B Student Podcast
B Student Podcast
Podcast Description
The B Student Podcast is hosted by Betsy Gardner, the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. The podcast focuses on exploring the "B side" of influential and dynamic professionals.Just like the B-side of a record, where deeper, more personal passions often live, this podcast highlights the less publicized yet deeply impactful aspects of these individuals' work and lives. Betsy brings her extensive experience as a CEO, speaker, consultant, and executive coach to dive into conversations with experts from diverse fields.The goal is to provide listeners with actionable insights, strategies, and inspiration to help them succeed and create meaningful impact in their own careers and communities. Each episode introduces listeners to unique perspectives and lessons on topics like leadership, emotional intelligence, community building, and personal growth—empowering the audience to "be" more successful and impactful in their own lives.About the host:Betsy Gardner is a dynamic leader with a diverse professional background. Since January 2017, she has served as the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, where she has been instrumental in modernizing the organization and implementing innovative programs to support local businesses and the community. Under her leadership, the chamber has received national recognition, including the North American Chamber Innovation Grand Prize, surpassing larger chambers such as Greater Boston and Vancouver. Before her tenure at the chamber, Gardner co-founded Longwave Apparel Ltd. in London, a company specializing in luxury UV-protective swimwear. She also served as the Director of Business Development for Mentore Consulting Ltd., focusing on mentoring programs for women in leadership roles. A native of Winter Park, Florida, Gardner holds a degree in History from the University of Florida, where she was recognized for her leadership and academic achievements. She is passionate about community development and has been involved in various initiatives, such as "Relaunch: Career Re-entry for Professional Women," which assists women returning to the workforce. She is also known for advocating for important issues and her efforts to make the chamber's programming more inclusive and relevant.Her leadership style is characterized by a strong bias toward action, strategic clarity, and a commitment to driving transformative revenue growth and innovation. She is dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and is recognized for her ability to energize cross-functional teams to consistently outperform targets.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores vital themes such as leadership, emotional intelligence, community building, and personal growth. Episodes include conversations like 'Secret Ingredients of a Successful Salesperson' with Tim Lesnick, highlighting strategies for sales success and the importance of developing sales skills across various roles, and discussions focused on impactful community initiatives.
The B Student Podcast is hosted by Betsy Gardner, the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. The podcast focuses on exploring the “B side” of influential and dynamic professionals.
Just like the B-side of a record, where deeper, more personal passions often live, this podcast highlights the less publicized yet deeply impactful aspects of these individuals’ work and lives. Betsy brings her extensive experience as a CEO, speaker, consultant, and executive coach to dive into conversations with experts from diverse fields.
The goal is to provide listeners with actionable insights, strategies, and inspiration to help them succeed and create meaningful impact in their own careers and communities. Each episode introduces listeners to unique perspectives and lessons on topics like leadership, emotional intelligence, community building, and personal growth—empowering the audience to “be” more successful and impactful in their own lives.
About the host:
Betsy Gardner is a dynamic leader with a diverse professional background. Since January 2017, she has served as the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, where she has been instrumental in modernizing the organization and implementing innovative programs to support local businesses and the community.
Under her leadership, the chamber has received national recognition, including the North American Chamber Innovation Grand Prize, surpassing larger chambers such as Greater Boston and Vancouver. Before her tenure at the chamber, Gardner co-founded Longwave Apparel Ltd. in London, a company specializing in luxury UV-protective swimwear. She also served as the Director of Business Development for Mentore Consulting Ltd., focusing on mentoring programs for women in leadership roles.
A native of Winter Park, Florida, Gardner holds a degree in History from the University of Florida, where she was recognized for her leadership and academic achievements. She is passionate about community development and has been involved in various initiatives, such as “Relaunch: Career Re-entry for Professional Women,” which assists women returning to the workforce. She is also known for advocating for important issues and her efforts to make the chamber’s programming more inclusive and relevant.
Her leadership style is characterized by a strong bias toward action, strategic clarity, and a commitment to driving transformative revenue growth and innovation. She is dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and is recognized for her ability to energize cross-functional teams to consistently outperform targets.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer sits down with Betsy Gardner for one of the most candid conversations he’s ever had on camera.
Before he became Orlando’s longest-serving mayor, Buddy Dyer lost his first election, felt out of his depth at Brown University, and spent time selling industrial sealant door-to-door. This is the story he doesn’t usually tell – and the lessons that shaped his leadership. In this episode of B Student, Mayor Dyer opens up about how losing early turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him, the unexpected phone call from Pastor Sam Green that convinced him to run for mayor, and what he’s learned about showing up for people when the stakes couldn’t be higher.
But the heart of this conversation is what happened on June 12, 2016. Mayor Dyer talks about the moment he got the 2am phone call about the Pulse nightclub shooting, what he did first, why he went toe-to-toe with FBI agents to insist that Orlando needed to see its mayor speak, and how grief from that night didn’t fully catch up with him until the first anniversary of the tragedy.
The conversation also goes deep on fatherhood, legacy, and – in a B Student exclusive – the name of Orlando’s new first dog.
If you’re navigating setbacks, building something, or trying to lead people through hard moments, this one is worth your full attention.
Time Stamps:
- 00:00 Welcome + intro to Mayor Buddy Dyer
- 02:15 The iconic airport tram voice & unexpected notoriety
- 04:30 From top student to feeling average at Brown University
- 07:45 Advice on competing in high-performance environments
- 10:20 First political run… and losing early
- 12:40 The “thank goodness I lost” mindset shift
- 15:10 Selling “TerraSeal” and learning real-world skills
- 18:00 Law school success + losing to Charlie Crist
- 21:10 Networking, relationships, and winning people over
- 24:30 Becoming an “accidental mayor” of Orlando
- 27:45 Vision for Orlando + building a thriving city
- 30:20 Leading through the Pulse nightclub shooting
- 35:10 Crisis leadership, communication, and emotional resilience
- 38:20 Fatherhood, legacy, and life beyond the mayor’s office
Connect with Mayor Buddy at:
X: https://x.com/orlandomayor
Website: https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Mayor-City-Council/Buddy-Dyer
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Like this video, subscribe, and comment your favorite London spot or what city has most transformed you.
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Connect with Betsy Gardner:
Website: https://www.betsygardner.com/
Learn More about Winter Park Chamber of Commerce: https://www.winterpark.org/
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Podcast produced by Hi Hello Labs: https://www.hihellolabs.com/
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