Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Using the Virtues Sequence for Solving Workplace ProblemsAre you facing a problem that seems unsolvable? The answer might lie in the "virtues sequence," a concept my colleague and I uncovered while researching sacred writings across world religions. We discovered a common pattern that could help resolve workplace challenges, consistently following the same path of: love, truth, justice, unity, peace, and abundance.

Example One:A fabrication plant faced repeated customer complaints about design mistakes due to miscommunication and a lack of respect between departments. The designers and fabricators were separated by several departments, and when fabricators reported issues, they were often ignored by the designers who felt superior. This created distrust and poor relationships, rendering feedback workflows ineffective. The solution was to bring designers, fabricators, and customers together to develop relationship. Regular meetings led to unity and smoother operations, which in turn addressed customer concerns.

Example Two:The virtues sequence can enhance workplace dynamics by tackling core issues. A manager dealing with personal problems might unknowingly create a toxic environment, driven by unresolved struggles. Addressing this starts with acknowledging the truth of personal issues, and their impact on others leading to love and justice.

Example Three:The final example involves managers promoting up from a marginalized employee group. When organizations do not genuinely believe in the competence of the racialized individuals they unconsciously undermine them, which reveals hidden discriminatory attitudes. The lack of authenticity stems from an absence of truth and love, leading to injustice. Such problems occur because people often do not feel that their needs for love, appreciation, and acknowledgment are met in their own lives.

**How to Increase Ability to Apply the Virtues Sequence with Authenticity:

Serve the Customer: When you truly serve the customer, you reconnect with the noble purpose that your job is intended to fulfill. This strategy, derived from Lisa Earl MacLeod’s book, Selling with Noble Purpose has many examples of how connecting to service, inspires workplaces to make amazing progress and individuals to find purpose and meaning in their lives.

Remember Your Family Legacy: By reflecting on your family legacy, you can identify an inspirational example that has shaped your best self. While acknowledging that your family legacy wasn't perfect, you can still be inspired by the virtues your family tree has been able to demonstrate over time. This gives a sense of purpose and helps you get back on the virtues path.

Increase your Empathy through discomfort: People may lack empathy because they haven't experienced it themselves. One of my facilitator colleagues introduced an exercise to increase empathy by trying to teach workshop participants 10 minutes of basic introductory knowledge in Punjabi. Within less than five minutes, participants were angry and in tears. Pausing the exercise, my colleague explained that this was how their newcomer workers felt all day, every day, when they didn’t speak English as a first language. This powerful experience helped leaders understand their employees' struggles and realign with empathy and increased patience.

In summary, the virtues sequence, can be used as a diagnostic tool for a workplace issues, and in your personal life to find virtues solutions.

Remember the sequence: Love - Truth - Justice - Unity - Peace - Abundance.

Happy practicing and don't forget to pick up my book, The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities!

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Bio:Dr. Alan Akira is a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Mugen Psychiatry in Chicago. He aims to improve psychiatric care access, leveraging his expertise in clinical decision-making, education, and healthcare management. He’s also an Assistant Professor at Rush University Medical Center and has received multiple awards for his clinical excellence and teaching.

Links:

• LinkedIn Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-akira-md/
• LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mugen-psychiatry/
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Dr_Akira_MD
• Email: alan.akira@mugenpsychiatry.com

Quotes:“The world doesn't get any easier. You just tend to get better if you choose to.”

“One might not know where they're going in the future, but most of the time, we know where we don't want to be.”

Episode Highlights:Dr. Akira explores redefining happiness and success, emphasizing the importance of celebrating not just the results but the journey itself. He shares personal stories and reflections on his childhood and career that have shaped his current philosophy.

Childhood Incidents:Dr. Akira grew up in a household where his parents had blue-collar jobs, but very little financial stability. As a young teenager, Dr. Akira experienced a lot of confusion, around money issues. These challenges snowballed into stress, anxiety, depression, irritability, and anger. At some point, Dr. Akira questioned whether this was what life had to be. Thankfully, he had mentors who offered him hope, showing him that there was more to life than his lived experience and anxiety.

Cultural and Leadership Influences:Dr. Akira’s grandparents moved to the United States and opened a fish market in New York. One thing Dr. Akira noticed was that they always put their employees first, and the dividends of this approach paid off in their interactions with customers. For instance, they always found reasons to celebrate with their employees, and it was always authentic. At Mugen Psychiatry, Dr. Akira applies the same principle. He invests in both the clinicians’ present and future because he believes that happy clinicians do a better job.

Temperament and Personality:Growing up, Dr. Akira was quiet, reserved, and quite introverted—always preferring to sit alone rather than interact with others. No one would have ever imagined him as a psychiatrist. Over the years, he has become an “extroverted-appearing” introvert. He has stepped out of his comfort zone and learned how to have conversations with other people.

Cultural Epiphanies:Coming from Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Akira had a tough time understanding the Southern accent when he moved to Alabama. He recalls a day when he was attending a literature class, and the teacher was reading Huck Finn with a deep Southern accent that made Dr. Akira question if she was reading in English at all.

What Brings Out the Best in Dr. Alan Akira?Dr. Akira thrives when there is a fine balance that allows him to lean into things that recharge him. He is working on a study to help him understand what drains him versus what recharges him. He is also learning to appreciate that what recharges him might not work for others.

Soapbox Moment:Dr. Akira challenges us to learn to define things operatively on an individual level and to allow ourselves permission to double down on what works for us. He also invites us to check out his weekly newsletter on LinkedIn.

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The subtle art of embracing cultural influences.Bio:Agnes Yaa Serwaa Somuah is the Program Manager of the Sinkunia Community Development Organization in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The organization designs programs for new immigrant children and youth from African countries and of African heritage backgrounds.

Originally from Ghana where she was a teacher, Agnes holds both Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in education. She came to Canada in 2008 and now works at Sinkunia, engaging children and youth in activities to build confidence and cultural pride. Agnes is a published author of 13 books, including nine children’s stories called “Akan Children’s Stories,” two stories about her personal life, and four plays in Akan. Last year, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Medal for community service.

In her spare time, Agnes enjoys spending time with her children, who range in age from 8 to 25 years-old, and her husband. She loves gardening and cooking.

Links:

• Agnes’ Children Books
• Agnes’ HIV Survivor Story

Quotes:
“Every day, I get a chance to just make a child smile, like all the smiles I missed when I was a child.”

“So many things happen to us when we are growing up, but it depends on you as an individual what you choose to do with it.”

Episode Highlights:Agnes exemplifies the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" by navigating and embracing the diverse cultures of Ghana and Canada.

Childhood Incidents:
Agnes grew up in a household where her father had three wives in constant rivalry with each other. As a child, she loved being at school more than at home because at home there was no time to play. Children always had responsibilities ranging from working on the farm and in their father’s stores to counting money from the store. Agnes vividly recalls organizing award shows for children in her neighbourhood using chocolates from her father’s store. One day, while visiting her aunt in Accra, she continued her award shows, and her aunt told her she would make a great teacher, though Agnes wanted to be a journalist.

Unlike many African compound families, Agnes’ dad always encouraged her to go to school and do her best to excel. Agnes never got close to her mother, a second wife in competition with the other women of the household. One thing Agnes learned from her mother was cooking, and believes her mother could cook a whole cow in 50 different ways.

Influential Groups:
Agnes learned communal living from her father, who united all his children. This influenced her desire to live with others when she moved to Canada. She wanted to be around people.

Cultural and Leadership Influences:
As a nanny in Canada, Agnes was supported by her employers to publish her books. She was surprised by the family's progressive views on parenting and their support for her dreams.

Personality and Temperament:
Agnes has an inside and outside personality. At home, she is quiet, contrasting with her public persona. Her quiet husband and their youngest child help balance her dual nature. She tries to blend Canadian ideas and opportunities with her own in raising her children.

Cultural Epiphanies:
Agnes was shocked by the prevalence of smoking in Canada, which contrasted with Ghanaian views on social status.

What Brings Out the Best in Agnes?Being with people and feeling respected motivate Agnes to show up to work even on tired days. She also loves working with children, giving them the smiles she missed as a child.

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CLI_7: What is the Difference Between Training and Coaching?Is there a difference between training and coaching?Quotes: “If you don't know what you want to see, then you don't know how to see if it has worked or not.”

Episode Highlights:Organizations can confuse training with coaching or misunderstand their purposes. When an organization approaches me for training or coaching, there's often confusion between the terms. People think that coaching is the same as training and vice versa, or they don't understand why you would need coaching because you don't have any “so-called” problems. They also don't know what to expect or how to determine if there's going to be progress in training and coaching.

In this episode, I share the differences between coaching and training. I also touch on the different types of training and coaching and what they entail.

Training:Training typically targets organizational goals and is often done in groups. It involves predefined outcomes and measures success through behavior changes.

Types of training include:

• Knowledge-based training: Involves presentation of material with quizzes and discussions to assess understanding.
• Skills-based training: Focuses on observable behaviors towards a specific outcome, like presentation skills or carpentry skills.
• Behavior change-oriented training: Aims to make visible changes in knowledge, skill, and attitude.

Coaching:Coaching is complex and relationship-based, focusing on sustained action and behavioral change. It involves a continuous learning process, like mastering a sport or instrument. Combining coaching with training yields exceptional results.

Types of coaching include:

• Life coaching: Covers life skills like budgeting, emotional regulation, and anger management.
• Business coaching: Focuses on strategy, finances, marketing, and business goals.
• Executive/leadership coaching: Involves strategic planning, team management, and change management.
• Performance coaching: Targets specific career goals and leadership milestones.
• Health coaching: Concerns improving habits of nutrition, exercise, weight loss, and addictions.
• Relationship coaching: Involves communication, conflict management, and interpersonal skills.

Success in training depends on clear goals and effective engagement towards desired course outcomes, while success in coaching relies on the client's willingness to engage and the coach's ability to help the client build capacity and strength in achieving personal goals or overcoming professional obstacles.

If you're interested in discussing training or coaching with me, please email marie@shiftworkplace.com to find a time to chat and determine what best suits your circumstances.

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Improving life through better listening.Bio:Stanford is a wealth management advisor. For over 30 years, Stanford Slovin has worked in the securities industry with individuals, families, and business owners as a financial professional with major national brokerage firms.

He is the author of Better Listening: The Secret to Improving Your Professional and Personal Life, and as a speaker showcases how listening improves communication and conflict resolution. Stanford is actively involved in charitable organizations focusing on mental health and children with disabilities. He loves traveling and plays in a rock and roll band.

Links:Website: https://www.betterlisteningbook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanfordslovin/

Episode Highlights:In this episode, our guest, Stanford Slovin, educates us on the importance of empathetic and reflective listening. According to Stan, the world would be a better place if we all listened better. Stan shares his childhood and professional experiences, and we also get to hear about his involvement in the Side Hustle band.

Childhood Incidents:Growing up, Stanford and his family traveled frequently. He vividly recalls his father engaging with waitstaff and bellhops, asking about their days. This inspired Stanford to write his book, believing that today's distractions prevent us from truly listening. He also remembers his father encouraging everyone, including family and employees, to express themselves.

Leadership and Cultural Influence:According to Stanford, the best leaders are the best listeners. As a young adult, people often vented to him, and he always made them feel heard. Now, he asks if people want to be listened to or need his input after venting. Sometimes, people just want to be heard without receiving advice.

Growing up in a Midwestern city, Stanford realized how isolated cultural, religious, social, and economic settings can be. Summers spent on his family's farm in Galena, Illinois, exposed him to diverse people with different beliefs and economic backgrounds, highlighting the world's diversity

Influential Groups:From a cultural and personal standpoint, Stanford chose a career focused on relationships, social interactions, sales, and service. He preferred a profession that involves communication and interaction in both social and professional settings, rather than a career confined to a lab, isolated from people, or dominated by data analysis and paperwork

Personality and Temperament:Stanford has always been gregarious, spontaneous, and enthusiastic. Over the years, he has become more positive, patient, and listens better. His daughter describes him as passively aggressive in a positive way. He has also learned how to understand his audience so that he can communicate better.

Cultural Dissonance:Stanford went to school to study law, and he was committed to practicing law when he graduated, but along the way, he realized he had a passion for wealth management. He had to get into cold calling, asking strangers to send him money to invest. The professional shock lasted for 18 to 24 months.

What Brings Out the Best in Stanford?Stanford thrives in an environment where he understands what’s important to the person or people that he is working with. He is always looking for what else is important to them.

Soapbox Moment:Stanford encourages us to get and read his book. The three key takeaways he would want us to have from the book include impactful conversations, empathy, and more reflective and active listening.

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Anxiety is Not an EmotionDid you know that anxiety is not an emotion? You may think you "feel" anxious, but in reality, you're sensing anxiety. Anxiety is a physiological reaction from the "fight or flight" function of the vagus nerve. It triggers the adrenals to release cortisol and adrenaline into your nervous system, setting off an alert to potential danger. You feel it in your solar plexus above your kidneys.

Anxiety's hormones aren’t usually signs of real danger, making anxiety "homeless." It is a moving target in search of a home, but always gets kicked out due to its bad behavior. Anxiety can never be satisfied, making it a close partner to perfectionism. Never happy, never good enough, never complete. Anxiety, perfectionism, criticism, and paranoia cause repeating neurological thought loops that entrench fear (false expectations appearing real). This leads to catastrophizing (seeing disaster around every corner) or magical thinking (belief that unrelated events are connected despite no evidence). These thought patterns result from anxiety, constantly searching for a place to reside, but no one wants to let them in permanently due to their disruptive nature.

Emotions, on the other hand, are our friends. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, they ask to be acknowledged and felt. When we acknowledge our emotions, they transmit messages necessary for both surviving and thriving. However, we often fail to acknowledge and accept our emotions, causing them to return and eventually get stuck in the body. This can create stiffness, pain, and inflammation in the muscles, organs, or entire body areas.

But there’s hope! There are practical things you can do, or rather undo, to create and sustain feelings of calm, peace, and confidence, which dissolve anxiety.

**Three Anxiety-Calming Practices:

1. Cognitive Practice: Move Your To-Do List to a Success List**

2. Start with a sticky note pile and a pen or pencil.

3. Set a timer for two minutes and write the first "to do" thing that comes to mind on a sticky note, then rip it off and set it aside. Continue until the timer goes off.
4. Categorize these tasks into piles and put the top priority for each pile on top.
5. Create a "success list" of no more than three items.
6. When feeling overwhelmed, do this activity to calm your mind and create a sense of order.

2. Breathing and Awareness

• Become consciously aware of your breathing and whatever feeling you are experiencing in the moment.
• Make this a practice whenever you notice sensations of anxiety or obsessive thinking.
• This will calm your nervous system and replace danger signals with signals of well-being.
• In a real dangerous situation, this practice will help you stay clear-headed and calm.

3. Acceptance

• Tell yourself, “I accept that I am feeling this right now.”
• Acceptance is the thriving part of your nervous system that allows feelings of joy and brings inspiration.
• Accepting one feeling in the moment opens the horizon to other good things, helping you wave goodbye to anxiety.

In conclusion, anxiety is not an emotion, but instead a physiological response that you can calm. Using the aforementioned anxiety-calming practices will bring relief and a sense of freedom.

Thanks to Marie-Helene Pelletier for her insights on this topic from her book, The Resilience Plan.

For professional support, you can email me at marie@shiftworkplace.com to schedule a time to connect and talk.

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Redefining Leadership in the Mission-Driven SectorBio:Dimple Dhabalia is the founder of Roots in the Clouds, a boutique consulting firm that uses storytelling to heal individual and organizational trauma. She is a writer, podcaster, coach, and facilitator with over 20 years of public service experience at the intersection of leadership, mindfulness, and storytelling.

Dimple's mission is to transform mission-driven sectors by building human-centered cultures that meet mission needs and create psychologically safe spaces of empathy, connection, well-being, and belonging for staff.

Links:Email: hello@rootsintheclouds.com
Website: https://www.rootsintheclouds.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dimpstory
Newsletter: dearhumanitarian.substack.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dimpstory
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dimpstory
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rootsintheclouds

Quotes:
"Organizations must create a duty of care that looks at the needs of the whole person."

Highlights:Explore the importance of acknowledging and addressing organizational trauma, the impact of moral conflict, and the need for holistic, human-centered duties of care in organizations.

Childhood Incidents:As a child, Dimple celebrated all holidays. One Easter, she found eggs in their garden, but a neighbor said they were for Christian children, and her father made her return them. In school, a classmate called her an "Indian giver" for changing her mind about giving a pencil, and the teacher's reaction made her feel out of place. At age seven, her dad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, shifting family dynamics and making her mom the breadwinner, often requiring Dimple's help and causing her to miss time with friends.

Cultural Influences:Dimple has always prioritized service before self, a value her hardworking mother also upheld. Before her mother's passing, she urged Dimple and her sister to prioritize self-care, prompting a significant shift in Dimple's approach. Today, she believes in service without sacrifice.

Dimple enjoyed Greece the most, where clear boundaries between life and work allowed her to serve healthily and maintain a social life. However, moving to Delhi led to overworking and losing her social balance.

Personality and Temperament:Dimple's temperament is rooted in empathy, caring, and a desire to fight injustice. Over the years, she has incorporated self-care, curiosity over judgment, and an understanding that people's behaviors often have unseen complexities.

Cultural Epiphanies:As a Brownie, Dimple's leader surprised the girls with breakfast at McDonald’s. Dimple's mom dressed her up while the other girls arrived in pajamas. This incident highlighted a cultural disconnect, but taught Dimple about different social norms.

What Brings Out the Best in Dimple?Curiosity, connection, and empathy are Dimple's strengths. Curiosity drives her to understand others, empathy allows her to share their space, and connection helps explore stories and organizational trauma.

Soapbox Moment:Dimple’s book, Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self, is available now. Listen to her podcasts, "Service Without Sacrifice" & "What Would Ted Lasso Do?" For more information, sign up for her newsletter, Dear Humanitarian.

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**Using the Language of Virtues for Building Soul-Sustaining Work Decisions

Episode Highlights:**By practicing virtues and utilizing the “virtues progression,” we discover practical tools for creating happier and healthier workplaces.

Importance of Virtues in the Workplace:I've seen the impact of practicing virtue at work across four careers and over 500 managerial students, coaching clients, and 100+ companies. One of the companies I worked with asked me to help a dysfunctional site improve communication. After introducing the concept of virtues with a personal story, and asking them to share stories about an obstacle they had overcome or something they were proud of, I coached them to identify the virtues in each other's stories. This exercise led to open, non-defensive discussions. A few months later, the workplace atmosphere had improved significantly, increasing customer satisfaction and prompting the company to replicate the approach.

Learning the Language of Virtues:Virtues are developed through learning and through practice. Virtues are habits of character. Once practiced, they become characteristic of the person’s character. At the heart of the virtue approach is the idea of community. A person's character traits are not developed in isolation, but within and by the communities to which he or she belongs. What philosophers call “the moral life” becomes a matter of determining the kind of people we should be and attending to the development of character within our communities and ourselves. (The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities, p. 35).

To develop my own practice of virtues, I have a virtues card deck. Every morning I pick a card from the deck, and focus on that virtue throughout day. At the end of the day, I reflect on how I applied the virtue to my work. To benefit from this idea, consider getting “The Virtues Project” card deck or “Virtues Cards” app.

Virtues Progression:From my study of the Sacred Writings of the world religions, I discovered a virtues progression which has specific virtues as benchmarks and a guideline to solve problems. The progression is Love – Truth – Justice – Unity – Peace – Abundance. Every human relations rupture starts from a gap in one of these places in the virtues progression.

For a workplace issue, identify which virtue is missing and look backward in the progression to see what foundational virtue is required to experience it, then forward to know the next step. For example, if someone refuses to communicate, it might be due to a lack of safety (not feeling loved) or fear of repercussions (truth).

To ensure a decision is just, consider that these three justice quotients must be present during the decision-making process for all to benefit:

1. Seek diverse perspectives
2. Consult those most affected
3. Involve all stakeholders

How Virtues Affect People:A story from Chapter 2 illustrates the power of recognizing virtues. In a high-security prison where my husband once worked as a psychologist, he was assigned to help a large, tattooed, explosive inmate with anger management. As an emotions management tool, my husband introduced the "sparkle technique," a reminder to defuse anger by looking right, smiling, and then looking left, and smiling again (physiologically creating conditions for virtue by calming the nervous system). The technique reduces anger by changing eye position and engaging the muscles used for smiling. Although skeptical, the inmate tried it, found it effective, and even taught it to others, reducing fights in the prison and improving interpersonal relationships. He returned to his program with my husband saying enthusiastically, “This sparkle sh** really works!”

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The Importance of Celebration and Influence in LeadershipBio:Anthony A. Dicks, Jr.'s passion for leadership development is evident in his work as he's spent over two decades preparing people with diverse responsibilities to reach their optimal leadership potential. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Strategic Leadership program at Liberty University and is also a Certified John C. Maxwell Team Member and DiSC Coach. Anthony currently transforms leaders as the Senior Leadership Consultant at 180 Management Group**.

Links:**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aadicksjr/

Quotes:"People who may not be aware of their privilege may also not be aware of how they are exploiting others."

"It's not enough for us to see our heroes win. We need to see our heroes struggle."

Episode Highlights:Anthony's background as a preacher's kid played a fundamental role in shaping his leadership and communication skills. His educational achievements and professional experiences make him an exceptional leader with great wisdom to share. In this episode, Anthony shares valuable perspectives on leadership development processes within different institutions.

Childhood Incidents:Anthony’s dad was a Baptist pastor who always made sure his children were involved in church. Before he could stand to preach, Anthony and his three sisters were required to sing. On Anthony’s eighth birthday, he performed the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. from memory. The standing ovation he received was so warm that it made him want to do it again.

As a young adult, he underwent Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in the US Army. When he arrived at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he encountered people from all walks of life. Per the US military system, leaders had to be picked for different squads, and Anthony was one of them and got the honour to call the cadence.

Influential Group:Growing up, Anthony had the privilege of seeing his parents graduate from college. His dad was a pastor, and his mom was a primary school teacher. In their household, education was vital. Anthony also attributes the shaping of his childhood to African American traditions and the church.

Cultural and Leadership Influence:Anthony credits his leadership skills to all the institutions he attended the church, school and the AIT training. He also believes that these institutions shaped his culture, as he had to immerse himself in each one. That said, he sees the limitations of these institutional approaches to leadership and has worked to expand his skills as a result.

Temperament and Personality:Anthony believes his temperament is inherently trusting. He believes his personality has evolved from being an introvert to an extrovert. He urges us to learn how to give ourselves space to evolve, and not be tied to what we were five or ten years ago.

Cultural Epiphanies:Throughout Anthony’s education, he had never been a minority until he attended seminary. There was a church history class that was very challenging. Although Anthony excelled effortlessly, he was never celebrated. For the first time, he felt academically invisible. His son experienced a repeat of this issue in high school.

What Brings Out the Best in Anthony?To bring out the best in Anthony, you need to bring him to the brink of impossibility. He believes that to excel, we have to move to the edge of what we believe possible.

Soapbox Moment:To be at our best, we need both challenges and encouragement. Anthony urges leaders to find communities of practice to avoid the loneliness that comes with leadership.

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Appreciation is a crucial element for a healthy work environment.Bio:Paul White, PhD, is a psychologist, author, and speaker who "makes work relationships work." He has written articles for and been interviewed by many media houses. His expertise has been sought by people from across the world.

Links:Website: https://appreciationatwork.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-white-ph-d-3178276/

Quotes:"When we show interest in other people and open ourselves up to learn even more or be influenced by them, it's a huge door of opportunity."

Episode Highlights:Today, Dr. Paul White shares his journey to becoming the person he is today and discusses the different languages of appreciation in workplaces, and gives us his view on life in general. His passion lies in motivation by appreciation. He has authored a book and created resources to share his wisdom and knowledge.

Childhood Memories:Dr. White worked in his father’s factory from junior high school until college. His dad’s motive was to teach him the value of education and training. Through his experience working in the factory, Dr. White knew he didn’t want to work at the end of the conveyor belt later in life. As a child, Dr. White always went fishing with his mother to have a moment of bonding. His mom learned how to fish as a way of creating a special bond with her children.

Cultural and Leadership Influence:In life, having a community and developing relationships is essential for times when crises arise, so at least you will have people who can step up. Dr. White recalls when they had their twin sons in Phoenix away from family. The first two years were not easy for them, and it got as far as sleep deprivation.

Influential Groups:When Paul and his wife were raising their children, it gave them an opportunity to meet parents of their kids' friends and develop friendships. Unfortunately, when their lastborn left the local school, there was a vacuum of friendship since there were no activities bringing them together with other people.

Cultural Epiphanies:Dr. White realized that in a white male business group of older decision makers, expect respect to be communicated by giving your full attention, listening, and looking them in the eye. In contrast, culturally, both Native Americans and some groups of African Americans view looking a superior in the eye as disrespectful. He learnt the we need to work harder to understand people’s culture.

Personality and Temperament:Paul describes himself as a social animal. He is socially outgoing, fairly spontaneous, flexible, and loves to have fun.

Impulse control is one characteristic that Paul has grown and continues to grow. He can be spontaneous, but he is learning that there are times to slow down, think through things clearly, not react as much, and be more thoughtful and listen.

What Brings Out the Best in Dr. Paul White?Dr. White enjoys some structure but also appreciates opportunities to think on his feet and give answers from his life and brain. Recently, he spoke to a group of 30 to 40 business leaders in New York City, during a half-day interactive training. This group really challenged him and asked thoughtful questions that made him stop, think, clarify, share thoughts, and pull information together.

Soapbox Moment:Dr. Paul White invites us to check out the resources and materials his team created for the website. These resources will help managers build a healthy team and organization.

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What is Career Trauma?Imagine the teacher, interrupted mid-lesson by her principal's inappropriate whispers, or the immigrant worker denied a bathroom break, only to be mocked as he wets himself.

Consider the unfairness of a negative evaluation and pay cut from someone who's never even seen your work or being passed over for a promotion in favor of the boss's less qualified nephew.

Who hasn't felt the burnout from impossible demands or the frustration of training your replacement?

All these experiences cause us work wounds, which require us to be intentional to heal.

Importance of Emotional Safety in Workplaces:According to Employment and Social Development Canada, key risk factors for poor workplace psychological safety include high demand and low control, unfair treatment, harassment, and lack of professional development.

A report from the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health revealed that 500,000 Canadians miss work daily due to these issues, costing organizations $200 billion annually as of 2023.

This trauma leads to hyper-vigilance and increased anxiety. However, recognizing emotional safety cues and fostering a safe environment are crucial for healing career trauma.

Doctor Steven Porges' research on polyvagal theory explains that by identifying and processing emotions and sensations, the amygdala's threat reaction is reduced. This allows for the release of emotions tied to recent unpleasant memories, improving overall emotional balance and perception of current situations, without having to revisit past traumas.

While coaching or therapy can significantly help with career trauma, individuals can start their healing process by intentionally focusing on the following three key aspects:
Breathe Intentionally: Focus on the breath to divert the amygdala's attention from a threat response to a safety response. During a virtual training with oil field managers, one manager had a meltdown due to personal and work-related stress, including the recent loss of a worker and family challenges. I suggested he take a moment to breathe, which visibly calmed him. We then took a few collective breaths, further calming the entire group. The manager explained that a colleague had tragically drowned in a tailings pond, and this trauma had amplified his existing stress. However, the simple act of intentional breathing helped him and the group regain composure, highlighting the power of mindful breathing.

Move: When the nervous system feels trapped or tired, it becomes dysregulated, hindering movement and causing distress. To regulate the nervous system, it's essential to recognize and honor the body's need for movement, much like dogs naturally do through stretching and shaking. Dogs rest and heal after conflicts, then resume their normal activities without forcing themselves to overwork. Similarly, humans should balance movement with rest to maintain emotional regulation. So, when tempted to overwork or skip breaks, ask yourself, "Would my dog do this?" First, breathe intentionally, and second, move even just a little to help regulate your emotions.

Connect with Others: Social connection is crucial for healing career trauma, as isolation exacerbates feelings of distress and can shorten life expectancy by up to nine years due to loneliness. In the world's five blue zones, where people live longer and healthier lives, strong social connections are a common factor. Human beings are inherently wired for connection; even babies react positively to emotional connection. In these communities, people regularly interact and care for each other across generations. To maintain emotional regulation, it's essential to connect with others, share experiences, and support each other.

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**How the Soul Relates to Work

Episode Highlights:**In this episode, we explore the qualities and nature of the soul from various sacred traditions and how they matter for good work. We delve into the teachings of multiple western and eastern religions and Indigenous spiritualities to understand how the soul relates to and influences our work. From the power to accommodate to the concept of respect and interconnected relationality, the insights from these sacred traditions provide a unique lens through which we can approach work and workplace dynamics.

Defining the Soul:On page 22 of my book, “Soul in religion and philosophy, is the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being that confers individuality and humanity, often considered to be synonymous with the mind and the self. In theology, the soul is further defined as that part of the individual which partakes of divinity and is often considered to survive the death of the body.”

According to the Baha’i teachings, the soul is not a combination of elements. It is of one indivisible substance, associated with the body but not inside it, and eternal.

How Various Religions Define the Soul:Page 21 lists simple summaries of how different religions have spoken about the soul.

• The ancient Egyptians talked about the soul as being buried in a stele, meaning the container in which the body had been buried, and that the soul was inside this container, meaning the body.
• In Christianity, Saint Augustine wrote about the nature of the soul as having 3 parts, the body, or somatics, the soul or the psyche, and the spirit or the pneuma.
• In Hinduism, there is the concept of Atman, which is the essence of life that exists in all living things and within human beings is an opportunity to achieve transcendence.
• Islam and Jainism state that the soul exists before its association with the body and must pass through the physical life to overcome bondage and become liberated from the constraints of self and desire.
• In both Judaism and Christianity, the soul is alive if it follows the commandments of God and dead if it does not.

Many North American Indigenous spiritualities have references to life as emanating from the Great Spirit who imbues all living things with the spirit of life.

Qualities and Powers of the Soul:On pages 23 to 32 in my book, The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities, I highlight the qualities and powers of the soul. Interestingly, these qualities are the same across all sacred traditions. The qualities include purity, peace, love, joy, bliss, and knowledge. The powers of the soul include the power to accommodate, be flexible, consider the other person, and act based on both your needs and the other person's needs, power to back up, and the ability to bring things to closure and move on.

Understanding the soul and its characteristics can inform and improve workplace dynamics, including addressing issues like bullying and toxicity. When work is only a struggle for existence, it feels hopeless. If work is only a search for purpose and meaning, then we may not develop the necessary practical tools required to be able to deal with the struggle of existence. I propose work that is meaningful because it is related to the qualities and characteristics of the soul. It combines the struggle for existence with purpose.

If you are finding these episodes insightful, you can purchase the book The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities online on Amazon and Barnes & Noble or directly from my website shiftworkplace.com. Feel free to send me your insights and stories at marie@shiftworkplace.com.

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The Somatic Leadership JourneyBio:Pavini Moray has started, failed, and succeeded in many businesses. A serial entrepreneur, they have built private practices, a worker collective, and a for-profit company. Pavini is a somatic leadership coach, specializing in helping relationships be easy. Moray holds an M.Ed in Montessori curriculum design, as well as a Ph.D. in Somatic Psychology. Pavini has authored, How to Hold Power: A Somatic Approach to Becoming a Leader People Love and Respect.

Links:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pavinicoakwellmoray/
Website: https://www.pavinimoray.com/

Episode Highlights:In this episode, Pavini delves into their experiences of cultural disconnect, sharing personal stories of their childhood and how counterculture and punk music provided a sense of belonging and freedom. They discuss the importance of somatic approaches in leadership and personal growth.

Childhood Incidents:As a child, Pavini’s mother decided that Pavini should have a cultural education of experiencing the arts. As a single mother, cultural education was a luxury she had to prioritize and save for. Contrastingly, Pavini’s dad had season tickets and a box at the opera. One night, when mother and child were at the opera, they noticed the dad sitting in his box in the theatre which was Pavini’s first awareness of wealth disparity.

In January 1986, Pavini’s friends invited them to a punk party. While there, Pavini felt the difference between the world they lived in and the current world they were experiencing then. This experience set Pavini on a journey to find spaces of belonging.

Cultural Influences:Pavini’s purpose comes from living a life informed by pleasure, embodiment, and communication, tempered with transparency and kindness.

Leadership Influence:In 2008, Pavini attended an activist camp and experienced the power of transparency and power sharing along with strong organization. This shaped their foundational beliefs about leadership, elderhood and the importance of structure. To date, Pavini cannot stand being in a poorly organized meeting and strives to incorporate elderhood into leadership since it increases the capacity of an entire community.

Temperaments and Personality:Pavini believes they came into this world as a dancer, with a sense of awe, magic and connection to nature and spirit. Curiosity is also part of Pavini’s temperament. As a child, and later as an adult Pavini developed both a playful and pragmatic side to their personality.

Cultural Epiphanies:Pavini lived in Bulgaria in the 90s and experienced the Bulgarians' sense of powerlessness and hopelessness as shocking. Pavini recalls a time they went to the mayor asking for transportation for books that had traveled 10,000 miles around the world, and now required transportation for the last 200 miles to get them to the destination. The mayor said it was impossible, but Pavini was able to show him how doable it was when he opened his mind to possibility.

When Pavini was working with a worker collective, a sense of anger at late meetings arose frequently. One of the people they worked with told Pavini that the time intolerance and anger was white supremacy and not all people understand time the same way.

What Brings out the Best in Pavini?Pavini enjoys working in environments where they can laugh and be playful.

Soapbox Moment:Pavini encourages us to be attuned. They recognize how vulnerable it can be when we open ourselves to attune with someone else's needs, feelings, desires, fears, and grief.

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**What It Takes to Manage Well

Episode Highlights:**Delve into the three essential categories for effective management and self-regulation, differentiation, and high-level thought integrated throughout and responsive to operations.

**Three Essential Categories for Effective Management

Self-Regulation:**Self-regulation is crucial for good decision-making. It involves recognizing and accepting your feelings. It means being aware of your feelings and thoughts and choosing not to act on them impulsively. Self-governance enables you to consider the impact of your actions leading to more thoughtful and beneficial outcomes.

• Self-awareness and self-governance: This results in the ability to manage and release unpleasant emotions safely, interpret reality accurately, and maintain a sense of calm and peace.
• Other awareness and empathy: With genuine self-awareness, you'll have heightened empathy and notice and understand others' feelings and experiences. Increased other awareness and empathy in the workplace is a sign of effective management.
• The ability to change and sustain one's habits for elevated thought and action: True self-regulation means not defining yourself by routines or limitations but continuously expanding your sense of self through learning and applying new insights to work habits.

Differentiation:Differentiation is the ability to see the separate within the whole and the whole within separate and to bring them together. It's the ability to do analysis and synthesis.

• Separation of identity from in-group and out-group bias: The ability to separate your identity from the groups you belong to is crucial in management. A strong in-group and out-group identity is necessary for a sense of belonging and security. However, it's essential to maintain a balance and not let these identities define you entirely.
• Being able to hold multiple points of view without attaching yourself to them: This is a sign of effective management, allowing you to make decisions based on what's best for the collective rather than your personal biases.
• Capacity to inspire others and be inspired: If you are inspired by others, you're likely to be more inspiring yourself.
• Ability to balance encouragement and challenge: It means when people are not feeling strong, you can encourage them and build them up. When they're feeling strong but not showing their best selves, you can challenge them to step up to the plate.
• Being able to read reality without becoming hopeless in the face of difficulty: There are a lot of challenging realities in the workplace, and people go through many difficulties. If you can read and understand these difficulties without losing hope, it's a sign of great leadership.

High-level Thought Integrated Throughout and Responsive to Operations:It's not enough to have great ideas if no one can act on them. Frequent conflicts between departments occur when high-level thought is not integrated, usually due to lack of consultation.

• Have principle-based discussions that respect individual inputs: Listen with interest without getting defensive or allowing anyone to dominate.
• Collective decision-making that promotes honest and kind participation: Making decisions as a group where everyone is both honest and kind leads to agreed-upon solutions benefiting the whole without excluding individuals or groups.
• Ability to translate thought into action, reflect on the outcomes, and make adjustments: Changing your mind isn't a sign of weakness, but constantly changing it is. Making a decision and sticking to it despite negative outcomes is not a sign of strength.

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The role of spiritual intelligence in effective leadership.Bio:Yosi Amram, PhD, is a distinguished psychologist, an executive coach catering to CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other influential leaders, and a pioneering researcher in the field of spiritual intelligence. Holding an MBA from Harvard University and a PhD from Sofia University in Clinical Transpersonal Psychology, Dr. Amram is committed to enabling individuals to unlock their potential through spiritual intelligence. This profound connection to the core of one’s existence – their spirit, where inspiration and deepest interconnectedness reside – enriches their overall functioning, improves their effectiveness, and enhances their well-being.

He is the author of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired.

Links:Website: https://yosiamram.net/

Quotes:
“I think great leaders can also drop back and lead from behind, which is more of a facilitative role of leadership. You can think about it perhaps in terms of the yin and yang of leadership.”

