One Handshake

Katie Kelley brings a rare combination of executive experience, clinical training, and high-level coaching to this conversation on career growth, leadership, and navigating change. Drawing from her work with senior leaders and global organizations, she shares how to move through moments of uncertainty, break through stalled patterns, and make clear, aligned decisions about what comes next. This ep...

In this episode of the One Handshake Podcast, Mike “Ambassador” Bruny shares how curiosity, authenticity, and energy have shaped his career across digital marketing, HR, coaching, and community building. He challenges traditional views of “employee engagement,” reframing the conversation around employee experience and leadership through generosity.  Together, Jillian and Mike explore parenting, pa...

Across industries, backgrounds, and borders, a pattern keeps emerging; founders, senior professionals, and leaders from around the world questioning the script they've been handed. Not because they've given up, but because they've outgrown it. In this episode, Jillian explores why so many people carry this quietly, the cost of that isolation, and why the most honest conversations often happen with...

She left a stable role to freelance without a safety net, trusting not that it would work, but that she could handle whatever came next. In this episode, Jillian Vorce talks with Penn Camille Lat about the shift from freelancer to founder and what it takes to build a relationship-driven business.  What began as supporting a single startup evolved into co-founding Virtua Solutions Outsourcing and l...

Most of us spend most of our time with people who are mostly like us. While that familiarity can feel comfortable, it often reinforces the same thinking and limits new perspective. In this episode, Jillian Vorce challenges the short-sighted focus on networking to “get” and explores why real opportunity often lives below the surface. She unpacks the importance of intentionally expanding your ecosys...

Chris Brogan has spent decades shaping how people think about trust, influence, and relationships, from the early days of blogging to advising CEOs and leadership teams through major growth.  In this conversation, he reflects on the long road behind so-called overnight success, the tension between strategy and authenticity, and why relationships have always been the constant in his work. Jillian a...

We talk a lot about relationships, networking, and strategy, but feedback often gets overlooked or misunderstood.  In this solo episode, Jillian explores feedback as a relational tool that shapes confidence, posture, and reputation, not just performance. She challenges the habit of stopping at polite applause or generic praise and invites listeners to share specific, thoughtful observations that a...

After more than 20 years in global corporate leadership roles, Jaime Williams made the decision to walk away without a clear plan for what would come next. What followed was not a quick pivot, but a long stretch of burnout recovery, uncertainty, and relearning how to trust himself again. Two and a half years later, that journey led him to open Flour Shop Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ first physical...

In this reflective solo episode of the One Handshake podcast, Jillian Vorce explores the quiet friction that arises when success, identity, and direction no longer align.  Drawing from a recent conversation and broader patterns she’s seeing, she unpacks why transitions often feel isolating, even for accomplished professionals. Rather than offering advice or solutions, Jillian focuses on the import...

In this conversation, Kevin Eustatia-Palm joins Jillian to talk about his journey from a small island in the Dutch Caribbean to the halls of the United Nations and into the world of venture capital. He shares what it was like to make history at the UN, why he left diplomacy to create more direct impact, and how he built a VC firm that not only funds Caribbean startups but also supports them with s...

In this solo episode, I open up about a challenging health journey that forced me to slow down and reconsider how I was showing up in my work and life. I share what happened when I chose honesty and vulnerability with the One Handshake community and how their response became one of the most grounding and affirming experiences of the year. We talk about permission: permission to pause, to let go of...

Christine Michaelis joins One Handshake to share how she built and grew her work across five countries by prioritizing communication, relationships, and practical systems. She talks about becoming an “accidental entrepreneur,” publishing 22 books in nine years, and how preparation turns ideas into action. Christine reflects on personal moments that shaped her path, including a health scare and the...

What does it really take to start over—professionally, creatively, or personally? Sarah has done all three, across continents and industries. In this conversation, she shares how she moved from big-name productions to founding her own creative company, the role of relationships and mentorship, and the impact of leading with integrity. She also opens up about burnout, identity, and how storytelling...

