THE BOLT Podcast

What happens when leaders avoid difficult conversations at work? How does unresolved conflict affect employee trust, engagement, and workplace culture? In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, host Todd Bertsch speaks with Dyann McDowell, founder of Training Marbles Inc., workplace culture expert, and author of Civility Unleashed. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience, Dyann explains why small w...

What happens when the work you love starts burning you out? In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd Bertsch sits down with behavioral scientist and work passion researcher Dr. David Shar to explore why passionate people fall out of love with their work. They discuss the difference between healthy and obsessive passion, the warning signs of burnout, and how leaders can create workplaces where peo...

AI can give leaders more information, recommendations, and answers than ever before. But having better answers does not automatically mean we are making better decisions. In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd Bertsch sits down with Heather Mallette, SHRM-CP, Founder and CEO of The Decision Line®, to explore why human judgment becomes even more important as artificial intelligence becomes more...

What happens when professional success no longer feels like enough? Chuck Garcia shares how defining moments led him to reconsider achievement, purpose, and service after more than 25 years on Wall Street. This conversation explores how to respond when life interrupts your plans, why self-awareness matters when making meaningful changes, and how leaders can communicate with greater clarity and int...

Chris McClure explains what separates a manager from a leader people genuinely want to follow. You’ll learn why promoting high performers without leadership development can hurt both the manager and the team, how consistent one-on-one conversations build trust and engagement, why personal development plans should happen before performance problems arise, and how leaders can balance caring for peop...

This episode explains what equity means, how it differs from equality, and why equitable leadership can help people perform at their best. Celeste Warren draws on decades of HR and diversity leadership to explain why treating everyone the same does not always create equal opportunity. The conversation explores workplace barriers, unconscious bias, hiring practices, inclusive systems, employee deve...

Kyle Wells, President of Champion Personnel, shares how leaders can build trust, strengthen culture, improve retention, and guide teams through uncertainty by putting people first. Drawing on his unconventional path from a temporary shop-floor worker to a company owner, Kyle explains why vulnerability, transparency, self-awareness, and investing in employees are essential leadership skills. The co...

Know Yourself Before Leading Others Learn why self-awareness is the foundation of authentic leadership and how understanding your strengths, values, habits, and blind spots can change the way you lead. Todd Bertsch and leadership identity expert Dana Williams explore why so many leaders focus on fixing everyone else before doing the internal work themselves. They discuss how assessments like Clift...

What makes employees stay, grow, and give their best every day? In this episode, Todd Bertsch sits down with veteran leadership executive Dave Walter to explore the principles of people-first leadership. You'll learn how coaching builds stronger teams than command-and-control management, why psychological safety improves performance, how to identify future leaders, and why treating people with dig...

Why do smart, capable people overthink, avoid difficult conversations, resist change, and sometimes become ineffective leaders? According to psychologist and executive coach Dr. Jamie Lewis Smith, it's because our brains aren't designed to make us successful—they're designed to keep us alive. In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd Bertsch sits down with Dr. Jamie Lewis Smith (aka the NeHRd Lady...

What makes someone stand out in a crowded job market, competitive industry, or rapidly changing world? In this episode, we explore how personal branding, resilience, and intentional action can help people create new opportunities and build meaningful careers. The conversation covers overcoming setbacks, navigating career transitions, building trust, creating memorable customer experiences, and why...

In this episode, we explore why leadership is one of the most important skills people are rarely taught. The conversation covers burnout, difficult conversations, work-life harmony, self-awareness, and practical habits that help people lead more effectively at work and at home. Listeners will learn how to improve communication, build stronger relationships, avoid common leadership mistakes, and cr...

This episode explores how leaders can navigate personal hardship, career pressure, identity shifts, and rapid technological change without losing themselves in the process. The conversation covers resilience, empathy, women in leadership, intentional living, and the future of AI in the workplace. Listeners will learn practical ways to lead with more humanity, build confidence through difficult sea...

