ChoinqueCast

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Susie Tomenchok , negotiation and leadership expert, author, and executive coach at Inturri Consulting , to explore why negotiation is not about manipulation or winning at someone else’s expense. Susie explains how adopting a negotiator’s mindset can help leaders communicate more clearly, understand other people’s interests, build in...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Hugh Tafel , business coach at StreetSmart MBA , to explore how unconventional career paths, entrepreneurial thinking, and business coaching can create greater professional autonomy. Hugh shares his journey from accounting and banking to ski instruction, tourism management, reforestation, and business coaching. They discuss why tradi...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Bryan Currier , CEO of Advantage Technologies , about building a resilient business through values-driven leadership. They examine the hidden costs of an unethical high-performing salesperson, transparency during financial pressure, and the decision to protect employees during COVID-19 shutdowns. Listeners will learn how to evaluate...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with John Nieuwenburg , Founder and Business Coach at W5 Coaching , about moving from a hands-on operator to a leader-owner. They explore structural trust, repeatable systems, delegation, and the personal cost of constant firefighting. Listeners will learn how to give employees decision-making authority, reduce dependence on the owner, an...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Joe Davis , Author of The Generous Leader and Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) , about leading through direct feedback, inclusion, vulnerability, and collaboration. Joe explains how leaders can help people grow by addressing issues in the moment, inviting more voices into decisions, and focusing teams on execution. Dra...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Nima Rahmany , Founder of Becoming Trigger Proof and Former Chiropractor who teaches entrepreneurs about self-mastery, nervous system regulation, and attachment work. They examine why professional drive can coexist with reactive relationship patterns, how triggers shape leadership and intimacy, and how rupture and repair can support...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Scott Peper , Founder & CEO of Mobilization Funding , about helping commercial construction subcontractors manage the working-capital gap between starting work and getting paid. They cover project cash-flow modeling, the limits of bank credit, the role of mobilization funding, and ways education can build trust across constructio...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Ed Hinman , Senior Vice President, Associate Services at Gavin de Becker & Associates and Author of The Barbarian in You , which is about living with vigor, wonder, and fellowship. Ed explains how effort, self-awareness, intuition, and intentional habits can help people counter isolation and the routines of modern life. Ed traces...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Estrella Parker , an Advisor, Investor, and Board Director Candidate at Independent Advisory , and a former two-time CHRO. Listeners learn how to reframe imposter syndrome, build stronger team relationships, and lead through change without relying solely on individual achievement. Estrella Parker grew up in the Philippines, studied c...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Kaleigh Peat , Manager of ACC Medlink , about providing ground and air medical transport options for families moving bedbound loved ones across the country. They discuss the company’s origins, affordability compared with air ambulances, one-on-one comfort care, national operations, and how the team uses technology to coordinate trans...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Noel Massie , Author of Congrats! You've Been Promoted and Former Vice President of U.S. Delivery Operations at UPS , about what newly promoted frontline leaders need to succeed. The episode covers value-based leadership, conflict resolution, supply chain complexity, mentorship, professionalism, and how listeners can build confidence...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Rachel Franco , Founder & Principal of Fail Smarter LLC , about how leaders and teams can learn from failure without letting fear or blame block innovation. The conversation covers risk aversion, short-term performance pressure, psychological safety, types of failure, and practical ways leaders can create conditions where people...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Carlo D'Amore , an actor and the Founder of Live in Theater , about using participatory storytelling to build engagement at work. The conversation covers immersive murder mysteries, authentic performance, corporate team building, play, emotional connection, and how shared stories can help colleagues interact beyond normal workplace r...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with guests Brad Newbury , President & CEO of the National Medical Education & Training Center , fire captain, paramedic, and first responder, and Kiera Newbury , about CPR readiness, EMS education, and the ripple effect created when a life is saved. The conversation covers Brad’s path into fire and EMS, Kiera’s early immersion in...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Jan Janura , Founder of The Wild Adventure and an entrepreneur, speaker, and creator of immersive leadership and reflection experiences in a Montana-based fly fishing and self-discovery retreat. The discussion focuses on leadership, meaning, personal transformation, and how structured experiences can help people reflect on life’s big...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Jeff Forrest, Sr. , Chief Executive Officer at WPC , a leading construction company with more than five decades of history. Jeff shares his journey from working as a carpenter's helper at 15 to leading the family business through economic downturns, succession planning, and major business challenges. They discuss leadership, company...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Connie Kwan , Author of STORYHabits and Product - MVP Builder at Product Maestro . Connie shares her journey from Hong Kong to Canada and Silicon Valley, her passion for building products, and why she believes the key to lasting habit change starts with identity and personal stories instead of willpower. The conversation also explore...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Jessica Brittain , Captain of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office . With nearly two decades in law enforcement, Jessica shares her journey from working in a county jail to leading one of the largest training operations in North Texas. The conversation explores leadership in law enforcement, the realities of human trafficking investig...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick sits down with Brandon Lark , Group Vice President at MYR Group and President of Great Southwestern Construction, Inc . Brandon shares his journey from growing up on a ranch in northern New Mexico to leading one of the largest electrical infrastructure organizations in North America. The conversation explores leadership development, safety culture,...

In this episode, host Jim Emerick sits down with Brooke Brittain , Athletic Coordinator & Head Basketball Coach at Mansfield High School. Brooke shares her remarkable journey from serving as a military police officer during the Iraq War at just 20 years old to becoming a successful head basketball coach and athletic coordinator in Texas. The conversation explores leadership, resilience, optimi...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick speaks with Krista Phillips , President at PMI Pikes Peak Regional, Colorado Chapter . Krista shares her journey from criminal justice and SAP programming into project management leadership and explains how the Project Management Institute helps professionals grow through certifications, leadership development, networking, and volunteer opportuniti...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick speaks with Dr. Maria Bell , CEO and Founder of Digital Twin Imaging . Dr. Maria Bell shares her journey from growing up in rural South Dakota to becoming a leading cancer surgeon, robotics pioneer, and tech entrepreneur. The conversation explores how her experience in medicine and robotic surgery led her to launch a company focused on digital twin...

In this episode of ChoinqueCast, host Jim Emerick speaks with Roggen Frick , the young CEO of Bear Iron Works , about building a manufacturing business from the ground up while balancing college, construction work, and entrepreneurship. Roggen shares how a small side project making rock screens during high school grew into a nationwide company serving contractors, mining companies, farmers, and ev...

In this episode, host Jim Emerick speaks with Murphy John , Chief Growth Officer at StorX , about the early days of the internet in India, the rise of decentralized cloud storage, and the future of work in the AI era. Murphy shares his journey from helping businesses adopt internet infrastructure in the late 1990s to building secure decentralized storage solutions today. The conversation also expl...

In this episode, host Jim Emerick sits down with Kristen Lowers , Chief Information Officer at Saddle Creek Logistics Services . The conversation explores her unique career journey from marketing and sales into technology leadership, and how she built credibility in IT by starting over and learning from the ground up. The episode also dives into the evolving role of technology in logistics, the im...