Welcome to How Leaders Lead where every week you get to listen in while I interview some of the very best leaders in the world.

I break down the key learning so that by the end of the episode, you'll have something simple you can apply as you develop into a better leader.

That's what this podcast is all about. Well, my guest today is Bill

Mud, the president and chief operating officer at Churchill Downs. This weekend, Churchill

Downs will host the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, one of America's most beloved sporting

events. And I'd go so far to say as one of the world's most beloved sporting

events. It's an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends. It's on everybody's bucket list.

But great customer experiences like that don't happen by accident. For starters, you need to have a

great product and hire great people, but even that isn't

enough.

As you'll hear today, you'll also need to put process around everything that matters in

your customer experience.

That operational strength is crucial if you want to get the details right and wow the people that you

got to make happy, your customers. And let me tell you, nobody does that operational excellence

like Bill. So let's get into it. Here's my conversation with my good friend and soon to be

yours, Bill Mudd.

You know, Bill, when this airs, we'll be just days away from the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Do you already have your pick?

Well, there are a lot of great horses.

It's still very early to be able to determine who's going to be the favorite, but a lot of really high point races, which is how you

earn the right to run in the Kentucky Derby, because there are only 20 spots. But we'll see

those unfold over the next few weeks, and I'm excited to watch that unfold. I'm curious, as an officer at Churchill

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