Leveraging Thought Leadership

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Helping Leadership Pivot | Lori Michele Leavitt | 433

2022-10-0619:54

When businesses talk about "making a pivot," it's often thought of as something that must happen quickly and with great impact. The reality is – a successful pivot is often anything but quick, and true impact can be difficult to implement. Who better to discuss bringing big changes to organizations than the "Pivot Catalyst," Lori Michele Leavitt! Lori is the founder and President of Abridge Corp, as well as an accomplished coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, and author of The Pivot: Orchestrating Extraordinary Business Momentum. Lori shares her insights on bringing about large-scale business changes, from building momentum to bringing people on-board with the shift in mindset. If you want to make a pivot, the leadership of the organization needs to encourage the adoption of many small changes by many people over time - not demand massive changes all at once! Momentum and buy-in are both key to any lasting change. Lori has guided many businesses and leaders through this kind of process, and has learned a great deal about organizations undergoing large-scale change. She shares how she turned her processes into a book, and later, software that she continues to iterate. She's moved the needle on management software, building a leadership operating system called Aligned Momentum. Codifying your message and process into a book is complicated, but it's another step to then turn your content into software! Lori shares insights into the process she went through with her content, sharing her insights into the future of consulting software as it continues to evolve. Three Key Takeaways: * Helping an organization successfully pivot starts with getting the cultural decision-maker on board with change. * Being the smartest person in the room isn't the best way to have a lasting impact as a coach. * Change often happens faster in a safe space, and it's good to have peers and allies to help identify your blind spots in the process of organizing and driving change.

Story Precision: The New PR Advantage | 695 | KJ Blattenbauer

2026-02-1220:23

What if "getting PR" isn't about hype at all—but about engineering trust at scale? In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with KJ Blattenbauer, founder of Hearsay PR and author of Pitchworthy: The No-Fluff Playbook to Publicity That Pays Off, who helps founders, creatives, and experts turn clear storytelling and smart media strategy into real authority—without the fluff. She breaks down what PR actually does: find the story behind your expertise, explain why it matters now, and package it for real-world attention spans. KJ makes the case that your work doesn't "speak for itself" anymore. Not in a market where everyone is being commoditized and AI is accelerating sameness. You still need great work. But you also need amplification. And you need it across the channels where your buyers learn, compare, and decide. We get practical about what "good PR" looks like when you're building a thought leadership platform. Not one hit. Not one logo. Repetition that compounds. One appearance leads to the next. Visibility builds recognition. Recognition builds preference. It's the gym, not the lottery. KJ also brings discipline to measurement. Systems first. Message alignment across platforms. Tracking links so you know what's working and where demand is coming from. Because "branding" is not a strategy when you're accountable for revenue. And if "promotion" makes you cringe, this part matters: KJ reframes PR as service. If your ideas can help people, hiding them is the real ego play. The goal isn't fame. It's getting your work into the rooms where it can do its job. Finally, we tackle the AI question. KJ's take is sharp: AI can support systems and repurposing, but the human story is the differentiator—and audiences are hungry for it. Three Key Takeaways: • Your work won't speak for itself—amplification is part of the job. Do good work, yes. But you have to shepherd it into the right rooms, at the right time, with the right message. PR is the tool that helps that happen • Authority is built by consistency, not a one-time splash. Waiting until you "have something to promote" costs you money, recognition, and momentum. Start now. Show up regularly. Trust compounds when people see your ideas repeatedly across formats. • PR is story + packaging for short attention spans—and it can't be a black box. The core job is uncovering what's interesting about your expertise, why it matters now, and presenting it in a way people will actually pay attention to. Then put systems around it (including tracking) so it ties back to real outcomes. If this episode got you thinking about amplifying expertise into authority, go cue up Episode 13 with Pete Weisman next. You'll get a practical playbook for turning strong ideas into executive-level visibility—including how to diversify your offerings, focus your audience, and claim a clear niche so your thought leadership lands with the people who can say "yes." It aligns perfectly with the themes you just heard: amplification over hoping, consistency over one-off wins, and strategy over random activity—all aimed at building recognition that actually supports growth.

The Big Decision That Changes Everything | 694 | Apollo Emeka

2026-02-0833:46

What if the biggest lever you have today isn't another action plan—but one decision? In this episode, Bill Sherman talks with Apollo Emeka, who calls himself "the big decisions guy," and traces how that identity started early—when Apollo was effectively handed the power to choose school or not as a kid, and felt the real-world consequences of deciding either way. Apollo's path is anything but linear: military service, Iraq deployment, an FBI internship, and a mindset shaped by high-stakes environments where "what could go wrong?" isn't drama—it's a discipline. He shares a vivid example: after his family was impacted by the Eaton fire in Altadena and evacuated, they stress-tested a radical idea (moving to Panama) by asking that question seriously, researching risks, and acting fast once no deal-breakers showed up. A turning point came when Apollo commissioned a third party to interview his clients and surface where his real impact was. The message was consistent: decision-making. That clarity gave him permission to drop the "other consulting stuff" and go all-in on helping leaders make better decisions faster—then validating the shift publicly and operationally (including flipping his website). You'll hear practical tools, not theory. Apollo describes how most leaders' stated goals score shockingly low on a fulfillment scale—often a 6 or 7—because they're inherited, socially pressured, or "sensible," not energizing. That insight becomes the doorway to choosing goals you actually want, not goals you can defend. He also lays out what he calls a "big decision" framework: it must be a 10/10 on fulfillment, read like a toddler's run-on sentence (because it forces your competing life priorities onto the same page), make other decisions easier, and be bold enough that people might call you crazy. Apollo reads his own big decision statement—including the ambition to build scale through a best-selling book, a top podcast, and bigger stages, while protecting what matters at home. Finally, Apollo names the hidden saboteurs that keep smart people stuck: the "decision monsters." He trains clients to stop living in "can / should / could," and to recognize three common blockers—feasibility, worthiness, and social judgment—so leaders can choose with intention instead of permission. Three Key Takeaways: • Make one "big decision" that simplifies everything else. A real big decision is designed to be high-fulfillment (a 10/10), bold enough to feel uncomfortable, and specific enough that future choices get easier because they can be measured against it. • Stop chasing goals you can defend and start choosing goals you actually want. Apollo argues many leaders rate their current goals at only a 6–7 on fulfillment because they're inherited, socially expected, or "sensible." The fix is to re-select goals based on energy and meaning—not optics. • Name the "decision monsters" before they run the meeting in your head. He calls out the common traps—living in "can/should/could," fear about feasibility, doubts about worthiness, and worry about social judgment. Once you label the blocker, you can choose directly instead of negotiating with it. If this week's episode got you thinking about making one clear decision that cuts through noise, you'll get even more value from Lee Caraher's conversation—because it lives in the same territory: clarity under pressure and the choices leaders make when the old playbook stops working. Lee digs into how to lead across generations without the drama, how to shift your approach when talent and expectations change, and what to do when a business model needs a reset. Listen to sharpen your decision filters, reduce second-guessing, and walk away with practical moves you can use immediately.

