Leadership TrailMix

In a chat that could have lasted much longer, coach, keynote speaker, and author Shed Shedletzky and I talked about what it means to be a leader, how to foster a culture with the conditions for people to feel safe and speak up, and even touched on what driving shift or an automatic car has to do with leadership.

What happens to our identity when who we are is defined by what we do? This is what this episode is all about: a conversation with Asel Ormonova, someone that personally experienced it as a humanitarian, and who today supports others through the detox journey, as she calls it.

Did you know that about 60 million Americas are caregivers, and in our generation, many are caregiving up and down? That and a lot more is what this conversation with Jess Ringgenberg, co-Founder, ELIXR®, was all about. I learned a lot, and hope you will, too.

Join me in a journey through a beautiful collage that combines analogies, a real life example, and concepts that sound like poetry to explore the importance of two things we don't talk much about in our workplaces, but that I believe we should: kindness and forgiveness.

Going back to a theme we discussed in one of the first episodes of Leadership TrailMix, join me in this insightful chat with Lora Crest, author of the book "Work is Not Your Life", where we debunked a few concepts that permeate our workplaces.

For this reflection, I tapped into the wisdom of Mario Sergio Cortella, a Brazilian philosopher, and the poetry of Broadway to talk about choices we made in life, and to remind us that if we don't think we can, we should think again.

In a world that is always moving so fast, it is easy to lose ourselves at time, and in that process lose so many other things. Join me in this fascinating conversation with Peter Sorgenfrei, a six-time founder who burned out in 2019 and rebuilt from there. He is working on a book that we are expecting to see reach stores in 2026 titled “The Whole Human Leader: How to Lead Without Losing Yourself".

Join me in a fun an engaging conversation I had with Sertrice Shipley, founder & CEO of Plan to Action, and co-author of the book "Inclusalytics: How Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leaders Use Data to Drive Their Work". She is a fan of musicals, as am I, and we dove deeper into some elements of Wicked that teach us powerful leadership lessons.

Gilberto Freyre, an educator from my home country, Brazil, once said: "Without a social purpose, knowledge will be the greatest futility". Jonathan Santos Silva has been living that and in this eye opening chat we talked about the many connections and lessons people leaders in corporations can learn from those leading in education.

Join me in this short reflection about two concepts from the latest book by Brené Brown (the godmother of Leadership TrailMix), Strong Ground. We will unpack ideas related to power and courage, two key ingredients to unlock effective self-leadership and people leadership.

There is more that makes us equal that what makes us different, and in the leadership space, it is not different. Join me in this inspiring and fun chat I had with Traci Austin, Chief Strategy Consultant at Elevated Talent Consulting and Host of The People Strategy Podcast. We talked about powerful leadership principles that are applicable to any leader, no matter where.

In this episode I share my reflections on the importance of listening with empathy and compassion for effective people leadership. Let's look at the concept of perspective gap and explore alternatives to our urge to speak, even when we shouldn't.

In this episode I share a great conversation with Kendra Cooke, author of the book "Embrace-Empower-Evolve", who has a beautiful career trajectory and generously shared some of the lessons she learned along the way with me.

Join me in this reflection about an ordinary experience that taught and reminded me of six important elements for effective leadership, both for self-care and to support those we lead.

“Why do you write like you are running out of time? How do you write like you need it to survive? Why do you always say what you believe?" Join me and Mariana Ortega, coach, and founder of Cultural Compass Coaching & Consulting, in the third and last episode in a series of three, exploring characteristics of first-gen professionals we see in Hamilton's life and leadership style, what lessons we can learn from the similarities between Hamilton and Eminen's energy, and how we can leverage it all to be better leaders and parents.

“Talk less, smile more... Don't let them know of what you're against and what you're for..." Join me and Mariana Ortega, coach, and founder of Cultural Compass Coaching & Consulting, in the second episode in a series of three, exploring the lessons Alexander Hamilton’s life teach us about first-generation professionals, which are not very different day from what they were over 200 years ago.

“Do not throw away your shot!” As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the musical Hamilton as well as fast approaching Hispanic Heritage Month, join me and Mariana Ortega, coach, and founder of Cultural Compass Coaching & Consulting, in a series of three episodes exploring the lessons Alexander Hamilton’s life teach us about first-generation professionals, which are not very different day from what they were over 200 years ago.

Are we always capable of recognizing greatness, or some times, just because it comes from unexpected places, it becomes invisible to us? Today's reflection tries to answer this question by looking at Cristiano Ronaldo's mastery in soccer and the approach bees take in a moment of crisis.

One company, many jobs. 35 years of service, never bored. A common thread: fun! This is what this episode where I have the honor to interview John Smith (aka Jack), my father-in-law is all about. Enjoy the stories and wisdom he shares in this short and sweet chat.

Curiosity, vulnerability, and influence are just three of the many leadership ingredients I discussed with Camille Romero, a former co-worker who has recently started "How is it Working?", a human-centric practice focused on leadership and culture. In this fun chat, she shared some valuable tools and ideas focused on leveraging our inherited humanity as a connection tool to be better people leaders.

Navigating a career is always a challenge, but it can be especially challenging for those at the beginning of it. What to focus on? What to prioritize? In this episode, I expand on the concept of buckets presented by Steven Barlett in his book "The Diary of a CEO" to answer these and other questions while identifying what is in it for us as people leaders.

How to build a culture of pride? How to nurture a positive culture for your team, even when the organizational one is not ideal? These were the main topics you will find in part II of this great conversation I had with Eric Stone, author of the book "Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture: A Road Map for Igniting High Performance".

