Connections That Matter Podcast: Recent Episodes
connectionsthatmatter
Conversations with talented, purpose-driven people who draw on the power of human connection to succeed in business and beyond.
Meet Aaron Pina—a “culture broker” who brings a whole lot of experience and humanity to everything he does. In this wide-ranging and heartfelt conversation, Aaron talks about his experience growing up as a biracial person in America, and how his experiences as a Veteran, former UN Peacekeeper and State Department analyst, teacher, and anthropologist help him bring a unique, human-rights perspective to his work helping clients build cultures of trust, inclusion, and belonging.
We live in a world of rapidly changing standards of conduct and expectations. The discomfort that comes with disruption is space that Aaron is uniquely suited for. We talk about how to navigate the “churn” that we’re all experiencing and come out the other side more peaceful and prosperous.
For more information about Aaron Pina and his company, Anhropolicy Culture Brokers, visit his LinkedIN company page, here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anthropolicy-culture-brokers/
Matt sits down with longtime friend and author Marin Sardy to talk about her new book, "The Edge of Every Day: Sketches of Schizophrenia." Marin had a most unusual life growing up with two close family members suffering from Schizophrenia. The book is a multi-dimensional exploration of the nature and impact of mental illness on relationships and one's sense of self, as well as a critical look at the way governments treat the mentally ill.
More about Marin:
Marin Sardy is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir The Edge of Every Day: Sketches of Schizophrenia (Pantheon 2019). Her essays have appeared in Tin House, Guernica, the New Yorker online, the Paris Review online, the Rumpus, Fourth Genre, the Missouri Review, and many other journals, as well as in two award-winning photography books—Landscape Dreams (2012) and Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby (2009). A Pushcart Prize nominee, Sardy has three times had her work listed as “notable” in Best American series and has been awarded fellowships by Hawthornden Castle, Catwalk Institute, and the Hertog Foundation. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and teaches writing for Pace University and Catapult. She is currently at work on her second book.
https://www.marinsardy.com/
Mark Tudyk is an International Purser for a major airline with over 40 years of experience flying. In his decades of flying and leading crews at 30,000 feet, Mark has seen it all. He has the unique perspective as a leader whose decisions have life or death consequences. This conversation with Mark features real-life stories and lessons on how to communicate in high-tension situations, the importance of rallying support from others, and the positive results that can multiply when leaders bring people together for a good cause.
As Mark puts it...
"The fact that you’re in an aluminum tube seven miles in the sky moving eight miles a minute with 200-300+ people creates the unimaginable situations and conflicts. I believe that whenever people are in a confined space, there will be conflict and a need for resolution. Adding human nature to this equation does at times, make a resolution unattainable.
Technology has been a great tool to assist in finding the common ground and working through conflict to find the win/win solution that often exists. To be successful in maintaining the safety of the passengers and crew and the integrity of the flight my skills are constantly being challenged.
Communication of every type is the golden key to success. Experience has taught me important differences of cultural communication and how to maintain a non-confrontational manner."
Keywords: #leadership #agility #conflictresolution #communication #bodylanguage #communication #inspiration #humannature
More About Mark
Mark Tudyk was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and currently resides in Sarasota, Florida. He was hired as a Flight Attendant in 1979 at the age of 20. He flew domestically for the first 14 years of his career, and then in 1993 he applied for and successfully completed the training for the Purser program. Mark has been working as the International Purser/Onboard Leader since then. Over the last 27 years he's been involved in countless inflight disputes and unusual situations that are unique to aviation.
In this Season 2 kickoff episode, join us for a conversation with seasoned public speaker and coach Paddy Spruce about how to connect with audiences through authenticity and humor. Paddy shares stories, tips, and best practices from his decades of experience helping leaders hone their public speaking skills and gain the confidence they need to accelerate their careers, have a meaningful impact, and make connections that matter.
For more on Paddy Spruce, visit him here:
Website: paddspruce.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddyspruce/
A brief message thanking our listeners for Season 1, inviting feedback, and announcing that there will be a Season 2!
[Note: There is a slight humming sound during the beginning of the conversation, which thankfully is gone after the 3 minute mark.]
Atlanta-based consultant Oneka Cornelius was born and raised in New York, where her business education started at the young age of 16 helping to run a small business. By age 19, she was working on Wall Street processing yen trades for the Industrial Bank of Japan. Oneka has gone on to become one of the most experienced and talented change management consultants on the East Coast, with a journey that has included working for one of the “Big 5” and helping lead a dramatic and high-profile change initiative for the Coca-Cola Company.
During this hour-long conversation, Oneka shares stories and wisdom keys from her past experiences that she is drawing on to refocus her purpose through the ongoing global crisis in a process she’s calling “grace-filled deconstruction.”