The Tech Humanist Playbook for Responsible AI | 693 | Kate O'Neill

2026-02-0521:46

What happens when your AI strategy moves faster than your team's ability to trust it, govern it, or explain it? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick sits down with Kate O'Neill—Founder & CEO of KO Insights, author of "What Matters Next", and globally recognized as a "tech humanist"—to unpack what leaders are getting dangerously wrong about digital transformation right now. Kate challenges the default mindset that tech exists to serve the business first and humans second. She reframes the entire conversation as a three-way relationship between business, humans, and technology. That shift matters, because "human impact" isn't a nice-to-have. It's the core variable that determines whether innovation scales sustainably or collapses under backlash, risk, and regret. You'll hear why so many companies are racing into AI with confidence on the surface and fear underneath. Boards want speed. Markets reward bold moves. But many executives privately admit they don't fully understand the complexity or consequences of the decisions they're being pressured to make. Kate gives language for that tension and practical frameworks for "future-ready" leadership that doesn't sacrifice long-term resilience for short-term acceleration. The conversation gets real about what trust and risk actually mean in an AI-driven world. Kate argues that leaders need a better taxonomy of both—because without it, AI becomes a multiplier of bad decisions, not a generator of better ones. Faster isn't automatically smarter. And speed without wisdom is just expensive chaos. Finally, Kate shares the larger mission behind her work: influencing the decisions that impact millions of people downstream. Her "10,000 Boardrooms for 1 Billion People" initiative is built around one big idea—if we want human-friendly tech at scale, we need better thinking at the top. Not performative ethics. Not buzzwords. Better decisions, made earlier, by the people with the power to set direction. If you lead strategy, product, innovation, or culture—and you're feeling the pressure to "move faster" with AI—this episode gives you the language, frameworks, and leadership posture to move responsibly without losing momentum. Three Key Takeaways: • Human impact isn't a soft metric—it's a strategy decision. Kate reframes transformation as a three-way relationship between business, humans, and technology. If you don't design for the human outcome, the business outcome eventually breaks. • AI speed without trust creates risk. Leaders feel pressure to move fast, but trust, governance, and clarity lag behind. Without a shared understanding of risk and responsibility, AI becomes a multiplier of bad decisions. • Better decisions upstream create better outcomes at scale. Kate's "10,000 Boardrooms for 1 Billion People" idea drives home that the biggest lever isn't the tool—it's leadership judgment. The earlier the thinking improves at the top, the safer and more scalable innovation becomes. If Kate's "tech humanist" lens made you rethink how you're leading AI and transformation, your next listen should be our episode 149 with Brian Solis. Brian goes deep on what most leaders miss—the human side of digital change, the behavioral ripple effects of technology, and why transformation only works when it's designed for people, not just performance. Queue it up now and pair the two episodes back-to-back for a powerful executive playbook: Kate helps you decide what matters next—Brian helps you understand what your customers and employees will do next.

Be Who You Came to Be | 692 | Tara Renze

2026-01-2923:27

What happens when a keynote doesn't just inspire your people…but actually changes how they show up at work and at home? In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with Tara Renze—author, keynote speaker, podcaster, and an emotional intelligence + positive intelligence practitioner—whose message is as simple as it is disruptive: "Be who you came to be." This conversation is about more than motivation. It's about the business case for human growth. Tara breaks down how emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and confidence aren't "soft skills"—they're performance drivers. The kind that shape culture, fuel innovation, and boost retention because people feel seen, valued, and supported. Peter pushes into a real thought leadership challenge: you don't just serve the audience in the seats—you have to serve the economic buyer who funds the initiative. Tara shares how she positions her work so it lands with both. The individual walks away with a mindset shift they can use immediately. The organization gets stronger talent, better leadership, and a healthier culture. Then Tara introduces one of her sharpest ideas: Butterfly Goals. Not the usual SMART goals. Not productivity targets. These are transformational, identity-level goals that reignite creativity and personal ownership. And here's the kicker—companies benefit when employees pursue them, because it strengthens connection, belonging, and momentum across teams. You'll also hear how Tara designs her keynote to be actionable, not just energizing. Tools. Simple shifts. Real-world application. Plus follow-through resources like a downloadable workbook and ongoing "Terrace Tuesday" tips—so the message sticks after the applause. If your thought leadership lives at the intersection of performance, people, and purpose—this one will hit. Because "be who you came to be" isn't a slogan. It's a strategy for better humans and better business. Three Key Takeaways: • Stop chasing better habits. Start building a better identity. The biggest breakthroughs don't come from doing more—they come from becoming someone who leads, performs, and decides differently. • Confidence isn't a trait. It's a skill you can train. When you build emotional intelligence and self-awareness, you create repeatable tools people can use under pressure, not just in perfect conditions. • Culture improves fastest when people bring their whole selves to work. When individuals feel safe to grow and contribute authentically, teams get stronger engagement, better collaboration, and results that actually stick. If this episode sparked ideas around emotional intelligence, confidence, and creating real culture change—not just a great moment in the room—your next listen should be the Melissa Davies episode. It's a practical follow-on that goes deeper into how leadership development actually sticks inside organizations, and how to turn insight into consistent behavior change. Queue it up next and keep the momentum going.

