The Joy of Connecting

Maria Doughty has spent nearly five decades' worth of institutional wisdom at her fingertips — and she uses every bit of it to do one thing: bring people together who never would have found each other otherwise. As President & CEO of The Chicago Network, a 50-year-old invitation-only community of the city's most powerful senior executive women, Maria has turned the art of connection...

Meg McWilliams knows the sting of networking gone wrong—and she’s building a better way. As the co-founder of Gobby Goblin, an AI-powered event networking tool, Meg is on a mission to make large-scale events more human, one meaningful intro at a time. In this refreshingly honest episode, Meg shares her founder journey, lessons learned from gaming and immersive tech, and what it really takes to cre...

“Human connection isn’t instant—rapport might be, but trust takes time.”  — Orlaith Brogan, Co-Founder of Wing People What if networking wasn’t awkward, aimless, or based on chance? What if connection at events was designed—with intention, warmth, and actual follow-through? Shaena Harrison and Orlaith Brogan are the co-founders of Wing People , a company that places trained "wing people"...

Connection is not a credit card swipe.  It's an investment. In this heartfelt and energizing conversation, we’re joined by Alli Kushner , Global Operations Lead at LinkedIn and founder of BeeKyn, a startup helping working parents find meaningful playdate connections for their kids and themselves. We dive deep into how modern life complicates authentic connection and how Alli is tackling that...

We’re pumped to welcome Scott Tran , Founder at Support Driven , a community serving customer support and customer experience professionals, to our show. Scott has built a thriving online community of more than 13,000 members who care deeply about support. In this episode, he shares how the art of listening shaped every stage of growth, why people stay for friendship (not only answers), and what i...

What a treat we have for you today. We’re thrilled to welcome Yuval Yarden , a connector at heart and Founder of Pollinate , to the show.  She’s a champion in building spaces where founders can thrive, crafting programming across VCs, corporates, government initiatives, and her own non-profit. She created Pollinate because she deeply believes in the magic that happens when CEOs step out of the day...

We’re excited to welcome Jason Yarborough , Co-Founder of Arcadia, co-host of Friends With Benefits Podcast , and partnerships thought leader, to our show. He’s passionate about bringing humanity back into business and harmony into the lives of go-to-market leaders.  Jason joins us for a conversation full of wisdom, warmth, and practical insight on building relationships that go far beyond the tra...

In this Joy of Connecting episode, we sit down with the brilliant Marion Siboni , Founder & CEO, La Creme de la STEM™ , the only global, private network for early-stage female founders in tech and science. With deep roots in partnerships and a career spanning Cisco, MongoDB, and Techstars, Marion shares how she has leveraged connection as her greatest asset.  We discuss: How Marion built a thr...

As a sought-after LinkedIn Coach & ghostwriter, podcast host, and Founder of Composure Digital , Ashley Laabs helps founders and executives show up with clarity and confidence. In this deeply personal and insightful conversation, she talks about courage and why it’s essential to stop performing and start showing up as your full self. She talks about what it means to build meaningful relationsh...

In this Joy of Connecting episode, Antonio Caridad , Head of Global Partner Operations at Tricentis, shares how the Arcadia Leadership Experience influenced some of the best career opportunities, partnerships, and friendships. He also talked about how being in the moment and off-the-grid at the leadership retreat changed his approach to connection and business forever. We dive into: The #1 mistake...

Rachel Rozen , is the Founder and driving force behind Connection Catalyst , a facilitation-based learning company dedicated to helping people master the art of networking and relationship-building. She empowers individuals and teams to conquer fears, sow their seeds, and nurture a network that significantly boosts their "net worth." In this Joy of Connecting episode, Rachel breaks down...

Marija Skobe-Pilley , the Founder & CEO of Women in Customer Success , started a podcast with the desire to feature remarkable women in customer success and amplify their voices. What began as a passion project grew into a powerful network of over 130 women who became each other's mentors and champions. She didn’t plan it. She didn’t have a secret agenda. She didn’t set out to build a mas...

"Say the quiet part out loud." Taina Palombo-Price , Director of Product Marketing at Cisco ,  lives by this mantra. It’s helped her build meaningful connections in both her career and personal life.  As an expert product marketing leader with experience at industry giants like Meta and LinkedIn, she knows a thing or two about networking, authenticity, and building community. In this epi...

In this Joy of Connecting episode, we welcome Hansen Hunt , Head of Community at Covve (where he leads the Connection Crew) and the Founder of Certified Mastery . He joins us to share his journey of becoming an invaluable expert in building meaningful communities. He explains how his quest for sobriety and emotional health formed the undercurrents of his current professional endeavors. Hansen insp...

With AI and automation looming behind every corner, human connection is more valuable than ever. Enter Lauren Gibson , Founder of Connections , a newsletter and online event company that aims to inspire the future of work through professional networking, human connection, and community building. Lauren’s passion is helping professionals forge meaningful, intentional relationships, especially on Li...

We’re pumped to welcome Laurel Farrer , an internationally-renowned thought leader and expert on the topic of remote work, to The Joy of Connecting . She’s the Founder & CEO of Distribute Consulting , a virtual organizational development think tank and consulting firm. Laurel joins us to share her wisdom on building authentic relationships and creating a more diverse workforce. In this episode...

We’re excited to welcome a prolific entrepreneur, writer, podcaster, and all-around creative soul Alex Searle to our Joy of Connecting podcast . He’s the Founder of Humble Mind , a social learning & community-building company that’s helping professionals solve real-world challenges & transform insight into action. In this episode, we peel back the layers and dive into what being authentic...

In this episode of The Joy of Connecting, we welcome MK Getler-Porizkova , CMO of Loop & Tie , a sustainable gifting platform, and Founder of Branded Inferior . MK champions inclusion and passionately advocates for intentional, human-centered connection and networking. They join us on the show to reveal how connection starts with self-awareness and ripples outward to forge stronger, more meani...

In our newest episode of The Joy of Connecting, we welcome Jenny Kay Pollock , Founder of Women and AI , a community hub for women in all stages of their AI journey. From building vibrant communities to driving innovation in AI, Jenny is a super-connector who lives her mission to empower women in tech. She joins us to share the story of how meaningful connections have propelled her career and enri...

Kaivona Parker , the Unboring Sales Specialist and the Founder of Kaivona Parker Agency, Inc , is a powerhouse known for her ability to create world-class sales teams and deliver unboring, transformational training experiences. And she knows that networking isn’t just about transactions but transformation and growth. She joins us on The Joy of Connecting show to unpack the art of building authenti...

Our host Melissa Moody sits down with  Eric Harrison , founder of Thrive , to chat about how fostering meaningful connections in your community supports business growth and mental well-being. Eric shares his journey of founding Thrive, his experience with early struggles in business, and the pivotal moments of connection that shaped his entrepreneurial path. He also discusses the importance of bei...

Welcome to the Joy of Connecting - where modern professionals share stories of meaningful connection and how it can increase business success, unlock career growth, and create personal happiness.     Hear from the host, Melissa Moody, on the purpose of the show and what you can expect this season.