Gustavo Razzetti’s favorite question is “what if?” That simple question has helped him on his quest for continuous exploration and experimentation. As the fifth child of seven siblings in his family, he learned early to look for new ideas and solutions and to challenge the status quo. Growing up in Argentina during the civil war added to the context in which he valued freedom and independence. What began as responsibilities he took on as a child, such as cooking meals for his siblings when his parents were traveling, has translated into a lifetime of continual experimentation, learning, and discovery. Change has always been a constant to Gustavo. His diverse background is at the intersection of change leadership, marketing strategy, innovation, and design thinking. He has led and transformed six organizations in different scenarios over 20 years: start-up, high-growth, and turnaround, and has worked in diverse places: New York, Argentina, Chicago, Puerto Rico, and Los Angeles. He loves advising CEOs from both Fortune 500 and startups alike. The author of hundreds of articles on change leadership, innovation, and self-improvement, Gustavo released his most recent book in June 2022: . He addresses multiple areas of company cultures, from keeping teams connected and improving remote collaboration to managing asynchronous communication, facilitating courageous conversations, and defining the right hybrid model for your organization. In this week’s learn more about Gustavo’s journey: He was invited to participate in the cutting-edge Innovation Leadership Program at Stanford University. Gustavo is the author of three books prior to his current publication:  , , and . Learn more and connect with Gustavo here:  

Connie Steele grew up as a first generation Chinese-American with the traditional pressures to excel academically as the pathway to success. Her Dad had a Ph.D. in economics and statistics, so there was an emphasis on excellence in math. Connie studied statistics in college. In her junior year, she sought out vocational books in the library to figure out what she was going to do next. She read about marketing research, then took a marketing class and loved it. Connie went to the University of Michigan for a master's degree in applied statistics where she was also able to take classes in the business school. Later, she earned a doctorate in statistics.  Today, Connie is passionate about helping leaders build fluid organizations to adapt and thrive in a world where uncertainty is the new certainty. She is on a mission to help professionals and companies get unstuck to achieve their goals confidently. With over twenty years of working at Fortune 500 companies, such as AOL and General Mills, start-ups and scale-up organizations, and high-growth tech companies, Connie shared with me the full range of how businesses have had to become more collaborative and fluid.  Connie has always been intrigued by the “why” behind companies and careers that thrive. Her goal is to help people discover their portfolio career or super job, their “career mashup”, her term for the career of the future in which they merge their skills, passions, and values. In her best-selling book , Connie shares future work trends that explain how people’s motivations and expectations are changing with respect to work and life. She couples this with a five-step long-term strategic planning framework to help readers take greater control of their careers, personal and leadership development. Connie just published "What Workers Want," the second annual State of Work and Career Success survey. Connie is conducting this survey annually to understand what does it take to be successful now in this new world of work? What holds us back as individuals (not employees) from reaching our goals? What does it take to reach one’s career potential, and what is that relationship with their company’s potential? In this week’s learn more about Connie’s journey: Connie is the host of the podcast, devoted to meaningful work-life fit in an ever-changing world through inspiring stories, actionable tips, and pragmatic advice from those that found their fit. Her perspectives and advice have appeared in Forbes, Authority Magazine, TechRound, and Thrive Global. Learn more and connect with Connie here:  Book “ Podcast: @conniewangsteele (Instagram) @conniewsteele (Twitter)

Deb Coviello is an introvert who likes to talk. As a child, she often wanted to express herself and enjoyed participating in activities such as the school play. Deb was a good student and even skipped fifth grade, heading straight into middle school. Yet, throughout her early years and even into her professional career life, Deb found that teachers, bosses, and others did not always want her to speak, so there were periods of time when she would clam up. This created misperceptions of her abilities. Teachers assessed she was not too bright and bosses perceived she was not aligned with the team.  In college, Deb found a zone where she could offer her voice and became a natural leader. She studied biomedical engineering (at a school her guidance counselor told her she would not be able to get admitted to!) and upon graduation entered a manufacturing management development program with her first employer.  From there she built a 30 plus year career in strategy, quality and operational excellence roles, primarily in the flavors and fragrance industry. Today, Deb has struck out on her own as an advisor, author, podcast host, and founder of Illumination Partners, a consulting firm for CEOs navigating change. A trusted partner to C-suite leaders, Deb supports her clients as they work together to identify, assess and solve the issues that may be preventing their business growth.  Deb has developed powerful programs devoted to helping CEOs identify emerging leaders. She hosts a weekly show, . And she is the author of the book, In this week’s learn more about Deb’s journey: Deb is certified as a Lean and Six Sigma Black Belt in process improvement. She is a board member of Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce. Deb is an avid curler with the Cincinnati curling club and won a silver medal in a national tournament. Learn more and connect with Deborah here: Website: Linkedin: The CEO’s Compass: Drop in CEO Podcast: Facebook: Twitter: @DropinCEOInstagram: dropinceo

Jill Griffin has spent her career leading innovation, digital and media strategy, content development, and marketing programs for many of the world’s top brands. Advertising Age recognized her as one of the "25 Women to Watch" and she was named one of the "50 Most Influential People in Content Marketing" by NewsCred. She’s also a two-time winner of AdWeek-Mediaweek's Media Plan of the Year. Whether she's working with startups, thought leaders, or renowned global organizations, Jill has sat on all sides of the table. She works with organizations to create strengths-based cultures to increase performance, retention, and well-being. And yet, her road to success was not quite as smooth as it may seem. When Jill’s career started to pick up steam, she was involved in an accident that led to head trauma, forcing her to rethink, reset, and reboot her career and her life. The injury forced her to live on purpose rather than in reaction. She felt compelled to consider how much of an impact her thoughts played in creating her results. And it forced Jill to adjust her own career trajectory.  While she still spent many years consulting with big brands like The Coca-Cola Cola Company, Microsoft, Hilton Hotels, and Samsung, Jill also became a certified coach passionate about helping others create fulfilling careers and lives. Today, Jill works with busy clients to achieve results by clearing out their old B.S. (belief systems). This necessary work gets them clear on what they want to create, and it rewires their thoughts so they can see the results they desire and be confident it’s within their reach. In this week’s learn more about Jill’s journey: Jill has written for Fast Company, HuffPost, and Metro UK. She has been quoted by leading media outlets like Adweek, Advertising Age, Forrester Research, The New York Times, NewsCred, Newsday, Media Week departures, and the Wall Street Journal.  She is a Gallup® Certified Strengths Coach and has helped hundreds of clients amplify their strengths, increase visibility, create career clarity, and design a brighter future. Learn more and connect with Jill here:    

Kelli Thompson is a leadership coach and speaker who specializes in helping women advance to the rooms where decisions are made. She is the founder of the and a Stevie Award® winner for Women in Business Coach of the Year. Kelli’s book, , will be released in November 2022. Kelli characterized her early years as sheltered. She grew up in a small Midwest town, attending a Catholic school in a homogenous environment where most people shared the same values and followed common rules and social norms. Kelli described her emerging adulthood as checking off the boxes on a list and staying on track with the expectations she was raised to fulfill. She went to college, earned a master's degree, married, and had her daughter by age 24. Kelli presumed that these accomplishments would bring her happiness and success, but that is not what happened. She divorced and worked in banking for 14 years, getting experience in a variety of areas from sales to human resources. From there, she built a career in training and development in technology companies until 2019, when she started her own coaching practice. Kelli has coached and trained hundreds of women to trust themselves, lead more confidently, and create a career they love. She has served as an adjunct management professor and has more than 10 years of senior leadership experience in financial services and technology organizations. In this week’s learn more about Kelli’s journey: Kelli opened up and shared some of her personal challenges while attempting to start her coaching business shortly before the pandemic hit. She experienced some major losses and candidly spoke about how those experiences impacted her decisions. Her thought leadership has been featured in Forbes MarketWatch, Parents Magazine, HuffPost, and Working Mother. Learn more and connect with Kelli here:    

Dr. Amanda Crowell is a cognitive psychologist, speaker, author and creator of the Great Work journals. She educates future teachers, coaches accidental entrepreneurs, and speaks about how to make progress on great work to colleges and corporate teams. She is the author of the book, . Amanda said her early years were both lovely and complicated. At two years old she was diagnosed with a developmental seizure disorder, meaning that once her brain was further developed, the seizures would stop. Until she was nine, she took medications that affected her motor skills and general alertness. In this week’s podcast episode, Amanda shared her experience of those critical developmental years. She had difficulty functioning in school and in social interactions, but she did have friends, was able to watch TV and knew her teachers’ names. Once she discontinued the seizure medication, everything opened up. At times it was an overwhelming experience. It also sparked a tremendous sense of wonder and curiosity about people and social dynamics as the world unfolded in front of her. Today, everything Amanda does as a coach, author, speaker and podcast host of , points to doing the work that matters the most to you, what she refers to as YOUR Great Work. It might involve building a business, inciting a movement, creating breathtaking art, writing world-changing books, or helping other people to heal and grow into their potential. YOUR Great Work is a combined fascination with human achievement and a passion for helping others in order to explore how to get YOUR work out into the world where it belongs.  In this week’s learn more about Amanda’s journey: Amanda’s TEDx talk “Three Reasons You Aren't Doing What You Say You Will Do” has received more than a million views, and has been featured on TED's ideas blog and TED shorts.   Her career took a few twists and turns from continuing legal education, event planning to communications, and a potential admission to law school. Amanda teaches psychology at Hunter College School of Education in New York City in their teacher certification program. Learn more and connect with Amanda here: Her book:  

As the Founder of , Tracy Hooper helps people elevate their personal and professional presence, communicate with clarity, and work together better. She leads dynamic presentations for high-achieving teams and advises executives and professionals in a wide variety of industries. Tracy has been a TV news reporter, anchor, producer, and voice-over professional. She draws on the best of her background in TV news and storytelling with actionable takeaways for her clients and audiences.  Tracy is the author of and her just-released book, , which answers the big question: What's the confidence playbook now in the world of work? We discussed current-day matters such as how do you eloquently communicate your discomfort about shaking hands, if you are not yet ready to make contact with people in that way? One of my favorite topics we discussed was the topic of eye contact in communication. Tracy offers her advice on how to convey a sense of respect and connection (as eye contact is viewed in American culture) if you are uncomfortable looking at people directly in the eye.  Yet, Tracy’s career started in a very different place. She went to college to study nursing and discovered that she did not have a proclivity for science. Instead, she loved reading and writing. After graduation, she landed a job in college admissions where she enjoyed interviewing prospective students and writing summaries of those conversations. A few years later, a friend suggested that she consider news reporting since she enjoyed interviewing and writing. Tracy started small by borrowing some video equipment on the weekends, writing her own news stories, and creating her own demo reels. She sent the demo reels out to small-town TV stations and eventually was offered a job as a “weather girl”.  In this week’s learn from Tracy’s advice: Based on a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert, she shared:  Passions are hard to quantify. There's a lot of pressure to follow your passion. Follow what you're curious about. There may be opportunities there. Surround yourself with people who believe in you. If you don't, other people will pull you down. Cultivate a personal board of advisors of people who know you well and have your interests at heart and have people who think differently than you–they could give you ideas that you hadn't thought about. Learn more and connect with Tracy here:  

Laura Spero told me that she was an intense kid who gave her all to everything she did. She played soccer, competed in Tae Kwon Do, swam competitively, and rowed crew in college. As a kid still living at home, she would spend hours, hyperfocused in her basement doing art projects in a space she set up for herself. Most of the art she created was items she made for other people. Laura is a mission-driven person who values making the day-to-day moments of life meaningful. Growing up in Bethesda, Maryland, Laura was surrounded by a family of entrepreneurs, and advocates. Dinner table conversations were lively with people trying to solve problems by debating them around the table. Laura was so accustomed to the lively dynamic of throwing ideas around that it took her a long time to learn that not everyone needed to be that energized to hold a conversation at the end of the day. Mom was a consumer advocate attorney and Dad ran his own tech company. Coincidentally, he had been an Olympic rower in his younger years. After graduating from college, Laura went to Nepal to do volunteer work. She was motivated by her adventurous spirit, and fascination with Eastern cultures and had a yearning to break away from her advantaged life. What began as a brief stint in Nepal has become a lifelong connection to the people and culture of Nepal. Over the past 22 years, Laura established and grew a dental health program, the for people in rural areas of Nepal. She encountered many people suffering from toothaches who assumed they would eventually lose their teeth and she set out to do something about it. While Laura is not a dentist, she has tirelessly raised funds and provided administrative oversight to grow and sustain the organization. Not unlike many people who begin their career in one arena during their twenties, she has explored other pathways while remaining dedicated to running the Jevaia Foundation on a part-time basis. Laura has been able to travel and live in the US and Nepal over the years.     Today, Laura is a clinical social worker based in the Boston area working as a medical social worker in a hospital setting and as a clinical social worker and therapist in a women's prison reentry program. In this week’s learn more about Laura’s journey: Laura has worked as an oral history facilitator for the NPR program StoryCorps, as an arts consultant in the New York City public schools, and in a holistic physical therapy practice.  She also earned her MFA in writing during the time she was working with StoryCorps. Learn more and connect with Laura here:     

I recently sat down with Antuan Magic Raimone to learn about his journey to become the first male universal swing for the five US companies of the popular musical, Hamilton. It’s a remarkable career story for someone in his field as he has been able to make a solid living as a performer from the start, without compromising his values. That is not to say that he did not experience some bumps in the road. Yet, he learned from those experiences, kept his ego in check, while maintaining his love for his craft and his confidence in his talent.  Antuan grew up Blue Springs, Missouri, a small suburb near Kansas City. He was raised by his mother, a single parent and for a period of time, they lived as a family with his two older half-sisters until they became independent. Antuan stated that his sisters had vocal talent and while each aspired to pursue entertainment careers, their lives went in other directions. His mother sang in the church choir. He sang in the choir there since he was a little boy and joined his school choir in middle school. As a kid, Antuan was a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme and dreamed of making movies as a  martial arts actor. At ten, he took Tae Kwon Do, earning his black belt in just two years. His instructor, recognizing his talent, offered him a scholarship to increase his class time. This led to competing in the Junior Olympics, with an eye toward the US Olympic team, expected to open up to Tae Kwon Do a few years later, but Antuan burned out. At the risk of disappointing his mother and instructor, he decided to stop. Mom was very supportive. His instructor tried to offer accommodations to make it work, but Antuan stood his ground. MTV was coming onto the scene. Antuan loved Janet Jackson’s music videos and would mimic her moves. He aspired to become one of her backup dancers. He got involved in school plays, musical theater to be exact. Antuan loved it, although he learned about how unfair the world could be, especially to a young black male trying to get cast in musicals that were originally written for all white characters. Throughout high school and college, he learned how to navigate numerous disappointments, painfully and yet, with hope. As the author of , a TEDx speaker, and Soldier of Love, Antuan has more than 20 years of experience in musical theater. He champions light, love, and joy for others. His passion and purpose are to empower people to live a whole life, where mistakes can exist, fear isn't debilitating, and vulnerability is not a weakness. In this week’s learn more about Antuan’s journey: Antuan has worked as a singer, dancer, choreographer, and actor on cruise ships, in theme parks, regional theater, and on Broadway. A sexual violence survivor, Antuan is on the Advisory Council for the Office of Victim Services of New York, has given many keynote addresses, spoke on a panel at the Men's Sexual Assault Summit, and at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Learn more and connect with Antuan here:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/antuan-raimone/ https://www.facebook.com/antuan.raimone/ https://twitter.com/AntuanRaimone https://www.thesoldieroflove.us/

This week’s Work from the Inside Out podcast is a little different than usual. Two of my previous guests, Corey Blake and Gen Georget, returned to share the work they have been doing to help people clarify their purpose through the transformative powers of storytelling. Corey and Gen lead The Roundtable Storytelling Academy, which offers a series of transformational online courses that helps participants find their superpowers and articulate their origin story so they can step into their purpose, and redefine the relationship they hold to the narrative of their lives. I recently completed the 11-week storytelling course myself and can testify that it was an enlightening learning experience on so many levels.  Together, Corey and Gen, and RTC are on a mission to share how powerful telling your story can be.  Corey began his storytelling career as an actor, starring in one of the . In 2006, he created (RTC). Corey spearheaded the conversion of best-selling business books into comic books with authors like Tony Hsieh, Marshall Goldsmith, Chris Anderson, and Robert Cialdini. That effort landed him in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Wired, Inc., and Forbes magazines. RTC’s clients have included Microsoft, Workday, Magoosh, Zappos, and ADP. Gen Georget is an executive editor at RTC and a successful author in her own right. She is the coauthor of with Earthkind CEO Kari Warberg Block. Gen’s own book, , was named 2020 Book of Year for the Ottawa FACES Magazine Awards. Gen’s writing and photography have been featured in The Good Mother Project, Oprah.com, Simplify Magazine, Her View from Home, The Good Men Project, Real Leaders Magazine, and Addicted2Success and she boasts her own online community of more than 35,000 followers.  In this week’s learn more about RTC’s Storytelling Academy: RTC is also offering four mini-courses open to the public: My Powerful Purpose, Asking Powerful Questions, Heroes Journey Crash Course and Beyond Active Listening. Corey and Gen have facilitated storytelling courses with in-tact teams in corporations,  resulting in significant business, interpersonal, and individual growth. Learn more and connect with Corey and Genevive here:

When Fran Hauser was just 6 years old, she would prepare the invoices for her father’s landscaping business. Her mother was a seamstress and had a tailoring shop where she spent a lot of time. The oldest of four children, she would provide translation for her parents, both small business owners, as neither of them spoke English. Fran observed the way her parents warmly engaged their customers using nonverbal communication and gives them credit for shaping her own development as a compassionate leader. Fran studied public accounting in college and climbed the corporate ladder in finance roles, eventually moving into leadership roles in the media industry. Today, she is a startup investor, long-time media executive, author, and champion of women and girls. Through her investing, writing, and speaking, Fran works to level the playing field for women. Her list of accomplishments is impressive but as you’ll hear, what’s most impressive is how she’s navigated her career while staying true to herself and inspiring others to do the same.  Fran has invested in over 30 female-founded companies, written two books to help women realize their full career potential, and delivered over 200 talks. Much of her current work is informed by the 20 years she spent in corporate as both a C-suite executive and a mentor to hundreds of women. Fran’s new book, an engaging workbook,  is quickly becoming the go-to resource for women seeking more joy and fulfillment in their careers. In fact, I found it so compelling that I included it in the resources section of my book. In this week’s learn more about Fran’s journey: Fran’s first book, has been translated into six languages and was named “Best Business Book of the Year, 2018” by Audible. She suggests that when you are feeling hesitant to engage in the networking process just think of one person you believe is really interesting and reach out to that individual to get started. Learn more and connect with Fran here:

Sonja Price did not know what she wanted to be when she grew up, yet she was always a curious person who enjoyed learning new things. When the time came to attend college she studied psychology because she was interested in people. Then Sonja transferred to a school in Tennessee and studied music management. A variety of interests and seven transfers followed in which she studied, architecture, photography, and video. Sonja began creating documentary films and started to think about pursuing it as a career. She was about three-quarters on her way toward earning her bachelor’s degree and was considering her next steps. As much as she loved filmmaking, Sonja had to face the reality that she had no solid plan for making money to support herself. Rather than just finish college without a plan, Sonja decided to take a ‘professional break’. She got a job working for a tech start-up and this opportunity opened her up to a whole new world. She stayed there for five years and learned more than she could ever imagine as she was able to fill a variety of roles there as the company’s needs changed rapidly. From there, she went to work for a larger company doing usability engineering and product testing. Within those years, Sonja completed her undergraduate degree and earned a master's degree in leadership and organizational development as she was fascinated by the dynamics of people within the workplace. Sonja has since worked in several industries, including management consulting. All these professional experiences culminated in her decision to become a career coach.  “I just like to see life as this very exciting adventure. And that's constantly this evolutionary process of what's the growth path in front of me right now? What are the skills that I can be working on? What's the next thing for me? What do I want to be working towards? We found through research that when you have something out on the horizon to look forward to, that actually can help create a greater sense of happiness and satisfaction in your life.” Today, Sonja is the Chief Career Strategist and Founder of Dynamo Careers. She is passionate about empowering people to become financially free, achieve every item on their bucket list, and make a positive impact on the topics that matter most to them.  In this week’s learn more about Sonja’s journey: Sonja has worked with a wide range of clients including Amazon, AT&T, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks, and a number of growing start-up organizations. She is a Certified Career and Executive Coach. Learn more and connect with Sonja here:

Megan Leatherman is the founder and director of A Wild New Work, an ecological career development agency based in the Pacific Northwest. As a career coach, mother, writer, podcast host, and amateur ecologist, Megan has helped thousands of professionals reconnect to their strengths and to what deeply matters to them. She has a Master’s degree in conflict resolution, and a background in Human Resources, and believes that our work can be a spiritual practice. Megan grew up in Oregon, the oldest of 5 siblings. She recalls being observant of the dynamics all around her in her large family and taking in the environment of the large property her family lived on in the country. She loved wandering in the woods and taking in the natural environment. Today she blends the theme of the seasons with her coaching model to guide clients through the process of change and growth. In this week’s learn more about Megan’s journey: Megan worked in HR and found herself bone-tired all the time working in an open office environment. She came to realize that she is a highly sensitive person which means she processes stimuli very deeply and it was taking a toll on her nervous system. She practices meditation and journaling consistently in order to remain grounded and focused in her work and relationships that lead to productive engagements. Learn more and connect with Megan here: ()

As far back as he can remember Travis Scott has always called himself a plant nerd. Growing up in a small town in Indiana, he loved spending time outside in nature and in the public library where he would pour through books about plants and science. Travis thought he would pursue a career in landscape architecture but in college, he decided to major in environmental science.  Travis’ career has been anything but linear. He has taken several diverse turns along the way into environmental consulting with the Department of Defense, sales and account management, corporate recruitment, and, for the past decade-plus, marketing - specifically marketing and sales operations. The kinds of companies Travis has worked at are equally diverse including startups (Jobster), Fortune 500 companies (Microsoft, Comcast, and Booking.com), and private companies (technology, steel, hospitality, supply chain and distribution).  Today, Travis is the Founder of RainierDigital, a consultancy helping companies solve interesting operational problems in marketing and sales.  In this week’s learn more about Travis’ journey: Travis is currently enrolled in Washington State University's Master Gardener Program.   He is the author of .  Learn more and connect with Travis here:

The oldest of four sisters, Anwin Mbah always thought she should set the example as the responsible one. Growing up in a sheltered diplomatic household, her father worked for the Cameroonian embassy and her mother was a homemaker, who received a stipend to run the household wherever they lived across the globe. Anwin shared that her parents slotted her and each of her sisters into four careers. She was the designated medic, her next sister was the designated lawyer, the one after that was an engineer, and the last one was an architect. Anwin went to university in London, and began her studies in medicine. Since she was 18, Anwin could apply for a credit card, her first taste of freedom. Unfortunately, she took more than a few bites, applying for multiple cards, and maxing out every one of them. It all caught up with her when her car was repossessed and she had to borrow money from her younger sister to pay her electric bill.  She was supposed to be the big sis. How low could she go? Thus began her financial education. Anwin also admitted to her parents that she was not interested in becoming a doctor.  Today, she helps successful driven businesswomen who are struggling with the overwhelm of gaining control of their finances to attain financial independence.  Anwin is a certified Business Wealth Strategist, Gender/Racial Wealth Gap Advocate, and founder of . Having 10 years of experience with major banks in Europe to implement systems that make them a lot of money, she's uniquely placed to help women understand their finances and develop systems that help them build wealth, achieve financial security, and the freedom they are looking for. In this week’s learn more about Anwin’s journey: Anwin finished university with a degree in biomedical research and then pursued her career in finance. She attended boarding school in Italy and only visited Cameroon to see family so it never felt ‘like home’ there. Today, she lives in Florida. Learn more and connect with Anwin here: 

Janine MacLachlan is on a mission to get ideas heard. She’s a communications strategist with deep experience in brand positioning and business storytelling. Janine works with executives and aspiring leaders in the areas of executive visibility, thought leadership and essentially helps them get out of their own way. How many of us would like a little help with that? Growing up in Saginaw, Michigan with three siblings, she admits that they have different childhood memories than she does because while they were outside in the yard playing ball, she was in her room absorbed in her reading. Janine loved books. She also wrote lots of stories and sketched pictures to go along with them. In fact, when her parents downsized their home a few years ago, they gave her a box full of the stories she authored as a kid. In college, she majored in journalism, working as an editor for the university newspaper. Upon graduation, Janine went to work for a public relations agency where she was able to get a wide range of experience.  After several job and geographic moves, Janine became the Director of Marketing and Communications for the American Dental Association in Chicago. She remained there for nine years when she decided to start her own communications firm.  Today, Janine is a regular contributor to in the area of leadership strategy, where she has interviewed executives from AbbVie, Microsoft, and 3M, as well as authors, and academics. In this week’s learn more about Janine’s journey: Janine is an activator at SheEO, a multi-national organization that provides loans and mentoring to women-owned businesses that support the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. An advocate for women at work, she is president of the Chicago chapter of Ellevate, a global network of professional women. Janine authored a book published by the University of Illinois Press, called where she traveled to eight Midwestern states to visit farmers' markets, meet farmers, interview chefs, and food artisans. She did all the photography, too. Her background in public relations enabled her to put together the book in a way that she could tell stories about sustainable food production, as well as the people who sell beautifully grown food at farmers' markets. Learn more and connect with Janine here:

Gaurav Bhatnagar and Mark Minukas are the founders of Co-Creation Partners, a firm that advises, consults, and coaches senior leaders and their teams on how they can design improvement programs and harness the talent and creativity of their people to achieve better business results. They focus on how people show up, communicate, problem-solve, and lead to determine how large the gap is between strategy and execution.  Together Gaurav and Mark researched and authored a book, . They suggest we have two superpowers: the power of imagination, and the power of language, which we use to craft our future. In our imagination, we see fear as something bad that we need to protect against, and as a result, we show up in a certain way. Yet, if we imagine it as an opportunity for learning, shifting the language to ‘unfear,’ it gives us a whole new avenue, partnering with fear to explore new ideas, opening a way for making choices and decisions. Gaurav and Mark had each been helping organizations transform their business performance for over 15 years prior to working together. Previously, Mark served in the Navy, working as an engineer, and then joined McKinsey as a business analyst, progressively elevating his role for several years. He and Gaurav first met partnering on a project there. Gaurav was an external vendor who did mindset and organizational culture work, while Mark brought operations expertise to the project. Initially, Mark was very skeptical about Gaurav’s work, concerned that he might actually harm their project. Interestingly, Mark’s view of Gaurav’s contributions to their work quickly changed. Soon after they completed the work, Mark left McKinsey to start his own consulting firm, and periodically, he and Gaurav would collaborate on projects. A few years later, they officially joined together at Co-Creation Partners. In this week’s learn about Gaurav’s and Mark’s journeys: Gaurav and Mark each bring their strengths to combine into a cohesive team at Co-Creation Partners. They see that there are two parts to everything: there's a being part and a doing part. Mark is very good about creating discipline around systems and the corresponding implementation. Gaurav’s strength is helping people shift their mindset, and presence, into solid behaviors. Learn more and connect with Gaurav and Mark here:

Eric Vernsten was a kid when the OJ Simpson trial was on TV. He and his older brother would watch it daily and on Friday nights, along with his family, he consumed a lineup of crime programs, such as Dateline. Eric was a talker. He liked to tell jokes and argue with people too. It occurred to him that law school might be in his future, but as he moved through high school, and then college, he turned his attention towards pro sports management. During the summer between his junior and senior college years, he got an unpaid marketing internship with the Austin Toros (now the Austin Spurs) after sending his resume to every NBA minor league team. His parents gave him $500 to get settled in Austin and he jumped into it, as he put it. In the off-hours, he worked as a wine sampler in liquor and grocery stores and waited tables. The following summer, after graduation, he was invited back to Austin to do season ticket sales, a paid role. Within a few weeks, Eric realized he hated the work. He still had law school on his mind and pivoted in that direction, moving back to his college town to live with a friend and study for the LSAT. Like the experience of many 20-somethings, Eric reflects on these decisions as big life lessons. He didn’t get into law school the first time–another life lesson. Eric was not easily deterred. He applied again and earned dual JD/MBA degrees. After graduation, he landed in the wealth management field at a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs and while it sounds glamorous, it was not without its bumps and scrapes. He passed the bar exam but he was not getting any legal experience so he started to do volunteer legal work. Then a friend suggested he apply to the Army National Guard for a legal role. Eric got an offer and took a leave from his wealth management job to train with the Army. Once on board, he was one of a few lawyers who was tapped on January 6, 2021, to be on-site in Washington D.C. to deal with the aftermath of the insurrection.  Eric did not return to his corporate role. Today, he is a prosecuting Assistant State’s Attorney in Winnebago County, Illinois. His newest job is father to a nine-month-old baby boy. In this week’s learn more about Eric’s journey: Building off his earlier career in wealth management Eric recently opened his own business as a Financial Advisor. This is a side gig for him. He dabbles in stand-up comedy and improv in his “spare” time. Learn more and connect with Eric here:

unlocks the power of human connection wherever she goes. She is an instructional designer, creating and facilitating engaging and interactive career development learning experiences to help workplaces build cultures of connection and inclusion, and students and professionals build careers of meaning.  As a former senior manager at Salesforce, she brought more than one hundred employees together from two internal teams by blending their unique strengths to create a training app that has helped more than ten thousand customers. Over her thirteen-year career, Rebecca has brought out-of-the-box marketing and community-building strategy to more than fifty brands in industries such as financial services, media, hospitality, nonprofit, and tech.  In addition to inviting Rebecca to be my podcast guest, I included her best-selling book in the resources section of my recently released book, . I believe she offers a highly valuable guide to readers seeking fresh ways to engage in their professional relationships and extended networks.  Today, Rebecca has assimilated her experiences into five actionable steps, known as to fill a confidence and education gap. As people grow their careers, they will have the tools to feel empowered, and build high-quality, mutually beneficial professional relationships that don’t just lead to jobs but also strengthen the collective efforts that drive positive organizational change and leadership. In this week’s learn more about Rebecca’s journey: At the age of twenty-six, Rebecca was named a Rising Star Finalist in the 2012 Austin Business Journal Women of Influence awards after founding a successful small-business marketing consultancy, helping more than twenty-five local businesses, startups, and nonprofits reach new audiences. Rebecca established the first social media policies for the State of Texas at Texas.gov in 2010, and she authored an award-winning blog, The Rebeccammendations.  Learn more and connect with Rebecca here: Contact Rebecca to set up a workshop: Rebecca@theknockmethod.com