From Book to Business: Building Thought Leadership That Lasts | 691 | Martha Lawrence

2026-01-2520:00

What does it look like when a leadership legend actually lives the principles he teaches? In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with Martha Lawrence, author of the new biography "Catch People Doing Things Right", and longtime collaborator with Ken Blanchard—the leadership icon behind "The One Minute Manager". Martha offers a rare behind-the-scenes view of how Blanchard's ideas became timeless, scalable, and globally adoptable. This is not a "how he got started" story. It's a masterclass in thought leadership that works in the real world. Martha breaks down why Ken's approach—simple, human, and relentlessly practical—still wins in today's noisy, distracted, algorithm-driven world. The message holds because it's built on what never changes: people. Peter and Martha go deep on what has shifted in publishing and platform-building over the last 40 years. Fewer gatekeepers. More fragmentation. Less time. More pressure on authors to act like CEOs. Podcasting replaces book tours. Brand clarity beats broad exposure. And the book isn't the business—it's the business card for a larger value ecosystem. They also explore what separates a "famous author" from a durable thought leadership enterprise. The Blanchard organization didn't just depend on Ken as the rock star. It scaled the IP, built culture around it, and created a leadership brand that outlives any single personality. That's rare. And it's instructive. If you care about creating a thought leadership platform that drives real business outcomes—without losing the humanity—this conversation will give you both strategy and signal. It's a reminder that servant leadership isn't soft. It's scalable. And it's still a competitive advantage. Three Key Takeaways: • Simple wins when it's built on real principles. Ken Blanchard's genius wasn't complexity—it was accessibility. The One Minute Manager style made leadership ideas easy to absorb, apply, and share. That "human" voice is now the playbook for today's biggest thought leaders. • The message is timeless because leadership is still about people. Even with everything changing—technology, AI, publishing—the core truth remains: performance comes from people. The episode reinforces Blanchard's central idea that people matter as much as results, and that the best leadership is servant leadership: serve, don't be served. • The strongest thought leadership platforms scale beyond the thought leader. Blanchard wasn't built around a "rock star founder." It was built around IP, culture, and systems—so the work lasts even when Ken isn't in the room. That's how you move from "guru business" to a durable enterprise. If today's conversation with Martha Lawrence resonated—especially the idea that simple leadership principles can scale, stick, and drive results—you'll want to go straight to our episode with Ken Blanchard. It's the "source code" behind the philosophy. You'll hear Ken unpack what servant leadership really looks like, why it works, and how to build a leadership approach that people actually adopt. No theory. No fluff. Just practical, proven leadership you can use immediately. Listen to the Ken Blanchard episode next and connect the dots between the story Martha shared and the thinking that built a global leadership platform.

Agency, Strategy, and the Science of Thriving | 690 | Jon Rosemberg

2026-01-1519:31

What if "thriving" isn't a soft concept—but a measurable performance advantage? In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with Jon Rosemberg, Founding Partner of Anther and author of "A Guide to Thriving: The Science Behind Breaking Old Patterns, Reclaiming Your Agency, and Finding Meaning", to break down what thriving really is, what it is not, and why leaders should care right now. Jon draws a sharp line between thriving and "success." Success can be the big house, the title, the milestones. Thriving is different. It's a state where you're calm, connected to others, and able to create. It's when you can access the best of your thinking and show up as yourself—not as a reactive version of yourself. They explore the practical business implications. Jon frames thriving as the condition that makes proactive leadership possible. Less reactivity. More intentionality. Better decisions. He also positions "flow" as a subset of thriving—useful, but not the whole story. Then the conversation gets strategic. Jon introduces agency as the lever that moves people from survival mode to thriving: the capacity to make intentional choices. And he connects it directly to strategy. Real strategy is not doing everything. It's making clear choices—and just as importantly, choosing what you will not do. For leaders building teams, Jon highlights the shift from productive value to relational value. Your job stops being "do the work." Your job becomes "enable others to do their best work." When teams are thriving, performance rises. When organizations treat well-being as a KPI, it becomes a competitive advantage—not a perk. Finally, Jon reframes thriving as a spiral, not a finish line. Markets change. Crises hit. AI reshapes work. The goal isn't to "arrive" at thriving. The goal is to build the capacity to return to it faster—and lead through uncertainty with more clarity, nuance, and adaptability. Three Key Takeaways: • Thriving has a precise definition. It's not "success" or status; it's being calm, connected, and creative—able to access better thinking and show up authentically. • Agency is the lever. Moving from survival mode to thriving starts with the capacity to make intentional choices—and that maps directly to strategy in business. • Thriving changes performance at the team level. Leaders shift from their own productivity to relational value—enabling others to do their best work—which increases team performance. If Jon's episode got you focused on thriving through agency, go next to Episode 156 with Linda Henman for the "now what?" Linda is all about making tough, high-stakes decisions—fast and well—so you can turn intentional choice into real strategy. Together, they pair thriving as the mindset with decision-making as the skill that makes it real.

Lead From Within: The Operating System of High-Performing Leaders | 689 | Nina Urman

2026-01-1117:53

What if the real leadership advantage isn't another tactic—but the way you lead yourself when nobody's watching? In this episode, Peter talks with executive coach and facilitator Nina Urman about her core framework found in her book: "Lead From Within." She reframes "mindset" as heartset—getting crystal-clear on what you're saying yes to, what you're saying no to, and why that decision discipline matters at the top. Nina's thought leadership lives where performance meets inner leadership. We unpack failing forward as a repeatable leadership behavior, not a motivational poster—using setbacks as data, then moving again with more precision. We also explore how leaders can "create from the future" by defining the future-self outcome and reverse-engineering the moves that make it real. Her work is deeply practical and designed for high-performing rooms. Nina coaches and facilitates for CEOs, executives, leadership teams, entrepreneurs, and family businesses, with a focus on time and energy management and emotional mastery—because execution breaks when energy and emotion are unmanaged. We also get into how she built demand through trusted communities like YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) and similar peer networks—and why "belonging" and safety are not soft concepts, but performance multipliers. Nina describes her work as creating safe spaces where high-achievers can be fully themselves, which is where the real breakthroughs happen. Finally, Nina shares a challenge every successful thought leader hits: when your calendar proves the concept, but caps the company. She's been running nearly 50 retreats a year and is now making intentional tradeoffs—saying no to 1:1 and even some retreats—so she can scale what works, especially around family leadership. She's even developed a "Family Circle in a Box" board-game-style tool to help families moderate the experience themselves, and she's exploring how digital tools (including AI) can help her scale impact without losing the essence of the work. Three Key Takeaways: • Lead from "heartset," not just mindset. Clarity comes from aligning decisions to what you truly value—what you're saying yes to, what you're saying no to, and why. • Make failure a system, not an event. "Failing forward" is a repeatable discipline: treat setbacks as data, adjust fast, and move again with more precision. • Scale impact without losing the work. Trust-based communities and psychologically safe spaces drive breakthroughs, and scalable formats (tools, repeatable experiences, digital/AI) help move beyond a calendar-capped model. If Nina's "Lead From Within" idea of heartset and self-leadership resonated, queue up Episode 125 with Claude Silver next. Nina focuses on inner clarity and emotional mastery as a leadership advantage. Claude complements that by translating the inner game into culture—human-centered leadership, values, and how your emotional posture shapes the workplace. Together, they move from who you are as a leader to how your leadership lands on others. Go listen to Claude's episode to connect personal alignment to scalable, people-first performance.

