Infuse Compassion

We all have work experiences and relationships that are great…and some that aren’t so great. What makes the difference? That was the question our guest, Susan LaPlae Miller, tackled as she founded Pieces of I to help organizations and individuals align purpose, values, and impact. Listen in as Susan shares with us: - The power of leaders modeling humility, listening, and continued learning to buil...

It’s hard to match the enthusiasm of Nancy Griffen (if you listened to last week’s episode, you know what we mean), but Amy and Mark do their best in this episode as they reflect on their conversation with Nancy about accomplished women. In this episode, we share our thoughts around the power of women finding a “second act” in their lives and the importance of: - Finding the right advisors to supp...

Nancy Griffin believes women in their “prime time” — ages 55 to 70 — are just getting started. Inspired by her own mother, who launched a jam business after raising her children, Nancy has dedicated her career to helping women claim their worth, build their wealth, and protect their wellbeing. In this episode of the Infuse Compassion podcast, Nancy shares how being overlooked for a promotion becau...

Humans crave light. Sometimes, even when the sun is shining, we feel in the dark emotionally and need to find light. In this episode of the Infuse Compassion podcast, Amy and Mark reflect on their conversation with Tammy Rene in last week’s episode. We talk about finding our way back to light when life turns dark. We discuss: - How we can be helpful in providing light to others. - The importance o...

Note: Be aware that this episode addresses mistreatment of children and other challenging topics. It may not be appropriate for younger audiences. Childhood experiences impact us even as adults. For some, those experiences are motivational. For others, they can be devastating. Our guest this week survived a difficult childhood but found her way to light and hope. Even in the midst of her pain, her...

Chronic illness is often not only challenging physically, but emotionally. In this week’s episode, Amy and Mark share what we learned from our conversation with Jane Casiano, who openly discusses the challenges she faces dealing with Lupus since the age of 13. In this episode we share thoughts about: - How each of us can be supportive without being overbearing. - The power of human connection and...

Chronic illness is often not only challenging physically, but emotionally. In this week’s episode, Amy and Mark share what we learned from our conversation with Jane Casiano, who openly discusses the challenges she faces dealing with Lupus since the age of 13. In this episode we share thoughts about: - How each of us can be supportive without being overbearing. - The power of human connection and...

Connections create success. In this episode, Amy and Mark share our insights from our conversation with Malinda Leonard about the power of collaboration over competition. We share connections that have been important to us in creating our businesses. Who are the connections that matter to you? And how are you connecting with others to create greater collaboration and success? Reflect with us on ho...

Any successful entrepreneur needs the support of other people, especially when starting out. That’s why Malinda Leonard started Grateful Connections, specifically to support women entrepreneurs who are just starting out. In this episode, we explore the power of connections in creating collective success. Join us as we discuss: - The importance of connection over competition, including how people i...

Achievement doesn’t have to result in burnout. In this episode, Amy and Mark reflect on what we learned in last week’s episode with Erika Coleman about “even-achieving” – achieving a lot without high levels of stress. Join us as we discuss: - The power of focusing on direction over destination, and how that ties to SMART goals. - The importance of identifying the right champion to help you succeed...

The world celebrates over-achievers – those who take on difficult tasks and drive through barriers until they get the best results. Stress is often viewed as a natural part of the over-achieving culture. But it comes at a cost. Burnout. In this episode, Erika Coleman shares her research and her personal experience as a hard-driving over-achiever, and how it helped her coin the phrase “even-achieve...

Time to celebrate! One year ago, we introduced the Infuse Compassion podcast to the world! Fifty-two episodes later, we’re still here! In this special episode, Amy and Mark reflect on: • What we’ve learned from our guests during the past year. • Our gratitude for the many people that have made this podcast possible – especially those that took a chance on an unknown show. • How the past year has i...

Every one of us has challenges to overcome and each of those challenges are unique. In this episode of the Infuse Compassion podcast, Amy and Mark reflect on the conversation with Jared Stewart in our last episode, who shared with us the challenges unique to adults living with neurodiversity. As we discuss the great work Jared and his colleagues at ScenicView Academy are doing to help adults with...

