In this episode, Jeff Hopeck interviews Michael Goodroe, CEO of Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation. Goodroe shares his lifelong journey in the electric cooperative industry, which began in 1974 when his father insisted he get a summer job. Starting at the lowest level on a right-of-way crew, he learned hard work, resilience, and teamwork—principles that guided his rise through engineering, operations, and management to CEO.

Goodroe credits his wife, Joan, with teaching him to view issues from multiple perspectives and to look for the good in others, turning challenges into growth opportunities. Under his leadership, Sawnee EMC grew from $50 million in assets and 22,000 members to $1.4 billion and over 200,000 members. He stresses that the organization’s success stems from consistent values—mission, purpose, and integrity—rather than chasing trends.

Reflecting on mistakes, he recalls a premature contract decision early in his career that taught him humility, risk awareness, and the importance of seeking diverse counsel. Today, he leads by values rather than gut instinct, emphasizing trust, transparency, and long-term thinking.

Goodroe’s central life lesson is adaptability: being at peace with change and using it for growth. Drawing from his family’s experience raising an autistic son, he advocates resilience and empathy—making the best of every situation for others’ benefit.

🎙️Host : @jeffhopeckbrand
🚀Guest: Michael Goodroe

Michael Goodroe
President & Chief Executive Officer, Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation (EMC)

Michael Goodroe serves as the President and CEO of Sawnee EMC, one of Georgia’s largest electric cooperatives, providing power to over 200,000 accounts across seven counties in the metro Atlanta area. With more than three decades of experience in the energy and utility sector, Michael has guided Sawnee EMC through a period of modernization, reliability improvements, and strong member satisfaction. Known for his collaborative leadership style, he’s focused on community engagement, innovation in energy efficiency, and maintaining the cooperative’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable power. Under his leadership, Sawnee EMC continues to rank among the top cooperatives nationwide for service reliability and customer trust.

Jeff Hopeck welcomes Chris Shueler, CEO of Cyderes, a cybersecurity company founded by Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec—who later hired his first outside CEO in Chris. Shueler traces a nontraditional path: after military service and finishing college, he planned to become a high-school history teacher, inspired by his own teacher. His wife challenged that “low ceiling,” pushing him to recognize his gift for leading people. He built his career by “leading from the front” while “leaders eat last,” empowering teams so their performance becomes his performance. After private-sector roles and an acquisition into IBM, he rose quickly—becoming a VP at 32—but his Enneagram 8 “challenger” wiring clashed with Big Blue’s constraints. Ten years of pushing boundaries—and being reprimanded for it—told him he needed a stage where challenging the status quo was an asset.

That arrived via “code name Stingray,” a nod to Herjavec’s car passion. One year into the Cyderes role, bookings are up 40% year over year, the brand is stronger than ever, and the company is leaning into market disruption—at the cost of intense travel (he logged ~80,000 domestic miles in his first three months).

Best advice: trust your gut. A senior government mentor (Ron Smith) once asked him what his gut said—then why he wasn’t trusting it. Since then, he’s learned that by the time you finally act on instinct, it’s often already too late. Biggest mistake: not trusting that gut when high-leverage opportunities appeared—twice. Earlier backers urged him to start his own firm, and in 2006 Amazon courted him to help build security for its nascent AWS. He balked—young family, relocation to Seattle, compensation heavy in stock—and still calls it a miss.

Life lesson/legacy: curate a spouse/partner and an inner circle who speak truth, create healthy friction, and want nothing but your greatness. CEO life is lonely; that support network sustains you. Follow Chris on LinkedIn, where he regularly challenges industry thinking on AI adoption and security.

🎙️Host : @jeffhopeckbrand
🚀Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cschueler/

In this episode of 20-Minute MBA, host Jeff Hopeck sits down with entrepreneur and musician Mike Barnhill to unpack a story of grit, transformation, and staying true to what matters most. Mike tells how he went from homeless to #1 in the world! It all started with a book and willingness.

Mike’s journey began with humble beginnings—growing up poor, sleeping on couches, and feeling trapped in a cycle he thought might never change. The turning point came when he and his brother discovered the power of self-education. From audio programs on long commutes to books like Good to Great by Jim Collins, they began to shift their mindset and challenge them to think bigger.

Together, they launched Specialist ID, a lanyard and badge holder company, and made a life-changing decision: to become the best in the world at one thing. By doubling down on badge holders and cutting all distractions, they transformed their small idea into an industry-leading business.

Mike also opens up about the downside of all-in hustle. In chasing business success, he sacrificed his passion for music—a mistake he now sees as losing touch with a core part of himself. Rediscovering that love has made him not only a better entrepreneur but a more fulfilled human being.

He leaves us with one simple but powerful life lesson: always be nice to people. Whether in business or everyday life, kindness builds bridges, opens doors, and makes the world a better place.

From poverty to industry leader, and from giving up to reclaiming music, Mike’s story is proof that mindset, focus, and kindness can change everything.

Episode 2 : Bonneau Ansley. He’s a remarkable real estate entrepreneur who, in just eleven years, grew from one client to selling his firm for $440 million. At 50, with a Wall Street bestselling book Brokering Billions, he continues to thrive. Alongside building his company, he personally sold $300–$400 million in real estate annually for eleven years straight. Driven by passion, he’s not only a top agent but also a strong entrepreneur with valuable wisdom to share. [Watch full episode on YOUTUBE (https://youtu.be/tfIAjVM62eA]

🎙️Host : @jeffhopeck1

🚀Guest : @bonneau_ansley

👉 Episode 1 : Chris Carneal, Founder & CEO of Booster (the fun runs in grade schools!). Host Jeff Hopeck asks these 4 questions: How did you get here? What's the best advice you ever got? What's the biggest mistake you ever made? And what life lesson would you like to pass on? In Chris' answers he explains his unique approach on virtues vs values along with his biggest failure in character explained in depth and more…. I would normally say “you don’t wanna miss this” but it’s way more important than that. You can’t AFFORD to miss this. [Watch full episode on YOUTUBE.]
🎙️Host : @jeffhopeckbrand
🚀Guest : @chriscarneal