Redefining Workplace Flexibility with Manar Morales: Lead to Succeed 169

What does it take to create a workplace that balances the diverse needs of employees while maintaining universal policies? And how can leaders address traditional mindsets that challenge the concept of flexibility? In this episode, Manar Morales shares her strategies for designing flexible yet inclusive workplace policies.

Manar is a national expert in building human-centered workplace cultures that prioritize diversity, flexibility, and well-being. As the Founder and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, she has over 18 years of experience helping organizations create inclusive environments and implement effective flexible work strategies. A sought-after speaker and author, her forthcoming book, The Flexibility Paradigm (January 2025), provides a roadmap for creating adaptive, resilient workplaces. Recognized with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Manar is committed to empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in today’s evolving work landscape.

From Shy to Heard with Cynthia Kane: Lead to Succeed 168

How does someone transform from being shy to becoming a communication expert? And what practical tools can we all use to communicate more effectively in our personal and professional lives? In this episode, Cynthia Kane shares her journey of finding her voice and offers powerful tips and techniques for mastering the art of clear, confident, and meaningful communication.

Cynthia helps people enhance their lives and relationships by teaching them how to become less reactive in difficult conversations, and speak to themselves, others, and their environment in a kind, honest, and helpful way. She has taught over 70,000 people how to change the way they communicate through her books (How to Communicate Like a Buddhist, Talk to Yourself Like a Buddhist, How to Meditate Like a Buddhist), Bestselling DailyOM Course, and the Kane Intentional Communication Training Program. She is a certified meditation and mindfulness instructor, certified breathing coach, and the founder of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute, LLC. Her new book, The Pause Principle: How to Keep Your Cool in Tough Situations, releases on January 22.

Embracing Fallibility with Brent Kedzierski: Lead to Succeed 167

What does it mean to truly understand human performance in the workplace? How do leadership, workplace design, and emerging technologies intersect to create environments where people can truly thrive? In this episode, we dive deep into the art and science of optimizing work environments with our guest Brent Kedzierski.

Brent is an award-winning and globally recognized thought leader in Human Performance and Connected Worker Ecosystem. Celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions, his insights have been featured in top publications like Harvard Business Press and BBC News. Brent's webinars and podcasts are industry favorites, consistently earning high ratings. After nearly 25 years at Shell as a global HR transformation strategist, he now shapes industrial worker strategies at Hexagon. Brent passionately advocates for human-centered approaches, emphasizing well-being, sustainability and human evolution.

Prioritizing People Over Profit with Josh Bloomfield: Lead to Succeed 166

What if the key to success wasn’t just about making the right business moves, but about investing in the people around us? How does leading with passion and a genuine love for what we do create lasting impact? In this episode, our guest Josh Bloomfield, shares his approach to leadership through authentic connection and the importance of focusing on people rather than just business.

With 20+ years of experience and multiple patents in donation technology, Josh is a mission-driven leader whose innovative designs have transformed donor engagement. He began his journey shaped by his father’s struggles, inspiring him to lead a life of resilience and generosity.

Self-taught in coding, Josh built a successful career in enterprise applications, eventually founding Givecloud in 2010 to empower nonprofits in building digital donor connections. Today, Givecloud supports nonprofits worldwide. Josh is also a proud father, musician, and advisor, dedicated to helping under-resourced entrepreneurs streamline operations and create new revenue streams across industries.

Turning Disorder into Opportunity with Garrett Delph: Lead to Succeed 165

What happens when business operations spiral into chaos? Is disorder the end of the road or an opportunity for growth and innovation? In this episode, Garrett Delph shares his expertise on navigating operational chaos, offering strategies to transform challenges into opportunities for success.

