Leave the Pile Higher
"My job is to leave the pile higher for you and your sister."
That was my father's philosophy long before I understood it—and decades before I ever thought about launching a podcast. He never used the word legacy.
He simply lived it.
In 1983, faced with financial sacrifices and difficult choices, my father made a decision that changed the trajectory of my life. Rather than take the easier path, he chose to invest in my future. At the time, I didn't fully appreciate what that sacrifice meant. It wasn't until after his passing in 2018 that I truly understood the depth of his commitment and the legacy he was building.
On what would have been my father's 75th birthday, I launched Leave the Pile Higher as a way to honor his legacy and explore a question we all face:
What are we leaving behind for those who come after us?
Through honest conversations with guests from all walks of life, we explore leadership, faith, family, resilience, service, personal growth, and purpose.
While this podcast often speaks directly to Black men navigating fatherhood, leadership, purpose, and life's responsibilities with intention, the lessons shared here are universal. Legacy belongs to all of us.
Whether through guest interviews, Legacy Notes, or Legacy Blueprint panel discussions, every episode is designed to challenge, encourage, and inspire you to think differently about the impact you're making right now.
Because legacy isn't something you leave someday.
It's something you build every day.
One decision.
One sacrifice.
One conversation.
One rep at a time.
Let's Build.
Episodes
47 episodes
Legacy Blueprint | The Work We Do (Part II)
On January 1, 2026, I introduced Legacy Blueprint on Leave the Pile Higher with Part One: The Weight We Carry—a conversation about the pressures, expectations, responsibilities, and silent battles many of us face as Black men.The discuss...
Built to Handle It: A Conversation with Saif Madar
When was the last time you had a conversation that made you think deeper than you planned to?In this episode, I sit down with my frat brother, Saif Madar — a man I’ve known for over two decades. Same yard. Different eras. Real brotherhoo...
Brotherhood, Time, and the Work That Lasts — Cedric Nelson
Some relationships don’t fade with time—they just pause.And when they resume, they remind you who you were and who you’re becoming. In this episode, I sit down with Cedric Nelson, a brother I’ve known for over four decades. We b...
Legacy Blueprint | The Weight We Carry (Part I)
What happens when four Black men—strangers to one another, yet united by shared experiences—come together for an honest conversation about the emotional weight they've carried for years?This episode launches Legacy Blueprint, a ne...
A Father Honored, A Son Becoming: Three Years Behind the Mic
What does it mean to grow as a man when the blueprint wasn’t handed to you?Today is December 4th — the day my father was born, my fraternity’s Founders Day, and the day this podcast turns three years old. In this special reflection I spe...
Grounded, Growing, and Generational: Ferris Dean on Healing, Mindset, and Legacy
Growth doesn’t happen when life is easy — it happens when you face fears and step out of your comfort zone. Legacy doesn’t start with money — it starts with mindset. So what does it really take to unlearn what’s been passed down, h...
Let Your Yes Be Yes: The Cost of Misplaced Commitments
Am I the only one? Have you ever said “yes” when you really meant “maybe” — or agreed to something you knew wasn’t yours to carry?Oh, so it’s not just me.Yeah, saying yes out of habit, out of guilt, or just wanti...
Legacies Don’t Disappear in Silence
Ever been in a season where everything went quiet—your confidence, your creativity, even your peace?It’s been six months since I dropped a new episode, and this one isn’t just about being back—it’s about what happens when the vision goes...
Beyond the Grind: Growth Over Wins, Foundation Over Hype
What if everything you thought was success… still left you empty?King Solomon—richer and wiser than anyone alive—looked at everything he built and said: “Meaningless… all of it.”That line hits even harder today—because this episod...
Breaking Barriers & Building Wealth w/ Shakira "Sam the Agent" Moran
What happens when life forces you to rewrite your financial story?For Shakira "Sam the Agent" Moran, financial empowerment wasn’t just a career choice—it was survival. As a young single mom, she found herself drowning in overdraft fees a...
