The Level Up Leader with Michael King

Will The Church Arise? - Chris Sonksen and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

37.4 min Sep 5, 2025

According to Gallup, “Americans’ membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.�...

According to Gallup, “Americans’ membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.”

Christianity Today reports that in 2019, approximately 3,000 Protestant churches were started in the US, but 4,500 Protestant churches closed, according to estimates from Nashville-based Lifeway Research.

Welcome to the Level Up Leader Podcast. I am your host, Michael King. I am an executive coach and founder of Teams.Coach, LLC. I work with C-level leaders to clarify and expand the vision, elevate performance, and Level Up their Leadership.

For over two decades of my life, I have served in music and executive roles in one of America’s fastest-growing churches. I have seen firsthand the life-changing experience that can happen in a healthy church when things are going right. I have also helped hundreds of churches over the years when things aren’t.

On today’s podcast, I am joined by Chris Sonksen. Chris is a best-selling author, pastor, sought-after speaker, and the founder of Church Boom. He has spent decades of his life assisting and mentoring pastors and now has a new initiative that seems to be right on time. Please welcome Chris Sonksen to the podcast.

Chris shared a valuable concept that every leader needs to identify the things in our lives and organizations that are “mission critical”. Are you able to identify where your pressure is coming from that is trying to influence you? External Pressures. I know that I feel this every day. Then he described several levels of priority, with the bullseye being noted as MISSION CRITICAL. Mission Critical can be defined in this statement…If YOU don’t do this…we are in trouble. Take the bucket exercise that Chris shared, and feel free to drop your feedback in our group forum on our Level Up Leader Facebook page. Also, drop Chris some questions while you are there!

A special thank you to our featured Artist, Names Without Numbers, for allowing us to use their music. We decided we wanted to feature music that I produced on the podcast..so that’s pretty cool.

To find out more about everything we’re up to, check us out at https://teams.coach, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group at teams.coach/levelupleaders/.

Source:

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/may/lifeway-church-close-open-2019-planting-revitalization.html

Where to find Chris:

https://www.chrissonksen.com/

Unexpected Stories for Unexpected Times - Malorie Maddox and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

37.46 min Sep 5, 2025

Whoever tells the best story wins. There are so many authors and marketers attached to this saying that I wouldn’t dare put a claim of ownership to this for myself or anyone else really. The fact is that this perspective has served me well and has given our clients significant returns.
Why?
Bec...

Whoever tells the best story wins. There are so many authors and marketers attached to this saying that I wouldn’t dare put a claim of ownership to this for myself or anyone else really. The fact is that this perspective has served me well and has given our clients significant returns.

Why?

Because people care more about your motivation and the story behind the product and services you provide than they do about the services themselves.

An article published by the Harvard Business Review (linked below) speaks directly to this, going so far as to lead with the headline, “An Emotional Connection Matters More than Customer Satisfaction.”

This is where the power of the story ends up in a very unlikely place, with a determined leader to take the risks.

Welcome to the Level Up Leader Podcast. I am your host, Michael King. I am an executive coach and founder of Teams.Coach, LLC. I work with C-level leaders to clarify and expand the vision, elevate performance, and elevate their Leadership.

On today’s episode, I am joined by Malorie Maddox. Malorie is the Chief Marketing, Communications, and Strategy Officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. She has an extensive history as a reporter for a regional TV station in Omaha, NE. When the opportunity came knocking for her to make a major career shift, it was a huge decision.

Since taking that leap, she has been able to build a great culture and also shift operational norms to match up with the storytelling convictions that she has honed for decades.

On top of all this, Malorie lost her husband after a long battle with cancer just five weeks before this interview. Thank you, Malorie, for making time to connect with me.

Everyone, please welcome Malorie Maddox to The Level Up Leader podcast.

In our conversation, Malorie shares that one of her best leadership practices is to include her team in an exercise in which they can openly identify the things that are working well, the things that need some adjustment, and the things that they need to stop doing.

