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