Jens Heitland is an entrepreneur, connector, innovation culture expert, business adviser and the CEO of . In 2019, he stepped out of his role as Global Head of Innovation for IKEA Centres with the goal to find ways to empower people to innovate in large organizations. Jens founded Heitland Innovation on the basis that it would not be the usual consulting company. His mission is to build approaches to engagement that inspire people to innovate while delivering business results. Having worked in large corporations for over fifteen years, Jens experienced a wide range of ways (positive–negative) that innovation is utilized in organizations. He found that the key factors contributing to his most positive experiences were how people were empowered during change initiatives and the innovation mindset within the organization. You might wonder, where did Jens get his start? Born and raised in Germany, he began his career at sixteen as an electrician. In Germany, students complete high school in 10th grade and begin to focus their education and vocational goals. Jens worked in construction and facilities management for many years. He evolved into higher levels of responsibility, expanding his skills, and was recruited to IKEA where he spent twelve years advancing from managing one store to overseeing innovation strategies and initiatives on a global level for the whole company.  Jens thrives on a good challenge that stretches his abilities and pushes him to develop new skills and gain additional knowledge. And over the years he has done this across Europe working in Sweden, Russia, Spain, and Germany. In this week’s learn more about Jens’ journey: At 21, Jens was obliged to serve his country, either in the military or take a social service assignment. He chose the latter and you will never be able to guess what he ended up doing but it became a significant turning point in his life. Jens hosts his own where he interviews inspiring people to connect the dots between innovation and entrepreneurship. I was his guest for He is the co-founder of several businesses such as Ai- Fortuna, , and the reverse mentorship platform .  Learn more and connect with Jens here:

Dr. Ruth Gotian is one of the most interesting women I have ever gotten to know. I could tell you about her extraordinary academic and professional accomplishments, and you might agree with me, but I am not even referring to that. What really strikes me is how she describes her grandmother and the profound impact their relationship has had on her life.  Even though they were two generations apart, Ruth shared that she and her grandmother were like sisters. Her grandmother was a pharmacist, having attended Columbia University's pharmacy school as one of 13 women in a class with 300 men. Ruth described her as “...this five foot tall with heels powerhouse. And she is the one who taught me how to stand up for what you believe in, while still looking like a lady.” Drawn to her values of achievement, family, and community, they talked every day. Ruth didn’t realize the extent to which her grandmother was a role model until she was in her 40s.   Today, Ruth is the Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine. In 2021, she was selected as one of 30 people worldwide to be named to the Thinkers50 Radar List, dubbed the Oscars of management thinking, and by August, was shortlisted as the top eight emerging management thinkers in the world.  In addition to publishing in academic journals, Ruth is a regular contributor to Forbes and Psychology Today where she writes about ‘optimizing success’. Her research is about the mindset and skillset of peak performers, including Nobel laureates, astronauts, and Olympic champions. Her book, just came out in January 2022. In this week’s learn more about Ruth’s journey: Ruth discovered through her research that all peak performers have four things in common, the first one being that they are intrinsically motivated; there's a fire from within why they do what they do, they're not doing it for external validation or promotion. She has been hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. Learn more and connect with Ruth here:

The moment I met Judy Schoenberg and Linda Lautenberg, the co-founders of something clicked within me. It actually gave me goosebumps. I was inspired by the synchronicity of how they met, and the way they blended their strengths to create EvolveMe. The impact they are having on the careers and lives of mid-career women is tremendous.  EvolveMe is a multi-faceted program for mid-career women who are re-entering the workforce in the social impact sector. Linda and Judy developed EvolveMe’s proprietary DARE© Method of Career Reinvention to help cohorts of high achieving women attain clarity, gain confidence, and launch the best chapter of their professional lives. The organization’s values of collaboration, growth, change, optimism, and authenticity are threaded through all they do. Combining their distinct backgrounds has been part of the secret sauce behind the success of EvolveMe. Judy is a former national executive for the Girl Scouts of the USA and Linda is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Prior to her own professional reinvention, she led a highly successful career in real estate finance and securitization. Linda had stepped away from her career to raise her family and after several years wanted to focus on herself again. She knew that she needed structure to figure it out and found a program for women re-entering the workforce. There, she met Judy who had joined the program a few months earlier upon her own decision to return to the workforce. Eventually, the agency overseeing the program asked Judy and Linda if they would take over the program to reinvent it. They worked so well together and determined that the need to support women in mid-life career transitions was so great, they created EvolveMe. In February 2022, EvolveMe is offering the , a live 12-week, interactive virtual program with a group of women in midlife career transition, who are returning to work or pivoting careers. A few spots remain open. You can schedule a free to see if it's a fit for you. In this week’s learn more about Linda and Judy’s journey: The women they work with describe the EvolveMe experience as “the best professional decision they’ve ever made.” They have been featured in Forbes.com, CNN.com, Reuter’s World at Work, The Washington Post, at White House events, and in Fairygodboss.com and the Ellevate Network.    Learn more and connect with EvolveMe Linda and Judy here:

As far back as she can recall, Melody Wilding remembers feeling different. She was always very observant and tuned into her environment, feeling affected by all the stimuli around her while other kids seemed unfazed by most of it. Melody was an excellent student all the way through to college where she was valedictorian of her class, yet she still felt disconnected most of the time. As a corporate working professional, she pushed herself so hard that in her late 20s she experienced a serious period of burnout. As Melody took the time to recover, she began writing, discovering more about herself and how she could help others who had similar struggles.  Today, she is an author, speaker, and coach who helps her clients to deal with their inner critics, overthinking, and impostor syndrome so that they can enjoy life more. Personally and professionally, I am a big fan of her book, . Melody was recently named one of Business Insider’s Most Innovative Coaches for her groundbreaking work on “Sensitive Strivers”. Melody is a licensed social worker with a Masters’s from Columbia University and a professor of Human Behavior at Hunter College. In this week’s learn more about Melody’s journey: Melody has been featured in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal and is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and Forbes.  Her clients include CEOs, C-level executives, and managers at top Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Amazon, and JP Morgan, among others. Learn more and connect with Melody here: My book:

Dr. Carol Parker Walsh’s early life was split between two narratives. Her parents divorced when she was twelve, then Carol and her mother moved from Menlo Park, California to the south side of Chicago. Carol described her father, with who she remained in close contact, as “a feminist before his time”. He encouraged her to seek a vocation she loved and not let anyone else make choices for her. Her mother painted a different picture for her future, urging her to find a husband to take care of her. Carol always leaned more toward her father’s sense of independence and ambition. What followed was a journey with a few bad bosses, lots of curiosity, and a deep love of learning. During her college years, Carol worked in a variety of jobs and as a matter of course, she had some “really bad bosses who were unfair, unethical, and too harsh.” She decided she wanted to do something that really helps people protect themselves from those types of situations. She was considering law school so she went to work as a legal assistant in a law firm to learn more about the profession. She was fascinated by the work and decided to go to law school. Later, she focused on labor law, becoming the chief counsel for the Oregon Nurses Association. She was so highly regarded for her work on behalf of the nurses that she was invited to provide organizational consulting and join the faculty at the affiliated hospital and university system, the Oregon Health and Science University. She decided to go for a Master's Degree in organizational consulting as it matched her nature and values more so than law. Once she was in the master’s program, she was recruited to progress to the Ph.D. program. Today, Carol works with highly driven female professionals and entrepreneurs to amplify their visibility and do the meaningful work they’re want to do in the world. She’s a certified career and personal brand strategist, life and executive coach, a TEDx presenter, author, international keynote speaker, Forbes Coaches Council member, Newsweek’s Expert Forum contributor, and a local career expert on the AM Northwest Morning Show. In this week’s learn more about Carol’s journey: Carol studied opera at the Chicago Conservatory of Music in Chicago. She was in a near-fatal car accident just before her fiftieth birthday. It opened her up to what's important and how she was making choices in her career. It took six years, multiple surgeries, and a lot of therapy before she was able to say, “I’m ok”. Learn more and connect with Carol here: 

Dr. Kim Cantergiani has been called Unstoppable Kim for her consistent ability to turn tragedy into triumph. An expert in human behavior and transformation, she “walks the walk” of overcoming obstacles, putting strategic and massive plans into action.  Born to teenaged parents, Kim ran away from her chaotic home life at 15. By 18 she was a divorced mother of two children. What followed were fearful years of struggle, always trying to make ends meet. Kim had four more children whom she parented alone.  At 40, Kim returned to school and proceeded to earn five degrees, including a Ph.D., and multiple certifications, including her credentials with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as a Certified Professional Coach. Kim has leveraged her personal experiences and education to learn everything she could about the art and science of positive psychology, personal development, and peak performance to become a much sought-after expert in human behavior and the potential to change their circumstances. She is committed to helping people live their highest vision and accelerate their path to success in business and life. Kim has a passion for helping budding entrepreneurs create thriving businesses by following a proven and evidence-based blueprint she has used with hundreds of clients. In February 2022, Kim will be starting a 16-week women’s entrepreneurship course. The group will offer accountability, support, motivation, and the energy of the collective process to help participants advance their vision by creating goals and plans to move their businesses forward.  Kim offers the combination of synergy and accountability which helps participants to advance their business goals in a much faster period of time. For more info, check the show notes on my website for links. In this week’s learn more about Kim’s journey: Even though she dropped out of high school, Kim passed an equivalency exam at 14 years old, earning her high school diploma. Kim won the prestigious Body-for-Life Challenge after losing more than 70 lbs. and was featured in People magazine and other national publications Learn more and connect with Kim here: 

When Dr. Bob Nelson was in sixth grade, he was living in France, where on January 6 they celebrate Three Kings’ Day by eating a cake that has a special trinket hidden in one piece. That year, Dr. Bob got the piece with the trinket, making him king for the day. He remembers feeling important and that everything he did that day seemed extra special. Reflecting on that experience he says reminds him to make the most of every opportunity to have a positive impact. He was raised in a family with strong work ethics and people who have worked with Dr. Bob have commented on his solid determination and expansive resourcefulness. Dr. Bob knew from a young age that he wanted to express himself in writing and as a speaker even though he is a self-described introvert. He had a teacher in high school who encouraged him to write and he participated on his high school debate team even though it made him very anxious. Later he became active in Toastmasters to get more comfortable with speaking.  Today, Dr. Bob helps organizations, executives, and managers better recognize, engage and retain their employees. He is considered a leading advocate for employee recognition and engagement worldwide. Dr. Bob has worked with 80 percent of the Fortune 500 and presented on six continents. He has written over 30 books, including , , , , , and his latest book: Dr. Bob has been featured in the national and international media including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, CBS 60 Minutes, MSNBC, ABC, PBS, and NPR about how best to motivate today’s employees. He is passionate about employee engagement. In this week’s learn more about Dr. Bob’s journey:   Dr. Bob has sold over 5 million books. He worked as a shipping clerk in a bookstore because he wanted to learn more about writing and the publishing business even though he already had his MBA Learn more and connect with Dr. Nelson here: 

Roxana Radulescu grew up in Bucharest, Romania when it was in the communist bloc. She said that meant you couldn't be who you wanted to be because you had to conform to a way where everybody was supposed to be equal. As we know from the novel 1984, some were more equal than others ... a different definition of equal.  Roxana was a painfully shy kid. Her kindergarten teacher sent a report to her 1st-grade teacher, labeling her antisocial. She had no school friends either and hated going there. That summer she went to camp and things opened up for Roxana. She found her voice there. Back in school, during the communist period, the environment remained strict. Once communism fell in her early teen years, Roxana discovered MTV! She decided she wanted to be a DJ. As she entered high school, Roxana refocused her aspirations to become a lawyer, but her mother said, “No, no no you can’t be talking to criminals all day.” Still, Roxana found the law intriguing yet she studied foreign languages and literature at university. Ironically, her first job after graduation was an administrative role with an international law firm.   The law firm went through some changes and one day Roxana overheard the head of HR saying that they were in need of a person to do learning and development across the firm. Nervously, she approached the head of HR suggesting that she would be happy to take over that role. The HR person agreed and thus began Roxana’s career as a learning and development professional. Nine years later, she moved to Canada and started her business.  Roxana is the Founder and Chief Game-Changer of a Canadian leadership consulting company. Unlike other people leadership programs that focus on top executives, Roxana's programs focus on millennials who are at the beginning of their people leadership journey. She works with millennial corporate mid-managers & small business CEOs to help them build top-notch people leadership skills, knowledge & strategies so that they can confidently fast-track their journey to become dream bosses and build dream teams! In this week’s learn more about Roxana’s journey:   Roxana is a TEDx speaker, host of the , and live show host. She is also a Certified Learning & Development and HR Professional, Master Coach, Online and Classroom Course Designer & Facilitator. Learn more and connect with Roxana here: 

When Dr. Isabel Hunsinger was five, her mother gave her the game, Operation. We talked about the buzzer sound that occurred if the game’s tweezers touched the sides of the openings in the “patient”. And the nose would light up in red too. It was either a game you loved or found unnerving. Isabel loved it. Isabel had an uncle from Cuba who was an anesthesiologist and she absolutely adored him. She said he would walk into the room and light it up. Isabel’s love for her uncle sparked her interest in medicine from a very young age. Or was it the Operation game?  When her parents divorced, Isabel went to live with her father in Buenos Aires, Argentina until she graduated from high school. Then, she returned to the U.S. and got a job on an organic farm in Pennsylvania. She was still thinking about medicine but also had a keen interest in agriculture, and began college intending to major in it. After one year, she realized it was not for her. Isabel left school, and moved to Boulder, Colorado where she got a job waiting tables. There, she had a defining moment, as she refers to it, “I was serving a cocktail and some guy pinched my bottom. And I said, I will never put up with this again. I'm going to become a doctor.“ Isabel has been a medical doctor since 1991 and over time, she grew unhappy with the U.S.  healthcare system. She wants to get to the root of diseases, not just throw a Band-Aid on them. Her goal is to see people healed. In 2000, Isabel, her husband, and their two young daughters moved to New Zealand to experience a different culture. She hoped to find a better system of care there but that was not the case.  With her husband, Culinary Nutrition Expert, Chef Michael, Isabel has created the brand , where they prevent and reverse disease, and give hope.  In this week’s learn more about Isabel’s journey: Isabel has been offering tele-medicine for the past seven years including online courses and 1-to-1 coaching. She focuses on Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Cognitive Decline, Anxiety, Depression, Diabetes. Learn more and connect with Isabel here: 

Susanna Harkonen grew up in Finland and close to the Russian border. It was a time when there was limited exposure to the outside world unless you knew someone who was traveling. Susanna’s father traveled for work and he would come home sharing stories, wonderful gifts, and an openness to the world. At a time when people did not hop on planes so easily, she found herself eager to travel and explore new places.  Susanna was fascinated by history, loved poetry, and aspired to study Egyptology until one of her university professors told her to “get real” and think about what she could study to create a profession. She went to business school and ended up following in her father’s footsteps, making sure she chose a career that would enable her to travel and live around the world. Susanna, like her father, went into the supply chain field and she has absolutely no regrets. That work enabled her to work in a number of industries during the fifteen years she spent in the corporate world. On the less glamorous side of being an international business person, Susanna spent a great deal of time in Asia where people worked very long days, maintaining a “work hard, play hard” routine. This was not her scene and it limited her options for keeping herself in balance as she has once before experienced a serious episode of burnout. Susanna found a volunteer opportunity with a counseling helpline that offered comprehensive training and she loved it. From there she decided to get a counseling degree and pivot her career towards the mental health field. Today, Susanna is a Registered Counselor, who specializes in mental health & wellness at work in Geneva,  Switzerland. Her training programs help organizations improve mental wellness, management, and care.  In this week’s learn more about Susannah’s journey: Early in her college days, Susanna was in an accident and had a near-death experience in which she saw her entire life up to the point reviewed in front of her. As a result, she determined that everything happens for a reason and when having a less than a great day, she reminds herself that life is not perfect. Learn more and connect with Susanna here: 

Leslie Ehm told me she came into the world kicking, screaming, and was “a lot of human”. She was a challenge from day one, didn't like to follow the rules, and was precocious, doing everything early and fast. Fortunately, Leslie had an amazing mother who encouraged her to embrace her energy, passion, creativity, and wild child nature. And Mom never talked to her about the benefits of putting herself in a box. Both of Leslie’s parents were entrepreneurs. Her father was a Holocaust survivor. She was taught to do what she felt, to recognize her power, her purpose, to go after it, and not let anything stop her. At 19, Leslie packed it all up and moved to the UK from her home in Montreal. She didn't know a soul there, had nothing in place, and went to pursue her dreams of being a singer because she was in love with all things British and British music. Leslie ended up living there happily for 17 years. Over that time she continually leaned into all kinds of opportunities as one thing led her to the next. Her music partner also worked in the film industry. He got her involved in the film industry and Leslie worked as a script analyst, then eventually as a script editor and a script doctor for companies like Miramax. She ended up working as a TV host for many years, through as she puts it, a happy accident. Leslie was developing TV ideas and had made connections in the industry. Whenever she would go and pitch, Leslie would bring her full self to the party, as she explained,” I'm a very go big or go home kind of girl.” On one of these occasions, she was pitching a TV idea to a big production company in the UK and the guy who owns the company said you know, you should be on camera. They hired Leslie and gave her a talk show.  Now, it wasn't as easy as it sounds, but it’s all true. Leslie is a big proponent of recognizing your transferable skills and worrying less about your resume. She suggests that you look at what you are good at and go from there. For her, it became writing and storytelling which eventually translated into copywriting work and leadership as a creative director.  Today Leslie is a Swagger Coach and training guru who has discovered the secret to tapping into your authentic self and turning it into a superpower. She’s also the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of . In this week’s learn more about Leslie’s journey: Leslie has spent the last 14 years traveling the globe, training senior execs and teams from Fortune 100 companies like Google, Pepsico, Uber, Disney, TD Bank, Lenovo, and more.  She has turned technologists into creative forces, bankers into storytellers, and has brought a serious dose of spirit to boardrooms everywhere.  Learn more and connect with Leslie here: 

At 15, Kathy Oneto was going through those big, thick college guides trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Now, she thinks she was just trying to understand herself. Yet, how many of us started on that path thinking we had to figure out what direction we wanted to go in, what major to declare in college, or even what we were passionate about? Kathy told me,   “I don't think the best advice is to tell people to follow your passion. Most of us do not have a singular passion. Some of us do. But for many of us, it ends up resulting in this passion paralysis, or a passion paradox where you start to follow it, but then it is no longer your passion because it's your work. Right?”  Kathy realized that her exploration of the college guide helped her to start identifying areas she might find interesting. In fact, throughout her career, she has chosen growth and learning over comfort and certainty. Kathy’s focused on roles that held her attention or interest, usually because she was learning and engaged. She brings a strategic approach to life and her career.  Today, Kathy is a strategy consultant, advisor, and executive and work-life coach helping clients turn strategy into action and helping professionals build fulfilling, long-lasting careers.   She is the founder of Sustainable Ambition, a coaching and consulting firm, and the host of , which offers content and tools to support professionals building a fulfilling career from decade to decade.  In this week’s learn more about Kathy’s journey:   Over the course of her career, Kathy's worked on the client and agency sides with Fortune 500 and entrepreneurial companies and has been a partner to C-suite and senior leaders. Her writing has been featured in Fast Company, MediaPost, and Branding Magazine, and she has spoken at business schools including Berkeley | Haas and Duke University   Learn more and connect with Kathy here:

Charlotte Japp grew up in a tight-knit family, the oldest of three kids, on the upper west side of New York City. They moved to the US from France when she was two years old. She describes having had a colorful New York cultural upbringing with a lot of museum visits, watching old movies as a family, dining in New York City restaurants, as well as opportunities to travel back to France and other destinations. Her father, who was British, worked in advertising and her mother was in the auction business. Charlotte recalls engaging in a lot of visual and creative activities. Her parents always encouraged them to find things that made them happy. After studying comparative literature, art history, French, and German at Georgetown University, Charlotte started her career in creative marketing, a role that blended copywriting and art direction. Five years later, she moved to Live Nation, the concert and festival company, where she was engaged in experiential marketing and brand partnerships.  Over those years, Charlotte saw the consequences of age segregation in the workplace. She felt that older and younger professionals needed to connect and learn from each other, but had no way to meet. So, as she transitioned to Live Nation, she launched , a company that connects older and younger professionals for mutual personal and professional growth. CIRKEL makes networking across generations seamless, inspiring, and impactful, working with both individuals and corporations to bridge the gap.  You may wonder why would a twenty-something acknowledge this gap between the generations and be that concerned about it to start a new job and a company at the same time? Five years earlier, Charlotte watched each of her parents get pushed out of their corporate jobs after years of accolades and success. She recognized the wisdom they had accumulated and how easily they were discarded, yet they had so much more to offer. In this week’s learn more about Charlotte’s journey: Charlotte was named one of Next Avenue’s 2020 Influencers In Aging and a 2020 Gen2Gen Innovation Fellow. She has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Forbes and spoken internationally about the magic of connecting generations.   Learn more and connect with Charlotte here:

Growing up in Billings, Montana, Michael Leckie was one of those kids that everyone would seek out when they needed to talk about important issues. This sparked his interest in psychology and he thought he would eventually become a psychotherapist. In college, he prepared for that path, but for reasons he cannot explain he lost interest in it. Upon graduation, Michael got what he called the “worst job in the world” working for the county welfare system in Southern California which he experienced as a horribly dysfunctional department.  Interestingly, Michael wondered if he applied his psychology degree to help organizations. He decided to go to grad school for an MBA. One of his first classes was in organizational behavior. The professor was impressed with Michael’s participation and approached him inquiring why he wasn’t enrolled in the MSOD (Master of Science in Organizational Development) degree program. He was completely unfamiliar with that discipline, but once he became aware of it, he withdrew from the MBA and applied for the MSOD. The rest, as they say, is history. Over the past 20 years, Michael has brought leadership and consulting experience to several companies in driving transformation within a digital world. He believes that organizations can only make quality digital transformations by addressing both the social and technical systems of which they are made. Michael has led transformations and cultural change from startups and private equity to small and medium enterprises to fortune 50 companies across a wide variety of industries, and sectors. In the past 15 years, he has focused on the emergence of the increased need for change demanded by our digital world. Michael has loved every minute of it. In this week’s learn more about Michael’s journey: Michael shares his expertise in his book, He speaks internationally on the art and science of leadership, digital leadership, culture change, influencing and communication skills, and the changing role of the CXO leader in a socio-technical world.    Learn more and connect with Michael here: 

The moment I met Simone Knego, I was in awe of her. We were in an intensive public speaking class together earlier in 2021. One of our first assignments was to craft a ‘big idea’ for the speech we would be scripting early in the course. Simone is a walking example of her big idea: We do not need to change who we are, we need to change the way we see ourselves. I discovered that Simone is a best-selling author, speaker, entrepreneur, and mother to six multicultural children. To add to the mix, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds and awareness for the Livestrong Foundation. Do you need to ask? Of course, she made it to the summit. Simone began her professional career as a Certified Public Accountant. But she soon realized that her passion wasn’t numbers—it was helping people. She transitioned into teaching horseback riding lessons, as this was something she enjoyed as a kid while doing some bookkeeping on the side. This led her to return to school to get her teaching credentials in elementary and exceptional education and work with children. She loved teaching but eventually had to leave because her salary was barely enough to cover the babysitter she paid to care for her six children. A friend offered her a job in medical sales which would give her the income and flexibility she needed, so Simone did that for the next eight years. Somewhere in the mix she also got her real estate license and flipped a few houses. Needless to say, there is no grass growing under Simone Knego’s feet! Today, Simone’s desire to help people has expanded into sharing her story and experiences to inspire and motivate others to make a difference in this world. Her book, is a fascinating read in which she shares her journey of adopting three of her six children in foreign countries, her climb of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise cancer awareness, and all of the funny, scary, and inspiring stories that happened along the way.  In this week’s learn more about Simone’s personal and professional journey: Simone instills in her audiences, the powerful lesson that what you do matters, and it's the little things we do each day that make the difference.  She shared a story of a conversation she had with her daughter about body image which offered an important perspective on herself as a parent and as an adult.   Learn more and connect with Simone here: 

Ellen Snee grew up outside of New York City, the oldest of five kids in an Irish Catholic family. On Wednesday nights their parish priest, who was a family friend, would join their family for hot dogs and play cards. One night, Ellen’s devout father asked the priest to bless his children. They all closed their eyes, and he said some prayers. As they were praying, and all was calm, twelve-year-old Ellen decided what she wanted to be. When they were done, she stood up and declared, “When I grow up, I'm going to be a priest!” The room went silent. Years later, Ellen attended a Jesuit university where the curriculum and atmosphere appealed to her. While she knew becoming a priest was not possible, Ellen discovered a group of female Jesuits, the Religious of the Sacred Heart, and joined their order as a nun. She was drawn to this community, dedicated to the mission of education, service, and a life of prayer. It was also a time when work was being done to make it possible for women to become priests. So Ellen was hopeful that it could still occur within her lifetime. Within religious life, Ellen held many positions as a teacher, campus minister, and then pursued her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University.  Ellen left the convent while still in graduate school. She turned the conceptual frameworks from her dissertation on women in roles of authority into the launch of a successful consulting firm, Fine Line Consulting. Before long, she stepped into the corporate sector running leadership and coaching programs for executive women in Fortune 500 companies such as Pfizer, Schwab, Marriott and Goodyear. For 15 years she provided one-to-one coaching to high potential and executive-level women across the country. A move to California in 2001 led her to work in Silicon Valley at the major tech companies such as Apple, Cisco, KPG, and Citrix. In 2009 Ellen was hired by global technology company VMware as VP Leadership Development and Organizational Consulting.  In this week’s learn more about Ellen’s  journey: Ellen is the author of (She Writes Press), in which she shares her wisdom and experience with all talented women seeking to accelerate their careers. She went on to lead Global Talent Development and in 2013 launched VMwomen, a business initiative designed to attract, retain, develop, and advance talented women. Learn more and connect with Ellen here:  /  

Strategic messaging consultant Elaine Bennett never thought of writing as a career even though she had a teacher in high school who ushered her toward an extracurricular class on writing stating, “You're going to be a writer”. Elaine had no intention of becoming a writer. She went off to college, majored in theater with the goal of moving to New York and becoming a director. Arriving in New York, Elaine relied on a skill she had developed in fifth grade, typing. As much as she abhorred it, it eventually opened up some work opportunities that she never would have imagined. Elaine ended up at Salomon Brothers as a temp. ​​She also found work as a sound and light runner for some Off-Broadway shows. Elaine joined a theater group where she directed staged readings of new plays and while it was enjoyable, she wasn't making the professional progress that she wanted to. At that point, she was also doing some writing for herself, pitching articles, and discovered that she loved editing, and copy editing. One day while temping at Salomon Bros., Elaine was sent up to the CEO’s office to write a speech for him on the spot. Gulp … From there, she was offered a permanent role as the CEO’s speechwriter. When scandal forced the executive to resign, Warren Buffett stepped in as interim CEO. Elaine's new boss, Mr. Buffett offered her one of his highest compliments, “You have a terrific ear, and you turn straight thinking into straight writing.” And that's what she's been doing ever since, melding the mind of a business person with the sensibility of an outsider to tell complex stories in a sophisticated but relatable way. Elaine advises clients from Fortune 50 CEOs to entrepreneurs on their messaging. In this week’s learn more about Elaine’s  journey: Elaine creates and delivers training on how to improve the writing of everything from internal communications to speeches.  Her tackles the topic of how language can change the world.  Learn more and connect with Elaine here: 

When Amii Barnard-Bahn graduated from college with an English degree, she didn’t know what she wanted. So she applied to law school. Amii said, “It was kind of a crazy, interesting thing to do.” Attending Georgetown Law School, she tapped the advocate within wanting to impact social change. She worked as an ACLU fellow and took the first LGBT sexual orientation class ever taught at a law school. Amii was the T.A. for Dr. Anthony Cook, a well-known scholar in critical race theory, and served as editor on her law journal. Amii’s piece on the black women’s anti-lynching movement in the 1890s was published in the UCLA Women’s Law Journal, resulting in her coining the term critical race feminism, now used regularly. Upon graduation, Amii worked for a small employment law firm where she had the unique chance to handle both plaintiff and defendant cases. While it was a valuable experience, billable hours, and metrics were not aligned with her values. After three-plus years with the firm, Amii resigned although she did not know what she wanted to do next. She said it was the scariest thing she ever did, but Amii wanted to find a better way to help people.  Amii spent nine months exploring her options, determining that her qualifications and interests were best suited to Human Resources where she could combine her legal background with her dedication to equity, compliance, and ethics. She also pursued her graduate certificate in coaching through the Hudson Institute.  Amii served in executive roles for McKesson, the California Dental Association, and Tetra Tech. Today, Amii's an executive coach and consultant to C suite leaders at global companies like Adobe, and The Gap. Amii guest lectures at Stanford and UC Berkeley, and is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Compliance Week, and is a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Coaching. She developed the Promotability Index Self-Assessment and published that works along with the assessment results. In this week’s learn more about Amii’’s  journey: Amii is recognized by Forbes as one of the top coaches for legal and compliance executives, and she is a member of Marshall Goldsmith 100 coaches.  She testified for the successful passage of the first laws in the US requiring corporate boards to include women.  Learn more and connect with Amii here: 

When Dr. Jeffrey Hull was a little kid he wanted to be Elton John but he realized he could not play the piano well enough. In high school, he took a class called the history of ideas and fell in love with looking at how Western thought and Buddhist Eastern thought had developed. Jeff went on to college, continuing his interest in different worldviews, what is also known as the perennial philosophy. He loved philosophy and wanted to become a university professor, but when he came home on a break and shared his idea with his mother she responded, “Are you out of your mind? That’s not a real job.”  So Jeff pursued a career in business and focused on human resources which tied in with his other interest of his in psychology. He found that his studies in Philosophy informed some of his interactions with people on the job. Jeff worked in a few different companies, the last one being Booz Allen Hamilton where he was promoted to take on global responsibilities at a fairly young age. In his late 30s, he decided to return to school to study psychotherapy and earned his doctorate in clinical psychology. While he loved the education, he realized after practicing psychotherapy for a few years that he preferred the more results-oriented business approach he had experienced in mentoring and coaching people on the job, so he became a coach, focusing on the practical and short-term, transformational activities with clients.  Today, Jeff is the CEO of Leadershift, Inc, a management and leadership development consultancy, and he is also a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and an adjunct professor of leadership at New York University.  In this week’s learn more about Jeff’s  journey: ​​Jeff is the Director of Global Development at Harvard’s Institute of Coaching, a Harvard Medical School affiliate.  He is the author of the best-selling book . Learn more and connect with Jeff here:

At age 9, Dave Fano started collecting comic books because his big brother was into them. Then, he discovered that different editions and collections had value. By 14, he got a job at a comic book store where he also bought and traded his own comic books. For Dave, it was mostly about having fun, and of course, he enjoyed making money. The son of Cuban immigrants, Dave grew up in Miami. In high school, he worked for his Dad’s construction company as an estimator. At graduation, he told his Dad that he wanted to go to art school, to be an artist. Dad said, “That's not a real job. You can't make a living doing that. That's a hard life.” So, at the last minute, Dave applied to college and majored in architecture at Columbia University, seeing it as a compromise between art and the design side of construction. But he knew that it wasn't what he wanted to do. Every step of the way, Dave  wondered, ‘how can I hack this education to be something else?’ As he finished his undergrad degree, he became aware of 3-D digital architecture which appealed to him as he loved technology. Dave applied to Columbia’s highly competitive graduate program in digital architecture and he got in.  Dave worked as an architect while being on the adjunct faculty at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture for a few years. He then co-founded the technology consulting firm CASE in 2008, growing it to 63 employees. They worked with clients such as Google, Disney and Apple. In 2015 CASE was acquired by their client, WeWork, the coworking space company. At WeWork, Dave held the titles Chief Product Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Development Officer, and eventually Chief Growth Officer.  Today, Dave is focusing his passion on empowering people with tools & resources to grow their careers as Founder & CEO of He is on a mission to empower professionals with the guidance and resources they need to make career decisions with confidence.  In this week’s learn more about Dave’s  journey: At WeWork, Dave partnered to launch product lines such as WeWork Enterprise, WeWork HQ, and We Membership.  In under 1 year, the team at Teal has grown the platform & community to over 20,000 users committed to growing their careers. Learn more and connect with Dave here:

As the founder and CEO of Outfield Leadership, Dave McKeown speaks, coaches, and trains organizations to build cultures of authentic, results-driven leadership, moving from execution to excellence. When I heard the name of Dave’s business, I immediately thought of baseball, but then I wondered what would the outfield have to do with leadership? So, of course, I asked him. The first thing you need to know is that while Dave lives in California today, he grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, towards the back end of the turmoil there. Those early years probably influenced his views of leadership and the outfield? Well, you can find out by listening to today’s podcast episode, if you are curious. When he graduated from high school, Dave spent two years doing volunteer work and traveling throughout India, Australia, and the United States. Returning to the UK, he went to Glasgow Scotland to study business and became quickly interested in the human side of business. His Dad was a consultant in the leadership development space which also sparked his interest. After graduation, he worked for the global consulting firm, Accenture in Hong Kong. Later, he moved to become the COO and then President of Predictable Success, a boutique consultancy focusing on helping complex businesses achieve scalability. Dave then moved to the US and joined his Dad’s consulting business. Four years ago he started Outfield Leadership. Today, Dave helps individuals, teams, and organizations achieve results by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. He is also the author of , a practical guide to help you elevate your focus, develop your people, and get more done. In this week’s learn more about Dave’s  journey: ​​Dave writes a weekly column for Inc.com. He enjoys connecting individual and team performance to improved business results with a particular focus on fast-growing, complex organizations. Learn more and connect with Dave here: 

In his twenties, Jeff Gothelf wanted to be a rock star. After college, he spent a year as a sound and lighting tech for the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus. Then he started a band and he worked as a touring musician, playing the piano. For the next few years, he formed and managed several bands. Once he realized that his music career was not going to cover his bills, Jeff, then 26, migrated into the tech world. In those days, you could learn on the job. He was trained in HTML and web design. Over the next nine years, he progressed through a series of roles in different software companies increasing his income, responsibilities, skills and developing his reputation as a UX expert. Then the dot com bubble burst and while he continued to survive in the industry, Jeff knew he needed to do something else. By then he had a young family. Jeff hired a business coach to explore his options. Today, Jeff works as a coach, consultant, and keynote speaker, helping companies bridge the gaps between business agility, digital transformation, product management, and Human-Centered Design. He helps organizations and executives build the cultures that build better products. Through the use of concepts like design thinking, lean, UX, and agile software development, Jeff brings a new approach to running organizations and the departments within them, most recently focusing on human resources, and how they can be more agile as well as supporting agility in the organization. In this week’s  learn more about Jeff’s  journey: Jeff’s most recent book, , was published in June 2020. He is the co-author of the award-winning  and the Harvard Business Review Press book,  Learn more and connect with Jeff here:   

Rebecca Seal is a recovering people pleaser. In her teens and early twenties, she made choices that were based on what she thought other people expected of her. Whether those perceptions were true or not, Rebecca had no idea, but she did feel pressured to get into a prestigious university. She was an excellent student which enabled her to land a spot at the London School of Economics (LSE) to study international relations, which she found challenging for several reasons. At eighteen, Rebecca did not know what she wanted to do, had never been away from home, and was no longer the big fish in a small pond. It was unsettling and painful.  Upon graduation, Rebecca attempted to secure employment with an NGO or the UN, but she could not even get an interview. She returned home to Oxford and waited tables. She felt horribly stuck at the time, but today believes it was a good experience. The lessons learned from the hospitality industry made her a better team player and enabled her to grow as a manager and leader. Rebecca still wanted to pursue her interest in international relations so she returned to London to get her master's at Kings College. In the middle of her program, she got a job at the Observer newspaper, which became her first professional role as a journalist. As she started there thinking she would work as a foreign correspondent, Rebecca became the paper’s food writer and editor for six years. She then departed the paper during a tough economic period and decided to try her hand at being a freelance writer. Twelve years later, Rebecca has authored nine cookbooks and continues to be a freelance journalist mostly writing about food and drink. Additionally, she had the opportunity to host a weekly TV show on Sunday mornings about brunch and related topics for 4 years. Six years ago she had an idea for a book about how to survive working alone, because she was feeling alone as a freelancer: .  In this week’s learn more about Rebecca’s  journey: Rebecca gives talks and workshops, as well as writing articles, on coping with solitary working, to all sorts of people around the world.  She continues to write and publish cookbooks, and to work for UK newspapers. Learn more and connect with Rebecca here:

Early in her career, Dr. Dawn Graham experienced her first wake-up call (and it wasn’t a friendly voice calling from the front desk). Working for the large management consulting company, Arthur Andersen, equipped with her master's degree, she had just taken a new role when the Enron scandal erupted. Dawn was doing everything right but still got laid off along with tens of thousands of others. Then, she did all the wrong things. She only did online job applications and didn't network. Dawn is an introvert by nature. She believed that just doing great work was enough. But now all of her colleagues were laid off, so the people she would have leaned on were not available. Additionally, listing Arthur Andersen on her resume was not positive as people associated her with the scandal.  So, there was Dawn with strong skills from a company that no longer existed, a network that couldn't help, and a brand on her resume that was negative. Dawn didn't talk to people because she felt ashamed. It was hard not to take it personally. Oh… and Dawn was in the middle of a divorce, too. She turned to restaurant work as she knew it well from her younger days and took time to reflect. Dawn also signed up with a temporary agency, which landed her work in an outplacement firm, and there she realized that she was not alone in her fears or pain. Dawn never wanted to feel that kind of pain or fear again and she wanted to create a situation where others would not have to go through those experiences. She decided to go to graduate school for her doctorate in counseling psychology. Today, Dawn is a career switch coach, TEDx Speaker, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, and Host of the popular call-in show “Dr. Dawn on Careers” on SiriusXM Radio (channel 132). She is the Career Director for the Executive MBA Program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In this week’s learn more about Dawn’s  journey: Dawn is the author of which gives people the strategies to overcome obstacles and land the job they want. This book is at the top of my list for people in career transition. She is a regular contributor to Forbes.com under the leadership channel. Learn more and connect with Dawn here: 

Scott Sonnenschein, Ph.D. is the Henry Gardner Simmons Professor of Management at Rice University, and a New York Times best-selling author whose books are translated into over 20 languages. Last year, he co-authored with Marie Kondo. In this week’s podcast, we discuss his book, .  Scott never intended to be an academic, a professor, nor a writer. He studied economics and philosophy in college. In his senior year, Scott followed his siblings’ example by applying and getting accepted to law school. Before he made his final decision Scott met with his University of Virginia mentor who asked him, “What appeals to you about going to law school?” Recalling that decisive moment, Scott shared, “I don't think we take enough time to reflect on our choices. We get into what we believe are socially prescribed pathways for what an acceptable career looks like. I was going down that lane. If it were not for his prodding, I would have gone to law school. I may have enjoyed it, but I doubt it. I'm glad he challenged me.” Scott went to England for a year-long graduate program which fueled his interests in research, organizational psychology, and the quality of people’s day-to-day work experiences. He returned to his mentor, expressing his interest in further graduate school and he said, “No, first get a regular job and see how you like it.” Scott became a strategy consultant in Washington, DC. One year later, he received a call from a recruiter at a Silicon Valley startup. They offered him double his salary, a fancy title, a chance to manage people, and oversight of a seven-figure budget. Scott made the trip out there to check it out and three weeks later, he moved to Silicon Valley. In his book, , Scott calls actions such as this, a chaser, in which individuals or organizations see that more is always the answer to things; i.e. the more people we hire, the faster we grow, or the bigger we get, the better we're going to be. Scott learned that was not the case when the dot com bubble dried up. While he managed to survive four rounds of downsizing, Scott knew he needed a more solid plan. He was ready to go to graduate school. In this week’s learn more about Scott’s  journey:   Scott holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Michigan, a master's in philosophy from the University of Cambridge, and a BA from the University of Virginia. His research, teaching, and speaking have helped fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals in technology, energy, healthcare, retail, education, banking, manufacturing, and nonprofits. Learn more and connect with Scott here: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: Read reviews, post a review or add to your .

Michele Lamoureux has always had a love for people and a deep curiosity about their stories. As a kid, she loved to watch Merv Griffin, Phil Donahue, and later Oprah, thinking she wanted to be a talk show host. Michele knew she wanted to help people and once in college, thought a career in law would meet that goal. She ‘tried it on’ as a paralegal in a major law firm in Boston. She loved it, the people and culture of the firm were vibrant and she felt valued. Then Michele reached a turning point. Should she go to law school? Michele interviewed several partners in her firm to learn more and 90% of them told her not to go to law school, but rather to get her MBA. At 24, the decision against law school was big, yet she wasn’t ready to dive into the MBA.  Michele had a friend who worked as a recruiter and it looked ‘cool’. She was able to get hired placing marketing professionals in high-tech startups. Within no time, Michele hated it, particularly because her boss was a micromanager. She did, however, discover that she liked the marketing roles she was placing candidates in and decided to pursue that angle. Coincidentally, her old law firm was seeking a marketing assistant! It was serendipitous, needless to say. Six months later, her boss took a new job and invited Michele to join her there. This decision was hard but she turned her down as loyalty and integrity were core values. The next day, the partners offered Michele the Director of Marketing role on a probationary basis with a high visibility project on her plate, to produce a high tech conference in Dublin, Ireland. Michele had yet to attend a conference in her career, let alone in another country. Good thing she loved a challenge! Michele calls this her unqualified success. Michele spent over 15 years in corporate America, leading international branding campaigns for professional service firms. Today she is an author, podcast host, speaker, and coach who guides women to own their lives and love themselves. She lives in San Diego, California. In this week’s learn more about Michele’s  journey: Michele hosts podcast, interviewing New York Times best-selling authors, experts, and female entrepreneurs in the areas of business, health, relationships, money, spirituality, and more to guide women to their full potential.  She is the author of the book , Michele teaches self-love as the gateway to all you desire in life. Michele has been a certified empowerment coach for 16 years.  Learn more and connect with Michele here:

John Baldoni is a globally recognized leadership educator, a highly sought-after executive coach, and author of fifteen books that have been translated into ten languages. Impressive, right? John grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio where his mother served as Mayor and today at 92 remains very involved in the community. His maternal grandfather was a Detroit-based news photographer who fueled John’s lifelong love of photography. His father was a physician who went to medical school in Ann Arbor, Michigan where coincidentally John has raised his family for the past thirty years. When his Dad was a fourth-year med student he physically bumped into Dr. Jonas Salk as he was headed to announce his discovery of the polio vaccine. John Baldoni comes from impressive roots, don’t you agree? In addition to his parents, he credits his Jesuit education for instilling the principles of accountability, responsibility, and making a positive difference as being foundational to his life and work as a leadership expert. John’s newest book, , was inspired by his experience playing piano in a hospital lobby (pre-COVID) and unlike his other books, is written in short prose-like pieces, along with his unique approach to black and white photography.  John coaches senior leaders in virtually every industry from pharmaceutical to real estate, packaged goods to automobiles, and finance to health care. In 2021, the International Federation of Learning and Development named him a World-Class Mentor and to its Hall of Fame. Since 2007, Global Gurus has ranked him a Top 30 Global Leadership Expert. Inc.com named John a Top 100 speaker in 2018 and a Top 50 leadership expert in 2014. John is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 coaches, a group of executive coaches and thought leaders from the worlds of business, academia, and social service.  In this week’s learn more about John’s  journey:   John’s other books include , , and . He has authored 800+ online articles in Forbes, Harvard Business Review and Inc.com John produces and appears in a video coaching series for SmartBrief, a news channel with over 4 million readers. He is the host of LinkedIn Live’s Grace Under Pressure interview series. Learn more and connect with John here: 

Gen Georget grew up as an only child of a single mother learning that work was a means to an end. After earning her degree in communications, she’d taken a job at an ice cream shop on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. One day a young woman came into the shop and she recognized Gen from high school. She told her she was leaving her job with one of the members of Parliament and suggested that Gen apply for the role. Three months later, Gen was offered the job, although she claims that she landed it “by accident”. Ironically, her start date was September 10, 2001… the day before 9/11. The job was exciting, very political, and chaotic, requiring long hours. Three years in, Gen had to re-think her situation as her health was suffering. Fortunately, she found a job that was better aligned at the National Gallery. Gen was at the National Gallery for six years, during which she got married and had her first child. The maternity leave policies in Canada are generous, enabling Gen to explore her creative self while home with her first child. She left the National Gallery to be home with her children and to establish a photography business. She focused on many subjects, but in particular, began to shoot weddings. This led to her writing blog posts and stories about the couples. Gen wanted her business to be heart-centered and relational. She found that writing people’s stories created those important connections. Eventually, she added posts about herself, and her life as a mother. Then one day, everything changed… One of her posts went viral. She went to bed with 500 friends on Facebook and woke up to 750 messages. Within three days, she had 5,000 friends and 35,000 followers. It was out of control, but it opened up doors, including the opportunity to write for Oprah.com and her work as an executive editor at the Roundtable Companies, which is how I became connected to Gen. She was my amazing, devoted writing coach for a year while I wrote my book.  Gen has written two books: (2016) and , (2019) which won the 2020 Book of the Year Award for Faces magazine. In this week’s learn more about Gen’s  journey: Gen is a full-time storyteller whose work as a writer, and photographer has been seen on Oprah.com, the Good Mother Project, Love in the Rockies, and Simplify magazine. Learn more and connect with Gen here: 

When Alison Arnoff was in fifth grade her teacher called home to discuss an issue with her parents. Apparently, Alison was making the boys angry because she was always raising her hand in math class before them. Her mother responded by suggesting that she be placed in the advanced class. The teacher said Alison is already there. Her mother had nothing more to offer. Alison shared with me, “...how grateful I am to have been raised by parents that didn't discourage me from being bright and quick, exploring the things that made me happy.” In high school, her physics and calculus teachers introduced her to the field of engineering. She went to college and grad school earning degrees in computer and electrical engineering. Additionally, Alison was a Division I competitive swimmer during her undergrad years. Alison realized that many of her peers were carrying around very different messages with regard to their capabilities, future prospects, and expectations than she had been raised with. She calls these “inherited beliefs”, in that you let other people’s stories become your stories. Her experience as a woman in a highly technical field as engineering made her stand out and presented her with as many opportunities as challenges. As you can imagine, Alison focused on the positive as she always wanted to learn more and was not afraid to dip her toes into new waters. She worked in seven different startups, six of which were successful. After 25 years in industry and startups, Allison stopped having fun because the work felt out of alignment with her values. Instead of focusing on technical sales, she wanted to be of service so she got her coaching certification. She developed a framework for working with clients on their goals while offering room for creative approaches, breakthroughs and growth. Alison helps them positively impact their career by improving their leadership skills and the company’s bottom line by raising productivity, engagement, and retention of their teams.  In this week’s learn more about Alison’s work today: Alison is a thinking partner with her clients, helping them maximize their strengths while identifying their blind spots and biases. She explores all facets of their business, culture, and uniqueness to help them formulate a successful strategy for themselves and their companies. Learn more and connect with Alison here:

Prina Shah was born in Kenya and started her education at a school there that primarily focused on the Indian community as that was how people maintained their safety. At home, however, there were other issues. Prina’s father was an alcoholic and there were traumatic circumstances that caused her mother to move her and her sister to the UK. Prina reflects on that time as her younger self, noting the life lessons she learned about how to build better relationships and thus began her growing fascination with people. Once Prina entered university, she studied sociology and social psychology. While her choice of disciplines felt so right to her, Prina was less clear about what she would do for work once she graduated, so she sought assistance from a career center. She went through four days of psychometric testing and was placed in a two-year human resources development program at British Telecom. Prina experienced every facet of human resources in a rotation style structure during that period and she remained there for two more years before moving to Australia where she focused on organizational development work, as an internal practitioner inside a few organizations and government agencies.  Today, she has her own business as a coach, consultant, and trainer in which she develops emotionally intelligent leaders and optimizes company cultures. Prina suggests that her clients follow the Japanese approach to a long and happy life, Ikigai, by asking themselves the big questions. What am I good at? What does the world need? And what can I get paid for? She says that has guided her through her career. “It's good to check in with yourself so that you're not a silent passenger. You want to curate your own life and your own career.” In this week’s learn more about Prina’s  journey: Prina has over 20 years of experience in people management roles in the areas of organizational and leadership development, human resources, culture change, and change management.  She offers practical tools and methods to develop strategies that create positive change, develops people, and brings them together. Learn more and connect with Prina here:

Michael Freedman told me, “I didn't know what I wanted to do until I was 55. I was walking through life. I'm a reasonably intelligent, hardworking guy. ...nothing special. Right? I was good at communicating, collaborating. I was a project manager as an operational manager. None of that really challenged me or fed my soul. I liked the interaction and being productive. All that was good. That's a job. When I left teaching high school, and I reflected on what I wanted to do, and it occurred to me that I wanted to do something else meaningful.” For 20 years, Michael Freedman led operational service organizations providing comprehensive services to financial market data customers and technology sales executives in top-tier technology businesses. He then transitioned into education to be more available at home as a Dad to his two boys, now 18 and 20, and after 15 years teaching high school English, Michael followed his entrepreneurial instincts to develop this legacy business.  Today, Michael serves as the founder and CEO of Practical Academics whose mission is to educate, empower, and engage people in their personal, professional, and civic lives. Practical Academics uses a mentored small group model to build and deliver meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Their current project brings the benefits of career coaching and professional development. Practical Academics helps coaches, solopreneurs, and organizations develop their programs and business with design guidance and services delivery platforms, marketing and operates a professional development community, called the instructional artists collective. In this week’s learn more about Michael’s  journey: Michael has complemented his working career with public service as the Board Chair of two nonprofits, a charter school board chair, and a high school district trustee. He has an MA from the Annenberg School at USC communications management, and a BA from UC Santa Barbara in speech communications. Learn more and connect with Michael here: 

When she was 13 years old, EB Sanders worked her first job as a swim instructor. She enjoyed it so much she claimed that the teaching bug bit her. Her parents, who were not college-educated, were very supportive of her aspirations. She wanted to go to college and teach in higher education. She journeyed her way through a maze of several schools, eventually accomplishing her goal to become a teacher. She taught a variety of humanities courses at community colleges and universities over many years. EB loved teaching but she reached a point where she needed to make some tough decisions as teaching wasn’t paying the bills.  The next few years were what EB called her messy middle as she took a succession of jobs that she didn’t like nor was she particularly good at. Then someone offered her an opportunity to do recruiting and staffing work. It was a much better fit. After some time she realized that she needed to be in more control of her own activities so, with the support of her spouse, she left her job and started her career coaching practice. EB helps creative types, ditch their fears and make decisions with confidence so they can achieve the fulfillment they really want. Her mission is to convince everyone that they don't have to choose between happiness and success.  In this week’s learn more about EB’s  journey: EB loves the fact that there is a teaching component within coaching.  She offers three different options to clients: online courses, a group program for people who are already clear about their goals and individual coaching. Learn more and connect with EB here: 

Fawn Germer is the irreverent, beloved best-selling author of nine books including the Oprah book, . She has been a keynote speaker for more than 80 Fortune 500 companies and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize four times for her work as an investigative reporter. Fawn’s first book was rejected by every major publisher in the United States, but Fawn would not give up until it was the No. 1 nonfiction bestseller that Oprah loved.  Her newest book  shows how to turbocharge your career by changing the way you change. Fawn is an inspiring storyteller and life adventurer. She’s learned plenty the hard way and is as authentic as they come. She interviewed hundreds of the most accomplished leaders of our times, including famous CEOs, prime ministers, presidents, Nobel Peace Prize winners, scientists, Academy Award winners, and many other trailblazers who revealed that success is born in risk, and power comes from consciously disabling your doubt and self-esteem issues. In this week’s learn more about Fawn’s  journey: Fawn has written nine books, the most recent one, .  Her most recent endeavor is as a podcast host of the Hard Won Wisdom podcast, in which she interviews women who are trailblazers and leaders. More than anything she enjoys communicating through writing and speaking especially when she can have a positive impact on people’s lives.   Learn more and connect with Fawn here:  Freebie! "Recharge Your Career During Covid" and "Take the Next Step" - Link:

Dean Wegner attended West Point because he was recruited to play Div I Hockey. Once there, he realized there was much more to it and began to have aspirations about becoming a high-ranking officer. In order to make that happen, he had to make the right choices upon his graduation in 1993. He opted to go the aviation route, even though the typical choice was infantry. Then a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose. The infantry Special Forces Ranger school had opened one slot for an aviation candidate to join the next cohort. It is a leadership program that tests your ability to survive under the most extreme conditions. Dean wanted to know how the ‘other half’ lived so he competed for the spot and was the one selected. He said his experience at infantry Special Forces Ranger school was “so bad that I loved it.” Dean’s cohort started with 342 participants and 72 days later, he was one of 70 who finished it. Dean served for seven years in the US Army as a helicopter pilot and Army Ranger. After the Army, he earned his MBA in finance from California State University and launched his career with the former big five firm, KPMG Consulting as a project manager. For more than a decade, Dean was in the consumer packaged goods industry at Procter & Gamble and Mars, Inc. in business development, sales, marketing, and strategy.  In 2017, Dean created Authentically American® to help bring manufacturing jobs back to America by selling premium, competitively priced, apparel that is all made in the USA. Prior to starting Authentically American®, Dean was the CEO/owner of Omega Apparel for five years, a leading supplier of dress uniforms for the US military. His experience in the apparel industry, coupled with his passion for America, provided all the incentive he needed to create a brand that aims to set the standard for premium American-made merchandise while delivering a significant impact on US job creation.  In this week’s learn more about Dean’s  journey: Dean serves on the board of several for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He donates 10% of Authentically American® profits to veteran and first responder charities.  Learn more and connect with Dean here: Special DIscount for Work From The Inside Out listeners: SHOP Authentically American: *Discount Code: FOUNDER = 25% off total purchase*one-time only purchase Our Story: Feature Article in Appearance on

From an engineering degree at Princeton to his first job at GE under Jack Welch to a Stanford MBA to the worldwide director of finance at Apple, Rusty Gaillard had walked the traditional path of success. Along the way, he learned that traditional success is not the same as being successful in life. Rusty left his finance role at Apple when he got more interested in developing his own InnerTech™ rather than chasing external success. Those upgrades to his operating system came through the challenges and opportunities of a voluntary demotion at Apple in order to spend more time at home, a divorce, and eventually leaving his 25-year corporate career to become a coach. Using a repeatable process to upgrade your InnerTech™ Rusty now helps others.  Today, Rusty is a Speaker and Transformational Coach who works at the intersection of high tech and inner tech, helping successful business leaders achieve their next level of success by upgrading their InnerTech™. In order to achieve holistic success in life on their terms, Rusty helps A-players get off autopilot by discovering and defining their own requirements and upgrades for their beliefs, thoughts, and habits.  In this week’s learn more about Rusty’s  journey: He has been a student of self-development and transformation for over 10 years and was formally certified at the Brave Thinking Institute in 2018. Rusty created his coaching and speaking company, , to help people achieve their goals and live happy fulfilled lives. In his speech, “The Power of Vision: Three Keys to Accelerate Your Results” Rusty inspires his audiences with practical steps that help them to identify what they really want, overcome the obstacles that may hold them back from reaching their goals, and maintain momentum as they up-level their results. Learn more and connect with Rusty here:

When Laura Gassner Otting was in fourth grade, her teacher said, “you’re pretty argumentative… you should become a lawyer.” Laura says she was a serious young person. At only nine years old, she would watch the news every night and with righteous indignation, make a mark on a pad each day the hostages were still in Iran. Determined, she decided that she would have to solve all the problems. Laura reasoned that politicians were charged with problem-solving and since most politicians were lawyers, then she knew what she had to do.  Fast forward, Laura goes to law school. Immediately, she realizes it was a mistake. Laura had no interest in the classes nor in being there. A month later she heard about this “dude” running for President named Bill Clinton. Laura volunteered for the campaign and a few weeks later, she helped to organize a rally that drew 36,000 people. Soon after, Laura dropped out of law school and headed out on the campaign trail. Everyone told her she was making a terrible mistake. Laura disagreed. Clinton ended up in the White House, and so did Laura. As a presidential appointee during Bill Clinton’s first term in the White House, Laura helped to shape the AmeriCorps program. She moved on to the nonprofit search firm, Isaacson, Miller to expand the startup ExecSearches.com. Laura then founded and ran the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, which partnered with mission-driven nonprofit executives. In 2015, Laura sold NPAG to the team that helped her build it, to pursue her next chapter, and to serve on Hillary Clinton’s National Finance Committee. Today, she speaks, coaches, and inspires entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and donors to get them past the doubt and indecision to seek new ways of leading, managing and mentoring others. In this week’s learn more about Laura’s  journey: Laura has spoken across the United States and internationally to universities, companies, conferences, accelerators, TEDx, and the US Military.  She is the author of the Washington Post Best Seller (2019) and (2015). Learn more and connect with Laura here:

Jennifer Fondrevay told me something that I have never before heard from a guest. As a young child, she wanted to become the Ambassador to France and even more remarkably she continued to have that goal throughout her college years into graduate school. Jennifer’s father is French and her grandmother lived with them until she was three years old, so she learned French first, English second. She majored in French and political science undergrad and then continued with her graduate studies at the Thunderbird School Of Global Management where she studied international business, specializing in marketing and advertising. Jennifer figured if the ambassadorship didn’t materialize, her fallback plan was in marketing or advertising. It appears to have worked out extremely well, although Jennifer’s Dad still hopes that she’ll pursue the diplomacy route one day. As a Fortune 500 C-suite “survivor”, Jennifer has been on all sides of three separate multibillion-dollar mergers and acquisitions. She saw countless growth strategies fail due to a workforce that couldn’t pivot and adapt as quickly as leadership anticipated. While she may not be the Ambassador to France she has sharpened her diplomacy skills over the years.  Today, Jennifer is the founder and Chief Humanity Officer of , a consultancy that advises forward-thinking business leaders, owners, and C suite executives on how to prepare for and manage the people challenges of business transitions, particularly mergers and acquisitions. Jennifer conducted extensive research for and authored the satirical survivor’s handbook, . She is a frequent keynote speaker at HR conferences and associations. In this week’s learn more about Jennifer’s journey: When her Harvard Business Review (HBR) article, “” went viral, Jennifer recognized the power and interest in a human-centric approach to business transformation, where employees are at the heart of the change.  In addition to HBR, Jennifer also shares her expertise as a contributor to Fast Company, Inc, Thrive Global, and Forbes. Learn more and connect with Jennifer here:

Darcy Roberts wants people to love their work. For more than 20 years she held administrative roles across a variety of industries, including the arts, law, finance, banking, and executive search, working with people at all levels of the corporate world. Darcy had a natural gift for the work, but she didn’t actually like doing it. She had some interesting experiences during those decades, sitting in the front row to witness a wide range of organizational and leadership dynamics. Darcy’s last admin job was in the executive search industry.  For her 50th birthday, Darcy gifted herself with a trip to Morocco, a small group tour with 18 people. She listened as various tour group participants talked about their lives and how they looked forward to returning home to their work. Darcy returned home with photos of herself sitting in the Sahara Desert with tears rolling down her face. She was absolutely miserable and knew that something had to change. Darcy resigned from her job soon after her return from Morocco. Two weeks later, she started researching life coaching training programs. That was six years ago and she has not looked back once. Today, Darcy owns her company, Spiral by Design. She provides career and leadership coaching and works with teams to develop their collaboration. Her coaching superpowers include her intuition, a practical approach to real-world challenges, and a sense of humor. Darcy coaches leaders and managers to increase their leadership skills, effectiveness, and impact with their teams and in their organizations.  In this week’s learn more about Darcy’s  journey: Darcy helps people figure out what is next for them in all aspects of career transition. She is a certified facilitator of the Lego Serious Play Method and is certified to use both the Facet 5 personality assessment tool and the Birkman Method. Darcy believes that when your heart, brain, and gut are in alignment, everything will feel right on track. Learn more and connect with Darcy here: 

Jenean Merkel Perelstein is a social-cultural anthropologist, who has studied behavior change across many cultures, from the markets and prisons of India to the boardrooms across America. She has implemented change strategies that have saved lives and made fortunes. This work is supported by her book, Jenean is no stranger to change. In her early years, she struggled to find her direction, hopping around to seven different schools over nine years. She eventually decided to take time away from school and find her spark, as she put it. Jenean traveled for a while and worked as a ski instructor in the Alps where she met her husband Scott, a previous guest on my podcast. Together, they traveled to India and the Middle East, and this led to Jenean’s interest in anthropology. Eventually, they returned to the US where Jenean finished her degree and went on to graduate school. They started a family and everything seemed beautiful.Several years later, Jenean was working as the CEO of a regional non profit organization and while it all looked good on the outside, the light inside of her was dimming. She was burned out to the point where she was physically ill. Jenean had to slow down, focus on herself, and regroup. As she regained her health she began to take on contract work, doing marketing and strategy consulting. This evolved to change management consulting where she applied her background in anthropology to support business and organizational cultures. Today, Jenean is a business anthropologist, US patent holder, and revered speaker, who is the CEO of Alchemy Academy, where she enriches workplace culture for clients ranging from solopreneurs to Fortune 100 companies.In this week’s learn more about Jenean’s  journey: Jenean practices anthropology day to day; she teaches people about behavior change through the lens of the culture that is either supporting them or holding them back. She mentors organizations to grow their workplace culture, develop their leadership skills, and achieve a higher level of positivity, productivity, and profitability.  Learn more and connect with Jenean here:

Mike Smith still keeps in touch with his boss from Deloitte, his first employer after college graduation, 25+ years ago. How many of us can claim that? We know that most people, when they resign from a job, are actually leaving a boss. Remarkably, Mike's next move was to follow his boss as he became the CFO at the local NBC Philadelphia TV station. By the time he was 28, his boss was elevated to the national network and Mike filled his boss’s shoes. As a young finance leader, Mike felt he was in over his head but the company was big on investing in talent and knew this would be a formative experience. After two years, NBC pushed Mike out of his comfort zone again. They transferred him to Los Angeles to work with NBC Corporate and GE Capital, which owned the network, to work on a theme park acquisition.   Mike credits having had a few great bosses who were instrumental in enabling him to grow. He always aimed to make their lives easier, by offering solutions, and not adding problems, so that they would look out for him. Mike cited research demonstrating that 70% of a person's daily experience at work is directly shaped by their boss. Likewise, as Mike has been promoted, he has made it a priority to mentor and coach his direct reports. Bosses have been instrumental every step of the way in Mike’s career. His last boss at NBC left the network to go to the NFL, National Football League, and within months, had recruited Mike to join her on the finance team there. Eventually, Mike became the CFO and in his last few years, he moved over to human capital because of his passion for engaging people to drive business performance. He then founded Huddle Advisory, which focuses on strategic planning, human capital effectiveness, leadership and culture.  In this week’s learn more about Mike’s  journey:  Huddle Advisory’s mission is to guide leaders and teams to peak performance because it consistently delivers better business results. His approach guides clients to maximize their potential through skilled inquiry, objective analysis, and practical counsel.  Mike is also working on his doctoral degree in Leadership & Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University. Learn more and connect with Mike here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Mike-p-smith/ https://www.facebook.com/Mikesmith.huddle https://huddleadvisory.com/