One of the exercises we do here with my company is the “stop, start, refine” exercise as part of the Blue Sky Experience. The biggest win in utilizing these types of exercises is that you need to hear from your team about what they love and what they think.

True collaboration exists when you open up feedback for systems and strategies to execute the vision. This is where I see leaders fail. Protect your vision. Refine it. Vision can’t be negotiable. But your systems and strategies can be. Open up the conversation with your team on the process it takes to produce results.

A special thank you to our featured Artist, Names Without Numbers, for allowing us to use their music. We decided we wanted to feature music that I produced as a music producer..so that’s pretty cool.

To find out more about everything we’re up to, check us out at Teams.Coach, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group at Teams.Coach/LevelUpLeaders/

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/08/an-emotional-connection-matters-more-than-customer-satisfaction

Where to find Malorie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malorie-maddox-028418161/

To learn more about the podcast, please visit: Level Up Leader Facebook Group Teams.Coach Facebook Page YouTube

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Episode 10

The Way Back - Miles Welch and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

27.61 min Sep 5, 2025

Steve Jobs was fired from his own company; Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, and Abraham Lincoln failed in business, had a nervous breakdown, and was defeated in eight elections. They all went on to experience tremendous success.
As an Executive Coach, I have a legitimate soft spot for a le...

Steve Jobs was fired from his own company; Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, and Abraham Lincoln failed in business, had a nervous breakdown, and was defeated in eight elections. They all went on to experience tremendous success.

As an Executive Coach, I have a legitimate soft spot for a leader that has experienced rock bottom and has embraced honesty. As a society, we tend to move on too quickly from someone who has experienced failure.

I am a little different.

There is something so powerful about the next chapter of a leader that knows where they went wrong in the first place and does the work to ensure it doesn’t happen again. I want to be a part of that story.

On today’s episode, I am joined by Miles Welch. Miles Welch is a leadership coach with amazing experience in business and church. I have been Miles’ coach for nearly 2 years and have seen him triple the size of his business and income over the time I have worked with him.

More importantly, I have seen Miles’ life transform and witnessed the effect of that transformation on the leaders he serves.

Everyone, please welcome Miles Welch to The Level-Up Leader podcast.

Miles shares a story about waking up and writing on the whiteboard, “DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.”

I like the simplicity of this but also its bold transparency. So often, it’s easy for us to get distracted and only focus on the things that we can’t do.

Miles also stated that if we focus on what we can do, the can-do grows. Take some time and jot down your Can DO list. Let’s allow this to get our focus today. Also, share your thoughts on today’s episode in the Level Up Leader Group on Facebook. Miles would love to see you there.

A special thank you to our featured Artist, Names Without Numbers, for allowing us to use their music. We decided we wanted to feature music that I produced as a music producer..so that’s pretty cool.

To find out more about everything we’re up to, check us out at Teams.Coach, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group at Teams.Coach/LevelUpLeaders/

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/keldjensen/2012/08/08/rock-bottom-how-great-leaders-triumph-over-failure/?sh=33c113c16c38

Where to find Miles: https://www.facebook.com/mileswelchcoaching/

To learn more about the podcast, please visit: Level Up Leader Facebook Group Teams.Coach Facebook Page YouTube

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The “Who” is More Important Than the “What” - Kevin Cassidy and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

23.01 min Sep 5, 2025

According to research from the Harvard Business Review, only 8% of people achieve their dreams and goals & 92% just give up or fail to make it all the way. It’s a considerable percentage. Perseverance is the biggest factor when it comes to success. Benjamin Franklin has been quoted a...

According to research from the Harvard Business Review, only 8% of people achieve their dreams and goals & 92% just give up or fail to make it all the way. It’s a considerable percentage. Perseverance is the biggest factor when it comes to success. Benjamin Franklin has been quoted as saying, “Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

And I love this quote from Steve Jobs: “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” In talking with today’s guest, we hear an inspiring story of a leader who faced adversity early on in life but showed the power of perseverance to make a lasting impact. Today, I am joined by Kevin Cassidy. Kevin has been a Hollywood stuntman for over 17 years, featured in many movies you and I love. Spiderman, Ant-man…the list goes on and on. Now, Kevin is making a big shift to tell his story to the next generation. Everyone, please welcome Kevin to The Level-Up Leader podcast. Kevin shares his big value statement, focused on WHO you are rather than WHAT you are. I can relate to this. In working and coaching leaders, identity is the place where everything starts.

