Champion Reads

About Champion Reads

The Champion Reads Book Club meets weekly to discuss powerful principles in major books and bestsellers. The hosts Jon Kovach Jr. and Ian Stermer lead professional discussions about and applying the principles we are reading in our current book studies. Champion Circle Networking Association is a coaching and consulting business using business networking events, education, training, workshops, and one-on-one/group coaching. Our organization has in-person and online groups in various parts of the country. Learn more by visiting www.MyChampionCircle.com

Publisher

Champion Reads Book Club: Jon Kovach Jr. | Ian Stermer | Champion Circle

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Jul 2019

Latest episode

7 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

141 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Aug 2026

   Read the Room, Rethink Social Media, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff | Beyond Bestsellers

   Welcome to Beyond Best Sellers, a different kind of Champion Reads episode where Coach Willie Blake, Jon Kovach Jr., and Ian Stermer each bring a book that probably won't get its own full Champion Reads breakdown, but deserves a place in the conversation.This time, the three books couldn't be much more different: Body Language by Dr. Glen Wilson, Twitter Works! by Joe Sorge, and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. One explores what people communicate without saying a word. Another looks at Twitter and challenges how we think about using social media. The third is a reminder that sometimes the things consuming us today aren't going to matter nearly as much as we think.Jon brings Body Language from the perspective of a public speaker and leader. When you're standing in front of a room, leading people, or having an important conversation, the words being spoken only tell you part of the story. Learning to notice posture, expressions, reactions, and other nonverbal cues can help you understand what people may not be saying out loud. The lesson isn't to become a human lie detector. It's to become more aware of the people you're communicating with.Ian brings Twitter Works!, written by his high school friend Joe Sorge. While Twitter itself has changed significantly since the book was written, Ian looks at the ideas behind it and how the book gave him a different way to think about the platform and communication through social media. Sometimes an older book about technology becomes interesting for a completely different reason: you get to see which ideas disappeared with the platform and which principles still hold up.Coach Willie brings Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff, a book built around simple lessons for keeping life's frustrations in perspective. His takeaway is especially important during stressful seasons: sometimes you aren't living a bad life, you're simply going through a hard season. You don't have to solve the entire season today. Keep moving through it one step at a time.💡 Key Ideas Covered:* Read More Than Words - Jon explores why leaders and speakers need to pay attention to what people communicate without saying anything.* Communication Keeps Changing - Ian looks at Twitter Works! and the ideas that challenged how he thought about social media and connection.* Old Books Can Still Hold Relevant Ideas - A platform, strategy, or technology can change while some of the thinking behind it remains useful.* Hard Seasons Are Still Seasons - What feels overwhelming right now doesn't automatically define where your life is headed.* Take the Next Step - When everything feels heavy, stop trying to solve everything at once and focus on moving forward one step at a time.* Every Book Doesn't Need a Full Breakdown - Sometimes one idea, one perspective, or one unexpected lesson is enough to make a book worth reading.Beyond Best Sellers is our chance to give those books their moment. Not every great read needs several episodes of analysis. Some simply deserve to be pulled off the shelf, talked about, challenged, and passed along to the person who might need them.Three hosts. Three completely different books. Three reasons they were worth bringing to the table.🎧 Subscribe to Champion Reads for honest, high-level conversations that turn powerful books into action-ready wisdom.🌐 Learn more and join the Champion Circle at: https://www.mychampioncircle.com#ChampionReads #BeyondBestSellers #BodyLanguage #TwitterWorks #DontSweatTheSmallStuff #BookRecommendations #Leadership #Communication #PersonalGrowth #StressManagement #BookPodcast #Reading

2. 

