Forward-Looking Leadership

Stephe McMahon ( boardbridge.com , linkedin.com/in/stephe-mcmahon-3b2750/ ), co-founder and Chief BridgeBuilder at BoardBridge, which empowers corporate employees to serve on nonprofit boards, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to dig into why there are more than a million open seats on nonprofit boards and how to close the gap. Stephe explains why the on-ramp to board service is...

Lauren Goldberg ( laurengoldbergcoaching.com , linkedin.com/in/lauren-e-goldberg/ ), a career self-discovery and leadership coach for changemakers working with their ADHD instead of against it, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Lauren explains why the ADHD label is just bad branding and what leaders can actually do to support neurodivergent team members (00:39). She unpacks int...

Navid Ladha ( linkedin.com/in/navidladha/ , onpurposecareers.org ), founder of OnPurpose Careers, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to challenge the notion that purpose-driven work has to come with lower pay. Navid and Dan discuss why underpaying social impact staff creates wealth inequity that disconnects organizations from the communities they serve (02:53) and walk through wh...

Logan Yonavjak ( founderready.io ), Co-Founder and CEO of Founder Readiness Institute, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss how AI-powered assessment is giving investors, enterprises, and leaders a new window into leadership capacity. Logan explains the concept of vertical development and why it is the theoretical underpinning of Founder Readiness Institute’s work (00:08...

Eirik Gislason ( archwaypartnersinc.com ), founder of Archway Partners Coaching, leader of the Excelsior Team at Brown Harris Stevens, and host of the Shear Line: Negotiation Mastery podcast, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss how to get more of what you want without bullying, hard bargaining, or leaving value on the table. Eirik explains why hiring the meanest broker...

Jermaine Ee, founder of Heirlight ( heirlight.com ), an AI-powered estate planning app, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss what it takes to make one of life's most avoided conversations easier. Jermaine shares how a dinner with his parents about retirement planted the seed for Heirlight (02:37) and how the app uses guided AI conversation rather than a laundry list of a...

Ang Richard ( angrichard.com , linkedin.com/in/angela-richard/ ), a Gen Z career coach, TEDx speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice, and PhD candidate in higher education, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to examine how Gen Z is navigating a rapidly changing world of work. Angela reflects on shares guidance for early career professionals on handling criticism and staying grounded in impac...

Roger Kastner ( linkedin.com/in/roger-kastner/ , whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com ), a coach and org development practitioner who has led initiatives from Fortune 100 companies to small non-profits, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Roger shares insights on aligning culture and strategy with daily work experience (04:04), his evolution from expert to facilitator who co-creates solutio...

Paul Smith ( linkedin.com/in/pdsmithmba/ ), Chief Information Officer at Amnesty International, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss tech leadership with people and ethics front and center. Drawing from a career that spans industry (defense, automotive, and more) and humanitarian organizations, Paul shares hard-won insights on AI adoption (00:30), four essential digital...

Peter Gray ( linkedin.com/in/graypeter/ , petergraysearch.com ), a social impact executive recruiter and founder of Peter Gray Executive Search, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Peter shares lessons from placing more than 40 CEOs and over 200 strategic hires, offering practical guidance on leadership succession, building diverse candidate slates, and avoiding the “unicorn” myt...

Rokhaya Mané ( linkedin.com/in/rokhayamane/ ), a global talent acquisition advisor and leader with over 15 years of experience in talent acquisition and strategic HR, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Rokhaya shares what recruiters actually want to see in candidates today, from storytelling that clearly articulates value to evidence of agility, alignment, and future readiness....

Chaz Cirame ( linkedin.com/in/chazcirame , recruitbigfish.com ), founder of Big Fish Recruiting, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) for a candid and practical conversation on job search strategy and networking. Chaz shares what he looks for in top candidates, especially humility and change-maker potential, and breaks down his top rules of networking, including authentic interest,...

