Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged

Why is health IT so hard? It sounds like a simple question, but the answer reveals a web of complexity that goes far beyond technology. From interoperability and legacy systems to competing priorities, cybersecurity threats, organizational incentives, and human behavior, health IT sits at the intersection of some of the most challenging problems in modern healthcare. In this episode of Coach's Cor...

What shapes a leader’s confidence—and why do so many capable leaders still question themselves? In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett sits down with Robin Atkins —organizational psychologist, executive coach, and change leadership expert—to explore the concept of leadership self-efficacy and how identity, culture, and lived experience influence the way leaders show...

In this episode, Laura Bennett, Principal and Leadership Coach, reconnects with Kathleen Scudder , President of Trusted Driver Federal Solutions and former Senior Executive with the U.S. Border Patrol, where she spent over 27 years leading complex, mission-critical operations. Since her last appearance, Kathleen has made a significant transition from federal service to industry—and now into entrep...

What does it really mean to shape a market instead of chase one? In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, host Laura Bennett sits down with Mike Nachshen — founder of Fortis Strategic Communications and former aerospace and defense executive — to talk about leadership at every altitude. From serving as a U.S. Air Force officer to leading international communications for a $16B busi...

What does it really take to move federal health from data and ideas to real-world outcomes? In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, host Laura Bennett sits down with Jess Denman , Global Client Director for Federal Healthcare (Military Health) at ServiceNow and Outreach & Collaborations Chair for the HIMSS National Capital Area Chapter. Jess shares her leadership journey—from...

For the one-year anniversary of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura welcomes back Jeremy Wood — host of The Geek Within podcast and Chief Enterprise Architect at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In this milestone conversation, Jeremy and Laura dig into the moments that don’t make the official bio: the pivots, reinventions, stalled chapters, and unexpected breakthroughs that sha...

This week on Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, ⁠Laura Bennett⁠ sits down with ⁠Greg Dietrich⁠ , Former Senior Defense Program Manager & DEVCOM ARL Leader with an expertise in Test & Evaluation, Soldier Lethality, and Technology Integration, whose career has shaped some of the most important advances in soldier readiness, survivability, and future-force innovation. They talk about what...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett talks with Mark Junda , a seasoned federal technology leader who’s bridged the gap between government and industry. From driving procurement reform at the VA to now leading Digital Experience at TISTA, Mark shares how challenging the status quo, taking risks, and reinventing yourself can redefine leadership. It’s a candid conve...

What does leadership look like when you step completely outside your comfort zone? In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett sits down with Blake Harvey , VP of Growth at Red Team Consulting, who has traveled to Ukraine four times in the past year—most recently for five weeks. From working U.S. hours in a Ukrainian village to navigating language barriers and limited re...

What does it take to lead at the highest levels of federal law enforcement—and to do so as trailblazing women in a field long dominated by men? In this month's Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett sits down with Kathleen Scudder , former Senior Executive of U.S. Border Patrol, and Patricia McGurk , the first woman to serve as Chief Patrol Agent in both the San Diego and Yuma Sectors...

In this month's Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett is joined by Christine Callahan , RN, MBA—Managing Partner at SeaHill Consulting Group. They dive into how federal leaders can reframe their résumés, redefine their value, and reposition themselves for success in the private sector. Christine shares strategies for translating government-speak, avoiding common résumé traps, and cra...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett sits down with Mark Wigginton , Certified Professional Coach, Licensed Professional Counselor, and founder of Focusing On Results. With a background that bridges sales psychology and real-world resilience, Mark helps job seekers and career changers move from indecision to intentional action—especially those navigating the leap...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett sits down with Jens-Kristian Kiel —a speaker, branding professional, and content strategist who brings together German precision and American heart. With over 30 years of experience across advertising, marketing, IT, and higher education, Jens has led across continents and industries, leaving his mark through thoughtful storyte...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett  chats with Jeff Grant , President and Founder of Schedule F Healthcare Strategies and former Operations Director at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, CMS. With over 30 years of experience leading major federal health programs, Jeff shares defining moments from his career, lessons learned across publi...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett sits down with Kathleen Scudder , Delivery and Strategy Lead at Accenture Federal Services, former Executive Director at U.S. Border Patrol, and author of What Did I Sign Up For? to discuss leadership, resilience, and what it truly means to “have it all.” With over two decades in federal law enforcement, Kathleen shares the def...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett talks with Mark Amtower - consultant, speaker, best-selling author, and host of Amtower Off Center - on the power of LinkedIn for career transitions, personal branding, and career growth in the federal market. With decades of experience advising professionals on government marketing and thought leadership, Mark shares expert in...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, host Laura Bennett catches up with Shelley McGuire, Chief Strategy Officer at OrangeSlices AI and Owner of Shelley’s Events, to talk about the power of networking and how federal employees can use events to build meaningful career opportunities.   Shelley has spent years bringing the government contracting community together through online a...

OrangeSlices.ai is thrilled to welcome Jordan Burris, VP & GM of Public Sector at Socure, to Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged with Laura Bennett, Podcast Host, Leadership Coach and GovCon Consultant! Jordan is a trailblazer in government innovation and digital trust, having led transformative tech and cybersecurity efforts at the White House and across the public sector. In this episode, w...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner: Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennett talks with Katrina Sizemore , Senior Program Manager at Index Analytics (former Division Director at CMS CCIIO MITG), to discuss the realities of leading in high-stakes environments. They explore how Katrina fosters resilience and agility, manages constant change, and champions inclusivity in leadership. Katrina shares insights...

In this episode of Coach’s Corner – Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennet sits down with Brian Chidester, a global leader in public sector innovation and the host of The Government Huddle podcast. As the Head of Global Strategy & Innovation for Public Sector at Adobe, Brian has helped shape the future of government services through digital transformation, customer experience (CX), and bold leader...

In this episode of Coach's Corner, Leadership Unplugged, Laura Bennet sits down with Kristina Tanasichuk , Founder & CEO of the Government Technology & Services Coalition, for an inspiring conversation on leadership and passion. Kristina takes us on her remarkable career journey, sharing how she built avenues for collaboration in homeland security, the founding of Women in Homeland Securit...

Dive into an engaging series where leadership, innovation, and personal stories intersect in the realms of federal government and industry. Laura Bennett hosts this podcast series with the first episode featuring Jeremy Wood, Chief for Enterprise Architecture at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and host of The Geek Within podcast. If you’re curious about the intersection of leadership,...