Work From The Inside Out

Work From The Inside Out is a weekly podcast focused on helping people to pursue work they will love. Inspiring stories of real people who overcame the barriers and unhappiness that kept them feeling stuck in a career are featured. Practical tips and approaches for moving into more meaningful, satisfying, and fulfilling work are shared by experts in the field. Go to www.tammygoolerloeb.com/podcast to learn more!

238: Helping People to Create Sustainable Personal Change with Michelle Drapkin 12/06/2023

238: Helping People to Create Sustainable Personal Change with Michelle Drapkin Dr. Michelle Drapkin was an honors student in high school, yet she did not graduate with her class. Why? She had cut so many classes that her attendance record disqualified her from graduating. Michelle was lost. Her mother was ill with cancer (she survived!), and no one was paying attention to her activities, or lack thereof. To get her diploma, Michelle was sent to summer school, where the teachers had nothing to offer an honors student. After two days, they let her go. Michelle attended college on schedule. Michelle studied psychology and Spanish at Franklin and Marshall with the goal of becoming a Spanish-speaking psychologist. She studied abroad to develop her language skills and aspired to get a PhD in clinical psychology. Michelle hit a roadblock when she was not accepted into any of the graduate programs she applied to. She points to this experience as “failure being part of the process.” While deeply disappointed, this did not stop her. She applied to be a Fulbright Scholar, for more graduate programs and various jobs, all of which were highly competitive. Nothing came through, except Michelle received some helpful advice to get more research experience to strengthen her chances of getting accepted to graduate school. She landed a research role at the University of Pennsylvania and applied to graduate school two years later. By then, Michelle knew exactly what she wanted to do. Today, Michelle is a board-certified Clinical Psychologist who has dedicated her career to using psychological research to help people. She is the Owner/Director of the . Michelle provides individual and couples therapy, consults with healthcare tech startups, and delivers training on communication/motivation and health/wellbeing at work and in life. In this week’s learn more about Michelle’s journey: Michelle is the author of from New Harbinger Publications She held a nationwide role at the Department of Veterans Affairs and was on faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. Learn more and connect with Michelle here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/28949373

237: Elevate Your Style From the Inside Out with Ellie Steinbrink 11/22/2023

237: Elevate Your Style From the Inside Out with Ellie Steinbrink Ellie Steinbrink grew up on a farm in Iowa. She was always drawn to wearing different outfits to suit the various activities she was engaged in around the farm. Ellie credits her parents for fostering a very creative environment. Her Mom is an artist who introduced her to colors, forms, textures, and patterns. Ellie’s Dad runs the farm with a strategic business mindset, offering her his own creative perspectives. In high school, Ellie was involved in theater and communications. As she set out for college, Ellie wanted to study marketing with the goal of working for an advertising agency. Starting as an intern in an advertising agency, Ellie learned the ropes, which led her to work on the client service side of the business. For the next 15 years, she worked in advertising agencies, elevating to a Director of Client Services role. She created marketing, brands, advertising, content, and social strategies for clients ranging from Fortune 500 giants to small businesses. It was a lot of fun until the stretch between her family life and professional demands became too tight. Ellie engaged a coach to recalibrate her priorities and then took a part-time role as a marketing lead for a small business. For 4 years, Ellie enjoyed the role, but gradually, she had growing feelings that she wanted to do something else. Yet, there was a reluctance to step away from a career in which she had invested so much. In 2020, Ellie took the opportunity to merge her professional experience with her passion for personal styling and started her business, , in Omaha, Nebraska. As an expert stylist and personal brand coach, she teaches women how to define and own their unique style, aligning their insides with their outsides to feel confident in their own skin. In this week’s learn more about Ellie’s journey: Ellie is offering my subscribers a free guide: What does your outfit say about you to your audience before you even speak? This free guide includes Ellie’s 6 go-to style tips for making your outfits more impactful. Learn more and connect with Ellie here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/28720828

236: Get Started, Don’t Wait for Just Right with Janine Kwoh 11/08/2023

235: Songwriting as a Pathway to Business Innovation with Cliff Goldmacher 10/25/2023

