Breakthroughs: Smart Strategies for Career/Business Growth

Michael Swiatek is on a mission to uplift the lives of the worlds largest minority, people with disabilities, especially those who are legally blind, or have low vision, by enhancing their travel experiences. He’s not only a senior executive with real world success in the airline industry, but is also legally blind himself. His unique life experiences have shaped his outlook and career journey. With a distinguished aviation career, Michael Swiatek has excelled in senior executive roles at prominent global airlines. Currently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Abra group, the parent company of Avianca and GOL airlines, he shapes the strategic direction of these airlines, driving profitability and competitiveness in the Americas market. Prior to his current role at Abra group, Swiatek held the position of Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Avianca, transforming the airlines positioning through alliance formation, network expansion, and corporate planning. He also championed inclusivity as Co-Chair of culture transformation, accessibility, adversity, equity and inclusion, solidifying Avianca‘s reputation as a socially responsible airline. Previously, Michael has held senior roles at several global airlines, including Chief Planning Officer at Indigo airlines, the largest airline in India, Qatar airways as Chief Planning Officer and Air New Zealand, where he served as Director of Strategic Planning. Throughout his career, Michael Swiatek’s strategic acumen and leadership have left an indelible mark on the aviation industry, propelling organizations to new heights. This podcast episode is appropriate for anyone looking for inspiration to overcome obstacles toward success.

Phil Simon is one of the world's leading independent experts on workplace collaboration and technology. He is a frequent keynote speaker and the award-winning author of 14 books, most recently The Nine: The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace. Phil helps organizations communicate, collaborate, and use technology better. Harvard Business Review, the MIT Sloan Management Review, Wired, NBC, CNBC, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and The New York Times have featured his contributions. He also hosts the podcast Conversations About Collaboration. This episode spotlights one of them easiest to understand books on tech: Phil Simon breaks down the main forces impacting businesses that today’s leaders will be remiss if they ignore. You could buy Phil’s book. Most anywhere books are sold. Here’s a link to Amazon. The Nine: The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace (The Future of Work) https://a.co/d/apP4olk

Description of podcast interview with Todd Sears, CEO of Out Leadership Todd Sears is the founder and principal of Out Leadership, the global LGBT+ business network CEOs trust. His focus is on how businesses can make it easier for LGBT+ people to participate fully in the economy, and how discrimination is a drag on business performance. Globally, more than 50% of LGBT+ people are still in the closet at work, which harms innovation, competitiveness, and productivity. Out Leadership is based on a simple premise: LGBT+ inclusion is a business driver. They help the world’s most influential international companies cultivate Out Leaders (including LGBT+ people and allies) to realize the bottom-line benefits of LGBT+ inclusion, globally. “Together, we’re creating a more equal world”. This podcast is for anyone seeking to learn more about how businesses benefit from adopting policies around inclusivity specifically as these policies relate to the LGBTQ+ community.

In this episode I interview Emmy award winning speaker, Clint Pulver-(AKA the undercover millennial) – shares insights he gleaned from thousands of undercover interviews with employees across the country, revealing the best method for identifying talent, building a sense of ownership, and developing a successful workplace culture that employees will love. You’ll also learn the number one driver of employee turnover… It has everything to do with you!, What you can do to stop an exodus, and how to build a team that really works. Soon, you’ll be recognizing possibilities or others see problems, and capture in the power of small moments to create a meaningful legacy. Your company can be a place where people don’t just survive, but thrive. Clint Pulver understands the modern workforce and he knows what makes people tick and what they want from work. This episode will help you learn strategies to better engage, inspire, and retain your top talent. If you want to build a loyal, passionate workforce you’ll love this episode and Clint’s book “I love it here!” Clint shares how a single moment in time can change a person’s life. Whether you’re just starting your career or you’re a seasoned leader and manager, you’ll truly connect and relate to his stories, research, lessons and experiences that he generously shares in this interview. If you enjoyed this episode please help me keep these shows free of advertisements by following, subscribing and rate and review the show. To learn more about Clint’s research and leadership strategize, see the link below to buy Clint’s book. https://www.amazon.com/Love-Here-Leaders-Create-Organizations/dp/1989603378/ref=nodl_