Episode Highlights:In this interview, Yosi Amram tells us how a leave of absence from his company was a blessing in disguise. The board of Yosi’s company gave him a break because they felt he needed it. Initially, Yosi felt shame for being let go from his company, but later, it provided him an opportunity to find his identity and passion in psychology.

Childhood Incidents:When Yosi was four years old, he learned from older boys that flicking someone's legs while they're running or walking could make them trip and fall. One day, he experimented on a boy in front of him. The boy tripped, scraped his knees, and started bleeding and crying. The teacher started yelling, asking who did it, but Yosi never came forward. This experience taught him the importance of not causing pain, suffering, harm, or violence to others.

At age nine, Yosi went to a movie theatre without his parents and was molested by a stranger. This incident made him feel like there was something wrong with him, like he was damaged goods. He repressed his feelings about this experience and only addressed them in therapy when he was 40.

Influential Groups:Yosi comes from Middle Eastern, Iraqi, and Jewish backgrounds. Middle Eastern Iraqi culture is emotionally expressive, warm, and highly hospitable. In contrast, Jewish culture emphasizes Socratic methods of debate for truth's sake and taking responsibility seriously.

Cultural Influences:As Yosi grew older, his interest in spirituality deepened. He joined various spiritual communities, including Jewish Renewal, Buddhist communities, and a particular path called the Diamond Approach, which emphasizes inquiry and a love for truth. All these communities highlighted the importance of service.

Cultural Epiphanies:When Yosi moved to the US, he experienced culture shock; people valued personal space and privacy, which was not the case in Tel Aviv or the Middle East in general. He grew up in a one-bedroom house with his grandparents and parents.

What Brings Out the Best in Yosi?Yosi believes in directness and honesty. He values relationships where people are honest, open, and direct, built on a foundation of kindness and positive regard. He also appreciates regular mutual feedback to keep relationships clear and clean.

Soapbox Moment:Yosi encourages everyone interested in becoming more empowered and inspired leaders to check out his book, Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired.

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Is This Soul Enhancing or Soul Diminishing?Imagine bringing your whole self to an action informed by purposeEpisode Highlights:Today we delve into the concept of building a sense of purpose using the principle of choosing soul enhancing versus soul diminishing actions in our work behaviour. This episode equips you with tips to increase a sense of purpose at work, while providing you with a tool to autocorrect when you fall short of the ideal.

Getting to the Bridge of encouragement:The first question to ask yourself is, “Is this soul diminishing or soul enhancing?” Take an instance of a workplace where people are always gossiping. What does that do to the soul? It diminishes the soul and destroys positive company culture. Employees don't feel they can be their authentic selves, fearing they will be attacked. They can't admit to mistakes because they anticipate punishment.

In a soul-enhancing workplace, people encourage each other. They're clear about expectations, communications, and they operate transparently. They think about ways they can help each other, be kind to each other, and progress within the organization. When there's a mistake, they can talk openly about it because they know they will not be punished for bringing it up.

Soul Enhancing versus Soul Diminishing Attitudes, Actions, And Outcomes:Soul enhancing is encouraging, expansive, joyful, creative, and love-promoting. Increasing soul-enhancing behaviours develops virtues—positive qualities admired across cultures such as kindness, helpfulness, courage, and wisdom.

Soul diminishing is discouraging, constrictive, oppressive, and hate-promoting. Increasing soul-diminishing behaviours develops vices—the negative qualities that destroy cultures such as aggression, violence, hatred, superiority, and self-centredness.

The Essence of Controlling Your Anger:A Buddhist saying is: “The monk who subdues his arisen anger sloughs off as a snake its decrepit old skin.”

Learning to align our emotions and desires with principles that help us engage in soul-enhancing actions can be extremely useful, not only for work but also for our interpersonal relations and other activities outside of work. The more we practice orienting ourselves towards making soul-enhancing thoughts, words and deeds, the more workplaces will reflect virtues, qualities, and powers that make work increasingly pleasant and enjoyable.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

1. Purpose is inspiring but has both a light and dark side. You choose the side you want.
2. To choose a purpose that nurtures your light side, opt to develop virtues rather than vices which are soul diminishing.
3. You can ask either in the moment or later in reflection, “Is that/was that…soul enhancing or soul diminishing?”
4. When you fall short of soul-enhancing thoughts, words, and actions, the answer is to forgive yourself and move forward through service, which is like prayer—it helps us autocorrect.

If you’re finding these episodes helpful, you can purchase the book, The Spirit of Work, Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities, online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from my website.

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How can purposeful growth impact your leadership?Bio:Mark A. Mears is a #1 Best Selling author, keynote speaker, consultant, and visionary business leader. He has a significant track record of building stakeholder value, driving innovation, and profitable growth among world-class, high-profile brands such as PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and The Cheesecake Factory among others.

Today, Mark is the Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures and has just released his new book titled, The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder.

Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markamears/
Website: https://www.markamears.com/

Quotes:
“When we do things randomly, they don't stick. But if we do things intentionally over and over, it forms like wet cement. It hardens and it becomes a habit. In this case, a positive habit.”

“Leadership is like the seed of an organization and the root system. You must have a strong root system for any plant or tree to grow.”

Episode Highlights:
In this insightful conversation, Mark shares about purposeful growth and the importance of feeling loved in the workplace, breaking down the concept of love into an inspiring acronym. He shares his experiences, upbringing, and professional journey, imparting valuable wisdom on leadership, community, and the power of feedback. He also shares how being fired from a C-Suite job was a gift in disguise for him.

Childhood Incidents:
Growing up, Mark was an avid swimmer. He had a coach who helped him achieve excellence through hard workouts, and he became a lifeguard and swim coach in high school. Mark put his best foot forward and as a result, became head guard responsible for managing the pool. That experience hones his love for leadership, service, and hospitality.

Influential Groups/Cultural Influence:
Mark sees culture as a set of norms and expectations that people establish amongst themselves as a natural course of interaction. He recalls growing up in the swim team. He was always with his teammates during practice; they carpooled to practice and had bus rides together. Church and college also influenced Mark, giving him a sense of belonging.

Mark has worked for and with many organizations, and his greatest desire has always been to leave the place better than he found it. His experience with various groups taught Mark how to leverage his God-given gifts, talents, abilities, intellect, and experiences to bring organizations to ever-higher levels of excellence.

Personality and Temperaments:
As a child, Mark was passionate and competitive. He was curious and had the resilience to overcome obstacles in his life, which is an enduring trait. Today, Mark has become softer on the competitiveness side and more forgiving of himself. He has learned how to take the best of his core characteristics, round off some rougher edges, and grow new ones.

Cultural Epiphanies:
In Mark’s last leadership position, someone called him a narcissist. It was difficult for Mark to understand where it came from, and he later realized that what he viewed as selflessness was seen as grand-standing by others.

What Brings out the Best in Mark?
Mark lights up like a Christmas tree when he helps align a team. Their increased unity allows them to accomplish more than they even thought possible.

Soapbox Moment:
Are you interested in purposeful growth? Mark invites you to visit his website for a self-assessment to experience the power of his acronym for LOVE: Listen, Observe, Value, and Empower.

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Resistance means you don’t feel safe.

Quotes:“The reason people resist is because they don’t feel safe."

“Courtesy is the first sign of safety. Respect is the outcome of courteous behaviour.”

“When working with colleagues or bosses work to create a matrix of safety for the head, the body, the heart, the spirit and the culture.”

Episode Highlights:Part A – Your nervous system and its relationship to feeling safeYour amygdala is responsible for perception of threat, even if that threat is not real. When there is a perception of threat, the body reacts via the amygdala in an instant freeze, fight, flight response. The remedy to threat is to create a safe work environment.

Part B – How to create safety for yourself

1. Start with an incident that is bothering you:
2. “When I think about X situation…I feel (what emotion?) (angry, frustrated etc.)”
3. Measure the intensity of the emotion from 1-10.
4. Slow down your breathing and become conscious of where you feel this emotion in your body.
5. Move to release the energy.

Part C – Intentionally creating a climate of safetyCreating a workplace matrix is similar to the matrix in the womb that surrounds and nourishes a baby. You can help create this matrix of safety by:

Helping the head feel safe – give it an explanation and facilitate regular communication of listening, speaking and coming to a shared understanding

Helping the body feel safe – is it pleasant to work in this place, is it ergonomically viable? Would you want to work there? If you wouldn’t why would you allow others to work in that condition?

Helping the heart feel safe – listening, acknowledging, validating how other people feel. Acknowledge difference of opinion without vilification of the other person.

Treat others with courtesy and civility which creates respect as the outcome.

Helping the spirit feel safe – If people are trustworthy and show courage to address problems, doing what they say they will do, the spirit feels safe.

Helping people feel safe culturally – be sincerely interested in others, and ask people about their expectations about how things should be done at work.

Part D – Incidents and solutionsLook for the principles involved in an incident to get to a solution. What principle would help elevate thought and behaviour?

Incident: An employee is resisting working with a boss.

1. Maybe they don’t have experience or training.
2. Maybe they feel incompetent to do the task and don’t feel safe saying so.
3. Maybe they feel they don’t matter. No one wants to be invisible, it is a denial of our humanity.
4. Maybe they don’t know how to interact with a person in authority. Or they had bad experiences with a boss when they spoke up in the past.
5. Experience with too many changes with ‘flavour of the month’ decisions, so employees have become cynical.
6. People are unhappy with their job. They act badly or their performance drops.
7. There is a personality disorder or an addiction issue

Takeaways:

1. People resist because they don’t feel safe
2. We all have a nervous system which perceives threat via they amygdala
3. You can calm this reaction by naming an emotion, measuring the intensity, slowing breathing, moving
4. Build a matrix of workplace safety that helps the mind, heart, body, spirit and culture to feel safe
5. If you still have resistance consider training, acknowledgement, how to interact with a boss, job unhappiness, personality/addiction issues.

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You deserve a job that allows you to thrive.Bio:Stephanie is the Founder of Creative Career Level Up, a program that helps those in marketing, creative, and tech industries accelerate their careers and secure their next perfect role—along with a promotion and a salary increase. She has authored, Fired: Why Losing Your Job is the Best Thing that Can Happen to You.

Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniebrowncareercoach/
Website: https://www.creativecareerlab.com/

Quotes:“The only way to get over fear is to face it head-on and realize that either it's never as bad as what you think it's going to be or the worst does happen, but you survive.”

Episode Highlights:Stephanie explores the unifying and passionate nature of sports culture, emphasizing how it brings people together and showcases human potential. While acknowledging the darker side of sports organizations, Stephanie shares her personal experiences and the impact sports have had on communities, providing a balanced perspective on this influential aspect of society.

Stephanie also discusses her experiences at Nike and the development of her coaching platform to support professionals in marketing, creative, and tech industries.

Childhood Incidents:When Stephanie was 15 years old, she changed schools to an all-girls school. At that age transitioning to a new school wasn’t easy for Stephanie; she had a hard time making friends and the group of girls she associated with bullied her. Changing schools taught Stephanie that she didn’t always have to be where her friends were, and even if bad things happened, you could move past them into a better present.

Cultural Influence:Stephanie’s dad grew up in a family with plenty of love, but the resources were limited. He made sure that his children had more resources and opportunities than he ever got, such as attending university.

Later in life, Stephanie worked for a winery which gave her an opportunity to meet people from all over the world and ask about their life experiences which triggered an urge for her to see the world after finishing her schooling.

Leadership Influence:When Stephanie finished university, she secured a job in a sports company and later moved to London, England, where she joined Nike. Despite having an educational background in economics and finance, she found herself in a marketing role in the creative industry. At Nike, Stephanie found her tribe and people who mentored her to become a leader.

Temperament and Personality:According to Stephanie, her general temperament is to love helping people. As a child, she wanted to become a schoolteacher and today she has taken it full circle as a career coach. Over the years, Stephanie’s personality has developed to embrace the bravery required to step out of her comfort zone and take on new challenges.

Cultural Epiphanies:When Stephanie was in university, she went to Italy for an exchange program and found some of the local jargon had changed when she came home six months later. Since she couldn’t understand the origin she felt like she didn’t belong. Later on, Stephanie experienced reverse culture shock after being in in the UK for 17 years.

What Brings Out the Best in Stephanie?Stephanie thrives in environments that challenge her and create room for her to learn.

Soapbox Moment:According to Stephanie, leadership is about serving others, and she sees it as a privilege and a blessing. For those looking for work, Stephanie recommends first taking the time to anal

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The Spirit of Work: Purpose and Cora's RestaurantCora's Restaurant, a breakfast establishment originating in Quebec, exemplifies the transformative power of a clear organizational purpose. With a mission centered on "promoting the importance of breakfast," Cora's has expanded from a single location to a global presence, spanning North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa.

The guiding principle of promoting breakfast's significance influences every aspect of Cora's operations, from menu choices to environmental initiatives. Cora's serves vibrant, nutritious breakfasts to infuse people's mornings with energy and joy. Their commitment extends beyond the dining experience; they partner with the Breakfast Club of Canada, donating a portion of each meal's proceeds to provide nutritious breakfasts for Canadian children.

Environmental responsibility is a cornerstone, with decisions rooted in local food sourcing, exclusive use of biodegradable packaging for takeout, and collaboration with environmentally conscious partners. The emphasis on a warm, friendly atmosphere is ingrained in staff training, fostering creativity, work-life balance, and opportunities for advancement.

This purpose-driven approach aligns internal and external processes, creating a harmonious organizational culture. The success of Cora's Restaurant is a testament to the profound impact of a well-defined purpose, inspiring growth and unleashing creative potential.

In The Spirit of Work, I emphasize the importance of purpose to work. A lack of purpose leads to scattered efforts, breeding cynicism and suspicion among the workforce.

Discovering Purpose – Cora's Journey:Finding purpose, whether individually or collectively within an organization, is a challenging but critical endeavor. Cora, a divorced mother of three, stumbled upon her purpose when she sold her house to start a small snack bar. Her knack for creative, nutritious snacks evolved into the first Cora's Breakfast restaurant, emphasizing the importance of breakfast.

Over seven years, Cora and her children expanded the venture from nine restaurants in Greater Montreal to a global, multi-million dollar franchise. Her journey underscores the link between clarity of purpose, values and branding.

Purpose, Play, and Joy in Workplaces:Purpose, like children's play, involves dedication to an activity that energizes and brings joy. However, purpose can either contribute to the betterment or detriment of society. It serves as fuel, requiring direction to ensure it serves the greater good.

Reflecting on Cora's example, how has purpose affected your business or career journey?

Reflection Questions:

1. Similar to Cora, how has facing difficulty in your life contributed to personal growth and purpose?
2. How did your purpose evolve when creating something new and testing it with others?
3. If in a leadership position, can you state your organization's founding principle in 5-7 memorable words?

Purpose, is pivotal chapter in my book, The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities. If you liked this episode, the book is available online on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or directly through my website.

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Unveiling Gerald J. Leonard’s journey from music to making a differenceBio:Gerald is the CEO and Founder of the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute and the CEO of Turnberry Premiere, a strategic project portfolio management and IT governance firm based in Washington, DC. He attended Central State University in Ohio, receiving a bachelor's in music and later earning a master's in music from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldjleonard/
Website: https://productivityintelligenceinstitute.com

Quotes:“Once you learn the complexities of things, I think you can implement it with very simple processes.”

“Words shape our world.”

Episode Highlights:This episode delves into the significance of personal development, reframing negative thoughts, and embracing cultural diversity. Gerald shares insights on overcoming constraints, the power of relationships and the importance of learning from diverse cultural groups.

Gerald has authored three books: Culture is the Base, Workplace Jazz, and A Symphony of Choices."

Childhood Incidents:From his father’s example of building a construction business and his mother working as a seamstress, Gerald knew he had to be industrious. In middle school, Gerald was part of junior achievement where he learned more about business and the monetary value of hard work.

Influential Groups:As a child, family shaped a lot of things for Gerald. He saw how hard his father worked to provide for them, how he was there for them and his business. The experience taught Gerald what it was like to be a family man.

Gerald grew up Methodist, but after joining college, he learned about other religions. He got a chance to interact with people from different backgrounds and used the scriptures as point of reference to see if he was on the right track.

Cultural Influences:Gerald never saw his parents meditate, but he integrated meditation into his life from Indian spiritual practices into his life. He credits a course with Judith Glaser on conversation intelligence for teaching him about the brain and nervous system which he has incorporated into his own behaviour.

Personality and Temperament:Gerald believes that he values long term friendships. He has people whom he has known for years, and he goes out of his way to ensure they remain close.

In 2018 he lost 86% of his right inner ear capacity and experienced constant vertigo. Although he was six weeks away from giving a TEDX talk, he did everything in his power to heal , incorporating music therapy as part of the process. His resilience and determination paid off and he delivered his TEDX talk on the appointed date and time.

Cultural Dissonance:Gerald once worked for a big law firm where the work culture was different from what he was used to . In the Ivy League environment Gerald knew he had to find ways to belong but it felt uncomfortable. He looks at it now as a positive learning experience that taught him new skills.

What brings the Best in Gerald Leonard?Gerald has a focus on spending quality time to make a difference in the lives of others. He isn't counting the money made or time spent, rather the impact of the exchange.

Soapbox Moment:Gerald invites us to check out his books and podcast from his website. He also encourages us to check out KIVA provide microloans that support people in difficult circumstances to reach their dreams.

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What I Learned About Culture From 100+ InterviewsCultural insights from 100+ interviewsQuotes:“When you don't have cultural awareness, you tend to take things personally when they are not personal. They're cultural.”

Episode Highlights:In this episode, I delve into a rich tapestry of cultural insights drawn from over a hundred interviews on the Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast and my own intercultural experiences. Building upon our previous discussion on leadership, this episode focuses on unraveling some of the dynamics of culture.

Before we embark on this journey, let me offer a brief glimpse into my background. With a doctorate in culture and learning in the workplace, my personal narrative, shaped by immigrant roots and diverse professional experiences, serves as a lens through which I navigate the nuanced terrain of culture. From becoming fluent in French to changing my religion, I've undergone transformative changes that allowed me to see culture with more nuances.

I once had a conversation about traditional names with my late mother-in-law. She told me that parents should give their children “proper French” names. According to her, those proper traditional names were like the names she gave her own children. I asked her what names were given to her mother and siblings and their ancestors. It turned out that a so-called traditional name was dependent on the generation and didn’t carry over between generations. This was a revelation to my mother-in-law!

From the 100+ interviews about culture that I have had the privilege of hosting, I have noticed certain recurring themes and characteristics.

Insights About Cultural Awareness From The interviews:

• Awareness of one's culture deepens when you move away from it and experience culture shock as you become aware of differences between what you have experienced and what others experience.
• There are degrees of cultural flexibility and rigidity in all people. If people express cultural rigidity, it is best to accept that and move on to another topic where there is more willingness to explore.
• Third culture: In cultural studies, third culture refers to people who have moved a lot because of the military were displaced due to war or because of immigration. Now because of our interconnectedness, more and more people are showing characteristics of third culture in their view of the world. They feel more comfortable with people who have had broad experience rather than narrow experience.
• Those who have reflected consciously about the role of culture in their lives tend to be more credible than cultural competency experts in the field who have not reflected on their personal cultural selves.

Characteristics of People Who Reflect on Their Culture:

• They suspend judgment and hone the ability to bring it back to themselves and say, “Is this me or is this them or is it a little bit of both?”
• As we become more nuanced in cultural understanding, we start to see the person in the culture, and the culture in the person.
• Those who feel the most uncomfortable in a new cultural experience tend to adjust faster than those who feel comfortable because they try harder to make sense of their world. However, when people leave a cultural experience without being able to join cultural understandings, it's because they feel that their values have been compromised.

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Every person needs a mentor for personal and career growth.

Bio:Liz Jaluague is a Toronto-based cybersecurity engineer and Canadian Army reservist. She earned a BSc in Biochemistry and a postgraduate certificate in Computer Security and Digital Forensics, and has been a non-profit leader in seven different organizations since the age of 19, currently volunteering with a NFP cybersecurity organization.

She believes in the power of mentorship from her own experiences, Liz consistently commits her time to guiding others along their professional paths.

Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/existentializm/

Quotes:“When you're constantly learning different skills, you kind of remember that everybody is a different level, and it's a humbling experience.”

Episode Highlights:On today’s episode, we delve into the captivating story of Liz Jaluague. From navigating cultural experiences to challenging conventional career paths, Liz shares her journey of resilience, determination, and growth. She shares insights into the ethical implications of cybersecurity, the power of mentorship, and the impact of cultural influences on leadership.

Childhood Memories:Liz grew up in a Filipino family in Toronto. She had a great understanding of both English and Tagalog. In Tagalog, there are suffixes that one uses when addressing people older than them to show respect. At some point, Liz started questioning why she wasn’t accorded the same respect as a young person. She dropped the suffixes, and it caused her issues with her parents. A year or two down the line, her parents came to term with it. Later in her own life, she came to value the respect accorded to elders and now sees both sides of the issue.

Cultural Influences:Growing up, Liz had a desire to learn new things and really valued the learning culture. She was able to grasp a lot of new things but learned later on that she couldn’t ace everything and became more selective with her learning and more humble in her approach to others.

Liz’s parents had her much later in life which gave her an opportunity to learn from her older cousins.

Influential Groups:After university, Liz volunteered in several NFP organizations, currently with a cybersecurity non-profit. Looking back at her leadership journey with the NFPs, Liz realized that the people she most admired had a sense of purpose, and in every job, she connected with the mission and vision of the organization.

Liz vividly remembers a time when she was in Las Vegas for a conference and she recognized one of the sponsors. She walked up to him and thanked him for giving her the opportunity to make friends working in that organization. The simple act of gratitude gave Liz a mentor.

Personality and Temperaments:Liz describes herself as a pessimistic optimist. By nature, she looked at things glass half empty since her family didn’t have a lot of material means. On the flip side, Liz learned to adapt and understand that things always work out in the end.

Cultural Epiphanies:In Belgium and the Netherlands, Liz began to consider cultural differences through the experience of a glass of water in restaurants and different types of door locks in AirBNBs.

What brings out the best in Liz?:Liz loves working with people who are authentically themselves. She is not a fan of hierarchy.

Soapbox Moment:Do you have a question on cybersecurity? Liz invites you to send her a message on LinkedIn, and she will be more than willing to answer the question.

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Spiritual Awareness for a New Future of Work

Without the experience of work as spiritual, we see only parts of the whole.

Quotes:“People's behavior starts to autocorrect with self-awareness. Without that self-awareness, it doesn't go anywhere.”

“We can't create a new future of work if we can't imagine something different or better.”

Links:Website: http://www.shiftworkplace.com

Episode Highlights:In Episode Two of the "Culture and Leadership Connections" podcast, the focus is on the need for spiritual awareness for a new future of work. The episode begins with a traditional Jewish story about a rabbi whose selfless actions inspire others. The story illustrates the power of leading by example and highlights the importance of spiritual awareness in leadership.

The podcast discusses the concept that humans are spiritual beings, and work is an expression of the soul. It emphasizes the necessity of recognizing the spiritual nature of work and compares it to the story of the blind men and the elephant, suggesting that without a holistic understanding, workplace issues may persist.

I share a personal story about addressing a health issue involving dissolving teeth. I saw a dentist, hygienist, an oral surgeon, and a naturopath. They all had ideas and suggestions on how to help me, but my solution came after seeing a naturopath. I kept wondering, what if the three experts had worked as a team, wouldn’t my teeth have been saved earlier?

The workplace example of holding onto toxic managers for their operational knowledge, despite the emotional and psychological impact on other employees, is presented. Another scenario involving a toxic manager who transforms after a passing comment sparks self-awareness is shared. Our workplaces require us to have a certain level of self-awareness.

Overall, the episode aims to inspire a shift towards spiritual awareness in the workplace for a more positive and respectful environment.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

Spiritual Nature of Work: The foundational premise is that humans are essentially spiritual beings, and work is an expression of the soul.

Leadership by Example: The episode underscores the power of leadership by example, using a traditional Jewish story about a rabbi whose selfless actions inspire others.

Holistic Perspective: The blind men and the elephant metaphor is used to stress the importance of a holistic perspective in understanding workplace issues.

Transformation through Self-Awareness: A real-life scenario is shared where a toxic manager transforms after a passing comment prompts self-awareness.

Metaphor of Spider's Web: The metaphor illustrates our interconnectedness and shows how each person's actions impact the entire organization.

Reflection Question:How could your workplace be better if interactions with others were animated by a deep sense of respect for the dignity of others? What would be different?

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Bio:Mark Shekter is the co-founder and CEO of Think8 Global, an international business design firm headquartered in Montreal, Canada. His progressive system is used in business schools and university post-graduate programs in both the US and Canada.

He is also a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and original thinker who has pioneered a new system of creative thinking empowering start-ups to Fortune 500 companies in building robust and sustainable enterprises.

Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-shekter-a36a437/
Website: https://think8globalinstitute.com/

Quotes:“If you're not operating your best, if you haven't created that space and that structure, then the company is suffering to that degree.”

Episode Highlights:
In this episode, I have the pleasure of having an interview with Mark Shekter, the multi-talented individual. Mark shares his journey from a small Jewish community in Canada to Hollywood and how his upbringing shaped his innovative approach to business. He discusses the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and creating a positive work environment. We also get to hear a little about his book.

Childhood Incidents:
Mark grew up in a family where all of them were lawyers. By default, he was slated to be a lawyer, but he took a different path and joined arts. He did art for fun, and little by little, people started picking up his work. Before he knew it, he was directing movies in Hollywood. According to Mark, his upbringing was a fertile ground for his talent.

Influential Groups:For Mark, whenever he worked with anybody, he always did his homework to have a better understanding of them. Mark had an opportunity to work with Ray Charles, a famous soul musician, who was visually impaired. Because he was black, and prejudice was rampant, Ray Charles was obligated to perform behind the curtains. Mark wanted to get Ray Charles seen and to see his performance himself.

One day, Mark had Ray Charles sit at a piano with reflective glasses on, and his band was distant from him, and there was his orchestra. Mark placed a camera on every instrument and musician. Every camera had a monitor, and the monitors were placed in front of Ray Charles. As each musician entered the song, they were reflected in Ray Charles’ reflective glasses which was a powerful movie effect.

Personality and Temperament:
Mark believes he is blessed with good genes. His father passed on at almost 100 years of age, and he believes he will get there too. He feels he is a good mediator; he listens very well and is always interested in the person he is speaking with.

Cultural Epiphanies:Mark was used to being a free agent where he would do everything by himself. When he moved to the USA, he got the shock of his life. People were working in teams, and he was no longer a freelancer; he had a job where he would work from 9-to-5, then pitch his idea, then go to the studio from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am.

One day, Mark and other writers were called to a meeting by the producers. All the other writers presented funny ideas, but Mark’s idea impressed the producers, despite his inexperience. As a result, he was tasked to write 50% of the show.

Soapbox Moment:
Check out his book, “Think8: 8 Steps to Ignite Your Creative Genius in Business, Career, & Life.”

What Brings the Best out of Mark:
Mark believes you can impact your environment if you use your natural creativity. He works with people who are open and interested in bettering themselves.

Tagline: Ignite creative genius in all aspects of your life.

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What I Learned from Interviewing 100 Plus GuestsA reflection on 120 podcast episodes.Episode Highlights:In this first episode of "Insights into Culture and Leadership," I share a powerful story from my experience in Haiti after an earthquake. I draw a contrast between good and bad leadership, exemplified by a compassionate youth leader working with orphans and harsh teachers in a school.

In Haiti, I met a Haitian youth leader who demonstrated exemplary leadership by working with earthquake orphans, fostering healing through music and expression. This contrasts with a negative example in a nearby school of teachers berating, punishing and humiliating students. The youth leader's approach inspired self-expression and confidence in the orphans. The contrasting experiences highlight the influence of leadership on behaviour and actions. I define good leadership as that which brings help, insight, health, and healing to individuals, community, and the environment.

The story serves as a backdrop for my subsequent reflection on the common themes I observed in the 120 interviews I conducted for the Culture and Leadership Connections podcast.

Six Key Insights That Emerge from The Interviews That I’ve Conducted:

1. Role of Hardship and Adversity: All interviewees, regardless of the type or severity of their challenges, spoke about the transformative role of hardship and adversity in shaping their character.
2. Transformation from Suffering: Those who thrived, understood the value of transforming suffering, leading to increased empathy and a profound ability to connect with others.
3. Embracing Community: Almost all interview guests expressed a sense of belonging to a community or society, recognizing the importance of collaboration and shared values. Only three out of the 120 felt like they did not need a community to thrive.
4. Fluid Identity and Solid Values: Interviewees exhibited a willingness to evolve and adapt their identities while holding onto solid values.
5. Humility Through Unexpected Challenges: Even those with privilege and talent faced unexpected challenges, fostering humility and a realistic understanding of life's uncertainties.
6. Influence of Family: Family, whether positive or challenging, played a foundational role in the development of each person interviewed.

I conclude the episode by emphasizing the significance of reflection, transformation, and humility in leadership, whether at home or in the workplace. Considering how these themes have proven formative for you, could reveal some new insights!

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The Power of Beliefs and RelationshipsPotential expands by seeing others as competent and good.Quotes:"If we change the beliefs of limited potential into unlimited potentiality for good, it has a completely different effect on how we show up at work."

"People often think, only poisonous things grow in the workplace, but kind things grow as well."

Episode Highlights:Last year, I published a book called The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities. Here is a quote from the opening page by the late Indigenous author Richard Wagamese. He wrote, "All my relations mean all." With that quote, Richard focused on principles of harmony, unity, and equality for all of creation.

In this episode, we'll look at what we have been missing in our workplaces, how to and the power of having positive relations.

What Has Been Missing in Our Workplaces?Relationality, harmony, unity, and equality have been missing from the workplace since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Richard's text describes a mindset, an attitude about who we are and how we should be in the world. We all carry these attitudes, mostly unconscious expressions of what we see social reality as. One of our powers as humans is to reflect on who we are and our actions.

The problem is a misdiagnosis of a malady that cannot be solved with logical proof alone. Research, statistics, and logical arguments do not have the power to affect hearts, minds, or behaviors. Reasoning does not affect people's deep-seated beliefs and allegiances to the communities they identify with. Attitudes and beliefs that see human nature as predominantly aggressive, self-serving, and incorrigibly motivated by self-interest dominate our workplace systems.

They are supported by books, movies, and games that project a bleak dystopian view of a human race with no future other than destruction. These attitudes have in common a limited view of what it means to be a human being and what it means to be a human being at work.

How Our Beliefs About Others Discourage or Encourage Growth:What if we saw that people are motivated by being inspired and seen as competent and good? Changing these limiting beliefs about others into seeing their unlimited potentiality for good has a completely different effect on how we show up at work.

I used to believe I was surrounded by incompetence. When I examined it, I had a sense of superiority and rightness over everybody else that did not allow me to be open to learning or see things as they actually were.

Now if I feel frustrated with someone at work, I ask how I could have contributed to the issue and how we could turn this around together. This allows me to suspend judgement, investigate reality and make better decisions.

The Power of Positive Relationships:As human beings, we need to appreciate the importance of positive relationships to growth. An 83-year-old Harvard study started in 1938 about the determinants of health, concluded that positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and living longer. Although other actions matter, positive relationships have the most influence on well-being.

Reflective Questions:

1. How does your belief about who you are and how you should be in the world affect your relationship to work?
2. How do your beliefs about how the world works, why people act the way they do, and what constitutes reality affect your approach to the workplace?
3. How do you show up at work because of these belief

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Bio:Daniel Gagnon is an organizational agility adviser who co-founded the Agile Leader Academy, a boutique training, coaching, and consulting firm, to help leaders develop progressive team-building skills in dynamic and adaptive work environments—while avoiding the traps of naive over-optimism or simplistic positivity.

Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgagnonleanagile/
Website: https://www.agileleader.academy/

Quotes:“Rejection is as painful as physical pain to the brain.”

Episode Highlights:Daniel Gagnon's journey is quite a roller coaster of self-discovery and growth. His experiences, from working in a TV station to venturing into stock trading, showcase a person willing to disrupt his own path for personal and professional development. It's fascinating how these disruptions eventually led him to establish the Agile Leader Academy, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and progressive team-building skills in dynamic work environments.

Childhood Incidents:One day, his mother gave him 25 cents to go get a book of his choice at the school book fair. The first book that caught his eye was one with a rocketship to the moon. Unfortunately, the money wasn’t enough, and he had to get a smaller book. When he got home, told his mother what happened.

A few months later, his dad sent for them, and they moved to Sudbury. One day Daniel found some books on the table, he asked his mother where the books came from. His father had gotten them for him after hearing his book fair experience and promised to get more every two weeks. The experience created a reading culture in Daniel and his brother, which still exists today.

As children, Daniel always thought his little brother was annoying, but that changed one day when they visited the beach. His brother almost drowned, but Daniel got him help. Since that day, Daniel loved his brother even more.

Influential Groups:Daniel grew up with a dual heritage in cultures and languages. His parents always insisted that they had to learn Canada's two official languages and become good at both so they could get accepted wherever they went.

When Daniel and his family moved to Montreal, his best friend asked him if his parents were sending him to the college on Rosemont Avenue. The school was expensive and needed good grades, and Daniel had the grades.

When Daniel talked to his parents about it, his dad said they would do everything in their power to send him there. Daniel joined different groups in school that made him feel like he belonged. He even had a girlfriend for two years who gave him his first chance to go on vacation.

Personality and Temperaments:Growing up, Daniel was introverted and self-reflective. Despite being an introvert, he understood the survival imperative of being gregarious and outgoing. Currently, Daniel has attained a balance on when to say no, make a move, and when to reach out to people.

Cultural Epiphanies:During a family dinner in Germany in 1984, Daniel realized that people were looking at him because he kept transferring his fork from the left to the right hand. In Germany, that is seen as a waste of energy. Since that day, Daniel adopted the German way of handling the fork.

Soapbox Moment:Daniel and Bruno Collet started Agile Leader Academy to offer training to leaders on vertical development.

What Brings out the Best in Daniel:Daniel believes in genuine commitment, and it’s the first thing he looks at before working with a client.

Tagline: Where would you be without self-disruption?

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Bio:Fr. Jhack is a Parish Priest, Diocesan Vocation Director, Vicar and among other titles, Incoming Diocesan Catholic Women League’s Chaplain. He is the first Filipino priest ordained in the diocese of St. Paul, Alberta and is currently the Pastor of a Catholic church in rural Mallaig.

He entered the seminary at age 17 and after long years of patient waiting, received his ordination into priesthood at the age of 35. He brought with him a personal battle cry: "Blessings delayed but not denied.”

Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fr.jhackdiaz
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQFtXbf_OBarmd1A0qW1Fug

Quotes:"Life is not about accumulation, but it's all about contribution. It's all about giving, not getting."

"Prayer is the weakness of God and the strength of men."

Episode Highlights:In this episode, Fr. Jhack shares his journey of becoming the servant leader he is today.

How Father Jhack is Handling Cultural Divide:Fr. Jhack believes his faith in God and love of people have been instrumental for him in handling the cultural differences between the Philippines and Canada.

He attributes his ability to work with diverse cultural beliefs to his personality and his philosophy to live the way people live. In his parish, Fr. Jhack is often referred to as a 'rock star' because he helps farmers collect rocks from the fields. When he rides on a combine with his parishioners, he delights the people he serves and they welcome him as part of the family.

Childhood Incidents:Fr. Jhack comes from a humble Filipino background with a staunch Catholic faith. As a child, the family walked several miles a week to attend mass. During church, Jhack admired how the priests dressed and desired to be one, after realizing that his first choice of being a physician was not possible given his family’s financial situation.

Influential Groups:Fr. Jhack's parents were strict with discipline and laid a strong foundation for his faith. They encouraged him to pray, not to be ashamed of his faith, and always aim higher. Knowing it could lift him out of poverty, Jhack took his education very seriously.

Cultural and Leadership Influences:Fr. Jhack defines his leadership style as servant leadership. He draws his inspiration from the Founder of Christianity, Jesus, serving as He did.

Personality and Temperaments:In spite of his seriousness and discipline, Fr. Jhack said his natural state is being the life of the party. He loves people, seeks attention, and enjoys being front and centre, even boasting a YouTube channel of thousands of superfans from around the world! Although his strong sense of competition causes him to struggle with humility, he believes his vocation helps tone this down.

Cultural Epiphanies:One day, Fr. Jhack was going to renew his passport in Calgary. He got into a merge lane, and because of his driving experience in the Philippines, he yielded instead of speeding up. The people behind him began honking, and one of the people showed him the middle finger, apologizing later upon seeing his priest collar. From this experience, he realized that things were different in Canada.

Soapbox Moment:Fr. Jhack urges us to believe in ourselves, never give up, and keep praying.

What brings out the best in Fr. Jhack:Father Jhack believes music brings out the best in him and is an avid song writer, something I personally experienced when he played a delightful song he wrote for my husband’s aunt’s 90th birthday celebration!

Tagline: Delay

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Bio:Peter Cappelli is the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School of Business and Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources. He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA.He is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and writes a monthly column for HR Executive magazine.

Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-cappelli-14936a3/
Website: https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/cappelli/#overview

Quotes:"Psychology is the most closed field, in terms of arguments that have to be internally consistent, and they have to fit with what we've done already."

Episode Highlights:Children ask questions, but Peter Cappelli's degree of questioning was at another level. He was always counterfactual and bombarded his mother with "what if" questions. All along, nobody knew he had ADHD, and this could have been the reason why he was highly counterfactual. In the end, his ability to question turned out to be a strength for him.

In this episode, Peter shares his experiences and how his studies at Oxford, MIT, and in the Soviet Union affected his leadership style.

Childhood Incidents:As a child with ADHD, Peter was always getting into trouble and had difficulties working on tasks with multiple steps and paying attention to details. In high school, Peter vividly recalls how his chemistry titration was a different color from everyone else. When Peter got to college, things got more complex, and he would lock himself in dark libraries to ward off distractions.

Cultural Influences:Peter grew up in his father's family who were first-generation Italian-Americans. He vividly recalls his family discussing topics loudly in Italian, but not understanding the language.

Peter's home was 10 miles from a strategic air force base. Duck and cover drills were part of his life. According to Peter, this experience created a sense of urgency and purpose.

Influential Groups:
At 21, Peter moved to Oxford; to him, it was a more verbal place than what he was used to, and English society felt more hierarchical, with a class system that he wasn’t accustomed to as an American.

Oxford was a wonderful social experience. Students spent much time talking and learning about each other. For example, during lunch and dinner, there was a rule that they had to sit next to whoever was in line in front of them. Mixing up with all these other people gave students a chance to develop many friendships.

Temperaments and Personality:As a child, Peter was argumentative and counterfactual. Earlier in his career, he made strong efforts not to be argumentative. Even so, he retained his love of questioning and finding truth.

Cultural Epiphanies:When Peter meets people from the same class and background, he feels more at ease. It is harder for him to deal with the concept that somebody from a different background thinks about the world differently.

What Brings Out the Best in Peter:Peter loves novel questions with rich information. He also enjoys interacting with people who share similar experience and interests.

Soapbox Moment:Peter has authored a book called Our Least Important Asset. It focuses on showing businesses how they make bad decisions when they base them on financial accounting alone. His books provide alternatives for how businesses can approach issues from human perspectives.

Tagline: Do you ask questions when you are not happy with something?

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Bio:Dr. Alan James Yu is an inspirational speaker, author, facilitator, retreat leader & coach on love, creativity, and leadership. He aims to help leaders from all walks of life build healthy and lasting organizational, community, and global change. For the last decade, Alan has worked in corporate, higher education, and non-profit sectors as a facilitator.

He has lived in places as diverse as Singapore, the United States (Iowa City, Seattle, and San Diego)and currently resides in Bali, Indonesia. In 2022, Alan spent a month in Cambodia and began reflecting on his experiences living and working with Balinese communities in rural Bali. He put his thoughts into his first book, On Love, Leadership and the Collective Soul: A Guide to Making Creative Change.

Links:Website: https://alanjamesyu.wixsite.com/alan-j-yu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanjyu/
Telegram: love_courage_passion
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/LoveExpands

Quotes:"We express a lot of our spirituality through art."

"It's through the power of love that people can they form relationships with each other and support each other's spiritual growth, and we act as mirrors for each other."

Episode Highlights:Alan Yu was born in Iowa, and is a second-generation Chinese American. Growing up, Alan and his family traveled a lot, and that exposed Alan to new places, people, and cultures.

When Alan took his doctorate program, he had no idea that Bali would become his home. His interest was to teach leadership.

Childhood Incidences:When you grow up in a family that has some Asian history, learning Western classical music is a big deal. Growing up, Alan had to learn how to play the piano. It didn't come naturally for him, and he had to put in a lot of work. Even so, he credits his piano discipline with working towards a goal and achieving it.

Although he was born in the US, he was walking into an American fast food in his hometown one day, and an older man pointed him towards a Chinese restaurant that was across the street. It dawned on him that no matter how well he adapted, there would always be something to remind him that he was a foreigner.

Influential Groups:Alan has had opportunities to perfect leadership in universities and the social sector, which has shaped the leader he is today. During Alan's doctoral program, his mentor, Rose Martinez, taught leadership creatively using the arts. Alan found her teaching method resonated with him.

Cultural Epiphanies:While in Harbin, China, Alan caught himself making casual remarks to a teacher, not recognizing that there was a hierarchy to respect. His Japanese friend explained why his familiarity with superiors was considered rude.

From his ethnographic research in Bali, and help from a cultural guide, Alan made the decision to live and work in Bali. The Balinese culture informs Alan's personal values, meditation, and teaching practice.

Soapbox Moment:Alan has a calendar of leadership training offered in Bali. He invites anyone interested in going developing creative thinking within their organization to get in touch with him for more information.

Receive Alan's FREE guide on How to Spark Creativity and Innovation...Without Banging Your Head Against the Wall for Days...Even if No Fresh Thoughts Are Coming to Mind! Send an email with "Gervais" in the subject line with your name and email address in the body of your email.

Tagline: How love, leadership and collective soul foster sustainable organizational change.

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Bio:Kristina Fusella is a purpose-driven commercial leader with a collaborative approach. She relentlessly pursues excellence while advocating for innovation. Kristina joined Novo Nordisk Inc. in 2015 to be a pioneer in the disease state of obesity. Prior to Novo Nordisk , she had a generalist career in consulting at IBM and ZS.

Kristina has a passion for people and culture. She co-led the Millennials Employee Resource Group for two years and fostered a platform that empowered early talent to push for innovation and new ideas in the organization. During her tenure, Place to Work® named Novo Nordisk one of the "Best Workplaces for Millennials."

Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinafusella/
Email: krfu@novonordisk.com

Quotes:"When you're comfortable in a place, you don't want to change it, but without pushing yourself, there's really no growth."

"We have created this world where the benchmark for success for women looks like they have to be superwoman."

Episode Highlights:Kristina is a native New Yorker, who graduated from Columbia University and is a new mother of a little girl. Her parents were immigrants from China, and she observed their strong work ethic, especially her mother, who was the family’s breadwinner. Kristina's mother always encouraged her to have a practical career.

Childhood incidents:Wednesdays were special days for Kristina and her grandmother. They always had lunch at Burger King. Outside Burger King, there was a man who used to beg for change. One day, Kristina and her grandmother went to their usual Wednesday lunch, but the man was not there. Kristina kept wondering where the man was. When they sat down, she noticed the man sitting at a table next to theirs and enjoying every bite of his food.

Cultural Influence:Kristina didn't have a chance to experience the Chinese culture growing up, but there are values that she holds deeply from the culture. She is grateful to the earlier generations for paving the way for her to be who she is today.

Influential Groups:The group that Kristina has chosen to belong to recently is sisterhood. When she had her daughter, Kristina had post-partum anxiety and depression. What astonished her was women from different parts of her life kept reaching out to her. Kristina has developed a newfound appreciation for women’s experience.

Temperaments and Personality:Kristina believes that one’s mindset is critical, and that positive energy is a faster way to achieving your goals than being in a negative space. She has been actively changing her mind in terms of her self-limiting beliefs.

Cultural Epiphanies:After research by Novo Nordisk, it hit Kristina hard that there are some startling differences between American culture and Asian culture. For Americans, being loud, expressive, and actively self-promoting themselves is the norm, but for people in Asian cultures, it's the exact opposite. They love harmony, being humble, and never want to brag about themselves. They let their work speak for them.

What Brings Out the Best in Kristina?To bring out Kristina's authentic self, she needs an environment where people are valued for their individualism and differences rather than wanting everyone to conform to a specific standard.

Soapbox Moment:Kristina encourages organizations to look at employee resource groups if they have them. If not, think about how they invest in them. She believes it would lead to positive culture changes and business success.

Tagline: Employee resource groups are beyond social groups.

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Bio:Juana Bordas, LHD, originally came to the US on a banana boat from Nicaragua when she was three years old. She exemplifies the many contributions, resiliency, and determination of the immigrant spirit. Juana Bordas is recognized as an elder and icon in the advancement of multicultural and inclusive leadership that includes the contributions of Latinos and communities of colour.

Links:Website: https://www.juanabordas.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanabordas/
Email: juanabordas@gmail.com

Quotes:"Leadership always starts with you as a leader taking care of yourself so that you can give to others, and you can be available."

"Leadership is creating a society that takes care of its people."

Episode Highlights:When you have a mother who is willing to do anything to set you up for success, then you have no option but to be successful. According to Juana, her mother had a grade-five education, but she was determined to give her all to ensure the narrative changed for her children, especially Juana. When they came to the US, Juana had the finest education and did her best to make her mother proud.

Childhood Incidents:As a child, Juana suffered from a cultural inferiority complex. She vividly recalls when she was invited to a party, and her mother took her to the store to buy a dress for the party. They bought a dress that they thought was the best for the party. When Juana got to the party, other girls were dressed in taffeta. She was embarrassed and ended up hiding in the bathroom all night. Juana struggled with the psychology of oppression. Her breakthrough came when she joined the Peace Corps, and she realized how rich her culture was.

Leadership Style:The dance metaphor is strong for the way Latinos look at life. Looking at Juana's life, her mother took her to the dance floor and left her there, trusting that her daughter would learn how to dance. The prep school Juana attended extended a dance invitation to her, which she readily accepted and danced.

What has Juana Adopted From Other Cultures?When Juana went to Chile, she worked in low-income areas where she realized there was a culture that cut across different Latino subgroups. The area she worked in held 150,000 people and was on the outskirts of the airport. Despite the poor conditions, the Chileans Juana met were incredibly kind and generous to her.

Temperament and Personality:Juana grew up as a highly energetic girl. Her parents were working class and they always kept active. Through their example, Juana learned to always be active and to take the initiative when she could.

Cultural Epiphanies:Juana believes that Latinos are moving more into the intellectual class and have increasingly stronger economic clout. Latinos are going to be 78% of the new entries into the labour force, and in the next 10-20 years, they will be stepping into leadership positions at a much higher level than ever before because they integrate both their cultural assets with what they’ve learned at mainstream universities and other educational institutions.

What Brings Out the Best in Juana?Juana has a deep love for humanity. Whenever she works with people, the first thing she does is develop a connection with them. Her desire is not to be a leader, but to form a partnership where they energize each other, learn, support, and see the best in each other.

Soapbox Moments:Juana invites us to be part of the multicultural age, because diversity is the next stage in human evolution.

Tagline: How to l

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Bio:Carolyn Stern, is the author of The Emotionally Strong Leader: An Inside-Out Journey to Transformational Leadership. She is the President and CEO of EI Experience, an executive leadership development and emotional intelligence training firm. She is a certified Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Development Expert, professional speaker, and university professor whose emotional intelligence courses and modules have been adopted by top universities in North America. She has also provided comprehensive training programs to business leaders across the continent in highly regarded corporations encompassing industries such as technology, finance, manufacturing, advertising, education, healthcare, government, and food service.

Links:Website: https://carolynstern.com/
Carolyn’s Book: https://carolynstern.com/book/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynstern/

Quotes:“When you can connect with people on an emotional level, great things can happen for you and the other people.”

“It’s scary to put your ideas out there for the world to judge.”

Episode Highlights:Carolyn was deemed to be a very sensitive child. Her family did whatever it took to hide things from her, which led her to doubt her ability to handle emotional issues. Carolyn had constant feelings of anxiety, which turned her worries into emotional outbursts, panic attacks, meltdowns, and ultimately, emotional dependence on her mother.

Childhood Incidents:As a child, Carolyn was so dependent on her mother that anytime her mother was away, she always wore her bathrobe to have her smell. She was always afraid that her mother wouldn’t come back.

Carolyn was a teacher as a young adult. One day, two of her students got into a fistfight. For Carolyn, the best way to address the issue was to give important roles to the two students. She made them both vice presidents of operations. In touch with one of the students seven seven years later, she confirmed that this had a positive impact on her life.

Influential Groups:According to Carolyn, growing up she knew nothing about Judaism and hid her religion to fit in. She confesses to never talking about Hanukkah, but always talked about Christmas. Later in life, Carolyn studied Japanese, which opened her up to the different levels of Japanese politeness.

Leadership Style:Carolyn believes that leaders should give guidance and let the people figure things out on their own. Having used this leadership style herself, she believes it is the “secret sauce” because it has worked for her with the employees and clients.

Temperament and Personality:Carolyn grew up a child who believed in going big or going home. She was sensitive, persistent, anxious, always worried about the future, easily distracted, and persistent.

Cultural Epiphanies:At 18, Carolyn went to Japan for the first time. Her expectations were that the people there would be as kind as her Japanese friends back home. Shock hit her when she went to the subway and the kindness was missing.

When still in Japan, Carolyn realized how the Japanese receive a business card when you give it to them. They grasp it with both hands and take their time to look at it before shoving it into their pockets. To Carolyn, that shows a level of respect.

What Brings Out the Best in Carolyn:Carolyn loves working with people who lead with emotional intelligence and with a strong mind and kind heart.

Soapbox Moment:Carolyn invites us to check out her latest book, The Emotionally Strong Leader.

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Minette's Bio:Minette Norman focuses on developing transformational leaders who create inclusive working environments with a foundation of psychological safety. She is deeply committed to fostering workplace inclusion and is a sought-after speaker in psychological safety, inclusive cultures, radical empathy, and collaborative teams. Together with Karolin Heibig, they co-authored The Psychological Safety Playbook.

Links:Website: https://www.minettenorman.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minettenorman/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minettenorman/

Quotes:"You do not get to tap into the genius of the people you've hired and the diverse perspectives unless you have a strong foundation of psychological safety."

Episode Highlights:Minette Norman grew up in California. Her dream was to become an actress. At some point, she realized how difficult it was to become an actress because of the numerous auditions and rejections. She decided to fall back to French and ended up securing a job at the French Trade Commission, New York.

She later moved back to California when Silicon Valley was getting started and became a technical writer for Photoshop version 1.0. This marked the beginning of her career in the software industry.

Childhood Incidents:While growing up, Minette's mom was hospitalized with a mental illness, which impacted Minette greatly. She knew she couldn't be a problem in the household since there were other problems to be handled. Minette also knew there were things she had to do for herself. This experience shaped Minette to become someone who was relentlessly challenging the status quo.

How Karolin and Minette Met:Karolin and Minette met in an online class in 2021 and have been working together for two years. One day, Minette was on a podcast with one of their classmates, and Karolin was listening. She expressed her interest in psychological safety beyond research and academia. Karoline resonated with it and wrote Minette an email with the reference, "Crazy Idea."

During a Zoom call, they discussed working on something small that would benefit their clients. What they originally envisioned as something small turned into a book. Their book comprises plays and moves for workplace safety. Karolin and Minette will meet for the first time in-person at the Search Inside Yourself Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Essence of Vulnerability as a Leader:Minette's company worked with a global team at some point, where they would meet one-on-one as a team for their quarterly meeting. One time, Minette decided to engage a facilitator because she felt they were struggling to work together as a team. The facilitator suggested they embrace their vulnerability and share something from their early years that made them who they are today. Minette shared her story, and she cried in front of her employees. A sense of empathy filled the room where her employees started opening up and they all got to know one another better.

Influential Groups:Throughout her career, Minette looked at leaders and picked up all the good leadership traits and skills they had, while simultaneously pointing out — and avoiding — the traits that she wouldn't want to possess as a leader.

Soapbox Moment:Minette invites us to buy their book, The Psychological Safety Playbook and download the free resources available on their website.

Tagline: Become a better leader by being more human.

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Bio:Nick Jonsson holds a Bachelor of Communications in business (specializing in marketing and advertising), and a Master's degree in public relations from Bond University, Australia, where he graduated top of his class. He is also a number one International Best-Selling Author.

Nick is dedicated to raising awareness and eliminating the stigma around the phenomenon of executive loneliness. As the co-founder and managing director of the Singapore branch of EGN (Executives' Global Network), Nick is passionate about matching senior executives in confidential peer groups where they can help each other face challenges and identify opportunities.

Episode Highlights:In 2015, Nick experienced burnout that made him resign from his job. Seemingly overnight, his lifestyle changed for the worse. Bad habits replaced his good habits, such as drinking beer instead of going for his morning walk. Nick found himself isolated and depressed. He hid his depression for a couple of years, but got to the point where the mask fell off. It was at that point he embarked on a recovery journey.

Executive loneliness is a topic close to Nick's heart, and has shared his story multiple times on different platforms and features in newspapers and magazines.

Links:Website: https://www.nickjonsson.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-jonsson/

Quotes:“The pictures we put up of ourselves on social media and how we want people to see us is perhaps not the truth.”

“A problem shared is a problem is already underway to be solved.”

Childhood Incidents:Nick's parents came from humble backgrounds, and they made it their life mission to change the narrative.

As an adolescent, Nick’s dad once told him that the easiest way is not always the best way. It shaped how he perceived things and made him choose different paths. Today, he feels like his father's words drove him forward as well as set him up for failure.

Influential Groups:Nick struggled to associate with the culture in Sweden because his father was always working, and he needed someone to guide him. Between the ages of 18-20, Nick joined a group that used to travel around the world. He vividly recalls driving around Europe over the summer.

Religion and spirituality are usually part of many families' foundations, but for Nick, he only got it from school. Nick feels he lacked a greater power than himself as he went out to the world and built his career.

Temperaments and Personality:Nick believes his temperament is that he never settles for anything. When he was 12 years-old, Nick asked his parents for a motorcycle, but they told him he had to earn it. A year later at the age of 13, he started selling computers and bought himself a motorcycle.

Over the years, Nick has realized that life is not all about him. It is about others and letting go. He now believes in progress over perfection.

Cultural Epiphanies:Nick believes it takes more work to catch up and learn a new language in every country you move to. You can only become part of the culture if you are settling there.

What Brings the Best in Nick:Nick believes in being vulnerable and open. He also enjoys working with people who can open up.

Soapbox Moment:Nick invites us to check out his book, Executive Loneliness, on Amazon and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Tagline: Fighting loneliness at the executive level and embracing progress over perfection.

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Bio:Adam Keller is the founder of Start a Party Rental Company. He started his party rental company at 22 years old. Through hard work and dedication, he grew it into a thriving business. In addition to his party rental company, he has expanded into other ventures, including Airbnb and a wedding venue. To share his expertise and knowledge, Adam started a YouTube and TikTok channel that’s focused on teaching people about the key principles of starting a successful party rental company.
Website: https://www.startapartyrentalcompany.com/

Episode Highlights:Adam Keller is a product of hard work and dedication. From a young age, his mother delegated tasks to him, and he never disappointed her. He vividly recalls helping with house chores and taking care of his younger sister while he was in seventh grade.

Quotes:"Being part of a single mother household, I just did what needed to be done and didn't complain about it."

"Business culture for me means you have a vision and you don't let fear stop you."

"My main goal in life is to help people. I do that best by sharing what I know."

Childhood Incidents:Adam was born into a single-parent household. During the winter, Adam shovelled snow so his mother could get to work. After school, he lit a fire to warm up the house since using a wood stove was less expensive than running electricity. He also recalls having to dig up roots to loosen tree stumps because his mother could not afford to hire some to do it. Adam believes his experiences prepared him to be the person he is today.

Influential Groups:In middle school, Adam was part of the outcast group. They were the alternative kids who listened to punk rock and metal. This group gave Adam a sense of belonging, and the outcasts were kind to one another.

Work Culture:From the onset, Adam wanted his company to be a place where people work, learn, and have fun. Adam says this is a work culture that he is determined to maintain.

Personality and Temperament:Adam prides himself on his ability to evaluate situations and make decisions quickly. He thinks that’s been the primary education in his life, to train himself to think fast.

He also tries to develop his employees, showing them just how capable they are.

Cultural Epiphanies:Adam created a TikTok channel to get some business ideas. All he saw were a bunch of side hustles that have to do with various online concepts like copying lists and doing that and drop shipping. They were all of little value. People made the videos just for views and clicks. He decided to make videos that would be helpful. Someone told him to skip the basic questions in the comments section and get to the real meat. Adam couldn’t understand how someone would think like that, considering people were starting and needed the basics.

Soapbox Moment:Adam’s primary goal in life is to try to help people. He believes the best way to do it is by sharing his knowledge. He started a YouTube channel to enlighten people and got a lot of messages from people trying to find out more about party rentals. To focus on the people who were serious, he created courses. He invites us to have a look at the courses.

What brings out the best in Adam Keller: Adam loves working with people who are non-complainers. People willing to work and hungry to work for money and knowledge.

Tagline: Do you want to be successful? Make dedication your passion.

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Bio:Susan Allen grew up in Massachusetts, and received her BA in communications and legal studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After three years at a healthcare policy non-profit in Boston, she moved to New York City to join the Open Society Foundations. Susan completed her master's in management at the London School of Economics in 2015. She relocated to London in 2016 to lead the Foundation's work on diversity, equity, and inclusion and to launch Here We Flo with her best friend, Tara.

Tara Priya Chandra is co-founder of Here We Flo. Born in San Francisco, she studied economics at Columbia University in NYC After briefly working on Wall Street, Tara ended up in the music industry in LA while freelance copywriting for brands like Ray-Ban. Tara received her master's from the London School of Economics, where she met future co-founder Susan and received the C200Award for exceptional MBA students.

Links:Website: https://www.hereweflo.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hereweflo/

Quotes:“Our mission is shamelessly natural care for life’s messiest moments.”

“Don’t be afraid to fail, everything’s not going to go perfectly. As long as you’re learning and improving, that’s the most important thing.”

Episode Highlights: In this episode, we learn how Here We Flo was created by Susan and Tara.

Personal Journeys:Tara grew up in San Francisco, California. Her parents were Indian and Persian. At 12, Tara lost her mom, and her independence journey started. Different people mothered her. Having the two sides of the family exposed Tara to different cultures and developed her open-mindedness.

Susan was born in the US Virgin Islands and her family moved to Massachusetts when she was one year old. Her mother started working to recruit minority doctors at Boston Medical Center and at the age of nine, Susan’s parents divorced.

One day Susan’s brother was shot. Their mom didn’t have money for the required surgery, so he had a colostomy bag for 18 months. Later, they found out there was a free program that could have covered the surgery. The experience made Susan’s mother a strong healthcare advocate.

Childhood Incidents:Hindu culture believes service to humankind is service to God. Growing up, Tara realized that her dad always encouraged her to pursue a career that would help her serve people. According to him, the most successful people were not the rich but those who served others.

Susan’s mom believes in service to others, and from Susan’s story, it is evident that her children took a similar path.

How Tara and Susan Met:Tara and Susan met at the London School of Economics. One day, during a conversation in the restroom, Susan suggested they start a business, Tara was agreed and they started brainstorming. One thing Susan knew for sure was it would be a “feminine Mafia.” Tara loved her feminine organic care pack, but it was becoming difficult to find the products. They decided to launch a business for organic feminine care products, called “Here We Flo.”

Workplace Culture at Here We Flo:Susan describes their workplace culture as a feminist oasis in a sea of patriarchy. Their culture revolves around trust, compassion, and appreciation for their team members. Their aim is to make Here We Flo a great workplace like Google and Microsoft.

What Brings out the Best in Susan and Tara:Susan and Tara love working with people who are honest about their ambitions. To bring out the best in them, one must be open and willing to learn, vulnerable and transparent.

Tagline: Shamelessly natural care for life’s messiest moments

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Gary's Bio:As the CEO of PeerForward, Gary Z. Linnen has directed the nonprofit's programs for over a decade, cultivating deep experience in youth development, program innovation, and organizational leadership. Growing up as a black Puerto Rican in Spanish Harlem, he experienced firsthand the obstacles other people's assumptions place in your path. He developed resilience and social solidarity from his family, who taught him to stand and deliver.

Links:Website: https://www.peerforward.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peerforward/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peerforward.org/

Quotes:"In a leadership position, individuals are looking up to you. If you're not being true to yourself, they'll see that."

"If you've never had to make pasta, you don't know the recipe for pasta. We can't make assumptions around it."

Episode Highlights:Despite growing up in poverty,Gary's successes caused him to be chosen by the Oliver Scholars Program, which allowed him to attend the prestigious Weston School. Upon his return home, Gary realized that others who were as smart (or smarter) had yet to be given a chance to overcome the obstacles marginalized youth regularly face in academia, and he wanted to change that.

Childhood Incidents:Gary grew up in a community where family meant everything to him. Material belongings only mattered to him after he was denied in school because his best outfit was a pair of jeans and a grey sweater, and not a suit. When Gary moved from his community, he realized he was primarily judged by how he looked, spoke, and behaved instead of his accomplishments or intellect.

Leadership and Culture Style:
According to the principle of Quakerism, regardless of who you are, there's a higher being around to help drive individuals. Although Gary is not religious, this principle guides him on many things. As a leader, Gary has made it his mission to ensure that everyone receives a fair chance. He also believes that vulnerability to oneself is essential because it helps us find where we are and how we can get past that.

Temperament and Personality:Gary always believed he had everything under control based on his ability to juggle multiple tasks at once. About six years ago, he realized that he was juggling too much and needed to slow down because that pace wasn't sustainable.

Influential groups:The LGBTQ+ community has played a considerable role in Gary's life. Since the age of 16, that community space provided him with a sense of resiliency, connection, sisterhood and brotherhood.

Cultural Epiphanies:Being a Puerto Rican, Gary experiences people with a deficit mindset in his day-to-day life. In many cases, some wonder if he can produce the desired results, resulting in him being repeatedly questioned on his capabilities, even though he has consistent proof of his expertise.

What Brings out the best in Gary:Gary has an open-door policy and loves it when people are upfront with him. Being a natural nurturer, Gary wishes the best for everyone. The ability to just be himself also helps him face challenges with ease.

Soap Box Moment:Gary invites us to check out https://www.peerforward.org/ to understand how his organization helps youth be there for each other, and find out how to support educational achievement for youth in poverty.

Tagline: Youth as problem solvers, not problems to be solved.

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Uwe DockHorn’s Bio:Uwe Dockhorn is an executive coach and lifestyle liberator. He is the CEO at Liberating Lifestyles and the founder of The AIM-Experience™: a three-step transformational experience for in-demand professionals and their spouses or life partners. Uwe believes in cultivating the internal certainty and clarity that improve your outcomes financially in business and emotionally in relationships.

Links:Website: https://www.uwedockhorn.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/uwedockhorn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dockhorn

Quotes:“If you’re opening up for yourself, you open up yourself, and you tap into your fullest potential.”

“I will always embrace emotions, no matter what emotions they are.”

“Transformation, requires more than just letting go of the so-called status quo.”

Episode Highlights:When Uwe lost his family members one by one, he felt like he had lost everything, and suicidal thoughts kicked in. He vividly recalls the day he was ready to end his life. One night during winter, he was standing on the edge ready to let go. Just before he jumped off, he felt something inside him that held him from jumping off the bridge, and it saved his life.

In this episode, we get to hear Uwe’s story of transformation from the young boy who wanted to jump off a bridge to the executive coach he is today.

Childhood Incidents:Having experienced sexual abuse as a child, Uwe found it hard to trust, which became a stumbling block that led him to the edge.

Cultural Influences:Uwe has experienced both the German and Italian cultures. The German culture makes him thorough, while the Italian culture gives him room to let loose. Growing up in Italy made Uwe love music, and he wanted to find out how it works. He was a deejay then and through music, he discovered his superpower.

Temperaments and Personality:As a child, Uwe was quiet and reserved. When he became a teen, he became outgoing. He was always open to trying new things, but unfortunately, he didn’t celebrate the endings. There was a time he tried something new, and he ended up losing everything. His recovery journey began at 28 and his life took a different turn for the better.

Later in life, one of his partners suggested they do a workshop on systemic business design aimed at helping people shift the way they think about thinking and doing business. Uwe’s partner chose to do the workshop with him because he believed Uwe was a systemic thinker. When Uwe discovered this, it brought about a massive shift for him. It opened doors for him.

Cultural Epiphanies:In high school, Uwe and his classmates travelled to Berlin. At that time, Berlin was still divided. They had to go through many processes to get to East Berlin. Uwe felt the oppression of autocracy and what it means by visiting Berlin for just one day.

Soapbox Moment:If you’re feeling disconnected from your partner, you’re arguing with each other even though you don’t intend to, or you’re experiencing a lack of passion, and everything feels routine and mundane, Uwe can help you with that. He has a unique approach to dealing with life partners. To work with Uwe, reach out to him and book a chat or go to one of the live demonstrations that he runs monthly.

Tagline: Don’t be part of the problem. Let it go and be part of the solution by letting in.

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Marietta Montgomery’s Bio:Marietta Montgomery grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. She went to High School in Avon, Indiana. She holds a Master’s Degree in Marketing from Strayer University and has been happily married for 19 years.

Marietta comes with 16 years of experience as a Human Resource Manager, recently working in Learning & Development for a Global Manufacturing Company. She aspires to help people seek their purpose.

Episode Highlights:Being a minority in corporate America requires you to develop a thick skin. People look at you like you don’t belong or deserve to be there. Since high school Marietta had to fight to be acknowledged. Her grandmother always reminded her that the struggles she was going through in high school were preparing her for the corporate world.

Marietta has a record of leaving workplaces better than she found them. Today, Marietta shares her career journey, and nuggets of wisdom on improving our workplaces.

We also get to be beneficiaries of some wisdom Marietta received from her grandmother growing up.

Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marietta-montgomery-mba-0b24951b/

Quotes:“Before you ask for what you need from someone, check in on them as an individual.”

“The more the more you can make someone feel comfortable without judgment, the more you find out about them.”

“Family is not a literal term. It is people that make you feel that you could be your authentic self, and truly care about your well-being.”

Childhood Incidents:Marietta’s grandmother believed every boss has a boss. When Marietta was in school, her grandmother would talk to the teacher. If she didn’t like the response, she would go to the principal, and if necessary she would go on to the Board of Education.

Marietta recalls moments when her grandmother would tell her, “You are too old to cry over a want.” To date, Marietta holds dear all the lessons she learned from her grandmother.

Influential Groups:In high school, Marietta was the only African-American female. Whenever she complained, her grandmother said, “Welcome to corporate America, get ready.”

Throughout high school, Marietta mastered how to be comfortable in her skin dropping athletics and focusing fully on academics. She joined the newspaper staff, where she had a regular column. By her third year, she was popular and, at some point, became a cool kid.

This experience in high school influenced how Marietta approaches people. She learned how to be open-minded and sensitive to others. She believes before you ask for anything from anyone, check on them first.

Temperament and Personality:Marietta believes she is welcoming and gregarious. Her goal is to be approachable to make it easy for people to open up to her. Over the years, she believes she has become more humble and patient.

Cultural Epiphanies:Marietta recalls a time when she worked as an HR manager. The HR generalist was Vietnamese. One day he asked why she was hired, since she was black. Marietta had a very precise answer for him, “I will be back tomorrow, and my skin will be the same.”

Thriving Moments:To bring out the best in Marietta, you need to be real. She loves it when people are transparent and vulnerable with her because it makes it easier for her to know how to help them.

Soapbox Moment:Marietta compels us to think about our approach to people in general, both in and outside of the workplace. She believes we see things on the surface, but it’s what we don’t see that requires a calm approach without judgment.

Tagline: People deserve to feel safe and acknowledged at

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Martha’s Bio:Martha Gleason has a singing and performance degree from UCLA and is a national scholarship winner with the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Currently, she works with women leaders to find their voice so that they can speak powerfully and confidently by teaching strategic performance strategies for video and in-person presentations.

Episode Highlights:As a child, Martha dreamed of becoming a singer and performer. At 21, she chose to go on Semester at Sea. They went to 13 different countries, many in the Far East. This semester brought about a paradigm shift from being self-focused, achieving, winning, and competing to expanding her consciousness of including other people’s realities.

Links:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marthagleasonvoice
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marthagleasonvoice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthagleasonvoice/

Quotes:“Your voice is your calling card. How you show up with your voice determines whether people can hear your message or whether they’re going to tune you out.”

“When you find your voice, you are becoming an athlete. You need to be strong in your body and mind.”

Take Aways:

Childhood Incidents:Martha vividly recalls when her parents had a divorce. Without the tools available today, Martha watched her mother sink into depression and form an addiction to opioids. Her mother was supportive and loving, but would sometimes disappear.

Music became Martha’s escape plan. She had a teacher who mentored and trained her in her studio. Life took a more positive turn for Martha after enrolling in UCLA. Awards started coming in and she started to see her potential, which is when her healing began.

Influential Groups:Martha feels privileged to have been born into a family that has 32 ministers (her father among them) and had an expansive approach to spirituality. She recalls attending her grandmother’s memorial on the East Coast. At the altar was a Buddhist priest, a Sikh, as well as a Christian minister, which could only be explained by the fact that her grandmother had lived in China, learned Mandarin and experienced different religions.

Currently, Martha belongs to a performing group called Portsmouth Pro Musica. She is also a part of the Ananda movement, a global movement focusing on Kriya Yoga and self-realization teachings.

Temperament and Personality:Martha believes she was born a joyful person. Over the years, as an entrepreneur, she has added being practical and strategic for the sake of her business.

Cultural Epiphanies:Martha recalls being in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens in Egypt, during her tenure with Semester at Sea. They slept in no-frills accommodations that lacked windows, bedding, or even any beds at all. With no other choices available, they slept on the floor. The following morning, Martha went to the village to get food. She met women who were covered in head-to-toe black clothing called burkas and Martha imagined that must’ve felt like living in a cage.

Thriving Moments:Martha enjoys working with clients who bring their full selves to every session and are receptive to coaching. She believes finding your voice involves curiosity and openness.

Soapbox Moment:If you’d like to have a session with Martha, she invites you to visit her website. Fill in the contact form and she will be in touch with you.

Tagline: Your voice is your vibration. Find it!

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Wema Hoover’s Bio:Wema Hoover is an internationally acclaimed speaker and the CEO of Wema Hoover Advisors. She has dedicated her career to being a culture change agent advancing in diversity, equity, and inclusion across global markets through a system thinking approach, driving organizational change and development in people, processes, and products. Wema has worked with different multinational businesses such as Google, Pfizer, Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and PwC.

Episode Highlights:Our childhood experiences prepare us for our adult life. For Wema Hoover, her exposure to different cultures opened her up to working with multicultural spaces across the globe. Wema was born in New Jersey and has lived in different places worldwide. Today, Wema shares her journey to embracing limitlessness and harnessing her inner strength.

Links:Website: https://www.wemahoover.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wemahoover/

Quotes:“When you’re given the platform or influence to perform, you’ve got to see it as a time to deliver.”

“Seize the moment, fulfil your potential whatever it may be, take action, and don’t leave anything to chance if you’re given the opportunity.”

“When you don’t believe in yourself, but others do - how much win that gives you!”

“We’re all on a learning journey every day of our life.”

**Take Aways:

Childhood Incidents:**Wema grew up in a society that was rich in diversity where she enjoyed many different experiences, traditions, ideas, and philosophies. They celebrated holidayssuch as the Chinese New Year, Yom Kippur, and many other cultural events. Wema recalls a time when she wasn’t allowed to attend her Jewish friend’s bat mitzvahbecause her friend’s parents didn’t want a black person at the event. This incident never affected the relationship between the two girls and they remained close.

Influential Groups:Wema was raised in an African American community where everything revolved around hard work and living your potential. In their household, excellence was considered the norm, and seizing opportunities was the order of the day. At a young age, they were taught to understand that opportunities only come once.

Temperament and Personality:Wema believes she was born with a love for people. As an extrovert, her energy stems from connecting with people and having meaningful connections.

Cultural Epiphanies:Getting along with colleagues is one of the goals people strive to achieve in their workplaces. Some people do coffee dates; others go out for drinks or visit each other in their homes. When she took a job in France, Wema was initially taken aback by the separation of work and personal interaction. Wema tried to show kindness to her colleagues by taking dessert to their doorsteps, which landed her in trouble with the HR department. She couldn’t understand how her colleagues were uncomfortable with her visiting them in their homes. Unlike Americans or Indians, the French are more concerned with protecting their personal privacy.

Thriving Environment:For Wema to thrive she needs strong collaboration, openness, and exchange. This climate creates room for her to be at her best at work.

Soapbox Moment:Wema Hoover invites us to check out Be Limitless Consulting to see how she makes an impact in the world.

Tagline: How to harness your inner strength and achieve anything you want.

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Prerika Agarwal’s Bio:Prerika Agarwal is the Founder and CEO of Inspiration Careers. She is a certified Executive Coach with 18+ years of leadership experience at Fortune 500 companies.

Episode Highlight:All her life, Prerika focused on high achievement but realized it was rooted in a desire to please other people and feel seen. Despite landing corporate jobs with impressive titles, she wasn’t feeling fulfilled. Her transformation came when she became a coach and saw how she could truly fulfil her purpose by helping others fulfil theirs.

Links:Website: https://inspirationcareers.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prerikaagarwal/

Book a Call: https://calendly.com/inspirationcareers/executivecoaching

Quotes:“Being driven is a thought. It’s how you see yourself and who you see yourself as.”

“Rest, relaxation and giving yourself space to breathe is the most productive tool.”

