Lifting Leaders Podcast

(Encore edition) This week we launch our special series, Opening Your Heart, with guest Peter Block, who challenges us to shift our mental framework from scarcity to abundance and enough. He shares a new organizing principle and paradigm for our culture, the Common Good which relies on all of us opening our hearts to connect and create relationships in our communities to have a positive impact on the world (it starts with you!). Find out the 7 key areas that every community universally cares about and new ways to measure our well-being. In this powerful and vulnerable interview, Peter shares his own perspectives on story, place, impact and why he still asks himself, have I done enough? We invite you to grab a warm cup of tea or coffee, sit back and enjoy the unique pace of this episode that invites you to pause, slow down and soak it all in.

In this episode we talk with Andrea Lucky, CEO and Founder of Silver Fern HR Consulting, to help leaders navigate through this tricky time in our workplaces. Andrea shares the impact she is seeing right now in our organizations by the division, uncertainty and chaos in our country. What if we could create havens of harmony for our employees in our teams and organizations? It is possible. Andrea shares with us practical steps we as leaders (and we are all leaders) can take to make this a reality.

Springboarding off of the great visit (#128) we had, with Jeff McAuliffe, we are revisiting something we spent some time unpacking…dealing with overwhelm. While overwhelm is a state of being that most of us face, from time-to-time, it seems to be hitting more and more people, right now. Life has presented one challenge after another, since 2020, and we barely navigate through one issue, before another one, two, or twenty present themselves. Listen in as we Zoom Out, for a moment, to look at what is happening these days that may be unsettling for some (and certainly is, for us). Then learn what we are doing and what you can do to Zoom In, and boulder through some of life’s challenges, and find new ways to Thrive. It’s not about just surviving, although, if that is all you can do, right now, do it. It’s about Thriving, and we strive to be there now and moving forward. Enjoy!

We are so happy to welcome back, our friend, Jeff McAuliffe, accomplished consultant, coach and author of the bi-weekly environmentally focused newsletter, “52 Weeks of Earth Day” If you live on this planet, you may have been experiencing confusion or any one of several emotions around what is going on, locally, nationally, and globally. We are facing a tremendous amount of change (and challenge), politically, environmentally, economically, and personally. All of this is having an impact on how we navigate our own feelings, how we interact with others, and how we look at the ways in which we must now plan for our futures. While all this can feel very heavy, we have choices. Listen in and learn about some of the choices that Jeff has been making, that are helping him navigate through this new climate we are finding ourselves in. Find out how Zooming out to take a more global view of our current world can help us, as we Zoom in toward acting with greater intention, on a more local level. Want to learn more about how to build resilience as a change agent? This episode is packed with true gems that will help us all THRIVE, in 25 and beyond.

How are you feeling? If you’re like us, you may be feeling the stresses of all the recent upheaval and uncertainty that has confronted us, over the past few weeks. We have to admit that it feels different and uncomfortable…like nothing we have experienced before. We want you to know that we are, as always, committed to our Vision, Mission/Purpose and, with that in mind, we are launching a new theme for this year – “Leaders THRIVE in 25.” Listen in and learn about our plans for keeping all of us on tract to THRIVE, this year. Want to know more about how you can THRIVE now and in the future? Have an interest in keeping your mind in growth mode, during times where the stories in your head may be steering you toward a more fixed and polarized way of thinking? Well, come along with us, this year where, together, we will explore hope and discover new possibilities.

This is Part Two of our encore episode with Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley, two Organizational Development professionals who talk with us about Human Flourishing. We discuss how the collective power of individual mindset and behaviors, even coming from varying states of mental/emotional wellbeing is what it takes to achieve more systemic Human Flourishing. Want to know more about why Judy sees Human Flourishing as a “big, hairy, amorphous challenge?” Listen in to find out. Knowing that Human Flourishing is seen as not so much of a “nice to have” state of being but, rather, a new imperative for all of us, it seems important for us to learn as much as we can so we can decide how it might fit into our worlds. One of the many takeaways from this rich episode has to do with ways in which leaders can help further and foster Human Flourishing in their organizations. We hope you will listen in on the entire episode. You will find a wealth of information on this important topic, and we believe it will be an insightful mining journey.

As we think about Leaders Thriving in 2025, the concept of Human Flourishing as shared by Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley this time last year, is foundational and worth revisiting. We hope you find this encore edition as inspiring and informational as we do. While it seems like forever that experts have been concentrating on negative human behaviors, burn out and depression, there is a rising buzz in the world of psychology and organizational development that is shifting much of the focus toward something called Human Flourishing. Join us, as we welcome Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley, two Organizational Development professionals who bring their expertise to the podcast and share their journeys to this complex world of Human Flourishing. Learn how they define flourishing and how it differs from fixing what’s wrong. Discover the PERMA model and how it’s linked to Human Flourishing. Learn how flourishing differs, in different countries and cultures and why Judy and Sasha say that Human Flourishing is a team sport. This topic is so important, during this time we are living in, and there is so much information to share, that we are bringing Judy and Sasha back, for our next episode, as well. Don’t miss this episode, though, as it sets the foundation upon which our next conversation will be based. We know there are a lot of gems to be found in this episode, and we think you will be glad you spent time mining with us.

We are just a few weeks into 2025 and the number of people who are experiencing burnout is staggering! The reality is that those of us who are in that mode were feeling that way, before the new year. So, what’s going on? And why is it that, when we have free time at work, we feel compelled to fill that time? It’s a long-standing belief in American business that being busy means you are showing value. But is that really true? Listen in as we unpack an article, written by Martha Beck, called “Making Time for Nothing.” Does just reading that make you uncomfortable? It doesn’t have to. Learn a bit about what Martha calls Empty Time Deficiency Syndrome and how that presents in our day and our life. Learn about the value of doing nothing and what that really looks like. If you need a nudge around what to do, if you have a free minute, hour, half-day, and so on, we’ll share that, from Martha’s article, as well. We hope you enjoy this episode and that, after listening, you feel a little more comfortable and, perhaps compelled, to explore doing nothing. You may just find that burnout is a much smaller challenge. Enjoy.

We are a few weeks into 2025 and, already, resolutions are being ditched and forgotten. Want to know why 80% of our New Year’s resolutions fail by February, each year? If you have ever had trouble sticking to your annual New Year’s resolutions, you will want to listen to this week’s episode! We are excited to welcome back speaker, facilitator, wife of Jon Ondrasik (aka: Five For Fighting), and soon-to-be best-selling author, Carla Ondrasik. If you’ve followed our podcast over the past year, you may recall that Carla was with us, in March of 2024 (Episode 89) where she talked about the book she was starting to write. Well, it is being printed as we type and will be on bookshelves, everywhere, in the Fall. Listen in and learn more about Carla’s journey to publishing her book and hear her advice for anyone who is interested in writing. Find out about the neuroscience behind trying, and how that impacts our attitudes and behaviors. Spend some time with us and we think you will feel energized and inspired to “Stop Trying…” and just start doing. Enjoy.

Are you ready to Ditch the Ditty? What in the World is a Ditty, anyway?? Join us for this first episode of the new year, that we are calling “Leaders Thrive in 25!”, with two of the three authors of the book, Ditch the Ditty, which launches this week, Lindsay Godwin and Molly McGuigan (with Miriam Novotny, here, at heart!). Do you ever find yourself responding “yes,” to tasks, that no one else will take on (or are ever asked to)? Have you ever wondered how important these tasks that you really don’t want or (maybe) need to do, really are? While this phenomenon may not be exclusive to women, it is much more prevalent and, interestingly, it is often quietly, culturally endorsed. We hope you will listen in, as we believe you will find this episode to be richly insightful and will leave you wanting more…we did! Luckily, their new book launches on January 7th!

Yes! It is Wrapping Season – beautiful paper, ribbons, tons of tape and tags, everywhere! Oh! But WAIT! We’re wrapping up a few other things, as well!! If you have been listening to our podcast, you know that we have been doing a series on Coaching for a Better World. We have officially wrapped up our series, with a beautiful two-part interview, with Hudson Institute of Coaching leaders. We had interviews with several other amazing coaches who are making a power impact in the world, through out-of-the-box thinking and coaching. Listen in and learn about some of the gems we found through these interviews…they’re inspiring! Hey! We are also wrapping up our podcast year! Before we take a few weeks off, we want to share our gratitude for this 2024 gift trip we’ve been on. And you, our listeners are the reason we call it a gift. Learn just a snippet of what is to come, in the New Year. In the meantime, however you celebrate this season, we wish you health and happiness and we look forward to bringing new episodes for you, in 2025!

This week, we are thrilled to continue the capstone of our special series, Coaching for a Better World, by bringing you the second part of our two-part interview with Dr. Pam McLean, PhD. and Michael Hudson. In this episode Pam and Michael help us explore the value of self-observation as a practical step in a more developmental leadership model. Listen in as Pam shares the impact of valuing/devaluing the relationship, in leadership. Learn what may be on the horizon for coaches as we acknowledge a unique gift that coaches possess. Whether or not you are a professional coach, as a leader, you will, once again, gain valuable insights from this episode. We invite you to spend this time with us, as we celebrate the close of our series, with two of our favorite leaders. Final Note: Thanks for supporting our Hope Survey. If you have not taken it yet, please visit our website and take the survey. Your voice matters!

This week, we are pleased and honored to begin the capstone of our special series, Coaching for a Better World, with two of our favorite iconic leaders in the coaching industry, Pam McLean and Michael Hudson. Our discussion with Pam and Michael was so rich with highly relevant and timely insights and information about developing leaders, for today and beyond. Listen in and learn about some of the concerns that are prompting many in the coaching and development industries to rethink the way leaders are developed. Hear Pam and Michael talk about new approaches and benefits to critical mass learning that dwarf any other engagement and development efforts practiced, so far. Whether or not you are a professional coach, as a leader, you will gain some valuable insights from this episode. We have so much more information to share that we will conclude this amazing interview with Pam and Michael, in next week’s episode.

We begin this Thanksgiving week by sharing our gratitude and thoughts around things we are thankful for. In light of all things that seem troubling, in today’s world, there are so many amazing reasons to still be thankful. Spend this short episode with us and learn what we are feeling thankful for, this year. Looking for something to be thankful for? Start with your mirror…step outside…look at your family, friends, and a pet. We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday and we look forward to continuing our Coaching for a Better World series, next week. You will find the link to this episode below. Final Note: Thanks for supporting our Hope Survey. Your voice matters!

We are nearing the end of our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” and, this week, we are bringing back an episode we recorded, last year, with Amy Yip, Somatic Life Transformation and Mental Fitness coach, keynote speaker, and International best-selling author, of “Unfinished Business.” Amy just received The Independent Authors’ Network, Book for the Year, for outstanding non-fiction writing. In this episode you will hear Amy’s story about growing up as a first generation, Asian American, navigating her life journey, with her immigrant parents, who did not speak English. Listen in and learn some of the challenges that influenced the decisions she made and some that purposely didn’t. We Hope you enjoy this episode in celebration of Amy’s great achievement.

We are well into our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” and, this week, we are delighted to welcome dynamic leadership and team-development coach, author, and Managing Principal of the firm, Intrinsic Lead, Melissa Castro. As a Millennial herself, Melissa focuses much of her coaching and consulting on helping leaders beat burnout, build sustainable teams, and use their influence to create positive change. Did you know that the Millennial generation makes up between 32%-35% of today’s working population? With this in mind, if you work with this generation’s leaders and want to better understand what is important to them and what drives their behaviors, listen in. If you are considered a Millennial and are interested in learning more about the value of coaching for you and your fellow leaders, you are in the right place. This episode is FULL of valuable gems that are sure to spark insights for all leaders, no matter what your generation.

As we continue with our Coaching For A Better World series, we want to share just a little about the wonderful world of coaching. What exactly IS coaching? How is that different from therapy or mentoring? What’s the benefit of being coached? What can I expect when I meet with a coach? These are common questions that often surface whenever a coach introduces themself. If you’ve ever been coached, you may recall asking these questions before you took the dive. If you haven’t been coached, we hope you will find our conversation helps you decide if you would like to explore new ways of working on the challenges you may be experiencing. In any event, we Hope you find this episode informative and inviting.

This week, we continue our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” by expanding on empathy in leadership, a topic shared by Josh Speraneo, our previous guest, who specializes in working with highly sensitive people (HSP). In our typical “Gems” fashion, we discuss insights from a Center For Creative Leadership article on this topic. Does empathic leadership really matter and is there a place for empathy at work? What’s the difference between empathy and sympathy? What are some of the outcomes of leader empathy and why is that important? Listen in to learn the answers to these questions and more. This is a relatively short episode AND it’s packed with insightful gems! We hope you find it inspiring!

This week, our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” continues with Josh Speraneo, a courage coach who specialized in working with highly sensitive people (HSP). In this eye-opening episode, Josh shares the journey that led to him discovering that he is an HSP. Listen in and learn the steps he took, and how this new knowledge impacted his path toward coaching and advising other HSPs. Learn about how, when high sensitivity and empathy show up in leadership, team, and organization engagement increases.

In this Gems episode, as part of our special series on “Coaching for a Better World,” we explore and dig deeper into our courageous conversation last week with Traci Staffen, ADHD Coach, Certified Positive Intelligence™ and Menopause Coach. In that episode, Traci encouraged us to not just accept the stories from our past that form our current mental models regarding menopause, but to get curious, find answers for ourselves, and awaken to the possibilities of what this unique time in our lives may offer. Did you know that most women will spend nearly one third of their lives in menopause? In this Gems episode, we explore the importance of this awakening, challenging the status quo and offer some reflections on how to start your own path of awakening. This conversation is worth listening to not only for yourself, but for all of the women, sisters, friends, co-workers, that we value in our lives. We hope you’ll take a listen.

Ignoring it won’t make it go away. If you say the word, you won’t melt…promise! And, while many dread the word and the condition, it has been here, forever, it is here, now, and it will be here, in the future. What is it? It’s Menopause! We are continuing our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” with Traci Staffen, ADHD, Menopause, and Certified Positive Intelligence Coach. In this episode, Traci shares her illuminating story about how navigating her own menopause journey sparked a new passion for helping others have more positive experiences. With over 51% of the world’s population being women, menopause, which is with us for 30-50% of our lives, deserves more attention, from the medical profession, insurance companies, organizations, women AND men. So, spend this hour with us. You will leave with greater understanding of menopause, and you may just find yourself inspired to learn more about how to embrace this phase of a woman’s life.

With the first episode of our special series, “ Coaching for a Better World” out for the world to hear, we turn to something that stood out for us during our conversation with Meghan Patino, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). There were so many gems that emerged during our time with Meghan, and we wanted to do a slightly deeper dive into what can be gained, by venturing out of our safe spaces. Listen in and learn How Travel Spurs Personal Growth, not just for leaders of people but for everyone. Spend this short time with us and get ready to begin envisioning your own growth, through adventure.

Welcome to the first episode, in our special series, “ Coaching for a Better World.” We are excited to bring this series to you, our listeners, as our way of helping you become even more aware of some of the many niche coaching practitioners who are making a better world. In this first episode, we introduce you to Meghan Patino, a Professional Certified Coach, focusing on leadership and life coaching. Listen in and hear Meghan’s fascinating story about metabolizing her own fears and stepping way outside of her comfort zone, as she discovered her own resilience and leadership strengths, while she and her family embarked upon an eleven-month journey to various places in the world. Learn some of the insights she gained about survival, family, resilience, coaching, and life back home. We believe you will find Meghan’s story to be truly inspirational…we certainly did!

We did it! We said we were going on an extended break and we did it! After lots of rest and rejuvenation, we want to welcome you back to Season Four of Lifting Leaders Podcast. We hope you enjoyed your August and that you took some time to refresh and regroup…it is so important! In this episode, we share what we did, over this break – from spending time with loved ones to kayaking and learning new skills…all great ways to refresh our spirits! You will also get just a hint of what is in store for this, our fourth season. Enjoy the listen – we are SO happy to be back and we are even happier to have you with us. If you haven’t taken the Hope survey yet, please take a moment to help us with our research.

It’s that time of year again. We are taking our annual break, from now, until mid-September. This is a great time to rest, relax, have fun, and truly refresh our minds and bodies. When was the last time you took more than a long weekend off? Did you know that there are so many benefits to taking time off? Have you heard about some of the potential consequences, to not taking refresh time? Listen in and learn a bit about that and find out how we plan to spend our time off this year. We wish you a restful, relaxing and fun time, in August and we look forward to meeting you back here, in September! Finally, have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

It’s Summer and, if you are like we are, you may be ready to let loose and have some fun! In this episode, we dive into two articles (no surprise!) on the topic of fun. Did you know that incorporating elements of fun, into your work, can elevate creativity and team morale? Listen in a learn what the smell of crayons can do to your brain…it’s true! If you are looking for ideas on ways in which you can infuse fun into your personal Summer agenda, stay with us, to the end of the episode. Finally, have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

If you just read this title and asked yourself, “didn’t I just hear about compassion, a few months ago?” you are spot on, and we thank you for being a loyal listener! This episode looks at self-compassion in a slightly different way. In this short Coaches Corner, we dive into a few articles on how self-compassion offers greater advantages, over time, to self-confidence. What can happen when we over value our abilities? How is self-compassion beneficial for our personal growth? What are some ways in which we can boost our self—compassion? Listen in and learn about the three components of self-compassion. We hope you will find what you learn to be insightful and motivating! Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Having had a week to process our discussion, with author, executive coach and leadership strategist/facilitator, Marita Decker, we bring some of our insights to this episode and unpack just a small number of gems from this inspiring book. If you have read Marita’s book, you know that there are several Boosters and all of them are valuable. If you haven’t, but want to know more about them, check out our previous episode (#104 from June 24th), where Marita covers the list and provides her own descriptions. Listen in and hear about a few of the insightful nuggets we found, within her list of Confidence Boosters and Blockers that stood out for us, as well as some actions we believe leaders should be responsible to do, to minimize discomfort in new leaders. As we stated in last week’s show notes, while the focus of Marita’s book is on women in leadership, we believe there are gems to be mined by all leaders. Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

As women leaders, what shakes our confidence and causes us to doubt? What are some blockers that get in the way of career confidence and what do they have to do with our mindset and habits? Join us as we talk to author, Marita Decker, executive coach and leadership strategist/facilitator, and learn what prompted her to research and write about this topic, which is gaining a great deal of interest in today’s Fortune 500 companies. Listen in and learn about the top three actions women leaders can take to outsmart doubt. While this focus is on women in leadership, we believe there are gems to be mined by all leaders. Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

Springboarding off Episode 102, when we talked about the differences and (importantly) the similarities that multiple generations feel, believe, and expect to engage in today’s workforce, we decided to visit a common factor that touches all generations…becoming Overwhelmed! We are now at the mid-point in our year and, often, this is a time when we take stock of what we have accomplished, to this point. It’s those goals we had that we haven’t accomplished yet that can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed. Listen in and learn how you can step out of that state of being overwhelmed and take charge of your priorities and time. Explore how focusing on the 3 R’s: Right person, right things, right time can make a huge difference toward taking control and minimizing overwhelm. If you are feeling like your priorities are piling up and your year is racing ahead too quickly, give us 45 minutes of your time…you might just find that gem you’ve been searching for. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? There is still time and We Need Your Voice!

As many organizations are navigating their mid-year performance reviews, we wondered, with five generations currently occupying the workforce, what should leaders keep in mind, with respect to what motivates each of these groups? We consulted a trusted resource and found 10 interesting approaches and a few facts we thought you might find helpful. Listen in, and learn about some of the differences, as well as some motivations/desires that are common, across all working generations. While several approaches may be well understood, you may find a few gems that might just help you move past differences. In any event, we are sharing truly foundational approaches that will help you, whether you lead an individual or navigate the dynamics of a team. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? There is still time and We Need Your Voice!

After ten weeks, seven guests, three Gems episodes and a Coaches Corner, our Opening Your Heart series is coming to a close. Join us, as we reveal some of the gems we mined during the series. Listen in and learn what we recommend leaders do to help inspire and encourage an open hearted organization. You will learn why there really isn’t a set process for creating and maintaining an open hearted organization but we will share what we gleaned that you may want to employ, as you are moving toward open hearted leadership. Finally, we are getting close to completing our Hope survey and we invite you to complete it, if you haven’t already done so.

It’s our 100th Episode!!! Who do we thank for 100 amazing episodes over the past two years? You, our wonderful listeners. We just love you. Of course, it truly aligns with our Opening Your Heart series, because wonderful things happen, when you Open Your Heart. With this in mind, we bring you Glodean Champion’s episode, from May of 2023. Do you know what LOVE looks like? In this episode we are gifted, once again, with gems from Glodean Champion, TEDx and keynote speaker, author, and champion of LOVE, as she reveals her formula to narrowing gaps between people’s perceptions and deep-seeded beliefs and misunderstandings of others. Listen in as Glodean shares stories of encounters she has had, over the past several months, that give her (and us) hope about honoring our differences and celebrating things we have in common. We Hope you enjoy this encore episode. Don’t forget, we are still accepting entries to our Hope survey. You will find it on our website (www.liftingleaderspodcast.com).

WOW! As we are planning for our 100th episode, next week, we are spending our 99th episode celebrating the second anniversary of Lifting Leaders Podcast, and we invite you to listen in! Do you know how many on-air hours we put in during our second year? Learn some of the steps necessary to get an episode ready to share with you our listeners. Have you any idea the number of guests we interviewed? We are truly grateful for the amazing leaders who have shared time with us and you! Do you know the number of downloads that took place during this second year? Listen in and hear just a few of the guest quotes that stood out for us, this year. We are feeling great about our accomplishments, and we want to celebrate with you, our listeners, who made everything possible. We are soaring with gratitude. Finally, we are getting close to completing our Hope survey and we invite you to complete it, if you haven’t already done so.

As we continue with our series, Opening Your Heart, we thought we would spend this Coaches Corner unpacking the Forbes article, The Compassionate Leader-Who Leads With The Heart – Is it Good for Business? Although the article leans toward leading with compassion, in business, we see a strong connection to our personal lives as well, which makes sense, as we believe that everyone leads. Listen in and learn how Forbes describes traits of compassionate leadership. Hear about the impact a compassionate leader can have on employee engagement, innovation, and trust. If you feel challenged around bringing compassion into your leadership, we Hope this Coaches Corner will be insightful and engaging. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Continuing our series of Opening Your Heart, we found a foundational theme in our last two episodes that we wanted to unpack a bit. Taking cues from Episode 95, with the mother/daughter duo, Kirsten Carpentier and Regina Winkle-Bryan, and Episode 96, with G. Victoria Campbell and Andrew Coopman, we thought it would be interesting to use their stories that make Heart connections. Listen in and learn about how following their dreams led each of these amazing adventurers to where they are, today. Learn about the five elements of following your dream, and what each step means for them, as well as how you might employ them, as you follow your own dreams. Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

Earth Day finally arrived, and we found ourselves just off Broadway, meeting, once again, with TREESON creator and co-writers, G. Victoria Campbell, and Andrew Coopman. Talk about nervous excitement!! Vicki and Andrew gifted us some of their time, just hours before their eco-musical, TREESON, was to premiere, off Broadway, at 54 Below, a charming dinner club and theatre. Listen in and learn more about some of the final details they collaborated on, as they prepared for the big night. Hear them open their hearts and share true love and respect for the journey they’ve been on, over the past year. Listen in and learn about a new project that Andrew is working on and hear him talk about his role in the upcoming Drama League Awards (older than the Tonys!). Also, listen in, as Vicki shares an exciting potential new opportunity for Treeson. There is so much “heart” in this interview…a true “feel good” episode. Finally, we are still hoping to increase responses to our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

This week we continue our special series, Opening Your Heart, with guests Kirsten Carpentier and Regina Winkle-Bryan, a truly creative mother/daughter team, with a World of adventures behind and in front of them! More than an artist, Kirsten Carpentier has crafted her colorful life story by facing her fears and bravely taking bold steps in wildly creative directions. In a similar vein, Regina Winkle-Bryan has used her passion for travel and adventure to engage women in building their confidence and resilience through World-wide travel experiences. While this may sound like two very different tales (and it is), these amazing women enjoy heart connections as colleagues, partners, creative collaborators, friends and so much more. Check out the episode…we think you will find it inspiring.

Finding connection between our new series’ focus, Opening Your Heart, and something we gleaned from our recent guest, Dr. Lindsey Godwin, we return to two trusted resources for more information about the topic of Curiosity. It turns out that there are some true benefits of curiosity, for individuals, leaders, teams, and organizations. It’s a critical element in organizational change and innovation. Listen in and learn what all of this has to do with the heart and gain insights into steps you can take to build curiosity, as a leader or high performer. Interested in learning more? Check out this episode and your curiosity will surely lead you to some insightful answers! Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

Continuing our Opening Your Heart series, we were thrilled to welcome back Dr. Lindsey Godwin, professor, practitioner, and possibilitizer, who you may remember, from last year’s Episode 76, on the topic of Net Positive OD Leadership. In this episode, we lean into Lindsey’s new children’s book, “How Do You Love A Question?" While the book may be classified as a children’s book, it invites readers of all ages to tap into their inner child and rediscover the pure joy and adventure of asking questions. This is not a template but, rather, an enticing invitation to explore your own curiosity. Leaders (and we are all leaders), learn about staying open-hearted and building inquiry muscles. Ready to adopt a stance of radical curiosity and awe? Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

After a great launch of our Opening Your Heart series, featuring Peter Block, we do a bit of mining, into a few gems, roughly translated from Peter’s latest book, Activating the Common Good – Reclaiming Control of Our Collective Well-Being. Listen in and learn some of the key points that stood out from Kristal’s conversation with Peter. Learn about two Common Good Protocols – Open Space (who decides what matters) and World Café (wiser together) and how they serve toward greater outcomes. Learn about connection through Relational Activism and how that impacts nature. Are you ready to explore what a purpose that is greater than ourselves looks like? Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

This week we launch our special series, Opening Your Heart, with guest Peter Block, who challenges us to shift our mental framework from scarcity to abundance and enough. He shares a new organizing principle and paradigm for our culture, the Common Good which relies on all of us opening our hearts to connect and create relationships in our communities to have a positive impact on the world (it starts with you!). Find out the 7 key areas that every community universally cares about and new ways to measure our well-being. In this powerful and vulnerable interview, Peter shares his own perspectives on story, place, impact and why he still asks himself, have I done enough? We invite you to grab a warm cup of tea or coffee, sit back and enjoy the unique pace of this episode that invites you to pause, slow down and soak it all in. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Some of the best gems appear when you least expect it. We actually found a red thread that linked our previous two episodes, featuring G. Victoria Campbell and her partner, Andrew Coopman (Treeson, the eco-musical), and Carla Ondrasik (powerful speaker, writer, and leader of “Don’t Try…DO! initiative). Banking off what we heard from these dynamic guests, we unpack the Huffington Post article, “Don’t Overthink – Just Do." We Hope you will listen in, for this short but powerfully rich episode. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

It’s a question that is surfacing, more and more, these days. Do you want to try to make a positive difference, or will we make a difference? Please join us as our delightful guest, self-proclaimed natural-born motivator, Carla Ondrasik, challenges our thinking on this topic. Listen in as Carla shares her story, beginning with her childhood, where independence and doing was encouraged, through a career of “doing” fascinating jobs that tested her skills and fortitude and ultimately helped her find the love of her life, musician John Ondrasik, known to many as Five For Fighting. Carla walks us through her philosophy around not trying but rather, doing, which is something that more and more parents and leaders may be looking at. Hear how our learning and experience shifted our focus toward experimentation over trying and how this discussion has prompted us to rethink that, a bit. Interested in how to begin shifting from trying to doing? Learn about a few fun ways in which leaders and parents can help others unlearn the habit of talking about and promoting trying over just doing. We had such a fun time with Carla Ondrasik and we hope you’ll listen in and learn more!

What a delightfully fun episode we recorded this week! We were so excited to welcome back our guest from one year ago (Episode 43), G. Victoria (Vicki) Campbell, who was joined by her co-book writer, Andrew Coopman, who is a director, choreographer, and playwright of various theater projects, nationwide. Together, this dynamic duo shared some of the joys and more than a few of the challenges associated with creating an eco-musical, while they were both on different continents. Join us as we learn more about what inspired them to write/develop this eco-musical, called Treeson and how the project has evolved over the past year, as they prepare for their one-night premiere, on April 22, 2024 (Earth Day). Gain insights into some of the tiny details that keep them awake at night as they continue to power through, towards the big premiere. There are more than a few laughs in this episode, as well as an update on available tickets. If you want to be a part of this spectacular event, please check out the link for the theater club, 54 Below to purchase your tickets. We will be there and hope to see you there as well. Finally, have you completed the HOPE survey yet? Please check out the link below. There are only four questions (plus the demographics) and,

It seems like life just keeps getting more and more busy and, we don’t know about you but, we sometimes feel the tug between home life and work life. How do we keep our home priorities and challenges out of sight and out of mind, as we navigate work? How do we leave work behind so we can enjoy our personal spaces? These challenges have existed for years and, while we used to hear, “leave your personal life at the door, when you enter work,” we all know that this is just not possible, most of the time. After all, we are humans, with all the wonder, baggage, challenges, joys, and sadness, that make us who we are. In this episode, we depart from our usual approach, by NOT referencing articles from our favorite business resources. Instead, we offer, from our own experiences, some gems to consider, as you work through all the things in life, that sometimes get in the way. This Coaches Corner is full of food for thought, around things like Sacrifice vs Service, the importance of prioritizing, setting boundaries and delegating. Looking for new insights on this topic? We hope you’ll listen in. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

We all have at least one thing in common…we all must navigate through change. At work, home, or wherever you spend more than a moment, you experience change. Some changes may be easy to manage but there are changes that feel like huge lifts. But do they have to be? We thought it might be a good idea to visit this ever-present topic, while we are in the middle of our first quarter of the year, when many of us may have already tucked away our New Year’s commitments and plans. Listen in and learn about a few different models that business and change experts map out processes pertaining to the topic. Learn about models and concepts from James Clear, James Prochaska, Doug Silsbee, and Brene Brown. Listen in and hear more about how 360 degree assessments and coaching play a role in change. This Coaches Corner is full of gems and we hope you will find it insightful. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Yes, it is Valentine’s Day week, once again…a time when people all over the country show their feelings of love and gratitude, toward their loved ones and the sale of flowers and chocolate confections goes through the roof! What about showing our love for the Earth, for nature, for our environment? Join us as we unearth gems from a Psychology Today article on this very topic. Learn about not only the three primary motivational systems but an emerging fourth system that focuses on loving the Earth. Discover the impact of bringing love and joy into the acts of loving and navigating our Earth. Ever heard of the term, Earthing? Listen in and find out more about this. We truly enjoyed recording this episode and we Hope you will enjoy learning from it. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

It has been said that Joy is one of the most vulnerable of human emotions. It can be as brief as a moment, or it can last longer if you practice ways to elongate it. The stars don’t have to align for one to feel joy. It can actually happen during tough times as well. However, we, as humans, often rob ourselves of our joy by foreboding it. Want to know more about that? What does gratitude have to do with joy? What part does joy play in psychological recovery. Listen in and you will learn more about all of this and much more. However you listen, we hope this episode will be insightful for you. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Human Flourishing…It has been our topic of choice, over the past few weeks, for good reason. We envision the world being a better place, if leaders will learn about and practice the components that lead to Human Flourishing. Join us as we unpack the PERMA model that we learned about, during our interviews with Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley. Listen in and learn how simple acts can touch more than one component of the PERMA model. Want to know more about the actions that lead to Human Flourishing? Listen in and then take action!