Beyond the Book

"None of that was strategy. It was just paying attention. It was just about seeing people clearly and responding to what they actually needed, not what was convenient for me. That’s the real work. That’s what matters. The rest is just math." Following the release of Lead With Empathy, Joe Reyes joined us on the podcast to discuss his story of using understanding to win loyalty and drive growth, as...

"Every day, my team and I translate lived experience, operational reality, and financial responsibility into floor plans, sections, and details that you can build, staff, and bank on. Empathy is where we start. Architecture is how we make it real." Following the release of Lead With Empathy, Bob Murphy joined us on the podcast to discuss his story of using understanding to win loyalty and drive gr...

"That jacket Bert threw at me wasn’t just about keeping warm. It was about being seen when you’re invisible, valued when you feel worthless, and helped when you’re too proud to ask. Every time I tell that story and cry, which is every damn time, I’m reminded that empathy isn’t just about understanding someone else’s pain. It’s about remembering your own and using it to change the world, one person...

"The contract manufacturer didn’t just help us succeed. They became better at helping all their clients succeed. That’s collective impact. That’s what happens when you stop pushing and start creating pull through 360-degree empathy. That’s what happens when you earn the right to try." Following the release of Lead With Empathy, Chris Danek joined us on the podcast to discuss his story of using und...

"This is empathetic leadership: doing the harder thing, understanding the unspoken need, discovering that when we organize ourselves around others’ success, we achieve our own in ways we never imagined possible." Following the release of Lead With Empathy, Sue Tomat joined us on the podcast to discuss her story of using understanding to win loyalty and drive growth, as well as her chapter in the b...

"Listen to yourself. Listen to others. Be present. The rest will follow." Following the release of Lead With Empathy, Nina Kelly joined us on the podcast to discuss her story of using understanding to win loyalty and drive growth, as well as her chapter in the book. Kelly's chapter entitled "The Quiet Power of Listening: Leading Through Life's Hardest Moments" details her personal and professional...

"At the end of the day, we can’t measure leadership by titles or quarterly results, but by the impact we leave on the people around us. Strategic empathy is the compass that allows us to grow personally, develop future leaders, and build impactful businesses that thrive. I hope each of us will choose to lead with empathy–not as a tactic, but as a way of being, because when we do, we create stronge...

"The question isn’t whether you can afford to make sustainable changes. The question is whether we can afford not to. And it all starts with something as simple as a shampoo bar." Following the release of Lead With Empathy, Janette Filbert Spiezio joined us on the podcast to discuss her story of using understanding to win loyalty and drive growth, as well as her chapter in the book. Spiezio's chap...

"Living truthfully isn’t always easy—but it’s always worth it. And every time you choose your truth, you light the way for someone else to choose theirs." Following the release of Living Truth, Tameika L. Chambers-Pope joined us on the podcast to discuss her story of shedding ideals and expectations, as well as her chapter in the book. Chambers-Pope's chapter entitled "Say My Name: Honoring Your I...

"Truth has power—it reclaims you, refines you, and reveals a version of you no longer bound by approval but compelled by purpose and passion. It’s a truth that honors the essence of who you really are and the difference you’re here to make." Following the release of Living Truth, Isah Velita joined us on the podcast to discuss her story of shedding ideals and expectations, as well as her chapter i...

"They told me I was prettier when I was quiet, but truth has made me luminous in ways silence never could. And I’m not here to look pretty. I’m here to feel alive!" Following the release of Living Truth, Elizabeth Aguilera joined us on the podcast to discuss her story of shedding ideals and expectations, as well as her chapter in the book. Aguilera's chapter entitled "Prettier When I Speak" detail...

"I am now committed to living a life of honesty no matter what the cost because I know that the benefits of honesty, while sometimes slow to come, far outweigh the temporary safety of deceit. I encourage you to do the same. Speak your truth. Even if your voice shakes. Even if people don’t understand. Even if you’re afraid. Even if it comes with consequences. Because the truth will break what needs...