This episode explores how to get the most out of professional events by combining strategy with spontaneity. Jillian shares how she evaluates events using a personal tracking system, prepares for speakers and attendees she wants to meet, and sets clear objectives before showing up. She also highlights the magic of unplanned conversations, those chance encounters that often turn into lasting relati...

What happens when you start a business with no roadmap but a deep sense of curiosity and a commitment to doing it your way? Dorien Morin-van Dam shares how she built a values-aligned, six-figure business after 40, while raising kids and moving internationally. She talks about organic marketing, agile systems, relationship-based growth, and the shift from undercharging to pricing for value. Dorien’...

Authenticity and boundaries both matter, but what happens when honoring one seems to strain the other? In this episode, Jillian unpacks that friction and offers grounded strategies to navigate it. She shares real-life scenarios, like how to respond when someone asks to "pick your brain," what to say when a collaboration doesn’t align, and how to pause before saying yes too quickly. You’ll also hea...

Jillian sits down with marketing leader Stefana Sopco to trace her improbable rise from jobless newcomer to a top voice in maritime decarbonization and diversity advocacy. Stefana shares the pivotal networking moment that landed her first Dutch role, the tactics she uses to stay “un-layoffable” in an AI-filtered job market, and why sustainability, inclusion, and mental health all belong in the sam...

Posture is more than just body language, it’s a reflection of mindset, confidence, preparation, and alignment. In this solo episode, Jillian explores the often-overlooked impact posture has on connection, opportunity, and perception. She breaks it down into four key areas: physical presence, online behavior, internal belief, and external presentation, and invites listeners to reflect on how their...

In this episode, globetrotting storyteller Ryan Millar unpacks the mindset that carried him from Canadian actor to Roman tour guide, London writer to Brussels bureaucrat, and finally founder of Dashwell Coaching in Amsterdam. He introduces a four-stage lens—Living, Reflecting, Transforming, Synthesizing—for turning raw experiences into artful stories and high-impact talks. Ryan credits 500+ consec...

This episode explores four out-of-the-box tactics to help you genuinely engage the people you want to reach, especially those you’ve identified through the 10 vital business relationships framework. Jillian shares real-life stories, including how a bowl of soup and a $4 harmonica opened doors to long-term friendships and meaningful business opportunities.  You’ll also hear practical tips like jump...

Seymour Ellis has spent 20+ years building high-performing sales teams across five countries, grounded in one belief: when done right, sales is an act of service. In this episode, he breaks down what it means to grow without compromising your values - and why founders should lead their own sales before hiring it out. As co-founder of B Corp-certified Matchstick, Seymour shares real strategies for...

This episode wraps up the 10 Vital Business Relationships framework by digging into the final three often underestimated but high-impact categories: media/influencers/events, vendors/suppliers, and the last one is a surprise. From building visibility through podcasts and conferences to reassessing supply chains and reducing waste, this conversation invites you to see your business through a lens o...

In this episode of the One Handshake podcast, host Jillian Vorce sits down with Shaena Harrison, professional Wing Woman and founder of Tjena.io .  Shaena shares the raw and remarkable story behind her career transformation; from corporate roles and repeated layoffs to launching a business rooted in helping people connect more meaningfully. Together, they talk about the signs that shape our paths,...

In this episode of the One Handshake podcast, host Jillian Vorce continues her breakdown of the “10 Vital Business Relationships” framework, focusing on three groups you may be overlooking: your neighbors, your communities, and even your competitors. With real-life stories and practical actions, Jillian shows how these relationships - often underutilized or misunderstood - can become powerful leve...

Shankar’s career has spanned everything from digital banking and tech consulting to yoga coaching and cross-cultural facilitation. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore how he defines real success—not by traditional accolades, but by alignment, impact, and intimacy with his work and the world around him.  We talk about career pivots, personal values, and how to stay grounded in an increasi...