Lifting Leaders Podcast

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a heartfelt pause to reflect on a powerful year of learning, leadership, and HOPE on the Lifting Leaders Podcast. This special year-end episode looks back at the conversations and guests who shaped our thinking, inspired our courage, and reminded us what’s possible when leaders show up with authenticity and purpose. Join us as we revisit the stories and insig...

Lifting Leaders Podcast closes out our 2025 guest lineup with a truly inspiring duo: acclaimed Pacific Northwest landscape photographer Robert LaSelle Chism and his life and creativity partner, Sun So, making her debut on the show. In this visually rich and deeply human conversation, Robert and Sun share the stories, techniques, and artistry behind Robert’s breathtaking Pacific Northwest landscape...

As we close out our “What Brings Us Hope” series, we’re taking time to reflect on the most powerful lessons, insights, and stories shared by our extraordinary guests—leaders, creators, innovators, and everyday changemakers who brought hope to life in meaningful ways. In this episode, we revisit key themes from the series and highlight the surprising insights, moving stories, and memorable moments...

This Thanksgiving week, we’re sharing what we’re most grateful for and exploring creative, eco-friendly ways to celebrate the holiday. In this episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we dive into simple, sustainable Thanksgiving ideas, from reducing waste to choosing Earth-friendly traditions, that can make your holiday more meaningful, mindful, and memorable. Whether you’re cooking, commuting, or pre...

In this inspiring episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and activist John Ondrasik, best known as Five for Fighting. Recorded just minutes before he stepped onstage, John shares a powerful reflection on music, courage, and hope in a world facing immense challenges. Through songs that spotlight some of humanity’s mos...

Feeling overwhelmed or hopeless? You’re not alone. In this Lifting Leaders Podcast episode, Kristal Roberts and Tricia Rhine share practical ways to rise out of hopelessness and rediscover hope through small, intentional actions—like self-care, gratitude, and shifting your mindset. Tune in and learn how to rebuild resilience, nurture emotional wellbeing, and move forward with grace.

In this episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with a powerful conversation with Jeni Craswell, President & CEO of Leadership Eastside. Jeni shares how courageous, values-based leadership can transform not only organizations but entire communities. As co-chair of the visionary team that created the first community-focused adaptive leadership curriculum...

This week on Lifting Leaders Podcast, we explore the power of pressing pause. In a world that glorifies busyness, intentional rest can feel risky—but it’s often where hope, resilience, and creativity return. Learn how taking an intermission can restore well-being, spark innovation, and renew your sense of purpose as a leader and human being.

Continuing our “What Brings Us Hope” series, we explore what our Hope Survey reveals about how people sustain hopein daily life and leadership. Discover simple, research-backed practices that build resilience, strengthen well-being, and help leaders stay grounded when challenges arise. Hope is a verb — and we all have a role in keeping it alive.

Continuing with our theme of “What Brings Us Hope,”  we are so happy to introduce you to Darrell Thomas, Creator and Host of “The Money Levels Show,” host of “Resource Investment Conference Media Channel” and seasoned EDI professional. Spend this time with us, as Darrell candidly shares his fascinating story, from his beginnings in Oklahoma, through his varied endeavors that have led him to this p...

Continuing with our theme of “What Brings Us Hope,”  we are excited to introduce you to a World-class research scientist, Dr. Matt Sturchio, PhD, who is transforming how we think about solar energy. Most people know that solar panels are used to feed the grid, so we can heat and light up our homes or recharge our vehicles. Imagine a world where solar panels coexist with native plants, nourishing t...

We’re beyond excited to share our first-ever public speaking engagement, on the topic of HOPE—at the International Organization Development Network Conference. It’s only Day One but we are already learning so much! We spent this great day meeting fellow OD Professionals and learning from some of the pioneers in our profession.  What does it feel like to step onto a global stage for the first time?...

What better way to kick off our new, Season Five series, “What Brings Us Hope,” (that’s one!) than to celebrate with one of our absolute, all-time favorite guests, for the third time, Carla Ondrasik (that’s two!)?  And we are thrilled and honored to be sharing this episode on the very day that Carla’s new book, STOP TRYING – The Life-Transforming Power of Trying Less and Doing More, is launching!...