The Call I Never Returned to Answering My Life's Calling
Seven years. That’s how long it’s been since my world shifted—since my father took his last breath in his sleep, leaving behind a legacy that still speaks to me every single day. Some days, I laugh. Other days, I feel the weight of his absence....
Voices in the Storm: DaRon Wood, from Despair to Purpose
What’s it like to sit down with your best friend of 40 years for a podcast interview? It’s an incredible experience filled with laughs, life lessons, and heartfelt reflections. But the real challenge? Editing over two hours of raw, inspiring co...
Habits That Last: Building Momentum and Your Legacy
Why do some people achieve unstoppable momentum while others struggle to even get started? Is it talent, luck, or something more intentional?Welcome to 2025! In this first episode of the new year, we’re not just talking about habits that...
Black Men and Mental Health: Navigating Holiday Pressures with Khalid Scott
For far too long, Black men have been expected to shoulder immense pressures from both society and our communities, often in silence. When it comes to mental health, this silence has devastating consequences. Suicide ranks as the third leading ...
Just Getting Started: Two-Year Anniversary of Leaving the Pile Higher
Two years. Two years of resilience, purpose, and building something greater than ourselves. In this milestone episode of Leave the Pile Higher, Grow Your Legacy, we celebrate the journey—through the highs, the lows, and the six-month s...
Healing the Fatherless and Amplifying Voices: Charvette Shirk Pitt’s Mission for Change
What does it really mean to heal from the legacy of broken relationships? Is healing a passive process, something that happens to us over time, or is it an intentional, active choice we make—one that requires courage, resilience, and faith?...
Excluded by Design, Borne on Our Backs, Sustained by Legacy
In this powerful episode of Leave the Pile Higher, Grow Your Legacy, Bryan takes listeners from kindergarten memories to hard reflections on America’s promises and failures, exploring the complex legacy that shapes our lives today. Wit...
Today’s Vision, Tomorrow’s Impact: The Power of Starting Now
Have you ever stopped to think about the legacy you’re building right now? Not some far-off dream or ‘someday’ plan, but the steps you and I are taking today to shape tomorrow. Legacy isn’t about waiting for the “right” moment; it’s made up of ...
Infrared Vision: Transforming Lives Through Mindshift Revolution with Mesha Mebane
Have you ever wondered how life’s toughest challenges can lead to personal growth and a lasting impact? In this episode, we sit down with Mesha Mebane, whose incredible journey of resilience shows how adversity can spark transformation. After t...
Emmett Burns: Transforming Education for Future Generations
Have you ever wondered how someone turns life’s challenges into a powerful legacy? In this episode, I connect with Emmett Burns, an educator and founder of ClaraRuth Homeschool, who’s doing just that. Emmett and I first met years ago on a commu...
Washed Ashore: Small Acts, Big Impact on the Journey of Healing
Episode Description:We often think about legacy as the things we leave behind—our titles, accomplishments, and possessions. But what if part of building a legacy includes knowing when to pause, heal, and restore ourselves? In this...
The Rhythm and Resilience of Robbie Cunningham
What does it mean to build a legacy while still overcoming life’s biggest challenges? In this episode, we dive deep with Robbie Cunningham—stage name Robbie Mychals—a Billboard-charting singer, musician, producer, and licensed minister who know...
Strength in the Pause: Growth Through Reflection
After a six-month break, Leave the Pile Higher, Grow Your Legacy is back stronger than ever. In this episode, host Bryan T. Savage reflects on the challenges he faced, the lessons learned, and why hitting pause was necessary to realign...
Inclusive Excellence: S.W.O.T. Analysis for An Impactful Legacy with Berthine Crèvecoeur West
In this special episode of "Leave the Pile Higher, Grow Your Legacy," I'm thrilled to welcome Berthine Crèvecoeur West, not only a close friend but also my esteemed business coach. At the heart of her acclaimed career in business strategy and e...
Faith, Grind, and Grace: The Essence of Emery Sumberlin's Journey
In this can't-miss episode, we dive deep with Emery Sumberlin, a force of nature from Fort Worth, Texas, whose life story is a masterclass in faith, grind, and legacy. From the early days shaped by a strong pastoral family background to becomin...