Franklin Planner Podcast

Host John Harding interviews John P. Covey on timeless principles and how aligning with them improves personal and professional effectiveness. Covey explains that values are internal and drive 100% of behavior moment by moment, while principles are external and govern consequences, using gravity as an analogy. He applies principles socially through trust, honesty, and Stephen R. Covey’s “emotional bank account,” emphasizing that a deposit is only a deposit if the recipient sees it that way and that deposits must be consistent and frequent. In leadership, he contrasts fear-based command-and-control with trust-based approaches that create synergy. Covey outlines the seven habits along the maturity continuum from dependence to interdependence and notes principles remain relevant despite technological change. He recommends daily alignment practices (including The Miracle Morning) and rebuilding low-trust relationships by identifying withdrawals and experimenting with deposits.

00:00 John Covey Background
02:23 Uncle Steve Connection
05:12 Why Principles Matter
09:01 Values Drive Behavior
13:56 Principles Are External
16:38 Social Principles and Trust
19:32 Emotional Bank Account
22:59 Deposits That Count
26:15 Leadership Applications
29:34 Fear Versus Trust
31:58 Alignment Drives Results
33:41 Learning Principles Daily
36:34 Benefits And Seven Habits
38:42 Maturity Continuum Explained
42:12 Principles In Modern Change
44:41 Stormproof Core Principles
48:43 Hardest Principles To Live
50:39 Daily Alignment Practices
52:14 Rebuilding Low Trust

Thank you for joining us on this Journey to create your best life and to lead your Life and Teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

Check out the New Membership Program Here: https://store.franklinplanner.com/lps/membership/

The Franklin Planner Team

On The Franklin Planner Podcast, George Wright III interviews Dave Sanderson, the last passenger off US Airways Flight 1549, who recounts the Hudson River landing, the 36-degree water evacuation, and how preparation, mindset, and teamwork mattered as much as landing the plane. Sanderson explains how the experience reshaped his priorities, exposed feeling undervalued at Oracle, and led him to pursue the “four freedoms” (time, money, mission, relationships) and ultimately leave corporate life with Tony Robbins’ coaching and encouragement. He shares key lessons from mentorship and “proximity is power,” the role of meaning and reframing, and frameworks he teaches including VCR (vision, capabilities, reach), focusing on outcomes, and “best next step.” The conversation emphasizes values-based leadership, building trust over competence, developing resilience from past reference points, and fulfilling a promise to pass mentorship forward.

00:00 Hudson Crash Replay
00:27 Podcast Welcome
02:14 Dave's Flight Story
03:48 Aisle Up Out Mindset
06:28 Resilience Built Over Time
08:06 Aftermath And Oracle Wakeup
09:43 Four Freedoms Escape Plan
12:18 Mentorship With Tony
13:26 Proximity And Meaning
17:08 VCR Resilience Framework
20:57 Vision Values Leadership
23:10 Trust Over Competence
25:40 Focus With Next Steps
28:27 Building Team Resilience
32:07 Leading Your Life
34:37 Mentor Promise Story
38:26 Mentorship Call To Action

Thank you for joining us on this Journey to create your best life and to lead your Life and Teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

Check out the New Membership Program Here: https://store.franklinplanner.com/lps/membership/

The Franklin Planner Team

Guest Bio

LInks
Website: https://davesandersonspeaks.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiredavesanderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaveSandersonSpeaks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davesandersonspeaks/

Co-hosts George Wright III and John Harding revisit why goal setting is one of the Franklin Planner podcast’s most popular topics, emphasizing that the greatest power of goals is not what they accomplish but what they awaken and change in the person pursuing them. They discuss why writing goals down and reviewing them matters amid digital overload, citing research on handwriting, sustained attention, interruptions, and the value of uninterrupted “deep work.” Using examples from NASA checklists, the brain’s filtering of attention (including noticing opportunities once a goal is set), Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile, and Churchill’s purpose-driven leadership, they connect goals to belief, executive functions, and self-coaching. They invite listeners to write down what matters most, choose 2–3 goals, and review them for three weeks, and they preview an upcoming member event with Stephen M. R. Covey on building and restoring trust.

00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup
01:41 Why Goals Matter
02:45 Goals Change You
05:22 Why Write It Down
08:30 Reflection vs Technology
11:18 Paper Protects Focus
14:25 Brain Filters Attention
17:37 Belief and Possibility
21:07 Leadership and Purpose
26:07 Daily Review Practice
28:10 Self Coaching Research
30:59 Two Part Goal Exercise
33:20 Events and Closing

Thank you for joining us on this Journey to create your best life and to lead your Life and Teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

Check out the New Membership Program Here: https://store.franklinplanner.com/lps/membership/

The Franklin Planner Team

George Wright III, John Harding, and historian Misty Howard celebrate America's 250th anniversary by exploring four overlooked heroes of the American Revolution whose examples continue to teach timeless leadership principles. Rather than focusing on famous Founding Fathers, they examine the remarkable lives of Henry Knox, Francis Marion, Sybil Ludington, and Benjamin Rush, showing how ordinary individuals changed history through determination, resourcefulness, courage, and service. Along the way, they connect each story to modern leadership, emphasizing that greatness is not determined by status or circumstance, but by the choices we make and the values we live. The conversation concludes with a reminder that history is more than something to study—it is a guide for living a meaningful life today.