**Takeaways:

Childhood Incidents:**When Prerika was 11, her family moved from Queens to Long Island. This was a huge turning point for Prerika because she was the only brown girl in a white school and she felt out of place. To find a way to belong Prerika joined all the academic clubs making friends, gaining influence and feeling that she belonged. She was a member of 13 clubs, leaving her over extended and burnt out with no downtime.

Influential Groups:The group that Prerika identifies with the most is the coaching and self-development community. What has been most helpful to her is the concept of “control what you can” while focusing on changes you can control rather than obsessing over what you can’t change.

Temperament and Personality:Growing up, Prerika always thought of herself as an introvert. Over the years, that has deepened her sense of identity, and her confidence has grown to comfortably converse with people.

Cultural Epiphanies:The area on Long Island she grew up in was a place for the wealthy. Her subconscious immediately registered that the affluent people she knew were not inclusive nor nice. From her Indian culture, Prerika carried feelings of guilt when spending money on herself.

Thriving Environment:Prerika thrives with clients who are hungry for change and willing to take the risk of bigger rewards by embracing the discomfort of the journey to truly become the CEOs of their own lives.

Soapbox Moment:Prerika invites us to step into being the CEOs of our lives. A CEO holds a lot of power and has unshakable confidence. A CEO is ready to take risks for the well-being of the organization. Prerika asks us to do the same with our lives regardless of our titles.

Tagline: You are the CEO of your life. Everyone benefits when you focus on what is within your control.

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Sophie’s Bio:Sophie Wade is a work futurist, international keynote speaker, and author of Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work. As Founder and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Flexcel Network, a Future-of-Work consultancy, she helps corporations maximize the benefits and minimize the disruption in their transition to digitalized work environments.

Episode Highlights:Sophie grew up in London, England. Her father worked for the BBC while her mother was a teacher in a remote area in London where she taught low income children. Sophie’s family would travel and camp in different countries during the summer holidays which allowed them to meet people and experience different cultures.

The exposure to different cultures and people opened up Sophie’s mind to know more is out there. In her A-Level courses, Sophie opted to study Chinese over Math and Chemistry. Her increasing interest in culture led her to study China’s history and culture, learn Mandarin, and eventually live and work in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In this episode, she shares her journey to becoming the person she is today.

Links:Website: https://www.sophiewade.com/
Podcast: https://www.sophiewade.com/podcasts/
Sophie’s Book: https://www.sophiewade.com/writing/

Quotes:“Data has never really changed people’s hearts.”

“You live outside of your country, and you see your country from the outside, living in somebody else’s culture and environment, it changes how you see the world and yourself.”

“If I’m living in another country, I have more freedom to be whoever I am. I resist boxes. Resist defining anybody by how they look, their gender, what they know, their race, whatever it might be.”

Take Aways:

Childhood Experiences:Sophie’s father worked for the BBC for 25 years as an editor of a children’s show. Her mother was a teacher in a remote area in London. Students came from diverse backgrounds, and English wasn’t their first language. As a result of her parents’ careers, the family would engage in deep conversations at home. Camping in different countries opened Sophie’s mind to different people and cultures.

Influential Groups:Sophie’s encounters with people from different groups made her more empathetic and taught her to avoid making assumptions.

Temperament and Personality:Exposure to different cultures and people has played a significant role in Sophie’s life. She is empathetic and refrains from judging others to the best of her ability.

Cultural Epiphanies:Recalling her first day using chopsticks in China, Sophie was mortified at the mess she made until she looked around at how the locals ate and realized that eating rice requires bending over your bowl and scooping the rice into your mouth. This was in stark contrast to the generally rigid meal etiquette taught in the UK and most western countries. Experiencing this first-hand showed her just how different various cultures can be from one another.

Thriving Moments:Sophie is direct, and she appreciates when people are open and candid with her. She believes that a growth mindset is the most helpful way to move forward productively.

Soap Box Moment:Sophie invites us to purchase her most recent book, Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work and listen to her podcast, Transforming Work.

Tag Line: Empathy is the future. It will shape things in ways we cannot imagine.

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Breno’s BioBreno Araujo is the founder and CEO of Boto, a no code platform that gives people an opportunity to share and build automation.

Episode Highlights:Breno was born and raised in Brazil until the age of 24. His parents were entrepreneurs. At the age of 12, Breno discovered his interest in coding after using dad’s computer that was stationed in their bedroom.

In this episode, Breno shares his career journey and the diverse cultures that have moulded him into the person he is today.

Links:Website: https://boto.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenoca/

Quotes: “If you want to have a voice, get responsibilities in a smaller company. You’re more likely to get those rights.”

“Being able to be embarrassed about something and regretting something is a point that you’re going to move, change and improve.”

“If you don't regret and look back at something that make you uncomfortable, and say, I'm embarrassed of having that, then sometimes you go back to that. You don't evolve.”

“Most startups from Bay Area, people have equity on the company, which makes it that people align more with their goals in the sense of they own it.”

Take Aways:

Childhood Experiences:Breno’s lineage is filled with entrepreneurs. He saw his grandmother, mother, and father run their own businesses. They all tried different things and Breno was fortunate enough to get involved.

Influential Groups:In Brazil, people are highly social. Breno believes being Brazilian made him a social being. He thinks he would be reclusive if born and raised in Nordic countries.

At a young age, Breno was exposed to poverty. He grew up seeing children needing things that they couldn’t have. It made him vow to always be fair.

Temperament and Personality:Efficiency is a big part of Breno’s life. Since childhood, Breno has always been focused and loves getting things done.

Cultural Epiphanies:If you come from a country where people are friendly, going to Europe will give you culture shock because people are reclusive. When Breno moved to Switzerland, he couldn’t understand why he had to notify them in advance and instead of dropping in on his friends whenever he wanted to.

Thriving Moments:To bring out the best of Breno, be efficient and take ownership.

Soapbox Moment:If you are into blockchain technology and web3, Breno invites you to check out boto.io and try creating different things.

Tagline: Every young person wants to make a difference. All they need is a chance.

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Chris’s BioMeet Chris Clews, the 80s pop culture guy who is an author and keynote speaker. He has over 20 years of leadership experience in corporate marketing and knows three things very well: 80s pop culture, business, and this crazy thing we call life. When it comes to facts and trivia about the 1980s, Chris is a human database, easily retrieving information about the decade that can explain trends, and why specific songs and movies became hits.

Episode HighlightsIn this episode, Chris walks us through his life and career journey. He shares how different experiences shaped him into who he is today and how post-trauma transformation can boost your life.

He also shares lessons that we can borrow from the work culture and incorporate into our workforce and leadership.

LinksWebsite: https://chrisclews.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisclews80s/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisclews80s

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisclews/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/80spopculture

Quotes“I try to look at the positives, I’m a pretty optimistic person. Sometimes the positives are learning from the negatives.”

“What’s important to me as a speaker is that when I leave, that everyone looks around and says, we made a great investment, whether it was time, money, or the stress of putting an event in a conference together.”

**Takeaways

Childhood Incidents**Teachers play a huge role in children’s lives. Chris remembers his gym teacher as one of the most influential people he had growing up. He grew up in a neighborhood with children from different walks of life. Their teacher, Mr. Dwayne, always had a closet full of shoes to help children who needed them and displayed the children’s performances on his bulletin board.

Influential GroupsThe lessons Chris learned from individual and team-based sports influenced him a great deal. In sports there is healthy competition and everyone strives to win.

Temperament and PersonalityWhen Chris’s parents divorced, he became very impatient. Learning to be more patient has become a life-long goal and it’s something he continues to work on.

Cultural EpiphaniesChris is forever grateful for his opportunities to travel to different places and experience different cultures. He found it challenging at times when he was in Portugal and Spain because he neither spoke nor understood Portuguese or Spanish. He found it exciting to figure out ways to communicate with others despite the language barrier.

Thriving moments
When you hire Chris, rest assured he will deliver 150%. His goal is always to leave a mark wherever he goes. He wants people to look back and say he was a worthy investment.

Soap Box MomentChris suggests we purchase and read the books he’s authored and also follow him on his social media accounts.

Tag lineYour trauma can bring out the best in you.

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Margaret’s BioMargaret is a highly accomplished architect. She is the founder and managing director of Aomega Group Inc., operating as Aomega Lodges, a local personal care home. Margaret has always been extremely community-minded and has served as the President of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Calgary and the Personal Care Homes Council of Calgary. In 2010 she received the Ghanaian Canadian Achievement Award for Community Service, and in 2013 she was nominated for the Black and Gold Award for her community and business efforts.

Episode HighlightsMargaret is a force to be reckoned with. She is changing how care facilities run by giving more dignity to the residents. Through her architecture education and background, Margaret has built care facilities that accommodate a maximum of six residents and has staff available 24/7.

LinksAomega Lodges: http://www.aomegalodges.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-adu-2a8b91132/

Quotes“I've always advised embrace your ‘you.’ And it's only when you embrace your you when you achieve, that the sky's the limit. You're part of who you are so you can break barriers.”

“When a human being is neglected, the cost to society is huge.”

Takeaways

Childhood IncidenceMargaret was born in Ghana. She lost her mother at the age of four and was raised by her aunt. Being the oldest and only daughter, Margaret had many chores and responsibilities.

In grade seven, she joined a Catholic boarding school which offered her freedoms to develop her abilities that weren’t available at home. Among other things, she served as a sports prefect. Looking back, she believes her childhood incidents shaped the woman she is today.

Influential GroupsMargaret mentioned two influential groups. The first is the architectural school she attended in Ghana. The other, the academic group she met in Canada upon joining her husband.

Temperament and PersonalityWhen Margaret moved to Edmonton, she made the decision to take pride in her gender and ethnicity, showing herself as a proud African woman.

Cultural EpiphaniesIn Africa, you do not have to call in advance when you want to visit someone, you can just show up and be welcomed. This is in stark contrast to Canada, where you’re expected to set up a meeting time in advance.

Thriving momentsMargaret is a generous person who doesn’t easily take “no” for an answer. She brings out the best in people because she doesn’t allow them to quit on their potential.

Soap Box MomentMargaret urges financial institutions to look at the outcome of making facilities feel like home and to focus on meeting client needs, while proving cost effectiveness. She would be happy to offer her architectural and operational experience doing exactly that for 17 homes in Calgary, Alberta.

TaglineIt is only when you embrace who you truly are that you begin to achieve.

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Bio for Claudia Miller
Claudia Miller is a sought-after career coach for women in technology-oriented fields. She's also the creator & host of the Roadmap To The Executive Suite podcast.

Episode highlight
As a Guatemalan-American, Claudia Miller struggled to find her voice in corporate America. Listen in on how she relied on education to rise above her humble beginnings and achieve success.

Links
Email:

• claudia@claudiatmiller.com
• hello@claudiatmiller.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiatmiller/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudiatmiller/?inf_contact_key=b4a331f0fa8c27a480f318b6815d523b

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWxmLccVbCHKDRKgjNXz1Rw

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5sD12Uywtp3sI6ofpAOCYV?si=dd8a03e75f344275

Website: https://www.claudiatmiller.com/

Quotes
“You can never do the bare minimum and expect success.”
“I knew I wanted more out of life than just my husband and kids.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents
Claudia was born in Guatemala and has three other sisters. Her family moved to the USA when she was diagnosed with a chronic blood illness which could be better managed there.

After her parents separated, Claudia found herself living at a homeless shelter for women. She worked hard on her studies because she knew education would help her out of these hard times.

Influential Groups
Claudia’s Latino background taught her that women should not speak up for themselves, such as attempting to negotiating salary or marketing one’s personal brand.

The diverse student body at the college she attended allowed her to discover new cultures and expand her way of thinking.

Temperament and Personality Influences
Claudia claims she has always had an ambitious Type A personality.

Cultural Epiphanies
Claudia grew up in a culture that strongly emphasized humility and domesticity among women, forcing her to reframe her mindset in a way that would enable her success in business.

She had only watched Spanish-language media growing up, so Claudia felt left out when her peers at college discussed some aspect of the popular culture she had never experienced.

Moving out of her home to go to college was a big cultural change for her family since it is uncommon to leave Latino households before for marriage.

Advice to an Employer
Claudia is very solution-focused so she only works with clients she knows she can help. Her clients being open, communicative, and willing to work to get results brings out the best in her.

More Great Insights!
Claudia coaches women in tech to land fulfilling roles in an average of 90 days with an average of 56% in salary increases.

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Bio for Nicholas Wahl
Nicholas D. Wahl, Ed.D. is Director of Client Relations for ECRA Group, Founder/Chief Strategist of 1440 Consultants Inc., and a K-12 education leader.

Episode highlightNicholas Wahl is a leader in education with a depth of experience in his arsenal. Listen in on how he believes education should be designed to ensure that there are no invisible children.

LinksEmail: nick@1440consultants.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-wahl/

Quotes“Like all of us, kids really want to have a connected, meaningful relationship with at least one person, preferably two, in the school building.”

**Takeaways

Childhood Incidents**Nicholas was the youngest of six children growing up in Ferdinand, Indiana. His role model was his father, a high school principal. Nicholas was ostracized by his peer group in middle school and that understanding carried forward into his work in education.

Nicholas’ high school counsellor told him that he was not as intelligent as his siblings and that he should stick to his summer construction job instead of going to college. That motivated him to finish graduate school and get his doctorate.

Influential GroupsNicholas grew up in Ferdinand, Indiana, a town of 2500 people that was predominantly German Catholic. He learned a strong work ethic and is proud of his roots.

He wanted to model and follow his siblings in their footsteps, playing sports, and going to the same high school.

In his career as a superintendent, he worked with his peers to create evidence-based practice and metrics, focusing on the growth and wellness of students.

Temperament and Personality InfluencesNicholas laments that his temperament was so competitive that it was unhealthy. He is learning to be a better listener in his position of influence at work.

Cultural EpiphaniesEvery Wednesday, Nicholas and his classmates would go to the nun’s house for an hour, and he only learned there are people who are not Catholics when he asked some students who chose not to go.

Advice to an EmployerNicholas works with groups on team building and coaching to emerge out of the pandemic getting to know their peers better, interacting well, and making sure everyone is heard.

More Great Insights!ECRA has analytical tools which can provide clarity on how students are performing by ethnicity and gender, and Nicholas can help provide a strategic plan for the next steps.

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Bio for Monica Pierre

Monica Pierre is an Emmy Award-winning news reporter, public speaking and storytelling coach and mentor, and the executive producer and host of The Powerhouse Woman Show. She is a Professor of Practice with the Department of Mass Communication at Xavier University where she teaches podcasting, broadcast announcing, and storytelling to the next generation of aspiring media talent.

Episode highlight

Monica Pierre has seen the power of generosity change the lives of the members of her family and community. Listen in to learn how she channels this power through her work as a broadcast journalist, talk show host, and storytelling coach.

LinksEmail: monica@pierreprinciple.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-pierre-2193979/

Website: www.MonicaPierrePresents.com

Quotes

“Pour into other people, no matter who you are.”

“I believe the creator doesn’t make mistakes.”

Takeaways
Childhood Incidents

Monica is the daughter of sharecroppers from Louisiana and the oldest of five children. Family, hard work, faith, and moving forward were the values of her upbringing.

Her mother and other women helped her see the importance of reinventing her stories to have the life she wanted.

Monica’s father wanted to own his own home and worked for 30 years to build a house from scratch, teaching Monica determination and persistence. He also exemplified kindness, doing his best to help those in need. She now tries to pass those lessons on to the next generation.

Influential Groups

Monica wouldn’t choose to be anything else but African-American, even though the story she was born into makes her angry. Growing up in a family where her parents would always work to help others in need, she “saw what generosity looks like even when you don’t have a lot yourself.”

She has found a community in the radio industry in New Orleans.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Monica claims she has always been quietly “attentive to what was said and what wasn’t said” while remembering what people said and what their preferences were.

Advice to an Employer

Monica loves the freedom to try a new way and to set it in motion. She finds it beautiful to do something differently and looks at mistakes as information to be noted!

More Great Insights!

If you would like to discover, uncover, and develop your story for your business, Monica would love to help you do it in a dignified way so you can share your personal story with your world. She encourages listeners to breathe and know that someone needs what you have to offer!

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Bio for Errol VasErrol Vas is a Marketing Director/Consultant with companies in Australia, Canada, China, India, Malaysia, and the USA, developing marketing strategies that boost customer acquisition and maximize revenue.

Episode highlightErrol Vas reflects on his life influences and how his move to China shaped and continues to impact him as he manages a team and a business in the province of Zhèjiāng.

LinksEmail: errol@errolvas.com

Website: https://errolvas.com

Calendly: https://calendly.com/errolvas

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/errolvas/

Quotes“Having consistency is really important in life, no matter what you’re doing.”

“The income you make, it doesn't always reflect how hard you’re working.”

Takeaways

Childhood IncidentsWhen Errol was four, his parents enrolled him in a Taekwondo class, and he considers that a pivotal moment in his life because it taught him discipline and consistency. He currently has a 2nd-degree black belt.

He played the guitar in high school, which he believes gave him the creative kickstart into marketing. He finds the same freedom in marketing as he did in music.

Influential GroupsErrol’s family was very academic, which encouraged him to explore his thoughts. His parents were always supportive of his interests and choices and never stopped him from exploring.

Being part of the musical community in high school encouraged his creativity, which he uses daily in his work.

Lethbridge (in Alberta, Canada) is a middle-class city, so moving to a big city in China was a stark change, particularly when it came to the huge gaps between the rich and poor.

Temperament and Personality InfluencesErrol describes himself as easygoing person who has learned to be less openly emotional while becoming a more strategic and level-headed manager.

Cultural EpiphaniesErrol found that China has “its own ecosystem, its own culture, own way of doing things,” which was very different from back home. In Canada, people are concerned about themselves first, and others second; however, in China, it’s the reverse where the collective often takes precedence over the individual.

Advice to an EmployerErrol loves to work with people who are passionate about what they are doing and oriented toward their goals. He finds that when he is aligned in striving along with someone else, it brings out the best in him.

More Great Insights!You can connect with Errol at www.errolvas.com for a 15-minute conversation for tips on how you can improve and expand your personal brand or company!

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Bio for Omar Hamdi
Omar Hamdi is a media entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of Pathos Communications. He has contributed to four books, two of which were shortlisted for Time Magazine’s Book of the Year.

Episode highlight
Omar Hamdi’s insatiable curiosity about people, and how and why they do things the way they do, led him to a lifetime of continuous learning from, with, and about people and their experiences.

Links
Email: omar@pathoscommunications.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pathos-communication-london/

Website: https://payonresultspr.com/

Quotes
“A lot of the time, it’s culture messing up the religion rather than religion affecting the culture.”

“When different things come together, you can end up with something stronger.”

Takeaways
Childhood Incidents
For many years, Omar was the only non-white pupil at his school. However, being different from others made him a free thinker, which helped paved his way to entrepreneurship.

His parents always had high expectations of him, which he has taken upon himself into adulthood as well. His brother passed away when Omar was eight, after which he spent a lot of time by himself in “his own world,” which he hopes he is channelling into a good vision to share with the humanity today.

Influential Groups
Being British has imparted Omar with “a slight sense of directness and maybe just a touch of cynicism.” His Egyptian heritage has influenced his sense of humour, which he uses as a communication tool.

Growing up in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, a mid-sized city in the UK, Omar learned to chat with strangers easily; however, spending 10 years in London gave him an edge he previously lacked.

Intention is an important concept in the Muslim tradition and he strives to incorporate meaning and purpose into his work as an entrepreneur. Working with others from different backgrounds encourages him to be consultative and learn from their experiences.

Temperament and Personality Influences
Omar is naturally very passionate and intense, always means what he says, and deeply cares about things. He also loves a good challenge. However, he has learned to balance that out with stoicism and coolness when needed.

Cultural Epiphanies
Growing up in a household without alcohol, Omar can’t imagine how others watch their parents become drunk! The UK has a strong drinking culture, but he does not feel pressured to participate in it.

Advice to an Employer
Others sharing his vision is what brings out the best in Omar, and he finds it hard to connect with people who don’t have a vision — whether or not he agrees with it — of the future. He also only works with people he truly believes in.

More Great Insights!
“Having media on your side makes everything easier,” Omar says and encourages business owners to develop their relationship with the media.

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Bio for Leslie Bosch
Leslie Bosch, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist, the founder of Bosch Integrative Wellness, and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach.

Episode Highlight
As a psychologist and coach, Dr. Leslie Bosch is accomplished, articulate, and keenly interested in others and their experiences.

Links
Email: leslie@boschintegrativewellness.com

Website: https://boschintegrativewellness.com/

Book a Free 20-minute Consultation: https://boschintegrativewellness.com/calendar

Promotional Offering: https://boschintegrativewellness.com/conquer-overwhelm-masterclass-opt-in/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoschIntegrativeWellness/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-bosch-phd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bosch_integrative_wellness/

Quotes
“The world is essentially a mixed bag, and you can do something to protect yourself, move towards the things that are more helpful, and avoid the things that are more dangerous.”

Takeaways
Childhood Incidents
Leslie was born in 1960 in Denver, Colorado to parents of very low socioeconomic status. Her mother’s family immigrated from Italy and started a bakery. Her father’s family immigrated from England to “tame the wild west,” but he abandoned her family when she was six. Her mother remarried after being a single mother for a while. All these experiences impacted Leslie.

Influential Groups
Being born into a poor, blue-collar, conservative, Mormon, American family in a homogeneous, misogynistic society was influential for Leslie, and she worked her entire life to shed the negative patterns she grew up with. Her Ph.D. and coaching practice is about transformation and helping others to identify and transgress old patterns.

Temperament and Personality Influences
Leslie claims her temperament is cautious, with a combination of perfectionism and idealism. It has been a challenge for her to become more of a pragmatist/realist, but works to contribute toward the improvement of things instead of chasing perfection.

Cultural Epiphanies
Leslie moved to New York City in her mid-30s to pursue a singing career and experienced a culture shock, because it was so different from the homogeneous suburban experience she had had. It was challenging to adapt to the ever-changing city with its over-stimulation and stress.

Advice to an Employer
Leslie is always intrigued by what they bring to the session and looks to understand where they are coming from.

More Great Insights!
Leslie shares that coaching can be a powerful tool to help people open up without fear of judgment in a world that is not conducive to vulnerability. Your coach can help you strategize and be the accountability partner that pushes you out of your comfort zone.

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Bio for Dane Espegard

Dane Espegard is the Founder of The Dreams Systems LLC and Division Manager at Vector Marketing/CUTCO. Dane is also a culture consultant who teaches, assists, and executes the implementation of a Culture centered around Dream Achieving.

Dane brings a successful people-oriented method to market in his latest book, "The Dream Machine: A Leader's Guide to Creating Teams of High Performers Who Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes." He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Brookelynn, and their two daughters, Elin and Izzi.

Episode highlight

Dane Espegard’s ability to take an idea to a successful outcome led him to create a system and eventually write a book called “The Dream Machine'' which promotes company and team growth through a culture of conversation around how each person expresses and achieves personal dreams.

Links

Email: dane@daneespegard.com

Website: http://www.daneespegard.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daneespegard/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dane.espegard

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daneespegard/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4drV1R60GQw8O_6EfYm3MA/

Quotes

“We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.”

“When there's hope in the future, there’s power in the present.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Dane grew up in a family of entrepreneurs surrounded by talk of business and witnessed his stay-at-home mom open up and grow a daycare business from the ground up. At the age of 18, Dane got a job at CUTCO, which ultimately left a lasting impact on him.

Influential Groups

Dane was born into a middle-class family in a middle-class neighbourhood. He is now a member of a group called Front Row Dads which influences how he measures himself as both a father and a husband.

Temperament and Personality Influences

“I lean towards positivity,” Dane said of his temperament. He has a high level of energy and gets excited to interact with people. Instead of relying solely on his “gut instinct,” Dane has also attempted to tap into the experiences of those around him.

Cultural Epiphanies

Born into a conservative middle-class family while attending equally middle-class schools that held a predominantly “white student body” gave Dane a unique perspective as he grew up in the United States. To this day, Dane still finds that US-centric perspective constantly challenged when he travels, making him return to the US with a broader world view.

Advice to an Employer

Though he works well independently, Dane thrives with people around him. As a leader, Dane works hard because he knows people are counting on him. He also infuses his work with hope, which gives him power in his decisions.

More Great Insights!

Dane’s book, written to enable change in workplace cultures, is available for free on his website to anyone who would like to upgrade their team’s culture.

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Doctor Dele Ola is the Director of Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing at Red River College Polytechnic. He is also the award-winning author of Be a Change Agent: Leadership in a Time of Exponential Change, publisher of the Prowezz Leadership Newsletter, a change leader, and an accomplished professional engineer.

Episode highlight

Facing childhood survival challenges during a time of turmoil in Nigeria and later in college helped Dele Ola deepen his focus on the end goal while maintaining an attitude of hope and remaining patient until he achieved his desire.

Links

Email: dele.ola@deleola.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dele-ola-ph-d-p-eng-b33aa03/

Website: deleola.com

Quotes

“It doesn’t matter if I fail… 500 times, I will still get up and try again.”

“People can always learn when they are open.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Dele grew up in a conservative Christian household to educated middle-class parents who taught him the values that helped him survive in difficult situations and shaped who he is today.

He was a teenager during the time of political turmoil in Nigeria, which taught him discipline, hope, resilience, and courage.

Influential Groups

Dele grew up in a city in Nigeria which is part of Yorubaland, and he is proud of his native Yoruba ancestry from Southwest Nigeria.

His religious background has influenced his leadership style, with the servant leader exemplified in Jesus Christ.

As a professional, he belongs to many intellectual groups, from whom he has learnt to conduct research.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Dele was told as a child that he was introverted, but he thinks of himself as living on the edge of introversion and extroversion. He can be outspoken and network when he needs to but isn’t always out there connecting. He also thinks of himself as a realistic optimist.

The personality he has developed is that he approaches his work in a reasonable and systematic way. He also values merit-based work and relationships based on respect. Additionally, the core concepts of justice and fairness are equally important to him as well.

Cultural Epiphanies

An eye-opening moment for Dele was when he moved to Canada from Nigeria, and realized that Canadians are rarely as direct and confrontational as Nigerians.

Advice to an Employer

Dele likes to work in a place where merit, contribution, knowledge, and effort are appreciated. He also welcomes disagreement and openness.

More Great Insights!

Dele’s company, Prowezz Leadership, is offering Quality 101 training in Canada. Visit his website to learn more and read his two books!

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Bio for Rayne Martin

Rayne Martin is both the founder of and a leadership coach at "It's The Impact."

Episode highlight

Tune in to learn about Rayne Martin’s journey to make the world a better place as a leadership coach.

Links

Email: rayne@itstheimpact.com

Website: https://www.itstheimpact.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raynemartin

Quotes

“You aren’t leading if you are not using your leadership to make a more just and equitable world.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Growing up impoverished in a small rural town of 200 people in northern Louisiana, Rayne felt as if she was “radically under-educated.” Even though she had been among the top of her class in high school, she found it necessary to take remedial English classes at college.

She recalls going grocery shopping with her family once a month at a store in town, where each child was allowed to get one item of their choice. She began working at a very early age, which contributed to her feeling that she had to put in extra effort for anything she wanted.

Influential Groups

Compared to Rayne’s current home, the liberal city of New Orleans, the town she grew up in feels very conservative. Rayne’s mother asked her to invite her African-American friend and her mom to their house, which was the first time any white person had done so in their town. Rayne’s father held several sexist opinions, some of which hindered Rayne in considering herself a woman leader. However, she has now come into her own leadership style.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Rayne has always been described as authentic. She is grateful to have recently met her biological father and discovered her Ukrainian heritage, but also grateful for her stepfather, who provided her with a framework on how to parent non-biological kids. Modeling her parental style after her stepfather continues to serve Rayne in her role as a stepmother to two children herself.

Cultural Epiphanies

Rayne’s husband recently wanted to join a yacht club, and she is uncomfortable being around people of that social class. However, she is working through her own bias against that group.

Advice to an Employer

Rayne thrives when she’s working with leaders who want to make a difference by being brave and authentic in the fight for creating a positive impact.

More Great Insights!

Rayne’s program, The Changemaker, is a comprehensive support system which includes personal coaching, the “4 Cs of changemaking,” and group work designed to help people be vulnerable and push through their blind spots as they work to change the world!

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Bio for Nitin Govila

Nitin Govila, a global business executive, has an extensive background in building and growing regions and organizations across multiple industries, channels, and cultures. 

Episode highlight

A North Indian raised in West India who went to France to study without knowing French, Nitin Govila can share a thing or two about absorbing cultures and spring-boarding from them to success. 

Links

Email: nitingovila@gmail.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-govila-5224a3/

Website: https://www.sergeferrari.com/

Quotes

“Not only the mind, but the heart will play a very key role in any profession.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Nitin was born in Pune and lived there until the age of eight. His family originally came from North India and was close to another family from South India, who had a son similar in age to Nitin. The father of that family was a disciplinarian, but Nitin cherishes being treated equitably when the father would tutor both the boys, and looks back fondly over his memories with his childhood friend. 

Influential Groups

Nitin describes Pune as a “very young city.” The people he was surrounded with brought different cultures, food, values, and languages, all of which nurtured his young spirit. He is still inspired to keep that youthful energy alive when he leads at work. He has also grown to be tolerant and appreciative of the many differences in others. 

The sport of cricket is so endemic to Indian culture that it’s practically considered a religion, and like many of his peers, Nitin was passionate about sports. He now supports his children when they show an interest in sports. 

He was introduced to meditation by one of his colleagues in India, and found peace, freedom, and community, helping him through major decisions in his life. He is now also a meditation trainer.

Nitin’s parents were independent and encouraged education among their children. His parents are religious, and he admires the sincerity and effort they put into their practice. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Nitin has always been a curious observer who emphatically believes in a “never give up” attitude, and invests deeply into situations while still maintaining an overall “helicopter view” of the situation. 

Cultural Epiphanies

Nitin was impressed by the French culture, particularly when they showed him an alternative to firing an employee by instead providing opportunities to coach them and share their unique skillsets.

More Great Insights!

Nitin believes that the professionals of the future will learn to balance their hearts and minds, to listen to the voice of their hearts, and use their thinking to execute those commands. 

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Bio for Christine Gibson

Dr. Christine Gibson is a family physician, trauma consultant, author, and facilitator in Calgary, Canada.

Episode highlight

Christine Gibson took her own intense personal experiences and laced them to her deep curiosity about healing trauma together with her background as a medical doctor.

Links

Email: contact@christinegibson.net

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-gibson-md/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gibtrotterMD

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktoktraumadoc?lang=en

Websites:

• www.christinegibson.net
• www.moderntrauma.com
• www.saferspacestraining.com

Quotes

“The trauma isn't the event, the trauma is your response to the event.”

“When a caterpillar has to form the cocoon, it dissolves its own skin in acid before it emerges as a butterfly, and I really like building a safe cocoon for that dissolution.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, Christine’s work in health equity was inspired by seeing her parents overcome obstacles, and the encouragement she received to pursue her interests.

Christine’s curiosity and desire to learn more about people was primarily fueled by her mother’s innately intuitive disposition.

In school, Christine’s circle of friends included people from all different social and activity groups. That was her beginning of becoming a “trans-disciplinarian.”

Influential Groups

Christine’s father came from a small coal mining town in Fife, Scotland. At the age of 16, her father dropped out of school and left the UK for a musical life in Canada. This decision later influenced Christine to chart her own course in life.

Christine was taught a lot about Ukrainian culture and a strong work ethic from her maternal grandparents. She also learned the “there’s just nothing I can’t do” attitude.

After Christine survived an earthquake in Nepal in 2004, her work and reach expanded to explore trauma. This helped her realize and understand the collective trauma in the world.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Christine has always been a curious person and has explored bringing that “curiosity, creativity and fun” into her work. She also considers herself an early adopter of ideas and trends.

Cultural Epiphanies

Christine realized that she hadn’t understood decolonization, and was still operating from a colonial culture’s mindset until an Indigenous woman from Brazil navigated her through those difficult conversations.

Advice to an Employer

Christine enjoys working with people who expand beyond check boxes to see what’s possible and are willing to be playful around tough concepts.

She also loves when she can provide space for deconstructing and regeneration, and thrives when she can work with the sensibility of exploring what can come from the ashes.

More Great Insights!

Christine’s book, The Modern Trauma Toolkit, is a solution and strength-based piece written to help manage trauma by using metaphors to enable catalyzed growing. Her training module is designed to help professionals and organizations create safer work spaces.

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Bio for Mark Minukas

Mark is the Managing Partner at Co-Creation, helping organizations transform their business performance. He is also the co-author of the book Unfear.

Episode highlight

Mark Minukas grew up believing that he needed to win to be accepted in the world. Listen in on how he grew from wanting to defeat everyone else to wanting to take them along on the ride to success.

Links

Email: adrian@legendarypodcasts.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-minukas-9333011/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC19UQMpix-zL5ZQOSoVVAaQ

Website: https://cocreationpartners.com/

Quotes

“I think it is important that people discover for themselves what choices they are willing to make.”

“It can be such an empowering thing to say: ‘I don’t know’.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

In his Connecticut junior high school, Mark did not make it into the baseball team and became hyper-competitive to counter his fear of rejection.

Influential Groups

From his father, Mark learned that the world is full of possibilities if you work hard. He also learned that a man should not share emotions. His mother’s family also taught him to take a more light-hearted approach to life.

In the United States Navy he was taught to care about those he worked with, and what enables teams to thrive and achieve their goals. After leaving the USN, his work at McKinsey & Company led him to believe any problem can be solved.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Over time Mark realized his win-lose paradigm had inadvertently strained relationships with people. In contrast, he now works to integrate his point of view with other people by having healthier, more creative exchanges.

Cultural Epiphanies

Mark experienced culture shock when he began his military career, particularly when he was posted to the Middle East and was introduced to new customs and languages.

Advice to an Employer

Marks is at his best when his point of view is heard with interest, even if it is not agreed with. He values open communication and candor so others can share their ideas.

More Great Insights!

Mark wrote Unfear with his business partner, which describes the performance of organizations from the inside out, beginning with individual mindsets which influence how they show up and work in teams, which further influences how organizations perform. Mark believes that the key to seeing fear as a cue for learning, growth, and transformation rests in the concept that “fear is neither a good thing nor a bad thing.”

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Bio for Tarin Calmeyer

Tarin Calmeyer is a Corporate Virtual Event Specialist and the CEO of Remote Team Wellness, the leading virtual wellness provider for several Fortune 500 companies, including Facebook, L'Oreal, and Remote.com.

Episode highlight

Tarin Calmeyer was born to a Malawian mother, adopted by white South African parents, raised in the USA, went to university in Australia, lived in Morocco, Thailand, and Mexico, speaks English, Spanish, and Afrikaans, and has a working knowledge of Zulu, French, and Arabic. Tune in to join her on the fascinating journey that is her life story.

Links

Email: hello@remoteteamwellness.com

Website: https://remoteteamwellness.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarincalmeyer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RemoteTeamWell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/remoteteamwellness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remoteteamwellness/

Quotes

“Any change starts with the individual.”

“There is ‘otherism’ no matter where you look.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

At the age of three, Tarin was abducted by her mother’s acquaintance and found eight days later. Tarin was later adopted by a white South African couple at age 11.

Influential Groups

Tarin was born and raised in the midst of “this very hateful bubble” of apartheid in South Africa, and she often felt ‘othered,’ even though she had people in her life who loved her.

Dancing as a young girl taught her to work with her physical, mental, and emotional health, shaping her into the wellness-focused individual she is today.

Tarin was raised in Christianity, but has found yoga to be an all-encompassing practice which has helped her explore other spiritual practices.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Tarin believes she was born with a calm and patient temperament, and was an introvert. As an adult, she has worked to be more extroverted.

As an only child, Tarin claims she always wanted to prove her point, but eventually learned through life experience and marriage that “you can’t be right all the time.”

Cultural Epiphanies

Tarin has realized that she won’t necessarily fit in with those who look like her. She also learned through teaching yoga that not everyone is focused on self-care and wellness.

Advice to an Employer

Openness to change, to another person’s perspective, and to growth are values that excite Tarin in working with others, which help everyone move forward towards their goals.

More Great Insights!

If you are looking to “keep learning and keep growing,” visit Tarin’s website and discover ways to help your team care for themselves in a real life, virtual, or hybrid setting.

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Bio for Paul Glover

Paul Glover is a C-Suite Performance Coach and The No B.S. Workplace Development Coach who, for the last 30 years, has been assisting leaders and their organizations to achieve their full potential.

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Paul Glover emerged from prison more self-aware and ready to teach others how to see their own blind spots to become effective leaders.

Links

Website: https://paulglovercoaching.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulglovercoaching/

Quotes

“We are a society of ‘we need more’.”

“I believe that we often forget how much we have to be grateful for.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Paul and his little sister were raised poor by their single mother in Florida, who worked night shifts as a waitress, leaving Paul to care for his sister. He would spend summers with his ex-military father who worked as a union electrician in Indiana. He was inspired by his parents to do well and paid his own way through law school.