In this episode I interview a remarkable entrepreneur, Jay Steinfeld, who launched a business from his garage and turned it into the largest online business in his industry. Jay’s story is for anyone who’s interested in learning what it takes to build a successful business and find meaning, joy and purpose from your work regardless of your product or service. JAY STEINFELD founded and was the CEO of Global Custom Commerce, which operates the world’s number one online window covering retailer Blinds.com. Boot-strapped in 1996 for just $3,000 from his Bellaire, Texas, garage, Global Custom Commerce was acquired by The Home Depot in 2014. Jay remained as its CEO and later joined The Home Depot Online Leadership Team. After stepping away from these roles in early 2020, he has increased his involvement on numerous private company boards and serves as a director of the public company Masonite (NYSE: DOOR). He also teaches entrepreneurship at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business and supports numerous charities. Jay is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Houston Technology Center. Active as an industry speaker on topics including corporate culture, core values, how to scale a start-up, and disruption, he has more than 100 published articles. His book, “Lead from the Core: The Four Principles for Profit and Prosperity” will be published November 30, 2021. It is available now for pre-order on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Core-Principles-Profit-Prosperity/dp/195329572X/ref=nodl_

In this episode I interview Genevieve Bell, PhD. It’s ideal for anyone who’s interested in how to make AI responsible, sustainable and safe. Also, it’s thought provoking for those interested in learning about the intersection between cultural practice and technology. To learn more about Genevieve’s work you can watch her TED and read the articles below. https://3ainstitute.org/genevieve-bell * TED talk (I know you are across this one) * Griffith Review article written by Genevieve * https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/boyerlectures/2017-boyer-lectures/8869370 (transcripts are available and explain why she decided to come back to Australia) * Her interview with ABC’s Richard Fidler (a popular radio program on Australia’s national broadcasting network): https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/conversations-genevieve-bell/9173822 * Why we need a cybernetic future * The ANU’s Genevieve Bell decided not to sit on the sidelines * Another useful link re 3Ai: https://3ainstitute.org/portfolio/how-do-you-teach-new-branch-engineering-existence-prototype-test-iterate * Also her Wikipedia page is accurate, so a good source of info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_Bell * Plus this NYTimes article from a while ago gives you an idea of the work she did at Intel: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/technology/intels-sharp-eyed-social-scientist.html

I’m excited to have Mallory Weggemann as my guest on “Breakthroughs”... She joined Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, to deliver an incredibly inspiring Townhall about representation & inclusion via a closed circuit stream to Delta's 75,000 employees. Bastian is one of Mallory’s biggest corporate sponsors as well as a huge supporter of inclusion and representation of disabilities in the workplace. Mallory is a world-class athlete, business owner and speaker. She is a Paralympic Gold-Medalist, 15-Time World Champion Swimmer, ESPN ESPY Award winner, TV Sports Commentator, and founder of social impact agency, TFA Group. Mallory knows firsthand that the words and images we use, and how we use them, impacts how society perceives everything. A bit of context to the void that currently exists: 20% of the US population is disabled 0 Fortune 500 CEOs are disabled 1 disabled female senator out of 535 representatives and senators 1 disabled president (who hid his disability) out of 46 Fewer than 2% of characters on TV are disabled. 95% of the actors playing those characters are not disabled. US unemployment rate is 7% - 76% of the disabled are unemployed 10.5 % of Americans live below the poverty level while 32% of disabled Americans live below the poverty level In 2020, Mallory was a TV commentator at the Golden Globes and didn’t see one person who had a disability the entire day -- one of the largest gatherings of the biggest names in Hollywood. In fact, she had to be lifted three steps when she reached the end of the carpet because no one had thought to create an accessible path for a wheelchair. In 2008, when Mallory was paralyzed at the age of 18, she yearned to see representation. When she looked at the world around her, she felt isolated by her differences. It was then that Mallory learned it is hard to become what you don’t see. For the past 13 years she has made a conscious decision to do her part to fill that void, so our next generation never has to ask, “what about me?” We discuss her newly released book, “Limitless: The Power of Hope and Resilience to Overcome Circumstance”. This episode is for anyone who’s interested in getting inspiration on the topic of how to garner hope and resilience to overcome any difficult circumstance. https://www.amazon.com/Limitless-Power-Resilience-Overcome- Circumstance/dp/1400223466