Best of 2025: The Ideas That Scaled | 688

2026-01-0824:02

What did the best thought leaders do differently in 2025—and what can you learn for your own work in 2026? This "Best of 2025" episode looked back at standout moments from prior conversations and pulled one clear thread through them: ideas don't scale by accident. They scaled when leaders treated communication, authorship, and development as skills to build—not traits you either "had" or didn't. We first revisited cultural fluency with global leadership strategist Jane Hyun. She defined it simply: working effectively with people who were different from you across many kinds of human difference—not just one label. And she made the bar real: it took intentional effort, because it was a developmental skill that most people were never formally taught. Next, we look at a candid conversation on mentorship, legacy, and the discipline of writing with Noel Massie. He argued that "legacy" showed up in what you gave—especially the investments you made in other people. Then he told the unglamorous truth behind a meaningful book: it took coaching, rewrites, and years of sustained effort—because "fast" wasn't the same as "better." Then we look at a different kind of bridge-building with Dr. Lisa DeFrank-Cole—moving research out of academia and into the rooms where decisions got made. She shared the tension many experts faced: it was one thing to teach and publish for a specialized audience, and another to translate research into plain language for podcasts, media, and organizations. She emphasized patience—compounding work over time until it reached critical mass. Finally, we returned to the power of curiosity and publishing with Laurence Minsky. He described how asking the right questions led to books—and how books created credibility that opened unexpected doors, including a path into academia. If you want more great advice for 2026 we encourage you to explore the back catalog or reach out to the Thought Leadership Leverage team if you want help taking big insights to scale this year!

How Top Thought Leaders Stayed Relevant in 2025 | 687

2026-01-0422:43

What did "great thought leadership" look like when the market wouldn't sit still, the C-suite couldn't sleep, and yesterday's playbook was already obsolete? In this Best of 2025 compilation, we pulled together four standout conversations that got brutally practical about relevance, differentiation, and turning ideas into outcomes. Keith Ferrazzi broke down the real challenge behind "evergreen" ideas: keeping the core principles intact while continuously connecting them to what leaders were worrying about in the moment—AI, volatility, and competitive pressure. The throughline was methodology. Not hot takes. Not vibes. A repeatable way to stay current without becoming a trend-chaser. Then Keith pushed into what he called "teamship"—the underdeveloped layer in leadership thinking. Not how leaders gave feedback. How teams gave each other feedback. Not how a boss held people accountable. How peers did. He was blunt about the data: most teams were mediocre, and many avoided conflict when the stakes were highest. Stephanie Chung reframed a politicized topic into a clean leadership platform: how you led people who were not like you. Not as a slogan. As a set of tools for leading across real differences—generation, gender, neurodiversity, ability, identity, and more. It was a leadership operating system for a workplace where "one-size-fits-all" was dead. Michael Horn brought the "jobs to be done" lens into career strategy with Job Moves. The value here wasn't motivation. It was decision quality. A structured way to avoid moves that looked right on paper and still landed wrong in real life—and to reconnect your thought leadership to the unique value you actually provided. Paige Velasquez Budde got tactical about thought leadership as a visibility engine. She called out the fantasy metrics (overnight bestseller, one big hit, last-minute PR) and replaced them with a grown-up approach: start early, build credibility over time, and use targeted "micro media" to drive the outcomes that mattered—leads, authority, and premium positioning. We've learned a lot from our guests in 2025, this episode provides valuable information on taking your platform to the next level, staying relevant, and finding success in 2026!

The Stakeholder Alignment Advantage | Frankie Russo | 686

2025-12-2820:39

What if the real growth problem isn't strategy… but misalignment? In this episode, Frankie Russo, the Founder of The Growth Co and bestselling author of "Breaking Why", breaks down what it takes to create growth that compounds—without relying on charisma, hustle, or a one-time "big moment" on stage. Frankie makes a clean distinction: a book is a platform, not the mission. Thought leadership is the movement behind the platforms—and the work is designing ideas that change behavior and drive measurable outcomes. A core idea he returns to is stakeholder-first growth. Customers, colleagues, and community aren't "nice-to-haves." They're the scoreboard. Frankie argues that great companies rise or fall based on one thing: how radically aligned they are to delivering their "collective genius" to those stakeholders. Then he gets tactical about scale. Keynotes can jolt people awake—an inflection point that "shakes them out of the trance." But the keynote is only the tip of the spear. The real lever is what happens after: systems people can use every day. Frankie walks through his Growth Operating System using a simple visual: an infinity loop built to replace the "stagnation spiral." Denial. Status quo. Silos. Rigid processes. Disengagement. His point is blunt: if growth isn't operationalized, it decays—so the work is building an engine for continuous inflection points, not a single heroic turnaround. And he's candid about the craft of thought leadership delivery. The hardest part of a great keynote isn't what you include. It's what you cut—so you can land the right ideas, in the right dose, and drive adoption after the applause. Three Key Takeaways: • A keynote is the spark, not the solution. The talk can create an inflection point, but the value comes from what you operationalize afterward—tools, habits, and routines people can actually use day-to-day. • Stakeholder-first alignment drives scalable growth. Frankie keeps coming back to aligning the organization's "collective genius" around delivering outcomes for stakeholders (customers, team, community). Misalignment is what creates drag and stalls momentum. • If growth isn't systemized, it decays. His "infinity loop" / Growth Operating System idea is about replacing the stagnation spiral (silos, rigid processes, disengagement) with a repeatable engine for continuous improvement and ongoing inflection points. If Frankie Russo's message hit home—growth needs an operating system, not a motivational moment—your next listen is "Creating Alignment Between Marketing and Sales" with Winston Henderson. It's the same fight against silos, just aimed at the part of the business where misalignment quietly kills revenue: the handoff between marketing and sales. Listen to Winston right after this episode and you'll connect the dots between alignment as a leadership principle and alignment as a revenue discipline. Frankie gives you the "why" and the operating rhythm for sustainable growth. Winston gives you the "how" to make that rhythm real across teams—shared language, shared priorities, and shared measures—so your thought leadership doesn't just inspire… it converts.

