: identity and honest conversations

20:42 The Room: honesty opens doors

25:00 The Unplugged 5: cooking, life, and bourbon

35:00 Connect with Daniel and closing

CONNECT & DISCOVER DANIEL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbusbarrels/

Daniel recommends finding CBUS Barrels on Facebook for custom builds.

FOLLOW MICK

Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g

Buy Mick's book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958

Landon McKinnis wanted his mom and his kids to be proud of the man he was becoming. That purpose kept him moving as he built GoNutz through rejection, grief, and the uncertainty of entrepreneurship.

In this episode of Mick Unplugged, Landon joins me to talk about the because behind his work. He reflects on growing up in Shawnee, Kansas, facing racial discrimination, and finding his own identity. He also shares how faith helped him learn patience when things weren't happening on his timeline.

We get into the business journey, too: the first shipment of inventory, a viral TikTok moment, slowing sales, and the Shark Tank email he initially thought was a joke. Landon explains how being prepared helped him respond to the opportunity, what it felt like to pitch the Sharks, and why listening to customers matters.

YOU’LL HEAR

- The family relationships behind Landon's purpose

- How childhood experiences shaped his work ethic and sense of identity

- The challenges that followed going viral

- Why business records, numbers, and preparation mattered before Shark Tank

- What customer feedback taught him about the product he was building

- How he stays focused when competitors have bigger budgets and teams

- A friendly Kansas City versus Carolina barbecue debate

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Faith, Patience, and Being Ready

00:16 Welcome to Landon McKinnis

01:12 The Because: Family, Purpose, and Making Them Proud

03:47 The Unplugged Truth: Identity, Setbacks, and Faith

09:18 The Hot Takes: Building GoNutz and the Shark Tank Journey

33:46 The Room: The Opportunity That Changed Everything

38:31 The Unplugged 5: Barbecue, Resourcefulness, and Running Your Own Race

43:14 Friendship, GoNutz, and Your Because

Put it into practice: Choose one useful step you can take with the resources you have today. Keep your attention on the work in front of you and the people you're doing it for.

Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about purpose, leadership, and the because behind the work.

Connect & Discover Landon McKinnis

GoNutz / ORBÉ: https://thegonutz.com/

Founder story: https://thegonutz.com/pages/orbe-story

This conversation uses the GoNutz name. The company's current website introduces ORBÉ as its new primary brand.

FOLLOW MICK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickunplugged/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/

Website: https://mickhuntofficial.com/

Book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One

https://howtobeagoodleader.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g

Content note: Discussion of grief, racial discrimination, and personal grooming.

#mickunplugged #landonmckinnis #gonutz #sharktank #entrepreneurship

This is a previously recorded conversation, returning as a Mick Unplugged re-release. References to upcoming projects reflect the time of recording.

Chef André Rush's strength reaches far beyond the kitchen or the gym. In this conversation, the U.S. Army veteran, former White House chef, and mental health advocate shares the mission that keeps him serving others through grief, setbacks, and success.

Mick and Chef Rush talk about checking in on the people you love, the stigma around asking for help, and why compassion belongs alongside discipline. Chef Rush reflects on September 11 at the Pentagon, a moment of connection at therapy, and the lessons his parents gave him about hard work and perseverance.

The conversation also explores how cooking became his calling, the accountability required inside the White House, and the experiences behind his memoir, Call Me Chef, Dammit! It closes with four rapid-fire questions and an exchange about mentorship, gratitude, and making an impact.

You'll Hear

- Why a simple conversation can help people feel connected

- Chef Rush's answer to “What is your because?”

- How personal loss shaped his commitment to children and veterans

- His experience of trauma and the difficulty of asking for support

- Why encouragement, empathy, and perseverance matter

- How military service led him toward a culinary career

- Accountability, teamwork, and the White House kitchen

- The story behind his memoir and four candid rapid-fire answers

CHAPTERS

00:00 Check on each other: the cold open

00:20 Meet Chef André Rush

01:19 Why reaching out matters

03:24 Choosing service and refusing complacency

05:33 His father's lessons on hard work

07:19 The Because: a mission beyond yourself

10:22 Mick on friendship, loss, and connection

13:05 Turning remembrance into a cause

14:13 September 11, the Pentagon, and trauma

17:14 Asking for help and challenging stigma

20:12 A moment of connection at therapy

20:43 Keep going: encouragement and resilience

24:44 How cooking became his calling

32:17 Accountability inside the White House

35:35 The story behind Call Me Chef, Dammit!

40:50 Food, patience, and plans discussed in the recording

42:24 Four rapid-fire questions

44:40 Gratitude, mentorship, and farewell

CONNECT & DISCOVER CHEF ANDRÉ RUSH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realchefrush/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChefRush

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefrush

Website: https://chefrush.com/

Book discussed: Call Me Chef, Dammit! A Veteran's Journey from the Rural South to the White House

FOLLOW MICK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickunplugged/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/

TikTok: @mickunplugged: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged

Spotify, Mick Unplugged: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953

Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/

Buy Mick's book, How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One:

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958

Content note: Discussion of suicide loss, grief, September 11, trauma, and mental health. Contains occasional strong language.

What happens when business experience becomes the foundation for a more personal mission? Adam Zeitsiff joins Mick Hunt to discuss youth fitness, purpose, and the leadership lessons behind building teams that can carry a mission forward.

From technology to Gold's Gym and LA Fitness, Adam reflects on the experiences that led him to his work with the Dominique Dawes Academy. He explains why a child's gold medal moment might be learning a cartwheel, gaining confidence, or discovering the value of practice.

The conversation also explores the shop-floor example his grandfather set, the importance of asking for help, and why hiring and listening to capable people can change a business. They close with mentorship, lessons Adam wishes he had learned earlier, and The Unplugged Five.

YOU'LL HEAR

- Why Adam's because is centered on creating better opportunities for children.

- How his technology background shaped his work in the fitness industry.

- The mission behind helping kids find their own gold medal moments.

- What his grandfather taught him about caring for the people on your team.

- Why entrepreneurs need to ask for help, listen, and hire strong specialists.

- His perspective on AI, mentorship, and the legacy he wants to leave.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 The mission behind the work

00:33 Meet Adam Zeitsiff

01:34 The Because: a mission centered on children

05:45 Schools, parents, and physical activity

08:55 The Unplugged Truth: technology meets fitness

11:45 Leading at Gold's Gym

14:32 Two different fitness business models

16:05 Hot Takes: the Dominique Dawes Academy vision

20:43 AI and the human side of fitness

23:17 Finding a child's gold medal moments

25:57 The Room: a grandfather's leadership example

27:56 Asking for help and scaling a business

30:01 Hiring and compensating the right people

32:58 Mentorship and growing leaders from within

34:25 Connecting with the academy

35:11 Leadership lessons learned the hard way

36:46 The Unplugged Five

40:12 Legacy and making a difference

CONNECT & DISCOVER Adam Zeitsiff:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-zeitsiff/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/zeitscameraaction/

Dominique Dawes Academy: https://www.dominiquedawesgymnasticsacademy.com/

Academy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dominique-dawes-academy/

Academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawesgymnasticsacademy

FOLLOW MICK

Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

TikTok: @mickunplugged https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953

Spotify: Mick Unplugged https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g

Buy Mick's book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958

Your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

Content note: Contains occasional strong language. Business plans and expansion discussions reflect the time of recording.

#mickunplugged #adamzeitsiff #kidsfitness #gymnastics