My guest is Katherine Brooks, EdD, the co-author of “What Color Is Your Parachute? 2022: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work & Career Success” With timeless advice, up-to-the-minute insights, and more than ten million copies sold over fifty years, the world’s most popular and best-selling career guide is fully revised and expanded for 2021 and 2022. In today’s challenging job market, and as recent grads face a shifting economic landscape and seek work that pays and inspires, as workers are laid off mid-career, and as people search for an inspiring work-life change, the time-tested advice of “What Color Is Your Parachute? is needed more than ever. This new edition offers modern advice on the job-hunt strategies that are working today, such as building an online resume, making the most of social media tools, and acing virtual interviews. Building on the wisdom of original author Richard N. Bolles, this edition updates the famed Flower Exercise (which walks job seekers through the seven ways of thinking about themselves) and demystifies the entire job-search process, from writing resumes to interviewing, networking and salary negotiations. https://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2022/dp/1984860348/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=what+color+is+your+parachute+2022&qid=1620167316&sprefix=What+color+is+your+parachute+2022&sr=8-3 https://books.google.com/books/about/What_Color_Is_Your_Parachute_for_College.html?id=TjsiEAAAQBAJ

Pattie Sellers is an award winning writer, interviewer, multi-media journalist and an expert on leadership here to talk about leadership, impact, and the art of telling a great story. Pattie co founded & chaired the “Most Powerful Women Summit”, and helped build it to become Fortune Magazines’s largest and most valuable franchise. Pattie left her position as Fortune’s Assistant Managing Editor after several decades of interviewing dozens of the most important people in the world to become an entrepreneur and is currently Co-CEO and co-founder of SellersEaston Media. SellersEaston Media captures and curates the stories behind the lives, times, and accomplishments of successful organizations and individuals. Before starting SellersEaston Media, Pattie wrote more than 20 Fortune cover stories and earned the trust of countless CEOs and other global leaders—such as Warren Buffett, Melinda Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, and Oprah Winfrey—to do exclusive and definitive profiles. If you’re interested in learning strategies to break into you’re dream job, move up in your field or if you’re seeking advice for making a career transition to becoming an entrepreneur, this episode is for you. https://www.sellerseaston.com/leadership-projects

Breakout "Orange is the New Black" star and SAG Award winner Brad William Henke makes a statement in the star-packed limited series adaptation of Stephen King's iconic 1978 novel, THE STAND, which premiered on CBS All Access .Henke plays Tom Cullen opposite Whoopi Goldberg, James Marsden, Amber Heard and Alexander Skarsgård. Henke is an accomplished character actor in Hollywood, appearing in some of the most iconic TV series including "Lost," "Orange is the New Black," and "Justified," and in a number of films including the David Ayer films FURY and BRIGHT and opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal in SHERRYBABY and CHOKE with Sam Rockwell. Before heading into acting, Henke was drafted out of college into the NFL for the New York Giants. He was subsequently picked up by the Denver Broncos and played in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers. Brad’s here on my show today to share some surprising lessons he learned his career transition from NFL football player to an accomplished TV and screen actor. This episode offers inspiration and heartfelt, practical advice for anyone seeking a career transition, regardless of the industry you are currently in or the job you aspire to hold. It will also appeal to anyone interested in a true, remarkable story about a career transition from from the physically demanding, rough, competitive sports world into the completely opposite world of acting where being an astute observer of others and being in touch with one’s broader emotions is paramount to ones success.

Ethan Kross Ph.D. is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. As an award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top-ranked Psychology Department and Ross School of Business, Ethan utilizes and implements his research on how the conversations people have with themselves impacts their health, performance, decisions, and relationships, inspiring him to write his first-ever book, “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It”. Ethan’s research has been published in Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among other peer-reviewed journals. He has participated in policy discussion at the White House and has been interviewed on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, and NPR’s Morning Edition. His pioneering research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Harvard Business Review, USA Today, The Economist, The Atlantic, Forbes, and Time. As an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania as magna cum laude, Ethan earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in social-affective neuroscience to learn about the neural systems that support self-control. He moved to the University of Michigan in 2008, where he founded the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. If you’re interested in a fascinating conversation that will truly help you harness your conscious mind to live a healthier more satisfying and productive life, you’ll enjoy this episode and Ethan Kross’s book, Chatter. https://www.ethankross.com/chatter/.

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Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL commander and author of “The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance “. In a career spanning more than twenty years, he completed more than thirteen overseas deployments—eleven of which were to Iraq and Afghanistan. As the officer in charge of training for a specialized command, Diviney spearheaded the creation of a directorate that fused physical, mental, and emotional disciplines. He led his small team to create the first-ever “Mind Gym” that helped special operators train their brains to perform faster, longer, and better in all environments—especially high-stress ones. Since his retirement in early 2017, Diviney has worked as a speaker, facilitator, and consultant with the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute and Simon Sinek Inc. He’s taught leadership and optimal performance to more than five thousand business, athletic, and military leaders from organizations such as American Airlines, Meijer Inc., the San Francisco 49ers, Pegasystems, Zoom, and Deloitte. Rich believes that SEALs are regular people who have found out how to leverage strengths and improve weaknesses (often by getting help from teammates) to get the most out of themselves. The same methodology that Diviney used in the military can be applied by anyone in their personal and professional lives, and understanding these attributes can allow (listeners), readers and their teams to perform optimally, at any time, in any situation. Diviney defines the core attributes in fresh and practical ways and shares stories from the military, business, sports, relationships, and even parenting to show how understanding your own attributes and those of the people around you can create optimal performance in all areas of your life. https://www.amazon.com/Attributes-Hidden-Drivers-Optimal-Performance/dp/0593133943 This episode is for anyone striving to have radical breakthroughs in their career or in life.