A leader eventually needs to face the first ceiling – removing false narratives about who they are. We cannot compete with horrible ideas of who we believe we are. Changing what we believe about ourselves is paramount to any leader leveling up. A special thank you to our featured Artist, Names Without Numbers, for allowing us to use their music. We decided we wanted to feature music that I produced as a music producer..so that’s pretty cool. To find out more about everything we’re up to, check us out at Teams.Coach, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group at Teams.Coach/LevelUpLeaders/ Source: https://www.inc.com/matt-ehrlichman/11-quotes-that-inspire-startup-perseverance.html

Music by: Names without Numbers www.nameswithoutnumbers.com Where to find Kevin:https://www.kevincass.com To learn more about the podcast, please visit: Level Up Leader Facebook Group Teams.Coach Facebook Page YouTube

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Episode 12

Rock N’ Roll, Social Anxiety, and the Pursuit of Joy - Name Without Numbers and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

26.8 min Sep 5, 2025

In the early 2000s, a music genre called EMO was taking the world by storm. Some of my favorite artists came out of this period – Dashboard Confessional and Panic! At The Disco, to name two.
But there’s one that is especially near and dear to me, a local band from Omaha, Nebraska…...

In the early 2000s, a music genre called EMO was taking the world by storm. Some of my favorite artists came out of this period – Dashboard Confessional and Panic! At The Disco, to name two.

But there’s one that is especially near and dear to me, a local band from Omaha, Nebraska…one that I happen to also produce…called Names Without Numbers. They beautifully blend solid Rock & Roll performance with high levels of intellect and excellent writing. Some 20 years after the band was formed, they have had a resurgence, just in time to catch some much-earned attention. Welcome to The Level Up Leader podcast. I am your host, Michael King. I am an executive coach and founder of Teams.Coach, LLC. I work with C-level leaders to clarify and expand the vision, elevate performance, and elevate their Leadership. On today’s episode, I am joined by Ryan Cruickshank and Dave Owens of Names Without Numbers. One of my favorite parts of this interview is getting to dive into the lyrics of some of their best songs.

Ryan opens up about his struggle with Social Anxiety and why he decided to write a song about it. This hit home with me. Not too many people know that I have struggled with social anxiety most of my life, so knowing we were producing a song directly talking about it was right up my alley. Everyone, please welcome Names Without Numbers to The Level Up Leader podcast. Thank you for joining us today on The Level Up Leader podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a review on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts – it helps to get the word out. And make sure to Like, Subscribe & Follow, so you get all the episodes. I really like the fact that these guys are doing something to bring them joy. That is a measure of success for them. It’s not how much money their music is making. It’s about creating memories and doing something that they love.

One of the key factors that leads people into depression and burnout is the lack of joy in their life. I have a lot of respect for these guys for doing something that not only fills their buckets but also spreads a really intelligent message of hope. Please take a look at the show notes and check out their website for the upcoming release of FLORIDA, and their upcoming tour schedule. And also…an extra special thank you to our featured Artist, Names Without Numbers, for allowing us to use their music. We decided we wanted to feature music that I produced as a music producer..so that’s pretty cool. To find out more about everything we’re up to, check us out at Teams.Coach, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group at Teams.Coach/LevelUpLeaders/ Source: https://www.indievisionmusic.com/news/names-without-numbers-new-song-florida-coming-soon

Music by: Names without Numbers www.nameswithoutnumbers.com Where to find Name Without Numbers:https://www.nameswithoutnumbers.com/ https://www.facebook.com/nameswithoutnumbers/ https://www.instagram.com/nameswithoutnumbers/ To learn more about the podcast, please visit: Level Up Leader Facebook Group Teams.Coach Facebook Page YouTube

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The ROI of People Investment - Melissa Brown and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

26.57 min Sep 5, 2025

According to the Harvard Business Review, job resignations are still up 23% above pre-pandemic levels, and many organizations are short-staffed.
When just a few employees resign, their workloads can usually be redistributed among the remaining employees. In fact, many organizations are jumping on th...