Juggling Business and Motherhood with Brandy Burch: Lead to Succeed 164

How does one balance the demands of a successful career while raising a large family, especially as a single mom? What does it take to manage it all without losing sight of your personal goals and well-being? In this episode, Brandy Burch shares her incredible journey of navigating the challenges of business and motherhood

Brandy succeeded as a single parent from a non-traditional background to become the trailblazing Founder and CEO of benefitbay. This pioneering company revolutionizes employee benefits and health insurance. Brandy’s 20+ year multidisciplinary expertise in finance, tech, and human capital allows her to empathize with working families while solving complex industry challenges. As CEO, she champions innovative solutions like ICHRA to empower employees and employers. Brandy’s data-driven strategies increase profitability and growth. Her mastery of industry trends and ability to simplify complex topics make Brandy an inspiring speaker for diverse audiences on entrepreneurship, working parents, benefits optimization and more.

Leading with Kindness with Christy Pretzinger: Lead to Succeed 163

What role does kindness play in leadership? In a world often focused on achieving results and meeting expectations, can leading with compassion create a more productive and fulfilling workplace? In this episode, Christy Pretzinger shares her perspective on the transformative power of kindness in leadership.

As the owner and CEO of WG Content, Christy has established an industry-leading company that delivers superior content and strategy to healthcare brands nationwide. She intentionally focused on building the business based on kindness. And that approach has proven to be good for people and the bottom line.

Over time, Christy discovered her true calling: to create a workplace that nurtures personal and professional growth — and help other leaders do the same. She’s a popular guest speaker for events and podcasts, always ready to guide audiences on how to grow leaders and build environments where people can thrive. Christy’s new book, Your Cultural Balance Sheet: Keys to creating an environment where people can thrive, is due out January 2025.

Embracing Vulnerability and Support with Owen Marcus: Lead to Succeed 162

In leadership, vulnerability is often seen as a weakness, but what if embracing it could make us stronger and more effective?

In this episode, Owen Marcus delves into the importance of emotional safety in the workplace, how leaders can model vulnerability, and why creating supportive environments for both personal and professional growth is crucial.

Taking a Stand Against Bullying with Jenn Johnson: Lead to Succeed 161

When faced with wrongdoings like bullying, staying silent is often the easiest choice—but it’s also the most harmful. How can we find the courage to speak out and take a stand against bad behavior?

In this episode, Jenn Johnson shares her experiences and insights on the importance of confronting bullying in the workplace.

The Power of Clarity with Alex Geesbreght: Lead to Succeed 160

A growth mindset is essential for success, but without clarity, how can we know where we’re headed or how to measure our progress?

In this episode, Alex Geesbreght explains why clarity is a fundamental building block for fostering a growth mindset and how it can unlock new possibilities for personal and leadership development.

Alex is the Founder and Partner of PRAX Leadership, Geesbreght Capital, and Geesbreght Group. He is a former Owner of Emergency Medicine Consultants, where he served in various roles including General Counsel, President, and Chief Strategy Officer for over sixteen years until the sale of the company in 2018. He is also the former Owner and CEO of PhysAssist Scribes, the nation’s first medical scribe company. Since selling PhysAssist in 2014, Alex is a full-time investor and counselor of early-stage entrepreneurs.

Simplify to Amplify with Lisa Bodell: Lead to Succeed 159

Do you ever feel like you’re busy all the time but not making real progress? What if the key to achieving more isn’t doing more, but simplifying how we work?
In this episode, Lisa Bodell unpacks the importance of cutting through the clutter to focus on what truly drives value, helping us trade busyness for meaningful impact.

Lisa, founder of FutureThink, is a globally recognized expert on simplifying work and driving innovation. She is the author of Why Simple Wins and Kill the Company, both bestsellers that emphasize replacing unnecessary complexity with simplicity to allow people to focus on impactful work. Her insights have influenced top organizations, including Google, SAP, Citigroup, and the U.S. Department of National Intelligence. A frequent Forbes contributor, Lisa’s expertise has also been featured in Fast Company, Wired, The New York Times, and Harvard Business Review. She has taught innovation at American University and Fordham University, and her TED Talk on simplification resonates with thousands each year. Through FutureThink, one of the world’s largest sources for innovation tools, Lisa’s work empowers teams to improve productivity, engagement, and well-being by shifting focus to what matters most.

