Author: Rosie Ward

In this episode, Brandon Peele and I talk about how to bring people together in a way that can begin to heal some of the great divides in our communities and country so we can find greater harmony...and he wants people to freely take what he’s doing and use it. Brandon is a unifier, activator, author and speaker who is on a mission to heal the divides in our nation by intentionally putting people together in small groups who are vastly different from one another - from different genders, generations, race, political ideologies, etc. to listen and learn from one another, and build empathy and respect by humanizing one another. We talk about what it takes to show up as a leader and be part of the solution, the importance of giving ourselves permission to feel the difficult emotions, what development is and why it’s needed (and how it’s different from learning and knowledge-building), and how critical it is to also focus on the culture and environment to create deliberate practices for change and humanity to take hold.

Bryan is on a personal mission to wake us up from what he calls the “conscious flatlands”. In this episode, we have an insightful conversation about what it means to flourish and how important it is for us to wake-up on so many levels. On the individual level, we are largely being unconsciously run by our emotions and reacting to life. The problem is that, when there’s no pause between stimulus and response, we end up usually regretting it - either now or later. So we have to tend to the messy, uncomfortable, yet critically important, inner work in order to wake up and show up present, less reactive and more connected to others. On the organizational and societal level, we must be aware that how we engage with paradigms are shaping the outcome of our lives and that we have work to do if people are truly going to show up whole and expressing our uniqueness - at work and in the rest of their lives. This life-giving conversation will challenge your thinking and provide a new perspective of what it will collectively take for us to create a thriving future for us all.

In this episode, Safwan Shah and I talk about the importance of time and the critical role it plays in the livelihood of essential workers and the more than 90 million Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck. Safwan has unlocked a huge gap in the systems for how we receive our paychecks. He is an incredible example of what is possible when we get curious and follow our purpose and work to show up authentically in our lives. As a successful CEO, he also humbly shows his humanity and normalizes the universal experience of telling ourselves self-limiting stories. My eyes have been opened by Safwan’s work and how it can help restore humanity and help people feel they matter and be a little more whole. I hope you’ll leave our conversation enlightened and encouraged.

In this episode, Kristen Hadeed talks about the importance of normalizing our humanity by reframing our relationship and narrative with failure. We also discuss the value of sharing our stories and creating a resiliency resume, being more intentional to set boundaries and tend to what we need to show up as our best, and setting intentions for how we show up so we can give others the gift of our full presence. I always walk away from any interaction with Kristen feeling grounded, more human and encouraged, and I know you’ll find hope, wisdom and some useful practices you can put into place to support you in showing up as your authentic, best self!

In this episode, Arthur Woods and I discuss how 2020 has taught us that we must be human-centered and shift our inner narrative to reshape our priorities. He shares what’s possible when we unlock the power of human potential, anchor on our purpose and create workplaces where EVERYONE feels like they can meaningfully contribute and make an impact - especially among people with disabilities and other underrepresented communities. And we talk about mindset shifts that help us wake-up and show up as leaders to influence positive change. Arthur is a dynamo leader taking a systems-focused approach to bring about impactful change and address biases that prevent inclusivity in our workplaces. I walked away energized and having greater hope for humanity and hope you feel the same.

In this episode, I chat with Nancy Pautsch, Chief Evangelist of Stakeholder Value (i.e., president) of Envision IT, about the value of listening when life throws “wake-up calls” at us and that it’s never too late to reset. We talk about her leadership awakening and how necessary it is to do the messy inner work and embrace the ongoing journey of developing ourselves, ground ourselves in the clarity our purpose brings, recognize that perfection is pure fiction and move from stress and fear-based catastrophizing to building our ability to ground ourselves and rise strong when we fall - and recognize we’re enough and have value. There's so much inspiration and wisdom in Nancy’s journey and our conversation. I know you’ll walk away thinking differently about your own leadership journey and nuggets you can hopefully apply to help you be intentional to show up fully and authentically in your life.