Good Vibes Leadership with Bernadette Smith

Most leaders think psychological safety means everyone gets along. This week, a Father's Day pickleball game with players aged 9 to 96 sparked a different idea: what if more conflict — not less — is actually the sign you're doing it right? Bernadette digs into what psychological safety really looks like, why silence on your team should worry you more than disagreement, and what leaders can do this...

For years, I called myself an ally. But any time there was a Black Lives Matter rally or a benefit for an inner-city school, I'd quietly bow out. "I have my thing. I do the gay thing." I stayed in my comfortable, cozy gay lane. And it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized I didn't even know the full story of Juneteenth — after nearly two decades of doing inclusion work. This episode is abou...

A podcast host who'd seen me speak in Dallas told me what she remembered most: "This woman is so free to be who she is." That word — free — cracked something open. In this Pride episode, I dig into what I've come to believe after 20 years in this work: almost everything that goes wrong on teams traces back to self-worth. The person who won't speak up and the one who won't stop talking have the sam...

My dad was an Irish immigrant who built a cheap-ass pantry in our basement and stocked it with cans of V8 juice after every can-can sale. I absorbed more than the hoarding habit. I absorbed scarcity thinking — and carried it straight into my leadership for years. This episode is about that. About zero sum thinking, why it shows up in workplaces, and what it actually takes to get to the other side...

EPISODE SUMMARY I grew up in a household where complaining wasn't tolerated. My immigrant parents had a simple philosophy: others always have it worse, be grateful, and suck it up. My older sister even had a name for complainers: windy whiners. So naturally, I became a "suck it up" leader. What followed was a distrust cycle I didn't see coming, and then an overcorrection that cost me something dif...

Summary This winter, my pickleball game fell apart. I wasn't feeling low — I was still showing up — but I had quietly shifted from playing to competing. Focused on the outcome, the ranking, the score. The fun left. The pressure filled the space. I had pickleball burnout. In a hobby. And it turned out to be a signal about something much bigger than my backhand. In this episode, I share how I got my...

I used to feel like I had to be serious to be taken seriously. The imposter syndrome was real. And it landed on top of something older: a scarcity mindset I inherited from my immigrant parents. Together, those two things made me heavy, desperate, and honestly, not very fun to be around. In this episode, I share what I noticed, what I changed, and why making play my word of the year turned out to b...

I got yelled at this week. I was volunteering, handing out bags of essentials to people experiencing homelessness near the expressway off-ramps by my house. I was moving in traffic, so I tossed instead of handed. The bag fell. And I got an earful. This episode is about what happens when good intentions skip the most important step. And what it actually means when someone trusts you enough to tell...

I got terrible customer service from someone in a membership role. Sixty seconds in, it felt personal. I was activated and I walked out the door. No escalation, no manager, no last word. Just flight. In this episode, I unpack what happened, why I'd do it the same way again, and what it taught me about the difference between defaulting and deciding. Takeaways: Know your default: Fight, flight, free...

I was on a sales call recently and felt that immediate recognition: this is a covert inclusion audience. In this episode she names a practice she's used for twenty years without ever labeling it, leading with her audience's motivation instead of leading with inclusion itself. From wedding industry rooms to corporate sales teams, the content stays the same. The door changes. And everything works be...

I recently sat in a room of strangers — different backgrounds, different everything — and within an hour we were sharing grief and shame. Heavy stuff for a Saturday morning. But here's what I keep relearning: connection doesn't require similarity. It requires honesty. And somebody has to go first. In this week's Good Vibes Leadership, that's the thread — what happens when you're willing to go firs...

In this micro-lesson, I'm breaking down the Bubble World theory of inclusive leadership — why most collisions at work aren't malicious, they're assumptions — and how the ARC Method® gives us a way to move through the world without bursting each other's bubbles. Plus: we built an actual game to practice it. Link in the show notes. Takeaways The Bubble World Metaphor: Why picturing our lived experie...

