Episodes

Most teams plan to 100% capacity and call it efficiency. In reality, that’s where things start to break. In this episode, I walk through a better way to think about capacity, not as a percentage on a heatmap, but as a balance between people, workload, and real-world unpredictability. You’ll hear how experienced and developing project managers handle workload differently, why not all work should be treated as a project, and how shifting repeatable work back to operational teams can free up mean...

Many projects struggle not because of poor execution, but because alignment was never built at the start. In this episode, The First 30 Days Will Make or Break Your Project, Kevin Pannell shares practical leadership lessons on why the first 30 days of a project matter most. Drawing from experience in healthcare IT, emergency management, and cross-organizational initiatives, he explains how clear intent, open communication, and shared expectations set the tone for successful work. If you lead pr...

A lot of young people feel like they are already late. Late to choose the right major, late to land the right job, late to make real money, late to figure life out. In this episode, Why Feeling Behind Is Killing Your Progress, I share the long arc of my own path, from joining the Navy at 19 to working IT support at 25, going back to college at 29, graduating at 32 with a newborn at home, serving in public health and emergency management through my late 30s, becoming an EMS Captain at 41, and eve...

In this episode of People, Process, Progress, From the GWOT to Giving Back: How Clay Surratt Builds Others Through Martial Arts, host Kevin Pannell sits down with Clay Surratt, the founder of Guerrilla ATX. Together, they explore the transition from military service to civilian life and how the "mission" doesn't end when the uniform comes off—it just changes shape. Clay opens up about his journey from joining the Army in the wake of 9/11 to finding a new calling in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). He...

This week’s episode, What Grief Teaches You About Strength, is about the weight of losing brothers and sisters in public safety, the responsibility of planning line of duty death services, and how to move through grief in a healthier way. I break it down using a simple framework: Own where you are. Move through the weight together. Anchor what comes next with connection and support. This one is for those who have carried the flag, stood watch, or covered a shift so others could grieve. God...

In this Faith in Action Friday episod, Real Lessons From Building Something That Matters, I follow up on my recent conversation with Jennifer Prevette, founder of The Burg Box, and reflect on what Own. Move. Anchor. really means in everyday life. I share how owning your mind is about learning to handle stress and regulate emotions, how moving your body is simple but powerful medicine for mental and physical health, and how anchoring your spirit helps keep the weight of decisions and expectations...

In this episode of People, Process, Progress of the New River Valley, I sit down with Jennifer Prevette, founder of The Burg Box, a locally rooted gift box company built around community, craftsmanship, and care. Jennifer shares her journey from studying architecture at Virginia Tech to working in marketing, to becoming a full-time mom, and eventually building a business that connects people through thoughtfully curated boxes featuring local makers. We talk about faith, intention, and what it r...

This short bridge episode, Why DRiVE Still Matters in Leadership, revisits key leadership lessons from Drive by Daniel Pink. The focus is on why autonomy, mastery, and purpose continue to shape motivation, engagement, and performance in modern organizations, especially in complex and remote environments. This episode also connects recent reflections with an upcoming conversation with Jennifer Prevette, Founder and Owner of The Burg Box. Episode Highlights: Autonomy without trust leads to isola...

In this episode, I share seven books I read, or returned to, in 2025 that helped me stay disciplined, grounded, and clear-headed heading into 2026. These aren’t trend-driven recommendations. They’re books focused on hardship, meaning, faith, resilience, and personal responsibility. Some pushed me physically, others reshaped how I think about suffering and connection. All of them helped me show up better in my life and leadership. Books Discussed in This Episode The Stability Equation Discipl...

As of the end of 2025, Most People Drift Into the New Year, Don’t, People, Process, Progress has reached listeners and viewers around the world. The audio podcast has generated approximately 78,000 total listens across 324 episodes and has been heard in 138 countries. Across the full catalog, the show maintains an average episode engagement of over 80%, meaning most listeners who start an episode stay with it. That matters because it signals relevance and trust, not just reach. On YouTube, con...

In this Faith in Action Friday episode, Discipline Is What Makes Faith Real, I reflect on my recent conversation with Adam, a police officer, jiu jitsu black belt, and gym owner. His story highlights how faith is often lived out through consistent action, structure, and service, not loud words or perfect belief. Faith doesn’t always show up as certainty or comfort. Sometimes it shows up as discipline, restraint, and choosing to do the right thing when it would be easier to shut down. We explor...

In this episode of People, Process, Progress, I talk with Adam, a police officer, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, gym owner, and MBA graduate, about leadership shaped by real-life experience. Adam shares how growing up with instability and the impact of a compassionate police officer early in life set him on a path into law enforcement. We discuss his journey from the jails to patrol and SWAT, the weight of critical incidents, and responding to the death of a close friend. We also explore how ...

Growth can’t be rushed. In this Faith in Action Friday episode, Why Patience Beats Force Every Time, Kevin reflects on a lesson drawn from farming and from life experience: you can do the right work and still harm the outcome if you try to force progress. Using Psalm 126:5–6, this episode explores the difference between sowing well and harvesting too early, and what patience, consistency, and faith look like in 2025.

Life in the New River Valley has shaped me in ways I never expected. In this Season 9 opener, I share how the move, the mountains, the community, and the challenges along the way changed my approach to family, leadership, health, and resilience. This season, I will be talking with people across the region and sharing my own reflections as we explore the real stories and steady progress happening here.