The world is designed for the average person. So how can the average person extend compassion toward those who are different than average to help them navigate a world not designed for them? This is the conversation we have with Jared Stewart on this episode of the Infuse Compassion Podcast. Jared is the program director at ScenicView Academy, where he helps empower young adults with autism and ot...

We invest in a lot with both money and time – retirement, property, career growth. Sadly, we don’t always invest in our personal wellbeing. In this episode, Amy and Mark reflect on their conversation with Eli Libby and Kyle Nelson about the value of solo retreats to step away from the noise of life and reset our brains. Join us as we explore: - Simple ways to get mini-resets by stepping away from...

Sometimes people wear busyness as a badge of honor. We feel the stress build up, but put our heads down and press through, at the same time suppressing our emotions. This is a recipe for burnout. The answer: solo retreats. In this episode, we talk with Eli Libby and Kyle Nelson, authors of the book “The Art of the Solo Retreat” and founders of The Solo Retreat Company about the the necessity of re...

One of the most profound human needs is to be seen by others. Kindness is helping others know they are seen. Amy and Mark reflect on our conversation with Brad Aronson, author of “HumanKind” from the last episode. Our comments center on that core need: to be seen. In this episode you’ll hear: - Reminders of simple ways we can help others feel seen without seeming trite or overbearing. - The import...

Kindness and compassion don’t require great acts of bravery, huge investments of time, or gigantic donations of money. Simple acts of kindness can have profound impact. In this episode, we talk with Brad Aronson, best-selling author of “HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time.” Brad shares some of his favorite illustrations from this collection of kind acts that changed lives and lif...

Who are the leaders who had the most profound impact on you? This is one of the questions Amy and Mark discuss as they reflect on their conversation with Chester Elton. Chester pointed out that leaders play three key roles: coach, teacher, and mentor. In this episode we cover: - The importance of these three roles in leaders. - Examples of these three roles for leaders. - The importance for leader...

What would you ask of one of the world’s leading authorities on building strong teams and cultures in organizations? In this episode we are joined by “The Apostle of Appreciation,” co-founder of The Culture Works, Chester Elton. We pick Chester’s brain to get tips based on his decades of experience in coaching leaders and teams. In this episode, you’ll learn: • The power of knowing your people’s s...

Fateful conversations are those that have momentous significance or consequences. Amy and Mark share their thoughts from our conversation with Cheri Torres and Jackie Stavros, authors of “Conversations Worth Having” in the last episode. In this episode, we discuss: - More about the brain science behind conversations, particularly how emotions can interfere with our ability to have Conversations Wo...

We engage in conversations so often that we sometimes forget the impact those conversations can have. Today we get a double dose of guests with the co-authors of “Conversations Worth Having,” Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres. We dig into how we can make sure our conversations matter more often. In this episode you’ll learn: - The four types of conversations we can have and how to create more conver...

Compassionate leadership starts with compassion for yourself. In this episode, Amy and Mark reflect on the conversation with Dr. Kasi Lacey about how our thoughts impact our ability to lead and serve others effectively. We explore further the dangers and possibilities of comparison and the negative thoughts that sometimes hold us back. We also discuss: - How to feed your inner critic in appropriat...

Sometimes the bad examples start something good. In this episode of the Infuse Compassion podcast, we talk with Dr. Kasi Lacey (yes, it rhymes), whose journey to help create more positive, impactful leaders stemmed from seeing leaders who were creating negative impact. Get ready to take notes as Dr. Lacey teaches us: - Three ways we compare and how to compare in a more healthy way. - The power in...

We feel differently about costs than we do about investments. Sometimes we think of the time spent on restoring difficult relationships as a cost, but it’s an investment. In this episode, Amy and Mark reflect on their conversation with Greg Stephens from last week’s Infuse Compassion podcast. Listen in as we discuss: How fear always distracts us from our ultimate goal. The danger in listening to y...