How to Redesign Your Internal Programming with Chris Yonker
The Secret Thoughts of CEO's Podcast
Release Date: 12/02/2024
The Secret Thoughts of CEO's Podcast
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 142 The Art of Transitions, Maintaining Harmony, and Heritage with Scott Anderson In this deeply revealing episode, Chris Yonker sits down with Scott Anderson, founder and CEO of Doubledare Executive Coaching and a licensed mental health therapist, to unpack the silent epidemic of burnout among entrepreneurs and executives. With personal experience as a serial entrepreneur and trauma-informed therapist, Scott shares the real definition of burnout, why high performers are most susceptible to it, and how to reverse it—quickly and permanently. They explore the...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 141 Balancing Boardrooms and Bedrooms - When You and Your Spouse are in a Family Business Together With Gabriela Embon In this powerful and practical episode, Chris Yonker is joined by transformational coach and author Gabriela Embon to explore what it really takes to sustain a legendary marriage—especially when love and business intertwine. Gabriela shares insights from her journey from engineer to relationship strategist and introduces the Four Pillars of Legendary Marriage from her book Becoming a Power Couple. Together, they dive into boundaries,...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 140 Succession without Sabotage: How to Pass the Baton and Protect Your Culture with Andy Busser In this high-level conversation, Chris Yonker interviews Andy Busser, President and CEO of Pitcairn, a multi-family office with a deep legacy of serving ultra-wealthy families. Together, they unpack what it means to lead a family-owned enterprise, especially as a non-family CEO, and how modern governance, culture, and communication influence business longevity. Andy shares strategic insights and lived experience from both inside and outside the boardroom,...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 139 Leadership Evolution & Strategy with Nicole Van Valen In this inspiring and energizing conversation, Chris Yonker sits down with resilience strategist, author, and former NFL and NBA dancer Nicole Van Valen to explore the real ingredients behind sustainable leadership. From burnout recovery to joyful performance, Nicole shares how leaders can build emotional and strategic resilience in today’s fast-paced business world. They also dive into generational shifts in the workplace, the role of joy in high-performance leadership, and how managers can meet...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 138 Self Awareness & Emotional Intelligence with Stephanie Chung In this electric and eye-opening episode, Chris Yonker sits down with aviation pioneer and leadership strategist Stephanie Chung to unpack what it truly takes to lead in today’s world of diverse teams, generational differences, and ever-shifting business landscapes. Stephanie, the first African American president of a private aviation company in the U.S. and former CGO of Wheels Up, blends boardroom brilliance with neuroscience-backed leadership insight. From building trust through body...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 137 Succession Beyond the Transition: Gaining confidence while strengthening leadership and family relationships with Kristi Baxter In this masterclass-style episode, Chris Yonker and Kristi Baxter deliver a powerful, holistic perspective on the complex realities of succession planning. With decades of experience working with privately held and family-owned businesses—from $1M operations to $10B enterprises—Chris and Kristi unpack the emotional, strategic, and structural dimensions of continuity planning. This session goes far beyond strategy and legal...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 136 What if growth isn't the goal? with Perrin DesPortes In this deeply reflective and energizing episode, Chris Yonker and Perrin DesPortes engage in a rare bidirectional dialogue, unpacking the hidden costs of ambition, the personal reckoning that comes with burnout, and the awakening that’s possible when business success is aligned with inner fulfillment. Perrin, founder of The Next Level Executive, shares his evolution from a high-powered career in dental distribution and M&A to building a purpose-driven coaching practice for healthcare...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 135 Legacy in Limbo: Why So Many Leaders Avoid Succession Planning with Dr. Mohanakrishnan Raman In this eye-opening episode, host Chris Yonker speaks with Dr. Mohanakrishnan Raman, an organizational psychologist and international expert on family business dynamics. With decades of experience consulting Indian family enterprises, Dr. Raman shares how cultural norms, succession planning, and next-gen development intersect in often overlooked ways. The conversation touches on Indian traditions, evolving gender roles, leadership readiness, and the...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 134 Navigating Change: Insights for Family Business Leaders with Dr. Barrett C. Brown In this powerful episode, Chris Yonker is joined by global executive advisor and developmental strategist, Dr. Barrett Brown, for a profound and eye-opening conversation about what it really takes to lead in today’s ever-accelerating world. With experience working across six continents and coaching C-suite executives through high-stakes transformation, Dr. Brown brings hard-earned wisdom about the inner capacities required for high-impact, conscious leadership. ...
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Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 133 Navigating Legacy and Wealth in Family Business with Jason Smith In this powerful episode, host Chris Yonker sits down with Jason L Smith, founder of JL Smith Group, author of The Bucket Plan, and a nationally recognized financial advisor. Jason opens up about being fired by his own father, building a purpose-driven business from the ground up, and the holistic philosophy that now guides his wealth management firm—which oversees more than $4 billion in assets. Jason also shares deeply personal stories about resilience, raising grounded kids, and how...
info_outlineHow Can You Redesign Your Internal Programming a Live a Full(er) Life?
On today's episode I was a guest on Steven Lawson’s podcast Potent, and we dive into overcoming trauma, the power of spirituality and self-awareness, the impact of mentorship, and the journey toward self-acceptance and deeper connections.
About Today's Guest
Chris is a Certified Family Business Advisor accredited through The Family Firm Institute. Chris helps to consciously navigate the challenges of succession, leadership transitions and family conflict, while creating long-term strategies for business continuity. Dubbed a “Life Journey Sherpa,” Chris’ holistic approach allows each individual in the family to be seen as an integral piece to the work. He uses his experience as a Neuro- Linguistic practitioner, a student of Philosophy and Psychology, and a thought leader on Personal Performance and Transformation to create a one-of-a-kind methodology that fuses heart and soul — helping families achieve extraordinary results that become permanent ways of being. Drawing upon more than 25 years of driving change and leading sales with 3M, and over a decade in Family Business and Executive consulting, Chris has built a process that has become his special sort of alchemy. His strategy helps clients move beyond the obstacles family organizations face that often prevent them from leading deeply fulfilling lives, both individually as well as collectively. Many of Chris’s clients say the process of working with him leads to profound healing within their families, bringing a sense of deep peace, better relationships and higher levels of happiness alongside a thriving organization. As a sought-after speaker, Chris has been a special guest of Camden Family Wealth, The Institute for Family-Owned Business, and The Center for Family Enterprise, and has been a featured contributor to Forbes. Education Chris is a Certified Family Business Advisor accredited through The Family Firm Institute. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business and a Minor in Communication from Western Michigan University. He was personally mentored by Tony Robbins’ original trainer in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Personal Chris is a seventh-degree black belt in an Okinawan style of karate and a student of yoga and meditation. He enjoys fishing, travel, cooking and spending time with his wife of 28 years and their daughter
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-thoughts-of-ceos-podcast/id1543246164
Show Notes
· 01:02 Chris early life
· 02:03 Connecting with God
· 03:24 Martial arts, validation
· 04:37 Mentorship
· 06:00 What is God teaching me?
· 08:04 Developing a practice of connection
· 09:04 Coaching thru end of life
· 13:56 Immersion
· 18:43 Developing personal presence
· 22:28 Fear of loneliness
· 26:43 Emotions, awareness, and karate
· 28:53 The elevator from heart to head
· 31:20 Potent presence; it's a soul massage
· 33:04 Healing our bodies
· 35:49 Parenting, upbringing, self-parenting
· 36:54 Being/doing, Values alignment
· 39:29 Community affiliation, fear of lone wolf, searching out your people
· 41:26 Trusting the process
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