🎙️Host : @jeffhopeck
🚀Guest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bardis

In this episode, entrepreneur and philanthropist John Bardis shares profound insights from his multifaceted career spanning business, government service, athletics, and charitable leadership. Bardis, who founded MedAssets and helped lead its $2.7 billion sale, attributes much of his success to observational learning—studying mentors’ character, decision-making, and compassion rather than formal instruction.

He emphasizes servant leadership and humility, recognizing that many opportunities in his life were “unearned gifts” that he sought to honor through effort and gratitude. His worst advice, he says, stems from the influence of pop culture, which distracts people—especially youth—from values that truly matter. Instead, Bardis praises the selflessness seen in the U.S. military and programs like Hire Heroes USA, calling the armed forces an “elevator of opportunity.”

Discussing his biggest mistake, Bardis recalls investing with people misaligned in values—reminding listeners that moral and cultural compatibility outweigh profit. True leaders, he says, let values lead investments, not the reverse.

He also recounts his time on the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency board, where he participated in stripping Lance Armstrong of his titles and exposing Russia’s state-sponsored doping. These experiences reinforced his commitment to truth and integrity in leadership.