The Performance Paradox: Why High Achievers Stop Growing | Eduardo Briceño | 685

2025-12-1838:17

Are your top performers actually holding back your organization's growth? Today on Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick talks with Eduardo Briceño, global keynote speaker, CEO of Growth.How, and author of "The Performance Paradox". Eduardo is one of the leading voices on growth mindset in organizations, building on 16+ years of work with Carol Dweck as co-founder of Mindset Works and two TEDx talks that have each passed 4 million views. Together, they unpack how leaders and companies can move beyond one-off inspiration and build true learning cultures that deliver sustained performance. Eduardo explains his core framework: the Learning Zone and the Performance Zone. Most organizations live almost entirely in performance mode—chasing metrics, staying "on," and delivering results. He shows why that approach quietly caps growth, and how deliberately creating Learning Zone time is the unlock for innovation, resilience, and long-term excellence. You'll hear how he designs keynotes and workshops like a master teacher, not a showman. Eduardo starts with clear learning objectives, then engineers experiences that shift how leaders think, behave, and make decisions. It's not about delivering a great "show"; it's about making sure people leave seeing their work differently and ready to act. Eduardo and Peter also explore what it really takes to build a growth-mindset culture at scale. They talk about partnering with organizations over time, embedding the ideas from The Performance Paradox into leadership programs, talent systems, and everyday language. Eduardo shares why well-intentioned "growth" initiatives often backfire—and how to avoid the hidden traps that send mixed signals to your people. Finally, they look at impact. Eduardo discusses how he went from frameworks to a major Penguin Random House book, how he gathered more than 100 real-world stories to bring his ideas to life, and why he's now focused on working longitudinally with clients instead of just doing single events. For CEOs and senior leaders, this conversation is a playbook for turning your organization into a place where people are both learning faster and performing better. Three Key Takeaways: • Always-on performance quietly caps growth; organizations need deliberate time and space for the Learning Zone, not just the Performance Zone. • "Growth mindset" only works when it's operationalized—through concrete systems, habits, and experiences that teach people how to learn and improve, not just that they can. • The biggest impact comes from embedding these ideas into leadership programs, talent systems, and culture over time—not from one-off keynotes or events. If this episode reshaped how you think about performance and the Learning Zone, your next stop should be our conversation with Phil Geldart on Unlocking Human Potential. Both episodes tackle the same core challenge—how to move beyond "always on" performance and build a culture where learning, experimentation, and behavior change are baked into the way work gets done. Eduardo gives you the strategic lens and language (Learning vs. Performance Zone, growth mindset in action); Phil dives into how to design experiential learning that actually sticks and changes what people do on Monday morning. Listen to both and you'll walk away with a playbook that connects big ideas about learning culture to concrete tools for driving performance across your organization.

The Apple Effect: Turning Hard Lessons Into Scalable Systems | Apple Levy | 684

2025-12-1429:06

What if every hard-earned lesson in your business came with a simple mandate: how dare you do nothing with what's been given to you? In this episode, Bill Sherman talks with serial entrepreneur and systems strategist Apple Levy, author of "The Apple Effect". Apple has spent decades in construction, manufacturing, home flipping, and retail. She combines operational grit with financial discipline to help entrepreneurs stop firefighting and start scaling with intention. Her core belief is simple and provocative: if you know something that works, you have a duty to share it. Apple walks through how she turned years of wins and failures into a repeatable framework for growth. She explains why she began capturing notes, call recordings, and data from every client, and how that archive became The Apple Effect—a practical playbook for owners running businesses from $1M to $40M in revenue. The book distills what actually moves margin, cash flow, and culture, and she uses it as the backbone for her firm, Obsidian Thorne, when helping companies scale. You'll hear the real problems that keep owners up at night. Not just cash flow and margin, but rework that kills profit, weak follow-up on sales, and the emotional landmine of hiring family you can't hold accountable. Apple shows how to move from "leading by personality" to "leading by systems," so the process becomes the bad cop—not you. That shift frees leaders to exit someday, build a legacy, or simply step out of daily chaos. Apple and Bill also explore the mindset required to grow. Apple challenges entrepreneurs to ask, "How badly do I want this?" and to accept that scaling may mean dismantling what no longer serves the business—including long-standing people, habits, and assumptions. She shares how she applies her own advice inside Obsidian Thorne, using automation, hiring a business development lead early, and treating every pain point in her firm as data she can use to better serve clients. Finally, Apple looks ahead. She talks about taking her message to bigger stages—through construction trade shows like Build Expo, her growing calendar of workshops, and future events she plans to host herself. She's already filling the next scratch pad with insights for future books and building a team of people who share her attitude: hungry, accountable, and obsessed with helping entrepreneurs go from $1M to $10M and beyond. If you're an owner who's tired of firefighting, wrestling with family in the business, or worried about what you're leaving to the next generation, this conversation—and The Apple Effect—offers both a wake-up call and a roadmap. Three Key Takeaways: • Systemize your expertise. Turning real-world lessons into a documented framework is the foundation for scaling any business. • Measure what matters. KPIs and process discipline reduce rework, protect margin, and move the company out of constant firefighting. • Use your book as a strategic tool. A well-structured book can double as a thought leadership platform and an operating guide for clients and teams. If this episode has you thinking about systems, scale, and getting out of firefighting, the next step is to focus on your leaders. Pair this conversation with the episode "Scaling Leadership: Making Coaching Accessible at Every Level" with Kristin Lytle and you'll see the other side of the equation: how to build repeatable, scalable ways to grow people, not just processes. Both episodes explore how to move from one-off heroics to structured, repeatable solutions—whether that's tightening operations and KPIs, or creating blended coaching and learning programs that reach leaders at every level. Listen to them together and you'll walk away with a more complete roadmap: how to systemize the business and build a culture of high integrity, accountability, and leadership growth across the organization.

