Engaging Gray

While this may not be the typical episode here is why this matters; first because as a former mentor who’s life was dramatically changed through this experience I can attest to its impact, and second, because as we think about change we need to consider just how uncomfortable we are willing to be for change. Today we are talking with two folks from AYA Youth Collective as they discuss what it mean...

This month's conversation centers around control, conflict, and how they are catalysts and barriers to change. We shy away from conflict and move towards comfort where we feel in control often robbing us of the opportunity to change. Sometimes the unexpected or even unwanted are the best catalysts for the change we need. Join our conversation with Jon Huckins, author, guide, and founder of Jou...

Choosing to change is hard enough, it's made harder when we have to choose it over and over again. It can be even harder when those around us don't fully understand that change and yet, when grounded in our why we find ourselves changing for the better. Join us in this week's episode as we talk with Mirabel Fonyuy Umenei about choosing change and staying on the path. Ways to connect wi...

In this episode, we chat with Kristin Ekkens, Founder and Chief Culture Designer of Exponential Inclusion. Kristin and I talk about the barriers and tools of change. Not only that, we discuss how exponential change is possible and the potential future that opens up. Resources in the podcast: Connect with Kristin Kristin's podcast Kristin's newsletter Join EXI's Global Community Connect...

Join me in this episode of Engaging Gray where we connect with Kirk Eklund about navigating change. Kirk discusses the common barriers he encounters, tools for overcoming them, and how he personally navigates change. Even when that change is brought about by unwelcome and unexpected feedback. Connect with Kirk here !

In this week's episode of Engaging Gray we talk with Carl Erickson. Carl is the  Founder and Executive Chairman of Atomic Object, a custom software design and development company. He is the Co-founder of Mader Mill, a sawmill in Indiana, and Chairman of Michigan Capital Network. Carl didn't begin his career wanting to be a businessman, he began by being a professor. Carl shares his story of l...

In this episode, we talk with Adrian "AB" Butler about how he has defined and found success and focus. Sometimes we believe our careers have to be linear, but AB's story helps illuminate how when we allow ourselves to explore our passions while remaining focused on what matters most to us we can find not only fulfillment but success as well. Join AB and me for a fun and enlightening conversation a...

In this week's episode of Engaging Gray, we hear from Kim Bode with over 15 years of experience in being not only a leader but also a business owner and founder. Kim's authenticity and transparency about the highs and lows of leadership, especially as a woman business owner, is refreshing and enlightening. Kim talks about lessons she's learned over her tenure as a leader, tips and tools she's pick...

In this week's episode, we talk with Andy Soper about how he has created a career that to many may seem unorthodox and yet it's exactly what works for him and his family. We discuss how he identified what was most important to him, how he created a career around those things, and the benefits and challenges that have come with that. Andy is honest and matter of fact while simultaneously inspiring...

In this week's episode, we talk with Lauren VanKeulen, CEO of AYA Youth Collective, about how remembering and showing our humanity in leadership not only frees us but those around us as well from the unrealistic and unhealthy expectations we sometimes have. Lauren shares with us her leadership journey from starting an organization with $11,000 to growing that be a $2.5 Million dollar organization...

It can be daunting to try and make a difference, especially when you are fatigued and overwhelmed. In this episode, we talk with Hanna Schulze, who has worked in business and on behalf of businesses that demonstrate responsible practices for years. Her connection to the community both locally and in business gives her a unique perspective on the challenges faced by our communities. We talk about h...

This is the final episode of Engaging Gray Podcast Season 2. I recap some of the key themes from this season as well as share two things I have learned are important for my own cultivation of perseverance: mystery and failure. I talk about how simple ideas such as, know yourself, are perhaps not as easy as they seem and how shifting our language and perspective can help us. Finally, I share how de...

In this week's episode, we have the honor of hearing from Cole Arthur Rile, a gifted writer and liturgist, on how cultivating a pace of perseverance is more than about continuing to "do" but how it helps us BE fully. Cole shares with us how boundaries, silence, and reflection have been integral parts of cultivating her own pace, which enables her to write in a way that breathes connection into exi...