235: Songwriting as a Pathway to Business Innovation with Cliff Goldmacher Cliff Goldmacher is a Grammy-recognized #1 hit songwriter, keynote speaker, and author. A multi-instrumentalist, he has recorded, played on, and produced thousands of recordings and album projects for major and independent music publishers and record labels. Cliff spent his first ten years in Southeast Asia due to his father’s work. Once they transferred back to the US, they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, a location that Cliff credits for his becoming a musician. He studied classical piano, which provided him with a foundation in music, but it wasn't until Cliff attended Stanford University that his personal connection to music began. He borrowed a guitar from a guy in his dorm and taught himself to play. Next, Cliff started to write songs and began performing with a friend. He graduated with a political science degree, took the LSAT, and applied to law schools. Rather than go directly to law school, Cliff took an opportunity to do a teaching internship in a small town in France. Once there, he found a little cafe to perform music. The cafe manager asked him to play six nights a week, which Cliff did for the entire year. During that time, Cliff was writing songs, performing, and rethinking his law school plans. He chose to pursue a music career, reasoning that if it did not work out, he could consider law school. Thirty years later, Cliff has written over 1,000 songs, including chart-toppers recorded by Grammy-winning and platinum-selling artists in genres ranging from Americana, country, pop, blues, and jazz to classical crossover. Cliff’s book, , encapsulates the principles of his corporate workshops, where he helps business teams enhance their creativity, solve problems, and innovate by teaching them to write songs. In this week’s follow Cliff’s journey and his work today: Cliff runs a production studio in Nashville. He has also given multiple TEDx presentations on songwriting. Learn more and connect with Cliff here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/28399073

234: Be Intentional and Make Your Impact Through the Media with Mary O'Donohue 10/11/2023

234: Be Intentional and Make Your Impact Through the Media with Mary O'Donohue is a media coach whose mission is to elevate the wisdom of women nonfiction authors. She teaches them how to get national publicity and do media interviews that sell books so they can grow their impact and change the world. Mary never planned on becoming a media coach. She was dedicated to her work for twelve seasons as a Post Producer and Associate Director on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and multiple years prior, with NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and Meet the Press. Yet, not all of Mary’s years in television media have been behind the scenes. She is also a #1 bestselling author and parenting expert who has been featured in television, radio, print, and digital media. Her book, , made Amazon's top 100 after a media interview. However, Mary never expected to become a published author. In fact, her early life was filled with so many responsibilities that she had no vision for her future. When she was 11, her beloved grandmother and her father, who was abusive and alcoholic, died just months apart. Her mother went to work teaching at a Catholic school. Mary took over at home with her 3 siblings, cooking, signing permission slips, and fighting the Social Security Administration when checks were delayed. Many observers called her strong, yet Mary was terrified. She found comfort in having some control over the situation. Mary learned to be independent and to fight for what she believed was right. In this week’s follow Mary’s journey and her work today: Mary’s unique coaching framework, the Media Impact Method (I.M.P.A.C.T), offers a solid path to publicity with purpose, leading authors to success in national media, and reaching audiences of more than a billion. She offers a variety of programs to help authors gain the strategies they need to share their work and make an impact: , , , and . Learn more and connect with Mary here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/28280078

233: You Get to Make Your Own Success with Erica Holthausen 09/27/2023

233: You Get to Make Your Own Success with Erica Holthausen When Erica Holthausen was in 7th grade, she was inspired to become an attorney after reading A Man for All Seasons, a play about the life of 16th-century Chancellor of England Sir Thomas More. She stayed true to her goal, attended law school, passed the bar, and worked for one year as an attorney, quickly realizing that being in law school and practicing law were not the same. With the support of her legal colleagues, some of whom seemed envious, Erica left the practice of law and embarked on a “master reset.” At the suggestion of a friend, she applied to an environmental studies program at the Audobon Expedition Institute. After a semester of living on the Institute’s bus in Vermont, she moved in with her recently widowed aunt in Massachusetts who needed her help. While there, Erica explored her options and allowed herself to be with not knowing exactly what she was going to do. She started a daily writing practice to process and synthesize her ideas. Eventually, she joined an arts organization as their director of marketing and development, even though she had no direct experience in those areas. Erica is wholly resourceful and she found her way, continuing on that path for years with a consulting firm and later at a museum, honing her written and communication skills throughout. In January 2020, Erica founded , a consulting firm that equips professionals with the tools they need to develop a body of work, bolster their credibility and earn a reputation as authoritative experts. Drawing on her experience as a freelance writer and editor, she guides them through the process of pitching, writing, and publishing articles in industry trade journals, and business magazines. In this week’s follow Erica’s journey and work: Erica challenged herself to deliver a TEDx talk, in 2023. Her clients have secured bylines in many high-visibility publications, including Harvard Business Review, Inc., Fast Co., and Entrepreneur. Learn more and connect with Erica here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/28154231

