Handson Coaching: Inspiring Conversations

Thinking about leadership, it is easy to hide behind titles, responsibilities, and expectations. The role becomes the focus. The person quietly disappears behind it. And yet, when things feel off in teams, strained in culture, or heavy in decision-making, it is rarely the role that people respond to. It is how someone shows up. Or does not. That question kept circling for me. At what point does le...

Why Multisensory Learning Works, and Why Schools Are Still Slow to Use It Reading struggles are often met with polite reassurance and a familiar line. Wait and see. The problem is that waiting rarely helps, and families lose time that matters. Russell Van Brocklen , known as the Dyslexia Professor, brings a practical view on what actually helps struggling readers. He translates structured literacy...

You Don’t Need to Be Fixed - You Need to Remember What if growth wasn’t about fixing your flaws, but about remembering who you already are? Andrew Moss - veteran coach, adventurer, and community-builder - invites us to rethink change. Together, we’ll explore how remembering your strengths, adaptability, and past wisdom can open up new clarity and confidence in life, work, and leadership. So much o...

The Authority Reframe: How to Lead Without People-Pleasing (or Pretending to Be Someone You’re Not) Authority doesn’t have to feel arrogant. In fact, the most respected coaches and consultants aren’t the loudest in the room – they’re the clearest. In this conversation, Chris Marr helps us untangle the myths around “being nice,” explore why people-pleasing keeps professionals stuck, and introduce a...

Any Dumb Ass Can Do It: The Unsexy Truth About Great Leadership Leadership isn’t rocket science - it’s human science. In this honest and energizing conversation, best-selling author and legendary culture-builder Garry Ridge shares why brilliance is overrated and consistency is everything. Drawing from his new book Any Dumb Ass Can Do It, Garry breaks down the myths we’ve built around leadership an...

I Dream of Things That Never Were: From the Field to the Frontlines of Justice What happens when your life changes in a single moment - and you're left to build a new one from scratch? Kenneth Kunken was a college athlete with big plans when a tackle on the football field left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. But that moment didn’t end his story - it redefined it. From navigating a world...

The Courage to Risk: Why Moral Bravery is the Missing Link in Modern Leadership What if leadership wasn’t just about driving results - but about creating something morally distinctive? In this compelling conversation, Charles Spinosa - leadership strategist and co-author of Leadership as Masterpiece Creation - argues that today’s leaders aren’t just decision-makers. They’re artists. Creators. Risk...

Becoming the Leader Your Life Has Prepared You For: Courage, Clarity, and the Work of Becoming Who You Are Dorothy A. Martin-Neville, PhD brings a lifetime of reinvention, insight, and grit to this conversation. Her journey from an orphanage in Boston to founding multiple organizations, leading clinical research, and coaching high performing executives gives her a rare understanding of how real le...

Making Culture Stick: The Long Game of Integration In this episode of Inspiring Conversations, I’m joined by Linda Carlisle, Fractional Communications and Culture Leader with over two decades of experience guiding companies through mergers, acquisitions, and large-scale change. We dive into the often-overlooked second wave of integration: culture. Linda explains why culture work doesn’t end with D...

Ever been called a “monster”? Thomas R. Wilson has - and he used that label as rocket fuel. Battling bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, and autism spectrum traits, he was nearly crushed by a cruel school system. Instead, he exploded into a valedictorian, poet, and global advocate. His story will piss you off - and then make you believe in the power of outrage turned into action. Tune in, get mad, an...

This Inspiring Conversation features Rod Collins , an author and keynote speaker known for his work on how collective intelligence can transform the way we lead and collaborate. Rod has spent decades showing that organizations perform at their best when they stop depending on a few people at the top and start tapping into the wisdom of the many. His work with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Emp...

Rod Collins joins Inspiring Conversations to explore an idea many leaders still resist. Nobody is smarter than everybody. Organizations work better when the thinking is shared, not guarded.

People Strategy for the Trades: A Blueprint for High-Performing Teams How do you build a team that actually works - on the site, in the cab, and in the chaos? In this live conversation, transformational leadership strategist Traci Austin shares her no-fluff approach to building high-performing teams in the skilled trades. From hiring the right fit to developing confident leaders and keeping your b...