Today's guest inspires us to trust ourselves and how we were made to be free, creative, and thankful. Chelsea's way of seeing the world inspires us to see through a lens of gratitude and awe! This lens is captured in her art, but it's not always easy. Just like all of us, creatives have hard and uninspired seasons, there are times when it's hard to create and produce. Chelsea talks about how learn...

Talk to anyone who had been involved in integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into a system and you'll hear someone who has hit roadblocks and fought burnout. In this week's episode, we talk with Dr. Loyd-Paige who has been working in this arena for multiple decades on how she has cultivated a pace of perseverance and sustainability. We discuss how important it is to know and trust yourself...

Cultivating and keeping a pace of perseverance and sustainability is hard enough as an entrepreneur, but add on top of that trying to be a triple bottom line business from the beginning?! Well, that's hard. Join me this week for an authentic conversation with Public Thread Founder, Janay Brower as we discuss how she has and continues to cultivate a pace of perseverance that works for her and for h...

Many people look forward to when they can "retire", mainly because they are exhausted. But not everyone is exhausted, some people have found a way to live a life that is sustainable and paced. Elizabeth Maring shares with us how she found and lived a life marked by a pace of perseverance and deeply rooted values. In this conversation, we discuss how values shape career decisions, impacts how we le...

In this week's episode, we talk with Ellie Roscher, author of the recently released book "12 Tiny Things" about how being rooted in ourselves, our beliefs, and priorities can give us the perseverance to show up in a busy and complex life. It's not always about making big shifts, sometimes they can be the small but important things that help us the most.  Resources:  Ellie Roscher: websit...

On this week's episode, we have Hailey Mitsui! Hailey talks about how living a contemplative life is antithetical to performance, and performance is antithetical to perseverance. So how do we cultivate a contemplative life? How do we integrate this into our day to day, leading to a life marked by engaged perseverance? Find out on this week's episode! Resources identified:  Barbara Holmes &nbs...

In this week's episode of Engaging Gray, we talk with Rev. Dr. Mary Hulst. Mary reminds us about the power of play, joy, and gratitude in cultivating perseverance when living a life fully engaged in messy spaces. Mary talks with us really practically about how we ground ourselves in the hard times by taking one step at a time, and how this can sometimes lead us to find out that 30 years later we'r...

In this episode of Engaging Gray, we talk with Tova Jones, a wife, mother, and serial entrepreneur about how she and her husband have cultivated a pace of perseverance together. We get really practical about how to do it, why it's important, and talk about what it takes to do this well. We talk about how knowing your priorities and sticking to those is an essential part of saying yes to the right...

In this episode of Engaging Gray, we talk with Dr. Sandra Upton about how Cultural Intelligence can be a valuable tool and part of your antiracist journey. Whether it's as on your individual journey or your organizational journey, Cultural Intelligence can be a key part of growing in your capacity to effectively engage across differences. Take a listen as Dr. Upton and I explore the nuances, the b...

In this episode, we talk with Shirley Hoogstra, President of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, about bridge building. 2020 has been no stranger to dissent, tension, and unprecedented change. 2020 has left many of us feeling isolated and now more than ever it is hard to see the full humanity in those around us. Bridge building is essential, especially now. In this episode, we dis...

In this episode, I talk with Emotional Intelligence Expert Shannon Cohen about how we can cultivate new skills to cope and even flourish in such a time as this. Shannon shares wisdom and practical experience for how we can see cliffs as launch pads. As Shannon says, "This is not a bootstrap moment, no one has bootstraps. This is a collective village moment." Join us in building a village and...

The political climate is tense right now. Jer Swigart joins us from Oregon to talk with us about what his current context has revealed about white supremacy and white liberalism. He describes this context, what it looks like, and how it keeps us divided. We discuss what the root of this may be, and how we can overcome it build bridges. No matter where you stand on the issues we are currently facin...