According to the Harvard Business Review, job resignations are still up 23% above pre-pandemic levels, and many organizations are short-staffed.

When just a few employees resign, their workloads can usually be redistributed among the remaining employees. In fact, many organizations are jumping on the #quiethiring bandwagon and unintentionally burning out their teams just to stay afloat. Today’s guest seems to be in the right place at the right time to help a very important niche in the dental industry.

Welcome to The Level Up Leader podcast. I am your host, Michael King. I am an executive coach and founder of Teams.Coach, LLC. I work with C-level leaders to clarify and expand the vision, elevate performance, and elevate their Leadership.

On today’s podcast, I am joined by Melissa Brown, the COO of Concierge Elite. Melissa holds a Master of Arts degree in Business Management specializing in Human Resources and several certifications in remote staffing, adult education, and training development.

Melissa is a veteran already in the entrepreneur space and is now paving the way in the remote team industry. Everyone, please welcome Melissa Brown to The Level Up Leader podcast.

In my conversation with Melissa, she opens up to me about her passion for investing in people. She states that “Great leaders invest in people. Investing in others creates margin and return. No hidden cost. The reason why over 98% population fails to invest is due to one thing and one thing only. Fear.”

This reminds me that Fear is the greatest enemy of progress that exists. More times than not, I am found working with a leader that has backed themselves into a limited mindset or stalled the performance of their team because of fear.

The return on investment when investing with people is significant. This is one investment that will never give us a bad return. Human Capital is our greatest asset.

A special thank you to our featured Artist, Names Without Numbers, for allowing us to use their music. We decided we wanted to feature music that I produced as a music producer…so that’s pretty cool.

To find out more about everything we’re up to, check us out at Teams.Coach, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group at Teams.Coach/LevelUpLeaders/

Source: https://hbr.org/2022/05/3-strategies-for-managing-an-understaffed-team Music by: Names without Numbers www.nameswithoutnumbers.com Where to find Melissa:https://www.conciergeelite.com/ Other links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-brown-462275232/ https://www.pinterest.com/conciergeelite/https://www.facebook.com/ConciergeElite.17 https://www.instagram.com/concierge.elite17/

To learn more about the podcast, please visit: Level Up Leader Facebook Group Teams.Coach Facebook Page YouTube

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Lessons: The Leadership Index | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

7.38 min Sep 5, 2025

Welcome to the Level Up Leader Podcast. I’m your host, Michael King–Executive Coach and Founder of Teams.Coach, LLC!
Join me as we dive deep into today’s leadership lesson about discovering our Leadership Indexes and emphasizing how important it is for leaders to make others feel a...

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Accessible, Accountable, Attentive - Greg Griffith and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

33.5 min Sep 5, 2025

Today on The Level Up Leader Podcast, we’re thrilled to have Greg Griffith from King of Kings Church in Omaha, NE. Join us as Michael King asks him about how his leadership has enabled deep and meaningful change within his organization!
Here’s a little about Greg:
“Having grown up on ...

Today on The Level Up Leader Podcast, we’re thrilled to have Greg Griffith from King of Kings Church in Omaha, NE. Join us as Michael King asks him about how his leadership has enabled deep and meaningful change within his organization!

Here’s a little about Greg:

“Having grown up on the west coast, being raised by a mom who grew up in an orphanage, and a dad who was an ex-police officer, I learned very early on what it means to work hard and live with each day as a gift.

“Life is a series of choices that can change our trajectory. When I consider the choices made about me as an adopted child, my life could be so different…yet God had a greater plan and purpose.