00:00 Courage Shows Up In Ordinary People
00:40 Welcome And America's 250th Anniversary
04:22 Henry Knox And Determination
07:18 The Impossible Cannon Mission
09:38 Lessons In Perseverance
12:01 Francis Marion The Swamp Fox
15:16 Guerrilla Warfare And Resourcefulness
17:08 Character Over Circumstance
20:20 Sybil Ludington And Courage
22:10 A Sixteen-Year-Old Answers The Call
23:24 Defining Moments Require Courage
26:00 Benjamin Rush And A Life Of Service
28:47 Medicine As A Calling
29:27 Serving The Poor And Forgotten
30:20 Purpose Beyond Success
31:56 Four Leadership Principles
33:10 Finding Unsung Heroes Around You
34:41 Applying History To Everyday Life
35:19 Choices Define Our Legacy
36:15 Closing Thoughts

Thank you for joining us on this Journey to create your best life and to lead your Life and Teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

Check out the New Membership Program Here: https://store.franklinplanner.com/lps/membership/

The Franklin Planner Team

About Misty Howard
Misty Howard is a historian‐enthusiast and podcast host who brings a fresh, youth-oriented voice to timeless values and historical wisdom. She serves as the creator and host of the podcast Faith Ignited (described as “Immersive, real stories from history, seen through the lens of faith”). Her work focuses on exploring the lives of influential historical figures—especially from the founding era of the United States—and connecting their personal values with modern leadership, mission-driven living, and character development. Misty emphasizes the importance of self-improvement, purpose, and narration of historical truths often overlooked in mainstream narratives. Her style blends historical research, faith-based insight, and practical application for younger audiences.
Her contributions bring depth, perspective, and inspiration to conversations about proactive living and principle-centered leadership.

Guest Resources:
Podcast Link: Faith Ignited — available via Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, etc.

On the Franklin Planner “Lead Your Life” podcast, host John Harding interviews Dr. Matt Townsend, who describes how his parents’ divorce led him to study communications and conflict resolution, work at FranklinCovey for seven years, then leave about 25 years ago to coach couples and mediate divorces. They argue that relationships are central to purpose, roles, and planning, and note a study that about 60% of millennials struggle to deeply connect. Townsend shares practical tools: a “time left” circle exercise (two years to two hours) to clarify who and what matter most; the “four lights” questions—self-awareness, empathy (others’ needs and wants), vision, and conscience; and conflict guidance to move from “smoke” to “fire” by identifying unmet “STARVE” needs (safety, trust, appreciation, respect, validation, encouragement, dedication) and “get real” by recognizing emotion, exploring stories, attending to needs, and lifting the conversation.

00:00 Relationships Matter Most
01:11 Podcast Welcome And Guest Intro
02:59 Matt Townsend Origin Story
06:06 Roles Goals And Connection Crisis
13:48 Two Years To Live Exercise
16:29 Four Lights From 9 11
22:01 Using Four Lights In Teams
25:10 Smoke Versus Fire In Conflict
26:06 Bag Fight Spiral
27:35 Smoke Versus Fire
28:15 Starve Needs Framework
28:42 Safety Trust Appreciation
31:05 Respect Validation Encouragement
32:00 Dedication And Motivation
34:42 Suspend Certainty
37:23 Get Real Method
40:17 Leadership And Influence
46:26 Closing Invitation

Thank you for joining us on this Journey to create your best life and to lead your Life and Teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

Check out the New Membership Program Here: https://store.franklinplanner.com/lps/membership/

The Franklin Planner Team

About Guest
Dr. Matt Townsend has been energizing and involving audiences with his unique approach to building and maintaining successful relationships. Known as one of America’s top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development, Matt blends humor and storytelling with interactive, real-life solutions that inspire motivation and immediate results in his audiences.
Having dedicated his life to the study of communication and interpersonal relationships, Matt has worked extensively in the areas of results-oriented communication, conflict resolution and time management training. As a lead presenter for industry leader, Franklin Covey, Matt worked with the Family & Special Market Division and created the company’s largest train-the-trainer program, certifying more than 900 trainers to teach his customized time management curriculum.

Links
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drmatttownsend
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmatttownsend/