Episodes

How do you make a comeback in your life, when you believe you have failed? Not only when you believe others may have given up on you, but when you have given up on yourself? Nate Dukes share his story, along with three insightful tips that helped him go from the lows of drug addiction, grand theft auto, and imprisonment, to author and public speaker. About Nate Dukes In his early twenties, Nate was a business owner chasing success while dealing with secret drug addiction. After constantly hit...

Drive towards success with more predictability by shifting your focus from outcomes alone to what you truly want and consistent behaviors. Dr. Ian Brooks joins me to share his model for how to do that and achieve transformation. About Dr. Ian Brooks Dr. Ian D. Brooks, the CEO and founder of Rhodes Smith Consulting and Author of Intention: Building Capabilities to Transform Your Story. He works with leaders in organizations to develop key skills in navigating within their organization and worki...

Over the past year, we have all adjusted to a significant amount of change. However, what if you could be better prepared for change? Cathy Perez joins for an informative dialogue about the personal and professional benefits of organizing and the four-step process on how to do it. About Cathy Perez Cathy Perez always had a passion for health and fitness, being organized and sharing her curiosity for life with anyone who would listen. After many years in the corporate arena, supporting others w...

For many, having a career today means being creative, whether full-time, part-time or sometimes. The question becomes how do you create sustainability for yourself within these creative spaces, particularly given the massive number of participants. In 2020 alone, it was estimated that 17,000 new podcasts were created each week. Dave Noll is a two-time Emmy Award and Gracie Award Winner, with over 50 Television Series under his belt, including Chopped. Dave shares several of his trade secrets th...

Managing perception and cognitive bias, emotional intelligence, and communications are significant for career success. We often develop these skills through traditional training along with trial and error. However, former FBI violent crime analyst, Christina Eanes, has found a way to hone these skills for individuals and leaders alike, through the utilization of escape rooms. Christina Eanes is a former FBI violent crime analyst and senior manager, now author, speaker, podcast and YouTube chann...

How are some organizations outperforming others and doing so in a sustained way? Is it about an iconic leader or a culture? If it is about leadership, are those skills you are born with, or can they be developed? Those were just some of the questions that Daniel Edds set out to answer as he began the research for his latest book, Leveraging the Genetics of Leadership, Cracking the code of sustainable team performance. During that journey, Daniel uncovered some common themes across high-performi...

Job satisfaction statistics have been challenged for years, often hovering in the 60%-70% range. I recall, when writing my first book, Success On Your Own Terms: 6 Promises to Fire Up Your Passion, Ignite Your Career, and Create an Amazing Life, back in 2013, how heavily that notion weight on my mind, that any given time while driving to work, I could count off the cars stuck in traffic with me, and at best, only three out of ten were excited about the destination they were heading to. Stu Mass...

According to the American Federal of Teachers, more than 45 million student loan borrowers owe student debt, amassing over $1.6 trillion (the second-largest type of consumer debt after mortgages). This translates to $37,000 for the average college debt holder, which ends up being about a 7.7-year delay in their path to homeownership. Emeka Oguh, Founder and CEO of PeopleJoy, is on a mission to solving what he calls the “student debt and savings crises.” He and his team bring a set of employer-e...

What does it take to be a true leader? Some say people are born with leadership skills; others say leadership skills are learned. Jason Hunt says that the true key to effective leadership lies in personal connections. Jason Hunt is the CEO of Eye Squared Leadership, a consulting agency that seeks to guide people to become better leaders in business and have a more positive impact on those around them. Jason codified his approach to effective leadership in his latest best-selling book “The Other...

Owning a small business can be personally and finally rewarding. However, 90% of start-ups fail within the first three-years. During this episode, you will learn Sean’s Eight Unbreakable Rules for Business Start-up Success that he has created after starting over twenty businesses over the past twenty years. Starting a business takes a huge leap of faith. There are plenty of obstacles for aspiring business owners to overcome, from developing a business plan to establishing your target market, to...

When it comes to driving business success, the typical depictions on display are tough, relentless, hard-charging leaders. To a degree, many below the underlying behaviors are expected and even required to achieve success. I am joined by Dr. Bruno Roque Cignacco, an international business consultant, speaker, and business coach, in this episode. He debunks these norms in his new book, The Art of Compassionate Business: Main Principles for the Human-Oriented Enterprise. Dr. Bruno shares research...