Jack Jarrett ( linkedin.com/in/jack-jarrett-97a384a9 ), an international talent acquisition and HR leader, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to give listeners an inside view on talent acquisition at top organizations. Jack shares how AI is reshaping the talent acquisition lifecycle and human resources overall, including both its efficiencies and its ethical risks. Jack and Dan a...

Dan Perez ( linkedin.com/in/perezdan ), SRI Executive’s Director for North America, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to share insider advice on standing out in the job market, especially for leaders in the international development space. Drawing on 20+ years of experience in executive search and strategy consulting, Perez outlines the three capabilities executive search firms...

Corey Spitzer ( flyhighventures.com ), a fractional CTO and startup advisor with over 20 years of experience in software engineering, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Corey and Dan explore the dynamic environment of startups, emphasizing the variety and high-impact nature of the work. Corey discusses the advantages of being based in Omaha, Nebraska, highlighting the supportive...

Rob Grazioli ( robertgrazioli.com ), a Managing Partner at Bread, an agency of founders for hire and a pre-seed venture fund, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Rob and Dan discuss Rob’s path from college to founding Density, a company that reached a billion-dollar valuation, and how that led to Bread. Rob shares insights on maintaining co-founder relationships, the importance o...

Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO and Co-Founder of AOA Dx ( aoadx.com ), a biotech startup focused on innovative early cancer diagnostics for women, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss her journey to becoming a biotech leader, strategies in raising over $20 million in funding, the power of networking, and the critical need for more research in women's health. Oriana and Dan als...

Dr. Fadi Boulos, Founder and CEO of Supportful ( supportful.world ), joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss Supportful's mission to combat brain drain in Lebanon by connecting international tech companies with remote Lebanese talent. Fadi discusses the historical context of Lebanon's brain drain, the importance of building a remote work culture, and the innovative strategi...

Kerry Ann King ( eluminatelabs.com ), Founder and CEO of Eluminate Labs, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Kerry Ann explains the background behind her company's debut offering, Fin, an app designed to help users understand their productivity style and break the cycle of productivity-related anxiety. She also shares her insights from her time with Google on corporate culture ch...

Sam Simmons, CEO and Co-Founder of MintPass ( mintpass.com ), joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ). Sam and Dan discuss MintPass, a web3 travel app that rewards users for sharing and discovering trusted travel recommendations. Sam explains the use case of web3 and NFTs in creating incentive alignment in various industries, using travel as a prime example. Sam also shares insights f...

Spencer Campbell ( linkedin.com/in/spencer-campbell-impact , spencercampbelltalent.com ), Founder and Principal Talent Agent of the Spencer Campbell Talent Agency, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss the modern job search. Spencer’s innovative business model involves acting as a talent agent for job seekers, providing advice, support, and representation to help them suc...

Matt Ley ( linkedin.com/in/mattley ), a senior consultant with the consulting firm Gapingvoid and author of the book "Manage Your Gaps: Reclaiming the Awesomeness of Management," joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss the importance of community in organizational culture, the role of managers as culture champions, the distinction between managing rock stars and rising star...

John Whitfield ( linkedin.com/in/john-whitfield-73b47515 ), Head of Sustainable Business Europe at Acre, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss his views on impactful leadership, both in the sustainability space and for all leaders. John and Dan discuss the lessons John has learned about leadership as an American living and working in the oldest still-functioning capitalis...

Lakeshia Ekeigwe ( leaderthinking.com , linkedin.com/in/lakeshiaekeigwe ), CEO and Founder of LeaderThinking Global LLC, joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss modern leadership and the qualities and characteristics required for it. Lakeshia emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the responsibility of leaders to create a healthy workplace...

Dr. Jaime Goff ( theempathicleader.net , drjaimegoff.com , jaime@theempathicleader.net) joins host Dan Freehling ( contempusleadership.com ) to discuss her forthcoming book "Rewrite Your Leadership Story: Overcoming Anxiety and Insecurity to Fulfill Your Leadership Potential." Jaime and Dan explore the influence of her background in marriage and family therapy on her views of leadership and leader...