What if the real issue isn’t burnout—but misalignment? In this episode of the BOLT, I sit down with Megan Leasher, organizational psychologist and executive coach, to explore why high achievers often feel stuck when what made them successful stops working. Together, they unpack how workplace disruption creates internal shifts, how to spot early warning signs, and how to realign with purpose and gr...

Leadership doesn’t break down during the easy moments—it breaks down under pressure. In this episode of The BOLT, Todd Bertsch sits down with emotional intelligence and communication expert Christopher Salem to unpack what really drives performance when things get hard. From the inner critic and imposter syndrome to communication breakdowns and culture challenges, this conversation goes deep into...

Empathy is often dismissed as “soft” until you see its impact on trust, retention, and performance. In this episode, Todd sits down with Dr. Melissa Robinson to explore why empathy is one of the most overlooked yet powerful leadership skills. After experiencing toxic leadership firsthand, Melissa rebuilt her career around understanding human connection and helping leaders create environments where...

You don’t forget the moment everything changes. Drew Norton shares the night he walked into sirens, panic, and his six-month-old son barely breathing—and how that single moment rewired how he leads himself, his marriage, and his life. What follows is a raw, honest conversation about identity, presence, and the truth about success: it’s not what looks good on paper, it’s how you show up when it mat...

In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd sits down with Kathy Sullivan—organizational development consultant, executive coach, and author of Moms Eat First—for a powerful conversation on leadership, emotional intelligence, and the human side of change. Kathy shares how her personal journey, professional experience, and hard-won lessons shaped her approach to sustainable growth, both at work and a...

In this episode, Todd Bertsch sits down with Michael E. Krumpak to challenge the myth that “smart” leadership is enough. Together, they unpack a practical, story-driven roadmap for building legendary leaders through psychological safety, empathy, growth mindset, disciplined decision making, and intentional delegation. If you’ve ever seen a “perfect on paper” leader struggle when pressure rises, th...

The hardest part of change isn’t the plan or the platform—it’s leadership. In this episode, Todd sits down with Leslie Ellis, CEO of Meaningful Change Consulting, to unpack why transformations stall and how leaders can turn constant disruption into a durable advantage. Drawing from work across dozens of organizations and nearly a million stakeholders, Leslie shares a powerful truth: change doesn’t...

Burnout is rising, trust is fragile, and the old playbook of perks over people is running out of steam. In this episode, we sit down with David Noe, a trusted voice in HR, to unpack what actually drives engagement today, and what leaders must rethink as we head into 2026. We name the tension leaders feel every day: caring for people while still hitting targets. David shares the reset question ever...

Season Two launches with Harvey Nelson, entrepreneur, mentor, and lifelong explorer, as we walk through the SPARK Framework (Curiosity, Mindset, Action, Growth, Impact) using stories that are funny, raw, and immediately practical. From hitchhiking across America to leading through real business crises, Harvey shares how small, repeatable choices build resilience, how focus and priority beat busyne...

We cap season one with a best-of collection on growth, resilience, and people-first leadership, stitching together the most impactful insights from several candid conversations. We share tools to clarify purpose, break free from restraints, recover well, and design a life you truly choose. Guests who were highlighted on this special episode: Dan Flanagan: Redefining success through small wins and...

We celebrate a season dedicated to growth and service with a curated highlight reel on mindset, habits, leadership, and fulfillment. Guests share tools for tiny wins, deeper listening, sober clarity, and the discipline that turns choices into lasting change. Guests that were highlighted on this special episode: Kristoffer Carter: Coaching As Heart Set And Meditation - View full episode Todd Blylev...

Sam Falletta went from a four-cubicle call center to president, owner, and leader of a values-driven sale. In this episode, he breaks down how he built an award-winning culture by focusing on what employees truly need: strengths-based leadership, real-life support, meaningful incentives, and coaching that shifts mindsets. We explore why most engagement efforts fall flat, how culture changes in a r...