Mindsets, Not Maps: Rethinking Corporate Innovation | Richard Braden | 683

2025-12-1121:23

What if innovation wasn't reserved for a handful of "geniuses" in hoodies and turtlenecks? What if every person in your organization could solve real problems in bold new ways? Today's episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, I'm joined by Richard Braden to explore how to democratize innovation inside the enterprise. We dig into his practical framework from "Innovation-ish: How Anyone Can Create Breakthrough Solutions to Real Problems in the Real World" which was co-authored with Tessa Forshaw to challenge the myth of the lone genius. Innovation stops being a mysterious black box and becomes a repeatable, teachable capability across the business. Rich explains why most organizations over-invest in "innovation theater" and under-invest in mindset. Instead of obsessing over yet another step-by-step process, he focuses on the mental shifts that actually drive breakthrough thinking. From "shopping" vs. "buying" mindsets to the difference between learning, iterating, and executing, you'll get language you can use with your teams tomorrow. We also unpack Rich's hybrid model for innovation: part consulting, part capability-building. You'll hear how a global quick-service restaurant brand redesigned its supply chain using cross-functional teams—everyone from restaurant crew to executives—working on real projects over nine months. The result? Tangible business outcomes and an enduring lift in problem-solving capability, long after the external experts left. Rich shows that innovation isn't just about moonshots. It's about orbit shots, cloud shots, roof shots, and jump shots—small, targeted changes that add up to massive impact. Imagine your finance team "innovating" the expense-report process so it's fast, accurate, and painless. That may not land you on the cover of a magazine, but it can unlock time, energy, and engagement across the organization. If you're tired of one-off workshops, "innovation labs" off in a corner, or expensive programs that don't stick, this conversation with Rich Braden offers a better path. You'll learn how to embed innovation in day-to-day work, build your own obsolescence into client engagements, and turn innovation from a slogan into a core competency. Three Key Takeaways: • Innovation is a teachable skill. It's not the domain of lone geniuses; with the right mindsets and language, you can help people across the organization solve real problems in new ways. • Mindset beats methodology. Most organizations over-index on processes and "innovation theater," but sustainable breakthroughs come from shifting how people think, learn, and experiment in their day-to-day work. • Capability-building must be tied to real work. The most effective innovation programs blend consulting with hands-on projects, so teams deliver tangible business outcomes and build enduring problem-solving muscles at the same time. If this conversation on democratizing innovation resonated with you, your next listen should be the episode with Michele Zanini. In that one, we take the same core ideas—moving beyond "innovation theater," distributing problem-solving across the organization, and building real capability instead of one-off programs—and apply them to dismantling bureaucracy and unleashing talent at scale. Listen to both episodes together and you'll get a powerful one-two punch: a practical framework for everyday innovation, plus a blueprint for removing the structural and cultural barriers that keep your people from using it. If you're serious about making innovation everyone's job—not just a select few in a lab—queue up the Michele Zanini episode next.

Designing the Long Tail of Thought Leadership | Tom Ziglar | 682

2025-12-0426:06

What if your thought leadership wasn't just inspiring for 40 minutes on stage, but life-changing for years after the keynote? In this episode, Peter Winick talks with Tom Ziglar, CEO of Ziglar, Inc., about how he's evolving his father Zig Ziglar legacy into a modern, scalable thought leadership business. They dig into how to turn big ideas into programs, tools, and revenue streams that deliver real behavior change for clients, not just applause. Tom shares how Ziglar built an AI "digital brain" for Zig Ziglar by feeding in manuscripts and 50+ hours of audio. The result is Zig AI – a focused tool that gives only Zig's answers to modern questions. You'll hear how coaches are using it to adapt Zig's classic seven-step goal system into language an eight-year-old can use, without losing the depth of the original framework. They explore AI as a thought partner for speakers and experts. Tom shows how he uses AI to quickly understand new audiences, generate the "top 10 pain points" for a niche, and tailor stories so a talk lands with homeowners' association leaders one day and senior executives the next. This is practical, in-the-trenches use of AI to make your content more relevant, not more generic. Tom and Peter then break down the business models behind thought leadership. Drawing on Rory Vaden's lens, Tom explains the three lanes of content creators: entertainers, encouragers, and educators. He argues that the long-term business is built in the educational lane—where niche expertise and implementation tools create the long tail of revenue, even if the spotlight feels smaller. You'll also hear a powerful distinction: are you in the keynote business or the life-changing business? Tom shares what Ziglar learned after reviewing thousands of testimonials: for every one person who said a keynote changed their life, 99 credited a program or product. That insight reshaped how he designs calls-to-action, follow-through, and multi-step client engagements. The conversation closes with a look at trust and authenticity as strategic assets. Tom brings in Seth Godin's idea of "scalability of trust" and applies it to how thought leaders sell, speak, and serve. From customizing keynotes to building follow-on programs, Tom shows how to design a business that scales trust, not just reach—while staying the same person on and off stage. If you advise, speak, coach, or consult, this episode will help you reframe your IP, your offers, and your use of AI so you can create deeper impact and more predictable revenue from your expertise. Three Key Takeaways: • Keynotes don't create most of the life change—programs do. For every one person who credited a keynote with changing their life, 99 pointed to a program, product, or course. If you're in the "life-changing" business, your follow-on offers matter more than the standing ovation. • AI can be a thought partner that makes your IP more usable and targeted. By building Zig AI from Zig Ziglar's manuscripts and audio, Tom shows how AI can give only "on-brand" answers, adapt classic frameworks (like the seven-step goal system) for specific audiences—right down to an eight-year-old—and help experts quickly tune their content to different markets. • The long-term business is in education, not entertainment. While entertainers dominate the airwaves, the real, scalable revenue sits in the educational lane—where niche expertise, tools, and implementation support live. That's where thought leaders build the long tail of their business, well beyond a single talk or appearance. If this episode got you thinking about the difference between a keynote and a real thought leadership business, your next listen should be the Tendayi Viki episode "Thought Leadership Business Models". Together, these two episodes connect the dots between inspiring from the stage and building scalable offers, frameworks, and revenue streams around your ideas. Queue up the Tendayi Viki episode next and ask yourself: am I running a talk, or building a business?

