Ep14 Dr. Brett Fickes, from Teacher to CEO, and NASCAR®: Leadership Development podcast

This leadership development podcast is brought to you by: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership through leadership culture. He grew up in a village off-the-grid, migrated to the U.S., learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years.  Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and a social entrepreneur.

GUEST BIO:  Dr. Brett Fickes, a retired educator with 36 years in public schools (history teacher & administrator until June 2025), is now a CEO and entrepreneur. Post-retirement, he became CEO of Universal Dental Clinics. He owns Redline Motorsports Racing, Chicago's premier NASCAR®  Xfinity team, and Teachercraft, which makes classroom easels. He also serves on the Learning Forward Illinois board. 

Find our guest at: www.uudclinics.com
Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com 

Leadership Keywords: educator leadership, district innovation, oral health equity, NASCAR ownership, career transition, workplace culture, public service, cross-sector leadership, servant leadership, team building, staff development, entrepreneurship, nonprofit partnerships 

Leadership Summary: In this episode, Dr. Brett Fickes shares how servant leadership carried him from classroom walls to corporate halls. He explains how mentoring, equity, and kindness built trust in every role—from advancing AP access in schools to launching a racing team. His mission now spans healthcare, motorsports, and social impact. 

10 Takeaways on Leadership
✅ Kindness creates loyalty
✅ Build teams smarter than you
✅ Own your decisions
✅ Stay open to growth
✅ Listen before leading
✅ Keep values visible
✅ Challenge yourself
✅ Stay mission-driven
✅ Honor every voice
✅ Lead with service 

5 Titles for Leadership
✅ From Classroom to C-Suite: Brett Fickes on Purpose-Driven Leadership
✅ Why Kindness Wins: Building Loyalty at Every Level
✅ Beyond Education: How One Leader Changed Industries
✅ Racing Toward Equity: A New Chapter in NASCAR
✅ Hire Smart, Lead Smarter 

5 Sound Bites for Leadership
🗣 “Strong leadership works anywhere.”
🗣 “Kindness is a leadership strategy.”
🗣 “If you're not growing, you're standing still.”
🗣 “Listen to your people. Then decide.”
🗣 “Good leaders don't fear talent. They build it.” 

10 Chapters on Leadership
00:00 – Meet Dr. Fickes
02:00 – Career in Public Education
05:00 – Leadership Beyond the School System
08:00 – Launching a NASCAR Team
12:00 – Lessons From a Mentor
16:00 – Investing in Oral Health Equity
20:00 – Leadership Across Sectors
24:00 – Role of Kindness in Culture
30:00 – Books That Shaped His Leadership
35:00 – Final Insights and Future Vision 

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