Manbir Kaur’s first job after graduating from a prominent university in India was in banking, yet her degree was in computer applications. She felt wholly unqualified at first. And, she was starting out at 19. Manbir credits her father’s influence as he was an action-oriented, focused, hard-working, very positive, optimistic person who encouraged her to “grab the job and make your career”. He was also in banking. So, Manbir dove right in from day zero as she put it, ”Age was on my side, spirit was on my side. The hard-working attitude was on my side. I started from scratch learning about retail banking from my peers. I really did a good job, so I won't deny that. I enjoyed that role thoroughly. It was all fun.”Today, Manbir is an Executive and Leadership Coach. She is also a Conversational Intelligence(C-IQ) Enhanced Practitioner, Positive Intelligence Coach, and a keynote speaker. She specializes in coaching leaders from technology organizations. Manbir helps leaders and entrepreneurs to align themselves and their teams to strategic goals, unleash their own and their team's potential. She has authored two books.Prior to being a coach, Manbir worked in the corporate world for various Indian and Multinational IT companies in Development, Operations, Presales, People Management and Consulting. These experiences have enabled her to coach her clients in more immersive ways.In this week’s learn more about Manbir’s  journey: Manbir has written two outstanding books, and .  She has developed specific frameworks to help make coaching progress "measurable", creating value for her clients in every engagement. Her clients include executives from various technology companies in India, UK, the US, and the Middle East. Learn more and connect with Manbir here:  , BOOKS: 

Gary Ireland is an employment attorney. He helps executives in the areas of finance and banking, law, media technology, healthcare, and higher education maximize income and benefits when joining a company and enhanced severance, and asserting legal rights when leaving. He supports small businesses seeking to start and build companies saving money and solving legal problems by making strategic and smarter business decisions while limiting risk. Gary also represents hourly workers who have been denied pay and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law. Gary helped a senior executive in financial services who was marginalized and passed over because of her gender. He helped her secure a substantial severance payment so that she was able to move on to her next job. Gary often works behind the scenes to ensure that issues are communicated clearly, the public is educated, and all people are treated fairly. In this week’s learn more about Gary’s  journey: Gary and his daughter Sydney in partnership with the National Organization for Women took on the Boy Scouts of America to get girls the same opportunities as boys when his daughter had qualified to complete the requirements for her Eagle Scout project. He has also partnered with public officials and the NAACP on policy issues. Gary frequently connects clients to coaches and recruiters to help with streamlining and expediting employment transitions.  Learn more and connect with Gary here: 

In high school, Keith McCormick drove his math teachers crazy because he never got his homework done on time yet he did very well on standardized tests. As he put it, he was the classic ‘over underachiever’. Keith’s teachers accused him of being lazy, yet unlike most teens who might have absorbed it as a strike to their confidence, he got more curious and started reading education theory books to better understand himself. He was annoyed by their mean-spiritedness. In his junior year, Keith had a religion teacher who did not judge his reading choices and even made suggestions to add to his stack. He finally felt seen.  Interestingly, Keith was considering college at 17, Keith decided to enlist in the Army Reserve so that he could get a scholarship to pay for his education and he felt that it was going to give me the discipline that I had lacked as a high school student. His parents were actually against it, but they accepted his choice. While his interests included philosophy, history, and education theory, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to study computer and data science. While at WPI, Keith did a social science project on learning styles and how to build more effective computer-based instruction. This led to his assisting a professor with a research conference during which he introduced Keith to Mary McCauley, a less famous yet key researcher who brought the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to the mainstream. Meeting Mary changed the next ten years of Keith’s life. He worked with Mary doing research and analysis on the MBTI assessment. Keith also ran his own SAT test prep service. Today, Keith is an independent consultant, thought leader, and LinkedIn learning contributor. He also serves as Cloud Factory's Chief Data Science Advisor. In this week’s learn more about Keith’s  journey: In the 90s, Keith worked as an SPSS and analytic software trainer.  He has written several books, including AI for Dummies, and SPSS for Dummies. Keith has been working with analytics management, to more efficiently run their teams, and to nurture new hires as they expand their teams.  Learn more and connect with Keith here:

As a 5 year old, Todd Cherches would tell adults he wanted to be Superman when he grew up. His backup plan? To be Batman. He loved television, describing himself as a ‘TV Guide’, memorizing everything he could. By the age of 18, he had read the complete works of Shakespeare. As he says, “that’s one of the good things about having OCD, you don't give up on something until you're done.” In college, he studied English Literature and went on to get a Master’s in Communications. Todd never lived away from his home on Long Island, New York except to go to college. After college he got a job as a media buyer at Ogilvy & Mather in New York City, commuting from his parent’s home. He didn’t love the job. After taking a vacation to LA where his college roommate was living, he was drawn to the land of his earliest obsession. Todd gave notice, packed his bags, and over the next ten years, he worked in a succession of jobs in the TV and entertainment industry. In our interview, he shared stories of those experiences and the familiar faces he bumped into, such as Tom Hanks, Lucille Ball, and Peewee Herman, to name just a few. Then, Todd decided to move home to New York, even though he was unsure what he would do next. He applied for a project management role at the American Management Association and they hired him. This launched his career in the field of management and leadership development.  Today, Todd is the CEO and Co-founder of Big Blue Gumball, a New York City based consulting firm, specializing in leadership development, public speaking, and executive coaching. In this week’s learn more about Todd’s  journey: Todd is the author of . A great book, in my humble opinion! He is an award-winning Adjunct Professor in the Human Capital Management Master's degree program at NYU, and a Lecturer on Leadership at Columbia University. Todd is a TEDx speaker and a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s MG100 coaches. Learn more and connect with Todd here:

Scott Perelstein is a change management specialist who closes the gap between strategy and implementation by guiding teams of planners and doers to move in the same direction. As a facility specialist for over 20 years, he has been in the facilities world as a contractor and owner, and a director. Scott specializes in bringing about change, focusing on inclusion from the highest level of administration to the frontline workers. Scott has managed hundreds of employees and cared for millions of square feet of higher education facilities. Scott reflects on a conversation he had with his Dad as a teen that has stayed with him. His Dad was an electrical engineer and he was being promoted to a project manager role. Scott recalls his Dad’s perspective on the situation:  “You get to a place where you did such a good job at what you know how to do that they ask you not to do it anymore. Then they ask you to manage people who do it and so I'll no longer do engineering, which I love. But somebody needs to step up and be the manager of that.”  Many years later, Scott knew exactly what his Dad talking about as he experienced a similar transition and while he has been able to build a business leveraging his strengths on the people side, that transition can really be difficult for some people who perform excellently on the technical side but may not assimilate well to people management. He understands that it is like asking someone to change who they are and fit into a new definition of success.  In this week’s learn more about Scott’s  journey:  Today, Scott is the Chief Operating Officer at Alchemy Academy.  He draws on his business management degree from Cornell University, as well as a broad book of experiences to create new and innovative businesses to shaping the culture within teams and organizations. His work is informed by his various roles as an entrepreneur, supervisor, and board member. Learn more and connect with Scott here:

Dr. Lynette Reed says it’s time for a reality check. Her mission is to help people and organizations feel more connected to the world around them and the relationships that are most important to them. She believes that when your expectations and reality connect, you will see an increase in personal self-awareness, improve relationships with others, and expand your understanding of how humanity impacts the world. On the ground level, Lynette teaches and coaches people to match their words and actions to improve their workplace connections. Early in her career, Lynette started as a speech pathologist in Montgomery, Alabama where she worked in a Head Start program with children and their families based in a public housing project. As a white woman working in a predominantly African American community, Lynette focused on building trust and learning as much as possible to provide the best services she could. Later, she would volunteer with Austin Smiles, traveling to El Salvador to work with patients who were receiving cleft palate surgery.  Eventually, Lynette decided to switch gears and earn her Doctorate of Ministry degree in spirituality, sustainability, and interreligious dialogue. Today, she is a people and culture partner who mentors executives to help improve connections within the workplace. She also mentors people in non-profits, schools, allied health agencies, chambers of commerce, government, and churches.  In this week’s learn more about Lynette’s unique  journey: Lynette teaches team building, leadership, ethics, world religion, and world cultures.  She has written a paperback titled, , which offers an innovative methodology and key elements that encourage a different way of thinking about the bottom line - ultimately helping you to achieve your highest potential in a new age of thinking. Learn more and connect with Lynette here: Lynette hosts a podcast, Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark Herschberg has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools.  Mark attended MIT for six years. He earned a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science, and an M.Eng. in electrical engineering and computer science, focusing on cryptography. You might think that he was just a super focused, nerd. But Mark will be the first person to tell you that he was a poor student during his first three semesters, lacking a clear vision and organization. He thought he wanted to be a theoretical physicist and get a Ph.D., but his advisor sat him down early on and painted the stark picture of what he was aiming for. It was enough to make him reconsider his options. It was the mid-90s and computer science was growing while funding for physics was decreasing. After graduation, he stayed at MIT and worked doing research for a professor. He wasn’t sure what else he wanted to do. He looked at jobs and knew he didn’t want to work on Wall St. or in consulting. Microsoft was getting bigger but Mark was not attracted to large corporations. He wound up at a startup company, as he says, by default. Then he had to make some real decisions as the startup company split up and he had to choose which way to go. In this week’s learn more about Mark’s journey: Mark wrote a comprehensive book, , which shows you how to design and execute your personal plan to achieve the career you deserve. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. Mark helped the Economic Development Council in New York City with a program that helped people who lost their jobs after the 2008 financial crisis.  Learn more and connect with Mark here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

At nine years old, Jenny Lisk wanted to be Perry Mason. She loved the books and watched the TV show, imagining herself as a lawyer and doing something meaningful. In college, still aiming for a legal career, Jenny studied political science and economics and enjoyed Washington, DC-based internships in both Congressional and Senate offices. After graduation, Jenny secured a policy role with the Chamber of Commerce in her hometown area of Seattle.  Unfortunately, the position at the Chamber was not what Jenny expected. She left the job with another plan in mind. She wanted to write a guidebook for interns in Washington, DC. To support herself, Jenny did bartending while she worked on the book. Researching the book became unwieldy and Jenny felt it was not going to be a success. At that time, she had become interested in website development and taught herself HTML. Jenny started a website design business and began to engage clients. While she enjoyed it, she felt she needed something more and decided to get an MBA. At this time Jenny met and married her husband, Dennis. Upon graduation, Jenny was interested in technology yet she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do. Her sister worked for IBM in New York and offered to pass her resume around there. Fast forward, Jenny and Dennis moved to New York a few months later, and her 20-year corporate career began. They spent five years in New York and returned to the Pacific Northwest, to Portland, Oregon and later to Seattle as a family with two young children.  Jenny was growing restless in her job, but could not identify what else she wanted to do. Life continued to be busy with the demands of work and family. Then, one day Dennis said he had been feeling dizzy. After a few medical tests, Dennis was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Jenny’s life literally changed overnight. In this week’s learn more about Jenny’s journey: Jenny is an author, speaker, and host of the , which has been featured in and .  Her 2021 memoir, , tells the story of her husband’s battle with glioblastoma and how Jenny was a caregiver, wife, mother, and full time IT business analyst at IBM all at the same time. Learn more and connect with Jenny here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Like many young people, Dayna Del Val went off to college to fulfill dreams and ambitions. For her, it was to earn a theater degree, move to LA and become a movie star. There was no question in her mind that this was her plan. Instead, she ended up back in her hometown of Fargo, North Dakota giving birth to a beautiful baby boy. She was in the depths of despair, a young, single mother who had never even held a full-time job before.  But Dayna is tenacious. She held onto threads of hope for her acting career and got an agent, becoming a SAG union member by doing commercial work which enabled her to work as an actor while being there for her son. It wasn’t always glamorous but she made it happen, and she continues to work as an actor today. Fast forward 25+ years … Dayna is the President and CEO of the in Fargo, North Dakota where for the past 10+ years she has consistently and successfully advocated for the enduring power and value of the arts across every facet of the community. Her core belief is that there is always more for anyone who's willing to pursue it, and she'll help you do it.  In this week’s learn more about Dayna’s journey: Dayna has turned her advocacy efforts to inspiring people to pivot from failure and find joy on the other side through her blog, Extraordinary, extraordinary. In her blog, Dayna weaves stories and lessons learned of being a young single mom, her professional role, the complexities of middle age, and of the shared journey her husband, Dr. Mazz Marry, and she took joyfully to restore their life after his near-death experience from alcoholism. While her son was young, Dayna returned to school earning an English education certificate and went on to get a master's degree in English. Dayna taught at universities for a number of years prior to being hired to run the Arts Partnership. Recently, Dayna taught a Careers in the Arts class at Minnesota State College Moorhead, School of Arts. Yours truly was honored to be a guest speaker last semester.  Learn more and connect with Dayna here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Sher Downing, PhD is an EdTech strategist who loves bringing people, learning, and technology together. As CEO of Downing EdTech consulting, her company provides eLearning design for entrepreneurial programs, affiliate partnerships with leading vendors, and professional coaching for those in the EdTech industry.  Sher is a pioneer with over 32 years of experience in the digital arena during the evolution of online learning. She never would have expected things to turn out this way. Not only does Sher have a PhD, two masters and a bachelor's degree, she is a first-generation college graduate. Early on, she struggled because she had no real vision or goals for her future. With time, she discovered interests that sparked something in her. Sher studied hospitality management and upon graduation, she worked for the university conference center. She then became immersed in the world of higher education working in different areas on campuses in Arizona, Wyoming and South Carolina, while also earning graduate certificates and degrees in teaching, learning and design-focused in the online arena. This was in the mid-90s when online learning was in its infancy.  After 32 years, Sher decided to create her own brand and left the day-to-day world of higher education. Today, her focus is to define opportunities for individual entrepreneurs and companies in professional and organizational brand growth through online education and related technologies.  In this week’s learn more about Sher’s journey: Sher serves as a university board trustee, international speaker and presenter, and is a regular contributor to Forbes, HBR Ascend and Medium. She has collaboratively-authored two books: , and Through her podcast , she highlights unique guests who share how the EdTech industry impacts all aspects of the world.  Sher recently founded the Speakers Resource Group, a centralized membership service to enhance all levels of professional development through training, community support, and direct access to industry experts. Learn more and connect with Sher here:    Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Andy Lopata has been a specialist in professional relationships and networking for over 20 years. He was called one of Europe's leading business networking strategists by the Financial Times, and a true master of networking by the Independent and Forbes.com. He is the author of five books. Andy is a fellow and a board member of the Professional Speaking Association UK and Ireland, and a fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute, as well as a Master of the Institute for Sales Management. He is also one of just 26 recipients of the PSA's top honor, the Award of Excellence. And, believe me, he didn’t take any shortcuts to accomplish any of those achievements. Andy came from a background where the expectation was that he'd be a lawyer or an accountant and he did study accountancy, then switched to political science. After two years at a university, he left to work in the music recording industry, something he had dreamed of for a long time. He scouted bands for London Records. Andy bounced around to many jobs in his twenties as he lacked direction. He worked as a civil servant, ran car parks, did sound engineering, tax collecting, worked on film sets, and at some of the finest golf clubs in the world. During this time, he traveled extensively around the world, working all along the way. Some of his jobs lasted a couple of years before he moved on to new places.  In this week’s learn more about Andy’s journey: Andy said working on film sets was one of his favorite experiences and next to that was working as a steward at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He wrote letters home to family and friends as he traveled and kept copies of his writing as he also wanted to become a professional writer. Andy’s father started a business networking organization with which Andy worked for seven years. He ran networking groups and developed a training and speaking program. He repositioned his career to focus on professional relationships and wrote his two most recent books: and . Andy also hosts in which he interviews a variety of business leaders discussing the role that networks and professional relationships play in leadership success. Learn more and connect with Andy here:  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Jeff Wald has been frustrated with the way people talk about the future of work for quite some time. He says, “Too many so-called experts make predictions outside the evidence available in the world of work; specifically, the history of work, the data trends and patterns, and how companies actually engage workers. Predictions made without this ... can be, in many cases, harmful. I wanted to provide a framework for thoughtful conversations on the future of work for families, for companies, and for society.” He offers his framework in his recently released book,  “”. If you are concerned about how you or your children, your company, employees, or anyone else you care about will navigate the world of work going forward, I highly recommend Jeff’s book. It took him seven years to complete it and if you get to know Jeff through today’s podcast episode, you will know that for most of us, that would have required 14 years of effort. Jeff is the Founder of Work Market, an enterprise software platform that enables companies to efficiently and compliantly, organize, manage, and pay freelancers (purchased by ADP). He has founded several other tech companies including Spinback (sold to Salesforce) and is an active angel investor and startup advisor. Jeff serves on many public and private Boards of Directors.  Most recently, Jeff created the Future of Work prize competition which includes essays from 20 thought leaders on the future of work. Jeff will award a $10 million prize in 2040 to the person whose essay came closest to reality.  In this week’s learn more about Jeff’s journey: Jeff began his career in finance, serving as managing director at a hedge fund, a vice president at a venture capital firm, and various roles in the M & A group at JP Morgan. He formerly served as an officer of the auxiliary unit of the New York Police Department. Jeff is also the author of another very different book, “” He holds an MBA from Harvard University and an MS and a BS from Cornell University.  Learn more and connect with Jeff here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Like many young boys, Harsha Boralessa dreamed of playing professional sports and in his case, that was cricket. When he was nine, he played for one of England’s professional teams and by the time he was 19, he was playing top-level cricket at his university. While he thoroughly enjoyed cricket he knew that moving into another career would be best as he had no future in the sport. Yet, Harsha credits playing cricket with teaching him important life lessons, that he has applied to his professional career: Self-discipline – the motivation to keep practicing, even when things are not going well.  Resilience & dealing with failure – learn to deal with pressure, no matter how good you are, and learn to handle failure but keep going.  Self-confidence – it’s very difficult to succeed if you have a negative mindset so even if you’re not feeling great, you have to almost fake it to make it. Teamwork – learning to engage with different personalities on a team.  Gratitude – I was in the fortunate position that I was at university and was able to move into another career after cricket.  Harsha is a CFA charter holder, a chartered accountant, and a graduate of the London School of Economics. He has worked for over 15 years in Investment Banking, the “big 4” accounting firms, and Investment Management. He has also worked in the Private Equity Secondaries market and consulted on a professional learning development platform for the CFA UK Society.  Over the last few years, he has developed a passion for career & personal development and its interaction with neuroscience, in particular concepts such as mindset, reframing, visualization, and habit creation.  In this week’s learn more about Harsha’s journey: Harsha believes in luck and serendipity. While things might look terrible if you don’t get the job/promotion you want, he believes in staying positive to look forward and not back! He has recently launched a podcast focusing on career & personal development,   Harsha is designing a neuroscience/psychology based App to assist people in identifying what is draining them and guide them to strategies and ideas which might fuel them. Learn more and connect with Harsha here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

At 26, Perry Marshall had a lot to look forward to in life. He was happily married, anticipating the birth of his first child and working as an engineer. Then, one day he was called into a meeting and was laid off. Perry quickly transitioned into a sales job as he didn’t want to “start all over” in another engineering role and felt it would be the easiest path to supporting his young family. Two years later, with bologna sandwiches, ramen soup, and lots of credit card debt, Perry realized that it was much harder than he thought it would be. Then, he was fired from that job. Perry managed to get his next sales job before his new employer learned he’d been fired. But something was different. The second job started working. He discovered direct marketing. Perry attended a Dan Kennedy seminar, spending the last $300 he had on a credit card, and bought manuals about direct mail for small businesses. Next, he applied what he learned to do online marketing. The first commission check he got from that job was the biggest check he’d ever gotten. Four years later that company was sold for $18 million. He cashed out some stock options and started the business he continues to run today. In this week’s learn more about Perry’s journey and marketing strategy frameworks: Perry founded the $10 million Evolution 2.0 Prize with judges from Harvard, Oxford, and MIT. Launched at the Royal Society in London, it's the world's largest science research award. He's guided clients like FanDuel and Infusionsoft from startup to hundreds of millions of dollars.  NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs use his 80/20 curve as a productivity tool.  Perry’s reinvention of the Pareto Principle is published in Harvard Business Review. His Google book laid the foundations for the industry. An  is the world's best selling book on internet advertising.  Perry’s most recent book is:   Learn more and connect with Perry here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Kathy Robinson has been working since she was 11 years old when she had a paper route. She grew up in a middle-class suburban environment near New York City and had modest expectations for herself, thinking she might want to become a teacher. As a kid, she loved the arts. She went to college majored in business (a practical choice) and minored in the arts.  Kathy went to work on Wall Street as an internal auditor. She had no idea what the role entailed, yet she knew she’d be able to pay off her student loans and travel internationally. Over the next 30 years, Kathy rose through the ranks becoming a Chief Audit Executive and Chief Risk Officer, assessing the wellness of Fortune 500 companies. At 54, Kathy, an avid runner, completed her first marathon and ultramarathon. At 55, she entered a new phase of her life she calls ‘rewirement’.  She refocused her lens from professional assessments to personal ones and began helping people optimize their well-being as a certified wellness coach. Kathy practices what she preaches and is passionate about wellness, nutrition, and exercise. She believes that a positive attitude is an accelerator that propels us through transformation.  In this week’s learn more about Kathy’s journey: Kathy authored the book, , a guide that will help you reconnect with your mind, body and spirit by introducing you to simple wellness practices. She works with clients who are going through transitions or when striving toward new wellness goals.  Kathy also teaches and facilitates online offerings based on her wellness methodology that include practices such as writing and meditation. Learn more and connect with Kathy here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

As Laura Rotter graduated college with an English Literature degree in the mid-1980s, the U.S. was in an economic recession.  It wasn’t the best time to find employment and yet she was fortunate to land a role as editor of a business industry newsletter which opened her up to the business world. Laura was always naturally curious and found herself fascinated about different industries and how they work. She thought it was a lot of fun. From editing business publications, Laura moved into banking on Wall Street and spent the next decade switching jobs every 18 months to 2 years. It was both an exciting, and interesting time in which she doubled her income. Then life changed. Laura married, started a family, moved to the suburbs and while she loved her work, she noticed there were shifts in the industry. By the last ten of her 30 years on Wall Street, she found that she was working with colleagues who did not share her life views nor her politics and it wasn't that interesting anymore. Laura evaluated her options drawing from other areas of her life that were meaningful to her and became a certified yoga and mindfulness meditation instructor. Laura considered rabbinical school.   Laura realized that abundance wasn't just about accumulating more wealth, but about employing her wealth to do the things she most valued. Her mindset changed from “I must use my life to make money,” to “I can use my money to make a life”.  Laura founded True Abundance Advisors, a fiduciary, fee-only financial planning firm. She's passionate about sharing her financial planning process, which guides her clients toward decisions that integrate the attainment of both financial security AND life satisfaction. In this week’s  learn more about Laura’s journey: Laura works with her clients to get clarity about what money, values, and security mean to them and guides them to decisions that will fit a sustainable financial plan. She helps individuals and couples across the U.S. through an integrated process that emphasizes financial security while also making satisfying life decisions. Learn more and connect with Laura here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

When Jennifer Nash was just 3 years old, she took classical ballet classes and piano lessons. She studied piano through high school and dreamt of attending Julliard to study classical piano. But her Dad wanted her to have ‘more practical skills’ to lean on, so she went to college and studied liberal arts. She triple majored in French, German and International Business, spending one of her undergraduate years in Germany. The bug bit Jennifer. She was wildly curious about what made people tick, how they made choices and took different actions.  After graduation, Jennifer went to work in the business world and soon felt like a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. She had this background that was rich in the arts and languages which gave her a unique way of looking at things. Jennifer was drawn to understanding people’s motivations and behaviors rather than operations or bottom line metrics. She decided to go to business school to expand her knowledge and found a discipline that was a good fit for her called management in organizations. It was primarily focused on the people side of business. Today, Jennifer Nash is an executive coach, consultant, advisor, author, and speaker. Her experience as both an executive and as a coach of high-performing leaders led her to create a heart-centered, relationship-based, and client-focused practice that helps executives get better at the human element of business.  In this week’s learn more about Jennifer’s journey: Prior to launching Jennifer Nash Coaching & Consulting, Jennifer held executive and leadership roles at Deloitte Consulting LLP, Ford Motor Company, Kelly Services and Electronic Data Systems throughout her 25-year career.  Jennifer frequently contributes to Harvard Business Review Ascend and serves as an Executive, Leadership and Career Coach for the University of Michigan. Her forthcoming 2021 book is entitled Leading with Heart: The Human Element of Business™ Learn more and connect with Jennifer here: (Twitter) (Instagram) Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Cassandra Shuck has always been good at “the hustle.” She grew up believing that she had to be self-sufficient to find success. After living in a place she couldn’t call home, Cassandra had two options: stay miserable, or figure out how to create the life she knew she wanted. At 16, this motivation helped her leave a home stricken with verbal and physical abuse.  After college and many years in a successful corporate career, she decided to pursue her own entrepreneurial interests.  I thought that doing things all by myself was the right choice, the safe choice.  Then, I found out that what had “worked” for so long, wasn’t actually working. I was in an infinite loop of uncertainty, unhappiness, and stress. I needed to find my purpose; something to bring back my long-forgotten spark. I decided to seek my calling outside of my corporate career. Cassandra learned how trauma and unhealed wounds manifested and affected her choices and behaviors; showing up as self-sabotage, doubt, and perfectionism. She discovered that trauma needs to be leveraged to achieve a more balanced life. This enabled Cassandra to create a new level of income, impact, and fulfillment while finding peace of mind. Today, Cassandra Shuck is an Entrepreneurial Guide and Intuitive Business Coach. She has created and grown several successful businesses, including and . She is also a birth doula and yoga instructor. In this week’s learn more about Cassandra’s journey: Through her experience as a birth doula and yoga instructor, she realized that her true passion was to empower women in the most meaningful moments of their lives.  Cassandra works with female entrepreneurs and takes them from feeling like prisoners of their fate, exhausted, and self-doubting their capacity to confident, healthier, and more impactful versions of themselves.  Learn more and connect with Cassandra here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

As a young child, Michael Zipursky recalls being surrounded by many different types of people, languages, and cultures. His family moved from Toronto to Israel when he was 2. They lived there for 4 years and then returned to Canada, this time to Vancouver, and again, he remembers being amongst people from different cultures and speaking many languages. So while it felt normal to a degree, Michael also felt like an outsider. He didn't speak English and worked hard to learn the language. Within himself, an early mindset was sparked that he needed to compete in order to stand out and prove himself. Michael channeled most of that by engaging in several team sports and martial arts. Fortunately, he was very skilled in them, but they also taught him that when you set your mind to something, as long as you're truly committed to it, there's no reason why you can't achieve it.  In college, Michael majored in Pacific Rim Business Studies, but he was unhappy about the restrictions within the curriculum and managed to negotiate his requirements so that he could take the courses he felt would better prepare him to do business in that region of the world. A very determined student and aspiring entrepreneur, Michael started a business while on a semester in Japan during his junior year, and the rest as they say… is history. Today, Michael is the CEO of Consulting Success. He has partnered with his cousin Sam Zipursky to create several businesses since they were teenagers. They’ve advised businesses in North & South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East in over 30 industries. They are dedicated to teaching consultants the strategies of what works in the world of consulting. In this week’s learn more about Michael’s journey:  Michael is the author of 5 books including , the , and .  He's helped 400+ consultants globally in over 75 Industries, multiply their revenues. Learn more and connect with Michael here: @michaelzipursky @consultingbuzz Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. subscribers! While it may seem like a stretch to celebrate a holiday this year, I have spoken with many people who are clear about what they are grateful for. Chris Palmore is one of them and he has dedicated his life to the expression of gratitude. Chris Palmore has learned that gratitude is a powerful remedy for all the negativity that we encounter in this world. Giving gratitude opens people up to a better attitude, a more generous heart, and a greater ability to connect with others. As a result, Chris has built a network, started the podcast, GratitudeSpace Radio, and creates Gratitude PopUp events that compliment any party, convention, concert, sporting event, or place of business, anywhere people gather. This began one day when Chris listened to actor and podcast host Adam Carolla’s show. Adam was talking about his disdain for participation trophies. You know, those are the ones you get just for showing up. It triggered something deep within Chris and he started to think about how he had never adequately expressed his appreciation to his Mom for all that she had done for him in his 35 years of life. So he wrote her an extensive thank you letter and posted it on her Facebook page. It was not a moment too soon because his Mom had a recurrence of breast cancer shortly thereafter and sadly, she passed away 4 months later.  In this week’s learn more about Chris’ journey: Chris is a Gratitude Conductor, Coach, Creator, and Author.  He is the Founder of Gratitudespace and the Host of Gratitudespace Radio.   He has a Media And Performing Arts Degree and a minor in Video and Broadcasting from Savannah College of Art and Design and is a proud member of The International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.).  On his 36th birthday, Chris wrote a special letter to his Dad and has pledged to express his love more often than he has in the past. Chris has just published an anthology of gratitude letters that he compiled and curated from his extensive network, Learn more and connect with Chris here:   Chris would love to gift you a taste of his new book   That can be found here:   The book will be available on  Thursday, November 26. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Woo Hoooo! Episode 100 of the podcast is here! This is a proud moment for me. I was joined for this special episode by my dear friend and podcast “twin”, Jenny Lisk. Two years ago, Jenny and I each launched our podcasts on the same day. We are each still going strong, whereas most podcasts stop broadcasting after 12 episodes. I am fascinated by serendipitous connections, and ‘small world stories’ that turn the direction of our lives. Case in point: Had Jenny not needed project management certification hours in her previous job, it is unlikely that our paths would have crossed. To earn her hours, she listened to a podcast with consultant, coach, and author Dorie Clark. She then decided to enroll in Dorie’s course, which entitled her to become a member of the “REx” community, a group in which I was a member. The rest, as ‘they say’ is history… Jenny Lisk is the host of the and author of (1-5-21). Jenny’s mission is to offer support, information, and resources to widowed parents, grieving children and the allies in their lives. Currently, Jenny and I are book accountability buddies supporting each other as authors of our own books. We meet weekly via Zoom to discuss everything about the book writing and publishing process. It continues to be a rich and rewarding journey for both of us. In this week’s learn more about my path as a podcast host, coach, entrepreneur and soon-to-be published author: My book focuses on the key themes and principles gleaned from the stories of my podcast guests’ and my 20 years as a Career Coach to illustrate the best avenues for people to navigate their way through the trials and tribulations of professional transitions. Jenny and I have participated in several mastermind groups together, following each other’s paths to content creation and discovering their voices to reach their audiences to make a difference in people’s lives. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