“Learning over the past 45 years, the intentionality of relational building, of making each day count, and savoring the gifts of others and of life, has made me a relational leader, who simply seeks to see in others great potential.

“I wouldn’t say I have conquered all I set out to do, but I have figured out the purpose of life…and the potential of life.

“Together with my wife of 16 years, we have two girls – 15 and 10 – and are striving to make the most out of each day we have together.

“I love sports, reading, relaxing, binge tv watching, and technology. I hate running (jogging), but I do it to strive to reach 85. I’ve been a pastor at large churches for 19 years, and am an avid leadership learner. I love food and sharing my meals on social media.” – GG

Today, Greg challenges us to take our leadership up a notch by embracing three key traits – Accessibility, Accountability, and Attentiveness.

By being accessible and making ourselves available to others, we can build strong relationships.

By accepting accountability for both success and failure in all aspects of life, we are led to personal growth.

By giving attentiveness, we are not only actively listening but also showing genuine care towards those around us.

What an empowering opportunity!

Music by: Names Without Numbers www.nameswithoutnumbers.com Where to find Greg: https://www.kingofkings.org www.instagram.com/greggriffithleads www.facebook.com/greggriffithleads To learn more about the podcast, please visit: Level Up Leader Facebook Group Teams.Coach Facebook Page YouTube

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Lessons: Killing the Good Systems to Discover the Great | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

9.72 min Sep 5, 2025

Welcome to the second episode of “Lessons” on the Level Up Leader Podcast. Today, Michael King talks about Killing the GOOD systems to find the Great Ones. Fostering a culture of continuous improvement is essential for any business’s success. In this episode, we discuss the importance of re...

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Winning Is a Team Experience - Jim Grauel and Michael King | The Level Up Leader | Teams.Coach

28.8 min Sep 5, 2025

You’ve heard it said that the ones that embrace technology are the ones who will win.
In today’s rapidly-evolving world, staying ahead of the curve is more important than ever. And nowhere is that more true than in the world of life insurance.
Gone are the days of traditional policies and pa...

You’ve heard it said that the ones that embrace technology are the ones who will win.

In today’s rapidly-evolving world, staying ahead of the curve is more important than ever. And nowhere is that more true than in the world of life insurance.

Gone are the days of traditional policies and paper-based applications. Today, the most successful life insurance companies are the ones that have embraced technology to streamline their processes, make it easier for customers to apply, and provide faster, more personalized service.

Today I am excited to talk to you about another application in which this company is using technology to change the face of the life insurance industry.

Welcome to The Level Up Leader Podcast. I am your host, Michael King. I am an executive coach and founder of Teams.Coach, LLC. I work with C-level leaders to clarify and expand the vision, elevate performance, and elevate their Leadership.

On today’s episode, I am joined by Jim Grauel, the CDO of FOXO Tech. Jim comes with an impressive tenure in the insurance industry, brandishing nearly 30 years of experience in roles ranging from agent to CDO. With prior experience from Legal & General, Physicians Mutual, and Assurity, he has been instrumental in building agencies, brokerages, and regions, and is now drawing upon this unique skill set to implement FOXO’s innovative “for agents, by agents” model.

Jim shares a story about how he had a boss that was jealous of his success and tried to move him out. I don’t know about you, but I have stories like that from my past…and it’s painful. As leaders, we need to remember that it’s not about who we are in charge of, but rather who’s in our charge. What are we doing daily to set our team members up for growth?

A special thank you to our featured Artist, Names Without Numbers, for allowing us to use their music. We decided we wanted to feature music that I produced as a music producer..so that’s pretty cool. To find out more about everything we’re up to, check us out at https://teams.coach, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group at teams.coach/levelupleaders

Music by: Names Without Numbers www.nameswithoutnumbers.com Where to find Jim: FOXOLIFE.com Other links: Instagram Twitter Linkedin To learn more about the podcast, please visit: Level Up Leader Facebook Group Teams.Coach Facebook Page YouTube

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The Level Up Leader with Michael King