On a podcast that talks a lot about thriving, what do we talk about when people are struggling with surviving? It feels like a break-glass in case of emergency moment where many high-performing, high-agency, purpose-driven, resilient people are feeling overwhelmed, they’re unable to access joy, and they’re tapping out. Whether it’s the move towards authoritarian governments, the worsening climate crisis, the state of the economy, the move away from social justice and increasing divide betw...
How often do you think about brain health? Cognitive performance and brain health are critical our ability to make meaningful impact in the world, but for the leaders, coaches, and colleagues who work hard to develop their talents to live into their potential and possible self, brain health might be something that’s overlooked. Several of my previous guests have talked about how the brain works and have shared the mindfulness practices they perform so that they can show up and attend to...
For Life Coach and Public Speaker, Clayton Kirkland, being a Happiness Hero means helping others explore their happiness, and it means understanding his own relationship with joy and happiness. In the 2nd season of the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast we’re exploring the role of joy in finding one’s superpower and living into one’s possible self or potential, so I wanted to learn more from Clayton about what he knows to bring true happiness for himself and how he helps others find it to...
In this conversation, Public Speaking Coach Kristin Link shares her superpower of helping leaders learn how to tell impactful stories. Whether it’s giving a speech or speaking up in a meeting, Kristin says, speaking with impact is more important than speaking with perfection. And it’s by telling stories that we have impact through connecting with our audience’s hearts and minds. So, what holds us back? What stops us from getting on stage or speaking up in the meeting? It’s a limitin...
What gets in your way when trying to use your superpower? If you are like most people I talk with, your response is, “Myself.” Overcoming yourself requires awareness of what is holding you back from your best self. Maybe it's your programing, the negative experiences and trauma you've experienced, and our liberation comes from doing the work. But how? For Nana Gyesie, the answers lie in many paths, and all those paths start with mindful awareness and our innate intuitive intelligence. ...
Ever wonder how to not just experience joy, but to tap into the power of joy to accelerate the impact of your superpower? I was talking with a friend recently who shared how elusive joy feels right now. That got me thinking about my belief that joy is not just an outcome of us using our superpower to create meaningful impact, but I also believe joy is a motivator to use our superpower. And if it joy is elusive, does that make it harder to use our superpower, or does that mean our superp...
Coaches, consultants, and leaders know the power of asking questions in order to find the next step in unlocking a barrier or solving a problem. For Garin Rouch, asking the right questions is a superpower, one with a lot of consequences, since he's building better workplaces where hopefully people can thrive. Garin Rouch is an Organization Development expert with over 25 years of experience, working with leaders and teams to unlock the barriers that prevent higher performance. Garin is als...
What do you know to be true about joy? What is the relationship between your superpower and joy? What is the role of Joy in achieving your potential? I’m curious to learn more about the role of joy in achieving our potential, and so in season 2 of the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast, we are diving into joy. Each What Do You Know To Be True? episode is an opportunity to learn from and get inspired by our guests, who are everyday people with extraordinary talents, making meaningful impac...
As a leader, coach or mentor, our role is to help others find their voice and tell their story. Of course we want to improve our abilities to do this for our people, so I reached out to a professional sports broadcaster and storyteller, Jen Mueller, to learn how she has honed her craft. Today’s guest is one of those amazing storytellers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Jen Mueller and learn more about her extraordinary talent of empowering others to own their voice. Jen i...
Why do we travel? Do we travel to see some sights, check off a bucket list item, immerse ourselves into a new culture or glam up our social media feeds? I was curious about this so I asked my friend, Steve Smith. Steve is a travel expert and tour guide and has spent almost 40 years with the Rick Steves travel company. He’s the author of the France travel guides published by Rick Steves. They’ve sold more travel books than all travel books combined. Steve spends a third of his time in ...
Self-promotion in an authentic way can be hard for a lot of people, especially for introverts. Whether it's speaking up in meetings, stepping on stage to give a presentation, or advocating for themselves, how does an introvert push past their discomfort to achieve their goals? As a Career strategist, and a pioneer in the popular introvert literature, including her book, “Self-Promotion for Introverts®” and her articles in the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, Nancy has...
Starting your own solopreneur business would be easier if you had a coach on your side. Someone who brings empathy and experience to show you the ropes, know what you are going through, and can name when fear, uncertainty, and doubt rear their ugly head and get in your way of success. Years ago, Liz Steblay left a successful career at a well-known consulting firm to go out on her own and start an independent consulting business because it was better for her family, and better on ...
What would you do if we were already connected to one another? Mark Meadows shares this evocative question with the knowledge that we’re already connected. We are already connected, because we are human and we are here. And that which gets in our way of connecting is only the stories we are telling ourselves. Mark is an Org Development practitioner, a business owner, and is a self-proclaimed recovering deep thinker. He’s put in the work to re-discover how to be present, how to acknowledge the...
Divergent thinking and courageous alternative perspective sharing is what’s needed to transform organizations, challenge the status quo, and evolve our human systems so people and organizations can thrive and flourish. Our problems will not be solved with the same thinking that created them. Our current systems of education, business, and politics are broken because they were designed as technical systems instead of human systems. They do not work for the complexity of hum...
Nicole Kincaid's superpower is helping individuals better manage their stuff and their spaces, and develop sustainable systems to keep it up. But this episode is a masterclass in empathy, holding space for clients, and self-regulation. Our relationship with our physical possessions, our stuff, is never just about the stuff. We know this. We know this because we have a box in our closet of things we’ve had for decades, haven’t looked through it, and provide provides no functional value to us...
It’s possible to change someone’s mind on social and political issues - get this - not through argument, but through empathy and with their values. In this deeply divided, polarized political situation we find ourselves in, Robert Perez is making change possible. As Robert says, it requires listening and understanding someone’s values, experiences, and emotional needs, and then equipping them with the stories that connect with those values. Robert acknowledges that it’s hard work, and yet ...
What do you do when you cannot find a community that serves your needs? If you are Michaela Corning, you create it. As an entrepreneur, an outgoing sales person, an amplifier, a woman, and a Muslim, Michaela found herself in the middle of an “intersectionality twister” game in workplaces that were not safe for her and she could not find the community that she envisioned. One that provided regenerative well-being and joy for her and other Muslim women. So in 2021, she created Barakah Be...
“Gender equity starts at home.” Leadership Coach and Parent Advocate, Claudia Timmermans wants to start an intentional parenting revolution. Our workplaces have not evolved enough to support working parents. While many organizations are leading the way, many are stuck in outdated policies and norms that penalize the working parent. But there’s something more at play here. Our systems of parenting are outdated as well for many. Intentional parenting is not just a way to bring fairness a...
What areas of your life are you taking too seriously? What areas of your interactions and relationships could benefit from turning down the formality and seriousness and increase the fun? In Learning and Development, there's a well-worn adage: “to increase retention, you must reduce tension.” Fast Company in 2019 published an article called “Why silliness is the perfect antidote to workplace stress.” Yes, in 2019. Psychology Today published “4 Reasons Why Being Silly Is S...
Have you ever been stuck between two options, only to find a better option is the third option? And of course, you’ve found the truth in between two very different renditions of the same event. That space in between or unseen just beyond two options is the space of integration – and it can only be found if you are looking for it. Asli Aker is a master at being aware of and identifying the integrative space between two seemingly things opposite things. Some refer to this as polarit...