Finding The Upside

Belonging may be one of the most powerful antidotes we have to polarization. Division becomes easier when we stop seeing each other as people and start seeing each other as categories. But something shifts when we sit across the table from someone, hear their story, work beside them, and begin to understand the experiences that shaped the way they see the world. In this special episode series, Reb...

Everybody has an opinion. But how often do we stop to ask if we actually have the facts? We live in a culture that rewards instant reactions. A story breaks, a problem surfaces, or a conflict happens and almost immediately, we're expected to decide who's right, who's wrong, what happened, and what should happen next. But leadership requires something different: discernment. In this spe...

Fear may create compliance. But it will never create trust. Fear is driving more of our behavior than we may realize. We see it in the media, politics, our communities and in our workplaces. When fear becomes the environment instead of a response to an actual emergency, it changes how people think, communicate, and lead. In this special episode series of Rebel Leadership in Real Time , I explore w...

Public outrage is everywhere. Some of it is for good reason. But, what if the outrage is really just revealing more about our culture than the events themselves. In the first part of my new Rebel Leadership in Real Time series, I'm taking a step back from the headlines to explore the leadership lessons hiding beneath today's outrage-driven culture. Every day brings a new controversy, publi...

200 episodes. Hundreds of stories. And one idea that continues to prove itself: there is always an upside. For this milestone episode of Finding the Upside , I’m doing something a little different. Instead of another interview, I’m looking back at some of the conversations, people, and lessons from our last 100 episodes—and the wisdom that stayed with me long after the cameras stopped rolling. I’v...

After months of writing, reflecting, growing, and sharing our stories, UNEDITED: Women's Stories of Truth, Identity, and Transformation That Shape Leadership is officially launching TODAY, and I couldn't be more excited to share this conversation with you. Recorded during our launch celebration weekend, this episode of Finding the Upside brings together the incredible women behind UNEDITED...

Most of us don't stay silent because we don't care. We stay silent because we don't want to make things worse, create conflict, or say the wrong thing. But what if our silence is communicating more than we realize? In this episode of Finding the Upside , and as part of the series “Living Your Values”, I explore the hidden cost of staying quiet—both in our personal lives and as leaders....

In today’s special ENCORE 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 s...

You don't need all the answers to lead. We're living in a world that rewards certainty. The loudest voices often sound the most convincing, we're expected to have instant opinions, and leaders can feel enormous pressure to project confidence—even when the path ahead is anything but clear. But here’s the thing…certainty isn't the goal. In this episode of Finding the Upside , and as...

Welcome to Season 6 of Finding the Upside . Every season begins with possibility. But this one feels different. As I reflect on nearly 200 episodes, one thing has become clear: people don't need more information—they're hungry for wisdom, perspective, and meaningful conversations that help them navigate an increasingly complex world. This season, we're asking bigger questions than ever...

People remember how you made them feel. That is the foundation in everything. When we think of hospitality, most of us picture hotels, restaurants, or great customer service. But I’m proposing that hospitality is actually one of the most powerful—and overlooked—leadership skills we have.  In this episode of Finding the Upside , and as part of the series “The Connection Revolution” , I discuss why...

One of my favorite parts of hosting Finding the Upside is introducing you to people who are creating meaningful impact in the world. In this episode, I sit down with my friend and colleague, Waleed Khalid , Founder and CEO of Oxford Talks, to explore what it really means to lead with purpose, curiosity and service. I've had the privilege of working alongside Waleed at Oxford University, Harvar...

It seems like everywhere I turn, someone is angry. Social media rewards it. News cycles amplify it. And before we know it, we're reacting instead of responding. But is outrage actually creating the change we hope for—or is it keeping us stuck? In this episode of Finding the Upside , and as part of the series “Leading Through The Noise”, I explore why outrage and leadership are not the same thi...

We're living in a time when many people are carrying more than they realize. The pressure to keep going, stay productive, and push through has become so normalized that exhaustion often feels like a way of life. In this shorty episode of Finding the Upside , I explore the hidden impact of living in survival mode and why so many people are feeling depleted, even when they're doing all the &...

A few weeks ago, I hosted a screening of the documentary No Country for Mothers . Twenty people signed up. Three showed up. At first, I was disappointed. But as I sat with it, I realized the empty chairs told a story of their own. Mothers are expected to show up for everyone else, yet when it's time to show up for mothers, too often the room is left empty. In this episode of Finding the Upside...

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work, communicate, and lead—but what does that mean for the future of being human? In this episode of Finding the Upside , I explore a question that goes far beyond technology: As AI becomes more capable, what qualities become even more valuable? From trust and connection to belonging and significance, we’ll examine why the skills often labeled as “so...

I recently shared the big news that my book project UNEDITED: Women's Stories of Truth, Identity, and Transformation That Shape Leadership , is going to be LIVE in just a couple months.  And I couldn't be more excited to share another behind-the-scenes look at the journey of bringing this book to life. On today’s episode of Finding the Upside , I'm taking you inside the recording studi...

Trust is the currency of leadership and right now, too many organizations are operating like it’s unlimited. In this episode of Finding the Upside, I’m naming what I believe is the real crisis unfolding inside teams and companies: not a talent problem, but a trust problem. People aren’t listening to mission statements anymore, they’re watching patterns. They’re tracking who gets protected, who get...

Coming soon…the book project is launching  and I am so excited to share it with you.   In this special behind-the-scenes episode of Finding the Upside , I'm taking you inside the amazing launch weekend for my upcoming book collaboration  UNEDITED: Women’s Stories of Truth, Identity, and Transformation That Shape Leadership. It was a packed weekend of events and so many moments that were truly...

For years, Heather Romanski heard the same refrain: “You should write a book.” And for just as long, she found reasons not to believe it. In this episode of the Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation series, Heather shares a story shaped by self-doubt, unspoken shame, and the quiet weight of an experience she carried longer than she realized. Recorded live at the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowermen...

Integrity isn’t a quote on a wall, it’s a cost you’re willing to pay in real life. In this episode of Finding the Upside , I’m naming the tension I can’t unsee lately: the growing gap between what we say we value… and how we actually live. And I’m not just talking about “out there.” I’m talking about the subtle moments where we defend what we’d never tolerate, stay silent when our voice matters, o...

Every one of us carries a story that was never meant to stay unwritten. In this inspiring presentation from the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit , Cassandra Lennox invites us to step into the transformative process of capturing those stories—raw, imperfect, and real—through what she calls the “first drafts of change.” Cassandra shares how some of life’s most powerful breakthroughs happen...

For a long time, Tricia Speas believed her story wasn’t significant enough to tell. In this episode of the Real Women: 7 Minutes of Transformation series, Tricia shares what happened when she finally stopped dismissing that belief and sat with a blank page anyway. Recorded live at the Revive and Thrive 2025 Empowerment Summit, her reflection offers a glimpse into the quiet, often unseen moments wh...

These days we have SO many choices with apps and tools to use for EVERYTHING! Think about this… How many times do you switch from one application to another? How many tabs do you have open in your browser? How many times do you pick up your phone and switch back and forth between your phone and your computer? How many applications do you go in and out of on your phone? I was reading something abou...

Oxford. Harvard. And one quiet, surreal moment where it was just me, a camera, and a message I couldn’t keep to myself. In this episode of Finding the Upside, I’m taking you behind the scenes of two speaking experiences that stretched me, grounded me, and reminded me what real leadership is made of—humanity, hospitality, and belonging. I’ll share what it felt like to step into rooms built for hist...