Mick Unplugged

Breaking Stigmas with Brandon Sawalich

October 13, 2025

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  • Challenging the stigma around hearing loss requires showcasing modern hearing technology as advanced, multi-purpose wearable tech, not outdated medical devices. 
  • True business success and high-performing teams are rooted in a culture that prioritizes genuine care for people, which must be hired for and nurtured. 
  • Untreated hearing loss poses significant health risks, including isolation and cognitive decline, making early hearing evaluation crucial for brain health. 

Segments

Guest Introduction and Purpose
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(00:00:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Brandon Sawalich’s journey from intern to CEO of Starkey involves leadership, life, and love lessons.
  • Summary: The episode introduces Brandon Sawalich, CEO of Starkey, highlighting his career progression from intern to CEO. The conversation promises insights into leadership, life lessons, and a story involving Damon John. The host expresses honor in having the ‘man, the myth, and the legend’ on Mick Unplugged.
Brandon’s Core Motivation (‘Because’)
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(00:02:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Brandon’s core motivation is challenging the status quo because he dislikes being confined or told something cannot be done.
  • Summary: Brandon’s ‘because’ stems from a lifelong drive to look beyond current limitations, exemplified by asking what’s next even as a child at Disneyland. He is motivated by overcoming perceived impossibilities or constraints placed upon him or his ideas. This drive fuels his continuous effort to push boundaries.
Stigma and Importance of Hearing Tests
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(00:03:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Hearing loss stigma causes delays in seeking help, but modern technology transforms hearing aids into desirable health tech.
  • Summary: Many people wait too long to seek hearing help because hearing loss is subtle compared to vision loss, often leading to turning up the volume instead of getting evaluated. Today’s hearing aids are sophisticated devices that combat the old stereotype of being bulky and outdated. Getting a hearing evaluation is framed as a necessary ‘quick evaluation’ to stay connected to work and family.
Innovation: The Ear is the New Wrist
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(00:07:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Starkey is positioning hearing aids as ’the ear is the new wrist,’ integrating health features and AI for a ‘superhuman boost.’
  • Summary: Modern hearing technology is moving beyond amplification to include health features and personal assistance, such as language translation. The goal is to eliminate the negative connotations associated with old, bulky hearing aids that caused users to lack confidence. Starkey is setting the pace of innovation in the industry through AI and advanced sound processing.
Caring Leadership Philosophy
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(00:07:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Effective leadership requires hiring individuals with a genuine caring attitude, as this trait is harder to develop than technical talent.
  • Summary: Brandon attributes his leadership success to a philosophy rooted in genuine care, a value cultivated since starting as an intern in 1994. He inverts the leadership pyramid, positioning himself to help the team succeed by understanding that their work matters in changing lives. He emphasizes that while talent can be developed, a caring attitude must be present when hiring.
Starkey’s Innovation Pillars and Future
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(00:15:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Starkey focuses innovation across three buckets: sound quality, health/wellness features, and personal assistance, aiming for an ‘Iron Man/Jarvis’ experience.
  • Summary: Starkey is investing heavily in AI, moving hearing aids from single-purpose devices to multi-purpose wearable tech. Features include tracking steps and fall detection, which has saved lives by alerting family members. The personal assistant function currently supports translation in 78 languages, with future advancements targeting voice fluctuation analysis for emotional detection (e.g., depression).
Sound Quality and Brain Health Connection
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(00:17:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Superior sound quality keeps the brain active and healthy by preventing the cognitive strain associated with missing sounds and isolation.
  • Summary: Starkey’s technology analyzes sound 360 degrees around the user, optimizing performance based on the individual’s specific hearing loss programming. By reducing the strain required to hear, users experience better focus and relaxation, which is vital because hearing loss can lead to loneliness, depression, and early onset dementia. Keeping the brain exercised through clear hearing is a primary goal.
Identifying Hearing Loss and Next Steps
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(00:21:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Common signs of hearing loss include a spouse pointing it out or needing to turn the TV volume up excessively loud.
  • Summary: Spouses or significant others often notice hearing loss first, sometimes leading to accusations of ‘selective hearing.’ Younger generations, especially Gen Z, face noise-induced hearing loss from music and gaming, while Gen X is entering the age range where loss impacts work and family life. Individuals suspecting loss should visit starkey.com to explore the technology rather than focusing on the negative ‘hearing aid’ connotation.
Future Vision and Technology Trajectory
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(00:27:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The future of hearing technology involves enhanced connectivity and advanced biometric sensing, including detecting voice fluctuation to monitor emotional states.
  • Summary: Starkey is on its eighth generation of AI development, focusing on connectivity to phones and TVs, and integrating more advanced sensors. These sensors could monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, and voice fluctuation to detect human emotions like depression. The technology aims to provide users with an edge in daily life, reinforcing that these are high-tech wearables, not just hearing aids.
Quick Five Q&A
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(00:30:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Brandon’s favorite sound is a baseball game at Wrigley Field, and his core leadership lesson is: ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’
  • Summary: When asked who pays the tab among himself, Zach Rosenfeld, and Damon John, Brandon asserts he would pay. His favorite sound is the atmosphere at Wrigley Field, and the place that inspires him most is his hometown, which helps him stay grounded. The most cherished lesson he holds dear from his time at Starkey is the importance of demonstrating care to others.