I spent time this week in a musical improv class, and it was a masterclass in one thing: staying on the beat. In improv, if your mind wanders for even a second, you’re out of sync with the whole team. It made me think about a request my son made when he was little for my "phone-free attention." That request stuck with me because giving someone our undivided focus is the most basic act of leadershi...

Summary: I’m currently taking an improv class, and it has highlighted a major leadership blind spot: the leftover vibe. In improv, if you carry the "stiffness" of a bad day onto the stage, the scene fails. Leadership is no different. We play many roles—the efficient delegator, the empathetic coach, the bold visionary. These aren't masks; they are authentic "costumes" we wear to meet the moment. Bu...

5 Things: Good Vibes in DEI is now Good Vibes Leadership What's that? I talk about the transition and what that means for the show going forward.  I recently sat in a room full of ERG leaders who were hitting a wall of fatigue. When I asked how they actually started their leadership journey, the answer was universal: They were invited. In this micro-lesson, I’m breaking down why "voluntelling" som...

In this solo episode, I recap the latest good vibes in DEI. This week the stories are about Out athletes at the Olympics, Laila Edwards making history on Team USA, Super Bowl fans getting tactile access, and more! I also spoke about the New York Times article by Nikole Hannah-Jones, which gave me hope: What It Means to Be a White Race Traitor . Here are this week's good vibes: 47 Out Olympians Lat...

In this solo episode, I recap the latest good vibes in DEI. This week the stories are about Miis matching real people, Bad Bunny breaking the Grammy ceiling, and Olympics coverage getting more accessible, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: Miis Finally Match Real People Bad Bunny Breaks Grammy Ceiling Knitting Turns Into Collective Power Happy Trees, Public Media Relief Olympics Coverage G...

In this solo episode, the stories are about papers for undocumented residents in Spain, debt-free access at Yale, and paid internships for all at Dartmouth, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: Spain says papers for people Yale expands debt-free access Olympians get retirement-style support Dartmouth funds internships for all Minnesota CEOs demand de-escalation Good Vibes to Go:  Check out M...

In this solo episode, I recap the latest good vibes in DEI. This week our conversation is about pickleball making access the default, autistic Barbie done with care, bonuses for the whole crew, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: Pickleball makes access the default Autistic Barbie, done with care Bonuses for the whole crew A font that saves seconds Minecraft breaks the censorship wall  Good...

In this week's solo episode, I recapped the most popular story and edition from last year, plus shared new good vibes about returning tribal land, safer design for women, inclusive recognition for same-sex couples, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: California returns 17,000 tribal acres World’s first disabled dog park thrives South Korean census finally recognizes same-sex couples DOT bac...

Donald D. Gilliam, Co-Founder, Critical Collective, LLC and I recap the latest 5 Things: Good Vibes in DEI. This week our conversation is about intersex justice, inclusive healthcare, women redefining leadership, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: Europe finally shows up for intersex rights New York puts dignity in cancer care e.l.f. Beauty claps back for inclusion Relooted lets Africa tak...

Maria Gallucci (she/her), Award-winning realtor and proud CODA and I recap the latest 5 Things: Good Vibes in DEI. This week our conversation is about Deaf athletes smashing barriers, Target’s accessible checkout, Costa Rica’s trans political breakthrough, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: Deaf athletes smash barriers on the court Target finally gets checkout right Costa Rica votes for tr...

Karen Coyne,  President, Clarity Planning and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about women breaking symbolic ceilings, deaf-led service innovation, transformational philanthropy, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: The Grito Gets a Gender Upgrade When Coffee Demands Inclusion $70 Million That Changes the Equation NASA Gets a G...

Jad-Évangelo Nasser (He/Él/Lui), Global Inclusion Expert and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about ice cream without activism, bank wages hitting $25, bath bombs for trans rights, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: Ice cream without activism Bank wages hit $25 Thailand extends pregnancy leave Boston church confronts slavery...

Rachel Shaw (she/her), President at Shaw HR Consulting and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about beer with a braille bonus, child care goes universal, rainbow door opening at the Vatican, and more! Here are this week's good vibes: Beer with a Braille Bonus Free Tuition, Priceless Access Full Bellies, Full Futures Child Care Goes Uni...