The Lift

One in five Americans has a learning or thinking difference, and 53% of Gen Z identifies as neurodivergent. That means neurodivergent employees are already on your team, whether you know it or not. Nathan Friedman isn't here to make this a DEI checkbox issue. He's here to make it a business case. Topic Highlights: – Why the best neuroinclusive management practices are just...good general mana...

Charles King has been arrested more than 300 hundred times. Not because he's reckless – quite the opposite, in fact: because he's strategic. As the CEO of Housing Works, he's spent 35 years cycling between courtrooms, legislative offices, protest frontlines, and memorial services, doing whatever it takes to pull whichever lever of power any given moment demands. His thesis: it's all advocacy. It's...

Most brands don’t fail because they’re ugly. They fail because they’re unclear about the most fundamental question: what is our purpose? Éva Goicochea has built a category-defining company, maude, in one of the most taboo industries in business: sexual wellness. She did that by stripping the “brand” down to one thing: clarity.  Simply put, if you can’t say what you are in one sentence, you do...

In this episode of The Lift, Ben is joined by Margaret Andrews, Harvard professor of executive education programs on leadership, emotional intelligence, and self-management, founder of The MYLO Center, and author of Managing Yourself to Lead Others . Key takeaways:  Self-awareness is the foundation of great leadership Emotional intelligence matters more than many leaders realize, particularly...

In this episode of The Lift, Ben is joined by Robbie Hammond – Co-Founder of The High Line, a beloved elevated park and greenway in NYC – and the global president of Therme Group, a company centered on urban wellbeing. Key takeaways:  Break big, long-term visions into small, self-contained projects that show progress and keep you motivated Tenacity matters more than perfect conditions, especi...

In this episode of The Lift, Ben is joined by Kut Akdogan – entrepreneur, strategist, and Managing Partner at Gaussian Holdings – to explore how leaders can build strategy in a world defined by uncertainty, rapid change, and AI disruption. Key takeaways:   Why humans are wired to resist uncertainty – and how leaders can work with that wiring instead of against it How to define a clear “North...

In this episode of The Lift, Ben is joined by Keziah Wonstolen, founder and CEO of Vannin Chief of Staff. A former management consultant and Chief of Staff (CoS) herself, Keziah is passionate about transforming how modern leaders work through optimizing the role of the CoS. Key takeaways:  Why so many CEOs feel like they’re “drowning” and how a Chief of Staff can give them back hours each wee...

In this episode of The Lift, Ben is joined by Sachin Shivaram, the first non-family CEO of the nearly 110-year-old Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. Sachin is also an adjunct faculty member at the Schneider School of Business at St. Norbert College and serves on the boards of half a dozen companies and organizations, including the Green Bay Packers. Key takeaways:  Community leadership isn’t a dist...

This week on The Lift, Ben is joined by meditation expert and teacher Michael Miller, founder of New York Meditation Center and London Meditation Center (and the first person to teach Ben to meditate 15 years ago).  Key takeaways:  Why practicing real meditation over simply going for a run is more powerful for stress relief and anxiety management There are three main types of meditation,...

This week on The Lift, Ben is joined by Justin Kerr, also known as “the efficiency monster,” a former senior executive at brands like Levi’s, Uniqlo, Old Navy, and Gap. Justin is the author of the “survival guide” How-To series ( How to Cry at Work, How to Quit Your Job, How to Write an Email, and How to Be a Boss ). Key takeaways:  Over-communication at work reduces anxiety and “status check...

This week on The Lift, Ben is joined by Sir Andrew Likierman, professor of Management Practice in Accounting at London Business School and the author of Judgement at Work: Making Better Choices .  Key takeaways:  Good judgment is a learnable leadership skill, not intuition or instinct Applying judgment principles requires context and flexibility, not rigid rule-following Awareness of per...

This week on The Lift , Ben is joined by Mita Mallick, leadership strategist and the author of The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses (and also a self-proclaimed former bad boss).  Key takeaways:  Bad bosses are created, not born: Toxic leadership behaviors often emerge under stress, pressure, and unexamined power rather than from personality alone Mana...

This week on The Lift, Ben is joined by Helen Tupper, the CEO and co-founder of Amazing If and the author of Squiggly Careers and Learn Like a Lobster .  Key takeaways:  Learning is a core leadership skill, not a side project Vulnerability accelerates learning and leadership growth Personalized, “squiggly” career paths drive engagement and adaptability Turning off autopilot improves lear...

Welcome to The Lift, the show about leadership, growth, and getting what we want. On The Lift, we pull up to see the bigger picture from accomplished leaders who know how to get things done in a rapidly changing world. Host Ben Brooks dives deep into a relevant leadership topic each episode and connects the dots to leave you with powerful distinctions that you can use as a leader. The Lift is host...