Forward Conversation with Friends

Why do so many organizations spend hours documentinglessons learned, only to file them away and never use them again? In this episode of  Forward Conversations with Friends , I sit down with  Nina Blassingame , Founder and Principal Guide of Crossing Change, to explore how organizations can transformlessons learned into lasting organizational intelligence that drives continuous improvement. Nina s...

What does leadership look like when the stakes areglobal and every decision impacts lives? In this episode of  Forward Conversation with Friends , host Mignon sits down with Monika Gorzelanska, former USAID executive, global operations leader, and author of  Beneath the Flag . Drawing from years of leading international development projects across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the United States, Monik...

In this insightful episode of  Forward Conversations with Friends , Mignon Edorh sits down with career strategist and founder of Resume Ready, Mark Misiano, to explore what it truly means to build a fulfilling career. Together, they discuss how people at every stage of life, from Gen Z professionals entering the workforce to experienced leaders preparing for retirement, can find clarity, align the...

In this episode of  Forward Conversation with Friends , host Mignon Edorh sits down with NASA leader and veteran advocate Jason Smith for an inspiring conversation about resilience, reinvention, networking, and purpose-driven leadership. Jason shares his remarkable journey, from the military, toovercoming severe health challenges, rebuilding his life through education, and eventually leading trans...

In this episode, host Mignon Edorh sits down with Ashmita Sarkar, a project management professional and nonprofit co-founder, to explore what it takes to succeed in today’s evolving project landscape. Ashmita shares her journey from scaling a grassroots nonprofit to leading strategic initiatives within PMI, highlighting the importance of operational efficiency, stakeholder engagement, and data-dri...

In this episode of  Forward Conversation with Friends , host Mignon Edorh sits down with project management expert and entrepreneur Nikouri Brown to explore what it truly means to live and work with intention. Nikouri shares her journey from corporate project management to founding her own consulting firm, revealing how structure, discipline, and clarity have shaped both her professional success a...

Why do so many of us feel anxiety before the workweek even begins? In this powerful episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with coach, author, and podcast host Angie Callen to unpack the phenomenon she calls the  Sunday Scaries , the creeping anxiety many professionals feel as Monday approaches. Angie, host of the No More Mondays podcast and authorof Scary Good: Discovering Life Beyond the Sun...

In this powerful March episode of  Forward , I sit down with Dr. Safi Mojidi, a cybersecurity leader, educator, and unapologetic change agent to unpack a journey that spans federal agencies, including NASA, and now academia. From delivering secure enterprise solutions under pressureto earning a doctorate to challenge systemic gaps in cybersecurity, Dr. Mojidi shares: Why security is a  business st...

Incident Response in the AI Era: Inside the Modern SOC, Cyber Leadership, and the Human Factor In this episode, we dive deep into the real world of cybersecurity incident response with a seasoned cyber leader who has spent over 15 years protecting mission-critical environments, from the DoD to enterprise-scaleSecurity Operations Centers (SOC). This conversation goes beyond buzzwords and tools. We...

In this episode, host  Mignon Edorh sits down with IT Director and Project Management leader  Danielle Thomas-Pollard for a powerful conversation on clarity, communication, and the human side of projects. From navigating complex stakeholder requirements to transforming emotional “venting” into actionable outcomes, Danielle shares real-world techniques that help teams move from confusion to alignme...

In this episode, Mignon sits down with her dear friend, Margarita Carrasco, for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation. Margarita opens up about the courage it takes to meet people where they are, through carrying for her 85 years brother, the importance of being patient with yourself and others, and the power of staying true to who you are, even when it’s the hardest choice to make. She reminds...