This conversation is perfect for any leader looking to draw on Oneka’s incredible experience and inspiring energy to navigate through these times with purpose and grace, focused on service to others.
Keywords: #grace #purpose #leadership #reinvention #strengths
More about Oneka
Oneka Jefferson-Cornelius serves as the CEO and Principal Consultant for Convergence Solutions.
Her vast and varied experience has led her to greatly impact organizational dynamics through the development and application of cutting-edge leadership coaching, organizational effectiveness, and change management methods.
With more than 20 years experience, Oneka’s career has spanned many facets and functions, allowing her to serve as a leader, consultant, and mentor for global consultancies and multinational corporations, within multiple industries.
She remains steadfast in her aim to bring expertise and insight to bear in helping her clients take informed, decisive action to build thriving organizations, with a keen focus on their most important and powerful resource...people.
For a comprehensive overview of Oneka's professional accomplishments, visit her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onekajcornelius/
For more about Convergence Solutions, visit the website here: http://convergencesolutions.consulting
When she answered a blind ad in the local newspaper, a young Christina Khoo had no idea the adventure she would end up on. Twenty-five years later, she had built a thriving life insurance agency, and had learned a ton about leadership, business fundamentals, and how to constantly grow through any experience. When it was time to sell the business and move on to the next chapter, the natural next step was to start coaching others.
During this conversation, Christina shares her experiences growing up in Singapore, and inspires us all to keep learning and following curiosities along the way. We also learn how Christina has learned to “self coach,” which involves asking and answering certain types of questions.
keywords: #resilience #values #growth #learning #coaching
More About Christina
Christina is a leadership and executive coach who works with individuals and teams seeking to create sustainable change by employing a brain-based approach to her coaching. Her belief in the inexhaustible human potential in people fuels her quest to provide inspirational messages, structures and systems to facilitate self-discovery and greater achievements in her clients.
She comes with a background of 25 years in the financial services industry where she honed her skills as a respected leader, coach and motivator to thousands of consultants. A great communicator, her engaging presentations have made her a well sought-after speaker and trainer in the industry. She has graced many platforms and training events both locally and internationally over the past 20 years, addressing audiences on a range of topics from sales & marketing, to leadership and management and personal & professional effectiveness.
Connect with Christina on LinkedIn, here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-khoo-pcc-66084b22/
Pete Rayls has an unbelievable story to tell about the life and death consequences of having "connections that matter." During this episode, learn about how a relationship between a Canadian general and his American counterpart prevented World War III...and much more.
Peter ("Pete") Rayls dreamed of attending the U.S. Naval Academy as a young man. When the rejection letter came, Pete not only didn't crumble, he doubled his efforts. Pretty soon he had offers from both the Naval Academy and West Point. So is the nature of Pete Rayls, whose blend of humility, intellect, and persistence come together in what can best be described as a model of "quiet leadership." In addition to eventually teaching at West Point, Pete served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of major, leading teams in Germany and Iraq, and earning a bronze star along the way.
In addition to sharing reflections from his time at West Point and deployment in Iraq, Pete talks about the role of studying history in making strategic decisions.
leadership #quietleadership #westpoint #history #militaryhistory
More About Pete
Pete Rayls is currently a PhD candidate at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. He has six years of teaching experience at the university and secondary school levels, including working as an instructor at West Point. He also has over 13 years of experience in management and supervisory positions while serving in the United States Army, both in the United States and abroad.
Connect with Pete on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-rayls-b1101044
Fresh off the June 4, 2020 premier of her TEDx talk, "Dare to Lead like a Girl," consultant and seasoned global marketing executive Dalia Feldheim joins the Connections That Matter Podcast to share learnings from two pivotal, contrasting tales of leadership from her work experience. The first was during her time as a young brand manager at P&G, where she was encouraged to be herself and empowered to deliver great results. Dalia went on to play a central role in developing the iconic, award-winning #likeagirl campaign. The second was her experience in a toxic environment later in her career, as a member of the C-suite of another major consumer products company.
In addition to wisdom and learnings from her career journey, we get to enjoy the story of how this Israel-born daughter of British parents ended up routing through Geneva and Moscow, eventually settling down in Singapore. She's now dedicating the next chapter of her career to helping individuals and companies find purpose and joy at work.
Keywords: #purpose #strengthbasedleadership #mentalhealth #resilience #humansfirst #feedback #leadership #tedx
URL for Dalia's TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/nAUIJlAhW5c
More About Dalia
Dalia believes that it is time for a new model of leadership. She calls it "Flow Leadership," leading with purpose, passion, and positivity.
