Career Dreams

What does a simple quote about dirty dishes have to do with your professional growth and career dreams? Plenty! In this quick solo episode, Michelle reflects on a quote that reminds us about the importance of mindset when we approach big and small tasks and mundane routines in our lives and careers. Got a question? Ask us! Do you have a question you'd like to hear answered on Career Dreams? You ca...

Michelle shares a hot take on the importance of ongoing Leader Development and its critical impact on employee engagement and overall success. It's crucial for leaders at all levels and with varying degrees of experience to prioritize their continued learning, growth, and development to stay relevant, inspire their teams, set an example, and contribute to organizational success as the workplace la...

Michelle and Chase take a moment to reflect on 2024 and share their highlights from the year. They also have a thought-provoking discussion that distinguishes the difference between resolutions and intentions. While many of us are busy setting traditional resolutions, in this episode we learn to embrace the power of intention for the new year. What is one intention you have for this year? Article...

Angie Redmon from striveHR joins the podcast to discuss what makes a great workplace. She believes in empowering individuals and has dedicated over two decades to understanding what elevates good companies to greatness. Her insights consistently highlight a key factor: companies that prioritize their employees as much as their financial success are more likely to attract and retain outstanding tal...

In this 150th episode of Career Dreams, Michelle and Chase talk about their journey to 150 episodes and share how the magic of your career dreams can come to life through action, desire, and consistency. Career Dreams wraps up its third season providing you with 52 new episodes in 2024 featuring 10 expert interviews. Together, this wraps up an amazing season and a total of 87.5 hours of inspiring...

Michelle and Chase take a look back at some memorable moments on the podcast from 2024. Hear powerful insights and inspiring stories from a few of the incredible guests who joined throughout the year. Don't miss this episode—it's the perfect way to step into the new year with inspiration!  This episode includes short clips from the following episodes. You can listen to the full episode by clicking...

Michelle and Chase share five strategies to help improve and strengthen our empathy muscles.  Just as an athlete who practices gets better at their sport, practicing empathy makes us a better leader and teammate. In this episode you'll hear five straightforward strategies you can put into place to help you strengthen your empathy muscles.  Article:   Build Your Empathy Muscles Got a question? Ask...

Michelle and Chase interview Debbie Vyskocil, President of OEP. Debbie's background in electrical engineering, psychology, neuroscience and a board certification by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance lead her to work with some of the business world's highest performers. In this episode, Debbie shares actionable tips for overcoming and thriving beyond rejection anxiety. Have you e...

Michelle and Chase have a conversation with Gerald Bush, a People and Cultural Strategist, about the relationship and dynamics between culture, climate, and accountability in the workplace. Gerald examines how organizational culture and climate interact with each other and how these factors are influenced by workplace accountability. Throughout their discussion, Gerald emphasizes the importance of...

Chase takes a moment to discuss the role of our emotional energy, which sets off a lasting ripple effect. In this episode, you'll be provided with three reflection questions to ensure honest and accurate self-awareness. This self-awareness will position you better to manage your emotional ripple effect and reassure you of your ability to navigate your emotions with confidence and control.  Article...

Michelle and Chase were inspired by their recent all-employee gathering, where FORUM teammates come together to celebrate each other and FORUM's culture. The day was filled with opportunities for connection and learning, as not one but two keynote speakers were a part of the annual Day of Discovery. One of the keynote speakers, Lindsay Baccardo, shared and inspired everyone with her talk about a b...

Michelle and Chase talk about the idea of Professional Fuel and the importance of ensuring our tank is full while helping those around us fill up their tank to stay engaged and motivated. This episode was inspired by a leader gathering at FORUM, where leaders discussed how accountability leads to results. Leaders were asked to share one word to describe this connection ... and one leader used the...

Michelle and Chase have the chance to chat with Andy Mattingly, the Chief Operating Officer of FORUM Credit Union, to discuss his nearly 35-year career with the organization. Andy shares how connections, community, and care have influenced his personal development and leadership style. Podcast:  Smarter Money Life   LinkedIn:   Andy Mattingly Got a question? Ask us! Do you have a question you'd li...