As a kid in Phoenix, Arizona, Lizabeth Wesely-Casella did not dream about what she wanted to be when she grew up. In high school, while her friends were taking the SAT’s to apply for college, she was busy working as a hostess in a restaurant. Lizabeth simply believed that people work from the ground up, as this was what her family modeled for her. She was aware of the difference between her path and that of her friends, but she felt that her early career choices were relatable.  In her early 30’s, Lizabeth attended college after a solid career in administrative services and financial operations in a few industries. By that time, she had relocated to Washington D.C. as she wanted to be closer to policymakers who were developing the regulations that impacted some of the industries she had worked in. Once she graduated from school, Lizabeth went the entrepreneurial route and in 2011 she launched her current company, L-12 Services, LLC, a firm specializing in internal communications, training, and executive virtual assistance. She provides lean process design skills to identify where businesses can overcome challenges related to scaling process breakdown workflow management and culture.  In this week’s learn more about Lizabeth’s journey: Lizabeth organized a process and communication change coalition for First Lady Michelle Obama's signature program Let's Move in 2014.  She is the advisory board chair for the Association of Virtual Assistants and a member of the Mental Health Advisory Council. “Practicing patience and gratitude are the best practices that I try and engage in every day. I make it a point to start out my day realizing what I'm grateful for and I end my day with a list of some things I can improve.”  -- Lizabeth Wesely-Casella Learn more and connect with Lizabeth here:   Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

For 15 years, Demetria Henderson worked as a contractor doing statistical programming for various companies. She studied math in college, but it felt that she wasn’t quite connected to what she was doing. Her work met some of her needs. She could pay her bills and bought her first home, but in the back of her mind, she thought she’d like to get a Ph.D. “You're working with folks, and seeing all these dynamics with people, how they're engaging and interacting with one another. And, being that black woman, you start to see things and I’m thinking, there has to be a better way. That always stayed with me through my entire time in corporate America.”  Demetria’s pathway to her Ph.D. was a ‘two steps forward one step backward’ scenario. She applied to Ph.D. programs initially and didn’t get in, admitting that she “didn’t know what the heck she was doing”. Five years later, she tried again but this time did her homework to position herself for a positive result, first applying for a master’s degree in organizational behavior so that when it came time to apply for a Ph.D., she would be a qualified applicant. Today, Demetria advocates for equal access to opportunity and fair treatment for all in the workplace. As a consultant, she works with organizations to help them in creating and maintaining workplace cultures, in which all employees feel included and have a sense of belonging. In this week’s learn more about Demetria’s journey: Demetria was 42 when she started her Ph.D. program in Business Management. She is also a Certified Professional Coach. Demetria works with mid-career professionals who are tired of being marginalized in the workplace and can grab a seat at the table without feeling like a sell-out so that they feel empowered and respected while making a meaningful impact. Demetria is a professor in organizational behavior at James Madison University’s business school in Virginia. Learn more and connect with Demetria here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Dr. Tanvi Gautam asks key questions: Are you working on your job or on your career? Are you playing at intersections or not? She says if you're not playing at intersections, you will be made redundant soon. The jobs that will get eliminated are single-domain jobs, which, don't need intersectionality. You can add value when you play at intersections. Dr. Gautam walks her talk. She earned her Ph.D. from the Business School at the University of Pittsburgh in the areas of Organizational Behavior, Human Resources, and Information Systems. Dr. Gautam is the founder-director of the transformational global women and leadership program at Singapore Management University.  Her clients have included senior leaders from Merck, Microsoft, Medtronic, National Healthcare Group (Singapore), Mastercard, and KPMG, amongst others. She is also a corporate storytelling & narrative coach helping leaders use the power of narrative for digital transformation, employer branding, culture change, and sales. Her case studies on Human Resources transformation are used internationally by business schools. She was on the faculty at the University of Richmond in the Master of Human Resource Management (for executives) in the area of Technology and HR and taught in the Ph.D. program at Virginia Commonwealth University. In this week’s learn more about Dr. Gautam’s journey: Dr. Gautam is the author of the best-selling book, She is a regular visitor to the C-suite is a multi-award winning keynote speaker and consultant on transformational leadership in the age of disruption.  Her insights on the future of work have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes.com, Wall Street Journal, Mint, The Business Times & Economic Times. She often serves as a jury on prestigious HR awards such as the Linkedin conscious business leader awards; Britcham diversity and inclusion awards.  Noted internationally as a top 10 HR influencer on social media, she was named by the Workforce magazine (USA) to the ‘Game Changer’ awards list.  Before starting her own consulting practice Dr. Gautam worked with Arthur Andersen and Tata Consultancy Services. Learn more and connect with Tanvi here: @tanvi_gautam Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Leslie Zane began her career at blue-chip companies, where she witnessed the success of marketing initiatives as hit or miss. Her ideas about marketing differed from conventional wisdom and weren't always welcome inside the organization. She felt strongly that branding should be more than just pretty pictures and clever ad campaigns. So Leslie struck out on her own and founded Triggers® with the express mission of consistently increasing revenue for her clients. Over the past 25 years, her company has a track record of growth through its unique expertise in changing brand preference at the instinctual level. The vast majority of decisions people make, whether in the grocery store aisle, on Amazon, or at the voting booth, are instinctive. Leslie has uncovered what lies inside the mental shortcuts people use to make those decisions: networks of associations and memories. She calls these the Brand Connectome. These networks are malleable. People can be influenced to change their minds. Leslie’s work demonstrates how and the results are visible. She applies these same instinctual lessons to some of the most crucial, systemic issues of our time and helps companies understand the roots of unconscious bias. She is also working with social organizations to tackle racism. For my subscribers only, you can download a free gift: Leslie’s . In this week’s learn more about Leslie’s journey: Nicknamed Miss Question by her business school classmates, Leslie’s endless intellectual curiosity fueled her search for the elusive key to changing customer behavior. She has been published in the Harvard Business Review, Knowledge@Wharton, MIT Sloan Review, Forbes, Ad Age, CMO.com, Barrons, and her recent perspectives on driving business growth during COVID were just published in Newsweek. Learn more and connect with Leslie here: @Leslie_Zane Get your giveaway HERE: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

When Cathy McCafferty-Smith was 5 years old, her kindergarten teacher told her mother, “I would feel comfortable leaving Cathy in charge of the class if I had to leave the room.” She was passionate about becoming a teacher but like many people as she became an adult, her life went in different directions. Her first career was motherhood. Cathy started college in her late twenties and by 39, she had earned 3 degrees. Over 25 years Cathy worked in education, healthcare, manufacturing, and banking. She has served in human resources and as a leadership development and organizational change consultant. At the individual leadership development level, she focuses on building influential leaders by identifying strengths, talents, values, motivators, personal leadership styles, and uncovering one's own blind spots. At the organizational level, she co-designs and facilitates talent acquisition programs, employee team engagement programs, and leadership action learning programs to assist in solving real-time organizational problems. In this week’s learn more about Cathy’s journey: Cathy started her own consulting business but in order to stabilize it, she held a part-time role for several years while “netgiving” her way toward a fully sustainable business. Netgiving is her definition for making connections while being of service.  She collaboratively co-designed multiple award-winning leadership development, action learning succession programs with senior executive leaders. Cathy authored and co-published a National Medical Journal article on behavioral interviewing systems for organizations in 2017.  She will soon be publishing her first book, “Career Map, Discovering Your Unique Purpose”. Learn more and connect with Cathy here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

B. Jeffrey Madoff is the founder of Madoff productions based in New York City. His company produces branded film and video content for major brands such as Ralph Lauren, Radio City Music Hall, Harvard School of Public Health, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Madoff is an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design and authored a book about his class entitled . Jeff Madoff began his career as a fashion designer, then switched careers to film and video production. He has since expanded his reach to include teaching, book and playwriting, and theatrical producing. He has written and is producing a play, “Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical”  based on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend, Lloyd Price, which will premiere in February 2022 at the People’s Light Theater in Malvern, PA. In this week’s learn more about Jeff and his career journey: Jeff learned early in his career that perseverance was key to getting the full experience of all that he did academically, professionally, and personally. He was named one of the top 10 US designers before he switched to filmmaking. Jeff majored in Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin and was on the wrestling team, all of which he says prepared him for life in the film business. For his class at Parsons, he invites highly accomplished professional guest speakers to share their journeys with students. Guests have included Daymond John, Karlie Kloss, Tim Ferriss, Randi Zuckerberg, Dylan Lauren, and Joy-Ann Reid. Jeff’s documentary films about philanthropist Brooke Astor and iconic dancer Martha Graham have been well received by the press, including the New York Times. Learn more and connect with Jeff here: @acreativecareer Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

John Neral has lived many lives. After a 16 year career as a middle school mathematics teacher, he leveraged his background to work as a state educational assessment specialist and the training and staffing director for an educational nonprofit. Today he leads John Neral Coaching LLC, an organizational coaching and public speaking firm. He is also the author of the new book, . John reawakens, energizes galvanizes, and innovates the mind think of employees, corporations, associations, and people. But wait folks… there’s so much more. A professional bowler, John won the Professional Bowlers Association, Regional Title in 2010.  He is a  game show fan and has appeared on episodes of the Game Show Network’s Chain Reaction and Make My Day.  John is a former church organ prodigy. He is also an avid traveler having sojourned to five of the seven continents. In this week’s learn more as John generously shares not only his career but also his personal journey: John grew up in a strict Catholic family. When he was 10 years old, his sister, as a new high school graduate, announced she was pregnant. Needless to say, this did not sit well with the family.  A few years later John realized that he was gay but did not come out until he was 26. Two years later he told his family and they disowned him. They did not speak for two years. John points to this period in his life as offering him huge learning both in life and career as he navigated all kinds of relationships and how to communicate within them. When John’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, she reached out to him and they reconciled. Learn more and connect with John here: @john_neral @johnneralcoaching Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

‘They’ say that most people will have at least two careers over the course of their lifetime. Holly Hester-Reilly is no exception. She retired from her first career as a competitive figure skater at 17 years of age.  Holly pursued her dream to conduct drug development research by studying chemical engineering. Earning her master’s degree and on the path to a Ph.D., she was published in scientific journals, began teaching chemistry labs at a local college, and coached figure skating to make ends meet. Aiming to earn a Ph.D. she failed her qualifying exams, not once, but twice. She knew her discipline well but suffered from panic attacks that interfered with her focus.  She aimed for environmental engineering roles from there landing a job with the City of New York which lasted two years. It was not a culture fit for her. In her spare time, nights, and weekends, she worked for a tech startup and landed a full-time role with a company as their fourth employee, leveraging her background in chemical engineering. Today, Holly is the founder and CEO of H2R Product Science, a product management coaching and consulting firm that teaches the science of high growth and product development.  In this week’s learn more about Holly’s career story: Holly is a former Columbia University Research Scientist and has led over a dozen digital product initiatives at startups, high growth companies, and enterprises like MediaMath, Shutterstock, the Lean Startup Company, Unilever, Capital One, and WeightWatchers. She is also the host of the podcast. Holly teaches public and private workshops and has spoken about building high growth products at the Lean Startup Summit Europe, Product Tank NYC, Parsons School of Design, and the Products School. Learn more and connect with Holly Hester Reilly here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Van der Wiel helps people recognize who they are so that others can. With a knack for intuitively knowing how to scope out the landscape for her clients, she's always on the lookout for the invisible clues they might be missing. For her, the intersection of neuroscience, creativity, and innovation is always the most fascinating. Van consults, speaks, and takes her signature workshops across the USA, Latin America, and Australia.  Currently working and living in Mexico, she's recently launched her limited edition collection of wearable art and homewares.  In this week’s learn more about Van’s career story: Van was the Chief Creative Officer and founder of an award-winning branding and design agency with offices in New York and Sydney. She sold her agency in 2005. She was dubbed a brand psychologist by Time Inc. Magazines when her agency launched People Weekly in the Australian market.   A weekly contributor to Dan Schwabel's Personal Branding Blog. she's written for entrepreneur.com, been quoted and featured in Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Reuters, The Australian Financial Review, Investor's Business Daily, and American Express OPEN Forum. Learn more and connect with Mary van der Wiel here: @maryvandewiel (brand advisory) (design shop) Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

At 14 years old, Jayne Mattson’s father gave her a copy of Dale Carnegie’s book “,” telling her, “you can choose your own destiny.” He was her biggest champion. His encouragement meant the world to Jayne, especially since she and her five siblings had lost their mother the year before.  Jayne pursued a career in the medical device industry as a quality assurance documentation systems engineer, staying with the same company for 23 years. When an opportunity for a layoff package arose, she grabbed it. Jayne reinvented herself to step into work that she truly loved, which included managing and developing people.   Today, Jayne is an author, consultant, and speaker on career management, relationship building, and confidence development. She inspires professionals to take charge of their lives, develop professional relationships, and build sustainable confidence for career and life success.  In this week’s learn more about Jayne’s career story: Jayne authored the book, . She is a frequent writer and contributor to CareerBuilder, Monster.com, CIO, Mashable.com, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Jayne conducts seminars and webinars on conveying confidence presenting your best self, finding your voice, and developing relationships for career success. She holds a master's degree in management from Lesley University, a Bachelor's in human resources from Northeastern University, and certification from Dale Carnegie based on his principles and how to win friends and influence people. Learn more and connect with Jayne here: @Jaynemattson Listen, subscribe and read show notes at -

Ashwin Krishnan describes his beginnings as a “typical Indian immigrant story”. He is an Engineer who became an Engineering Manager, growing restless and segueing into Product Management then rising to VP and SVP. While Ashwin was innovating and experimenting, he realized how constrained he felt by the insular mindset of his industry and the narrow definition of his job. He finally admitted to himself that he was dissatisfied. Then, Ashwin did something unusual for a man in his position: He stopped and examined his life and talents to identify what was fulfilling and had purpose. He discovered that he enjoyed storytelling to promote understanding and loved mentoring people to become the best version of themselves. Ashwin also realized that he was still passionate about the tech industry, particularly the issues surrounding privacy and ethics. Today, Ashwin serves as the COO of UberKnowledge, bringing cybersecurity awareness and training to demographics that are underrepresented in the industry. He articles and blog posts using analogy to simplify technology trends and complex topics like AI and IoT. Ashwin hosts with CISOs and industry experts in order to bridge the chasm between security vendors and customers so that real problems can be solved to make the world a safer place.  In this week’s learn more about Ashwin’s career story: Ashwin’s purpose is to empathize, educate, and empower in tech ethics and most of all, human goodness. He  at meetings on the need for a sharper focus on ethics in the tech industry. Ashwin hosts the podcast, in which he showcases the human beings who do the extraordinary every single day, yet without recognition. He digs deep into why they do what they do and explores how they stay motivated. Learn more and connect with Ashwin here: @Acekrish Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Mark Hayward describes himself as a corporate employee with an entrepreneurial mindset and that is exactly who he is. With a background in economics, policy, and government, he started his career in public service economic affairs policy for the central government. Mark became restless in that environment and moved into the world of consulting and business.  With the help of a mentor coach, he has grown to add value to his corporate work by developing a few side hustles. In addition to his day job, Mark is the host of the Absolute Business Mindset podcast. He also invests in real estate and started a business coaching practice which he hopes to expand in the future. In this week’s learn about Mark’s professional journey: Today, Mark lives in London, England, and works for KPMG UK as a consultant. He has experience in software sales and account management, product development, and implementation. Mark also maintains a small business coaching practice. In addition to hosting his podcast, he developed and offers a course on podcasting aspiring hosts.  Learn more and connect with Mark here: LinkedIn - Facebook -  Twitter: markhayward169 Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

“Are you doing what you're passionate about? If you know the answer is no. You're obligated to do something about that. Because you're not meant to be miserable. That's not why you're here,” says Claire Chandler, president and founder of Talent Boost. Claire Chandler leverages over 25 years of experience in business leadership, human resources, and communications to boost leadership alignment and effectiveness in a wide range of organizations. She has extensive experience in organizational effectiveness, executive coaching, leadership development, communication strategy, employment branding, succession management, employee onboarding and engagement, talent, infrastructure, and strategic planning.  After many years of climbing the corporate ladder to the c-suite and then surviving a cancer diagnosis, Claire decided to take the next step to establish her own business, Talent Boost. She helps growing organizations align their leadership around a unifying vision that attracts and retains the right talent to accomplish their mission.  In this week’s learn about Claire’s professional journey: Claire is the author of . She holds a certificate in Strategic HR leadership from Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, a master's degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a bachelor's degree from Fairfield University. Claire has decades of experience in production, communications, customer service, and human resources in the global environmental and energy resources industries. Learn more and connect with Claire here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

In our increasingly uncertain world, Dr. Jim Karrh helps businesses break through their doubts and grow through more effective and consistent customer conversations. But he knows you don't have to be a Ph.D., a professional speaker, an extrovert, or a brilliant conversationalist to bring your own business story to life. After several years on Wall Street and a few years in the radio and media arenas in his hometown of Waynesboro, Georgia, Jim realized that he wanted to help people more directly. After earning his Ph.D. in Business, he thought it would be rewarding to teach and secured a position teaching management and marketing in Little Rock, Arkansas. Along the way, he began to take on some consulting projects in addition to his academic responsibilities and one thing led to another. Today, Jim Karrh offers clients his experience as a consumer researcher, award-winning corporate marketing leader, and now consultant, speaker, and coach to businesses ranging from startups to members of the Fortune 500.  In this week’s learn much more about Jim’s journey: Jim is the author of the .   He is also the host of the podcast.  Jim has an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, along with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida. Learn more and connect with Jim here: @JimKarrh   Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Chris Schembra has few memories of his childhood. Growing up on Hilton Head Island, SC, he was diagnosed at 5 with ADHD, always had a lot to say, and many thoughts that he wasn’t allowed to express. While in college Chris sought a new identity, taking on leadership roles, philanthropic activities, and at the same time, abusing drugs and alcohol. That led to crashing cars, fights with police, going to jail a few times, and failed stays in rehab.  After his last stay in rehab, Chris was medicine free for the first time in years. He moved home to Hilton Head and fell in love with nature. In the next two years, he worked as a kayak tour guide, a stand-up paddleboard instructor, and earned his boat captain’s license. He then went to Patagonia to learn wilderness leadership skills and returned home to work for a year with a therapeutic outdoor program for adolescents. But wait, folks… that’s not all! Next stage: Chris and two friends started a marketing company on Hilton Head, providing a variety of services to businesses all over the island. The entrepreneurial bug had captured Chris’s soul. Around that time, he was visiting with a woman who was like a grandmother to him. She told him he had outgrown the island and that he should move to New York City. She had never told him what to do before and he took her words to heart. Chris moved to New York City and after a week, he called his Dad and said, “I think I want to be an actor.” And he did! In this week’s learn much more about Chris’s journey: Chris is the Founder + Chief Question Asker of 7:47, an advisory firm that helps companies give the GIFT of community and belonging to their clients and partners Having used his signature pasta sauce to spark over 400,000 relationships around the dinner table, his core hypothesis is that giving gratitude to others is the key to fulfillment, and ultimately good for business. His book: , chronicles his adventures as one of the most sought-after dinner hosts in the World. Learn more and connect with Chris here:  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Lei Wang grew up in Beijing, China. She was an excellent student and easily mastered most academic subjects. Lei told me that as a city child, she had no athletic training. So… you may ask, why is this important in a conversation about career transitions?  After earning a B.S. in Computer Science from in Beijing, Lei moved to the U.S. to attend UNC-Chapel Hill for her M.S. in Computer Science. She then worked in IT for a large banking firm and later joined a start-up. Lei’s start-up colleagues were Wharton Business School alumni. They encouraged her to consider a business degree. She applied to Wharton and was admitted... just-like-that.  For new students, Wharton offers outdoor leadership trips as a team-building experience. Lei opted to go mountaineering in Ecuador. By the end of the 5-week trip, Lei swore she would never look at another mountain again.  Fast forward… two years post-MBA, Lei was watching a documentary about two British climbers, The White. Something inside her was sparked with excitement, and in a moment she decides that an ordinary person, such as herself, could climb Mt. Everest. That excitement empowered her not only to climb Everest but to become the first Asian woman to complete a journey to the summit of the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. And to the north and south poles, a feat called the Explorers Grand Slam.  In this week’s hear about Lei’s incredible journey: Lei spent 6 years preparing for her climb of Mt. Everest using all of her free hours and vacation time to train for the biggest challenge of her life. She says that when she sees something new, she picks it up fast and takes action. Today as a coach, speaker, and author, Lei travels the world to empower individuals and organizations to dream big, take a leap of, and tap into the power of excitement to realize their potential and reach the heights of success. Learn more and connect with Lei here:  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Werner Puchert told me that it is important to add ‘tilt’ to your story. A native of South Africa, I thought he was sharing a special term from his part of the world, but no... Werner adopted the term from a friend who shared it with him in the context of narrative structure in storytelling.   “If you don't add tilt into the story, nothing's ever going to happen. So you need to add tilt to your story. When I was working at the agency and then I decided to move to go on my own, I really could have stayed there. But then I decided to tilt and when you tilt a door opens.” As an experienced design consultant and innovation coach with extensive experience in marketing product UX UI and project management, Werner talks about how tilt took different forms as he progressed through his career. In its various formats, tilt looked like calculated risks, exercises in blind faith, and leaps into uncertainty.  In this week’s learn about Werner’s professional journey: Werner studied fine arts and wanted to be an artist. Then, as he put it, he fell into the world of technology, combining that with his creativity into the world of ad agencies. After ten years in the advertising industry, he left to start his own consulting business. His first big client was a firm named Deloitte. He later joined them on a full-time basis. Werner likes to believe that he's one of the last Mad Men, based on his advertising agency experience.  He has a background ranging from marketing and advertising, experience design, and mobile digital transformation from various companies including Deloitte. Two years ago he established his own firm to work in more creative directions, including two podcasts, , and and a where he focuses on design thinking. Learn more and connect with Werner here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Jenny Blake says if change is the only constant, let's get better at it. She is the founder of the Pivot Method, a growth strategy company that helps forward-thinking individuals and organizations map what’s next through scalable Pivot programs. Jenny is the author of , which won the Axiom Best Business Books Award in the careers category. She also hosts the popular , which CNBC listed among 6 podcasts to make you smarter about your career, and Entrepreneur selected as one of the top 20 female-hosted business podcasts. While often an international keynote speaker, Jenny offers another perspective based on our current COVID-19 crisis. She says, “During times of crisis and upheaval, we face not a thousand plateaus but a thousand pivot points. The choice is to pivot or get pivoted. Sometimes both: we get pivoted, and we choose how to respond and adapt, creating a new order from chaos as we strengthen ourselves as organizations and individuals.” In this week’s learn about Jenny’s work and professional journey: After two years at a technology start-up in Silicon Valley, followed by five years in Training and Career Development at Google, Jenny moved to New York City in 2011 where she has been running her company ever since, helping innovative organizations like Google and Microsoft incorporate the Pivot Method into their global career development and manager training programs.  Jenny has always liked to write and earlier in her career wrote her first book, Learn more and connect with Jenny here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Kerrian Fournier was originally trained as a classical violinist, she studied theater and worked off-Broadway, on Broadway, and even went to London’s West End. As exciting as all of that sounds, Kerrian says it was a lifestyle that drained her love of the performing arts. So she completely pivoted and walked in the opposite direction, leveraging her quantitative skills, and landing a job in the financial district on Wall Street. Kerrian tells the story of a job interview she attended for an equity compensation executive position. She was competing against candidates who had economics degrees or MBA’s, neither of which she had. In the final interview the head of the division asked her between you and one other person what would it take to be successful. Kerrian explained that she brought discipline to do whatever it takes to achieve excellence, like when you perform on stage. She added that if he was hiring for knowledge based on education or previous job experience, then “I'm not your candidate”. She got the job. Hence, the title of this episode, Knowledge vs. Mindset. In this week’s learn about Kerrian’s professional journey: After attending Northwestern and Oxford University, Kerrian spent 25+ years providing human capital strategy, compensation, and workforce analytics expertise to senior leadership and board of directors of global organizations such as Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and more.  As a self-described ‘personal success trainer’, Kerrian’s trademark is to keep innovation high on the agenda and to challenge each of her clients to make the exceptional real. She expects the same of herself and always has. Kerrian has a passion for unlocking the highest level of performance in the individuals, teams, and organizations with whom she works by leveraging her unique combination of technical expertise and executive coaching experience. Learn more and connect with Kerrian here: 15 Minute Laser Coaching Session -   Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Nikita Yajurvedi grew up in the small town of Karnataka, India. She was always a good student, eager to learn new things, and energized about her studies. Nikita completed her B.Tech undergrad from a renowned university where she studied Electronics and Communication Engineering and like most soon-to-be graduates, she began the recruitment process. Yet, Nikita found herself feeling lost. She was interviewing for jobs but wasn’t getting the offers.  Nikita by nature is a problem solver and this was no exception. She quickly asked herself what am I missing here? Nikita initiated a series of focused, individual conversations with a small circle of trusted people asking them for feedback and gained key insights that helped her to get on track. Today, Nikita is a Business Analyst at Cisco where she serves as a regional relationship lead in pricing operations. She is very passionate about uplifting others and taking others along with her while achieving her goals. I met Nikita on LinkedIn last summer and we hit it off immediately. We have kept in touch, talking on zoom periodically about all kinds of topics ranging from leadership to career satisfaction and cultural and generational differences. Our plan is to write an article together for HBR Ascend in the near future. In this week’s learn about Nikita’s’s career journey: Nikita was invited by the editors of HBR Ascend to participate in the HBR Ascend Select community, a group of aspiring leaders who are asked to share their views and opinions with the editorial, marketing, and product teams of HBR Ascend. She has won awards for her performance, and for demonstrating core values. Learn more and connect with Nikita here: @YajurvediR Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

Matt Zinman is someone who never does anything half baked. When he takes something on, he goes all the way. Growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he went to Canada every summer laying the groundwork for his lifelong passion for ice hockey. Off the ice, he would spend time on the lake learning to water ski and eventually became a competitive water skier.  He went to Temple University, became captain of their NCAA ice hockey team, and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism. For many years, he worked in public relations agencies, progressing into management roles, and then opened his own agency, Z Communications. He always offered internships to local students and enjoyed the influence that mentoring had on their experiences. In 2007, Matt decided to establish a nonprofit, the Internship Institute, in order to bridge the gap between education and employment by making experience matter for students, veterans, communities and the economy overall. In this week’s learn about Matt’s journey as a “personal success trainer”: Matt”s varied experiences as an entrepreneur, athlete, single parent, caretaker consultant, and nonprofit founder, drive him to be a difference-maker. His insights about self-discovery, relationships, mindfulness, and life led Matt to write his book, “”, fulfilling his goal to positively impact as many people as possible. He offers ways to better ourselves, our experiences, and our encounters providing actionable tools and practices throughout the book. Matt coins the phrase, ‘earned confidence’ in his book, sharing strategies for outsmarting worry, anxiety, and stress. He was generous and candid with me in our interview talking about his experience with depression and offers helpful insights about how to ‘mind the mood scale’. Learn more and connect with Matt here: @MatthewZinman Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  -

George McGehrin did all of the things he was supposed to do. He attended great schools, studied finance at Seton Hall, and even went to Oxford in England to study Economics. When he graduated, he joined PwC and then moved to Ernst and Young a few years later. But as he told me “I was trading my life for money. I was miserable.” For one, he didn’t like the extensive traveling that his job required him to do.  Then, one day he was recruited by a startup in Florida. He was so desperate to move on, he quit his job on Friday and landed in Miami on Monday. What do they say about youth being wasted on the young? Three months later, he was laid off. George says that unemployment was the best thing that ever happened to him. From there, he started his first business in an industry that he was very familiar with...It took him approximately 18 months to recover the business and move forward in 2010. In this week’s learn about George’s professional journey: George runs , an international executive search and recruiting firm providing executive search and leadership at the C suite level, such as CEO CFO, CTO, CMO, and CIO roles throughout the US, Europe, and South America. Based in Rutherford, NJ, his clients include small startups to global organizations. George oversees a talented team of 30 recruitment professionals who work remotely. Besides managing his recruiting firm, George also works with executives helping them empower their careers with branding and coaching. George “tithes” 10% of every sale into a savings account so that he will always be ready for any downturn and can keep his ship afloat. Learn more and connect with George here: Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 077

As a child Dorie Clark loved to write and use her imagination. Back then, she wanted to become a spy and was intrigued by the character James Bond. Her parents would take her on beach vacations, but she preferred to stay inside and write. By age 12, she was submitting poems to New Yorker magazine, none were published, but that didn’t stop her from trying!   Dorie went to college at 14, studied philosophy, and went on to earn her Masters in Divinity at Harvard. She then launched a career in journalism as a political writer with a newspaper in Boston. On September 10, 2001, yes… the day before 9/11, she was laid off from her job. Needless to say, it was a devastating time.  Through her networks, Dorie quickly found freelance writing jobs and realized she needed to develop a plan. She never wanted to be caught off guard ever again. Within a year, she was working as the spokesperson on a presidential campaign and subsequently, worked on other political campaigns. Dorie then pivoted from politics, becoming the Executive Director of a nonprofit in Boston where she improved bike riding safety and accessibility across the region. That experience lit the lightbulb on the entrepreneurial experience that she stepped into next.  In this week’s learn about Dorie Clark’s career journey: Dorie has been described by the New York Times as an expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.  As a consultant, speaker, author, teacher, and coach, Dorie Clark helps individuals and companies get their best ideas heard in a crowded, noisy world. Dorie is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review and the author of 3 books: , and She was named one of the top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinker's 50 and was honored as the number one communication coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith leading global coaches awards. Dorie is a global keynote speaker and teaches executive education for Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School. Learn more and connect with Dorie here:    Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 076

Mike Roderick has always been interested in solving problems and looking at things differently. His elementary school teachers said he had an overactive imagination, creating entire worlds out of a box of crayons.  Once he got to high school, Mike took a more entrepreneurial approach as he was often initiating and pulling things together. For instance, he noticed that the English department had far less funding that the sports department had, so he came up with the idea to have a battle of the bands’ fundraiser for his school’s English department, and filled the entire auditorium. Mike jokes that it's the night he beat George Lucas. The actual date for the Battle of the Bands had been set for when Return of the Jedi was being released. So they changed the date and then the movie theaters changed the date again. The school went ahead with the battle of the bands. Mike packed the auditorium, raising a lot of money for the English department. Today, Mike Roderick is the CEO of Small Pond Enterprises.  Small pond enterprises is a consulting company and educational resource for solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and intrepreneurs who want to accelerate the success of their business. Mike's unique methodology comes from his own experience of going from being a high school English teacher to a Broadway producer in under two years. In this week’s Mike Roderick shares his career trajectory: Mike hosts the podcast, Access to Anyone, which shows how you can get to know anyone you want in business and life using time tested relationship-building principles. He raised big dollars for Broadway productions while teaching high school English. Connect with Mike here: @michaelroderick Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 075

Bill Flynn is not your ordinary author, speaker, coach, and student. As a kid, Bill Flynn wanted to be a professional ice hockey player.  He played in college during his freshman year and some of his teammates even went on to the NHL, but at the end of the year, Bill felt that his love for the game had dwindled. He traded his time on the ice for a job at a pizza restaurant where he worked for several years, gaining increased responsibilities and developing a great work ethic.  It was fun, but not his life’s work. Upon graduation, Bill landed a sales role at a computer products company and then, as he puts it, he got lucky.  He went to work for a company called Dragon Systems which developed voice-activated software.  Bill said it was the most rewarding job he ever had as a salesperson because they actually changed the lives of their customers, people with disabilities.  After his time at Dragon, Bill got into the world of startups.  He worked for 10 different tech startups over the next 25 years serving in a variety of roles all the way up to CEO and President.  Today, he is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, coach, and student.   In this week’s Bill Flynn shares his career trajectory: His book is hot off the presses.  Bill’s mission is to help growth-oriented leaders focus on the few things that truly matter to them, their customers, and team members. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 074

