Finding The Upside

There’s something powerful that happens when women truly support each other. In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day which we celebrated in March, this special compilation episode of Finding the Upside brings together three meaningful conversations with incredible women — each sharing their journeys of connection, courage, and self-belief. From lifelong friendships that cre...

Leadership doesn’t stop at your org chart—it follows you out the office door and into the communities your business touches. In this final episode of my Leadership That Gives Back mini-series, In this final episode of my Leadership That Gives Back mini-series, I’m closing the loop on everything we’ve talked about together.  I’m closing out this conversation with one core truth: Belonging isn’t a w...

Misty Lyon didn’t say yes to this journey without hesitation. In fact, self-doubt showed up immediately — the familiar question of whether she was “good enough” lingering just beneath the surface. In this episode of the Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation series, Misty shares a story shaped by bravery, authenticity, and the quiet decision to move forward anyway. Recorded live at the Revive and...

What does it really take to step onto a stage and leave a lasting impact? In this powerful keynote from the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , award-winning director, producer, and author Tricia Brouk shares how to unlock the full power of your voice so you can influence, inspire, and lead, whether you're on a global stage, in the boardroom, or around the kitchen table. Tricia takes u...

What does it really take to step onto a stage and leave a lasting impact? In this powerful keynote from the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , award-winning director, producer, and author Tricia Brouk shares how to unlock the full power of your voice so you can influence, inspire, and lead, whether you're on a global stage, in the boardroom, or around the kitchen table. Tricia takes u...

For a long time, Lisa Cain believed that protecting others meant holding parts of herself back. In this episode of the Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation series, Lisa shares a story shaped by careful restraint—and the moment she realized that healing wasn’t possible while she kept filtering her truth. Recorded live at the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , Lisa reflects on what happe...

Good intentions don’t create impact, execution does. In Part 3 of my “Leadership That Gives Back” mini-series, I’m getting practical about what it actually takes to build responsibility into the way you operate. Because most leaders aren’t avoiding impact because they don’t care; they’re avoiding it because they think it has to be complicated, messy, or risky.  In this episode, I share the simple...

Training Innovations recently presented another New Jersey Devils home game at the Prudential Center through the Devils Affiliate Partner Program with Eleven Sports Media. For me, this partnership is about more than visibility. It represents a commitment to supporting our home team, connecting with other New Jersey businesses, and being part of a local community that believes in showing up for one...

Earlier this year in Episode 162 , I shared the launch of the MDR Give Back Program — our commitment to donate 1% of all company sales to organizations fighting hunger , specifically Feeding America and No Kid Hungry . This episode is a short follow-up and reminder of that commitment. I’m sharing what that initiative produced in 2025 , and why the cause behind it remains so important. Food insecur...

There comes a moment when staying quiet costs more than being heard. In this episode of the Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation series, Cassandra Lennox shares a story shaped by years of quiet self-protection—and the moment she realized silence was no longer serving her. Recorded live at the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , Cassie reflects on the internal barriers that kept her hold...

Purpose doesn’t soften performance — it stabilizes it when everything else gets shaky. In Part 2 of my mini-series “Leadership That Gives Back,” I take on one of the most persistent myths in modern leadership: the idea that you can either build a profitable business or a principled one.  Somewhere along the way, we were taught that caring costs too much… and that impact belongs in PR, not in opera...

In this special conversation recorded LIVE at the 2025 Revive and Thrive Empowerment Summit , I sit down with my friend and mentor, the incredible Tricia Brouk, to share something I’ve been working on and marks the official launch of The Business Leaders Hub . For years, I’ve worked with organizations, executives, and teams to transform the way they lead. What I’ve seen time and again is that true...

What does transformation really mean — and when does it actually begin? In this episode of the Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation series, Angela Hoover invites us to rethink transformation not as a single defining moment, but as a choice we make again and again — sometimes quietly, sometimes courageously. Recorded live at the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , Angela shares reflectio...