"In negotiations, as in life, the key to flipping the script is under- standing that adversity is not an end point—it’s a gateway. Once you embrace this, you stop fighting problems and start leveraging them to create breakthroughs. The only real question is, What are you truly asking for?—because the universe doesn’t just reward hard work. It rewards the size of your vision." Following the release...

"So, keep going. Keep becoming the leader others want to follow. Because your growth will inspire theirs and that’s how we change everything. One leader at a time. Starting with me and you." Following the release of Phenomenal Business Success: Breakthrough Strategies for Maximum Achievement, Alyse Makarewicz joined us on the podcast to discuss her inspiring story and how she transitioned from a b...

"As I reflect back, I realize how much my daughter has taught me. Rebecca has taught me the power of resilience. She has taught me the importance of deep connections. And from the second she was born, she taught me how to show up, how to fight for what mattered, and ultimately how to flip the script." Following the release of Flip the Script: Using Tactical Empathy to Turn Tough Talks into Breakth...

"If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this chapter, it’s this: When you hit a wall, don’t panic— pivot. Lean in, not out. That’s how you turn things around. That’s how you turn adversity into advantage. And that’s how you build not just a phenomenal business—but a phenomenal life." Following the release of Phenomenal Business Success: Breakthrough Strategies for Maximum Achievement, N...

Life, like music, is a dynamic, ever-changing composition. Each note, each rest, and every crescendo contribute to its beauty. Trust the composer of your life’s symphony. The melody of victory is already yours—now go and play it boldly and with faith! Following the release of Unstoppable, Josephine Ozougwu joined us on the podcast to discuss her story of grit, determination and perseverance, as we...

"The best negotiators, the best educators, the best leaders—they don’t force answers; they make space for answers to reveal them- selves. When you do that, when you listen deeply enough, care authentically enough and speak the right language, you don’t just close deals; you open doors, you solve problems, and you might, without even realizing it, be saving a life." Following the release of Flip th...

"Meet yourself in the quiet. Learn about yourself in the falls, and when you rise, you’ll be rising as the person you were always meant to be." Following the release of Unstoppable, Dr. Stacey Kevin Frick joined us on the podcast to discuss his story of grit, determination and perseverance, as well as his chapter in the book. Dr. Frick's chapter entitled "Against the Grain: From Pain to Purpose" s...

"All it takes is a willingness to get curious, a desire to keep learning, and the courage to step confidently into the conversations that shape your future, your purpose, and your legacy." Following the release of Flip the Script: Using Tactical Empathy to Turn Tough Talks into Breakthrough Results, Amy Peterson joined us on the podcast to discuss her inspiring story and how utilizing tactical emp...

"When you’re backed into a corner, remember, you hold the pen. When the path seems fixed, that’s your cue to flip the script—turn the chaos into clarity, the pain into purpose, and the challenges into a story worth telling, because if you can change the narrative, you can change—and possibly save—your own life." Following the release of Flip the Script: Using Tactical Empathy to Turn Tough Talks i...

"I’ve learned that sometimes the best way to win is to listen. To step back when the other side expects you to attack and let them reveal their own weaknesses. To let them make the first move while you wait for the right moment. In the end the world doesn’t change when people play it safe. It changes when someone under- stands that the real fight isn’t about crushing the opposition; it’s about see...

"The journey isn’t linear. There will be seasons when the colors seem muted and the design unclear. The creator within you knows that creation is an act of faith—a willingness to lean in to the unknown, to let your heart guide you, and to believe that a canvas is masked as a challenge waiting for you to manifest, one brush, one stroke at a time." Following the release of Unstoppable, Carolyn Bass...

"Of all the conversations I’ve had in my life, that one was the greatest—not because it erased the past but because it proved that when you flip your script, when you stop performing and start connecting, when you choose empathy over ego, redemption becomes a very real thing. That’s how you stop being the passive antagonist in your own script and write yourself a plot you can be proud of." Followi...

"Ultimately, leadership isn’t about controlling the flow—it’s about embracing it. It’s about becoming the force that moves for- ward, carrying others along and leaving the world a little stronger, a little more hopeful, and a little more inspired in its wake." Following the release of The Leadership Playbook, Katie Schuelke joined us on the podcast to discuss her inspiring story developing strateg...