Off the Rak
Walt Rakowich
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About This Podcast
Walt Rakowich's passion to help shape a generation of leaders who lead with honesty, humility and heart inspired him to launch Off the Rak: Conversations on Transformative Leadership. Featuring rich and raw conversations with notable leaders across different industries, Off the Rak inspires curious leaders to embrace challenges, seize opportunities and become positive influences in their world.
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Recent Episodes
Channeling a Death Investigator’s Mindset for Purpose with Barbara Butcher
Two decades-plus in the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner means hard-won insights many leaders can learn from: how to stay committed to the truth, find purpose, and build systems that…
Rak Rewind: How to Measure Success in Business Through Love with Joel Manby
Can you lead with your heart first in corporate America? Or do the pressures of the c-suite leave little room for love and humanity? We’ve invited Joel Manby to Off the Rak to share what he’s learned…
A World of Good: How Purpose Helps Business Succeed with Carol Cone
As human beings, we crave purpose. Ask any pastor, priest, monk, imam, rabbi, politician, philosopher, or psychologist. We also expect it of our organizations — in today’s transparent world,…
Rak Rewind: Nurturing Talent in a Business of “No” with Robert Creighton
Finding an agent, getting an audition, nailing the callback, having a great performance — show business can seem full of crowded paths with few roles and that means hearing a lot of no’s before you…
Steady in the Storm: Redefining Crisis Leadership with Cliff Holtz
Disasters are getting bigger and more complex. How do you prepare an organization—and its people—to respond quickly, effectively, and with humanity?Let's challenge the idea that crisis leadership is…
Rak Rewind: Finding Courage and Hope to Fight Back Against the Odds with Rocky Bleier
If you know your Steelers history then you know how Rocky Bleier was an essential player for the team’s first four Super Bowl victories, serving as its fourth all-time leading rusher. But do you know…
Leading Better in Crisis Through Compassion with Dr. Christian Ntizimira
On this episode of Off the Rak, Dr. Christian Ntizimira — a Rwandan palliative care physician, Harvard-trained researcher, and Executive Director of the African Center for Research on End-of-Life…
Rak Rewind: Getting Honest About Culture Change with Tina DeSalvo
Sitting on a stoop conjures up summer weather, friendly neighbors, and good conversation. It’s a place of community, purpose, and safety. Join a stoop chat with the founder of The Soul…
Embracing Change and Tradition: Insights from Former USAA CEO Wayne Peacock
Is it possible to honor traditions and still embrace a growth mindset? Wayne Peacock’s 35-year tenure as USAA’s CEO has demonstrated that an entrepreneurial spirit can not only be nurtured at a…
Rak Rewind: Winning the War for Talent Through Purpose (and Strategic Hiring) with Jennifer Trzepacz
Insights from a people guru who’s hired over 6,500 employees in 23 countries!Employment used to be transactional. But companies don’t just go out and hire people, especially talented people. They…
Rethinking Work in Humanity’s AI-Driven Future with Rishad Tobaccowala
Are you prepared for the future of work? Off the Rak welcomes Rishad Tobaccowala, a global business advisor, author, and futurist, to explore what transformative leadership looks like in a…
Rak Rewind: Turning Adversity into an Opportunity to Help Others with LPGA Pro Stacy Lewis
Learn what it’s like being a professional female athlete from the recently retired LPGA golfer and two-time U.S. team captain. Lewis announced that she will be stepping away from full-time…
Turning Personal Crisis into a Drive for a Cure with Dr. David Fajgenbaum
How do you make the journey from being given last rites in a hospital bed to founding an organization that has saved thousands of lives through medical innovation? Dr. David Fajgenbaum is a…
Rak Rewind: Fostering More Human Connection and Empathy Through Leadership with Michael Lee Stallard
Michael Lee Stallard is president of E Pluribus Partners, and a speaker, teacher, and consultant on leadership, employee engagement, productivity, and innovation. He is the primary author of "Fired…
Coaching Leaders to Flourish in Life and Work with Steve Graves
Ready to discover what separates truly effective CEOs from those who just look good on paper?Seasoned CEO advisor Steve Graves shares hard-won insights from three decades of coaching executive…
Rak Rewind: What Does the Future Hold? Higher Education, Loyalty, and Impact with Neeli Bendapudi
“When I think about the value proposition of higher education… I think about the essence of leadership where they call it the knowing, being, and doing.”Featuring the first female president of Penn…
Eradicating Entitlement: A Path to Higher Purpose with Dr. Joe Sanders
Let's tackle a broader disease that needs eradicating: entitlement.Joe Sanders is a thoughtful and focused leader who brings a wealth of experience serving youth to Colorado Uplift as its CEO. Not…
Off the Rak Rewind Minisode: LPGA Pro Stacy Lewis
In honor of Stacy Lewis' retirement at the end of the 2025 LPGA season, Off the Rak rewinds to a special minisode from September 2024 honoring TEAM USA's win in the Solheim Cup — the first since…
Rak Rewind: Leading Diverse Teams On and Off a Baseball Diamond with Clint Hurdle and Dan O’Dowd
Two good friends and two icons in the world of baseball talk creating a positive cultureColorado Rockies legends Clint Hurdle and Dan O’Dowd join Off the Rak to share their experiences leading…
Rak Rewind: How to Build High-Trust Organizations with Joel Peterson
What does it take to build high-trust organizations and cultures through your leadership? The former chairman of JetBlue Airways and professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Joel C.…
Frequently Asked Questions
Off the Rak has published 35 episodes since January 2025, covering topics in Business, Careers.
Off the Rak is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 40m.
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