DISCovering You

What if sensitivity isn't a weakness at all — but a personality trait that deserves a place alongside the Big Five? In this episode, host Victoria Theriault explores the fascinating case for making sensitivity the sixth major personality trait. Drawing on the work of Dr. Elaine Aron, Dr. Lacey Parker, and other researchers, she unpacks what it really means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and...

What do cheetahs, meerkats, elephants, and ravens have to do with personality? In this episode, Victoria explores the Big Five Personality Theory — one of the most widely recognized personality frameworks in psychology — and how these traits shape the way we think, work, connect, and respond to the world around us. Through honest conversation, personal reflections, and a few surprising assessment...

What does emotional intelligence actually look like in real life — not just as a concept, but in how we show up every day? In this episode, Victoria dives into the Emotionality Factor of emotional intelligence and why it plays such a critical role in how we connect, communicate, and build relationships. With thoughtful reflection and real-life examples, she and Heather explore how well we truly un...

What does it actually mean to be kind to yourself… especially when things aren’t going well? In this episode, Victoria explores the concept of Self Compassion — and why so many of us struggle to extend it inward, ev...

What do sharks, owls, teddy bears, turtles, and foxes have to do with conflict? In this episode, Victoria dives into the fascinating world of conflict management styles using the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI). With honesty, humour, and a little vulnerability, they uncover how each of them instinctively responds when tension rises. The Academy Awards are coming up, so you know what...

In this episode Victoria continues the exploration of leadership through the lens of the High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI), building on the foundation laid in Part One. The conversation focuses on three critical leadership traits: Risk Approach , Ambiguity Acceptance , and Competitiveness — how they show up in individuals, teams, and organizations, and what happens when these strengths are ove...

Are great leaders born—or developed? In this episode, we explore the concept of High Potential and what truly drives leadership effectiveness beyond skills, titles, or experience. Using research-backed insights from the High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI) , this conversation breaks down how personality traits influence leadership capacity—and how those traits can be developed over time. You’ll l...

As we close out 2025, we’re taking a warm, festive look back at the conversations, insights, and unforgettable moments that shaped this year on DISCovering You: Where Personality Meets Possibility . From deep dives into charisma and creativity to surprising reflections on emojis and empathy, this episode rounds up the clips that made us pause, laugh, reflect and grow. Did we include your favourite...

In this episode, Victoria explores attachment theory and DISC. From childhood caregiver bonds to professional relationships, Victoria unpacks how our early emotional experiences influence how we lead, connect, and collaborate. Listen in to learn the four main attachment styles - Anxious/Preoccupied, Avoidant/Dismissive, Fearful/Disorganized, and Secure - as well as the workplace applications, emot...

In this insightful continuation, host Victoria and guest Dr. Vanessa Druskat dive deeper into the dynamics of emotionally intelligent teams. They explore how constructive debate — what Vanessa calls “creative abrasion” — drives innovation, why belonging is essential for psychological safety, and how leaders can create norms that encourage open disagreement and authentic communication. From the use...

In this episode of Discovering You , Victoria sits down with Dr. Vanessa Druskat—award-winning researcher, professor, and co-creator of the Team Emotional Intelligence model. Known as the “Jane Goodall of Teams,” Vanessa brings decades of research and real-world experience to help leaders build collaborative, high-performing groups. From her childhood in Kenya to her groundbreaking studies on team...

In this episode of DISCovering You , Victoria and Heather dive into the often-overlooked low DISC factors —the behaviors and traits that fall below the midline on a DISC assessment. While most discussions focus on high DISC traits (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance), Victoria explains how the low end of each scale holds just as much insight into personality, communication, and team dyna...

In this episode of Discovering You , host Victoria welcomes Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, senior research scientist at Yale and author of The Creativity Choice . Together, they explore the science behind creativity—dispelling myths, explaining how personality and mindset influence creative confidence, and offering strategies to overcome blocks. From the role of emotion regulation to the surprising p...

