#38: Valerie Hope - Creating Work Culture through Curiosity, Connection and Centeredness
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
IN THIS EPISODE: We’re going to start 2023 with Hope, specifically Valerie Hope. Valerie brings a truly global approach to leadership and building diverse, inclusive and equal work cultures. For Valerie it starts with curiosity and she shares how her early life as a self-proclaimed “military brat” and global traveller taught her the skills she now. shares with her clients. The conversation is wide ranging just like her perspectives and has a little something for everyone. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Being a curious and creative learner has set Valerie Hope apart as an accomplished leadership coach...
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#37: Insight Bite - Embracing the Darkness
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
Today is the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. Today is also a turning point. In this short "Insight Bite" episode, Ken shares a thought for using these dark hours to begin a transformation that will spark our growth in the year to come.
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#36: Insight Bite - Gratitude
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
IN THIS EPISODE: In the US, it’s the time of the year when we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and are grateful for the many blessings of the past year. Ken suggests a particular focus for this year’s reflections in this short, “Insight Bite” episode. INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work at You can also connect with him on Twitter: and on Instagram: ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His focus is on creating a more human workplace. His firm...
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#35: Tara Nolan - Building a plan for post-work
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
N THIS EPISODE: On the podcast, we tend to focus on our present-day goals for work, but what about our goals for post-work? What kind of life do we want to live after we leave the workplace? Today’s guest, Tara Nolan, builds on her background as a pilot and logistics officer for the US Air Force to help people see the whole picture of both their work, and post-work, lives and build a financial plan that makes sense. The key is “understanding the mission” and putting goals ahead of tools. While the topic is money, there’s also some great insights about problem-solving, connecting and...
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#34: Tim Mousseau - Beyond Psychological Safety
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
IN THIS EPISODE: Many of us are aware of Google’s Project Aristotle which discovered a key characteristic of high performing teams was a climate of “psychological safety” - that team members could speak up and share opinions without fear of any kind of reprisal or repercussion. Neuroscience backs this up - we do our best thinking when we feel safe and are working in an environment of trust. But feeling safe goes beyond just the ability to express thoughts and opinions, it extends to other aspects of our lives such as culture and identity. Today’s guest, Tim Mousseau, has...
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#33: Cait Donovan - Burnout, Boundaries and Resentments
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
N THIS EPISODE: We often think about burnout from an overwhelmed, overworked, and stressed out perspective. Today’s guest, Cait Donovan, suggests we also look at another source - boundaries, and the resentments caused when those boundaries are violated. She walks us through her own journey of burnout and boundaries and shares helpful lessons for all of us to have more resilient, balanced and healthy lives. Our conversation also touches on some eastern philosophy and neuroscience and how they impact our experience and responses to burnout. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Cait Donovan is one of New York...
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#32: Mackey McNeil - The 3 Freedoms of Prosperity
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
IN THIS EPISODE: For many, the topic of finances can feel confining and burdensome, certainly not freeing and uplifting. Today’s guest, Mackey McNeil, helps us break through some of the limiting thoughts about finances that can hold us back and limit our ability to not only become more prosperous but get more enjoyment out of life. Mackey will share how to achieve success and abundance utilizing the 3 Freedoms of Prosperity: Money freedom, Time Freedom, and Freedom from Worry. She is the author of several award-winning books, including “The Intersection of Joy and Money” and “The...
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#31: Deb Lewis - Friend instead of Foe? Using Stress to your Advantage.
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
N THIS EPISODE: Can we make stress a friend, or at least keep it from being a foe or an enemy? Today’s guest, Deb Lewis would like to challenge our thinking about stress and encourage us to look at it from a different perspective. Deb is no stranger to stress. As one of the first female candidates to graduate from West Point and then as a leader in combat, Deb understands the impact of stress on performance. In this episode, she shares her experiences, perspective, and several tools so we can pivot and instead of being crushed by stress, we can actually use it to our advantage. ABOUT...
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#30: Kori Reed - Is “Me Too” backfiring?