232: Lead Today to Navigate for Tomorrow with Mira Brancu 09/13/2023

231: Unlocking the Power of People for Effective Results with Sandy Seeber-Quayle 08/30/2023

230: Follow Your Mindful Career Path with Alicia Ramsdell 08/16/2023

230: Follow Your Mindful Career Path with Alicia Ramsdell Alicia Ramsdell was raised by two hard-working parents who laid a solid foundation for her and her three sisters; the family came first, and education was a critical path to making a secure living. From an early age, mathematics came quickly to Alicia. So when she decided on her college major, she concluded that accounting would be a good choice. It checked off all the boxes, or so she thought. It was a secure profession that would pay well. As Alicia learned more about the principles and practices of accounting, she realized didn’t love it. Yet she held herself to the value of finishing things she started and kept telling herself that it was a pathway to financial security. In fact, Alicia became so invested in her accounting career that she went on to earn her master’s degree in taxation. She characterizes this as identity foreclosure, which is a psychological term describing an individual who commits to an identity without exploring options. The turning point in Alicia’s life came when her father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in his early 40s. She watched as her parents’ life plans changed completely, and it was a wake-up call for Alicia. She also was raising two young children and wanted to be able to share more with them about what it means to have a meaningful career. Today, Alicia is the founder and CEO of , designing career fulfillment in collaboration with her clients' professional passion and energy. She is a certified career services provider, a global career development facilitator, and holds a certificate in mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques. In her , Alicia says, "Don't be afraid to fail in the career of your dreams. Be afraid to succeed in the career of your nightmares." In this week’s follow Alicia’s journey and work: Alicia worked for over 15 years in her corporate career before changing directions. She authored a children’s book, , offering an empowering message that our future is truly in our own hands. Learn more and connect with Alicia here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/27746220

229: To Find Your Direction, Take Time for Self-Reflection with Ebony Travis 08/02/2023

229: To Find Your Direction, Take Time for Self-Reflection with Ebony Travis Ebony Travis Tichenor is a strategic executive in human resources, talent and organizational development, diversity and inclusion, and health and well-being. She is the Director for Global Well-Being and HR Employee Policies for Boston Scientific, where she has worked for over 25 years. Ebony grew up in a small town in Texas. Raised by her Hispanic mother and her grandmother, whose only language was Spanish, they insisted that Ebony speak English. Her Dad, who was Black, passed away after she was born. As a child, Ebony was picked on by people who insisted she did not look like her mother and yet, she always maintained an upbeat, energetic personality. Still, Ebony harbored self-doubts, believing she was not bright enough to attend college. After graduating high school, she worked at a gas station convenience store, quickly getting promoted to assistant manager. While Ebony loved working there, she was encouraged by many people to do something more. She began to pursue beauty pageants, eventually auditioning for and becoming a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. As glamorous as it was, high-profile cheerleading did not pay the bills, so she applied for temporary jobs. One of her placements was at Boston Scientific, and as they say, the rest is history. At Boston Scientific, Ebony has helped to spearhead greater pay equity (99%) for a culturally and gender-diverse workforce, including veterans and persons with disabilities. A dynamic speaker, Ebony draws on her experience in change management, diversity and inclusion, performance management, employee engagement, mentoring, and training, to influence the process and cultural changes that improve organizational effectiveness and employee growth. She has served as a keynote speaker, a moderator of leadership panels within Boston Scientific and at public forums, business meetings, events, and conferences. In this week’s follow Ebony’s journey and work: Ebony is an active health and fitness influencer on social media platforms. She mentors and inspires others to meet their personal goals for health and wellness. She speaks to various companies on personal branding, overall well-being, energy management, DEI, and so much more. Learn more and connect with Ebony here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/27626031

