Leadership Huddle with Geoff Welch

“You’re the first person to say ‘please’ today.”It was after 6PM and the guy behind the meat counter at my local grocery store hadn’t heard the word “please” yet during his nearly completed shift.“That’s a rough streak,” I replied.“I mean, I can’t say ‘no’ if they don’t say ‘please’, but, you know…”I translated his incomplete sentence to mean, “it’s still nice to hear, even if it is my job to prov...

Amanda Langhorst didn’t just find her career. She built a career around helping others find theirs. In this conversation, I talk with Amanda Langhorst, Program Director of the Applied Management program and Instructor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Business and Security Management. We talk about the power of self-advocacy, why listening is the most underrated management skil...

What she said was so backwards. And yet I couldn’t believe I had never heard it before. I was walking through Costco on a particularly rainy Saturday morning when I heard a worker conclude an interaction with a customer by saying, “enjoy the rain!”The person was being wholly genuine and my attention was immediately captured because I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use that phrase before. The i...

When Nicole Welch first began her career in HR, she never imagined she’d one day be representing healthcare before legislators, leading in an organization with nearly 2,000 employees, or serving as Chief Human Resources Officer of Foundation Health Partners, an independent health system that didn’t yet exist. In this conversation, Nicole – who also happens to be my wife – opens up about her journe...

I was at an event recently and ran into a former leadership student I hadn’t seen in ages. I was really excited to cross paths and I asked them how they were doing after all this time. They laughed, told me they were well, and said they feel like they “see me” all the time because they get these messages. It’s a worthy reminder that the people around you are paying attention, even if you don’t rea...

These eleven words stopped me in my tracks:“If fitness isn’t in your top three priorities, it won’t happen.”When Caleb Whittle left the CMO chair for the weight room, he had no idea he was about to reshape how high performers think about fitness. Caleb now helps executives and leaders cut through the noise—ditching fad diets and overcomplicated routines—in favor of simple, sustainable habits...

You’ve been lied to. For years you’ve been fed a message suggesting that the ideal relationship between your work life and your personal life is one of balance. An implied 1:1 ratio. This ratio is not only generally impossible, but it completely betrays your own preferred mix. I’ve talked to so many people who feel a strong sense of tension about this relationship. Not because they hate...

When Mark Oldmixon first stepped into the Alaskan outdoors, he had no idea it would shape two decades of his life—and countless others. As Director of Nanook Recreation at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Mark has spent nearly 20 years helping students and community members stretch their comfort zones through rock climbing, rafting, ice climbing, and other adventures. In this episode,...

I’m going to get plenty of hate in the comments, but here’s my take:Clarity is the most powerful lever leaders have to influence the success of their team. Ensuring your people have complete clarity about the desired outcome, their role in the work ahead, the timeline, and how their work interrelates to the work others are doing is the single most important thing a leader can do to help them win....

When a COO admits she hates flying but plans the next trip before the wheels touch down, you know you’re in for a candid conversation. In this episode, I sit down with Amber Zins, Chief Operating Officer at Northrim Bank, to talk about building leaders by growing your own, setting clear guardrails, and giving people runway. Amber traces her path from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, s...

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I really didn’t. But I just couldn’t help myself. On a recent camper trip, Nicole and I found ourselves across the path from a pair of couples with tents. On the morning of their departure it was fascinating to watch both couples go about dismantling their tents to pack everything into a pair of Jeep Wranglers. One couple was orderly and rehearsed. They had what appeare...

Today’s episode features Heather Handyside, President and COO of Thompson & Co. Public Relations, who joins me to talk about leadership, culture, and making big career transitions. Heather’s career spans high-profile roles in government, corporate communications, and now agency leadership, and she brings a wealth of perspective on building strong teams and maintaining high standards while...

A friend of mine* has recently been waking around 4AM and struggling to fall back asleep. I’m no sleep expert, but we chatted about how he responded to this nocturnal frustration and something struck me. Every time he woke up unexpectedly, he grabbed his phone and scrolled social media in an attempt to settle his mind and return to sleep. And he scrolled and scrolled, night after night, unable to...

