Teaching Empathy, Owning Mistakes: Leadership Lessons from Dr. Nicole Price
Release Date: 06/22/2025
The Heart of 2025 Kindness: Closing Thoughts and Community Stories
Small Changes Big Shifts
As the 2025 Kindness Campaign comes to a close, Dr. Michelle Robin and Bayleigh Soza reflect on a month filled with heartwarming stories and meaningful moments that prove how small acts can create powerful ripples of change. From classrooms embracing daily kindness challenges to communities uniting across the US, they celebrate the impact of connection, compassion, and generosity. Together, they honor the partners, sponsors, and kindness influencers who helped make this year’s campaign a success, reminding listeners that kindness isn’t just...
info_outline
Championing Change: How Benjamin Gardner Uses Pickleball to Create Kindness and Community
Small Changes Big Shifts
At just 11 years old, Benjamin Gardner is proving that kindness, creativity, and purpose can spark powerful change. Alongside his dad, Kyle, Benjamin shares how his love for pickleball led to the creation of Stinger Prints—a small business with a big heart. What started as a 3D-printed bag tag has grown into a ripple of generosity supporting the Kansas City Stingers Youth Foundation. Through entrepreneurship, giving, and community, Benjamin reminds us that no one is too young to make a difference and that the best businesses are built with heart. Key Takeaways: ...
info_outline
The Power of Connection: Dr. Karyn Shanks on Healing and Transforming Lives
Small Changes Big Shifts
True healing begins when we reconnect with ourselves, with others, and with deeper wisdom within. Dr. Karyn Shanks shares how her four-decade journey as a physician led her to reimagine medicine through compassion, connection, and personal agency. From her own experience navigating chronic illness to helping others reclaim their energy and wholeness, she reveals why the best medicine starts from within. Through her grounded insights and gentle guidance, Dr. Shanks reminds us that healing is not about fixing what’s broken, it’s about remembering that we were never...
info_outline
The Power of Healing Through Play: Carron Montgomery's Wisdom on Parenting Success
Small Changes Big Shifts
Healing often begins with awareness—the quiet moment you choose to look within and face what’s beneath the surface. In this conversation, Carron Montgomery, author, counselor, and trauma specialist, shares how her work through The Invisible Riptide and upcoming graphic novel The Real Truth About Lena helps others navigate anxiety, grief, and emotional growth with compassion. Drawing from her experience as a mother, therapist, and advocate for mental health, Carron reminds us that true healing isn’t about avoiding the waves but learning to move through them with grace, empathy, and...
info_outline
Legacy of Kindness: Marcy Langhofer’s Mission for Do Good for Erin
Small Changes Big Shifts
After the tragic loss of her daughter Erin to gun violence, Marcy Langhofer transformed heartbreak into hope by founding Do Good for Erin, a nonprofit devoted to ending violence and supporting those it affects. What began as a simple clothing drive in Erin’s memory has grown into a powerful movement that’s donated over $650,000 to local agencies and awarded scholarships to future social workers. Through courage, compassion, and community, Marcy shows that even in our darkest moments, love can rise, kindness can heal, and purpose can be reborn. Key Takeaways: ...
info_outline
Before the Breakthrough: Bayleigh’s Reflections Ahead of the Hoffman Process
Small Changes Big Shifts
Before the breakthrough comes the pause, the moment when you choose to look within and prepare your heart for what’s next. In this intimate conversation, Bayleigh Soza sits down with Dr. Michelle Robin to share her reflections before beginning The Hoffman Process- a transformative journey of healing and self-discovery. At just 26, Bayleigh opens up about the courage it takes to face generational patterns, practice self-awareness, and extend grace to herself and others. Through the lens of motherhood, leadership, and inner growth, she reflects on what it means to...
info_outline
Rekindling Community and Belonging: Jerry Colonna on Kindness
Small Changes Big Shifts
Real leadership begins when we stop striving to prove our worth and start remembering who we are. Jerry Colonna blends wisdom, vulnerability, and experience in a heartfelt conversation that reimagines what it means to lead with purpose. From the fast-paced world of venture capital to guiding others through Reboot, Jerry reveals how self-awareness, courage, and belonging can transform not only our work—but our lives. With honesty and compassion, he reminds us that true growth starts within. Key Takeaways: Kindness begins with doing your own inner work so...
info_outline
Kindness Unleashed: How John Wang Transforms Lives Through Compassion
Small Changes Big Shifts
From facing personal ceilings to becoming the founder of the OneKindness Challenge, John Wang’s journey is one of growth, courage, and the power of choosing kindness. As the author of Big Asian Energy—recognized as one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2025—John has inspired millions through his writing, coaching, and global speaking. His story reflects how embracing authenticity and leading with compassion can break barriers, spark transformation, and create ripples of impact far beyond ourselves. Key Takeaways: Acts of kindness can transform lives and...