228: Listen to Your Deeper Voice with Smita Joshi 07/19/2023

227: Unlock Your Untapped Potential with Sara Murray 07/05/2023

227: Unlock Your Untapped Potential with Sara Murray is an advisor, consultant, and speaker specializing in working with leaders and sales teams to unlock the untapped potential in their prospecting and business development efforts. With a focus on the construction, real estate, design, and technology industries, Sara guides professionals to enhance their communication skills and to approach prospecting and their business needs creatively rather than simply push products. Sara’s love for sales started as a young child. Her Mom worked for Delta Airlines, which enabled their family to fly for free via standby. This also meant that they never sat together on the plane. Sara quickly learned to engage with the strangers sitting beside her, “Excuse me, are you going to eat your chips?” Her adult seatmate was often taken aback by her request. Sara had about a 60% success rate in closing the deal. In retrospect, it really didn’t matter if they gave Sara the chips or not. It taught her an easy way to start conversations and connect with people. And she became fearless. Sara learned to ask for what she wanted. As she developed her career selling decorative hardware to the construction and hospitality industries, Sara learned that sales are about how the client and the provider fit together to feel at home. By connecting well with customers in that way, they returned time and again, enabling Sara to foster fulfilling and profitable relationships. Living and working in LA during the pandemic, Sara experienced the impact of the strict lockdown. Working from home through that difficult period, she focused on her health and well-being. Sara became aware that something significant was missing from her work. Her job had become far more technical and less relationship-focused. Sara knew it was time to make a change. In this week’s follow Sara’s journey and work: Sara is the host of the podcast "," Sara discusses prospecting, sales, business strategies, and, most importantly, mindset. She teaches her audience to connect with clients, communicate confidently, and ultimately close deals. Learn more and connect with Sara here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/27358491

226: Creating a More Inclusive Workplace with Julie Kratz 06/21/2023

225: What If … You Did What You Most Wanted? with Alisha Fernandez Miranda 06/07/2023

225: What If … You Did What You Most Wanted? with Alisha Fernandez Miranda When I asked Alisha Fernandez Miranda, author of , about her formative years, she said, “I was a really ambitious kid, very type A; the kind of girl you'd call bossy. I really never minded that term personally, I just had a real drive to be the best.” When Alisha was eight years old, she kept a diary and wrote her goal in life was to go to Harvard. Alisha had no idea how she knew about Harvard. Raised in suburban Miami, she spent her first 18 years being academically driven and socially engaged. Then, Alisha said,” Two big things happened.” She took her first trip outside the U.S., and she was accepted to and attended Harvard. For the first time, Alisha felt intimidated. She was accustomed to being a big fish in a small pond, yet she found her way at Harvard, declaring an interdisciplinary major in Women’s Studies. She spent her junior year in London and fell in love with Europe. After graduation, she attended the Gender Institute of the London School of Economics for her master’s degree while she figured out how to get a visa and permanent employment in the U.K. During that time, she met the man who became her husband. Today, Alisha serves as the chair of I.G. Advisors, an award-winning social impact intelligence agency that consults with nonprofits, foundations, and corporations on their philanthropy and social initiatives. Her writing has been featured in Vogue, Business Insider, and Huffington Post. She currently lives in Scotland with her husband and children. In her book, My What If Year, Alisha details her year of unpaid internships in the dream jobs of her childhood. She signs on as an intern at a Broadway theater, a London art gallery, a Scottish luxury hotel, and a virtual fitness studio — only to discover a long-buried question: Why didn’t she do what she most wanted to do until now? In this week’s follow Alisha’s journey and work: Alisha is the host of the award-winning podcast that takes you behind the scenes of your dream jobs. She built and launched an app, Not My Style, which is focused on sustainable fashion. Learn more and connect with Alisha here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/27046023

224: Embed Time to Connect with Michelle Johnston 05/23/2023

224: Embed Time to Connect with Michelle Johnston Dr. Michelle K. Johnston has life-long experience in embracing and accessing the power of connections. Growing up as a “corporate brat,” Michelle’s family moved every few years. Her father’s job at General Motors required relocation as his career advanced. He promoted their moves as adventures. She always found a way to fit in, and skilled at being the new kid. As she began her professional career, however, Michelle’s methods for ‘fitting in’ did not work as well for her. She realized that she had to distinguish herself, rather than blend in, to be seen as valuable in the professional marketplace. Michelle discovered that she needed to develop different ways to make meaningful connections to be effective and grow professionally. She worked for a consulting firm right out of graduate school, traveling to companies to teach meeting management, communication, presentation skills, and team building. Michelle also taught an evening business communication class at Loyola University New Orleans, close to home. Being newly married, she welcomed the opportunity to travel less when the Dean offered her a full-time teaching role in the business school. Today, Michelle is a management professor, executive coach, and leadership expert who serves as the Gaston Chair of Business at Loyola University New Orleans. She is a celebrated keynote speaker presenting at conferences and events nationwide. Her book, , details the need for leaders to shift from a command and control leadership style to one that focuses on connection. She affirms that connection drives long-lasting results, enabling leaders to more effectively connect with their teams to achieve personal and professional goals. In this week’s follow Michelle’s journey and work: Michelle earned her Ph.D. in Communication at Louisiana State University. Her grandfather, a professor at Georgetown, wrote her letters to persuade her to pursue a doctoral degree. She was named to the prestigious MG group, which consists of the top executive coaches worldwide affiliated with Marshall Goldsmith. Michelle was named one of the most influential New Orleanians, a top 500 business leader, and a Woman of the Year by CityBusiness. Learn more and connect with Michelle here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/26914182