AI, Executive Coaching, and the Future of Thought Leadership | Alisa Cohn | 681

2025-11-3020:10

What if your most valuable business asset isn't your product, but the way you think? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick sits down with Alisa Cohn—one of the world's top startup coaches, Thinkers50 and Marshall Goldsmith award winner, author of "From Startup to Grown Up", and host of a podcast by the same name. Together, they unpack what it really takes to turn expertise into a scalable thought leadership platform that attracts premium clients. Alisa breaks down what great coaching actually is at the top of the house. Not therapy. Not box-checking. It's the disciplined work of helping senior leaders see where they are, where they're going, and how they'll get there. She explains why she now focuses almost exclusively on experienced founders and C-suite executives—and why the best clients see coaching as a sign of strength, not weakness. Peter and Alisa explore the often lonely reality of thought leadership work. You're on planes. In hotels. Delivering keynotes. Building IP. Yet rarely surrounded by true peers. Alisa shares how communities like 100 Coaches, mastermind groups, and curated gatherings of top thinkers create "connective tissue" between experts—and why those collisions of adjacent ideas (resilience meets agility meets questioning) are rocket fuel for new IP and offerings. Then they turn to AI. Not as a shortcut, but as a force multiplier for serious thinkers. Alisa explains how she feeds transcripts of 100+ podcast episodes and her HBR/Forbes pieces into AI tools to surface patterns, themes, and questions she'd forgotten—and then does the real work of shaping those into sharp, human insights. They talk about AI as a research partner, synthesis engine, and creative sparring partner—not a cut-and-paste content mill. Alisa also reframes the business model of thought leadership. Her core work is high-touch: one-on-one coaching, offsites, and select speaking. Everything else—books, articles, podcasts, media—exists to build a premium brand, generate demand, and give her the right to charge at the top of the market. She and Peter dig into why a book should be treated as a five-year march, not a launch-week event, and how evergreen ideas keep attracting ideal clients years after publication. If you're a founder, executive, or expert looking to scale your impact without becoming a commodity, this conversation is a masterclass in how to think about your IP, your business model, and your relationship with AI. Three Key Takeaways: • Coaching at the top is a strategic asset, not a remedial fix. Great coaching helps senior leaders clarify where they are, where they're going, and how they'll get there. The best clients see coaching as a sign of strength and leverage it to navigate different stages of growth—from early-stage chaos to pre-IPO scale. • Thought leadership plus brand equals pricing power. Alisa treats her thought leadership—book, podcast, HBR/Forbes articles—as the engine that builds a premium brand. That brand brings her better-fit clients and gives her permission to charge premium rates for high-touch coaching, offsites, and speaking. • AI is a force multiplier for serious thinkers, not a replacement. AI accelerates research and content creation, but the real value of thought leadership still comes from deep expertise, synthesis, and conviction. The challenge (and opportunity) is to use AI to move faster without letting the thinking get sloppy. If you're intrigued by how this episode unpacks coaching at the top, building a premium thought leadership brand, and using your IP more strategically, you'll love the episode with Cara Macklin. Both conversations look at how to design your business model as intentionally as your ideas—shifting from "doing the work" to building scalable offers, curating the right clients, and creating more freedom and impact. Listen to them together as a mini-masterclass in turning expertise, coaching, and content into a focused, high-value business.

Why Pressure—not Power—Breaks Leaders: | Sabina Nawaz | 680

2025-11-2325:13

What happens when pressure—not power—shapes the way leaders show up? That's the question at the heart of this conversation with executive advisor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author Sabina Nawaz. Sabina's thought leadership centers on a bold idea: pressure can squeeze the humanity out of even the best leaders. And in today's high-velocity business environment, every manager—from first-line supervisors to CEOs—is at risk. Her work helps leaders reclaim that humanity, especially when the stakes are highest. In this episode, Sabina shares the research behind her book " You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)" , built on 12,000 pages of interviews with employees about their managers. Her frameworks reveal the real drivers of effective leadership. Not charisma. Not authority. But the ability to stay grounded, present, and self-aware when demands are relentless. Sabina also unpacks how senior-level coaching delivers exponential ROI. She explains why small behavioral shifts at the C-suite ripple through organizations, and why understanding value—not hours—is the key to pricing high-impact advisory work. Her insights on scope, pricing, and client alignment are a masterclass for anyone growing a thought leadership business. We also explore the business of books. Sabina offers a candid look at what it truly takes to publish successfully with a traditional publisher—and why marketing, positioning, and community matter more than manuscripts. Her perspective on ethical promotion, generosity within the thought leadership ecosystem, and crafting high-quality, specific asks is practical and refreshing. Finally, Sabina introduces one of her signature practices: "the blank space"—two intentional hours each week to step back from pressure, reset, and let insight emerge. It's a powerful mindset shift that every leader needs. This episode is packed with actionable wisdom for executives, coaches, and thought leaders ready to lead with clarity, courage, and humanity. Three Key Takeaways: • Pressure changes leaders more than power does, and without intentional practices—like creating "blank space"—managers risk losing their humanity and effectiveness. • High-impact coaching is valued by the long-term ripple effects it creates, making thoughtful pricing, scope alignment, and articulating ROI essential for senior-level advisory work. • Writing a book is only the first step—successful thought leadership publishing requires strategic positioning, ethical promotion, and the courage to make focused, specific asks of your network. If you found this episode insightful, you won't want to miss our conversation with Lance Tanaka. Both episodes unpack what really happens when senior leaders step into high-pressure roles, rethink how they lead, and learn to create impact through clarity, presence, and intentional development. Lance takes those themes even further—diving into how executives transition into high-value coaching, define their worth, and build influence that truly sticks. If Sabina's insights on pressure, leadership behavior, and the real value of coaching resonated with you, Lance's episode will deepen your understanding and give you even more actionable ideas to elevate your own leadership practice. Listen next: The Lance Tanaka Episode — and continue your growth journey.