In this episode of the Leadership Huddle, I sit down with Dr. Luke Meinert, Superintendent of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. With over two decades of experience in Alaska’s public schools, Luke brings both strategic clarity and a deep sense of humanity to a role that is equal parts challenge and opportunity. We talk about baseball as a metaphor for leadership, what leaders...

The other night I had this dream in which I realized I was married to Kelly Clarkson. There was a legitimate feeling of increased status and cachet in having such a direct connection to a rich, famous, superstar. Except there was one big problem. In addition to the fact that Dream Geoff had no recollection of ever having met Kelly, he was also married to our actual wife, Nicole, of whom we are bot...

In this episode, I talk with Jesse Finkelstein, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Page Two Books, a publishing firm that’s redefining what it means to bring a book to life. Jesse shares her journey from bilingual camp counselor to publishing executive, and why she and her co-founder built a company that treats authors like CEOs—with a C-suite behind them. We dig into what makes Page Two’s hybrid model...

I can fall down a rabbit hole from time to time watching videos about music production. I love hearing about how a certain song uses a sample from a James Bond movie, but they reversed it and chopped it up and turned it into a hook that most people would never know wasn’t wholly original. And it’s wild to me to think that every song I’ve ever loved was built on a foundational palette of 12 tones....

In this episode, I talk with Angie Spear, Director of the Alaska International Airport System, about what it really takes to run not one—but two—of the most vital airports in the state: Ted Stevens Anchorage International and Fairbanks International. Angie brings the energy and insight you’d expect from someone who never turns off her “airport radar”—whether she's traveling or just checking out a...

Once upon a time there was a couple named John and Jane and their marriage was in big trouble. They wanted to fix things, so they went to see a marriage counselor. The marriage counselor listened to their problems and advised them to wait 6-months until Valentine’s Day, go have a spectacular date – really pull out all the stops, and that should fix things. John and Jane were taken aback.”Isn’...

Marc Luiken has held leadership roles that span the skies, the state of Alaska, and the private sector—and in this episode, he brings a wealth of insight from all three. Marc began his career as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, later served as Alaska’s Commissioner of Transportation, and today directs business development at Michael Baker International. We talk about what real servant leader...

Luke Skywalker wouldn’t have saved a galaxy far, far away without Obi Wan Kenobi. Or Yoda. Neo wouldn’t have escaped the Matrix (and did whatever the hell he did in the second and third movies) without Morpheus. Do we really think Katniss and Peeta survive the Hunger Games without Haymitch – flawed as he was – as their guide? To those you lead, you are a guide. You help them see opportunities they...

In this episode, I sit down with Anna Gould, Director of Sales at GCI Communications and unofficial holder of the title “Person Most Likely to Know the Answer to Your Problem.” Anna’s career is a masterclass in growth through grit, humility, and relentless curiosity. From swapping physical tapes at her parents’ wireless cable company in Fairbanks to leading a statewide sales team, she’s never stop...

At the beginning of June I spent a week on a cruise ship, intentionally cut off from the internet. Before I left, I diligently tied up loose ends and set up my out of office email so that I wouldn’t leave anyone hanging. It was a blissful week of sun, sand, and sea. And naps. And then I came home and reconnected to all the things. I was greeted with a couple of text messages – a medium with no out...

This week on Leadership Huddle…I sit down with Dean Caravelis—Founder and CEO at Blezoo—to talk about what it really means to lead with intention, creativity, and a deep respect for both your team and your customers. Dean has spent nearly two decades helping brands show up in unforgettable ways, and he’s just released his first book, The Experience in a Box Playbook, a brilliant resource for...

I can now get a Mountain Dew at Subway. The sandwiches are the same as they’ve always been, but now I can get a delicious, ice cold Mountain Dew to accompany the meal. That changes my calculus when choosing a spot to grab a quick bite to eat. In a similar way, your leadership can be the frosty Mountain Dew that pairs with the work someone on your team loves doing.(Is this a monumental stretch?)Jus...