The Backstory, formerly the High Stakes Podcast, is a new, limited series from Jarrard Inc. President and Co-Founder Anne Hancock Toomey. For nearly two decades, Jarrard – one of the nation’s top communications consulting firms for healthcare – has partnered with thousands of leaders across the country who are striving to make healthcare better every day. But this isn’t a podcast about healthcare, or politics or even communications. It’s about authentic leadership. The Backstory is about demystifying respected leaders who’ve had a lot of success along the way because of the kind of leaders they’ve chosen to be. Each person Anne interviews is visionary, of course. They’re smart as hell, and they’re fierce about their business and their mission. They’re also humble, kind and create the kind of environments in which people can thrive. They’re not perfect. But they are real. And it’s the combination of those two things that makes each one of them great. In every episode, Anne’s guest digs into who they are, where they come from and what’s influenced them to be the person and the leader that they are today.
High Stakes
Claim This Podcastby Jarrard Inc.
Podcast Authority
Beta
Podcast Overview
The Backstory, formerly the High Stakes Podcast, is a new, limited series from Jarrard Inc. President and Co-Founder Anne Hancock Toomey. For nearly two decades, Jarrard – one of the nation’s top communications consulting firms for healthcare – has partnered with thousands of leaders across the country who are striving to make healthcare better every day. But this isn’t a podcast about healthcare, or politics or even communications. It’s about authentic leadership. The Backstory is about demystifying respected leaders who’ve had a lot of success along the way because of the kind of leaders they’ve chosen to be. Each person Anne interviews is visionary, of course. They’re smart as hell, and they’re fierce about their business and their mission. They’re also humble, kind and create the kind of environments in which people can thrive. They’re not perfect. But they are real. And it’s the combination of those two things that makes each one of them great. In every episode, Anne’s guest digs into who they are, where they come from and what’s influenced them to be the person and the leader that they are today.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/24/2019
Unlock The Full Podcast Authority Score Report
See how your podcast performs across key metrics
Podcast Authority
BetaRecommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
Recommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
Unlock comprehensive insights including:
- • YouTube presence analysis
- • Social media reach metrics
- • RSS compliance scoring
- • Podcast 2.0 features
- • Technical standards
Detailed Analytics
- Complete breakdown of all 19 authority metrics
- Personalized recommendations for each metric
- Industry benchmarks and comparisons
- Technical RSS feed analysis and compliance scoring
Growth Strategies
- Step-by-step action plans for improvement
- Quick wins to boost your score immediately
- Pro tips from successful podcasters
See how your show performs across every key metric
High authority scores make your podcast more attractive to industry leaders and influencers who want to appear on credible shows.
Sponsors look for podcasts with proven authority and engagement. Your score demonstrates your podcast's value to potential partners.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses helps you make data-driven decisions to expand your listener base effectively.
1 verified contact email on file for High Stakes
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
June 24, 2026
210. From Local Newspaper Delivery to National Philanthropy Leader, with Cynthia Brandt, PhD
Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Cynthia Brandt, PhD, CEO of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, about her journey from local delivery to national philanthropy and impactful leadership lessons.
May 6, 2026
209. From Pumping Gas to CEO of Leading Children’s Hospitals, with Dr. Patrick Frias
Anne Hancock Toomey interviews Dr. Patrick Frias, CEO of Rady Children's Health, about his journey from pumping gas to leading children's hospitals and his philosophy on mission-driven leadership.
March 25, 2026
208. From Serving Frozen Yogurt to National Health System CEO, with Marty Bonick
Marty Bonick is about as well-known a name as you’ll find when it comes to the National – and Nashville – healthcare scene. Bonick is President and CEO of Ardent Health, which operates 30 hospitals and more than 280 care sites across mid-sized urban markets nationwide, while employing over 24,000 team members. In this conversation, Bonick and Anne Hancock Toomey talk about his time growing up on Chicago’s South Side with a construction-worker father and nurse mother, his shift from pre-med to healthcare administration, and learning the industry through an administrative fellowship at Hillcrest in Tulsa. He describes mentors who shaped his patient-first approach, early leadership lessons from serving frozen yogurt and prepping pizzas, and being thrust into a first CEO role at 32. He also recounts the moment when, watching the movie Twister on VHS, he got a call asking if he’d be interested in moving to Oklahoma. Yes, really. 2:13 From Chicago to Healthcare 4:40 Handy Skills and First Jobs 7:07 Mentors and Work Ethic 9:52 Hillcrest Fellowship to COO 13:04 Becoming CEO at 32 16:41 Three Leadership Rules 18:47 Starting Over in Louisville 22:25 Measuring What Matters 26:26 Taking The Career Fork 30:45 Fired 34:20 Traits of Great Leaders 36:41 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
186 total episodes available with 47 transcripts
Recent guests on High Stakes
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Cynthia Brandt
Guest
Lisa Shannon
Guest
Rob Allen
Guest
Tom Hale
Guest
Chris Spencer
Guest
Chris Bishop
Guest
Jennifer Pharr Davis
Guest
Scott Becker
Guest
Kenny Hancock
Guest
Dr David Miller
Guest
Ram Jagannath
Guest
Ric Ransom
Guest
Similar Podcasts
Discover related shows you might enjoy
Deep-dive analytics for High Stakes
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is High Stakes?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 8 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.