Inspiration struck Michelle in an unusual place, so she leaned into the moment and recorded this quick solo episode...in her car, outside a movie theater! In this episode, Michelle reflects on the hard work required over time that is necessary for achieving our Career Dreams. How are you taking ownership of your development as you pursue YOUR Career Dreams? We'd love to hear about it! Either email...

Michelle and Chase discuss strategies for taking control of your professional narrative. Inspired by the Harvard Business Review article, "5 Ways to Ask Your Boss to Advocate for You", they share four actionable tips and how you can take initiative to help you highlight your accomplishments and build strong advocacy with your leader.  Which of these strategies have you used or plan to use? We'd lo...

Sometimes a simple billboard can be a timely reminder... Recently while driving, Michelle passed by a billboard that reminded her of the importance of planning and using Paid Time Off. In this quick solo episode, she shares this reminder with listeners, along with some tips for overcoming an "always-on" mindset and making your PTO a priority throughout the year. What are your strategies for planni...

Michelle and Chase chat with Dr. Mechelle Roberthon about workplace culture. They discuss how even small actions can make a big difference in shaping the experience for everyone. Dr. Roberthon shares her own experiences and how they've influenced her approach to impacting workplace cultures today. She also gives some practical tips for making a positive impact on workplace culture, like speaking u...

Have you ever wondered, as a leader or a teammate, if you can balance personal care and connection with the professional side of work? In this solo episode, Chase explores his recent conversation with the Illuminate aspiring leaders cohort about Brene Brown's book Dare to Lead. Chase wants your input and thoughts on balancing care and connection with your teammates. Either email  careerdreams@foru...

Michelle and Chase explore six strategies that inspire teams. Whether you're a leader, a teammate or a colleague, these six strategies can inspire teams to contribute their best efforts and make an impact.  Article: I want to inspire my team (Franklin Covey) Got a question? Ask us! Do you have a question you'd like to hear answered on Career Dreams? You can  submit  an audio recording of your ques...

Michelle and Chase explore different types of feedback, specifically how performance evaluation feedback differs from other types of feedback. They are debunking the excuse, " We talk all the time; what do we have to talk about ?" and emphasizing the importance of engaging in regular conversations and leaning more into performance evaluation feedback, making these formal touchpoints count. Article...

Michelle and Chase connect with Yulander Hunnicutt-Ross, Michelle's former colleague and long-time friend. This is such an inspiring conversation! Hear Yulander's perspective on life, relationships, leadership, and career growth and development. She shares how she learned to embrace feedback and why we all need to be willing to give feedback but also be open to receiving feedback in order to achie...

Michelle and Chase discuss Project Aristotle, a project conducted at Google to understand what makes teams successful. The most critical key to team success was found to be Psychological  Safety. Michelle and Chase share their reflections from a recent presentation by a former guest on Career Dreams, Andrew Adeniyi, where he talked about the importance of Psychological Safety. Tune in to hear more...

Michelle and Chase explore a Harvard Business Review article they came across about facing your fear of becoming obsolete. They share strategies we can take to not just face this fear, but overcome it.  Article:   Face Your Fear of Becoming Obsolete   Got a question? Ask us! Do you have a question you'd like to hear answered on Career Dreams? You can  submit  an audio recording of your question to...

In this episode, Michelle and Chase dive into the question of who is responsible for shaping company culture. They examine the roles of executive leaders, human resources, middle managers, and individual contributors in shaping the culture. The episode emphasizes the importance of intentional culture-building and a shared commitment from all employees. Article: What Is Organizational Culture (DDI)...

In 2024, FORUM Credit Union's focus on Leader Development is accountability. In the episode of Career Dreams, Michelle and Chase reflect on the most recent leader gathering,"Accountability, It's My Mess," where leaders explored personal accountability in leadership. Accountability is a complex topic; it seems like a skill we should all know and understand, but it's challenging to implement and mas...