223: Rise Beyond Resilience with Rimi Chakraborty 05/10/2023

223: Rise Beyond Resilience with Rimi Chakraborty With an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and an engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania, swiftly worked her way "to the top" from cutting deals on Wall St. to the epicenter of the Boston technology hub in strategy and management consulting roles. Yet, her life could have gone very differently. Born in Alabama, the only child of immigrant Indian parents (who met on their wedding day via an arranged marriage), Rimi’s early years were deeply troubled. At 8, her family moved to Philadelphia, and soon after, her parents separated. Rimi lived with her mother, who worked evening shifts and developed an alcohol addiction, leaving her unavailable as a parent. While maintaining straight-A grades, Rimi joined a gang, nearly got expelled from school, and was on a first-name basis with the police. By high school, she moved in with her father and stepmother, where her life stabilized. She went to UPenn, graduated, and got a Wall Street job. As she raced to the pinnacles of success, Rimi realized she was sacrificing her health and happiness. Instead of ignoring the voices in her head, heart, and body, Rimi chose to live and lead with purpose. In 2015 she and her husband moved to his homeland, the Azores, Portugal, and opened a lodge and learning center, , where she leads retreats and leadership workshops. Rimi learned the language, embraced a new life, and redefined her metrics of success, enabling her to live in alignment with her values. This became the foundation for her framework. Today, she brings her innovative tools and teaching to Fortune 500 companies, private companies, universities, and individuals to bridge traditional leadership with creative and emotional intelligence. In this week’s follow Rimi’s journey and work: Rimi is the co-founder of and has a book coming out in October 2023. She teaches yoga and mindfulness globally and online, customizing mindfulness programs and courses for private and public companies. Learn more and connect with Rimi here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/26775360

222: If They Don’t Promote You, Promote Yourself with Claudia Miller 04/26/2023

221: The Serendipity Mindset: Connecting the Dots with Christian Busch 04/12/2023

221: The Serendipity Mindset: Connecting the Dots with Christian Busch Do you believe that some people are just luckier than others even though they have not done anything special to create their good fortune? According to my guest this week, NYU Professor Christian Busch, good luck doesn’t happen purely by chance. He says it can be learned and leveraged. In his book, , Christian explains that serendipity isn’t about luck being out of our control. It’s about seeing links that others don’t, combining these observations strategically, and learning how to detect the moments when unconnected ideas merge to form new opportunities. Exploring serendipity from a scientific perspective, Christian argues that there are ways we can foster the conditions to allow serendipity to grow. Drawing from biology, chemistry, management, and information systems and using examples of people from all walks of life, he shows how you can use serendipity to make life better at work, at home, and everywhere. It is remarkable to note that Christian’s early track record could not have predicted where he has landed today. In his own words, he was a restless, rebellious kid who was “in the 5% of the class that enabled the top 95%.” He dropped out of high school and, at eighteen, went wild in his first car, ending up in a near-fatal multi-car crash. Needless to say, and fortunately, this was a turning point for him. Christian finished high school and with determination applied to dozens of universities. Once accepted, he dove into his studies, fueling his curious mind. Christian went on to earn his master's degree and later a Ph.D. In this week’s follow Christian’s journey and work: Christian is the director of the CGA Global Economy Program at New York University (NYU) and teaches at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is a co-founder of Leaders on Purpose and the Sandbox Network and a former director of LSE's Innovation Lab. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's Expert Forum, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and on the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 thinkers "most likely to shape the future." Learn more and connect with Christian here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/26494989

220: Advancing Careers for Underrepresented Women with Octavia Goredema 03/29/2023

219: Get Unstuck and Live the Life You Want with Shira Miller 03/22/2023

218: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders with Alain Hunkins 03/15/2023