I’m delighted to have Adam Bryant on Breakthroughs today to discuss some key insights from his new book, “The CEO Test: Master the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders” . ADAM BRYANT is managing director of Merryck & Co., a leadership development and senior executive mentoring firm.  Prior to this role, he was a journalist for 30 years, including at The New York Times, where he created and authored the massively successful “Corner Office” column for which he interviewed more than 600 CEOs and other leaders.  He is the author of two previous books and is the senior adviser to the Rueben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University. Adam recently partnered with Kevin Sharer to write a leadership book distinctively different from others applying the breadth and depth of their experiences sharing wisdom that could be applied across industries. Sharer was Chairman/CEO of the biotech company Amgen, where he led its expansion from $1 billion in annual revenues to nearly $16 billion. He spent seven years on the faculty at Harvard Business School and has served on many boards (including Chevron, Unocal, Northrop Grumman, and 3M). He’s a sought-after mentor for CEOs of global companies. In his roles as an executive, director, and mentor, He has been involved with more than 20 successful CEO transitions, and he continues to advise CEOs of global corporations. Kevin is a naval academy graduate and served on to attack nuclear submarines. Leaders at all levels can learn from Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer as they aim to speed up the learning curve in their new book, THE CEO TEST: Master the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders (March 2, 2021). If you are an aspiring leader looking for insights from hundreds of veteran CEO’s, this episode is for you! If you find the Adams insights useful, check this out: The CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make or Break A... https://www.amazon.com/dp/163369951X/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_Z9H6Y1CAG6DX9ZY9MM1D

Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, CEO, author & keynote speaker. She’s the former chief executive officer of five businesses, is the author of five books that explore business and effective leadership; “Willful Blindness: Why we ignore the obvious in our peril”, “A Bigger Prize: Why competition isn’t everything and how we do better”, “Beyond Measure”, and “Woman on Top”. She’s a leading voice for decades on social connectedness and engagement at work. Using humor, story-telling, and her own research, Heffernan makes a strong case for making small changes to engage ourselves and our co-workers differently—ultimately reshaping the cultures around us and driving better outcomes for everyone. Margaret Heffernan has been invited to speak at all of the world’s leading financial services businesses, the leading FTSE and S&P corporations as well as the world’s most successful sports teams. Her TED Talks have been viewed by over 12 million people. https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_the_human_skills_we_need_in_an_unpredictable_world?language=en. https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_dare_to_disagree?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

In this episode I have the pleasure of interviewing Nir Bashan. Nir Bashan is the founder and CEO of The Creator Mindset LLC, where he teaches business leaders around the world, how to harness the power of creativity to improve profitability, increase sales, and make work more meaningful. His clients include AT&T, Microsoft, Ace Hardware, The NFL Network, EA Sports, and JetBlue. He’s also the author of newly released book, The Creator Mindset: 92 Tools to Unlock the Secrets to Innovation, Growth, and Sustainability If you Think creativity is just for “creative types”? Think again! Nir Bashan reveals why every business leader and professional has the capacity to be more creative. In today’s episode, we’ll get a chance to learn how we can all become more creative...in a business way.       Here’s Nir’s big idea: Lots of companies proclaim their commitment to innovation. Yet, in business schools and professional training seminars, the lion’s share of what’s taught, places a priority on analysis, data, and spreadsheet logic.          So why does this matter? What’s the problem? The vast majority of bright and ambitious people are working at half their potential because they’ve only developed the analytical part of their thinking. Despite all the talk about innovation, people in business aren’t taught how to think creatively. Sadly, creativity is often pigeonholed as a gift reserved for artistic types. As a result of our creativity deficit, careers are stalled and companies are grappling to compete and survive. Nir Bashan has devoted his career to the topic of how to train your mind to think more creatively. He offers practical, easy to apply tips for how you can unleash your creativity & in doing so find more joy and meaning from your work.

