Working on Purpose

A new career narrative is emerging—one driven less by prestige and more by purpose. People everywhere are seeking to use their gifts in service of something larger than themselves. This episode invites you into the Mission Generation: a movement reshaping how we think about work, success, and fulfillment—and how you can step into meaningful contribution that rebuilds our future, no matter where yo...

What makes a brand unforgettable? Conviction. Warren Kornblum explores how standing for something meaningful sparks emotional connection, earns belief, and subtly shapes culture. Learn why values must be lived, not stated, and how great brands evolve their voice without losing their core. But conviction alone isn’t enough—trust is built by consistently delivering on your promises. At its best, a b...

Men are suffering—often in silence and alone. The cost is devastating. What happens when a man can no longer outrun himself? Every 13 minutes, a man takes his own life by suicide. For many men, midlife isn’t a crisis—it’s a reckoning. A shattering of identity, expectations, and the quiet loneliness of performing a life that no longer feels true. In a world that still discourages emotional honesty,...

If you hate rules, this episode might challenge everything you believe about innovation. Rules get blamed for everything—slow progress, lack of innovation, stuck teams. But what if they’re not the problem? In this provocative episode, Sheri Jacobs reveals how boundaries, when used intentionally, become the catalyst for clarity, creativity, and real progress. The breakthrough you want may be hiding...

Every Sunday night millions of workers feel it--the piercing dread as the weekend fades away. Yep, it’s the “Sunday Scaries” as your team braces for what they must endure in the upcoming work week. But what if learning what is driving that tension and effectively responding is actually your greatest leadership opportunity? Join Mary Baird as we unpack how trust, intentional design, and a compellin...

Today’s graduates are doing everything “right”—earning degrees, building credentials—yet many still struggle to land their first job. Meanwhile, employers are searching for talent that can contribute from day one. So what’s missing? Alexandra Levit explores the widening gap between what schools teach and what workplaces demand. She makes the case for work-based learning as a critical bridge. It’s...

Here’s a hard truth: Most leaders are focused on the wrong thing. They chase performance, tactics, and productivity—yet overlook the one factor that drives it all: who they are being. In this provocative episode, Ryan Gottfredson reveals why only about 15% of people are genuinely self-aware—and how that blind spot is quietly limiting your impact. If you want to break through to a new level of lead...

What if the very tools meant to make life easier are actually draining you? From endless notifications to late-night scrolling, today’s technology is keeping your cortisol levels spiked—and your body stuck in stress mode. Justin Hai breaks down how this invisible cycle fuels burnout, anxiety, and fatigue, and shares practical ways to break free, reset your system, and restore balance across your w...

Sometimes, the longest journeys are the ones that bring you home to yourself. In this heartfelt episode, entrepreneur Michael Yang shares how a 40,000-mile motorcycle journey became a moving meditation on his life—from his early years in Korea during wartime, to immigrating to the United States, to building a life of success, love, and family. This is an exploration of what it means to truly live,...

What if supporting new and working parents wasn’t a disruption to your business—but a strategic advantage? In today’s multi-generational workforce, leaders are being called to design workplaces where people don’t have to choose between meaningful careers and meaningful lives. Joined by Beth Wanner, discover how innovative models like Mother Cover, providing leave coverage, can protect performance,...

Leadership isn’t just about directing outcomes—it’s about cultivating what’s alive within your organization. In this thoughtful dialogue with Norman Wolfe, we explore the next evolution of The Living Organization and what it asks of leaders willing to grow into it. This episode centers on the inner journey: learning to see patterns, deepen your presence, and lead from a more integrated, whole self...

AI is no longer a future conversation—it’s here, and it’s forcing a reckoning. Will you use it to cut costs and commoditize talent, or to amplify human brilliance? In this episode, we unpack the real leadership challenge of AI: navigating disruption while unlocking empowerment. The winners won’t be those who automate the fastest, but those who invest wisely in elevating customers, energizing emplo...

The world feels louder, harsher, and more divided than ever. It’s easy to get pulled into the chaos—reacting, withdrawing, or simply feeling worn down by it all. But losing yourself in the noise comes at a cost. So how do you stay clear, centered, and strong? In this episode, Dr. Ciaramicoli brings 45 years of experience as a clinical psychologist sitting with people in their darkest moments while...