218: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders with Alain Hunkins Alain Hunkins is an executive coach, leadership and team development facilitator, and keynote speaker who helps leaders, teams, and companies achieve performance goals easier. He is also the author of the book . From a young age, Alain was a keen observer of people. He noticed the differences between his life at home, being raised by his mother and grandmother, both Holocaust survivors, and being somewhat ‘glass half empty’ people, and the much lighter atmospheres in his friends’ homes. Upon reflection, he was lifting some heavy weights as a kid and yet, also learned how to navigate a world with many different people all around him. In college, he studied psychology and theater and went on to study acting, earning his Master's in Fine Arts. At that time, Alain attended a training weekend with the Mankind Project, which changed his life. That experience transformed the direction of his career towards group facilitation, arts education, and corporate training. Over his twenty-five-year career, Alain has worked with over 3,000 groups of leaders in 27 countries, including 42 of the Fortune 100 companies. Every spring, Alain runs an online gamified for a cohort of people from around the world. They participate for five to ten minutes a day, tactically practicing the skills of becoming better connectors, better communicators, and better collaborators. You can participate! Alain, noting you heard about the challenge through me and my podcast. He will send you a discount code to get a reduced rate. The challenge starts on May 15, 2023. Space is limited, so act now! In this week’s learn more about Alain’s journey and work: Alain is on the faculty at Duke Corporate Education and serves on the Academic Board of Advisors for the New Delhi Institute of Management. His work has been featured in Chief Executive, Fast Company, Inc., Training Magazine, Chief Learning Officer, and Business Insider. He’s also a monthly contributor to Forbes. Alain was recently named #33 on the Global Power list of the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership for 2023 by LeadersHum. Learn more and connect with Alain here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/26202927

217: Tune Up Your Work Relationships with Susan Spero 03/08/2023

217: Tune Up Your Work Relationships with Susan Spero What was your first paid job? Do you recall the training you received to perform your duties? This week’s podcast guest, Susan Spero, vividly remembers the training she got at 18 when she worked at a summer camp. The owners trained the staff on how to understand and manage groups so they would bond as a team and recognize camper group dynamics. They wanted counselors to help campers’ social and emotional development during the eight-week camp season. Susan deeply values her three summers there, crediting that experience as a foundation for how she has negotiated relationships in her adult and professional life. Susan pursued an education degree in college and taught elementary school for six years. While she was supposed to focus on math, reading, and social studies, Susan was more interested in the student’s social and emotional development, their interactions, and the dynamics between faculty members. Every six years, she had a pattern of getting bored with her work. While Susan was still teaching, she did a clinical internship in digital art therapy. Then, she left her job and pursued a master's degree in psychology and counseling. After a period of underemployment, Susan landed work in management training as she knew her clinical and education skills were applicable, and she was curious to try something new. Her work expanded to teach supervision and leadership, and she started doing some consulting. Susan was having fun until she got bored again, about five years into it. She left the firm she was working with and gave herself a month to reset. Almost immediately, she received calls for consulting work, and the rest, as they say, is history. That was 35 years ago. Today, Susan is an executive coach and organizational consultant. Her book, , is a practical guide to help people better understand relationship dynamics and how to improve their interactions. She uses music as a metaphor to describe how relationships most often evolve. The book integrates popular theories and tools with real-world examples and humorous anecdotes. In this week’s learn more about Susan’s journey and work: Susan has worked in various industries with corporations and nonprofits ranging in size from five to 5000 employees Learn more and connect with Susan here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/26142174

216: Making Wise Decisions and Better Choices with Jim Loehr & Sheila Ohlsson Walker 03/01/2023

216: Making Wise Decisions and Better Choices with Jim Loehr & Sheila Ohlsson Walker This week’s podcast guests are Dr. Jim Loehr and Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker, the co-authors of . While the book draws on research, it is a highly accessible, practical guidebook for anyone seeking to refine their approaches to making a variety of decisions. The authors bring a fascinating combination of experiences, vast knowledge, and deep insights to this work. Jim is a world-renowned performance psychologist, Co-Founder of the Human Performance Institute, and author of eighteen books, including . He also co-authored the national bestseller . Sheila is a behavioral geneticist. She is a Senior Scientist at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth at Tufts University, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Early on, Jim was intoxicated with psychology, earning his master's and a doctorate in psychology and specialized in community mental health. Two years later, he was offered a job as chief psychologist and executive director of a large community mental health center system that served central and southern Colorado. Jim felt he reached the pinnacle of his career. Then, he met exercise physiologist Dr. Joe Hill, an Olympic track and field legend who urged him to launch a new area of psychology in human performance. Jim studied under the Jimmy Connors United States Tennis Center for two years and for six years, set up a research institute. Eventually, Jim and Joe established the Human Performance Institute, to apply science, and sports to the arena of human performance. Sheila is a former professional tennis player. She earned a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado, Boulder, obtained a Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and held an investment career as a Portfolio Manager. She then earned a doctorate in Behavioral Genetics from the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at King’s College London. In this week’s learn more about Jim and Sheila’s work: Jim and Sheila serve on the board of the Youth Performance Institute that applies to youth many of the learnings drawn from the Human Performance Institute. Learn more and connect with Jim Loehr & Sheila Ohlsson Walker here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/26059992