Today, I am the interviewee. Executive Coach Anne Sugar graciously offered to interview me on Work From The Inside Out. You may recall that Anne was my guest a few episodes ago and at that time we decided it would be fun for her to turn the tables on me. As with many adventures, I stepped into the unknown, trusting Anne to take the ball and run with it. I hope you will listen and enjoy it! In this episode I share my experience of being a podcaster and soon-to-be author: "Here's an AHA. In my earlier career, I was deeply unhappy in some of my past jobs, and I found my way to something that I love to do, coaching. I assumed I was going to interview people who had experienced similar misery and found their way to happiness as I did. Not necessarily true. While there are other people out there like me, those are generally not the people who have become my podcast guests." "I'm always appreciative when my guests are willing to go a little deeper and share how the impact of a significant life event spurred them towards some meaningful action." My book (untitled) is about the stories and themes of my podcast guests who have navigated a variety of career and professional transitions. The purpose of the book is to inspire the reader to engage in their own transition, if they so choose, by reflecting on the stories and assimilating the lessons learned through the themes threaded throughout the book. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 073

Tony Martignetti believes there are great meaning and value in getting uncomfortable. No, he is not sadistic.  In fact, Tony is one of the kindest, most engaging people you will ever meet. He is a leadership coach who specializes in working with leaders and their teams to navigate through change and unlock their true potential. This often requires that they experience some discomfort in order to gain the clarity they need to make well-informed decisions, improve their skills, and ultimately increase their impact.  Prior to becoming a coach, Tony was a finance and strategy professional in some of the world's leading life sciences companies. Along the way, he also managed a few small businesses and ran a financial consulting company.  In this week’s Tony shares his career trajectory: Throughout his career, Tony gained lessons not only as a leader, but also working with high performing leaders across multiple organizations.  It is his passion for helping people that fueled his inspiration to form his company, Inspired Purpose Coaching. Tony is known for supporting leaders in finding clarity so that they are energized, unstoppable and lead with a strong presence. He believes that when leaders unlock their potential and lead from a place of inspired purpose, their positive impact is amplified.  Over the course of his career, Tony traversed the paths between full-time employment and self-employment, making his way to his own company where he is today. Links   Listen, subscribe and read show notes at - episode 072

At 13 years old, Norman Wolfe celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and simultaneously was inspired to pursue a career dream.  It’s not quite what you might think… he didn’t aspire to study Torah and become a Rabbi.  Norman decided he wanted to join the Air Force and become a pilot.      His Uncle, who had been a Colonel in the Air Force, gave him his wings for his Bar Mitzvah and it meant the world to him.  Norman wanted to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and become a pilot in the service, but unfortunately he did not qualify due to poor eyesight.   What followed was a career path that began in the aeronautical engineering industry, taking many twists and turns, guided by opportunities and an inner voice that Norman listened to closely.  He has maintained a deep curiosity in everything he has done from his career at Hewlett Packard to running his own consulting company and authoring a book.   In this week’s Norman shares his career trajectory: He has led companies large and small, and been a public company director and has over 30 years of consulting and mentoring leaders in a wide range of industries.  Norman is the author of , an application of the core principles of how the world works to how organizations and individuals can create extraordinary impact.  He is a leading voice in bringing about a transformation of the core paradigm of business.  Links YouTube - Facebook - Facebook - LinkedIn - Twitter - Website -   Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 071

Femily Howe, MA is a consultant who speaks at and advises Silicon Valley and other male-majority companies and teams, like law, finance, and engineering – on gender, equity, and building an ally culture to help them advance womxn, foster inclusion of all kinds and reduce workplace bias.  In 2018, Femily founded the to address a growing demand for rigor and best practices in the field. That same year, she launched San Francisco's Executive Womxn's forum at the Commonwealth Club. Femily serves on the board of , the innovation lab for the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. With a Masters in Gender/Cultural Studies, Femily started her career working in the Women Studies Program at MIT, primarily as an administrator.  Later, she worked in public relations, communications, and then landed in consulting with a large management consulting firm. That experience compelled her to work full time in alignment with her feminist values and start her own consulting firm where she is today. In this episode we discuss: How Femily connected with someone at a garage sale to find one of the best jobs of her life.  How important networking and making personal connections are to growing a career.  Femily was an Administrator in the MIT Women’s Studies program. She was able to thrive in that role because everyone treated her as a valued member of the team.  She understands the knowledge and confidence gaps between men and women, the systemic consequences of gender bias, and the importance for women to continue moving forward.  Femily has learned that if she wants to add a new skill to her resume, one option is to volunteer her time in an organization where she can develop the skill.  How a lot of women focus on the glass ceiling but she believes it is more important to focus on the first promotion, from worker to manager, because that is where most women get stuck.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 070

Stephen Shapiro is the author of the new book . For over 20 years, Stephen has presented his provocative strategies on innovation to audiences in 50 countries. During his 15 year tenure with the consulting firm, Accenture, he led a 20,000 person innovation practice. He is the author of six books, and the creator of , a card game that has been used around the world to create high performing innovation teams. In 2015, he was inducted into the speaker Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was a regular judge and mentor on the TLC innovation reality television show, Girl Starter. Stephen started his career as an industrial engineer building computers and found the work to be routine.  He realized early on that he was not a ‘cubicle guy’. He joined one of the world’s largest consulting firms, Accenture, by leveraging his engineering background to help companies develop more efficient processes and new products.  When he discovered that companies were laying off thousands of people in the name of progress, he wanted no part of that. He took a leave of absence to reflect and returned to Accenture six months later with some fresh ideas to help companies grow.  After 15 years with the firm, he decided to build his own brand, which includes authoring 6 books, speaking worldwide, online learning and innovation consulting.  In this episode we discuss: How Stephen became disillusioned when he realized that his work as a consultant to help companies’ optimize their business processes enabled them to reduce their workforces.  He likes to help his clients stay relevant by helping them create products, services, and  business models that are relevant to companies, consumers, and their clients.  Stephen shares how most of his business comes through credible referrals and clients who have worked with him.  How he set the intention to write his first book and had it become real almost 5 years to the day after he set it. Stephen shares how he prefers to divot instead of pivot and by doing so, deepens the way he delivers his content.  The value he places on meeting people where they are. Links Stephen Shapiro on and .   Other Resources: by Stephen Shapiro by Stephen Shapiro by Stephen Shapiro by Dr. Michael Hammer Learn more about Stephen Shapiro’s   Learn more about the .  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 069  

Steve Kahan is the Chief Marketing Officer at Thycotic Software Ltd, which is the 7th startup that he has worked with. Steve inspires teens and their organizations to take on the impossible and succeed. He has just written a book published by Wiley and audible and available on Amazon.com called The book teaches those graduating college and young professionals how to earn a great living doing what they love by igniting their career at a tech startup.   Steve started as a communications major in college and his first job out of school was in a large insurance company processing claims.  At the time, he thought he was ready to set the world on fire. Within a fairly short period, he realized he was a more entrepreneurial spirit and found his way into the world of startup companies.  Since then, he has successfully helped to grow six startup companies from early-stage development to going public or being sold, resulting in more than $3 billion in shareholder value. He generously shares his story and all that he learned over the last 30 years.  Today, he is the CMO of Thycotic Software Ltd, his 7th startup company. In this episode we discuss: Steve’s parents encouraged him to go to college and get a steady job so he did. When he graduated, he got a job processing insurance claims.  How he got the “startup bug” and has now facilitated the growth of 7 startups.  Steve has specific criteria and questions he asks when considering a new startup. He emphasizes the importance of going deep on one specific skill set before building a general and wide-range skill set.  Steve discusses his understanding of what determines success. He makes it a practice to express gratitude as often as possible.   Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 068

Alan Samuel Cohen is an experienced executive and team coach and corporate instructor with over a decade of experience coaching leaders and teams at companies including MetLife American Express, Skadden, Arps, Tiffany's, NBC and countless PR and marketing agencies. He is also a TEDx speaker and has written books on authentic connection in a digital age, and how to manage conflict and difficult conversations in the workplace. Prior to becoming a coach, he worked in PR, marketing and human resources for over 25 years, most notably as the Director of Marketing for Scholastic, where he led the team that was responsible for launching the Harry Potter book series, and as Director of Communications for the Broadway League, where he publicized the Tony Awards. Even as a kid, Alan always wanted to be a publicist.  How does a child know about PR work? Growing up in New York City, his father worked as a publicist for ABC television.  He was surrounded by all the 8x10 glossies of his TV heroes and all he saw was the glamour of the profession. After college, Alan became a successful publicist, working in TV and eventually in publishing where he worked publicizing the Harry Potter book series.  It doesn’t get better than that. As the publishing field changed, Alan made some moves into marketing and communications. Then the financial crisis of 2008 hit. Alan completed his coaching training at the same time and started his coaching business, building upon his insights and experiences as an executive. In this episode we discuss: How Alan currently runs his own business as an executive and team coach, and corporate instructor, coaching leaders and teams at companies like MetLife, American Express, Skadden, Arps, Tiffany’s, NBC, and countless other PR and marketing agencies.  Alan ran the publicity team for the Harry Potter books and describes it as a shining moment for him.  He delivered his first TEDx talk in October 2019 at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, called “The Magical Power of Shared Purpose.” Alan has authored two books, and . Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 067

James  Richardson is the founder of  Premium Growth Solutions, a  strategic planning consultancy for early-stage consumer-packaged-goods brands. As a professionally trained cultural anthropologist turned business strategist, he has helped more than 75 CPG brands with their strategic planning, including brands owned by Coca-Cola  Venturing and Emerging Brands, The Hershey Company, General Mills, Kraft Foods, ConAgra Brands, and Frito-Lay as well as emerging brands such as Once Upon a Farm, Mother Kombucha, Bobby Sue’s Nuts, Rebel Creamery, Zaca recovery, and others. He also hosts his own podcast—Startup Confidential. His thoughts appear regularly in industry publications such as Foodnavigator.   As a kid, James aspired to become a college professor, as he puts it, a Professor of Something.  And so he did. His career journey started on the academic path as a cultural anthropologist, studying the analysis of value systems, symbol systems, and how those do or do not get enacted in different cultures. He specialized in Southeast Asia and lived in India for three years where he studied and witnessed their caste system.  It took nine years to get a Ph.D. in anthropology, and after all of that, he made the difficult choice to leave the academic track to work in the private sector. Fortunately, he joined a small startup company that needed someone with his credentials to work with consumer packaged goods product brands. He spent 17 years with them and today runs his own consulting business and recently published his book, Ramping Your Brand. In this episode we discuss: How James spent 9 years achieving his Ph.D. in anthropology, including three years in India and two near-death experiences. He dreamed of being a professor as a child. Toward the end of his degree program, he realized he had become disenchanted with the academic path.  James then spent significant time investigating the options available for Ph.D. anthropologists in the private sector. Fortunately, he identified a startup company, The Hartman Group. They needed someone with his credentials to work with consumer packaged goods (CPG) product brands.  As James grew with The Hartman Group over 17 years, he went from Senior Analyst and then finished there as a Vice President of the company.  He has helped more than 75 CPG brands with their strategic planning.  Today James runs Premium Growth Solutions and recently published his book, “.” Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 066

Paula Rizzo is an Emmy Award winning television producer, author, speaker, media trainer, and strategist. As a former senior health producer for the Fox News Channel, she produced health, wellness, and lifestyle segments with a range of top experts. A media veteran for nearly 20 years, Paula also worked in local news in New York City as a producer for WCBS and WPIX. Today, she works with experts, authors, and entrepreneurs on how to position themselves for media, build their lists, engage customers and fans for their brands, books, and businesses. She created the productivity site ListProducer.com and is the best-selling author of .  Her next book, was published in 2019.   As a best-selling author and Emmy-award winning television producer for nearly 20 years, Paula started in local news media in New York City and later produced health, wellness, and lifestyle segments with a range of top experts.  She was at the top of her field and had written her first book. The book and affiliated activities began to gain attention. Paula decided after a successful career in television production to put her energy in some new directions. Today, she coaches experts and executives to perform better on camera and produce their own videos.  Paula is the co-creator of Lights Camera Expert, an online course for entrepreneurs, authors and experts to learn about how to get media attention. A veteran speaker, Paula's presented at the Mass Conference for Women, New York Women in Communications, and the National Association of Professional Organizers. In this episode we discuss: Paula shares how she has always been a curious person and how that led her to journalism and broadcasting.  She always wanted to be a writer but had no idea she would eventually write books about list-making.  Paula had a fun and challenging journey to achieving an Emmy Award for TV production.   She worked at Fox for over 10 years and loved covering health on the dot com segment, she learned a lot. The transition from Fox to working for herself was gradual but eventually became very compelling when staying in her job was going to hold her back from achieving her personal business goals.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 065

Petra Kolber is a speaker, author, mindset coach, podcast host, DJ, and a wellness leader who is known throughout the industry as a beacon of authentic happiness. As a national workshop leader and keynote speaker, she inspires people around the globe to stand up for their lives and live profoundly from their hearts. As a two-time cancer survivor, she is passionate about waking people up to the precious gift of time. Her work is rooted in the science of positive psychology, and she coaches individuals and teams on how to get unstuck so that they can become unstoppable.  Petra had been the face and voice of leading food and fitness companies such as Reebok, Adidas, Gatorade, and California walnuts. She traveled the world speaking to tens of thousands of fitness enthusiasts and wellness leaders.  Yet, she wasn’t happy as she was overwhelmed by anxiety and panic attacks over many years. Petra took time away to get help and engaged in the study of positive psychology, enabling her to conquer her own internal barriers and to create a program that now helps hundreds of people to live bravely and reclaim their joy.  In August 2018, Petra released her first book: .  Her mission is to inspire people to move more and fear less so that they can stretch their dreams, strengthen their courage muscle and build an inspired life full of joy and gratitude.  In this episode we discuss: Petra started her career as a dancer and then moved into the fitness industry.  She signed a deal to work with Reebok while also maintaining her own name brand. Eventually, she launched her own fitness business. After running her own business for 10 years, Petra took some time off to focus on mental fitness. She also used that time to earn her degree in Positive Psychology.  Petra shares that she battled cancer two times in her life and has been cancer-free for twenty years, and how she did her most fearless living during her bouts with cancer. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 064

Rachel Stewart is the Executive Vice President of a $22 million restoration company and CEO of a software development company.  Years earlier, she left college to support her husband’s career efforts and they started a family. When the 2008 economic downturn happened, her husband lost his job and overnight, they were facing serious financial uncertainty.  Rachel had not worked outside the home in 5 years and felt unqualified for most jobs. They decided that she would return to work. Rachel started her career as an unqualified office manager, but over the last decade became the Executive Vice President of a $22 million restoration company and the CEO of a software development company focused on getting contractors the technology tools they need. Over the years, she has learned that the only limitations to her success have been in her own mind. In her book, Unqualified Success, Rachel shares the tools that made the difference in her achievements. The things she learned the hard way are available through the hands-on exercises that she offers for the reader to explore their own unqualified journey. In this episode we discuss: How Rachel got an office manager and bookkeeping position with a restoration company and how she grew all the way into running the company.  Rachel felt completely unqualified for the role but the owner was willing to give her the chance, and she was willing to take the leap, and learn on the job, which became wildly successful.   She was surprised to learn that when she stretched herself simultaneously in several directions, she was challenged to rely on her strengths in the same ways she had in the past.  In her book, Unqualified Success, Rachel shares the hands-on tools that made all the difference in her achievements in practical and engaging ways. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 063

Ed Evarts is the founder and president of Excellius Leadership Development, a firm focused on helping successful leaders build their self-awareness so these leaders can self manage more effectively. He is the author of Raise Your Visibility and Value and the forthcoming book, Drive Your Career. He coaches mid- to senior-level business professionals and their teams, engaging real-time and tailored solutions focused on the unique needs and environment of each participant.  Ed also hosts his podcast, Be Brave @ Work. Like many people, Ed started his career in an industry that his parents work In this episode we discuss: His early career journey from retail to HR, and then eventually to coaching.  Ed coaches mid to senior-level business professionals and teams, engaging real-time and unique solutions. He is the founder and president of Excellius Leadership Development, a firm focused on helping successful leaders build their self-awareness so these leaders can self-manage more effectively.  Ed is the author of two books: “Raise Your Visibility and Value” and his latest book, “Drive Your Career” will be released in March 2020.  He hosts a podcast, Be Brave at Work.  ed in, the retail industry. After college, he worked in merchandising and quickly became attracted to the area of human resources. He spent decades in several major retail companies as a human resources manager and then transferred into another industry where he rose through the ranks until 2008 when the economy tanked. His position was eliminated and he decided to establish his independent practice as an Executive and Leadership Coach. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 062  

In her 30 years as a management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator, Liz Kislik has helped clients such as American Express, Orvis, the Girl Scouts, Comcast, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Highlights for Children solve their thorniest problems while strengthening their top and bottom lines. Her specialty is developing high performing leaders and workforces. Liz is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, an entrepreneur, and she’s a TEDx speaker on why there's so much conflict at work and what you can do to fix it. Liz says she is not a fan of the “find your passion” school of career search. In her 20’s she worked as a telemarketing manager overseeing hundreds of employees, in a large company she would never have expected to be working in. She learned as she went along guided by her intelligence, deep curiosity and desire to solve problems. It wasn’t easy and she definitely experienced stress, but it never deterred her. She credits the examples her grandparents and parents set for her as they all showed her a strong moral code for how to treat people with respect. She carried this into her work life no matter what she has done. In this episode we discuss: Liz is a TEDx speaker on why there is so much conflict at work and what you can do to fix it.  Why she chose to enter the workforce after college, instead of going to graduate school as many of her friends did.  Liz specializes in developing high performing leaders and workforces. She is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Entrepreneur.  Liz has helped clients such as American Express, Orvis, the Girl Scouts, Comcast, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Highlights for Children. She has worked with them to solve their thorniest problems while also strengthening their top and bottom lines.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 061

Sarah Friedell O'Connell is an executive coach and the owner of Change Point Advisors, a firm dedicated to helping senior executives navigate career changes. She has been coaching C suite executives for over 10 years and has worked with hundreds of people across a variety of industries and functions. Sarah brings a unique perspective and deep expertise to her work advising senior leaders. Part of Sarah's uniqueness and success as a coach stems from the expertise she gained in her first career in corporate communications and later in public relations. Sarah has over 20 years of experience in communications, and public relations, serving as a spokeswoman at Fidelity Investments and also for the president of Harvard University. She brings her real-world business experience, as well as her expertise and communication strategy, marketing, branding and messaging to her work coaching executive clients. Sarah understands what it takes to work in a high-pressure environment. As the owner of her firm, ChangePoint Advisors, she partners with her clients to clarify their goals, create customized action plans, and teach them to communicate strategically and effectively to accomplish their goals. Whether they are seeking a new job planning for an active retirement, exploring Board of Director's seeds, or launching entrepreneurial pursuits, Sarah has a proven process to help her clients succeed. In this episode we discuss: Sarah attended the College of William and Mary and knew she wanted to live in Washington D.C. after she graduated. How her early work experiences gave her the foundation she needed for future career success.  Sarah served as a spokeswoman at Fidelity Investments and subsequently for the President of Harvard University.  While serving as a spokeswoman at Harvard, Sarah was taking weekend courses to become a life coach.  When her work as a spokeswoman became increasingly demanding, she made the choice to take a brief sabbatical to get clear about her next career move. Sarah believed she would return to communications work, but discovered opportunities in the outplacement field. She took the entrepreneurial leap and now brings her business experience and her expertise in communications strategy, marketing, branding, and messaging to coach executives. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 060

Alisa Barcan is a Financial Coach and Consultant based in the UK who helps people rewrite their financial stories. She works with professionals and small business owners who wish to decipher their finances and improve their financial situation and relationship with money. Alisa is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review Ascend, a prize winner Chartered Certified Accountant and a qualified Coach from The University of Cambridge, UK. Alisa grew up in Romania and never dreamed she would live anywhere but her homeland. When her partner was offered a Ph.D. scholarship in the UK, everything changed.  She moved with him and never looked back. Initially, her career in political science and international relations was challenged as she has no permit to work in the UK.  While she waited to get the proper permit, she took classes and had the opportunity to take some career assessments. The results of these tests pointed her in a totally different direction towards finance and accounting.  The rest, as they say, is history! She became an accountant and analyst for 6 years and then started her own business as a financial coach. In this episode we discuss: Alisa is from Romania and had no plans to relocate until her partner was offered a Ph.D. scholarship in the UK, and at that point, they chose to move.  Her career trajectory shifted drastically after she took classes that offered career assessments. She discovered strengths in finance and accounting and decided to apply for just one accounting job. She got the job and has been doing financial work since.  How Alisa decided to leave the corporate world and start her own business as a financial coach.  Alisa is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review Ascend, is a prize winner Chartered Certified Accountant, and is a qualified Coach from The University of Cambridge, UK.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 059

Lorraine Rise holds an M.S. in Human Resources Management as well as certifications in Human Resources (SHRM-CP), Resume Writing (CPRW) and Career Coaching (CPCC). Lorraine has served well over 200 clients in over 30 industries, both public and private. Many of her clients come from some of the most recognizable firms in the country including Microsoft, Amazon, Fannie Mae, Morgan Stanley, and more. Career UpRising, LLC is located in the Washington DC metro area but serves clients all across the globe. Listen to Lorraine's inspirational podcast, Career UpRising, on InFlowRadio.com, iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and more. Lorraine has built her career in the practice of coaching others to succeed. Her career began in the health and weight loss industry, coaching hundreds of clients to reach their weight loss goals. As a Director and Regional Trainer for Jenny Craig Inc., she hired, trained and mentored dozens of employees in sales, customer service, and management. After a layoff in 2013, Lorraine made a career change into human resources. She has since supported the human resources and recruiting efforts at numerous firms in Information Technology. In 2015, she made another career change and founded her firm, Career UpRising.  In this episode we discuss: The career journey that led Lorraine into the health and weight loss industry, working for Jenny Craig and a few other companies, and the experiences that led her to pursue a career in human resources and recruiting.  The moment Lorraine knew she was ready to start her own business. Her inspirational podcast, .  Contract work and the advantages it offers to an emerging independent coaching practice.  Lorraine’s coaching practice and her focus on people who are mid-later career. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 058

Mac Prichard is the founder and publisher of Mac’s List, founded in Portland, Oregon in 2001, a job board and career hub for the Pacific Northwest with a mission to create more human hiring processes to improve the workforce for all. Mac is also the author of the book “Land Your Dream Job Anywhere” and host of the weekly career advice podcast, Find Your Dream Job. Mac has had a varied career from his early years in Latin American policy and communications to working as a spokesman for elected officials and on political campaigns.  Through everything he has done, his goal has always been to be of service and he has found numerous ways to fulfill that mission. Today, he runs his own PR firm and operates a regional job board, and career podcast in Portland, Oregon.  He is quick to point out, however, that his path has not always been a smooth one over his 65 years, 40 of them as a working person, as he describes his lessons learned during two significant periods of unemployment in his career. In this episode we discuss: How Mac became the first spokesperson for Boston’s Big Dig.  Mac’s experiences he had with unemployment and how those influenced his future career decisions.  The importance of communicating the value and direction a job candidate wants to take in a role, more than just their ability to do the job.  Mac shared how important it is to communicate to a potential employer how the role you are applying for is going to align with your career goals. He created Mac’s List to help job seekers in the Washington and Oregon region look skillfully for work and to help employers learn how to do an effective hiring process.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 057

Jen Guillemin, with a background in arts leadership, counseling, and teaching is an arts advocate and creative problem solver. She has mentored thousands of student artists and has spearheaded many arts initiatives at the Boston University College of Fine Arts and is the founding director of the BU visual arts Summer Institute.  Wendy Swart Grossman, with a background in the US and South African presidential campaigns, is a connector, a political and community organizer, a logistical wizard, and a visionary advocate/ activist for community building and engagement. She has held positions at Harvard's Museum of Science and Culture, and the Graduate School of Design as well as the Science Museum in London, UK and for many NGOs, nonprofits and social impact businesses.  Wendy and Jen have been working, teaching, plotting, laughing and changing the world together since 2013. After first introducing and teaching their Cultural Entrepreneurship class at Boston University they have gone on to host symposia, write chapters and articles all at the intersections of Arts & Culture, Business & Technology and Social Impact. They are launching their own consulting firm - Creative Re/Frame - and are working on a book, with the working title: “Future Studios: A DIY Guide for Artists and Creative Practitioners in the New Economy.” In this episode we discuss: Jen’s background in arts leadership, counseling, and teaching. She has mentored thousands of student artists and has championed arts initiatives at the Boston University College of Fine Arts and is the founding director of the BU visual arts Summer Institute.  Wendy is a connector, a political and community organizer, a logistical wizard, and a visionary advocate/ activist for community building and engagement.  Jen and Wendy have been working together since 2013, first teaching their Cultural Entrepreneurship class at Boston University. They have since hosted symposia, conferences and published articles on Arts & Culture, Business & Technology and Social Impact.  Wendy and Jen have launched a consulting firm called Creative Re/Frame. They are writing a book whose working title is: Future Studios: A DIY Guide for Artists and Creative Practitioners in the New Economy. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 056

Anne Sugar is an executive coach and speaker who has advised top leaders at companies including TripAdvisor, Sanofi Genzyme, and Havas. Anne serves as an executive coach for Harvard Business School Executive Education and has guest lectured at MIT. She is also a contributor to Harvard Business Review and Inc. Prior to becoming an executive coach 15 years ago, Anne served as a senior leader in the advertising industry, where she oversaw a team of 75 employees as SVP of Media at Digitas. She managed media planning for Fortune 500 clients including General Motors, Federal Express, and Delta. She draws on her extensive management experience, as well as her in-depth training in coaching methodology to advise senior executives and high performers transitioning into leadership roles. In this episode we discuss: How Anne’s leadership and career transformation journey started by taking a few risks.  Her view that serendipity played a key role in the success of her early career days.  Anne’s understanding of how her core values have provided guidance through her career transitions. For almost 20 years, Anne worked as a leader in the advertising industry, which included working on the launch of Apple computers, and how she then recognized when it was time for her to transition her career in new directions.  The throughlines through Anne’s career include her need for creativity and continuous learning.  Anne believes it is not necessary to make a large shift in your life in order to experience success or fulfillment. Instead, it is often about making a few very small shifts. She ends the show asking listeners to consider one small thing you can do right now to make a small shift in your life.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 055

Gina Warner is the President and CEO of the National Afterschool Association. Before joining NAA, she served as the Executive Director of the Partnership for Youth Development in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she helped existing and new after school programs as they sought to serve children and families in post-Katrina New Orleans. Gina is also devoted to issues of women’s leadership and female empowerment. She has transformed that passion into establishing the Badass Women’s Book Club, an international resource for book discussions, online coaching and personal development resources. She loves to challenge women to live their best badass lives through book discussions, online coaching, and personal development resources. Gina started her career as a special education teacher. Two years later, she went to law school and took that experience to do policy work for a US Senator in Washington, DC. From there, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana and worked as a lobbyist. Then, Hurricane Katrina hit the region. Shortly thereafter, she was hired to serve as the Executive Director of the Partnership for Youth Development. While there, Gina helped existing and new after school programs as they sought to reach and serve children and families in post-Katrina New Orleans. In this episode we discuss: Gina’s education and career journey that allowed her the opportunity for many life-changing experiences. Her belief in the importance of teaching young people, and especially young women, the vast array of career choices they have so they can realize their calling. Gina values experiences that have kept her mind open to new professional and personal opportunities. Her experience in surviving Hurricane Katrina and how that propelled her into running a youth development intermediary. Gina’s struggle with Imposter Syndrome after having been through an amazing leadership program, and how she bought a book in the airport on her way home that transformed her life. How she launched the Badass Women’s Book Club and its growth in the last two years. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 054

Scott Miller is a 23-year associate of the FranklinCovey organization and serves as their Executive Vice President of Thought Leadership. Scott hosts multiple podcasts including FranklinCovey’s On Leadership and Great Life, Great Career. Additionally, Scott is the author of . Scott authors a weekly leadership column for Inc.com and is a frequent contributor to podcasts and webinars. Previously, Scott worked for the Disney Development Company and grew up in Central Florida. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife and three sons. Scott started his career working for the Disney company and is the first person to tell you that he got fired.  He sees that as a big learning experience amongst many in his career and claims that for every failure, he has learned what not to do going forward.  For the past 23 years, he has worked in 7 different roles within the FranklinCovey organization, growing and developing his leadership talents as he helped others to hone their skills as well.  Scott is a look-forward kind of person and points to his family and faith as the strongholds of his character. He recently co-authored a new book, , published by Simon Schuster in October 2019. In this episode we discuss: Scott was fired from Disney and then hired by FranklinCovey, where he’s worked for the last 23 years. He shares openly because he believes it is important for people to be open and honest about their journey and any setbacks faced along the way.  How friending-up has helped him immensely in his career and life overall. Scott has worked hard to build his brand around generously giving back.  He believes that the people who are successful in life want to give back more as they grow more.  Scott’s favorite book on leadership and why he loves it.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 053

Lisa Linfield is a personal finance expert, keynote speaker, course creator and host of her podcast, Working Women's Wealth. Lisa, a Board Certified Financial Planner, is the CEO of a wealth and investment management business, Southern Pride Wealth. She has two honors degrees, one in Financial Planning, and has studied at Oxford, Insead, and London Business School. She has over 20 years of financial services experience in the UK and South Africa. She's been featured in Forbes, Thrive Global, Contemporary Business, Investing for Life and other podcasts. Lisa's goal is to teach 1 million women about money, how to make money, invest it and protect it. To that end, she has established her podcast which alternates weekly between featuring women who've achieved personally and professionally, and solo episodes in which she teaches to engage, equip, and empower her listeners. Lisa started her career as a physical therapist following the advice of many influential, well-intentioned adults who told her that going to medical school was a solid path to pursue.  After a few short years in the field, she listened to her inner voice and moved towards the business world into an entry-level role in financial services, specifically banking. She was on the team that opened one of the first digital banks in the world.  Several years into a successful career in banking, Lisa fulfilled a lifelong goal to attend Oxford and earned a degree in Divinity because she wanted to be able to study and live as a student in a way she had not been able to previously. She then returned to financial services, got married, started a family, and a few years ago, started her own personal financial advising business.   In this episode we discuss: Lisa’s scholarship and opportunity to become a physical therapist in South Africa, during a time when there was a power struggle in the country.  How higher education works in South Africa. Her realization that transition is challenging due to her concern about not meeting her family’s expectations and wondering if she was giving up an incredible career.  Lisa grew up in a business-oriented household and how that informed her transition into the business world. Lisa’s realization that “sometimes you choose transitions in life and sometimes life chooses transitions for you.”  How she found her career and life happiness when she discovered work that gave her both passion and purpose. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 052