Paul credits the community he interacted with in Indiana as being the most impactful in his life. His father’s family were farmers, and he would go to church every Sunday. He enlisted in the United States Army, but struggled with the rigidly-controlled command structure in military life.

Paul got a job in a labour organization, where he met a man who had a profound impact on him. “He was a man that did not believe that rules should apply to him,” Paul recalls. Over time, Paul grew to develop the same attitude.

Influential Groups

Paul learned the tricks of his trade by observing successful trial lawyers. A seasoned lawyer told him that while he was good with facts, he needed to work on his narrative to build an emotional connection with the jury.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Paul can be too direct and offensive for most people, he claims, but he is also an empathetic listener. He has learned to control and manage his temper over the years.

Cultural Epiphanies

Paul always felt like an outsider. However, he felt like he belonged with other lawyers, who respected the perspective he had to offer.

Advice to an Employer

Paul’s clients need to be willing to work through the difficult journey to self-discovery and he expects commitment and accountability from them. He invests himself in every coaching relationship and is dedicated to his clients’ success.

More Great Insights!

Reach out to Paul through his website or on LinkedIn, to begin your transformative coaching journey today!

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Bio for Doni Aldine

As founder and editor-in-chief for Culturs Global Multicultural Magazine, Doni Aldine is passionate about creating a community for cross-cultural populations. She developed university curricula for global culture identity and is on faculty in Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University.

Episode highlight

Doni Aldine is passionate about creating a sense of belonging for people from cross-cultural and third-culture backgrounds. Listen in on how she integrates her insights and experience in her work as editor-in-chief of Culturs Magazine and a professor of Journalism and Media Communications.

Links

Email: doni@cultursmag.com

Website: www.cultursmag.com

Instagram: instagram.com/cultursmag

Facebook: facebook.com/cultursmag

Twitter: twitter/cultursmag

Pinterest: pinterest/cultursmag

XOTV: xotv.me channel 312

Quotes

“We need to acknowledge that beauty is part of how people get ahead.”

“Culture is super important for me and a little part of my soul dies when I don't have it.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Doni’s mother is Trinidadian and her father, Costa Rican, and moved around a lot as a child. She recalls an incident at age eight when she thought she would make long-term friends but moved to another country on her first day. For a long time, her life was defined by the fact that she was always leaving places and people.

Influential Groups

Doni’s life goes beyond the Third Culture Kid (TCK) definition, and she fits into 9-10 subdivisions of the 13 that exist, whereas others may only belong to 1 or 2. Despite having moved around her whole life, she calls one city home.

Cultural Epiphanies

Doni experienced culture shock when she came to the USA from Germany because even though she looked African-American, her lived experience made her very different from the other African-American students.

Advice to an Employer

Doni works well with people who are empathetic, understanding, engaged, and interested in others. She pays keen attention to people and aims to make them comfortable to share their stories.

More Great Insights!

All of Doni’s work “is committed to uplifting and celebrating cross-cultural identity so everyone can feel like they matter”. Culturs Magazine provides a sense of belonging to multicultural people.

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Bio for Julie Pham

Julie Pham, Ph.D., is the Founder of the 7 Forms of Respect and the CEO of CuriosityBased, which fosters curiosity in the world starting with the workplace. Dr. Pham wrote the 7 Forms of Respect: A Guide to Transforming Your Communication and Relationships at Work.

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Dr. Julie Pham’s myriad cultural influences make her a successful entrepreneur.

Links

Email: julie@curiositybased.com

Websites:

• www.curiositybased.com
• www.formsofrespect.com

LinkedIn:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliepham2/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/curiositybased

Instagram:

• https://www.instagram.com/juliephamphd
• https://www.instagram.com/curiositybased/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/curiositybased

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curiositybased

Quotes

“There's pride in being a refugee.”

“Treat people the way they want to be treated.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Julie was born in communist Vietnam where her father was sentenced to a “re-education” camp for three years. He moved his family by boat to Seattle in the United States and changed her Vietnamese name to Julie.

Her family moved from the city of Seattle into the suburbs just as she entered middle school, which she found to be “transformational” and it helped her build “inner resilience.”

Influential Groups

Julie has found the refugee experience to be transformative and takes pride in her community. She also credits her Vietnamese heritage for her optimism.

Being an international student sparked curiosity within her while coming from an entrepreneurial background taught her relationship building and gave her high risk tolerance.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Julie claims she was always curious about people and asked questions about the world. In her 20s, she learned the value of generosity, and how helping others be successful also helps her.

Cultural Epiphanies

When Julie lived in the United Kingdom, people spoke of distance in terms of kilometres, instead of in units of time, as she was used to doing in the US. In Vietnam, she discovered that her friends chose to cancel plans at the last minute even if they knew about a conflicting appointment beforehand, so she would not think they chose something else over her deliberately.

Advice to an Employer

Investigating how different people have different expectations of how to be treated, Julie came upon respect as the core value and conducted focus groups to explore this further. There are seven forms of respect: procedure, punctuality, information, candour, consideration, acknowledgement, and attention (PPICCAA), alongside the three dimensions of hierarchy, directionality, and what matters to you.

More Great Insights!

Take Julie’s online 7 Forms of Respect individual edition self-paced course now!

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Bio for Chidi Iwuchukwu

Chidi Iwuchukwu's first book, Coming to Canada, is an Amazon Bestseller. He is an award-winning banker with over seventeen years of experience. He is currently a Disability Support Manager with MirkaCare Services Inc.

Episode highlight

Chidi Iwuchukwu was groomed to lead from the moment he was born. Listen in on how his Nigerian background, military upbringing, and early mentorship shaped him into the leader he is today.

Links

Email:

• chidi@transit2canada.com
• chidispeaks@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chidiiwuchukwu

Instagram: @chidiciwuchukwu

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chidi-iwuchukwu-ma-52859714/

Twitter: @ChidiCiwuchukwu

Quotes

“Opportunities are out there for you if you prove yourself.”

“There’s a thin line between aggression and assertiveness.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Chidi had a disciplined childhood due to his military father and credits his father with teaching him to plot the course of his own life. His mother taught him life lessons through stories, and his grandmother’s belief in him shaped his personality.

Since Chidi was the oldest child, he was looked to for leadership. Having to be composed, take charge, solve problems, and find ways around challenges has helped him become a responsible and accountable leader.

Influential Groups

Chidi’s former boss (now mentor) has had the biggest influence on his career by giving him responsibilities greater than his experience warranted and breaking his mental barriers to become bold.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Chidi is a passionate person, giving all of his passion and energy to focus on a project. He also focuses on the big picture, thinking about what the next five-year plan looks like, taking his team along towards the vision.

Cultural Epiphanies

Chidi learned about different attitudes, belief systems, and philosophies in different cultures of the world through his travels. Moving to Canada has helped him embrace diversity in every aspect of life and be tolerant of different ways of being.

He shares that even though the West is perceived as superior in its women empowerment practices, his culture values the older sisters in a family much more, and his country pays equal wages for equal work. Even though parenting practices are different, children are precious to all cultures.

Advice to an Employer

Chidi thrives when he is given clarity on the goal and the empowerment and freedom to reach it himself. He is on a journey of exploration to find new ways “to do the job that might not be yet discovered”.

More Great Insights!

Chidi’s book is a guide to settling into Canadian life for everyone, not just immigrants. He encourages leaders to translate their skills, passion and experience to lead their communities.

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Bio for Sam Chang

Sam Chang is the Founder and CEO of VTMEMBER—a virtual assistant company that he scaled from $0 to $65k in monthly recurring revenue in six months.

Episode highlight

By building a culture of belonging and excellence in his company, Sam Chang has created a world where everyone is seen not only for who they are now, but for their potential for growth.

Links

Email: sam@vtmember.ca

Instagram: instagram.com/itssamchang

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-chang-07912285/

Websites:

• www.vtmember.ca
• www.vtmember.ca/university

Quotes

“Sales and communication, and anything you want to get better at, can be learned.”

“Care without candour is caring about the person’s emotions, and candour without care is caring too much about the person’s potential but not how they feel.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

At the age of two, Sam immigrated to Canada from Taiwan with his parents. Growing up, Sam’s parents taught him Mandarin and used to call him a “chatterbox” when he was little.

However, because he didn’t speak English, he struggled to make friends at school and was introverted. He was also bullied and shunned.

In college, he began earning very well as a meat salesman, which led him to drop out of school at 19. The "cold call scene" in The Wolf of Wall Streettaught him that any important skill can be learned.

Influential Groups

Sam’s military father used corporal punishment to make Sam the highly disciplined person he is today. His mother counter-balanced his father with her love, understanding, and compassion.

Taekwondo and playing the piano from a young age instilled discipline in him. The church taught him leadership based on love and compassion.

The cut-throat corporate world did not let him sustain his loving and compassionate leadership style. However, a cancer scare in 2017 made him shift his intention from himself to serving other people.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Sam claims that he was born an extrovert but became an introvert due his experiences in school. He was able to later restore his extroverted self by using acting as a way to become a successful salesman.

Cultural Epiphanies

Sam quit his job at Ledcor when he realized that the culture was not one of employee development.

Advice to an Employer

Sam claims to have been the underdog his whole life and is passionate about nurturing others who have potential. The other person’s willingness and desire to be successful brings out the best in him.

More Great Insights!

You can access Sam’s online sales university today at a flat rate of 349 USD before it turns into a monthly subscription!

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Bio for Julien Lefort

Julien Lefort is a diversity, inclusion, and resilience-focused business coach. He now focuses on teaching businesses how sustainability and resilience have direct ties to diversity and inclusion.

Episode highlight

As a Frenchman, Julien Lefort grew up with the influence of many cultures, learning about diversity and inclusion from a young age. Listen in on how he developed resilience by embracing the differences in the people around him.

Links

Email: spencer@outlieraudio.com

Website: https://wearefutureminds.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julienl/

Instagram: @wearefutureminds

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearefutureminds

Quotes

“For me, home is where I am because I can make it home.”

“When we look at the things around us, we want to feel like we are in control of our lives and we are in control of the circumstances but we can’t always be.”

“Resilience, for me, is the ability to prepare for and deal with and bounce back from challenges, stressors, anything that may happen to us.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

With three brothers and sisters, Julien always considered himself to be “the shy and timid child” of his family, but was always told by others that he is an extrovert.

Influential Groups

Julien credits his Senegalese stepfather with expanding his knowledge and helping him develop better connections across cultures, which helps him in his work today.

As a child, Julien observed both religious and non-religious members of his family, and was free to pick his inclination.

Julien claims that the coaching community has helped him both personally and professionally.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Julien was born with an “analytical and logical mind.” He has grown into developing the creative and innovative side of his personality.

Cultural Epiphanies

Julien was livid when he read in an in-flight magazine on Lufthansa that a German director thought France did not have good bakeries!

He assumed one of his Moroccan friends to be comfortable with the French custom of a greeting kiss, but she was not.

Advice to an Employer

For Julien, the most important aspect of a working relationship is being open. He also works to create a trusting space where people can communicate and grow.

More Great Insights!

Julien highlights that there are some simple things to do to become resilient: connecting better with others, learning more about other cultures, and the differences amongst the people we come across.

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Bio for Dele Ajele

Dele Ajele is Co-Executive Director and franchise owner of Corporate Connections® Alberta South as well as BNI Alberta South, Canada. Dele is also a business coach and consultant with a passion for helping entrepreneurs create a strong foundation for sustainable business growth. 

Episode highlight

Listen in on Dele Ajele’s journey from an engineer in Nigeria to a business consultant in Canada! 

Links

Email: dele@bnisalberta.ca

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/deleajele/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dele.ajele/

Websites:

• www.bnisalberta.ca
• www.corporateconnections.ca

Quotes

“Don’t ever equate work with suffering.”

“Work has an intrinsic value in itself.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Dele’s Grade 6 teacher was also his Grade 4 teacher. He noticed Dele’s relatively low academic performance, and was experiencing problems at home. He adopted Dele, which elevated his status as a student, and boosted his confidence and ability to succeed in life. Dele’s father taught him that “work is a privilege” and to value the opportunity to work while always giving his best. 

Influential Groups

Dele explains that his family and ethnic culture taught him to be considerate of everyone in the community in his decisions and actions. He became a practising Christian in his 20s and the teachings of the Bible inspired him towards collaborative and servant leadership, based on kindness and generosity. His engineering training taught him to be thorough and focused in everything he does. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Dele claims to have always been nurturing, caring, and inclusive, believing that “there’s hardly any job worth doing if it means trampling over people.” He is a listener and likes to think of himself as a catalyst for individuals to discover the best in themselves. He has worked on developing his outgoing side, talking to strangers, and making them feel comfortable. 

Cultural Epiphanies

In Nigeria, you acknowledge and greet an older person “in a certain posture and very deliberately”, and help an older person carry their belongings. When Dele first moved to Canada, he thought it was rude that people didn’t do that. 

Advice to an Employer

Dele loves when he can take someone from a place of confusion to identify a clear vision for their lives and have them be prepared to take on the steps to get there. 

More Great Insights!

Dele’s advice is to “leave people feeling better about themselves than when you met them” by finding the treasure in them, bringing it to their awareness, and being good listeners. 

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Bio for Robert Manolson

Robert Manolson is a certified career counsellor, and creator and workshop facilitator of Powerful Play Experiences to enable positive workplace mental health for teams.

Episode highlight

Robert Manolson is on a mission to inspire workplaces, especially during the pandemic, to embrace the value of fun at work.

Links

Email: robert@powerfulplay.ca

Website: www.powerfulplay.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerfulplay

LinkedIn:

• www.linkedIn.com/in/robertmanolson
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerful-play-experiences-edmonton/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/powerfulplayexperiences

Quotes

“I’m of the belief that if we incorporate more fun at work or happy at work, more joy, more team engagement, that’s just good mental health - that’s good positive workplace mental health.”

“The #1 reason why everybody calls me to do a workshop is because they want more kindness in their workplace!”

“Regardless of your community, regardless of who makes up that community, we’re all deserving of kindness. Everyone deserves kindness regardless of the.. differences in community.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Robert grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood in Montreal, with playtime being a big part of his childhood.

When his family moved out of Montreal, leaving the safety of the Jewish neighbourhood made him very private about his faith.

His high school guidance counsellor guided him towards a community recreation leadership program where play was the focus of the course. He also pursued a master's in leisure and recreation studies.

Influential Groups

Robert has overcome years of struggle with keeping his faith private and is now coming to terms with being comfortable talking about it.

Growing up, Robert observed mental illness issues on both sides of his family. He has worked to find peace in his own mental issues of depression and anxiety, and make conversations on this subject appropriate.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Robert shares anecdotes of his mother’s kind nature. This impacts the work he does today, in trying to encourage kindness at the workplace through the vehicle of play.

Cultural Epiphanies

Robert had to learn about First Nations people and get accustomed to how different life was in Alberta compared to the Jewish neighbourhood in Quebec.

Advice to an Employer

Robert thrives in working relationships that are kind, caring, respectful, open and those that celebrate diversity. Smiling and laughing together is also important to him at work.

More Great Insights!

Reach out to Robert for a fun session of play at work to change the energy and culture of your team!

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Bio for Laurika Booysen 

Doctor Laurika Booysen is a family doctor passionate about empowering people in their own health journey. She currently works at a community holistic health and wellness center in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

Episode highlight

As a South African family doctor, Laurika Booysen helps her patients see themselves as the beautiful and capable souls they are while taking on her own homework of detaching from any preconceived assumptions about what they should do or be to live whole and healthy lives. 

Links

Email: laurikab555@gmail.com

Quotes

“We are all so different and unique so what works for one patient… might not work for another patient.” 

“When you can dream it, you can believe it.”

“Your culture plays a role and your culture is part of your strength.”

“Maybe we will just agree to disagree and that’s a way too.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Growing up in South Africa, Laurika didn’t understand segregation even though she was surrounded by it. She was privileged to attend a good all-girls school with exposure to multiple events and competitions. 

As a teenager, she was involved in many cultural activities, brought home people of different cultures and visited their homes. She has always enjoyed learning about other cultures and experiencing different family dynamics. 

Influential Groups

Laurika comes from a family of teachers and looks at her medical practice as similar to teaching and coaching. Her family also has a military background, which taught her about righteousness and justice.

Traditionally, the aspects she has imbibed from her culture are about loving people and food, and being authentic and respectful. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Laurika desires the best for everyone and wishes they reach their highest potential, but she has learned to be more accepting of who they are now and what they need, without pushing them to do what she thinks is good for them. 

Cultural Epiphanies

Eight months into living in Canada, Laurika felt depressed, dissociated, and disconnected due to a cultural shock, and was not able to shake it off. 

Advice to an Employer

Laurika claims the biggest gift she can receive is “seeing people flourish.” She values freedom and autonomy on the job so she can flourish too. 

More Great Insights!

Laurika and her team are working to build a community health center on the west side of Edmonton to help community members and their future generations live empowered, autonomous lives. 

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Bio for Arend Boersema

Arend Boersema is a human resources and organizational development (HR/OD) leader, writer and certified coach. He has Bachelor’s degrees in both social work and teaching, a Master’s degree in Human Resources Development, and is PHR/SHRM-CP certified.

Episode highlight

Arend Boersema has had a diverse cultural experience that helps him understand people and cultures from a unique lens. Listen in on how he combines his academic training with his real-life understanding of people in his career as an HR professional.

Links

Email: boersemaa@chop.edu

Website: www.levelupcoachingconsulting.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arendboersema/

Quotes

“People have different perspectives… What you see on face value, there’s so much richness behind that.”

“Your mindset, in my opinion, is way more impactful to that experience than the actual setting… than the actual environment.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Moving around a lot with his missionary parents, Arend learned to embrace change as a child, and now looks to find ways to be excited about change. As a teenager, the discomfort in moving from the Netherlands to Belgium forced him to understand what constitutes his identity and to recreate it.

Influential Groups

Arend has two older siblings and two younger ones adopted from Haiti, which made him learn empathy and value the stories behind people’s actions. Religion was the center of his missionary family, and he learned to explore the similarity in the values of different religions.

He considers being an HR/OD leader as a big part of his identity.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Arend claims to have always been a passionate person, but has learned to tame that passion now, from being vehement about opinions to being deeply interested in new people and perspectives.

He used to identify as a social justice warrior and felt overwhelmed at the responsibility of changing the world, but now recognizes the impact of simply his presence in the movements.

He also thought he needed to speak up if he feels strongly about something, but now finds other ways to express it.

Cultural Epiphanies

When Arend went to study in Ireland, he interacted with the Irish students as well as many international students, learning about how different the cultures were.

Advice to an Employer

Arend appreciates honesty in conversations and disagreements about a topic.

More Great Insights!

Grab a copy of Arend’s book, Poetry at the heart of business: Spoken word poetry exploring the concept of company culture & belonging, available on Amazon in all countries. You can also visit his website, www.levelupcoachingconsulting.com, for more great insights!

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Bio for Gia Le

Gia Le is an award-winning entrepreneur, sales, marketing strategist, and wellness enthusiast. She is the Managing Director at Elite Digital Campaigns, a successful boutique marketing agency.

Episode highlight

As a Vietnamese-Australian, Gia Le has learned to balance the world of refugee Vietnamese parents focused on the respect of authority, making something of themselves, and collectivistic wisdom, with the world of Australian individualism, the challenge of authority, and self-expression.

Links

Email: gia@elitedigitalcampaigns.com.au

Website: https://www.elitedigitalcampaigns.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/gialeperth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gialerealestate/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeVEir2XhsbzPkHBaZJ62pg

Quotes

“If you have a product and someone is prepared to pay for it, that is the business.”

“When your desire is in alignment, the universe conspires to help you.”

“My personal actions compounded over time make a huge difference.”

“When you are experienced, you don't stay poor very long.”

“There’s a way to say everything. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Gia would accompany her parents from the age of eight to all formal appointments as a translator since they didn’t speak English, which trained her to communicate with people from different cultures, ages, and positions of influence.

The cultural difference between her school, which taught her “how to think and not what to think,” and her home, where she couldn’t correct elders (even if they were wrong), made her intuitive and perceptive in her conversations with others.

Influential Groups

Gia learned from the contrast between her restaurateur parents’ explosive temperaments and the composure of her mentor at her first job. Her closest circle of friends still comprises the women of Asian descent she went to high school with.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Gia claims she was born with her parents’ explosive temperament which continued into her teenage years, but has now learned to be logical and calm herself with daily meditation.

Cultural Epiphanies

When Gia started her own business, she continued running it in the fast-paced and authoritarian way she had observed in her career in finance and lost many good employees as a result. She now treats her employees as her “virtual family.”

Advice to an Employer

Gia believes that clear communication from a client is of utmost importance for the concise delivery of objectives. She also thrives with clients who are engaged and collaborative.

More Great Insights!

If you are an entrepreneur looking to be more in alignment with your values but feel hesitant to make a change, reach out to Gia.

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Bio for Yadi Caro 

Yadi Caro is a Puerto Rican Tech Consultant and Podcast Host. She works with customers to define the best tools they can use, and works with software developers to build great products.

Episode highlight

Yadi Caro has combined her natural affinities of introversion with a deep curiosity about cultures, people, and the tech world. Listen in on how she combined these passions together working as a Hispanic journalist in the US defense sector! 

Links

Email: yadiracaro@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yadiraycaro/

Websites: 

• https://www.hardcoresoftskillspodcast.com/
• https://yadicaro.wordpress.com/

Quotes

“Being shy really helped me because I feel a lot of empathy in terms of… I’m always trying to be inclusive when it either comes to meetings or seeking out the opinions of others.”

“I always questioned if we have a society that wants to be equal, why do women always have to be relegated to being the supporter of the house when we can have a truly equal partnership?”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Yadi claims she was an extremely shy introvert as a child and was always shielded by her family members. Moving away from home to study helped her come out of her shell.

Influential Groups

Yadi was born and raised in the Puerto Rican countryside and lived with a “sense of community” in a family-oriented culture. In Florida, she shared a commonality with other Hispanic journalism students and was part of many such associations. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Yadi has always been a very disciplined person, a trait that helps her balance the many roles she plays today. She also has good communication and organizational skills, and claims to be a Type A personality, which pushes her to overcome challenges. 

Cultural Epiphanies

As a Hispanic person, family is important to Yadi and moving from Puerto Rico to the USA was a cultural shock for her, where relations aren’t as close as she was used to. 

Advice to an Employer

For Yadi, creative freedom is important. “Give me a project then don’t necessarily tell me the way to do it”, she remarks. 

More Great Insights!

Yadi’s podcast, Hardcore Soft Skills, focuses on specific soft skills in each episode, like communication, teamwork, and negotiation, that provide success in any project. 

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Bio for Raju Rajan

Raju Rajan is a Global Account Chief Technologist with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Founder and President of ReWild Long Island.

Episode highlight

Raju Rajan is passionate about introducing people to the land, to native plants, and to the concept of rewilding. His idea is that if everyone starts with one small plant action, our relationship to the planet will heal. Combined with this planet passion mission is a deep understanding of the significance and role of technology, an area in which he has developed much expertise.

Links

Email: raju@rewildlongisland.org

Website: www.rewildlongisland.org

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/23/well/mind/mental-health-climate-anxiety.html

Quotes

“Feminism really dismantles nationalism.”

“No culture progresses without rebels.”

“Trust breeds more confidence and it breeds more success.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

At age seven, Raju was killing ants on the kitchen floor with his four year-old brother when his grandfather pleaded with them to stop. That “sense of empathy” and respect for life was an important part of the culture in his vegetarian household.

Influential Groups

Raju was the first male son in his anglicized, urban middle-class Brahmin family living in a patriarchal society. He feels privileged to have been born in India at the confluence of many religious and spiritual traditions which inform his political and environmental work today.

His greatest influence comes from his work as a technologist, using tools to make community work more efficient.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Raju claims he gets angry very quickly and it has taken many years and wife’s patience to help him mellow down. He also needs to resonate with the reason behind any action before doing it. Working with customers has made him accepting, unruffled and professional.

Cultural Epiphanies

Moving to the USA from India was a cultural shock for Raju - seeing light-skinned people doing menial labour was a stark change from the skin colour-based society he came from. It was also unusual for women in the early 90s in India to do well in STEM courses, like the one he was in.

Advice to an Employer

Raju’s advice to the people he works with is, “Know what you are committing to but deliver on whatever you commit.”

More Great Insights!

Learn more about Raju’s work on his website.

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Bio for Richard Matthews

Richard Matthews, Founder of Push Button Podcasts and FiveFreedoms.io, has helped many clients add more than six figures each year to their businesses using the techniques he developed over his many years of experience.

Episode highlight

Richard Matthews’ unusual, but systematic approach to life extends to running his business virtually from behind a curtain in his RV, and schooling his children on the road.

Links

Email: richard@richardmatthews.me

Website: https://richardmatthews.me

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AKATheAlchemist

Twitter: https://twitter.com/akathealchemist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akathealchemist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AKATheAlchemist

Quotes

“The stronger the relationship, the stronger your ability to influence someone else.”

“My superpower is in the realm of being able to see the systems behind things.”

“One of the keys of building relationships is the ability to tell stories.”

“You can judge relationships based on how much of the other person's story you know.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Around age seven or eight, Richard broke his grandmother’s expensive antique vase and was in tears. However, she told him that only his safety mattered, which, he notes, “set me on the path of who I am as a father and as a person in my family.”

Influential Groups

Richard grew up in Murrieta, California, and his high school had 4,500 children, whose schedules were rotated so they could fit in the classes. It was because of this that he chose to go to a small college with 500 students after graduating.

California is a mosaic of various cultures and languages, and his friend group was representative of that. He joined the Christian Club in college and was inspired by its leader who went on to become his mentor. He also belongs to a group called Fulltime Families, an RV club for families who travel with their children.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Richard learned to acknowledge his influence as a storyteller and “the gravity of giving someone advice” when his friend acted on his advice about marriage.

Cultural Epiphanies

Richard sees making the transition from a “solopreneur” to a CEO as an interesting cultural shift.

Advice to an Employer

Richard tells all his clients that they will always come second to his family.

More Great Insights!

Richard’s company, Push Button Podcasts, is a full-service podcasting agency that helps small businesses use podcasts as a marketing medium.

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Bio for Anthony Hayes 

Anthony Hayes is President and Founder of The Hayes Initiative (THI) and has spent more than 18 years in communications, crisis and issue management, and political and legislative campaigns. 

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Anthony Hayes developed a niche in extreme crisis management by applying his own personal discretion to sensitive national and international crises. 

Links

Email: Anthony@hayesinitiative.com 

Website: https://hayesinitiative.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyjhayesnyc/

Quotes

“It was certainly a place of extreme torment because what was coming through from the pope was hellfire and brimstone and especially words like abomination if you are gay aren’t really the best things to… wrestle with.”

“A lot of New Yorkers don’t understand that the rest of the world doesn’t live the way we live and have all the privileges and things we have.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Anthony grew up in Enid, Oklahoma at a time when he couldn’t talk about having a crush on his male classmate. He claims that he became skilled at storytelling in order to distract the people in his life from his truth.

Despite being funny and popular in school, Anthony turned to alcohol and cigarettes to numb his pain at age 13 and went to rehab at 16. He drank again between the ages of 18 and 30, but has been sober ever since. 

Influential Groups

Anthony learned a strong work ethic from his parents, who were also part of the Church of Christ, where “being gay” was not allowed. Anthony developed insight, vulnerability, and camaraderie at Alcoholics Anonymous.

Moving to New York City in his 20s helped him become an active part of advocacy groups like GMHC, an AIDS-service organization of which he is proud to be a part. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Looking back on his life, Anthony describes himself as optimistic. As an adult, he focuses on being aware of the present moment and living with wisdom. 

Cultural Epiphanies

Being a New Yorker, Anthony understands that the city can be a bubble of lived experience and political opinion, making residents oblivious to differences outside of it. 

Advice to an Employer

Anthony enjoys working with clients who respect his expertise and are willing to be vulnerable and transparent about the gaps that he needs to fill. 

More Great Insights!

Reach out to Anthony on LinkedIn or through his website to connect! 

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Bio for Sabra Saleh

Sabra Saleh is a Communications/Public Affairs Specialist with Syncrude Canada Ltd.

Episode highlight

As a multilingual African-Arab, Sabra Saleh has always assimilated into the cultural groups, wherever she went. Listen in on how she establishes relationships using language and curiosity to support her.

Links

Email: sabrasal@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabramsaleh/

Twitter: @sabrasaleh

Quotes

“This is how I can be a part of any group - by connecting to certain people with language.”

“What would we need to do as an organization so you can come as your whole self to work?”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

When Sabra was in Grade 4 in Abu Dhabi, she used her language skills to make friends with groups of students who spoke different languages.

She was encouraged by her mother to accept her hair texture as representative of the ethnic mixes in her blood and wear it with pride.

Influential Groups

From her African and Arab cultures, Sabra has learnt a sense of community and hospitality, making people feel welcome, comfortable, and approachable, both personally and professionally.

Her profession of communications has taught her patience towards changing circumstances and mistakes, and given her the flexibility to adapt when needed.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Sabra claims that she has always shown patience and understanding in her personal and professional life, but that her politeness and courtesy often gets misunderstood as diplomacy.

Cultural Epiphanies

When Sabra was at university in the USA, she was shocked that a student ordered a pizza in the common room, ate it by himself, and then tried selling the leftover slices for a dollar each.

She also struggles to address older adults by their first names in North America, something considered disrespectful in her culture.

Advice to an Employer

Sabra places value on getting to know people and understanding where they come from and emphasizes the importance of casual conversations which help dispel stereotypes.

More Great Insights!

Sabra recommends asking newcomers questions about their backgrounds to help them bring their whole selves to work. As a Muslim woman, the first thing she does when she joins a new job is inquiring about spaces to pray. Her religion has also taught her that “you help whoever you can regardless of who they are - don’t discriminate groups.”

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Bio for Tim Dumas

Tim Dumas is the Founder of Servus Leadership, a Certified Coach with the John Maxwell Team, a Certified Facilitator with the Extreme Leadership Institute, and a Consultant with the Virtuous Leadership Institute.

Episode highlight

When Tim Dumas’ business needed a change in direction for expansion, he hired an executive coach. Listen in on how he was inspired to become an executive coach himself and discovered that the key to leadership is magnanimity.

Links

Email: tdumas@servusleadership.com

Website: www.servusleadership.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/servusleadership/

Quotes

“If anyone promises perfection, that’s not possible, but promising love is something, I think, far greater.”

“My goal is to serve the people around me in the best way that I possibly can.”

“How one does anything is how one does everything.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Tim’s grandfather taught him the value of faith, family, and football (in that order), and he hopes to be making as much of a difference to people as his grandfather did as a doctor.

Influential Groups

Tim was born into a church-going Catholic family, where praying together brought them closer. Playing football on his high school team taught him lessons in teamwork, trust, and work ethics.

Entering his family business, Tim discovered a lot of support and love. At MacKay CEO Forums, he was inspired by founder Nancy MacKay’s love that guides even difficult conversations in the workplace.

Temperament and Personality Influences

According to the ancient classification of temperament into four categories (sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic), Tim claims that he is 50% choleric (energetic, enthusiastic, and quick to take action) and 50% sanguine (thinking about people in every situation).

However, being sanguine also means he aspires to please people, and he works to overcome that during decision-making. He tries to take time to sit in silence to contemplate his actions and uncover creativity and meaning instead of jumping into them quickly.

Cultural Epiphanies

While at JAK’s Beer Wine & Spirits, Tim was taken aback by one of his regional managers who challenged him with questions. However, he realized that the regional manager was different from him in a good way, asking questions that would never have occurred to Tim due to his temperament and personality, but that caused him to grow.

Advice to an Employer

Tim has a growth mindset and responds well to motivation.

More Great Insights!

Tim loves connecting with people through one-on-one coaching with Servus Leadership, peer group coaching with MacKay CEO Forums and public speaking engagements.

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Bio for Gabrielle Dolan 

Gabrielle Dolan is considered a global expert in business storytelling and real communication. She is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker and best-selling author of seven books. 

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Gabrielle Dolan has been training business leaders on how to tell their stories for the last 17 years. 

Links

Email: gabrielle@gabrielledolan.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielledolan/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielledolan.1/?hl=en 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabrielledolan1?lang=en 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabrielledolanconsulting/ 

Website: https://gabrielledolan.com/

Quotes

“It’ll be okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” 

“A life lived in fear is a life half lived.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Gabrielle’s father was a storyteller, and she credits him for passing on this trait. As one of eight children, she “had to tell a good story to get anyone’s attention” and learned to be self-reliant to get by. 

Her parents encouraged her to never give up. At 18, when she found the job she interviewed for advertised in the paper, her mother told her to apply again and she got the job.

Influential Groups

Gabrielle is a 5th generation white Australian born in Melbourne. She grew up on a middle-class suburban street and felt close to her extended family. She went to a Catholic school. 

Gabrielle believes that being a part of the corporate world has shaped who she is today. Many of her clients become her buddies. 

She is also a part of Thought Leaders Australia, a group of solo entrepreneurs like her, who inspire and support her.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Gabrielle is an extrovert and likes to be a part of groups. She also claims to be very laid back and “willing to give anything a go.” 

Her daughter called her out on her resistance to admit when she’s wrong. She works to be a better listener instead of offering actions as solutions.

Cultural Epiphanies

When Gabrielle travelled to the Northern Territory in Australia, she learned about the stories of the indigenous populations and how they have kept their culture alive for ages through storytelling. 

Advice to an Employer

As an entrepreneur, Gabrielle helps her employees and clients be their best through challenging each other. She also finds that she grows closer to them due to the personal nature of storytelling. 

More Great Insights!

Gabrielle urges business leaders to consider incorporating storytelling in business to better connect with employees and customers. Visit her website to get started and to read her books! 

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Bio for Rachel Gour 

Rachel Gour is an entrepreneurial and visionary hairstylist, salon owner and hair educator. She advocates for women’s choice and growth and has worked to help high-risk female teens get off the streets. She is also a parent to two sons.

Episode highlight

As a white person raised on an Indigenous reserve with a black-fathered child, Rachel Gour knows how it feels to be immersed in a melting pot of cultures. Listen in on how she has assimilated the lessons of acceptance and love into her work as a hairdresser today.

Links

Email: rachelgour@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hair_by_rachel_l/?hl=en 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/changebyrachel/about/

Quotes

“I want to stay young and the only way that I can stay young is stay current.”

“We are all one and we are all deserving of beauty and light in this world.” 

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Rachel was adopted into a hardworking, academic, and humble family in Edmonton with a French-Canadian father and a British mother. From her biological family, she has learned passion, humour, and acceptance.

Rachel went to the same school on a Indigenous reserve outside Edmonton that her parents taught in. She grew up in an atmosphere of mutual support and sharing. 

Rachel was young when she got pregnant with her first son. Her father warned her, “Some people are not going to love your baby.” This was the first time Rachel became aware of racism.

Influential Groups

Rachel’s family hosted many refugees in their large home, where the whole family and their guests worked together during the summers on their farm. She embraced the different cultures she was exposed to and had many life-changing experiences there.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Being talkative has proven advantageous in both sales and when marketing her personal brand as a hairdresser. 

Cultural Epiphanies

Rachel has learnt a lot about women by noticing and discussing the events in their lives when they’ve come in for a haircut. She helps them embrace the process of greying and ageing with dignity and grace. 

Advice to an Employer

When Rachel first meets a client, she asks about their grievances and what they don’t like about their hair. She then asks about what they love about their hair, learning about the look and style that made them feel the best. 

More Great Insights!

Rachel feels strongly about loyalty in the hairstyling industry and sometimes feels personally affronted when a client leaves without saying anything to her.

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Bio for Chris Marhefka

Chris Marhefka is the CEO and Facilitator at Training Camp for the Soul and the Founder and Facilitator of the Embodied Man Community and Retreats.

Episode highlight

Chris Marhefka was raised to be hardworking, and he followed that value until he was burned out. Listen in on how he rejected conventional notions of success to develop a more authentic relationship with himself and others around him.

Links

Email: cmarhefka@gmail.com

Websites:

• http://chrismarhefka.com
• https://www.trainingcampforthesoul.com/?r_done=1

Instagram: Instagram.com/ChrisMarhefka

Quotes

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

“Just because I have one way doesn’t mean it is the way.”

“Life isn’t always positive... things happen.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Chris was around five years old when his father arrived five minutes late to pick him up from soccer practice. He inferred that he is alone in what he does and he can’t trust others completely, which showed up in his personal and professional relationships later in life.

Chris was in his early teens when he was cut from his first soccer team. He realized that he had let his father down. From that moment on, Chris committed to never failing at anything because of a lack of effort.

Influential Groups

Chris was raised in a conservative Catholic household with a strong commitment to values and community. He credits sports with teaching him about leadership, connection and communication. Being in the student government at university helped him begin trusting people and develop integrity.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Chris claims to always have had a “chameleon-like personality,” adaptable to any group and liked by all. However, he has worked to find his true identity, express his authentic self, and allow people into his inner world with trust and vulnerability.

Cultural Epiphanies

Chris shares that as a leader, he believed he always had the right answer and told others what to do. By asking for opinions, he opened up to other options that exist, giving him a broader perspective.