We are SO excited to be back from our annual Summer break AND to introduce Season FIVE of Lifting Leaders Podcast!  We did a lot during our six-week sabbatical, and we want to share some of it with you.  Listen in and hear about a key lesson learned, during this time off.  Hint…how many activities can one commit to, in a six-week period of time?  Hear about a related lesson learned that we believe...

Well, we did it!  Season Four is coming to a close, just as we begin our annual Summer break (August, anyway!). In this episode, we share some of the highlights from this season’s show, with fantastic guests, insightful Gem episodes, Coaches Corners and more.  We learned and accomplished so much, this season, from offering a series on Coaching from the Heart; visiting our local plant nursery, to l...

As we get closer to taking our annual August break, we want to take a look at ways in which we can have fun, while not overtaxing our environment.  Listen in and learn about some simple ways that everyone can make a sustainable difference, while having fun. Interested in learning about how you can save on your energy usage?  Did you know that it takes less water to run a full dishwasher than it do...

When you look in the mirror, who do you see?  If you’re like many people, you may be a bit self-critical. But is that self-awareness? Spend this Coaches Corner time with us, as we explore something that is foundational for everyone who leads (and that’s everyone!).  Leading yourself, with self-awareness, is inspirational and it serves as a model for others to become more self-aware. It leads to hi...

Who do you belong to – and, who belongs to you? If these questions just stopped you, in your tracks, listen in to this week’s episode, where we spend nearly an hour with our new friend, Paul Haury, who shares his perspectives on the topic of true belonging.  Paul’s vitae includes being a practicing coach, consultant, former Global VP of People & Culture, former IT Director and much more!   Han...

Checking in with ourselves or, said another way, getting grounded was just one of many gems we gained, from Dorothy Siminovitch, PhD., founder and president of Gestalt Coaching Works. Our time with Dorothy was rich with insights and inspiration, much of which we will be unpacking for some time to come. With all the uncertainty that is swirling around us, these days, we felt it was a good idea to c...

If you listen to our podcast, you know that, at the end of each episode, we promise you future episodes with more fantastic guests.  Well, this week, we delivered on that promise.  Meet Dorothy Siminovitch, Ph. D., MCC.  Dr. Siminovitch is a pioneer and visionary, in the field of Gestalt–based coaching, the founder and president of Gestalt Coaching Works, and co-founder of multiple major coach tra...

After spending a delightful hour with our friend, fellow podcaster (The Courage Effect) and  professional coach, Suzanne Weller, we decided to use courage for this episode, as we wanted to share our thoughts about courage during change.  If you are a regular listener of Lifting Leaders Podcast, you know that, in addition to interviews and Gems episodes, we also do Coaches Corners, where we unpack...

Who says two podcast cohosts can’t interview another podcast host?  Not your Lifting Leaders Podcast hosts.  This week we are excited to interview Suzanne Weller, leadership coach, speaker, change practitioner, communication strategist, and host of the podcast, The Courage Effect. Suzanne gifted us with her wisdom, stemming from experiences that paved the way for her to help leaders (and everyone...

Once again, we had a great time, interviewing Melissa Castro, Millennial Leadership Coach and Author of the newly launched book, Intrinsic Leadership – A Coaching Guide for Millennials Who Want To Lead in All Aspects of Life. Melissa gifted us so many gems related to her book, that it was difficult to settle on just one…but we did! If you listened to the previous episode, you heard Melissa talk ab...

Attention, Millennial Leaders and Everyone Else! It was so fun welcoming Melissa Castro, Millennial Coach and all-around amazingly creative leader, back to our podcast to celebrate and talk about her newly published book, Intrinsic Leadership – A Coaching Guide for Millennials Who Want To Lead in All Aspects of Life. While Melissa wrote this book, with a specific audience in mind, it is clear that...

As we recorded this episode, on the front end of Mother’s Day weekend, we started simmering on the topic of caregiving…something moms know all too well about.  So, with a world of respect, to all the moms out there, we are taking a look at caregiving, from a few different angles. The first angle is, of course, all about people who provide care for others.  This includes all women AND men, who may...