How you ever found yourself drifting and wondering how you might make your way through? Better yet, feeling mistreated and not sure how to bounce back from it? You are not alone. Whether it be jobs, relationships, or other situations, we often find ourselves waiting for heroes to show up, inappropriately believing that problems will subside or just “holding on” out of shame (e.g., concerned that people will mock our perceived lack of commitment). After a 24-year military career, he particularly...

While spending approximately 2/3rds less on advertising, storydoing companies are growing faster, have faster-growing stock prices, and are twice as likely or more perceived as modern, innovative, and create more employee and consumer loyalty. While operating as an advertising executive, Ty couldn’t help but notice a gap in-between the story they were telling and the story they were living with some companies. That observation led Ty to research what he now calls storydoers! During this episode...

If someone told you they knew the most important skill necessary to achieve success, would you be intrigued? Sure, you would! So was I, particularly when I consider that over the years many of us have consciously or unconsciously digested many remedies, both in long-form and “hacks” (if you will) in the pursuit of success. Through his research, Dr. Wayne Baker, professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, has honed on what he believes to be that ...

Believe it or not, more than 20 million people have filed for unemployment within the United States alone. Further, recent projections have stated that up to 40 million people may be evicted from their homes by the end of this year. Creating multiple streams of income is no longer a nice to have, but for many, it is a must-do now action, as they are unemployed or underemployed. During this episode, I spend time with Darnell Self, a 20-year plus direct-sales veteran, who has not only built a str...

Many have heard the phrase that “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” originated by Peter Drucker. Well, the question is, how does that apply when we think about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? During this episode, my guest, Yemi Akisanya, juxtaposes the key differences between a good strategy and the evidence of a great culture.

Imagine implementing four day work weeks across your organization, followed by 30% + increases in employee engagement and spikes in productivity. Imagine thousands of organizations following your lead, asking you to help implement and your Prime Minister suggesting that businesses use this model as they re-emerge from Covid-19. Andrew Barnes, the founder of Perpetual Garden, joins me and shares his journey, the best practices, how he helps other companies, and the road ahead.

With the continued, and understandable outcry for social justice within the United States and abroad, we have seen many organizations focus on their efforts to contribute to change. Angela Talton, is a senior diversity and inclusion strategist, with notable experience, including leading Nielsen to rank as one of the top companies in D&I in Fortune and Forbes. During our discussion, Angela shares the practices that she has seen succeed, the characteristics as what she calls “committed companies,...

During the first half of this year, we have seen a tremendous amount of impact on businesses, resulting in spiking unemployment rates. At the time of this recording, over 20MM people have filed for unemployment benefits, many of them uncertain about if or when they might return to those places of employment. During this episode, we highlight four simple, yet key shifts, that many job seekers may need to make to improve their success.

As leaders, we all fight for growth against a multitude of headwinds. However, certain things are closer to our circle of control than others. Employee engagement is one of those things. Christine J. Quinn, Ph.D., joins me in this discussion, highlighting the tried and true methods and acknowledging what leaders must do differently to drive results during these challenging times.

By its very definition, trust is “the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” But how do you create trust in a turbulent environment where the underlying norms are shifted and the future is uncertain? Lt. Colonel Jason O. Harris joins me and shares his experiences doing so across organizations from the United States Air Force to Fortune 500 companies. Further, he shares his five-step model specially developed for times such as these.

“Tastes like chicken,” we have all heard that, right? It is the common descriptor often used when first tasting meat is not beef or fish. Our human nature causes us to place things within a frame of reference, which is often beneficial. However, when it comes to communicating your value, differentiation is critical, and sharing your story helps. Within this episode, you’ll find five steps to help you shape your story.

Many are inspired to contribute to the eradication of systemic racism but struggle with how best to do so. The call to action is seemingly driven by a “tragic moment,” but the issues drive much deeper. As one begins to understand the depths of challenges that span areas such as criminal justice, education, economics, voting, jobs, health, and more, it can be overwhelming. Institutions of higher education can be engaged as allies provided you understand the landscape and have a strategy. They a...

Most of us struggle to focus on personal growth and development during normal times, add to that a pandemic, unprecedented uncertainty, and social unrest, and it becomes nearly impossible. We know change is constant, but how do you learn at that speed, let’s explore it. Bejoy Philip is a Talent and Organizational Development executive with progressive experience working with leading companies in both the financial and pharmaceutical industries. He believes the power of innovative culture, agile...