   5 Aug 2026

   If Only One Person Wins, You Both Lose | How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie

   In this episode of Champion Reads, Coach Willie Blake and Ian Stermer continue their exploration of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, bringing the conversation toward the final ideas of the book and a principle that ties much of Carnegie's philosophy together: creating outcomes where everyone can win.It is easy to think of influence as getting someone to do what you want. You persuade them, make the sale, win the argument, get the agreement, or walk away with the outcome you were after. But if the other person walks away feeling ignored, used, or like they lost, did you actually win?The conversation explores the idea that lasting influence is built differently. A true win-win requires understanding what the other person values while also being clear about what you need. It is not about giving in, avoiding conflict, or making everyone happy. It is about looking beyond "me versus you" and finding an outcome both sides can genuinely stand behind.This connects many of Carnegie's principles throughout the book. Listen to people. Understand their perspective. Make them feel important. Avoid unnecessary arguments. Appeal to what matters to them. When those principles work together, influence becomes less about controlling the outcome and more about creating one together.💡 Key Ideas Covered:* Win-Win Over "I Win" - The strongest outcome is one both sides can walk away feeling good about.* Understand What They Need - You cannot create a mutual win if you only know what you want.* Winning an Argument Can Still Be Losing - Being right does not automatically mean you created the best outcome.* Don't Confuse Win-Win With Compromise - The goal is not always splitting everything down the middle. Sometimes there is a better option neither side initially considered.* Relationships Matter After the Decision - Short-term victories can create long-term problems if people feel taken advantage of.* Influence Should Create Value - The best influence helps people willingly move toward an outcome that benefits everyone involved.The win-win theory changes the question from "How do I get what I want?" to "How do we create something that works for both of us?" That shift matters in business, leadership, negotiation, marriage, friendships, and almost every relationship where two people have different wants or perspectives.As Champion Reads reaches the final ideas of How to Win Friends and Influence People, this principle brings much of the book full circle. Real influence is not measured only by whether someone said yes. It is measured by what happens to the relationship after they do.🎧 Subscribe to Champion Reads for honest, high-level conversations that turn powerful books into action-ready wisdom.🌐 Learn more and join the Champion Circle at: https://www.mychampioncircle.com#ChampionReads #HowToWinFriendsAndInfluencePeople #DaleCarnegie #WinWin #Influence #Leadership #Communication #Negotiation #Relationships #PeopleSkills #PersonalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth

3. 

   3 Aug 2026

   The Secret to Getting People to Work With You | How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie

   In this episode of Champion Reads, Coach Willie Blake and Jon Kovach Jr. continue their exploration of *How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie, digging into one of the most practical parts of influence: creating alignment with another person instead of simply trying to convince them.Most people approach disagreement by explaining their side harder. They give more reasons, defend their position, or try to prove why they are right. Carnegie takes a different approach. If you want someone to move with you, you first have to understand what matters to them.Creating alignment does not mean everyone has to think the same way. It means finding the shared interest underneath two different perspectives. What does the other person want? What do you want? Where do those two things connect? Once you understand that, the conversation stops feeling like one person has to win and the other has to lose.Coach Willie Blake, Jon Kovach Jr., and Ian Stermer explore how this shows up in leadership, business, sales, relationships, and everyday conversations. Sometimes the fastest way to create resistance is to make someone feel like your idea is being forced onto them. People are far more likely to move when they can see themselves in the outcome.That requires listening before persuading. Instead of immediately asking, "How do I get them to see my side?" start asking, "What matters to them, and how can we create an outcome that works for both of us?"💡 **Key Ideas Covered:****Understand Before You Influence** – You cannot create alignment if you do not understand what the other person actually wants.**Find the Shared Win** – Look for the outcome where both sides have something meaningful to gain.**Stop Trying to Prove You’re Right** – Winning the argument can sometimes cost you the relationship or the result.**Speak to Their Interests** – People are more motivated by their own reasons than by yours.**Alignment Reduces Resistance** – People are more willing to move forward when they feel included instead of pushed.**Listen for What Matters** – The best path forward often becomes obvious once you stop talking long enough to hear the other person.Creating alignment is not manipulation. It is not finding the perfect wording to trick someone into saying yes. It is understanding people well enough to find common ground and build from there.Whether you are leading a team, working with a client, talking with your spouse, or trying to resolve a disagreement, the question changes from "How do I get my way?" to "How do we get on the same side?" That shift can completely change the conversation.🎧 Subscribe to Champion Reads for honest, high-level conversations that turn powerful books into action-ready wisdom.🌐 Learn more and join the Champion Circle at: https://www.mychampioncircle.com#ChampionReads #HowToWinFriendsAndInfluencePeople #DaleCarnegie #Alignment #Influence #Leadership #Communication #PeopleSkills #ConflictResolution #Relationships #PersonalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

53,386

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

70

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

68

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