info_outline
Hope, Healing, and Community: The Inspiring Story of Matt and Chrissy Stewart
Small Changes Big Shifts
Longtime partners, parents of three, and now both cancer survivors, Matt and Chrissy Stewart’s journey is one of resilience, faith, and the power of choosing hope in the face of adversity. Diagnosed within months of each other—Chrissy with angiosarcoma and Matt with colorectal cancer—they turned their trials into testimony, leaning on family, community, and kindness to carry them through. Their story reflects how even in life’s hardest seasons, love and purpose can shine brighter than fear, inspiring others to live fully in each moment. Key Takeaways: Hope...
info_outline
Transforming Lives with James Swanwick: The Alcohol-Free Movement
Small Changes Big Shifts
Once an ESPN anchor and now the founder of Alcohol-Free Lifestyle, James Swanwick’s journey is one of self-discovery, transformation, and the power of choosing kindness for yourself. After giving up alcohol in 2010, James experienced dramatic improvements in his sleep, health, and clarity—changes that inspired him to create Project 90, a program helping high achievers break free from alcohol and unlock their full potential. His story shows that one intentional shift can spark a ripple effect of resilience, purpose, and lasting well-being. Key Takeaways: Quitting alcohol...
info_outlinehttps://smallchangesbigshifts.com/teaching-empathy-owning-mistakes-leadership-lessons-from-dr-nicole-price-season-12-ep-531/Empathy isn’t soft—it’s strategic. Dr. Nicole Price brings bold truth, brilliant insight, and deep humanity to a conversation about leadership that transcends titles. With vulnerability and humor, she unpacks how personal experiences shape our approach to others—and how learning to lead with empathy doesn’t just improve teams, it transforms lives. From navigating missteps to rewriting emotional habits, Dr. Nicole shows us that leadership is personal, teachable, and powerful when rooted in self-awareness, responsibility, and the courage to grow.
Key Takeaways:
-
True empathy can be learned through consistent practice and intention, even if it doesn’t come naturally.
-
Leaders who take time to understand different motivations build stronger, more inclusive teams.
-
Emotional awareness expands when we embrace the full spectrum of human experience—not just the easy parts.
-
Responsibility in leadership means owning your part, even when it’s uncomfortable, and taking the next right action.
-
Strategic empathy allows leaders to be supportive without burning out, by balancing compassion with clarity.
Resource Mentioned:
Join us for an evening designed to uplift, connect, and inspire—a space where heart-centered leadership meets whole-person wellbeing. Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Semi-Annual Better Together Through Empathy-Driven Leadership
About Dr. Nicole Price:
Dr. Nicole D. Price gets it.
She understands that if leadership is anything, it is personal, and that everyone can be a great leader — everyone can lead his or her own, whole life. So she gets personal. Dr. Price’s transparency allows others to learn from her mistakes and helps them avoid the same pitfalls. She gets real. She will tell you, yes, having differences within a team can be harder, but that hard work can really pay off — both professionally and personally. And she gets wise. She’ll tell you, in a heartbeat, how she’s gotten a few things wrong over the years, but a little grace and some solid coaching saved her.
Can you make mistakes and still be an awesome leader? Is it possible to lead effectively with so many personalities on one team? Can you genuinely lead people and still have a decent life and energy left to live it? If you ask Dr. Price, the answer is absolutely yes.
Through leadership development, coaching, consulting, keynotes, and other resources, Dr. Price encourages and enables others to live their lives in excellence. Her energetic and engaging sessions leave participants with strategies and specific tools that they can apply right away. Her lively presentation style garners rave reviews and, very often, an invitation to return.
Dr. Price received her B.S. in chemical engineering from North Carolina A&T University, her master’s degree in adult education from Park University, and her doctorate in leadership and management from Capella University. For more information about Dr. Price and Lively Paradox programs, please visit www.livelyparadox.com/our-team.
Links:
Home Page - Dr. Nicole Price
Nicole Price (@drnicoleprice) • Instagram photos and videos
Dr. Nicole Price - Lively Paradox | LinkedIn
Connect with Dr. Michelle and Bayleigh at:
https://smallchangesbigshifts.com
hello@smallchangesbigshifts.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/smallchangesbigshifts
https://www.facebook.com/SmallChangesBigShifts
https://www.instagram.com/smallchangesbigshiftsco
Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!
Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Leave us an Apple Podcasts review
Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.