Discovering What Truly Matter with Matt Shenker: Lead to Succeed 158

What does it mean to truly understand our priorities in life? In a world filled with distractions and demands, how do we uncover what genuinely matters to us? In this episode, our guest Matt Shenker shares his insights on the journey of self-discovery and the importance of aligning our lives with our core values.

As a licensed professional counselor, meditation teacher, and behavior scientist since 2016, Matt has trained thousands of therapists, educators, and managers on how to harness the greatest learnings from behavior science from the last century. Matt is the creator of Empowered Well-being Theory—a transdisciplinary biopsychosocial spiritual model for understanding human well-being. As a framework, that work serves as a foundation for the work Matt does as Chief Solutions Architect, COO, & Cofounder at MatterMore. At MatterMore, they’re working to empower the future of work—what they call Work 4.0.

Turning Conflict into Opportunity with Jose Ucar: Lead to Succeed 157

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by conflict, unsure of how to navigate the tension without sacrificing your values or relationships? What if conflict didn’t have to be a barrier, but instead, an opportunity for growth and connection?

In this episode, we dive deep into these important questions with our guest, Jose Ucar, as he shares strategies for turning conflict into a powerful tool for transformation and success.

Jose is an international communication and influence expert with over a decade of experience working with businesses such as Procter & Gamble and SEAT-CUPRA. His actionable strategies for business leaders expose hidden barriers to effective communication, bridge cultural gaps, ignite positive influence and amplify global impact. Jose is the author of bestseller book ‘Global Influence,’ a TEDx speaker and host, a professional speaker, a leadership and communication trainer, a speaking coach, and founder of Jose Ucar Ltd. His writing has been featured on Yahoo Finance and Yahoo News, Disrupt Magazine, LA Weekly and The Influencer Age.

Lead as Your True Self with Rabbi Daniel Lapin: Lead to Succeed 156

In a world that often encourages us to “fake it until we make it,” what’s the real value of leading with authenticity? How can loving what we do transform not only our work but also those we lead? In this episode, we explore the importance of embracing who we truly are in leadership with our guest, Rabbi Daniel Lapin.

Daniel Lapin, known widely as America’s Rabbi, is a noted rabbinic scholar, best-selling author and TV host. He is president of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians, author of America’s Real War, Thou Shall Prosper and other best-sellers. A frequent guest on Fox News, WallBuilders Radio, and Glenn Beck TV, he hosts his own popular radio and podcast programs with audiences world-wide. Pairing his inheritance as a descendant of a multi-generational rabbinical family with his background in science and business, he teaches ancient Jewish wisdom in an unparalleled manner.

Leading with Humanity with Richard Atherton: Lead to Succeed 155

Effective leadership demands a return to our human roots. How can leaders embrace a human-first approach to foster meaningful connections, drive organizational goals, and inspire their teams? In this episode, our guest Richard Atherton explores how leading with humanity can unlock breakthrough potential and transform our approach to leadership within organizations.

Richard is a Partner at FirstHuman, a business coaching firm that helps CEOs, leaders, and top executives achieve leadership breakthroughs and organizational goals with a human-first approach. Its clients include Adidas, Volkswagen, Heineken, PwC, UNICEF and the Olympics.

Richard has nearly 10 years of expertise in leadership development and has helped numerous clients achieve significant personal and professional breakthroughs. His own background of overcoming multiple addictions and personal traumas has been crucial in shaping his passion for humanizing the leadership culture within organizations. He was notably involved in helping leaders at the logistics company CEVA close a $400M profitability gap. He is also the host of the Being Human podcast that provides insights on leadership and well-being and reaches 11.9K subscribers.

Lead to Succeed dives deep into personal leadership journeys, seeking to understand how leaders got to where they are today, and the challenges & successes that they experienced along the way