I don’t think I’ve ever had someone tell me that a major inflection point in their career was the desire to wear slacks to work. But here we are. In this conversation, I sit down with Erika Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Credit Union 1, to explore the unlikely, adventurous arc of her leadership journey. From small-town barista to executive, … Read More
Visionary Leadership in Uncertain Times with Leah Boltz
Leah Boltz was never going to accept that her daughter wouldn’t be able to play at the neighborhood park. So she led a charge that resulted in more than 25 accessible parks across her city. Leah Boltz, is the Principal for Marketing, Business Development & Community Outreach at Bettisworth North, and in this conversation we talk about how one inaccessible … Read More
The real reason I can’t stop thinking about John Wick
I’m sure someone has sorted out how many people John Wick kills across his cinematic run, but I fear I can’t count that high. I know the violence in these movies is severe and ever present, but I think about John Wick every single day when I dive into my work around leadership and building teams that produce outsized results. … Read More
How to Stop Overthinking and Start Connecting with Sara Berry
Sara Berry knew that the corporate world wasn’t meeting all of her creative needs, but she didn’t know what to do about it. And then the dots connected and she discovered her super power. Sara is the owner of Out of Office Studio and her background in corporate learning gives her a unique vantage point. She’s lived on both sides … Read More
What if you’re wrong?
The next time you wake up at 3AM convinced of impending doom, I want you to ask yourself a question. What if I’m wrong? It’s fascinating to me how many smart people I know (and work with) who will ask this question non-stop about every strategy and tactic they deploy. They say, “I think I should go left…but what if … Read More
Getting Good at Awkward with Henna Pryor
I was sure this interview was going to be awkward… In this episode, I sit down with workplace performance expert, speaker, and author of “Good Awkward,” Henna Pryor to unpack why discomfort, uncertainty, and “butterflies” are not obstacles to growth, but signals that you’re doing something that matters. We talk about why awkwardness isn’t a personality trait, how leaders accidentally … Read More
You can’t trust AI
A few months ago I needed to thaw a roast and it was the exact moment my relationship with AI started breaking down. Not knowing the best way to thaw this roast or how long it would take, I asked ChatGPT for some help. I gave it the size of the roast, the temp of my freezer, the temp of … Read More
The Speed of Trust in Real Life with Dan White
Dan White is a firm believer that the single biggest accelerant, and the biggest tax, for leaders is trust. In this conversation with former UAF Chancellor Dr. Dan White, we dig into what trust really looks like in practice. Not as a lofty ideal, but as a daily discipline. Dan shares how self-trust becomes the foundation for every other level … Read More
Don’t be the Grim Reaper of joy
When my daughter texted Nicole and I to say she had gotten a 98% on her final presentation, we were ecstatic. But before we could respond we were met with a flurry of follow up texts squarely focused on the remaining 2%. Which was ridiculous, but also incredibly familiar. Leaders of all stripes fall into a similar trap. We forget … Read More
Showing up is enough
This is my 52nd essay of 2025. I showed up every Sunday. I showed up on the Sundays when I knew exactly what I wanted to say. And I showed up on the Sundays when I wasn’t quite sure what to say. Because showing up isn’t about being perfect or having it all figured out, it’s about contributing. Your people … Read More
Christmas Leadership Huddle Remix
Ummm, tomorrow is Christmas. Perhaps you’re listening to this while you are finishing up your Christmas shopping, but it’s more likely you’re hearing this just after the holiday because why wouldn’t you be listening to Christmas music while you finish your shopping? In this Leadership Huddle remix episode I’m sharing clips from 5 interviews from earlier this year. Maybe you … Read More
Why do all the loners hang out together
I just got back from a trip to 1995. Through the power of my magic snowblower, and a fully charged set of Airpods, I spent an hour listening to some of my alternative rock favorites from the early 90’s while clearing copious amounts of frozen precipitation from my driveway. Smashing Pumpkins, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana… They were … Read More
Balancing Courage and Care with Erica Kemp
What if your greatest leadership power isn’t in having all the answers, but in asking better questions? In this conversation with Erica Kemp, Vice President of Branch Administration at Global Credit Union, we explore how intentional presence, trust, and curiosity create powerful leadership cultures, especially across dispersed teams. Erica shares how she balances courage with care, empowers experimentation within safe … Read More
Are you waving this leadership red flag?
If you find a leader who thinks they can maximize their potential without correction and encouragement from others, run. And if YOU are that leader, it’s time to stop holding yourself back. Because your blind spots are, by definition, things you will never be able to see on your own. No amount of self awareness will ever reveal your blind … Read More
How Ownership Transforms a Team with Monique Love
When Monique Love joined Alaska Auto Rental, she thought she was signing up for a short-term gig. And then she forgot to leave. In this episode, I sit down with Monique Love, Operations Director at Alaska Auto Rental and a lifelong champion of servant leadership. We talk about her unexpected journey from running Frostbite Foods to guiding a rapidly evolving, … Read More
The pain is absolutely necessary
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the pain is necessary. Think about the most meaningful, positive changes you’ve made in your life. Now imagine you have two buckets in which to collect these important inflection points. One bucket is labeled “I did it because it just seemed like a good idea.” The other bucket … Read More