How to build a healthy team culture? How to drive high performance? How to measure culture success? What can a hour glass teach us about it all? Answers to these and other questions were part of a great chat I had with Eric Stone, author of the book "Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture: A Road Map for Igniting High Performance". There was so much gold in this conversation, that this is the first of a two episodes' series.

This episode starts with a little diversion, but it then very quickly gets to Jurassic Park where, not dinosaurs, but a take on how to leverage clarity to unlock empowerment for our teams awaits us.

Navigating career decisions can be challenging, and it can become even more when, besides our own career, we also have to support our teams navigate theirs. This is what this chat with Madeline Miller, Career & Leadership Coach, is all about: providing practical steps for us to leverage alignment, influence and resilience as tools to drive success.

Before March 2025 is over, join me on this reflection in celebration of Women’s History Month, which brings insights and suggestions on how we, independently of gender or anything, can advocate and support women in the workplace.

Is it possible to combine authority and care? Oh, yes, it is! Join me in this inspiring chat I had with Mark C. Fava, author of the book "Lessons From The Admiral", an Amazon bestseller, where he shares precious leadership lessons he learned in the military and that shaped the leader he is today.

Honoring Black History Month, in this episode I invite us to reflect on the concepts of identity and social location, and end with a call to action that I consider very relevant in light of everything that's going on in the world.

Join me in this reflection about an actual ingredient which, combined to principles from the book 'Multipliers" by Liz Wiseman, has a few lessons to teach us about effective leadership.

Join me in this amazing chat with Louise Thompson, Leadership Coach for Communication Professionals, where we explored the power of effective communication for people leaders, the importance of "nemawashi", and the impact of boundaries on business results.

Starting 2025 on the right foot, join me in this inspiring and insightful chat with Mimi Nicklin, Bestselling Author & Empathy Advocate, about the power of connection, the business case for empathy, and the importance of adopting a curious and listening-led leadership.

While this is an atemporal message, as we close 2024, join me in this reflection about the power of Gratitude and Kindness, inspired by the work of Seth Godin and Chris Schembra. May it inspire us to choose these two ingredients as part of our personal 'leadership trailmixes' in 2025 and beyond.

This may or may not be the type of redundancy you are thinking about... Join me in this reflection based on lessons from Brene Brown and Rahaf Harfoush on how to apply redundancy and leverage AI to support your team (and youself) into the future of work.

As we approach the one year anniversary of Leadership TrailMix, here is a treat: a chat with Urs Koenig, author of the book "Radical Humility", who shared great insights on how we can and should lean into humility to be great people leaders and good humans.

Join me in this wild reflection about Dewitt Jones, a tale about wolves attributed to the Cherokee people, an Ernest Hemingway’s book, a movie by Michael Leigh staring Marianne Jean-Baptist, and a story originated in India about chess, a king, a wise man, and rice. All of that to talk about what makes us who we are, and how we can progress as individuals and leaders.

What can Coldplay, Heartstopper, and golf clubs teach us about inclusive Leadership? Join me on this reflection that, beyond people leadership, talks about relationships and reminds us that people should always matter more than processes and things.

Join on this reflection where scars, Psychology, Biology and other bits and pieces get combined with the great work of Stephen Covey to help answer the question: how to help our teams get from a victim to a protagonist mindset.

Two concepts I constantly see people leaders getting mixed up are Performance and Potential. In this episode we will not only differentiate the two, but will also provide a few tips on how to hold career conversations and support the growth of the people we have the honor to lead.

Join me and Kevin Wilde, author or "Coachability - the Leadership superpower", on this short and great conversation about the impact that having a life-long learner mindset can have on your leadership and career.

Oh, the many acronyms in the English language... Today we will look at two: a famous one and one that I came up with to help us think about success, prioritization, empowerment and burn out. Are you ready to join the revolution and redefine what being an MVP means?

While we can all agree on the importance of self-awareness, it is not an easy competency to develop. Join me on this reflection about the Johari Window and how it can help us expand what is known about us in order to build trust, connectivity, and consequent results.

On this second and last Olympic episode of Leadership TrailMix, join me in a reflection about overthinking, guilt, resilience and coachability, combining insights I got watching the High Diving competition in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, combine with a concept from the book “Coachability: The Leadership Superpower” by Kevin D. Wilde.

Directly from the Olympic Games in Paris, join me in this reflection about teamwork, human connection, and mindset, which combined elements of my culture, a study on Olympic medalists and what I experienced watching the men gymnastics team win the bronze medal after 16 years.

The world is changing faster and faster around us, and still we are wired to see change as a threat... How to reconcile the two? Join me in this reflection about David Rock's SCARF model where we will try to demystify change and talk about ways to support ourselves and our teams when going through it.

How many times we as leaders "get in trouble" by having an impact different from the one we intended? In this reflection, let's explore the importance of diligently aligning the two by starting with the impact when communicating ideas.

Leading a team is different from leading a team of people, basically because people are different and need to be managed in a singular way. Join me on this reflection about singularity and the need to approach our team members with compassion in times of need.

In celebration of Pride Month, join me in this reflection where I'm going personal and sharing my journey of acceptance as a member of the LGBTQ+ community with two intents: provide us leaders insight into someone else's world and, as a result, help us develop a more empathetic, compassionate, and inclusive mindset, and honor those who are or have been on a similar journey for being part of a historically marginalized group.