In this powerful second installment, Victoria peels back more layers of the Myers Briggs personality framework. This episode takes us to the next level with Myers Briggs. With humour, heart, and honesty, Victoria and Heather also reveal their own results (spoiler alert: one of them is among the rarest types in the world) and explore how their personality insights influence how they show up in work...

In this highly anticipated episode of DISCovering You , Victoria explores Myers-Briggs! Kicking things off with a clever twist—comparing DISC as manicure styles. From there, she unpacks the origins of MBTI, how it compares to DISC, and what those mysterious four letters actually mean. With warmth, wit, and real-life stories, Victoria walks us through key parts of the MBTI test and reflect on what...

In this episode, Victoria takes a deep dive into The Growth Zone . Along the way, Victoria has a spontaneous on-the-fly moment , connecting DISC factors to the four common responses to perceived threats: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn —a completely unscripted insight! The conversation also ties into Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset (See Episode 9) . The episode is packed with psychological insights,...

In this episode, Victoria explores the concept of happiness through the lens of psychology and personality. She discusses the PERMA model of wellbeing developed by Martin Seligman, breaks down different psychological theories of happiness, and shares a happiness assessment based on Seligman's work. Key Topics: DISC analogy comparing personality styles to sports Three psychological approaches to st...

In this episode, Victoria explores the concept of charisma and its learnability through warmth and competence cues, as discussed by Vanessa Van Edwards. Victoria and Heather kick off the year with lively discussions about Golden Globe nominated TV characters that exemplify DISC personality traits, their own holiday experiences, and their personal charisma quiz results. The episode emphasizes the i...

With 2024 coming to a close, today's podcast looks at highlights from this year's episodes. I enjoyed putting this together, as it's a nice way to reflect on the past year and revisit memorable conversations and guests. The holidays are almost here! Let's "unwrap" DISC as presents: High D - Omega Watch:  Makes a strong statement - be on time! High I - Chocolates:  A sweet, sero...

I’m excited to get into this episode but first, it’s time for our DISC analogy: If DISC was a board game, what would it be? High D – Monopoly – described as the ultimate game of capitalism. The goal is to drive your competitors into bankruptcy! High I – Charades – interactive, emotive, fun, high spirited High S – Game of Life – it rewards players for good behaviour. For instance, recycling, helpin...

I also had the opportunity to interview Michelle Minnikin, an organizational psychologist, executive coach, and author. We chatted about everything from the best way to use psychometric tools in the workplace, to what compelled us to do the work that we do. You can check out part 1 of my conversation with Michelle on today's episode of DISCovering You 👇 It's International Coffee Month!...

Hi Listeners! I’m excited to welcome you back for our first episode of Season 3! Today we’re going to be talking about how to become a Supercommunicator, but before we dive in, Let’s do this month’s DISC analogy. Of all the metaphors, examples, comparisons I’ve done, Social Media has been the DISC analogy that most resonates with people. I had removed it from my Slide Deck when Twitter changed to...

This is the second in a series that I started earlier this year. I’m chatting with some of my clients (each with a different DISC profile) to see how their particular profile operates in the world. I started with High Steadiness, and spoke with Shawn Zigelstein (Episode 26). Before we dive into that, let’s do this month’s DISC comparison. National Fashion Day is coming up, so of course it prompted...

As AI increasingly seeps into our lives, it's more essential than ever to hone our EI (Emotional Intelligence) skills.  Why? Emotional Intelligence is what humanizes us, and therefore sets us apart from Artificial Intelligence. These are the facets that simply can not be replaced. On this episode of DISCovering You, I explore the intrapersonal side of EI, which is understanding and...

Today, I’m going to be looking at how to recruit and hire with the help of DISC, but first…It’s World Art Day so to illustrate (pun intended) this theme, here is: DISC as Art D – Cubism. Described as Revolutionary and Rebellious. Picasso is an example. I – Post Impressionism. Colourful, emotive. There’s a focus on the artist’s feelings towards the subject. Van Gogh’s Starry night expresses this. S...