Be Yourself at Work with Claude Silver
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
Claude Silver is Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, where she's spent 12 years building culture under Gary Vaynerchuk, and author of the new book Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart. In this conversation, Claude opens up about the 93-day wilderness expedition in the Colorado Rockies at age 19 that taught her she could choose the voice in her own head, a lesson that still shapes how she leads today. She and Eric dig into the real difference between authenticity and oversharing at work, why "emotional optimism" is the hardest...
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"Name Yourself" with Lisa Conners
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
My guest today is Lisa Conners — executive and leadership coach, keynote speaker, and the creator of a body of work called Generative Power and Generative Leadership. Lisa is also on her way to becoming an author, with her upcoming book Name Yourself exploring the power of creating and stepping into new identities. In this conversation, Lisa and I dig into what it means to lead generatively — continuously evolving as a leader, an individual, and a human while carrying forward everything you've learned along the way. We talk about the courage it takes to name yourself something new (Lisa...
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Do It Afraid with Kent Chevalier
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with Kent Chevalier, Pittsburgh Steelers chaplain, keynote speaker, and author of the brand-new book Do It Afraid, for a conversation about courage, calling, and the faith it takes to jump before you can see the landing. Kent opens up about the pivotal decision he and his wife Erica made to walk away from two full-time jobs and step into one of the most unique ministry environments in professional sports. That leap, and the LEAP decision-making framework he built from it, forms the heartbeat of his new book. He and Eric explore what it looks...
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Winning on Purpose: Culture, Clarity, and Human Connection with Nathan Schock
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with culture strategist, speaker, and author Nathan Schock for a wide-ranging conversation about culture, clarity, and why sustainable growth always starts with identity. Nathan reflects on a pivotal season in his life as a father of three adult daughters, sharing the gratitude and perspective that comes from walking through transition with his family. That grounding leads into a deeper exploration of his professional journey—from building a successful customer experience firm to realizing that systems fail when culture is unclear. What...
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Winning at Home First: Cory Carlson on Purpose, Burnout, and Sustainable Leadership
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with executive coach, author, and former corporate leader Cory Carlson for a grounded conversation about leadership, burnout, and why success at work eventually collapses when life at home is neglected. Cory reflects on a recent personal loss that renewed his sense of urgency around intentional living and clarified his mission to help leaders win at home first. Cory shares his path from civil engineer to sales executive to full-time coach, including the season when imposter syndrome and pressure at the top began to erode his health, presence,...
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Strength After The Breaking Point | Jodi Brown
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric Brooker sits down for a deeply human conversation about hardship, presence, and what it really means to show up for others. The discussion moves from personal crisis to professional leadership, exploring how adversity reshapes identity, relationships, and perspective. Together, they examine why small moments matter more than we think, how teams and families grow stronger through shared struggle, and what happens when leaders choose clarity, consistency, and care over avoidance. This is a conversation about resilience without bravado, leadership without...
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The Motive with Patrick Lencioni
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with organizational health pioneer Patrick Lencioni for a rich, honest conversation about work, faith, family, and why leadership is far more about responsibility than reward. Pat shares how, at 59, he hit pause to confront long-buried wounds, and how that season of healing reshaped the way he leads, loves his family, and serves the people around him. Pat traces the origin story of The Table Group, his longtime fascination with the workplace, and how his Catholic faith now sits at the very center of his work. From parenting moments that...
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Braving the Workplace with Dr. Beth Kaplan
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
This week on Counsel Culture, I sit down with Dr. Beth Kaplan, author of Braving the Workplace, for an honest conversation about belonging, leadership, and what it really means to show up as yourself at work. We explore the tension many people feel between authenticity and fitting in, and why so many professionals silently trade pieces of who they are just to feel accepted. Dr. Kaplan shares practical insights on self-awareness, boundaries, and the role leaders play in creating environments where people feel seen, not just managed. This episode is a reminder: belonging isn’t about...
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Leadership Lessons Learned with Coach Matt Doherty
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with national champion, former UNC head coach, and executive coach Matt Doherty for a candid conversation about leadership, culture, and the kind of personal transformation that only comes through adversity. From playing alongside Michael Jordan to being fired from his dream job at North Carolina, Matt opens up about identity, ego, and what it really takes to rebuild your life and leadership from the inside out. Together, Eric and Matt dig into why culture is king, why talent without character will eventually break your team, and how the best...
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Fail Forward with Jacob Brown
Counsel Culture with Eric Brooker
In this powerful episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with former NFL athlete, author, and speaker Jacob Brown for a raw, vulnerable, and deeply inspiring conversation about redemption, resilience, and faith. From losing his NFL dream to rebuilding a life rooted in purpose, Jacob shares how failure became his fuel—and how being “laid off” can actually mean being launched. Together, Eric and Jacob unpack the lessons of accountability, fatherhood, and leadership through adversity, reminding us that the pressure, heat, and pain we face are what ultimately form the diamond within. As...
info_outlineIn this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with Kent Chevalier, Pittsburgh Steelers chaplain, keynote speaker, and author of the brand-new book Do It Afraid, for a conversation about courage, calling, and the faith it takes to jump before you can see the landing.
Kent opens up about the pivotal decision he and his wife Erica made to walk away from two full-time jobs and step into one of the most unique ministry environments in professional sports. That leap, and the LEAP decision-making framework he built from it, forms the heartbeat of his new book. He and Eric explore what it looks like to pray through a decision, not just to it, and why courage doesn't show up before the first step. It shows up after.
The conversation takes a candid turn as Kent pulls back the curtain on the human side of the NFL: the players, the trades, the families, and the marriages behind the helmets. He shares a legendary story about Coach Mike Tomlin that reframed the way Kent thinks about servant leadership, and unpacks his Deflect the Glory movement, which began as a chapel message on the Steelers' sideline and has since raised over $50,000 for Pittsburgh nonprofits.
Eric brings his own story to the table, 21 years of marriage, seven kids, and hard decisions made without a five-year plan, making this one of the most personal and honest conversations the show has produced.
In this episode, you'll learn: · What the LEAP framework is and how to use it when you can't see what's ahead · Why the NFL is the tip of the spear for what's coming in broader culture · How servant leadership looks in practice, not just in theory · What it means to deflect glory in a world obsessed with personal brand · Why the most powerful thing a leader can say is "I'll go first"
This episode is dedicated to Kent's journey and to every person standing on the edge of a decision they're afraid to make. This conversation is what we make it. This is Counsel Culture.
Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.KentChevalier.com | https://www.kentchevalier.com/doitafraid