90s Fun Facts, Behind-the-Scenes & Leadership Lessons!

Join Mark, Seth, Todd Roth & Tom DeVeronica as they unmask the magic of Independence Day (1996)! Dive into wild trivia — from Will Smith almost being replaced by Tom Cruise, to real practical effects blowing up models, James Brown’s hidden cameo, and the groundbreaking movie website. They break down the story, military tactics, leadership through crises, and what makes the film a 90s classic.

🎧 Featuring:

• Behind-the-scenes secrets & director insights 🎥

• Analysis of President Whitmore’s leadership and decision-making

• Alien warfare strategy ✅ vs. human adaptability

• Hilarious host banter, drinking game rules, personal military stories

• And a look at the iconic “Welcome to Earth” punch 🎉

Sponsored by: SMG Academy – Enter HKU2025 at checkout for 15% off at smgacademy.online

👉 Subscribe and ring the bell 🔔 for more movie breakdowns & real-world leadership lessons: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadershipKnocks

Welcome to a special Father's Day edition of the Hard Knock University Podcast! In this heartfelt episode, Mark Caples teams up with Jayvon Burke, host of the Fatherhood Exclusive Podcast, for a deep dive into fatherhood, mentorship, and powerful life lessons from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

From exploring the flawed fatherhood of Ego and the tough-love mentorship of Yondu, to Jayvon’s transformative new book "Lead the Way," this episode covers the complexities and triumphs of fatherhood leadership. Mark opens up about his personal journey with challenging father figures and shares profound insights on breaking generational cycles.

📚 Book of the Week: "Lead the Way: 20 Principles Fathers Must Adopt to Effectively Lead the Family" by Jayvon Burke.

Ready to turn your hard knocks into breakthroughs? Don't miss out on real-world advice, emotional stories, and valuable leadership insights. Subscribe, like, comment, and hit the bell to never miss an episode!

🔗 Check out SMG Academy for music industry mentorship: https://smgacademy.online Use code HKU2025 for 15% off your enrollment!

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever podcasts are streamed!

Tags: Hard Knock University Podcast, Fatherhood Exclusive Podcast, Jayvon Burke, Lead the Way book, Father's Day special, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, leadership lessons, fatherhood mentorship, Yondu father figure, Ego villain analysis, Peter Quill leadership, SMG Academy, music industry mentorship, breaking generational cycles, emotional intelligence, fatherhood advice, parenting podcast, fatherhood stories, fatherhood and mental health, father-son relationships, personal growth podcast, Marvel movie analysis, podcast for dads, leadership podcast.

In this episode of the Hard Knock University Podcast, Mark Caples is joined by Chris Day and Seth Caples to break down the leadership lessons hidden inside Avengers: Infinity War. What can project managers and leaders learn from the Mad Titan himself, Thanos? Surprisingly—a lot.

✅ Ruthless decision making ✅ Visionary leadership vs. autocratic control ✅ Delegation, resource management, and sacrifice ✅ The costs of executing big visions without feedback ✅ Comparing Thanos' leadership with Tony Stark, Captain America & Thor ✅ What Infinity War teaches us about team cohesion and crisis management

As always, we mix leadership lessons with real-world #HardKnockLessons, project management insights, and a few laughs along the way. Plus, we touch on everything from robot dogs to bad Netflix writing to running projects when everything seems to fall apart.

🎯 Whether you're a Marvel fan, a project manager, or just trying to lead through the chaos — this episode delivers.

💥 Pick up the book: https://leadershipknocks.com/book 🎙 Listen to more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadershipKnocks 📰 Subscribe to the newsletter: www.LeadershipKnocks.com 📣 #HardKnockLessons #LeadershipKnocks #ProjectManagement #Thanos #InfinityWar #LeadershipPodcast #MarvelLeadership #PodcastClip

Was the Joker a criminal mastermind… or just a chaotic project manager with killer stakeholder control?

In Season 2, Episode 3 of the Hard Knock University Podcast, Mark Caples and guests dive deep into the organized chaos of Gotham and unpack real-world #HardKnockLessons from one of pop culture's most iconic villains. We analyze Joker’s game theory tactics, Batman’s reactive leadership, and Harvey Dent’s bureaucratic burnout — all through the lens of real project management and leadership struggles.

🎯 Learn how to lead (or survive) when everything goes off the rails. 🛠️ Discuss Sun Tzu's Art of War and what it teaches about villains and vision. 😂 Laugh along with our commentary, breakdowns, and dad jokes.

👊 Hard Knocks. Big Laughs. Epic Wins.

📚 Book of the Week: The Art of War 🎧 Sponsored by: SMG Academy (use code HKU2025 at smgacademy.online)

🔗 Subscribe for more chaos-driven leadership lessons.

👑 Was Maleficent really the villain… or just a boundary-setting project lead with a broken heart and a green flame budget?