In addition to her marketing expertise, having worked at the highest levels for iconic consumer brands, Dalia has never stopped learning, growing, and adapting. She is certified in both leadership coaching and the "science of happiness," and she holds a Masters in Organizational Psychology from INSEAD. She's also working on an upcoming book, and empowering leaders with knowledge and skills through teaching, public speaking, training, coaching, and consulting.
Find out more about Dalia's work at https://daliafeldheim.com/
How does a person go from working on film sets in New Zealand to jetsetting with Hollywood elites around the world, to becoming an expert in conflict resolution, to providing top-shelf coaching to executives and teaching graduate students at USC? Well, you're going to find out!
It's hard to find a person with more energy, passion, and dedication than Helena Goto, an L.A.-based coach, consultant, and ombudsman, who also finds time to share knowledge with graduate students as an adjunct professor at USC. In this hour-long conversation, you'll hear great stories that touch on Helena's fascinating life journey, and how she navigated her way to a career helping leaders have the kind of direct, open dialogue they need to nurture resilient, innovative, healthy teams.
Although this conversation was taped prior to the recent protests for racial justice, Helena shares on the timely topic of reconciliation in contexts such a conflict resolution and the #metoo movement. Listeners will also learn the key ingredients to an effective apology, the first of which is to acknowledge the facts of what really happened.
Between the fantastic life stories, great practical tips, and the overwhelming positive energy that emanates from Helena's genuine passion for bringing together "Peacemakers," you don't want to miss the opportunity to tap into the Helena Goto power source.
For more information about Helena, you can visit Helena's business page at www.gotosinc.com.
Chris Tighe is an award-winning, crime-fighting, straight-talking leader and senior advisor. With over 25 years of Federal government (and private industry) experience, spanning the U.S. Postal Service, Treasury, and Homeland Security Investigations, Chris has stories to tell, and lots of lessons he's learned along the way. But some of the biggest lessons started early in life. At one point briefly homeless, he was taken in by his parish priest, and then went off to a military boarding school, where he learned the value of building trust and practicing discipline.
During this conversation, Chris shares a lot of stories from his youth, and career, that will resonate for any leader looking to take smart risks, be more resilient, and build trust with their colleagues.
In addition to entertaining tales from his swashbuckling past, Chris shares a memorable acronym that is a great reminder for any person charged with inspiring others to achieve a common goal. Tune in to learn more about what Chris calls the L.E.A.D.E.R. model:
Leave the...
Ego behind.
Accept circumstances and people as they are.
Discipline yourself.
Evolve.
Respect everyone.
If you are a leader managing young team members, you don't want to miss this episode! Listen to Host Matt Stone's conversation with Mindy Lockard about the connection between principles of etiquette and self-awareness, relationship development, and leadership. Mindy shares stories about what led her to become formally trained in etiquette (after getting a degree in communications), and how she realized that etiquette was about human connection more than rules. She also shares tons of knowledge she's picked up working with youth that is directly applicable in the workplace. Plus, she talks about how she's using her training and talents to empower future leaders with the skills and awareness they need to live more connected, purpose-driven lives, contributing to happier homes, more productive teams, and a healthier society.
More About Mindy Lockard
Mindy Knight is an internationally recognized, Portland, Oregon-based leadership and etiquette expert.
For more than a decade, Mindy has facilitated interpersonal workshops for college athletes and alumni, government agencies, corporations and professional organizations, and youth of all ages. Mindy’s customized toolkits enable professionals at every stage of their careers and university students to foster and grow “in real life” professional and social networks, fundamental skills in a society where digital devices and social media have eclipsed conversations, meals and even smiles as preferred platforms for interpersonal engagement.
Mindy has been featured as a regular on-air television expert for KATU Afternoon Live, FOX 12 MORE Good Day Oregon, KING 5 Seattle and Huffington Post LIVE and has been featured in publications such as Forbes Woman, Oregon Business Magazine, Women’s Day and InStyle Magazine, Real Simple, Better Homes and Garden and People’s Style Watch.
For more information, visit www.mindylockard.com
She's talented, funny, insightful, and a tremendously skilled storyteller. During this hour, host Matt Stone explores with Christiane the links between comedy, storytelling, and building meaningful human connections.
In this Podcast pilot episode, listen to Host Matt Stone's conversation with Tokyo-based fitness trainer, Bodhi Kenyon. In this hour-long conversation, Bodhi and Matt discuss stories around continually improving health, relationships, leadership, and improving quality of life. Bodhi shares tips on maintaining mental fitness, dietary health, and building muscle, even if stuck at home. Listen to the end to hear about two specific exercises you can do at home with no equipment! Click here for video demos of the exercises.