Only about 10% of the population are what psychologist Douglas Brackmann calls “The Driven.” They are the entrepreneurs, inventors, and elite performers who build companies, create new industries, and generate much of the world’s wealth. But their superpower comes with a shadow. Driven individuals are often chronically dissatisfied—always pushing for more, even after achieving what others would co...

For years, leadership conversations treated communication, empathy, and collaboration as “soft skills.” But in today’s complex workplaces, they’ve become hard core capabilities for team success. My guest Yadira Caro shares her Five C’s framework—a practical method she uses to help teams build the trust, clarity, and connection needed to work better together and perform at their best. Working on Pu...

What if the missing ingredient in your engagement strategy isn’t better rewards—but deeper appreciation? While recognition programs spotlight desired behaviors, authentic appreciation acknowledges the whole person behind the work. It carries both intention and heart. And unlike recognition, it isn’t confined to hierarchy—it can move across teams. Dr. Paul White explores how cultivating a culture o...

Henry David Thoreau is often remembered as a writer, environmentalist, thinker, surveyor and activist. A closer, more appreciative look also reveals his creative and eclectic thought leadership and contributions to business operations and leadership. What can we learn from the man who spent two years in a small cabin on Walden Pond in 1845 to live deliberately, seek simplicity, and explore self-re...

Burnout is on the rise, and traditional solutions fall short. Enter Dr. Tolia, a former medical doctor turned visual artist who now prescribes beauty and creativity for vitality. Her work shifts workplaces from tense and transactional to calm and inspiring. Together, we uncover how intentional art can nurture meaning, elevate well-being, and unlock leaders’ higher potential to create thriving cult...

Real leadership doesn’t emerge in moments of certainty—it’s forged in ambiguity, discomfort, and self-doubt. No matter where you are on your leadership journey, you will face moments where you don’t know the answers and can’t see the road ahead. In this thoughtful conversation with leadership expert Pete Behrens, we unpack how to lead authentically in the fog, embrace the messiness of real life, a...

Remote and hybrid work opened the door to greater autonomy, focus, and balance for millions of workers. Today, that door is closing as companies reinstate return-to-office mandates. What’s fueling this reversal, and what are leaders overlooking? In this episode, Monica Browning Mitchell unpacks the latest research on RTO decisions and offers guidance on how leaders can approach them with intention...

From the Great Depression to the Information Age, and countless times before, periods of upheaval have always reshaped how we live and lead. Today’s convergence of AI, cultural disruption, and evolving workforce expectations is no different—except the pace is faster and the stakes higher. In this episode, Dr. Stephen Post shares insights from Pure Unlimited Love on how leaders can cultivate inner...

If your leadership vision doesn’t feel a little audacious, it’s probably too small. In this episode, Gray McDowell and I explore why King Arthur’s Camelot remains a powerful leadership provocation in an age of disruption and distrust. Honor, quest, and excellence aren’t outdated—they’re precious and rare. Leave the dagger. Take the sword. Build something worth remembering. Working on Purpose is br...

Most leadership programs fail to deliver results because they focus on what leaders know and do. Vertical development is effective because it focuses on who leaders are becoming. Rather than downloading more skills, it elevates a leader’s mindset and ability to make sense of complexity with greater emotional and cognitive sophistication. Leaders can transform their organizations by evolving their...

Every generation is accused of lowering the bar. History proves the opposite. Gen Z is raising expectations around emotional intelligence, earned authority, and meaningful work—and leaders are feeling the pressure. In this episode featuring Gen Z expert Tim Elmore, we explore why resisting Gen Z misses the point, and how leaders who rise to their standards can build destination workplaces no gener...

Discover how learning to share unforgettable stories can turn you into a fearless, visionary leader. Emmy-winning reporter and broadcaster Monica Pierre takes the stage in a powerful theatrical performance, putting fear, change, and diminishment “on trial.” Learn how to confront what holds you back, embrace transformation, and avoid unknowingly shrinking those you lead. Join us to elevate your sto...