This week on the Hard Knock University Podcast, we rewrite the fairy tale and put Disney’s Maleficent under the leadership lens — just in time for Mother’s Day.

Host Mark Caples is joined by Caroline Moncion Trinidad and Seth Caples as they unpack:

Maleficent’s misunderstood leadership style

King Stefan’s toxic ambition and failure to manage stakeholders

Project management lessons from betrayal, burnout, and boundaries

Tiffany Dufu’s Drop the Ball, our Book of the Week, and why it’s a must-read for leaders AND life partners

What happens when motherhood and management collide — and why letting go might be the smartest move a leader can make

🔥 Plus: A very personal story about Mark’s wife, Jen, and her inspiring journey from night school to her own classroom.

🎧 Next week: We go full chaos with Heath Ledger’s Joker and the project management genius hidden in The Dark Knight, with guests Todd Roth and Tom DeVeronica.

👉 Subscribe, like, and share — and don’t forget to visit https://leadershipknocks.com/book to grab The Hard Knock School of Project Management and book Mark to speak.

📚 Book of the Week: Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu

🎉 Special shoutout to SMG Academy — where hustle meets harmony. Use code HKU2025 at https://smgacademy.online for 15% off.

🧠 #HardKnockLesson: You don’t build greatness by gripping everything tight. You build it by trusting others to carry it forward.

Welcome back, Hard Knockers! Season 2 of Hard Knock University kicks off with chaos, comedy, and real-world leadership lessons. 🎙️

In this episode, Mark Caples and Seth Caples dive deep into the wild world of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery — breaking down project management fails, leadership disasters, and hard knock lessons from the one and only Dr. Evil.

👉 What can villains teach us about real leadership? 👉 Why Dr. Evil’s “grand master plans” keep falling apart? 👉 How emotional intelligence (or lack thereof) can make or break your team?

We also tackle the Book of the Week (Fair Play by Eve Rodsky), celebrate 20K YouTube views, discuss smarter water conservation, and share battle-tested ways to lead through chaos without losing your cool.

This is not your average leadership podcast. It’s Hard Knocks, Big Laughs, and Epic Wins. 💥

🎧 LISTEN to the full podcast now! 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more #HardKnockLessons and real talk about leadership, project management, and life.

📚 BOOKS: https://leadershipknocks.com/book 🎥 YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@HardKnockUniversityPodcast 🌐 WEBSITE: www.LeadershipKnocks.com

#StayScrappy #StayDangerous

Ever feel like you’re expected to be Google with a hard hat? 😅 In this remixed episode of the Hard Knock University Podcast, we smash the myth that project managers must know EVERYTHING. Newsflash: They don’t. And trying to? That’ll get you smoked.

Join host Mark Caples as he remixes Episode 4 with new chaos, more humor, and the spicy truth about leading when you don’t have all the answers. We break down Chapter 3 of The Hard Knock School of Project Management and explore real-world leadership lessons from Bruce Graham, a no-BS business coach turned contractor.

📚 Book of the Week: Verbal Judo by George J. Thompson – master the art of influence, de-escalation, and leading under pressure.

👊 Knockback Segment: Get answers to your burning PM questions like:

• “Do I have to know it all?”

• “How do I lead a team of experts?”

• “Why do I feel like a fraud?”

🔥 Also featuring: IRS rants, blues music partnerships, Snoop Dogg narration (via Speechify), and a whole lotta hard knock laughs.

🎓 Welcome to leadership school the way it should be—unfiltered, unhinged, and undeniably real.

🛠️ Grab the book: https://leadershipknocks.com/book 🎧 Catch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@HardKnockUniversityPodcast 🌐 Learn more: www.LeadershipKnocks.com 📣 Drop your own #HardKnockLessons in the comments!

Remix Alert! 🔥

This ain’t your typical project management podcast — we’re throwing down hard truths, blues riffs, and uncomfortable truths with a heavy dose of grit and humor.

In this remixed edition of Episode 3: Embracing Discomfort, host Mark Caples and guest Todd Roth (blues musician, luthier, and certified vibe curator) dive into why growth lives in the discomfort zone — in projects, in music, in life.

This upgraded version fuses the original content with that signature HKU seasoning: fresh edits, sharper laughs, and an exclusive live music performance from Todd Roth to close it out 🎶🔥

💡 What You'll Learn: Why project managers need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable How to manage a real-life nightmare client (aka “Hurricane Mike”) without losing your damn mind What musicians and PMs have in common (hint: it’s chaos) Lessons from Ben Horowitz's What You Do Is Who You Are Why cultural leadership thrives when sh*t hits the fan

🔥 BONUS: Live blues jam at the end of the episode. Because growth should come with a groove. 🎸

📘 Grab the book: https://leadershipknocks.com/book

🎙️ Listen to more: https://www.youtube.com/@HardKnockUniversityPodcast

👊 Join the movement: www.LeadershipKnocks.com #HardKnockLessons #ProjectManagement #LeadershipWithGrit #PodcastRemix