215: The Self-Employed Life with Jeffrey Shaw 02/22/2023

214: Inspiring and Catalyzing Extraordinary Outcomes with David Lancefield 02/15/2023

214: Inspiring and Catalyzing Extraordinary Outcomes with David Lancefield David Lancefield is a catalyst, strategist, and coach to senior executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs. He also is a speaker, facilitator, and host of the podcast. David enjoys helping leaders and their organizations achieve greater strategic clarity, enhanced resilience, breakthrough performance, and sustainable impact. David grew up in modest surroundings with his sister and parents. Mom was an educator who ran the local school system. Dad was a nuclear physicist. David says his parents never pressured him or his sister to achieve anything specific or ‘be’ something other than to put in their best effort. Yet, David held himself to high standards and always enjoyed intellectual, complex challenges. He studied economics, earned a master's degree, and went to work for a large management consulting firm. By 32, he became one of the firm’s youngest partners. In 2012, David and his wife welcomed their son into the world. He was born with significant brain damage, requiring a high degree of care. David has thoughtfully crafted a life where he brings excellence to his work and to his son’s life by providing home schooling and caregiving. Today, brings the skills, frameworks, and experiences of a strategy consultant, transformational leader, executive coach, and futurist to his work with CEOs, senior executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs from start-ups to corporate, private to public, local to global, and media to utility. These include the BBC, Microsoft, Royal Mail, Standard & Poors, Vodafone, NBC Universal, NHS, Virgin Media, Technicolor, IHG, and The Guardian. In this week’s learn more about David’s journey: David writes for Harvard Business Review and is a contributing editor for Strategy+Business. He is a board advisor to LeaderEQ and a guest lecturer at the London Business School. Learn more and connect with David here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/25911030

213: Taking Care of You is Taking of Business with Katie McDonald 02/08/2023

213: Taking Care of You is Taking of Business with Katie McDonald On paper, Katie McDonald had it all. She was an international sales rockstar who beat the competition and crushed her goals in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. But Katie’s relentless drive for productivity came at the expense of everything that mattered: her relationships, her time, her health, and her emotional well-being. The demands of her corporate career occupied her every waking moment. Then, one day, she missed one meeting. One. Her mental health was already precarious; that’s all it took to push her over the edge. Facing life-threatening mental and physical health crises, Katie’s have-it-all-together world was quickly crumbling. She had to take action for herself – immediately. Katie left her corporate career behind…and life started to get better. As she started to move past her self-destructive patterns, Katie made meaningful investments in her well-being. Then, something incredible happened: after years of trying and failing, Katie conceived a child. By letting go of her perfectionist habits, she started making intentional choices. For the first time in her adult life, Katie started implementing what she knew about self-care but had never practiced. Today, self-care is at the center of everything Katie does. Fully recovered from years of self-neglect, she now coaches fellow-doers to embrace self-care so they can lead healthier, more intentional, and more nourished lives. As a speaker, Katie leads with tough love to inspire, empower, and challenge audiences. She dispels the myth that self-care is an obstacle to productivity and teaches that self-care is, in fact, a tool to create a more powerful and impactful legacy. In this week’s learn more about Katie’s journey: Katie created to give anyone, anywhere, who’s ready to leave their detrimental habits in the past a day-by-day, step-by-step guide to practicing self-care. She will be the first to tell you “thriving” isn’t a permanent state of being but an everyday journey of small triumphs and setbacks. Learn more and connect with Katie here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/25843278