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
N THIS EPISODE: While “Me Too” and other movements had done tremendous good in amplifying the stories and voices of women who have not been treated fairly in the workplace, there may be a hidden cost. Researcher Kori Reed explores gender equality in the workplace and as she surveyed male leaders across the country she began to notice a trend. Many men, while wanting an inclusive workplace culture where men and women can both thrive, were nonetheless so uncertain about crossing the line from an innocent comment to a harassment complaint that they would avoid any conversation on gender...
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#29: Carl Seidman - Retire at 32? Diversify your life!
Insight at Work with Ken Blackwell
IN THIS EPISODE: Almost all of us see the wisdom in having a diversified financial portfolio, it’s smart investing not to have all your eggs in one basket. But what about the portfolio of our lives? Rarely do we think about the value in diversifying our lives and careers - not only to minimize risk, but also to create opportunities. The upside potential isn’t just monetary, there are mental wellness and life experience benefits as well. Today’s guest Carl Seidman applied his financial acumen to his career and began diversifying his life by retiring at age 32! There’s more to the story...
info_outlineIN THIS EPISODE:
A recent Gallup report titled “Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures”, says that: “employee burnout is a symptom of modern workplaces that are increasingly fast-paced, complex and demanding.” The World Health Organization has recognized burnout as an illness defined as “an occupational syndrome caused by chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” The impact of this unmanaged stress is reduced productivity, disengaged workers, and increased absenteeism. And it’s been well-documented that stress can cost businesses billions each year in healthcare costs.
How do we avoid becoming burned out?
Today’s guest, Janice Litvin, has some answers. Janice is the author of “Banish Burnout” and she is on a mission to help leaders and teams to lower stress and eliminate burnout in their organizations, so their employees can be healthy, happy, and ready to work.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Recognizing signs of burnout so you can head it off.
- Some powerful strategies for managing stress for work & life.
- How to Set healthy boundaries to prevent burnout
- and ultimately, how to go from stressed out & negative to happy & healthy
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Janice Litvin is on a mission to help leaders and teams banish burnout in their organizations. She does this through keynote speeches, workshops, and accountability groups.
As an award-winning speaker, certified virtual presenter, and official SHRM Recertification Provider, she wants to help as many people as possible take care of their physical and mental health, including teaching them to manage stress to prevent burnout, fall in love with fitness, and eat healthier. In these ways, she is helping people change their lives. She has developed unique strategies to maximize engagement in workplace wellness and has also developed a stress management methodology available through her workbook, Banish Burnout Toolkit™.
What makes Janice unique is that in addition to 20 years as a technology recruiter, 10 years of IT experience, and her studies of psychology, she has overcome all the challenges she talks about in her presentations. She went from being overweight and sedentary with a critical, negative attitude to a lighter, fitter, happier person who now teaches Zumba Fitness and leads stress management and healthy eating workshops and accountability groups. She is certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.
After forming Micro Search in 1983 to help clients learn how to manage their business using a desktop computer, she became a human resource executive technology recruiter in response to her Fortune 500 clients’ needs for technology talent. Over the next twenty years, clients included Charles Schwab, Oracle, The Gap, Computer Partners, Network Appliance, QuinStreet, Symantec, Vodafone, Chiron, TheraSense, Nokia, Borland, United States Army, Pacific Gas & Electric and Pacific Bell.
Janice has served on the Workplace Wellness Committee of the American Heart Association and spoken on their behalf to San Francisco Bay Area organizations. She is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, WELCOA (Wellness Council of America), and SHRM Northern California (Society for Human Resource Management). In 2017 she formed the Bay Area Wellness Association.
In addition to SHRM Nor Cal, Janice has worked with a range of other clients to present wellness workshops and programs, including PIHRA (Professionals in Human Resources Association), CAL SAE (California Society of Association Executives), Coral Reef Alliance, San Mateo Unified High School District, WellRight, Minnesota State SHRM Council, NCHRA (Next Concept Human Resources Association), First Republic Bank, Robert Half, Cities of Walnut Creek and Sunnyvale, and US HHS.
SHOW NOTES:
Find out more about Janice at: www.JaniceLitvin.com
To get your free copy of the “Banish Burnout Toolkit” go to: www.JaniceLitvin.com/resources
For more on “Morning Pages” check out “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron.
INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC:
Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris’ work at http://chrisluccamusic.comYou can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_
ABOUT THE HOST:
Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.
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