Empowered Team Podcast

In this deeply personal solo episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider explores the hidden cost of hyper independence — the pattern of doing everything alone while quietly carrying exhaustion, loneliness, and emotional weight. Drawing from her own lived experience as a leader, single mom, and entrepreneur, Kari unpacks why hyper independence isn’t a personality trait — it’s a copi...

In this powerful conversation, Kari sits down with Andrea Wanerstrand, a leadership strategist and executive coach who’s shaped teams at Microsoft, Meta, and T-Mobile. With 25+ years of experience, Andrea shares why emotional intelligence is the new superpower, how leaders unknowingly create fear-based cultures, and why your nervous system is your secret advantage. They dive deep into: What really...

New Year energy is high, but what separates a feel-good intention from a real, life-changing result? In this solo episode, Kari unpacks why motivation alone won’t get you across the finish line—and how to turn dreams into reality with structure, deadlines, and identity shifts. You’ll hear: Why most goals fail (and how to fix it) The concept of the “Far, Next, and Now Vision” framework How to use t...

In this deeply personal solo episode, host Kari Schneider opens up about navigating her divorce and the hardest year of her life — and the unexpected wisdom that came with it. From the grief of letting go to the powerful clarity that only hardship brings, Kari shares raw insights on: What grief reveals about love and commitment Why loyalty is rarely what we think it is The painful truth behind bet...

What does abundance look like when your life feels like it’s crumbling? In this deeply personal solo episode, Kari pulls back the curtain and shares what’s really going on behind the scenes: an unexpected divorce, moving homes under pressure, and facing major uncertainty—while running a business and parenting solo. But instead of waiting for it all to be “figured out,” she brings you inside her li...

In this compelling conversation, host Kari Schneider welcomes Reuven Shelef, CEO of Out of the Box Consulting and creator of the Untangling Complex Challenges methodology. Reuven shares how a childhood of working citrus orchards and septic lines gave him an early relationship with quality, discomfort, and problem-solving. From strategic engineering to human behavior, his work now helps leaders and...

This is the episode to reset, recalibrate, and intentionally step into your next year. In this solo episode, Kari walks you through the critical importance of end-of-year reflection — not for nostalgia, but for real transformation. Discover: Why top performers use reflection to elevate performance (Harvard study: +23% increase). The neuroscience behind cognitive drag and how to clear it. How to us...

Ever felt like your message didn’t land the way you intended? In this solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider breaks down one of the most overlooked (yet constant) challenges in leadership and relationships: the interpersonal gap—when what you mean and what’s heard don’t match. Coined by John Wallen, this concept helps explain everything from workplace tension to misunderst...

In this episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, Kari sits down with Tara Landes – founder of Bellrock and a powerhouse behind the scenes of 300+ businesses – to unpack the real reasons small and mid-sized businesses get stuck. Tara breaks down: Why most managers are set up to fail (and how to fix it) The critical difference between leadership and management (and why you need both) The myth of the p...

Do you thrive as the top performer or grow more as the underdog? In this powerful solo episode, Kari breaks down how your position in a group—whether it’s your workplace, sports team, or leadership circle—shapes your motivation, confidence, identity, and trajectory. 🔥 Key Takeaways Why where you stand in a group changes how you grow The truth behind the 15% performance boost from being around hig...

Ever had one glass of wine and thought, "Ah, screw it," then finished the bottle? Or eaten one donut and said, "What the hell, might as well have four"? Welcome to the What the Hell Effect—or as Kari’s calling it in this episode, the far more satisfying Fck It Effect*. In this episode, Kari Schneider unpacks the sneaky psychology behind why one small slip often turns into a downward spiral. Backed...

In this solo episode, host Kari Schneider delivers a concise, high-impact playbook for handling the toughest conversations with clarity and confidence. Drawing on years of coaching leaders and high performers, Kari introduces the three advanced filters you must apply before you open your mouth—whether you’re confronting a team member, negotiating a boundary, or navigating personal conflict. 💡 Key...

