The American film director, producer, and screenwriter Steven Spielberg holds the distinction of being the most commercially successful director of all time. In 1963, when he was only seventeen, Steven Spielberg traveled to Hollywood to participate in a tour of Universal Studios. The bold action Spielberg took next both set him apart from the crowd and put him on an altogether different and faster success track. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to the summer of 1963 to discover the self-authoring mindset and bold actions that separate people like Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and others from the great mass of people who are content to follow the crowd and think and act according to the designs of others.

Martin Luther changed the course of human history in 1517 when he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the All Saints’ Church. But Luther’s bold move and revolutionary stand was not without grave risks, including the distinct possibility of being burned alive. But what enabled such a humble, scholarly, and deeply religious Augustinian monk and theology professor to take such a bold, irrevocable stand against the mighty Roman Catholic Church? Listen in and learn what gave Luther the power to change the world.

Harriet Tubman was described by one bold abolitionist as “one of the bravest persons on this continent.” Another well-known “conductor” on the Underground Railroad said that Tubman “seemed wholly devoid of personal fear.” After years of daring missions into the lion’s den to help slaves escape, Tubman’s bold courage and skill as a tactician led her to become a spy and a military leader for the Union Army. Listen in and discover the source of her courage and the key secret to her heroic success.

Episode Overview: Harriet Tubman was born into bondage circa 1822 in the slave state of Maryland. After decades of enduring the evil institution, including backbreaking work on a plantation, she was determined to make her escape. “There was one of two things I had a right to,” she remembered thinking at the time, “liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.” And, so, late one cool evening in October 1849, Harriet Tubman set out to attain her freedom, trudging 90 miles alone, through thick woods and across rocky streams along the Choptank River, all under the cover of darkness. So begins the heroic journey of an American legend. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to pre-Civil War America to learn how Harriet Tubman, a selfless and big-hearted young woman, was transformed into a commanding, undisputed leader, tactician, freedom fighter, and spy, ultimately leading a successful military regiment in Lincoln’s Union Army during the Civil War. Listen in and learn the underlying principles of Tubman’s triumphs and the timeless lessons her story has for overcoming the tough challenges and obstacles you face today.