Narativ Leadership Story Talks

In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on a powerful insight sparked by a conversation with Lata Hamilton: sometimes the problem isn’t you—it’s the environment you’re in. Recognize that truth takes courage, honesty, and listening. Lata’s story becomes a springboard for a wider conversation about energy, fit, and the quiet signals that tell us when a story we’ve been living no longer...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan are joined by leadership coach and advisor Brad Farris, who works with creative service firm founders whose businesses have outgrown the way they’re leading. Brad shares a defining leadership experience from early in his career—stepping into a general manager role and realizing that “acting like a leader” often means p...

In this end-of-year special episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan pause to reflect on the year behind them—and the deeper themes that have emerged through hundreds of conversations, stories, and moments of listening. Rather than focusing on achievements or milestones, the conversation centers on something more enduring: connection, community, and curiosity . As t...

In this debrief episode of Leadership Story Talks , Jerome and Julienne reflect on a striking insight from Gabrielle Dolan, author of Story Intelligence : when people compared AI-generated stories with human ones, they consistently found the AI stories technically strong—but noticeably lacking something essential. What was missing wasn’t structure or clarity, but the feeling that the story was rea...

In this special edition of Leadership Story Talks , Jerome and Julienne look back on their experience presenting at the international Storytelling Symposium organized by Dr. Anja Timmermann—a gathering of scientists, researchers, and practitioners exploring the role of narrative in making complex work more human and accessible.  What begins as a simple recap unfolds into a rich reflection on risk-...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Greg Smith—General Manager of FranklinCovey’s Executive Coaching practice and a leader with more than 25 years of experience developing executives across global organizations. Greg has supported leaders at Walmart, Deloitte, Starbucks, FedEx, Disney, and today his practice delivers an extraordinary 97% coac...

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Dr. Anja Timmerman—an exchange that reminded them how a single, small human moment can reshape how we see a place, a culture, or a community. Anja’s story about arriving in New York for the first time becomes a doorway into her passion for community-building and the global storytelling symposium she now leads. What starts as a...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Lata Hamilton —change leadership expert, confidence mentor, and author of Pioneer Your Career Change . After tripling her salary in just three years and helping organizations lead transformations affecting more than 100,000 people, Lata has made it her mission to empower women to carve their own career path...

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Dr. LaNysha Adams and her powerful reminder that identity isn’t fixed—it’s chosen. Drawing on her insights, they explore why “bringing your whole self to work” isn’t about dragging every version of yourself into every room, but about being intentional, adaptable, and honest about who you need to be right now . What begins as a...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Gabrielle Dolan—one of the world’s leading authorities on business storytelling, keynote speaker, and author of nine books including her newest release, Story Intelligence: The Craft of Authentic Storytelling Made Smarter with AI. Gabrielle shares the pivotal “sliding door” moment that transformed her career...

"Be ready to be ready." — Jen Mueller In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne unpack lessons from Jen Mueller’s world of sports broadcasting—where seconds matter and every word counts. They explore how Jen’s approach to preparation, precision, and presence applies far beyond the sidelines, offering leaders a model for communicating clearly and engaging others under pressure. What begins as...

Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with Dr. Anja Timmermann—historian, communication scientist, journalist, and founder of the Storytelling Symposium in Germany. With a background spanning academia, media, and neuroscience, Dr. Timmermann brings a rich, evidence-based perspective to how humans share knowledge, build connection, and lead through story. She begins with a vivid moment of culture...

"When AI is mimicking as opposed to truly reflecting a culture, things become dull… it’s been flattened out. " — James Francis In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne unpack James Francis’s reflection on artificial intelligence and culture—and draw striking parallels to storytelling itself. When we rely on a single story, or a single perspective, we flatten complexity. But when we listen fo...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Dr. LaNysha Adams —TEDx speaker, ten-time award-winning author of Me Power , and Director of Student Wellness at Santa Fe Community College. Dr. Adams shares a profoundly personal story of surviving sudden cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic—an experience that reshaped her relationship to time, grat...

"There was a beginning and an end… and all the contributing factors that made it actionable." In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on Andy Goram’s story of receiving tough but transformative feedback. What could have been a demoralizing moment instead became a catalyst for growth—showing how honesty, kindness, and specificity can turn feedback into fuel. They connect Andy’s lesso...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Jen Mueller—business communication expert, Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, and founder of Talk Sporty to Me . With over 25 years on the sidelines of the NFL, MLB, and beyond, Jen translates lessons from high-pressure sports environments into practical strategies for business leaders. Drawing on early experi...

“ We see so often the Peter Principle play out… What we really need in today’s world are unblockers of work. ” — Liz Gulliver In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on Liz Gulliver’s insight that many managers are promoted for technical expertise but left unsupported in learning how to lead people. The result? Micromanagement, lost trust, and teams held back instead of propelled forward. The...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with James Francis —investor, technologist, and founder of Paradigm Asset Management and Sol.ai —about his groundbreaking framework, Artificial Integrity . With decades of experience managing billions through data-driven systems, James now focuses on a question that impacts us all: How do we build AI that elevat...

"…I wasn’t a good athlete and I was never going to be a good athlete, but what I was good at was trying to be a little bit better next time than I was this time." — George Pesansky In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on George Pesansky’s story of running uphill—literally and figuratively. What began as a painful failure in cross-country running became the foundation for a leader...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Andy Goram —also known as The Sticky Guy —a culture, leadership, and engagement consultant on a mission to help organizations create workplaces people don’t want to leave. Drawing on a pivotal career moment when a manager’s blunt but kind feedback changed his trajectory, Andy shares why being kind, not just...

“He failed to even take the most basic action… Instead, the Californian watched, motionless, as Titanic sank into the night.” In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on Kelly Skwarcan’s striking account of leadership failure aboard the SS Californian—a ship that might have saved hundreds of lives after Titanic sank but instead stood by, paralyzed by inaction and then mired in cover-up. This m...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Liz Gulliver—co-founder of Kunik, a community-driven platform helping companies retain and engage working parents and caregivers. Drawing on her own experience as a working parent in high-pressure corporate environments, Liz has built a business around rethinking how organizations approach flexibility, cultu...

“We need to cross your streams. We need to have a full Ghostbusters moment.” In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Evante Daniels — unpacking the metaphor of “crossing streams” and what it reveals about silos, purpose, and building cultures that last. They explore why organizations often keep departments, generations, and perspectives separate—and what bec...

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks , hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with George Pesansky—executive coach, performance consultant, and author of the upcoming book Superperformance: 8 Strategies to Reach Full Potential for Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization (Greenleaf Book Group, Sept. 2025). George shares how his personal story—running uphill, literally—led him to disc...

"That’s the only reason you’re in this office.” In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their powerful conversation with Charles Bernard—zeroing in on one pivotal moment: a leader choosing to elevate a quiet voice in the room. That moment not only launched Charles’s career in sales—it reshaped his sense of self. In this debrief, our hosts explore what happens when someone sees...