What does it take to live an adventurous, purpose-driven life—and still stay deeply connected to who you really are? In this powerful episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari sits down with Waldemar Franco—award-winning boutique hotel entrepreneur, lifelong adventurer, and the creator of Find Your Wild Flow. Waldemar has spent decades guiding whitewater expeditions, climbing mountains, and buil...

We’ve all done it — made a mistake, promised ourselves it would never happen again… and then bam, we’re right back in the same pattern. 😩 In this solo episode, Kari breaks down the real reasons we keep making the same frustrating mistakes and what to do about it. 🔥 What you'll hear: The 3 big traps that keep you stuck in mistake-mode Why 70% of people repeat their mistakes — and how to not be on...

In this solo episode, host Kari Schneider takes us into the world of self-talk—that subtle (or sometimes loud!) internal dialogue that shapes our emotions, behaviors, and ultimately, our results. Sparked by earlier episodes on procrastination and the inner critic vs. champion, Kari pulls together research from experts like Kristin Neff, Ethan Kross, and Timothy Pychyl to show how self-talk influen...

In this solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider shares a powerful reframe on a concept we often misunderstand — discipline. Drawing from her own entrepreneurial journey and years of coaching high performers, Kari explores why true freedom only comes when we have structure, systems, and boundaries in place. Key topics in this episode: Why Kari turned down medical school to s...

Strength of Belief & Caveman Delegation with Dallas Burnett In this episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider sits down with the multi-talented Dallas Burnett — bestselling author of Move, Lift, and Caveman Delegation, founder of Think Move & Thrive, and a speaker whose career has taken him from patenting water tech to speaking at the Pentagon. Dallas opens up about what i...

The Leadership Blind Spot That’s Costing You More Than You Know Leaders make one costly mistake over and over: they polish broken systems. In this episode, Kari Schneider shows you how to tell if you’re facing a harmless refinement or a high-impact red flag that demands urgent action. With stories from real business transformations, jaw-dropping stats, and her 3-step “Red Flag Radar” method, you’l...

"You can’t be in performance mode all the time… unless your goal is burnout."   In this solo episode, Kari pulls back the curtain on a quiet epidemic: burnout in high performers. While everything may look "successful" on the outside, many high-performing leaders and professionals are running on fumes behind the scenes.   What You’ll Learn: The crucial difference between a high performer and a high...

Are you falling into the delegation trap? You hand it off. It seems handled. But weeks—or months—later, it turns out it’s a total mess. Sound familiar? In this episode, Kari Schneider unpacks why even well-intentioned delegation can go sideways—and shares a powerful, research-backed 1-2-3 framework that helps leaders delegate smarter. Whether you're leading a team, managing a household, or running...

In this solo episode, Kari tackles a challenge that plagues even the most driven leaders — procrastination. But it's not what you think. It’s not about time management or laziness — it's an emotional trap that quietly sabotages your progress. Kari breaks down: The surprising science behind why we delay important actions The true cost of procrastination (hint: it's deeper than missed deadlines) The...

What does it take to exit your business with style, grace, and more money? In this episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider sits down with business transition expert John Martinka, known as “The Escape Artist,” to explore the world of small business exits, mergers, and acquisitions. With over 30 years in the buy-sell space, John shares what most business owners get wrong when trying t...

In this thought-provoking solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider dives into a powerful leadership paradox: why embracing both your inner champion and devil’s advocate is the key to high-stakes decision-making, resilient confidence, and empowered leadership. 🌉 Through a vivid parable and practical strategies, you’ll discover: How to challenge ideas without spiraling into self-d...

Curiosity isn’t just a personality trait. It’s the currency of leadership influence in today’s uncertain world. In this solo episode, Kari unpacks why curiosity is a game-changer in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) and how you can harness it to fuel innovation, strengthen connection, and build trust in every part of your life and leadership. You’ll discover: The 3 elements of...

In this empowering solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider unpacks one of the most requested leadership topics: Confidence and why most of us are doing it wrong. Using humor, a deeply relatable (and slightly humbling) story about weed-eating 😅, and the psychology behind the Dunning-Kruger effect, Kari breaks down the real journey of confidence from overconfidence and the V...