Yes, And! With Avish Parashar

This week's episode of Say Yes, And is a little different - because I'm giving up the host's chair. Recently, I joined Jodi Grinwald on her Today is the Day Changemakers podcast, along with guest co-host Fred Wasiak of Humanics Consulting. Jodi was kind enough to let me share that conversation here, which gives me the opportunity to introduce you to her work while also letting you hear a side of m...

We tend to romanticize innovation as a lightning-strike moment: someone suddenly has a brilliant idea that changes everything. But what if innovation isn't something you wait for? What if it's something you can deliberately create? In this episode, I sit down with former Google executive and innovation speaker Steve Lerch, author of INNOVATE: Igniting a Culture of Curiosity and Perpetual Improveme...

What if understanding who you're NOT is actually more important than understanding who you are? In this episode, I sit down with innovation expert, Hall of Fame speaker, and author Stephen Shapiro for a wide-ranging conversation about innovation, goals, productivity, personality, collaboration, and creating cultures where different types of people can do their best work. Stephen and I go back more...

Artificial intelligence is transforming every industry—but how do we make sure we don't automate away the very thing that makes organizations successful: human judgment? In this episode, I welcome back keynote speaker, employee retention expert, and author Lisa Ryan to discuss her new book, Smart Plant: Aligning AI, Automation, and People. Although the book is written around manufacturing, our con...

One of the biggest misconceptions about networking is that it's about collecting contacts. My guest this week argues it's about something much deeper: building genuine friendships. I sat down with business development executive Atul Sood to discuss how authentic relationships have shaped his entire career, from helping McDonald's build technology partnerships to launching startups, navigating pers...

What do live television news, improvisation, and organizational leadership have in common? Quite a bit, it turns out. In this episode, I sit down with communication expert and former TV news anchor Christina Butler to explore how confidence isn't about being perfect—it's about being prepared, adaptable, and willing to take the next step even when you don't have all the answers. Drawing on two deca...

What happens when you go through 14 reorganizations and 7 managers in just two years? In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend Terrence Ryan, a Developer Relations Manager at Google Cloud specializing in AI, to talk about what it really takes to navigate relentless change, without burning out, disengaging, or simply resisting reality. Terry shares practical strategies he's learned from...

In this episode I sit down with innovation strategist, improviser, and author Melissa Dinwiddie to talk about her new book, Innovation at Work: 52 Micro-Experiments for Brave Leaders Who Want to Unstick Teams, Spark Ideas, and Build What's Next. Melissa shares how organizations can build real cultures of innovation—not through giant retreats or complicated systems, but through small, playful, repe...

Today is the day is launch day for my new book, "Say 'Yes, And!' to Change"!!! You can get it here: https://SayYesAndtoChange.com The E-Book is $0.99 during launch week!  Thanks, and keep saying "Yes, And!"

This week I am pulling one of my favorite interviews out from the archives. Why? Three reasons: My last episode with Anish Mahajan really did quite well, so I wanted to follow up with another episode with an "industry veteran." Since that episode did well, I wanted new subscribers to get an episode of a similar format. I have been super busy myself preparing for the launch of my new book, Say "Yes...

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend (all the way back to childhood!) Dr. Anish Mahajan for a fascinating conversation about leadership, listening, and leading through uncertainty. Anish has led at the highest levels of healthcare and public health, from helping implement the Affordable Care Act to leading a major public hospital through the COVID crisis in Los Angeles. What I loved...

In this solo episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my brand-new book, Say "Yes, And!" to Change . For years, I believed the biggest challenge in change was resistance. But after working with leaders and teams across many industries, I realized something surprising: Resistance isn't the biggest problem. Apathy is. Most people aren't openly fighting change—they're quietly checked out. In this epi...

In this episode I sit down with publicity expert Jill Lublin to unpack what it really means to get visibility in today's world. Many people think publicity is press releases or blasting on social media, but Jill shares how it's truly about message clarity, storytelling, and getting others to care about why you do what you do. We talk about practical frameworks for pitching podcasts, leveraging com...