The Playbook for Scaling Thought Leadership | Daniel Harkavy | 679

2025-11-2024:24

What does it take to transform leadership into a calling — and build a business that transforms others? Today, Peter Winick sits down with Daniel Harkavy, founder and CEO of Building Champions, a pioneer in executive coaching and leadership development. Daniel shares how he turned the lessons from his early career in mortgage banking into a structured, scalable system for growing leaders — and why his success is rooted in helping others unlock their potential. Daniel's approach to thought leadership isn't about pedigree or credentials — it's about proof. He took what worked in one high-performance environment and codified it into frameworks, checklists, and playbooks that any leader could use to create lasting impact. From Becoming a Coaching Leader to Building Champions' current programs, Daniel's work continues to shape how organizations coach, communicate, and cultivate leadership at every level. The conversation dives deep into what it means to scale a mission-driven business without losing its soul. Daniel opens up about the "near-death" moments that almost derailed his company — from failed partnerships to market crashes — and the resilience it takes to rebuild stronger each time. His story is a masterclass in balancing faith, strategy, and discipline in pursuit of a greater purpose. Peter and Daniel also explore how AI is reshaping the future of leadership and coaching. Daniel sees it not as a threat but as a copilot — a tool that, when mastered, can amplify human insight, accelerate problem-solving, and deepen relationships. His message is clear: technology can enhance thought leadership, but it can't replace the leader. Three Key Takeaways: • Codify What Works: Turning personal insight into repeatable frameworks allows leaders to scale their impact, build stronger teams, and create lasting organizational value. • Lead with Purpose and Resilience: Sustainable success comes from aligning business strategy with personal values and staying adaptable through inevitable market and operational challenges. • Leverage AI as a Copilot, Not a Replacement: The future of leadership depends on mastering technology to enhance human insight, accelerate decisions, and deepen relationships — without losing the human touch that defines great leadership. If Daniel's episode inspired you to think differently about leadership systems, purpose, and resilience, you'll want to listen next to "Becoming Resilient Through Thought Leadership" featuring James Harold Webb. Both conversations explore how true leaders turn adversity into an advantage — Daniel through codifying leadership frameworks and James through channeling personal reinvention into influence and impact. Together, they reveal the blueprint for thriving in uncertainty: build systems that scale, lead with purpose, and use your story as fuel for growth. Listen to both and discover how resilience isn't just about bouncing back — it's about building forward with clarity, structure, and intention.

How Rituals (Not Routines) Transform Leadership and Life | Erin Coupe | 678

2025-11-1320:25

What if you could stop running on empty—and still perform at your best? That's the question Erin Coupe, author of "I Can Fit That In" (and host of a podcast by the same name), invites leaders to ask. She challenges the old "time management" mindset that rewards burnout and box-checking, replacing it with a human-centered strategy of presence, choice, and renewal. Her message? Productivity doesn't come from cramming more into your day—it comes from creating rituals that restore you. Erin works with executives and teams to help them shift from survival mode to sustainable performance. Through keynotes, workshops, and cohort-based learning, she guides people to design their own energizing rituals—intentional practices that bring clarity, calm, and connection. It's not about doing more. It's about aligning what you do with what truly matters. Her approach transforms corporate cultures. Teams that once ran on autopilot begin building trust, transparency, and shared language. Leaders rediscover focus and resilience. And when people take these lessons home—teaching them to spouses, partners, and even kids—the impact multiplies. As Peter Winick explores in this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Erin's work goes beyond productivity hacks or quick fixes. It's about conscious leadership. Healthy boundaries. Self-respect. And recognizing that how we show up—at work and at home—is a choice. Tune in to hear how organizations are embracing her frameworks to create more intentional, energized, and emotionally intelligent workplaces—one ritual at a time. Three Key Takeaways: • Rituals energize, routines drain. Intentional rituals create meaning and renewal, while rigid routines often lead to burnout. • Mindset drives performance. Shifting from overcommitment to presence and self-respect builds clarity and sustainable success. • Culture grows through connection. Shared rituals and language strengthen trust, resilience, and emotional intelligence within teams. Loved Erin Coupe's insights on transforming burnout into clarity through intentional rituals? Then don't miss our conversation with Dre Baldwin on Think Big, Act Bigger. Both episodes explore how mindset shapes sustainable performance—Erin focuses on the inner rituals that ground us, while Dre breaks down the mental systems that drive consistent action. Together, they form a one-two punch for leaders who want to perform at a high level without losing themselves in the process.

The Power of the Pause: Why Slowing Down Fuels Stronger Leadership | Melissa Gonzalez | 677

2025-11-0942:22

What happens when life forces you to stop—and that pause changes everything? Melissa Gonzalez, Principal at MG2 Design and author of "The Purpose Pivot: How Dynamic Leaders Put Vulnerability and Intuition into Action", knows firsthand. A medical crisis made her rethink what success truly means. Once a Wall Street professional turned retail design expert and author of "The Pop-Up Paradigm", Melissa built a thriving business helping brands tell their stories through physical spaces. But when her own defining moment arrived, she found a new story to tell—one about purpose, well-being, and the strength found in vulnerability. In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Melissa joins Bill Sherman to explore how life's disruptions can fuel transformation. She shares her evolution from building pop-up experiences for brands to helping leaders embrace intuition, pause with purpose, and redefine balance. Through dozens of interviews with women leaders, Melissa uncovered a truth many resist—taking time to pause isn't weakness; it's wisdom. Melissa also discusses the art of integrating her message of purpose into her business world. She reveals how partnerships with brands like Nordstrom, Simon G. Fine Jewelry, and Crate & Barrel amplified her book's message through events and collaborations that celebrate defining moments. Her story is a masterclass in aligning personal growth, thought leadership, and business strategy—without losing authenticity. From managing the emotional and physical toll of overachievement to embracing JOMO (the joy of missing out), Melissa's journey offers a reminder: the most powerful pivots often happen when you stop chasing and start listening. Three Key Takeaways: • Pause is Power – Taking time to slow down, reflect, and prioritize well-being isn't a weakness—it's a strategic strength. Melissa's personal experience taught her that real success comes from making intentional choices rooted in impact, not busyness. • Authentic Integration Fuels Influence – Thought leadership grows when your personal mission aligns with your professional platform. Melissa leveraged her network, brand partnerships, and events to bring The Purpose Pivot to life—blending purpose-driven storytelling with business acumen. • Vulnerability Creates Connection – Sharing personal defining moments invites others to reflect on their own. Through candid storytelling and interviews, Melissa shows that embracing vulnerability deepens relationships, inspires trust, and sparks meaningful change. If Melissa Gonzalez's story inspired you to rethink success, balance, and the power of the pause, don't stop there. Check out The Non-Linear Thought Leadership episode with Elizabeth McCourt. Both conversations explore how vulnerability, authenticity, and unexpected turns can become catalysts for growth. Melissa's journey shows how a defining moment can reshape purpose. Elizabeth's episode builds on that idea—revealing how non-linear paths, reinvention, and resilience fuel thought leadership. Listen to both, and you'll walk away ready to embrace uncertainty, lead with heart, and turn every pivot into possibility. Listen next: The Non-Linear Thought Leadership | Elizabeth McCourt

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SHANE SIMMONS