Shane Feldman is the founder and CEO of Count Me In. He is the visionary behind the world's largest millennial led movement inspiring youth to be positive change agents. Over the past decade, Count Me In has initiated 10’s of thousands of projects worldwide, contributing a value of over $2.6 billion to the global economy through service. Shane has been featured by Larry King, Dr. oz Forbes, People Magazine, and his documentary TV series from A&E follows his community-building work. Shane has spoken to audiences around the world, and he has been recognized by the White House and the United Nations for his achievements in community leadership. Shane shares his journey as it begins in high school when he started in a new school, feeling alone and unhappy.  He tried to convince his guidance counselor to transfer him to a different school and the counselor encouraged him to get involved with a variety of activities before he gave up on the school.  As puts it, Count Me In, was born out of his high school locker as a community-building activity between his high school and a few other schools. It took off in ways he never imagined, and he has grown it for the past 11 years into the international youth community-building organization it is today. In this episode we discuss: The story behind how Shane’s company was born out of his locker when he was in high school. How he became a CEO at 19 and his belief in being a learning leader as CEO and how he believes that makes him approachable.  The experience Shane had when he needed to get unplugged. He visited Southeast Asia and in Vietnam, he found a sense of community that he knew he needed to apply to his life and his company.  Shane’s belief in the importance of connection and building a sense of community, no matter what job, career, or industry you are in. How he leads from the inside out.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 051

Kathleen Metcalf is the president of Atlas real estate coaching and training, a company specializing in professional development and systems for real estate administrators and team leaders. She has served as the bridge between real estate agents and their assistants for over 12 years. This is Kathleen’s 17th year in the real estate industry. She started as a real estate assistant in 2002 to a Top Producing agent with over $100 million in sales volume. Then she became an agent herself in San Francisco. Kathleen had a real estate assistant recruiting and coaching business for six years prior to joining Atlas. Kathleen started her career in the retail clothing store industry and proved herself, consistently getting promoted over eight years, reaching a senior-level role. Her successful career came to a halt when her alcohol addiction became a hindrance to her job performance. She generously shares her story of success, hard work, failures, perseverance, addiction, bankruptcy, sobriety, and recovery. Today, she has been in recovery for over 17 years and successfully working with real estate professionals to help them grow and develop in the field. In this episode we discuss: Kathleen’s childhood including her career aspirations being influenced by the Mary Tyler Moore show. How she went to college to become a teacher but quickly changed to major in business. Kathleen’s career in the retail clothing industry that progressed through the years because of her willingness to work hard and her curiosity. Her experience with alcoholism and resulting hardships that forced a completely different path, one she is so thankful for. How she rose out of the depths, like a phoenix, and got into the real estate industry. The different experiences Kathleen had that allowed her to travel and move from the west coast to the east coast. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 050

Jay Vogt is the founder of Peoplesworth, an organizational development practice that works with mission-driven organizations, which started in 1982. Jay has worked with nonprofits in healthcare, education, human services, arts, culture, the environment, and more. He has worked with fast-growth companies in the organic food world like Stonyfield Yogurt, and Applegate. Jay is a master facilitator of meetings and retreats and specializes in leading large group meetings of 35 to 350 participants. A published author, Jay’s TEDx talk on the art of facilitation, “Changing the Way the World Meets” has been viewed nearly 100,000 times. Unlike most people who transition to an entrepreneurial career path, Jay made this move at a younger age, 27 years and he has never looked back.  That’s not to say that it’s been a smooth, confident ride all these years.  He made choices along the way as to how he would manage his practice, choosing to only engage local clients so that he could be home at the dinner table every night, calling it his “country doctor” model. This choice challenged him to redefine his concept of success and design a life that would make him feel more alive.  This included, for example, taking several sabbaticals in which he chose experiences over income, risking the stability of his client relationships. Surprisingly, his clients found his choices appealing and engaging. In this episode we discuss: The learning and growth journey Jay took to move from working at a university extension service to launching his own practice. Jay experienced significant mindset shifts that enabled him to embrace his most meaningful career path while also overcoming significant fears. The values that Jay adhered to and which helped him, including this quote: “chance favors a prepared mind.” The “mortgage money” work he did while he was building his practice. Jay’s fundamental operating principle, genuinely caring about the worth of people. The life hack Jay learned for accomplishing most of what he would like to do in life, without having to make huge life or career shifts. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 049

Gary Collins is a best selling Amazon author and creator of . Gary’s background includes service in military intelligence as a special agent for the US State Department Diplomatic Security Service, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US Food and Drug Administration. His expert knowledge brings a much-needed perspective to today's areas of simple living, health, nutrition, entrepreneurship, self-help, and being more self-reliant. Gary was raised in the high desert at the basin of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in a rural part of California. He grew up poor with parents who did not emphasize education or anything particularly aspirational, yet he felt driven to achieve greater goals.  He joined the military as a pathway to attend college and graduate school and later worked for the federal government in several capacities. Twenty years later, he left the highly structured world of government service and went the entrepreneurial route, starting his own health company. This led to many creative ideas resulting in his passion for life simplification. He now lives off the grid part of the year in a remote area of North East Washington State and spends the rest of the year exploring in his travel trailer with his trusty black lab Barney. In this episode we discuss: Gary’s processes of learning through life. Many of the jobs Gary has done and the thread that ties them together. How his passion for helping others has been evident throughout his career. Gary’s experience in the army, leaving the army, and moving into health and life simplification. How Gary views his current life and career and why it works for him. Gary’s writing process and books. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 048

Archana Shetty is an executive leadership coach and mentor. Her expertise is in emotional intelligence and peak performance. She empowers leaders to become impactful, inspirational leaders of the next generation without burning out. She is the founder of Next-Gen Leadership, a model for transformational leadership based on evidence-based practices to develop emotional intelligence effectiveness and well being for impactful leadership. Archana is also the host of an online leadership summit, , which will be aired November 5 to 7, 2019. She is an ICF certified coach and a certified coach and facilitator with Daniel Goldman’s emotional intelligence program. Archana has a rich and deep career history beginning in her college years where she aspired to become a doctor, but she did not get into medical school even though she was an excellent student. Instead, she studied for 6 years and became an Ayurvedic doctor.  She maintained a practice until she married and moved to Qatar where she was not licensed to practice.  Undaunted, she dove in and studied computer science, business, and leadership.  From there she worked in IT systems and project management in the radio and TV media industry and later in financial services.  She experienced layoffs and many career transitions. Today she is an executive leadership coach and mentor with her own practice.   In this episode we discuss: How Archana was raised in India, with both of her parents having to work hard to make ends meet and how that taught her that there is no substitute for hard work. One of her most heartbreaking experiences and the huge life and career transition that came from that. How Archana always wanted to be an entrepreneur, to do something that would make a difference in people’s lives. But how she was scared because she was taught that a 9 to 5 was safe. Archana began to think about leadership and how she wanted to lead after learning how NOT to lead. The common thread Archana sees between being a doctor and being a leader. How she views building a support system. The  that Archana is hosting, November 5-7, 2019. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 047

Fei Wu is a bilingual podcaster, English, and Mandarin Chinese. She's also the creator and host of Feisworld podcast and Feisworld docuseries. Fei left her job in marketing and advertising to build a company of her own called Feisworld LLC. With a mission to help small businesses and people tell better stories, find more customers and create new revenue streams. She leads an international mastermind group, which I am a proud member of, and creates courses for podcasters. Her story has been featured by Dorie Clark, in her best selling book called “Entrepreneurial You”, as well as the Harvard Business Review. Fei grew up on an army base in Beijing, China. At the age of 16, she moved to the US to go to high school in Maine and never looked back.  She knew she wanted to be on a creative career path and that the Chinese system of education would not support her in pursuing the kinds of areas she envisioned herself engaged in for making a living. You could say she was a teenaged visionary as she knew what she wanted from a young age onward. Fei worked in the professional consulting, marketing, and advertising fields for 10 years until she started her own firm where she provides digital marketing and branding services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. In this episode we discuss: How Fei was born on an army base in Beijing, China and lived there until she came to the United States by herself at 16. One of the happiest memories of her life, when her parents worked together to create a mural on her school’s playground wall. What the transition from China to the United States was like and how Fei created a professional path to stay in the US after college. Fei’s different jobs including Business Analyst, Associate Project Manager, Project Manager, and then Entrepreneur. The value she places on making friends at work and taking the time to develop meaningful, and helpful relationships. How Fei started her docuseries and where she is going next. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 046

Robbie Samuels is a coach, speaker, podcast host and author with a wealth of experience in event planning, networking, fundraising, and grassroots organizing.  His podcast, On The Schmooze, highlights untold stories of leadership and his book, Bagels vs. Croissants, helps readers overcome the obstacles of engaging productively at conferences and other large group networking functions. Robbie is a professional speaker, coach, and consultant based in the Greater Boston area. Robbie started his career with a Master’s in Social Work and wasn’t really sure exactly where it would take him. Yet, he quickly figured out that he enjoyed bringing groups of people together to build connections toward common visions and causes.  He calls himself an extroverted, extrovert and speaks to associations and other professional groups about how to make meaningful connections to develop productive relationships. For over ten years, Robbie was an event planner and fundraising professional in the Boston area. Five years ago, he decided to start his own speaking and coaching business. In this episode we discuss: How Robbie got his first perfect job when he was 30 years old. Robbie’s journey to Boston after living on Long Island all the way through his Master’s Degree. His different career transitions and the thread that ties them all together. How Robbie sees relationships as the most important business and personal connection. Robbie’s methods for thinking of authentic networking as an insurance policy. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 045

Deborah Midanek is a corporate turnaround specialist who currently lives and works in Grenada, Mississippi where she has started several businesses in an effort to revitalize the local economy. A native of NewYork City, Midanek started her career in college admissions and interestingly evolved into a role in railroad mergers as part of a summer internship she did in graduate school. From there, she moved into the world of investment banking and this later translated into her helping challenged companies work through their troubles as a turnaround consultant. Deborah says her whole life has been one big transition, beginning in her early years when she attended thirteen different elementary schools as her single-parent mother tried to take care of her brother and herself by moving constantly to make ends meet.  She learned early to be adaptable, and as a result, she is one of those people who’s “not too concerned about change”.   Today, she lives happily with her husband in Grenada, Mississippi where she owns several local businesses and has written two books. In this episode we discuss: Deborah’s educational journey, including how she was accepted to the Wharton School of Business WITH a guaranteed job offer. How she worked on a merger project between two railroad lines during graduate school, and how that sparked her interest in the business world. How Deborah was a busy corporate turnaround consultant in New York City when she met her husband, a farmer from Grenada, Mississippi, at a conference, and how this presented a new opportunity for a different kind of turnaround in her life. Deborah’s resilience and how she learned she had to “get a grip” and move forward no matter what life threw her way, and how that has served her. How Deborah purchased several buildings in the Grenada community and started a few different businesses, working with local entrepreneurs and economic development organizations to collaboratively boost the local economy. Her mindset of being a misfit and what that has meant for her. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 044

Corey Blake is the publisher of Conscious Capitalism Press and the founder and CEO of Round Table Companies (RTC), a storytelling company. Prior to starting RTC in 2005, Corey was a professional actor in Los Angeles, acting in one of the 50 greatest Super Bowl commercials of all time and guest starring on numerous popular television shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Shield, and Joan of Arcadia. His work with books and graphic novels has yielded 15 independent publishing awards and mentions/features in the NY Times, WSJ, USA Today, Inc., Forbes, and Wired. Corey is also the creator of the Vulnerability Wall and the Vulnerability is Sexy™ card game. His documentary of the same name won 2017 Addy and Hermes awards for branded content. Corey started his career as an actor in LA and within a few years was on the path to success with several high profile commercials and roles in primetime TV shows under his belt.  He also began to produce his own small projects behind the camera, but something wasn’t feeling right to him.  He was drawn to making his own way and the acting route was not one of autonomy.  He moved to Chicago and started his own company and began other creative projects, leaving acting behind and hasn’t looked back.  Today, he works with authors and leaders to promote their work and brands with his team at the Round Table Companies.  He feels he is able to blend his creative instincts with his deeper needs to put his stamp on all that he does. In this episode we discuss: How Corey caught a break in the acting industry and then moved into directing and producing. His experience appearing in an award-winning SuperBowl Commercial, a primetime TV series, and a major motion picture. How Corey is an avid supporter and sponsor of Conscious Capitalism and has appeared on their main stage at the last seven national events. All about his company, Round Table Companies, and the incredible work they do for the people and businesses. How RTC’s work with books and graphic novels has yielded 15 independent publishing awards and features in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Inc., Forbes, and Wired. The vulnerability wall and vulnerability is sexy card game Corey created. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 043

Jyoti Singhvi has been doing public speaking for 30+ years. Based on her experiences, she has developed comprehensive training programs in Public Speaking, Communication & Confidence for Professionals to help gain maximum rewards and recognition.  Her background is in business development, strategic partnerships, technology, innovation, and consumer/luxury goods.  She also worked in technology at IBM, KPMG Consulting, & a Wireless Telematics startup with a focus on eCommerce, innovation, and digitization. Jyoti has a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard and an MBA from MIT. Jyoti was born and raised up through her early teen years in India. And as a child, she was a shy kid. Today, she teaches other people how to speak in public.  Jyoti also consults with companies and organizations to help them with revenue generation through business development and marketing.  Prior to this, Jyoti worked at Cartier in business development, strategic partnerships, CRM, and digital and traditional marketing.  She also owns a couture fine jewelry company, JYOTI.  Philanthropically, Jyoti is passionate about women's empowerment and children’s development. In this episode we discuss: How Jyoti was a shy child but had her life trajectory change in 4th grade when her principal called on her to speak on stage. Her desire to be an entrepreneur and a business person, because of the influence of her parents. How Jyoti earned her MPA from Harvard and an MBA from MIT. How she began her career in technology, working for companies like IBM, KPMG Consulting, and a Wireless Telematics startup with a focus on eCommerce, innovation, and digitization. Jyoti has been involved in organizations such as UN Women, The Resolution Project, and is on the executive committee for the Gender Equality Foundation. Her passion for women’s empowerment and children’s development. How Jyoti owns a couture fine jewelry company called JYOTI. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 042

Jude Charles is a brand strategist and filmmaker helping entrepreneurs build their brand and bring their story to life through documentary-style video.  Jude has traveled the world working with world-class business brands, such as Google, Coldwell Banker, and Steve Harvey, just to name a few. His raw storytelling style inspires, motivates and persuades audiences to fall in love with the entrepreneurs he captures through his lens. Jude’s love for storytelling started as early as elementary school, he would spend all of his free time as an eight-year-old writing 100-page books. Then later around the age of 16, he learned how to transfer his writing skills to film and video. But he wasn’t always aware of the gift God had given him. It wasn’t until his high school teacher Mrs. Donnelly, saw a special talent in him and urged him to launch a video production company at the age of 17. Mrs. Donnelly even went as far as purchasing his first set of business cards.  He has been telling the stories of entrepreneurs and other inspiring people through the lens of documentary filmmaking for the past 13 years. In this episode we discuss: How Jude started writing as a child and was writing 100-page books at 8 years old. How he started his own business when he was 17 years old, after having a very special teacher invest in him. How his writing transformed into video storytelling and where that has taken him over the years. Extraordinary stories of some of Jude’s clients. A live example of his work in which he flips the script and interviews me about my business and purpose. What he means by ‘success leaves clues’. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 041

A natural and authentic teacher, Chris Badgett has used that inclination in every business he’s started or mentored. Through video and a successful podcast, Chris shares his extensive knowledge, not just of online learning systems, but of business models and more. Chris is the CEO of LifterLMS, a tool that encompasses the needs of the modern membership course creator. This tool allows you to create an integrated membership site. When he’s not building online courses or his LMS software company, you can find him working in his cabin, spending time in nature, or performing magic tricks for his kids. Chris was a teenager like many, without a sense of focus or direction and the potential to get into trouble. Somehow, he made it to college and the learning bug bit him. He quickly developed a love of learning and allowed that to take him on many adventures, exploring anthropology, the outdoors, psychology and photography, to name a few. Post-graduation, he landed in Alaska where he learned the dog mushing business and on the side began to teach himself how to build websites. Today, Chris lives on an organic farm in Maine with his wife and kids, where he runs his company, LifterLMS and hosts a podcast, LMScast. He is proud of the team he has built and to help others get what they want. In this episode we discuss: How Chris discovered his love of learning in college after adolescence in which he felt unfocused. Upon graduating from college he took off, living in the back of his car, and pursued what he loved while discovering his next steps. His early experience working in Colorado and then in Alaska with sled dogs, learning the mushing business, and working on a glacier in Alaska. How he has not been afraid of starting at the bottom and growing up, and how that mindset has influenced his life. Chris’ valuable insight into rediscovering the thread that lights you up in order to determine your purpose. His love for his business and how he feels like he is living a dream on his organic farm in Maine with his wife and children. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 040

Paul Kirch, PRC is the president and CEO of Seliance, a holistic digital marketing agency specializing in customer experience optimization, focusing on the buyer’s journey from A to Z. His firm moves beyond simple website development to a 360-degree approach to a digital marketing strategy that has a greater impact and higher returns on investment. He helps business leaders create dynamic lead conversion tools, which drive more sales and success by evaluating and optimizing a company’s entire digital folio. The buyer’s journey drives relationship building and trust development with the ultimate goal of creating raving fans. Paul is a regular contributor to the business learning application, audit advisor, featured among experts such as Seth Godin, and Guy Kawasaki. He provides insights on sales, business management, and entrepreneurship. Paul’s career began in 1988 when he started writing professional advertising copy while pursuing a degree in journalism and shortly thereafter, he joined the Gallup organization for the next 10 years, serving in a variety of operations roles. He eventually left to pursue a career in sales and sales leadership. Paul has developed a strong personal brand and has served as a leader in business organizations including the American Marketing Association, Puget Sound research forum, and Marketing Research Association. Recently, he was elected to the board of directors for the Fearless Education Foundation. Paul is a featured monthly contributor to Corks media’s publications, and he also spends time helping mentor college students and entrepreneurs. In this episode we discuss: Paul’s journey of turning himself from a wantrepreneur into an entrepreneur. His experience working at Gallup and how he learned to distinguish what he wanted and needed in work. Paul’s advice for starting a business and especially how to know if it is right for you. His love of the written word and how it has helped him in his life, especially journaling as a tool to clear his mind and spirits. How important it is not just to think, but to take action; forward momentum is key. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 039

Esther Weinberg is the founder of MindLight Group. She empowers executives in the entertainment and technology industries to build sustainable company cultures based on respect, safety and trust. Using The Ready Zone framework, she coaches leaders through change with proven systems to reframe, refocus and realign and ultimately rise to lead. Esther creates breakthrough strategies for companies such as Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Microsoft, CNN, and Imax. Esther has previously held executive positions at Disney and Fox. Esther started her career as a PR and communications professionals in the entertainment industry.  After a successful career working for FOX and Disney, she decided to pivot into executive coaching and international development work. She started her own company providing leadership development and organizational support to companies in the entertainment industry, while also working on projects in Africa and Israel. She has built a legacy that supports work environments engaging people in trust, safety, and respect. In this episode we discuss: How Esther’s journey began with product marketing in New York City. Her path into the entertainment industry, then out for a short hiatus, and back into work for both Fox and Disney. The confluence of events that led Esther to discover leadership development and executive coaching. Her involvement in global development and how this added to her understanding of people’s needs for trust, respect, and safety. Her current business and the ready zone framework she developed to help her clients innovate, achieve maximum results and profitability. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 038  

Dave Sanderson is a survivor, inspirational speaker, and author. His thoughts on leadership have made him a nationally sought-out speaker. He has worked in the restaurant business, as a top sales performer and provided security for Tony Robbins. Currently, he is an executive coach, consultant, and speaker. When US Airways Flight 1549, or "The Miracle on the Hudson," crashed on January 15, 2009, Dave Sanderson was the last passenger off the back of the plane that day, risking his own life to help others off the plane. Sanderson emerged from the wreckage with a mission: to encourage others to do the right thing. After the incident, the lessons and strategies that he learned throughout his life, were instrumental that day and the days following, he started to realize that one can actually grow from traumatic life experiences, and set out on a path to not only share the lessons from that day, but practical and implementable strategies anyone can use to not only survive their moment but grow and thrive. In this episode we discuss: How Dave credits a mentor he had early in his career as being a big influence on his choices. The role Tony Robbins seminars played when he was building his career in sales. How he achieved volunteering for Tony Robbins and eventually became Tony’s Head of Security, traveling with him extensively. His decision to keep his “day job” while volunteering with the Tony Robbins organization. The plane crash, and how Dave went back to work, and the encouragement from Tony that led to him establishing his own speaking and consulting business. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 037  

Merryn Roberts-Huntley started Made To Hire in 2017. With 17 years of business experience and 10 years of career coaching, she knows how to help you land your dream career. When Roberts-Huntley isn’t running Made To Hire, she’s doing marketing strategy or business development consulting through her firm, FIXX Consulting. FIXX works with sports-focused companies to better connect them with their target consumer. She teaches marketing at the graduate level at the University of Oregon. She has a BA in sociology from McGill University and an MBA from the University of Oregon. Merryn started her career in the sports marketing industry. She tells her story of how she cold-called her way into the field after getting a degree in sociology. Today, she runs the career coaching firm Made To Hire. She says the average American spends $80,000 on their education yet receives little or no real-world training on how to maximize that investment to land a job in their field. Made To Hire has a book and an online course to help you get noticed, get hired, make more money, and reach your career goals faster. In this episode we discuss: How Merryn got started in the Sports marketing arena. Her decision to leave her role at Adidas to earn her MBA in Sports Business with a specific objective to work at Nike, known for being the top company in the market at the time. Merryn’s grad school experience, applying for an internship at Nike, initially getting rejected, and ultimately making the decision to keep going. How Merryn learned that a Nike executive would be at her school for a women’s advocacy forum and then offered to ‘host’ the executive for the day, giving her the opportunity to connect. The amazing benefit she received for hosting, earning her an internship, and then being hired at Nike full-time after she graduated. How Merryn used her experiences to write her book and how she connects with others through relationship-building. Her specific advice on how to get a job you really want. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 036

Dr. Luis Velasquez is an entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast who helps leaders better understand what their organizations need to communicate in order to be successful. A former scientist, his academic career was interrupted by a brain tumor that he survived, not once, but 3 times. He is currently writing a book, Beyond The Fear, an autobiographical account, and research-based guide for overcoming fear, finding strength, undergoing change, finding passion, and building relationships. Luis started his career as a scientist in fungal genetics and plant genomics until a brain tumor affected his cognitive capacities.  He now calls himself a ‘recovering scientist’ who has dedicated his life to his family, endurance athletics, and, to coaching leaders to achieve positive, sustainable, and measurable results at interpersonal, and organizational levels.  He also facilitates the Interpersonal Dynamics class at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and writes for Harvard Business Review Ascend. In this episode we discuss: How Luis was raised in Guatemala during the Civil War and what life was like for him as a child living in poverty. His educational journey that began when he had a scholarship opportunity to attend college in the United States, then returned to Guatemala for three years and was later able to return to the US to earn his undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. degrees. Luis’ experience with his first brain tumor, feeling like he failed miserably after recovering from it, and how he had to make significant career changes as a result. How Luis’ entry into the coaching profession occurred serendipitously during a job interview and how he has since been helping people adapt and thrive reflecting on his own experiences and his science background. His unique and positive perspectives on the challenges and experiences he has encountered. How his drive to succeed comes from his desire to raise his two children to be kind, strong, confident, and “to bloom where they are planted.” Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 035

Tara Bradford is the CEO and Founder of Rae Media Group, a strategic marketing communications firm, and sought after Communications Coach who works with everyone from startup founders to Inc 500 executives to help them be seen as trusted experts. She helps leaders communicate more effectively, both online and offline, so they can maintain their incredible reputation, stay top of mind for their ideal clients, and improve their bottom line. She lives in New York City where she strives to connect with at least one new person every day (even as an introvert). Tara started her career as a critical care nurse.  After a successful ten year career, helping patients and their families, something was tugging at her.  She saw her older colleagues doing the same things year after year and told herself, “I do not want that to be me”.  Tara considered her options and made a few different moves, eventually landing in New York City where she has her own communications firm.  She credits her ability to move through her fears as a pathway to experiencing joy and expressing herself creatively. In this episode we discuss: How Tara spent a decade working as a critical care nurse for people on life support and how she helped families communicate with each other and helped doctors communicate with family. Her life in New York City and her goal to connect with at least one new person every day, even though she’s an introvert. A random encounter Tara had with a stranger who was truly fulfilled and joyful, and how that conversation played into her decisions for the future. How she credits her ability to move through her fears, viewing them as a pathway to experiencing joy and expressing herself creatively. The journey Tara’s career took from nursing to coaching in which she helps leaders communicate more effectively to maintain their incredible reputation, stay top of mind for their ideal clients, and improve their bottom line. Her thoughts about being authentically who you are and sharing your voice with the world to make an impact. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 034

Jordan Gross is a Northwestern and Kellogg School of Management Graduate. He's also a writer, a coach, a speaker, a self-proclaimed multipotentialite, having experienced positions in large banks like Merrill Lynch to small startup companies. He is also the best selling author of a book called Getting Comfy, Your Morning Guide to Daily Happiness. He's a TEDx speaker and has founded multiple companies. Jordan Gross refers to himself as a ‘multipotentialite’, a word you will not find in the dictionary, yet it means a person who aspires to be many things.  Most people aim for a profession in their lives even if they eventually change careers, but few start out stating they want to be more than one and Jordan is one of those people.  By the age of 24, he has written a book, drafted a novel, delivered a TEDx talk, started several organizations, worked in the corporate world and is in the midst of being on 90 podcasts in 90 days.  Jordan is a trailblazer for positive change, optimism and the belief that our daily actions can help us all overcome stress and anxiety. In this episode we discuss: How Jordan was a top-ranked soccer goalie in New York during his high school years and wanted to become a professional soccer player. How his interests in human potential and business, led him to get his MBA and become a certified coach through the Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching Program. His belief that our daily actions can help us all overcome stress and anxiety. The acronym he developed, C.O.M.F.Y., what it means, and how he uses it to teach mindfulness. His upcoming book about living a ‘cloud nine life’ and what each of those clouds represents in living a fulfilling and meaningful life. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 033

Ruth-Anne Eisler is a business writer, editor, and corporate communications specialist working with a wide range of clients, including speech-language pathology, creative arts, animal welfare, political candidates, non-profits, and governmental organizations. As a former professional musician and legal researcher, Ruth-Anne leverages her unique background by converging artistry with logic, producing bespoke solutions for clients who require clear, assured, and human-centered communications. Ruth-Anne Eisler studied music and became a professional classical musician early in her career.  She reflects on those younger years as being a difficult time in which she spent a lot of time alone practicing and scrambling to get paid work.  In order to gain greater stability and security, she turned to other areas of interest, law, and writing, obtaining a paralegal certificate.  After several years working in that field, she wanted to do something more that would also enable her to be available to her young son, so she started her own corporate communications business.  She credits working with a coach toward helping her to make decisions that moved her forward and into action. In this episode we discuss: How Ruth-Anne’s first career was studying music as a professional classical musician. Her experience as a musician and discovering the downsides including practicing alone and having to scramble to find paid work. How she learned to gain greater stability and security by turning to areas of interest she had previously pushed aside like law and writing. Her love of learning, and how she expects she will always be taking a course of some sort. The transition she made into legal research and then her move away from legal research when her son was born and she wanted to be home with him, leading her into launching her own corporate communications business. How Ruth-Anne credits her dad, a civil engineer, as a role model because of his skillful planning and his ability to put plans into action, even if it took him time to accomplish them. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 032

Jaime Jay is the owner of Bottleneck Virtual Assistants based in Springfield, Missouri.  At the core, Jamie is a connector of personalities and brands. He constantly challenges himself to be a better human being. He is also an amateur hockey player and starter Geek who truly enjoys helping his clients rediscover themselves, their companies and how to realize their why. Jaime Jay made some early career decisions that were motivated by his desire to unburden his mother rather than to begin to shape his future.  When his father was suddenly sentenced to jail on embezzlement charges, his mother, with very limited resources, was struggling to take care of Jaime and his younger brother.  Jaime enlisted in the US Army.  Later, he joined corporate America and found that he “just was not a corporate person”.  Eventually, he went the entrepreneurial route. In this episode we discuss: How Jamie joined the U.S. Army to unburden his mom after his dad went to jail on embezzlement charges; how they were homeless and his mom was left to care for him and his younger brother on very limited resources. His experience in the Army, including getting married at 22, having a child, and soon after discharge being asked for a divorce. Specifically, he shares he “was homeless with only $364 in my pocket.” How Jamie felt he was back where he started as if he had no sense of direction. The irony that as a young child, he had a dream of becoming a CEO in the corner office, unlike most kids who have visions of becoming a firefighter or policeman. Jamie’s experience traveling into corporate America and “living the dream” until he realized the materialism of that life was not fulfilling. His current position as a business owner and why he is happiest now. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 031

Erik Bergman is the co-founder of Katina Media, a company that went from zero to 300 plus employees in five years. During this journey, Erik made more money than he will ever need in his life, but at the expense of burning himself out as well as his business partner and his fiance both of whom also worked for the company. Erik now 31, lives in Malta and is a native of Sweden. At the age of 28 years, Erik was ringing the bell of the stock exchange, making more money than he would ever need in his life, yet he was deeply unhappy and very unhealthy for such a young man. All of that changed, as his business and personal relationships, fell apart. He found himself alone and realized everything had to change. He started the company, great.com where, this time, the focus wasn't extreme growth, but rather wellbeing, transparency, trust, and flexibility for the team and where 100% of the profits are donated to charity. In this episode we discuss: How Erik started his first business at the age of 20. How he became less afraid of failing after experiencing his own business failures. Erik’s experience of driving himself and everyone around him so aggressively that the company made it to the stock market, but they were burned out to an extreme. How Erik’s priorities shifted dramatically in order to regain his health and restore the relationships that had been deeply damaged. His new company, , and how it is based on trust and flexibility to instill a healthy and productive work environment. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 030

Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss spent two decades careening through corporate America and barely lived to write about it. As company journalists, speechwriters, and C-suite advisors, they stockpiled insider stories and cautionary tales, which they turned into two novels: B.S., Incorporated and Operation Clusterpuck. Both live near Minneapolis where they own a communications agency, speaking to groups of all sizes, and share their perspectives in publications like the Washington Post. Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss were corporate communications directors at Best Buy for many years.  One day they bowed out of a ‘soul-crushing’ meeting and stole away for a drink.  From that moment on, a new partnership formed.  They began to plan their first novel and 5 years later, they started their own communications firm.  They have since written two humorous novels showcasing parodies of corporate life, “B.S. Inc.” and “Operation Clusterpuck”. In this episode we discuss: How they are grateful for the years they worked together at Best Buy and how they discovered the need for something different in their professional lives. Jennifer’s story about going through a divorce while she was also making a significant career transition and what worked for her through the process. Michael’s story about being married with two children and how his decision to leave the corporate world was embraced and supported by his family. How they have written two humorous novels showcasing parodies of corporate life, called “B.S. Incorporated” and “Operation Clusterpuck.” How Michael and Jennifer talked about the planning steps and the thought process they engaged in to take the risk to leave steady employment. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 029