In this episode, I'm joined by Jacob Aldridge, an international business advisor and keynote speaker who's calling in from Malaysia - where he can literally see Singapore from his window! Jacob and his family recently made a massive "Yes, And" decision: they packed up their life, became full-time travelers, and now "worldschool" their daughter while Jacob coaches businesses remotely. We talk about...

Human connection is becoming a competitive advantage - especially as AI, automation, and digital overload keep pulling us away from real relationships. In this episode, I sit down with Thom Singer. Thom is a keynote speaker, community-builder, and CEO of the Austin Technology Council, and we talked about Human Interaction (H.I.) in an A.I. world. We unpack why "networking" isn't something you do o...

In this episode, I reconnect with my longtime friend Kirstin Carey, a serial entrepreneur and business strategist, to talk about what happens when you're doing all the "right" things in business… but the results still aren't clicking. We explore why curiosity is the underrated superpower in sales, leadership, and relationships, and why most "sales resistance" is really about story, emotion, and id...

In this episode, I sit down with Alvin Law – an international Hall-of-Fame  keynote speaker, Emmy Award winner, and award-winning musician who was born without arms and built a remarkable life by refusing to let other people's labels define him. Alvin and I talk about what it really means to step into your greatness when your life doesn't look like an Instagram highlight reel. We explore how his p...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Candace "Candy" Campbell - nurse, actor, filmmaker, and international speaker - to talk about improv, healthcare, and what it really takes to communicate courageously in high-stakes environments. Candy's journey is wild and inspiring. She started with a degree in acting and was headed for New York… until a disturbing "casting couch" moment made her walk away fr...

When everything feels messy, most leaders reach for more tactics and more meetings. In this conversation, I sit down with Maartje van Krieken - engineer, skipper, crisis strategist, and host of The Business Emergency Room Podcast - to talk about how to triage chaos, make cleaner decisions, and realign people and processes without burning everyone out. We cover her "coat rack" process metaphor, the...

In this conversation with change-management expert April Callis-Birchmeier (CCMP™, PMP®, CSP®), we unpack her R.E.A.D.Y. framework from her READY, Set, Change! Book and framework and translate it into practical moves you can make this quarter. We cover how to turn corporate buzzwords into relevant, relatable stories, why one accountable executive sponsor changes everything, what "just send an emai...

I sat down with keynote speaker, leadership trainer, and singer-songwriter Rachel Druckenmiller to explore what it really means to live and work UNMUTED. Rachel shares how she invented roles inside a corporate job, navigated a near-career-ending pivot right before the pandemic, and eventually brought her voice - literally - onto the keynote stage. We talk about borrowing others' belief when your o...

In this episode, I sit down with Scott Cooksey, CSP, founder of Leadout Performance Group, to talk about building teams that can adapt and win, especially when the plan meets reality. Scott explains why most "one-and-done" trainings fail, how to diagnose the real problem behind symptoms like conflict, and how leaders can modernize their playbook for a world reshaped by COVID and AI.  We cover his...

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with fellow improviser and change-maker Kathy Klotz-Guest. Kathy's career path is anything but boring. She went from being a rare female leader in Silicon Valley tech to blending her love of improv and comedy into transformational work with corporate teams. We talk about her journey, the power of "yes, and" in leading change, why vulnerabili...

I had a blast talking with Jan Spence, a Certified Speaking Professional and TEDx speaker whose journey from professional women's full‑tackle football to international keynote speaker is unforgettable. Jan shares how turning a sea of competitors into teammates through simple encouragement sparked her "Cheer Leadership®" philosophy. We dive into actionable tools - from 'putting on that Teflon rainc...

In this episode, I connect with my old friend Nye Warburton, someone I've known since our  college improv‑comedy days. Nye's journey has taken him from animating features like Monster House and Battleship to chairing an Interactive Design & Game Development department of a college and writing provocative essays about AI, blockchain, and creative technology. We talk about the pressures of entertain...