212: Living a Juicy AF (Alcohol-Free) Life with Kay Allison 02/01/2023

211: Inclusion Tops Diversity with Gena Cox 01/25/2023

211: Inclusion Tops Diversity with Gena Cox Dr. Gena Cox is the CEO of Feels Human, LLC. She is an organizational psychologist, executive coach, and award-winning author. After a decades-long career advising leaders in some of America’s largest companies, Gena felt that the pace of progress in workplace inclusion was unacceptably slow. She harnessed her experiences, expertise in organizational psychology, executive coach insights, and understanding of C-suite dynamics to write her book, . It is a comprehensive guidebook for building inclusive organizations from the top down. Gena helps leaders to connect the unfamiliar dots to drive inclusion from the top of their organizations. She asks her clients to remember one simple idea: inclusion tops diversity. Throughout her career, Gena has looked through a global lens, sensing that the world is actually small and humans are more alike than different. She was born in England, and at three years, her parents split, and Gena went to live with her grandparents in Barbados. She had a wonderful childhood and later attended college in the United States, where she studied psychology. Gena had also wanted to be a journalist, so she worked at a newspaper for two years, covering the business beat. To this day, when she sees reporters on television, Gena is fascinated by how they get to the core of a story. Interestingly, her father, who had worked at The Guardian newspaper in England, encouraged her to study something other than journalism and then write about it. Ultimately she pursued her interest in psychology. In this week’s learn more about Gena’s journey: Before starting her own business, Gena advised leaders in the Fortune 500 and other large global companies to build psychologically healthy and engaging organizational cultures that drive business outcomes. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Fast Company, Business Insider, Market Watch/Barrons, BBC Worklife, and The Telegraph (UK). Learn more and connect with Gena here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/25699122

210: Be Curious and Just Say Yes with Etta Jacobs 01/18/2023

210: Be Curious and Just Say Yes with Etta Jacobs Etta Jacobs is an executive career transition coach and facilitator who supports mid-level and senior managers to become more effective, confident leaders. Powered by 20 years of senior-level corporate experience and an intuitive insight into her clients’ strengths, she guides them to navigate the ambiguities and complexities of their organizations and the world around them. Etta inspires her clients to cultivate compassion and consider divergent perspectives as they envision the impact they want to have in their careers. Etta began her career as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator in New York City. She quickly learned that the most important factor in building a sustainable business was nurturing her relationships with clients and colleagues. It was these relationships that opened the doors to each successive phase of her career—first as a corporate design director and today as a coach and facilitator. Etta gained her corporate expertise as an award-winning executive at two Fortune 500 companies, where she coached cohorts of managers and directed teams of creative professionals working on innovative instructional design products. She shepherded teams through many technological changes and corporate reorganizations, nurturing their resilience and cultivating their creative problem-solving skills. In this week’s learn more about Etta’s journey: Etta earned her Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching and Master's degree in Organizational Psychology from William James College. She is a Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation (ICF). When designing and facilitating leadership training for corporate and non-profit organizations, she draws upon her experience to teach teams to foster a culture of psychological safety to become more innovative, collaborative, and productive. Learn more and connect with Etta here: Websites: Email: [email protected] Social: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/25622310

209: Leverage Curiosity to Find Your Next Step with Grant Tate 01/11/2023

209: Leverage Curiosity to Find Your Next Step with Grant Tate Grant Tate helps people learn how to thrive in our unpredictable world. He is a servant leader, transformational coach, and business consultant who challenges leaders and emerging professionals to answer the questions: Who am I? What am I called to do now? Who am I going to work with to get it done? Grant is the CEO of and the author of . Grant grew up in a small working-class town in Virginia. He started school early, the smallest and youngest in his class. Grant quickly developed strategies to use his brain to survive conflicts on the playground and became friends with one of the tough kids who taught him a few jiu-jitsu moves. At 15, Grant got a job at the local furniture store, where he was tasked with cleaning and other physical jobs. Within a week, the store’s owner realized Grant could not sweep a floor if his life depended on it and offered to teach him bookkeeping skills which he continued to do there while attending the University of Virginia. At 16, Grant graduated high school and studied electrical engineering in college. By 25, he was a line manager at IBM with 100 employees working under him. He remained with IBM for 30 years in 15 different management and leadership roles. He has also taught engineering at universities in Connecticut, New Mexico, and New York. After two failed marriages, he moved to Europe to find himself and started a distance education and ed tech company with two partners. Five years later, he returned to the US and started his coaching and consulting business. In this week’s learn more about Grant’s journey: Grant was part of the original personal computer team at IBM when they were starting from scratch. He also earned a Master's degree in Electronics at Syracuse and a Doctorate in Management, International Business, and Finance at Pace University while teaching there. Learn more and connect with Grant here: /episode/index/show/workfromtheinsideout/id/25544826

Work From The Inside Out

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