Advice to an Employer

Chris finds that being mindful and authentic brings out his best self in any project, and he uses breathing to achieve that state of flow.

More Great Insights!

Chris leads retreats six times a year and conducts various programs. Check out his website for more information on his offerings.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Monique Allen

Monique Allen is a Business Coach, Life-Scape & Regenerative Landscape Professional and CEO & Creative Director of The Garden Continuum, a landscape design/build and fine gardening company in Massachusetts.

Episode highlight

As a bilingual Armenian-American, Monique Allen had a plethora of cultural influences in her childhood. Listen in on how she combined the many identities she holds to establish her own workplace culture in the landscaping industry.

Links

Email: Monique@TheGardenContinuum.com

Website: www.TheGardenContinuum.com

Social media: @monique.allen, @thegardencontinuum

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquetgc/

Quotes

“When I felt the safest, it was when I was connected to the ground.”

“It’s hard to believe in nature and not believe in a force that's a little bit greater than your gas pedal.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

As a child, Monique visited her maternal grandparents in the Allegheny Mountains in Maryland, where she felt a “cellular connection” to nature. She grew up with a “3rd culture mindset”, living in Paris and then in an Armenian community in the United States, speaking Armenian, French and English.

Influential Groups

Even though Armenian cuisine is her comfort food, Monique has always felt like an “outsider Armenian”, because she isn’t as fluent in the language. Her Christian friend and her family took Monique under their wing, and she immersed herself in the religion.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Monique has a naturally positive mood and outlook but can also be serious and demanding of herself and other people, which she attributes to her “abrasive upbringing”. She has had to unlearn any destructive behaviours from the past and reconnect to her easy temperament.

Cultural Epiphanies

Monique once had an employee who had the vision, skills and abilities for the job, but she couldn’t find a cultural common ground with her. When another employee said she may not be a cultural fit, Monique began learning about culture in the workplace and how that fits in with her company.

Advice to an Employer

Monique is a stickler for organization, clear communication and data - “Vagaries make me crazy”, she quips. However, she does not believe in micromanaging and even works in a separate space from her employees, so they can be autonomous in a “trust culture”.

More Great Insights!

Visit Monique’s website to buy her book, Stop Landscaping, Start Lifescaping, read her blog and access many resources to get started in this field. If you are a green industry professional, reach out to her for business coaching to scale your company to the next level.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Raphael Adegboye

Raphael Adegboye is Senior Manager, Global Risk Management with Scotiabank. He currently lives in Brampton, Ontario with his wife and three daughters.

Episode Highlight

Born in Nigeria, Raphael Adegboye learned to value academic accomplishments and was taught to be silent in the presence of others. Listen in on how moving to different countries has changed his personality, taught him the importance of experience, and helped him find his voice.

Links

Email: raphaeladegboye@consultant.com

Website: https://raphaeladegboye.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radegboye/

Quotes

“Life is not about what you do not have, life is about what you make out of what you have.”

“If you want people to respect you, you have to show respect.”

“There are aspects of ourselves that we can never take away.”

“There is no one size fits all approach in communication and working with others.”

“Learning empowers us to be true leaders, both for ourselves and the people around us.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Raphael claims he was a brilliant child who was always at the top his class. In 2nd grade, he stood 5th in his class and was disappointed in himself. From that moment on, any time something doesn't go according to his expectations, he reflects on what went wrong and what he could have done better.

Influential Groups

Alongside two brothers and three sisters, Raphael grew up in a modest household in Lagos, Nigeria. From sharing joy and sorrows with his family, he learned the power of hope, respect, collaboration, resilience, hard work, and education.

Raised a Christian, he was taught to establish good relationships with others. Growing up in Nigeria, with communities that speak over 500 different languages also shaped his worldview.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Even though Raphael is an introvert, he presents himself as an extrovert in his professional life.

Cultural Epiphanies

Raphael has realized that going out for group lunches in the corporate world in other countries helps strengthen work relationships, participate in important discussions, and open doors in his career.

Advice to an Employer

Raphael stands by the philosophy of “if perspective is wrong, objective will be wrong” and works to keep an open-minded approach so that the desired outcomes are achieved.

More Great Insights!

Raphael emphasizes that living in Canada affords people the opportunity to learn about themselves, different cultures and personalities, and jointly contribute to the success and prosperity of the country.

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Bio for Dr. Cornelia (Nel) Wieman

Dr. Nel Wieman, Anishinaabe (Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Manitoba), is the Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority and has served as the President of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) since 2016.

Episode highlight

As a First Nations child “scooped” into a Dutch family, Dr. Nel Wieman grew up struggling with her identity and culture. Listen in on how she grew into her authentic self to become Canada’s first female Indigenous Psychiatrist, now working to uplift indigenous communities.

Links

Email: nel.wieman@gmail.com

Twitter: @cwieman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cornelia-nel-wieman-0384661a/

First Nations Health Authority: https://www.fnha.ca/

First Nations Health Authority in BC (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/firstnationshealthauthority/

Quotes

“You can’t start tackling something if you don’t acknowledge that it’s a problem, to begin with.”

“It’s been a lifelong journey thinking about working on… my identity as an indigenous person.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

In grade 1, Dr. Wieman was asked to write her birth announcement with details of her birth, which, being adopted, she had no knowledge of. She became “quite fiercely independent” in response to how different she was and carried that self-reliance into her work.

She was a competitive track and field athlete in high school, which made her very self-focused. When a truck hit-and-run accident landed her in the hospital, she became aware of her mortality and it made her think about contributing to other people’s lives.

Influential Groups

Dr. Wieman felt torn that her father had indigenous friends but would not acknowledge her identity as an indigenous person. Those who grew up on the reserves with their families and speaking their languages look down upon people like her who don’t.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Dr. Wieman claims that she has always been stubborn and determined. She has learnt to work and trust others in a team. She has also developed a sense of humour to lighten the dense work she does.

Cultural Epiphanies

Dr. Wieman has never bought into the hierarchical nature of medicine, where physicians believe that they deserve to be appreciated “just because of their title.”

Advice to an Employer

The best way to work with Dr. Wieman is to identify “a challenge or a goal that has to be achieved” and provide support.

More Great Insights!

Dr. Wieman uses the 7 Generation principle to guide her in life, which teaches that “what we accomplish in our lifetimes, the effects of that will be felt forward like waves until 7 generations into the future.”

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Bio for Eric Karpinski

Eric Karpinski is a positive psychology author and speaker and has been on the cutting edge of bringing positive psychology tools to workplaces for over 10 years, with clients that include Intel, Facebook, IBM, T-Mobile, Genentech and many others. 

Episode highlight

As a child, Eric Karpinski moved around a lot. He hated saying goodbye to old friends but loved making new ones. Listen in on how he takes his love for friendships, harmony and positivity into his work as a positive psychology speaker and author.

Links

Website: www.EricKarpinski.com, www.puthappinesstowork.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickarpinski/

Twitter: @erickarpinski

Quotes

“I’m a white male and so I got to live in a world that was made for me.”

“There’s just no possibility of being happy all the time. Happiness is a fleeting emotion and all we can do is plant seeds for it and hope that it grows but if we expect it to, now we’re just destroying it.” 

“Look for something good that you can share.” 

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Growing up in a military family, Eric moved often across the USA, which taught him about different cultures and the importance of inclusion. 

Eric discovered that for four years, his father had been volunteering at a group home for people with mental health disorders. He was inspired by his father’s quiet generosity. 

Influential Groups

As a white male, Eric recognizes the privileges and biases he grew up with as a member of the dominant culture. He consciously works towards inclusion and equity.

Eric felt a sense of belonging with Burning Man Festival’s culture of gifting, love, acceptance and creativity, which helped him heal from “the disease of materialism,” leading him to his career path today.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Eric has always been an extrovert and this was reinforced by moving often, finding commonality, connection and community wherever he went. 

Cultural Epiphanies

Eric observes that the ambitious work ethic is part of the white culture, which drove him to success but away from happiness. 

Advice to an Employer

Eric desires space to create social connection and a positive, supportive, appreciative, and communicative culture with the autonomy to reach goals on his own. 

More Great Insights!

Eric’s book, Put Happiness To Work, lays out an ‘action buffet’ with activities to drive happiness and engagement at work. Also check out Sticky Situations, a blog he writes with his wife about using positive psychology at work. You can also reach out to him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Joseph Fung 

Joseph is the CEO of Uvaro, a tech sales career accelerator, and of Kiite, a sales enablement platform purpose-built to provide sales teams with the information they need when they need it. 

Episode highlight

Joseph Fung was raised with encouraging faith in his abilities, a strict culture of excellence and no concept of procrastination. Listen in on how he has created a workplace culture reflective of these values as a CEO. 

Links

Email: joseph@uvaro.com

Website: https://uvaro.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uvaro.life/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uvaro.life/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/uvarolife

Quotes

“That sense of not quite fitting in helped push me to choose groups that were a little bit less typical.”

“Your path is your choice, and that’s okay.” 

“You could be mocked for not belonging; that’s a problem.” 

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Joseph’s father is from Hong Kong and always challenged him to do his best, holding him accountable to quality, drive and purpose. His mother is of mixed European heritage. She balanced his father’s perspective as a supportive enabler, encouraging him to chase after his dreams without delay.

Influential Groups

Joseph grew up in Toronto but travelled for work and student exchange programs. His childhood was characterized by a “lack of belonging”, but this helped Joseph feel at home with an atypical group - the circus community. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Joseph describes himself as “a youthful 40-year-old”. He is an INTP on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. The “I”  for introversion is his default mode to recharge himself after being in the public eye as an entrepreneur. 

He also confesses to having an absurd sense of humour. Even though he considers himself impatient, he acknowledges that patience is a choice.

Cultural Epiphanies

Growing up, Joseph’s family’s way of doing things was different from that of his friends. He was used to eating with chopsticks and struggled with a knife and fork when he was invited for dinner at his friend’s house. When he was nine, his parents let him and his siblings use power tools to help construct their house, which shocked their friends. 

Advice to an Employer

Joseph has a “voracious appetite for information”. He also uses feedback extensively, sharing it and requesting it at every step. 

More Great Insights!

For anyone looking to transition to a new career, irrespective of their background, Uvaro runs a training course to help begin a career in technology sales. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Karin Reed

Karin M. Reed is the CEO and Chief Confidence Creator of Speaker Dynamics, a corporate communications training firm featured in Forbes.

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Karin Reed, a successful broadcast journalist went from shining on camera to training others on how to let their brilliance show on the screen.

Links

Email: Info@SpeakerDynamics.com

Website: https://speakerdynamics.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Twitter: @karin_reed

Quotes

“Allowing yourself to be yourself - that’s what’s going to resonate with your audience.”

“I have no problem just putting something out there and if they say no, then I try something different.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Karin grew up in “a household with two parents who loved each other deeply” and attributes much of who she is to the stability in her upbringing.

Karin got her first on-camera TV job with a CBS affiliate as a senior in college. She worked hard to learn the ropes and become a good reporter and was hired full-time when she graduated.

Influential Groups

Growing up in a middle-class suburban household, Karin learned the value of hard work and education by observing her parents. Being a female reporter provided her with a unique set of opportunities. Karin married into a large Irish Catholic family, quite different from her quiet household of four.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Karin defines her temperament as that of “boundless optimism and also a lack of fear of being told no''. She says that she tenses up when planning for the future, but becoming pregnant after several failed attempts has taught her to appreciate the sublime gifts of the present.

Cultural Epiphanies

Karin is very self-aware about the fact that she does not experience different cultures in her daily life, and works to keep her knowledge updated.

Advice to an Employer

Karin likes working with people she enjoys who can enjoy her and have an “openness to try new things, a positive attitude, being nice, being encouraging”.

More Great Insights!

If you are struggling with virtual presentations and meetings, check out Karin’s course on virtual video engagement training on her website. Be sure to read her books, the newest of which is a workbook and reference guide to strategically communicating through the rich medium of video conferences.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Perry Marshall

Perry Marshall is a marketing consultant and entrepreneur and founder of Perry S. Marshall & Associates. He has guided clients like FanDuel and InfusionSoft from startup to hundreds of millions of dollars and is endorsed in FORBES and INC Magazine. He’s consulted in over 300 industries and has a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Episode highlight

Perry Marshall began his own business at the age of 13 and went on to become one of the most expensive business strategists in the world. Listen in on the lessons of culture and leadership that paved the way from his childhood achievements to success as an adult.

Links

Email:perry@perrymarshall.com

Website: www.perrymarshall.com

Quotes

“You should read something written before Gutenberg every day.”

“We can all agree that social media has become a toxic pandemic of its own in the last few years.”

“Just let nature do what nature’s going to do.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

When Perry was 13 years old, he built and sold stereos. Perry was a high school senior when his father passed away of cancer. This forced him to become independent and made him work hard to earn the college tuition his dad had intended to pay.

Influential Groups

Perry was born into a conservative Christian family that valued scholarly rigorous learning. Raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, his upbringing was conservative, modest, egalitarian, and frugal.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Perry claims he was a cantankerous child who always tried to break rules, but also an alchemist who was always trying to create something. As an adult, Perry continues to shake things up and reinvent them.

Cultural Epiphanies

When Perry visited Kenya, he was introduced to a successful cobbler, Paul, who used crutches and fixed shoes sitting on the floor. Paul’s spark and pride in his work made Perry, a consultant to entrepreneurs, realize that entrepreneurs like Paul who serve the community by providing a useful service, make Perry’s work meaningful.

Advice to an Employer

Perry recommends every business create a discovery contract, which is a quote provided for a charge.

More Great Insights!

He also recommends you read Detox, Declutter, Dominate: How to Excel by Elimination, a book he co-wrote with Robert Skrob which is an enjoyable and timeless business philosophy book for people from all backgrounds.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Sherina Mayani

Sherina Mayani is a Business Master Coach, Founder of Master Dinero Con Flow and creator of two complementary business methods, Clearing Method to remove emotional blockages to prosperity and ClaCov focused on strategic planning and marketing.

She helps Spanish-speaking women around the world clear their blocks, upgrade their mindset, attract ideal clients, and earn consistent money so they can grow a business that sets them free and create a positive impact.

She is also a Divine Living Certified Master Coach and an Energy Editing® Professional who helps clear energetic money blocks from your energy system. Panamanian of Hindu origin, she lives in Panama with her husband and their puppy Coco.

Episode highlight

As an Indian-Panamanian, Sherina Mayani was raised with little promise of the future. Listen in on how she overthrew the cultural expectations to shine as a female entrepreneur.

Links

Email: shermayani@gmail.com

Website: www.sherinamayani.com

Instagram: @shermayani

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherina-mayani-a7511323/

Quotes

“I don't want to be the princess in the movie with the prince… [I] actually want to make my own movie.”

“What you reap is what you sow.”

“There’s so many things in our life that we do just because someone else did it without seeing the logic.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Sherina’s father was strict and didn’t support her dreams. This made Sherina want to become independent.

Influential Groups

Sherina identifies as a spiritual person and associates with the spirituality ingrained in Hinduism. Falling in love with a non-Indian Catholic who was 12 years older than her made her “arranged married” parents uncomfortable.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Sherina claims that she is very strategic in her approach to every conversation. She has now traded her impulsivity for wisdom.

Cultural Epiphanies

At university, Sherina noticed that Panamanian culture was a lot more laid back than American culture.

Advice to an Employer

Sherina finds that she is more comfortable working with women since she is a dominant personality and has faced energy clashes with men. She prefers working on long-term programs since energy clearing and emotional work take time.

More Great Insights!

Sherina recalls a story about passing down traditions without question and urges us to think about why we do what we do. For more great insights, reach out to her on LinkedIn. She runs many Spanish language programs and some for English speakers too!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Alan Headbloom

Alan Headbloom is an Intercultural Consultant/Coach, Applied Linguist and Talkshow Producer & Host. He presents workshops to immigrant professionals and to their American counterparts who need to function across cultures and geographies and provides one-on-one coaching to expats who need to perform at high levels in their global companies.

Episode highlight

As a Swedish-American, Alan Headbloom is very aware of his white privilege and has spent his life enriching himself with lessons from other cultures. Listen in on how he has created a unique tasting platter from the smorgasbord of life.

Links

Email: alan@headbloom.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanheadbloom/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/headbloom

Website: www.feellikeyoubelong.com

Quotes

“Working across borders and time zones is something we’re all doing these days increasingly.”

“You don't know the blinders you grow up with because that’s just part of the water you swim in.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

At 12 years-old, Alan’s Swedish grandfather who had immigrated to the USA took him and his sister to Sweden. Alan was awed by the cultural differences and felt inspired to fearlessly learn many different languages.

Once, when he accompanied his parents to the country club they belonged to, he found it odd that all the members were white and the servers, black. This informs his community advocacy to this day.

Influential Groups

Alan was born to an upwardly mobile, white, Christian family in a white suburb of the industrial American city of Detroit. He claims he checks all the boxes for privilege - white, male, able, and hetero with a Christian upbringing.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Alan claims that he has been bossy and righteous in the past but his experiences with different cultures have helped him grow. He tries to imbibe mindfulness from the people he interacts with because it does not come naturally to him.

Cultural Epiphanies

When Alan was in Germany for a year, he grew close to a friend’s family he lived with for five months. He then told the mother to use the informal pronoun for him. However, she told him that they didn’t know each other well enough. He was hurt but understood that they defined closeness differently.

More Great Insights!

Alan advises white people and native speakers of English to give outsiders a chance. He recommends learning about other cultures to unlearn privilege and entitlement and become tolerant, loving and accepting.

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Bio for Rohan Nigam

Rohan Nigam is a Mergers & Acquisition Advisory (M&A) Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He has supported clients at various stages of the M&A lifecycle including due diligence, integration, carve-outs, post-close support, and transformation.

Episode highlight

As an Indian who moved to the United States to pursue studies and a career, Rohan Nigam had the opportunity to combine the strengths of both cultures for success. Listen in on how he achieved great professional heights at an early age by being sensitive to cultural and personality variations in people.

Links

Email: rnigam88@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigamrohan/

Quotes

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, but it matters what you are doing in that moment.”

“Celebrate - when you finish it, when you win, when you do it together.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

When Rohan was around 10, his nuclear family separated from the joint family they were in due to some issues in the family business, and faced financial struggles. His approach to education changed, and he recognized it as a means of getting into a good university, getting a good job, making money and being happy.

Influential Groups

Rohan went to a middle school in Mumbai which had students from different backgrounds and religions who spoke different first languages, which was a great learning experience.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Rohan says that he has always been an organized person, whether that be with his study schedule or work, creating to-do lists to stay on top of all his tasks. He also claims to have been an introvert but has worked on becoming more accepting of cultures and blending in with the larger group.

Cultural Epiphanies

The first time Rohan was presenting at a client pitch with his team leader, he elaborated on the points in the few slides he was given. However, he was later given feedback from his partner that in the American context, presentations are much more concise.

Advice to an Employer

When Rohan begins working on a new project with a new team, he has a conversation about the best way for everyone to work together within the team and with the other stakeholders. He also emphasizes celebrating the completion of projects.

More Great Insights!

Rohan advises young professionals who are just venturing into stock trading and investments, to “start small and start early.” Reach out to Rohan to discuss the economy and market trends and to build an information-exchange community that everyone can benefit from.

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Bio for Denise Shamlian 

Denise Shamlian, Health Education Advocate and owner of Get Up Get Out Get Well Health Coaching, has successfully worked with clients around the world helping them achieve their health and happiness goals. 

Episode highlight

As an Armenian-American, Denise Shamlian was raised to be straightforward and direct in her communication and pursuit of goals. Listen in on how she uses her talents and abilities to create a productive solutions-based existence in the health and wellness industry.

Links

Email: deniseshamlian@gmail.com 

Website: www.getupgetoutgetwell.com

Quotes

“Health and wellness is something that sets you up for success in so many places in your life.” 

“Anything is possible, anything is achievable.”

“Feedback is just feedback… it’s neither good nor bad; it just is.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Denise is a first-generation Armenian-American on her father’s side and second generation on her mother’s. Her family taught her to be tenacious, direct, straightforward, open and free-spirited in her communication. Being an older sister in a single-parent household, Denise also learned to stand up for her mother, and become a solution-seeker who took charge. 

Influential Groups

Denise grew up in Queens, New York in a middle-class community composed of people from different backgrounds, cultures and religions. Even though she is not a religious person, being born into a Christian Armenian family taught her to be tolerant of all practices. 

She also gets her love for food from the Armenian culture, which she has extended into her practice as a wellness coach, teaching people how to use food to heal. Denise belongs to the Central Park Dance Skaters Association and has skated all over the world. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Denise has always been a “persister”, throwing tantrums if she didn’t get what she wanted as a child. She is working to go with the flow of the universe and pick her battles now. 

Cultural Epiphanies

In her travels, Denise found that her direct style of communication was not always a good fit, especially in the more “proper” areas of Europe. Even in her professional life, she has found that there can be a big gap between what is being communicated and what is understood. 

Advice to an Employer

Denise wants her clients to know that she is committed to their happiness and using the therapeutic relationship for all-around growth. 

More Great Insights!

Visit Denise’s website to avail of her offerings in health coaching, business advisory and beauty and aesthetics tips. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Nselaa Ward

Madam Nselaa Ward, Juris Doctor, is a Business Architect and Black Lives Matter and Women's Rights Activist. Currently, she is the Chair of the International Black Business Agenda and CEO of Ni’ Nava & Associates, a business architect firm she started in 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Episode highlight

As a black female, Nselaa Ward was always told she was not valuable. Listen in on how she broke away from the negative messaging and assimilated the positive parts of her life to shine as a successful attorney, activist and business architect.

Links

Email: nselaaward@gmail.com

Website: http://www.ninavafirm.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nselaaward

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nselaawardfanpage

Quotes

“We can't erase the trauma that we’ve experienced but we can transform it.”

“People that are afraid of hearing no are often afraid of saying no as well.”

“We all know that, right now, in this country, calling the police can mean a death sentence for a lot of people of colour.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Since Nselaa was seven, her mother was addicted to crack cocaine and got paralyzed after being shot over a drug deal gone wrong when Nselaa was 11. Nselaa grew up surrounded by people who were in the drug and sex work industry, and she became a sex worker at the age of 12 going by the name Caramel.

Influential Groups

Nselaa grew up in a primarily black community, being constantly reminded that as a chubby black woman, she was not valuable. As a sex worker, she tried to make sure she was being valued by her clients.

Nselaa spent a lot of time around people addicted to crack cocaine. From them, she learned not to be afraid of rejection and to persevere against all odds, which helped her in becoming an attorney.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Nselaa says that she was a talker as a child, and could go on for hours on end.

Cultural Epiphanies

Growing up in a black community where her sentiments and opinions were echoed, Nselaa found, through her travels, that the rest of the world held different views.

More Great Insights!

Nselaa’s business architect firm helps SMEs to take their businesses to the enterprise level. Reach out to Nselaa on her website, social media or by texting +1 404-410-0200.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Luis Gonzáles

Luis Gonzáles is a Global Business Communications Consultant, Master Facilitator, Coach, and Trainer with more than 25 years of experience in helping improve business outcomes for organizations.

Episode highlight

As a Mexican-American, Luis Gonzáles had varied cultural experiences in his personal and professional life. Listen in on how he assimilated his cultural know-how into his work as a cross-cultural communications consultant.

Links

Email: luis.gonzales@fierceinc.com

Website: https://speakonpodcasts.com/luis-gonzales/,https://fierceinc.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisgonzales/

Quotes

“The goal I want - I have to recognize that, and what's the best way in my communication to reach that goal.”

“The majority of people... are working remotely and now we have more opportunity to connect across borders.”

“Speak up when you see something because the risks might be too great if you don’t.”

Takeaways

Influential Groups

Luis is a 2nd generation Mexican-American, whose grandparents crossed the US-Mexico border on foot. He was raised with their working-class hard-working ethic.

His parents divorced when he was young, and each remarried an African-American. He also went to a Roman Catholic school.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Luis says he has always been passionate, energetic and loud, and struggled in school because of his hyperactivity. He now works on his communication style in the business world to make sure his energy doesn’t come off as impatience, and his passion isn’t mistaken as pushy.

Cultural Epiphanies

Luis grew up in a household where the children would serve themselves and have relatively unsupervised meals. When he was invited to eat at his friend’s house in an English community in Long Beach, he found himself constantly being reprimanded for his table manners.

Luis admits to being guilty of “code-switching”, speaking with different body language and intonation with Spanish speakers compared to American English speakers.

Working for close to seven years in India, Luis realized that the top-down hierarchical leadership style did not sit well with him. When Indian expatriates would come to the United States to work, he had to train them on the American style of open and direct communication.

Advice to an Employer

Luis cautions people who are serious and business-focused that he prefers to have a little fun when working.

More Great Insights!

Reach out to Luis on LinkedIn for more such insights. Also, visit Fierce, Inc.’s website for free resources on improving your communication for better results.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Amy Lynn Durham

Amy Lynn Durham is the author of “Create Magic At Work” and the Founder of the “Create Magic At Work” Membership Group. She is a UC Berkeley Certified Executive Coach and Emotional Intelligence Practitioner.

Episode highlight

As a corporate executive, Amy Lynn Durham did not feel she was being herself. Listen in on how she discovered the path to authentic self-expression by combining the magic of spiritual and emotional intelligence.

Links

Email: amy@amydurhamconsulting.com

Website: https://createmagicatwork.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreateMagicAtWork/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatwork/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/createmagicwork

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amydurhamexecutivecoaching/

Profile: https://speakonpodcasts.com/amy-lynn-durham/

Quotes

“Everybody comes from a place where they’re trying to do the best they can as a parent.”

“If you don’t hear the universe when it whispers, it’s going to scream.”

“We’re afraid to be big sometimes.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Amy’s childhood was defined by her not having an opportunity to make herself heard. She defines the atmosphere at home as conflict-avoidant where her issues were swept under the carpet.

Influential Groups

Amy was born into a middle-class, hardworking family and she credits them with her strong work ethic. Raised in a large farming community in central California in the mid-1970s, Amy says that her worldview was limited. She also claims that being raised Christian sowed the seeds of a divided self because she considered herself more spiritual than religious.

Travelling for work later in life helped her experience different cultures, expanded her world view and helped her express her spiritual beliefs. Being a woman in the corporate world shaped her leadership skills.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Amy says she was born an introvert. She has been able to express herself more as she has grown older, aided by the leadership opportunities she was given in the corporate world.

Cultural Epiphanies

Amy realized that what her Christian upbringing taught her about right and wrong and good and bad people was different from her spiritual self-expression that all humans are one.

Advice to an Employer

Amy asks anyone working with her to trust her and the process to help them uncover their true selves.

More Great Insights!

Visit Amy’s website to get coaching, join her membership group and access enjoyable tools to use at the workplace. Be sure to read her book to fill your work life with magic and spark your creativity!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Benedict Beaumont

Benedict Beaumont is a Breathwork Facilitator, Yoga Teacher and founder of the Breathing Space School of Breathwork.

Episode highlight

Benedict Beaumont grew up in a backwater town in England, but caught the travel bug at an early age. Follow him as he recounts his travels across the world and the lessons he learned about finding his way home to his true self.

Links

Email:Benedict.Beaumont@Googlemail.com

Website: https://www.makesomebreathingspace.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/makesomebreathingspace

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makesomebreathingspace/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/breathingspace

Quotes

“If we just concentrated on ourselves and didn’t worry about what everyone else was doing, the world would probably take care of itself.”

“Kids can go from... completely calm to screaming banshees within a second and then they can calm completely down in a breath or two later and it really is linked to their breath.”

“It’s never about the money, it's about the experience.”

“It’s not just what we're born with, it’s what we learn from our parents and those who are close to us.”

Takeaways

Childhood Incidents

Benedict grew up in the 1970s in Brighton on the south coast of England. He would take road trips with his parents and sister through France, which developed into a lifelong love for travel.

At university, Benedict met a senior with whom he went busking around Europe and had many adventures that enriched Benedict’s university experience.

Influential Groups

Benedict was raised as a Quaker by his mother, and he would accompany her to silent gatherings. He now recognizes that it taught him stillness, respect and understanding.

He finds the breathwork community very supportive and open. Living in France made him a foodie, and a self-proclaimed “cheesehead.” Travelling through Nepal developed in him a love for hiking through the mountains and awe for the natural environment.

Temperament and Personality Influences

Benedict has always loved being around people and in communities. Even though he was afraid to take risks when he was younger, he grew to renounce the fear and reclaim his strength.

Cultural Epiphanies

Benedict learned his father’s way of showing affection, which was teasing. As Benedict grew up, however, he realized that others perceive such teasing as being hurtful.

Advice to an Employer

To work with Benedict, you must be honest, and willing to change and be vulnerable!

More Great Insights!

Benedict says that breathwork can be an easy and accessible way for exponential spiritual development using just your breath.

Sign up for his courses and workshops to experience this transformation firsthand!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Chris Thomson

Chris Thomson is the Head Coach at Student Works Management Program in Eastern Canada. 

Episode highlight

As an award-winning swimmer, Chris Thomson had no free time to take up a part-time job. Listen in on how he maximized his time, streamlined his efforts, and worked smart to become a successful entrepreneur.

Links

Email: cthomson@studentworks.com

Website: www.studentworks.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-thomson-swp/

Quotes

“One of the big things we say you need in our program is someone with a big engine, someone who just… has lots of energy.”

“I’ve worked with many many swimmers… and almost universally they’ve been successful because they work really hard and they are coachable.”

“Men overestimate their capabilities… and women underestimate theirs… they are capable, and they have more concerns about their capabilities.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Chris’ father was successful in his career, inspiring Chris to aspire for success early on. Chris had a successful lawn care business even before the age of 16. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Chris was raised in the Roman Catholic Faith. Being a swimmer taught him the value of working hard and being coachable. He also identifies strongly with the entrepreneurial community. 

Temperament and personality influences

Chris claims that he has always been people-focused, considerate, amicable, and supportive. He likes to be liked. He also likes to learn and improve, fuelled by his persistence and growth mindset. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Chris was in his second year at university, he found that not everyone viewed right and wrong as clearly as he did. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Chris believes in open communication, directness, honesty, and “looking for the best possible outcomes”. He has based his business around four values he imbibed from Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach: 

1. Be on time
2. Do what you say
3. Finish what you start
4. Say please and thank you

Chris also believes in taking 100% responsibility and working towards being accountable.

More great insights from our guest!

As a white English-speaking male born in a wealthy household who went to university, Chris is not unaware of his privilege. “I certainly can recognize that and… I feel blessed because of that and certainly aware of all that we need to do as Canadians to make it… as fair a playing field as we can for everybody and making a contribution for everybody wherever possible”, he remarks.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Christina Stathopoulos

Christina Stathopoulos is an International Coaching Speaker, Professional Certified Coach (International Coach Federation-credentialed) and an Accomplishment Coaching Certified Coach. In her business, Hear Her Roar, Christina specializes in working with millennial women who have taken on a new leadership role.

Episode highlight

As the daughter of Greek immigrants, Christina Stathopoulos grew up with strong ideals of family, and brings that sense of oneness into her work today. Listen in on how she sprinkles her work with love, consideration, and a little touch of fairy dust.

Links

Email: christina@hearherroar.net

Website: www.hearherroar.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hearxtinaroar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearherroarcoach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cstat/

Quotes

“What we see is what we internalize as children.”

“To me, you cannot be Greek without having a core value of creating family.”

“I think the first job of a coach is to not assume that you know what your clients need.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Christina credits having learned a “disciplined, strong, tenacious, work ethic” from her hardworking family members. Christina’s piano teacher helped her overcome her negative self-talk by celebrating the small wins.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Christina is heavily influenced by the Greek culture. She is now part of a women’s group which helps her hone her compassionate non-hierarchical leadership style. After a negative work experience, she decided to be a nurturing mentor to others and began producing events which led her to coaching.

Temperament and personality influences

As a child, Christina was full of pure whimsy, joy, playfulness and a curious imagination. She moulded herself to become a disciplined, hardworking, focused, diligent and tenacious adult.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Christina observed that North American culture is heavily individualistic. In contrast, Greek Culture opts for a more collectivist approach and emphasizes putting others ahead of yourself.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Christina offers group and individual coaching programs. She likes to understand why a client is approaching her for coaching first before she can recommend the right program to them.

More great insights from our guest!

Reach out to Christina for group or individual coaching, or to find out more about leadership and her work.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Victoria Pelletier

Victoria Pelletier is the Vice President of IBM’s North American Talent & Transformation practice. She is a senior corporate executive with over two decades of progressive experience in strategy, operations, growth initiatives, and business and talent development.

Episode highlight

Victoria Pelletier was made the general manager of an organization at 24. Listen in on how she became the successful executive she is today.

Links

Email: victoria@victoria-pelletier.com

Website: www.victoria-pelletier.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriapelletier/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PelletierV29

Quotes

“People do business with people they like, and they trust.”

“You don’t ask, you don’t get.”

“Surround yourself with people that come from extremely different cultures and different lived experience because it is incredibly enriching.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Victoria was born to a drug-addicted and abusive teenage mother and grew up to be quite different from her peers. These life experiences made her resilient. Victoria credits her adoptive mother with helping her break out of her shell.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Victoria’s adoptive family always put her needs first, but they came from a humble background. She credits this upbringing with her drive to achieve and succeed today.

Victoria came out as bisexual at age 14 and became comfortable with it in her 20s. This defined her “not only as a leader but just as an individual and a member of the community.”

She lives the corporate life now, heavily involved in board work and also supporting female entrepreneurs through SheEO.

Temperament and personality influences

Victoria defines herself as stubborn, loyal, driven and organized. Even though she was a very shy child, she grew into her extroversion.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Victoria was in India, she found that the contractors would only speak to the men on her team, that she was noticed and photographed, and that people said yes only to avoid disappointment but did not always deliver.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Victoria is at her best when she feels connected with the diverse range of people she works with. “My advice to those… who live a little bit in the fear around the hierarchy and having those conversations is... be really comfortable with being… uncomfortable”, she states.

More great insights from our guest!

Victoria has co-authored the book Unstoppable. She also works with Children’s Aid Foundation to help improve the lives of children and youth in the child welfare system.

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Bio for Wanda Costen 

Doctor Wanda Costen is a professor and the Dean of the School of Business at McEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. Leading with integrity, she eliminates barriers to sustainable change by re-imagining how to prepare students for the 21st-century life of work and purpose.

Episode highlight

Wanda Costen was raised in the military, across different continents, and went through 3 careers before finding her sweet spot. Listen in on how she uses her understanding of culture and academia to make a difference.

Links

Email: costenw@macewan.ca

Quotes

“Even as little children, we have experiences that, later on in life, we realize, shape who we are.”

“Racism is taught, it’s a learned behaviour.”

“Racism doesn’t abide by some imaginary line we drew calling [it] a border.” 

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Wanda’s father served in the United States military, and the family moved every three-to-five years. This taught her and her brothers how to develop friendships quickly, adapt to one’s environment and view different cultures with openness. 

When she moved to Germany at age 11, she was befuddled when a young boy came up to her group of friends saying he would not play with her. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Wanda identifies first as an African American then as a woman. She was raised Catholic, but left the church because of the lack of inclusivity. 

She credits living in Germany for her directness, straightforwardness, and fortitude. She also imbibed punctuality, cleanliness, and the value of self-presentation from the Germans. 

Temperament and personality influences

Wanda’s elementary teachers had identified early on that she was gregarious, outgoing and an extrovert. She believes she is empathetic, transparent, and accountable.

Wanda struggled with having a “split personality” between her personal and professional life. She has worked hard to present her authentic self at work. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Wanda went to her friend’s house for Thanksgiving, she was taken aback by their grandiose, upper middle-class lifestyle, different from her humble upbringing. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Wanda needs people working with her to follow four tenets:

1. Set the path
2. Describe the desired outcome
3. Define the scope of responsibility
4. Give meaningful and timely feedback

More great insights from our guest!

“Courage is one of those values that I hold really dear”, says Wanda. She believes that it takes a lot of courage to be a high-quality, effective leader. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Lisa Earle McLeod

Lisa Earle McLeod is a Strategy Consultant, Founder of McLeod & More, Inc., and author of Selling with Noble Purpose.

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Lisa Earle McLeod refocuses businesses on innovating to make customers’ lives better.

Links

Email: lisa@mcleodandmore.com

Contact: https://www.mcleodandmore.com/contact/

Website: www.mcleodandmore.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaEarleMcLeod

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaearlemcleod/

Quotes

“[Nobility] is in the service of someone besides yourself or in the service of a cause bigger than yourself.”

“Money matters, and when you make it for other people, that is a big day!”

“If you have disdain for wealthy people, the likelihood of you becoming one of them is pretty small.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Lisa was 14 when she got her first job at Doughnut King and was entrusted with running the store alone. On one Saturday, a group of firefighters purchased all the doughnuts in the store. When the owner returned, Lisa loved the look on his face as he excitedly counted the money in the cash register. This inspired her to begin on her journey of “helping people make money.”