With most of the population still working from home, there’s a gap in many companies’ ability to provide a sense of community, mentorship and support for their employees. It’s hard for employers to gauge how their people are adjusting and assess what could be impeding their innovation, morale and productivity? Just a few weeks ago, Netflix CEO read Hastings, known for his straightforward leadership style and for his radical candor spoke out on how working remotely is hurting the ability to collaborate with staff. He says it’s a pure negative and makes debating ideas even harder. Conversely, we also know that many people prefer working from home as it’s currently safer, eliminates tiresome commutes and enables people to have more flexibility in their schedules. Fortunately for those employees who continue to work remotely, there’s ways managers can help team members overcome obstacles inherent in remote working that might be impeding their success. According to Josh Christopherson, CEO of Achieve Today, these obstacles can be overcome with new technology combined with supportive leadership.

In this episode you’ll learn how infusing gratitude in your daily practice could transform your personal and professional life. My guest, Kerry Wekelo, MBA, is the COO at Actualize consulting a financial services firm. Her book and program, “Culture Infusion: Nine principles for creating and maintaining a thriving organizational culture” and her latest book “Gratitude Infusion” are the impetus behind Actualize Consulting being named “top company culture” by Entrepreneur magazine, a “top workplace” by the Washington post, and “great place to work-certified”. In her leadership, Kerry blends her experiences as a consultant executive coach, Award-winning author, mindfulness expert, and entrepreneur. She’s been featured on ABC, NBC, NPR, the New York Times, thrive global and Forbes. In this episode Kerry shares specific strategies and techniques for infusing more gratitude in our lives and for creating a positive chain reaction: For corporate leaders, this translates to lower attrition rates. For families, this builds healthy relationships. For individuals, this ensures a more peaceful and inspired life. If you’re interested in learning more about the science behind gratitude or how to incorporate more gratitude in your life or in your organization, this podcast is for you. I also recommend reading Kerry Wekelo’s newly released book, gratitude and fusion available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Infusion-Workplace-Strategies-Organizational-ebook/dp/B089NYDKWY

In this episode, Dr. Candace Steele Flippin, A multi-generational workplace scholar, discusses her research, insights, and strategies regarding accelerating women’s leadership development, Gen X, Gen Z, and millennials. Dr. Candace, for short, was recently Chief Communications Officer at First Horizon National Corporation. She was a member of the executive management team and lead internal and external communications, strategy, corporate social responsibility and reputation, crisis communications, and philanthropy. The First Horizon CSR strategy she established was recently named to Forbes Just 100 preeminent companies that highlight corporations doing right by their stakeholders while also generating profits for their shareholders. A nationally recognized multi-generational workplace scholar and speaker, Dr. Candace has authored two books, “Generation Z in the Workplace” and  “Millennials in the Workplace.” Her books crystallize her research into practical tips for executives working with Gen Z and millennials to prepare them to succeed. Named as one of the 25 influential black women in business by the network journal, she is a past chair of the Public Relations Society of America Health Academy. She has received over 20 awards for communications and public relations throughout her career. This year, Dr. Candace was named one of the Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America by Savoy magazine. She received a BA from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctor of management from Case Western Reserve University. If you’re looking for insights on improving employee engagement, retention, collaboration, and innovation, this podcast is for you. You can find Dr. Candace’s books on Amazon. Millennials in the Workplace: Helping the Largest Generation Group Succeed at Work a... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998638463/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_saBIFbW4V82XK     Generation Z in the Workplace: Helping the Newest Generation in the Workforce Build ... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998638412/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_ybBIFb62Q7MAT

In this podcast I interview Google’s Alana Karen, a 20 year tech leader who brilliantly and systematically replaces what we think we know about women in tech with more than 80 women’s stories of what it’s honestly like to join, lead, leave and thrive in today’s top technology companies. Alana answers questions like what’s it actually like for women in tech? Are our diversity efforts even working? Should women avoid working for technology companies altogether? How do you navigate becoming a leader, motherhood, bad bosses and everything in between? These are just some of the questions Alana Karen helps to answer with her new award-winning book, “Adventures of women in tech: How we got there and why we stay? From Google search ads, google fiber, to google grants and beyond, Alana has been leading the charge to develop, scale, build and drive team and product development that has seen a rippling industry impact. In this podcast Alana and I will discuss some of the toughest challenges she & other women have faced and how they overcame these obstacles. She also shows us the many paths to a satisfying career in tech and different ways to balance work & life goals. https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Women-Tech-Here-Stay-ebook/dp/B08HSMY2GH