From Lean to Lyrical: Finding the Human Voice in Process and Performance Lean thinking and opera don’t usually share a stage. One obsesses over efficiency; the other over emotion. But Naila Selimović has lived in both worlds - and discovered they’re not opposites after all. As a former opera singer turned leadership coach and Lean consultant, Naila helps leaders tune both their systems and their s...

Leadership on Your Terms – Bringing Heart, Presence, and Power into High-Pressure Spaces In a world that often demands speed, performance, and conformity – especially in high-tech and high-stakes environments – how can leaders show up with authenticity, empathy, and unshakable presence? In this Inspiring Conversation, Pradeepa Narayanaswamy shares how leaders can reclaim their voice and lead with...

The Shadow Side of Leadership: Why Good Intentions Aren’t Enough We often think toxic leadership is about bad people. But what if it’s really about the systems that let darkness thrive? Malcolm Higgs , academic, consultant, and co-author with Dr Sinem Bulkan, PhD, SFHEA of Dark Leadership: Navigating Toxic Organisations and Transformational Change, has spent years studying how individual traits an...

Leadership Lessons from the Playground: What Kids Teach Us About Life In this energizing session of Inspiring Conversations, we speak with TAMEKA “F.U.N. Coach” ANDERSON , award-winning youth coach and author of You're It!, to uncover the powerful leadership insights hidden in everyday interactions with children. Drawing on her experience coaching families, educators, and youth leaders, Tameka...

The Long Walk Home: Finding Freedom One Step at a Time At 72, Rand Timmerman laced up his boots, grabbed his pack, and stepped into the unknown - 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail with his 71-year-old brother. What began as a physical challenge became something far deeper: a journey through recovery, grief, and renewal. In this conversation, Rand shares what happens when you stop waiting for th...

Shake the Dust: Resilience, Faith, and Finding Purpose What does it take to keep moving when life keeps knocking you down? Gina Economopoulos knows the answer - not in theory, but in practice. She’s endured childhood surgeries, the loss of her mother, twelve years in a convent, the grip of alcoholism, and the pain of broken relationships. And yet, she stands here today as an author, end-of-life do...

“Growth Without Losing Yourself: A New Blueprint for Conscious Leadership” In this Inspiring Conversation, join Marco Houwen as he shares a radically human approach to leadership - one that balances growth with groundedness. After decades of scaling tech businesses, Marco stepped back to create a new blueprint: one that helps leaders and organizations grow without sacrificing who they are. We’ll e...

The Unlearning Curve: Letting Go of the Stories That Keep You Stuck We all carry stories - about who we should be, how success should look, and what we’re supposed to want. But what happens when those stories stop fitting? Constance Curtis has built and rebuilt her life and business more than once, and each time, she’s discovered the same truth: growth often starts with letting go. In this convers...

“High-Ticket Referrals Without Feeling ‘Salesy’” Turning Authentic Relationships into Business Growth In this episode of Inspiring Conversations, we speak with Brandon Barnum - renowned referral expert and author of Raving Referrals - about how to attract high-value clients without resorting to pushy sales tactics. Brandon shares how professionals can build trust-based partnerships that lead to co...

Unlocking Potential: Leading Teams through Connection and Complex Transformation In this session of Inspiring Conversation, we will speak with Emerson Scotland , a transformation expert and accredited coach, who will explore how fostering genuine connections within teams can help solve complex business challenges, drive exceptional performance, and build collaborative cultures. Discover practical...

Mastering the Art of Goal Setting: Transforming Vision into Reality What does it really take to turn a bold vision into meaningful, lasting results? In this energizing live pre-recorded session, Laura Watson, ACC, MSW - founder of Venture Coaching International and an expert in leadership and business transformation - joins us to unpack the science and soul behind effective goal setting. Together,...

The Hidden Saboteurs: Breaking Free from Triggers That Hold You Back Why do we so often slip back into old habits just when we’re about to change? Author and transformation coach Hilda Fainsod argues that the real blockers aren’t a lack of willpower or discipline - they’re the hidden saboteurs and triggers running the show behind the scenes. In this Inspiring Conversation, we’ll explore how to spo...