In the middle of third grade, Lisa and her brother enrolled in a Hawaiian school for a month, where they were the only white kids. However, she was “welcomed graciously” and does so to any minority in her life.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Lisa was born into a middle-class family and there was a palpable disdain of wealthy people in her neighbourhood. While Lisa’s mother was an atheist, Lisa joined a faith called Unitarian Universalism.

Temperament and personality influences

Lisa claims she is an extrovert, a storyteller, and a seeker of solutions. With time, she has learnt to become a better listener and be more concise and open-hearted in her communication.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Lisa comes from a family of “over-talkers” and is used to people speaking over each other at dinner and is intrigued by households different from hers.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Lisa claims that her best clients are those who have valuable offerings for their clients and want to:

1. Differentiate and stand out in the market
2. Help their team be laser-like focused on customers
3. Build a tribe of people who are so emotionally engaged and excited about their job that they think and talk about it with pride

More great insights from our guest!

Lisa recommends downloading and using the whitepapers from her website to incorporate noble purpose into your business!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Lyndelle Palmer-Clarke

Lyndelle Palmer-Clarke is the founder of Dailygreatness, a global publishing company which creates mindset, personal growth and productivity tools for individuals and companies based on positive psychology and tried-and-tested mindset strategies. 

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Lyndelle Palmer-Clarke’s travels, careers and life experiences have shaped her into the wildly successful entrepreneur she is today.

Links

Email: lyndelle@dailygreatness.co

Website: www.dailygreatness.co, https://lyndellepalmerclarke.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dailygreatness/, https://www.instagram.com/ohlyndelle

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndellepalmerclarke/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dailygreatness/,

https://www.facebook.com/lyndellepalmerclarke/

Quotes

“There’s a lot of amazing information out there, no doubt, but unless we’re applying that into our life in a very practical way… nothing will change in our lives.”

“Ambition is not enough – we need to develop the skills and most importantly, we need a foundation.” 

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

One of the most defining moments in Lyndelle’s life was when she went to boarding school from the age of 12. Leaving home for an alien environment was jarring, but it taught her resilience and resourcefulness, gave her lifelong relationships, and introduced her to different cultures. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Lyndelle’s ancestors on her father’s side of the family were the pioneers of the fishing industry in her hometown in Australia, and she was raised with pride in her family’s entrepreneurial spirit. She claims that her career as a businesswoman was a “natural evolution” from that history. 

Her curiosity about the bigger questions in life was piqued by the religiosity on her mother’s side of the family. It inspired her to think freely and find her own path and answers instead of settling for others’ beliefs or having them imposed on her. 

Temperament and personality influences

Lyndelle is a true-blue Aries, and is therefore a natural leader, but can also be impatient and stubborn. However, she has evolved her traits to make them workable in her life and works on her communication skills to complement her leadership skills. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Lyndelle moved to London from Australia, she dove deep into self-development to help her move out of the entertainment industry. When she reconnected with her old friends, former groups, or even her family members, she was shocked by the difference of opinion. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Lyndelle believes that “how people should be communicating to me is exactly how I communicate to them”. 

More great insights from our guest!

Lyndelle coaches entrepreneurs and business owners to create passion and ‘daily greatness’ in building and scaling their businesses. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Bruce Ross 

Bruce Ross is a Leadership Development Consultant who operates in the realm of the “inner game of leadership.” His proprietary approach to leadership development, FlowPreneur, is research-based and has been honed over 37 years of working directly with the full spectrum of leaders.

Episode highlight

Bruce Ross went through deep emotional loss and grief, which catapulted his search for meaning and helped him discover that raising people’s energy states inspires him.

Links

Email: bruce@flowpreneur.co

Website: www.flowpreneur.co

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlowpreneurTM

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucesross/

Quotes

“What happens at a personal level, you can also transfer it to team and organizational leadership.”

“There are multiple worlds and multiple opinions and approaches.” 

“The core of… life is energy and therefore, it needs to be aware of what takes and what saps it.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Bruce experienced an ease and a love of life when he began running at the age of three. Running made him feel like he was flying, and all other experiences paled in comparison. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Bruce’s parents divorced when he was one, which caused his mother and him to have less social interaction. He found that an organization which offered him esoteric education was where his “thirst got quenched.”

Temperament and personality influences

Bruce says that he is a Virgo, a perfectionist, an analyst, and an introvert. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Bruce was 18, he visited the Philippines and was taken aback by the heat, the humidity, and the opulence. He lived in a gated community with security guards carrying guns, and had servants at his beck and call, while others lived in dire poverty.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Bruce works with business owners and business leaders who are on the “hunt for their higher selves.” He works one on one with people through coaching as well as the FlowPreneur program, in person and online.

More great insights from our guest!

Bruce says that the passing of his daughter, Danni, brought many gifts in the form of opportunities to grow and evolve. When she was battling cancer, Bruce’s counsellor told him, “I need you to understand something… there is nothing wrong with Danni… parts of her have cancer.” He then changed his perspective from viewing her as a sick, broken person to acknowledging the whole person that she was.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Shayna Rattler

Shayna Rattler is a minister, life/business mentor, coach, consultant, and speaker who helps people from all walks of life achieve personal growth and organizational excellence. As CEO of Corporate Attraction, a global consultancy based in Dallas, Texas, she has received multiple awards, published three books, and been featured in over 250 media outlets. She is also the host of the Faith First Leadership Podcast.

Episode highlight

Shayna Rattler is passionate about helping others develop a deeper understanding of God and the identity they have in Him. Listen in on how she discovered and welcomed her mission to help leaders shift from burned out to where God needs them next to succeed in business and life.

Links

Email: hello@shaynaspeaks.com

Website: www.thepoweroftheshift.com, www.shaynaspeaks.com, www.corporateattraction.com

Social Media: @shaynaspeaks

Quotes

“When you put your faith first, everything else falls into place.”

“We can only do to the capacity of who we are.”

“Keep going even when you don’t feel like it.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Shayna has had an entrepreneurial spirit since the age of five. As the only child of a single father, she grew up with a strong work ethic and credits him with her success as an entrepreneur.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Shayna was born to a white mother and black father and grew up in a mostly white agricultural town in central Illinois. The black culture influenced her most as a leader. Shayna has been a part of many coaching groups and mastermind circles.

Temperament and personality influences

Shayna claims she can get along with anyone and adds a dash of humour to everything she does. She is a D on the DiSC assessment and prefers to be direct. She has learned to communicate her opinions after taking other people’s feelings into consideration.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Shayna found that she and most black people were in favour of washing meat before cooking it while other races were content with cooking it at a high temperature.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Shayna prefers to just be given the gist instead of the details. She is happy to communicate with you in the style of your choosing, but the best way to get through to her is to “get straight to it.”

More great insights from our guest!

Shayna advises leaders to “be willing to recognize that you don’t have to have all the answers.” Access Shayna’s free 40-minute training module ‘Conquer Burnout & Get Unstuck NOW!’

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Culture and Leadership Connections is having a podcast party!

The Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast has been alive and well for three years and we want to celebrate with you. 

On October 15th, both past and future guests will offer an entertaining one-minute pitch to state why you should listen to their episode. Each guest will have a surprise for participants so you could benefit from a windfall of expertise, great gifts, and amazing prizes.

Just to give you a taste of how great this is going to be, everyone who registers will receive our leadership Words of Wisdom SlideShare that features a few of the amazing guests we have lined up.

Sharing is caring – so why not tell a friend about it so that we can celebrate together? Not only will you have a great experience and win a ton of great prizes, but you will help us reach our goal of 10,000 downloads! 

I know this is going to be a spectacularly popular event, so make sure you go to https://shiftworkplace.com/upcoming-free-webinars/ and register ASAP to reserve your seat for the October 15th podcast party!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Dave and Dara Feldman

Dave and Dara Feldman are a passionate husband-and-wife team of social entrepreneurs who seek to positively uplift as many lives as possible. They lead Virtues Matter and have developed the Virtues Cards App, an easy-to-use tool designed to help people strengthen virtues and lead lives of joy, meaning, and purpose.

Episode highlight

Dave and Dara Feldman, having achieved the heights of success in their individual careers, launched a project which would help align the world to universal virtues. Listen in on the journey which led them to unearth the hidden gems in every human being.

Links

Email: dara@virtuesmatter.com,dave@virtuesmatter.com

Website: www.virtuesmatter.com

Quotes

“The practice of virtues is really… a guide to bring people together and help us look at what this new world will look like. It’s about who we are as people and who we can become going forward.”

“Virtues are just universal positive qualities of character and the way they are expressed may be different from culture to culture; however, the essence of the virtues… [is] the same.”

“Virtues are going to spread virally around the world, uplifting humanity and helping people remember who they are.”

Takeaways

Virtues Pick – Daily Reflection on Universal Positive Qualities

Dara explains a virtues pick as an important practice to remember our inherent nobility and to be able to understand ourselves and one another. Making a habit of picking a daily virtue also helps lay the foundation “to see through the lens and speak through the lens of the virtues.”

The Journey to Virtues and Making Them Matter

A contemporary of Dara introduced her to the Virtues Cards, which led her to order the pack and educator guide to use in her class. Dave joined her to create a mobile app, which laid the seed for Virtues Matter.

Using Virtues in Dave and Dara’s Daily Life

Dave says he does a daily virtual pick, using the reminder in the app to help him take time out of his day to ground himself. Dara and he do it together before they begin a meeting or a date!

Using the Virtues for Business

Dave recommends employing a virtues pick before beginning a business meeting. Dara suggests giving five positive affirmations before any feedback to tap the potential for virtues which exist within each person.

More great insights from our guests!

Dave and Dara’s program ‘Share the Love’ is aimed at bringing forth positivity and peace and asks each person to begin a chain of acts of love. They are also offering a course on learning the language of virtues and bettering your relationship with yourself and others.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Linda Kavelin-Popov

Linda Kavelin-Popov is the co-founder of The Virtues Project which is in over 120 countries, and the bestselling author of seven books. She is also a columnist for Lana’i Today.

Episode highlight

Linda Kavelin-Popov has crafted her life based on her beliefs and always followed divine guidance. Listen in on how she has received a lifetime of returns from a lifetime of service.

Links

Email: virtuesdiva@gmail.com

Website: www.lindakavelinpopov.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-kavelin-popov-54876759/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LKPauthor?ref=hl,

https://www.facebook.com/linda.kavelinpopov

Quotes

“As you act, you become a magnet attracting divine assistance.”

“Every adversity we go through can turn into a strength.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

When Linda was five, she prayed, “God, when I grow up, please let me help people.” She followed that calling into social work. At the age of 12, she gave a talk to her friends about oneness of humanity and the equality of men and women.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Linda was raised as a world citizen in the Baháʼí community, called to be of service to humanity. She also made the African American community her own, serving on the boards of their companies. She has always had a strong sense of sisterhood — with the Lana’i women’s circle she started, the women’s retreats she held and the British Columbia Sisters of St. Ann group she was welcomed into.

Temperament and personality influences

Learning how to listen to her mother in her severe depression since the age of four inculcated empathy in Linda. Ten years ago, when her brother/best friend/colleague, John, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, she found his pain unbearable because of empathy.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Linda realized that her family was unique in that they would discuss the big questions of life even with children. When she visited her friends’ houses, their parents would be surprised by her answers to questions about God and world unity.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Linda thrives on mutuality. She wants both people in a conversation to be listening and contributing. She appreciates questions because it shows interest in her beliefs and feelings. She dislikes feeling misunderstood, misquoted, or made assumptions about.

More great insights from our guest!

You can purchase Linda’s books and the virtues cards from www.virtuesmatter.com and www.virtuesproject.com. Look forward to her new book, The Freedom Season: Dreaming at the Crossroads, coming soon!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Martin Kerr

British-Canadian singer-songwriter Martin Kerr finds himself traveling all over North America performing for different communities and has racked up passport stamps from 35 countries on his musical travels.

Episode highlight

British-Canadian singer-songwriter Martin Kerr always loved to sing. Listen in on how he went from being a troubadour to booking two-to-three shows a week.

Links

Website: www.martinkerrmusic.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/martinkerrmusic

Instagram: www.instagram.com/martinkerrmusic

Quotes

“There’s no higher achievement than being of service to somebody.”

“Every place has good people and every person has good places.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Martin was five years old when he first performed as the lead in his school Christmas play singing six solos. At 13, he performed an original song about falling in love at the school talent show. He did not win, but that incident taught him to be brave and not to care about the results.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Martin grew up in England, with long-term friendships, time in nature, and a slow pace of life. The most influential people in his life and his strongest role models have been women – mother, sisters, and teachers.

Martin’s strongest sense of identity comes from the Baháʼí Faith, taking every opportunity to be of service to society and seeing himself as a world citizen before all else. He also credits his faith with his musical and lyrical abilities.

Temperament and personality influences

Martin believes in being in the moment and experiencing life with spiritual mindfulness. His stable and positive upbringing has made him believe that the world is a safe place and has led him to form his motto, that “everything will work out and that I’m going to be alright.” He has a taste for novelty, diversity, and adventure, which draws him to meet new people.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Martin experiences differences of opinion palpably on social media, even within so-called cultural groups. His manager, too, comes from a different culture, and even though they grew up in the same way, they disagree on some matters.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Martin’s advice to an employer is to be direct with him – “say what you mean the first time.”

More great insights from our guest!

Martin has released his new album, 'Everything Is Under Control', with producer Ryan Stewart (Carly Rae Jepsen, Owl City).

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Janine Brisebois

Janine Brisebois, BSC, RMT, M-NLP, is an MC, speaker, facilitator, author, successful entrepreneur, business professional in sales and training, and a personal consultant with decades of success. 

Episode highlight

Janine Brisebois’ life is defined by her curious nature. Join in to learn how she has unravelled life’s lessons by asking the right questions.

Links

Email: Janine@7DCEO.com

Website: www.7dceo.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-brisebois

Quotes

“When I look at you because you’re different, it’s not because I’m discriminating against you, I’m simply curious about you.”

“God is love and we have that within every single one of us and that’s our job as people… to find that love in each other and make it shine.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Janine grew up on a farm with animals, which piqued her curiosity about the workings of the body and made her thirsty for knowledge. While people were trying to pull out a car her sisters had driven into a dugout, Janine noticed the otherwise noisy geese on the other side of the dugout quietly observing the entire time, further fuelling her curiosity. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Janine was born into a French-Canadian family living in a rural farming community which was English, and they faced discrimination. She grew up in the Catholic Church, and faith played an important role in their lives, with prayers getting them through the difficult times they faced as farmers. 

Temperament and personality influences

Janine has always been a curious person, but people called her nosy. She is also a kind person and believes in giving to the best of her ability, to any situation or person. She admits to occasionally having a bad temper. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Janine would stay at jobs till she had learned what she wished to, then would move to a similar job in a different location to have new experiences. She found that the people in all the places she lived in – Yukon Territory, Saskatchewan and Alberta – had different cultures and lifestyles from her and from each other. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Janine advises that the best way to work with her “is to be open, first and foremost”. 

More great insights from our guest!

Janine conducts one-on-one and group workshops for people to make the most of their personal and/or professional lives. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Alex Molden

Alex Molden is a former NFL player, and a leadership and personal development coach and speaker. 

Episode highlight

As an NFL player, Alex Molden had failures and successes, coaches and friends, and most of all, life experiences and stories to treasure. Join him as he talks about life before, during and after football. 

Links

Email: info@alexmoldenspeaks.com

Website: www.alexmolden.com

Social Media: @alexmolden

Quotes

“We can cover up so much of who we are with what we do… with our abilities, how we look.”

“Leadership is nothing more than influence when you really boil it down.”

On practice: “It builds toughness, it builds team because you’re around each other when you’re struggling.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Alex received a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the University of Oregon towards the end of his last year in high school and began slacking off. His biology teacher spoke to him about working hard and not using football as a free pass in life, which changed how he approached his duties. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Alex grew up in a family where he witnessed abuse, alcoholism and little expression of love. In high school and as a freshman, Alex spent time with people who influenced him to smoke weed and skip school. He made a change after a month and began spending time with other athletes who worked hard to be in college. 

Temperament and personality influences

Being a twin, Alex has always been competitive with his brother. Once, he bullied his brother, which instigated him to stab Alex. Seeing that he had used his strength negatively with someone he loved changed Alex and made him think about other people’s feelings before acting. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

The locker room culture in the NFL made Alex feel uncomfortable. There was also a palpable difference between the culture created by each of the coaches he had versus the culture of the players. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Alex uses his life stories to inspire dialogue, impart tools to drive cultural change and teach leadership to impact lives. If you are just looking for a cool story about a football star, Alex says he may not be the right person for you. 

More great insights from our guest!

Alex conducts a 6-week online leadership course. Contact him for coaching or speaking engagements! 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Devon Riel

Devon Riel is the General Business Manager at Avonlea Group of Companies, where he also does sports photography alongside event photography. 

Episode highlight

Devon Riel comes from an illustrious lineage yet has carved his own way. Listen in on how his job training Santas has helped him illuminate his own and others’ paths with joy. 

Links

Email: devon@avonleastudio.com

Website: www.avonleastudio.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonleaSEP/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avonleasep/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AvonleaSEP

Quotes

“Ignore the negative BS out there, go with the path of most positivity.” 

“If I can let someone smile in a day, then I’ve done my part.”

“Improving efficiencies wherever possible, that tickles me for sure.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Devon found his parents’ separation when he was very young to be beneficial to him, since he witnessed almost no conflict. He attributes his technological success to his mother, who bought him a computer when he was young. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Louis Riel, a Métis political leader, is Devon’s great-great-great uncle. His mother comes from the Powell family and they may be descendants of the Baden-Powells, the founders of the Boy Scouts/Girl Guides Movement. 

Devon attended 8 different schools from kindergarten to Grade 12 because his family moved often. He also moved to Australia with his mother in Grade 4. He couldn’t form long term friendships because of these changes. 

He worked in banking and took finance at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology). Around the same time, he discovered Business Network International (BNI), a networking group his mother attended, and was introduced to Dean Skoubis, one of the owners of Avonlea. 

Temperament and personality influences

Devon had always been a happy child and the class clown. However, he has worked to temper down his hyperactivity to make sure it’s not overbearing to other people. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Devon says that he has always felt he was different from everyone else. He feels immune to the cultural and societal norms which dictate a certain kind of life. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Devon says that even though he doesn’t like micromanagement, he works well with direction. When he follows up with someone, he expects them to be there, though he admits he is not the best at following up with people. 

More great insights from our guest!

If you or someone you know needs headshots in Edmonton or around, contact Devon! 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Colin Christopher

Colin Christopher is a keynote speaker, stage hypnotist, clinical hypnotherapist, hypnosis instructor and author. 

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Colin Christopher found himself in odd places – in the middle of the ocean, all alone on the road, and as a hypnotist on stage. 

Links

Email: info@colinchristopher.com

Website: www.colinchristopher.com

TV Appearances: www.colinontv.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colinchristopher

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColinOnTV

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinchristopher/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinchristopherspeaks/ 

Quotes

“The only real way to grasp if things are different elsewhere is to really experience it elsewhere.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

When Colin was in Grade 2, he accidentally knocked his friend’s tooth off while playing during a school recess. His teacher screamed at him in public, which badly scarred him. 

Colin credits his high school drama teacher, Mrs. Kwan, for his career as a hypnotist today. She encouraged him to try relaxation using hypnosis in class one day, which made him want to be a hypnotist.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Colin’s parents immigrated to Canada from Germany, and he faced prejudice for being a German. He disliked German culture due to a few unruly German men he met as a child. 

Colin became a part of a group of people from many different countries while working on cruise ships. Professionally, Colin is a member of hypnotherapists’ and entertainers’ associations. 

Temperament and personality influences

Colin claims he has always been quiet. He has invested considerable time and effort into developing a stage persona who is an outspoken performer. 

Since the Grade 2 incident, Colin had been antisocial. It wasn’t until he began working on cruise ships that he began developing his social skills. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

In Grade 6, Colin learned about the culture of the Aztecs wherein they beheaded a losing team’s captain in games. He couldn’t see the reason why this would be an acceptable practice. 

Colin dated a Caribbean woman from Trinidad and Tobago, whose fibbing culture was in stark contrast to his upbringing as an honest person. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Colin advises anyone looking to work with him for an event or for therapy, to call him on the phone. He likes to set a clear purpose and establish the outcome from the beginning. 

More great insights from our guest!

Colin sees clients as part of his clinical hypnotherapy practice for losing weight, quitting smoking, etc. He also conducts a sales training program. 

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Denise Liebetrau is the Founder and CEO of Prosper Consulting, a Career & Salary Negotiation Coach, an HR Consultant, a Compensation Expert, and a Speaker.

Episode highlight

Denise Liebetrau was raised with strong values of sincerity and dedication, which she brings into her role as an HR consultant, as well as in her daily life. Listen in to learn how to make a big impact – at work, and at home!

Links

Email: Denise.Liebetrau@ProsperConsultingLLC.com

Website: www.ProsperConsultingLLC.com

Quotes

“You got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable if you’re going to grow and learn.”

“You sometimes have to… recognize that you are making assumptions because of cultural understandings and norms that you grew up with.”

“You’ve got to get used to working with people that you don’t like.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Denise grew up on her family’s farm in Kansas. She says she grew into a strong work ethic through the resilience and grit developed from doing her chores.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Denise was born into a Catholic family, developing a strong spiritual foundation. Many get togethers with the extended family reinforced the importance of giving in relationships.

Temperament and personality influences

Denise claims that she is an introvert.

While working for a large financial corporation in her early 20s, she felt underconfident and wouldn’t speak much in meetings. However, she learned to overcome her discomfort by acting the part.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Denise was 18, she moved away from home to go to Kansas State University, and then to Seattle for work, which opened her eyes to new ways of being.

Advice to an employer to work with me

“I’m a firm believer in setting the vision”, Denise states. She helps her clients do so with these questions:

1. What does success look like?
2. Where am I at today?
3. What is the gap?
4. What do I need to do to get there?
5. What are the stories I’m telling myself?

More great insights from our guest!

Find Denise’s book recommendations and Know Your Worth t-shirts on her website! Email her at Denise.Liebetrau@ProsperConsultingLLC.com for a free list of sources to find your job worth. Also, reach out to her for a free 15-minute strategy call to set your career on the right path!

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Finding Purpose
In many countries, human activities are organized around the seasons, or where seasons are more continuous, around periods of wet and dry or light and dark. Work which incorporates the rhythm of nature and an understanding of life is healthy and soul-enhancing.

Shift Work Needs to ShiftWorking on 12-hour shifts and varying often between day and night shifts with no adjustment time neglects the body’s natural rhythms. Shift workers live an average of six years less than non-shift workers and have more health problems. Those who are not shift workers but manage or own businesses also work very long workdays or weeks together. Wages have not increased to keep pace with inflation, and everyone works longer hours for less pay.

The Cult of OverworkIn the increased anxiety around keeping businesses profitable, making enough wages to earn to support your life and avoid cashflow issues, work addiction has become the norm. We must ask ourselves if we are engaging in soul-promoting or soul-destroying activity through this unhealthy focus on continuous work with no attention to cycles or development. We must ask ourselves what void this social reality of work addiction is attempting to fill.

Learning from NatureIn the natural world too, there are periods of intense toil and sacrifice to mate, give birth and raise the young. However, this sacrifice has a cycle, a rhythm and a purpose. Sacrifice and toil towards a positive end and a life-enhancing purpose allows us to live in harmony with the natural changes of seasons and the processes of birth to death. If the sacrifices inherent in work have purpose, and a positive result, then periods of overwork help to develop stamina rather than to promote addiction.

Rest and Reflect

• What do you think about this idea? How would your work be different if it respected natural cycles and seasons of people and the planet?
• What are the indicators of work addiction or sacrifice in your life?
• What could nature teach us about rewiring ourselves for healthy work instead of addictive work?
• At work, what is the role of sacrifice and purpose within a context of naturally unfolding cycles and seasons?

This is the second part of a trilogy of podcasts taken from the beginning of a book I’m writing called The Spirit of Work.

You can comment on this or any of my podcast episodes in our Work and Culture twitter account or by sending an email to marie@shiftworkplace.com. You can also leave a voice message in my Skype account AMGEDUC. Or, if these musings inspire you to work with me, I would be most interested in hearing from you. We can chat and see what might be beneficial to both of us!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Finding Purpose
Human beings are essentially spiritual, and our lives are animated by Divine love. We need to work as an expression of our souls and to establish a sense of purpose. If we don’t learn, grow, develop or contribute to building something bigger and better than ourselves, our souls are at first dissatisfied, then distressed.

All Work and All PlayIt is the nature of children to learn as they grow, even if they have been in difficult situations. One of the secrets to the spirit of work is to play, which children do naturally. Children playing have serious intent, yet they delight in their discoveries. They observe, experience and postulate theories, then create scenarios with their friends to test possibilities. They invest all their energy into the task at hand and will not stand to be pulled away from it. They relentlessly seek their answers in creative ways and are not frustrated by the long pursuit.

Learning from The StudentsChildren can teach us much about the nature of the soul and how to work more effectively. Work that does not encourage the natural expression and development of the soul is not sustainable because it is against our nature. However, unlike children developing through their ‘work’, adults don’t work from within the realities of the soul. Unlike young children who cannot be discouraged from soul-inspired learning and action in their work, adults become trapped in a cycle of purposelessness that ultimately erodes our potential.

Staying Soul-FocusedEvaluating all our attitudes and behaviours as either diminishing or enhancing the nature of our souls can help us align with the spirit of work. The essential probing question is: How do we know if work is soul-sustaining or soul-diminishing?Soul-sustaining activity brings joy, love, creativity and growth, making us self and others-aware. Soul diminishing activity fosters anger, hatred, destruction and isolation, making us self-absorbed.

Your Homework!Make an inventory of your thoughts, actions and behaviours at the end of each day, and note if they were soul-sustaining or soul-diminishing. Celebrate the former and understand how to infuse the latter with spirit.

I look forward to your responses and feedback – I’d like to know if this material helped you, or if you would like to suggest some changes. You can comment on this or any of my podcast episodes in our Work and Culture twitter account or by sending an email to marie@shiftworkplace.com. You can also leave a voice message in my Skype account AMGEDUC. Or, if these musings inspire you to work with me, I would be most interested in hearing from you. We can chat and see what might be beneficial to both of us!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Cara Bedford

Cara Bedford is the Director of Strategic Marketing for CompuVision, a Canadian core IT service provider which focuses on how disruptive technologies can change traditional businesses. She is also the Managing Editor of Disruption Magazine Canada. 

Episode highlight

As a woman in technology, Cara Bedford brings a unique perspective to the profession. Listen in to learn how disruptive technologies are changing the future of work and how you can keep up. 

Links

Email: cbedford@compuvision.biz

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-bedford-13382b14b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yegcloud

Website: https://compuvision.biz/

Quotes

“The world is moving faster than it ever has before but as slow as it ever really can.”

“I really honestly believe the questions we ask are more important sometimes than the answers that we’re seeking.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Cara and her brother were raised by a single mother in Edmonton, Alberta. Her mother showed her by example how to multitask and be resourceful and is still her best friend and wing woman. Cara became drawn to male-dominated careers, inspired by the strong female figures in her life. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Growing up, Cara’s mother and brother joked that she lived two lives – that of a jock and a drama nerd. She was both sporty and creative, and loved being a part of group activities. She was interested in musical theatre, soccer and volleyball. 

Cara finds that the community in singing groups fills a bucket hole in her life. She sings in a barbershop quartet called Whoa and competes internationally with a barbershop chorus called Gateway Chorus. 

Temperament and personality influences

In the DISC personality assessment, Cara is a D - Dominant, and defaults into that style. She’s quick to make decisions and is very risk averse. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Once, Cara was discussing a blog with one of her freelancers when she heard sirens and screaming at his end. She realized that if people in difficult conditions could still deliver work on time and within the budget, there should be nothing stopping people in relatively privileged situations from doing so. 

More great insights from our guest!

Disruption is a free magazine created for Canadians by Canadians. CompuVision is an innovative, cost-saving, productive and low-risk resource to manage your technology. 

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Re-evaluating Our Lives

With this pandemic forcing us all into isolation, I have spoken to many people who are re-evaluating their activities in the light of what really matters. Some people want to change their careers and need coaching to reimagine their lives, while others want to spend more time with family or help those in need. Neighbourhood initiatives have sprouted, industries have transformed, artistic creations have been initiated and completed in record time frames, and even the formalizing of vague ideas into non-profit societies have all blossomed in one week.

Reconnecting through Music

One of my daughter’s neighbours, who is a musician, hosts a sing-along from his porch at 4 pm twice weekly. Everyone comes out of their front doors and sings along to everything from the Beatles to Raffi for 30 minutes, even in the Winnipeg Winter. While this would have been reported to the cops or been ignored before this pandemic, it has brought her street to life during this time. This goes to show how love and concern can bring people together during difficult times.

Realigning to Our True Nature

Although this experience is painful and ridden with anxiety and suffering, COVID-19 is an opportunity to realign to our true nature. Governments are paying attention to what really matters and executing important decisions with lightning speed. In response, we are patient and courteous. We recognize our interdependence and are grateful for everyone working to keep our society healthy and functioning. This virus has been teaching us to focus on what matters and to feel that we are ‘with’ people even as we are isolated and physically distant.

Restoring The Spirit of Work

For my part, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some takeaways from a book I have been working on called ‘The Spirit of Work’’. Until COVID-19, I did not have a sense of urgency to put my thoughts down or share them, but I do now. The next three solo episodes of the Culture and Leadership Connections podcast will be from the book. You can comment on them in our WorkandCulture twitter account or by sending an email to marie@shiftworkplace.com . Or, if these musings inspire you to work with me, I would be most interested in hearing from you. We can chat and see what might be beneficial to both of us!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Karlyn Borysenko

Dr. Karlyn Borysenko is the founder of Zen Workplace and is Chief Science Officer of RallyBright. An organizational psychologist and executive/performance coach, she integrates mindfulness strategies at work to increase productivity and creativity, reduce stress, and create better work experiences. 

Episode highlight

As a small-town girl from Vermont, Dr Karlyn Borysenko learned how to be the biggest version of herself as she went through life. Join her as she shares her journey of integrating mindfulness practices with honesty to create a career in improving people’s work lives. 

Links

Email: karlyn@zenworkplace.com

Website: www.zenworkplace.com

Podcast: http://nobsatwork.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrKarlynB

Quotes

“At the end of the day, I think my desire to be who I am and… embrace the things that I like and that make me happy is… stronger than my desire to fit in with any particular group.”

“You can do whatever you want to do. No one is going to stop you. You just have to be willing to take the steps and go after it.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Karlyn grew up learning to fight for her place in the world, learning along the way how much control she had over her life. She carries this spirit into her work today. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Karlyn was born to a happy couple in a nuclear family in a small town. She married into an immigrant family. She also associates with the community of knitters. However, the spiritual groups she is involved in have had the most profound impact on her work today. 

Temperament and personality influences

Karlyn has always been a truth teller, though she has not always received positive feedback for it. She has now learnt to articulate her message in a way that people are better able to receive it. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Karlyn’s college friend taught her that she could do whatever she set her heart on, which was a revelation to her because she thought she needed to follow the traditional path of life. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Karlyn had a conversation with RallyBright’s CEO about not giving up her business and that was received with an open mind and willingness to accommodate, which she greatly appreciates. 

More great insights from our guest!

Visit her website, www.zenworkplace.com, listen to her podcast, No BS At Work, and read her book, Zen Your Work for more great insights. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Andy Knight 

W. Andy Knight is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta. He serves as Advisory Board Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Welfare of Children. 

Episode highlight

Andy Knight comes from a family of religious preachers, politicians and musicians. He brings his multi-dimensional personality into his work as a political science researcher and humanitarian. Listen in on how he is unravelling all the world’s problems, one heart at a time. 

Links

Email: andy.knight@ualberta.ca

Skype: andyknight54

Twitter: WAndyKnight1

About: https://www.ualberta.ca/arts/about/people-collection/andy-knight

Quotes

“We are all one people, we are all from the same source, we all need to be concerned about each other’s well-being regardless of what culture, what background we’re from.”

“We ought to be able to find ways to build sustainable peace and one way to do that is to be able to accept differences of culture, differences of religion and realizing that we are all really from the same source.”

“There’s still some good in all of us, I think, and we need to be able to find that good.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Andy grew up in Barbados in a family with religious and political influences. His childhood exposure to music instilled discipline in him while he turned to fine arts as an adult. 

Wanting to do good for others, he became a member then President of his university’s student union, the Secretary of the Canadian Federation Of Students and the Vice President of its Ontario wing. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Being a part of a large family taught Andy about conflict resolutions, morals, and gender and racial equality. Marrying a Persian reinforced his father’s lessons of acceptance of different people and their cultures, religions and personal choices. 

Temperament and personality influences

Andy claims that he has always been pensive and inquisitive, but has learned to be gregarious.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Andy learned to drop judgement for atrocities committed by child soldiers in Ghana when he learned they were forcibly trained to do so. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Andy says that an employer must accept that he brings many multicultural dimensions to his work.

More great insights from our guest!

Read the articles from African Security Journal co-edited by Andy and look out for his upcoming book on female suicide bombers who did not detonate their bombs. 

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Bio for Kamal Sinclair

Kamal Sinclair is Executive Director of the Guild of Future Architects and supports independent artists as a Senior Consultant for Sundance Institute. Kamal makes art through a family creative practice called Sinclair Futures.

Episode highlight

Born into the arts, Kamal Sinclair has a goal to create a more equitable and enriched future. Listen in to discover her illustrious journey.

Links

Email: Hello@FutureArchitects.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KamalSinclair 

Website: https://futurearchitects.com/ 

Quotes

“Justice is… broccoli... If we design for well-being... it’s not just ‘eat your broccoli’, it’s… a sense of thriving as we design for shared prosperity.” 

“When you consider the person with the least access to what you’re creating as your primary customer, then everybody benefits.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

At the age of 12, Kamal had the opportunity to travel with theatre groups. She says she was changed by the “real sense of what it means to engage with a global community of artists.” 

She had a transformational moment on a rice field in China, thinking back to the violence on her campus back in Los Angeles. She found it futile that there were wars taking place on small matters when “there’s a whole world out here.” 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Kamal comes from an arts family. As she puts it, “We had already a great investment in the arts in my family.” 

Kamal had her first brush with arts leadership at the age of 9 in a youth theatre arts group. She went to a high school for the arts in LA, which gave her her first opportunity to create a play from scratch. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Kamal was working at the Woodruff Arts Center, she found it challenging to convince people of the need for the arts.

Kamal once heard a story of gender equality told through the voice of a western feminist woman. That’s when Kamal understood the legacy of inequity in relationships that colonialism left behind, and the blindness of privilege.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Kamal believes that artist residencies should be more inclusive, with intellectual and creative collaboration and consultation. 

More great insights from our guest!

Kamal says that creating a process to mitigate one’s own blind spots in organizational leadership is not easy. She recommends adopting a design for the margins first.

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Unearthing the Truth

Your core beliefs are unconscious – you grew up with them and developed them in response to your environment. So, how can you discover what you believe about yourself? Mindfulness Muse recommends a technique called laddering down. This involves a series of questions to uncover the core belief that affects your leadership and colours how you see the world. It can also help you reclaim power in a situation where you feel powerless.

Begin with a strong statement about any important area of your life – money, health, relationships, work, managers or jobs. Then make referring statements to unearth its meaning. Once you find your belief, you can examine if it is serving you and if that is the story you want to tell yourself. If you change that story, you will change your belief, and hence, your behavior.

Laddering Down

Strong Statement: I have no control over my workday.

Questions to ladder down:

• What if I have no control over my workday? What does it mean?
• It means I am in firefighting mode all day.
• What if I am in firefighting mode all day? What does it mean?
• It means I will jump whenever my boss, my crew or my customers want something.
• What if I jump whenever my boss, my crew or my customers want something? What does it mean?

Scenario A

• It means I will lose my job if I don’t please them.
• What if I lose my job? What will it mean?

At this point, you may say – I’ll be relieved – in which case you should re-examine why you are there.

Or you may say - It means I am incompetent. It means no one will respect me. I means I must please others to be worthy - I am unworthy unless I please other people all the time.

Ask yourself if that is true, and if that is the story you want to tell yourself.

Scenario B

• It means it isn’t my fault if things don’t get prioritized, finished or done correctly.
• What if it isn’t my fault if things don’t get prioritized, finished or done correctly? What does it mean?
• It means I avoid blaming myself or getting blamed because I didn’t do anything wrong and don’t have to change anything.

If you believe your job is to avoid getting blamed and keep everything the way it is because you are comfortable that way, that will be a big revelation for you to work on.

This is the final installment in the Leading Without Power Trilogy. If you missed the first two, check out Solo Podcast 1 and Solo Podcast 2 on the website.

If you have faced incidents at the workplace or have some ideas that you would like me to discuss on the podcast, please write to marie@shiftworkplace.com.

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Bio for Steven K. Young

Steven K. Young, B.Ed., MBA PMP, is an educator, consultant, executive, and coach who is passionate about leadership and building high-performance teams. He is currently the CEO of Garnet Instruments, a lecturer at the Alberta School of Business and instructor at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Episode highlight

Steven K. Young has always worked from a team mind-set, be it in hockey, the police service, politics or the corporate world. Listen in on his advice on how to best be a part of and manage effective teams.

