Despite Impossible

Some days hit different. You wake up and something’s off, maybe it’s you, maybe it’s the air. The inbox feels louder, the faces in meetings blur together, and your usual spark is just… missing. We all have experienced them. Sometimes it’s work, sometimes it’s life, sometimes it’s both tangled up together. What matters isn’t pretending you’re fine, it’s learning how to move through it without dropp...

Removing Spinach from Our Teeth: From Potential to Human Impact To access this article, and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page .

Today’s guest is Julia Lindahl. Julia is driven, passionate, and empathetic. She is also a forward for the University of Michigan Women's Ice Hockey team. She’ll be graduating as an architect as part of the 2026 class. This is Julia’s story.

Today’s guest is Lauren Hood. Lauren is an expander of boundaries, someone who elevates what’s possible, and is always trying to maximize her potential. She is also an educator, a writer, a city planner, and a community developer with a focus on the imaginative capabilities of the arts. In 2021, she founded the Institute for AfroUrbanism (IAU), a research organization dedicated to strategic develo...

Behind the title and the resume is a human being stepping into new territory. Behind the title and the resume is a human being stepping into new territory. Culture is felt in the little things: an intentional lunch invite, a personal story about values, or a structured check-in from a peer. This episode of Third Fork highlights the art of onboarding leaders with heart. Ryan poses the question of w...

Today’s guest is Jesse Thistle, who is a dedicated father and swimming cheerleader to his daughter Rose, a skilled pancake chef, and an avid writer. Jesse is also the author of “From the Ashes,” the winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction, Indigenous Voices Award, and High Plains Book Award, and a finalist for CBC Canada Reads, and an assistant professor in Humanities at York Unive...

Today’s guest is MacKenzie Isabelle Stearns. MacKenzie is an adventurer, a dedicated athlete, someone who deeply enjoys music, she is full of energy, and her friends describe her as someone incredibly fun to be around. MacKenzie is a first-year high school student, where she is deeply committed to walking with people going through stuff. She is also my kind, generous, creative, courageous, discipl...

In this episode of Third Fork, Ryan and Tansley break down what it truly takes to connect across generations at work.  From legacy systems that challenge even the most tech-savvy new hires to the courage it takes to admit when you don’t know the latest slang, they remind us: stay curious, be open, and leave assumptions at the door. Plus, they share the personal moments that shaped how we show up a...

Making the Last Mile Count: Strategic Execution at its Finest  To access this article, and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page .

Today’s guest is Dr. Aimee Daily. Aimee is committed to helping ensure that kids get the care they need to reach their full potential. Aimee is also the president and chief executive officer at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals where she focuses on leading with authenticity, accessibility, and responsiveness and on building connections with team members, hospital leaders, and CMN Hospitals’ ded...

In this episode of Third Fork, hosts Tansley and Ryan dive into the art of small talk at work. This is an underrated skill that can make or break your office experience.  They explore practical strategies for young professionals looking to build connections in a new workplace, from confidently introducing yourself to a colleague, to balancing openness with healthy boundaries.  Whether you’re navig...

Today’s guest is Missy Testerman. Missy is a passionate joy-seeker, a gardener, a teacher at heart and professionally, and someone deeply committed to education. She is also the 2024 National Teacher of the Year in the K-8th grade category, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher who is a staunch advocate for her students, their families, and her fellow teachers. This is Missy’s story.

In this heartfelt episode of Third Fork, Tansley and Ryan explore the bittersweet reality of saying goodbye to a beloved leader when they move on to a new opportunity. Tansley reflects on the importance of celebrating a colleague’s departure as a graduation, a recognition that their growth and success are something to cheer for. She reflects on a quote from the movie Elizabethtown to cope, embrace...

Today’s guest is Kelley Cusmano. Kelley is a charismatic educator, energetic, outgoing, a mother of two fantastic children, and a twin sister. Kelley is also the 2025 Michigan Teacher of the Year, an ELA and Leadership teacher who believes all students can achieve their potential. She is skilled in bridging the gap between teacher voice, curriculum design, and state education policy. This is Kelle...

Today’s guest is Dr. Amy Hillman, a giver, a lifelong learner, someone who is never afraid of trying new things, resilient, and a human capable of redrawing her future. She is also the Rusty Lyon Chair of Strategy, former Dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and the fellow leading Filene’s Center of Excellence for Leadership, Strategy, and Governance. This is Amy...

In this episode of Third Fork , Tansley and Ryan dive into the all-too-familiar feeling of vacation guilt . That anxious voice that whispers you’re falling behind, even when you’re supposed to be resting. Tansley opens up with a personal story from her childhood, recalling how she could feel the tension and guilt building at home in the days leading up to family vacations, and how that same mindse...

The Gift of Experience: Five Ways Credit Unions Can Leverage the Post-Service Era To access this article, and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page .

Today’s guest is Lamont Black. He is an educator, thinker, dreamer, speaker, an author with a focus on financial innovation, and a futurist. He’s inspiring our credit union movement to test, invest, and strategize to embrace Artificial Intelligence. Lamont is also the Associate Professor of Finance at DePaul University in Chicago and a former economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. Th...

We’re rewinding one of our most popular and insightful episodes from the Third Fork archive: Curiosity Over Criticism .  In this conversation, Tansley Stearns and Ryan Brown explore the delicate art of navigating unsolicited advice. Tansley shares how leading with questions rather than statements fosters openness and curiosity, while Ryan encourages listeners to assume positive intent, creating sp...

Our Future's Playlist: Your Strategy Plays Here (Tansley Stearns originally published this article on December 6, 2024) To access this article and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page .

Today’s guest is Christopher Veal. He is a great listener, someone who’s warm, thoughtful, challenging the traditional definitions of masculinity, and he’s known to be silly. He’s also a dad. Christopher is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, and faculty for the Co-Active Training Institute and ACT Leadership & Performance Coaching, a former Marine Officer, and the author of The Whole Ma...

Four Strategy Lessons from Ms. Pac-Man (Tansley Stearns originally published this article on December 6, 2024) To access this article and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.

Today's guest is Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, an arts and entertainment company with experiential exhibits in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Denver. He creates immersive and interactive experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. This is his story. To learn more about his organization, visit: meowwolf.com

In the second part of our Third Fork series on interviews, Tansley and Ryan shift focus to external job opportunities, when your growth journey calls you beyond your current workplace. Whether you’re passively exploring or actively applying, this episode offers practical insights on: How to prepare for external interviews without losing your authenticity Navigating loyalty and transparency with yo...

Raise Your Glass: Lessons from a Pink Concert (Tansley Stearns originally published this article on November 8, 2024) To access this article and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit Tansley Stearns' Curiously Driven Newsletter page.