Empowered Team Podcast

In this powerful solo episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider — former high-performance coach working with Olympic and national-level teams — reveals the three silent ways you are communicating every single day… and what it’s costing you if you ignore them. Drawing from over 30 years in elite performance environments, Kari shares how culture, trust, and engagement are shaped lon...

In this powerful kickoff to a new series on communication and leadership interaction, Kari Schneider  dives into a topic most leaders avoid: the psychology of lying — and how it impacts trust, credibility, and team performance. Drawing on research from: Dr. Robert Feldman (University of Massachusetts)  Dan Ariely (The Honest Truth About Dishonesty)  Dr. Robert Trivers (The Folly of Fools)  Kari br...

What if the thing holding back your leadership isn’t your strategy… but the emotions you’ve been trained to ignore? In this episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider sits down with Randy Lyman—physicist, entrepreneur, emotional intelligence teacher, patent holder, and builder of multiple eight-figure businesses (including an Inc. 500). Randy shares the surprising shift that helped...

Kyle McDowell - Former Fortune 500 executive who led 30,000+ employees across multi-billion dollar P&Ls. Author of the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller Begin With We and upcoming Win With We (2027). Now keynote speaker and leadership consultant focused on transforming organizational culture. What You'll Discover: The hidden cost of "successful" leadership - why being good at your j...

What happens when a high-performing leader—someone wired for speed, scale, and big outcomes—gets forced to slow down? In this powerful interview, Kari Schneider sits down with American entrepreneur, engineer, and investor Jason Shipley, founder of Midwest Custom Engineering, to talk about leadership, resilience, and the inner game that keeps a team (and a family) thriving. Jason shares how he’s bu...

Knowing what to do isn’t the problem—taking consistent action is. In this episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider continues the Inner Game series with a powerful focus on action. Building on the previous episodes about pausing and embracing change, Kari shares three deceptively simple questions that help leaders move forward—even when motivation is low, willpower is depleted, an...

Why is change so hard—even when we know what to do? In this powerful episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider breaks down why awareness alone doesn’t lead to transformation—and what actually does. This episode is part of the Inner Game Series: The Power of Questions, and it introduces three deceptively simple questions that make change easier, more aligned, and far more sustainab...

In this solo episode, host Kari Schneider dives deep into the inner game of leadership and self-mastery—starting with what may be the most underrated tool of all: the pause. This is part 1 of a new 3-part series called The Power of Questions, and it starts by rewiring your reactivity. Kari introduces the three simple but powerful questions that instantly shift your brain from impulsive to intentio...

In this soul-stirring episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider sits down with seasoned entrepreneur Sandy Moll, a woman who has built multi-million dollar businesses, navigated financial collapse, and found peace and prosperity—not just in business, but in life. With a background in finance, real estate, and entrepreneurship, Sandy is the founder of Advanced Business Solutions an...

In this episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider sits down with powerhouse leader Erica Sinner — multi 8-figure founder of Directory, CEO, and bestselling author of Pets Are Family. Erica’s mission? Revolutionizing leadership with empathy, operational compassion, and high-performance culture that doesn’t burn people out. 💥 With 20+ years in life sciences and biotech, Erica built...

Guest: Anthony Cudjo, aka Coach Cujo — human optimization expert, professional athlete, speaker, spiritual mentor, and 30+ year coach. In this powerful episode, we dive into the untapped potential already encoded in your DNA. From breaking free of societal conditioning to reversing illness and mastering self-leadership, Cujo delivers potent truth-bombs on: Why most people are stuck in “sheep” mode...

You hired an A-player who crushed it at first. Now they're disengaged, missing deadlines, producing mediocre work. Your first thought? "Motivation problem. Attitude issue." Wrong diagnosis. In this episode, I break down why A-players underperform—and it's almost never about the person. It's about the environment, the role, and the authority they're given   You'll learn: The 3 I's that define an A-...

Who you believe you are determines how you lead, how you show up, and what results you create—whether you realize it or not. In this powerful solo episode, Kari Schneider introduces the concept of Identity Architecture—the science-backed framework that explains how thoughts become beliefs, beliefs become behaviors, and behaviors become identity. This episode is for leaders, entrepreneurs, and high...

This is Part 2 of the interview with Peter Swain , where the conversation goes deeper into the real implications of AI. In this episode, Kari and Peter move beyond awareness and into consequence, exploring what the rapid acceleration of AI means for leadership, work, and how we find meaning in a changing world. Peter shares what the next 3–10 years of AI development could realistically look like,...

Guest: Peter Swain — international speaker, bestselling author, and two-time tech pioneer. Founder of PSI, one of the first AI training companies helping individuals and businesses build real AI capability. Episode Highlights: • How Peter went from coding at age six to being personally retained by Steve Jobs, and why his mission today is teaching AI to everyday leaders • The three timelines of AI...

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...