Links

Email: stevekyoung@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevekyoung/

Quotes

"In every committee, there's always one jerk and if you don't know who that is, it's probably you."

"Your door can be open all day but if nobody walks through it, you're missing the point."

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Steven’s parents taught him, "Whether people are watching or not, you do the right thing". He credits his University of Alberta Golden Bears coach, Billy Moores, for teaching him the value of systems and processes and the principles of leadership and success.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Teams have been an important theme in Steven’s life – from his family to hockey to policing. He has also been a part of many different groups – hockey teams, policemen’s hockey tournaments and political groups, and has friends in the Turkish community.

Temperament and personality influences

Steven has transformed from an angry young man who was quick to judge into an inquisitive, tolerant person with a suite of tools and appropriate responses.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Steven finds that the polarization of strong opinions in the political realm makes him unwilling to discuss his take on issues. However, he is working towards finding a healthy way to express himself.

Advice to an employer to work with me

For Steven to be successful, he needs to have clear processes, mandates and KPIs. He also works best with flexible schedules, long-term reviews and many projects on the go.

More great insights from our guest!

Steven believes that the ‘Are we there yet?’ approach is limiting and instead, the question which should be asked is, ‘We're doing great, what can we do next?’

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The Incident

Picture this: you have a manager who is incompetent and wants to be seen as bigger and better than everyone beneath her. She undermines others and strategically points out what she perceives to be mistakes at meetings so that individuals are all afraid of her. 

The Initial Reaction

This was an incident a colleague of mine experienced as a teacher in a school with a domineering and suspicious principal. The staff reaction to her was one of fear and everyone became isolated and suspicious. Nobody spoke out. The workplace became tense and toxic. 

The Goal

After discussing the situation, my colleague came up with a plan to do what she called a “virtuous coup d’etat”. She and another teacher decided to be kind and helpful in a very intentional way to the staff, doing small favours for them, providing little gifts and kind words and actively complimenting them in front of students and each other. The goal was to turn the toxic culture around and to “own” the culture so that it could not be manipulated by leadership that did not share the same values. 

The Obstacles

Not everyone got on board…those who did were contacted privately by the two colleagues and asked if they wanted to join the coup. Soon the project spread and gained momentum to the point where when the principal tried to target and undermine a colleague publicly during a staff meeting, the others would not stop singing their fellow teacher’s praises, undermining the negativity with positive and sincere appreciation.

Inference

When people without power in a workplace choose to take the high road and act with principle, they may be targeted and crushed. But when they do it in a way that brings others along with them, they create a movement. 

Conclusion

It is certainly harder to build unity of thought and action than to complain and say “that’s just how things are”. But if we want to enjoy a great workplace culture, we must be willing to put some skin into the game. 

Lessons Learned

This example shows that if you don’t have power through formal management, you can still have behind the scenes leadership influence and build unity of thought. We don’t always choose who we work with or who our bosses are, but we can choose to act with integrity and to look to the power of groups to build an ethical and healthy workplace

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Bio for Myke Macapinlac 

Myke Macapinlac went from being a shy immigrant structural designer to a podcast host, a social skills coach, a lifestyle entrepreneur and author of 4 books. He now teaches shy guys who are technically skilled to improve their social confidence so they can create meaningful connections in their personal, romantic, and professional lives. 

Episode highlight

Myke Macapinlac knows what it is like to be a shy immigrant, and uses his life experience to help everyone like him live a social life. Listen to this podcast to learn about his journey from a shy structural designer to becoming a social butterfly. 

Links

Email: info@socialconfidencemastery.com

Website: https://socialconfidencemastery.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mykemacapinlac/

Quotes

“We live in a different generation now where technical competence isn’t enough… not just to live a successful life but also a fulfilling life.”

“Being social is a learnable skill and with the right knowledge and guidance… anyone can become socially confident.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

At 17, Myke moved with his family from the Philippines to Canada. He struggled to speak English, suffered from social anxiety, and had never been taught soft skills. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Myke was born into a respectful, loving, friendly and hospitable culture. However, he has also learnt to establish boundaries. 

As he travelled and lived around North America, he realized that he could approach his life differently than what his community assumed. He’s also a part of many entrepreneurial groups. 

Temperament and personality influences

Myke’s friends identify him as the voice of reason. He has also learned to tap into his emotions to articulate his thoughts for healthy, peaceful, and non-confrontational relationships. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Myke struggled for the first few years as a new immigrant in North America because of the cultural differences. However, he believes his culture has given him a unique point of view and an edge over others to attract a specific demographic. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Myke has a 4-point structure which he shares with his near and dear ones to establish good communication:

1. Ask for permission to talk about a topic.
2. Be clear.
3. Give specific examples.
4. Create a call to action.

More great insights from our guest!

Myke’s 5-part program, the Social Confidence Blueprint, has been created specifically for STEM professionals to become socially confident. 

Sign up for his course at www.socialconfidencemastery.com! 

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Recognizing emotional triggers

Racist comment from inside the team from one visible minority to another and from one manager to another (white manager making joke insults to other white manager; white manager making joke insults to visible minority manager)

Relationship: I had no power and was under scrutiny and micromanagement from the white boss. I was the only woman on the team. Everyone else was a tech person, I was the curriculum person.

Goal: to increase workplace sense of psychological safety

Problem: coming into a team climate of conflicting relationships and power dynamics, without power. People with power were vicious and cutting, atmosphere of one man upmanship and scarcity

What I actually did: First I tried to divert attention from the racism by complimenting the person who had been targeted. This just made it worse. Eventually I shut down and made myself as small as possible. Felt intimidated and undermined. Didn’t talk to anyone about it. Left the contract.

Why I felt so powerless in the situation: it was a short term contract, I was working on a project I did not have previous knowledge of, I didn’t know the team who had worked together in various projects in different countries, the politics were always hot and I didn’t understand them or know who to talk to about them

What I would have done differently: thought more carefully about why I had such a strong emotional reaction that I couldn’t get past – in fact it related back to me being beat up as a child by a taunting bully who was similar to the white boss in this incident. If I had understood that this was a childhood trigger, I could have swallowed my fear and spoken directly but privately to the people doing the racist comments, taking care not to make them lose face or feel humiliated and showing my belief in their capacity to be encouraging and supportive.

Principle: This is an injustice disguised as a “joke” and is one of the indicators of social dominance. Racist comments cannot be allowed to grow, they create a toxic atmosphere. Social dominance and narcissism are dangerous – if you are seen as not bowing to their will, they will crush you. It has to be handled delicately so that the people causing the problem don’t make it worse for their victims or for anyone else.

Think about various ways to deal with the issue/ from the side/ individually/ group setting/confrontation/. Be systematic and strategic

Strategies: Consider your emotional reaction to each one, then choose the one you can do with confidence

• Combat racism by building a climate of safety quietly with others, ask others to say one thing they admire or like about X. Suggest that at team meetings people think of something they appreciated from an individual or the entire team as part of the team routine.
• Confront the issue at a team meeting without accusing or blaming
• Speak confidentially to each of the “actors” to say how those comments affect you and the team and the work atmosphere
• Document incidents and file a complaint
• Watch, listen and later write a complaint to the company with your documentation
• Talk to a higher authority explaining how having to always “watch your back” is keeping you away from doing your work.
• Be informed of the new legislation about psychological safety in the workplace – employers can now be brought to task for allowing a toxic workplace climate to continue.
• Ask your self if it is worth it – maybe you should just look for another job.
• Remember that people who actively confront a bad behavior either privately or in public, are typically targeted further BUT they feel more confident and stron

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Bio for Harold Kurlander

Hal Kurlander has a B.A. in psychology and an M.D. degree from Baylor College of Medicine. After 35 years of clinical neurology, he is now semi-retired and works in the area of facial aesthetics (Botox and dermal fillers). 

Episode highlight

Hal Kurlander went from being a shy child to an outspoken university rebel to a neurologist to a facial aesthetician. Tune into this podcast to learn about his illustrious journey. 

Links

Email: hmkdoc@gmail.com

Website: www.kumimedspa.com

Other social media: @kumimedspa

Quotes

“I’m sure that much of my personality was shaped by the values of my local community.” 

“Living with so many different extremes… such radical views, such conservative views… you end up coming to the middle.” 

“You have to make adaptations constantly in order to survive in a marriage and for the marriage to survive.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Hal grew up in a half Jewish and half Italian-Catholic community where he learned how to be himself with the people “on their territory and their terms.” His interactions with other children at summer camp helped him climb out of his shell and overcome his fear of standing out.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Hal was most influenced by his immediate family, and has emulated his parents’ work ethic and parenting style. In college, he was exposed to rebellion as well as conformity, and he became less polarizing as he grew older, which became essential to his job as a physician to earn his patient’s trust. 

Temperament and personality influences

As a child, Hal was very outgoing. When he first started making contact with people who disagreed with him, his response was to back away because he wanted to avoid conflict. Now, he considers himself easy-going and patient. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Hal has experienced significant changes each time he has moved. People think and behave differently everywhere, from Long Island to Pennsylvania to Texas. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Hal says that open communication is the best way to work with him. 

More great insights from our guest!

Hal has been moulded by all his experiences with people, especially the thousands of patients he has helped. His advice to any employee would be to listen to everyone’s ideas and to practise their communication skills. 

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Bio for Linda Crockett

Linda Crockett is a workplace psychological harassment specialist, trauma therapist and the Founder and CEO of Alberta Bullying Research Resources and Recovery Centre. Her passion for this cause arose after 22 years of social work, when she found herself in a difficult workplace situation, hitting rock bottom, as she describes it. 

Episode highlight

As a Scottish-Canadian, Linda Crockett didn’t know where she belonged. Listen in on how she grew to help people assert their place in a world that she didn’t always find welcoming. 

Links

Email: lrmcrockett@gmail.com

Twitter: @bullyingalberta

Facebook: @workerssafety

LinkedIn: Linda Crockett

Website: www.abrc.ca 

Quotes

“Workplace bullying is primarily psychological abuse.”

“Being human is about accepting that I am not perfect.”

“Your greatest tool is self-insight, is self-monitoring, is being aware.” 

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Linda’s parents had moved to Canada from Scotland when she was very young. Her mother’s depression and alcoholism impacted Linda deeply. She was inspired to do more and better with her life. From her father, Linda learnt lessons of hard work and integrity. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Being a Scottish-Canadian, she was teased by both groups for traits she picked up from either. She also grew up in a Protestant family who reprimanded her for speaking to, aspiring to be like or having crushes on Catholics. 

Al-Anon was a solace for Linda. It inspired her to begin a spiritual journey, seek her own truths and develop her core values. 

Linda has been most influenced by her profession of social work which has influenced her thoughts and personality. 

Temperament and personality influences

Linda has always been a sensitive person. She has now learnt to accept that and draw personal boundaries in an otherwise harsh world. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

As a social worker, Linda approached her work with all her heart, and found that others didn’t always resonate with her investment in her work. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Linda says that to work with her, she needs to be reassured that all the policies and procedures of the workplace are aligned with the current Occupational Health and Safety Act which will protect the staff from any harm. She would also like to see separate training opportunities for staff and leadership. 

More great insights from our guest!

Linda’s organization celebrates Workplace Bullying Awareness Week every year in October. If you are someone who is or has been a victim, bystander or perpetrator of workplace bullying, she has resources and can help! 

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Bio for Karla Briones

Karla Briones is a Mexican-Canadian serial entrepreneur with a passion to helping others succeed in their business journey. She uses her 10-year business experience to mentor, coach and help new immigrants become successful entrepreneurs in their adopted country. She is part of the team of independent business advisors at Invest Ottawa, providing strategy services to local aspiring and current entrepreneurs. 

Episode highlight

As a Mexican-Canadian, Karla Briones has the best of both worlds – a firecracker personality and the opportunities to share her successes. Tune into this podcast to learn how she imparts her entrepreneurial know-how to create a space for every individual to succeed. 

Links

Email: karla@karlabriones.com

Website: www.KarlaBriones.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlabriones/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/immigrantbusinesscoach/

Instagram: KarlaBriones

Twitter: @holakarla 

Quotes

“When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” 

“I do what feels good and I go all out.”

“I believe that vulnerability and business are very interconnected.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

When Karla was 6 years old, her father introduced her to her first entrepreneurial experience when he encouraged her to resell candy to save for her desires. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Karla was born into an extremely goal-oriented environment where her mother worked, contributed equally to the family’s finances and always taught her to do anything she set her mind to. 

She belongs to a yoga community and entrepreneurship organizations – EO and Tech Canada. 

Temperament and personality influences

Karla says, “Everything I do, I do it with passion.” Over the years, she has learned to back up that passion with strategy to sustain it.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When people share their business ideas with her, Karla becomes so engaged that she may interrupt them mid-sentence. However, she has been working to rein her excitement in a little.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Karla believes in the power of vulnerability. She uses body language cues and explores themes which come up through those. She recommends anyone working with her to be open to this approach. 

More great insights from our guest!

Karla summarizes her advice to all immigrant entrepreneurs as, “Never give up on your dream and always be very proud of where you’re coming from.” She encourages owning one’s heritage and experience from back home. 

She is soon going to sell online courses for immigrant entrepreneurs. Check out her website to learn more: www.karlabriones.com.

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Bio for Lewis Cardinal

Lewis Cardinal has dedicated his life’s work to creating and maintaining connections and developing relationships which cross cultural divides.

Episode highlight

Lewis Cardinal, a Woodland Cree First Nation native, has based his career on answering the question, ‘How do we develop relationships?’ Listen to this podcast to unearth insights on building bridges between different worlds.

Links

Email: lewiscardinal@gmail.com

Website: www.naheyawin.ca

Quotes

“Good relationships are based on good communication.”

“The great indoctrinator of any nation is its educational system.”

“When you move the heart, the mind follows.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Lewis was struck by his grandfather’s deep, authentic, and sincere commitment to the people. His grandmother, too, reinforced a strong sense of giving back to the community.

Living through the turbulent Red Power Days, the Indigenous movement from 1968 to 1974 influenced him in the work he does till today.

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Lewis’ has a strong and prestigious Metis lineage from his grandmother. The Metis culture taught him hard work, determination, tenacity and to never give up.

The Woodland Cree side of his family includes Treaty signatories. This responsibility has taught him that all Canadians have obligations to each other.

He finds threads of indigeneity woven into his political identity as a social democrat – looking after people, seeking social justice, and making sure everyone has enough.

Temperament and personality influences

Lewis is a diplomat and peace-maker, and is kind and easy-going. Growing up, he learned that the world is filled with naysayers, but he meets their lack of faith with perseverance, consistency and clarity of vision, and heart-work.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

In Grade 4, during a schoolyard game, his classmates were deciding who the toughest child was, and Lewis wanted to participate. However, they told him he didn’t count.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Lewis advises employers to actively listen by paraphrasing and be present in conversations. He also asks that employers keep their assumptions in check.

More great insights from our guest!

Lewis recommends reaching out to someone from the indigenous community to guide you, answer your questions and teach you more about indigenous traditions and knowledge.

He serves as the Senior Strategic Advisor to an organization his children have founded, Naheyawin, which connects companies, governments and NGOs to the indigenous community. Visit www.naheyawin.ca to learn more about their work.

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Bio for Ron Carucci

Ron Carucci is the co-founder and managing partner of Navalent, working with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations, leaders, and industries, and tackling challenges of strategy, organization and leadership. 

Episode highlight

As an Italian-American, Ron Carucci’s life and career have been defined by the stories of his culture, community, family and the people he has interacted with. 

Links

Email: ron@navalent.com

Website: www.navalent.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/navalent 

Twitter: @roncarucci 

Quotes

“While I loved telling great stories, which was interesting to do, engaging other people in their stories was far more interesting to me.”

“Self-development is not a self-activity. Self-development is a group activity.”

“Having help is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

When Ron was in Junior High, he was caught with marijuana and it was his mother who reported it to the police. Even though it broke her heart, she cared enough to teach him to face the consequences of his actions. That incident changed his life from then on, making him commit to living with his personal values at the forefront. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Ron was raised in a classic New York City Italian family – with love, unfiltered emotions and humour. His youth group at church provided him the formative experience of learning about values, community, friendships, and participating in each other’s lives. 

Temperament and personality influences

The youngest of five children, Ron grew up as a witty, free-spirited, creative rebel. He is also what you could call a social introvert, who loves engaging with people, but also needs solitude. 

He grew up with an insatiable curiosity, wanting to learn, know and grow. 

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Bio for Michael Hagley 

Michael has been working as a coach since 2013 and his clients include managers, sales executives, consultants and small business owners. An Adler Trained Coach, he helps his clients develop personal skills, power, grace and a greater capacity to lead. 

Episode highlight

Listen in on how Michael Hagley’s West Indian childhood and global experience have created a more meaningful experience for his own life as well as for his coaching clients. 

Links

Email: michael@bearingcoach.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhagley/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearingcoach/

Website: www.bearingcoach.ca

Quotes

“When you arrive together, you can celebrate, not just by yourself.” 

“I believe that we can always do better, especially for the things we have taken responsibility for.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Cubs and Scouts had a big impact on Michael, and he became one of the first chief scouts in Canada, one of the top honours at the time. It was his first introduction to leadership, and he enjoyed being outdoors in the wild.

He was also influenced by the Reverend at his church who encouraged taking care of those around him and treating them well, in an effort to make this world make more sense. 

Groups you were born into:

Michael was born into the West Indian culture, his mother being from Trinidad and Tobago, and his father from Grenada. 

He was raised with a strong moral compass, where being true to what your heart knew was the right thing to do took precedence over what others told you to do. 

Groups you chose to belong to:

Michael learned the value of teamwork during his rowing years. All four rowers needed to have perfect synchronicity in movement and choreography to make the boat move forward consistently, quickly and meaningfully. He extrapolates that coordination into his approach to work even today.

Temperament and personality influences

Michael is an eternal optimist and a self-confessed inquirer. 

He has grown into appreciating what his life has afforded him, in contrast to the realities of life he comes across on his travels. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Michael once worked for a start-up whose culture he couldn’t identify with. The business eventually failed, which taught him to trust his gut. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

For Michael to give his best at a job, he needs to work together with his employer. He believes that when everyone on a team participates, it helps solve problems better. 

More great insights from our guest!

Michael advises taking the time to get accustomed to any new culture. When people from that culture notice you taking an effort to observe, they will appreciate it and help you bridge the gap.

If you would like to learn more about overcoming cultural obstacles, read Michael’s blog on his website and share your thoughts! 

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Bio for Christian Höferle

Christian Höferle is a cultural consultant and mentor with his company, The Culture Mastery. 

Based in Atlanta, Christian is German by passport, American by choice, and Bavarian at heart. 

Episode highlight

Tune into this podcast to learn how German Christian Höferle unearthed valuable lessons from Americans to help people develop a deeper understanding of different cultures. 

Links

Email: ch@TheCultureMastery.com

Website: https://theculturemastery.com/#contact

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/interculturaltrainerconsultant

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/christianhoeferle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hoeferle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCultureMastery/, https://www.facebook.com/TheCultureGuy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theculturemastery/

Quotes

“If it doesn’t work, I didn’t fail; I learned what didn’t work, and I will course-correct.”

“There is nothing wrong in making mistakes, the only thing you could do wrong is staying stuck in your mistakes.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Christian grew up with little tolerance for people who complained about their lives, because he had understood that one needs to work hard for what one wants. This led him to become an entrepreneur later in life. 

Groups you were born into:

Christian believes that all Germans continue to learn from the past demons of their country. His motivation behind working with cultures is to contribute to a cultural understanding, which in the past, Germans didn’t exhibit. 

Groups you chose to belong to:

At 17, Christian went to Minnesota, USA and learned English. He was challenged with different ways of doing things, and it made him “aware that people do things differently around the world” which showed equal results. 

Temperament and personality influences

Christian is “blunt to a fault” and not afraid of confrontation. He also has a short temper and can become impatient. However, he seeks harmony in personal and professional situations.

He claims that he is a dominant Knowledge personality type and values intelligence, logic, technological advancement, research development, competence, accuracy, and a big picture view. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

As an exchange student, his host family took him to visit Nebraska, where they attended a loud, chaotic, celebratory church service, unlike the solemn ones he was used to. When he had a moment to speak with Tony, the host father, he commented that this was not how people should worship God. Tony reprimanded him saying he needed to respect how other people did things, even if it was different from how he did them. That day, Tony taught him an important life lesson about tolerance and inclusion.

More great insights from our guest!

Christian wants everyone to be comfortable with their vulnerability. Realizing that we all make mistakes in dealing with people from different cultures allows us to accept our imperfections, making our lives easier. 

If you want to become more aware of your own biases and realize that it’s not wrong to have those, reach ou

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Bio for Catherine Vu

Catherine Vu manages Pro-Active IT Management Inc., and supports many social causes.

Episode highlight

As a Vietnamese woman in IT, Catherine Vu has crossed many barriers to be a successful entrepreneur. In this podcast, she shares how the Vietnamese and Canadian cultures have shaped her. 

Links

Email: cvu@proactiveit.ca

Twitter: @itCatherine

Instagram: CatherineVy 

Website: www.proactiveit.ca

Quotes

“What’s important is how connected we can be as a community and how we can grow and help each other.”

“The worst thing that can happen is I fail. If I fail, I start again from Day 1.”

“If they don’t know me, they can’t judge me.”

“Treat others how you want to be treated.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Catherine learned by watching her parents, the importance of responsibility and hard work. 

Her mother always told them, “You have my trust until you break it. Once you break it, good luck getting it back!” She trusts her employees on their IT expertise, and even trusts her competitors.

Groups you were born into:

As a Vietnamese, Catherine imbibed her need for predictability, security and control. As an entrepreneur and leader, she works to push past those limitations and surpass her personal boundaries for growth. 

Groups you chose to belong to:

When Catherine’s family first found out her brother had Down’s syndrome, she suggested that they join support groups. She became involved in volunteering out of her curiosity to learn more about her brother’s condition. 

She is also an active part of women’s entrepreneur groups. 

Temperament and personality influences

Catherine describes herself happy, punctual, impatient and direct in communication - a Vietnamese trait. 

She continually works to better herself - both personally and professionally. She hopes to make an impact by walking the talk and leading by example.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

She notices certain aspects of her Vietnamese culture makes her stand out from other people: she doesn’t mind having soup for breakfast and sometimes gets into other people’s personal space, but does mind when children hit each other on their heads – a body part considered sacred in her culture.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Catherine prefers to be given the freedom to work and find her way to the desired outcome. As long as the employer is forthright and direct about expectations, she will ensure that she delivers the results. 

More great insights from our guest!

Catherine has learned that to be a good leader, you need to be involved with people who are not like you. She keeps reminding herself as a leader to learn from people, things and experiences and be a more compassionate and empathetic person by recognizing those differences.

If you know someone who needs IT support, especially a non-profit, contact Catherine’s on-demand outsourced IT Company today!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Teresa Spinelli

Teresa Spinelli is the President of the Italian Centre Shop, a chain with 4 stores (located in Edmonton and Calgary), over 500 employees and sales exceeding 70 million. 

Episode highlight

As an Italian-Canadian, Teresa Spinelli was raised with strong Italian values of family and community, which she brings into her role as the President of a chain of Italian Food Stores. 

Links

Email: teresa.spinelli@italiancentre.ca

Website: www.italiancentre.ca

Quotes

“You never know the difference you make in people’s lives.”

“Telling people what to do doesn’t ever really work very well.”

“Everyone wants to know that they can make a difference and they matter.”

“We’re all the same – everybody wants to matter and make a difference, everybody loves food and loves family.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

As a child, Teresa really wanted to accompany her father on a particular hunting trip he was taking. When he said no, she resolved to become such a fun person that no one would ever turn down an offer of a trip with her. 

Groups you were born into and belonged to:

Teresa was greatly influenced by and grew up in an inner-city Italian community. However, the strong bond she had with her family members and the abundance of both love and food in her home stood in stark contrast to what her classmates experienced. 

Temperament and personality influences

Teresa is a self-confessed people person. She was born with a sense of wonder – looking to learn new and different things with an open mind.

She had to learn to be persistent as a necessity to run her business. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Teresa learned that her family’s way of doing things was different from what her friends from other cultures understood as normal and acceptable. 

Another time, when Teresa’s Australian (feminist) friend came to visit, she was aghast at the fact that her mother was fetching her brother olives. However, her mother explained that she did it out of love and not subservience. That conversation changed the way both women looked at the situation and gave them a fresh perspective. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

Good employers give employees the task, check in once in a while, but truly allow them the opportunity to achieve the goal – they let them shine!

More great insights from our guest!

Teresa remarks, “Culture is interesting because everybody is different. As it is a global world now, you have to learn more about cultures.” Learning the aspects of different cultures, asking for permission before acting, and not taking offense or misunderstanding another’s actions are all ways in which we can appreciate and accept each other more. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Ada

Ada Tai, a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and a Chartered Manager (C. Mgr.), has been working as an HR professional in a variety of industries and organizations since 10 years. She instructs at MacEwan University and Metro Continuing Education and mentors MBA Program students at the University of Alberta.

Episode highlight

Ada Tai’s self-confidence and courage have served her well from mainland China to Canada. In this podcast, she speaks about how her culture and upbringing shaped her approach to life and work.

Links

Email: adatai2015@gmail.com

Website: www.badab101.com

​LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/adatai 

Facebook: ​https://www.facebook.com/badabconsulting

Quotes

“Don’t give up – go above, go around, go under – you will go through all the barriers.” 

“I love working in HR – there isn’t one day that isn’t challenging. Each day offers variety and the opportunity to realize my passion to work with people.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Ada’s parents encouraged her to speak to people at hotels, restaurants, and tourist destinations, where she learned how to interact confidently with strangers. Ada came to Canada as an undergraduate student at the University of Alberta.

Groups you were born into:

Ada grew up learning how to be humble, respectful, and a good listener, which is part of the Chinese culture. Her entire family believed in hard work and that anyone can reap the benefits of putting effort into work.

Groups you chose to belong to:

As a millennial, Ada likes to be ‘lean and mean’- to do the most in the least time possible, allowing her to be efficient. 

Temperament and personality influences

Ada has always been an enterprising and self-expressed person. She has learned that people have different motivations, and those may be different from her expectations of them. She now comes up with different solutions to the problems she faces when working with colleagues and clients. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

From her Chinese culture, Ada learned to be respectful and defer to those who are older or who have more authority. Even now, when dining with colleagues of varying seniority, she raises her glass slightly lower than theirs, as a sign of respect from her culture. 

On the flip side, Ada learned the hard way that underplaying her role as prescribed by her culture, sabotaged chances for advancement in Canada. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

When people make suggestions, looking for the greater reason behind it would help them understand better how to work across difference.

It may also be helpful for employers to learn a few phrases in languages their team members speak, to develop better relationships. 

More great insights from our guest!

Ada provides HR consulting to organizations and corporate training, and helps individuals with career planning and job search coaching. Reach out to her for any help!

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Ashif Mawji

Ashif Mawji is a social entrepreneur and investor and presently serves as a Venture Partner at Rising Tide.

Ashif has won numerous awards and serves on the boards of many organizations. He was named a Henry Crown Fellow in 2015. 

Episode highlights:

In this episode, you will find out how Ashif’s rise from poverty to serial entrepreneurial wealth was developed, and the servant leadership style he formed as a result.

Links

• http://www.ashifmawji.com/
• @ashifmawji (Twitter)
• https://www.sarahschoolofmusic.com/donate-1-1

Quotes:

• “Consistently following your values is how you build trust.”
• “No matter what state you are in, giving is very important. Find causes you are passionate about, start volunteering and see if it is a fit.”

Takeaways:

Childhood incidents:

Born in Mombasa, Kenya, with humble beginnings, Ashif learned from his parents that giving was not only important but necessary. Even though they didn’t have much, every Friday, his family would hand out Kenyan shillings to homeless people at the Mosque. 

Once, his best friend at school invited him for lunch. His friend’s mother took a bit of bread and after adding some water to the milk, shared her children’s food with Ashif so everyone could eat. This was a powerful experience for Ashif and is the living example of his motto, “No matter what your circumstances, you can always be generous.”

Groups you were born into:

Ashif grew up in a family with a strong sense of entrepreneurship. His parents told him “You can have anything you want, you just have to find a way to pay for it!” This taught him early on to find ways to make money. 

Groups you chose to belong to:

The Henry Crown Fellowship taught Ashif to ask the question, “Just because you can, should you?” and focusing on values and being true to your word. 

Ashif used to race motorcycles as a team and learned to ‘take one for the team’ to help the other team members build their capacity. In business, he translates this to ‘leading from behind’. 

Temperament and personality influences

Ashif has a ‘Type A’ personality. It helps him take action and make decisions, but he sometimes rushes with decisions and makes more mistakes as a result. He also describes himself as impatient. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

One time, there was a homeless person who fell in the street, and without thinking, Ashif picked him up and helped him. He then realized that everyone else was just standing around wondering if they should do something. 

Advice to an employer to work with me

“Tell me the end goal, and let me have the tools, but let me find the way to get there on my own.”

More great insights from our guest!

As a result of volunteering, Ashif believes you will make strong relationship connections with people you otherwise would not have met. 

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Yvonne Chu

Yvonne was born in Burma and raised in Hong Kong. She immigrated with her family to Canada at the age of 16.

She attended the University of Alberta, and has worked as a Settlement Practitioner and a Health Promotion Practitioner. In 1994, she and 12 others created the Multicultural Health Brokers Workers’ Cooperative Ltd. 

Yvonne is passionate about finding the true nature of social inclusion and inter-culturalism.

Episode highlights:

Join Yvonne as she explains how silent leadership from her grandmother in the form of grace and love helped her grow into a leader herself. 

Links:

• Multicultural Health Brokers Co-op (MCHB)
• Facebook
• mmchb@mchb.orgchb

Quotes:

• “Even with very difficult life circumstances, human beings are incredibly strong. They become even stronger when surrounded by love.”
• “I believe it is important to create room for individuals to have democratic relationships at work, even in a hierarchy.”
• “It is helpful to deliberately open a space for introverts so we feel able to contribute.”

Takeaways:

Childhood incidents:

From the age of 2-16, Yvonne lived in one apartment with 10 older family members in Hong Kong. She was very observant of relationships and perceptive of emerging conflicts. She considers herself fortunate to have grown up in a very loving and supportive family. 

Groups you were born into:

As a Daoist leader, Yvonne’s grandmother personified bringing out the best in others, guiding others from the side, quietly. Yvonne claims that is the type of leadership that introverted people like her can really grow into. 

Groups you chose to belong to:

From multicultural leaders, Yvonne learned that people have much in common in shared humanity. She is still learning about love and honoring one another, and how strength is built through that process. 

Temperament and personality influences

Yvonne is an extreme introvert, yet very engaged in relational work. She allows herself to listen and not feel obligated to speak. By doing this, she can gather diverse views and reflect them back to the group easily. She also identifies opportunities to optimize harmony.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

The Chinese culture puts a lot of emphasis on context and the unspoken. Others may miss that, or not believe Yvonne when she explains it.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Yvonne asks that employers not judge her for being an introvert. She requires them to trust her and others who bring other senses and ways of being to the workplace and see what can be learned from that. “Believe people who have relational skills and use those insights to harmonize workplace relationships,” she states.

More great insights from our guest!

Human stories can inform policy and inform systems. Get involved in finding ways to hear the stories of the people in your community.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

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Bio for Judy Lynn

For 13 years, Judy Lynn was CEO and founding president of Women Building Futures, an organization dedicated to helping women find employment in careers where women are under-represented. During her career journey, she has collected many accolades and brought together women who were looking for better jobs with employers who were searching for skilled workers.

Episode highlights:

On women in the trades: “Money doesn’t buy everything, but it certainly brings peace and security to a person’s heart. It’s my responsibility to get women to that point of saying – I can do it and I can make a hell of a living doing it.”

Links:

• Women Building Futures Endowment Fund
• LinkedIn
• Women Building Futures website
• jlarcher@shaw.ca

Quotes:

• “I learned that women can do anything we want to do if we put our mind to it.”
• “If I want something, I have to make it happen.”

Takeaways:

Childhood incidents:

Judy Lynn’s childhood was one of unending worry and poverty. She was fearful, and desperate to get out of poverty and make sure her adult life would not be like her childhood. 

Groups you were born into:

By facing reality and deciding that it was up to her to make it work, Judy Lynn was able to move out of her survival mentality. She learned to get a job, work and save money to ensure her financial independence and freedom. 

Groups you chose to belong to:

The first time Judy Lynn heard the vision of the Women Building Futures founding members team, she realized that all her career had led to this moment. She found herself being able to offer something that no one else could do. 

Temperament and personality influences

Judy Lynn combines her tenacity with tolerance, empathy and a non-judgemental attitude towards others. She says, “Judgment seems to be part of the human condition and we need to be aware of it and work against it.” She had to learn to be helpful to others and to ask for help. When she started working with WBF, she had to adjust to being more empathetic. 

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

Judy Lynn says she was very hard headed and business oriented, made decisions by herself and kept moving towards the goal. When working with social workers she found it challenging to work collectively, listen, and reflect.

Advice to an employer to work with me

“Don’t dismiss what senior employees can offer. Even though I’m officially a geezer, I hope that employer will believe that my long life of experience has value and recognize that I have something of value to bring.”

More great insights from our guest!

There is a big difference between people who are surrounded by family that encourages and engages with them and people who don’t have that. 

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Bio for Anthony

Anthony D. King is the President and Founder of Associated Konsultants, which provides expert IT & Cyber Security consulting services with a genuine and personal interest in serving the customers’ needs.

Episode highlight

Anthony King’s grandmother was a pivotal influence in helping him develop into the kind of leader he is today. She told him, “No matter who you are in life and what you do, always do the right thing and try to make a difference.”

Links

• Associated Konsultants https://akonsultants.com
• LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/akonsultants
• AKing@akonsultants.com
• Twitter: Us2King

Quotes

“There are two times in life when doing your best isn’t good enough. That’s when more is expected and more is needed.”

Takeaways

Childhood incidents:

Anthony’s grandmother was a primary influence in his life. She never expected anything, but spent her lifetime trying to make a difference, which drives Anthony in his decision making today.

Anthony’s father taught him how to listen and to speak when you have something of value to add. His favourite saying was, “An empty wagon makes a lot of noise.” When Anthony was a manager, he taught everyone to listen twice as much as they talk since you have two ears and one mouth.

Groups you were born into:

As an African American, Anthony discovered that the further he moved up to management, the fewer were the people of colour. He learned to be observant and to be confident with any group because he needed to. Anthony married a person who was not black, and his wife became very frustrated with people who didn’t understand race issues.

Groups you chose to belong to:

Young people are a strong influence in Anthony’s life. “I keep associating with youth so my thinking stays fresh. Young people are not aware what they can’t do, we stop thinking because we shut down about what we think we can’t do. But even from mouths of babies come words of wisdom.”

Temperament and personality influences

Although his strongest traits were patience, being mild-mannered and observant, he had to learn to be patient with others who were not as driven professionally as he was.

A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience

When Anthony was in Australia and working with a team, he found out only seven months later that the expression “I’m stuffed” in Australia had a different meaning than having eaten too much, and was in fact, offensive.

Advice to an employer to work with me

Respect the individual enough to have the freedom and latitude to work. Give people the resources they need and then get out of the way.

More great insights from our guest!

Anthony has learned to speak up and have the courage to do the right thing for himself, not just for others. Even if nothing changes as a result, he feels better about it when he speaks up.

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Bio:

With her company, Shift Management Inc., Marie Gervais, PhD., brings workplace learning to new heights with online supervisory leadership training for industry, career development coaching and tools to improve workplace communications across cultures. She applies field-based practical tools to workplace problems, builds capacity for systems thinking and problem solving, and facilitates collaborative teamwork for today’s diverse workforce. If you are looking for leadership training with real workplace results to bring out the talents and skills of the team a conversation with Marie is the best place to start.

Episode highlights:

How…

• Marie’s childhood with immigrant and pioneer parents and their friends taught her to seek understanding across difference
• The experience of being in Japan interviewing men from war torn countries planted the seeds for the Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast
• Individuals are affected by groups and groups affect individuals – and why that is a new podcast perspective

Links:

https://shiftworkplace.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderstraining/

marie@shiftworkplace.com

Featured article: https://shiftworkplace.com/difference-cultural-intercultural-competency/

Quotes:

“The people I have interviewed typically ask themselves a lot of questions based on the probing that the interview leads them towards. In many ways, their experience mirrors the first experience I had in Japan with my “men and peace” interview project. I’m certain you will really enjoy these interviews and that they will provide you with insights into the complexity of how individuals interact with groups and how groups impact individuals.”

Takeaways:

• My definition of culture: any group that creates norms and ways of being together.
• My definition of leadership : anything that causes others to want to follow your example.
• Living in way that causes others to want to follow you and the impact of the groups you were born into and the ones you chose, is what this podcast is all about.
• In this podcast, you will discover what cultural influences have formed the careers of noteworthy leaders in a variety of professions by exploring the groups that shaped who they are today.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)