Leadership isn’t shifting, it’s being rewritten in real time, and responsibility is no longer optional. In this shorty episode of Finding the Upside , I’m kicking off Part 1 of my four-part mini series, Leadership That Gives Back, and I’m naming the thing so many leaders tiptoe around: impact is already happening, the only choice is whether it’s intentional.  I break down why “giving back” can’t l...

 In this powerful and deeply personal talk from the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , certified trauma care practitioner and mindset coach Stacey Uhrig takes us on a journey from her very first anxiety attack at age 12 to the transformative moment she stopped fighting her anxiety and started listening to it. In PART TWO of this two-part episode, Stacey shares how anxiety became a constan...

In this powerful and deeply personal talk from the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , certified trauma care practitioner and mindset coach Stacey Uhrig takes us on a journey from her very first anxiety attack at age 12 to the transformative moment she stopped fighting her anxiety and started listening to it. In PART ONE in this two-part episode, Stacey shares how anxiety became a constant...

Building something that lasts requires patience, relationships, and a deep commitment to serving others first. In this episode of Finding the Upside , I sit down with Ivan Misner, founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. Often called the father of modern networking, Ivan shares how BNI grew from a simple need for referrals into a global orga...

As we step into 2026, leadership is being tested in new and uncomfortable ways. Systems are shifting. Expectations are changing. And the old rules for success no longer apply. In this episode, I’m sharing what’s ahead for Finding the Upside — and why the conversations we’re having now matter more than ever. Looking back at the themes that shaped 2025, one truth stands out: belonging is no longer o...

This year, I have been thinking…If I’m helping leaders build cultures where people can thrive… how can I also help my community thrive? In this episode, I’m sharing the story behind a major shift for MDR Brands, the launch of incorporating a Give Back Business Model. At the Revive & Thrive 2026 event, I announced the MDR Give Back Program, our new commitment to donate a percentage of our sales...

AI might be the biggest buzzword in business right now, but most leaders are still asking the same quiet question: Are we actually ready for this? In this episode of Finding the Upside, I break down why readiness, not technology, is the real factor determining whether AI will create value in your organization.  Using current research from McKinsey, MIT, and BCG, I unpack why so many CEOs feel unpr...

In today’s episode of Finding the Upside, I sit down with the icon, the legend, Les Brown for a conversation that unfolds with honesty, warmth, and a depth that only he can bring. We talk about how quickly the world is shifting, especially with technology and AI, and how important it is to stay curious, adaptable, and willing to grow. What struck me most was how aligned we were in seeing change no...

This year Training Innovations, powered by MDR Brands began a 3-year sponsorship as an Affiliate Partner with our home state’s professional hockey team. Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes of our partnership with New Jersey Devils Affiliate Partner Program and Eleven Sports Media.  We presented the game and brought the Jr. Captain onto the ice for the November 6th match up with the Montreal Ca...

Across the U.S., the No Kings movement has sparked one of the largest grassroots protests in our history, reminding us that democracy belongs to the people , not to any one leader. In this episode, I’m speaking straight from the heart about something that matters deeply to me- activism in action and the power of showing up .  I share why I refuse to stay silent as our values of freedom, fairness,...

 In this episode of Finding the Upside , I take a hard look at what happens when the promises of freedom and belonging aren’t applied equally. Right now, in the United States, we’re seeing an immigration crackdown that is being carried out in ways that are inhumane, unjust, and not rooted in law, but in manufactured justifications for stripping people of their status. We’re at a moment where peopl...

We’ve all felt that sting, the gut-punch moment when feedback doesn’t land like a compliment. But what if feedback, even the toughest kind, could actually strengthen your confidence instead of shaking it? In this episode of Finding the Upside , I share how to reframe criticism so it becomes a powerful tool for growth. Drawing from my 30+ years of coaching leaders, I am breaking down practical mind...