Elena F. Deutsch, MPH is the Founder of WILL Women Interested in Leaving (big) Law. She helps attorneys become clear on what they want next, kick inner nay-sayers out of the driver’s seat, and act on their dreams. She’s focusing her 30 years of experience in leadership, training and coaching on lawyers who feel stuck, unhappy and wants to reclaim control of their careers and lives. Her work has been featured in The American Lawyer, Bloomberg Big Law Business, Above the Law, and more. Elena shares her journey of starting her career in public health and how she transitioned from that world into a consulting partnership and then her own coaching practice.  As the daughter of an attorney, she witnessed first hand the pressures of the legal profession.  Once she became a coach, lawyers were quickly drawn to her and wanted to explore their options outside the legal profession.  Today, she offers group and individual support to lawyers who are leaving or who have left their legal careers for new professional adventures. In this episode we discuss: How Elena achieved her first big vision by spending a year traveling through Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia, and what that time represents in her life. Her love of learning and training and how that has played a role through her careers and transitions. How Elena’s parents and their careers helped influence her business. One of the most difficult conversations she has ever had. What WILL is and how Elena got started with it. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 028

Vanessa Rosenblum is the President and founder of Pro REA Staffing, a recruiting firm that specializes in connecting talented administrative staff with real estate teams across the US and Canada. Vanessa holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Corporate Finance from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, Los Angeles, CA. She currently lives in Spain with her husband and son. When she is not working, you can find her in her garden or working on projects in her 400-year-old farmhouse. Vanessa Rosenblum started her first recruiting firm at the age of 25 while working as the Operations Manager for a real estate coaching company in Los Angeles. She saw a need to provide a higher level of training, support, flexibility and leverage to the real estate agents her coaching company served.  Vanessa founded Pro REA Staffing in 2008, grew the company to four full-time recruiters and well over 1000 successful placements. She sold a majority share of the company to Black29 Group in 2018 which has allowed her to expand the company and the services she offers her clients. In this episode we discuss: How Vanessa’s career journey began when she took a job with a real estate business coach. Some of the learning lessons Vanessa experienced after starting her own business. How her business really took off when she was no longer limited by geography. All of the significant moves, to multiple countries, that Vanessa and her husband tried before settling in Spain with their son. The value she places on experiences over stuff. Her current life in Spain, the schedule that works, and her happiness. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 027

Ron Carucci is the co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, where he works with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations and industries. He has a 30-year track record helping executives tackle challenges of strategy, organization, and leadership, overhauling leadership and culture to redesigning for growth. He is the author of eight books, is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Forbes and a two time TEDx speaker. His work has been featured in Fortune, Inc, MSNBC, and Businessweek. Ron started his career in the theater arts and while he was successful there, he felt restless.  He translated that experience toward organizational psychology, leadership and systems change work with companies and government agencies which he has found to be engaging and meaningful over the past 30 years.  During that time, Ron has worked in more than 25 countries on four continents and his career has taken some surprising twists and turns as he made several strategic choices that he often refers to as his “mitosis years”. In this episode we discuss: How Ron began his career in the arts, living in NYC, yet he felt restless. The moment Ron’s career began shifting to organizational psychology and systems change work when he was in Germany. The various transitions he went through, “on accident,” that led him to the career he is in now. Ron’s moment of brutal honesty that led to him leaving a high-level firm and beginning his entrepreneurial journey. How he determines what best career moments look and feel like. The importance of making strategic career moves, instead of deciding what to do next from a place of pain. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 026

Randah Taher is a Master Design and innovation facilitator with a playful sandbox in it. She designs cultures of innovation, creative problem-solving processes, biomimic analogies, service and design thinking systems, edutainment games and creativity tools. A Tedx and keynote speaker, Randah is a thought leader on creative thinking and a curator of a subscription box, IMAGINESS by Sajory. Find more about her work on www.sajory.com Randah Taher has taken her background in leadership development, teaching and design thinking to apply them in a variety of work and education settings in order to support innovation and creative problem-solving.  She has consulted with executives and ‘intrapreneurs’, alike who are charged with creating and implementing innovative, new approaches to addressing complex challenges across their companies. In this episode we discuss: How Randah helps organizations nurture their cultures for innovation. Randah’s processes for facilitating problem-solving, how she gives organizations tools for growth and offers a monthly subscription box. The 4 specific innovation methods she uses, including biomimicry. Her process for learning what her strengths are and doubling down on those. Her specific issues that allowed the opportunity to flip the script, put on my coaches hat, and offer Randah some different ways to approach her challenges. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 025

John DeMato is a photographer and branded content creator who works with speakers, authors, coaches, and business leaders to produce image content portfolios that present informational, entertaining and inspiring aspects of their brand to their followers. As a former television producer, John has over 18 years of production experience and has been featured as a lifestyle photography expert on several NBC Universal daytime talk and reality shows. More than just a guy who pushes a button for a living, John DeMato sets his clients up for success beyond the portrait session by educating them on how to best leverage their image content for their websites, social channels, bios, publications, advertisements, and various other needs.  He was inspired after the death of his mother to pursue work that felt more purposeful and meaningful which took him on the path of entrepreneurship.  He has not looked back. In this episode we discuss: How John started his career in television production after getting his Master’s Degree. John’s process of self-reflection after his mom passed away, and how he came to terms with the reality his career was not fulfilling. How serving others and telling their stories has been a theme through all of his life. John’s love language of service, how he learned about it, and how it has influenced his career path. How John realized photography is his unconditional love and biggest passion. He said “It is my passion, my art. I would do it for free. I have built my business around my art in a way that does not compromise my integrity because it allows me to serve others.” The wisdom he shares with the listeners, discussing the importance of figuring out what truly lights you up and pursuing that because having a strong passion will help you through the dark and hard times. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 024

Jon is the executive director, life transition guide and learning facilitator at Liminal Space, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping others find the courage and means to navigate major life transition. He spends his days guiding 1x1 transition sessions, leading transition groups called PIER groups, and facilitating learning workshops that teach transition skills at The PIER Learning Center at Liminal Space. Jon is also the host of a weekly podcast called, Life Through Transitions. Jon DeWaal’s mission is to help people create forward momentum by embracing their life’s most formative inflection points to create immense growth and transformation.  He shares his career journey as a marketing consultant to a graduate degree in divinity to a painting contracting business, and then he fell off a roof. From there, he started to ask different questions and changed his story. In this episode we discuss: How Jon moved out to Seattle to attend graduate school and thought he would follow a traditional path, but chose to follow a different path right after graduation. His journey through a four-year transition where he was a contractor and started a family. Jon’s injury that ended up shifting his myopic focus on earning money to thinking deeply about his purpose. The tools and people who helped Jon see the beauty in transition. The sacred discipline of transition and how humans can thrive during those seasons of change and growth. All about Jon’s company, Liminal Space, and the Liminal Guide Certification Program that teaches people how to help others through transition. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 023

Melissa Smith is the CEO of The PVA (Personal Virtual Assistant) and Founder of the Association of Virtual Assistants.  She is also the bestselling author of the books, Hire the Right Virtual Assistant and Become A Successful Virtual Assistant. As a former administrative and executive assistant, Melissa Smith has always been a service focused person. She’s never been afraid of a challenge and during the recession of 2008, she worked three jobs simultaneously.  Then, in 2012, her husband died and she became the sole breadwinner in her household. She expanded her business to match virtual assistants with her clients who needed administrative help. In this episode we discuss: How Melissa got started as a secretary, then administrative assistant, and then executive assistant, all inspired by the example of her mother. Her decision to start her own business, the fact that she knew nothing about it, and the most important skill she took with her: “Nothing prepared me for being a business owner more than the fact I am a person who has always known that I will do what it takes to make it work.” How Melissa learned about coaching and decided to hire a career coach. Her journey from starting her own business to becoming the CEO, Founder, and author she is today. How Melissa discovered her first niche and how that helped her to write her first book. The different ways Melissa made every job one that she enjoyed.  The Association of Virtual Assistants Melissa just started, its purpose, and how it will help both VA’s and clients in need.  Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 022

David Kolb began his working career as a builder and general contractor. He has been an executive coach, educator, and leader himself. And as he often says about his professional work…I’m doing the same work. I simply changed the raw materials with which I work. He is the author of the book, Leadership From The Inside Out, which offers practical and proven applications to leadership. David’s energy and easily understood writing style come from decades of combining his varied life experiences, with his training in psychology, and applies all that to the environment, culture, and inner processes of emerging and veteran leaders. He shares his framework of seven capacities that people need to be able to navigate the transitions in their lives. Using the metaphor of a maestro, he says we must conduct our different parts to bring them together to what works best.   In this episode we discuss: David’s premise that we all have many parts within us and as we go through a transition, we need to understand and orchestrate those parts like a maestro of an orchestra. His career journey that started in construction and moved to psychology and coaching. How a near-death experience awakened his spiritual journey and how that process led into some of the biggest transitions of his life. The “putting a new coat of paint” analogy he uses to describe how people try to remodel their lives without looking at a deeper level. How important it is for people to dismantle their expectations to grow. David’s book and the seven different capacities that are essential to being a leader. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 021

Diana Wu David is a former Financial Times executive, author of Future Proof: Reinventing Work in an Age of Acceleration, and adjunct professor at Columbia Business School EMBA Global Asia.  She works with global leaders to enhance their ability to adapt, contribute, collaborate and grow and with organizations and boards that seek a competitive edge by enhancing leadership and engaging multi-generational talent. Diana Wu David has had a diverse professional background. She studied international relations in college and after graduation, answered a job ad that landed her a role working for Dr. Henry Kissinger, who served as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to US Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. From there she went to business school and followed a traditional route of working as a management consultant and in several start-ups.  Life took a sudden turn when a close friend committed suicide and she decided to make several meaningful changes in her professional and personal life.  Her book, Future Proof: Reinventing Work in an Age of Acceleration, draws from her experiences and from that of others who have reinvented their careers to more meaningful and fulfilling paths. In this episode we discuss: How Diana’s journey took her from “doing the right thing” in the corporate world and then eventually into entrepreneurship. Her journey to working for  that began with her responding to an anonymous ad in a newspaper. How Diana ended up living and then staying in Hong Kong. How losing a close friend started shifting her mindset about what life and work were really about, and how that shift eventually led to her leaving the corporate world. Diana’s expanded learning since owning her own company, especially with regard to self-awareness, balance, and living life with intention. How she uses approaches like journaling to evaluate what is important to her and guide her decisions. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 019

Mark Dyck started his career in information technology working for a telecommunications corporation.  After many years, he left that job and opened a bread bakery which he and his wife ran for 5 years. Today, he still bakes 150 loaves of bread on the weekends in the brick oven he built in his backyard. Additionally, he runs an online community for business owners and is working with ProsperCity, a company focused on closing gender wage gaps and salary discrimination. He is also the host of Rise Up!, a podcast for bakers and bakery owners. Mark Dyck has made several uncommon choices in his life. After a successful corporate career in IT, sales, marketing, and service development, Mark opened Orange Boot Bakery, a neighborhood artisan bread bakery in his hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan.  He closed the bakery in 2016 and is now pursuing several projects, including nurturing an online community of business owners called The Right Company, closing the gender wage gap and ending salary discrimination at ProsperCity, baking for a private bread club of friends and neighbors and hosting Rise Up!, a podcast for bakers and bakery owners and everyone who makes The Good Stuff and brings it to The People. In this episode we discuss: How Mark was raised to believe he should get a government job, keep his head down, work for 30 years to get his pension, and then retire. Mark’s first leap of faith in business when he decided to go part-time at his “secure” job to spend more time at home with his wife and kids. How his passion for bread baking led to him building his own brick oven and then eventually starting a bakery. Mark’s discovery that he is a people-centric person and how he uses that knowledge to determine what projects he will try. His work with The Right Company and with ProsperCity. Mark’s belief in taking leaps, making transitions, and doing all of it for the connections with people. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 018

Marie Incontrera was experiencing great success as a composer, conductor, pianist, and bandleader, making her way to Carnegie Hall and being highly touted in the New York Times.  Yet, as much as she loved it, she burning out on normalizing the financial struggles as a working artist. Today, she has taken her talents in additional directions and is happy with her choices. Marie Incontrera is a social media, publicity, and speaker consultant for authors, thought leaders, coaches, and consultants.  She is also a professional composer, pianist, and bandleader, and has appeared at Carnegie Hall. Marie is a fitness enthusiast who loves martial arts and has recently taken up roller derby.  In this episode we discuss: How her career transition was more like a career addition. Her joy in working in consulting because it allows her to express her creativity in a different way. How her consulting career enables her to enjoy the best of her music career. Her love for trying new things and some of the endeavors she has tried. How having a tribe has helped her immensely through her growth and development process. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 017

Today, after 11 years as a hospice nurse, supporting hundreds of terminally ill patients and their families, Arza Goldstein established a private practice as an End of Life Doula, helping patients and their families make their remaining time together less stressful and more meaningful. Most of us don’t like to talk about dying, but stay for the conversation and see how thinking about death and dying makes us live our lives with greater intention. Arza Goldstein is an entrepreneur, journeywoman and advocate. Her career path has taken her from training and development to sales, investment banking, real estate, birth doula to hospice nurse and community organizer. She has a private practice as an End of Life Doula and is the co-founder of Living Wisely, Dying Well, an organization designed to encourage conversations about death and dying. In this episode we discuss: Arza’s career path that led her through sales, real estate, birth doula, hospice nursing, and now as an End of Life doula. How certain indescribable feelings served as cues to her that she was ready to move on from different jobs during her career. The fears that she confronted when she was not an income earning member of her family, and how those led her to pursue her nursing education. How Arza views death and how she uses her insights to help people live better while preparing for end of life. The various services she performs in her role as an end of life doula. Arza’s strength at helping people journey through the end of their lives. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 016

David Shriner-Cahn is a recognized authority on entrepreneurship, leadership development, and the host of the business podcast Smashing the Plateau. Featured in Forbes and Inc. Magazine, over 400 episodes of Smashing the Plateau offer a wealth of personal experiences and practical advice about achieving business breakthroughs. Davids mission is helping solopreneur experts do what they love. Entrepreneur David Shriner-Cahn talks about his early professional years as a chemical engineer.  He then engaged in an interim career as a contractor, before moving into his second career as a non-profit executive.  After 20 years in the non-profit sector, he transitioned into self-employment as a consultant to support the strategies of solopreneur experts, building more stable and consistent recurring revenue in their business.   In this episode we discuss: How David smashes the plateau by stepping outside his comfort zone and trying paths he is may be unsure about. David’s career transitions and how that shaped his view of life not being linear. How he took time between his engineering job and starting to work in the nonprofit sector. He needed time to figure out what he was doing and where he was going. His current role as an entrepreneur and podcast host, and how he helps people think strategically about sales and marketing. How David values being part of a group of like-minded individuals to help bounce ideas off of through different career transitions and experiences. David’s passion for helping other people as they are growing their businesses. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 015

Margo Aaron says “Try things that don’t work.”  She has a lot of experience with this and can testify to it as a successful strategy for making career transitions.   In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, Margo Aaron shares her journey from studying literature to psychology research and becoming an “accidental marketer”. Believe it or not, she connects the dots forward amongst all of these seemingly disparate pathways to demonstrate how they have been part of her philosophy of “living a deliberate life”. Margo Aaron is a recovering academic and accidental marketer. Today she’s the founder of The Arena, a virtual coworking community for solopreneurs, a cohost of the internet talk show #HAMYAW with Hillary Weiss, a regular contributor to Inc, and prolific writer with fans like Seth Godin, Derek Sivers, and Paul Jarvis.   In this episode we discuss: Margo’s educational and career journey that taught her how our culture views making career shifts as being all over the place when really, “we are actually always just connecting the dots forward.” How her dad taught her the value of grit and an understanding that the traditional way didn’t work for her, but there are other ways to achieve what you want. Her skills for getting into jobs and educational systems she was not actually qualified for. How Margo had to “unlearn her worthiness” and her mindset surrounding fear and self-doubt which includes “going after the things that scare you until those fears become less personal and less likely to derail you.” Why she considers herself a recovering academic and how she has unlearned the scripts that shaped her view of the world. Margo’s concept of “product found fit” and what it means in her life. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 014

Dolores Hirschmann has tried it all.  She has started a language system software company, has run her own clothing company, has directed an online learning platform and she is a tap dancer.  She says, “I jump into adventures. I’ll dance til the music stops.” Dolores’ formula for making change is as follows: Identify something you would do for no pay, determine how that will make someone or something better and identify the jobs that solve those problems She is an internationally recognized strategist, Clarity Coach, TEDx Organizer, speaker, and author. She has over 20 years of experience helping entrepreneurs and organizations realize their potential by guiding them to CLARITY to define their CORE IDEA in order to reach their next level of growth. Originally from Buenos Aires, Dolores speaks fluent Spanish, English, and French, and lives in Dartmouth, MA with her husband and four children.  In this episode we discuss: How Dolores wanted to be an actress and her dad said “Cool. Go to business school first and then we’ll talk.” How her mom’s encouragement to stay where she was until she had something else lined up shaped her sense of making smart transformations. Her belief that action leads the game of serendipity and people often find projects and chances they dreamed of by doing the mundane work that leads to it. How business school gave her the container through which to channel her creativity. Her summer internship at Christie’s New York and how that shaped, and eventually changed her thesis. How a pancreatic tumor shaped her life: “I jump into adventures more quickly than others. I figure I’ll keep dancing until the music stops.” The Clarity programs she offers her clients and how those programs help people at different income levels. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 013

Natalie Siston believes everything she needed to know to succeed in her career she learned by growing up in a town of 600 people.  She does this in her full-time position with a Fortune 100 financial services company and within her private coaching and speaking business.  Natalie helps her clients and audiences make wherever they are feel like a small town. She is a ‘passionate connector’ and brings a focused, energetic approach to all that she does professionally and personally raising her family. Natalie is the Chief of Coaching for a Fortune 100 financial services company, a Certified Professional Coach, avid writer, and award-winning public speaker. She maintains a private coaching practice and speaking business.  She lives in Dublin, Ohio with her husband, Rob, a professor at Ohio State and two little girls. In this episode we discuss: How Natalie has operationalized her efforts by using digital tools and carving out 25-minute blocks of time, called “the magic 25 minutes”. Her methods for finding three blocks of time to work on her business most days. How she is able to laser focus her attention and efforts within small blocks of time in order to grow her coaching and speaking business. How she is energized by aligning her activities with her purpose, values, growth, and desire to help others engage in their work in meaningful ways. The assignment she had to complete and has given to most of her coaching clients to figure out a vision. Her mindset of bringing her whole self to her workplace and her own company instead of expecting others, like her boss, to make her happy. How she has learned to engage other people in order to create small connections. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 012

Janine Kwoh began her career in the world of finance and philanthropy after studying business economics in college.  Today, she makes cards, prints, and other curiosities that reflect and celebrate a diversity of identities and life experiences. Her mission is to expand the representation of people and stories around us, and for everyone to see a bit of themselves in Kwohtations cards. Janine Kwoh is an artist and the owner of Kwohtations, a handmade stationery company and letterpress print & design studio, based in Brooklyn, NY.  Prior to starting her business Janine spent a decade working as an analyst in the investment and philanthropy worlds.  She says she loved doing art on the side and never dreamed of doing it full-time.  Janine surprised herself in the past year by deciding to give the business a chance on a full-time basis.   In this episode we discuss: Janine’s practical considerations, including being a risk-averse person, and how that overshadowed her early career choices. How she began to make letterpress cards as a hobby, which later became a side business, and then her full-time business. Her thoughts and the preparations she made before making a huge career pivot from finance and philanthropy to artist and entrepreneur. How losing someone close to her changed her mindset and she realized she wasn’t as scared of trying something new and big anymore. How she thought about her career transition holistically and told herself that no matter what she chose over the next few years, she wanted to be confident in her decision, no matter how it turned out. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 011

As an ordained minister and an FBI Agent, Chip Massey saw how fears affected people’s abilities to think clearly and make good decisions.  Now that he has retired from the FBI, he has taken his focus to the business world where he consults to executives, leaders, and teams to manage their fears, weigh their options and make tough decisions. For 22 years, Chip Massey served as an FBI Special Agent and Hostage Negotiator.  Prior to his career with the FBI, he was an ordained minister. Today, he helps executives break through fears to become the best leaders, business strategists and team members they can be.  In this episode we discuss: Chip’s 6 years in the ministry and how he realized he had a need to move into engaging work that allowed him to collaborate with a team. How it took him over a year to examine options, apply to the FBI, engage in their extensive screening process, and prepare for the physical rigors of the academy. How Chip learned to deal with people who were under extreme pressure in both the ministry and his FBI work and how those situations helped him better understand the dynamics of fear. Chip’s work today, where he teaches the in-depth techniques he mastered on dealing with fear and how he uses his knowledge to help leaders operate from a place of confidence, flow, and connection. How he helps executives break through the fears that hold them back from being the best leader, strategists, business developers, and team members they can be. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 010

Workplace wellness consultant, business owner, and author Mari Ryan has made many career moves that she describes as not being in a straight line. Her many years of business experience led her to establish her company, Advancing Wellness, which consults to employers to create healthy workplaces where employees can thrive. Mari Ryan is the CEO/Founder of Advancing Wellness, a workplace well-being strategy consultancy that helps employers to create healthy, thriving workplaces. She regularly speaks on topics related to employee productivity, well-being strategy, and employee and personal engagement. She is also the author of “The Thriving Hive: How People-Centric Workplaces Ignite Engagement and Fuel Results”. In this episode we discuss: How she took the time for self-reflection every step of the way to get clear about her next steps, although she admits that sometimes she wasn’t truly sure what she wanted. How Mari worked with a coach who was instrumental in offering feedback that helped her see what she could not see by herself. How she worked for many years before earning her undergraduate degree and later, two separate masters degrees. How she has a need to keep growing, to be challenged and an urge to learn new things. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 009

Wendy Marks has a broad range of experience with traditional medicine as a rehabilitation counselor and therapist, and transitioned that knowledge and “came out of the closet” to practice non-traditional health therapies. She provides: Medical Intuitive Sessions, Energy Healing, Integrative Therapy, Shamanic Healing & Studies. Wendy holds a post master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a C.S.S. degree from Harvard. With significant experience in helping people improve their physical, mental and spiritual health, she is a partner in health with her clients to help them achieve a happy and healthy life.  Please note that Wendy Marks does not diagnose medical conditions or prescribe medicine. Please join me in welcoming Wendy Marks. In this episode we discuss: How Wendy grew up as a garmento and was the first generation to go to college. Her journey through medicine and psychology that have influenced her career today. How she felt pressured to suppress her psychic abilities and then ultimately moved back into it. A great story about a favorite client and the opportunity to drive an eighteen wheeler. Her beliefs about antacids and other long-term chronic health issues. The book she is currently writing and planning to release in 2019, about raising children with psychic abilities. Her thoughts on the importance of aligning bodies, minds, and spirits. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 008

A former elementary school teacher, Pam became the executive director of Greater Boston PFLAG – Parents Families and Friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people for 16 years.  Pam now teaches Positive Psychology – the Science of Happiness to middle and high school students, teachers and to community and corporate groups. She is a Positive Psychology Life Coach and Founder of Thrive Now Boston – a happiness incubator. Please join me in welcoming Pam Garramone.  In this episode we discuss: How Pam transitioned from school teacher to PFLAG executive director and then landed in the arena of Positive Psychology, teaching the Science of Happiness. How her journey with PFLAG helped her be comfortable with herself and prepare her for her journey with positive psychology. Her joy in speaking to people of all different ages and walks of life along with the discovery that all people, no matter their age, are looking for ways to be happier. How the stories we tell ourselves affect our happiness and what we can do to change our mindset, and our happiness. Her methods for greater happiness through growing compassion toward others. Her habit of spending time at night before bed writing down at least three good things that happened to her each day. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 007

The date was July 11th, 2001. It was the day Michael O'Brien was struck head-on by a speeding SUV while out on a training bike ride.  A former pharmaceutical industry executive, Michael is a coach to sales and marketing executives, TEDx speaker, best selling author, and cyclist.  He shares his journey in his best-selling memoir, Shift: Creating Better Tomorrows and donates the proceeds to World Bicycle Relief. Please join me in welcoming Michael O'Brien. In this episode we discuss: Who Michael was before his “Last Bad Day”, a life-altering bicycle accident in 2001. How his accident sparked his transition from being a ‘human doing’ to a ‘human being’. The mindset shifts that have occurred since Michael’s life took a pause. How his developing awareness forced him to pay attention, move toward acceptance, and into action. His belief that small steps with focus lead to bigger gains. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 006

Julie Veitch is a Career – Life Transformation coach who supports those who are stuck in a career they no longer love, to create a deeply meaningful livelihood that aligns with their passion, purpose and lifestyle priorities. Please join me in welcoming Julie Veitch.  In this episode we discuss: How Julie’s mindset about satisfaction at work led her through thirty jobs to find the career she loves most. Her process of transitioning from being a career counselor in a government-sponsored job center into starting her own business as a Career – Life Transformation Coach. The value she places on helping others feel empowered. Her beginners’ mindset and how she uses that to help her continue to grow and learn with passion. Common fears people feel when facing a potential career transition and how to overcome them. How she learned to unlock her creativity and passions. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 005

Stacey Altherr is a former prize-winning reporter for Newsday, a daily newspaper on Long Island, New York and now owns and runs a cafe on Longboat Key, Florida. The cafe is the best part of her former work, she says, because you get to talk to people and they tell you their life stories. Only this time, she doesn’t write it down and make it prose. She pours them coffee instead. Please join me in welcoming Stacey Altherr. In this episode we discuss: How Stacey worked at Newsday for 30 years and how she knew it was time to transition. How the 2009 adoption of her son influenced her decision on moving. Her thoughts about transitions and acknowledging that they don’t have to be forever. Her process for getting ready to move states and careers. How her previous job skills helped her find success in her new position. The shifts in her mindset that enabled her to embrace all of her changes. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 004

Phuong Luong is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and founder of Just Wealth, a virtual, fee-only financial planning practice serving moderate-income clients. Previously, she was the Director of Financial Services for a national nonprofit, managing the recruitment, hiring, and training of financial counselors. She also trains organizations on building effective and culturally relevant financial programs for marginalized communities and provides education on structural economic inequality. Her first career was as a math educator, special education case manager, and curriculum developer, for public schools throughout New England. Phuong is a member of CFP Board’s Council on Education and the Center for Financial Planning’s Diversity Advisory Group, to build recruitment pathways for planners from underrepresented communities and to retain them in the profession. Phuong earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.Ed in Special Education from Boston University. She completed the Financial Planning Program at Boston University. Please join me in welcoming Phuong Luong. In this episode we discuss: How making an impact has always been a driver for Phuong. Her journey from teaching to becoming a financial planner and coach, and the strategies she used to determine what would be next in her career. Her perspective on distinguishing between income, work, and job, with her desire to align all three. How her ultimate goal is to clear barriers to other people’s success and how she has strived to address that in each stage of her career. Traveling in Asia for a few months taught her that being a digital nomad was not for her. How she tailors her message to her audience, yet still lives her passion. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 003

Suzanne Flax is a Special Education Advocate and Consultant here in the Greater Boston area. Originally from Michigan, she has a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology at Columbia University. For over 30 years, Suzanne has dedicated her career an advocate and consultant for students and families with diverse special education needs and is licensed and certified in several disciplines. She holds state licenses to practice speech-language pathology in Massachusetts and New York and is clinically certified as a speech-language pathologist through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Additionally, she is certified as an Early Intervention Specialist through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and has completed a certificate as a Parent Consultant through the Federation of Children with Special Needs. In 2017, Suzanne completed an extensive training program in Wrights Law Special Education Law and Advocacy. This training enabled her to fulfill a goal to transition her career from a full-time practice as a speech-language pathologist to opening her own business as a Special Education Advocate. Suzanne consults with families, urban and suburban school systems and private schools, offering her extensive knowledge in all disabilities including communication disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, developmental delays, and transition planning. She provides observations and evaluations of current and proposed Individual Education Plans and 504 placements, attend team meetings, Bureau of Special Education Appeals mediation and due process hearings as well as securing out-of-district placements. Please join me in welcoming Suzanne Flax. In this episode we discuss: Where Suzanne started and how she knew it was time to make a change. The process Suzanne went through to become an advocate. How she moved from being an employee to being completely self-employed. Her life philosophy. How she feels about the work she is doing today, and how she nurtures her career. Her encouragement for other people who feel like they are facing a career transition. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 002

Today’s guest is the founder and CEO of Five Rhythms Consulting. She has spent the majority of her career in corporate leadership roles, including recently as the chief marketing officer for New York Life Retirement Plan Services, where she oversaw marketing, product development, web strategy, and creative execution. She is recognized as a dynamic, engaging, and effective speaker. She is also a Certified Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner, Authorized Energy Medicine Teacher, a Reiki Master, and a Meditations leader. What makes her unique is the way she integrates Energy Medicine and Energy Psychology techniques into her work and leadership style with the goal of driving the best possible outcomes for the organizations and individuals she serves. Please join me in welcoming Rachel Rice. In this episode we discuss: Rachel’s transition from the corporate world to owning her own energy work practice. How her transition began with an energy book given to her. Her methods for helping mid-sized corporations to release pent-up energy and allow for better communication. How she worked through ego and identity issues to prepare for leaving the corporate world. Her business plan method to make sure she was ready to start her own business endeavor. Her thoughts about how we all have gifts to offer the world and tools for sharing those gifts with the world. Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 001

We spend more time at work than most other important parts of our lives, more time than with our families, sleeping and attending to other priorities. Many of us have been privileged enough to be educated, blessed with talents, strengths, and supportive people.  Yet, some of us reach a point in our careers where we are just tolerating, if not dreading, the day-to-day pressures, tasks, and demands of our work environment that don’t really align with our values, interests or passions. Too often I see people who have resigned themselves to a job because they believe it is too late or they have too many responsibilities to take on a new direction. They are tolerating a work situation where there are limited growth opportunities, poor leadership or a toxic work culture. They are sacrificing their own happiness because they are making a significant income, are saving for college, paying a mortgage, putting in the time to be fully vetted in a retirement plan, etc.  They fill their heads with what is impossible vs. what their true interests, desires and passions are. Sound familiar?  Have you become complacent with your routines, habits and resources?? Does it feel like it would be unrealistic to go after something more rewarding, aligning with your values and interests?   What if you could continue to stay true to your priorities while exploring and shifting to a brighter picture? Most people want to feel that their work is ‘making a difference’, and allows them to have the resources, financial and otherwise, to freely make choices and have a satisfying, enjoyable lifestyle.  They know this is working for them when they are excited to get out bed in the morning and feel good at the end of the day. They enjoy the people they work with and feel a positive connection to a greater vision or bigger picture.  They feel purposeful.    If this intrigues you, then this podcast is for you. This podcast is for you if you are: A job seeker Interested in a career transition Wanting to improve or transform their current profession or workplace Entering a new phase: semi-retirement, retirement Someone who enjoys hearing about other people’s paths in life A person who believes in possibility – looking for an AHA! This podcast may also be for you if you are: Unhappy/miserable in current workplace or role Not enjoying your profession Laid off and don’t want to just get a JOB Not sure what to do next Not feeling inspired, yet you know there’s more to life Feeling insecure financially Bored Fear of change, unknowns, how to’s You’ve been discouraged in the job search process You feel burnt out You don’t have enough time with family, friends, & other enjoyable activities I want this podcast to: Inspire people to action, to be courageous and seek their best livelihoods by offering stories and practical steps or guidelines for making it real Allow people to reach for their dreams while taking care of the basics Open people’s minds to what’s realistic and truly possible Instill an understanding that the best way to get there is to look inside first, know yourself, rather than reacting to external influences Listen, subscribe and read show notes at  - episode 000